Can anybody from LA confirm if this is actually getting any airplay back home? Even on the college circuit? It wasn’t getting any love at all before I left. Thanks to Karthi for putting me up on the video – I’m actually a little embarrassed at how late I was.
(for the original, page curse-laden version, check Episode 99 – The Primaries)

And bonus video:

Yes, the video from one of the stronger joints on last week’s episode. Thanks for Spencer for getting that to me. (If you’re looking for relevance, look at his shirt).

No matter what a person’s stance is on Obama or music or whatever, I pretty much defy anyone to deny hip-hop culture’s importance in this campaign. Like it or not, this culture is going to play a big part in the next four (or more) years.

That said, if somebody can get the man himself to dance to the Obama rap song, I will personally donate a large sum of money to his campaign.

New episode soon.

MIXTAPE 109 – BEEN TOO LONG

No, sales I’m not dead. And no, find the show is not dead, remedy and I’m not planning on letting it die anytime soon. I’ve kinda been underground for a minute, just basically putting in work and getting my bars up on the school angle. It has, however, been far too long – maybe too long? Are you all still even out there? That said – let’s get into it:

Intro Instrumental – 9th Wonder – Black Album Rejects #31 (I think).

Murs – Can It Be. I couldn’t think of a better track to start this one off with. And no, I’m absolutely not hating on Murs. I remember the first time I actually saw the dude – he came to my university in a dirty white T shirt, old sneakers, and some pajama pants and rocked a show on what was basically a hill with some grass on it. Crazy show, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Dude is a dope rapper, he just happens to have made a song that confused me, and this joint more than makes up for that. And apparently he’s got a free record up – check out www.mursand9thwonder.com. And yes, when the new record comes out – buy it.

Jay Electronica – Defcon 4. From what I can tell, this joint is at least 4 years old. Produced by Sol Messiah (fam hit me up), it’s a little more straightforward beatwise than the stuff we heard, say, on episode 82. Lyrically, it’s exactly what you’d expect from the dude. Time to hit the library. myspace.com/jayelect.

Gif – Invisible (Ramona Moore). I was eating dinner a few weeks ago with a kid from Hong Kong, a kid from Japan (duh), and a Kyrgyzstani, when the topic turned to the elections. The Kyrgyzstani dude said something about that he’d heard that there is no longer any racism in the US. Unfortunately he decided to say that when I was in the middle of trying to sip my soda so he definitely ended up with that joint all over his new shirt. I laughed that hard. I don’t know – maybe if you watch the news you get that impression – but I don’t watch the news, so I wouldn’t know (I have been, however, watching Japanese news, and that is a whole different story)…Dude was actually genuinely surprised when I had to set him straight.

Anyway, as I said, this song actually follows the seqence of an actual event. For some more info on what happened with Ramona Moore, you can check this blog post. For Da Gif himself, check myspace.com/dagif. Thank you for making this song, fam.

East Flatbush Project – A Day In A Life feat Stress. This cut is just dope. I don’t have too much to say about this. It’s been too long since we’ve had one of Spencer‘s joints grace the Mixtape Show. This one is off the “First Born” EP – a joint project with Spencer and Stress. Do yourself a favor and play this one a few times. myspace.com/theeastflatbushproject.

Black Milk and Fat Ray – Take Control. I’ve been sitting on this cut for a miiinute. Maybe it’s just the cymbals on this joint that do it for me – but they’re not exactly slacking in the lyrical department here either. myspace.com/blackmk.

Madlib – Go feat Guilty Simpson. This song has some of the cruelest lyrics I’ve heard since, well, the last episode. That Punk’d line, combined with the Black / white / Chinese man joint is just too much. stonesthrow.com.

Outro Instrumental – 410 Pharaohs - Fresh.

And yeah, I’ll get into the rap in japan thing at some point in the near future…

In the meantime, that’s what I got for this week. Holler at a scholar.

MIXTAPE HIP HOP PODCAST EPISODE 44

I’m taking a break from the concept episodes for a minute – In lieu of that, decease I’ve decided to just provide you with some fucking FLAMES instead. Hope you don’t mind. And before it gets old, noun let me remind you to please motherfucking VOTE FOR THE MiXTAPE SHOW today, opisthorchiasis tomorrow, and every day.

East Flatbush Project feat Stress - CSI. I guess this episode could technically be a concept episode, if the concept was “songs I played on repeat for like half an hour”. Let me just say that the instrumental on this joint just might be my favorite East Flatbush joint – which, given my opinion of Spencer (for hire!)’s work, says a lot. And the lyrics? Here’s a gem from Stress -

You step up for your crew and defend them with a verse but/
Challenge Stress and you will end up with a nurse/
Better yet, it’s probably worse, you’ll probably end up in the earth
In a casket with your spirit getting sent up with a curse

See, there’s threats of violence, and then there’s threats of violence. I had to pull up like five times to hear those bars on repeat. Trust me, this one song is reason enough for the download. Check out myspace.com/theeastflatbushproject.

Lupe Fiasco – I Gotcha. Everybody seems to be in love with Lupe after his skateboard joint, which I can’t really argue with. The beat on this one isn’t quite as catchy as Kick Push, but I think the lyricism more than balances that out. It’s sort of weird writing about Lupe, because most of what he says comes off as cute rather than anything else. I mean, come on – the soap bar bars? Damn. But you can’t deny the sound. Shouts to Lee at Foundation for the hookups. lupefiasco.com.

Kway Floss – Its Like That. This marginally 9th Wonder-esque beat edged out another actual 9th production (GET A NEW SNARE SAMPLE HOMIE), so that should probably give you an idea of the skills here. I’d never heard of Kway before this, but I’m definitely interested in hearing more. Check him out at the suspiciously named the-ins.com, or the video for this joint here.

Wise Intelligent – Genocide. Yes, the Wise Intelligent from Poor Righteous Teachers. Born Free hollered at me with some of his newest shit, and you know I had to jump on that. If you’ve been listening since Black Business, the new flow dude has is a little suprising – almost jarring, just like the subject material. Do yourself a favor and listen to this a couple times. You know the politics never left rap. myspace.com/wiseintelligent

Masta Killa feat Ghostface and Raekwon - It’s What It Is. Ohhhhhh shit – the kung fu intro. Anyone know what this movie is from? I really want to see some motherfuckers go up against some guns with motherfucking steel darts. Kinda bizarre horn loop on this joint, which I think is a B-side from Masta’s newest release. I mean, Ghost and Rae are here. What other reason do you need to listen? mastakilla.net.

Yep. And that’s it for this week. Shouts to Corey at hiphopruckus.net, funky49 and nerdcorehiphop.com, and Dr Tron from theaestheticpoetic.blogspot.com (this last one is a street fashion/culture jumpoff, highly recommended reading) for showing love recently – oh yeah, and can’t forget Clyde from prohiphop as well.

And once again, make sure to vote for the internet’s best rap / hip-hop podcast at www.podcastawards.com. The method once again:

1. Click that link there -> VOTE
2. Find the Podsafe Music category – it’s the 9th from the top, on the left.
3. Click the “Mixtape Show” button, then scroll down and enter yr email and hit “submit”
4. Check your email, and click that link.

Then do that shit every day. The Mixtape Show is the only hip-hop show in the running, and it would be dope as fuck to show these doubters that not only is the Mixtape Show the hottest hip-hop jumpoff on the net, but we can beat out every other motherfucking genre.

Hit up the comments, hit up the phonelines at 310-928-MTSN, post up on forums, myspace, etc.

And I’m serious about those reviews – artists, holler at kucrdex [at] gmail [dot] com. If you’re interested in reviewing, also holler at me.

Um, I think that’s it. Let me know how y’all felt this one, and be on the lookout next week for a collabo/guest episode with the infamous DJ Nik Bean out of Los Angeles and Bishop Lamont. No, really.

MIXTAPE SHOW EPISODE 26

Yo yo yo, diagnosis what it is? Back with that episode #26. If this is your first time, welcome. If you’re confused, check out the about and the F.A.Q.

This week, it’s a break from all them interviews, and a return to the mixes. I’m gonna go with the low-graphics version this time – what do y’all prefer?

East Flatbush Project f/ Stress and Dox - Who I’m Is. Now, I’m not going to pretend to understand whatever sort of strange sub-grammar would lead someone to decide that “Who I’m Is” is coherent English, but that’s not really my place. My place is, however, to tell you that this joint is dope. Thus: “This joint is dope”. There. (a little more info on EFP here).

click “read more” to see the rest of the playlist…

Sean Price – Jamaican. I can’t recall the original sample used here, but I know this is a throwback to BDP‘s “Stop the Violence”. Of course, when the chorus runs “Grab your dicks and let the clip pop”, you know that the Teacha‘s message isn’t entirely intact here. That said, the joint is hot. And if you haven’t heard of Sean P yet, well, I don’t know what to tell you. I guarantee you’ll get the hook caught in your head. Don’t blame me if you get in trouble for repeating it in third period. Buncha high-school bastards (check out seanprice.com).

Ike Eyes f/ Agallah - On My Grind. If any of the songs in this episode could incite a riot, it’s probably this one. Agallah is on production and lends some bars, and of course my man Ike Eyes comes through with some lyrics that are at once hard and esoteric. You can’t really argue with that. (more info on Ike at his myspace).

Ike Eyes f/ Rebel Relz & Tito I – It’s a Shakedown. Before I forget, I have to give a shout to Ike for holding me down here with these two exclusives. Ike emailed these two to me literally about four days ago. Be on the lookout for an interview with dude, coming Real Soon Now (TM).

East Flatbush Project – Pregame 2005. Respect to Spencer (for hire!) for connecting with me, and for getting this joint out to me. Edgy, nervy, paranoid type beats and lyrics…I listen to this one whenever the feds drive by. This one definitely wasn’t on the 12″…

Pok Dog f/ K.L.A.S.S.i.C. – On Lean. I really couldn’t close out a show without doing some of this West Coast thang. Remember that banger that I started Episode 22 of with? This is that same dude, representing the Ox (the Ox, right Pok?). I haven’t heard more than a few of Pok’s joints, but from what I’ve seen, he consistently puts out versatile, hard material. Pok, mang, get at me with some more of this shit! (check out pok‘s myspace )

And that’s it for episode #26. Thanks to all the MCs, producers, artists in general, labels, and what have you that helped make this one possible. Be on the lookout for Episode #27 – it’s gonna be an interview, but not with an MC, per se. Trust me though, it’s gonna be one of the most important 30 minutes you’re going to spend for a long while. Here’s a hint: It’s with the dude who is making the bling documentary.