bald eagle: we are clubstars.

BALD EAGLE, born Chris Baronner, may not have made it in time for the Yo Majesty remix competition, but his new "reheat" of Yo Majesty and Does It Offend You, Yeah? is just in time for their appearance in The New Yorker.

Baronner just released his first mixtape, The Wonderful World of Bald Eagle & Friends - Live In The Fuck Hut # 1, which has been gaining some popularity here on the internets. The mixtape features tunes performed or mixed by Cansei de Ser Sexy, The Rapture, Switch, Diplo, Basement Jaxx, Le Tigre, New Young Pony Club, The Bird and The Bee, Peaches, Flosstradamus, and many more. It also includes Baronner's own delicious blend of Spektrum and Hollywood Holt and a one-second long track by his new DJ/production project When The Eagle Met the Wolf with Mister Wolf.

"We Are Clubstars" wasn't ready in time for the mixtape, but now it's ready for your ears and I'm pretty sure those ears will be liking this. I've heard many mixes of "Club Action" and I wouldn't be recommending this if it sucked. Just sayin'. If you haven't already, be sure to capture the full Wonderful World mixtape on Bigstereo.

d/l: YO MAJESTY vs. DIOY,Y?- We Are Clubstars (Bald Eagle reheat) (YSI)
d/l: SPEKTRUM vs. HOLLYWOOD HOLT- Kinda Fresh Man (Bald Eagle reheat) (YSI)
(Two hip-hop/electro DJ blends)
- site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Important question. Why are you not listening to R. Kelly's "Sex Planet" right now? The wirewool has a post up about it. Be prepared for liftoff.

yo majesty: in this week's new yorker.

Critic’s Notebook
Three on a Match
by Sasha Frere-Jones May 28, 2007

The female hip-hop trio Yo Majesty, from Tampa, Florida, is composed of Shunda-K, Jwl. B, and Shon-B, who bill themselves as “the only openly lesbian rap group.” These days, hip-hop is an increasingly conservative genre, and Yo Majesty’s sexuality—along with their tendency to conclude their performances with some toplessness—will probably be discussed more than their music on the message boards and comment threads that form hip-hop’s online town square. Yo Majesty can take it—their music is a direct descendant of Miami bass, an unapologetically bawdy and rough-minded genre. The infamous 2 Live Crew—the most well-known practitioners of Miami bass—would probably respond to a song like “Kryptonite Pussy” (“Kryptonite” is a positive attribute in Yo Majesty’s world) with something equally filthy. But anybody who has a problem with Yo Majesty’s take on hip-hop will likely be greeted with a lively “Rub on my monkey!” Yo Majesty bring their high-energy, lowbrow rumpus to Irving Plaza on June 1. ♦

Illustration: MAXIMILIAN BODE

pink nasty: groove 'n grind (b-side version).

PINK NASTY has been on my radar for a while now.

I've been following her work since the release of Mule School but not in a stalkerish kind of way. "Groove 'N Grind" showed up as a demo on her site or the space a while back. Little did we know that she was hiding a remastered Mold the Gold b-side version! But now we know. She was hiding it.

It is no longer hidden. "Groove 'N Grind" is now available for download on the space. Ms. Nasty describes it as a song about "sorority girls gone wild in boston during summer school..."

I once interviewed Pink Nasty and she said this--- "Mold the Gold is the shit. I remember the liner notes of Tevin Campbell's I'm Ready LP where he says his album is the shit and that stayed with me and I feel like Tevin right now. I believe if it isn't the Thriller of the indie pop singer songwriter set, then it will certainly be the I'm Ready." That quote stuck with me, and I can't help but wonder why a song this good didn't make it onto Mold the Gold.

d/l: PINK NASTY- Groove 'N Grind (remastered b-side version) (YSI)
(indie-pop b-side)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: The Music Slut posts on the new Spoon video. Kevipod Music has the new single by American Idol's Katharine McPhee, produced by Timbaland protege Danja. Itz Fresh brings us a new song from Lauryn Hill.

bonde do role: quero te amar.

BONDE DO ROLE never wowed me. Their "twisted party vibe full of funk carioca, metal riffs, electro beats and bawdy Portuguese raps" didn't really blow me away. I can't say that I was impressed that they toured with Diplo and Cansei de Ser Sexy. I simply did not care about them.

Well, I didn't care until I heard "Quero te Amar", a song off of their new full-length album With Lasers. I have a thing for Afrika Bambaata and anything with a remotely old-skool electro feel to it...so it was easy to sell me on this one. After a few listens, I learned a very valuable lesson: I should have been wowed from the beginning.

I took a step back and listened to "Gasolina" and "Solta O Frango". It was all good. I took a listen to some tracks off the new album. It was also all good. I don't understand what I was missing before, but I'm glad I finally found it. I began dancing, and it felt good. I guess you sometimes just have to listen to Diplo when he says things are cool. Also, how can you resist that album cover? LASERS!

d/l: BONDE DO ROLE- Quero te Amar (YSI)
d/l: BONDE DO ROLE- Bondallica (unreleased version) (YSI)
d/l: BONDE DO ROLE vs. AFRIKA BAMBAATA- Danca de Ventuinha (siik mix) (YSI)
(crazy Brazilian shit)
- buy it - space it - hype it -
BLOGWATCH: Chazology brings us the best Yo Majesty "Kryptonite Pussy" remix ever by UMYO. Brugo has Panic! At the Disco covering Nelly Furtado's "Maneater", which is sure to be worth it for the laugh?

siya: even heterosexuals bump her shit.

SIYA is short for "Mesiah". Siya is a Brooklyn rapper. Siya is also a lesbian.

A friend sent me Siya's song "So Crazy" a few days ago and I haven't stopped analyzing it since. Sure, I've heard lesbian rappers before. It's not a foreign concept that we should gasp and "ooh-ah" at. Homo-hop has been around for a while, even if it's not in the mainstream eye.

However, ,most rappers of the homo-hop variety are content with staying underground and speaking to their own communities, but Siya isn't. Her goal is to be accepted as the first openly gay female rapper in history to be fully accepted into the mainstream. Given her skills, accessible flow, and general swagger, this wouldn't be that difficult to accomplish...but she's not content with us forgetting she's a lesbian, mentioning it in nearly every song she performs. While America may be ready to accept a lesbian MC, I don't know if they're ready to hear a lesbian MC continually referring to herself as a "dyke". Beyond that, Siya isn't a typical sexy femme porno lesbian that some heterosexual men would drop their tongues out for. She's an AG, or aggressive, a subculture of lesbian culture which is heavily influenced by hip-hop culture. As Eric Parker of sohh.com stated, "Female rappers are marketed to sell sex, and their target audience is largely men. And the males in hip-hop, or outside of hip-hop for that matter, find femme lesbians appealing, rather than a more masculine female who challenges their personal ideals of masculinity." In short, Siya could probably throw on a skirt, rap about her vagina, and get a contract after a little bit of hustling her demo around. But I don't think she's going to do that any time soon. She's going to have to deal with close-minded labels who assume she'll only appeal to a small demographic, and I can only hope that her skills will help her overcome this hurdle.

In the past, I've argued that hip-hop is dying merely because voices are being silenced. You can't blame the south. The south is just what's marketable, and the death of hip-hop is this constant concern over what is marketable. The industry isn't taking risks, and each song that comes out is more forgettable than the next. I may hate him, but what would have happened if Eminem never got signed because he's white? What would have happened if Elton John was never marketed because he's gay? What if someone told Chuck Berry that a black man can't play the guitar? If the latter happened, we wouldn't have The Beach Boys and The Beatles. Rock and roll would have been supremely different. Hip-hop is suffocating because it needs a new direction. It needs to start taking risks. And who knows? Maybe Siya, the lesbian MC, is a risk worth taking.

d/l: SIYA- So Crazy (YSI)
d/l: SIYA- Call Me (YSI)
(Lesbian rapper tracks)
- space it - glee it -

BLOGWATCH: Bigstereo hypes an amazing Yo Majesty remix brought to us by scattermish. Chazology brings us a collection of Bjork remixes, including a mash-up of "Innocence" and Spank Rock's "Backyard Betty". Idolator has a track by Sisqo dissing R. Kelly and Usher for stealing his style.

gotdion: missy elliott remixes.

GOTDION's contributions to Masta & GotdioN present: Missy Elliott provide a tricky bunch for critique.

As a huge Missy Elliott fan, I was hesitant to listen to these tunes. GotdioN and Masta aren't just mixing Missy...They're mixing classic Missy from Supa Dupa Fly to This Is Not a Test! (any representation from The Cookbook is strangely missing).

I can't say that I was wrong to hesitate. On the majority of this album, the instrumentals have a tendency to overpower the vocals. While Masta and GotdioN are both influenced by Timbaland, their styles of production don't necessarily work on Missy. Of course, there are exceptions.

GotdioN's version of "Hot Boyz" transforms it from boring mid-tempo R&B jam to an apocalyptic electro-rock masterpiece. The frenetic beat suits Missy and Eve on their mission to acquire these so-called "hot boys", but the song isn't entirely perfect. While a repeated chorus of "keep it movin" literally helps to keep the song moving along, an added verse by Elephant Man sounds entirely out of place. Who invited Elephant Man to this party? Not I. He is not a hot boy. And he certainly did not have what I wanted.

I'm pretty sure that GotdioN wasn't really going for an end of the world/battleground vibe on this project. However, his mix of "4 My People" makes me feel as if an army of Missy Elliotts is marching towards me, ready to destroy me if I don't join their band of party people. When Missy screams "YO, I'M ON FIRE!", I'm convinced that she may actually be on fire. Admittedly, it's a little creepy.

d/l: MISSY ELLIOTT f/ EVE & ELEPHANT MAN- Hot Boyz (GotdioN mix) (YSI)
d/l: MISSY ELLIOTT- 4 My People (YSI)
(apocalyptic Missy Elliott remixes)
- dlo it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: La New Shit brings us an Sta remix of Yelle. Sta himself has a new mixtape on his own blog. The Rich Girls are Weeping shows some love for Lil Mama's "Lip Gloss" and gives us a taste of her remix of Rihanna's "Umbrella".

copperpot: come back home.

COPPERPOT, born Daniel Kuypers, is a Chicago hip-hop producer. He produces what some people call "real hip-hop". I just call it hip-hop. Either way, it's all good.

The latest Copperpot album, WYLA? (What're You Looking At?), marks the first time that Kuypers has pulled in outside musicians to bring his music to life.

WYLA? also boasts two original songs featuring one of "the greatest rappers to hold the mic" KRS-One. "Come Back Home" is the lead track of the album, in which KRS-One states, "Hip-hop, I think it's time for you to come back home". It arguably comes off as grumpy and didactic as the last release from Nas, but...well, there's something a bit more organic about his verses. He closes the song by saying, "Don't be afraid to come back home". I'd like to support this message, but I'm not sure if Hip-hop knows where to find it's home. I'm not even sure if KRS-One knows where Hip-hop's home is. And if he does, he certainly didn't deliver the address in this song. Also, where did Hip-hop go that it needs to come back home? Why is it afraid to come home? I'm confused, but it's a good confusion. KRS-One has me thinking. And I think that's his point...sort of. Hip-hop isn't making us think like we used to. Knowledge Reigns Supremely Over Nearly Everyone. In the world of hip-hop, knowledge isn't reigning anymore, and KRS-One has every reason to be pissed.

Beyond the music, Kuypers is an intriguing individual. From 2000-2003 he spun records with the Phonograph Scientists, suffering from terrible stage-fright and anxiety. In 2005, he started a small gig in Chicago which soon became large. Apparently fans would approach him and say things like, "Hey man, I am going to sit right here and watch you deejay." This still scared the shit out of him, and my assumption is that it probably would still scare the shit out of him.

If you're in New York City and you'd like to hear Copperpot play some tunes, be sure to check him out at Shebeen (located in Soho, 202 Mott St. btw Spring & Kenmare) tomorrow night (May 15, 2007). Have a listen, but be sure not to scare the shit out of him.

d/l: COPPERPOT f/ KRS-ONE- Come Back Home (YSI)
d/l: COPPERPOT f/ ANG13- Ain't Goin' Down (YSI)
(Two Chicago hip-hop tracks)
- buy it - site it - space it -

BLOGWATCH: Deaf Indie Elephants has a new tune by the Go! Team. That's all that matters to me right now.

sofia talvik: new single "blåa linjen hem".

SOFIA TALVIK makes me wish that I knew Swedish.

She just released her summer single "Blåa linjen hem". I couldn't tell you what it's about. It could be about anything from clubbing baby seals or clubbing with baby seals. Despite this, Sofia ensures us English speaking fans that we'll love it no matter what we think the lyrics are, and she's absolutely right in this case. Well, at least she's sort of right, because I certainly love it.

She also ensures fans that this song is just a sudden outburst of summer, and while it may sound very different from her other music...you should not fret! She hasn't entirely swapped genres. Fortunately, if she did ever decide to switch up her sound, she could TOTALLY pull this style off. Girl sounds good on them horns.

Also, need I remind you that Ms. Talvik's Street of Dreamix is still available as a FREE download? What are you waiting for? Cop that shiz.

d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- Blåa linjen hem (YSI)
d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- Mother's Way, Father's Way (S. Rimheden remix) (YSI)
(two very different tunes from a swedish songstress)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

BLOGWATCH: Kevipod brings us a new song from American Idol's Mandisa, who recently came out in People magazine as not hating gay people. Fluo kids has a new Sisqo song apparently produced by Timbaland, but nowheree near as revolutionary as "The Thong Song".

the most embarrassing thing to ever happen.

Yeah, that's right. I'm the overexcited white boy in the blue & white shirt.

ARTERLUDE CUATRO

shimmy up his pole
EVAH FAN

I discovered Evah Fan's art through Kelly Lynn Jones' Little Paper Planes blog. The two artists, along with Michelle Blade, will be showing work at LA's Junc Gallery starting May 19, 2007. The piece seen above was shown in the same gallery during Fan's June 2006 show.

purple crush: air jared mix + kate bush cover.

PURPLE CRUSH is a Brooklyn duo composed of Isla Jones Cheadle and DJ Air Jared. You may remember them from their contribution to the Yo Majesty remix contest. You may be familiar with their tune "Shopping on the Dancefloor". No? Not ringing a bell?

Well it's never too late to learn. On Welcome 2 Emo-Club, their latest EP, the duo pushes out six synthy '80s-influenced jams that may change your life more than bedazzlers did (or still do). Gorilla Vs. Bear and fluo kids recently posted a huge highlight of the album, a driving party-ready remake of Kate Bush's 1985 hit song "Running Up The Hill". Thanks to the challenge from GVB's Chris, I am now running around my room doing interpretative bow and arrow dances to this song. Don't laugh. Once you hear it, you might not be able to resist doing the same. And you know you wish you could move like Kate Bush.

If "Running Up The Hill" doesn't get you going, perhaps Air Jared's remix of George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" will. You may have the urge to start dry-humping your keyboard. Perhaps.

d/l: PURPLE CRUSH- Running Up The Hill (Kate Bush cover) (YSI)
d/l: GEORGE MICHAEL- I Want Your Sex (Air Jared Filter Mix) (YSI)
(80s-charged dance party jams)
- buy it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Nah Right brings us three new tracks from Lupe Fiasco. Berkeley Place tells us that Ben Gibbard apparently did Neil Young and Nirvana (probably at the same time). Pitchfork shouts the news that the upcoming album by the Go! Team will feature Rappers Delight Club, aka those rapping kids I posted about that one time.

gangsta boo: queen of the south chronicles (continued).

GANGSTA BOO (born Lola Mitchell) is the queen of the south. Or at least she thinks she is.

"I'm hearin' a lot of them hoes claim that motherfuckin' title. Well, you know what bitch? I'm takin' that shit, bitch. It is what it is. I ain't claiming that shit, hoe. I'm telling you, bitch. I'm sayin' facts. I'm the queen of the south."

Ms. Lola Mitchell is one of four major contenders for this title. Jacki-O, Khia, and Trina are all jumping up to grab the crown. According to an interview with Hood Magazine, Mitchell has no problem with Jacki-O or Trina claiming the title of "queen of the south". In true Lindsay Lohan Mean Girls style, she proclaimed that they all hold a piece of the crown. But don't bring up Khia around her. Mitchell continues in the interview, "Khia doesn't want to fuck with me and Khia frontin' to be so damn hard, then why didn't she say shit when I called her out at the Ozone Awards."

Mitchell also has issues with Khia's attitude towards other female rappers. And she has every reason to have issues, as Khia is the most dramatic of the bunch. In the August 2006 issue of XXL Khia asked, "How can you be a queen when you are being pimped by a bunch of n***as?" She continues, "All of ‘em, Foxy and Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim and Biggie, Shawnna and DTP, Mia X and No Limit. Every big female artists that ever came out, came out under a man. How can you claim to hold the crown like that?" This comment may have hit home for Mitchell, as she started as the first and only original female member of the now all-male Oscar-winning group Three 6 Mafia.

In Mitchell's defense for the crown, she has been on the music scene since 1994 (three years longer than Trina and seven years longer than both Jacki-O and Khia). Her 1998 debut single "Where Dem Dollars At?" helped put Memphis on the map, despite making little impact on pop radio. While she may have become established with the help of Three 6 Mafia, she has since split with them and developed her own independent label. She has been grinding independently for nearly as long as Khia, so she's certainly not being pimped. On her own, she's managed to secure guest spots on several albums including Outkast, Rasheeda, and a DTP (Disturbing the Peace) compilation.

None of her albums went gold and she's not appearing on the cover of your favorite men's magazine. Her contribution to the Polow Da Don produced "Break a N***a Off" may have not made the final cut of Rich Boy's self-titled debut album. But damn, this girl is still outstanding, accomplished, and she could run circles around Jacki-O.

More importantly, Mitchell's "Queen of the South" diss is surprisingly friendly, as it doesn't seem to be directed towards any particular artist. Unlike her peers, she's above mentioning names within her songs. She's better than that...though we'll have to wait until the release of her album Forever Gangsta to see just how much better she is.

d/l: GANGSTA BOO- Queen of the South (YSI)
d/l: RICH BOY f/ SNOOP DOGG & GANGSTA BOO- Break a N***a Off (YSI)
d/l: GANGSTA BOO f/ LA CHAT- Splash (YSI)
(two tracks featuring Memphis-born female rapper)
- buy it - space it - wik it -

BLOGGER NOTE: Good Googly Moogly! Three 6 Mafia affiliate Project Pat is performing at my school. Please, whatever.

BLOGWATCH: Chazology welcomes Leif as a new contributor, starting with a post about Mapei. It's hard to find a Friend has a new live solo song by Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service. Something Velvet Blog hypes the upcoming Bishop Allen release. Copy, Right? has a cover of Paris Hilton, in honor of her recent arrest. Shameless Complacency writes about the upcoming Bonde Do Role release.

bangladesh: m.i.a.'s "hit that".

BANGLADESH teamed up with M.I.A. for a new track, and this collaboration certainly "bangs the best".

I've been intrigued with Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford's production ever since "Bossy" by Kelis. Or so I thought. Little did I know that I've been banging Bangladesh beats since the beginning of this millennium, and you probably have been too. Bangladesh produced a large portion of the debut album by Ludacris, Back For The First Time, including the 2000 hit single "What's Your Fantasy?" On any given weekend you could probably catch college kids screaming these lyrics out loud as the sound of Bangladesh surrounds them, and I bet they don't even know how much of an impact Shondrae Crawford has had on their lives. He is undoubtedly one of the most underrated hip-hop producers out there and it's good to see him shining right now.

M.I.A.'s "Hit That" leads us forward in the Bangladesh movement. The track was recently leaked by Crawford himself, picked up by The Fader's blog, and then exploded all over the internet. Presumably this is his contribution to Ms. Arulpragasam's upcoming album Kala, but one can never tell at the rate that her tracks keep showing up on the internet. Either way, it makes me equally excited for the future sounds that M.I.A. and Bangladesh have for us-- together AND separately.

d/l: M.I.A.- Hit That (YSI)
d/l: SHANELL f/ TOO $HORT- Get It (YSI)
(two incredible Bangladesh productions)
- space it / site it - space it - hype it - wik it / space it -

BLOGWATCH: PRODUCT SHOP NYC has a few reviews of Bjork's Volta, and Kwaya Na Kisser has a live set by her featuring some new songs from the album. Bigstereo has two Small Pink remixes, including Spank Rock and Architecture in Helsinki.

ARTERLUDE TRES

BUTTER + BLING
Barry Wine

I'm not into fashion much, and I'm not even sure if these rings could be considered fashionable...but they are definitely amazing. That's all.

mr. suitcase: you don't smile anymore.

MR. SUITCASE is a Swedish producer and musician who did a few remixes that I like.

While I was listening to the Mr. Suitcase remix of Le Sport's "It's Not the End of the World" , I suddenly decided that I needed to learn more about him. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he released a new single just yesterday. Good timing for curiosity!

"You Don't Smile Anymore" is the first single off of Mr. Suitcase's debut album Guidelines For An Emerging Century, which will be released on May 30th. Up-and-coming female vocalist Sanna Fischer contributes guest vocals to the track. Previously, Fischer worked with Mr. Suitcase on "Lullaby of Clubland", a leftover song from his first EP. "You Don't Smile Anymore" is way beyond leftovers, and it proves that Fischer is definitely a female vocalist to watch out for (also evident from her demo "Coming Down" which can be heard on her space). Considering that I am a sucker for a good Swedish dance-pop tune, I am blatantly loving this song with all of my heart.

ALSO, the seemingly obscure but delightful Kopia popped out a remix of "You Don't Smile Anymore" which is definitely worth your ears' time.

d/l: MR. SUITCASE f/ S. FISCHER- You Don't Smile Anymore (YSI)
d/l: MR. SUITCASE f/ S. FISCHER- You Don't Smile Anymore (Kopia remix) (YSI)
(Swedish dance-pop)
- site it - space it / space it / space it -

BLOGWATCH: Good Weather for Airstrikes has a review of the TV On the Radio/Noisettes concert at Vassar, as well as a delightful Busta Rhymes/Hot Chip mash-up. a PLAGUE of ANGELS brings us some more tunes from Winterpills.