Unless you're staying indoors to avoid April Fools' Day pranks, you might wanna head to Fremont club Nectar Saturday, April 1, where you can catch Ladybug Mecca of the reunited Digable Planets. Maybe you noticed that Blue Note recently put out a Digable Planets hits/b-sides comp called Beyond the Spectrum, or noticed them in those LRG ads. Word is that there's also some brand-new DP ish in the works, to be released on Blue Note. Swoon units and spiddyocks, take note.
Sang-froid, that's the word and the lesson/for those unaware, that means I'm cool under pressure...
Yes, Snoop actually dropped the word "sangfroid" in his recently leaked banger, "Tookie," where he, among other things, takes sharp aim at The Governator for executing the Crips founder Tookie Williams. The track's uncharacteristically political for the Doggfather, true, but it doesn't last long before he's back to his hos-and-bitches talk. And here he got my hopes up...
This is for those nitpickin' idiots/the sycophantic hypocrites/who scream out underground but make it sound so ridiculous...
Roosevelt Franklin might be unfamiliar to some, but those hip to Company Flow surely will recognize the name Mr. Len. The "Space Ghost," along with rhyming half Kimani Rogers, make up this quirky combo, whose dusted, witty take on (what I hate to call emo) rap is burning up my iTunes. Check their new LP, Bare Food, whose first track, "It's All Wrong," skewers a gaggle of all-too-deserving targets: soapboxing underground-rap fans, talentless laptop DJs, and of course those pesky "dickriding hipsters." (Don't get me started.) Their unique perspective is exemplified by "Alone Together," where Kimani's tales of the young, black rock-and-roll fan's plight are smartly spun over Len's chugging guitar melody. These guys might need their tongues surgically removed from their cheeks, but their album's damn fun: check the bonus-cut cover of the Vaselines' "Molly's Lips" (famously covered by Nirvana). This record could make some noise in the underground if it gets out enough; luckily, Bare Food is available for free download at their blog, White People Love Us (http://rooseveltfranklin.blogspot.com/).
Thursday, March 30, Seattle underground-rap legend Specs One is hosting a gig at the Rendezvous featuring Silas Blak, Ecaj, and Dred I. Don't go there just for the sake of showing your support; go there because these cats know their shit.
Finally, if you missed Ghostface March 21 show at the Showbox, you fucked up! Starks brought raw energy rarely seen in live hiphop, even among the prerequisite gang of mufuckas standing onstage—enough energy to erase my bad mood. Speaking of which, big shout out to the Showbox security mook who not only practically gave me a cavity search, but who wouldn't even let me in with my bandanna in my pocket, although he let a "lighter-complected" fellow in with one on his fucking head! Thanks a lot, hater. You drove me to drink!
