perCeptie - De Kwestie (Music Video Premiere)

I am proud to present De Kwestie, the first music video from perCeptie. Look for cameos by Inf (strumming the guitar) and Kapabel (the rowdy cat). The last 30 seconds are simply beautiful. Enjoy!

KPM - Library Music

This British news report is about a year old, but still an interesting watch. It features KPM, a production music library, which has given hip-hop producers some of their greatest hits (i.e. Gnarls Barkely’s “Crazy”) to a mostly unknowing public.

If you’d like to start your own vintage KPM vinyl collection, look no farther than eBay. But, be warned, these records can bring a pretty penny with collectors and producers battling it out to discover the rarest grooves.

The Dino 5 - Street Credible Hip-Hop for Kids

Prince Paul, hip-hop weirdo and concept album aficionado, has magnified his persona x10 with a street credible rap album for children. This new project, The Dino 5, features the likes of:

DJ Stegosaurus - Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, Gravediggaz, ect.)
MC T-Rex - Chali 2na (Jurassic 5)
Tracy Triceratops - Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets)
Teo Pterodactyl - Scratch (The Roots)
Billy Brontosaurus - Wordsworth (eMc)

The album traces a group of dinosaur classmates which befriend scary T-Rex and form a super rap group, The Dino 5, who then perform in the big talent show at school. Grammy-winning poet Ursula Rucker narrates the story between tracks ala The Princess Bride. Ok, so the “concept” isn’t that deep, but it shouldn’t be as it’s created for those learning to spell names, not drop them.

The result is a fun little adventure that’ll keep the kidos smiling from the backseat, while their parents nod their heads in the front. Notable track “That’s Funny” is a playful rap battle with giggling in the background, while personal favorite “Sometimes I Like to Scream” runs the length between Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and Boyz ’N the Hood.

Rumor has it The Dino 5 have already been optioned for a cartoon series. My money says they’ll be featured on Yo! Gabba Gabba, with Biz Markie popping out of a dinosaur egg by the end of the year.

Here come The Dino 5…

www.thedino5.com

The World’s Greatest Music Collection

Think you have a lot of records? Think again…

The supposed greatest music collection in the world is up for grabs on eBay, with an opening bid of $3 million dollars. Europeans, now is your time to take full advantage of the low U.S. dollar. The conversion rate makes this collection a mere $1.9 million Euros.

Included in this mouth-watering collection (which takes up a 16,000 square foot climate-controlled warehouse) are:

• 1,500,000 + 45 RPM Records
• 1,000,000 +/- LPs
• 300,000 +/- CDs
• Thousands of 78 RPM Records, Cassettes and 8-Track Tapes
• The First CD Ever Produced (only 300 pressed)
• The First Flat Phonograph Record (1888)
• All Five Elvis Presley Singles on Sun Records
• The Rarest Rolling Stones LP (only 300 pressed)

This accounts for 99% of all charted music, which is neatly data based, shelved and preserved by a man who surprisingly claims to have a wife. C’mon dude, we know you’re lying…

www.thegreatestmusiccollection.com

Beats Broke: Top 5 Austin Record Label

That’s right! Beats Broke was voted the fifth best record label in Austin at the 2007-08 Austin Music Awards hosted last night by the Austin Chronicle at the Austin Music Hall. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us. This really means a lot as Austin has so many record labels releasing so much good music; it really is an honor.

The 26th annual music awards kick off one of the best music festivals in the country…SXSW! There is so much music, it’s a sensory overload.

Last night I saw one of my favorite art-punk bands, The Mae Shi, and tonight I hit up the Undergroundhiphop.com party. I’m especially looking forward to the weekend as C-Mon & Kypski and The Show is the Rainbow will be playing their official showcases. Whenever The Show is the Rainbow plays, things go BOOM!

Again, thanks to everyone in beautiful Austin, Texas for embracing our little label.

Share & Tell - Music Videos

Here are two recent videos I feel the need to share. First off is a peak at the new Roots album, and HOT DAMN am I excited! Looks like we’re getting the raw grimey Roots I never thought we’d see again. Lets hope the rest of the album follows through style-wise:

And last, but most certainly not least, is the single from the debut Nobody Beats the Drum album. This Utrecht electro super group is our extended fam, so show them some love:

Stuff White People Like

It’s been awhile since my last post. Why so long you ask? Well, I’ve been obsessing over a new blog dedicated to stuff white people like.

At last I can rest assured that I’m not the only one who loves both Mos Def AND Michel Gondry, expensive sandwiches, irony, non-profit organizations, and having black friends. Hell, I even enjoy standing still at concerts!

Unfortunately I dislike of coffee, divorce and 80s nights, so I have doubts as to exactly how white I am. 93%…81%…68%…how many licks does it take to get to the juicy white center of a Ryan Pop? The world may never know…

I Love Donuts Interviews Kapabel & Inf (World Exclusive)

I Love Donuts came back for more by conducting a world exclusive interview with Kapabel & Inf. The new feature digs into their backgrounds, and explains how Kapabel & Inf put the fun back in hip-hop.

In case you haven’t noticed, I Love Donuts just redesigned their website. I’m digging the new neon donuts. Mmmm…neon donuts…

They also are hosting the new C-Mon & Kypski mixtape “If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much,” which is available as a free download. It’s chopped full of Dutch bangers. Let’s all download it to eat up Donut’s bandwidth.

And the Grammy for Best Rap Album Goes to…

Kanye just accepted his Grammy for rap album of the year. He was dressed like fool, and as cocky as ever. He also appeared as high as a kite, lethargic and blunted. He questioned the Grammy crew on their timing of the “walk away” music, and then stumbled into his mother’s recent death stating, “It would be respectful to stop the music now.” Final note was made of him becoming the world’s number one artist, as that’s what his mother would want.

Kanye also mentioned he made a cross genre album, which I find interesting. Graduation is a straight hip-hop album, with a “dance” single sampled from Daft Punk. Yeah, I know there are another 2-3 songs with a faster tempo and some keyboards, but he hardly stretched the limits, let alone crossed genres. He just made a fun poppy album.

I’m glad Kanye won, but Common was the nominee who I feel deserved to win the award this year. Common’s (Kanye West produced) album was untouchable from start to finish. He’s a timeless emcee, who made yet another timeless (and unrecognized) album.

Vince Gill topped off the evening by accepting a Grammy from Ringo Starr. As he stepped to the podium, he exclaimed, “Wow, I just got an award from a Beatle…have you ever gotten THAT Kanye?”

Perfect.

Old-School Rap Musings

I got the below email from a friend musing on old-school rap. He’s hilariously honest and believes stereotypes are a time-saver. Enjoy!

“I’ve been listening to the old-school rap channel on Sirius non-stop for about 3 days. I’ve realized a few things:

• There will never be a better sample than the bells in the Peter Piper beat by RUN DMC.

• There is absolutely no reason why Heavy D had a huge crossover career and Big Daddy Kane did not.

• 95% of all Tribe Called Quest songs were terrible, except for the 5% that were genius.

• No matter what anyone tries to tell you, women can’t rap.

• Old-school rap, for the most part, isn’t nearly as good as I remember it.”