Looks like Shaq all up in the news today over his freestyle dis of Kobe Bryant (with a little wink to Kareem, Patrick Ewing, and homeless men on the side) check it out here:
"Kobe,tell me how my ass tastes!" Heh, that's pretty catchy and probably on a hundred cafepress t-shirts right now. I can't wait for Kobe's response rap entitled "Quick, PR people tell me what I'm supposed to say while I grin and stall for time"
In honor of my new personal Summer Anthem, "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes!" (Gold I tell ya!) TC and M is continuing our "Attack of the Summer Song" series featuring a much younger, slimmer Shaq.
"What's Up Doc?" was a huge summer song for me 15 years ago. It had the combination of one of my favorite groups of the time and Shaq, for whom I rocked the pinstripe Starter LSU cap for years. I remember I first heard this on a road trip with my family. We were in Philly and headed to a huge outlet mall in the burbs. This song managed to play 18 times on the way there. I bought the cassingle and it played the rest of the summer (well, more likely a week or two).Unfortunately, this was kind of the end of the Fu-Schnickens, since this kind of mainstream hit moved them to from Tribe Called Quest's "quirky underground following) territory to the unfortunate one-hit wonder territory occupied by people like Positive K, Candyman, and Snow. They also had their gimmick improved and used to greater success by the Wu-Tang Clan. Meanwhile, Shaq went on to have MTV hits like "Biological Didn't Bother" and "I'm Outstanding" Oh yeah, add that to the over 100 million he's made in his basketball career and life really isn't fair.
I hadn't heard this song in awhile and the references to Tom and Roxie Roker, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood shout out are priceless. Nuff talkey, here's "What's Up Doc?" by the Fu-Schinickens w/ Shaquille O'Neal
100 f'n degrees already? After a really mild past few weeks, all of a sudden it's really f'n hot right now. So, I figured I'd bring back SYSK with one of my favorite summer songs, Len's "Steal my Sunshine"
I actually have their album "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush" and I remember playing the crap out of it. It was a really fun bouncy album with songs with a great Human League-esque balance between Mark's raspsy vocals and Sharon's baby-girl voice. Oh what, you too good for the Human League? Go listen to "Fascination" and suck on it. Plus the album had cameos by Kurtis Blow and Mt. TC and M figure Biz Markee. What I liked best about the album at the time is that it wasn't Limp f'n Bizkit. So yeah Fred Durst, you can suck on this too.
This band definitely deserved better, shame on you society!
So, I was watching the trailers before Bourne Ultimatum (excellent movie btw) and the trailer to "We Own the Night" comes on (also looks like a winner). So when the title card goes up the disco-esque groove of "Heart of Glass" is in the background. All at once I start smiling and rememebr how much Blondie kicks ass! They were the first group I recognized as iconic when I was younger. I can still imagine the poster with Debbie Harry in a flowing white dress holding a flsh of light while the rest of the band stood behind her in matching suits. Their music was catagoized as a whle lot of things new-wave, punk-ish, disco, what ever you would call it now, I would call it excellent. As soon as the movie was over I dug into the iPod and put together a Blondie playlist that I haven't stopped listening to since. We're almost 30 years past their heydey and their music still holds up. Here's my favorite Blondie song, "Dreaming". Two things I love about this clip. Clem Burke's kickass drums and Debbie Harry's cheekbones. Enjoy, suckas
This summer has been pretty slim pickins as far as TV goes, but HBO's Flight of the Conchords has been a standout as far as new series go. Conchords follows the adventures of New Zealand folk rockers Brit and Jermaine as they struggle to find success in the music industry. Naturally, most of the episodes end up dealing with their women problems. Think of them as a less- spastic, more cerebral Tenacious D. Sort of. Anyway the music is the driving force of the show. Here's my personal favorite, "If You're Into It" where Bret serenades his new girlfriend Coco.
Okay, so I'm a sucker for toy piano. That's how a Schroeder rolls suckas! If you get HBO catch this show!
If there's anything I hate, it's admitting I missed the boat on some really cool stuff. Well yeah, since I've been relying on local radio for music, my exposure to stuff out of the Yay has been limited to E-40 and that "Fast like a NASCAR" song. So I missed this three minutes of awesome from Mistah FAB. Now I had been familiar with Ghost Ridin' for awhile so it was just a matter of time until they came out with an instructional song for it. I just missed it. I'm yo part-time sucka
Apparently this video has been anned for using the Ghostbusters logo in the video. Doesn't matter much since I haven't watched MTV or BET for months. Still a buddy of mine passed this on and even though it doesn't usually meet the criteria of current or forgotten oldie I had to put it down. There isn;t much I can say besides this video kick ass. So here's Ghost Ride It, by Mistah FAB. By the way if you don't appreciate the Patrick Swayze line, get the hell off my blog.
Aight suckas, I don't know if this song went national or not but if you have a local hip-hop y mas station you've heard this friggin song eight times a day for the last two months.
Seriously yo, I can't help but be laughin now when I see some ese get down like this in the club. It's this summer's rockaway, but instead of leaning back it's elbows out side to side. As for the video its good. Real good. Good and terrible. I do like how they have the obligatory "look even white guys can do this dance" scene. Enjoy.
I heard this on the way to work this morning and I just had to share. This really is one of the great belting songs of all time. I am so annoying when this song comes on and I'm around anyone. Still you gotta sing along cause that's how someone listening to "Joey" rolls. Oh yeah, this song gets a special TC and M nod for song most likely to get your companion to lament about the alchoholic ex-/friend/sibling/parent in their lives. Well maybe that's just the women I hang out with. Here's Concrete Blonde with Joey.
Okay, so I'm making a work related call and there's no answer and I have to leave a message. The out going message starts and it's a young woman's voice and instead of the usual spiel I get this instead: A few questions that I need to know which is followed by an obvious casio keyboard chord in the background. Still I had to leave a message so i couldn't hang up. It went on... how you could ever hurt me so I need to know what I've done wrong and how long it's been going on Was it that I never paid enough attention? Or did I not give enough affection?
Seriously, the girl was speaking this while playing the chords herself and I'm thinking "Oh man, I know this song!" So know I'm racking my brain trying to figure this one out and its just on the tip of my tongue...
Not only will your answers keep me sane but I'll know never to make the same mistake again You can tell me to my face or even on the phone You can write it in a letter, either way, I have to know Did I never treat you right? Did I always start the fight? Either way, I'm going out of my mind all the answers to my questions I have to find Beep! All Saints Mofo!!! So I leave my message and I was left with two questions?
1) WTF? Was she trying to get a boyfriend back and decided to apologize through song? Did she not think that people weren't going to hear this? Was she just one of those quirky girls who like to throw up covers of themselves singing British POP hits? Suckas gots ta know!
2) Why the hell did I know this song? Thinking back I guess I thought they were cute and all and they were better than the Spice Girls. I think what triggered it was they way they say "Black Hole" which seems fit for a late Don Imus discourse or something. So yeah, y'all know what came next. I punched myself in the face. Anyway here's the full song All Saints "Never Ever"
Alanis does "My Humps" in the back and in the front...Check it out!
Paj note: I posted this before I got to actually got to sit down and absorb it. Stupid work computer with no soundcard.
Oh man, by the time I got to the "No no drama" part, I was already losing my shit. As I've said many times before, I love when hip-hop/dance tunes get the slowed down acoustic treatment ala "Bitches Ain't Shit", by Ben Folds, "97 Bonnie and Clyde" by Tori Amos, and "Straight Outta Compton" by Nina Gordon. This definitely makes the hip hop overs mixtape. If it weren't for the light hearted laughing at the end of the clip, I'd be convinced that by "parodying" a ridiculous song like "My Humps" she intended this to be a dark social commentary on perpetuation the degradation of women by artists such as Fergie Ferg. Isn't it ironic? Don'tcha think?
Wrestlemania XXIII is only five days away so Tortilla Chips and Milk is gonna have a wrestling slant for the next few days as we build up to big event. This edition of "Songs You Should Know" features the greatest wrestling music video of all time Badstreet U.S.A., by Michael Hayes and the Fabulous Freebirds. This video features everything that was awesome about wrestling and music videos in the 80's and was (I think) the first wrestling theme song ever sung by the wrestler himself. In the words of P.S (Purely Sexy) himself. There are two things you can do with what I'm gonna give ya...take it and like it.
Take Mr. Belding of Saved by the Bell, the cast of Karate Kid (yes, almost all of them), references to the Cars, and Raising Arizona and what do you get? How about greatest video EVER!!! I really don't want to spoil anything for you, but if you love the Karate Kid like a good TC and M reader should, you won't be disappointed. First of all the term "Sweep the Leg" is near and dear to my heart and if any phrase deserves canonization into legendary status it's that one. THIR. The video is directed by Johnny Lawrence aka William Zabka, THE greatest teen movie bad guy EVER. Cobra Kai never die. So I only have one thing to say...SCREW YOU MELON!
Here's Sweep the Leg by No More Kings
as for the song? um...it's got a really cool video!
I had heard about the new reality show Ego Trip's: White Rapper Show and pretty much decided at that time that I woould stay away. The initial promo highlighted MC Serch as the host which I thought was odd. Serch was the outspoken half of the duo 3rd Bass who took a negative stance against white rappers exploiting hip hop such as Vanilla Ice and the Beastie Boys (Though with the Beasties, the beef was probably personal) Something just didn't add up here. So on the drive home, "Kick 'Em in the Grill" from the superb 3rd Bass album Derilects of Dialect popped into my iPod "shuffle songs" playlist so I figured I would at least give the show a chance.
The show itself is standard reality format. Ten white rappers live in a house (The White House) and compete for $100,000 and a record deal with eliminations at the end of each show. After the standard cattle call sequence, which they mercifully limited to the first 10 minutes, the show was actually really f'n good. Prince Paul is also heavily involved with this show and anything that producer of Three Feet High and Rising, Prince Among Theives,and So...How's Your Girl? touches is something I've gotta watch. Oh yeah, Misfit, the Brit is hot as balls,so that's a plus
I'll have a full recap of White Rapper Show up this weekend.
So the intention of the post which started out as a call back to the old Mc Serch, is now more of a reminder how the host of White Rapper used to kick it back in the day.
Okay, if you listen to your local "#1 Source of Hip- Hop and R and B" this song has already been played out on their intentional teeny tiny play lists. So yeah even though it's played out, I still hear it everyday at drive time. First of all, the song isn't really that good. It has maybe thirty different words in the entire song. Eminem's little cameo has nothing to really do with the song, and could have been throwaway lyrics he had laying around. So yeah, it's just formulaic crap accentuated by the "Kick it like Tai Bo" line which, sorry, 1998 called and it wants that line back.
So why is this here? The video...it tries to recreate 48 Hours...real good...good and terrible! The sad thing is if someone were to remake 48 Hours, it wouldn't look too much different than this video. BTW Hollywood, please don't remake 48 Hours, no matter how great you think Nick Cannon would roll as Eddie Murphy's Reggie Hammond. Anyway, enjoy the train wreck.
So the local Hip-Hop/R&B station gets a DJ for live mixes during drivetime and I've been really impressed, especially with the Rewind Wednesday sets he's put together. I've heard cuts of gems like Mellow Man Ace's Mentirosa, K-Solo's Your Mom's in my Business, and Main Source's I'm Looking at the Front Door which are all songs that I never thought I'd be hearing on commercial radio at this day and age. Anyway a song that elicited a huge "OH SHIT!" from me was the song Deeper Shade of Soul by Urban Dance Squad. This was a throwback to the early 90's and I flipped out! It's one of those songs that was released in the wrong period. With it's laid back groove and sampled chorus it really didn't find a place in a hip-hop world that was powered by Gangsta Hardcore, Native Tougue-ish Afrocentrism, or High Powered Dance Jams. Still, it was a buzzworthy clip back then and I think it would have been huge if it were released in the last few years. Not saying it would have been highly original or anything but it just seems perfect for today's airplay.
Anyway, the reason this song got to me was that I was driving and I thought to myself "Hey the chick in that video was really f'n cute". Then I'm thinking to myself how the fuck do I remember that? I mean I don't even know where my keys are currently, but I can vividly recall a chick in a video that I saw a handful of times fifteen years ago? How screwed up is that? What's worse it that when i actually saw the video recently, she's on the screen for like, a second. Yep, it was that same girl taht popped into my head earlier. Then I felt creepy, like Matthew McConaghey in Dazed and Confused. I get older and they stay the same age. And yes, if you have to know I was making a smoothing motion with my hand and I followed it with an "Alright, alright". That's just how I roll.
So I thought it was strange how a throwaway image can link itself permanently with a song, but after asking friends, they also came up with their personal examples. For me, other burned-in images include, Huey Lewis' girlfriend walking on the beach in a white bathing suit, LL Cool J's colagulated deodorant, Baby Spice's skirt flying up, and Steve of the Fabulous JP's boots dangling out of a window. If you got some similar music video images y'all wanna share, post it 'cause suckas gots ta know.
So here's Urban Dance Squad's Deeper Shade of Soul. Oh yeah, the girl in question is like at approximately the two minute mark.
One of the things I did while I was recovering from my fake pneumonia was catch the Ben Folds Live Myspace simulcast concert. It was pretty cool, but being on the West Coast and nearly forgetting, I only caught the last 20 minutes or so. And yes, I know there are people who are reading this that would have like to have seen it too, but I didn't call to tell y'all about it because I was sick...and lazy. Still, I couldn't be happier with the finale which I've actually referenced in one of my earliest posts here. It's just a cool scene with the kazillion guitars and the crowd singalong...see if you can get "Bitches can't hang with the streets" out of your head after this one. Now that's a little conversation for your ass...SUCKAS!!!
I have been dying for the video to "Love Me or Hate Me" come out so I could finally pimp this song. I've been digging this song for a while now. It's even to the point where I'm listening to the mash-up on last month's Bootie SF top ten list non stop. The chorus is just way too catchy. And yes I do sing along with the high pitch "Thank You". Check out the video (note I have no sound so this could be a horrible mistake)
Seriously, I have this thing for snotty female British rappers. It all started with Shampoo. Pre-Napster I actually purchased the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Soundtrack just for this song:
Sometimes I'm not all that happy with how I roll...yo!
Make way for the PEE-AY-JAY!!! Aight. It's been a long time, I shouldna left you, without a Paj post to snark to... I've been out of town for 6 of the last ten days so that's why my Tortilla Chips and Milk post count has been pretty sparse lately. I wanna give big ups to The Rizzle and Fyre for picking up the slack while I've been gone. Thank you ladies, y'all are heaven sent.
So this weekend, I stayed in the same hotel as the Rolling Stones. I was staying there for a wedding so I got to hang with some of my old school peeps in all weekend long. The Stones check in the night of our rehearsal dinner and all of a sudden the lobby and the hotel bar get filled with batshit crazy Stones fans. Now I sorta understand the driving fanatacism of wanting to catch a glimpse of your favorite singer...if you're a 14 year-old Justin Timberlake fan. I can also understand if you were a child of the 60's and the 70's and the Stones were a big part of the soundtrack of your formative years, so for the people that were there 45 and up, I get it. They are one of the greatest racts of all time, I understand. What I'm trying to say though, is they had their day, and it wasn't anywhere close to this millenium.
Sadly, the majority of these people crowding up the hotel area were in their 20's and 30's. What. The. Fuck? Seriously, the night before the show there were all these thirty somethings stalking a hotel lobby to try to catch a glimpse of people older than their grandparents. These were children of the late 80's and 90's WAAAAY past the Stones prime. To have that kind of devotion to the Stones at that age, that means their musical focus totally missed out on Punk, Grunge, Hip-Hop, or anything else interesting not on Voodoo Lounge. So these people were actually reliving their halcyon high school/college days days when they rocked out to music their PARENTS grew up with.
Seriously, I tried to relate to the mindset and I just couldn't. The Stones hadn't had a relevant album since Tatoo You. Did these people close to my age group actually yell out for Harlem Shuffle, Love is Strong, or Mixed Emotions during the show? Fuck no!
There was this one sad sack group that brought a lamp to the hotel bar. Supposedly, Ron Wood had a lamp just like it in one of his gajillion flats worldwide. This group of guys sat in the entrance way hoping someone from the Stones Posse would see it. I have no idea what they thought this would accomplish. Maybe they thought someone would recognize the lamp and say, "Hey, you have great taste in lamps, come upstairs and you can blow the band!" Seriously, the sight was pathetic. What made it even better, was the group with the lamp were people we went to school with who weren't invited to the wedding. Thanks for the laughs at your expense...SUCKAS!!!
Cool thing though, I did have a brush with my alt-rock idol a few years ago back in the Yay. It was an hour before a show by Lemonheads' front man Evan Dando. Now, the music of the Lemonheads has played such a huge role in my life that people can like other musicians and much as like the Lemonheads, but they can't possibly like them more. When it comes to the Lemonheads I am that kind of fan. So, there I was, hanging outside Foley's Pub trying to get an early spot close to the stage. I was chatting with a small group of Lemonheads fans smoking, rollin' like I do. All of a sudden Evan Dando walks out the door stops to chat with Jon Brion who's like four feet away from me. A few minutes later he then strolls across the street back to his hotel. I yelled out "You're coming back, right?" He mumbled "Yeah" or something like it without breaking stride or looking back. The crowd dug it though, and started rattling off stories about his drug addled past. It was a moment, but it was a shruggable one as well. My life is neither better no worse for it. The main point is I didn't have to do anything I wouldn't normally do, and I didnt waste the night before lugging around a dumb-ass lamp.
Here's the latest song you should know: Evan Dando Live: If I Could Talk I'd Tell You
P.S. The Lemonheads have a new album that came out last week. It will be reviewed here.
I woke up Friday with a message waiting for my on the celly. I didn't get to check until the tail end of my commute since I had to do all the other morning stuff like have the first smoke and fix my tie and all that. When I got the message I could barely make out the other end. No voice, just a song, I could make out the sax intro and that was it...but that was all I needed. I held the cel up to my ear for the entire message, the bass and drum beats drowned everything and it all just garbled in with the static in the background. It didn't matter, I had it in my head and my memory filled in what I couldn't make out. So, I'm driving along, head bobbing, with my cel phone glued to my ear, dodging traffic and through the garbled mess I hear the crystal clear trigger "when they reminisce over you". Sometimes that's all you need for fuel, yo!
I might clown or break ill on the things I don't like about hip-hop, but it's songs like this that remind me why I represent. It's an art form I grew up with and the hip-hop that's the soundtrack of my day-to-day isn't about the bullshit. Sometimes it's good to get that reminder when you least expect it. No jokes on this one, yo. Here's a definite song you should know: Pete Rock and CL Smooth's They Reminisce Over You Right back at ya, FLA.
Aight, I read today that the dude suspected of killing JonBenet Ramsey they flew over from Bangkok was released. Funny how they had that guy pegged as the killer before he even left the Bangkok airport. I read about the outrage because the killer was flying back first class and how dare he dine on prawns! There were articles about how this case could finally be closed since they had found the killer. He had to be the killer right? Shoot, the only thing they had on him was that he was creepy as fuck! Now I'm not going to make light of any type of murder. What I will shout out and rant about is how the media frenzy will snowball and convict mofo's before they even get to trial.
Now I experienced the media bullshit when I was up in Massachusetts in the late 80's. The Boston newsmedia had all but convicted some black dude for shooting a pregnant white woman and critically injuring her husband in what seemed to be a carjack while the couple was on their way back from birthing class. I can even remember People Magazine doing an article on the loving husband who had suffered so much from the loss. The media had jumped on this as THE story of rampant urban crime. The story stayed the hot topic for months. The suspect swore his innocence but it was drowned out by bullet points that were too easy to exploit: White couple, pregnant wife, black neighborhood, husband identified the black guy as the shooter, racially motivated shooting.
Then I heard it on the radio, the mother f'n husband jumped off the Tobin Bridge. I didn't even have to hear the rest...the husband was the killer. Later it was revealed that it was all for insurance money and that he had been cheating on his wife and the police were getting a little too suspicious. Still, he almost got away with murder and the trifilin' ass media made it all too easy for him. Since then I learned to stay away from the media rush to judgement. But hey, don't just take my word for it, hear the same story from the street poetry of renowned social critic...Marky Mark? Word, pLaya! And the Funky Bunch too, no doubt!
Nothing gets me pumped up and psyched more than the movie the Warriors. It's a movie I've been in love ever since I can remember. It's been such an integral part of my life, that it's transcended a movie for me. New York City from Central Park to C.I. the big Coney, through the eyes of that movie, has served as the backdrop to every significant stage of my sometimes arrested development. Every era of my life can be bookmarked with the Warriors playing the background. From childhood, through high school, through college and beyond. Without exaggeration, everyone that's been a significant part of my life, from friends to girlfriends has seen The Warriors with me or discussed it with me at length. To know me is to know "The Warriors".
A certain group of friends of mine would have evenings for years where we would get together and just have it playing in the background, with lines like "You see Warriors? You see what you get when you mess with the Orphans?" or "I'm gonna shove that bat up your ass and turn you into a popsicle" or "No reason, I just like doing things like that!" fill in our dialogue for the evening. Specific throw away lines like "We should come to this part of town more off-ten." and "Come on lady!" have become part of my vernacular. "The Warriors" has been used for parties, to wind down from legendary weekends, for packed living rooms, and for solitary moments. It's my powder blue blanket when I need it and it never lets me down. Well, there was that one night over a decade ago where I got too wrapped up in explaining the movie to a Warrior's neophyte that I ignored the fact that the Warriors neophyte was beautiful girl who just happened to stop by my place past midnight. Still, that was more my fault than the movie's.
For those of you have no idea what I'm talking about here's a little experiment. Next time your in a bar, clink some bottles or glasses together. If possible, take three bottles and put them on your fingers. After you start the clinking noise, repeat the phrase "Warriors, come out to play-ay" a few times and see what happens.
I know this sounds like a "Rent It", but if you haven't seen this movie by now or don't plan to do so, I can't do nothin' for ya. So here's the song that closes the movie "In the City" by Joe Walsh. I'm not big on Eagles history but I'm pretty sure this was originally recorded after he left the group. It's a pretty big deal in the movie that the song is actually listed in the opening credits. There is nothing like hearing this song come on the radio while I'm driving. I suddenly get the urge to drive until I hit the sun.
This was all inspired by a special dedication tonight from my homegirl DJ Eve and I nearly did my MC Pee Pants imitation when I heard it. If I've bored you with all this Warriors talk...sorry bout that. I guess all I can do is play you a song.
