7L & Esoteric - No Shots

7L & Esoteric's 1212 drops October 12th. It will be their first full length since 2006's A New Dope. Damn, the release party back in '06 seems like a lifetime ago. The first leak from the forthcoming record is titled No Shots, and yes it's an ironic title. The duo goes in on this one, and Eso it speaking on what needs to be said:

"You don't know the pain, Guru passed, we were mourning / Then Travis Barker gets the cover of The Source, and…"



The real question is- how many people will let lines like this go right over their head…

"The fellas say 'ho' and the ladies say 'ow'… sounds like domestic violence"

Enjoy, and don't let it fly right past you!

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India From 80 Blocks

One of my favorite people to appear in 80 Blocks From Tiffany's is "India" of the Savage Skulls. Like most people who are intrigued with this documentary, I find myself aching to know where the people who appeared in this film are now. I am most curious about India's whereabouts, mostly because she is the centerpiece for some very candid moments that occur in front of the camera towards the film's conclusion.

I got goosebumps upon first viewing the moment she is on the microphone at the block party exclaiming "yes yes y'all, now freak it to the beat y'all." What occurs directly after this is perhaps my favorite moment of the film, when a set microphone and Joan Churchill's (Director of Photography) camera catch India declaring her true feelings for "Fly." You can see an expression of utter nervousness overcome her for a moment directly after sharing her love for him. I find this scene to be so compelling, perhaps even more powerful than any moments of fine acting I've viewed. To me, it's an amazing moment between two kids, in a time I could never visit, in a place that no longer exists.

Where is India now? Where did life take her? Is she alive? Like most individuals who appear in the film, a google search yields little to no results. With India, there are none, and of course it doesn't help when I have no real name.

Where are you India? Some twenty-something in the year 2010 is asking about you. It would be a great honor and pleasure to speak with you about your experiences during the making of the film, among other things. To all other readers, if you have any leads, hip me to them… and make sure to add 80 Blocks From Tiffany's to your collection when it drops!

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Aboard A Tidal Wave

My last post featured the Beach Boys in what I considered to NOT be their prime. I suppose it isn't right that my only post about them so far is of that nature. So, to compliment my previous entry, here's Brian Wilson at his pinnacle, debuting Surf's Up on CBS News' Inside Pop - The Rock Revolution in November 1966.

Click HERE to view (embedding was disabled by Youtube User)

There is a new song, too complex to get all of first time around. It could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today's pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today's most important musicians, sings his own 'Surf's Up.' Poetic, beautiful even in its obscurity, 'Surf's Up' is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future.

Originally intended for the aborted SMiLE album, Surf's Up wouldn't find it's way onto a Beach Boys offering until 1971. There's not much to say about all of this that hasn't been thoroughly documented on the internet. If you're wondering why the above image doesn't match the aesthetic of a title like "Surf's Up," or why SMiLE was aborted, feel free to delve into the back story one of the greatest tales in pop music history.

BONUS: peep the intensity of Brian Wilson's stare when one of his newer musicians messes up at the end of a rehearsal for I Just Wasn't Made For These Times. Bastards -

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The Beach Boys

I've been on a major Beach Boys kick lately. Here they are when they are not in their prime.

Things get rocky early when at 20 seconds in, Dennis Wilson says "blew his dad" instead of "blew his mind."

A minute in, the coughing starts. Rockin' it!

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Will C. "Water Ice" in Just Another Day (Movie)

My track Water Ice from Evil in the Mirror is in the new film Just Another Day! Pick up a copy to witness my musical cameo, and for now, check out the trailer below.

I know it always bugs me when someone pulls out a gun while I'm walking down the street and I have to rap my way out of danger.

The Wire's Wood Harris and Jamie Hector reunite-

Jamie Hector ("The Wire", "Heroes") is Young Eastie, a struggling rapper who dreams of getting a record deal through the legendary A-Maze (Wood Harris, "The Wire," "Remember the Titans). But connecting with his hero is going to be tougher than he thinks. Even though A-Maze is at the top of the ladder, his star is falling - and he's getting desperate to hang on. Featuring top rap artists Trick Dady, Lil Scrappy, Ja Rule and Petey Pablo, "Just Another Day" takes a compelling, true-to-life look at the brutal ups and downs of the cutthroat hip-hop business.

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