Author: Alex Winnick

Forked from the scope of the music world, Hip-Hop music can further be organized into two different classifications: mainstream and underground.  Hip-Hop’s mainstream artists are among the most affluent and well-known musicians alive today, and are responsible for most of the “pop” rap music heard on the radio. Underground Hip-Hop artists are, obviously, the opposite. Mainstream music cascades in a swift progression, fueled by the attention of millions and luxurious commodities available to only the most successful artists. However, there are more distinctions between the two groups other than their status of wealth and popularity. The reason there is such a dichotomy is because of the nature of the songs. The mainstream music is inspired by the artists’ lifestyles, enlisting complex beats and samples that are only available to artists of their stature. Underground artists rap over simple beats, made most frequently from a bass guitar’s constant rhythm, with a light accompaniment of a snare drum or piano.

Both categories have their strengths, and are equally important to the genre. In order to see the differences between them, we can look at two songs. Kanye West’s “Lost in the World” is featured on his masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Its polished production quality, multifaceted sampling and emphasis on the instrumental render the song utterly mainstream. In contrast, “De La Souls” by P.O.S is distinctly underground. The beat is extraordinarily simple, the chorus adopts a punk-rock tone and it stresses the lyrics, instead of the instrumental.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb0Vub0i9O0&feature=related

Kanye’s finale incorporates a hook from folk singer Bon Iver. While making MBDTF, Kanye spent a few months in Hawaii, where he invited all of his featuring artists (among other friends) to spend time collaborating and recording. Only the most prominent musicians can afford retreats such as this one. “Lost in the World” has a long introduction; Kanye doesn’t even start rapping until almost two minutes into the song. This sophisticated beat represents mainstream because of its catchy, pop style and contrasting tones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKUt5g1AiJ8

“De La Souls” could not be more different. P.O.S. writes a deep and powerful message in his song. Personally, I love it because it exemplifies the intelligence embedded in Hip-Hop culture. An ugly, unfounded stereotype of Hip-Hop is that rappers are always ignorant, brainless fools who acquire wealth without any talent or moral conscious. Rappers like P.O.S. blatantly disprove that typecast. He proudly states, “I raise a black fist but won’t say (the N word) in the things I write, and I don’t say (faggot) because I don’t think it’s right.”

When asked to choose my preferred tributary, I struggle in finding the exact answer. I appreciate the redeeming qualities in both types, and am proud to profess myself a fan of all sorts of Hip-Hop artists.

While I know this may not be strictly be considered an art, there’s this cool new video for one of Umich’s newest student organizations, rEDesign, that I had to share with the arts community. They need creative, ambitious thinkers to help them in their movement! Watch the video, spread it to your friends and tweet your ideas.

Never been so sober- but I couldn’t have felt drunker. Never sweat more in my life but I couldn’t have felt cooler. Never been so tightly squeezed in a horde of people but I couldn’t have felt free-er. Never experienced such an interactive live show, so I knew I had to be at the Blind Pig. Girl Talk’s free concert Wednesday night, sponsored by Axe, was the perfect antidote to a stressful week of college finals preparations.

I have been a Girl Talk fan since I was in 7^th grade, back when his music was as new as the Myspace page he advertised on. I was introduced to Gillis before he even released Night Ripper, when he used the 8-minute blend of “Too Deep, Smash Your Head, and Minute by Minute” as a teaser for his music, and when he used to play a free concert at any time, anywhere. I have followed him closely as he began to gain popularity and soared to new heights of fame few people imagined he would reach. I watched as he began to change his live show experience, performing at larger venues, incorporating a more advanced light show, hiring hype men/women to spray the crowd with all sorts of crazy substances, and my personal favorite: building a lifesize house on stage for his New Years Eve concert in Chicago.

Needless to say, his style has changed incredibly since I had the good fortune to see him four years ago in New Haven, Connecticut. When I saw him he was a few months away from releasing Feed the Animals, and just on the cusp of gaining the universal popularity he has today. The show was incredible, and didn’t involve any of the new techniques I explained above. So when I heard that Girl Talk was putting on a free show at an intimate venue, I knew I had to get tickets. I had to see if he still could go back to those smaller days.

In April of 2008 I saw him at a venue called “Toad’s Place.” The similarities between “The Blind Pig” and Toad’s are striking: both have seriously impressive history (Gillis tweeted a picture of the Nirvana poster at the Blind Pig after the show) and each can only hold around 100-200 people. Both concerts also enlisted talented opening performances, I saw Passion Pit in ’08 and People Under the Stairs on Wednesday. Gillis also invited half of the audience to join him on stage in both shows, and provided the crowd with non-stop fun.

I have to admit the music was much better when I saw him in New Haven. This time around he focused on his most recent album All Day, which is my least favorite Girl Talk record. He salvaged this by exhibiting a wealth of new music that I, and probably few others in the crowd, had never heard before, which gives me infinite hope for his next release. These new mashups were as magnificent as some tracks off Night Ripper, including samples from songs such as “No Hands, Dance (ASS), Shout!, Work Out” and even a combination of Tyler, The Creator’s “Yonkers” and Lil Wayne’s “Stuntin,” which was downright brilliant.

What set the two shows apart was the experience. Wednesday night passed in a frenzy that only plays back in my head in a very blurry, sweaty mess. The crowd literally moved and swayed as one unit, plastered together by the confetti, toilet paper and mist that was continuously sprayed on us by Gillis’s two assistants, who used leaf blowers and electric paint rollers to bombard the fans. As if this was not enough, they also released a number of balloons and beach balls into the audience, further clouding any type of mental and visual clarity. At one point I was following a particular balloon’s progress through the crowd when the lights rose and absorbed everything in their glares, ending in a burst of confetti that splattered myself and everyone around me. I searched around, frantically looking for the balloon, only to realize it had popped and exploded into the millions of scraps of colored papaer that had previously been trapped inside. Mind-blowing moments such as that one were the reason this show was such a unique experience. This feeling magnified during the last few moments of the show.

The end came without any notice. Suddenly, the tension escalated. The beat began, spinning faster and faster until it consumed the entire room. An overwhelming cacophony of indistinguishable noise. The confetti was a whirlwind of color. Outstretched forearms illuminated in their silhouettes against the inexplicably bright blue and white lights, imposed there, seemingly for eternity, until the all-encompassing wave of energy overtook the crowd, mere humans unable to even slightly withstand the magnitude of pressure swirling in cool breezes throughout the air until— a moment of darkness. The strain broke. The noise ceased. The crowd rested for a moment, finally still. Weaved together as one unit. Grasping for comprehension.

So far this year I’ve been writing mostly about music you all should be listening to, or at least, music I’ve enjoyed listening to lately. Which isn’t really fair to all those artists who have released music that I haven’t enjoyed listening to recently. And who am I to discriminate? To all of these horrendous musicians, I apologize, but fear no more! My music racism stops here: following is a letter to Aubrey Graham, known mostly by his stage name, Drake, who just released his studio album “Take Care” on November 15.

Dear Aubrey,

Oh, you poor, poor child. If only you had stretched your prime, golden years on Degrassi into a more substantial career, because, in all honesty, you belong nowhere near the Hip-Hop profession. You could have been happily shooting season 28 with the rest of the old crew, but instead you’re producing worthless albums such as this one. Oh well, at least middle school girls now have your lyrics to use as material for their feisty teen anger.

Your opening track, “Over My Dead Body” is actually a beautifully crafted instrumental, full of powerful accompanying vocals, a soft and muffled beat, and a wonderful piano overtone. It truly embodies the nostalgic, quiet pride you are attempting to evince. Which is why it’s actually so hard to hear you, Drake, so pitifully ruin your own masterpiece. This song potentially could have been a revealing sentiment, but as soon as your oily voice appears, somehow clashing with your own beat, the song is destroyed. In the opening 30 seconds of your first verse you say, “Shout out to Asian girls- let the lights dim some.” Really? Who and what are you shouting out to Asian girls, if I may ask. Out of four consecutive lines, three end with the word “some.” Three! That’s not how rhyming works, pal, you have to find different words that sound the same. And no, it doesn’t count when you use “dim sum,” instead of “some.” That’s still the same word. You do this throughout the entire song. Three “again’s” in a row. Four N words. Two “from’s.” Maybe you had your Degrassi audition during this first grade rhyming lesson, I’m not sure, but you crucially need some help here.

The only song I enjoy shares the same name as the album. “Take Care” featuring Rihanna, is the only track that deserves to be classified as Hip-Hop. I always expect quality hooks from Rihanna, especially now as she is continuing her streak started by “We Found Love,” (yes, I like that song. Everybody likes that song) but “Take Care” exceeds her repertoire. Her voice powerfully secretes emotion and vulnerability; her soft passion coincides with the simple piano and hand-shaker beat to the point where it is almost palpable. You even manage not to completely and utterly ruin it, and I particularly enjoy how you change between rapping and singing, although your singing voice is far from gifted. If I force myself to only partially listen to the lyrics, this song gets a spot in my top favorite 50 songs. Of November. Also the Florence and the Machine cover is equal to if not better than your version.

A complete breakdown of every song (like D Prep’s heinous, praising, over exaggerated excuse for a review on Sunset in the Rearview) would probably result in me smashing my computer repeatedly against the wall from having to actually listen to every second of your album. Luckily for me, because of how dreadfully similar they are, I can accurately describe the remainder of songs in one general statement: they are not good. The only redeemable quality you have left is that you somehow feature Andre 3000 on the song “The Real Her.” Since it sounds somewhat like an Outkast song off of Aquemini, it starts off as a conceivably impressive song, but, true to your nature, you find a way to ruin it by offering Lil Wayne a verse as well. Andre 3000 is a legend. Lil Wayne serves no purpose on this planet.

Drake, I’m sorry. I don’t particularly enjoy doing this, and I want you to be a star just as much as the next twelve-year old, but you really need to show some improvement. There might be a slight possibility you have some actual talent buried deep, deep down somewhere, but in order to display it you have to stop pretending like you are a moron. You have a brain, stop writing these emotionless, ignorant lyrics. Get back to your “Forever” remix skill level. And if you really want to improve, leave Young Money and take Nicki with you. It’s either that or season 32 of Degrassi, your choice.

Respectfully,

Alex

PS. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LofSI8vfEZ4&feature=related

It wasn’t just the energetic crowd- that was expected at the Blind Pig. It wasn’t the intimacy between said crowd and the performer- that’s easily attainable at any live DJ show. And it wasn’t even the dynamic transition between the opening act and the main artist- that was only recognizable long after the show had finished. No, what really set The Hood Internet’s concert last Saturday night apart from any other live mashup performance I’ve experienced was my steadfast faith, born early in the evening, that Steve Reidell knew precisely what he was doing.

Formed in Chicago, The Hood Internet is a combination of DJs Aaron Brink and Steve Reidell, although last Saturday proved that one member is enough to produce an amazing live show. The duo specializes in combining Hip-Hop and Rap acapellas with indie and alternative instrumentals. This untraditional type of mashup drew a different sort of crowd than those who usually flock to these shows. Always hesitant of paying money to hear music that is free online, most people stray away from them. One of their only appeals is the constant stream of popular music which is supplemented by a much more dance-provoking beat. The Hood Internet, faithful to their own style, barely fits that criteria, further excluding more concert-goers. Regardless, the Blind Pig was still well attended, and the audience was extremely entertained.

Although only half of his team was present, Steve Reidell manifested no signs of concern or unease while in the spotlight. He approached his two laptops and mixer (no turntables) with confidence, and exhibited such an authoritative composure that I, and I’m sure the rest of the crowd, had no skepticism as to his abilities. Towards the end of his piece he paused the music to ask the crowd, almost rhetorically, if he should continue or end his consistent and addicting stream of mashups. We answered, and the stream began to flow once more.

My expectations for the Hood Internet’s live setlist could not have been more wrong. I anticipated that they would enhance their show with their most popular singles, to cater to the general population’s desires. However, the majority of their setlist was comprised of the less played, harder to identify tracks that hide in the middle of their monstrous mixtapes (of which there are five and generally last over an hour) and serve as transitions. This worked in an interesting fashion for the show; because of the similar nature of most songs (indie or techno beat with ’80s or ’90s Hip-Hop verses), the mashups infused with present day tunes were very distinctive. For instance, I couldn’t tell you the songs prior to or after “Back that Sleepyhead Up,” but I specifically remember screaming along with Passion Pit’s classic. This should not be interpreted as a flaw in the performance, however. Despite being uncommon, the transitions remained undeniably enjoyable. Highlights of the setlist include when Reidell combined Sir Mix-A-Lot’s anthem “Baby Got Back” and Cee-Lo Green’s horridly addicting single “Fuck You,” as well as two renditions of one of their newest creations: Big Sean’s “Marvin and Chardonnay” and techno genius Wolfgang Gartner’s “The Way It Was.” Ann Arbor appreciated your shout out to the D, Reidell.

Overall, the show was invigorating because it quite literally did not stop. While Reidell took minor breathing pauses, the music and dancing continued. He maintained such an impressive flow of tracks that it was impossible to deny that he knew exactly how to present the perfect dance party. For those wary to pay for a ticket to a mashup show, know that you aren’t paying to hear the music; you are paying for the experience, and in my opinion, as of last weekend, the Hood Internet is the best in the game.

Bored of that playlist you automatically reach for when you want music? Overwhelmed by the constantly changing industry? Confused by the visually over-stimulating portion of the internet that is supposed to be showing you new music? Or maybe you just aren’t very social and have never heard of Pandora? Whatever the case is, if you are looking for ways to find music that won’t cost you any money and are easy to work with, here are your answers. Happy searching.

Welcome to the Hype Machine, my absolute favorite and most used website. Hypem is unique because it serves as a funnel for the rest of the music blogosphere (or at least the important parts). When certain noteworthy blogs update new songs, they automatically feed into Hypem’s website. The songs get placed into the “Latest” tab, for members to peruse and judge. If you particularly enjoy a certain song, you can click the heart button and add it to your favorites. The songs that get the most clicks as favorites get transferred into the “popular” tab, which is where I suggest looking, and where there will be the best collection of new songs. www.hypem.com

Downsides: Extremely remix heavy (sometimes they are great but it gets extremely frustrating). Duplicate heavy (if two or more blogs update the same song they will all show up on Hypem).

Recently, you may have heard people talking about this new program called Spotify. Beginning in Sweden and now operating in about ten countries across the world, Spotify is an amazing service. Listeners can search through thousands of full, studio quality albums and stream them all for free. Legally. Tons of major record labels have agreed to let Spotify stream their music. Spotify is great for listening to new albums in their entirety without having to buy the whole thing. www.spotify.com

Downsides: Starting a couple months ago, unless you pay for a premium account you only have 10 hours of streaming per month. Don’t let this stop you, but just a heads up.

If you’re in the game of playlist making, you’re about to switch up your style (unless you’ve heard of this already, and now I just look foolish). Grooveshark has a massive library of music, and is a great place to build playlists. Create an account, assemble that playlist in the comfort of your own computer, then later log into that account on any other computer and start blasting those tunes. I also use it to create playlists I want to share with other people, which I do by sending them the username and password. They can then add songs to the playlists or create their own on the same account. It’s kind of like tapas food, great for sharing.  www.grooveshark.com

Downsides: A lot of poor quality songs, make sure you sample before adding to your playlist.

Sunset is one of my favorite music blogs. They have a great selection of hip-hop, indie, mashups and dubstep. Their team of about 5 or so writers does a fantastic job working together to ensure a constant source of new, good music. www.sunsetintherearview.com

Downsides? Good question, I can’t really think of any. I’m just really into this blog

Here’s a list of other blogs if you aren’t satisfied with all of this. Just google these names:

Pigeons and Planes – Pretty Much Amazing – Good Music All Day – Some Kind of Awesome