News

The Roots “Get Busy”, Kweli X Mick Boogie, Black Spade Today, Badu Graces Essence, 88 Keys & Redman.

• Today, you get the audio. Friday, the video. Yes, the hardest workin’ heads in hip hop Get Busy, and stay busy. Busy yourselves in The Lesson or OkayArtist tell us how much you’re feeling this song!
(See news 03.06.08 for song!)

• After years of being deeply entrenched in the logistics of this system, we’re still not sure how they manage all the busy-ness! Super-bionic-human-Afro ?uestlover heads to Miami this weekend to rehearse the Jay Z and Mary J band before the tour, serving as the Musical Director.

• The Roots aren’t the only busy ones however. Talib Kweli and Mick Boogie are expected to drop a new mixtape on Monday called MCEO. Read on as Boogie the “DJournalist” interviews Kwe, the “MCEO” (see Blacksmith Music…), about this project and everything else, and then listen to three smokin’ joints off the mixtape. And yes, Kweli confirms (again) that we’ll be hearing a new RE before the year is up.

• On the official tip, Black Spade’s To Serve With Love hit stores yesterday. We couldn’t describe his sound better than this; “Writing and producing all his music along with MC’ng, Spade’s one man team approach is full of burbling synths, and off-kilter drums while his voice slides smoothly over choruses coated in multi-tracked vocals and skipping roughshod drums.” Make sure to peep the site and listen to the album before you cop. If you buy now, you’ll get a free Unreleased Black Spade EP with your purchase. You can also enter to win a free Black Spade Microsoft Zune player. Don’t you love free??

• OKP is giving you a sneak peek at April’s Essence magazine cover which showcases the lovey Erykah Badu. You can also peep the New York Magazine story, and the in-depth New York Times feature too (click here to see the photos). If you are loving the Kareem Riggins produced “Soldier” and the heart wrenching ?uesto/James Poyser produced tribute to Dilla, “Telephone,” on New Amerykah like I am, get in on the talk and let E know how you’re feeling.

• 88 Keys and Redman get silly with their new “It’s Burnin’ Baby” dance craze! <a href=”http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=1599127&mesg_id=1599127&page=
“>Watch 88’s vid and start practicing your moves and get up on that good foot.

• NY big government:0, Hip Hop:1. Yes, the residents of the Bronx apartment building where hip hop was born has won a temporary portion of their battle with the state. The building, which hosted Kool Herc’s first hip hop house parties in it’s community room, will not be sold to developers (at least just yet) and will achieve historical landmark status.

-gingerlynn