Photos & Video From Nokia, Izza Kizza X Family Guy, Reflection Eternal in 08, KITH ft Kweli & Bun B for Obama, ‘Ye’s Homecoming Vid, LB @ Paid Dues, RIP Sean Levert.
photo by Terrence Jennings
• As promised, here is our photo gallery from the Mos Def and Jay Electronica show at Nokia Theater in Times Square* compliments of the one and only Terrence Jennings. “Rappers I Know” has posted two videos from Jay’s performance. For more on the exclusive photo tip, check out the last entry from Sol-Exposure as she captures day 5 of the Roots Jam sessions.
• Okayplayer has got the jump on these two clever viral videos from rising-star Izza Kizza. Check out “Family Guy Who’s Izza Kizza” and “Car Of The Future.” Love Family Guy and Timbaland beats!
• It’s the year of the Blacksmith! (yes, every year) We hear that the long awaited follow up to Reflection Eternal’s instant classic Train Of Thought is slated for release this fall. Both Kweli and Tek have matured greatly since 2000 so it is definitely going to be interesting to hear what these dudes put together in 2008. The Idle Warship project (comprised of Res and Graph Nobel featuring Talib Kweli) is being finished up as we speak. Get ready for a blitz of videos form Strong Arm Steady this summer. Blacksmith Management artist Pete Rock is said to be teaming up with Madlib for a project. Finally, the label has an exciting new talent they are in the process of signing but we can’t name names yet.
• The Real posts their sketch comedy videos every Monday but we link to them on Tuesdays. This week sees the brothers making a plea to Philly’s own DJ Drama to let them host a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. We passed it along to Drama and he actually hit them up!
• Presidential hopeful Barack Obama gets another boost from Hip-Hop. This time in the form of a new song, that premiered last night by Kidz In The Hall featuring Talib Kweli and Bun B called “Work to do (Change Remix)”. The unity being shown in the Hip Hop community behind our man (and hopefully yours too) Obama hopefully will translate into votes come November. In more KITH news, they will go on a 16 city college campus tour with Gym Class Heroes starting this week leading up to the release of their second album The In Crowd dropping May 13th (Duckdown Recods). Download that “Work to do” the first single off of the upcoming Dj Green Lantern & Russell Simmons Yes We Can-Obama Mixtape.
• Mr. West hits us with another new video off of Graduation for “Homecoming” featuring Chris Martin. Shout out to Common seen repping the Chi hard in the vid. While your on Ye’s blog scroll down a little and watch the Bjork video “Wanderlust”…some real trippy ish right there, but i guess that’s kinda expected from her. Scroll down some more and watch the video for “Get Busy!” Proppers.
• A lot of live performance vids this week. This next one comes from the Paid Dues concert that went down last weeked in Cali. Check out Little Brother performing “Watch me”.
• Finally, our condolences to the family and friends of Sean Levert their loss only two years after the death of Gerald. We would also like to once again say goodbye to Spanky Alford by linking to ?uestlove’s tribute.
-dantana & shamz
* We see some of y’all griping on the msg boards and around the blogs. We aren’t really concerned like that. Dude does dude and he’s still brand new. We’ll still be checking audio links and will be at the next show, and the show after that, and so on.