The Hype Men – Kanye West’s First Beats (?)

April 12, 2011 JUKEBOXDC Staff News No Comments  
I really don’t know what the hell this is, but I’m about to find out:
Former Interscope-signed rapper Jensen Karp recently stumbled across a couple of CD’s in his garage, both given to him in 2001 during his time at the label. Each had the name Kanye West written on them and are believed to be the oldest Kanye West beats to ever be released. Jensen speaks on the find: “I think this collection of early Kanye beats shows you where he came from, even if it doesn’t necessarily sound like ‘Kanye’ now. He kept at it and became the incredible producer he is today. I remember he even had to leave the studio sessions early, so he could make the last train back to his mom’s house. He’s come a long way, and I’m proud to have been around, even if for just a second at the start.” Both can be streamed here for those interested in checking them out.
Read More

Hypetrak TV: DJ Premier

April 12, 2011 JUKEBOXDC Staff Interviews, Videos No Comments  

For over two decades DJ Premier has been the virtuoso behind some of hip-hop’s greatest records. Just off the Gang Starr output you have Moment of Truth, Mass Appeal, Manifest, Royalty, Discipline and you can’t forget about his work with Biggie, Nas, Big L and many other highly respected artists. The secret has been within his craft – how it’s conceptualized, the textures, the atmospheres and how the innovative samples are implemented into each song. This feature takes us inside the legendary HeadQCourterz studio in New York City where the renowned producer shared with Hypetrak some of his most cherished moments in the music game and beyond.

Source: Vimeo.

Read More

Ashley Judd Is An Idiot*; Apologizes For Rap(e) Culture Remarks

April 12, 2011 JUKEBOXDC Staff News No Comments  
*this opinion is of the poster (me) and quite possibly not anyone else on the site.
If you haven’t heard about this initially, you can find out here…it apparently wasn’t long before the Hip-Hop community began to respond (initially through ?uestlove), and not long after the below update was spotted on HipHopDX:
Judd took to Russell Simmons’ GlobalGrind.com early on Monday to apologize for her statements, saying that while some of her words were taken out of context, she is at fault for the generalizations she made.
“The outcry regarding my remarks, 2 paragraphs out of my 400+ page book, regarding hip hop and rap, has been astounding as it is out of context…The general theme [now] is to express my gratitude for a chance to learn, to be corrected where I was wrong, to make amends, and hold firm and strong on the original intention and context of points I made, with a commitment to try to do so less clumsily and with more sensitivity in the future.”
She added, “I so regret that my indictment of rape culture as a whole has been interpreted as me blaming rap and hip hop exclusively. That was absolutely not my intention, and I so regret it has had that effect on some people. “
Judd finished by saying her eyes had been opened to a distinction between Rap and Hip Hop, and she’d also been introduced to new music. “Thank you to fans of both [Rap and Hip Hop] who have introduced me to artists whose lyrics embody activism and progressive values. I am glad to have more beats for my playlists. I celebrate the music, its meaning, and those who love it.”
You can read her entire drawn out long-winded entry here. Thoughts?
Read More