keep on keepin' on

Keep on Callin' - P-Money feat. Sway & Akon
Fuck New York - Sway feat. Babyblu & Bruza (radio rip)
The Xpedition - P-Money feat. 4 Corners

Some global heavy weight action here. P-Money is basically the one worthwhile hiphop producer in New Zealand (that isnt part of the dawn raid/polynesian-tip) plus Akon, who might as well be called futbol, the way he has blown up worldwide, then add on top of that Sway, a british MC (so... we aren't going to be able to use the term Grime soon since the MC's are getting away from grimeybeats?, sad sad). This track puts together all the good things about all three artists. P-Money uses the samples and sounds that fell out of favor in NYC circa 96, and for us that werent listening to hiphop then, it doesnt sound dated but right like a throwback, then Akon brings his unique-as-hell voice and a hook that will have you saying 'keep on callin' for hours. Sway brings his weird G-Unit minus the Unit callout,and some ridiculously british rhymes (not to mention Positive and funny), "throw a party like labour" what?! not to mention he shoutouts New Zealand, and that hits my heart the right way.

Since I haven't been here in a minute, audio students have college educations to attend to, oops, had to bring a couple of related tracks. I swear the only tracks i am okay with being radio rips are Grime tracks, it's almost part of the aesthetic. Plus its pretty easy to diss Ja-Rule, right? but ofcourse as with almost all grime, theres a positivity to this track (i will sometime to get around to a post about this... grime really is like old old old hiphop in a lot of respects). This track is pretty much a novelty song to most ears, it shoutouts Lundun perfectly, BabyBlu kills it, as seemingly every woman grime MC does, then Bruza's voice/delivery is just... very Juvenile "ha."

P-Money brings some Andean flute loop craziness to the next track, the breath-in noise in the background just ups the ante. Not much else to say about the actual rapping, 4 corners is one of the many crews trying ot make it in NZ, the main reason i picked this track from P-money's first LP is that it says "straight out of the H-Town system," and you are never ever going to hear a track with this much urgency and quickness out of Houston... but its definately different in Hamilton, NZ.

Texas, Our Texas

T is for Texas (Blue Yodel No.1) - Jimmie Rodgers (itunes)
They Don't Know - Paul Wall feat. Mike Jones (itunes)

Sxsw has come and gone, along with the Rodeos, and Bluebonnets are in full bloom. Its squarely between Texas Independence day (march 2nd) and San Jacinto Day (April 21st), so might as well give ya'll a couple texas standards. The Jimmie Rodgers track is ripe for sampling, "cause i could get more women than a passenger train could haul," needs to be sped up or slowed down into a country-vibe track (ala Trick Daddy's Sugar), and the texas-reppin' song of the last minute is here too.

I went to a lecture today by Latin American Scholar PhD Marshall Eakin at Rice today, discussing the importance of globalization/world history when dealing with the American South. States like Texas, Louisana, and Florida, can clearly be seen in a Latin American context throughout their history and more n more, these states, along with the rest of the south, is becoming more like it how it was pre-"old south," which is a fascinating thought. That the biraciality which is a backbone of the South is now increasingly being seen as an anomoly of the Americas history, rather than the norm. Wish the excitement i felt during the lecture i could more properly discuss.

Things ain't what they used to be.

Soda Fountain Rag - Duke Ellington (itunes)

Duke Ellington sure hit the nail on the head with that remark. This live recording of his final solo performance, in 1973, comes at the brink of the hiphop generation. His career had spanned the entire middle half of the twentieth century and he had seen the guard change many times. Only 6 1/2 miles northeast and on the other end of the Summer of '73 DJ Kool Herc would make a name for himself. That is all i will say on a subject that is wonderfully written out in a new book by Jeff Chang, "Can't Stop Won't Stop," get it. read it.

This is/was the first post of Audio Studios. I've meant to get into this blog game a long time, apparently livejournals don't count, nor does telling everyone of your AIM buddies about a certain mp3 = mpgblog-status. This blog will focus on Music, but will have forays into literary and historical criticism (hopefully dealing with songs/artsts, but sometimes not).

Enjoy.