What is Hip Hop?

Continuing the discussion I started earlier regarding the music and culture, here's an amazing and interesting documentary of the hip hop scene in Chicago created by Konee Rok.

A Few Directory Links

Like I said previously, I'm trying to get this whole blog shebang kicked up to 5th gear, and in that goal I've submitted it to various directories, of which the links can be seen below.

Though I feel this is an obligatory post just for advertising purposes and you guys might find it useless, I actually recommend checking some of the links I'm going to drop below, lots of useful sites and interesting material can be found by digging. This is the internet's version of crate digging. Except they're links. (The puns sounded better in my head?)

This will get updated as I submit to more directories... so keep your eyes peeled. Because I said so.

Blah, feels like I'm selling my soul doing this. This is NOT The Midas Touch spirit!

http://www.hip-hopdirectory.com
http://www.hiphop-directory.com
http://www.hiphoplinkdirectory.com
http://www.hiphopblogz.com
Hip Hop Lead Web Directory

OK and here's why I hate the internet. In order to get listed at a certain directory, I needed to include an image they made, like a banner. Fair enough. So I do it and what happens?



Bullshit. Pure, grade-A, saturated fertilizer from a male, adult Bull. See kids, this is why the culture of hip hop is so confusing and doesn't make much sense.

Little Dragon - Constant Surprises

In the ongoing effort to make this little blog into something a bit bigger, I've been perusing some of the other big ones and found this chill track randomly while clicking... randomly. Ahem.

Czech it.

Thoughts on Hip Hop Music

Is Hip Hop dead? The question has been asked and answered a thousand times, but regardless of the answer, here I am writing about it and there you are reading about it. I think a more important question in regards to the music and culture, is "What is Hip Hop?"

Is Hip Hop the flashy mainstream get money attitude we see on MTV, or is Hip Hop the kids working out of their basement and spitting freestyles in a back alley or shitty apartment building?

There's even a distinct sound difference in both of them, with the cleaner, pop-influenced hooks and minimal slow beats hitting the charts, and the grittier dirty sounds of tape-saturated drum machines dominating the underground.

The relationships of both are also complicated and intertwined, with the mainstream guys saying they're still part of hip hop but they just hit success, and the underground guys, not quite jealous, but annoyed that someone who all they talk about is rims and bling considers themselves Hip Hop.

There's no denying that it's all big business now, but hopefully with the advent in the internet we're going to see the market shift to a more balanced equation, with the lesser known cats getting a chance to compete with the big boys in the buildings downtown. As someone who spends their days reviewing and listening to all sorts of tracks, I'll put my vote in towards the indie guys having a fair chance to compete with the mainstream artists given a level playing field.

These new MC's, the young ones of 16-18 years old that are just starting to come up, bring in the old-school flavor and poetics but with a new mindset. These guys are university students, some of them studying to be doctors and lawyers, and now we're getting not only a "Streetwise" dialog on various subjects, but some really educated ones as well, which is bringing to light issues like poverty, racism, consumerism, etc. in an easier to understand but almost deeper way, I find.

I'll be doing some interviews with some local guys who are movers and shakers in the hip hop world, and see what they got to say about this, so look out for that soon.

If any of YOU guys and gals got any opinions, feel free to send me an email or drop a comment, it'll be appreciated for sure, and knowledge is power.

We're humans, lets communicate.

Review - Rapstarrr

Though I generally make it a point not to review any track that ends with a bunch of "R's", I gave this a spin and it reeeeaaallly brought me back to the golden era of hiphop.

Check out RAPSTARRR by BluntStarrr, review below:

This track takes me back to 93', you really got the sound down really well. The beat is a little too Cypress Hill for my tastes, but it does what it's supposed to do, and that's make my head bob. Lovely bass in the back, by the way.

The songs got a lot of bounce, and it snaps crackles and pops enough for me to eat it for breakfast.

My main criticism would be the vocals in the track. Though they the track quite well, at some points the flow gets a bit iffy and the lyrics (the ones I can catch) seem to wander quite a bit. If you could re-record the vocals, or somehow process them so they clear up a bit it would make them a more pleasant listening experience.

You know, regarding promoting this track, it's soooo old-school that while us established fans will love it, I can't really see this catching on. This is 2008 and your track would have wrecked the scene say 15 years ago. That's just my opinion, and hopefully it works for you, but I think a more modern sound would suit you a bit better.

To clarify though, the track is hot. Much enjoyed this little dusty gem and give it one and a half thumbs up.

I got told from a very good guitar player once when I asked his advice regarding approach and methodology, and he said "Imitate, the innovate". You got the imitate down pat, now I want to see you innovate!

The Midas Touch - April 21

I was going to start this entry with a witty joke but it was really bad so I changed my mind. Anyway the latest and greatest just went down last night, DOWNLOAD it and czech it out! On a related note I'm attempting to set this up as a podcast, but I'm not really figuring it out, nor really seeing the advantages in it. You're probably wondering why I bother then, the answer is simple, there's demand for it.

I had a smaller playlist this week, but I want to clarify the last few songs which are very well known tracks. Basically, with the smaller playlist, I had room to fill, and I decided to play tracks which have hugely influenced me in hiphop, to give people an idea where I'm coming from, music-wise. I generally don't do this but what the hell, sounded like a good idea at the time and there was a bit of room so the deed is done.

EDIT: I said and wrote the wrong track for Megadon, it should have been Lose Control. Fixed in the playlist. My bad!

Playlist:
Classified - Maritimes (Talk)
Inverse - Remember the Name
Megadon - Lose Control
K'Naan - My Old Home
Laroche - Flu Beat (Instrumental Talk)
CenSoul - Copasetic (A New Left Production)
Nicolay and Kay - The Light
JoeBG ft. Sans Pression - On Fou la Merde (Talk)
I.D - Radiowave
Wyclef Jean ft. Muzion - 24 Heure a Vivre
Tricky - Christiansands
Benu - Down Under the Moon (Instrumental Talk)
Aesop Rock - No Regrets
Tonedeff - Porcelain
Tech N9Ne - Suicide Letters
KenLo - Sunnymoon (Instrumental Talk)
Zion I - Venus
Outerspace - Third Rock
Laroche - Horns (Instrumental Talk)
Damien Marley - The Road to Zion
Talib Kweli - Get By
Nas - The World is Yours
Marco Polo ft. Masta Ace - Nostalgia

Need More Music

The Midas Touch is currently looking for track submissions, don't hesitate to send them to the email address on this blog!

Songs that are chosen will get air play, a permanent link in the blog, and if hot enough a review and constant promotion!

Don't miss this chance to reach a wider audience....