Saturday, 06/26/2010 Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD

Set 1: Crowd Control, Kill Devil Falls, AC/DC Bag, Sugar Shack, Tube, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea[1], Stash, Backwards Down the Number Line, NICU, 46 Days, Suzy Greenberg Set 2: Rock and Roll, Free, Fast Enough for You, Sparkle, Tweezer, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Wolfman's Brother, Slave to the Traffic Light, Tweezer Reprise Encore: Show of Life, Good Times Bad Times [1] Phish debut Notes: This show featured the Phish debut of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel).

Phish cover In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel @ Merriweather Post Pavilion 06/26/2010

Long before Animal Collective made the best, or at least most critically acclaimed album of last year Merriweather Post Pavillion has been a legendary shed (one of few to not be rebranded corporately) made famous by epic performances by The Grateful Dead and Phish. In fact the one and only time Phish covered The Grateful Dead, in a spine tingling rendition of Terrapin Station it was at Merriweather Post Pavillion. Here Phish plays a very left field cover of the Neutral Milk Hotel song In The Aeroplane Over The Sea.

Phish - Camden, NJ 06/24/10 setlist

Phish @ Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ 6/24/10 I: David Bowie Stealin' Time from the Faulty Plan Water in the Sky Ocelot Uncle Pen Boogie on Reggae Woman Gumbo> Timber Ho> I Didn't Know Birds of a Feather Bouncin' Around the Room Reba (unfinished) The Rover* II: Down with Disease-> Crosseyed and Painless-> Nothing > Twenty Years Later > Harry Hood > Fluffhead > Julius YEM E: Bug * Led Zeppelin , First time played

De La Soul NXNE '10

After a very weary week of 4 days of extended drinking hours, sets, surprise sets and mainstage headliners the NXNE music festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has thankfully wrapped up with a mainstage free concert in Yonge Dundas Square by pioneering Hip Hop legends De La Soul. In a by-no-means chronological (in career or setlist terms) order De La Soul, (literally translated as 'Of The Soul' (feminine)), had a truly multicultural and multi-lingual audience rapt and spellbound as they kicked through cuts not limited to Potholes In My Lawn, Ring Ring Ring, Oooh (originally De La Soul featuring Redman here with Canadian Hip Hop legend Kardinal Offishal), the title track of The Grind Date and possibly one of the greatest Hip Hop tunes of all time (the singularly J Dilla produced) Stakes Is High (which contains a definitive sample of James Brown's Mind Power).

"I be a piece of the East Coast, so give a toast to Plug Wonder Why / Back in the day who soaked his words in ginger / So when I ran a phrase in June, you didn't catch it 'til December"

- Stakes Is High/ De La Soul Encores included; audience favourite Me, Myself and I (their breakthrough single from 1989 that ensconced the bands, somewhat frustrating as expressed lyrically in this particular song, 'hippie' label which they addressed in their typically dry humour), Rock Co Kane flow (unfinished due to the lack of MF Doom in the municipality of Toronto), and early rarity Buddy (Native Tongue Decision) originally by the Native Tongue Posse (De La Soul,, Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, Queen Latifah and Monie Love. Buddy famously contains a brief definitive sample of the hook of The Five Stairsteps Ooh Child (quite possibly the greatest pop song of all time) bringing the total soul tally to at least 2 James Brown Samples and a very brief 'Skiddley-bo-oh-oah' reference to Barrington Levy). The sample of the Burke family's song Ooh Child appears at 3:19 in De La Soul's Buddy. Although live in their rendition at Dundas Square MC Posdnuos ((aka Mercenary, Plug Wonder Why, Plug One born Kelvin Mercer) repeated the refrain for an extra bar milking raw emotion out of the crowd after a heartfelt spoken word by Trugoy the Dove (aka Dave, Plug Two, born David Jude Jolicoeur) about how no one talks about the emotion of Hip Hop painting a picture of a young black man on a bus stop bench nodding away in his own heartfelt world. For his part P.A. Pasemaster Mase largely known as Maseo, or Plug Three within 3 Foot High and Rising's concept) pushed the sheer utter limits, at times testing new counter-insurgency sound cannons just in time for the G20, of the federally, provincially and municipally funded sound system. If Socialism means I can get hit by a bus and walk into any hospital and get fixed up right quick with a green card and De La Soul playing for free in a pedestrian space, adjacent to Toronto's first scramble crossing, then bring on the Socialism Teabaggers.

Black Milk The World Is Yours (MPC Live Mix)

. On the cover of Popular Demand Curtis Cross stands in front of the State Theater, resting lightly under his arm is a nondescript piece of electronics. It is an MPC. A Music Production Center, to be specific an Akai MPC 2000 XL. This device originally known as a MIDI Production Center was originally designed by Roger Linn and produced by the Japanese company Akai from 1988 onward. It was intended to function as a powerful kind of drum machine, the MPC drew on design ideas from machines such as the Sequential Circuits Inc. Studio 440 and the Linn's own Linn 9000, combining a powerful MIDI sequencer with the ability to sample one's own sounds. Later models feature increasingly powerful sampling, storage, interfacing and sound manipulation facilities, which broadens the use of instruments beyond just drum and rhythm tracks. It is Black Milk's dextrous exploitation of the MPC, not just his inputting the device with soulful samples and elegant live instrumentation, that is at the core of much of at least his early sound. Much an and will be said about Cross's pioneering work on this piece of electronics, but it doesn't take a degree in mathematics or the mind of a hip hop producer to experience the sheer joy the audience experiences watching Milk and his band build some bellicose beats from the ground up into an adlibbed homage to Dilla by way of Nas in the form of The World Is Yours.

Proof - Cali Trip / Rush - Xanadu / Dream Theater - Trial of Tears

How good are those ears of yours? Sure you can clearly hear from 1:46 - 2:38 of Rush's Xanada where the producer (Cali Trip was released on Iron Fist Records likely on the Big Proof Mayor of Detroit Mixtape but the production credit is unclear) not only lifted the sample but managed to retain or reframe - for an incredibly long time in the context of hip hop Rush's dominant riff into the epic groove that defines Cali Trip. But can you hear Xanadu in this live version of Trial of Tears Dream Theater here seen played live at the Nippon Budokan Hall on April 26, 2004 in Tokyo, Japan for their package Live At Budokan (3CD/2DVD). Dream Theater have often placed riffs or parts of other band's songs into their songs when playing live. For instance before the beginning of Trial of Tears guitarist John Petrucci plays the definitive five tone communication from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Trial of Tears also contains portions of Rush's songs Xanadu and The Trees.

'evidence indicates Proof shot first...'

According to a spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department, evidence indicates Proof shot first and then suffered a gunshot wound to the head around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday,he was pronounced dead on arrival at St. John Holy Cross Hospital. A second victim, who has been identified as 35-year-old Detroit resident Keith Bender Jr., remains in critical condition at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. He also sustained a gunshot to the head.Police were dispatched to the scene shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday. The club which was operating illegally, after hours had been cleared out by the time they'd arrived. The club did not have a video surveillance system. Several witnesses have come forward to discuss the incident with investigators, but police had no suspects Tuesday night. Police located several shell casings in a parking lot across the street from the club. Fans have left tributes to Proof (real name: DeShaun Holton), a founding member of the Eminem-fronted Detroit hip-hop collective D12, around the CCC Club. On a telephone pole in front of the nightspot, fans left stuffed animals and personal messages, and according to The Detroit News, "RIP Proof" was scribbled in red ink at the bottom of the club's sign. The CCC Club was closed Tuesday night while police continued to comb for evidence and clues. The CCC Club has been a troubled spot for more than 10 years, according to police spokesperson James Tate, who told the The Associated Press that officers have responded to 18 incidents there since 1996. The most recent visit by police came in December, when members of the city's vice squad raided the bar and slapped its owners with six violations, most for serving alcohol to minors. Several of Bender's relatives spoke with The Detroit News, claiming that Proof shot Bender, and was then shot by someone else. "Some words were exchanged. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Bender's sister-in-law Angel Bender told the News. "We're still putting the pieces together." Bender, relatives said, is a retired Army staff sergeant and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Both he and Proof were at the CCC Club with friends, police confirmed. Authorities have not released any information on what may have led to the altercation, but believe two guns were used during the shooting. According to ABC News affiliate WXYZ, Bender's brother, Kyle, was one of the many visitors to the CCC Club Tuesday night. "What I don't want to happen is for [Proof] to be glorified as another fallen rapper hero," he told them. "It's senseless violence that's right here in our community and we can't get rid of it." "I just don't know how to feel right now," D12's Denaun Porter, known within the group as Kon Artis, told the Detroit Free Press. "It's crazy because we're suffering all these losses. We lost Bugz," an original member of D12 who was shot and killed in 1999 during a picnic at Detroit's Belle Isle Park. "Now we lost Proof. I just don't know, you know what I mean? We're all so messed up. Whatever happened, whoever this dude is, is still around. This is just crazy." In a statement released Tuesday, Proof's label, Interscope, said Tuesday that memorial-service arrangements were still being made and asked that people respect the privacy of Proof's family and friends. The Associated Press reports that Proof's family and friends gathered inside a home on Detroit's Northwest side Tuesday afternoon. Proof is survived by his wife and five children. The C.C.C. club sits on a particularly grimy stretch of Detroit's 8 Mile Road, its shabby wood-paneled facade wedged between J's Liquor Shop and a massive Mega Pawn. This boulevard, which Eminem made famous, roughly separates the city's haves from its have-nots, and the C.C.C., a notorious after-hours spot, sits squarely on the latter side. It's not the kind of place most famous rappers would spend their Monday nights. But it was here that Eminem's mentor, D12 mastermind Proof, born DeShaun Holton, was killed in a gunfight in the early-morning hours of April 11th. At around 4:30 a.m., Proof and another patron got into an argument over a pool game. Witnesses say that Proof pulled out a gun and hit Keith Bender Jr., a Desert Storm veteran, in the head with it before shooting him once in the face. With Proof's gun still pointed at Bender's bloody body, Mario Etheridge -- Bender's cousin and the club's bouncer -- shot the rapper three times, once in the head and twice in the chest. He was dead on arrival at St. John Hospital. Bender died eight days later as a result of his injuries. Etheridge turned himself in to police the day after the shooting. Two days later, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy charged him with carrying a concealed weapon and discharge of a firearm in a dwelling or occupied structure. Though Worthy did not charge Etheridge with Proof's murder, she added, "Our investigation in this case is far from over." The day after the shooting, someone had scrawled "RIP Proof" on the thin aluminum sign outside the C.C.C. club. Across the street, a telephone pole became a makeshift memorial, festooned with cards, stuffed animals, balloons, a pack of Newport Lights and a bottle of Olde English 800 malt liquor. Since the early 1990s, Proof had worked to put Detroit hip-hop on the map, hosting battles at the Hip-Hop Shop (depicted in the film 8 Mile), forging alliances among the city's best rappers and encouraging a shy young MC named Marshall Mathers. "He was, and always will be, my best friend," Eminem said in a statement days after the shooting. "He pushed me to become who I am." Mekhi Phifer portrayed Proof in 8 Mile (the rapper had a bit part, as battle challenger Lil' Tic), and insiders say it accurately portrayed the way he coached Em to overcome his fear of public performance. "Proof would call me at one, two o'clock in the morning with just syllables, like, 'Yo, an abdominable region, an abdominal lesion,'" Eminem told Rolling Stone in 2004. "That's how we fed off each other. My loyalty dates back to the days of living on fuckin' Dresden, on the East Side, in my kitchen wishin' we could do something." Eminem's longtime manager Paul Rosenberg remembers how Proof recognized the young Mathers' talent and helped him develop it. "If you were white, you were automatically knocked down ten levels," says Rosenberg. "Proof encouraged him to be himself and gain confidence." D12 cohort Kuniva says Proof had the same effect on all the members of the group, which he founded in the Nineties: "Without him, none of us would be doing this. He gave all of us that courage." Following the shooting, the five surviving members of D12 gathered to console one another. "It's just a real hard blow to take," says Kuniva. "I'm kind of in denial." Beyond the grief of losing a dear friend, people close to Proof struggle to come to grips with the way he died. After years of toil, Proof had finally crossed over to the other side of the tracks. D12 released two albums on Shady Records, and Proof released a solo album, Searching for Jerry Garcia, bringing his eclectic tastes and sharp tongue to the masses. But something drew him back to one of the grittiest clubs in one of America's grittiest cities, his hometown. "This was his neighborhood, just a place where he felt comfortable," says Detroit MC Royce Da 5'9", who had known Proof for years and had feuded with members of D12 in the past. After he heard about Proof's death, Royce called D12 member Swift to quash the beef. "As artists, we just gotta be careful with the decisions we make," Royce says. "It sounds like something spun out of control." Police and local residents say C.C.C. was generally open from 2 to 7 a.m., after other clubs closed in accordance with local law. Club manager L.A. Bryant says, "We don't operate on an after-hour basis" and insists the shooting happened at about 2 a.m. Second Deputy Police Chief James Tate says the incident happened hours later and adds that eighteen police reports have been filed about the club during the past decade, covering shootings, fights, underage drinking and other violations. In February a bouncer was shot five times. "I would never go to this club," says local fan Corey Van Aelst, who adds he's heard that other people have been killed there. Que Feezy, a tattoo artist and aspiring MC who lives three blocks from the club, says famous rappers invite jealousy when they hang out in places like the C.C.C. "Everybody's been drinking all night, police ain't gonna be around, ain't really got tight security," he says. "On the real, he had no business being in there whatsoever. If I make it, I definitely won't be coming back 'round no hood spot." In the days after the shooting, dozens of stories circulated. Initially, some said D12's Bizarre was wounded, and others thought two people had been killed and police were hiding one victim's identity. Even as witnesses came forward to say Proof fired the first shot, people close to him refused to believe it. "I've known Proof for twelve years -- he would never do something like this unless he thought his life was threatened," says Hush, a local MC who has recorded with D12. The police worry that, even if they decide Etheridge acted properly, others might seek their own justice. "Now his name's out there, and you have a legion of Proof fans," says Tate. "The possibility of retaliation is always the scary thing." But most fans just want the violence to end: "Proof has kids that will never see their father again over something petty," said Allysia Moore. "What's the point of violence? What is it gonna solve?" She stopped by the impromptu memorial to express her sadness with a simple sign: "When will it stop?" Looking beyond the C.C.C. club across the street, she offered an answer: "It seems like it's never gonna stop."

J Dilla X Nas = DILLmatic

It was inevitable that at some point Nas' definitive album Illmatic would be paired with Dilla's definitive beats. The official tracklist of this DILLmatic mashup is: 1. Intro 2. Nas Is Like 3. Fast Life 4. It Ain’t Hard To Tell 5. Affirmative Action 6. Thief’s Theme 7. Streets Of New York 8. Made You Look 9. Life’s A Bitch 10. Classic 11. One Love 12. The World Is Yours 13. Reckless Driving 14. The Money 15. You Know My Style 16. Made You Look (Remix) Here are some direct mp3 links to some of the more noteworthy tracks: The World Is Yours Made You Look (Remix) feat. Jadakis and Ludacris Fast Life Streets of New York feat. Jay-Z and Rakim The Money Theif's Theme

Big Proof Forever (1973 - 2006)

The side of Detroit Hip Hop being explored recently on NorthernHeads is typically from the post-Dilla camp which is to say artists who have worked with Jay Dee/ J Dilla (dating back to his group Slum Village) and beyond to his protege Black Milk and his frequent collaborators. However with Eminem's newest album Recovery leaking in the past few days it does seem fitting to draw attention to those who put Detroit Hip Hop on the mainstream map. One such figure is DeShaun “Proof” Holton, upon whom the character Future played by Mekhi Phifer in the film 8 Mile was based. Holton was tragically killed at the CCC Club in Detroit, Michigan. His death had a cataclysmic effect on his protege Eminem and led to years of despair and self abuse. The plot of 8 Mile explores the pivotal role Proof played in Detroit’s underground hip-hop scene. He hosted battles, as does the character Future, at the famous Hip-Hop Shop. Proof is the most recognizable members of D12, and likely has the most solo recognition (in spite of and as a result of his death) outside of that ensemble. Proof contributes prominently on D12’s two albums — Devil’s Night (2001) and D12 World (2004). He also released his final solo album in 2005, Searching For Jerry Garcia. Proof could perhaps best be described as Marshall Mathers rap coach. Not only did he help convince the young Mathers that he could be 'big time' he would literally coach him giving him ryhming exercises such as to rhyme the alphabet to the various sights he encounters in the day. Notably in Proof's cameo in 8 Mile as Lil' Tic, Proof manages to sneak his name in as an acronym when he raps, "I'll (P)unish (R)abbit (O)r (O)bsolete (F)uture." Proof was always Eminem's hype man and his voice and vivid lyrics were trademarks on D12’s two albums — Devil’s Night (2001) and D12 World (2004). Proofand is undoubtedly the most famous member of D12, followed perhaps by Bizarre and singer/rapper/producer Denaun Porter, known by his stage names Mr. Porter and Kon Artis.

Phish Live In Brooklyn w. Jay-Z (06.18.04)

"God damn. You guys is hiding all this from me, you was hiding all this from me, I felt it, I felt it." - Jay-Z Phish performed on June 17, 2004, at the minor league baseball field KeySpan Park in Brooklyn, New York, it was the opening night of what was promoted as the band's final tour, before their 2004 breakup. The concert was simulcast in movie theatres across America. The following night, June 18, at the same venue, the band performed again (with guest percussionist Cyro Baptista from the then Trey Anastasio Band also a member of Supergenerous Duo- now Trio - with Canada's own Kevin Breit and Ian DeSouza), with a surprise appearance from rapper Jay-Z. Playing in Brooklyn the jubilant audience having no expectation of the guest appearance ate up their rip through 99 Problems (with some improved lyrics about Trey) and Big Pimpin'. Phish: Live in Brooklyn can be purchased at www.livephish.com

Is Prince better than the sum of his parts?

Prince

Prince If I Was Your Gilfriend (live)

Prince - Sign 'O' The Times Tour 1987 ~ If I Was Your Girlfriend If your idea of Prince is Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret then If I Was Your Girlfriend might not be known to you as at very least a deeply cherished part of his repertoire - perhaps erroneously in some reporting described as 'considered one of his most notable songs'. There's definitely much debate amongst Prince purists about the ultimate Prince song (personally I'd take Pop Life any day) live or on record. Most would agree that Sign 'O' The Times is extremely rare in his live performances and deeply cherished for that and many reasons. I want to say that he played it once in his 21 night run at London's O2. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" was the second single off Prince's 1987 double album Sign 'O' the Times. While it's attained the stature it has in his ouevre it didn't chart well in the U.S. originally likely because of it's androgyneous inversion of a love story by a man. The track arose from the "Camille" project of 1986, which was to be released under the guise of an alter ego named Camille (see Prince's poem in the Lovesexy tour program), rather than by Prince. Regardless, the song is actually sung from a male perspective to a woman, wherein Prince explores the possibilities of a more intimate relationship if he were his lover's (platonic) girlfriend. It is believed that "If I Was Your Girlfriend" deals with the jealousy Prince felt at the close bond shared between then (platonic) girlfriend Susannah Melvoin with Wendy Melvoin. The Sign 'O' the Times was a short European only tour that came at a pivotal juncture in Prince's career. It was the first tour after his split with The Revolution (in particular long-time band members Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Brown Mark, and Bobby Z who had been with him from the start in 1978). His new band known colloquially amongst fans as the "Lovesexy Band" did however have a few holdovers from the "Counter-Revolution" line-up (Miko Weaver, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and long-time keyboardist Doctor Fink). Sheila E took over on drums while Levi Seacer, Jr. (from Sheila E's band and often used in studio with Prince) moved to bass. Boni Boyer was brought on board to play keyboard and organs and the Cat Glover rounded out the group as choreographer, dancer, and backing vocals. The typical setlist of the Sign 'O' The Times included Sign “O” the Times, Play in the Sunshine, Little Red Corvette, Housequake, Girls & Boys, Slow Love, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, Hot Thing, Now's the Time, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, 1999, Forever in My Life, Kiss, The Cross and It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night. On some nights Mutiny, Raspberry Beret, La La La He He Hee, Dead on It, Condition of the Heart, and The Sex of It, were worked into some setlists. The recorded version of If I Was Your Girlfriend arose from one of those 'happy accidents' in the studio when according to engineer Susan Rogers, a rare technical error on her part led to distortion—albeit only on certain words- Rogers thought Prince "was going to rip my head off" for the mistake. After hearing the playback, Prince loved the effect, which is featured on the released version. The opening seconds include a sound collage that includes an orchestra tuning up, a salesman and a sample of Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March. (a rare and from the looks of Prince's actually shocked face unscripted picture of him and Susannah Melvoin)

Ghostface Killah Milk Em Lyrics and Instrumentals

It's Hip Hop the way that we walk, the way that we talk it's our language MHE Dusty Mix is really the best overall version of the track. The production has a slow lope and is essentially just a simple bass line, fuzzed out guitar and a really crisp drum sound. The simple sparse arrangement suits Killah, Trife and Myone's verses ably. Variously the Exile Mix takes the completely opposite take with a liquid digital blip blop environment. The tempo suits the song better though and would undoubtedly sound better mixed into a club set on a big system. The Rickie Rucker Mix may be an aquired taste, it's scratching intro, overly tricky production and slowed down tempo don't suit the song and without the vocals the instrumental would be useless. The Benny Cassette Instrumental is pretty much the classic tune with dry production that would make it good for mixing broadly, there's also a really rhythmic tapping on the metal of the drum kit sound that's military. The Strange Fruit Project Soul Hustler Mix is the Goldilocks version of this song, not too hard and not too soft, with a gauzy heroine vibe that particularly suits Trife Da God 'the one and only protege of Pretty Tony' (Make my debut on Bulletproof Wallets, that's when I come through) In a classic example of the unreliability of lyric citations online that lyric is cited as the much less slick 'the one and only, that's word to Chef and Pretty Toney'. But on the other hand perhaps protege is too big of a word for even intelligent American Hip Hop fans. (featuring Myone & Trife Da God) [Ghostface Killah] Yo, with this game come alotta hate, but there's alotta snakes Niggaz see the size of my dick, she'll want a bigger plate Thinkin' I'ma fold under pressure, y'all wanna see me break Had these niggaz skating on ice, doing a figure eight Twelve getting strong in the game, y'all can't touch me I must be, made out of steel, y'all can't crush me Watch how I paint this picture, into a mixture With symbolic words, when they merge they form a scripture Tone be that nigga, I belong in the ficture Very necessary that my robes is furry Picture me, in the King's chair blowin' on bark Before queens holding toothbrushes, scrubbin' my Clarks Feedin' me grapes, give me style shakes, Frosted Flakes Flood the plate, twenty four karats that intake I'm all over the globe, like water in moat Cocaine cookouts over portable stoves [Chorus: Ghostface Killah] Watch how we milk 'em this year Ya'll niggaz straight soft, like silk in this here My niggaz came off, ran hard for 10 years But this time around, we got a new sound for deaf ears Things is different, now time's is changing So it's a new direction that my rhymes is aimed in It's more than entertainment, it's hip hop The way that we walk, the way that we talk It's our language [Trife Da God] Aiyo, now who you know is more liver than Trife? The piledriver improviser go to work on your body like exercisers My opening lines'll open your mind Glock popper, clock stopper, leave you frozen in time Plus you never seen me rolling with shines, I'm barely seen Got bitches in all flavors, I call 'em my Dairy Queens Gettin' CREAM, that's a daily routine, y'all niggaz know me I'm the one and only protege of Pretty Toney Make my debut on Bulletproof Wallets, that's when I come through Stay true, got nothing for free, I had to pay dues You feelin' like a frog then jump, you in the swamp with gators Nigga, we eat you tadpoles for lunch It's not a hunch, it's a sure fact Drunk nigga fall back, I'm tellin' you once Don't get your fronts and your jaw cracked Theodore, we the new villains in here Starks Enterprise, we seeing 20 million this year [Chorus] [Myone] In these war times, whose the enemy? I'm something like Matt Damon, and backin' in my Bourne Supremacy I was brought to bring forth the remedy Deadly ready or not, y'all people better steady the block Or keep the heat coming, steady or not Don't want no trouble with Joe We'll throw blows that empty out the whole bungaloo If y'all soldiers can handle my click Then walk forward and find the one that make you ceist to exist You never heard me spit as lethal as this Flippin' ya brother man, on the other hand will empty a clip If I build, my life hangs in a myst, the balance we call this Dark and light, I know wrong from right But am I wrong if I live my animal appetite Have a feast in the middle of night, riddle me right And more righteous, must of all your might, you can't bite this Cause the man in your mirror is my lightness, and know that act is right [Chorus]

Black Milk's Music From The Color Purple

Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson) is one of an exremely select number of artists who manage to express both the sacred and profane simultaneously in their artistry. Even beginning a dialogue about the level of his craftsmanship and ability on all instruments and in terms of sheer production is essentially pointless. His countless number 1 hits speak for themselves including those made famous by artists like Sinead O'Connor and Alicia Keys (amongst the hundreds of songs he has written under his own name with rumour that he has written hundreds more under pseudonyms). These compositions and recordings exclude the hundreds of unreleased songs in his Vault at his Paisley Park recording studio and mansion in Chanhassen, Minnesota about a half hour west of Minneapolis. The Vault also includes hundreds of hours of live jams with undoubtedly every musician who has ever been asked to visit and undoubtedly play at his home. When Detroit based producer Black Milk was allowed to cut up Prince's material into an instrumental hip hop project Music From The Color Purple he had a horde to work with. That he was allowed at all by Prince - who vociferously protects his copyright (honourably), on all form of social media, file sharing and streaming functions- is undoubtedly the highest form of praise. The resulting series of beat tapes is more melodic and harmonic than for instance Dangermouse's Black White Album which became known as The Grey Album. Although Dangermouse it should be noted initially circulated his project to a very limited pool of producer types who would essentially appreciate how incredibly complex what he'd accomplished was given the source material, it was only later that, with the acquiescence of EMI, uniform critical praise and global file sharing that The Grey Album attained the stature it has. The comparison while apt is perhaps unfair given the nature of the respective producers and their source material. Music From The Color Purple shares with The Grey Album that most of the source material is so mashed as to be unrecognizable except to the true Prince purist. On for instance The Grey Album, Jay Z's vocal track What More Can I Say is firmly recognizable as (largely/partly?) layed over While My Guitar Gently Weeps, likewise on Color Purple track 7 retains the hook from If I Was Your Girlfriend and track 11 retains Erotic City but much of the rest washes out into a burbling flow of beats waiting to be rapped over. Black Milk made Music From The Color Purple free for download in the building anticipation to his then upcoming release Tronic.