Enuff played it on Friday and now we bring you the CDQ.

Robin Thicke ft. Jay-Z - Meiplé [CDQ]

Shout to Young/OS

Previously: Robin Thicke ft. Nicki Minaj - Shakin It For Daddy

The joint we did got Travis Barker on the drums. Wale got that done while he was is in L.A. The beat was done, then Travis played over it, then we played on top of what Travis did. -LV

Mark Ronson let this go on East Village Radio… It didn’t make the final cut of Attention Deficit (November 10th), presumably because of sample clearance issues.

Wale x Travis Barker - OG’z (prod. Sean C & LV) [Radio Rip]

Props to Metal Lungies

Rock group The Black Keys + Dame Dash = Blakroc, in stores 11/27. Album features Raekwon, Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, NOE, Nicole Wray, Billy Danze and Ol Dirty Bastard.

Previously: Blakroc ft. Raekwon - Stay Off The ****** Flowers | Blakroc ft. Mos Def & Jim Jones - Hoochie Coo

Live from Stanford University’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leader Lecture Series:

Successful Independent Promotion: From Artist to Entrepreneur
Hip-hop artists Quincy Jones III and Chamillionaire discuss mastering the business side of the music industry. Keeping up with cutting-edge technologies, production logistics, and finding creative ways to gain direct audience contact are essential tactics for the self-produced artist in the digital age.

It’s like 45 minutes though. Thanks to BigJohnMarsh for the heads up.

Previously: Lil Wayne: The Carter Documentary (Trailer) (Video)

Washington, DC’s Wale was crowned a champion without even winning a fight. Sure, he’s survived battles, and has trained well, and definitely is in condition to be a top notch contributor in the hip hop community. However, the intense pressure surrounding his debut album Attention: Deficit didn’t create a diamond out of coal, instead, it just crushed coal into, well, more coal, with a diamond hopeful to surface. This album is a success in that by its release, Wale ascends to the throne as the official representative of the nation’s capital in hip hop. This album doesn’t put DC on par with New York, or LA, or anywhere else for that matter. Instead, by being, well, terribly generic and expected in many places, has Wale being yet another voice in a filling fray of fresh new hip hop talent for the millennium and beyond. But at least the “DMV” is at the table, as this album eases open a door that had been slammed shut repeatedly on this city for the last 30 years.

Wale’s debut album could have easily been a “best of” mixtape. Five legendary creations, with guest features from everyone from Lil Wayne and Bun B to UCB’s local go go flavor, and productions that ranged from Justice’s electro winner of 2007 “D.A.N.C.E.” to an entire collection of mixes done by mid 90s legend 9th Wonder. Moving Wale’s career ahead to album and major recording deal with Roc Nation status may have been a necessary move, but in removing the creative freedoms of the mixtape, Wale becomes another in a line of lyrically talented and slightly reflective emcees, instead of a wunderkind that can infuse a track with levity and verbal superiority.

Attention: Deficit clocks in at 54 minutes and 14 tracks that leave a listener a fan of Wale, his status as an extreme aficionado and lover of all things athletic, self-aggrandizing name dropping and constant proclamations of his own superstardom for sure, but not really quite aware of his direction or style as an artist. There’s the underwhelming radio lead single “Chillin,” a track that dominates the album as, well, upon listening to the other 13 tracks by comparison, it’s quite clear that a record company executive somewhere really felt quite positive that a track from Cool and Dre with a lush Steam sample from “(Na Na Hey Hey) Kiss Him Goodbye” and Lady Gaga on the hook would be the best way to introduce Wale to a mainstream audience on a single. The budget for this track in itself obviously trumps three or four other tracks combined, and “Chillin’,” instead of standing out on the album for being a hit single, stands out for being a cluster, a prepackaged attempt to re-image Wale that fails, and leaves Wale as an artist with a giant single of renown that in no way defines who and what he truly is as an artist.

This album’s success comes when Wale is himself. He’s an insecure suburbanite with the ability to create insightful and often witty takes on the universe. He’s quiet, measured and thoughtful, and the winners on his debut display that wonderfully. Mark Ronson, with whom Wale has collaborated with successfully so many times, gives Wale a boost toward mainstream credibility with “90210,” a tale of Wale’s take on the hollow existence of celebrity groupies, while material that has been tread upon before a million times, the quiet and hollow synths of Ronson’s production allow Wale’s wisdom to really stand out and take grasp of the soul. Other winners include “Mama Told Me,” “Diary” with the wondrous voice of ex-Floetry member Marsha Ambrosious, as well as the wonderful tale of colorstruck, dark brown skin angst, “Shades.” In both of these, namely “Shades” and “Mama Told Me,” which looses the genius of Craig B. and Tone P. (DC’s Best Kept Secret) and their go-go based productions on the world, the downtempo and less aggressive productions once again allow Wale to really shine as a master storyteller and wordsmith, crafting fully fleshed out and completely realized stories of his life, a suburban griot with a thought provoking story to tell.

But the album rests at a halt on the radio singles. Wale’s ability to create potent adlibs is his weakest calling card on a mainstream stage. When compared to other unsigned artists, Wale is a savant. When compared to the artists he has as guests on his own debut, he’s merely a cosigned little brother. On “Mirrors,” featuring Wale’s mentor Bun B, he’s clearly outclassed, as Wale, who worked his tail off on this album, throws 16 bars with beads of sweat on his forehead, while Bun B drops science as though he were taking out the garbage. Killer rhymes, dropped perfectly, another day at the office. And the same goes for every other guest appearance here as well. Wale seems to legitimately enjoy the fact that on his debut he got the chance to record with so many artists that inspired him and that he sees as legends. But where say, someone like Kanye West hopped on tracks with name brand artists and held his own and created himself as a hip hop staple, Wale gets stapled to the surface as creepin’ on a come up, but maybe a few albums away.

“World Tour” with Jasmine Sullivan, the current single, suffers by taking the hook from A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic “Award Tour,” and blending it with another laconic, expected Cool and Dre track that holds back pretty much anything the Philly diva and the DC rhyme spitter can do on it to elevate the single. “Let it Loose” a clear Neptunes banger with Pharrell on this hook is smartly executed, but nothing about Wale, or his multitudes of witty adlibs and quick rhyming can overcome the magic of Pharrell on the track.

The album’s true winner, “Pretty Girls,” featuring the ubiquitous Gucci Mane and vocalist Weensey from DC go go legends the Backyard Band is a success because of pretty much everything but Wale. Sure he’s exemplary as usual, but the song’s hook, “Pretty girls, I ask em do they smoke?/Ask em what do they know?/Ask em can we go?/ Pretty girls/Sunshine in the air/perfume everywhere/Girls are everywhere” is enormously fantastic, the type of hook that evokes a mood, a time, a place and feeling that we all know, and we all love. When Gucci jumps on the track, he feels completely at home with the subject matter, sadly moreso than Wale who’s been cultivating this track as his own for the last three years. And the handclap break? “Ugly girls be quiet (quiet), pretty girls clap like this/Ugly girls be quiet (quiet), pretty girls clap(clap) like this”? Well, that’s just fun. But again, as with most of this album, it puts Wale in the background, and the magic of music in the forefront.

In final, Attention: Deficit in what is certain to be a long career for Wale, will be a bittersweet memory. Hamstrung and nerve wracked by the constraints and pressures of the music industry, he did not succeed. However, everything will succeed because of this album. DC, go go, DMV hip hop, Ben’s Chili Bowl, the whole gamut of what DC has to offer is now in play. The key now for Wale is to hopefully take the things that do succeed on an album bearing his name, and attempt to engender enough positive support to eventually assert the creative freedom he truly needs to be the artist he wants desperately to be.

THREE STARS

Rihanna – Bubble Pop

For the longest time, Rihanna has been one of my favorite pop stars. I’m not rushing out to see a concert or anything (unless it’s a private one–Giggity!), but I’ve always dig her songs and her sound.

The track “Bubble Pop” finds producer will.i.am dropping classic house keys and combining it it was a upbeat drum pattern, creating a modern pop track with a foot in the past. I’m loving this track Bubble Pop, which unfortunately did not make the cut on her latest album, Rated R. It’s a shame, because buzz on the Internet about this track is huge.

UPDATE: PROPS to Ldnnez for the source sample!!

At long last, the video for Phil Ade’s Hollywood, directed by Tabi Bonney. Hollywood still gets multiple spins on my iPod this year and this video (crafted by the Tabi’s Cool Kid Forever Films) is another winner. A portion of this video was filmed over at Stussy DC. If you need to catch up with Phil, check our interview with him that we did earlier this year.

Phil Ade “Hollywood” from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

Phil Ade Interview from Couch Sessions on Vimeo.

Having west coast roots plays a huge part in how I view Sundays. Sundays are reserved as a day to kick it, ride around until the sun goes down, and hit the park for afternoon/evening activities. These could be unofficial car shows, bbq w/the homies and family or the always present Sunday night basketball games. What makes these nights so memorable is the soundtrack to the evening. You HAVE to, as the homies would say, “have some beats”. This is no joke.

Dam Funks debut album ToEachIzOwn is perfect Sunday night music, as it definitely “has some beats”. Lots of synths combined w/classic West snares and drums let this music just take you on a smooth ride, whether you’re going to the DMV, taking a trip to Va Beach or leaving the Go-Go. A perfect example of this is “Come On Outside”. If you’ve ever sought perfection in a song this is it (WHAT!). Dam’s vocals, combined with an echoing effect, blend in perfectly with the echoed snare (you gotta hear this, very ill). Lush keyboards create a groove filled sonic landscape which forces you to nod your head and just feel cool listening to this. Another standout track, “The Sky Is Ours”, has perfectly timely synths and a thumping 808 which creates another head nodding anthem. Dams minimal vocals only add to the track and assist the instrumentation in shining through on this song.

Dam’s sound is heavily influenced by the 80s electro, funk, and boogie that he plays when he spins. There are hints of Roger Troutman, Kraftwerk, and just about any other genre bending artist from the early to mid 80s that you can think of. There are synths upon synths and enough bass for al 2.5 hours of music the CD encompasses. This is mood music @ its finest….you’ll sing along, you’ll nod your head, you’ll tell your passenger to shut up because its THAT good. Of course there are a few “huhs”, “i’ll come back to that one”, and “maybe laters”, but thats to be expected when you’re truly breaking boundaries with an album and challenging the listener. Simply put: Buy Dam Funks ToEachIzOwn and you’ll instantly get your Sunday cool on.

Some recent press coverage of Dam…

Dam Funk Record Release Party @ CMJ

LA Times: Dam Funk: In With The New, Out With The Old

Dam Funk @ Stussy DC

Stones Throw X Stussy DC X Interview from ABB VIDEO on Vimeo.

Recent Def Jam signee YG has been getting it in recently with the homies Skin & Bones dropping hotness. Yesterday, they leaked this dope joint. Word has it that these guys knocked out a whole slew of records during a recent studio session. So you can definitely expect a lot more from these two creative forces. Download link below!

YG - Drunk & High (CLICK TO LISTEN)

Exactly

From my understanding, the filming for this movie has been completed for some time. I forget exactly the reason for the delayed release, but why dwell on such things when the trailer is finally here. I’m a big fan of the game this movie is adapted from, but I can’t help but be a bit perturbed as to why Jake Gyllenhaal is playing the Prince of Persia. It comes as no surprise though, Hollywood isn’t a stranger to casting caucasians in roles that would obviously be better suited for someone non-white. Regardless, I’m such a fan of Prince of Persia that I’ll still be checking for this movie come release day. I’m also a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting. Lets hope Disney didn’t butcher the entertainment out of the flick. Enjoy.

Exactly

TODAY IS THE DAY PEOPLE

The buzz on this party is STRONG and I want to big up everybody who personally hit me up on Twitter/Facebook and are coming through. This is gonna be the illest look in the city, with Studio 43 artist XO headlining!

For those of you still on the fence, check the photos from last month’s party as well as the trailer below. This is the hottest party in DC. You don’t want to miss it.

Beyonce – Broken Hearted Girl (Alan Braxe Dub Mix/Extended Cut)

Beyonce – Broken Hearted Girl (Alan Braxe Radio Edit)

Thanks to my time living in the UK, I am a huge fan of dance music. I know cats continue to ridicule me about it, but when you have super tight remixes like the one that Parisian producer Alan Braxe did, I realize my love for the genre is more than justified.

To celebrate the release of Beyonce’s I Am Sasha Fierce’ Platinum Edition to International markets, her label RCA/Musicworld commissioned Braxe to drop this sweet rework of her single “Broken Hearted Girl.” Not only does the slow jam get completely flipped into a discoteque floor filler, but he leaves little trace of the original song, while still keeping Bey’s signature sound. Very good look. (Props to Discodust)

DJs, these are high quality 320 files. You know what to do this weekend.

Original Song:

Big ups to Seanie Cameras at One Viisiion for producing this amazing video for J Scrilla’s Culture of Honor, which was shot at various locations around the city, including the Edgewood Mural project at Rhode Island Avenue Metro. Lots of DMV love in this video which features a bevy of up and coming DC area talent. K-Beta, XO, Oddisee, Ra the MC, T.E.F.L.O.N., Judah, & Wordsmith make an appearance to support. Props to Overok as well.

J Scrilla – “No Love” Ft. – K-Beta, XO, Oddisee, Ra the MC, T.E.F.L.O.N., Judah, & Wordsmith from Seannie Cameras on Vimeo.

Photos by Lady Glock. Please Support.

A few weeks ago, The Joint Chiefs (myself, Marcus of True Genius Requires Insanity and Sonya of The Glass House DC)rolled over to Stussy DC to interview the one and only DJ Sega. If you don’t know, Sega is one of the most influential new club DJs in the scene, and earlier this year I called SEGA “SEGA is a modern day Andy Warhol” for his creative slicking and *****g of pop culture themes such as The Pinky and The Brain theme, Family Guys’ Quagmire, and The Philly Action News theme.

But beyond that, we learn in this video that SEGA is more than just a DJ. He’s a musical visionary. In the interview, Sega talks about his DJ style, going International, his big break with the Brick Bandits, the Philly scene, and the deaths of DJ K-Swift and DJ AM.

Big up to Ian Crawford for the DOPE video, DJ Stereofaith for the connect and Stussy DC for the venue.

Dj Sega from Ian Crawford on Vimeo.

This video for “Truly Yours,” arguably THE standout joint on Diz Gibran’s “Soon You’ll Understand Mixtape,” featuring Chicago’s own Bj, has been a long time coming. The video plays almost as an extension of the acoustic version Diz & Bj did for the same song sometime back. JeromeD directs, and captures shots of two of California’s most beautiful features, the beaches and the valleys. Its always good to see the homie’s aspirations come into fruition. Los Angeles has been mushing forward with no sign of slowing down! Shouts out to Diz Gibran, Bj the Chicago Kid, and Moonshine, the man behind the music. Give it a looksee.

Exactly

This song is from Paul Movahedi’s, a.k.a. The Clonious, album “Between the Dots.” I dug around a bit but I can’t seem to find much information on Paul, other than Austria being his place of residence, and dope music being what he does. This particular song features Muhsinah, who’s also a super talent. The thing that stuck out on this song to me are the ethereal harmonies Muhsinah stacked behind her vocals, they’re so full yet the presence of them on the song is so light. If that makes any sense. Anyway, if you dig this joint, you can purchase The Clonious album “Between the Dots” HERE!

The Clonious - One At A Time feat. Muhsinah (CLICK TO LISTEN)

Exactly

Venom and Damage are two DJs out of London who do what I guess is now called “UK Funky” (UK Fam, don’t bite my head off if I got that wrong). They have a really great remix of Jeremih’s “Birthday Sex”. Now, they also have a video for their track “OMG” which is a really fun club tune. It just so happens that the video features two of my dancing buddies from LDN, La’Donna and Ibrahim!