There are few things in life more satisfying than having bad taste redeemed. Such redemption is rare because the label “bad taste” usually applies to pop culture, and once we label something as bad taste, the label is permanent. There are exceptions, of course, mostly outside of pop culture—Nabokov’s Lolita was considered in bad taste but only by the uptight literati whom no one pays much attention to anyway, unless you buy your clothes from J. Peterman and refuse to watch television and scoff at things like Bruce Willis movies.

Pop culture sets the bar low. But low doesn’t necessarily mean “terrible,” except 90% of the time. So when we look back and rediscover the joy of bad taste…damn if it isn’t satisfying. And thus we are brought to this week’s column, a tasty blend of 80’s hair metal band Winger, really bad mix tapes, and the worst break-up of my college days.

Ah, Winger. The smiling, spastic drummer, the twirling frontman, the incongruous purple filter:

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I insist “Seventeen” is not a terrible song, even if the bad taste label is plastered all over this group. Plastered all over Kip Winger’s gleaming teeth and ripped t-shirt, plastered all over the annoying drummer’s face, plastered to the back of Kip’s tight jeans, and even plastered around the legs of that raven-haired model who claims to be seventeen but just might be in her early thirties and looking for some pedophilic rock star to give her eight minutes of pleasure and a treatable STD.

Why is “Seventeen” not terrible? Because it still rocks. The solo by Winger guitarist Red Beach blisters and the composition is decent. It’s the kind of song you turn down when paying a toll—why do we care what toll collectors think about our music?—but then you drive away, roll up the window, and blast it. Back in 1988 we all realized Winger was Van Halen-lite, even as their debut album Winger sprinted up the charts and Kip Winger appeared in Playgirl. I was a high school freshman and my friends and I hung out at my locker and sang “Seventeen” because we knew it was ridiculous. But we secretly liked it. Admit it—you did too.

(Yes, we understood irony, even back then. Two years later grunge exploited irony by injecting over-earnestness into rock, as a backlash against the “good times and great hair” vibe of 80’s metal. Of course Chris Cornell had great hair, but his Timberland shitkickers made up for it because Timberland shitkickers are earnest and Seattle-types needed them for climbing over the mounds of homeless people while trekking their way to a “Stop Eating Veal!” rally.)

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Anyway. Back to Winger. I used Winger in a mix tape my sophomore year of college. The song: “Headed for a Heartbreak.” A classic power ballad, complete with overwhelming keyboards and the overwhelming line “I had too soon forgotten it was you that set me free.”

Pay attention to the unexpected key shift at 3:45:

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My girlfriend at the time was Jessica, and she was only seventeen. So I tossed in a Winger song, hoping she would appreciate the humor—and confirm my superior status as a proto-hipster—but I don’t think she got it. Why? Because Jessica liked Candlebox. This Candlebox:

[MEDIA not found]

My mixtape lineup included “Headed for a Heartbreak” (Winger), “Far Behind” (Candlebox), “Fields of Gold” (Sting), “Snail Shell” (They Might Be Giants), “Sweet Jane” (Cowboy Junkies), and “Good Ole Hype Shit” (Jungle Brothers).

Is it any wonder Jessica dumped me? I subjected her to the dross of They Might Be Giants. If Weird Al Yankovic wrote his own original compositions, his songs would sound like They Might Be Giants. How annoying is They Might Be Giants? You tell me:

[MEDIA not found]

Anyway. Back to mixtapes and break-ups. Jessica and I dated for nine months, then she dumped me and we played that not-quite-getting-back-together-but-still-having-sex game. I made mixtape after mixtape in a desperate attempt to win back Jessica. I included Seal, Peter Gabriel, more Sting, and Prince. Old Prince, before his apocalyptic obsession and purple fetish, back when he was 100% sleazy and singing about having sex with his sister.

Umm...yeah.

But my onslaught of lousy mixtapes was a Band-Aid on a sliced throat because Jessica’s mom didn’t like me. Fair enough. I didn’t like her either. She bragged about her diamond rings and served tiny dishes of tiny food in imitation of Gourmet Magazine’s recipe of the month. Dinner at Jessica’s house was white linens on the table and Tony Bennett playing in the background, Jessica’s dad getting drunk on vodka martinis and saying something quasi-racist, and Jessica’s mom laughing. It was something out of a Richard Yates novel, only without the whimsy.

So Jessica and I kept seeing each other, struggling through the death throes of a relationship way past its expiration date, until her mom showed up outside my apartment, dragged Jessica down the sidewalk, and they got into a fight. Jessica’s mom slapped Jessica’s face and clawed her left shoulder. Jessica screamed and shoved her mom. And all the while I huddled for safety in my living room, peering between the miniblinds, while the people living upstairs from me—a trio of cute college girls—watched from their porch. Afterwards the girls invited me upstairs and we played a drinking game while recounting the drama.

Two weeks later I slept with Carrie, one of those college girls. It’s true what they say…a sad story gets you a seat on the bus faster than a joke. I made a mixtape for Carrie, and I included Winger’s “Seventeen” and Candlebox’s “Far Behind.” She hated them both.

Which brings me to this week’s question: What is the worst mixtape you ever made and/or received?

]]> http://jetcomx.com/2009/01/08/if-loving-you-is-wrong-i-dont-want-to-admit-i-once-liked-winger/feed/ 3 http://jetcomx.com/2008/12/31/year-in-review-the-5-best-mixtapes-of-2008/ http://jetcomx.com/2008/12/31/year-in-review-the-5-best-mixtapes-of-2008/#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:34:23 +0000 Andrew Boni http://jetcomx.com/?p=1469

5. Mixtape Volume 3 by The Hood Internet

The Hood Internet’s Mixtape Volume 3 is, in my opinion, the best mixtape released by the Chicago-based mash-up duo. Sometimes described as Girl Talk on Adderall, The Hood Internet takes indie rock hits and mashes them up to hip-hop beats. Mixtape Volume 3 is no exception. A few of the our favorite tracks include Crime Mob vs The Dodos – “Stilettos In The Park”, Pimp C (feat. Lil Keke) vs The New Pornographers – “Knocking Fablez Down” and Lil Wayne (feat. Static Major) vs The Bloody Beetroots – “We Are From Venice (Lil Weezy Ana).” These tracks showcase the talent and versatility that Aaron Brink and Steve Reidell bring to the DJ/mash-up arena.

Tracklist:

1. Intro (Ninjasonik vs Air France)
2. Estelle (feat. Kanye West) vs The Ting Tings – Shut Up, American Boy
3. Rick Ross (feat. R. Kelly) vs Hercules & Love Affair – Blind Speed
4. Chromeo vs Rihanna – Don’t Stop The Fancy Footwork
5. The-Dream vs Cut Copy – Light Falsetto Music
6. El Perro Del Mar – Inner Island (The Hood Internet Remix)
7. Stacey Q vs Yeasayer – Sunrise Of Hearts
8. Flo Rida (feat. T-Pain) vs Hot Chip – Hold On To That Low
9. New Young Pony Club vs Simian Mobile Disco – Bomb Deprivation
10. Shawty Lo vs Trans Am – Dey Know Obscene Strategies
11. Three 6 Mafia vs Joan As Policewoman – Fuck That, I Defy
12. Wiz Khalifa vs The Black Ghosts – Say Someway
13. Ludacris vs She & Him – Sentimental Hearts
14. Crime Mob vs The Dodos – Stilettos In The Park
15. The Cool Kids vs Le Loup – We Are Mikey! We Are Rock!
16. Jay-Z (feat. Lil Wayne) vs Xiu Xiu – I Do Brooklyn When I Want
17. Webbie vs Black Moth Super Rainbow – Drippy I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T
18. Pimp C (feat. Lil Keke) vs The New Pornographers – Knocking Fablez Down
19. Ghostface Killah vs Caribou – Apollo Narrows
20. Ol’ Dirty Bastard (feat. Kelis) vs White Williams – Got Your Smoke
21. MF DOOM vs Ladytron – My Favorite Ladytrons
22. T-Pain (feat. Chris Brown) vs TV On The Radio – Frozen Age
23. Birdman (feat. DJ Khaled, Rick Ross) vs Sebastien Tellier vs SebastiAn – $100 Million Sportswear
24. Lil Mama (feat. Chris Brown, T-Pain) vs MSTRKRFT – Shawty Get Looks
25. Bun B (feat. Rick Ross, David Banner, 8Ball) vs Of Montreal – Gallery Piece Of Everything
26. Lil Kim (feat. Missy Elliott) vs MGMT – Can You Hear My Kids Now
27. The Cardigans vs Ratatat – Mirando Birdfool
28. Fleetwood Mac vs Daft Punk – You Make Lovin’ Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
29. Three 6 Mafia vs The Long Blondes – Lolli Lolli Pop That Century
30. Lil Wayne vs The Bloody Beetroots – We Are From Venice (Lil Weezy Ana)
31. Big Boi feat. Purple Ribbon All-Stars vs Ghislain Poirier – Blazin Kryptonite
32. Spank Rock vs Burial – Bumpangel
33. Usher (feat. Young Jeezy) vs Los Campesinos! – The Year This Club Broke (My Heart)
34. R. Kelly (feat. Huey) vs Rogue Wave – Endless Hookup

Listen to Pimp C (feat. Lil Keke) vs The New Pornographers – “Knocking Fablez Down”

Click here to download Mixtape Volume 3 by The Hood Internet

4. The Mixtape About Nothing by Wale

Inspired by the hit 90′s TV series  Seinfeld, Washington D.C.-based rapper Wale lays down his best verses on The Mixtape About Nothing. Featured on The Mixtape About Nothing are numerous samples from Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer. On track 6, entitled “The Kramer,” Wale raps about the use of the word “nigger” in today’s society. On “The Vacation From Ourselves,” Elaine Benes, aka Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes a surprise appearance, saying that,

“…Wale is a big fan of my show Seinfeld. I’m here on this mixtape to tell you that he’s awesome and don’t you think that makes me the coolest person EVER, and don’t you think my kids are gonna think I’m so cool I’m on this mixtape….MOTHERFUCKERRRR! Word up…word up…goddamnit.”

Tracklist:

1. “The Opening Title Sequence” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
2. “The Roots Song Wale Is On” f. Chrisette Michele (produced by ?uestlove & James Poyser)
3. “The Feature Heavy Song” f. Bun B, Pusha T and Tre from UCB (produced by Best Kept Secret)
4. “The Freestyle (Roc Boys)”
5. “The Perfect Plan” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
6. “The Kramer” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
7. “The Crazy” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
8. “The Vacation From Ourselves” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
9. “The Remake of A Remake (All I Need)” f. Tawiah (produced by Mark Ronson)
10. “The Grown Up” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
11. “The Manipulation” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
12. “The Artistic Integrity” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
13. “The Star”
14. “The Skit (Untz Untz)”
15. “The Cliche Lil Wayne Feature (It’s The Remix baby!)” (produced by Osinachi)
16. “The Bmore Club Slam” (produced by Scottie B)
17. “The Chicago Falcon Remix” f. The Budos Band (produced by Mark Ronson & Eli Escobar)
18. “The Hype” (produced by Best Kept Secret)
19. “The End Credits” (produced by Best Kept Secret)

Listen to “The Feature Heavy Song” feat. Bun B, Pusha T and Tre of UCB

Click here to download The Mixtape About Nothing by Wale

3. Sky High by DJ Benzi, Kanye West, & Plain Pat

Kanye West teamed up with both DJ Benzi and Plain Pat to create Sky High, a mixtape that remixes both old and new Kanye tracks, in anticipation of his latest album 808s & Heartbreak. Featured on this mixtape is an all-star cast of producers including Cookin Soul, A-Trak, Nick Catchdubs, Stretch Armstrong, and Diplo. A-Trak totally kicks ass on his fast-paced version of “Stronger.” A few of the other hot tracks on Sky High include “Champion (Nick Catchdubs Remix),” “Get Em High (A-Trak Remix),” and “Impatient Boy (Benzi Refix).”

Tracklist:

1. Kanye West – Sky High Intro
2. Kanye West – good Morning ft. Big Sean (The Kickdrums Remix)
3. Kanye West – Champion (Nick Catchdubs Remix)
4. Kanye West – Barry Bonds (Eli Escobar Remix)
5. Kanye West – Crack Musik (Cookin Soul Remix)
6. Kanye West – We Major (The Kickdrums Remix)
7. Kanye West – Get Em High (A-Trak Remix)
8. Kanye West – Throw Some (Cousin Cole Remix)
9. Kanye West – Electric Touch (Steve1der & Mighty Mi Remix)
10. Kanye West – Love Lockdown (Tom Wrecks Remix)
11. Kanye West – Flashing Lights (Diplo Remix)
12. Kanye West – Addiction (Kenny Dope & Terry Hunter Remix)
13. Kanye West – Stronger (A-Trak Remix)
14. Kanye West – Impatient Boy (Benzi Refix)
15. Kanye West – HomeComing (Discotech Remix)
16. Kanye West – I Wonder (Scottie B Remix)
17. Kanye West – good Life (Strech Armstrong Remix)
18. Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Dj Godfather Remix)

Listen to “Impatient Boy (Benzi Remix)”

Click here to download Sky High by DJ Benzi, Kanye West, & Plain Pat

2. A Kid Named Cudi by KiD CuDi

Cleveland-based rapper KiD CuDi made waves in the hip-hop world with the release of A Kid Named CuDi earlier this year. The man’s lyrical flow rivals that of Lupe Fiasco. His most famous single “Day N’ Nite”, which helped launch his career, is included on this mixtape. A few of the other tracks that stand out on A Kid Named CuDi are “Man On The Moon (The Anthem)” and “Embrace The Martian.” After catching the attention of Kanye West, KiD CuDi was able to collaborate with West on “Welcome to Heartbreak,” a cut off of 808s & Heartbreak. CuDi has also recently performed at the 2008 MTV VMA’s with Travis Barker and DJ AM. Making a guest appearance on A Kid Named CuDi is Wale.

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Down & Out
3. Is There Any Love? feat. Wale (Produced by Emile)
4. Cudi Get
5. Man On The Moon (The Anthem) (Produced by NOSAJTHING)
6. The Prayer (Produced by Plain Pat)
7. Day N Nite (Produced Dot Da Genius)
8. Embrace The Martian – Crookers feat. Kid Cudi
9. Maui Wowie
10. 50 Ways To Make A Record (Produced by Emile & Plain Pat)
11. Whenever
12. Pillow Talk
13. Save My Soul (The Cudi Confession)
14. T.G.I.F. feat. Chip The Ripper
15. Cudi Spazzin
16. Cleveland Is The Reason (Produced Dot Da Genius)
17. Heaven At Nite

Listen to “Day N’ Nite”

Click here to download A Kid Named Cudi by Kid Cudi

1. Viva La Hova by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban

Over the last few years, one aspect of hip-hop that has really taken center stage is the mixing of a cappella Jay-Z tracks with rock music. The trend started with Kev Brown’s Brown Album, and was quickly followed by DJ Danger Mouse’s The Grey Album and Linkin Park’s Collision Course. Viva La Hova by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban is the latest installment in this sub-genre of hip-hop. Each and every track on Viva La Hova is mashed-up so masterfully well that it reminds me of the musical prowess featured on The Grey Album. A few of the tracks that you NEED to listen to first are “Public Speeding,” “Lost Part 1,” and “The Reverse Fix.”

Tracklist:

1) Intro (produced by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban)
2) Public Speeding (produced by Cookin’ Soul)
3) Know My Place (produced by The Amps)
4) Never Changing (produced by nVMe)
5) Miss Trouble (produced by Judah)
6) Back At My Place (produced by Remot)
7) No Love Coming Home (produced by The Kickdrums) Lost Part 1 (produced by Coldplay)
9) A Spy’s Prayer (produced by nVMe)
10) Science Is Ignorant (produced by Gooch)
11) The Reverse Fix (produced by Mick Boogie & nVMe)
12) Hola Blanco (produced by Garbs Infinite)
13) Take The Hill (produced by nVMe)
14) Lost Part 2 (remixed by Mick Boogie)
15) Cold Success (produced by 9th Wonder)
16) What If We Cry? (produced by Remot)
17) Beach Chair (produced by Coldplay)
18) Falling In Shadows (produced by 6th Sense)
19) Life of Clocks (produced by Terry Urban)
20) X-Y-Z (produced by Hasan Insane)

Listen to “Public Speeding”

Click here to download Viva La Hova by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban

Jetcomx’s newest kid on the block, Marlene Boyette, recently had a chance to sit down and chop it up the Renaissance man himself, Mick Boogie. By deejaying A-list celebrity events across the globe, producing sick mixtapes AND running a successful clothing store, Mick brings new meaning to the term “motivated”. By the time the interview was over, he had me feeling like I may need to step MY game up. Check it…

Hey Mick, thanks for taking the time to do this interview for Jetcomx.com, its much appreciated.

No problem. My pleasure…

Why don’t we start off with you telling us a bit about yourself? Where are you from, when did you first begin deejaying and what / who are some of your biggest influences?

I’m from Youngstown, OH and moved to Cleveland, OH in 1996 for college. I started taking it seriously after college when I didn’t like the job market (laughs). My influences range from Jazzy Jeff and Kid Capri to Stretch Armstrong and Bobitto.

What was the first piece of vinyl that you ever purchased?

Wow… the first one I remember was (appropriately) Tony Basil’s “Hey Mickey” in kindergarten.

[laughs] That’s interesting. What’s the best city, in your opinion, for record digging?

When I used to dig [for records], I didn’t live in NYC…so [digging in] NYC was always amazing. (Mick Boogie recently relocated to Brooklyn, NY from Cleveland, OH)

What is your most prized music related item and why (record, piece of equipment etc.)?

My “He’s The Deejay, I’m The Rapper” [DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Price] cassette. The first hip-hop thing I ever bought. Got it at a Kmart in Naples, Florida in 4th grade…and it changed my life.

I know that you have been doing a lot of gigs across the US and abroad. To date, what / where was the most memorable event that you deejaying and why?

I really enjoyed spinning with [DJ Jazzy] Jeff at Will Smith’s Hancock Movie Premier Party… A-List all the way. A very dope experience … and Will is probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

I imagine that would be an amazing experience, both as a DJ and as a fan of Will [Smith] and [DJ Jazzy] Jeff. Do you feel that the evolution of technology is leading to the deterioration of turntablism as an art form / element of hip -hop?

Nah…it’s advancing it. I can be so much more creative now during my sets. I love it.

What is the creative process involved in putting together a project such as you and Terry Urban’s recent Mashup Mix “Viva La Hova”?

Time, effort, creativity and a good musical ear. Finding the right beats, samples, producers, acapellas, and mixing them all in a pot and hoping it comes out good… and it did!

There’s no disputing that. It’s defiantly a solid project. Are you at all surprised by the amount of attention that “Viva La Hova” is receiving?

A little… but we kind of felt it was special when we finished it. When people were coming up to my wife at her job talking about it though… that’s how we knew we made it… [laughs]

Entertainment Weekly recently asked you to create a prospective Obama Inauguration Playlist. I’m sure that the sheer thought of possibly rocking a historic event like this was inspirational enough, but how did you go about the song selection for this project?

I looked up what Obama liked, cross-reference that, with songs that work for multiple audiences, and added some “MB favs” on top of it… and there you go.

In addition to being an in demand DJ with a popular blog, word on the street is that you also co-own a lifestyle boutique by the name of Motivation and have an almost clinical addiction for sneakers.

[laughs] Yes. Check us out at www.mtvtn.com. It’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is doing really, really well. Very excited to be part of it. And yes, I love sneakers!

Can you tell us a bit about how your involvement w/ Motivation came about, as well as what your most rare / exclusive pair of kicks are?

My partner Mike and I have been good friends and business partners for a few years before hand, so with our combined talents, connections and ideas, it was a great logical progression. Sneaker-wise, nothing too rare but I love stuff like my Stussy dunks and my De La Soul’s. I also have these burgundy leather YSL’s that are crazy!

If you weren’t a globe trotting DJ, what do you think your occupation would be?

I have a Masters in Marketing, so I’d probably be sitting at a desk somewhere promoting something, somehow, someway!

What are 5 songs that you could never hear too many times?

Biggie – Hypnotize
Jay-Z – PSA
Bel Biv Devoe – Poison
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge
Daft Punk – Around The World

Do you have any projects currently in the works or anything that our readers should be on the look out for?

Some cool mixtapes coming up for Hypebeast and a remix mixtape project for Adele, who is like the Amy Winehouse of Sony.

That’s great. I’m actually a big fan of Adele, so I’ll be looking forward to hearing that project. Thanks (again) for your time, Mick!

You’re welcome.

[flv:/wp-content/video/mickboogie.flv 480 360]

Well, what do you know…it’s Monday already. Time seems to move so fast. This week in the Mixtape Mondays segment, we have some Ratatat for you guys. More specifically, we have the Ratatat Remixes Volume I. Like the mixtapes prior, this mixtape is nothing new. It came out nearly four years ago, but it’s still great to blast. Ratatat’s sound incorperates electronic influences and is comprised of heavy beats using the synth and organ. Hailing from New York City, Ratatat is comprised of guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer driver and producer Evan Mast. They were made famous with the release of their hit singles Seventeen Years and Germany to Germany. Seventeen Years has since been featured in a Hummer Commercial and the movie Cloverfield, among other things. On Ratatat Remixes Volume I, the duo integrates electronica into 14 hip hop tracks, including Kanye West’s Get Em High, G-Unit’s Stunt 101, and Raekwon’s Smith Bros. This is one mixtape album you must download.

Here’s a sample of the first track on the mixtape:

Click here to download Ratatat Remixes Volume I.