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

Leaders of the Boston-area sneaker elite, Concepts, teamed up with Nike Sportswear and DJ Clark Kent, to serve a more than generous offering for the sole that is guaranteed to give sneaker heads something to be thankful for well after the holidays have ended.

The Black Friday Nike Air Force 1, personally designed by sneaker enthusiast DJ Clark Kent (not to be confused with a “collector”), has redefined and reintroduced the term “classic” in relation to this popular Nike style. The shoe is, as Clark Kent described at today’s Concepts drop, “a fly luxury shoe without the luxury price tag”. The sneaker’s details include black pony hair, lenticular material, black patent leather, and a rainbow candy sparkle sole. We’re willing to bet that Clark’s impressive 1,800 pairs of Air Force 1′s, which are part of his massive 2,200+ sneaker arsenal didn’t hurt the chances of his design making it into production.

The Black Friday Air Force 1 dropped today, November 28, 2008 at 3 retail locations (see below) in celebration of the most anticipated shopping day of the year, Black Friday. Jetcomx was present at the Concepts drop to catch it all first hand.

Clark Kent first stopped at 21 Mercer (NYC) before making his way to Boston to sign sneakers and discuss how much better he feels that the New York Giants are than the New England Patriots. A crowd of about 150 people stood outside of Concepts, some of whom had traveled from as far as California’s Bay area to purchase the shoe. The first person in line, who’d been waiting since yesterday, broken foot, wheel chair and all, was handed back his money and given his pair of Black Friday Air Force 1′s free of charge as a gift from Clark Kent and Concepts, for being so dedicated.

In addition to the new Air Force 1′s, the world renowned DJ and Producer has also put together a little something extra for those of who truly appreciate the classics; a 51 track mixtape, titled The Black Friday Massacre, featuring everything from A Tribe Called Quest, to The Delphonics. When asked about the thought process behind selecting the tracks for The Black Friday Massacre, Kent said,

“Black Friday is a feel good day. I wanted the tone of the CD to reflect that feel good vibe, so I picked songs that [when heard] can take you back to a time when hip-hop felt good. I couldn’t have created that vibe by using music that came out recently because the music that’s out right now isn’t timeless and has no identity. When you hear this mixtape, these songs that you can identify with, they’ll take you back and if you can’t identify with the songs, each will teach you something about what timeless hip-hop is.”

Listen to a sample:

In addition to the release on November 28th, the Black Friday Nike Air Force 1 will also be made available at retailers across the US on December 20th, 2008.

(Thank You to Tarek, Deon, Frank the Butcher and Jimmy of Concepts*)

Here is the shoe release schedule for Black Friday:

Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer (4:00 AM)
21 Mercer Street
New York, NY
212-226-5433

Concepts (10:00 AM)
37 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA

Shoe Gallery (8:00 PM)
244 NE 1st Ave
Miami, FL

The Black Friday Air Force 1 with Rainbow Trim

The Black Friday Air Force 1

DJ Clark Kent at Concepts on Black Friday

DJ Clark Kent Signs Shoe Boxes

DJ Clark Kent Chats with Fellow Enthusiasts at Concepts

DJ Clark Kent Shakes the Hand of the First Person in Line

DJ Clark Kent Autographed Shoebox

The Crowd Outside of Concepts in Boston on Black Friday

The Crowd Outside of Concepts in Boston on Black Friday

When you think of graffiti, what comes to mind? Most people think of spray paint, latex gloves, or paper stencils. Well, think again. Street artist D.Billy has totally revolutionized everything you thought you knew about graffiti. Using long party balloons, streamers, and colorful tape, D.Billy (aka David William) creates mesmerizing three-dimensional art.

On D.Billy’s website, he states that

…this process encourages a re-examination of surroundings and objects that are usually taken for granted, and injects a hint of the fantastical surreality that I have established in my other work. Or, at the very least, I hope someone thinks these things are kind of funny.

D.Billy has been involved in the Washington, D.C. art scene for about 4 years. Currently he works as a graphic designer and production artist for DC-based independent clothing designer Jon Wye, among other things.