Archive for 07, 2007
A Fashionable Life: Kanye West & Alexis Phifer
Jul28/2007
Buy Stronger on iTunes!
Jul27/2007
"Stronger", the second single from Kanye's upcoming album "Graduation" is now available to buy on the iTunes store!
Support Kanye's music and help "Stronger" take the #1 spot!
Official Can’t Tell Me Nothing Remix
Jul25/2007
featuring Young Jeezy - Download
Zach Galifianakis’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” Video
Jul25/2007
http://www.kanyewest.com/?content=video_cant_tell_alt
Common – Finding Forever
Jul24/2007
"Many have come, but few have been chose to be a true MC"
Nearly two years ago, Common dropped his album Be to the masses, with an uproar of acceptance and critical acclaim. XXL Magazine gave it an unprecedented XXL rating, one of only six albums to ever receive that original rating. His investment in Kanye West as his core producer paid off, with four Grammy nods to boot, yet sadly he went home with none. Fast track to the present.
In a déjà vu case scenario, Common is set to unleash his seventh album entitled Finding Forever on July 31st. Just like last time, Finding Forever instills Kanye West at the helm of production, with eight of the eleven tracks under his belt. He and Common’s hopes are being held even higher this time around, as Kanye has already coined Finding Forever as the rap album of the year, which is a strong statement to boast as Ye’ himself will be delivering his third album, Graduation, in mid-September. Not to mention Mr. West is 2/2 in that category at the Grammy’s.
The album begins with an appropriately named track called “Start the Show,” which features a haunt-ish embracing chorus, and shows Common in his raw form. A rapper that has never held his tongue among his peers (does his feud with WSC ring a bell?), he rips with the lines “hot for a minute now you just a remember him,” and later “With 12 monkeys on stage it’s hard to see who’s a gorilla, you was better as a drug dealer.”
The next track in line, and also his first single off the album, Common emancipates himself as a spiritual speaker with “The People.” Drawing on a similar sample from The Game’s “Wouldn’t Get Far” track (for which Ye’ produced as well, and Common turned down), Common describes his importance to his people and community when he raps “Sick and tired of punching in, I look on the bus at them, when I see them struggling I think how I’m touching them” and “I’m keeping my eyes on the people that’s the prize,” a term which is a reference to the Civil Rights movement during the 1960’s.
With the only rap artist featured on the album, Kanye and Common bring back the old days of straight belligerent flows embellished by a beat so hard it’ll remind listeners that Hip-Hop is far from dead on a once-again Kanye produced track “Southside”. And in Ye’-like fashion, he stubbornly points out that “I’m back from the future seen it with my own eyes, and yep, I’m still the future of the Chi.” Not to be upstaged on his own track, Common replies “You in the building but the buildings falling, you wouldn’t be ballin’ if your name was spalding.” If Chicago had its own anthem, this would be it.
When producing this album, Kanye expressed his influence of the late J Dilla in his production technique. Being a close friend with Jay Dee, Common honored him and included the track “So Far Go” which originally was featured on J Dilla’s posthumous album The Shining, circa 2006. Featuring D’ Angelo on the chorus, “So Far To Go” reunites 3 members from the group Soulquarians, a collection of artists who emphasize an authentic and raw sound of music. As mellow and enticing the beat is, this feel-good track feels out of place on an album pushing for exceptional.
Completing the cycle of his reach for eternal music, Common finishes the album with “Forever Begins.” Piano and drum roll included, Common focuses his intentions of today’s words affecting the future with, “Look fear in the eyes say I’m never gonna run / Sooner or later I know the cheddar gonna come, for now I write the world letters to better the young.” His lyrics end in stating, “I knew we live forever through song,” a reference to J Dilla’s impact on music. And to keep the streak alive at 6 albums and counting, Common brings his Dad on the track for some spiritual release.
As of recent, XXL magazine has stamped Finding Forever with a seal of an XL rating. Many, including Kanye and Common, have been confused by this rating because in their review they considered this album to be better than the predecessor Be. XXL magazines reasoning is that Be was a 200% upgrade from the “head-scratchingly progressive” Electric Circus. Though I will not argue with the rating, I will agree that this album does surpass Be in overall quality (I consider Be a potential, eventual classic. It has not crossed over as of yet). And I too hope Finding Forever grabs Common his much deserved Rap Album of the Year at the Grammy’s in the coming year. What about Ye’ you ask? Looks like Album of the Year is in his sights. For now, let us let Common shine like the star he is.
by Edwin Ortiz
Late Graduation?
Jul19/2007
It looks like Graduation may be released a few weeks later than expected.
In a few recent interviews Kanye has said that August 21st isn't the definite date for Graduation's release and that the album could now be released as late as September 11th. Why? Apparently for "extra promotion".
Fortunately, even if the album IS released late, we still have enough of Graduation right now to keep us entertained until then, and there's more to come...
Kanye recently shot the video for the third single from Graduation - Good Life (feat. T-Pain) - and we can expect to see it before September. This means we may hear the song just a few weeks from now.
What are your thoughts on Graduation being pushed back?
dang kanye
damn , i dont think i can wait that long
I wouldn't mind Graduation being pushed back for creative reasons like Kanye wanting to work on the album some more or because it's still not finished, but it's pretty annoying if the delay is just for the sake of promotion.
Common – Drivin’ Me Wild
Jul18/2007
Download Common - Drivin' Me Wild (feat. Lily Allen)
Common Performs 4 New Tracks Live
Jul13/2007
Common performed 4 new tracks from his upcoming album Finding Forever, check em out...
Forever Begins
Black Maybe
The People
Drivin' Me Wild
Evel Kanyevel VS Evel Knievel (Update)
Jul11/2007
Source: sptimes.com
Attorneys for the famed motorcycle daredevil and the popular rapper filed papers in federal court Tuesday stating they plan to enter mediation to iron out their differences over West's Touch the Sky video.
In the video, West acts as a daredevil named "Evel Kanyevel," wearing a star-spangled jumpsuit as he attempts to jump a canyon on a jet-powered rocket.
Knievel, whose full name is Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Tampa late last year, accusing West of trademark infringement and unauthorized use of Knievel's image.
Richard Fee, an attorney for Knievel, said the video mimicked Knievel's famous attempt to jump Idaho's Snake River Canyon in 1974.
But of particular concern to Knievel, who lives in Clearwater, was what his attorney described as the video's vulgar, sexual and racially charged content, which he felt tarnished the 68-year-old's image.
In response, West's attorneys argued the video amounted to satire, covered under the First Amendment.
Now, the two sides - and other parties that Knievel's lawsuit named, including Roc-A-Fella Records and music video director Chris Milk - said they plan to meet with Tampa mediator Peter Grilli to try to reach a settlement in the case. West and Knievel will share mediation expenses.
West became a household name following the 2004 release of the album The College Dropout, which won Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for Jesus Walks a year later at the Grammy Awards.
Knievel likewise became known worldwide beginning in the late 1960s for his daredevil motorcycle jumps. He registered his name as a trademark in 2001 and, according to his lawsuit, sales of products bearing his name have grossed more than $300-million.
Kanye West & John Legend at Live Earth
Jul08/2007
Live Earth – 07.07.07
Jul04/2007
Kanye and John Legend will be performing at concerts for Live Earth on Saturday.
The concerts, which aim to stop global warming, are taking place around the world and will be broadcast live on TV and the internet.
John Legend will be performing at the concert in the UK, along with The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, and many other artists, while Kanye will be performing at the U.S. concert which will also include performances from Ludacris, John Mayer and Fall-out boy.
For more information:
http://www.liveearth.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Earth
http://liveearth.msn.com/
kanYeTalk Exclusive: Good Life (Live)
Jul02/2007
Thanks to the real cool members at uhh kanYetalk.com we have this video of "Good Life" - a new song from Kanye's upcoming album Graduation.
Pics from Concert For Diana After-Show Party
Jul02/2007
Kanye at Concert For Diana (Videos)
Jul01/2007
kanYe's "7 minutes"
Interview after kanYe's performance
