Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A Conversation & Mixtape Demonstration with J. Period
Popular Music Project Director Josh Kun sat down recently with renowned hip-hop DJ J.Period for a conversation and mixtape demonstration at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, with an SRO crowd.
With DJ & remix work for Grammy-winners Lauryn Hill, The Roots, and Mary J. Blige under his belt, J. Period has become one of hip hop's undisputed Mixtape Kings and most respected DJ/Producers. Praised by The New Yorker for his groundbreaking Bob Dylan remixes, and named one of "the world's top DJ's" by The New York Times, J.Period was also featured in Activision's blockbuster video game, DJ Hero, alongside a short list of DJ legends: Grandmaster Flash, Jazzy Jeff, Shadow, Z-Trip & DJ AM.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective
Summer of Love: Love Yourself Some Sassy!
ANDREW GOLD: Thank You For Being
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
I Write the Songs... And Now You Can, Too!
What a fun, fresh, creative and transparent enterprise. So then why is the result so flat, so, well, God-awful, not even up to the least of her previous work? Is crowd-sourcing creativity a roadmap to FAIL?
Before I could even ponder that, Becca Johnson, a member of the Popular Music Project's student work group with 2011 Artist in Residence Raymond Roker, wrote a blog post about the band Maroon 5 teaming up with Coca Cola on a "24 Hours Session," where the band took on writing and recording a song in 24 hours based on fan tweets. Now, no one outside of Brentwood (the band's hometown) thinks Maroon 5 offers much other than the occasional pop hit with a catchy hook sung by pin-up lad Adam Levine (now a judge on NBC's The Voice), so crowd-sourcing song composition ought to work just fine in this case. But Lord-a-mommy, as a co-worker used to say, this song just hurts!
Doesn't the music industry have enough grief already? Do these sorry efforts simply reflect the chasm between short, instantaneous thoughts and what might be called "true" lyrics, which tend to come from a very deep place or are painstakingly crafted to appear that way?
What's to be made of this new trend? Well, perhaps it's not so new and there's reason for hope in the long run. A recent New York Times piece on the Cole Porter song "You're the Top" noted that Porter asked his fellow passengers on a cruise down the Rhine to name the most wonderful thing they'd seen or done. And then he used some of their replies in the lyrics. So, kind of an analog version of crowd-sourcing. Listen to this great version of YTT.
Maybe there's still hope for Imogen and Adam.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
RIP: TV On The Radio's Gerard Smith
Listen to Princeton's Daphne A. Brooks fascinating talk "Staring at the Sun: Remixing the Diasporic Drone on TV on the Radio’s Return to Cookie Mountain" from a 2008 USC Annenberg Research Seminar presented by the Popular Music Project.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Re: EMP Roundtable - Branding, Music & Money in the Digital Age
A penny for your thoughts: One thing discussed at the EMP Pop Conference Roundtable with Josh Kun and Raymond Roker was how artists and corporations need to be careful when choosing the right partner. What do you think of the above types of musical collaboration, where an artist/band is not only representing a brand to help connect with fans, but the brand is actually playing a role in the music that is created?
To view videos documenting the 24 Hours Session and/or download "Is Anybody Out There": http://www.coca-cola.com/
For more information on the Perfect Harmony Collaboration with Taio Cruz: http://www.thecoca-
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Cloudy Future
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amazon-beats-google-apple-launching-172362
This Song is Stuck in My Head! Help Me, Help Me, Please!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sing a Song of Sondheim: Happy Belated 81st, Steve-o!
Monday, March 21, 2011
RIP: Pinetop Perkins 1913-2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Raymond Roker at EMP - Roundtable: Getting the Brand Back Together: Branding, Music & Money in the Digital Age
Part 1:
Part 2:
California Lullaby: Sheet Music & the Musical Marketing of Southern California
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Language of Hip-Hop: A Rap Almanac
Hemphill calls it the Hip-Hop Word Count and it "analyzes the lyrics of over 40,000 songs for metaphors, similes, cultural references, phrases, memes and socio-political ideas. For each, it registers a date and a geographical location." This sort of information can provide interesting data as to which region has the most clever artists and where phrases have originated (who said shawty first???!! The world needs to know!). In addition to date and locale of songs, it breaks down syllable count, word count, average letters per word and more - for each of the 40,000 tracks.
Check out the prototype he has done with 243 Jay-Z songs and donate to the cause on Kickstarter.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Hit the 2011 EMP Pop Conference at UCLA - It's Awesome & FREE
- On Friday, PMP Director Josh Kun will present new research on the early sheet music industry in Los Angeles, part of an exciting new digital archival initiative he and his students at the USC Annenberg School have been working on with The Los Angeles Public Library
- On Saturday, PMP 2011 Artist-in-Residence and URB founder Raymond Roker will be leading a roundtable on the increasing prominence of brands in the support and marketing of new music, featuring leading brand reps, marketing consultants, and DJ/producer Viktr Duplaix
- On Sunday, PMP Director Josh Kun will be interviewing music industry legend Seymour Stein.
Monday, February 14, 2011
This 'Wuz' Legit
Name five states you’d least expect a hip-hop artist to come from. Maine? Classic. Vermont? Sounds about right. Probably something like Nebraska or Wyoming? Typical. How about Mississippi? Sure it’s down there by the hotbeds of ATL, Houston, Louisiana; but I always figured the hip-hop winds bent around that state when they blew across the country. Apparently they don’t because Mississippi native, Big K.R.I.T. is on track to be the biggest thing from “The Miss” since Brett Farve. (Let’s just hope K.R.I.T. has better texting etiquette.) Last June, Big K.R.I.T. released K.R.I.T. Wuz Here and after one listen I vowed to never doubt the great state of Mississippi again.
It’s that expectation of doubt that seems to fuel this mixtape. K.R.I.T. Wuz Here opens with a few songs that let you know even though this kid is from Mississippi, he can hang. The second track, “Country Shit”, not only show the influences on K.R.I.T from the dirty south styles of ATL and the chopped and screwed sounds of H-Town, but also let’s you know he can put it down just like any artist from either city.
Perhaps the biggest track off this mixtape, “Hometown Hero”, is where K.R.I.T. shows you what sets him apart from the rest. He produced every track on this album and though this is his first studio album, he already seems like veteran behind the glass. Again, we hear the chopped n’ screwed influence in the chorus but where I find so many producers over do it with that style K.R.I.T. does it perfectly. It’s impossible to label the mood of this track because it expertly weaves in and out from positive to negative. This really pulls you into his world as an artist dealing with the ups and downs, struggling against the odds to make it out Mississippi and become a successful rapper/producer.
The dynamic quality of “Hometown Hero” sets the trend for the rest of the mixtape. “Children of the World” is a hard-hitting, autobiographical song that’s comparable to a J. Cole track. “No Wheaties” is an awesome, easy-going song that seems to come out of nowhere, but still feels like it fits in perfectly.
After a rollercoaster of tracks, the mixtape concludes with “Vikitorious”. Using that classic piano sample we’ve heard in a million different cop movies sets this song up perfectly for K.R.I.T. to lay out his mission. He skillfully discusses his frustrations of being disregarded because of his origins. Even though he’s got the skills on the mic and the keys, he still feels like the game is weighted against him. That doesn’t stop him from claiming his eventual victory at the track and the mixtape’s end. And, quite honestly, I believe it.
This kid is raw and gifted. This mixtape has propelled him on to the scene and has taken him to the next level. Look out for big things coming from this kid because you don’t make it out of Mississippi without mean skills and a hell of a lot of passion for the game. Even though he’s been rapping and making beats for five years, K.R.I.T. Wuz Here is only the beginning. Download it here: http://www.datpiff.com/BIG-KRIT-Krit-Wuz-Here-mixtape.117453.html and brace yourself for what's to come.
Monday, February 7, 2011
It’s All About the “K.I.D.S”
As my ears continue to bleed from Fergie’s heinous attempt at “Sweet Child O’ Mine” during the half-time show at Super Bowl XLV, I seek relief in the smooth tunes of Mac Miller’s summer release, K.I.D.S. This kid may be 18 and white, but this mixtape is saturated with an old school, head-nodding hip hop vibe. Laying down the type of lyrics you would expect from a rapper just out of high school Mac proves this previously forgotten style still has a place in today’s rap climate.
The laid-back, yet ear exciting nature of K.I.D.S. starts off immediately with the first track, “Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit”. The light feel of the beat gives provokes that emotion of hope one would expect in a recent high school graduate. The lyrics are perfect for an intro as Mac lays out his current situation of avoiding the college route for the rap lifestyle.
A few tracks later Miller proves his ability to hold is own on a true hip-hop beat with “Nikes On My Feet”. Expect to hit the repeat button on this one a lot. While you’re at it, brace yourself to have “Traffic In The Sky” and “Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza” on loop, as well. This mixtape has often been called a “smoker’s album” but songs like these will elevate you all on their own.
Another incredibly chill song, “Good Evening”, takes a sample from Drake’s So Far Gone mixtape and proves Mac can also style out on the type of beats we’ve come to expect on the radio. This is extremely well exemplified on “Don’t Mind If I Do” where Miller speeds up the tempo of the mixtape to lay lyrics over a hip hop remix of the incredibly popular Owl City song “Fire Flies”.
The lyrics on K.I.D.S. won’t blow your mind, but the feel and flow of this mixtape will. You’ve never heard rap like this before. It’s far from cheesy but incredibly light-hearted and confident. The air of hope is hard to resist, which is why I’m incredibly hopeful to see how Mac will leave his mark on the hip hop world.
Do yourself a favor, download K.I.D.S at http://www.datpiff.com/Rostrum_Records__Most_Dope_Mac_Miller__KIDS.m143884.html and expect even greater things in March when Mac releases his next mixtape, Best Day Ever.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Should Every Song Be An App?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
I Stand Up for Sit Down, Man
I know that if you took my advice from last week and downloaded J. Cole’s Friday Night Lights then your music quota has been filled for the month; but I wanted to discuss a group that really epitomizes the type of mixtapes I like to seek out. I’m all about what’s new and different, and when I caught wind about Das Racist last fall when they released their mixtape, Sit Down, Man, I had to get my ears on it.
Now, this isn’t one of those mixtapes that’s filled with simplistic, catchy tunes that you’ll want to bump with the windows down. These guys put out the type of music you’ll want to listen and pay attention to. Das Racist is smart. When you hear that the composite background of the group is Indian-African-Cuban American, your initial response is that such a rap group is that it’s so bizarre it’s almost humorous. And they know that. With the grace of intelligent, self-aware artists, Das Racist uses humor in their style to disarm the listener from disregarding all the witty and insightful criticisms they present from their incredibly unique perspective. The fourth track, “hahahaha jk”, illustrates this very concept. Rolling Stone even called it a top 50 song of 2010 citing just that fact.
The artists in the group are so unique, however, that occasionally their lyrics don’t always seem make sense. You know these guys are too intelligent for that to happen so I just write this problem off as the “Jim Morrison effect”. It’s kinda like you know that there’s a common, well thought out thread to the verse; but sometimes you feel as though only the artist really understands how each line connects.
If you’re sitting there right now thinking, “You still haven’t really given us much of a break-down of the mixtape,” I apologize but this is really about all I can give to you. Such a group is beyond my brain’s readiness to comprehend. I’m all about expanding my hip-hop index but I was not ready for what Das Racist has been and continues to be about. This is really one of those mixtapes where you tell your buddy, “I dunno, man, you just have to check it out.” Seriously. I wish I could give you more but this mixtape quite literally leaves me at a loss of words. I can’t tell you this’ll will be a mixtape that you’ll put in your top 10, but I can promise you that Sit Down, Man is worth the listen for any hip-hop fanatic.
Download Sit Down, Man here: http://www.djbooth.net/index/mixtapes/entry/das-racist-sit-down-man/ and know that it may take a few listens before you really pick up on their vibe. But once you do, you’ll see that these guys are on to something and that this group may very well have quite a substantial impact on the future of hip-hop. And if you don’t, just click back to J. Cole and come back next Sunday for another fresh mixtape.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Brace Yourselves
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
MySpace: what worked and didn't work- artists' perspectives
- MySpace reinvented the musician/audience connection
- Social networking's "friend" counts in some ways replaced SoundScan
- MySpace's clunky interface = musician participation killer
- The race and class stigma associated with MySpace deters audience participation
Friday, January 14, 2011
At the Edge of Urban Identity: Ozomatli with Josh Kun at TEDxSF
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Lessons to be Learned From Music Predictions
At the end of 2010, Mashable.com contributor Brenna Ehrlich created 5 predictions for the Music Industry in 2011. While her post takes on a cynical – albeit merited – stance on the future state of music, it is refreshing not to hear more posts from people riddled with angst about the profitable music industry of yesteryear (looking at you NPR). By looking into Ehrlich’s foresight with an inquisitive eye and not simply ones filled with hopeless tears, we might be able to come a bit closer to finding the industry savior we have all been waiting for.
Prediction #1 – Subscription services will be popular, but not profitable.
I completely agree. Spotify lost close to $27 million last year and old timers like last.fm still have yet to show a profit. Why is this? I think it is simple – the intimacy of an album is lost when it is simple to stream. Moreover, it treats music as a cheap commodity, not an art form but a service that you pay for, an endless sampler plate with no option to take home. Subscription services rely on the belief that people will pay for something they do not – and will never – own.
Prediction #2 – More artists will finally get social
This one does not even need discussing. If my grandmother is on Facebook, so should everyone trying to crack that Billboard chart. Frankly, I think it is easier for the artist and turns some profit in the long run (here’s to Kanye making his joining of Twitter a worldwide phenomenon). Artists need to see the web as a way to act independently of the labels and their now-dated protocol. Get involved and interact with fans and other artists in a way that was not possible before.
Prediction #3 – Music Videos will continue their renaissance online
It’s the only place we can watch music videos anyway.
Prediction #4 – Ping will never take off, never.
I don’t know enough about Ping to agree or disagree. Which probably proves that Ehrlich is right.
Prediction #5 – Music piracy will not die.
You know what they say for addicts: admitting you have a problem is the first step. So let’s be real; this is the paradox we call reality. No slight change will cure this; it will take a rather hefty makeover to create system that everyone is okay with. So let’s dry our tears and look into these predictions as well as our own personal beefs with music's current affairs. Then let's dissect what isn’t working and try to get ourselves to a place where the words “music” and “industry” in juxtaposition did not incite immediate eye rolls and headaches.