New Music: Mr Hudson, Supernova [ft. Kanye West]

05.15.09

Song: Supernova [ft. Kanye West]
Artist: Mr Hudson
Album: Straight No Chaser
Label: GOOD Music
Producer: Mr Hudson
Notes: 2nd single from LP
Analysis: The industrial-sounding ‘Supernova’ is more like a Gary Numan song than something you would expect Kanye West to feature on.

The New Classics Mixtape [April 2009]: Download

05.03.09

A few days late, but here it is. No artwork again, but I’m pretty sure most of you don’t care so I’m not going to bother unless I get complaints. It’s all about the music anyway, here’s April’s top 20. It’s springtime, people.

Download> The.New.Classics.Mixtape_april.2009

Music Video: Kanye West, Amazing [ft. Young Jeezy]

04.27.09

Song: Amazing [ft. Young Jeezy]
Artist: Kanye West
Album: 808s & Heartbreak
Label: Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam Records
Producer: Kanye West
Notes: 4th single from LP
Analysis: It’s nice to have Kanye back to rapping lately after his failed venture off into autotune hell, but he’s still out there standing behind his product and you gotta respect that. ‘Amazing’ is actually one of the better songs on 808s, despite the presence of Young Jeezy trying to convince me otherwise. Directed by Hype Williams, the video is an expected big production, with some beautiful coastline aerial shots and West autotuning at the edge of a cliff. The aesthetics are nice and the song’s not bad, but I’m ready for Kanye to move on already.

New Music: Clipse, Kinda Like a Big Deal [ft. Kanye West]

04.21.09


Song: Kinda Like a Big Deal [ft. Kanye West]
Artist: Clipse
Album: Till the Casket Drops
Label: Columbia Records
Producer: DJ Khalil
Notes: 1st single from LP
Analysis: Now without the constraints of the sometimes-repetitive Neptunes sound, the Clipse can really flex their shit. On their albums, they’ve worked virtually exclusively with Pharrell & Chad as beatmakers, but as great as Hell Hath No Fury was, I don’t think another team-up album is really necessary. Point proven: the DJ Khalil-produced ‘Kinda Like a Big Deal’ is the best Clipse single so far in their relatively young careers.

New Music: Kid Cudi, Poke Her Face [ft. Kanye West, Common & Lady Gaga]

04.07.09

Song: Poke Her Face [ft. Kanye West, Common & Lady Gaga]
Artist: Kid Cudi
Album: Man on the Moon: The Guardians
Label: G.O.O.D. Music / Universal Motown
Producer: A-Trak
Notes: none
Analysis: While the song title isn’t the most clever take on the original title (‘Pokerface’), this song is fucking fresh.

The New Classics Mixtape [March 2009]: Download

03.31.09

No artwork for this month’s tape, at least not yet. My time’s been real limited lately, but I managed to whip up a new Mixtape for whoever would like it. A few artists appear twice this go-round, but everything’s (2) legit + quality shit. This tape is also special because it features several tracks that haven’t even been reviewed yet here at The New Classics. Trust me when I say that this is the best mixtape so far from the site. Best 20 songs released in the month of March in the year of Two Thousand and Nine, in no particular order besides a transitional one:

Download> The.New.Classics.MiXTAPE_march.2009_

Music Video: GLC, Big Screen [ft. Kanye West]

03.29.09

Song: Big Screen [ft. Kanye West]
Artist: GLC
Album: Love, Life & Loyalty
Label: G.O.O.D. Music
Producer: Kanye West
Notes: 1st single from LP
Analysis: For all the shit that Kanye takes (sometimes deservingly) for his superstar tantrums, his autotune singing tangents, and sometimes life choices, everyone should give the man credit. This is a man who has created so much classic material for this generation to live with forever. He also doesn’t see himself as “above” up and coming artists, so he isn’t afraid to lend a few verses and beats here and there but still let the spotlight shine on the individual. West has helped several careers of these artists along his way to the top, including: Lupe Fiasco, John Legend, Rhymefest, Consequence, Estelle, 88-Keys & Kid Cudi, as well as help re-invent the career of Common. His latest pet project is GLC, an old friend of his from the early 90s when the two were struggling artists together. GLC has been featured before on Kanye’s records (‘Spaceship’, and ‘Drive Slow’), but he is just now officially prepping his first solo album, and ‘Big Screen’ is the first taste. With Kanye West behind him and creating music for him, there is no reason why GLC can’t be as successful as the artists I’ve mentioned above.

Music Video: N.A.S.A., Gifted [ft. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li]

03.29.09

Song: Gifted [ft. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li]
Artist: N.A.S.A.
Album: The Spirit of Apollo
Label: Anti Records
Producer: N.A.S.A.
Notes: 4th single from LP
Analysis: Interesting animated video from the production duo, featuring three of the hottest names in the industry right now. The video plays up the starry/spacey atmosphere of the song by making it the main theme of the narrative. The Spirit of Apollo has tons of eclectic guest artists starring in tracks that you’d never expect to hear. Some work better than others, and ‘Gifted’ is one of the better ones, although putting Kanye, Santo & Lykke on a track is less of a stretch than say, Tom Waits & Kool Keith. But anyway, watch the video, download the song, and dance you’re pants off.

New Music: Q-Tip, We Fight / We Love (Remix) [ft. Kanye West & Consequence]

03.29.09

Song: We Fight / We Love (Remix) [ft. Kanye West & Consequence]
Artist: Q-Tip
Album: none
Label: Universal Motown
Producer: Q-Tip
Notes: none
Analysis: In the second post-Renaisisance all-star remix of the year, Q-Tip recruits Kanye West and Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music artist Consequence to add some verses onto the already great song.

Music Video: 88-Keys, Stay Up! (Viagra) [ft. Kanye West]

03.17.09

Song: Stay Up! (Viagra) [ft. Kanye West]
Artist: 88-Keys
Album: The Death of Adam
Label: Decon Records
Producer: 88-Keys
Notes: 1st single from LP
Analysis: This song has been out there for about 2 years now, debuting unfinished on Kanye West’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape in 07. So if this is your first time hearing this, forgive his dated Borat references, please. 88-Keys however, has been around since 1998 when he contributed the beat to the classic Mos Def/Talib Kweli joint ‘Thieves in the Night’. Concept record The Death of Adam (which was released late last year) is his debut solo album. I have no idea why they waited so long to release a video, but it probably had something to do with Kanye’s superstar schedule. As you can probably deduct from that screen cap above, and the song title, the video is about Keys & West as two old men on a viagra binge. It’s actually better and funnier than that sounds, as they both pull off their best John Witherspoon impersonations. 88-Keys is a really talented artist, but the album was somewhat disappointing for me, as I wasn’t into the whole storyline (and one or two songs were just atrocious) for the whole ride. ‘Stay Up!’ is a good first single in that it’s catchy and silly, but there are better tracks (‘Morning Wood’, ‘Nice Guys Finish Last’, ‘The Burning Bush [ft. Redman]‘) that deserve the video treatment somewhere down the road. Although I still can’t help but laugh at Kanye’s old man dance.