JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Run DMC’s DMC’s 60th birthday.
Tag: hip-hop
Throwback: Happy 53rd Birthday, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 53rd anniversary of the birth of TLC’s Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.
Throwback: Happy 49th Birthday, Jadakiss!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Jadakiss’ 49th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 49th Birthday, Andre 3000!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Andre 3000’s 49th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 55th BIrthday, PMD!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates EPMD’s PMD’s 55th birthday.
Madlib is an acclaimed and legendary producer, musician and artist, who’s widely hailed for his groundbreaking contributions to hip-hop, jazz and experimental music. As a producer, his production style is marked by a love of eclecticism while drawing from jazz, soul, funk and world music. His use of unconventional sampling techniques and his knack for creating immersive sonic soundscapes have earned him a devoted following among music lovers and his fellow artists alike since his early days with Stones Throw Records in the early 2000s.
Beyond his acclaimed solo work, Madlib has collaborated with Kanye West, MF DOOM as Madvillain, J. Dilla, Freddie Gibbs and Erykah Badu among a lengthy list of others. His production credits span across a wide range of genres, showcasing his versatility and artistic vision.
Ukrainian-born, Brooklyn-based acclaimed and rising emcee Your Old Droog emerged into the hip-hop scene a decade ago, initially cloaked in mystery and anonymity. But he quickly earned a reputation for his sharp, punch lyrics and gruff delivery. Some speculated on who the man was behind the sophisticated wordplay. But with the release of his eponymous debut, Your Old Droog body stepped out into the spotlight. And since then he’s been remarkably prolific, releasing eight albums and 10 EPs, which have cemented his reputation as your favorite emcee’s favorite emcee — and as a emcee, who’s about to explode onto the mainstream.
Your Old Droog’s forthcoming 11th album Movie reportedly sees the Ukrainian-born, Brooklyn-based emcee in a new era, where he’s received countless co-signs from some of the genre’s greatest artists — and taking his place among them.
Last year, Madlib worked with Talib Kweli on Liberation 2 and DJ Muggs and Meyheim Lauren on Champagne for Breakfast. 2024 marks several major anniversaries for Madlib: the 20th anniversary of 2004’s Madvillainy, which also reached Gold status and the 10th anniversary of his collaboration with Freddie Gibbs’ Piñata. Along with that, Jahari Massamba Unit, his group with the equally acclaimed musician, producer and artist Karriem Riggins released YHWH is Love.
Madlib’s latest single “REEKYOD,” a collaboration with Your Old Droog and Black Thought continues an enormous and productive period for the acclaimed producer, musician and artist. Not only is the single the first bit of new Madlib material since 2021’s Sound Ancestors, it’s the producer’s first release on the acclaimed artist’s new label Madlib Invazion. Anchored around a dusty and woozy bit of funky soul, the production is roomy enough for two great emcees to effortlessly spit dexterous bars full of insane wordplay and braggadocio. Simply put, it’s a celebration of what real hip-hop is: dope beats, and legendary emcees pushing each other and challenging each other in true verbal jousting.
Madlib will be embarking on a run of tour dates with Freddie Gibbs celebrating the 10th anniversary of Piñata. Tour dates are below.
Madlib Live
May 10, 2024 – BOSTON *
May 11, 2024 – NYC *
May 19, 2024 – CHICAGO *
May 24, 2024 – LONDON *
May 26, 2024 – LONDON (SOLO DJ SET)
May 30, 2024 – BARCELONA *
*with Freddie Gibbs
Throwback: Happy Belated 53rd Birthday, Fredro Starr!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Onyx’s Fredro Starr’s 53rd birthday.
Zimbabwean-born, London-based emcee Rhyme Assassin is a grizzled vet in the game, starting his career in earnest back in 2000 doing rap battles and performances in his native Zimbabwe before relocating to the UK in 2002. Since then, Rhyme Assassin has appeared on a number of compilations and released a handful of mixtapes, including 2021’s Side Barz.
HIs forthcoming, highly-anticipated full-length debut, Dedicated to Self will feature production from the likes of Buckwild, True Master, DJ King Flow and a list others, as well as guest spots from Ras Kass, Masta Ace, dead prez‘s stic.man, Saigon and Keith Murray. Dedicated to Self‘s latest single, “Run Em Up” sees the Zimbabwean-born, London-based emcee trade mosh pit-inducing bars about running up on the competition with M.O.P. and Ruste Juxx over a bruising and menacing Preemo-like beat from The Arcitype.
The Arcitype beat inspired Rhyme Assassin to reach out to his collaborators. “I could only hear M.O.P. on the instrumental,” he says, adding that it didn’t matter how many times he listened to it, because he only could hear the Brownsville bullies on the beat. Then, when he needed a third verse to close it out, he reached out to Ruste Juxx, who “complemented M.O.P.’s energy and vibes,” Rhyme Assassin says.
Throwback: Happy 54th Birthday, Redman!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Redman’s 54th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 60th Birthday, Biz Markie!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 60th anniversary of Biz Markie’s birth.
Throwback: Happy 46th Birthday, Robert Glasper!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Robert Glasper’s 46th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 51st Birthday, Pharrell Williams!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Pharrell Williams’ 51st birthday.
New Video: ALIAS Shares Swaggering and Genre-Defying “EMPTY HEAD” with KROY and Cadence Weapon
Emmanuel Alias is a French-born, Montréal-based singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, dilettante and polymath who had had a varied and rather accomplished career in music before he started his eponymous psych rock project ALIAS.
After spending nine years studying jazz at the Darius Milhaud Conservatory in Aix-en-Provence, France, Alias relocated to Montréal in 2014. Upon his arrival in Québec, Alias landed a job at XS Music, where he worked on scores for HBO’s Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects, ICI Télé’s Une autre histoire, Hubert et Fanny and Cerebrum et Mon fils, Mariloup Wolfe’s feature film Jouliks and for a number of Cirque du Soleil productions. In 2017, Alias also worked for Musique Nomade, where he produced multidisciplinary Oji-Crie’ and Mi’gmaq artist Anachnid‘s DREAMWEAVER, which was nominated for an Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video (ADISQ) Award and long-listed for the Polaris Prize.
The French-born, Montreal-based artist also produced singles by Q-052, Annie Sama, Chances, iskwē and Beyries. And he also had a stint as the musical and stage director for Ananchid.
Along with his production and songwriting work for other artists, the French-born, Canadian-based artist has managed to have had a host of different projects to accommodate his need to explore different genres, releasing punk, hip-hop and even ambient material under different monikers, before starting his solo recording project ALIAS, a cathartic psych rock project that sees him crafting retro-tinged sons rooted in fantastical, batshit crazy, hallucinogenic tales paired with fuzzy guitars and wild tempo changes.
Alias’ sophomore ALIAS album Embrace Chaos will be released through Simone Records. Embrace Chaos will feature “CURSED” and “TRUTH OR TRUST,” a woozily euphoric bop featuring glistening synth arpeggios, whirring bas synths, relentless four-on-the-floor paired with razor sharp, incredibly catchy hooks. The result is a LCD Soundsystem-meets-Psymon Spine-like soundscape that’s roomy enough for Alias, along with fellow Montréalers Virginie B and Meggie Lennon to playfully trade neurotically self-aware and vaguely paranoid verses and hooks throughout.
Embrace Chaos‘ third and latest single “EMPTY HEAD” sees the French-born, Canadian-based artist further establishing a genre-bending and genre-defying sound. Featuring guest spots from acclaimed Canadian emcee Cadence Weapon and KROY, the hook-driven “EMPTY HEAD” features elements of industrial electronica, hip-hop and punk rock delivered with a swaggering, in-your-face aplomb.
Directed by Gabrielle Thiffault, the accompanying video for “EMPTY HEAD” features Alias at a birthday party — or some other related gathering — with a table seated by mannequins and masked people. Throughout the French-born, Canadian artist seems to lose his mind and behaves poorly.
Throwback: Happy Belated 62nd Birthday, MC Hammer!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates MC Hammer’s 62nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy Belated 52nd Birthday, Large Professor!
JOIVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Large Professor’s 52nd birthday.
