The Neptunes / N.E.R.D. on Juan Epstein

Oh this is perfect for me.  Completely perfect.
My favorite producers of all time with my favorite rap nerd radio personalities.
So much random info in this!

Game ft. Justin Timberlake & Pharrell - Ain't No Doubt About It

[WARNING:  This is a ridiculously rambling post as it triggers too many issues in my Realm of Nerd.  Buckle up.]

Ok...ok...ok...I'll share it.
I've been having an internal debate about posting this for 2+ days now.  Let me be blatant:  Game is hands down my least favorite artist in Hip-Hop.  He's not even worth the full rant on why, anymore.  The fact that Pharrell is executive producing this dude's upcoming album makes me feel ill.

HOWEVER:  I am the biggest Neptune sound fan on this or any other planet, and damn if this beat don't remind me of that good ol' fashioned Pharell & Chad magic.  Then there's the fact that I never expected the Neptune(s) to work with Timberlake again*, so this is too good for me to ignore.

* Remember The Neptunes has issues with Jive because of the way the Clipse were being handled, so despite the ridiculous chemistry they had with JT (front allllllll you want, Justified is a monster), they stopped working with him.

Sub-ramble:  I'm still pissed that this song was never finished.
Sub sub-ramble:  That music was used for the UK version of this absolute piece of gold (4:50 mark)
Sub Sub-sub-ramble:  If you don't own the UK version of In Search Of...you are doing yourself NO favors.

Yeah...I don't like Game.

Lupe Fiasco x Alicia Keys - Love Letter to the Beat

Chad Hugo on them beats!

Apparently, this was a song Chad did with Ms. Keys back in '07 that never made an album.  Lupe has it now, and it will supposedly appear on Lazers.  Any trace of this bad boy will vanish from the internet with the quickness (Lupe don't play with leaks), so I suggest you hurry up and listen.

Side note:  There's a ton of worthwhile new shit from today and over the weekend, but I'm busy.  Tonight or tomorrow is gonna be jam-packed.

UPDATE: The Post-Christmas Recap

UPDATE:  I changed my mind, I'm gonna throw everything from the last 3-4 days worth mentioning into one big post.  Much easier this way.

Salutations, and all that, people.
Back in the (literal and figurative) office for the first time since last Wednesday...
...and it feels mighty fine.

I imagine the bulk of stuff this morning is gonna be a recap of what I was too lazy and chilled out to bother coming online and telling you about all weekend...SO, let's get to work (in a rapid-fire fashion until I catch up).

Get the goods after the J. Nathaniel . . .

A Note on this Game to Star Trak Jibberish

The idea of Game on Star Track still makes me feel ill.

But let me offer up an early prediction (with no hint of sarcasm):
Within the next 6 months, this signing and Game's The RED Album WILL lead to a monumental battle with Game and The Clipse on one side and 50 Cent and G-Unit on the other.  Write it down.  Take it to the bank.  I'll go a step further and say it will be the most genuinely relevant and significant battle since Jay-Z vs. Nas . . .and the outcome of that battle will forever change the value and definition of "street cred" as well as "internet rapper" vs. "radio rapper".  I couldn't be more sure of it.  Trust me.  I will be linking back to this post as an "I told you so" before the summer.

The Real: I Date You So Much Right Now

This is so wrong...but so right.
The Real offers Kelis a little help post-Nas.

The EXTREMELY selfish side of me hopes this all leads to Kelis getting on a plane to VA Beach and making the world right again. Yes we can!

MJ x Skateboard P

What do you get when you smash 2 of my favorite cheeseball jams of all time?
Absolute dopetabulocity, that's what.

I'd like to give somebody credit for this jewel...but I have no idea who.

On the flip side, this just serves to remind me that until the end of my days, I will forever be angry that Mike turned down a big box of jams sent to him by The Neptunes . . .a box of jams that was later handed to Justin Timberlake and named Justified. Yeah...let that marinate for a minute. This...this...this...and this (personal favorite) were supposed to be Michael Jackson's. "Don't it make you wanna scream" (sorry, couldn't help it)?

Usher ft. Pharrell - Certified

HA! I love it when I just finish talking/complaining about something and then BAM, I get just what I was looking for.

For the last few months, I've been hearing/reading that Usher's upcoming album, Monster, is supposed to be a...no, I won't say it.

Looks like he's done what we all needed SOMEONE to do: Dug up Chad Hugo, locked him and Pharrell in a studio and got the Neptunes to bring back some of that good jammage they had a few years ago. Good lookin' out, Mr. Raymond! The song ain't really sayin' much, but I don't care. It's just good to hear them old keys back in use again.

Get you some.

Chris Brown - Not My Fault

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
I think someone needs to pour Mr. Brown a fresh bowl.

It's a wrap.

::inhales helium::
All ya gotta do is watch meeeeeeee....didda didda da with my feeeeeeeet

Clipse ft. Pharrell - I'm Good . . .and a timely crackpot theory

CHAD HUGO involvement, FTMFW!!! Kaws on the artwork too, btw.
2nd single from Till The Casket Drops. Sounds like a Part 2 for this.

Jam that shit.

Oh and how's this for irony (or random coincidence)...
No lie, just before I sat back down at this laptop, I was bitching to myself about how boring today's (like, literally today) new music was. Out of the blue I was hatching another random crackpot theory that if Philly's Most Wanted's Get Down Or Lay Down album never came out, then maybe Lord Willin' wouldn't have been the instant classic that it was. Then BAM, we get a new Neptunes-produced Clipse jam. Ain't that somethin'?

Right now, I assume no one has any idea what I'm talking about...and it's making me laugh a little at myself. But think about it. PMW came out about a year before Clipse. It was a Neptunes-heavy album (with some of their best beats that STILL most people have never heard) and centered arond more "street" music (i.e. gun & drug talk) than Chad & P were usually associated with at the time. Just sayin'...PMW's album was like a great practice run for creating the Clipse masterpiece.

I Miss (the old) Kelis

Everyone seems to forget the pre-"Milkshake" part of her career, but Star Trak/Neptunes-era Kelis was some incredible, next-level stuff. To this day, I'm still disappointed that partnership split up (for whatever reason. I blame YOU, Nas!!). Imagine what could have been. Some of those crazy beats that went to women like Gwen Stefani or Madonna in the last few years could have been alot better. Imagine the music she could have made with Kenna!!

I hold on to a crazy theory that Kelis was the glue and muse that made the Neptunes function best as a duo. Don't think there was a musical risk she wasn't willing to take. Now Chad is nowhere to be seen an Pharrell is off by himself making beats that sound like everyone else in the business.

Common - Gladiator

So has my pre-release obsession switched from 808s to Universal Mind Control?

Young Jeezy ft. Pharrell - Rumor Has It

I'm no Jeezy fan, but who am I to ignore anything involving one half of the greatest production duo of all time?
This was originally recorded for Jeezy's recently released album, but it didn't make the cut for whatever reason.

Download HERE.

Chester French - She Loves Everybody

Readers that made their way over here from my old Myspace blog know that I've been waiting for Star Trak signees, Chester French to actually release some music for quite some time now. Well, it's happened...sort of. CF's first official release will be the wicked old (they want to Harvard) single, "She Loves Everybody" in EP format. "The Jimmy Choos" is also featured. We all know these jams, but "the kids" don't yet.

For those of us who had early RSVP status to the Chester French party, the new EP will feature a Neptunes remix of "She Loves..." as well as El-P remix of "The Jimmy Choos".

UPDATE: Looks like Chester French will also be the pre-game entertainment for the MLS Cup Final on the 23. Hopefully, my beloved New York Red Bulls will also be prominently featured.

A History Lesson of Sorts

So I was sliding through the interweb tubes and landed on this retrospective interview Teddy Reilly did in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Guy.
That got me to thinking, "I wonder how many people knew that Pharrell wrote Teddy's verse for'Rumpshaker' waaaaaay back in the day?"
Or "Who knew that the Neptunes started out as studio apprentices for T.R. when they were kids.
Or better yet, who knew that the Neptunes' first production credit wasn't actually 'Superthug', but SWV's 'Use Your Heart' "?

Let all that info soak in for a minute. It's all insane, but true.