Adam Yauch, known on stage as “MCA” and in our ears as the Beastie Boy with the low and raspy voice, died of cancer last week at the age of 47. Besides being a gifted, yet hilarious rapper, he was an all-around good guy who knew what was important. Yauch’s passing is effectively the end of the Beastie Boys, because there’s no way they can carry on with out the heart, soul, and founding member of the group.
I’m just one voice out of the many that have already expressed their feelings over Yauch’s death. Feelings of joy, regret, and nostalgia. But all the stories are personal and unique, rendering every single one of them useful and appreciated. When I was in 5th grade, I owned two albums — The Beatles: 1962-1966 and the Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty. I couldn’t stop listening to “Intergalactic” and was beyond excited every time they played it on the radio (106.7 KROQ, represent). I studied the lyrics until I mastered the whole thing and “performed” it for people at school. They would say “David, rap! Do a rap!” And so I’d bust out “Intergalactic” and probably sounded like an idiot, but I loved it.
It seems weird to get all sentimental about three goofballs who rapped about partying and brass monkeys and rumps. But when something is so inseparable and intertwined with your youth, you can’t help but feel it in your gut when it comes to an end. I’ll never stop blasting the Beastie Boys. R.I.P. MCA.
I’ve pored over the similarities between the hip-hop royalty duo of Kanye West and Jay-Z and the Miami Heat’s Big 2 of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Then it hit me that, individually, Kanye would be more appropriately compared with Los Angeles Lakers’ veteran Kobe Bryant.
Now, hear me out before you close the page in disgust. Full disclosure: I am a Laker fan — but this is by no means a love letter to Kobe Bryant, or Kanye West for that matter. This is an objective comparison between two influential people, occupying different sides of the entertainment world, but possessing uncanny similarities, both positive and negative. Here are 9 of them.
1. They are despised by a significant portion of the population.
It’s well-documented that Kanye and Kobe are both very polarizing figures. They are accused of having huge egos, while failing to be outwardly friendly or sociable with the media. There are polls and Facebook groups that mince no words in proclaiming hate for Kobe. One blogger from the Hoop Doctors aggregated reasons for this hatred from various emails he had received, pointing to his cockiness, his penchant for trash talking, and self-absorption. Even (or should I say, especially) his hometown of Philly hates him.
If Kobe Bryant’s ego is big though, then Kanye West’s is gargantuan. His lyrics are full of self-aggrandizement and he often says and does really brash and controversial things, such as accusing George Bush of not caring about black people or comparing the hate he receives to that of Hitler.
But these reasons for animosity are all minor when compared to other incidents, which leads me to…
2. They each have one defining moment in their past that solidified the public’s hate.
For Kanye, it was the infamous Taylor Swift incident at the 2009 VMA’s, which even drew a rebuke from the President. For Kobe, it was the charges of rape brought against him in 2003. The charges were eventually dropped, but the scar of infidelity still plagued his image.
I had dreams of the league,
One day I play Kobe,
I walk up to Puff and he already know me,
Coulda let the dream killers, kill my self esteem,
Or use the arrogance as a steam that power my dreams,
And my ego
—Kanye West on Beyonce’s Ego (Remix)
3. They are extremely talented and extremely successful.
Kobe has won five NBA championships, two NBA finals MVPs, one regular season MVP, four All-Star Game MVPs, and two scoring titles. He’s appeared in the All-Star Game 14 times and made the All-NBA first team nine times. He once scored 81 points in a game and ranks fifth all-time in career regular season points scored. In his heyday, he was as athletic as they come, but now has settled into a wily, smart, and insanely competitive player who makes impossible shots and buzzer beaters. He is routinely described as one of the greatest basketball players of all time and often compared to the legendary Michael Jordan. The dude is good.
Kanye has won 18 Grammy awards and 44 Grammy nominations, has sold over 12 million albums and 30 million digital songs, and has had four #1 singles. He has created some of the best jams of the last decade and single-handedly brought a wider audience to hip-hop, through his infectious rapping style and his production genius. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest producers and rappers of all time. The dude is good.
4. Their unique first names both start with ‘K’ and overshadow their nicknames.
The hip-hop world often refers to Kanye West as ‘Ye or Yeezy, and Kobe is called the Black Mamba (no, not the Black Walnut) from time to time, but their first names as they are just roll off the tongue, leading most to simply refer to them as Kobe and Kanye.
5. They were more cheerful at the beginning of their careers than they are now.
Here’s an interesting comparison. Through the first three albums of Kanye’s career, his production work was happy and upbeat. The 2005 single “Touch the Sky” samples Curtis Mayfield’s triumphant “Move On Up” horn lines, which doesn’t induce any emotions besides sheer joy. That’s a fact. And on 2007’s “Good Life,” Kanye raps about loving life over another cheerful beat.
But then things got darker. Kanye’s relationship with his fiancee soured and his mother tragically passed away, leading to 808’s & Heartbreak, an auto-tune soaked lament about heartlessness, paranoia, cold winters, and locking down love. His 2010 masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy followed, which marked a return to rapping, but this time with a palette of self-loathing and doubt, on top of creepy (and awesome) beats.
Kobe had a similar shift in attitude, going from a cheerful kid with an easy smile, to somewhat of an angry curmudgeon. In the following interview from the 90’s, the late Chick Hearn says he’s “never seen [Kobe] get angry” and asks him “Do you ever get mad?” Kobe says “I think it’s important not to show your frustrations.” This is laughable now, considering Kobe’s, shall we say, “fierce” demeanor.
Now, for better or worse, he’s a man on a mission, with no time for those easy smiles. Whether it’s a determination to catch Michael Jordan and win his sixth title, or just plain battle-weariness, he is strictly business when he steps on the court.
6. Many of those who hate them on a personal level still respect their work.
President Obama reaffirmed his negative opinion of Kanye West just this month in an article in the Atlantic, but also stated that his fellow Chicago native was smart and talented. And I can’t even count the number of friends who tell me they hate Kobe Bryant, but begrudgingly admit to his level of talent.
7. They have an incredible work ethic.
Kobe Bryant not only brings it for the full 48 minutes, but he works tremendously hard at improving his game in practice. Kanye West is no different, releasing a constant stream of solo albums, collaborations, guest verses, and producing an insane amount of records by other artists.
Tryin’ to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.
—Kanye West on Swagger Like Us
8. They are both within two degrees of separation from the Kardashians.
Kobe’s longtime friend and former teammate, Lamar Odom, is married to one of them — I don’t know which one and I don’t care. And Kanye, well…yeah.
9. Despite being the best at what they do, they still have something to prove.
Kanye and Kobe were both born with a fierce competitiveness and a chip on their shoulder. By many accounts, they are the best at what they do, but they are constantly seeking to improve in order to shed any doubt. They are never satisfied.
Aaaannnd, there’s my dose of sports for this music blog. I apologize to those that couldn’t care less, but never fear, there is plenty of good music coming out right now that will be fully covered here, devoid of any athlete analogies.
I was walking home from work at the embassy the other day and, as per usual, slipped my iPod earbuds on. I was pumped to (internally) rock out to some White Stripes as I walked through downtown Santiago on this cloudy and cold day, but I got held up. Let’s back up. During the last hour of work, I had decided to throw on the latest Lotus Plaza release, Spooky Action at a Distance, since the album was pretty chill and wouldn’t disturb my coworkers, busily calling local Chilean mining companies. I had listened to the album a few times before and enjoyed it, but hadn’t gotten much out of it. Well, 5:00 PM rolled around and I hadn’t finished the album, so the ninth track, “Remember Our Days,” was queued up when I got out the iPod. I decided I would listen to it a bit before switching over to some “Ball & Biscuit”, but I became entranced. It’s a beautiful little song. Nothing grand, but simple and awesome. I can’t stress how important the atmosphere around you is in determining your enjoyment of a song. And on this cold day, this track was what I needed.
The Beach Boys are reuniting for their 50th anniversary this year. FIFTY years! Honestly I’m shocked and pleased that mad genius Brian Wilson has made it this far (even if he does seem like a shell of his former self). But here they are with their newest single, “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” While the lyrics do express a sentiment with which I can relate, they certainly aren’t the most clever (Mike Love must have wrote them). And the production is a little too cheesily slick for my taste. But guys, listen to the harmonies on this thing. Those guys had a gift, plain and simple, and they still do. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
We won’t get into how the video could be better. Just listen.
P.S. Can you believe that NBA superstar Kevin Love is Beach Boy Mike Love’s nephew? I still can’t get over that.
Levon Helm, legendary drummer and vocalist for the Band, passed away from throat cancer last Thursday. Helm was unique in many ways — not only was he one of a select few drummers who also took over singing duties, but the Arkansas-native’s All-American voice was one in a million. If purple mountains’ majesties and fruited plains could sing, they would sound like Levon Helm.
Below, watch a clip of the Band performing their classic and timeless single “The Weight” from the Martin Scorsese-directed film The Last Waltz, which documents the Band playing their farewell concert in 1976. Then listen to the studio cut of the fun-loving “Up on Cripple Creek.”
The Band – “The Weight” (Live from The Last Waltz)
I hadn’t heard of Spiritualized until this week when they released their latest album, entitled Sweet Heart, Sweet Light. I’m usually wary of albums chock-full of 7-minute songs, but the whole thing was a delightful listen, echoing the Velvet Underground at their most accessible. The last track, “So Long You Pretty Thing,” just killed me. I love it. That’s what a big, repetitive, catchy, soaring chorus will do to you. Especially when they go on for a while and fade out at the end of the song. Other notable examples include:
I kind of wish the first minute of the song was chopped off, but oh well. From 1:00 onward, it just builds and builds on the same chords (with great use of strings and a banjo) until the chorus bursts open at 4:17. Check it out.
There’s nothing quite like a solid “Night Drive” playlist, whether you’re throwing it on in a city with flashing lights or on some long and winding road. It needs a steady but compelling beat, with an aura of mystery about it. For me, the 90’s classic “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega is a perfect example. For a more indie-electro approach, I strongly suggest you download “Lady” by Chromatics and sync up your iPod. In fact, download the whole album, Kill For Love. It sets the mood perfectly. Two pieces of evidence that prove Chromatics can pinpoint the “Night Drive” aesthetic:
Their previous album was called, uh, Night Drive.
Johnny Jewel, Chromatics’ main man, was originally slated to score the entire movie Drive. The one with Ryan Gosling. If you’re one of the 99% of girls and 73% of guys that think Ryan Gosling is hot, well, there’s one more reason to check out this track. No, he’s not in this video, sorry.
D-Brad Music 