Cool Hunting
Undisputedly the premier live hip-hop band in the world, much of the Roots' well-deserved reputation has been earned on stages around the globe—but in the studio they have been less consistent. On the heels of their seventh album, Phrenology (2002)—which included the breakout crossover hit duet with Cody ChestnuTT “The Seed (2.0)”—their last album, The Tipping Point, failed to excite fans or garner the critical acclaim of earlier works. Their move this year from Geffen/Universal to DefJam/Island seemed to hold promise for a rebirth.
The result, their new release and impressive ninth studio album, Game Theory, is dark and soulful, but also an understated album that's easy to miss. There’s nothing flashy. No obvious hit singles or party songs. But below the surface is a maturity of depth, and a cohesive beautifully brooding vibe that reveals more with each listen. And without being didactic, it expresses an exasperation with the current political moment. A pared down, bluesy, rock lament with hip-hop trappings, Game Theory is also presented as a eulogy for the recently deceased James “Dilla” Yancey, beginning and ending with heartfelt tributes to the pioneering hip-hop producer. Pick it up from Amazon.
by DJ Scribe
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Recently formed hip-hop duo, Rootbeer (Pigeon John and Flynn Adam), have just dropped a super fresh piece of audio pie right in your kitchen. Influenced by artists such as MGMT, N.E.R.D and A Tribe Called Quest, Rootbeer offer up an edgy and unfeigned lyrical style. Turn up their debut release, The Pink Limousine EP, to eleven. You'll find it impossible not to make shapes....
The progressive online publication, Format Magazine, just took playing with Legos to a whole new level with their collection of 20 classic (and some not-so-classic) hip hop album covers recreated with those iconic plastic Lego men. Shot in the Format studio by Nick Hanekom, and graphically produced by beat-maker Glen Manucdoc, the little Lego guys assume the notorious album cover poses once carried about by...
by Tamara Warren For those of you not paying attention to recent pop culture news, New York artist KAWS' fantastical cover art montage—a cartoon-like image in red, purple pink and shades of blue swallowing up musical/sartorial/blogger sensation Kanye West—may prove to be more of a hit than the forthcoming album itself. Converging the world of animation, art and hip-hop, the work will appear on a...
With features like localized haptic touchscreen feedback, a touch-sensitive scroll arc, buttons that automatically adapt to the feature in use and a built-in FM radio with song recognition, we've been geeking out on the ROKR at CH HQ for months. Lucky for you, we're willing to share. As if the deal wasn’t sweet enough, the ROKR comes preloaded with the new Nas album. "Untitled"...
Known for beer-brewing, a heavy German contingent and little else, Milwaukee is far from the center of hip-hop culture. Out to change his hometown's reputation is Juiceboxxx, a 21-year-old rapper and producer whose sound lies somewhere between Big Daddy Kane and the Beastie Boys. An unassuming MC, the slight, geeky rapper is pure kinetic energy in live shows, captivating audiences with a punk rock...
Long the de facto home of techno music, it's no surprise that Berlin is bursting at the seams with electronic music. But it is a rare feat when one of these artists transcends the club scene like Modeselektor. A staple of the German capital's underground party circuit dating back to the mid-'90s, the group produces a genre-straddling brand of glitchy beats that are equal...
