Definitive Sites
Mr. Lif has a new website. While the Definitive Jux site is struggling a bit to remain up-to-date, it's good to see that Lif isn't sleeping on his fans.

Below, you'll notice some nice imagery of Kelis... visit Ultimate Kelis for more.

Source: Complex Magazine.

Go directly to the Kelis feature. Enjoy!

MadVillain
Uhh... that's kinda scary. Scary Beats. Well, nevermind in 2002 Stones Throw announced a collaboration between MF Doom and Madlib called Madvillain. Because of overwhelming rumours, misinformation, and questions about the project, the label now brings a Madvillain update. The (official) album will be in stores in 2004.


goto the source: Stones Throw

At 1976M we can't stress enough how dope many of ST's releases are. You don't believe us? We'll prove it!! Or rather, they'll prove it themselves.

"Champion Sound" - Jaylib (mp3 download)
"My World Premier" - Charizma (mp3 download)

Download now, the (legal) links might not last forever.



"Madlib doesn't have a car. He doesn't need one. Right now the hip hop world is coming to him." (read more)

Change Clothes & Go
Ok, things have been a little mysterious around here lately. Several strange and deviating posts with no text and no link. So, what's the fuss about "Billionaire Boys Club". Apparantly it's the new clothing label from Pharell Williams from the Neptunes (it's also an early nineties movie and a New York rock band).

Below, you can see the BBC cap that Pharell is wearing in the "Change Clothes" video with Jay-Z. The cap is currently trading on eBay for $51.

Gallery Pt. 3
Picture is no longer online - but visit Staple Design anyway!

source: STPL design

108 Mics
Word on the street is that Cannibal Ox didn't break up after all, they're just taking a (long) break - especially from touring. So, in the meanwhile click here to view video from a concert in France (thanks to 90 BPM.net). Vast Aire - one of half Cannibal Ox - has just released the Madlib-produced single "Look Mom, No Hands" (mp3 sample). Check also Vast Aire's "Live from NY" and "Why Is the Sky Blue" (produced by Cryptic) - a couple of mixtape tracks (thanks to Art Of Rhyme.

Cannibal Ox - concert: 1 2 3 4 (real audio)


(source: Wide Records)

Need more? Vast Aire's "Tippin Dominos [RJD2 Remix]" (real audio link) is another fantastic track. "This is a classic Def Jux collaboration between 2 underground artists." - you're damn straight it is!

Product Placement in Video Games
TV-ratings in the US are down. Males from 18-34 watch less televisions and play more computer games. So advertisers are increasingly looking towards product placement in software entertainment. This is nothing new - just turn to early version of for example FIFA Soccer - however, its increasingly become a revenue channel for software developers.

"A more important question may be how far is too far? Will players who have plunked down $49.99 for a game feel cheated when they're bombarded with product logos? Brown is quick to point out that game product placement will never be as intrusive as television advertising. He said that subtlety is the key. "If we can include product placement without affecting the game experience or annoying the player, it will be a big success. If the commercial activity becomes obtrusive, players will let us know. We're not going to do anything that compromises the quality of the game or annoys the players."

Read it all here.

Puma is sponsoring True Crime: Streets of LA. "Video gaming is a phenomenon with a diverse appeal. From the skate kids, to the hipsters and fashionistas, gaming is the common denominator to a widespread audience, and a distinctive medium for PUMA to utilize to interact with consumers," said Barney Waters, Marketing Director for PUMA North America" (from Ign.com - an online magazine that is quite ad-friendly themselves)

The company behind "True Crime" is also targeting the hip-hop community: "Animated vignettes of True Crime: Streets of L.A. will appear during the broadcasts of “The Source Hip Hop Awards 2003.” The spots will feature Snoop Dogg, Benzino and True Crime’s Nick Kang cruising and hangin’ out at the awards ceremony and will be used to lead into commercial breaks."

Behind the Music: Kill Bill
The movie is actually a mixtape and Tarantino is the DJ, says this article which Denver Post has borrowed from NY Times.

Sounds stupid? Well, the article is well-documented and interesting for movie-buffs and beat-diggin' nerds alike. For example:

"DJs watching "Kill Bill" will easily tick off the number of times the jazz/R&B classics has been sampled by musicians... He begins a section of "Kill Bill" with Al Hirt's "Flight of the Bumblebee." Hirt's trilling trumpet joins all of the Bruce Lee references together - it's the theme from the 1966 TV series that introduced him to America, "The Green Hornet." Lee played the Hornet's lethally floating sidekick, Kato - and stole the show from him."
(source: Elvis (!) Mitchell, NY Times)


Looks familiar? Check also Kill Bill Trivia

Raiders of the Lost Art
Street art is very popular these days. So its only logical to provide a link to Ekosystem.org - who collect interesting urban art from around the world. They also have a great page with links. For a Japanese touch, visit the FM802 Street Art Project website (specifically, the Artist Profile Index). For a local touch, visit the official site of Copenhagen's finest HuskMitNavn and an exhibition from Kopenhagen.dk.


(source: Ekosystem)


HuskMitNavn as seen on the streets of Copenhagen