China seems to be kicking everyone’s ass these days.  On the same day it’s being reported that the People’s Republic has taken over Japan as the world’s second-largest economy, a Chinese company has revealed a vehicle that promises to revolutionize public transit: a giant bus that straddles traffic!  Called a “three-dimensional fast bus”, the outlandish vehicle is being described as a “mobile tunnel.”  According to UTNE:
Commuters board from a station one story above the ground, and when the straddling bus parks to pick up riders—as many as 1200 per …

Mac Miller’s Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit (K.I.D.S.) may be the best mixtape I’ve heard all year, fo reals.  Miller, an 18-year old Pittsburgh native who just signed with Rostrum Records, home of fellow up-and-comer Wiz Khalifa and the 1988 Top Shelf catalogue, has a seriously proficient flow and a knack for complex wordplay.  On “Knock Knock,” for example, Miller raps “I feel like a million bucks/but my money don’t really feel like I do”, and later, “In deeper than the water Michael Phelps was in.”  The beats are hot, too, …

In a rambling speech yesterday, Bun B, formerly one half of UGK, accepted the 5 Mic award from The Source for his new album, Trill OG.  While dude seems like a nice guy – his speech is a humble tribute to other emcees – is his new disc really in the same league as other five mic recipients like Illmatic, Life After Death, and The Low End Theory?  I haven’t listened to the whole thing, so I can’t say for certain.  To give you a taste so you can judge …

If you can get past the gratuitous and ultimately tiresome sexism, this video ain’t that bad.  I’d give it low marks for creativity (social media in ‘real life’? – it’s been done) but high marks for execution (the Tom Cruise poster alone scores it several points, plus the Dance Roulette bit at the end is dope).  The music itself is pretty standard electro-rap, or whatever it’s called, but I can’t speak to the lyrics since I don’t understand French.
Via The Rap Up

Yesterday, Kanye released his newest single, “See Me Now” featuring Mrs. Jay-Z and Charlie Wilson, the man who provided cash and Stinger missiles to the Afghan Mujahideen founded the Gap Band.  Kanye’s raps cover the usual ground: equating himself to the font of Western philosophy (“I’m Socrates/But my skin more chocolate-y”) and Jesus (“This the Christ year/Last year was magic, 32″ … “Imagine the direction of this immaculate conception”).  The beat is a buoyant vocal sample that keeps things moving along, and Beyonce does a decent job on the hook.  …

So the Roots have a new album out, called How I Got Over.  The single off the album (by the same name) is a great track.  That bodes pretty well for the album as a whole (and you can check it out below).
The tracklist lists some solid acts, and a lot of recurring appearances by Dice Raw.  Raw is an artist I always thought was a steady member of the Roots Crew, but it seems like I was wrong.  Joanna Newsom may be the least likely guest star on this …

Blood is The New Black Free.  This t-shirt from Urban Outfitters made me laugh pretty damn hard.  I remember the days when people used to say this sort of message about someone and a) actually mean it and b) the person actually deserved it.
Still, good work, whoever thought this one up.