As yet another notch in the mashup belt, 4080Records presents the Kleptones, a Night at the Hip Hopera.
This curious mixtape is a dash of Queen with all kinds of hip hop. Literally, it’s kind of one mega hip hop ballad thing. Although this record was technically banned by the record companies, it still remains for download from the Kleptones’ website.
You can check out one of the tracks off the album, titled “Jazz”, here.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

According to recent reports, The Roots are “off to a rough start” at Def Jam, the label they signed with after leaving Geffen. Apparently, the band’s decision to record “Birthday Girl” - a godawful collaboration with Fall Out Boy’s “Patrick Stump” that was dropped from their upcoming album after a poor reception from fans - was motivated by a desire to please Def Jam executives itching for a radio single.
Indeed, despite a critically-acclaimed career that has spanned more than a decade, The Roots have never quite broken through to pop superstardom. In fact, none of …

It’s a pretty well known tradition that before the Olympics start, the torch goes on a worldwide tour, passing through a bunch of different countries before making its way to the host city for the official lighting of the main olympic flame.
Often, the torch is greeted with respect and admiration. People line up to see it as torch bearers carry it through the streets. However, this relay is anything but peaceful and simple. We’ve seen protests in London, Paris, San Francisco. In Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, all over the world. …

Analog Giant pointed me towards a group called Chin Chin!, the newest group from Definitive Jux. This label has brought you some of the best hip hop in the last few years, artists like Aesop Rock, Murs, RJD2, Mr. Lif and many, many more. Apparently even Del the Funky Homosapien has joined their ranks.
And yet Chin Chin is very, very far from hip hop. They describe their music as a combination of funk and disco house.
It’s a tough concept to grasp, but one that seems to be …

Atmosphere, your girl’s favourite hip-hop group, released their latest ablum, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, last week.
I’ve had mixed feelings about Atmosphere since I first heard tracks like “Modern Man’s Hustle” and “A Heave And A Ho” (does anyone know where to find this?). On one hand, Ant is a talented beatmaker and Slug is a dope lyricist. On the other hand, however, the common criticism levelled at the Minnesota duo – that they spend too much making introspective “emo rap” – is often true, …

Continuing our little look at religious news, Reuters has announced that the Vatican has decided to create some new sins, to modernize things a little.
The Toronto Star reports that although there is no offical list…
No official list of new sins has been issued by the Vatican, though the Bloomberg wire service reduced Girotti’s interview to a catalogue of “Seven Social Sins”: birth control, stem cell research, drug abuse, polluting, helping widen the gap between rich and poor, excessive wealth and creating poverty.
-Source

It’s kind of an interesting way for his popeness …

Binary Star was formed in 1998 when rappers One Be Lo and Senim Silla met while serving time in a Michigan prison. After their release the duo recorded, mixed and mastered an album called Waterworld on a paltry $500 budget (apparently all of the album’s verses were recorded in a single take).
Although only 1,000 copies were made available, the album gained a significant underground following and in 2000 Binary Star released a remixed, rearranged version of Waterworld called Masters of the Universe. It went on to sell 20,000 copies and …

Gnarls Barkley, the group that keeps on giving, has decided to do the unthinkable.  They’re giving away a free copy of their new album, The Odd Couple.
You can download the album here.
Now, the only catch to this is that they have given away the album as one big track, and…it’s backwards.  Completely backwards.  I’m not sure if it would work but you could always consider flipping it back around using an audio program like Audacity.
You probably have Dangermouse to thank for this, since downloaders and the internet are really what …

Lifehacker, an unbelievably popular blog ran a story the other day that may forever alter the way people use the internet to find media files.
You start by signing up (obviously) and then pick your radio stations. There’s a pretty long list, as you can see below.

After you accept their ‘terms’ (they make you promise not to use the service for file sharing, only personal use) you get taken to the recorder. It’s a pretty simple procedure, because it starts recording all of the radio stations you picked.
After that, …