This makes me extremely happy: Aziz Ansari, of Parks and Recreation fame, is releasing a mixtape under his alter ego, Raaaaaaaandy (who also happens to be the character he played in Funny People).  Produced by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, the mixtape was supposed to be released in February, but that date has reportedly been pushed back.
In the meantime, the first track has been leaked and it’s awesome/hilarious.  It’s called AAAAAAAANGRY, and it’s a diss track aimed at all the emcees who didn’t deliver verses for the song.  …

So Pitchfork is reporting that Definitive Jux Records, the amazing indie hip hop label, is going on an indefinite “hiatus”.  To make matters worse, El-P is stepping down.
While it’s true that they’re not exactly over, they’re also not planning on releasing any new music on physical media.  Hopefully this still means some digital distribution, and may actually lower their operating costs a lot.  However, it also means that a lot of dope hip hop will no longer be found on vinyl.
Despite assurances that Def Jux isn’t shutting down and is …

So…in the law school world hip hop is not that crazy a thing.  There’s a lot of amateur tracks and mashups, trying to make a good impression.  But Andrew Black over at the law school at the University of Windsor (in Canada) has been making some serious waves.  After interviews on the CBC and some other media outlets, and plus re-posts on tons of sites (including Maclean’s magazine and some law blogs), this thing is really taking off.
Considering how much I’m not down with Pharell, I can honestly say this …

The blog Real Hip Hip Since 79 has posted the original studio recording of ‘The People’ from Common’s album Finding Forever.  The main difference between this version and the final cut is the hook, here sung by Common himself.  Dwele’s take, used for the album, is obviously more polished, but it’s nice to hear Common’s genuine, if shaky, effort.
DOWNLOAD: Common – ‘The People’ (Original recording)
‘The People’ is a classic, and was my favourite track on Forever.  Common’s lyrics are mostly good.  His rhymes touch on a variety of social justice …

While we don’t normally offer a lot of architecture coverage, this story seemed too good/bizarre to pass up: the firm Fitzsimmons Architects recently posted photos of Wayne Coyne’s new Oklahoma City home.  Coyne, who is the frontman of ‘space rock’ band The Flaming Lips, is a strange and imaginative dude, and his new house certainly embodies those characteristics.  According to Pitchfork, while the house “looks like a simple brick house from the outside,” … it “turns pretty phantasmagorical once you get inside.” 
Indeed, as you’ll see in the photos, the house …

99problems.org, the news website of The League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF) - an American organization dedicated to empowering ”young people nationwide to participate in the democratic process” – has launched a new “online intiative”  to educate urban youth about the importance of the 2010 Census.  According to a press release, the campaign will feature

a viral video PSA series hosted by DJ Willie Shakes (Core DJs, Star Trak’s Chester French) … [that] will enable each featured interview (sic) to give their own spin on why the 2010 Census is important to them, as well as the …

In anticipation of the upcoming season of the animated series Boondocks, Dub Floyd and Wally Sparks have put together an ‘official’ mixtape for the show, featuring some choice cuts from Tanya Morgan, Phonte, Asheru, Skyzoo and more.  Check out the tracklist below, then head over to 2dopeboyz to download it.
01. Asheru – The Boondocks Theme (Season 2)
02. Metaphor The Great – Hip Hop Docktrine 2 Theme (Prod. by JJ The Genius)
03. Phonte & Chaundon – Hip Hop Docktrine 2 (Promo)
04. Metaphor The Great – The BoonDoctor (Prod. by JJ The …