source: http://www.berlinfestival.de/

This years Berlin Festival will take place on the 7th an 8th of August. The headliners are Pete Doherty and Deichkind. But I am also looking forward to see the other acts like Dendemann, Jarvis Cocker, Digitalism or Peaches. You could say that the lineup has a slight electro focus which is due to the collaboration with the Melt! Festival.

The location of the festival will be the former city airport Tempelhof. That’s also one of the special things about the festival: it’s a festival in the middle of a city. That means that you can go home to sleep during the 2 days which i like very much as i’m not a big fan of camping.

The price is with 49€ also very affordable if you compare it to other festivals. So i’m really looking forward to this festival and i hope i will see another great show by Deichkind like this legendary one on the Melt! Festival in 2006:

source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Whenever I talk to people about rap who don’t listen to that kind of music themselves and who aren’t that much informed about it, it often happens that they say things like: <<I don’t like Hip Hop because that’s just some dumb idiots talking about their big guns and gold chains!>>. It seems like they equalize rap and Hip Hop with Gangsta Rap.

But that’s totally not the way it is! Rap has so much more to offer than just Gangsta Rap. But also Gangsta Rap can be very good music. I totally can’t understand the rap-bashing by some people or the media because of some rapvideos they’ve seen on MTViva and the condemnation of it for brutalizing the youth.

I think you have to see this kind of rap as simple entertainment that shouldn’t be taken to seriously. It’s like watching an action or gangster movie. No one would accuse Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino of being responsible of brutalizing the youth because they’re playing some Mafia killer. But eventually the topic of such movies is nothing else than the content of Gangsta Rap tracks.

Of course there’s also a lot of Gangsta Rap that’s really crap, but that’s no reason for generalizations. So here’s some really good stuff that’s entertaining and not at all dangerous.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Road to the Riches

Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre – Deep Cover

Big L – Put It On

Dead Prez – Hell Yeah

N.W.A. – 100 Miles And Runnin’

What I actually wanted to say: Here’s a list of my current catchy tunes:

Beastie Boys – Shake Your Rump

Busy P – It’s More Fun To Compute

Daft Punk – Human After All

The Streets – Fit But You Know It

James Pants – Cosmic Rapp

sourc: http://www.edit-entertainment.com/

On June 13th and 14th the hhv Diggin Days took place at cassiopeia area in Friedrichshain. It was Germany’s biggest vinyl sale with more than 50,000 records and 10 tons of vinyl.

hhv.de or hiphopvinyl.de is a online record store. But there is also a small store in Revaler Straße in Berlin-Friedrichshain. It’s really a great record store with a wide variety of records either on vinyl or CD. The only problem about this store is that the actual store in Friedrichshain only has one small shelf of records. The main part of the records is in a big repository in Grünberger Straße. Because of this you only can pick up your order at the store which you made online before. You can’t really go there to dig in the record shelves.

So the Diggin Days were a really cool opportunity to really dig in the crates. And obviously I wasn’t the only one who thought that way, because when I got to cassiopeia I had to wait for about 45 minutes until I could enter the room where the records were.

But it was worth it. Although, in my opinion, 95% of the records there were crap, because the main idea of hhv was to clear out their storage a little bit, so that you really had to dig deep to find some good records.

In the end I bought 16 new records for only 43€. So I made a good bargain and enlarged my vinyl collection a little bit. One of the records I bought was “Wu Tang Forever” which contains this fresh track:

Wu-Tang Clan – Triumph

Patrice – Sunshine

Seeed – Waterpumpee

M.I.A. – Sunshowers

Jack Johnson – Breakdown

Masta Ace – Good Ol’ Love

This is only a small collection. There’s a whole lot more of good summer music out there. But I hope you enjoyed these tracks and maybe you want to tell me about your favorite summer music…

source: http://www.clubaction.ro

My favorite electronic music label: Ed Banger Records. This french label really changed the electronic music world in the years after the foundation in 2002. It was founded by Busy P, the manager of Daft Punk, the legendary french electro duo, which however isn’t signed on Ed Banger.

The all outshining act signed on Ed Banger Rec. is for sure the duo Justice, that is known even by people who are not that much into electronic music for it’s tracks D.A.N.C.E. or DVNO, thanks to which they gained much fame.

But Ed Banger has more great acts to offer. For example SebastiAn who is known for his great remix tracks. Due to that his songs have a big rock influence. Another talented act is DJ Mehdi whose music is very hip hop influenced, just like the one of his label mates DSL.

You all might know Mr. Oizo because of his “Flat Eric” project a couple of years ago, that got famous due to the Levi’ s commercials it was featured in. His new album “Lambs Anger” was released several months ago and I can really recommend it to anybody who’s into electronic music.

One of my favorite Ed Banger signings is the young, talented and sexy Uffie who’s an american-born rapper. She does a great mixture of electronic and hip hop music. I can’t wait for her first full album that hopefully will be released in near future.

So take a listen to the music of this phenomenal record label, also to the tracks of the artists I didn’t mention, and I hope it will be your favorite electro label soon, too.

Uffie – Ready To Uff

source: http://www.scfreiburg.com

Finally, after four long years, the best football team of this country is back where it needs to be: in the Bundesliga! It has been a long and hard season in the 2. Bundesliga this year, but in the end the best team was on top of the table and deserved to be the first one to get hold of the new trophy for the champion of the 2. Bundesliga. I am, of course, talking about the Sport Club Freiburg!

After an outstanding second half of the season with six straight wins in the beginning there never was a real doubt that the Sport Club wouldn’t make it this year. So it was clear quite early that there could be no other champion this season than the team of coach Robin Dutt and the 1st place was locked already three days before the season’s end.

With these premises the last game against Kaiserslautern was sure to become a nice party. And indeed it was. A 4:3 win, 35° C, sunny weather, the ceremony for the championship and the fanparty together with the team after the match made the last sunday a really great day for every football fan in beautiful Freiburg. The only small downer of the day was that there was no free beer as I had expected it. But: never mind!

Next season we finally will kick some ass in the Bundesliga again and show Wolfsburg who the real german champions are! With only Daniel Schwaab leaving the team I am confident that, with some more transfers, we will play a good role next season and have nothing to do with relegation.

Since this is mainly a music blog: here’s a song for you this week…

… actually another proof that football and music don’t really fit together, but who cares!

Go Mo! Go Mo!…

source: http://vibesource.files.wordpress.com

It has been over three years now since J Dilla passed away due to his illness. But obviously that doesn’t stop him from releasing new records. The new album “Jay Stay Paid” is already the third Dilla album which is released after his sudden death. It will be released on June 2nd over Nature Sounds and is completely mixed and arranged by no one less than Pete Rock. The album features Black Thought, MF Doom, Havoc, M.O.P. and Raekwon.

The track with Black Thought can already be prelistened here. Well, I would say that really sounds nice. Let’s hope the rest of “Jay Stay Paid” can hold this level.

And let’s hope that the release of posthumous J Dilla records will soon come to an end. I don’t want him to end like Tupac or Notorius BIG where every unreleased track was put on a record and released, mostly even by someone who didn’t even have a personal connection to the artists while they were alive. No wonder that the quality of these records couldn’t keep up in any way with the albums released during their lifetime. But some people only cared for their own well-being and did like the easy way to make a buck.

J Dilla really has dropped enough great music during his unfortunately short life. “Donuts” or “Ruff Draft” for example are classics that he will be remembered for. So there’s no need to release each yet undropped beat by Dilla. Because mostly there is a reason why the artists didn’t release some of their tracks during their lifetime.

Nevertheless I will buy “Jay Stay Paid”. By buying it I will not only do something good for my record collection but also for Maureen Yancey, Dilla’s mother. Unfortunately it seems like she and Dilla’s two daughters didn’t see much of his legacy. There’s a good article about this issue here.

To come to an end: here’s one of my favourite Dilla beats: “Mash”

source: http://yellowendtheory.files.wordpress.com

Label: Jive Records

Release: 1991

The second album by the hip-hop crew A Tribe Called Quest from New York is one of the most essential records of the genre. I like it a lot due to it’s typical 90′s eastcoast sound with some of jazz influences. This record also contains the first appearance of Busta Rhymes on the track “Scenario”

Best Tracks: Scenario; Buggin’ Out

19. Deichkind – Aufstand im Schlaraffenland

source: http://www.musik-center.de

Label: Universal

Release: 2006

This record by the hamburgian crew Deichkind is a mixture of rap and electronic music which can’t be found a second time. So it’s a cool party album with funny lyrics and great productions.

Best Tracks: Remmidemmi (Yippie Yippie Yeah); Electric Super Dance Band

18. Nas – Illmatic

source: http://www.leviward.com

Label: Columbia Records

Release: 1994

Illmatic by Nas is often considered as the best rap record of all times. It trully is a hip-hop classic without any weak track and great productions by e.g. DJ Premier and Pete Rock.

Best Tracks: Life’s A B*tch; Halftime

17. Eins Zwo – Gefährliches Halbwissen

source: http://www.musicline.de

Label: Yo Mama’s Records

Release: 1999

A very entertaining record by the hamburgian rap duo Eins Zwo with a great performance by one of the funniest german mc’s Dendemann.

Best Tracks: Danke, Gut; Hand Auf’s Herz

16. Jack Johnson – Brushfire Fairytales

source: http://images.uulyrics.com

Label: Universal

Release: 2001

A very laid back record by Jack Johnson and my favourite one by him. He just sounds like nothing can take him his peace. Perfect record to chill out.

Best Tracks: Flake; Middle Man

15. Gang Starr – Step In The Arena

source: http://www.uulyrics.com

Label: Chrysalis/EMI Records

Release: 1991

It’s really hard to choose one record by Gang Starr for this list because each one is great. They managed to drop records for over a decade on a constantly high level. I decided for this one because it was the first one I listened to and I can still listen to it after all the years without getting bored.

Best Tracks: Step In The Arena; Who’s Gonna Take The Weight

14. Felt – A Tribute To Lisa Bonet

source: http://www.musicline.de

Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment

Release: 2005

The collabo album of Murs and the Atmosphere mc Slug is a perfect summer record. It’ s funny and entertaining without to much lyrical deepness. Perfect for a hot and sunny day.

Best Tracks: Life Vegas; Gangster Ass Anthony

13. Nosliw – Mehr Davon

source: http://d.yimg.com

Label: Rootdown Records

Release: 2007

The best german reggae singer who is actually singing in german instead of english. This album contains a nice mix of party tracks and party tracks.

Best Tracks: Lauter; Loser

12. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor

source: http://hypebeast.com

Label: 1st & 15th/Atlantic

Release: 2006

This is the debut album by the very talented rapper Lupe Fiasco from Chicago. He stands for a new generation of hip-hop music without any gangster or “bling-bling” attitude.

Best Tracks: Kick, Push; The Cool

11. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

source: http://www.merryswankster.com

Label: Loud/RCA/BMG Records

Release: 1993

The classic record by hip-hop’s super-crew. With this album the Wu-Tang Clan created a whole new style in the rap genre which influenced  many rappers afterwards. Enough to appear in this list…

Best Tracks: Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’; C.R.E.A.M.

10. Damian Marley – Welcome To Jamrock

source: http://images-eu.amazon.com

Label: Universal/ Tuff Gong

Release: 2005

Great record by the talented of Bob Marley’s sons. That’s the kind of reggae music I like. Also good feature guests like Nas or Black Thought of The Roots.

Best Tracks: Road To Zion; The Master Has Come Back

9. Mos Def & Talib Kweli – Black Star

source: http://www.radio1190.org

Label: Rawkus Records

Release: 1998

A collabo album by two of my favourite mc’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Finest 90′s Eastcoast Rap with many classic tracks.

Best Tracks: Respiration; Definition

8. Babyshambles – Shotter’s Nation

source: http://www.emiextranet.com

Label: EMI/ Parlophone

Release: 2007

Great album by the Babyshambles, the second band of one of britpops (still) living legends Pete Doherty after the Libertines. Just good britpop in a style which only Pete Doherty is capable of.

Best Tracks: Delivery; You Talk

7. The Roots – Things Fall Apart

source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Label: Geffen

Release: 1999

I could name any album of The Roots in this list. All of them are great and all of them have their very own style. I picked Things Fall Apart due to my liking of the 90′s eastcoast sound for which this record is a milestone.

Best Tracks: The Next Movement, You Got Me

6. Justice - †

source: http://www.no-alternative.net

Label: Ed Banger Records

Release: 2007

Masterpiece by the french duo Justice. Perfect party music and electronic music at its best. I guess everyone should know at least one track of this album from a clubbing night. It’s just the perfect soundtrack for a perfect party.

Best Tracks: DVNO; D.A.N.C.E.

5. Common – Be

source: http://www.musicline.de

Label: G.O.O.D./ Geffen

Release: 2005

The, in my opinion, best album of Chicago mc Common. Be is a soulful conscious rap record with the best album intro that I know.

Best Tracks: Be, Go

4. J Dilla – Ruff Draft

source: http://www.sweetslyrics.com

Label: Stones Throw Records

Release: 2003

The third solo album of legendary hip hop producer J Dilla is my favourite one of him. With his very own distinctive sound J Dilla is rightly considered one of the best hip hop producers and this record is the proof for it

Best Tracks: The $; Nothing Like This

3. The Cool Kids – The Bake Sale

source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/

Label: Chocolate Industries/ C.A.K.E.

Release: 2008

I know this actually isn’t an album but only an EP. But the 10 tracks on this record are close to perfection without any weak song. Just a perfect record by the myspace-phenomenon.

Best Tracks: 88; Black Mags

2. M.I.A. – Kala

source: http://www.beggarsjapan.com

Label: XL Records

Release: 2007

What a record! A mixture of electro, rap, reggae, dancehall and I don’t know what… You can’t really put this one into one genre. It contains the best of all genres. Maya Arulpragasam created a classic with this album in her style of music that you haven’t heard before. Often copied, never as good as the original.

Best Tracks: Bamboo Banga; Paper Planes

1. Dynamite Deluxe – Deluxe Soundsystem

source: http://www.emiextranet.com

Label: Eimsbush/ EMI

Release: 2000

German Rap as it should be. Samy Deluxe as he should be. DJ Dynamite as he should be. Tropf as he should be. Beats as they should be. Lyrics as they should be. Raps as they should be… A record as it should be: Perfect!

Best Tracks: Gruene Brille; Wie Jetzt

source: http://www.hi-res.net

Yes! Finally some new stuff from The Cool Kids ! The Cool Kids released their third mixtape after That’s Stupid – The Mixtape and The Bake Sale. It’s called Gone Fishing and you can download it for free. So: Do it! And enjoy 21 tracks or one hour or 59 minutes and 18 seconds of pure freshness.

It has been nearly a year now since The Cool Kids released their last record “Bake Sale”. So it was about time for some new stuff. Especially as the release of their first official album “When Fish Ride Bicycles” (btw. what a fresh album title) seems to be delayed for some more time. So let’s hope that it will be released at least within this year.

Although the new mixtape is in my opininion not quite as good as “The Bake Sale”, it’s nevertheless a really entertaining way to shorten the waiting time for the actual album.

So, if you don’t know The Cool Kids yet, download the mixtape! And check out “The Bake Sale” as well, because it’s really one of the best records I had the enjoyment to listen to in the last years! Here’s a video of one of the tracks of “The Bake Sale” called “Black Mags”: