Friday Jams: Andre 3000 does The Beatles, new Kanye & Eminem, more

Did your short week not feel quite so short? Neither did mine, but screw that--It's Friday! Sweet, sweet Friday! To keep your spirits high and your weekend bumpin, we're kicking out the Friday Jams because, well, that's just what we do around here.

First up, Andre 3000 gets his Beatle on in Nike's new Kobe Bryant spot. Really glad to see Ewing's signature Garden pump-up make it into the mix.



Next, new joints from two of rap's finest.
Kanye West (thankfully) gets back to rapping on "Power," likely the first single off of his upcoming new album Good Ass Job. Welcome back, Mr. Gay Fish, and huge props for the King Crimson (!) sample. Meanwhile, Eminem's new album, Recovery, drops June 22 and features this jam with Pink called "Won't Back Down."

Speaking of hip-hop giants, Nas has been at it for 20 years (we're old) and Steady Bloggin is celebrating with an exhaustive year-by-year breakdown of the best verses of his career, accompanied by a mix called 20 Years 20 Verses. (Incidentally, I'm trying to hit up Nas & Damian Marley at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn on July 31 if any of you care to join me.)

Finally, B.o.B and Lupe Fiasco jump in on Janelle Monáe's "Tightrope." The last time Schiff Happens was in a room with Bobby Ray and Lu, the party positively jumped off. This track is equally dope.

Music P-P-Power

Sometimes I miss Jurassic 5 a lot.

Meanwhile, some most excellent music afloat recently for you and I to listen on.

First, was just talking about this mixtape on the way back from CVille Sunday.
/sigh. why must I always have to come back? college, I miss you
Then wouldn't you know it? Most Bangin'est conveniently re-ups it on Monday.

Cudi is very representative of the generation gap emerging in rap. We heard about your gun for a long time, and now your old.

Next, Kanye's LVs and Autotune 2. I guess when he's not spending lonely nights in the frozen food aisle, the gay fish genius has some time to put together a fresh mixtape.

Saw it (where else but) Pigeons and Planes. Come to think of it, this was playing in the car while Grimace and I rode in the trunk on the way to the glorious Foxfield Races. It wasn't comfortable, but our plot was glad we were there to save the glass-bottled booze on the way in.

Finally, no Foxfield tie-in here, other than that both the races and this mixtape are a big W.
Courtesy of Rock Howard's tumblr (UPDATE: Direct link right here).

Hip-hop fans, meet The White Stripes.
Fans of The White Stripes, meet hip-hop.

— Adrian Champion

I wanna know who got that N.A.S.A. music [we have liftoff!]

Tons to do today so could be a slow one for blogging, but let me just remind you of the only thing you need to know this morning: N.A.S.A. has launched, and we're already a day late.

If you don't know, you should have been learning along with me, because The Spirit of Apollo is going to be one of the biggest party bangers of the year. Write that down on the off chance that you didn't know already so I can take credit later, and read on for your 30-second tutorial.

N.A.S.A. (North America/South America) is a collaboration between DJ Zegon and DJ Sam Spiegel (aka Squeak E. Clean, aka Spike Jonze's brother) rooted in celebrating unity across a vast spectrum of artists. First, we heard "Gifted," featuring Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santogold (apparently now known as Santigold). Next it was "Watchadoin," which brought together M.I.A., Spank Rock, Santi, and Nick Zinner, and "Spacious Thoughts," an ethereal meeting between Tom Waits and Kool Keith. Schiff Happens was convinced after hearing David Byrne trade verses with Chuck D on "Money." Since then, we've heard even more tracks featuring The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, DJ AM, Scarface, KRS-One, Fatlip, Slim Kid Tre, Method Man, and even Schiff Happens favorite Ol' Dirty Bastard. “This record is about bringing the craziest combination of people together,” says Spiegel. Well no shit, Sam - mission accomplished.

In addition to the wild collaborations in the studio, N.A.S.A. have taken their concept a step further and enlisted some of their favorite fine artists, such as Marcel Dzama and Shepard Fairey (yea, that guy) to produce 5 interchangeable album covers which will all come with the album. The beatmakers then paired their artist pals with animators to create some fantastic music videos for songs off of Apollo. Check out the different covers here.

You can pick up your copy of The Spirit of Apollo at iTunes, Amazon, and purveyors of fine music everywhere, via Anti-. For now, enjoy a little taste with these videos.

N.A.S.A. "The Spirit of Apollo" Trailer


"Money" ft. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip


"Hip Hop" ft. KRS-One, Fatlip, & Slim Kid Tre


"The People Tree" ft. David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab, & Z-Trip


N.A.S.A. Previously on SH:
No- No- No more work this week! [Friday Jams]
More tunes! aka Where the F are my Friday Jams?
To all my people who don't wanna go to work [Friday Jams]

Put down the chicken fingers and read Bruce's Super Journal

Great stuff this week from Mr. Springsteen, in a slow week for Bruce news which most likely won't require an extensive recap. The Boss' official site has published Bruce's Super Bowl journal, complete with some awesome behind-the-scenes photos by Danny Clinch. It's just a thoughtful and intimate look inside the mind of an artist - let alone an artist of Springsteen's stature - that you don't get to experience all that much these days. And please don't tell me that the caps-locked ravings of a mulleted lunatic qualify. Ye might rap about being self-conscious, but his self-serving egomania can't touch Bruce's candid journal entry, in which he admits that his last thought before taking the stage was "Lord Don't Let Me Screw the Pooch in Front of 100 Million People." The Boss goes on about the intense camaraderie shared by the E Street Band; his on-stage thoughts of his career journey, reflected in the setlist; and of course the details of his now-famous crotch crash, and how his powerslide went awry. Bruce declined to do the Super Bowl gig for years, but to me, his diary entry makes it clear that he made the right decision at the perfect time for him and for all of E Street to finally accept the challenge this year.

It should be pretty obvious that this journal entry blew me away, so do yourself a favor and read it already so you don't have to rely on my ramblings to convey its awesomeness. Of course, when you're done, come right on back and let me know what you thought.

Everybody form a line (More Bruce on SH):
The Boss doesn't pump his gas - he pumps his fists

Sans GMen, Sunday was still Super

PHISH! SPRINGSTEEN! BEASTIES! BONNAROO!

Who decides? The Boss decides

It's (almost, ok not really but pretty much) official!

Suck it Philly: Springsteen Edition

Phish Happens? [Rumors, speculation and hearsay]

Okay, NOW 2009 can start

Since I was blacked out for the better part of the start of 2009, I missed the official end of 2008: Skillz's annual year-end Rap Up. So here it is, straight out of the big V-A, hitting on all the important news of the year that was, from Kanye's singing voice to shoe-throwing Iraqis, and oh yea, that whole election thing. Loyal readers, your new year may now commence. [Nah Right]

To all my people who don't wanna go to work [Friday Jams]

Ten tunes for your Friday feel-good head nod. Download, make yourself a little playlist, name it Schiff Happens: Friday Jams, get down.

Asher Roth - I Love College (because I'm pushing this Heeb on everyone right now, because he's gonna blow up in '09, because Rivers Cuomo should lighten up and because we all love college)

Kanye West ft. Mos Def - Good Night (off The Graduate Mixtape)

T.I. - Message to the Government (from the cutting room floor of Paper Trail)

DJ Bling - King of Rock Mixtape Volume 1 (it's no Girl Talk, but a fun mashup)

N.A.S.A. ft. Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santogold - Gifted (off N.A.S.A.'s new album The Spirit of Apollo)

Cornershop - Candyman (from the new LeBron Nike commercial that's oh so nice)

Jay-Z - Jockin Jay-Z remix ft. Travis Barker (if you know me, you know I'm all about rap meets rock)

Charles Hamilton - Brooklyn Girls

Ludacris - Press the Start Button (off the Dutch bonus to Theater of the Mind. Only Luda could make all those video game references sound so hard.)

Bob Marley - Iron Lion Zion (previously unreleased from Songs of Freedom, in case you're stuck on what to give me this holiday. Honestly, who could brighten up your Friday better than Bob?)