Since we're on the subject, I thought it appropriate to follow up with Rolling Stone's simple ten piece set on Mr. West's prolific fashion forward thinking. Each album with its own aesthetic and inspiration, Kanye manages to bring the work of Riccardo Tisci, parisian label Celine, Philip Lim and Marco Brambilla to the forefront & the mainstream. Shutter shades too.
A gnarly remix of Beyonce's Ego featuring Kanye West. Prayers answered, he's back to the rap game. Could it get any better? Oh right. They play a round of Connect Four too. My favorite game. This has been a good news day.
One part acoustic piano Lady GaGa. Three parts G.O.O.D. Music rap stars. One great remix. Common, Kanye West and the not-so-retired Kid Cudi collaborate to cover the disco pop princesses latest jam with stellar results. Poke Her Face. You need this for summer.
Q-Tip has collaborated with Kanye West and Consequence to rework what appeared to be one flawless song on one flawless album. I've long been proclaiming the greatness that is The Renaissance, and We Fight/We Love is one of its best puzzle pieces. A timely message and a generous remix. Better yet, Q is giving the track away for free! Never underestimate the Tribe.
KAWS latest exhibition The Long Way Home at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles has been getting a tonne of press. Nearly every blog I read has put together some sort of feature about the world's most famous street artist. While the work doesn't deviate from the flat and bold style that has made him famous, this exhbition is no longer about KAWS arrival as apart of our contemporary consciousness. The New Jersey born graf has arrived and he's here to stay. His distinction as a niche fetish of Kanye West and Pharrell Williams no longer defines him. Now it's apart of his meteoric rise to the top of the art world.
Style moguls and current cool kids Dee & Ricky are perhaps best known for their Lego Heart Pin made famous by Kanye West (and me on New Years). If they weren't already cool enough, they also throw some thrashin parties and photograph the whole session. On Feburary 13th they threw a blow out party dubbed the Rock Band Party and photographed the jammers infront of a SEXY statue only Bar Rafaeli could warrent. Not since the infamous Broadbent Dance Party have I seen this kind of dance partying. Ya ya ya ya . . . ya ya ya.
The Fray have done an acoustic love ballad cover of Kanye West's Heartless from 808s and Heartbreak. I think Kanye should add song writer to his list of credits and stick to rapping on his end of the deal.
This will be Theophilus London's year. The Brooklyn born rapper is getting some heavy hype, and there's no fear the new it-boy will be unable to carry the load. He's got this one. I'm not sure who's got the torch at the moment, but Neon Gold's assessment is true: Theophilus London is the new King of Pop. There may be nothing drastic happening on the surface of his tunes, but underneath lies the reinvention and the rectification of hip hop. His latest release, This Very Charming Mixtape, has the diversity of Little Boots and the urban styling of the early Kanye West. Who else can remix Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You with ease, and get away with it? Add the Elvis Costello inspired album cover, and you're playing with fire. Do yourself a favor and listen to all 51.2 minutes of (free) glory from cover to cover. Pretty please.
Star is the latest track from Estelle, the UK songstress behind the real song of the year. Hopefully this track will help me get over that Grammy robbery.
After claiming top spot in the hip hop world and being championed the best rapper in the world, Lil Wayne decided to follow up Tha Carter III with a rock album entitled Rebirth. It seems Mr. West has set off a genre bending chain reaction. Unfortunately Weezy's first rock track Prom Queen is an absolute disaster. Don't waste your ears.
French songstress Yelle combines her own stellar track A Cause Des Garcons with Kanye's Love Lockdown to form the inspired and refreshing remix A Cause Des Kanye. Clever.
Artwork from the KAWS edition of Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak is now plastered in the middle of New York City at 45th and 7th street. Mr. West beat out the peanut guy for prime ad space. Hurrah!
Kanye West is making a push for Q-Tip to make the track We Fight/We Love the next single from the stellar record The Renaissance. (It plays on repeat in his crib). The track features Raphael Saadiq, and is one of several collaborations on the album.
