Coachella/MMJ Press & Reviews

[fast_willie_parker]

"This is our National anthem and the best song of the year even if the Grammy's don't think so..."

What a lame thing to say.  I don't care how nice his beats/rhymes might be..spouting this kind of nonsense is just, uh..retarded.  

I'm really staunch about what I classify as good hip-hop (i.e. from new york '77-'94)--especially production-wise--and so saying "give me Kanye over Puffy" is a fucking no-brainer: they're both wack.  Being popular doesn't make you bad, but it might make you full of yourself.  I hope you realize these guys are merely two more examples of hip-hop megalomania...arguably talented to some degree yet somehow convinced they are the purveyors of all that is good in the world.

I'll leave you with some more of the insanity churning in this guy's head (from wikipedia):

Later that month, he suggested in Playboy that he'd be a griot in a modern day Bible claiming "I bring up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them." Seeing himself as an inspirational speaker, West claimed he would be "a part of the Bible" citing he is "definitely in the history books already."

Commence hating...

[PapaJoeBear]

Well, I can't argue that he's not full of himself. And yes, what he said in Playboy was stupid beyond belief.  But did John Lennon sy "We're bigger than Jesus"?  A statement that some may consider pretty egotistical.
THe Wu Tang Clan put commercials on their cds for thier clothing line. THat's kind of retarded too.
"YOu could go with this, or you could go with that,
but you should go with this, cuse this is where its at" Black Sheep
"'I'm the greatest MC in the world!" - De La Soul.  Hip hop has always been about boasting skills.  Ego is a part of hip hop in a lot of ways.  You make your living selling yourself.  Wether or not this is the way things should be is neither here or there.  Kayne has much more talent than Puffy,regardless of what you think of the guy. Again, he's not the greatest rapper by any means, but he writes his beats, and his lyrics can be funny and intelligent.  More than half of the popular hip hop artists these days cant claim any of that stuff.

And really, I could care less where you grew up.  That doesn't make you any better of a judge of hip-hop than anyone else.

[dragonboy]

While I know I would be with MMJ were I at the show, I respectfully disagree with that gentleman's assessment of Kanye West.  While most hip that is popular focuses on the money one has and the hoes one sleeps with, Kanye is a bit diffrent.  Hes no Mos Def, or Talib Kwali, but the man writes excellent rhymes.  And he writes amazing beats too. Give me Kanye over Puff Daddy any day. Just because your popular doesn't make you bad.And Kayne's been arouynd for years.  He's just now getting a chance to shine. Dont be a hater.

Well said Sir, I'm a big fan of Kanye West.
I have both of his CDs + love his production work for Common & John Legend.
You're quite right, he may not be as good an MC as Mos Def or Talib Kwali but I actually prefer Late Registration to The New Danger.
Kanye is on fire right now, it's easy to hate him.

 

[TEO]

One thing is being overlooked. The Cavalry finally showed in New Orleans when Kanye spoke up! Fuck him and Fuck his music that I don't give a shit about. What he accomplished for those suffering people far outweighs his prickish behaviors.

[BH]

I could be wrong here, but if I remember right, Jim James had Late Registration as number 2 or 3 on his top ten albums of the year.  Interesting....  

Personally, I think he's talented, but I can't stand the cocky bastard.  I can hardly stand to even look at him.  I think saying that hip hop and ego go hand in hand is true, but it's a sorry ass excuse.  It seems like athlete's are going this route as well.  You have be a prick to sell your shoes I guess.  Nobody buys Tim Duncun shoes.  WTF is wrong with people.

[cmccubbin25]

i think you have to know where Kanye is coming from to understand him.  he dropped out of college and worked shitty jobs in pursuit of his dream to become a producre/rapper.  he heard from so many people that he didn't have enough talent or that it was a pipe dream.  i think once he made it, he was like yeah look at me now.  he also probably uses cockiness as a defense mechanism b/c i am sure he is like all of us and still insecure about himself.  anyway...it isn't an excuse to be cocky or to say offensive things, but i can understand it.  none of us knows how we would act if we made it that big.

[tdan]

Hip hop has always been about boasting skills.  Ego is a part of hip hop in a lot of ways.  

Exactly!  MCs many times start out by "battling" other MCs.  Battling consists of dissing your counterpart and hyping yourself.  It is a basic formula which has always been that way.  

[fast_willie_parker]

I just gotta drop one more thing before I jump this sinking ship...sorry to mmj fans everywhere for hijacking this thread...

"i think you have to know where Kanye is coming from to understand him"

No, you don't.  Lots of successful artists come from humble beginnings, but that should in no way justify acting like Moses coming down from the mountain once you start selling records.  This is a prevelent bi-product of celebrity,  no matter where you come from.

I also think you guys have misinterpreted the crux of my first post: obviously hip-hop embodies lyrical braggadocio, everyone can agree to that without question.  However, when some of these poor souls start suffering delusions of grandeur, you've really got to question their integrity as artists, not too mention their concept of reality.  Saying you're hot on wax is one thing; acting pompous in public just makes you an asshole.

And whoever used the lyrics from De La Soul's "Ego Trippin (Part 2)" obviously missed the message in this one.  First off, the title says it all: when you ego trip, you're taking yourself too seriously.  The line that you quote by Dove ("I'm the greatest MC in the world") is not a proclamation of his own skills, but rather the words of a character he's rapping as to demonstrate the mindstate of someone ego-tripping.  This line is followed directly by this lyrical gem:

"You gots to gimme gimme mine cause I'm heavy when I weigh it
Watch the way I say it (ego trip)
Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up
I never did it"

So this guy's saying how he'll change his music ("change my pitch up") and his image ("smack my bitch up") to gain success as an mc ("gimmie gimmie mine").  This, even though he's never acted this way before ("I never did it").

When he returns to the 1st person he says: "The flavor's bein' butt but brothers ain't gettin' it" or in other words, the music/culture now sucks becuase of this mentality, but unfortunately lots of people aren't realizing or "gettin" it.  
Posdenous has a concluding verse where he drops:
"Intoxicate many wit my talk without intoxicatin' myself" as if the ultimate struggle for an mc is making a name for yourself without buying into the hype you are creating.

The entire album "Bulhoone Mind State" was a reaction to this kind of behavior...a balloon mind meaning your head is inflated with your own narcissism.  Brilliant stuff, from a trendsetting group (at least for the first three albums).

It's ironic that you use this song to bolster your argument about hip-hop's self-promotion, when in fact it's about the rejection of this mentality.  I do understand your point, but again there is a fine line between the persona in your music (especially in hip-hop) and the actual person you are.  The notion of the "studio gangster" comes to mind...

As for JIm James putting Kanye's record on his best of list, to each his own, but I have this puritanical leaning when it comes to this stuff.  Thanks to anybody who read all this..I'm out..

[PapaJoeBear]

Well said on the De La Soul. In trying to prove my point,  i overlooked the context of the song. I guess we can agree to disagree on Kanye West.  I enjoy his music; what he does outside of it I really care not.  I also have to say that De La's 4th album Stakes Is High is just as good as the 1st 3.  And I want to apologize if in my defence f Kanye I came off as nasty towards you, fast willie.

[LaurieBlue]

http://rockwrite.blogspot.com/2006/05/coachella-2006-day-one.html

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

10 years from now, Kayne West will be folding T shirts at the Gap.  or, if he's lucky, he'll be a regular on Law and Order.

too much of this style of music is flash in the pan.  anyone still spinning Vanilla Ice?  during his reign as current king of the hip hop world, Ice was all over the media, talking shit and generally being a pain in the ass.  Eminem is no different.  West is no different.  There just isn't any staying power to this style.  It's like getting drunk night after night on Mad Dog 20/20-fun as hell the first time, but diminishing returns afterwards.

MMJ are like good, smooth, 18 year old bourbon.  it took a long time to make em, but they deliver time after time.  let's see where they are in 10 years.  hopefully not on the Surreal Life... ;)

[PapaJoeBear]

I disagree John.  Compairing Kanye and Eminem to Vanilla Ice?  Vanilla Ice had a shelf life of, what, 6 months?  Come on, man. Eminem has been around for 7 or 8 years, and after each album his fan base grew. Nevermind the fact that his 1st album is his only real good one.  Kanye acts like he's top of the world partially because he is.  He's an award winning rapper and producer.  He's producing songs and albums for some very talented artists.  I'm not even saying that his 'I'm a living god'  attitude he has is proper.  All I originally said was I like his music.Vanillia Ice was a gimick.  Is it that you don't care for hiphop, John?

[biscuitbobo]

wasn't this (and thanks to laurie's contributions..as always) a thread about mmj at coachella? ???

[PapaJoeBear]

Sorry for going so off topic ;D

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.ocweekly.com/music/music/mediocre-you-cant-be-serious/25062/

Those of us who make the yearly trek to Coachella do so because—for lack of a better phrase—it's life. It's how we know summer is almost here. It's how we know 364 days have passed since the last time we drove to Indio. And, above all, it's how we stumble—literally—upon new bands to love. Which helps explain a note I scribbled during My Morning Jacket's late afternoon set on Saturday: "Okay, first of all, Ben Wener, **** You!"

Watching as the Louisville rockers delivered one Kentucky-fried jam after another—including the endlessly, hopelessly catchy "Off the Record" and others showcasing singer Jim James' from-here-to-Mars falsetto—I felt a fervor for rock & roll that I hadn't registered since first watching TheLast Waltz as a teenager. Add to this a boozy, plugged-in electric set from hippie guy/Second Coming Devendra Banhart and a gorgeous performance by Cat Power, backed by the Memphis Rhythm Band, and it's easy to see why, by night's end—physically drained and nearly reduced to tears, no joke—all I could muster was a quiet, "Let's go." And then: "I can't watch another band today after this."

.............

SATURDAY


My Morning Jacket, 6:05 p.m.: One more thing about these guys: Radiohead better watch their back.

[EC]

wow.  yeah, you gotta be careful.  devendra, and then cat power and then mmj might kill an average person.  ;)

all I could muster was a quiet, "Let's go."

i felt that way a few times at bonnaroo.  

oooooooh damnit bonnaroo.

[LaurieBlue]

http://suavefaire.blogspot.com/2006/05/on-saturday-first-day-of-festival-i.html

Again I had to leave a few minutes early (one of the drawbacks of Coachella) in order to catch My Morning Jacket at 5:55 on the Outdoor stage. They rocked! (and when I say rocked, I mean in a loud southern rock way) They played all the best songs from their latest albums, including Gideon, Off The Record, and Mahgeeta. Toward the end of the set, Jim James (the singer) apologized for the heat and then said they were going to heat things up, or cool things down, with a mellow song, Golden, which was beautiful. He's a fun singer to watch with his bushy long hair and beard.

[LaurieBlue]

http://abarkinthedark.blogspot.com/2006/05/coachella-day-one-part-ii-let-wookie.html

[dragonboy]

Did this already get posted?
There are 4 very short clips from Coachella 2006 on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=my+morning+jacket&search_type=search_videos&search=Search

[LaurieBlue]

http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=8474

It seemed that the entire capacity crowd at Coachella was eagerly awaiting My Morning Jacket. MMJ had not been a priority for me at Bonnaroo in 2004 because I am slow, but they were the band I was most excited to catch at Coachella. As the gap between Bonnaroo and Coachella grows ever closer, MMJ seems like one of the crossover bands. Jim James has a voice like no other man with a microphone today. MMJ delivered a ferocious assault that induced head-banging, smiles, and tears. It was a full-body religious experience that exceeded expectations, and even though I missed TV on The Radio, it was worth every second.