New York-based rapper Theophilus London is on a roll. After dropping his first EP, Lovers Holiday, last month, he’s putting the finishing touches on his debut album and getting ready to take on the world. Not that he hasn’t been noticed already. His early remixes and mixtapes (Jam! and This Charming Mixtape) brought him to the attention of artists including Mark Ronson and Damon Albarn and led to guest turns with Ronson’s Business Intl, Gorillaz, and Dave Sitek’s Maximum Balloon.
Lovers Holiday, which includes guest appearances by Solange Knowles and Tegan and Sara’s Sara Quin, is a perfect taste of the genre-confounding music that London makes — a mash-up of hip-hop, pop, old-school funk, and soul. For an artist who cites Michael Jackson, the Smiths, and Arthur Russell among his influences, it’s hardly surprising he stands out from the crowd as much as he does. In our exclusive interactive interview, London reveals what to expect from his first album, what it’s like becoming the face of two brands at once, and why he still feels like a fan around some of his friends. Plus: an impromptu music video for a previously unheard album track!
TV on the Radio’s David Andrew Sitek indulges his dancier side with Maximum Balloon, a collaborative project featuring vocals from Karen O, David Byrne, and Theophilus London.
The eponymous album also includes appearances by Sitek’s bandmates Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, but he keeps things clear of darker TVotR territory by lacing the tracks with bright, dance-floor ready beats and bleeps. As with most multi-vocalist undertakings, the results vary with the contributors themselves, but Sitek’s skill as a producer shines throughout.
This week marks our 30th mixtape. We may not be getting all “XXX,” Roman-style, but we have managed to narrow the week’s choicest mp3s down to our ten favorites. Keep your eyes peeled for new material from the Arcade Fire, Maximum Balloon (Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio), and some long-lost cousins of Phoenix. Right Click + Save As individual songs, or scroll to the bottom to get the entire mixtape, after the jump.
“Don’t fuck with the Bieb.” This immortal advice comes courtesy of Raaaaaaandy a.k.a Aziz Ansari, who apparently went through a creative scuffle with Justin Bieber during sessions for the Randy/Dave Sitek mixtape. In this video, Randy attacks Bieber for stealing his song “Baby Baby” and chronicles the painful, pistol-waving aftermath of the situation. The short glimpse of the actual Bieber’s videos are stomach-churning, but we’re also treated to hilariously incongruous intimations that he’s a weed fiend. The thought of Justin Bieber bespoiling his squeaky-clean image with a few puffs on the magic dragon seems about as likely as him peeling back his animatronic exoskeleton and revealing himself to be the fourth chipmunk inhabiting a boy-band automaton. Either way, watch the video and see what events are causing Raaaaaaaandy’s mixtape to be delayed for so long.
