We’ve seen a ton of indie/rock album covers get the redesign treatment, but it feels like the hip hop world hasn’t been made over quite as much. We first spotted Jeff Rochester’s collection of iconic hip hop album covers reimagined over at Voices of East Anglia. The designer has given several classic groups a new face, including De La Soul’s Three Feet and Rising, albums by Madlib and LL Cool J. MF Doom’s redesign is impressive — and works, because he literally dropped bombs on that album — but we prefer the original. It’s hard to beat the hilarity of a B-boy Dr. Doom holding a mic and wearing a hoodie with fat gold chains as the drawstrings. The new artwork for Jeru’s The Sun Rises in the East is far better than the original, making it less obvious and a great compliment to the MC’s smart rhyme style. The Wu-Tang redo evokes the old kung fu film aesthetic that colored that album much more effectively than the original cover. Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid in Full has us torn. When the album dropped, most had no idea what the duo looked like so it was cool for people to finally see their faces — particularly with Rakim’s unique voice. See all the albums and decide for yourself in our gallery after the jump.
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1. The New Yorker’s Ben Greenman has come up with a list of a day’s worth of facts to get you through Wikipedia’s 24-hour blackout. [via McSweeney's]
2. In a move that rivals that woman who was upset that Drive wasn’t enough like a Fast and the Furious movie, some cinemagoers in the UK are demanding their money back because they didn’t realize that The Artist was a silent film. [via Telegraph]
3. The producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark are now suing the show’s former director, Julie Taymor, claiming that she developed “a dark, disjointed, and hallucinogenic musical involving suicide, sex, and death,” and refused to make the necessary changes when there were problems. [via BBC]
4. Pusha-T, Jay Electronica, and Frank Ocean are among the G.O.O.D. Music artists who are set to appear on Kanye West’s forthcoming compilation album, which is set for release this spring. [via NME]
5. LL Cool J is hosting this year’s Grammys which air February 12th on CBS at 8 pm. Didn’t realize that this particular awards show even had one? The last time it did was back in 2005, when Queen Latifah was at the helm. [via Vulture]
Bonus Buzz: The Internet’s Blackout Pages And SOPA Protests
We first became aware of The Headwear Association earlier this year when they named Johnny Depp ‘Hat Person of the Year.’ No argument there, we suppose, but we were not aware that in addition to naming a Hat Person for each year, the organization also annually inducts “stylish individuals renowned for wearing hats” into its Headwear Hall of Fame. The conditions, however, are stringent. Nominees are chosen for their “positive impact on the evolution and popularity of headwear fashions.” They must also “wear hats in their personal lives and not only while portraying a character on the stage or screen.” It um, also kind of seems like they pick people who they think look good in hats. This year’s honors go to Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, LL Cool J and Kid Rock, with Marlene Dietrich and Fred Astaire being inducted posthumously. Click through to see some of our favorite hats from this year’s inductees, see why they were chosen, and let us know how utterly ridiculous (or not, we suppose) you find this whole thing in the comments.
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Hey, Flavorwire readers, did you watch the Emmys last night? There were a few great moments — when Friday Night Lights finally won a few awards, for example — and a few too many jokes that fell flat (why get Jane Lynch to host when you’re only going to let her get in one great zinger about how Entourage explains why she’s a lesbian?). The prevailing mood of the night, however, was neither triumph nor disappointment; it was extreme awkwardness. Relive the mortification and confusion with us as we enumerate the night’s most uncomfortable moments after the jump.
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As we reported, Nickelodeon plans to re-air some of their most beloved ’90s series in a block dubbed The ’90s Are All That. While some at Flavorwire worried that this resurrection of Kenan, Kel, Clarissa, and the like will rob these shows of the nostalgia that endear them to us (and make for such impassioned party conversations), others rejoiced. We poured ourselves celebratory orange sodas; we hung up our Fergface dart boards; we even went so far as to start our nostalgic navel-gazing a bit early and re-watch The Adventures of Pete & Pete. We discovered that a lot of our favorite musicians stopped by Wellsville during Pete & Pete‘s three seasons — from Iggy Pop to Michael Stipe, a surprising number of artists have made bizarre and wonderful cameos. After the jump, check out ten of our favorite guest appearances.
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We were excited to hear that Lil Wayne recently wrapped production on an episode of MTV’s Unplugged — mostly because it marks the show’s first hip-hop performance since Jay-Z’s acoustic concert in 2001 (not because we want to hear a stripped version of “Mrs. Officer”). We hope that Wayne’s appearance will pave the way for a new generation of rappers to grace the show’s stage. This news and Lupe Fiasco’s performance on Sunday night’s MTV Movie Awards got us thinking about our favorite hip hop performances on the network. Our top ten is after the jump.
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If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, Dumas’ Les Trois Mousquetaires.
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Collecting four decades of work, James Hamilton’s You Should Have Heard Just What I Seen combines the dedication of a photojournalist with the passion of a true music fan and the eye of a fine-art photographer.
The new book, edited by longtime friend and frequent subject Thurston Moore, chronicles Hamilton’s 40 years immersed in the downtown NYC music and art scene. Lovingly culled from the artist’s vast private archive, the volume also features never-before published candid photographs of icons from Joni Mitchell to the Ramones.
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From M.I.A.’s burqa to Kanye’s giant necklace, when it came to the boldest fashion statements of 2010, hip-hop artists helped lead the sartorial charge. Which is nothing new, really. Need proof? After the jump we’ve rounded up some of the most stylish hip-hop album covers from the ’80s. Click through, and if you know what’s good for your wardrobe, be sure to take notes.
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Last week, Willow Smith — the 9-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith — dropped the video for her first single, the infectious jam “Whip My Hair.” Precocious as Willow is, she’s far from the first prepubescent rapper. In fact, there’s a fairly long history of up-and-comers who aren’t old enough to drink, vote, or drive. From the 1980s on, rappers, like gymnasts, start really early; they’re usually making beats before they are out of diapers. We present to you a brief, incomplete history of hip-hop artists under 18, after the jump.
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