Today at Flavorpill, we decided that we need to immediately start planning a trip to Leavesden (which is reportedly just outside of London) for next year’s opening of the Harry Potter Studio Tour. We were impressed by the skills of this interactive robotic painting machine. We watched a supercut of movie characters walking off into the distance. We tried to imagine what kind of strange dishes a menu-inspired by Where the Sidewalk Ends would include. We downloaded “I’m a Goner,” a wacky collaboration between Matt & Kim, Andrew W.K., and Soulja Boy. We considered what makes a great critic. We were excited to hear that the excellent documentary Winnebago Man is now streaming for free. We were kind of frightened by a few of the photos in Lindsay McCrum’s series Chicks with Guns. And finally, we were happy that someone else out there wishes that they could try Raspberry Cordial because of Anne of Green Gables. We are not alone!
Can you Dougie? Can you Walk it Out? Can you do the Stanky Legg? Well, if you can’t, you’re about to be able to. It’s not as if instructional dance songs are a new phenomenon — everyone in the world has been doing the Twist on command since 1959 — but it certainly feels like songs with a built-in dance move have been getting a lot more numerous, not mention a lot more ridiculous, in recent years. We don’t know about you, but we’ve always had a hard time keeping them straight, so we thought we’d put together a list of the decade’s most popular hip-hop inspired dance moves. Dance along after the jump — and let us know what other club staples you’d add to the list.
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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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Well, here’s an unlikely, nascent trend: rappers wearing hijabs. Yesterday, we called M.I.A. out for donning a burqa she designed (and tackily decorated with her own song lyrics). And today, Animal points us to a truly bizarre XXL magazine cover that features 50 Cent — that master of cultural sensitivity — in a veil, with his arm thrown around protégé Soulja Boy, who just happens to be fondling himself.
Now, while we would never question an actual Muslim, female rapper‘s choice to appear in a hijab, we are certainly wondering what Fitty and Maya’s getups are supposed to mean. Clearly, they’re both provocateurs, and each outfit is meant to incite controversy. And they will. But beyond that — and perhaps some lip service from M.I.A. about Muslim women’s rights — the gestures seem pretty empty to us.
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A mere man can raise political awareness, call attention to the continued plight of African Americans, and take music back for the people, but but it takes a Soulja Boy to make hip-hop that matters to the mainstream.
But, fight as he might, one soldier is not enough to win the war on intelligent hip-hop. Today, July 2, 2009 may be remembered as the day that radio rap lost one of its warriors: Soulja Boy has conceded victory to the “other” hip-hop artists. According to an early morning tweet: “This rap shit is lame now.” He’s done, he’s out, “gonna go blow kush and live my 2nd dream.” If Soulja Boy does disappear, who will lead us? Ewe’ve ocmpiled a list of biz tips from Soulja Boy himself, assuming anyone wants to take slip into his slot.
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