I'm really diggin' this, and one main reason was because I got some real awesome early Nas tapes that no one really has around the web, so when I stumbled upon this video, I felt it was only right to post it up.  These old demo tapes that I got are rare and so dope, maybe too dope for one to handle by himself!!!  Anyway, pee the video below, and I will contemplate throwing up the two rare Nas demo tapes I got... Stuff is MAD CRAZY!!!

Nas @ Rock The Bells 2009:

More Nas Coming Your Way Soon!

Hey guys what's up? Hopefully everything is going pretty well in your lives, because I know everything over here is awesome. This week's remix of the week is by a sweet Belgian musician named Milow, and he did a fantastic job remixing 50, Timbaland, and JT's "Ayo Technology". He then produced a music video with Homerun Records & MTV Networks, and is scorin' over 11 million views on YouTube. What a dude! Perez Hilton and Kanye posted up this music video on their blogs, so it would seem silly not to post it up on ours. Shout out to Tets who sent it to me through Facebook. Social networking is really something isn't it? This music video is fantastic, and I can't stop watching it. Acoustic versions just downright blow away the originals; e.g. Thugz Mansion ft. Nas. The ladies in this vid, the deVilles Harem Girls, are pretty hot too!

Aight, Keep it real,
ICECrush

Drip, Drip, Drip, Pee on You

I am quite sorry that this week's Remix of the Week is delayed, but things are getting busy around here towards the end of the year. That being said though, hopefully you know that I will always bring you high quality remixes. For those of you that are Dave Chappelle fans, then hopefully you already have seen this clip, but if not, I bet that you'll love R. Kelly's "Doo Doo Butter". This remix with Nas puts a new spin on R. Kelly's "Ignition"; one that I really enjoy.

So enjoy, and COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT!
We'd love to hear from you!

Much love,
ICECrush

Chapelle Show: R-Kelly Piss On YOU - watch more funny videos

I grew up listening to oldies, and thanks to both my friend and my family, I have been very diverse in my liking of music.  I was brought up on the essential oldie musicians, such as: The Beatles, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Pink Floyd, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, and so many other musicians.  I would not really classify Nat King Cole as a, "oldie," but he for sure is someone I grew up listening to in the car.  There was always something about Nat that really spoke to me, and I can't tell if it is his musical style, or just that beautiful voice that blared out from his mouth the instant he began to sing.  I am sure I am not the only person to have this experience listening to Nat King Cole, as he really was a musician who had the voice of an angel, which sounded beautiful over musical notes.  Anyway, enough of me going on and on about Nat King Cole, let's get on with the review.

The mixtape starts off with a Nat King Cole classic, and Cee-Lo really throw his style and touch on "Lush Life."  The fact of the matter is that if Nat King Cole was alive today, I truly believe that the man would be doing work with Cee-Lo, Will.I.Am, and The Roots.  Those three musicians all seem like people that Nat King Cole would associate himself with.  The mixtape then moves onto "Straighten Up & Fly Right," where the once Black Eyed Pea, Will.I.Am, teams up with Natalie Cole on one of my personal favorite Nat King Cole tracks.  Natalie really does a great job on this one, and definitely captures the essence of the mixtape, which is to take the past, and bring it to the present, and to create an impression on the music industry that will last a lifetime.  Now the Cut Chemist is someone who I am truly unfamiliar with, but I may start looking into his musical works because I really liked the "Day In Day Out" track he did on the tape.  Track four featured a dynamic duo of Michaelangelo L'Acqua and the ever so popular Bebel Gilberto.  "Brazilian Love Song" was a track by Nat King Cole that never really grabbed me, so I was pleasantly surprised after giving the track a listen on the mixtape.  I still don't love the song, but I guess the mixing and mashing done on the track made it a lot better for me.  

Now one of my favorite Rap musicians who has been in the game for such a long time and recently put out an album entitled, Untitled; Nas and Salaam Remi really worked well on the track "The Game of Love."  I really loved the original song, and Nas' beats and rapping and musical style really took the track to a whole new level.  "Walkin' My Baby Home" is really what this mixtape is all about.  It's about taking the old and really making the old into a "fresh" new.  The Roots did jut that, transforming this oldie into a classic "newie" (if that even is a word).  The rest of the mixtape features a lot of big name musicians, all of who really put their taste and ideas into the mixtape.  In my opinion, Re: Generations was a huge success.  If they were trying to take the old Nat King Cole, and put him with musicians who they thought would work with him in today's world, then the producers of this mixtape were very successful.  They captured the oldies, and applied it with todays fast paced and ever growing musical industry.  I really do wonder what Nat King Cole would say if he was alive today and able to see this mixtape out... I guess we won't really find out anytime soon, seeing as his life has ended, and while this is the case, he has left the music industry and the world with a lifetime of classic hits and beautiful melodies.

Take note of this mixtape, because it will for sure be one of the TOP 10 MIXTAPES of 2009 (Click Here To View TOP 10 MIXTAPES of 2008).  Along with many other tapes, Re: Generations is one that will go down with some extreme replay value.  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the different musicians and their respective genres to the late Nat King Coles musical works.  I have always found it interesting to listen to mashups and remixes of songs that were first released so long ago.  I mean take The White Stripes mixtape, Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined, as an example of someone who took Rock and Roll, and melded it together with some of today's biggest names in the Rap and Hip-Hop game.  You may be someone who just likes the original music, and doesn't really care for all these mixtapes and mashups, but as someone who appreciates music, both new and old, it is hard for me to pass up and not comment on a mixtape as beautifully done as Re: Generations.

Re: Generations Track Listing:
1. Lush Life (Feat. Cee-Lo)
2. Straighten Up and Fly Right (Feat. will.i.am & Natalie Cole)
3. Day In Day Out (Feat. Cut Chemist)
4. Brazilian Love Song (Feat. Michaelangelo L'Acqua & Bebel Gilberto)
5. The Game of Love (Feat. Nas & Salaam Remi)
6. Walkin' My Baby Back Home (Feat. The Roots)
7. Hit That Jive, Jack (Feat. Souldiggaz & Izza Kizza)
8. Calypso Blues (Feat. Stephen & Damian Marley)
9. More and More of Your Amour (Feat. Bitter:Sweet)
10. El Choclo (Feat. Brazilian Girls)
11. Pick-up (Feat. Just Blaze)
12. Anytime Anyday Anywhere (Feat. Amp Fiddler)
13. Nature Boy (Feat. TV On The Radio)

So I am talking with my buddy ICECrush, and he hits me up with a message telling me to go to this site called, "Stars & Stripes Project". He doesn't really give me much insight as to what the heck I am viewing, but I know my man ICECrush always has something interesting to show me, whether it is shoes, music, or some other random crack up cartoon he has found on the internet. Anyway, I get on this site, and I start browsing around, and finally come upon the "Download" section of the site. I roll over to the download link (which is conveniently hosted on zShare), and wait my fifty seconds in anticipation for a mixtape that I truly don't know anything about. From the looks of the site, it looked like it was well done, with all the heavy duty artwork and what not, so I figured, "Heck, why not download it!?"

So I open Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined in my iTunes, and my ears are graced by the beautiful mixing of an unknown musician that goes by the name of Adrian Champion. I asked ICECrush where the heck he had found this guys music, and he answered with one word... "Twitter". I guess it really is good for something, seeing as it has led me to Adrian Champion. Now I am someone who gets into grooves when he listens to music, so when I hear something I like, I play it a ton! Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined has been playing on my iPod, iTunes, and car radio for the past day, and I have decided that since Adrian's mixtape has brought me so much pleasure (to my ears that is...), why not do a review on the album!? I don't know if Adrian Champion has done any other mixtapes, but he somehow was able to meld and mash some of today's hottest musicians (and some old musical acts that dropped it like it was hot back in the day), with the ever so beautiful rock tunes of The White Stripes.

The White Stripes (for all who really don't know much about Rock) have been around for a while. They have claimed tons of success from albums such as their self titled LP The White Stripes (1999), to their second release: De Stijl (2000). Then in 2001, the band hit it big with White Blood Cells, and followed up that album with an even better one: Elephant (2003). Elephant is their most popular and by far their best piece of work. Their 2003 release was followed by another fantastic album entitled, Get Behind Me Satan (2005), which got 4.5 Stars out of 5 Stars on Rolling Stone. Their 2007 release was nowhere compared to their 01', 03', and 05' LP's, but nonetheless, Icky Thump was still a solid production out of The White Stripes. The White Stripes have been in the music industry for a long while, as you can see, they have already released a whole bunch of albums, all of which have reached critical acclaim, and recieved fairly positive reviews on Rolling Stone. Their Garage-Rock musical style has attracted many musical listeners from around the world, and from all different age groups. In my opinion, The White Stripes will go down as one of the better Rock groups to ever grace the music industry with their presence.

Now, I hope that in the very near future, Adrian Champion and we hear at Tha Good Life Reviews will be given the opportunity to do an interview with him. I know he gives us some insight as to what and how he thought of making the mixtape, which is quoted below and can be found on the site "Stars & Stripes Project". The fact of the matter is that what Mr. Champion created was something that truly graces the ear, and at the same time, is able to amp you up and really get you into the music. You all know how I feel about mashups and remixes, and I think they are great! I have never, in my entire life, heard a solid twelve track mashup mixtape in which I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every track. The mixtape is definitely one of the best ones I have heard in a very long time, and I advise you to all click on the download link below and give this guy a listen! I promise you, you won't regret the fifty second wait time on zShare, it is totally worth it!!!

Adrian Champion's Thoughts On The Making Of Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined:

"I was late jumping on The White Stripes bandwagon. But, when I heard "Doorbell" a few years back I became an instant fan. That raw, classic sound was so fresh to me. I went straight to iTunes and downloaded the whole album. It wasn't long before I owned everything they'd ever released.

What really got me was that I wanted to sample almost every song. But, I couldn't just shamelessly sample their whole catalog. Plus, I had just decided to move away from sampling and focus on writing original music. So, a remix project seemed like the thing to do, and the idea was born.

I started digging through my collection and fitting all the pieces together. My goal was to use only samples from The White Stripes and a cappellas from classic songs and my favorite emcees. And of course, I had to rap on one of the tracks myself, with my man Brian Jacobs on the hook.

So there it is, hip-hop fans, meet The White Stripes.
Fans of The White Stripes, meet hip-hop."

— Adrian Champion

Track Listing For Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined:

1. Bombs Over Orchids / Outkast / Blue Orchid + B.O.B.
2. Icky Says / Pharahoe Monch / Icky Thump + Simon Says
3. Ante Up Every Way / M.O.P. / Offend in Every Way + Ante up
4. Turn it Up / Kanye West / I Want To Be The Boy... + This Way + Wouldn't Get Far + Selfish
5. Ms. Doorbell / Mos Def / Doorbell + Ms. Fast Booty
6. Cash Run / Notorious B.I.G. + 2Pac / Cash Grab + Runnin’
7. Got Yourself a Cannon / Jay-Z / Cannon + The Takeover
8. Jolene's Ether / Nas / Jolene (Live) + Ether
9. One More Corner / Common / One More Cup of Coffee + The Corner
10. Dangerous Love / Busta Rhymes / A Martyr for My Love For You + Dangerous
11. F*cking Apples / Eminem / Apple Blossom + Just Don't Give a Fuck
12. Tha Countdown Blues / Redman / St. James Infirmary Blues + The Saga Continues
13. Stars & Stripes / Adrian Champion + Brian Jacobs / Truth Doesn't Make A Noise

To All Those Rock Fans Out There, I Highly Suggest This Mixtape... AND For All You Hip-Hop Heads Out There, I Will Give You The Same Advise I Gave The Rock Fans... THIS MIXTAPE IS FOR YOU!!!

Adrian Champion Blog

Adrian Champion MySpace

Adrian Champion Twitter

Download Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined Here

Download Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined - The Instrumentals Here

Trailer For Stars & Stripes: The White Stripes Reimagined

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Nas is going to be back on his grind, and this time it will be an album with the infamous Marley son, Damien.  The album is supposedly going to cover the ghetto and life in Africa.  The albums money will go towards building new schools in Africa.  Nas also confirms about Kelis' pregnancy, and as he says, "I got another one coming in 09'," best wishes to the two of them!

MTV Interview With Nas: 

Well, incase you all have not heard, Nas is now naming his upcoming ninth album something other than the N-Word.  He has said that while he does not want to change the album title, it doesn't really matter.  He knows that all his fans will know the true album title, and that the name does not really matter.  Above is what the album art could be for the upcoming album.  Regardless from what the album art makes you think, from what I have heard, the album is going to be killer.  Supposedly better then any of his past ones.  If that is the case, then I don't think fans should be too upset about the name change.  

My simple view on the name change is that it is totally ridiculous.  This is America, and if Nas wants to name his ninth studio album using the N-Word, then that is his choice.  I personally think that people need to pick and choose there battles.  Does it really matter what the title of the album is?  I mean have you seen the titles of the confirmed tracks yet!?  Those out there who complain about things such as an album title change are people who are against Rap and Hip-Hop.  Nas should be allowed to do what he wants, and if using the N-Word really was such a bad thing, then why aren't those same people that are forcing the name change of the album, also trying to change the name of the tracks, and the amount of times the N-Word is used in Rap and Hip-Hop today.  No offense to them (those who are trying to get it to change), but who are they to say what is allowed and not allowed.  This is America, and you have to respect everyones rights.  If I want to do something, I can do it, so long as I am not breaking the law.  I can name a book that I write whatever I choose to.  If that is the case, then I am pretty sure Nas can make an album, and name it whatever he wants.  All in all, I personally think the name change is dumb, and that Nas really should have held his ground on the title, but that is just me.  The album that is due out July 1st, 2008 will for sure be killer, and as Nas said, we all really do know the real name of the album anyways.

You all know Kanye, whether it is his absurd rage outbursts, his political statements, or his good old fashioned contests, we all have grown to love him and what he does.  So this post goes out to him, as we review all those Kanye moments from the past.

So lets start off our Kanye moments with a  blast, shall we?  It all started in 2001, when Kanye entered the music scene.  He was featured in the song, "Izzo" which was a diss song against Nas and Mobb Deep.  Well, clearly Mr. West did not have a problem with them, he ended up doing many works with both artists as his career progressed.  So how did this song exactly make him big (considering he only became popular much later)?  Well you see it did not.  He was rejected by all record companies including Roc-A-Fella records.  This whole scenario set up the Kanye we all love and know today.  As you for sure know, Kanye West is always trying to prove someone wrong.

October 23rd, 2002, Kanye West gets into a huge car accident, on his way home from the recording studio.  Had this crash never taken place, who knows whether or not the hit single, "Through the Wire" would have ever been made.  As you all know, Kanye is a religious type of guy, as one can see from tracks such titled as, "Jesus Walks."

After College Dropout was all said and done, two years later, Late Registration was released. The album was a hit. "As ornate and bloated as West's ego." (Spin September 2005, p.99)  This quote hit it right on the spot and sums up who Mr. West is...One heck of a egotistical person. But I mean come on, who can say that his ego does not match up with what is there?  The guy has put out three amazing albums, all of which have been achieving awards and nominations for awards.  Kanye is allowed to have his ego because, he can.  If 50 Cent ever tried to act like Kanye did, then he would fail.  But then again, his ego has been known to get him into trouble. If you all remember, back in 05' there was a terrible hurricane which had destroyed most of New Orleans, sinking and completely filling up the whole city.  Kanye West was partaking in a commercial for aiding those who were hurt by the Hurricane, and when Michael Myers finished his comments on the subject of relief aid, Kanye started to speak and this is what he said. "George Bush doesn't care about black people."  That may be the case Kanye, but did you really have to say that so that everyone in America heard?  Yea you did!  We all love Mr. West for his political antics, and fearlessness, what would we do without him?

Well, here we go again!  It is now 2006, and what better way to start off the 2006 year with a picture of yourself dressed as Jesus, in the Rolling Stone, with a crown of thorns resting upon your head.  And just like we mentioned earlier, his ego had a huge role as to why he took a picture like this. "He suggested in Playboy that if a Bible were written in the present day, he is famous and important enough to be included in it. "I throw up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them", West claimed, "[I'm] definitely in the history books already."" Talk about being egotistical.  And who can forget the infamous Evil Kanyevil?  Yes, that is right, I am talking about the ever so controversial music video for the hit song, "Tough The Sky (Feat. Lupe Fiasco)."  If you all remember correctly, Evil Knievel was suing Kanye over using his ideas and using them in a sexual connotation.  

After that, 2007 roles around, and the hit album entitled, Graduation is released.  This one you should all know about, we even talked about it on the blog for a little bit.  Both Kanye and 50 Cent had their albums set to be released on September 11th, 2007.  So they each decided to make it interesting.  Whoever sold more copies on the debut day won.  Fitty had said that he would retire from the game if he lost, as you can see, his ego is no match to Kanye's.  At the end of the day, Kanye won by a large margin, and the end result was nothing, 50 Cent was still in the music business.  Here is what Kanye had to say about the contest at the beginning. "When I heard that thing about the debate, I thought that was the stupidest thing. When my albums drops and 50's album drops, you're gonna get a lot of good music at the same time."

Just when you thought the controversy was over, there was more in store for 07'!  Kanye was heard, "In September 2007, West suggested that his race had to do with his being overlooked for opening the MTV Video Music Awards in favor of Britney Spears; he claimed, "Maybe my skin’s not right.""  On September 9th, 2007, Kanye West had lost every single nomination his album had been up for.  The VMA's may not have been good for him, but the Grammys sure were, getting eight nominations there.

So I leave you with a bit of Kanye'isms from his book.  Get Used To Getting Used!  "To most people, the saying, "to use someone," carries a negative connotation.  But I don't see it that way. To 'mis', 'over' or 'ab' use someone is negative.  To use is necessary.  And if you can't be used, then you're useless."

Check Out Our Two Posts Relating To Kanye Below:

Kanye On SNL

Kanye vs. 50 Cent

Kanye Wests Outbursts At The VMA's:

"George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" Ad:

Kanye On SNL:

SNL Season Opener Promo:

As you all know, Nas is coming out with his ninth album this year, but what you did not know is when it is going to drop!  The new release is now set for April 22, 2008.  No word on whether the album's title will change (he has tried using this album name in the past and has then changed it).  Still no new track confirmed..."You a N****r Too" & "The Fear (of the Black Man's Dick)" are still the only ones.

Well, a while back, I posted up that Nas would be releasing his controversial album this year. As I am sure most of you are used to in the music industry, release dates change every now and then.  Well now Nas's expected 2008 album has no set release date.  DefJam and Nas each expected that there would be a single that would be released in January and then the album would come out in February.  Now there is no set release date, and no singles have been released as of yet.  When we hear more on the current situation regarding Nas and his upcoming album, we will let you know. 

As you may or may not know, Nas is preparing yet another album.  Just last year in 2007, he came out with the his Greatest Hits. The ninth studio album looks to be a controversial one, as you can already see from the title.  This is not the first time that Nas has tried to pick out a title like this.  If you are a Nas listener, then if you do not remember when the album, Hip Hop is Dead album was released, he initially wanted to call it, "Hip Hop is Dead...The N****."  As you can see, no one is stopping him this time, and the album will be titled, N****.  Nas's album will be released February 15th, 2008 and will be his ninth studio album.

Track Listing (So Far):

"The Fear (Of the Black Man's Dick)"

"You a N***** Too"