It’s the fourth of July in the USA, its day of independence, and Ludacris is honouring the occasion by performing as the headline act for a “freedom festival” at Guantanamo Bay. This marks the first time a rapper has performed there.
We’re unsure if this performance comes out of irony or protest but one thing’s for sure… it’s unique.
According to the Miami Herald, detainees at the camp will not be close enough to the concert to be able to hear what is going on, with the concert taking place in a car park miles away from the sea-front prison camps.
Speaking to Radio Gitmo before the event, Navy Chief Petty Officer Monique Hilley noted that, “Gitmo hasn’t seen a star with a big name as Ludacris in several years…the base is really looking forward to it.”
That’s some serious shots fired at Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T’s and Magic who have all played at the base in the past two years.
The performance will be the third time the rapper has performed for troops, previously giving a concert for soldiers at Fort Meade in Maryland in 2010, and a welcome home event for returning Iraq veterans in Texas in 2004.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwWqz9cyWuI
While no reports of the show have trickled through, we feel sorry for the Gitmo soldiers who have to cough up the cash for his insane rider.
Image: Wikipedia
Want to book Ludacris to perform at your high school football game? The University of Georgia did, securing the rapper to perform at their spring football game for 15 minutes at the hefty price of US$65,000.
While students were no doubt entertained by the artist, perhaps the most interesting part of this incident was the remarkable rider that came along with the fee and agreement to perform. Ludacris’ rider was, well, ledicrous. It included a toothbrush and toothpaste, candles, condoms, nuts (including unsalted and salted almonds), juice, soap, toiletries, gatorade, eight bottles of cognac, vodka, patron and wine, incense, jam, bread and more.
I have no idea how or why this amount of stock could be used to enhance a FIFTEEN MINUTE performance. The condoms and huge amount of alcohol are particularly alarming, but I guess that’s why he’s called Ludacris.
The rider is part of the contract for the performance, which can be read in full here. It details instructions for supplying towels (“NO OLD TOWELS”) instructions for a ten-person dinner including grilled chicken, fresh fruit and “drummette style wings” with teriyaki, lemon pepper and mild sauce. They’re also welcome to simply provide money for a dinner “buy out,” if they cough up $40 per person – cash up front.
$65,000 is a hell of a lot for a fifteen minute performance and the rider and these stipulations would add a huge additional number. While I know absolutely nothing about the University of Georgia or the SS education system in general, it is quite remarkable that they have this much money lying around for entertainment. I hope Ludacris provided students with fifteen glorious minutes of throwback hip-hop goods. He certainly provided the school with a great deal of exposure on his social media accounts:
#uga A photo posted by @ludacris on
#showkillas A photo posted by @ludacris on
In any case, he seems to be making the most of his immense profits:
Image: Instagram
Words by Luke Benjamin
Lil Wayne is the newest face of Samsung, appearing in three recently released spots alongside actor Wesley Snipes. The Louisiana rapper is the ambassador for the newest iteration of the Galaxy, the S7, and examines its waterproof capabilities with a short champagne shower.
In the other ads, Wayne and Wesley Snipes fool around with the phones new virtual reality feature, birthing elephants, canoeing, and generally palling around. The commercials are pretty hysterical, and sadly, probably better than Lil Wayne’s recent musical output.
Though the spots are blissfully short, Lil Wayne’s acting chops are undeniable, his charisma easily shining through in his gravelly lines. In fact, some, not me, may even suggest that Weezy’s performance is comparable to that of his former Cash Money running-mate and hip-hop acting GOAT, Drake.
Drizzy of course, was one of the stars of this years Super Bowl ad bonanza with his Hotline Bling inspired T-Mobile spot:
The former child star and Degrassi actor is easily comfortable in front of the camera, with a quick smile and calm demeanor. Not to mention, the boy has some range, as his SNL hosting resume shows.
At this point, you may be wondering where Lil Wayne and Drake’s acting turns rank in the great pantheon of rapper commercials, well let’s go to the tape.
In our review of the esteemed art that is hip-hop commercials, it’s only right to start with maybe the most iconic rapper of the 2000s, Kanye West. ‘Ye’s acted on a number of occasions, but I’d bet few remember his classic 2004 Boost Mobile ad with Ludacris and The Game:
The Where Ya At spot is probably the only time in the history of Boost Mobile that they’ve been associated with anything cool, and the nostalgia of popped polo Kanye is priceless. More than that though, is the high level of unintentional comedy that comes with three multi-millionaire rappers trying to look hard while trading bars into flip-phones. Kanye’s sheepish face when he decides to “keep the beat for himself” is everything. 9.5/10.
Next, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this criminally underrated gem from 2015:
https://twitter.com/juviethegreat/status/613446004851892224
Yes, that is Juvenile hawking appliances in 2015. The former Hot Boy seems to have fallen on leaner times, but his commitment to pushing washers and dryers in this twitter video is downright inspiring. Though arguably more low-budget than the other offerings in this overview, Juves work is lovably imperfect, with the sound of humming refrigerators partially obscuring his companions pitch. 10/10
Alright, so before I call it quits, and watch that Juve The Great masterpiece like twelve more times, there’s one more ad that has to be mentioned, Jay Z’s 2003 Heineken spot:
This last commercial is masterful for countless reasons, but to list a few:
1. Pre-Bey Jay
2. That Jay-Z chooses a Heineken after turning down fridges full of champagne
3. Vintage Rocawear
4. The use of “Excuse Me Miss”
5. Jay nonchalantly forgetting or ignoring his girls request
So, yeah this one is a winner. 8.5/10
In conclusion, Juve had one of the best commercials of all time! ALL TIME!
Image: Phandroid
Guess what, Ludacris is dropping a new album next week. Ludaversal is reportedly more aggressive and powerful than anything else he’s done of late – including this one, Beast Mode.
The video clip features Ludacris at a press conference, basically mocking media coverage. The reporters ask him stupid questions, and he doesn’t answer them.
To fit it out, he’s pulled in Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks, a pro-footballer and notorious hater of the press. Lynch goes to great lengths to avoid speaking with the press – he’s nearly lost is football contract over it, and has even been referenced by the likes of Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry when they want to avoid talking with the press.
The song itself is abrasive and fairly unimpressive, save for the myriad metaphors that litter almost every couplet. Rhyming “Batman” with “Pacman” and “John Dillinger” with “Forrest Whittaker” are pretty genius, not to mention name-dropping Bed, Bath and Beyond, Weight Watchers and all sorts of other weirdly middle class references.
Throughout the clip you also get to Lynch flexing his muscles, working out, and dancing around like nobody’s business. It’s pretty great.
Luda recently explained the song and his reason for pulling in Lynch: “The same way he’s plowing down people on the field, I’m plowing down people in the music industry and all these rappers,” Ludacris said. “It’s a song that has no hook, it’s three minutes of just metaphors and just going in.”
Hellllo and welcome to your weekly playlist, featuring my ten favourite new songs of the week. You’ll notice a few things about this week’s list: For starters, it’s a week predominantly filled with mashups, remixes and covers. There’s also three tracks not on the actual Soundcloud playlist, sorry – but they’re so good that they’re worth it. We’ve mostly got female-led tracks (as is often the case,) with a bluesy rock single and a couple glitchy techy bits and pieces in there for good measure.
Enjoy!
- Snoh Aalegra, Emotional
I was introduced to Snoh Aalegra last year, with her sublime R&B track Bad Things ft. Common. She’s back now with Emotional, a soulful number produced by none other than Wu-Tang Clan’s own Combining scratchy violin loops, bright trumpets and a chirpy beat, this is all kinds of awesome. - Tei Shi, Bassically (HONNE Remix)
I was a little scared before listening to this remix because of how much I fucking adore the original track, but I’m happy to say that this mellowed, smooth and sultry remix totally does it justice. The atmosphere is really chilled, without sacrificing any of the passion or - Marian Hill, Wasted
Things I like: big beats, unique female vocals, wicked indie-pop melodies. Once again Marian Hill has hit the right spot, with her new single It’s the kind of track that starts off simply, and grows into something playfully eerie and so captivating. - Justin Timberlake, Cry Me A River (CHVRCHES Cover)
I’ve started really liking Chvrches lately, and I’ve obviously always been a JT fan. As you might expect, this is a powerful synth-led pop cover, with driving bass, gorgeous vocals and everything that you love about both artists. Listen to it right here. - Beckyonce (BJ Warshaw) Single Loser (Put a Beck On It) (Beyonce & Beck mashup)
In the wake of the Grammys media frenzy, New Jersey producer BJ Warshaw has cashed in by creating a seriously cool mashup of Beyonce and Beck’s biggest tunes. While the combination seems unlikely, they actually work together ridiculously well! - Gengahr, She’s a Witch
UK band Gengahr have just dropped new single She’s A Witch, a soft and bright indie-folk tune. With a breathy melody and a gentle rhythm, it’s catchy, fun and radio-ready. Keep an eye out for more from these guys throughout the year. - Generaldisarray, Demons
Sydney’s Generaldisarray are back with a bang after a three year hiatus. Led by a raunchy melody, the stompy beat and sleazy guitars give off a punky, late night dive bar vibe. The six-and-a-half minute length is admittedly a challenge, but totally worth it. - Ludacris, Party Girls (Brodinski Remix)
This week, three remixes of Ludacris’ Party Girls dropped: Lunice, Sinjin Hawke, and this one by Brodinski. The darkest and French-tech-iest of the three, it’s sexy and deep, and a little… ludicrous: an X-rated Barbie Girls sample? Haha. Give all three a listen, they’re pretty sweet. - The Police, Roxanne (Royal Blood Cover)
I’m including this one because a) I LOVE this song, b) I LOVE Royal Blood, and c) I was supremely disappointed by their extremely boring Triple J Like A Version, and was even more upset after hearing how actually amazing they are at covers. Not on the playlist, check this shit out here. - Squarepusher, Rayc Fire 2
Hooray, new Squarepusher! The UK artist has just announced a new album, and the first single is Rayc Fire 2, available here as a free download (no Soundcloud soz.) The album was inspired by both Miles Davis-style jazz and dance music, and the single is glitchy, intricate and technologically dazzling.
Here’s the playlist, minus Chvrches, Royal Blood and Squarepusher