Rich Aucoin is one of the most creative folks we've come across since moving back to Halifax, so we're always keeping tabs on what he's up to next, and as such, we were very interested when he posted the video below on Facebook. In his own words: "Hey, so I noticed my song IT is the same chord progression as EMPIRE STATE OF MIND so I, naturally, made a mash-up". And what a mash-up it is, check the youtube description for the genesis of the song, but it's pretty great stuff in my humble. If you like that, keep it locked on the hill for coverage of Rich's new album, the concisely named We're All Dying To Live : Public Publication EP/Over The Top! LP, which will come out next year and features some 500 Canadian musicians.

VIDEO:: Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys mash up w. Michael Jackson Dan Deacon Rich Aucoin

MP3:: Rich Aucoin - Empire State of It
MYSPACE:: www.myspace.com/richaucoin

Labels: Halifax, Jay-Z, Mash-Up, Rich Aucoin, Saturday AM Fun

Today is my birthday. Like everyone, I share my birthday with a number of famous folks (Sergey Bubka, Marisa Tomei, Masta Ace), but one in particular stands out this year: Shawn Corey Carter. Yes indeed, the Jigga Man himself. I say this because '09 marks a milestone birthday for the two of us: Jay turns the big 4-0 this year, while I'm turning 35. Oh don't act so surprised, we told you we were old - the Ack turns the same next year, he just has the benefit, or curse, of looking eternally 18.

So yep, me & Hove, greeting a milestone together. We're an odd match on the surface, but we're not so different, Jay-Z and I. We've both had a lifelong love of hip hop. Jay turned his love into a billion-dollar empire. I turned mine into...um, this blog? Oh well, I once got to do an email interview with MC Rell, and Donald-D sent us a myspace message once, so who's complaining. Jay-Z had one of the most legendary rap beefs ever with Nas. I once had a bad argument with a dude named Jason Crawley in Junior High, who said to me "Shane, you box for the Navy, but I kill for the CIA", which was awesome. Jay-Z has hung out with Oprah. My wife was in a crowd shot at the Oprah show for like 15 to 20 seconds. Oh, and speaking of wives, we both have beautiful, uniquely named ones. Jay's wife is named Beyonce, perhaps you've heard of her, while my wife's name is Petra. See? It's like we're living parallel lives!

Or not. Anyway, happy birthday Jay-Z, buy yourself something nice, like an island, or a small country like Andorra. As for me, I'll simply use the words of my favorite Stingray vs. Mad Foxes 2 bar patron to salute myself: "here's to me, the best there is".

MP3:: Danger Mouse - December 4th

MP3:: MF Doom - December 4th

MP3:: RJD2 - December 4th

MP3:: Kno (Of Cunninlynguists) - December 4th

MP3:: Pete Rock - December 4th

Labels: Birthday, Jay-Z, News

If you were on the site last week, you're likely aware that I'm a big fan of Ghettosocks' new album, Treat of the Day. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the main ones is certainly Socks' liberal use of awesome old school vocal samples throughout the album. I'm not going to lie to you fine folks: I'm a sucker for old rap samples. If you've spent any time around this site, that shouldn't surprise you, but honestly, if you put a few songs on your album where you Premo-scratch (sure, everyone's done this, but I always associate it with Premier) a bunch of samples from classic hip hop songs for the chorus, well then you've gone a long way towards winning me over.

So, with an album full of good material fresh in my head, I couldn't resist doing an OSM that features the original songs for some of Treat of the Day's best samples. So then, a word about each song:

Jaz - Hawaiian Sophie - No better song to start with, as one of my favorite songs on TOTD is called Dreams of Hawaiian Sophie, and this Jaz tune is a Golden Age classic that I've never posted before. Luau's and high-top fades - a winning combo. And yes, it does feature a young, rather skinny version of yer man Jay-Z. Big Jaz put Jay on - it's too bad they hate each other now.

KRS-One - I Can't Wake Up - I also said this about Dreams of Hawaiian Sophie: "thanks in no small part to the fact that it samples one of my favorite KRS songs". This is that song, one in which KRS dreams he's a blunt being smoked by various hip hop personalities over a Premo beat. It's weirdly awesome.

Gangstarr - Dwyck f. Nice & Smooth - I've posted this song before, but bits of it are featured in both Ricochet and Pink Lemonade, so it appears again. Plus it's awesome, so there should be no complaints.

Joeski Love - Pee-Wee's Dance Another song that was posted a while ago, but again I refer to the awesomeness. Or perhaps some kitschy awesomeness, although I really do love this beat. It's also used in Ricochet.

Big Daddy Kane - Put Your Weight On It - Awesome, live-mix type of jam from BDK's often overlooked Taste Of Chocolate album. Kane just rips it as Mr. Cee flips the beat a few times. Forgot how great it was. Kane's "cut like a guillotine" from this song is scratched into the end of Fatal Flying Guillotine, which makes sense.

Wu-Tang - Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F*ck Wit - Grimy classic from the Wu (seriously, go back and listen to 36 Chambers, so awesome - more so when you consider RZA made some of those beats on like a 4-track) that is also sampled in Fatal Flying Guillotine.

The B-Boys - Rock The House - This jam is a classic here at the hill because hill co-founder somehow got a semi-warped, vinyl copy of it from somewhere in New Jersey one summer when he was on tour with Thrush Hermit as their merch guy (100% true story). It's Syndicate sniper Donald-D exhorting the masses to dance whilst Chuck Chillout cuts it up on the 1's & 2's. Great stuff, and Don's voice is sample on Rock The Discotech.

Have to warn you, there some awesome songs below, so go an enjoy, but like King Tee said, it's at your own risk. Oh, and if you like these songs, go get that Treat Of The Day.

MP3:: Jaz - Hawaiian Sophie

MP3:: KRS-One - I Can't Wake Up

MP3:: Gangstarr - DWYCK

MP3:: Joeski Love - Pee-Wee's Dance

MP3:: Big Daddy Kane - Put Your Weight On It

MP3:: Wu-Tang - Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nuthing Ta F Wit

MP3:: The B-Boys - Rock The House

Jaz - Hawaiian Sophie


Joe Ski Love - Pee Wee's Dance


Wu-Tang Clan Aint Nuthin' Ta F' Wit

Labels: Big Daddy Kane, Ghettosocks, Greg Nice, Hip Hop, Jay-Z, Joeski, Old School Mondays, Wu-Tang