Cypress Hill Go Classic With CS&N Sample, Pitbull & Marc Anthony Get Involved

via Canoe

Nobody could have predicted Cypress Hill would have a radio hit in 2010 courtesy of Crosby, Stills and Nash classic, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes — not even the West Coast rap veterans themselves.

But indeed they do, as Cypress Hill’s latest single, Armada Latina — which is fuelled by the CSN song’s guitar harmony and Spanish-language-chorus ending — has created buzz leading up to today’s release of the group’s first studio album in six years, Rise Up.

“It’s strange we get radio hits every five years or seven years,” said Cypress Hill’s lead rapper B-Real in a Canadian newspaper exclusive with QMI Agency.

“We’ve had success somehow without so much radio. But the airplay that we have had was significant with Insane in the Brain and after that we didn’t have another one that was massive until (Rock) Superstar came (in 2000). We’re not, by nature, a radio group. We get it when we can get it.”

The idea to use the Suite: Judy Blue Eyes sample came from Armada Latina’s producer Jim Johnson, who suggested Miami rapper Pitbull (You Know You Want Me) and Latin pop artist Marc Anthony also appear on the track.

Pitbull wasn’t a stretch, but Anthony’s involvement seemed unlikely.

“I didn’t believe that Marc Anthony would get on the track with us; that’s a little to the left,” said B-Real. “But he ended up being a fan and he ended up coming to the studio and taking the track over the top. It far exceeded what my expectations of it were and now there’s a big buzz on it so you can’t complain about that. It’s something you can’t anticipate and sometimes those are the best things. Our sound is usually really dark and gritty and underground. This particular track is not that. We take chances and sometimes we win.”

CSN’s Stephen Stills, who Cypress Hill met at the 1994 edition of Woodstock, even showed up to play guitar in the video for the song.

“He was talking to (Cypress Hill rapper) Sen Dog and myself and telling us how he was influenced in writing that original song (about his then long-time girlfriend Judy Collins),” said B-Real. “And that he loved the song so much and he was glad that somebody finally actually came and used it in the way that we used it. When you grow up listening to all these different types of genres of music, and you meet one of the people you hold in high regard, and he likes your s--t, that’s the craziest thing ever.”

The long break between Cypress Hill albums was due to the fact that the group had wrapped up their previous deal with Sony and had no pending deadline. They have since signed to Snoop Dogg’s Priority Records, distributed by EMI.

B-Real previously toured with Snoop Dogg, as is the case with many of the guests on Rise Up — including Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) and Everlast.

In fact, Everlast was responsible for adding lyrics from The Doors’ 1967 classic Break On Through (To the Other Side) to the song, Days Destroy The Night,

B-Real — who played with guitarist Robby Krieger in a band called Camp Freddy, met keyboardist Ray Manzarek at an industry function and got to know John Densmore while playing congas on a version of Riders on the Storm that the Doors drummer was producing — said he has nothing but respect for them.

“They knew who we were and they knew we appreciated their music and we’re big fans,” said B-Real. “They’re really open-minded when it comes to attaching where their music goes to, like how they brand it, with whom they brand it.

“They’re some cool dudes. I can’t say nothing but praise for them. I mean, those artists of that time are open-minded to what this is and to what we do. And that’s the great thing, seeing that Stephen Stills and The Doors collectively were open-minded enough to let us borrow from the existing vibe. Adding our vibe to theirs, that was the coolest s--t ever.”

Cali Christmas w/50 Cent, Chamillionaire, T-Pain And More Concert Recap

As reported by August Brown at the Los Angeles Times

Everyone at Cali Christmas (Power 106), from the once world-crushing rapper 50 Cent on down to the welcome young crooner Jeremih, had a streak of self-deprecation to their acts.

Maybe it came from the humbling fact that their genres, which once prided themselves on distinctions between being gangsta and being a gentleman, are now indistinguishable -- and nobody can sound too thuggish over today's dominant Euro-trance beats and thin sales figures. Still, the shift humanized the boys' boasts regarding their earning and bedroom prowess in convincing ways.

Brooklyn rapper Fabolous has long operated at the fringes of pop while maintaining credibility as a dense, lyrical MC. His most recent album, "Loso's Way," sported the unfortunate Carrie Bradshaw-worthy shopping anthem "Throw It in the Bag." But during his set Wednesday, he made some welcome detours through his earlier, much flintier material.

From an opposite vantage point, T-Pain's lush robot quaver has become maybe the defining sound of pop radio in the latter years of this decade. His secret is that he's actually a fantastic singer and arranger; every single comes stacked with inventive harmonies and a playful way with melody. He's a much smarter songwriter than titles like "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)" might lead one to believe, but he also refuses to take himself seriously.



50 Cent has had a tougher time of that in recent months. After Kanye West skunked him on the 2007 sales charts, 50 has struggled mightily to return to his "Get Rich or Die Trying"-era dominance. But one forgets that the 50 Cent who wrote "How to Rob" -- an older track that remains his most exciting song -- was a sneering underdog, not the guy who celebrates an actual "Curtis Jackson Day" in his über-rich enclave of Bridgeport, Conn.

50 does better when people don't see him coming. New singles like "Psycho" have a touch of his old menace; at Cali Christmas, he hit the high points of his conflicted new album "Before I Self Destruct," like the glitched-up ragtime-piano burner "So Disrespectful."

More fan shot footage below.





Read the full review here:
L.A. Times - Live: Power 106 Cali Christmas at Gibson Amphitheatre

PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Orange County Register

(video footage courtesy of gtony87)

Los Angeles Times 2009's Top Hip Hop Songs About Booze

“Crack a Bottle” – Eminem featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent

“So crack a bottle / Let your body waddle / Don’t act like a snobby model / You just hit the Lotto,” Em sing-raps on the chorus of this party track. The operative thinking here conflates sobriety with snootiness and getting wasted with winning a lottery jackpot.



“Blame It” – Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain

“Blame it on the Goose, got ya feelin’ loose / Blame it on the 'trón, catch me in a zone / Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol,” Foxx sings with no small amount of added Auto-tune attitude in this boudoir jam that was all but inescapable on Top 40 radio earlier this year. Yes, he is talking about Grey Goose and Patrón. But later in the song, he lays bare his reasoning: by continuing to fill a potential love interest’s cup, she’s more likely to lose her inhibitions – “Fill another cup up / Feelin’ on your butt what?”



“Crazy Night” – R. Kelly featuring R. City

“This Hennessy got me,” R. Kelly croons on the lead cut from his latest album, “Untitled.” Then he gets to the chorus: “If you’re drinkin’ what I’m drinkin’, put your hands up in the sky / If you’re thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, you’ll say, 'What a crazy night!' ” But R’s consumption hardly stops there. In the song, he also brags of a “thousand dollar” bar tab, concluding, “I need another shot of that Bacardi” -- recklessly ignoring the inevitability of a hangover such booze mixing will provoke.



“Shots” – LMFAO featuring Lil Jon

Jägerbombs, lemon drops, Jello shots and kamikazes as well as premium liquors such as Ciroc Vodka and the rappers’ de facto favorite (judging by its ubiquity in hip-hop songs since 2006) Patrón tequila all get a shout-out on this Crunk-inflected club-banger. Even if the song’s “we came to party” ethos is hardly groundbreaking, its hook remains unforgettable: Lil Jon hoarsely screaming the word “shots!” 16 times in a row.



“Maldito Alcohol” – Pitbull

Reggaeton was no stranger to hip-hop’s reigning dipsomania. Exhibit A: Boriquan rapper Pitbull spitting lyrics (in Spanish) such as “I don’t want water / I want a drink”. . . “Damn alcohol, sweet torment / Give me a drink on the rocks.”



“One More Drink” – Ludacris

An unapologetic ode to putting on one’s “beer goggles,” “One More Drink’s” narrative drama revolves around the ramifications of Luda having that proverbial one too many. Drunk driving and bedding ugly women ensues: “Surrendered to the woman / And her bringin’ me home / Because she looked better / Every shot of Patrón.”



“I’m So Gone (Patrón)” – Chamillionaire featuring Bobby Valentino

Chamilly and Bobby Valentino go for the obvious couplet here, rhyming “I’m poppin’ bottles of Patrón” with “all night long.” For the rapper, it’s clear that alcohol provides a palliative for his worldly concerns. “I’mma wash my problems away,” Chamillionaire raps. “Tonight I need a drank.” R&B Lothario Valentino, meanwhile, announces that he doesn’t usually drink but admits he’s “gone” -- read: wasted -- from drinking a mixture of tequila and rose wine.



“Wasted” – Gucci Mane

“Party, party, party, let’s all get wasted,” the rapper exhorts on this hit single. “Shake it for me baby girl, do it butt naked / I’m so wasted, she so wasted / Tell the bartender send me 20 more cases.” The discrete charms of this hit single don’t end with the incontrovertible logic of its chorus, however. Mane also presumes the intoxication of certain notorious pop divas, mentioning that the booze has got him “geeking like Whitney and Britney.”



“Patrón Tequila” – the Paradiso Girls featuring Lil Jon

We can all agree that Crunkmeister Lil Jon was the man behind this year’s most unabashedly pro-booze music. On this paean to rap’s preferred tipple, though, the Paradiso Girls make vocal a silken threat: “By the end of the night, I’mma have you drunk and throwin’ up.”

(source)

John Lennon You Are Missed

Pitbull: Penn State Concert Recap

As reported by Alexandra Fletcher at Penn State's Daily Collegian Online

HUB Alumni Hall exploded with Latino flavor Friday night when Pitbull took the stage, showing off his dance moves and bringing excitement with high-energy sing-alongs.



"I want to know if Penn State knows how to move," Pitbull said as the crowd went wild to the artist's hit, "Boom, Shake, Drop."

The audience was entertained by local DJ Supernova while they waited for the performer. Pitbull ran onstage fashionably late in a suit and aviators as Alumni Hall roared with excitement. The artist kept the crowd moving throughout the hour-long set with a good mix of hits and non-stop energy.



Some of the hits included "Toma," "Fuego," "I Know You Want Me," "Mentirosa" and "Go Girl" which received a warm reception by the audience.

Pitbull told the crowd that it was time to party and take a break from the ins and outs of life.

"Everyone needs an escape," the artist said.

"Whether it's the economy or war or the motherf------ swine flu."

Pitbull never stopped moving throughout the entire set, demonstrating salsa moves and his own added touch of repeated pelvic thrusts. The rapper's enthusiasm moved through the crowd and kept listeners engaged throughout the entire evening.

The artist not only brought attention to partying but also his own Cuban culture, engaging in Spanish with the audience.

"We want to show everyone in the show where we're from, give you a piece of our culture," Pitbull said.

(video courtesy of chicana4l)

Pitbull ft. Akon "Shut It Down" (Video)

Shut it Down feat. Akon

Pitbull | MySpace Video

Related:
Pitbull Shoots "Shut It Down" Video In Miami, FL

Pitbull NYC Concert With Video & Photos + Interview

Fan shot footage below.





Photos from the Pitbull B.B. Kings Tuesday, October 20 concert:
Getty Images
Wire Image

(video courtesy of Amarretto)

Read a recent CNN.com Pitbull interview here:
CNN - Rapper Pitbull true to his Cuban heritage

Pitbull 'Rebelution' on J-Records/Polo Grounds/Mr. 305 Records in-stores now.

Pitbull Shoots "Shut It Down" Video In Miami, FL

Pitbull - Rebelution on J Records/Mr. 305 Records/Polo Grounds out now!

Pitbull Live In Denver

Pitbull performing at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO Wednesday September 30, promoting his latest 'Rebelution' in stores now.

Photos and show overview:
Denver Post

(video courtesy of 91rosie)

Powerhouse Anaheim, CA Show Recap w/ Jay-Z & Others Video, Photos And Review

Fan shot video below.









L.A. Times A mother's perspective: Jay-Z, Pitbull and the rest of Powerhouse '09 review

Show photos:
Film Magic
Wire Image

(review courtesy of the L.A. Times)
(fan shot video courtesy of Jayz Journal, dvldwg28 and tivi24)

San Francisco WILD 94.9 radio concert recap with Rick Ross Ice Cube and others

With the Summer session in full swing, we can always count on some great radio sponsored concerts taking place in the good ol' USA. This time we have San Francisco's WILD 94.9 The BOMB concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountian View California Friday June 26 which featured Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Pitbull, Baby Bash, Sean Paul, Dorrough, Gorilla Zoe, Soulja Boy and LMFAO.

Here are some highlights from the show.

















Check out the photos from the show:
Getty Images
Film Magic

Pitbull recent concert footage (video)

Krazy

Calle Ocho


'Rebelution' dropping at the end of Summer on PoloGrounds/J-Records.