So today whilst I was waiting in line at Sportie LA to buy a pair of Air Max Lights, my favorite Air Max of all time, Mary J Blige’s Be Without You from her latest album The Breakthrough came bursting out the speakers. I took a look around me and noticed almost everyone in the store without exception singing along and it got me thinking about how amazing Mary really is and how many incredible records she has put out over the years since What’s The 411?. Out of all of them though her finest moment without a doubt has to be 1994’s My Life. With Puffy on production duties, from the opening track Mary Jane (All Night Long) to the final beat of Be Happy, this is one of the finest pieces of modern R&B ever made blending sadness and happiness in the most amazing way. Trying to explain how good it is of course doesn’t do it justice. Quite simply this is a flawless album from start to finish and a real example of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul at her finest so do yourself a favor and go and check it right now.

Robert & Quentin

So over the weekend I went to see Grindhouse and I’m pleased to announce that it lived up to all my expectations. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you it isn’t that good or that it’s too long. They just don’t get it. Everything about this double bill is totally amazing and if you want to sit back and enjoy three and a half hours of guns, zombies, explosions, syringes, car chases, fighting, girls, gore, more girls, fantastic dialogue and incredible music not to mention Kurt Russell you should really be sitting in a movie theatre right now and not reading this blog. The attention to every little detail is what makes Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino such masters of their craft and from the very first minute where the audience is greeted with a trailer for the faux movie Machete it doesn’t stop. Anyway, stop listening to me rant on and on and just go and check it out for yourselves. I’ll probably be going back this weekend too so you may see me there.

Grindhouse

I love Robert Rodriguez. I loved Desperado, I loved From Dusk Till Dawn and I loved The Faculty. I also love Quentin Tarantino. I loved Reservoir Dogs, I loved Pulp Fiction and I loved Kill Bill. So when I woke up this morning and suddenly remembered that today is the day Grindhouse comes out, you can imagine how excited I was. Whoever came up with the idea of a double bill of Tarantino and Rodriguez is a true genius and deserves the biggest pat on the back in history. The combination of the Tarantino-directed Death Proof about three girls speeding down country roads with a serial killer in hot pursuit featuring none other than Rosario Dawson and the Rodriguez-directed Planet Terror featuring Rose McGowan as a go-go dancer with a machine gun replacing one leg that’s been chewed off by zombies sounds like way more than I will be able to handle and quite frankly I can’t wait. In fact, I’m leaving work right now and heading to the cinema so look out for me if Rosario and Rose don’t distract you.

3 Feet High & Rising

When was the last time you listened to 3 Feet High & Rising? Come on, admit it – You haven’t listened to this album from start to finish in ages have you? Well trust me on this one – You need to go and dig it out, put it on and listen to the whole damn thing as it is totally incredible from start to finish. Seriously, each track is better than the one before it and it is amazing to me that a hip-hop album made so long ago can still sound so fresh and so clean. Me Myself and I, Say No Go, Eye Know, Potholes In My Lawn, Buddy, The Magic Number. The list of classic tracks on this goes on and on and on. Describing this album as seminal is the understatement of the year and really was the future of hip-hop when it came out in 1989. Tell me I’m wrong. Go on. I dare you.

Fairfax Stand Up

I’m going to let the pictures in Warp Magazine do the talking when their LA edition drops next month but today was a big day for everyone on Fairfax. In recognition of the thousands of hours of hustling, grinding and hard work that has been going on over the past few years, Warp asked all of us to get together this afternoon on Fairfax across the road from Canter’s Delicatessen for one giant photoshoot. Believe it or not, pretty much everyone showed up on time and, with the beautiful LA sun beating down, Yuri and Kana from Warp Magazine managed to handle their business done in less than half an hour without any stress whatsoever which, on reflection, was truly amazing. A big shout goes out to all the heads who took part today – The Hundreds, Diamond Supply (Good luck for the opening of the new store tomorrow), Sal Barbier, Crooks & Castles, Flight Club, Reserve and our good selves at Twelve Bar. Keep on doing your thing everyone as our time is coming.