New Music Tuesday #79

E-40, Clipse, LL Cool J and Mariah Carey

In the last month I’ve been pointed towards using AI to answer a myriad of questions ranging from tax prep to music transcription. (Even down to proofreading! I thought my typos and were charming!) Most of these questions were tedious tasks that I, a human wouldn’t have wanted to do anyway but being pointed to AI by so many other humans has been kinda jarring.

I’ve heard stories about people using AI for therapy (which isn’t recommended) and even having full on romantic relationships with it (which also isn’t recommended) but most of the IRL folk I know have just been using it to fill administrative gaps in their lives.

It made me wonder if everyone has been using large language models without me and based on the survey of people in my life the answer is yes.

So in an effort to course correct that this week’s entire newsletter has been written by A… I AM JOKING! NO AI WAS USED IN WRITING THIS!! THE TYPOS ARE ALL MINE!!

Now go forth and scroll and bask in my humanness! (is that even a word? who cares!?!)

SHOWS

6/5 - I’m djing the Comedy in The Square for the NY Laughs Festival. Pete Lee, Sam Jay, Shane Torres, Chris Redd, Rachel Feinstein and Emil Wakim are on the line up and it’s free!

6/19 - 6/21 - I’ll be in Burlington at the Vermont Comedy Club with Michelle Buteau trying to blacken things up a bit for Juneteenth.

NEWS

The Root’s Picnic happened and apparently the first day was really bad due to weather but I think it got straightened out on the second day. The Knicks lost to the Pacers and while I’m not that big into sports I was kinda invested in this series. But I’ve started saying “Knicks in 2026!” as a conciliatory phrase to sports fans who are feeling down about it.

My friend

Manny Faces

finally dropped his book. It’s titled Hip Hop Can Save America! and it’s about the work we all do to make the world a better place through Hip Hop music and culture. You can read get more information or pick up a copy here.

The biggest news for me is that it’s my birthday week and if you wanted to get me a gift you can click this lil button blow and subscribe!

VIDEOS

NPR’s Tiny Desk kicked off Black Music Month with a bang by inviting E-40 to bring that Yay Area flavor to the desk.

The Clipse are back and I’m wholly sure they are going to be rapping about stuff that I can’t afford but I’m excited to hear them do it.

LL Cool J is on his MF DOOM shit with this latest video. He’s appearing as The Overlordian in this latest video and if you don’t know where that comes from it’s a name he calls himself in the song Rampage by EPMD.

billy woods dropped this clip from GOLLIWOG and not only is it beautifully shot but it also features several of the homies.

Will.I.Am is fascinating to me because he lives on the cutting edge of technology in a way that makes it feel like he lives in the future. I don’t fully know how to explain what is happening in this video for those of you who won’t click on it but he basically scored a Mercedes Benz and made it’s drive functions into musical transitions that are sort of like the effects you’d hear a DJ do while mixing a song. It’s some wild shit!

Tyler did an interview. I have not watched it yet but I know that I enjoy his interviews so I’m posting it here. Apparently he was allowed to dip into the Converse archives and resurrect an old model that sorta looks more like a Vans model than a Converse. That’s all the inferred knowledge that I have and It may be wrong.

ALBUMS

The Emancipation of Mimi turned 20 and Mariah dropped a double disc with all sorts of remixes and bonus tracks.

I don’t know anything about Reuben James but I have heard that I’d enjoy this album. It’s soulful R&B type shit.

Aesop Rock is very good at rapping and I’m sure this album will be full of some very well written rap songs.

Leron’s rap alter-ego dropped a new album that I’m excited to check out.

Ovrkast. dropped a new album and I’m just now realizing that I haven’t had a chance to listen to most of the music that I’m posting today.

I don’t know who Gen is but I did hear a few snippets of this album and it’s pretty good.

SINGLES

This is the new Clipse single.

IDK and No ID teamed up for a joint.

This is a pretty cool R&B jam.

MAVI and Earl got one.

New Kaytra? Okay!

BONUS

I’ve really gotta put more effort into promoting my show on East Village Radio but I kinda feel like everything I do in general needs more promotional effort. At what point does the promotion start to cannibalize itself? That’s what this newsletter was ultimately for and now even IT needs more promotion.

I AM PROMO’D OUT!

But go listen to last week’s episode if you got two hours to spare and are interested in hearing some new music. You can listen to it here.