Insane Clown Posse, JEFF the Brotherhood and Jack White-Leck Mich Im Arsch review

written by John M. Ellison IV

Insane Clown Posse, Jack White and JEFF the Brotherhood walk into a bar…well, studio and somebody brought in the sheet music for Mozart’s “Leck Mich im Arsch” or “Lick me in the Ass” in English. Actually, I thought it was a joke. Not in the fact Insane Clown Posse has anything to do with the project but in the fact that up until recently it was a known that Jack White hated rap music.
I begrudgingly admit that I forgot this piece by Mozart’s existed and when I heard about it back then I thought that was a hoax. I mean, c’mon! Mozart wrote a piece about licking ass? I couldn’t fathom the idea back then. But on the other hand, why am I not surprised? I mean, he’s Austrian. Interesting enough, this isn’t the first song that featured Insane Clown Posse and a classical sample. The Psychopathic Records supergroup “Dark Lotus” that’s current lineup consists of Insane Clown Posse, Blaze ya Dead Homie and Twiztid. The group had a song called “Pass the Axe” that sampled Beethoven’s Symphony #9. At this rate, I wonder what they would do with Stravinsky.
In this case, you have Jack White playing the role of producer, Nashville sibling rock duo JEFF the Brotherhood on drums and guitar and Insane Clown Posse rapping. Drum wise, Jamin’s playing a steady beat that’s complimentary and not overplaying. Jake’s guitar tone simulates the timbre of an organ that’s reminiscent of the White Stripes “Blue Orchid.” Just for another laugh, Jamin and Jake’s last name are Orrall. Rap wise, you have Violent J using his shouting, barking kind of out of tune flow which he uses for more rap-metal based tracks. Although, it can be considered grating and amateurish to listenersthat are unaccustomed to it, it complements the aggression of the instrumentation of JEFF the Brotherhood. Shaggy who I feel is the stronger rapper of the duo, has a similar but more fluid flow though.

Overall if you’re not up to listening to a rap-rock ode to anilingus…stay clear from this or you’ll end up with the “you ate ass” face.

But, if you’re up to gross out, juvenile lyrics that are reminiscent of a schiesse film. Feel free to check it out.

listen here

http://soundcloud.com/thirdmanrecords/leck-mich-im-arsch

Nikki Lynette Interview by John M. Ellison IV

Your eclectic nature is reminiscent to me of a female Tech N9ne. Even though you’ve mentioned that you’re a rocker that happens to rap, are rappers like Tech N9ne, Twista etc. an influence on your sound?

As far as hip hop artists go, I think my sound is most heavily influenced by N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco, and Kanye. They’re people who have great lyrics, make commercially viable music, and aren’t afraid to step outside of the box. But honestly, Tech N9ne is an influence on my hustle. He’s a great example of what an independent artist can accomplish when they’re on top of their game. I really look forward to meeting him one day, we have a few mutual acquaintances so u’d best believe I’m gonna make it happen )

I noticed the “Roses N’ Guns” mix tapes referenced Guns N’ Roses, are you a fan or were you going for a theme?

Both. Guns N’ Roses are music icons, who had one of the coldest guitar players who’s ever played the instrument (seriously, when I’m playing Guitar Hero I’m TOTALLY summoning the spirit of Slash. LoL!) To me, they’re one of those bands that embody American rock. So I chose to title my mixtape series “Roses N’ Guns” because my mixtapes are essentially me flipping rock songs into hip hop tracks, with a few other flavors in between. Plus, the image of a rose and a gun describe me well, at least that’s what I’ve been told. I wish I could remember the way he worded it, something about me being sweet and fragile like roses but dangerous & reckless like guns (he didn’t mean it as a compliment.) That actually solidified me choosing Roses N’ Guns as the title. Damn it…now I gotta call my ex and ask him to explain that to me again so I can answer my interview questions better. I wonder if he’ll be happy to hear from me. Probably not p

Chicago is known for bands such as “Screeching Weasels”, “Big Black”, “Rise Against” and “Naked Raygun” to name a few. Are there any punk bands out of Chicago that you enjoy?

Aside from The Methadones (who are unbelieveable,) I’m not as in tune with the punk scene in Chicago as I should be, unfortunately. I listen to Fall Out Boy, The Plain White Tees, and Kill Hannah, they are sorta punk but not hardcore. I don’t listen to a lot of contemporary punk because it seems like the quality of punk rock has declined just as badly as hip hop over the past few years. But right now I’m REALLY into Foxy Shazam. They not from Chicago, but they’re from Cincinnati which is still The Midwest so I sorta claim them as ours. LoL! They aren’t hardcore punk either, they’re genre-less bastards who rock just like me so right now I can’t get enough of their funky stuff.

For the video for “Shut the Fuck up Boy” video I mentioned that your aesthetic reminded me of Wendy O. Williams and you acknowledged her as a “bad ass” (which I agree with.)
Are there any other female rockers that inspire/influence you?

Tina Turner, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, P!nk, Gwen Stefani’s crazy ass, Tracy Chapman, Cree Summer (the album she did with Lenny Kravitz is just InSaNeLy dope,) Shingai Shoniwa of “The Noisettes,” and any other chick who’s ever rocked a mic and looked bad ass while doing it.

I noticed a distinct rock influence in your sound, who are some of your favorite rock bands of all time?

The Noisettes, Rage Against the Machine, Prince & The Revolution, Blondie, Nirvana, Sly and The Family Stone, No Doubt, Foxy Shazam, Queen, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Bananarama, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and of course Guns N’ Roses! I feel like I’m leaving a few out. Smh. I’m such a poser.

What was it like hearing your music on MTV,VH-1 and Showtime for the first time?

Weird. LoL. For my VERY FIRST tv placement, me and my boo Katelyn had a girl’s night at her place. It was on that The Hills spin off, a show called The City. She recorded it on her dvr so right after it aired we rewound it and watched it over and over again. We were stoked. We spent the rest of the night watching The Adventures of Tim p Now I rarely even have time to catch the shows that play my music. Its hard to keep up with the features, I usually don’t know about the placements ahead of time and I don’t find out about them until one of my Bad Asses hits me up & tells me “Hey! Yo shit is on VH1 right now!”

A lot of artists have a list of people they would want to work with, what is your ultimate list of collaborators?

I’d love to collab with N.E.R.D., Kanye,Tech N9ne, Little Dragon, Will.I.Am, Big Boi & Andre 3000, Travis Barker, Foxy Shazam, M.I.A., LMFAO, Lenny Kravitz, Justice, and Paramore, for starters.

You mentioned you’re a fan of the Venture Bros. on “Adult Swim” what are some of your favorite episodes?

I love the one where Rusty has the tag sale, they show the largest number of supervillains in one location that they’ve EVER shown on the show. That in addition to Hank’s concession stand and The Monarch’s obsession with defiling Rusty’s crib was just too funny to me. Also, the one where Dean got testicular torsion…do I even need to go into detail on that one???????? LoLoL! And both of the Spider Skull Island episodes went hard. There are really too many to name, I have never seen an episode of Venture Bros. that I didn’t like.

I noticed that you were at Comic-con, and you enjoy Deadpool. Are there any other comic book titles you’re checking out?

My favorite comic book of all time is Inifinite Kung Fu. Martial arts, great storyline, zombies, and a Jemi Hendrix looking samurai dude who’s just going around kicking everybody’s ass. So epic! Kagan Mcleod’s style influenced my own visual art so much, everything about this comic from the characters to the writing just rocks to me. But there has only been 7 issues released to date, of which I only have four ( I am considering just buying the graphic novel so that I have them all, but I’m a total fan-boy for Infinite Kung Fu so you know I want all 7 issues. Aside from the Xmen graphic novels I don’t read too many other comics, I’m more so just a lover of geek culture in general.

You mentioned you’re a fan of “The Office” are you a fan of the English one or the American version?

Honestly, I prefer the American version because I’m actually a total stan for Steve Carell. I’m not a stan in an “I want to bone you” kind of way, I’m a stan in a “Ever since I saw you in 40 Year Old Virgin I’ve been your biggest groupie” kind of way. I also am a big lover of Dwight and the dynamic between Oscar & Kevin. I hope that the show stays funny now that Steve Carell is gone. Or else I might need to be hospitalized for clinical depression.

You mentioned on your twitter page that you’re an aunt. Being an uncle myself, would you consider yourself the cool aunt?

I think my nephews consider me the cool aunt. Kids are little sponges for everything in popular culture, and with me being in the music industry and pretty much being forced to stay on top of popular culture we tend to know about a lot of the same things and have plenty to talk about. And the things that I don’t know about they expose me to it, and vice versa. My nephews rock, they really love me. In fact, they keep track of my song placements better than I do. They call me and tell me what show played which song and during which scene, etc. They’re impressed that my music is on shows that they like. I’m impressed that they listen to my music enough to be able to recognize it when they hear it on tv. It rocks to be on your own nephew’s iPod. They are my biggest fans, in fact, they are the reason I don’t swear in my music. I might say some wild stuff from time to time, but if you pay attention you’ll notice that I never say any naughty words other than “ass” or “hell.” I think I might have said “damned” on my mixtape once, I’m not sure. LoL. My youngest nephew has gotten to the point where he demands that my sister play my music in the car, so since I know for a fact that they listen and learn all the words, I have to be conscious of what I say. Especially since I have a lot of young fans. Yeah, I have strong opinions and say some controversial things, but I want them to know that its ok to have your opinions as long as you can communicate those things intelligently and stand behind what you say. That’s the type of thing that makes someone cool to me.

I want to thank Nikki Lynette for her time and for granting me this interview. Keep an eye out for the Roses n Guns re-release coming soon!

Check out her official website
http://nikkilynette.com/

Iggy and the Stooges-Shake Appeal feature by John M. Ellison IV

August 23, 2011 marked a monument of earth shaking events! Will and Jada Pinkett Smith separated! Well, not really just some dumb rumor. Oh yeah there was also a 6.0 EARTHQUAKE THAT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF!!! Okay, well, 5.9 —FINE 5.8 earthquake that shook almost the entire east coast and some parts of Canada and the Midwest! Sorry folks, not used to this. Like how most people from L.A. aren’t used to rain either. Actually, this isn’t the first time that an earthquake has happened in Maryland. In fact a 3.6 earthquake occurred in the Maryland/D.C. area on July 16, 2010.

Luckily, everybody’s fine and no major structural damage or casualties were reported. So in this case, I thought I’d post up “Shake Appeal” off of Iggy and the Stooge’s “Raw Power” album! This proto-punk gem laced with the fuzzy, over driven guitar work of James Williams and wailing vocals of Iggy Pop was one of the few thoughts that was on my mind throughout the day. Well that song and the main thought of “HOLY CRAP IS THIS AN EARTHQUAKE?!” Enjoy.

L*A*W*-What More Can I Say (Freestyle) feature by John M. Ellison IV

Check out a preview from Lawrence “L*A*W*” Worrell’s upcoming 3rd mixtape “The St. Marks Avenue Chronicles”

Is Jimi Hendrix’s version of Johnny B. Goode an unsung proto-punk gem by John M. Ellison IV.

I’ve been on this Hendrix kick as of late thanks to Spotify and Youtube. I stumbled across Hendrix’s live version the Chuck Berry classic “Johnny B. Goode” than Jimi did back in 1970. At first listen, I’m thinking “Johnny B. Goode’s a song that’s three chords, pretty uptempo and well Jimi’s version has an edge to it…wow, Hendrix was really onto something.” No, I’m not saying Jimi started “punk” per se, but to me his version kinda sounds like a predecessor of the 70’s punk sound. Tell me what you think…

Jimi Hendrix-Johnny B. Goode

DJ Bless and Jim Snooka-Help video feature by John M. Ellison IV

Check out the video for Jim Snooka’s (aka Dirty Dickens) “Help” directed by DJ Bless

Kanye West & Jay-Z-”Otis” video review by John M. Ellison IV

Hey folks, I just saw the video for Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Otis.”  Actually, I forgot to check out the premiere because I was at another video shoot last night.  The video for “Otis” consists of Jay-Z and Kanye West riding around making left and right turns in a vacant parking lot with models in the back.  But half of you “coonspiracy” theorists would see some kind of “symbolism” in it. Piece of advice, lay off the weed…it’s making you paranoid.  Aside from the “droll” lines like “sophisticated ignorance/I write my curses in cursive” from Kanye West, I’m not too crazy about the song.  To be fair, I will give credit that the car that was “souped” up in this “visual” will be offered up for auction and the proceeds will be donated to the east African drought disaster.  I mean, you know how much you can get in East Africa for $10 American dollars?  …No, seriously I don’t know the exchange rate.  Anyway, check out the video here.

Video:VladTV

Black Dynamite pilot feature by John M. Ellison IV

The animators at Titmouse Inc. (Metalocapyse, Mongo Wrestling Alliance) and the producers of the Boondocks have come together for an animated adaption “Black Dynamite.” Most of the original cast members are portraying the voices of Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson and Kym Whitley as Black Dynamite, Bullhorn, Cream Corn and Honeybee respectively. I look forward to the full series coming in 2012. Here’s the pilot.

the Cornel West theory-”The Shape of Hip-Hop to Come” review by John M. Ellison IV

A few years ago around 10 or 11 pm, I was listening to “Decipher Hip-Hop” on WPFW. There was an advert for a hip-hop band called “The Cornel West Theory.” The name caught my interest. Over the years, I’d arbitrarily do a search on their music. Just recently, I found out that they were the house band at Bloombars. Saying that I was proud of them would be an understatement.

For anyone that isn’t familiar with ‘the Cornel West theory”, here’s some bio information from their site.

“the Cornel West theory” is a Washington, D.C.-based ensemble, proudly born from the hip-hop aesthetic, but not bound by limitations of any genre. It’s an eclectic amalgam of spoken word, lyricism, instruments, electronics and vocals, which draw from genres ranging from home-grown go-go to jazz to rock to hip-hop. This “musical theory” is best understood as an artistic wavelength that hits you aesthetically, emotionally and intellectually. With the blessing of Dr. Cornel West, the Princeton University professor and renowned author, the band takes its name from his prolific writings and philosophies, which have shaped contemporary thought throughout the world. Inspired by D.C.’s rich musical history and the struggles of poor people worldwide, the ensemble formed in 2004 in response to social oppression everywhere. Winners of the 2008 Washington Area Music Association’s Wammie for Best Hip-Hop Duo or Group, the Cornel West theory released its debut album “Second Rome” in 2009.

The ensemble consists of Rashad Dobbins, Yvonne Gilmore, Tim Hicks, Sam Lavine, John Wesley Moon, and Katrina Lorraine Starr

Their new album “The Shape of Hip-Hop to Come” features vocals from Cornel West dropping gems of knowledge throughout the album. West’s role is reminiscent of George Clinton on Funkadelic’s first album. At first listen, the band’s sound was very reminiscent of bands and artists like Massive Attack, Public Enemy, MF Doom, Arrested Development and Saul Williams. Also the sample-based production is what I imagine if the Bomb Squad took LSD would sound like.

Here are some of the tracks that I feel stuck out

“Type 1 Change”

This clocked in at 5:00 with a structure that seamlessly goes through more than one song. The style goes from gospel organs to live drums and some keyboard riff straight out emceeing to something that’s well…“Type 1.”

“DC Love Story”

Almost every rapper and rocker has a song about their hometown From the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Jay-Z. This track is pretty much describing what it’s like growing up in Washington, D.C.

“SGA”

This was a change from the album’s jazzy yet lyrically intense to a more rock-ish edge. This is an aggressive fusion of go-go/rock and rap. The delivery is reminiscent of Atlanta hardcore band Amul9.

In closing, if you’re a fan of Massive Attack, MF Doom, Public Enemy, spoken word and music that challenges you should enjoy “the Cornel West theory.”

Renee Ruth-Electric Eye feature by John M. Ellison IV

I want you guys to check out Renee Ruth’s “Electric Eye.” The song is about a girl feeling stagnant and insecure about her station in life. Instead of a female lead in the video, they used his cat “Penny.” I really enjoyed the videos combination of charming imagery and catchy songwriting. Well, enough of my meandering, check out Renee Ruth’s “Electric Eye.”