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It was just announced that Pharrell and DIPLO will star in a new music documentary called “808.” The documentary discusses the creation of the TR-808, a small machine that revolutionized music forever. The TR-808 changed the base beat of songs since it’s creation by Roland in 1980, altering the sound of tracks to one that we are familiar with today in EDM and hip-hop music. As a speaker in the documentary says, “It’s crazy to think that a little machine like this left such an important footprint on music.”

Including some of the biggest producers from the 80’s till 2016, the film features the greats – from the Beastie Boys to David Guetta – who created so many important hits using TR-808 technology. The documentary is also connected to Beats Audio and Beats 1 Radio, as they are the original account that posted the official trailer. Created by You Know Films, and premiering at SXSW, the movie has been nominated for many film awards.

It will be exclusively released on Apple Music on December 9th.

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It’s with great sadness that we report the founding member of Beastie Boys, John Berry, has passed away.

Berry was 52-years-old and had been suffering from frontal lobe dementia. Berry’s father, John Berry III, confirmed the news with Rolling Stone. Berry passed away Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at a hospice in Danvers, Massachusetts.

Berry is credited with coming up with the group’s name when they were all teenagers and he was the guitarist for the group the first few years. Berry left The Beastie Boys after they released their first seven-inch EP, Polly Wog Stew. But the rest of the members always credited him for his part in the band and also mentioned him during their induction at the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Berry played in multiple bands which included Even Worse, Big Fat Love, Highway Stars and Bourbon Deluxe.

Rest in Peace John Berry.

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You can pre-order Mellowhigh on iTunes.

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To the uninitiated, Rick Rubin is the guy lying on Jay-Z’s couch barefoot during the Samsung commercials. He’s also the guy who molded Yeezus into an accessible album. For those in the know, he’s a legend. Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons and he was instrumental in the careers of the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and many more.

However, Rick Rubin’s work is not limited to hip-hop. He has also worked with the likes of Slayer, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Black Sabbath and others. Because of this, DJ Trackstar, along with the Smoking Section,  included a melange of genres for this best-of tape. Note: this is only “some of” the best of Rubin, because as his Wikipedia page points out, the man has plenty more hits. Stream the project below and download it here.

Trivia: the mixtape’s subtitle, “Ruined by DJ Trackstar,” is a reference to Rubin‘s tagline, “Reduced by Rick Rubin.”

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 Action Bronson and Harry Fraud have been a solid collaborative duo for quite some time, but SAAB Stories takes their chemistry to another level. The show begins with “72 Virgins,” which features an anxious verse from Bronson and some hilarious shit-talking antics from Big Body Bes.  Fraud uses a guitar sample to build a cautious soundscape, as if danger is lurking, but that vibe is discontinued on “Triple Backflip,” a wake-up song of sorts that features Bronson flowing arrogantly over a dreamy instrumental. The chorus is a little bizarre, but Bronson pulls it off with ease.

“Triple Backflip” is followed by “No Time” a catchy track with a solid hook and a subtle boom bap. The song is very rewarding upon multiple listens, especially if you note how Fraud layers the track with so many instruments; it would probably sound amazing with a live band. Towards the end of the track, Big Body Bes reappears to answer important questions like “What type of bitches you like?” and “How many dope fiends you been locked up with?”

For “The Rockers,” Bronson recruits Wiz Khalifa. On paper, Wiz’s kush raps may seem out of place, but he and Bronson actually sync well. When combined with Fraud’s evil xylophone loop (there’s few other ways to describe this instrumental), Wiz’s aggressive flow morphs the track in a way Bronson’s flow doesn’t. That isn’t to say that Whiz out-raps Bronson; his different approach to the beat just amplifies how intense the instrumental feels.

“Strictly 4 My Jeeps” probably has the best instrumental of the project. What’s interesting is that Bronson reps Queens all day, but Fraud’s horns and drums give the track a Beastie Boys feel. Even on the  remix to this track, which features Queens vets LL Cool J and Lloyd Banks, that  Brooklyn sound bangs (Fraud is from Brooklyn). SAAB Stories ends with “Seven Series Triplets” (the title refers to BMW’s; Bronson loves cars if you haven’t noticed by now). Prodigy and Raekwon provide backup for the final track, confirming Bronson’s place among the greatest emcees and Fraud’s place among the most innovative producers.

Overall, this was a great project. The only downfall to SAAB Stories was that it was seven tracks long, but that’s how EPs work, so it’s an acceptable flaw. Fraud and Bronson are clearly in good shape. The two of them together are like Missy and Timbo during the glory days (early 2000’s). Hopefully the good music shall continue.

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When writing about white rappers, music journalists fall into two camps: those who overemphasize race’s significance and those who deny race’s significance. Before this journalist could even attempt to [retrospectively] pick a side, Yelawolf vandalized both camps, stealing my camping gear and tossing it into the fire. He did this in two ways: 1) by being himself, a twisted, shit-talking, beer-chugging, rhyme-vomiting, deer hunting rapper from the rural South and 2) by directly acknowledging the white rappers that preceded and influenced him.

The night started with a charged set from Rittz, Yelawolf’s Slumerican tourmate and rapid-rhyming peer. It wasn’t revealed until midway through Yela’s set that Rittz had recently been signed to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music record label, but Rittz’ skill was apparent as soon as the first lyrics escaped his lips. Though he looks like the redheaded cousin of comedian Chris Porter, Rittz’ skills on the mic were no laughing matter. From “White Jesus” to “Passin’ Out”– his slightly comical take on the summer hit “Cashin’ Out” – the stocky Georgian spewed a million words a minute, dexterously attacking every instrumental he touched. When a sizable crowd of drunk dudes had cheered for Rittz during DJ Vajra’s opening spins, they seemed like impatient drunkards, but his set proved that the alcohol wasn’t at fault: the guy could spit.

And so could his colleague. Following Rittz’ descent into the crowd, Yelawolf emerged , nonchalantly toting a pitcher of beer as if he knew he would need it later. The set started with “Whistlin’ Dixie” an aggressive punk track from, Psycho White, his upcoming collaborative EP with drummer and percussionist Travis Barker. The rough snares and harsh intonations were a different beast from the smooth, bass-driven tracks of Trunk Muzik, but Yelawolf seemed right at home. After concluding “Whistlin’ Dixie,” he thanked the audience for coming out in the snowstorm and performed “Trunk Muzik.” Despite the energy of both of these songs, Yelawolf didn’t really seem too lively until the third song, “Let Me Out.” As soon as the beat dropped, he went ballistic, miming the beat lyrically and physically. From that point onward, he was all over the stage, bouncing, jumping and drinking.

Cycling through old and new hits as well as his verse from the legendary Shady Cypher, the concert trod along smoothly. Things were merry all along, but they really got interesting when Yelawolf gave DJ Vajra a signal – he was a fantastic DJ, by the way – and then dedicated the next few tracks to recently deceased MCA of the Beastie Boys. “Brass Monkey,” “Fight For Your Right” and “Paul Revere” all got a spin while Yela bounced around the stage, enthusiastically rapping along. “My Name Is,” by Yela’s label boss, Eminem, followed afterward. This series of songs was brief, but it was subtly powerful. Rather than taking the Asher Roth route and penning a song (See: “As I Em”) about the inevitable and tenuous connections drawn between white rappers, Yelawolf preemptively strikes. The white rappers that preceded him are neither demons he has to exorcise nor stylistic ancestors that overly determine his style. By highlighting them, Yelawolf is able to both acknowledge them and distinguish himself.

Later in the show an audience member shouted, “Yo, fuck MGK!” With Southern charm Yelawolf said, “Hey chill out, man. I don’t sound like MGK,” again distinguishing himself without having to throw punches. The 20+ song set ended with “Push ‘Em,” another track off Psycho White. Yelawolf mustered up all the energy he could and stood triumphantly as the front row moshed, but he looked weary. Which was understandable. In one night he had not only performed 20+ songs; he had also solved the white rapper conundrum. That’s a lot of work.

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