Back at it again!  This edition of Sick Sundays is packed with the New and the old, and we pay homage to the Dream Team, shout out a couple pending releases. 

Lotta stuff to get to, so let’s just get it.  Special shout to the cats at Str8hiphop for the Raekwon and UGK joints.

 

My Lifes The S### – The Clipse Present Re-Up Gang

Re-Up Gang “My Life’s The S###”-Clipse Presents The Re-Up Gang

Back serving customers with that heat, the Re-up Gang returns with a sizzler. Heavy, Dre-Lite beat goes hard and the gang trades hardore street verses. The strings and the keys push the melancholy mood between verses for the perfect segueway. Rugged.

 

 

The DJ – Dj Revolution

DJ Revolution Feat. KRS-1 “The DJ”

This new millennium sequel to classic KRS-1 song, “The MC” comes courtesy of DJ Revolution.  Ad-libs come courtesy of Preemo, and KRS comes with the force that has maintained his legacy throughout the years, chastising the lazy iPod generation of DJ’s who pander and don’t lead the culture He even drops his version of the 10 DJ Commandments.  The beat is fairly similar to the original with a more orchestral update.  This spirit lives on in this boom-bap banger.

 

 

Get This Paper – Busta Rhymes Feat. Jadakiss

Busta Rhymes Feat. Jadakiss “Get This Paper”

Man, I don’t know how many bangers Busta Rhymes is going to have to put out to get some buzz and momentum, but he’s been on fire lately.  This latest joint is homage to the slept on OC/Big L tag team joint “Making Money” off OC’s album Jewelz. Both emcees flip the phrases and Busta comes with his ill flows. “Gass guzzler flow, not the hybrid.” Jada is sick, if not limited to the punch line delivery. Short and sweet.

 

 

Son 4 A Reason – Lil Dap Feat. Guru

Lil Dap Feat. Guru “Son 4 A Reason”

This joint is a throwback to those early 90s Group Home/Gangstarr joints.  No new ground covered here, but it’s good to hear Guru again after a long hiatus.  Dap is nothing special on the mic, but as fans of Living Proof can attest, that never stopped him from making solid songs. Now if we can only get Guru back with Preemo…

 

 

Hard As Hell – Akon & UGK

Akon & UGK “Hard As Hell”

Akon on the hook and a full UGK roster is certified.  Don’t be fooled by the title though.  It’s not about gat blasts, but phat ass.  Not really my speed but it’s good to hear the late great Pimp C.  Bun throws out a few shouts to Nice & Smooth in his rhymes.  I can see cats liking this.  Akon’s hook is a mix between R. Kelly foolishness and that “Too Close” joint from Next a few years ago. Decide for yourselves.

 

 

Blood Missles – Raekwon

Raekwon “Blood Missiles”

A tune up for the long awaited part deaux to the Purple Tape, the Chef drops a tender morsel to keep your mouth watered.  The slang doctor keep you guessing with off the wall language you expect from Rae, but with no Ghost or Wu riding shotgun this track is actually more beat than rhyme in terms of length.  Juuust enough to make you want more. Somebody get this album out before it becomes anti-climactic.

 

 

What it is – Nas

Nas “What It Is”

Nas is running at such a high level right now that even the throwaways from Untitled are blowing other joints out of the water.  Not really tight enough of a narrative or in form to make the album, but it’s still a solid mixtape anchor.  “The 5th member of the Beatles, 10th member of the Wutang lets his nuts hang” on this banger. Solid beat, not timeless but not a sleeper either. Can’t lose with this

 

 

Emotionless – The Clipse Present Re-Up Gang

Re-Up Gang “Emotionless”-Clipse Present The Re-Up Gang

Pusha T waxes poetic on the mishaps from their last critically acclaimed, sales anemic album, proclaiming their real fans in the streets as the real reason why they do this.  Ab Liver goes in hard establishing his status as one of the better lyricists in this game over this organ driven heater. Sandman also shines.  This song is very dark in tone and also similar is spirit musically to those late 90s/Chronic 2001 Dre tracks.  More narrative lyrically. Malice bats cleanup.

 

 

Puffin On Blunts And Drankin Tanqueray – Dr Dre ft Lady Of Rage and Dogg Pound

Dogg Pound “Puffin Blunts & Drankin Tanqueray”

This white label was really the Pound at it’s most lethal.  Non formulaic, no aim, just in the studio creating timeless joints.  This one in particular features a tipsy tirade by Dr. Dre shouting all his enemies and a total eruption by both the Lady of Rage, and Kurupt where they both totally spazz out!. Jay-z tried to cover this for his S. Dot mixtape a few years ago and paled in comparison. West Coast.

 

 

Alternative break of the week:

Firefly – Greta Gaines

Greta Gaines “Firefly”

A little bit of that feminine angst for that ass.  Soulful without getting all Motown.  I don’t really expect anybody to pump this in their jeeps unless they are headed to the Lilith Fest, or missing their Morisette fix, but if you just broke up with your boyfriend ladies maybe you can cry to this.  Solid for what it is….moving on

 

 

In My Bag (remix) – Meek Mill feat. Gillie Da Kid & Cassidy

Meek Millz Feat. Cassidy & Gillie Da Kid “In My Bag (Remix)”

South Jersey, Philly and Delaware stand up.  This banger is what led Grand Hustle to get at the young Meek, and this song is blazing the streets up. Shout to Trip for putting me on to this joint. Southern feel with crazy energy. This is the remix.

***********************************************************

Overtime

In honor of the Olympics and to give you something to bounce to before the coming of the Dream Team mixtape, here a lil something from 1992 when the original Dream Team went to the Olympics. Enjoy, catch you next week.

 

Olympic Playlist

 

Welcome to another

episode of Tech Talk! I’ve been searching to find something you don’t see

everyday. We did a piece a while back that featured the Netflix

Player by Roku, a cool little box that streams Netflix content to your TV

without turning on your PC. 

 

LG has just upped the

ante by adding that same feature to the BD300, a Blu-ray player. The

convenience of instant wireless network connectivity would be nice, but you

won’t get that on this model – it has to be plugged into your home broadband

network.

 This next gadget might

get you photo junkies kinda hot and bothered. This company named Hasselblad is flexing its megapixel

muscle. Their H3DII-50 ($40k) boasts

a 50 megapixel resolution and the largest photo sensor on earth.  

Specs: Ultimate DSLR Advantage Integrated 50 Mpix capture

units with 3” display Ultra-Focus: integral

optimization of digital lens performance Hasselblad Natural Color

Solution Integrated CCD cooling

sink for lower noise Direct ISO/WB control Thumbwheel control of

digital menus GPS accessory option Full Digital APO

Correction for improved image sharpness and detail Market’s most versatile

lens program Choice of eye-level or

waist-level viewfinders Field FW upgrade of H3D

camera Choice of media: CF card –

Image Bank II Easy sensor cleaning View camera option Un-tethered and tethered

operation Hasselblad 3FR raw – or

DNG export

Aptera motors just got a helping hand from the big homie

Google.org, the division of Google that donates to worthy causes.The $2.75

million investment may go to bringing their Typ-1 vehicle ($30k) to the masses.

The $30k price tag ain’t bad,

but the estimated 230+ MPG makes me want one no matter what it looks like.

Troy Gayle is the Founder of Gadget-T.com

 The 2008 NFL Training Camps and Preseason have begun. Before you know it, the Warriors of the Gridiron will be clashing on the field for real. For now, it’s time to get their bodies and minds right for the upcoming season. Rookies and veterans are reporting to camp with one thing in mind; the championship. For some, this is a new beginning. For

others, it’s just another day at the office before the regular season begins,

and for some, it’s a “do-over”.

 

Every

year, we see players, who are cut or traded from teams during the off-season, only

to get a “do-over” with another team. They’re given an opportunity to re-invent

themselves. Some guys bounce back from injuries and go on to have a great

regular season. Others may have had a rough year from a statistical standpoint,

only to find a team, with a system that can best fit their abilities. Then

there are those who just fell into bad situations with one franchise, only to

be given a “do-over” with another team.

 

Look

at Randy Moss. Moss played for the

Minnesota Vikings for 7 years. His troubles with the law and discord with the

team, lead to the Vikings trading Moss to the Oakland Raider in March,

2005. Moss spent two years with the

Raiders and within that time, the Raiders stunk and Moss was still unhappy. That led to Moss being irate and vocal about

the Raiders’ organization and an eventual trade to the New England Patriots

during the 2007 NFL Draft.  

 

Once Moss landed in New England, the “do-over” was in effect. Leading up to 2007-08 NFL season, there was nothing but praise from his teammates in New England during the preseason workouts. Moss became the total opposite of what he once was in Minnesota and Oakland. He was a new man and it showed throughout the season in his play.

 

So

much so, he and Patriots QB Tom Brady hooked up for 23 TDs last

season. That’s an NFL record. Although the Pats made it to the Super Bowl and lost to the N.Y. Giants, Moss should still hang his head high because now he’s looked at as a team leader. A category many wouldn’t have put him in a few years ago. 

 

Another example is Terrell Owens. Owens was unhappy with

his role with the San Francisco 49ers. He was very vocal about his role and the direction the team was going in 2004. So the 49ers traded Owens to the Philadelphia Eagles. With Owens and QB Donovan McNabb leading the offense, the

Eagles’ found themselves in Jacksonville,

Florida for Super Bowl XXXIX. Although the Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl, the ground work had been laid out for the Eagles to finally be a major player for Super Bowl contention for the following season.

 

Displeasure with his contract and his off-field angst with McNabb led the Eagles to release Owens in March 2006. When it looked as though no one wanted to touch Owens with a 100-yard pole, the patron saint of lost football players’ souls, Jerry Jones, signed Owens four days

after his release from the Eagles to the Dallas

Cowboys.

 

Since Owens has joined the team, the Dallas Cowboys have made the playoffs for the past two years. Despite the fact that both playoff appearances have resulted in second round knockouts, the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 and the N.Y. Giants in 2008, the Cowboys have entered this season as the favorites to win the NFC East again, with a possible trip to the Super Bowl. 

 

Owens, whose nickname is T.O., was labeled as a Team Obliterator by Skip Bayless of ESPN’s First Take. His passion for winning and his willingness to take a bullet for his teammates, from the media, in order to keep media attention from them has proven that he’s able to make the most of his “do-over”.  His nickname should be T.L. for Team Leader.

Now, there’s a new “do-over” in the works in Texas as we speak.  Pacman, excuse me, Adam Jones has been given another chance; a “do-over.” After being traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2008 NFL Draft Week, Jones has already made a positive impression with his Cowboy teammates. He’s also making his presence known by going “toe to toe” with the aforementioned Terrell Owens during practice at the Cowboy’s training camp this week.

He has also been accepted by the Cowboy’s family with Hall of Famer Michael “The Playmaker” Irvin and Deion “Prime Time” Sanders as his

“guidance counselors” of sorts. They’ve been talking with the young CB and guiding him in getting his life straight on and off the field. Both of these men have had issues personally and professionally, and they too, have been able to experience their fair share of “do-over’s.” So like EF Hutton, when they talk, people should listen.

If Jones continues to stay out of trouble during the pre-season, he should be re-instated into the league by September 1, 2008.

So make the most of your “do-over.” We all get “do-over’s” in life, it’s what you make of them that counts. By the way; if Moss, Owens, Irvin, or Sanders doesn’t make you believe in “do-over”, then look up Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. That’s the best “do-over” story of the

year.

On a side note: This weekend is the Pro-Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony. Congratulation to all of this year’s all inductees.

 

After three years in other markets, the NAMM show

finally returned to Nashville for its summer session, and as the old saying

goes, there’s no place like home. Popular consensus leans toward the belief

that this trade show and “Music City” belong together, and activity in both the

Nashville Convention Center and the surrounding clubs after hours certainly

supported that theory.

 

Rather than do the standard “what happened at NAMM”

coverage, we’re going to break this into a couple of key components for you.

First up, we’re looking at hot headphones and music software that were demoed and

displayed at the show.

 

American Audio has so much cool stuff. Their HP headphone line—consisting of the 900’s, 700’s and 200’s—is well known, with the 700s leading the popularity chain.

 

For Summer NAMM, American Audio was all about

their new HP 550, which use similar drivers and input through a mini-plug with ¼ inch right angle adapter. They come with an extra set of ear pads, bag, and the flexible design means easy fold-up and the option of double- or single-ear monitoring. The HP 550 is American Audio’s high-quality, lower-priced alternative at $49.

 

Also from American Audio, check out the EB 700 and new 900 earbuds.

These were created for DJs and Hip-Hop artists, meaning they have good bass

response and noise reduction up to 20 dB. All metal, with carrying case, nine-foot

cord and compact design, they’re perfect for stage use. The 900’s list at $169,

the 700’s at $129.

 

Seems we always associate the Numark name with controllers, mixers and all things DJ, yet we often forget that they also make headphones.

 

Their PHX premium headphones, featuring 50 mm magnet drivers, come with two styles of interchangeable cuffs, three cables, are fully adjustable and made for comfort, thanks to a two-part ear cup design that incorporates rubber and silicone casing and fits securely between your ear and shoulder. They also fold and store easily in the accompanying carrying case. Pick them up for $99.95.

 

Numark’s HF-125 headphones are made for mixing. They feature flexible, seven-position, independently adjustable dual ear cups, large 40mm Mylar speaker drivers, a six-foot tangle-resistant cord with 1/4″ connector and padded headband. They street for an unbelievable $18.

 

From Future Sonics, makers of the original Ear Monitors® custom earphones, comes the second revision of their acclaimed

Atrio® professional earphones, making them perfect for stage, studio and broadcast, as well as gaming and digital media players. The Atrio offers full bass response accuracy, natural midrange, detailed treble and maximum comfort with multiple fitting options. Unique to these earphones is their single studio-grade dynamic driver, designed and manufactured by Future Sonics.

 

New features include QuietCables™ II for excellent audio quality, more flexibility, less tangling and more comfortable fit, improved performance

with TrueTimbre™ frequency response of 18Hz – 20,000Hz—meaning less need to

crank up the volume to achieve the wider range of audio quality, and improved

cable slider for more secure positioning and greater comfort when cabling is

worn behind the ear. Invest in the Atrio for $199.

 

Sony offers a full range of headphones in their MDR line, beginning with the 7502. Designed for basic listening, this is a cost-effective, general-purpose headphone, lightweight with deep bass response and high sensitivity. It lists at $65.

 

The 7505, with acoustic design, zeroes in on detailed listening and more power. The Auto-Swivel earpiece makes it ideal for DJs and videographers who prefer single-sided monitoring. It stores easily in the included bag and lists at $115.

 

Sony’s

top seller is the 7506, an industry standard, with larger diaphragm and full ear enclosure for better isolation. The lightweight model, which also folds neatly into its bag, was designed for comfortable extended wear, making it perfect for the studio at $130.

 

The 7509HD is Sony’s newest model. Larger and more comfortable, it features a bigger pad, handles twice as much power—3000 mW power handling capacity and 80 kHz ultra-high frequency reproduction for 96-bit recording—and was designed for critical listening and studio reference. The driver units were designed to eliminate pressure in accordance with the angle of the ear. It’s Sony’s most expensive model at $265, but if your time is spent in the studio, where every detail counts, this is the way to go.

 

Yamaha’s new RH10MS professional monitor headphones feature S-Logic three-dimensional Surround Sound, ergonomic design for extended wear, and accurate digital-music reproduction, with frequency response at 18-21 k and sensitivity to 96 dB. S-Logic technology sends sound around the listener’s head and off of multiple surfaces of the ear canal,

eliminating the need for artificial echo or digital processing. By purchasing

earphones with S-Logic, you ensure monitor accuracy and perfect detail. The RH10MS headphones sell for $129.

 

DJ Flex, Timbaland, Diddy’s band members, Kanye

West, Chris Brown, John Legend, Joss Stone, Shania Twain and Vernon Reid are

among the many artists who swear by Ultrasone headphones. Even a dedicated headphone hater like the Gadget Inspector can attest to the comfort and quality of Ultrasone, having test-driven several sets at the NAMM show. (Granted, the ’phones were plugged into the Cream reunion DVD, which would sound good through tin cans connected with string, but honestly, through the Ultrasones I heard every note, every nuance, with amazing clarity—and no outside noise seeping in. Bliss!)

 

Paul Taylor, president of Ultrasone Inc., told us

a bit more about S-Logic, noting, “Most headphones pull sound directly down the

ear. We’ve offset the drivers and angled it to push sound from front to back,

not directly into the ear. S-Logic uses the natural reverberation of the outer

ear down into the canal to tell you where sound comes from and to create

natural Surround Sound. We don’t use any digital signal processing or enhancers, just an offset driver.

 

“What’s also very important is the 40 percent

reduction of decibel levels this provides for the potential of not developing

hearing problems or tinnitus. A lot of DJs, gamers, mixers and producers live

in their headphones and the radiation goes directly into their heads. We use a

metal buffer board to reduce that radiation up to 90 percent.”

 

Ultrasone employs S-Logic throughout their HFI, DJ

and Pro lines, with prices beginning at $109, increasing incrementally based

upon your choices and needs. All headphones come with a two-year manufacturer’s

warranty.

 

The HFI

line features six models, beginning with the ultra-lightweight 15G,

Ultrasone’s smallest HFI model that’s perfect for personal listening, and

ending with the HFI-2200, which comes with velvet earpads and detachable cable.

The Pro line, with four models, begins with the 550, professionally designed

and equipped, and maxes with the 2500 open-back. All models include hard case,

detachable cables and spare earpads.

 

The DJ line features two models: DJ1 and DJ1 Pro. Warning: Unless you plan to purchase on the spot, do not test-drive these headphones, as you will never want to take them off. Parting with them can be heart wrenching! Finally, if “simple and portable” is your thing, you’ll want Ultrasone’s iCans. Also featuring S-Logic technology, sleek, foldable and adjustable, they’re perfect for your iPod or MP3 player.

There were some firsts in software at the Summer

show, with guitar and amp manufacturers debuting amazing new gear.

 

VOX

Amplification introduced their first-ever software product, JamVOX, which will be in stores in

October 2008 (price TBA). Mac- and PC-compatible, JamVOX provides drag-and-drop

access to virtually any combination of amp and effects models and allows you to

import your MP3/iTunes library or favorite CD tracks.

 

Using Korg’s

new GXT Guitar XTraction™

technology, guitarists can extract or “solo” guitar parts, reduce and

essentially “mute” guitar parts from any prerecorded track, or record their own

guitar performances over favorite tracks. GXT technology can also extract or

reduce vocal tracks. Guitars and microphones can be directly plugged into the

USB-powered hardware component. WAV/AIFF recording capabilities enable the

player to overdub vocals as well as guitar.

 

JamVOX features precise

models of 19 of the most sought-after guitar amps, 12 popular cabinets, 54 vintage

and modern effects and a choice of guitar pickup simulations, as well as a

Korg chromatic tuner and an array of drum tracks. The JamVOX head can double an audio interface for popular software programs and for listening to music downloads on your computer.

Peavey enters the market with ReValver MKIII, their revolutionary 64-bit amp-modeling software. It captures the true characteristics of vacuum tubes while giving you unprecedented control over their tone and gain structures. ReValver models 15 of the most popular amps, including several Peaveys. The software is user-friendly, thanks to its drag-and-drop interface and customization tools. You can add and subtract components such as amps, preamps, power amps, stomp boxes and effects, and program more than 15 features on each tube stage. Effects include chorus, distortion, wah, tremolo,

compression, limiter, delay, octaver and many more. Retails for $299.99.

Yamaha unveiled Audiogram 6 and Audiogram 3, two new computer recording systems shipping in August that can turn your computer into a powerful, intuitive tool for recording and editing audio from virtually any microphone, instrument or audio device.

 

The Audiogram

series is packaged as a complete computer music solution, bundling a hardware

interface with audio inputs and outputs, software for recording and producing

music, and a USB cable for computer connection. Simply install the included

music-production application, Cubase AI, on your computer, connect the audio

interface via USB, and you can begin recording from instruments, mics, CD

players or MP3 players.

 

Audiogram 6 ($199.99) features two XLR combo

inputs with preamps and one-knob compression. One input has switchable phantom

power for using high-quality condenser mics. Two stereo inputs, stereo and

headphone outputs, and a USB jack complete the unit’s connections. Audiogram 6

includes separate controls for audio inputs and computer playback for complete

control while recording.

 

Audiogram 3 ($119-139.99) features one phantom-powered

combo input switchable for microphones or instrument recording, a stereo input,

a stereo and headphone output as well as a USB jack for connection to the

computer.

From Numark comes ArKaos Grand VJ—next-generation, powerful video mixing software for VJs, DJs bands and clubs. Hardcore VJs know and trust the ArKaos name; as the Cadillac of VJ software, Grand VJ features user-friendly, customizable interface, dual synth/mixer mode, real-time access to all mixing parameters, high-res output, an effects library and multiple camera support.

 

The Mac and PC-compatible software supports

Quicktime, MPEG2, MPEG4, Windows Media, Flash text and animations, and most

other common media formats. Whether you’re looking to enhance your events with

existing content or create video from scratch, Grand VJ delivers.

Demoed at NAMM with the Akai MPK 49 USB/Midi performance controller/keyboard, Grand VJ is perfect for layering all video footage and attaching text and audio. Look for it in September for $399.95.