by SCOTT C

Starting off 2007 on the good foot, New York MC Talib Kweli has teamed up with Oxnard, California’s Madlib to bring us the shape of things to come. Remember when Kweli went on the rampage after somebody decided to leak The Beautiful Struggle LP online before it was finished? Well, the debate that spawned on the okayplayer.com message boards definitely left the pros and cons of downloading new music up in the air, and strong opinions still fly. Kweli must have turned a corner somewhere, though, because his new collaboration with Madlib, the Liberation EP, was available for free download, for a brief window of time, and then it was gone. In my humble opinion, this is the future of music marketing. If you’re lucky enough to have a quality product that people actually want to hear (you know who you are), you’d be stupid not to embrace the sheer power of giving your music away. I know it sounds difficult, and then you have to come up with a whole supplementary plan that will allow you to eat, but this is serious. Established artists out there who are trying to stay relevant, and move with the shifting nature of digital culture, should cut some limited-edition vinyl and give away an album or two online! Your fans will shit, and you’ll feel better inside. Oh, and Liberation is right on the money, if you were wondering.

I can’t wait to get my hands on VH1’s new reality offering The White Rapper Show, which sounds about as lowbrow as lowbrow reality TV can get, but the early reviews are already saying it’s smarter than it sounds. Hosted by the legendary MC Serch of 3rd Bass fame, with on-camera help from the master of foolishness Prince Paul, the aim is to find America’s next great white hope on the mic. Our Caucasian contenders actually move into a South Bronx tenement called “the White House,” and then the fun begins. And although it sounds like a turkey shoot, contestants test their musical credibility, their knowledge of hip hop culture and their ideas about race and identity while we sit back and watch. Expect lots of hip hop cameos on this road to find out who will lead, or bleed, the culture. More info at www.VH1.com.

This week, Yoruba Records’ Osunlade joins Jojo Flores, Misayo and Tazz at Old Montreal’s Pub St-James on Friday, Jan. 12, for some Afro-Latin house flavours at 10 p.m.

If you know what popping, miming, hitting and banging are, then get your ass to the Hitmaster Fish Funk and Popping Master Class happening this Saturday, Jan. 13, at Cat’s Corner Studio (486 Ste-Catherine W., suite 303). Hitmaster Fish hails from Los Angeles and has been dancing professionally for 25 years. This East Coast G-Style president has taught throughout Canada and the U.S. The popping goes from 3–5 p.m., while the funk runs from 6–8 p.m. One workshop is $25, both together are a cool $40. Get in touch with Katalyst at katalyst5@yahoo.com to register.

KIDS ON THE BEAT! BEAT KIDS! fathead@videotron.ca

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