Last Friday at Coda club, the peer pressure weekly featured some very real Hip Hop through the performances of Hollywood Holt and Kid Cudi. Ever since Kid Cudi dropped Day ‘N’ Nite which we featured in the very first edition of Monday Re up, we’ve been following his tracks with utmost attention.

Kid Cudi’s set was in a few words a hip hop extravaganza. In a few more words, I’ve admittedly not been to as many hip hop shows as I’d like to say I have, but that’s mostly due to Montreal’s general lack of Hip Hop shows. On that note, I don’t have anything to complain about in the coming weeks as Common and N.E.R.D. are actually here in a few days at Metropolis.

I’m trying to build up the courage to spend 42.50$ plus taxes to go see them, but haven’t quite made it yet. Let alone convince some other poor soul to come with me.

The interaction with the audience really set Kid Cudi apart from the other acts I’ve seen. I was especially pleased when he did a freestyle over flashing lights and spit a line dissing the girls in the front ie the drunk bitches dancing near the stage trying to get even a foot on the stage to be a little closer to pseudo fame. Agreed, Mr Cudi.

See below a meticulously compiled list of tracks designed to both mock the people who missed the show and appease those who did. Included is Maui Wowie, one of the most fun live songs in his set and his take on our own A Trak’s Mastered originally featuring Lupe Fiasco I believe.
Kid Cudi – Maui Wowie (mp3) (zshare)

Kid Cudi – Love Stoned Freestyle (mp3) (zshare)

A Trak – Mastered [ft. Kid Cudi] (mp3) (zshare)

Chi city wizard Lupe Fiasco has dropped an all new version of the hit Paris, Tokyo from his latest album The Cool. It features none other than Pharrell, Q Tip and Sarah Green. You may know Pharrell from The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. and if you don’t you should. The video for the original Paris, Tokyo is here too, the concept has Lupe Fiasco dressed up in all sorts of gentlemanly attire. So get a passport and check the track out.
Lupe Fiasco – Paris, Tokyo [Feat. Pharrel, Q Tip, Sarah Green] (zshare) (mp3)

Add NYC’s Pase Rock to the list of hip hop MC’s who are smart enough to embrace electro and use it to re-vitalize hip hop in a huge way. It’s not really a question of who did it first or best – that doesn’t really matter – actually its not a question at all, it’s a statement.

Hip Hop is back.

Pase Rock – sexy motherfucker feat. amanda blank [nate day remix] (mp3)

In main mainstream Kanye West did it with stronger, but i have a feeling that he just lucked out and was smart enough to listen to A-trak on the Daft Punk idea. Obviously the song blew up and he continued to let A-trak keep him cool and get him in touch with more young sceneters – Pro Nails anybody? – and as a result he beat fiddy real good.

I’d be a real asshole if i talked to you about Hip Hop electro crossovers without mentioning Philly bangers Spank Rock and Amanda Blank.

These kids are fucking great, the song Get loose from Spank Rock & Benny Blanco’s Bangers and Cash is pretty much a full testament to all the gratuitous explicit sexuality, glorification of wanton drug use and chauvinistic behaviour that hip hop used to be infamous for.

I find their attitude so ridiculously over the top that no one should seriously be offended by this song/video. That being said; It’s a fine line i wouldn’t expect most to appreciate, especially in the face of lyrics like the eternal;

Spank Rock & Benny Blanco – Get Loose feat Amanda Blank (mp3)

Buy on iTunes

Word on the streets – of the internet – is that both Amanda Blank and N.E.R.D. are working on albums which are slated to come out in the spring of this year; in the meantime here’s a Spank Rock Remix of a Teki Latex – in town on the 23rd – song Disco Dance with You, featuring Amanda Blank. Also speaking of wanton drug use – N.E.R.D.’s everyone nose.

I’ve been in lines for a bathroom which consisted almost entirely of people going to do coke, so N.E.R.D. i feel you on that. I consider the song a testament to the guy who actually plans to use the bathroom to piss rather than a venue for drug use.

Teki Latex – Disco Dance With You [Spank Rock Remix feat. Amanda Blank] (mp3)

N.E.R.D. – Everyone Nose (mp3)