Piracy Funds Terrorism was a popular mixtape, and it still is. It’s probably a bad sign that Santogold has resorted to making her version of it, though. Similarities between Santogold’s Top Ranking and M.I.A.’s PFT abound (mixed by Diplo? Check; features excursions into relevant genres like dancehall? Check) as well as Lily Allen’s My First Mixtape (Mark Ronson appearance? Check — he mixed Allen’s tape; includes an exotic version of The Clash’s “Guns Of Brixton”? Check —?Allen employed Beats International’s “Dub Be Good to Me,” while Santogold re-sings the song as “Guns of Brooklyn”).
But those tapes came out well before those artists’ debut albums, offering tantalizing tastes of their talents that drove hype levels through the roof. Top Ranking will sound just fine bumping in your jeep, but it’s not going to have much draw online when you can just buy her self-titled album for your Santogold fix. Then again, it might extend the shelf-life of that underpromoted disc while she opens for Coldplay (see Heads Up, page 32). PS: peep Gorilla Vs. Bear for a “L.E.S. Artistes” remix by Thunderheist’s Grahmzilla. (http://tinyurl.com/top-ranking; http://tinyurl.com/grahmzilla)
A PSA FROM TW
Have you ever heard someone say something that just ain’t right on a racial tip, but been afraid to tell them? Jay Smooth has got your back. Mr. IllDoctrine’s video (about how it’s more important to attack the racist statement than the racist person) might just be the tonic that the poisoned dialogue around race really needs. (http://tinyurl.com/illdoctrine-race)
MP3 OF THE WEEK
Justice, “Dior Homme Spring Summer 09 new song”: Wherein everybody’s favourite sacrilegious Frenchmen debut a new, even more metallic than usual track for Kris Van Assche’s latest line as the heir to the house that Daft Punk buddy Hedi Slimane built. If it ain’t broke… (http://tinyurl.com/justice-newsong)