Leonard Charles & Guilty Simpson Team Up to Form The Leonard Simpson Duo & Release Single "Nobody" from 2020 Album LSD (Jakarta Records)

A pair of unlikely collaborators, revered Detroit emcee Guilty Simpson and New Zealand-bred producer Leonard Charles, have joined forces to form a new rapper/producer group, The Leonard Simpson Duo. Both sharing a mutual admiration for and connection to J Dilla, Guilty & Leonard first collaborated on "Breaking Over You" for Japan-based WONDERFUL NOISE PRODUCTIONS in 2017, which we were fortunate enough to premiere right here at The Witzard. While working on his very own "Basement Funk" re-interpretation of J Dilla's magnum opus, Donuts, Basement Donuts, for HIT+RUN/WONDERFUL NOISE, Leonard Charles shared his then-progress with Guilty Simpson during a visit to his Auckland, NZ-based studio; "I asked him if he wanted to hear the versions I was working on. I was really nervous about playing it to him because I was f*cking with one of his close associates' music, but... he was feeling it and genuinely appreciated my creative approach to re-interpreting the tracks," Charles explained within our 2016 interview.

Now, following the wide success of "Breaking Over You," Leonard Charles & Guilty Simpson have joined forces as The Leonard Simpson Duo (AKA LSD) for a full-length album next year. I've, personally, been hearing rumblings about The Leonard Simpson Duo/LSD for months, but, now, Leonard & Guilty have finally released their first proper single together unto the masses. "Nobody" opens up with a lush sample pulled from Marlon Williams' "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore" featuring Aldous Harding from the former's 2018 album, MAKE WAY FOR LOVE. A press release explains Leonard Charles' wife, Anji Sami, sent him the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Awards-winning track with a suggestion that "the chorus could come in quicker because it felt so good." Charles says he immediately "jumped in the studio and threw a draft beat together and looped up the hook." He, then, "sent it to Guilty that night and it was a no-brainer, he jumped on it." The Leonard Simpson Duo's "Nobody" premiered over at HipHopDX just this past Friday.

Guilty Simpson told HipHopDX: "the song is about the evolution a man should go through during maturity. Negative vibes will only get a person so far, before they self-destruct." The resulting single is a brilliant, fresh take on what many have deemed New Zealand's ultimate 21st Century break-up song. "Nobody" stems from an upcoming 40-minute, 14-track album entitled LSD attributed to The Leonard Simpson Duo that culls from a wide array of rare 1960-70's New Zealand Psychedelic/Acid Rock records, as well as late 60's Jazz/Rock Fusion, some fuzzed out African records, David Axelrod's compulsory leanings, and, of course, one of The Motor City's finest emcees. LSD features additional drumming from Jed Larson, a lone feature from Wildchild of Lootpack fame on "Heavy Organ," and was mixed by fellow Kiwi producer Andy Morton AKA Submariner (Che Fu, The Feelstyle, Sola Rosa, Tyra Hammond & The Tornadoes.) Additionally, artwork and design for this record were created by conceptual mastermind Simone Cihlar, who has previously worked with Anderson .Paak, Ta-ku & Raashan Ahmad, Habibi Funk/Jakarta Records, Tom Misch, and many more. "Nobody" is now available to purchase, stream, or download on digital streaming services and The Leonard Simpson Duo's debut album, LSD, will become available Friday, January 31, 2020 through Berlin, Germany's own Jakarta Records.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel

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