New Kingdom's Nosaj Re-emerges with "NEW KINGDOM/ORIGINAL CONCEPT" & "RUN-DMC/BAD BRAINS" Covers (Dub Ditch Picnic)

Jason Furlow is a Brooklyn-based emcee, producer, and musician also known as Nature Boy Jim Kelly and Nosaj The Great. Although, Furlow is likely, best known as Nosaj, 1/3 of Psychedelic Hip-Hop/Rap-Rock group, New Kingdom. I, actually, only very recently learned about Nosaj & New Kingdom after publishing UK beat-maker/producer LongDistanceDan's Beat-maker Bedrock column, which highlighted their 1993 debut, Heavy Load. Since New Kingdom's 1996 disbandment, Jason Furlow has worked with everyone from Tricky to The Freak Brothers, David Byrne (Talking Heads) to Morcheeba, Lyricist Lounge to Bill Laswell/Material, Buckethead to CX KiDTRONiK, and more. Furlow released a limited edition 2-track cassingle last year under his government name called "Last Man Standing" B/W "Modern Man" on Canadian cassette/CD imprint Dub Ditch Picnic, which is still currently available to stream or download on the label's Bandcamp. In recent years, Nosaj has re-emerged on Instagram as @nosajfromnewkingdom, regularly releasing video clips of his covers, remixes, de/re-constructions, and original compositions.

Earlier this week, Jason Furlow launched his own Soundcloud page under the guise of NOSAJ (NEW KINGDOM). It appears as though Furlow's newly-launched Soundcloud page will serve as a vessel to host his various audio/visual experiments in Psychedelic Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop, Noise-Rap, de/re-constructions, and other assorted sub-genres of Hip-Hop. For his first his proper Soundcloud releases, Nosaj uploaded two brief, yet extremely unique blends/remix tracks dubbed "NEWKINGDOM/ORIGINAL CONCEPT" and "RUN-DMC/BAD BRAINS (Afro-Punk Weekend.)" "I make the music I wanna hear, ie: raw/brash/Electric-type sh*t," Jason Furlow recently wrote to The Witzard within an email; I would have to strongly agree, as Nosaj's first two Soundcloud uploads definitely fit within that archetype! "NEWKINGDOM/ORIGINAL CONCEPT" is a re-recorded version of the title track from New Kingdom's 1996 album, Paradise Don't Come Cheap, over the instrumental from Original Concept's 1986 Def Jam 12-inch single, "Knowledge Me."

"RUN-DMC/BAD BRAINS" is, just as it sounds, a cover of Run-D.M.C.'s "Sucker M.C.'s" from their 1984 self-titled debut over the frenzied instrumental from Bad Brains' "Pay to Cum" from their self-titled 1982 debut AKA Attitude: The ROIR Sessions, as well as long-shelved 1979/96 album, Black Dots. Nosaj (@nosajfromnewkingdom) Replied to Instagram commenter @horus0 saying, "Recording the "RUN-DMC/BAD BRAINS" [track] was like attempting to jump on a freight train moving at light-speed... it was a good time." Jason Furlow is currently busy recording/writing his own material, as well as gaggle of collaborations and top-secret features. "I have a host of features on the rise; some are, literally, on the hush (literally!) Others, are with Kid Acne & The Mongrels from England and TheDeadCanRap (Mike Ladd & Remi Rough)" Furlow recently explained to The Witzard. "I'm also, working on a major super-group with some serious musicians from The West Coast called El Stew" featuring Extrakd on bass/production, Marc "Mirv" Haggard on guitar/vox, Bryan "Brain" Mantia (Primus) on drums/production, DJ Eddie Def on turntables/production, DJ QBert's world-class scratching, and Jenna Mammina providing vox. Nosaj's currently busy finishing up his long-rumored forthcoming solo project, Sounds Like Acid, expected to be released this Fall/Winter.

"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...

The Witzard

Search This Blog