As cheeky as the video and song title may be, there’s some real beauty between the lines about relationships.

Slug just did a great interview with Okayplayer and he talks about releasing a hip hop album post turning 40 and what that involves as far as his growth and subject matter. He has this to say specifically about “Kanye West”:

 “Kanye West” is another example of a song where when I first started writing it I was like “Ah, this is cool cause I’m writing a relationship song.” I’ve written a handful of those in my time, you know? But this one isn’t mad. I’m not super aggressive. It’s not coming from someone who’s having a hard time with his love, but instead with the love that I’m trying to talk about. It was love and aggressive but it wasn’t angry. The 25-year old me would have written that same song and it would have been angry. I thought it was so cute that things worked out like that. Cute…there’s a great fucking hip-hop word.

Read the rest, here.

Being an ardent music fan and a fan of Elijah Wood since his Wilfred days (where’s more episodes?!), I never put the two together. Luckily for us OkayPlayer/OkayAfrica did cuz apparently he is a fairly legit crate digger, specializing in Africa and Psych from France and Brazil, and he even started a record label Simian records. Finding all this out, OkayAfrica recruited him for their Africa In Your Earbuds series.

Proof is in the pudding.

Tracklist after the jump…

TRACKLIST
Afro Express “Lahilah Ill-Allahu” [Nigeria (?)]
K. Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas “Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu” [Ghana]
Osakpamwan Ohenhen and His Feelings “Owman Ghe Ma Wme Ye Wmen” [Nigeria]
Cos-Ber-Zam “Né Noya” [Togo]
Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes “Ekassa 28 (Ebibi)” [Nigeria]
Thierry Boco “Divorce De Cecilia” [Benin]
Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies “Baby Let Me Go” [Nigeria]
Bella Bellow “O Segne” [Togo]
Sonny Okosuns “Ozzidi” “Steady & Slow” [Nigeria]
Victory Uwaifo “Destiny” [Nigeria]

For all you intellectual Hip Hop heads, there’s a huge global public debate going down in London today. But its also going to be using Google+ Hangouts and streamed live on Youtube. Sounds a bit gimmicky and marketing-ish but when you check the list of participants you can’t really go wrong: ?uestlove, Q-tip, Krs-One, Dream Hampton, P.J. O’Rourke, an advisor to the UK Prime Minister on youth & crime, and a bunch of others. Oh yea, Jesse Jackson, of course he’s involved too. I’m just wondering where Davey D is and why he’s not involved?

Check out more on OkayPlayer.com

“For Africa In Your Earbuds #20 guitarist Mpumi Mcata crafts a mix as eclectic and uncompromising as BLK JKS’ sound — with tunes ranging from a deep-bass remix of Marvin Gaye to cuts from Sinkane, DJ Mujava and Talking Heads.”