TORONTO - WALE DON'T GET DOWN WITH THE BORDERS

It's a dead giveaway someone's not into something when they don't know how to pronounce it. Our example of the day is Wale. A lot of people say it like "whale" or "Wall-E" and that's OK, because it's not like everyone has time to know about good new rappers. That said, you're reading this blog post, so this might be a good opportunity to get acquainted. If you don't know, Wale is pronounced Wall-ay. He's from DC and he's got a few mixtapes under his belt. One of them is called "A Mixtape About Nothing." It's about Seinfeld, and it has a Julia Louis-Dreyfus cameo. Oh, and Wale's cousin is Gbenga Akinnagbe, the guy who plays Chris Partlow on The Wire. Our intern Patrick met up with Wale in Toronto and they talked about Ben's Chili Bowl and go-go music. Patrick kept it brief because apparently Wale hates interviews, but when the questions were done, Wale wanted to keep talking. He asked Patrick about Canadian sports, but Patrick thought Wale said "rappers" when he had actually said "Raptors" so Patrick nodded at that guy from Degrassi who raps with Lil' Wayne now (Drake, who was sitting in on the interview). The whole thing was a bit awkward.

MELBOURNE - FUR IN MY HAT

We're not sure who the fuck Rob Roy is but this song rules. It usually weirds us out when guys say pussy over and over but this doesn't. Maybe it's his voice. Maybe it's because he looks totally harmless. It also doesn't hurt that the video is awesome and kind of horny. It's sort of like a cool straight version of "what what (in the butt)".

Rob Roy "Fur In My Cap" Director: Ethan Lader from ethandirector on Vimeo.

LONDON - THE SNOW VS. MOBB DEEP

It's pretty tough being middle class, English, white, and into 90s rap music. You have to explain to everyone that when you say you like "rap music" you don't mean you are really digging Kanye Cocksuck or whatever other rap singer is storming through the charts that week.

LONDON - KANYE WEST, JOHN McCAIN, A PIRATE AND OTHER INVENTORS

Ever since Kanye West invented Pop Art, the world has been a more confusing place. Hip-hop’s most self-regarding geek has now regarded himself as a pioneer of a supposed 'new musical genre'. Rap has always had a little allegorical thing for the idea of the 'beat lab', but the way Kanye carps about innovation, it's easy enough to imagine him stood over a bunsen burner in his stupid slatted glasses, melting down Flava Flav's clocks into a sticky essence of cool, sucking Cristal up through pipettes, doing drive-bys on crash test dummies. Rather than just sampling Daft Punk and very famous soul songs. Pop Art is his latest invention. BTW, ever seen this?

DEAR VICE - T BABY REMIX

On a typical day at Vice, I get anywhere between twenty to fourteen-hundred fan emails a day. I usually just carry on with my life while feeling spriteful but today was a different situation; I actually read one. I recieved an anonymous email from a T-Baby fan hipping me to this fly remix of the classic cut It's So Cold In The D. As if this incendiary rap anthem wasn't perfect enough, we now can wet our T-Baby dipsticks even more with a killer re-working of this masterpiece. Mr. Anonymous, I truly appreciate it.
JSIII

LONDON - WHEN UK RAP WAS OUTSTANDING

Who remembers before that wack-ass Soulja Boy came on the scene and ruined rap and shit? Like, back when it was super dope? In the UK, emcees like Andy Cole had hip-hop on lock. I mean, you could jam to him in the club and get fresh to him in the crib (NO HOMO). Shit's changed, dawg.

TODAY ON VBS

Today we’ve got a new episode of Hi Shredabillity, VBS’s very own surf show. If you missed last week’s premiere with Alex Knost, it’s there waiting for you in the show archives, just to the top of this little text here. If not though, by all means plow forward with this week’s episode, featuring Ry Craike. We’re also continuing our journey to Baalbeck, Lebanon’s Drug Valley, where we attempt to meet up with a meth and crack pusher. As for our music offerings, we delve into the second part of our conversation with one of the founding fathers of rap on VBS Meets… Big Daddy Kane and revisit the third part of Ian Svenonius’s chat with Will Oldham on Soft Focus as we ramp up for our new UK-based season.

TODAY ON VBS - LEBANON / WILL OLDHAM

Today we’re back in Lebanon, peering into the kaleidoscope of narcotics that was the engine of the country's economy and helped fund a war. We make a detour to check out a gypsy camp before passing by the bombed-out remains of a bridge leading to “Drug Valley.” There's also the second part of Practice Space with Lebanese metal band Oath to Vanquish. Rounding out our lineup, we’re revisiting Soft Focus with guest Will Oldham all this week in preparation for our upcoming UK-centric season. And make sure to check out our first installment of VBS Meets… Big Daddy Kane, where one of the true pioneers of hip-hop reminisces about getting his start with Biz Markie and Marley Marl.

TODAY ON VBS - BAY AREA RAP DADDY

Not much to say here that you probably couldn't figure out on your own. Today's the conclusion of Bay Area Rap Daddy on Music World, where we get to see the fruits of all Charles Moselle's hard rap work with the kids of Marin City. As an added Friday bonus we've also got a couple mp3s by his proteges for you to download, just check back on the Shows page a little later. 

TODAY ON VBS - JASON DILL / EPICLY LATER'D

After a painful weeklong hiatus you'll be pleased to hear that Epicly Later'd is back with new shit today. This week we head back over to our friend Jason Dill's apartment to quiz him on every video part he's ever had, and finally manage to ask him about the dried blood splattered on his bathroom wall opposite all the weird newspaper clippings. Seriously, it's like the priest in the Omen's house in there.