Nardwuar vs. Hannibal Buress

AMDAL isn't dead, it just waits for the internet to catch up. When incredibly talented and hilarious comedian Hannibal Buress (who we've covered in the past, ah 2009) meets equally talented and hilarious interview expert Nardwuar the Human Serviette, the sleeping giant wakes. Both Hannibal and Nardwuar seem on their game this time around. If you want to lose a day, go backwards and check out every interview Nardwuar has ever done. In the age of the internet, I'm surprised celebrities don't respond to questions they've answered 100 times with "google it" or beaming them a link to the last 10 interviews where they've responded with some half-hearted answer for which their publicist has already prepped them. Not so with Nardwuar - this Canadian mastermind pulls shit from their past that has elicited surprise, horror and even anger (in BaBy CuDi's case). Since he usually covers musicians, many times the Human Serviette will pick up on artists that are buzzing, but often he will find acts who I haven't even heard of. If Nardwuar likes them, we probably should.

Anyways, enjoy the above. If you are more psyched on Hannibal than Nardwuar, check out the mini documentary leading up his first 1 hour Comedy Central special.

UPDATE: Ask and I shall receive: Rapper El-P at 1 second in:
"Can you just say to a m%@#$f4#$ "Just google me please. Google me and call me back."
Related: Noisey's "Back and Forth" is an exciting version of the interview - I like KRIT and El-P seems cool, but the A$AP Rocky x Danny Brown Back & Forth series is an instant classic (1-2,3-5)

Jan 20, 1992 was THE Good Day

According to Vulture:
"Using flawless deductive reasoning, Murk Avenue has concluded that the good day in question was January 20, 1992. The logic is as follows: The song, which was released on February 23, 1993, references Yo MTV Raps, which began airing on August 6, 1988, creating a potential five-year window when the titular good day could have occurred. The lyrics of the song also reference the Lakers beating the Sonics on the day in question: Of the instances when the Lakers beat the Sonics in that five-year period, only four happened on smogless days in Los Angeles. Of those four, two took place before beepers — also referenced in the lyrics — had been adopted. On one of the two remaining days, Ice Cube was hard at work on the set of Boyz in the Hood, leaving January 20, 1992 as the only possible "Good Day." Vulture salutes this truly impressive piece of detective work and hereby inaugurates a campaign to make January 20 a national holiday, complete with parades consisting only of tricked-out lowriders."

Jam of the Week: White Boys Edition: Mac Miller - "Senior Skip Day"

I've actually heard a few different times that in the startup world, if you're a superstar, school isn't worth it. Carnegie, Ford, Gates, Zuckerberg. Now Miller. Mac is only 18 and, though he finished high school, we likely won't find him gaining a higher education anytime soon. Obviously this only works for the really talented and successful, not to mention risk-prone. And while it often doesn't hurt to go to school (up and comer J. Cole graduated magna cum laude from St. Johns University), if you're feeling the hot hand, why put it on ice, na'mean? In my opinion, Mac Miller knows what he's doing.

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Jam of the Week: Duck Sauce - "Barbra Streisand"

DJs Armand Van Helden and A-Trak put out a fun dance track that says nothing but the actress' name. And yet, its hard not to love the song / video. If I was an artist, I'd love to put all my friends in it and show them all having fun. Can they help that their friends are all super famous? Can you name all the cameos?? (Self Call Aside: I met 2m 24s in DC a while ago - nice dude).

See videos from an up and coming rapper (yes I've said that 100x in JOTW. I'm not wrong, I'm just an asshole), a hipster duo and a cameo from a couch cushion after the jump.

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Jam of the Week: Cee-Lo Green - "Fuck You"

What up JOTW fans. It's been a while, but like a fine wine, JOTW only gets better with time and a long stint in a dark dingy (sex dungeon?) basement. As one commenter pointed out, I took a break from AMDAL to reassess my life and how blogging to a large group fits in. Turns out, it's hard for me to live at least without JOTW. Plus I've found the last several weeks to be pretty exciting on the hip hop front. This week I serve up some relatively new faces as well as some old. Hopefully these videos were worth the wait (or at least worth clicking through on your RSS feeder).

The above jam doesn't disappoint. With a catchy song that seems to be his version of my favorite song ever and a fun video (who doesn't like watching fat kids say "fuck you!" before getting slapped upside the head by their momma?), Cee-Lo shows he's not messing around with his solo gig. There's at least 10 girls who I'd probably want to play this song - thanks for doing my dirty work Cee-Lo.

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The Last JOTW?: Midnight Spin: "In The Air (Revival)"

Dartmouth '06s Danny S (drummer) and Ben W (bass) formed a band with a few of their friends and fellow musicians, and have been working the bar and campus scene for over three years now. This is probably not their first video, but it's definitely their most polished. Looking forward to more.

Gotta hand it to them for sticking their neck out there and going "off the track" from what's typical for most Ivy League grads. Danny and lead singer Mikey did a mean impromptu performance at Albert, Hank and my NY place after the ball dropped NYE 07/08. We did some damage to the ceiling and walls from all the percussion playing, but we all thought it was worth it.

As far as the "Last JOTW" goes, I'm probably going to take some time away from AMDAL as a writer and contributor. Based on the way writing / reading has gone lately, this might also mean my editor responsibilities will also diminish or fade away. It's been a lot of fun for me, especially JOTW. I've enjoyed exposing people to music and videos I've enjoyed while also learning what it means to try to write creatively in a public forum. It's been a pretty freeing experience in a lot ways, to open myself up to criticism but also a lot of kind praise. Hopefully those JOTW fans have gotten at least a small piece of what it's given back to me.

If you are really motivated to continue learning about hot jams, check them out for yourself at onsmash (my favorite video blog), nahright and missinfo. Or if you just want to see them through my filter, I'll continue sharing via my twitter handle (@rozenswag) and my shared items on google reader.

Jam of the Week: J. Cole - "Who Dat"

In 2004, I had almost no concept of what investment banking was, except for the horror stories Scos and others reported back to me while on their 48 hour drunken escape from New York during Homecoming. In 2005, I heard the same stories from my classmates, fresh off their internships. The stories were basically the same, but with a few little tidbits, like "It's not that bad" and "I made over $10K in one summer." In 2006, I was interviewing. Why the hell not?

In 2007, the market crashed, with my social and sex life following shortly behind it. After a few 130 hour weeks and at least half a dozen burnt out shirts, my soul was suffering. I had managed to figure out how to turn off the blinking red light on my blackberry and rarely dreamed about excel or pitch decks. But subconsciously, the lifestyle was getting to me.

In 2008, I had 4 pairs of Cole Haan shoes (2 black, 1 brown, 1 burgundy), about 20 Brook's Brothers shirts, and was eyeing a Ferragamo tie. I didn't particularly need $25 worth of Seamless Web delivery food, but I'd use it all just the same (you can buy a lot of Dentyne Ice - I was up to a pack a day at that point). And after all that hard work analyzing the financials of multi-million dollar companies, I deserved that black-car ride home, no? Fuck, I was living the dream.

Clowns told me “ain’t you roc [nation]? well where the fuck yo chain at?”
Guess it’s somethin like your girl, it aint came yet.
The man make the chain, chain dont make the man
How many n[inja]s do we know with hella ice but yet they lame?

J. Cole, you're exactly right. Granted, it's easy to get caught up in the lifestyle - and as much as I pride myself on having my own idea of what's "cool," I was clearly indoctrinated in the New York / finance culture. But how far off is the hip hop world from banking in New York anyway? Both have a culture of wealth and opulence. Both harshly criticize those who challenge the status quo. Both place a high value on things that really shouldn't be impressive (jail stints, Princeton degrees). But here stands J. Cole, one of the most hyped rappers out today, with Jay Z at his back, turning his own back to convention. Take note and keep watching him.

About the video: BBGUN directed the first Cole Jam I showcased on AMDAL, and the two have teamed up again to put an upgraded spin on that video. Check them both out.

Hit the jump for OK Go's latest awesomeness, Pharrell, and the latest BOTW.

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Rappers Don't Snuggle

I'm pretty sure it's possible to spoon too much. Clearly feels good. But should you get all post-coital cute after your first hookup, or roll the other way? What about the second time? The first sober shag? I bet rappers don't have this problem. I'm not even sure if rappers sleep, what with all the cough syrup, pills and weed. Apparently rappers don't even go down on girls (they find it 'unsavory'), save maybe only Lil' Wayne (success among women: explained). Snuggling, though? Forget it.

OK, of course this isn't true. Ask Drake.

Read more about Drake, including his tryst with a star singer and his latest video after the jump

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Jam of the Week: Nas & Damian Marley - "As We Enter"

JOTW has been a staple since this blog's inception. Love it or hate it, in some way, it's hear to stay. That said, I agree that this blog needs more content and less youtube vomit. This post won't be exactly what you're looking for. That said, I am in the midst of writing a modified JOTW, which will center around a music video but also aspire to be more thoughtful, personal, and directed towards particular themes each week. We'll see how it goes. Like Carr said below, people are getting dumber thanks to the internet and I'm no exception (or at least that'll be my excuse from now on). So pardon me if I lose interest and go back to liveblogging and youtube vomiting.

Nas and Damian Marley are the rap equivalent of the Liger. It's pretty much my favorite group. It's like the best rapper and the best reggae/rapper mixed... bred for its skills in awesomeness. I haven't heard the full album yet but from a few of the tracks I've heard, I'm excited. This song, though, is my favorite and I'm very happy it got the video treatment. Now that I think about it, this might be the first Nas JOTW. That is fucking atrocious. If I can rant, Nas is considered one of the best rappers ever. I think "Illmatic," Nas' first album which he put out when he was 21(!), will probably forever be in iPod/iPhone/Android/Spaceship device until the day I die. Many people say the same about Bob Marley, so Damian, Bob's son, isn't far off. Together you have a match made in hip hop heaven. Are you listening / watching yet?

Bonus: See them live here.

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Jam Of The Week: Asher Roth - "Muddy Swim Trunks"

Sorry it's been a while. Clearly I've been busy liveblogging about virgins, pandas, crabs and drunken haircuts. But after a short hiatus, I've put my shirt back on and have come back with every(any?)body's favorite segment, Jam Of The Week.

This week's JOTW comes to us from one of AMDAL's favorite white boys, Asher Roth. Aside from being white and coming from suburbia, he's followed a pretty well-worn path to success in the modern hip-hop world, namely taking advantage of the art of the mixtape. Mixtapes have been around for almost as long as hip-hop itself and was / is used to build buzz either before artists have "made it" or between albums. It's also my favorite way to get music because they're right in my price range ($0 to Free). "Muddy Swim Trunks" comes off his latest excellent mixtape, "Seared Foie Gras W/ Quince & Cranberry" (download here) .

Besides having a pretty great mixtape and good song above, the video is well done. I love the one-shot but I also like how random it all is (NSFW from 0:56 - 1:02 due to peripheral boobies). The song is all over the place and it's something Asher prides in his work. He sees himself as a weirdo and not a hit-maker (think more "Lark In My Go Kart" and less "I Love College"). I for one am with him on this one.

Check out the runners up after the jump, full of kids fighting, babies on corners and Diddy. Sorry, no Bieber.

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Jam Of The Week: Lupe Fiasco - "I'm Beaming"

Sometimes I get mad when little kids and special effects are used too much in videos, both for the same reason. Usually it's a cue that the artist is trying to cheat the viewer into liking the video by making them ooh and ahh without a lot of work on their part ("Let the kids run around while I stand in front of a green screen. Easiest. Money. Ever"). And still, I like what Lupe did here. He seemed to have gotten the right proportions of kids, graphics, and low-tech cardboard cutouts. A tough combination but clearly a pleasant side effect form the great recession (still?!) and stricter childhood labor laws (Mom?!).

Hit the jump for a white kid, a wifey with a booty, a shameless plug, an ex-con with an up-and-comer and the heart throb that has won me over.

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Jam Of The Week: LCD Soundsystem - "Drunk Girls"

PLEDGE TERM!

(As told by Spike Jonze)

See more videos (with actual commentary) that include a man-child, a boy band, an excellent new band and more after the jump...

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Jam of the Week: Toni Braxton - "Hands Tied"

Everyone loves a comeback and I think it's safe to assume that Toni Braxton is well on her way. Peep the Old School JOTW after the jump for what 13 years will do to you (Answer: very little, but see for yourself). Aside from her excellent pole dancing singing skills, I'm particularly happy that an asian man can be seen as sexually desirable in an R&B video. If I ever joined DAAAA or CAASAAA or whatever group with the acronym that stood for Tri Kap, I would totally use their letterhead to send Ms. Braxton a thank you note for her socially conscious efforts. Here's to you Toni - looking / sounding good.

Bonus: Toni Braxton - "Make My Heart" video (Catsuit!)

Check out some more good ones, including at least one some will argue should have been the JOTW and a few more that surely will be called not socially or politically significant enough to grace the pixels of AMDAL.

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Jam of the Week: Aloe Blacc - "I Need A Dollar"

A while back I talked about the HBO show "How To Make It In America," or rather, about its mixtape. I watched the season finale on demand tonight and while I like the mixtape much better than the show, I enjoyed it for what it was. The opening sequence song, however, kept me looking forward to the coming week's episode. Now Aloe Blacc has given "I Need A Dollar" the video treatment. It didn't have to do much (anything) to give me an excuse to listen to the song one more time, but the style and story managed to impress. With an interesting pace that makes you want to know what happens next, I was forced to largely overlook the confusing ending and instead chalk it up to an effort to be 'deep.' Can't say that about the show itself.

Hit the jump for a few videos, including a beautiful and talented R&B singer's renaissance and one of AMDAL's favorite white boys (not Hank (this time)).

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Jam Of The Week: KiD CuDi - “Soundtrack 2 My Life”

Blah blah blah, something about my personal life tied loosely to KiD CuDi having fun, blah blah.

Bonus: Live preview of a new Cudder at Purdue here

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Afternoon Jam Of The Week: Reflection Eternal feat. Bun B. - "Strangers"

AMDAL'ers have been forced to swallow my hip hop video soap-box'ing, and today's no exception. Today's lesson: the feature. There's hardly a jam that goes by that doesn't have a rapper invited onto someone else's track. How hard/lonely can it be to be on a track on your own? I have no idea, but I think in the end, we're all better for it.

A particular interesting aspect of the trend is when features outshine their headliners. We've seen it a thousand times on JOTW (example 456 here). You might be saying, "MLR, Birdman gets shit on all the time, what about the greats?" Glad you asked - check out Eminem crushing Jay Z on "Renegade" (Nas called him out on it during their mid 00's feud on "Ether" at the 3:58 mark). Even Talib Kweli, who I talked up a few weeks ago as one of the greats, gets dethroned here. And badly. Check out a snippet of Bun B's lyrics discussing some pretty AMDAL-relevant stuff below.

Why the government want to keep me in debt for?
They want to keep me in debt for

Look at AIG and the bailouts
Stepping on the fish just so you can just help the whale out
Got its ass out or should I say tail out?
Need another job like a paper or a mail route
Bring the freshness in take the stale out
Make it rain DC and Imma put a pail out
Man imma put a pail out
Know what I'm saying?

I definitely know what you're saying Bun.
Bonus: A fuller breakdown of Bun B's lyrics in the comments

Jay feat. Em - "Renegade"


Nas - "Ether"


Check out more hot cuts after the break, including another group making a comeback and some new AMDAL regulars Making Waves (though not like that crappy Hanover hair salon).

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Afternoon Jam of the Week: Lloyd Banks feat. Juelz Santana - "Beamer, Benz Or Bentley"

Part 2 of today's JOTW's and it's quite a bit more urban heavy. If you don't know Lloyd Banks, don't worry, you're not alone. Truth be told, Lloyd (what kind of rapper name is that?) has been around a while and has been featured on a lot of songs with long-time buddy 50 Cent and the G Unit crew. Unfortunately he usually sucks. He's non-emotive, his raps are boring, and he always looks like he just woke up or got punched in the face (hard to tell which).

Well I guess every sidekick can have his day, because this song is pretty awesome. Juelz Santana has also been coming into his own out from under Jim Jones' shadow (who was himself once a sidekick to the always entertaining Cam'ron) but it's Banks who makes the surprising improvement. I won't go so far as to say this will be a common occurrence, so enjoy it while you can. Watch out for this song to get the crap remixed out of it.

More jams, including some nepotism and that weird looking witch doctor from PCU

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Morning Jam of the Week: Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé - "Telephone"

A lot of videos caught my attention this week, so I've decided to break up the jams into morning and afternoon versions. The morning are the lighter fare (i.e.g. no rap) but I think you'll like it all the same. In fact, "Telephone," with it's prison-lesbianism and obscene product placement is hardly light. In fact it's downright NSFW (though, thankfully, Gaga's crotch is blurred). Plus, nearly everyone has already seen it, as it's been the talk of the tubes this week. Still, this video, full of awesome dance sequences, a bumpin' song and a creative concept is to what all JOTW's should aspire.

Click onward for some great videos that, while not hot off the presses, are still hot. Now with more androgynous redheads!

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Jam of the Week: B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothing On You"

The song above reminds me of three things.
1) The best part about a line like "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" is that it's reusable, yet still (potentially) true
2) One of my favorite Drake lines: "You know a lot of girls be thinkin' my songs are about them. This is not to get confused, this one's for you"
3) B.o.B. is actually like 5'6", hence the cut-out style. Explains why he writes a song like this. Everyone needs a silver bullet in their back pocket, just in case

Lot of great videos, including one from AMDAL's favorite stoner, after the jump

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Jam Of The Week: OK Go - "This Too Shall Pass"

Great song and amazing feats of engineering courtesy of Mindshare/Synnlabs. You've probably seen this because the Internets has been buzzing about it, but it can't be denied that it's this week's JOTW. Read more about it and see other feats of Rube Goldberg machines (including one with fire!) here

The above jam faced some stiff competition. Hit the jump for the (barely) runners up

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