Billboard Cover: Migos Splash in the Mainstream

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READ IT AT BILLBOARD (in print too)

Migos took me to the show, the afterparty, and the hotel lobby, though not in that order and certainly without the connotations R. Kelly implied when he sang about such marathon misadventuring. I digress. The short of it is: I spent Grammys day/night not at the awards show, but running around with Atlanta’s hottest, most meme-able rap trio. We went to the cluuub. We went to a swank party at the storied Chateau Marmont. I sat on an ottoman in a hotel room while Quavo (leftmost above) got an $800 pair of track pants measured for alteration. There were many blunts, a couple boxes of jewels, and at least one white cup full of orange syrup. And while I interviewed Jermaine Dupri (bucket list, considering Kriss Kross was the first cassette I owned), there were unexpected in-story cameos from Chance the Rapper, Chris Brown, the Game, and Big Sean. Our nine hours together were equal parts bad and boujee. Mission accomplished.

Billboard Cover: The Rebirth of Justin Bieber

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READ IT AT BILLBOARD (in print too)

Justin Bieber took me to church. Literally. It wasn’t part of the plan. All he promised was a 60-minute interview. Instead we talked for 90, went to dinner, then walked over to a Beverly Hills hotel for a sermon. Before you ask, the kid’s all right. He’s working on him, and the music is better than ever, but all that’s in the story, along with input from Big Sean, Skrillex, Scooter, Poo Bear, and, yes, his pastor. Read why, in Justin’s words, he “wouldn’t suggest being a child star.”

Also, peep the photo gallery featuring more awesome shots by Zooey Grossman.

News Roundup: Free Garage Rock, Alpha Pup Goes Chillwave, Snoop Disses Grammys, Mayer = Sad Bastard, West Coast Rules The Rap Roost

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

Snoop and The Grammys, before the beef (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

  1. MP3 Exclusive: ‘Take You’ from L.A. Garage-Rockers Cobalt Cranes
  2. MP3 Exclusive: Alpha Pup Enters The Chilwave Game with Sumsun
  3. Snoop Dogg Disses Grammys, Big-Ups the West on New Mixtape
  4. Mayer Hawthorne is a Very, Very Sad Man
  5. West Coast Rappers Dominate XXL’s Freshman Class
  6. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

Durlin Lurt's 'Him Jenson'

  1. ‘Him Jenson’ Releases Wild Muppets Mixtape [MP3s]
  2. Dâm-Funk Making LPs w/ Steve Arrington, Nite Jewel [MP3]
  3. Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes
  4. And The Top Radiohead Benefit Donor Is… Dangerbird?
  5. ASKA of Moonrats Collaborates Flea, Spike Jonze
  6. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

todd and gondry

Mia Doi Todd in her new Gondry-directed video

  1. Abe Vigoda Leaks Demo, Tours With Vampire Weekend
  2. Exclusive: Salvador Santana’s “Don’t Do It”, Plus Michna Remix
  3. Watch: Gondry and Mia Doi Todd Make Human Rubik’s Cube
  4. Watch: Rapper ‘Intuition’ Pays Tribute to Al Bundy
  5. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

Durlin Lurt's 'Him Jenson'

  1. ‘Him Jenson’ Releases Wild Muppets Mixtape [MP3s]
  2. Dâm-Funk Making LPs w/ Steve Arrington, Nite Jewel [MP3]
  3. Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes
  4. And The Top Radiohead Benefit Donor Is… Dangerbird?
  5. ASKA of Moonrats Collaborates Flea, Spike Jonze
  6. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes