Lazy Sunday: I say Captain...You say Wot!!! (aka when Hip Hop met Punk)

There is no denying that Hip Hop has been an influential force in our culture over the past 30 years. Magically though, somewhere in the 80's Hip Hop made an impression on an odd group of Punks and gave them the inspiration to give it a try of their own. Captain Sensible's "WOT" though almost a Rap Parody, it still labeled in Europe as an early hip hop classic. The Ex-Dammed singer was not however the only UK Punk to get the Hip Hop fever. Malcolm Mclaren of Sex Pistols fame, made a record collaborating with the "World's Famous Supreme Team" DJs (Hey DJ being their legacy) as well as graphically setting the tone of the record with art work by Grafitti Legends Keith Haring and Dondi White. At the time when Mclaren crafted "Duck Rock" though, it had been a couple of years since The Clash had released "Radio Clash" in which video one can actually spot Futura 2000 spray painting across New York City. The Influence of Hip Hop is quite obvious in this record, and their dedication was later reflected when Grandmaster Flash was asked to be the opening act for the Band. Futura and the Clash would later go into partnership again when they produced Futura 2000's "Escapades".

But perhaps the greatest document of the partnership between genres was Blondie's "Rapture" which united the vibrant Downtown scene to the new sounds coming from Uptown. In the song not only does Debby Harry do her own rapping, but she also gives shout outs to her new friends from the hip hop scene (Flash and Fab 5 Freddy). Perhaps the Video is even better, as we actually get to see some of the Artists do Cameos (including the gifted Jean-Michel Basquiat and other Lower East Side scenester). In some ways, the influence between Punk and Hip Hop was actually reciprocated when bands like ESG and Liquid Liquid were sampled by hip hop artists and most memorably when Grandmaster Flash sampled the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" (which in itself was a record influenced by Hip Hop). Although these were the conception of a very special time in our culture, the legacy that Hip Hop left on Punk Artists of that era was an important platform for the popularity of the genre in years to come. Here are some of those memorable moments...because it's Lazy Sunday and Lazy Sunday is always classic!

Listen: Captain Sensible - WOT


Listen: Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Gals


Listen: Blondie - Rapture


Listen: The Clash - Radio Clash


Listen: The Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love

Lazy Sunday: Guns at Brooklyn?

Lazy Sunday is back y'all. After a brief hiatus, it was time to come back to Boston and do what we do best...being Lazy. Recently, we've been sharing some embarrassing house hits from the 90's and well...as much as we loved them, I wanted to find an excuse to share with you Santogold's "Guns at Brooklyn" from the Diplo produced Mixtape. Staying pretty faithful to the original, this track is pure joy and yes...90% Dub fire. But let's not forget The Clash though. A classic is a classic...and after all that's why here on Lazy Sunday you'll always find a classic.

Santogold - Guns at Brooklyn (buy the Santogold Diplo Mixtape here!!!)

Music/Art: The Escapades of Futura 2000

I while ago I did a huge post on Futura 2000. Well...I'll try to keep this one short. Through the magic of ebay, and obscure record stores in Quebec, I managed to get of hold of this piece of music/art treasure. When the Clash went to New York in the 80's, they fell in love with the new culture of Hip-Hop and asked Futura to go on tour with them and paint while they performed. This collaboration didn't end there though. If you listen to "overpowered by funk" on Combat Rock, you will hear Futura doing a freestyle over some funky-ass beats. The favor was later reciprocated when Mick Jones produced what is this "epic" EP titled: The Escapades of Futura 2000. Check the credits and you'll also find Dondi White and Fab 5 Freddy on backup vocals. Insane right! Well... Basquiat produced an album too but that's till next time! Enjoy this for now. Also...I guess it's not a secret that the new Concepts store in Harvard Sq. has a massive Futura Painting... and trust me, we needed 2x4's to make that canvas. It was that big. If you're good maybe uncle Tarek will let you see it.

Futura with Glenn O'Brien (the 80's Rob Heppler)

The Clash - Overpowered by Funk
Futura 2000 - The Escapades of Futura 2000

Film: "The Future is Unwritten"

I grew up in the 80's and I never cared much about movies with John Cusack, but the fact that he was such a fan of The Clash always made him ok in my book. The fact is, The Clash is one of the few bands that are loved as much commercially as they are by angry hipsters. Although I personally liked Mick Jones Cowboy outfits more, there is now doubt Joe Strummer was the soul of the group. It's been 6 years since the 'punk rock warlord' passed away and I'm glad it's taken this long for someone to finally make a biopic that really shows the virtues and defects of the Clash's front man. "The Future is Unwritten" is this, and much more. I just watched it, and all I can say is WOW!!! Buy the DVD Here, but let's hope no one ever makes a movie about Bono!!!