“Growing up in New York, I was exposed to the core of late nineties hip hop culture,” explains Brooklyn, NY native DJ Signify. “I've always loved NY hip-hop, but around 97-98, the scene got stale. Unless coming from (DJ) Premier, beats were unoriginal and uninspired, and people were really unadventurous in what they listened to. In a way, it was necessary though, because it caused a lot of guys, me included, to push hip hop in directions nobody thought it could go.”

In the late nineties, experimental hip hop was emerging from underneath the mainstream noise that plagued popular radio.  Experimental had a whole new sound, wild new source of samples and loads of fresh untapped energy. The more that experimental hip hop grew and traveled through ear drums, primarily with the help of labels like Anticon, Ninja Tunes and Stones Throw, it became more apparent that its creative process seemed to stem from that used by experimental rock and pop fixtures like Bauhaus, Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa.

What separates experimental from the rest of hip hop is that instead of focusing on lyrics and the repetitive nature of looping samples, it primarily showcases the beat as an instrumental work with a start and a finish.

DJ Signify has been at the forefront of experimental hip hip, and is among the ranks of its notable creators, including Aesop Rock, Blockhead, Daddy Kev and Awol One.  
 

If you don’t know him already, let me introduce you to MF Doom, a.k.a. Victor Vaughn a.k.a. The Super Villain. He is one of the most unheard of and most talented producers/ emcees on the face the Earth.

Aside from wearing a metal mask, Doom enjoys partaking in other accentric activities, like pulling trickery where he fails to show up to his own concerts and has imposters assume his identity onstage. You have to be good to pull some bullshit like that, and believe me, he is.

Although pulling shit  on concert goers might not be the best PR move, it has built a ton of mystique around MF Doom. Who is the man behind the metal mask?  The answer to that question might lie in discovering his first project, an obscure (and awesome) early nineties hip hop group called KMD, which Doom produced and rapped in.  

In Jan of 2009, MF Doom is set to release his next album, titled Born into This. His last 2 efforts, Doomsday and MMM…Food have been absolutely stellar in every sense of the word, so this new record should hopefully be just as good if not better.

 

Hidden track off of MMM...Food.  

More videos on full story, including live footage of the real and fake MF Doom.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means you have a flight/drive ahead of you to make it back for family overload, awkward High School encounters, and the realization that the drinking age is still 21 outside of your college campus. For that purpose, we decided to triple stack the Weekend Jam this week so you can prepare your iPod and car stereo for the trip. To coincide with the act of movement you're sure to undergo, these are all tracks we feel fit into the 'driving music' category.

Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire"

We've been fans of these guys for a while, but we realize not everyone in America has yet jumped on the Kings of Leon bandwagon. The band has a very devout following that has been with them since their early days in Nashville. Their latest single, "Sex on Fire", has been making the rounds on the Alternative radio stations for a couple weeks and has landed them plenty of new fans. The track has this great sound that you need to get worked into your life playlist stat. That whole Indie Rock feel, without the pretentious snobbery of some 'indie acts' nor the annoying sound effects reminiscient of bands like Vampire Weekend. It's true, I hate Vampire Weekend.

If you have to get any one song for your journey homeward, I suggest "Sex on Fire". But the entire album Only By Night is worth picking up for other songs such as "Use Somebody" and "Manhattan". Check their MySpace for older tracks.

OTHER BANDS: ...And You Shall Know Us By The Trail of Dead and The Supervillains