1) Big K.R.I.T. Live From The Underground (Island/Def Jam)

2) Curren$y The Stoned Immaculate (Warner Brothers)

3) Casual He Still Think He Raw (Hieroglyphics Imperium)

4) The Jacka The Sentence ( Siccness)

5)  El-P Cancer4Cure (Fat Possum)

As outlined in both the chart and accompanying video above with E-Lit at Amoeba Berkeley, the new number one on the Amoeba Hip-Hop chart is the major label Def Jam/Island debut from the phenomenally popular Southern mic wrecker Big K.R.I.T. Live From The Underground. The arrival of this guest heavy album, including the surprise guest spot by blues legend BB King, follows hot on the heels of a series of mixture reissues such as Return of 4Eva from the Mississippi MC that fans can't seem to get enough of. Another artist that commands a diehard following is prolific Bay Area rapper The Jacka who returns to the Amoeba chart this week with The Sentence, which as E-Lit notes, is the final/third part of his ongoing rap trilogy. 

It was on this date exactly two years ago (April 19, 2010) that hip-hop icon, emcee GURU of hip-hop golden era legendary duo Gang Starr (with DJ Premier) died succumbing to a year long battle with cancer combined with a serious heart attack from a month earlier.  The name of the super-gifted and highly influential MC, born Keith Elam and who was only 43 when he passed in April 2010, appropriately stood for "Gifts Unlimited Rhymes Universal" which perfectly summed up the artist. GURU will always be remembered most for his Gang Starr recordings. Yes he did a lot of other work with artists over the years including the ambitious Jazzmatazz series with Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers and Ronny Jordan but it is his Gang Starr recordings/catalog that will forever remain in the hearts & heads of music fans and the general hip-hop consciousness.

There have been, over the years, countless club nights whose names have been taken directly from GURU lyrics, and/or Gang Starr song/album titles. Dave Paul of BOMB Hip Hop once had a party called Step In The Arena. Additionally GURU's fondness for confrontational, battle style lyrics were tailor-made for DJs to utilize in battle scenarios. As UK DJ/producer Pete Sasqwax so accurately noted today on this sad anniversary, "So many quotables & without him, how different DJ battles would've been over the years. I believe there was a significant period of time whereby it was mandatory to use a Guru dis in your DMC [DJ battle] routine otherwise you would automatically fail to progress." Above and below are videos to some of my personal all time fave Gang Starr cuts. Rest in peace GURU - your music keeps you alive forever!

Amoeba presents a special screening of the new documentary film, Re:Generation Music Project, on Monday February 13 at the Los Angeles Film School (across from Amoeba Hollywood).

The Re:Generation Music Project follows five electronic DJs/producers - DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method - as they remix, recreate and re-imagine five traditional styles of music (Rock, R&B, Country, Jazz, and Classical). These five distinctive DJs collaborate with some incredibly talented (and some unlikely) partners - The Doors, Martha Reeves, Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty, Mos Def, Zigaboo Modeliste, Nas, Leann Rimes, Dr. Ralph Stanley - to discover how our musical past is influencing the future.

What: Re:Generation Music Project Screening
Where: Los Angeles Film School (6363 Sunset Blvd) entrance on Ivar.
When: Monday, Feb 13 at 8pm

RSVP via email to attend: regenerationmusicproject@gmail.com

Include your full name and if you plan to bring a guest to the screening. Please arrive early at the Film School for check-in. RSVP does not guarantee admission.



Directed by award-winning documentarian, Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story, My Kid Could Paint That), produced in association with Grammy's and presented by Hyundai Veloster, Re:Generation Music Project examines music’s past, present and future, while yielding five revolutionary collaborations in the process. In the film, The Crystal Method, DJ Premier, Pretty Lights, Mark Ronson, and Skrillex use technology to mix musical styles and generations for the creation of five original tracks that are nothing short of magical. 

It's a good time for music at the cinema as there are several very interesting looking music documentaries or music themed films that have just been released or are about to be released in both theaters and on DVD. These include Re:Geneartion in which live DJs/producers (including DJ Premier & Mark Ronson) "turn the tables on the history of music" by teaming up with artists that you would not normally expect them to work alongside (including members of The Doors), The Ballad of Mott The Hoople about the early 70's Dylan-meets-The Rolling Stones styled, Bowie-affiliated rock group Mott The Hoople (this is in select theaters currently but will be out on DVD next month), Andrea Blaugrund Nevins' The Other F Word about punk rock dads with Family repsonsibilities and lil kids to nurture which opens in theaters on November 2nd, and Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life. This film, which is just one of a few films in recent years about the unique French musical talent of Serge Gainsbourg, is having a special screening at the Lumiere in San Francisco this coming Thursday (Oct 20th) that Amoeba Music is giving away free passes to. More information on how to win here. Meanwhile above and below are trailers for each of these four new music themed movies that you may want to check out.

1) Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being (Cash Money/Universal Records)

2) Atmosphere To All My Friends (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

3) Foreign Exchange Authenticity (Foreign Exchange Music)

4) Trademark Da Skydiver Super Villain-Issue #2  (iHipHop Distribution)

5) Pigeon John Dragon Slayer (Quannum Projects)

Thanks to Luis at the Amoeba Music San Francisco store for this week's hip-hop top five chart. The still incarcerated Lil Wayne is at the top of the chart with his latest CD I Am Not a Human Being, which continues to garner positive reviews and sales round the country. He continues to cool his heels in solitary confinement in Riker's Island in New York for the next two weeks and is scheduled to be released on November 4th. Let's hope for his sake that at once released he can stay out of trouble and out of jail and that people can pack away their "Free Weezy" t-shirts for good. And while I Am Not a Human Being is way better, nearly all agree, than last year's long delayed Rebirth, it is clearly not as strong an album as 2008's The Carter III. Human Being was rush recorded right before Weezy began his stint behind bars and there are cameos many from his Young Money crew, including Drake, who makes five appearances here. As an album that was rush-recorded, it is a damn good offering but my guess is that once Lil Wayne gets out of jail and is free to go into the studio to record The Carter IV that he will truly appreciate his freedom and deliver perhaps the best work of his career.