hooves on the turf

How to save hip-hop: mash it up with the best of indie!

Back when the Hot 97 / Tsunami controversy was at its peak, I was in a room filled with disgruntled hip-hoppers and fans shaking their heads over the state of mainstream hip hop. I would’ve raised my hand and announced, “Behold! Not to worry my dear friends!” if I had only known how excitingly well mash-ups of indie rock and mainstream hip-hop could work. These, of course, would hardly ever satisfy those fighting against the MTV / Hot 97 brand of their art, but I’m here to announce how good of a job DJ’s at the Hood Internet have done.

My absolute favorite is “Absorb the Lip Gloss” that features Marnie Stern’s “Absorb the Numbers” and Lil Mama’s “Lip Gloss,” one of the many mixes listed on their website. Since I’ve yet to listen to all of them, my second favorite for now is “That’s That Whirlwind” featuring Architecture In Helsinki’s “Do That Whirlwind” and Snoop Dogg’s “That’s That.”

All tracks are downloadable from the Hood Internet website.