Ghostface Killah, Biz Markie, Fat Joe and more join MTV's hip-hop version of Hollywood Squares

Hollywood Squares—America’s favorite game show combining the thrill of playing tic-tac-toe with the excitement of seeing celebrities stacked in boxes—is coming back, and this time it’s been totally hip-hop-ified, for the streets. MTV2 has announced a May 22 launch for Hip Hop Squares, which the below promo promises will take the corny old format involving celebrities answering trivia questions with scripted patter and—RECORD SCRATCH—turn it into a “party” that still has that, but with rappers and an in-house DJ. Among those rappers, as well as those who have worked with rappers, or have occasionally been photographed with rappers, or perhaps own a rap CD: Ghostface Killah, Biz Markie, Fat Joe, Mac Miller, MGK, DJ Khaled, Nick Cannon, Kat Graham, and of course, Jackass star Bam Margera, a ringer who’s presumably on board because of his knowledge of European history or something. Anyway, this finally confirms our oft-argued assertion that Ghostface Killah is the Paul Lynde of hip-hop. Who's laughing now, senior thesis adviser???


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LeBron James Uses Wu-Tang, Jay-Z & DMX To Beat The Mavericks

When the Miami Heat played the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night, LeBron James wasn't just revisiting the single biggest failure of his career, he was playing hurt (dislocated finger) in a game the Heat badly need to break out of a sluggish stretch (8-6) the past few weeks. He needed some extra motivation, and ... Well, there are times when it's easy to hate LeBron James, and then are there are times when he makes it really difficult.

MIAMI -- About 90 minutes before Thursday's home game against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James walked over to the stereo system in the Miami Heat's locker room, inserted his music device and pumped up the volume loud enough to send vibrations through a nearby dry-erase board.

There was Wu-Tang Clan's "Bring The Pain."

Then came Jay-Z's "Reservoir Dogs."

By the time a compilation of DMX's greatest hits blasted through the speakers, James had pounded and paced himself into a sweat-lathered, rhythmic routine that more resembled a boxer preparing for a big fight than a basketball player anxiously hoping to lead his team onto the court and out of a slump.

Love LeBron or hate him, that is AWESOME. Just a few stray thoughts here.

1. "Bring The Pain" is a Method Man solo from the Wu era, but the name's a little misleading. As far as reckless, anti-social rap that'll scare the shit out of everyone, "Bring The Pain" isn't even in the top 50. If I was going for Wu-Tang pregame music, I'd go with "Criminology" because the beat is outrageous, and it includes Ghostface Killah telling us that he's "throwin' n****s off airplanes because cash rules." REAL TALK, SON.

2. When you think of Jay-Z, you think of the post-Blueprint, culturally transcendent Jay. Watch The Throne, own the Nets, join the Illuminati, etc. Marry Beyonce, have a baby. Whatever. This is the Jay-Z that LeBron looks up to, and that's cool. But "Reservoir Dogs" is whole other story.

3. Put it this way: Jay-Z is a frequent guest at the White House these days. Beanie Siegel, Sauce Money, and The Lox ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

From Michael Wallace at ESPN:

Nas Names RZA, Teddy Riley, Just Blaze & 9th Wonder Production Dream Team

Life is Good for Nas, but it can get better if God’s Son gets to collaborate with a handful of producers on his wish list.

In an interview with Peter Rosenberg of New York City’s Hot 97 dial at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas two weeks back, Nas shared a list of producers that he’d like to work with.

“I would love to do something with Diamond D, RZA, Teddy Riley, Just Blaze is crazy,” Nas declared.

And there were more.




“9th Wonder,” he continued. “9th Wonder’s a weird muthafucka, that’s why I want to work with him. Quincy Jones…just ’cause. I don’t care if it don’t even sound good.”

Of course, the Queensbridge God MC has already worked with celebrated producers likes of DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Dr. Dre and Pharrell throughout his storied career.

There’s no telling if Nas and any of the aforementioned producers can get in the studio to craft records that could make it on his summer album, Life Is Good, but the LP already has begun taking shape. Two weeks ago, Nas unleashed the single “The Don,” produced by Salaam Remi, Da Internz and the late Heavy D. The track served as a follow-up to his “Nasty” single, which was released last June.

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Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ Inspired by ODB’s ‘Brooklyn Zoo

*The producer of Adele’s smash hit “Rolling in the Deep” revealed he was influenced by Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s hit “Brooklyn Zoo” and the White Stripes song “Seven Nation Army.”

Producer Paul Epworth told Uaudio.com: ”When we were doing ‘Rolling In The Deep’ we wanted the impact and feeling of the track to have a little bit of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes.

”But for the bridges, we were trying to make the piano sound like ‘Brooklyn Zoo’ by Ol’ Dirty Bastard. And when it came to the whole feeling of her vocal relationship to the track, we thought most like Cee Lo Green and Nina Simone.”

Congrats Wu Disciples: RZA is about to give you some of that Bobby Digital Movie

Due to the amount of responses received it is safe to say RZA will be giving the fans something really soon from the Bobby Digital movie. Stay tuned and well done for sending in those replies.

Pictures from WeSC:Chambers by RZA Launch Last night in Paris with Performance from Pusha T

Taco Tuesday With Wu-Tang Clan & Killah Priest

Chambers by RZA x WeSC - German Launch Party @ Tube Station Berlin 31.03.12

To mark the launch of the co-developed by RZA headphones "Chambers" brings the Swedish streetwear company "We are the Superlative Conspiracy" shortly WeSC, but not the Wu-Tang veteran himself, but one of his companions Brooklyn to Berlin. The rap pioneer Kurtis Blow will perform live on 31.3 in the tube station.

Wu-Tang DJ & Producer Mathematic's Latest Interview

Bobby Digital Movie With Ol' Dirty Bastard On It?

The Abbott of Wu-Tang Clan; RZA wants to know if the fans, Wu Disciples want to see a Bobby Digital movie featuring classic footage of ODB, let RZA know by replying below if you want to see this, is this even a question?

Uncle Ray's Weekly Wuspiration #8: Each Day

'Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.'

- Ray Acosta (President/GM @ Wu Music Group)

Wu-Tang Clan Reflect On Their Legacy

At a recent show, Thisis50.com caught up with the Rza, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and U-God where they spoke about past glory of the Wu-Tang Clan and maintaining their humble methodology.

Michael K. Williams to Play Ol' Dirty Bastard in Dirty White Boy (Video)

As the deadly stick-up man Omar Little on The Wire and the fearsome bootlegger Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire, actor Michael K. Williams has played his share of tough SOBs. Now he’s going to take on a bastard. An Ol’ Dirty one. EW has learned exclusively that Williams, 45, will star in an upcoming film about the legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper and all-around troubled soul Russell Jones, a.k.a. Ol’ Dirty Bastard, whose impressive mic skills and outrageous showmanship were eclipsed by his erratic offstage behavior, assorted arrests, and an early death.Joaquín Baca-Asay, the cinematographer on We Own the Night, Roger Dodger and Jay-Z’s video for 99 Problems, is also joining the project, making his feature directorial debut.

The movie is based on the final years of ODB’s life — a true story that is nonetheless stranger than fiction. Titled Dirty White Boy, the film focuses on the offbeat friendship between the Wu-Tang Clan co-founder and Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1 production assistant who through a lot of hustle (and the occasional lie) talked his way into becoming the rapper’s manager when Jones was serving a three-year stint in prison in the early 2000s .Despite Weisfeld’s inexperience, and having a client whose talent was undermined by addiction and mental illness, the novice manager engineered an unlikely comeback — only to have it cut short by the star’s fatal drug overdose in 2004 at age 35. Dirty White Boy is being produced by Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, whose Beginners won Christopher Plummer an Academy Award last month. The screenplay is by Brent Hoff, who worked at VH1 and met Weisfeld and ODB when they were working on a reality show there.

The role of Weisfeld has not yet been filled, though the part may be particularly attractive now that it includes the chance to act opposite the acclaimed Williams. (Another movie about ODB, apparently penned by his cousin Raeshawn, is also in the works, with Eddie Griffin and Tracy Morgan being considered for the lead role.)Although Williams is older than ODB ever would be, anyone who has seen his work knows his skill at bringing complicated, charismatic, and disturbed characters to life — often with surprising tenderness. The only question is what will become of the actor’s distinctive facial scar. Should the filmmakers try to cover it up, or simply use dramatic license to make it a part of the character, even though ODB had no such mark?And who should play the eponymous dirty white boy? One look at Weisfeld in this screengrab of him with ODB from that VH1 documentary he was working on calls to mind Shia LaBeouf, or maybe The Social Network‘s Andrew Garfield (soon to be seen as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man). Jonah Hill’s recent Oscar-nominated turn in Moneyball showed off the actor’s dramatic chops and could put him in the running.Weisfeld, now of the literary management and production company Objective Entertainment, is cooperating with the project, along with ODB’s mother, Cherry Jones. The film will be produced through Knudsen and Van Hoy’s Parts & Labor company in partnership with producer Todd Hagopian’s Ocean Size Pictures. Williams is represented by Sam Maydew and Matt Goldman at The Collective, while Baca-Asay is represented by CAA. The independent film is being financed by K5 International. Since the film is clearly a mix of tragedy and surreal comedy, the role of Weisfeld demands someone who can balance both. So who would you put in the role, Inside Movie readers? Maybe it should be an actor who, like Weisfeld himself, emerges from out of nowhere.

Wu Discples, what do you think of this casting?

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OMGPOP, Creator of Wildly Successful Draw Something, is Releasing a Wu-Tang Clan FarmVille

OMGPOP, the creator of the wildly successful play-by-email-esque iOS game Draw Something, has revealed the followup to their successful Pictionary-like drawing game: The Street, a FarmVille style game featuring the Wu-Tang Clan. You may now wat.

Details are currently scant, and yes, the screenshot says “Streets,” plural, while the game is currently called The Street, singular, but do not worry, for OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter said it will be “the realist game ever on Facebook.” If only he said “illest.”

Though The Street will be launching for Facebook, which might sound odd considering the company’s successful Draw Something is a mobile game, the Wu-Tang infused StreetVille will also be released on mobile platforms at some point, as a mobile version is being developed. Interestingly, The Street was under development before Draw Something caught on, and The Street will likely be OMGPOP’s last Facebook though, though, you know, money usually has a say in that.

Never fear, Wu-Tang fans, The Street will actually star Wu-Tang members, so you can keep it real while trading whatever The Street uses in place of FarmVille pigs with your relatives over Facebook. The Street is planned for a release next week.

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Win Tickets To See Wu-Tang Clan, Odd Future + More @ Paid Dues (4/7)

Okayplayer, in association with organizers Murs and Guerilla Union, is proud to be offering you a chance to win tickets to the epic Paid Dues festival going down April 7th in San Bernadino, California. Amongst some of the acts are Wu-Tang Clan, Odd Future, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Dipset (in their 1st West Coast appearance), DJ Quik, Hieroglyphics, Los Rakas…and a whole lot more.

For your chance to win, just let us know which of those artists you are most amped to see live. Here’s exactly what you have to do:

1) Follow @okayplayer and @paid_dues on twitter.

2) Tweet the following:

RT2W: I want to see [artist name]! @okayplayer, gimme those tickets to @paid_dues! http://bit.ly/GB1lGQ

3) That’s it–just make sure you include this link: http://bit.ly/GB1lGQ AND make sure you follow both @s so we can DM you with ticket info if you win–good luck!

Wu-Tang Needs Your Vote In MC Bracket Pool

VS

Wu-Tang has been paired up against Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan has had little trouble in the MC Bracket. They've already beaten J. Cole, DMX and Nas.

Now against Eminem, will they win this?

Where are the Wu-Tang fans at? Where are the Wu disciples at? Let's show the world why Wu-Tang is really forever

Go to link below to vote for Wu-Tang Clan

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/bracket?id=7620069

The RZA Digitalizes His 90's Tapes

According to a reliable source and student of RZA, The Abbott has recently digitalized all or some of his tapes from the 90s, and some of the highlights from his archives are 6 unreleased songs from "Enter The 36 Chambers (Dirty Versions)", Lets hope these songs see the light of the day on upcoming releases.

Wudisciples, how many of you would like to see these songs released?

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Win tickets to Cappadonna Black Cloud tour.

Gab Gotcha - "10 Fed Commandments" - BIG Tribute

A tribute to the late great, Notorious BIG.
The Ten Fed Commandments by Gab Gotcha
To download free go to:
http://wugabgotcha.bandcamp.com/track/10-fed-commandments

Solomon Childs - Red Heron: Wall Street Hustle [WuMinati Series #3]

Last week our Wuminati investigation lead us West, towards Brown Dracula’s castle, prior to that we checked down South with the Kingpin, Napoleon. This week, we pick up our travels directing us to the East and the third character of the Illuminati Network crew: Red Heroin aka Solomon Childs, and perhaps next week we can catch up with the last physical member of the group Shaka Amazulu the 7th.

Solomon Childs’ name been familiar with a lot of Wu fans since 1998. That year Childs, or Killa Bamz as he used to call himself back then, got the chance to shine along Cappadonna on his debut album ‘The Pillage” , appearing on the album’s title track and two others. His crispy voice and heartfelt delivery immediately made him a name to remember and keep track of. Since then this young and hungry MC has released a constant stream of mixtapes and street albums through Chambermusik, joined Ghostface Killah for his Theodore Unit project/album, later forming his own unit; KMG, and became a highly requested featuring artist on songs and albums from many artists and crews worldwide, in or out the Wu-Tang. In fact it’s safe to say you could easily fill a few compilation albums with just his features, let alone his own material he released the past 15 years.

First interview ever at Wu-International unlike his Wuminati peers, we are pleased to use this opportunity of our series to bring you a long overdue interview with one of the original Killa Beez from Wu’s Golden Era covering his past, present and near future. What is his role in the Wuminati saga? Time to find out, no Brown Sugar this time. It’s time for Young Wu-Tang, aka Red Heroin, Enjoy !!!

http://wu-international.com/misc_albums/Interviews/SolomonChildsWuminati_Interview.htm

Raekwon, GZA/Genius & JD Era – Live At Mass Appeal x Decon Showcase

Raekwon is joined by GZA and JD Era during his performance at the Mass Appeal x Decon showcase at SXSW as they run through a few cuts.

GZA on Lecturing at Harvard, New Album Dark Matter - SXSW

Uncle Ray's Weekly Wuspiration #7: Never Give Up....

'Never give up when you have something left to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.'

- Ray Acosta (President/GM @ Wu Music Group)

GZA/Genius on His First Crush, Childhood Pet -- Incredibly Intimate Interview

Killah Priest - The Psychic World of Walter Reed (PWOWR) Coming Soon. 2012

PWOWR coming soon 2012, featuruing Ghostface Killah, RZA, Raekwon, GZA/Genius and many more

Cappadonna Live @ The Terrace In Passadena

Oliver Grant aka Power Recognised for His Community Work.

Once again the Wu-Tang Brand Dreams For Youth movement on behalf of Oliver Power grant , David Jefferson jr and the Wu-Tang family once again would like to thank Donald Payne For his recognition and support for the movement and the people . We also send our Love to his loved ones.

GZA/Genius Picture of the day on Yahoo & Video

COMMERCIAL IMAGE - In this photograph taken by AP Images for Doritos, GZA performs on The JACKED Stage by Doritos in Austin, Texas, Friday, March 16, 2012. The 56-foot-tall vending machine JACKED Stage was unveiled at SXSW to debut amped up new Doritos JACKED chips. (Darren Abate/AP Images for Doritos)

GZA/Genius To Headline Official 2012 SXSW Showcase Backed By Grammy Award Winning Band Grupo Fantasma

Legendary lyricist, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan will make his return to SXSW on Saturday March 17, 2012, however this time he will be backed by Grammy Award winning band Grupo Fantasma (Brownout). Those who have seen GZA live know just how captivating the swordsman is, and the addition of a 10 piece Latin funk orchestra is certain to make for a performance of phenomenal proportion.

The official showcase, which is presented by iHipHop, Babygrande & The Madbury Club, will also include performances by east coast hardcore veterans M.O.P. as well as Curren$y’s Jet Life crew (Trademark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy, Smoke DZA, Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids, Fiend, Cornerboy P & Street Wiz), Marz Lovejoy, Flatbush Zombies, T. Mills, Airplane Boys, Mod Sun and DJ Statik Selektah.

The showcase will take place on Saturday March 17, 2012 at Haven, located at 409 Colorado, Austin. Doors at 8pm. For more information, visit http://sxsw.com/

Raekwon ft. Ceazar-N-Reazon – “The Brewery” Music Video

For his latest clip, Chef Raekwon and his Ice H20 comrades Ceazar-N-Reazon get fatigue’d up and take viewers into Bushwick, Brooklyn’s Brewery Recording Studio. Real gritty. Produced by Scram Jones, directed by Rec the Director. From Raekwon’s Unexpected Victory mixtape.

Raekwon Tributes Ol' Dirty Bastard At SXSW 2012

Raekwon ft. JD Era - Dedication (Official Video)

Raekwon Says Collab Album With Notorious B.I.G. Could Have Happened

Raekwon recalls his beef with the Notorious B.I.G. and says that the two could've linked up for an LP at some point.

While Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.'s beef may go down as the most widely recognized feuds in Hip Hop, one of Biggie's most notorious tiffs transpired between him and members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Now, in a recent interview with MTV, B.I.G.'s one-time adversary Raekwon speaks on his short-lived feud with the Brooklyn legend.

Back in 1995, Rae and his partner-in-rhyme Ghostface Killah lambasted Biggie on a skit from Only Built 4 Linx... titled "Shark Niggas (Biters)" over the similarities between the album covers of B.I.G.'s debut Ready To Die and Nas's Illmatic. Now, the Chef looks back on his past debacle, saying that he never really viewed it as a serious beef and that had Biggie not passed away, a joint album between the two of them could have happened.

“First and foremost when we all came up together it was almost like the best time in Hip Hop. And at that time we were young, we were childhood stars with a vision, at that time we all was doin’ it,” he explained. “Like I tell the world to this day, beef is something when it’s on and poppin’; competition is competition. At the end of the day, I feel like the same way he loved our music, we loved his music - don’t forget, Meth worked with him on joints...we probably would’ve did an album. That’s how I feel, because like I said we were all runnin’ neck and neck.”

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GZA/Genius & Prodigal Sunn Enjoys Vegas Sweets Spots

Seen at Sugar Factory American Brasserie last week was GZA and Prodigal Sunn of Wu-Tang Clan. They noshed on the hot spot's Mussels Mariniere, Fried Macaroni & Cheese Pops, BBQ Chicken Pizza and each tried the signature Ocean Blue and White Gummi goblets. The guys stopped by Sugar Factory's retail store where they stocked up on chocolate covered gummy bears, Hershey’s Kisses, and Jelly Belly's.

Cappadonna Interview For Rap Reviews On #BlackCloudTour [Video]

Wu-Tang's GZA/Genius Tours MIT

For those that missed it

GZA talks college science lectures and a new album 'Dark Matter'

Later this week GZA is set to perform with Latin super band Grupo Fantasma at a headlining Babygrande Records SxSW showcase this Saturday March 17 at the Haven Club.

GZA's new album Dark Matter is set to drop later this year on Babygrande Records. It's inspired by his fascination with astronomy, quantum physics and science fiction-turned-reality. To quote:

"I've been interested in many branches of science for years. RZA and I constantly exchange books and ideas. I recently met with quantum physicists who deepened my interest in the cosmos and gave me further inspiration for this next album. I want to take my listeners on a journey through deep space and deconstruct the idea of science fiction. If you think about it, 'science fiction' is an oxymoron but it makes sense because a lot of what was once fiction is now science and a lot of science is fiction until proven beyond hypothesis. For instance, when I was a kid there was a book called "A Wrinkle In Time" and some physicists at Cornell, whom I'm going to meet when I lecture there in April, actually created a wrinkle in time. That's incredible."

Expect the Genius to return to MIT March 21 to lecture in part with the Civic Media Lab. GZA will also be hitting the college circuit and lecturing at NYU, USC and Cornell later this spring.

Lecture Dates:

3/21 - MIT Civic Media Lab lecture

3/25 - NYU EMP Pop Conference/Clive Davis Institute

4/07 - Cornell University lecture T

Tour Dates:

3/17 - Austin - Babygrande Records' showcase at The Haven Club

4/18 - Brooklyn - Williamsburg Music Hall w/ Bad Brains

4/19 - Philadelphia - Trocadero w/ Bad Brains

4/20 - Washington D.C. - Howard Theater w/ Bad Brains

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Ghostface, and Raekwon Tapped For 2012 Soundset Festival; Full Lineup Revealed

Earlier today (March 5), Complex revealed the lineup and details for the 2012 Soundset Festival which is slated for Sunday, May 27 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota.

The 2012 Soundset Festival, which boasts a lineup of over 40 artists, acts, and groups, is being presented by Rhymesayers Entertainment and Rose and will be hosted by Brother Ali, MaLLy, and J Pratt.

This year’s lineup includes acts like Lupe Fiasco, Big K.R.I.T., Atmosphere, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan, Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson, DJ Premier, Danny Brown, and many more.

In addition to the concert portion of the festival that takes place across three stages, there will be a production showcase, custom car show, skateboard showdown, live paint exhibit, and a B-boy/B-girl dance battle.

Tickets for the Soundset Festival will go on sale to the general public this Saturday, March 10 at 11 a.m. Festival tickets are priced at a reasonable $41; V.I.P. tickets can be purchase for $91.

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Young Dirty Bastard - Son Trailer

Uncle Ray's Weekly Wuspiration #6: Hate....

'When people hate you and talk behind your back, remember they took time out of their pathetic lives, to think about you. They love you.'

- Ray Acosta (President/GM @ Wu Music Group)

Raekwon Reveals U.S. Dates For “Unexpected Victory” Tour With Freddie Gibbs

Wu-Tang member and Ice H20 founder Raekwon has just announced dates and cities for the U.S. leg of his “Unexpected Victory” tour.

The tour, which is named after the rapper’s New Year’s Day released mixtape, Unexpected Victory, kicks off at the Gargoyle Club on Wednesday, March 7th in St. Louis, MO and wraps up a month and a half later on April 20th at Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem, MA.
The 28-date tour will take Raekwon across the United States and even have him perform at this year’s SXSW Conference in Austin, TX on March 14th and 15th and at the Paid Dues Independent Hip-Hop Festival on April 7th in San Bernardino, CA.
In addition to Raekwon and his Ice H2O family, Gary, Indiana native Freddie Gibbs will be trekking across the country with “The Chef” as the tour’s opener.
Currently, Raekwon, Ghostface, and Cappadonna are putting the finishing touches on their collaborative project with The Lox titled Wu-Block, which is set for release later this year.
Check out a full list of tour dates and cities below:

3.07.12 – St. Louis, MO – Gargoyle Club
3.09.12 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot
3.10.12 – Steger, IL – Another Hole In The Wall
3.12.12 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
3.13.12 – Chicago, IL – Cubby Bear
3.14-3.15.12 – Austin, TX – SXSW
3.16.12 – Dallas, TX – Prophet Bar
3.17.12 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
3.18.12 – Oklahoma City, OK – Kamps
3.20.12 – La Jolla, CA – Porter’s Pub
3.21.12 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
3.22.12 – San Francisco, CA – 103 Harriet
3.23.12 – Reno, NV – Cargo
3.28.12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Club Elevate
3.29.12 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theatre
3.30.12 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
3.31.12 – Denver, CO – Casselman’s
4.01.12 – Sioux Falls, SD – Vault
4.02.12 - New Orleans, LA – New Orleans
4.03.12 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Hall
4.04.12 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
4.05.12 – Jacksonville, FL – Brewster’s Pit
4.06.12 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
4.07.12 – San Bernardino CA – Paid Dues Festival
4.13.12 – Baltimore, MD – Sonar
4.14.12 – Poughkeepsie, NY – Vassar College
4.19.12 – Portland, OR – Port City Music Hall
4.20.12 – Winston-Salem, MA – Ziggy’s

The Black Keys Names RZA as an Inspiration for their Sound.

Ten years ago, The Black Keys hauled their gear up the steps of Used Kids Records and played their first Columbus concert for a handful of fervent underground music acolytes. It wasn’t the humblest way to debut — the show got local press coverage, and lots of upstart bands play to empty rooms — but it still seems quaint compared with the gig the band will play Sunday, when they headline the Schottenstein Center in the thick of their first arena tour.

The Black Keys seemed like an afterthought, late-comers to a wave of guitar-slinging “The” bands heralding a so-called return of rock. Through perseverance and serendipity, Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have surpassed and transcended bands like The Strokes (defiled) and The White Stripes (defunct).The Keys have survived and thrived long enough to spawn a whole new wave of think pieces anointing them as rock’s last hope, a mantle Carney more or less accepted in a January Rolling Stone interview. positioning the band’s meat-and-potatoes melodic blues bash-up as an alternative to both hipster-baiting indie and knuckle-dragging modern rock. Though they boast countless imitators, in the top-flight pop stratosphere they are a band alone.“It’s crazy. I mean to have this sort of success — you couldn’t ever bet on it in a million years,” Auerbach said. “But to have had this success without having to have come up with a real shtick, it’s pretty awesome.”The Keys’ shtick is, of course, having no shtick.

Auerbach and Carney began making grimy lo-fi recordings in an attempt to emulate Wu-Tang producer The RZA. They worked off the cuff with as few frills as possible.“You’re talking to somebody who made a record in one afternoon,” Auerbach said. “Nobody made records quicker than we did.”They stuck to that approach until taking a sharp turn with 2008’s “Attack and Release,” which featured production from serial collaborator Danger Mouse.

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