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I’m sure, by this late date, that Kool Keith is extremely tired of being referred to as crazy or weird. He’s worked on a ridiculously long list of albums under an even longer list of aliases. Most recently, he came back at listeners with another Dr. Doom record. But he keeps on giving folks reason to talk – as if Black Elvis wasn’t enough.

Now, it seems as if Keith has assembled a super group. Ur Girls Favorite Band consists of Kool Keith, his long time collaborator, Kut Masta Kurt, Denis Deft, John Drummy and Yeti Beats. The groups Myspace page has a few tracks up and I don’t believe that anyone could have guessed the Keith would be involved with music like this.

It sounds more rock oriented than hip hop, but if Keith didn’t make people keep guessin’, than he wouldn’t be Keith.

There’s not too much information about the group at this point. Yeti Beats does have a website, replete with some great music videos – and some videos that really only have to do with Keith’s love of women. Either way, it’s pretty amusing. And if what’s just been described sounds like the Gorillaz, or other rap/rock hybrids, that makes sense. But sonically, none of those are really good touchstones for this project.

In the end, it seems that Kool Keith is willing to work in any medium as long as he finds it entertaining. There is always a bit of humor in his work, much like Del. But since listeners are working with a lonely pair of songs at this point, Ur Girls Favorite Band could wind up being just that.

One of my favorite rap discs from the ‘90s is the self titled Haiku d’Etat release. That group, and their lone disc, sported Abstract Rude, Mikah 9 and Aceyalone. Notably, the later two were at one time a part of the all too short lived Freestyle Fellowship, whose lone proper album released in the early ‘90s is still name checked if anyone talks about underground hip hop long enough. As a whole it’s not quite to the level of 36 Chambers or Illmatic, but some of the raps come pretty close.

Mikah 9, though has changed his name to the eerily similar Myka Nyne. That probably doesn’t demarcate some deviation in style – it just has some the letter ‘y’ in it now – that’s all.

What listeners have come to expect from Project Blowed affiliated folks – Myka Nyne being one of them – is a literate and at least passably socially conscience type of rap. Myka will not begin to disappoint here.

The new disc, entitled 1969 is slated to come out January 13^th on Fake Four.

And for a preview from the disc, check out the label’s website for streaming mp3s (including the Busdriver track, which is pretty crazy). The site also clarifies who else will be appearing on the disc.

That answer is almost guaranteed to ensure the quality of the recording – Aceylone, Busdriver and Awol One are all accounted for. That list doesn’t seem odd considering that Myka Nyne has worked with most of these folks before. But that doesn’t make clear whether or not these new tracks are going to compare to The Weather – released with Busdriver and Daedelus – or Myka Nyne’s appearance on Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives. But if 1969 comes close to any disc mentioned here, it’ll be sure to end up in the every growing canon of hip hop records.

The iPhone Has Features That Allows Users to Check Their Blood/Alcohol Levels Just when you think that they have already come with everything, and then some – get ready because more nifty gadgets are always being revealed that make online shopping fanatics, like you and me, well…ready to whip out that charge card and splurge on another shopping spree. And seemingly: the niftier the gadget, somehow the greater the popularity; with the exception of course to Tickle me Elmo and Pogs (if you do not remember what Pogs are, they were these silly cardboard disks that drove kids nuts, played with dice and a lead Pog piece called a Slapper.) At any rate, the newest of many sleek accessories to debut for the popular iPhone is a personal blood alcohol tester called the iBreath. (Check it out online here: http://www.davidsteele.com/ibreath-ipod-breathalyzer-p/ib-1000.htm). How it Works Basically you just plug this sleek and slim, black device into the bottom of your iPhone and then blow into the top of it, just like you would should the police pull you over, and you are forced to use theirs. It reads your blood alcohol level instantly and will tell you if you are legal to drive in your state, city, or county; it knows them all. The best part about this device is definitely the innovation behind it. What if you just kept this tucked in your glove compartment so just in case you think that you might be over the limit, you can check really quickly. And if you are, make the wiser decision to find alternative transportation home that evening. And for the price of $79.99 online, nearly anybody that can afford a lofty and lavish iPhone, can easily fit this DUI-saver into their budget. How Much it Costs: Versus Practical Applications This device is priceless if you really think about it. A normal breathalyzer would cost a few hundred dollars, which is why nobody owns one. This one is under a hundred dollars, and fits snug nearly anywhere. If you ever wanted to be sure, this is the way to be so. Hey Parents: This Could Come in Handy What about all of you parents out there who want to make sure that your children are not drinking, or have not been drinking, or will not drive drinking? Plug this in and say “Blow.” The iBreath will never lie. It will only confirm or deny your suspicions. What Will They Come out With Next? After seeing a rash of awesome gadgets debut in 2008, one can only wonder what they will come out with next time. Perhaps a phone that tells if you are sick and if so, what you are suffering from. Then it makes your doctor appointment for you and orders over the counter drugs online for local pickup…now wouldn’t that be handy. Check out this News Story Here is the news story, courtesy of ABC News, that I found regarding this breathalyzer that you can get for your iPhone. For anybody who is planning on partying this New Year, this can be a DUI saving device that reminds you to take a cab or get a ride from a friend instead of placing you and others at risk on the road if you are not in safe condition to drive.

Since 2003, the RIAA has sued thousands of college students, faculty, and parents across the U. S. for what it asserts is illegal file trading of mp3 tracks via P2P networks. They also send "pre-litigation" letters to users asserting illegal music downloads and demanding a settlement that, typically, is in the thousands.

In many cases, the RIAA has sued the wrong people. They sued an elderly woman who exclusively uses a Macintosh, and accused her of using a Windows-only application, Kazaa, to download many mp3 files of explicit rap music. Eventually, the RIAA withdrew its suit. Part of the difficulty in the RIAA's approach is that it attempts to force ISPs, particularly those at universities, to identify individual users by IP numbers. This is less than reasonable given that most ISPs and campuses use temporary IP leases. Any number of users use the same IP number, at different times. It's expensive, and sometimes impossible, to identify an individual user in the past. You can read a summary here of the RIAA's litigation efforts.

Obviously, there are illegal users, though they are in the minority; most people want to pay artists for their work. The popularity of services like Amazon's MP3 store and Apples iTunes store clearly prove that people are willing to pay for convenient quality downloadable music.

Recently Warner Music, in collaboration with other producers, proposed an agreement with several universities in which Universities and ISPs would charge all users a flat tax to download music, whether or not the users actually used the service. In return for the monies, the music industry participants agree to provide the universities with a "covenant not to sue," which is not the same as a legal, contractual agreement not to sue. The reaction to this plan has not been overwhelmingly positive, and has prominently featured the word "extortion." Part of the problem is that the funds would be collected and distributed by a non-profit, but the means of distribution have not been specified. There are a number of unanswered questions about how the artists would be paid.

In the midst of this ongoing discussion, last week the RIAA announced a moratorium on law suits, instead signing agreements with a number of unnamed ISPs in which ISPs promised to notify alleged file-sharing users, and cut off their access if they do not stop.

Many campuses have attempted to circumvent illegal downloading and file sharing by blocking specific applications, or networks, or using exotic filtering routers; none of these methods work for long. Personally, I think a lot more needs to be done in terms of education; many people genuinely don't understand that they are taking money away from musicians who need it.