While browsing cute dog videos on Youtube, I noticed there are lots of home movies set to people’s favorite songs. So, I decided to set my latest rap song to the images of some of my favorite dog clips. Inspired by Weezer’s cute “Island in the Sun” video and the memetastic “Pork and Beans”, we bring you the latest Green Rapper Vid. Beat produced by J. Rief:

We talk about a lot of serious stuff here on Greenrapper.com, but we never pass on a chance at having a laugh. So, when my old MSU buddy Matt recently visited the bay area, we put together a pilot for Channel 101 New York. Channel 101 is a monthly film festival that started in LA and now has a New York version. We shot all of the footage in one day, mostly in the Golden Gate National Parks. Specifically, we did some guerrilla shots in the Presidio and Fort Mason. Though our pilot was not voted back by the audience, we did manage to pull off “Top Failed Pilot”, and our video is featured on the front page of their site. The soundtrack is peppered with songs by James Taylor, Lawrence Welk, Kafani, Little Wayne, and Iggy Pop. Here it is:

With the Beastie Boys making basketball documentaries, MC Serch hosting reality shows, and Eminem in self-imposed exile somewhere north of 8 Mile, there is a vacancy for hip-hop’s pigment-challenged ambassador. The next great white rapper might not come from New York or Motown, but instead the Pennsylvania suburbs. Asher Roth is a young, caucasoid MC who is branding himself as a sort of “Joe College” rapper. Its unclear if this sort of “Frat Rap” has an audience, but if novelty acts like MIA, Lady Sovereign, and Matisyahu can find a niche due to their talent, so too can Asher.

My initial impression is that the boy can flow, but he suffers from pop-culture reference dropping fever. His brief periods of introspection are weighted evenly with run of the mill, wack rapper misogyny. He is bound to get over-hyped in the next few months, but you can judge for yourself right now. Download his new mixtape The Green House Effect (which is more of a drug reference than a environmental reference) from his website, or check out this remake of Jay-Z’s Roc Boys, entitled Roth Boys:

Buy the album

In celebration of the near 100 degree temperatures we had here in the Bay last week, I’d like to plug a great Summertime album. PigeonJohn and the Summertime Pool Party is full of the kind of happy rap that you grew up with as a kid. Pigeon John was born in Nebraska but came up performing in LA’s Good Life Café. He has remained an indie act but gets a lot of local exposure, such as this performance on Morning Becomes Eclectic. There aren’t many rappers that seem down to earth enough that I’d actually want to hang out with them, but Pigeon John is that sort of fella. Even his wife (pictured on the cd) seems cool. She runs a non-profit that helps women extricate themselves from the sex industry. I’ve had “Money Back Guarantee” in my head for a few days now… check him performing it at FOX ROX:

Here’s a roundup of various green rappers and some of their musical stylings:

-Its a Disgrace by Cypher:Dissident.
-Pas de Feu by MC Tino34, a rapper from Togo.
-Charris Ford, aka the Granola Ayatollah of Canola
-My Name is Alex, and his sometimes band The Blood Thirsty Vegans
-My Life and Yours… its a British female green rap invasion!
-X10 performing their C02 rap with a dancing polar bear.

Oh, and last but not least you got our very own Green Rapper.

We’ve been singing the praises of Ashkon’s Hottubbin’ song since we heard it months back on Jesse, Jordan GO! Since the video went up on Youtube, its gone totally viral. He’s got a new mix tape out that includes Hottubbin’ and a powerful remake of Soulja Boy’s bizarre song Crank That, entitled strangely enough Soldier Boy. If you still haven’t heard Hottubbin’, then what are you waiting for:

A couple of years ago, I was studying for the GRE and decided to make up a rap to learn the common vocabulary words found on the test. I recorded the song a while back and recently threw together a video for the song using stop motion animation and some choppy footage I took when I snuck my video camera into the library. As a public service for those who may be taking the SAT or GRE in the future, we bring you “Wordsmithin’” - a video guaranteed to teach you a new word and/or give you motion sickness. Ironically, I still haven’t applied to grad school or used one of these words in a conversation. The guys over at Flocabulary have turned educational raps into an art form, though I’m sure they’d probably have something to say about the pedagogical soundness of this video.

Read on for a full list of words in the song