The old rap/hip-hop rivalry between the East Coast and the West Coast is officially dead. Why? Because the Midwest has been responsible for some of the most groundbreaking hip-hop and rap in years. Proof of that can be seen in Minnesota\'s Atmosphere, or even the up-and-coming scene here in Milwaukee. And now you can add the state of Iowa to that list.

Why the long face, America? Is... it... because... I WON I WON I WON I WON I WON I WON I WON!!! Yeee-hawww!!!
Wait-- what did I win?
Crap... I know it was somethi-- oh, yeah! The election! THANK GOD!!! (And blind religious peoples everywhere.) This means I still have a job, which is a huge relief. Because, frankly, I can’t do anything else. I guess I could join The Muppet Show and do what I’ve been doing for the last four years. Life’s a lot easier to live when you have someone else telling you what to say and where to go.

The first time I listened to The Soledad Brothers\' Voice Of Treason, I was like, \"Eh... whatever. Maybe I\'ll hand it off to another writer.\" But then I listened to it again, and realized that I hadn\'t really paid much attention to it the first time around. I knew I hadn\'t because the album is a goddamn work of art.

I had two conflicting emotions going on in my head when I first heard that James Lavelle was releasing another UNKLE project. On one hand, I was extremely excited. I really dug Psyence Fiction, as it was an album way ahead of its time; truly groundbreaking. The guest talent alone on that first album was an amazing feat in and of itself, let alone the fact that it was all handled by none other than DJ Shadow. And that brings me to my second and conflicting thought.

Did that Superman-looking guy just call that ambiguously gay Legend Of Zelda-looking guy \"Gaystation\"? Did that Pokémon-ish character just tell that racist, musical princess he wants to have sex with her decapitated skull? Did that walking, talking pig just take a shit in a cantaloupe?
Yes, yeah, and yup. Don’t worry-- it’s animated. That not only makes it okay, but absolutely hilarious and endearing, as well.

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH MARK BORCHARDT WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2004, AND WAS PRINTED IN OUR SUMMER \'O4 ISSUE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH MIKE DOUGHTY WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2004, AND WAS PRINTED IN OUR SUMMER \'O4 ISSUE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH LLOYD KAUFMAN WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2004, AND WAS PRINTED IN OUR SUMMER \'O4 ISSUE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA AUF DER MAUR WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 2004, AND WAS PRINTED IN OUR SUMMER \'O4 ISSUE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A COPY OF THE MAGAZINE, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.