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Looking for something to get you through your last final? Getting pumped up for Dead Week revelry? Just want something #orangeandblack to rage to? Hats off to Nikki Muller ’05, who I’m pretty sure has come up with this year’s Reunions anthem. We think this song is gold.

UPDATE — We got in touch with Nikki Muller to get some insight on the inspiration behind her video. A few comments from the artist herself:

On the origins of this song:

The idea came from the fact that most female Ivy Leaguers super downplay their educations in a social setting because it’s immediately perceived as bragging. My friend Aliza Pearl and I (class of ’04, also in the video) were saying that guys react to you saying you went to Princeton on a date as if you just said you’d served time… “You went there? What for? When was that?”

On the choice of musical style:

I thought it’d be funny to, for once, give a girl a chance at some no-holds-barred Kanye West-style self-aggrandizing, which of course is best done through aggressive rapping.

On post-Princeton struggles, but seriously (#payattention2012):

The self-deprecating turn applies to a lot of us who are having a tough time finding jobs these days, and pretty much points out a great education doesn’t guarantee you a comfortable life, nor does it mean you think you’re better than anyone.

On douchey Whartonites:

I also went to the prom of a guy who’d gotten into Wharton when I was in high school, and he absolutely sounded exactly like Greg does in the video. His improv was a little too close for comfort.

On how this song can change your life:

I actually wrote it nearly a year ago and then put it away for a while because I was afraid the tongue-in-cheek quality wouldn’t translate… then I revisited it and thought, “Why haven’t I recorded this yet?!” The song’s been my alarm ringtone on my phone for the past month, which a.) reminded me to get off my butt and make the music video and b.) motivates me to get out of bed. “You went to Princeton, bitch. Stop being lazy.”

No promises of a live Reunions performance (yet), but Muller is starting to tour colleges with her musical standup, so keep an eye out (eating clubs, potential for next fall’s comedy nights? Come on). In the meantime, the Ink suggests you follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

May 21, 2012

“I Went to School in New Jersey”

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Wiz Khalifa (via hypetrak.com)

We know you’re more preoccupied right now with either (1) resting up before the sheer length and intensity of this House- and Lawnparties-filled weekend or (2) going bonkers about whether or not someone is wearing the same dress as you (!!!).

While you’re gearing up, though, here at The Ink we figured we’d catch you up to speed with some of the musical acts for this weekend. First up, we decided to spotlight Lawnparties’ headliners, because Yaro & Co. absolutely killed it this year and brought a pair of rap’s up-and-coming stars for the bright, sunny, and much-venerated prep-fest of day-drinking and carousing. (And seriously, what is up with Princeton attracting such fresh rap talent? El-P, Jedi Mind Tricks, Ghostface Killah kind-of, Das Racist, and now Wiz Khalifa and Big K.R.I.T.? Are we the hippest Ivy?)

First, I have to admit I was really surprised but even more excited to hear opener and Mississippi native Big K.R.I.T. would be joining Wiz on stage this Sunday. His career’s been on the up-and-up since releasing his debut mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here this time last year, and the press has been buzzing with his name. You can download his newest (and seriously great) mixtape Return of 4eva free/legally here.

And the music? If you’re at all a fan of Southern rap kings UGK, Atlanta duo Outkast, or even up-and-coming Curren$y, you’ll find something to love in K.R.I.T.’s deep South, country-fried sound. Check out “Country Shit,” a straight banger from K.R.I.T.’s first mixtape that hit so hard Southern veterans Ludacris and Bun B decided to hop on the beat for a remix.

Intrigued? Check out “Sookie Now” — if this doesn’t have you bobbing your head and smiling, reconsider your Lawnparties schedule.

If you’re feeling this, check out “Glass House” for a smoother cut featuring Curren$y and Khalifa, and “Return of 4eva” for a heavier selection that’ll keep up the Lawnparties pace.

Moving on to the headliner himself, though, Wiz Khalifa‘s been something of a one-huge-hit wonder with his smash “Black and Yellow,” but trust me, there’s way more to be excited about for this Sunday. A look at some of his best cuts after the jump.

Continue reading…

Apr 29, 2011

Lawnparties Playlist: Wiz Khalifa x Big K.R.I.T.

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Continuing our recent stream of rap coverage – who knew Princeton was so hood? — I’m pleased to report that Del tha Funkee Homosapien will be performing at a “secret event” at Cloister Inn tonight, 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. According to an email sent to the Cloister listserv, this Red Bull sponsored performance will be on PUID. Del has one of the most unique flows in the rap game today, loaded with dense polysyllabic rhyme and obscure jargon. You might recognize him from his verses on that hit Gorillaz single, “Clint Eastwood,” in which he is a blue toothy monster. His claim to fame is Deltron 3030, a concept album about himself as a space-traveling superhero crusading against evil corporations in the year (surprise!) 3030. It is exactly as trippy as it sounds, full of lines like:

Electronic monolith, throw a jam upon the disc
The futuristic looper with the quickness
Hyperproducing hydrogen fusion liquids
Keep your distance

If you’d like to see that in context, check out this track:

He’s sure to be entertaining. And considering that No Age is playing at Terrace tomorrow, this promises to be one of Princeton’s best musical weekends in recent memory — don’t miss it.

Nov 12, 2010

Awesome Rapper to Secretly Perform at Cloister Tonight

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image source: huffingtonpost.com

image source: huffingtonpost.com

The Huffington Post recently created a list entitled “If Rappers Were Colleges: Analogies You WON’T Find on the SAT,” which pairs universities with famous rappers. Comparing Princeton to Eminem, the rankings say that he (or we) are “The whitest of the truly elite.”

Our friends at PrincetonFML are ambivalent about the comparison.

One student writes, “If rappers were colleges, Eminem would be Princeton. OLAG?” Another says that “Jay-Z should be Princeton.” Unfortunately, the year Princeton loses its #1 spot on the U.S. News & World Report rankings is also the year that the HuffPo gives Jay-Z to Harvard.

But we think the analogy is apt beyond our pigment challenges. In 1896 our school changed its name from the College of New Jersey to Princeton University. Born Marshall Mathers, Eminem similarly assumed his rap name because it sounds cooler (M and M are his initials. Get it?). The first five Presidents of Princeton had untimely health issues and died within 20 years of one another. Eminem was abandoned by his father when he was 18 months old. Despite these tragic beginnings of contested nominal identities, both Princeton and Eminem have stood up as the real Slim Shadys.

So here’s some advice from our rapper/school (Princeton even has its research hands in #3).

Sep 22, 2010

The Real Slim Shady

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(source: boston.com)

(source: boston.com)

Sometimes, it’s hard for Princetonians to relate to the average college experience. Phrases like “credit hours,” “middle class,” and “Abercrombie & Fitch” are foreign to our ears. Thank God for Eric Vreeland ’10, who has taken upon himself to reinterpret the state school experience for us.

You see, Vreeland has performed an act of community service–a random act of kindness, if you will–by remaking Asher Roth’s terrible/amazing frat-tastic “I Love College.” With shout-outs to Old Nassau and, thank goodness, fewer public school references, Vreeland’s version is entitled “I Love Princeton.”

Or maybe you’ll have a different opinion. Maybe you’ll think that–kind of like the swine flu pandemic–the national scourge that is the suburban white boy rap has finally hit Princeton.

Take a listen. You will (not) regret it:

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Here’s the original song:

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Apr 28, 2009

“That midterm last night was hella crazy, I hope I aced it”

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