Saturday, April 30, 2005
Uptown Saturday Night
"Let this then be your understanding, You sons and daughters of the ancient stars, That your home reaches beyond The earth which is your home...And I have called out to you, children of an undivided earth, That you join your hands together And be of one accord before a common soil---Lest the rivers cease to water the land, Lest the voices of the singers be forever stilled. Yes, I have heard song The power of which was not of the world Though the singer of it was in the world" -- Ifeanyi Menkiti
controller.controller - Death disco from the T-Dot live at the Bowery TONIGHT (but sold out!). Peep the tunes anyway 'cos they're sounding aight even if they're a little on The Rapture 2003 tip. (Related: "Because they are made of approximately 75% White Music and 25% Setting Sons, it is medically impossible for me to not like The Futureheads." Click here for more.)
Classic mixtapes from the 80's -- Electro, old school rap, mastermixes, bootlegs and more... (via Grand Good)
The Camp Lo revival is in full effect. I'm bringin' every joint I have on them next Thursday as well as more classic and overlooked heat so be forewarned.
WTF?! - “Sick Of Waiting” didn’t make the final cut for the Young Gunz forthcoming album. That's gotta be the dumbest ish I've heard in a while. (related: listen to the Young Gunz “Set It Off” - windows media High | Low | Real)
Too much Dipset-related ish but I know y'all hip hop blog-reading fcckers seem to dig this stuff for some unknown reason:
- "Enter the Piff"
- While Cam'ron enters the Asylum. Does that render this XXL cover moot then?
- DIPTABLISM - "I'll school you on how to sell the coca because diplomat without the 't' spells diploma...." C'mon, don't front, that sh-t's kind of gold right thurrr.
Big Stereo
What will you look like in 40 years?
Sneakers: The Complete Collectors' Guide. BTW, that Just for Kicks sneaker culture documentary is as good as my man Stanley said. Go see it immediately if you haven't already. That means you Rome, Nick, Mel and Taj and my other fellow sneaker freak bloggers that I may have forgotten.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Chalabi: the best to ever do it?
Ahmad Chalabi: finally G's up In Iraq and loving it....
Chalabi to head Oil Ministry in Iraq's new government - this n--ga might be the best to ever do it. Somehow I knew he was gonna bounce back. He wanted to be Prime Minister but he might have done himself one better by now being in control of the oil (and --> the money) without having to worry about all the other horesh-t like say, rebuilding Iraq after erroneously convincing the Americans to destroy it in the first place. I hate him but I gotta respect his hustle - he has straight gangsta'd this situation. (related: Iraq's Ahmad Chalabi: He's now Mr. Oil - "Controversial figure, with no industry experience, to run ministry" from MSNBC.com)
Meanwhile:
"It is a simple, incontrovertible and easily demonstrable fact that the Bush Administration carried out a massive and systematic campaign of deception with respect to its case for war in Iraq and with respect to alleged WMDs in particular." (click here to read more from "Bush is Lying" by Kevin McMillan at Informed Comment)
And:
"I've looked into his eyes, and seen his soul...."
Plus back home:
"With Washington considering whether to strengthen Social Security by giving Americans more responsibility for their own retirements, a survey released yesterday suggested that the typical American does not know enough about economics to prosper in such a system.(click here to read more from "Survey Finds Many Have Poor Grasp of Basic Economics" in The New York Times | Related: The Myth of Ownership and Social Security Private Accounts)
Young people - those the current Social Security proposals are intended to help the most - performed more poorly on the survey's questions than adults. Barely half of the high school students polled could correctly state the role of the stock market in the economy, with a few choosing the option that it makes stock prices rise."
But when is this John Bolton comedy of errors gonna be a wrap?
And whoa, it's gettin' scary in here... I actually agree with Clarence Thomas on something?!
Is the media "Soft Pedaling the [new] Pope"?
Finally, lazier than Bush (if that's possible) (via Mr. Kamoji)
Thursday, April 28, 2005
"Think of it as Style Wars for sneaker culture...."
From my man Stanley:
"If you haven't already, you must check out the sneaker documentary Just for Kicks. Just think of it as Style Wars for the sneaker culture. It was an awesome film on soooo many levels. Most of us have been bombarded with the commercialization of hip hop for the last couple of years.
Before we were in corporate America, coppin the high fashion stuff we can now afford, we were kids scrubbin our kicks with a toothbrush to keep them Fresh. Go back to the essence. Check this film. MAKE SURE YOU GET A BALLOT AND VOTE FOR IT!!!!"
JUST FOR KICKS
Directors: Lisa Leone, Thibaut de Longeville
Long gone are the primitive days when athletic shoes were merely for sports and leisure activity. Over the last two decades sneakers have eclipsed designer shoes (sorry, Manholo and Jimmy) as a global cultural and style phenomenon. Just for Kicks takes you through the historic evolution of the sneaker in engrossing detail, starting with the grandfathers of stylized kicks wear: hip-hop's late 70s and early 80s B-Boys.
The documentary treats viewers to an entertaining refresher course on the hottest sneakers-of-the-moment of the past 20 years--most notably Run-DMC's reinvention of the shell-top Adidas shoe, accented by fat, untied laces, which epitomized the feverish peak of the kick fetish back in the day. And when basketball players temporarily reclaimed their rightful places as gym shoe leaders, it was the sport's indisputable worldwide hoops god, Michael Jordan, who answered the call. His revolutionary Air Jordans, aided for a spell by some hip, amusing Spike Lee-directed commercials, helped Nike introduce the series concept. (Even the company's kicks wanted to be like Mike, as epitomized by the abandonment of the company's signature logo and insignia, its trademark 'swoosh.')
You'll enter the private and coveted walk-in closets of some of the devoted and near compulsive 'sneakers hunters,' including hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, who scour the world to find the freshest, flyest and most original footwear around. Featuring interviews with Grandmaster Caz, Bill Adler, Fab Five Freddy, and breakdancing pioneers the Rock Steady Crew.
Playing TONIGHT (Thu, Apr 28) | 6:00pm at the Pace Schimmel Center (Spruce Street between Park Row and Gold Street, near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge) $10.00 admission. Click here for ticket details etc.
And on a related note, as promised, my Spring sneaker round-up:
G Unit (white/Camo)
Doesn't get more 2005 that that....
Adidas Men's Rod Laver LE
Classics with a little twist.
Air Force 1 Mid Tuskegee Edition
Respect!
G-Unit Spinning G's
Doesn't get much more 2004 than these but I had to include them anyway. Didn't Dada already do these though?
Pro Keds Men's 142 Ave
Should become better known as the Rocawear Rudeboy kicks. Cheaper than Bapes (but just as gaudy!).
I spotted some pretty sick looking S. Carter lows in a red/light grey colorway (or something?) on Fulton too but I couldn't find them online. Unfortunately, I'm not enough of a nerd that I walk around with my camera to have gotten a shot of them (although I guess looking for them online might be considered even sadder, no?).
Tweet
"If you haven't already, you must check out the sneaker documentary Just for Kicks. Just think of it as Style Wars for the sneaker culture. It was an awesome film on soooo many levels. Most of us have been bombarded with the commercialization of hip hop for the last couple of years.
Before we were in corporate America, coppin the high fashion stuff we can now afford, we were kids scrubbin our kicks with a toothbrush to keep them Fresh. Go back to the essence. Check this film. MAKE SURE YOU GET A BALLOT AND VOTE FOR IT!!!!"
JUST FOR KICKS
Directors: Lisa Leone, Thibaut de Longeville
Long gone are the primitive days when athletic shoes were merely for sports and leisure activity. Over the last two decades sneakers have eclipsed designer shoes (sorry, Manholo and Jimmy) as a global cultural and style phenomenon. Just for Kicks takes you through the historic evolution of the sneaker in engrossing detail, starting with the grandfathers of stylized kicks wear: hip-hop's late 70s and early 80s B-Boys.
The documentary treats viewers to an entertaining refresher course on the hottest sneakers-of-the-moment of the past 20 years--most notably Run-DMC's reinvention of the shell-top Adidas shoe, accented by fat, untied laces, which epitomized the feverish peak of the kick fetish back in the day. And when basketball players temporarily reclaimed their rightful places as gym shoe leaders, it was the sport's indisputable worldwide hoops god, Michael Jordan, who answered the call. His revolutionary Air Jordans, aided for a spell by some hip, amusing Spike Lee-directed commercials, helped Nike introduce the series concept. (Even the company's kicks wanted to be like Mike, as epitomized by the abandonment of the company's signature logo and insignia, its trademark 'swoosh.')
You'll enter the private and coveted walk-in closets of some of the devoted and near compulsive 'sneakers hunters,' including hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, who scour the world to find the freshest, flyest and most original footwear around. Featuring interviews with Grandmaster Caz, Bill Adler, Fab Five Freddy, and breakdancing pioneers the Rock Steady Crew.
Playing TONIGHT (Thu, Apr 28) | 6:00pm at the Pace Schimmel Center (Spruce Street between Park Row and Gold Street, near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge) $10.00 admission. Click here for ticket details etc.
And on a related note, as promised, my Spring sneaker round-up:
G Unit (white/Camo)
Doesn't get more 2005 that that....
Adidas Men's Rod Laver LE
Classics with a little twist.
Air Force 1 Mid Tuskegee Edition
Respect!
G-Unit Spinning G's
Doesn't get much more 2004 than these but I had to include them anyway. Didn't Dada already do these though?
Pro Keds Men's 142 Ave
Should become better known as the Rocawear Rudeboy kicks. Cheaper than Bapes (but just as gaudy!).
I spotted some pretty sick looking S. Carter lows in a red/light grey colorway (or something?) on Fulton too but I couldn't find them online. Unfortunately, I'm not enough of a nerd that I walk around with my camera to have gotten a shot of them (although I guess looking for them online might be considered even sadder, no?).
Tweet
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
"I appreciate the leadership of Congressman Tom DeLay...."
"The single greatest failure of the Bush administration's foreign policy concerns North Korea. Mr. Bush's policies toward North Korea have backfired and led the North to churn out nuclear weapons, and they have also antagonized our allies and diminished America's stature in Asia." (full article "N. Korea, 6, and Bush, 0" from The New York Times)
Meanwhile:
Iraqi insurgency far from 'fizzling' - "Experts say insurgents have retaken momentum as politicians 'dither' over cabinet posts." (Christian Science Monitor)
"Weapons Inspector Ends WMD Search in Iraq" (and related: "Inspectors Find No Proof Iraq Hid Weapons in Syria", so WTF has the last two years of nonsense been about then?!)
and in Afghanistan:
Radio Taliban - can I get that on Sirius or XM? (via Joey)
and at home:
Enrollment in Army ROTC Down in Past 2 School Years - which is helpful for when a real war might come up (not).
"The American flag was appropriated by the political right wing years ago. Now the Christian right is trying to hijack religion." (full article "Hijacking Christianity..." from The Washington Post | related: Frank Rich on the the "High-Tech Lynching in Prime Time" of this past weekend's "Justice Sunday" in The New York Times)
And also related:
"The Republican campaign to breach the wall between church and state is having a corrosive effect on policymaking and the lives of Americans." (full article "The Disappearing Wall" from The New York Times)
So how many different reasons do I now have to say fcck George Bush (and Tom Delay) for?
On a brighter note though: respect Alonzo Mourning's gangsta.
But for every good thing... please tell me that (the mostly black and hispanic) foster children in NYC were really not the unwitting victims of illegal and toxic experimental HIV drug testing? How can this have even been allowed to happen after the US's shameful history going through the terrible experience of the Tuskegee Experiments? And maybe just as important, why did this story only break Monday on the front cover of free paper am-newyork when the BBC had aired a story about this last November?! Man, fcck the MSM too.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
"Stay in the car and go G-G-G-G-G all day in your sports bra...."
"My flow's too deadly, baby..." - real lyrical darts from Sheek of The Lox vs. 50's Gun Talk. No contest?
I'VE.FINALLY.MADE.IT! Spinning with Prince Paul at the next Good Foot party on May 5th - what! Now you KNOW y'all got to come through for that. More on this later though....
"The Fax Heard Round the World" - former Source magazine editor (and real original co-owner) James Bernard's infamous letter to Dave Mays requesting his resignation. I've been privy to the real story behind all the fcckery at The Source for years since I knew those guys when they started the 'zine, but slowly others folks are getting put up on game too thanks to good folks like J. Smooth and hiphopdx.com.
Tsunami Song relief! R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop can finally declare victory, no? (related: more)
Sheek Louch's "Clickity Clank" G-Unit dis. This guy'll never sell like even Young Buck ("You 'bout to lose to ni--az that's gold..") but he can still get in a ni--a's ass proper-like on some mixtape beef ish (no homo). (via Hiphopgame.com)
Kanye West - "Out of Your Mind" (via Hiphophavoc.com)
More unreleased (?) Kanye
"A change is gonna come" - I'm loving how real soul music is back and I don't need to incense and candles to get into it. Thank you Faith Evans and Leela James.
Mary J. Blige feat. Game "Hate It Or Love It (remix)"
There's a
Look for the official Chops mixtape with DJ Lt. Dan from the Gunner Palace DVD release in June.
Download the XTC English Settlement font. (related: "Respect the Architects: A Look at XTC" from The In Crowd)
Bay Area Godfather t-shirts (initially spotted at The Shrimp)
Not mad at the new Brooklyn Industries store at the corner of Smith & Atlantic in Cobble Hill. They have a lot of fly-ass tracksuit tops in there but all the new real estate development in my part of BK better not mess with my rent though 'cos I can't afford to move.
And a little history lesson for y'all: fcck a Lance Armstrong, who was Major Taylor? (related: the Team Major Cycling website)
While finally, the "real" Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for your cell phone (and for those in the Stone Age, like me, the regular site). (via Nadine S.)
Monday, April 25, 2005
"The soldiers at the bottom are taking the heat, while the guys at the top are going scot free"
This promo image from the Enron documentary The Smartest Guys in the Room kind of reminds me of the cover of this recent album release (and obviously this, of course).
The Smartest Guys in the Room - the movie about the Enron scandal is a go.
And vaguely related on some energy/oil industry ish:
"Speaking to former United Nations communications officials, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Mr. Hussein pocketed far more from sanctions-skirting oil sales to Jordan and Turkey, which were being monitored by the United States and Britain, than from the scandal-tainted relief program run by the Security Council." (full article "Annan Remark on Oil Sales Draws Nods of Agreement" from The New York Times)
"Insurgents in Iraq have staged increasingly sophisticated attacks in recent weeks, according to US military assessments, moving beyond roadside bombings and suicide attacks to mount large-scale assaults against US and Iraqi forces and civilians.
Senior military strategists, speaking privately, also said they worry that insurgents are making inroads toward sparking a full-blown sectarian war and offered cautions about recent predictions that the United States could significantly reduce its forces from the current 142,000 within a year." (full article "US military worried over change in Iraq attacks" from The Boston Globe)
"Human rights group, Human Rights Watch, issued a report on Saturday calling for a special prosecutor to examine the conduct of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and the former director of central intelligence, George J. Tenet, in issues related to the abuse of detainees.
So far, the government has shown no interest in an independent inquiry...." (full article "Rights Group Cites Rumsfeld and Tenet in Report on Abuse" from The New York Times)
While finally:
"Federal agencies under the Bush administration are sweeping vast amounts of public information behind a curtain of secrecy in the name of fighting terrorism, using 50 to 60 loosely defined security designations that can be imposed by officials as low-ranking as government clerks.
No one is tracking the amount of unclassified information that is no longer accessible." (full article "In war's name, public loses information" from The Boston Globe)
Special (slightly) Indie Pop Edition
While in Boston:
- "Fell In Love With A Girl"
- Ivy league hip hop (!)
- Is Massachusetts ready to elect a Black governor? It could be Deval Patrick's time if MA governor Mitt Romney runs for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008 as expected and/or his approval ratings continue to drop.
Speaking of the The White Stripes though, does anyone else think their new single "Blue Orchid" (which is being blogged about in the indie world as much as Kanye's "Diamonds" is in the hip hop one) sounds like the Scissor Sisters?
Unisex Salon - the best blending of The Strokes and No Doubt that you never thought you'd want to hear produced by Strokes boardsman, Gordon Raphael.
"Have you ever wanted to be a famous dj but you sucked at scratching?"
from the polo fleece to THE JESUS PIECE...
"Keyra Augustina has the hottest ass in the entire world...."
"Be is not a classic album"
Demofay Vol. 1 - the first album by Curse the Darkness, a group featuring David of the Sleep Not Work blog . A lttle too left and backpack-y for me but peep game if the more extreme sounding Def Juxx ish your thing.
BTW, peep the back cover of the Eric B & Rakim's Paid in Full album for a photo of the orginal 50 cent, a Ft. Greene, Brooklyn stick-up kid and street legend named Kelvin Martin, who inspired Curtis Jackson to take on the moniker for his rap career and name his first album Get Rich or Die Tryin'. He's the small cat in the bottom right hand corner with the red adidas baseball hat on....
Friday, April 22, 2005
"Diamonds are Forever...."
Everyone else has already posted it but I gotta still mention the new Kanye single (?) "Diamonds." Although I've talked about K-weezy plenty on this site, I've never drunk quite as much of the koolaid as others but I gotta admit, this is sounding pretty fccking impressive. (via Hashim although I saw it at Young Rome first and heard it on Hot 97 Wednesday)
And I mentioned how slept-on these dudes were yesterday and now they pop up with a new joint - Camp Lo "Gotcha" (also via Young Rome)
Another industry blog - Prefixmag Blog (shout to Dave and the crew, looking good)
"Sole of the Sneakerhead"
I said I was diggin' the new tunes but c'mon, does anybody gives a fcck about Missy's come-up enough to go see a film about it? I didn't catch even one episode of her TV show and frankly, even Eminem was lucky I gave him my $10 to go see 8 Mile.
Honey Soul's Esthero Radio Blog (related: "Esthero is an Angsty Biaaach!")
"The Greatest Song Ever Recorded By Any Human Being Ever"
Supreme Clientele-related ish:
- New Bathgate "Y'all Don't Want None feat. Grams"
- Check out audio of "Excellence" and "Slow & Tender" from the second 12" single on Supreme Clientele feat. Mos Def and Medina Green here (and buy the 12" here).
- Still on sale - Bathgate's 12" from his new mixtape album The Kid Stays in the Picture.
Coming next week: because I've been walking through Fulton Mall way too much, the Kitchen's summer sneaker round-up/preview. That's it for this week though, off to Boston to go see about a girl....
Thursday, April 21, 2005
"I'm leaving on a jet plane...."
Slightly old but a must-post still: "Newly released government records show previously undisclosed flights from Las Vegas and elsewhere and point to a more active role by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in aiding some of the Saudis in their departure." Just like Michael Moore said.... (full article "New Details on F.B.I. Aid for Saudis After 9/11" The New York Times | Related: Muslims sue US government for racial profiling at border stop.)
Media Matters skewers Time's nut-hugging cover story this week on Ann Coulter.
Bush's tax cuts continue to work their magic. (related like a muh'fccker: "The federal budget deficit is on an unsustainable path....")
"Can book burning librarians be far behind?"
Richard Cohen on Bill Frist's "Faith-Based Pandering."
Drop the Hammer
While finally, disgruntled Catholics, drown your sorrows about your new "Nazi Pope" with a "Pope Beer."
Tweet
Media Matters skewers Time's nut-hugging cover story this week on Ann Coulter.
Bush's tax cuts continue to work their magic. (related like a muh'fccker: "The federal budget deficit is on an unsustainable path....")
"Can book burning librarians be far behind?"
Richard Cohen on Bill Frist's "Faith-Based Pandering."
Drop the Hammer
While finally, disgruntled Catholics, drown your sorrows about your new "Nazi Pope" with a "Pope Beer."
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
The newest recipes from Missy's Cookbook
New Missy & Pharrell!!! "On & On" - this sh-t is straight bizonkers and this isn't even the "Lose Control" joint with Fatman Scoop & Ciara I was talking about the other day. That would be here. (mp3's via HipHopHavoc.com)
Tony Yayo & 50 cent "So Seductive" - most heads are talking about "I Run NY" but I'm not gonna front, this is that crack to me. (via hiphopgame.com)
Camp Lo mp3's - D-Nice dropped "Luchini" at the Kwame/Big Ced birthday party at Canal Room the other night and, no joke, it got the biggest reaction of the night out of all the songs I heard while there, hands down. The Uptown Saturday Night album by Camp Lo is an underrated classic. Peace to Kay, Vin, Face and Rashad who I saw up in the spot too. To everyone else, y'all missed a hot one - Derrick had some tight ass industry cats dancing. (via Freemotion)
Scenestars
Hoefax or Hoe Slap? Whoa... (via Cuban Links)
Kanye, watch your back? Rome's first song
The Shrimp has a pretty thorough rundown of the latest in bhangra music.
Grand Good on the new ish by my man MF Grimm from Day By Day Ent.
And speaking of Grimm and Day By Day:
- Video of Large Pro performing at the Mudville Release Party @ Joe's Pub last week.
- Video of MF Grimm & MF Doom live at BB King's
BTW Doom is on The Gorillaz album Demon Days on a track called "November Rain." I've had this album for about two months now and have been playing it on and off since then, but don't really have anything that useful or in depth to say about it.
I will say though that it is pretty good for those who thought Gorillaz would be a one-off gimmick that couldn't be repeated. If you liked their first album, you'll like this one too. I didn't miss Dan the Automator's production either - Danger Mouse more than holds it down plus there's also a track with Roots Manuva called "All Alone" for fans of that cat. (And speaking of Dan the Automator, there's an after-party for the K-os/Handsome Boy Modeling School show TONIGHT at Irving Plaza starting 11PM at 17 which is located at 37 West 17th between 5th & 6th Ave.)
But finally, R.I.P. to Johnnie Johnson, the man who inspired Chuck Berry's rock'n'roll classic "Johnny B. Goode."
Ex-Nazi Named Bishop of Rome/Vicar of Christ
German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, an ex-member of the Hitler Youth, is elected Tuesday to succeed Pope John Paul II. (Read more from The Times of India)
Even the Germans are kind of embarrassed by this momentous gaffe on the part of the Catholic church.
Sploid wraps up the rest of the reaction to this unbelievable turn of events better than me though:
"Gay Catholics are furious, Latin Americans are outraged, Liberal Catholics are livid, Jews are nervous, and the Nazi story is getting uglier...."
The MSM is giving old boy a pass by assiduoulsy avoiding or only briefly mentioning his membership in the Hitler Youth movement or excusing it as compulsory service that all German youth had to fulfill but, as it's been pointed out, not everyone joined up - "some had the guts and moral conviction to fight back."
And as I posted on J Smooth's site: this dude is carrying so much baggage, as is the Catholic church as a whole, but the College of Cardinals still decides that this is the best possible way to go as far as picking the next Pope? Like there was absolutely nobody else they could have possibly picked who could rep' church doctrine and policy as it stands without having a pesky Nazi Youth entry on their resume?! That much I could have lived with even if I disagree with it, but this dude is just too much and his selection is emblematic of the reason I've been a very lapsed Catholic for most of my adult life. Frankly though it's a stance, in response to boneheaded decisions like this and dogmatic, inflexible positions taken by the church, that I feel less and less guilty about with each passing day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Asheru presents Insomnia Vol. 1 mixtape contest
Asheru presents Insomnia Vol. 1 (click above to buy via Sandbox)
In yet another one of the mysteries (to me) of the mores and tastes of the current underground hip hop audience, I've never understood why the Seven Heads crew of Asheru & Blue Black of Unspoken Heard etc. have never gotten more props and love from the Okayplayer crowd as compared to the Mos Def's, Kweli's etc .
Well Asheru is back with a brand new mixtape release, Insomnia Vol. 1, which again delivers more of that classic Native Tongues-inspired hip hop sound he's given fans on previous albums Soon Come and 48 Months.
Top to bottom Insomnia Vol. 1 is a great listen that bests many official albums out right now. My favorites include the Carly Simon-interpolating "You're So Vain" that's basically Asheru's excellent, updated take on "I Used to Love H.E.R." and "The Hotness," an interlude spoofing Funk Flex's over-the-top Hot 97 artist interview format lovely. There's also a solid joint called "If" feat. Talib Kweli and Ken Starr and other collabs with Grap Luva, Djinji Brown and Blue Black.
If you're into Common, The Roots, Slum Village, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest etc. you NEED to get at this tape immediately. Don't believe me? Check out the tracks below from the tape including a couple free downloads. Don't have any paper for mixtapes? Enter the new contest to win Insomnia Vol. 1 and Asheru's entire Seven Heads back catalog. Simply email me at the address in the sidebar at left (subject line: "Asheru contest"). Contest will end April 25 at 11:59:59pm - winner will be selected at random.
Click and listen:
- "Idea" 128 | 56 | MP3
- "Holdin' It Down (feat. Priest & Kokay)" 128 | 56 | MP3
- "For Old Times Sake" 128 | 56
- "Black Moses" 128 | 56
(note: if mp3 links do not automatically play upon clicking, try right-clicking to "Properties" to copy the URL and paste it into the "Open URL" box in your media player or click here)
Prizing courtesy: Room Service and Guerilla Arts Ink
"It was like I was looking at the Grim Reaper himself coming down...."
Blog post title not, despite being completely appropriate, an actual reference to Ann Coulter.
"Big Media has no curiosity about the anomaly of Bush's approval ratings vs. his share of the '04 vote...."
"Iraqis say that the info on the hostage crisis has been exaggerated"
"Insurgents Shift Tactics in Iraq - more sophisticated attacks present a new challenge for the U.S. military." (full article from The Washington Post)
A week old but still noteworthy - Up to 300,000 Demonstrate in Baghdad.
"The State Department decided to stop publishing an annual report on international terrorism after the government's top terrorism center concluded that there were more terrorist attacks in 2004 than in any year since 1985, the first year the publication covered. [emphsis added]" (full article Knight-Ridder news via The Washington Monthly)
"Airport screening not improved, reports say - Four years after 9/11 attacks, vulnerability persists." (MSNBC.com)
I am truly embarrassed to live in this country. I mean REALLY, truly....
Nice! "The wartime past of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, leading German contender to succeed John Paul II, includes a brief membership in the Hitler Youth movement and wartime service with a German army anti-aircraft unit." (full article from The Times of India)
allAfrica.com - a decent web portal for news about Africa.
Suburban Guerilla
Do new books by Benedict Miller, Mike Savage (BTW, he's judging who has mental disorders) and South Park Conservatives mark the return of the asshole conservatives to the book charts?
And what about this ridiculous Time mag cover story on Ann Coulter, c'mon WTF?! (related: Coulter's most recent outright errors, distortions, and lies via ThinkProgress)
Lots of cats already blogged about Bush's playlist on "iPod one" but what about Bush's Secret iPod Playlist? Or maybe he should just stick to The Beatles.
Monday, April 18, 2005
More stuff....
I was sleeping on talking about that new single "Toma" by Pitbull - that record is retarded but I told y'all before his album was hot. But, is it me or does duke look like Jason Kidd or the love child of former Loud records (and current SRC Records) chief Steve Rifkind and ex-Def Jam head Lyor Cohen (no homo)?
Click and listen:
- e-card feat interviews with Lil Jon, director Jesse Terrero and Pitbull + “Toma” video and more! -
- Video (Explicit) - Windows Hi | Lo | Quicktime Hi | Lo
- Audio Download
The Greatest Story Never Told: The Rise & Fall of The Source, as told by former Editor Reginald Dennis. (part 2 | part 3 via Bryan)
I agree with Dave at The Shrimp. So Common's been getting hs d-ck sucked hard by everyone for creating a so-called hip hop classic that's mature, thoughtful and soulful. Er... De La Soul did that four years with AOI: Bionix and cats slept HEAVY on them. At least some recognized when The Grind Date album dropped though. (related: D-Nice reminisces about seeing De La at Summer Stage)
What happened to that dude Knoc'turnal? Where he be at?
Anyone got mp3's on the new Missy Elliott "Music Makes You Lose Control" with Ciara and Fatman Scoop? What about Tony Sunshine's street remake of John Legend's "Ordinary People"? Both them joints are straight crack. (related: the Missy Bassline sneaker in grey/pink by Adidas)
Dayana Jamine
"Underground hip-hop is over. I mean, it's just over...."
"Every time I peep 106 and Park and these Negroes are dubbing Tupac's "How Do You Want It" the old school clip of the day, hip-hop dies for me...."
Metalface, how about when you see this? I knew this day was coming. 12" vinyl in hip hop is a wrap and I say that as someone who's spent their whole life collecting it. (via Hashim)
But is this joint, on some Gap Band-meets-Grandmaster Flash ish, for real? Wasn't there a Run DMC video or that had something like this back in the day?
Relive Lil Jon's redonkolous AOL Music webcast here.
Cassidy feat. Mary J. Blige "I'm A Hustler (remix)" (via TTLab)
And I told y'all a while back that great bloggers break stories. Look for a documentary on the legendary graffiti artists of the Bronx-based TATS Cru dropping later this year courtesy of Randy and the squad at 88hiphop.
I ain't even see the movie yet even though my roomate has it on DVD but I recognize hipster-newsworthy sh-t when I see it - "Napoleon Dyanamite action figures on the way."
Finally, Pete Samples - the DJ Shadow of Winnipeg, Canada?
New York Times-ing it....
Because sometimes all you need to do is read the Sunday Times to get your blog on:
Hoop Dreams 2
$250,000 Lexani cubic-zirconia rims - I wanna know who's the one loser so far that played theyself and bought a set of these?
Graffiti Legend Revs
Kelefa Sanneh on Houston hip hop and the "Screwed and Chopped" sound. (related: A Visitor's Guide to the Houston Sound with audio links)
Save Arrested Development. (related: join the Get Arrested movement)
Slowly getting back on my grizzy, more later....
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Democracy Afghan Style NYC screening THIS MORNING
Just got back from spinning at Lush but let me bless y'all with a quick one before I hit the sack:
Democracy Afghan Style, a movie edited by my college roomate, screens in NYC at the Afghan Art & Film Festival (presented by the Afghan Communicator) later THIS MORNING at 11:00am. The festival features filmmakers and artists from Afghanistan and around the world (?!).
FILM SCREENING LOCATION:
The Alwan Center for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor,
New York, NY 10004
The Alwan Center for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor,
New York, NY 10004
Click here for more details.
Regular linkage and rundowns will resume Tuesday (if not earlier). And in case you were wondering, taxes were still not finished despite the self-imposed blogging hiatus so 4868 had to be put into effect.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Pay Ya Dues....
The Kitchen will be closed for the next few days while I try to get my sh-t together for the Tax Man (which with my record keeping habits is a longer task than I prolly have time to do it in, believe me).
Holla back like this weekend or (more likely) Monday or Tuesday.
But let me leave you with a few quick links before I bounce:
- Who'd win a "Most Abusive Boss" battle between John Bolton or Dave Mays? (related: John Bolton Quotes via Busy Busy Busy - truly scary)
- "The Bush administration is attempting to undercut the law that requires publicly funded schools to offer women equal opportunities in sports." (The New York Times)
- "Mortality - the more graphic, the merrier - is the biggest thing going in America...." Frank Rich on America's "Culture of Death" from The New York Times.
- "WITH MEDICAID and food stamps on the chopping block, the House of Representatives is about to vote for a $290 billion tax break for the richest sliver of Americans." (full article "The Rich Get Richer" from The Washington Post | Related: "The Paris Hilton Tax Cut")
- "[Schools question evolution] not just because, as Darwin himself conceded, there are holes in the theory of evolution but because of an evolving political weakness in which intellectual honesty counts for less and less....." Richard Cohen examines "Backward Evolution" in The Washington Post.
- Unreleased Ghostface from Bulletproof Wallets (via The Rap Nerd)
- "J*Davey is the future of R&B...."
- "Hacked" Vida Guerra photos link for the fellas at Cuban Links.
- “We’re about to crunk every phone in America!” (related: son and his crew tore it down last night at Webster Hall. At one point the building was literally shaking. More on this at a later point [maybe].)
- The Kid Stays in the Picture - the Bathgate street mixtape featuring Shyne, Purple City, Remy Ma, Shells, the first single on Supreme Clientele and more coming SOONER THAN YOU THINK!
- Styles P - down with the Spirit of the Dance?! (link via The Alma G)
In the meantime though, check these fine folks for music and other flava and here and here for news and the latest GOP fcckery.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
"Understand, street n--gaz do go to college...."
Indie hip hop lives! Click covers to buy.
It's Promo Round-Up Tuesday at the Kitchen:
Defari may have irreparably destroyed his career and lost any love he had in the (new) underground when he dissed emo rappers like Slug in this infamous interview at Tha Formula. Cats now feel free to throw darts at duke and dimiss him as a hater like he didn't drop some of the best tracks around (cf. the "Bionic" 12") at the dawn of the underground renaissance in the mid 90's.
Unfortunately, the new L.J.'s album by him and Dilated's DJ Babu under their Likwit Junkies moniker is unlikely to sway the opinions of those who've pledged allegiance to Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, Edan et al. Even with references to corruption in the church and fcck the police tracks, the album has an oddly conservative feel from the classic 90's meat 'n' potatoes style boom bap beats (with a slightly souled-out feel) to the frequent religious references in the rhymes.
It's pretty solid stuff overall but there aren't a lot of creative chances being taken and few surprises on this album. Personally, I like it but I don't love it. Probably for fans only (?) but recommended if you dig the classic hip hop of Gangstarr, Dilated Peoples etc. Fave tracks: the Otis Redding (?)-sampling "Keep Doin' It" (Vaguely interesting side note: the LJ's sample the same break as Beanie Sigel on his "Purple Rain" for their track "Salute" but I think the Mac Man gets the better of them with his joint) Click here for more info.
But this is why I know I might not be in tune with the so-called underground in a lot of ways: why aren't more cats talking about the new Zion I album, True and Livin' dropping next week? Amp Live & Zion have delivered a great album full of progressive musicality and lyricism. If you fccks with pre-Love Below Outkast and Dead Prez, you need to get at this immediately. "Soo Tall" would be a huge MTV hit if these dudes were on a major label. True & Livin' has excellent collabs with Talib Kweli on the track "Temperature" and Del on "What U Hear" plus appearances by Aesop Rock and Gift of Gab, but Zion I more than hold it down for dolo on the tracks with no guests like "The Bay" and "America."
Hip Hop and orchestral music? The Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra sounds like another one of those bad ideas that should have never seen the light of day but you know what, despite the up and down quality of the MC-ing throughout the album, muscially Unfinished Symphony is a really good listen that's trawling the waters where Jazzmatazz, NuYorican Soul and The Duke Ellington Orchestra meet and is the perfect album when you need something to vibe and chill out to.
Pop Life is dead, long live Poplicks.com. (no homo)
We the Voices
And at The In Crowd:
- "To Be Young, Gifted and British" - Black British Jazz
- Read more about new soul singer and MC Jahah that I've been plugging and listen to his entire MamasOnlySon album streaming online here.
"Full Cut Fridays" - a monthly Afrobeat party at Knitting Factory presented by local NYC Afrobeat label and booking agency Full Cut Records.
"Hip Hop has become Republican...." - check out this interview by MTV's Sway with Saul Williams to witness how powerful this dude is even when he's not performing. Wiliams is like a prophet (that I think you ought to listen to) and I do not use that term lightly. Seriously, hop off Common's nuts and leave the 50 dis tracks alone for a minute and really peep his music 'cos you NEED it in your life. (via CMoney of Eviction Notice, NB: temporary Yousendit link so first come, first served or click here thanks to Brandon, The Latchkey Kid)
Catchdubs put you up on this MONTHS ago but Nouvelle Vague is at Joe's Pub TONIGHT (related: more on Nouvelle Vague at Village Voice)
But for those who want to keep it real crunk instead, get at this TONIGHT:
(click flyer for a direct link to the webcast)
Tweet
Monday, April 11, 2005
Has Spoken Word's Time Arrived?
I've said it before - I've never really been a fan of spoken word or poetry slams. I've been to a few events in my life but that same pretentious, melodramatic cadence EVERY poet seems to use for some reason gets on my fccking nerves.
As much as I could ever get into it was dabbling in some of the work by old school punk poet John Cooper Clark, British Rasta laureate from the same era Linton Kwesi Johnson, Chuck D on Fear of A Black Planet (listen to it again, he's doing more spoken word than real, straight-up rapping which is why, depsite what Christgau thinks, It Takes A Nation... is still the better album by far.) and Saul Williams debut album Amethyst Rockstar.
Williams is back again and doesn't disappoint with his new self-titled album. On paper this is something that should be in my sell pile by now between the spoken word element and a lot of songs whose musical tracks are verging on noise frankly, but there's something compelling about his voice and what he's saying that's, to employ on overused hip hop term, "the Truth." Don't take my word for it though. Read on, then listen up....
From his bio:
"Saul Williams has defined and redefined poetry as an accessible, living art form. His groundbreaking work as a writer and actor in the critically acclaimed film, Slam, garnered him a substantial amount of notoriety and placed him in the limelight as the figurehead for a new generation of poets, spoken word artists and actors. He is the author of three collections of poetry: , said the shotgun to the head., She and The Seventh Octave. His writings appear in several anthologies and periodicals such as Catch the Fire and The New York Times respectively.
The past decade has seen Saul Williams emerge as one of the world's most recognized poets as well as a rising actor and a highly acclaimed musician. He released 2001's Amethyst Rockstar, which was co-produced by Rick Rubin and won him critical acclaim all over the world leading to him touring with Blackalicious, Cursive and The Mars Volta.
His latest album, simply titled Saul Williams. In Saul's own words, "the tracks range from politics to relationships and the politics of relationships. What I ended up with was something that captured the authoritative cool of hip- hop, the playful angst of rock and roll, the raw emotional torment of emo (and, my favorite, "screamo"), and the fuck offness of punk."
Click and listen:
– Saul Williams official website.
– “Black Stacey (Deadbeats Remix)”: real | wma
– “List of Demands (Kill Memory Crash Remix)”: real | wma
– “List of Demands” (Remix) Video: wma hi | real video hi | real video lo
– “List of Demands” Video: Quicktime | wma
Listen to the Saul Williams album:
1. Talk To Strangers real | wma
2. Grippo real | wma
3. Telegram real | wma
4. Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare) real | wma
5. List Of Demands (Reparations) real | wma
6. African Student Movement real | wma
7. Black Stacey real | wma
8. PG real | wma
9. Surrender (A Second To Think) real | wma
10. Control Freak real | wma
11. Seaweed real | wma
12. Notice Of Eviction real | wma
Duke is also on tour here and in Europe now through July. There's way too many dates to list here but I'm sure they're on his website somewhere.
** Win a copy of Saul's new album by emailing me (subject line: "Saul Williams contest"). Contest will end 11:59:59pm on April 18th. Winner will be selcted at random. Prizing courtesy Cornerstone Promotion.
Related: Spoken word continues to blow up with the Ill List DVD....
"Spoken word is rapidly growing into one of underground culture’s hottest scenes. Drawing on the self-affirming attitude and political energy of hip-hop culture; spoken word artists unleash their rhymes acapella. With the swagger of hip-hop and the razor sharp observational wit of stand-up comics, spoken word poets draw in their audience with pure lyrical fire.
For the first time the raw energy of spoken word performances is captured on film and presented on DVD. Enter the ILL List….
The ILL List is an invitational only poetry slam that features a dozen nationally renowned performance poets/spoken word artists, many of whom are regional and national poetry slam champions who have appeared on Russell Simmon's HBO Def Poetry Jam. The event is modelled after the original poetry slam invented in Chicago by Marc Smith with a three round format, random judges, and traditional rules of time limits, no props and original content."
For more:
- Watch the DVD trailer.
- Click here for info on the DVD from the official WordGroove Studios website.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Haiti, One Year Later
"Peacekeeping" in Haiti
"JUST MORE THAN a year after U.S. forces escorted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into exile, Haiti remains in crisis. Heavily armed gangs loyal to Mr. Aristide or to drug traffickers roam urban neighborhoods; former army and security forces of the military dictatorships that preceded him control much of the countryside. More than 400 people have died in political violence just since September, ranking Haiti with Iraq as a zone of debilitating insecurity. A timid U.N. peacekeeping force has been as ineffectual as the politically isolated interim government. Economic reconstruction from last year's warfare and subsequent natural disasters has barely begun: International donors failed to deliver 80 percent of the aid they pledged last year.
In short, Haiti remains what it was a year ago: a quasi-failed state 600 miles from the United States. Sadly, U.S. policy hasn't changed much either. The Bush administration still aspires to delegate Haiti's troubles to other countries or international organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States [emphasis added]. One direct result of this policy is the continued insecurity, since the Brazilian-led U.N. force of 7,400 has lacked the capability or willpower to disarm the thugs."
from the Washington Post editorial, "Haiti, One Year Later."
"The top ten reasons why John Bolton shouldn't confirmed as ambassador to the UN" via (Washington Monthly)
Tom DeLay and his cronies are still wilin' out crazy. It's time they all got hammered. (last two links via am-New York)
'Cos sh-t is getting very scary, yo.
Wonder what DeLay and crew have to say about this?
And why the catholic church will never get it: "Cardinal Law, ousted in the U.S. priest abuse scandal, was named by the Vatican today as one of nine prelates who will have the honor of presiding over funeral Masses for Pope John Paul II." (full article The New York Times | related: John Paul II Marvel comic book, spotted via Catchdubs)
“These pieces of paper are as worthless as my soul.”
"The Bush administration pays lip service ending homelessness — while undermining the programs that keep people from ending up in the streets." (full article "Killing Off Housing for the Poor" The New York Times)
Chaos at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Twice?! WTF?!
While also in Iraq "Provincial Elections Stir Trouble."
I swear I have no this much faith in all these new drugs they advertise on TV nowadays. Doesn't the FDA do their job any more? I'm not fccking with any of them, f'real: "Pfizer Pulls the Pin on Bextra" | "Viagra May Cause Vision Loss"
Is it any wonder that Bush has the "Lowest Approval Rating Ever"? (related: "Bush Less Popular than Richard Nixon" )
Be Classic?
Basement Elevation, classic status? Decide for yourself starting here:
- "Be"
- "Chi-City"
- "Testify" (related: eh yo! Bathgate's "Innocent")
but just so we're doing things real proper like too:
- official downloads from Common's website here.
And do the wop to this - Saigon "Jailhouse Rap"
(Links via Hiphopgame.com)
Can I just shout out a lover's rock track that Hot 97's been playing for a minute now that I'm loving:
- Wayne I "Can't Satisfy her" (via Toronto-Lime)
Nappy Diatribe's "A Handful of Underrated MC's"
Jay Dilla Remixes (via Freemotion)
Cuban Link's Down South mixtape.
DJ Tech
Finally, labels or artists who read this site, if you're looking for beats by former Massive Attack affiliate, Lewis Parker, holla at your boy (email link at top of sidebar). More on how I met this kid in a later post.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Mesmerized by the First Lady
Faith's The First Lady: a must cop? (Click cover to buy)
Last night's Good Foot was bananas. Props to Wes and Alma for holding down the logistics and to Jay Smooth & crew for bringing the party people out and for making me realize how inadequate I am as a DJ. The blog mafia was also out in force. I was happy to meet Hashim and Joey (peep his post of
I also ran through Vice's Bloc Party after-party event real quick afterwards and caught the end of Bean's live set. His left-field nerd rap isn't really my thing but he did one track featuring production by Dabrye that was kind of crack. That whole "future soul" sound being developed in Detroit by Jay Dilla, Sa-ra, Amp Fiddler, Dabrye and Platinum Pied Pipers is that next sh-t. It's one of the few things happening in music right now that is progressive but still soulful and funky. BTW: Bloc Party's Silent Alarm album is SICK! Believe.the.hype. I'll try to get into it in more detail in a post this weekend.
Faith Evans "Mesmerized" - HOLY SMOKES! Faith rockin' over Diamond D's "Freestyle (Yo, That's That Sh--)" (or at least the same break he sampled for that track). This joint is redonkolous, it's like the missing link between
50 > Beatles, WTF?!! I'm not gonna front, I STILL ain't heard the whole album but the fact that this could happen with such a mediocre album pretty much says it all about the state of the music industry right now.
"Kelis on blast"
And more Neptunes-related music: Clipse featuring Pharrell - "Stuntin' Y'all" (via Spine Mag)
The 20th anniversary of “South Bronx” - how did I miss this? Derek, you should have holla'd.
Fly cover art for the forthcoming Geology Plays Geology anthology album by this underrated producer on Studio Records.
Jalylah Burrell - She Real Cool
Sploid - the next step in Nick Denton's plan to take over the world using blogs.
Smoosh - cool tween indie pop or the next Hanson? And is that just a wack website or part of a deliberate lo-fi, indie aesthetic they're cultivating?
"In My Humble Opinion" - "Jennifer Lopez's ass isn't really all that" is so on point but I don't know about "DJ Premier is a better producer than Dr. Dre" and I'm a Premo fan.
I missed it Wednesday night but I'ma try and catch this kid Sway Dasafo who's doing it one more time at Bangers and Mash TONIGHT. (thanks, Fiona)
Also tonight: the "Follow the Leader Part 2" exhibit showcasing new works by painter Jackson Brown will kick off with a "closing reception" at the Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery (located in Chelsea at 516 W. 25th Street) between 6 and 9pm. Click here for more details (thanks, Jude for the heads up).
And don't forget tomorrow afternoon for those in the T-Dot: the 2005 Adidas All Canadian Basketball Game.
Finally, she was just on Power 105 this morning so check out video vixen Esther Baxter's new website.
(* GONE! "The Man" threatened Joey in a not-very-cool way into taking down the links. Good luck containing this, UMG. The music is out there now. Your best bet is to move up the Be album's release date by as much as you can -- may I suggest early May? -- and take advantage of the buzz that's building fast. Jimmy and Steve have done this before so it shouldn't be a problem.)
