Thursday, January 26, 2006
"If you wanna come and cop then you got to chirp me...."
Kanye: the God MC? Yeah, I know yall saw this like 50 hours ago!
Harlem, sit the f-ck down? Cam'ron “I Don't Write Either” - he is gonna get CLOWNED for this after all the smack he talked about Hovi being a biter a few days ago. Jay, you right, fam - be easy. No need to respond now.
Or Uptown, represent again? New Bathgate joints: "I Got Dat Workie" & "Now Go" - dude is so NICE. I wish people still gave a f-ck about NYC MC's so cats like him, Grafh and Jae Millz had a shot at even a little success. Now you have to do a bad impersonation of Paul Wall or Luda to get any shot at airplay, even on Hot 97 in their home market. (Both tracks from the brand new Bathgate & Fats Split Decision CD in STORES NOW. And don't forget to peep my own Supreme Clientele label 12" on the kid.
Old but worth peepin' as it never was officially released as a single here in the US - the video for "Millionaire" by Kelis feat. Andre 3000. (via Baby Sam yet again)
The T-Pain movement will not be stopped despite the naysayers out there. C-Rena already has the answer record to his "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" single that's blowin' right now: "In Love With A Tipper" (related: Respect. My.Gangsta!)
Rollie's "Wild 100" part II & part III
Slang Official - Raekwon's new website.
America's Next Top Model star Tocarra's King magazine photo spread.
Serch is my man but is there really demand for a clock/doll of him in 2006?
Also via The Fader: info on The Clipse live in NYC in March. Love the group but seriously, are they any good live? I have my doubts....
And via Rolling Stone: the return of Pimp C.
While finally, via Boing Boing: a three-year-old smoker - WTF?!
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
A look at Bush's "Terrorist Surveillance Program" and more
To begin with, should I be nervous when I see the usdoj.gov domain pop up in my Statcounter page referrer stats or is there just a young, hip hop-loving gov't employee checking out The Kitchen now? After all, Bush loves to get his domestic spy game on, it's worse than people even thought when the scandal first broke and we also know that the Pentagon has been real flagrant in their domestic spying activities too. Pray for me just in case.
Abramoff scandal 101.
Can we please stop giving Halliburton contracts? Will we never learn from our mistakes? I mean, we know this war is probably little more than an oil grab and war profiteering exercise for Bush and his cronies but WTF?!!
And some (non year end, best of music) lists y'all:
- The Top 12 media myths and falsehoods about the Bush administration's spying scandal.
- Debunking the administration Talking Points on warrantless spying.
- The top Alito myths and falsehoods.
- Juan Cole's Top Ten Iraq Myths of 2005.
- and his Top Ten Mistakes in the "war on terror."
Impeach Bush? We can only hope.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Looking For the Perfect Beats.
Terror Squad's DJ Khaled & Afrika Baambaataa: not knowing? Do your homework.
"Please someone help to explain to me how you let someone talk about leaving condoms he used on your baby's mother in the baby's car seat, and then kiss and make up live on stage and then sign a deal making that someone your boss. Does Nas know the definition of integrity?" (click here for more....)
DJ Khaled feat. Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross & Pitbull "Holla At Me Baby" - Miami's Funk Flex finds the perfect beat for this track from his forthcoming album. Missy really set something off as far as this whole sampling early 80's electro classics trend when she dropped "Lose Control," huh? (And paging LL & J-Lo - who's gonna win the battle in the beat-jacking-Afrika-Bam stakes?) (reg' may be required to access these mp3 links)
Juvenile's brand new "Get Ya Hustle On/What's Happenin'" video here - this video is INCREDIBLE. Don't think about it, just click the link and watch, it's mandatory viewing. (quicktime video file via Max N.)
DJ Muggs vs. GZA/The Genius "General Principles" video - from the acclaimed (?) Grandmasters album. (Win: Hi Lo via DJ Warrior)
Still Listen to Gangsta Music - solid hip hop bloggery. Don't let me find out they bit my Cam Bad Boy radio links w/o at least crediting me though!
Hipper-than-hip. Part One of Rollie's Wild 100 top singles of 2005. Essential downloading? And speaking of hip....
The Red Lemon Store (via Baby Sam)
I got the email too and while I don't know if it's legit or not, because his album is so dope: SUPPORT.JAMIE.FOXX tomorrow night anyway.
Finally, also TOMORROW NIGHT: Steppin' Out - Dork Mag and Triple Crown's collab jumpoff at Opus. Check it (and Tivo that Jamie Foxx joint)!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
"That's Carlito and I'm Benny Blanco..."
Keyshia Cole's The Way It Is: the soundtrack for the young and heartbroken in 2005?
Keyshia Cole's "I Should Have Cheated" pretty much sums up my mood at the moment. Although "Guess What?", the track that immediately follows it on her excellent The Way It Is album probably reflects the view of others in my life right now.
Now long time readers know I hate to play into all this millionaire rapper, sandbox feud corniness but I told yall to pay f-cking attention to this site:
Almost 3 months ago I mentioned that my man was predicting Jay-Z would be over in 6 months after seeing his "I Declare War" concert. Jay Smooth scoffed and wanted to take a bet on it. Now Cam'ron has come out swinging at the "King of NY," first with his "U Gotta Love It" freestyle and now with a very funny radio interview on BadBoy Radio (note: not Diddy-affiliated) that makes it look like a bet Jay might have lost.
Even if he didn't score a KO out the gate, Cam has got people questioning whether Hov can even come back which a year or two ago would have been unthinkable. I see the tide turning against the man they called Mr. President at Island Def Jam unless he comes out with some of that "Takeover" level spit-fire. Cam must be feeling himself though to come out at the same time with that "Oh What A Night" track not only sampling The Four Seasons but comparing himself to Andre 3000 and Arrested Development (what?!).
I never thought I'd do it but change is inevitable and space is finite so I'm hoping to switch over from vinyl to digital DJ-ing using an Apple G4/Serato set-up by this summer God, budget and time willing but this fcckery has me shaking my head yet again at the music industry's never-ending greed and short-sightedness. As Chuck Chillout said in a Source magazine article on declining vinyl sales I remember reading many moons ago, "If that 5% [who bought music on vinyl] weren't cutting it up, that other 95% wouldn't be buying it." Never a truer word spoken as far as the value of DJ's in the record selling process although the number buying wax now is probably more like <1% now.
Brian Joesph Davis' 10 Banned Albums' online flash exhibit.
To Darrin Hudson - Jeff Staple's blog dedicated to sneakers 'n more. Check out the shot of the crazy adidas shelltoe-inspired Burton snowboard boots in this post (scroll down). (spotted via Cool Hunting)
And have these Vida Guerra pics made the rounds yet?
Finally, Kardinall Offishall has a new album called Fire & Glory - WTF?! How'd I miss this - is it any good?
Friday, January 20, 2006
God Bless Wilson Pickett
Soul legend Wilson Pickett. They'll be doing a 1000 dances in heaven tonight....
Nas feat. Papoose & Blitz "Across the Tracks" - soul for REAL (although Papoose continues to amaze with how wooden his flow is versus how incredible his lyrics and concepts are). (real mp3 link via Hiphopgame.com)
Cassidy "Cassidy Anthem" - monstorous! Has this kid dispelled all the ill-will he generated because of his crossover hit single "Hotel" a couple years back yet 'cos duke has dropped so many heaters in the past 12 months, it's stupid? On the other hand.... (reg' may be req'd for mp3 access)
K-Fed "PopoZão" - I played about 30 sec. of this and it sounded like straight sanitation. Actually, I still need to be convinced that this wasn't just a new version of his track that had leaked a couple months back 'cos it sounded pretty similar with its poor man's Missy Elliot "exotic production" sound. (mp3 via SOHH | related: Steve-O's Latest Stunt: Recording A Rap Song - cripes, literally f-cking everyone thinks they can make a rap record now, I mean WTF?!)
Stream from Bloc Party's brand new God Bless Bloc Party DVD. (related: Bloc Party reveal new album plans.)
Love Monkey - so close to my actual life in detail, it's frightening but actually not a bad TV show (although some think otherwise).
Tommy Boy's Hip-Hop Essentials.
www.GrillsByPaulWall.com
The new Nike Air Max 360 - "[their] most expensive running shoe (ever?)."
And oh yeah, Cam goes in and tries to take it to Hovi but you know that already, right? Whatever, let's focus on a more relevant beef: AZ's 50 Cent dis.
But even more importantly, Wilson Pickett R.I.P. (related: save Isaac Hayes)
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The Return of ATL's Kings
Image courtesy: DigiWaxx
T.I. "What You Know" (clean | dirty | instr.) - INCREDIBLE new single from T.I.'s forthcoming album! This kid is the Jay-Z of the South to Jeezy's 50 cent. After finally listening properly to his Urban Legend album and realizing it was one of the best of the year (full list coming soon, I promise), I gotta say I can't wait to hear his new one.
Click here for the trailer for Outakst's Idlewild movie - and remember where you read about this first. (spotted via Nah Right)
New Lauryn Hill "Rebel" - but at this point, does anyone still care? (spotted via Hiphopmusic.com)
Lupe Fiasco mp3's via Jesus Piece.
James Brown, Michael Jackson & Prince all live on the same stage back in 1983 - not quite what you think it's gonna be but still warrants a holy schnikey! (via That Good Good)
Slump & Grind 2 is a go - more Bay Area hip hop insanity, I'm sure.
Buffie the Body's already infamous radio interview - warning: the coonery and ig'nance factor is high on this one peoples although, to be fair, dude kind of goes at Buffie a little too hard unecessarily IMHO. (spotted via C&D)
All my Island peoples, stand up - Nah Right's The 10 Most Influential Caribbeans in Hip Hop.
More sneakers from Japan you can't afford or find here via Snug (those De La Soul 3 Feet High dunks are crazy although I'm not sure I'd actually wear them!).
Spliff Huxtable - good new (?) site though I can't ride with their anti-Badu stance.
And to end, some non-music ish:
- The Weekly Dig magazine's profile of Semyon Dukach - the man who beat Vegas at their own game and "invented" e-commerce.
- Chinese man can't be photographed?! Should I even be linking this nonsense in an era when even respected scientific dudes are getting duped?
Monday, January 16, 2006
Was It All A Dream?
Above: the front cover of "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," a 1956 comic book on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. distributed in the US and South America. (spotted via Boing Boing)
Also, streams of The Boondocks Episode 9, "Return of the King" where Huey imagines that Dr. King survived his 1968 assasination attempt, falls into a coma and eventually wakes up in the year 2000 right before before Election day. (via Nah Right)
Poplicks asks, "Progress? What progress?"
Shout to Patti Austin for putting on an increditble performance of jazz and R&B at last night's "MLK: A Gift Of Song" concert at the Wang Center in Boston.
And let's not forget other heroes of the Civil Rights movement like Ralph Abernathy, Ella Baker, Huey P. Newton and Stokely Carmichael.
Previously on The Kitchen:
- "It's easy to admire Dr. King, it's a challenge to follow him." - 2005 coverage of MLK, Jr. day.
- 37 Years Ago Today....
Finally, special birthday shout out to my girl Didi M. Keep making beautiful music, girl.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
R&B Any Way You Want It....
Chris Brown "One More Chance" - why the f-ck wasn't this track on his just-certified platinum album?! This ish is incredible. (note: reg. may be required to access this mp3 link)
Nicole Wray feat. Mike Jones "It's A Man's World" - great R&B jack of "Still Tippin'." Copped from the Bombay Sapphire Lounge promo CD sampler being given out at the Sa-Ra show last night along with...
Camp Lo "I Confess" - not sure if this is old or not but it's f-cking blazing hot. BTW: aren't The Clipse basically the gutter, thugged-out version of Camp Lo?
Speaking of Sa-Ra, I like what they stand for creatively but their debut peformance in NYC at Canal Room was semi-gargbation. Self-indulgent, spaced-out black boho hip hop funk gets real irksome without some hooks and songs to draw listeners in. Photos 'n stuff at Prefix though. And if you're ariving late to the party, cop their new Cosmic Follies & The Niggerton Galaxy mixtape to see what the fuss surrounding this Left Coast (?) production crew/group is all about or click here. (Good lookin' to Ndidi M for the tickets for Xmas, someboy's paying attention.) UPDATE: email me, subject line: "Sa-Ra" with your address and I will send one reader selected at random a copy of the mixtape next Tuesday.
MC Lyte "Wonder Years" - prod. by Premo (mp3 courtesy my man, Giz)
Grip Calendar - first the magazine, now this. Holy smokes, Ozone watch ya back...
Free Cool C?
Shameless grab for site traffic: buy the Saturday Night Live "Lazy Sunday" (aka "Chronicles of Narnia Rap") hip hop spoof featuring Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg on itunes after the initial free trial period? F-CK THAT! Cop it here for nathan:
MP3 - > link | MP4 (for ipods) - > link
You know what? This kid Game might not be as washed up as everyone is saying.
Spotted in the T.dot over the break: Timberland's AF1 knockoff's - do they sell these in the US 'cos they actually look a lot better than the picture in that link indicates?
Reebok Basquiat sneaker.
Times review of the new Gordon Parks memoir A Hungry Heart.
Funny sh-t via Oh Word - one of the hottest new hip hop blogs:
- If the Biggie Duets album were a movie
- Was it strictly business when actor Patrick Swayze left Erick & Parrish a duo after departing their group PSEPMD?
Finally, on a more somber note: Lou Rawls R.I.P.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
2005 YEAR END WRAP-UP: Singles
Better late, then never? Not necessarily the best singles of 2005 in any kind of objective way ('cos some of the most significant records of the year ain't to be found in these parts), just the joints I liked the most personally. I'll say this much though, there were a whole lot more hot singles than albums but I'll get into that in another post coming soon (I hope).
THE CHAMPION SOUNDS (in somewhat rough order):
* Amerie "1 Thing" (Sony Urban) - it got totally overplayed by it's peak but was still a mindsplittingly great club banger that showed there was hope for classically produced hip hop music in an era dominated by keyboard and digital-effects heavy production.
* Ying Yang Twins "Wait" (TVT) - shout to Dave Banner too.
* The Game feat. 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It" (Aftermath/Interscope) - I never got tired of hearing this track all year.
* Damian Marley - "Welcome to Jamrock" (Tuff Gong) / I-Wayne "Can't Satisfy Her" (VP Jamaica) / Richie Spice “Youth A So Cold” - good to see the classic roots reggae sound back in vogue last year.
* Young Jeezy feat. Jay-Z & Fat Joe "Go Crazy (remix)" (Island Def Jam)
* Lil Kim " Lighters Up" (Atlantic) - the album wasn't really a 5 mic-er but this single was. I think people would have been even more into this if it had turned out that Lauryn was the artist behind this joint like many had initially thought. Even though many dismissed it as a blatant "Jamrock" bite (like that Juelz "Murda Murda" wasn't - WTF?!), one thing was for sure, it was definitely a lot hotter than that half-ass Fugees comeback single.
* Paul Wall "Sittin' Sideways" (Swishahouse) - "Still Tippin'" set off the movement but this track was Screwed up, Texas, rider music perfection.
* Cassidy "B-Boy Stance" (J/SonyBMG) / "I'm a Hustler" (J/Sony/BMG) - two of many Swizz Beats heaters this year that added up to him having almost as big a comeback this year as Mariah Carey.
* Dem Franchize Boyz "Oh I Think Dey Like Me" / Dem Franchize Boyz feat JD, Da Brat & Bow Wow "Oh I Think Dey Like Me (remix)" - Snap Music: big in 2006. Remember where you read it first.
* Nelly feat. Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp "Grillz"
* Jae Millz "Who?" (Wanna Blow Ent.) - unfortunately for this kid, people are still saying, "Who?" when his name comes up despite dropping a series of stellar grimey NYC bangers like this one all year.
* Ne-Yo feat. Peedi Crakk "Stay With Me" (Def jam)
* John Legend “Ordinary People” - I just hope that every male contestant on American Idol doesn't butcher this instant-standard Alicia Keys "Fallin'"-style next season.
* Juelz Santana "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" (Rocafella/Island Def Jam) / "Mic Check 1, 2" (Rocafella/Island Def Jam) - this dude dropped so many hot songs last year in advance of his album that I was primed for what I was sure was gonna be a modern classic. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be but that's a story for another post....
* Yummy Bingham feat. Jadakiss "Come Get It" (Motown/UMG) - and I thought this joint was really gonna go too. It really didn't.
* 50 cent feat. Mobb Deep "Outta Control (remix)" - this guy and his crew lost a fair amount of their cachet this year by dropping too much medicocre product but this remix of one of the few decent tracks from his The Massacre album was hot fiya. Even Fitty-haters had to give it up for this, right?
* Styles P "I'm Black" (Ruff Ryders/Interscope) - between this and Jada's "Why?" single, D-Block finally grew up but, unlike "Why?" this was criminally overlooked. Hip Hop fans (and black radio), what's wrong wid y'all??
* Tony Yayo "So Seductive" (G-Unit/Interscope) - one shot, one kill... literally as far as that so-so Yayo album went.
And also dug:
* Ashanti feat. Paul Wall & Method Man "Still On It" (The Inc/Island Def Jam)
* Ax "100 to 1" (White Label)
* Da Backwudz feat. Slim Thug & Nas "You Gonna Love Me (remix)" (Rowdy)
* Dwele "I Think I Love You" (Virgin)
* Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" (Interscope)
* Juvenile feat. Ludacris "Pop You" (Atlantic)
* Kanye West feat. Jay-Z "Diamonds (remix)" (Rocafella/Island Def Jam)
* Little Brother feat. Joe Scudda "I'm Lovin' It" (ABB/Atlantic) - one of the few highlights from a WAY overrated album.
* LL Cool J & Juelz Santana "It's LL & Santana" (Island Def Jam)
* Maceo "Nextel Chirp"
* Mashonda feat. Nas "Blackout" (Full Surface/j records)
* Remy Martin "Whuteva" (Terror Squad/SRC) - despite a couple good singles, no-one really cares about this broad, do they?
* Nas feat. Lauryn Hill "It Wasn't You" (unreleased - I think)
* Notorious BIG feat. Jay-Z & Diddy "What You Want" (Bad Boy/Atlantic)
* Pharrell Williams feat. Gwen Stefani "Have It Like That" (Star Trak/Interscope)
* Prefuse 73 feat. Ghostface & El-Pee "Hideyaface" (Def Juxx)
* Razah feat. Fatman Scoop "I'm In Love With You" (Virgin)
* Stack Bundles "Why Would She" (Unreleased)
* Teairra Mari "Make Her Feel Good" (Rocafella/Island Def Jam)
* Three Six Mafia feat. Eightball & MJG & Young Buck "Stay Fly"
* Ying Yang Twinz feat Mike Jones "Badd" (TVT)
amongst a year with a lot of hot singles in every conceivable format from white label promos to bootlegs, mixtape exclusives, mp3-only tracks, CD-R burns, mashup's and ones I'm probably not even up on yet.
A look back: the 2004 Year End singles wrap-up.
NOTE: the mp3 links in this post may be (actually probabably are) dead. Sorry, but I really didn't have time to check them all out and clean them up. If you're curious about any of the music discussed here that you may not be familiar with (which is hard to imagine 'cos these are all hits of one sort or another in the clubs, on the street, on the radio or otherwise), google it, check it on itunes or, here's a novel concept - GO BUY IT!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Iraq: loving the troops to death.
From "Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Body Armor" in yesterday's New York Times:
"A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials."(click here for the full article)
If only this staggering ineptitude was an isolated incicdent and soldiers weren't dying because of the Bush adminstration's incompetence in conducting this completely unecessary war. Unfortunately this is just the latest in a very long list of missteps in this war:
- The body armor the military does have doesn't even work!
- The GOP: loving our troops to death.
-
- Abu Ghraib torture is still ongoing. No surprise there based on Rumsfeld's recent comments.
- And there was stupid me thinking they had shut down the fcckery there and outsourced it.
- Or at least passed the baton to the Iraqi's.
- So it's no wonder the "U.S. Military Covertly Pays to Run Stories in Iraqi Press - Troops write articles presented as news reports." But the real fccked up thing is that, even after getting busted, they are still defending their actions. (click here to read more)
- Meanwhile, they finally found those WMD's in Iraq after all - the US military has been using them on the Iraqis. (and in case you're wondering, the question in that CS Monitor link and the spin by Pentagon that those charges against them were "disinformation" has already been settled.)
- Three years later, there's "2000 dead and not a school opening in sight...." Nice job, W. How many Iraqi hearts and minds have we won so far - 30,000 or so?
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Iraq: Democracy Dissolving?
So much for Bush's Strategy for Victory in Iraq. (related: Deconstructing the “National Strategy for Victory in Iraq”)
More:
What I heard about Iraq in 2005 by Eliot Weinberger.
Daily Kos's 1,000 days of war, by the numbers.
The San Fran Chronicle says Iran's victory revealed in Iraq election.
Juan Cole on How Bush Created a Theocracy in Iraq.
Think Progress' Reality Check on Iraq.
And even more...
Don't believe the hype pushed by the GOP and their lackeys in the MSM that the Left doesn't have a strategy for solving the mess that Bush has created in Iraq:
- The Center for American Progress' senior adviser on national security policy Ivo Daalder's Alternative Strategy for Iraq.
and
- Richard A. Clarke offers A Way out of Iraq.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Still Strictly Built?
The many moods of the Chef. Welcome back to the kitchen, Rae.
Looks like I got a few backs up with my recent post about the Snap Music movement. I wish SOHH Blogs had at least thrown me a litle credit when they ran a very similar post to mine just a few days after linking to me in their Blog front page's Hot Topics section though. And as for the naysayers on Soulstrut, it's gotta be killing y'all, huh?
Related:
- D4L speaks on Dem Franchize Boyz - I know some of y'all could give a fidduck about these two groups but I'm gonna bang y'all on the head with this anyway, LOL.
- Jamie Foxx - I finally got his full joint on my ipod and can see why it's blowing out of stores. The last time I heard a mainstream male R&B album this good, it was a kid named Usher. 4-5 mil in sales easy if my instincts are worth anything at all and J plays this right.
BTW: play the Collipark-produced "Warm Bed" from his album and recall this line I wrote: "There's probably a cute girl somewhere who could sing some sexy nothings over a "Snap&B" beat and ride it to the top of the pop charts..." Ok, he wasn't exactly what I had in mind for a cute girl (n/h) but this is pretty much the first "Snap&B" record out the gate as far as I'm aware. Y'all can fight this if you want but this Snap movement is a go even if this is just gonna last through this upcoming spring and summer. Lean back, rock with it....
I've been slacking on the mp3 linkage but here's some new heaters some of which y'all may have already heard:
- Rick Ross "Hustlin'" (stream | download) - the next Jeezy? This is the hottest record in FL right now. Dude allegedly just signed to Atlantic joining Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Webbie & the crew over there so expect big things from him and also check for his joint with Dre called "Chevy Riding High" that getting love in the FLA too. (mp3 links via Hiphopgame.com & 305DJs.com)
- Or is Jody Breeze the next Jeezy still? "Fast Forward (feat. Freeway)"
- Raekwon "Range Rover" - FLAVA! Could Cuban Links II live up to the advance hype (or is it all about Fishscale still)?
- Rhymefest feat. Kanye West "More" (reg. may be required to access mp3) | "Dynomite" - I hope this kid isn't gettting eclipsed by Lupe Fiasco cos he's killin' that dude in the pure talent and songwriting stakes. It feel like the buzz and momentum has been swinging away from my man 'Fest recently though (?). BTW: Just Blaze fccking KILLED the production for the beat on that second track though - holy smokes.
There's no need for me to comment on the "Lazy Sunday" (aka "Chronicles of Narnia Rap") web phenomenon when it's already been covered really thoroughly, right?
But should I still care when a new Massive Attack album drops?
Steve Spacek vs. 9th Wonder and Justus League? BTW: who's going to the Sa-Ra show next week?)
Finally, some good sh-t via the always reliable Boing Boing:
- Walmart's search engine racist? Are you really even surprised by this?
- A pretty funny Tivo-related practcial joke.
- Coldplay gets cold played by their record label Capitol with their new CD. (related: Note to labels who service me with albums: do NOT send me CD's with copy protection that prevents me from ripping them to my ipod or with voice over's all over the audio that's meant to discourage copying cos that sh-t is really irksome and I will straight bin these joints from here on out. A special FUCK YOU goes out to BabyGrande for being an especially flagrant offender on the latter charge even though Chuck is still my man.)
Thursday, January 05, 2006
I tried to talk some sense in 'em....
Diamonds are forever? Not in Sierra Leone. Click here for more. (Image courtesy UN.)
"I'ma be posting pretty regularly over the next week or so because I have a TON of backlogged links and post ideas I wanna get out before the end of the year and, while I'm off work, actually have some time to post them...."
Wishful thinking subverted by actually having to hang out with my friends and family during the holidays. S'funny how that works. Good to be back home in the T.dot but, Toronto - WTF?! That ish should be called the T.Gat now. It's really sad. My peoples, get your minds right - this rap sh-t is entertainment:
- Bling: Consequences and Repercussions - a new documentary short by Kareem Edouard that tackles the issues behind Hip Hop's obsession with diamonds and the continued illegal diamond trade in Africa. Download it for your video ipod here or your PSP here.
- GREAT interview with M1 from Dead Prez - I CANNOT WAIT for the new Dead Prez album. RBG was a masterpiece but I'll take a solo joint from my man in the meantime.
- Respect to the rock group Living Things for getting thrown out of the Viper Room for all the right reasons. Republicanism in music and entertainment in general is an ugly trend. Check out their dirty, politically tinged glam rock 'cos it's aight.
- Hot 97's Miss Jones Hasn't Learned A Thing - when is this broad gonna finally get fired? Seriously...
Now the frivolous stuff:
- Tropicana Fruit Smoothies - my new addiction. I swear I guzzle at least 3 or 4 of these a week after work. I've been killing the Strawberry Banana joints for a while but just started fccking with the Tropical Fruit flavor in the last couple weeks which is also crazy.
- Chad Hugo's house remix of Pharrell's "Can I Have It Like That." (also here, just in case)
- Guy, En Vogue, BBD and Keith Sweat all live in concert together? HELL to the YES! (thanks for the heads up, DivaLeo)
- Downloads from Wu-Tang's Live-with-Band Session for XM Radio.
- As one door closes, another one opens - PIMP C FREE!
- Chrysler's neo-retro Challenger - I could see this blowing up. I've been saying for the past few months that this will be the next wave in modern car design - updating classic car designs with cult followings like BMW did with the Mini. When they do a modern-but-faithful take on a new version of the Chevy Impala lowriders or classic Caddies that are all over the streets in the South, it's gonna be a wrap!
And finally:
- 50 cent's manager Chris Lighty is now a blogger? Now that gets a triple WTF?! People, you won't believe me, but I am (indirectly) responsible for this very unexpected turn of events but I won't bore you by getting into how but maybe this guy will. Didn't Hashim call this one a while back? Pay attention though 'cos this dude is 20 years deep in the game. Way before he got with Fitty or the young Curtis Jackson was even hustling on the block, Chris was bringing you the groups you really feel that made you fall in love with this music so if you want the f'real, f'real on hip hop and the industry instead of the ramblings of a bunch of nerds hiding behind their PC's who've read Jeff's book and now think they're experts, get familiar.
