Thursday, March 30, 2006
A King, A Prince and a Sha[h]
T.I.: king of a nascent hip house revival movement starting in ATL (maybe)?
I can't believe Prince only just got his first #1 album!!! Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times (on my top 10 albums of all time) or that album he gamed Soundscan with a couple years ago by giving it away on his tour never made it to the top? Nothin' in his catalog ever did - WTF???
T.I. - this "Why U Wanna" record from his brand new King album sampling Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman" is REDONKOLOUS, absolute f-ckin genius! I haven't heard it fully yet but the album's only getting middling reviews from what I've read and heard although it'll no doubt be next week's #1 album.
Clipse "Mr. Me Too" here (and here).
Lil Flip's new Be Fly sneaker line.
Dork's J*Davey vidcast.
I think they were better off on Jive! Is the Mobb done?
Why Are There Still No Female Producers?
More hyphy music links courtesy of the excellent Bay-orientated Nation of Thizzlam hip hop blog.
Finally shouts to Sha Money XL, who I met a couple nights ago and who turned out to be one cool-ass cat completely unlike what I would have expected from a G-Unit general , and muh'f-ckin' Pete Rock who I bumped into last night by total accident. Says he's working with Queen Latifah on a hip hop record (!) and more notably (to me, at least) De La Soul. Holy moley, the mind boggles at the possibility!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Vainglorious: Still Protected by the Red, the Black and The Green, Sisssiiiieeeeeee!
Lumumba Carson, aka Professor X of X-Clan, R.I.P.
Don't know about X-Clan? You better recognize. X-Clan did they thing back in the early 90's incongruously (?) blending Black nationalism, Afrocentrism and P-Funk to create a series hip hop polemics over two albums that could make you dance and (in the parlance of the era) rock your dome. Unfortunately, while they did well, they always seemed to be overlooked for media and fan attention and critical acclaim by KRS-One and of course Public Enemy. Which is too bad because X-Clan's music has held up pretty well over time.
Their first album To The East, Blackwards happens to be one of the few old schoool hip hop albums I've put on my ipod so far and, completey by coincidence, was playing regularly even before Carson's untimely recent passing. Along with EPMD, they were one of the few East Coast groups that were really appreciated nationwide for extensively incorporating 70's funk into their sound as opposed to only using it on a token album track or two. Hearing this album again also made me realize how, despite cribbing elements of Jungle Brothers and PE in his rhyme style, underrated Brother J was as an MC.
Folks just slightly older than me (ahem!) constantly bemoan the state of current hip hop and herald the "Golden era" as being better and having more conscious and polical hip hop but, truth be told, politcal hip hop is still out there to be discovered for those who care to look a little harder. Some recent stuff I got put up on:
The Lost Children of Babylon The 911 Report: The Ultimate Conspiracy (click here for more info and to hear music)
Primeridian - peep the ballistics on the spoken word reprise track "Tatuduhendi" from their album Da Allnighta. Now that's real talk. (click here for more)
Flipsyde - The Roots meets (political) 2Pac? Check out the remix of their "U.S. History" track available on their excellent DJ Sharp-mixed The Pen and the Sword - Revolution Radio mixtape. Also, the Urbanix remix of their single "Someday" featuring Styles P. Original versions of both from their recently-released We the People album. (Click here for more)
And don't forget even street mixtape master and former G-Unit DJ Green Lantern is getting political with underground MC Immortal Technique and a host of others on the "Impeach the President" rap remake.
More tribute for Professor X: imageyenation.com (via Oh Word) | Odeo.com (via Hiphopmusic.com)
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Useless Weekend Ish
It's here!!! (But does that really look like the Wally Champ??)
More T.I. mp3 leaks from his forthcoming The King album via Rio.
Donnell Jones "I'm Gonna Be" - a very slept-on new cut by this OG ATLien R&B singer.
Already discussed and dissected on the internets - "I was attacked [by DJ Kay Slay and Papoose] for spreading peace and love!!!"
Spell with Flickr (via Poplicks)
The scientific explantion for Why You Can't Tickle Yourself.
But more seriously:
Info on The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Endnote: with CBM on her way down to NOLA tomorrow to do some public service work with Habitat for Humanity during her Spring Break, maybe she needs to download the itunes only Live in New Orleans EP by overlooked soul/funkstress Leela James to play while she's down there. Do good but have fun, girl. (NOTE: link requires installation of itunes on your computer.)
"I am interested in the powerless becoming powerful...."
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Jiggle It, Then Let It Go
Kanye West feat. Twista & Keisha Cole "Impossible" (mp3 via HipHopDx) - Kanyevil continues to conquer the world. First music, now movies (and their theme songs).
Little Brother feat. Mos Def "Let It Go" - backpack goes Gangsta Griz-ills!! Regular readers know I am conflicted about this group but I can't front, this track is pretty (ninth) wonderful. (real audio link via HHG.com)
India Arie "I Am Not My Hair (Akon remix)" (Swizz Beats version) - these are both cool remixes but doesn't the Akon rerub sound like all his other recent collab remixes, notably my peoples the YoungBloodZ's "Presidential" remix while the drum loop on Swizzy's version sounds virtually lifted right off the Busta "Touch It" single he did. Am I buggin' here??
Young Leek "Jiggle It" - Baltimore club music finally escapes the hipster ghetto and gets set to go mainstream urban with the Def Jam major label co-sign?
T-Pain - “I’m Sprung Remix (feat. Dizzee Rascal) - I get it - throw a local MC on to appeal to a particular international market - but wouldn't Kano have been the logical (and better) choice for the UK? (mp3 via lemon red)
Sean really digs Kelis. As do them Dork boys.
And forget Red Monkeys, it's all about Al Quds - the Italian-designed "Muslim jeans."
But finally - Vinyl Addicts R.I.P.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
"If this is not civil war then God knows what civil war is...."
So says Ayad Allawi, former Iraqi interim prime minister. Meanwhile, Bush in the understatement of the year calls the situation "tense." The bottom line though: Iraq three years on is a bleak tale.
Now even the army is equating Iraq with Vietnam.
And how many more of these kind of links do I need to put up: the CIA was told by a secret source at the highest levels within Saddam Hussein’s government that Iraq had no WMDs before the war.
More:
Three years of war in Iraq: a timeline.
Oil Graft Fuels the Insurgency, Iraq and U.S. Say - hey no wonder the last throes of that insurgency still hasn't died off despite what Cheney believes.
And while the insurgents slow down the "reconstuction" efforts, the war is costing us $100,000 per minute.
But no progress is being made - there are now zero Iraqi battalions capable of fighting without US support (down from one) and Iraq Slips Away even further. To wit....
How Operation Swarmer Fizzled - "Not a shot was fired, or a leader nabbed, in a major offensive that failed to live up to its advance billing. In fact, there were no airstrikes and no leading insurgents were nabbed in an operation that some skeptical military analysts described as little more than a photo op."
While Salon.com releases hundreds of new Abu Ghraib photos and videos - but it was denying the Dubai port deal that would hurt US-Arab relations, huh George?!
And finally an agent claims that the FBI warned 70 times of 9-11 plot - "Operative who arrested Zacarias Moussaoui says he made superiors aware of hijack plan." [Ian shakes his head with deep resignation as he finishes writing this post....]
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Mr. Mister, What U Workin Wit?
It's J*Davey baby. Remember where you read about her first (maybe).
To begin: I'm still adding new links when I see 'em in the comments section of my J. Dilla R.I.P. post. Check 'em, some good stuff there.
Bubba Sparxx's www.msnewbooty.com - "another conduit to sex, pornography and misogyny aimed at children." You hear that Mos Def?!
Pharrell Williams "The Ice Cream Man" (via ...Jesus Piece)
DJ Green Lantern feat. Juelz Santana & Dem Franchise Boyz "Show U What I'm Working Wit" - why was I sleeping on this when it dropped a week or two ago?!! I heard this on Green's Hot 97 show last night and finally had that "A-ha" moment when it came on. Taken from his Alive on Arrival
J*Davey live debut in NYC - PLEASE be better than that Sa-Ra show (also at the Canal Room) back in January.
Also on the live tip overheard while in the T. Dot last weekend: the New Jack Swing reunion tour - YES! I used to hate this stuff back in the day but now I have real affection for it plus I was always a straight-up fan of SWV anyway.
"There's No Business... Like Snow Business"
For LA folks: TONIGHT - get Hyphy in Hollywood with E-40.
Trailer for Waist Deep - a new movie starring The Game (and Tyrese & Meagan Good).
SFJ on Tony Starks. (via Joey)
And finally, for my rock peoples: windows media links for the Arctic Monkeys live on SNL last week. I just heard their album that's gotten crazy buzz and is taking over the UK for the first time this week (thanks, Nadream) - in theory I should love it cos I like The Strokes, The Clash, 90's era britpop and other stuff their sound is influenced by, but I think it's just OK so far.
The "Anthrax" My Friends Is Blowin' in the Wind
Michael Chertoff: is "Heckuva job" Brownie right about him?
“If the Department of Homeland Security can't provide security for its own building, how is it going to provide security for the country?” - MSNBC & The Guardian give you low-down on the latest "War On Terror" f-ckery.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg for those who've been paying attention:
"The Bush administration has missed dozens of deadlines set by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks for developing ways to protect airplanes, ships and railways from terrorists." (click here to read more)
A group of Yukon high school students who attended a peace demonstration in Alaska last year have been labelled a threat by U.S. Homeland Security. (click here to read more)
"The National Security Agency's secret domestic spying hasn't nabbed any Al Qaeda agents in the U.S. since the Sept. 11 attacks, FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress...." (click here to read more)
"Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush administration policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other emergencies." (click here to read more)
F-ckery deluxe or "Why I still leave my nail clippers at home when I fly":
"A new plan by the Transportation Security Administration would allow airline passengers to bring scissors and other sharp objects in their carry-on bags" (11/30/05)
vs.
Eyewitness: "I Never Heard the Word 'Bomb'"- "At least one passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 924 maintains the federal air marshals were a little too quick on the draw when they shot and killed Rigoberto Alpizar as he frantically attempted to run off the airplane shortly before take-off." (12/08/05)
Paying your credit cards off is now considered terrorism - actually I wouldn't be surprised if the Bush administration actually believed this.
UPDATE (3/17/06)
More "Homeland Security" madness:
- The DHS gets an 'F' for security.
- US airport screeners fail homemade bomb tests.
- Study Warns of Lapses by Port Operators.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Out of the Mouth of Babes....
Autum Ashante - my new hero(ine).
Is she really so out there when you consider the following:
A teacher lands in trouble for telling her students that Blacks are cursed by The Devil - ‘I’m not a racist’ the teacher responds.
Parents and the NAACP criticize Detroit-area middle school's use of song that they say glorifies slavery.
What they think of the rest of us who aren't their caddies? The Green golf mag's embarassing gaffe.
A Fox News Carolina Reporter was active on a White supremacist website.
Kevin Drum on keeping down the Black vote.
While finally, more Blacks live with pollution: "An AP Analysis of U.S. Research Shows Blacks More Likely to Live With Dangerous Pollution" (click for more here)
The Kitchen - celebrating Black History Month all year 'round.
Friday, March 10, 2006
The Eagle Hip Hop Has Landed
When the originators of crunk (sorry, Lil Jon) Three Six Mafia win an Oscar and perform at the award show and the Smithsonian Institution announces the addition of a hip hop memorabilia collection at their National Museum of American History all within the space of a week, it seems pretty clear that the absolute co-option of hip hop culture into the mainstream is just about complete.
If you didn't realize it 15 years ago when N.W.A crashed the Billboard chart at #2 with their album Efil4zaggin to the absolute shock of just about everybody at the time, that signaled the death of the rock era (a last gasp by Nirvana notwithstanding) and the start of the hip hop one we've been living in ever since. So at this point: is there any reason why I should bother continuing this blog when you can just holla at your USA Today and People magazine for yer daily does of hip hop-orientated bullsh-t (probably)??
While I try to figure that one out though....
A cool video for Mark Ronson's cover of Radiohead's "Just" taken from the forthcoming Rapster/BBE Exit Music compilation album. (link via Nadream)
A real life version of The Simpsons Intro (y'all probably seen that one already though, right?)
Gorillaz in NYC.
The new (?) adidas shelltoe collection. (via Sledge)
We Sold Out - sneakers and more
The hip hop-ish blogs keep coming:
- Hip Hop Ruckus
- Inciting a Riot
- Two Bees in a Bucket
And I forgot to mention this from a few weeks back: underrated Brit soul singer Lynden David Hall, R.I.P. I would have never heard of this cat if it wasn't for my Brit homegirl Chantelle putting me up on him a few years ago. Pop and soul mixed to near perfection, check it.
But finally on lighter note, LOL at Bol. Dude is crazy: "[Busta says] Snitching On Women = OK"
Thursday, March 09, 2006
"We are fully prepared to help...."
What the f-ck was Bush doing back in NOLA yesterday even as conservatives are saying his efforts at restoring the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Region have been atrocious? I don't even know how he has nerve to show his face after the news that broke earlier this week. (related: links to the infamous video of Bush being warned about the possibility of the levees being breached by the hurricane before Katrina struck here.)
Bush better get his game tight: the start of Hurricane season is only about three months away!
More:
Report: Only $25m of the $2b Katrina relief aid has been spent so far. (read more here)
Freedom of Speech and civil liberties take another blow to the gut in the "Land of the Free" in this FEMA/Katrina-related lunacy.
A new Gallup poll indicates that Bush's disapproval rating is the highest of any president since Nixon. OK, so let's...
"Impeach the President" (thanks, DJ Green Lantern, dead prez, Saigon, Immortal Technique & Just Blaze for the mp3 and repping a sentiment that Congress seems incapable of mustering up.)
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Celebrate Life - Get Hyphy
Off top, respect due: R.I.P. Gordon Parks and Octavia Butler. At a minimum: you should know about Parks from Shaft and his work re-envisioning the legendary Ark Kane "Great Day in Harlem" photo shoot for a hip hop world.
But let's celebrate life by getting hyphy one more time. When you hear these:
E40 feat The Game & Keak Da Sneak "Tell Me When To Go (Remix)"
Sean T feat. The Hoodstarz "Do It Movin"
The Federation "18 Dummy" - the orginal hyphy kings (happy now, Noixe?).
You've gotta do this:
Clip #1: stream | download
Clip #2: stream | download
Clip #3: stream | download
(more from the "Blow The Whistle" video shoot with apologies for the super lo-res clips - they were taken with my digital still camera.)
A week ago I was predicting a #1 debut for Forty-water's My Ghetto Report Card album next week but I actually didn't realize Juvie was dropping too this week too. I don't see him see him besting the "New Mayor of N'Awlins" as big as this hyphy ish is getting. Six words though: Too $hort, Snoop Dogg - Keep Bouncing (coming soon....)
Speaking of $hort Dog, check him featured on the new T-Pain "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" remix with Twista, Pimp C, MJG, Akon, Paul Wall and R. Kelly. Holy smokes - remix of the year already? BTW: Rappa Ternt Sanga = certified GOLD - respect my gangsta and the Teddy Penderazdoun movement! (note: registration may be required to access this mp3)
But while I and others keep helping to spread that good ole' internet buzz, the music industry decides to take a giant step backwards? One f-cking hit album and the labels are right back to their pre-2000 mindset? Peep more of the ig'nance here. Is the party over?
Finally: ATL - starring T.I., Big Boi? I can't front, this movie looks kind of great to me.
And 3/9/06: Remember B.I.G.
Friday, March 03, 2006
"I do The Dummy-Retarded and ride the yellow bus...."
Fresh from the Bay and the set of Too Short's "Blow the Whistle" video at Club Mingles, the epicenter of the hyphy scene in Oakland. More commentary and A/V links to be added later but let me just say this: while I'm not the first to say it, Hyphy's about to go national if not in 2006, by next year fa' sho. Don't believe me? Remember what I said about snap music? E-40 and Keak the Sneak are leading the way but Mistah F.A.B., Hood Starz and others are following close behind.
Mistah F.A.B. feat. E-40 & Turf Talk "Super Sic Wid It" - produced by 40's son Droop-E, the leading producer in the Hyphy scene.
Hyphy Juice - the new energy drink by Federation producer Rick Rock (whose website holding page audio bed features a loop from "Go Dumb", the hyphy remake of "I'm Sprung" by new J records signing J. Valentine that shut down any airplay for T-Pain's original in the Bay last year.).
DJ Juice - the Green Lantern and DJ Camilo of the Hyphy Bay scene all rolled into one.
