Thursday, November 24, 2005
"There But For The Grace of God...."
I'm thankful that this country is finally coming back to its senses (click here for more).
Happy Thanksgiving.
"Be Thankful For What You Got" and be mindful of those less fortunate than yourself in:
Pakistan (it's drastic, read more here)
Darfur (as well as Africa in general)
Louisiana
The poor and sick in the rest of the US.
As well as Jose Padilla (now finally facing new developments after three years in [il]legal limbo).
And the victims in Iraq, Afghanistan, the "Black Site"
All Day I Dream About Air Max....
Baby Boy: a musical marriage made in heaven or a creative fall out straight out the gate?
New J-Dilla
Mannie Fresh interview mp3 links.
Killer Mike, now of Purple Ribbon Allstars, interviewed.
Peep the entire YoungBloodZ album via this e-card. (related: catch Big Boi's Got Purp PRA crew and YBZ as the Dirty South invades Club Speeed on December 4th for live performances.)
Nike Air Max 95's 10 years on - arguably the greatest running sneaker of all time design-wise. I remember paying an online sneaker dealer $400 for 2 pairs of the first reissue of the neon green/grey joints after I slept on copping them the first two times around. It was so hard to find these shoes in NYC once they got hot that people would be mad evasive about where they had bought them when you asked. It was like a little cult of Air Max 95 wearers conspiring to keep the rest of us out. (semi-related: rare and unreleased Nike sneaker showcase via Freshness)
Fall Out Boy want Babyface to produce their next album - WTF?!
Radiohead remixed.
Is it a wrap for The Game?
Interesting interview with the Illmatic One from the new Nas-Premo cover issue of Scratch.
Finally, I told you this kid Sway was gonna blow a while ago and that nobody would fcck with a $65,000 volkswagen which I was proven right about. Y'all better start paying attention....
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Deja Vu: Like "F-ck Tha Police" All Over Again...
The ruckus in France appears to have died down (or at least what little coverage it got in the US media has pretty much disappeared) but, based on how bonkers things got in NOLA real quickly after Katrina hit a couple months back, it's not inconceivable to me that something similar could happen in the US under the right circumstances. Could that explain the scant media focus here? After all you wouldn't want to give those who've been continually stepped on and forgotten by the government any ideas on how to respond to that kind of treatment, right? True or not, peep game:
Boing Boing's overview of French blogs' coverage of the riots.
Meanwhile other French bloggers were arrested.
Poplicks has the rap on the French riots. (related: rappers voice the frustrations of France's angry youth but are also blamed for "fueling" the riots.)
Crooks and Liars also has a couple good links to read on why France was burning.
And Kevin Drum links to info debunking the "clash of civilizations" storyline being peddled by much of the media as the impetus behind the riots.
Atrios argues that it's Connerly's France that's burning and links to another good Juan Cole post. (related: skanless commentary on the riots from one of France's more conservative politicians.)
TPM Cafe takes advantage of the Paris riots to "offer commentary that's ostensibly about France but really about America...."
Life on France's Urban Fringe. (via Ndidi)
Finally, retired American academic Roger Stevenson's take.
Monday, November 21, 2005
George Bush's Animal White House
You don't need me to put you up on recent developments in the Plamegate affair from Scooter Libby being indicted to the flameouts of journalists Judy Miller & Bob Woodward and increasing scrutiny of Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Stephen Hadley et al. (although I may still try to do a post to some intresting links to read that you may have missed), but with apologies to Chris Miller and Harold Ramis, I have to say:
"Inept, Corrupt and Unethical is no way to go through a presidency, son...."
"We face a demographic tsunami" - "David Walker, the comptroller general of the United States and the nation's top auditor [says] the United States can be likened to Rome before the fall of the empire. Its financial condition is "worse than advertised," [and] it has a "broken business model" as it faces deficits in its budget, its balance of payments, its savings — and its leadership."
Related: Bush has borrowed more than all previous Presidents combined, group says.
US 'had no policy' in place to rebuild Iraq.
Or The "Big Easy" evidently: "New Orleans Today: It's Worse Than You Think - months after Katrina, New Orleans is still a disaster & most people are gone." (related: the top five reasons why the contracting of Titan by FEMA to do post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding was a very bad idea.)
Abramoff Partner Charged With Conspiracy.
UN report: Halliburton ripped off Iraq for $208M. (related: more Halliburton fcckery.)
The "other" O-Dub on the Bush admin's "culture of corruption."
Antiwar sermon brings Liberal church IRS warning.
Deconstructing Cheney.
Bush staffers could take a cue from the Jordanian government but I'm not holding my breath that they'll do the right thing unless more Grand Jury indictments loom.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Ain't Nobody Worryin'
People, I swear I can't focus long enough to do a news post - it's too much thinking and analysis for me right now - maybe later tonight. Instead here's another no-thinking-required music-links post:
Biggie feat. Jay-Z & Diddy "What You Want" - what could have been, huh? We can only speculate based on this and "Brooklyn's Finest" what an album by The Commission would have sounded like. This actually sounded better when I heard it this afternoon on Hot 97 as I recall though. Was I hearing a different mix on there?
50 cent & Mobb Deep "The Infamous" - you know what? I never get tired of cats gettting loose over loops from the Wildstyle soundtrack. Definitely flyer than 50's REALLY gay GQ cover.
YoungBloodZ's Ev'ryBody Know Me album is coming.
So is Anthony Hamilton's Ain't Nobody Worryin' album.
Check out a small Paul Wall (whoa assonance) interview (win | real)
Peep the entire Rappa Ternt Sanga album by T-Pain.
Talib Kweli feat. MF Doom "Fly That Knot" (prod. by Kanye West) - as good as you would expect it to be with all the parties involved. (via Joey)
It's My Beat - Jah's new mp3 blog.
DJ Drama brings his Gangsta Grillz mixtapes to your television.
New Kraftwerk DVD.
Late, but essential nonetheless - DJ Screw, R.I.P. (via Prefixblog)
BTW, I love that Bubba Sparxxx/Ying Yang joint. I'm linking that one up next time around fa' sho.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Chicago versus the world....
Arrested Development: under-appreciated and canceled
“Man Kanye’s spaced out. That sh-t aint right what he be wearing. That sh-t be borderline homo. I can still fit 20/30 thou[sand] in one jean pocket, he can’t fit two singles in his....” - Jim Jones on Kanye West as quoted in an article UK magazine Hip Hop Connection in which fellow Chi-city MC Rhymefest also apparently disses S.A.S. (the Diplomats-affiliated London rap crew, not the elite British special forces military unit).
What? Now that Jay and Nas are cool and Fitty is off literally going Hollywood (see below), hip hop's second and third stringers have decided that they'll take a shot at engaging in some Rap beef to get their careers poppin'? And as far as the Kufi Slapper goes it sounds like a case of "People in glass houses..." 'cos some of those shirts I've seen him wearing look kind of suspect to me, frankly. (related: Joey on S.A.S.)
I just watched Joss Stone's The Mind, Body and Soul Sessions DVD and I swear I don't get why everyone is so open on this broad? She is not The Truth, man. Especially with singers like Sharon Jones and Leela James around. WTF? She's not even the best contemporary white soul singer in the game right now - that honor goes to Nikka Costa.
Excellent (but way too short) links to mp3's of the legendary Latin Rascals spinning live on KISS-FM NYC back in 1985 courtesy of the Broke B-Boys.
Downloads from DJ Eleven's Houston Mixtape. (thanks Exo)
I thought the arrival of actual real life "Jesus Juice" wine was hilarious until it was revealed to be a private joke.
Make It Clap! (via Fresh yet again)
Buy Brian Eno's synthesizer.
Get Rich or Die Watching? (related: the "Worst Hip-Hop Movie Ever"?)
And also vaguely related (?): Snop Snitching - the dubious code of the silence crosses over from the streets into mainstream consciousness.
When Scott McClellan finally gets fired, maybe Benzino can take over as the official White House press flack 'cos he definitely seems well-qualified.
"Up until today there was only one show left on network tv that I cared about. Now there are zero. Fox, you've made a huge mistake." - Arrested Development is cancelled. R.I.P. to the Bluth family.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
"Rob the jewelry store and tell them make me a grill...."
YBZ: podcasting in they white tees....
Nelly feat. Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp "Grillz" - I can't front, I LOVE this record. Mark my words, this song is gonna do for iced-out grills, what "Air Force Ones" did for Uptowns. Expect white kids in suburbs everywhere to start rockin' fronts in the next few months.
Related: the "Instant Rapper" kit. (spotted via my comments section)
Gwen Stefani feat. Ludacris "Luxurious (Zone 4 Remix)" (via Am I High?)
Lil' Wayne "Fireman (Cadence Weapon En Fuego Remix)" - I like the version in the video playing on BET currently but, true to its name, this is pretty En Fuego too. Check for Rollie (aka Cadence Weapon)'s CD collection of remixes circulating right now, a copy of which he was kind enough to throw my way a couple weeks back. (spotted via S. dot Fennessey)
"Less Is More" - a look at the stripped-down minimalist beats and "homemade" sound effects of "intimate club music" and beyond taking over hip hop.
Speaking of which, check Sean Paul and J-Bo of the YoungBloodZ talking about their new album Ev'rybody Know Me (which includes another Collipark intimate club banger "It's Good" feat. T-Boz of TLC) on the debut edition of The Low End Theory, the new Jive Records podcast. (non-itunes users, click here to download an mp3 of the podcast related: SOHH on the YoungBloodZ)
The 100 greatest Miami bass songs.
Beyonce falling the fcck down - what's with this group and keeping on their feet on stage? She handles this better than old girl did when she went down on "106 & Park" last year though. (originally spotted via the mighty Crunk & Disorderly)
The million dollar cell phone.
Young Jeezy adidas sneaker?
And to end, also for sneaker/adidas heads, an article about a new book on the origins of the family-based rivalry between the Adidas and Puma companies.
I'ma try and make an effort to do some news posts soon cos I still wanna talk about Iraq, Plamegate, France, the elections, the Jordan suicide bombings and a whole lotta other ish that's been going down recently.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Paris is Burning
The "Hand of God" finally reveals itself?
Not much has been catching my ear recently musically (mostly cos I've been too busy to actively look for new music) but I have not had the energy to try and put together a news post to understand what the fcck is going on in France or to celebrate the many recent missteps at the White House either, so here's a few quick music-related links and then I'm out:
Bling Bling - the book.
New Bilal - isn't that second track a cover of a britpop record, Radiohead maybe? (via Dork)
New Rhymefest and Sheek Louch/Ghostface via Joey (although it took a REALLY long time for these Megaupload downloads to complete for me and this isn't the first time I've had problems with that site. C'mon people, fccks with Rapidshare.de, that ish works f'real.)
Rare Beastie Boys remixes - have I also been seeing snipes around town for a new Best Of collection? (via the Broke Bboys)
DPGC Idol?!
Hipster overload? Franz Ferdinand cover Air's "Sexy Boy."
Liya Kebede is smokin'. Why do people get excited about the Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton's of the world when there are women like this walking around?
Finally, I guess Jeezy's peoples, the BMF, really did have that snow. Rappers, when will you finally get it through your heads that the hip hop police is real and the Feds are watchin' yo stupid ass when you brag about still moving weight and pushing bricks on the street? But on a slightly lighter note, could Jeezy's inspiration for those Snowman t-shirts have been something slightly more healthy and pure?
Friday, November 04, 2005
Incense, Candles and Hip Hop....
TONIGHT, if you're bored:
(Click image for the official site)
And for all you coffee house hip hop/soul nerds out there:
Home Grown!: The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2
News of a new Talib Kweli album entitled Right About Now featuring Jean Grae, Mos Def, Papoose, Phil The Agony and Planet Asia.
Floetry's new album Flo'Ology is out. The album overall is kind of "meh" to me but I do like the track "My Apology."
Kindred "The Question (Where Would I Be)" (win | real | quick)
New Goapele single "First Love" (win | real | quick)
Digable Planets Beyond The Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles - a new Best Of collection worth copping for you young'uns who never caught the albums when they came out.
Finally, congrats to my man Sledge who's getting married tonight. To his fiancee Contessa: " I hope you know you got a playa for life, and that's no bullsh-ttin'...."
Tweet
(Click image for the official site)
And for all you coffee house hip hop/soul nerds out there:
Home Grown!: The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2
News of a new Talib Kweli album entitled Right About Now featuring Jean Grae, Mos Def, Papoose, Phil The Agony and Planet Asia.
Floetry's new album Flo'Ology is out. The album overall is kind of "meh" to me but I do like the track "My Apology."
Kindred "The Question (Where Would I Be)" (win | real | quick)
New Goapele single "First Love" (win | real | quick)
Digable Planets Beyond The Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles - a new Best Of collection worth copping for you young'uns who never caught the albums when they came out.
Finally, congrats to my man Sledge who's getting married tonight. To his fiancee Contessa: " I hope you know you got a playa for life, and that's no bullsh-ttin'...."
Thursday, November 03, 2005
I Declare Bore?
Diddy pours out a little liquor for the "death" of Rap Beef?
"It's been a long time, sorry I left you...."
Ish is mad thick for me work-wise right now so posts will be sporadic for a minute (at least until next week).
50 Cent feat. Paul Wall "Just A Touch (Rmx)" (mp3 from allhiphop.com spotted via Spine plays in Real Player).
Related: 50 Cent = Bush apologist - why am I not surprised by this at all? The Swift Chancellor called this trend recently as did Saul Williams a while back. Plus this kid's been wilin' out even saying some pretty flagrant things about his own peoples.
Solid Chris Lemon Red mix of Dirty South hip hop. (spotted via his blog)
Kevin Federline "Y'all Aint Ready" - well at least he got the title right, nothing could prepare me that! (mp3 at What Would Tyler Durden Do spotted via Radio 10-4)
Indian parody of "Drop it Like it's Hot" - this is more hip hop than that K-Fed joint. (via Boing Boing)
"Oui, oui n-gga. We speaking French." - Paris to Purple City, the Dipset-related international collab album with various French MC's. (related: "Welcome to the Hip-Hop Ummah" - Time mag's spotlight on muslim hip hop in France and other islamic communities)
A few different accounts of Jay-Z's "I Declare War" concert last week. My man who was there said Jeezy and Akon got the best reaction of the night from a very thugged out crowd while Jay-Z was looking like an old man and was received very coolly overall. He's predicting that Hov's dominance of the hip hop world as an artist will be completely over in 6 months.
Speaking of old men, peep K-ci (Jodeci), Al B. Sure and Tevin Campbell looking mad grizzled!
Funny interview with Seven, the "Digital Diva" from Ultimate Hustler, where she puts Dame Dash on blast.
Sneaker Game (via: Rome | related: Reebok sneaker by Alife made of tennis ball material (?) heads up via Cabino)
