Editor’s Choice: Asher Roth "Revenge Of The Nerds"

I heard this dude a few months ago and I didn’t pay much attention then but after hearing more and more of his material I’ve come to the conclusion that “dude is nice”. His flows not the traditional in the pocket flow that most of us are used to hearing, it’s more of the Travis (Gym Class Heroes) type flow but his combination of honesty, humor and lyrical content put him in a class of his own.

In a rap game that’s full of cloned ass bling bling, look at me and what I got rappers sounding like a broken record, Asher’s brand of Alternative Rap brings a completely different flavor to game and honestly to me, it’s refreshing. But rather go on and on analyzing his style and the social implications of his image and music as it relates to the current state of hip-hop, I’ll just save that for the album review and leave you with this; Asher’s has some HOT SHIT. And we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears open for this guy in the coming months and see what happens. But for now he’s 3 Bars Of Clarity Approved, signed, sealed and delivered to you. JUST LISTEN.

Asher Roth-Love College

Asher Roth-A Millie Freestyle

Asher Roth,Charles Hamilton & B.O.B-Change Gone Come

(New) The-Dream ft/ Lil Jon - Let Me See The Booty

This is the first single off The-Dream's upcoming sophmore album Love vs Money due out early 2009.

The-Dream ft. Lil Jon - Let Me See The Booty

President Barack Obama’s First Weekly Address

DJ Drama & Lil Wayne: The Dedication 3

The more and more I listen to Weezy F. Baby the higher and higher he sounds to me, dude is one OD from becoming the Amy Winehouse of hip-hop.

Here's his latest mixtape The Dedication 3, the follow-up the critically acclaimed mixtapes and my personal favorites The Dedication 1 and 2.


DJ DRAMA & LIL WAYNE: THE DEDICATION 3

Katt Williams - It's Pimpin' Pimpin'

This is the new Katt Williams' Stand-Up "It's Pimpin' Pimpin'" and this shit is hilarious from start to finish. I was some what of a Katt Williams fan before but after this special his body of work speaks of itself, dude is here to stay!


Katt Williams was speaking some real shit on this one:

“If you’re a real ass mutha fucka they hate you with every fucking thing they got, they cant stand it, they hate what you look like, what you're wearing, what you're driving, what you talk about, what you think about and you just gone have to understand that’s the way it is. "

CHUUCH!

President Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech!

An Important Message from BarackObama.com

Usher - Hush Video

With the most significant election of our lifetime only a few days away Usher drops "Hush" to give you something to think about on your way to the polls Nov. 4th.

Mos Def For President

REAL TALK!

iPod Shuffle: Lauren Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)

L-Boogie is the coldest; the game is truly not the same without her being in the fold, seriously. On this site we posted a blog called “Why Hip-Hop Needs Female Rappers” and this song is a perfect example of it. Songs like Lauren Hill’s Doo Wop is what the game is currently missing, even today the song feels more relevant than ever. The game needs female MC’s spitting relevant lyrics that relate to what’s really going on in the times from a perspective only they can deliver.

L Boggies goes hard from the first verse where she to air it on sista’s that get caught up in the game without even realizing to the second verse where she completely breaks down the nigga with his priorities out of place, the "poppin' bottles, living at his moms house, still trying to act hard while ducking child support" nigga. This song as well as the entire album The Miseducation Of Lauren Hill is an example of hip-hop excellence, being a reminder of Hip-Hop's past glory days while at the same being a tutorial to the next generation of MC’s hoping to bring the game back to its prominence. Next Generation of MC’s good luck….but until then we always have L Boogie.

Here’s a few excerpts from the Doo Wop (That Thing):

It's been three weeks since you've been looking for your friend
The one you let hit it and never called you again
'Member when he told you he was 'bout the Benjamin's
You act like you ain't hear him,
then gave him a little trim
To begin, how you think you really gon' pretend
Like you wasn't down
then you called him again
Plus when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin’ him
If you did it then,
then you’d probably fuck again
Talking out your neck sayin' you're a Christian
A Muslim sleeping with the gin
Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in
Who you gon' tell when the repercussions spin
Showing off your ass 'cause you're thinking it's a trend
Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again
You know I only say it 'cause I'm truly genuine
Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem

And the verse she dropped on the men is cold, Im sure we all know 5 to 6 niggas that L Boogie was talking about in this verse:

The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Tims than his women
Him and his men come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, popping yang like you got yen,
Let's not pretend, they wanna pack pistol by they waist men
Crystal by the case men,
still in they mother's basement
The pretty face men,
claiming that they did a bid men
Need to take care of their three and four kids then
They facing a court case when the child's support late
Money taking, heart breaking
now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky silent men,
the punk domestic violence men
The quick to shoot the semen stop acting like boys and be men

Act like you know.

Ace Hood, Juelz Santana, Fabolous & Jadakiss BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher

Who do you think got off the hardest? Ace, Juelz, Fab or Kiss?

What's Really Going On With The Nations Financial Crisis?

The circumstances that have led to our current recession are the controlled by many of the same factors that led to The Great Depression in 1920's. The doctrine that our very government has worked very hard to maintain, the doctrine that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. But when the top 1% controls too much of the money "critical mass" hits and a recession is right around the corner. When income inequalities in this country become too skewed, it prevents the system from working the way it was designed to and those at the bottom suffer. According Delaware Senator Bernie Sanders "the top 1% own more wealth in this country than the bottom 90%".

FDR's federal chairman who served during The Great Depression likened this sort of financial catastrophe to a poker game:

"As in a poker game where the chips were concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the fellows could stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit ran out, the game stopped."

Marriner S. Eccles
(FDR's Federal Chairman)
1951

Game Over? We hope not. But it's up to the people to put the necessary pressure on Washington to get turn this thing around before it gets worse.

Just In Case You Were Considering Voting For McCain

Barack Obama = Jackie Robinson?

Back To The Future

Many of you may not be old enough to remember that days before the commercialism of Hip-Hop videos. Many of you were born into the Bling-Bling / Ghetto Fabulous era of hip-hop videos and completely missed the golden age of hip-hop videos, when they were raw, real and straight from the streets.

On this week’s edition of Back To The Future, we are spotlighting one of my personal favorites "Aint No Future In Yo Frontin'" by MC Breed. This video was originally released back in 1991 before there were video hoes, before rappers was renting cars out (on the labels dime) for their videos and before mutha fuckas was shooting videos with a whole bunch of niggas and bitches they don't even know.

Back in those days they shot the videos in their own neighborhoods with they real partnas and hoes dancing in the videos that probably just happened to be in the hood at the time of the shoot. But more than anything else niggas were riding around in cars and rockin' jewelry they actually owned.

Back then they weren’t rapping about the hood and then hoppin’ on a jet and heading back to their mansion in rural Connecticut (Curtis). They were rappin' about the block and then when the video was over is back to the block. Nowadays rappers are talking tougher then ever and living up to less and less of it. Simply juxtaposing this video with today's rap videos is eye opening in itself.

In Joe Budden's song "Who", he explained the paradox that is todays Hip-Hop videos well:

Honestly I aint know what to think,
A few years ago we had the young kids wearing pink,
I don’t blame them for not knowing a damn thang,
we trained them to be this way.
Training them whatever to sell with no limits,
Since the early 90s sold them a false image,
so when some shit come that don’t fit the mold,
it’s like mole, nigga you wont even go gold.
They watch the videos see you on the corner with a whole bunch of people and think that you hood,
they turn on the TV and see these video bitches and think that niggas girls really look that good
I mean some of them are fooled so easily
by whatever we say or we show em on TV

Rocker Chris Cornell Enlists The Services Of Super Producer Timbo On His Latest Album

Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has enlisted the services of none other than super producer himself Timbaland for his upcoming album titled “Scream”. Timbo's had the midas touch as of late cranking out successful pop hits for Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Madonna and One Republic. So it only makes sense that Chris Cornell chose to link with Timbo, who has some unexpected free time now that he’s not producing The Blueprint 3. Earlier this week on Ryan Seacrest's "On Air" radio show Timbo had this to say about the collaboration between himself and Cornell.

This is the best work I've done in my career.

Cornell was equally enthusiastic about the work and had this to say about how it all went down.

For me, it was sort of a natural thing, to go out and make a record I hadn't made before. It wasn't a situation where I sat for a long time and thought about what my next move should be. It was quick, and the idea came to me after Timbaland had done a couple of remixes from the Carry On album. It got back to me that he was actually a fan and was interested in doing original material, and I got on the phone with him, and I suggested we go make a whole album. He was interested in that idea, and before I knew it, we were in the studio.

Reports are that the album should be out sometime next month. But the real question is Do I Care? And the answer is kinda. Since I’m a timbo fan and have been one since “One In A Million” my sheer faith in the quality of his production as well as him endorsing the album as the "best work of his career" will encourage me to at least take the time to check out the album.

Here & Now

America’s Sexual Fascination With Dimwit Sarah Palin (The Anna Kournikova Of Presidential Politics) Reaches New Heights [Read More]

Travis Barker Speaks On Near Fatal Plane Crash [Read More]

Obama: Why Won't McCain Bring Up Ayers To My Face? [Read More]

McCain Campaign Drops Advisor Over Racist Piece [Read More]

Teacher Suspended For Obama Cult? [Read More]

Stuff White People Do: Whisper The Word Black [Read More]

Palin Unlawfully Abused Power [Read More]

Can't Get Enough Alicia Keys? [Read More]

McCain Was Condescending To Young Black Questioner At The Town Hall [Read More]

Why Hip-Hop Needs Female Rappers

The fall is here, and it's a new music season as well. Highly anticipated releases by T-Pain and T.I. will compete for iPod memory with albums by Kanye, Luda, and Jay-Z due out shortly. We are guaranteed a constant refrain of "It ain't trickin' if you got it" and as many jewelry and designer fashion metaphors than most of the working middle classes can handle. My only question is: Shouldn't women be spitting these bars?

Hip-hop needs more female MC's. A lot of these niggas is making songs that bitches should make anyway. Rick Ross did a hip-hop cover of a Kelis pop hit and his correction officer ass was all over your airwaves. I imagine a female MC would have had the leverage against Ross on the topic of being a boss. Mr. Ross spends much of the song talking about what a date with him would be like, coupled with a hook that describes how the money he spent on his hair and his clothes will impress you. From the mouth of a male, this is nothing more than a desperate plea for attention; coming from a woman these actions would be much more acceptable.

Its like the WNBA. Its not about women playing the game, but people playing a different type of basketball. Some people like to see passing in the key followed by increasingly creative layups. This style of play happens to be just challenging enough to women to make for good games. If you see men playing like this though, you can't help but to conclude that they're hella soft.

For example, "Whateva U Like" was obviously written for Janet Jackson. Why didn't T.I. step aside and let a woman sing about such a pussy way of thinking. This song is obviously pro-woman, why don't you stand aside and let a real woman chime in and tell the world what she thinks? That is, if hip-hop today could stand to let some women in the game.

Worst of all, is that nigga Plies. This nigga goes on and on about some soft ass relationship shit "Shawty" & "Bust It Baby" and doesn't rap at all. Even worse, he goes from some soft emotional shit to asking for pity sex "1 More Time" to augment his already insubstantial lifestyle. Just like that emotional ass nigga with no job and a half finished tattoo that women keep letting hit it after he's been kicked out of his mom's house for the third time this week. She knows she should have gone shopping with her friends, but instead she's sweating her sheets up with a nigga that's not putting shit down.

These bitch niggas need to stop taking spots from the females MC's out there who deserve a chance to spit, and the young men and young women who need to be hearing that perspective right about now. A lot of these little niggas, is wearing skinny jeans and trickin' because they believe in these bitch ass niggas. Real talk, we need to have more female MC's on playlists across the country; put some diversity in your hip-hop diet. Don't let bitch niggas occupy a space in the game that would be better handled by a real woman.

T.I. vs. Jim Jones' Swagger

Thanks, SmashTime Radio

Chris Rock: Kill The Messenger

This is Chris Rock's fifth stand up special Kill The Messenger and as with all his previous works this shit is CLASSIC. Rock delivers this brilliant special just months before the most significant election of my lifetime and hits every issues right on the head. Now I know that Chris isn't exactly as big with the female fan base as say Jamie Foxx or Martin Lawrence but withstanding all of that Chris Rock is the King of Kings in stand -up comedy right now and an All-Time Great.

To be so smart, funny, honest and insightful all at the same time is a rare combination in any comedian and Rock has proven he can deliver all that and more. He is truly a comedian ahead of his time. You want proof? Listen to Chris Rock's most famous and controversial segment "Niggas vs Black People" from his Award-Winning Stand Up Special Bring The Pain (1996) and then listen to Barak Obama's fatherhood speech (2008), and you'll see that many of the topics Chris Rock touched on Obama did as well such as low expectations and the self-destructive anti-education/intellectualism ideology within the black community.....only Rock did it 12 year earlier.

In a 60 Minutes interview Chris Rock later said this about the controversial segment:

I've never done that joke again, ever, and I probably never will. 'Cause some people that were racist thought they had license to say nigger. So, I'm done with that routine.

Now for our FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Watch: CHRIS ROCK: KILL THE MESSENGER (VIDEO)

Jay-Z: "If Barack Loses I Really Will Feel Sorry and Sad For The State Of America"

Hov was recently quoted as saying:

If (Barack Obama) loses I really will feel sorry and sad for the state of America. The world is watching. And the world will judge us on that … And I’m not voting for him simply because he’s black. The worst thing ever for black people would be to put someone in who wasn’t capable. (But) what he represents to a little kid in Marcy Projects right now is to make him feel like he’s part of America. We never felt like we were part of the American dream.

I couldn't agree more.

Skillz Speaking On The Changing Of The Guard In Hip-Hop

Check out this video of Skillz discussing the changing of the guard in hip-hop or more so the lack of the changing of the guard and how thats crippling the industry. Skillz also touches on several other very relevant topics during the video.

For those that aren't in the know about Skillz he is a rapper out Detroit best known for his ghostwriting credits. He first burst on to the scene in 1995, but after an unsuccessful run as solo artist he turned to writing hits for other artists to pay the bills, Ghostwriting. He's truly one of the men behind the music in the hip-hop game.

New Heights! Jay-Z @ Glastonbury!

So its official my Jay-Z fandom has reached new heights. I've been a big Jigga fan for years now, I have every Jay-Z solo album known to man including dozens of freestyles and unreleased songs. And even with all that I still had my doubts about Jigga being the undisputed champ until I saw this man tear the muthafuckin roof off the Hollywood Bowl a few months back. That did it for me, that solidified in my eyes that he is still the best. Niggas can not do what Jay-Z can do, the way he memorized the crowd and delivered those songs so effortlessly was amazing. Being there you could without a doubt tell that he was born for this.

So my new found fascination with Jay-Z live performances had me dusting off the old Jay-Z: Unplugged and then I came across Jay-Z's groundbreaking performance @ Glastonbury in the UK. For those that are not in the know about the significance of the performance let me give you a little background on it. Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is one of the largest music and performing arts festivals in the world and had never had a hip-hop artist "Headline" there before Jay-Z did earlier this year. When they announced Jay-Z was going to headline the show it was met with criticism and controversy. Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher had called hip hop at Glastonbury "wrong" and traditionalists in Internet chatrooms had said they would have preferred a band like Radiohead, while critics also blamed the rapper for slow ticket sales.

Needless to say Jay-Z came, he saw and he conquered completely tearing the roof of the place. I got my hands on the MP3 of his full set and have been banging that shit ever since. So I decided to post the link to it for the Hip-Hop fans and Jay-Z enthusiast out there. I've seen Fade To Black and The Hard Knock Life Tour DVD's but this is truly a Jay-Z performance like no other Jay-Z at his best!!!! Pretty Fuckin' Awesome!!!!!!

Listen: Jay-Z Live at Glastonbury

iPod.Shuffle: Common f/ Lauren Hill- Retrospect For Life

This song came up randomly on my iPod and I felt compelled to write a little something on it. Common & Lauren Hill's Retrospect For Life is classic without a doubt, easily one of the best and most thought provoking hip-hop songs of all time. This song embodies everything that is right about hip-hop, If they played this song @ abortion clinics people would walk out. Too bad Common dropped this legacy defining song and the album One Day It'll All Make Sense during a time period when he was still somewhat underground and lacking the mainstream attention and exposure that he has today.

Common- Retrospect For Life:

Knowin you the best part of life,
do I have the right to take yours,
Cause I created you, irresponsibly,
Subconsciously knowin the act I was a part of,
The start of somethin,
I'm not ready to bring into the world,
Had myself believin I was sterile,
I look into mother's stomach, wonder if you are a boy or a girl,
Turnin this woman's womb into a tomb,
But she and I agree, a seed we don't need,
You would've been much more than a mouth to feed,
But someone, I woulda fed this information I read to someone,
my life for you I woulda had to leave,
Instead I lead you to death,
I'm sorry for takin your first breath, first step, and first cry,
But I wasn't prepared mentally nor financially,
Havin a child shouldn't have to bring out the man in me,
Plus I wanted you to be raised within a family,
I don't wanna, go through the drama of havin a baby's momma,
Weekend visits and buyin J's ain't gone make me a father,
For a while bearing a child is somethin I never wanted to do,
For me to live forever I can only do that through you,
Nerve I got to talk about them niggaz with a gun,
must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son,
I could have sacrificed goin out,
To think my homies who did it I used to joke about,
from now on, I'ma use self control instead of birth control
Cause $315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth your soul
$315 ain't worth it

$315 ain't worth your soul! Damn! Damn! Damn! That's something to think about.......

Chris Rock: Niggas vs Black People

The American Sports Media Racist? Ya Think?

Guest host of ESPN's popular sports talk show PTI: Pardon The Interruption Dan Le Batard said at 7:40 mark in the clip, that Baseball and the American Media are pretty much racist toward black players who struggle with drug related issues and overcome them, while at the same time they're constantly searching for some Great White Hope to put on a pedestal when one of the white players struggle with the same issues and overcome them. A year ago you would never hear an announcer on ESPN ever even attempt to say some shit this real as it pertains to race in America, they would just dance around the real issue as they're paid to do. As an avid ESPN watcher (hours upon hours a day) this is a reflection of the changing climate in America, with a Black President on the horizon the issue of race and racism in America can no longer be swept under the rug. More individuals in the media need to take a more honest and introspective look at their roles in perpetuating racial biased stories and images in the media, because as much as they'd like to let you think this Don Imus is NOT the ONLY ONE.

The funniest part to me is how the other announcer we'll call him Confused White Man # 1, 230,043 tried to argue against this painfully obvious FACT. Citing that Le Batard's stance was too easy of a stance to take. Was it too easy of a stance to take because its too obvious???

New Mixtape: Cassidy - Happy Birthday 2008

Hot off the presses check out DJ Green Latern and Cassidy’s New Mixtape Happy Birthday 2008! Its 8 tracks of fire. We been needing more Cassidy in the streets with all these silly ass jigaboo rap dance records flooding the airwaves. With no further introduction we present to you Cassidy The Husta…..

01. Intro
02. Amnesia
03. Money Come Fast
04. Pistol (Feat. T.I.)
05. Lookin’ Boy
06. Let’s Get It
07. Wus Up Wit U
08. In One Ear And Out The Other
09. Enemies Closer

Listen: DJ Green Latern & Cassidy- Happy Birthday 2008 Mixtape

Obama By Versace!

Barak Obama's swagger is clicking on all cylinders right now, Obamania as some have dubbed has reached a new high as Versace just rolled out their new clothing line inspired by the presidential hopeful himself; affectionately titled Obama by Versace. I guess Obama can now add fashion icon to his extensive resume.

50 Cent Talkin Reckless On The Cocaine City DVD

This nigga 50 is on one on this shit. Feeling himself to the highest degree, the way he was talking you could almost forget that he was signed and dropped by Columbia records, and his career didnt take off until after he was stabbed up and shot 9 times over the span of a few months. And even then no one was really trying to hear what he had to say but once Eminem signed him and Dr.Dre co-signed him his career took off. If you listen to him tell it, he'd say it was all part of his plan but in actuality he got lucky in more ways than one and turned the worst thing that happened to him into the best thing that happened to him. Where would 50 be without Eminem, Dr. Dre and those 9 shots almost killed him? Still on the block hustlin.

Video: Shaq to Kobe "Tell Me How My Ass Taste"

Now we all know Kobe snitched on Shaq for cheating on his wife way back during Kobe's rape trail, Kobe even went as far as to tell the feds that Shaq pays women a million to keep quiet. But no one expected Shaq to retaliated 4 years later like this! And whats this whole "Tell me how my ass taste" line about? I don't know, that shit sounds mad homo to me. If Shaq had an issue with Kobe's snitching choke artist ass he should've called Kobe out on that shit back then, its kinda petty to wait all this time and then finally call the nigga Kobe out. Thats like putting R.Kelly on trial for child pornography 4 years after the sex tape surfaced.

Music: Sean Garret f/ Pharrell- Patron

This is a new track from singer/songwriter Sean Garrett called Patron featuring Pharrell. If you're not familiar with Sean Garrett he's no newcomer to the music industry he's been behind the scenes for a while writing hits for some of R&B biggest stars. Including Usher’s Grammy-winning “Yeah!,” Fergie’s “London Bridge,” Chris Brown’s “Run It”,"Gimme That," Ciara's "Goodies" and Beyonce's "Ring The Alarm", "Get Me Bodied", "Upgrade U" & "Check On It".

This song goes hard! It's a smooth laid back summer song, if Sean Garrett drops this as a single I could see it taking over the airwaves all summer similar to the way Lloyd did with "You" and "Get It Shawty".

Listen: Sean Garret ft/ Pharrell- Patron

Barak Obama's Fatherhood Speech

This speech is the amazing, he touched on one of the biggest issues in the black community. I hope that the next generation of fathers and even this current generation are listening and taking notice. The epidemic of absentee fathers in black community has crippled us and impeded our progress for too long and hopefully with this speech and other speeches like this, we can move toward a day where more black fathers are taking their responsibilities seriously and raising their children. With as many high profile black people out there with the ability to speak on relevant issues to many waist their celebrity and influence talking about nonsense. What Obama is saying is an old truth that we've all been aware of for some time now and its something that should have been said a long long time ago. As proud as I am of Obama, I'm equally disappointed in all those black people that have come before Obama that have passed on numerous opportunities to say these types of things when they knew the whole world was listening. What Obama is saying takes a tremendous amount of courage and exposes many of our so-called heroes (in the publics eyes) as the self absorbed cowards that they are, too scared to address the real issues.

Video: The-Dream f/ Young Jezzy - I Luv Your Girl

Here is The-Dream's Video for his 3rd single "I Luv Your Girl" featuring Young Jeezy. The-Dream's album Love/Hate is without a doubt R&B's best kept secret. Its one of those rare R&B albums you can listen to from start to finish and you don't have to skip a song. Rumor is he wrote and recorded it in just 9 days, I don't know if thats true but the album is definitely my favorite R&B albums out right now. He took nigga's to school on this album.

Now when it comes to this video, I have to give The-Dream a big C- on this one. The video is like the rest of his videos thus far for the singles off this album BORING! I've been on this song for about 6 months now and I couldn't wait for him to drop a video for it. I was just sure he was going to come with and do a video that really compliments this massive song and he didn't. I'm pretty disappointed that this great song is going to be remember by such a mediocre video.

New Music: Nas f/ Keri Hilson - Hero

Nas new single Hero produced by Polo Da Don (Love In The Club, Throw Some D's) just hit the net. The song features R&B up and comer Keri Hilson who was first introduced to the masses on Timbo's Shock Value. I think this is a good single for nas and should start the album off on the right foot by really get peoples attention. If you feel otherwise, feel free to drop a line but from what I've been hearing from Nas lately, that nigga is comin wit it on this Album. The album formerly known as Nigger is set to drops July 15th.

Listen: Nas- Hero
Download: [Here]

http://www.nasindependenceday.com/

New Music: Nas- Black President

Check out Nas new song Black President. And you know Jay-Z is gonna do a freestyle over this beat or drop an Obama song himself, soon. But all that aside, this is song is only the beginning of what is expected to be an onslaught of Black President / Obama song's by artists around the nation, now that Sen. Barak Obama has rapped up the Democratic Party Nomination. And I say keep them coming, we're truly witnessing history today and hip-hop should definitely be a part of that history.

Chuck D said "Rap is black CNN", well today as we stand in the crossroads between the past and the present this is hip hop's opportunity and duty to live up to that title by documenting this historical moment in it's music, so that it may live on forever. In the same way that Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" even when you listen to it today still embodies the essence of the black experience during the 60's civil rights movement, Vietnam War and numerous assassinations. At this moment the black voice is louder than it has ever been in this country and if Barak is elected it will be prouder than ever. And wait till Barak gets elected, then (like Kanye Said) you niggas can't tell me nothing, right? Hah! Hah! (Jeezy Laugh)

Listen: Nas- Black President

Apple Celebrates Black Music Month w/ Live Performances!

This month apple stores across the nation will be celebrating black music month with live performances by various Hip Hop and R&B's acts. Artists scheduled to perform include E-40, Michelle Williams, Talib Kweli, Janelle Monae, Wyclef Jean and Goapele. The apple store locations for these performances include SoHo, Frisco, Lennox Square (Atlanta, GA), Lincoln Road (Miami, FL), North Michigan Road (Chi Town) and Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica, CA). Click the link below to view the full schedule of performances.

Apple Store Black Music Month Performance Schedule

Barack Obama wins the Democratic Party Nomination!

June 03, 2008
The political hegemony of people of European descent in America was dealt a crucial blow today as Barack Hussein Obama earned the Democratic Party’s Nomination for President of the United States. Obama shares this distinction with prominent names in American history such as William Jefferson Clinton, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and slaveowner Andrew Jackson. Mr. Obama’s nomination comes after a remarkable campaign that has inspired an unprecedented amount of voter involvement and setting records for campaign contributions.

Technicalities aside, Mr. Obama’s nomination marks the farthest a “black” person has gone up the symbolic power structure of America.


This is the same America where 40 years ago, the idea of inequality of the races was as prevalent as the idea of driving on the correct side of the street. However, despite the 300 year head start by European Americans, and violent, sadistic resistance to the humanity of “black” people, Barack Obama has been given the opportunity to appeal to the public for the privilege of being our country’s next political leader, and commander-in-chief of America’s armed forces.

Enough with the parades, though…

No matter what you feel about politics, this marks a change in the objective history of the racial power struggle . White people have been giving us shit all our lives about how we are lazy and stupid, how our cultures are “primitive”, and continue to degrade all people of color as if we aren’t human. Even though not all white people are explicitly racist, all white people benefit from the inhumane acts that have been perpetrated against truly innocent, good people worldwide whose only crime was not having white skin.

As we see from worldwide protests against Bush, the president of the USA is a visible symbol of power; a power which normally belongs to the racist white establishment. Obama winning this nomination is a major step in bringing the truth to the light, by breaking this myth that only white people can be considered for such a responsibility.

The ‘race’ now is for the votes of the American people, as opposed to non-white people facing violent opposition to being respected as citizens.

No matter what happens from this point on, we have clear evidence that this long standing idea of racial superiority or inferiority in society is a myth…a fucking myth! Wake up! WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FREE!

Black is not just beautiful…it’s American, it’s human, and today it’s
Barack Obama.

New Music: Ne-Yo - Don't Fall In Love!

This song is Fire!!!

When I first heard it I was like Oh Yeah Ne-Yo is on his shit. Usher just dropped and I figured the next couple months was gonna be all Usher but Ne-Yo is bringing it on this track. And if he keeps droppin' heat like this, its going to be a heavyweight slug fest this summer between him and Usher over which R&B crooner is going to own Summer '08. I'm looking forward to it, let the battle begin!

Listen: Ne-Yo -Don't Fall In Love

Michael Jackson Shows Up To UFC 84

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan and have blindly defended the man for years but his latest stunt has me saying what the fuck?

According to TMZ.....

“MJ rolled up to the event in a wheelchair, just in time to watch Tito Ortiz get smacked around ... that is, if he could see anything through those ridiculously blacked out shades.”

You mean to tell me that the King Of Pop rolled in to UFC 84 last Saturday night in a wheel chair and on top of that dressed in a damn ninja monk outfit??? Way to be inconspicuous Mike, I'm sure no one was suspicious when they seen a pale man in an all black ninja suit being pushed around the arena by a team of bodyguards. Mike is ridiculous for this one! and I would love to hear his rational behind the wheel chair. It was bad enough he was in a fuckin' ninja monk outfit but the wheel chair took it over the top for me.

Jay-Z & Kanye West Make History Once Agian

Jay-Z and Kanye West are helping rewrite the record books once again with their Heart of the City and Glow In The Dark tours. Pollister estimates that Jay-Z and Mary J’s Heart of the City Tour, which ends this month, will bring in $23 million. And Kanye West’s Glow In The Dark Tour is estimated to bring in $21 million when it ends this June.

These two concerts could replace 2005’s Anger Management Tour ($21 million) as the highest grossing hip hop tours of all time. And mark a turning point in hip hop, a turning point that many other genres have already made, where concert revues help replace the money lost from plummeting record sales.

It looks like Jay-Z & Ye were right when they said diamonds are forever, the ROC is definitely in the building.

Video: Colin Munroe - I Want Those Flashing Lights (Kanye West Remix)

Here's a youtube gem we ran across, enjoy.

Video: Kanye West Releases A Third Version Of The "Flashing Lights" Video

It seems like each video gets deeper , more symbolic and consequently more confusing to the average fan...LMAO thats right Kanye keep 'em thinking.

Kobe Jumps Over A Pool Of Snakes: Real Or Fake?

In Kobe's latest stunt video he appears to jump over a pool of snakes AND dunk a basketball. In a recent Nike Commercial he leaped over a moving Aston Martin and didn't dunk a basketball. Then shortly after he went on PTI (ESPN) and admitted (in not so many words) it wasn't real.

So the question is....Do you think this video is real? Personally I don't but you be the judge.

Enough With The Geriatric Action Heroes Already!

The newest installment in the Indian Jones series debuted last weekend in theaters and I have this to say is...

Who gives a fuck!

People like myself are not interested in these old ass action heroes flicks with geriatric actors trying to reprise roles they played in 3o years prior when they were in their late 20's. A true mid-life crisis if I ever seen one!

First they brought back Arnold who was 55 at time to do Terminator 3 (2003) 19 years after the first Terminator (1984).

Then it was Bruce Willis turn, 19 years after the first Die Hard to do Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard. Why was their a need to Die Hard again after Bruce Willis already Died Hard 3 times already.

And finally everyone favorite sterioded up action hero Sylvester Stallone did a series of tired ass movie franchise remakes. The first being Rocky Balboa (2006) or as I like to call it Rocky 10, 4 sequels and 30 years after the original Rocky (1976). Then just to put the icing on the cake and cement his place in the geriatric action hero hall of fame, he did a remake of his 1984 Blockbuster hit Rambo in 2008 and is currently working on "Rambo V". Now Harrison Ford has thrown his name in the hat for geriatric action hero of the century with Indian Jones 4: Escape From The Old Folks Home.

I mean you don't see Hollywood bigwigs trying to dust off Max Julien to do a sequel to the Mack, The Mack 2: Old Folks Home Pimpin'. I'm just saying whats next??

Are they going grab Brad Pitt in 2016 to do Fight Club 2: The Viagra League? This shits got to stop, get some young creative screenwriters to come up with some fresh concepts and stop trying to resurrect tired ass movie franchise hits in their twilight. Been there, Done that!

L.A. Concert Calender

If you're reading this blog then we are just going to assume you're a music fan and if you are out in L.A. (like us) and you're looking to catch a few concerts this summer we took that liberty of putting together a little Calendar to help you along on your journey.

Kanye West Glow In The Dark Tour @ Staples Center in Los Angeles 06/07

If you're like me and missed your opportunity to catch this concert the first time it was out here on the west coast, here's your chance to see the most talked about Concert of the Year.



Danity Kane & Day 26 @ The Wiltern in Los Angeles 06/09


I'm not interested in this concert one bit but I'm sure some of ya'll will be...I think.








Living Legends @ The Glass House in Pamona 06/07

For all my underground Hip Hop heads, the bay area hits pomona!







Erykah Badu with The Roots @ The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles 6/12



Snoop Dogg @ The Ventura Theatre in Ventura 6/14



















Playboy Jazz Vestival @ The Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood 6/14- 6/15







Lil Wayne @ Selland Arena at Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center in Fresno 6/20

Not exactly in L.A but the opportunity to so see Wayne Live in concert may be worth the 3 hour drive for some.





Dwele @ Crash Mansion (formerly The Grand Ave Club) in Los Angeles 6/21















Sisqo with Dru Hill @ The Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles 6/29

If you're some how still a Dru Hill fan or just wanna take a trip down memory lane, then this is the concert for you.






Missy Elliot @ San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland, CA 07/10












Ying Yang Twins @ Key Club in Los Angeles 07/25

Hip Hop 1: The State Of Hip Hop Music Today: Awful & Disheartning!

As anyone who has been reading this blog or even remotely knows me, I am a connoisseur of music in general and especially first and foremost in my heart a hip-hopatarian. One of those hardcore die-hard hip-hop fans that was born into the hip hop era, and through out my upbringing hip hop has been one of many things that contributed to shaping the very fabric of my being. So consequently I have a lot feelings about hip hop from past to present, feelings about where it is today as an art form and what looms for hip hops future. I thought I would be able to write one great blog that would sum it all up but I as I set out to write this blog I realized that to truly write on the complex multi-dimensional medium that is hip hop it would take a series of blogs to truly get everything out that I had to say. And so we begin...

Rap music is sad at this point I must say! Nas may have proclaimed emphatically that “Hip Hop is Dead” most recently in 2006 but Common was already mourning Hip Hop's demise in 1994 with "I USED TO LOVE H.E.R"

“But once the man got you well he altered the native
Told her if she got an energetic gimmick
That she could make money, and she did it like a dummy
Now I see her in commercials, shes universal
She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle
Now she be in the burbs lickin rock and dressin hip
And on some dumb shit, when she comes to the city”

“Stressin how hardcore and real she is
She was really the realest, before she got into showbiz
I did her, not just to say that I did it
But Im committed, but so many niggaz hit it
That shes just not the same, lettin all these groupies do her”

From “selling out” to the “oversaturation of the industry” where everyone who can rhyme a few words feels like they're qualified to become a rapper. All of these things have contributed to propelling hip hop to where it is today, a sad shell of its former self. Oh how the rap game has fallen far from grace....

Jay also had something to say about the state of hip-hop as he explained perfectly in 2003’s Miss You(Remix)

"Big we missing you, Pac we missing you
We feel your presence just not in the physical
All across the world, blocks is miserable
Y'all left a void it's a lot of little you’s
But they not original and they not identical
They just studied your flows and they watched your interviews
That's when hip hop if it's not ten of you
Then it gotta be more, y'all left your paws
Footprints on the game, hood ain't been the same
Feeling ain't been in music, hooks ain't been the same
Pac they use your name in vein
But I guess that's the issue
And it proves how much, niggas really miss you"

I am beginning to wonder, if there some correlation between the demise of hip hop and sudden rise in the amount of black people wearing skinny jeans and dressing like Emo’s. Is yesterday’s throwback jersey wearing, fake chain sporting hip hop fan tomorrow’s skinny jean wearing, tight shirt sporting Emo????

I can say that I started to see this trend emerge about a year or so ago. I go to Up Against The Wall a hip hop clothing store out in Los Angeles pretty frequently and I started to notice that the clothing selection started to look more and more like something you would see in Hot Topic or like something from the wardrobe selections of a member of Fall Out Boy or My Chemical Romance.

But Hey, It could just be a coincidence that we got black people dressing like Emo’s and white kids in Milwaukee on myspace wearing dew rags and staking caps referring to themselves as “gansta ass niggas”…

But I have to say that the demise of rap is unquestionably in the hands of the artists themselves, rap music is so sad at this point that there is only a few rappers that are even kinda sorta making rap still remotely interesting…..






50 cent’s last album was exactly what he said it was on Hot 97 Radio earlier this week “A Dud” and with him busy counting his Vitamin Water money, I suspect that the “Get Rich Or Die Trying” 50 Cent is long gone.













Ludacris hasn’t been out in over a year and his last album which dropped in 2006, didn’t really make the usual Luda impact. It was nice but not the usual spectacular effort we’d come to expect from him.









Lil Wayne is dope and very creative, his mixtape songs and guest appearances are great but his last few singles have been lackluster. And the self proclaimed Best Rapper Alive hasn’t really put out a “great” album in since The Carter (2004)






Jay-Z is making this list merely due to the lack of available candidates, his last two albums really exposed to me that he isn’t the rapper that he once was, but still a better listen than Souljah Boy, Yung Joc, Rick Ross or Flo Rida. I don’t wanna bash Jay-Z because that’s my boy, I’m a huge fan but the material speaks for itself, his hearts just not in it the way it used to be.







Outkast is certainly keeping it interesting despite the fact that they haven’t dropped a full length album in I don’t know how long.








Kanye West has just dropped arguably the best rap album of the year and is constantly hitting us with classic records, he’s by far the “hottest” rapper out based on quality of full-length albums, hit songs and records sales (and really the only one in second hasn’t released a great full length album since 2004, Weezy). Kanye West himself is a great story considering how many labels played his rap skills to the left.







Common dropped “Finding Forever” last year which was great album though songs like “Party Like A Rock Star” by the gone never to be seen again boyz and “Pop Lock and Drop it” got twice as much radio and video airplay.








Lupe Fiasco just dropped his 2nd album with little promotion as usual, looks like his label is destined to let his sophomore album share the same fate as his debut album…400K and out.







Talib Kweli dropped one of his best albums in years last year but his label didn’t do much to help. I heard 1 or 2 singles, saw one video and that was it. Booooo Warner Bro’s for not giving Talib a chance to make it interesting by giving his music the necessary exposure to have the opportunity to breathe some life into a dying (better yet) Dead Rap Game.







And lastly we got Joe Budden, his Mood Muzik 3 mixtape is classic but his album got pushed back several times, now he’s not even on Def Jam anymore. So who knows when’s the next time we will see a full length Joey album.









Shit even Might Mos Def is singing now, WTF








And out of all these artists most of the so-called “Hit” records from last year were dominated not by Hip Hops heavy hitters, but by half-talent over produced no-rapping ass one hit wonders that struggles to move over 500,000 units even with 5000+ spins a week reaching an audience of 41 million listeners.

Examples: Shop Boyz, Souljah Boy, Mims, Lil Boosie, Hurricane Chris, Jim Jones, Huey, Rich Boy, DJ Unk & Plies....All sub-par and all secured Billboard Number #1 Hits and a place among the Top 15 most played songs of 2007.

In case your wondering, TI and Kanye West just missed the Top 15 Most Played but they were in the Top 25.

I think the failure of rap is a collective failure for everyone involved. The A&Rs for bringing these disgraceful artists to the labels, the Labels for signing and OKing the budgets to produce this nonsense, the Executive Producers and Label Heads for saying the music they are producing is satisfactory and putting it out. And lastly the rappers themselves for creating this transparent bullshit music. They don’t even deserve the title of an artist, there ain’t nothing artistic about saying “Its so hot in the club, I ain’t even got no shoes on” C’mon now, you have to have been able to think of something better to say than that. Rap is fucking wack, it’s a sad day. As a Hip-Hopatarian I am deeply saddened by the state of Rap music.