In other news. . .

Aqua Teen Hunger Force-Moon Mega Mix
from Adult Swim.com


This guy shut down Boston. Think America has lost it? Maybe Bostonians are just easily excitable? Either that or now cartoon characters qualify as terrorist. Got to give it up for the Mooninites for doing what they do best. . .making earthlings uncomfortable. Check their mega mix above and their claim to fame below:

Man held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Authorities arrested a man in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure of bridges and a stretch of the Charles River (read full story here).

White Rapper of the Week. .

Yes. I am hooked on the latest trend in reality TV. But after missing out on my fair share of it for nearly a year, I'm hitting it hard like a crack fiend hits a pipe. However, in my defense, I like to think of Ego Trip's White Rapper Show as the smartest reality TV show ever to hit TV land. I can go on and on about all the reasons why this show is smart, but plain and simple. . .the creative team behind this is fucking genius.

So now that I've admitted my problem. . .I'm going to indulge. This week brought the 4th installment of the the white rappers and their mis-adventures. If you're a fucking nerd like me, you've been watching every episode for it's sharp social criticism, it's marketing creativity, and it's funny as hell goofing on all the stereo-types under the sun. This week I've decided to hand out a "White Rapper of the Week" award. Not like anyone gives a shit, and in all honesty, I might even be too lazy to even keep doing this. But I think it needs to be said at least that Jus Rhyme was perhaps the illest dude on the show this episode. Not because he spits hot fiya. No. His rhymes suck. But because dude stood his ground under ridiculously absurdity.

Through the entire Episode the other White Rappers in his team begged him to give up his self-hating, anti-white supremacy, "conscious" rapper image. . .just so they could win the challenge by making a few strippers dance in the club. With the contest, his place in "Da White House," and all his street cred on the line. . .dude stood his ground and stayed true to himself. Respect. If that's not reality for you, then what is? Homeboy kept it mad real. It takes a lot of guts to hold your ground in everyday life, let alone on national television where millions of people can clown on you. He proved to be the strongest person on that show, at least for this round (especially when he refused to claim his prize, a lap dance from the club strippers, not only because he had a girl, but because it was ethically wrong. Respect. . .again).

So Jus Rhyme. . this one is for you. Keep doing you. . .'cause not only are you maintaining integrity for the white rapper game, but for the rap game across the board. Props from this blog that no one reads. Hey, some respect is better than none.

Wow. . .

Thriller done the right way.

Genius

This is true marketing genius. No other reality show can even come close to this. It may even be the end of reality TV as we know it. Watch this.

Gary Marks is not Chico Mann

Chico Man- Soul Freedom
from Manifest Tone Vol.1 (Kindred Spirts, 2007)


Fuck what you heard. This is the real Chico Mann.

Fresh Gear for Sale.

Shameless promotion. We forever be on that grind. Buy it here.

Come one. . .

. . .come all.

Free Admission. Records. Drink. Good Music. What more could you ask for?

Free DJ Drama and DJ Canon!!!

Excerpt from: "With Arrest of DJ Drama, the Law Takes Aim at Mixtapes," By Kelefa Sanneh, NY Times 1/18/07

. . .On Tuesday night he [Drama] was arrested with Don Cannon, a protégé. The police, working with the Recording Industry Association of America, raided his office, at 147 Walker Street in Atlanta. The association makes no distinction between counterfeit CDs and unlicensed compilations like those that DJ Drama is known for. So the police confiscated 81,000 discs, four vehicles, recording gear, and “other assets that are proceeds of a pattern of illegal activity,” said Chief Jeffrey C. Baker, from the Morrow, Ga., police department, which participated in the raid.DJ Drama (whose real name is Tyree Simmons) and Mr. Cannon were each charged with a felony violation of Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization law(known as RICO) and held on $100,000 bond. The compilations produced by DJ Drama and his protégés are known as mixtapes, though they appear on CDs, not cassettes. Mixtapes have become a vital part of the hip-hop world. They are often the only way for listeners to keep up with a genre that moves too quickly to be captured on albums. On a mixtape you can hear unreleased remixes, sneak previews from coming CDs, casual freestyle rhymes, never-to-be-released goofs. (For full article, click here)

I'm not about to get into the politics of all this, cause I have a lot to say. But I will say this. Why when they see a brother rollin', they start hatin'? Always patrolin'. Always trying to catch us ridin' dirty.

I'm sure Drama isn't as broke as most (dude got his 4 cars jacked by the police). But is he cakin' off the music industry the like most record label Execs? No. So if homeboy is trying to pay his bills or put some dubs on his ride by selling a few of his own mixtapes (and don't be fooled, it may look easy, but it's an art to make a proper mix) out of the trunk of his car. . .why give him a hard time? I mean, dude made T.I and Lil Wayne household names and the Execs at Atlantic aren't bitching about that. In fact they're probably counting that bank right now. So why not let Drama sell his shit for $10 bucks? Besides, not everyone can afford to drop $20 at Best Buy for the new T.I. joint. I see Drama as a equalizer. He's bring hood music back to the hood. Shit, we should give him a Noble Prize for Social Justice in the Music Industry. . .he's a modern day Robin Hood. Can't a brother live?

So let us start the "Free DJ Drama and DJ Canon" campaign right here. To be honest. . .I don't even like their mixtapes. But it's about the fundamentals. If DJ's don't have a right to make a mixtape and hit a few people off with it. . .then what rights do we have?

Midnight Madness. . .

J.Fresco-Midnight Madness (or Get Free)

. . .or Get Free. This is what restless souls do on the late night. Enjoy.


*photo courtesy of our Girl in Rio.

Welcome back. . .

Talib Kweli & Madlib- The Show
from Liberation (Blacksmith, 2007)

Talib Kweli & Madlib- Soul Music
from Liberation (Blacksmith, 2007)

Talib Kweli & Madlib- Happy Home
from Liberation (Blacksmith, 2007)

Not sure if Kweli is back to biz or if Madlib just makes some hella hot beats. Maybe it's both. Not his best rhyming, but it seems Kweli has found his groove. Finally going in a new direction. Welcome back. Grab the entire album for free here.

*Special bonus track to the person who can tell me who's art work is featured on the cover of the album. Send it here.

Hecho y Derecho. . .

La Lupe-Fever
from El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sound 1966-1970 (Fania, 2006)

Eddie Palimieri-Aye Que Rico
from El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sound 1966-1970 (Fania, 2006)

Johnny Ventura-Guajira Con Soul
from El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sound 1966-1970 (Fania, 2006)


It's always upsetting when culture vultures try to profit at the expense of "una cosa nuestra." But so far the guys at E-Musica seem to be doing the right thing and I can't complain about a total re-release of the Fania collection. This comp came into the office hot from Miami. So I brought it home and decided to give it a spin. Needless to say I was pleased. Most Boogaloo comps feature the same old shit, but this one had some solid bangers that have been thus far pretty hard to find. So here is just a taste of the good stuff. Some bad ass boogaloo for you. If you like what you hear. . .check the rest and click this.

On a final note. The image that you see here was provided by no other than the King of Boogaloo himself, Mr. Joe Cuba. Nice shot of Joe showin' em how it's done. Hecho y derecho.