ON THE BLOGASPHERE

Harry Allen:CONTROVERSIAL OBAMA T-SHIRT

SUGE KNIGHT LAID OUT FLAT! ON TMZ.COM

OBAMA's LAYING ON OF HANDS ON SOHH!

THE LONG HOT SUMMER AHEAD ON MODEL MINORITY!

BEYONCE IS NOT PREGNANT? ON GREASYGUIDE!

THE WACKNESS
Winner – 2008 Sundance Audience Award
Opens Thursday, July 3, 2008

Starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Famke Janssen,
Mary-Kate Olsen, Jane Adams and Method Man
Written and directed by Jonathan Levine

It’s the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip hop and wafting with the sweet aroma of marijuana. The newly-inaugurated mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, is only beginning to implement his anti-fun initiatives against “crimes” like noisy portable radio, graffiti and public drunkenness.

Two people, however, are missing out on the excitement. Luke (Josh Peck) is a socially uncomfortable teenage pot dealer with no friends, issues with his parents, and a whopping lack of confidence with girls. He trades weed for sessions with his therapist, Dr. Squires (Sir Ben Kingsley), whose much-younger wife (Famke Janssen) is slipping away from him. Squires, a drug-addled shrink with a hairline retreating to the back of his neck and a state of mind slouching back to adolescence, is an unlikely role model—but the two of them forge a friendship based on a mutual need: neither one is getting laid.

The intergenerational duo set off on a crawl that takes them all over New York, where they encounter several of Luke's "business associates,” including a Phish-following dreadlocked pixie (Mary Kate Olsen), a New Wave, keyboard-playing one-hit-wonder (Jane Adams), and Luke’s supplier (Method Man).
Luke has long had an aching crush on Dr. Squires' way-out-of-his league stepdaughter, Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby from “Juno”), and is stunned at his good luck when she returns his affections. Luke’s innocent first love experience with Stephanie becomes a life lesson that sets him on the pathway towards adulthood. And when Squires breaks down, it is up to the younger man to throw the older one a lifeline.

Propelled by an exuberant hip hop score, “The Wackness” captures the spell of 1994--a time of pagers, not cell phones; a time when Tupac and Biggie were alive but Kurt Cobain had just died. Funny and moving, “The Wackness” is an offbeat tale of two lost souls stumbling towards maturity.

The Wackness Trailer

Kidz In The Hall f/El-P "Drivin' Down The Block" Final Block Bounce Remix‏

With the video tearing up MTV's TRL (currently #6) and the single and initial remix f/Bun B, Pusha T and Cool Kids doing so well, what better time to release the second "Drivin' Down The Block" remix; this time with El-P contributing vocals and production.

DL link to Kidz In The Hall "Drivin' Down The Block" remix featuring and produced by El-P here!

MICEVE "FROWNS"

I got a CD from this young MC named M.I.C.E.V.E and it’s pretty tight. Though he’s got an array of influences which you can tell from his flow and the music he uses, he brings youthful energy and a hot delivery along with an awareness of the realities and corruption in the hoods of America.

Even though he’s real when he tries to show where he’s coming from, there is a certain intelligence that he brings with it. He’s not just trying to “wild out” or “get crunk”, he’s talking about prostitution, crooked police, and even entertainment and its influence of black youths.

Coming out of Dayton, Ohio, the home of many legendary funk artists, he’s reppin’ a new generation of artists with hip hop. I liked his sampling of souful slow jams on the first two songs of his CD “Frowns”. With his various beats and styles of music, he creates powerful anthems of ghetto angst and anger.

Though some of the production is low budget and pretty rough at times, I still found some songs I liked, such as the “Pimps Commodity” and “Copland”. I’d like to hear what this MC can do with more resources. Most artists who got the big budget record deals got the beats but no skills on the mic. Plus, he talks about stuff most of these MTV cats won’t even touch. Check out his CD on his site, he’s also on Myspace!

Random ranting on the state of the world

What I read today in the paper that pissed me off: New housing construction is at an all time low for the nation, especially in the Washington DC/Baltimore area. Housing prices drop here and in the metro DC area, traffic congestion is rising 50%, the highest in 25-30 years.

Bush ranted yesterday, "Economic inaction is hurting U.S. confidence". Consumer confidence drops in April due to inflation and employment worries. Soaring gas prices and weaker job prospects made Americans extra "gloomy" about the economy. Meanwhile, BP and Shell posted big profits!

According to a study, the U.S. needs $170,000,000,000 for its crumbling infrastructure. How can the government cut taxes and send all this money overseas,especially to Iraq and Israel, and expect "good results"?

Oh well, thats my political rant for today? What do you think? Email me at hiphoppolitical@hotmail.com.

9th Wonder & Buckshot Go All Out Feat. Charlie Murphy


9th Wonder & Buckshot's "THE FORMULA" Album in stores now on Duck Down Records!

New Audio From Jake The Snake F/Ras Kass "Kilograms" (I Know)‏

On the strength of his 2006 album, Strategy of the Crown, which featured guests including Ras Kass, Trife Da God and Devin the Dude, J the S followed up with his DJ Vlad-hosted Year of the Snake Vol. 2. The sequel to his Peter Parker-hosted Vol. 1, the mixtape proved that he could rock consecutive projects with – or without – headliner associates. Featuring limited assists from Boston cronies such as Loose Notes and his own Greater Good crew, J the S gave fans enough original material to choke on until now.

He might be an anomaly, but J the S is poised to be a factor in roughneck Hip-Hop’s return to form. With his When in Rome (which will feature collaborations with fellow rising stars Skyzoo (“Pump”), Slaine (“Get Low” Remix) and Joell Ortiz (“Do You”) prequel this March and subsequent third album, The Last Days, coming next year, he is determined to penetrate rap music’s commercial consciousness. If he can pull it off in Boston, where pushing Golden Age street styles is less common than being a Republican, he can do it anywhere.

Included here is a link to Jake The Snake's must hear collaboration with Ras Kass "Kilograms" (I Know). Check it out!

MTV's Artist of the Week 04.28.08: Gnarls Barkley‏

Gnarls Barkley perform "A Little Better" Live!![VIDEO]

Gnarls Barkley performs in a psych ward inhabited by furry friends!For More check it out on MTV!

KIDZ IN THE HALL ON MTV TRL


Kidz In The Hall's sophomore LP, The In Crowd, will be released on 5-13-08 on Duck Down/Major League Records!

New Audio "TV Land" from Vast Aire (Official Lead-Single)

Following up his street-single "Mecca And The Ox" is the first official single, "TV Land," from Vast Aire's forthcoming sophomore solo-LP, Dueces Wild, which will be released on 6-24-08.

Download link to Vast Aire's "TV Land" (produced by Melodius Monk)

New Audio "Da Livest" from Nino Bless

With Nino Bless' "Third Degree" f/Saigon and Crooked currently on everyone's playlist, here is another BK anthem from Nino as he presents "Da Livest."

DL link to Nino Bless "Da Livest":

Nino Bless' street-LP "Untold Scriptures" coming soon!

Hyper-Masculine and Misogynist Violence in Chicano Rap

Piggybacking off my last post on Chicano rap, I found an article that covers the mentality behind Chicano rap. Really interesting stuff. Quote:

In the last four years the violence of Chicano rap has made a profound impression on me. Chicano rappers rap about hitting each other, hitting cops, and hitting and abusing women. My first question was why do these young men spend so much time thinking about, writing about, and listening to stories of violence? For me, rap and hip hop culture, had been about escaping violence and oppression. It was about getting together and expressing ourselves with our bodies and voices. Of course, break-dancing battles often turned violent and people fought at parties that showcased hip hop culture. Nonetheless, hip hop was mostly a safe space. So, why all the violence in Chicano rap today?

Check out the rest on the site Bad Subjects!

PTC vs. BET & MTV...

The PTC is pissed off about violence and sex in today's rap videos. Though Im split on this argument, I think we should hear them out. After all, the BET's and MTV's are major corporations making a dollar off this twisted value system of sex, money and violence.

Some of us are quite pissed off, even those of us who listen to rap. Though I appreciate the groups efforts, I think its time for some of us more intelligent and articulate hip hop afficianados to take a stand so we have a group that reps us for real.

Thing is, on the real, there are plenty of people out there who have been saying the same, like Christian rappers (yes, they exist!), KRS One, Kurtis Blow, Master P, Afrika Bambatta, etc. Plus, there are plenty of older heads out there who have followed the music from day one, and cringe when they hear that there is actually a song named "I Want To Smell Your d--k". Somethings gotta give.

I appreciate the efforts of people doing SOMETHING. Check out the article.

Nas' "Be A Nig** Too"

According to SOHH, Nas is pushing back his N**ger album. He's got a song on this album called "Be A N**ger Too". Will I rush out to buy it for real? Doubt it. Im still stuck on Illmatic. I haven't really been into anything Nas has done for a while, and I didnt even like the last one. Nas' CDs are becoming like DVD movies you watch once and then you put it away for like a couple years or sell it. But I still got 2 copies of Illmatic; I brought another because I lost my first, and then I found the first one I brought back in '94. Still a classic. But this "Nig**r Album" I don't know, Im hesitant.