Illmatic, Drake and classic albums


With all this Drake hype, what about MF Grimm?

I haven't heard the new Drake album. I heard snippets of it on Itunes, but I haven't really brought it. Will I buy it. I'm still not sure. For me, time will tell. I'd probably hold off and wait till the hype is over and buy it in like 2 years, the way I am.

I think that the good thing about Drake's success which you don't really hear about that much is the fact that he's from Canada. There have been a few exceptions, but on the real, Canada rapper's get no respect. They haven't got the attention that Drake has gotten. Usually they are marginal, and nobody expects them to sell all that well. Another cool thing about Drake is that he doesn't talk about what your average hip hop MC talks about. He's very introspective, and his music is like how he's feeling about what's going on in his life with the fame and all. I think that he's a good singer, also. Not a great singer. I wouldn't force comparisons between him and Luther Vandross or Frankie Beverly (of Maze), but he's better than Ray J, who can't sing at all, if you ask me.

There are things that I don't like about Drake though. I don't like how he seems to be all about Jay-Z. You'd think that their relationship is Drake is Luke Skywalker and Jay-Z is Ben Kenobi from the Star Wars series. I also don't like how he has been so over hyped. Up to now, he has been able to produce some good singles. However, putting together a whole album is a different story. Public Enemy's first album didn't have any great expectations, and it wasn't put out as being great. Their second album, "Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back" is a classic. Nobody can deny that Illmatic by Nas is a classic album. The hype surrounding that wasn't that great. Drake is a young artist who needs time to grow as an artist; so nobody should be expecting a classic from him. How can anybody expect a great album from him? Ice Cube grew into his greatness as an artist. Amerikkka's Most Wanted was good, then Death Certificate, he just kept on churning them out.

The industry has changed greatly, now it's hard for artists to even go platinum. People don't buy CD's anymore, more people are downloading, more albums are leaking, more people are disenchanted with crappy music being put out, and they just don't want to be bothered. Funniest thing about this is that alot of haters are waiting for the results of Drake's "Thank Me Later" record sales. More are waiting for the release of Eminem's record this week.

So, as for me, I'm going to go around the hype, save my money, and wait till later to buy Drake's record. Or maybe I'll buy that new record by MF Grimm instead.

Nicki Minaj-the truth or just fiction?


I don't know what it is, but Im not sure whether or not Im really feeling Nicki Minaj. After seeing her carrying on, making faces, and doing some so so rhyming in one of those dirty south videos (can't remember which one, they all the same), I couldn't really say, "Yeah, she tight".

Like, when I first heard Da Brat, Lil Kim, and even Trina, I was like, yeah, this female MC could be the truth, but with Nicki, I just haven't heard that.

I'm not sure for everybody else, but for me, the verdict's still out. Im not hating. However, it'll take more than her "big butt" to win me over, and I couldn't care less about her alleged nose job!

I haven't stopped this blogging thing, but right now I just don't really have the time to do it.

What I wanted to do was to mostly do music and mix tape reviews. However, I don't even have time to casually blog, let alone provide well thought out and insightful reviews of music or anything else for that matter.

I've gotten into the twitter thing, and I got a new site called Blog Urban News; check it out at http://twitter.com/BlogUrbanNews

A couple of things I want to do include doing at least one record review every other week, and even interview anybody who wants to be interviewed on the site.

So, there it is. Later!

Be the Change


This is dedicated to the kids I went to High School with.

Prodigy Says Jay-Z Sides With The ‘Evil Illuminati’

On the day of his release of his historic Blueprint 3 album release, its funny that I finally found out about this story!

Like he does in his monthly blog on Vibe.com, the incarcerated Prodigy recently spewed more of his conspiracy theories via a handwritten letter to URB. This time, he reveals the moment his eyes were opened to the sham he calls “the government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, and I.R.S.”

According to P, in 1996, after reading a book by Dr. Malichi Z. York titled Leviathan 666, he was moved so much, he cried, and that was his “moment of clarity.”

“I was crying for all of humanity, but mostly for my black people ’cause I then realized it was all a sham,” Prodigy writes in his letter to URB. “The government, religions, politics, the Federal Reserve, the I.R.S., and everything that we believe and live by is a joke.”

Check out the rest on Aftermath News!

A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version

A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.

A high school and college educator for nearly twenty years, Reginald Bullock, the visionary creator behind Erisai Films and the short video, “A War For Your Soul,” has always had an interest in working with the youth and getting young people to utilize their full potential. “A War For Your Soul,” is an independent, nonprofit, 15-minute film aimed at African-American youth. The Bronx native’s latest release infuses African-American history with today’s current events, and expresses how they relate, inspiring youth to look critically at themselves and, at the very least, facilitating meaningful discussion amongst our at-risk youth. In turn, this film has enabled him to work, at a larger scale, with at-risk youth regarding topics and interests that are relevant to them. “A War For Your Soul” is vastly sweeping the nation, as many African-American leaders and organizations have endorsed the film and given it great reviews; this includes various churches, multiple colleges and universities, as well as youth organizations. Reginald Bullock’s primary interest remains in helping out our youth. For more information about interviews, or to set up speaking engagements for Reginald Bullock, please feel free to contact Ms. Lee at nadine@speakthedream.org

"Whip it Like a Slave"


After hearing about this on here, I had to check it out.

It's your standard mindless Dirty South jam with a chopped up chorus; not as offensive as the original poster made it out to be.

After hearing it, I dont know if I can launch the same diatribe that the other guy did. If anything, it was more dumb than offensive. Better yet, its too dumb to be offensive. Thats it.

THE SCOTTISH INVENTED RAP? I DONT THINK SO!


According to this article, black people didn't invent rap? No, it was the Scottish!

Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel aren't going to be too pleased about this.

Professor Ferenc Szasz, of the University of New Mexico is arguing rap battles were invented by the Scots, and not, as many would believe, by African Americans. The battles, in which two or more performers trade elaborate insults, derive from the ancient Caledonian art of "flyting" says Szaz.

The UK Telegraph says according to the theory, Scottish slave owners took the tradition with them to the United States, where it was adopted and developed by slaves, emerging many years later as rap.

Now Im not going to get on any black nationalistic soapbox or nothing like that, but to me rap music, like every other popular form of American music, is the product of many cultures. No one group of people can lay claim to this. Its odd to say that one group (especially the Scottish, of all people?) can lay claim to this. Look, when I think of the Scottish, I think of that Groundskeeper Willie character from the Simpsons, and thats a long way off from hip hop, you know?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B.I.G.!


VIDEO:Notorious B.I.G. Birthday 05/21/93 The Arena Brooklyn N.Y.
Today, it being Christopher Wallace’s birthday, I had the urge to see that movie Notorious from last year, and that movie had me speechless in the end. To see a lot of things acted out, like Big’s conflict with Lil’ Kim and the big confrontations between BIG and Tupac were awesome. I never truly liked BIGGIE’s music. When BIGGIE’s “Ready to Die” came out, I was still stuck on Ice Cube, PE, Rakim and Nas. I though PE’s “It Takes A Nation of Millions..” and Nas’s “Illmatic” were the only rap albums worth liking. Hearing “Ready to Die”, I was like “what the.?” As much as I liked Dre’s Chronic album, I was turned off by the similarities in “Ready To Die”. The blatant lifting of the G-Funk sound, the samples of Dre, all the preoccupation with “gangsta” just turned me off. I knew what Diddy was trying to do in taking rap to the mainstream, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Despite my bias, I still enjoyed “Notorious”. It was realistic and really caught the vibe of the mid 90s hip hop and all the drama that came with it. Like all movies there was a lot left out; and you have to wonder why certain people were left out or just seen as irrelevant. But then you realize that this movie was only 2 hours long, and that they can only put so much into the movie, but what they put in is just very fresh, engaging and entertaining. Seeing BIG’s childhood acted out by his son is genius on the part of the producers. Then there is BIG running the streets, becoming the boss of his street, then the jail sentence and his subsequent rise to rap stardom and fame. The movie does really good in painting a picture of BIGGIES dark side, while portraying him as still having a heart. I imagine that for BIGGIE’s mom, and Lil’ Kim, this movie was probably hard to make, but I’m sure Miss Wallace was satisfied with the end product. Gravy, the ex rapper who play’s BIGGIE looks so much like BIGGIE, that it is unsettling. Guaranteed to become a fixture once BET gets its hands on it, I’m sure you wont miss it.

Scipts N' Screwz "The New Noise"

Scripts and Screwz is a rap group coming from East Saint Louis, Illinois. Listening to their record called “The New Noise”, I felt I was drawn to their unique sound and flows. Unlike most artists who just talk about what is popular like street life and, well, just a lot of nonsense, rapper Scripts and Loose Screwz talk about the real world, and stuff that everybody can relate too.

This frankness gives them an air of realness which doesn’t need any kind of hype. The group just lets the music do the talking. What I like the most about the group are the tracks and the subjects that they talk about in their music. Songs such as “Bright City Lights”, “Hands High” and “My First Rhyme” have that common theme of their wanting to be successful artists, dreaming about doing it and being successful at it and getting fame. The good and bad side of love and relationships is a common theme in “Fairy Tale” and “Help” which are about falling in love and the drama of relationships.

The groups got its politics but it is related to its affects on people in the real world in “The War Outside”, a bangin rock track that deals with the question of if its really worth fighting in wars for lying politicians. Most interesting is the groups emphasis on addiction and death in such songs as “Brick”, “Eastwood”, “Lonely” “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Addiction”. Rather than glorify the darker realities of the streets and the city, they tell you like it is based on what realities they have experienced.

The songs have substance, but does the music bump? Scripts and Screwz got hot beats on all the songs. Though at times the mood of the music is a little dark, it is the type of music that will sound good in any car. They got songs that you can nod your head to (like “Proceed”), and some songs (like “Brick” and “Like This”) that you can dance to. This is a breath of fresh air and an alternative to all the crap that they got playing on the radio these days. If you want some serious head music you can rock to, check out Scripts and Screwz.

CHECK OUT SCRIPTS AND SCREWZ: THEIR SITE,THEIR BLOG, AND MYSPACE!!!!!!

The Wackness


Im watching this movie now, The Wackness. Not only is this the title of the movie, this is the right word to describe this movie.

The plot? Who cares. It is just like an hour and a half of muddling through the lives of two losers, one middle age, and one teen.

There is hardly a plot with an ending to spoil. The whole movie is spoiled. The only gimmick of this movie is that in the first half of the movie, they play alot of hip hop. The movie is set in '94, but some of the music they play to fit the time didn't come out until '95 and '96.

Even though they try to appeal (or pander to) the hip hop audience, there is very little that will appeal to them. The teen is a drug dealer, but he's probably the lamest drug dealer I've ever seen portrayed in a film. He does use a little slang, like "Word" and "Peace Out". But he's so boring.

Then there is the "love interest". She's kinda hot. Just kinda. I'd like to see the actress in a real movie. Method Man appears in the movie, as a Jamaican drug dealer. Hearing Meth talk in a Jamaican accent is too too funny. You just have to hear it.

When they get past the hip hop gimmick, and when the movie finally comes to an end to the tune of "All The Young Dudes", a rock song from the 70s, I start thinking that this movie would have been more interesting if it was about a white drug dealer in New York who graduates in like, 1974. If you replace the hip hop with rock music from the 70s (like Lou Reed and David Bowie), and change the main characters wardrobe to some 70s type style, you would've had a better movie. The movie as it is now sucks bad. Two thumbs down.

8th Grade Black History Month Rap - Young Majesty and La'Qua "Timeline"


Young Majesty and La'Qua perform an original rap entitled "Timeline" in honor of Black History Month.

Three Stooges Throw Pies at Bush

Classic. I hope this video is seen for years to come.

A Black McCain supporter


Found this on a Republican blog. The Republicans love this guy. Everybody is entitled to their views and what not, but I wasn't feeling this video. Needless to say, I didn't finish it.

But I got my vote in despite the fact that I was hit with a stomach virus; waited in two lines so it was like about three hours! I went to the wrong voting site at first, so despite my being sick, I still made it to the right one, waited and did my thing.

Im seeing the results, and they are good. Just like dude above feels he and McCain are like this on the issues, I am all about the issues that Obama is about. You're going down, Mr.MCain voter. YOU'RE GOING DOWN. LOL. Let's all hope for the best.

THE BALLOT OR THE BULLET



The film THE BALLOT OR THE BULLET follows the rap group A-Alikes over the course of the three months leading up to the 2008 Presidential Election. Each party has built their platform on the theme of "change", a given, regardless of who wins the presidency.

THE BALLOT OR THE BULLET addresses more specifically what type of change individuals want to see in America, with a scalpel or hatchet. Framed around performances of the four songs from THE BALLOT OR BULLET soundtrack, the film is document of A-Alikes' own take on current events as well as that of their contemporaries in entertainment and activism. In such a time of anticipation, hope or resignation, A-Alikes speak with figures such as CHUCK D, JOY BRYANT, ILYAHSAH SHABAZZ, ROSA CLEMENTE, M1, UMI, MELVIN GIBBS, DIVINE FROM THE DEY, SHADIA MANSOUR, and IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE,asking the question, "How do oppressed peoples gain freedom, through participation in a system, or through violence?".

Digital underground-Doowutchyalike


Watching that movie "Love And Basketball" and hearing this song in the background in a scene taking place at a party reminded me of how much I liked this song. Classic!

ILLUMINAZI - Tay.G - Political Hip Hop About the Illuminati


Controversial video about the Illuminati from Tay G. Hot!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

I been reading this book "Third Coast" which breaks down the history, culture and business of Southern rap. The book is great, and its been having me re-visit stuff I haven't listened to in years, like this one, Outkast's "Rosa Parks".

RIP ISSAC HAYES AND BERNIE MAC


As we mourn the death of Issac Hayes and Bernie Mac, here's a little something to cheer us up; UMC's classic video for "Blue Cheese".

NEWS HITS OF THE WEEK-OBAMA'S CRITICS

NPR blog:Obama Heckled For Ignoring Black Issues: The group -- members of the Uhuru Movement -- interrupted Obama with a banner reading, "What about the black community, Obama?"

Black Agenda Report: "Imperialism With a Black Face"-Based on his own statements, delivered repeatedly and consistently over the years, Barack Obama promises to be another in a long line of imperial American presidents, dedicated to the maintenance of U.S. hegemony by any means necessary.

The Evil Genius DJ Green Lantern Releases "Liberty City Invasion"

The Evil Genius DJ Green Lantern Releases “Liberty City Invasion” Music From And Inspired By Grand Theft Auto IV, Takes Over Rock The Bells & Joins Nas’ Jones Experience Tour

Track Listing for “Liberty City Invasion” Grand Theft Auto IV (all tracks produced by DJ Green Lantern)

01). Intro
02). Styles P - What’s the Problem
03.) Busta Rhymes - Where’s My Money
04.) Wyclef, Uncle Murda & Mavado - Informer
05.) Joell Ortiz & Dante Hawkins - Alone
06.) Jim Jones & Juelz Santana - Bustin’ Shots
07.) Maino - Get Away Driver
08.) Uncle Murda - Anybody Can Get It
09.) Fabolous & Fat Joe - I’m So Fly
10.) Qadir – Nickname
11.) 38 Special, Fever & Dwayne - Streets Raised Me
12.) Clipse f/ Re-Up Gang - 9mm
13.) Heltah Skeltah f/ Buckshot - Can’t Trust Em
14.) Red Café - Stick’m
15.) Immortal Technique - Parole
16.) Tru Life - Wet Em Up
17.) Johnny Polygon - Price On Your Head

(Grand Theft Auto IV is currently available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system.)

Be sure to catch Green Lantern this summer on the 2008 Rock The Bells tour we he will serve as Nas’ official DJ and the tours main DJ. In addition, Green Lantern will be featured on Nas’ “Jones Experience” tour that will also feature Talib Kweli and Jay Electronica.

2008 Rock The Bell Tour Dates:

Sat 7/19 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Sun 7/20 - Toronto, ON, CAN - Arrow Hall

Sat 7/26 - Boston, MA - Comcast Center

Sun 7/27 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Sat 8/2 - Miami, FL - Bicentennial Park

Sun 8/3 - New York, NY - Jones Beach Amphitheatre

Sat 8/9 - San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion

Sat 8/16 - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre

Sat 8/23 - Denver, CO - Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

Sat 9/6 - George, WA - The Gorge Amphitheatre

2008 Dates for Nas’ “Jones Experience” Tour:

Tue 7/22- Montreal, Quebec- Metropolis

Thur 7/24- Burlington, VT- Higher Ground

Fri 7/25- New Haven, CT- Toad’s Place

Wed 7/30- Charleston, SC- Music Farm

Fri 8/8- Las Vegas, NV- House Of Blues

Fri 8/22- Park City, UT- Harry O’s

Sun 8/24- Dallas, TX- The Palladium

Mon 8/25- Houston, TX- Warehouse Live

Tue 8/26- Austin, TX- Stubbs Amphitheater

Thur 8/28- Cleveland, OH- House Of Blues

Fri 8/29- Detroit, MI- Chene Park

Sat 8/30- Champaign, IL- Canopy Club

Mon 9/1- Chicago, IL- House Of Blues

Wed 9/3- St. Louis, MO- The Pageant

Thur 9/4- Milwaukee, WI- The Rave

Fri 9/5- Minneapolis, MI- First Avenue

Lil' Mama and the dillemas of the female MC

Despite the hype surrounding Lil' Mama's album because of the single "Lip Gloss", she put out an album that is suprisingly more hip hop than people think. I assumed that Lil'Mama was some kind of gimmick, but I was wrong.

Not that you would confuse her for Public Enemy or anything, but unlike other artists, Lil Mama knows who she is speaking to and chooses to speak to them to either to make them dance or make music that is uplifting and thought provoking. From an artist with a name Lil'Mama, you say? Well, when was the last time you heard some of the premier female MCs we got today talk about such things as females having self respect (like in "L.I.F.E"), or condeming men who refuse to grown up and girls who throw their lives away(like in "Stand Up")? Or how about the song "College" about a girl who visits her father in jail, showing how the "thug life" and its consequences breaks up families? I'm not naming any names, but I haven't heard that subject matter come from the any stripper turned rapper female artists out! But suprisingly, Lil' Mama touches on this and more on her CD.

Also, the album has many varying hip hop sounds from DC go-go, to dance pop, to straight up hip hop. The response to this album (sagging record sales and people not really feeling her)reflects the dilemmas of female MCs and how they are marketed by the record companies. Its the record companies and major corporations that have for years dressed up the female MC as a rapper/stripper. However, when they marketed Lil'Mama, it was as a gimmick, with the whole "Lip Gloss" and all the radio songs on here. The album packaging alone is a put off; guys wont buy it the way they would buy a Lil'Kim or Da Brat album because its too "girly", and females in the age range the record company is going for want to buy the latest R&B pretty boy thug. The record cover doesn't even reflect her image; she's not a "Barbie Doll" of rap like the packaging suggests.

When I got this album I thought Id just put it to the side, but then I listened to it, and after I did, I found myself wanting to see this young MC who speaks for the young people, as she says, grow as an artist. Wherever she ends up, since she'll probably be dropped for low record sales, I look forward to seeing what she does next.

THE HUSTLE GROUP!

I got this CD called "The Compilation" from this group called The Hustle Group. Who is The Hustle Group"?The Hustle Group is a group of young brothers making a comeup in the music industry. It consists of three artists. Rotimi is the cool R&B singer, Dre Dub is the cocky, grimy, blunt MC, and J Loonz is the lyrical, creative rhymesayer.

What I like about this group is they got variety. Dre Dub makes the club bangers, J Loonz does hip hop reminiscent of mid 90s "Golden Age" rap, Rotimi is the type of singer who though you could hear him on the radio, he's not commercial R&B and evokes soul in such a way he could be a "neo soul" singer. In what each of them do, they show their skills and truly shine on their respectable tracks.

From what I heard on their album titled "The Compilation" include J Loonz "Igniter". J's got skills and it shows on this excellent track. Some may object to the subject matter (smoking weed)but the tracks tight. Another track which stands out is "Alerp At Ya Boy!" where Dre Dub rips it up on this club track. Rotimi is soulful on "Heart Saying".

This is a compilation which seems to serve as a demo of this groups skills. Only thing I can suggest is that they each should do an album. Out of each of these stellar artists, I'm waiting for what comes next!