Monday, August 29, 2005

Hip Hop for Sale?

Check out this article from the NY Times, In Hip-Hop, Making Name-Dropping Pay

I don't know how I feel about this situation. I mean, I feel the whole notion of artists getting paid if they're basically advertise a particular brand anyway- but shouldn't the lyrics come first, instead of the money?

I guess it goes back to a classic argument of being about the art or being about the money. But at the end of the day if you have no money you ain't eating, no matter how good your art is.

I just don't think corporate brands should be influencing artists' music.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Hip Hop Worldwide

Check out this article from the New York Times titled "Hip-Hop Hybrids That Scramble Traditions"

It illustrates the global reach of hip hop.

We got emcees from Brooklyn to Bangkok.

Don't sleep on the power of hip hop. Global culture means global communication means global understanding.

Hip Hop is more powerful than you might think.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Bringing Back Sweet Memories

Man.

Two of my co-workers are leaving.

Anyone who reads this blog on any sort of regular basis knows that I don't like my job.

But even if you claim to hate your job, as I do, there are people there in the trenches with you who help you get through each day.

That's who these two people are to me.

Of course there are peoples still here who I can- and do- depend on.

But these cats helped me adjust when I thought I might not have been up to the challenge.

They had my back when I was under fire.

They voiced their opinion when stuff wasn't cool, putting their own neck on the line.

Co-workers like that are not a dime a dozen- I haven't been in the "real world" that long and even I know that.

So here's to my peoples- best of luck in all of your endeavors. Keep shaking off the haters because greatness cannot be denied.

Peace

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Beats, Rhymes, Life

Man, it's kinda rough at work right now.

Nuttin' too serious, but I'm just stressed out. I feel like whenever I try to focus on one project, fifty others demand my attention.

And I got cats comin' at me for stuff that ain't even my fault, but I'm the person who they gotta deal with so I gotta catch it.

Don't you hate catchin' heat for stuff that's not even in your control?

So I had to pop some Tribe Called Quest in my walkman. This album is like a de-tensionizer (is that a real word?). Especially the Faith-laced classic "Stressed Out."

I thank God that I can listen to music with headphones in the office.

Aight, time to 'motivate.'

Monday, August 15, 2005

Bad Rap

Domestic hip hop has a reputation for being all about the bling bling. But is that an accurate or fair represention of the hip hop community from the East to West coast?

I feel like in a few articles I've read recently regarding international emcees, the comparison is made that U.S. hip hop is basically about "money, cash, hoes."

Of course Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Prez, and Immortal Technique have albums that beg to differ. But let's take a look at the more "bling bling" style emcees:

Jadakiss- suprised everyone with organically intellectual "Why"

Jay-Z- got more personal than we thought he ever would in "Moment of Clarity"

Nas- just check out It Was Written, Lost Tapes, and Stillmatic; there are quite a few songs (let's just forget the "Oochie Wally" phase, shall we?)

What? Did you say something about Nas always being psuedo-intellectual? Maybe we do need to remember "Oochie Wally," or even the banished "Hate Me Now"

Hip hop as it is practiced in its birth country is more complex than just "conscious" and "thug" rappers. A true hip hop head can appreciate the entire spectrum of hip hop music, or at least not just one category.

I love me some positive, complex rhyme-scheme hip hop. I grew up on Public Enemy, Sista Souljah. But I can appreciate some Lil' Jon, some Yin Yang Twins, some Ludacris, some Nelly, some Jay-Z, some Snoop D-O-double gizzle. It's all good.

As Mos Def said in Black on Both Sides, hip hop is about the people. When the people narrow their view on hip hop, the people narrow hip hop.

Waitin' For the DJ

So I'm trying to become a DJ. I'm starting off slow. Right now I have no mixer, no turntables, no records.

But I have a dream!

I have a dream of rocking parties.

I have a dream of dropping the right beat at the right time to make the crowd live.

DJ equipment is not cheap- it's actually a rather expensive hobby.

The industry standard Technics will run you a few hundred bones.

So my dream is deferred for the moment. I still have to pay rent and a few other bills. I gotta eat, too.

Perhaps I'll take you on my DJ quest with me.

One of the things I like to do is check out Turntable Lab. Usually I just window shop and look at the things I would like to buy if I actually had the money. I also like to check out the snippets they have on the records. Kind of like virtual crate digging, except the Turntable Lab crew makes choice selections so you're not climbing over old school Michael Bolton (although I bet some of his stuff could be sampled pretty nice).

Anybody want to make my wishes come true and bestow upon me some direct drive decks they don't want? I'm not picky, I'll even take Gemini.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Magic Touch

Click above to check out the article from All Hip Hop News.

Magic Johnson just help start a hip hop basketball league to uplift Native American communities.

The power of hip hop is undeniable.

We have only just scratched the surface.

In the words of Sticky Fingaz, "b-b-b-but wait it get worse!"

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Mr. Johnson

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Brother John H. Johnson, the ledgendary founder of Jet and Ebony magazines.

Mr. Johnson is a true American success story- ironically because it was America's hatred that necessitated the founding of an incredible publishing empire.

Jet and Ebony magazines are counter-ammunition to the negative stereotypes and images of Black people. Mr. Johnson became a success by slicing his way through the cultural fabric of America that says "niggers ain't sh*t."

Think you're a hustla? John Johnson took a $500 loan and flipped it into an internationally reknown organization that touched the lives of Black folk around the globe.

Think you're a hustla? John Johnson did so well that his future generations are eating from his hard work.

He was a hustla baby. I just want you to know.

American success fueled by American oppression.

American freedom fueled by American subjugation.

Unlike many other business successes of Black America in the past half-century, Mr. Johnson's publishing company remains Black owned.

Our images, our lives, our survival.

Thank you Mr. Johnson, for all that you have done.

My generation would not be where we are today if you had not dared to go where others said you could not.

Thank you Mr. Johnson.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Amin.

Monday, August 08, 2005

The Miseducation of the People

[Crossposted at the Underground Railroad]

It seems that every time I open the newspaper, click on a news website, or watch one of the major news channels, the flow of information is inundated with claims of Muslims not doing enough to prevent terrorists from committing evil deeds. From right-wing pundits such as Michael Graham to Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California to Thomas Friedman of the “liberal” New York Times, the consensus seems to be that terrorism would go away if only Muslims made it so.

Such sentiments are both myopic and unproductive. How many Muslims does it take to condemn terrorism before our misguided news sources and opinion leaders realize that a global religion of approximately 1.2 billion adherents is not the foundation for the murderous acts of comparatively few individuals? The Council on American-Islamic Relations has been issuing regular denunciations of murderous acts committed in the name of Islam for years. In addition the Fiqh Council of North America, the Islamic Society of North America, the Islamic Circle of North America, various Muslim scholars, and spiritual leaders around the world have issued numerous denunciations in the name of Islam. Unfortunately, this perspective is relegated to the deep inside pages of a few newspapers at best. To follow the logic that is so constantly displayed in the media, one must conclude that Christianity is the foundation for the actions of U.S. slave owners, the Ku Klux Klan, the Spanish Inquisition, Timothy McVeigh, and more recently Eric Rudolph.

Muslims around the world from Bangalore to Baltimore know and have stated that the terrorist actions of Osama bin-Laden, Al-Qaeda, and other hateful organizations do not represent the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon all of them. As followers of Abraham, Muslims share history and kinship with everyone who considers him or herself a Christian or a Jew. Yet it appears that this is either not known by the general public, or is simply neglected by the mainstream media. To label Islam a “cult of death” or a “terrorist organization” as some have done, is to deliver a horrendous smack in the face to the aforementioned messengers of God.

Let us join together and fight those who commit vicious acts of murder against innocents, and let us not be divided by the empty, so-called “religious,” excuses of the perpetrators.