Ripped straight from CNN – one of my favorite authors, Walter Mosley, speaks on how ‘human’ is truly the only race and what it means for him to be an American.  Mosley is the author of varies fiction novels featuring black protagonists such as Easy Rawlins, Socrates Fortlow, [...]]]>

Ripped straight from CNN – one of my favorite authors, Walter Mosley, speaks on how ‘human’ is truly the only race and what it means for him to be an American.  Mosley is the author of varies fiction novels featuring black protagonists such as Easy Rawlins, Socrates Fortlow, Fearless Jones, and the newly introduced Leonid McGill.  A written excerpt that goes into more depth than the vidclip above, after the jump.

New York (CNN) — Who am I? I am an American from the soles of my feet to the hair that once adorned my bald head. An American whose black-skinned ancestors were stolen from their lives and cultures and piled in the holds of ships like so many sacks of skin.

An American whose Jewish ancestors stowed their lives into the holds of later vessels running from a thousand years of anti-Semitism that was soon to blossom into a Holocaust.

An American whose ancestors walked across the frozen waters from Asia to North America discovering a new world that would one day be stolen from their descendants. An English-speaking American whose language is also whispering French from my Louisiana relatives and sublime Spanish from the Mexicans and Mexican-Americans I rubbed shoulders with growing up in Southern California.

A man whose music is the blues that became rock and roll and hip-hop, jazz that is the bastard and the heir of the unconsecrated coupling between Africa and Europe.

Who am I? I am a man formed by history but oddly lacking in a clear perspective of the past. A man with so much to me that there is no clear identity to grab onto or claim. I might be related to Thomas Jefferson or any of 10,000 masters who raped and sometimes even loved their slaves.

Who am I? I am the target of ad men and pollsters, census takers and the evening news. To some I am the enemy, both inside this nation and internationally.

To some I am a brother.

I can be at the same time invisible and yet profiled, counted and yet forgotten, imprisoned by circumstance and yet declared free by one of the great documents of political history.

I am prejudged for my skin color, gender, age, education, and even for some things that I’ve done wrong. I am a minor shareholder in the great corporation of America and therefore responsible for everything good and bad that we’ve done in the name of business, things we did before I was born and events that shall occur after I’m gone.

I am the amalgamation of all the ignorance, ambitions, yearnings for freedom, and religions of the world. I am — have been — brainwashed so many times that innocence is second nature to me. Contradictorily, America is what I am but not my history, not my identity.

I am a new man almost every day. I and mine were once colored, Negro, black, Afro-American, African-American, brother, sister, Uncle Tom, revolutionary, good one, bad one, convict, malingerer, miracle, and so much more. In the end I can say with conviction that I am America.

Through my veins run 10,000 years of history that touches every continent, deity, and crime known to humanity. This history is not composed of the false accounts of the past; it is the blood and the beat and the light that passes through my mind, and yours. I am your sibling whether you know it or not, whether you accept me or not.

We, known and unknown to each other, form an identity that I can express but still not know, not completely. And for this state of being I am infinitely grateful because it means that I can be part of something greater than the individual, while still I am at home in my heart.

Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty

This could actually be a one second review: IT BANGS!

I had to delay this review so that I could separate myself from my unabashed love of all music by OutKast (yes, even Idlewild). That wait actually [...]]]>

Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty

This could actually be a one second review: IT BANGS!

I had to delay this review so that I could separate myself from my unabashed love of all music by OutKast (yes, even Idlewild). That wait actually allowed me to discover new gems with each listen. I was immediately drawn to Shutterbugg and General Patton but You Ain’t No DJ produced by Andre 3000 is a certified banger.  Songs such as The Train pt2. and Follow Us (feat. Vonnegut) had their dopeness creep up on me. Even the interludes prove to be pretty entertaining, although I don’t understand why anyone would ever want to pull a David Blaine on a chick, but to each his own.

There are star turns provided by guests Raekwon, Gucci Mane, T.I., and Janelle Monae, yet none manage to outshine the slick wordplay and smooth delivery of Big Boi himself. With Royal Flush and the other leaked joints M.I.A., the only sign of OutKast partner in rhyme Andre 3000 is provided by his production on the aforementioned You Ain’t No DJ, which features a stand-out verse by rapper Yelawolf.

This album achieves something unique for our time, it provides that old school ‘good’ feeling over the sound of tomorrow – a sound that the music world may never catch-up to. This is Southern Hip-hop at it’s finest. I wouldn’t expect anything less from one-half of the OutKast. Andre 3000′s upcoming solo lp has a high bar to equal if not exceed.

From what I’m hearing via twitter and other peoples in Oakland the rioting wasn’t as bad as it could have been, and hopefully the people of Oakland realized that destroying your own city is not the way to help this situation. Of course [...]]]>

From what I’m hearing via twitter and other peoples in Oakland the rioting wasn’t as bad as it could have been, and hopefully the people of Oakland realized that destroying your own city is not the way to help this situation. Of course we are all upset at the verdict but burning your own homes and places of work won’t help you or the family of Oscar Grant.

I got this image from ifitwasmyhome.com a site that lets you see how the oil spill would affect you if it happened in your hometown. Go check them out and put your own zip code into the engine to see how big of an area it covers. I put in for [...]]]>

I got this image from ifitwasmyhome.com a site that lets you see how the oil spill would affect you if it happened in your hometown. Go check them out and put your own zip code into the engine to see how big of an area it covers. I put in for Texas and New York just to see and the results are saddening to say the least. By the way that is the actual area that the spill is now covering.  #getmad

He was an eccentric, outsize figure almost never photographed without wearing one of the elaborate science-fiction inspired masks and costumes that he made along with the sculpture and paintings that became the mainstays of his career in later years. He fashioned himself as an urban philosopher, whose overarching [...]]]>

He was an eccentric, outsize figure almost never photographed without wearing one of the elaborate science-fiction inspired masks and costumes that he made along with the sculpture and paintings that became the mainstays of his career in later years. He fashioned himself as an urban philosopher, whose overarching theory, which he called Gothic Futurism, posited that graffiti writers were trying to liberate the mystical power of letters from the strictures of modern alphabetical standardization and had inherited this mission in part from medieval monks.

I saw this news on Harry Allen’s twitter yesterday, but it wasn’t till the New York Times confirmed it earlier today that I could accept that it wasn’t just a rumor. Watch the video above if you don’t know about Rammellzee, one of Hip-Hop’s original creative geniuses. We here at PDS send our blessings and condolences to his family and friends.

I recently arrived home from Haiti.

While I was there I worked in a few aspects of the relief effort including a solidarity mission to aid the Earthquake survivors. In addition to all of this Myself, Cormega and Styles P participated in a show to support Haitian Hip [...]]]>

I recently arrived home from Haiti.

While I was there I worked in a few aspects of the relief effort including a solidarity mission to aid the Earthquake survivors. In addition to all of this Myself, Cormega and Styles P participated in a show to support Haitian Hip Hop and rebuild the community. I would like to thank Arms Around Haiti and Hip Hop for Haiti for inviting me to be a part of this movement. While I was there I saw both devastation and rebuilding efforts. I also broke bread with people who had lost their entire family. Literally, everyone but them was deceased. Then there were those whose grief centered around losing a mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter as a direct result of what happened. It should make everyone reading this feel blessed to have anyone in his or her life. Think about that… Now think about it some more.

This is a letter that Immortal wrote to express his feelings on the state of Haiti today, whether or not the UN is helpful, and where has all the aid money been going. Please read the rest of it after the break, especially after the last post about Jersey Shore I think we need this in our life.

I saw so many different things as I walked through the slums and rode around Port-Au-Prince (as well as the area surrounding it.) I met mayors, townspeople, and the Arms around Haiti (Sobs staff) introduced me to several visionary Haitians with good ideas to rebuild the country that I am seriously considering investing my time into.

But one of the most powerful experiences came to me when I was holding this little baby girl who couldn’t have been more than a year old. She was crying because she was hungry, thirsty and tired. I picked her up and she hugged onto me with the newfound control her young muscles had recently provided her. She was one of the many orphans that I met while I was there, and as I held her I wondered what the future would hold for this little precious life. Her father would never hold her again and rock her back and forth to sleep while whispering stories to her. She might find good hearted and righteous people to one day adopt her, but her father, the man who created her would never tell her that he loved her or that she was special, save for the length of a dream or a subconscious memory. So I told her in French that I loved her, that she was beautiful and that she was special to me. I gave her all my water and her young face was immediately full of focus and comfort. After a few minutes of holding her, she fell into slumber. I gave her back to her to a 11-year old girl who had also lost her parents and was acting like a surrogate mother to most of the younger children.

Then I looked at my hands, they seemed like such strong hands before I went to Haiti. Strong like my will that is made of iron, and my resolve, which I consider unbreakable. But the strength of this young adolescent Matriarch and her newfound responsibility served as God’s gentle reminder and it humbled greatly as I realized what she carried on her shoulders. I am a Revolutionary but rather than just going to places around the world to bring people freedom, I seem to find it among them.

I felt great sadness leaving this place but I also felt anger at the things I saw. So I began to detail a few observations about Haiti and Revolutionary action associated with it in general. I wrote these things as I saw them or felt them but I waited until I was home for a few days so as to not elicit an emotional response but rather one of logic and understanding concerning the various things I saw.

The Spirit of Toussaint is Alive:

- Although the people have suffered here immensely, I still see their spirit still very strong, unbroken and defiant. Even though the sun floods the day with sweltering heat, the vast majority of people are working in some capacity. Many have their own small business or hustle and they take great pride in what they do. They find no shame in their work, however menial because, as it was told to me they felt blessed to have anyone to provide for. In the camps when dusk settles in, children play soccer with pieces of garbage tied up or maybe an old volleyball. They are survivalists as their history has taught them to be. The tent cities are home to usually 2 or 3 families per tent. Perhaps it is their past dealings with dictators sponsored by this nation, or by years of civil strife and a long Revolutionary history but they have become so resilient, so much so that they now serve as a personal inspiration to me of what mankind/original man can overcome.

All about the Benjamin’s, Mon Cheri:

Foreign Aid. That is a deceptive phrase. Many times the countries who, pledge money to a disaster-ridden nation are not giving that country money at all. They are really pledging the money to their corporation to rebuild the country at an inflated price set by the global conglomerate. It changes the very nature of what that means. Imagine if your house burnt down and I told the news and every local media outlet I was going to “donate” $100,000 to rebuild it. This is the catch the job really costs $20,000 to do. Yes, from the Capitalist pro business point of view I am providing a service that I deserve to be compensated for. But the characterization of what I am doing is purposefully altered so as to disguise the real motivation for “aiding” you. I’m not condemning the idea of foreign aid on a whole although there are aspects of it that create dependency and de facto vassals. But the system by which some of this “aid” is raised and distributed sometimes has little to do with anything resembling a humanitarian effort.

Let’s recap. I give you money, which you’re essentially giving back to me plus interest for doing something at twice the cost. I don’t give you fish anymore. That was Imperialism. This is Neo Liberalism, we teach you to fish, and collect 75% of the profit…forever. This system is actually the one that seems rational to first world powers now and is still implemented today all over the planet. Corporate Non Government Organizations (NGO’s) raise billions of dollars just to spend a fraction of that on the people who are actually affected and suffering. Then as if overpaying themselves wasn’t enough they act like they really did something. This system gives a bad name to real non-profit NGO’s and people that are selflessly doing something out of the kindness of their hearts. The Foreign Aid field is infested with corporate socialites and poverty pimps who troll around the mud with us dark people so you have something to talk about at your bourgeois industry parties. And where is the money going?

Waiting in Vain:

There is about 12 Billion dollars of Aid, waiting to be distributed, (conveniently earning interest for someone by the way) and since world agencies (take your pick) do not trust the shell of government left in Haiti, the situation has spiraled into a game of tit for tat in some instances. Corruption is not relegated to the surviving members of a fractured government. The customs area has thousands of pieces of clothing and non-perishable food that is simply sitting in store-rooms because customs is sometimes demanding $8,000 (US) to allow it into the country. You read it right, $8,000 American dollars to let a few boxes of supplies collected by people like you into the country. There are organizations such as the one I was there with, and Wyclef’s ‘Yele’ that use their longstanding connections with local power players and government officials to navigate around these bureaucracies, but it made me wonder how many good hearted people’s donations were just sitting there in some hangar collecting mold and dust. The supplies I handed out, the stuff I brought myself to give to people, the houses we put people in seemed like a good first step but now I wish more than anything to return and really make an impact having studied the situation. (* I remember after the Earthquake happened the mainstream media did a few stories criticizing smaller Aid Organizations on the ground and encourage people to direct their donation to the Major ones. Now I wonder if it was to promote efficiency or was it to safeguard their corporate partners monopoly?)

Children’s Story:

In Haiti, child trafficking is still going on, because it’s a lucrative business. It hasn’t stopped just because the news has stopped covering it, this right here is still happening. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/27/haiti.earthquake.orphans/index.html http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Haiti.htm ) I have even heard rumors about aid workers trading food for sex with little girls and boys. I’m not repeating these charges to try and substantiate them in any way. Because I hope they’re a lie, or at worst an exaggeration of an isolated incident. Far be it for me to try and pass innuendo off as fact but when you hear something like that from dozens of people from different walks of life, it makes you think. The reality after the Earthquake was that many of these children were (and still are) stolen and shipped out immediately or taken over to the Dominican Republic whose government is also very corrupt and sold to every corner of the world. Sad to think that the nation that showed the world that a successful slave revolution was possible has it’s sons and daughters sold into slavery in 2010.

The Almighty UN:

When I was young I thought the UN was a powerful entity, like the Super friends from Saturday morning cartoons. I was fed the idea that they provided a solution to arguing nations and would be helpful in taking the side of the underdog, the oppressed and colonized. But as I grew I realized it was just a way of making it look like America and Britain were not acting alone and it rewarded participants who conscripted their troops there. They are a Right Wing punching bag but really that’s duplicitous because they have been used to justify our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. As if it is full of equal partners who are committed to the mission. Truth is the UN peacekeepers are full of many soldiers who would otherwise be getting paid $100 a week to be a soldier in their own country. The UN security-council resolutions have no teeth without the US’s approval, and sometimes they go to a country (like Haiti) and get a paycheck for doing very little. As I keep having interactions with them, my opinion just keeps on worsening. I by no means had any of those young teenage illusions about them going into this trip, but this is my observation. There is no salvation for the 3rd world in this entity. Truthfully, the UN are a war (with a real country) away from being as much of a part of history as the Hanseatic League. As we speak. They act as the de-facto military rulers of Haiti, with the US leaning over them looking at possible candidates. I think in all honesty they want a Haitian Karzai of their very own so perhaps their weakness is deceptive on purpose and they are just the arm of a face that has not revealed itself yet. “Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu’il tue ses élèves.”

Jesus’s Power Broker:

- Haiti is flooded with Christian missionaries. There were 40 of them on the plane with me headed to Port-Au-Prince. In case you don’t know what a missionary is kids, it’s not just a sexual position. (Although plenty of people have been fucked over the years.) It means someone who goes to other countries and tells people that their religion or native custom is savage and full of useless ceremonies to God’s & spirits that don’t exist. And while I know some of these people mean well, their very existence and purpose is in complete contradiction to what their religion actually teaches. Some are working to build schools and help out with social programs, but always with the agenda to prosthletize and solidify their religious control over the area. So no matter what their intentions are, they look like their peddling Jesus on a fishing pole with foreign aid wrapped in Bible paper on a hook. In the past they were dispatched to countries to make them as Christian as possible in a direct effort to bring them into the colonial power’s sphere of influence. You see Imperial powers could not win by military force, and so conversion directly aided in our subjugation and apparently still aids in our placation. As long as we let other people define God for us we will not only be the physical but also the spiritual prisoner of our oppressors vision.

Mission Impossible:

- Spain, Portugal, England, France and Italy, etc… did this “missionary work” all over Africa, Asia and Latin America. Many of you people reading this who are of the aforementioned faith have them to thank, not divine intervention for what you believe. I am not in any way shape or form trying to detract from the individuals who really have the message of Jesus Christ in their hearts. I honestly believe if we lived our lives by the teachings of Christ this world would be a better place. But there are too many frauds making money off of Yeshua these days. The crazy thing is, that as many Muslim and Jewish charities that are working in Haiti, I haven’t witnessed any effort by them to convert people to Judaism or Islam. What is it about this faith that we hold so dear in America that makes us so insecure about what other people believe in? You’re going to have to stop using the excuse you want to “save people” and just admit that you don’t feel comfortable around someone until they believe in what you believe, spiritually. What gives us the moral authority to go around the world and tell the indigenous people of every continent that their religion is a farce and the only real truth was compiled in Constantinople in 325 AD? Isn’t the most “Christian” thing in the world to give charity to the poor and suffering without asking for anything in return? (Least of all, the culmination of all their beliefs.)

Blood Roots:

As I walked through the tent cities full of families waiting for water and cooking whatever they could find for their collective I happened upon a long road. It led me through the scorching slums of the outer area of Port-Au-Prince. While I was walking these two young brothers who ere dressed in red asked me if I was a Blood. I looked at them both and I responded that I wasn’t and one of them then raised his eyebrow, “you Crip then?” He asked with a heavy Creole accent. I said that I was neither and I was more like a Black Panther. After all OG Black Panthers and people from the Indigenous movements have taught me a libraries worth of knowledge. The younger one asked me what a Black panther was. I searched my surrounding for an analogy and there just happened to be a small tree near by. So I walked them over to it. The tree had two branches littered with a few leaves. Holding one branch I said, “this one is the blood” and pointing to the other one I said, “this one is the Crip” and then putting his hand on the trunk close to the roots, I said “this one is the Black Panther”. “Ne de la Revolution” which means Born out of Revolution in my humble French. The young kid smiled at me and asked me more about the Black Panthers. I stood there speaking to him for a little while and then we saluted one another and went our separate ways. Although Haiti is twice as hood as any place in the US, they are such a young country full of children who must become adults before their time. If they are to succeed, someone must educate them to the fact that what people call Black history is in fact world history. I would be honored to be a part of that someday. Don’t worry I won’t NGO them for hundreds of G’s either. I’d settle for a room and some coffee in the morning.

La Revolucion de Latino America:

For those of us who are studying Latin American Revolution, Haiti is the prequel, the seemingly invincible power of France being challenged and overcome. The Napoleonic wars gave America a chance to breathe away from the eyes of Europe long enough to affirm itself. France’s assault on Spain weakened the European states enough for us to take the moment that we cherish as our time for ‘Revolucion’. The story of our Revolution doesn’t begin in the 1950’s but in the Indigenous revolts of the conquest era and the early 1800’s when a small island of enslaved Africans showed the world that it was possible. Estudiantes Latinos, estudia esta Revolucion, sus lecciones son unas de las mas importantes para apprender. Tienen te todo, de raza, de classe, de corrupcion, y por supuesto del sacrificio necessario para obtener la libertad.

In parting:

I learned something very reassuring about myself in Haiti, something I am proud to acknowledge and leave my people on a good note with. When I meet someone who is a better activist, or Revolutionary, (I’ll be happy to make that distinction later) when I see someone whose actions achieve more than mine, or who has a more complete perspective I become inspired. I don’t get bitter or jealous and think about trying to “out-revolutionary” them. That’s so pointless and yet it is something that I see sometimes in the movement, people who think that because another doesn’t adhere to the same ideology or the same faith that we must bring them down. I am a Revolutionary and I need no one’s permission to be. We were successful at breaking ground in Haiti, but my mission there is by no means complete, I wish to plan further actions with my friends at Arms Around Haiti and the staff at SOBS. I would like to thank Jube, Mario, Cormega, StylesP, Herbie, Clef, Yele, Arms Around Haiti, Parrish, BC, and my Haitian Soldiers there for making this trip possible I look forward to returning soon.

“Le travail éloigne de nous trois grands maux: l’ennui, le vice et le besoin.”

Peace & Respect,

Immortal Technique

Click here to view the embedded video.

I was inspired to create this post after reading this comment on a forum I visit:

Biggie is declared the greatest ever and top 3 by most, from one great cd (Ready to Die) and a follow up which was basically a [...]]]>

Click here to view the embedded video.

I was inspired to create this post after reading this comment on a forum I visit:

Biggie is declared the greatest ever and top 3 by most, from one great cd (Ready to Die) and a follow up which was basically a puffy album with his voice (not a classic). Along with Lil Kim and Junior Mafia’s debuts(not classics either) to his credit. And D.O.C. has his debut, some of DOGGYSTYLE, 1st CHRONIC, some of EAZY DOES IT, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, and most of NIGGAZ4LIFE. for years I never understood how biggie gets ranked over D.O.C. all time on an mc list.

Often, and erroneously I might add, the D.O.C. is left out of the debates about who should be considered the greatest, this cat has influenced rappers nationwide simply because he was largely responsible for influencing Snoop Dogg and establishing the lyrical stylings of N.W.A., I would even assume that he forced Ice Cube to step his game up simply because of how competitive most rapping crabs are as they compete in the bucket.

If he had someone championing him in the same way that Puffy, Jay-Z and hell, the entirety of New York championed Biggie, would the conversation about who the best is be completely different?

BenHaMeen will just love him because of the shirt he is wearing throughout this video. More evidence of The D.O.C. greatness after the jump.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What more can I say? Other than I told you so? After the jump the instant classic interviews with Ron Artest, the MVP of the game in my opinion, no disrespect to Kobe Bryant, who snatched up fifteen boards to counter act his terrible shooting night. Thanks for a great series [...]]]>

What more can I say? Other than I told you so? After the jump the instant classic interviews with Ron Artest, the MVP of the game in my opinion, no disrespect to Kobe Bryant, who snatched up fifteen boards to counter act his terrible shooting night. Thanks for a great series and a fantastic season. Shaq may have said it best though.

If I could cosign one million times I would. Just as BP CEO executive Tony Hayward began his testimony on Capitol Hill, Diane Wilson stood up and began screaming “You need to be charged with a crime!” while holding up her hands which [...]]]>

If I could cosign one million times I would. Just as BP CEO executive Tony Hayward began his testimony on Capitol Hill, Diane Wilson stood up and began screaming “You need to be charged with a crime!” while holding up her hands which look to have been covered in oil. We at PDS salute you Ms. Wilson.

Previously: VIDEO: Obama’s Oval Office Address On The Oil Spill | NEWS: BP To Face Criminal Charges For Oil Spill? | VIDEO: BP Oil Spill Parody

Well he can still rap circles around your favorite MC’s favorite MC, and his beat selection is still suspect to a degree, however in large part Recovery is a success.

As young Marshall bares his soul for commercial consumption a few self-deprecating references are made to the hodgepodge that was Relapse [...]]]>

Well he can still rap circles around your favorite MC’s favorite MC, and his beat selection is still suspect to a degree, however in large part Recovery is a success.

As young Marshall bares his soul for commercial consumption a few self-deprecating references are made to the hodgepodge that was Relapse and his subsequent return to form on this LP.  He even goes so far as to address his scrubbed plans to diss artists such as Lil Wayne and Kanye West, “I almost did a song dissin’ Lil Wayne” because of he was jealous of all the attention those artists were getting. The Eminem of old would have pounced on an opportunity to separate himself, the newly recovered Em though enlists the aid of one of the aforementioned rappers.

Only featuring a few guest shots from Pink (don’t worry she mostly disappears into the background), Rihanna (once again providing a nice assist to a star player), and an okay contribution from Lil Wayne. It’s Eminem himself who shines as you can hear the fire and passion in Em’s delivery as he mows through track after track.  The kids knows how to rhyme.  Though Dr. Dre is largely absent behind the boards as contributors Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, and Boi1da helm the majority of the cuts.

The album starts on somewhat shaky footing with Cold Wind Blows and slightly stumbles again with On Fire, but by the time you are listening to Not Afraid Em firmly establishes Recovery as a solid entry into his discography.  Standouts include Not Afraid, Seduction, No Love, and 25 to Life which functions as Eminem serving hip-hop it’s divorce papers.  Let the retirement gossip resume!

Recovery is in stores June 22nd (though don’t be surprised if that is quickly moved forward)

Recovery Tracklist:
01. Cold Wind Blows
02. Talkin’ 2 Myself (feat. Kobe)
03. On Fire
04. Won’t Back Down (feat. Pink)
05. W.T.P.
06. Going Through Changes
07. Not Afraid
08. Seduction
09. No Love (feat. Lil Wayne)
10. Space Bound
11. Cinderella Man
12. 25 to Life
13. So Bad
14. Almost Famous
15. Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna)
16. You’re Never Over

Bonus Track

Most single Black women feel like they don’t want to settle for less. Their standards are too high right now. They have to understand that successful Black men are kind of extinct. We’re important. It’s hard to find us so Black women have to bow down and let it be known [...]]]>

Most single Black women feel like they don’t want to settle for less. Their standards are too high right now. They have to understand that successful Black men are kind of extinct. We’re important. It’s hard to find us so Black women have to bow down and let it be known that they gotta start working hard; they gotta start cooking and being down for they man more. They can’t just be running around with their head up in the air and passing all of us.

My girl is Black and White. I guess the half White in her is where she still cooks and do all the shit that I say, so we make it. She just takes care of me and I like that. She don’t be begging and I don’t gotta buy her all this crazy ass shit. And she’s a smart girl too. She graduated from Columbia [University] and I like that about her so it’s cool. I’ve dated girls that will buy a $3,000 bag and don’t know how to pay it off on their credit cards. They walk around in these Louis Vuittons and red bottoms but they’re riding around in raggedy cars, so it’s just getting your priorities right.

Wow. Slim Thug would make this kind of talk on Prince’s birthday at that. I can’t agree with everything or anything he says up top but just the fact that he would speak his mind like this says a lot about the Thugga’s character. You can read the rest of his thoughts on relationships at Vybe. With that bit of nonsense I’m out for the day.

Well I don’t know if I will be ‘thanking’ Drake for that joint.

Maybe after another few listens I’ll send him a post-card or something.  The album is cool and not ‘HOT Gah-bige‘ but definitely didn’t hit to me like So Far Gone and his other mixtapes did.  [...]]]>

Well I don’t know if I will be ‘thanking’ Drake for that joint.

Maybe after another few listens I’ll send him a post-card or something.  The album is cool and not ‘HOT Gah-bige‘ but definitely didn’t hit to me like So Far Gone and his other mixtapes did.  Truly a different sound sonically but too many similar sounding tracks in my opinion.  Nothing that just stood out and hit me.  Really starts picking up once it gets to ‘Over’ (and initially it took ‘Over’ a minute for me to really appreciate) but it just never develops any strong momentum, I think I sleptwalk through about two songs after the Nicki Minaj featured piece.

So Drake may win on that one because that’s something I have always attributed to OutKast, the ability to bend listeners to their sonic style.  The jury is still out to me on whether or not Drake managed to achieve that though, cuz even at their worst ‘Kast is always able to maintain my attention.

Weigh in with your thoughts PDSers.

In advance of a documentary called ‘The Lazarus Effect’ that airs on HBO on May 24th, Bono’s Product Red campaign created this public service announcement to spread the word about how easy it is to save the lives of people [...]]]>

In advance of a documentary called ‘The Lazarus Effect’ that airs on HBO on May 24th, Bono’s Product Red campaign created this public service announcement to spread the word about how easy it is to save the lives of people with HIV.

Watch ane learn something.

I say this all the time but let’s take a moment and celebrate the life and legacy of Guru, instead of focusing on the loss we suffer today let’s remember the greatness of the man. Gangstarr holds a special place in my heart, it was DJ Premier who first inspired me [...]]]>

I say this all the time but let’s take a moment and celebrate the life and legacy of Guru, instead of focusing on the loss we suffer today let’s remember the greatness of the man. Gangstarr holds a special place in my heart, it was DJ Premier who first inspired me to dj, and Take It Personal was one of the first records if not the first I ever bought. Ex Girl To The Next gave me important life lessons on women, and album after album they delivered consistent classic music together. Guru’s Jazzmatazz series, while not as incredible as his work with Gang Starr was also groundbreaking in it’s own right. The rejected stone is now the cornerstone, sort of like the master builder when we make our way home. Rest In Power Keith. You can donate in his memory here.

KICK-ASS

Already receiving critical acclaim and rave reviews, Kick-Ass asks the question of “What would happen if a ‘real’ person tried to become a super-hero.” Action, drama hilarity, and a whooooooole LOT of expletives ensue. Hit-Girl alone is already stirring up massive controversy and expect more after the movie [...]]]> KICK-ASS

Already receiving critical acclaim and rave reviews, Kick-Ass asks the question of “What would happen if a ‘real’ person tried to become a super-hero.” Action, drama hilarity, and a whooooooole LOT of expletives ensue. Hit-Girl alone is already stirring up massive controversy and expect more after the movie hits the masses. The comic this movie is based on just recently concluded its first story arc, reportedly since the movie deal was brokered, produced, and completed BEFORE the comic even finished, the movie retains the tone of the source material while diverging greatly from the comic book end-product.

This gets 5 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

THE LOSERS

The second comic-to-film adaptation on this list, The Losers, is an action-adventure flick based on the DC comic of the same name. The comic is a black comedy-espionage hybrid that read like an action film on paper. The trailer seems to capture the action-adventure feel, but the comedy appears a little ‘lighter’ than what was portrayed in the comic. The premise of the comic and movie is that the team–Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch, and Cougar–find themselves the target of a lethal betrayal instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max. Presumed dead, the group makes plans to even the score when they’re joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda. Working together, they must remain deep undercover while tracking the heavily-guarded Max, a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war.

This gets 3 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

IRON MAN 2

The third comic-to-film adaptation on this list is the sequel to the 2008 hit Iron Man. The expectations for this film are high giving the good performance of the first film which managed to balance action, drama, and comedic elements very well. The sequel focuses on Tony Stark being pressured by the government to un-ass the Iron Man armor technology while dealing with his father’s legacy and the machinations of the villainous Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Justin Hammer. Sprinkle in Scarlett Johanssen as Black Widow, a Russian spy, and Don Cheadle (usurping the role from that dude whose name I can’t even recall right now that’s how badly he f’ed up by losing this prominent role) as the fan-favorite: War Machine!

The easter eggs such as the appearance by Nick Fury continue to ramp up the anticipation for the upcoming Avengers movie.

This gets 5 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

THE A-TEAM

The film version of the hit ’80′s TV show about the adventures of four United States Special Forces operatives on the run from the military for a “crime they didn’t commit” looks like it will be a winner. The story is a retelling of the A-Team’s origin and how they came to be the guys to call on “. . . if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire . . .” well you know the rest.   The history of TV to Film adaptions pulls my anticipation for this one down slightly, but I’m hoping they manage to pull this one off in spectacular fashion.

This gets 2 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

TRON: Legacy

Definitely not looking forward to this whatsoever, but hey it’s coming out this summer so it makes the damn list. A sequel of sorts to the ’80′s original the movie follows the son of Jeff Bridges character (from the original Tron) as he looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce Programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Ummm yeeeeaaaaahh. Visually it might be interesting but I’m not expecting much from this story.

This gets 1 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

PRINCE of PERSIA

The trailer makes this film look bad-ass but it’s by Jerry Bruckheimer so it will probably have a nice corporate sheen to it to make it more palatable for the masses. Based on the hit video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time the storyline appears to incorporate some elements from the games that followed (if you pay close attention can spot the chain/whip used by the Dark Prince in the third game of the series). The action and effects look sweet, and Gemma Arterton who is playing the Princess is verrry easy on the eyes. Hopefully she can break the mold of Megan Fox, the current summer-blockbuster-movie-object-of-lust-for-teenagers, by actually having a career beyond looking sexy while being chased by giant robots – or in this case, hooded knife-wielding assassins.

This gets 4 out of 5 Montana’s on the Damn, I Wanna See Dat Ass scale

“Bueller?…..Bueller?……Bueller?” It came to my attention perusing the “factual resource” known as the internets that the XXL Freshman class this year had a few no shows. Being that I pretty much get all of my news online I’m putting 100% faith in this claim because well, I’m not [...]]]>

“Bueller?…..Bueller?……Bueller?”
It came to my attention perusing the “factual resource” known as the internets that the XXL Freshman class this year had a few no shows. Being that I pretty much get all of my news online I’m putting 100% faith in this claim because well, I’m not going to take the time to find out how true it all is. After all I, spend a bulk of my time creating personal theologies in the rap blog comments sections.
*tilts tin foil fitted*
But I digress….
The three names bought up in particular as being too cool for school were internet and wheel chair basketball phenom Drizzy Drake, Speak and Spell spitter Nicki Minaj and prophetic journeyman Jay Electramadan Mohamad Asalam….(you listened to Exhibit C as much as I did so you know the rest). I understand that in their absence three other apt pupils were eligible to enroll and to whomever those three are, congrats. For the life of me I though internets I’m not sure as to why these three would decline.

In no way is this a shot at their level of success to date or a gut punch (or torn acl) to their ego because each artist has built a substantial buzz away from an XXL association, I just wonder what in their mind separates them from their classmates. Sure you’ve got Mr. Tunechi as a co sign, with his father awkwardly stalking behind him. And yes you do have Sean “All I touch is J Lo’s” Combs hitting you every hour on the dot (pause that) but when does that mean as a new artist you’re in a position to decline any level of media that has the potential to give you new listeners? I just don’t get it.
Well, maybe a little. Drake I understand is an outlier in the group. He’s achieved a certain status before a major release with the help of his exceptional free mixtape “So Far Gone” that some people still chose to buy albeit it was online, for free (maybe they bought it for the picture? That was predictable huh?). He had radio spins, Grammy nods, almost got Sade on a track but Sade had common sense. Drake skipping this year we could see coming, but Minaj and Electronica?
Minaj most of the internet has become familiar with through her enourmous vagina print incarcerated mentor and her mixtape “Beam Me Up Scotty”. I’m not clear on her skill set because I haven’t heard too much of her material outside of her Bedrock verse and a song about some pigs or something I heard in a youtube video club performance. I peeped it to see if the chat about her backside was true. I yawned. For Nicki I can’t see what “L” she’d be taking by posing for the cover and talking to a couple of other rappers for a few hours in the name of being deemed head of the new class. She recently got the cover of Fader and a Gossip Girl (whatever that is)was impersonating her likeness but what does that mean? It can’t mean you’re too big an artist to tell a hip hop magazine “I really don’t need your services” because honestly outside her twitter following Barbz, as she affectionately calls them, I don’t think people really know who she is.
If Jay Electronica is the “Allah” of rap then the internets would be his Mecca. I don’t know a comment section on the blogs I circle where a majority of comments aren’t in the guys favor. Problem is, as vast as the internet is, the hiphop internet is a rather small space. So what seems like large amounts of love and fan fare online doesn’t translate to the amount of fans needed to, in my opinion, not come to class. I can understand Mr. Yamulke may not have felt like keeping company with the younger crowd in attendance for the cover shoot. He’d be the equivalent of that one really old kid in your class that could drive freshman year, legally. Taking part couldn’t have killed him, and it definitely could have helped him. With no project release last year other then two mother fucking vvs gems known as Exhibit A and Exhibit C, Jay is still as much a mystery now as he was when he dropped Style Wars. All we know is he gets on beats sporadically and had a seed with Badu (*daps* on that by the way).
These three aren’t the first truants to the XXL class. The first year they decided to put a top ten together another rapper declined leaving everyones favorite articulate GOON, Algernod, to fill in the last spot. At least be in the building and give yourself a chance is all I’m saying. You’ve seen the ones who decided missing out on school was the best idea they had, and now where are they, commenting on worldstar flip flop who knows?
Have a blessed afternoon internets.

I wouldn’t be right if my first post of the day wasn’t on the late great Dilla. I’m sure there will be plenty more today but I just wanted to say Happy Birthday sir and may your music and your spirit continue to bless us [...]]]>

I wouldn’t be right if my first post of the day wasn’t on the late great Dilla. I’m sure there will be plenty more today but I just wanted to say Happy Birthday sir and may your music and your spirit continue to bless us throughout eternity. I never had the honor of meeting Dilla myself but from good friends of mine who did they say that everything you read about him is true, that he was a kind good hearted dude who simply loved music above anything else. The song above is the first song that I realized how genius he truly is. When I first heard him with the Pharcyde I liked his beats, the cleanness of his production impressed me even then, but I was a huge J-Swift fan so it took me a second to warm up to his replacement. When he got with Tribe and The Ummah I liked the work they did together, but once again I felt like Dilla had followed a classic album so whatever they put out would be not up to snuff.

I remember when Analyze brought me the white label of Raise It Up. Doubles to be in fact. I put them on the turntable and from the opening kick and snare I was hooked. Clean and loud like Dr. Dre drums with one of the illest keyboard riff or sample, I wasn’t sure then, that I had ever heard. Turns out it is a sample of Thomas Bangaleter’s Extra Dry. It reminded me of vintage Rza but cleaned up like Chronic 2001. He took what I loved about the Neptunes and made it grimey in a way that Nore spitting over their beats never could. I was an instant stan, going back to hear the Slum Village albums and pretty much anything he ever did. I listened to old Tribe and Pharcyde with a new appreciation. When he passed I knew that we had lost our generation’s Quincy Jones, or even more apt Shuggie Otis. Like Shuggie Dilla is a genius that is unrecognized amongst those outside of the circle we call Hip-Hop. You can’t bring his name up to people not versed in production or Hip-Hop and expect a reaction, which is really a crying shame. Hopefully this post and many others like it today and in the future will continue to bring more light to Dilla’s music, and with the continued release of new and old music I’m sure that his legacy will only continue to grow and prosper. Traveling Mercies Mr. Yancey.

Bonus: After the break the original sample to Raise It Up. Listen to that and tell me Dilla isn’t genius. Top it off that’s nowhere near his most complicated flip. Probably one of the easiest, but also one of the funkiest.

Well maybe not the biggest but one of them. Watch this video. Knowledge for the people dem.

All I got to say is #letobamabegreat.

I’m listening to Jay Electronica’s latest tune Exhibit C Produced by Just Blaze. It is so good. I think it’s lyrical and the production is solid. Reminds me of some early Nas stuff,Then I ask my self : Why is it not spinning on the radio? At least [...]]]>

I’m listening to Jay Electronica’s latest tune Exhibit C Produced by Just Blaze. It is so good. I think it’s lyrical and the production is solid. Reminds me of some early Nas stuff,Then I ask my self : Why is it not spinning on the radio? At least during my time slot? Is it because there’s no dance tied to it? Is it because it’s not yet on BET’s Top Ten Countdown? Does it have to be a Club Banger? The radio isn’t a club. So why not Good solid Hip Hop? I have it on my website. I battle myself all the time when it comes to the radio. The job I love so much. I could make it the Heavy Hitter Pick of the week with no problem. Then what? I need HELP with this one. Any Suggestions Re: Real Hip Hop is Fading – Posted in: DJ Enuff

Isnt it too late for this? Has radio (Hot97, Power etc) dug itself into a hole it cant get out of? Never hurts to try, the people should decide what we listen to, not “suits“.