Hiero’s ‘Gun Fever’ Adds to Hip Hop’s Long Debate on Gun Control

Hiero Says No to GunsWas peeping this recent video from Hiero directed by Casual who recently did a song and video addressing gun violence in their native Oakland..The song added to the nationwide highly controversial debate about gun control.

“We are not promoting guns or violence,” explains Tajai (Hieroglyphics / Souls Of Mischief), “but simply expressing our thoughts on the issue and encouraging further dialogue.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3WOy4MTc2I

Adding to the conversation is Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion who teamed up with Drake and his daughter Cori B to give their take on gun violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqo9gPxT6A8

In watching those two video,  I got to thinking about how divided folks within Hip Hop have been on this topic over the years. While its probably safe to say, when asked very few would advocate violence, but there have been quite a few artists ranging from  Ice T to Spice 1 who have said absolutely ‘No’ to retiring their guns..While rap peers like Pharaoh Monch and Nas have given voice to the harms of hot led flying through our community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GwIbyp4xBU

Of course we had last year’s famous twitter debate between NRA member Killer Mike and Boston emcee Akrobatik. This is the fullexchange which was captured by the good folks over at The Rap Up.

Killer Mike debate

Killer Mike debate pt 2.

Killer Mike Debate pt3

Killer Mike debate pt4

Killer Mike debate pt5

That debate reminds of the ones that jumped off back in the days when Ice Cube’s old group, Da Lench Mob, made it clear that the AK-47 was essential for us to get our freedom… How many of y’all remember this video and these searing lyrics?

An AK talks but bullshit runs
I wish I had time to count all my guns
‘Cause a nigga is runnin’ out of funds
But H.Rap says “Freedom got a strap!”
[I wish I was in dixie Ak Ak
Then shit wouldn’t have been bad in the sixties
No way No way]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9YVOzwXyfA

We also have long time gun enthusiast Bay Area rapper E-A-Ski who came on my radio show and got into a heated debate with gun control folks..He like Killer Mike who came on the scene years after, has long argued against banning guns. He did this popular song back in the days called ‘Blast if I Have To

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11pJxHbo1FA

 

 

Snoop Speaks about reconciling w/ Suge Knight & Becoming Snoop Lion

snoop-lionThis is a pretty good interview w/ Snoop Dogg done by the homie DJ Skee.. Here snoop talks about his transition from Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion.. He talks about the life circumstances that led to him digging reggae. Snoop explains he’s long wanted to express himself in a variety of ways including wanting to sing..He also notes that he’s become more spiritually grounded..He now puts family first and music second.. It took a while for him to evolve to that mindset..

In this interview speaks about the new album he’s working on and the folks he has involved..He explains why he made the assertion about being Bob Marley incarnate..

Many were curious as to how and why Snoop was willing to reconcile with former Death Row CEO Suge Knight.. He says that Suge gave him a voice early on in his career and no matter what their differences , that fact can’t be changed or overlooked. He said it was important to be the bigger man and spark peace.. A lot of ground gets covered in this interview. The only question missing was why Snoop who is a die-hard Steelers fam was in the Ice Cube 30 /30 documentary on the Raiders sporting a silver and black jersey..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y1jytNetV8

The Epic Rap Battle of History: Santa Claus vs Moses featuring Snoop Dogg

Screen shot 2012-12-11 at 6.22.14 AMHere’s a a fun song for the holidays… Epic Rap Battles of History..Santa vs Moses..featuring Snoop Dogg. Just in time for the holidays.. I ain’t mad at Snoop for this.. I wish we could see more creativity like this where folks are having fun and going beyond the usual fare..For folks who wanna get more info on Epic Rap Battles.. heead on over to http://epicrapbattlesofhistory.com/

Santa vs Moses

After you laugh at the Moses vs Santa video check out the Michael Jackson vs Elvis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0M0RbaPxq2k#!

Will the 2Pac Hologram Go on Tour?

This week has been adventurous in the world of Hip Hop. Many of us woke up Monday morning enthusiastically talking about the larger than life hologram of the late 2Pac Shakur shown in the middle of a performance of Dr Dre and Snoop Dog at the Coachella Music Festival. It was an incredible feat, and while it was not the first time or specifically unique that a hologram was used, Hip Hop did what it always does… it flipped the script and opened up doors along with people’s minds as to how such a tool could be used from here on out.

It should also be noted that Dr Dre spent close to a 500k on the effect, sought permission and received the blessings from 2Pac’s notoriously protective mother Afeni to do the hologram. She thought it was amazing. I reached out to Pac’s brother Mopreme, he too thought it was great. The big question on everyone’s mind is will the 2Pac hologram go on tour? From what we’re hearing that’s about 90% supposed to happen.. Why wouldn’t that happen considering how much money was spent and the excitement it generated? The bigger question is will this ‘special presentation’ get quickly played out? I don’t think Dr Dre or Afeni will allow that to happen to 2Pac, but there are many music industry executive who see dollars signs before artistic creativity who are known for running things into the ground who might kill this potential golden goose of a technology before it gets off the ground.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajVGIRsKXdo

Some thought the hologram while fascinating was creepy. The thought of bringing 2Pac back to life and having it look so realistic messed with more than few people’s minds. Others  expressed concern that holograms will soon replace live musicians.. Time will tell..

One thing that should be noted, bringing people back to life to ‘perform’ at concerts is not unique. We saw singer Natalie Cole do this 20 years ago in 1992 during the Grammys. Cole did a duet with her deceased father the great Nat King Cole of his signature song ‘Unforgettable‘  People loved it..At that time there was talk of doing more duets where live performers were magically matched with those who were deceased.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THnGZuN0RbE

We saw numerous folks work this formula including P-Diddy who during his concerts would often show his friend the late Notorious BIG on a big screen doing songs like ‘Warning‘. Over the years we’ve seen the late  Big Pun come to life at concerts. Overshadowed by 2Pac’s hologram was the late Nate Dogg who was plastered on the screen performing with Dre and Snoop.

Mos def

With respect to the hologram, not to take anything away from Dre and Snoop’s gallant efforts, but Mos Def beat them to the punch when he appeared before a number of inner city youth last year in Oakland along w/ African-American astronaut Leland Melvin. It was a part of NASA’s ISIS program and the goal was to get kids interested in science. There was a lot of excitement and planning that went into this hologram presentation. The audience was awestruck and inspired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsmDSBpXwR8

All in all, hats off to Dre, Snoop and the team at Digital Domain Media Group and AV Concepts that put together the hologram effect. DDMG are insistent that people understand that it’s not a true hologram which is 3 dimensional  but a 2 D rendering..It’s based on a 19th century illusion trick  commonly known as Pepper’s Ghost . Many reference performances by Madonna, De La Soul and the Gorillaz  in 2006 as examples of where it was used… In any case it was innovative and we can only hope that spirit of being creative grows.. From what we understand Dr Dre has big visions for the hologram technology.. who knows, maybe that long awaited Detox album will come as a hologram.

Oakland’s Townhall on Misogyny, Teen Violence & the Influence of Rap Music w/ Too Short

Last night (March 14th 2012) the Oakland chapter of 100 Black Men and Safe Passages, an organization from ‘Tha Town’ that is in the forefront of dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault, hooked up with members of the Hip Hop community to hold a town hall meeting inside City Hall.  The topic was Misogyny, Teen Violence and the influence Rap Music has on our behavior..

Lemme just say this from jump street.. what took place last night was riveting, honest, powerful and inspiring..It wasn’t a gripe session or a finger-pointing rap bashing occasion. It wasn’t an event where two generations (Hip Hop and Civil Rights) found themselves at odds blaming one another…

What you had at the Oakland Town Hall was a community who clearly understands there are important issues at hand impacting young minds and we have to go in another direction..

One of the highlights of the town hall was the discussion with Bay Area rap pioneer Too Short. But folks were clear from the beginning these issues are systemic and go way beyond one rapper, one magazine or one incident.. However, the recent controversy around Too Short  giving explicit ‘fatherly advise‘ to middle school age boys in an online video hosted by rap publication XXL had put him on the hot seat..

Short said he takes full responsibility for his actions and wanted to be part of the conversation to help rectify and repair the damage and disappointment he caused.. Many felt he was candid and forthcoming with his remarks and the evening ended with him noting this is just a starting point and him appealing to other artists in the room to change direction, expand their horizons and re-define the legacy of Oakland rap..

Last night’s Town hall saw in addition to Too Short, other key stake holders including elected officials, community activists and local artists  come together with a spirit of love, a desire to heal and eager to find ways to bring about brighter tomorrows..Some of the most powerful statements came from the young survivors of rape and sexual assault who shared their perspectives and solutions..

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson

During the Town hall, Alameda County supervisor Keith Carson along with a couple of members of 100 Black men set the tone, by discussing the harrowing statistics around sexual assault. Carson noted that every couple of minutes a woman is sexually assaulted. He said over 10 million kids had witnessed domestic violence and one out of 5 teenage girls has been assaulted..He also pointed out that since 2005 over 2 million boys/men have been sexually assaulted.

Carson surmised that the figures are probably much higher. he was just noting what had been reported. He also pointed out that rather than we point fingers and play the blame game, we come at this from the spirit of sparking dialogue with a goal of getting solutions to turn the tide..

Dereca Blackmon who is part of the We Are 44% Coalition gave a great presentation on the commodification of songs celebrating sexual abuse and degenerate behavior. She noted that many have come to see confuse videos with real life. She broke down how that impacts us all.

Dereca Blackmon

Afterwards Blackmon sat down with Too Short and had a 20 minute revealing discussion about the music industry, the role artists should take in turning things around and his own personal journey to understanding some of the issues being addressed. He talked about the XXL Controversy and eye-opening the conversation he had with writer Dream Hampton

The evening concluded with a panel discussion where we heard some power statements and solutions from young activists and artists, some of who are survivors of rape, sexual assault and violence.

The mood at the end of the evening was upbeat with many feeling very inspired. Sadly and in typical fashion some of that good energy was dampened by what was shown on the evening news.  In particular  KTVU and KPIX did what many described as hit pieces.. They left before the panel discussion that featured the young folks.. They didnt show any of the commentary from the survivors of rape and sexual assault who sat with Too Short and questioned him.. They totally ignored what everyone plainly stated the gathering was about.. It was not reflective of what took place last night.  In fact the reporter from KTVU seemed hostile that folks were coming together to uplift and not take down.. I encourage all to watch the video of the Oakland Townhall to get a better understanding of what took place..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAl_6HJmvJg

As your watching the video, we want folks to keep in mind what took place last night was by no means was a new or unique in terms of the topics discussed. Every couple of years something pops off and captures the attention of the media or activists and hence such discussions unfold.. A few years ago we saw this topic broached after radio host Don Imus went on air called women on a college basketball team, ‘Nappy Headed Hos‘. His remarks set off a firestorm with people calling for Imus to be fired. He in turn countered and claimed that he made the unsavory remarks because he was influenced by rap music.. That in turn lead to many of us having reflective self-examination type discussions.

Nelly

A couple of years prior to Imus’s remarks, we had a situation involving rap star Nelly, who was shown on a video to his popular song ‘Tip Drill‘ swiping a credit card thru the cheeks of bikini clad dancer.. Again it set of a storm of controversy leading up to Spelman College rejecting him when he was scheduled to come on campus and do a Bone Marrow benefit and bring awareness to the plight of his cancer stricken sister..

We can go on and on citing examples where the activities of artists ranging from  2 Live Crew to NWA to 2Pac to Snoop Dogg to Jay-Z and 50 Cent, have led to town hall style meetings, vigorous radio and TV debates to Senate and Congressional Hearings…

As was mentioned earlier, last night’s Town Hall which was held in the chambers of the Oakland City Council came in the wake of incident last month involving Bay Area rap pioneer Too Short and XXL Magazine.. The magazine produced an online video that depicted Too Short dispensing ‘fatherly advise’  to young 12 & 13-year-old boys on how to ‘turn out young girls’ and ‘take it to the hole’..

Rosa, Joan and Marc-Are Part of the Newly formed We are the 44%

This outraged a  number of Hip Hop generation Black and Latina activists, writers and scholars like Joan Morgan, Rosa Clemente and Dream Hampton to name a few, who felt that not only did this cross   some major fault lines but was the nail in the coffin for what they saw as increasing attacks on young girls, women of color and women in general.

These aforementioned sisters linked up with other women and a growing number of male allies like Dr Marc Anthony Neal, Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele and filmmaker  Byron Hurt to name a few who also who shared in the outrage to form the We Are the 44% Coalition.

We Are the 44% Coalition felt it was important that awareness be raised around the fact that 44% of sexual assault and rape survivors are under the age of 18 and that as a group they push to create a climate where what Too Short & XXL did is never repeated by other artists and publications.

XXL Editor and Chief Vanessa Satten

They demanded that Harris Publication which owns XXL take steps to fire the editor(Vanessa Satten) and donate space in the magazine to have issues of sexual assault to be adequately addressed.

They ‘blew the whistle’ on Too Short and demanded he educate himself and start working with organizations in our community that deal with sexual assault.

Soon after forming weekly online twitter chats started taking place with the hash tag #ItsBiggerThan2Short. It is there that many started come together to discuss these issues, demands  and craft solutions.

During last nights town hall there was a call to action for all of us to not allow the daily assaults on women both verbal and physical become normalized.  Many recognize there is currently an all out war on women both within our community and the society at large that is systemic and far-reaching..

We see attacks coming from law makers in Congress and the Senate where they hold all male panels on women’s reproductive health with them refusing to seat at least one woman to share insights and testimony.

We see legislatures in states like Arizona propose laws that would allow employers to fire a woman for taking birth control pills..

We see popular radio hosts and political leaders like Rush Limbaugh resort to publicly demeaning women by calling them ‘sluts’ and ‘prostitutes’ when he has a political disagreement.

We see many in our mainstream press as well as esteemed lawmakers at the highest echelons of power ignore and try to sweep under the carpet our military’s dirty secret.. Last year alone there were over 19 thousand sexual assaults.. A woman serving in our military is more likely to be sexually assaulted by our own male soldiers then be killed or wounded by enemy fire..

Now, 19 thousand is a staggering number, but one would not know that’s going down by looking at our mainstream news coverage.. an across the board news blackout  about 20 thousand rapes that have taken place on military bases rapes of women in our military the large number of rapes in our own military.

Rev Harry Williams

This was part of the backdrop that led last night’s Oakland’s Town hall meeting …The other part to this was the fact that Oakland and the Bay Area has some ongoing issues that has led to many people talking. First this is a major hub for human trafficking..Recently Allen Temple Baptist Church had a couple of gatherings where over thousand people came out..According to Reverend Harry Williams who heads up the Street Disciple Ministry at AT which deals the rise in human trafficking, in this depressed economy and a competitive drug game that has been sewn up by international cartels making it hard to get supplies, many have turned to pimping. He noted that from his work many who are returning from prison after doing long stretches have stepped into this arena with young girls being a primary target..

This has been echoed by Diamond a local artist and promoter who is also peer leader at United Roots and the Sister Circle which counsels young women. In a recent round table discussion she noted that she has seen increased aggression toward women over the past couple of years. Like Williams she noted that many are returning home after being incarcerated 15-20 years under California’s harsh 3 strikes law, which has all but eliminated rehabilitation and education. For those who don’t know California’s 3 Strikes law was put into place back in 1994 after the kidnapping and murder of then 12-year-old Polly Klass.. Over 40 thousand men were put behind bars under it.. Diamond agreed with William’s assessment that many are jumping into the pimp game to try and make money….

Both Williams and Diamond noted that this all doubly compounded with the rise of ‘Sneaker Pimps‘. These are young boys 11, 12 and 13 out here pimping young girls of similar age. Some are working for older men, but many others have come up without parents and live on the streets with this being the only hustle they know.

This wasn’t the main topic of discussion during last night’s town hall, but its important to understand this as part of the local landscape and the pervasiveness of what they call Rape Culture..  Anyone interested in the discussion we had on this topic with front line workers like Rev Harry Williams and Diamond can watch the video we did at the link below

http://livestre.am/1iKUN

http://livestre.am/1iKUN

Overall shout out to everyone who came out and represented.. Special Shout out to Chuck Johnson who reached out to all of us and set the ground work for an important discussion..

Good Bye Nate Dogg-He Marked an Important Era in Hip Hop

So much has been going on over the past few days that I never got a chance and properly reflect on the untimely passing of Nate Dogg.. Gone is a cat who was the cornerstone of an era..He was the soul of West coast Hip Hop. Nate was the ace in the hole, the clean up batter who you called to take your record over the top and make it a hit..He represented one of Hip Hop’s golden eras.. The G Funk Era

Nate Dogg was the constant  soundtrack for a whole lot of folks who are now looking back and saying to themselves.. Homie put it down for us...He helped give voice to a generation. His smooth vocals and catchy hooks were such that he could make dog shyt sound nice..I don’t say that to be funny, but if you stop and think for a minute Nate said some hard stuff in some of his songs, but you hardly noticed because he was so seductive with his sound…Take the song Regulate..I was playing it yesterday for my class and pointed out the irony of Nate singing about killing someone, but he did it so smooth, that we smiled and didn’t give it a second thought

Sixteen in the clip and one in the hole
Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold
now they droppin and yellin
it’s a tad bit late
Nate Dogg and Warren G had to regulate

I laid all them busters down
I let my gat explode
now I’m switching my mind back into freak mode
if you want skirts sit back and observe
I just left a gang of those over there on the curb

What was interesting about was Nate was he came on the scene at a time when people would frown and consider you a sell out for having singing on the hook. That sort of approach was most associated with R&B singers. Sure you had a few songs with Ki-Ci and JoJo, who were seen as legit,  but for most part singers on rap songs was not fully embraced until Nate Dogg came along and showed us how it should be done..

You listen to cuts off Nate’s album ‘Music and Me‘ and its clear that he was under rated… Cuts like ‘Another Short Story’ and ‘Nobody Does it Better’ which I think was his best song, bare that assertion out..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9CLYk7J3OU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY8UD-eLIfw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzveEPBVQtA

Seems like everyone has a Nate Dogg story to tell…myself included. .I met dude on several occasions and he was always chill. He was accessible, not hiding behind 50 bodyguards..and even though he was from gang infested Southern Cali, you didn’t get a menacing energy when he was around.. Nate Dogg was cool..

I recall when the landmark ‘Up in Smoke Tour’ came to the Bay Area. Nate had some legal issues and wasn’t gonna show. Tyrese was scheduled to take his place. People like Tyrese and agree he’s talented, but Nate was the cat singing damn near half the hooks so him not being there was a bit of a let down..

When Dr Dre took the stage, he ripped into the song ‘Next Episode‘. At the part when the song says ‘hold Up‘.. Instead of Tyrese, we heard Nate’s voice who suddenly appeared from behind the curtain. He had made it after all and upon hearing his voice, the crowd went nuts.. Everyone cheered and gave high fives and the show was on for real.. It was an incredible show and Nate being classy shared his singing duties with Tyrese who adlibed and added to what Nate was doing.. Dude will certainly be missed..RIP Nate.

written by Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCOK206_Q8k

Colt45 Malt Liquor, Blast & Snoop Coming to a Hood Near You this Spring

Somebody hit me up with this video the other day and I thought folks may wanna take a look and reflect on it. It’s a video outlining the marketing plans for a new alcohol drink that’s on par with the controversial Four Loko drink. It’s called Blast produced by Colt 45 malt liquor. The beverage is multi-flavored including Grape, Pomegranate and Blueberry among others. The spokesperson for this drink will be Snoop Dogg.

About 5:31 minutes into the video, the company representatives outline how they intend to impact the Hip Hop/urban market using all sorts of touch points. For industry people this may seem like nothing new, but for those who don’t spend too much time in this arena you may find it eye opening on a number of levels.

First, you may find it fascinating to see the amount of ground they plan to cover pushing this drink. It’ll be on radio and all the urban magazines. They will be at all the big festivals both music and cultural. More importantly it will be leveraged via the industry relationships Snoop and the company have with popular urban radio DJs and tastemakers in the community. .. From a company stand point the strategy is sound and will probably be effective..So effective that from the looks of things they’ll definitely be within earshot of those too young to drink, but will be aware of the product..

My question is why aren’t we hitting our community off with things that might be more useful? Why aren’t companies with more wholesome products not coming at our community with all the bells and whistles? Are we really all about drinking enhanced alcohol drinks so that we stay permanently buzzed and high or are we worthy of being approached for other things?

Imagine if the person speaking in this video was marketing director for college  or the marketing director for a high tech company where consumers are encouraged to invent and create?  Better yet imagine if this was a campaign to push Black History or maybe a local election featuring progressive candidate or agenda that centers on social justice issues?

Here’s the larger point, Colt 45/ Pabst is intending to pull out all the stops and go for the hearts, minds and pocket books of folks in our community with this beverage.. What sort of things are WE pushing on our folks?

This is not simply about Colt 45 having lots of money.  Sure I’m sure there will be some ducets tossed out there, but what’s really being leveraged are relationships.. People power…Is Colt 45’s relationship with the community stronger than the the local church or civic org?

The company intends to tap folks and use social media (twitter/ Face Book) which is free..How versed are we in those mediums? They’ll be tapping urban DJs can talk about any number of things.. They can talk about Blast as quickly as they can talk about a program to improve the hood.  Whats are relationship with them? If Snoop can sell alcohol.. he can also be a pitch man for any other number of things both good and bad..

I recall when Snoop brought together all the rappers from the west coast for a Peace Summit and got everyone to dead their beefs. It was largely successful. Why didn’t we tap him to be a spokesperson to promote conflict resolution in our schools? How many folks knew he even did this? Here’s a refresher.. Snoop Holds Summit to Squash Beefs

In watching this I kept thinking about other meetings that big corporations may have had.. Maybe there was a similar one with the big telecom companies to get Civil Rights orgs and their leaders to stay silent and endorse the plan to get rid of Net Neutrality. How many festivals, conferences did these companies sponsor to buy their silence? Here’s a list of the many…Civil Rights Orgs who sold out to Big Telecoms

Maybe there was a marketing meeting by the powerful Koch Brothers along with other corporate heads to launch a campaign at all levels to help take down unions..

Anyway though folks might find this interesting…Just keep in mind..the big boys with the mind numbing beverages are coming for you this spring. They’re coming with bright colored cans, a respected and trusted spokesperson and commitment to be everywhere you are likely to go.. What I found most ironic was dude said he endorses the drink, but he doesn’t drink it.(too much). rewind the video and peep what he says in the beginning.. That is all… Food for thought

-Davey D-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqgXBbaTobo

Welcome to the Bay-Rap Slang Capitol of the World

A lot of folks use slang terms without knowing their true origins. Many of the popular ones come from the slang heavy Bay Area. For example, take a term like Playa Hater.. It’s commonly used but its roots are found in Richmond, California with a rapper named Filthy Phil.

Back in the days (80s) there was a group of police called the Cowboys. They were a rough bunch who were actually profiled on the news show 60 Minutes. Phil ran with a crew who called themselves the Playboys.. “players” for short.

The cowboys used to mess with Phil’s crew and hence got dubbed ‘Player Haters‘. That was the original meaning.

The term Ghostriding has been immortalized in songs and has come to mean cats walking alongside their car or riding the roof with no one in the drivers seat. The practice was popularized in the Oakland ‘side shows‘ which is our term for cruising. The initial term came about when the police would come up to hot spots like Berkeley’s Telegraph avenue and break up the large crowds. They would get out their patrol cars to usher people along … Some got the idea of putting the un-manned cruisers in motion to crash them , either by shifting gears or putting brick or rocks on the gas pedal.. The un manned patrols cars crashing were said have been ghostridden

The term Fa-Sheezy and its numerous variations which many attribute to Snoop Dogg, was popularized by Bay Area slangologist E-40. 40 got the term from his homies 3x Krazy which included Keak tha Sneak another noted slang master.  many say the initial phrasing came from  pig latin, but if you listen to an old Grandmaster Flash cut from the early 80s.. pioneer Mele-Mel flips some pig latin and there’s no Fa Sheezy being said.. We maintain our originality.

We could go on and on, and I’m sure some will argue about the local folklore. We know we know, nothing’s new under the sun.. But when it comes to the Bay Area some of it is-LOL

Below is a video/ song from Rafael Casal that chronicles some our uniqueness on the wordplay tip.. Enjoy..And if you object, get ur skillz together and do your own.. Just make sure you note we did this here thing first.. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq0ZDnshYkU&feature=player_embedded#at=90

Y’all Remember Lady of Rage and Her Afro Puffs? Well She’s Back

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Lady Of Rage surprises everyone at Snoop show (interview)

By Rebecca McDonald in 5 Questionsrap/hip hop

http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/11/lady_of_rage_su.php?page=1

ladyofrage,jpg-thumb-200x304

Lady of Rage (B-Fresh Photography)

You may know Lady Of Rage from her famous early-’90s hit single “Afro Puffs” that came out like a warning siren from a tough-as-nails sister and featured Snoop Dogg. Her deep, fearless voice bellowed through the speakers on said hit unexpectedly at Epic in Minneapolis on Thursday when Snoop surprised everyone with her introduction. It made the Wonderland High Tour truly memorable and had Twitter going crazy.

Lady of Rage has made quite an impact on hip-hop’s timeline with her lyrical style, but has been in hibernation cooking up her next album, Verbal Abuse. Even with her absence from the scene, there was no need for her to don a dark blue prison jumpsuit or have buff men dancing behind bars (circa 1995 Source Awards) to demonstrate how fierce she still is.

We sat down with her backstage to catch up on everything from her afro puff styling routine to female emcees, and putting to rest Internet rumors

CP: Such a pleasure to have you in the house. It was an unexpected surprise that you rolled through Minneapolis on this tour. What have you been up to?

LOR: I have been a hermit. I am creating. My new album coming out is called Verbal Abuse, and I want it to be right. My last album, Necessary Roughness, came out in a time when the empire was crumbling–Suge went to jail, Dre left, 2PAC was killed–everything was in shambles…. So this next project, I want it to be right. I want it the way the first one should have been done. And this will be my last one. Really, I am not motivated. I really don’t feel too much love–I will always love the rap game; but me loving to do it? It’s not what it used to be. The [music] that is out right now isn’t really motivational to me. There aren’t too many lyrics- just a bunch of hoopla.

CP: What do you feel is missing in Hip Hop?

LOR: Lyrics. I would like to see lyrical stuff–something that makes me say, “Wow. Did you hear what he/she just said?” to make me wanna go back and be like, “Oh naw, they can’t out-do me.” Make me want to step my game up. And I’m not hearing that.

CP: Looking back to the ’90s when you started out in the game, there were at least a few ladies making moves in hip-hop. So what is going on now? Where are the women at?

LOR: Well, I am baffled myself. I don’t know where they are. Trina, she is still relevant; I saw her on a video the other day. There is a new chick Nicki Minaj–I saw her in the same video with Trina. But other than that, you got me. I’m working on my stuff, you got Da Brat who can’t do anything at this time, Remy Martin with her situation. But you got Shawna, Rah Digga. You got Jean Grae. There are so many, but I don’t know what is going on! I don’t know if it’s a thing where we are so talented and so dope that people don’t know what to do with us, how to market us, or even how to handle us.

CP: What about a formal network of women coming together in hip hop to make moves? Have you been a part of anything like that?

LOR: Myself, Babs Bunny, and Lady Luck are trying to do something like that, coming together to form FEM (Females Earning Money). Right now it’s kind of on a hiatus, because we are all doing so many different things… We hope the best for the females, we want the females to come together. So many times we don’t come together. Females are catty, females are snotty. But we need to look at what the guys are doing–they get together, they collaborate, they make music, they keep it moving, and that’s what we should do. All that stereotypical nonsense with females–we need to flush it down the toilet… For the young ladies coming up, don’t be intimidated by the guys, don’t be intimidated by the industry… Let your talent speak for itself, and stick to your guns and your morals…

CP: We have to compliment you on your afro puff. What is your styling routine?

LOR: [Laughs] Wash it. Condition it. Brush it. Continuously puff it, pick it. I let it air dry. I use Blue Magic, water, a brush with sponge rollers.

CP: It’s been stated that you have been the hair dresser for Tha Dogg Pound (DPG). Is that true?

LOR: I have never been a hairdresser. I have never been a nurse. I saw that, too. I don’t know where that comes from! The same place saying I was gay comes from. Which I am none of the above. Never dabbled in hairdressing, never dabbled in nursing, and never dabbled in lesbianism. So never believe everything that you hear and see on the internet.

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Before there was 50 There was Tim Dog-Remembering the East-West Coast War

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daveyd-raider2In the wake of the recent skirmish between Joe Budden and Raekwon‘s entourage  at Rock the Bells and the skewering remarks that Game has directed toward Jay-Z, the topic of beefs in Hip Hop has reared its head once again. For many of today’s rap fans they look at success of 50 Cent and him using beef  as way to bring about much needed attention as the blueprint for navigating the maze we call the music industry. They also look at 50 as a pioneering figure who jumped all this off.

Its true that 50 is the poster child for beef. He’s definitely made it a science of sorts and will probably admit to it. But he’s by no means the first on this block. Before there was 50 we have to go back a good 18 years to a guy named Tim Dog who many claim set off the whole east-west coast drama when he released his song ‘Fuck Compton’ .

Tim Dog's infamous Fuck Compton record was the said to be the first lyrical salvo the what became Hip Hop's East-West coast war

Tim Dog's infamous Fuck Compton record was the said to be the first lyrical salvo the what became Hip Hop's East-West coast war

 I wouldn’t say Tim Dog set off the east-west coast beef  persay. First the east-west coast beef was really Bad Boy vs Death Row (Puffy vsSuge and 2pac vs Biggie). They had personal issues that spilled over into underlying simmering coastal tensions that had long existed even before Tim Dogg came along.

What was at the root was the perception of  New York being resitent to artists and music from outside the 5 boroughs.  More specifically the anger was really at New York based Hip Hop radio shows and publications like the Source where on air personalities and critics routinely dismissed and outright dissed Hip Hop music coming from other parts of the country.

From a New Yorker’s perspective the argument was very simple. The Big Apple was the Mecca and birthplace of Hip Hop and hence  set the standard for all to follow or so they thought.  If your music didn’t sound a certain way or your flows weren’t in step with the word mastery being executed by top NY based artist at the time, you were considered wack. Such pronouncements might find their way in print. They might be uttered on a popular radio show like Chuck Chillouts, Red Alerts, or Marley Marls. They were far too often reflected in record reviews.

Outside of NY especially in places like Cali, people were disheartned and then angered when folks would see or hear about their hometown heroes being publicly dissed. Here in Oakland, we all heard stories about artists like Too Short who were extremely popular, could easily pack a show and have thousands chanting along to his songs would go to NY and get booed at his own album release party. I was in NY at the New Music Seminar in 89 or 90 when famed A&R rep Dante Ross sat on a panel and talked about how Miami Bass which was popular throughout the south was wack. An enraged Luther Campbell aka Uncle Luke popped up out of his seat and rushed the stage ready to smash on Dante. Later Luke underscored what many outside of NY was feeling when he pointed out that NY rappers are always shown love on the radio and by the people all around the country, but as soon as folks come to NY the birthplace of a music and culture everyone loves it was outright disrespect. Luke was determined not to be disrespected that day… But New York never really changed. If you was from outside the city you weren’t gonna get too much love.. Whether you from Miami, Oakland or Compton..Enter NWA..

NWA helped break the stranglehold New York had on Hip Hop. They snatched the spotlight in the early 90s and made Compton Hip Hop's Mecca

NWA helped break the stranglehold New York had on Hip Hop. They snatched the spotlight in the early 90s and made Compton Hip Hop's Mecca

Niggas With Attitude did at the time what no other group outside NY could do capture the imagination and media attention of the country like their NY counterparts. They not only brought the spotlight to the west coast.  They also let folks know what many of the indy west coast artists were already discovering which is you didn’t really need   to go to NY to make it-There were 49 other states.  NWA grew, gangsta rap grew, west coast Hip Hop grew, not just in popularity but also with cats getting money. What was also growing was the awareness that what NWA was speaking on was real-There was gang culture that was becoming bigger then life with each song and folks out west especially in LA were realishing in it…New York no longer had the same lure. The rest of the country especially the west coast had come up.

Compton was Hip Hop’s new Mecca when Tim Dog stepped on the scene and attempted to bring the spotlight back to NY.. His song Fuck Compton raised alot of eyebrows as he stepped to NWA hard with a song that was undeniably good..Tim got props when he addressed the controversy surrounding Dr Dre who at the time had made headlines for beating up female rapper and TV host Dee Barnes at an album release party for Eazy E’s group BWP (Bitches w/ Problems) party in front of dozens of artists.  Tim came at Dre hard. What was even crazier was he had a video which they used to rock on the playboy channel and sometimes the Box. I look at the video now and I see a persona that would one day be a 50 Cent.  The biggest irony to this whole thing is that Tim Dogg eventually moved to LA  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzv7ZDqvWn4

Another track to catch where Tim Dogg cobntinued his lyrical assault and challnge to Compton and NWA was with the video ‘Step to Me’. You can peep the video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzF_NlXYZFI

Now after Tim Dogg dropped his joint there were a number of responses from West Coast groups including DJ Quik ‘Way 2 Funky’, Dr Dre with his infamous ‘Dre Day’ cut and Compton’s Most Wanted’ ‘Who’s Fucking Who’. One of my favorits came from Tweety Bird Locwho is from Kelly Park..  He got at Tim Dogg with this cut ‘South Bronx Can’t Touch Compton’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4FKcG0dPfg

Dr Dre eventually came after Tim Dog in the song Dre Day where he got at Eazy E as well as Luther Campbell.. In this track Snoop goes after Tim Dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPaNaD2gr-E

People didn’t really trip too hard with Snoop going after Tim Dog in Dre Day. Tim’s image was never really shown as Snoop was able to further establish himself as an emcee by going toe to toe with him on the lyrical tip. Not sure if people remember but around that time Snoop was offering up a million dollars to anyone who could beat him in a freestyle. I need to check for the video we did where he spoke to me directly about that.. He was definitely all about perfecting his lyrical prowess. But people were pretty much feeling Snoop. What raised eyebrows and intensified the east-west coast thing above and beyond the Bad Boy vs Death Row beef was the video to New York, New York by the Dogg Pound where Snoop is kicking down buildings.

People raised the same objections about the video that west coast artists raised a few years ealier which was ‘Why dis us when we show you love’?  The beef had also taken new levels because during the video shoot shots were fired at DPG after Biggie went on Hot 97 and spoke about West Coast cats being in town dissing the NY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X_JJeVJLFc

Tim Dogg put out a song responding to Snoop called ‘Bitch with a Perm’  but by then Snoop was riding high and Tim Dog was starting to be seen as yesterday’s news. The East-West Coast beef was in full effect and the Jiggy era was starting to impact Hip Hop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXRJ6qcqUAs

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