Archives for 2013

Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa & Others Denied Entrance to Baseball Hall of Fame

Hard Knock Radio logoToday was the day some of baseball’s best were supposed to get inducted into Cooperstown, Baseball Hall of Fame… Among the folks listed were home run champs Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa along w/ pitcher Roger Clemens... That did not happen.. baseball writers decided to stand on principle and not admit folks who were surrounded by the controversy of performance enhancing drugs..

Here’s the AP story

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

NEW YORK — Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa have been denied entry to baseball’s Hall of Fame with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.

Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6 and Sosa 12.5 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. They were appearing on the ballot for the first time and have up to 14 more years to make it to Cooperstown.

Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, topped the 37 candidates with 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, 39 shy of the 75 percent needed. Among other first-year eligibles, Mike Piazza received 57.8 percent and Curt Schilling 38.8

Jack Morris led holdovers with 67.7 percent. He will make his final ballot appearance next year, when Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine are eligible for the first time.

Sports writer Dave Zirin has long managed to keep folks politically engaged by connecting the dots to issues on the sports arena

Sports writer Dave Zirin

We interviewed sports writer Dave Zirin who pulls no punches in expressing the fallacy of MLB and the hypocrisy of baseball writers..especially those who like to uphold the notions of integrity, sportsmanship and character as criteria for induction… Zirin rattles off a variety of glaring examples of folks voted in the Baseball HOF who easily run counter to these lofty notions.. he aslo speaks on the widespread illegal drug use in other eras..involving some of baseball’s then best.. many are in the HOF to this day without a word being spoken or their inductions challenged.

Zirin gives a full and thorough breakdown of what was at stake and what was driving this crusade against Bonds and company… Zirin points out this has more to do with currying political flavor vs the deep concern for drugs.

We also talk to Zirin about the awful decisions made by the Washington ‘Skins’ to keep Robert Griffin 3 in the game which resulted in a season ending and possibly career changing injury..

You can peep the interview at the link below

 

HKR: Roundtable Discussion on Black Media Images, Django and Beyond

Hard Knock Radio logoHere’s pt1  of  Hard Knock Radio round table discussion on Black media images, Django and beyond…We covered an array of topics ranging from the historical breakdowns and distortions about in the institution of slavery as found in movies like Lincoln and Django and what that means when such misinformation is presented to the larger society..

We also talked about the types of efforts used when marketing movies and culture in general and why we can never afford to simply say ‘It’s Just a Movie’… We talked about the impact of landmark films like Sankofa, Roots, Superfly, Spook Who sat by the Door, Spartacus,  and the Legend of Nigger Charlie

We also talked about the impact movies are having on students since several of our guests teach courses on, film, media and Black images..

django-jammieLastly we focused on the efforts many are undertaking right now to bring forth new images  and challenge nagging stereotypes… Our guests include.. Historian and Professor William Jelani Cobb…. SF State Professor Dawn Elissa-Fischer,  Film maker Idris Hassan, Sean Kennedy of Good News Oakland and Scholar activist Duane Deterville of the Maroon Artists Collective..

You can peep the HKR show ..by clicking the Link Below… We will post up pt 2 tomorrow.. The entire discussion will air on Free Speech TV in a couple of weeks.

Here’s part 2 lf our round table

Piers Morgan vs Alex Jones… The Gun Control Debate

An interesting exchange between  CNN’s Piers Morgan and Alex Jones about gun control..Thoughts on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyKofFih8Y

Jones was part of the crew of folks who created a petition to have Piers deported… As you watch this keep in mind, this is the same Jones that in Texas many Brown folks see him as a staunch anti-immigrant Nativist who promotes the offensive “Reconquista” conspiracy theory which has in many ways been fuel for far-right wing forces anti-immigrant militia forces.. In short Fear of Brown Planet…He expresses those sentiments HERE

Because he speaks on police brutality and will speak against certain types of government oppression, many have gotten sucked in believing he ain’t all that bad..Think again.. Here’s a few pieces  1) http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/political-fingers/blog/2011/05/alex-jones-neo-confederate-racist

2) http://www.irehr.org/issue-areas/race-racism-and-white-nationalism/item/376-who-is-alex-jones

3)  http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/i-hate-arabs-more-than-anybody-desperate-army-recruits-neo-nazis

Piers Morgan  & Alex Jones

3 Dope Songs from Audra the Rapper-She Got Virginia Locked Down

Audra the RapperAudra The Rapper is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, brand ambassador who captured the attention of Rick Ross of Maybach Music Group. She was born in Washington, DC and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and the Richmond, Virginia area. Audra recorded her first song, I Got Yo Weave when she was 15 years old, a song she had written when she was 14. It was this song that jump started her care

“Hit and Run”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeuv_A23lzQ

“Beautiful Dreamer”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-n84Lafows

“Porn”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXBMa1fPfiE

3 Dope Songs from London’s Own Amirah J

Amira J

In an era where the “uk hip-hop scence” is merly existent and dominated by males. The story of 19 year old London city native Amirah J is a refreshing one. Holding a charismatic and bubbly personality, she is tipped to be the “next big thing”.

Wild Cover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAa9Koom-0k

Whip My Hair (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrAA49t_Lm8

I’m On It Freestyle

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

 

3 Dope Songs From Amber London One of H-Town’s Finest

Amber LondonWhatever pre-conceived notion you might have of what a “female MC” should be – Amber London is here to subvert it. Despite being the only female rapper in SpaceGhostPurrp’s Raider Klan, Amber doesn’t define herself along the lines of gender. Her raw, no-frills approach to rapping is neither skewed by sexualized gimmicks, nor stuck in an aseptic cage of tomboyishness. Simply put, Amber London is just doing herself, and feeling good about it.

A child of the phonk, Amber grew up in Houston in the 1990s – a biographical fact that resonates strongly in her music. The en vogue Screw aesthetic is embedded in her bloodline, as is an appreciation of similarly-inclined 90s underground rap from other parts of the South and the West Coast. The beats she raps over, her unassuming, laid-back mode of delivery, and the way she presents herself in all-black-no-flash throwback gear is just as much ode to times passed, as it is an authentic expression of her personality.

courtesy of http://www.liveforthefunk.com/spreads/post/interview-amber-london/

Four Twenty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqpYacpt6b4

Servin’ Fiendz

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

Get Respect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyM_z7i0q4M

 

3 Dope Songs from Amara Reigns From Ear2the Ground

Amara Reign

Coming straight outta Southern Cali, meet Amara Reigns who is part of the Ear 2 the Ground Crew

The Great Shitty Smelly Baby Bus Incident Of The Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smFpvjzIe7s

“Sibling Rivalry”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9KWSrMX2s0

Childhood Memories Of Way Back

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

3 Dope Songs from Alexa ‘Lex’ Faye of Detroit

Alexa FayeAlexa “Lex” Faye is a 20 year old female hip hop artist from the metro-Detroit area.

The Motto (Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3oWjmWgXZ0

Joke’s on You (Official Music Video)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KelQ_Jw8iz0

Keep It Comin’ (Beez In the Trap Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5y71V9S5Qo

3 Dope Songs from British Nigerian Emcee Aina More

Aina MoreAina More (aka Omoge London) is a British Nigerian female Hip-Hop artist who burst onto the scene with mad skills, a gritty image and a fearless persona.

Aina More – The Sirens (VIDEO #ItsAWrap)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtF_K_4iEqg

Aina More – Roll My W**d ft Afrikan Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Iaxow-Bw8

Aina More – What U Tellin Me (Fimile Remix)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3x4i6ETTY

When a Rap Battle Gets Racial and Turns into a Brawl..

Rap Battle BrawlThis is when doing a rap battle and popping off on the racial and homophobic tip goes wrong… Here a cat is going off making disparaging remarks and talking greasy about his opponents sexuality and him being a Native .. He says something about defecating your race.. Apparently enough was enough and dude gets socked by a bystander… Not sure how sexual and racial insults showcase skillz..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy1JQ-TWTwo