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As the Poor Get Poorer Look for Brutalizing Police to become the New ‘Buffer’ Middle Class Set to Protect the Rich

April 19, 2010 By

I been saying this for a minute and will most likely do a show on this later this week. But as the economy worsens and the gap between the Have and Have Nots widens we are going to have some serious problems. One disturbing note is that an estimated 75% of the people do not trust the government. That’s playing out with the rise of militias, increasing threats by Tim McVeigh like domestic terrorists and just an overall overt disrespect for anyone in office. A lot of anger has been directed at President Obama, but increasingly more and more ire is being turned toward anyone in office.

Part of what has driven this is the nagging perception is that the those in office work for the rich and powerful and not for the people. There’s a lot of media middleman efforts seemingly designed to keep people’s anger directed at politicians and not the rich and powerful figures behind the scenes who are driving policy. It’s only a matter of time before folks come to realize that no real changes are gonna take place until the proverbial Wall Street fat cats are put in place.  Sadly they seem to realize this as well.

Now once upon a time the Aristocratic class and Land Barons who ran this country realized it was just a matter of time before their African slaves and white (European) indentured servants would come to realize as they were working side by side on the fields they were being smashed on by the same person. They feared these lower class folks would rise up and turn on the rich and so these Aristocrats did a couple of things. First they elevated the status of the indentured servant. They were granted more privileges than their African counterparts and were literally told they were better. Many were given overseer status. Their job was to keep everyone especially the African slaves in check and basically protect the rich land owners.The overseers became the first police officers.

The original concern from our founding fathers was to protect the rich and powerful from the poor they were exploiting

Next they put laws in place that would protect them from the ‘Tyranny of the majority’. This is one of the basis for the Federalist Papers put forth by early president James Madison. As Professor and fellow radio host Dr Jared Ball once explained to me…The ‘tyranny of the majority’ the Aristocratic class was afraid of was the poor and desperate who were being oppressed yet vastly outnumbered the ruling class. If they should ever get into power the fear was they would start redistributing the wealth and might start returning the harsh oppressive favors they levied on everyone else. Because of that fear, in a nutshell the game plan was to find ways to protect the interests and property of the rich and powerful and with each passing year and generation different scenarios, tactics and schemes have been thought up. It might’ve been saying slaves were only 3/5th human and not allowing them to vote. It might’ve been making women property and denying them the  right to vote.  It might have been concocting the ‘American dream’ narrative and leaving a whole lot of poor whites under the illusion that with a bit of hard work, elbow grease and determination they to could one day become rich and powerful.

For decades the rich and powerful were able to keep things moving because they had a buffer class that kept the misery of the poor from smashing on the oppressive nature of the rich. They were the Middle class.  For the overwhelming majority of people in this country getting a nice house and a white picket fence was the goal. Forget being a land baron, just give me a small piece of the pie and I’m straight is how most people thought.  Become Middle Class and issues of inequality, injustice and the existence of an underclass would be swept under the rug. We saw this with poor whites who became working class and would show a disdain for Blacks and Browns shooting for the same goals. It was the outspoken voices of the so-called working and Middle class who shitted on things like affirmative action and welfare. We even saw this amongst Middle class Blacks and Browns who would buy into what has often been described as the illusion of inclusion. The need to continue to struggle for total freedom and equality was abandoned by many ‘who got theirs’ who would then turn around and arrogantly chastise those who didn’t make it..

But as we can see that illusion has all but crumbled and those who were happy being middle class the reality has sunk in that they to are not only poor, but they may now be a part of this expanded permanent underclass.  This realization is setting on for many as they’ve seen their 401ks tank, their credit completely ruined, overwhelming mounting debt that they can’t get rid of thanks to new and more stringent bankruptcy laws designed to protect the rich, sky-high school tuitions and jobs permanently gone while more and more workers are being told they are too old or too irrelevant for today’s youthful and politically dumbed down job market. Today in 2010 we’ve seen a collapse of the Middle Class. It’s either your rich or poor. Very very few are in between. Those who are holding on desperately and willing to do whatever it takes to avoid the plight of those around them. Enter the new Middle class.

Private 'security' outfits like Blackwater are increasingly being used to be a buffer between the rich and poor.

To protect themselves from the ‘Tyranny of the majority‘ we are now seeing the formation of a new buffer class made up of law enforcement. Police, prison guards, Border patrol, ICE, private security firms like Blackwater or whatever name they now go by, IRS agents etc…Those who are willing to smash on ‘their own’ are finding they can escape being apart of this permanent underclass by joining up. We’re hearing about the formation of more and more gated communities and private police forces being used to patrol them. We’re seeing this phenomenon in areas where gentrification is taking place and there is concern that newcomers may have to endure the anger of displaced residents.

We’re also hearing about how private police forces are being used to ‘supplement’ supposedly beleaguered police departments. Journalist Jeremy Scahill noted this a while back with Blackwater mercenaries who has been investigating.  What took place in New Orleans during Katrina with them being them holding down empty hotels while poor people around them desperate for food and shelter were forced away seems to have just been a test run for what will soon be commonplace.

Adding to all this is the increasing number of egregious incidents of police brutality. First, many of these incidents seem to be more brazen. It doesn’t seem to matter that incidents are caught on film as is shown in the video below. Here we a police officer  from  a Chicago suburb ruthlessly clobber a driver over a dozen times. The passenger was already tasered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8WCEAIcaT0

Such incidents also seem to be taking place beyond the confines of the hood where police suppression has been an everyday thing. What took place with innocent students many of them white during the G20 Summit at the University of Pittsburgh is one of the more glaring examples. Having experienced being tear gassed and seeing out of control police running into dorms whupping on students while pursuing ‘fictional’ anarchists was eye-opening.  It suggested that it did not matter that students from this prestigious university who are generally heralded and cuddled by the city were gonna be shielded. Police came after them like there was no tomorrow and left many of us this is just the tip of the iceberg.. Look at what happened to students in California protesting fee hikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etv8YEqaWgA

In this video notice  the officers of color seem to be going off the most.. Also note how many people seem to cheer the cops on in the comment boxes. They praised the cops for samashing on students protesting 40% fee hikes at a time when everyone is losing jobs.. What sort of backward thinking is that? The type to prevent the ‘tyranny of the majority’.. Something to ponder..

-Davey D-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOI5l2_RghQ

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Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is T-Pain an Uncle Tom? Should Hip Hop Treat Him the Way Country Treated the Dixie Chicks?

April 18, 2010 By

Is T-Pain an Uncle Tom?: The Coming Out of Closet Conservatives

by Paul Scott

“But they use you for an example. They would rep’ but our heroes got their hands full”

-These are our Heroes-Na-s

Sellout; Sambo; Uncle Tom. These are all terms to describe someone who turns his back on the black community to serve the interests of white supremacy. While these terms have usually been reserved for the likes of Conservatives such as Clarence Thomas or Michael Steele, today we have to add some Hip Hop artists to this dis-honor roll. One being Faheem Rasheed Najm, known to the world as T-Pain.

Recently, Right Wing hitman, Sean Hannity posted a video on his website featuring T-Pain big uppin’ his Fox News television show. Not only that, but when Hannity asked him to say “Conservative victory in 2010” in pure “yessa boss” fashion, he gladly agreed.

This is just another part of the recent trend of the Right Wing to get a black co-signer to prove once and for all that they are not the bunch of racist bigots that we think they are. Recently, there  was attempt by the folks at Fox News to use an old interview LL Cool J to promote Sarah Palin’s new reality show.

Historically, black entertainers have shied away from taking overtly political stands. It must be remembered that even during the height of the Civil Rights movement, music giant Motown had its artists sitting on the sidelines while black folks were fighting in the streets for equal rights.

Entertainers have had, perhaps, just cause to be a little cautious. There is a long history of persecution of those who dared to use their popularity as a bully pulpit to speak truth to power.

It is rumored that Billie Holiday‘s 1939 anti-lynching anthem “Strange Fruit” was banned by radio stations. Paul Robeson was blacklisted for his open embrace of Communism and Eartha Kitt was persecuted for her statements against the Vietnam War.

During the late 80’s and early 90’s, Hip Hop artists such as Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Ice T all felt the wrath of the establishment for daring to rap about something other than gold chains and Air Jordans. The list goes on.

So most entertainers got the message and stuck to singin’ and dancin’.

This fear of taking political stances is not just limited to musicians but athletes have also been cowards. During the early 90’s, basketball legend Michael Jordon refused to donate any money to build a black cultural center at the University of North Carolina; avoiding the fate of former teammate, Craig Hodges, whose Afro-centric activism, allegedly, resulted in his being blackballed by the NBA for a time.

This legacy of political apathy and persecution  is what makes T-Pain’s photo op with Hannity so alarming. There are many worthy black empowerment organizations that could have used his endorsement to help their causes. Instead he chose to give fuel to a racist Right Wing machine that has been running rampant since the ’08 election.

While there are some who will argue that T-Pain’s actions are just an example of a politically naive hood dude being bamboozled by the media savvy Slick Sean Hannity, I doubt that this is the case.  I am sure that neither T-Pain nor his handlers would have allowed his picture to be taken with Rev. Jeremiah Wright or posing with a copy of “Message to the Black Man.”

I didn’t buy the late gangsta rapper Eazy E‘s flimsy excuse for attending a George Bush Sr luncheon nor do I buy the idea that T-Pain’s Conservative endorsement was just a gag. As we approach the mid -term election season, the stakes are too high to play sophomoric games with the lives of poor folks.

It is a widely accepted myth that Hip Hop artists share the same socio-political ideology as their constituents in the hood. Perhaps the sad fact is that the multi-millionaire rappers have more in common with the wealthy, Right Wing Conservatives than they do with the strugglin’ people in the ‘hood whom they are supposed to represent. Maybe, the video with Sean Hannity  and T-Pain was, merely, about two rich guys having a chuckle over the gullibility of their fans.

It has ,also, been assumed by Hip Hop conspiracy theorists that rappers and Conservatives are in cahoot’s, just using the classic  “every hero needs a villain” scam. Despite the faux Fox morality of commentator’s like Bill O’Reilly, the Right Wingers, actually need rappers to use as poster children to justify their accusations of the “failure of big government,” in order to advocate for the elimination of social programs to help the less fortunate.

Hip Hop fans must handle T-Pain with the same passion that  hardcore country music fans used to deal with the Dixie Chicks after they criticized George “G-Dub” Bush.  If Jay Z can criticize T-Pain for the over use of the auto-tune, Hip Hop headz should be able to criticize him for being used as a flunky for the Right Wing.

We must begin to hold rappers accountable not only for their lyrics of violence and misogyny but also for their political stances that run contrary to the needs of the children in poor and oppressed communities.

Until he denounces the Right Wing’s attack on the ‘hood, the “T” in T-Pain will henceforth and forever more stand for “Tom.”

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com
Join the Right Wing Rap Attack http://www.facebook.com/rightwingrapattack

No Warning Shots Fired.com
(Hardcore News and Views with a Gangsta Attitude)
http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com
(919) 451-8283

Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , ,

Neo-Nazis Catch Beatdowns at LA Rally-So Called ‘Non Racist’ Tea Party Types Are Absent

April 18, 2010 By

The day before this Neo-Nazi rally directed toward Brown folks in LA took place, I put out a call to the so-called ‘Non-racist’ Tea Party people who have insisted they are not racist. I  pointed out that in many of the rallies the Tea Party folks have been seen carrying signs depicting President Obama as Hitler. There have been signs using the N word and other racial epithets. There have in recent days been reports about Tea Party types threatening members of Congress and using racial and sexual oriented epithets toward members of Congress.. Sadly Congressman Ron Paul who has been a favorite among Tea Party folks downplayed these incidents as something that is apart of politics..

Anyway I put out a call to Tea Party folks via Twitter to join the hundreds who would be coming out to oppose the Neo Nazi’s who ironically call themselves ‘Socialist‘. This as you know is a term that many Tea Party have vehemently railed against and accused President Obama of being.  My call to Tea Party folks, many who I follow and have engaged in the past was met with a deafening silence. They claim to be against racism , yet was no where around to join those who were standing up to a well-known racist organization-The Neo-Nazis. They say they hate socialism, yet a racist org that calls themselves ‘The National Socialist’ was left unchallenged by the Tea Party Express people. At the time of this writing, I could find no written statements denouncing the rally and expressing their solidarity with those who oppose racism. I have come to the conclusion the Tea Party types are racist.. End of story..

As for the rally itself..These idiots who were recently featured on local news programs bragging about how they were running Mexicans out of LA and showing up to small mostly white suburbs outside of LA, were dependent upon LAPD to protect them. People who were at the rally said the cops were mainly Black and Brown..  Here is some footage including one dingbat Nazi getting beat down…

Davey D-

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlHXdFKoyv4&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVwq1CSrevQ


White supremacist rally at L.A. City Hall draws violent counter-protest

Two men are beaten by mobs of counter-protesters, and five are arrested for throwing objects at the neo-Nazis and their police escorts.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-white-supremacist18-2010apr18,0,4043821.story

A rally of about 40 white supremacists Saturday on the lawn of Los Angeles City Hall drew hundreds of counter-protesters, sparked brawls in which two people were severely beaten and ended with crowds of demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles at police and departing supremacists.

The rally, conducted by the National Socialist Movement, prompted the Los Angeles Police Department to go on tactical alert as counter-protesters from throughout the region flooded into downtown L.A. They included a wide assortment of African American, Jewish, Latino, immigrants-rights and anarchist groups.

While some counter-protesters said they had heard about the event through social media such as Twitter and had come to urge peace in the face of the group’s hateful message, others had clearly come for a fight. At least five of them were arrested by the end of the demonstration for throwing eggs and rocks.

Before members of the white supremacist group had arrived, a bare-chested middle-aged man with Nazi insignias tattooed on his chest and back walked into a crowd of hundreds of counter-protesters gathered near 1st and Spring streets.

Surrounded, the man mockingly bobbed his head to the rhythm of demonstrators chanting “Nazi scum.” About a dozen protesters suddenly began pelting the man with punches and kicks. He fell and was struck on the back with the wooden handle of a protester’s sign, which snapped in two. Police eventually reached the man and pulled him from the melee, as blood poured from the back of his neck.

Another man was rushed by a mob on Spring Street. He was punched in the face and kicked for about 20 seconds before police made it to the scene. After that beating was broken up, the man began running south on Spring Street, only to be chased down by a protester and slugged in the face. He collapsed and his face slammed to the curb as protesters began pummeling him again.

The bloodied man was then escorted away by police. Both victims were treated and released, police said.

His sign, unclear in its intended meaning, read “Christianity=Paganism=Heathen$” with an arrow pointing at a swastika.

“Gosh, I think he just didn’t have a clear message. I don’t even think he was a Nazi,” said one man, looking at the broken pieces of the sign left behind.

The neo-Nazi group had obtained a permit for its demonstration earlier in the week, and police prepared the rally area by taping off a section of City Hall’s shaded south lawn. About 12:30 p.m., members began delivering anti-immigrant tirades and shouts of “Sieg Heil” that echoed down the street.

“We are tired of you clogging up our streets,” shouted one white supremacist.

Another group member repeatedly denounced illegal immigrants, saying, “If the city supports illegal aliens and criminals, that is treason.”

A counter-protester shouted back with a bullhorn.

“You’re being protected by black and Latino cops, you cowards!” she said.

The rally ended around 2:30 p.m. with counter-protesters rushing toward the criminal courts building parking lot where the white supremacists had parked their cars. Dozens of them hurled rocks and glass bottles at the neo-Nazis and their police escorts.

One vehicle failed to start. As a group of white supremacists attempted to jump-start the car, others raised swastika-emblazoned shields over their heads to protect themselves from projectiles. After the white supremacists left, police allowed the crowds to dissipate.

Cmdr. David Doan said the LAPD’s goal was to protect free speech and avoid using force. “There was a tremendous amount of restraint shown by our officers,” he said. “We allowed both sides to exercise their 1st Amendment rights.”

Doan said it was a frustrating situation for LAPD officers. “We took some rocks and bottles when they arrived, and we took some again when the car had some trouble starting.”

robert.faturechi @latimes.com

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Is T-Pain a Republican? Is He Stomping for Sean Hannity?

April 17, 2010 By

There’s a lot of hoopla about T-Pain hooking up with Fox News icon Sean Hannity and him endorsing the Republicans.. Below are a couple of videos. One shows how Hannity and T-Pain hooked up.. The other one shows whats been going around on YouTube.. Personally I don’t think its a big deal.. There have been and will continue to be conservative folks in Hip Hop  as well as artists who back causes pushed by conservatives..

For starters.. a few years ago LL Cool J endorsed GOP Governor Pataki over Carl McCall who was running and would’ve been NY’s first African American governor.. I did an interview with MC Serch and Pete Nice of 3rd Bass at the Source Awards back in 99 or 2000 and they both said they were Republicans.. Bill Stepheney co-founder of Public Enemy I believe is Republican and if you recall Canibus came out and supported George Bush‘s call to war. In fact he did a song called Draft Me and then went off and served in the army..Not sure about Pitbull, but he’s definitely not supporting anyone (mostly non-conservatives) who are down to open up talks with Cuba. His stance against Cube prompted Mos Def to write an open letter challenging him..I was just reminded about Daddy Yankee showing up to the 2008 GOP Convention to support John McCain.. He said he was down to roll with him because he was against illegal immigration.. His remarks drew the ire of Fat Joe who publicly chastized him..

On a side note we can’t forget that in 2004, Jay-Z opened up his 40/40 Club to the GOP where RNC head Michael Steele held a big party and was bragging about how the GOP was connecting to Hip Hop the next day.. Jigga wasn’t there, but they sure did try to make the connection big time..

Peep the videos with T-Pain and you decide..Personally I think Hannity was having fun knowing that him standing nxt to T-Pain would cause everyone to talk.. I think Pain didn’t really care.. he wasn’t tripping like that.. Its publicity for both

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RunkCmu36Bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zrkPEGp8Zg

http://hiphopblips.dailyradar.com/video/t-pain-with-sean-hannity-of-fox-news/

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

Someone just hit me up with a commentary from J-Smooth of Ill Doctrine.. here’s his take on this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtlHcl8WjCA

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New Boondocks takes a Hard Shot at Will I am, Barack Obama and Tiger Woods

April 16, 2010 By

Aaron McGruder has long spoke out against Barack Obama and his ties to Wall Street and corporate America. Long before the 08 election McGruder was letting his feelings be known. Looks like he’s know coming back with heat.. He takes a swift shot at Will I am of the Black Eyed Peas as he gears up for the new season of The Boondocks. In another clip McGruder spoofs the Tiger Woods commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08S4poMGvwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9D_857I0b0

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Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News, Essential videos to peep Tagged With: , , , , ,

Jay-Z Beefing w/ Boston Redsox David Ortiz Over Club name 40/40

April 16, 2010 By

David Ortiz steals Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club name for Dominican Republic hotspot Forty-Forty: suit

BY ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Yankee fan Jay-Z is suing Red Sox star David Ortiz for ripping off the name and reputation of his star-studded sports lounge, the 4-0/40 Club.

Papers filed Thursday in Manhattan Federal Court claim Big Papi visited the sleek hotspot in the Flatiron District and liked it so much, he stole it like Jeter steals second base.

After enjoying the rap mogul’s hospitality, Boston’s designated hitter opened a club called Forty-Forty in his native Dominican Republic, the $5 million suit says.

Lawyers said it can’t be a coincidence.

“David Ortiz was at the club at least twice, and certainly knew of it,” said Jay-Z‘s lawyer, Peter Raymond, of the firm ReedSmith.

Ortiz stopped into the W. 25th St. hangout when the Red Sox were in town to play the Yankees and was there during an All-Star Game celebration, the suit claimed.

The lawyers even included photos of Ortiz living it up at the real 4-0/40 Club.

They say the Web site for his copycat club “blatantly trades on the goodwill and fame” Jay-Z and his partners have built up.

Ortiz could not be reached for comment.

The Web site of the Santo Domingo club says it boasts “the best ambiance in the Caribbean” with VIP areas.

Manhattan‘s 4-0/40 club has a virtual parade of VIPs coming through, with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Naomi Campbell, Mariah Carey and, of course, Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé, hanging out there.

The club – which has branches in Tokyo, Atlantic City and other cities – has been showcased on MTV and in Forbes and Vanity Fair.

The name of both clubs is based on baseball’s 4-0/40 club for players who have stolen 40 bases and hit 40 home runs in a single season.

There are four players in the elite group. Ortiz, who has stolen only 10 bases in his entire career, is not one of them.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/15/2010-04-15_david_ortiz_steals_jayzs_4040_club_name_for_dominican_republic_hotspot_fortyfort.html#ixzz0lGmOsHTW

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This Year the South Gets Honored at the VH1 Honors-What Groups Will they Highlight??

April 16, 2010 By

Outkast kicked down lots of doors for Southern rap

Every year the VH1 Honors pay tribute to Hip Hop pioneers from various aspects and eras of  its musical culture. Last year they paid tribute to Def Jam records.. The year before they gave dap to West Coast artists. In other years they paid tribute to many of the early pioneers out of New York.. The show brings forth a unique mix of Hip Hop elders to be honored while some of today’s most popular artists pay tribute by re-doing one of their popular songs.

According to Hip Hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, one of the driving forces behind this event, its one of the ways they attract a younger audience that otherwise may bypass the honors altogether. It’s not like other commercial outlets that normally present Hip Hop music are routinely educating their audience to have a deeper appreciation for bygone eras. Hip Hop on the commercial side is no where like its Rock-n-Roll counterpart where classic material and pioneering figures in the genre are held in high esteem.

Today there are far too many young cats in Hip Hop who have no idea who the pioneers are. Sadly many don’t even care. Hip Hop has been positioned as a music genre that is supposed to only be for one people. Case in point are the recent potshots we’ve heard younger rappers take at veterans like Jay-Z. Most notably artists like Game have referred to him as an old man over 40 who should not be rapping. You rarely hear those slights taken at Rock artists many like Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney who still tour while well into their 50s and 60s. That needs to change. We need to change.

This year the VH1 Honors, normally held in the fall are taking place in June during Black Music month. This year pioneering figures from the South aka the Third Coast will be honored. According to Fab 5 Freddy, he has long wanted to feature artists from this part of the country. They have been dominating for a number of years. he didn’t say exactly who will be on the show, however, I do know when I ran into Houston artists Chamillionaire and Paul Wall the other week they mentioned having to do something for VH1 around the honors… We’ll keep you posted as things unfold.

Here’s the interview we did with Fab 5 Freddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvjcaVYJXn0

If it was up to me I’d love to see them dig deep and pull out seminal figures like Magic Mike, Clay D, Afrorican, The M4sers and all those folks who were key in the evolution of what was once known as Miami bass. Also included would be 2Live Crew and MC Shy D who I feel has long been overlooked and all but forgotten when his records once upon a time were mainstays.

Geto Boys for years was the dominant group from the South that most of us knew about

Of course we have to pay tribute to Texas..The Geto Boys, UGK,  Lil Keke the late DJ Screw immediately come to mind. Michael Watts is another who we need to look at.

It would be a major oversight to not honor Arrested Development. Outside of the Miami Bass era I think they were the one group that initially captured the essence of that down home feeling that many of us came to associate with the South. I think Arrested Development is underplayed. In that same vein we have to honor  Outkast and the Goodie Mobb.  Dap has to be given to the entire The Dungeon Family which includes Organized Noise. Here’s what Speech had to say about Southern music and whether or not its getting a bad rap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMj4S6CXfhs

If I had to pick someone from New Orleans it most definitely would be Juvenile who’s career goes back to New Orlean’s humble bounce music days.

In places like Kentucky I would love to see props be given to Underground Mafia.. I think they were way ahead of their time. and unfortunately only had that one album. Below is one of my favorite songs by the group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD3-VU-KPmE

We cant forget 8Ball and MJG out of Memphis.

Finally we have to look at looming figures from Virginia and Washington DC.. DJ Kool, Missy Elliot and Timbaland are names that come to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh6hgorQTos

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Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News, Essential videos to peep Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mystic, Freestyle Fellowship, 2 Mex, LA Breakers Come Together for Earth day Celebration

April 16, 2010 By

SOUTH LOS ANGELES GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE EARTHDAY AND TO EXPLORE THE THEME OF WATER

The 2nd Annual EARTH DAY SOUTH LOS ANGELES EVENT, Saturday April 17th 2010 from 11am to 6pm will be at Normandie Avenue Elementary School, 4505 S. Raymond Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045. A growing movement in South Los Angeles area has serious momentum and is being expressed through the arts, workshops, and food culture.

Over a hundred artists will participate in performances and ceremonies of Music and Dance, Community Mural, Graph Art Pieces, Recycled Art Exhibit and Fashion Ahow, and an Art Sale. Local food will be showcased with recipe demos, food vendors and produce for sale. Information tables will showcase the work of our partners and other community organizations.

Earth Day South LA (EDSLA) will include performances by Aceyalone of Freestyle Fellowship, Mystic, La Santa Cecilia, 2Mex, Rifleman, Dyane P, Buyepongo, the Caribbean Dynamics, LA Samba Kids and the Normandie Avenue Elementary School Student Orchestra. Dance features the World Famous LA Breakers, Just Wanna Step and Bharata Natyam.  The event will begin with a gathering call from the Freedom Sounds Korean Drumming and an opening ceremony by Azteca Dancers.  A featured project will be the Southern California Library’s Sounds of Justice presented by Jeremy Sole (KCRW) and Kaos Network Beat Cypher Collective.

Normandie Avenue Elementary will be beautified with live graffiti art by Cre8, Duce, EnkOne, and Jeyd curated in collaboration with I.C.U. Art and a Community Mural, Art Sale, Recycled Art Exhibit and Fashion Show by Liliflor Collective. A Hip Hop Poetry Room will feature an Open-Mic and workshops from BessKepp, NHS Poetry Club and the Get Lit Players. A mini EDSLA Film Festival will show films that reflect the work for a sustainable community, for example, A Drop of Life and The Power of Community. Workshops include Composting, Fruit Tree Pruning, Yoga, Capoiera, Healing With Herbs, Son Jarocho Dance, Recycled Art, How to Start a Food Not Bombs Chapter, Bike Safety and Maintenance and African Drumming. Also on offer will be activities for kids and a local fruit pick.

“Beyond organic” local produce will be featured in cooking demos by chef Gino Campagna (star of Kitchen Kids on AOL.com), Chef Jason Michaud of Local, a Chef from Chi Dynasty, Sirena Pellarolo from East Side Café and Lisa Nunez Hancock and youth of U R What U Eat. Produce will be available for purchase at the South Central Farmers booth. Pure fruit smoothies, iced herbal/fruit teas, tamales and salads will be on sale.

Our Partners include Councilmembers Jan Perry and Bernard Parks, Bike Oven, City Year, Caracol Marketplace, Community Build, Eastside Café, Food Not Bombs, Hunger Action Los Angeles, Garden School Foundation, Hip Hop Association, ICU Art, LA Conservation Corps, Kaos Network Beat Cypher Collective, Lilliflor Collective Studios, NAES Environmental Club, SOL Cooperative, South Central Farmers, The Tree People, USC Student Activists for a Beloved Community, Southern California Library, Women Organizing Resources Knowledge and Services.

Together we envision an annual Earth Day event where community residents in South Central come together in a safe environment to have fun, celebrate our foods and cultures, learn about and participate in sustainable practices, and connect with each other and organizations working to make positive change in our neighborhood.

Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Merger of Hip Hop & Punk..an Interview w/ Fab 5 Freddy

April 14, 2010 By

The meeting of Punk and Hip Hop cultures in the late 70s early 80s is an overlooked often downplayed facet of Hip Hop History. Most people think of Run DMC‘s Rock Box and later their collaboration with Aerosmith when they think of Hip Hop merging with Rock-N-Roll. The truth of the matter is that in a very organic way, artists from both cultures broke bread and came to respect each other not so much because of the music, but because of the ‘rebellious’ attitude and spirit that personified both groups.

With last weeks passing of punk icon turned Hip Hop icon Malcolm McLaren, the details of punk Hip Hop unions began to be revisited. We sat down with one of the key bridge builders to both worlds Brooklyn native Fab 5 Freddy to get his perspective.  Fab started out as a graffiti artist and later went on to rap and produce. His record Change the Beat is a classic. here Fab raps in French and at the end provides us with the classic line that every DJ worth his weight has used to scratch.. Ahhh This Stuff is Really Fresh. It was one of the earliest instances of a vocorder being used in Hip Hop. later on Fab5 became the face of Yo MTV Raps.

Fab 5 Freddy

He now heads up the VH1 Hip Hop Honors. He noted that this year they will be honoring the pioneers of the South. We spoke to him about those pioneering days and he noted that his love of art is what took him downtown to the thriving Village scene that hosted Punk, New Wave and artsy types..Fab 5 noted that his partner in crime (art crime) was the late Jean Michel Basquiat and together they attended a lot of the shows and parties and met folks like Deborah Harry and her man Chris Stein from the group Blondie.  The group would later immortalize Fab 5 in the song Rapture where they shouted him out. In our interview Fab 5 explains how that song came about.

Kool Lady Blue

We talked about Fab’s first encounter with Malcolm Mclaren. He noted that it was a promoter named Kool Lady Blue best known for her work at the Roxy and the Negril who introduced the pair and that Fab wasn’t really feeling McLaren. He explained that  his good friend Johnny Lydon aka Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and later PIL had accused McLaren of ripping off the group. As a result when McLaren explained to Fab 5 that he wanted to go uptown to the Bronx and experience the emerging Hip Hop scene, he wasn’t gonna be ‘that guy’ to make it happen.

Fab went on to explain that he was impressed with the way Mclaren maneuvered. Not only did he make it up to the Bronx but he eventually teamed up with two guys Larry Price aka Se’Divine Price and Ronald Larkins Jr aka JazzyJust the Superstarwho were members of the 5% Nation who had started doing one of the earliest Hip Hop radio shows back in 1979 on WHBI. . The duo went by the name World Famous Supreme Team and they along with Mclaren made history by putting out some of Hip Hop’s ealiest hits including ‘Buffalo Gals’ and ‘Hey DJ’.. Fab explained what made Mclaren such a genius was his ability to capture not only the early feel of Hip Hop but also the groups popular radio show . He was ground breaking in his production and willingness to push the envelop.

Fab added that the Hip Hop -Punk fusion came about because there was a community of artists who were open minded and willing to collaborate.

The Clash

We talked about the groundbreaking role the Clash played. Fab noted that the London based group was influenced by reggae and saw similarities with that and early rap.  They did a weeks long stint at a club called Bond  where they decided to show support for Hip Hop by inviting a popular artist or deejay to open up for them each night. The line up included Grand Master Flash, Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, Spoonie G and Funky 4 Plus One More.  he said rthe crowd was hostile. It would be like a rapper performing at a Tea Party. Things got so bad the Clash had to come out on one of the nights and let folks know they were in full support of Hip Hop. Later on Mick Jones would hook up with Futura 2000 to do a song called ‘Escapades of Futura’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR9K2ISCUqg

During our interview Fab talked about how the merger of Punk and Hip Hop helped paved the way for early Hip Hop journalism primarily with writers Barry Cooper and Greg Tate who were fixtures in the downtown art scene and started penning stories about Hip Hop.

Click HERE to Here Breakdown FM podcast featuring Fab 5 Freddy

Below is a link to the interview we did with Fab 5..

Breakdown FM Interview w/ Fab 5 Freddy How Hip Hop Met Punk

Here is a shortened video version of the podcast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyxNc-7cA7E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3niRdoFgYoQ

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Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Inside Music Media: Conan on TBS — Smart?

April 13, 2010 By

As you read this story about Conan O’Brien for those who are in the music biz, keep a couple of things in mind 1-) Jerry Del Colliano the author of this piece’s expertise is the music industry. He’s a ‘G’ in that world and has been dead on with his assessments and analysis.. He’s  been preaching to folks in this crumbling industry to make some moves and think outside the box. What Conan is doing is something many of us need to be looking at in terms of identifying audience, owning them versus renting them and then being shrewd enough to set up shop and go in deep where they are at… It’s still baffling to me that in 2010 I still run into cats who are gung-ho trying to get signed or get their songs on commercial radio. Its 1996 game that has come in gone.. In the next few days we’re gonna be posting a series of interviews that focus on this aspect more. In the meantime,  wet your palettes with this article and we’ll build later

-Davey D-

Inside Music Media: Conan on TBS — Smart?

By Jerry Del Colliano

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2010/04/conan-on-tbs-smart.html

For Conan O’Brien, getting pushed out of his Tonight Show digs at NBC has turned into quite a profitable business.

NBC paid him off — $45 million to O’Brien and staffers — when the network decided to reinstate Jay Leno to Conan’s spot after Leno’s ill-fated months in the 10 pm weeknight slot.

Everyone thought Conan was headed to Fox — including Fox — according to Deadline Hollywood’s reporting. More talks were said to be scheduled between Conan and Fox after the NAB Convention now underway in Las Vegas.

Then the shocker.

In about less than two weeks, according to news accounts, Conan O’Brien’s people decided to take an offer from TBS to bring his offbeat, youth-oriented comedy to cable.

Smart?

Obviously for O’Brien, it was.

He’s getting a reported $10-12 million a year in a five-year deal that also gives Conan’s production company ownership of his show with TBS taking a smaller stake in it. Not to mention the four-day workweek.

This is more than a story about a spurned TV comic who was pushed out of his Tonight Show chair and rose to get revenge.

It’s about the changing audience, the unusual appeal of paid cable in a free world and, well — the growth of the Internet.

How so?

Since leaving NBC with all that money, Conan has miraculously discovered the Internet.

He’s been attracting over a million people to his online antics and has embraced Twitter like never before. See, his youthful fans are watching more cable and obviously, they are also the Internet generation.

So far so good.

Conan pulled a friendlier coup when George Lopez’ current 11 pm TBS show was designated for midnight. Lopez, being the good solider (perhaps better than Conan when NBC decided to restore Leno to The Tonight Show) said he’d love to have Conan as a lead-in come this Fall.

O’Brien cannot be on live television until September under his NBC exit agreement, but he can tour and he’s using the Internet to drive his “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour.”

As shocking as the Conan announcement was to the traditional television community, you had to see it coming.

Conan’s audience grew up on cable — niche programs more so than the homogenized fare the major TV networks have been used to offering.

They reside on the Internet and as soon as O’Brien figured it out, they flocked to him.

Now it’s a win-win-win.

Conan gets rich again with approximately the same salary NBC would have paid him that they already had to pay him to leave.

One win.

The audience gets a cult-figure, quirky, cable-ready O’Brien.

Two wins.

TBS gets to sell advertising and stands to make a profit from the get-go with a former big network talent who is not aging. In fact, he was too old for NBC’s audience.

Three wins.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

“The defection of a big-name broadcast TV talent to cable TV comes amid a creep of programming and advertising dollars to pay TV. Cable networks have invested billions of dollars in original scripted shows, high-profile sports events, kids’ programming and late-night shows”.

O’Brien is quoted as saying, “In three months I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable,” Mr. O’Brien said in a TBS statement announcing the late-night show. “My plan is working perfectly.'”

Tongue planted firmly in his cheek but absolutely true.

Here’s the future:

1. Cable is a great interim step, but soon an Internet-only video shows like the kind Conan (and other genres) can do will reside only online and on mobile entertainment devices. But they can’t be like traditional television. Read on.

2. The content will resemble an assembly of YouTube clips that can be viewed in one session, or individually at the whim of fans exercising their right to get content on demand.

3. Social networking will be included and I’m not just talking Twitter and Facebook. More like a separate “nation” for, in this case, Conan fans to communicate with each other.

4. New forms of ad revenue such as performing in public venues with sponsorship tours. By going to cable, Conan gets to enter the new space while being funded by the traditional advertising model of spot TV. Believe me, advertisers are more than interested in finding their way to new media.

5. Mass communication over traditional media is waning. The future is programming delivered where people now live and will soon reside — online, on phones and iPads.

Conan saw the future and you see it, too.

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Filed Under: 2009-Daily Hip Hop News, Political articles Tagged With: , , , ,
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