You are here: Home / Archives for 2010 Daily News

Breakdown FM Interview w/ Hip Hop Legends Kid-N-Play: From Their Rapping Days and Beyond

August 20, 2010 By

Click HERE to Listen to Breakdown FM interview w/ Hip Hop Legends Kid-n-Play

http://www.alldayplay.fm/episodes/episode-29-kid-n-play

We caught up with Hip Hop legends and long time friends Chris Reed and Chris Martin aka Kid-N-Play who were the surprised guest for a special taping of Jamie Foxx’s Foxhole Comedy Tour in Sacramento and the debut of a new film company No Brainer. Foxx had an all-star line up of comedians and athletes ranging from Kevin Hart to Ron Artest to Danny Glover to Lloyd and with each appearance the crowd went nuts. However, the biggest applause went to Kid-N-Play who took the stage with a vengeance and reminded folks just how fun Hip Hop.

They dropped a bevy of classic songs and ended it by doing their trademark kick step dance routine which wasn’t a bad feat considering Play has titanium rods in his leg and ankle from an accident he suffered a few years ago while walking his dog named ‘Girlfriend‘. In fact lets clear up this crazy rumor that folks have heard. Play broke his leg when his dog chased another dog and got the leash entangled in his leg causing him to take a nasty spill. People heard the word Girlfriend and erroneously concluded that his mishap was the result of some sort of domestic abuse thing. It was nothing of a kind-not even close.

We sat down with the duo and covered a wide range of topics. We talked about their movie careers and the significance of the House Party film series. Many of us note that it those films opened the doors for rappers who made their way into acting and later producing and directing. In short Queen Latifah, Will Smith, Ice Cube and many others owe a bit of gratitude to Kid-N-Play. It’s interesting to note the roles Kid-N-Play did was written for Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXEsSrmabA0

Comedian Martin lawrence is one of the many stars who was part of the House Party series

The pair talked about the many legendary entertainers who they worked with and came through House Party including the late comedian Robin Harris, Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell. There’s been talk of reviving the series with a whole new cast. We’ll keep you posted as to how that unfolds.

They also talked about the enormous talent that is coming up from today’s generation of artists especially along the dance tip. Kid noted that he was impressed with the ways folks have flipped things.

We talked about Kid’s comedy career and how he made the transition from rapper to stand up.

Play who had the dubious distinction of being kicked out of 5 different high schools while coming up in New York, today is teaching college courses on two different campuses in North Carolina.  One of his classes he teamed with producer 9th Wonder who now teaches his own Hip Hop culture class. Play also noted that he’s been filming and doing documentaries. He noted that there’s a big void in relevent and intelligent news stories for folks in the hood and he’s been trying to fill that void with his own project Brand Newz.

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Essential videos to peep, Life style articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Distracting Has this Debate About the Ground Zero Mosque Been?

August 19, 2010 By

It’s funny how many of us were kinda caught off guard when it was announced that we were pulling our ‘combat troops’ out of Iraq. We would no longer be engaged in day to day fighting, instead the 50 thousand troops left behind would be in an ‘advisory and consultant’ role. So in short, things are being framed as the War in Iraq has ended and everyone is happy but scratching their heads asking ‘How did we not know this’? “Why did we not see this coming?’

By now we all know that the mainstream media and those who have access to controlling or influencing its inner workings have perfected the art of distraction. Maybe it’s a Tiger Woods scandal to overshadow our increasing troops and funding for the War in Afghanistan. Maybe its Lebron James and his big decision to leave Cleveland overshadowing the beg decision made by an LA jury to hand down a light sentence to a murderous cop. (Oscar Grant/ Johannes Mehserle).

In any case most of us know by now that when corporate backed news outlets start over saturating us with an issue, then something else is going on. That something else is usually something we should be paying attention to.

So what have we been talking about over the past couple of weeks? The main topics that have gotten us heated center around race and religion. They include: Anchor babies, Terror babies, Changing the 14th Amendment, Dr Laura using the N word and the dust-up over building a Mosque/Community center near Ground Zero.

I’ll be the first to say discussions about race and politics are always important but only  if we are 1-equal participants in framing the discussion and 2-If we have a desired goal we wish to reach. The above mentioned topics seem to have come out of left field with the end result being a lot of folks being put on the defensive and reacting to a script and a narrative already laid out. Many of us have spent hours debating these issues with groups of people who have decided that no matter what is said or how much logic is used they’re still gonna push the issue and stick to the main talking points.

Texas Rep Debbie Riddle believes we have Terror Babies to Fear

We’ve seen this play out around the issue of terror babies. We saw political figures like Texas Congressmen Lou Gohmert and Texas State Rep Debbie Riddle riding this issue hard only to find that once questioned they had absolutely no proof and had their stories were categorically refuted by the FBI’s terror experts. Nevertheless these advocates stuck to their guns and kept fanning the flames of a Non-Issue.

We seen this play out with the Mosque/Community Center near Ground Zero debate . For the past two weeks our TV screens and radio dials were filled with whining voices of people who aren’t even from New York declaring folks as un-American for being insensitive to 9-11 victims. They claimed that the land around Ground Zero was sacred ground and we all need to show respect. All that was coupled with over the top pejorative remarks about the ‘Evils of Islam‘. Of course pointing that the initial proposals to make Ground Zero a building free memorial park were rejected by developers who wanted commercial buildings on this ‘sacred ground’ was done without one word from many of the people talking that hallowed ground stuff today, has fallen on deaf ears.

Ann Coulter said the widows of 9-11 were 'enjoying their husband's death

The ‘deaf ear’ treatment continued when pointing out that there was a huge silence when right-wing pundit Ann Coulter accused 9-11 widows of ‘enjoying their husbands deaths‘. We didn’t see all these pundits running around demanding she show sensitivity. She wasn’t banned nor were her books removed from bookstores near Ground Zero.

The main point here is while we been going in on these topics, we missed the run up to our troops leaving Iraq and in doing so, we never got to ask all the hard questions like:

1-Did Iraq’s oil reserves really pay for the War? This was one of the strong selling points or us going to Iraq. Are getting reimbursed by them?

2-Suicide rates are at all-time highs with many of our troops having served 4 and 5 tours of duty. Are we equipped to absorb them back into society? Are they gonna be able to cope? Did we provide enough money in our budget to take care of their needs?

3-Will they have jobs waiting or will the returning soldiers join the ranks of under employed and un-employed?

4-What is Iraq to us now? Is it a sovereign nation free to do as she sees fit? Is it a colony of the US?

5-People who have been against the Mosque have talked about how allowing it to be built will send a strong negative message of us ‘giving in’ if we allow it to be built. What signal (positive or negative) is being suggested when we pull out of Iraq? Are we seen as winners or a super power that couldn’t get the job done?

6-Does a pullout in Iraq mean we are gearing up for the war in Iran?

7-Us pulling out of Iraq today overshadows the premier of the Pat Tilman movie where its pointed that the military brass deliberately lied and deceived the American public not only about the circumstances around his death but lots of other issues related to drawing us into war. One of the more damning facets highlighted in this movie is the role of former general Stanley McChrystal played in all this? Why was he kept on to run operations? Was the Tilman coverup an isolated incident or widespread?

Forget a proposed Mosque being built on private property lets talk about the wars we been fighting and what’s behind them. Forget the Mosque, lets talk about the plight of those returning to college. last year we saw massive strikes from New York to Cali as students protested fee hikes that ranged from 30-38% percent. With the economy in shambles, what’s happened to all those who couldn’t afford high fee hikes?

We can go on and on with questions and pointing out issues we really need to be focusing on. We could be talking about the rise in private prisons like Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and how they are connected to the push for tougher immigration laws like SB 1070.

We have the situation with the Gulf and the BP Oil spill. In spite of all the assurances that everything is ok, there has been recent citings of an oil plume 22 miles long. How much damage has been really been done? How much is being covered up? Should we be discussing this or the Ground Zero Mosque/ Culture Center?

Karl Rove has quietly started a Shadow RNC and plans to toss unlimited amounts of money at specific mid-term contests

We can talk about the Jerrymandering and Redistricting efforts that will take place after the 2010 elections-Perhaps we should be talking about the secret Shadow RNC that has been formed by former Bush advisor Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie. They have raised close to 130 million dollars and will be taking advantage of the new supreme court rulings that allow corporations to spend whatever they want during elections. What will that mean?

Many of us have been remarking about how Sarah Palin has been defending Dr Laura and her using the N word. We definitely should shut that down, but we should also be paying attention to her Mama Grizzly campaign. She’s been stomping for a number of women to get into office where they can carry out her policies. Who are we stomping for?

Remember a distracted population is a dumbed down population. A dumbed down population is a population that’s easily manipulated and pimped.

something to ponder

-Davey D-

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wright: White Supremacy from Bacon to Obama: Are We Finally at the Moment of Reckoning?

August 19, 2010 By

White Supremacy from Bacon to Obama: Are We Finally at the Moment of Reckoning?

by Professor Tina Wright


A few months ago, I got into a debate online with a white woman I did not know. She was “scared to death” about the direction of this country and felt Obama and his policies were going to ruin the United States. She was worried about the “new world order” and saw Obama as the face of it. While acknowledging “problems” starting under Bush, she believed things were much worse now under Obama.

Her reasoning epitomized white privilege so I asked her one last question which i had a feeling she would not, or could not answer: When were things “better” in this country? Name one time.

as i suspected, I never heard from her again…

maybe she thought she was being set up for a history lesson…and she was. I wanted to ask her if things were better when the indigenous’ lost their land and lives? or Africans and African Americans were enslaved for hundreds of years? Or maybe during the rule of jim crow domestic terrorism? lynching? the great depression? segregation? crack? 50% youth unemployment in cities in the 80s? For her, today’s “sky is falling doomsday” is for many “just another day in the U.S.A.”.

I’m not sure she learned anything that day….but i know i did. James Baldwin’s Fire Next Time may be upon us.

“But it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent.

It is the innocence which constitutes the crime.” – James Baldwin

Before Obama won the election, I knew his presidency would be the opportunity for reckoning. I wrote and said many times that this country was not ready for even the symbolism of a black man as head of state. White supremacists would revolt..and in many ways have (politically, rhetorically, and even in some cases, violently).

While Obama has no real power (or desire) to threaten white supremacy, the symbolism of him being the president is more than many in this country can bare. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck have decided to employ the same strategy that has been utilized throughout this country’s existence to protect white supremacy and the status quo power structure: stroke white fears.

Bacon’s Rebellion: The Writing on the Wall

Early slavery was “indentured servitude” for many Africans and Europeans that were brought in bondage (some kidnapped). Many worked for years and then earned freedom. That is why there were free Africans in VA and other areas from early on (some of which even went on to own slaves themselves (but that’s another story). Chattel slavery “for life” as it came to be was a result of this fear of the poorer masses (white and black) coming together and threatening the planter class (elite). Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 was a symbol of their greatest fear and THAT led to “African” based “slave for life” system, and white supremacy as an ideology to keep poor whites supporting a system that never benefited them…they were taught one thing: “at least you are not black”.

And the pattern has been used ever since…Birth of a Nation was the visualization of white fear post Civil-War. Reconstruction time was a very progressive time for the African American community, including land ownership (some of which was seized from confederate former slave owners) education, & political representation (to the point we have not seen since – why you often here preface “first Black _____ since Reconstruction…etc.). Black progress was real and Black wallstreet (Tulsa OK) and Mound Bayou (Mississippi) were models of it … but white America was NOT ready and domestic terrorism as a strategy was implemented (KKK, lynching, white mobs and finally Jim Crow by law for a century). Trust me, history does repeat itself when we do not learn the REAL lesson… these days, I hear talk of repealing the 14th amendment?! exactly…

Obama’s presidency has been about nothing BUT the ongoing racial struggle in this country…it is the latest chapter if you will. I want to take a minute to give the historical context…i will use black history but this can also be done with Native Ameican History, Chicano history, and so on…

With progress made, there is always backlash…

TO secure our freedom:

1. David Walker’s Appeal (calling for enslaved Africans to secure freedom by any means)

2. Bacon’s Rebellion (class based revolt)

BACKLASH:

1. racialization of slavery (from indentured servitude to slave for life)

2. black codes for non-enslaved African Americans

THEN WE:

1. Abolition movement to end slavery (from reform tactics like pressure though press and courts to radical revolts to moral religious tactics)..led to whole free state/slave state – congressional politics of representation 3/5 clause etc.

BACKLASH:

SECESSION

THEN to secure freedom we:

POST Civil War – RECONSTRUCTION ERA

1. Federal FREEDMAN’S Bureau

2. gains in education, land, and political representation

BACKLASH:

1. Domestic Terrorism, birth of KKK

2. Legalization of Jim Crow

THEN WE TRIED:

1. Booker T. – building institutions but not fighting racism,

2. DuBois – NAACP, tried reforming system, holding to its ideals,

3. Garvey – actually inspired by Booker T., self determination, building black institutions and economic empowerment with black money not white donors like Booker T. had

BACKLASH:

1. J Edgar Hoover hired first black agent to infiltrate UNIA.

2. Black leaders pitted against each other as tactic (Washington v. DuBOis, Garvey v. DuBois)

3. Internal strife (movements brought down from within/tactic used in revolts earlier too)

THEN we HAD:

1. CRM – Emmitt Till, montgomery bus boycott – masses organizing, SNCC, BPP, etc

BACKLASH:

1. COINTELPRO

2. MLK v. MALCOLM,take sides (tactic divide and conquer which Malcolm X later rejected)

THEN:

hip hop – voice for youth coming of post-CR era

BACKLASH:

commodfied – frame one dimensional and sell for profit while reinforcing stereotypes..see BAMBOOZLED

THEN:

OBAMA

BACKLASH:

1. tea party

2. “liberal” squabbling on politics instead of organizing actions (which i argue is very purposeful and again refer to Malcolm X speech on foxes and wolves..liberals and conservatives)

3. the fear of a brown planet (immigration debate, 14th amendment, etc.)

I write all this to basically point out that we have to make sure we know not only what we are fighting for (freedom, justice, sustenance)…but WHO we are fighting for (people’s class), and who we are fighting against (elite)…because there have been many times in history we have been pitted against each other as a tactic when we could have united and been a powerful force for our own freedom…we can either learn lessons of history, or continue to repeat them…

Ms. Sherrod breaks it down plainly on why understanding and dealing with white supremacy is critical to building class consciousness…it has not only been A strategy but it has been THE strategy of the owning class since before this country formed…back to colonial days..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa4t4WLuRyI&feature=player_embedded

We cannot be free until they are free – James Baldwin

James Baldwin

For working people to come together (again – see Bacon) they must first recognize the humanity they share…and white supremacy is the roadblock denying that truth. That is what the white middle class has done for this system…people will continue to support a system that only benefits 1% until they recognize that they are not a part of that 1%…they are a part of the 99% masses across the globe of all hues…

so i say all that to say this:

If you really study the struggle of black history and the use of white supremacy to keep iniquity alive, as i have said many times before…even the symbolic aspect of a “black” man being the president of this racist empire and how it is driving white supremacists crazy was change enough for me to believe in…lol.

Obama’s presidency is an opportunity for this country if we seize it..Before Obama rattled white supremacists awake, they were able to hide behind institutional racism and now they have to come from behind the Bushes (pun intended), show their true color (pun intended) and let the fall out begin (AZ, tea party, 14th amendment now etc)…which will FORCE US to do what we have to do to …FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM…and THAT is what i’ve been waiting for…The Fire Next Time… it’s time and i’ve been ready..

as my son would say…LET’S GO!!

original story:   http://riseuphiphopnation.blogspot.com/2010/08/white-supremacy-from-bacon-to-obama-are.html

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

DJ Kuttin Kandi: Why Fat Beats Matter to Hip Hop

August 19, 2010 By

WHY FAT BEATS MATTERS TO HIP-HOP

by DJ Kuttin Kandi

Fat Beats recently announced that they will be closing their legendary Fat Beats Record store in Los Angeles and New York City in early September (New York: Sept 4, Los Angeles: September 18th). Upon hearing this sad news many things came to mind, but first my emotions got the best of me. My heart stopped breathing and I felt as though I was going to choke. It was like the world suddenly ended. I felt like I lost a best friend and a big part of my identity. That’s simply because Fat Beats was truly like a best friend to me. But even more so, Fat Beats had much to do with my identity. Like many Hip-Hop heads I pride myself in stating the words of KRS One – “I AM Hip-Hop”. And like many true Hip-Hop heads know, Fat Beats IS Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop IS Fat Beats. So, it’s only natural when a Hip-Hop head like myself hears the news that the world famous Hip-Hop store is closing they know that it’s like losing a big chunk of Hip-Hop. Suddenly the words of “I AM Hip-Hop” can’t seem to ring true anymore when Fat Beats closes.

For those that are just now learning of what Fat Beats are I am saddened that you are just learning about Fat Beats now and that you won’t be witnessing the Fat Beats that many of us once knew and loved to heart. I will do the best that I can to give honor to the store that paved the way for all of us.

Fat Beats is a place for which many of us call “underground Hip-Hop” or “real Hip-Hop”. As much as many of us don’t like to divide Hip-Hop, the truth is the mainstream music industry creates those rifts where independent Hip-Hop just don’t get the opportunity to have mainstream airplay. The co-optation of Hip-Hop culture of big corporations many of which are record labels and etc. controlling and monopolizing mainstream airwaves, many of whom don’t know a lot about Hip-Hop history or culture, play a huge factor as to why many independent artists are never heard. So, many of those great legends in Hip-Hop and dope Hip-Hop top-notch-ill-lyricist who can actually rhyme, you might not ever get a chance to know about unless you went to Fat Beats or were part of that “underground Hip-Hop” scene in which Fat Beats played a huge role.

Before I even get into how Fat Beats played a huge role in Hip-Hop, let me start how it played a huge role in my life. Memories of Fat Beats are starting to play like a needle to the groove as I reminisce my earlier days in the scene. The year was 1995, and DJ Roli Rho and I walked throughout the Greenwich Village of New York City, looking for the record store we had heard about from other friends. The original store was located in a basement and if you were a regular passerby you probably would never notice it was there unless you were intentionally looking for the spot. The minute Roli and I walked in we were mesmerized. We knew we walked into a paradise of not just records, but pure, original, organic, and true Hip-Hop. That was the day we also met Joe Abajian aka DJ Jab, the owner of Fat Beats. When we left Fat Beats that day, Roli and I, like little kids who found a secret stash of candy, swore to each other to keep the place secret and to only show people who were worthy. I know, right? What the heck? Lol, why so secret? Well, quite honestly, we knew we found something so valuable. We knew it was a treasure we felt we had to keep safe. We had to protect Hip-Hop.  Eventually, we couldn’t be that selfish.  We knew we had to share it amongst folks and deepen the knowledge for others who were looking for really good music.

It was from that point on that my world changed. Through Fat Beats, I’ve met some of my greatest friends as well as some of my idols, inspirations and mentors. Fat Beats introduced me to a whole world of true Hip-Hop. They’ve introduced me to my crew the 5th Platoon. I probably would have never met my all-female-crew Anomolies had it not been for Fat Beats. So many moments, so many memories, so many people.  People we all grew up together with in this culture Hip-Hop we loved so much… Arsonists, Non-Phixion, Stronghold, Percee P i’ll never forget you chillin there!  I mean, i can’t name everybody, but we all were there.  Visitors all over the world, comin through to the tiny spot that moved to upstairs ave of america’s.  We moved on up!  Fat Beats was the place to be, the place to go to find out all the underground Hip-hop events. It was the place where I met Gangstar, and had it not been for that moment of truth time Guru (rest in peace) and I might not have been longtime friends. Fat Beats had seen me grow as a DJ, has helped me to become a DJ. They sold my mixtapes.  Then when I proved my skills, Fat Beats invited me on stage to perform with legends. One of them being in 1995, our very first Fifth Platoon show for Fat Beats Anniversary and for GrandMaster Roc Raida’s (rest in peace) birthday. That was the day I also made my debut. Fat Beats developed my name – Kuttin Kandi – could not have existed without Fat Beats. And right now, as I am 3000 miles away from Fat Beats NY, our 5th Platoon signed picture still hangs on their ceiling till Fat Beats closes.

Memories, so many of them. And I am sure it is not just me reminiscing….

Long before twitter, facebook, and blogging ever existed – people relied on fliers, word of mouth and real contact with people. Fat Beats was the place to find out all the upcoming Hip-Hop events, where’s the next open mic spot, who’s the next artist. You had to go to Fat Beats because there was going to be an MC Battle, a record release, a DJ Battle. You had to go to Fat Beats because they were going to tell you the newest artist. You knew they were going to be the first to play the artist before they blew up. You were going to see cats outside of Fat Beats selling you their CDs. There were going to be lines outside of Fat Beats. Tickets to the hottest Hip-Hop event were going to be sold at Fat Beats. They promoted our events. They pushed and moved our careers. They’ve seen us come up and make it. And they kept the buzz going. But most of all Fat Beats kept true to keeping vinyl alive. Even as I’m sure vinyl sales went down over the years and the rent on avenue on the america’s were going up, Fat Beats still kept trying to go on.  I’m surprised it stood ground for this long, but then again I’m not that surprised because they knew how important the music and the culture was to all of us. And because Hip-Hop knew how important Fat Beats was to keeping true Hip-Hop alive.

So what does this mean for Hip-Hop?  Well, the good news is that Fat Beats will still continue on with their website, retail and their wholesale distribution. Of course, on our ends will need to continue supporting Fat Beats. But while it’s a good thing that Fat Beats will continue online and etc, I am still saddened. Having a space for Hip-Hop heads to gravitate to is so important for the culture. Sure, I know we’ve got our open mic spots and other little spots.  And i know we’ll survive this just as we survived when the Stretch and Bobbito show ended.  Even recently good long-time friend dope ill battle MC Sara Kana from Grind Time reminded me and told me that, “We Are this Underground Hip-Hop”.

But this is big, at least this is big for me… having a record store may not be the full representation of Hip-Hop but it definitely plays a huge role in bringing us together.

Let’s bring this to the perspective of community.

Starbucks, and other coffee spots, a fairly known place, has been labeled a “third space”. “Third Space”, is a popularized coined term created by urban sociologist, Ray Oldenburg which is used to label spaces created by businesses that create an “anchor of community” to have conversation, dialogue and discussion. While I often enjoy a good latte once in a blue, hanging out starbucks will never be my “place to be” nor are folks from my community really chillin there. I don’t consider the “third space” of starbucks a place where I find a sense of community. And again, it’s not my community. Nor do I want it ever to be my community.

Fat Beats is that third space for me, and for many of us, particularly for us, people-of-color (and our allies) who love real Hip-Hop.  Fat Beats is that independent store we love to support, because they support independent Hip-Hop artists. They support people-of-color. They support our communities. They support our history, our culture, our passion, our friends, our music. And I am sad, that we lost this third space. Where and when will we have that space again?  A space where we can be truly who we are… where we can get down.. listen to what we love… and not conform to the mainstream status quo. Where will we have that space for us again?

While I love the fact that the internet has opened up doors, bridged some divides, and actually helps independent artists, it has also closed a few doors for us.

Again, don’t get me wrong, I still support newer technology. Serato has made things easier in my life, at the same time there is still a loss. Everything is so accessible to us now. We no longer have to dig in the crates and search for a record. It’s just with a stroke of a key that we can get that joint. You don’t even need to memorize the color of the label no more, because you just enter the title and the song comes up. Record shopping created relationships and friendships. Crate diggers know this, especially all of you who are true classic collectors. And I’m sure you all still do this in whatever record store still remains in your city. But losing Fat Beats is a sign for us to find ways to stay connected. It’s a sign for us to not lose ourselves completely to technology. We are losing human connection. While we connect with people, more than we can imagine, via the internet… we are still losing the human touch. We need to walk out the door, go to a record store, meet that lifelong friend who knows exactly how you feel when you put the needle to the groove. Listen to the music together at the record store. Nod your head. Bboy, Bgirl… cut it up… because it connects you to Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop connects you to your community. This is what Fat Beats taught us throughout the years.

Thank you for believing in me and thank you for supporting me all of these years.  Thank you Joe and for all the staff throughout the years (DJ Boo, Lalena, Max Glazer, and so many others), especially the legendary DJ Eclipse for holding it down all these years.  You will never be forgotten!

Thank you Fat Beats for a lifetime of memories, music, love, hope, independence, vinyl and true Hip-Hop.

With love,

DJ Kuttin Kandi

5th Platoon, Anomolies, Guerrilla Words, R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop

DJ, Poet, Writer, Activist

For more articles and videos on Fat Beats read here:

http://www.audibletreats.com/pr/fatbeats_pr6.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm30LXs2DNc

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Ground Zero Debate: Islam Did Not Knock Down the Towers…Immortal Technique, Mos Def & Paris Remind Us Who Did

August 17, 2010 By

As we continue this senseless debate about the building of an Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero, we should keep a few important points in mind..

1-Islam did not knock down the towers…If it did then we best be prepared to shoulder the blame for ‘Christianity’ burning crosses and lynching thousands of Black people throughout the South. If Islam knocked down the towers, then we’re gonna have to accept the fact that ‘Catholics’ raped hundreds of little altar boys and we’re gonna have to accept that ‘Jews’ killed Jesus. I’m sure if we sit back and think for a minute we can find all sorts of evil things done in the name of God, Jehovah, Allah etc and conclude that an entire religion was responsible for the wrong doing..Obviously that would be wrong-headed, so lets not be selective in what we want to demonize.

2-This country was founded on Freedom of Religion.. It doesn’t matter if you wanna pray to Frosty the Snowman or Barney the Dinosaur, you have that right and no one should be allowed to prevent you from practicing especially when the worship is being done on private property and other people are not being physically harmed.

I realize being tolerant is hard for many to stomach, but too bad.  Feelings may be hurt and that’s understandable, we all have our feelings and opinions and we’re entitled to them.. However, that does not give anyone the right to stop someone from enjoying the main tenets this country was founded on. If someone doesn’t like the Islamic Center near Ground Zero being built because they feel the land around it is somehow sacred, then those folks with hurt feelings can walk right past it. You don’t have to visit it. You can go to the strip club that’s nearby and drown your sorrows in a healthy offering a naked dancers and porn.

3-Many Muslims died on 9-11 as did people of all races and religion. No one group gets to claim moral high ground or some sort of ultimate victim status. Many people lost family members on 9-11 and in the weeks, months and now years afterwards. Today we have first responders who are dying because of health issues related to 9-11 that wasn’t disclosed while they were doing clean up. There are thousands more who volunteered and joined the military and later perished on the battle fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two wars were and are being fought under the guise of what took place on 9-11.

4-If folks really want to fight a battle about what should be built on and around Ground Zero, then do some homework. Initially many of the family members who lost loved ones came together and asked that the World Trade space be devoid of buildings and that space be made into a memorial park.

Sadly, that idea was shot down and ultimately rejected by developers and politicians who insisted that the best testament to America’s strength would be to replace those towers with new ones and essentially let the world know that America was back in business and would not compromise on her ideals..We didn’t hear one peep from anyone who is up in arms today. If people were so gung-ho they should’ve been riding for the family when they said lets have a ‘real sacred’ space. But since we decided to show the world America will rebuild and showcase her Freedom loving philosophy, its a shame to see that being shoved away by intolerance.  All these people crying and whining about the Islamic Center is not a good look for America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZZQL81Evb0

5-Islam did not knock down the towers. The incompetence and political turf battles within important divisions of our Intelligence community led to 19 men with box cutters taking 3000 lives, damaging the Pentagon and creating Ground Zero. Maybe if Bush and his croonies had a better handle on things the warning signs and intelligence of Osama Bin Laden striking us would’ve been heeded.. but alas it wasn’t. Who knocked down the towers?

Immortal Technique and Mos Def got it right with their landmark song ‘Bin Laden‘

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

Immortal is not one to limit his thoughts to a record and not back up what he rapped about. He recently did an interview for Russia Today where he sheds further light on what thinks about 9-11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJuxb7HddOM&feature=channel

Bay Area rapper Paris also spoke out forcefully about what took place on 9-11. He was probably the first of over 200 rap artists who eventually did songs on the incident. His opinion like many was and is starkly different then what was being pushed by George Bush and the White House.

Below is his song What Would YOu Do? and a link to an article he put forth with a challenge to debate anyone on the facts surrounding 9-11. He went on Fox News and a bunch of other places and handled business in terms of backing up his words and shutting folks down. He followed up his song with written responses to the questions folks had about  ‘What Would You Do? http://www.daveyd.com/parisrespondsback.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrrzHjPC9p8

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Believe it or Not: The US & the UK are Assembling a Database of People that Predicts Crimes they Will Commit

August 17, 2010 By

I guess at this stage of the game, nothing should come as a surprise. Those who hold power have been going all out on the suppression/ oppression tip to smash on a growing population that  is increasingly angry and dissatisfied with the way things are being handled.. Here’s the latest efforts..Its called a Future Crime database..It sounds like something straight out of the movie Minority Report. As you peep it.. keep in mind the other thing that is going on..Operation Falcon which is a program designed by local police, the FBI and a number of other law enforcement types that will allow them to do mass arrests numbering in the thousands.  Yes folks this is going on in 2010. Shout out to the folks over at Holy Kaw for hipping us to this latest development

-Davey D-

How the Future Crime Database Will Work

by Shanna Freeman

Crime stories, especially stories about violent crimes, are often at the top of local news broadcasts. The news anchor explains the gory details of the murder, gives some background information about the victim and details the progress that law enforcement has made toward solving the crime . But imagine if the news anchor instead said something like, “Today John Doe was arrested by law enforcement for the future crime of murdering his wife.”

In the film “Minority Report,” people with precognition (a form of ESP in which a person learns information about future events) provide a law enforcement department known as Pre-Crime with the names of both murderer and murder victim. Images relating to the murders are transferred to a computer so that officers can examine them to get more information. Instead of being arrested for crimes, people in the film are arrested for crimes that they would have committed.

Although the movie takes place in 2054 and is based on a science-fiction story, some people believe that Pre-Crime prosecution could actually become commonplace in the future. The realm of the paranormal has not yet entered into it, but a real-life future crime database would instead be based on a number of elements that could be interpreted as pointing toward future criminal activity.

If you’ve committed a crime, some of your personal information is probably already stored in various databases. Exactly what is stored depends on where you live and the nature of your offense. But proponents of future crime databases suggest that they include information about people who have never committed a crime. As this idea has gotten more attention, so has the concern over potential civil liberties violations. In short, future-crime databases are highly controversial.

Before we speculate about all of the possibilities, let’s take a look at the databases that currently exist, starting with DNA databases in the United Kingdom and the United States.

National DNA Databases

In 2006, several crimes that had previously been unarrestable, such as not wearing a seat belt, were made arrestable. This increased the number of people  whose DNA samples were added to the NDNAD. Supporters said that more than twice as many crimes had been solved using DNA samples in 2005 as had been solved in 1999

 The United Kingdom's DNA database is now the second-largest in the world, with more than 4 million entries.

A number of those samples are from children, who have been arrested for everything from littering to skipping out on bus fares. According to Gary Pugh, the director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard, any child who exhibits behaviors that may indicate a potential for committing crime in the future should have a sample of his DNA included in the database. Pugh stated that “We have to find who are possibly going to be the biggest threat to society”urce]

.In the United States, the FBI funds a nationwide system called NDIS (National DNA Index System). It officially began operating in 1994. It differs from the U.K. DNA Database in that smaller databases called CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) exist on state and local levels. Each crime laboratory in the country controls which information it shares with the national database. As of 2007, the NDIS had more than 4.5 million profiles.

Like the DNA database in the United Kingdom, the NDIS started as a way to index DNA samples from violent criminals (in this case, convicted sex offenders). Gradually it expanded to include almost all convicted felons. Some states collect DNA samples from all people who have been arrested, including children. In 2004, voters in California passed Proposition 69. Within that state, law enforcement officials can collect DNA samples from anyone arrested for a felony, as well as certain misdemeanors. DNA can also be collected from illegal immigrants for any reason.

New DNA techniques and databases continue to evolve. A company called DNAPrint Genomics sells a product called DNAWitness, which locates Ancestry Informative Markers in DNA samples. The companies claim that these markers can break down the racial makeup of the DNA and help to narrow down suspects based on race. Although it can’t perfectly determine the race of a suspect, the owners of DNAPrint Genomics claim that the margin of error is negligible. Most law enforcement departments have yet to use DNAWitness, citing concerns over racial profiling.

DNA is just one aspect of building a future crime database. We’ll look at other types of criminal databases next.

continue reading here…. http://people.howstuffworks.com/future-crime-database2.htm

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles Tagged With: , , , ,

Meg Whitman: Why Do You have an Office in Oakland-When You’re Never There?

August 17, 2010 By

Dear Meg Whitman

I am writing you because I have several concerns about how you are running your campaign here in the lovely city of Oakland, California. I’m not one to mince words and beat around the bush so lemme just get to the point. Why do you have an office in Oakland when you 1-Put up insulting signs that call our collective character into question 2-you and your staff are never there?

You’ve had a storefront window for almost two months in one of the most populated sections of the city  (Lakeshore Ave) and not once have we seen you. I for one was kinda stoked when I first saw your office. Yes, we all know Oakland is heavily Democratic, but I figured here’s someone who may be the next governor of California reaching out to engage ALL of us. I was looking forward to stopping through to let you know some of the challenges we here in ‘Tha Town’ are facing. But alas..No Meg. All we got was this store front with your name plastered all over the windows and us being relegated to seeing you through those endless commercials that run every 5 minutes on TV.

Today I walked by your office and it was closed once again. I could see your name from like two blocks away, but as I drew closer I noticed someone had posted up a bunch ‘Oakland Loves Jerry Brown’ flyers all over your window. It wasn’t a just few flyers, it was a lot, which meant someone either posted them in broad daylight and no one cared to stop them or it happened at night and had sat there all day. In either case it’s not a good look Ms Whitman. It’s not a good look at all. It was an indication that you’re an absentee candidate.

Seeing those signs made me wonder if this is reflective of what would be your governing style. Are you the type to throw lots of money at a problem or people or make symbolic gestures but not stick around long enough to sincerely engage them? Or is it an Oakland thing? Do you not care enough to chop it up with folks on this side of town?

Maybe we’re a bit sensitive here in Oakland Ms Whitman, but it’s hard not to conclude you have disdain for the city especially when we recall what you did when you first set up shop. Who can forget the infamous  ‘You are under 24 hour surveillance’ signs posted all over your window? Hard working, good people in Oakland were made to feel like criminals plus our intelligence was insulted because you spelled the word ‘surveillance’ wrong (survellaince). The final insult was noting that there have been businesses on Lakeshore that have been robbed, but none of them opted to put up ridiculous signs. They seem to understand, that you don’t smash on an entire community for the acts of a scant few. The signs only changed when residents started posting the picture and a local SF Chronicle blogger Zinnie Abraham posted a video. There was never an apology for your transgressions and no visit to speak with the people.

In any case Ms Whitman, you should know with an unemployment rate hovering between 10-12% and an even higher under-employed rate there are lots of folks including myself who are willing to step up and help you out. Perhaps you can scale back on some of those commercials and toss a few thousand of the 100 million you already spent on your campaign and have one of us man your office. We can make sure no one posts up ‘I Love Jerry Brown’ stickers and we can leave people with the impression that you really care. A lot of folks are losing their homes, maybe you can do us some good by providing housing, unemployment and other types of information at your empty, always closed campaign office to help us get through these trying times. Heck maybe you can even give away a few jobs. Put those millions to good use Ms Whitman

Lastly we had a big community meeting last night and the people of Oakland promised not to bite if you come visit..

Peace out

Davey D

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Meet the 2 Most Dangerous White Women in America…Be Scared Folks Be Very Scared!

August 13, 2010 By

This has been a painful and turbulent week for white women everywhere. Just when we thought people were starting to come together, bridges were being built and brighter tomorrows were looming on the horizon, here come not one but two women who have set this country and white womanhood back at least 100 years. No we’re not talking Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton. Sure they do drugs, are a bit over the top with their behavior and done a little jail time, but hey we all have those moments.

No it’s not Britney Spears..We all have erratic behavior at times..We understand.

No, No, No it’s not Snooki-yeah she’s crazy, but who doesn’t like her? Fist pump everybody

No the two women who have done irreparable harm and have taken ding batness to new heights are actually considered pillars of society. They’re considered the type of individuals we should look up to because they’ve had measures of success. We’re talking about Texas rep  Debbie Riddle and radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger.  Over the past week the stuff that has come out of these two women’s mouth has been more than shocking.

Texas Rep Debbie Riddle believes we have Terror Babies to Fear

Let’s start with Ditzy Debbie Riddle. She’s a horse breeder and has served in Texas House of Representativesoutside of Houston since 2003.  We always thought something was a little off about her.  She just had that look.. it was the look of extreme intolerance. Our fears came to fruition back in March 2003 when she gave an interview and said “Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever? It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight out of the pit of hell. And it’s cleverly disguised as having a tender heart. It’s not a tender heart. It’s ripping the heart out of this country.” .

Yep you guessed it,  good ole Debbie was acting like one of the good ole boys and showing her unabashed disdain for anyone not Anglo. She really had it in for the Brown folks of this good state and sadly when ever possible you could count on Ditzy Debbie to stand up and advocate for any sort of legislation or measure that most of us would find oppressive.

For example, back in May in typical fashion Riddle couldn’t contain herself in showing support for Arizona’s Apartheid-like law SB 1070.  But leave it to Ditzy Debbie to take it to another level. In an interview with ABC News as reported by Houston Free Press ,she was asked why she thinks that minorities might be opposed to laws requiring them to show their identification papers to local law enforcement. Riddle replied; “When you have people that are used to entitlements, then they like the entitlements and they want the entitlements to keep coming… ”The people who are saying these laws are racially motivated are trying to divert attention for their own selfish greed,”

Thats classic Debbie…but fret not, this week she out did herself and drove the car off the cliff. During a CNN Interview she came up with this delusional story about how mothers were coming over to America, having babies returning to their country so they could have American citizenship, forcing the kids to join terrorists cells and then sending them back over to the US when their 18 so they could commit acts of terror. She termed these babies ‘Terror Babies‘.. Yes, you read all that correctly.. Here take a minute and re-read that. Better yet, look at this CNN interview where you can see and hear Debbie in all her glory. All this stems from Riddles desire to get rid of so called ‘anchor babies‘. She wants to see the 14th Amendment change so that we could strip kids of their citizenship if born in the US with undocumented parents.

We don’t know whether we should laugh at this shear stupidity or cry especially since none of this could be confirmed by the FBI or any other terror expert. Realizing she’s a bona-fide lawmaker we shudder because Ditzy Debbie tries to craft policies around these outlandish beliefs. Lord help us all..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A5Z1QnXhx8

Dr Laura showed and proved that she could be a member of NWA any day.

Next up we have Dr Dingy aka Laura Schlessinger. Maybe its me but she looks like she could be Ditzy Debbie’s sister. Anyway not to digress Dr Laura has always been the personification of hypocrisy and contradictions. She’s been on the air forever, dispensing advise on morals, family values and telling us how we should all live our lives. There’s nothing wrong with that per say, but Dr Laura has always been abrasive and uncompromising. She’s been known to go in on people and make them feel bad for divorcing or having sex outside of marriage. She’s been quick to smash on folks for behaving in an immoral fashion.

However when you take a closer look you find that it’s been, Dr Laura who got a divorce. She’s the one who had an affair. She’s the one who had naked pictures of herself surface. All her talk about having integrity went out the window when it was discovered that she was using her staff as fake guest for her short-lived talk show.

What really got into hot water was her outlook on Gays. She’s always seen them as an ‘abomination’, ‘deviant’ and a ‘biological error’. She was not shy about stating her opinions publicly which led to widespread protests and resulted in her having to publicly apologize or suffer serious economic consequences.

Dr Laura’s latest antic came the other day when she decided to step up and spout out the N word 11 times while speaking to an African American caller. Many of us thought she was trying to ensure a spot in the next NWA reunion. Here’s what took place.

An African American caller named Jade called in to talk about her interracial marriage. She noted that some of her husband’s friends and family members make racist comments. She complained that her husband would ignore the remarks and that left her feeling hurt.

Dr. Laura responded by saying, “sometimes people are hypersensitive.”

Later in the conversation Jade talked about the use of the N word and that it bothered her. Thats when Dr Laura rattled it off 11 times stating that Black people use it all the time. She said  “I don’t get it, if anybody without enough melanin says it it’s a horrible thing, but when black people say it it’s affectionate.”

Later on Dr Laura intensifies things by saying all sorts of crazy stuff about  “We got a black man as President and we have more complaining about racism than ever and I think that’s hilarious”

She told Jade who objected to the use of the N word that she had a chip on her shoulder  and was too sensitive and needed to get a sense of humor.

“Okay, all right, chip on your shoulder can’t do much about that. I think you have too much sensitivity and not enough sense of humor.

She even accused jade of trying to ‘NAACP her” and noted that “Hypersensitivity”  is being bred by black activists.

She concluded her call by saying: “I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites, hating blacks, would stop. But it seems to have grown, and I don’t get it. Yes I do, it’s all about power.”

All you could do at the end of the call was shake you head in utter astonishment…Peep the call below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAD-PipXGwA&feature=related

Ditzy Debbie Riddle and Dr Dingy Laura Schlessinger what more can you ask for? Like I said, if it wasn’t for the fact that one is lawmaker crafting policy and the other is a Dr who dispenses advice on the air, this would be funny or something we could easily brush off. But they have creditability and get taken seriously in many circles. They’re living proof this country has along ways to go..Thank you ladies for taking America to new lows..

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner


Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Political articles, Southern Shift Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Former Fugee Member Pras Explains Why He’s Not Endorsing His Cousin Wyclef for President of Haiti

August 12, 2010 By

Pras

Former Fugee member Pras sat down the other day and explained why he won’t be supporting his cousin Wyclef Jean and his bid for Presidency in Haiti. He explained that he doesn’t think Jean has a comprehensive plan for the beleaguered country. He cited the 1.2 million people who are currently living in tent cities and Wyclef’s lack of details in crafting a plan to deal with them. He says that Haiti needs a short term and long term strategy.

Currently Pras is backing another musician named Michel Martelly aka Sweet Micky who is also running for President and considered conservative by progressive activists in Haiti.  Below are a couple of interviews where he explains his endorsement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_YN30mR2j4&feature=fvsr

http://online.wsj.com/video/michel-martelly-and-pras-michell

Click HERE to watch interview

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Essential videos to peep, Political articles Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hip Hop True Stories: Pharaohe Monch Talks about the Making of the Classic Jam’Oh No’

August 11, 2010 By

Props out to my man D-Nice as he drops a nice gem of a Hip Hop True Story. This one features Pharaohe Monch talking about the making of the classic song ‘Oh No’ featuring Nate Dogg and  Mos Def.. Check out D-Nice TV for more episodes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDd4MP4akQA

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

Filed Under: 2010 Daily News, Essential videos to peep Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »