The Coup which features Boots Riley has a new album out called Sorry to Bother You. So far its been getting a lot of buzz.. Below is the video to one of the singles off the album called ‘Your Parent’s Cocaine’. Boots describes the song as a billionaire kids coming out party..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nJtbSixXGgM
One of the dopest films out or soon to be out at a theater near you is the Something from Nothing the Art of Rap, put together by Ice-T... Yes, there have been a number of documentaries put out over the years that have focused on emceeing, but this one really hits home for a few reasons..
First, the stories are being told by those who do it..This is important, because far too often the nuanced and subtle perspectives by the practitioners are often left out or overshadowed by everyone else when documentaries are made. We get to really see how folks are thinking and feel where they’re coming from. There’s no middle-man, expert, punditry interpretation.. You walk away really understanding how and why Hip Hop and in particular rap is an American art form given to the world..
The second thing, is we got to hear from many of the pioneers and see them execute their craft without the feeling like they were being rushed off or their interviews cut short to make room for artists or big names who are well-known today in 2012.
Common holds it down in the film ‘Art of Rap’
It was good to hear good solid interviews with pioneering and iconic figures who still have it like Grandmaster Caz, Mele-Mel, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Nas, Chuck D, Q-Tip and Doug E Fresh to name a few. They were nicely balanced out with folks like Kanye West who got busy in this film, along with artists like Immortal Technique, Eminem, Bun B and Common to name a few..
On a side note the Grandmaster Caz spit the illest rhyme out of everyone in the entire film..I had to get that in , because a couple of my buddies thought Kanye took the cake. A couple thought Eminem came hard while others felt WC made his presence felt.. That’s the good thing about this film.. we’re all gonna come out debating who repped.. So I’m just gonna keep it real with ya since its my blog.. Grandmaster Caz killed it.. case closed!..
It was good seeing Ice T do the interviews because he pulls things out of his peers that many film makers probably couldn’t.. It was good to see him in the role of journalist, fan and participant as he ripped a few flows to remind cats, he still has flavor. It was good to see the camaraderie and mutual respect and admiration which often led humorous exchanges..
The only shortcomings to this movie is it should’ve been longer.. I think 4 or 5 hours would’ve been great.. LOL Seriously Ice will have to make additional parts to this, because as dope as this flick is, there are many angles that weren’t fully covered.. There’s no way to fit everyone and everything into a film like that..especially since Ice allows folks to talk and show off their skillz.. He wasn’t cutting and editing just to fit everyone in..
Other critiques?? Pick a city, any city around the country, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Oakland, Cleveland, Boston.. Pick a city and I guarantee at every showing, there will be someone pointing out that the Art of Rap didn’t include their favorite rapper or the person they perceive to be the sharpest spitter from their part of town..There’s gonna be cats saying there wasn’t enough midwest, not enough South, no Bay Area etc etc.. That’s gonna happen and even with that critique the film is still dope..It might drop down to a 9.5 as opposed to a 10..
There will be folks from different generations who feel like more could’ve been added. Yes there will be a few who say the film should’ve included more pioneers, more cats from the 80s, more cats from the 90s and millennium cats. Some will want more underground, others will want it to be more mainstream.. That’s gonna happen… and even with that, as I noted earlier still this is a Must See film
It was good to see Salt in the Art of Rap
Personally I think Ice could’ve added a few more sistas in the mix.. It was good to see Salt, It was great to see Lyte.. I wanted to see Yo Yo, Medusa, Invincible and Jean Grae.. and while they weren’t in the film, it’s still dope.
The good news is Ice filmed hours upon hours of material and I’m almost certain we’ll see additional parts where our personal favorites are included.. As I said this is not a forced documentary. It flowed really well and had a very authentic feel and is an important, essential addition in the Story of Hip Hop..
Major Props to Ice T.. I fully expect this documentary to be nominated for an Oscar.. It’s that damn good.
-Davey D-
Below is the official video for the Art of Rap.. Smooth tha Hustla brings heat..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rykWQSWrWL0
What the heck is wrong with our lawmakers in Sacramento? This past Friday the State Assembly unanimously approved a bill that would allow a statue of the Father of Crack Cocaine to be places inside the Capitol.
The men behind this move is Assemblyman Curt Hagman of Chino Hills and Martin Garrick of Solana Beach. They authored the AB2358 which passed 55-0. Obviously our lawmakers see nothing wrong with sending a bad example to our kids..How do we go about honoring the Father of Crack? Can we get a statue of Black Panther leader Huey P Newton or United farm worker leader Cesar Chavez inside the Capitol? Perhaps we can show some love to Angela Davis or Dolores Huerta?
With each passing year, we have delusional forces within our population who wish to rewrite history and make us forget about a man they call the ‘Great Communicator or the Gipper.. He’s the California actor-turned President turned Crack Cocaine Lord-Ronald Wilson Reagan..
They can honor Reagan with a statue if they want. Many of us will remember his destructive anti-heroic role. Thank God for Atlanta rapper Killer Mike who did this song reminding us about all the harm and dread Ronald Reagan brought to this country.. Here’s an article laying out all his evil deeds.. From supporting Apartheid to turning hsi back on the Aids Epidemic.. Read that article HERE
On last tidbit… The statue of a Civil War abolitionist named Thomas Starr King was removed back in 2006 to make room for Reagan.. How’s that for a nasty insidious twist? Get rid of a guy who fought against slavery to honor a man who turned his back on anti Apartheid efforts..Remember how Reagan stood against Nelson Mandela and the ANC?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPyjJ1MMUzQ
There’s a lot of talk about Hip Hop being dead or completely compromised with messages and images that fulfill corporate agendas and while that may be true in terms of what is presented on some of the largest stages around us, we should not discount the fact that everyday folks are waking up and fighting the good fight… One cat that puts in work day in and day out is Bambu.. Some may be familiar with him as one half of the group Native Guns.. Others know him as a committed community activist who is always trying to find ways to uplift the youth..
This week many activists and concerned citizens are in Chicago protesting the NATO Summit.. Many are being arrested and tossed in jail with the bogus charge of terrorism for simply live streaming or marching. I hope people are paying attention to what is going on as we are witnessing a complete news blackout.. With that being said NATO is where you will find government forces from all over the world who are beholden to the 1%. Many of us forget that our real fight is with that small cabal of people who dictate the direction of the economy and now the types of oppressive and restrictive laws we will live under.. Artist like Bambu haven’t forgotten as illustrated in this new video..He goes hard on the issue of foreclosures which in 2012 represent the biggest theft this country has ever seen.. He deserves major props for stepping up and reminding all of us what sort of truth we should be speaking in these turbulent times..
written by Davey D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXrQ5FBao0
Remember the days when Malcolm X ( El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was an emcee on everyone’s Hip Hop records? Folks back in the days would always sample him and have his words of wisdom be apart of the soundtrack..I recall the early days of Hip Hop when deejays like Afrika Bambaataa would rock Malcolm speeches over break beats. Not only did it sound funky but it helped raise our consciousness..
During the so-called Golden era You had everyone from Poor Righteous Teachers to Paris to 3x Dope to Gang Starr to Public Enemy all rocking Malcolm samples..I recall when KRS One mimicked the infamous Malcolm X pose where he was holding a gun looking out the window, ready to protect himself after his home had been firebombed. Many say KRS kicked things off when he featured Malcolm X in his My Philosophy video … I miss those days..
Remember when Malcolm was sampled so much that he wound up being on the cover of the Source Magazine? Say what you will, the powers that be worked overtime to remove Malcolm from our collective consciousness..It’ll be interesting to note how many newscast make mention of his birthday today… or how many urban radio stations that’ll quickly disperse info on Kanye and Kim dating but will be silent and omit Malcolm’s birthday or any activities related to it, in their daily banter..
I say on this birthday lets do more than give a shout out.. Let’s return Malcolm back the forefront of Hip Hop consciousness…
If you happen to be in Oakland today.. head on over to San Antonio Park for the annual Malcolm X Festival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7o3zVD7rx0&sns=tw
Many have got it twisted in thinking Malcolm X somehow softened or lightened up in his final days.. This speech given in 1965 one month before he was killed is anything but soft.. He stays sharply focused and unwavering in his fight for freedom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3WliIKNPI
Here’s a couple of Malcolm Music mixes you might enjoy
J-Dilla Meets Malcolm X (Davey D remix)
North Carolina rapper K-Hill
Drummer Keith LeBlanc‘s classic and one of the earliest records paying tribute to Malcolm X
Malcolm X Meets Gang Starr -(Ballot or the Bullet)
Malcolm X Meets Public Enemy (the Govt Has Failed Us)
Intv w/ Immortal Technique during Malcolm X
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pt 3
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zIGNkR62Mo
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Props to Jasiri X who is back on the grind, bringing serious truth and hard-hitting music to key issues of the day..Last year around this time, Jasiri weighed in on the big debate around public union bargaining rights in Wisconsin when tens of thousands came out to oppose newly elected Governor, Koch brother puppet, Scott Walker.. The song ‘American Workers vs Multi-Billionaires‘ went over well and became an anthem of sorts for many who were vigorously opposing Walker’s attempts to end collective bargaining.
This time around Jasiri X weighed in with the recall efforts which are on full tilt.. His new song is called Scott Walker You’re Fired. Ya gotta love artists like Jasiri X, Rebel Diaz, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Invincible and dead prez for constantly providing a soundtracks to struggles the people are undertaking..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4P6v3pGGmI&feature=g-all-u
This is a nice re-make of Nas‘ song ‘Made You Look’ by Mos Def aka Yasin Bey, dead prez and Mike Flo. Its called ‘Made You Die’ and it’s a tribute to Trayvon Martin. Its a dope song we all needed to hear as it definitely hits the mark in a big way..
I recently got a chance to talk to M1 of dead prez earlier this month about the song and he noted that all of them happened to be in New Orleans at the same time for some events surrounding Katrina survivors when they got together and decided to do something special for Trayvon..He noted its important for artists to step up and give the people something to be inspired or be healed by.. He noted the streets are his office and he and his crew will always be there for the people. In other words it was a no brainer for them to do such a song..
During our convo, M1 also gave some insight about the climate in and around Sanford, Florida.. M1 used to live in that area and still has family down there.. While its overtly racist, he noted that the Uhuru Movement is headquartered not to far from Sanford and hence there is a strong spirit of resistance in that area..
You can peep our interview with M1 at the link below..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcmUAG210oM
Below is a video of the group working on the song ‘Made You Die‘.. here they give some insight as to why they decided to step up and represent..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54heaNynlfs
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