Watching Busta Rhymes reflect and react to his visit to Senegal and his visit to Gore island where they have the Door of No Return is powerful. I recall how full I was when I returned from Kenya, I felt profoundly changed. I had a different spirit which is with me three years later. I’m not sure how Busta’s change will manifest itself in future works. Hopefully it makes him step up in ways he never imagined. For the rest of us, may we use this Holiday Season as a launching pad for all of us to return home. We have got to find ourselves and re-center ourselves in 2011. Its either that or pay a dear price for becoming the very things have oppressed us and we complained about ..
Busta Rhymes Touches Down in Senegal and is Profoundly Moved: Powerful
December 24, 2010 By
Our Interview w/ the Legendary DJ Premier of Gang Starr
December 3, 2010 By
Davey D interviews the legendary Dj Premiere at RTB 2010 Bay Area for hip-hop.com. They discuss what it takes to be a dj, the passing of longtime former partner Guru. We talk about the special tributes held for Guru after his death. We talk about DJ Premiere’s hip-hop beginnings starting in Houston, Texas and culminating in NY. Most importantly we talk about the art of producing.. We discuss at length some of Premiers favorite producers..You’ll never guess who he’s included in his list.
The Root: Oakland’s Marriage to Hip Hop & Politics
October 8, 2010 By
The Root has been doing a series on our beloved city of Oakland.. One of the topics they tackled dealt with the long marriage between Hip Hop and political activism. Now of course an entire book could be written on this.. LOL I damn near wrote one when writing this.. The original article I penned for this series was around 5000 words , which was way too long and just too much to read in one sitting, But hopefully folks get a small taste of what goes on out our way…
-Davey D-
Boots Riley of the Coup
One of the hallmarks of Oakland, Calif, is its activism and politics and its longtime alignment with hip-hop culture. When I say “aligned,” I’m not talking about a rapper doing a song where he spits a couple of cool verses with a socially relevant message. Don’t get me wrong; that’s important, too, but that’s just surface stuff. Political involvement requires much more. As a radio journalist, writer and activist who’s been living in Oakland for the past 22 years, I feel privileged to live in a city where hip-hop and political activism are so closely linked.
The attitude in Oakland is that everything is political. Even being apolitical is political. Folks understand that politics is a rough-and-tumble sport; a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. Here, the end goal is not just getting the chosen one elected into office. Holding folks accountable is paramount, and going beyond the limits of electoral politics is how many see the political landscape. Voting is a tool, but not the only tool to bring about change. Hip-hop is another tool, a potent way to communicate with the masses.
continue reading article HERE at The Root
Colorlines: Why We Need (Real) Gangsta Rap Right Now
September 24, 2010 By
This is a pretty good article penned by long time journalist Eric Arnold where he talks about the deliberate de-politicization of rap and the rise of gangsta rap..It was in response to an erroneous article that came out a a couple of months back where the writer claimed gangsta rap had gone mainstream..-Davey D-
Eric k Arnold
The story is an all-too-familiar one: On Labor Day weekend, a Guatemalan immigrant named Manuel Jamines was shot in the head and killed by LAPD officers. The police claim the man charged at them with a knife, but at least one eyewitness says he was unarmed. The killing has inflamed long-simmering tensions between the police and immigrant and minority communities in Los Angeles, resulting in protests and arrests. Adding fuel to the trash-can fires are reports that the officer was involved in at least two previous shootings.
Jamines’ story comes as part of what seems an unending line of police violence against black and brown folks, from Oscar Grant in Oakland to Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit to systematic racial profiling in Brooklyn. At a time like this, when calls for police accountability are rumbling from grassroots activists coast to coast, our movement for justice needs a soundtrack. It needs music created from the same inner-city streets whose residents have borne the brunt of police brutality since before Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. It needs gangsta rap.
Some critics have hastily written gangsta rap’s obituary. But in 2010, the genre remains a commercial force; what has declined is its gravitas as protest music. Once outspoken on the subject of police violence, in recent years, hip-hop broadly has been all but silent on politics of any sort, at least from a mainstream perspective. Back in the days, gangsta rappers faced off against label executives in corporate boardrooms over freedom of speech; now they entertain marketing meetings over energy drink endorsements.
This change didn’t happen overnight. And it didn’t happen on its own. The de-fanging of gangsta rap has paralleled the corporatization of hip-hop—and the resulting de-politicization of what was once an inherently political art form.
continue reading this article over at Colorlines.
As we Commemorate the Anniversary of 2Pac’s Death-Who Speaks for the ‘Have Nots’ in 2010?
September 13, 2010 By
Every year around this time many of us within Hip Hop take some time out and reflect on the life and times of Tupac Amaru Shakur as commemorate the anniversary of his tragic death Sept 13 1996. With each passing year its interesting to note that as a younger generation grows older, icons like 2Pac don’t seem to mean as much. For example, I’m not sure I heard anyone shout him out during the MTV VMAs.. Not sure if people took time to acknowledge him during the red carpet interviews or if anyone bothered to ask their thoughts. Did anyone ask ‘What do you think 2Pac would be doing if he was here?’ ‘What do you think 2Pac would say about our current economic situation?’ “What would Pac have said about that preacher wanting to burn Qu’rans or all the hoopla made at Ground Zero about that Mosque/ Community center? What would he have said about the looming sentencing trial for the cop who killed Oscar Grant or the riots that have taken place in LA after cops shot an immigrant? What would Pac have said about all those homes being destroyed and people killed during the tragic fire in San Bruno which we are now finding was because of negligence by PG&E? Considering that’s an area where a lot of people of color live, do you think Pac would’ve been screaming on that? Such speculative question gets asked because it’s all but absent from those who are privileged to have access to a mic.
Pac like so much of our history has been made disposable and I’m not quite sure what to make of it. Is it our fault as elders for not bringing him up enough and keeping his and the memory of other past icons alive? Have we grown so that we now see him through a different lens and maybe don’t hold him up as high anymore? Did we put too much on him?
In looking back I think what folks admired so much about 2Pac was that he gave voice to an underclass of people. He gave voice to the those who we call the ‘Have Nots‘. What’s ironic is that in 2010 we have more ‘Have Nots then ever before, but instead of kicking up dust and challenging those in power about the injustice of such conditions, we now have folks looking for answers in corporate lackeys masquerading as rap stars or corporate backed pundits who know of Pac but would never dare embrace his fearlessness and boldness in seeking change. Still others look for the Glenn Beck, the Tea Party Movement and maybe Congressman Ron Paul to give them voice.
When Pac died at age 25 he was just beginning to find his voice and there’s no telling where he would be in 2010. There’s no telling how he would’ve ultimately have used his platforms and popularity and how things would be different as a result..The young Black male who he claimed to have spoken for would be older now and we would hope that he would be speaking and doing things to change the wretched conditions so many find themselves in.. Alas we can only speculate, but we should not underestimate the differences one man or woman can make.
Moving forward we understand that every generation has their heroes and sheros.. I’m from the public Enemy era, the folks who were my interns back in the days came up under Pac.. Many of them have maintained that fiery spirit 13 years later..My question today is who inspires that in today’s generation? Who is speaking truth to power and kicking up dust? Or have we retired that as a viable method to get things done?
As I was watching what appeared to be a very lack luster VMAs last night I kept asking myself where are the fire-works? Who’s the person that’s gonna leave us with something to talk about for years to come? The closet we came was when Drake yelled out Free Lil Wayne. Many were hoping we’d have that moment with Kanye West who came out wearing a red suit that drew comparisons to late comedian Richard Pryor on Sunset Strip. He’s always one to be counted on to say something provocative. His performance was mesmerizing. But we didn’t get much from Kanye other than him rapping about what a jerk he was .. Instead it was singer Taylor Swift who was famously interrupted by Kanye during last years awards, kicking up dust by doing a song where she took aim at him.
As Kanye closed the show I kept wondering if this generation of Have Nots had someone speaking for them on these national stages.
Written by Davey D
Brenda’s Got a Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl54ABY8VgY
Trapped
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCEmTaWSPTk
Interview w/ Arsenio Hall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gtFtYNDzY0&feature=related
Interview w/ Vibe magazine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQexa5GFlw4
Interview w/ Davey D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pylx2HLzrwY
1992 Speech Atlanta..Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Hip Hop Pioneer Too Short Forms a New Band-Talks About the Legacy & Influence of Funk
September 10, 2010 By
Bay Area Hip Hop Pioneers Richie Rich & Too Short talk about the importance of musicianship & live bands within Hip Hop
When we talk about Hip Hop, its important to note that every city and region has its own unique histories and pioneering figures. In New York we give props to Hip Hop’s forefathers, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. They did the first parties, formed the first groups and developed the first techniques throughout the 1970s that laid the groundwork for those who came after. Here out west, 3000 miles away in the San Francisco Bay Area, we pay homage to pioneering figures Todd Shaw aka Too Short, Richie Rich, Freddy B and E-40 to name a few. Like their New York predecessors they too did the first parties, formed the first groups and developed some of the first techniques throughout the 80s that would influence future generations both nationally and around the world.
One of their signature contributions was laying down important blueprints on creating, recording and distributing music independently. The other important contribution from these pioneering artists was the how they used funk music and live instruments to develop the early West Coast sound.
Yesterday we caught up with Too Short at a barbershop around the corner from Mexicali Rose restaurant on 7th and Clay in downtown Oakland. Here he, explained that from the very beginning West Coast Hip Hop had live instrumentation. He noted that when he did his first recordings at 75 Girls record label, like everyone else they had a drum machine but it was complimented with someone playing keyboards, guitars or bass. There was no such thing as sampling for many of the early artists, Short asserted.
Short noted that he was in the tradition of many of his fellow artists and producers like E-40, Digital Underground and pioneering producers Khayree, Al Eaton, Studio Tone, Tommy Foster & Danny McElroy, and Ant Banks to name a few, in the sense that they all played in high school or college bands. Short went on to explain that he started out as a drummer who played in the band at Fremont High School. He said he was also a pretty good ‘one finger expert’ when it came to keyboards and guitar. He named off a string of records including Freaky Tales, Dope Fiend Beat and I Ain’t Tripping where he played the background instruments.
Short added that the use of live instruments allowed early artists to maintain a funk sound that was desired by those who came up either listening or being directly involved in the hundreds of 3-4 man garage bands that existed prior to Hip Hop showing up in the Bay Area. “It was all about musicianship”, he said. Short pointed out that within every Bay Area Hip Hop group there is someone in the fold who can really throw down on the musician tip. It’s part of Bay Area/West Coast culture and our legacy. Short talked about the influence that groups like Tower of Power and Sly and the Family Stone had on early Hip Hop in the Bay.
Shock G of Digital Underground started his group as a full fledge band with a drummer and him playing piano photo credit: ani yapundzhyan
If folks really look closely at Bay Area rap groups you will find that many of them deeply rooted in band culture. I recall early Digital Underground shows where DJ Fuze would battle long time drummer Chopmaster J while Shock G also an accomplished musician would rock the keyboards as one of his alter ego ‘Piano man‘.
MC Hammer had a lot of early production done by Felton Pilate of Con Funk Shun. Later he would have huge bands at his live shows which included the original horn players from Earth Wind and Fire.
Before Paris also an accomplished musician made his mark as a political rapper, he started out as an artist who was moving in the direction of Prince.
Today artists like Boots Riley of the Coup not only have their own band, but recently teamed up with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine to form Street Sweeper Social Club.
Again Bay Area Hip Hop is derived from the funk bands that proceeded them.
This was a point that was re-emphasized by Richie Rich. He said that even though he doesn’t play instruments, he considers himself a musician because as an emcee he uses his voice and flows to play along with live instruments. He went on to add, that over the years he’s come to prefer rhyming with a live band because it allows him a lot of freedom to express himself and also be felt.
We spoke with both Too Short and Richie Rich about the new music venture that’s emerging from their camp. For those who don’t know, Too Short has teamed up with popular accomplished musicians Kev Choice and Martin Luther formerly of the Roots to form a band that has no official name as of yet. Also in the group is Silk E who many know as one of the Bay Area’s dope emcees, who often performs with Tony Toni Tone but as Short noted, she’s also an incredible singer.
During our interview Short talked about how the group has been able to bring such divergent sounds together and make it work. He pointed out Martin Luther‘s soul/neo sou/ and rock backgrounds. He talked about Kev Choice being a classically trained jazz musician who can ‘freestyle endlessly’.
‘He’s the exact opposite of me in the sense that he has super positive rhymes and spits rhymes about current events’ Short noted. But that’s what makes the group work.
Silk E rounds out the group with her unique sound and approach
Dubbed Towne Business, their debut performance is scheduled this Saturday September 11th at the Mezzanine in San Francisco. Short noted this will be the first of many shows they plan to do in the Bay Area before taking it on the road.
Here our interviews with both Too Short & Richie Rich-click the links below
A Recent Interview w/ Afrika Bambaataa: History, Influence & Direction
June 18, 2010 By
An Interview w/ Afrika Bambaataa
Bambaataa sent out this interview he recently did with East-3.com. There you’ll actually catch some audio and a some other cool interviews with Hip Hop pioneers.. I think it’s always important to peep what he says and contrast that with things he said over the years. One thing I like about Bam, he says a lot of things that eventually come to past. Some of it seems like common sense, some of it seems hard to phantom, but all of it eventually circles back…One of the things about Bam, he’s abrother that has deep love for this culture and its people..
1. Name your inspirations & mentors that helped guide & mold you to become a Musician/Dj & role model for your community in the 70’s.
My inspirations & mentors are James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, George Clinton, Bootsy & Parliament Funkadelic, Every group at Motown Records, John Lennon & The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, John Carpenter, Aretha Fanklin, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Jackson 5, Temptations, Mariam Makeba, Fela Kuti, Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Yellowman, Bob Marley, Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield, Willie Colon, Ray Baretto, & Fania All Stars.
All these groups because of their music, showmanship, & respect as serious artists help me on my musical Journey to become an artist in music.
On the Knowledge, I give all respect to The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Minister Malcolm X, Minister Farrakhan, Khallid Muhammad, Ava Muhammad & The Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party, Prophet Noble Drew Ali & The Moorish Science Temple, Al Saayid Imam Isa Al Mahdi Al Haadi (Dr, Malachi Z.York) & The Ansaaru Allah Community, Nubian Islamic Hebrews, Clarence 13x & The 5 % Percent Nation of Islam, The United States Government of structure from reading Books, All types of Books of Knowledge, Many Great Humans from all over Mother Earth from many different nationalities & so called races & religions, & of all my MOTHER & our Planet called Earth & the Universe; we be in space of The Supreme Force to whom is called by many names.
2.How did you help mold & influence this culture in the 70’s to create a positive & creative outlet for the youth of South Bronx NYC? Who assisted & co-organized this movement?
From my experience of being a Leader in The Street organization call The Black Spades & then being & witnessing many of the organizations & religious movements I mention above help me to mold & influence with discipline this culture known today as Hip Hop to create a positive & creative outlet for all people on our Great Planet so called Mother Earth.
The Great Brothers & Sisters who helped me in the early days are the 1st Zulu Kings Amad Henderson, Shaka Reed, Aziz Jackson, Kusa Stokes, Zambu Lenair, Little Beaver, Shaka Zulu King Wade & Zulu Queens Kenya (Amber), Makeba (Darcell), Olubayu (Sherry), Tamisha (Wanda), The Fly Five, Lisa Lee, Mrs. Khayan, & other Zulus like Jazzy Jay, Red Alert, Superman, Sinbad, DST, Malibu, Tricky Tee, Ikey C., Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, Globe, Ice Ice, Chubby Chub, Busy Bee Starski, Love Bug Starski, Disco King Mario, Kool DJ Dee & Tyrone, Grand Wizard Theodore, Mean Gene & The L Brothers, DJ Breakout &Funky 4, Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five, Mercedez Ladies, Pebbly Poo, Force MDs & Dr. Rock, Crash Crew, Cold Crush Brothers, Kool DJ Herc, & the List goes on…
3. In the Mid to late 70’s how did Hip Hop Culture come to be? Were all the elements (Bboy’n – Mcee’n – Dj’n & Writing) all separate subcultures but tied together because of the demographic (Bronx NYC)? Please explain?
Let’s set the Record Straight: each person whom I name above helped in some way to form this culture even though many did not know they were helping a movement but through the wisdom of Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation, that Hip Hop was named as a culture & that The Universal Zulu Nation is the First (1st) Family World International Movement of Hip Hop Culture & from UZN all others recognize it all over the world as a Culture within other cultures throughout this Great planet so called Mother Earth.
It is Afrika Bambaataa to whom name & called each entity of BBoys/BGirls/DJaying/MCs/Aerosol Writing & adding The Most important Knowledge as the main Elements of Hip Hop Culture & Brother KRS One help to add more, with a few other as Plus Elements to the main Key elements of Hip Hop Culture. No one else never use or thought of naming each entity of the Culture an Element or to say that this Movement that we all are doing is called Hip Hop Culture or to recognize it as a World Movement. The Birth of this movement is The Bronx, New York City, New York Republic, but Rap is as Ancient as The creation of Humans it self.
4. Did Hip Hop have a name before it was labeled? Who Labeled it Hip Hop? During the birth, Hip Hop was a wave of new & emerging trends in the Bronx that youths were involved with & Hip Hop later developed into a culture or was the cultural aspect involved from the birth?
Hip Hop as a name was not used before Luv Bug Starski, Keith Cowboy, Afrika Bambaata, all members of The Black Spades,The Organization & UZN decided to use this name. We had other names we used to call it before Hip Hop, which is well documented, but as to name the Culture Hip Hop is was Afrika Bambaataa who could have called it many other things but came to call the whole culture & Movement Hip Hop which many follow after to called the culture that.
It was a method he use to so called Brainwash if you can use that term to put in everyone mind to call this culture Hip Hop. Hip Hop Culture came as a result of other Musical happenings like Reggae Dance Hall or Slackness, Toasting, Calypso, which was being done in Jamaica, Poetry like Last Poets, Watts Prophets, Gil Scott Heroin, Gary Byrd, Sly Stone, James Brown, Jocko, Murray The K, Cousin Brucie, Eddie O Jay, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Mother Goose & Funk Rock & Country & Western Music, which all had some type of raps in many of their respected songs but it was through Kool Dj Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, & Grandmaster Flash that all that came before was put into motion from these three to Birth This Cultural Movement called Hip Hop Today.
Hip Hop started in the Black Community & when I say Black Community I am talking about all the family of so called Latinos (Puerto Ricans, Dominicans all from The West Indies or Caribbean Islands of People) a better name to call all of them is Moors/Muurs if you truly study our History, our Original/Aboriginal Indigenous Native American of The so called Black man & Woman of The World.
5. Describe the social climate during the 70’s during the birth of Hip Hop. Was Hip Hop a product of the social & economical struggle within NYC?
The Social Climate during the 70’s were Revolutionary Groups, The Black Panthers, The Nation of Islam, The Young Lords Party, SNCC, The Ansaaru Allah Community, Street gangs, The Ku Klux Klan, The Weathermen, Soul Train, Fania All Stars, Funk, Rock, Salsa, Salsoul, Soca, Calypso, Hard workers in the communities, Drugs, Crime, Police, Police Brutality, Politicians, Pimps, Fires, Block Parties, Concerts, TV Shows like Batman, Dark Shadows, Green Hornet, Soap Operas, American Bandstand, Wolfman Jack, Frankie Crocker, The Midnight Special, Soul, The Bill Cosby Show, The Jefferson’s, Room 222, Welcome Back Kotter, Kojack, Death wish with Charles Bronson, Blacula, Abby, Superfly, Hell Up In Harlem, Black Cesar, Slaughter, The Price is Right, Lets Make a Deal, The Ed Sullivan Show, Johnny Carson, Five on The Black Hand Side, Putney Slope, Five Fingers of Death, Karate Movies, & the list goes on…6. What are your thoughts of the current Hip Hop scene worldwide? What would you like to see for the future of Hip Hop?
The current Hip Hop Scene: there are those who know the culture of Hip Hop Culture & there are many who do not & only follow rappers of Hip Hop who have a hit record. There is Hip Hop Culture that is controlled by corporations & The Luciferians & there is that small element of Hip Hop Culture that is not controlled by no one but their selves. There is the Pop or popular version of control Hip Hop & then there is the minority, not controlled Hip Hop. Hip Hop For the Future will be an Intergalactic Movement as we become Galactic space traveling Human Beings & Beyond this Solar System, Dimensions, Galaxies, & Subterranean Worlds. Mark my words This Will Happen & These will Be Facts…
7. How important are the other facets of Hip Hop (Knowledge – True History & current events) other than the 4 primary elements that everyone embraces & why?
Knowledge, Culture, Understanding, Inner-Standing, & Over-standing are the keys to everything in life. Information- out-formation. Sound Right Reasoning. Factology versus Beliefs.
8. Are there any Hip Hop Pioneers from your generation that never got the recognition & respect they deserve? Breakdown a little about them & their role in building the Culture.
When I do My Book… All will Know.
Afrika Bambaataa & Kool Herc
9. What are your thoughts on 2012 & all the hype? What are your predictions?
We already passed 2012; it depends on which calendars you are using. There is is the Ancient of Ancient time & Time is & always was, but 2012 is nothing to what is really heading our way if we do not put LOVE back in the Universal atmosphere & if HUMANS keep causing HELL on the planet or Beyond the Planet as well as in the planet. You have not seen the wrath of The Supreme Force until you see The God Mother Nature do her thing on this planet as well as what the Subterranean beings will send from within the planet Earth & if we keep messing with the outside of our planet & think we as Humans is going to colonize another planet with the disrespect of the Beings of those respected planet then they to will be force to set WARS from beyond Mother Earth, within Mother Earth & on the core surface of Planet Earth.
We are not alone on this planet & in the many Universes & those who are sleeping watch & see. Mark my words: You Haven’t seen nothing yet. There are many Movies, warners & teachers on this planet today whom are trying to wake up all Humans in their Mistakes of the past & Now & we still have not learn our lessons from past mistakes & are heading into the same fate as Atlantis & Lemuria, but other Beings of Light are here to set the record straight & more UFOS, IFOS, SFOS will be seen more & more. Also the worst war of all Wars with be over a Clean glass of Drinking water & Food. AND IT GETS DEEPER THAN ALL WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT IN THIS SMALL ARTICLE…
original article: http://www.east-3.com/?p=271
I am also including a separate in-depth interview I did with Bambaataa where he expounds upon many of the topics he is speaking on..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL1YntDNRHo
DJ Premier officially Responds to Guru and Addresses the Letter Released by Solar
April 21, 2010 By
What a class act.. and good man.. DJ Premier did what any ‘real adult’ would do.. He showed love.. make3s me even angrier that such an ugly letter smashing him was allowed out by Solar..
IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR ME TO GET CONFIRMATION ON THE DEATH OF A MAN WHO I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL MY BROTHER, KEITH ELAM, BETTER KNOWN AS GURU OF THE LEGENDARY GANG STARR.
FROM 1988-2004, WE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH SUCCESS TOGETHER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR BUSINESSES INDEPENDENTLY AND GIVE EACH OTHER WHAT GURU CALLED “CREATIVE SPACE”, BEFORE PLANNING TO REUNITE FOR OUR 7TH LP WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT. TRAGICALLY, WE WILL NEVER REACH THAT DAY.
I’VE BEEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON A LETTER SPEAKING ILL OF ME WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY WRITTEN BY GURU IN HIS DYING DAYS. ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER WAS BEAUTIFUL, WE BUILT A HIP HOP LEGACY TOGETHER, AND NO ONE CAN RE-WRITE HISTORY OR TAKE AWAY MY LOVE FOR HIM. ONE THING I WOULD NEVER DO IS PLAY AROUND WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS LIFE.
I WILL CELEBRATE GURU’S LIFE… I WILL HONOR HIS MEMORY… I WILL GRIEVE WITH THE ELAM FAMILY OVER HIS UNTIMELY DEATH… I WILL REMEMBER THE GANG STARR FOUNDATION AND ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF GANG STARR WHO CAME BEFORE ME – WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER… MOSTLY, I WILL CHERISH EVERYTHING WE CREATED TOGETHER AS GANG STARR, FOREVER. I’M GONNA MISS HEARING HIS SIGNATURE MONOTONE VOICE WHEN HE WALKS IN THE ROOM, BUT THE SONGS WILL ALWAYS BRING IT BACK TO ME….HIS RHYME FLOWS WERE INSANE, AND I WILL NEVER REMOVE HIM FROM MY HEART AND SOUL…….REST IN PEACE TO THE MAN WHO FELT “SATISFACTION FROM THE STREET CROWD REACTION” … I LOVE YOU GOO…….DJ PREMIER
Beef Squashed Paul Wall & Chamillionaire Set to Touch Down In SF
March 29, 2010 By
The recently reunited rap duo of Paul Wall and Chamillionaire hits Club Envy in San Francisco this Wednesday, March 31st . The tour marks the first time the guys have performed together in almost 7 years.
http://www.chamillionaire.com/tour/chamillionaire-and-paul-wall.html
Below links to see the tour kick-off performance they did recently at SXSW in Austin:
Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (Part 1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E32jqaISgg8
Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (Part 2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ggSYetwf8U
Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (Part 3):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxlpDwgXIGE
They are incredibly dynamic together on stage.
Chamillionaire is dropping his 3rd major album, Venom, this June 22nd and Paul’s The Heart of a Champion, is also set for a summer release
Questlove of the Roots Speaks on the Importance of Fela Kuti
February 26, 2010 By
?uestlove from The Roots, now an associate producer on the hit musical Fela! on Broadway, talks about when he first discovered Fela Kuti’s music, and walks us through Fela’s influence in yesterday and today’s hip-hop — including works by Mos Def, Macy Gray, D’Angelo, X-Clan, and Leader of the New School.