The Strike Against SOPA

"Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black"
 - Jay-Z


As this site is dressed in all black and some of you might wonder "hey, where did those annoying bubbles go?!?!" the Internets is fighting to protect what is there's - freedom. Congress seems to be on a roll with their idiocy of ending online piracy by completely ignoring everything that made the Internet great in the first place.

How can something so generic be so tightening on the lungs of the Web?

We featured the Free Justin Bieber campaign recently, but Congress doesn't seem to get it. I understand, though, as I've been part of the movement to help bring together the colliding worlds of entertainment blogging and bloodthirsty lawmakers. Seeing the various interaction, runarounds, and other slippery slopes of being a watchdog makes me realize that the term evolution (at least when it comes to harmonizing and balancing the two aforementioned worlds) is an understatement.

That's why this site is in its all-black-everything phase.

Basically, the government is enforcing that every website polices third party links from everywhere that includes anything regarding all forms of copyright infringment. That was not a sarcastic statement. Due to generic terms used in the bill, S. 968, that is the way it must be examined. Well, at least to avoid catching a flippin' felony!

Here's the Skippy on why SOPA has a dangerous capability of screwing over everything the Internet stands for:

1. Like mentioned about S. 978 (the Commercial Felony Streaming Act) earlier, the incidentals and accidentals will be entirely too vulnerable. If So And So wants to post her favorite song on Facebook because it explains the complex status she posted earlier about being "the baddest btich" (or however the misspelling goes), then she is liable to shut all of Facebook down. Yes, because the site allowed her to post content that enables pirate sharing, all of Facebook is liable to be shut down. Under SOPA's blanket-covering/suffocating definition, sites like YouTube, Facebook, Gmail, Dropbox, Soundcloud, and a big ass etc are sites dedicated to "theft of U.S. property." The thing is that any site with a comment box or upload form of any sort - whether the site complies with the DCMA or not - has the potential to be punished for infringement.

2. Any countering on infringement becomes far more difficult than previous copyright laws. For example, if an artist sends me a direct song they want "leaked," and the attorney general finds out then my ass is grass. Alone. In the bill, there is no clear statement of how they go about notifying the artist or their label - let alone whether or not the government has to! The responsibility is placed in my hands to get in touch with an already nearly untouchable party to send a counter-notice stating that I am allowed to "leak" the track... or picture... or video (just to make sure you understand what all's at stake here). After five days of the site being shut down, if no counter-notice is issued, guess who's going to jail?!

3. Still this term "FELONY" puts an awful strain on an already economically struggling field(s). Here's an explanation from Mashable's Opinion page of how quickly casual whoopsies become three years in prison:

Section 201(b)(1) expands criminal copyright infringement to include:
"At least 10 copies or phonorecords, or of at least 10 public performances by means of digital transmission, of 1 or more copyrighted works, during any 180-day period, which have a total retail value of more than $2,500."Now, the way that the value of a work can be computed in court is the very crude (value of the work times number of views).
"Total retail value may be shown by evidence of the total retail price that persons receiving the reproductions, distributions, or public performances constituting the offense would have paid to receive such reproductions, distributions, or public performances lawfully."This means, for example, if you upload a video to YouTube of you singing a popular song, and that song might sell for $1, and your video gets 2,500 views, you are guilty of felony copyright infringement. Furthermore, you can tack on “willful infringement for commercial gain or valued at more than $1,000.”
This would make you a felon, and if a copyright holder were to bring a suit against you, would give you a criminal record that would make it virtually impossible to fain future employment, and may subject you to up to three years in prison for singing a song. You don’t have to receive any money. You don’t have to gain anything from your video. Simply receiving 2,500 views on a song you sung, which happens to have copyright held by someone else, makes you a felon.

 4. This isn't just happening to folks in the U.S., this is for EVERYONE. The power has been put in the attorney general's hands to fully censor - from shutting down the site to cutting the site off from AdSense to cutting the site off from Paypal - any site that isn't even in the jurisdiction of the U.S. Folks first think of WikiLeaks, but what about other sites? Let's not forget about entertainment sites like SoulCulture, Daily Mail, Every Day A Great Song, etc that could be shut down for good. Not only that it's just shut down in their country, but worldwide (they don't call it that for nothing)!

If SOPA passes, then we'll be out here looking like China. Flat out. Big Brother's monitoring will just grow more and more brolick, brolick to the point where any slight instance of opposition is silenced - whether it be opposition of government policy or opposition of society's choice of entertainment.

Study Shows Music Makes Wine Tastes Better

This used to be a theory in my head, but I would think that just to curve my tolerance, but there was never proof for it... until now.

Reports have been showing that a new study shows that wine makes music taste better, like it does with pasta and seafood. According to the British Journal of Psychology, the characteristics of the wine's taste can match the style of music or even a certain artist.

So, Marvin Gaye DOES go with Chardonnay?!

The study showed connections between the pace of the beat and the zing in the wine. It also had a connection with the power of the music and the texture of the wine. The taste of the wine was directly affected by the stimulation of the music. There were 250 subjects used for this study, enough for a party, right?

It seems like since it's a study from the British Journal of Psychology, not from a chemistry entity, one could only think of this proving the point that music plays the biggest role in human interaction - and that includes drinking. Like Chuck Klosterman said in his book Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, "without a soundtrack, human interaction is meaningless." Just to add to it, as Jamie Foxx said "blame it on the Goose, got you feeling loose," think of how loose inhibition becomes when alcohol is in the equation. Folks can get an idea of how Becky Sue will get fired up for Gaga as she sips her glass of Pinto Grigio.

While the study was unable to say the cultural connotations of the music used were a factor in the perceived taste, the taste does indeed encourage more drinking. Not to say that we're over here encouraging drinking, but to not encourage the right tunes to get rid of that wine no one drinks in the first place? Come on! Now, you can pair your alcohol - well, wine for now - with the kind of music you want to play for your next party.

WTF? Funk Has Slyly Slipped Away

After reading New York Post's story on Sly Stone, and listening to Dam-Funk's newest EP InnaFocusedDaze, everyone should be convinced by now that funk is the most unsung genre in the history of music. Yes, even more than the different layers of folk.

By now, everyone has heard one of Sly& The Family Stone's uplifting records on a cheesy commercial or a self-help flick. From "Thank You (For Letting Me Be Myself)" to "I Want to Take You Higher," people have not only felt Sly & The Family Stone created quality music but transgenerational messages of empowerment. The fact that the group's ring leader is broke - which some credit is due to his abusive drug habits - due to a bad case of mishandling his finances is ridiculous.

Aside from the management in the money and the messages in the music, the art of funk only remains a conversation piece among a small few - let alone expressing it within the music. After hearing "Don't You Know (This Funk Is Real)" by Dam-Funk, it's become apparent that the use of the bass slap is rarely heard in today's music, despite the oodles of enjoyment from listening to similar sounding records from the 60's and 70's. While we try to keep our music, fashion and pop culture vintage and original - even to the extent of overly sampling funk records - we've left some of the most innovative pieces of the genre behind. Same could be said for the use of hi-hat and synthesized snare - no one uses it anymore yet everyone loves to hear it. It's crazy how Dam is the only one that is out right now carrying on the tradition of funk music properly.
Scion A/V Presents: Dam Funk - InnaFocusedDaze by ScionAV
As innovative as funk was when it first came on the scene and as influential as it has become for genres like house, hiphop, jazz, pop, rock, R&B and reggae, why is it that the funk musicians - especially the greatest funk musicians like George Clinton and Sly Stone - currently sit in the worst financial situations as multiplatinum-selling artists? Why is it the hardest for them to fight back for their royalties and properly manage their funds? Why has it seemed like the following generations have raped these cats for all they're worth?!

This rant has come after tiring stories of Sly Stone: living out of his van while fighting in court for millions in royalties, George Clinton: check-to-check from retrospective tours and TV appearances, not to mention Zapp's family, the Sylver's family, and countless others in the mentally-straining struggle to get what they so rightfully earned. I'm just as tired of watching it as they are fighting it.

Something Old, Nothing New: Black Folk Music as "Innovative"

I ranted a little bit on my Tumblr about this topic before, but this issue hasn't been toppled enough.

Black folks and Americana music seen as "game changers" - as the Huffington Post's Black Voices calls The Carolina Chocolate Drops - just because they tote a fiddle or a banjo discredits the word innovation.

Not that this band lacks creativity or talent, but the article came off as "oh look, Black people with banjos. That must be alternative," which gives Black culture yet another pounding against our foundation. The definition of innovation, change, remix, etc does not necessarily root in the right now, but if you let Black media (and really all folks of the press) tell it change comes as a matter of what's present. While that may be true for some things, that cannot hold true for music because of how far back the existence of music dates.

Now, if HuffPo placed emphasis on CCD's abilities to merge beatboxing with their Americana sound, this would be a different article. Additionally, if the rest of the selections weren't based on what simply looks different, this blog post probably wouldn't exist. However, this mindset has run rampant far too long.

Black culture right now, at least according to the media, is centered around the rap and corporate game. This short-changes everyone else and everything else Black folks are capable of doing: playing guitar, singing opera, harp and other ambient music, and so much more.

I get it. Singing and rapping is hot in the community. I get it. Blogs revolve around popular keywords, Google trends and social media topics. However, when will Black media expand to other audiences and cultures, not expose what's already here and what we already know?

Overall, Black media in general have cornered the term innovation to what is alternative and downright gimmicky. Looking at Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All and CCD, one would think no Black people spit Atheist rhymes or can play a mean fiddle. That's far from the case because, if we wanna be real, we were among the first people ever to do those things.

While I don't wanna start a complete history lesson (because it's way too easy to look up the history of my points from this blog), I still worry about the cycle of our culture. I already know the world and cultures we live in acts in a chronological circle, but the circle seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

To read the story I'm talking about, click here!

A Photo Recap of Atlanta Indie Festival

I had the privilege of covering Greedmont Park's annual Atlanta Indie Festival for Frank151, and I took hella photos. I am so proud of the results - like the ones when I covered the Soul Train Awards - that I want to share all of them!

Check out the full recap of the event on Frank151 Atlanta Backwoods League.




Featured in this slideshow is:

J*Davey

Project Pat
Rahbi
CyHi da PrynceGrip Plyaz
Karima Harrison from Noot d' Noot
Tuki and Go Dreamer from Hollyweerd

Thurzday from U-N-I

and much, much more!

Sidenote, plus a bonus photo, I went to the Arts Beats & Lyrics show the night before as the purveyor of awesome that I am, and got recruited to take a photo in front of a person's work because of my KeepItClassic.com "I Grew Up On Hiphop" shirt. Lo and behold, it was for a friend of mine! Check out all of her Rhythmic Images pictures by clicking on her picture of me!

Fli Pelican Interview for Frank151

I chopped it up with Nino from Fli Pelican Clothing. We talked mainly about his team's clothes, but also about the music he's bumping now. Was he swiping shots with that comment about Big Sean ("who sold 80,000 first *cough cough*")? I can't call it, but I did a little digging, and saw that Drake might have swiped a shot at Big Sean via Twitter.

Anyway, here's an excerpt of the interview with the Fli Pelican cats:

So what are you listening to now? What’s on Nino’s iPod?

I’m over here right now listening to Lil’ Wayne’s Sorry For The Wait mixtape. I’m listening to Frank Ocean, and Big Sean, of course. He’s from the hometown, D-Town, who sold 80,000 first *cough, cough*. Also, I’m listening to some stuff in Cali, like Chase N. Cashe. Kanye always bump.

What was your reaction when you first heard about or saw Lil’ Wayne donning the “No Sucka S#it” shirt on the cover of XXL?

I already knew about the cover. My man’s had told me he was gonna do it, but I’m the type of person that has to see it. I didn’t even tell my team then. The day it got on the Internet, we were at Krystal’s in the drive-thru and Lil Chuckee (Young Money/Cash Money artist) called. I went to see what Chuckee wanted, and he said “y’all over there doing it big now, huh?” I kind of knew what he was talking about, but I was still like “what?” He said, “I see you guys getting on these covers and things!” He sent me the picture of Wayne on the cover with the shirt, and this was the first time I felt like the artist really embodied the clothing line because he’s just wearing the shirt. It’s not like someone made him put in on for the cover. Plus, we’ve built a relationship with him and the Young Money/Cash Money staff as well. It’s more genuine, nobody forced it upon him or nothing like that.

In the entire interview, we chat about his upcoming projects which include an in-process deal with a BMX cat, plus - of course - snapbacks. Read it here!

Anthony David's "What God Said" is Skeptic. LOVE IT!

Before reading any further, please watch the video to gain an understanding of the background of this blog piece.



Anthony David's new video and single off As Above, So Below "God Said" possesses the perfect way to be a skeptic musician, but for the greater good. He's not forcing the audience to not believe in a religion, but teaching them how to think about (and possibly be skeptic towards) extreme religious beliefs and practices, the way (I feel) ALL music should operate.

He illustrates the media's - if not nearly all of society's - exaggerations when it comes to religion and spirituality, spotlighting various out-there practices that have direct effects on current events. Within every image he's not in, there's some form of extreme religious practice going down. He even takes it back to the KKK climatic stages, because let's not forget that they used religion to lure in more whites on the basis of order according to, well, what God said. *in Anthony David's voice*

And it's not just Christianity and Islam, but David also touches on atheism. It may be because of his own skepticism laced within the song, but ultimately he doesn't display his religious beliefs anyway. One thing that is certain for this song when it came to analyzing atheism, there's an element of danger in believing in nothing supernatural.

Further analyzing this video and song, one must listen to the lyrics and what is said throughout the video. The opening says a lot before David says anything - 700 Club's Pat Robertson makes a statement eluding to Haiti's earthquake an act of God because they made a pact with the devil in order to free themselves from formidable French rule. David follows that image with some powerful lyricism, saying, "shake hands with my imaginary friend, / see, the trouble he gets me in / cannot get back to me," almost to fire back at all types of "curses" thrown at people, communities and races.

Although the point he is making is that it is illogical to think that just because you worship a god (or gods), that you have the power to physically thwart knowledge and reason to the side (which includes colonialism, neocolonialism, business, monopoly, policy, and so on), he is not trying to say don't believe in any religion at all. I believe he's trying to say it's ok to challenge your spirituality and/or religion with science and logic. Fundamentalism (religious, political, social, racial, etc), in my opinion (and perhaps David's), is what's most dangerous to the world, point, blank, period. Anybody who cannot live with a face of any kind other than their's will never get to see the face of God.

Now, prey/pray on that.

A Based Blog Post: A Rant on Lil' B

It's no denying that if you are intune with the hiphop scene on the Web (i.e. Twitter, blogs, YouTube, etc), that you've run into a guy by the name of Lil' B. If not, relive my first experience with this guy through this video right here:



Now, initially this didn't last past a minute on my laptop as, one I thought Lil' B was a terrible rapper, and my hiphop tendencies will quickly dismiss a dude that'll call himself a bitch, but these thought marinated in my head for the rest of the day:

What's wrong with a guy calling himself a bitch? Is that his real opinion about himself? Where are all the guys at that can sit their and call themselves something that is degradable to women and still rap about getting girls? And, ultimately, IS THIS GUY SERIOUS????

As time went on hundreds of responses from my colleagues, friends and internet buddies were following this unusual trend created by Lil' B - being Based. I noticed it in this above video that it was a "Based freestyle," so I had to find out what Based meant. According to his interview in Complex, Lil' B considers Based as a positive and highly confident mindset. And of course, when you put two and two together, it's the kind of confidence where a person like Lil' B, who also calls himself "the Based god," is ok with getting called or call himself a bitch, a fag and a lesbian, or even say he looks like Jesus (click the links if you think I'm joking). I understand and can agree with a movement like that because it definitely beats lyrics like "Kill that faggot," etc, etc. Additionally, for anyone to attempt to redefine the word bitch, fag, or whatever stays on my good side.

However, this is not the sole reason I am writing this piece!

Although most will say Lil' B lacks lyrical skills, continuing to read the same Complex interview, he explains that his raps are inspired by drugs. Listening to his lyrical abilities now, anybody - even a four year old - would say he's wack. I feel the same way, if you do not account for his high self-confidence.

I personally would believe dude would be a lyrical force if he was 100% sober. But, I feel that 100% sobriety will lead to a loss in his edgy stream of consciousness. One thing that no one should disregard is a person's stream of consciousness. Without getting too deep, a stream of consciousness is the quickest way into one's psychological ocean we call the mind. Even if this dude has moments where he sounds like an idiot hollering he's Paris Hilton, knowing he don't look like a lily white cokehead, he still has moments where his creativity to express himself is phenomenal.

Take this video where he freestyles to How to Dress Well's "Ready For The World":



Now can you disregard his stream of consciousness? He's probably the first that I have heard in these times to relay a message that isn't coded, raw, uncut, unstructured, and has the ability to speak positivity to the streets, and NO I'm not only talking about the hood. Let's break that down:

1) A non-coded message - instead of sticking with the usual word cues that most rappers use, Lil' B's only code is Based, which isn't really that coded in the first place, plus he takes uncommon or looked-down-upon words and spin them into his own codes which are taken from his untapped, Based mind.

2) Raw, uncut, and unstructured - here's where a lot of people misunderstand Lil' B. Whereas rappers play it safe and conform to the ways of hiphop (although hiphop is the rebel society), Lil' B breaks all the rules in order to be straightforward with his thoughts. There's little to no rhyme structure, not to say if it's intentional on his part or not, there's no regard for other people's comfort, and it's quite clear that his only focus is relaying his thoughts to the world, as is.

3) Has the ability to speak positivity to the streets, and not just the hood dudes on the corners - given his background and upbringing, Lil' B isn't much of a street dude. However, from rappers who have spoke prophetically about a rough life (i.e. Tupac, Common, etc), their upbringing doesn't necessarily shout "I used to be a drug dealer." Same goes for Lil' B, although he claims running with the wrong crowd, committing crimes and a big drug problem in Berkeley (which I have seen myself). Although cats like Tupac tell the best thug life tales, Lil' B (though he's by far no 'Pac) manages to speak to those kind of people, as well as the folks who may not sell drugs but abuse them, or may not commit crimes but have been victims, or may not have been involved in any of that mess but are still in that environment. Take the above video, or this one:



Overall, I would say Lil' B is hiphop's hippie. You know how in the era of "Flower Power", though popular amongst the minority in the 60s, your people in charge and running the world never heard them out? Or, taking it to this day and age, the "crazies" that live in the old house that sits on the corner that every kid (and some adults) constantly speculates over? That's Lil' B, in a nutshell. Beyond pushing the boundaries of the hiphop community, his creative process (if one would say he has one) makes hiphop highly uncomfortable - to the point where no one's even listening to him.

Personally, Lil' B has won me over as a fan because of his ability to step outside of the box hiphop has been put in, while still managing to keep things real... or should I say "Based." And I would most certainly call his music hiphop! Actually, it's beyond hiphop, Lil' B is in his own lane.

Meanwhile in Hell, my boy Supernatural just chose three women off the stage in his wheelchair! Lyrically though, lyrically.... Plus, this group from Georgia Tech is trying to keep the crowd interested, but it's not doing much... They just have hiphop shop kind of stage presence, not really performing at a mega venue presence... Oh well, I still got to meet Jean Grae!!!

In other news, there's an ample amount of sweet sponsors at A3C. Jakprints got a graffiti wall for everyone to tag, New Era is here, who made special edition hats for this festival, Unique Square is here to give away tons of music and sound equipment, among many more. If you plan on sliding through A3C, there will be raffles throughout the weekend for free hats from New Era, free screen print tees from Jakprints, and probably a boatload of CDs and merch from the artists.

Now excuse me while I enjoy more of this Hell...

Live Blogging from A3C Hiphop Festival - Day 1

The last blog post came from my phone, just a test, but totally true! Jean Grae and I just talked in-depth about how important blogs are, so now the pressure is all on me!!!

Plus, I just heard that there will be MAAAAAAD special appearances during 9th Wonder's set.... I don't know if I should who*cough, cough* a dude from Public Enemy, but I have never been this excited for ANY festivals in my life!

A Rant on Lauryn Hill

This rant is brought to you by Fusetv and the video I posted on Tumblr. One of my favorite music journalist Toure got to sit down with Lauryn Hill, talking about her absence and her return to the industry.


And the rant begins...

I look up to this woman for reasons other than her music - it's because she is the perfect example of a strong, Black woman, and she showed that in her absence. When Questlove said in My Mic Sounds Nice that her 10-year absence is the movements tsunami, and Russell Simmons started a statement with "the tragedy of Lauryn Hill began when...", I was heated because that was just so stingy for them to say that (which also goes without saying that hiphop is indeed a stingy culture), and no one really cared to say what she did was probably the best thing for hiphop. Think about it - she blew the hell up! Fast! And we all know what happens to artists who are instantly enveloped in the spotlight (i.e. Kanye West, Destiny's Child/Beyonce, etc), they turn into pop and can no longer find themselves or their true sound. Better stated - their sound is dictated by the dollar. I personally was glad that she left because (this is me being honest) she felt uncomfortable with the music she was putting out, and didn't want to do it, so she left. Good for her.


Whether or not her craft touched you in a way that made you upset she left, don't forget she's a human being too and has needs that will go before your needs because she's that amazing (POW!). Why is she amazing? Because she started a whole other movement just by being herself, and didn't even know it (because she was definitely the anchor and pioneer for the neo-soul movement).


Also, and I will NEVER consider this a crutch or really want to validate this as a reason, but she's a woman/mother. She got knocked up so she had to take care of them. Why on earth should the world ridicule her for that? Why should hiphop, of all maternally-oriented cultures, ridicule her for that?


I care about the person first, then the artist, then their music (in that order), just as everyone else should. And the fact that she has evolved and is doing HER OWN THING makes me even more proud of her. I hope her next album will represent her, I no longer care if it "sounds good"!


If I went to Rock The Bells (which I didn't have to because half of the footage is uploaded on everyone's site who did attend the concerts), I would have applauded Lauryn for her additions and changes to her famous hits. Now, although it is a tour that is designed to be reminiscent of hiphop's past, one can't just discount an artist for putting their own spin on their music to better express themselves on stage. So what she put a higher tempo on her songs off Miseducation? She was experimenting, that shouldn't put her on everyone's shit list!


Speaking of her artistry, people who had a problem with her Unplugged sessions need to take a seat! Those numbers, if you heard them correctly, were symbolic of things she was going through. Why belittle her for that? If you were pissed about the misinterpretations of your miseducation, then you would respond in the same way. Unfortunately, the world we live in would react in the same fashion most of you guys did to her. Go us! (I guess)


I hope she releases an album that makes everyone eat their words. Literally. New York Times would eat their paper, people who tweeted hateful things about her would eat their computers or BlackBerrys, and the folks who talked trash about her return will receive the "I told you so" song and dance.


I feel the need to celebrate early, excuse me:

Rant over.

Questions for Dilla

For those that don't know, I am a journalist first, blogger second. Don't be mad at me, that's just the way it is! However, I do feel the need to let you in on what it's like to be a journalist, especially a music journalist, and into the mind (well, at least mine) of a music journalist. I'm pretty sure anybody who loves hiphop and REAL music in general knows who J Dilla is. Or was. In case you don't know, HE'S ONE OF THE GREATEST HIPHOP PRODUCERS OF ALL TIME!!! Ever since I heard Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone", I was mesmerized by how he flipped Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and transformed the idea of such a folk, country record into straight up neo-soul. Little did I know how many "Dilla (Dilla) beats (beats)" I wasn't aware of, from De La Soul to Pharcyde, dude was all over the place. Since hearing that record, I made it a purpose that year (in '97) to find any and every record Dilla made. I wanted to get into the his mind, like "How and why did you do that?" because that's just the person I am, and he's just the kind of person that will give you all type of insight on things you don't know. Unfortunately, I could never do it, but I'll post the questions anyway as if he's still alive because it's essential to see who he was through what I want to know...

1) Usually this is a question for singers and band members, but I find it fitting to ask you this anyway - describe to me your sound and what makes a Dilla beat.

2) When did you first start making music? How do you think it developed over the years?

3) Although you are a world-renowned producer, you also have another title as an emcee. When did you first start rapping? What inspired you to rhyme?

4) What emcees out there would you like to rap with that you haven't yet?

5) Give me your top 5 emcees out right now. How would you produce their album, if you haven't already?

6) Give me your least favorite rapper out now and how you would produce his or her album, given that you had to?

7) How do you go about producing songs? When an artist calls you up like "yo, can you make this song for me?" and you decide to go with it, how do you put that track together?

8) Out of curiosity, how many records do you own? How do you even find the tracks you use for production?

9) What's your favorite record store for crate digging?

10) What is your ultimate purpose as a musician? How do you plan on evolving your sound?

11) What is your opinion about the art of production nowadays?

12) Where do you see hiphop music in the next 10 years?

R.I.P J Dilla

The Illuminati Strikes Back!

It seems like "the machine" can get a little sens-y-tive! *cues inner child, waves hips side to side*

After years of conspiracy theories surrounding the success of music stars, and a rapid increase in the past year, rappers like Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Rick Ross have made public responses about swirling rumors of their membership to the club of the All-Seeing Eye.

There have been many of posts siting symbols of various secret societies in music videos, performances, and public photos - from angled shots to the peace sign. Most of these are composed as montages of symbols and lyrics made by musicians, politicians, and celebrities associated with freemasonry and the Illuminati.

Like this one:



At first, it seems rappers kept quiet to these allegations. Well, it's something that is supposed to happen, as it is a secret society. In other words, they can't say they're in the Illuminati. But recently, they have fired back at allegations by poking fun at it.

In my review of Rick Ross's album Teflon Don, he recruits Jay-Z and John Legend in a song called "Free Mason." This song is filled with references to signs that the New World Order conspiracy is true, and sarcastic remarks of them being involved. Their main argument? That they have become successful from working hard for what they got. Jay's one-line killer is this one here: "Bitch, I said I was amazing... not that I'm a Mason," cleverly verbally illustrating the type of ammo theorists use to tie him and other musicians to the secret societies. Hear the song for yourself:

Rick Ross, "Free Mason" Ft. Jay-Z by gardnerz

Recently, there has been an outcry of suspicion in the video/painting "Power" by Kanye West, where the various images align ever-so-nicely with images associated with the Illuminati. Take this one for example from Media TakeOut:

This close-up of Kanye standing in the hallway of the building, and the two warriors touching swords complete the image of the freemasonry.

Another suggestion of Illuminati symbolism in his video is a little more complicated, and quite frankly involves math that I don't want to do. Luckily, thanks to the oh so skeptical Internet users, someone has already took the time out to form another tie from Kanye West and his new visual to the All-Seeing Eye.

Aside from the angles pointed out in the close-up, there is another angle pointed out in the entire photo. Here is the same shot but panned out:

See, they even drew-in the Eye just to make their point. Kinda weird, isn't it?

Other images from the video include the act of blasphemy with the two women (a way to get in the society), the goat-women who look just like Baphomet, the god in this group, and the imagery similar to the dollar. I am not just making this up on my own, people, this is just reports of what I've seen floating around the Web.

I would much rather have you watch the video, and see if you find these images:

The troubling thing about this is that I haven't talked about ALL allegations of famous people in secret societies! Now, I'm merely reporting what I see and what I've heard from everyday people. I have yet to include my opinion in any part of this piece. But doesn't this freak you out? I can tell you that I surely am!

Last Week on Tumblr...

For those that may not know, this blog has a sidekick!

When I'm not posting reviews, commentaries, and such, I am posting small music tidbits on Tumblr, titled Bubble Gum Pop Rap Lite. Almost anything has been posted on this site, from neat music articles to singles from great artists. Every week I'll give you a taste of what I've come across on the radio, in the news, and online. Enjoy!


Posted July 31st: I rant about switching lives with people who run clubs, mainly because I stood outside a club for an hour just to see an art exhibit that night. The art was great, and was actually worth standing in 90+ degree weather, but sheesh! (yeah, still mad)


Posted July 30th: found Rah Digga's album cover for her latest project Classic, Uffie's thoughts on fellow "hip-hopper" and swagger-jacker Ke$ha, and news on the record store documentary I Need That Record! being released to major DVD sellers including Netflix.


Posted July 29th: I put my MP3 player on shuffle and comment on the first 10 songs that come up. Plus, the new video for Chromeo's "Don't Turn The Lights On" and some tunes to back up my Black rocker rant, The Five One's "DC Sleeps."


Posted July 28th: One of my favorite chill records Zero 7 "In The Waiting Line" and Zach Galifianakis (omg, I spelled his name right again) does a remake to Anita Baker classic "You Bring Me Joy".


Posted July 27th: Psychologists finally catch up with the mind of musicians and write this "wonderful discovery" on the Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle. I dubbed it Rock 'n' Roll Psychology 101 - class is in session. I guess. Also a very cinematic video to The Roots "The Fire" off their new album How I Got Over.


Posted July 26th: After reading an article from the New York Times, I find this music video by one of the sissy bounce artists, Sissy Nobby called "Beat It Out The Frame", and yes, it goes there!

A Rant on Rock and Race: Can I Be A Black Rocker?

Earlier today I was watching Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, a documentary on the concert in Fox Theater celebrating Chuck Berry's 60th birthday. In that documentary there was a segment featuring Little Richard and Chuck Berry (of course) talking about how their beginning journey in music was misunderstood. According to the radio stations and DJs back then, their music (and any other Black musician that wasn't carrying a sax or trumpet) was NOT Rock music, but R&B. In this documentary, however, Little Richard and Chuck Berry made it quite clear that they had nothing to do with calling their music R&B and wanted everything to do with being associated with Rock 'n' Roll.

Now I'm not a big fan of sub-genres (and really genres, period), so to hear such legendary musicians make that anti-distinction of their music made me proud of my viewpoint on music. Music is music. Everybody has a right to be rockers, just as everybody has a right to rap - no matter the color, gender, sexual preference. Unfortunately, we live in a world that doesn't see things the same way. Although R&B (rhythm and blues) fits for a typical Black musician, that doesn't mean all Black people want to be known as R&B singers. Just because a white person can play the guitar it doesn't mean they should be immediately ostracized from R&B.

With that said, I look at Afro-Punk a little bit different from other sub-genres and subcultures. I see the movement in "making Rock Black again" and I see it holding a significance to the Rock community as a whole - more than I see it being significant to the Black community. Not to downplay its presence in that community (and to make this piece specifically about Black music), but I think Afro-Punk is exactly what Rock needs, not because of its heavy political content, but because it shows that Rock is not, or ever was, only for white people to master. I'm not saying only white people listen to Rock music in general, but there has always been a problem in the music industry when a Black musician does something other than rap or sing. They are immediately isolated from both the Black community and the Rock community, the general Punk culture included. It's like you can't be Black and a rocker!

Here's a joint by Brittany Bosco called "Ragdoll". Now would you call this song, and this artist, Rock, R&B, or is this even necessary because she's Black?



There are plenty of Rock musicians that get little to no mainstream radio time mainly because they fail to fit in the Black music box. Take Ben Harper for example, who has been in the Rock game for nearly twenty years. It is next to impossible to hear him on ANY station, and their reason (at least one station I talked to about him) was that "he doesn't fit the type of Rock music we play." When I listen to him I hear the exact same Rock music they play. Maybe I'm wrong, and if so, help a sister out:



All I'm saying is that it's hard to be Black, a Rock musician, AND a Black Rock musician. It is next to impossible to merge the two in the kind of musical society we live in today, and that really applies to all music genres - hiphop, country, etc. The bottom line is as a [insert race here] person you have to choose between doing [insert race here] music and consider "being down" with the group, or you decide to step outside if your "chosen" musical genre and leave [insert race here].

Poem: Those Wal-Mart Ears

Why deal with a market mind when I have a Wal-Mart ear?

My musical taste is like a Great Value box - because getting to the point is all I wanna hear

No need for added pizzazz, or unnecessary do-daas, I could add that on my own

And the artistic abstraction can be left at home

That adds to the price, and my ass is broke

So to think paying a low price for descent quality is to believe I will take it and mope

About the lack of talent and the crap they wrote

When there's plenty of innovation that surrounds you

But no, you'd rather take what you can get at a price on the low

It's amazing how our individuality clouds the sun that broadens our horizons

We won't embrace ALL the stars, but wanna see what makes Orion

So with our Wal-Mart ears we don't peruse through the aisles

We take them to the nearest floor person and say

"something for my workouts is what I wanna find"

So we follow the clerk through aisle #5, and select the one that's most convenient

Convenient to our ears, and not to mention the thighs

Because what we want NOW has nothing to do with our minds

We don't wanna make our own playlist, we let playlists make us

iTunes FTW and to shake us

Break us for 15 songs about a break-up

Caking up on my misery and hang us

With our Wal-Mart ears

When iTunes started making generated playlists is when iLeft

iRather tend to my needs on a For Me By Me basis

That way I can find the root of my problems

Because if I depend on a systematic list I have to let a computer solve them

And quite frankly, numbers may not lie but there's no way to evolve them

Or evolve from them

Think, the square root of 9 will ALWAYS be 3, so when a monkey wrench is thrown in, where will my solution be?

So from now on I'll use my market mind for my musical needs

And from now on, I seek guidance from an organic source, me

Even if it starts from the ground and expands like the sea

My musical taste stands pure, on the shores that I see

Last Week on Tumblr...

For those that may not know, this blog has a sidekick!

When I'm not posting reviews, commentaries, and such, I am posting small music tidbits on Tumblr, titled Bubble Gum Pop Rap Lite. Almost anything has been posted on this site, from neat music articles to singles from great artists. Every week I'll give you a taste of what I've come across on the radio, in the news, and online. Enjoy!

Starting with July 10th: I found one of the coolest posters floating around the Internet! Also on that day, I finally changed my ringtone to Drake's "Thank Me Now" (who did NOT show up at the Car and Bike Show I went to in Atlanta, I was so hurt!)

Posted July 9th: This was the day officer Johannes Mehserle caught a involuntary manslaughter verdict for MURDERING an arrested young Black man by shooting him in the back of the head! So in anger, I found this song by Rebel Diaz and BRWN BFLO called "Who You Shootin At?" Also posted was a funny JPEG on Chart-Topping Musicians (dissed the hell out of Nickelback in the process!)

Posted July 8th: The visuals to Nikki Lynette's "Civil War", as well as Roxanne Shante on why she left the rap game.

Posted July 7th: A tune from Jean Grae's last mixtape before retirement where she gives XXL a piece of her mind. Plus, for all you "Nasty Boys," the video from Janet Jackson's steamy performance at the Essence Music Festival!

Posted July 6th: Prince's opinion on the current state (and the future) of the Internet, and an oh-too-familiar yet revolutionary album cover of Bilal's latest works.

Posted July 5th: A link that'll get you ALL SIX of Charles Hamilton's new mixtapes!!! That is all.

Posted July 3rd: A booming system unlike any other, news on a possible ?uestlove, Raphael Saadiq, and Amy Winehouse band, and classic video footage on how to do the Bird from the ever-so lovely Purple Rain!

The New Breed(s): Nikki Lynette

This woman is so far beyond current rap AND hiphop music, she was one of the first people I personally hesitate to say Nikki Lynette is an emcee. But she's probably the most of an emcee, let alone a femcee, of our time. I almost hesitate in calling her a femcee because of my own upbringing in categorizing, and to me she is that far left of hiphop music. However, she wins my heart as a femcee because she drops some of the dopest rhymes over the most laissez-faire of music. To hear her rap over Peter Bjorn & John's "Nothing to Worry About" and Guns 'N Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" was heart-racing at first because it hadn't been done in a looong time, but the feeling turned into joy because of what she has said. Musically, Nikki Lynette has every right to call herself Bad Ass!

I first caught wind of her while looking for the beat to PB+J's "Nothing to Worry About", and found her featured on 2Dopeboyz. At first I thought, "she sounds a lot like the other Nicki.... Ew." Fortunately, the next week HiphopDX posted a video of her fresh 16 Bars which she rips the world apart in one verse. That's when she won my attention!

What makes me place her amongst the greatest ladies to ever rock a mic is that she has a TRUE EDGINESS! A lot of other emcees and musicians that claim to be edgy and bad ass fail to make those sort of attempts in their music, but Nikki Lynette actually is. Most artists will say they've been through "so much" and fail to show it in their music, but Nikki Lynette actually does it. How many emcees will not only tell you a story about a trip to the psyche ward, literally, but take you on a wild (feeling) ride of their trip to the psyche ward as a teenager? Don't worry, I'll wait.... This particular femcee not only did that, but put it over a Guns N' Roses track ("Welcome to the Jungle") in her single "Take This Pill." Instead of just linking the video, I'll just post it here with the lyrics, and let you experience the ride yourself:

She dropped a mixtape last month called Roses N' Guns: The totally bad ass mixtape that rocks! that has almost every song she's done in her short time in the rap game, which is actually a lot. She has released a video for one of my favorite songs on the mixtape called "Civil War", which flaunts her ability to take on current issues head-on. And for someone to go in so soon is astonishing!

Not only is she lyrically dope, but her potential gravitates me towards her more. As I mentioned in the beginning of this series, most people, especially artists in hiphop, are afraid to step outside the box because of the complacent and conformant community, not to mention the fear of failure. However, you have artists like Nikki Lynette, who will tell you her story as soon as you meet her, Jean Grae, who will rebel against any and everybody, and Invincible, who will teach you how to be revolutionary, who all conform in not conforming, which makes them as hiphop as it gets.

The New Breed(s): Jean Grae

I know a lot of readers will see this and think "you're a couple years behind with this," but I am placing this woman among NEW breeds because she has been something that people are just NOW noticing - a true rebel. Jean Grae is so rebellious, she'll rebel against her own hiphop community to better herself.


I was in a meeting two years ago with my Hip-Hop Congress folks (I miss you all btw), and we were talking about our all-time favorite female emcees. I said MC Lyte, but the guy next to me insisted on saying Jean Grae was better than her. I was infuriated! When I asked him why, he said "No disrespect to MC Lyte, but Jean Grae has something that the Lyte lacks, and that's a backbone." I thought to myself that was a bold statement since MC Lyte is the epitome of badass emcees, hands down. He went on "yeah, MC Lyte started the women with attitude sort of style, but Jean Grae has taken that style to a whole new level. Dudes may have been afraid to battle MC Lyte, but dudes are afraid to even be in the presence of Jean Grae. The only one is probably Talib Kweli." At the time, he was right. Every dude that has collaborated with her didn't outshine the femcee.


This femcee is especially the future of all of hiphop because she is by far the most self-made AND well-known self-made musician of our time. Jean Grae's style of rhyme is totally prepared for battle, like if anybody had a problem with her should be ready to be rump roast! Her punchlines are deadly, making you feel as if you're fighting Mike Tyson after his release from prison in '95. She has rhymes you must listen to, as they are intelligent and strategically placed for you to think and figure out what exactly she is talking about. She is perhaps the most complicated femcee to decipher out of these new emcees.


Lyrically, she's the kind of girl you don't tread lightly, as she has an attitude that'll take you by storm. Yet, she whisks you away in beautifully written stories dealing with life and being a woman. Although her battle rap style rhymes carry heavy weight, so does her ability to tell stories about her life. She has told stories of just about everything from a woman's perspective - from being the only female on her label to late-night quickies and abortions. From her album she did with 9th Wonder called Jeanius, her song "My Story" had to be the most chilling yet telling story about going through abortion and having a miscarriage. She says


I was a failure at that too, bailed from the rap, then but fate took me back in.
Sin is a tattoo my fingers attached with.
Twenty-seven with three kids that I never met.
What if I was Catholic? Wonder if they hate me? 
Thinking how their mother could ever murder?
Well take me hell


She has the ability to take listeners on a ride that is both emotional and intelligent, something rarely seen in hiphop nowadays.


It's not only her lyricism that is rebellious, by nature, but her personality. She has given everyone the middle finger (metaphorically, but would be cool if she literally did) - even her own community. She faced a lot of scrutiny in 2004 when blasted XXL for blasting her in the "Negro Please" section of their magazine in regards to an interview with Fader magazine about postponing her wedding because her dad had cancer. In an Allhiphop.com column, she basically told them to "fuck off." You would think that was over, but she still had it out for the magazine in her last mixtape in 2008 Evil Jeanius, in which she says "And how the fuck I get a Negro Please / when speaking truth? / Apologize on your Negro knees (fucker)" on the track "Even On your Best Day". In 2008, Jean Grae posted a classified on Craigslist for songwriting needs and collaborations claiming "I figure, if everyones gonna make money offa me, why not make it directly to the people who love this shit anyway?" She surely knew how to push her label's buttons.


Although she claimed retirement, she has never left the rap scene. She's been featured with several hiphop artists such as Talib Kweli, Joell Ortiz, and Jay Electronica, on top of working on a new album, according to Talib Kweli. She will also be featured on Ski Beat's 24 Hour Karate School.


Jean Grae takes the Sista with Attitude "category" and multiplies by a trillion, making her a hybrid femcee of our time. But her personality and ability to have you listen isn't something listeners sleep on... at all. Overall, to me she's like a Sour Patch: first she's sour, then she's sweet. As long as Jean Grae doesn't stop Jean Grae, she will be on top of the hiphop world in no time.

The New Breed(s): Invincible

She's the kind of femcee that steps far beyond the title. That's how ahead of her time she is!

When I first saw her perform, I thought to myself "this dude is awesome!" because looking at her and listening to her in a small, dim-lit venue, and already drunk, I wasn't prepared to hear a woman (especially a crossed-dressed woman) to spit that hard and that real! That night she not only came with the rhymes, but also a philanthropy. During this performance, she had a backdrop of her docu-music-video "Locusts" playing as she was rhyming with disturbing city images of her hometown Detroit. She has been backed by Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Slum Village, just to name a few hiphop artists that know she can flow. Trust me when I say Invincible is the future of hiphop, HANDS DOWN.

DISCLAIMER: Although I place her in a new breed of femcees, that doesn't mean she (or any other femcee) is limited among or by their gender. Her image and her lifestyle says enough (see picture). She isn't just about empowering the female identity, but about empowering everyone! Invincible comes with rhymes about everyone's struggle, steering away from sexuality and materialism and everything else a woman talks about, in an attempt to blast on the scene tiptoeing with EVERYONE who rhymes right now. Like she said "I'm striving to be one of the best period / Not just one of the best with breasts and a period" (said on "Looongawaited"). She steers away from being limited as a female emcee by spitting something everyone can relate to. Instead of talking about feminism or flaunting her sexuality, she's educating people on international issues in every way an emcee can in addition to her own special methods.

What sets her apart from other female emcees in the hiphop world is her lyricism. She spits nothing superficial, let alone ladylike, yet her content is classy and thoughtful. The origins of Invincible's lyricism is clearly Detroit-bred, but her thought process is so beyond an 8-Mile emcee. She can break down metaphors like you put on socks, it is THAT easy for her. Take "People Not Places" off her album ShapeShifters, she says:

Settlements spreading like cancer and toxic sewage polluted the roads
Now full of checkpoints
I superimpose the truth and it shows
(see full lyrics and explanation here)

On a song that deals with the displacement of the Palestinian people, most people wouldn't expect such lyricism from the average emcee, as they expect a focus on talking about the issues. But Invincible isn't your average emcee; she has the ability to balance a deep rhyme scheme and a crazy flow with intellectual content broken down for everyone.

Her musicianship steps beyond just rhyming; she is also a filmmaker. Actually, she has a docu-music-video for just about every song! She stepped on the scene and caught the eyes of millions when Current TV aired her first docu-music-video "Locusts" on gentrification in Detroit. The amazing thing about it is that she didn't make the video alone, but with a Detroit youth group called L.A.M.P (Live Arts Media Project), where these kids do a yearly project researching current events and making CDs and videos based on their findings. They're basically the 'hood's youth CNN! Aside from her film work with L.A.M.P, she has worked with Beatnick & K-Salaam, and Iqaa the Olivetone. Her most recent docu-music-video "The Revival" looks at three generation of hiphop, in particular women in hiphop. This video, which you see below, takes you on the We-B Girlz European tour featuring Roxanne Shante, Bahamadia, Eternia, Stacy Epps, DJ Shortee, and Invincible. The documentary aspect of it includes Roxanne Shante and Bahamadia trading stories on what it was like at their prime in the music industry and what it is like for up and coming artists Stacy Epps and Eternia (who is responsible for the logo at the top of the first piece in this series) to grace the same stage as two previous generations of hiphop.

THE REVIVAL from EMERGENCE Media on Vimeo.

Invincible not only carries Detroit, but the world on her shoulders, with her supreme lyrical skills and in-depth ability to educate the masses. When, not if, she blows up, she can be the most dangerous emcee, excuse me femcee, in America because we all know how tough it is to be an educator for the minorities and do it without permission (just being real for a sec). Not only will she murk these emcees, but not murk these emcees in a skirt. She does it in her own style. To BUY her music, because we should support good music, peruse her site for all of her works.