NeoRealist

Moved

2007-06-30T13:20:00.001-04:00

I have since moved to my new home ..wordpress just seems..easier

What's My Favorite Word?

2007-04-12T09:01:00.000-04:00

MSNBC is dropping Imus in the Morning...about time something more significant than a "slap on the wrist" was made against Imus for calling the Rutgers ladies "nappy headed hos." Some argue that if in Hip Hop artist call women nappy headed hos then there should be no reason for a very grown White on-air personality to do the same. I googled "nappy headed ho," lyrics and no songs appeared...i.e. this term is not in "every rap song" as some critics claim. I will not even go into how nappy headed mocks the natural features of a large majority of Blacks around the world. As if that is something to be changed or ashamed of. I must say I was impressed with Snoop's comments. While I still do not agree with why he chooses to use the terms "bitch" and "ho" in his lyrics, he does have quite the point.

"It's a completely different scenario," said Snoop, barking over the phone from a hotel room in L.A. "[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC [which announced Wednesday it would drop its simulcast of Imus' radio show] going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them mutha----as say we in the same league as him."

"Kick him off the air forever," he said. "Ban him like they did [Adam] 'Pacman' Jones. They kicked him out the [National Football] League for the whole season [for numerous violations of the NFL's personal-conduct policy, including multiple arrests], but this punk gets to get on the air and call black women 'nappy-headed ho's.' "

I don't find the hypocrisy of the media and critics the least bit surprising. These kind of situations continue due to the lack of back lash by employers and those outside the Black community. Apparently if an offender simply apologizes or goes on "vacation" it makes it all okay. Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. This is one of a million instances, obviously the slaps on the wrists are ineffective. With freedom of speech comes responsibility and I guess even at his age, sense is not so common.

FEMA's Dirty Little Secret

2007-04-01T00:31:00.000-04:00

I promised some students back in N.O. that I'd let everyone hear about what's been going down in New Orleans so take 5 minutes out of your privileged lives and become aware.

For those who don't know, Howard had sent 570 students (70 law students week 1 and 500 undergrad week 2) to New Orleans as part of an Alternative Spring Break program to rebuild and reestablish the New Orleans community making them the biggest group of students to ever volunteer in LA. There they were joined by a few other schools and well meaning individuals including myself and together they made a difference.

It'd be hard for anyone to argue with Kanye's Bush allegations because after visiting all the wards, 9th and east in particularly, you could tell FEMA didn't do SHIT! Two years after the hurricane and it looked like Katrina had just hit. Houses were laid barren and destroyed and every mile had big open fields where houses once stood. It was past depressing. It was disgusting. I don't think anyone outside N.O. could understand or fathom how hard Katrina had hit the city and the extent that the government chose to ignore the devastation…Naw, scratch that, they didn't ignore the White affluent areas, those areas were rebuilt. It was the areas where the poor and Black people lived that were consciously overlooked.

Can you imagine losing everything? Living in a trailer literally half the size of a dorm room with your entire family?!? Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and many will not return. I mean how could they? Insurance companies have pulled every scam in the book to keep people from getting money to rebuild and the media got it twisted. Did anyone else find it disgustingly ironic that in identical pictures, each showing a Black or a White person swimming into abandoned stores searching for food and clothing, the captions differed greatly? Somehow Black people were "stealing and looting" and White people were "finding." America has found everyway to trick its people into believing that some how the people of New Orleans, human beings mind you, deserved this. No one deserves this. No American should have to wait four days for help in their own country.

I don't know how many stories I've heard about the police shooting down boys who "stole" boats and trucks in efforts to save people from flooded home or innocent people being shot down for trying to cross the bridge into predominantly White areas which ironically happened to be the least effected and driest.

Some of us did debris removal, others built homes. I got to work at a charter school and at St. Augustine High School. There I met some of the smartest; most mature, hilarious and just cool ass kids around. I can't say in words how uplifting it was too see so many intelligent young Black men, all destined for college. Everyone wished they could have stayed longer. It was almost too much fun.

So for every student who went to Mexico for Spring Break or professional who sat idly in their office, just know that over 600 well meaning individuals went down to Nawlins and sacrificed their vacations and work wages for the benefit of those who needed it the most. Trust and believe much more needs to be done so whenever you can break away go down to New Orleans, I'll see you there because I will go back without a doubt!

Electrick Heat

2007-03-16T02:56:00.000-04:00

K-Os
March 2007

K-OS has always been an indefinable artist since his 2003 release of Exit to his more recent work, Atlantis: Hymns For Disco. His sound floats between Rap and R&B and tiptoes around the outskirts of Acoustic and Alternative Rock. Only a trained ear can rock with K-OS and seamlessly flow through his albums front to back amidst the many styles and not miss a note. This Canadian native is slowly gaining crossover appeal with his flow that dances along the edges of eccentricity and artistic greatness with his ethereal references and criticism of mainstream rap and society and it will only be a matter of time until his work enters Billboard's heavy rotation.

Me: So what have you been working on?

K-Os: Nothing man we're just on the tour bus. We just left Jacksonville and we're on our way to Ft. Lauderdale so we've actually been on tour for the last month or so.

Me: K-OS is an interesting name, any particular meaning?

K-Os: Oh K-OS yes, stands for knowledge of self and that's just something I came to over time. I always had the name K-OS and I was just in the elevator one day and it came to me that K dash O-S could mean knowledge of self and that was like maybe '98 so that's been the meaning of my name for a minute.

Me: Any reference to Black Star?

K-Os: No, you know what I found out that name after I called myself that years later and I was like its so weird you know that K-OS definition...what was the name of that song?

Me: Knowledge Of Self Determination (K-OS Determination).

K-Os: Again when I would do things like that it would just make me think that I picked the right name.

Me: Your music seems to breach many genres, how would you describe your sound?

K-Os: I would describe my sound as like renaissance and that's a word that's not used too much in Black music but classic. I just like classic music whether it's like Bob Marley, whether it's KRS-One whether it's Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone whether its Otis Redding I like classic music and I try to take those elements of the classic music in my different songs. So renaissance; things that are classic at different time periods around the world.

Me: So who would you say are your different idols and musical inspirations?

K-Os: Everyone from A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Outkast right back to like Otis Redding and Michael Jackson and even people like... bands, like Rock bands like Nirvana, The Strokes, a lot of indie rock bands too.

Me: How does Canadian Rap differ from that of American?

K-Os: Canada is just a lot younger, it's a younger nation. Hip Hop and American Black music has had like 400 years of history, Canada you know we're pretty much, I'm pretty much the first generation born in Canada. Most people's parents in Canada were born in the West Indies or like in Russia or in America. People in America are like four generations so you guys have had more time or experiences to talk about. Canada's still young, we're like the little brother, we're still developing.

Me: Has your West Indian background affected your music style?

K-Os: That affected my style because my uncle used to make something called steel pan and he used to make instruments from scratch. I used to sit around and watch him take a big drum and a hammer and a chisel and make an instrument, pound it into submission. From an early age I realized that forget all the theory and going to music class you can just make your own instrument. I think Trinidad taught me that music is something inside of us and we don't always have to go study. You can study and become better at it for sure but I think that first its something you have to recognize that its something that grows in you and that's what the West Indies showed me that you should just love music. You start jamming in the middle of the day and party in the middle of the day, two in the afternoon and out comes the rum and everyone starts playing instruments.

Me: What inspired you to use more live instrumentation in your music?

K-Os: When I saw The Roots in Toronto in a place called the Opera House in 1995. That concert changed my life and I knew when I left I called my homeboy, he went to music school, I said ‘yo I need a band' and the next day from that day on in 1995 I've been trying to find that sound and I finally found it probably my first record which three or four years later in 99, 2000 with a bunch of guys from Vancouver which is the west coast of Canada, but it was really The Roots that changed my life that way.

Me: What distinguishes Atlantis: Hymns for Disco from Joyful Rebellion and Exit?

K-Os: It's more personal. It's more confessional and its more fun you know what I mean. I think Joyful Rebellion was… I was still in the protest mode I didn't understand where Hip Hop was going and I didn't have the strength to go outside of Hip Hop and find myself. Its experimental but at the same time a more personal record more so than any other record that I've ever done I can say for sure.

Me: What are your favorite tracks off the album and why?

K-Os: Right now my favorite track is probably "CatDiesel". I like that track because it makes me want to dance and it reminds me of the old school jams back in the day. That beat in particular that break beat that's been used on other Hip Hop jams its just the certain way that people dance to it; every time I listen to it in my head phones I picture these kids back in the day doing these funky dances to it. My favorite record changes. I stopped listening to my record a couple months or so like I tried listened to it since December and then when it came out in America last week, I started to listen to it all last week. So I'm rediscovering my record like ‘oh this is what people are hearing now? Wow this is cool' so right now its "CatDiesel."

Me: Can you tell me more about your production work?

K-Os: No it's a secret. I don't say anything about it. I can't divulge that to you.

Me: [laughs] Are you serious?

K-Os: No I don't know man I just like music. I just listen to a whole bunch of music and I go in the studio and I take the best things from the things that I like. I'm very much of a music fan. That word producer freaks me out. I'm just a guy that listens to music at 3 in the morning for four hours until the sun comes up and then when I go to the studio I know how I want it to sound. The key to me is having a really good engineer, somebody who really gets it down the way you want like Greg O'Shea. He's not even a Hip Hop head, he's an Australian guy…from Australia. I guess Australian people are from Australia but he's an Australian guy and uh I found him…and I was doing a project one day and this guy can get anything I told him ‘I want it to sound like this.' He can make it happen so he's kind of the master mind behind everything I do. But its more knowing what I want to head and loving all types of music.

Me: You've gotten a lot of success in Canada, so you think you'll achieve crossover appeal with ease?

K-Os: Nothing like what I'm tryna do comes easy but will I do it fun, for sure. It's not going to be easy. Even right now when I look at my schedule and I look at all these press phoners I'm like man...I really would rather be drinking a beer, sitting in front of the tour bus, but you gotta do these phoners. You got to talk to people, you gotta promote yourself and that's me being completely honest and at the same time during the last few minutes of talking to you I'm learning about myself just by answering these questions so if you look at it like that, you're learning about yourself but your also spreading your ideas to people, it can be fun. I'm just trying to have the most fun. That's why I got into music and my dad doesn't like it because I want to have fun all my life but I don't care anyway.

Me: Why do you think there's a lot of materialism and violence in rap today because you discuss it a lot in your music?

K-Os: Because the people who make the music, that maybe moves people the most, is because the feelings that they have and the reason the music moves me is because they're going through hardcore shit. It's the same thing with Frank Sinatra or whatever you know Nina Simone. People don't talk about her life and how hardcore it was because she's a singer right. Or somebody like Michael Jackson. He must have had a really fucked up childhood to make the music he made. I think people focus on Hip Hop because it's more of like a gangster movie. It's an easier movie to make, it's kind of like Scarface or something. For the most part most artists from visual artists that used to chop their ears off. Artists have always gone through a lot of things and sometimes that's when their music is the best. I don't think it's just Hip Hop.

Me: What can we expect from you in the future?

K-Os: A very fly wife and a lot of kids. I don't know. How bout that I'll just end it like that. A very beautiful wife and a lot of children.

Publised: MVRemix

She Ain't Pregnant But She Bout To Have Some Twins

2007-03-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

I wonder if he spent $1 mil on this one too..and I wouldn't doubt that he tried to get this in the BET countdown. Looks like money did Kanye the same it did Hip Hop..get a lil bit of shine and out goes the "conscious" emcee for the ignorant.

Kanye+West Remix Rich+Boy Video Throw+Some+D's Humor Hip+Hop

Capital P

2007-02-27T02:40:00.000-05:00

For nearly 15 years, since Mobb Deep’s debut in ’93, Juvenile Hell, to their latest release in 2006, Blood Money, Prodigy, arguably the more lyrically gifted half of the duo has been making musc. The Queens native plans to release solo work to showcase his lyrical ability to masses of fans with his upcoming mixtape and album. Prodigy collaborates with Koch Records producer, Alchemist, on his mixtape, Return of the Mac, in lieu of his upcoming LP, H.N.I.C. II, set for release in March.

Despite Nas’ allegations of hip-hop’s death, Prodigy feels not only that hip-hop is alive, hip-hop is “Kickin you in the ass” and only the foolish would neglect to recognize him as one of the “biggest artists in the game.”

“To me, whoever made up hip-hop is dead is a motherfuckin fool, period. Because
you’re just a fool for making that statement.”

Me: Please explain your mixtape Return of The Mac.

Prodigy: Return of The Mac is something that me and Alchemist put together, special collaboration. You talking about the Return of the M-A-C. We ain’t talking about pimpin’ you know what I mean. All the beats are crazy. It came out so good so we like fuck it, we treat this shit like an album. It’s like a pre-album for H.N.I.C. II. Really we made it as a mixtape, H.N.I.C. II, but it’s almost like a pre-album.

Me: What are your relationships like with your label and Alchemist?

Prodigy: Basically, you know what I mean, the label Infamous Records was just – you know that’s the label right there that’s what it is. Our relationship with Alchemist goes back to Murda Muzik album. We just been working together ever since, Mobb Deep and Alchemist.

Me: What’s your situation with G-Unit, why didn’t you drop the mixtape under them?

Prodigy: I mean basically, you know dealing with 50, he let us do our own thing, get our bread with our solo career. He was like basically, ‘I’m not trying to hold y’all back, do what y’all wanna do, get ya shit.’ We told him what we had planned and he was like, ‘Man get ya bread!’ Basically that’s what it is. Mobb Deep is still on G-Unit and we able to get our money elsewhere, too, at the same time.

“Basically that’s what it is. Mobb Deep is still on G-Unit and we able to get
our money elsewhere, too, at the same time.”

Me: What is your favorite track off the mixtape and why?

Prodigy: One of my favorite joints is the first one, “Stuck to You,” saying, because it’s just ill. Nah mean, it’s a crazy, crazy song. Another one of my favorites is “Seventh Heaven. There’s a lot of joints on there.

Me: Your video for “Mac 10 Handle” was received a lot of acclaim, why make a video for a mixtape single?

Prodigy: I mean just cause I’m just being myself. Do what I wanna do, that’s how you can tell. I just do whatever I wanna do. I’m like, ‘Aight, I’m a shoot a video for this tomorrow. Let’s do it!’ Put it out on YouTube so everybody can see it. You ain’t gotta wait for some program director, somebody like, ‘I like it’ or ‘I don’t like it’ to put it on they channel. It’s going out anyway on the Internet. That’s what we focusing on, right. Just focusing on the ground work, nah mean, dealing with our fans at the ground level.

Me: There is speculation as to who is in the reflection in the mirror in the “Mac 10 Handle” video, is that supposed to be Nas?

Prodigy: Nah. That’s foolishness. If you look at it you can see that, that’s not Nas.

“You ain’t gotta wait for some program director, somebody like, ‘I like it’ or
‘I don’t like it’ to put it on they channel. It’s going out anyway on the
Internet.”

Me: Who is that supposed to represent then?

Prodigy: Just a extra in the video. Just like everybody else that was in this video that you saw. Extras playing the film. I shot all these people on the TV then next thing you know there’s the devil in my room. When I look in the mirror, somebody that I just killed if you watch the video.

Me: Do you feel artists going independent through mixtapes will spark a takeover of the rap game form its commercialized state?

Prodigy: Nah, I just feel like when you do what you want to do, just be yourself. People [are] going to feel you. It’s just having your shit out there, they going to feel you and your shit on take off whether you’re independent or major, however it is. It’s all about the music first, it don’t matter what route you go, if you ain’t got the music you ain’t got nothing!

Me: A lot of rappers have voiced their opinions on Nas’ statement that hip-hop is dead. Do you feel offended by that statement?

Prodigy: Nah, I don’t feel offended by that statement, but I think it’s a dumbass statement though, cause how can you say hip-hop is dead when you got a lot people that’s brand new to them, you got people that’s poppin’ off at this shit you know. Whoever says hip-hop is dead is making themselves sound like you got some kind of qualities that you don’t like about yourself. To me, whoever made up hip-hop is dead is a motherfuckin fool, period. Because you’re just a fool for making that statement. That’s a foolish statement. You need to just shut up, man.

Me: So what do you think of music today and hip-hop culture if it’s not dead?

Prodigy: It’s alive and kickin’ you in the ass. I’m alive, hip-hop is alive and kickin you in the ass.

Me: How do you feel about the newer artists and the southern domination of the radio?

Prodigy: They kickin you in the ass! Basically, they kickin’ niggas in the ass, because they poppin’ off right now. So, hip-hop is alive and kickin’, baby.

Me: Do you feel your mixtape and other New York artists are going to bring the focus back to New York?

Prodigy: Nah, you can’t bring nothing back that ain’t went no where. The biggest artist in the rap game is from Queens, NY. It ain’t go no where.

Me: Well, when you look at the Billboard charts the majority happen to be from south.

Prodigy: They makin hot shit.

Me: Do you feel that’s going to change, because some people feel that New York isn’t putting out anything hot anymore, therefore the south is taking over?

Prodigy: How can you say that when the biggest artist in music, in rap music is from Queens, NY. That’s just another foolish statement like hip-hop is dead. That’s foolish statement number two, whoever made that one up is an asshole.

“…that was something that Interscope did. They didn’t like something I said so
they decided to tell me to change it or the album wasn’t going to come out. I’m
like wow OK. Fuck my freedom of speech, like that don’t exist.”

Me: You have been in the game for a long time, how do you feel the music industry has changed in terms of content and skill, as well as artist and label relations?

Prodigy: I don’t know nothing `bout none of that. I just know how to make good music. Relations, we ain’t in for none of that. Our music makes good business for us, makes good money.

Me: In a press release you were quoted as saying you were being censored by major labels. Do you feel you were being censored the entire time or was it more something that became a current issue?

Prodigy: Nah, that was something that Interscope did. They didn’t like something I said so they decided to tell me to change it or the album wasn’t going to come out. I’m like wow OK. Fuck my freedom of speech, like that don’t exist. But I changed it and the album coming out now. I’d rather just say what I want to say. I got a lot to say, because you can’t hide what I got to say, because it’s real.

Me: What other kinds of things have you been working on do you have any other outside business ventures or hobbies?

Prodigy: I like writing movies – I love [movies]. There’s going to be a lot of that type of shit coming out the camp. Production for other people, Alchemist is doing production for mad people. Havoc does production for crazy people. Writing, songwriting. You going see a lot of shit. There’s a lot of different things happening. A lot of things you can’t talk about no more, because people take ideas just blatantly. We don’t talk about a lot of shit no more.

Me: You spoke on your chemistry with Alchemist, if you could collaborate with any other producer or artist who would that be?

Prodigy: Who would it be, probably be like Alicia Keys, Mary J. Like a lot of that soul, R&B.

Me: If you could put any two artists or producers in the studio together who would they be?

Prodigy: I would have to say Alchemist and Hav. That’d be crazy to have them do a whole fuckin’ shit together.

Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Prodigy: Go hard or go home.

Published: Format Magazine

Hip+Hop Rap Prodigy Mobb+Deep Format+Magazine Interview Entertainment Music Mixtape

5th & Fashion

2007-02-27T02:39:00.000-05:00

During hip-hop’s infant years, Cazals and doorknockers were key accessories, and shell toes finished off the signature look. Parish Nation embraces the style and flare of the `80s and early `90s, revising New York and early hip-hop fashion. They’re new, different and surely will spark life through originality into fashion industry where everyone and their mothers own a T-shirt line. With years of experience at Enyce, Chaka Wilson and his partners take their knowledge and thirst for a culture they love and apply it to an industry they’ve mastered.

“With Parish we wanted the direction to come from us instead of go back to the
way things were when we first started Enyce, which was just a small group of us
enjoying what we’re doing which was designing.”

Me: Parish Nation is an interesting name, any particular meaning?

Parish: Well it literally means community. A group of individuals coming off of Enyce that represented NYC, which was kind of the little old translation for Enyce, and starting off from scratch with this new brand with just a small group of us sort of collectively conceptualizing everything from the direction of the brand, to design, to marketing, to most of what we do its done as a collective. Parish was sort of a representation of where we are right now as a company.

Me: How did the concept for Parish Nation come about?

Parish: I think when my partners all decided to leave Enyce we wanted to do something that represented our vision, as opposed to a corporate structure, you know a corporate dictate to what we do, what design, the type of stores we sell – overall with Enyce, it was a huge corporate oversight, which gave us direction. With Parish we wanted the direction to come from us instead of go back to the way things were when we first started Enyce, which was just a small group of us enjoying what we’re doing which was designing.

Me: What distinguishes Parish Nation from and Enyce?

Parish: I think the design. What we came up with is just a really modern art driven early hip-hop influenced collection. So I think that’s present throughout the collection. That was one of the things that was important for us to establish ourselves in a different direction. When you see the collection you’ll immediately notice the bold colors and a lot of the cool references; everything from Warhol to Gene Herring to Grandmaster Flash. You have all of those cool references in there and most of the collection is actually hand drawn! That’s one of the things you will see even though there’s similarities with us and not only Enyce, but other companies in terms of all-over prints and things of that nature which happens to be the current trend, but I think we sort of took that trend. And what with the different direction with most of it being hand drawn, I think one of the key components to our design team is that we have artists as opposed to designers. They approach each part of the collection as a canvas so you notice that each part of the collection is sort of one of a kind.

“When you see the collection you’ll immediately notice the bold colors and a lot
of the cool references; everything from Warhol to Gene Herring to Grandmaster
Flash.”

Me: Has the success of Enyce paved the way for Parish?

Parish: Absolutely, I mean Enyce established us in this business. What we did with Enyce gives us much creditability with this line even though it’s a great collection there’s a business end to any company. I think that’s one of things that gave us a leg up over any other up-start company that’s just coming into the game with no experience. I think the 10 years with Enyce is a pretty good track record so therefore buyers, manufacturers and venders – we sort of have the respect of a lot of people which in turn open a lot of doors for us.

Me: How has your experience been at the MAGIC Trade Show?

Parish: It’s been pretty good. We debuted the line a few months back. A lot of the buyers hadn’t even seen it or heard about it so the cool thing for us is that we have a tremendous buzz going into MAGIC. It’s not, again, like we’re a start up company that people are for the first time on the floor. The fact that we already have goods on the floor that are selling extremely well are giving the buyers a lot of confidence. The fact that they’re actually seeing some of the product out there on the street and on different individuals they really get to experience what we were explaining earlier on. The last MAGIC we were here right after leaving Enyce so we were really just observers, but we were trying to give a lot of the buyers an indication of what it was that we were coming up with. They support us which is a really good thing, because you know if we do well they do well in their stores so overall it’s been a very good experience and a positive experience this is the way MAGIC was for us in the beginning. It’s really cool to get back to that.

Me: How does it feel to go from founding established brands to creating a brand new line?

Parish: It’s great. There was a struggle but it was the only course of action. You know Enyce was great. We still love the brand. That’s kind of like our baby. We still have a lot of great friends over there, but it was time for us to sort of branch out and try something new. I think the market place needed something new, so it was cool that it would be us to do it as individuals recognized in the fashion community as innovative and well respected within the design community, and in turn get support from the other brands. I think that’s one of the things that’s made it less scary for us. We’ve got nothing but positive feedback from the fashion community so that’s given us some confidence.

Me: Lately, the fashion industry has been taking on an `80s trend. Why did you chose to use the `80s and early-`90s era as a theme for the line?

Parish: That’s the era that influenced us, especially those of us who are a little bit older. We definitely came of age, if you will, in the `80s as young teenagers so we definitely experienced the trends that are out there. When we started the collection we naturally wanted to use New York as a backdrop. We’ve always wanted a cool tie in into New York, it was important to show a lot of influences, pay homage to that.

Me: What are Parish Nation’s signature items or looks?

Parish: For spring, I would definitely say our Warhol influenced pieces. You have a cool reference point. You know pop art. I think that’s a strong part of our collection. And then we also have like the early hip-hop influential pieces which show the four elements of hip-hop. We have a piece that sort of shows respect to the DJ; we have one that represents the graffiti; we have one that represents breaking; [and] we have one that represents the emcee.

Me: What can we expect in the future from Parish Nation?

Parish: Just great artwork. Even if the reference may change, because we won’t be stuck in the `80s forever, but I think the artwork will remain consistent. The artwork is primary and whatever theme or reference sort of compliments artwork so that’s one of the things that remain consistent, that and quality clothing.

Published: Format Magazine

I Often Wonder What Would Happen If That Would've Been Me. All Of This Shit So We Could Be Free

2007-02-27T02:32:00.001-05:00

Hip-hop was created off the heels of the Black Nationalist regime and the Civil Rights Movement as a lifestyle of self expression. It gave inner city youth a voice that would have otherwise remained unheard. Over the past 30 years, some artists have taken a grassroots approach to their music and paid homage to activists who came before them by continuing to discuss issues of race and class in their honor. The covers of these albums have both raised awareness and caused controversy, but overall, they’ve served their purpose as the conscience of hip-hop.

Little Brother - The Minstrel Show

Depicting a portrait of Little Brother in mid minstrel show performance, the cover of Little Brother’s The Minstrel Show is about as controversial as its name. The dark background accentuates their ecstatic expression, making them appear ridiculous. Minstrel shows date back to the 17th century and were a form of entertainment for many Whites across America. White actors would wear Black painted face and accentuate their mouths with excessive white and red paint to portray the stereotype of a Black male at the time. The stereotype depicted a dumbfounded, clumsy and excessively happy man who would dance and sing. The minstrel shows became an instant success and some Black actors chose to take part due to financial troubles. Today no formal minstrel shows exist however, hip-hop culture, and rap music in particular is often coined “the minstrel show” because many feel that the majority of rappers still portray negative stereotypes.

The Roots - Phrenology

Phrenology is the pseudoscience theory that the brain is divided into several parts, each dictating a specific personality trait, and is dependent on the shape of one’s head. The theory was often used to justify racism against Blacks, so The Roots reinvented the concept. The cover shows the inner workings of a Black man’s brain, each section corresponding to different aspects that influence the Black male psyche. These aspects include images of the Ku Klux Klan, Malcolm X, turntables, a minstrel, and Rosa Parks. When examined, the cover art reveals a powerful history within the Black community.

Common - Like Water For Chocolate

From 1876 to 1965, “Jim Crow” laws were in effect throughout the South creating separate but unequal facilities for Blacks and Whites that ranged from separate schools, to restrooms and seating. The racist laws were the cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement which led to the Black Nationalism movement and eventually hip-hop. The cover of Like Water For Chocolate is a picture of a Black woman drinking from a “colored only” water fountain during the Jim Crow era. Common uses the cover to pay homage to the activists that came before him and paved the way for minorities today.

Various Artists – No More Prisons

America has the highest imprisonment rate in the world. Within the prison population lies a disproportionate ratio of Blacks to all other races. Much speculation has been made as to whether the court system and prisons are institutionally racist. The cover art of No More Prisons depicts a cleverly rotated American flag where the stars are filled with Black power fists and the stripes serve as prison cell bars. Behind the bars is an antiqued African mask enclosed by cement brick walls. The cover art is very controversial and parallels the content of the album by artists such as Dead Prez, The Emperors, and The Coup.

Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz – Put Yo Hood Up

The Confederate flag has long represented racism and slavery in the south during the civil war and only the bold and old fashioned have dared to sport it today. Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz use the cover of Put Yo Hood Up to mock those who choose to hold onto a racist past by dressing up as stereotypical southern bigots draped in the Confederate flag. In the background are two additional flags set aflame to signify Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz’ opposition. The cover art suggests their takeover of the south.

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

The concept behind The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is based on the Carter G. Woodson book, The Miseducation of the Negro, which explores the impact of slavery and the quality of education for Black Americans. Lauryn plays off the book’s themes by etching her portrait into an old fashioned wooden desk to represent education. The racial themes resonate past her cover art and throughout her music.

Published: Format Magazine

The Bitch In You

2007-02-25T13:26:00.000-05:00

Bill Cosby strikes again! From the depths of sex allegations and Nick-at-Nite reruns appears the world’s favorite jello front man, Bill Cosby. He has executed yet another battle in his verbal armageddon against the Black community.

Bill Cosby has criticized the Black community on everything from lack of unity and family structure to his more recent agenda, Hip Hop. While many came together to commemorate Afeni Shakur on her 60th birthday Bill Cosby took the boorish approach and scorned the Black community for supporting both 2pac and Afeni Shakur.

Why might you ask?

Apparently Bill Cosby is under the impression that 2pac was a prolific drug dealer who used his “dirty money” to support Afeni financially. Cosby claims that Afeni is “crazy” for using his alleged drug wages. A more sane individual would recognize 2pac’s unprecedented sales before and after death and assume that the millions earned from music royalties funds Afeni’s lifestyle, not a short lived drug jaunt.

For someone so highly acclaimed it surprises most that Cosby would be oblivious to 2pac’s sale history and the fact that Afeni was a civil rights activist that currently spearheads the same issues in the Black community that Cosby does with foundations in her son’s name.

Sometimes I wonder if Bill Cosby just speaks to hear himself speak. When he is criticized he claims its “tough love” which is why it isn’t well received when really it’s his tone, hypocrisy and ill advisement that brings sour feedback.

So in the words of Michael Eric Dyson, “Is Bill Cosby Right?” ...In the case of Afeni & 2pac, absolutely not.

Yo Yeah

2006-11-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

3:30 in the morning, not a soul in sight.We sat four deep at a traffic light talking about how dumb and brainwashed some of our brothers and sisters are, while we waited for the green light to tell us when to go.

Curriculum Vitae

2006-11-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

Jair Dynast

November 2006

MVRemix: Jair Dynast is an interesting name, any particular meaning?

Jair Dynast: Yes, Jair is my given name and it means “One whom God has enlightened”. Dynast means “Ruler of a dynasty”. I thought the two meanings went well together and they convey the depth and feeling for my music.

MVRemix: What made you decide you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Jair Dynast: Music was the only other thing I was passionate about in life besides basketball and my man Burger (RIP) once told me, “if you work at your passion you'll never work a day in your life”. He passed tragically sometime ago but that always stuck with me. Once I was forced to give up my scholarship, music was the next logical progression and it all kinda fell into my lap. So I ran with it… and here I am.

MVRemix: What do you consider to be your big break into music?

Jair Dynast: When I was signed to eMultimedia Group, dropping my first 12-inch “Snake Eyes” and seeing it earn the #4 spot on top 30 hip-hop charts.

MVRemix: Do you consider yourself a “conscious” artist?

Jair Dynast: Sure, I am socially aware. I consciously write music that speaks to societal issues. Hip Hop is poetic commentary on life and I poetically comment on my life and the lives of people in our society.

MVRemix: Who are your idols?

Jair Dynast: My mom's my idol.

MVRemix: What are your greatest music influences?

Jair Dynast: Bob Marley, The Mighty Sparrow and just great music in general.

MVRemix: Describe your sound.

Jair Dynast: People describe my sound as eclectic. It's a mixture of all the various Hip Hop sub-genres, along with a blend of Reggae, R&B and Calypso, another musical genre that poetically comments on life.

MVRemix: I noticed you're West Indian, does your music show any references to Barbados?

Jair Dynast: Yah, you can hear it all throughout my album. You hear it in my delivery, in some records I mention things that are specifically Bajan and probably West Indian in general and the song that closes the album “My People” traces my bloodline from the West Coast of Africa, to Barbados, to North America…

MVRemix: What is the biggest misconception people have of you?

Jair Dynast: Well, I'm fairly new to the scene. I've only had two top 30 hits and I recently got my first #1 record – this being my debut album... So I think I am probably too new for anyone to have any misconceptions about me yet.

MVRemix: Tell us about your record deal and the label.

Jair Dynast: eMultimedia Group is an indie Hip Hop and R&B label with a focus on Hip Hop music that poetically comments on life. My deal allows me to set the tone for the label in terms of the sound as I am not only the flagship artist but the principal producer for the other artists that are on the roster. eMultimedia Group is a very professional bunch with a passion for heartfelt music! It's a blessing to have this kind of support. So shout outs to EMG and the whole support staff!

MVRemix: How do you like the indie scene?

Jair Dynast: I think the indie music scene is fresh as hell… There is so much great talent to experience! Mans need to be checkin' for the indie scene!

MVRemix: Do you plan to go on tour?

Jair Dynast: Yes, the label is working to finalize the details of my tour as we speak. I can't wait!

MVRemix: Do you have any business ventures or hobbies?

Jair Dynast: Nah, at moment the music consumes me. But when I get free time, I'd like to mentor kids from the hood and start a “true” non-profit organization that works to end the wars that are going on right here in our inner-cities. We killin' each other y'all…

MVRemix: Tell us more about your production work.

Jair Dynast: Well, I do various types of production work. I produce tracks for films, TV shows, ads, video games, etc. as well as produce records for the artists on the eMultimedia Group roster, along with my own songs. My production could be described as eclectic as I tend push boundaries during the creative process and mix in elements from various sub-genres of Hip Hop as well as other genres like Reggae, R&B and Calypso.

MVRemix: What is your favorite track off the album and why.

Jair Dynast: I don't have an out and out favorite track on the album. It's like being a parent, you can't single out anyone of your kids as being your favorite as it's not healthy and it's damn hard to do. I love each and every one of my songs for different reasons. I'll leave it up to my fans to buy the album and let me know their favorites when they reach one of my shows, hit me on my web site or on myspace.

MVRemix: What do you think about music today?

Jair Dynast: Music today is great if you are into searching for “great” music. If you like to be handed your music on a platter, I think you might find you are often disappointed with what you are served (laughs).

MVRemix: Who is your top competition and what differentiates yourself from them?
Jair Dynast: I am guessing you are referring to other artists? I don't think it's so much that I have competition with other artists 'cuz we are all out here making good music and working hard for that music to be heard. I think my biggest competition would more be some of the closed-minded gate keepers who have a bit of power to control what people take the time to listen to and experience. I'm not a battle rapper so other rappers aren't my competition. I make music about my life and the lives of those around me. This is music that will resonate with the people because they are tunes about real people, by a real person.

MVRemix: What artist do you think you will be compared to the most?

Jair Dynast: Honestly, I don't think I'll ever be compared to one artist more than another because I constantly do things my way. Being a producer, I find that when I am working with other artists they are always looking to make a record like this person or that person. So when I write and produce my own records, I try to take risks other artists won't take. For this reason, people continue to describe my music as sounding “fresh” which is dope 'cuz that's my aim to begin with. When I am compared, it's always a different artist each time.

MVRemix: What is your biggest gripe about the music industry?

Jair Dynast: In terms of the music industry, I don't really have a gripe so to speak. I think the music industry is as I expect it to be in that it's a business and businesses thrive on one common goal, to earn money. Through earning this money, we all feed our families and keep our lights on. Of course, in terms of Hip Hop music, I feel there are certain aspects of the business that could use a bit of reform so as to balance things out in regards to how our culture is presented to the masses. However, I think that there is a deeper-rooted problem there that goes way beyond the music industry and has more to do with our society in general.

MVRemix: What songs could never be found on your playlist?

Jair Dynast: Well, they say: “never say never”… Plus, I am pretty open to experiencing all types of music. As a producer or composer, the more music you hear the more your ear expands. I'm really into new sounds – as long as it's dope I'll listen to whatever.

MVRemix: If you were to be locked in a studio with any producer/artists, who would it be?

Jair Dynast: I'm not sure if you're into Reggae or if you have heard of him but it would be dope to get Jah Cure out of jail and into my studio. See what kinda vibes would come out with him on one of my tracks. He's a conscious Reggae artist who is currently incarcerated in Jamaica. I have a lot of Reggae/Hip Hop ‘riddims' I've made that I think would sit well with his voice. He's actually recorded a number of hits while locked up. It would be great to see him freed and able to make more music to touch the people!

MVRemix: If you could lock any two artists in a studio who would they be?

Jair Dynast: If they were still with us in physical form I'd like to hear what Tupac and Bob Marley would have made together.

MVRemix: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Jair Dynast: Yeah sure, I'd advise them to dare to be themselves, dare to be different from what's expected of them and their respective genre of music and prepare to be hated on but don't watch dem 'tings 'cuz everybody can't and won't have the same tastes as you do. Keep doing your thing 'cuz it will eventually connect with a lot of people once you have honed your skills and perfected doing ‘you'.

MVRemix: Do you have anything to add?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to build with me as well as thank all the fans and the DJs for the tremendous support and love they continue to show me and my music. Bless up!

Published: MVRemix

And Music Is Potent, It Goes Straight To The Soul So It's Much More Addictive Than Crack Is

2006-10-25T02:42:00.000-04:00

Artist: Black Ice
Album: Death of Willie Lynch

Since the first days of Def Poetry Jam, the popularity of Spoken Word has risen significantly over the years. Black Ice represents a strong force in the Spoken Word community, the conscious male perspective of Hip Hop. His mastery of the English language and deft ability to capture the grievances of the Black community in so few words has earned permanent acclaim by critics and appearances with the likes of Pete Rock and Fabolous. Black Ice has become the voice of the Black community and the Death of Willie Lynch is a compilation of what is arguably his best work.

The album was cleverly titled Death of Willie Lynch, coined of the infamous Willie Lynch letter which describes distinct instructions for controlling Black slaves in order to increase plantation productivity and decrease rebellion. In the dark opening piece, “The Path,” Black Ice references the letter, stating he’s the side effect of the Willie Lynch prescription, staged stereotypically so I always fit the description. His strong introduction prepares the listener for the serious tone of the pre-eminent tracks “The Ugly Show,” “Dream Transferred,” and “Front Page.”

“The Ugly Show” has the most impressive production work of the album. The beat seems to blend with the stanzas of the poem seamlessly. The track is a call of disenfranchisement that criticizes Bush and the American government in accordance with Kanye West’s comments on Bush’s lack of involvement and concern during Hurricane Katrina for Black Americans. The looped statement “You abandoned me, love don’t live here anymore,” embedded throughout the track seems to sum up the opinion of the impoverished individuals within the Black and Latino community.

This themes runs over into “Dream Transferred,” a vivid track on Black Ice’s takeover of the word and “the block” as a response to the famous Langston Hughes poem, “A Dream Deferred,” where Hughes ponders the fate of a remanded aspiration or ambition.

For those acquainted with the work of Black Ice and Def Poetry Jam, “Front Page” seemed almost too familiar. The poem used for the track became on of his listeners’ favorites after they were first introduced to Black Ice during season one of Def Poetry Jam. “Front Page” is a rebuttal to the stubborn, materialistic Black male macho persona. While the poem had an awkward sting due to the inappropriate blend with the beat of the instrumental, the lyrics were still well received and impressive.

The Death of Willie Lynch does have its softer sides in the loved themed songs “Nice2MeetU” and “TakeYaTime,” again using an inspired title, this time from the featured artist Musiq Soulchild, who is notorious for removing the spaces between the words of his song titles.

The addition of music to Black Ice’s poetry made the Death of Willie Lynch a hint at Black Ice’s desire to crossover into rap. Hopefully, the gangster dominated industry will be accepting of Black Ice’s more conscious take on self expression because the Death of Willie Lynch has proved Black Ice to be a lyrical great.

Overall: 8

Food & Liquor Stores Rest On Every Corner

2006-10-25T02:39:00.000-04:00

Artist: Lupe Fiasco
Album: Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco’s debut album, Food & Liquor, solidifies him as one of the industry’s top emerging artists from Chicago’s underground. After several mixtapes and unfortunate leaks of the early versions of his album, Lupe has revamped his sound and style for his freshman album. With the accompaniment of Hip Hop dignitaries, Jill Scott and Jay-Z as well as hit-makers, The Neptunes, Kanye West and Soundtrakk, Lupe blazes through 16 notable tracks on an anthology of his best lyrical ability and production credits.

Lupe starts the album strong with tracks “Real,” “Just Might Be Okay,” and his first single, “Kick Push.” “Kick Push,” in combination with the efforts of N.E.R.D. constituent, Pharrell Williams, birthed the new trend of skateboard culture in Hip Hop and virtually put Lupe Fiasco on the map for those who had slept on his underground tracks or appearances with Kanye West, K Fox, and Tha Rayne.

Lupe’s second single in the U.S.,”I Gotcha,” with the skilled production of The Neptunes, has proven itself to be the most radio friendly and dangerously addictive track on the album. “I Gotcha” is followed by ballads, “The Instrumental” and “He Say She Say,” a song depicting Lupe’s father/son relationship and the toll it had on his coming of age.

Food & Liquor reveals its grassroots movement undertone with tracks “Sunshine,” a Common esque ode to Hip Hop, “Daydreamin,” an insult to the current state of the rap music industry featuring the neosoul vocals of Jill Scott, and “Hurt Me Soul,” a reflection on the darker sides of society. “Sunshine” can easily be misconstrued simply as a love song by less attentive listeners, but to the skilled ear, it is understood to be reminiscent of Common’s rap classic, “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” a tribute to Hip Hop culture disguised as a love song that depicts the de-evolution of Hip Hop as mainstream appeal increased.

Its like, don’t give the Black man food, give the red man liquor
Red man,
fool, black man, nigga
Give yellow man tool, make him railroad builda
Also, give him pan; make him pull gold from river
Give Black man crack,
glocks to teens
Give red man craps, slot machines
Now bring it back

“American Terrorist” is quite arguably the most controversial song on the album. The song portrays the plight of minority groups in America and criticizes warfare over tensions between religious affiliations. As a follower of Islam, Lupe Fiasco felt it imperative that he express his views on the war on terrorism and Iraq to remove possible confusion and denounce stereotypes.

The album ends with “The Emperor’s Soundtrack” and a part II to the leading single, “Kick Push,” which tells the story of troubled teens who use skateboarding as a form of release. The “Kick Push” b-side, adds dimension to the skateboarder references and personality to Lupe’s image.

After an outro giving a bevy of shout-outs to Lupe’s contributors, supporters and influences, it was no mystery as to why Food & Liquor was one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Lupe Fiasco has entered the mainstream on a strong front, leaving many fans in a state of curiosity similar to when NaS, Blackstar and The Roots first debuted, wondering if the next album could beat a classic.

Beats: 7.5
Rhymes: 8
Overall: 8

Published: The Hilltop
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Let It Rain, Now Clear It Out

2006-10-09T21:06:00.000-04:00

All too often history turns its ugly head and repeats itself. One hundred some odd years ago, White Americans entertained themselves by putting on minstrel shows.This minstrel show consisted of African Americans with black painted faces and white and red clown mouths, where they would dance around and perform skits that made African Americans come off as uneducated, absent minded and lacking any form of common sense. The minstrel show became a widespread form of entertainment and has returned today in an unsuspecting form. While many of today's top rap artists can be comparable to minstrel show characters due to their exploitation of Black and Latino culture, I would like to instead direct your attention specifically to the dance moves found in some of the latest radio hits.

Radio heads have found themselves doing everything from snapping and jocking to leaning and walking as dance related tracks continue to stream on radio stations across the country. While said dances may seem harmless, the most recent and popular dance craze, Chicken Noodle Soup, has had critics raising their eyebrows to its origins. The Chicken Noodle Soup dance includes footwork similar to waddling which coincidentally, is how Blacks were portrayed during minstrel shows, "waddling fools" who danced because they were too simpleminded to accomplish anything of substance. Why the topic of Chicken Noodle Soup became a dance or even a song is oblivious to most but the history behind the moves is much more subtle. While such dances don't need to necessarily be condemned, the Hip Hop community however, shouldn't conform to a new dance craze simply because a rapper mentioned it in his or her music.

Never allow the media to tell you what you should like, tell the media what you like and they will hopefully, adhere to it. I can't stress enough how insulting it was when BET announced it chose to ban artists such as Little Brother and A Tribe Called Quest because their music was "too intelligent" for its viewers. That was as if too say the Black community lacked the ability to be socially conscious. It would be unfair to say that the Hip Hop community generally does not favor "conscious" music if media outlets such as BET refuse to air the videos. The viewers are subliminally being directed towards liking a certain type of music and until viewers are given a choice, artists like NaS cannot deem Hip Hop dead. Hip Hop is not dead; its possibilities have yet to be revealed.

Published: MVRemix
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Girls You Know You Better...Watch Out

2006-10-09T20:55:00.000-04:00

Light contacts, long hair and a skin tone shades lighter than we had remembered her, during her affair with the late Biggie Smalls. This shows to say what a big record deal, insecurity, mainstream influence, and a few hundred years of conditioning can buy you.

She's dropped several albums, one even to an impressive double platinum status and her most recent piece, "The Naked Truth," has even broken boundaries as the first album by a female artist to be given the accredited "5 mic" rating by The Source magazine. By industry standards, she is the culmination of Hip Hop's female evolution. She is our…strong Black female.

There she stands. The future of Rap for women across the country, Lil Kim. Accompanied by the likes of Trina, Remy Ma, Foxy Brown and Jackie-O, Lil Kim has symbolized the result of a misogynistic Rap game, an oversexed mainstream and a void of talent unmatched by any female in the industry since Lauryn Hill. If it wasn't a sex icon rapper it was the masculine females like MC Lyte or Queen Latifah who earned little respect for their street-like appeal or contributions to Hip Hop. But let us not forget the confused artists like Missy Elliott and Da Brat, who limboed between the two artist molds as the trends changed to work in their favor.

It's just as the author of Can't Stop Won't Stop, Jeff Chang, said; every female artist has either filled the mold of a "boy toy" or a tomboy. Because Rap is such a male dominated genre, female artists are either emulating the male artists' definitions of masculinity by using a tomboy image, or using sex appeal to set themselves apart. The "boy toys" are viewed as nothing more than "pieces of ass" and the tomboys are pushed aside as "one of the guys." Both however, do not receive any respect or acclaim from their male counterparts or the media.

Where are our strong females?

We last saw one at the Grammys, where she won an unprecedented 8 awards in 1999. Lauryn Hill was the epitome of a strong Black female and a jack of all trades. Her lyrical ability paralleled that of some of Rap's greatests and her voice, production and songwriting capabilities made her a well rounded commodity, yet today we see no one of the like.

Has Hip Hop become so naïve that we've allowed corporate America and pop culture trends to transcend our women from queens to soft porn stars? It's literally embarrassing to remain speechless when music enthusiasts ask who are today's female movers and shakers, simply because the only viable responses are insulting. Who are our children's role models, because it is evident that R&B holds no hope in that realm when our chart toppers, Cassie and Beyonce lay scantily clad in their videos asking the audience "tell me how you like it" and to "check up on it" respectively. Women have made significant strides in the workforce so the backwards sprint in music is quite frankly, sad and appalling.

Like in the "conscious" vs. the "gangster" rap debate, many argue that it's just music. Simply entertainment made to pass the time and give listeners something to dance and shoot the breeze to; But when that entertainment just enforces racial profiling and discourages fathers from birthing daughters, in fear that they might discover their "S.E.X." sooner than they would expect, is it still just entertainment? Like Black Ice says, "music is potent it goes straight to the soul so it's much more addictive than crack is." Dead Prez argues that we "can't sell dope forever" but in essence we can. Hip Hop has been dealt into one of the most influential cultural epidemics but like crack, Hip Hop constituents will be left dead, broke and forgotten if we let it get out of hand.

So the next time you hear that oversexed, beat driven club banger from Remy Ma or Kim, hesitate to nod your head in agreement, because our "strong Black female" might be the first Rap element to disappear.

Published: MVRemix
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The Dumb Are Mostly Intrigued By The Drum

2006-07-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

In the words of the Wu-Tang lyricist Masta Killa, “The dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum.” A good chunk of the music being streamed over the radio lacks the quality lyrical content Rap was once known for. While Rap veterans such as NaS and Common and new entrants to the game Kanye West and Papoose continue to uphold the original values of Hip Hop being skill, delivery and content, radio waves still remain heavily polluted by overly sexed, gimmick filled tracks. You know Hip Hop has gone astray when BET turns away videos by legendaries A Tribe Called Quest and the up coming Little Brother because their music is “too intelligent.” As a part of BET’s core demographic I find it insulting. From the ground breaking flow of Rakim to the whispers, whistles and snaps of today’s chart hits, Hip Hop has been steadily spirally downward bringing disappointment to true Hip Hop heads and eventual boredom to radio junkies.

So what does this mean for Hip Hop? NaS has declared Hip Hop dead, but has the world’s most influential youth culture really come to a creativity standstill or is Hip Hop on the verge of a monumental grassroots movement? Throughout history we’ve seen that it takes a revolution to truly promote change so with Hip Hop at its death bed, rappers are stepping up and preparing for a resurrection. The established Common, Black Star, NaS, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes, among others have publicly spoken on the much needed change in music and with the many mixtape collaborations between mainstream artists and underground lyricists the revolution doesn’t seem too far away. While the Hip Hop leaders serve as the forerunners, new artists are beginning to add to the deft array of talent. With newcomer Lupe Fiasco’s anticipated album Food & Liquor about to drop and record execs sparring over Papoose in an intense bidding war, Rap’s above ground audiences foresee some “conscious” chart topping hits. Add the soon to be released Talib Kweli album, Eardrum and the rumored Common project, Finding Forever, anticipating completion to the mix and the grassroots movement has finally grown legs and is due to make strides throughout Hip Hop culture and music.

Published: Rapaholics