As If Crime in the Black Community Needed any more Publicity

So last week I wrote a couple articles regarding the Criminals Gone Wild video.

When I initially saw the trailer for the DVD I was completely disgusted, and while most of my friends said they thought it was most likely a series of reenactments, like "Cops" -- I still thought it was pretty disgusting.

Here's the trailer for those of y'all who missed it.



Anyway, since the DVD has been released, the director Ousala "FD" Aleem has gone on a media spree, doing interviews with the Daily News, Bill O'Reilly and CNN -- leading most of main stream media to believe that the DVD captures real crime on tape.



Bill O'Reilly



CNN part 1



CNN part 2

I'm looking forward to the Aaron McGruder interpretation of this fiasco... But aruh, file this under "Black People Lookin A Damn Fool In The Media AGAIN"

Lastly here's the video put together by some of the disgruntled "actors" from Criminals Gone Wild

Pop vs. Hip-Hop

R.A. the Rugged Man and Rude Jude recently got into a heated debate on Shade 45 over hip-hop vs. pop...

here it goes:

btw, I'm actually riding with Rude Jude on this one -- Hammer was kinda hard before "You Can't Touch This"

IMO Kanye West is also both pop and hip-hop -- which is where the whole argument started.

R.A. made it pretty ugly by calling Rude Jude a dumb motherfucker and a faggot but LMAO @ Rude Jude saying R.A.'s fans are a bunch of 22-year-old white kids...

Something to Think About

The Holiday Season has things kinda hectic right now so for the next week or so you might see more links here and less exposition...

Anyway-- one of my other fave blogs "Status Ain't Hood" by Village Voice writer Tom Breihan dropped a gem recently by digging into the double standards over at MTV.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/statusainthood/archives/2007/12/mia_and_the_dou.php

Read it and leave your thoughts there or here, whichever, whatever.

Oh and this is the video that sparked the controversy... (i fux wit it btw)



I got work to do but I'll be back!

How Cute Is This?

UGK Tribute Video

Here's a very short three-part UGK tribute featuring Lil Wayne, David Banner, Jeezy, Rick Ross, Big Boi and others...

R.I.P. Pimp C!

Jay Electronica is the Truth

He's coming... Don't say I didn't warn you ;-)

They say hip-hop is dead, there's no creativity, no originality in videos, no more content, no knowledge, no intelligence. They say we're ignorant, thoughtless, lost, confused, deluded and not worth saving.

I say they're wrong...

The Dream

By the time I interviewed Atlanta singer/songwriter The Dream this August, I was already a fan of his catchy single "Shawty is A Ten" (Shawty is The Shiiiiit). When he told me that his first album Love/Hate would have a "Prince"type sound, I was even more excited.

In case you missed it I'm posting the video for the single (big ups to Sharaya!)





As well as the new video for his second single "Falsetto"



While I love both songs -- and I think it's great to see The Dream getting some shine (c'mon now, it was getting a bit bland with R.Kelly and Ne-Yo actin' like the only songwriter/producers in the game) I have to say that he's taken the Prince influence extra literally.

Matter fact, I've started calling homie Prince-lite.

It would be one thing if it was just me, but while discussing the album with another homie of mine, he pointed out that "Fast Car" sounds like a straight up cover (is it? does anybody know?)...

Then later today after Grammy nominations were announced, another friend of mine raised some objections over "Umbrella" getting a Song of the Year nod. The award is a songwriter's prize and I've heard more than a few folks joke about the simplicity of "Umbrella" personally I love the song, loved the Chris Brown remix, and cracked the fuck up when a good friend of mine told me if I kept fuckin around they wouldn't let me under their umbrella ella ella eh eh (cheesy but out of the blue it was funny as hell).

Anyway, just some thoughts on my mind, lemme know what you think. Despite me dubbing him Prince Lite I'm still gonna support. Just let it be known "Falsetto" is nowhere close to "Adore" and The Dream is gonna have to keep switching his style up if he doesn't want to turn into an echo cliche.

That's all for now. Holla.

The Game Belongs to Him! R.I.P. Pimp C

One of my favorite rappers died today. Rest in Peace Chad "Pimp C" Butler. The full details have yet to be released but TMZ has their developing story up. Meanwhile I gotta throw up a little tribute.

One day you're here and the next day you're gone.



















chopped & screwed



i'm out with these words from the homie DJ Wally Sparks "How many iconic cultural figures have died laying down in a hotel room in LA? Shit is just wrong..."

Hold your head Bun B...

Sho' Did! Pro-Nails Vid...

Amidst all the bitchin and whinin about the lack of talent in the female rap category these days I have been a devoted member of the Kid Sister fan club for a minute now and I'm ecstatic that her video for "Pro-Nails" featuring Kanye West is finally out!!!



Aaaaaaaaaaaaah I'm screaming with glee! I fux wit this!

How much do I love her? Let me count the ways...

1. She's different
Finally a female rapper with more content than Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Prada, finally something more inventive than "I got 32 flavors of that bootylicious bubbleyum..." She brings to mind J.J. Fad, TLC and the fierce uniqueness that was Kelis when she first burst on the scene. Mwah! I luh her.

2. She is cute
And not just in the safe for tv-lightskinned- bi-racial- way (c'mon y'all u know how halle n'em be gettin' passes)-- I love it that Kid Sis isn't a skeezered out weevaholic -- she's clearly a natural beauty (platinum blonde hair aside -- when I discovered her she was rockin her born brunette stylee) willing to flaunt her God-given cuteness. I will fight anybody that says otherwise (she is FI-E-RCE!)

3. She is fun
Take a cue from the video for her single -- K.S. is willing to try something different and have fun doing it. I've never in my life allowed a manicurist to put a tacky design on my nails but she makes it look so fun in the video I'm almost willing to try.

4. Her music makes me happy
No lie. I put this shizz on and my mood instantly brightens...


Ahhhhhhh enough gushing... laters!

Samplology Does it Again

The homie DJ Parler hit me up this weekend with some new goodies -- specificially the latest in his Samplology mixtape series which are mixed compilations of music along with the original blends that inspired them.

Parler has previously blessed me with The J. Dilla Chapter and The K.West Chapter of Samplology and now he's continuing the legacy with A Gangster Chapter. Inspired by Jay-Z's American Gangster, this phase blends the soundtracks songs with the original samples used to create them.

The tape's official release date isn't actually until tomorrow -- the same day as Jay-Z's birthday and the release date of the acappella release of American Gangster -- but fortunately I got my fix this weekend...

Since DJ Neil Armstrong did it way back when and ?uestlove dropped his sample lesson a few years ago I've become really fascinated with figuring out samples so I love stuff like this. To be honest with you my Samples off Late Registration get far more burn than Ye's version.

Parler's Samplology tapes run with the inspirational disclaimer: "This compilation isn't intended to substitute the actual CD nor its samples, but to complement the album and excite those in search of good music. I'm hoping that after hearing my mixes, people will want to dig deeper."

SWEET.