Street Dreams

Dime Time: The Vida Guerra Hacked Sidekick Edition

2005-04-12T04:13:00.000-04:00

In this very very special edition, you can find some up close and personal pics from Vidas recently hacked T-Mobile Sidekick (not work safe). Enjoy.

Prelude to Got Misogyny? Part II

2005-03-22T08:55:00.000-05:00

When I did the first 'Got Misogyny?' post, I though I was the only person who didnt see through the smoke and mirrors of Essence magazine's "Take Back the Music" campaign. This month, however, it became clear that I wasnt alone in my skeptisism of Essences motives- Shuttabug and Jimi Izrael arent buying it, either. So I'll use this post to highlight some of their observations and send Essence the message: We dont belive you, you need more people!

In the Urban Snapshot post 'A dyme for your thoughts', Shuttabug sites:
1) The hypocrisy of big-upping video models while criticizing the (supposedly) sexist messages that those videos promote. In her words:"As much as nobody wants to held accountable for the shortcomings of an entire generation of young people, the truth is, that we all play our part. For example, Essence has included photoshoots with "video chicks" and "XXL Hall of Famer" Liris Crosse. When I saw this, I immediately thought that Essence accepted that women such as Liris were in the business to be successful, and therefore endorsed/supported whatever other work Liris did. I think that to attack misogyny in hip hop (read: attacking other magazine's interpretation of "dimepiece") without ever implicating yourself is a contradiction about accountability that even reveals itself in Essence's polls."
2) Essence magazine is hardly the publication to pose as the magazine of Black female empowerment, with this take on the magazines typical content: "While somewhat informative, I find it ironic that the same magazine that criticizes rap's objectification of women in pursuit of fame and fortune places titles such as "Make him love you more", "Be richer this time next year" with tips on how to be sexy, "must have" information on plastic surgery, bleaching creams and medical weight loss procedures. What's more is that Essence's newest family member, Suede, glorifies the ostentatious lifestyle of hyperconsumption in the name of "urban multi-culti fashionistas" who revel in the glory of divadom."
3) The lack of Essence's commitment to its self appointed mission to protect women from the pyche-wrecking damage of 'Get Low' and 'Drop It Like Its Hot':"Yes, aligning yourselves with grassroots organizations who you've featured in past issues, who have the ability to actually touch the young women directly affected by the 45-55 hours of tip drillin, booty clappin, mini-skirt wearin, pole sliding, crystal sippin music videos on BET or MTV is too hard to do. It's true, protest signs may not always work, but to talk about wanting to encourage people to just think requires more than a 4 or 5 page spread on page 117 of your magazine. When you have the social and economic power to influence the way your entire demographic thinks about such an important issue, why just write about it? Chances are, you're preaching to the converted. Use your power and make real change!"
4) This campaign could have been hatched to divert attention from from the mags recent transfer to White ownership:"By assuming zero responsibility, I am left to believe that Take Back the Music is a ploy to point fingers at XXL and other urban media publications and increase Essence subscription revenues, rather that really address this issue of misogyny in hip hop music. In light of the recent business transaction, it would seem to me that with everyone pointing out that the nation's second largest black magazine would no longer being owned by black people, and the company needed to deflect the attention. What better way to do it than by rallying older black, "successful" women together to scoff at this monster we call "hip hop", which premeates our musical, social, political, and economic consciousness on a global scale?"
I'll take this theory one step further-maybe this series is a by-proxy attack on hip hop/Black men,with the Essence staff taking marching orders from Time Warner execs? Because so far, all these "Take Back the Music" pieces have amounted to are editorial finger snapping and head-rolling directed at the men of the rap industry.

In Jimis 'Essence Magazines War on Hip Hop: Are you serious?' post, he opines:
1) The alleged misogyny in hip hop didnt evolve in vaccum, nor is it new:"I've said it once and I'll say it again, hip-hop music is a reflection of the culture at large and inner-city politics in particular. Seism is a reality of popular society. The battle of the sexes has turned into an all out war, with economics and feminist-related issues taking precedent over building and fortifying the black family. Hip-hop didn't create that---it just reports it. My generation handed the next generation conscious hip-hop, and then it was sold Downtown. Not our fault. Consciousness changes, and I can concede that. Today's hip-hop music reflects this generation's frustration, but more than that, it satisfies the curiosity and fetishes of its mainly white audience."
2) Far from being a legitimate war on sexismin hip hop, this campaign is just a bunch of sabre- rattling:"The other peice of this is that--hello?--- Essence stakes claim to a 18 to 40 demographic, but I'm willing to bet it skews MUCH older, which means that the people belly-aching the most about hip-hop culture are likely the grandmothers, mothers, older sisters and aunts of the community. This conversation, I'm convinced, is being fortified largely by women that don't need to be convinced to maintain thier dignity or self-respect. Essence is the waaaaay wrong venue for this. Try "Right On" Magazine--something the next generation of hip-hoppers actually read." The amen-corner that Essence's message board on this topic confirm this observation.
3) Essence has a huge blind spot reagrding the potential contribution its readership makes to some artists' opinions on women:"The one thing those artist have in common is that they know, like you and I know, that women use what they got to to get what they want, and they are taught this from the womb. No Money, No Honey. Shake your Money-Maker. On and on. Black men don't teach this to our girls---black women do. So you give these messages to young women, and they in turn give this message to young men---what do you think the outcome of that will be, over time? Why are we surprised that the dating ritual has become little more than a pageantry of pimps and hoes? Why are you surprised to see 12-year old girls moving like shake-club dancers? Why doesn't it make sense that young black men would rather be pimps than accountants?"

Jimi and Shuttabug bring up some great points, maybe someone will mention them at the Images of Women in Hip Hop Panel today. And a big thanks to Hashim at Media Chin Check, Urban Snapshot, and The Underground Post for sharing my opinions on Essence's self-righteous campaign.

Daily Dose and Heaterz

2005-03-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

Todays Daily Dose:
Jay Z is in talks to produce music for the upcoming Scarface video game. I think most of the groundwork for this deal was already done, considering that Def Jam already produced a featurette and "Music Inspired By" CD for the Scarface Anniversary Edition DVD.
Damon Dash has his hands full promoting upcoming albums for Sigel and ODB, so I'm going to lend a hand in promoting two of his upcoming films: Death of a Dynasty and State Property 2.
Apparently disappointed by the end of the 50/Game beef, the mainstream press is fast at work promoting the 50/Jadakiss situation; Jada thinks the media is grasping for straws.

Heaterz:
Fat Joe responds to "Piggybank" with "Fuck 50"
Jada provides a much more lyrical and comedic reply with "Checkmate"

Biggie Tributes

2005-03-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

The always-on-point Honey Soul blog has linked to some very thorough audio Biggie tributes. Hit these up and reminisce:
Ohsokool
Buccho.com
Anxiousdog.com

Daily Dose and Heaterz

2005-03-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

Todays Daily Dose:
If you've lost track of whos saying what in the ongoing 50 Cent vs Fat Joe,Nas and Jadakiss beef, check the March 2nd news post over at hiphopsite.com. I'm surprised there isnt a blog dedicated to this stuff yet.
Check these articles on Whoo Kid and Clinton Sparks, who should both be picking up some hardware at the Mixtape Awards tonight.
I also found some audio of Shade 45 interviews with Jay Z and 50 Cent.
Speaking of 50, expect a Nintedo DS licensing deal soon.
I've started a new blog,Strictly Business, where my first project will be tracking product placement in hip hop videos.
And surprise surprise, 50's preparing to call a truce to his beef with Game as I finish this post.
RIP BIG. Anybody find a radioblog tribute, feel free to link to it the comment section. Does Honey Soul take requests?
Todays Heater:
Theres a slew of remixes for Amerie's "1 Thing" floating around,but this one by Mick Boogie (right click,save as)featuring Jay Z is one of the best. It uses Jays verse from "Do You Like It" featuring Puff.

Daily Dose and Necessary

2005-02-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

Todays Daily Dose:
Paris Hiltons Sidekick got hacked (not work safe), sending some of hip hops elite scrambling to change their numbers.
The new 50 Cent album The Massacre has leaked, pushing his official street date up to March 2nd.
Damon Dash has previewed some watches from his Tiret luxury watch line.
Download the video for "One Thing" by Amerie here (right click,save),courtesy of Ohamerie.com. Sony execs, hit that site and take some notes.

And now a Whips and Kicks edition of Necessary:
The Chrysler ME 412, which you can see sharing screen time with the Mercedes SLR in Ushers long-form video Rythm City.
The Harlem Edition Uptowns, Seamless Uptowns (scroll halfway down the post), Jordan IV lasers,and the Dub Zero Jordans . Links courtesy of freshnessmag.com and the forum at uptowns.net.

Got Misogyny?

2005-01-17T03:16:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to think I'm the only person unimpressed with this publicity stunt disguised as a crusade to end sexism in hip hop. The "rampant misogyny" in hip hop has to be one of the most regurgitated topics amongst mainstream critics, right behind the "rampant violence" and "rampant commercialism". If anything, the flood of corny hip hop love songs clogging the airwaves is more of a threat to hip hop than the grossly overstated dangers of "misogyny". So while everyone else is dishing out undeserved kudos, I'll take this time to offer some questions to the sanctimonious editors at Essence:

What artists do you hold most responsible for the "narrow images" of Black women you see in hip hop? Because while I frequently hear complaints about the misogyny in rap, no one ever names any of these evil misogynists.

Is hip hop the only genre that offends your feminist sensibilities? What about R&B, which frequently has lyrics and videos that objectify women just as much as any rap single on urban radio?

Whats the standard for being called a misogynist,anyway? How many times can an artist say "bitch" or "hoe" on record before becoming a threat to the collective psyche of Black women? How many gyrating, bikini clad women can one have in a video before jeapordizing the global image of Black women?

Where's all the harm being done by the deluge of sexist imagery in hip hop? Despite tons of anecdotal evidence to the contrary, pregnancies are decreasing amongst Black girls. As a matter of fact, teen pregnancy in the Black community is at a historical low. Black women already outnumber Black men in college, and are well on the way to outearning Black men. So where's the crisis, ladies?

Strictly Business and Dime Time

2004-12-09T13:18:00.000-05:00

A lot going on in the business side of hip hop:

Jay Z, Damon Dash, and Kareem Biggs have sold Rocafella, as Jay signs on as president of Def Jam.
Russell Simmons and Kevin Liles have teamed up with the WB to produce a hip hop version of "The Apprentice".
Aspiring rappers can now buy beats online.
Kimora Lee Simmons' Baby Phat has partnered with Vida Shoes Inc to create an upscale line of womens shoes.
Universal is in talks with Echostar to launch an all music station. I recall Puffy and Eminem(separately) having plans to do the same.
Prodigy joins Snoop,Eminem, and Damon Dash as the latest figure in hip hop with a satellite radio show.
Eminem has signed a multimillion dollar publishing deal with EMI.
Mixtape veterans Clinton Sparks and Saigon will soon make the leap from street sales to Soundscan retail.

Now for some Dime Time: XXL Magazine recently declared Esther Baxter (aka Ms. Freek a Leek) Ms Eye Candy 2004; check that link and I'm sure you'll agree.

2004-11-17T15:14:00.001-05:00

Since I last posted:

I hit up the R Kelly-less Best of Both Worlds concert at Madison Square Garden. The all star lineup that was assembled was easily a better show than one with just Jay and Kells would have been. What all star lineup, you ask? Busta,Q Tip, Raekwon, Slick Rick, Dougie Fresh,State Property, Memphis Bleek, Kanye West, Puffy, Black Rob, Fabolous, TI, Foxy, Ja Rule, Snoop, and Mary J Blige all lit up the Garden. Definitely worth my $260.

Ron Artest lost his mind.

ODB passed. Check Honeys radioblog tribute.

With $75 million now at stake, I underestimated the gamble of touring with R Kelly by about $71 million.

Eminem dropped a lukewarm album.Ditto for Nas.

Destinys Child fell off. More specifically, Michelle fell on her ass. All jokes aside, the new albums worth copping.

Bush tapped Condoleeza (in a new position, no less).

Wealth and fame officially replaced race as the passport to justice in America.

Young Buck starred in a new video, ensuring another 500,000 sales for Straight Outta Cashville.

Heaters

2004-10-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

Long time no post, so I'll get right to some new Heaters:

Eminem ft Dr Dre and 50 Cent:"One Last Time" (right click, save as):This joint and "Mosh" have renewed my interest in Encore.
Game ft 50 Cent: "Fresh '83(How We Do)" (right click, save as)
I also came across a rough edit of a video for "December 4th", courtesy of daphatspot.com. (right click, save as)

New Hip Hop Blogs

2004-10-11T17:41:00.000-04:00

Check out the following:
We Eat So Many Shrimp:Hip hop commentary, with mp3 links.
Honey Flava Soul: Hip hop and R&B news, with audio and video links.
Mixtapes Ect: Mixtape review blog, currently running circles around those generic Mixtape Monday posts at MTV.com; I'll be making some contributions there later this week.

The Nail In the Coffin

2004-10-05T21:57:00.000-04:00

Based on the first week numbers for Guerilla City (around 46,000), its safe to say Guerilla Black will fade into the wackness that spawned him in no time. As a precautionary measure, however, heres a link that undeniably exposes him as a Biggie imitator and a fraud whose CD isnt worth the plastic its shrinkwrapped in.

Album Reviews, News, and Heaterz

2004-10-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

My enthusiasm for the title track notwithstanding, The Beautiful Struggle is trash. Hit up Mocash or Quarterwit for a more indepth analysis. I haven't seen fan backlash like this since Nastradamus dropped.

Byron Crawford gives the most accurate album review of the year. As expected, the Guerilla Black album is horrible. Not ordinary record label gimmicky horrible, but blasphemously headache inducing horrible.

The winner of this weekend's MC battle at the Mixshow Power Summit was Jin. He defeated Wrekognize, Shellz, and Jae Millz for the cash prize (50 grand) and a new car. You can hear the battle for yourself here (right click/save save as,mp3).

Quick question: Is Allhiphop.com Black owned? What about Sohh.com?

Heaterz:
"Higher" by Game (right click/save as,mp3)
Eminem freestyle (right click/save as,mp3)

Strictly Business,Necessary, and Dime Time

2004-10-03T16:27:00.002-04:00

Strictly Business, where I post on the business dealings in hip hop:
For better or worse, the use of hip hop as a marketing tool is growing; leading the charge is P. Diddy-beatdown recipient Steve Stoute.

Necessary, where I highlight some things I need in my life:
The new Nintendo handheld and
The Sony Playstation Portable

Dime Time is self explanatory:
Dayana Jamine and
Apolonia Mack

Mixtape Reviews and Heaterz

2004-09-23T05:15:00.000-04:00

DJ Clue Presents: The Cherry Lounge
For those who don't know, the Cherry Lounge is the nightclub Clue co-owns with Timbaland; the grand opening was last week. That said, on to the main attraction:

Standout tracks:
Desert Storm Freestyle ft Fabolous, Joe Buddens, Paul Cain, and A-Team: The Desert Storm wolves take turns feasting on this "Money, Power, Respect"- sampled track. Fab and Buddens bring the usual heat, and Paul Cain delivers a verse I didn't feel compelled to fast forward through after ten seconds- a first in my book.
Jay Z and R. Kelly: "Big Chips": Hov and Kells exchange verses on a hot track that could have been called The Fiesta Remix- Part 5.
Nas ft Olu Dara: "Bridging the Gap": Nas and his father collab on a blues-influenced banger. Expect to hear comparisons to Jay's "December 4th".
Busta Rhymes ft Spliff Star and Raekwon:"Coke Dealings": Rae kills it; can we get that Cuban Linx sequel now?
NORE ft Nature: "For a Minute": This joint should run the clubs this fall.
Stack Bundles ft La La: I resisted the temptation to front on this joint and skip it. The verdict: dont sleep on the VJ. Speaking of VJs, whats up with a Free/La La collab? I'm sure it's some Viacom exec's wet dream waiting to happen, trust.

P- Cutta and DJ Vlad Present: Beef II - The Mixtape
Mr. Street Wars and The Butcher team up to deliver more beef than an Atkins menu. I'd do a breakdown, but ya'll should already be up do date on the status of most of these battles, courtesy of previous mixtape reviews. At any rate, I will say that "Stomp" is my favorite joint on here, and this version should have stayed on the album.

And now, on to today's Heaterz:
Eminem: "Just Lose It" (link courtesy of Young Rome)
GAME: "Where I'm From" and "Higher" (pardon the radio rip,folks)
Ciara: "The Title"
Miri Ben Ari ft Joe Buddens: "You Can Get It From Me"
Talib Kweli: "Beautiful Struggle" :
You join an organization that know Black history/
But ask em how they plan to make money and it's a mystery/
Lookin for the remedy but you can't see whats hurtin you/
Revolutions here, the revolution's personal.
Lines like this are why this song's my anthem right now.

Heaterz

2004-09-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

Todays edition of Heaterz:
Ali Vegas: "Stay Ali" : New joint from the self-declared Prince of NY
Lloyd Banks ft 50 Cent: "Ya'll Niggaz Starving":The long- anticiapted G-Unit/Nas battle is underway. Nothing direct here, 50 just makes it clear that a more blatant dis is on the way for Nas and Shyne. Edit: You also get tracks 2-7 from the Big Mike Professional Hood Shit mixtape when you download this.

Mixtape Review and Heaterz

2004-09-16T09:21:00.000-04:00

Streetsweepers Presents:The Mixmasters
Standout tracks:
Papoose ft Canibus Freestyle: Lyrical gymnastics from 'Bis and the Streetsweeper rookie.
Alchemist ft the Lox: "The Essence":The YO representatives murder this Alchemist track. Jada should have had more tracks from Al on Kiss of Death.
Fat Joe: "Victim": Fat Joe displays a Jay Z-ish flow over a Cool and Dre-produced track. Illest line: "I'm an '88 nigga, real old school/Pull the ratchet out and show you the meaning of Pro Tools".
Benzino ft 2Pac and Freddie Foxx: "Trying To Make It Through": Yeah right
Jadakiss ft Styles P,Common, and Nas:"Why Remix": You should already know how hot this joint is by now.

Todays Heaterz:
NORE: "Get Down" (right click and save,mp3)
Jay Z ft R Kelly: "Big Chips" (right click and save,mp3)
Ciara ft Ludacris: "Oh" (right click and save,mp3)

Shout Outs

2004-09-16T07:58:00.000-04:00

Street Dreams passed the 1000 unique visitors mark recently,and I'd like to give some shout outs to blogs that have linked here;thanks for the traffic guys:

Funkdigital.com
Beats and Rants 2.2
Notes From a Different Kitchen
Ayetrain
No Frontin

In addition, shout outs to Twintellect, Jafar, Lynne, and Buttercup for your comments.

Necessary

2004-09-09T13:21:00.000-04:00

Today's edition of Necessary,where I highlight some things I need in my life:

A wireless broadband TV from Sony. Check the preview at PCWorld.

The Motorola a630 that I first posted on back in July. Its a 2way/cameraphone, and has already started making the requisite appearances in videos.

The unpronounceable oqo, the illest handheld PC I've ever seen.

The Rolls Royce 100ex, also known as the Phantom convertible. A man's gotta dream,right?

Quick News and New Heaterz

2004-09-02T10:51:00.000-04:00

The Kanye,Game, and Ludacris banger "Whole City Behind Us" will be featured in a commercial for Boost Mobile; the video/commercial (there's a difference?) starts airing next week.

Ya'll tellin me that I need to get out and vote/
Huh, why?
Aint nobody Black/
Nothin but crack-ers,so...
Ten years after spitting these lyrics, Andre 3000 is documenting his political maturity in an upcoming HBO film.

Check the Fortune Small Business feature on Damon Dash.

Todays Heaterz:
Nas: "Good Morning" (left click,Real Audio)
Talib Kweli ft Mary J Blige: "I Try" (left click,Windows Media)
Mos Def: "Sex,Love,and Money" (left click)

The "Why" Remix and BOBW Tour Info

2004-08-27T06:21:00.002-04:00

First off,here's todays banger:the much anticipated "Why" remix with Styles, Nas, and Common. I'll go ahead and tell you Commons got the best verse.

New heat this week: a new Kay Slay tape and DVDs from SMACK and Dipset.

Tour dates are leaking for the Best of Both Worlds Tour,aka Jay-Z's Four Million Dollar Gamble Tour. Speaking of Jay, "Streets Is Watching" is getting (officially) released on DVD in October. It took these guys long enough;the 'hood DVD edition's been on the block for like two years now.

Kool Nu Jazz and New Heaterz

2004-08-25T05:17:00.000-04:00

My interest in Lauryn Hill going on tour this fall immediately evaporated when I read the tour was sponsored by Kool cigarettes-the same company that needed a court order to stop using hip hop to market their cancer sticks to kids. Now I can forgive Lauryn for that Unplugged album, but this is going be a lot more difficult to overlook. You can find tour dates for Miss Hill and her nicotine pushing codefendants here,or hear her new song "The Passion" here.

Now for some Heaterz:
Ja Rule ft Fat Joe and Jadakiss:"I'm From New York" (left click)
Papoose:"Footsteps" (mp3,right click and save)

Mixtape Review

2004-08-23T01:42:00.000-04:00

DJ Envy & Big Mike: Ahead of the Competition 3.7
Standout tracks:
Camron,Jim Jones and Juelz Santana:"Go Back to Church": The Diplomats bring it to Pastor Betha,comedy ensues.
Styles P:"8-25-03": The Ghost gives us another anthem over a Neo produced track.
Nas:"Streets Disciple": After this track, the buzz for the new album has moved from "feverish" to "deafening".
Jay Z:"Ignorant Shit":This widely circulated heater is finally making the mixtape rounds.
Cam'ron:"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun":With nonsense like this and "Push It",Cam's singlehandedly killing all anticipation for his next album.
Game ft Kanye West and Ludacris:"Whole City Behind Us":The first repeat- worthy joint I've heard from Game in a while (I was getting sick of hearing him use "gangsta" in every line). Add the radioactive verses from Luda and Kanye, and you've got a banger.
Kanye West ft Mase and Common:"Jesus Walks Rmx": Think of some remixes that were better than the original(Scenario,Flava in Ya Ear,Get Money,ect). This song belongs in that category.

And 1 Mixtape tour/New Game track/Dime Time

2004-08-22T17:45:00.000-04:00

I hit up the And 1 Mixtape game at the MCI Center yesterday, the DC team got trampled 118-98. Spyder's the new addition to the And 1 team.

Heard Westside Story, the first single from Game. It's another Dr. Dre- produced banger with 50 Cent on the hook.

Now some Dime Time:check kimberlyfisher.com and chanyalive.net.

Grand Theft Auto,Hip Hop, and Nip/Tuck

2004-08-18T17:47:00.002-04:00

Some critics feel the depictions of Black people in Def Jam Fight for NY and the the upcoming Grand Theft Auto sequel are racist. Will these scholarly opinions stop me from copping the new GTA the first day it drops? Nah.

Speaking of Grand Theft, some characters in San Andreas will be based on Tupac, Eazy E,and Missy. Based on this,they've gotta add a Suge Knight character. That, and the Death Row catalog from '93 to '95 as a radio station option.

I was watching Nip/Tuck last night and the storyline reminded me of a recent post at Buttercup's blog.

Check the Talib Kweli interview with Tavis Smiley.

Just another Monday

2004-08-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

Can't wait to hear the "Why" remix with Nas and Common.

You can help Hurricane Charley victims at lilfliponline.com

Is it too early to organize a Guerilla Black boycott?

There's a Kanye interview here;looks like he shelved some of his trademark arrogance for a change.

So much for the Jay Z/Shyne/Foxy "supergroup". According to a recent phone convo with Miss Info on Hot 97, Shyne's fronting on Foxy. Has she considered dropping an album on the strength of her own talent, as opposed to always looking to be somebody's "Bonnie"?

Friday Roundup

2004-08-13T11:07:00.000-04:00

Jay Z's officially part owner of the Nets. He's also doing a Footlocker in-store on August 30th in Miami to celebrate the release of the new S. Carters.

Former Bad Boy President Kirk Burrowes has been charged with laundering drug money.

Nas is performing in Central Park this Sunday.

Fat Joe's Terror Squad team repeats as Rucker champions with a victory over the Ruff Ryders squad.

Puff's flagship Sean Jean store is almost ready for its August 29th grand opening. Diddy's also preparing a political documentary with MTV.

On Shyne and What's "Real"

2004-08-12T15:06:00.001-04:00

Though the albums only been out for two days now, I'm going to go ahead and declare Godfather Buried Alive the most overrated album of the year. But the tons of accolades being thrown upon it have very little to do with the music,and everything to do with Shyne's image. "Shyne's so real!" and "Shyne's realer than 50" are the central praises you're most likely to hear when you ask someone's opinion of the album. I was going to do a real elaborate post on the growing emphasis on image over skills,but since its Thursday and I've got Business to tend to,I'll sum up my feelings on the issue with these observations:

1. The deluge of bubblegum rap and cookie-cutter "gangsta" caricatures in hip hop has left millions of rap listeners starving for any semblance of musical authenticity.

2. To satisfy that hunger, industry execs would rather give fans easy-to-market albums filled with edgy "ghetto realism" instead of music with lyrical substance. Whereas "real" used to be about artistic integrity,now its about how willing an artist is to act out whatever mayhem he depicts on record. Or his crack dealing past,or how many times he's been shot/who he's shot, ect,ect. Take your pick.

3. How long will this obsession with "what rapper's the realest" last? Hard to tell, because as long as MC's have a price tag on their souls, A&R's will be all too willing to cheapen the struggles of Black youth-all for the sake of marketing mediocre music disguised as "real" hip hop.

Enough of me and my soapbox,though; I've got to get on my grind.

Quick news and Dime Time

2004-08-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

MTV's hosting a $50,000 MC Battle at the RPM Mixshow Power Summit in September. So far Ness, Rah Digga, Shellz, Jin, Jae Millz, Remy Martin, and Cassidy are slated to participate. Should be interesting;Jae Hood and Grafh need to get added to that list though. Hopefully MTV doesn't get on that "no cursing or you're disqualified " bullshit.

Check the L.A Reid article at msnbc.com.

Now for some Dime Time: check tomikaskanes.com, mariamoore.com, and yourchynadoll.com.

Books,Beef,and More

2004-08-04T02:51:00.000-04:00

What's beef?
Bill Cosby vs Hip Hop? Ma$e vs Diplomats? Shyne vs 50?O'Reilley vs Moore? Take your pick.

Heres an interesting post on Russell Simmons at the Hip Hop Summit in Boston.

Jada signs on to the Pepsi Smash Tour.

Aaron McGruder's new graphic novel Birth of a Nation is a must-have. It's based on the premise that the Black town of East Saint Louis secedes from the Union after after a computer glitch disenfranchises a thousand citizens on election day. From designing new currency(whose face should go on the new nations nickel- Biggie's or Pac's?) to choosing the new flag (a White Jesus in the center of red,black and green Black nationalist banner),McGruder details the initial growing pains of Blackland with some of the most potent satirical jabs of his career. Bottom line- Birth of a Nation is "Boondocks" on a whole 'nother level,and an essential read.

Mixtape Reviews

2004-07-30T06:13:00.000-04:00

Big Mike: Cruel Summer 2k4 Pt 3
Standout tracks:
Mobb Deep ft Jadakiss:"One of Ours": Jada delivers a scorching guest appearance verse, as usual.
Remy Martin:"Rapid Fire":Remy spits venom with a vintage down south flow. This should have been on the Terror Squad album.
Jay Z:"The Game Is Mine": A Green Lantern-produced freestyle to promote the S. Carter Tennis line. Hov replies to Fat Joes jab on "Lean Back" with the following lines: "I'm the proud new owner of the Nets/ No diploma, no regrets/ Dont even talk about a Ruckers motherfuckers, I am set".
Nas:"U Know My Style": It seems like the new Nas album Streets Disciple will have and old school vibe. With this track and "Thiefs Theme", he's 2 for 2.
Joe Buddens vs Game:"Big Shot vs 200 Bars ": Buddens roasts the G Unit rookie in the latest round of this lyrical mismatch. Buddens' real target,Fiddy, must be saving his response for his new album.
Aasim freestyle:Puff personally introduces us to Bad Boys latest savior.
Saigon freestyle: Political freestyle from a promo(?) for Warning Shots.

DJ Kay Slay:Certified Troublemakerz Pt 3
Standout tracks:
Mobb Deep:"Win or Lose": Murder music you can cruise to, if u can imagine that.
Young Buck ft TI & Ludacris:"Stomp":Atlanta's version of Jay Z vs Nas plays out on the first intra-song dis record since LL and Canibus beefed on "4,3,2,1".
Nelly ft Jaheim:"My Place":What is this doing on a Kay Slay tape? I'll pick up a Hot 97 mix if i want to hear stuff like this generic hip-pop track.

DJ Doo Wop:Wop News-Thugocracy
Standout tracks:
Doo Wop freestyle:"Why": Doo Wop's got some questions for Bill O'Reilly;I suggest Bill give some answers. For those who dont know, Doo Wop spits better than a lot of rappers in the game right now.
Shyne:50 Cent dis: 50 dissed Shyne back in December;Shyne replies seven months later,just in time for the release of Godfather Buried Alive. A coincidence, I'm sure.
Wu-Tang Clan:"Spotlight": Method Man,Inspecta Deck,Capadonna, and U-God unite on a track hot enough to make me a believer in the Clan again.
Mos Def ft Minnesota:"Grown Man Bizness": A breath of fresh air;I hope this means Mos has an album on the way.
Cam'ron,Dipset,& Lil Wayne:"Push It": A possible explanation for why Cam's album hasn't dropped yet. And yes,this song's as bad as you're imagining.

Beneath the Surface

2004-07-27T04:53:00.000-04:00

With everyone buzzing about Grafh being on the Roc now, I decided to highlight three MC's that should be on everyone's radar:

1. Saigon-An Unsigned Hype alum that blends political insight with vivid thug rhetoric, Sai's prepping his debut LP "Dear Black America" with production from Just Blaze and Alchemist. He's got the cover interview in this months Murderdog, and his mixtape/album "Warning Shots" is a must-cop.

2. Jae Millz- You should already recognize this Harlem representative from the first season of Making the Band 2 and the mixtape heater "No,No,No". Pick up his Big Mike -hosted mixtape "Once Upon A Time In Harlem Vol 2" for his latest material.

3. Ali Vegas-He started with Trackmasters and now he's the marquee MC on Tommy Mottola's new label Casablanca. He's mastered numerous flows, as demonstrated on his best-of by DJ On Point.

Wednesday updates

2004-07-21T04:13:00.001-04:00

The world of luxury timepieces is Damon Dash's latest takeover target; he's partnered with jeweler Daniel Lazar to bring out a line of high-end watches called Tiret New York.

P Diddy announced some strategies for his political non-profit Citizen Change on Tuesday. By incorporating street team tactics, political t-shirts, and the endorsements of a celebrity "coalition of the willing", Puff aspires to get the hip hop generation out to the polls in record numbers this November. The power of harnessing the Black vote to sway major elections is something Malcolm brought to the forefront in his classic speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" back in '64. Read it here if you're not familiar.

Saturday Recap

2004-07-18T12:56:00.001-04:00

Mad heads are talking about the new Grafh and Rocafella situation; people seem excited about the news, mostly. The most voiced concern was that Grafhs project will end up on the back burner, chillin with MOP and Dirt McGirt. My guess is that Rocafella bought whatever material Grafh recorded under Epic, similar to when they bought Cam out of his previous deal. Add on a couple of guest appearances from some Roc artists (he already has some joints with Kanye) , throw in some Jus Blaze tracks, and faster than Dame can say "cakeaholic"- Grafhs Rocafella debut will be on store shelves. Time will tell, though.

Quick news before I hit Richmond

2004-07-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

The monopolist luddites that run the music industry have been blocking attempts by filesharing services such as Morpheus and Grokster to go legit, it seems. Apparently holding a grudge is more important to these guys than making money, considering iTunes sold its 100 millionth song earlier this month.

Grafh is the newest member of the Roc. His mixtape with Green Lantern is fire; u can cop it here.

Back in Town

2004-07-14T13:09:00.001-04:00

I managed to catch the last few minutes of Damon Dash's appearance on Tavis Smiley yesterday,click here for the transcript.

There's an editorial praising Cosbys recent tirades in the current issue of The Economist,surprise surprise. I'd dedicate some space to how I feel about Bill's grandstanding,but this guy has covered most of those bases already.

The latest MC in Bill O'Reilley's sights is Jada,check out his venom here. Cant wait to see D-Block pay a visit to the "No Spin Zone".

Just a lazy Saturday

2004-07-10T22:03:00.000-04:00

Nothing major today,just some of my favorite sites.

Fifty dollar button-ups not doing it for u? Get familiar with:
RyanKenny,
Paul Smith,
Ben Sherman,
Thomas Pink,
and the always classic Ralph Lauren

Check one of the most thorough site for kicks at Uptowns.net

Visit the hottest chick in the game at Melyssaford.com

Get a dose of pure comedy at Rocascenes.com

Today's rant and observations

2004-07-07T06:31:00.000-04:00

I'll start off with my two cents on the mainstream medias favorite hip hop commentator of the moment:Toure. If the name doesn't sound familiar, just think of the skinny bohemian looking cat with the uncombed afro that you've seen on MTV's Spoke N Heard or any interview with a Black artist in Rolling Stone. Or just check this article on him from fortwayne.com.Two questions came to mind after reading the article,though:1)when/how did he become the designated authority on hip hop?and 2)why is there always one go-to guy to represent the opinion for all things related to hip hop? It's like he's the human soundbite machine for the culture! Remember when the "chosen one" was Kevin Powell(of Real World and Vibe fame)? Its obvious the White media is just too lazy to consider the opinion of more than one person when it comes to hip hop (like we all think and act as some monolithic,Borg-like entity), so I'm declaring my candidacy for the post of "Mr Black Culture" the second Toure retires from the job.Yeah right.

Attention early adopters: Motorola unveiled its latest "must have" gadget last week at an exclusive launch party in New York.Expect to see the Motorola a630 in somebody's video any day now.It looks cool - part 2way,part camera phone.Theres a couple on eBay,so act quickly if you've got a spare thousand laying around.

Puffy made an impressive power move when he launched the political non-profit "citizen Change" on Sunday.Check the Citizen Change homepage here. He promises a groundbreaking announcement later this week-what could it be? His candidacy for mayor next term? A free CD of unreleased Biggie material at the polls in November? Or maybe the nations hottest election after party?(His birthday is November 4th, two days after the election). Hmmmmm. All jokes aside,its good to see Puff involved in the political scene. Anybody else notice how he manages to promote himself in the logo for Citizen Change,though? You gotta love it.