Tequila shots, lemon drops, dancing on the table tops/ You know when you’re really drunk? When you say you’re not.”
It’s been fascinating to watch the spectacle of the music industry struggling to survive its own inevitable extinction, at least in this incarnation. In the meantime the creative types have sought to change the ways in which music is released. From Radiohead to the White Stripes to Pearl Jam to Murs finally Hip Hop shakes it up a bit more. (more…)
I admit when I first heard about the Nas and Damian Marley project I thought it made sense. With songs like “Welcome to Jamrock” and “The Mission” Damian “Junior Gong” Marley has surely made his father, Bob “Tuff Gong” Marley proud. He’s been making the powerful statements in his music lately and that’s what the people were thirsty for.
While Nas, on the other hand, has been making songs like “Hip Hop Is Dead”, even though he wanted to make “Welcome to Jamrock” too. (more…)
Main Entry: sim·u·la·crum
Pronunciation: \ˌsim-yə-ˈla-krəm, -ˈlā-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, from simulare
1 : image, representation
2 : an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace
Recently I was on Twitter when I saw this tweet from prolific twitterer and DJ for the legendary Hip Hop group EPMD @drscratch.
sofreshsogreen’s reply:
I was womaning the sofreshsogreen twitter account that day and I knew at the time I could do better than that answer. Maybe not in 140 characters though so here goes.
In 5 years Hip Hop will be the same as it is now only younger with less powerful statements being made to illuminate the Black or the human experience. Oh yeah, there will be lots of bright colors too.
I think even further in the future we can have rap without rappers. (more…)
Amazing! News of 2 rappers going back to school in the same week.
First up, Queensbridge emcee Nas had this to say at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s annual National Keystone Conference.
The reality of it is, you need to keep educating yourself, and I wish I had stayed in school.” ~Nas
He now intends to get his high school diploma and encourage others to do the same. With 19 years in the game, nine LPs, four #1 albums and the respect of most in Hip Hop for being one of the best that ever did it, Nas still wants a diploma. Hopefully his ex wife won’t try to take half of it. (more…)
Joss Stone teamed up with Nas for this angry rant against the powers that be that send our boys and girls to war. I give her credit for taking a stand on political issues in her music because sadly many of her contemporaries aren’t willing to take a stand on anything and maybe I’ll give her credit for having Nas on this…maybe.
The Queensbridge native’s verse sounds a little out of place and almost cut and pasted in. The retro soul production, the hook and the sentiment may be the strongest parts of this song for me. I still left with the feeling Joss Stone always gives me. White girl, Black voice, forced vocals that obscure the lyrics. I guess I can give her credit for doing it before Amy.
Her new album Colour Me Free is in stores and features this song.
