Rest in Peace MCA
On this night, the Beastie Boys gave one of the most memorable performances ever… but, what made an even bigger impact was the speech that MCA delivered prior to their acceptance of the MTV Video Vanguard Award.
Tag Results: Hip Hop
Get Out the Way! Hip Hop is the Voice of the People.
There’s a lot of hip hop bashing going on with the recent announcement of Common’s invitation to the White House. The opposition fears Common because he is an artist that expresses his mind freely through music and poetry. Folks are heading to Wikipedia in search of rhetoric to henpeck about, and allowing FOX News’s propaganda program them to lash out against the Chicago hip hop pioneer as they’ve done with artists like Nas, and Tupac Shakur in previous years. Critics are demonizing Common for claiming to hold up a peace sign while carrying a gun (in a poem), and naming his daughter after exiled Black Panther, Assata Shakur among other things. I wonder if that means that the NRA are fans of his music. Hip hop music fought the first free speech battle for all music genres with controversial group the 2 Live Crew taking their case all the way to the US Supreme Court, and emerging victoriously!
“In many cases the same decent folks who claim that hip hop is such a vulgar, and savage culture are the same ones who flip you off, and scream every profanity known to man from the safety of their vehicles in traffic each day.”
So… Serial Killer Rap is Whassup Now?
As Soulja Boy struggles to regain the notoriety his debut single achieved by emulating Tupac Shakur’s epic breakout character, “Bishop” (Juice, 1992) and the so-called jerk movement is eclipsed by the Dougie… high school kids are preparing to jump on the next bandwagon. Hip hop culture’s ethnic urban roots, have extended into suburban markets that have traditionally supported the alternative, and heavy metal music genre’s. Independent acts like Odd Future frontman Tyler the Creator, 20 (above), are riding the wave of that first industry buzz. SPIN Magazine music editor Charles Aaron recently referred to Odd Future’s sound as “the new ‘F*CK YOU’ in music!”
Homeboy Sandman - Gun Control
Pharell Pushes Earth-friendly Apparel
I caught a recent interview with Grammy winning hip-hop performer/producer Pharell Williams and Bionic Yarn CEO, Tyson Toussant on television. During the discussion, the two presented a new type of yarn that high-school friends Toussant and Tim Coombs (shown right) developed from recycled plastic bottles. As a hip hop aficionado and former organizer for a New York based textile worker’s union, my interest was sparked. Unfortunately hip hop artists are more popular for investments in outlandish jewelry, car customizations, etc. Hip hop’s savvy business investments like this, Nelly’s stake in the Charlotte Bobcats franchise, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s mega VitaminWater deal are generally downplayed by mass media.
“We wanted to establish a brand that everyone associates with high quality, like Gore-Tex,” says Coombs, 34. Making yarn by shrinking landfills was a nice hook, he adds: “If we presented it right, it could turn into a movement.”
“I done been through a lotta sh**, like Andy Dufresne!”
— HomeBoy Sandman
Even though N’Telligence and MidiMarc addressed this years ago on Black Boy Lost… the saga continues! #nowplaying Stalley - Monkey Ish!
