Sitting in the audience last night inside the crowded 37 Street Arts Theater in Manhattan Off Broadway, I witnessed another great Damon Dash contribution, one that takes hip-hop culture to another significant level of accomplishment.        Sony Entertainment and Damon Dash produced, “Hip-Hop Monologues: the Life and the Mind of Jim Jones.” It was a fantastic show that portrays the evolution of hip-hop through the life Jim Jones.    I have to say, Damon Dash is a hip-hop genius who should never be underestimated. I have watched Dame’s growth, development and entrepreneurship over the years–not from a distance but from first hand observation. He was one of the creative forces behind Roc-a-fella Records, the architect of Rocawear Fashions, he’s made significant culturally relevant films with Dash Films and made other creative cultural installments through Dash Enterprises.  On another great note… He’s the only husband beside one other that I know, who spent a small fortune developing a major talent and women’s brand by supporting his women to the hilt!!       In our early days, Lyor Cohen and I used to shout at Damon and he would shout back. Then we would hug and go handle our business. That was our way of communicating.  Eventually, Lyor got old and I did more yoga and we both stopped shouting so much. Dame eventually made a few bad choices and a few things went sour.  We know haters love a man who’s been hot to catch a lil cold. Hate spreads. But like Tony Montana in “Scarface” said, “two qualudes ….. And they gonna love him again.”         So haters, it really doesn’t matter about your blogs from the sidelines.   Dame’s gonna help heat the economy again!! If he got hit by a truck today remember this, Dame’s a giver by nature. That’s why he has already received so much. He was the biz leader,  architect and one of the creative forces that built Rocafella Records into an empire. I remember that it was Damon who came on my office after we signed Jay-Z to be on the “Nutty Professor” soundtrack with a bag of cash ready to put his money where his mouth was :-).  But the record “Ain’t No n*gga” didn’t need his cash. It was a masterpiece and so was his artist, Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time.  I saw countless displays of vision and faith all the way up to and beyond his struggle to convince everyone (no one believed) of the artistry in Kanye West. In this business, in order to be successful you have to have both business sense and great creative instincts (The latter is intuitive and cannot be learned).  Damon has once again proven that he is a great innovator with amazing vision.       Now, he is helping Jim Jones in a powerful manner that combines their collective experiences–from being born and raised in Harlem. They’ve taken that culture to Broadway theaters with a live hip-hop band, dance routines, multimedia use and the dynamics of theatrical stage presentation to show the struggles of life through the lens of hip-hop. I have 2 responses:1) Respect Dame’s gangster. 2) Go see the play immediately. -Russell Simmons

Hip Hop and sex have always gone hand in hand.  However, the carnal endeavors our culture has attached itself to have definitely become more and more salacious over the years.  Like anything else, the more you see it, more commonplace it becomes. With this in mind, could the image of the Hip-Hop female as an insatiable, lolli-pop-licking, half-naked, open-legged hot pocket be affecting the careers of, or even the need for femcees?  Ask yourself does anyone paying attention to what she’s saying when she’s bent at the waist showing you her assets?  Seriously.    I started thinking about this after I had the unfortunate experience of Miss Brooke(Rick’s baby momma #2) and her homemade sex tape. It was a bit unremarkable and lime green panties don’t look good on anyone, but I digress  While playing voyeur, I found myself wincing in pain a few times.  Not at all the super-duper, hot XXX action going on, but at thinking how incredibly painful taking a tat on the t## would have to be. In other words, I was totally numb to the presentation in general. I checked some comments here and there on sites that hosted the pleather pleasure minute and I found echoes of my own disinterest.   Now, I’m not going to joke ole girl because I don’t know where that video came from.  If she comes with that stolen, dusty shoe box-in the-closet story as most do, I feel bad for her.  This isn’t really about adding insult to injury. But what I noticed is that we have become so desensitized to the sexual presentation of women that even the act of sex itself is no longer sexy enough. With sex being the premier presentation of women in Hip-Hop, it is feasible to think that listening to a woman rhyme as opposed to watching her strip is going to resurface as the valuable commodity in the business of music?  I can’t say I’m hopeful.   Women got caught up in the spirit of sexual independence and empowerment, but knew not what road to travel to find that Nirvana.  In our haste to be accepted on our own terms and be our own women and set our own rules, we have exploited ourselves to the Nth degree. We didn’t walk that road without help.  The folks in charge understand the power of a woman’s sexuality probably more than the average woman does. If it were her voice that made the money, women would be heard, rather than seen.  But it’s not.  It is the span of her hips and the curl of her lips.  And in this construct, it’s not all that phenomenal. Word to Maya Angelou.   There are thousands of these young women who believe their ticket to a life of fame and fortune or at least their ticket to a life without the burden of the financial aid office is tramp-stamped firmly on their a####. The competition is stiff and the number of competitors has never been as large.  What do you do to make yourself stand out?  More than the girl next to you will. Hence, the vixen mores in time will bottom out.  That’s the reason those Candy Girls will pull more views and book more gigs than Rece Steel and company did. Folks will be tuning in religiously to see if the downward spiral will take place on their watch.  I’ll give you odds on that one.   So what’s a rapping woman to do?  How can she be heard? I really don’t know.  The noise emanating from all that T&A is deafening and that depthless, blow up doll character is the one being allowed to speak for us right now.  So if you are not willing to take 10 for the top and 20 for the bottom, you probably won’t be seeing too much success. But stick to your guns. Sometimes the good fight comes with great sacrifice. Besides ole girl wearing the butt floss and pasties has a short shelf-life.  Once that first dimple pops up on her thigh, she’s on her way out.  Your voice however, is timeless.

“Strangeness, you don’t control this, you barely hold this/ Screaming brand new, when they just sanitized the old s###/ Suppose it’s, just another clever Jedi mind trick/ That they been runnin across stars through all the time with/ –          Black Star, Thieves In The Night, Black Star (1998). “They don’t know, who we be/” –          DMX, Who We Be, The Great Depression (2001). What are we—Hip-Hop fans—to make of the revelation that Christopher Dodd, the U.S. Senator from Connecticut, was involved in the legislative changes that created a loophole through which AIG executives could receive their bonus payments. More surprising than Dodd’s confession, however, was his unwavering refusal to admit who, from the Treasury Department, ordered the changes to be made. Chris Dodd, on Wednesday, confirmed that Treasury officials met with him, last month, to request a modification of an amendment in the stimulus bill, which denied bonuses to firms receiving aid from the federal government. That, strangely enough, would be the farthest Dodd was willing to go. This sophisticated duck-and-dodge can be reduced to a more simplified term: NO SNITCHIN’. The Senate is an old boys network, and Washington is even more direct in its secrecy. With most politicians owing some sort of allegiance to unscrupulous groups, corporations and lobby enterprises, it is less surprising when lawmakers are willing to place their heads on the altars of sacrifice, in order to salvage the reputation of a comrade or colleague (case in point: Scooter Libby). In essence, the will to protect each other’s a#### is only logical. Dodd is smarter—even more decent (often progressive in values)—than most of his counterparts, but I’m still left troubled by his unwillingness to come clean. Another angle in the recent twist of events is the shameless hypocrisy Chris Dodd exuded, in his mum’s the word attitude to the AIG bonus controversy. Lord knows if Chris Dodd was a rapper, the unfettered excoriation he would face, for withholding such pertinent information, would make a righteous man bleed. The same elected officials, who spent the ‘90s scrambling to find ways by which they could further the ‘Gangsta-Rap-is-the devil’ saga, are the same ones who, unabashedly, personalize the very characteristics they sought to abolish. In the last decade, much hoopla has been generated over the alleged indifference young Blacks and Browns champion, when they rail against any cooperation with law enforcement, in criminal investigations—colloquially known as, Snitchin’. Most critics see the surge in “NO SNITCHIN’” merchandise, as ample sign of the demoralizing influence commercial Rap is having on young people. Documentaries, TV reports and seminars have been produced to combat this crisis in the “urban” community. In 2007, when CBS’s “60 minutes” aired a special on the “Stop Snitchin’” movement, it seemed as though the sky was due for falling any minute soon. CBS contended that, “in most communities, a person who sees a murder and helps the police put the killer behind bars is called a witness. But in many inner-city neighborhoods in this country that person is called a ‘snitch.’ As CBS saw it, “Stop snitchin’ is a catchy hip-hop slogan that embodies and encourages this attitude… ‘Stop snitchin’ once meant ‘don’t tell on others if you’re caught committing a crime’.” This Hip-Hop attitude, according to CBS, meant one thing—and one thing—only: “don’t cooperate with the police – no matter who you are.” This has led to worries, expressed by police officers, that “witnesses are not coming forward”— which, in turn, leaves many murder-cases “unsolved.” Using Harlem rapper, Cam’ron’s assertions that under no circumstances was it “okay to talk to the police,” except in a friendly exchange of greetings, CBS had all the validation it needed, to brand the concept of “NO SNITCHIN’” a Hip-Hop and inner-city construction. With Cam’ron’s initial—as it was modified later—suggestion that even in the case of a serial-killer neighbor, “I wouldn’t call and tell anybody, but I’ll probably move,” the birthday wishes of many Hip-Hop haters appeared to have been granted. Unfortunately, a lot of the same talking-heads seemed to have missed the point, all together. Their rush to judgment made it seem as though Hip-Hop’s cold shoulder to the police department has no history—as though the Blastmaster, KRS-One wasn’t right in his assessment that, “you wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper.” The long-and-winded history of police brutality, in the “inner-city,” also plays a part in the distrust expressed by many rappers, and Black/Brown people, as it concerns cooperation with police officers. What is clear, however, from this ordeal, is that many of the stigmas which have been conveniently perceived as exclusively Hip-Hop-related/created, are common traits everyone is susceptible to. If my memory serves me correctly, President William Jefferson Clinton’s “relations” with Monica Lewinsky wasn’t so radically different from what goes on in many tour buses, across the country. Chris Dodd’s predicament might not be cause for celebration, but it’s a sobering reminder of how “created equal,” we all are. Tolu Olorunda is a Columnist for BlackCommentator.com.  

  Developer/Publisher: Swordfish/THQPlatform: XBOX 360   Players: 1-2(Online)Release Date: 2/24/09   Rating: C   With the massive popularity of Curtis Jackson’s Rap persona, it is no surprise his brand has transcended past music onto clothing, movies, television, and beverages. In 2005, 50 Cent took his Southside Queens hustle to a platform Hip-Hop has often failed at; video gaming.   While 50 Cent: Bulletproof fell short of the hype, the poorly received title still went on to sell over a million copies to date. Now a couple of years later Curtis remerges on seventh generation consoles backed by a new developer with the sequel 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand (Swordfish / THQ).   From the intro, players will be impressed by the presentation. 50 and the crew just finished performing the last show of a Middle Eastern tour. Our protagonist goes to collect his payment, but the promoter is short. For collateral a priceless heirloom is offered but Fif’ is jacked for it upon exiting and the battle ensues.     The graphics are solid with the character models of the G Unit crew being spot on. All four members are finely detailed down to exact tattoos, signature clothing choices, and voicing; no Yayo dance though. We even get some of their off beat humor injected into specific sequences (50: “I do my banking online”).   Sonically Blood keeps the action moving with a soundtrack full of 50’s best work. Additionally post Young Buck tunes like “Southside N****” keep things fresh.   The game play is still very much a linear run and gun with your standard duck and cover system in place. Sadly after a run through of the first couple of missions, the action starts to get repetitive. What makes this process even more tedious is the awkward aiming mechanics.   Plain and simple bucking down multiple assailants is very cumbersome as the analog stick control is clumsy at best. Nevertheless Fif’ is armed for any challenge with easy access to knives, pistols, automatic weapons, grenades, and bazookas.     A new scoring system does inject some life into this shooter. If you’re a gamer that likes to own at high scores, this tallying progression will keep you tuned in. Timed objectives also pepper in some added challenge. Other promising additions include the cooperative feature where you can get assistance from an online associate.   While Blood On The Sand doesn’t break any barriers in the first person shooter genre, its fast paced action coupled with a never ending thugged out swagger should keep the G-Unit faithful on the sticks. If you side with Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, or Fat Joe, then you might want to rent or borrow.   50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer:

Recently, some friends and I were sitting around shooting the s### about Slaughterhouse.  Since no one I hang with is part of the online Hip Hop community, it was actually me shooting the s### all by my lonely as they looked on with faces crumpled up like used napkins. Then they channeled Woodsy. “Who?” One dude did recall Jump Off.  Another, who is in Atlanta by way of Oakland, knew Crooked I.  Well, he knew the name.  When I asked what he thought about Crooked as an emcee, this is what he gave me. “I’m from the West and couldn’t tell you the name of one song this dude made in his career. Was he nice on the mic? Yes. Did he ever make any hits? No.”   Now you know a good portion of us don’t give one rat’s ass about a hit. As a matter of fact, it’s almost considered lame to limit your self to those who sell or to follow mainstream at all in some sectors of the rap internet. So your I-pod is constantly a topic of discussion among your friends because you aren’t rocking 12 gigs-o-Flo Rida. “You ain’t got that ‘Right Round’ on here?  You must not be a real Hip-Hop fan.  That’s damn near the only rap song out these days, ain’t it?” I just smile and change the subject. Then another friend of mine, who is also a writer, attempted a Hip-Hop piece for the powers that be where his words call home.  He’s not especially “up” on the happenings of the genre, so he turned to yours truly to look it over. I told him he needed an all encompassing “PAUSE!” as his wording was a bit suspect.  It was a joke; but since he had no idea what I was talking about, he looked it up. Of course, he emailed me immediately after his Google search.    “Some guy who wears clip on earrings and pink fur came up with no h###? Does he say that s**t every time he gets dressed? And that dumb s### is supposed to dictate my style. Get the f**k outta here.” I’m not sure if I appreciated the tone of his text.  I was just trying to help dude out.  But I did understand his disdain. I mean, I’m a grown ass woman.  How do I explain “PAUSE!” to another grown ass person without sounding ridiculous?    I really can’t.   Considering all of this made me realize how secret society-ish our ecommunity is and how odd we appear to the outside world. The musical taste is off the beaten path.  The semantics leave everyone else scratching their heads and the dedication to all things digital gives folks the impression that we are anti-social. Well, some of you really are maladjusted per normal ecollective rule and regulation, but that’s not Hip-Hop’s fault. But I digress.   Do I feel silly sometimes?  Yes, I must admit I do.  Do I ever release some “only acceptable in the e-crevices of the Hip-Hop Nation” comments during a business lunch and wish I could reach out and retrieve those words?  Yes, more than I should.  Do I get a little peeved when folks suggest, in jest, I must go home, slide into some oversized clothes, get high and walk the streets aimlessly hitting licks and smacking the rears of random unknown b######?  Most definitely, especially since I’m a girl. But am I going to turn in my membership card to the Hip Hop union as to alleviate myself of the above listed issues?    No. This thing of ours, this Hip-Hop Cosa Nostra is ingrained.   We are a microcosm of the larger musical picture with all the segments needed to create a complete society; if we haven’t already.  With expression and artistic capabilities limited only by imagination and technology, the Hip-Hop Nation has transcended recorded music.  It’s our culture. While no one dwells inside the rap realm only (the average Hip-Hopper’s style swap game is hella fierce) it should give you pride to know that you can live in their world, but they wouldn’t stand a chance in yours. So as I dust off that membership card and allow my homie to write what will without a doubt be the most pauseriffic article ever known in the annals of Hip-Hop journalism, I smile.  And when the barrage of questions about why my head does not bob when something a bit too commercial for my taste flows out of the speakers mounts, I will again change the subject.

It’s St. Patrick’s Day but there are always plenty of shoes to make you green with envy any day of the year. Nevertheless, here are a couple of St. Patty’s Day specials. Shout out to the Irish massive.   You can’t front, House of Pain had spots bumping with their hit “Jump Around.” Don’t sleep on the Pete Rock remix, though. But this column is about kicks and the peeps at Adidas connected with your favorite Irish rappers to drop a limited edition (only 175 will be made) version of the adidas Originals Campus shoe. The sneaker is green, duh, gold and white and the group’s crest/logo is featured prominently on the tongue. On the side of the shoes, above the three stripes where normally “Campus” is written, the words “Fine Malt Lyrics” are stamped in gold foil. Suede! Can’t be mad at these. The shoes will go on sale today at Concepts in Cambridge, MA. Word is House of Pain will be on hand. Word to your mom and your pops.    Ahh, yes. Now in my totally biased opinion the Air Max ‘95s are the perfect sneakers. The cool grey accented by that popping neon yellow, as well as its otherworldly looks resulted in a shoe that didn’t resemble anything before it. Going for about $125 or more when they first dropped, I remember heads being hesitant to cop them because at a buck two five we’re talking Jordan shoe prices and the kicks were such a radical design you were just taken aback. Inevitably any tentativeness jumped out the window with Ron Browz when you saw someone walking down the street, sporting a pair on their feet, or noticed a bunch of people staring at the feet of the person walking down the street, sporting a pair. Since ’95 Nike has reissued the original colorway a couple of times (I keep a fresh pair on freeze [photo to the left]) and have also dropped a number of different variances in colors and materials. Meh. The only ones I’ve really felt are versions of the cool greys and basic colors (oranges, red, blues, etc.).  For the spring Nike drops a bunch of varieties [photo jacked from Nice Kicks]. With plenty of colors these gems are sure to be seen everywhere this spring. So David (Nate Robinson) slew Goliath (Dwight Howard) in this years dunk contest. [ahem, Howard would have won that ish if he had actually saved his best dunks for last, no shots Nate]. But anyway, the wild, ectoplasm looking Foamposite Lites. So of course, the “KryptoNates” (peep the “K” logo on the side of the shoe above) are set to be launched. Word is Nate will be on hand at the House of Hoops store on Harlem’s 125th St. from 4pm – 5:30pm to debut the shoe. Good luck. BONUS: Although KG, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and T-Mac skipped college basketball altogether, these promo spots courtesy of adidas showcase players repping their NCAA picks. Here are a couple of the vids; where’s my bracket…KG @ UCLAJosh Smith reppin’ Pitt

Barrera: “I am not your stepping stone.” Today (March 14), Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs) is on a mission to prove that he’s still an elite fighter. The test comes in the form of young British sensation Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), who’ll face the cagey veteran in the toughest bout of his young career. Since losing back to back fights to Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao in 2007, Barrera has won two stay busy fights. After hearing Khan trainer Freddie Roach refer to him as being washed up, Barrera has made it clear to Khan and Roach that he expects to deliver the same performance he did to Naseem Hamed 8 years ago. “A defeat is not in my contract… He wants to use me as a way to a world title fight, but I have news for him, he is not using me as a stepping stone,” Barrera told the Manchester Evening News. “Naz was a great fighter with a hard punch, one of the best I have ever fought. The Hamed fight was my graduation, the fight that put me on the next step, and got me ready for everyone that followed.” Khan is seeking to rebound from an embarrassing 1st round knockout to Breidis Prescott last September. This fight represents his first real test since receiving a soft touch in the form of Oisin Fagan in December, which Khan won by 2nd round TKO. This fight is a tricky one to predict. It’s evident that Barrera is past prime, but he was still formidable enough to drop and badly hurt Juan Manuel Marquez. Additionally, he went the distance with Pacquiao, boxing’s current pound for pound #1. On the other hand, Khan when disciplined can box well from a distance and keep himself out of harm’s way. However, the young talent also has the propensity to mix it up unnecessarily at times, resulting in him getting rocked and in one case ruthlessly KO’d. Look for the crafty and sneaky Barerra to rattle Khan with dirty, bullying tactics to initiate a brawl. The Baby-Faced Assassin has the power to hurt Khan, and Khan’s recuperative abilities will decide whether he can gut out a tough decision win. This should be a good one, and American fans with $20 to spare should order this budget-sensitive PPV. Lucian Brute Wins by TKO on ShoBox On Friday (March 13), IBF super-middleweight champ Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) retained his title with a dominating TKO stoppage over Fulgencio Zuniga (22-4-1, 19 KOs). Zuniga was never in the fight, as Bute constantly peppered him with stinging counter shots. Normally an inside pressure fighter, Zuniga was reduced to single looping shots from the outside which left him an easy target for Bute’s handspeed. In the 4th, Bute landed a perfect left uppercut to the solar plexus, causing Zuniga to visibly cry out in pain and crumple to the floor. After barely beating the count, the tough Colombian took several more hard shots before the merciful ref stoppage. Next up for Bute is a rematch against Librado Andrade, the man he beat in highly controversial fashion last year due to a gift referee count in the 12th round. Hopkins-Adamek  in Negotiations Main Events and Golden Boy Promotions have begun preliminary discussions for a July HBO fight between cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek and light-heavyweight star Bernard Hopkins. Adamek is coming off a chilling KO of Jonathon Banks in his February 27 IBF title defense. Last October, Hopkins shocked the boxing world with a dominating, shut-out win over previously undefeated Kelly Pavlik. At press time, the fight will be contested at cruiserweight, and offer Hopkins the chance to pick up a world title in his third weight class. If Hopkins wins, his all time pound for pound ranking shoots through the roof. Adamek represents a credible cruiser with legit knockout power and skill. Hopkins obviously holds an advantage of being quicker then the sometimes robotic and plodding Adamek. And while some may get images of a Hopkins-Pavlik replay, it can’t be stressed enough that Hopkins would be the one moving up this time and coming off 9-month layoff. This is a risky and intriguing fight for both men. Hopefully it comes off. Mayweather Comeback Announcement Imminent? It seems any time a fighter has a big win between lightweight and welterweight, Floyd Mayweather’s name is brought up as the next potential opponent. But now, it may appear that after over a year into his “retirement” Money Mayweather himself may finally end all the speculation. Over the last several weeks, reports have been coming out of Las Vegas that Mayweather has been vigorously training in his personal gym and also sparring. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Mayweather has abruptly canceled a fundraiser and gala for the struggling city of Middletown, Ohio. A spokesman for the former champ revealed that Mayweather’s actions would be explained after a big announcement is made sometime this week or next. Assuming that Floyd’s announcement isn’t something underwhelming such as a new signing to Philthy Rich Records, who do you want to see Money Mayweather face in a return bout? http://www.sodahead.com/question/280644/?link=p_280644Poll AnswersKirkland Beats Julio Into Submission Feared junior middleweight James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs) continued his path of destruction with a gradual beatdown of proven puncher Joel Julio (34-3, 31 KOs) last Saturday (March 7). Julio was in constant retreat, and struggled when Kirkland took his best shots and never wavered with his pressure. Tired, cut, and with nothing left, Julio opted to retire on his stool before the 7th round. Keep in eye on Kirkland. If he tightens up his defense, we can possibly witness the next big American star. If not, we may have another Jeff Lacy on our hands.Throwback Fighter of the Week: Jose “Pipino” Cuevas While stars Tommy Hearns and Ray Leonard received the big headlines in the late 70s and early 80s, hardcore fans also enjoyed the bouts of Mexican KO specialist Pipino Cuevas. Cuevas turned pro […]

So Prodigy is still up on his one man rant from behind the walls of the correctional facility in upstate New York he’s going to be calling home at least till sometime late this summer. Part of his latest handwritten homage to everything you don’t know, but he is willing to share, is his top 40 rappers of all time list.  He actually drops the names of more than 40 rappers as some picks are groups, but that’s neither here nor there.  He also makes it perfectly clear that the list is in no particular order because, per him, there is no one who deserves that number one spot. His declaration does not suggest that there is no one good enough to take that slot.  His suggestion is that there are several. Hence, leaving that spot either vacant or stuffed to the gills.  With this, I completely agree. Folks take their lists seriously serious and it seems everyone has committed to who they think are the most awesomest rappers in the history of the planet.  It’s written in permanent ink on permanent paper, stuffed into a hermetically sealed envelope and neatly placed under their pillows; unless, of course, they have a safe.  However, once that selection is presented to the world, understand that you will be nothing but … wrong. That dreaded group-think IV is always dripping and will ultimately overshadow any GOAT suggestion you present to the mighty Hip Hop Nation that isn’t already etched in stone somewhere. You know the Hip-Hop approved top five.  A couple subs meander in and out, but the usual suspects tend to stay about the same.  How does that work when art is relative and opinion moves the masses to ride their own perfect beat?  People say, “Ahhh, it’s because he’s good.”  Good to whom? Folks have been tastemade and aggregated into following whatever floats the expert boat.  And when someone stands up and says the GOAT has no clothes, it makes folks want to holla. Why?  I don’t believe it’s because they disagree.  I believe it’s because they aren’t packing big enough balls to concur that they too realized they liked something else. P says some of the best rappers of all time are Missy, Naughty By Nature, Ma$e and Three Six Mafia.  Do I agree with these picks?  Hell naw.  The Blog Don also suggested some folks who wouldn’t be able to read his list, let alone be on it; like Rick Ross and Crooked I.  Can you see Crunchy Black taking Crooked in a lyrical head to head?  Ummm… No.  But again, this is Prodigy’s list, not mine. I love the fact that he didn’t seem to concern himself with what everybody else would think. That’s what makes his list great.  He’s got Big and Pac on there as well, but didn’t qualify them in anyway as the top two.  Can you imagine if he actually said Missy was a better lyricist than Pac? He might be safer staying locked up. The point is Hip-Hop is deeply effectual and the words an emcee spits are what draw you to him.  There are scary good rappers who simply don’t speak to me; therefore they do not speak for me.  And I wouldn’t for one second suggest that the ones who speak for me should speak for you too. Your story is not mine.  You taste is not mine and your opinion should be your own. So do I believe a lot of people have locked their real opinion in that safe along with their most serious of all serious top five rapper list?  I would say yes, but that would mean they actually have their own to begin with.  I don’t think many people do. Am I also saying if your list is nothing but a simple regurgitation of what you have been taught to like as opposed to what you have organically developed a taste for, your list sucks ass?  That would be a most definitive hell yeah.  Word to Dead Prez.

On January 30th 2009, America once again had reason to celebrate. Former Maryland Lt. Governor, Michael Steele became the first African American appointed as National Chairman of the Republican Party. This came just over one week after the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The Obama campaign sparked a renewed interest and hope in politics, similar to that made by John and Robert Kennedy, but I can only wonder how much of an impact, if any, the appointment of Steele will really have. My immediate interest in Steele came from a sound bite I caught on CNN: “I want hip-hop Republicans. I want Frank Sinatra Republicans. That’s how it is out there.” This was not the first time that Steele made this connection as in 2006 after becoming the Governor of Maryland, he described himself as, “…conservative, but I’m also moderate… As I like to tell people, I’m a little bit hip-hop and a little bit Frank Sinatra”. Similar to that of the success of President Obama, Steele is attempting to appeal to both current G.O.P’s as well as the burgeoning youth vote. What he fails to realize is that Sinatra and hip-hop are one and the same; no distinction needs to be made. You don’t need to look any further than this years’ Grammy performance of Swagger Like Us by the “Rap Pack”. But for argument’s sake, I will. In the 1960s, Sinatra and the boys personified cool. Along with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis and others, The Rat Pack was the quintessential crew. Their over-indulgence in luxury and wealth was their trademark. They were definitely not the most skilled musicians, but their voice and the way they were perceived gave them an undeniable appeal. Men wanted to be them, while women wanted to be with them. They wore the finest clothes and jewellery, smoked the finest cigars, had affiliations with high-ranking politicians, and were photographed partying with their large entourages and other celebs, all the while feeding the appetite of their own alter-egos (i.e. Ol’ Blue Eyes). Fast forward to 2009, to the leaders of the rap game (in no particular order): Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, T.I., Kanye West, Young Jeezy, Diddy, Nas, 50 Cent, Ludacris, the list can go on and on. While there are many factors that can be used to distinguish each of these artists, they all share common attributes that are highly influenced by Sinatra. In 1961, Sinatra left Capitol Records and started up his own recording home, Reprise Records. By starting his own label, he was able to take better control of his career, as well as provide an outlet for his friends. Artists like Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald all benefited from Sinatra’s vision. Similarly, in the 90s artists like Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, the Hot Boys all struggled to break through the traditional mould. Rap was anything but mainstream. As a result, they started their own labels, built their own studios, hired their own producers and the likes of Roca-Fella Records, Bad Boy Entertainment and Cash Money Records were born. The entrepreneurial concept of building your own empire, doing it your way is the foundation of the modern hip hop movement, one which was greatly borrowed from Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. This is no more explicitly stated than in the Jay-Z rendition of I Did It My Way, off the Blueprint II (2002), which samples the original version written by Paul Anka: “Black entrepreneur, nobody did us no favors/The Rap Pack, I’m Sinatra, Dame’s Sam Davis/ Big’s the smart one, on the low like Dean Martin/We came in this game, not beggin n***as pardon/ Demanding ya’ll respect, hand over a cheque.” Like hip hop artists today, Frank Sinatra was not immune to controversy. Throughout his career he was linked to the mob. Rather than shy away from this, he embraced it, even encouraged it. It was a part of his persona; a gangster and a gentleman. Heck, there are even stories of incidents between rival crews… if you don’t believe me then google “Las Vegas Hotel, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra”. This same bravado is used by most rappers today. While the media scrutinizes over their past involvement in crime, the fact of the matter is most rappers aren’t criminals; they’re just associate with them. Speculation over Sinatra’s ties to the mob, most notably Lucky Luciano were sensationalized, taking on a life of its own. Similarly, Lil’ Wayne’s connection to the Bloods is strategically glorified in nature. Like any good character from The Sopranos, or classic scene from any Al Pacino flick, rappers use gangster imagery to entertain the masses and sell not only records, but themselves as a brand. In the 90s and early part of the new millennium, the image of a rap artist was quite standard: lots of bling, baggy jeans and every throw-back jersey imaginable. Their excessiveness was flaunted to the highest degree; sickening to most. Whether it was the ice in their teeth, or rockin’ one of those tacky-coloured watches from Jacob the Jeweller, there was an apparent disconnect between the commercialized image of rap and the conservative audience that was consuming it. Gradually, this commercial façade began to wear thin. While still much more excessive than the average Joe, rappers have embraced the notion of quality over quantity, and have shifted dramatically from flashy to classy; from the bells and whistles of MTV Awards to the red carpet glamour of the Oscars. Bucket hats and Timbs have been replaced with stylish scarves, finely cut blue-diamond incrusted jewels and designer suits. No longer drowning in a pool of Cristal with half naked women, the new Diddy advocates celebrating life responsibly in a black-and-white ad for Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka — shot in Sinatra’s actual home, no less, featuring his classic Fly Me To The Moon. The days of doing a show with a hype man, a Dj and 30 other crew members on stage are long gone […]

In Hip-Hop, when the Notorious B.I.G. spoke, the world listened. When the late, great rapper said he was prone to “stash more cash than Bert Padell,” he revealed an industry secret to the masses. Padell has a client list that could stretch across the nation. Past and present customers include EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Madonna, Britney Spears, Swizz Beats, Alicia Keys and name-dropping the Notorious B.I.G. Kangol Kid, the legendary rapper from UTFO, interviews “the accountant to the stars” Bert Padell this installment of “Yo Kangol.” This column focuses on interviews with some of the top executives and “behind the scenes” people in the entertainment industry. Back to Biggie. How did he discover that on of Hip-Hop’s major forces just used his name? “Clive Davis called me up and said to me, ‘Bert you became famous and you’re really famous now forever.’ I said famous, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘112 did an album and Biggie Smalls said: “Stash more cash than Bert Padell” and it’s all over the radio!” Mr. Padell never even heard the song – until Kangol Kid showed him. Here is the exclusive interview with Bert Padell. “>

Developer/Publisher: CapcomPlatform: XBOX 360   Players: 1-2Release Date: 2/17/09   Rating: A-   It’s been nearly twelve years since Street Fighter III. After two subsequent installments and die-hard Street Fighter fans questioning Capcom about the next title, the company finally decided it was about time to give us what we wanted. Despite the fact that it took a decade for us to get our hands on the latest entrant in the series, Street Fighter IV, it was certainly worth the wait.   SFIV essentially takes the series back to its roots. While Street Fighter III was a critically acclaimed title, it has a much steeper learning cure than any other game in the series. SFIV was more of a progression towards the older mechanics of the first two games rather than the third.   Gone are the Super Arts, parries, and stun gauge; while these don’t make a return, some aspects return from SFIII, including EX attacks, throws being performed with the light attack buttons, and the quick dash. With some of these features absent, SFIV garners more of a classic feel. It’s essentially a new-school fighter with an old-school twist.     SFIV is much more easily accessible to new players or old players who haven’t played in years but want to pick the game back up. The move lists of the twelve original characters are historically preserved, and the four new characters fit perfectly in the fray. The addition of EX moves and focus attacks really deepen the learning curve of the game.   The graphics are visually stunning. Paying homage to Street Fighter EX, Capcom decided to follow a more hand-drawn cell-shaded art style this time around. Calligraphy brush effects trail various characters moves and beautiful explosions erupt from various special moves. The graphics are meticulous, even down to the character’s facial expressions, showing rage and concentration when initiating a super or ultra move, and surprise and urgency when they are on the receiving end. Details on muscles, distressed clothing, and even spectators in the background really bring the game to life.   The character’s various stories are told through in-game cinematic sequences; a first for the series. They definitely provide some background in terms of letting players know why their characters are fighting their rivals. There are anime sequences at the beginning and end of the game. While they may sometimes explain what’s going on story-wise, they really fall short for the most part.   This is one of the very few areas that it seems like Capcom dropped the ball. Even the subtle sounds of the game enhance the experience. Cheers from children, gun shots from troops, and environmental effects are all showcased. The characters grunts and voice acting are spot-on. The game even gives players the option to have Japanese or English voices for those that may want to take their gaming experience even further.     There are plenty of things to accomplish, so those medal hunters and enthusiasts that seek 100% completion on their games will never run out of things to earn. Additional colors and taunts are available through completing various trials and challenge modes. The replay value of the game really soars when you think about finishing every single trial for the game’s twenty five characters.   The introduction of online play is great for players that are looking for genuine competition. The only downfall in this area is that some players have slower connections, inevitably slowing down the gameplay. Ranked play is available for more serious players, and player matches are available for players just looking for casual matches.   Street Fighter IV is definitely a strong entrant in the series. Whether seasoned veteran or newbie, the game offers something for everyone. It’s too bad we’ll probably have to wait until 2019 to see Street Fighter V.   Street Fighter IV Trailer:

March 9th, 2007 marked the 10 yr anniversary of the death of arguably the greatest rapper of all time. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long and it probably won’t matter how many years pass, his music and memory will live on. I remember getting the phone call that he passed that morning and I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t believe it. I still recall waaaay back when my brother (producer/rapper Lord Digga) brought home Big’s demo and the first few songs that he produced for him. The week before his death I was just at school arguing with some Jersey dudes about Biggie being better than Redman. I was telling folks Big was better than everybody, or maybe he was just MY favorite. When it comes to Christopher Wallace a lot of questions arise. Would he still be on top if he was here? Would Jay-Z be Jay-Z? Was Tupac the better artist? Was he really the best emcee? Who knows the answers to these questions but after some conversations with some hip-hop enthusiasts and fans of B.I, here are 10 reasons why Big was the greatest of all time in no particular order. #10.THE JUICY FACTOR Big’s first commercial single “Juicy” had a vocal intro where he shouted out the people who called the police on him when he was trying to make money to feed his daughter. He introduced the world to a hustler with a heart and a motivation anyone could understand. His story was that he was on his way out of town to continue selling drugs and Puff (his name at the time) heard his music and begged him to come back and record an album. Rap was his way out the hood. We identified with his rise from ashy to classy. Everyone saw Big in the hoodies and fatigue jackets and watched him step up to the shiny shirts and diamonds. “Birthdays was the worst days, now we sip champagne when we thirstaay.” Who can’t appreciate that? #9.WORDPLAY Biggie’s rhyme pattern was always innovative but very simple. He didn’t use many big words but he managed to maintain the wit and cleverness in his bars. He would say so much with so little and with that method he satisfied the party goers that wanted to be able to spit his lyrics while inebriated and the hip-hop head that wanted to break down bars listening in his crib. You may not get what I’m saying but picture “your heartbeat sounds like Sasquatch feet…” or “I perform like Mike/anyone Tyson, Jordan, Jackson…” or “they used to call me fatso now they call me Castro.” The words in these lines stand alone without rhythm or trying to accent a punch line. It just sounds like things someone would say in a conversation and it made Biggie great. He didn’t force feed you these raps. “Rolex and bracelets, frostbit, rings too/n***as round the way call me igloo, stick who?” And one of my favorite examples of wordplay: “Don’t f### with B.I that’s that ‘Oh I, thought he was wack’ oh come come now/why yall so dumb now? Hunt me or be hunted I got three hundred and fifty-seven ways to simmer sauté/I’m the winner all-day, lights get dimmer down Biggie’s hallway…” #8. THE TRENDSETTER “Ain’t s### change/’cept the number after the dot on the range.” Not many people knew what Big was talking about until Jay went into depth about the difference between range rovers and maybe we didn’t care but it sure did set a standard for those who wanted to floss whips out there. “My Moschino ho, my Versace hottie…” We have to admit that although these clothing lines existed before the shout out, Moschino and Versace became the hottest gear for awhile. The prices soared and the fakes popped up and the black community was rocking em like crazy. The funny thing is that Biggie didn’t even wear the clothes he bigged up. He said they couldn’t fit him. He wasn’t the first to pop Cristal in the video but he made the name bigger than ever. He hipped the general population to what the good life was all about. “I know you sick of this name brand n***a wit/flows girls say he’s sweet like licorice…” He may not have been the first one to have an alias but he made it hot. You knew who Frank White was when he spit it out and if you didn’t catch the correlation between the character in the movie “King Of New York” then you wanted to know what the hell he meant. Wu-Tang may argue that they started the names from another universe first but Big did make it very popular by choosing a name that subliminally suggested what he wanted you to think and what became unavoidable. One thing that Big did make famous was the “no pen” syndrome. Nowadays nobody writes rhymes down if you ask them, they just think em. From Jay to Ja to Kanye all say that they don’t actually pen their lyrics but Big was the first to say it and make how you construct your rhymes a big deal in the industry. #7.HEARTTHROB NEVER This may seem like a weird case to point out but Christopher Wallace was not only aware of his physical shortcomings but he made light of them. Now let me say that I don’t judge men so him being ugly is not a fact I would back up but Big did what some would call taking the bullets out of the gun when it comes to things you could say about him. “Black and ugly as ever…” Lines like that tend to make the ladies look at him as if he’s more than just the exterior and he knows it. Of course you heard the stories about how funny and charismatic he was, or how the ladies loved him no matter what he looked like. It all added to the mystery of Biggie […]

Biggie Smalls: The Notorious Mix When was the first time you saw the Notorious B.I.G. Think about that for a minute. Now think about the last time you saw him. Now, envision what he did to change your life. The rapper didn’t make it to see 25, but the impact he had on the Earth was that of a thousand lives.We still have the music and that is what we present to you. Now, to enjoy the Notorious one properly and listen to this mix by DJ Wonder of Shade 45.

Marquez Weathers Storm to Stop Diaz in Nine Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) may be reaching the twilight of his illustrious career, but the veteran technician proved on Saturday (February 28) he still has much left in the tank. Before a raucous crowd, Marquez stopped a relentless Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (34-2, 17 KOs) after nine brutal back and forth rounds. Not intimidated from the start, Diaz rushed Marquez, throwing sharp, compact hooks in the inside. Startled, Marquez returned the fire in kind with stinging hooks of his own while attempting to make enough space to counterpunch. Still, Diaz held the early edge as he repeatedly backed Marquez against the ropes and rained down combinations to the head and body.In round 2, Marquez started well with counter hooks and straight rights before being stunned and wobbled badly by a ripping Diaz left hook. Being that they were in the Baby Bull’s hometown, the crowd roared and rose to its feet as Diaz appeared on the verge of finishing off Marquez. However, Marquez sprung back to life and exchanged flush shots with his younger foe. Despite Diaz’s pressure, Marquez refused to wilt and returned in kind every single combination Diaz landed on him. The third and fourth rounds were equally close, as Diaz maintained his effective aggression by easily closing the gap and firing rapid-fire hooks anytime the champion’s back touched the ropes.  But Marquez’s work could not be ignored. When Diaz left any space between them in ring center or against the ropes, Marquez strafed his challenger with impressive uppercut and hook combinations. By the fifth, Marquez entered a comfort zone as Diaz’ pressure slowed. Unwisely, Diaz began to fight stretches at ring center, and ate cringe-inducing corkscrew left uppercuts to the head and digging hooks to the body. While Diaz was still moving Marquez with his punches, Marquez maintained an edge with clean punching. Going into the seventh, Marquez’s intense counter-punching had not slowed, despite suffering a bleeding cut over his right eye. Diaz’s pressure had lowered just a step, giving the champion ample opportunity to time him with uppercuts through the gloves. Diaz weathered the storm, and stubbornly bulled forward through Marquez’s punches to flurry the veteran against the ropes. In the eighth, Marquez awed the crowd by punishing Diaz with lead uppercuts. After an impressive left uppercut, the skin above Diaz’s right eye was sliced open. The gushing blood colored half of the young fighter’s face, and noticeably made him reluctant to continue his trademark pressure. Marquez turned his assault by almost exclusively to the uppercut, either ending or starting all of his combinations with the punch. And it was an inside left uppercut/hook hybrid that badly hurt Diaz as the round concluded. Hurt and bleeding, Juan Diaz amazingly stormed out and continued bulling to the inside to land his hooks. Marquez patiently awaited another opening, which came courtesy of an inside right hand. The punch sent Diaz careening through the ropes face first. The Baby Bull beat the count, but was in no state to hold off the boxing master in front of him. After holding off a few flurries, Diaz was dropped hard by a lethal right uppercut. Referee Rafael Ramos had seen enough, and Marquez secured the TKO victory. In the post-fight interview, Marquez again called out rival Manny Pacquiao, but also humorously stated he’d settle on former pound for pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather. On the undercard, Rocky Juarez failed in his fourth title attempt in fighting to an exciting draw with Indonesian slickster Chris John. Rocky was in danger of losing the bout before rallying in the last three rounds. John remains undefeated at 42-0-2 (22 KOs) while Rocky Juarez goes to 28-4-1, (20 KOs). Adamek Retains Cruiserweight Title On Friday (February 27) Tomasz Adamek (37-1, 25 KOs) overcame a lackluster start to finish Jonathon Banks (20-1, 14 KOs) in crushing fashion via a highlight reel TKO in round eight. Early on, Adamek struggled to land his powerful right due to telegraphing his shots. Banks kept on the move, and found success by pumping his jab and alternating between heavy left and right hooks. Starting in the fifth, Adamek focused his work to the body which gradually wore down the game Banks as the rounds went on. Round eight saw Banks land a cracking right hand early, but Adamek handled the assault and responded later with a counter right that dropped the challenger. With his eyes spinning and drool coming out of his mouth, Banks struggled to his feet and beat the count. Adamek mercilessly pounced, and ended Banks’ night with an emphatic final barrage of hooks that crumpled the American in the corner. Now with a successful first defense, Adamek explained intentions to move to heavyweight or possibly rematch Steve Cunningham. On the undercard, middleweight contender Giovanni Lorenzo (27-1, 19 KOs) scored a second round KO of Dionisio Miranda (19-4-2, 17 KOs) in an IBF title eliminator.Bob Arum Claims Mayweather Pricing Himself Out of Huge Bouts Former Floyd Mayweather promoter Bob Arum is claiming the retired champion is being unrealistic with his $20 million price tag for bouts with Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao. Arum, who Mayweather split with in 2006, says no promoter would give the former pound for pound #1 that kind of money. “He is so [expletive] out of line that it is ridiculous,” Arum complained to setantasports.com. “Nobody and no fight, against Manny or anyone else is going to get him $20 million guaranteed.” When asked if a megafight between Pacquiao and Mayweather could generate that much if Manny defeats Ricky Hatton, Arum relented that it’s a remote possibility. “Could he work hard and earn $20 million if a fight with Manny did well, yeah, that is possible but nobody is going to give Mayweather [that amount] to fight Pacquiao, Mosley, or Jesus Christ,” Arum quipped. “So is it possible that Mayweather will come back? I say yes but his expectations and aspirations are just too unreasonable.” […]

So this Joe Budden Public Service Announcement pops up a few days back with Mr. Budden expressing his obvious disdain for a reviewer misunderstanding him as an artist frustrated with the music industry. He then spends the next two minutes explaining to us why this guy was wrong.  In no stretch of anyone’s lyrical interpretive skills should he be viewed as frustrated. I repeat. Joe Budden is not frustrated. (Can I get an echo with that?) Now of course, there is a bit of back-peddle when he clarifies his clarification by mentioning that he used to be frustrated, but isn’t now.  This elicited a head tilt from me because if once upon a time that aggravation lurked, then the reviewer would not be completely wrong in his assessment. But again, we have good cognitive abilities gone awry in this situation on both ends. As much as I would like to tee-hee and kee-kee at the perceived frustration in his voice and his proclamation that his 30th year is going to be some sort of frustration force field off which his annoyances will bounce just to come to rest on some 25-year-olds lawn, (Note to 20-somethings: It isn’t) that’s really not what this is all about.  It’s about something else he said a few seconds later. Mr. Budden suggested (I’m drawing the connect via my own highly developed cognitive abilities as he didn’t draw the connection himself) the reason his frustration has subsided is because he no longer cares about a laundry list of things (internet, music sales, downloading, rappers, labels, bloggers, radio…etc) that he probably should give a f### about (per my opinion). Maybe Hip-Hop is the last bastion of trade where you don’t have to comply with the industry rules; care about what business trends are populating the landscape. I wish it worked that way in my office.  Unfortunately, it does not. Boss: Shelz, answer that phone. Shelz: F### that. I don’t give a f### about a phone. Boss: Then forward me that spread sheet you were working on. Shelz: F### that. I don’t give a f### about a spread sheet. Boss: Shelz, why are you so frustrated? Shelz: F### that.  I’m over 30. I see me standing on Peachtree Street holding a sign reading, “Will blog for food.” I understand Mr. Budden is an artist and as an artist, it’s his job to make music.  However, we all know that’s just the first step of an artist’s journey.  I don’t know Mr. Budden or what his true intentions are but I am going to ASSUME he wants to continue to live off his craft.  You simply can’t do that without the likes of those entities he claims to not give a s### about. Prior to writing this piece, I picked up a copy of Padded Room.  To my delight, I made it to the store before the North Georgia faction of the Internet Soldiers bought out the Best Buy bar.  Or maybe they just came up a little short.  There was only one copy left. A few production miscues aside, it’s a pretty solid album. I’ve always found Mr. Budden to be an above par lyricist whose issues with the industry appeared to be more external than internal and I have always supported. Hence, my dismay at his inability to break through the rap glass ceiling and find some sort of big willie status. However, I would really hate to see industry burn out (That’s if he has it.  I don’t know for sure. I’m just saying) turn him into a grumpy old man who refuses to admit he’s grumpy. From the outside looking in, he appears to be on that path.  Don’t care about radio and labels today, what are you not going to care about tomorrow?  Words?  “What the f### I need words for?  I don’t give a f### about words.  I’m just going to breathe real hard on this mic.  F### it.” But anyway, I guess that’s about it for my Joe Budden assumption-fest.  His career so far has been a roller-coaster ride full of ups and downs; twists and turns.  His projects have, in my opinion, been both top notch and disappointing as has his treatment by the industry.  So I think he has every right to be frustrated, even if he isn’t. “I want them to understand, but still I am misunderstood.” – Joe Budden, The Future, MM2

Zab Judah’s extensive melees as a champion should lead him to The International Boxing Hall of Fame when he decides to retire, but the celebrity fighter is equally determined to conquer another arena of entertainment. The Brooklyn native anticipates knocking the sagging music industry with a sly counter punch before he steps out of the ring. His goals: to bring it back to the music, the talent and make people listen. His team: The Brooklyn Hit Factory. The Brooklyn native is armed with cadre of verbal sparring partners like rapper EZ $kywalker, TJ Cross, producers, executives and others. Zab is looking of his conglomerate to rise to the heights of G-Unit, Roc-A-Fella and Death Row before them. And in this day and age, the similarities between boxing are uncanny. The musical clientele are relentlessly fighting for the top slot. Whether its in the ring or the studio, artists have to be resolute and disciplined and have to train constantly. Zab hopes that his reign can become a domineering force as Jay-Z, LL Cool J and others. AllHipHop.com: We have a little tradition growing at AllHipHop where we list people’s Top 5 rappers. Can you put down your Top 5 Dead or Alive rappers? Zab Judah: Number 1 is Tupac. Number 2, I’ma do Biggie. Number 3, I’ma put Jay-Z. Number 4, I’ma put Jadakiss. Number 5, I’ma put Lil’ Wayne and Number 6, I put 50 [Cent]. AllHipHop.com: Lets start with Jigga. What is it about Jay-Z as an artist that you like? Zab Judah: I just like what Jay-Z stands for. My [people] joke and say, “Zab think he’s Jay-Z.” You know, he’s not a bad person to idolize. He came from nothing. He came from the bottom and turned it into a billion dollar operation. He got one of the baddest girls out here and married her. You can’t knock the man’s success. He did great. AllHipHop.com: Jadakiss? Zab Judah: Jadakiss is nice. I don’t care what nobody says. Jadakiss is one of the rappers that has never received his full respect as a rapper. Him and Fabolous, they my favorite underground dudes. Jadakiss is an exception. And Lil Wayne is in my Top 5. AllHipHop.com: What about 50? Zab Judah: 50 is nice. I like what he’s become. He couldn’t get a break. He had a bad tragedy [in getting shot] and he came back to show the world. Even when [life] f**ks me over, I’m going to come back and be the best. Jay-Z said it best, “Men lie, woman lie, but numbers don’t lie.” Numbers don’t lie. Look at the money, man. AllHipHop.com: The Biggie Smalls movie was recently released. Can you talk about what B.I.G. meant to you as a Brooklyn representative? Zab Judah: B.I.G. is Brooklyn. Big is one of them dudes that first started yelling Brooklyn and was like proud of it like “Brooklyn – what up – what!?” Biggie could be on the toilet taking a s**t [and the] s**t come out and its like, “Brooklyn, n***a what!?” [Laughs] Biggie made Brooklyn like its huge. If you look at Brooklyn on the map, compared to the size of Texas, the size of L.A. [its small] – you’re like Brooklyn? This lil’ a** place? It’s little but it’s very powerful. Some very powerful people came out of this borough. Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn. Jay-Z is from Brooklyn. B.I.G.’s from Brooklyn. Zab Judah’s from Brooklyn. You got a ton of guys that were from successful that are from Brooklyn. And B.I.G. – I got the chance to meet him. Undeas (Lance “Un” Rivera) took me in the studio and he was like “Big, this is Zab, an up-and-coming Brooklyn dude.” And he [Biggie) was like, “Yeah, I know about him. I be reading about him in the paper and all that. Yo, dude is nice.” Me and D-Roc is cool. Me and Cease is cool. Kim [Lil’ Kim] is like my sister. Being around the whole B.I.G. movement was fly. As a young dude, and seeing B.I.G. – Coogi sweaters, Jesus pieces and Kangols. Yeah, you got Jay-Z that took it to a different level. You got B.I.G. that was dressing up. Pac was dressing up! People don’t know, Tupac Shakur is my cousin, a blood relative of mine. A lot of people don’t know that. That’s why it’s an Outlaw movement. We outlaws ‘til the day that we die. B.I.G. was from Brooklyn. B.I.G. was our hero. Pac was family. But it’s all love though. Zab Judah’s career highlights. (interview continues after video) AllHipHop.com: I know you have “Outlawz” tatted on you. Can you speak on Pac a little bit? Zab Judah: I can speak on Pac a lot. We’ll be here all day, all night. Pac was a poet, man. He spoke wisdom. People only look at the negativity and try to classify him as that. Pac was a very intelligent person, very intelligent. If you sit down with his mother, and you hear her speak, you understand that this kid didn’t come from no dumb environment, no matter what – being born in jail. His mom was a very historic person. Pac was a very smart person. His sister, that’s my homey. It’s all love. AllHipHop.com: As for your label, what shining star artists are standing out? Zab Judah: We have TL Cross, he’s R&B singer. Looking for a major deal and [expect] a release date in the summer. AllHipHop.com: What made you move to Las Vegas? Zab Judah: Barack Obama went and made a change for America so I decided to move to the West Coast and make a change. AllHipHop.com: How long have you been there? Zab Judah: S**t, almost two years now. AllHipHop.com: We only associate you with Brooklyn. Zab Judah: Keep it like that. That’s the way it locks down. I just sleep here – that’s it! AllHipHop.com: As far as getting in to the rap game, what are you doing now? Zab Judah: […]

“It’s fresh air, when I’m speakin’ to ya’ll/Sometimes it falls upon deaf ears, like I’m speakin’ to walls/… Breakin’ cycles of violence, not repeatin’ they flaws/… We the leaders we’ve all been waitin’ for/… Each generation must find its mission, fulfill or betray it/I know the odds are more than just being killers or playaz/Or making millions of papers, our bloods is spillin’ the haters/So much injustice amongst us, it’s instillin’ complacence/” – Detroit-based MC Invincible, Sledgehammer, ShapeShifters (2008). Having wrecked and expunged other alternatives, the party of Lincoln now finds a new specimen it hopes to experiment with—the Hip-Hop generation. Michael Steele, the Republican Party Chairman, wants to “capture” the attention and commitment of Black and Brown youth, through the vehicle, he believes, they’re most familiar with—Hip-Hop. In an interview with the Washington Times, Steele had the following to say: “We need messengers to really capture that region – young, Hispanic, black, a cross section.” He, and his old white male colleagues, wants “to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban Hip-Hop settings.” [Sidebar: To quote George Carlin, “When did urban become a synonym for Black (and Brown)?”] Michael Steele, a gifted comedian, warns that his messengers will “come to table with things that will surprise everyone – off the hook.” Off the hook! The Republican Party’s only Black friend must be delusional to think the only path to the heart of Black & Brown youth is Hip-Hop music. Though, following the trend of the last decade, he might be right on the money. Ever since Michael Steele was elected chairman of the decrepit Republican Party, he has aligned himself, unapologetically, with the values that rendered his party toothless in the last election. Insisting, shortly after his election, that the Party need not change its message, he suggested that it rather seek inspiration from former House-speaker Newt Gingrich’s 1994 Contract with America—the woeful, neo-con, reactionary plan that delivered nothing but devastation to all corners of Black & Brown America. Steele, who many agree was chosen as the front-man attack-dog against Barack Obama (so as invalidate charges that the Party is racist), has, ever since, barked as loud as the folks pulling his strings urge him to. Following his election, the New York Times noted that Chairman Steele seems to relish “the idea of being portrayed as the fighting counterpoint to President Obama and the Democratic Party.” As they see it, it “became clear from the moment Mr. Steele took the job on Friday [Jan. 30th, 2009], as he all but invited the president of the United States to join him in the boxing ring.” Of to an awful start, he has done his party little good as the spokesperson. From his claims that Government-sponsored jobs aren’t jobs, because “what this administration is talking about is making work,” and a job “is something that… a business owner creates,” he has revealed himself to be an even bigger caricature than expected. Asked by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos if “a job doesn’t count if it’s a government job?” he countered saying: “That is a contract. It ends at a certain point.” Michael Steele would further humiliate himself a few days after, with his declaration that the recently-passed stimulus-package was nothing but a “wish list from a lot of people who have been on the sidelines for years… to get a little bling, bling.” Sadder than his intellectually-challenged assertions is the level of contempt Steele seems to have for Black & Brown youth. Perhaps he perceives this group to be mere lads who can’t reason for themselves, or envision a path for freedom independent of the political paradigm he hopes to create for them. It’s a sobering joke that Chairman Steele truly believes the younger generation would check for the same party that produced Ronald Reagan—a figure, arguably, more despised in the Hip-Hop community, than anyone else. With the enactment of Reaganomics in the ‘80s, Black and Brown youth, growing up in the Bronx, and other dilapidated areas across the country, were dissatisfied with the level of inhumanity their neighborhoods were entrapped in, and found Ronald Reagan to be a prime target of their frustration, for his neo-conservative and hyper-capitalistic ideals. Labels like “welfare queens,” Reagan’s favorite description of Black Women, would only inflame the burning passion of ‘80s political Hip-Hop. The influx of crack and heroine into Black & Brown communities would also propel the vocal resistance, offered by Hip-Hop artists, against Reagan and his crew. The hatred of Ronald Reagan, in Black & Brown America, is validated in the songs released years after his presidential terms, and death, which still carry the same antagonist tone found, in Hip-Hop songs, whilst he was active. Tracks like “I Shot Reagan (1998),” by the New-York Hip-Hop group, Non Phixion, are a testament to that fact. The graphic lyrics attest a larger point: “I shot the Devil down like we in Baghdad/ … Now watch the gun blast, holdin’ your chest, marked for death/ The President’s been shot, somebody notify the press/ It’s all Reaganomics, welfare, weapons and drugs/ The government is thugs, that’s why the leader caught a slug/” In their 2006 single “You Can’t Hide, You Can’t Run,” underground Hip-Hop group Dilated Peoples express a similar contention, with the assertion that, “crack and gangs flourished under Ronald Reagan.” Even as late as 2008, artists like Brother Ali still leave the great communicator defenseless. “Mutherf*** Reagan!,” Ali cries, in “The Truth,” a single from producer Jake One’s debut album, White Van Music. If Michael Steel thinks the upcoming generation of Black & Brown youth is oblivious to this history, he’s sadly mistaken. He’s also drowned in self-deceit, if he truly believes the Republican Party has, within its narrow borders, a place for Black and Brown youth. For this to happen, Michael Steele, who is reported to have employed (bused-in from other states) homeless Black men, on his unsuccessful Senatorial campaign, […]

So Damani, an upcoming MC from Inglewood, CA connected with the folks over at adidas for his own shoe. Not bad for a cat who hasn’t even dropped a proper album yet. These red, black, green [shout to X-Clan] and gold flavored take on the adidas EQT B-Ball lows are seen below. Damani also recorded a take a Run-DMC classic in support of the shoe. The folks at UNDRCROWN also hooked up the tee above. Only 100 pairs are being made and those of you on the West Coast can cop them February 21st at Millenium Shoes in Inglewood. Give this man’s marketers some dap. So seven or so  days ago those with understanding girlfriends were soaking up the NBA’s All-Star weekend. Here’s a gang of the shoes said All-Stars were sporting on and off the court. Superman (Dwight Howard) took an L in the dunk contest, I’m afraid so did his choice in footwear.Dwyane Wade was rocking these Converse WADE Slash’s. Hmm.These Nike Foamposites are tough. Don’t think anyone was rocking them during the game, though. Shouts to OSneaker.com.For the off court, these low “Top 10s” are courtesy of adidas Originals…LeBron (good look with that one in 2010 Knickerbockers) and Kobe, respectively…

Open Letter to the New York Post Dear Editor: I’m trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon? If that’s not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectible dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can’t imagine what possible justification you have for this. I’ve read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It’s about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive. I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I’m personally boycotting your paper and won’t do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well. You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed. I’m well aware of our country’s history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don’t need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric. Sincerely, John Legend Editor’s note: The New York Post has apologized with the following statement, but defended their position: Wednesday’s Page Six cartoon — caricaturing Monday’s police shooting of a chimpanzee in Connecticut — has created considerable controversy. But it has been taken as something else — as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism. This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize. However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past — and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback. To them, no apology is due. Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon — even as the opportunists seek to make it something else.” Reverend Al Sharpton offered a counter statement: “The New York Post statement will be discussed by all of the leadership of the various groups that have mobilized and we will respond to it at the rally at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow outside of the New York Post. At this point there will be no cancellation of the rally and though we think it is the right thing for them to apologize to those they offended, they seem to want to want to blame the offense on those of whom raised the issue, rather than take responsibility for what they did. However, rather than engage as they are in name calling back and forth, we will make a collective decision on how to proceed. All of us can only wish the New York Post had taken a more mature position when the issue was first raised rather than belatedly come with a conditional statement after people began mobilizing and preparing to challenge the waiver of News Corp in the City where they own several television stations and newspapers.”

MONEY IN QUESTION FOR MOTHER OF THE CHILD’S ATTORNEY FEES NOT CHILD SUPPORT   The story in yesterday’s Miami Herald gives a false impression about my arrest on Tuesday. The arrest had nothing to do with “allegedly owing” over ten thousand dollars in a child support case. I have acknowledged that I am the father of the child in question and I am fully up to date on his child support.   Rather, I was arrested because I had not paid the lawyer’s fees of this child’s mother. This is a matter of ongoing legal dispute. In December of 2009, the court sided with me in regard to my not paying the legal fees.   This past Tuesday I was at the courthouse on other business. When the sheriff learned of my presence on the premises, he had me arrested although the Florida constitution states that a person cannot be jailed for consumer debt. I was released from jail only after I paid the lawyer’s fees of the child’s mother.   This is not the end of this matter. Because this writ was originally vacated I intend to fight the legal decision requiring me to make that payment of attorney’s fees and the sheriff’s decision to arrest me. If the court has now decided to lock people up for not paying attorney’s fees then just about everybody is going to jail.   But there’s a larger problem here: It’s one in which African-American fathers are routinely demonized as “deadbeat dads” by the legal system. It’s more accurate to call me a “denied dad.” I wanted the right to visit my child. I wanted shared parental rights. The child’s mother opposed my wishes. The court ruled in her favor.   In fact, you don’t have to be a black man to face this kind of bias. In a book entitled A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Divorce and Fatherhood, the actor Alec Baldwin describes the terrible custody battle he’s had with his ex-wife. Unfortunately, vindictive mothers all too often use their children as pawns in a war against fathers. In the black community, we often refer to these disputes as “baby mama drama.” It’s a cute name for a problem that is no laughing matter.   Moreover, I spend at least two (2) hours of every day that I am in Miami working with at risk kids in inner city neighborhoods. I not only work with them, but also, I work with their parents – mothers and fathers – who are having a hard time raising their children while dealing with the potholes in society today. Running from the responsibilities of taking care of my very own son is the last thing I would do.   Luther Campbell