I was dropping my wee one off at school a few mornings ago and the young man in the car in front of mine caught my attention.  He opened up the door and the music flooded out with him.  I didn’t recognize the song, but I did recognize the four letter words streaming loudly from his speakers.  The staff at the door stood back, watching and listening as he slowly helped his first grader out of the back seat and into the doorway of the elementary school cafeteria.  The wide eyed stares of the principal and gym teacher obviously didn’t register with this gentleman as he returned to the driver’s seat without turning down the music and drove away. I have seen this more than I care to recall; especially in the spring.  It’s not quite hot enough to crank the fake air.  Folks are glad they can roll down their windows for the first time in months.  It’s a glorious time. The trees are blooming. The sun is shining. The bass is pounding and the babies in the back seat are slowly losing their hearing as they sing along to “Doo Doo Brown.” Your little one screaming, “Face down, ass up” in the sand box amuses you?  I’m horrified. I understand we have gotten away from the village raising the child.  We are all little villages of three and four who fight fiercely for our parental independence.  In other words, no one is interested in some stranger telling them how to raise their kids. I also understand that these kids have an easy access to information that no previous generation could have dreamed of and Hip-Hop is but a morsel of that.    You can’t shelter them like the children you see in those comedy movies who have lived underground in a bomb shelter until they are 18.  There has to be some slow drip information IV administered or they will be overloaded once turned out into the real world. However, I think it is within the parental acceptance of inappropriate material that the problem arises. It’s not in the introduction of the topic, but how the parents explain said topic that makes all the difference. I remember being a kid and sneaking to hear Just-Ice’s “That Girl is a S###.”  That song was so vulgar; my little mind couldn’t comprehend it.  We would giggle at the lyrics we did understand and try to decipher those we didn’t.  I don’t think that affected me negatively as a person, but the difference is my mom and dad would have never played that music in my presence.  I knew that they would not have approved, so I knew it wasn’t suitable. Some of these new millennium kids haven’t been taught that and they are not going to be able to figure it out on their own. I search for Hip-Hop my son can listen to.  I regularly sit for 90 minutes checking out some CD I would have never purchased on my own accord just so I can locate something to put on his mp3 player. It’s work.  I know.  The censoring on those Wal-Mart approved albums and radio edits is so transparent, anyone can sing straight through them word for word. So what’s a parent to do? Especially when that kid sitting next to your baby in the lunch room can prattle off tales of beating the bush all night while he’s sipping sizzurp and puffing that purp, leaning sideways better than he can recite his times tables.   Its not lil’ Mikey’s fault that he has been bombarded by all these images and any parent will tell you it’s damn near impossible to shield your children from all of them.  But isn’t part of parenting laying out that path, whatever path we chose, and easing them down it?  All forms of media can be awesome baby sitters, but we shouldn’t be using them as such.  And when your kid does pull something rank from the media pit, it is your job to bring them to terms with it gently and within their realm of understanding.   Now I don’t want any of you to misinterpret.  There are songs I know from jump to fade that I love to death, but would cringe to hear coming out of my kid’s mouth. There is definitely a time and place for the music.  I just don’t think that time and place is 7:45 am in front of an elementary school or anywhere within earshot of your mini me for that matter.

The opinions expressed in the following editorial are not necessarily the views of AllHipHop, its employees, or associates.The holiday season is here, and consumers are left wondering if they will be able to afford Christmas gifts for their loved ones. As more people are being laid off from their jobs, the economic crisis is on the minds of many. Americans are forced to reconsider their budgets as economists warn that this is not the end of our woes. While we await the leadership of a new president, many wonder what can be done immediately to change the worst economic hardship this country has faced since the Great Depression. While people from different income brackets are facing this crisis together, many are wondering what congress is going to do. Webster’s Dictionary has elected “bailout” as the most overused term this year. However, these “bailouts” have become a way of life as Congress attempts to determine who is  in need of assistance. While many people were grateful for bailout given to the banks, it deeply saddens me that many are against bailing out the auto industry. Perhaps, it is the look of disgust from a white collar worker onto a blue collar worker. However, what many Americans do not realize is the severity of this issue if Congress does not bailout the automotive industry. What people must realize is that the auto industry employs more people than any other industry in this country. From the everyday Joes who are auto mechanics, specialty car washers and salesmen to customer service representatives for auto parts on up to CEO’s. In addition, the auto industry crisis doesn’t just impact its current employees either. The folding of the auto industry also impacts all of the previous employees who have put their whole lives into building the cars that we drive today. There people who have been with General Motors and Chrysler for years who are now forced to forego the benefits they once had due to a lack of funding. Let’s not forget those who have invested in their 401Ks and other investments which are tied up within their company. Have we forgotten about Enron and all of the men and women who lost their whole lives investments due to a company’s bankruptcy? Although I don’t think that Congress should be responsible for bailing out every failing industry, I do believe it is Congress’ responsibility to think rationally about who needs help. Many people were dogging out the CEO’s because they flew in private jets to DC.  However, what most people didn’t realize was that they didn’t fly together for security reasons. If something were to happen or if somebody is killed during the trip, not all of their secrets are buried with the dead. It’s funny how people were quick to gripe about how that was a waste of money but failed to realize that the CEOs of these banks are still getting multi-thousand dollar end of the year bonuses. I believe if Congress did decide to bailout the auto industry, thousands of jobs would be spared; not just within Detroit but all over the United States. Whereas anybody can get a job working at a Car-X, Wal-Mart, car dealership, car wash, and/or car manufacturing factory, not everybody can get a job working in a bank or become a realtor. Prior to this recession, only 5% of the total population was within the true status of being ‘wealthy’; meaning 95% of the masses are not. Everybody is crying about the tax payers’ money, but we are all tax payers. The majority of people need the money that they spend without missing it. It is not just the blue collar workers struggling to make ends meet; white collar workers are feeling the crunch too. I say let’s bailout the auto industry in hopes of restoring people’s jobs and hopefully preventing more people from continuing to  losing their homes, benefits, 401Ks, and pensions due to a lack of funding. In the meantime, it’s politics as usual.

I tend to think of the NYC absence in the Hip-Hop mainstream as our fault.  It’s like putting grandma in a home and never going to visit her.  You have heard all the stories.  You remember all the lessons and have applied them to your day to day. You don’t think there is anything else she can say or do that you haven’t already experienced. So you tend to your own life, forgetting that she is one of the reasons you are here in the first place. Damn ungrateful ass brat.  I don’t think there is anyone in this culture who can’t trace one of the reasons they love Hip-Hop to someone from New York City. Waxing nostalgic tends to be an exercise in futility in such an evolutionary genre, but looking back on New York Hip-Hop of yesteryear can be quite the romantic experience for people. Not that New Yorkers particularly want folks to do that.  It’s probably in giving too much credence to the past that we lose what these people are doing today. Kind of like with grandma.  If you think what she has already given you is all she has to offer, then you wont pay attention to anything new she’s trying to present.  There are some folks I’ve spoken with who really believe the fall of New York is New York’s fault.  Defrosted and warmed over “heard it before” production; a serious lack of creativity and maybe a bit of the crabs in a barrel mentality have plagued the once great city and its artists.  This, I have issues with as the South seems to have a more cookie cutter pattern than any region I’ve ever seen, yet it works. If creativity was the problem then 90% of rappers wouldn’t be rapping, regardless of what area of the country they are from.  That leaves a lack of unity, but that of course would be a symptom of the fall off, not the cause.  So what is it?  Jay, Nas, 50 and Busta have all been around for a long time.  While they still put out stuff their respective fan bases enjoy from time to time, how much longer can we expect them to? And who exactly are they going to will their crowns to? Maino? No disrespect to dude, but he wouldn’t be able to carry 5 boroughs on his back too far. And speaking of the one new ray of light emanating from the black hole known as the New York mainstream, the attention didn’t shift in his direction until he got a southern co-sign.  So could that be the fix?  Does T.I. need to start a label just for wayward, under-appreciated New York emcees?  Is the North East in need of a down home southern fried rescue? I really hope that isn’t the case because tainting the boom bap with leaning and snapping is just ass.  Really, it is.  Maybe it’s the onslaught of participants.  I haven’t been to New York in years, but I swear it seems like every other guy is a rapper these days.  It might be the saturation of the industry with decent talent that leads to everyone getting a paper thin slice of the attention pie. Hell if I know.  Maybe New York is just a done deal.  That wealth of talent will simply have to sit on the sidelines and accept their minimal consideration as the best it’s going to get.  It does appear that the rest of the country has moved on in a major kind of way.  There is a southern arrogance that talks some of the artists down here into believing their reign is perpetual, but most of us know better.  I’ll bet a million dollars there were plenty of New Yorkers thinking the same thing 10 years ago. So what is there to do?  Short of finding and removing the screws they used to install that glass ceiling  that’s keeping the north east out of the spotlight, all we can do is pay a little attention and respect to the birthplace of the music. Support the folks that you feel by actually purchasing their music and last but not least, find some time to go visit grandma.

Pacquiao Breaks De La Hoya’s Will to Fight   You’ve heard the sage boxing adage for decades now, that a good big man always beats a good little man. Well, lightweight titlist Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) is an all time great little man, and an unsuspecting Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) found that out last Saturday (December 6) in spectacular fashion after being brutalized to an 8th round TKO.   The size disparity was quickly forgotten in the 1st round as Pacquiao kept De La Hoya from getting his punches set by constantly giving his larger opponent angles. The Filipino star exploded after a quiet first minute with a signature straight left followed by a flurry combination. De La Hoya fired back with a decent right to the body, but was met with more straight lefts.   The Golden Boy sought to assert himself in round 2 and started off the stanza with a lead right hand. Pacquiao returned fire with a hard right hook before easily circling away from De La Hoya’s jab and left hook.   Determined to land his eye-catching flurries, the Golden Boy stalked forward with a flurry to the body before getting strafed with a straight right-left combination from Pacquiao, followed by another left and a thudding uppercut.   The blistering speed barrage from the PacMan began to show its effects on Oscar’s face, which now sported a swelling left eye.   Round 3 started off with Pac again introducing De La Hoya’s face to his straight left.   Confused and wary of getting cracked again, De La Hoya remained in defense/counter mode for the first half of the round.   Later, De La Hoya pinned Pacquiao against the ropes and landed a hard body shot, his best punch of the night thus far.   To De La Hoya’s dismay, Pacquiao smiled at the punch and clipped the Golden Boy with another lead straight left and then a right hook to the body.   Through 4 rounds, De La Hoya had not won a single round and looked sluggish and lethargic against Pacquiao’s speed and power. More alarming for De La Hoya’s corner was that the Filipino icon’s superb use of feints, punch slipping, and lateral movement had taken away De La Hoya’s best weapon, his left hook.   Rounds 5 and 6 brought more pain to the pride of East LA.   Pacquiao’s combinations were now landing at nearly 60%.   Pacquiao easily landed triple jabs and his straight left hand could not miss to the head or body. De La Hoya’s touted size advantage just meant a bigger target to Pacquiao, who mercilessly snapped De La Hoya’s head back with every left hand he threw.   By the 7th, the crowd murmurs between the wild “Pacquiao” chants confirmed that many saw this fight not lasting the distance. De La Hoya could no longer take his opponent’s combinations, and was knocked back by jabs and straight lefts into a corner.   Smelling blood, Pacquiao punished Oscar with his full arsenal of power shots. De La Hoya attempts to rope-a-dope the shots were futile, and referee Tony Weeks surveyed the massacre closely for a sign he needed to step in.   A sharp left to the body almost did it, but De La Hoya stumbled and held on just long enough to finish the round.              Pacquiao continued his relentless assault in the deciding round, kicking off the 8th with a barrage of body shots. Oscar feebly responded with a lead right, which only made the Filipino blast him into a corner with straight lefts and right hooks. Nearly helpless, De La Hoya almost went down again as the PacMan rained down accurate combinations to the head and body. Again, it was a timely bell that saved De La Hoya from more punishment.   In the corner, the Golden Boy responded to his trainer “Nacho” Beristain by stating in Spanish “I have nothing.”   That was all the veteran trainer needed to hear to call off the beating, and Oscar De La Hoya’s last fight as boxing’s top draw was over.   In the post-fight interview De La Hoya conceded that Freddie Roach had been right all along about him not being able to pull the trigger. In addition, Oscar now realizes retirement faces him.   “I’m not shocked because at this stage, when you face a great fighter like Manny, it’s almost expected,” De La Hoya admitted. “I worked hard and trained hard, but in the gym it’s a whole different story. My heart still wants to fight, but when you don’t respond physically, what can you do? I have to be smart and think about my future plans.”   Since this was a shocking ending that proved the majority of critics and fans wrong, many will rush to rationalize this beating as a result of Oscar being completely shot. Others will seek to champion, and argue it was the Filipino’s skill that made Oscar look like damaged goods. The truth of the matter is that the outcome was a combination of both.   Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach was clear that he would not have let this fight happen if Oscar hadn’t slipped so much. In his last bout, De La Hoya was repeatedly hit flush and swelled up by light punching Stevie Forbes. Also alarming was the fact Forbes was able to take Oscar’s punches, many times cleanly, without going down.   On Pacquiao’s end, his speed and torrid pace contributed greatly to Oscar looking as bad as he did. When faced against the PacMan, many elite fighters become reluctant to throw after tasting his stinging straight left, and his unpredictable combination punching. The grim acceptance seen on De La Hoya’s face and his body language has also been viewed from Pacquiao victims Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.   In the end, Manny Pacquiao proved one boxing adage correct…speed kills. And with it, he adds another Mexican legend’s scalp […]

Someone finally did it.  Someone finally gave us a Punisher movie worth watching.  In a year that has already given us more than a few quality comic-book movies, Punisher: War Zone is an unexpected treat. After the horrible  Dolph Lundergren version and the PG-13 Thomas Jane vehicle, Punisher: War Zone feels like a shot of adrenaline mixed with a whiff of laughing gas.  While the 2004 film borrowed certain sequences and characters from The Garth Ennis run (particularly Welcome Back, Frank), Punisher: War Zone manages to capture the spirit of the Garth Ennis version of Frank Castle: ultra violent, dark humor and self-parody.             This latest outing stars Ray Stevenson as The Punisher and he looks eerily similar to the “real thing.”  His role contains few lines and a few “emotional” moments that probably should have been cut, but aside from that, Stevenson pretty much embodies the role in every sense of the word.  He is the Punisher that we’ve read for over 30 years: a grim reaper with an ever-growing arsenal and ever inventive ways of killing criminals.                The film wisely provides no back story for its title character, aside from a few flashback shots.  As the movie opens, we are thrown right into the thick of the action.  The Punisher is in the midst of carrying out his one man war against organized crime in New York City.  The opening sequence has him hacking and shooting his way through a mafia family with a cold and efficient abandon.  The violence is intentionally over the top and cartoonish with more of a slasher movie feel than an action film.  Think Evil Dead II crossed with Death Wish and you get the idea.  Those who prefer their comic heroes to be deadly serious should stay at home.                         The villains of the piece are the usual wiseguy stereotypes, as it should be.  Punisher comics aren’t about layered characterization and depth.  Frank Castle kills criminals, period.   Anyone from a mugger on the streets the most powerful of crime bosses.              On the acting front, Dominic West steals the show as Jigsaw, a pretty boy mobster whose face is horribly disfigured after The Punisher drops him into a glass grinder.  What makes the performance such a blast is that Dominic seems to be making it up as he goes along.  The character himself is a study in irony:   He is hideously disfigured, and yet he carries himself with the confidence and swagger of a flamboyant pimp.  It’s like the accident unleashes some sort of weird  self-caricature hidden away in his subconscious.  In its own way, the performance is just as much fun as what Heath Ledger did with The Joker in The Dark Knight (though nowhere near as brilliant or layered).Almost as much fun is Doug Hutchison as Jigsaws cannibal, karate-fighting minion Looney Bin Jim.              Does any of this add up to a cinematic masterpiece the likes of The Dark Knight?  Nope.  Does it even add up to a legitimately good movie?  Probably not, and that’s fine.  Writer/Director Lexi Alexander likely realized as much when she took on this project.  A Punisher movie doesn’t need to be great, it just needs to deliver in the same sense that the best Punisher comics have over the years.  The idea of a soldier becoming a ruthless vigilante had already been done before The Punisher ever existed.  The only thing that ever distinguished Frank Castle from being a garden variety vigilante was the skull on his chest.  Garth Ennis tweaked the character a bit by adding a bit of humor to his grim world, and Lexi Alexander found a way to translate that sense of humor and mayhem to the screen.  We should all be thankful for that.  Welcome back Frank, indeed.

Cadillac Records really could have solely been the life story of blues legend Muddy Waters; or of the feisty Etta James or even a whole depiction of the trials and tribulations of Little Walter. However, the film takes on the arduous task of including all of these artists and more while chronicling their rise to fame on Chess Records. As a consequence, the two and a half hour film has a lot of ground in the allotted time, however falls flat in its pursuit.   The story revolves around the incomparable Waters, and his partnership with the seemingly passionate Leonard Chess, who eventually spearheads a “race records” label called Chess Records. We witness both of them at the beginning of their careers: Muddy, in the fields singing spirituals with other field hands and Leonard with the woman he wants to someday marry when his money is right, both with dreams of a better life. Muddy had the innate talent and Leonard had the vision to later form a historic lifetime bond.   Cadillac is long on short artist vignettes, but short on the actual telling the creation of the Chess empire; as soon as the label is created, we see almost immediate stardom. In one scene, Leonard is struggling to pay his mortgage and in the next, he’s putting the keys to a brand new Cadillac in the hands of his number one selling artist. The how and why is what’s missing.   What Cadillac Records does get right is pay homage to the great musicians including Etta James, portrayed with vigor by Beyonce Knowles, Chuck Berry, who’s played cheerfully by Mos Def, Little Walter, over killed by Columbus Short and Cedric the Entertainer on screen as Willie Dixon. The lack of storytelling is made up for with musical collaborations. The studio sessions with Little Walter on harmonica and Muddy Waters on guitar blend effortlessly, and are the most dynamic of the entire movie. They make you fall in love with the blues. When you see Etta James behind the microphone belting out “At Last,” you really do yearn for more.   The film never fully examines these artists’ relationships, their insecurities or their immediate desire to make music. Each musician is thrown onto the screen for a very short amount of time with barely enough dialog and background for the audience to become emotionally invested. Etta, like Chuck and even Howlin’ Wolf, just shows up one day and signs to the label and becomes an instant crossover sensation. Who are these legendary musicians, singers and dreadfully-depressed rock and rollers? And why should we care? That’s never established and ultimately becomes the main failing of the film.   The standout performance comes from Gabrielle Union, who portrays Muddy Waters’ woman, whom he meets on the streets of Chicago while playing outside her window. She endures his years of womanizing and baby making without any resistance and offers the most sincere portrayal of loyalty and submission. Her role was the most authentic in the film and should be recognized as one of her best performances to date. Forget playing the sexy siren, Union shines as the dotty matriarch. When she cries, you feel her pain and when she smiles, you feel the warmth.   The reasons to take your parents to see this film are obvious; they’ll love being taken down memory lane. Will you learn something about your past and these legendary artists? Not necessarily. What you’ll come away with is an appreciation for beautiful new shiny Cadillac’s, which are in a true abundance in this film. I don’t recommend this film for all of the reasons stated earlier, but let it be known that Chess Records was a vital part of our musical history and its beginnings on the south side of Chicago make for an interesting start to a sacred bond between the Blues and Hip-Hop. The struggle and the passion of these early musicians’ might just prompt you to engage in a conversation with your elders over this holiday season. And if, by chance, you want to spend some time talking about the blues, spend $10 and take them to see Cadillac Records, if for no other reason but to connect to our musical past.

The opinions expressed in this editorial do not necessarily reflect those of AllHipHop.com, its affiliates or employees.There are artists in Hip-Hop who have been able to negotiate the business side of the genre more deftly than they could a track.  While plenty of people will tell you that having business acumen is just as important as being a lyrical beast, I’d have to disagree and say it’s even more important. Well, that is if making money in this business is what you want to do.   For most artists, folks screaming that you are “that dude” is great but it probably falls on deaf ears if they aren’t putting their money where their mouth is.  It’s for this reason that a lot of folks posse up.  Not just in Hip-Hop, but in general.  I do this.  You do that.  All together we bring way more knowledge and talent than just one of us would, right? But what happens when one member outgrows the posse code?  What happens when one member feels he can pull his weight plus yours?  What happens when that dude says he doesn’t need you anymore?  And what happens when he’s right? It tends to be the short end of money stick that always screams loyalty.  Monday quarter backing your endowment to the awesomeness of someone else can be a cringe-worthy and anger-inducing exercise; especially if you are viewed by the masses as less than awesome.  Folks who make that mistake tend to kick themselves as they run that film back; p##### off that they got the shaft after they wore out their usefulness.    I think you almost have to look at it like charity.  Once you give, it’s done.  Your good deed for the day probably won’t be recognized and that warm and fuzzy feeling you get from donating your talent will simply have to sustain your ass whether the situation started that way or not. Do not kid yourself into believing that said contributions were made out of the kindness of their heart or crew love either.  Millions of folks want to eat off Hip-Hop in a major way and that desire to be the ultimate money maker turns the rap game into a real bad version of Survivor. The only difference is that these are folks with histories.  They know each other’s moms.  They used to knock on each other’s doors.  They went to the prom in the same limo and did all that other “you and me must never part” hand smack s**t. That difference though, does bring us to the million dollar question.  What does he owe?  What does the solo artist who grew beyond those who surrounded him owe?  Is there some sort of equation?  My money divided by your 16 bars from 10 years ago squared plus one? How much depreciation on that total is assessed for each year that passed without those who drew that short stick dropping anything the fans wanted to listen to?  Or should those dudes from the early posse days have carte blanche?  When they need, you give.  End of story. Money is a funky ass thing when combined with feelings.  Experts from far and wide will tell you that the two don’t mix and we have seen that over and over again.  From a legal standpoint let’s say “that dude” doesn’t owe them folks a damn thing. Any money that was made while the posse was still tight was split amicably and anything “that dude” does after that is his blood, sweat and tears; no one else’s.  Unless, of course, he has created a new crew; which, for the toss offs, would completely suck. So how about we go way out on a limb and actually try to insert some ethics into this scenario.  What would be the ethical thing to do?  Are you responsible for these dudes for the rest of your life?  Is it up to you to keep them signed and producing albums that will be sold exclusively at Ray-Ray’s Rest Stop?  Or even worse yet, just letting them get a free ride because they introduced you to some agent last century or produced the track of some single you made that wasn’t even B-side material? I think there should be some loyalty to your folks, just because they are your folks.  However, that loyalty should not be turned into a live your life for free card.  The sad truth is that there are plenty of people whose dreams outweigh their talents. You gave it the good ole college try and it didn’t work out for you.  Everybody who wants to be a mega-millionaire rhyme slinger isn’t going to be.  Have love for your dude who made it and find something else to do. I’m sure he would be much more enthusiastic to hand over some dough for your new, well-thought-out business proposition than he would for your declaration that he owes you something.

Paulie Malignaggi (25-2, 5 KOs) found his lack of power a fatal flaw this past Saturday November 22 in Las Vegas, as junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) overwhelmed the Brooklynite to a merciful 11th round TKO. After a feel out first round where Malignaggi attempted to enact Mayweather’s successful counterpunch strategy from last December, Hatton badly hurt Paulie with a pinpoint right on the chin in the second. Malignaggi’s legs buckled and he nearly hit the canvas due to the champion continuing to rain down hooks on the inside. However, Malignaggi’s holding allowed him to make it out of a round that could’ve been scored 10-8 even without an official knockdown. Many times in these early rounds Malignaggi was forced to hold, since Hatton’s footwork and punch slipping took away Paulie’s attempts to create distance to work his best weapon, the jab. Frustrated by the constant pressure and a cut under his left eye, The Magic Man complained of Hatton’s holding at the end of third. Ironically it was Malignaggi himself who did most of the holding in a foul-filled 4th stanza. The wrestling still did not prevent Hatton from strafing the Brooklynite with hooks and piling up points. Full of heart, Paulie made his best stand in the 5th and 6th rounds. Although the former was mired by excessive holding, Malignaggi for the first time was able to regularly pop Hatton with the jab and prevent the mauling he had been receiving. In the latter stanza, all of the #1 contender’s 17 landed punches were jabs, starting speculation that Malignaggi had again hurt his right hand for the umpteenth time. The champion was unfazed and went right back to work in the 7th. The round began with 3 consecutive hard lefts from Hatton. Now hesitant because of the firepower coming his way, Malignaggi maintained a defense first mode for the remaining 2 minutes. He was further discouraged as the normally hittable Hatton easily slipped a Malignaggi left and again buckled the Brooklynite with a hard right hand. In the 8th, Malignaggi continued getting a beatdown for amazingly standing in front of Hatton and trying to exchange hooks. By the 9th, Malignaggi was desperately holding as he continued to get clipped with power shots, prompting the HBO team to ponder how much more Malignaggi could take. Concerned Malignaggi trainer Buddy McGirt gave his battered fighter an ultimatum: stop standing in front of Hatton taking unnecessary punches or I’m stopping the fight. Nothing changed in the final two rounds, and McGirt mercifully jumped into the ring to wave the white flag stopping the contest with 28 seconds left in the 11th. Recording his best win since his signature victory over Kostya Tszyu in 2005, Hatton was gracious to both Malignaggi and new trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr in his post fight interview. “The best way to describe Paulie Malignaggi is to think about when you’re in the buff and you’re trying to catch the soap…Paulie is a great fighter but this felt like a comeback,” Hatton stated. “I enjoyed this fight better than the last time (Vegas Mayweather fight). Me and Floyd Sr. have only been together six, eight weeks. We showed glimpses of the stuff we can do.  Paulie’s a lot tougher than he looks….I was a little more patient. I was picking shots off a bit. I was moving me head a little bit more. It can still get better.” Malignaggi was furious with trainer Buddy McGirt for stopping the fight, his ego bruised now that he has a knockout loss on his ledger. “I’m better than this. Maybe I wasn’t going to beat him on points but I’m better than being stopped,” he fumed. “Ricky fought a great fight, he’s a terrific fighter, but this goes as a knockout on my record and it shouldn’t be.” Hatton’s good showing puts him in line for the winner of December superfight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. No matter who wins, Hatton would be guaranteed a huge payday should Floyd Mayweather, Jr stay retired. And if Mayweather does steal away the fight, Hatton still has good potential fights with the returning 140 pound version of Zab Judah, Kendall Holt, or WBC champ Timothy Bradley. Margarito-Mosley Set for January 24! After initially balking at career-high $2 million dollar payday, welterweight champ Antonio Margarito has agreed to face Shane Mosley January 24 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Margarito, who has not fought since defeating Miguel Cotto in July, initially turned down Mosley’s offer of a 50-50 split, arguing that he was the bigger draw and deserved a higher percentage after years of struggling to make a name. “Mosley is not [the] all to continue with my career,” Margarito told fightnews.com. “De La Hoya didn’t keep his word, went around me, made excuses, and in the end didn’t have the seriousness in his words. I am doing exactly the same thing, so they can’t complain.” Thankfully the Mexican warrior came to his senses. He had to realize that besides Mosley the options were slim, and he risked further squandering the momentum and recognition he gained from making Miguel Cotto quit. Also, Margarito could not ignore the critics who labeled him a hypocrite for engaging in the same type of behavior he hounded Floyd Mayweather for. Now with the fight signed, fans will be treated to a war to kick off the New Year. And the winner will establish himself as the frontrunner for the #1 fighter at welterweight not named Paul Williams. Unfortunately for the Punisher, who fights at 154 lbs. this Saturday against Verno Phillips, the winner will likely ignore him for a lucrative rematch with Miguel Cotto. Right now the early favorite for this bout should be Margarito, whose size, pressure, and iron chin will frustrate and grind down the older, smaller Mosley in the later rounds. Although I wouldn’t rule out a stoppage, Mosley’s heart and chin should be enough to see him to […]

Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.                              Michael Corleone – The Godfather, Part III   Just when you thought it was safe, I’m back. It’s Thanksgiving, it’s football, and we have some games to discuss. This year we have three games for our viewing pleasure. While the 12:30 PM and 4:15 PM games look to be massacres, all eyes will be on the 8:15 PM.   Well not all eyes considering that not everyone can get the NFL Network. Therefore, like the rest of the nation who doesn’t get the NFL Network, I’ll be following it on the Internet like everyone else. Fantastic, the best game of the day, and I have to watch it on the computer.    Nothing like having a great Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family, sit on the couch, unbuckle the belt, and logging on to the NFL Network on the computer to watch the game. It’s a Thanksgiving tradition unlike any other.   Well, since this isn’t the most eventful year for Thanksgiving Football, you might as well get stupid drunk, curse out all of your family at the dinner table, go home, pass out, and don’t remember it the following Friday when you have to call out of work from being hung over. On the other hand, you can bite the bullet and be thankful that there is some football on and watch. I’m going to go with option “B”. Although option “C” is do all of the above, but I wouldn’t advise it, that’s too much on the heart.   I will say this, I know it’s a time-honored tradition for football fans to see the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but like the Obama campaign, we need a change. With match-ups like the ones we’re having on Thanksgiving, The NFL should consider alternating the games played on Thanksgiving Day.   If the NFL can use the flex schedule for the Sunday games, why not for Thanksgiving and at least there would be some better matchups for viewers to watch and the networks will get some solid ratings. In addition, you’ll still have football on the television for Turkey Day. Everybody wins. Then again, that’s the way I see it, I might be wrong. Go figure.   So with that said, lets look at the Thanksgiving games:   Thanksgiving Day, 11/27/08    12:30 PM, CBS Tennessee Titans (10-1) at Detroit Lions (0-11) Ford Field, Detroit, MI My Pick: Titans   This was not the season the Lions had in mind back in Week 01. It’s been one bad turn after another and on Thanksgiving Day, things won’t get any better. Not only are they the joke of the NFL, but now they have to face the Titans on the most bountiful of holidays. The only thing that will be bountiful for the Lions will be the beat down they’ll receive from the Titans.    Look, there’s no need to get deep in this game. The Titans are the better team overall.  They have the better offense and defense against the Lions. They’re also mad as hell after their loss to the Jets, you can best believe that they’re ready to take it out on somebody.  Too bad it’s on a short week, too bad it’s against the Lions.   Unless there’s some miracle of sorts, the Lions will lose this game. Only fate or the hand of God Almighty can help the Lions win this game, everybody is betting against them. Now, they can use that as inspiration to go out and throw everything they have against the Titans, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it. You would be a fool to go against the Titans in this game; then again, anything can happen. For now, the safe bet is the Titans.   4:15 PM, FOX   Seattle Seahawks (2-9) at Dallas Cowboys (7-4) Texas Stadium, Irving, TX My Pick: Cowboys   Now that the Dallas Cowboys have gotten most of their team back from injury, they look to pick up where they left off in the middle of the season and start winning some games. Now that the Seattle Seahawks have gotten most of their team back from injury, they look to continue to keep losing the remainder of their games for the season.   Like the Titans, this is the Cowboys’ game to lose. The Cowboys have the better offense in this match-up and their defense looks like it remembered how to attack the QB in their win against the 49ers. Kudos to all of the Cowboys fans out there who put a hurting on my Niners by the way, much respect due.   The Seahawks are just having a bad year and it doesn’t look to get any better. With the nagging injuries and being a team in the midst of transition, the Seahawks need to put this season behind them and look towards next year. They can try to finish the season on a strong note, but it won’t begin with this game.   Now I know the Cowboys have won two games since their bye week, but they fought, and won, a hard battle against the Redskins in the Sunday Night Game from two weeks ago, and put a hurting on the 49ers last week. That’s what you need to do with four weeks left in the season.   They look to be on the right path as the season is winding down to make that playoff push and no distractions will interfere with what they are trying to accomplish towards the end of the season. They’re ready to make that run, and although they may not win the NFC East, we’ll see them playing some football in January.   With the Seahawks still hurting with injuries and the Cowboys finding their rhythm in the past two weeks, I have to go with the Cowboys in this game.   Thursday Night Game, 8:15 PM, NFL Network Arizona Cardinals (7-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA My Pick: Eagles   This is […]

The opinions expressed in this editorial do not necessarily reflect the position of AllHipHop.com or any of its employees The justice system in this country sucks ass.  We all know that.  There are plenty of times when the judge, jury and executioner don’t give a damn whether or not you’re guilty.  The jails are filled with folks of color and the reasons behind that are convoluted and countless.  Is everybody in prison guilty? Hell no.  The system is racist and unyielding in its desire to incarcerate our folks.  Do we help the system?  Hell yes.  For every horrifying story of the innocent spending years behind bars or folks being over-sentenced, there are 10 stories about dudes who actually belong there.  That’s why this “no stitching” doctrine confuses me.  There are times when it’s probably best that you keep your mouth shut, but there are also times when giving up the information is the better course of action.  The hard fast rules hurt more than help in many instances, especially considering the source. Have you ever noticed that most of the people barking all that snitch s**t are the ones who have never been confronted by anyone related to lady justice?  How many have been in that situation?  How many of those who claim to live by the no snitch code have actually found themselves in a position where they had to evoke said code?  Jake asking you if you saw your boy lift that DVD from the FYE down the street does not count.  Seriously.  When was the last time you found yourself in a hail of bullets only to cradle your best friends head in your arms and watch his life drain from the bullet wound knowing the only thing you can do is call the law?  I’ve never been there.  I don’t want to be there and it’s unfair to judge anyone who has. Can you truly say that your adherence to some street law would be more important than attempting to bring some homicidal maniac to justice?  Oh, I forgot. You would drop that vigilante hammer on them, huh?  Posse up and go hunting humans, right?  Stop boo-boo. Stop. You watch too many f###### Charles Bronson movies. I think that in all aspects of our existence there is evolution.  We are products of our experiences which are driven by the decisions we make.  In the absence of that experience; your hard core Hip-Hop-coated thought process doesn’t amount to a hill of beans to that person who is living it. You can feel what you want.  You can concoct every situation possible that might require you to answer a question posed by a homicide detective. Stand in your mirror and practice your ‘f**k you copper’ face. Take notes from Juice and Menace to Society and get yourself ready.  I still really hope that you are never faced with such a horrible circumstance. However, at least we know if you are, you will be able to slick tongue yourself out of actually helping to bring your loved one some justice and making the neighborhood a little safer for the rest of us.  We thank you. Even Killa Cam explained the code in more detail once his camp apologized for the infamous Anderson Cooper interview.  He explained that it’s not code, but apprehension that drives the silence.  He said folks who cooperate with the police are frowned upon in the community and open themselves up to more criminal attacks.  So does that mean the code is nothing more than fear and apathy rather than a disdain for the criminal justice system? That fear is palpable and regularly cemented by brutal attacks on those who choose to do the right thing.  However, when you don’t have the strength to speak up for your own community, should you be berating those who do?  I don’t think so. We have developed a mistrust for law enforcement that is valid.  You can drown in the reams of paper that document the scandalous mistreatment of minorities at the hands of the boys in blue.  However, once you remove a single experience from that context; once you look at the lives lost and pain suffered; you have to admit that we also mistreat ourselves and that remaining silent or criticizing those who speak may be just as scandalous.

Once again it’s on and popping. Welcome to another edition of Sick Sundays.  Before we get it in I have to give a tremendous rest in peace salute to MC Breed.  Before the Bone Thugs, And Twista and Kanye and Common, MC Breed represented the Midwest with aplomb, skill and dignity.Everybody remembers his duet with Pac before the Death Row days, “Gotta Get Mine.”  Even more people remember his first major jump off with “Ain’t No Future In Your Frontin.’” Let it be known that Breed was the first Midwest dude to have credible sales and be commercially viable from the Midwest (Flint Michigan Stand Up), and let the world know that there was more to the game than New York and LA.Here’s a few joints from Breed.  May he rest in peace. MC Breed & The DFC Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin’Supported by “More Bounce to the Ounce” this was Breed’s entry into the major leagues.  Has a bit of that G synthesizer as well.  The OG showcased flow switches on the breaks and solid rhymes for that era.  He also proclaimed he’d paint the Whitehouse black.  At least he lasted till Obama got elected Slum Village Feat MC Breed & Big Herc “It’s On”Just to let you know Breed wasn’t a washed up relic, here he is getting it in with Slum Village putting it down for the D.  This is one of their hardest joints ever and it’s only right that Breed opens this up properly.  He wasn’t nice for his time, he was a credible MC period. MC Eiht & MC Breed “Caps Get Peeled”Gangsta s**t smoothed out with live instruments, a funky bass and the haunting strings.  MC Eiht had a nice run of his own but Breed  bats cleanup on this heater from the west side.  As you can see his versatility was apparent. Jeah!George Clinton Feat. MC Breed & Erick Sermon-“If Anybody Gets Funked Up”President of the P Funk brings it with two of his sons as both E-Doubles (Who both sampled Clinton’s work) hop on a track together.  Yes a lil sappy but it’s cool. Another side of the Breed MC Breed Feat Tupac-“Gotta Get Mine”You already know.Rest in peace big homie.  Hip-Hop will remember you and the Midwest can never repay you. On with the showKEEMO’s BIG CHANCE After  he popped a lot of s**t in the comments of Friday night’s Bump It or Blow It, I challenged AllHipHop user Keemo to hit me with his best song and I’d put it up here for you guys to say whether he had talent or he sucked.  Never let it be said I wasn’t a man of my word.  Here is KEEMO with “They Said.” Poll AnswersYoung Buck Feat. Young Jeezy- “I Got It”You didn’t think Ca$hville’s number one dude would stay off the grid forever did you? Back in effect with Jeezy riding shotgun, it looks like there is a little rust. Gotta be honest , I’m not in love with this song.  It’s been done many times before.  Jeezy is his ordinary self on this and Buck while not lacking, needs something stronger than this to return to the game. Joe Budden Feat. The Game-“The Future”From beef to best buds?  Better that than have them carrying on for eternity like Jay-Z and Jaz-O.  Former antagonists Game and Budden get together for this track.  not as aggressive as I would have hoped but I guess it is what it is.  Not wack but not extraordinary either.  If it was gonna be a club joint then get Akon or something.  For the record, Game “out-presenced” Budden, who was lyrically better on it but neither was lyrically amazing. Chorus sucks ass. Alchemist Feat. Evidence,Blu,& Kid CudiThe intro on this had me feeling that this was gonna be harder than it actually was. It’s an abnormal beat, laid back.  If you’re not paying attention you really can’t tell the emcees apart which isn’t good, but none of them are particularly weak;just not very distinguished. This song needs a smoked out Prodigy on it for some extra Y chromosome. Cool listen though.******************************************** Alternative Break Krista- Temporary InsanityOccasionally I throw up something for a change of pace.  Here’s a bit of some good old fashioned femme angst.  I think they need a stronger rock guitar for the main stanza and a light piano to key in on that emotion but it’s an okay song.  Teen rage is in these days. ********************************************* Busta Rhymes Feat. Barrignton Levy and Kardinal Offishall-“No War”Another anti-war joint this time with Busta Rhymes.  The song starts with Obama giving a speech and i gotta tell you I’m a little Obama’d out right now when it comes to putting his speeches on songs but this is a solid joint. Kardinal is nitro.  It’s a shame he didn’t get more support.Enjoy your Sunday, keep it tight, watch football, love your families. Peace out Brussel Sprouts.************************************************OT Class of 98We’ve been blasting off on the Class of ’88 all year, but ’98 was a pivotal year in Hip-Hop. It was probably the apex as far as good albums selling and probably the beginnig of the true commercial era that we live in now.  Relax and bump this.  Peace. Class Of 98cc*************************************************DOUBLE OT-More BreedRappin’ 4 Tay ft Too Short & Mc Breed – Never Talk Down 1996

Black Friday? Never did like that name. But I guess White Friday wouldn’t have the same punch in describing the day after Thanksgiving when people lose their minds while waiting in line to get at some ridonkulous sales. Hmm, kind of like those heads that stay on line waiting for the latest pair of limited edition kicks, but I digress. Nike Sportswear and DJ Clark Kent—a tragically underrated producer, for real—connected to create this Black Friday Nike Air Force 1.Obviously, the shoe drops Nov. 29 in three spots: NYC (21 Mercer ), then Beantown (Concepts) and then MI-Yayo (Shoe Gallery). Somehow the good Clark Kent will be at each of them (that frequent flyer mile account must be serious). Why all the hurrah? The shoe is supposed to have some ill materials. Said Kent in a statement, “I went to the fabric library, picked the prime suspects and went to work on the design. The end result…Something Black, Luxurious & Fly, and FRESH!!!! What better way to start the holiday shopping season?!?!” However, we won’t get all that info until the morning of release, so for now make due with the shadowy image provided. Well, at least there is an excuse to include some Clark Kent produced music. One. Junior Mafia “Player’s Anthem” VideoNotorious B.I.G. “Sky’s The Limit” VideoSauce Money “Middle Finger U” Video

Hip-Hop is a revolution in thought and culture. When you think of the movement in that way, then you know it has been known to produce dramatic changes in society. It has also  spawned a plethora of trends that seep well into America’s main vein. Some of these fads aren’t so good for the lifeblood of such a creative and vibrant generation. We present “The Top 10 Worst Fads In Hip-Hop History.” HIP-HOP HOUSE (HIP HOUSE MUSIC) House music swept the nation in the late 80’s. It was like the new disco. People slowly started to loosen up their b-boy stances a bit and dance. But, as is always the case, some people took it overboard. After the Jungle Brothers hit it big with “Girl, I’ll House You,” the entire Hip-Hop community saw an opportunity to get some recognition. There were some good ones like “Stomp” by K-Yze and Queen Latifah’s. But, then there were really bad ones from Hip-Hop favorites like Craig G’s “Turn This House Into A Home.”  Most disappointing was underground hardocre act EPMD droping…”It’s Time To Party.”  Sigh. There was a period where everyone had the obligatory house joint on the album. Thank the gods that era is in the dirt. Example: Exception: King Sun was one of the hardest rappers out in the late 80’s. Somehow he managed to craft a club banger with “On The Club Tip,” and still maintain credibility as a Five Percent brother and intimidating figure. HAMMER PANTS They were unlike anything we had ever seen, unless you saw your old, drunk uncle relieve himself in his pants and watch them sag in the nastiest way possible. Hammer Pants. There were those that loved them and those that hated them. And then there was another category: those that wore them. Those that actually went out and purchased the silky looking (but probably rayon) drawlz. Now, this isn’t a slight to MC Hammer, the iconic rapper that created the look. He was doing him. While everybody wasn’t appreciative of his style, they had to respect (at some point) the power, influence and sales that were generated by his Hammer Pants. Example: Exception: When you really look back at the legacy of MC Hammer, he deserves commendation. He deflected disses from everybody from Run DMC to 3rd Base to Redman, and proved to be one of rap’s biggest success stories. And he did it  wearing the loosest pants in rap history. HORRORCORE At one point, Gangsta rap just wasn’t hard enough for Hip-Hop. Like, seriously, shooting people just wasn’t gory enough. Now, unlike Hip-Hop House music, Horrorcore has a lot of notable acts that put out some good music and still do. Think Brotha Lynch Hung, Esham and Natas, Ganksta N-I-P (who ghostwrote some of Geto Boy Bushwick Bill’s songs), The Geto Boys and The Gravediggaz. These guys were doing the music before Entertainment Weekly came and gave it a name. As soon as it was called “Horrorcore,” it turned into our worst nightmare. When Russell Simmons tossed his cousin into the fad, we knew the party was commercially over and the macabre was on the surface to be cannibalized. Example: Exception: Ganksta NIP never had a rap video. He was relegated to nothing but underground love. Yet, one has to ask, “Did he need a rap video for that things he rapped about?” The answer is no. His rhymes were cinematic enough. SKINNY JEANS AND EXTRA SMEDIUM CLOTHING There are some fads that Hip-Hop flat out rejects and has rejected for years. Suddenly, there is a paradigm shift that signifies “S**t changed” and you didn’t get the memo. Some say it started with Kanye West and others say it was Europe. Either way the Skinny Jeans and Extra Smedium (extra small and medium) clothing movement still continues long after it was assumed that cats like Kanye and John Legend were lonely advocates. No, they freed everybody’s sense of the fashion faux pas. (Editor’s note: these are the extreme and unfortunate opposite of the MC Hammer pants movement.) Example: Exception: Cats like Lenny Kravitz and Seal… they can do this and we won’t say a word. Rock on, dudes! GETTING ARRESTED AS ALBUM PROMOTION Sure, this is a stretch as a fad. Still, rappers and their marketing teams have made getting arrested a strategy in their promo push. Rumors have flown for years that exects at major labels have plot and planned deviant behavior for rappers to engage in just to promote an album. Example: In August, Rapper Yung Berg was arrested in New York for possession of a handgun, possession of marijuana and “menacing” a limo driver. Now, the rapper must live in a “bizzarro” world because, according to tmz, he “took” the charge for his buddies a mere two days before his debut album dropped. These stories have carried on for years and years and now seem to be petering out. Thank you! Exception: When T.I. got arrested before the ’07 BET Hip-Hop Awards, people dismissed it as a stunt…for about two seconds. Soon, it was clear that Tip had gotten into a real mess. Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested Tip on charges of buying three illegal machine guns and a couple silencers. It was far from the smartest move and equally far from the phoniest. Part 2 Cometh Soon – faster than you can say “Can’t Touch This”

You know, the tide is swaying and Hip-Hip has been charged with enacting change in its own community as well as the world at large. With that, I felt like I would help the Hip-Hop Generation continue to help by “going green.” If you ask Soulja Boy, “going green” might be the theme of his new album in terms of getting paid greenbacks. No. I am talking about helping save the Earth by being environmentally fiscal. Check it out. 1)   Rappers and their followers love  Styrofoam cups. Just look at Lil Wayne. Every time you see him, he’s got a different Styrofoam cup with something in it. If you are going to sip sizzurp, use a washable mug or a cup that won’t end up in a landfill. The same thing applies for people like Common, that love water. Reuse that water bottle, b!  2)    Get your significant other to do the dishes by hand or better yet – do them together! He/she might not want to, but think of the Mother we all call Earth. Needlessly using the dishwasher is both a cost and water waster. My girl made me do the dishes! OK, I’m kidding. She left me, because I didn’t do dishes often enough. I was trying to save water! 3)    When you aren’t in the house, kill the heat. Why heat a house with no occupants? You save fuel and money, homey! 4)    Now a lot of us in Hip-Hop are saddled with these big SUV trucks since we got them when they were hip and cool. Well, they are still hip and cool, but the gas – in this economy – is almost crippling. That said, it is a good idea to carpool when you can or take mass transit. Both build lasting bonds with friends!   4a)    They made fun of Obama when he said this, but make sure the tires on those big ol’ rims are properly inflated. Don’t drive all crazy either. It just eats up gas like the Fat Boys at the all-you-can-eat spot. 5)    If you aren’t on AllHipHop.com or one of your other favorite destinations, turn off the computer. Also, unplug the charger for your mobile device when you are not using it. The outlet is still passing energy even if you are not charging something. 6)    Ok, you probably won’t hand wash your clothing like Emmett Otter’s mother, but when you do wash clothes, use cold water. If possible, let them air dry on a rack or line like back in the day. 7)   Since a lot of metrosexual rappers are coming in and tight jeans are the rage, maybe some of you will pick up on this. If you eat less meat, you can help save energy and have a positive impact on the environment. If you do buy meat, buy it locally and support the people in your backyard. It takes loads of fuel and energy to store, refrigerate and transport meat. Eating less meat will help you stay in those skinny jeans, hipster. Pause for the cause.  8) Remember when bottled water was “spring water.” Those days are almost long gone when you look at the options as they now bottle tap water. So, I recommend that you use a water filter to purify the water in your home. Bottled water messes with the environment, even if they fix the bottle up. Like option No. 4, use a bottle you can fill over and over again. 9) It is hard for us to borrow from each other. Why? Because generally, when we loan something, we never see the object again! Where is Rae’s Killer tape anyway? Nevertheless, if you can borrow things like movies and books as opposed to buying new stuff, you can save on the trash accumulated. The same applies to things like power tools. Of course, there are some things that shouldn’t be shared, if you get what I mean. 10) In Hip-Hop, we are almost always ahead of the curve from a technological perspective. The only issue is, where do these items go after we move on? I have had everything from a Sidekick to an iPhone to a Razr and all other sorts of iPods and headsets. This applies to your Xbox, your Wii and whatever else you entertain yourself with. I don’t throw them away, because generally I horde them (not very smart either). But, we should not throw them away, because E-waste contains mercury and other toxics. Recycle or donate these items when you can to avoid them going into you drinking water. Also, consider writing them off come tax time, if you can. These are just a few things we can do to improve our Hip-Hop world…and the rest of the Earth too.-illseed

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Sick Sundays.  It’s been a long week my dudes but once again it’s on.  A bunch of mixtapes dropped most notably Dedication 3.    Word on the street is it’s dripping with wack juice, except for the Young Money cats, but I’ll let you be the judge of that a bit later.  We’re going for a little double OT today as I fulfill a promise to Miss Dallas and hit you with some of the greatest songs of all time featuring Female MC’s.  Let’s get it in.     Jay-Z- History I can say I’m one of the biggest Jigga fans but I’m not moved at all by this.  It’s disjointed, the execution is weak and there is no aggression on it at all.  Certainly closer in feel to Kingdom Come than American Gangster. I know the stans will say he’s above our heads and all that nonsense but this song is weak and if this and the mediocre “Dope Boy Fresh” are what BP3 is going to be about, I may pass on that. So far Kanye on the beats is a let down. Is it too late to call Timbo?     JD Era Feat.  Donny Goines-9-5 I gotta say XXL probably should have looked a little further north with their freshman issue.  Maybe we go back and do it the right way.  Both MC’s go in hard on this.  The subject ain’t exactly original but the passion and the delivery is there and this is definitely bumpable and the execution is definitely above par.  I would say we could use more of this.     Sedrew Price-Price Is Right I remember when cats were rapping over Super Mario brothers and the NFL theme song and it was cute for a while then it was like post Das Efx with everyone saturating the game with the same s**t. Well they stopped that but now we have Sedrew rapping over the theme song to the game show The Price Is Right.  The beat is actually executed fairly well.    You can’t escape the novelty of it but it’s not a wtf moment when you hear it. I’m still on the fence about this kid.  He has presence, he has an above average delivery, but you’ve heard this song and many of his songs before.  It’s not new.  I think if he got a bit more creative he can go somewhere in this. Cute track, but I can’t see myself bumping it constantly.     Cashis-On Decc Another guy with potential that you just can’t ride with all the way because his material is pedestrian. I think if these guys spent maybe a month not listening to rap music and listening to other forms of music and other sources of inspiration it would really do so much for their music.  This is a Seinfeldian song about nothing but it’s enough to hold your attention. It’s at least worth a couple listens.  Nothing more nothing less.     Paul Wall Feat. Webbie –Bizzy Body This song is made for the poles…or so I’ve heard.  Sheree can invite her girlfriends over and get upside down on this.  Seriously though the song bumps.  It’s catchy on the hook, heavy on the bass, and fast enough to get that ass boppin.  I think it’s gonna get some traction.  Once you accept the song for what it is (yeah I’m talking to you boom bap Jedi’s) then you can enjoy it.  G-strings in strip clubs across America was going to get stuffed to this.     Guru Feat.  Lord Tariq –Knowledge Guru and Lord Tariq ditch their more famous partnerships to come together on this gem.  A throwback short and sweet joint that I f**s with.  Hard to lose over the “Know The Ledge” beat but and they get ferocious with it.  Throwback factor, dope rhyme factor, plus we haven’t really heard from either one of these guys in a minute so it’s all gravy.       Chamillionaire-Swagger Like Us Freestyle Incorporating a few bits from each of the original emcees rapping on this beat, Chamilitary goes for broke over the freestyle beat of the moment.  It’s dope.  He gets busy on this and looks like he’s on the comeback from his underwhelming last album.  Homie goes in on rappers rhyming about dough but nothing else, rappers who get over on swag but no lyrical might, and the game in general.  It’s a worthy joint. Get ready for that Mixtape Messiah part 5.     Ludacris, Nas, & Jay-z –I Do It For Hip-Hop This in one of the better collaborative tracks to come out in recent weeks.  This has Ludacris going seriously staking his place among the true heavyweights of MC’ing.  He has the sales he has the talent.  This is how powerful he can be when he takes himself seriously. I really would like to see more of this from him.  Nas drops a Nas –x verse, which is to say it’s dope but no new ground here.  This level of rhyming is expected from Nas and he delivers. Jay –Z goes in a totally different direction with the old MC Shan from “The Bridge” cadence. Goes over a bit of Hip-Hop history and still flosses.  Kind of similar to what he tried on “Blue Magic” but I don’t think this is the song to try that on because it’s a stylistic departure from the other two verses.  It makes him sound out of place.  Overall though, I’d be inclined to listen to this for many spins.   That’s all for now, onto the OT ****************************************************** Bump It or Blow It: The Dedication 3 It’s out and it’s#### the streets, but the word is not coming back too positive.  Shout to Drake we got that interview coming soon and the rest of those Young Money cats who it seems have performed admirably. I won’t color your opinions on this one. Vote in the poll […]

Week 11 started with Brett Favre being Brett Favre. The Jets showed a lot of heart in their overtime win against the Patriots and Favre reminded us why he’s always in the argument for top five, dead or alive, when it comes to the “Greatest  QB” moniker.  What’s in store for this weekend, who knows? What I do know is that things are beginning to tight for the playoff push, and some changes are in store not just for OUT OF BOUNDS, but your boy Hot Rod as well.  So without further ado, let’s get into the games. ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week for Week 12 Poll Answers ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week Sunday Night Football, 8pm Dallas Cowboys (5-4) at Washington Redskins (6-3) FedEx Field, Landover, MD My Pick: Cowboys   As well as the Redskins played against the Cowboys back in Week 4, the Cowboys are back and healthy. This game is gonna be a blood bath. The clock is ticking on the season and the Cowboys know that time is not on their side if they’re trying to make a push for the playoffs.   With Tony Romo scheduled to comeback for this weekend’s game, the Cowboys have some mobility in the pocket. Romo will make plays for the Cowboys with his feet when the offense breaks down. In addition, if the Cowboys can get some defensive pressure on the QB, they can definitely walk away with the win. That means the entire defensive line, not just LB DeMarcus Ware.   Although the Redskins have been running the ball well, they will go as far as QB Jason Campbell and head coach, Jim Zorn will take them. With RB Clinton Portis most likely out for this match-up, the offense rides on Campbell’s shoulders. I don’t think he’s ready for such a task in such a big game.   With Romo and CB Terrance Newman returning to the line-up, the Cowboys will return to their winning form and get the victory.   Here’s a look at the rest of Week 11 in the NFL:   Sunday, 11/16/08, 1pm games Denver Broncos (5-4) at Atlanta Falcons (6-3) Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA My Pick: Atlanta   Both teams are in the top ten offensively and both teams are in the bottom ten defensively. So why did I pick the Falcons? The Falcons can run the ball and the Broncos have no rush defense. The Falcons have a better mix of run and pass on offense and the Broncos’ defense has been underachieving.   With the Falcons’ offense, clicking like it has been for the past, look for them to keep the rhythm and get the win against the Broncos.       Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-8) Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH My Pick: Eagles   Sure, the Eagles gave away a win last week against the Giants, but all is lost not.  See, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s wearing the colors of the Bengals.   The Eagles are the better team in this match-up, and as always, the theme for the Bungles in this column is “the Bungles stink”. Chalk this one up as a victory for the Eagles   Chicago Bears (5-4) at Green Bay Packers (4-5) Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI My Pick: Chicago                    The Bears have the better offense and defense in this game. They also have the better rushing offense with young Matt Forte leading the charge. The Packers are going through a bit of a slide winning two of their last five games.   Whether or not Kyle Orton will play is still up in the air, but with the better defense and the solid rushing attack, the Bears are the team to roll with in this game.   Houston Texans (3-6) at Indianapolis Colts (5-4) Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN My Pick: Colts                         Do you remember what I said about the Colts two weeks ago when they played the Patriots in the Sunday Night Game?   Well desperation is still in the air for the Colts.  They have a good chance of getting a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Thankfully, for the Colts, they have the Texans this weekend.   The Colts have the better offense in this game. Although the Texans have a hard-hitting defense, the Colts’ offense is clicking and their veteran knowledge will help the Colts get the season sweep on the young Texans.   New Orleans Saints (4-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-8) Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO My Pick: Saints   With the return of RB Larry Johnson to the Chiefs’ offense this Sunday, don’t look for anything spectacular to happen for the Chiefs’ offense. It’s still the same stale offense, and on the other side of the ball, the same stale defense.   The Saints’ offense is explosive. They can have your head on a swivel with the weapons they have on the offensive side of the ball. With the league’s fourth best passer in Drew Brees and the leagues’ best passing offense, the Saints have this game.    Oakland Raiders (2-7) at Miami Dolphins (5-4) Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL My Pick: Dolphins   The Dolphins offense is clicking right now and fortunately, for them, they square off against a terrible Raiders’ squad. I have to roll with the Dolphins in this game with their wildcat offense and better defense.   Baltimore Ravens (6-3) at New York Giants (8-1) Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ My Pick: Giants          As good as the Ravens have been playing lately, the Giants are better. The Giants are carrying the same swagger that got them to the Super Bowl last season and they are finding ways to win this season, even when they’re down.   The Ravens’ defense is good, but their offense can’t go toe-to-toe with this Giants’ defense. Vengeance for Super Bowl XXXV will belong to the G-Men this Sunday.   Minnesota Vikings (5-4) at Tampa Bay […]

The views expressed with in this editorial don’t necessarily reflect the views of AllHipHop.com or its staff. The debate over negative lyrics and their impact on our communities has raged for years.  Are they glorifying the negative or simply speaking to their everyday existence?  I swear I’ve witnessed plenty of debates that swirled around this topic and I’ve never seen anyone retreat from their position.  However, these conversations were always conducted under the pretense that everyone was telling the truth. If the emcee said he grew up in a less than stellar home with barely present parents and was raised by the streets; we took him at his word.  We understood and empathized even if his life wasn’t ours.  We shook our heads at his realism and brainstormed on ways to make it better; but never did we once consider he was lying. How bad is that lie in the spirit of the artistic venture or the journey to mega-sales?  Is that emcee actually better because he doesn’t participate in those tales of street soldiering he spins or portions thereof?  Or does that make him worse because he’s peddling a fake, doomed life to his fan base without concern for the affect his words might have?  Before you jump, understand that I do know Hip Hop and the narratives incorporated within do not exist in a vacuum. I know the disenfranchised have more pressing issues than song lyrics and I realize in many instances those lyrics are born of those problems.  However, the issue at hand is taking the story most try to run from and running to it. The issue is the lie. If that life is not what we want; if that life is the underbelly of the community; if that life is the reason some write their first bar, then why do people wrap themselves in it like a hood flag to create this criminal persona? Why do they think we will respond in larger numbers and with grander enthusiasm if they report having been through the belly of the beast?  Are they right? I mean, we all know that in a lot of situations our folks are handed s**it to carve into a community, but do we need to mold a baton out of it and run so some young guy living in Iowa can live that life vicariously as he skips through the corn rows? I remember when that kind of falsehood was unacceptable.  Even now there are folks who rail against the fibbers, but for the most part it’s accepted.  There are those who will even tell you what they are spitting isn’t real.  It’s some nightmarish hood fairy tale.  I guess they and the powers that be in their musical careers think if they graduated from high school or possibly college and raised a couple of babies with their wife, we wouldn’t be interested in that life story.  I can’t sit here incredulously wagging my finger and turning my nose up at anyone.  I’m guilty as most of us are of being drawn into some of the darker lyrics and not questioning myself.  Is it human nature; like being fixated by a car wreck? Or have we been socialized in a way that prompts us to respond positively to negativity?  I don’t know.  What I do know is it’s so much of what we listen to and that dark tide is damn near formulated in a studio petrie dish at this point. I’ll be honest with you.  I don’t care for liars, but I’m not sure how dangerous this particular lie is or what it says about how the Hip-Hop audience is viewed.  I suppose personal responsibility is the lynch-pin and in some ways the antithesis of our veracious appetite for street credibility, whatever that is. The adopted back story should be held in its proper perspective, which in my opinion should be akin to a grain of salt. However, if everyone felt that way, the story wouldn’t be needed in the first place. So, I’ve done nothing to relieve my confusion. I think I’ve created more. The music can be very powerful and people are obviously more impressionable than they will admit.  I also know that we are bombarded with these negative impressions on a daily basis and not just through Hip Hop.  So much so that those who pilfer and then sell our culture back to us have decided that we thrive on the negativity enough that they will present it to us without consideration of authenticity; which I think is right around the spot where I started.

The views expressed with in this editorial don’t necessarily reflect the views of AllHipHop.com or its staff.It seems that AllHipHop, via its Trick Trick interview has caused a bit of a stir.  It probably couldn’t have been timelier in light of the current war over proposition 8 and the fight for marital rights of homosexuals. A perfect time, in fact, to address this issue, particularly as it pertains to this music and culture.   In the Black community, we have a fractured sense of masculinity. Our history in this country has been one of familial forced disintegration, political, economic, and social emasculation.  As we progressed our model of manhood and masculinity somehow got linked to our sexuality, which in itself comes with an inordinate amount of projection and its own set of issues.   If you’re a slave and you can’t protect your family, and you can’t marry who you wish, and you can’t be a provider, and you don’t determine when you eat, sleep, operate, etc., then all traditional definitions of “manhood” become obsolete.    As a consequence our manhood came to be defined as the one thing that was seemingly irrepressible in the minds of the masters: our sexuality. In a nutshell, two factors of male identity, both gender roles and sexual identity, are incorrectly rendered synonymous. Our sexuality defines us as men. So how, with that paradigm of sexual prowess equating to manhood, do you reconcile homosexuality?  How much of a “man” are you if you…don’t do the one thing designated to men?   So we come to Hip-Hop.  You get a culture that is unmistakably Black in origin, and a music that is highly competitive and combative in nature and at the center of it all is the expression and projection of masculinity and machismo. How do you degrade your competition?  You take away the one thing that we have been able to maintain throughout our time here in America-our (flawed) sense of manhood.  As time has gone on, especially taking into account the perception of Black men varying from the imagery of Flavor Flav to the pageantry of Barak Obama, our idea of Black manhood and the images that define it are constantly in flux.  The truth lies somewhere in between.   As we go further unto the 21st century, as we begin to become a more heterogeneous society with racial and gender paradigms shifting, I think it’s important to properly frame the Hip-Hop versus Homosexuality debate in its proper context. They are not diametrically opposed. There is an increasing number of homosexual and lesbian emcees that embrace the Hip-Hop aesthetic.  On a cultural level, we must begin to look at our model of masculinity.  This miscasting of manhood is the source of Hip-Hop’s discontent. We should work to realize that deeds not the d**k make the man. As a side effect we may even be able to curtail the projection of hypermasculine supern***rs that glorify prison culture and promote criminality as a Black male rite of passage.   Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Sometimes that opinion is uninformed. Most hateful opinions are born of ignorance and mistrust and general lack of experience. Many rappers express sentiment similar to Trick Trick. Many others hide what they are for that reason. It runs counter to our general understanding of what a man is, mistaken or not. There are gay rappers, rapping about regular things.   I don’t particularly think that an emcee could come out rapping about sucking d**k and be taken seriously.  However just as Eminem and Big Pun proved that you could have competent high caliber non Black emcees, sooner or later you will have an openly gay rapper whose talent will supersede his sexual orientation.  The key is to treat that difference not as a novelty, but as a source for inspiration and strength.Take care and be well-Bill

RING light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe marked his second US trip with another huge win, this time dominating a faded Roy Jones, Jr this past Saturday (November 8) to a unanimous decision win. The expected early chess match of flurries was broken with 50 seconds left in the first round, as Jones badly stunned and dropped Calzaghe with a sneaky right hand following a stiff jab. A dazed Calzaghe rose and like his previous knockdowns courtesy of Byron Mitchell and Bernard Hopkins, was determined to meet his challenger with a fusillade of hooks instead of retreating to clear his head. Despite a golden opportunity, Jones was unable to time the feinting Calzaghe for a follow-up combo and score a huge upset. In round two Calzaghe became the clear aggressor, pushing Jones to the ropes and unloading 10 punch combos to the body and head. While Roy was able to pick off most of the head shots, his body remained a constant target of punishment. To adjust, Jones returned the bout to ring center, where he was able to catch Calzaghe with several counter right hands. Round three saw Calzaghe pick up the pressure and invest heavily in the body, strafing Jones against the ropes and in ring center. Roy’s pet punch, the straight right lead, could not land cleanly as Calzaghe utilized superb movement and feints to keep Jones off balance. Jones’s attempts to walk Calzaghe down behind a high guard fared no better, since Calzaghe’s handspeed and head movement prevented the Pensacola native from landing anything above a few pitty-pat uppercuts and hooks on the inside. The pattern continued throughout the middle rounds, and Jones began to become more tentative as he found more difficulty keeping Calzaghe in range. Whenever Jones would land a shot, Calzaghe would simply smile, showboat, and return 7 to 8 shots to a prone Roy who languished on the ropes. Round 7 showed some early hope for Jones. Throughout the first 2 minutes, the former pound for pound king repeatedly surprised Calzaghe with hard, accurate jabs down the pike. However the success was short-lived and Calzaghe twice countered Jones’ lead jab with two slashing straight lefts. The second opened a jagged, nasty cut along Jones’ left eye. Never cut before, Roy struggled to finish the round as Calzaghe continued pressuring him with punches from all angles to the head and body. Calzaghe’s paintjob on Jones became more pronounced in the championship rounds. Unable to see out the left eye, Roy Jones, Jr bravely started moving forward in a last-ditch effort to catch Calzaghe with a miracle punch. That opportunity never came, and Calzaghe maintained the punch output, feinting, and body punching that had bedeviled Roy since the second round. In the deciding round, Calzaghe kept showboating and dropping his hands, giving Jones a chance to pull out a dramatic victory. But the faded legend could not pull the trigger, and in the end gained a pyrrhic victory by remaining on his feet to the very end. Final scorecards for the bout all read 118-109 for Joe Calzaghe, still the linear and RING light-heavyweight champion. Now 46-0 with over 20 title defenses, Calzaghe remained hesitant on whether to keep his word and retire. “I’ll have to sit down and think about it as this could be my last fight,” Calzaghe told HBO’s Max Kellerman. “I won’t make a final decision yet. I’ll sit down and take a bit of a break and evaluate the situation. I’d like to thank Roy for fighting tonight. He’ll always be my friend and I have much respect for the guy.” Roy Jones, Jr was equally gracious in his post-fight interview, acknowledging at this stage of his career that Calzaghe is the superior fighter. “When he cut me I was like ‘whoa,’ it was the first time I had ever been cut,” Jones explained. “I love fighting so I’m going to fight until the end. I still gave it my best effort but he was the better man tonight…I’ll talk to my team and family and see how I feel. If I feel good I’ll continue to fight, if not I won’t.” On the undercard, former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah won a pedestrian 10 round unanimous decision over unheralded Ernest Johnson, despite suffering two cuts from headbutts. Vagabond fighter Emanuel Augustus (38-30-6, 20 KOs) lost his umpteenth controversial decision to young Francisco Figueroa (20-2, 13 KOs). And NY favorite Dmitriy Salita (29-0, 16 KOs) gutted out a tough decision over unknown Derrick Campos (17-6, 10 KOs). Should Calzaghe Take On Dawson Before Calling It Quits? Joe Calzaghe has defeated two prime, then undefeated challengers for his crown in Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler, and now two legends in Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr. Still, HBO commentator Max Kellerman sought fit to mention the one fighter left at light-heavyweight who so far has conquered every challenge put in front of him. That fighter is “Bad” Chad Dawson. “What can I say, there’s always someone young and up and coming, same with Lacy and Kessler,” Calzaghe reasoned. “I’ve beaten two legends this year in Hopkins and an even bigger legend in Roy Jones. I fought them both in the States. I think I showed everybody that I [have] not just fought at home. I took the risk and came to Vegas and New York.” In speaking with fans here in the US and across the pond, this fight has already polarized the boxing community just one day after Calzaghe’s win. American fans feel that Dawson has proven himself as unquestionably the best fighter not named Calzaghe at light-heavyweight. And unlike Lacy and Kessler before their fights with the Pride of Wales, Dawson has proven elite fighters on his resume in Thomasz Adamek, Glen Johnson, and Antonio Tarver. This, American fans argue, shows that Dawson has the skills to meet the challenge. However UK fans have countered that American fans, perhaps salty and disbelieving of Calzaghe’s run through their best fighters, are grasping […]

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, shortly after midnight, Senator Barack Obama addressed his nation for the first time as its soon to be 44th President. For eighteen minutes, in front of a crowd of approximately a quarter million people representing Americans from every race, creed and age group, President-Elect Obama expressed gratitude, abated fears, and spoke of the challenges ahead. His speech came nearly one hour after he was declared the clear winner of the 2008 Presidential Election, becoming not only the first African-American president of the United States, but also the first Democrat since the first Senator to be elected to the Oval Office since John F. Kennedy and the first Democratic Candidate to the popular vote by such a wide margin since Lyndon Johnson did it in 1964. But even before the statistics were released, the significance of this moment was clear to the Hip-Hop Generation, the same group who, according to the pundits, was responsible for Obama’s victory. By the time the President Elect hit that stage in Chicago’s Grant Park, words of hope, feelings of encouragement and preparations for the work ahead where transmitted via many of the same technological advances credited for the success of the Obama campaign. Below, we bring you the Obama victory speech in it’s entirety, with some commentary from the Hip-Hop community. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.We are, and always will be, the United States of America. “I feel that now it is time to become the American Dream. To be stronger as a people and to understand that my parents and the struggles of our past leaders did not go in vain.” – Bonecrusher “This is my proudest day as an American. We have elected a leader that represents change and unity. Barack Obama has carved his place in history as a true beacon of Hope!” Nick Cannon “Obama stands for hope, he’s a great representation for real people. He helps clear the smog and smoke that has been preventing us from seeing the future. Now our children have a fair chance.“ – Billy Danze   “It’s a blessing to conquer all obstacles and roadblocks in our way, now its on us to support what we believe in to conquer that long road/recession we are facing ahead of us.” – Trae Tha Truth It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America. “There’s a new benchmark.  I think a lot of the psychological chains on Black people have been erased tonight. I think that’s one of the things that his presidency is gonna mean. There’s literally no limit and we truly can achieve the zenith.” – Fonzworth Bentley A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead. I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady Michelle Obama. “This is an amazing, definitive victory. The melting pot of the United States–young and old–has spoken. Change is here. We are all engaged again in democracy. President-elect Obama has his work cut out for him, and at this amazing moment in U.S and world history, the “VIBErant” citizens of America are clearly ready work to turn our best hopes into reality.” Danyel Smith, Editor in Chief of Vibe magazine Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. “Tuesday night was really a thank you night. It’s a thank you to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, to Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, to Rosa Parks, to Fannie Lou Hamer, to […]