Whutupdoe…shout out to all the folks that read my inane ramblings. I honestly appreciate ya’ll because without this outlet for my madness I would probably start carrying an aluminum bat wrapped in barbed wire w/ a bayonet welded to it, don a catchers mask and transform into a serial killer called “The Umpire.”   Don’t worry though.   It’s not like I thought the s**t out or anything.   This go-round I’m just gonna drop off some of these little blurbs, which is what I was originally commissioned to do. Talk a little s**t,try to ruin somebody’s day, and get back to the regularly scheduled program.   Let’ start with…   REAL CHANCE AT HIS BAND…THE DIDDY EDITION     That n***a Puff is a f**king genius. he basically makes hour long infomercials for his own records. This “Making His Band” s**t is a f**king joke. This is muthaf**king PUFF DADDY.   The only n***a out of that whole EastCoast/WestCoast s**t who didn’t get shot or locked the f**k up.   The CheesecakeMan.   If Puff REALLY wanted a band, he could have SLASH on guitar, LARRY GRAHAM on bass, TRAVIS BARKER on drums and HERBIE HANCOCK on keys. Although a few of those cats are really talented (Brockett, Jamareo, Blake),folks are going to watch the show just to see a bunch of musicians (and evidently the judges,too) whine and bicker in a big a** house while they hope for a brawl. Then they throw in a Transgendered American to add “fierceness” and a little “Whut the f**k?” to the mix. Voila.   But the real premise behind the show is to let n***as know Puff’s got a record coming out. The Shiny Suit Man is brilliant.   REAL AND CHANCE – SLORES GALORE     THESE n***as…man…I’ll say this for these two cats, they keep the slores on deck. How many broads is it to start with? 20? Real and Chance basically get 10 broads a piece handed to them to do their bidding. You can say what you want about those dudes, but that’s pimp s**t. You get to see them degrade slores on TV,watch TonyTerry’s twin sister hit a b#### while wearing a mood ring and see what happens when a fine a** Hawaiian chick goes off her meds. Great gig if you can get it.   Of course 95% of these women are only there to hopefully get a spread in SMOOTH magazine or to get more hits on myspace. The other 5% of them are trying to either cut off and steal the CrystalGayle looking n***as hair for a human-hair weave,or at least learn his Pantene secret. I aint mad at these dudes though.   It is sorta difficult to respect one n***a with a mohawk who dresses like MadMax meets EdHardy and another one who wears leggings on his arms (armmings?) and rocks Pocahontas braids. But hey,the n***as make hoes wrestle on TV, and they aint trying to hurt anybody. Hopefully they’ll avoid herpes and in the end maybe one of them can be on The Surreal Life or something. Gotta respect a n***a with goals.   FLAGS AT HALF-MAST IN CAMELOT     Senator Ted Kennedy died a few days ago. Now, I’m far from a political pundit but I know he was one of the good guys, simply because his last name is Kennedy, not Bush. The Kennedy clan was instrumental in democratic politics for over 40years and have also seen and endured a lot of tragedy, (the Kennedy’s causes of death look like the f**king plot line from ‘FINAL DESTINATION’) all the while fighting the good fight. Although Sen.Kennedy was involved in a sketchy 1969 car accident that left a woman dead,as far as I know he never torture any prisoners or killed any pit bulls,so that gotta count for something. I got an idea.   I know that everybody has to die one day,but if we’re gonna keep up this 09 DeathRace pace maybe we can at least get some Limbaughs, Hannity’s, O’Reilly’s, and Beck’s involved.   Hey, it’s just a suggestion, God.   Don’t judge me.   Oh…wait…   BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR?     Dr.Conrad Murray…n***a…you…killed MICHAEL JACKSON?   What kind of muthaf**ka kills MICHAEL JACKSON?   What the f**k medical school did he go to?   Ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath?   Doctor’s are some wild n***as.   I know they’re supposedly smarter than everybody else, and that’s cool, but I’d rather get treated by an A+ nurse than a D- doctor. I hope you and Dr.Jan Adams end up as cellmates, you smart-dumb n***a.   EUROPE   Man, I f**king love Euros.   They make dollars look like green toilet paper.   Just got back from Hip-Hop Kemp in the CzechRepublic.   Biggest Hip-Hop festival in Eastern Europe. Method Man, Black Milk, Planet Asia, B.o.B, Blu and Exile, Termanology, Reks, El da Sensei,Camp Lo,J-Live Cymarshallaw,Torae, La Coka Nostra, U.N.I and Devin the Dude. Basically a bunch of n***as who can actually rhyme (an anomaly in today’s HipHop) that you may not be familiar with.   Some real HipHop s**t.   No politics and all that other bulls**t. Nobody there gives a f**k about your first week numbers or your BDS. n***as overseas are all about the music.   Mef at Hip-Hop Kemp     There’s no way I could write down all the ill s**t that happened at Kemp this year in the limited space AHH allows me, but I’ll give you a glimpse. (Editor’s note: we give hexmurda all the space he wants to write, because we fear him)   Drank a lot of vodka with the original hipsters, CampLo (n***a Suede had on some saddle shoes, a silk vest and an untied tie-on their off-day.)   Black Milk killed it in front of about 20,000 in the rain.   Drank a lot of vodka with Ill Bill.   MethodMan’s music was f**king up (DJ Mathematics got detained for some s**t and wasn’t […]

The sky is falling. No need to go outside and look for yourself. Trust me. I’m on the Internet so what I say must be true. The sky is falling. Rush to your neighbors and tell them too. Keep your head down as you do this as not to look at the sky because its falling and you don’t want to get hurt. Tell everyone you know that the sky is falling but be sure to say it like this: “I heard/someone told me/read somewhere the sky is falling.” Make sure to say it with such conviction that they have no choice to believe you. In a panic they will then pass the same information along to their network. Think you could never fall victim to the hype? Well guess again. This sort of thing happens all the time. We’ve become so accustomed to others telling us what’s news that we are too lazy to dig for ourselves. Last week I wrote about Prez Obama’s health care reform plan. What amused me the most was some readers’ colorful responses, or should I call them verbal jabs, because I admitted to not having read the fine print of the reform plan. Each week, the purpose of my column is to take social and political issues that are overlooked by Hip Hoppers add to them my opinion, a dash of humor to make it easily digestible, throw in some fact or links to some facts and leave it up to you to dig more and formulate your own view. How many writers, bloggers, journalists will tell you when they don’t know the full facts? How many would have faked the funk and built themselves up to be an expert? Well I could have played the smarty arty role but I can’t lie to you. Writing about non music related topics for an entertainment thirsty society has always been a challenge. I still fight with editors about their insistence that rappers photos be used as art for The X Fact(her). You think I don’t know that Jay-Z has nothing to do with urban farming? Without his image, how many would have clicked the headline to read that article or any other of my columns that didn’t feature a rapper in the art? When I was the News Editor at The Source I always fought to prove that we didn’t have to dumb things down in order for the readers to get it. Nevertheless I had to include the meaningless quotes of D-List rappers who could care less about the issue at hand because that was what the bosses felt the reader need in order to relate. I won’t even tell you who was on my “I need a political quote from a rapper” call list. Since I began writing this column there are a couple things that I’ve learned: – Knowing is half the battle. The other half is doing something with that knowledge. People like being in the dark. Its so easy to say you didn’t know and blame it on ignorance than to be enlightened and forced to do something with that knowledge. – For some my race is really an issue. What does my skin color have to do with the merit of my work? (Going back to being misinformed, a simple google search of my name will turn up several pictures but I guess for some it much easier to sling mud than do some research.) – Making people care about what’s going on in the world is a tough job – Prez Obama has done little to nothing to restore Hip-Hop’s faith in the government. Ultimately, the X Fact(her) is one woman’s attempt to spark a dialogue, a break from the monotony. Sorry if I don’t tell you what to think or how to think it. Spoon feeding you is not my objective. You get enough of that everyday. – CH The X Fact(her) is a weekly column that appears on 99problems.org. Started on Inauguration Day 2009 by the League of Young Voter’s Education Fund, 99problems.org is a non-profit initiative that aims to keep young people engaged in the political process through activism and community involvement. Please visit 99problems.org to find out how you can get involved right now! For more on Chloé A. Hilliard visit www.chloehilliard.com.

Should The Hip-Hop Community Go On A Month-Long Fast? “May God deliver us from the curse of carelessness, from the thoughtless ill-considered deed. The deliberate evil of the world, we know is great, but how much of fortitude and strength and faith could we have to cure this and put it down, if only we were rid of the sickening discouraging mass of thoughtless careless acts in men who know and mean better. … God give us vision and thought. Amen.”   —Du Bois, W.E.B. Prayers for Dark People. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1980, p. 50.   We have a lot to atone for. Turn on BET or your favorite tri-state radio station and dare argue differently. The videos are vicious, the songs are sickening. At this point, the solution might not be as simple as some—including yours truly—have proposed in times past. It might not be enough anymore to call for boycotts of radio and TV stations, to call for greater responsibility in the marketing departments, to call for accountability from artists. It appears to me that, at this critical stage, we have transcended the physical into the spiritual.   I’m afraid that, as a community, as enablers of the filth and fungus that is commercial Hip-Hop, we have wronged not only man and woman, but God, as well. I’m afraid that there comes a time when evil takes upon a new form of vehemence, in which, like burnt offering, it rises to the heavens, creating a repugnant sensation that arouses the ire of God. And that time, like scriptural narratives of old (“The Plagues of Egypt,” “Sodom and Gomorrah,” “The Flood of Noah”) might be upon us.   Atheists, Agnostics, bear with me.   In the religious world, fasting is regarded a salient tool of self-correction when the body, mind, and spirit is out of sync with life’s purpose. Fasting, as a result of deprivation and diligence, works to keep at bay the recklessness and recalcitrance leading the believer down the slope of self-destruction, replacing it with meekness and morality.   Incidentally, 1 billion Muslims around the world just commenced an annual month-long fast a couple of days ago, traditionally known as Ramadan, to attain the highest level of spirituality—“God-consciousness.” But the practice of fasting isn’t indigenous to Islam. All three Abrahamic religious traditions have at their core the belief that sacrifice, especially of the flesh, is a great remediation in time of excessiveness.   On September 21st, members of the Jewish faith would be fasting in remembrance of Gedaliah ben Achikam, governor of the First Jewish Commonwealth in the Holy Land, who, according to reports, was assassinated in 423 BCE. 6 days later, most Jews would observe Yom Kippur, “Day of Atonement,” a 25-hour fast to purge all sin and shame the previous year might have accumulated.   My Judeo-Christian background introduced me early on to the gifts of fasting. I was required, then, to fast as regularly as possible. As with most other things in life, I hated being forced to do it, then, but can’t stop doing it, now. I found out that it sharpens the mind, diminishes distractions, and amplifies self-control—essential tools to survive in this spiritually bankrupt world of ours.   * * *   With the mounting opposition of oppression levied against underprivileged families, many social activists have begun announcing personal fasts to solve some of the problems currently confronting our community.   Rev. Father Michael Pfleger, senior pastor of St. Sabina, located in the South Side of Chicago, called for a fast earlier this year, and flew the national flag above his church upside down, to raise consciousness about the horrifically high rate of teen shootings and deaths Chicago has produced in the last 8 months.   Rev. Marcia Dyson, religious scholar and affiliate of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Justice, Research, Teaching and Service, also recently rallied a coalition to fast for the humanitarian crisis Haiti has been long-subdued by, and to pray for peace in her hometown of Chicago.   Civil rights hero and renowned comedian Dick Gregory announced in March his decision to fast until the end of the nation’s economic crisis. “Not since the days of The Civil Rights Movement have I ever seen such fear and anger in the people I meet,” he said at the time. “Except now, it’s all Americans. We have to take the lead and create humanity where none exists.” (As one who, in 1971, commenced a legendary 3 years fast from solid food, Dick Gregory knows the power of fasting.) His fast, which was to consist of “four days of just liquids, two days of just water and one day of nothing at all but the air that I breath,” is meant to address the “total lack of simple humanity that has destroyed this nation’s heart and soul,” and the “humanity and dignity of the American people who are suffering from this tragic economic distress.”   Earlier this month, Dick Gregory vowed a fast of nothing but water to mourn and uncover the mysterious death of his dear friend, Michael Jackson.   And in March of this year, Hip-Hop entrepreneur Diddy and New Orleans-raised MC Jay Electronica completed a 48-hour “spiritual fast” to ensure both mind and spirit is “ready to go to the next level.” As the fast—which I, in solidarity, observed—comes to an end, “all our dreams are gonna come true,” Diddy said, “but it’s time to get focused.”   * * *   The Hip-Hop community is in much need of self-reflection, and a month-long fast can be the catalyst. We must become critically concerned with the three Ms that I believe are threatening to tear down this great wall of cultural contribution: Message, Media, and Market.   MESSAGE: This machine of materialism has made millionaires of project-bound young Black men, but it has also convinced many others that life is about the glorification of drug violence, the domination of women, and the exhibition of personal wealth. […]

I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.   My boy DJ Neptune hit me up on Instant Messenger last week and asked me if I saw what “they” were doing to rapper Ace Hood on social network Twitter. I told him no, but that I would check it out as soon as I was near a computer.   Once I got there, I bore witness to one of the most vicious, meanest and Inexplicably humorous mob movements in social networking history.   Enter: #uknowuacehoodwhen   A brief education. On Twitter, when you use the “#” sign and a word it automatically registers the term in the Twitter search. If the topic is popular, it will start “trending” on the site for all to see. Once something starts trending, its popularity starts to swell even more and more people join into the fray. When Michael Jackson died, “#RIP MJ” was a popular trending topic.   Well, #uknowuacehoodwhen spread like a wildfire after a 30 day drought in California for poor Ace Hood. The young rapper has released a pair of albums within a 12-month time span, is solid lyrically and has heavy hitters like DJ Khaled backing him. With Def Jam as his recording home, you would think he would be safe from such taunts. Not.   Here is a random sampling of some of the funnier jokes by micro-bloggers on Twitter.   #uknowuacehood when @iamdiddy wouldn’t steal your publishing   #uknowuacehood when on ur song Dj Khalid says “we pretty good” instead of “we the best”   #uknowuacehood when DefJam take u to court for downloading a Ace Hood album & “you’ve been punished enough”   #uknowuacehood when you’re not on any of the remixes to your song…   #uknowuacehood when the next rhyme you write is gona be a suicide note   I have to admit, I was laughing out loud at my computer, but also amazed at this hybrid of humor and hate. The Hip-Hop Twitter community quickly adopted an e-mob mentality and commenced to iRoasting (copyright Chuck Creekmur) one of its own like he was Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly. But, iRoast him, they did!   But why? I had to ask a few people for this one.   But who and how? After a bit of research, I quickly realized that this all started with some guys very familiar in the New York area. The comedy sketch team of itsthereal.com took another trending topic, #uknowuhoodwhen, and flipped it to #uknowuacehoodhwhen and the “internets” ran wild with it. Twitter has a very robust, yet simple search which will allow you to search for these trending topics very easily. I search for “Chuck Norris” all the time. Those are the funniest. Anyway, I contacted the guys of itsthereal.com and Jeff answered a few simple questions explaining how this all came about.   AllHipHop.com: What made you start it as a trending topic or did it start some other way like one of your videos?   Jeff: This won’t surprise anyone: not much thought went into #uknowuacehood. Very spur-of-the-moment; there was no master plan. All morning, people were tagging their tweets with #uknowuhood hashtags, and I just did a simple word substitution. I made a couple of quick jokes about how only Ace Hood knew who Ace Hood was, thinking nothing of it. It took off immediately, surprising no one more than Eric and myself. But no, I didn’t have any intentions of getting onto the Trending Topics board. I always thought that was reserved for talking about the Jonas Brothers, Twilight, and Things That Are Not Ace Hood.   AllHipHop.com: What was the original intent? Did you think it would spiral into THIS mean-spirited, but funning roasting?   Jeff: I thought we’d get a couple of retweets, a bunch of LOLs, but didn’t expect it to pick up the way that it did. The whole joke was that nobody knew who Ace Hood was, and so when it spread further out, then the joke turned in on itself because all of these people were making fun of Ace Hood simply because they didn’t know who he was. (Can’t decide if it’s meta, or ironic? Either way, sort-of funny.)   As for mean-spirited, I felt pretty bad after 3 hours of people making fun of Ace Hood, because it was just a pile-on by these anonymous commenters. At least with Eric and myself, our faces are out there – – you know who we are. (Actually, you probably don’t. But at least we give you that option!) Thankfully, Ace Hood took it all in stride, putting out a tweet about how appreciative he was to get so much attention. I mean, we did get his name out in one day, more than Def Jam did in two years.   AllHipHop.com: What, if anything, does this tell you about social networking and the new community bourgeoning around places like twitter?   Jeff: Hmm…I don’t know that #uknowuacehood means anything, really. Nothing changed – even though Ace Hood’s MySpace plays went up for the day – but it was a nice distraction, wasn’t it? The most interesting thing to me was how quickly people jumped onto a trend simply because it was being discussed. No one knew who Ace Hood was, and yet they jumped on the bandwagon. I guess that’s the most intriguing thing about the Twitter community: they just want to be a part of something.   Thanks, Jeff! Moving on and closing out, this seems to be a trend that will not stop anytime soon.   At least Ace Hood thought it was funny. He said the following  his Twitter: “thank you for makin ace hood a trending topic i appreciate it from the bottom ruthless in stores now lmao ha ha thank u really.”   A far less-humorous version of this trend popped up after Bow Wow announced, via Twitter, that he had signed to Cash Money. Suddenly, #justgotsignedtocashmoney was all the rage. Everybody from “Drake’s […]

Earlier today, former New York Giant, Plaxico Burress, pleaded guilty to weapons charges which will land him in jail for a minimum of 20 months and two years of supervised release (plea agreement). It was best that he took this route because if this case went to trial, he faced a minimum of 3 ½ years in prison if convicted. Damn Plax, you just celebrating a Superbowl championship ten months before the incident at the Latin Quarter nightclub in ’08. Plax, you just inked a 35 million dollar contract months before this incident. Plax, you fought so hard to achieve any success you’ve obtained, and now, this? People would say you had your reasons for walking into the club that night with a loaded weapon. You have a family to take care of that can’t afford for the breadwinner not to make it back home. Maybe you felt that you owed it to your teammates, especially Eli Manning who couldn’t throw a party without you, let alone a completed pass for the rest of the season. One week prior to the incident, your Giants teammate, David Tyree was said to have been robbed at gunpoint by his driver. So you had your reasons. But damn Plax, these are the very reasons why you shouldn’t have been strapped that night. The judiciary system could care less about why you’ve acted in such a way. And almost a day after you were charged, Mayor Bloomberg saw an opportunity to separate you from your stardom, while placing you up on a cracked pedestal as an example to others. It’s sad to say it but you gave him the example to speak upon. If others would take heed to it is another story. Sentencing begins on September 22, 2009. Damn, didn’t another NFL star get released this spring? Damn Plax, in the great words of Ludacris when rapping was his full-time job, “Do your time homey; don’t let your time do you.” Will “Deshair™” Foskey is a journalist/blogger from New Jersey. His blog “The Race to Nowhere” was launched this past June to rave reviews.

[Hexmurda is a columnist for AllHipHop.com. His views don’t necessarily represent those of AllHipHop.com, but this one is pretty close to how many of us feel, you know minus the grammatical brutality.] Well, kiddies it’s that time of the week again. Yup, I’m back. Two columns down and I haven’t received my pink slip (yet). I’m not gonna get too comfortable though, because I’m sure S&P (that’s ‘Standards & Practices’, all you internet CEO’s should learn that one. Write it down next to ‘First Week numbers’ ans ‘distribution’, it’ll make you sound smart at your next shareholders meeting) is just itching to tell Jigsaw to end his Ex-Offender Outreach experiment and pull the plug on “the dude who says ‘N***A’ all the time.”   Like I give a f**k, n***a.   This was supposed to be an easy week for me. Talk some s**t about Real & Chance, (the 2009 Shabba Doo & Boogaloo Shrimp), lock in with Diddy & his band, and figure out if (Lady?) Gaga is playing “The Crying Game.” As usual, it never works out the way it should.   F***ing Hip-Hop supposedly had a birfday or some s### last week. (Click here to read the AllHipHop Report on Hip-Hop’s birthday.) Nobody else really said s**t about it, so why should I, right?   Somebody in the Bronx (I hope it was Kool Herc, ’cause he would know) said so, so I gotta take their word for it. Trust me, I didn’t even want to write this s**t. The last thing I wanted to do is write some long-a** piece chronicling Hip-Hop.   F**k that.   Ya’ll know the story already. And if you don’t know, go rent “WildStyle” and “Beat Street.”   I’m sure you guys can figure it out.   Alas, I get all ready to send in my bulls**t little blurbs about “Hip-Pop” culture and a funny thing happens.   I have a g###### epiphany. F**k.   The strangest f**king epiphany in the whole history of f***ing epiphanies.   And what’s the catalyst for this 1000 watt light bulb goin’ off in my dinosaur sized brain?   N.W.A.   “Always Into Something”   Yup, in the car riding down the street, listening to “Always Into Something,” and Sha-Pow! Right there in my mind’s eye, I saw what I had to do.   Wait, let me be a little more clear.   Riding down the street in a f***ing SmartCar in Barcelona, Spain listening to “Always Into Something.”   On the radio.   With cussing and everything.   Two questions popped into my head, “Why the f**k are they playing N.W.A on commercial radio, and what the f**k am I doing in Spain?”   Two questions, same answer.   Hip-Hop.   And it’s not like that N.W.A. cut was some Super Hip-Hop joint like “T.R.O.Y” by Pete Rock and CL Smooth or something.   It’s not even my favorite N.W.A record.   S**t, Cube wasn’t even on the joint.   Cube wasn’t even in the group anymore.   It was just the fact that a group like N.W.A., which had it’s own critics on our side of the water, made music powerful enough to be played over 17 years later, in another non-English speaking country.   Hip-Hop.   Hip-Hop had me all the way on the other side of the world, and Hip-Hop had a 17-year old record on the radio enabling MC Ren and Dr.Dre to talk s**t to Spaniards.   I couldn’t ignore it.   Some people call that type of thing, “A SIGN.”   I call it, “F**k, now I gotta re-write my AllHipHop News column.”   How in the f**k was I going to write a column for “AllHipHop.com” and not shout out Hip-Hop?   AND it just had a BIRFDAY?   F**k, what a quandary.   I don’t like getting into all this Real Hip-Hop/ Hip-Hop purist/Hip-Hop elitist bulls**t. (I’m an elitist because I like my rappers to be able to actually rap?)   So this ain’t that.   This is about respecting the music, culture and lifestyle that means so much to so many.   I don’t give a damn if you’re a fan of Rakim or Gucci Mane. I’m not drawing a line in the sand today.   This is for everybody.   If you ever heard a Hip-Hop record that gave you goosebumps that you played until either the tape popped or the words faded off the cassette, say “Thank You.”   If you ever tagged something, ANYTHING with a can of Kryleon or with a Sharpie, say “Thank You.”   If you ever almost broke your damn neck trying to do a “windmill/ helicopter,” say “Thank You.”   If you ever made a muthaf***ing dollar due to Hip-Hop,(even if it was from selling bootlegs) you should bow your f***ing head and say “Thank You.”   If you ever got up on a stage in front of either two or two million people on some Hip-Hop s**t, say “Thank You.”   Be grateful, because this s**t aint owed or promised to us. Hip-Hop has made a few dudes wealthy, a lot of cats rich, and has given a whole generation an identity. It gave us our own CNN in AllHipHop, our own journalists, our own heroes, our own villains.   Our own voice.   It gave us something to call OUR OWN.   It was ours.   We claimed it, we coveted it.   We became very familiar with Hip-Hop. And that’s where we f***ed up.   Familiarity breeds contempt.   So we began to neglect it.   And disrespect it.   And abuse it.   We started f***ing Hip-Hop up. (Well, I didn’t. You know, ’cause I’m an elitist and all.)   You know what I mean, and you know who you are. The quest for personal gain overrode the quest to make the dopest record.   Hip-Hop stopped being “F**k the police”,”s**k my d**k”, “f**k yo’ mama” music, and it turned into f###### elevator […]

Health Care Reform for Dummies Can someone please tell me why these people are mad?   Haven’t they watched SICKO? Well maybe their Senators should hold a town hall meeting where they watch the Michael Moore documentary about health insurance in America and let see if they continue to b#### and moan about Prez Obama’s proposed reform.   I won’t pretend to know the ins and outs of the bill that is on the table but I do know I need cheaper health care.   After being laid off in December, I opted to continue my health care coverage. If it wasn’t for Obama offering economic assistance for COBRA users I could not afford my health plan. The 65% reduction was just what I needed.   Don’t be fooled, I am a journalist but the well is drying up. My peers and I talk about how bad it is. Some of us have had to move, others are working jobs they would have laughed out just six months ago and some are getting in on the system. Even I’ve considered going down to get food stamps.   Time For Food Stamps?       When it comes to health care, it’s something that I can’t afford to be without. It’s also something that I can’t afford to pay for each month as an independent journalist.   Seeing these people go ape s### over a health care plan that wants to treat everyone fair and equal further proves that:   1 – People love to yell and scream   2 – We are a selfish country   3 – Senior Citizens think the government is out to kill them   4 – Most Americans have no idea what the reform really entails   To debunk these myths and fears, the white house launched http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck. I suggest you check it out.   Perhaps if Prez Obama created another 30 minute long commercial that aired on all channels explaining his plan, Americans will get it. I suggest he enlists the creators of School House Rock to direct the spot. I envision little pills and syringes dancing on an examination table singing along about the virtues of a better health care system. Don’t act like you wouldn’t watch. How many of us today only know what a bill is because of this:     I’m telling you, animation and a cute song will win everyone over.   – CH  

“Watch what you’re watching/” —Nas, “Sly Fox,” Untitled, 2008. Images matter. The age of denying the insurmountable effects graphic material masters on the minds of young, impressionable viewers should be far behind us. In the last decade alone, we have witnessed the dramatic possibilities an irresponsible media state is capable of producing when held to no account. From the shock-and-awe broadcast of the 9/11 attacks; to the grossly unethical reports about mass looting, criminal rampage, and child molestation, following Katrina’s landfall; to the media-manufactured scandal last year, involving President Barack Obama and Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., the truth is no longer deniable. By and large, the aim is to “elicit specific and planned emotional reactions in the people who see them.”[1] The media is a myth-making machine. It thrives on the gullibility and vulnerability of untrained and uninformed viewers. Whether to help propagate political propaganda, or to arouse viewers to unconscionable actions, images can be the defining factor between life and death. The power of imagery is so strong, that it has defined the humanity of millions of immigrants (Blacks, Browns, and Yellows), condemned millions to death (Jews), convinced nations in supporting unpopular wars, and programmed children into believing in fables. “Some say the pen overpowers the sword/ The video camera is just as powerful when it records/” Images matter. Raw footage of LAPD officers brutalizing the skull of a drunk man[2] awoke the sleeping beast of unrest in disgruntled youth, resulting in over $1 billion in damages. Images come from symbols. Thankfully, renowned psychologists like Dr. Frances Cress Welsing have taken great time out to decode the meaning behind some of the symbols already ingrained into our mental faculty—or “brain computer,” as she calls it. These symbols are responsible for the triggered reactions most of us educe when confronted by certain images—the cross, the gun, the sun, the moon, the stars, sexual organs, etc. They communicate with pre-established sentiments in our psyche, evoking strong emotional expressions—which should discredit the arguments of those who relentlessly contend that what is shown on TV is mere entertainment; thus, undeserving of the critical examination thoughtful viewers pay to it.   Acclaimed scholar Henry Giroux has dedicated a lifetime of service to the assessment of mass media, and the development of critical theories to fight back against the rise of neo-liberalism in this media-driven era. In Beyond the Spectacle of Terrorism: Global Uncertainty and the Challenge of the New Media, Giroux writes: “Mass and image-based media have become a new and powerful pedagogical force, reconfiguring the very nature of politics, cultural production, engagement, and resistance.” [3] But the terrain gets a bit tricky to navigate, with accepted notions that any call for responsibility in media production is a half step away from Communism—an obliteration of the First Amendment guarantee to Free Press. In the name—or rather, under the guise—of exercising their right to uncensored broadcasting[4], ruthless misrepresentations go unchallenged, countless lies are told, and reports are presented as unbiased—to ensure corporate sponsorship is appeased.[5] “Telling lies to our vision/ Telling lies to our children/ Telling lies to our babies/ Only Truth can take us away/” Images matter. The average viewer spends 3 hours a day in front of the idiot box, guaranteeing that by age 75, such person would have flittered away 9 years of his/her life in the pursuit of unreal imaginations.[6] The brain functions primarily in Delta, Theta, Alpha, and Beta Waves. The Delta and Theta waves occur in infants and children, while the Alpha and Beta waves occur in adults. The Beta state is required for more energetic work, and the Alpha for cerebral activities—reading, sleeping, Yoga, meditation, etc. In the Alpha state, most nerves are relaxed, and the brain is most vulnerable to information-penetration. An attentive student in class is most likely to be found in the Alpha state. The Beta, however, keeps the body functioning on optimum level.[7] When most people watch TV, their brain waves immediately switches from the Beta to the Alpha state, leaving the mind at risk to whatever data is being transmitted. Researchers have found that, at this stage, the brain relaxes into a mild-hypnotic state, which is why TV watchers can seat firm for hours, without moving an inch. This also explains why when disturbed in the middle of their TV-watching sessions, viewers can become erratic and, even, violent—as some are when woken from deep sleep. Because of the fast-paced images, and the rapid transitions on screen, the left side of the brain, responsible for assessment and accountability, is, in essence, shut down, rendering the mind defenseless to attacks from any source.[8] * * * Images matter. The gift of music videos has blessed Hip-Hop with just as much curse. Through television, Hip-Hop introduced the world to a reality that had trapped the humanity of millions of Black and Brown men. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” has stood the test of time, remaining the most prolific example of the best prophetic Hip-Hop has to offer. With the music video release for The Message[9], a global audience saw firsthand what it meant to be “livin’ in a bag” and “eating out of garbage piles”; a place where “smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers, pickpockets, peddlers, and even pan-handlers” were local heroes. This audience was forced to pay attention to the criminal conditions inner-city Black and Brown youth were relegated to. The message was delivered. Unfortunately, Hip-Hop music videos haven’t all followed that tradition since. In fact, the majority have deviated far from it, choosing instead to bow before the altars of sexual exploitation and materialism, choosing instead to glorify the violence of inner-city warfare. The horrendously misogynistic nature of most of these videos has created an atmosphere where women who listen to Hip-Hop are trapped between their love for it and the hate being hurled at them, creating a sense of conflict within the psyche that can cause as much pain as it does pleasure. And, though the ‘90s brought with it caricatures […]

The other day, I was really sitting down and thinking. I was playing with one of the kids and a wave of happiness-slash-sadness just splashed down on me. It was weird.   I was thinking of my own plight. You probably didn’t notice, but I haven’t written in the last couple of weeks. Life has delivered blow after blow, an apparent attempt to break my spirit. I’m no punk. I’ve been through my share of strife, and more importantly, am always down for the necessary, worthy struggle.   Then, it hit me like a ton of cinderblocks.   I took a brief inventory on all of my close friends and family and I came to a startling realization. Every single person close to me is struggling in some way or another. And when I say struggle, I mean, our way of life or ability to strive is in jeopardy. Struggle is nothing new, but this is different. This wrestling match with life is not limited to the seasoned adult, but even teens and recent college grads. Just about everybody!   Most of us have issues surrounding money, as is the case with Americans in a general sense. And for goodness sake, lets not forget those of us that are seemingly permanently disenfranchised as a people. All of this is in perspective.  Still, pinching pennies is a regular happening, but it has gotten maddening the ways we are attempting to stretch a dollar with no elasticity. Pinching pennies…til Abe Lincoln gets bruises…   Also, not surprisingly, relationships around me are reaching their breaking point. I have friends that were in long-term relationships and those relationships are crumbling under the weight of the stress. According to my friends, there are other issues and I am sure there are, but more relationships end due to money.   In that regard, I don’t worry to much. OK, I’m lying. I do worry a lot, but I am working on that. There is a quote that goes, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” There are things that I am working towards – that we are working towards – that are not going to come to life right now. But, as is always the case, we survive, because we are resilient by nature. I mean, think of the last time you went through some real MESS. When you were living it, it was the worst thing and a few years after it, you were probably proud of your ability to make it through. Sometimes we even affectionately recall our battles and brag about the scars. And, more importantly, you probably learned a lesson.   Collectively, I am not sure that we are learning a lot of lessons. Americans seem to ignore signs along the road and wonder why we plunge off a cliff. Usually, there are warning signs all along the trip. Are Americans approaching a cliff? It sure seems so, but perhaps we caught that last sign just in time. The America that we know is definitely a thing of the past. But that isn’t going to stop us, is it? Or is it? Nah…   I don’t know if Suzie Orman can help me now, but I am going to keep watching her and reading other financial authors for the wisdom to protect mine. I am also going to stay abreast of the Amero and all the other conspiracy theories as well. I laugh at my friends that “curse” Obama as if we didn’t know little would change even under his reign.   I’ve never looked at Obama as anything more than an inspirational figure for me and mine. Other than that, I’m making the most concerted effort to pull myself out of the struggle. But, we all know it doesn’t stop and this time next year, should things stabilize, most of us will be in some other difficulties.   An then my focus came back to my kid there, just playing without a care in the world…unaware of my un-docked stress. Man, there are choices and there are other times when you have no choice.   We’ll work it out.  Good Guy aka EveryMan is a columnist on AllHipHop.com and his columns appear every Thursday or when he sends them over. Of course his views are not necessarily that of AllHipHop.com, but we don’t hate Drake either.  

I’ve watched the video of Hillary Clinton spazzing out on that poor Congolese college student at least 10 times and each time it gets me hype. She was in the Congo to speak on behalf of women’s rights specifically the epidemic of Congolese women and girls being raped and used as weapons of war. During a stop on her tour, she took questions at a town hall-style meeting on Monday. One male student made the mistake of asking the Secretary of State: “Mrs. Clinton, we’ve all heard about the Chinese contracts in [The Congo]… What does Mr. Clinton think through the mouth of Mrs. Clinton…Thank you very much.” For a split second I could see the sista in her, I think there’s even a visible neck roll and if you look closely I’ve been told you can see her lips mouth “B***h, please!” Her reaction is priceless. Once she took her headphones out I knew it was a wrap! Later, Congolese officials tried to say that the student meant to ask about President Obama and not Bill Clinton. If that’s true, that’s what I call a Freudian slip. The world may love Prez Obama, but they are still very emotionally attached to Big Bill. His show stealing release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea further cemented his legacy. Sure, the White House says they didn’t send him (yeah right), stating he acted on a personal mission. However, let’s not overlook the fact that North Korea requested Bill Clinton knowing that his presence would garner them a world stage. The man’s been out of office for nearly a decade and is still in hot demand. All of this makes Hillary one p##### off woman. She had to put the muzzle on him during her presidential campaign because he was coming out of pocket and stealing her shine. Now, she is the Secretary of the State and is still being asked questions about her husband. Hillary should have jumped into the audience and beat the crap out that college kid. “Don’t you know who the eff I am? I’m Hillary M####-effing Clinton. I run this show. Bill is my b***h. Now, ask your question again.” Behind the matronly headbands, knee length skirts and pearls she uncomfortably wore during her time as First Lady, I always knew that Hillary Clinton was a spitfire. I would have paid anything to see the smack down she delivered to Bill after his cigar antics were revealed with Monica Lewinsky. You can’t tell me she didn’t hit him with a one-two combo. During her run for President, a major complaint from voters was that she wasn’t likeable. She wasn’t soft and pink. Sure she was a bit of an ice queen but that’s OK. After seeing her snap on ol’boy, I like her even more now. If she was to become our President we’d need the Hillary that was about to break some necks in the Congo to prove to the world that she deserved to be in the White House and needed to be taken seriously. Hillary Clinton is strong, damn it! She’s a beast. I’m so in awe of angry Hillary that I think she deserves her own theme song. Just change “Papa” to “Hilly” and “Man” to “Woman”. – CH The X Fact(her) is a weekly column that appears on 99problems.org. Started on Inauguration Day 2009 by the League of Young Voter’s Education Fund, 99problems.org is a non-profit initiative that aims to keep young people engaged in the political process through activism and community involvement. Please visit 99problems.org to find out how you can get involved right now! For more on Chloé A. Hilliard visit www.chloehilliard.com.

“Am I wrong for wishing somebody would get killed? I mean, it just doesn’t seem like Hip-Hop gets it until somebody gets killed.”   -illseed  August 10, 2009, posted in rumors   “It ain’t Hip-Hop til some one gets killed? Thanks. That has to be the most reckless, insensitive statement I have heard against our culture in a long time and I’ve heard a lot from conservatives, republicans, bible thumpers, etc. Epic failure, illseed.”   Karmaquarius  Temple of HipHopStop the Violence MovementAugust 10, 2009, sent via email.     How cool would it be if Joe Budden or Raekwon were to get killed over some nonsense!   Man, it would be good for everybody. They will sell more records. The fans have something to talk about. More internet traffic for AllHipHop. DJ’s get to do obligatory mixtapes. And, finally everybody gets to look back with the clarity of 20/20 vision like, “That was the dumbest, most avoidable rap beef ever.”Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from your computer?    Remember, this all started from a LIST from a magazine, who had an opinion about some rappers in the game.   All of that lead to THIS, beef, gangs, violence and online s**t talk. I just find it amazing that Hip-Hop has now adopted such a petty way of operating. We really shouldn’t be here…we should be celebrating.   Think about it, Slaughterhouse represents exactly what Hip-Hop should be. Four rappers banning together in a drought to create one of the best groups Hip-Hop has seen in a long time. And when I say groups, I don’t mean this loose collection of signed artists. I’m talking about the crew that sleeps in the studio, is cool and rides for each other. They have a self-titled album out on August 11 (deemed Slaugust 11) and Joe Budden also dropped a digital EP as well, Escape Route.   Then there is Raekwon and Wu Tang. What else can be said? These dudes are arguably the greatest group ever and Rae authored their greatest album. Raekwon has the sequel (Only Built For Cuban Linx II) out soon that we all hope takes us to a place where Hip-Hop was about the feeling and the music. The music!   Back to my opening statements about death…   Karmaquarius is an apparent member of the “Stop The Violence Movement,” an anti-violence group that was founded about 20 years ago by KRS-One. I never heard a peep from said individual until my “reckless, insensitive statement.”   For those that know me and how I operate, they got it. They got it, because they are wise people that know that I speak tongue-in-cheek from time to time and they have been reading my work for years.   Here is the point for the two people that didn’t get it.   Hip-Hop generally sits idly by and waits for something to happen, before the outrage occurs. The outrage only really happens after somebody gets shot, stabbed or killed. For the most part, it really takes something way over the top for people to respond. Hence, Karmaquarius’s apparent knee-jerk reaction to a seemingly brazen comment that was sarcastically written.   The fact remains a punch in the eye can result in death or increased violence, even for a guy like Joe Budden. Joe has close friends that are very “affiliated,” and reports quickly came in that a disaster was averted at and after the Rock The Bells concert. Clearly an older soul, Joe Budden challenged Raekwon to a “fair one” or “square dance,” as he put it. One on one. The “Stop The Violence” people are very necessary in these times. The beef simmers but I am sure can anything can break out at any given moment, at any given venue.   Ever notice how small the world is getting?   Rae and Joe…on the same tour. They are within a Twitter “tweet” of talking bad about each other. Joe can send a video message and never converse with Rae, but they are in touch nevertheless. These guys are talking to fans and fans are talking to them. Fans are picking sides. Beef is no longer “over there…”   This conflicts are right here in our faces, on our computers in every medium imaginable.   I don’t want anybody to die. I want Hip-Hop to live. I want Hip-Hop to see, before tragedy. I want people such as Karmaquarius and all the “Stop The Violence” movements around the nation to react to a slow-moving, but eventually epic tragedy in our future. These days, the reactionary way is pointless. You have to be damn-near psychic and know something is about to happen and do what you can to avert it. PS: For the record, I don’t think a “fair one” is such a bad idea, in theory.  For your entertainment:   Stop The Violence!   video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsfree video player  

            “And all you coon-a** rappers—ya’ll should all get lynched/ And all you fake-a** gangsters—ya’ll should all get lynched/” —NYOIL, “Ya’ll Should All Get Lynched,” Hood Treason, 2007. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and it seems some would hate nothing more than to see Ni**adry completely blotted out from Hip-Hop music. After all, commercial Hip-Hop-sponsored buffoonery has helped make more millionaires than the Powerball and Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme combined. These are perilous times, but who’s paying attention? I’m more convinced now, more than I’ve ever been, that many fans, artists, and executives would rather see Hip-Hop go down the path of self-annihilation before they speak up against this spreading tumor of tomfoolery currently making its way around the brow chakra of the Hip-Hop body.  Artists have a moral responsibility to project themselves in a light worthy of the support fans have afforded, but who says the fans themselves—predominantly White anyway—aren’t particularly titillated by the shuckin’ and jivin’ of these Black modern-day minstrels. And, of course, no one is, in 2009, still unsure of the true intentions most major label executives have for this culture of ours. Turn on the radio or BET and the evidence abounds. Like drug dealers, the efficacy of their products isn’t necessarily measured by the number of people opposed to it, but rather by the number of those whose weight is behind it—who have become dependent on it, even if death is slowly creeping around the corner.  In a recent satirical (but not so funny) music skit, “Eat that Watermelon,” spoof genius Affion Crockett enlists the assistance of Nick Cannon and Queensbridge legend Nas, to drive home a sobering point—Hip-Hop is inching closer to the totality of Ni**adry than it’s ever been. In the intro, Nas delivers some poignant thoughts about the future Hip-Hop music is prepared for if a critical intervention doesn’t take place sometime soon: There is a period of great distress in the Rap universe. There was a time when Hip-Hop was a form of empowerment. Now, the corporate world is quickly diluting our culture for nothing more than profit. With the ever-mounting forces of ridiculous dances, ignorant behavior, and general buffoonery it’s only a matter of time before Hip-Hop’s permanent annihilation. Crockett and Cannon do their best to portray an outlandish duo of coonish rappers, but fail miserably—as their characters aren’t at all different from what can be currently seen on music video channels: They’re blinged-out (chains, belt buckles, bracelets, etc.)—Check. They’re laced-up with doo-rags and sideways-flipped hats—Check. They smile (on cue) unnecessarily and almost uncomfortably—Check. They dance as wildly and uncoordinatedly as possible—Check. They are rewarded for their coonery with cover-page features on Hip-Hop magazines—Check. The video ends with excessive running upon sight of M#### (the police)—Check. At this, Nas reappears to give a final warning: “Yo, check it ya’ll, this is Nas, and if that don’t stop—Hip-Hop is dead.” Well, with rappers nowadays making songs like “Whip it Like a Slave,” how far are we really from that reality? And, while on the topic, it was curious to read the many responses to last week’s editorial on a popular Hip-Hop star disgracing the legacy of those millions who died that he may live a life of freedom and prosperity.   More appalling was the response by the producer of the song, Maestro, self-described as a “Grammy Award Winning Multi-Platinum Producer, Songwriter, Motivational Speaker, and Trendsetter,” who dismissed all criticism lobbed at his reprehensible record with the pathetic defense that he “thought it was hilarious at the time.” This “motivational speaker” (God help the children!), in a Twitter argument with a disgruntled activist, contended that his actions were warranted because “Police officers didn’t protest when Wayne said ‘beat it like a cop,’ so whats the big fuss now? We want to own slavery only when it’s convenient. We reference it for reparations, mention it to justify affirmative action but vilify it for lack of a better discussion piece.” Imagine that: Nothing wrong with the song because Black folks (proof?), as he sees it, have a history of holding slavery at arm’s length—when not “convenient.” No mention that he just took opportunism to a new low, by commercializing the brutal, dehumanizing, and life-altering experience slavery was.  Fellow readers, these are Hip-Hop’s rising stars. These are the hope for the future; the ones our children are listening to—fools like these who argue, against all laws of logic, that Ni**adry can be excused under certain—undefined—clauses. Of course, it needs no mention that the same folks who would green-light a song titled, “Whip it Like a Slave,” wouldn’t waste no time overwriting the release of others that made similar references about Jews, White men, or related special interest groups protected by the big wigs whose stranglehold on Hip-Hop music successfully brought about the obliteration of social consciousness in the mainstream sector.     Thanks to Young Buck, we now know that Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Records, enforces upon his artists’ creativity a “lyric committee” which is meant to censor and censure all uncomplimentary remarks made about certain groups, such as rogue police officers. According to Buck, who was speaking to Hot 97’s Angie Martinez at the time (2007), “they wouldn’t let me put that record on my album [because] they said it was too violent. … They said… ‘you can’t put this out’.” So, for instance, it’s very convenient for Compton rapper The Game to go overseas and lead a sea of White fans in chants like “F### Jay-Z… Old ass Ni**a,” and feel good for doing so, but if he dared raise his voice against a Jewish rapper like Asher Roth, complementing him with a racially equivalent invective, the results wouldn’t be as rewarding. And even multi-platinum artists such as Kanye West are constantly reminded that, in the music industry, the White man is not to be f**ked with, as happened in the censoring of his verse on “All Falls Down” (The College Dropout, 2004), which went: “Drug dealers buy […]

Hexmurda is the latest columnist at AllHipHop.com. His views are his own and don’t necessarily represent those of AllHiphop.com or its employees. We had to say that. Now, allow hex to articulate his feelings.   If you didn’t see this coming, then you’re blind as a f###### bat. Some n***a finally punched Joe Budden in the face. After all that blogging, and beefing and internet videos and meetings in the men’s room and peace talks and all that other s**t, a n***a finally put hands on JumpOff. And what does Joey do? Immediately gets back on the net talking s**t. That n***a is nothing if not consistent. Before I even get off into this s**t, I gotta say,I know Joe Budden. Met him through Royce Da 5’9″. Joe’s manager is a good friend of mine. I know Raekwon, too. Met him with Power from Wu Tang about six years ago. Both of those n***as are cool dudes. I respect the f**k out of the Wu Tang Clan and my n***a Royce is in Slaughterhouse so I’m f**kin’ w/ them heavy. That’s not gonna stop me from keeping it 100, though. That s**t that happened at Rock The Bells in San Bernardino was some bulls**t. The facts are, Raekwon and some of his n***as confronted Joe Budden in a backstage area and one of the n***as snuffed him. F**k everything else that happened prior to that. A n***as fist made physical contact with Joe Budden’s face. That aint no rap s**t. That’s real s**t. That’s violence. N***as get killed over s**t like that, every day. Everything else goes the f**k out the window. F**k why he hit him, the n***a’s#### now. Let’s be clear, Raekwon DID NOT punch Joe Budden. Didn’t even touch him. The dude who hit him is irrelevant, he was basically just an instrument of Raekwon. And on some real s**t, Wu Tang is Hip-Hop royalty, he shouldn’t have to touch anybody. They should have n***as for that dirty work, and evidently they do. I don’t know what Raekwon’s intentions were. Maybe just to embarrass Budden. They definitely weren’t there to f**k him up because they probably could have if that would’ve been the mission. Six big n***as against Joe and Mickey Factz? Bad odds for Mouse. But NOW WHAT? Joe Budden’s just supposed to wear that? I think he had it coming to him, but not from some random n***a when the beef was supposedly over. If Raekwon had or has that much of an issue with Budden those two grown men need to go in an empty room, lock the door and fight. We all know WuTang rolls deep. As f**k. Crooked I had about 60 n***as with him, s**t happened in his backyard. We know all those bodies could clash and cause a damn riot and f**k a whole lot of s**t up. That aint necessary. That just f**ks up the tour and f**ks up n***as bread. They should just shoot the fair one. One time. On some man s**t. No gloves, cameras, live streams, entourage, nothing extra. They should leave it all in that f**king room. Fight til one of them quits, gets knocked out or they’re too f**king tired to keep going. We don’t even have to know who the f**k won. I don’t even care who the f**k wins. I just don’t want to see this s**t elevate to the point of no return. True enough, all this s**t started with Joe Budden’s big a** mouth, and hopefully he’s learned a lesson buried in all this bulls**t. Maybe these two cats can agree to disagree and walk their separate paths in life. Maybe Farrakhan will call a meeting. Maybe Raekwon and Joe will get on stage together at Rock The Bells and hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.” I don’t know how feasible that is,but I know any of that s**t would be better than the alternative. N***as need to end that s**t. NOW. F**k how it started. End it. I don’t want to see another rap n***a’s name on a shirt with f**king “R.I.P” or “FOREVER” on it. F**k that s**t.

  One could easily dismiss Melody Ehsani as an exotic fashionista…if one is the sort to judge books by covers. However, upon further review and acquaintance, it is apparent that there are several layers to Melody. She is of Persian decent, but born and reared in L.A. She’s oddly, b-girlish yet unapologetically couture. One that deals in the seedy world of music and fashion, yet very spiritual. Cassie’s shaved sides were old news to Melody. That was years ago. The rapidly rising designer has successfully carved out a niche that began with unique women’s shoes to accessories that evoke old school Hip-Hop. Melody is a true original and her stylings have been embraced by the likes of Erykah Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Keri Hilson, Vanessa and Angela Simmons and so many others, she can hardly remember. In accordance with Ehsani’s fresh designs, AllHipHop decided to break our own mold and interview Melody over Instant Messenger, even after an in-person meeting. The conversation was took place as Jigsaw was in a boring panel discussion and Melody was at her Los Angeles home working on designs while watching Will Smith on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Observe what transpired and see what Melody Ehsani has to offer your world and beyond. jigsaw: U there? melody_ehsani: yessur jigsaw: Wnna do this now?? melody_ehsani: yessur melody_ehsani: how goes it?   jigsaw: Good! Trying to catch u   melody_ehsani: do we need a vid cam?   jigsaw: Oh wait   melody_ehsani: cuz i dont have one on this comp   jigsaw: I’m sorry, I thought u wanted to do it on ichat   melody_ehsani: yeah thats fine   melody_ehsani: thats better   jigsaw: Ok great…ready?   melody_ehsani: yes i am   jigsaw: Ok…so, tell me about your company, give me a basic overview.   melody_ehsani: basically i strive to create fashion products that are cutting edge, yes still affordable for women   melody_ehsani: im trying to bring back originality to the design game   jigsaw: Can you describe your style?   melody_ehsani: where everything doesnt look the same…thats why I work twice as hard to offer the general public customizable options   melody_ehsani: my style is ever advancing…at the moment becoming more simple and sophisticated   melody_ehsani: very influenced by music and culture   jigsaw: I’ve noticed a hip hop flair, but its not over the top…care to explain hip hop’s affect in particular?   ——————————– 7:45 pm ——————————–   melody_ehsani: hip hop was integral in my upbringing…it helped me define who I was in the world…and made me aware of what authenticity and passion looked like at a young age…I looked up to hip hop artists because they went up against inertia to create something new in the world that had never existed before…and despite how hard it was to create that position, it felt like it was effortless, cuz it was meant to be…and they were always on 10 with outshining each other…but back then as opposed to now, it was who can be more creative and different. So naturally my asthetic was affected by this love..   jigsaw: What artists/artist style do you recollect as influential that have transcended the times?   melody_ehsani: big daddy kane, slick rick, salt n pepa, ll cool j, run dmc….all of them really, but kane and salt n pepa were my fave. melody_ehsani: the pop world back then was also doing big things…there was def influence there too with janet, mj, prince, paula abdul even!   jigsaw: What is hip hop doing right or wrong from a fashion point of view, in your opinion?   jigsaw: (Love paula abdul, straight up..lol)   melody_ehsani: haha me too   ——————————– 7:52 pm ——————————–   melody_ehsani: Hip hop now seems to have turned into a sort of conformist culture as far as fashion is concerned ,every now and then you’ll see something inventive, but nothing memorable…instead of whos more creative, it seems like everyone wants to know who has more…who has more diamonds around their neck, who has the bigger sneaker collection… and everyones wearing the same items..it looks very uniform. Personality doesnt come thru like it used to.   jigsaw: What about folks like Kanye, Lupe…?   ——————————– 7:56 pm ——————————–   melody_ehsani: I love that Kanye is trying to break the mold and that hes bringing fashion to the hood….but i feel like it was better when fashion started in the hood and then got taken to the runway. Nevertheless, their style in particular is very classic and safe. I love it….but Id love it more if there was some more diversity in artists wardrobe, more vintage pieces, more custom items, mix it up   jigsaw: Nice answer!   melody_ehsani: [:D]   jigsaw: You style accessorize for several artists. Can you run some down?   melody_ehsani: run the artists?   jigsaw: Like, saul, badu…   jigsaw: Tell me the artists u work with   melody_ehsani: In the last year Ive worked with/for Rihanna, Erykah Badu, Ciara, Musiq Soulchild, Alicia Keys, Neyo melody_ehsani: just to name a few….i cant really remember them all lol   jigsaw: Well, excuse me! What is it about you that you feel is attractive to them?   ——————————– 8:05 pm ——————————–   melody_ehsani: I think that its different, theres nobody else thats really doing anything like what I do…and its very bold and defining. I think its important for artists to be able to convey who they are and what they’re about using their wardrobe, and my items do that. They stand out….I think I have a good understanding of knowing how to blend different elements to create something special that speaks to them and in turn to their audience.   jigsaw: what artist do you enjoy working with the most if you have a favorite…   ——————————– 8:09 pm ——————————–   melody_ehsani: On a personal level, I really love working with Erykah Badu…she gets fashion…and she allows me to design from a very free place. I think shes such a free artist…if that […]

Lubna al-Hussein is facing 40 lashes for wearing tight jeans. On July 3, Sudanese “morality police” burst into a restaurant arresting 18 women, and al-Hussein, for wearing what they morally deemed to be inappropriate clothes. A journalist and former employee of the U.N, al-Hussein is making her case public in hopes of bring attention to the plight of women in Sudan. In preparation of her sentencing, she even sent out 500 invitations encouraging people to come see her flogging for a crime people here would laugh at. I’m not trying to make light of the situation in Sudan or any other religious country were such drastic measures are taken to ensure that women are hidden, but where is our “Fashion Police”? There have been times when I’ve walked down the street behind young men who have their entire ass out (usually covered thinly by some boxers) for all the world to see. They waddle like ducks in order to keep their jeans from falling down or resort to holding the waist. Let’s face it, fellas you look a hot mess. I applauded when the baggy jeans went out of style but the skinny jeans are just as bad if not worse. Men aren’t the only ones in need of the “fashion police”. Women, some of you walk out with more flesh exposed than a butcher’s shop. There is no reason why I should be seeing your ass crack and belly roll. Here in our community, we dress this way because the opposite sex deems it acceptable. In Muslim countries, like al-Hussein’s, women dress covered up because men deem that the only acceptable style. There, men also deem what is acceptable for men as well. Go figure. If all women collective stopped talking to men whose behinds were out of their jeans men would start to cover them. If every man told women their dunlaps and overflowing boobs weren’t sexy women would cover them up. There is a way to be enticing to suitors and there is a way to not walk around looking like a fool. Seriously, there are some great social repercussions from seeing men and women dress the way they do here in America. What message about body image and self-worth are we sending to our peers and the younger generation? Back in Sudan, al-Hussein has become the poster child for a woman’s right to fashion freedom. She quit her job with the U.N., which would have granted her immunity, in order to have her day in court. Protesters support her and some are calling for revisions to the Muslim government’s public order law. Re-writing the law is just a step but perhaps the bigger issues is changing people’s minds about the woman’s body. Let’s face it, Al-Hussein isn’t being punished for what she was wearing but rather how she would make others feel. Women often get punished for evoking a feeling in men. We’ve all heard “if she didn’t want to get raped she shouldn’t have been wearing that mini-skirt”. It’s as if people really believe that the only purpose of the woman’s body is to serve the needs of men. This same sentiment dressing the please, is why women in America resort to showing the most skin to feel sexy and get attention. Is this the same reason why men walk around with their butts out? Ironically, we live in such a homophobic society yet we think nothing about young men walking around showing their a#### to the masses. Somewhere between women like al-Hussein being whipped for their attire and people here being encouraged to wear less material on their bodies, there needs to be a middle ground. I don’t honestly think law should enforce your personal style but dressing for the extreme (covered from head to toe vs bucky naked) isn’t working either.Fashion police…help! – CH The X Fact(her) is a weekly column that appears on 99problems.org. Started on Inauguration Day 2009 by the League of Young Voter’s Education Fund, 99problems.org is a non-profit initiative that aims to keep young people engaged in the political process through activism and community involvement. Please visit 99problems.org to find out how you can get involved right now! For more on Chloé A. Hilliard visit www.chloehilliard.com.

Lil’ Wayne, “Whip It Like A Slave,” and the Crisis of Coonery   “Music is said to soothe the savage beast, but it may also powerfully excite it. … At an emotional level, there is something ‘deeper’ about hearing than seeing; and sometimes about hearing other people which fosters human relationships even more than seeing them.” —Storr, Anthony. Music and the Mind. New York: Free Press, 1992, p. 26. That Lil’ Wayne is an embarrassment to the rich legacies of musical excellence which paved the road for his rise to prominence is not a breakthrough. It’s a given. An irrefutable fact. But that he would stoop so low to the level of making a song titled, “Whip It Like A Slave,” boggles the mind of even this writer. For too long, unskilled rappers, like Lil’ Wayne, have landed featherweight punch-lines on the ear-drums of trained listeners, reminding us that the art of lyrical swordsmanship should be left to those best capable of wielding it. But this song, bad pun or not, crosses the line. This time, somebody must be held accountable for the drivel and acerbic vitriol Lil’ Wayne lashed out at his ancestors, who suffered far too much to be disrespected by an intellectually crippled caricature. The lyrics of the song, which also features super-lyrical southern crew Dem Franchize Boyz, goes: I wake up in the morning, take a sh**, shower, shave/ Stand over the stove and whip it like a slave/ I whip it like a slave, I whip it like a slave/ Stand over the stove and whip it like a slave/ This hook is maintained for a good 40 seconds (that way, it’s sufficiently ingrained in the minds of young listeners), before Mr. Carter comes in—in signature superciliousness. And just so no one misses the point of the song, he raps: “New day new yay/ Bet I whip it like Kunta Kinte/ Talking sugar, talking dough like a ben-YAY/ I take a brick, karate chop it like a sensei/.”  Of course, it’s always comical to hear Lil’ Wayne discuss the dangerous terrain of drug-dealing. Why, the multi-millionaire who had it made at 11 knows more than anyone else the perils of the dope game.. But even with this awareness, many younger fans are still desperate enough to be lied to blatantly about an experience they know he never partook in, and one which they are foreign to. On this ground, commonality is found. Most of them, you see, are White and rich.   White suburban girls can’t get enough of “Weezy,” and for good reason—he, essentially, validates the centuries-old lies told about Blackness as a racial demerit. Lil’ Wayne is the epitome of a 21st century Minstrel. Stepin’ Fetchit in the flesh. He bucks, coons, and shines, for the shillings tossed his way by far wealthier white executives at the helm of this recording industry. “Your career is a typo/ Mine was written like a Haiku/” And before we go any further, a couple of points must be addressed: 1). Lil’ Wayne is no gangster, no dope dealer, no Blood. He’s, in truth, merely a child star who cashed in, quite handsomely I might add, on the untimely retirement of Jay-Z in 2004. Many of us who, today, shake our heads consistently at the very thought of Lil’ Wayne being regarded the “Best Rapper Alive,” remember the laughs we shared when he first, in early 2005, declared himself that. Most saw his ambitiousness as an unwise publicity stunt, but lately, circumstances have changed considerably. What we now realize, and are forced to admit, is the enormous control of those “old White men” Mos Def sang about in “The Rape Over” (The New Danger, 2004).. Lil’ Wayne’s success, it can be safely assumed, is a product not of talent or merit but of an agenda long-drafted before he came onto the scene. At best, he’s the dummy whose strings were picked to be pulled by powerful ventriloquists in big skyscraper offices. 2). Lil’ Wayne is powerless. Just that. For one who sold an impressive 1,000,000+ copies with his latest album, Tha Carter III (2008), and has been mentioned no less than twice by the most powerful man in the world, he might be getting less respect, from his bosses, than security guards and janitors. According to the Irv Gotti golden rule of business in the Hip-Hop industry, to get whatever they want, artists must “get hot.” Well, no other artists, with the exception of Drake, is hotter than Lil’ Wayne at this point, and still, label executives and A&Rs could care less about hurt feelings, as they rip asunder his many aspirations. In a December 2007 interview with RollingOut Television, Rap mogul Irv Gotti discussed the tricks of the Rap trade: “The key to negotiations and the key to success [is]—just get hot and stay hot, and when you go in that office and have that meeting, check your hotness..” Gotti explained how to ascertain the hotness of an artist: “Say some stupid sh**. If they kick you out [of] the office, Ni**a, you’re not that hot. If you say some outlandish sh** and they sit there and talk with you, you’re pretty hot. If you say some outlandish sh** and they thinking about doing it, Ni**a, you’re off the hook!” So, let’s put Lil’ Wayne’s career to that test. In 2008, at peak time, following the huge success of his now-triple platinum album, Mr. Big Shot decided he wanted to release a Rock-themed album, Rebirth. Many laughed and, apparently, some of those were executives at Universal Records—his parent company. After the release of his first single, “Prom Queen,” his manager, Cortez Bryant, was advised that the shot-callers weren’t really feeling the concept, and if Weezy “doesn’t brighten up, they have to turn into Mr. Evil Record Company and just tell him it’s never going to be released.” The album was originally scheduled for an April 2009 release date. It’s been pushed back several times now, but […]

(Editor’s Note: This was supposed to be the start of a regular column from hexmurda, a staple of the Detroit Hip-Hop scene. However, the death of Baatin of Slum Village preempted the column and hex has written a column about his fallen comrade. It was originally titled “F**K THIS RAP S**T, I’LL LISTEN TO CLASSICAL.”) We’re born dying. That’s a fact. When we say “Hello” to the world the seconds are ticking to when we say “Goodbye.” Everybody’s got a secret expiration date. More often than not, it seems that date comes a little sooner than it should for a lot of people. We can’t live forever…or can we? This s**t was supposed to be my intro into the wonderful world of internet s**t-talking. I was going to say a whole lot of f**ked up s**t & be the best thing since Bol, the worst thing since Pitchfork. Unfortunately, this aint that. This is baptism by fire. Detroit lost another one, man. Baatin. From Slum Village. Titus Glover. Gone. As of the time I’m writing this,n***as don’t know what happened. Details are sketchy, preliminary findings…all that bulls**t. But at the end,it all equals one thing. GONE. A lot of you cats reading this might not even know or give a f**k who Baatin is. Well guess what? This is MY muthaf**kin’ column and I DO give a f**k. You don’t like it,you can stop reading right now and stick f**king knitting needles in your eyes, or go back to updating your profile on gay.com for all I care. I’ll get to Drake’s ACL, some f**king idiot judge deciding Kelis’ milkshake is worth over 40k a month, and Stephon Marbury wilding the f**k out another time. This one’s for the HomeTeam, n***a. Baatin was a special dude. Yeah,I know. When a n***a dies,everybody says how “special” they were, and how they were “one of a kind” and all that other condescending s**t. Well,in this case, it’s true. Baatin WAS a different type of cat. Brilliant guy, maybe even too smart for his own good. Talked different, dressed different,THOUGHT different. How different? When Slum Village got a track from Scott Storch for their “TRINITY” LP, this n***a Baatin decided to spit his verse in HEBREW. Name of the joint is “GET LIVE,” the track is insane. I don’t speak a word of Hebrew unless “Shalom” counts, and trust me, Baatin was going IN. I don’t know what the f**k he was saying, he could have been saying, “Hex you f**king a**hole I’m gonna kill your whole family”, or whatever, but the s**t was ILL. DIFFERENT. SPECIAL. When this n***a was rhyming, he didn’t HAVE to rhyme. And for some f**king reason it worked. He said s**t the way he felt it needed to be said, with none of the constraints other MC’s impose on themselves. When I decided to write this s**t, I thought to myself, “f**k, do I have to give a damn history of Slum Village? Do I have to school these n***as about FANTASTIC:VOL.II? Hip cats to the Hip-Hop Shop and The Rhythm Kitchen? Do I have to re-open this f**king Dilla scab again? Pour Lawry’s into this Proof wound? Do I have to re-live this s**t AGAIN?” F**k that. I’m living in the moment. Besides, if you don’t know who the f**k SlumVillage or J.Dilla is then you don’t need to be reading some s**t called “AllHipHop” anyway. You should be at an intersection holding a sign that says “I A DUMM MUFUKA, PLEEZ CILL ME.” n***as who know about SV know that Baatin hasn’t been in the group since the “TRINITY” album. He was sick. He needed help. Serious help. Listen to eLZhi’s verse on “REUNION” off of SV’s DETROIT DELI for details. I’m not going to rehash that s**t here. We would see Baatin around Detroit at various HipHop functions/events, and some times he was in better shape than others. No matter his condition, he was always kind, always aware of who and where he was, even if he wasn’t always THERE, if you get my drift. I’ve got three instances to show you what kind of person Baatin was. 1. I was on the road with Slum Village, I think it was ’06. We were doin’ the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Dilla tribute gig. T3,eLZhi, DJ Dez, Phat Kat, Me,Tim Maynor (Slum’s mgr), PeteRock, Kino, Bilal, O-Love(Baatin’s mgr) and Baatin. Montreux Jazz Festival. That’s some prestigious s**t right there. At The MDH. MILES DAVIS HALL. You see the name,ya’ll know what time it is. Any-f**king-way, show starts,PhatKat rocks his set, (I’ll never forget him saying, “IT’S DILLA ALL NIGHT! DILLA ALL NIGHT!”),Baatin does his solo thing with O-Love on the wheels, and brings Slum out. The n***as hadn’t done shows together in years,Baatin didn’t know the set,but they pulled the s**t off. Baatin wasn’t supposed to be drinking because of his medication, but that n***a got a bottle of wine from some-g######-where and mashed it after the set. Pete Rock was the headliner, spinning that REAL Hip-Hop s**t, me and Baatin standing on the side of the stage,listening to Pete KILL IT.Suddenly,this n***a Baatin just runs out on stage and starts Earl-Flynning (if you don’t know what the Earl Flynn is, that’s too f**king bad. But trust me, it’s GANGSTA.) in front of the crowd. I go get the n***a, lead him off stage. Pete’s lookin’ at us kinda crazy, but whuteva. I turn my back, this muthaf**a Baatin throws the f**k up everywhere, then runs BACK out on stage. I retrieved that n***a again, and asked him what the f**k was wrong with him. He just grinned at meand said, “IT’S THE MUSIC.” It’s the music. The f**king music. Word up. 2. I was in Seattle for Red Bull BigTune with Black Milk and Elzhi,headed to the bank with my n***as Jake One & J.Moore when my phone rang. Normally I don’t answer calls I don’t know,especially not 313 area codes,because it’s usually […]

When I read the headlines of the death of boxing legend Vernon Forrest, I was stunned, but not nearly as stunned after a friend told me what he released to the internet. I was shocked after seeing what the former champ had sent out on Twitter a mere week prior to his murder.   On Sunday 19th July 2009, @vernonforrest said:   Man I had a nightmare last nite I dreamt I come home and found 4 guys were breaking into my house. I pull my heater and it was empty they chased me and was about to shot me then I woke up. The first thing I did was get my heater and made sure it was loaded. That dream will not come true.   (Note: If you are wondering how Forrest tweeted so much past the 140 character limit, he used twitlonger.com to extend what he could say. Also, a “tweet” is a short message sent out on Twitter.)   I say this respectfully, but I just feel like Forrest was divulging too much information about himself and possibly setting the table for disaster. And, not to say there is ANY connection between his death and that tweet, but I definitely feel that “the tweets are watching.” There are those that are always going to be one step ahead of regular, casual social networkers and some of them use their wisdom for nefarious activities.   A family went on vacation. The man decided it was a good idea to send out a “tweet” on Twitter informing all of his followers that the entire family was away from the house. Well, he didn’t do just that, but that’s what it ended up being. In telling everything about his vacation, he unwittingly tipped off burglars. They got in, robbed the home and escaped scott-free. Now, much of this is speculative, but that is what the family suspects.   There is another similar incident.   On May 24th, @izzyvideo dropped this on Twitter:   We made it to Kansas City in one piece. We’re visiting @noellhyman’s family. Can’t wait to get some good video while we’re here.   And then four days later …   Well, it’s confirmed. Someone stole my Mac Pro and two displays while I’m visiting relatives here in Kansas City.   As the digital divided disappears (does it still exist?) and the implementation of mobile technology, people are able to mobilize and stay connected easily. The ‘Net is no longer comprised only of invisible, tech-savvy geeks. Hey, crooks are all over the internet and often ready for a T.M.I. moment online. As it pertains to your favorite rapper and the streets, it pertains to the rappers with their “tweets.”   Not only are fans following, but so are schemers and law enforcement. In my imagination, I’ve seen a rapper tweet about being in the club, about the great time he’s having and bragging about what he has. A bunch of “followers” are the same guys watching, as depicted in movies like Jay-Z’s “Streets Is Watching.” You get the picture…   Many of my write-ups are cautionary and for good reason. I want people to take care of themselves and avoid disaster at all costs.   Vernon Forrest had epic boxing matches with combatants like “Sugar” Shane Mosley, but most importantly, he was a good man. He was a humanitarian that dealt with mentally challenged young adults, he helped Beyonce with charitable initiatives and took care of his step-children. Perhaps his slaying was just a random person trying to rob him or maybe it was more sinister. At press time there were no suspect, but perhaps he’ll be able to find justice in the digital breadcrumbs that linger on the internet.   P.S. I wonder if Jigga will consider doing a remix called “Tweets Is Watching”…? Til then, here is the classic record, “Streets Is Watching.”     Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur is the co-founder of AllHipHop.com. He can be found here and at twitter.com/ChuckCreekmur. 

Kudos to CNN for “Black in America 2”. You get an A for effort and a gold star for correcting the lameness of the first installment. I even peeped a commercial for the upcoming Latino in America. Aside from them trying to educate the masses and convince everyone to empathize with our neighbors lets give CNN a round of applause for giving Soledad O’Brien something to do. It doesn’t hurt that her multi-racial background makes it more acceptable for her to tackle the issue of race. No one knows what she is. I’m sure she is going to ride this “… in America” thing until the wheels fall off or until Prez Obama is out of office and no one cares to talk about race anymore. Sidenote: If you want to see an amazing documentary about Blacks in America watch ABC New’s Out of Control: AIDS in Black America. I love it when Terry Moran leaves Jesse Jackson dumbfounded. While I was flipping the channel to purposely avoid watching B.I.A. 2, something occurred to me. I wasn’t interested in watching the series because I am black and I know what life is like for me. However, I would be inclined to watch a series on what it is to be “White in America.” Don’t boo or hiss just yet. Think about, Black people have way more preconceived notions about what white people go through in America than they have about us. For the most part Black people get categorized into three groups: ghetto, criminal, ignorant. How do we categorize White people? Honestly, most people of color don’t give White people’s home lives much thought other than thinking they are all secretly racist or clueless when it comes to our struggles. While watching Tyler Perry give Soledad a tour of his ATL back lot and wondering if he was hiring, I came up with an idea. Why doesn’t BET or TV One answer back and create a “White in America” series. I’ve already done the work and drafted a letter. Just copy and add your signature at the end and send off to their respective offices. –         CH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear (BET / TV One) Head Honcho, After watching CNN’s series “Black in America Parts 1 & 2” my initial thought was “Why didn’t (BET / TV One) do this? They are black channels, catering to black people in America. This is something that should have been right up your ally.” Well, I forgive you for dropping the ball and have come up with a suggestion that will help inform your core audience. It’s time that people of color understand what it’s like to be White in America. I’m talking the full experience from white collar to rednecks and everything in between. I figure the program can be split into topics: Angry White Men – Minority and women get all the breaks. At least that is how some white men feel. Where is the white man’s affirmative action or diversity programs? They are losing their grip on the controls and aren’t too happy about it. It can even feature some KKK and white supremacists. Poor White Trash – Black people are to the projects like white people are to trailer parks. I want to see some Feed The Children type -ish. Show me that not only people of color are on public assistance. Wiggers – Show our influence on the white youth of America. Loving our music, men (and occasionally women) and swag, what is life like for a white people who identify more with black culture? You can speak to Eminem, Michael Rapaport and Kendra Wilkinson about this. The Drug Game – Black in America talked about D-boys, who got locked up for mainly weed and crack. Let’s flip it and show how the Meth-boys get it fired up. I want to see some white dudes with bandannas covering 2/3 of their faces as they show off their fancy Meth labs and show off their array of BB guns and hunting rifles spread across their NASCAR bedspread with dollar bills strewn on top. Religious Zealots – This calls for a trip to either the Bible Belt or Utah where the religious movement is administering a beating to liberal America. The Republicans – Now that Sarah Palin is one of the 9.7% unemployed in America, you can follow her around as she tries to claw her way back into the graces of the Republican Party. Maybe she can speak on the goal of the Republican Party in the upcoming years. Middle America – This is a large one to cover. I personally think any state that isn’t on the coast of the U.S and below the Mason Dixon line is apart of Middle America. I truly don’t know what Middle American look like, what they do for a living or what they believe in but I have my assumptions. I believe the Roseanne show gave me a good idea. Overall, White in America should set out to answer the question “Do they really have it better than us?” There you have it. I’ve done all the work for you. Don’t screw it up. Sincerely [Insert Your Name Here] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The X Fact(her) is a weekly column that appears on 99problems.org. Started on Inauguration Day 2009 by the League of Young Voter’s Education Fund, 99problems.org is a non-profit initiative that aims to keep young people engaged in the political process through activism and community involvement. Please visit 99problems.org to find out how you can get involved right now! For more on Chloé A. Hilliard visit www.chloehilliard.com.

“Slave to a label but I own my masters/  Still get it poppin’ without artist and repertoire/” —Pharoahe Monch, “Desire,” Desire, 2007. Last week, LA Times Staff Writer Chris Lee revealed the details of Cash Money artist Drake’s blockbuster record deal. In addition to a $2 million advance payment, he “retains the publishing rights to his songs and cedes only around 25% of his music sales revenues to the label as a ‘distribution fee’.” Drake’s deal was unusual to say the least; more so at a time when recording contracts have taken a few steps up the draconian ladder, as CD sales bow before the internet age of legal and illegal downloading.    But Drake’s popularity and, perhaps, patience steered him away from engaging in a rush-hour deal that could have hampered his future. For that, I give him credit.. A couple of weeks back, I expressed deep regret that the Canadian rapper seemed to have digressed from the socially responsible content his mixtape start (Room For Improvement, 2006) was littered with. While still holding those views, I was nonetheless proud to read that this emerging superstar had enough sense to demand full publishing rights—a b#### trap record labels have historically set up to control the message and music of their maids (artists). Unfortunately, Drake’s hard work might have been for naught.   Cortez Bryant (Lil’ Wayne’s manager), who helped establish this deal, proudly announced that the “record company doesn’t have any ownership of Drake.” It doesn’t “have participation on profits. They don’t have ownership of his masters. We control his entire career. Those deals don’t happen anymore.” And they don’t have to.  Yes, things have changed. Yes, the four major record labels—Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI, and Sony BMG—have suffered a sharp decline in record sales the last decade. Yes, label bosses aren’t as confident as they used to be. But that hardly guarantees that the music being produced and packaged for an international audience will witness a dramatic shift in course anytime soon.  The Misogyny, Minstrelsy, and Materialism contained in most popular radio and TV hits is unlikely to give way to socially constructive music for one specific reason: Fans. Are. The. New. Record. Labels.  Who needs middle-age White men in suits lecturing you about the music young Black, Latino, and suburban White kids want to listen to, when the fans themselves have chosen Soulja Boy over Slick Rick, Lil’ Wayne over Lupe Fiasco, and T-Pain over Talib Kweli? The implications are obvious.  Gone are the days when record labels ruled with an iron fist, dictating to artists their agendas and what kind of music was to meet it. As Canibus once rapped, “them days is gone.” In these times, the fans, by-and-large, decide what they want to hear on the radio and watch on TV. Whether they take full responsibility for this reality or not doesn’t deter it: With fans downloading Drake’s latest chart-topping single, “Best I Ever Had,” over 600,000 times in one month, it shouldn’t surprise anyone when radio stations and TV stations—do the math—play it endlessly on their airwaves.     Though I believe record labels played a great part in enforcing upon innocent listeners crude lyrical content, I also think the fans must be held accountable for the artists they’ve supported this past decade. By no means does this exonerate record label executives, whose fingerprints are printed all over the evidence.    “Industry rule #4080/ Record company people are shady/” Through the power of suggestion, the label bosses, in conjunction with radio and TV outlets, shifted the social consciousness of Hip-Hop in less than 10 years. They made sure that ‘90s luminaries like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Monie Love, A Tribe Called Quest, and Queen Latifah were completely shut out of the roster that burst forth in the new millennium, rendering them nearly arcane in this volatile age. So, yes, I fault the labels, too. But the fans aren’t entirely inculpable, either. And I can prove it.    No one can put my contention in more candid terms than Atlanta rapper Soulja Boy. In a radio interview earlier this year, Soulja Boy commented on the disappointingly low sales of his sophomore release, iSouljaBoyTellem, which sold 46, 000 copies its first week, compared to his debut album’s: 117, 262 copies.  According to him, because on his second release he “went more in-depth, and tried to step my game up, come with the lyrics, go in on deeper topics, talk about life, and what it’s like being a celebrity” (no kidding!), the fans who had catapulted him to international fame in 2007 couldn’t comprehend the content. “Nobody wanted to really hear that,” he said. The lesson learned is that successful rappers “gotta rap about what the people wanna hear, per say.” And that magical element? “Nothing.” (I’m not making this up!) souljaboytellem.com, his official debut, “went platinum” because “I wasn’t talking about nothing.”   The easy thing to do is laugh off Soulja Boy as a confused adolescent who lacks the intellectual competence to make an informed judgment about marketing and the recording industry; but that would miss the point. To a great, and scary, degree, he’s right. Many who had celebrated the sexual escapades he sang (not rapped) about on “Crank Dat” had a hard time being preached to about the life of a celebrity on his second album. And, whether we like it or not, in their world such radical switch is comparable to going from Bow Wow to Black Thought.  Even with this reality, certain artists including Soulja Boy, Rich Boy, and The Clipse are pledging responsibility in their career—from here onward. Late last year, Soulja Boy released a taped apology to fans and parents for some of the derogatory content his music was associated with in the past. “Over the past few months, I’ve had a chance to meet a lot of my fans face-to-face and it made me realize that I got a large fan base of kids that look […]