Tuesday, March 31, 2009

you listen to Soulja Boy, but I'm up on that MF Doom game


RAP SUCK
BET SUCKS
YEA I SAID IT
but I LOVE LOVE LOVE hip-hop

The shirt above comes from the Chicago brand, Enstrumental.
It think it makes a very true statement about music right now. A lot of rap out now is either nonsense or lies about power, drugs, money or girls. Okay, I know ALL rap isn't like that, but it seems like most of the stuff that's played on the radio falls into either of these categories.

However, I think hip-hop is very different. Well good hip-hop at least.
Personally I feel like rap music is recreating the old black minstrel show mentality by forcing rappers into certain racist roles that relate to drug dealing, alcohol abuse, materialism, violence, homophobia, misogyny and gang life. We all know rap music began in the mid 1980s and it was originally described the life and the struggles that exist everyday in the inner city. I think it's possible to do that without promoting ignorance, but it is rarely done. Rap and hip-hop is more than just music, it is a lifestyle that relates to language, fashion, and personal interactions. Therefore the negative messages resonate to several aspects of life. The old school hip-hop group, Dead Prez is very right, 'It's bigger than hip-hop'.

Positive. Rap. Hip-hop. Nas.


I LOVE GENRE BLURRING HIP-HOP
According to some sources N.E.R.D. has a song called 'Soldier' with Santigold (formerly spelt Santogold) and Lil Wayne and it will be on N.E.R.D's re-release of their cd, Seeing Sounds. N.E.R.D will also add a couple new tracks to the re-released album. Here is two...count em TWO videos of N.E.R.D., Santi, and Wayne's song, 'Soldier'. The first performance was done with Santigold on MTV Spring Break and the second was done on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last week. Neither video features Lil Wayne, but the drummer looks like him. lol Also if anyone brought skanking to the mainstream, I would want it to be Pharrell.
Ska + hip-hop = genre blurring at its best.





I ALSO LOVE "BACKPACKER MUSIC"....that was made for real backpackers
Its sad that most of the people who rock (or rocked) kids backpacks, don't know the proper recreational use for them.

here is some cool graff from my friends


This Friday at The Republic the theme for Throwback is B-Boys and its going to be crazy.
They might call it "b-boys", but I think about backpackers and underground hip-hop music. This will also be an hip-hop artist's album release party, live graff will be done, a dance crew will preform and turntablism will be done. This is definitely a way of showing that hip-hop is NOT dead. The party will be hosted by MC Sanali and a cool dude who goes by the name of Deuce G will be releasing his first album, 'It’s Last Call'. G-Eazy, J. Hoolz and Kimble Wright will be at the Republic, so get ready for live performances of 'Rep Where You From' and 'I Go In'. Yes I repeat, G-Eazy is back for a second week in a row, so if you missed him last week, make sure you come through. New Orleans' own dance crew, CND Asylum Dance Crew (Royal Flush Dance Crew), who were on America's Best Dance Crew will also be performing. Also great DJs will be in full effect, DJ Damion Yancy will break out the jams as usual and he will be joined by DJ Tony Skrathere and DJ Beverly Skillz. Lastly, LIVE GRAFF, LIVE GRAFF, LIVE GRAFF. This night will be tons of fun with DJ scratching, toprocking and mad flows.


Speaking about b-boys, Hollywood Holt the b-boy/rapper/all around cool dude is coming to Streetwear Sundays at The Hostle THIS SUNDAY with his cuz Million $ Mano. Holt is known for changing the face and sound of hip-hop and Mano is known for being one the greatest DJs out right now.


MORE MUSIC NEWS:
Xavier University's Spring Fest this year is bringing Trey Songs.
But to truthful, I'm WAY MORE excited for the LOCAL musicians who will perform. Look out for G-Eazy, Greg Banks, Blair Taylor, Rantz, and The Cincinnati Monster (3rd-Shift).

The rapper, The Cincinnati Monster, is also a Loyola University student who has a live radio show every Tuesday from 9pm-11pm. Yep watch him LIVE under the same moniker, The Cincinnati's Monste TV. Other great radio shows on Loyola's Crescent City Radio is Hip Hop Since '88 with Michelle and Aye Lifestyle with Ally B.


Lastly, some Kid Cudi news.


Its funny how a year changes things. Last year Kid Cudi was somewhat unknown and had a rather small crowd at SXSW and a year later he had tons of fans who let a huge outcry when he announced he was going to retire (but we all knew he was going to retract that statement).


I wonder if I get cred for knowing about him last year. I wanted to go to his show last year with Hollywood Holt, but the tour didn't come to New Orleans and I wasn't home when it came to Chicago. I'm still mad about that. lol
Well anyway Cudz is turning into a big name and every black guy who wears brightly colored scarfs has his mixtape 'A Kid Named Cudi', every hipster knows the Crookers remix of 'Day n Night', and hopefully he will the same mainstream success that hip-hop artists like Drake and The Cool Kids. Like them, he is gaining a lot of recognition before he even drops an official album due to the success of his mixtape.


Melknee

Monday, March 30, 2009

I feel better knowing tha my crew is original. Negative Thinking

WHATS YOUR "CREW" LIKE?

Does it only consist of people who are just like you?
Does it only consist of people who are different than you?
Does it only consist of people who are nice to you?
Does it only consist of people you want to be like?
Does it only consist of people who will help you succeed and won't "bring you down"?
Does it only consist of people who "get" you and stuff your into?
Is your whole crew the same race?
Is your whole crew the same gender?
Does your crew dress alike?
Does your crew have tattoos and piercings?
Does your crew make good grades?
Does your crew work together?
Does anyone say your crew is "too big"?
Does your whole crew have the same goals?
If we were in high school, would your crew be "The Cool Kids" of the school?
Does your crew stand out in the crowd?
Is your crew "ahead of the trends"?
Does your crew make the trends?
Is your crew from the same city?
If needed, would your crew already have a 'classic crew shot' ready?
Is there a leader of the crew?
Does everyone in your have a talent?
Does your crew trying to "make it big"?
Does your crew have projects? i.e. music group, clothing line, dance crew, graffiti crew ect.
Does everyone in your crew have a role? i.e. cute one, shy one ect.

I spent way too much time looking for pictures of "crews" on facebook and this is what I found:




























































I personally think Chicago crews dictate the trends whether people are watching from Indiana, New Orleans, NYC or LA, but hey I'm biased, because I think I'm from a city in the midwest, the best city in the whole wide world.

However every city has club promoter crews, streetwear store owner crews, tagging crews, hypebeast crews, AZN crews, hip-hop crews and scene kid crews.

I think my new favorite crew is called Chipped Red Polish. It's an all female and Chicago based group that "focuses on supporting today's artisic cuture. Through they're own creative passions, networking, and promotion of different genres".
The founders are Drea, who is one half of He Say She Say, and JoJo. Other members are Cess a fashion designer, Gianna a musician, Victoria a fashion and graphic designer, Jenny a fashion designer and journalist, Arica in marketing and nightlife, Lauren a graphic designer, and Michelle is an artist .


Some "jams" about Chicago:

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)" (Kali Remix) (mp3)

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)" (Conair Remix) (mp3)

However I did hear something very good in New Orleans news today. I knew I was going to have a good Fall 2009 when I got a tweet today from Voodoo Experience 2009. It said, City Park has agreed to have Voodoo Experience during Halloween Weekend (October 30-Nov 1 2009). In the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of worry that Voodoo wouldn't take place this year. This is because City Park's chief operating official said the park wasn't available Halloween weekend. However today's news cleared up any doubt. So far the only announced artist is Kiss, who is one of the headliners. But non-classic rock fans don't need to worry because every year Voodoo has great artists from several genres. Since I've been In New Orleans, Voodoo Experience has had some of the biggest acts come from Lil Wayne to M.I.A. to Gym Class Heroes to Kings of Leon to Common. Chicago has Lalapalooza, Austin has SXSW, California has Cochella, Tennessee has Bonnaroo, and New Orleans has Voodoo and I'm excited to experience it.
Melknee