Reflection Eternal

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Talib Kweli + Hi Tek-Reflection Eternal -Back Again-Vid Premiere

Reflection Eternal | MySpace Music Videos

Gentleman's Kool-Aid: New iLL-Literacy

Check out the first track off iLL-Literacy's iB4the1! Download here.

2pac: Academic Research Subject

Last week I had a talk with a longtime Bay Area high school teacher who incorporates hip-hop pedagogy into this lesson plans. After 18 years in classrooms throughout California and having toured schools in several different countries, he was adamant about one thing: 2pac is the most influential musical icon to young people, hands down.

As a teacher, Pac's influence became especially important for him when it came to translating the lived experiences many young people of color face to ideas in the classroom. According to this teacher, it doesn't matter the classroom or continent, wherever there's a community in struggle, 2pac is the most enduring musical icon for young folks because his music speaks, in a very real way, about struggle.

And it looks like the same can also by said for the ivory tower.

Recently Pac's work was back in the news when his mother, Afeni Shakur, donated over 150 of the slain rapper's writings to Robert W. Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center. The collection includes rough drafts of raps, poems and a photocopy of the the rapper's original contract with Death Row records.

The library is home to Atlanta's historically Black colleges, including Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, and the Morehouse School of Medicine.

I can't think of any other artist of our generation who's had such a profound impact, both culturally and academically. Off the top of my head, there's maybe Thelonious Monk and, later, Billie Holiday. But even then, it took decades for Black music to gain legitamacy as a topic worthy of scholarly research.

So why's 2pac so relevant? Check out this video, which I first peeped over at Colin's blog. It's as relevant today as it was back in '92. At least, I think so.

DJ Zita: Where My Ladies At?

Check out my latest interview with DJ Zita on Wiretap:

On political work:

Feminism or gender equality is perhaps most important to me because being a woman in a male-dominated game is a hustle. From club owners/managers to DJs to hip-hop itself, I'm working in a industry that is largely run by men. When you take a glimpse of the big picture, you see men in the highest positions of power running the clubs, running hip-hop, running our country. Hip-hop and the club industry's portrayals of women are also largely negative. I believe that what I represent is a strong, positive female-of-color force in the game of DJ'ing, promoting and hip-hop.

On Everlasting BASS:

Two years ago, I was discouraged by the fact that I was DJ'ing either as the only woman on an otherwise all-male bill, or DJ'ing with a line-up of all women at an event promoted by men. I realized that the only reason this was possible is because women DJs in the Bay did not have solidarity. We few women were all doing our own thing, and I feel that we needed to come together in sisterhood. These disappointing realities are my inspirations for starting B.A.S.S., short for "Bay Area Sistah Sound."

Read the entire interview here.

Sure sure to subscribe to Wiretap's weekly mailing list to get her exclusive new mix: Where My Ladies At: A Tribute to the Queens of True School Hip-Hop.

DJ Zita - WHERE MY LADIES AT? A Tribute to the Queens of True School Hip Hop by DJ Zita

Wax Poetics

A behind-the-scenes look at one of my all-time favorite mags:

Ancient Jigga

Before cristal, Atlantic Yards and Beyonce, there was Jay-Z speed rapping about Nubians in a high top fade:




Via Te-Nehisi Coates.

====

Anyway, had an interesting discussion with KG on gchat yesterday about Jay-Z's complex endorsement of revolutionary figures. Most notably, I was raving after finally having gotten around to listening to Mike Love's Nigerian Gangster. KG pointed out that that it was ironic that Jay-Z, the unrelenting capitalist, was paired up with Fela Kuti, one of the 20th century's most vehement anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist public figures. It's definitely complex, as is everything in our political and artistic landscape, but ultimately it comes down to the one thing that transcends political allegiances: good music.

Jay-Z is easily one of my favorite rappers of all time, and it has nothing to do with his politics, and everything to do with his honesty. And word play. I don't think that any artist should be burdened with touting the views of anyone but themselves.


And, quite frankly, a lot of underground, so-called "conscious" rap bores me to death. Not only is it preachy and, at times, cheesy as hell, but it's also lyrically stagnant. In his brilliant new book Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop*, CMC English Professor Adam Bradley argues that this point:

"Some rap critics, and a fair number of rap fans, have bemoaned the limited thematic range in mainstream rap in recent years. The culprit they most commonly blame is big business -- the record labels, radio comglomerates, and other commercial forces that treat rap as product rather than poetry. Undoudbtedly, rap's growing commodification plays a significant role in limiting the variety of raps we hear, and yet another answer lies in rap's rhymes themselves. When MC's settle into familiar pairs of rhyme words, they also tend to settle into familiar themes and attitudes. Someone who set out to sound like 50 cent will likely use many of the same rhyme words that 50 cent employs and, as a consequence, end of rapping about the same topics."

I would also extend this analysis to underground hip-hop. There's only so much you can do with the word "revolution" in 16 bars. Stylistically, I think it pays to pay homage not to any one person or experience, but to how complex reality can be, and how no opinion ever stays the same. Not only do you have more to say, but you have more ways to say it. Cee-Lo, Outkast, Weezy, hell, even Eminem, are good examples.

*Nerd Alert: Book of Rhymes is a must-read for any hip-hop head and/or literary dweeb.

Ill Be In The Sky - B.o.B

detroit's underground resistance

ah, to be a black girl in the 'hood with a love for techno. 'twas a lonely childhood at times, trying to explain to my basketball friends how eifle 65 and alice deejay ended up in my cd player. but maybe if i had been in detroit, i would've found a place -- or at least, some better techno.

i've heard rumblings about detroit's very black, very queer and oh-so-legendary techno scene for years now. and while i'm super excited to go to the city this summer to check it out first-hand, i'm also trying to get my homework in ahead of time. underground resistance is detroit's premier techno label, where the jazz, funk and rock roots of techno are put on full display.

short documentary:


(hilarious) interview:

Me’shell Ndegeocello --Leviticus: Faggot (1996)

Dope.



Written for a friend who died from gay-bashing.

Buckin up to Soca

Get this: I think I'm ACTUALLY cracking my way out of a 13-year depression. ACTUALLY. I'm really hoping this isn't some short-lived euphoria, some hormone induced high. Somehow, I don't think it is--because I feel that joy on a spiritual level.

Anyway, in my happier state, I've been listening to a good deal of soca lately. Thought I'd share this Super P jam with y'all.

GOIN DOWN TONIGHT (Grenada Soca 2007) - Super P

It's one of my favorites cuz it's a lovely response to Bomani:

Ah Not Going - Bomani

Anyway, enjoy the soca! And for all the lady lovers out there, I hope y'all are the type who "go down and say they do...."

Blue

Reason #4,870 on why I'm not black enough: Eifle 65.



Spaceships! Aliens! Techno! Europeans!

But on a related note, blue has subconsciously become my 2009 color. My worn-out addidas classic windbreaker is blue, I have two new blue hoodies (sorry, Kirk), I got a new blue iPod, and my shoes are black and blue. I've never been particularly fond of the color blue, and get annoyed that it's every other person's favorite color by default. But I feel like it describes my year perfectly so far: hopelessly optimistic yet melancholy.

Go blue.

MIA speaks out on political turmoil in Sri Lanka

Everybody's favorite browngirl pop star, MIA, recently spoke with Toure about the political upheaval in Sri Lanka:

“The situation is systematic genocide, ethnic cleansing,” she says by phone from L.A. “I want my fans to know I’m not tryin’ to be like Bono. Someone Irish talking about what’s going on in Africa. I actually come from there and the fact is that this is happening now. The war has been going on for a long time, but it stepped into the genocide bracket recently with the new President. I lived in Sri Lanka when the campaign for ethnic cleansing started and if I could stop it and see the end of it in my lifetime that would be amazing. I can’t justify my success otherwise. I can’t justify getting nominated for an Oscar or a Grammy, that to me wouldn’t mean anything if I don’t actually get to speak about this. It’s not like I’m trying to sell records, I’m trying to stop the death of 350,000 people this month.”

read more.

The situation in Sri Lanka has become increasingly precarious, as thousands have been murdered, including many children.

MIA named her first album, Arular after her father, who founded the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS). The group, called "militant" by the Sri Lankan government and its western allies, has fought for nearly four decades to establish an independent Tamil state. Their efforts have often come in the face of violent and repressive measures by state government officials.

As far as MIA goes, her family was eventually forced to flee as refugees from Sri Lanka to India and, finally, to London.

She was recently nominated for a Grammy for her track "Paper Planes" and an Oscar for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.


Via DJ Phatrick

Paki girl band

Cross posted from The 91st Minute

This is how I know I haven't been home in too long.

When BBC news beats me to the scope about the first popular all girl band in Pakistan. Zeb and Haniya, they told me, have taken the Pakistani male-dominated scene by storm!

A lil background, they are referring to fusion-ish soft rock Urdu language music scene in Pakistan that I think aptly reflects the silent moderate majority, particularly in the urban areas. This scene has produced peeps like Atif Aslam, Noorie et al. who are quite a hit, not just in Pakistan but South-Asia and South-Asian diaspora's (so almost everywhere). The lyrics are beautiful and poetic, the vocals pretty dam good and a few guitar riffs that make me wanna actually jump up and down, rocker girl style (hah!)

So anyway, kinda distressed that I was so out of it that I had missed the Zeb and Haniya story for 5 MONTHS! I spent all last night listening to their album, watching the videos and reading stuff. My conclusion: I think the vocals are good, some really cool riffs, and the reaction to them has blown me away!

Check out this you tube video of them rocking a crowd out (sound is a lil sketchy):



I spent most of my young adult life going to concerts like these, and ill be damned if I ever thought two young, kurta donning women would be getting this kind of a reception. Not cause I doubt the music ability, but more cause I was skeptical of the ability of young Pakistani youth (men in particular) to appreciate it. Thank you for proving my skepticism wrong!

Ok now to the songs. Here is a link where you can stream the album. I would recommend Paimana Bitte, Chup and Aitebar even if you can't follow Urdu. If you can, hear most of the album.

And can I say I kinda love some of their lyrics. They are still singing about love and relationships, but their lyrics are down right fiery!

Watch this video of Aitebar. The couple on screen dance through their relationship and the video ends with the girl shutting the dude out. The lyrics at the end? "raat thi teri/tu yeh din ab hai mera" i.e. "The night was yours/ but the day is mine now"
And skip to the end of the video, the eye contact between the woman and Zeb and Haniya who are singing from the side through out the video, that look. We know that look. You go girl! lol



One last mention, the song "Rona Chor diya" or "I have stopped crying." My favorite line:

"ab to bas mai hi khabar hoon/ gardish main hoon/ rahguzar hoon/toofaan hoon main/ tera darr hoon" which roughly translate into "now only I'm the news/ I'm the revolution/I am walking on my own path/ I'm a storm/ I am your fear"

Ok THIS is the last mention, the song Chup! Chup is basically a semi curt/forceful way of telling someone to stop talking. Shut up if you will. In this song they are talking about the flirtation, eye contact etc that can sometimes go on painfully forever between two people attracted to each other. What do Zeb and Haniya have to say? "shhh Chup" enough with all this flirtation and suggestion. lets get on with it! WORD.

Uh oh, Ye.

Kanye West debuted his new video for Love Lockdown on Ellen this week. And some diehard Kanye fans aren't pleased.

The reason? In the video, Kanye juxtaposes a modernist white background against representations of African warriors, percussionists and nude women. Loin clothes and spears, galore.

See the video:


And then, my friend Salim's response:


So, let's hear it. Did Kanye cross the line this time? Is this just art for art's sake? Or is he making a subtle artistic critique?

A Trilli

Whoops. There goes the economy.

Here's what Rebel Diaz has to say:

Free Music: People Under the Stairs, Fun DMC

People Under the Stairs is one of my most favoritest groups ever. So when I found out that they have a new album dropping on September 30, I was like, word.

Then I got hold of their new mixtape:
Download Funner Than Leather.




More at XLR8R.
Shout out to ForwardEver

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Now allow me to nerd out with some of my favorites:

Out Da Club:


LA Song:


Eat Street:



Acid Raindrops:


San Francisco Knights:


==========
Interviews:

Australian TV Interview:




And then, this:

Live in the studio working on their last album, Stepfather:


Thes on the mpc:

FREE MUSIC: TI Feat. Justin Timberlake, Dead & Gone

I spent the night at my mom's house and woke up craving Justin Timberlake. Maybe it was revisiting my adolescence, or my guilty conscience. Who knows. After searching through my stacks of cheesy Millennium pop music, including, but certainly not limited to: two Blackstreet Boys albums, Britney Spears, 98 degrees and Lou Bega, I found my old copy of Justified. But it was scratched!

I probably shouldn't own up to this shit on the internets.

Never to fear, Justin is a grown ass man now, doing big things with little rappers. His new track with TI called "Dead & Gone" for TI's upcoming album Paper Trail is that fire.

Dead & Gone:
Listen and Download.

Via Fader.

Izza Kizza says hello

As mentioned before, we dig Izza Kizza.

Here's his video:

Izza Kizza -Hello from Izza Kizza on Vimeo.

Weezy does it.

Lil Wayne, "My Life" (Fallen Soilders Remix) by Demarco:



Listen. (Right click to download)


Via Fader

GOOD SHIT: NNEKA

Let's face it: we all judge a book by its cover, and an album by its cover art. So it was that, coupled with the praise of Drizzle, that led me check out German-based, Nigerian singer Nneka. And yo, I've gotta admit -- shit's on point:


Heartbeat

Nneka - Heartbeat (New)
by wonderful-life1989

Africans

NNEKA - Africans - MyVideo
Walking

Nneka - Walking
by FourMusic

The Uncomfortable Truth




Download (and pay) for the album here.

Shamlessly tooken from Adrizzle.