Monday, May 31st, 2004

Adam Hochschild in a brilliant piece on the Haitian Revolution, whose parallels to Iraq are of course manifold.

posted by @ 3:16 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, May 26th, 2004

THERE IS JUSTICE

After 1:43 minutes of fluff and commercials, the all-too-brief 1 and a half-minute reunion of the Three Divas, and the happy 10-second return of Camille Velasco, we got to the good part.

Fantasia deserved it. Why not go out on a limb and call her victory version of “I Believe” one of the most moving wartime musical performances in pop history? I mean, why not?

posted by @ 9:10 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, May 26th, 2004

PROFITING FROM TORTURE

Meet the Titan Corporation, apparent supplier of Any Ghraib torturers.

One of the more interesting–and incredibly underreported–angles about the prison torture scandal has been the role of corporate mercenaries. Apparently, they’ve been given sweeping legal immunity by Bremer. War makes new forms of corporate welfare possible.

+++ Good reading:

Philip Sherburne on the legacy of “Don’Ask Don’t Tell” and Abu Ghraib.

Linda Burnham on gender, domination, and Abu Ghraib.

posted by @ 12:57 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, May 25th, 2004

Missed most of the Idol finale for a National Hip-Hop Political Convention conference call. I mean, Fantasia Barrino is already your next American Idol.

I object to having Fantasia sing “Summertime” for the 950th time and not do it better. I object to both Paul Anka and Diana DeGarmo too. (Both of whom are still not Asian or Filipino yall.) But I guess it wouldn’t be American otherwise. I doubt next year will top this one…

posted by @ 8:25 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, May 25th, 2004

Christopher Porter is killing it with his jazz-gone-ska series. A must-hear.

posted by @ 9:06 am | 0 Comments

Monday, May 24th, 2004

PRETEND IT WAS NEVER THERE

This is how Americans deal with fuckups. (Read closely for bonus ironies.)

This is how other Americans deal with us fucking up.

Move over, Wherry, we’re all coming north.

posted by @ 4:16 pm | 0 Comments

Friday, May 21st, 2004

Blog this week–less verbs than ever.

Damn Jason Kidd. KG all the way. Hockey!

Aaron Wherry. Jay Smooth.

Doze at Minna.

National Hip-Hop Political Convention registering voters at the Malcolm X Jazz Festival. Holla!

Boots Riley and Goapele with the NHHPC in Townhall Meeting on Hip-Hop and Politics, Sunday, 4-6pm, 8200 International Blvd, Oakland. Holla twice!

Thank you Jasmine. Go Fantasia.

Too much work!

posted by @ 7:07 am | 0 Comments

Wednesday, May 19th, 2004

WRITE ON

Chris Ryan’s Chauncey Billups obsession will be appearing in SLAM Magazine. Dave Tompkins’ Vocoder obsession will be appearing in book form early 2005. The Ego Trip crew with clips loaded for fall. Bill Adler doing a 5-part documentary on hip-hop for VH1 and opening an incredible graf photo exhibition tomorrow with Ernie Pannicoli. K. Sanneh on Madonna. SFJ with a hot fuckin new band. Don’t it feel wonderful when the good guys win? I’m in love with the world.

posted by @ 7:06 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, May 18th, 2004

Belatedly: Me, Davey D, Aya De Leon, and KRS-One on hip-hop and the elections. (Real Player required.)

posted by @ 8:17 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, May 18th, 2004

The great Elvin Jones has passed. This from Adam Mansbach, hip-hop author and close friend of Jones: “If you’ve ever heard the music of the John Coltrane Quartet, or listened to any of the countless other albums on which Elvin has played over the last fifty years, then you have without doubt been touched by the man. Elvin’s playing was a perfect reflection of who he was: vigorous, brilliant, beautiful and full of love.”

Adam’s penned a magnificent tribute to Jones, covering his last dates at Yoshi’s in Oakland. Hopefully it will appear on his website soon. Til then, you can get excerpts at Jon Caramanica’s site and here which speak to the drummer’s singular power to move:

“The communal intensity of Elvin?’s performances was breathtaking. Each set, each song, each brushstroke, had the potential to uplift or sadden. At his weakest, during the sets when he elected to play without an oxygen tank, Elvin tired quickly. The characteristic muscularity of his sound withered; he sometimes missed the ride cymbal because he lacked the reach to hit it. During such songs, the entire audience strained toward the stage, willing his hand forward ?straightening with relief when wood tapped metal, and cringing when it missed. But the week was also full of moments of incredible uplift, moments when Elvin rallied and played his ass off, moments when the triumph of the human spirit was so clear to everyone in the club that grown folks were in tears at almost every table.”

posted by @ 8:17 pm | 0 Comments



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