Tuesday, March 15th, 2005

On KQED

I was on Michael Krasny’s show Forum on KQED this morning. What a long strange trip it’s been. (Didn’t 50 say that?)

Michael–yeah we’re on a first name basis now–is about the nicest host I’ve ever met. He makes you feel like the studio is his living room and you’re just chilling. He sets up a stack of notes, copious notes, on his little easel and talks quietly to you to get you warm. Then the on-air light goes on and he’s another guy entirely. Pitch goes up, volume goes up, and you’re sidin’.

I mean, the questions came fast and furious. In between, uh, novel uses of hip-hop slang. But for real, it was like intellectual kickboxing–exhausting and sometimes painful. You can hear on the audio (click on “The History and Future of Hip-Hop”) how I’m mentally breathless–running to catch up on previous thoughts.

Then they opened up the phonelines and the email and it got deeper. More running to catch up.

There were two comments in particular–they weren’t questions–that were interesting. The first was an email from a guy who said that Forum featuring the topic of hip-hop at all proved that NPR was continuing its mission to dumb down and destroy itself. I think he used the word “garbage”.

Then Dr. Cecil Brown called in. He’s the author of a widely acclaimed book, Stagolee Shot Billy, which Bill Adler highly recommended to me last year. I haven’t read it yet, and now I honestly might not for a while. Dr. Cecil Brown hated my book and apparently he hated me too. You’ll hear the specifics about 35-40 minutes into the audio. It’s too bad because I agree with his larger point, or at least the point that I think I thought he was making. Whatever. Can’t stop won’t stop.

Learned later that I’m not the only one on his shitlist. (His targets did respond, strongly, here and here.) Gotdam I’m happy I didn’t stay in grad school! Peace Dr. Brown, best of luck.

To my patient crew and fam, bear with me, tour stuff coming up in time. Sly Stone time. Keepin’ ya waiting like MIA.

Thank god, The Shield is back!

posted by @ 8:23 pm | 2 Comments

Tuesday, March 15th, 2005

R&B Singer Lyn Collins Dies

Sad news. The most sampled woman in history has passed. What’s worse is that she passed due to cardiac arrhythmia, a condition I’m all too familiar with.

posted by @ 8:00 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, March 8th, 2005

Still Fiending For The Mixtape?

Alright yall, so I went out on tour with like hundreds of mixtapes, came back with just 1 copy and I’m keeping that one. If you’re still fiending for the mixtape, you have five options:

1) Check with the brothas at West Coast Mixtapes.

2) Check with the sistas at The Giant Peach.

3) Walk, don’t run to Turntable Lab in NYC.

4) Catch DJ D-Sharp on tour with Flipsyde or Quannum and beg him to sell you one.

5) Make friends with the folks at Quannum or Solesides.com. If you’re real nice, they might lace you.

That’s it! Good luck. I’m putting mine in the safe deposit box.

NEW NEWS: Click to Campus Progress, our favorite new website, for some downloads from the mixtape!

And OK, while we’re at it–here’s some other places online you can partly take care of your mixtape jones:

–NPR News & Notes with Ed Gordon and Farai Chideya
–MPR :: 89.3 The Current
–Hard Knock Radio (Scroll down to 2/18/05…

There it is funk fans.

posted by @ 4:52 pm | 3 Comments

Tuesday, March 8th, 2005

Back!

And tired as heck! Gimme a day to catch up on sleep then expect the whole 9. In the meantime, more on Hot 97, this time in in The Village Voice.here and here.

By the way, if you’re around SF State on Thursday, come holla at The Depot. Can anyone hook me up with Gang of 4 tix? Or bring Konono No. 1 to Berkeley?

posted by @ 11:06 am | 0 Comments

Friday, March 4th, 2005

Tour Diary? What Tour Diary?

Here I am about 4 days from getting home to my own bed. It’s time to be real! OK, so the truth is, that even when I recovered from the damn stomach flu, I still couldn’t keep a tour diary. I really meant to, but the tour has been going amazing–and that means I’ve been unable to steal away time every day to write about the damn thing. So I’ll be back in the cave next week, and will post lots of stuff, including mad pix, of this crazy crazy road trip.

In the meantime,

+ if you’re in the Twins this weekend–and why not? it’ll only be like 5 degrees or something–come heckle your boy!

+ also…sending much love to Jay Smooth, Leanne and Hashim for having me come through WBAI and get grilled for this interview.

Don’t forget the rally today. For some excellent background and commentary on the events of this past week, check out Davey D’s site right now.

And I’m sure Jay will have updates from the rally by tomorrow morning.

posted by @ 6:09 am | 1 Comment

Tuesday, March 1st, 2005

High Court Ends Death Penalty for Youths

Great news.

posted by @ 10:27 am | 0 Comments

Tuesday, March 1st, 2005

Of 50 and More Hot 97 BS

The 50 fiasco at Hot 97 is simply more proof that it’s all about ratings–whether inciting interracial tensions or intensifying street beef.

In the old days and still today in hip-hop, community structures are in place to deal with beef. I was at a b-girl battle this weekend at Ken Swift’s joint where some beef threatened to break out in between the competitive rounds and folks stepped in to regulate right away. Everyone peaced it up at once, and everyone left the club feeling great about the whole evening. These days, we don’t control everything, so when battling–which is central to hip-hop and which you can’t ever take away, not as long as you want the culture to grow and evolve–becomes something else, like beefing, there isn’t anyone that can reel folks back in. It becomes about money–the media takes the beef and turns it into a profit-making center, and shit spins out of control. Haven’t we learned from Pac and Biggie?

The good news is that I can’t even keep up with how fast the hip-hop media justice movement is rolling now, but you can get the latest from the brilliant Jay Smooth and context and perspective from the indispensable Davey D.

As I’ve said all along, it’s not about censorship or tryiing to extract fines–that’s mosquito bite stuff to these corporations. It’s about the larger issue of media justice–getting balance, diversity, community, and progressive views back on the air. That’s the best antidote for dumbing-down and beef-instigating.

Make your voices heard this weekend.

posted by @ 8:06 am | 0 Comments

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005

The Best Hunter Thompson Tribute Ever

From my homie Chris Kaye, who just gets it on that whole other level. Thank you, Chris.

posted by @ 7:57 am | 2 Comments

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005

New Yorker review!

I’m fighting a stomach virus, so I’m sorry but you’ll have to wait on updates. But this and this is certainly helping!

posted by @ 12:39 pm | 4 Comments

Saturday, February 19th, 2005

Week 2: Wind Me Up!


Me and the Godfather of Go-go Chuck Brown down at WPGC!

All the details on week 2 coming soon…

posted by @ 6:22 pm | 2 Comments



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