Wednesday, April 28th, 2004

Now this is getting interesting. Cowell says American Idol is not racist.

posted by @ 6:16 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, April 28th, 2004

Whoa. Elton John calls American Idol racist.

posted by @ 3:35 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 27th, 2004

A.I.

Whoa, Tim Hudson curveball. Latin rhythms!

The mambo sends the queen and king of love out of their zone: Fantasia acts like J-Hud died. Dances well, sings worse. George unveils a new dance step, but still mainly jumps around like Kriss Kross, or um, House of Pain.

Latoya owns it. Renel weeps tears of joy. The Bay Area gets out the vote. A landslide victory for the A’s-capped, ceviche-swigging, Alice Walker book club, hemp-clothed polyculturalists. Oh yeah.

Jasmine is beginning to sound Society of Seven. Which is a good thing if you’re from Hawai’i and possibly not so good if you’re not. We want Camille and her Rastacentric wristbands back like the Jackson 5.

John “Doogie” Stevens is incontrovertible proof that meritocracy does not exist in Amerikkka. (Even money he gets early acceptance to Yale in two years and replaces Noah Wylie in the cast of ER in three. “Great bedside manner”, remark the producers. “Egads, what’s up with his hair!”, scream the stylists.)

Well surprise surprise surprise Diana “Mama Mia” DeGarmo is on point this week. Bonus points for getting her dress dissed by Simon, Queer Eye for the Arts High.

No predictions.

posted by @ 8:33 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 27th, 2004

CONFESSIONS, PART WHATTHEF–K?

So leaving aside comment on the R.Kelly-ization of pop these days, Usher’s “Confessions Part 2” has to be the most infuriating and intriguing thing on the radio these days.

Here’s the breakdown, call it a full mack washboard confessional:

This by far is the hardest thing I think I’ve ever had to do

To tell you, the woman I love

That I’m having a baby by a woman that I barely even know

I hope you can accept the fact that I’m man enough to tell you this

And hopefully you’ll give me another chance

This ain’t about my career

This ain’t about my life

It’s about us…

Please

You can just see all the Ush fans thinking ‘Oh that’s so sweet, he’s apologizing” and all the assholes rooting for Ush to get his girl back in bed where she belongs. Whatthef–k? The dude got another girl pregant–one he doesn’t even care about–now he’s begging to come back, figuring you’ll accept that he’s man enough to tell you what a dog he is.

This shit takes creep-dom to a new low. But at the same time, it’s mad seductive, right?

The weird subtext of hits like Ruben Studdard’s “Sorry 2004” and this one is: “Lie to me, just show me some tenderness first, then act like you’re facing the truth although you really just want an excuse to get back in my pants.”

Can’t help but think that these songs are a sign of the [American] times. How do we really feel about W and Condi? If they just fessed–“Shit man, we really did fuck up with this Afghanistan/Iraq/Israel thing”–would we be like, “Ah OK, that’s cool”?

Conclusion: Usher is yet another good reason to get Bush out of office.

posted by @ 3:32 pm | 0 Comments

Monday, April 26th, 2004

So April’s my birth month–which I guess means it’s about returns and new beginnings.

Had a lot of both this month. After hiding in my little cave trying to finish the book, I was out in the world more than I’ve been since the beginning of 2002. Got to reconnect deeply with old friends in Storrs and New York, and make lots of new ones in San Jose, Seattle, Madison, and New York.

Humbled and full of gratitude to be part of the first (and definitely not the last) Ghetto Brothers national tour, much love to Oliver Wang, Eric Weisbard and Ann Powers, Justin and Eric Liek, David Muhammad, Nema, Ingrid, and the Hip-Hop Generation crew for helping. But most of all, to Wanda and Henry, incredible traveling companions, and in fact two of the greatest people on earth. (Did I also mention that Henry’s new movie, “From Mambo to Hip-Hop”, is the kind of project that could once again revolutionize how we think of hip-hop history? He’s already done this at least three times!) And Benjy, well, he’s a category unto himself–the axis around which the universe turns.

Best moments: folks cheering in Seattle to Henry’s film as “Ghetto Brothers Power” hit the chorus; Robert Christgau, Josh Clover, and the crowd letting out a collective gasp when Benjy revealed he was actually Jewish; Benjy, Brother Righteous, and Afrika Bambaataa–it don’t get more Bronx than that–posing for a historic photo in a Madison restaurant; hanging at WSMU with the Beat Conundrum crew, Cristina Veran, April Henderson, Freddy, super-fresh David, and Rachel Swan.

Also got to be at UConn minutes before the women won their final–and be saved from the ensuing beer rioting by Dr. Ogbonna Ogbar’s LA-tested sixth sense; attend Jessica Hopper’s band’s NYC debut (they’re called Challenger and they rock); to be witness a sambafied Tortoise bring down the Bowery Ballroom, this tour is a must-see yall; and to have many (but not enough) all-day or late-night bull sessions with the de la creme of the musicritterati and the new hip-hop intelligentsia.

Super shouts to the Hip-Hop Congress at University of Illinois, Todd Inoue, the First Thursdays crew, Yoshi Kato, Marian Liu, Billy Jam, Davey D, Ogbonna, Lizz Mendez Berry, UConn SUBOG, Joe Schloss, Dubs and Sango, Josh Cheuse, J-Shep, Jonny Crack, M.A.N., Karen Good, Raq, Joan, Fabel, Bam, Cashus D, Brother Righteous, Claudine Brown, Roberta Uno, Rha, Lenora, Aya, Van, Upski, J-Hops, C-Ryan, Whitney Joiner, Peter Shapiro, Martha Cooper, Danny Hoch, my Chinese-Japanese-Hawaiian-European blood relations in Madison, my Filipino blood relations in NYC, James and Margarita, and SFJ, Sam, Jonah, and Debra–my surrogate fam for an afternoon. There’s more, it don’t stop. I guess I need to get out more often…

All in all a wonderful month, but I’m very happy to be back with Dez and the boyz, and anxious to see what they’ve done to my American Idols. I’m told I won’t be happy. Semi-related thang: another Will Hung sighting.

More posting in the next couple of weeks, I promise.

posted by @ 1:22 pm | 0 Comments

Sunday, April 25th, 2004

sup yall. i’m back. a few weeks of emails to return and lotsa stories. right now, i need some sleep. more a soon come…

posted by @ 10:06 pm | 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 20th, 2004

AM I ALL AROUND YOU?

I’m anywhere but home these days.

A belated but deeply felt thanks to all who made the last weekend so wonderful: everyone at EMP–all past friends and many new ones–and to the fighting crew at Madison who made it happen despite massive pressure and haterade. Special shout out to all those staffers and volunteers who grinded day and night so we could do our thing. We definitely noticed, and all your work is really appreciated.

Here’s some shit I did on Tortoise. If they’re no longer fashionable after 10 years in the game, maybe that makes me happy.

Heading back to NYC tomorrow. If you’re at the Thursday night show, please holla!

posted by @ 4:07 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, April 14th, 2004

Gotdamn it’s all about Fantasia, I mean just the first phrase, with that drooping “eeea-sy” and you could see the afternoon sun slowing down the world.

Jennifer repped, just like I said she would. Latoya gets better every week. In like Jin.

George may be slipping.

I think Simon’s comments about age were targeted directly at Diana Digarmo, who sang the whole song sharp and is way outmatched.

They certainly didn’t suit Jasmine’s subtle performance (and fuck Tarantino with his “delicate powerhouse” stereotyping)–nobody gets her local steez (which accounts for the apparent obsession with the Cole family singers), just like they didn’t get Camille–but the comments did suit her choice of dress. Time to get out of the slippers and halter-top-fo’-go-cruise-Ala-Moana gear and start styling up, sistah.

The two Johns, whatever.

Prediction: Diana goes. But it should be one of the two Johns.

posted by @ 8:03 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, April 14th, 2004

Lots of folks have been asking, so here’s the info for the Hip-Hop As A Movement conference in Madison. The site is back up.

See yall in Seattle tomorrow and Madison on Sunday…

posted by @ 11:39 am | 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 13th, 2004

HUNG OVER?

Yeah it’s true. I spotted Will Hung on my flight back to Oakland last Friday. Got to speak to him. Gave him props. He said, “Thank you, a heh heh heh.” Didn’t mention my brother’s trademark infringement. Noticed he has a funny way of looking down when talking to guys and staring directly at the girls. Nonetheless the JetBlue flight was aflutter. Autographs and digital cameras, but thankfully no singing.

Of course, no one except the Asian Americans knew his name. Everyone else was like, “Hey there’s that guy.” “I was at my family reunion last week and we were just talking about that guy.” “You know that guy has a record out”, and “Boy that guy just goes to show you don’t need talent anymore, just publicity.”

As we got off the plane, MSNBC had his Today show appearance as their number one story on their daily news countdown, ahead of Iraq and Condi. And yet they still fly the dude back on Jetblue–where dude was stuck in seat 17E amidst the madding crowd.

Man, what does an Asian American guy have to do to get some respect around here!?!?!!?? Milk that cow, Will Hung, til she don’t milk no more. Ain’t Amerikkka grand.

So here’s Oliver’s sister’s take on Will. Hilarious.

posted by @ 1:01 pm | 0 Comments



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