Thursday, June 5th, 2008

R16 2008 Hi-Res Video Of Finals & Semis

For hi-res videos from the entire contest + interviews, go to the Imeem R16 homepage.

posted by Jeff Chang @ 3:02 pm | 1 Comment

One Response to “R16 2008 Hi-Res Video Of Finals & Semis”

lcm337@gmail.com says:

July 14, 2008 at 1:07 am

Damn, can’t be mad at Korea “you know they got soul, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be in here!”

Are we letting someone else take and keep our sh*t? Just like Jazz, Blues, Reggae and now hip-hop dance, B-Boying/breaking?

Elvis, New Kids On The Block, Eminem, Justin Timberlake? We must strive to keep our music and our dance alive. Are we slowly turning into “Sir Nose D’void O’Funk?” “Oh, I can’t dance, I can’t swim, oh put me down!” Are we becoming too cool for ourselves?

Are we denying our past?

Sometimes I roll in my black burb bumpin’ Planet Rock, Egyptian Lover, The X-Men, Clear, It’s Time, Play That Beat or tracks by Newcleus, DJ Magic Mike or MC Shy D just to have fun but most who hear it, scoff.

Man, are we losing it?

As it is, look at any R&B or Hip-Hop video, all you see is the rapper/singer, DJ or dancer. How can our young folks aspire to be a drummer, bass player, guitar player or keyboard player if they don’t see any? Other genres of music show the “bands.” Major labels have brainwashed everyone to believe “black bands” are not viable, not marketable or of any interest to the record buying public. Mint Condition was “The” last band.(with a label, video and in the moment airplay touching on a young demographic)

If we don’t strive to keep our culture alive and own it, everyone else will take it, recreate it, enjoy it as their own and profit from it.

Can we be mad? Only at ourselves.

Are Korean’s better than those that were birthed by hip-hop in the late “70’s”? Do they possess the “SOUL,” brought about by poverty, politics, economics and the need for musical and physical expression?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but no other country and culture has created so many genres of music and dance that have influenced nations across the globe like the United States. No other country has had the soul driven offerings of Duke Ellington, Ella, Satchmo, Coltrane and Billie Holiday to Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Aretha, Marvin, Miles Davis, Stevie (the Motown Sound itself)to George Clinton, Fatback, DJ Hollywood, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, KRS-One, Eric B & Rakim, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Biggie, 2Pac to your LL, Nas, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang and Chino XL.

What country? Who’s produced B-Boy crews like those from N.Y. to L.A. and everywhere in between? Crews that lived for the beat, carried those cardboard boxes and their boom boxes with pride.

Let’s not even mention all the amazing graff artists!

Man, I love this culture that Black and Latino brothers have created. Don’t let it go, hold tight.

If we lose our culture, our music, our styles, we lose our identities. If we lose our identity, we lose ourselves. If we lose ourselves, then it will appear as if we don’t exist and if we don’t exist? We are not relevent.

Black music and hip-hop has always saved radio and record labels everytime the other genres have failed. Will we be able to save Black music and hip-hop from being bastardized and adopted by foster parents who want to nest with a golden egg?

I may be trippin’ but I’ll leave you with this. Lol, just like the words Diana Ross sang, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Do you know?”

Universal Blessings, Abundance and Health to you all…

Feed Me!

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