Next Level Turntablism

Muslim HipHoppers Outlawed by Their Muslim Governments

I just want to say big up to HipHop...I don't have the energy right now to compose an actual article or to find the appropriate links to post but I just watched a news report about HipHop artists in Islamic countries who are standing up to their oppressive governments while still staying true to Islam and not selling out. People can talk bad all they want about HipHop and Islam but when you get to the core essence of both the are two of the greatest forces in this World for positive change. Fuck you commercial rapppers and extremist Muslims trying to hijack our cultures you won't succeed. PEACE AK ASALAAM U ALAIKUM!!!!

HipHop Thugz

"In too many instances, hip-hop has become a celebration of ruthless self-interest, delivered by performers who don’t dare crack a smile for fear of losing status. That’s not where the music started, ..." - Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker, 12/3/07

The above is an excerpt from an article that goes on to review a couple of books of photographs of HipHop from a more innocent time. This got me to thinking, why is HipHop like this? First of all not all of it is but enough of it is to lend credence to this stereotype of HipHop. Some might be tempted to take sides on the age old question; Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? But of course nothing in life is ever that simple. The reality often is that both are true even within the same body of art. We have all heard the saying that life is a circle?

It is true that HipHop started out as more of a type of party music but the machismo, braggadocio & tough guy attitudes has always been there to some extent. First off that is just the default nature of the male gender and is also often reinforced through external social forces, especially on young men and especially on young men in poor and working class neighborhoods. But why is it so prevalent in contemporary HipHop? My personal belief is that the major record labels saw that the concept of the angry black man from the ghetto was appealing to the middle-class white kids in the suburbs, so although it was not the record companies that created this attitude in Hiphop they are the ones that saw the dollar signs in it and therefore aggressively pushed it to the forefront of the genre...and in turn the youth fed into it and now we have this hyper-thuggish, although often is more verbal-hype than actual action, attitude from many of our HipHop youth. So here is an example of art imitating life imitating art.

RIP PIMP C

ILLMACULATE PRESENTS: "THE RAIN CHECK"HOSTED BY DJ VLAD THE BUTCHER

I have to say that this album was surprisingly good. Not that I wasn't expecting it to be good, it's just that it's SURPRISINGLY good! For those of you that are still stuck in the first phase and don't know who Illmaculate is, a few years back he was making some noise around the local Portland battle scene. After winning his very first battle he went on to consistently crush MC's around the town in battle after battle. He eventually took his skills onto the national battle circuit winning Scribble Jam 2004 and last year, with his partner The Saurus, taking the ring in the World Rap Champion battles. Now that you're up to date, let's review his debut album...

WORLD RAP CHAMPION ILLMACULATE PRESENTS:
THE RAIN CHECK MIXTAPE HOSTED BY DJ VLAD

The concept behind this album is that this is just a little something to hold us over until the real album drops (hence the title "Rain Check", which I also think might be a little homage to Puddle City) but with 20+ solid tracks I'd say that IS a real album.

There are a number of other dope MC's that make cameos on this album but by no means are they there to carry him. I feel that this album would have been just as dope with or without them. There is an understanding in the HipHop world that good freestylers and battle MC's don't generally make good albums and good artists who know how to write great lyrics and make good songs are mediocre at best when it comes to freestyling and battling...Illmaculate seems to be on a mission to crush that stereotype. And so far, at least in my opinion, he seems to be accomplishing that mission.

I could review this CD track by track but I suggest that you cop that ish yourself and form your own opinions...I'll even leave y'all a link where you can cop it... 360vinyl.com

PEACE!

(PS - Click the "random videos" at the top of this blog for some Illmac in action.)

Bless the mic with the gods...

This image is not from Portland

Rakim KILLED it in Portland last night to a packed house. The town represented and Rakim did his thing as only he could. Brother Ali and Ghostface Killah put on great performances as well. DJ Juggernaut was playing the cuts between acts and Starchile was holding it down with the hosting. The Bboys (Mighty Mooves, TipToe & Shilo to name a few) were out in force as well giving the crowd an extra dose of some real HipHop shit. Also in attendance but not performing was the World Rap Champion & 2004 Scribble Jam winner Illmaculate repping St. Johns. Also repping P-Town was King Cool Nutz (New album dropping 12/4!). Even Trail Blazer Greg Oden came out to show some love. Also in the house was the family of Ol' Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.) keepin' it raw as usual.

Rakim, Ghostface Killah & Brother Ali

"It ain't where you're from it's where you're at."
...and I'ma be at the Roseland on the 3rd. What about you?

Racist Explains Hip Hop Culture

Funniest thing I've seen in a long time...other than that, I have no comment. Just watch the video.

KRS DUMB

First of all I could care less about another corny "battle" between two corny rappers. But what the hell is wrong with KRS???? Jay-Z the greatest lyricist of all time? Better than Rakim? Better than Big Daddy Kane? Shit, better than himself??? And what is he saying about LL not being a battle rapper? Well if we're talking about freestyle battling then yeah but neither is Jay. What about his "battle" with Canibus? I don't know man, KRS is still my man but sometimes I wonder about him...