I met this dude once, claimed he was into real hip-hop. I actually bumped into him quite often. The first time we met was in the mid-90’s, sometime before the beginning of what some call the “downfall” of hip-hop. He was new to my block and claimed to be a strong advocate of the hip-hop culture.  Well, he was at first, but boy how people change.

When he first came out to the neighborhood park he seemed to be a cool cat. He had his CD Walkman with the huge Sony headphones, the baggy jeans, the unlaced black Timberland boots, an over-sized tee and backpack full of dope hip-hop. From appearance alone, dude seemed down. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 25, 2007
  Website: Ankh Amen Ra Website
  Label: UNI Can Make It Happen Entertainment

Ankh Amen Ra “The Sun Raise in Dark Dayz” Album Review
The origin of this artist’s name is quite interesting, especially when considering the direction of his music. Ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that stands for life, or the meaning of life. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying multiple ankhs, and the symbol has been found painted on the tombs of several Egyptian royalty. Amen is of course a declaration of affirmation used in most religions and found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’an. Ra, or Amon-Ra, was a god in Egyptian mythology who represented the sun, light and, ultimately, life. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 26, 2007
  Website: i2i Website
  Label: End of the Weak (EOW)

i2i “Year of the i” Album Review
I put this album into my laptop this morning, and plugged in my headphones. After just a couple tracks, my roommate tapped me on the shoulder. “Damn, dogg … that shit must be bumping!” he said. When I asked why he would say that, he responded, “Because you’re bumping your head like you’re listening to some heavy metal or something.” Ironically, I hadn’t even noticed, but I was jamming out to this album as if I had a dance club on my couch. That’s how crazy and in your face the beats and vocals are. (more…)

  Rating:
  Broadcast Date: February 22, 2007
  Website: Documentary Website
  TV Station: VH-1
  Donate: Bambai Bling Foundation

“Bling’d: Blood, Diamonds, and Hip-Hop” Movie Review
I am heated as a motherfucker man. Back in December, Russell Simmons returned from his “fact-finding mission” to Africa and reported that everything with the diamond industry was up to par … that there were no more blood diamonds. He said that no abuses were taking place, that some 80 percent of profits were going back to Africans, and that the diamond trade was actually helping to empower and enrich the people. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 22, 2007
  Website: K-OS Website
  Label: Emi Int’l

K-os “Atlantis: Hymns for Disco” Album Review
Well, K-os has done it again … “Atlantis: Hymns for Disco” is his third classic album in just three tries, and has solidified his spot as one of my top ten emcees of all time. He is one of very few rappers who has the unique ability to blend opposites so easily. He is both serious and fun. Both conscious and perplexed. Both classically-influenced and currently-influential. Both hip-hop and bigger than hip-hop. His music goes beyond any genre, and represents the true correlation that can exist between artist, soul and sound. (more…)

  Rating:
  Broadcast Date: February 20, 2007
  Website: Documentary Website
  TV Station: PBS

“Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes” Movie Review
When I was a kid, I was a big fan of the Rambo movies. I remember thinking Rambo was so cool, as he would parachute into a jungle with only his big ass knife, sneak his way into an enemy camp, free the prisoners of war and kill everybody else. He was an American hero. (more…)

This morning, driving into work, a recurring idea popped into my head, “Why aren’t I wearing any pants?”  No really, I wondered why don’t producers get more credit?  This isn’t just about producers, in general, getting recognized, because now, more than ever, producers are getting shine. 

Kanye West, Timbaland, Pharrell and others have made sure of this.  But when I see a video on MTV (or at least from what I remember when i DID watch MTV), I don’t see a producers name in the intro credits.  Why is that? (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 14, 2007
  Website: Arecee Website
  Label: Independent

Arcee “Background” Album Review
I got attention deficit disorder like a motherfucker, man. Not all the time … just recently. I can’t seem to concentrate on anything, and I damn sure ain’t getting any work done. My mind keeps slipping away from what I’m trying to focus on. I get half way through a song, start daydreaming, and miss the second and third verses. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 9, 2007
  Website: Thisish Website
  Label: Thisish Records

Thisish “Vol. 1″ Album Review
I recently saw the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring my man Will Smith. In the movie, Smith’s character, Chris Gardner, had a job interview with a prestigious stockbroker firm to enter their selective internship program. The night before the interview, Gardner was arrested for unpaid parking tickets while painting his apartment. The police kept him overnight, forcing Gardner to run straight from jail to his interview the next morning, wearing a wife beater and covered in white paint. (more…)

I’m not gonna lie, I’m a complainer.  I excel at the art of complaining.  If there were a 200 meter dash of complaining, I would be Michael Johnson.  I don’t take pride in this fact, most people usually frown upon it.  But there is one thing that I complain about often and do so whole heartedly: the shit I hear on the radio. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I do like some of the music that I hear on the radio, even the Hip Hop; but hearing Hi-Tek’s, “Where it Started At,” fitty-ele’en hunded and eight times in a day really wears out the song.  And as far as pop hip hop music goes, 90% of that garbage, I cannot listen to.  I suspect many fans of Hip Hop Linguistics feel the same way.   So I take an active role in not listening to the radio. (more…)