Yes....
there have been developments in the "50 cent" slapping Jimmy Henchmans son story, but I dont care anymore, so Im not gonna write about it. Truth is, I only cared for a few minutes anyway, which is hardly worth a paragraph in a blog entry. Im focusing on the issues that matter a little more to me now. Like global warming, World War III, and civil rights. Speaking of which, watch the video below and tell me what you think. Rebirth of the Civil Rights Movement, or just another get together? (But just as a disclaimer, whats gon happen is gon happen regardless of you haters) -j

Cowards...

of hip hop! Remember "Lions of Hip Hop" by Mos and Kweli? Of course you do. Well, 50 Cent and Tony Yayo are proving themselves to be the Cowardly Lions of Hip Hop. It bad enough their body guard entourage has inflated to the point where the phrase "hip hop police" had to be coined in their honor, but these latest allegations are detestable. It doesnt matter that it was Jimmy Henchmans son- bullying a fourteen year old kid for reppin a rival label makes the whole squad look bad. What were the intentions- scaring him into buying a G-Unit hoodie? As a man, there are three things always considered sacred- his food, his money, and his kids. Remember how Eminem flipped out when someone mentioned Hallie in a song? Thats because you can beef all you want, but there are still standards, and this crosses the line. I hated the static and division, but always respected 50 for his consistent success and hustle. I know Im not alone when I say I cant respect that. G-G-G-G U-NOT!

But on another note, I wish Guinness World Records people never acknowledged Lil Jons piece as setting a record for the worlds biggest bling. Rappers were already trying to out do each other, but this is gonna start a race that makes us all look like losers. Shouldnt we be deterring such frivolous spending? Within a month, Im sure you will read about the Guinness World Record for the most expensive grill. If artist insist on out doing each other, let it be in the music they make, not the money they waste...-j

MySpace.....
Dot Com. The new crack. Pardon my terminology-nothing else seemed appropriate: Niggas be on MySpace more than they be at work. They check their MySpace before they brush their teeth. They check their MySpace while they eat. Theyre late to work or school checking their MySpace. They see a computer while in public, and feel like they gotta check for new comments. They use their work computers, their home computers, their friends computers, anybody. As soon as they get home, they log onto MySpace. They leave in the middle of meals, to check their MySpace. They get on and lose hours at a time. They fight with their parents, with their spouses, ignore their kids, over MySpace. They dont watch TV: they listen to TV while checking their MySpace. And if your loved one is missing in the middle of the night? Yep, MySpace. This ish is getting out of hand. Im with Jay: "I dont surf the Net. No, I never been on MySpace. Too busy carving out My Space in this world..." I looked up signs of addiction and used it as an outline to help you see if you or your loved one need to get your @$$es off the computer and into MySpace Rehab.
Do you:

• Use MySpace to escape your problems or relax


• Keep your MySpace activities a secret from people in real life


• Lose interest in stuff you used to like


• Have problems at work or school because of MySpace


• Change your friendships, such as spend more time with MySpace friends


• Change your sleeping habits

This is just a sample list. You may not be addicted, but this is another confirmation that MySpace is the new crack of our time. The only difference is that the government didnt create MySpace with the sole purpose of destroying the black community. Either way, MySpace is holding a lot of us down. Get some help...-j

I try...
Not to rant too often, but this has gotten out of hand. Control, rap is out of. Never before have I agreed so much with Nasir Jones' sentiment: "Im here to get my paper and bounce. Hip-Hop is dead. F*@# Hip-Hop."
My frustration isnt unprovoked. I love Hip-Hop, but listening to the radio recently makes me wanna stab myself in the ear with a sharp object. The same thing, over and over, and over. The new T-Pain song was the last straw. It is a compilation of all the recent "hip-hop killing", dime-a-dozen, cookie cutter club bangers to the run of the mill "snap your fingers" beat. With such memorable, reference lyrics like "you can do it all by yo self"(Lil Jon), "..buy you a drank...I got money in the bank"(Lil Scrappy), "we in the bed like: boom, boom..."(Lil Bootsy), and "walk it out"(DJ Unc)- this song goes beyond simply regurgitating the latest hit, to actually biting all the latest hits at the same time. But the demise of the music is not pinned to T-Pain; he is just the McDonalds to my Supersize Me. The fall of the industry came when it changed from a passion shared by few, to a commercialized beast fed to the masses. Commercialization is like watering down Kool-aid to stretch it out. It takes something good and dillutes it until its a shell of the original product. And as time passes, the music travels farther and farther from its roots, because its history isnt taught. Nobody will realize that the new DJ Lil Knuck Knuck(not a real artist, I hope) beat was actually a sample from J-Dilla. I see it already. Gwen Stefani had another hit. The beat is what sold it, but nobody who actually listens to Gwen Stefani knows that it was a Biggie Smalls classic, and originally, Earth Wind and Fire. People forget, and now what was a passion, is just a punchline(See: The white rapper show, Malibu gansta, "Im from the streets!", etc).
I guess I just want people to remember what real Hip-Hop is. Theres nothing wrong with liking the hacks: I myself have leaned wit it, snapped my fingers, and chicken noodle souped. There is something wrong, though, when people forget what it used to be like. Ten years ago today, Christopher Wallace was shot and killed. I wonder when the radio will stop giving tributes to him. Whens the last time you heard a tribute to Eazy E? J Dilla? Hell, Aaliyah didnt even get recognized in 2006, just five years after her death. Just recognize, is all I ask. And maybe stop requesting that damn T-Pain song so much... -j



As an added bonus, here is GQs list of future Tupac albums to look forward to:

1. The Very Best of Tupac from the last three weeks
2. Tupac: Sneezes and Coughs
3. The Ghost of Tupac Versus R. Kelly
4. Walt Disney Presents Tupac: Frozen in Time
5. Tupac Live from Argentina
6. Tupac Dead but still from Argentina
7. The Ghost of Tupac Versus R. Kelly and Bow Wow
8. Tupac: If I did it
9. Tupac and Gerald Ford: At last
10. Tupac Cuddles Hanna Montana
11. Tupacs Ramones Reunion
12. The Ghost of Tupac Versus R. Kelly, Bow Wow, and Michael Tilson Thomas and The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
13. Future Sex/ GraveyardSounds