A cipher among equals! Dante, Black Thought & Em revive hip hop over and over again. Salute!

Shout out to the Culture Capture Champs over at Frolab for the extra footage of 75 bars

DOWNLOAD :: Jay Electronica “Exhibit C” Produced By Just Blaze ::

Shout out to @FWMJ from Rappers I Know for the download link via illRoots

Abracadabra! Jay e-mailed @FWMJ the scripture late last night. STUDY THESE! I FEEL GIDDY!

As someone who admires the writing of author Junot Díaz, it brings me great pleasure to share an excerpt from BOMB Magazine’s dynamic conversation between Díaz and “the inimitable” Edwidge Danticat. To no surprise, I will highlight the exchange that deals with process – offering insight(s) into the various practices and approaches of each author to the production of writing. The advantage of having a small, focused readership (if any) is the absence of a paralyzing kind of pressure to produce. For instance, I maintain a positive relationship to blogging largely due to the fact that I have creative control — I decide when to publish a post as well as the contents of each post. The often unreasonable demands and expectations of publishers and popular audiences can produce crippling writer’s block and/or encourage mediocre work. Of course, for some writers (artists, musicians) pressure mobilizes and motivates. There exist an infinite set of permutations. Beyond the expectations of others, we each have to battle our own set of fears (the voices in our heads) that keep us from finishing what we’ve started. In the words of Díaz, “I always start with the best intentions and then end up screaming.” I am interested precisely in what happens between these places (best intentions —> screaming). I enjoy/ed reading their thoughts, read on:

Edwidge Danticat: I think most folks would want me to ask you, those of us who’ve been waiting with bated breath for this book: What the heck took you so long?

Junot Díaz: What, really, can one say? I’m a slow writer. Which is bad enough but given that I’m in a world where it’s considered abnormal if a writer doesn’t produce a book every year or two—it makes me look even worse. Ultimately the novel wouldn’t have it any other way. This book wanted x number of years out of my life. Perhaps I could have written a book in a shorter time but it wouldn’t have been this book and this was the book I wanted to write. Other reasons? I’m a crazy perfectionist. I suffer from crippling bouts of depression. I write two score pages for every one I keep. I hear this question and want to laugh and cry because there’s no answer. What I always want to ask other writers (and what I’ll ask you) is how can you write about something so soon after it’s happened? What’s to be gained by writing about something—say, the death of a father and uncle, as you do in your new book, Brother, I’m Dying — when the moment is close?

Edwidge Danticat: There are several factors for me. The first is that I’m totally compulsive. If something is on my mind, writing-wise, I have do it and do it in the instant. I have to at least put down a first draft. Otherwise, I am so afraid I will lose it. Like you, I live with the eternal fear that I am not supposed to be doing what I’m doing. Who do I think I am to be writing books and shit, as you might say. So I write when the moment is close so it won’t slip away. Writing is also the way I process things and when I am done with a piece I feel a lot closer to understanding the subject.

…

Edwidge Danticat: Finally, in spite of Oscar’s brief life, the narrator’s life—writing-wise—ends on a happy note. Yunior says, “These days I write a lot. From can’t see in the morning to can’t see at night. Learned a lot from Oscar. I’m a new man, you see, a new man, a new man.” Is Junot Díaz a new man?

Junot Díaz: I wish. I’m happier, no doubt about it, and less devoured by my fears, but I still have no handle on my talent. I don’t know how to make it work. I don’t write with any regularity or joy. I fear that it might take me another eleven years to write another book. But I did finish a novel that was threatening to break me, and I finished it in a manner that I feel reflects my hard work, and this finishing has been one of the happiest accomplishments of my life. Through all those years I never did think I would ever finish Oscar Wao, so the fact that somewhere inside me I found the strength to do what I thought was impossible…it almost makes me believe that one day I will be like Yunior: a new man, a new man.

:: Read the full interview HERE ::

There’s nothing quite like a Spike Jonze joint staging the assisted suicide of Kanye West’s symbolic ego to spark lively debate. The first 10 minutes leading up to the final scene artfully expose the hoax of fame and celebritydom (is that even a word?) as the god-like presence of Kanye West collapses onto itself (something like the rise and fall of The Roman Empire — an inevitable and theatrical death). Stripped of false ornaments, the viewer follows Kanye as he drunkenly stumbles around “the club” failing miserably to make conversation with women in the thick of a surreal, dreamlike state. In light of the VMA spectacle, it comes as no surprise that Ye would invest in a project documenting an exorcism of his inner demons otherwise obscured from public view. Honestly, fans have to be willfully naive to buy into Ye’s neat and micromanaged persona. My prediction? Rather than use the film as an opportunity to critically examine the cult of celebrity that induces the self-destructive behavior and delusions of grandeur displayed throughout the short, folks will simply add fuel to fire by continuing to edify Ye (in the name of his “creative genius”). To put it plain: Kanye will ultimately have his ego stroked for a film precisely about the assassination of his ego. It actually reminds me of the paradoxical nature of the Nobel Peace Prize — a system that rewards an (already wealthy and powerful) individual based on their sustained acts of (or VAGUE “commitment to”) altruism (the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others). The silent subtext: we can all practice peace…so long as there exists a secret, material incentive motivating all of our “unselfish” work. Similarly, once celebrities have reached a certain level of security in their career, they can put out vulnerable music offering an implicit critique of the decadent, self-indulgent lifestyle of “the rich and famous” without jeopardizing their stardom. I wonder if greater risk (of losing one’s “status”) would change Kanye and Drake’s music (if at all). In a certain sense, Kanye is restored as an altruistic hero by the end of the film. Can one ever truly kill their ego? It’s obviously not to be taken literally but nonetheless an important rhetorical question to raise. In truth, I’m significantly more intrigued by people’s reactions to Kanye than Kanye himself (although he truly is the case study that keeps on giving). With the ubiquity of joints like Drake’s “Fear” (“you know I spend money because spending time is hopeless / and know I pop bottles cuz I bottle my emotions / at least I put it all in the open”) Kanye’s “Welcome To Heartbreak” (“my friend showed me pictures of his kids / and all I could show him was pictures of my cribs / he said his daughter got a brand new report card / and all I got was a brand new sports car / where did I go wrong?”) and an influx in emo rap sponsored by the likes of Kid Cudi, it’s become quite clear that vulnerability (irregardless of it’s sincerity) is highly profitable. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Drake and Kanye aren’t speaking earnestly about their “real” experiences but I find it ironic that their confessions ultimately contribute to ballooning their fame and success. It should go without saying that there are multiple, compounding factors that attribute to this phenomenon outside of Drake and Ye’s control. In fact, this is more of a challenge to all of us as listeners and consumers. If anything, 30 Rock’s season premiere reminded me (via Tracy Morgan’s brilliant parody) of how inescapably insulated celebrity life is. It makes sense then that Drake and Ye would write about their newly discovered existential crises that come with the territory of extreme wealth and power. I can only imagine the paralyzing paranoia and feelings of estrangement and isolation that the dissolution of privacy (compounded by pervasive surveillance) creates. I suppose I’m just perpetually fascinated by the sheer weight we give celebrities every move. And while I understand that this long winded entry only contributes to that swell, I figure the least I can do is think critically about popular culture (for those tempted to dismiss me as an uppity critic). In any case, I would love to know what all of your complex reactions are to this film and anything I have shared in this tangential post. With every blog entry, I simply hope to generate interesting dialogue that engages the music and art we experience everyday. We all have the ability (and agency) to talk back even if our audience is significantly smaller than that of Kanye.

“in order to hold on, you need to release / in order to keep, you need to let go“

Big Boi feat Gucci Mane “Shine Blockas” for the legit penmanship. yadadamean?

Stevie Wonder “For Your Love” (Nick James Remix) for the kind of shine only love can bring

Hudson Mohawke “Still On It” for boys from Glasgow, Scotland with big dreams and dirty beats

Shafiq Husayn “The UN Plan” for those who know no boundaries are fearlessly free to move

Georgia Anne Muldrow “Run Away” for those who use this life as a run way for flight

Sa-Ra “Love Czars” for those who have seen a rainbow after the rain or walked into the sun

The Foreign Exchange “I Wanna Know” for those who love through the highs and lows

“life is living and living is green”

Writing about music is an important exercise however it is difficult (if not impossible) to describe that which escapes language. With that said, here’s my humble attempt…Today, Tuesday October 6 marks the highly anticipated release of Shafiq Husayn’s debut album “Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka” presented by the good folks over at Plug Research. We can all agree that Husayn escapes the narrow confines of easy classification. Indeed, our compulsion to assign artists to specific genres seems counter-intuitive when the music defies compartmentalization in it’s deliberate (and intuitive) cross-pollination of multiple genres, sounds and samples. Husayn is invested precisely in spiritual systems that know no boundaries. As quoted from Omar Burgess’ recent interview with Husayn (via HipHopDx), “while Fela Kuti was one of many inspirations for the sound, Husayn points out that being in “A-Free-Ka,” has a spiritual connotation which is still linked to the African continent—Ancient Egypt to be exact. “Ka means spirit in Kimetic,” Husayn says. “It’s a spiritual system, so there are no boundaries. That free ka is just free to move, so it’s a representation of man being on the planet manifest with no boundaries.” Whereas amateur artists haphazardly layer and collage sounds for the sake of creating something new and different, Husayn produces a complex yet cohesive aesthetic. That is, he has mastered the delicate art of focused range in which his references to everything from Kemetism to ancient Egyptian iconography enriches rather than undermines the album’s narrative. A true polyglot, the Master Teacher himself demonstrates fluency in a variety of musical dialects and languages that allow him to nuance each track with complimentary juxtaposed sounds. Shafiq invites the listener to immerse him or herself in the kaleidoscopic world of “Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka”. Laced with features from the likes of Bilal, Count Bass D, Fatima and Noni Limar as well as remixes from Nottz and Mark de Clive-Lowe, this album will undoubtedly transport you to a higher place. Alas, I cannot transcend the insurmountable barriers of language so you, my trusted readers, are left with no other choice but to purchase the album and listen for yourselves! In the meantime, you might consider tuning into Plug Research’s Podcast for Shafiq Husayn exclusives and other hidden treasures. This is my plea to support good music, stay woke!

Cop “Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka” HERE. Listen to Shafiq Podcast HERE. Follow Shafiq HERE.

The people have spoken! That’s right, folks — I am thrilled to announce that the Pennsylvania State Senate finally passed bill 1828 by a vote of 32 to 17. (Sidebar: who are these 17 nay sayers and how do they rationalize voting for the mandatory closing of ALL libraries? Get your mind right!). Nevertheless, this marks an unquestionable (and imperative) victory for Philadelphia and confirms the faith I already have in communities to mobilize in moments of crisis. Of course, it does not erase the imminent threat posed to the people of Philadelphia and we must continue to fight for our public institutions to stay open! It is still beyond me how close the State Senate came to opting for “Doomsday” Plan C budget scenario, which would have resulted in the layoff of 3,000 city employees and forced the closing of all libraries. As we celebrate this victory (by supporting our local library), we can only expect more battles on the horizon. This is not to encourage cynicism (I promise you my skepticism is rooted in real life experiences and historical patterns that suggest education and literacy are conceived more so as threats than rights in this country), it is simply to acknowledge the long (and unending) war over a just allocation of state funds that rages on. Indeed, it extends far beyond the state of Pennsylvania. Today, thousands of UC students throughout the Bay Area mobilized a successful systemwide walk out as part of a demonstration against cuts to the university budget and proposed fee increases. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “the walkout is intended to reflect widespread frustration and anger as UC lays off hundreds of workers, imposes unpaid furloughs on nonunion employees and reduces courses to close a budget gap of more than $750 million – the result of dramatically reduced funding from the cash-poor state and higher operating costs.” I encourage everyone to follow the coverage of these rallies and continue to discuss the social, political and economic implications of drastically diminishing funds for public higher education in the state of CA. There is much work to be done. In the words of Sa-Ra “STAY WOKE!”

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“Imagine what we hold in our corners” Roger Bonair Agard reminds me what it means to survive.