Hip Hop on My Mind

Back and Stronger Than Ever!

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:45:00 +0000

I'm back! Now, 22 years old. The blog is about to become two itself on Monday. This year is going to be exciting. I started off my 22nd year debuting on XXLMag.com. I interviewed DJ Webstar. He talked about Jay-Z, Jim Jones, and giving back. An interesting interview. I wish I could've put the whole thing up. Check it out. Be on the lookout for more. I'm in the planning stages of doing another blog. I'm planning more stuff to write for this one. I'm still jobless, but I'm still keeping it moving. Thanks for the support over the years. I am really grateful for and blessed to have your support. God is great! Shout out to XXLMag.com and NWSO.com. Take care. Hit up the Twitter! Peace.

How the Freshmen are Keeping Me Sane

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:43:00 +0000

“I got some issues that nobody can see. And all of these emotions are pouring out of me.”
-KiD CuDi “Soundtrack 2 My Life”

A while back, I wrote an entry about the freshmen from XXL Magazine’s December 2008 issue. At that time, I didn’t know how much I could connect with their music and what their music could do for me. As you all know, I graduated from college. Recently, I’ve been trying to find a job. I’m still unemployed. Things got to the point where I questioned my whole life. I asked questions such as what was the point of doing good when things don’t seem to be getting better? Everyday I feel like I’m spinning out of control because of a combination of things. I feel like a lot of people turned their back on me for unexplained reasons or when I made positive choices for the advancement of myself. With no one to turn to, I turn to the thing that has always been loyal to me, music. It is not just any music. It is the music of four freshmen: Mickey Factz, Asher Roth, KiD CuDi, and Charles Hamilton.

These four men have records that inspire, make people happy or sad, help people cope with things, bring people to another world, and so much more. Charles Hamilton’s album The Pink Lavalamp is a great example of this. The first record on it is called “Music (Intro).” It really defines my feelings about music. It is one of my favorite records of all time. The whole album blew me away. I still play it today. Doing that really helps me relax and think about my life as a whole. I already have given high praise to Asher Roth on this blog. So, I’ll just say that his music brings out the activist in me with the two issues I care about the most which are poverty and education. It also brings up the great and horrible moments I had in college. I’m glad I got to see him perform live with KiD CuDi.

When I was going into a crazy spiral which caused me to think about and believe things that weren’t true, KiD CuDi dropped his debut album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day and Mickey Factz dropped a record called “It’s OK.” These works of art helped me out the most. I can relate to KiD CuDi’s album because it really is the story of my life, from the loneliness to battles with demons to being on top. I never had someone relate to me so much. I didn’t think it was possible, not even a small percent of my life. His mixtape blew me away, so I knew that the album would be amazing. I wasn’t disappointed. The album helps me be OK with my thoughts. It also let’s me know that I’m not alone.

The first verse of Mickey Factz’s “It’s OK” is what I’m facing now. As I mentioned before, I have a Bachelor’s degree, but yet I can’t get a job. Growing up, all of us were told to get an education and you will get a career you love. Today, a lot of people, not just myself, are greatly suffering. It brings up questions such as what’s the point of getting an education when I will just end up where I started? People start to lose hope. They start to doubt themselves. These things really increase when no one is around to speak some uplifting words. With Mickey’s record, he gives people like me hope. This wasn’t the first song of his that helped me out. It is just one of many in the rotation. I’m glad I got to interview him, him to perform at my school and see him perform at his own show.

Music replaces the need of people in a sense for me because I’m hearing the things I need to hear. These artists’ music prevents me from doing damaging things to myself such as drinking. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. One of the things I remember from XXL Magazine’s December 2008 issue is when the staff asked Mickey Factz what he thinks the future of Hip Hop is. He said that it is “artists being true to themselves.” When artists do this, they save a lot of lost souls in the process without even knowing it.

Dear Hip Hop Community, Please Wake the Hell Up

flyguydw89@gmail.com (Fly Guy '89) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:16:00 +0000

Blogger’s note: Before I get into the topic of this blog post, I first would like to state that this is all out of love and admiration for the Hip Hop community. I love Hip Hop because I am Hip Hop, so you can call this a cry for self preservation if you will.

I am a firm believer in the old saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” because that “child” grows and hopefully matures, to become the village. Now with that said, it is the previous generation’s responsibility to help mold and prepare the next generation to propel the village into a more prosperous and brighter future. I realize that not all members of the older generations are irresponsible and do not cherish the gift of Hip Hop that was bestowed to them from those who came before them; however, the larger makeup of the Hip Hop community has failed its youth.

This failure transcends into various components of Hip Hop culture such as music and lyrical content, and self respect. Jay-Z’s “D.O.A.” has received plenty of feedback and commentary, positive and negative. I think the record is dope; the lyrical content and delivery is impeccable, and the topic of the song is spot on. Jay was right for putting out the track because he took it upon himself to call out his peers on their degradation on something that is so dear to him. As a member of the older generation, he felt the responsibility to steer the younger folks in the right. The culture of Hip Hop was built on competing with and trying to out do your peers, not jump on the bandwagon that is T-Pain. I’m not trying to take anything away from T-Pain; he is good at what he does, but its a damn shame when just about everyone in the rap world is on the auto tune pipe.

Jim Jones voiced his opinion on “D.O.A” on BET’s 106 and Park:

We’re getting money off of auto tune, it’s just sounding like somebody’s trying to knock a hustle and I don’t think that’s a little bit gangster if you ask me. We getting money. He’s knocking the hustle, ya dig? If these young men are making money off of auto tune why would you try to stop that, when you got all the money already? I seen him [at Summer Jam], I don’t think he wanted to see me. He almost stopped the whole concert because he said I was in the way of him getting on stage and all of that. But that’s politics for the game, ya dig? How you doing? We back, we ballin', we poppin’ champagne.

This is very sad to hear Jimmy speak this way. It is clear he is missing the point of “D.O.A” in believing that it is about knocking the hustle and stopping the flow of income and not what it really is about which is challenging your peers to be better lyricists. Fabolous and Jadakiss never relied on the use of auto tune, yet they still produced great singles this year and even greater albums. Your lyrical content should be enough to solidify your place in Hip Hop history as well as “get money.” It is very disturbing to hear 90% percent of the songs on majority Hip Hop stations have the use of auto tune in them and almost no superior lyrical content. We have to challenge each other to be more creative and meaningful in our rhymes in order to preserve our dearest love of which we call Hip Hop.

Recently, I’ve noticed that the degrading and disappointing Hip Hop performances have begun to grow at an alarming rate. Two performances in particular that has amazed the shit out of me are the Young Money BET performance and the horrific Get Your Life Together Productions performance at the Harriet Tubman public school in Harlem.

Blogger’s note: Special shout out to my colleagues Ron Mexico and Julie for posting this and their added commentary. Check them out at http://www.ronmexicocity.com/

This is what happens when there is no guidance in the community and no one takes responsibility:

I was appalled and full of laughter at the same time when I came across this blog entry and video. I was heavily disgusted to see a song titled “I Eat Da Pussy” performed in a public school, Harriet Tubman public school at that, with kids no older than 10 years old dancing and performing suggestive sexual explicit acts on the stage. Again, “it takes a village to raise a child,” Hip Hop community. We have to be there for each other and make sure atrocities like this never happen again. Where is the school administration to prevent this from happening? Where are the parents of the kids on stage? Most importantly, why are the people in the audience just sitting there as if nothing is wrong? Hip Hop, we can do better than this; we have to do better than this. The so-called performers were terrible and the things they said were just hilarious, not in the comedic sense but in the “You had the audacity to say that?” mindset. I don’t feel the need the need to touch on the video any further because Ron Mexico did that already and it speaks for itself.

We HAVE to do a much better job in mentoring the younger musicians and show them how to do things because if we don’t, this is what we have to look to for the future of Hip Hop. These grown men actually went ahead with this performance on a tribute to the greatest entertainer of all time, Michael Jackson. It wasn’t a great idea by BET to have these men perform a record in which they are talking about having sex with every girl in the world while having 12 year old girls dancing on the stage; this was the worst possible tribute to the late great Michael Jackson due to the years of allegations and condemnation from the world over child molestation charges (and they actually had the nerve to say “rest in piece Mike Jackson” at the end of it, what a real shame). Again, look at the people in the audience singing and dancing along to the performance. This signifies that its OK to rap about having sex with every girl in the world while there are little girls on the stage. BET should not have allowed them to perform that song, especially in that manner. We have to hold each other accountable for our actions because it affects the entire Hip Hop community. We have to do better.

Chasing the Ghost of Eternity

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:22:00 +0000

“Ten number one albums in a row. Who better than me? Only the Beetles. Nobody ahead of me.” –Jay-Z “Reminder”

A great deal of time has passed since Jay-Z’s last album American Gangster. Yesterday, he fed the streets one again with The Blueprint 3. The album comes on the week of the eighth anniversary of the twin tower attacks and his album The Blueprint. The Blueprint 3 is his first post-Def Jam album. Accompanying the album this week is a huge concert at the world famous Madison Square Garden with proceeds going to the families who lost loved ones in the twin tower attacks. The album holds special meaning, but it reminds some people of his arguably worst album Kingdom Come. Has he simply lost his touch or is there something deeper that is going over people’s heads?

I’m not a hardcore Jay-Z fan, but I was excited about The Blueprint 3. I was happy with American Gangster and couldn’t wait to see what he came up with next. Hearing “Jockin’ Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)” is what created the great excitement I had for The Blueprint 3. A lot of people including a few journalists I know didn’t like it. This puzzled me because I felt that Jay was reinventing himself. Sure, it was the same cocky Jay-Z, but this felt and sounded different. The energy he brought when he premiered the record by performing it was amazing.

This new Jay-Z is a Jay-Z who wants his name to be etched in stone forever for all to see. He wants to be better than the Beetles. This is all shown in his second promotional single the Beetles sounding “History” and the album cut “Young Forever” assisted by the British singer Mr. Hudson.

The Blueprint 3 is a true capstone to Jay’s career (“And that all blue Yankee is my graduation cap” –Jay-Z “Swagga Like Us”). It is a response to those who criticized him his whole career. It is the real top of the latter album unlike Kingdom Come which he was reportedly forced to make by the way. This album is different than Kingdom Come because you can hear the freedom in his voice and the hunger he has to be the best artist of all time. Being free from Def Jam gave him the ability to try different things with this album. Trying different things when you are known for one thing is a daring task. He could risk losing a great deal of his fan base. But he did not seem to care. He wanted The Blueprint 3 to be his final testament. He did keep and shoot the venom he is known for on “Reminder.” On the flip side of that, he sparks inspiration and hope on “Empire State of Mind” and “A Star is Born.”

Deep down everyone wants to be known for eternity. For some it is for public service. For others like Jay-Z it is for their art. Jay-Z wants to be known for the cleverness of his complex rhymes to his secret messages to his inspiring ones. This album is a great step to that greatness he wants to achieve. To him, it is not enough for multicultural people to hold him higher. He wants to be known by all forever. He wants to be the one young people today talk to their grandchildren about in the future. He wants those children to discover him just like how the Beetles are discovered by many young children today.

I do believe that Jay-Z will achieve this, even more so than NaS. This is certainly a lot coming from me. I am glad to have discovered Jay-Z. He really has grown since I heard my first Jay-Z record “Hard Knock Life (The Ghetto Anthem).”

Listening to all of his albums is a great journey. I met him a couple years ago. Then, I didn’t think much of him. I didn’t know that I was standing in front someone who was destined to make history. Now, I’m glad to have been blessed with his presences. A star was born on December 4, 1969, indeed.

The Great Hangover Concert Recap

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

88 Keys

Asher Roth

KiD CuDi

Yesterday, Asher Roth and KiD CuDi brought The Great Hangover Tour to a sold out crowd in New York City's Nokia Theatre. Everyone from college kids to hood cats were in the building. After a short wait, the show started with Hot 97's Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg came out to introducing 88-Keys who is known for his production and his album The Death of Adam. He started his set with his single "Stay Up! (Viagra)," which features Kanye West. After that he brought out Colin Munroe to perform a track called "Wake Up Call."

88-Keys kept going with tracks from his album. He also played a few tracks he produced back in the day for people like Black Star and Scarface.

Once his set was over, Asher Roth was up next to bat. He started his set by coming out in a go-kart and performed his hit "Lark on My Go-Kart" followed by "Blunt Cruisin'."

Then, he performed a few more album cuts like "She Don't Wanna Man" with a bunch of young women on stage and "Be By Myself." From there, he went into his politically charged "Sour Patch Kids" and the song that separates him from Eminem "As I Em."

After that, Asher closed the show with "I Love College" featuring a special appearance from Jim Jones and "Roth Boyz" from his mixtape The Greenhouse Effect.

Jim Jones

Closing out the show was KiD CuDi. He started his set with his own theme music "National Cudder Theme" and "Down and Out" from his mixtape A KiD Named CuDi.

Then, he performed "Sky Might Fall," "Make Her Say," and many more including "Heart of A Lion" from his album. After that, he went into some of his mixtape hits including "Man on the Moon."

He ended the show with "Day N Nite."

Overall, the show was great. 88-Keys' set was a grand set up for the main acts. I was puzzled as to why Bobby Ray aka B.o.B didn't perform as it was first stated on the Nokia Theatre’s website when the tickets to the show went on sale. Asher Roth was very creative with his set. It was very funny. He was having a lot of fun on stage, as an artist should. His performance was the best I seen in a while. On the other hand, KiD CuDi wasn’t as great as Asher. His set consisted of a lot of flashing lights much like his mentor Kanye West. He didn't bring his own twist to his performance as Asher did. His music is great, but his performance didn't match up. But, all three artists together did make the show very memorable. Make sure you catch The Great Hangover Tour coming to a city near you.

88-Keys' MySpace
Asher Roth's MySpace
KiD CuDi's MySpace

Click here to view more photos.

When You See Graffiti, You Go the Other Way

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Frankfurt, Germany

Towards the end of last month, I went on an overseas trip, thanks to some loving people (one of them give me the idea of this post's title). I was in Germany and Switzerland for about three weeks. The trip was great. During the trip, one of the things that stood out to me was the graffiti. I lived in New York City all my life and never as much graffiti as I did overseas. I became engaged with the art form when I took the Hip Hop culture class at my school. I even did a post about it. Graffiti can be great art. It has been recognized as a great form of art by the art community. Graffiti overseas is different than graffiti in the United States.

One thing that stood out to me when I heard Chuck D speak at my school and talked to him is how the rest of the world is more advance with Hip Hop culture than the United States. I took his word for it, but it was not until I went overseas and seen the art when I seen what he said firsthand.

Geneva, Switzerland

This picture comes from a stake park. It was at this park where I came up with the idea for this post. This was the first piece that I saw.

Before I went overseas, I thought about how I would share my experience with all of you. Of course there was my Twitter where I shared my experience on a micro level, but I wanted to do something bigger. I wanted to do something Hip Hop related.

Geneva, Switzerland

This stake park amazed me. There were so many wonderful pieces. The colors and size of them is what grabbed me. I never had seen so many bright colors. I took notice of the pieces that were just name tags, but I took even more notice of the ones that had more than a name tag.

Bern, Switzerland

I learned a lot from all of this. One of the things I learned was how serious some artists are about their work. I could see their hard work and great detail when I looked at the pieces from a distance and up close. It seems that the various governments overseas are not as serious about getting rid of graffiti as the various governments and people in the United States. This non-involvement has allowed great art to form. It has given the poor who can't afford to put up huge displays a chance to shine. This experience has inspired me to check out 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center if I could get in. If you ever get the opportunity to go overseas, look at all of your surrounds because you never know what you will find.

Click here to view more photos.
Pictures are courtesy of Amira Streeter. Thank you.

Fuck an Asher Roth

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Who does he think he is? This guy is not what Hip Hop is all about. What makes him think he can say “nappy headed hoes?” College? Go-Karts? These are the things people who oppose Asher Roth say. I have to admit that there was a point where I didn’t like Asher myself. That was before the “Lark On My Go-Kart” video released. After I heard that record, my whole opinion about him had changed. He was really different. That record showed me that he was wasn’t an Eminem copy cat. In a few ways like wordplay, I would even say he’s better than Eminem.

I first heard of Asher when he appeared in XXL’s Freshmen 10 issue. I didn’t understand why he was there. Out of all the freshmen, he was the only one I never heard of. I wondered why give a spot in a major magazine to an unknown person when there are many other great artists out there. He remained unknown until I heard “I Love College.” At that time, I really didn’t like it. I was not impressed at all. Sure, I did relate to it, being a college student at the time, but I just couldn’t get with it. A fellow journalist was telling me that Asher was more than “I Love College,” but I didn’t believe him. He did hold more weight than anybody else I knew because he actually heard Asher’s debut album Asleep In The Bread Aisle long before it released. When XXL dropped “The Reading,” more people started to jump on the Asher Roth train except for me. I don’t think I was really paying attention to the record when I heard it. Now, I think it is a dope record.

Shortly after that song dropped, “Lark On My Go-Kart” was released. While listening to it, I just got lost. The wordplay was witty. It was like he just went in the booth with no pad (or a cell phone as some people use today) and just rapped his ass off. I heard him freestyle before, but this record really grabbed me. I instantly became a fan. But I still couldn’t listen to his Greenhouse Effect mixtape. I prefer albums over mixtapes anyway.

When I talk to people about him, they make negative assumptions about him without hearing his music. I challenge them to just download Asleep In The Bread Aisle and take a few listens. Most of them didn’t do it. When some did, if they still felt the same way about him, I would just leave them be. I think that with these people it is all of the Eminem talk that turns them away from Asher. In many interviews Asher had done, he would get asked him about sounding like Eminem. He got so tied of talking about the comparisons that he decided to end it by making the record “As I Em” for his debut album. He might have killed those comparisons, but there are people out there who still believe in those comparisons. The reasons they still do is because they refuse to listen to his music.

Asher’s personal actions are another thing that turns people away. A little while ago, he made a joke in reference to Don Imus’ famous comment “nappy headed hoes” on Twitter after he just really performed at Rutgers University. He also said something to the effect that Black rappers spend a lot of money on flashy things but don’t help the people suffering in Africa. The blogging community went on fire while the people who never liked Asher from the start brought their hate to the next level. These comments give them the ammo that they needed. They tried to convince people that Asher was not good at all.

I can understand how people can be upset by “nappy headed hoes,” but why is it OK for Black rappers to say the same thing? I’m not saying it is not OK for him to say that. I’m saying that it is not OK for anyone. As for the Black rappers comment, I agree with Asher. As I said before, I do think people in general should give back especially if they had been in poverty themselves. Overall, questioning Asher should’ve got people to question their own.

Asher is a great MC. Asleep In The Bread Aisle is nearly classic. Maybe in a few years, it would be considered classic. Who else done a record that talked about their father in a positive light (Shout out to the REAL fathers)?

Who else tried to get their own White brethren (the majority of his fans) to fight poverty?

He is the one of very few MCs who didn’t rely on features to make his album. Unlike the majority of rappers (especially White ones), his music is who he is, and he stays true to who he is.

Hot 97 Summer Jam 2009 Recap

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:30:00 +0000

The program produced by XXL Magazine.

Jim Jones

Jim Jones and Juelz Santana

Young Jeezy

This past Sunday was the last Hip Hop concert at Giants Stadium, Hot 97's Summer Jam, New York City's biggest Hip Hop concert of the year. History is made here. Beefs started and went to the next level here. If you were a new artist and you performed here, you knew you made it. This year's concert didn't seem like much wasn't going to happen because of the line up. I missed the Reggae acts, Jadakiss (I'm kind of upset about that), and all of the R&B acts expect for Mary J. Blige. When I finally got there, she was about to come on. Her set was great. She went back to the classics. She even brought out Method Man to perform "You're All I Need." She took a break while Method Man brought out Redman to perform a couple of their new records.

Then, Young Jeezy came out and made the stage his own with records from his first major album Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 to his recent album The Recession. In the middle of his set, he shouted out the women in the crowd. Then, Drake came out to perform his smash hit "Best I Ever Had."

After Drake left, Jeezy got into a few more records before performing "Put On." Once he was done with his verse, Jay-Z appeared to do his verse and perform his new record "Death of Autotune."

While he was performing "Death of Autotune," T-Pain who was also set to perform caught him off guard by coming out. It seemed like he was embracing the record. But once he started to do his own set, it seemed like the record had effected him. He was performing records he appeared on. It took a while before he performed his own records. He did bring out his own guests, Lil Kim and Maino. Together, Maino and T-Pain performed Maino's "All the Above" from his debut album If Tomorrow Comes...

T-Pain ended his set by bringing out Ace Hood and DJ Khaled. After that, Dipset's Jim Jones and Juelz Santana came out to close the show. They performed a lot of their hits. Jim Jones shouted out Cam'ron who was not at Summer Jam. It seems that they finally made peace. Then, Jim brought out Soulja Boy to perform his hit "Turn My Swag On." At this time, there were a lot of people on the stage. Jim mocked Jay-Z for his record "Death of Autotune" while bringing out Ron Brownz to perform "Pop Champagne." I left shorty after that to beat traffic and because Dipset's performance became lame.

Overall, the concert was cool. Young Jeezy had the best set. Dipset had the worst. I couldn't believe that Hot 97 let them close again (they closed last year too). Jay-Z was the highlight. T-Pain seemed to be dead because of Jay-Z. Summer Jam might not what it used to be, but it is still one of the biggest Hip Hop concerts in New York City.

Click here to view more photos.

The Roots' $10 Jam Recap

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Black Thought

Captain Kirk Douglas

Craig G of the Juice Crew

Q-Tip
Last week, I went to The Roots' $10 Jam. It was kind of crazy as to how I got in. I came a hour and a half before the show started. I didn't buy a ticket online so I had to stand on the no ticket line. I didn't mind paying $12, but I was upset at myself for not paying it online when I had the chance. As it got closer to starting, there were a few men trying to sell tickets for almost $40-$60. The thing that amazed me was how they didn't step to me. They were trying to convince the man next to me that he wasn't going to get in. I watched as the line for people with tickets grew more than the line with people who didn't have tickets. Then, this one dude came up to me with his ticket. I thought that he was trying to sell it to me, but he was just giving it away. I took it and wondered as I stood on the people with tickets line if the ticket was fake. It turned it that it wasn't. I could not believe it.

As I entered the Highline Ballroom, I noticed that the place was really small and already full. At that point, I knew that I wasn't going to get in if I didn't have a ticket. I proceeded to the front of the stage and the show started with an opener. The opener was a Rock band. They had some good tunes. After they played a few songs, The Roots took the stage and proceeded to jam. Black Thought came on and the group started to do a few of their songs. Then, Black Thought introduced some guests to the stage. The first was M.O.P.

A few more guests who were new to the crowd and myself came out. Then, Black Thought brought out Craig G of the legendary Juice Crew.

After Craig G's set, Black Thought came back out and declared the jam as Jay Stay Paid night in honor of late producer J Dilla and his new album of the same name. A few more faces people knew came out came out to perform tracks from Jay Stay Paid. Black Thought even got into his own song from the album.

The highlight of the night was when Black Thought brought out Q-Tip. Together, they performed some of Q-Tip's classics.

The Roots' $10 Jam is a show that will keep the crowd on the edge of a cliff with surprises. This week's jam had Mos Def and Skillz. If you are in New York City and into dope music and live bands, attend one of these jams because you never know who you will see just for $10.

Click here to buy tickets.

The Roots' MySpace

Click here to view more photos.

Reflection Eternal Concert Recap

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:34:00 +0000

This concert occur a month ago. I meant to do this post a month ago, but I was waiting to see what was going to happen with the interview I had with both men, and I was trying to graduate. Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek) stopped by Skidmore College to perform and promote their new album Revolutions Per Minute dropping this summer. The album is their first album in nine years. Skidmore was the site of their second concert since reuniting and last few concerts before the Rock the Bells tour. The opening act was a 1980s Pop/Rock type band brought in by Skidmore Entertainment Committee. They were weird, but interesting. Hi-Tek came on stage once his DJing stuff was set up. The crowd got excited. Then it was time for Talib Kweli to come on.

After he came out, he keep the crowd going.

He did a few old joints as well.

Then, he got Hi-Tek to play a few of records he produced.

After that, Hi-Tek picked up a mic and did a few of his own records.

They "ended" the show, but the crowd wanted more. They still wanted to hear "Get By." Both men came back onto the stage and Talib did a freestyle and his verse to Kanye West's "Get 'Em High," their new record "Back Again," and "Get By."

A great way to end a great show. The concert proved that both men can still rock together. Let's just hope it can carry over to their new album.

Talib Kweli's MySpace
Hi-Tek's MySpace
Reflection Eternal's MySpace

Click here to view more photos.
Pictures and videos from the concert are courtesy of Amira Streeter. Thank you.

In Search of the Best

flyguydw89@gmail.com (Fly Guy '89) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:07:00 +0000

So there is a plenty of talk going on these days about who is the best rapper, and some people have taken it upon themselves to create tournament style brackets to determine who the undisputed champ is. Some have been successful at this like MTV, but one media outlet seems to never get it right, and yes I'm talking about Vibe. Vibe is at it again with their buffoonery; they decided to create a Best Rapper Ever Tournament. It appears that they haven't learned from last year’s dreadful Best Rapper Alive tourney. There are numerous mistakes with both of these attempts to determine the best EMCEE. Vibe’s first mistake was not differentiating between “RAPPERS” and “EMCEES.” There are key differences between the two is the depth in lyrical content and as Redman put it on Ed Lover's morning show on Power 105.1fm, “emcees” can still rock a crowd acapella and have everyone actively engaged in the show, whereas “rappers” have neither one of these capabilities. To simplify this, artists should be placed into categories that reflect their abilities in the craft of Hip-Hop. Jermaine Dupri puts it best on his YouTube program called “Living the Life”:

As JD put it, “heavyweights” or “emcees” should be the premier artists or the bar that everyone else should be trying to catch. Then from there, everyone else gets placed into light heavyweight, middle weight, featherweight, and so on. Once this is established, tourneys and bracket match ups could be created. Not doing this prior to the matchups not only diminishes one’s credibility as we've seen in Vibe’s case, but the whole thing just does not make any sense. With that said, let's take a look at Vibe’s 2007-2008 Best Rapper Alive Tournament. First off, there are people that are on that list that sure as hell don’t belong there. I think Lil Mama has potential to be really good, but with one hot single and a decent couple of verses on the remix to Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend,” she should not be mentioned as one of the best rappers alive. Aside from the lack of strength in songs, her album Voice of the Young People was not even able to break 100,000 units. It was also unfair for Vibe to match her up against Missy Elliot who has been a lyrical force for years. This was a key instance of mis-pairings.

The one that actually had me laughing but extremely disappointed was the approval for Soulja Boy Tell'em to crack the list. He is not an emcee or a rapper. He is a performance act for his beloved slave masters. He has no lyrical talent at all. Why else would DJs play one of the many remixes to “Turn My Swag On” and cut his verse. To further my dismay, Vibe had the audacity to put him in the 2Pac category. That is like spitting in 2Pac’s face and his legacy. Along with that mistake, they matched him up against the "god emcee" Hova. This was very disrespectful on Vibe’s part because this "EMCEE" is a LEGEND. I should not have to go further, but compare the resumes and you'll agree that Vibe definitely needs to rethink these decisions before they make them. The next thing is Ludacris going to the finals. I'm a Luda fan, but he should not have gone past T.I, let alone Weezy F. Baby. Okay we can say that both Paper Trail and Tha Carter III were released after this tourney was created, but just based off their previous albums and features in 2007, they should have been easily put past Luda.

I know that most of us have seen the Joe Budden clip of him venting his frustration with Vibe about their 2008-2009 tournament The Best Rapper Ever, if not here it is:

Joe is right about the matchups being wrong, people being on the list that should not be there, and of course rankings. First off, why is Eminem the only one that gets a play in bracket? If that is the case, then 2Pac, B.I.G, and Rakim should also get play in brackets. Again, there is disrespect towards 2Pac because he is matched with Plies. This was a poor choice again by Vibe because they are not in the same weight class. 2Pac is a heavyweight and Plies is a middle weight at best. Bun B should not be ranked higher than Jadakiss. Jada's usage of metaphors and personification are superior to that of Bun B. The play in bracket is missing Mickey Factz who is lyrically better than Charles Hamilton and Bobby Ray.

All in all, Vibe should have their ability to discuss Hip-Hop and create brackets revoked. It is obvious that they lack respect for the art form and the craft. They have no clue in what they were doing in putting both of these tournament brackets together.

Will They Ever Get a Bailout?

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:20:00 +0000

“Donate your dollars. Raise a dollar. Help a mother. Save a father.Cause poverty is probably our biggest problem
and it ain’t gonna stop with Obama.
To save the world, we must start at the bottom.”–Asher Roth “Sour Patch Kids” (2009)

A little awhile ago, the American government has given bailouts to failing companies on Wall Street and in Detroit. Bailouts are loans given by the government. Taxpayers fund them. The most interesting part about these bailouts is that some of the companies that were given a bailout are still failing. People are still getting laid off while the same people who let the companies fail are getting rewarded. The point of the bailouts was to prevent things such as laid offs. But, these bailouts are not working the way people thought they would. Despite that, other industries still ask the government for a bailout. People talk about these other industries and how they are in need, but poor people are the ones who need a bailout the most.

Throughout history, poor people have been put on the back of the bus. There were barely any major movements in support of them being led by major figures. The sixties were notable for these movements. The number of Americans in poverty went from 22.2% in 1960 to 12.1% in 1969. One of these major movements was led by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. When he ran for President, he promised a “Great Society.”

This society was a new, new deal, an upgrade from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s new deal. President Johnson grew up poor. He knew what it was like to be poor. He had seen that his role as President was his chance to make a difference. He believed that “Giving new opportunity to those who have little will enrich the lives of all the rest." The “Great Society” was going to be his legacy. It consisted of many programs that helped poor people. Unfortunately, the “Great Society” never came in full swing because of the Vietnam War, but some programs, such as Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), were very effective and still exist today.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was another leader of a major movement. He spearheaded the Poor People’s Campaign. This was his next and (sadly) last mission. Gaining Civil Rights for Black people was his first. He wanted to make this new effort to be about all poor people, not just Blacks. He faced a lot of opposition within his own organization about his choice to include all poor people. One reason for this opposition was that the fight for Civil Rights was not over yet.

Despite this opposition, Dr. King still worked hard to unite all poor people and make great change with them on things such as higher minimum wage. He was planning another March on Washington in 1968, the year he was murdered. Since he was murdered, he never got to be apart of the march, which still occurred. Ultimately, the campaign died along with him.

The sixties proved that change is possible. The 10% drop in poverty in ten years is amazing. But, the percentages barely changed since 1969. In 2006, the number of poor people stood at 12.3%. The question of why is it still the same comes up. The main reason is the absence of a major movement. That 12.3% consists of about 36.46 million Americans. How does it affect them? It affects them in many ways such as going hungry from time to time and not having proper health care. These things put poor people at high risk for serious sickness or death.

Children are affected by this even more. They are the ones where the poverty cycle stops or keeps going. In most cases, it keeps going. In addition to the many challenges at home, children have a hard time in school because of many things such as a lack of support. Their schools don’t have suitable materials such as textbooks and desks. As a result, children perform poorly on statewide exams. Even from elementary school, they are failing as compared to the schools that barely have any poor students.

A great example of this is data from 2007 of four elementary schools in New York City. The schools are P.S. 304 in Brooklyn, P.S. 46 in Manhattan, P.S. 36 in Staten Island and P.S. 94 in Queens. One way to find out the number of students who are poor is to find out the number of students in the free lunch program. This program depended on a family’s size and the income they earned to determine wither or not a student would get free lunch. An income anywhere from $1,127 to $2,687 gives students the ability to have free lunch. Students who have a family on public assistance automatically receive free lunch.

In P.S. 304, 99% of the students received free lunch. 30% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide English exam. 52 % of all the students in the school passed the state-wide math exam. In P.S. 46, 97% of the students received free lunch. 40% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide English exam. 68% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide math exam. In P.S. 36, 13% of the students received free lunch. 78% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide English exam. 90% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide math exam. In P.S. 94, 14% of the students received free lunch. 89% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide English exam. 100% of all the students in the school passed the state-wide math exam.

The data presented above shows that poor students are at a real disadvantage. There is a clear gap between schools with a majority of poor students and schools that don’t have a majority of poor students. In New York City, schools get more funding if they achieve more. The trouble with this is that the underachieving schools suffer. How can they achieve when they are not getting the funding they need to do so? This allows underachievement to carry over to high schools as well.

Education is one of the many keys to helping people get out of poverty. As Malcolm X once said, “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” The government has to help the students in any way possible to prepare for today. Of course we are in a recession, but that is no reason to leave any poor child behind. Sure, President George W. Bush enacted No Child Left Behind, but it does not help students in an effective matter.

In theory, the act sounds good because it forces schools to provide tutoring if they are failing and allows parents to transfer their children to other schools. But, how can schools provide tutoring and prevent from being closed down if they are not getting funded? All the act does is place requirements on states that they can never reach without help. In 2008, it forced various states to report false statistics in order to prevent schools from being closed. There have been recent changes to the act such as a universal formula being used to record statistics, but this still overlooks the issue of funds not being there to assist in growth.

Not only does the government need to help out, normal people need to help out as well. Progress had been made since President Barack Obama came into office. He promoted the need for young adults to get involved in community service. Last year, various programs such as Teach for America and City Year have seen an increase in applications. This is great, but these programs need to grow and rework some things. Programs such as Teach for America are denying many great people such as those who grew up poor the opportunity to join. This is counter-productive because they are just allowing the cycle of poverty to continue by not allowing poor people to help each other. Programs identical to Teach for America need to expand and be more open to having poor people help their own.

A young adult getting involved is great, but the adults need to step in as well. They need to give more than their dollars. They need to give their spare time to things such as mentoring. Mentoring for young children is powerful because it gives them hope and uplifts their spirits. Some poor young children don’t have positive role models in their lives. Giving a small amount of one’s time can mean the world to a child. Mentoring for older adults help as well because it can help them fix their lives. It can give them the motivation to want to get out of poverty, and if they are a parent, it can give them the motivation to become better parents.

Help from the government and others might take a while to have a great effect. So, in the meantime, poor people need to uplift each other and not give up on their hopes and dreams despite the things they face in life. Being poor is a very difficult thing to endure, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Poor people need to keep running towards that light. There will be many obstacles in the way, but they have to find ways around them.

There are many successful people out there who were once poor. Some of them had the help of others. Some of them did it on their own. The key to success is finding one’s own lane and working hard in that lane. Being successful might be as micro as getting an education, or it could be as macro as starting a business.

The combined efforts of the government, normal people and poor people helping their own selves can cause the number of people in poverty to drop. The percentage has the potential to drop even more than it did in the sixties. Not only would it be a great service for those in poverty, it would be a great honor to those major figures who actively fought to end poverty. Dr. King once said, “We cannot exist with islands of poverty in this great sea of wealth.” People can make his lost dream a reality.

Living the Dream and Keeping the Fight Going

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:37:00 +0000

This is what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for. It is very sad that I can't share this with all of my fellow brothers and sisters from high school and my neighborhood. Only one in ten low-income students graduate from college. Even less than those numbers enroll in college and even less finish high school on time. Towards the end of his life, Dr. King fought to end poverty. It is his lost (and sadly his last) dream, the one the mainstream doesn't talk about. I dedicate this degree to him and all of my brothers and sisters in poverty.

I cry everytime I see this video. It makes me proud.

In my next post, I will talk about poverty and the need for EVERYONE to get involved. In case you don't know, Hip Hop Culture came out of poverty. I will be posting the piece tomorrow. We need more of this to happen:

We can do it. Special shout out to those in poverty who graduate from high school and college this year.

Mixtape Spotlight: Market 4 Nigga$

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:27:00 +0000

I've been talking about this mixtape since Black History Month. Now, I am happy to say that it finally dropped. Some people thought it would never drop because JaFleu had a little trouble getting everything he needed (even from me), but everything came together. Listen to it and download it below. You will not be disappointed. Trust.

Listen

Download
Sendspace
Sharebee

JaFleu's MySpace

HIP HOP, WE DID IT!

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:54:00 +0000

THIS IS FOR ALL OF YOU!

The unthinkable has happened. Two weeks ago, Hip Hop Alliance was awarded Club of the Year! It came as a surprise to me. Anyone who knows me and the bullshit I endured with the club knows why it is a surprise to me. This year alone, the club did many things including organizing the second Hip Hop Culture Week and a Mickey Factz concert. Along with Club of the Year, I won two awards. But honestly, those awards don't mean as much to me as Club of the Year does. Hip Hop Alliance was a drug to me. It was the thing I gave 110% to. Outside of school work, it was the only thing I really focused and worked hard on for the past four years. To me, Hip Hop Alliance means unity. I'm grateful to have Executive Board members who were as passionate (and in some cases, more) as me. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to educate and unite people with the thing I loved, Hip Hop Culture. I can go on and on. I have spoken about my thoughts about the club on this blog enough. Now, I would like to take this time to send my thanks.

From left to right: Fellow Founder Mike Thomas, Director of Student Diversity Programs/Adviser Mariel Martin, Myself, Program Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs/Adviser Rosana Lemus and Adviser Professor Winston Grady-Willis

When I was just five years old, I never thought I would be where I am today. From that point, all of my life experiences would shape and mold me to be who I am today. I have endured many things in my life. Growing up poor is very difficult for a child. I’m just very grateful to have people who supported me throughout my life. I’m living proof that when you give a little hope to a child, it can have amazing effects. It can change their life for the better. I led an interesting and epic life so far. I came from being a very shy boy to an inspiration. Who would have thought that I would go on to do what I do now?

The story of Hip Hop Alliance is a grand one. The idea came about when I was in a class where a professor just talked about himself. This was in my first year here at Skidmore College. We rarely talked about the materials that we read. Most of the time, it was hard for me to focus or even stay awake (don’t worry I did well in that class). So, one day, I asked myself: “what is missing at this place?” At this time, I was very involved in other clubs, and I found myself being unhappy with them. I felt that they weren’t focused on educating and engaging people as much as I felt they should’ve. After I ran down a list of things that I was passionate about, I kept going back to Rap music over and over again (on a personal level, the music saved my life, literally).

After that thought process, I started to figure out how I could bring my passion to campus. Then, one day I found myself in the Office of Multicultural Affairs (now known as the Office of Student Diversity Programs). The Director at the time was Kathy Simpson. I talked to her about my idea. She helped me put together Hip Hop Alliance’s first discussion, which was on “Positive and Negative Messages in Rap Music Videos.” After that, I teamed up with Mike Thomas to make the club a reality. The rest from there is history.

From left to right: Next year's President Andrew LaSane, Mike Thomas and myself

It is a history that led up to the club’s winning of this year’s Club of the Year award (after being an official club for just a year and a half). This is certainly a great honor for everyone on the Executive Board, but we owe this to the people. Without all of you, we would be nothing. We do this for you. We really want to a special thank every co-sponsor we ever had and everyone who has been involved. Personally, I would like to thank the people who worked very hard side by side with us (and what I mean by that is people who I seen and talked to frequently): Kathy Simpson, Mariel Martin, Hilal Nakiboglu Isler, Mehtap Donuk, Rosana Lemus, Professor Winston Grady-Willis, Herbert Crossman, Dante Cantu, Robin Adams, Kris Leggiero Scully, and Alyssa Kienast. If I forgot anyone, I’m really sorry.

In closing, I want to say that this award proves that if you dream, work hard towards that dream, and achieve that dream, great things will come. But when it comes to activism, you should only do it out of the goodness of your heart, not to get your name out there or make your resume look good. If you didn’t do it out of the goodness of your heart, you would be doing the people you are serving a disservice. It won’t be fair to them. So, I really encourage all my brothers and sisters out there to shoot for the stars and be great. Find your cause and go for it. Together, we can change the world!

-Danny Tejada
Founder

The Founders with the future

Reflection Eternal Interview

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:20:00 +0000

I got to assist in interviewing Reflection Eternal after they just performed at Skidmore College (videos and pictures coming soon). They talk about their new album dropping this summer, Mos Def, their love for Hip Hop, reasons to “Get By,” having a White fanbase, the link between theater and Hip Hop, Chester French, and XXL Magazine’s Freshmen 10 of 2009.

Shout out to Sarah Burns and SkidTV.

A Conversation with a Dope Boy

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:40:00 +0000

It has been a while since I done one of these. I finally had the time to have a conversation. This time I sat with Meka from 2 Dope Boyz. It took a while to set it up considering I'm a Senior in college trying to graduate and Meka is a freelance writer as well as a blogger. Meka has written for XXL Magazine and UR Magazine. He has been writing long before he started 2 Dope Boyz with Shake. He's on Twitter and MySpace; make sure you add him. In our conversation, he talked about the start of 2 Dope Boyz, the site in general, the internet age, print media, and journalism.

DJ Daddy Mack: Hello Meka. Thank you for sitting with me today. How are things?

Meka: I'm good. Thanks for having me.

DJ Daddy Mack: The first question I have to ask is: Why the Sideshow Bob figure?

Meka: As you know, Shake's "likeness" is of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force character. I never watched that show prior, so I had to find something similar. Unfortunately, it was either Sideshow Bob, the Jamaican from Futurama or Disney's version of Tarzan. Obviously, I went with the least stereotypical person.

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] I see. So, this was something for the site?

Meka: Yes. If anything, having an anonymity of sorts intrigues our site visitors. But essentially having two cartoon characters makes things that more interesting. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] I like how you guys have one for the whole family can watch and the other just for the older people.

Meka: Well, Shake is about four years younger than I am. So, it's kind of indicative of our preferences and tastes.

DJ Daddy Mack: Cool. So did you grow up watching The Simpsons?

Meka: Of course. From The Simpsons to The Wonder Years to Small Wonder to Married... With Children, I grew up watching nearly any and everything. Al Bundy was and still is the man.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. He was a trendsetter. How did 2 Dope Boyz start?

Meka: It's an interesting story, actually. I was supposed to be a blogger for XXLMag.com. Things didn't turn out as planned, so I ended up being a blogger for Hip Hop DX. In 2007, my column, "Slap-Boxing With Jesus," became one of the most popular sections on the entire site. I was then approached by some of the higher-ups of DX and asked to "start this site" with their design and media content manager, which is Shake. We both agreed, and then sat for about a month or so while nothing happened. I asked Shake one day when it was going to actually go down, and he suggested we start the thing ourselves.

When we started the site in October 2007, I wasn't fully able to commit to it as I had a 50-hour-a-week job. In that sense, that's where the "Sideshow Bob" figure came about, because my partner was essentially running the entire thing. (Un)fortunately, I was let go from my job due to the Hollywood writer's strike, and I began to focus my energy toward the site. And here we are.

DJ Daddy Mack: Wow. Very interesting story. So, your blog on Hip Hop DX was the same one you were going to do on XXLmag.com?

Meka: Oddly enough, I met eskay before I met Shake, as he was the online editor for XXL's website at the time and the same person I was in contact with about the entire situation. I was originally planned to be a guest blogger for about a week, and then make the transition over to featured blogger.

DJ Daddy Mack: Crazy world. Speaking of eskay, what effect did you think being apart of the New Music Cartel had on the blog?

Meka: It's definitely made our site's appeal even greater, although we were already growing at a near-exponential rate. Being a part of a crew of a variety of websites with a variety of personalities is definitely a great thing. In this digital era, it helps to stand out from the pack. And that is what I feel the NMC does in droves.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. Did you guys know how popular the site would be?

Meka: To this day, it still amazes me how huge the site has become. I'm a bit of an introvert at times, so being something that for the most part is extremely well-respected humbles me. I definitely am grateful for it.

DJ Daddy Mack: Since you spoke about the digital era, of course you know that we are now in the age of the internet. And it seems that the labels for the most part have not caught up. I’m sure you get notices to take things down. What are your general thoughts of leaking records?

Meka: If I had a nickel every time I got a "cease and desist" from Atlantic Records, they'd probably try to get me for those too. But for the most part, I don't even consider it "leaking records." Most, if not all, artists need to gain some form of attention from the general public, whether to build a buzz for an upcoming record or to even keep their names out there. So getting their songs out to the various websites are now the new versions of "shopping it to radio, music video channels, club DJs," etc. etc. I'll say this: every time someone "leaks" a record, whether intentional or "unintentional", all they're really looking for is attention.

DJ Daddy Mack: I agree with you about websites being the new grand outlet. So, I'm guessing you would say that bloggers are like the new DJs in the sense of breaking records and artists?

Meka: Not necessarily. To me, the DJ has, is and always will be an instrumental tool for music. They still wield that power of truly making or breaking an artist. However, the dynamic has changed to the point where the DJ can now search the Internet to see who is making noise there.

DJ Daddy Mack: But what about cats like Mickey Factz who got big off Nah Right?

Meka: Exactly my point. The "DJ" dynamic has changed, so much so that now the Internet is making these DJs, these so-called "taste makers" (which is a term I have such a deep disdain for) look elsewhere for the next thing.

Why would somebody try to pull a DJ to the side with the hopes of getting him to listen to their demo, when they can simply post it up online?

DJ Daddy Mack: True story. So, do you think that the DJs just help bring the artists from the internet to the "streets?"

Meka: The whole "streets" ideal is a funny thing. Like, what is "the streets" anymore? The Internet was once considered a harbinger of all things "nerdy." But now you see so many artists who are considered "street" all over the Internet. Case in point: Jadakiss' last album debuted at number three on Billboard last week, and was number six this week. And he - who's essentially considered a "street" artist - basically had nothing but an Internet promotional campaign. If it weren't for the Internet I'm sure he would have sold less, because I didn't even hear one of his songs on the radio out here in California.

So to answer your question, when it comes to the Internet, all you need is a good sound, impeccable work ethic and a zshare link. DJs aren't necessarily needed to bring an artist to the "streets" if you're capable of doing that yourself.

DJ Daddy Mack: So the DJ really has no use at all today?

Meka: The DJ will always be needed, but the DJ model has to now adapt to the new musical climate.

DJ Daddy Mack: Oh I see. It is interesting that you bring up the whole "street" thing. I agree with you on that. That's why I put those quotation marks. [LAUGHS] But at the end of the day, you still have those people who talk shit about the internet. I just can't believe it. It’s like they are saying that the people on the internet are not real people. What do you think about those people?

Meka: Funny that you mention that. The reason I got recognized by XXL in the first place was because I would always commented on their columnists' posts. So in a sense, if it weren't for me speaking my mind I probably wouldn't even be speaking to you. [LAUGHS]

But to be honest, I really don't think about those people, because they do little to nothing to stop my own personal progression. Some of that stuff is flat-out hilarious, however.

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] Indeed it is. Since you brought up XXL, you have done lot of print work with them. What is that like versus 2 Dope Boyz and Hip Hop DX?

Meka: Well, my true passion has always been music journalism. And dating back to my high school years it was always a dream of mine to write for XXL Magazine. So I'm extremely grateful and happy that that was finally able to happen for me.

But comparing journalism to working on the site is literally like night and day. There's very little to no thought process when it comes to posting content on the site. On the flip side, I have to focus a lot of energy when it comes to my journalism assignments, whether it's an interview or music review.

When it comes to 2DopeBoyz, it's as simple as finding an embed code or linking a song to an upload site. When it comes to writing, I have to dedicate a lot of time and energy into creating the perfect article.

DJ Daddy Mack: Oh man. I know the feeling. I always wanted to write for XXL as well. I'm glad I got that opportunity. I know what you mean when it comes to writing. But with me, it’s like the print as well the web. I got this opinion blog in which I take every post seriously. I love doing this stuff.

Meka: Thanks man. It's been a long and arduous trip, but I'm happy for the most part and would not change a thing.

DJ Daddy Mack: Same here. Since you brought the site back up, it seems like you guys post a lot of unknown artists. Why go that route?

Meka: There are a lot of talented artists currently out who aren't getting what I feel is a proper chance to shine. Why not give these artists the same spotlight as their "top tier" equivalents? People are always looking for new sounds. The way I see, it's easier to find these sounds if sites like 2DopeBoyz provide them.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. I respect that a lot. Where do you think print is going?

Meka: It scares me to wonder what the future holds for print nowadays. Ideally, print will continue to last, as it has been for centuries. Realistically, though? I don't even know. And that actually bothers me a lot.

DJ Daddy Mack: Same here, but not all blogs good for content. So, it is hard for them to take out print. One of the bad things about blogs is that things like news come out too quick. In other cases, you have sites that just post some bullshit videos that are not news at all. Do you think things are getting out of hand? Has responsible journalism gone out the window?

Meka: To be honest, to me they're the equivalent of the National Enquirer or the Weekly World News, which - albeit in a bizarre sense - is a form of journalism as well. I can't truly feel a certain way about any of those things because there's obviously a fan base they cater to that I'm not a part of.

DJ Daddy Mack: I see. So do you think anything can be journalism?

Meka: To an extent virtually anything can be journalism, from news shows like 20/20 and Dateline all the way down to porn like the AVN news. Thing is, people have this "ideal, unwritten code" of what journalism is and isn't supposed to be. But ultimately, if there's something you feel that's irresponsible you don't even have to bother looking at, reading or following it.

DJ Daddy Mack: Interesting. I never heard it like that before. So, one last question: who are your favorite artists today and of all-time?

Meka: My favorite artist of all time is Notorious B.I.G. Clichéd it may sound, but his music was what made me decide, "I really want to do something with music career-wise." Mind you, this was back in 1994 and I didn't know any better. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS]

Meka: Currently, I listen to Clipse a lot. But the most ironic thing is, I listen to a lot of local acts from Los Angeles. I was never a heavy West Coast music fan, and always preferred East Coast rap over it all day. DJ Premier changed my life. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] And you been in LA all your life?

Meka: I've been here my entirely life. However, I am in the stages of moving to New York.

DJ Daddy Mack: That's what's up.

Meka: But going back to the music. Since Shake and I started the site, I've been introduced to a lot of acts from this area who are incredibly talented. U-N-I, TiRon, Ayomari, El Prez, DNEZ, Pacific Division, Diz Gibran, Language Artz, Shawn Chrystopher. There's so many to name out here, but each and every one has caught my eyes and ears.

DJ Daddy Mack: Dope. Is there anything else you would like to say?

Meka: Many thanks to each and every person who has supported the site. I'm grateful and humbled by it everyday.

And because we all know controversy brings hits, "shout out to all my slave masters. For without you I wouldn't be rocking all these tattoos and Nike shoes."

Kidding, of course.

DJ Daddy Mack: [FALLS OUT HIS CHAIR LAUGHING] Thank you very much for having this great conversation with me. Keep doing your thing. You and Shake are going a great service. Take care.

Meka: Not a problem at all, man. You too.

Tonight, Another Chapter Ends

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:56:00 +0000

I'm sure all of you are aware that I have a radio show here at my school. Well today, another chapter in my college career ends. Tonight at midnight EST, I say goodbye to college radio. It was a great ride. I'm glad, but I wish I would have done everything that I wanted to do with the show. The radio show was my first love here on campus. It gave me the opportunity to express myself with my own voice and the music I loved. I remember when people told me that I sounded better on the radio than face to face in freshmen year. That made me feel great because I knew I was doing the right thing on the show. I have so many great moments from interviews with people like Mickey Factz (that's how I got to know him) to addressing serious issues to telling funny stories to silly randomness.

Just like Hip Hop Alliance, the radio show has given me unforgettable memories. Even if I do an internet show after, it will never be the same. Shout out to everyone who rode with the show all four years. SPECIAL shout out to Cosign, the co-host of the show. Thanks, man, for doing this thing with me. I'm grateful for this and everything we did together.

Tune in tonight for the final stand! Midnight EST.
Audio Stream
Video Stream

Mixtape Spotlight: Mickey Factz

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:56:00 +0000

It is finally here! The mixtape is a collection of tracks spanning Mickey's career from In Search Of the N*E*R*D to now. It is an introduction for people new to him and for those who don't know of his older work. Everyone can download it! Shout out to NEJI for the artwork. Shout out to Mickey for the support. Enjoy. Visit the site for music, news and more from Mickey Factz. Share it!

Listen

Download (choose any link)
Divshare
Sharebee
Sendspace

The Stars Aligned at Skidmore

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Passing the torch. From left to right: DJ Daddy Mack (Danny Tejada), Fly Guy '89 (David Whitely), CoSign (Mike Thomas) and DJ Mason Dixon (Andrew LaSane).

In my previous post, I discussed my last event with Hip Hop Alliance, the club I co-founded. Well, the time finally came and went, the concert called "The Legacy Lives on with Mickey Factz and Friends."

First, BK Cyph set things off.

He performed "Flyer," "Keep Ya Nike On," "Going Back," "Never Sold Crack" and more.

Then, The Incomparable Shakespeare shook things up.

He performed "4.0," "Skinny Jeans," "Fresh" and more.

Wrapping the opening acts up, Loj proceeded to drop dope lyrics.

He performed "One" and more.

To end the show, Mickey Factz rocked the stage with Melo-X.

He performed "Rapio 2 Point," "Pick Up the Bass," "Good Money," "Incredible," "Automatic," "Rockin N Rollin" and more. Melo-X also joined in to perform his version of "Incredible."

After he was done with his set, He performed RL's "Stars" with The Incomparable Shakespeare and BK Cyph.

Want to download the song? Click here.

Once the trio was done, Mickey started a cypher with Loj, The Incomparable Shakespeare, BK Cyph, Melo-X, Digital Dao Jones and more.

It was an incredible experience that will last with me for the rest of my life. I thank everyone involved in the event; the Executive Board, the co-sponsors, the performers, the sound person, Leadership Activities and everyone who came. I am really grateful. I might not show it, but it was very heartbreaking for me to do the concert. Just knowing it was the last time messed with my head. I love Hip Hop Culture. I love the club so much. I know I must move on, but it really is hard to do so. Mike and I pumped out a lot of blood, sweat and tears into getting the club to where it is today. Of course without the Executive Board, we would be nothing. I wish all the luck in the world to those who will keep the legacy of Hip Hop Alliance alive. May God give you all the same powers that Mike and I had if not more to make things happen.

The Executive Board with Mickey Factz.

For more pictures, click on these links:
Album 1
Album 2
Album 3
Album 4

The Last Stand

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:59:00 +0000

I'm leaving Skidmore College soon to enter the real world which is currently suffering from a recession. But before I go, my club, Hip Hop Alliance, organized one final event for the semester. We are proud to present "The Legacy Lives On with Mickey Factz and Friends." This event means a lot to me for many reasons. One reason is what I mentioned before. It is the final event that I will be involved in at Skidmore College as a student. It is hard for me to leave something I help created and build from the bottom up. I will always remember things like the Chuck D keynote lecture, this concert, Graffiti Night, my executive board members and more.

The title of the concert has a great meaning behind it. One legacy that is living on is Rap music. Mickey and the other performers are ushering a new era of the music while staying true to its roots. The title is also a reference to the club living on and going strong even after Mike Thomas, follow founder, and I leave. Mike and I may have started it, but I know that the club will evolved and do things we were never able to do in our time at Skidmore. I have faith in the new leaders. I wish them the best, and they shall feel free to keep in touch.

Going back to the present time, this concert will top off our year. The final pieces for the club will be winning the club of the year and President's awards. After the long road we took, we deserve any honor we receive. But, we don't do the things we do to get honored. I just want to win the award for the executive board and everyone who struggled in their lifetime. It will prove that if you dream big, work hard at it and help others, it does pay off.

So, next Saturday (April 11th), Mickey will rock the stage at Skidmore College with BK Cyph, The Incomparable Shakespeare and Loj. The free concert takes place at 3pm on the Dining Hall Green. Skidmore College is located at 815 North Broadway in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is hosted by my team member here at the blog Fly Guy '89 and myself. I'm glad that all of these artists are performing. I'm a fan of all of them. Come out if you can. Help keep the legacy alive!

Check out the artists:
Mickey Factz
The Incomparable Shakespeare
BK Cyph
Loj

Invite all of you friends!

RSVP Online:
Last.fm
Eventful
Facebook
MySpace

Shout out to Atomic Blaze Productions for the great poster.

One of Hip Hop's Best Kept Secret

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:20:00 +0000

One issue that is not discussed is homophobia (which is a problem not only in Hip Hop Culture, but in America as well). I’ve been meaning to do this post for a long time. But, it was not until a few weeks ago, when I realized it was important for me to write this. A few weeks ago, it was discovered that an owner of a upcoming Hip Hop website was gay. The way it was discovered was wrong. The owner never tried to hide it anyway, but a certain member invaded the owner’s privacy by posting his pictures. After that, the same user, along with others, proceeded to blame another user and started to throw the word “fag” around (in a sense, they were mocking the owner). A few other users had some negative comments towards the owner. The owner handled in a civil matter considering how immature some of the users were acting. The issue has since been forgotten. That whole thing just reminded me that the issue of homophobia in the Hip Hop community as a whole needs to be discussed and addressed.

I did a discussion on this last year with the club I founded, Hip Hop Alliance. It was part one of a three part discussion series. I did not know if people would show up or not since it was an issue rarely talked about. But, it was because of the issue rarely being talked about that brought a great crowd to the event (if you create it, they will come). The discussion itself was great. Check it out:

The materials were great as well.
The Boondocks' "The Story of Gangstalicious, Part 2"

The interesting thing about The Advocate’s video is how Kanye West talked about the word “fag” and more, but later on in a record called “Grammy Family” he still used the word “fag”: “Used to hit the radio. Them faggots ain’t let me on.”

How can people take Kanye seriously after “Grammy Family”? Sure people can say that his fashion sense can have people take him seriously especially with his comment on VH1 Storytellers (at 8:05):

Does Kanye still have the same thoughts as he did before “Grammy Family?” He needs to make things clear. He did in the video, but “Grammy Family” and how he did not want to respond to other people’s comments just killed everything he said. Kanye is a direct person. That is one of his best qualities. He should just be honest and stick to what he says.

If Kanye is serious about homophobia, people need to stand with him, not against him. Homophobia is like the dirt under Hip Hop’s sofa that has never been cleaned since Hip Hop moved into the apartment. Why do people hate gays is a question that might go unanswered forever in the general sense. Some people who do can’t even answer the question or don’t know why. On the flip side of it, some people do have real reasons to hate gays. It could be that they were hit on by a gay person, they were raped by another man (gay or not), or something else. These things are understandable, but this is where conversation needs to happen. When people have serious conversations, great things can be discovered and change can happen. Once we can have these conversations, the world will be a step closer to peace and equality. Let’s do this!

Bonus: As I was doing research for Hip Hop Culture Week 2008, I found a trailer to an interesting documentary called Pick Up the Mic. It shows an underground genre called “Homo Hop.”

Lil Scrappy Returns With My XXL Debut

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:51:00 +0000

As you all should know, I am a freelance writer. In the past, I have done pieces for Scratch Magazine (http://hiphoponmymind.blogspot.com/2008/11/hip-hop-on-my-mind-turns-1-todaydope.html). Now, I make my major magazine debut with XXL in their April 2009 issue.

In my debut, I review an album from Lil Scrappy and his group G’$ UP called Silence and Secrecy: Black Rag Gang. Scrappy comes back after his "debut" album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live in 2006 (he did an album before with Trillville and Lil Jon). He had an under the radar release called Prince of the South in 2008. I'm not sure if it was an album or mixtape, but I do know no one knew about it.

This is the lead single from the new album, which is in stores now. It is called "Cell Phone Watch."

Check out my debut and his return here: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=38398

Shout out to XXL for giving me the opportunity. Everyone needs to pick up this new issue because that NaS article is dope.

Mixtape Spotlight: Tha Q's "Tha Billion Dollar Project" is Finally Here!

DADDYMACK31@HOTMAIL.COM (DJ Daddy Mack) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:08:00 +0000

After a long road, the mixtape is finally here. The single "Choice Iz Yours" was a hit with about 250 downloads. I thank all the bloggers who posted it and all those who downloaded it. All of you are about to get a great treat. Trust me. Share this will everyone! Enough with the talking. Here it is:

Download: http://sharebee.com/c56f4a61 or http://www.sendspace.com/file/rehgv6

Tha Q's MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/thaqraps

Previously: http://hiphoponmymind.blogspot.com/2008/05/mixtape-spotlight-tha-q-and-fresh.html

Is There Such a Thing as Going Too Far?

flyguydw89@gmail.com (Fly Guy '89) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:38:00 +0000

[Blogger’s note: My apologies for not posting in a while. I got a bit wrapped up in a few things that needed immediate attention. On a good note, I’m glad to be back in full effect.]

In light of the 50 Cent and Rick Ross beef, I began to reflect on previous beefs in the world of Hip-Hop. I began to ruminate on the beefs between MC Shan and KRS-One, LL Cool J and Canibus, and Biggie and Tupac to name a few. With these Hip-Hop battles and those like them, there has always been some sort of code of ethics; the major thing was that the conflict between the artists would always remain on wax. The artists would try to out-do each other lyrically, and the content would not go further than the individuals involved in the beef (or in some cases, their neighborhoods). There were unwritten codes or laws in which a rapper’s friends and families would be off limits, lyrically and physically. In spite of all this, rappers today try to demoralize their opponents by attacking their loved ones. Looking at how Hip-Hop battles have transcended over the years, rappers in today’s world use digital technology to subdue their rivals. This brings up the question: is there such a thing as going too far?

Since its inception, Hip-Hop battles have always been about the lyrical content. One of my fondest memories of great rap beefs was MC Shan and the Juice Crew verses KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. The thing that sparked this beef was DJ Marley Marl’s refusal of giving KRS-One and Scott La Rock’s music airplay on the radio. KRS-One claimed that Marley Marl said his music was “garbage.” This led to KRS resenting MC Shan because he felt that Shan was “garbage,” and he was a member of Marley Marl’s crew. The thing that really got the feud going was KRS-One’s misinterpretation of Shan’s record “The Bridge” in 1985. In it, Shan started:

You love to hear the story, again and again,
of how it all got started way back when.
The monument is right in your face.
Sit and listen for a while to the name of the place,
The Bridge,
Queensbridge

KRS believed that Shan was claiming that Queens, NY was the birth place of Hip-Hop, when everyone knows that the Bronx, NY is the birthplace it. KRS became irate because he felt that Shan was being disrespectful in disregarding the foundation of the genre. As a response, he created “South Bronx.” In it, he lyrically attacked Shan by saying:

Party people in the place to be. KRS-One attack.
Ya got dropped off MCA cause the rhymes you wrote was wack.
So you think that hip-hop had its start out in Queensbridge.
If you popped that junk up in the Bronx, you might not live.

The battles continued this trend. There was one lyrical assault after another. These rappers talked about how they were the better lyricist than the other. They made fun of each others’ names and talking about their respective label contracts. This was a pure classic beef. The competition was impeccable, the creativity was amazing, and they did not need to result to making things personal. Their group members who were involved in the battle kept it all on wax, and outwitted each other lyrically. This shows substance, immense creativity, and restraint to continuously throw lyrical jabs at one another without taking things on a personal level and attacking each others’ loved ones.

The one Hip-Hop beef that opened the flood gates to personal attacks was the Jay-Z and Nas beef. Let me start off by saying that I am a huge Jay-Z fan, but Nas murdered Jay lyrically on “Ether.” With a mix of destructive punchlines and hardcore facts, Nas did Hova in lyrically with lines such as:

Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?
Oh, I get it.You Biggie and he's Puffy.
Rockefeller died of AIDS. that was the end of his chapter.
And that's the guy y'all chose to name your company after?

Nas’ comparisons here are incredible because he exploited the fact that Jay-Z has been perceived to hang on Biggie’s coattail and try to be him since Biggie had pasted away, and the resemblance of Dame Dash’s Armadale dance to Diddy’s (Puffy, Diddy is what he calls himself now) infamous background dances in videos was great. After being demoralized by “Ether,” Hova was backed into a corner and had to come back with something big. This comeback was “Super Ugly,” where Jay-Z took things to an unprecedented level. In this record, Jay-Z made personal attacks when he says:

Me and the boy A.I. got more in Common than just ballin’ and rhymin’.
Get It?
More in Carmen.
I came in your Bentley backseat.
Skeeted in [your]Jeep.
Left condoms in the baby seat.

Carmen is Nas’ baby’s mother, and had a little stint with Jay-Z and Allen Iverson. It actually gets worse, when Hova states “And since you infatuated with sayin’ that gay shit, yes you was kissin’ my dick when you was kissin’ that bitch.” This is when things get out of hand. Talking about the mother of his child was going way too far. There is no need to bring up a person’s family life into a Hip-Hop beef. It is supposed to stay to lyrical content and trying to out go your adversary through lyrical content. There was no reason for Hova to attack an innocent little girl, and exploiting his sexual encounters with Nas’ baby’s mother. It may seem amusing at first due to shock value, but Hip-Hop is not the place to do that. This is getting into more of trying to annihilate a person in all aspects. Just imagine going through New York City and everywhere you go you have to hear people talk about and ask you questions about your worst enemy sleeping with a woman you had loved. I’m quite sure it was eating him up inside.

This leads to the most current beef in Hip-Hop: Rick Ross and 50 Cent. 50 has plenty of experience in beef on his resume, battles with Ja Rule and Murder Inc., Cam’ron, Fat Joe, and many others. 50 has yet to lose any lyrical beef. He caused many rappers to walk off in the sunset with their heads down from embarrassment. He single handedly dismantled the Murder Inc. label, caused Camron’ to go on a hiatus from Hip-Hop, and Fat Joe has been missing for quite some time now. The man is a beast when it comes to Hip-Hop beef, which has led to him being dubbed the bully of Hip-Hop. The interesting thing about this beef is that, unlike his previous ones, 50 did not start this one.

Officer Rick Ross (former corrections officer) attacked 50 in his record “Mafia Music.” Ross brought up 50 Cent’s situation with his baby’s mother, which was out of line. The thing about 50 is that he tries to destroy a person when he goes at them not only in a lyrical matter but through comedic videos as well. 50 started his rampage by stating to Ross “I’m Gonna Fuck your Life up…for fun.” So, 50 took to his site, www.thisis50.com, and brought in Ross’ baby’s mother to disclose information about Ross.

There was rumor that Rick Ross was a corrections officer, and he continuously denied it because it would damage his image as a gangster rapper. His baby’s mother, Tia, confirmed that this rumor was true, and she disclosed other things about Ross, that he rents his cars and does not own them, and many other things. 50 speaks of how people only see his retaliations and do not see what sparked them, which is true; Ross took to the web first by taking a photo of 50 Cent’s son and using Photoshop to alter it to make fun of him. Both rappers are wrong in their actions. Rick Ross displayed his immaturity in attacking a child, and 50 Cent continues to illustrate his apathy towards others.

50 Cent goes beyond levels of disgusting when he posted a video of his acquaintances showing up to the home and work place of DJ Khaled’s, a Florida DJ that works with 50’s rivals Fat Joe and Rick Ross, mother. This is where things begin to get dangerous. For all we know this could be an elderly woman that is disabled, and 50 attacking her is low. Now, this woman’s safety is in danger because 50 knows where she works and lives and could hire people to harm her at any given moment. As a fan of Hip-Hop, it is entertaining to witness rappers attack one another and insult each other, but it is disturbing to see and hear about mothers and children being involved in the beefs. Is it that they ran out of material to talk about each others’ lyrics and style that they have to resort to this? To 50 Cent and Rock Ross, I say grow up and find new ways to take shots at each other lyrically. It is a shame to see the both of you go as low to attack innocent women and children. To Hip-Hop as a whole, we cannot allow these actions to continue. This is how families get broken up and people get hurt. Enough is enough.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_Wars