suffice it to say… performances like this are the only reason Jimmy Fallon’s show still stays on my radar =)

BlackStar keeps shinin yall, ‘98 to now…  & the  Roots crew is so nice with that Dilla beat.

YouTube - Mos Def & Talib Kweli – History (Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – 11-25-09).avi.

El programa de Jimmy Fallon está metiéndole medio palo a todos los demas late shows en materia de presentaciones musicales. No sólo tienen de banda fija a The Roots, sino que consistentemente llevan artistas musicales muy buenos y ofrecen un sonido mucho mejor que otros programas (como por ejemplo SNL que siempre suena horrible).

Luego de haber tenido a los Pixies, Fallon ofrece una “reunión” muy interesante con los fundadores de Black Star, Talib Kweli y Mos Def, junto a las hotties Amber Coffman y Haley Dekle de Dirty Projectors y por supuesto, The Roots. Un lujo ver a tanto ídolo.

Un poco de Snoop Dogg, después.

El tema que tocaron se llama “History”, y forma parte del discazo The Ecstatic de Mos Def, si le gusta el rap inteligente y con consciencia, bájenlo ya.

Otra leyenda del hip hop es Snoop Dogg, que luego de 2 décadas con su flow pausado y cool, sigue sacando discos y secándose el pelo (aunque estamos claros que sus mejores días y sus mejores rimas ya pasaron). Su más reciente trabajo se llama Malice N Wonderland (puedo jurar que Sasha Grey esta haciendo una versión porno de Alicia en el País de las Maravillas con ese mismo nombre), y este es el video de su primer sencillo, titulado “I Wanna Rock”

Como dije, sus mejores tiempos ya pasaron.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli perform the track ‘History’ on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, backed by The Roots. Absolutely awesome!

holy shit. the ‘reunion’ of black star on national television. one of the best duos of all time join forces with the roots (i know, right?) to perform “history” off the ecstatic. history, indeed.

download:

mos def – history f. talib kweli

-grizzly

Thought I’d share some of the music that’s on repeat on my iTunes.  It is pretty random & eclectic but I do hope you enjoy! Every song strikes me in a different way and fits a different mood that I’ve been in lately.  Whether it be lyrics, a melancholy melody, or a beautiful guitar intro… you will probably find it here.

Chrisette Michelle – “Blame It on Me”

I ain’t a quiter
I just ain’t the type
I tried to see you through
I tried to make it to the finishing line
Every once in a while you think you figured it out
Sometimes your not right
Yes I love you but I really got to lose you
Freedom is where I want to be
Yes I’ll probably always love you
But I’m moving
I got to do this for me

BLU – “Untitled(Loved U)2″

See the way I feel about ‘chu is like nothin’ left without you
but I doubt you think its nothin’ more than game.
But the game is lame,
and the fame ain’t special since I met you, I have nothing more to gain.
‘Cept your love!
And harmony!
Who’s to say that I just can’t go and give you all of me?
Just relax your mind,
Ask some time, if you wanted me.

I love this song!  Blu’s tracks are always so soulful and melodic and this is my favorite track off of  Her Favorite Colo(u)r, his mixtape album that was released earlier in February.  I suppose you can call this a “break up album”.  But this is not your ordinary, in ultimate Blu fashion, it is seriously fresh, creative, and innovative; incorporating clips from indie films like Closer & Life Aquatic and samples from Billie Holiday, Radiohead, and Jummue Hendrix.  Ultimately I love his lyrics which fit the jazzy undertones like a glove.  He takes you on love’s journey after it has gone from sweet to sour.  But these tracks aren’t anywhere near depressing, but instead give of a feeling of accepting what love has ultimately become when it is all over whilst allowing you to reminisce a bit.  In “Amnesia” he samples Billie Holiday’s classic song “Am I Blue” and paints these vivid lyrics of lost love:

Blu – “Amnesia”

I used to have peace and serenity
teaching divinity
break bread, sippin’ the blood, eating with enemies
blind, pearl on my mind thinking we meant to be
this, that and a third
boy did I learn – tables turn…
homesick and i haven’t been home since…
blu heart, red skies
true art died in the heart of my mind
kept trying to fulfill this blank scrip of realness…
used to speak sweet with sympathy
tees to mimick me
sunshine every line you ever sent to me
heaven sent, heavenly sent the later crippled me…
shit simple men don’t learn
where is your empathy
couldn’t see the fork in the road.

 

Talib & DJ Hi-Tek – Love Language

It’s like one big mind game that everybody playin and
Niggas say bitches is trife, bitches say niggas is
We just don’t understand our fundamental differences
I’m still learning though, actually

L’amour n’a pas de, frontiere (Love has no boundaries)
Restes car je t’aime comme tu es (Stay because I love you as you are)
J’ai traverse l’ocean du verbe (I crossed an ocean of words)
Et je t’ai trouve (And I found you)

Women thrive on emotions, men refuse to acknowledge
So when we arguin nobody winnin’
Words get in the way time and again
Sticks and stones break your bones words break your heart
Whether you in touch with that part or not say “word”
Words are weapons for the revolutionary
Used for evil make the situation very scary
Word up, but love is brave
It flies in the face of fear

 

—–  these next tracks make me feel HAPPY —–

De Phazz – “Kiss Me”

The Roots – “Star/Pointro”

Dilla – “Mythsysizer”

NUJABES – “Peaceland”

U-N-I – “Beautiful Day”

—– this inspires me to pick up my Guitar and play it! —-

BJORK – “So Broken”

Here I go
Trying to run ahead of that,
Heart break train,
Thinking,
It will never catch up with me.
I’m trying to land,
This airplane of ours gracefully,
But it seems just destined to crash.
I’m so broken.

If you haven’t seen the live version of this song on Youtube you will appreciate the song a lot more.  Some folks might think she looks completely insane in the live performance but I see it as an artist in a trance and feeling the depth of her song.  The guitar accompaniment is beautiful and is a constant reminder of how I need to learn how to play like -  YESTERDAY!

B.
valcone.net

The Hold Steady Almost Killed The Sokol Underground

But it is.  Good God, it’s almost 2010.

*Side note:  It truly is incredible to consider for myself the difference in my life from the year 2000 to today.  I was a junior in college in Lincoln, having a grand old time, and just started dating someone.  I know am a homeowner in Omaha with said “someone” and have a beautiful daughter with her.  And it seems like 2000 was approximately 2 days ago.  Incredible.

So you’re starting to see the inevitable “Best of the ’00’s” articles and blog posts.  I typically am only interested in the music version of these lists.  The one I saw is from–for my money–the most reputable music site out there anymore, The Onion’s AV Club.

When I first saw this link, I couldn’t immediately think of anything really.  But wow–once I started reading through this list, I realized how good of a decade it has been for music.  Perhaps that’s a personal preference, but there are some all-timer’s in there.  For me, age 21-30 was far more influential for my musical tastes than, say, my high school/early college years because it has been the past 10 years where I really branched out and started discovering more genres and getting into a diverse array of music.  But I digress.

Check out the AV Club’s “Best of the Decade” story. Here is their Top 6:

(Why Top 6?  Because #6 is awesome, and I wanted to include it.)

#6:  The Hold Steady, “Separation Sunday”

#5:  Wilco, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”

#4:  Outkast, “Stankonia”

#3:  Radiohead, “Kid A”

#2:  Kanye West, “The College Dropout”

#1:  The White Stripes, “White Blood Cells”

I think that Top 6 is pretty stout, and you could really interchange any of them (although I think the White Stripes are pretty overrated for my taste).  I’m glad that Kanye is where he should be; that album is incredible.  I think due to his increasing douchebaggery has overshadowed just how good of music he puts out there (particularly his first three albums).  Wilco is Wilco, and Yankee is probably their best album.  Stankonia is as influential an album as will be produced in our lifetimes, let alone that decade.  And Separation Sunday is probably my favorite album by the finest rock and roll band in America right now.  Here are some other highlights for me from the list:

#50 – Broken Social Scene, “You Forgot It In People;” #37 – Justin Timberlake, “Justified” (yeah, I said it, but it’s undeniably a great pop record); #34 – Clipse, “Lord Willin’;” #33 – Death Cab for Cutie, “Transatlanticism;” #30 – Sufjan Stevens, “Illinois;” #28 – Ghostface Killah, “Supreme Clientele;” #26 – Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black;” #25 – Madvillian, “Madvilliany;” #9 – Jay-Z, “The Blueprint.”

Biggest Omission:  D’Angelo, “Voodoo.”  For my money, one of the best soul albums ever made, and a Top 5 album of all-time for me personally.  It is borderline criminal it’s not on here.

Other omissions:  Common, “BE;” Coldplay, “A Rush of Blood To The Head;” Arctic Monkeys, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not;” Vampire Weekend, “Vampire Weekend;” Kanye West, “Late Registration;” Gnarls Barkley, “St. Elsewhere;”  Al Green, “Lay It Down;” Jay-Z, “Unplugged;” Ryan Adams, “Gold;” The Roots, “Phrenology;” Q-Tip, “The Abstract;” J Dilla, “The Shining”

So where are you at?  What are your top albums of the past 10 years?  What are your glaring omissions?  Leave ‘em in the comments.

So last week, my Editor sorta told me that GlamTings are doing an erm… ‘25 fav things’ type special editorial… I dunno… 2 commiserate us being 25? I dunno lol! Anyway so she asks me to do a top-25 songs list or something like that & in my head, I go ‘Pardon Me’, the exact same way Rob Gordon replied when the reporter asked him what his all-time top 5 records were, in the movie ‘High Fidelity’… & so in this movie High Fidelity, the reporter asks again ‘Your desert-island top 5?’, to which Rob replies ‘Oh Boy… in the club OR at home?’ and the reporter ignorantly asks if there’s a difference… Ofcourse there’s a difference & you guys can back me up on this BUT ‘Top 25 Songs?’… What? Love Songs? Gospel songs? Songs to make love to (as Distinctly different from love songs! Understand!), Easy Breazy Sunday Morning Songs? Angry Songs? Songs for the car? Songs for the bus? LIKE what are you tryna do to me out here???

Anyway so Rob eventually mentions 5 of his all-time desert-island favorite records & the reporter ventures to continue interviewing him BUT she CANNOT & you wanna know why? Because he keeps interrupting her to chop & change his all-time top 5 records… It’s near enough an impossible task for the likes of Rob & I… He ends up offering to make the reporter a tape… And… And… He calls the reporter the next week to change, yet again, his all-time top 5 records list!!! ‘WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS?’ do I hear you ask? Oh figure it OUT, will ya? And oh top 5? top 25? Equally as impossible ok!

BUT this is what I say to my Editor… ‘Ok Cool x’! OK COOL? Somebody shoot me now! Please!

Alright so expect this to be a long & painful process, it might actually take US a long while to arrive at any comprehensive top 25 list on any level so you have duly been warned lol! & that’s why we’ll be dividing this mammoth exercise into PARTS… Jheez!

PART ONE… Because this is my favorite genre of Music at the moment… Top 25 Hip-Hop Records!?!?????? Ah ahn.. Ah Ahn! Nah I can’t! Let’s start off with something easier, we’ll ease in to the tougher lists (in a couple months maybe lol).

OK let’s do that again…

PART ONE… Top 25 Albums of the 21st Century!!! **I Keep digging a GRAVE for myself, don’t I?**

One thing I will say about this list is… The first draft had 70 records on it & I was thinking of changing this ‘top 25′ list to a ‘top 50′ list because it’d be so much easier & OMG I have had to cut out some of my all time favorite albums from the final list BUT alas, the show must GO ON… SO Without further adieu!!!

Slightly MISSING OUT however ARE…

Georgia Anne Muldrow – Olesi: Fragments of an Earth (2006)

Now most of you will probably NOT have heard this album… It’s your LOSS to be honest BUT what I will say though is, THIS is one of the very few R&B albums this decade that made this list because let’s be honest R&B in the 2000s lost its way… Fragments of an Earth is progressive music 4 your soul and I like it so there!

&

Blur – Think Tank (2003)

F**K what you heard alright, Damon Albarn is a MUSICAL GENIUS & this album proves it… This was Blur’s forray away from BritPop into more experimental sounds such as Dub, Jazz, Hip-Hop & World Music BUT still laced with gorgeous melodic sounds of their epic ‘ParkLife’ album… I find it interesting how most of the musical backdrop of this album is led by the BASS sounds as against the strings of a lead-guitar (YES Coxon the lead guitarist left the band around the time of recording BUT I think it’s more than that)… On a different week, this would be in my top 25 easily… That’s how much I love this album & how fickle this top 25 list can be!!!

Other Notable mentions from my original top 70 list include BUT are not exhausted to Ledisi’s ‘Lost & Found’, Little Brother’s ‘The Listening’, Common’s ‘Like Water for Chocolate’, The Clipse’s ‘Hell Hath No Fury’, Amel Larriex’s ‘Brave Bird’, Scarface’s ‘The Fix’, El-P’s ‘Fantastic Damage’, Blu & Exile’s ‘Below the Heavens’, Outkast’s ‘Stankonia’, Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘Songs for the Deaf’, Ryan Adam’s ‘Heartbreaker’, Johnny Cash’s ‘American IV: The Man Comes Around’, Portishead’s ‘Third’… OK! I should stop! We will have another conversation about these albums on a later date!!!

OK NOW to the Nitty Gritty…

25. Femi Kuti – Fight to Win (2001)

It took me a long minute to decide which Femi Kuti LP to include in this list… ‘Shoki Shoki’ or Fight to Win because let’s face it, the man made two CLASSIC albums this century (He seats comfortably in the same box as Radiohead? Jay-Z? M.I.A? Kanye West? in that respect)… Some will argue that without a ‘Shoki Shoki’, there would never have been a ‘Fight to Win’ so ‘Shoki Shoki’ should make the list BUT ‘Fight to Win’ is a near-perfect record! John Armstrong (BBC) calls it an excellent showcase of 21st Century Afrobeat & we cannot argue with that.

24. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)

I will come out and say it NOW! I’ve cheated by putting this album so far down this list… It’s Rock & Roll music at its very purest form & at its best! Even if you’re NOT into that kinda garage rock music, this album gets you. its 40 odd minutes and I dare you to want to skip any of the 16 songs on this… I just DARE you!

23. Jamie Lidell – Multiply (2005)

And now for some controversy…

Otis Redding? Stevie Wonder? Sam Cooke? Al Green? Willie Mitchell? Prince? You hear them ALL on this album & you have to ask, how does an Electronica producer all of a sudden turn into this rarity of a Soul Singer creating these amazing soul records. Never mind that he’s White, that just makes it more unreal… This album is Amazing & that is putting it very lightly.

22. Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner (2003)

GRIME never & possibly will never sound this GOOD & you can quote me on that one! Dizzee’s 2003 debut is still the only grime LP that I can play from start to finish without wanting to skip a track… Say what you will about the Londoner BUT at 18, he made one of the best records to come out of the UK period! It Certainly isn’t NO ‘Sgt. Pepper’ but it is Iconic in its own right! & for the last time, it’s NOT hip-hop, its GRIME & its GRIME at its very BEST, heights of which the genre will not reach again.

21. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (2008)

Experimental Hip-Hop? Electronica? Indie Hip-Hop? Psychedelic? Whatever you wanna call it, FlyLo has got it mastered to a tee on ‘Los Angeles’! Now many people will question this inclusion to the list BUT if you’ve heard this LP, if you’ve actually listened to it, you’d understand that the (somewhat premature) comparisons to such greats as Cannibal Ox & El-P stem from this one album & you’d understand why… Just listen to ‘Golden Diva’ & come back to talk to me!!!

20. Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun (2000)

On this one, I really couldn’t decide between this album & last year’s ‘New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War’, I’m sorry! I’m more leaning towards Mama’s Gun to be honest, it’s been with me for longer & it hasn’t LOST it’s GOODNESS… Who know what ‘New Amerykah’ will sound like in 2017 so based off of that longevity and impact continuously over 9 years, ‘Mama’s Gun’ takes the cake. Its beautiful music that’s effortless & what else would you expect from Ms. Badu working with such minds as Questlove, D’Angelo, Jay Dilla & Common… certainly nothing less!

19. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

One of the all-time BEST Emcees at his all-time BEST is what ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’ is. It’s nothing short of an epic work of art. Mr. Mather’s lyrical genuis & explicit narratives on this album match up with the best that Hip-Hop has ever had to offer & Dr. Dre is on hand to offer the musical back-drop for the lyrical onslaught… It’s a match made in heaven and the ‘Marshall Mathers LP’ is the miracle baby! SNM!!!

18. The Avalanches – Since I left You (2000)

I kinda have a feeling… let’s call it a theory… that any conversation about the best albums of this decade will be grossly incomplete without mentioning this Album & please quote me on that! It is what DJ Shadow’s ‘Endtroducing’ was to the 90’s and a STRAIGHT MASTERCLASS in the art of sampling. If you’re a producer & you sample (which is everybody lol) & you don’t own this record (actually if you don’t own this record & DJ Shadow’s ‘ENDtroducing’)… & you haven’t studied this record THEN you’re for all intents & purposes, well & truly LOST! It’s a travesty in itself that I’ve placed it so low as Number 18!!!

17. The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free (2004)

Would it be so BOLD for me to say that this album is the best urban UK album… YES it’s NOT technically Hip-Hop or Grime & it’s NOT Garage-infused like Mike Skinner’s debut LP ‘Original Pirate Material’, it’s JUST an amazingly put-together body of work… Where ‘O.P.M’ was daring & groundbreaking & revolutionary (dare I say), ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’ is just simply better… It was a concept album before concept albums became ‘cool’ again in Hip-Hop & it’s 11 tracks of pure genius, witty vivid lyrics, near perfect narratives & an amazing musical backdrop that takes you right into the scene of this ‘movie’… #NuffSaid

16. The Roots – Game Theory (2006)

We always knew that The Roots were somewhat of a phenomena (well to the back-packers they are near enough gods!)… I mean, what else would you get by mixing Questlove, who in my opinion, is one of the greatest musical minds there are & Black Thought, the most slept-on & underrated emcee in the game & arguably one of the greatest all-time emcees… But The Roots had never quite delivered on any of their previous LPs (except for ‘Illadelph Halflife’ & marginally on 1999’s ‘Things Fall Apart’) in my humble opinion… ‘Game Theory’ was the album for me when The Roots became all they could be… It was dark, it was gritty, but it oozed life… it swayed from angry to depressing quite effortlessly & it was The Roots at their most cohesive. Simply put… Amazing music.

**AND BREATHE**

Alright Ladies & Gentlemen, that’s all you get from me for this week… Join me next week and we’ll go through the top 15 albums of this decade!!! OH P.S LET the RIOTING begin…

Until the Next Time

Triple A

VERDICT:
8/10 Boss Emcees

One of those magical little movies that’ll a big ol’ smile on your face from beginning to end. Man, what the hell happened to Dave Chappelle?

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party is a documentary that follows Dave Chappelle – back when he was living it up as the funniest man on Earth –  as he puts together an utterly epic block party in Brooklyn, NY featuring some of the biggest names in the history of R&B and Hip-Hop. And being that Dave Chappelle is the man, he makes it into a free show, buses droves of people from his hometown in Ohio to go to the show, and makes everyone laugh their asses off.

What a guy.

Now, I happen to like a lot of the acts that Dave lined up for this show, especially since he somehow managed to get The Fugees back together for it (if you’ve never listened to The Score, you don’t know what you’re missing, brotha). So being that I like to laugh hard and since I’m always down for some choice R&B and Hip-Hop, this was a win-win for me, but I can understand how a number of folks out there might not see the attraction to this little comedy/rap concoction. For those of you who fall into this category, listen close, I have a story to tell thee.

I kinda had to rope my friends into seeing this one when it was out in theaters because they could really have given a shit about every aspect about this movie that didn’t have to do with Dave Chappelle. But by the time they came out, even though they still didn’t really care much for the musical aspect of it, they were soundly entertained across the board.

Part of this is because of Dave. The humor here is kinda different from Chappelle’s Show in that it’s not really trying to be edgy or push the envelope, it’s just capturing Dave as this normal, genuine, and totally hilarious guy that’s just trying to throw this sweet party for everyone to enjoy. The only bits that are scripted are a couple acts he does onstage with Mos Def and The Roots, but his best stuff is just when he’s being himself. It’s a damn shame that he’s been written off as this mental case over the years, because the impression you get from him here is that he’s of the rare humble, and grounded breed of celebrity that’s doing his best not to let fame get to his head. There’s a lot of celebrities out there who could learn a thing or two from Dave. That guy’s A-okay in my book.

But the other part of this is actually because of Michel Gondry. From a visual standpoint, you’d never know Gondry was behind this as it pretty much boils down to him with a camera and that’s it, but it’s something about the overall positive vibes this movie puts out that feels very much his own. Gondry makes movies about people, movies that bring people together, and that’s the beauty of Block Party. More so than the acts on stage, Gondry makes the people going to the show the main characters, showcasing this melting pot of cultures and happiness that all came together for this one kickass occasion.

It’s an unlikely one, but Chappelle and Gondry are a great team whose visions really complement each other. Good times all around with these guys.

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party is just a damn good time. Not only is it funny as hell, but it’s surprisingly insightful, has a huge heart, and the concert itself is totally awesome, too. So give it a shot, even if you could care less about a Fugees reunion, everyone needs a good reminder every now and again of the genius that is Dave Chappelle.

We miss you, man. Come back to us.

Proto and Xaphoon Jones make up the duo cleverly titled Chiddy Bang.  The group has been garnering national attention ever since a PMA feature on their song “Fresh Like Us” appeared back in February. They banged out hits for a few months including “Kids“, an impressivly sampled MGMT track, “Sooner or Later“, and “Because“, the sickest Radiohead sample I’ve heard to date. I was concerned for Chiddy Bang when there was a few month hiatus with no updates and no new tracks, but then a couple weeks ago The Swelly Express mixtape dropped. The guys came back way strong like Tom Brady for the Pats this year. Filled with some of the sickest beats I’ve heard gifted by Xaphoon and some real rhymes you can feel by Proto, this mixtape deserves some kind of honors. The guys take you on a journey from Philly to NY where they’re “trying to get the labels on while flaunting” as Proto would say. Honestly Xaphoon might be one of the best samplers I’ve heard since Kanye came out producing for the ROC. Also what other unsigned groups do you know that can get Black Thought (yes, The Roots MC) on a track? The definite stand out from The Swelly Express is the Sufjan Stevens sampled “All Things Go”. Xaphoon screws “Chicago” to make “All Things Go” one of the best hip-hop songs of the year. Honestly I would go as far as saying the duo might be the revival of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince circa the 90s. Listen to “All Things Go” below and tell me I’m wrong. Also if you feel so inclined to download the mixtape click HERE.

The Roots – How I Got Over (video) from Black Sheep on Vimeo.

Bits of revelry from the month of November, working in reverse chronological order.

Peter Kruder

Last night, I took in one half of the Austrian duo, Kruder and Dorfmeister. Kruder’s downtempo ambient is like nothing else–mellow but strangely exhilarating. There were a few problems with the sound system. The sound went out 5 times, but Kruder didn’t let it break his stride. Brilliant mixing.

Excuse the wonky eyes.

Rahzel from the Roots

The night before, I went to see Rahzel, the number one beatboxer in the world. It is simply mind-boggling what this man can do! He is in a league of his own. How is this physically possible? The Bling event was his first time ever playing in China. He started off with some mainstream stuff then moved into old school Wutang Clan, A Tribe called Quest, he also really knows how to play it up  for the ladies. It’s a real pity but I think a lot of it was lost on the crowd with some of the more obscure stuff. I’m not the biggest hip hop fan but I felt like I knew way more lyrics than the average person there. Haha, I was the only person going crazy with Bonita Applebaum. (Ya got it going on. )  Still, completely worth every penny. I’m so glad I got a chance to see him perform, legendary stuff. He held my hand too! Haha, sorry the groupie in me just popped out right there.

His crew

The human beatbox

Ying Yang Twins

The Ying Yang twins came through as well. Everybody and their dog knows who these outrageous crunkmasters are so that was a super-packed night. It was the most crowded dancefloor I have ever been in. Worse than any rave I’ve ever been to, if you can imagine that. You literally couldn’t help but spoon standing up with the person next to you and get drenched in their sweat. I gave up after a while and retreated back to my table to shake it like a saltshaker upstairs. Ba da dum dum dum da da da da da dum…Did I ever mention that I think their lyrics are terrible? Don’t really know why I dance to it and yet at the same time how can you not? That whisper song? Awful awful stuff. I can’t listen to that one, but their other stuff is too good to resist.

(I don’t know why I close my eyes in like every picture.)

Toxic Avenger + Baifan

The French electro headliner was the draw for the event, but the real highlight of the night was this local Beijing dj Baifan. He is a complete rockstar! The pictures don’t even capture the half of it. I need to find out where he plays to catch some more of his sets.

And Armin is this week. Won’t stop, can’t stop.

People think that I’m crazy, just cause I wanna be alone
You can’t depend on friends to help you in a squeeze
We all deal with shit on our own
And sometimes the beef can grow, get out of hand
Yeah, you know it gets full blown
I never said that you mean the world to me
Maybe it’s best that you never know

(just in case you didn’t know)

THE ROOTS – NINJA – LIVE @ AUDIOTISTIC 5.9.09

I had nothing at all
Had to knuckle and brawl
They swore I’d fall
Be another brick in the wall
Another life
Full of love
That lost
That’s silly
This Philly
Y’all really ain’t stoppin
The boy with the pen

As of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S Census Bureau for Philadelphia:

—

Article: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Philly-Police-Make-13M-Heroin-Bust.html

Last January, there was a 1.12 Million Dollar Heroin Bust at 1421 Alcott Street, across the street  from the house I lived in from 6th grade until college (1418 Alcott Street),

while I was up in NYU being a Peer Educator for Alcohol & Other Drugs.

Sometimes I feel I should move back to Philly and work there in my old neighborhood,

but part of me sees it as this chaotic hopeless mess, especially when you take into account all the racism, on both sides.

It’s not just the old Irish Catholic men spewing racism. It’s also different racial groups mad at one another for truckloads of things.  One of my best friends from Philly is Puerto Rican and many of her family members hated on blacks, while many of my brother’s friends have been beaten up by black kids for being white. It is sad, because there are a lot of good people too. I babysat for a black family on my block and we always talked about the tension in my neighborhood. The mother of the kids would even tease me that I was fine since I had that “black girl booty anyway”.  That mother and my mother sold American flag pins together after 9/11 to fundraise.

The same thing that is happening in Philly happened in Detroit first, and look how Detroit is now: grim.

I know I am not doing a very good job of synthesizing all this information right now, but I just want to store it all somewhere to come back to later.

What makes me most upset is the comments after another article on the same drug bust. I wish people would stop blaming people for the things they do based on the color of their skin, and think about the socioeconomic reasons that drive people to a life of crime. If you can only afford a lousy education, you are told by people you aren’t going anywhere, and you see your friends making a lot of money selling weed or heroin or whatever, it might look appealing to you too. I know I am idealistic, but all the energy we spend hating could be spent so much more productively.

Here is a sample:

These are  good short videos. In the section about economics in the second video, the woman mentions literacy issues, which is very true, especially because of the drastic decision to dramatically cut library hours and library programs and the threats to close many of the libraries completely in the near future. I remember waiting in line to use one of the six computers in my local library when I was doing applications for high school because my family didn’t have a computer yet. This is true for so many kids, even today. I volunteered at the library during high school and because of the high demand, students could only stay on the computer for twenty-five minutes. Imagine trying to type a good book report in twenty-five minutes and do any type of research. Many people would get aggressive and angry about the time limits. Sometimes, people wouldn’t want to leave the computer, and you would need to confront them or “tattle” by getting a librarian’s attention.

I agree with one commenter who said, “I’m just glad Ben Franklin isn’t alive to see this.”

The first public library in America with circulating materials,

The Library Company of Philadelphia, was chartered in 1732 on the initiative of Benjamin Franklin.

Nigerian artist Nneka performed live at Highine Ballroom in as an opener for The Roots on Nov. 17, 2009. Shot wih Mino HD by the good doctors at The ICU.

theiculab.com

Full disclosure: I live in New York City.

Some of you had probably already gleaned that from previous blog posts (like the one with a fuzzy camera phone photo of Jay-Z, taken near a subway stop that I frequently use), and some of you know from our interactions on Twitter or email. The fact that I live approximately 2,600 miles away from the 206 puts me at a major disadvantage when it comes to getting a proper and accurate feel for all of this recent Town movement. I miss all of the shows. I never get to interact with any of the artists in person. I have a hard time copping the latest releases — sometimes I practically have to beg rappers to send me their new sh*t. (Which reminds me: I owe a huge THANK YOU to all of those folks who’ve provided me with music. You will never know how much I appreciate it. And by the way, keep it coming please!)

On the other hand, living in NY does give me an interesting perspective when it comes to how Seattle’s hip-hop community compares to other cities. For example, not surprisingly the hip-hop scene in New York is incredibly vast and wide. You can’t even begin to absorb all of it, especially if your desire is to actually feel it. (Okay, I’m speaking for myself. I’m a true fan of the music, but I’m like most normal folks, my nine-to-five is not associated with hip-hop and the time I spend listening to music is in constant competition with the time I want to spend reading a book, or going to the movies, or a museum, or doing one of the millions of things there are to do in this city.) A hip-hop head in New York really has to pick and choose what specific artists and styles to pay attention to. It’s intimidating and, to be honest, I’ve mostly ignored it. I’m too busy with Seattle sh*t. There’s enough going on in our humble little town to satisfy the most carnivorous of listeners. Plus it keeps me connected to the city where my heart truly lies.

The irony of all this is that when I’m out visiting family and friends in the Northwest — as I was last week — those are the moments when I’m paying the least amount of attention to hip-hop. Time is so scarce during those short visits. Aside from having it on constant rotation on my iPod (as is the case no matter where my feet touch the ground), I didn’t have time to catch any shows and, as you probably noticed, didn’t write even a single post during the seven days I was in town. It’s kinda messed up, really. And so, I think the universe was trying to tell me something when it just so happened that, on Tuesday, I ended up on the same airporter shuttle bus from the Anacortes ferry terminal to Seatac, with none other than the homie Vitamin D who, like me, was also heading back to The Six after a weekend in the San Juan Islands. (Vita: I shoulda hollered at you, dude! Next time, I promise!) Now this may sound particularly corny, but it meant a lot to me for two reasons: (1) Vita is one of the true OGs of Seattle hip-hop. He’s been a trendsetter, a waymaker, and any other appropriately hyperbolic adjective one can find to describe his influence on rap and r&b in the 206. He deserves the props and anyone who knows anything about Town music would agree. Which is why (2) I found it particularly dope that he had been spending time in the San Juans, the place where I grew up, came of age, and, through interesting twists of musical fate, came to love hip-hop music. (See, I told you I was gonna get corny! Whatever, I could give a f*ck what you think, ha!)

Running into Vita in a seemingly totally random place like that brought me back around to what I think is the greatest thing about the current movement in Seattle. It’s so small. Tight-knit. Intimate, even. A real community. I’ve said before that Seattle is a great place to be a rapper these days because it’s one of the least-marginalized hip-hop communities in the country. From the constant collaborations, diversity of acts at the shows, to the online Twitter chatter (it’s like a virtual fraternity house). I’m sure that beef exists (Geo: “In a town not big enough for egos to breathe…Twisted, crab-in-a-barrel existence…”), but for the most part, it seems to be all L.O.V.E.

New York is the birthplace and eternal capital city of hip-hop. Have you ever paid attention to the little monologue Spaceman gives on the joint with J. Pinder (“SXSW/CMJ”) where he talks about how overwhelming it was to be an up-and-coming rapper from the 206, standing in the famous club, SOB’s, during CMJ? That’s how culturally ingrained hip-hop is in New York. It’s one of the city’s many touchstones. An institution. A feeling, even. There’s no other city where you can go see The Roots perform every f*cking Tuesday night! Or go to a random free screening of an independently-produced hip-hop documentary at Columbia University and end up standing at a urinal next to Talib Kweli (that sh*t happened to me!). I saw motherf*cking Jay-Z shooting a clip for “Empire State of Mind,” guerrilla-style, on my way to the subway! Through pure chance, I even ended up working at a non-profit organization that helped landmark 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the South Bronx as “The Birthplace of Hip-Hop” (see here and here). Hip-hop is the musical heartbeat of daily life in NY, and from a cultural standpoint, it will never be matched. But Seattle, man. DAMN. Our movement is young. Fresh. As optimistic as a box of baby rabbits. We still don’t know how high these artists will fly. Keep doin’ your thing. I’m looking forward to the day I come back and get to participate on an even deeper level.

83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009 has a new route! For the first time ever, the parade route will bypass Broadway and travel down 7th and 6th Avenue’s to Macy’s in Herald Square.

Stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Enchantment returns this November as Macy’s magical procession of pomp and pageantry ushers in the holiday season at the 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From the trumpeting of the time-honored phrase Let’s Have a Parade. to the first glimpse of one of Macy’s signature giant helium balloons, the march of whimsy will delight more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of Manhattan and more than 50 million viewers nationwide. America’s Parade steps to the beat of its own drums on Thursday, November 26th at 9:00 AM bringing with it 8,000 participants including the nation’s best marching bands, jaw-dropping performance groups, cheerleaders, clowns, giant balloons, fanciful floats and the biggest star of them all, the one-and-only Santa Claus.

From a small band of Macy’s employees gathered in 1924 to commemorate the holiday season to a tradition that has delighted millions for generations, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is truly an icon of American popular culture. Changing with the times from a Parade of floats, zoo animals, clowns and bands that marched down a more than 5- mile route to a Parade filled with giant helium balloon characters, celebrities, and more; the Macy’s Parade this year will mark yet another milestone moment. Having marched down parts of Broadway for 82 years, the 2009 procession will be the first to bypass Broadway in the history of the Parade. Over the years, the Macy’s Parade route has changed five times as it traveled through Manhattan. From the initial Harlem step-off site in the mid 1920s to its current 77th Street starting line, the Parade route has evolved with the city.

The 2009 Macy’s Parade will begin at 77th Street and Central Park West, travel down to Columbus Circle where it will turn onto Central Park South. Once the Parade reaches 7th Avenue it will turn once more and march down 7th Avenue through Times Square to 42nd Street. At the famed intersection, it will turn east to 6th Avenue and begin its final march down the Avenue of the Americas to 34th Street, where it will turn towards Macy’s famed flagship and end at 7th Avenue marking a 2.65-mile march.

“This is a milestone year for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Robin Hall, executive producer of Macy’s National Events. “Dramatic changes in the mid-town landscape will divert us for the first time from the fabled Broadway route we have followed since our first Parade in 1924. However, our course will remain true and the Parade will continue to entertain millions as Spider-Man returns to the sky and the first new Santa Float in almost half a century makes its debut.”

The 83rd Annual Macy’s Parade will be an unparalleled crowd-pleasing spectacle that features 1,500 cheerleaders, dancers, singers and performers; 800 clowns; 15 giant character helium balloons; 35 novelty/ornament balloons, balloonheads and balloonicles; 10 marching bands; 24 floats; and a host of celebrity performers.

Rise of the Giants
The sky above the streets of Manhattan will be alive once more filled with colorful friends as the Parade’s signature giant helium character balloons soar on Thanksgiving morning. The line-up of giants features a who’s who of children’s classic characters from comic book superheroes to the stars of television, films and American pop culture. New arrivals to the Thanksgiving Day balloonfest are everyone’s favorite neighborhood super-hero™, the web slinger himself, Spider-Man®; the ever cute and cuddly Pillsbury Doughboy®; America’s favorite clown Ronald McDonald®; and the top mouse on deck, Sailor Mickey Mouse.

Making a vaunted return to the Parade to complete the 15 giant balloon line-up are some of the nation’s most favorite characters including Abby Cadabby, Buzz Lightyear, Dora the Explorer™, Flying Ace Snoopy, Horton, Kermit the Frog™, Pikachu™, Shrek®, Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants™ and Supercute Hello Kitty®. These giant balloons are only one portion of the buoyant procession; the Macy’s Parade also boasts 35 novelty/ornament balloons and balloonicles, which can range in size from 12 to 25 feet tall and give the line of march a tiered perspective. The Macy’s Parade features a team of Balloonatics – balloon experts who create, maintain and inflate the Parade’s balloon line up. A fun bunch, the Parade Balloonatics are known to give lessons in balloon speak to spectators every year. Two very important facts should be known when referring to the Parade’s giant helium characters. One is that although the Parade’s signature balloons seem to float in the air, they are indeed balloons – not floats. The second and most important is that Macy’s does not blow up the balloons – that would be very disappointing to millions who would not get to see them fly on Parade day…that’s why they are inflated!

Floating Scenes of Wonder
Riding down the street on Thanksgiving Day will be the Parade’s magical lineup of floats that feature landscapes of fantasy. These moving stages transport millions of spectators on unexpected journeys. The new float line-up includes a salute to the heroes in our everyday lives on the Local Heroes Helping Everyday float; a magical land where friends come to life to play and dance on the There’s A Party in My City float, and the first new Santa’s Sleigh in more than 40 years.

The dazzling stages that ride down the streets of New York City each year take months of painstaking work by the skilled artisans of the Macy’s Parade Studio. The gifted Studio team design and build each float from the ground up. Wood, foam and other materials are the skeleton that gives life to this fleet of fantasy. In addition to the three new stages, 21 floats will make a return appearance to the line up this Thanksgiving.

The returning float roster includes 123 Sesame Street, Big Apple, Bridge To The Future, Bountiful Harvest Cornucopia, The Care Bears™ Winter Fun-derland, Castle of Dreams, Cele-bear-ate Hugs Worldwide, Doodlebug, Jolly Polly Pirate Ship, M&M’s® Chocolate Candies on Broadway, Marion-Carol Showboat, Musical Innovation Bigger Than Life, Pep Squad, Shine On, The Smurfs™, Snoopy’s Doghouse, Spirit of Liberty, Tom Turkey, The True Spirit of Thanksgiving, Winter Wonderland in Central Park and Woodland Family Gathering. In addition, the famed Speed Racer Mach 5 will be making a special appearance in the line of march this year.

Drum Roll Please
Strike up the band and pump up the volume, as the Parade’s signature marching bands hit the perfect rhythm this Thanksgiving. The musical heartbeat of the Parade, the marching bands and students representing their home states in this year’s holiday spectacular are the nation’s highest caliber musical and marching talents. Ready to step to the beat are Adair County High School from Columbia, Kentucky; Frank W. Ballou Senior High School from Washington, DC; Choctawhatchee High School from Fort Walton Beach, FL; Franklin Regional High School from Murrysville, PA; Harrison High School from Kennesaw, GA; Morgantown High School from Morgantown, WV; Pickerington Central High School from Pickerington, OH; Pittsburg High School from Pittsburg, CA; Towson University from Towson, MD; and Macy’s Great American Marching Band featuring students from all fifty states.

Taking Center Stage
Adding pomp, cheer, spins, flips and dips to the holiday revelry are some of the nation’s best performance groups. From the cheerleaders to a one-of-a kind group of peddlers, the Parade features a host of unique performers. Set to wow the crowds are performers from the Big Apple Circus, Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe, Mike Miller Dance Team, NETSational Seniors & NETS Kids Dance Team, The Purple Peddlers, Varsity Spirit, Spirit of Long Island Mounted Drill Team, Stagedoor Manor, and USA Jump Rope.

Stars on 34th Street
Celebrating the start of the holiday season will be performers from stage, screen and music riding down the streets of New York City to Macy’s famed home on 34th Street. The stars joining the line-up include Bello, Grandma and the cast of the Big Apple Circus, Andrea Bocelli, Boys Like Girls, Alan Cumming, Billy Currington, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Hughes, Kermit the Frog and Tiffany Thornton, Jane Krakowski, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Marley with Judah Marley, Katharine McPhee, Miss America 2009 – Katie Stam, the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Mitchel Musso, Keke Palmer, The Pizzarelli Quartet, Jay Sean and Carly Simon.

Nationwide Star
From coast to coast, Americans will gather around the television to share in the magic of the Parade via the national broadcast on NBC-TV. One of the nation’s most viewed events, NBC’s Emmy® Award winning telecast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be hosted by TODAY’s Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera and Al Roker. The telecast will air from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon in each of the four time zones in the continental United States. Star power on Thanksgiving morning will include performances from some of the hottest Broadway shows including Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, and Shrek. In addition, the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® will return to kick in the start of the holiday season.

A Holiday Treat for Children Everywhere, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s finale features the biggest star of all, the one-and-only Santa Claus. As his sleigh comes into view, Macy’s will wish everyone “Happy Holidays” and a “Merry Christmas.”

Source and Photos: Macy’s

Enjoy!

If you place an order for virtual office service online via our secure order form, please note that orders completed on a Holiday will be reviewed the following business day.

Make sure to check out our specials page for November’s NYC virtual office promotion.

With regards,
The Team at VH International Business Solutions, Inc.

Please contact us with any questions:
Tel: 1.212.627.8900
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At my old blog address I declared my like of Nneka, the Nigerian-German singer. Nneka is now making a splash in the US among the neo-Soul (?uestlove of The Roots has conferred his blessings). This is the US version of her video for the song, “The Uncomfortable Truth.”

I have been trying to figure out how to post the video on here since I saw Goodie Mob live on Jimmy Kimmel perform their classic cut, Soul Food with The Roots.  FINALLY, I got it to work.  For those of you who missed this performance, it was really dope.  Goodie Mob STILL sounds incredible and of course The Roots absolutely kills this song.  Goodie Mob also performed Cell Therapy at the BET Hip Hop Awards a month or two ago and did a great job as well.  Check out both performances.  These are both must have in your lives.

Shoutout to Black Thought one of my favorite MC’s of the Roots crew.

It’s really not that rare and now not surprising to see racially inspired topics on twitter. I think twitter is designed or its design encourages people to simply and without worry of reprise say what they are thinking. I think it’s great. Expose what people are really feeling. Malcolm X had said he preferred the blatant southern bigots to the northern racists who would smile in your face only to scheme in some other way. From what I’m reading most of these tweets are from young kids who in my opinion really don’t know better. We as a growing generation (people 21+ right now) who grew up as the tools advanced and had a chance to get accustomed to them are better off than the kids who were born into this overloaded internet.

Twitter(among other social networks and generally the internet) gets it out of people. The thoughts. Thoughts define actions. We’re talking about thoughts before they turn into actions. Some people are calling trending topics ignorant and not participating and others are promoting them. I think the way to solve this is to talk about and not just yell at people and tell them they are wrong, to maybe show them what is wrong and let them see the meaning behind it. I think the opportunity for people to learn is great. Everyone has their own perspective and even if to you it’s not correct it’s valuable as a lesson and you have that chance and power to reach out and say something. Speak up and be heard.

peace&love

-t

PS-

http://twitter.com/yokoono/status/5831130443

My apologies for being a couple of days late…I sometimes forget that my city doesn’t sleep, even when I decide to do so…

If you went to Top $ Raz’s video shoot for “DEAD,” The Roc Raida tribute at SOB’s or the last Roots Jam Session @ Highline Ballroom (hopefully not FOREVER!), then you started off the week right! Here’s the rundown for the remainder of the week:

Wednesday, 11.18.09

Thursday, 11.19.09

The 10th installment of Femme Fatale Jam Sessions, hosted by Kalae All Day goes down tomorrow evening! There will also be a special clothing swap (thanks to Kalae for making my idea happen!), so ladies, bring all the clothes, shoes and accessories you no longer wear and barter away!

(taken from the Femme Fatale Jam Sessions Event page on Facebook:)

As for the CLOTHING SWAP please POST your sizes up here or send them to me (kalaeallday@gmail.com) so I can make sure there’s more than just you with your size at the event. Also try to bring accessories and other things that are one size fits all. There is no min or max to how many things you can bring and its up to you to barter how you please-there are no rules or guidelines (ie; trade shoes for shoes-u can trade shoes for a sweater and a pair of earrings-who knows) Its all up to the barterer–ALSO anything left over that you don’t feel like slugging back home you can leave with me and Ill make sure to take it to Salvation Army! Donating is very fulfilling- I must say to all you fellow packrats, stop STORING and start DONATING-you dont need EVERYTHING!

That being said, there will be lovely VEGAN FOOD (pot luck style- email what you’re thinking of bringing kalaeallday@gmail.com), good music, great performances and HIGH VIBES!

RSVP: kalaeallday@gmail.com

(I went last week with a couple of friends and had a blast! The music was OFFICIAL, and the b-boys took it to the floor in a dance cypher!)

Friday, 11.20.09

After all the events, party it up with Sucio Smash at APT (419 West 13th St. between 9th & Washington Aves) – it’s one of his last parties before he heads out to Europe for a while… FREE!

Saturday, 11.21.09

TWO WORDS. SHOW & TELL 4!

EMA, Platform NYC & Highwater Music
In Collaboration with Arise Collective Present
Show & Tell 4: The Give Thanks/Give Back Edition!

Saturday, November 21
7-11pm
@ Platform NYC – 2268 Grand Concourse @ 183rd St. (Lower Level)
Directions: D to 182-183 St. OR 4 to 183 St.

Featuring:
Daniel Joseph
David E. Beats
Oronde Baltimore
Calvin Booker
Sabrina/Giorgio
Knickie D
Kalil Kash
Tai Allen

Hosted by TreZure the Empress
Music by Sucio Smash
Photos by EMA Photography

FREE REFRESHMENTS! RAFFLES! ALL AGES!

(If you would like to contribute food or drink to this event, please email me at ema.photography@yahoo.com or showandtellshow@gmail.com. Any contributions will be much appreciated! Also looking for sound equipment (mics, speakers, etc.) so hit me up ASAP if you have any you can lend us for this event.)

$5 Cover
Raffle ticket with donations of non-perishable food or gently used clothing

BUT!

In case you can’t make it up the BX, please check out these other events on Saturday:

Little Dragon is back! I’m so sad I’m going to miss them YET AGAIN, but please catch them if you can! They’ll be performing at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker St.); tickets are only $15!

If you’re in Connecticut, check out the homie TTK’s new collection of paintings:

Ironman….beeches.