Standing Tall Among Giants: Jennifer Johns is No Joke

by Davey D

Peep the Breakdown FM Interview Here: http://odeo. com/audio/19248903/view

The Bay Area is full of talented emcees, singers and producers. This was and is the land where icons like Sly Stone, Carlos Santana, Graham Central Station, Rosie Gaines, Sheila E, ConFunkshun, Tony, Toni, Tone and so many more have hailed from.

That tradition has been carried over within the field of Hip Hop where we have seen icons ranging from Too Short to 2Pac, from E-40 to Digital Underground, from Hieroglyphics to Mac Dre, and from Living Legends to Blackalicious and Zion I. The list is seemingly endless.

Here in the Bay we have seen a burgeoning neo-soul/R&B/spoken word movement that is explosive. Within it we have grammy nominated artists like Mystic, Keyshia Cole, and Ledisi. Artists like Goapele, Martin Luther, Ise Lyfe,Kev Choice, Lloyd Jones Michael Franti and Latoya London are just a few of the many have made major inroads and have helped broaden the Bay Area music scene.

Standing head and shoulders amongst these giants is a sister who is no joke. Her voice is strong and vibrant. Her swagger exudes warmth and a confidence that is infectous. Her beauty is intoxicating-weâ??re talking about Ms Jennifer Johns.

She may not be a regular on BETâ??s 106 & Park or Rap City. She might not be in regular rotation on Hot 97 in new York, but like her Bay Area counterparts who also arenâ??t routinely featured on such platforms, her name and work is well known and greatly appreciated.

Ms Johns packs clubs when she performs. She is also always on tour. So much so that it took a good 3 months before we were able to hook up and sit down, because everytime we spoke she was either in places like Hawaii, overseas or in some other part of country rocking the mic and doing what the Bay does best-superbly executing that independent music hustle.

We sat down to speak with Ms Johns the other night and finally celebrated the release of her sophomore album â??Painting on Waxâ?? which was a nice follow up to the critically acclaimed 2004 release Heavyelectromagnecticsoularpoeticjunglehop.

We started out by talking about Jenniferâ??s long tenure in Hip Hop. This longtime b-girl was once a part of a collective called â??Keep It Realâ??. She and a number of other women were not just about the business of rapping, singing or dancing, but actually getting their business hustle down. They were an all female promotion and marketing company that played a key role in getting peopleâ??s product on radio and in the hands of key tastemakers. The pioneering women of this collective like; Thembisa Mshaka, Crystal Isaacs, Ingrid Best and several others whoâ??s names escape me, did some big things in these here parts, from putting on music panel discussions to editing magazines to hosting seminars and more importantly providing women keen

Once a B-Girl Always a B-Girl; Repping Hard for the Emerald City Seattle

by Davey D

Listen to this Breakdown FM Interview by clicking here; http://odeo. com/audio/19247813/view

We sat down with longtime Seattle dj/producer B-Girl Chillz from the Emerald City-Seattle. She just released her 4th album â??Love and Fateâ?? which has been getting rave reviews.

During our interview we covered a lot of topics including the importance of being seen and known as a b-girl. Chillz explained that sheâ??s a practioner of all 4 of Hip Hopâ??s elements and that she wanted to rep the culture to the fullest by being all encompassing. She also explained that it was important to highlight the b-girl who has always been alongside the b-boy from day one but is often overlooked.

We talked about the Seattle scene as B-Girl Chillz talked about many of the pioneering female figures like; Laura â??Pieceâ?? Kelly, Toni Hill, DJ Ms Broadway, Angel 179 and many more who helped shape the sound of the city.

Chillz talked about Seattleâ??s evolution within Hip Hop after the country was introduced to Sir Mix-A-Lot. She talked about the important role producers like Vitamin D played in bringing national attention to the city as well as groups like Blue Scholars, Common Market, Gabriel Teodros and their Massline record label.

During our interview Chillz talked to us about the challenge facing female producers and how she goes about executing her craft. She talked about the equipment she works with and went through the process of recording a record and how she engages the many artists who come through her studio.

Joining us in the interview was well know Seattle organizer and emcee Julie C who is prominently featured on the album. She is newly signed to B-Girlâ??s independent record label as one third of the newly formed group â??The Knox Familyâ?? which includes B-Girl and a cat named Jermz.

We talked about the recent attention being paid to female emcees thanks to MTV/VH1â??s new reality show featuring â??Yo-Yoâ??. Chillz described the attention as the industry shining a flashlight and rediscovering a big part of Hip Hop that never left and has always been there.

We concluded our interview by talking about the music business and how Chillz stays sharp and gets her hustle on, not only as a producer running her own label, but also as someone who starting to licence her music to commercials and TV shows. She also talked about how one should get their international game on.

Lastly we talked about the community program she runs called B-Girl Bench which offers safe haven to women coming into the business. She teaches women how to break dance and gain confidence in a world that is often out to shatter it.

Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney spoke to a crowd in San Francisco the other week and explained why she is running for the president.

She says we should not limit our choices to Democrat or Republican if they are not adressing your issues or upholding your values. She explained that it is possible for one to run for office and against unsurmountable odds be victorious.

She is very inspiring..

Obama Drama, Sean Bell & the Latino Vote

This is pt2 of our interview with Immortal Technique. Here he starts off by talking about his goals with his newly launched â??Police State Chroniclesâ?? project. This is the endeavor Technique has which involves him collecting stories of police abuse which he hopes to deliver to the United Nations. Drop him an email at policestatechronicles@yahoo. comfor more information.

Next, Immortal gives a serious run down on the recent drama surrounding Presidential hopeful Barack Obama. He talks about the importance of Obamaâ??s formner pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright speaking his truth about Americaâ??s oppression and how historically America has crushed perspectives like his by labeling them anti-American, pro-communist or ridiculous.

Immortal talks about the corner Obama has been backed into and lays out why he thinks Hillary Clinton and the Republicans have worked together behind the scenes to try and cripple and ultimately take away Obamaâ??s presidential bid.

Immortal concludes this interview by talking frankly about the Latino vote and the role it will play in the 2008 elections. He talks about the meetings Republican candidate John McCain has had with California governor Arnold Scwartznegger and how that may possibly lead to McCain obtaining a sizeable portion of the Latino vote. He noted that slowly but surely McCain has been making moves behind the scenes and Obama will have to do a lot more than have New Mexico governor Bill Richardson at his side to attract those voters.

In celebration of Malcolm Xâ??s birthday we decided to bring attention to excerpts from his famous Ballot or the Bullet speech where he explains the importance of Black Nationalism and the difference between Civil Rights and Human Rights. Included in this speech are his thoughts on the true meaning of Revolution as well as a dope song by North Carolina rapper K-Hill called â??My Peopleâ??.

Much of what Malcolm said 40 years ago still applies today. Enjoy, Reflect and Be Inspired.

Connecting the Dots: Meet Palestinian Rap Group DAM

Arab Hip Hop in full Effect: Nakba Coverage pt 3

by Davey D

Listen to the Breakdown FM Interview by Clicking Link: http://odeo. com/audio/19213443/view

We conclude our coverage of the historic Nakba festival at San Francisco Civic Center. This took place Saturday May 10th. It was the â??othersideâ?? of the celebration that was going on with Isreal celebrating its 60th anniversary. Palestinians donâ??t see Isrealâ??s anniversary as cause for celebration.

In this podcast we kick things off with an interview from Boots Riley of the Coup who came out to show support and solidarity. He came through and did a nice accoustic/ spoken word set. We captured some of that in our coverage.

During our interview, Boots explained why it was important to link the struggles he deals with domestically with the struggles of the folks in Palestine. He also noted that it was important that we here in this country take a cue and follow the leadership of the Palestinian liberation movement.

We also talked about the upcoming elections and explored the role that Hip Hop had in energizing so many young people in the direction of Barack Obama. We asked Boots if he thought that he and other so called backpack/underground Hip Hop artists helped get people living in small towns acclimated to seeing Black and Brown faces in leadership position.

Next we hear excerpts from Palestineâ??s most celebrated rap group-DAM. They came through and wrecked shop. We also interviewed them and learned that they came into Hip Hop after listening to 2Pac and seeing his videos. They said although they did not understand English at the time, they could feel where Pac was coming from through the images.

During our interview we discussed the challenges the group faces when traveling overseas and talking out against Isreal. We also got their take on Barack Obama and him possibly being the next President. They noted that they thought the way we treat our electoral politics was â??funnyâ??. It seems more geared for entertainment then substance. They also noted that Obama may bring change to people in the US, but not neccesarily change in Palestine.

We also chop it up with Bronx based group Rebel Diaz who felt it was important to come connect the Latino struggles with Palestine. The key word here is land occupation. Lah Tere breaks that entire concept down. Group member Rockstar followed up by linking domestic struggles like the recent Sean Bell verdict with what is going on in Palestine.

We also talked about the presidential election and asked if any of the candidates will make difference for the Palestinian cause. Rockstar a former Chicago native said he was voting for Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

We close out our interview with longtime community activist Kali Anku of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. He talked to us about the im

We continue our coverage with the historic Nakba Festival which took place last weekend at San Franciscoâ??s Civic Center.

In this episode we hear from the group Arab Summit. We also hear from Ras Ceylon and Tunisian rapper Tricky. We conclude by hearing from San Franciscoâ??s Scribe Project.

In episode 3 we will hear from Boots Riley of the Coup, Rebel Diaz and the headlining act Daam who made the trip from Palestine and blessed us..

So this year Isreal celebrated its 60th anniversary and many western world leaders including our tyrannical president George Bush went over to the middle east to celebrate. While all the hoopla and bells and whistles are going off, thereâ??s another side to the story.

This past weekend Palestinians from all over the world look at this time not as a celebration, but as a time to acknowledge when their land was taken away and destroyed-The Nakba

In San Francisco Arab Hip Hop artists from all over the country gathered at Civic Center plaza to let their voices be heard. They used music as way to bring people together communicate their anger and frustrations. The day long festival was a one of a kind event and we captured many of the moments.

In the first of this multipart interview you will hear from well known producer Fredwreck who in addition to producing tracks for Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and many others, now hosts a Arab Hip Hop Show for MTV out in Dubai.

We also hear from bay Area artists Patriarch and the P-Stine Ryders.

We also share with you some of the performances and sounds from the stage.. So kick back and enjoy.

To understand better about the Nakba we have included this article. There are two sides to every story-This is the otherside.

Forget the two-state solution Saree Makdisi, The Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2008

Two peoples, one ruler: a Palestinian woman walks past an Israeli tank, Gaza Strip, July 2007. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages)

There is no longer a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Forget the endless arguments about who offered what and who spurned whom and whether the Oslo peace process died when Yasser Arafat walked away from the bargaining table or whether it was Ariel Sharonâ??s stroll through the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem that did it in.

All that matters are the facts on the ground, of which the most important is that - after four decades of intensive Jewish settlement in the Palestinian territories it occupied during the 1967 war - Israel has irreversibly cemented its grip on the land on which a Palestinian state might have been created.

Sixty years after Israel was created and Palestine was destroyed, then, we are back to where we started: two populations inhabiting one piece of land. And if the land cannot be divided, it must be shared. Equally.

This is a position, I realize, which may take many Americans by surprise. After years of pursuing a two-state solution, and feeling perhaps that the conflict had nearly been solved, itâ??s hard to give up the idea as unworkable.

But unworkable it is. A report published last summer by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that almost 40 percent of the West Bank is now taken up by Israeli infrastructure - roads, settlements, military bases and so on - largely off-limits to Palestinians. Israel

Immortal Technique has finally delivered the first singles from his long awaited album â??The Third Worldâ??. Tech has been talking about this project for a couple of years now and upon listening-it was well worth the wait. This particular track features Diabolic and Ras Kass who laydown the types of scenarios that would suffice as proper payback for all the drama those who run this country have caused oppressed and marginalized peoples.

Ras Kass verse is ill and Tech brings it home by talking about how he would raft the sons and daughters of congressmen for the War in Iraq and why it would be a good idea if our current President do us all a favor and kill himselfâ?¦

Check out the cut and let us know what you thinkâ?¦

We continue our interview with New York based rapper NY Oil. Here NY talks about Hip Hop activists and the relationships they have with artists. He feels there are some critical steps that need to be taken to strengthen the bond including how we mutually support one another.

He noted that it gets frustrating to see activist groups and organizations breaking their necks to chase down Hip Hop artists who arenâ??t really down for the cause. They kick a line or two in a song which sounds nice, but they ultimately offers little or no substance in terms of their actions. He encourages activists to build strong alliances with the artists who have demonstrated through their actions that they are down for the cause.

NY Oil also talked about the role each of us can play in the liberation struggle. He feels that everyone in the community is important and each of us can do good by playing their respective positions to the fullest.

He noted that a father who takes his kid and his kids friends to a baseball game while sharing knowledge, wisdom and understanding is just as important as the leader who organizes a mnarch or gives a rousing speech

NY Oil took time to clarify his position on Nas and his new album â??Niggerâ??. recently NY Oil wrote a blog that expressed his concern about the use of this word for an album title and the types of problems it causes average ordinary folks who are fighting the good fight yet donâ??t have the celebrity, money and social insulation of a superstar like Nas. he feels Nas is being irresponsible and causes problems that heâ??s not ready to clean up.

Finally NY Oil shares his vision for the future. he says he wants to bring about a wolrd that is better then the one he is experiencing for his kids.

NY Oil Speaks: Sean Bell Ainâ??t No Nigger & Neither Our You pt 1 By Davey D

Controversial rapper NY Oil comes at us hard with a two part interview that focuses on the aftermath of the Sean Bell verdict and Hip Hopâ??s collective lack of reaction to it.

He addresses a number of important issues including how the soul of NY has been broken and that a lot has been lost especially among Black people. He says many of us have lost our dignity. He noted that New York City in its war on terrorism post 9-11 has become a serious police state that has been pretty much accepted by all who live there. The daily routine for the average New Yorker now includes seeing police patrolling the streets and subways with military style weapons and performing random searches on any and everybody. He says people have been trained to conform and submit.

NY Oil went on to talk about the mentality of the average New York cop who he feels has been given too much leeway with little oversight. NY Oilâ??s mom was one of the first Black police sergents on the force so he clearly understands whatâ??s going on, both from personal experience and from his mom. He notes that some of the most wicked people are on the force.

NY Oil goes into great detail explaining why we have not seen a huge amount of reaction from the Hip Hop community. He says a lot of mainstream artists are frauds who have perfected the skill of acting and now that they are needed to step up and be seen and heard, they gone to embracing a self serving attitude where making money is the end game.

NY Oil says that fans and the community have got to ideally start empowering artists who are really down for the community. You canâ??t keep chasing 50 Cent and expect him to come back and be a leader if thatâ??s not what heâ??s about. He says that people would do better to align themselves with community minded artists like Immortal Technique, Mos Def,Rebel Diaz, Wise Intelligent and so many others.

Lastly in this portion of the interview NY Oil gets deep as he talks about the value of self image. He talks about how the police are often portrayed as opposed to us within Hip Hop. He pointed out how the police no matter what they do are seen as heroes while we in Hip Hop insist on seeing ourselves as â??niggersâ??. He notes that heroes die a dignified death that results in our collective outpouring of support while Sean bell is simply a â??nigger who got shot 50 timesâ??. He noted that in many peopleâ??s minds, â??niggers always get shot and sadly too many of believe its something we deserve to have happen to us. The biggest irony is that so called niggers seem to always reach out to help heroes as was the case post 9-11 where so many within Hip Hop stepped up and rallied in defense of the cops killed in the twin towers. In the aftermath of Sean bell Jay-Z was the only mainstream artists who weâ??ve seen step up and offer concrete help for the Bell family.

We caught up with Immortal Technique who gave us an incredible 2 part interview. The first focuses on the recent Sean Bell verdict and New Yorkâ??s lack of reaction. He breaks things down and talks about how and why the big apple has become a police state.

Immortal makes the connection to what has been happening with out of control police here in NY and the growing facism throughout the rest of the world-in particular Latin America.

Immortal also talked about his new project called the Police Abuse Chronicles. He is currently collecting first hand accounts of police abuse and plans to bring them before the United Nations. He is hoping to hold some sort of Tribunal.

We end the first part of the interview on that note. Part 2 will deal with Brack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jeremiah WSright and the election

We caught up with dead prez two days after the horrific Sean Bell verdict which acquitted the police officers who shot him r5o times. The group had just given a rousing performance in Amhearst, Mass.

Also with DP was activist Rosa Clemente, Hip Hop Pioneer Popmaster Fabel and former Presidential candidate Jared Ball. All of them offered up keen insight and overstanding to the Sean Bell situation and police terrorism..

We caught up with Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples at the recently held Hip Hop and Chess Tournament here in the Bay Area.

I love catching up with dude because he always has some keen socila and political insight to offer. Before 9-11 Dilated had released a song called War. The one minute and half song summed was prophetic as it seemed to suggest a direction that we as a country was headed. At the time I asked Rakaa why they did that song and he stated that when you start traveling the world, you become intuned to the people. He said you could sense something was going to happen.

When I asked Rakaa what he was tuned into this time around, he somberly said the World is Big Business and that it was evident by so many of us are no longer valueing life.

He then went on to break things down about the upcoming presidential election. He noted that it was good that so many people are excited and are actually coming out and being a part of the process. He said it does no good to be sitting on the sidelines complaining. While he recognized the historical significance of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton possibly being the next president, he cautioned that righteousness and wickedness doesnâ??t have a color. He went on to add that we should not put all our hopes in one man or woman, but instead participate by really knowing who they are and what theyâ??re about.

We rounded out our meeting by tackling the sticky subject of race. We started out by talking about the Black-Brown tensions in Los Angeles. Dilated Peoples had done a song on this topic long ago when things were first starting to surface. In that song â??Big Businessâ?? Rakaa raps about how much of the Black-Brown conflict is a spill over from prison life. He went on to note that thereâ??s a difference between beefs that happen in all urban environments versus outright racial conflict. He said many of the fights going on between Black and Brown in LA are people just fighting. He said the consistent mainstream media hype has downplayed actual racial beefs and blurred them with things that have nothing to do with race. He said at the root of all this is two groups of people fighting for crumbs cast off the table and not focusing on the feast sitting above them. He said we all need to be concentrating on having a real seat at the table.

We then went on to talk about race in general and the success Barack Obama has had in winning over white voters in places that many would least expect. What came out of that conversation was a breakdown of how for the past 10 years groups like Dilated along with numerous others ranging from Living Legends to Jurassic 5 to Hiero to the Roots to many others have been touring in small towns and winning over legions of fans for years. On many levels Obamâ??s ability to connect in these white enclaves has direct correlation to work that was put in for years by so called underground/ packback groups where they tour. Whatâ

This is the incredible keynote speech that Rev Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus delivered the other week in Memphis at the Dream Reborn conference. In this speech Rev talks about the important role the Hip Hop generation plays in the freedom movement. he reminds those listeing that we are not side bars to the struggle. The speech is very moving.. we remixed it to give it some extra flava.. Please enjoy

This is pt2 of our interview with Memphis based, revolutionary rappers-Brothaâ??s Keepa. In this second part we talk about the role of the Black church and how its been compromised and Barack Obamaâ??s bid for presidency

There are two types of people in this world, those who put in work and those who â??reallyâ?? put in work. When you closely examine those who put in work, you often find that their work whether its reporting to a 9-5, hustlinâ?? on a corner or taking out folks for their set, is designed to keep the plantation functioning and the masters that run it happy.

Those who â??reallyâ?? put in work are committed to and constantly finding new ways to destroy that plantation. That clearly fist the description of the hardest group from Memphis, Tennessee-Brothaâ??s Keepa. Group members Jâ??Malo and Ayele are the types of cats you always wanna have in your corner. Theyâ??re loved by the community and feared by those who wish to exploit and terrorize the hood. These are the types of cats who donâ??t run from police, they run to them and will put them in check when they try to punk and put fear into the community.

They donâ??t run from the homeless, they run to them and find resources to feed and cloth them which they have done every Sunday for the past few years.

They donâ??t run from gangstas, they run to them and show them the proper way to put in work. Over the years, through their Youth Prison Prevention Program, they been successful at getting scores of young men and women to redirect their energy, change their lives and stay out of the the nationâ??s largest public housing projects/concentration camps better known as prison.

Oh yeah, and at the end of the day Brothaâ??s Keepa are also gifted emcees and spoken word artists. As Jâ??malo bluntly put it; â??Weâ??re revolutionaries first. We just happen to rap which allows us to make money to pay for the various programs we developed that serve the communityâ??.

We sat down with Brothaâ??s Keepa the other week while visiting Memphis for the Dream Reborn conference and 40th anniversary of Martin Luther Kingâ??s assassination. Jâ??malo and Ayele were quite candid as they let us know the progress or lack of progress that has occurred in Memphis and Black America ion general since Kingâ??s assassination. Their words were sobering to say the least.

The first thing they let us know was that 40 years ago Dr. King came to Memphis to support Black sanitation workers and to make sure they were given safe working conditions and a pension. For the 40th anniversary thousands of people came to the city from all over the world to talk about Kingâ??s legacy, see how much of his dream had been fulfilled and put forth a lot of pomp and circumstances. Sadly when everyone left the garbage workers that King came to help still donâ??t have a pension. Brothaâ??s Keepas noted that there were no marching orders or agenda laid out to make sure Kingâ??s mission to help out those garbage workers were executed. Part of the challenge facing Black America is holding our own folks accountable when they get into office.

Ayele noted that Memphis is a city that has a B

Former SF supervisor and 3rd Baptist Church Pastor, Amos Brown gave us an important history lesson and much needed insight intpo the Jeremiah Wright drama.

Pastor Brown was not only one of the first prominent pastors to catch hell for speaking out and questioning our foreign policy around 9-11, he was also invited to the White House along with Senator Barack Obamaâ??s pastor Jeremiah Wright to help then President Clinto pray during the Monica Lewinski scandal..

In this interview Brown gives full context of how we should hear Pastor Wrights speech on 9-11 and on race.

We sat down with LA rapper Omar Cruz to talk about the plight of Latino MCs and which direction he hopes to take things.

We talked at length about the history of LA Hip Hop and the often overlooked involement and contributions of Latinos. We talked about Cruzâ??s longetivity in the game. We also got down on the political tip and spoke about Black-brown relationships in LA and how it will impact the presidential campaign.

This is a recent confrontation I had with the idiots over at Fox News.. Good thing i recorded the entire incident..because when they ran it on the Bill Oreilly show they left out my questions.. hereâ??s what really went downâ?¦ The reporter is Griff jenkins who crashed the event and tried to whoo-ride after Jesse Jackson gave a presentation..He and the Faux News family were on the rampage trying to pull down Senator Barack Obama by associating him with his Pastor-Jeremiah Wright. They tried to add fuel to the fire by getting Jesse Jackson to repudiate Pastor Wright as well

I decided to step to him and flip the script

This is pt2 of our interview with medusa. Here we start off by talking about the difference between spoken word and emceeing. We later morphed into a discussion about emceeing techniques including the skill it takes to truly ride the rhythm. Medusa also spoke about the challenge many emcees have in terms of keeping their egos in check. Far too often emcees overshadow the beats that are provided to them.

We talked about battling and Medusa let us know how she had to test lyrical skillz against a few of her Good Life comrads. Her most memeorable battle came against Peace from Freestyle Fellowship. She beat him.

Medusa also broke down the challenges one faces doing the independent hustle. She feels the grind is necessary but a good thing in the end. The trick to being successful is to be consistent.

We talked about the Good Life Cafe and how it was spawning ground for West Coast freestylers out of the LA area and sought to see if the Upper Room here in the Bay Area ever hit the radar. Medusa said she was aware of the legendary hotspot which gave birth to Hip Hop theater, but she never got a chance to visit.

During our interview we talked about Medusa and her back up band and her larger group Feline Science. She said itâ??s important to use band versus just two turntables, because it allows so much more freedom. She also noted that since she came out of the â??funk eraâ??she longed to fuze her love of hip hop and funk together.

With respect to Feline Science-who are her back up vocalists, she said that came about after she was rejected to be a member of a group called â??Masked Menâ??. Years later she realized she wasnâ??t being rejected, but instead being encouraged to start her own group which would and did become an entity on to itself. Everyone who got down with Feline Science bot men and women all took on cat names with Medusa being â??Top Catâ??.

We concluded that poirtion of the interview by talking about the way the music industry has seemingly only given a platform to one female emcee at a time. Much of this has to do with so called critics claiming that listeners canâ??t really tell the differences between female emcees. Itâ??s an idea that Medusa soundly dismissed.

We concluded the interview with Medusa talking about how women need to go about striking a balance between maintaining control of their art, but being willing to confidently work with folks and giving way to other ideas and psrepectives when working on a project. Medusa talked about how being so rigid and controlling may have led to her not being able to work with Dr Dre. In retrospect there was a way to maintain ones credibility and still turn over control to a dope producer.

We sat down with Medusa, who many of you as part of the legendary pioneering group Feline Science.

This Godmother of west coast Hip Hop took us down memory lane and spoke in great detail about her early days when she was popper in the group Groovathon. She talked about the Funk era which gave rise to west coast Hip Hop and she breaks down what it was like during LAâ??s Golden era at the Good Life Cafe.

Whoever said Hip Hop was dead, obviously had not peeped Blu, a South Central LA native who defies any and all stereotypes we like to associate with cats from the hood and West Coast emcees.

For starters we have to take special note to the way the tall lanky emcee spells his name. There is no â??Eâ?? at the end and its a oversight that he often rhymes about. Second, Blu got hip to Hip Hop late in life. He is the stepson of a strict pastor who forbade him from listening to Hip Hop while he was growing up. His biological father is a member of the Bloods who listens to gangsta and Bay Area turf raps. To this day Bluâ??s dad calls him him â??Fluâ?? instead of Blu. Thats how deep it gets.

According to Blu, he got turned onto groups like De La Soul only after hearing DMX. His musical upbringing and ultimate influences before being introduced to Hip Hop was centered around a diverse collection of artists ranging from Al Green to Thelonious Monk to Bob Dillon. Itâ??s no mistake that the lead song off his â??Below the Heavensâ?? album is a remake of the Delâ??s classic â??My World isâ?¦â??

Blu says he regrets missing the Golden era of LA Hip Hop which was personified by legendary spots like the Good Life and Hip Hop staples like Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5, Project Blowed and the late Bigga B to name a few. However thereâ??s no denying that his lyrical prowess and charismatic style kicks in where those legends left off.

Blu acknowledges that it was people like Charli2na of the J5 who sat him down and laced him up with lots of info and tales surrounding the scene of that bygone era. Much of what 2na told him was underscored by radio shows like The Wake Up Show and Friday Nite Flavas before it was unceramoniously taken off the air.

As Blu honed his emcee skills he cites Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan, LA legend Cashus King and Planet Asia as being big influences. With respect to Deck, Blu says that heâ??s the illest emceee when it comes to kicking off a song. He cites the track Triumph as the one where Deck truly shines. Bluâ??s one regret with the new debut album â??Below the Heavensâ?? was not having Deck on. However when peeping songs like â??Simply Amazingâ?? you can clearly hear how he was inspired.

During our interview in which Blu walked us through a variety of songs including â??Narrow Pathâ??, â??Simply Amazingâ??, â??Show Me the Good Lifeâ?? featuring singer Aloe Blacc of the Dirty Science Crew and â??Bullet through Meâ?? off an upcoming album called â??Piece Talksâ??, he admits that he has a lot to say and his feverishly working to put out 6 different projects which will allow him to get everything off his chest. He refuses to be limited by industry driven categories and limitations.

For example, in the song â??Bullet Through Meâ?? which is off the Piece Talks album produced by Taâ??arach, Blu does an experimental cover of a Paul McCarthy song. He admits that upon fi

We sat down and spoke with Oakland legend and Hiero frontman Del tha Funky Homosapien. He just released a new album called â??The 11th Hourâ?? as the collective just celebrated its 10 year anniversary.

Del noted that heâ??s ambivalent and that he doesnâ??t really pay too much attention to anniversaries although he does appreciate all the fanfare being made about the group being around for so long.

â??Actually we been around longerâ??, Del notes.

He then walks us through his long career which goes back to 1991 when he hooked up with Sir Jinx of Da Lench Mob. He talks about how Jinx was connected to his cousin Ice Cubeâ??s original group CIA. He also talked about being a rapper in high school here in â??Tha townâ??-Oakland.

Del went on to talk about how Hiero eventually formed. He noted that the collective formed with him A Plus and Taje who were in a group called Rhythm and Excellence which later became known as Souls of Mischief. A few years latewr they adapted the name Hieroglyphics.

Del spoke to us about how and why he studied music theory and how it made him a better emcee and and song writer. He talked about his love of funk music as defined by Parliament/ Funkadelic and the long relationship Hip Hop especially out here on the West Coast has had with that genre.

Del also talked to us about his relationship with his cousin Ice Cube and how he was given his first shot by his famous cousin. He later went on to pen some of the lyrics to Cubeâ??s biggest hits including â??Gangsta Fairytaleâ?? and â??Whoâ??s The Mack?â??. He later wrote songs for Yo Yo.

Del revealed that early on his career there were so called Hip Hop purists who hated on him and claimed that the music he was doing both on his own album â??I Wish My brother George Were Hereâ?? and with Cube was NOT real Hip Hop. He rebelled and moved in another direction. Its something he regrets because he eventually realized that Hip Hop was not this big fraternity or family the way people made it out to be. He noted that many who talked out and tried to define were full of contradictions and at the end of the day, it was not about trying to appease other â??Hip Hoppersâ?? but to appease his audience and fans. Del concluded that he had focused far too long on being technical i.e. being a dope lyricist and not being a good artist who connects with people.

Del talked about the fervent fan base that he and the mighty Hiero Crew has and got his take as to why they can routinely sell out shows, sell lots of albums, yet not recieve any commercial airplay. This topic was the subject of a recent cover story here in the Bay Area in the SF Weekly. Del drops some serious science onto that phenomenon. He says he wants to change that practice and move things to another level.

Del gave us the real scoop behind the hit song â??Clint Eastwoodâ?? which he rapped on with the group the Gorillaz. Apparently Del was not supp

We interview Chicago Rapper Rhymefest about his thoughts on fellow Chicago native Barack Obama, his political beef with Lupe Fiasco and the politics of music in the windy city and how they added soul and spirituality to the mix..

We conclude our three part conversation with retired Sergeant Ron Stallworth. Here we talk about the 4 books heâ??s written on Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. We pay particular attention to the book he wrote on Hip Hop activism.

He spoke about the things he saw and heard within Hip Hop that predicted what would eventually take place during the Rodney King rebellion in 1992.

Stallworth noted that today rap music has been neutralized and has lost a lot of its urgent message. He says today kids are all about making money and thatâ??s clearly reflected in many of the songs that are commercially viable. Says we live in a time when people want to escape poverty.

We spoke about the Stop Snitching Movement. He personally finds it disgraceful; however he understands the sentiments behind it. He says people in the community are getting the wrong message when they are being asked to tell while Congressmen remain silent when they are asked to speak out.

We talked about studio gangsters. Stallworth said there are a number of rappers who say lots of things in records that donâ??t add up when he checked them out. He cited Snoop Dogg and Ice T are glaring examples. He also talked about the 2Pac case and Suge Knight. He said if he was running the investigation into Pacâ??s killing he would start with Suge. He then talked about the Death Row organization and it being a unique in the sense that it was represented by both Bloods and Crips.

Lastly we talked about the music industry and the role that street gangs played and how they are perceived by law enforcement versus traditional organized crime like the Mafia. We talked about how and why the street gangs came under surveillance and why we donâ??t hear as much about the mob.

We continue our conversation with Sergeant Ron Stallworth who pioneered the whole Hip Hop police thing. In this podcast we speak to Ron about how and why he got involved with Hip Hop.

He explained that he had no intention to become any sort of expert or to keep tabs on rappers. Heâ??s an old school type of cat who was working in Utah department of Public Safety.

One of the things this department was charged with doing was engaging the youth gangs. In the late 80s and early 90s Stallworth noted that many of the white Mormon kids started to associate themselves with Crip and Blood culture out of South Central LA and Compton and thus formed gangs. This sort of attachment puzzled Stallworth who eventually made trips to Los Angeles and teamed up with gang task force leaders to see first hand how gangs were operating and how and why they had such a hold on white kids in Utah. He eventually discovered that gangster rap via groups like NWA is how these white Mormon kids were getting their leads and cues. They were fascinated with what they concluded was â??black cultureâ??.

Out of necessity Stallworth had to become an expert in this new subgenre of Hip Hop. The rest they say is history. Stallworth felt it was important to truly understand the culture of He then began to see how police misconduct had fueled a lot of the rage being expressed in the songs. This led to Stallworth writing a ten page paper which contained his conclusions and observations became the basis for his first book.

In this interview Stallworth breaks down the methods he used to gather intel. He said it was all about connecting the dots and that ironically many of the rappers themselves through their lyrics and album covers which showed graffiti, street signs and other key indicators that provided all the information he and other law enforcement officials needed to paint a picture.

He talks about how the biggest challenge he faced was explaining to other officers the perspective of the rappers and how and why law enforcement needed to change some of their approaches. He wanted the police to study the artists, and find common ground which he felt could lead to better relationships in the community.

He admitted that many officers were invested in maintaining a negative outlook and too often over reacted to situations that could best be diffused with better understanding. In our interview Stallworth referenced a situation in Detroit involving NWA where plain clothes officers rushed the stage after the group attempted to perform the song â??Fuck tha Policeâ??.

In order for Stallworth to maintain what he saw as an objective outlook he would write the books that was issued to the department on his own time and publish them with his own money and resources.

During our interview we discussed the history of surveillance in the Black community in particular Cointel-Pro. Stallworth explained in great detail how

Many people have long believed the first Hip Hop cop came out of New York City and recently arrived on the scene sometime after 9-11.

Much of this is centered on Hip Hopâ??s infamous Hip Hop task force which was led by former NYPD detective Derek Parker. He and that task force has been the subject of several high profile news stories, a documentary and a book he authored.

The truth of the matter is that Hip Hopâ??s first cop is a gentleman by the name of Ron Stallworth who comes out of Utah. heâ??s the author of 4 books dealing with the topic of gangster rap including; 1)Gangster Rap: Music, Culture & Politics, 2)Significant Developments in Gangster Rap Music Since the Rodney King Uprising, 3)Bringinâ?? The Noiseâ??Gangster Rap/Reality Rap in the Dynamics of Black Revolution, and 4)Real Niggas: Gang Banginâ?? To The Gangsta Boogie in AmeriKKKa.

If thatâ??s not enough Stallworth has testified before Congress and the Senate Judiciary Committee where he submitted some very compelling papers.

Stallworth books were written when gangsta rap first started to come out of Los Angeles in the early 90s and continued to be updated to the day he retired two years ago. His books are department issued self-publications which have been read widely by his fellow officers. They are extremely thorough, very detailed and have a keen political analysis that would actually shock most people outside of law enforcement because of some of the positions and conclusions Stallworth takes.

In addition to breaking down the lyrics, street culture and gang connections behind the songs and groups Stallworth and is Utah based unit (Department of Public Safety) kept tabs on, his books gave prophetic warnings as to what would likely happen if certain suppression based policies and practices werenâ??t changed or completely eradicated. Stallworth felt that it was important his fellow officers had a clear understanding of the socio-economic and political conditions that gave rise to some of the material put out by so called gangsta rappers and Afro-centric socially conscious rappers. He let his fellow officers know why some of the rap songs being put out advocated for harm and outright killing of police.

In a recent interview Stallworth noted that some of his analyses did not always fit well with his brethren, but he vowed to remain objective and speak the truth.

In this interview which is the first of three parts we talked with Sergeant Stallworth about his unique background in Law Enforcement. His biggest claim to fame is how he as a brown skinned African man managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado and even be offered the position of Klan chapter leader. His Klan membership card was issued by to him personally by KKK leader David Duke.(that is shown in the picture above). His incredible police work led to the eventual dismissal of Klan members who had joined the United States Army with a couple of m

Harry Belafonte Ainâ??t Nothinâ?? to F&%k With (Just Ask Colin Powell)

by Davey D

Long time entertainer/activist/ freedom fighter Harry Belafonte came to Oakland the other week for an event he puts on called the Gathering for Justice. It drew more than a thousand people from all over the world including a number of former gang members who are concerned about the high incarceration rates and the increasing challenges besetting our society.

At 82 Belafonte still yields more fire power and courage then people a fraction of his age. Just ask former Secretary of State Colin Powell who got publicly called out and chastized by Mr Belafonte for compromising his principles for the corrupt Bush administration he worked for.

Folks may recall that infamous incident from a few years ago where Belafonte seemed to know ahead of time what his fellow Carribean brother would soon experience. Belafonte tried to warn Mr Powell to get out and save himself and his reputation. Powell didnâ??t listen until it was too late. The rest they say is history..

What we have today in this Breakdown FM podcast is an incredible speech where Mr. Belafonte kicked some serious science and let folks know the urgency of the day. He let us know in no uncertain terms that hereâ??s no time for us to sit back and not speak truth to power.

During this keynote speech, Belafonte brought alot of peopleâ??s feet to the fire including the Congressional Black Caucus who he accused of allowing a long litney of injustices to take place on their watch. He questioned why it was that one or two Republicans are always able to Filibuster but the CBC with their 40 members rarely follow suit in the wake of harsh, crippling legislation being proposed.

Belafonte talked about the Black church selling out the people for 30 pieces of silver. He called them â??Kidnappers of truthâ??. who had abandoned their important role of freedom fighting within the Black community only to align themselves with George Bush and his evangelical zealots.

He then talked about the role of artists and how they had long been â??Keepers of the Truthâ?? and how that got compromised with todayâ??s click bowing down to their corporate masters..

After Belafonte laid all this out, he then talked about ways in which the gathering could start to repair things. This is an incredible must hear speech..

Included in this podcast is my one on one interview with Belafonte about leadership and the next steps we should be taking. Below is the excellent story written by author Marvin X about the Gathering and Mr B as we like to call Harry Belafonte.

Why was Belafonteâ??s Oakland star-studded gathering whited out by mainstream media?

by Marvin X

Billed as Harry Belafonteâ??s Gathering for Justice, the world renowned humanitarian called a national conference of youth to gather in Oakland Saturday to address their pressi

A Conversation with the God-Rakim by Davey D

The other night after he simply killed it at San Franciscoâ??s Mezzanine Night club, we sat down and spoke with the man who many consider to be the greatest emcee of all-times. Weâ??re talking about Rakim aka the 18th Letter. No we didnâ??t get into the over-played conversation about why he and Dr. Dre never completed that highly anticipated album. Instead we got his take on the current state of Hip Hop and how he feels about todayâ??s crop of emcees. He talked about the love he has for artist like Lupe Fiasco. Contrary to what many Hip Hop purists would like to hear him say, â??the Râ?? talked about how it was important to hear people embrace and reflect their unique regional backgrounds. In other words its not productive to hear everyone trying to sound like a cat from New York and he wasnâ??t about to start classifying people as rap vs Hip Hop etc. He agreed with the assessment that much of this labeling comes from journalists who like to act like papparazzi. He talked about the ways in which Hip Hop has evolved overseas.

We talked to Rakim about his upcoming album which will be released on his own independent label. He noted that he put on his CEO cap and brought forth some great surprises that Hip Hop is in dire need for. He wouldnâ??t offer up too many details, but he promised that folks will be absolutely pleased.

he also touched upon the mindset he has when it comes to writing rhymes. Heâ??s an avid jazz fan and for those who donâ??t know, Rakim is a trained saxaphone player. He said that he composes songs much like jazz musician and that each word uttered has to fit nicely within the notes of a song. His smoothness is attributed to him rapping the way he feels sax player would blow notes. He also talked about the importance of taking time to write songs and bring forth inspiring and meaningful lyrics.

We also touched upon the topic of gangsterism and gangsta rap. For those who arenâ??t familiar, when Rakim came up he was around some of New Yorkâ??s most notorious gangstas. The back cover of his Paid in Full album, show folks like the Original 50 Cent. He explained that he never felt a need to talk about other peopleâ??s gang tales because he didnâ??t want to exploit their situations. Nor did he want to bring unnecessary heat on folks. He said he was well aware of the madness that went on around him but it was important to keep street stuff on the streets and not broadcast it on wax. In other words real bad boys donâ??t tell no tales.

We concluded with Rakim talking about politics and conscious raising music. he said he wasnâ??t the type of cat to look at an event and write about it. he said his consciousness was more organic and heartfelt his day to day living.

We felt blessed and enlightened and so should you after you peep this incredible interview that was done by myself and collegue Sam Chennault of SF Weekly and Rhapsody Music

We sat down and spoke with two members of the super group called Arab Summit. They were Tariq a solo artist and Narcy of the Montreal based group Euphrates.

The pair discussed everything under the sun including Arab identity, overcoming stereotypes and Black-Arab Relations. We also talked about the important role Hip Hop has been playing in Arab politics and how it has been used as a socializing and politicizing force throughout the Middle East.

Because Hip Hop has become so powerful in other places where we find people who consider themselves oppressed, one canâ??t help but wonder if thatâ??s somehow connected to the current attacks Hip Hop is coming under here in the states. We address that issue in this interview.

We also talked about the role Arab women play in Hip Hop and how it coincides with their role in society.

Gza fromn the legendary Wu-Tang Clan speaks on rhyming and its relationship to chess

KRS-One Speaks at Chicago FCC Hearing Puts WGCI on Blast

by Davey D

Legendary Hip Hop star KRS One blew up the spot the other week at the FCC hearings in Chicago. It was a contentious session where Chicagoâ??s Hip Hop community made their presence felt. Here in this clip provided by Freepress.. KRS drops serious science about the imbalanced power dynamics that exists between rappers and radio station owners.

He also called for the attendees to not just hold hearings but to actually walk out and surround Chicago Hip Hop station WGCI which he help put on the map by starting a Hip Hop show called Rap Down with the late legendary Chicago icon DJ Pinkhouse but now no longer plays any of his material.

KRS wraps up his remarks by explaining that radio stations like WGCI and other big businesses have criminalized Hip Hop with its continuous negative presentations. This has caused a public safety issue because police officers and others listen to the radio and come away beliving the falsehoods. This in turn leads to increase profiling of all Hip Hoppers and Black people in general.

KRS gets major props for taking time out to attend the hearings even though he was in town just to do a concert.

This is sights and sounds from the historic Jena 6 Rally in Jena, Lousiana

This is the explosive Q&A segment of yesterdayâ??s historic hearings on Hip Hop on Capitol Hill.. Banner gets seriously grilled but holds his ground while Master P comes off looking like a superstar

This is the opening statements from David Banner, Master P and Michael Eric Dyson. They make some compelling arguments.. In part 2 you will hear the grilling they get from Congress.. In the meantime enjoy this..

This is the testimony from record label executives that took place this morning in Washington DC â?¦ They include Doug Morris of Universal and Ed Broffman of Warner brothers.. As you can hear they try to paint a rosy picture..In fact Morris who heads up Universal which includes Intersscope and Def Jam said rap is only a small part of what they sell.. The current hearings with radio One is even more sickening..

This is our Hard Knock Radio Report Back from the Jena 6 rally and March that drew close to 60 thousand people to the small city in central Louisiana. Our HKR show airs daily and is heard all around the country M-F.

On this show you will hear interviews and speeches from Salt-N-Pepa, Mos Def, Cousin Jeff from BET, Al Sharpton, King Downing Jr, Mychael Bellâ??s father and many moreâ?¦

The show itself starts about 5-6 minutes into the recording right after the KPFA news updates.

This show first aired on Friday September 21

During the International Hurricane Katrina and Rita Tribunal we heard all sorts of testimony about white vigilantes â??huntingâ?? down Black folks. This was in addition to the widespread police brutality. In some instances New Orleans police were seen riding with and working with white vigilantes who claimed they were protecting their neighborhoods.

Former Black Panther Malik Rahim of the organization Common Ground was witness to white vigilantes who were roaming his neighborhood in Algiers which is located on the West Bank of New Orleans. This was one of the few places in the city that did not experience flooding. It was the only neighborhood in all of New Orleans that still had safe drinking water.

According to Malik, Black people who discovered the what good shape Algiers was in came over seeking refuge. Sadly they found themselves being chased off or gunned down by mobs of angry whites who patrolled the neighborhood. Black people including Malik who were from Algiers found themselves being threatened by their former neighbors.

During his searing testimony Malik offered up a documentary he and his comrades from Common Ground put together. In the documentary we get to see and hear angry white people bragging about how they were shooting and killing Blacks while they were barbecueing. It seems so outlandish to the point of dis-belief until. They went out at night on what they called â??pheasant Huntsâ??. Malik estimates that over 200 Blacks lost their lives to white vigilantes.

During his testimony Malik talked about military occupation and how soldiers who came straight from Iraq were brought over to patrol New Orleans. Algiers was ground zero for many of these troops. Malik talks in great detail about Black neighborhoods being under-seiged and Black people being terrorized as bullet ridden Black male bodies were turning up everyday.

Fighting for Soul of the City: meet New Orleans Rapper Sess 4-5

by Davey D

New Orleans has long been a music capitol here in the US. It has been home to all sorts of jazz and blues greats ranging from the Meters to the Neville Brothers to Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis to Fats Domino. Yes indeed New Orleans has always spoken to us through her music.

In recent years New Orleans has reached out to us through Hip Hop. thereâ??s been a long list of rap stars that have continued in the tradition of bringing attention to New Orleansâ?? music heritage. Among the more notables are Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Master P, Silk the Shocker, Mystikal, Mia X the Cash Money Millionaires with Baby, BG, Manny Fresh Turk and many more.

Like most areas that have a roster of superstars there are those who are lesser known as far as the mainstream is concerned yet very popular amongst the common folk in the hood. In New Orleans that would include acts like Truth Universal, DJ Jimi, 54th Platoon and the man who lead the big march to kick off the historic International Tribunal for Hurricane Katrina and Rita-Sess4-5

Coming straight outta of the ravaged 9th Ward Sess 4-5 brings energy, a strong sense of conviction and determination to the table when he walks in the room. Heâ??s seen a lot and lost a lot over the past two years but like most people from New Orleans, heâ??s focused on moving forward. We sat down with him the day during the second day of the Tribunal and he gave us some keen insight into the ins and outs of the Big Easy.

We kicked things off by talking about Sessâ?? home base the 9th Ward. He talked about the type of communities that existed there before community. He said in spite of the poverty the NOâ??s largest and most populated ward was thriving. There was a strong sense of family and culture. He noted how the upper 9th Ward was full of apartments and had two public housing units while the lower 9th ward contained thousand of home owners. Two years after Katrina houses remain in shambles for the world to see in a place that is pretty much a ghost town.

Sess explained that new Orleans folks have a spirit that helped them cope with the disaster they all face. Many of the people he knows have lost loved ones to the floods on top of losing all their possessions, however, for most people its about picking up the pieces and moving onward and upward. This is happening in the face of outrageous government neglect.

â??Thereâ??s no time to mournâ??, noted Sess when you have oppression all upon youâ??. People in New Orleans are about the business of survival.

During our interview we talked about the role some of New Orleans rappers played in the ongoing repair efforts. Sess noted that we canâ??t expect people like Master P or Baby to shoulder the entire load. Many of them have family and friends that they been helping out. However, Sess noted that he wished they used their

This is part 2 of the testimony given by former Black Panther Malik Rahim. Here we hear excerpts from his eye-opening documentary â??Welcome to new Orleansâ??.

Malik continues to outline his case and answer questions possed by the tribunal judges. malik points out these incidents have been swept under the rug by politicians..

As we prepare for the huge September 20th rally in Jena, Louisiana to help turn the wheels of justice, folks may wanna peep this new song from Pittsburgh activist Jasiri X.

Jasiri who is a member of the organization One Hood, recently teamed up with Paradise of X-Clan who produced this track that contains searing lyrics about the troubling situation in Jena..

We take a look back to that horrific day in September 6 years ago. Youâ??ll hear the music and viewpoints of those who were willing to speak out on the politics surrounding this situation early on. The voices youâ??ll hear include those of Michael Franti from Spearhead at the Snowpark Rally in Oakland the day after 9-11. Also at that rally was the late June Jordan. You will also hear remarks from artists like M-1 of dead prez, Toni Blackman and Jahi who all appeared on a panel about 9-11 several months after. We finish up with an indepth interview with Michael Eric Dyson who came through two weeks after the tragedy.

We also have hard hitting music and spoken word from Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Dilated Peoples, Nas, Society of Soul and Saul Williams. This is food for thought.

The first day of testimony (Thurs Aug 30th) here in New Orleans about what took place in the days following Hurricane Katrina has been riveting. The incident that stands out is the September 4th 2005 incident on the Danziger Bridge where 7 officers who were not dressed in uniform swooped down on an unarmed African American family and shot the mother, daughter, father and killed one of their teenage sons.

Another African American family that witnessed this massacre saw themselves in danger as the police hunted down a retarded man named Ronald Madison and shot him 5 times in the back.

Roanldâ??s brother Romel spoke before the packed Tribunal and gave a chilling account of what took place that day when those who were sworn to protect and serve acted like Al-Queda terrorists.

Just to show you how bad things are and were here in New Orleans, the seven officers accused of first degree murder were let out on bail and allowed back to work inspite of being indicted by a Grand Jury. No wonder New Orleans is often referred to as Sin City.

This is only the beginning, wait till you hear the other incidents of police terrorism that went down in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina.

Our show opens up with excerpts from speeches and interviews with former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, Minister Willie Muhammed of the NOI and Malik Raheim of Common ground.

As we continue with the second part of our Rock the Bells Hip Hop History panel we are joined by the Poetess who offers up a perspective about females in Hip Hop.

We later take questions from the audience and center our discussion on the current state of Hip Hop and whether or not conscious raising music can make it.

We conclude by focusing on the current victories that Hip Hop is enjoying which includes seeing a decline and rejection in so called gangsta music..

During the Rock the Bells Festival in San Bernadino, California, we hooked up with several key Hip Hop pioneers including Universal Zulu nation members DJ Mark Luv, Brother Muhammed who is road manager to Mos Def, The Poetess and Chevy Shank to talk about the origins of West Coast Hip Hop.

We started off with Brother Muhammed who is originally from the Soundview section of the Bronx and came up under Afrika Bambaataa. He joined Zulu nation in â??79 and was a member of the rap group Dynamic Force.

Muhammed recounted the early days of Hip Hop in the Bronx. He spoke about the harsh conditions of the Bronx and gang life and his involvement in it. He spoke at length about the Black Spades and how they morphed into the Mighty Zulu Nation under the guidance of Blackspade Gang Warlord Afrika Bambaataa.

He talked about how he eventually hooked up with Afrika Bambaataa and the important role music and Hip Hop culture played in helping turn things around.

He also talked about the important role Latinos played in the pioneering days of Hip Hop as he cited key individuals like DJ Charlie Chase, Zulu leader Lucky Strike and emcees Whipper Whip and Ruby Dee.

Muhammed also broke down the important role battling played in sharpening ones skillz and how over the years its degenirated into a patential career ending venture that far too often spawns violence.

Chevy Shank and DJ Mark Luv talked about the pioneering days of West Coast Hip Hop in Los Angeles. Shank talked about his migration to the West Coast from new York and some of the early crews he helped spawned.

DJ Mark Luv an LA native spoke about the dance and music culture that existed on the West Coast and how many of its facets later merged and contributed to Hip Hop culture. Mark Luv went into detail about the LA dance culture and how styles like Popping and locking were West Coast inventions. Luv noted how these early West Coast dance styles were lifted by Michael Jackson who went on to get credit. Luv named off many of the dancers who Jackson got his moves from including his trademarked moonwalk.

Luv also talked about LA gang life and his involvement with it. Like Muhammed, he noted that Hip Hop rescued him from gang life.

Mark Luv also spoke at length about the contributions of West Coast DJs like Jammin Gemini, Unknown DJ, Roger Clayton, Egyptian Lover, Battlecat and numerous others and how they are often overlooked and erased from history.

He talked about the rise of KDAY the nationâ??s first 24 hour rap station and the KDAY Mixmasters with pioneering DJs like Joe Cooley, Tony G, M-Walk, Julio G, Ralph M and others to name a few. Luv gives up alot of insight about these guys and this groundbreaking radio station.

Chevy Shank and Brother Muhammed spoke about key figures who played important roles in West Coast Hip Hop including Ice T and Afrika Islam. They noted that Ice T was responsible fo

We contionue our conversation with Professor Griff of Public Enemy. We move from Los Angeles to San Francisco for the recent Rock the Bells concert. Here griff opens up and gives an candid and heartfelt rundown about the difficult period , he and his fellow band members endured when he was kicked out the group.

Griff talks about the types of steps the group took to repair the rift and to heal. He also talks about how he wound up being signed to Luke Skywalker Records which was home to Luther Campbell and the 2Live Crew. he notes that it was Chuck D who actually got him that deal.

Lastly, Griff gives a breakdown of todayâ??s political climate and where the group fits in. Very insightful as Griff offers up rarely heard perspectives..

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Public Enemy, we got up close and personal with the Minister of Information Professor Griff. He dropped some serious bombs and gave us some rarely discussed insight into the groupâ??s humble beginnings and inner workings.

We also discuss the importance of Asa Hilliard who passed away the day we conducted this interview..

We conclude our interview with Public Enemyâ??s Hip Hop Activist and Media Assassin Harry Allen. here we talk about race relations, cointel-pro and the impact of the Flava Flav showâ?¦

We recently caught up with PEâ??s Hip Hop Activist and Media Assassin Harry Allen to and talked to him about everything under the sun ranging from the state of Hip Hop to race relations in America, to new technology to cointel-pro and of course the Flava Flav show. As always Harry Allen is insightful and honestâ?¦Please enjoy.. Also below is a recent article that offers up keen insight into the man who told us â??Donâ??t Belive the Hypeâ??

Davey D

Before The Hype

A new exhibition of previously unseen photos by writer HARRY ALLEN shines a light on the early days of L.I. hip-hop

http://longislandpress.1upprelaunch.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=12627

by Jesse Serwer

To say that the careers of journalist Harry Allen and rap group Public Enemy are inextricably intertwined would be a vast understatement.

For instance, the first article published professionally by Allen (a native of Brooklyn who grew up in Freeport) was also one of the first pieces to illuminate the political ideology behind the Roosevelt-based rap group, whose militant demeanor and confrontational lyrics initially confused and baffled the mainstream white press. Allen made a cameo on PEâ??s breakthrough 1988 LP, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, delivering the titular message at the end of â??Donâ??t Believe the Hype.â?? He also appeared on their fourth and sixth albums, Apocalypse 91â?¦The Enemy Strikes Black and Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age, respectively. And, as Public Enemy fought charges of anti-Semitism following on-again, off-again group member Professor Griffâ??s controversial (and much-contested) 1989 interview with the Washington Times, Allen-who had begun identifying himself in his writing as a hip-hop activist and â??media assassinâ??-stepped in as the groupâ??s publicist, or â??director of Enemy relations.â??

Part of the Permanent Record: Photos From the Previous Century, a newly opened exhibition at the Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery in Chelsea, illustrates the roots of this unique relationship between writer and subject. The first-ever display of Allenâ??s photographs (which he abruptly stopped taking after 1986), the showâ??s images offer a never-before-seen look at hip-hop culture on Long Island during the years-roughly 1983 to 1986-just before local artists like PE, Rakim, De La Soul and EPMD came to the fore.

â??Long Island played an extraordinary role in the development of hip-hop, and that role has really been under-documented, especially photographically,â?? says Bill Adler, the founder and owner of Eyejammie. Adler, the director of media relations for Def Jam Records during PEâ??s tenure at the label in the late 1980s, likens Allenâ??s images of â??Public Enemy before they were Public Enemyâ?? to the photos of The Beatlesâ?? performances at Hamburg, Germany in the early 1960s.

â??That was kind of an incubation for The Beatles, where th

Kevin Powell presents Natâ??l Black Male Conference HILL HARPER, DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, and Others Gather in Brooklyn for Historic Event

Brooklyn, NY â?? KEVIN POWELL (long-time activist, prolific writer, acclaimed public speaker, and widely considered one of Americaâ??s most important voices in these early years of the 21st century), in conjunction with The Sharland Norris Group, presents â??Black and Male in America: A 3-Day National Conferenceâ?? from Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17, 2007, in downtown Brooklyn. Internationally respected scholar and author DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON; actor HILL HARPER (of CSI: New York; best-selling author of Letters to a Young Brother; JEFF JOHNSON (popular BET correspondent and personality); BYRON HURT (anti-sexist activist and award-winning filmmaker of PBSâ?? Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes); ED LOVER (legendary hip hop, pop culture, multimedia personality, and host of Power 105.1â??s The Ed Lover Show); and many others are just a few of the speakers confirmed to attend.

The massive gathering is an extension of and a follow-up to the highly acclaimed â??State of Black Men Townhall Meetings and Workshops,â?? a 10-city national tour presented by Powell in 2004. The purpose of this yearâ??s conference is to bring together â??activists, community workers, educators, scholars, policymakers, artists, athletes, writers, mental health and social workers, spiritual leaders, coaches, fathers, mothers, and all who are concerned about the fate of the Black male, to discuss issues and remedies for the improvement of Black malesâ?? lives,â?? says Powell.

Black and Male in America (a/k/a BAMIA) is free to the public (only Saturday afternoon workshops are reserved for Black males only). All events take place at Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church and Hanson Place Seventh-Day Adventist Church (both located downtown Brooklyn; details attached). For general info, email contact@blackandmaleinamerica.org, visit www.blackandmaleinamerica.org or call 718.390.3520.

For complete conference schedule, list of speakers, and venue details, see attached materials

Conference Highlights At-A-Glance Friday, June 15 â?? Open to All

Keynote address by KEVIN POWELL

â??State of Black Malesâ?? Townhall Meeting facilitated by ED LOVER, legendary hip hop, pop culture, multimedia personality, and host of Power 105.1â??s â??The Ed Lover Showâ??

Special award ceremony honoring WILLIAM BELL (father of SEAN BELL, the unarmed young Black man killed by New York City Police Department officers November 2006) and other men of the African Diaspora who live or work in the metro area. Saturday, June 16 â?? For Black Males Only

Empowerment workshops from 10 am until 6 pm Saturday, June 16 â?? Open to All

HIPHOP, MANHOOD, AND MENTORING, A PUBLIC CONVERSATION featuring HILL HARPER at 7:30 PM Sunday, June 17 â?? Open to All

A special Fatherâ

On the eve of his highly anticipated conference on manhood and fatherhood here in Brooklyn, NY we caught up with long time Hip Hop activist and author Kevin Powell.

In our interview we talked about the hopes and expectations he has for the upcoming conference which will include professor Michael Eric Dyson, actor Hill Harper, Cousin Jeff of BET, Power 105â??s Ed Lover and film maker Byron Hurts just to name a few. Powell explained the importance of building with young people so they can advance past victories and successes and avoid crucial pitfalls and mistakes made by those who came before them.

He spoke to us about the trainings and work he did last spring with over 700 Black college students in New Orleans to help with Katrina relief efforts and the importance of making sure they connected their present day work with challenges faced by the Civil Rights leaders in of past generations. In fact, Powell held the initial trainings in Selma, Alabama to help underscore the significance.

During our interview the former MTV Real World cast member opened up and was quite candid about some of the trials and tribulations he endured during his run for Congress last year. He admitted much of his efforts were a learning process and that he soon discovered that the political game is far dirtier than the music industry. Powell noted that people in power will pull out all the stops and get extremely grimy when they see you gunning for position, but the process toughened him up and strengthened his resolve. He concluded that he will again one day run for office and be much better prepared.

During our conversation, Powell talked about leadership and laid out some important criteria one needs to have in order to be a leader amongst todayâ??s generation. He went into detail about being on the frontline. He spoke about creating bodies of work and ideas that change lives and lead people into new directions. Lastly, he also spoke upon the importance of building institutions that serve the community.

Powell spoke at length about the Don Imus situation and the relationships we as Black men have with sistas. He was very clear in dismissing Imusâ?? claims about his rancid behavior being influenced by Hip Hop. Powell spoke at length about the long history of powerful white male elites in this country and their deeply held views of Blacks both male and female being highly sexualized beasts who could and would be treated less than human. Most telling in this conversation was him referencing the racially charged writings of Thomas Jefferson who Powell pointed out was a slave owner. Powell summed things up by noting that Imus had long been a racist who was a continuum of long held beliefs and behavior.

Powell then addressed the very specific problems we in Hip Hop have with misogyny and the types of steps we need to take both as individuals and as a collective to move in a forward direction. Powell shared with us

CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, AMIRI BARAKA, WARD CHURCHILL AND OTHERS URGE YOU TO COME TO PHILLY ON MAY 17TH!

ORAL ARGUMENTS for Mumia in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals will finally begin on May 17th in Philadelphia. As a result of these hearings he can either get a new trial, life in prison without parole or executed.

On May 17 at 8:30 AM, be at the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia on 6th and Market Streets to demand JUSTICE for Mumia!

FOR TRANSPORTATION FROM NYC CALL (212)330-8029

Below is a letter from Mumiaâ??s Lawyerâ?¦

The following is a letter (12/6/05) from Robert Bryan (lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal) which initially announced the courtâ??s â??legal orderâ?? to hear certain claims presented by Mumiaâ??s defense. If won, these claims can possibly win Mumia a new trial, or hearing. If lost, Mumia will be in serious danger. Below the letter are articles and information expanding on the info layed out in Bryanâ??s letter, and the implications of the â??legal orderâ??. For recent legal updates, visit the homepage at freemumia.com

ORAL ARGUMENTS CONCERNING THESE CLAIMS, AND THOSE OF THE PROSECUTION BEGIN ON MAY 17 IN PHILLY! ALL OUT IN PHILLY ON MAY 17!

Dear Friends and Supporters:

Today the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued the most important decision affecting my client, Mumia Abu-Jamal, since the lower federal court ruling in December 2001. An order was issued this morning that the court will accept for review the following issues, all of which are of enormous constitutional significance and go to the very essence of Mumiaâ??s right to a fair trial due process of law, and equal protection of the law under the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution:

Claim 14 : Whether appellant was denied his constitutional rights due to the prosecutionâ??s trial summation.

Claim 16 : Whether the Commonwealthâ??s use of peremptory challenges at trial violated appellantâ??s constitutional rights under Batson v. Kentucky , 476 U.S. 79 (1986).

Claim 29 : Whether appellant was denied due process during post-conviction proceedings as a result of alleged judicial bias.

Claim 16 concerns the prosecutorial use of racism in jury selection. The record establishes beyond question that racism is a major thread that has run through this case since Mumiaâ??s 1981 arrest, and continues to today.

Claim 14 relates to the guilt phase. It includes the prosecutorâ??s argument that if convicted Mumia would have â??appeal after appeal.â?? That comment effectively lessened the burden of the jurors, and turned the concept of reasonable doubt and presumption of innocence on its head.

Claim 29 is about the bias and incredible racism of Judge Albert Sabo, the trial judge. Unfortunately, it is limited to his conduct at the 1995 evidentiary (PCRA) hearing, rather than his monstrous behavior at tr

This is an incredible movie backed by Queen Latifah and Bruce Willis that will undoubtly change the direction of Hip Hop. We sat down with Kazi the man behind this documentary and talked to him about the Hip Hop project. He gave us an earful and left us filled with hope.

Davey D: `Hip Hop Projectâ?? is a long time coming By Davey D Special to the Mercury News http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_5861046

One of the things I love about hip-hop is its resilience. Recently, weâ??ve heard countless arguments about whatâ??s wrong with the music, and relentless assertions that itâ??s almost dead. But under these conditions, hip-hop flourishes, defying the odds to become â??a rose that grows from concrete,â?? in the words of Tupac Shakur.

Enter â??The Hip Hop Project,â?? a new documentary that touches and inspires viewers. Directed by Matt Ruskin and produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah, it has generated quite a buzz â?? at New Yorkâ??s Tribeca Film Festival, where it premiered, and in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, where it recently screened to packed houses.

No, it isnâ??t a tearjerker where someone dies or a corny, â??Kumbayaâ??-style, feel-good story that assures us that everythingâ??s all right. The film seriously touches the soul by shining a light on the stark challenges faced by young people in our inner cities.

It focuses on Chris Rolle, a.k.a. Kazi, a former homeless youth from the Bahamas who bears the emotional scars of abandonment by his mother. As a teenager, he lived a rugged life on the streets of Brooklyn, but he eventually â??found his way,â?? thanks to hip-hop and a dream of becoming a rapper.

As a young adult, however, Kazi set aside that dream to dedicate his life to helping wayward teens. He launched a mentoring program named the Hip Hop Project, with the goal of getting youngsters to write, record and release a compilation album. Another goal was to get the young musicians to move beyond the all-too-familiar themes of sex, violence and misogyny. Kazi challenged them to dig deep and find their inner voices.

The process became a four- or five-year journey, as Kazi explored the deep-seated issues these teens faced, which went way beyond lyrics. In a recent interview, he explained that most young people lack the confidence to open up and express themselves, instead displaying only anger and a facade of callousness. He soon realized that they had developed callouses to protect the tender parts â?? their hearts and spirits.

Kazi understood that their lyrics initially reflected the pain resulting from a fatalistic view of life. The album became a secondary concern, as he realized that the kids needed healing to get on with their mental and spiritual development. And while dedicating every waking hour to assisting them, Kazi confronted his own issues over abandonment.

The journey of Kazi and the teens is moving beyond words. I have attended sev

One of Hip Hopâ??s dopest emcees returns to the scene with a new album called â??Desireâ?? after a 5-6 year hiatus. Pharoahe Monch is the truth and does not disappoint

The Twomp is back at ya once more with some of the dopest Hip Hop flava west of the Rockies. This radio show/mixtape has got everyone talking from coast to coast. We keep telling people not to sleep on the Emrald City and this version of the Twomp underscores that point. Merc and Hans Sol,o keep the energy level on full tilt. In addition to dropping bombs by groups like Mr DOG, Choklate, Asun and Gabriel Teodros, we also feature interviews with Jace and Blak of Silent Lambs Project by guest host E. Mandisa.

Julie C updates us on the case launched by the Seattle police against Seattle Hip Hop pioneer and legend DJ DV One. When you hear the breakdown of this horrific police terrorism incident, youâ??ll clearly understand the importance of Hip Hoppers organizing and becoming politically active. Anyone can become a victim.

Below is the playlist for this weeks show..Holla at your folks in Seatown and let them know how your feeling.

The Twomp Vol. II-March 2007 Brought to you by Chillz, Julie C, and Merc

Opening Snippet from Kevin Gardner

Instrumental 1 by DJ Smallz

Dead Prez Spot

Legendary-Mr. Dog

H.O.R.-Silent Lambs Project

Just Hustlin-K Swiss

Instrumental 2 by DJ Smallz

Gunwise-Silent Lambs Project

Another Love Song-T Love and Choklate

Bosses Will Be Bosses-Mr D.O.G feat. Yukmouth & Mac Money

Instrumental by Phreewil

B-Girls-Beyond Reality

Do U-Gabriel Teodros feat. Jerm

What Can I Say?-Real Talkâ??s Asun and Diez

Donâ??t Cry-Walt Nut

Jace Spot

Instrumental by Vitamin D

Itâ??s Time-Kevin Gardner

This Is Why-D. Black

Guitar Instrumental-Julian

Pairadice (Full Version)-dRED.i

Interview with DV One by Julie C.

Interview with Silent Lambs Project (Jace and Blak) by E.Mandisa

DJ Paradise the Arkitech from the legendary group X-Clan has teamed up with Breakdown FM to do a weekly radio show. Heâ??s a part of our city exchange program where we highlight local independent artists. This week Paradise takes us on a musical journey through the city of Pittsburgh which has one of the hottest scenes around. Let us know what you think.. and remember you are protected by â??the red, the black, and the greenâ??

We continue with pt 2 of our interview w/ Hip Hop scholar Michael Eric Dyson

This is pt 2 of our interview with POCC Chairman Fred Hampton Jr and Askari X. here we speak with Asakri X about his long career as a revolutionary emcee

We sat down with POCC Chairman Fred hampton Jr and Oakland Rapper Asakri X to get an update and assessment of the current War on Terror.

While the US Govâ??t is out and about looking for Osama Bin Ladin and Al Queda, folks in the hood are dealing with on going terrorists threats and attacks by the police. Two individuals who are dedicated to fighting this war and protecting the people are Chairmain Fred and Askari X. They are sharp on the issues, have lots of solutions and a deep unyielding love for the community.

They give an update on the anti-terrorism bill Chairmain Fred has been working on which will hopefully bring some sort of relief and accountability when it comes to dealing with the police. They also talk about the recent police assaults around the country and its aftermath including the case of Sean Bell in New York City who was shot 50 times and the new charges levied on the San Francisco 8.

In part 2 of our interview Askari X talks about his rap career. Heâ??s a pioneer in the Bay Area who made noise when he released the song â??Ward of the Stateâ??. He tells us how heâ??s managed to keep things on point and politically relevent even in these troubled times for Hip Hop

Seattle Police Strike Again!

The following is a statement from Randee Eddins, poet, community activist and leader concerning the case of her son, Rajni. The attached MP3 in the email is a segment of the TWOMP News, audio DJ B-Girl Chillz, Merc, and I captured outside of Seattle Courthouse on the initial day of Rajniiâ??s hearing. Please air this segment on your radio shows, burn it on your mix tapes, and post it on your websites! Please forward widely and voice your support in this continuing battle for justice and lasting change in the criminal justice system~Julie C

He came armed with a question. Yes, admittedly, he did do that. My much loved only son, Rajnii Alexander Gibson-Eddins, a well-known young Arts Educator, Performance Artist and Youth Advocate, approached a police officerâ??s car armed with a question.

For that, he was frisked, handcuffed, detained, arrested and charged with obstruction of a public official. My son, who had no criminal history; had no disrespectful bravado for the police officer who arrested him, had nothing more in mind than the safety and security of a young black adolescent who he had been told by one of his students was being carted off to jail for spitting out gum.

The over the top response of the officer, R. Nelson came about, reportedly, because he was afraid for his safety and his fellow officersâ?? safety. Afraid of Rajnii? Afraid of this most gentle articulate young black man; artist educator, poet, actor, youth advocate, community activist, and former elder foster brother to more than 50 youth?

Afraid of his question?

â??Letâ??s examine this closely, shall we? Was it theâ?¦â?? excuse me officer, Iâ??d like to know what this child is being charged with so I can notify her parents?â??

Was it because when they told my son, my Rajnii, to move back from the vehicle and he promptly complied, not once, not twice but 3 times but continued to persist with the question, was that what made the officer feel unsafe?

Was it that some police officers in certain neighborhoods have forgotten they are paid to serve us and not paid to detain us, humiliate us, harass us or arrest us? Ironically, my son is the grandson and nephew of law enforcement officers; my late father was a retired police officer and my brother is an officer with the sheriffâ??s department.

My son has served youth in a positive manner from Redmond to Tacoma, co-founded a spoken word community organization to allow a culturally diverse group of young people to flex and hone their voices in a variety of venues.

Rajnii has performed spoken word from the Seattle City Council chambers to Benaroya Hall, to Seattle Center, to colleges and universities, libraries, bookstores, cafes, nightclubs, festivals, theatres, community and cultural arts centers. He was chosen to be part of Seattleâ??s National Slam team for both 2004 and 2005 and nominated for Seatt

If you missed Fox News yesterday than you missed it when M-1 from dead prez came on there and shut shit down. It was a beautiful thing and the only option they had was to try and use Mancow a shock jock, to try and make jokes after M1 left. Andreas from HipHopdx.com gives th play by play. Later on had M-1 come on my radio show to expound upon his points. Yep Fox News picked her wrong dude to mess with..

Davey D

Fox News Picked On The Wrong Negro!

by Andreas Hale

So this Don Imus shit is blowing up right (scary because itâ??s blown up bigger than the Sean Bell case and somebody died there)? Hip Hopâ??s detractors have come out in full force acting as if Don Imus was influenced by Snoop or Too $hort. Every gotdamn hour itâ??s Don Imus and then something about rap music followed by some shit where they say â??well he said sorryâ?¦geeze.â?? The two shouldnâ??t be intertwined in this instance.

At any rate, the biggest phoney of a news network, Fox News, decided they needed to attack someone to make their point that hip hop is fucked up seem that much more vaild. They tried to holler at your boy Davey D to be on the Oâ??Reilly show but Davey wasnâ??t going for that shit.

So Neil Cavuto reached out to grab a rapper they could dominate and apparently the likes of Yung Joc and Young Jeezy were too busy (or too smart) or something so who did Fox go and get? M-1 from dead prez!

Dudeâ?¦how stupid do you have to be to challenge someone like M-1 to a debate? Below I have attached the transcript as M-1 GAVE IT to Cavuto. He befuddled him to the point where Cavuto had to tap out.

Now hereâ??s the funny thingâ?¦there is NO TRACE OF THIS ONLINE. Below is the â??transcriptâ?? of the interview and it has no trace of M-1 sonning this cat. I saw it live and you probably wonâ??t see it in full again.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200704130001

Thereâ??s a link to the video and youâ??ll see how it was cut off. The shit isnâ??t even on Cavutoâ??s foxnews.com page. Gotta love how they control the masses minds with swift editing tactics.

From the April 12 edition of Fox Newsâ?? Your World with Neil Cavuto:

CAVUTO: M-1, I know that this is not your parent company, but NBC Universal owns Interscope Records, which has, under its employ, a lot of rap artists who routinely say stuff like youâ??ve just said and worse. And, NBC is OK with that, not OK with Don Imus making an errant comment. Do you find that, just as an artist, hypocritical?

M-1: No, I donâ??t find it hypocritical mainly because of our relationship to the system â?? our relationship with our oppressor. Once again, with personal responsibility taken at hand here, weâ??re talking about rappers who are coerced to say things other than what the reality of our community is and Mr. Imus, who obviously has said sentiments that come from his personal beliefs. I think you are comparing apple

Yesterday many people in this country focused their attention on the 4 year anniversary of the Iraq War. Itâ??s an unjust war where the US attempted to use its military might and firepower to bully a country and force them to be â??Democraticâ??. Of course we are now starting to see this war may have been a ploy to get the countryâ??s oil. In anycase while the mainstream press focused on Iraq, many of us in the hood and in communities of color focused on the insidious war that is going on in our respective backyards. Itâ??s the war that the police keep waging on the people where unarmed men are routinely brutalized and shot.

Today a New York City grand jury indicted 3 of the 5 police officers involved in the tragic shooting death of Sean Bell. The charges are manslaughter and reckless endangerment. For those who donâ??t know, Bell was shot last November just hours before his wedding when he and 3 friends left a bar where they had a bachelor party.

According to reports, 5 plain clothes officers approached the menâ??s car as they left the establishment and did not identify themselves. Fearing that they were gonna get carjacked Bell and his fiends tried to drive off at which point officers shot at the trio 50 times. One officer named Mike Oliver let off 31 bullets.

The cops claimed the men had guns and they feared for their safety. The end result was Sean Bell was killed. He and his friends wound up in the hospital. All the men were unarmed. This was gross example of police terror that can strike anyone of us at any time.

In this interview Hip Hop activists Rosa Clemente and Autumn Marie of the group Peopleâ??s Justice give an indepth breakdown of what took place and what these grand jury indictments really mean. As was pointed out during our interview, an inditment does not mean a conviction. In addition, for police officers to shoot 3 unarmed men 50 times is an assassination and an assassination attempt. We should not mince words.

During our interview we talked about the pattern of police terrorism and suppression that seems to be occuring all over the country. Rosa and Autumn offer up some compelling practical solutions to fight back.

Rosa talked about the commitment many people within the Hip Hop generation have made to seeing that justice is served. Both her and Autumn talked about the rallies that have been taking place every week and the large number of groups that have come together to form a coalition. This incident has galvanized alot of people and apparently itâ??s a different day in NYC.

Ten Years Later We Remember Big Poppa But How Far Have We Come? by Davey D

This was an interview that we did with the Notorious BIG 4 days before he was killed. It was his last radio interview and it features Sway from MTV who was heading up our morning show called The Breakfest Club. Also on that interview was Swayâ??s partners Victor â??Big Daddyâ?? Zaragoza and Foxy Brown (not the rapper). It was a telling interview that left us both concerned and somewhat inspired.

I was looking over past writings and sadly I think what I penned in 1998 still applies. In many circles not much has changed. I will include it in this piece. http://www.daveyd.com/notoriousbig4.html

There were a couple of the things that I was thinking about as we approached the 10th anniversary of his death. First how are his two kids doing? When Biggie did his last interview he spoke about the love he had for them. Many of us talk fondly of Big Poppa and what he meant to New York and Hip Hop in general. I have to pose the question for those who say they ride for Biggie. What sort of example have we left for his kids over the past 10 years? They are now old enough to look around and ask questions and soak up game. Can they look to our collective behavior within Hip Hop and emulate it and wind up in a good and safe place? Or do they need to turn away and look elsewhere? Have we made this Hip Hop World a better place for them? If so how? Was Biggieâ??s death in vain? Can his kids really look up to us? Have we really listened to the pleas his grieving mother made when she asked us to do better?

Since Biggieâ??s death we seen damn near everyone in his crew go through big time drama with the law. From Lil Cease being busted several times for drug charges to Lil Kim being involved with a shoot out with a rival rap crew and doing jail time for perjury.(One would think hard lessons wouldâ??ve been learned about the dangers of beefs getting out of hand-now Hip Hop beefs are a big time insitution)

In recent days weâ??ve seen his best friend P-Diddy come under investigation for assaulting a man after a Grammy party. Of course we know about all the drama he faced in the 1999 shoot out. In the aftermath of Biggieâ??s death we saw Jay-Z plead guilty to stabbing fellow record executive Lance Uh Rivera. We saw his friend Busta lose his friend and bodyguard to gunfire on the set of a video last year and then he himself get arrested on several occasions.

Since Biggieâ??s death we lost Freaky Tah, Big L and a few others to violence. How far have we come? Do we continue with the same reckless behavior or do we change our ways and leave legacy that one can look back upon and note that people stepped it up in the aftermath of his killings?

Iâ??m asking this from the standpoint of having attended the historic peace gathering at Minister Farrakhanâ??s house a month after Biggieâ??s death. There all the rappers came together and ple

This is part two of our interview with Rap Coalition founder Wendy Dayâ?¦

We interview one of the industryâ??s most powerful people-Wendy Day of the Rap Coalition. It was through Wendy Day that people like Master P and Cash Money got their respective deals. It was through Wendy that artists like Slick Rick were able to get their lopsided contracts broken.

In this two part interview the Woman that major labels fear, drops serious game on the rap industry and how to navigate the pitfalls.

Words of Wisdom From Sista Souljah

by Davey D

In celebration of International Womanâ??s History Month we went digging in the crates and pulled up some old yet timeless tapes of Sista Souljah. Many of yâ??all may know her as an author. Sheâ??s given us two incredible books called â??No Disrespectâ?? and the â??Coldest Winter Everâ??.

Others may know Souljah as an uncompromising activist/ Freedom Fighter who was the brunt of unsavory remarks from former President Bill Clinton back in 1992 after the Rodney King uprisings. Homeboy was definitely out of line as we later came to discover that Clinton dissed her as a way to show America that he was willing and able to stand up to Black people and Black interests. She was the convenient scapegoat.

Many of us also know Souljah as a former member of Public Enemy who put out her own solo album called â??360 Degrees of Powerâ??. She made her recording debut on terminator Xâ??s album Valley of the Jeep Beats on a song called Buckwylinâ??.

In whatever capacity you know Souljah, you know that she is fearless, insightful and always on point. In the excerpts we gathered she drops some serious bombs which will hopefully serve as an inspiration for those listening. The first 35 minutes are excerpts from a speech she delivered in Oakland, California as part of the Nommo Lecture series at McClymonds High School in the early 90s. The second part was delivered in several years later in Washington DC around 2000

Souljah focuses on issues like what it means to be an African Woman, The definition of Love and Relationships. She offers up some very powerful words thatâ??sll definitely make you think.

We sat down with Chicago Hip Hop pioneer Twista to talk about his long tenure in Hip Hop and the rise of Chicago Hip Hop which now includes superstars like Kanye West, Common, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Da Brat and Do or Die to name a fewâ?¦

Woman Hold Up More Than Half the Sky within Hip Hop

by Davey D

Thereâ??s definitely a revolution of sorts going on as Hip Hop purges itself from the negativity and the all too often, over the top minstrel-like stereotypes that have plagued it for the past few years. Leading the charge are women. Last week during a Hip Hop panel discussion at UCLA in Los Angeles, the panel which included everyone from West Coast pioneers like Alonzo of the World Class Wrecking Crew and Arabian Prince of NWA on down to new comers like Brother Los of Company of Prophets to academics like Professor Sam Aleen to B-girls like Zulu Queen LA Nivens, the question was asked about women in Hip Hop.

Everyone on the panel noted that what will save Hip Hop if it needs to be saved, are strong women who are committed to making sure their voices are heard and that respect is given. Brother Los noted that he had noticed that more and more women have been stepping up and taking charge in the reshaping of Hip Hop. Alonzo said that female energy would be a welcome change and that tyhere was too much male testaterone. Everyone else chimed in with similar sentiments with the underlying theme being change is needed and women can make it happen in a big way.

These words ring true as you look around the country and see all sorts of women making moves. In the words of the late great freedom fighter Fannie Lou Hammer sistas have just grown tired of being tired with putting up with the bullshit the industry is offering and as a result they are making moves.

It could be in the form of woman like Pittsburgh native Kellee Maize releasing her incredible album â??Age of Feminineâ?? which has an anthem type song called Marchinâ?? (for the Revolution)featuring fellow Pittsburgh, PA spitter Emprez or Portlandâ??s Queen Nasimwho puts the fun and old school back into Hip Hop with her new album FRESH. In the Bay Area we have women like Jennifer Johns blowing up the spot while down in LA women like Medusa and B-Girl Asia One still reign supreme. In New York we have emcees like Rha Goddess and J-Love who just released a book focusing on women empowerment called â??We Got Issuesâ??. (www.wegotissues.org)

We havenâ??t even begun to scratch the surface as we can also focus on all the women who have been in the forefront of the media justice/ reform movements, Shout out to women like Rosa Clemente, April Silver, Christie Z Pabon and J-Love to name a few in the REACH Coalition in NY that took on Hot 97, or women like Lisa Fager of Industryears.com or women promoters and B-girls like DJ Earth One and DJ Soyo who hold it down in Washington DC. In a recent conversation with DJ Soyo, she noted that she was recently named a commissioner on the Sojouner Truth Project where they are organizing and fighting to have the statue of this pioneering woman of the Sufferage and Abolitionist movements returned to the Capitol. Years ago her statue was removed from

Payola & the State of Hip Hop/Urban Radio

by Davey D

The other week we alerted you about an urban music director in Chicago being arrested and fired from her job for allegedly taking payola in the form of a porshe from a local artist. We promised to follow up that story with a more indepth story/interview about payola and the state of urban/ Hip Hop radio.

What you will be listening to is conversation that took place in Memphis, Tn last month (January 2007) at the Media Reform Conference. We caught up with longtime radio urban radio programmer Paul Porter of Industryears.com and Professor Jared Ball of Freemix Radio. Both gentlemen participated in the conferenceâ??s payola panel.

We talked to Porter about the role corporate media plays in keeping this practice alive and how it impacts urban radio and the urban community at large. He feels like th practice is too far gone and that the FCC caved into the big media giants.

Porter also talked about a couple of well publicized incidents including the beat down that Game and his crew were accused of giving to a Washington DC disc jockey (Xzulu) at Radio One headquarters). He feels that payola played a big role in keeping Gameâ??s record on the airwaves in spite of the severity of what occured.

Porter also talked about the racial make up of many of the nationâ??s popular urban stations including the fact that in many places you do not have Black programmers. He explains how that can have an impact on the African American community at large. He also talks about how what few Blacks they do have in key positions have sold out and not been responsive to community concerns.

We also spoke with Professor Jared Ball who gave an insightful historical breakdown about the current state of Hip Hop radio. He feels that its no mistake that mainstream Hip Hop has been suspended in state of adolesence. He connected current urban radio policies and practices with the Cointel-Programs that the FBI launched against Black leaders in the 60s during the Civil Rights era.

We kicked off our show with an excerpt from an interview we did with Quest Love of the Roots where he explains in great detail how the Roots went about getting their Grammy Award hit record â??You Send Meâ?? on the radio. he says they had to pay almost 3/4 of a million bucks and the record label had to make abunch of behind th scenes deals.

How the World Social Forum Got Hijacked By Davey D

When I first arrived at the Worldâ??s Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, things didnâ??t seem right from the very moment I got off the plane. I couldnâ??t quite place it, but things seemed a bit disorganized. It ranged from the Hotel suddenly not having any record of my reservation and an accounting of my room which we prepaid for to the registration process which became an all day affair with people from the US having to pay damn near 10 times as much as people from other places. Banks that were supposed to be open were closed, buses that were supposed to be available suddenly werenâ??t.

At first I kept my complaints to myself, but as the day progressed I overheard and later saw lots more people complain about the total disorganization. What disturbed me were the excuses that were given. I kept hearing over and over again, that we all needed to be patient, because the WSF was in Nairobi which is a Third World City. In other words, because this prestigious event designed to bring thousands from all around the world to address and strategize around Social Justice issues, was in Africa, we could expect confusion and mayhem. Poverty in this beautiful country prevented people from bringing things up to speed.

A lot of folks seemed to accept it, but it didnâ??t sit well with me. I recall telling a couple of folks, that thereâ??s a big difference between not having certain luxuries or amenities and shit just being janky. I been around poor people all my life who donâ??t have everything, but their graceful demeanor and their commitment to executing a task always overshadowed what they were lacking. Me going to a hotel that attempted to double charge me because they couldnâ??t â??findâ?? my information, an outrageous registration process that had be going from one side of town to another because the banks that were supposed to be open suddenly closed, representatives for a huge corporate cell phone company being the one handling my registration at a world event that was supposed to be shunning mega-corporations was not the result of poor people not being able to do for self. It was just some straight up jankiness. I wasnâ??t giving Africa-the motherland a pass on this one.

Some thought I was being a bit impatient and not too understanding, but Iâ??m glad I stuck to my guns, because my suspicions were concerned on the opening day of the forum when several dozens youths from the Korogocha slums showed up at the WSF at great risk to their personal safety and freedom let everyone know exactly what was going on.

They stood in front of the only eatery at the WSF site which was charging crazy prices for food and had people waiting more then an hour just to get something that wasnâ??t all that good in the first place.

â??Shame on You Fellow Kenyans-Shame on You for Exploiting the Peopleâ?? they yelled. They told people not to eat at the food court as

Rap Not So Macho

A new PBS special takes an in-depth look at hip-hopâ??s taboo topics.

By Eric K. Arnold Published: February 14, 2007 http://eastbayexpress.com/2007-02-14/music/rap-not-so-macho/

Rampant violence, homophobia, and misogyny have been prevalent for quite some time in hip-hop â?? even KRS-One once said, â??Roxanne Shante is only good for steady fuckingâ?? â?? yet, curiously, no oneâ??s really bothered to frame these issues together in a social context until Byron Hurtâ??s Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. The documentary, which airs Tuesday, February 20 on PBS, qualifies as recommended viewing for all hip-hop fans, and just about everyone else â?? especially parents and their kids.

Hurt an ex-football player who used to get pumped up before games to LL Cool Jâ??s â??Mama Said Knock You Out,â?? became aware of gender and identity issues when he was hired as a sexual violence counselor, which led him to become a filmmaker. Over the phone from Los Angeles, he explains that he made the documentary over a six-year period, compiling 250 hours of footage into a poignant sixty minutes. â??People have been talking about these issues, but not from this perspective,â?? he says. Thus far, after preview screenings across the country, he adds, â??My experience has been, people are embracing this film.â?? A common refrain, he says, is, â??Itâ??s about time somebody did this.â??

The movie stitches together some of the themes raised by authors Jeff Chang (Canâ??t Stop Wonâ??t Stop) and Tricia Rose (Black Noise), and filmmaker Rachel Ramist (Nobody Knows My Name), but ups the ante by directly addressing the genreâ??s homophobia, along with its inherent homoeroticism. Hurt does this by examining African-American manhood, and its relation to society and pop culture, through several illustrative scenes and numerous interviews with fans, artists, academics, and industry executives.

At BETâ??s Spring Bling in Daytona Beach, Hurt films freestyle ciphers, then ponders their overly violent and über-macho lyrical depictions, later contrasting that with an interview with three drag queens who relate that seemingly thugged-out dudes pursue them sexually on the down-low. At Atlantaâ??s Spelman College, the women who protested Nellyâ??s bone-marrow drive on the basis of his infamous â??Tip Drillâ?? video are interviewed, along with professor Jelani H. Cobb. In a New York studio, rapper Busta Rhymes is asked directly about his feelings on gay rappers. Busta gets agitated, refuses to answer, and leaves the room. Hurt goes so far as to discuss homophobia and homoeroticism with ex-Vibe editor Emil Wilbekin and Deepdickollectiveâ??s Timâ??m West, alternated with shirtless, hypermasculine images of 50 Cent and LL Cool J.

Unintentional irony is unavoidable. A scantily clad female Spring Blinger is asked about the objectification of women while two unidentified men with video cameras zoom in on her

Mers from Dred I Movement, emcee Julie C and B-Girl Chillz take us on a journey through the gritty sounds of the Emerald City. Sleepless in Seattle-Youâ??re damn right..Thereâ??s no way you can or should sleep on th talent in this town..If you sleep on the artists in the Sea-Town youâ??ll wake up regretting it big time..Get set as Seattle gears up for two big Hip Hop festivals this weekend (Feb 17-20). The town is on fire..

In celebration of artists linking up an uniting at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, to form the Undugo International Committee we decided to take a musical journey around the world and peep out some of the slamming joints that people are enjoying all over. Itâ??s interesting to note that the USA is one of the few places on the planet where the International scene has not been embraced. Thatâ??s about to change but until then, enjoy artists like Kalamashaka out of Kenya, Euphrates out of Iraq, Modenine out of Nigeria, Clotaire K out of Beruit, Knaan out of Somalia and MV Bill from Brazil just to name a few. Hip Hop is truly worldwide.

Hip Hop Artists from Around the World Unite in Nairobi

By Davey D

On the third day of the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya a beautiful thing took place. Many of the Hip Hop artists from several countries had grown frustrated with the way things were unfolding and decided to meet and a form an organization that would both connect our collective struggles and be a pro-active step to prevent any other social forums and political gatherings from being hijacked. The organization formed was called the The Undugu International Committee (meaning togetherness) and among its first orders of business was to lay the ground work for an African World Social Forum where issues specifically impacting us throughout the Diaspora could be addressed. Why beg and fight organizers when you can do things yourself?

Many were disturbed, touched and inspired by the food court protests lead by the youth of the Korogocho slums earlier that week and wanted to keep the energy going and build off the momentum. It was a great opportunity for all us compare notes about activism and activities in other parts of the world and to establish common ground for which to build upon. Hence many in attendance took advantage to seize the moment and bring folks together while we were all in one place.

Another key order of business was to start laying groundwork to make Conscious Afrocentric Hip Hop be the order of the day and bring it to the fore front of the liberation struggle. As I mentioned in earlier posts, American Hip Hop has been exported all around the world as a way to undermine Revolutionary thoughts and movements. The bling bling â??Iâ??m balling mentality may work in the states, but it seems sad and utterly ridiculous when you see it in the context of world politics. As was often described, we come off as being aligned with the oppressor.

I found out as we were meeting that making a trip to Kenya is hard enough for those who live in Canada, the US and even the UK. We came to discover that it was even harder for Africans in neighboring countries to get to this place. One of the brothers from the group Ukoo Flani Mau Mau explained that getting through the borders of various countries is challenging. Africa doesnâ??t have some sort of interstate type highway or rail line, so travel from one country to another often has to be done by air and that can get to be pretty expensive.

For me it was great seeing all these folks from all over come together and unite around the shared expressions we associate with Hip Hop. When everyone was all assembled in one room gearing up for a press conference there were several things that immediately stood out. First you realize that no matter what anyone says, Hip Hop is African. There was a certain vibe in the air. A certain spirit that supported an unspoken, natural, unspoken language that you could literally feel. When you saw the brothers from different countries dance and when

MC Kah-Compromise is Not an Option

by Davey D

No Bullshit! No Compromise! are two phrases that accurately describe MC Kah who is one of the primary rappers in the 24 man supercrew called Ukoo Flani Mau Mau. The Kenyan born emcee hails from Dandora aka Hip Hop City which is a section in Kenya which has given birth to some of the countryâ??s dopest artists.

Sharp on his politics as he is on the mic, Kah gives an insightful breakdown as to how Kenyan artists strive to keep a strong connection to the spirit and legacy of their Mau Mau warrior grandfathers and grandmothers who went into the forest 50 years ago to organize and overthrow British colonizers.

History shows that the Mau Mau paid a heavy price as this unarmed resistance force were killed, imprisoned and wounded in high numbers, however their unwavering commitment to â??die on your feet than live on your kneesâ?? is a mindset that has been transferred into the lifestyle of people like MC Kah and his crew.

In our interview he talks about how the current Kenyan government has been corrupted and has made bold moves to silence cultural expressions. Politicized Hip Hop that talks about those in power has become especially troubling hence the members of the Ukoo Flani Mau Mau have found themselves being constantly arrested on trumped up charges and harassed by the police.

He explains the current campaign put forth by the government to silence their highly politicized music where tactics like flooding the airwaves with exported American jiggy raps i.e. P-Diddy and G-Unit along with raunchy genge music as a way to try to lull the population asleep.

Kah and his people have countered the crackdown by insisting that Kenyan artists rap in Swahili and encouraged people to avoid mimicking the destructive behavior of western â??oppressorsâ??. Hence you wonâ??t see the Flani Mau Mau cats sporting bling or kicking mindless lyrics. If one does Kah and his crew are quick to call them out and label them as wannabes who are down with the oppressor. As Kah explains Hip Hop is about doing for the community and uplifting the people. Itâ??s a communication tool that can and should encourage people into action. You will find the interview inspiring.

Below is a brief rundown on the history of the Ukoo Flani Mau Mau which can be best described as Wu-Tang Meets Public Enemy and X-Clan. Following that is a brief run down of MC Kah.

Thereâ??s a new awakening, people everywhere are beginning to remember who they are form the whispers of wisdom being spread by the winds of Kaya (temple) Hiphop. The bustle and fighting for the small hustle has lessened and the focus seems to be gaining astounding clarity that out of â??Andakiâ?? is emerging a light, flames in flight, at first sight you realise that â??Dandoras burningâ?? with desire to heal the universe with Ukooflani Maumau. The silent revolution is well in progress the take over

Donâ??t Sleep-Hip Hop is Alive and Well in East Africa

By Davey D

If you donâ??t believe rap music has the power to influence and shape opinions on a political tip, you may wanna sit down and talk with Kenyan rap stars Kama of the East African pioneering group Kalamashaka MC Kah of the 24 man Wu-Tang like supergroup Ukoo Flani Mau Mau and Rhymeson aka Ra of the Tanzanian pioneering group Kwanza Unit. On a recent trip to Nairobi we sat down with these local artists and discovered that there were some interesting parallels between themselves and popular political rap groups here in the US like Public Enemy and dead prez.

MC Kah explained that many of Kenyaâ??s early rappers who first emerged in the early 90s, started off being political. Part of it was due to the influence of their American counterparts like KRS-One and Public Enemy, but an even more telling influence is the fact that many are the grandchildren of the revolutionary freedom fighters the Mau Mau which fought against British colonialist and helped secure Kenyaâ??s independence. Kah noted that the revolutionary spirit of the Mau Mau has been passed down and that they are a continuum of that legacy of fighting oppression.

â??Our harsh living conditions and government oppressionâ?? made us be political with our rapsâ??, explained Kama. He elaborated by explaining that a trip through any of Nairobi sprawling slums like Kibera, Korogocho or Dandora would make it difficult for one to rap about anything other then social or political issues. â??Dandora Burningâ?? the classic album put out my Ukoo Flani Mau Mau is a strong testament to that. It is considered by many to be the East Afrrican equivalent to Public Enemyâ??s It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Backâ??.

Having visited both Kibera which houses more than one million people and Korogocho, Kamaâ??s words ring true. Kibera was by far more poverty stricken, downtrodden and disparaging then any American ghetto. Words simply cannot describe what I saw, but to put it simply it was disturbing to the point of tears. People living on top of one another on top of garbage dumps surrounded by human waste, is what I bore witness. It was paralyzing as I am still trying to process everything I saw.

Kah explained that one of the biggest challenges he and Ukoo Flani Mau Mau face is the Kenyan government putting pressure on local radio stations to refrain from playing any of their political songs. The groupâ??s commitment has been to use Hip Hop specifically to deliver messages to the people and expose government corruption. He noted that over the past few years the airwaves have been flooded with styles of music called genge and kapuka which contain mindless raunchy lyrics.

There has also been an increase in American jiggy bling bling style raps. Kah went into more detail by explaining how Americaâ??s materialistic bling bling raps which have been highlighted by multi-nat

Martin Luther King vs. The Radio

As we get ready for this weekâ??s Media Conference in Memphis I thought Iâ??d get you in the mood and give you something to think about with this little remix I madeâ?¦ It features excerpts from this rarely heard speech Martin Luther King gave in 1967 in Atlanta to Black radio deejays.. He talks about the importance of radio and how it impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Itâ??s more relevant today than it was given 40 years ago..If you replace some of the words he uses with Hip Hop and youâ??ll get my point..You will also understand why Black radio was undermined

Also on this mix is a short excerpt Minister Farrakhan gave to a similar body of Black radio deejays in Atlanta in 1980 at the Jack the Rapper Convention. He chastises the deejays for only wanting to Get Funky and Get Down.. he says they are being used as agents within Black music to destroy the movement.

One of the last speech excerpts you hear is from Chuck D in Atlanta where Hip Hop, radio, media were discussed with Cynthia Mckinney.. Chuck talks about the type of strategy being used to keep us in permanent state of adolescence. He says its a result of us not owning our words..

Also on this mix you hear speech excerpts from H Rap Brown, including remarks he made in Atlanta sometime in the 1970s about the way media controls entertainers and uses them as political weapons against the community. Although I didnâ??t play this part, but he goes into detail about all the big entertainers including James Brown who were being used to push forth conservative agendas. he talks about how James brown was forced to make the song Black and Iâ??m Proud. If I have time I may pull that speech and play it in its entirety.. I will try and make copies to give out during our media panel.

Lastly we also have Rosa Clemente and her immortal words from the landmark Hot 97 protest in NY from 2005 after the tsunami fiasco..where she talks about corporate media being used as a weapon and how she is determined to fight and not let them harm her child..The full speech is in the remix I did called Afrika Bambaataa Vs Hot 97

Anyway enjoy. Iâ??m gonna drop a few more interviews from people like Blackdot, Paul Porter, Jared Ball, JR from the Block Report, Opio and number of others on Breakdown FM starting tomorrow regarding media and the steps we need to take to change things.. Iâ??ll see yâ??all in Memphis.. Lets make some serious history this week and garner a few victories..

One Luv Davey D

This is a throwback interview we did with Grandmaster Flash the week 2Pac was killed in Las Vegas in Sept of â??96. The new Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer gave us some incredible insight and a definitive definition of Hip Hop and the direction it needs to headedâ?¦

One of Hip Hopâ??s foremost pioneers is Joseph Saddler aka Grandmaster Flash. Back in the day he epitomized what a DJ should be and headed one of Hip Hopâ??s best and most enduring groups The Furious Four, which later became The Furious Five. Flash put his superstar crew together in 1976. They eventually went on to record some of Hip Hopâ??s biggest hits including, â??White Linesâ??, â??The Messageâ?? and â??Scorpioâ?? to name a few. However, long before records came out, GM Flash was Hip Hopâ??s most popular act. Going to a Flash party was an event. Old school headz all have fond memories of seeing Flash for the first time. Both him and his groupâ??s showmanship are unequaled to this day.

Thereâ??s not enough that can be written about Flashâ??s accomplishments. He invented all sorts of techniques from backspinning to cutting and scratching and of course quick mixing which are the foundations for todayâ??s Hip Hop DJs. He was also responsible for tinkering with a mixer and developing a cross fading cue. He was also the first DJ to use a drum machine that he called a beat boxâ?¦. This interview took place several days after 2Pacâ??s death in September of 1996.

Davey D: For people who arenâ??t familiar, tell us what was Grandmaster Flashâ??s legacy in Hip Hop? What were you best known for within the early days of Hip Hop?

GM Flash: As an individual I was known as the DJ or the mixer. I was known for taking a particular passage of music and rearranging it. I called it the quick mix theory. It consisted of backspinning, the double back, cutting and scratching. I was also the first DJ to be known for doing acrobatics on the turntables. I would do 360 turns, cutting with my elbows, my mouth and crazy stuff like that.

Davey D: Not only were you the DJ, but you had some of the fiercest emcees in the business. Could you tell us the original members of your crew? A lot of people know you as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but I remember when you started off with just one, then it became three and then for a long time it was GMF and the Furious Four. Break this down for us..

GM Flash: The first member was who I called â??The crowd pleaserâ?? was Cowboy. The second one who was recruited was Kid Creole. The third member who was recruited was Kid Creoleâ??s brother who was known as Melle-Mel. The fourth member recruited was Mr. Ness who later became known as Scorpio. The final person was Raheim. I also had my assistant Disco B.

Davey D: What ever happened to Disco B?

GM Flash: Disco B still rolls with me now. Heâ??s still doing his thing. He does clubs in different places. He was very instrumental in helping me per

Religion, Leadership & Business: Hip Hop Speaks

As we come to the close of this year we wanted to leave you with some words of wisdom on some very important topics. Recently there was a panel discussion held in Houston where they talked about the topics of Hip Hop and Religion and Hip Hop and Leadership. Among the panelists were Poet Saul Williams and Activist Troy Nkrumah of the National Hip Hop Political Convention.

Both Saul and Troy gave excellent analysis and food for thought on the intersection between Hip Hop and Religion. As you listen to the discussion , the first speaker you will hear is Saul Williams who grew up as a preacherâ??s son. He notes that the first people he ever saw wearing bling and driving cars with big rims were church folks. He also talks about mysogony in Hip Hop as well as the church.

The second speaker to address this issue is Troy Nkrumah of the Hip Hop Political Convention. He drops some powerful gems about the real purpose of religion-being a tool of liberation. He questions why todayâ??s church leaders arenâ??t out in the streets dealing directly with folks. He challenges people to really be â??religiousâ?? and emulate the ways of Jesus, Malcolm and Martin and go out and be liberators.

Next we hear Saul Williams responding to an audience question about the role of gangsta rap. He talks about how gangsta rap started out being anti-establishment and somehow got compromised. He likens todayâ??s gangsta rappers to Republicans because of their approach toward people and money.

Troy Nkrumah follows Saul by addressing an audience member about leadership and Hip Hop. He asks why are so many of us looking for rap starts to be our leaders when in reality many of them DO NOT care about us. All they wanna do is sell us records. with a bristling breakdown about Rappers and leadership. he feels that rappers ARE NOT leaders and we should stop looking to them to get us out of our present conditions.

Finally we take you back into time and pulled out a speech that Sista Souljah gave several years ago on the topic Business. Here Sista Souljah explains how Black folks and Hip Hop have become big business for America. She tells us how to NOT get played. Also below we included a statement from Sista Souljah which was given a while back when she came into the spotlight because President Bill Clinton decided to publicly dis her as a way to check Reverend Jesse Jackson.

SISTER SOULJAH STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO BILL CLINTON DIS

http://www.theroc.org/roc-mag/textarch/roc-09/roc09-07.htm

Peace. I stand before you today feeling very confident, steadfast and powerful; at the same time, I am surprised, that I as a young African woman, have impacted and effected the development of not only national politics, but international politics as well. It is very shocking to me that in a time of American economic recession, and inner city urban chaos, Democrati

When we went to the G8 Summit we got a chance to peep james brown as he performed at the Live 8 Concert in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hereâ??s what we got to experience. remember the man and his music.

Fighting Police Terrorism-Meet Seattleâ??s Dred I Movement

by Davey D

They have long been a fixture in Seattleâ??s burgeoning Hip Hop Scene. Known as Dred I Movement they have been described as the missing link between â??gangsta rapâ?? and â??blingâ??, meaning that Moorpheus Magnetik, Hannibal aka Hans Solo and Minister of Information GCLI are streetwise cats who keep it gritty while at the same time have dedicated themselves to holding down the block from both brutal police and racist skinheads who used to be a problem in the Seattle area.

Youâ??ll find Dred I Movement in schools, community events and smack dab in the middle of political discourse as it pertains to Seattleâ??s African American community. They keep their social/political game on point and their mental skillz razor sharp. And although they donâ??t speak on it a boastful way, people know that their hand to hand martial arts game is not to be toyed with.

Seattle police found out the hard way several years ago when they decided to take advantage of the brothers and lay hands on them. One officer decided to choke Minister of Information GCLI who used to compete in UCF tournaments before it got cleaned up, and it was all she wrote. Not only did the police get their ass beat, but they were also successfully sued for being out of bounds with the brutality.

In our interview the members from Dred I opened up and talked about the incident. Our conversation placed that â??the police vs. dred Iâ?? incident in the larger context of police terrorism in what many consider to be one of the nationâ??s most liberal cities. Seattle is home to the infamous â??Battle in Seattleâ?? where folks came out in mass to protest the WTO. In fact a movie is being made about as we speak. Unfortunately as Minister of Information GCLI notes, that liberal attitude is misleading especially as it pertains to the Black community.

He explains that the police have long acted as an occupying force and the oppression they apply is widely felt. He noted that some of the new techniques on citizen surveillance and crowd control are first tried out in Seattle and then exported to other cities around the country. Sadly, Seattleâ??s residents who live in the hood are the guinea pigs.

The fact that the first Black Panther chapter outside of California opened up in Seattle should tell you how folks really get down in the Emerald City. Our conversation with Dred I members goes into detail about how and why police terrorism has been able to flourish in the Emerald City and what sort of concrete steps can and should be taken.

Not too long ago the group founded 206 Cop Watch which became major thorn in the sides of Seattleâ??s not so nice police department. These brothers would go around to popular dance spots and film the activities of the police at closing time. What was happening at the time was that many people were complaining that the police wer

In the second part of this historic meeting between these two legendary emcees, we talk about Cointel-Pro and how many of the political groups were victims to media character assassinations. Chuck D noted that itâ??s something that anyone who decides to speak out should expect.

We also focused on the dynamics of Hip Hop around the world and how the US rappers are percieved the world.

We talked about how Hip Hop evolved from being a subservisve communication tool to being a tool for the dope game backed up and fully supported by corporate media.

lastly we tackled the issue as to whether or not Hip Hop is only a music and culture for young people. Apparently its people outside of Hip Hop that keep insisting that it is in spite of the fact that Hip Hop is over 30 years old with many of its pioneers being over 50. Whats really going on with all that?

PE meets X-Clan: A Conversation w/ Chuck D & Brother J pt 1

By Davey D

â??No Disrespect to Nas, but somebody tell that man that Hip Hop is alive and wellâ??. That was the sound advice given by Brother J of X-Clan from the stage of the packed out Mezzanine Nightclub in San Francisco the other night. The crowd roared with approval as Brother J sans his mentor the late Professor X and his best friend the late Sugar Shaft carried on the legacy of one of Hip Hopâ??s all-time greatest groups. The audience was assaulted with song after song and hit after hit â??from â??Grand Verbalizerâ?? to â??Ways of the Scalesâ?? to his new hit â??Weapons Xâ??. It was a moment to behold as the audience was brought to fevered pitch by 10:30 that night and Public Enemy had not even touched the stage. Brother J and X-Clan were on fire.

As you looked around the crowd you saw an accurate reflection of the Hip Hop community. You saw folks ranging from their early 20s to well onto their 40s. Believe it or not I saw a few folks in attendance with their adult kids. I saw a lot of women. I saw b-boy and b-girls, thugs, squares, cultural activists, academics, Nation of Islam members, revolutionary types, former Panthers, Hippies types, whites, Latinos, Asians, professional types and lots of women.

Some came for the political message the groups offered. Others came because they yearned to see and reconnect to the hey day Hip Hopâ??s famed Golden Era of the late 80s and early 90s. Others came because they like the new material put out by both acts over the past couple of years. A whole lot of folks came to see the TV phenom we call Flava Flav.

When he stepped on the stage that night in the middle of â??Welcome to the Terrordomeâ?? the crowd erupted and an already amped up crowd took it up a notch. In spite of the controversy Flav has caused with the VH1 TV show, and fellow band members like Professor Griff speaking out, what was clear was that once on stage, every member absolutely needed to be there. There was no denying the chemistry and more importantly the friendship and love they all have for one another and for their people. This was especially telling when Griff and Flav were on stage as the two clearly showed that despite the differences they have genuine love and support for one another.

You felt secure seeing Professor Griff and the martial arts trained S1Ws holding it down. Griff also doubled as band leader which included stellar musicians like his step son Kylee and longtime legend Brian Hargroove on bass. We also want to offer our heartfelt condolences to Griff who lost his sister to cancer jus two days before. In spite of the loss he brought his love and charisma to the stage and it was felt. You felt at home watching the long-time camaraderie of Chuck D and Flav as they went to and delivered a non stop energized 3 hour show that will go down in the history books. It was Hip Hop at itâ??s best. And so i

This is a skit off the new Sound Check Mixtape that comes out of LA that focuses in on a overplayed trend and phrase in NY called â??Going Inâ?? and the Go In Brothers.

We continue our conversation with DJ Paradise about the rise and fall of the Latin Quarter nightclub.

here we focus on the battle between KRS and Mele-Mel. We also talk about the LQâ??s long history and how the Golden Era of rap got ushered in via the club.

The Story Behind Hip Hopâ??s Greatest Night Club the Latin Quarter

By Davey D

The Latin Quarter or the â??LQâ?? as it was affectionately called will always have a pivotal place in Hip Hop history. According to DJ Paradise of X-Clan who managed the club during itâ??s hey day in the mid 80s, the LQ was more important than the Apollo because all the record executives, industry tastemakers and label reps frequented the club.

It wasnâ??t unheard of for an artist to go down to the LQ on a Friday, kick off a great performance and have a record deal by that Monday.

The LQ was also the place that bore witness to many peopleâ??s first performances including MC Hammer whoâ??s chilly reception inspired him to go back, blow up and come back to take on NY in the song â??Turn this Mutha Outâ??.

It bore witness to one of Public Enemyâ??s first performances where Mele-Mel rattled Chuck Dâ??s nerves by screaming from the floorâ?? get them off the stage, they arenâ??t Hip Hop. A year later Mel became one of their biggest supporters.

The LQ bore witness to a young MC Serch who made name for himself, by dancing up a storm on the LQâ??s stage. It is here that he meant is partner Pete Nice which led to the forming of 3rd Bass. It was also the place where the members of Paradiseâ??s group X-Clan met.

Located in NYâ??s Times Square which many say is the center of the world, the Latin Quarter was definitely the epicenter for Hip Hop. It was the gathering place for Hip Hopâ??s pioneers like Mele-Mel, Grand Master Caz and Afrika Bambaataa as well as for Hip Hopâ??s then emerging new school like Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Queen Latifah, Stetsasonic Jungle Brothers, Eric B and Rakim, MC Serch and KRS-One to name a few.

The Latin Quarter and its unique, diverse mixture of old and new school bore witness to many a legendary battles including Mele-Mel squaring off against KRS-One in what was immortalized in the song â??Still Number Oneâ??. It was home to stalwart deejays like Red Alert, The Awesome Two and Chuck Chillout whose music selections helped make the careers of more than a few artists.

It was also home to some of New Yorkâ??s most notorious â??stick up kidsâ??, ballers, hustlers and crime figures like the original 50 Cent and his infamous Brooklyn Zoo and the Hollis Crew who once upon a time decided to square off in a legendary brawl that lasted over two hours after someone attempted to snatch Jam Master Jayâ??s gold chain.

Paradise is quick to remind us that the LQ while being the epicenter for Hip Hop and B-boyish, it was also home to the bling bling and flossy side of Hip Hop and urban life in general. He also pointed out that in this same flossed out environment the LQ gave birth to what many consider Hip Hopâ??s Golden Age. In fact it was at the LQ that a secret meeting was called by Afrika Bambaataa with many of the days biggest artists where all of them pledged t

We decided to take a look back and remember one of Hip Hopâ??s pioneering crews that laid the blue print for super mega groups like Wu-Tang and any other large self contained crew.

Initially forming in 1977, the Crash Crew was the premier crew out of Harlem and helped put Manhattan on the map. They were also the first group to press up their own records and sell them out the trunk of their cars.

Thereâ??s not enough words to describe this often overlooked group and their contributions.

An Interview w/ The Crash Crew

by Davey D

DaveyD: Right now, itâ??s HARD KNOCK RADIO. Davey D hanging out with you live in New York City. KPFA and we are with some of hip hopâ??s legends. Weâ??re talking about members of the Crash Crew. If you gentlemen can step on up to the mic and let everybody in Northern California know who you are so they can recognize the voices as we start our conversation.

EK Mike C: How you doing? Iâ??m Pretty Rickyâ?¦. Naw seriouslyâ?¦ Iâ??m EK Mike C. Iâ??m from the legendary Crash Crew. Iâ??m up here in Harlem in my home studio.

DaveyD: Itâ??s a nice studio for folks who canâ??t see the video, yo. But itâ??s nice. You got all the equipment. TV mounted to the wall. Also got his bed in the same place so thatâ??s all good. Studio with a bed. Long night sessions. Whoâ??s this here?

La Shu Bee: Uh, name is La Shu Bee. Iâ??m one of the coolest rappers thatâ??s ever been in the rap game. Listen to one of the Crash Crew hits and youâ??ll wonder why.

DaveyD: Let me ask you, man. Just to start off, a name like La Shu Beee, thatâ??s a unique name. You donâ??t just have names like..Iâ??m used to names like â??Mack This,â?? â??Mack Dre,â?? â??Mack Don,â?? or you know, â??Big Thisâ?? or â??Lil Lâ?? or â??Lil Mâ?? and â??Lil Bâ??. I mean and um, â??La Shu Beeâ??, thatâ??s a whole different thing. Whatâ??s that about? Howâ??d you get that name?

La Shu Bee: Well, the concept came from back in â??79 â?? well, â??77, â??79. We used to go to different parks and hear people play and everybody had a name. Somebody was a â??B thisâ?? or â??B thatâ??. So, I took â??Laâ?? from â??Larryâ?? and â??Shoeâ?? I took from I took from a jockey and a basketball player: Willie Shoemaker and there was a basketball player used to play for this school I went to called David Clinton and his name was um, I forgot his name, but his name had a â??shoeâ?? in it. So, the combination I put together, ya nawtamean, even members of my crew laughed at that name. â??Whatâ??s a La Shu Bee?â?? I said it sound good. So, I stuck with it. I made it work and it become like a phenomenon. â??Whatâ??s La Shu Bee? You a Five Percenter?â?? No, just a name I made up.

DaveyD: â??Cause most of the time back then, you had names like, if your name was Arnold, itâ??d be â??Arney Arnâ?? or â??Davey Daveâ?? or you MCâ??d youâ??d put a â??Dâ?? or a â??Tâ?? or a â??Bâ?? at the end of your name s

At Long Last Xzibit Comes Full Circle

By Davey D

Many are looking at Xzibit and his successful rap career coupled with his burgeoning film and TV career, which are topped off by his charisma and they are saying X-Z is the new Renaissance Man. Everywhere you look Xzibit is seemingly there. He recently caught our attention in the movie Grid Iron Gang. He has a new album out called â??Full Circleâ?? which has Keith Shocklee of the Public Enemy Bomb Squad as one of the executive producers. Heâ??s also one month into his worldwide tour. If thatâ??s not enough, Xzibit has also decided to return to his roots and go the independent route.

For those who donâ??t know, for the past few years Xzibit has been attached to Sony Records. It was a result of the merger between the mega label conglomerate and his original home Loud Records. One would think with all that corporate muscle behind one of the countryâ??s more visible pop icons that Xzibit would be on a whole other level right about now. Unfortunately such was not the case.

In our recent sit down, Xzibit explained that Sony tried to pimp his popularity from the MTV show â??Pimp My Rideâ??. They figured all they had to do was put out his record and not really promote it since he was on TV everyday. Xzibit noted that it was a shortsighted move and that his TV show had nothing to do with his music career.

He said in order to be successful he would have to be more immersed in the Hip Hop arena. All the TV show does is get you noticed, the rest is up to you. He noted that Sony didnâ??t give him the promotional support that was needed which in turn made him feel like he was trapped. Now that heâ??s off the label, he feels free and comfortable going back to a time when he did slamming classics like â??Paparraziâ??. Sony was always looking for the big MTV-like pop jams.

Xzibit talked to us about his tour and his decision to include Bay Area legend San Quinn. He noted that whenever people talk about the West Coast they always forget to include the Bay Area which he feels set the foundation for the independent game that everyone benefits from. He says this industry inspired separation of the two regions has prevented people from fully being able to reach their full economic potential. He wants to change that and make sure that when people say Cali, they see the entire state and not just LA. San Quinn is a good representation for the Bay.

During the recent show at SFâ??s Slims Nightclub, San Quinn stopped his set and asked the audience to please show lots of love and gratitude to X for reaching out and giving him a big opportunity. Artists up and down the coast are well aware of the big underlying problems effecting Cali artists which can be attributed to some of the big commercial stations, most notable Clear Channel giant KMEL and their refusal to play many of the independent releases from artists out of LA.

Basically wha

The Feds Are Trying to Deport Slick Rick Again

by Davey D

Friday October 19 2006: We caught up with Slick Rick the Ruler this afternoon and talked with him about the new campaign hatched by the US Govâ??t, INS and Hmeland Security to deport him from the US. This case is ususual because Rick th laws being applied to him are retroactive.

In other words, Rick served 3 yars in jail 16 years ago and has been clean as a whistle ever since. Because of new INS Immigration laws, Rick finds himself under the threat of being deported to a country (the UK) he hasnâ??t lived in since he was 11. He breaks down the sordid detals of this case

Also joining us are Rickâ??s attorney Alex out of Miami and veteran publicist Bill Adler. They give us the full run down of this very strange and twisted case and the long term implications it will have not only for Rick but for other immigrants. You wonâ??t believe your ears.

This is what Hip Hop needs right about now.. Cats who arenâ??t afraid to take it thereâ?¦

Yesterday (Oct 3 2006) film producer Tracey Edmonds spoke at the FCC Hearings and relayed a disturbing story that took place during the 2004 elections.

She and her ex-husband-Kenny Babyface Edmonds along with Russell Simmons gathered up an allstar line up of urban artists to do a Get Out and Vote song called â??Wake Up Everybody. It featured everyone from Mary J Blige to Wyclef Jean to Missy Elliot.

The song came at a time when other efforts including P-Diddyâ??s â??Vote or Dieâ?? campaign Russell Simmonâ??s Hip Hop Summit Action Network campaign and the National Hip Hop Political Convention were in full swing trying to engage the Hip Hop/urban audience to be more politically involved.

Wake Up Everybody was an ambitious project which caused quite a buzz as the video and the making of the video/song went on to be the number one on MTV. However, when it came to getting the non partisan song on radio all kinds of trickery came into play.

Edmonds testafied yesterday that a certain radio chain which â??owns more than 1000 stationsâ?? (Clear Channel) refused to play the record. This happened inspite of large numbers of requests from listeners.

Edmonds was later informed that the owners of the station chain (Lowry Mays who is good friends of the Bush family) did not want this song on his airwaves because it mightâ??ve led to massive voter turn out amongst the youth vote for John Kerry.

I know that I played the record while working as an urban programmer for AOL Radio and got great feedback. I also recall hearing industry grumblings that the only way that song would see the light of day was if a million dollars was dropped in their coffeurs

B-Real and the Visionaries Talks Hip Hop

by Davey D

We caught up with B-Real of Cypress Hill and all six members of LAâ??s legendary Visionarie Crew. We talked about anumber of prjects including their new projects.

Cypress Hill is working on new material and B-Real is about to do a solo project. He is currently enjoying alot of success with the recent release of Snoop Doggâ??s hit song Vato which encourages Black-Brown unity.

I saw B Real the other night and said that he was very thankful that Snoop looked out for him and gave him some much needed shine.

During our interview B-Real talked about the challenges he and other artists in LA are currently facing. Most notably is the lack of access to the airwaves. In spite of that obstacle, he notes that him and crew will strive on and make noise with their large fan base.

The Visionaries talked about how they came up under B-Real. Lead rapper Key Kool noted that he lived around the corner from B-Real in LAâ??s Southgate area and that his success was abig inspiration for him and the other members. It was a sentiment echoed by group member 2Mex.

We went into a deeper discussion about how the group formed and their multi-ethnic make up and how it is an accurate reflection of Los Angeles.

We also talked about what their newly released album â??We Are The Ones (Weâ??ve Been Waiting For)â??.

Hereâ??s more info on the visonaries

The Visionaries are back with their fourth album, â??We Are The Ones (Weâ??ve Been Waiting For),â?? coming October 3rd on Up Above Records.

â??We Are The Ones (Weâ??ve Been Waiting For)â?? follows the runaway acclaim of their last full-length release, 2004â??s â??Pangaeaâ?? (Up Above), which found the group soaring to new heights in both sound and scope. â??The album is a stellar musical effort,â?? praised Mean Street, â??the Visionaries have not only shattered the rules of hip-hop, theyâ??ve redefined them.â?? URBâ??s album review stated, with a â??4 out of 5â?? star rating; â??merely damn-good tracks are the exception, with f*cking great being the norm.â?? Skinnie Magazine wrote â??their love of music has become more than a youthful passion; it has become their breath and life. The quality of their next release comes from knowing that someoneâ??s life will be affected by the message they convey.â?? Deemed as a â??group of the people, for the people,â?? the Visionaries have propelled themselves onto the vanguard of hip-hopâ??s life-affirming countermovement.

With a sharpened focus and revitalized approach, this L.A. based group now brings forth their most potent work to date on â??We Are The Ones (Weâ??ve Been waiting For).â?? The album captures the Visionaries in a writing frenzy, tackling a wide range of topics with absolute fervor. Coming from diverse backgrounds and different walks of life, each crew member openly flexes their growth on the upcoming release

In this segment we talk to East Coast members of the BPP. We talk with folks from the Boston, New Bedford, Philadelphia, and New Haven chapters. We get a run down on the history as well as their assesment as to where things stand now as well as their solutions.

In this segment we start off with a speech from Stokley Carmichael aka Kwame Toure at the historic Free Huey Rally. Also on that bill was H. Rap Brown.

After that speech we go into our interview with Malik Raheim out of New Orleans. He breaks down the history of the Panthers in N.O. and talks about past struggles to the present.

Breakdown FM: The Black Panther 40th Anniversary pt 1

by Davey D

This past weekend, the city of Oakland came alive as several hundred rank and file members of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense came to town to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

The atmosphere and overall mood was electric and moving. One canâ??t help but have a greater appreciation for the types of sacrifices the Panthers made on our behalf. Keep in mind many of their members were 18, 19 and 20 years old when they joined and fearlessly went up against the police to put an end to police brutality. At the same time they selflessly served the community by setting up free health clinics and serving free lunch and breakfast in schools.

In these interviews we caught up with well known panthers like Bobby MCCall who joined the Philadelphia chapter in 1970 when he was 20 years old. McCall who is father to Digital Underground member Money B noted that his son was just 6 months old when the Panther headquarters were raided under the leadership of police commissioner Frank Rizzo who he described as a racist fascist. He noted that the Panthers were made to strip naked on the sidewalk and were brutalized in front of the community. This backfired and caused the community to solidly get behind the Panthers. McCall noted that incident inspired him to join.

He explains the inner workings of the chapter and talks about the programs they launched. He also talks about the Pantherâ??s connection to Hip Hop. He recounts how he and others went out to raise money for the New York 21 which included 2Pacâ??s mom Afeni Shakur. Bobby talked about remembering how she was pregnant at the time with Pac.

We sat down and spoke with Tareka Lewis who was the first female to join the Black Panthers. Tareka gives in in-depth run down of the intense racism that the Panthers were up against. She talks in detail about the Ku Klux Klan and their ongoing activities in Oakland. She talks about how the Klan used to hold meetings in Oakland and as time went on many of those racists and their supporters were recruited and joined Oakland and neighboring police departments. She also talks in great detail about the systematic dismantling of Oaklandâ??s and San Franciscoâ??s historic Black downtown districts under eminent domain laws around the time the Panthers formed.

We spoke with Ronald â??Elderâ?? Freidman out of Los Angeles and he talked about the brutal conditions and police force that existed in LA that lead up to the forming of the Panthers and the infamous Watts Riots. He also talked about the formation of LAâ??s gangs and how they were born in reaction to white gangs like the Spook Hunters which used to terrorize Black folks living in South Central. He talked about how the Panthers worked to politicize the gangs.

We spoke with former panther Ayanna Adae to get an update on the plight of 2Pacâ??s godmother Asassta Shakur who is ex

The A-Alikes Speak Truth to Power

By Davey D

The A-Alikes are probably one of the most political and yet underated and overlooked groups in Hip Hop right now. This Brooklyn based duo consists of A-Black aka â??Kâ?? Karon and Ness aka P-Red who were originally from Tallahasse Florida where they came up with dead prez and the RBG family.

We sat down with the pair and got the 4-11 of their upbringing and how they managed to keep their music so political even though they come from the Crunk infested south. Ness noted that its wrong to see the south as non political. He cited the Goodie Mobb, and the Geto boys as two examples of Southern groups that always spoke about social conditions.

He went on to add that as oppressive conditions worsen, that artists will have no choice but to speak out and let the world know whatâ??s really going on.

Both spoke emphatically about the importance of connecting to the masses and not â??preaching to themâ??.

They also talked in depth about their willingness to work with artists who do not necessarily speak in political tones. They talked about the work they done with members of the G-Unit camp. They said they did not see any contradiction or compromise. All they had to do was find common ground on which to build.

We also talked about a number of songs off their new album â??I Eat You Eatâ??including the popular song â??Whatâ??s Your Politicâ??? and â??Protocalâ?? which deals with police brutality and the laws cats in the hood can use to protect themselves.

Below we included a short bio written by Dream Hampton about the group so you better know them.

A-Alikes are the future of hip-hop. I Eat, You Eat, the first full-length album from the Unsigned Hype graduates, is the best debut by a duo since Mobb Deepâ??s The Infamous. At a time when the economy is sinking, the prison industrial complex is expanding and the music industry is shrinking into a handful of major corporations driven by sales alone, I Eat, You Eat is a fearless offering, connected to the streets and concerned with the future of the community. Influenced by Kool G Rap, Nas and dead prez and inspired by Pac, K and Ness are truly students of the game.â?? The wordplay and poetry of G Rap was crazy,â?? says Ness. â??Nas and Pac were the last ones to be able to talk to the streets and bring a certain level of knowledge.â??

Ness and K linked in Tallahassee in the late nineties, and it was there that they connected with their People Army/R.B.G. comrades stic.man and M1 of dead prez and Tahir and Abu of Hedrush. Like the legendary dungeon in Rico Wadeâ??s Atlanta basement, they banged out beats, rhymes and ideas in The Attic, a spot where theyâ??d build on everything from the future of hip-hop to the hope for Black and Brown youth.

Peopleâ??s Army or R.B.G.z, the larger collective they would later be known as, seed was planted in those early days in S

This is part 2 of the incredible documentary put together by the Poetessâ?¦ This focuses on the finals days of Eazy E

From Rags to Ruthless

by Davey D

A few years ago to commemorate World AIDs Day, long time LA artist the Poetess put together an incredible radio documentary that chronicled the life and times of Eazy E and the rise and fall of the â??Worldâ??s Most Dangerous Rap Groupâ??-NWA.

Here you will get â??the realâ?? and official story as to how the group formed and what broke them up from the perspectives of Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Yella and Eazy E who are all interviewed extensively in this piece.

They give never before heard encounters and insights about their lives and the group. many of the interviews were conducted when the group was just forming and while they were in their prime.

Poetess also gets the group members to open up and speak about what they were going through when it was discovered that Eazy E had AIDs.. and after he died.. She spoke with cats before and right after his funeral..

The show also features Chuck D, Bones Thugs and Harmony Julio G, Greg Mack Above the Law and numerous other West Coast icons who were influenced and played key roles in NWA.

Please note this interview is done in two parts.

This was an interview we did a few months ago on our daily Hard knock Radio show. We decided to replay it since alot of folks had not heard it.

It features Chuck D, Paris and Kam all talking about the new Paris produced Public Enemy album â??rebirth of a Nationâ??. The trio also talk about the state of Hip Hop, mass media and mysogony. Hope yâ??all enjoy it.

My co-host Weyland Southon holds down the interviewing duties

Hereâ??s part two of our interview with Questlove.

Here he talks about payola, staying relevant, connecting to the fans, keeping from being disposable and racial diversity within the game. he also gives the history of the Roots.

Hip Hop Needs this Man: An Interview w/ Questlove By Davey D

Say what you will, but Hip Hop and a whole lot of R&B would not be the same without the musical prowess, insight and magical touch of Roots co-founder Questlove. The man with the most recognizable hairdo since Don King is easily the hardest working man in Hip Hop.

He brings to the table a keen sense of purpose and an unyielding commitment to perfection. Over the years his work ethos has manifested itself in the musical offerings of seemingly everyone ranging from Common to Jill Scott to Dâ??Angelo to Slum Village to Erykah Badu for starters. Heâ??s been the musical director for artists like Jay-Z. He was lobbying to produce Michael Jackson when Def Jam made a play to sign him. Questlove does not mess around.

In this engaging interview Questlove offers up lots of insight into how and he and his band mates in the Roots go about making music. He talks about the importance of Hip Hop and Black people in general moving beyond the one and two dimensional boxes that the industry places us in. He talks about the importance of Hip Hop staying relevant in spite of the industry efforts to make the music disposable. He also gives a run down on the economic challenges they face. Quest talks about the importance of having longetivity in this industry in the same way of our Rock-N-Roll counterparts.

Quest talks in great detail of the industry politics the group has faced over the years and how they dealt with them. What was most insightful was him explaining the arduous process they had to undertake when promoting their biggest song to date â??You Got Meâ??. Anyone trying to get in the game will wanna pay close attention to what Questlove is talking about especially when he breaks down the payola game.

During our interview Quest talked about how Hurricane Katrina adversely impacted the group especially since the Roots were recording what they hoped to be their biggest and best album in New Orleans.

Lastly, Quest spoke to the issue of racial diversity within Hip Hop and the large numbers of non Black fans that the group attracts. He talks about the challenge they have in reaching the average cat in the hood and on the block.

Still Ruthless: An Interview w/ Jerry Heller pt 2

by Davey D http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/08/30/entertainment/e121104D45.DTL

In this segement Heller breaks down all the sorted details about Ice Cube leaving NWA and then doing songs where he depicts Heller as a devil. We also talk about eazy Eâ??s relkationship with the JDL (Jewish Defense League), his trip to the white house and his hate for the police.

Below is a recent interview with Heller

Music Jerry Heller Q&A

By JESSE WASHINGTON, AP Entertainment Writer

When Jerry Heller met Eric â??Eazy-Eâ?? Wright on March 3, 1987, he knew right away that the diminutive, Jheri-curled dude with a roll of cash stuffed into his sock would change the music world.

Eazy was the founder of Ruthless Records and creator of the prototype gangsta rap group N.W.A. Heller was a music industry veteran who had represented artists from Elton John to Van Morrison to Marvin Gaye. With Eazy running the â??showâ?? and Heller handling the â??business,â?? N.W.A. â?? and gangsta rap â?? exploded into a global force.

Now, 11 years after Eazy died of AIDS, Heller has written â??Ruthless,â?? a memoir detailing how Eazy, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and MC Ren formed N.W.A. and how an ambitious security guard named Suge Knight broke up the platinum-selling crew.

Heller, 65, spoke by phone with The Associated Press from his Los Angeles office about â??the most important music since the beginning of rock â??nâ?? roll.â??

AP: What kind of person was Eazy-E?

Heller: Eazy was an exceptional human being. He was a visionary. He was very Machiavellian, he understood power and how to use it. He was a good-hearted guy, a good father, just an exemplary human being. I couldnâ??t be any prouder of him than if he had been my blood son. Itâ??s amazing that we could have this relationship because weâ??re so different. He told me I was the first white person he ever met not in a police uniform or collecting rent. I miss him very much.

AP: With all the bad stuff Eazy boasted about in his music, how can you say he was a good person?

Heller: I have no proof that he was ever a drug dealer. Iâ??m not sure if he was or he wasnâ??t. I know that it was good for the Ruthless image, the Ruthless persona, so maybe thatâ??s why he adopted that.

AP: Câ??mon, man â?¦

Heller: He certainly never (dealt drugs) at Ruthless. It wasnâ??t a part of our lives. Now, if you want to talk about how somebody who espoused this kind of brutal misogynistic music could be a good person, well, this was the voice of our inner cities that most white people had never come across. To the guys in Ruthless, this was the reality of their way of life. This is the way they grew up, the way things were.

AP: You have a lot to say in your book about Ice Cube, who talked real bad about you after he left N.W.A.

Still Ruthless An Interview w/ Jerry Heller pt 1

by Davey D

In this interview segment we sat down and chop it up with lthe ate Eazy Eâ??s business partner and former NWA manager Jerry Heller who just released a book of his memoirs called â??Ruthlessâ??.

Not only does Heller meticulously detail the inner workings and all the behind the scenes dirt that went on with NWA, he also goes into great detail about the seedy music world of Rock-N-Rollâ??s hey day in the 60s and 70s where he played a key role. Make no mistake the music biz is definitely grimey.

In this segment we talk to Heller about the music biz in the hey days of Rock-N-Roll. Heller talks about all the key players that he came up with and rolled with including people like the late Bill Graham, David Geffen, Clive Davis and many more. He talks about how he actually was responsible for bringing Elton John to the US and giving him his first break.

Heller breaks down the rough and tumble tactics of old time music guys and explains that while much of it was mob controlled and sometimes seedy it was fair and that there were fast and hard rules that everyone played by. He noted that all that changed and went out the windy when Suge Knight came in the game.

Heller talked to us about the importance of negotiating and striking good deals. Itâ??s a key highlight in his book and during the interview he explained how and why Ruthless stayed successful while other small labels which actually sold more records like Delicious Vinyl wound up folding because of bad deals.

He explains the type of relationship he and Eazy E had and how each of them brought a certain style, flare and business insight to the table that allowed Ruthless to be one of the music industryâ??s most successful record labels. He explained the decision behind rejecting Eazy Eâ??s initial offer to go into business 50/50. He felt that Ruthless should 100% Black owned and that he would work for Eazy. He described Eazy as his best friend and one of the smartest men he had ever met.

He also recounted how the pair first met. heller said that eazy offered up Alonzo Williams of the World Class Wrecking Crew 750 dollars to introduce him. It was at this meeting that Eazy played a rough cut of the now classic record â??Boyz in the Hoodâ??. He described the song as Gill Scott heron, the Last Poets, The Black Panthers and the Rollingstones all rolled into one.

In this segment Heller talks at length about the early rap scene in LA and how he got involved via Macola Records which housed West Coast pioneering acts like Egyptian Lover, LA Dream Team, World Class Wrecking Crew, Rodney O & Joe Coooley, Ice T and JJ Fad to name a few.

In this segement Heller talks about why he called NWA the Black Beatles which each player MC Ren, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, Dr Dre and Eazy E all holding down key roles. Cube was the chief lyricists, Dr was the beatmaker, Eazy

The Return of Tribe Called Quest

by Davey D

When many of us think of the group Tribe Called Quest, we revert back to what many consider a â??Golden Eraâ?? in Hip Hop. It was a time of innocence in the sense that many acts seemed to be creating music on their own terms without the interference of unknowing A&Rs whoâ??s jobs depended upon unrealistic record sales or the formulaic dictates of popular radio and TV outlets.

It was time when acts strived to be groundbreaking in both their music selection and rhyme styles. For nexample, many people forget that Tribe Called Quest was part of a super rap collective called The Native Tongues which included De La Soul, Black Sheep, Queen Latifah, The Jungle Brothers and Chi Ali. Say what you will, but you canâ??t get much more diverse or high powered than that.

Tribe Called Quest was argubably the best of the bunch especially when the discussion centers around the Top Ten Hip Hop albums of all times. Most people have either â??Midnight Maurudersâ?? or â??Low End Theoryâ?? somewhere on that list. Itâ??s a testament to the staying power and brilliance of a group that seriously made their mark without a whole lot of gimmicks, fanfare and controversy.

When the group broke up in the late 90s, it was sad day for many within Hip Hop. I recall just how much things had changed when Rollingstone or Spin Magazine opted to put an emerging Eminem on their cover and not Tribe who was leaving the game at the time. In other words we didnâ??t get a big send off for them. They just disappeared. In in many respects the jiggy style Hip Hop audience at that time had little appreciation for what ATCQ had accomplished.

We recently sat down and spoke with Phife Dawg who now lives in the Bay Area about the factors that lead to the groupâ??s break up and now return after a 6-7 year hiatus. We talked about the various solo projects the members have embraced, including Phifeâ??s critically acclaimed Ventilation LP. We went into depth about the pros and cons of being solo.

We also spoke indepth about Phife burgeoning second career as a sports analyst and announcer. For those who donâ??t know, Phife actually works for Major League Baseball as a bonafide sports reporter.

We talked to Phife about the current state of Hip Hop and where he feels things are going and whether or not this New York based group gets the respect and appreciation from their hometown fans with their return. We asked Phife is cats have been getting at them, as New York struggles to regain the spotlight that once shone on them brightly during Tribeâ??s hey day.

Whatâ??s interesting to note is that ATCQ actually broke and sold considerably more records in the Bay and LA then back home in the Apple. Thereâ??s always been a strong love affair in more ways then one with Tribe and tCali. For example, one of Q-Tipâ??s closest cousins hails from the notorious 69 Ville in East Oaklan

This is in response to Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel trying to dis Venezualan president Hugo Chavez for calling George Bush a Devil. Whatâ??s wrong with Charles, has he forgotten what Bush has done to our people?

Always Bet on Black: We Interview Interscopeâ??s VP of Rap Promotions Kevin Black

By Davey D

Heâ??s a giant of a man who recently slimmed down via gastric bypass surgery, but nevertheless heâ??s one who consistently does â??Big Thingsâ?? both on and off the job.

As a VP of Rap Promotions Kevin Black is responsible for making sure the projects put out by artists like; 50 Cent, Game, Black Eyed Peas, Common, Young Buck, Mobb Deep, Lloyd Banks, Snoop Dogg, and Eminem just to name a few are blown up and made everyday staples in our collective musical diet.

Black who heads up a large promotions team in both LA and New York describes himself as â??a hogâ?? when it comes to making sure that the artists heâ??s working get top billing in all mediums that can expose them. Whether its radio, TV, print, mixtape circuit or the streets in general, Black will brings the ruckus to make sure his artists are hot. His take no holds barred, take no prisoners attitude is in stark contrast to the types of things he does behind the scenes which includes working with disadvantaged kids and supporting numerous community organizations â??like his new Blackboard Projectâ?? behind the scenes.

We sat down with KB to gain some insight as to some of the inner workings and politics behind what is now the largest label for Hip Hop music. During our conversation I was surprised to learn that Black is a Bronx native who grew up during Hip Hopâ??s pioneering days and was a frequent visitor to many of the early nightclubs and hotspots that gave birth to Hip Hop. We talked at length how those early experiences influenced his day to day work. He attributes his hustling ethos to the â??create something out of nothing/ make a dollar out of 15 cent â?? mentality that drove early Hip Hop.

We talked at length as to why major labels have not embraced Hip Hopâ??s burgeoning underground scene where in many instances have artists who outdraw and even outsell their commercial brethren who are attached to major labels. We also spoke about the types of strategies one must use when pushing Hip Hop in the hood versus the burbs.

We talked at length about the politics behind commercial radio and how he navigates those waters. This led into a conversation about whether or not major labels had a lot to do with the public being subjected to hearing the same ten songs over and over again on commercial radio. Black placed much of the blame on radio which led to us debating as to what degree of influence major record labels really have. This of course led into a discussion about the type of presence and relationship Interscope has had with magazines like XXL and The Source.

Lastly we discussed as to what he attributed to some of the slow record sales behind highly anticipated projects by artists like Mobb Deep and Busta Rhymes. KB gave an assessment of where he sees the industry headed and how he and others are adjusting a

Time for Hip Hop to Grow Up-An Interview w/ CL Smooth

By Davey D

Last week almost a thousand people waited patiently in the chilly weather over at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for CL Smooth to take the stage and top off a day that featured 22 Emcees and 22 deejays. It was the anniversary of the KZSUâ??s (Stanford University) Kevvy Kev. The day had seen everyone from Mr. Lif to J-Live to Z-Man wreck shop, but in spite of those stellar performances, all eyes were on CL.

Part of the attraction has to do with the fact that CL comes out of Hip Hopâ??s Golden Era, when much of the music arguably had substance and purpose. CLâ??s lyrics back in those days held what he called a righteous anger that was set to uplift the people. Almost 15 years later CL still drops gems with that same energy and depth.

His performance did not disappoint. His lyrics resonated with everyone as his presence simply reminded people what they have been truly missing in Hip Hop-Pure Excellence.

After his set we caught up with CL and talked about the state of Hip Hop, his new album, His relationship with his former partner Pete Rock and the meaning behind some of landmark songs like â??Straighten It Outâ?? and â??Lots of Lovingâ?? as well as his new joint â??American Meâ??.

CL said that heâ??s looking forward and trying not to dwell in the path. He also said that he feels compelled to address many of the pertinent issues impacting the hood including the current War in Iraq. He also noted itâ??s important for Hip Hop to grow up and that he was determined to dispel any myth that says older artists are no longer relevant in the age of â??Laffy Taffyâ??. CL also noted that itâ??s important for artist to give back their community. CL explained that heâ??s made it a point to come back to the hood and buy it up. â??Ownership is keyâ??, he noted.

We solute CL for his accomplishments and we look forward to his new album.

Beats Battles and Gangs-An Interview w/ LAâ??s Mykill Miers

By Davey D

Depending on where you sit within the diverse spectrum of Hip Hop music and culture, Mykill Miers is either someone you never heard of or a long time fixture in LAâ??s burgeoning underground scene who gave us classic albums like â??Itâ??s Been A Longtime Comingâ??. However, no matter where you sit, you most likely have heard his work. When this longtime vet is not snatching off heads at rap battles or keeping young gang bangers in check at Juvenile Hall, heâ??s busy producing music for a long list of TV shows and commercials. Being Bobby Brown, Americaâ??s Top Model, Americaâ??s Top Chef,VH1, Old Navy, Sprite, Diet Pepsi and this upcoming season of The Apprentice are just a few of the many places where Miers has left his musical mark.

â??Itâ??s extremely important that, I as a Hip Hop artist have multiple streams of incomeâ??, he explained. He went on to emphasize the importance of artists remaining independent and owning their masters. He noted that heâ??s able to license his material and do business all around the world and not have some major label taking a substantial cut while not seriously breaking him off or pushing him to the next level. â??Itâ??s all about the hustleâ??, he concluded. He also added that its important for independent artists to ban together, share resources and create avenues that they control that will lead to increased exposure.

In our interview Miers offered up a lot of insight and oftentimes overlooked history about LAâ??s Underground scene. He spoke about central figures like the late Bigga B. He talked about how he came up and earned his stripes at the Good Life Café in South central LA. This is the spot that gave birth to groups like Freestyle Fellowship and Jurassic 5. Miers likened those early days in the late 80s early 90s to the Apollo. He noted that cats were unforgiving if you came on the mic and did not bring the heat. Battles were par for the course and Miers is more then tested. Heâ??s one who is set to grab the mic and take a cat down anyplace, anywhere and at anytime. This was evident during our interview when we asked him to lay out the type of approach he would use if he had to battle fellow emcees and friends, Xzibit, Rakaa of Dilated Peoples, Snoop, Game and Jurassic 5.

Miers also spoke to us about the direction Hip Hop has taken with major corporations running the ship. He had some choice words for a number of rappers who he feels have sold their souls to be promoted by the corporate machine. He says heâ??s sees the type of negative impact much of todayâ??s music has on the kids he works with everyday at Juvenile Hall. â??They see artists like 50 Cent as a hero or even a brother. Everything these artists do these kids who are locked up wanna doâ??, Miers explained. He stressed the importance of providing balance and guidance.

He noted that him being an emcee has he

Talib Kweli is in the Building

By Davey D

We caught up with Talib the other day when he rolled through the Bay Area and talked to him about his upcoming album which looks to be his best ever.

We also talked to him about his new record label and movement Blacksmith, which includes everyone from Jean Grae on down to West Coast phenoms Strong Arm Steady. Talib is ready to make major moves in the next couple of years and take himself and Hip Hop to higher levels.

We talked to Talib about Hip Hop from overseas and where he thinks it stands with respect to cats in the states. We also talked to him about the state of Hip Hop in New York and what its going to take to bring New York back. We also asked him about whether or not he would start getting into movies. He let us know that heâ??s been hanging out in LA alot looking at scripts, but he may not be built for Hollywood.

Lastly we asked Talib the 64 thousand dollar question-â??Who is a better emcee-him or Mos Def? If the two were to battle what would be the approach he takes to knock Mos out the box. Talib had a very insightful answer.

Enjoy todays interview.

Kurtis Blow Set to Do Firs Sermon in LA

by Davey D

Hip Hop pioneer Kurtis Blow is taking things to the next level as he prepares to give his first sermon. This will all go down Oct 6th at 7pm at Holy Trinity ELCA Church 9300 Crenshaw Blvd (Crenshaw and Arbor Vitae)..

Last time I saw Kurtis he had noted that he was going to seminary school-so this is the absolute real deal for him.

A few months back I sat down with Kurtis when he came to LA and got the scoop on his foray into the church. He spoke with me about the Hip Hop church which had attracted over 600 peopleâ?¦ ere are excerpts of the sermon and the interview.

We Remember 2Pac-One Thug One Nation

by Davey D

As we look at the 10th anniversary of 2Pacâ??s death we talk to his brother Mopreme and adopted brother Candyman 187 of the Havnotz to get a better understanding of 2Pacâ??s main philosophy â??Thug Lifeâ?? We also hear from author Michael Eric Dyson and 2Pacâ??s first manager Leila Steinberg who offers us perhaps the best insight into the mindset of one of our brightest and best rappers of alltimes. Of course we pull out some soundclips from 2Pac himselfâ?¦

As you listen to all the interviews try and remember that is been 10 years and we still have no idea as to who killed 2Pac.. Candyman offers up some compelling thoughts on that topic.

2pac and Sexual Harrassment- A Rare Interview

by Davey D

A couple of weeks after 2Pac was released from prison and came back to Cali, we had a strange encounter. While doing my Sunday morning Street Knowledge Show, Pac called in from Los Angeles and wound up being a surprise guest on our show dealing with the topic of sexual harrasment.

We hadnâ??t planned on Pac calling in especially when considering the nature of the charges that landed him in prison. I wouldâ??ve never thought to even call him to talk about sexual harrassment. In reality he wound up being a great guest who offered up keen insight and on many levels startled our guests

The way this all went down was interesting in itself. On Satureday nights we had our Club 106 mixshow and trhe special guests that evening was Pacâ??s homeboy E-40. 40 paged Pac to the station hotline in hopes that he would call in. Apparently that never happened. When I came on 9am the following morning, Pac returned E-40â??s call midway through my show. It took me and my producers by surprise. In fact initially we didnâ??t believe it was him, because he was talking in such a subdued tone. But once I recognized his voice, I just seized the moment and asked him if he wanted to come on the show. The rest is history..

For the record this was Pacâ??s first radio interview after he got released from prison in early 96.. Less then a year later he would be killed in Las Vegasâ?¦ As you will hear in the interview Pac had big plans in the works for himself and our community.

We did these interviews with Boots of the Coup and Michael Dyson two days and in Dysonâ??s case 10 days after 9-11.. They had some insightful things to say about the politics surrounding the tragedy.. check it outâ?¦

Say what you will about KRS-One, but one thing you canâ??t deny is his willingness to confront things head on in a meaningful way. One year after the tragedy, KRS gathered together a number of people including MC Lyte and Kool Moe Dee to speak about the aftermath of 9-11 and how it impacted Black people in particular. He foused on the pyschological impact this may have had on folks. He also talked about a political response we should have to this which included voting.

Although the panel discussion was innovative and had a standing room only crowd it recieved scant coverage even amongst the Hip Hop media.

Hereâ??s some key moments from that panel..

We Remember 9-11 by Davey D

No matter what your political affiliation or persuasion, the tragic events on September 11th 2001, had some sort of impact. To be honest it would be very troublesome if they did not..

For me, I recall waking up and seeing the first plane lodged into one of the towers and thinking that it was only a small aircraft and that whatever problems it was presenting would be resolved fairly quickly.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think the Twin Towers which had come to symbolize my place of birth would ever come down. A half hour after later are way of life was forever changed.

We decided to take a look back and share with you the early thoughts and words of people as these events unfolded. Itâ??s interesting to hear what people said in the days right after 9-11 and compare that with the mindset many of us have today.

The first part of this show features Michael Franti and the late poet June Jordan speaking at a rally in Oakland the day after 9-11 in Snow Park. It was put together, by local Hip Hop activists who wanted to show solidarity with Arab Americans who were being attacked and brutalized by over zealous â??patriot typesâ??.

Michael Franti touched the crowd and June Jordan spoke eloquently in what would be for many of us her last public appearance.

A day later we did the first interview with Congresswoman Barbara Lee who caused a shit storm by being the lone member to vote against George Bush who we now know went for a straight up power grab under the guise of fighting the War on terror.

Lee really spoke truth to power during our interview which first aired on September 13th on KMEL and later KPFA. Many speculate it was this interview on the Clear Channel powerhouse (KMEL) that led to my termination.

In between the interviews are some landmark songs including Wu-Tang affiliated group called Known Associates and their song â??World So Coldâ??. We also play a remix of Nasâ?? Ruleâ?? which features Jay-Z who he was warring with at that time. We end part 1 with the very powerful song by Paris called â??What Would You Doâ??? He came out of retirement to do the song and later release an incredible album called Sonic Jihad.

Recently Russell Simmons came out and publicly endorsed a Republican for Governor in the state of Maryland. It sent shock waves around the country because on most issues Simmons is left of center and generally speaking Hip Hop doesnâ??t roll with George Bush and his political party which led us into war.

Simmons is the second visible figure within the Hip Hop community in the past month to come out and support a Republican. Earlier we heard about BETâ??s Cousin Jeff coming out and supporting Ohioâ??s GOP Gubenatorial candidate Ken Blackwell.

In both cases Simmons and Cousin Jeff have made the argument that the Democrats are not only spineless, but they also take Black people and the Hip Hop community for granted. I recall having Russell on my radio show a while back and him blasting Hillary Clinton for supporting the War in Iraq.

I also recall him talking a couple of years back and him tellin me how much he liked Lt Governor Michael Steele. I pulled out an interview I did with Steele during the 2004 GOP Convention in NY. Steele made waves because he gave anice speech and threw a big party at Jay-Zâ??s 40/40 club the night before.

Now Iâ??ll be the first to tell you, its gonna take more than a slamming party to get me to vote for you especially if you rolling with Bush. But I gotta be honest, I really am no longer feeling the Democrats. The last straw came earlier this year when 2/3 of the Congressional Black Caucus voted to end Net Neutrality after getting hit off by AT&T. (Thank you Bobby Rush for leading that sell out move).

I think Russell says it best in his statement where he points out that we need to be looking at each candidate and seeing their plan of action when it comes to representing our interests vs going strictly voting by party affiliation. I canâ??t speak for Michael Steele because I havenâ??t followed him that much, but you can at least peep the interview we did along with Russelâ??s statementâ?¦.

Davey D

The following is a personal statement from Russell Simmons issued August 31, 2006.

Ending Poverty and Ignorance in America and Throughout the World: Significance of the Steele for U.S. Senate Campaign in Maryland

By Russell Simmons personally endorsing Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele for the United States Senate. Steele is conservative and a Republican. I am an Independent who has, in the past, supported numerous Democratic candidates with the recent exception of my endorsement of the re-election of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a moderate Republican. and throughout the world are on a steady increase, I am going to support and endorse those political leaders who are bold enough to commit publicly to playing an active leadership role in building an effective legislative strategy to end poverty and ignorance. Real leadership, however, should not be limited, solely defined or circumscribed only by political par

The Great Katrina Land Grab-Whats Really Going on in New Orleans

by Davey D

We sat down and spoke with long time activist Kali Akuno of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement to find out whatâ??s really going on in New Orleans.

As we know oftentimes we see and hear things in the mainstream, that donâ??t always either the important perspectives held by marginalized people and people of color. Far too often we also donâ??t hear perspectives that seriously challenge those who are in power.

In this interview Kali who now holds it down as the national outreach coordinator for the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund, gives a full breakdown as to what is going on New Orleans.

He talks about the insidious deadline the government put on residents to gut their houses or have it confiscated. The deadline is today (August 29). Many news agencies have not reported this.

Kali also talks about all the Mexican workers that have been brought in to provide cheap labor that has undercut longtime New orlean residents. This has set off major Black-Brown tensions in the region. Many of the immigrant workers are treated like shit by the developers who have not provided housing, benefits and often threaten workers with deportation if they complain or ask for more amenities. He says its not usual to see immigrants sprawled out on the streets and in parks at night looking for a place to sleep.

Kali also talks aboyut big time developers like Donald Trump coming down here trying to buy up property and being shown lots of love by the city, while long time residents Master P and Baby of Cash Money were not allowed to purchase the housing projects which still stand in tact, but unihabitated. They are scheduled tro be torn down.

This is an eye opening interview that will definitely remind you just how crazy things are in this country.

One Year Later David Banner Remembers Hurricane Katrina

by Davey D

A year ago when Hurricane Katrina hit the shores of Louisiana and Mississippi, causing widespread destruction and death, our beloved media focused on the heroic efforts of popular icons like singer Harry Connick Jr, actors John Travolta and Sean Penn and talk show host Oprah.

There were lots of people who were both grateful and awestruck o see such figures roll up their sleeves and chip in. Unfortunately two important stories werenâ??t given much shine. First, most of us are unaware that the eye of the storm actually hit Mississippi and not New Orleans. What caused all the death and mayhem in the Crescent City was the inexcusable slow response by FEMA and the Federal Government and the levees braking resulting in 80% of the city being flooded.

In neighboring Mississippi, much of its shore line was completely washed away. Damn near the entire state at point or another was plunged into darkness and the poorest state in the union was severely damaged. But because Mississippi isnâ??t a major media draw like New Orleans, we didnâ??t focus in on what went down when Katrina hit.

The other important story we overlooked was the heroic efforts of rapper David Banner, who last August was perched on taking his career into superstardom. He had a number one song out called â??Playâ?? and his new album â??Certifiedâ?? was dropping with lots of anticipation.

Banner had already started touring to support his efforts when Katrina hit. He immediately turned around his tour bus and used them to deliver water and other supplies that he paid for out of his own pocket to hoods far and near throughout Mississippi.

He later put together a huge urban relief concert called â??Heal the Hoodâ?? in Atlanta and got rival radio stations to come together to support the cause. He took advantage of all the TV appearances his record label set up for him including visits to BETâ??s Rap City and MTVâ??s TRL and bypassed promoting his album, but instead focused on the plight of poor Black people in his home state.

According to Banner relief efforts for Katrina all but consumed him to the point that he nearly snapped and had to disappear for several months to re-center himself and reconnect with God.

He said he came back a changed man who learned some very hard lessons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

We sat down with Banner the other day in LA as he filled us in on what he went through. His highlights and disappointments and the unanswered questions he had. We talked about the love he has for artists like Nelly, Yong Jeezy, Lil Jon, Jim Jones and T.I who all came to his aid and chipped in tremendously behind the scenes. He talked about how Young Jeezy got upset when Banner shared with the public his generous donations. He talked about how Nelly and his family helped pull his spirits up and get his Heal the Hood

Thereâ??s Always Strength in Words:

An Interview w/ Hasan Salaam, Akir and Hicoup

By Davey D

Whoever said Conscious Hip Hop artists canâ??t get down or that Hip Hop from the NY (East Coast) is dead simply has not tapped into the burgeoning cultural inspired rap scene that has everyone from dead prez to Immortal Technique making noise. Alongside them are artists like Hasan Salaam, Hicoup and Akir just to name a few. We sat down with them the other day when they swung through Oakland for the Strength in Words Tour.

I gotta be honest it was nice building with these cats. In fact we barely spoke about their projects, which include Hasanâ??s â??Lost Paradiseâ?? album, Hicoupâ??s Ghetto Factory Supremeâ?? mixtape and Akirâ??s debut LP â??Legacyâ??. Instead we talked in depth about the Middle East including the conflict in Lebanon. This was critically important especially when you take into account that Hasan has a song on his album called â??Hezbollahâ??.

We spoke about the upcoming anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and where we are at as a community and what we should be doing at this time especially when we note that so many people from New Orleanâ??s are still displaced.

Most important in our conversation was hearing the solutions that these gentlemen offered up. Hasan and Akir spoke in great detail about how one can manifest revolutionary and spiritual politics in their day to day lifestyle. Hicoup really broke things down by warning against the forming of Black Power cults filled with people who divide the community. He said just because someone listens to 50 Cent Vs. Talib Kweli does not make you better or worse. He noted that far too often we get caught up on trying to see who is and isnâ??t a real revolutionary and who isnâ??t.

After building with these cats, thereâ??s was no denying their skillz on the mic. Thereâ??s no denying their politics. Thereâ??s no denying the type of excitement they are generating coast to coast.

No, they are likely not to show up on MTV or BET. I doubt if Hot 97 will play them anytime soon, but so what? Does that mean they arenâ??t knocking? Does that mean they wonâ??t pack the house? In a day where commercial artists are experiencing waning album sales, the underground is finding itself resurging. Hasan, Akir and Hicoup are proof positive that maintaining some principles and holding true to your values will pay off in the end.

Coming Straight Outta Phoenix-Meet Grime

By Davey D

When we think of Arizona, we donâ??t often associate it with Hip Hop. Thereâ??s been a few instances in the past but they never really stuck. For example, some of yâ??all may recall when Bay Area artists like Rappinâ?? 4Tay attempted to bridge the two regions with an album project featuring rappers from both regions.

We also know that Arizona is just a 4 hour drive to LA, however, there hasnâ??t been much of presence felt in Hollywood or Compton by our Grand Canyon state brethren.

Most peopleâ??s association of Arizona and Hip Hop came when Public Enemy recorded the song â??By The Time I Get to Arizonaâ??, where they took issue with the state for refusing to honor Dr Martin Luther Kingâ??s birthday/holiday. PE caused big time controversy when they released a video showing a Sentatorâ??s car being blown up.

But in all fairness, that was back in the days. Nowadays Arizona, especially Phoenix and Tempe are Hip Hop hotspots. Many underground/backpack acts have the state and its various cities as A-List stops. Chicano/Latino rap is huge in the region with cats making big time money on the independent tip. Commercial Hip Hop is blowing up as G-Unit and Game have both signed talent from the area. Most notable is a an artists signed to G-Unit called Hot Rod.

Also blowing up the spot is a rapper named Grime. He comes to the table with swagger and a hardcore revolutionary spirit thatâ??s so hard we began to wonder how such an oppressive state allows him to stay there.

Grime is no joke with his lyrics and breakdown of political situations. He starts off each show by hanging the American flag upside down and then he lets lose with an audio arsenal that includes songs like â??Let Freedom Ring w/ a Buckshotâ??, â??Everywhere is Warâ??,â??Hellâ?? and the BB King inspired â??The Thrill is Goneâ??.

We caught up with Grime during the recent â??Rock The Bellsâ?? concert in Southern Cali and we had a good conversation about politics, the hip Hop scene in Phoenix and the overt corruption our country shares with his place of origin, Pakistan.

Grime is a much needed breath of fresh air in a world full of stale, recycled, clichéd Hip Hop. His beats are nice, his flow is on point and his lyrics are pure butter. Grime is one of the many vying to permanently put Arizona on the map

Proofâ??s Last Project-Take Back the Land by Davey D

Before the tragic demise of Detroitâ??s unofficial mayor Big Proof of D-12, he and his record label Iron Fist had embraced a groundbreaking rap project called â??Take Back the Landâ??.

It was designed to give headz a much needed perspective on how they should be spending and investing their money. Instead of blinging with chains, how about blinging with land?

Buying land and having a historical understanding of how landownership came about and has impacted Black people was an important message Proof wanted folks to have.

On this album, everyone from Professor Griff, to the Last Poets to the Abyss and M-1 of dead prez are featured.

In our interview with Proofâ??s former manager Kali, he speaks about the type of man Proof was and more importantly was evolving to be. He talked about his desire to be independent and to control his creations. Kali also talks about the type of impact Proof had on the city of Detroit, during his life and after his death.

This past weekend in San Bernadino, Supernatural came through and raised the art of emceeing to new heights. Before a packed room in the VIP section of the NOS Event Center, Supernat shattered the world record for Freestyling.

Back in 2003 (2003), Toronto rapper DO set the record at the Dark Nights Car show in Canada. He flipped freestyle for 8 hours and 45 minutes. He wanted to go for 9 hours, but he was losing his voice and had to stop. Both DO and Supernatural were forced to take 5 minute breaks after each hour. In the case of Supernatural, he was actually checked out medical personnel that were on hand.

Supernaturalâ??s record breaking freestyle session was sick. First he had the stage set up like a living room. Periodically he was joined by fellow rappers ranging from Key Kool of the Visionaries to Posdunus of De La Soul, Opio of Hieroglyphics and Mos Def to name a few.

Supernat also kept his rhymes continuously fresh. He changed up his flow. He flipped new routines and remained animated. He amazed the crowd by rapping off the dome about topics audience members would write on a chalk board. He also gave rhyming props to audience members as the came and left the room. Yours truly was blessed with a Supernatural lyric as I entered the room during his 5th hour.

When Supernatural shattered the record, he was ecstatic. He shouted into the mic that the record was broken and that he brought the title back home from Canada. He then rocked the mic for another 15 minutes or so and then went around and joined the rest of the concert which featured performances from Blackstar, Lauryn Hill and Wu-Tang Clan.

Murs Gets His Revenge

By Davey D

We caught up with Living Legendâ??s lyrical point guard Murs and talked to him about his new album â??Murrayâ??s Revengeâ?? and his ongoing partnership with producer 9th Wonder.

He explained how the two got together and how they vibe together in the studio. 9th brings a fresh vibe from North Carolina, that has an east coast feel, while Murs brings a seasoned musical perspective straight from the streets of LA.

We talked to Murs about some of his new songs off the labum including the humrourous, somewhat controversial and anthem-like song for white women called â??Dark Skin White Girlsâ??.

We also spoke to him about the song â??LAâ?? and how he felt it was important for an artist who actually lives in the nationâ??s second largest city to step up and speak out. Up til now, many of the artists repping for LA do not actually live there. They live in the surrounding cities or theyâ??re transplants.

We also pointed out that inspite of the current success and popularity of Lupe Fiasco and his current smash â??Kick Pushâ??, it was actually Murs who penned the first Skateboard anthem song for the hood several years ago which starts off with a sample of 2Pacâ??s â??Transition of a Ridahâ??.

Lastly we talk to Murs about working the independent grind with his crew Living Legends. He talked about how they took that to an international level and how they were forced to make big moves based up on economic hardships at home. In short they had to choose between paying for rent or hustling tapes.

PEACE AND BLESSING TO All of Our Family of Warriors, Thinkers and Leaders:

Hope your are in the best of Health and your families. I was sent your e-mail by the Zulu-staff . I have been living in Europe for the past couple of months and been waking as many up to what weâ??re, doing in the states cause in some places they have the same problems with radio,especially the ones that copy The United States formats or programming of music. Then there are those specials stations that do have a balance of Maâ??at on the airwaves and you hear it all.

One thing that did bother me is that these so called Rap /Hip Hop radio stations here in some parts of Germany, France, Estonia, Croatia, Spain and even good old Great Britain underground play alot of the rap records with cursing. Their excuse is the people do not know the language anyway and my answer to them is, that is bull and you DJâ??s know there are many that do know some type of English and many of your are playing the curse version cause your think that makes your hardcore and down with the tuff side of what your think the United States Hip Hop/Rap is all about. That your all are helping with the conspiracy to mess up minds all over the world. After I got finish with some of these so called Hip Hop/ Music show host ,you know they could not wait to get me out of their radio stations. Especially some of the jive ones who think they know it all about Hip Hop/Funk/Soul/Rock/Latin/Soca/Jazz/House/Techno in England and other places to many to name.

You can feel the phony in all of them and their are a very few I can say who really do not know what their doing but there are the rest of them that exactly know what they are doing to the airwaves. Guess what! their are many and I mean many over here in Europe who are also tired of their radio stations that play the same music over and over again,as well as their media of television. Also Family The NWO is getting in full swing here and Mr. Tony Blair of the United Kingdom (England) is talking strong now about their Smart cards that are coming and if he is speaking strong now about it, you know their children of the UK= USA will be following to.

Family there is so much work to be done that it is disgrace-full to see with all this chaos all over the world going on,all the problems in MaMa Afrika, In India, The States and South America with crazy things happening in Europe to and those of us that do have the serious knowledge, we know what is really going on and have to prepare now if we are to survive the onslaught that is coming. All the things I have been talking for years is on the move right before us and if you hear what brother Phil Valentine, Bobby Hemit,and many of the Meta physical community of higher learning have been dropping, it is about to get super serious. The peopleâ??s mind set all over this Great Planet is jacked up and the programming of these radio and T.V shows is playing a super big role to destro

Breakdown FM: West Coast MVP Defari Continues to Focus Daily

by Davey D

Defari has long been a mainstay in Caliâ??s explosive Hip Hop scene. Heâ??s not quite up there in terms of popularity like Game, Snoop and Dre, but make no mistake, this Likwit Crew Member is no slouch on the mic.

He can be best described as â??Mr Consistentâ??. You can always count on Defari to deliver a slamming verse and to put on a good show. You can always count on him to deliver a good album. Itâ??s that sort of steady persona that Defari, a former LA High School Teacher and UC Berkeley Grad strives for.

In this interview we talk to Defari about his long tenure in LAâ??s Hip Hop arena and what sort of hopes he has with the release of his new album, â??Street Musicâ??.

Here he talks about Hip Hop, politics and his experience of being a high school teacher who focused on making sure Black and Brown youngsters take education seriously the same way he took the production and his lyrical prowess on this new album.

Defariâ??s constistent excellence and daily focus earns him our vote for West Coast MVP.

Hereâ??s a short bio on Defari

Defariâ??s relationship with hiphop first began in 1982 as a DJ and later evolved into a new phase in 1987 when he began emceeing.

1995 marked Defariâ??s debut on wax in the form of â??Big Upâ??, a song produced by E-Swift and featured on Immortalâ??s Next Chapter Compilation.

In 1997, Defari teamed with producer-emcee Evidence of Dilated Peoples and dropped two highly regarded singles, â??Bionic b/w Change & Switchâ?? and Peopleâ??s Choice b/w Bottom Line on ABB Records. Defari gained notoriety and built a reputation as an artist whose music transcended regional barriers. In May of 1998, Defari signed with Tommy Boy Records. In doing so, he became one of the first participants in the West Coastâ??s Hiphop renaissance to in effect â??graduateâ??.

Following the release of his debut album, Defari co-headlined with Xzibit & Phife (A Tribe Called Quest) on The Underdawgs of Hip Hop National Tour in April & May of 1999. He wasnâ??t a newcomer when it came to performing live. Prior to this, he toured the underground circuit for years and received rave review for being one of the most charismatic emcees to hit the stage.

His energetic and captivating performances led him to other national & international tours. Rocking a wide range of audiences with some of the major players of the game today. The most current recent N. American tour being the Anger Management Tour where he performed with Xzibit and performed his own material to 20,000 plus crowds each night. Many agree that Defari knows how to bring it like a true seasoned veteran.

It came to the point in 2000 that the fans were not going to be satisfied with just the 12â?? vinyl available from Defari. With ABB Recordsâ?? new initiative into the European markets, they rele

Gangs, Politics & House Music: The History of Hip Hop in Chicago

By Davey D

Nowadays itâ??s hard to turn on the radio and not hear music from one of Chicagoâ??s many music superstars. Common, Twista, Da Brat, Shawnna, R Kelly, Doe or Die, Crucial Conflict, Lupe Fiasco, and of course Kanye West seem to have firmly positioned themselves on the nationâ??s airwaves.

If you dig a little deeper and check out Hip Hopâ??s underground, youâ??ll discover that very few people are willing to roll up and do battle with esteemed Chi-town lyricists like Mâ??Rald, Rhymefest and of course Juice. Others like DJ Third Rail and the late DJ Pinkhouse to name a few have not only made names for themselves as deejays not to be toyed with but also provided important platform for local artists.

Yes, the Chi seems to have established itself in the world of Hip Hop, but it wasnâ??t always like that. In fact much of the Chi-Townâ??s success is a direct result of organized effort by itâ??s pioneering Hip Hop community that grew frustrated from being locked out by the industry that saw Chicago, more as a consumer market as a opposed to a place where stars are born.

Many within the music industry were only willing to embrace the nationâ??s third largest city as the Mecca for House Music and somehow managed to disconnect that music form from Hip Hop when in many ways the two are intertwined, especially along the lines of deejay culture.

The battle to establish â??Tha Chiâ?? within Hip Hop was about as brutal as its political landscape. Unsung heroes like Dr Groove, Lord Cashus D, DA Smart, Black Allies, Sugar Ray Dinky, George Daniels, World wide Posse, God Squad, The Chi Rock Nation, Ill State Assassins, and the late DJ Pink House all played crucial roles in organizing, pushing the envelop and seeing to it that the Windy City get its respect. They used to roll up on nightclubs, radio stations and even label executives demanding to be recognized. Many will forget that back in the late 80s there was a movement called the New World Order which brought many of Chicagoâ??s Hip Hop community together as they fought for change and respect.

Sadly despite those heroic efforts of the past, today, many local artists who are not signed to a major record label or coming out of Kanye or Commonâ??s camp find that many outlets like radio and even nightclubs are closed to them. This is now spurning up a new generation of Chi-Town Hip Hoppers to start organizing to bring about change.

During the recently held National Hip Hop Political Convention we sat down with one of Chicagoâ??s premier pioneering emcees, Jitu the Juggernaut of the group Ten Tray. For those who are unfamiliar ten Tray was the first group to be signed to major label. Back in 91, Jitu the lead rapper was and to this day remains an activist who saw the power of Hip Hop and decided to use his talents to spark political thought and hopefully chang

Today we focus on material from 2Pacâ??s adapted younger brother Candyman 187 of the Havenotz. A longtime member of the Digital Underground family, Candyman was qa part of the young click that Pac used to talk about raising up to be a force in the world.

Candyman has continued the legacy of bringing hard hitting political commentary in some of his music. In this case he focuses on the plight of political prisoners who have been kneee deep in the Freedom Struggle and have found themselves locked up.

Check out Candymanâ??s page myspace.com/candyman187

Palestinian Hip Hop producer Fredwreck and Dr. Hatem Bassein Middle Eastern expert and a professor at UC Berkeley speaks with HKRs Davey D about the recent upsurge of violence in the Middle East.

Fred who has produced everyone from Ice Cube down to Snoop is incredibly insightful as he breaks down the politics of what is going on in the middle east. Heâ??s no newcomer to politics. Heâ??s always stayed upon on the issues and very quietly behind the scenes and not so quietly has made noise on behalf of his people.

Breakdown FM: Song of the Day-Time 4 Peace

by Davey D

They say the more things change, the more they remain the same. We went digging in the crates and pulled out a song that perfectly underscores that saying. Itâ??s a song called â??Time 4 Peaceâ?? that was put together by Sway and King Tech along with Digital Underground and Paris which forcefully spoke out against the Persian Gulf War.

At the time when it was recorded 1991, a popular disc jockey named Rick Chase was on the air every afternoon on KMEL putting people on blast and extolling the virtues of the Gulf War. Anyone opposing him got hung up on and treated real badly. Keep in mind this was going down on an influential urban radio station and was in effect long before Bill Oâ??Reilly and his ilk were on the scene.

Upset by Chaseâ??s Pro-war sentiments, King Tech and his partner Sway hooked with Paris and Digital Underground and crafted a compelling response that effectively shut him down. The song was so popular that Chase was forced to play the song on his own show. Unfortunately, many urban stations around the country refused to play the song even after being fed exed the package. But hey, what else is new?

In any case this anti-war collaboration represented a couple of things. First, it was clearly an example of Hip Hop being the CNN of the Black community. And two, it captured an infectious spirit embraced by Hip Hop that has long since been buried and downplayed by corporate media today in 2006.

Yes, today we have plenty of anti-war songs, but not like this one. Whatâ??s even crazier is that if I erased Money Bâ??s reference to the year 1991, the song would be completely applicable today.

As a bonus cut we included one of my favorite songs by Ak9ine out of San Jose. A two time felon who turned his life around, Ak has continuously spoken truth to power and delivered the goods with this profound song about where street thugs should be directing their anger.

This is food for the mind so enjoy

Davey D

Hip Hop and Politics Where is it Going?

By Davey D

This engaging panel discussion took place Wednesday July 19th before a packed house at the NBC Tower in downtown Chicago. Most of the people in the audience were members of Chi-Townâ??s media and journalism community.

A variety of issues were discussed ranging from the state of Hip Hop, Its relationship to politics, the role of women in Hip Hop and many others..

The participants of this panel are as follows:

Please note- This is how they appear via the podcast..

Popular WVON radio host Roland S Martin.

TJ Crawford-chair of the National Hip Hop Political Convention,

Davey D-journalist, radio host & programmer

Travis A. Jackson, associate professor of American Music at the University of Chicago

Carl West, publisher and CEO, Truth magazine

Dawn-Elissa Fischer, hip-hop anthropologist and educator-Stanford Hip Hop Archives.

Chicago Hip Hop artists Unique and Mâ??Rald

Last weekend Stic.man of the group dead prez gave the keynote address at the Grind and Glory conference in San Francisco.

This was a conference dedicated to helping out up and coming artists make it in the business. Here Stic talks about some of the concepts in his new book, â??The art of Emceeingâ??, including how to maintain breath control, vary your flow and keep your business game tight. Stic.man talks about his admiration for Big Daddy Kane and explains how one can step their rap game up by studying him.

Afterwards we interviewed Stic where he elaborated on those topics and got indepth on a number of others. You can peep that interview in our next podcast..

The Art of Emceeing & keeping It Hood-An Interview w/ Stic.man By Davey D

After Sticman of dead prez delivered his keynote address at the Grind and Glory Conference in San Francisco, we sat down with him and had an in-depth discussion about a number of important topics.

We started off by building upon some of the concepts he laid out in his book about emceeing and how one can improve his or her game. Stic pointed out the importance behind being on top of your rhyme game especially if you wish to convey important political and social messages. Aside from Big Daddy Kane, Stic noted that the greatest emcee of all time is Malcolm X.

He explained that studying Malcolmâ??s approach toward public speaking and debating is a mindset that all emcees could benefit from. He noted how Malcolm always prepared himself to do battle by anticipating what his enemies would say and how his audience would react. Stic said it was his attention to detail and perfection are traits that he adapted for himself.

Stic also talked about the importance of being a good writer and being able to freestyle. He went into detail about working with artists like Jay-Z and Edi of the Outlaws who can go into the studio and spit detailed, complex rhymes without writing them down.

Stic also explained the importance of understanding melodies. He pointed out how his mother was a singer and a drummer and that he came up having melodies embedded in his head. This of course has translated into dead prezâ??s music.

In the second part of this interview, we talked about the types of challenges dead prez faced in terms of attracting a Black audience from the hood and avoiding what many have dubbed the Cotton Club syndrome. He explained the types of behind the scenes battles the group faced when they first signed with Loud Records who insisted and deliberately marketed the group to suburban white audiences. There was a push to keep the group away from the hood and it led to dead prez being perceived as uncooperative and troublesome.

Stic gives a detailed breakdown of the behind the scenes drama they went through with the label that will blow you away. He noted how label heads would tell them that their political messages would go over the heads of people who lived in the hood and they needed to be focused on a more â??intelligentâ?? audience. This meant that no promotional dollars or resources would be directed at any efforts the group wanted to target to what they felt should be their ideal audience.

Hearing what he says explains a lot of things that has taken place within Hip Hop and they types of typecasting that exists especially when powerful record labels get involved.

We conclude our interview by talking about emcee battling and stepping your game up. We ask Stic how he would go about battling great emcees like his idol Big Daddy Kane and whether or not him and his partner M-1 have lyrical throwdown

Inside the Mind of Lupe Fiasco

By Davey D

Last week I along with my San Jose Mercury News colleague, music columnist Marian Liu got a chance to sit down and build with Chicago based rapper Lupe Fiasco. Right now, he is being hailed as Hip Hopâ??s next big superstar because of his dope beats, nice rhymes and overall intelligent approach toward music. His album â??Food and Liquor which has already seen uncompleted versions leaked through the Internet, is one of the most highly anticipated for the year. The tracks that people have thus far heard has caused major buzz.

According to Lupe, many of the albums key features had not been recorded at the time of the leak. They included songs with Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Jill Scott. Because Lupe is a perfectionist and wants to make sure fans get the best that he has to offer, hence he delayed the albumâ??s release for another month in order to record new songs. The final product will be a much different version then what was leaked.

During our conversation Lupe talked about the city of Chicago and how itâ??s blues and jazz heritage, its cultural legacy and â??in your faceâ?? political climate influenced his music. He said his father was part of the Black Liberation struggle in the 70s and many of those messages are reflected in his music.

Lupe added that he approached his album much like a jazz musician, where he sought out melodic beats and constructed lyrics that left a lot up to peopleâ??s personal interpretations.

This is evident in his hit song â??Kick Pushâ??, where many have speculated that Lupe was not just rapping about skateboards. The water cooler talk is that Lupe was also making references to the drug hustle that often takes place in the housing projects that he references in the song.

Lupe said that he wants people to be left wondering if there was deeper meaning. To add a little bit more confusion, he explained that the inspiration for the song was a white kid who works at a skateboard shop in Chicago called â??Uprisingâ??. He said that the kid would tell him lots of stories about skating in the urban environment and that Lupe wanted to tell that story in a song. He says the skate boarder is very happy with the outcome.

Also during our conversation Lupe talked about the challenge he faces in getting relevant, intelligent messages out to the masses. He says he studies the art of satire and has learned how to dress up his music in such a way that it disarms people.

The song Kick Push was his way of getting in the door and becoming relevant. Coming down the pipe will be hard hitting political songs like â??American Terroristâ?? where he talks about this countryâ??s historical contradictions in administering justice and allowing violence to be reaped upon its citizens. He said he wants to use his album to take away the shades of popular beliefs that many have.

He also has some more introspective

Taking You Back to the Foundation w/ Melle-Mel

By Davey D

Interview by Jayquan for Breakdown FM

(Please note Melle-Melâ??s Audio is low quality cause he was on a cell phone)

My man Jayquan of The Foundation sat down with Hip Hop pioneer Melle-Mel to get his thoughts on the current state of Hip Hop and his upcoming projects. For those who are unfamiliar Mele-Mel who was the lead emcee within Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Emcees is credited with being the one who sparked the current rhyme patterns and straight ahead 4 count cadence used by most emcees. In other words, before Mele-Mel came along most people who rhymed mimicked the polished, â??pukingâ??, rhyme styles and patterns of Black radio deejays that preceded early Hip Hop. This was best personified by early rappers like DJ Hollywood, Eddie Cheeba and later Kurtis Blow. Back then we called it disco rhyming. Melle-Melâ??s style was considered more street.

Later Melle-Mel went on to break ground when he recorded a landmark song along with Duke Bootee (Ed Fletcher) called â??The Messageâ??. For many it was the first time they heard someone offer serious social commentary about Black inner city life for our generation. Later Mel would pen numerous other politically influenced songs. He was not only one of Hip Hop greatest emcees. He was our first political one and became inspiration for everyone from Chuck D on down to KRS who later followed.

In our interview Jayquan asked Mel about the origins of what many consider his most potent rhyme which comes in the last stanza of the message. The Message which came out in 1982 was not the first song that Mele-Mel kicked some of those lyrics. He had dropped them back in 1979 in the groupâ??s first song called â??Superrappinâ??.

Melle-Mel explained that when he first spit those rhymes he was simply trying to come up with something different and push the envelope as an emcee. He wanted to do more then just the average party rhyme. He went on to add that it was actually Sugar Hill recordâ??s president Sylvia Robinsonâ??s idea for him to use that verse in â??The Messageâ??. He said it wound up being the icing on the cake. To him â??The Messageâ?? is the â??Ghetto Bibleâ??.

During our interview Mele-Mel noted that the lack of social commentary in much of todayâ??s Hip Hop is the result of cats going for the commercialized, gangsta image which is embraced by record labels and popular media outlets. Instead of sitting down and writing about whatâ??s really going on in society, todayâ??s rappers go for what they think will make them money.

Jayquan asked Melle-Mel to talk about the inspiration behind an under-exposed song called World War III. It came out around 1984 and in that song he talked about clones, secret societies and wars being fought on the moon. The lyrics are considered by many to be among Melâ??s best.

He noted that again he was trying to s

Holy Hip Hop is in the House: An Interview w/ Play of Kid-N-Play

by Davey D

It seems like only yesterday that we Hip Hop was dominated by the free spirited fun loving antics of Kid-N-Play. We all went and saw all the House Party Movies. A whole lot of us went around sporting high top fades. Many of us twisted an ankle or pulled a muscle trying to execute the trademark dance moves of Hip Hopâ??s â??Laurel and Hardyâ??. Sadly with all the gangsta rap and overt marketing of pathological street tales, the days of Kid-N-play and Hip Hop, at least on a commercial level, being a fun thing seems to be forever a thing in the past.

A couple of weekâ??s ago during the Atlanta Hip Hop Film festival we caught up with Christopher â??Playâ?? Martin to find out what he and Kid have been up to. We also wanted to find out how he was doing in the aftermath of some heartbreaking stories we heard about him, being suicidal. More importantly we talked to Play about his new career as a film director and his foray into what is one of Hip Hopâ??s largest sub genres-Holy Hip Hop.

During our interview Play talked about how large Holy Hip Hop is with hundreds of groups turning their talent and lyrics toward praising God. He explained that Holy Hip Hop was inevitable and is the natural progression for Hip Hop. He joked around and said God saved the â??best for lastâ??.

Play noted that many of the artists and songs within Holy Hip Hop do not fit into nice little stereotypes of being over the top with Hell and Brim fire or holier than thou personas where they are trying to shove Christ down your throat. But make no mistake Holy Hip Hop cats attack the mic and hold their ground with the same fierceness as any emcee repping his block, his crew or the material things he feels he needs to brag about.

Artists like Canton Jones whoâ??s songs we play in the interview), the Gospel Gangstas and the Cross Movement to name a few are no joke. Many of these artists either came from the rough side of town or like Play went through some serious tribulations that resulted in them wanting to be more spiritually connected. Play went on to talk about his personal journey which had him one day waking up and no longer having the desire or passion to continue doing the whole Kid-N-Play routine.

He felt bad because he knew he was leaving a lot of people including his crew members Kid and DJ Whiz hanging and in economic peril, but Play was hungering for something more. He talked about how he went into a deep depression and how things had gotten so bad that he would keep a 38 pistol near him so he could kill himself. He credits him rediscovering Jesus as the reason for the turn around and being born again. Play also talked about how he could totally relate to the situation and decision making process comedian Dave Chappelle described when explaining why he walked away from his 50 million dollars deal.

During our intervie

Today we celebrate the life and times of Malcolm X. Included in this 30 minute audio mix are excerpts from his speeches which underscore is outlook and philosophy. We also have keen commentary from people like Sista Souljah and the late Ossie Davis..

Below is some good information about Malcolm X

Malcolm Little was born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Louise and Earl Little. Louise Little, born of biracial heritage, was a native of Grenada in the British West Indies. Earl Little, a six-foot described as very powerful in appearance, was born Georgia where he worked as a Baptist minister and organizer for Marcus Garvey. A staunch Garveyite, Earl Little believed strongly in ideas of black-nationalism and pan-Africanism. Louise, his second wife, bore six children: Wilfred, Hilda, Philbert, Malcolm, Yvonne, and Reginald. Earl Little also had three children by a first wife: Ella, Earl, and Mary. Because of Littleâ??s advocacy for Garveyâ??s movement, his family was terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan and other whites. To avoid any more violent harassment by these elements Little moved his family to Lansing, Michigan. However the racism proved impossible to escape. In Lansing white racists placed a beaten Earl Little on a railway track where he was killed by an oncoming train. They claimed he committed suicide.

His fatherâ??s early death at the hands of whites would leave he and his seven siblings alone with their mother. The stress of the times placed his mother in a mental institution and Malcolm was sent to a foster home. Malcolm attended school until eighth grade living with different families. When a white teacher stopped him from trying to become a lawyer, he dropped out of school entirely. After years of transfers to state institutions and boarding houses, Malcolm moved to live with his sister Ella in Boston. Here, he took a job as a shoeshine boy at the Roseland Ballroom. But such a lowly status did not suit Malcolm and he soon took up the role of a hustler, peddling narcotics and engaging in petty thefts. Malcolm even took to straightening his hair and dating white women. But Roxbury proved to be too small for him, and in 1942 he took a job as a railroad dining car porter, working out of Roxbury and New York. Settling in Harlem, New York, he became more involved in criminal activities: robbing, selling narcotics and even working as a pimp. In Harlem he also got his nickname â??Detroit Redâ??, because his hometown Lansing was close to Detroit and his hair was red. After a year in Harlem, Malcolm was officially initiated into hustler society. He returned to Boston in 1945 after falling out with another hustler, and continued a life of crime, forming his own house robbing gang. Arrested for robbery in February 1946, he was convicted and sentenced to prison for seven years.

While in prison, Malcolm became a follower of Elijah Muhammad, the then leader of the Lost Found Nation of Islam, with bran

One year ago (May 14th)we lost Justo Faison to a tragic car crash as he was enroute to Virginia in the early morning hours. For those who donâ??t know Justo was an incredible cat who was the deejayâ??s best advocate. he founded Justoâ??s Mixtape Awards and worked tirelessly to always champion the cause of the DJâ?¦

About a month or so before he passed we had Justo on our radio show to give us a history lesson on the Mixtape and the Mixtape DJ. Sadly it was the last time I spoke with him, before getting the sad news about his passingâ?¦

We hope people who listen to this interview not only gain the knowledge but also come to understand and appreciate the passion and commitment Justo had toward Hip Hop and in particular the DJ who is far too often overlooked.

In this interview Justo walks us through the time-line of the mixtapes starting with people like Brucie B and Kid Capri all the way up to Ron G, DJ Clue, Green Latern and K-Slay. He talks about how the mixtape has evolved to become an institution that is now used by politicians and major corporations to promote product and idealogoy.

He also talks about his plans for the annual mixtape awards as well as his plans to release a documentary on the Mixtape History..

In Remeberance of Justo we offer up this Interview. Please reflect and build upon his words.

WELCOME TO THE MIXTAPE AWARDS A ceremony, which celebrates the achievement of the DJ and Mixtape DJ

On the date of May 14, 2005, we lost one of our greatest innovators in this music industry, a man by the name of Orpheous â??Justoâ?? Faison. Justo, a 15 year promotions and marketing veteran, has worked for countless companies in the entertainment industry such as: Nervous Records as Mixshow and College Promotions Rep., Atlantic Records as National Director of Marketing and Promotions, Sony/Epic Records as Vice President of Urban Promotions & Urban Marketing, Gee Street Records as Vice President of Marketing and Promotions, and T-Mobile Sidekick as National Account Director in the Northeast Region. Justo was also a successful entrepreneur, creating the Jus Muzik Group- a Music/Mobile Marketing and Advertising Company. Heâ??s worked with such clients as BET, Bad Boy Records, Sony Music Group, T-Mobile, BET and Loud Records. In addition, Justo managed Hot 97 star personality and mix-show DJ K-Slay. Finally, Justo recently formed The Jus Muzik Group record label- along with partners Tyrone Hendricks (Tytanic ) and Luke Cage, which have signed there first artist J Haffa.

Before Justoâ??s passing, one of his greatest achievements was the creation of the influential- â??JUSTOâ??S MIXTAPE AWARDSâ??. Justo realized the importance of the mixtape subculture, which has since become recognized in pop culture. DJs and mixtapes have become an extremely important vehicle for major corporations attempting to research and influence their brand, on consumers worldwide. The New York

Nairobi Is in the Building-Kenyan Hip Hop

by Davey D

We sat down with Kenyan rap stars Attitude, Bamboo and Missy Maira collectively known as Project 254 to find out whatâ??s cracking in Kenyaâ??s burgeoning Hip Hop scene.

We were quickly put on notice that Kenya and much of Africa is not â??primitiveâ?? and out of step the way it get depicted on TV. We also found out that Hip Hop in Africa is huge. The artists we interviewed while relatively unknown here in the states are mega superstars on the continent. They have billboards all over. They have their own public bus routes. They are heard on the radio everyday. They were recently featured in the award winning documentary â??Hip Hop Colonyâ?? which shows the ins and outs of Kenyaâ??s Hip Hop scene.

In this interview we not only play the music , but we talk to these artist and find out the challenges they face and how Kenya is trying to fight the corporate co-optation of Hip Hop.

We sat down with Virginiaâ??s prodigal sons The Clipse and talked to them about their long hiatus from the music scene. It had been a good 4 or 5 years since they last delivered an album.

They explained that they got caught up in record label politics. Some of it involved the merger between Sony and BMG. The other involved a feud between Jive Records and Pharrel of the Neptunes. For those who donâ??t know the Clipse are signed with the Neptunes.

The group kept themselves in the mix by releasing mixtapes, but now they are ready to return and drop anew album later this summer called â??Hell Has No Furyâ??.

Peep out this interview and hear what these two brothers have to say about Hip Hop in VA, the rationale behind their â??pusherman themes and why its important to keep it lyrical.

This past friday we lost a courageous Freedom Fighter who was fearless, selfless and always about the upliftment of his people. Damu Smith was a men among men. A giant among giants. We put together a tribuet for him, so him and his work will forever be remembered. Big thanks to Glen Ford of Blackcommentator.com and big shout out to Opio Oskoni of Politainment for their words of wisdom which you hear in the piece.. We are including the transcript of Glen Fordâ??s full remarks so you can better know Damu Smith.

Davey D

RadioBCDamuMay11

A Commentary on Damu Smith

The Passing of A Great Black Organizer Last week saw the passing of an exemplary member of a rare and dwindling breed of humanity: the Black organizer. Damu Smith, born LeRoy Wesley Smith in 1952, in St. Louis, was the consummate organizer, the man who made things happen. You may not know the name, Damu Smith, but that doesnâ??t mean he hasnâ??t impacted your life, as he has the lives of all African Americans, and every person in this country, and beyond.

Damu fought. He fought injustice of every kind, and not just by wielding a microphone, or primping for the cameras. Damu dived into the thick of struggle, where it already existed, and in new arenas that were not previously considered to be in the realm of Black activism. He was a founder of the National Black Environmental Justice Network. Damu and his colleagues laid claim to a theater of struggle that had previously been considered to be a â??white folkâ??sâ?? concern, and brought home the truth that the environment is an urban and poor rural issue, as well. In the early Nineties, Damu became the first coordinator for environmental justice of the Southern Organizing Committee for Economic and Social Justice. His work was central to demonstrating that asthma and cancer among the urban and rural poor were as much ecological issues as saving the wolves and spotted owls.

Damu Smith was a tireless fighter for world peace, the founder of Black Voices for Peace. When people complain that Blacks are not active enough in the peace movement, they could not possibly be talking about Damu, whose work was central to creating links between the anti-war movement and the African American domestic struggle. Damu was an internationalist, an opponent of the oppression of humanity anywhere on the planet. Yet he was capable of the most in-depth, detailed analysis of a whole range of issues â?? from the macro to the micro. Damu worked longer, and stronger, than anyone else when the needs of the people called. He argued and cajoled and convinced allies and opponents alike, from dawn to dusk and deep into the night, until finally, a consensus was achieved among people who started the day not even liking each other. He was a Movement Builder.

Damu Smith and I have been on the same side, and opposing sides, of a number of issues down through the years. But I long ago learned that, if Damu w

A Day w/o Immigrants in Atlanta-Birthplace to the Civil Rights Movement

by Davey D

Yesterday May 1st 2006, history was made as several million people in over 150 US cities took to the streets to show their opposition to the proposed bill making its way through the Senate-HR 4437. For those who donâ??t know, the bill if passed will make it a felony if you are found in this country illegally. It will also slap felony charges on anyone caught helping â??an illegalâ??. That includes providing employment or administering aid. Currently there are over 11 million people in this country who do not have the â??proper paperworkâ?? and under the new law would be deemed illegal.

We touched down in Atlanta-the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement to get a perspective from the immigrant community there and was surprised to hear about the type of drama and prejudices they are facing from people. We hear lots of stories about how the South has changed and how the south has progressed. Apparently racism is alive and well. We saw that first hand with the bold in your face venom that was being spoken out the mouths of handful anti-immigrant protestors, who had no shame in their game and would roll up on people and tell them to go back to Mexico. This was done to folks who were fellow citizens.

My home girl who is Native American and whose people are native to Georgia and was here long before any colonialist or pilgrim got accosted as well by some redneck yahoo telling her to go back where she came from. These folks have the southern drawl and everything.

Just to show you how off the hook people can get, while finishing up an interview with this African cat named Amadu, some white cat butted into the conversation and tried to tell us that we should not be at the rally because Mexicans hate Black people. He got frustrated when we told him we still support the demonstrations. Then he proceeded to tell us how the chant â??Viva La Razaâ?? was a call to actions against Black people. Amadu told him to keep his propaganda to himself. I told him I was gonna ask my wife about that and see if it also applied to our kids. ( I donâ??t have no wife and kids but seeing the look of shock on his face was priceless-hahaha). Dude walked away in disgust mumbling something about us being traitors.

Adding insult to injury is the Klan-like attitude exuded by some of the brothers and sisters in the area. Ryan Cameron the popular DJ on radio station took calls on the issue the day before the march and things got ugly. The hatred that was being spewed got so bad that at one point he had to stop and ask if he was talking to Black folks or the Klan. By no means thatâ??s not how the majority feels, but thereâ??s been enough ill will that itâ??s noticeable and needs to be addressed.

Part of the problem may be the lack of leadership or the absence of leadership within the Civil Rights Movement . While the rally in Atlant

Peep Game w/ Ice Cube

by Davey D

The Don Mega Ice Cube is currently on a West Coast Club Tour. We got a chance to catch up with him in San Francisco and have a more in-depth conversation with him since our last encounter which was about a month ago in LA.

Here we got Cubeâ??s thoughts on the current immigration debate and Black-Brown unity. This was an important question because in the past Cube has kicked lyrics on this topic on a number of songs. Most recently he addresses this in the song â??Get You Downâ?? featuring B-Real and Warren G.

We also talked about Cubeâ??s recent television project â??Black and Whiteâ?? and whether or not he intends to expand the concept to include other ethnic groups.

We talked to Cube about his upcoming album â??Laugh Now Cry laterâ?? and what sort of messages he hoped to convey. His new song â??Why We Thugsâ?? is overtly political and we wanted to know if he was going to have more songs in the same vein.

We also talked to Cube about his new label called Lench Mob records and whether or not he would get back together with the original Lench Mob and Kam. Currently thereâ??s a lot of buzz in the streets that may happen. Cube smiled when I asked the question, and said there were no immediate plans.

We also asked Cube to talk about his emcee skillz and how he maintains consistency over the years..

As for the show at San Franciscoâ??s historic Fillmore, Cube along with WC and Crazy Toons wrecked shop from start to finish. The show which sold out within an hour of tickets going on sale, started out with the Clipse opening up and doing their thing. Next the Dogg Pound came through and got busy. Joining DPG on stage was JT the Bigga Figga. That caught a lot of people by surprise because it was just a year ago that Daz and JT were beefing with one another and publicly challenging each other to a boxing match.

Cube hit the stage with WC as his hype man and Crazy Toons on the turntables. There were no stage props except a big balloon with the westside hand sign. The first song Cube hit folks with was â??Natural Born Killer with WC doing Dreâ??s part. He followed it up with â??Helloâ?? which was originally done by NWA. The pace of the show picked up from there with the crowd getting cracked over the dome with hit after hit after hit. Itâ??s really refreshing to watch a cat just put on a good show.

Big Chuck & Mad Linx Talk Music Politics

by davey D

We caught up with two superstars the other day who spoke on an array of issues related to the state of Hip Hop.

First up is Big Chuck Johnson. For folks outside the Bay heâ??s not as well known, but in Oakland, heâ??s a popular media pioneer who has held down the video game for a very long time. He started off hosting on Soul BeatTV which for a long time was one of the nationâ??s only Black owned TV outlet. (note it was not community access.) Chuck now holds it down on On One TV.

Recently Big Chuck hooked with BETâ??s Rap City host Mad Linx who hails from Tampa Florida to cover the Bay Areaâ??s burgeoning Rap scene, in particular the Hyphy Movement. Linx for those who daonâ??t know started off as a deejay rocking the wheels on community radio. He talked passionately about his love for and the importance of alternative media outlets..

During our interview we sat down with these two gentlemen to discuss the current state of Hip Hop and more importantly the type of politics that take place behind the scenes.

We also discussed what it takes to get videos on BET, Hip Hopâ??s generation gap and the reasons why The South is so dominant in 2006â?¦ We also talked about the importance of the Bay Areaâ??s Hyphy Movement and what one must do to shake the haters.

What these cats had to say was very insightful.

16 and Counting West Coast Pioneer Too Short Returns with a Vengeance

By Davey D

Peep the Too Short Interview Here: http://www.odeo.com/audio/1050275/view

Todd Shaw aka Too Short is a Hip Hop pioneer and the Godfather of West Coast Hip Hop. His involvement in Hip Hop dates back to the late 70s when he first started busting rhymes for fun. His first recordings came about in the early 80s when he started making customized tapes for local dope dealers and players in his native East Oakland.

Because Short is so down to earth, unassuming and fairly accessible, its easy to forget just how important he is to the development of Hip Hop. There are many artists and Hip Hop movements that were born or influenced by Too Short. Because he has never ever rolled around with a phalanx of bodyguards, adorned bullet proof vests or sported crazy amounts of bling, itâ??s easy to forget Shortâ??s OG status both as a Hip Hop pioneer as well as someone who has come to epitomize the gamesmanship and hustle mentality of Oaklandâ??s streets.

Its like this when Too Short is around, thereâ??s instant respect. At age 40 and 16 albums deep with damn near all of them going gold or platinum, one has to sit back and admire how Short has consistently managed to stay relevant year after year.

In a recent interview we talked to Short about turning 40 and why he decided to keep the gray in his beard and openly show it off. He says itâ??s important that people see that Hip Hop is grown up and can still be relevant and that itâ??s not just something little kids do. He said that when he turns 45 hell still be making records and will gladly admit to his age.

In our interview Too Short talked about the importance of passing down wisdom and knowledge to the younger generation. He wants them to build off the legacy of those who came before them, not reinvent the wheel. Dozens of youngsters sat around Too Short on his recent visit to the East Oaklandâ??s Youth Uprising Center and listened intensely as he laid down the blueprint and dispense time tested wisdom of how one should go about conducting their business in the treacherous arena known as the music business.

Whereas most artists have gotten ripped off and cheated because of shady record executives and lopsided sharecropper-like contracts, such has never been the case with Too Short. Its him, not Russell Simmons or the guys from Wu-Tang who invented the independent rap game. Its Short that first ran around selling tapes and records from the trunk of his car. Were talking 1982-83. Prior to that Short made his mark alongside his rap partner Freddy B selling customized tapes on the back of AC Transit buses at a time when they were terrorized by the infamous AC Mob gang.

During the talk, Short emphasized to the youngsters the importance of ownership. He told the crowd that folks should be finding ways to make money off the Hyphy Movement and not t

Son of a Panther Chairman Fred Hampton Jr Speaks Out on Black-Brown Unity

by Davey D

For those who donâ??t know, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. became known to many within the Hip Hop community when dead prez did a song called â??Behind Enemy Linesâ?? a few years back. Here they talked about his incarceration and the controversial case surrounding him. many felt the charges levied on him were trumped up and a result of his political activism.

Chairman Fred is the son of Fred Hampton Sr. who headed up the largest Black Panther chapter in America. His dad made major inroads by doing what was seemingly the impossible. He politicized many of Chicagoâ??s notorious gangs and then laid groundwork to establish what many consider the first Rainbow Coalition. Hampton had reached out and brought to the table various Black and Latino organizations and gangs along with the white Patriots and folks from the Native American movement to organize and combat various political and economic oppressive conditions impacting People of color and poor communities.

Because Hampton had been so successful in politicizing the gangs (street tribes), the Chicago police became increasingly threatened. On December 4th 1969, they raided his home and shot him and another Panther named Mark Clark while they slept. Fred Hampton Jr. was still inside his motherâ??s womb when this happened, but as an unborn he wasnâ??t spared the brutality and terrorism of the police. They placed a gun on the stomach of his mom who was pregnant at the time. It is with this backdrop that Fred Hampton Jr, came into the world, grew up and continued the political and organizing work of his slain father.

We recently sat down with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. who heads up the POCC (Prisoners of Conscience Committee) to get his take on a wide array of issues they are involved in including ; the purpose of the POCC, the recovery of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina of the POCC sponsored Black Cross, the African Anti-Terrorism Bill, the case involving political prisoner Aaron Patterson and the renaming of a Chicago Street after his father Fred Hampton Sr. We also talked at length about two important topics impacting the Black community, the immigration debate and Black Brown unity.

We also spoke at length about celebrity culture and how many of the people and communities that need to be reached are addicted to it. For many people, if the message doesnâ??t show up on MTV, BET or the local radio station via popular artists then it doesnâ??t exist at all. We talked about the POCCâ??s code of culture and how they have attempted to combat that phenomenon and why they have been successful in engaging artists to help get their message and work across to the people. For example, during Immortal Techniqueâ??s sold out show in Oakland, Chairman Fred was invited onto the stage to address the crowd and introduce Technique. He was invited to speak before

Fighting the Power-Meet the Brown Berets/b by Davey D

One thing that we should note about the Bay Area, is that itâ??s the home of political activism and movements. As the Immigration debate rages on, we should note the increased visibility of the Watsonville Brown Berets. The Berets of course have a long and rich history that date back to the 1960s. But like their comrads in the Black Panther, they saw their influence and ranks dimisnished by the Cointel-pro tactics of the FBI.

The Watsonville Brown berets studied that history, linked up with the founders and OGs of the past and rebirthed the Berets in 1994 after the tragic killing of a young Latina. After putting in work for more than a decade, the Brown Berets have been in the forefront of helping elevate the mindstate of troubled youth and theyâ??ve been knee deep in the immigration debate..

In recent months theyâ??ve hooked up with Immortal Technique who is doing a big event today April 17th in Watsonville along with Lyrical Swords author Adisa Banjoko. Also in the building will be Chairman Fred Hampton Jr and his organization the POCC.

Last night during Immortal Techniques show in downtown Oakland, Hampton along with the POCC showed up at least 20-25 deep with local cats from West Oakland, POCC members and local Muslims. They came out on stage and spoke to the sold out crowd and got everybody hyped as he spoke about the need for us to be on the same page and support this struggle over immigration alongside our Latino Brothers and sisters who are catching hell from all sides.

He also wanted to clear the air and make it known that there are many who are out and about putting in work annd making sure that there are bridges being built and refortified with Black and Brown communities. This was in stark contrast from the overwhelming silence we have seen by many in the Civil Rights community. Hamptonâ??s remarks rebuffed the the type of devisisve rhetoric that has been given a platform by mainstream media by conservative so called Black leaders

Brothers like Banjoko and Hampton have been very clear about showing their support and offering up keen decisively analysis as to why the Black community should be out supporting their Brown brothers and sisters in this on going saga surrounding immigration. This has been a welcome change from the rhetoric raised by some who feel that the Latino Brothers and sisters who we see working the fields or selling oranges on the side of the freeway is somehow going to take away jobs from Black folksâ?¦ What jobs is the question one may ask.

With that being said peep out the interview we did with the Brown berets and find out what they are aboutâ?¦.

Below is abrief history of the Brown Berets which originally formed in 1967 out of East Los Angeles.

In 1967, young Chicanas and Chicanos from the barrios of East Los Angeles came together and established th

When talking about this Immigration Debate.. This particular song gives us a good political-social overview of the conditions leading up to the current wave of people coming to our shores.. Peace to Immortal Technique for breaking it down for usâ?¦

Immortal Technique Launches Invasion Tour in Cali..Heâ??s Set to Take on Minute Men

by Davey D

Harlem based rap star swung through Cali this past weekend to officially launch his Invasion Tourâ?¦ For the next two-three weeks Immortal will be crisscrossing the Western part of the United States doing concerts, and hosting workshops designed to bring awareness to the immigration debate..

Later during the tour Immortal has vowed to go to the borders in Arizona and confront Jim Gilchrist who is the leader of what many describe as the racist Minute Men patrol. Thatâ??s where Hip Hopâ??s beefs should be at this point in time. They should be focused on real enemies who are trying to pass legislation that will have long lasting impact.

This past weekend Immortal hosted a press conference at the South Central Farm in Watts to lay out his game plan and loan people keen insight into the immigration issue. He reminded people of the sorted history that this country has had over the years and how people in power are now conveniently overlooking the types of allowances made in the past for European immigrants now that many of todayâ??s immigrants are people of color.

Immortal also does a 30 minute Question & Answer session where he addresses everything from why he uses the N word and profanity on down to Black-Brown unity on down to his love for the west coast. Immortal also talked about the death threats he had been receiving prior to launching the tour. He said that he doesnâ??t scare easily

During the press conference, the ominous LAPD attempted to disrupt things by flying a helicopter directly over Technique and the crowd that had gathered to hear him speak. The helicopter flew low so that the noise of the blades almost drowned him out. Organizers at the South Central Farm noted that every weekend during their meetings LAPD tries to smash on the farmers who oversee this farm located in the middle of Watts that feeds over 350 families.

Immortal Technique chose this site to hold his press conference for the Invasion Tour, because currently rich developers are trying to force the community group out to build a warehouse. The SCF was born out of the Rodney King riots and was put in place to help ease neighborhood tensions and provide critical resources for a community that does not have healthy grocery outlet for miles.

Peep out what Immortal had to say during the press conferenceâ?¦ Share the knowledge with others and offer up your own feedback..

Immortal Technique gives a 25 minute Q&A after his press conference announcing the Invasion Tour.. he addresses a myriad of issues related to his career, his love of Cali and his future endeavors.. Very insightful

Rick Rock & the Federation Going Beyond Hyphy

by Davey D

Last week the Bay Area was treated to good news when E-40â??s new album â??My Ghetto Report Cardâ?? debuted on the Billboard charts at number one. His new single â??Tell Me When to Goâ?? is a bonafide hit that is lighting up radio station and night clubs from here to New York, throughout the South and even spots overseas are checking out the buzz and everybody is asking â??What does it mean to be Hyphy?â??

There is no doubt the Bay is on fire. Currently there are bidding wars amongst major labels for acts like Mista F.A.B. and Rick Rock and the Federation. T-Kash who is signed to Parisâ??s Guerilla Funk label is finding that his new politically charged album â??Turf War Syndromeâ?? is one of the most sought after and heavily added on the college radio circuit. If thatâ??s not enough the Parisâ?? produced Public Enemy album â??Rebirth of a Nationâ?? came in at number 33 on the Billboard charts which is great for a small indie label. Lastly we have super producer Rick Rock and his group the Federation who are currently enjoying major radio play in cities like New York with their new smash â??18 Dummiesâ??. Now with that being said and done the 64 thousand dollar question is â??Will the Bay Areaâ??s Hyphy Movementâ?? catch on and become a nationwide thing that sticks?

According to super producer Rick Rock aka the King of Slaps who along with his group The Federation put out the first Hyphy record 5 years ago, The Bay will become a nationwide stop only if people make a firm commitment to step their business game up and do good music. He emphasized the point that while Hyphy is the in thing right now, itâ??s going to take more than a bunch of songs that have the words Hyphy and other related lingo in the hooks to keep the momentum going. He elaborated by pointing out that the Hyphy Movement has gotten the music industryâ??s attention and helped opened a lot of doors, but Bay artists will have to stretch out and constantly challenge themselves.

â??You have to keep putting paint where it ainâ??tâ??, Rick Rock said. â??You have to come with something different. It does no good to drive down the street and hear the same Hyphy record with all different artists. Itâ??s what I call the Das EFX Syndrome.â?? Rock was referring to the rap group Das EFX who came out with a unique triple time rhyme style that got widely mimicked to the point it hurt their careers.

Rock noted that his group is trying to stay ahead of the curve by taking innovative steps and pushing the musical envelop. Case in point, he dipped into his rock-n-roll roots and teamed up with drummer Travis Barker to do a song. Rick noted that he has always been a rock fan and the beats he creates is influenced by bands like Metallica who he considers one of the best groups of all-time.

Rock explained that Barker had heard some of the Bay Areaâ??s Hyphy songs and felt that

Ghostface Killah: Mature, Focused and Elevating Hip Hop

By davey D

We sat down with Wu member Ghostface Killah and had an enlightening conversation about the current state of Hip Hop, the role he now needs to play as a rapper and as a Black man trying to uplift the community and his new album â??Fishscalesâ??.

Ghostface talks about the big changes heâ??s made in his life including giving up weed and becoming diabetic. He talks about how heâ??s become more mature and focused and how he has made a committment to reach out beyond the usual crime and murder raps that put him on the map.

His new album definitely has songs in that vein, but heâ??s clearly pushed the envelope with great results. During our interview Ghostafce goes into depth about the types of maturity level he wants Hip Hop to reach and how we all have to be aware of the impact we are having on kids. He also talks about the types of steps we need to take in terms of uplifting women and holding up our responsibilities in order to make sure they have an easier road especially when it comes to raising kids..

Breakdown FM: The Historic Immigration March in Downtown LA

We Didnâ??t Cross the Border-the Border Crossed Us!

Donâ??t believe the hype I was in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday when the historic march to protest the racist anti-immigration bill HR 4437 took place. For those who donâ??t know, this bill would make illegal immigrants felons as well as anybody, including family members who help them in any sort of way.

This means that if you have a cousin living in Mexico who comes over here and his paper work ainâ??t right, even if you didnâ??t know, you could face jail time. This means if you unknowingly hire somebody to haul away trash you could be in trouble. This is not about giving the government the power to build a wall at the border. This is much deeper then that.

As for the march, the mainstream news media claim there were 500 thousand people on who showed up. Keep in mind, this is after they tried to hate on the march and say only a few thousand were going to show up the night before. Trust me more than a million people showed up Anyone who was there could attest to that. All the blocks around the courthouse for as far as the eye could see was a sea of people. It was wall to wall. The rally started at 10 am. Folks showed up in masse around 6 am and it stayed packed with people until 3 or 4 that afternoon.

Also it was a beautiful thing. The vibe in the air and the overall energy was infectious as you saw everyone from church goers to gang bangers all fighting to keep this oppressive bill from passing. There was an enormous amount of young people. Many came with their families. Its been a while since I been to a rally or march where I saw Grandmas, parents, young adults and little kids all in attendance.

I talked to cats who were all tatted up carrying signs that said â??Stolen Land Defeat HR 4437â?? and college cats carrying signs that read â??Where was George Washingtonâ??s Green cardâ?? carrying signs You could feel the spirit of resistance in the air. People are waking up and ready to hold people accountable for being so mean spirited

Also as you listen to the audio clips just donâ??t think this immigration thing is only gonna effect Brown folks. I guess the media doesnâ??t like to show what we all have in common, but bear in mind thereâ??s a whole lot of Black folks like Haitians who this bill is designed to smash on if passed..

Listen to the audio clips and call your Senator to urge them to vote against this bill..

http://odeo.com/audio/964057/view

In part 2 of our interview with writerwe talk about the influence of Islam on Hip Hop. We talk about the way The NOI and the 5 Percent reached out and offered a helping hand in terms of guiding and imparting wisdom on early Hip Hop. We talk about how that spiritual strain has remained todayâ?¦

We also talk about some of the issues Adisa addresses in his book around this topic including the types of concerns he had being a Muslim in America after 9-11.

Lastly we talk about how Islam has been misconstrued and perverted over the years by extremists. Adisa also talks about the recent events in Oakland where Muslims have been rolling into Liquor stores and demanding that the Arab muslims who operate the venues stop selling alcoholâ?¦

Also in this segemnt we talk about the influence of martial arts on Hip Hop and the type of training he and numerous other artists like Rakaa of Dilated Peoples and RZA of Wu-Tang have undertaken. We also talk about how some of those artists would fair in battles on the matt.

Adisa also talks about the recent challenge actor Wesly Snipes put forth about against Fear Factor Talk show host Joe Rogin. Adisa speculates that Wesly would lose if the pair squared offâ?¦

We also talk about how Hip Hop gets co-opted by anyone who has an agenda and wisheds to use it. Adisa notes that Hip Hop could easily get co-opted by the Republicans. he suggests that everyone should register Republican so their votes will get countedâ?¦

iTunNORMwww.fredwreck.com

Why Did Major Radio Stations Try & Silence This Man and His Music?

With the 3rd anniversary of this ridiculous war in Iraq upon us.. ask yourself how come major radio stations around the country including stations in Los Angeles ignored and Blackout this Anti-War record produced by Fredwreck.

Fredwreck in case you donâ??t know has laced everyone from Ice Cube to Snoop on down to Eminem with incredible tracksâ?¦

Heâ??s always been a political type of guy so he got a bunch of West Coast artists together around the start of the Iraq War and they dropped this Anti_war song which they offered up for free download..

They had apress conference and pout out a press release, but then all the big stations which normally play many of the artists featured on this song suddenly went dumb and tried to act like it doesnâ??t exist..

Feel free to check this cut.. Itâ??s the dirty version.. You can also find this song featured on the new album Hard truth Soldiers Vol 1 which has been released by Paris

Track Features: Everlast Tray Deee Defari Daz J-Ro RBX Soopafly Bad Azz WC Dilated Peoples Mac Minister

Track Produced By: Fredwreck

iTunNORMwww.fredwreck.com

Why Did Major Radio Stations Try to Silence This Man and His Music pt2?

After Fredwreck released the Anti-War song Down With us, he assembled an even bigger star studded line up and recorded a song that took President Bush to task for many of his policies including the War in Iraqâ?¦

As was the case with the Anti-War song â??Down With Usâ??, major radio stations ignored this song. It was interesting to note that with two weeks before the election stations jumped all over the song Mosh by Eminemâ?¦It was a case of too little too late..

What I found interesting was the fact that this song was released in August of 2004, which gave media outlets ample time to get at Fredwreck or any of the artists featured in the songâ?¦ They issued a press release for the song and gave away the song for free via download. All the stellar artists featured on this track donated their time and talent for free.

The silencing of these songs just underscored Rule 4080 which tribe Called Quest rapped about .. The industry is shady..

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT A song directed at President George Bush. Listen to it today by downloading the mp3!

Track Features:

Everlast Mobb Deep The Alchemist Mack 10 WC Evidence Defari KRS-One B-Real

Track Produced By: Fredwreck

We sat down with long time writer Adisa Banjoko to discuss his new book Lyrical Swords Volume 2 The Westside Rebellionâ?¦

We start off the interview by talking about Adisa early foray into Hip Hop as a member of the rap group freedom Troop 187. Back in the days (late 80s , early 90s he recorded songs with people like Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Boots of the Coup. He opened up for everybody ranging from paris to the Jungle Brothers.

We talked about how former Black Panthers like sista Kiilu Nysha played an important role in politizing many Bay Area rappers including himself, Michael Franti, Boots and Paris to name a few.

We also talked about the current resurgence in Bay Area Hip Hop. We specifically focus on the large number of writers, editors and authors who have and currently live in the Bay Area and the role that they have played in Hip Hop all around the country.

We also talk about the current state of Hip Hop and politics . Adisa contends that Hip Hop has failed misreably in its attempts to become a political force. He feels that many Hip Hop activists do not engage the streets and are disconnected. He expounds upon these points and cites numerous examples. He lays out what he believes are the necessary steps on needs to take to be on point and make Hip Hop more effective.

Hereâ??s a special tribute mix to the legendary Professor Xâ?¦ Thanks to Paradise the Architect for providing insightful heartfelt commentary as to who Professor X was and what he has and should mean to usâ?¦ Enjoy the mix and try to live up to the greatness professor X hoped from all of us..He is now at the Crossroads..

Davey D

THE NAME OF AMEN RA

THE 5TH ELEMENT OF HIP HOP KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE, OVERSTANDING

To All the Activist and Fighters for Hip Hop Culture, I am sorry to say that A Great King and Warrior has just pass on today to be with our Ancestors and among the Gods and Goddesses of the Supreme Force One God who is called by many names. May Amun Ra/ Allah be with our brothers Soul any May his Father Sony Carson received him to be with The Ancestors of The Indigenous People of the Planet so called Earth.

We ask that all who love Hip Hop Music to call all these so called Hip Hop Radio stations and Video shows requesting to hear X-Clan Songs on the airwaves as well as to see X-Clan videos all over the world on TV.

Professor X Was Vanglorious by Wendy Day

Check out this Breakdown FM Professor X Tribute Mix odeo.com/audio/904888/view

I received an email from Afrika Bambaataa and Yoda today saying that Professor X had passed. I rushed over to allhiphop.com to see what happened to him. They confirmed Lumumba Carson passed from Meningitis. I am devastated.

In 1992, I started Rap Coalition out of pure disgust after seeing how my favorite rappers were treatedâ??specifically, Eric B and Rakim, and X-Clan. In the late 80s and early 90s, these were my favorite rappers.

Lamumba Carson was great because he stood for something. He had something to say and he said it. He was the son of New York based (now deceased) activist Sonny Carson (how difficult it must be to be the son of someone so driven, focused, and important to humanity). Lumumba always rose to the occasion.

I always avoided meeting Professor X and Brother J (who, together, comprised X-Clan and heavily promoted the organization Black Watch), out of fear that they may not be what their image portrayed. At that point, I had met so many of my rap heroes and been disappointed in the past because of the diachotomy between image and reality (a painful lesson for someone devoting a career and life to helping her heroes for free).

I found that J and Lumumba were serious about what they were accomplishing. And while I found Professor X to be human with all the human frailties (thank God!), over the years I have found both of them to be exactly who they portrayed themselves to beâ??strong Black men, loving and caring for a race of people often too tired to fight for themselves. They were not hypocrites like soooo many others.

Like most rappers, and certainly like the majority of r

This is part 2 of that panel discussion

Stanford Hip Hop Panel featuring KRS-One & Busy Bee by Davey D-Full audio

As many of you know there was a big conference at Stanford University this past weekend called Know-The-Ledge. It was centered around Hip Hop Journalist building with Hip Hop scholars and it was put on by the Stanford Hip Hop Archives.

The event wasnâ??t really set up so that we had the traditional panels. Instead it was like a huge round table seating close to 100 people from all around the country. As we covered various topics ranging from feminism and Hip Hop to politics and Hip Hop, specific people were chosen to spark off the discussion.

One discussion was a panel called the Hip Hop Artist as Theorist.. Sitting on that panel was Stic from dead prez, ladybug Mecca of Diagble Planets, Boots Riley of the Coup,KRS-One and myself -Davey D. Missing in action was Yo-Yo and Lyrics Bornâ?¦KRS rolled through and brought Hip Hop pioneer Busy B to fill the gap.

The moderator was long time journalist/scholar Mark Anthony Neal who wrote the book â??Thatâ??s the Jointâ?? with his partner Murray Foprman who was also present. Seated around the table was avirtual whoâ??s who in the respective fields of journalism and academia as it pertains to Hip Hop.

Michael Eric Dyson was original scheduled to moderate the panel but was sick and could not make it. other then that the room was packed with all sorts of people ranging from Bakari Kitwana the author of the book Hip Hop generation, Raquel Rivera, Kierna Mayo to local rap stars like Quam Allah. Also seated at the table was Adisa Banjoko..

The audio below is the full panel so folks can get an idea as to what was said and the context in which things emerged.. Please keep in mind.. the panel discussions started at 8 that morning and many important topics were discussed vigoriously by this large gathering including â??Hip Hop vs Rapâ??.. The role Hip Hop plays in society, exploitation etc etc.. KRS did not show up until the artist panel.. Hence he missed much of the important discussion that took place early on..

Hereâ??s the entire audio for part 1 of the stanford Hip Hop Panel

Please note if you have a Mac you will need Windows Media to play the audio.. In a couple of days I will put this audio up for download and I will also upload the other panels which focused on Hip Hop and Politics, Hip Hop and Women, and numerous other topics..

In part 1 you will here the opening remarks from the panelis as well as KRS-Oneâ??s outbusrt and threat to journalist Adisa Banjoko. In part 2 you will hear addition remarks including KRS-Oneâ??s closing remarks..Here is part 2 of the panel discussion

easylink.playstream.com/dâ?¦2final.wax

On the Line w/ Paris-The Making of Rebirth of a Nation

by Davey D

We sat down with the Black Panther of Hip Hop-Paris and spoke to him about the array of projects he has coming down the pipe on his Guerilla Funk record label. That would include the â??Hard Truth Soldierâ?? album Vol 1 which includes socially conscious songs from MC Ren, Kam, Dead Prez, Mobb Deep, KRS-One, Cypress Hill, and the Conscious Daughters to name a few. He also has an album from new artist T-Kash out of Oakland which is also set to drop.

We also spoke with him about the current state of Hip Hop, the art of emceeing and of course the making of the new Public Enemy album â??Rebirth of a Nationâ??. For people who are unfamiliar Paris not only produced but he wrote all the lyrics to the songs featured on the PE album. He spoke about how he and Chuck D came together on this ambitious project. He also spoke about the type of chemistry they developed and the type methodology used which would allow Paris to effectively write lyrics from one of Hip Hopâ??s most gifted and insightful political icons.

Paris explained how he wanted to recapture a moment in time when PE put out some of their most groundbreaking work as exemplified on albums like â??Fear of a Black Planetâ?? and â??It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Backâ??. He talked about how he used records like â??Donâ??t Believe the Hypeâ?? and prophets of Rage as a template.

We also spoke about role Flava Flav played in this project as well as the type of dynamics that currently exist in the group and how it may have effective their recording process. Paris talked about sampling versus playing live instruments and how that factored into the new album.

Also in this segment we spoke extensively about the art of emceeing and how conscious artists donâ??t always get recognized for their rhyme skillzâ?¦

In part 2 of this interview we speak extensively about the inner workings of music businessâ?¦

In the second part of our interviewâ?¦ Paris opens up and talks about the inner workings of the music industry. He talks about how major record labels try to manipulate stock prices and create the illusion that they are doing well when in fact everything is crumbling..

This session is defintely Music Biz 101â?¦. be sure to listen..

This is a slamming 30 minute megamix of Parisâ?? song from the past and present..enjoy the sounds..

This is one of the deepest and realest interviews you will ever hear as we sat down with MC Hammer for a candid no holds barred interview about all things Hip Hop. What he had to say was both eye opening and incredibly insightful.

In part one we go over several key facets about Hammerâ??s career that he should be vindicated for including him being among the first rapperâ??s to spark endorsement deals. He gives a serious breakdown about how folks made fun of him and wanted to ban him from Hip Hop only to turn around years later and seek these revenue streams now that they realize the music business can be extremely shady when it comes to getting paid.

Hammer also talks about how major record labels are now hijacking artists and attaching themselves to some of the lucrative endorsement deals that are being offered

Many of us within Hip Hop have severely underestimated MC Hammer and now weâ??re coming to see that he was light years ahead of the curve in terms of how one should approach business and even approach music.

In part one we go over several key facets about Hammerâ??s career that he should be vindicated for including him being among the first rapperâ??s to spark endorsement deals. He gives a serious breakdown about how folks made fun of him and wanted to ban him from Hip Hop only to turn around years later and seek these revenue streams now that they realize the music business can be extremely shady when it comes to getting paid.

Hammer also talks about how major record labels are now hijacking artists and attaching themselves to some of the lucrative endorsement deals that are being offered.

We also talk about Hammer and his brother being years ahead of artists in terms of getting clothing lines. Many did not know that the pair had a substantial stake in Troop Outfits. He and his brother were smart and actually opened up 30-40 Troop stores around the country and had the foresight to get them placed in popular locations and key malls. Just as the business was starting to really take off, hammer and his brother found themselves the victims of what many consider corporate sabotage. Nasty rumors circulated around the country that Troop was owned by the Ku Klux Klan, when in fact Hammer, LL Cool J and Fat Joe were all owners. Outlets like MTV and urban radio did nothing to dispel those rumors and within a year of these nasty rumors Troop folded.

Many speculate that it was rival clothing company like Addidas that was behind the rumors, but of course that was never proven. Many just speculated since they were the dominant urban clothing outfit at that time.

In part two of our interview we spoke to Hammer about him being the first to put out Gospel Hip Hop on vinyl. Today we all praise Kanye West for the hit song â??Jesus Walksâ??, but many overlook the fact that Hammer came on the scene using the moniker Holy Ghost Boy. His first song which was actually a demo cut

East Oakland Street Life, Prisons, Police Helicopters, Cointelpro & Eazy E

In part 2 of our one on one with MC Hammer letâ??s us know about his connection to the streets. Folks outside the Bay Area saw the Jeanie pants and the Typewriter walk dance and figured Hammer was some sort of softy who could and should be dismissed. Folks in Oakland knew otherwise. Hammer is no joke. His old crew, the High Street Bank Boys were more than notorious.

Hammer talks at length about the types of steps he took to pull his homeboys away from street life and the challenges it presented. His actions by default became a full scale prison to work program. He explained how it was this sort of activity that eventually led to him going bankrupt.

Hammer spoke at length how the police along with some outside enemies tried to undermine his efforts and spread a nasty rumor about him buying OPD a police helicopter. He emphatically refutes the claim and talked about thetype of corruptions that had gone on within the police department and how many officers were upset because he was providing opportunities for guys they wanted to see locked up.

We spoke at length about Cointelpro and how many of the other independent movements including Luke in Miami, James Prince in Houston and Eazy E in LA all saw themselves under fire at the same time. He spoke about the early attempts these young black entrepreneurs made to consolidate their resources and create a major distribution channel. It was at that point that the helicopter rumors surfaced and Luke came under fire for obscene material. James Prince and Rap-A-Lot records became the object of a federal investigation. Hammer gets deep with this aspect..

Lastly he talks about his close friendship with Eazy E and how the two had a lot in common because of their street background..

The Hustle-The Music Biz-The Hyphy Movement and 2Pac

In our final installment, we talk with MC Hammer about the city he reps and loves Oakland. He talks about the vibe of the city and the type of hustle-do forself mentality embraced by its residentsâ?¦

Hammer also gives us a lot of insight about the music biz. Anybody trying to make it in the industry needs to hear what Hammer is saying with regards to this..

We also talk about the current Hyphy Movement. Hammer gives a breakdown on this as well as updating us on his own new projects.

We conclude our conversation with Hammer telling us about his friendship with 2Pac and they types of political ambitions the pair had planned out.

Straight Outta Oaklandâ?¦Blackalicious pt 1

Studying Their Craft & Running the Game

By Davey D

In the gritty streets of Oakland otherwise known as â??The Townâ?? and ground zero to the Hyphy Movement which is taking the world by storm is one of Hip Hopâ??s best but underrated groups-Blackalicious.

As quiet as kept, because they arenâ??t regulars on MTVâ??s TRL or BETâ??s Rap City, and because they arenâ??t given any sort of love on local radio station KMEL, one might come to the conclusion that Chief XL and Gift of Gab are either new comers to the scene or non factors to the game. But as Chuck Dâ??s Public Enemy succinctly put it â??Donâ??t Believe the Hypeâ??.

For starters, they are veterans. The group has been together for almost 18 years. Unlike far too many groups which could not keep it together and broken up, Blackalicious has gotten better age and showed the importance of keeping the lines of communication open and maintaining a strong friendship.

The other thing to keep in mind is that Blackalicious is a touring group that stays on the road for more than half a year. Their territory and sphereâ??s of influence are not limited to the two thousand by three thousand box known as the US. While the group regularly sells out shows and moves an impressive number of units independently (they outsell many of their hyphy brethren) all around the country, they really hit superstar status overseas. From Paris to South Africa to Australia, Blackalicious is a household name and for good reason. There is no denying that they have mastered their craft. Their new album â??The Craftâ?? certainly underscores that point.

Chief XLâ??s production has been well a head of the curve for years as he along with fellow Quannum producer DJ Shadow have constantly pushed the musical envelop with good results. His collabs with legends like Gil Scott Heron and more recently George Clinton have earned him major respect as he is constantly sought out by young and old alike all around the world. Recently he was in France laying down tracks for artists. The day we did our interview he was working with the Lifesavas on their new project. This is all in addition to him being a new dad.

Lead rapper Gift of Gab has proven time and time again, heâ??s no joke when it comes to flexing mic skillz. He talked about his upbringing in Southern Cali in a town out in the San Fernando, valley called Pacoima where he sported the name Gabby T and grew up around Hip Hop icons like King T, J-Ro Defari o f the Likwit Crew. He was quick to point out that his part of the Valley was nothing like Sherman Oaks and that he spent many a days honing his skillz until he moved up to Northern Cali where he met Chief XL.

During our interview Gab showed off his lyrical prowess by kicking a few freestyles as well as explaining the type of colorful strategies he would employ if he had to battle artists like Mos Def,

Straight Outta Oakland.. Blackalicious pt 2

In the second part of this interview with Oaklandâ??s Blackalicious we talk to Chief XL and Gift of Gab about the recording process and whether or not itâ??s good to have tension in the studio in order to bring out the best in each other.

Gab describes their recording sessions as intense, while Chief XL explains that all time stops and nothing else exists when they are in the stdio.

The group also goes into depth about the importance of the Bay Area Hip Hop scene, the current hyphy movemnt and how they got their hustle on worldwide.

Lastly Gift of Gab breaks down his stratgies if he had to battle other emcees including Mos Def, Casual, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples and fellow Quannum emcee Lyrics Born..

Ice Cube Returns to Spark Beef in all the Right Places

By Davey D

Last night we got a chance to hollar at Ice Cube, WC, the Poetess and Murs of Living Legends about Ice Cubeâ??s new album â??Laugh Now and Cry Laterâ??.. They gave us the run down of what is looking to be a landmark albumâ?¦.

Itâ??s been along time coming, but at last what you been hoping for has finally happened. Ice Cube has returned. Weâ??re not talking about the movie star Ice Cube from â??Barbershopâ??, â??Are We There Yetâ?? or â??XXXâ??. It wasnâ??t the return of the Ice Cube we know from â??Fridaysâ?? and â??Next Fridayâ?? fame. Nor are we talking about the return of the Don Mega Ice Cube from the Westside Connection. Weâ??re not talking about the return of a sub par Ice Cube who released albums like â??Peace and Warâ??.

Nope the Ice Cube weâ??re talking about is the Cube that sparked controversy and fear and let us know just how powerful Hip Hop could be when he dropped masterpieces like â??Death Certificateâ?? and â??Amerikkkaâ??s Most Wantedâ??.

Last night at his album release party at LAâ??s Sir Studios, he held court as all sorts of heads ranging from Nate Dogg to YoYo to Murs of Living Legends and far too many others to name showed up. We got a chance to peep many of the tracks off the upcoming LP â??Laugh Now and Cry Laterâ?? and hear a more focused and more intense Ice Cube who was free of the distractions and pressures of Hollywood Movie making. The Cube we heard last night was an Ice Cube who seemed to have a lot on his chest and had something to prove. It was like he wanted to answer his critics and smash on the skeptics who had loudly proclaimed that ever since Cube went Hollywood he went soft on the rapping tip.

Well the Ice Cube that walked in the room last night had delivered a project that silences all critics and once again reminds us all, why heâ??s not only one of Hip Hopâ??s best writers but also one the fiercest to get on the mic. Many of us forget that like KRS-One Cube has battled tested and has slain many of foe in lyrical contests. Unlike rappers today who seem content on simply focusing on the riches and jewels of another, Cube brought heat to everyone including the police, a corrupt government and rightly or wrongly other ethnic groups who he felt were doing Black people wrong. To this day, many people look at the controversial song â??Black Koreaâ?? and blame Cubeâ??s incendiary lyrics for the type of wrath unleashed on LAâ??s Korean merchants during the 192 Rodney King Uprisings.

With his new album, Cube redefines what beef isâ?¦To start he is releasing the album on 06-06-06. He explained that he choice that date to make a political statement about our current state of affairs. He said something to the effect that we are living in devilish times and in a devilish land run by devilish people.

Cubeâ??s reminds us that our beef in Hip Hop should not be with other rap

As Hip Hop organizations like the Zulu Nation continue to speak out against the corporate radio, Oakland California was the sight for a well attended townhall meeting this past Thursday night [Feb 23] It was put together by the Youth media Council who had flown activist from all around the country to speak on media Justice issuesâ?¦

Youth Media Council had sparked off an Unplug Clear Channel campaign. According to organizers continuously poisons and assaults the community by spewing racial hatred.

Folks may wanna keep in mind that it was a Clear Channel station KFI in LA that put on a Daily Kill Tookie Hour radio show. It was a CC station that made fun of the Muyslims trampled to death during their pilgrimage to Mecca.

Malkia Cyril of the Youth media Council opned up the event with some insightful words.. Peep out what she has to say..

In this intense interview, Hip Hop Pioneer Afrika Bambaataa along with NY based activist Rosa Clemente and Bay Area activist Tony Coleman speak out about the War Against Commercial Radio.

Rosa gives the breakdown about the latest confrontation between the REACH Hip Hop Coalition and Hot 97. She talks about the challenge that lies before those who are serious about seeking change.

Bambaataa talks about the types of things heâ??d like to see accomplished at tonghtâ??s (Wednesday Feb 22) historic emergency meeting at the National Black Theater in Harlem.

Bay Area activist Tony Colemen talks about the new radio station started by Bay Area folks which is gearing up to deal with Clear Channel. He also talks about the huge Media Townhall scheduled for Thursday in Oaklandâ?¦

A CALL TO ALL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS

EMERGENCY MEETING

PEACE AND GREETINGS,

Peep the Interview with Bambaataa and Rosa Clemente odeo.com/audio/768035/view

WE ARE CALLING ON ALL GRASSROOTS, RELIGIOUS, AND ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION OR GROUP THAT ARE INTERESTED IN BRINGING A BALANCE TO ALL RADIO STATIONS. WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY!!!

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR A BALANCE OF THE OLD WITH THE NEW THEN YOU NEED TO ATTEND THIS MEETING AND LET US ORGANIZE. OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING BRAINWASHED AND MIND CONTROLLED THROUGH THIS TASTLESS PROGRAMING ON OUR AIRWAYS BY THESE NO GOOD PROGRAM DIRECTORS.

WE ARE GOING TO DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION TO GO AFTER ALL THESE PROGRAM DIRECTORS WHO DEAL IN PAYOLA AND SINGLE MINDEDNESS OF KEEPING DEATH AND DESTRUCTION PLAYING ON OUR AIRWAVES AND T.V. MUSIC VIDEO SHOWS. WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR THE SAME 10 SONGS ALL DAY. WE WANT A CHOICE, A VARIETY.

WE MUST ALL COME TOGETHER AND FORCE A CHANGE. WHY IS THAT ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE DICTATES WHAT THE MASSES MUST HEAR? WHERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE A CHOICE? WHERE ARE THE PROGRAMERS THAT REALLY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE NOT JUST WHO HAS THE BIGGEST CHECK?

IS THIS NOT AMERIKKKA? DONâ??T WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE? WE MUST NOW STAND TOGETHER AND BRING ABOUT THE BALANCE OF MAAT IN RADIO AND TV. LIKE THE GREAT SLY STONE SAID ITS TIME TO STAND!!!!

PEACE KING YODA AND THE SUPREME WORLD COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSAL ZULU NATION

PLACE: NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE 125TH STREET AND FIFTH AVE NEW YORK CITY DATE:FEB.22,2006

TIME: 6PM SHARP

IF YOU JUST STAND BY THE SIDE AND JUST COMPLAINE, BUT DO NOT GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION, THEN YOU ALL DESERVED WHAT YOU GET.

PLEASE E-MAIL EVERYONE

IN THE NAME OF AMEN RA

A Few Things to Ponder: Mobb Deep Speaks on G-Unit & Blood Money

by Davey D

We caught up with Havoc and Prodigy of Mobb Deep during their recent trip to the Bay Area and while playing a game of pool talked to them about everything including their recent signing to G-Unit to inheriting 50â??s beefs.

The pair described their signing with 50 as the best thing that couldâ??ve ever happened for their careers. The noted that 50 is their biggest fan and will undoubtly be behind their upcoming â??Blood Moneyâ?? project 100%.

Prodigy noted that having a solid leader as the label head is key to the success or detriment of your project. He noted that if the label head is not really down for you or doesnâ??t share your same vision it can impact everything from the type of promotional budget you get on down to the type of push they give at radio.

Prodigy noted that the bound between Mobb Deep and 50 is deep and that they are like family. Hence the reason for them getting G-Unit tattoos while 50 got a Mobb Deep tattoo. He reminded folks that 50 has been messing with Mobb Deep for a minute so them hooking up is not some sort of overnight thing.

With regards to any beef that 50 may have sparked, Prodigy was blunt. He said that Mobb Deep is G-Unit. If you come at 50 then you came at them and they are down for the cause.

As for their new project-â??Blood Moneyâ??, they said they worked with 50 who would record songs in between takes while filming â??Get Rich or Die Tryingâ??. They noted that 50 respects the fact that Mobb Deep is a self contained unit that doesnâ??t really need 50â??s imprint to be successful.He respects where they are coming from musically.

The pair noted that they intend on sticking to the formula that has taken them this far with no deviations.

They concluded by noting that they will soon be working with 50 on other projects including some upcoming flicks.. so be on the look out..

Juvenile Steps Up and Lets Bush, Cheney and Mayor Nagin Have It By Davey D

The day after last Augustâ??s devastating Hurricane tore through New Orleans, Juvenile was immediately on the scene trying to help out. This was in spite of the fact that he along with many of his family and friends suffered horrific loses in the Crescent Cityâ??s 9th Ward.

Juve sat a BET press conference and pledged to do concerts to raise money and use his celebrity status to bring attention to those who had no voice. During that press conference Juvenile refrained from overtly criticizing the government even though it was painfully obvious that FEMA was asleep on the job.

Fast forward to February 2006, Juvenile is pulling no punches. Heâ??s doing more than just putting the government on blast for being negligent, heâ??s gone so far as to do a video for a his new song Rodeo that was shot in the 9th Ward where he shows caricatures of George Bush, Dick Cheney and New Orleansâ??s Mayor Ray Nagin as the bad guys who contributed to all the devastation.

Juve swung through the Bay Area this past weekend and spoke passionately about all the neglect that is going on in his city. He explained that he and his crew went through a lot of red tape just to shoot the video. Apparently city officials werenâ??t too keen on him showing the world whatâ??s really going on. They cited chemical dangers and the threat of contamination as the reasons he could not shoot the video. Juvenile got around that hurdle.

It will be interesting to see if Juve gets any sort of airplay for his video without the faces of Bush, Cheney and Nagin being etched out. Juve was very clear about the statement he wants to make. Those three men need to be held accountable for the slow response and the current exploitation that is taking place in NO.

Juve noted that the government has been quick to repair all the tourist areas. He said the French Quarter and the Superdome are repaired or on their way to being completely fixed up. In the meantime places like the 9th Ward where the majority of the cityâ??s population resided has been left to rot. Juve was clear that this has to do with the racial make up of the cityâ??s residents.

He pointed out that as a Black man, he could relate to fellow rapper Kanye Westâ??s remarks about Bush not caring about Black people. He said he waited and waited for the president to prove Kanye wrong. A quick look at the lack of repair in the 9th Ward is proof positive that Kanye was absolutely right.

Juvenile told the crowd who showed for his album release party that land developers like Donald Trump have been allowed free access into New Orleans and he his one of many rich land grabbers who is quickly buying up property.

Juve also explained that a lot of the money that has been sent to NO has NOT been reaching the community. He urged people to directly get a hold of folks and make sure they are given

Mistah FAB Explains Thizzing & the Yellow Bus Movement

By Davey D

Mistah F.A.B. has long been known as Oaklandâ??s Freestyle King. Itâ??s a title that was underscored a little over a year ago when he took on Jin of the Ruff Ryders in a battle. Many who witnessed it said that FAB won even though Jin was handed the victory. FAB has long stated that dude was not the emcee that many claimed him to be and he actually released a video called Oaklandâ??s Freestyle king so that all could witness the battle and see for themselves. As FAB pointed out in an interview last year when the topic came up, heâ??s still around while Jin has retired.

Aside from freestyling, Mistah FAB has established himself as one of the growing army of Bay Area artists who associate themselves with the Thizznation. Thizz music was something that originated from Mistah FABâ??s close friend and mentor, the late Mac Dre. He now holds it down on Dreâ??s old label Thizz Entertainment.

In explaining the Hyphy-Thizz Movement in the Bay, FAB acknowledged that Thizzing was the name given to those who got high off ecstasy pills. That has long since translated into folks making â??feel good musicâ?? as opposed to taking feel good pills. He compared the energy surrounding the current Hyphy â??Thizz craze as similar to the bounce music movement in New Orleans or the chop and screwed music movement out of Houston.

Mistah FAB also talks about the origins of the infamous Thizz face which is the current craze you will see being executed on nightclubs throughout the Bay Area. He says when they tell you to put your Thizz face on it means to curl up your lip and recoil like you just smelled some nasty boo boo. He says it started off when folks took E and reacted to the bitter taste. Now itâ??s supposed to signify your reaction to the funky music that simply canâ??t be denied.

He explained talked about the Thizz dance that has evolved into a movement of its own. FAB broke it down and explained that the sheer energy and complexity of the dance is similar to the type of energy and enthusiasm we saw with the Clowning and Krump dance movements down in Los Angeles. People outside of Cali got a taste of these dances when the movie Rize came out. In recent months the Thizz and Hyphy dancers from the Bay Area have squared off in some memorable and colorful competitions against Clown and Krump dancers from LA. The Bay Area has locked down the last few showdowns.

Lastly FAB talks about the introduction of the Yellow Bus. He says everyone has been trying to get on it and once they see how they tricked out the traditional school bus, its gonna become a cool thing to ride.

On a side note, Bay Area journalist Adissa Banjoko in a recent interview spoke about the whole Thizz Movement and its origins being connected to E Pills. While he noted that most people like the music and have fun making the Thizz face while dancing, there are a

E-40 Tells Us How to Get Hyphy and When to â??Go Dumbâ??

by Davey D

E-40 aka Mr Scrill aka the Ambassador of the Bay is making big moves as he gears up to release his new album â??My Ghetto Report Cardâ??. It looks to be a landmark album as 40 is set to help introduce the world to the Bay Areaâ??s Hyphy Movement. He says the Bay is on fire and everybody is coming together to create a movement that simply canâ??t be denied.

More importantly, E-40 wants to see the Bay get respect. If things continue to move foward that will certainly happen. This is not unlike what happened the other night in LA at the Roots Pre-Grammy Party.

The Roots were eagerly looking forward to having E-40 join the stage of luminary emcees for a jam session which included Common, Snoop Dogg, YoYo, Cee-Lo, Queen Latifah and comedian Dave Chappelle to name a few. Unfortunately, the over zealous bouncers at the Key Club refused to let 40 inside despite him holding the right credentials and him getting lots of love from Chappelle and Latifah who were allowed in. The bouncers were on some â??this is Hollywood and we only mess with â??real superstarsâ?? type vibe.

When it became obvious that E-40 was indeed a superstar and his presence could not be denied, the bouncers tried to play him by announcing that 40 could go inside and join the stage, but the rest of his crew would have to stay outside.

Now when you consider just how star studded this event was and that it was the hottest ticket in town, one might understand someone going inside. When one considers that they have a hot song on the radio and they are getting ready to drop an album, it would be advantageous to get some extra shine by performing with The Roots. Such a move would be a good look. E-40 could use the extra hype and for that matter so could the Bay.

However, E-40 showed a strong sense of character and let the Key Club know what the Bay is made of. He turned down the offer. If one member of his crew could not get in, then he was leaving.

The bouncers were shocked when he turned them down and tried to kiss up to E-Fizzle. But he firmly stood his ground and let them know their disrespect wasnâ??t worth the headache. The bouncers knew they were in the wrong. E-40 left the Key Club premises as well as a glaring hole in the Jam Session line up. IUt was something that would later leave the Root members like Black Thought upset when they heard about it the next day.

People witnessing the incident gave E-40 his props for showing loyalty to his squad and letting that embarassing situation slide off his back. But this is what an Ambassador does when heâ??s carrying the weight of the Bay Area on his shoulders. In due time all wrongs will be corrected.

E-40â??s new song â??Tell Me When to Go (Dumb) featuring Bay Area rap star Keak Da Sneak is a currently a club favorite from coast to coast. The video has done more then just

Bay Area journalist/scholar Adissa The Bishop Banjoko Ask the difficult question.. Where was Hip Hop during Coretta Scott Kingâ??s funeral. Perhaps they were busying discussing beef between Jay-Z and Camâ??ron. Or perhaps they were busy being silent about who shot Busta Rhymeâ??s bodyguard. He wants to know why Kanye West wasnâ??t there Who knows maybe they were busy flossing the latest grillz and other jewelry. Adissa runs through the funeral program and asks some very provocative questions In any case Adissa brings the heat on this one..he says Hip Hop needs to be weeping on this oneâ?¦

Hollar at him by dropping an email to soulpolisher2001@yahoo.com

An Interview w/ Davey Mays About the Ongoing Drama at The Source Magazine pt 1

Street and Industry sat down with Source founder and publisher Dave Mays to find out exactly whatâ??s going on with the self proclaimed Bible of Hip Hop and the recent takeover by Black Enterprise Magazineâ?¦

He discusses his court battle for control of The Source Magazine with The Black Enterprise/Greenwich Street Corporate Growth Fund; His Partnership With Ray â??Benzinoâ?? Scott; and His Tense Relationship With Former Source Magazine Writers and Editors

Mays offers up his side of the story and answers thye criticisms launched at him regarding unfair and shady editorial decisions and the ultimate vision, he and Benzino have for the magazine.

In this first installment mays goes into detail about the legal moves that were made against The Source and what steps he plans to take to overturn them. He is quick to remind us that he and Benzino still own 80% of the magazine.

He also goes into detail and reminds people that types of beefs that artists ranging from Cypress Hill on down to Public Enemy had with the Source during its hey day. He claims that many of the early editors were unprofessional and called out people unfairly within the pages of the magazine and that he wanted to turn that around.

He also pointed out that many of the critics who feel the Source in biased for showing love to Benzino are relatively silent about their own conflict of interests. he pointed out how many radio station deejays have side projects like promotion companies and marketing businesses which they peddle through their radio platforms.

He points out that while many are quick to criticize the Source about a relationship which is transparent and well known, they are quiet about the hidden relationships many of these popular deejays and Hip Hop icons have with labels and artists.

Mays sums up the criticism former writers have with The Source has folks being disgruntled.

Interesting to note in this first part Mays does not address the large sums of money owed to writers who penned articles for the magazine. Weâ??ll see if that unfolds in part 2

An Interview w/ Dres of the Legendary Group BlackSheep; Yes He Still Has Pull pt2â?¦

By Davey D

Dres of the legendary group Black Sheep recently swung through Oakland and blessed us with both a good show as a well as some serious wisdom and insight into the groups humble beginnings and their rise to stardom.Their debut album â??A Wolf in Sheepâ??s Clothingâ?? is considered a classic.

We sat down with this gifted emcee at a hotel in downtown Oakland as he opened up and talked about everything including his behind the scenes business dealings, his Native Tongue Family and his relationship with DITC, the groupâ??s upcoming projects and of course his love and respect for the city of Oakland.

Dres started off by talking about how he and his producer/deejay Mista Lawnge are Brooklyn natives but met in North Carolina while attending school. Lawnge was considered a whiz on the turntables and because of his size was nicknamed â??Shorty Doo Whopâ??. The pair would mostly practice together as a way to pass time. There were no immediate plans to try and record an album or anything like that.

Dres talked about the early Hip Hop scene in North Carolina and the love he had and continues to have for the state. He noted it would be great to see Black Sheep and a group like Little Brother get together and do something big.

Dres noted that things changed when Kool DJ Red Alert came through North Carolina to visit and came across Mr Lawnge who was spinning at a gig. He was so impressed that he gave Lawnge his number and told him to look him up next time he was in New York. This act inspired Lawnge to step up his game even more and when he returned to New York he took Red up on his offer and started hanging outâ?¦ He earned his stripes by doing production which led to him slowly making a name for himself in the Big Apple. It wasnâ??t long before Lawnge and Dres again crossed paths and the pair decided to hook up and form Black Sheep. The rest they say is historyâ?¦

In the second segment of our interview, Dres talks about the song Strobelight Honey. He explained that the song started out as a skit and then later evolved into a song. It was based on real life experiences involving him picking up women on a few occasions and finding out the next morning they didnâ??t look that good.

He went into detail about the creative process him and Mista Lawnge engage in when producing records. He spoke emphatically about Lawngeâ??s early techniques in which he would build upon samples and loops with subpar equipment. Mista Lawnge was described as being clever and resourceful and had a unique approach to making records that has been unmatched to this day. Dres also spoke about his impressive record collection which Mista Lawnge had which was the at the core of the groupâ??s music.

We also spoke about the high cost of production that now impacts Hip Hop artists because of sample clearances.

Hereâ??s part 2 of the StreetandIndustry.com interview with Hip Hop icon Ed Lover.

In this interview Ed talks candidly about the circumstances surrounding his recent arrest in which he was accused of assaulting a female club goer.

Ed insists that he was innocent and that he will soon have his day in court and be completely vindicated. he talks passionately about his long track record of setting positive examples in the community and notes that much of this has to do with someone targeting him because of his celebrity status. He also talks about the racial overtones connected with the case being that the victim is a white woman.

Ed spends quite a bit of time breaking down the inner workings of the criminal justice system as he relates his current situation with many brothers who he feels are locked up after being railroaded. Ed talks about becoming more involved to help change the unfairness of the system after experiencing it first hand..

Ed Lover also talks about the Jay-Z Camâ??ron battle and the current state of Hip Hop in new York. He notes that New Yorkers need to start making better records and need to recognize that Hip Hop is in full effect all around the world. he says there is no one region that controls or fully personifies Hip Hop.

Ed Lover also talks in depth about the current state of Hip Hop radio and its current format. He talks about what needs to be changed as well as his desire and goal to be a program director of a major radio station.

He concludes the interview by talking about the art of freestyling and who would win between him and Big Tigger..

Go to http://www.streetandindustry.com for more info

A Few Things to Ponder: All Rappers Bite Sooner or Later

By Davey D

By now all of us involved in Hip Hop have heard about the 2 disses Camâ??ron launched at Jay-Z. For many, the one that stands out the most is not Killa Camâ??s 7 minute song of personal attacks, but instead Camâ??s narration of the â??Iâ??m Biter Not a Writerâ?? megamix which was done several months ago.

For those who are unfamiliar, this was medley put together sometime last year that illustrates certain rhymes that Jay-Z lifted from other artists-most notably the Notorious BIG and Snoop Dogg. Camâ??ron replays this piece and with his humorous and yet stinging commentary, he left many with the impression that Jay-Z is a straight up plagiarist who creditability is shot because he violated one of Hip Hopâ??s cardinal rules â??Thou Shall Not Biteâ??.

Whatâ??s interesting about this is, if you go back to Hip Hopâ??s early days before there were any rap records and this rule was first established, you would find a lot of emcees including myself devoted more then a few lines to warning other emcees to not bite our rhymes. Coming original was paramount, but if you took some time to really examine some of our early rhymes you find we were just as guilty as Jay-Z.

Many of us reworked old mother goose nursery school rhymes. Some of us bit double-dutch rhymes from our sisters. Still others generously lifted rhymes from verbal word games that our fathers and grandfathers played including; the Dozens, Signifying Monkey and the Sinking of the Titanic to name a few. If weâ??re to really gonna be honest many of us â??borrowedâ?? and reworked choice rhymes that we heard on those early block party tapes featuring then well known and popular artists like Grandmaster Caz, Funky Four Plus One More, Mele-Mel, Cowboy, Kid Creole and the rest of the crew that made up the Furious Five MCs.

Now, many of us didnâ??t really see what we were doing as biting. Snatching lines from here and there and slightly changing it was all too common and basically seen as fair game as long as you added your own flava and didnâ??t bite an entire stanza as was the case with Sugar Hill Gangâ??s Big Bank Hank. The story of him â??borrowingâ?? Grand Master some lines from Grand Master Caz rhyme book and never giving him credit or paying him when they recorded the landmark song â??Rapperâ??s Delightâ?? is well known. But unlike Jay-Z, Hank recited an entire stanza including Grand Master Cazâ?? nickname â??Casanova Flyâ?? and passed it off as his own.

Much of this memorable verse came from Grandmaster Caz

Check it out, iâ??m the c-a-s-an-the-o-v-a and the rest is f-l-y ya see i go by the code of the doctor of the mix and these reasons iâ??ll tell ya why ya see iâ??m six foot one and iâ??m tons of fun and i dress to a t ya see i got more clothes than muhammad ali and i dress so viciously i got bodyguards, i got two big cars that definitely aint th

We take a trip through the Underground on Breakdown FM

A few Things to Ponder About Slick Rick the Ruler

by Davey D

Slick Rick is considered by many to be one of Hip Hopâ??s most colorful characters and the genreâ??s greatest storyteller. Heâ??s also considered one of Hip Hopâ??s better performers. One thing is for certain, he lived up to those glowing adjectives this past weekend when he rolled through the Bay Area to do a special show.

Unlike most so called old school acts, Slick Rick did not need to show up and be apart of an â??old school rap package that featured 10 other groups. He and he alone packed out the Mezzanine Night club in San Francisco with both a capacity crowd as well as a whoâ??s who in local Bay Area celebrities. The make up of the crowd covered damn near all the generations within Hip Hop. You saw over the over 30 and 40 crowd rolling deep in one corner. You saw the twenty-somethings in another corner. You saw some sporting fancy fur coats and big ole dookey chains from â??back in the daysâ??, while others were rocking the latest Sean jean and Roc-A-Wear. The dance floor was packed with people who gathered around b-boy and b-girl circles to watch folks pop, strut and spin on their backs. In another part of the club you saw folks doing the latest Hyphy dances.

But no matter whop they were and what they were doing, they all of them came to see Slick Rick the Ruler who did not disappoint. I had spoken with Rick the day before his show and he emphatically talked about two things that he seemed determined to address with his performance. First, he seemed annoyed that the record industry gatekeepers continue to erase and put to the back anybody who is older. Rick who is now 40 talked about how the industry has created a climate where folks feel comfortable in disrespecting Hip Hopâ??s history and its icons. He said this sort of attitude has resulted in a lot of older cats walking around pretending they are real young just to fit into the industry.

Rick also pointed out the while its important to create space and allow the newer generation to have their time in the sun, itâ??s been disconcerting to see that so many have not built upon past lessons and approaches to Hip Hop. He was specifically referring to showmanship. He spoke about how there has always been a premium on artists being able to do good shows. He says it was and continues to be critical. One was expected to put forth an effort to adorn a costume or style of dress, have a well crafted image and be able to rock the crowd. He cited Big daddy Kaneâ??s recent performance on VH1 Hip Hop Honors as an example of what Hip Hop should be striving for. However, with many of todayâ??s artists that skill set has been lostâ?¦ Rick would like to see that change.

When Slick Rick hit the stage this past Saturday night he showed everyone including veteran performers how it should be done. He broke out wearing his traditional fly outfit and adorned with mounds of trunk jewelr

Cedrick Muhammed of the Industry website StreetandIndustry.com sat down with the legendary Ed Lover who we all know and love from Yo MTV Raps, his albums and various movies including â??Whoâ??s Da Man?â??

This is an incredible two part interview in which Ed Lover talks about his rise in the business, the early days of Yo MTV Raps, his take on Hot 97 & Funkmaster Flex, the recent departure of Barry Mayo and whether or not the streets dictate Hip hop or vice versa.

This is an interview you must listen to. Part 2 will air on Wednesday.For more information check out the industry website. http://www.streetandindustry.com

â??Only Hip-Hop Can Save Usâ??

Will Hodgkinson talks to the Brazilian rapper who is helping the City of God escape its cycle of violence

Source: The Guardian

Transforming power: MV Bill

In 2000, the rapper MV Bill embarked on a tour of Brazilâ??s shantytowns. A resident of the notoriously violent Cidade de Deus (â??City of Godâ??) favela on the outskirts of Rio, Bill spent the next two years talking to teenagers from the slums about their hopes and frustrations. Out of the hundreds he spoke to, 16 stood out as being particularly articulate and interesting. Bill shot documentary footage of each one and collected their stories for a book on favela life, called Pig Head. Today, all 16 of those teenagers are dead.

â??I was doing something no reporter could ever do,â?? says Bill â?? whose real name is Alexandre Barreto â?? when I call him at his flat at the City of God. Billâ??s community was made famous by the 2002 film of the same name, which catalogued the increasingly violent effects the emerging drugs trade had on Brazilâ??s shanty-dwelling poor through the 1960s and 70s. â??When I go to the shantytowns to speak to the kids, Iâ??m one of them, so they are completely honest with me. What struck me most was the hope that they all had. I had barely got back to Rio when I started receiving calls from the mothers of the teenagers to tell me that their children had been killed. My next project was to film all of the funerals. How can I be just another rapper going â??yo yo yoâ?? after that?â??

At a time when American hip-hop is becoming a spent force, the rest of the world is waking up to the transforming power of rap. â??In the beginning, American hip-hop was great,â?? says Bill, who started rapping in 1988 aged 12 after seeing the LA gangs drama Colors. â??But because record companies were scared of the political content and ghetto commentary of bands like NWA and Public Enemy, they injected rappers with so much money that all they can talk about now is money â?? or female degradation. The record industry has emasculated hip-hop in America. But at the same time, hip-hop has become the art form for the underdogs of the world.â??

Itâ??s certainly hard to imagine an American rapper putting most of his time and money into setting up shantytown youth clubs, as Bill has done. His Cufa organisation has provided basketball courts, computers and audio-visual equipment to give favela-dwelling teenagers an alternative to drug dealing. The guest lecturers at the City of Godâ??s Cufa headquarters include the football legend Ronaldo, who has pledged half of his earnings for key matches to the initiative, and the music superstar Caetano Veloso, who spent last Christmas giving talks on how to make soundtracks for films.

Bill is both a ghetto hero and an establishment threat in Brazil. His first single, 2000â??s Soldiers of the Favela, came with a video that featured Bill standing alon

As we celebrate Dr Martin Luther Kingâ??s Birthday, peep this Hip Hop audio mix that contains various speeches including his rare seldom heard 1967 speech to radio broadcasters about the role of media. He seriously breaks down the important role urban radio played in furthering the Civil Rights struggle. Itâ??ll blow your mind when you hear itâ?¦

Native American Community Speaks Out About Clarence Ray Allen

Once again Californiaâ??s killer governor has denied clemency to a death row inmate. This time itâ??s a 76 year old disabled (blind, def and diabetes) Native American (Choctaw) man named Clarence Ray Allen. KPFA deejay Maya attended a rally held this past week in front of SF State building where the Native American community came out and spoke about Allenâ??s impending execution.

Complicating this situation is the fact that prison officials have denied Allen his last religious rites-a special Native ceremony

E-40 the Ambassador of the Bay The Nizzle that Got it to Sizzle by Davey D

We sat down the other day with one of Hip Hopâ??s most colorful characters E-40. Heâ??s not the cat who you will see spitting verses on MTV or BET everyday. You wonâ??t hear him being rocked during Funkmaster Flexâ??s mix on Hot 97 in New York. You probably wonâ??t see him gracing the cover of The Source or XXL anytime soon. But those omissions do not mean E-40 does not have a strong presence or is irrelevant to todayâ??s rap scene.

For those who donâ??t know, E-Feezy aka The Ambassador of the Bay is about to release his 12th album and has signed a nice deal with long time friend Lil Jon and his label. Heâ??s a bonafide pioneer and architect in the independent rap game. What he has done has laid down the ground work for a whole lot of cats who like to call themselves hustlers and top figure ballers.

40 aka Charlie Hustle personifies what it means to be a Hip Hop entrepreneur as he has just embarked on opening the first of ten Fat Burger franchises here in the Bay Area along with NFL player Chester McClocklin. If thatâ??s not enough, last year E-40 opened up the very successful Ambassadorâ??s Lounge night club and he has abunch of more projects on the way. Dude is definitely on a roll as he has lived up to the sound advice he freely disseminated in the song â??Rapperâ??s Ballâ??-â??Donâ??t buy an 85 thousand dollar car before you buy a houseâ??. In other words E-40 doesnâ??t rock chains he rocks houses, buildings and businesses. Heâ??s a Land Baron and Business Tycoon to the fullest.

E-40â??s presence is most strongly felt in the arena of lingo and Hip Hop dialect. For those who doubt listen closely and you will not be able to deny itâ?¦E-40 is indeed the King of Slang, as he picks up on the tradition of word manipulation that has always been a part of African American culture from the time we arrived on these shores.

E-40 is todayâ??s shining example that picks up where pioneering word architects like Cab Calloway left off when he dropped his â??Hepsters Dictionaryâ?? back in the 40s. Like Cab 40 is has helped sprinkle and popularize way too many words and phrases to name, used throughout Hip Hop. They range from gems like â??playa haterâ?? to Foâ??sheezy to â??Its All Goodâ?? to â??Itâ??s All Gravyâ??. We also canâ??t forget the â??popping collarsâ?? gesture. All these and many more have their roots in the Bay Area. So next time you hear guys like Snoop running around getting props for their slangualistics remember it was born and bred in the â??Yahâ?? with E-40 leading the charge.

Listed below is a run down of what E-40 was talking about in our recent interview..

E-40 Interview pt1

Here 40 talks about being a Bay Area Hip Hop pioneer in the burgeoning independent rap game. He talks about how he parlayed his Hip Hop business skillz into other businesses including opening the first of ten F

We continue with the second part of our interview with Bay Area artist E-40

We caught up with legendary Bay Area artists Yukmouth who talked candidly about a variety of topics.. For those who are unfamiliar, Yukmouth is one half of the Luniz. Nowadays he has a new crew called The Regime..

Yukmouth Interview pt-1

Yukmouth Interview pt-2

Yukmouth Interview pt-3

We continue with our Yukmoth interview

Yukmouth Interview pt-4

Regime Life (song) Unifying Hip Hop From Coast to Coast Explains what the G-Unit Has been trying to do and why they failed. Talks about battling Game Over (breath song) Continues talking about battling and his beefs.. Clap Your Hands (song) talks about mixtapes planting seeds and connecting to the hood materialism and how rappers rent their ice.. Yuk owns his conclusion

Still Lyte As a Rock: MC Lyte Speaks Her Mind pt 1

by Davey D

There arenâ??t enough words to describe the importance of one of Hip Hip premier emcees MC Lyte. Nor is there enough space in this column to lay out the long list of accomplishments attributed to her. One thing is certain, if thereâ??s a Hip Hop Hall of Fame, MC Lyte is definitely in it. If thereâ??s an official list that lays out Hip Hopâ??s top 20 Greatest Emcess of All-time, MC Lyte is definitely on it. When we look back and ask ourselves who made a significant difference in Hip Hop? Who changed the game? Again MC Lyteâ??s name will be front and center.

We caught up with Lyte not too long ago and spoke to her about all that she has accomplished. We talked to her about the early stages of her career when she introduced herself to the world while still a young teen with a landmark song called â??I Cram To Understandâ?? which dealt with the crack epidemicâ??. We talked to her about her evolution from rapper to actress to social activism to book author and to business owner. For those who donâ??t know, long before P-Diddy, Jay-Z or any of todayâ??s high profile mega-rich rap stars hit the scene opened up businesses, MC Lyte had her own including the Harlem Cafe restaurant and the Duke the Moon management company with former X-Clan rapper Linque.

Today Lyte now owns a female clothing boutique in North Hollywood California. Her social activism has just seen her launch a successful Hip Hop Week at Spelman College in Atlanta where she lead nightly discussions about negative images in Hip Hop and the ways in which women can change things. She appears regularly on TV shows on the WB network. Sheâ??s gotten critical acclaim for her work in the movie Civil Brand which focuses on the nationâ??s increasing female prison population. But most important of all MC Lyte is back on the scene with new music including popular new joints like â??Juke Jointâ?? and the popular DJ Premier produced track called â??The Wonder Yearsâ??. A quick listen lets anybody who had any doubts that after rocking the mic for almost 20 years this Grammy nominated emcee still has all her skillz in tact and will put heads to bed if you step to her on the mic..

Hereâ??s a brief rundown of our in-depth interviewâ?¦ We started out by laying out the long list of emcee Lyteâ??s accomplishments and we spoke about her new book which is aimed at improving the lives of teens called â??Just My Takeâ??. Lyte noted that it was important for her to set a good example and share words of inspiration with young people who are often overlooked and expected to somehow find answers to important problems on their own.

In part 2 we spoke to Lyte about the negative images found in rap and the way women are portrayed in videos. We spoke about the driving forces behind such imagery. Lyte noted that money is at the root of all this and that many executives are out to make a quick buck,

We continue with our interview with MC Lyte.. In this sgement we cover alot of topicsâ?¦Hereâ??s the run down

In Part 4 of our interview we changed focus and spoke to MC Lyte about her acting career and her social/political activism. She went into detail about the movie Civil Brand and why she felt it was important to be part of an ensemble cast that focused on the raising prison population amongst females. She wanted to help change the false perception that being criminal and going to jail was a cool thing and a rite of passage.

She also explained that Civil Brand was produced on a shoe string budget and did not have all the expensive bells and whistles that is often attached to movies. She explained that good substance was driving force behind that movieâ??s success and that rappers should borrow a page from that philosophy. She noted that over the years the music industry has stopped looking for talent and started focusing image which is not a good thing.

In part 5 of our interview MC Lyte talked about her desire to forma coalition of women to work together within the industry. Currently her and YoYo are working on re-launching The IBWC â??Intelligent Black Womanâ??s Coalitionâ??. She also talked about being a role model and the challenges she has when the industry seems to be rewarding and enticing people to go in the opposite direction. She also talked about her new projects including the new albums as well as her businesses and how they came into being.

Straight Outta Beirut-Hip Hop in Full Effect w/ Clotaire K By Davey D of Breakdown FM

For most of us the city of Beirut has an interesting connection to Hip Hop in the sense that it often mentioned in rap songs as a way to describe toughness or indicate how violent prone a particular neighborhood isâ?¦Whatâ??s so crazy is that hardly any of the rappers in the US who raise up the name of Beirut have ever traveled there and have very little knowledge of the people or its Hip Hop scene. Sadly, most donâ??t even know what country Beirut is in-which is Lebanon for those who donâ??t know.

Recently I got a chance to visit Lebanon and get the 4-11 on the politics that have come to shape this country and its music scene. First, let me say this, Beirut is an incredibly beautiful city. Before I came there I thought it was gonna be nothing but bombed out buildings and folks running around in fatigues ready to bring the drama. There are definitely those areas. And yes, you do see soldiers in the streets carrying machine guns, but other then that, the place is on fire. But itâ??s not what you think. At the height of Beirutâ??s infamous wars less then 5% of the city was impacted. Since those dark days, everything has been pretty much rebuilt. The nightlife is off the hook with clubs getting packed around 3am and closing at 7 am the next morning. Everybody is dressed with all the latest styles and are amazingly beautiful especially the women. And as I was told prior to arriving, that once I set foot in Beirut, I would not want to leave. That prediction was right. Beirut is easily the Miami Beach or Los Angles of the Middle East-Nuff said.

We sat down with well known local rapper Clotaire K who gave us the breakdown of Beirutâ??s burgeoning Hip Hop scene. Clotaire K has made major inroads with a slamming album called â??Lebaneseâ?? which has a lot politically charged lyrics rapped over boominâ?? beats.

He noted that he along with many other middle east rappers have a love for old school Hip Hop from the US, but Southern France is where he spent most of his days and is Hip Hopâ??s epicenter in that part of the world. Clotaire who spits many of his rhymes in French felt it was vitally important to include music and references reflecting his native Lebanon. The mixture is music that will not only make your head bob, but also let anyone who thinks Hip Hop begins and ends in New York or in the US, that itâ??s a new day and time.

Clotaire K explained that most people in Lebanon are influenced by mainstream US culture which is imported via TV and videos. Hence rappers like Eminem have huge following amongst the general public. During our interview Clotaire pointed out the irony of Eminem mentioning Beirut in his raps followed by gun shots, yet for all his tough talk has not set foot in the country. Clotaire K noted that if he showed up he would get lots of love from the people.

Clotaire K also spoke about to

Balance & the Beat-The New Bay Movement & Beyond By Davey D

Currently the Bay Area Hip Hop scene is on fire. The hyphy and thizz movements are dominating forces that have come to mark the musical landscape. Leading the charge is a collective of rap artists who sit somewhere between street oriented-gangsta rap that has come to be personified by popular artists like Too Short and E-40 and backpack, battle style hip hop that has come to be defined by Bay artists like Hiero, Blackalicious and Rascoâ?¦ This new school of rappers which are best represented by acts like Mister F.A.B., Frontline, Turf Talk and The Team to name a few have dubbed themselves the New Bay Movement. One of the main fixtures and one of the most vicious on the mic in this new resurgence of Bay Area Hip Hop is a cat name Balance.

We sat down and spoke with him the other day and got a run down of his long history in the game. First he explained that back in the early 90s, one could find Balance out on the block (Telegraph Ave) along with other artists in front of popular record stores in Berkeley near the UC campus selling tapes of their independently produced albums. Balance noted that on that block you would see groups like Living Legends, Safir, and members from Hiero all slanging tapes and building upon the hustling spirit and mentality laid down by Bay artists from previous generations.

In addition to throwing down on the mic, Balance keeps a day job as the main urban music buyer for Rasputinâ??s Records. He said he started working for the store he used to sell tapes in front of, so he could both better learn the industry game and help local artists who were having a hard time getting some shine.

He recalled the early days when only a few artists could land consignment deals with local retailers. It was extremely frustrating he noted and as a result a lot of artists begin selling tapes in front of popular stores. At first, the owners didnâ??t trip. They figured they had everything on lock, but as word spread that Telegraph was the place to go find the good underground Bay music, and hordes of people seemed more interested in doing business with the artists selling tapes as opposed to the store itself, retailers relented and started cutting deals.

Nowadays, consignment deals for local artists are commonplace with Balance being a central figure. He gets so many calls that his voicemail is constantly filled and heâ??s had to resort to leaving a long outgoing message explaining the consignment procedure. As of last month, the outgoing message said that he has so many requests that it was highly unlikely he could take on new product. Thatâ??s how hot the Bay is right now. Everybody is kicking out music and who knows what new hustles will be developed as more cats hit the scene.

With respect to Balance and our interview, he spoke about the New Bay Movement and how it came about. He said that it was an attempt to bring a

A Few Things to Ponder-Why is OC One of Hip Hopâ??s Most Underrated Emcees

By Davey D

Omar Credle aka O.C. is a native New Yorker who has been a fixture within Hip Hopâ??s underground scene for more than ten years. He initially made his mark by spitting a wicked verse on the song â??Fudge Pudgeâ?? put out by Organized Konfusion back in 1991. He kept people buzzing when he got busy with his stellar performances on the first Source Magazine Tour which was also in â??91. O.C. is one of those cats who has been consistent and a steadfast reminder to all who hear him, just how good Hip Hop can be when itâ??s being put out by the â??rightâ?? people.

We sat down with OC the other week when he swung through the San Francisco Bay Area to do a couple of shows and finalize some important business with his new crew the Mighty Hieroglyphics which include well known artists like Casual, Souls of Mischief, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Pep Luv to name a few. During our interview we covered a lot of ground including OCâ??s love for DITC (Diggin in the Crates Crew) and how he would go about battling his fellow emcees.

The first part of our interview starts off with OC talking about his entrance into Hip Hop. He explained his friendship with fellow Queens resident Pharaoh Monche and Prince Po of the group Organized Konfusion. He talked about how they asked him to bless the mic on one of their songs â??Fudge Pudgeâ?? which in turn garnered major response. That lead to OC being approached by MC Serch of the group 3rd Bass who later signed him to Wild Pitch Records.

From there OC later hooked up with Big L, Lord Finesse, Show Biz and Diamond D and became affiliated with the Digging In the Crates Crew, which is considered one of Hip Hopâ??s premier collectives. OC breaks down the dynamics of the various people who make up DITC. He talks about how many artists came out of that camp and went on to do bigger and better things. He also talks about Fat Joe who is also down with DITC and reminds people that long before there was a Terror Squad (Joeâ??s current crew), Joe was apart of DITC and in fact is set to return to his roots and make that a major part of his upcoming projects.

In part 2 of our interview we asked OC why he was constantly being overlooked. Many see him as one of Hip Hopâ??s most underrated rappers. He explained that he never saw himself as a superstar who could obtain the type of success and visibility like a Fat Joe or the late Big Pun. However, he noted that his low profile is only here in the US. Overseas OC is a big name superstar who is quite capable of not on selling out shows, but also out drawing many of the big name acts here in the states. For example, he spoke about the fact that in places like Paris he is very popular and could easily pack a venue like 50 cent.

He says that the scene in France reminds him of the early days of Hip Hop in the South Bronx. He says there is

We continue our discussion with OC od DITC and Hiero.. This is pt 2

Skillz Talks 2005 â??Rap-Upâ??, Annual Song Released By Nolan Strong and Houston Williams

http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/index.asp?ID=5203

Virginia rapper Skillz has gone back on his word and has recorded a 2005 â??Rap-Up,â?? despite saying that he wouldnâ??t do another installment of the lyrical year-in-review.

â??People only want to hear that song from me so why not do it?â?? Skillz told AllHipHop.com of the annual song. â??There was just so much to talk about this year. Itâ??s not like I didnâ??t have any ammo! People ask you enough times and you realize that it makes more sense to do it then not to do it.â??

Radio stations across the country have already started playing Skillzâ??s yearly song, which features the rapper reminiscing about the yearâ??s highlights in rhyme over the instrumental to Jamie Foxxâ??s song â??Unpredictable.â??

In the first minute of the song, Skillz humorously recalls incidents involving Houston, Nelly & Ashanti, Nas & Kelis, Lilâ?? Kimâ??s trial, Irv and Chris Gottiâ??s trial, Jamie Foxxâ??s Oscar and Dave Chappelle.

On one verse Skillz raps: Be for real cause Commonâ??s Be album was ill/I got sick of seeing rappers smiling showing their grills/And Eve had a porno but if you blinked it was gone/and then Suge [Knight] got shot by a dude with some pink pants on/Ciera and Bow Wow they started dating right/I mean heâ??s three feet, itâ??s no way heâ??s laying the pipe

In a previous interview with AllHipHop.com, Skillz said that he would no long record the â??Rap-Up,â?? which he started in 2002.

â??I should have shut my big mouth and not have said I wasnâ??t gonna do one,â?? Skillz told AllHipHop.com. â??People didnâ??t even bother to ask if I was doing one. They just walked up like to me [after the interview] like, â??How the hell you ainâ??t doing a rap up? Out of all the years, you pick this year to not do one?â?? So I just went in and did it.â??

The 7 minute song also makes a pointed commentary about Hurricane Katrina and Kanye Westâ??s infamous â??George Bush Doesnâ??t Like Black Peopleâ?? comments.

Bobby Brownâ??s reality show, rap beef, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, 50 Cent and Gameâ??s press conference, T. Paine, Usherâ??s movie and the Stop Snitchinâ?? phenomenon and other events throughout the year are cleverly worked into the song by Skillz.

North Carolina native DJ Chela blessed us with her turntable/ production skillz as she unloades this politically charged mix that covers everything from the War in Iraq to the recent Katrina Fiascoâ?¦

Drop her a line and let her know what you think at info@chelaonline.com.. Below is a recent interview she did with a local newspaper.

Music perpetuates a tragic cycle Lauren Harkrader is known as DJ Chela on WXDU at Duke University, where she is urban music director and has a weekly show called â??New Girl Order.â?? http://www.newsobserver.com/164/story/383791.html

THE N&O: Do you believe that hip-hop music denigrates black women?

LAUREN HARKRADER: In a lot of ways, pop music in general tries to dumb down the masses because it makes people more into a consumer and more apt to go out and buy whatever clothes and food or alcohol or cigarettes or whatever people are selling. In terms of hip-hop, what you get is a very unique situation because hip-hop originated out of the struggle of black and Latino people coming out of the Bronx, and in New York City in general in the â??70s. So in the â??80s and â??90s, it enjoyed more of a mainstream commercial success, and now in 2000, itâ??s definitely Top 40 music.

What I see as a tragedy is the misogyny and the violence and, in general, the self-destructive messages that are being applauded through the music. And thatâ??s just the commercial hip-hop music out there that is getting this exposure. Thereâ??s also a lot of other artists that do have more artistic, more thought provoking music â?¦ but donâ??t enjoy the same amount of sales as, say, 50 Cent.

THE N&O: Why would an artist like 50 Cent make this kind of destructive music? Is it all about the money?

HARKRADER: Yes, I definitely think money is a large factor, and when you look at the empire that 50 Cent has built, no one can come close to touching that right now. In whatever arena you look at, ignorance really sells, even in politics. When you also look at the other statistics in our societyâ?¦ black women being most affected by AIDS or underpaid for jobs and so many black female single mothers and young pregnancies and whatâ?¦ not you see how this situation has come into being.

Society is misogynistic, American society is patriarchal and so on, so it already sets things up. But a lot of the commercial music takes that to a higher level and really endorses it, or normalizes it, makes it something acceptable. Young, impressionable people are going to buy into that. And the whole cycle perpetuates.

THE N&O: This is something that has been an issue in all kinds of music, not just hip-hop. Do you think thereâ??s something different about hip-hop?

HARKRADER: I would definitely compare where hip-hop is right now to the big-hair rock phase of the â??80s, when the men were just very hypersexual and very destructive. And itâ??s a completely different arena and d

A Few Things to Ponder: Dilated Peoples Is Back Again in a Major Way By Davey D

One of my favorite Hip Hop groups is Dilated Peoples. I like them not because they consistently produce dope beats and flip nice rhymes. Itâ??s not because they consistently kick flows that have substance. That should be expected for a group of their caliber. What stands out most about Dilated is the passion they have for Hip Hop and the respect and love the group members Raaka, Evidence and DJ Babu have for each other.

In a day and time where so many are simply out for self and making money at all costs is the order of the day, Dilated is a breath of fresh air, because they come to the table with along term vision and commitment that looks beyond the immediate trimmings that the fickle music industry offers up.

We sat down with this LA based group in their studio who have been around putting out records since the early 90s to find out what makes them tick and why they are â??Back Againâ??.We kicked our first question to Evidence who started out being the groupâ??s main producer but has proven over the years to be one of Hip Hopâ??s better emcees, and asked him about the origin of their name-â??Dilated Peoplesâ??. Although Iâ??ve known the guys since their early days and have interviewed them at least a dozen times, Iâ??ve never asked them about the name.

Laughing, Evidence noted that he answered this question a million times, and my query was gonna make it a million and one. He explained that in the beginning him and Raaka were looking for names and debated using the name that Raaka had for his publishing company â??Expanding Pupilsâ??. The pair thought that it might be a bit heady for fans and went back to the drawing board. Longtime friend and fellow producer The Alchemist suggested with the name Dilated Peoples citing that it was a clever twist on the â??headyâ?? name they were considering. The rest they say is history.

We then turned our attention to DJ Babu who is also a member of the World Famous Beat Junkies. Raaka and Evidence refused to do our interview unless Babu was present. Their policy is all three members must be there. It â??s this sort of commitment that was appreciated by Babu who talked about the evolving role of the Hip Hop DJ, who more often then not has been relegated to playing the background. He said that one of the reasonâ??s he hooked up with Dilated is because they are down for the culture and all its facets, not just the rapping aspect. He says that all of them are B-Boys at the end of the day.

He went on to add that as a DJ he has stepped it up and gone on to develop his craft and skill set so it goes beyond just doing tracks and participating in battles. He has become a master of all aspects of deejayingâ?¦

Babu also talked about the recent move among a lot of deejays to embrace computer programs like Serrato and abandon vinyl. He says while he too uses Serrato it

A Few Things to Ponder: Dead Prez Still banging For Freedomâ?¦ By Davey D

This past weekend the Bay Area was blessed with a visit and stellar performances from dead prez. They came through to do a special concert which will be aired during Black History month on Starz TV. They also did a special fundraiser concert for the Malcolm X Grassroots Movementâ?¦

We got a chance to sit down with M1 and local Oakland based artist Ise Lyfe and talked about a number of recent situations including the execution of Crips co-founder Stanley â??Tookieâ?? Williams, the riots in France and the importance of being a good emcee.

M1 noted that he wasnâ??t surprised that Governor Schwarzenegger opted to deny clemency and execute Tookie. He said that the state wanted to send a strong message to the community which in essence stated that we will kill the people you care about and stand up for no matter what and that you best not stand beside these people or youâ??ll be next.

M1 cited Governor Schwarzeneggerâ??s criticism of the Freedom Fighters Tookieâ??s said were heroes as proof that the state is determined to eradicate our heroes and sheroes. He said that we as a community often overlook and forget things, but the state rarely does, which is why 20 -30 years after the fact they are still chasing down and persecuting former Panthers and Black freedom fighters from the 60s.

During our interview we spoke about how there are corporations that work hand in hand with the government to carry out this agenda to oppress and silence people. The radio campaign launched by Clear Channel to do a daily â??Kill Tookie Radioâ?? show in LA was one glaring example. Clear Channel in LA is now in the works to launch a â??Kill Mumia Radioâ?? show.

M1 reminded people that despite these set backs we need to build upon and remember the small victories. He pointed out that there are many including the recent decision that came down which will hopefully lead to Mumia getting a new trial.

He noted that itâ??s important that everyone start to organize and put aside differences or we will see more killings and executions. He cited one great example of the community uniting which was the Blood Nation street gang hooking up with the New Black Panther Party in New York. We talked about the significance of that and acknowledged how in the past during crucial moments in our history that people like former Panther Bunchy Carter, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed via Cointel-pro when they attempted to connect the gangs with politicized organizations. M1 talked about the original name for the Crips which was Community Revolution in progress.

During part 2 of our interview we spoke about the recent rash of police shootings and killings in New York and New Jersey. Over the past few months 9 cops have been shot. We wanted to find out what was going on when you consider that for along the police ruled with an iron fis

Recently, 20 + year veteran Randall Sullivan penned an in-depth article about the unsolved murder of the Notorious BIG. It comes in the aftermath of this yearâ??s trial which ended in a mistrial. Apparently LAPD pulled some shady shit.

Well a couple of years ago we interviewed Sullivan and former LA Police detective Russell Poole about the murders of Biggie and 2Pac. The pair had written an explosive book called â??Labyrinthâ??which talks about everything from corrupt LA cops to the inner workings of Death Row Recordsâ?¦. We figured it would be a good idea to peep the article and peep what was said during our interview..

The implications of the judgeâ??s decision extended far beyond the mystery of B.I.G.â??s unsolved murder. For months, Los Angelesâ?? most prominent political figures and police officials, along with the cityâ??s most influential media, had been insisting that this legal claim by B.I.G.â??s family was nothing more than a nuisance suit, based on an outlandish conspiracy theory that attempted to tie a group of LAPD officers - affiliated with Suge Knightâ??s Death Row Records and the Bloods gang - to not only the murders of B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, but also to the origins of the biggest police-corruption case in Los Angeles history, the so-called Rampart scandal. Yet here was one of the most respected district court judges in Southern California declaring in open court that the LAPDâ??s lead investigator on the B.I.G. murder case for the past six years had deliberately concealed hundreds of pages of documents. The contents of these pages not only supported the conspiracy theory, but also implicated the central figure in the Rampart scandal - the disgraced detective who was the source of the whole sorry, sordid affair - as one of those involved in the rapperâ??s death.

The judgeâ??s declaration of a mistrial provided one of those breathtaking moments when the facade of a Big Lie is peeled back to reveal the men behind the curtain. Suddenly, the central figures in this scandal were not the collection of corrupt police officers whose double-faced criminality has been the focus of both public and private investigations, but rather the people who hold the levers of control at the cityâ??s most powerful institutions.

Back in 2000, it looked as if all the skeletons rattling around the Rampart scandal had been locked away in deep closets. But in the spring of 2001, theories that had been discarded by both the police and the L.A. media were explored by articles in Rolling Stone and The New Yorker. Perry Sanders, the iconoclastic lawyer who would spearhead the wrongful-death lawsuit, first became involved in the case in June of that year. An attorney for murdered rap star Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Christopher Wallace, asked Sanders to read the Rolling Stone article. â??I thought there were grounds for filing a lawsuit just based on reading the story,â?? says Sanders. Because he takes cases only on cont

So over the past week weâ??ve come to see just how out of control our Commander in Chief, the President of the United States-George Bush isâ?¦

First, weâ??ve gotten disturbing stories about him authorizing the CIA to spy on ordinary citizens. Second, weâ??ve gotten to hear him arrogantly defend that practice as well as justify the lies he told that brought us into war with Iraq. If thatâ??s not enough, heâ??s pushing to get even more power via the Patriot Act which he will most likely abuse. To top everything off he actually resorted to name calling when he delivered his pathetic speech this morning (December 19 2005) by referring to his detractors and critics as defeatist.

The thing that really grabbed me was the fact that Bush kept noting that he had a right to spy on Americans and take us into war because Congress back in September 2001 voted to give him unprecedented powers to fight the war on terror. He blasted his critics and detractors for voting â??yesâ?? and now wanting to turn around and say â??Noâ??. To be honest thereâ??s not much one can say.

However, there was one person in Congress who did stand up to good â??ole King Georgeâ??. She was Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She was the lone vote in the entire house who said â??Noâ?? to Bush when he first requested his additional powers. Shortly after her lone dissenting was delivered (Sept 15 2005), she became the target of death threats and vicious news reports from all sorts of folks who decided to call her judgment and her patriotism into question. Here we are 4 years later and we can now appreciate Ms Leeâ??s wisdom and long term understanding.

After listening to Bush ramble on these past couple of days, I decided to pull out that old interview so people can hear for themselves the concerns that she was voicing and how they have all but come to fruition.

She talks about Congress not having any control to check the president. She talked about how giving Bush so much power could spin out of control. She talked about how it was important that we not act out of fear, but be measured in our response and absolutely sure about our next steps. She noted that if we make a mistake and get involved in a war thane we would have no option but to clean up our mess. Ms Lee also voiced her concern about us loosing our Civil Libertiesâ?¦

This was all expressed in an interview we did with Congresswoman Lee on Sept 17 2001. These were her first interviews and they came on Hip Hop radio showsâ?¦The interview which was pre recorded first aired on my then 106 KMELâ??s Street Knowledge show and then later on Hard Knock Radio.

Listen to all the key points Ms Lee brings up and compare them with what is going on now..

We were at San Quentin yesterday just moments after Arnold the Terminator announced that he would not be granting clemency for Stan â??Tookieâ?? Williams. We spoke with Jesse Jackson, Cathy Sullivan and later on 2Pacâ??s younger brother Candyman 187â?¦

At the time we spoke with Reverend Jackson we had no idea what Schwartznegger had written about why he denied clemency. We were shocked to learn that the governor had a problem with Tookieâ??s choice of heroes. Sounds like Arnold was looking for an excuseâ?¦ Candy man speaks to this scenario in our interviewâ?¦

Below are a couple of articles that also address this craziness including one by author Jeff Chang

On Saturday December 10, we lost one of the greatest comedians to ever bless the mic. There arenâ??t enough words to describe the genius behind Richard Pryor. Comic, movie star and social critic, he definitely changed the gameâ?¦ We put together a special tribute mix so you can truly understand why he was so greatâ?¦

Hereâ??s a few things to ponder courtesy of our good friends over at Rock and Rap Confidentialâ?¦

If Richard Pryor, who died yesterday at age 65, were alive and well and working in the limelight today, the focus would be on his language. Not on how he turned the single word â??motherfuckerâ?? into a jazz-like mother lode with which anything could be expressed, but about how heâ??s a foul-mouthed enemy of society, which evidently is so weak that the well-chosen words of an Illinois bordello boy can crumble it. This is how infantile we have allowed cultural discussion to become since Richard Pryor elevated it toward the heavens in the 1970s.

From the October 2000 issue of Rock & Rap Confidential:

â??You should not even get on stage and attempt to be funny,â?? Chris Rock said recently, â??unless you realize youâ??re never going to be as funny as Richard Pryor.â??

Anyone who doubts the truth of that statement is referred to â?¦And Itâ??s Deep Too! The Complete Richard Pryor Warner Brothers Recordings (1968-1992), a nine-CD box set just out on Rhino. Especially on the three complete concerts included, Pryor is revealed as not just the funniest man who ever lived, but an actor, a mimic, and a student of American history with few peers as well.

All of this only partially explains why millions of people love Richard Pryor so much. The rest of the answer lies in Pryorâ??s love of humanity, which he sends out both as explicit valentines and in the way he pokes savage fun at human foibles, always beginning with himself. If a guy as cool as Richard Pryor can be so fucked up and still love himself, that makes it possible for the rest of us to walk through that door with confidence, knowing that whatever private party our demons want to throw for us, Pryor will be there with us in spirit.

What gets lost in all the hoopla about Pryorâ??s brilliant routines about sex and drugs is that heâ??s also the most incisive political entertainer weâ??ve ever had. He started out as a Cosby clone, a regular guest on Ed Sullivan (thankfully, none of his early material is included on the boxed set) and was having considerable success until he decided that he was tired of being irrelevant in a world that was going up in flames.

Unlike todayâ??s phony â??politicalâ?? comedians like Bill Maher, Richard Pryor took sides. He was always with the poor against the rich. Above all, he hated the police, whom he saw as inherently vile and brutal. He could sum up complicated realities in a heartbeat: â??The Japanese sent people to UCLA and UC Berkeley. There wouldnâ??t have been no Pearl Harbo

Yesterday, (Dec 7th) we rolled up to San Quentin prison and caught up with Snoop Dogg who finally was allowed inside the walls to visit with â??Big Tookieâ?? aka Stan â??Tookieâ?? Williams.

For those who donâ??t know Mr. Williams is the co-founder of the Crips gang and was convicted of murdering 4 people 25 years ago. During his time behind bars he rehabilitated and started calling for peace and renounced his Crip affiliation. He has written a number of childrenâ??s books advocating for kids to go down the right path and to avoid gang life. So profound was his work that he got nominated for a Noble Peace prize 5 times.

One thing is certain his redemption has inspired current gang members to move in the direction of peace. He has definitely inspired Snoop Doggâ?¦

In any case we caught up with Snoop who held an impromptu press conference as he was leaving San Quentin and asked him what he thought about the whole situationâ?¦

He spoke about the spirit of Tookie and how he was moved by him. he talked about what Tookie meant to fellow gang bangers and why he would be better alive then dead. he also talked about the enormous responsibility Arnold Schwartznegger had in terms of turning down or granting him clemency. Snoop was definitely on point with his remarks.

Earlier this week fellow journalist and community activist Jasmyne A. Cannick got a chance to interview Stan Tookie Williams. He talked to her about his redemption and why he was hoping to the Governor will do the right thing and spare his life.

We play excerpts from that interviewâ?¦ You will also hear sound excerpts from Malik Shabbazz from the New Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton Jr. of the POCC and Aqeela Sherill of the Peace Warriors.. Also big shout out to author Adissa Banjoko for the commentary which is also included on here

Today December 8th the Governor of California is holding a private hearing for Tookie Williams to hear him out and will later make a decisionâ?¦

Zion I: True & Livinâ?? Holding It Down for Oakland By Davey D

When we talk about West Coast Hip Hop, oftentimes the face to it has been limited to just a few individuals like Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and more recently Game. When we start trying to expand the vision a little and look to places outside Los Angeles to regions like the Bay Area we still find a limited view. Hence, in 2005, when you say Bay Area Hip Hop, people outside the region still think of groups like Too Short or Digital Underground.

Through all this narrowcasting we as a Hip Hop community has far too often by passed the brilliance and innovativeness of the West Coastâ??s underground. In other words, everybody in LA is not a â??gangstaâ?? and everybody in the Bay Area is not â??turfed outâ?? or â??hyphyâ??. One such group that does not fit the mode and has been grinding away for the better part of 10 years is Zion I.

Over the years, group members Amp Live and Zion have taken their musical journey from Texas to Atlanta and back to the Bay Area. Theyâ??ve been signed to labels like Tommy Boy and smaller boutique outfits like Nu Groove. Theyâ??ve done everything from perform at huge anti-war rallies, teach class in some of the Bay Areaâ??s most troubled neighborhoods and do radio mix shows on rock oriented stations that found an appreciation for the drum and bass records they have occasionally released.

Through it all, Zion I although critically acclaimed has not been able to break the confines and stigma attached to being â??just another regional underground actâ?? from Bay Area. However, this time around things may be different. For starters, the group has upheld the Bay tradition by establishing their own independent record label Live Up. Second, many are saying that their latest offering â??True and Livingâ?? is their dopest album ever and will help carry them to the next level.

We sat down with group members Amp Live (producer) and lead rapper Zion to get the full 4-11 on the groupâ??s history and future plans. Here is a run down of what they had to sayâ?¦.

============================================

Zion I Interview pt1

Producer Amp Live who originally hails from Texas, talks about the first incarnation of Zion I, which was under the name Metaphor and consisted of four members. They initially formed back in the early 90s at Morehouse College in Atlanta where they went to school. He noted that back in those days the crunk sound wasnâ??t in and that the Luke-style booty shaking music associated to the south at that time was eclipsed by the large numbers of New Yorkers in the area. The result was Metaphor having more of a New York inspired Hip Hop sound as opposed to one reflective of other regions. The cool thing about Hip Hop back in those days was that it all was in one bucket. You didnâ??t have all these industry driven sub genres separating the music

Amp talked about how the group becam

Below is a breakdown of our Zion I interview pt 3-5

Zion I Interview pt 3

Here, producer Amp Live talks about the Bay Areaâ??s rap sound and how itâ??s extremely diverse. From the street oriented turf music to underground backpack, he notes that all of this is centered around Funk Music. He goes on to explain the significant role funk plays and how its long relationship to the Bay Area.

Zion expands upon these points by talking about how the Bay Area is made up of so many ethnic groups and people from all lifestyles. He notes thatâ??s going to be reflected in the music. He also noted that as a group, Zion I wants to bridge the gap between Hyphy and â??turfed outâ?? music and underground acts. He says he hates the term backpack, which is a label often, attached to groups like his.

Zion went on to explain that his group is from the old school and that they yearn for a time when it was all this was seen as Hip Hop and not divided. He says Zion I is Hip Hop and makes good Black music. He says itâ??s a challenge for the group to overcome the limiting industry driven definitions that have put the group in a box.

Amp added that he feels the group is like Outkast in the sense that they push the envelope musically and that they manage to get a little bit of everyone that includes the thugs and the back packers.

The group talks about performing at lots of community events and social justice rallies. This too sometimes results in the group being stigmatized as an act that is incapable of laying in the cuts and just kicking it. Once you get to know Zion I, youâ??ll quickly find that they really donâ??t hold up to many of these assumptions.

They explain the background to the song â??What U hearâ?? which features Del tha Funkee Homosapien. They say itâ??s a straight up Hip Hop song that took shape once Zion and Del started rapping.

Zion I Interview pt 4

Zion gives a run down about the art of emceeing. He builds upon the legacy of dope rhymesayers of the past like Hiero, Saafir, Motion Man and Living Legends. He gives props to the modern day bay spitters like Balance, MTV Freestyle finalist Locksmith and Oakland Freestyle King Mista FAB.

Zion explains that he tries not to get into battles. Instead, he wants to build with all these artists and help forge a new Bay Area coalition. Zion also talks about how a good emcee is one that brings new perspectives and styles to light.

Zion I Interview pt 5

Amp Live talks about his production style. He says that his audience appreciates the fact that he has always pushed the envelope and brought new sounds like Trip Hop and Drum and Bass to the table. He says a true musician knows no boundaries and is all about making good music. He noted that he plays the piano and often replays riffs that he many would sample.

Zion talks about the new album â??True and Livingâ?? and notes that itâ??s a re

This is a classic interview we did with Chuck D of Public Enemy back in 2000. He came through the show and dropped some serious bombs about the state of Hip Hop as was laid out in this essay called â??Death of a Nationâ?? This is one of the strongest interviews we did with Chuck. ..

Peep this and reflect as we flashback

Death of A Nation.. by â?? Davey D 9/5/00 6:54:01 AM

What more is it to say?/? I ainâ??t just talking about the â??fightâ?? at the SOURCE awards. That was just the aftermath of a condition that has been festering for the past 10 years, ever since the corporate takeover of the culture. Yeah the survey might say CHUCK D is a madman who might be bitterâ?¦ yeah whatever, but the facts are glaringly obvious. Coon-ism is dominant when it comes to the representation of black people in the new millennium; 2000â?¦ across the MF-kâ??n board. Iâ??ve seen a race of people reduced to mere reflections of highly financed and projected-like missiles from these same companies who fill themselves up with the idea of â?? itâ??s just urban marketing.â?? I look at television telling lies to my vision, the stations UPN (united plantation of niggers) and the We Buffoon network who will only blow a black face up that will make you laugh and make white society comfortable.

Iâ??m tired of hearing how successful this black person is or labeling him/her a â??geniusâ?? just because theyâ??re continuously hilarious or â?? triple-doubledâ?? themselves to represent black people in predominately white-walled boardrooms. Yes Amerikkka has finally frankensteined a morphing of what/who were previously categorized as black folk into a new race; the NIGGROâ?¦

The NIGGRO is rewarded by ignoranceâ?¦ an inner world within a country that has found the right formula for pimping the so-called culture and twisting its history.

The NIGGRO cannot show intelligence in public, even to other NIGGROES. If a NIGGRO has a degree, theyâ??re known to conceal and not reveal their intelligence â??dumbing themselves downâ?? because they think regular black folks ainâ??t feelin it.

The NIGGRO accepts almost anything that is approved by white society. Anything that thrusts itself into â??bling-blingâ?? millionaire status, even if the credibility of black folk is flushed down the token toilet.

The NIGGRO is lauded in VIBE and the SOURCE for its thug spirit, thus confusing it with rebellion and accepting illogic as an oath amongst young cats just to â??stay in touchâ?? or appear to be down. The NIGGRO follows the mentality of a 13-year-old to appear to be hip, instead of boldly leading the path for young cats to follow.

The NIGGRO twists information, saying dumb things like â??fuck it, I ainâ??t readin no newspapers cause they be lyin an shit,â?? yet will wish for the day when old school hip hop informed themâ?¦ and go no further than that.

The NIGGRO will rally if it comes riding on a po

Last month we sat down with Professor Griff of Public Enemy and chopped it up with him about the various projects heâ??s undertaking, his love for heavy metal music, the current state of Hip Hop and the business dealings and internal politics of Public Enemy.

We started off building on his love for Heavy Metal. He has a band called Seventh Octave and has been pushing a genre that he coins Ghetto Metal. Griff reminds those who seem surprised at his attraction to heavy metal because they associate it with white kids, to not be shocked and to research their history. In our interview Professor Griff talks about the roots of Rock-N-Roll. He also talks about his admiration for rock icon Jimmy Hendrix.

Griff points out how influential Hendrix was and how much of threat he was to the government. Griff talks about the Cointel-pro program of J Edgar Hoover and points out that artists like Hendrix were subjected to surveillance by the govâ??t. This is outlined in a book called â??The Secret War on Rock-N-Rollâ??.

In part 2 of our interview, Professor Griff explains his role as Minister of Information for Public Enemy and how he has expanded that concept to now start educating children. He has developed a childrenâ??s CD which he hopes will counter the onslaught of pornographic like content being marketed to them daily by major corporations.

Griff also lets us know about his collaboration with rap star Doug E Fresh, where the pair are currently developing a curriculum called â??The New Ankhâ?? so parents can have useful tools to help educate their kids.

Griff also talks about Shakaras which he describes as wheels of light and 7 points on the body affected by vibrations and frequencies. He talks about the different types of shakaras and how they impact are intellect as well as our base desires. He goes into detail and breaks down how different sounds will uplift us, stimulate our intellect or get us to respond animalistically.

In part 3 of our interview Professor Griff talks about the significance of the Million More Movement. As we reflected upon the dayâ??s events, Griff talks about the importance of bringing everyone from gays on down to pimps and thugs to get the message and that hopefully people will take to heart and start building.

One of the more fascinating parts of our discussion is when Griff reveals the inner workings, business dealings and politics behind Public Enemy. For example, he talks about how Public Enemy on paper is Chuck D and Flavor Flav and that the rest of the members are signed to one of those two parties. Payment is distributed via the person you are signed under. Griff talks about how the new sampling laws economically impacted the group retroactively. Griff concludes this segment by talking about his new book which deals with the music industry. He explains that he wrote it after being approached once too many times at nightclubs or in grocery stores by ca

DJ Muggs is a True Grandmaster by Davey D

DJ Muggs is one of those cats who have done a lot but itâ??s not really realized until you sit back and start to add everything up. Once you do then you truly understand that Muggs is a force to be reckoned withâ?¦ In other words heâ??s a true Grandmaster

Letâ??s take a brief look. First you have a guy who was a member of one of the first west coast rap acts to have a major record deal. How many of yâ??all remember the group 7A3? You get extra bonus points if you can recall the other 2 guys Brett and Sean B? No slight on them but Muggs is the man we all know in 2005.

Next we have Muggs doing demo tapes for one of Hip Hopâ??s first bonafide Latin rap superstars-Mellow Man Ace. In our interview Muggs talks about how he helped Mellow land his first record deal.

Later we have Muggs teaming up with B-Real and Mellow Manâ??s Aceâ??s brother Sen Dog to form the landmark group Cypress Hill. Not enough can be written about this group which went on to put out 12 albums and helped redefine Hip Hopâ??s musical landscape.

Later on we have Muggs hooking up to do stuff with House of Pain. How many of yâ??all remember that big hit â??Jump Aroundâ??? That was Muggs who created that joint.

Muggs also went on to help make a big hit for Ice Cube â??Check ya Self Before You Wreck Yourselfâ??. He also made noise with his group The Soul Assassins. People may recall the two albums they released that was full of rap luminaries.

If thatâ??s not enough heâ??s made a major mark in this new music craze we call Mash Ups which mixes Rock and Rap in ways that we never thought possible. Through intricate production and wild imagination, Muggs makes Ludacris sound like he really went in the studio with a rock group like Tool.

All this is just the tip of the iceberg. Muggs has produced slamming tracks for damn near everyone ranging from KRS-One to Dr Dre. Currently he along with his partner Chase Infinite from the group Self Scientific head up a new record label called Angelis Records which seeks to fill a void and bring Hip Hop back to a day and time when it was raw, gritty and captivating. The first release off the new label venture is a slamming album called Gza vs. DJ Muggs-Grandmasters.

Muggs noted that he always wanted to produce tracks for GZA and lay down some beats that would further highlight the skillz possessed by one of Hip Hopâ??s dopest emcees. Trust me, Muggs delivers as does GZA.

In our interview with Muggs, he gives us a rundown about his early days in the business. He also talks to us about his love for Rock-N-Roll and why he started doing â??Mash Upsâ??. He explains that he comes from the school where Hip Hop was inspired by rock. He goes on to cite numerous examples including Run DMCâ??s collab with Aerosmith to do redo â??Walk this Wayâ??.

He also gives the origin of the term â??Mash Upâ??. He acknowledges

This is part 2 of that incredble interview w/ former LA gang member/community activist Twilight Bey.. As was mentioned in pt 1, this is probably the realest interview you will ever hear about gang life, the efforts to bring about peace and the role police and other outside forces played in disrupting the progress undertaken by those who were on the frontline trying to make a better tomorrowâ?¦

Stepping Into the Hip Hop Arena w/ Linkin Parkâ??s Mike Shinoda and Fort Minor By Davey D

We caught up with Mike Shinoda who many of you know as the lead rapper for the group Linkin Park. He has embarked on a new project which allows him to completely focus on Hip Hop called Fort Minor and their new album called â??Rising Tidesâ??.

Shinoda deliberately downplays his name in connection to this project even though this is his idea and concept. He says this is being done so that fans will focus on and judge the project strictly on the merits of its music. In fact, he went so far as to scratch out his face on much of the artwork. He also noted that he wanted not dilute what they he does as a member of Linkin Park. Ideally people needed to see Fort Minor as a separate project even though Mike is the lead rapper and he works with the groupâ??s deejay Mr. Hahn.

Shinoda starts off the interview by reminding us of his long connection to Hip Hop. He notes that he was doing Hip Hop long before he became a member of Linkin Park. In fact he was kicking up dust with the members of the underground rap group Styles of Beyond who he recently signed to his label and are prominently featured in the Fort Minor project.

Shinoda also talks about growing up and being taught how to play piano. He says he later went on to transfer that skill set to sampling and producing. He notes that over the years he and fellow band member Mr. Hahn have developed a technique for producing Hip Hop songs which includes the pair making their own samples which they press onto vinyl and now CD and replay back. He notes this approach gives them the sound and style they want while at the same time saves them lots of money on sample clearances.

Shinoda talks about the reason he decided to do this Hip Hop album minus Linkin Park. For many, this seemed a bit strange considering that the group did a Hip Hop oriented remix album for their landmark album â??Animationâ??.

Shinoda explained that the group is not in anyway broken up; however he felt that there were a number of ideas that he had related to Hip Hop that simply would not be appropriate for Linkin Park. He said he would never want to do songs that would not include input from all the members and some of the songs on the â??Rising Tideâ?? album are just too personal. It would be unfair to ask everyone to comment or pitch in.

Shinoda cites the song â??Kenjiâ?? which brings to light his Japanese heritage and his familyâ??s history. Many of us were not aware that Shinodaâ??s grandparents were forced to spend several years in California internment camps during World War II. They way he breaks things down in this track is absolutely incredible and it is easily one of the most political oriented songs I have heard in a long time.

Shinoda talks about other songs on the album including â??Cigarettesâ?? which he describes as a long metaphor for the way Hip Hop mu

Former LA gang member Aqeela Sherrills was instrumental in the historic 1992 gang truce between the Crips and Bloods in the aftermath of the Rodney King Uprisings.

In this interview he gives us a serious breakdown and understanding of what LA gang members are going through, how they see the situation surrounding Tookie and the on going efforts to bring about peace in the hood.

Sherrill who is cited in Jeff Changâ??s Hip Hop history book â??Canâ??t Stop Wonâ??t Stopâ?? explains that he is runs a pro gang agency and expounds upon the fact that gangs have come to be surrogate parents for many over the years. He notes that many gang members are victims to larger enemies and societal ills like poverty and abuse at home.

Aqeela talks about the abuse he suffered at the hands of an older brother who molested him. He explains that violation was something he picked up in prison and it resulted in Aqueela lashing out and becoming a hardened gang member himself. He talks in depth about the concept of reverence and healing and that a lot of work is needed to heal the deep wounds that have been inflicted by this country by those who live in the inner city.

In this interview Aqeela talks about the economy of the hood and how there are a number of new laws put in place under â??Operation Nutcrackerâ?? designed to cripple and undermine the legitimate efforts being made by reformed gang members to gain an economic foothold. He talked about how gang members who get released from prison after serving a 10-15 year bid are suddenly hit with a 70-80 thousand bill from the government for child support. Anyone who owes more than 5gs in child support is limited in where and when they can travel.

Currently reformed gang members have opportunities to do businesses with third World countries like Ghana and in places throughout South America. These are the results of programs and efforts put forth by people like Harry Belafonte. Very few reformed gang members are able to take advantage of those opportunities.

Aqeela talks about the types of terrorism that has been going on in South Central by the police, including unresolved murders and drive bys designed to break the gang truce and spark war between various sets.

Aqeela goes into depth about the gang scene in LA and the type of influence Tookie Williams is perceived to have. He explained that Tookie only became known to younger Crip gang members after the movie â??Redemptionâ?? starring Jamie Foxx. He noted that the movie falsely depicts Tookie has being a shot caller to Crips on the streets of LA when that in fact is not the case. Aqueela explains that there is no central leadership amongst the LA gangs and that Crips kill Crips and Bloods kill Bloods and that in some of the larger sets you have warring divisions. He also broke down the type of organizational structure that has existed in gangs back east and in Chicago versus what goes on in Cali. He

A Few Things to Ponder: How the West Was Won By Davey D

We got a chance to sit down with two of Hip Hopâ??s most influential yet over looked figures-The Egyptian Lover and the Arabian Prince. Many people donâ??t realize that these two guys were part of a much larger LA deejay/ Hip Hop seen that was coming into prominence during the late 70s early 80s.

Egyptian Lover along with fellow pioneers like Roger Clayton and Uncle Jammâ??s Army were working four turn tables, doing all sorts of deejay tricks and adding a whole lot of showmanship to their craft. They were throwing huge parties at places like the LA Coliseum and laying down the building blocks for what would later be Caliâ??s vibrant Hip Hop scene.

Itâ??s important to note that Egypt started out as a deejay and not as a rapper. Egypt explains that like his east coast counterparts Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, he too was working the early drum machines/ beatboxes and making record specifically to enhance his booming parties.

Egyptian Lover talked to us about the early days of LA and how cats grew up and were influenced by artists like Prince and Kraftwerk. His love for Prince is what influenced the sexually charged music. Thatâ??s why he did songs like â??Girlsâ??, â??My Beat Goes Boomâ?? and â??Freak-A-Holicâ??. His love for Kraftwerk is what moved him the direction of what we now call Electro-Funk. This admission is eye opening because many folks outside of Cali automatically assumed that Egypt and Uncle Jammâ??s Army came up trying to be like Afrika Bambaataa who introduced us to Electro-funk via his classic song â??Planet Rockâ??. Egypt noted that such was not the case and that he has met him once and wished that the pair had teamed up to do music because they wouldâ??ve developed an entirely new sound. LA had itâ??s on thing going.

The Egyptian Lover gives us the run down in this interview

Arabian Prince is probably one of West Coast Hip Hopâ??s overlooked figures. Raised in Inglewood long before we heard of Mack 10, this well known deejay was putting it down in the late 70s and early 80s all the way up through the late 80s when he was a member of one of the most influential groups in Hip Hopâ??s history NWA. So in other words Arabian prince was a pioneering figure in Hip Hopâ??s electro-funk movement as well as pioneering figure in Hip Hopâ??s gangsta rap movement. A quick look at his track record will show you that he produced landmark tracks for everyone ranging from JJ Fad to Bobby Jimmy and the Critters as well as NWA.

In our interview Arabian Prince talks about how he was a perfectionist who preferred to stay behind the scenes so he could be creative. He talked about the early LA Hip Hop scene and how it was centered on large deejay crews like Uncle Jammâ??s Army and the World Class Wrecking Crew which was home to Dr Dre. He talks about how the crews would battle and how everyone had to come with their A game.

He also talks about how the and why early LA Hip Hop was merged with New Wave and Punk in the early 80s. He also reaffirms what Egyptian Lover spoke about regarding who and what influenced the early west coast scene. He says it was definitely Kraftwerk and specifically to compliment the type of dance vibe that was going on in the hood. Arabian Prince concludes his interview by explaining why he left NWA and took his creativity and love for music to another level. He currently programs popular video games.

This is an incredible interview that just begins to open the doors about the rich history of West Coast Hip Hop.

In light of the Tookie Williams case, we decided to pull out an old interview we did with former gang member Twilight Bey who speaks about the ins and outs of gang life and culture and the way outside forces like the police impact day to day lifeâ?¦ Twilight was the inspiration for Anna Deavere Smithâ??s award winning play/documentary on the LA Riotsâ?¦

This is probably one of the realest and most insightful interviews you will ever hear.. It first aired April 29 2002 on the tenth anniversary of the LA Riots/Uprisingâ?¦

Below is a transcript of that interview

The LA Uprising 10 Years Later by â?? Davey D & Twilight Bey 4/30/02 12:05:18 PM Davey D: Ten years ago the city of Los Angeles erupted in reaction to the acquittal of 4 white police officers who were on trial for the beating of Rodney King. More then 50 fires burned throughout LA as all sorts of people looted stores. Numerous people were killed and hundreds were injured The National Guard was called in. A state of emergence was declared and all sorts of drama unfolded. One of the underplayed stories surrounding the LA Uprisings was the resulting Gang Truce. First it was between the Crips and Bloods and the truce later spread between rival Mexican Gangs.

Today we are talking to one of the key people who was deeply involved in all thisâ?¦ His name is Twilight Bey a former gang member who was the inspiration for a play and a documentary by Anna Deavere Smith about the LA Uprisings called Twilight LA. First of all welcome to our show. Second lets acknowledge that you donâ??t like to refer to April 29th as the 10-year anniversary of the Rodney King verdict. Instead you prefer to say, this is a 10-year Progress Report.

Twilight: Exactly

Davey D: Well that makes sense because apparently there is still a lot of work to be done. Letâ??s go back into time for people who donâ??t know. We have a lot of listeners who are 18-19years old who were real young when all this went down. Many donâ??t have a complete understanding as to why and how LA erupted. What led up to the LA Uprisings of April 29 1992?

Twilight: Well in Los Angeles for quite some team, people had been subjected to various levels of police brutality. As for me I too had been a victim of police brutality on several occasions as a teenager growing up in Watts. I can remember going back to a time when I was 15-16 years of ageâ?¦ Iâ??m 32 now. Back then me and my friends would be walking down the streets and the police would come through tripping. After each incident we would find ourselves saying â??You know one day this place is going to blow up because people are getting tired of this.

Davey D: When you say â??the police were trippingâ??, exactly what do you mean? What sort of abuse were you guys dealing with?

Twilight: One of the things that would always happen is they would stop you and ask you â??what gang are you from?â?? If you told them y

Some things to Ponder: Going Beyond Conventional Wisdom with Def Jux.. A Conversation w/ Mr. Lif By Davey D

Within Hip Hopâ??s underground are 4 rhyme collectives that have had major impact and left their mark all over the world. Weâ??re talking about sold out shows, huge international followings, self contained entities and thriving businesses that are rivaled by none. One can not ignore the accomplishments of groups like Living Legends out of the Bay Area and LA, The Rhymesayers out of Minneapolis, MN, The Mighty Hieroglyphics out of Oakland and of course the Def Jux Family out of NY.

When you look at all these aforementioned groups one thing you have to give them props for is filling a major void in the increasingly commercialized Hip Hop landscape. They create music for their fans minus the influence of radio and major label politics that usually pressure artists to create music that fits into some grandiose marketing program.

These collectives have pushed the musical envelop and havenâ??t limited themselves to following the 3 verses and a hook format, or the sex and violence themes that so many major labels and commercial radio seemingly insists on. Despite conventional wisdom pushed forth by gurus within the recording industry these groups have discovered that they actually can move units and sell out shows by doing what they like best. Just talk to groups like Hiero who clear the million mark each year or Definitive Jux who we recently sat down with, who hit the two million mark last year.

These underground rhyme collectives have done well for themselves by establishing their own tours and going to places other then the usual haunts of New York and LA. In fact one might say it was because of these groups that we now know there are vibrant Hip Hop markets in places like Boise, Idaho, Tempe, Arizona or Albuquerque, New Mexico. We wonâ??t talk about the inroads these groups have made internationally. Nor will we talk about the online marketing and merchandising campaigns which are now being emulated by many of the major labels that once shunned them.

Itâ??s great to see such groups do well because their approach to making inroads is in such stark contrast to the conventional wisdom put forth by mainstream industry folks. These groups take time out to actually build and engage their fans. Their all about trying to make good music for the love of the art and not for the dictates of an expensive industry marketing campaign thatâ??s designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

I recall this heated conversation I had with one high ranking major label executive a couple of years ago. This particular executive was upset with me when he discovered that I was playing two songs off the then new Usher album in heavy rotation. He berated me for not getting behind the labelâ??s campaign which had them pushing the song â??Burnâ??. I tried to explain that my listeners were really felling

We caught up with El-P who is the chief producer and founder of Def Jux records. He speaks about how the label was started and his philosophy behind creating good music that fills a void within Hip Hop.

We also talked about the new attacks on sampling and how the music industry pimps this concept of â??intellectual propertyâ?? to the point that it stiffles creativityâ?¦ El-P notes that industry greed and their collective lack of long term vision will result in their clamp downs backfiring on them..

EL-P-producer, Rapper-Founder of Def Jux gives a full breakdown and lets us know whats upâ?¦

This past Saturday, November 19th close to a thousand people showed up in front of the gates of San Quentin Prison for the Save the Peacemakerâ??s Rally. This was despite the fact that prison officials shut down the roads so those attending the rally would have to walk almost half a mile to get to the rally site. Thank God for bay Area rap star JT The Bigga Figga who got hold of a van and started shuttling throngs of people to the rally cite.

If that wasnâ??t enough, prison officials attempted to set off beef between activists and other inmates by completely shutting down inmateâ??s visitor hours at the last minute for the entire weekend and then blaming it on the â??Save Tookie Rallyâ??â?¦Fred Hampton and Snoop were supposed to visit with Tookie that day but prison officials killed that as well..

Nevertheless people showed up in masse and made sure that their voices were heard loud and clear in their opposition to the death penalty and especially as it would be applied to Noble Peace Prize nominee and convicted murder Stanley Tookie Williams.

Among those who spoke were Rally organizer Barbara Bechnal who introduced Snoop Dogg.. She spoke about all the things Snoop has done in terms of keeping his word about attending the rally and doing a song â??Real Soonâ?? with Daz, Kurupt band Jamie Foxx for Crip Gang founder Tookie Williams.

When Snoop spoke he explained how Tookieâ??s turnaround about 10-11 years ago inspired him to re-examine his life and step things up. He noted that the biggest change came when Snoop started a football league for young people.He said that Tookie inspired him to reach out and be more real with people and to move onto hire ground. It should be noted that Snoop was the main architect behind the the West Coast peace Summit held earlier this year

Fred Hampton Jr of the POCC reminded the crowd that San Quentin is the place where they killed political prisoner George Jackson and that the irony of the crowd coming to prevent the execution of a peace maker should not be lost on folks. He noted that the system is out to get us all no matter what we do and the best way to combat it is through organized resistanceâ?¦

Lastly T-Kash of the FNV spoke and laid down some immediate steps that one can do including writing the governor and calling him. He gave out the phone number and told people to memorize itâ?¦ He also asked those in the media to donate time and space to this story and cited the efforts he puts forth on the Friday Nite Vibe show as an example. T-Kash has changed the name to Save Tookie Radio

T-Kash later introduced a number of young people and ex gang bangers who shared their life changing experiences after becoming aware of Tookieâ??s workâ?¦

Special thanks to Dev and Maya of KPFA for the audio feeds and Felix of Indymedia and T-Kash for the flicks

We continue our interview with Hip Hopâ??s Father-DJ Kool Herc. Here in part 2 he breaks down which legendary rappers would be on his all-time dream team.. One of the more interesting choices is Pebbly-Poo who was down with Masterdon and one of Hip Hopâ??s first dominating female figures. Herc also explained how Pebbly-Poo was so dope that he made her a part of the Herculoids.

Herc really goes into depth about the Sugar Hill gang and the controversy surrounding group member Big Bank Hank. He talks about how Hank lived in the same neighborhood with him and that he tried not to get involved with the beef GM Caz had with him over the rhymes Hank bitâ?¦

Herc also spoke about the way many media outlets exploit Hip Hop. he noted how he has been treated over the years and how ironic that he and other pioneers can be in a large city that has a radio station focusing on Hip Hop but he is rarely invited to come on those airwaves. Herc says his treatment is very different overseas where people have a much bigger appreciationâ?¦

Kool Herc concludes the interview by talking about his personal life. He explains his love for basketball and how he was really good until he messed up his ankle.

He also talks about his kids and how his young son may one day wanna get into Hip Hop. Heâ??s now coming of age where he recognizes who his father is..

Hip-hop stars rally to save `Big Tookieâ?? from execution By Davey D

With less than three weeks remaining before the scheduled Dec. 13 execution of Crips gang founder turned childrenâ??s advocate Stan ``Tookieâ??â?? Williams, some of the biggest West Coast hip-hop stars are stepping up and speaking out on his behalf.

Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger will join hundreds of other activists on Saturday outside San Quentin at the Save the Peacemaker Rally for Williams, who was sentenced to death in 1981 for killing four people in two Los Angeles robberies.

Those taking part will be able to get the new compilation album ``Redemptionâ??Hip Hop United 2 Save Stan Tookie Williams,â??â?? featuring dead prez, Paris, T-Kash, Frontline, Boo Ya Tribe, WC, Jt the Bigga Figga and Bicasso of Living Legends, to name a few.

Snoop, who headlines the event, may be joined by the Bay Area rappers who came out last week for a screening in the Bayview section of San Francisco of ``Redemption: The Stan `Tookieâ?? Williams Story,â??â?? an award-winning cable TV movie about Williamsâ?? life starring Jamie Foxx. Snoopâ??s participation on Saturday will come as a welcome boost for many whoâ??ve been wondering why more ``gangstaâ??â?? rappers of his stature arenâ??t speaking out about Williams.

Daz and the Dogg Pound also have dedicated their new song and video ``Real Soon,â??â?? featuring Jamie Foxx and Nate Dogg, to ``Big Tookie,â??â?? who has garnered several Nobel Peace Prize nominations while on death row.

Snoop, Daz and the rest of the Dogg Pound camp are encouraging people to deluge Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerâ??s office with letters and petitions.

Recently, longtime rapper and former Ice Cube protege Kam gave us his perspective on how the law enforcement and penal systems deal with Los Angeles gang members, whether reformed or not.

Kam alleged that, after the Bloods and Crips laid down their arms and often-fatal grudges to implement a historic peace accord in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King riots, corrupt members of the Los Angeles Police Department tried to undermine that calm and incite gang violence.

The unwillingness of the authorities to recognize and support the peace initiative is one reason, Kam said, the he is not surprised the government has refused to overturn Williamsâ?? death sentence.

Kam, who spends much of his time inspiring young people in South L.A. to turn their lives around, has written moving songs about the peace effort, including the classic jam ``Peace Treaty.â??â?? Arguing that Tookieâ??s redemption is troublesome for a system that seeks to keep black people divided and confused, Kam says many within the system fear Tookieâ??s influence and example.

This week, Daz released a statement urging the black and hip-hop communities to stand up for Big Tookie. ``God puts opportunities in our midst to test us and challenge us to see if we are wil

In celebration of Hip Hop History month,we sat down with the father of Hip Hop music and culture the legendary Kool Herc.

He gave us an indepth run down of Hip Hop in the early days. He speaks about the early party scene and talks about how he and sister Cindy made history when they threw a back to school party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx.

He talks about how he used to be a grafitti artist and how his sister had his back and sheilded him from the wrath of his strict father who wouldâ??ve whupped that butt if he knew his son was defacing New York City property.

Kool Herc also lets us know that Hip Hop did not start in the South Bronx as is often erroneously reported. Herc never lived in the South Bronx, he lived in the West bronx which is a totally different area.

In this interview Kool Herc talks about his Jamaican background. He talks about how he grew up in the same township as Bob Marley and he explains how and why Jamaican culture is an important root within Hip Hop.

One important aspect of Jamaican culture Herc speaks to us about is the sound system. In this interview he talks about the type of equipment he used and why he named it the Herculords.

What was really fascinating in this sit down, was hearing Herc go into detail about the different clubs and parties he threw. He describes the clientele which ranged from some of New Yorkâ??s most notorious sharp dressing mob type gangstas to high school kids from the projects around the way.

Herc gives us a run down of his playlist and talks about his approach for keeping the crowd satisfied. He speaks about his early deejay battles most notably with Pete DJ Jones. He also talks about the importance of funk music and bands like the Incredible Bongo Band.

Herc cocncludes this first segment by talking about Hip Hopâ??s early emcees including his own crew member Coke La Rock. Herc also talks about his other crew members including Timmy Tim.

Below is a recent interview/ article penned with Kool Herc by Bay Area scribe Eric K Arnold

Living Legend Kool Herc still brings the noise for b-boys. By Eric K. Arnold http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2005-09-14/music/close2thaedge.html

Itâ??s not every day you get to talk to the Creator. For a hip-hop fan, conversing with DJ Kool Herc - if not the spiritual father of hip-hop, then certainly a crucial messenger - is like riding shotgun with Jesus, breaking bread with Allah, or bowling with Buddha. Encountering Herc (aka Clive Campbell) is an enlightening, near-religious experience analogous to ancestor worship, with one key difference: The ancestor is still living.

Furthermore, heâ??s still spinning. Plenty of deified DJs have graced the booth at SFâ?

We sat down with former LA Crip Gang member turned rapper Brother Kam. Many of you may recall him as one of the first artists to sign up under Ice Cubeâ??s Street Knowledge Record label.

Kam gave us an in-depth perspective on how the system works especially when it comes to dealing with LA gang members wether they are reformed or not. He says that the end game is to keep people wherehoused and to not rehabilitate them.

He speaks about why LA Crip founder, Tookie Williams, a Noble Peace Prize nominee who is currently scheduled to be executed on December 13th is feared. Kam says his wisdom and ability to turn his life around and survive in the belly of beast has been troublesome to a government and system that seeks to keep Black people in a constant state of confusion and disarray.

He goes deep and explains how the government worked night and day to undermine the 1992 Peace Treaties which came about in the aftermath of the Rodney King Uprisings.

Kam explains how organizations ranging from the Nation of Islam to Bloods and Crios to ViceLords and El-Rukins in Chicago are honeycombed with agents who are there to disrupt.He talks about how many of these agents specialize in behavior science and they honed their skillz during the cold war when they were undermining soviet sponsored governments. He says after the cold war, many of those agents returned home and have been assigned to inner cities.

Kam also talks about why we have not seen or heard from more rappers who like to claim Crip and LA gang culture in their music, but have remained silent around the campaign to save Tookie. He talks about how many artists and entertainers can be brought off for a few peices of silver and the opportunity to be famous.

Kam concludes the interview by speaking about why it is important for everyone who is righteous to link up and get organized. he notes that our enemies although wicked are extremely organized. He also cautions us to not try to out Devil the Devil, but to stand for truth.

Below is an article detailing Mondayâ??s march across the Gretna Bridge in New Orleans. The audio is Cousin Jeff from BET Television as he and many others are walking across the bridge.

Earlier that morning we spoke with Jeff and he explained that there was the threats of arrests. The marchers had already been kicked off the grounds of the New Orleans Convention Center where they had agreed to gather prior to marching.

Marchers protest blockade of evacuees after Katrina Activist: â??The world needs to know what happenedâ?? Tuesday, November 08, 2005 By Matthew Brown West Bank bureau

www.nola.com/news/t-p/metâ?¦215490.xml

Activists from New Orleans and throughout the country marched across the Crescent City Connection on Monday to protest the blocking of the bridge after Hurricane Katrina. It had been blocked by West Bank law enforcement agencies who viewed fleeing New Orleans residents as potentially dangerous looters.

Singing the civil rights anthem â??We Shall Overcome,â?? about 80 activists crossed the bridge to the West Bank under police escort after a rally in front of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where thousands of displaced city residents languished for days after the hurricane with little food or water.

â??What happened here showed the old way of doing business in the state of Louisiana is alive and well,â?? said protester Malik Rahim of Algiers, 58, a former Black Panther and co-founder of the New Orleans social justice group Common Ground. â??The world needs to know what happened.â??

Several days after the storm, crowds began to cross the Mississippi River bridge after New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin promised that buses were waiting on the West Bank.

But many people were turned back. Reacting to reports of widespread looting and violence in the city, police from Gretna, the Crescent City Connection and the Jefferson Parish Sheriffâ??s Office blocked the bridge and fired warning shots over the heads of those who resisted.

Most of those fleeing were African-American. That roiled political activists who view the violence and despair seen at the Superdome and Convention Center as a consequence of social and racial disparities.

Officials who instigated the blocking of the bridge contend that charges of racism are overblown and off the mark.

And in the chaos that pervaded the metropolitan region in those first days after the storm - a New Orleans police officer had been shot in the head near the West Bank entry to the bridge, and two days later the Oakwood Center mall was set on fire by looters - they say extreme measu

We caught up with Cousin Jeff of BET the other night and got his take on the upcoming [Monday Nov 7th] march to the racist city of Gretna. For those who are unfamiliar, Gretna was the town outside of New Orleans that many stranded in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina attempted to go to escape harm. Sadly the racist sheriff along with the towns people playing the role of vigilantes fired shots at the evacuees and made them turn around and go back to New Orleans which was flooded.

We also caught up with former Vermont Governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean and asked him his thoughts on the upcoming marchâ?¦

We sat down w/ DJ Mr Choc of the World Famous Beat Junkies and Power 106 in Los Angeles and picked his brain about the challenges he faces as being one of the countryâ??s premier and influential deejaysâ?¦ We spoke about everything under the sun including the history and legacy of LA DJS, the underground vs mainstream and how one stays competitive in an industry that takes no prisoners

We caught up with Montreal based Euphrates to break bread with one of the most politically charged rap groups to hit the scene since Public Enemyâ?¦ Lead rapper Narcy and producer Butter Beats give the rundown on the Hip Hop scene in Montreal, life in the Middle East, the attempts to unite the Brown nation and their opposition to the unjust war in Iraq.. Incredible interview and incredible musicâ?¦ these guys bring the heat

Brother J, lead rapper of the legendary group X-Clan is back on the scene.. He speaks out on Hip Hop and politics, the legacy of the Blackwatch Movement and the challenge of staying relavent in todayâ??s climate..

We continue our conversation with Canadian based rapper Knaan who has just released his new album â??The Dusty Philosopherâ??...here he talks about life in the mean streets of Somalia and what 2Pac meant to him and his young comrads in Africa. ..His partner Sol Guy explains how his 4 Real series is being played all around the world except in the United States..

This is a mix we put together with sounds taken from Mondayâ??s protest in front of the White House where dozens of people including Professor Cornel West and activists Cindy Sheehan got arrested.. They didnâ??t really give you the full depth of what went down on the news.. but we did-Hip Hop style so enjoyâ?¦

We caught up with old school rap legend Dana Dane who takes us down memory lane about his career and what it was like being an original member of the famed Kangol Crewâ?¦ Dana also talks about the art of emceeing and being a good story teller

Jahi originally from Cleveland nows makes noise overseas in Denmark. he expresssed major frustration at only being able to get a little bit of news via CNN and Fox about the Hurricane victims. He knew what he was seeing was falseâ?¦ He decided to record a song addressing the issueâ?¦

Big Sty made noise a couple of years ago with a song called â??Itâ??s a Problemâ?? here he took swipes at everyone from Ja Rule to Suge Knightâ?¦This time we get a softer side of this ATL rapper as he takes major swipes at George Bush in a song called â??Cry 4 Usâ??

We sat down w/ Blastmaster KRS-one on the eve of his 40th birthday and set it off with a spirited debate and discussion about the concept â??I am Hip Hopâ??... We started off by talking about what it means to be 40 and still be involved with Hip Hopâ?¦

We caught up with Rosa Clemente who is now leaving New Orleans and Baton Rouge after her arrest this past wednesday night.. She is doing ok.. but has alot to say about whats really going onâ?¦

Hereâ??s part 3 of this rare unreleased interviewâ?¦ This interview was conducted back in 1991 just around the time 2Pac finished filming Juice.. he touches upon alot of topics ranging from police brutlaity to politics and get this he even talks about a future bi-coastal war if Hip Hoppers donâ??t check their egosâ?¦.

Hereâ??s pt 2 of this 3 part interview with the late 2Pacâ?¦.

This interview was conducted back in 1991 just around the time 2Pac finished filming Juice.. he touches upon alot of topics ranging from police brutlaity to politics and get this he even talks about a future bi-coastal war if Hip Hoppers donâ??t check their egosâ?¦.

This interview was conducted back in 1991 just around the time 2Pac finished filming Juice.. he touches upon alot of topics ranging from police brutlaity to politics and get this he even talks about a future bi-coastal war if Hip Hoppers donâ??t check their egosâ?¦.

Mos def comes with a wicked remake of the Juvenileâ??s hit song Nolia Clapâ?¦ Mos gives this song some much needed political substance and even takes some shots at Bono and U2 for being absent when the gehetto really nneeds their Live 8 helpâ?¦

hereâ??s a radio friendly version of the K-otix remix of Kanye Westâ??s hit song â??Gold Diggerâ??...

This is a cool remix of Kanye Westâ??s hit song Gold Digger.. It featureâ??s Houston based group K-otix.. Big shout out to them for this hook up. Itâ??s already big news in the Lone Star state..

This is a shorter version of the explosive David Banner interview â?¦ We get right to the interview in this version..Hereâ??s the run down.. Mississippi native/ rap star David Banner called to our radio show this afternoon and literally picked up where Kanye West left off in terms of brutaly honest remarks and political analysis of the current situation. His passion and keen understanding is something that everyone needs to hearâ?¦.

Mississippi native/ rap star David Banner called to our radio show this afternoon and literally picked up where Kanye West left off in terms of brutaly honest remarks and political analysis of the current situation. His passion and keen understanding is something that everyone needs to hearâ?¦.

Also on the show for the first 10 minutes is Reverend Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus who gives us a breakdown of the nationwide coordinating efforts that are in place right about now..

Be sure to peep out David Bannerâ??s Heal the Hood Foundation.. http://www.healthehood.com/

long time activist and Black Dot cafe founder Marcel Diallo gives an incredible break down about the role New orleans has historically played in keeping Black folks connected to Africa. He talks about how some of the current missteps are a part of policies that have been in effect for years. He also breaks down the Behind the scenes politics to all that is happening.

Hip Hop Sounds surrounding the Katrina Scenarioâ?¦