Black Music and American Politics

I'm not going to write some long essay for you to ignore. Instead, go here and peep the short yet informative piece on Black Music and American Politics written by Oliver Elliot from York University in the UK.

...how about BET playing one of these videos for a change...



Billy Holiday - Strange Fruit



Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Radio Listeners Listen to FM 39% of the time...

This is good but bad news, it's a known fact that as more listening alternatives are intorduced into the market place that less people choose to stick to FM radio. Between ipods and satellite radios, the numbers have continually dwindled over the years. But the silver lining is that, although terrestrial radio's market share has continually decreased it is still ahead of the alternatives.

According to this report, radio listeners spend 39% of their time listening to FM radio, 23% of their time listening to mp3 players and 18% listening to cd players. All together, about 57% of radio listener time is spent with some sort of radio - terrestrial (am or fm) or internet. Also, 33 million people listen to internet radio, up from 29 million in '06.

Granted this is a survey of "radio listeners" so the numbers may be skewed without the inclusion of people who would call themselves satellite listeners. Also, the reason behind the numbers is simple...radio is free and easily accessible...radio's main competitive advantage.

Hmmm....this is only right...



LL Cool J - I Can't Live Without My Radio (LIVE on Soul Train)

New Day...New Hip-Hop Magazine!!

Publisher Vincent Carroll is launching two new Hip-Hop mags...The Hip Hop Business Journal and Video Star Magazine. One's a good idea...the other isn't. THHBJ will focus on Hip-Hop entrepreneurs. A segment Carroll referred to as a “largely untapped demographic - one with $500 to $600 billion in spending power.” Good idea. VS will focus on...music video hos...lol, I'll pass.

Yes!!! Cocaine Cowboys 2 Drops July 29, 2008!!!!

Probably one of my favorite movies of all time and definitely my favorite documentary of all time is Cocaine Cowboys. A gritty, fact based doc on the Miami drug trade and the ensuing violence. What makes this film ill is how it's made. The 80's style score was created by the same guys behind the Miami Vice theme, the film features actual players in the story who's tales are corroborated by wrap sheets and criminal convictions, lastly the plot is further supported by actual news snippets and interviews from the early 80's. But now...the sequel is here. Most likely it'll be based on "The Godmother"...and will be just as ill...peep the trailer...

Colin Munroe - I Want Those Flashing Lights (Kanye West Remix)

This shit is ill, not as ill as Kanye's original but ill anyway...



Alt Yeezy Versions




GRADUATION ALBUM LISTENING EXPERIENCE PT. 6 - FLASHING LIGHTS from kwest on Vimeo.

This dude right here...

To be fair...before he lost his marbles, he used to be nice...

...and with the 6th Pick, the New York Knicks choose...

...Danilo Gallinari! Lol, yeah i said it. And I said it cause I meant it. There is no doubt in my mind that brand new New York Knick coach Mike D'Antoni is pining for this kid. Having coached in the Italian League is the first obvious hint. The second hint being Head Scout (isn't this title much more fitting) Isiah Thomas' recent scouting trip to Europe and Gallinari being the only European player expected to go in the first 15 picks.

Listen, I'm a Knick fan and want more than anyone for the Knicks to get better, but picking Gallinari over likely to be available talent like OJ Mayo, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Deandre Jordan, et al is shaky at best. It's agreed that Gallinari is one of the top 5 sf's coming out in the draft this year - the best being Beasley (if you want to call him a SF) - but what about Joe Alexander of WV or Anthony Randolph of LSU (my preference)? Alexander and Randolph aren't as good as Beasley, but are better than Gallinari, are expected to be available at the 6th pick and are better than Gallinari. And if you're looking for upside, look at the freshman phenom Randolph...

Maybe I just have little faith in the Knicks, but you see for yourself...

D. Gallinari



Joe Alexander



Anthony Randolph

Black Billionaires

Everyone knows about Bobby J (Bob Johnson) and Opie (Oprah) and their billions...but few know of the other handful of black billionaires gracing the earth. Actually, I was in the barber shop the other day and heard a funny remark. There were two kids, both around 17 or 18 talking about their upcoming prom. one was in the barber's chair getting his weekly shape up and the other was brushing his hair so viciously he seemed like he was trying to get waves or die trying. Soon the convo turned to what they were rocking to the prom. And the vicious hair brusher says..."I got these patent leather joints! I'ma be fresh to death, niggas gonna call me 'Oprah's Son' when I step in the building!" Lol, of course we all laughed. Shit, it was funny. But it also made clear to me that if people don't see someone on tv or hear them on the radio people will never know them. Well here they are...black billionaires...now you know them!

Aliko Dangote

Company: The Dangote Group

Position: Chairman, President

Industry: Manufacturing

Country: Nigeria

Michael Lee-Chin

Born: Port Antonio, Jamaica, 1951

Company: AIC Limited

Position: Founder, Executive Chairman

Industry: Financial Services

Country: Canada

Mohammed Al Amoudi

Born: 1946, Dessie, Ethiopia

Company: Corral Petroleum Holdings, MIDROC Ethiopia

Position: Chairman

Industry: Petroleum,

Country: Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia

Oprah Winfrey

Born: January 29, 1954

Company: Harpo Inc.,

Position: Chairman

Industry: Media

Country: United States

Patrice Motsepe

Born: January, 28, 1962, Johannesburg

Company: African Rainbow Minerals Limited

Position: Chairman

Industry: Mining

Country: South Africa

Robert L. Johnson

Date of Birth: April 8, 1946, in Hickory, Mississippi.

Education: University of Illinois, BA, 1968; Princeton University, MPA, 1972.

Company: The RLJ Company

Position: Founder, CEO

Industry: Real Estate, Hospitality, Professional Sports, Media and Entertainment, Gaming

Country: United States

Stop with the social networking sites!!!

Ok so 50 has one, Luda has one, RZA has one, Dame has one...stop already. Social networking sites have become the new record label-cum-clothing line-cum-liquor brand-cum-nightclub-cum- whatever else every rapper is about to do simultaneously with their own twist on it.

What's sad is that hip-hop once was known for innovation and perpetual adaptation to the changing times. Hip-Hop used to uplift then it rebelled and gave us a voice then it made us celebrate and dance now it makes us...follow trends. Fuck that, I rather follow the leader...

First Gas Goes Up...Then Napkins!?

As if the government issuing checks to all tax paying citizens wasn't a big enough hint that some serious shit is going down with our country's economy...how about inflation...and I don't mean at the gas pump...I mean in the supermarket. Yes, gas is outrageous...but it only affects those with cars! But an increase on napkins? Soda? Shit's getting out of hand. Peep the recent changes in price from '07 - '08 on the following items (courtesy of cnn.com)

1 lb. of beef ... 1.1 percent
8-hot dog pack ...6.7 percent
8 burger buns...16.7 percent
8 hot dog buns...14.5 percent
1 lb. American cheese...4 percent
1 lb. Tomatoes... 8.6 percent
1 lb. Lettuce... 9.1 percent
16-ounce bag of chips...11.8
6-pack of beer... 1.2 percent
Soda, 2-liters... 10.8 percent
Ketchup..8 percent
Mustard...2.1 percent
Mayonaise...13.1 percent
Salad dressing...6 percent
Paper plates...13.8 percent
Napkins...3.8 percent

I AM IRONMAN

Go see it. Honestly, there've been a lot of these comic book remakes in the past 5 years. Some hit, some miss. This one nailed it. Perfect start to the Summer Movie Season. But on a sidenote, and at the risk of being called a hater, is it just me or is Terrance Howard's voice annoying as hell? He's a good actor and all, but that voice - I don't know.

It's been a long time...

Damn...I fell off. I'm back though, better than ever...but i've been busy, I know you understand..anyway. So I went to see Hov and Mary on Friday night (May 2, 2008) at the legendary Madison Square Garden. I'll save the detailed review cause it seems everybody and their Momma has either seen the show or plans to see the show. But here are a couple highlights...1. Mary ripped it, 2. they rocked with a 12 piece band and 3. they both ran through a number of their greatest hits (many had told me Hov was only doing joints off of American Gangster, he did do some AG tracks but def did his joints too), 4. The Dream opened up and killed it, 5. Beyonce came out...then left...cause she can do that, 6. Oprah and Jodie Foster were in the front row. Good show overall, well worth the money and there were no incidents. There were a few arrests for bootlegging, but that's to be expected.