Gettin' That Dirt Off Ya Shoulders

Shout outs to Miss Info for this. This was great footage. It's good to see Hov brush his proverbial shoulders off despite criticism of a Hip-Hop act at Glastonbury. Gotta love that AC/DC guitar riff for "99 Problems".

Nas in This Week's New York Magazine

Apparently I'm late, but I didn't see this article on any sites that I frequent. I was skimming through this week's New York Magazine and came across this. Here's a preview:

In his recent albums, Nas has grown increasingly focused on shoring up the vitality that hip-hop lost when it became a global business, and recovering the memories of the days when hip-hop was synonymous with New York. “The Tunnel was the club for a moment,” he says, referring to the mid-nineties, when the historic nightclub occupied a vast space on Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea. “Whatever song was out at the time, the whole city was part of it. All the movements that were around, from Wu-Tang to Bad Boy—when their records came on from that spot, you’d see that section go crazy. And you’d know those guys were from Staten Island and Wu-Tang fans. Then when the Mobb Deep records came on, you’d see a bunch of dudes going crazy—that’s Queens. You’d see Biggie come on—that’s Brooklyn.”

You can check the rest out at New York Magazine's website.

Audibly Bloggable: Kid Color

So I got this email about Kid Color, a Californian DJ/producer (who currently resides in the Chi) who specializes in electro/electronica, which if you haven't noticed, has been the hugest underground trend to crossover since Reggaeton. I downloaded the album that came with the email and was presently surprised. I haven't brought myself to completely endorse this new trend, but it's cats like Kid Color that spark my interest in it more and more. Peep some tracks:

Funky stuff, right? To hear download a copy of his mixtape click here. Also, check Kid Color out on Myspace.

Pumas x Atmos June 27, 2008

So the last few days I been kind of busy. I've been meaning to enter this post for a second. I went to the Puma x Atmos event the other night and got to see the fancy footwear the good folks at Atmos had in store. Big ups to Yos & Hirofumi of Atmos for letting me do an impromptu Q&A.

The concept for the sneakers revolves around the animals on the endangered species list. You can see more pics of the sneakers here. Shout outs to Jaeki, Mikey Fresh, Brandon, Esso, Tory, and Miss Info for taking the time to chat with me while I was there.

I'll have a feature/rundown up at the Bodega soon.

Visually Bloggable: TI "No Matter What"

I found this via Highbrid Nation. If you're watching it, or have already seen it, you will probably come to the realization that this is a buck-80 from the TI of years past. It has been mentioned in the media from Clifford, that the new album is going to be more "toned down", but "No Matter What" resonates with a sense of integrity. I respect it. It reminds me of the old Gangstarr track "Moment of Truth", in the sense that both tracks were recorded after each respective artist's run-ins with the law, and that both tracks are songs about remaining positive even after facing down that adversity....

Dante @ Poisson Rouge Tonight

Apparently Dante has an engagement at Carnegie Hall and this is the after-party for it. I can't quite say whether I'm going to make it out there, but for all of you Def fans, I'm sure you'll want to check this out.

Le Poisson Rouge is located at 155 Bleecker St. in New York. Tix are $20 @ the door; $15 with Carnegie Hall stub or RSVP to ReviveDaLive@gmail.com.

Crooklyn Dodgers Reunion on June 28th!

For all those that remember the mid-90's Hip-Hop scene.

Audibly Bloggable: Lupe Fiasco & DJ A-Trak "Me And My Sneakers"

Pic via Wooohah!

Song via OnSmash



Aiight Wasalu, you did your thing on this track.

Visually Bloggable: Ralph McDaniel's Talks About 25 Years On Air!

Great vid. Video Music Box has been a solid staple for a quarter of the century. Crazy. The younger ones may not understand; the older ones do.

Audibly Bloggable: Fakts One ft. Little Brother "Grown Folks"

Missing that old '99-'02 Rawkus Records vibe (eg. before Dante got all Hollywood)? Peep this track.

Gettin' Back Late...

So I attended the listening party for K-Salaam & Beatnick's upcoming album Whose World Is This? which was at the New Era store over at West 4th Street. Most of the music played was either from their upcoming album or their NY is Burning mixtape, but either way I was satisfied. I didn't have the camera on me so I wasn't able to snap some flicks, but I'm sure Complex will have something up shortly. While I was there K-Salaam made sure to remind everyone to check out his documentary, which will come with the album. Clips of the documentary can be seen on K-Salaam & Betanick's YouTube page....

The duo are also working on remixing some old Common tunes--aptly titled the Common Remix Album....

Check them out if you get a chance!

The 2008 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival Coming Soon!

This is just the beginning. More coming soon! Check out the Brooklyn Bodega for more information. And feel free to donate a lil something if you can.

K-Salaam + Beatnick "Who's World Is This?" Listening Session @ New Era Store

I did an interview with K-Salaam & Beatnick that'll be up in July. Tomorrow a party is being hosted by VP Records & Complex for the album. Y'all might wanna swing by and check it out.

Free iPod Touch or Nano With Purchase of a Mac

More info here. I know it's kind of early to be talking about back to school, but if any of y'all are interested in purchasing a Mac, now would not be a bad time.

Freakazoid + Tiny Toons Coming To DVD

Okay so I really couldn't think of anything else to blog about given my time constraints right now. But for all of you 80's Babies/Children of the 90's, you will be excited to hear about this...

TINY TOON ADVENTURES SEASON 1, VOLUME 1 and FREAKAZOID!: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

TO DVD, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, JULY 29, 2008

BURBANK, CA (June 10, 2008) - Warner Home Video (WHV) brings the hit, hilarious animated television series Tiny Toon Adventures and Freakazoid! to DVD July 29, 2008. Tiny Toon Adventures, Season 1, Volume 1 will feature 35 episodes and bonus material on four discs, and will retail for $44.98 SRP. Freakazoid!: The Complete First Season will showcase 14 episodes on a two-disc set and will retail for $26.99 SRP.

They’re tiny, they’re toony, they’re all a little loony! Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Tiny Toon Adventures is a Daytime Emmy® Award animated series that spawned a whole new generation of madcap Looney Toons characters including Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck, Hamton J. Pig, among others. The characters reside in Acme Acres and are enrolled at Acme Looniversity, where they are schooled under the wise (guy) guidance of veteran toon legends such as Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd and others in hopes of graduating with a “Diploma of Lunacy.” The series originally premiered in 1990 and aired for three seasons.

To view the rest of the press release check out Kung Fu Rodeo

Anyone know if The Tick ever got a DVD release?

Talib Kweli @ American Museum of Natural History This Friday

For more info check out the Flavorpill website. This is from the same people that had the Kid Sister & Cool Kids show that I missed out on. I can't say for certain whether I'll make this one, as I may have another engagement. The line up looks like heat though. And $20 isn't bad given the caliber of artists. Plus, you get to party in a museum.

So I saw this....

Via Wall Street Journal (by way of Poplicks).


I keep thinking of that scene in CB4. Thoughts folks?

Visually Bloggable: Vampire Weekend's "Oxford Comma" Video!

Via Hypbeast TV.

My younger brother actually helped out on the set of this video. He did the smoke about 2:10 into the video.

Random News...

RIP George Carlin....(via Poplicks)...definitely watch that YouTube clip

Lupe Fiasco's Fall of Rome sneakers....(via Wooohah!)

It's Racism...It's Always Racism: Don Imus @ it again...(via AM NY)...maybe I shouldn't even be drawing attention to this. I feel like even acknowledging it is giving the man unnecessary attention...

UPS expecting low earnings due to fuel costs...(via Reuters)

Lily Allen takes a stand...(via Contact Music)

50 Cent & Bette Midler to restore Baisley Park...(via Miss Info)...anyone that knows South Queens knows about Baisley. Baisley it situated in South Jamaica, and the local projects were the dwelling grounds of the notorious Supreme Team. Of course, the areas probably a bit different now...

John McCain actually making somewhat of a power move for alternative fuel...(via TIME)...

Kobe reason for Shaq getting a divorce...(via NY Daily News)...I'm not a fan of Shaq but the video is pretty funny. On that note...

Kobe and LJ to go to Beijing for the summer Olympics...(via BBC)...

The Google takeover continues...(via NY Times)...

Rookie cops hear from Sean Bell's pastor...(via NY Daily News)

Joe Simon & Stan Lee talk about Avengers...(via USA Today)...uh, I saw an Ant-Man movie on there! Oh man, I really hope they don't do it. Why...why would they do that?...

YR's Lateness...ft. Slick Rick

By bad for posting so late. Been busy all day. I'm going to be busy again later this evening so I figure I try and handle as much as possible. I don't even know what to blog about today. Hmmm...well for starters here's a clip of Rick the Ruler performing...

I'll bbl for more.

Image of the Day

You know maybe I should post a pic whenever possible. Kind of a played out idea, but this particular pic caught my eye...

Courtesy of the Brooklyn Bodega (what up guys!). An Ikea opened up in Red Hook recently. Apparently they felt compelled to have an image of Biggie on the side of it.

Janelle Monae @ the Afro Punk Fest 2008!

Just found out about tis via Facebook.

LOL...Ah Saturday Night Boredom

I found this via Poplicks.

Nas' SPIN interview

Via the SPIN website (by way of Nah Right)

Image of the Day

Hey folks I gotta run. Since I don't have much time to think, and the only thing coming to mind right now was that Punisher trailer, I figure I do something cliche and leave an image for the day....

Red Band Trailer For The Wackness

This is the red band trailer. So if you're at work, or if you're under 18, or if you're around people that will probably raise a questionable eyebrow at you upon hearing the audio, I don't suggest viewing this....

Via IGN.

I didn't know how I felt about this movie at first, but it looks pretty funny. The movie takes place in 1994, and you can tell that the movie captures the feel of it. I get the feeling it captures the spirit/style of NYC in a similar way that Kids did. At least that's my impression from the trailer. Feel free to tell me what you think.

SMH...Bush Wants To Lift Ban On Offshore Oil Drilling

So I was perusing the New York Times and came across some interesting news last afternoon. The president wants to end a ban on offshore oil drilling with the hopes that the discovery of oil will lead to lower gas prices:

President Bush urged Congress on Wednesday to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling and open a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration, asserting that those steps and others would lower gasoline prices and “strengthen our national security.”

In recent years, the president said, “scientists have developed innovative techniques to reach Anwar’s oil with virtually no impact on the land or local wildlife,” referring to the wildlife refuge by its acronym. He continued, “I urge members of Congress to allow this remote region to bring enormous benefits to the American people.”

President Bush also urged Congress to approve the extraction of oil from shale on federal lands, something he said can be done far more economically now than a few years ago, and to speed the approval process for building new refineries.

Mr. Bush sought to take full political advantage of soaring fuel prices by portraying Republican lawmakers as imaginative and forward-looking and the Democratic majority in Congress as obstructionists on energy policy.

Not that I doubt the discovery of new oil would lead to some shift in gas price (although I doubt it would lead to a substantial change), but I think efforts should be made to develop an alternative fuel resource. I know I tend to reiterate this over and over and over again, and if I had the choice, I'd go back to school for engineering. Or at the very least try my hardest to network with some engineers looking into solar or hydro-electric fuel sources (if any happen to read this blog, please holler at me--I'm trying to step my knowledge of that type of stuff up).

Some might be furious at Bush for doing this (namely Democrats, liberals, environmentalists, the general population at Woodstock, etc), although his push for this is obvious, and the Times article even explains the power move being made (it's a political ploy folks!).

Just today the big news is that the 4 major oil companies will be returning to Iraq. You can check it out here. My biggest gripe is that you'd wish someone in office would think two (maybe three) steps ahead and look for some type of technology that would allow us greater sustainability. We cannot rely on oil forever. However, I've theorized that the push for oil would greatly decline if more alternatively fueled cars were available on the market. On top of that, if gas stations also had devices or stations that allowed people to re-fuel through this alternative means, it would also affect this push for oil. For example, GM is developing the Chevy Volt, a lithium battery powered vehicle. Like any vehicle, it will probably need to be refueled, but gas stations don't have devices that would re-charge a battery powered car.

There's a world of possibilities that open with alternative fuel--on both a day to day level as well as a greater level. Corporations will probably be erected from the company that develops the most suitable alternative fuel company. Our automobile technology will probably change. The way we power buildings and our houses will probably change as well. It's just a matter of when...

The Incredible Hulk In 3 Minutes

Via Complex

Game 6 Highlights

NBA TV Top 5: June 17th

Highlights from Game 6 via NBA on Myspace.

The Night That Wasn't: Amanda Diva + Mickey Factz @ SOB's

So for all that follow my blog, I mentioned yesterday that I was going to attend the Amanda Diva + Mickey Factz show at SOB's. I was invited, so I felt obligated to check it out, but I wanted Video Vixon to get down with it so we could record it, edit and hopefully put together some worthwhile footage that we would ultimately pass through out the blogosphere.

Vixon and I got there @ around 7:30, and if you read the flier it states that doors open @ 7:00PM. We tried to enter but were notified that doors were now not opening until 8:30PM. After grabbing some Tex-Mex made by Chinese people (my new favorite budget meal in NYC), we walked around discussing the Marvel movie franchise (a recurring them with my friends and I...sorry we're geeks), and got on line for the show. Keep in mind I had RSVP'd with both my name and Vixon's.

After I got to the front, they checked the list and let me in. Video Vixon however wasn't allowed due to his age, and wouldn't be for the whole night due to some policy with Hot 97. I explained that he wasn't going to drink and that his point in being there was to help me cover the show to no avail. This is where my night got funky. After going in and out of SOB's several times looking for some people that could hopefully help out our predicament, I finally settled to just leave. Vixon offered to loan me the camera, but I don't have the same acumen as he does when it comes to taping stuff. It was already close to 10 o'clock, and with show not even having started yet and them not letting my friend in, I figured it would be in my best interest to leave. It ain't fun if the homies can't get none.

There are a few details I'm purposely leaving out, out of respect for other individuals. However, there were other factors that made it more apparent that maybe I shouldn't stick around. I think what aggravated me the most was that there wasn't one clear factor that I could be mad at. I'm still surprised that they wouldn't even make an exception for people covering the show. On the bright side I got to catch the rest of the game. My apologies goes to all of the people that were hoping for a story. Hopefully, I won't have the same issues next time.

Celtics Win the 2008 Championship

131-92. Damn. Hopefully I'll have some video footage up tomorrow.

And oh yeah, I didn't stick around for the show @ SOB's. More on that tomorrow morning.

Amanda Diva + Mickey Factz @ SOB's Tonight

2 of New York's New Jacks are performing tonight @ the world famous SOB's. I should be in attendance. For more info check it out right here.

NEW DARK KNIGHT CLIP!!!

I saw this yesterday, but I'm finna post it today....

You can see a more streamlined version here. Does this not get you amped even more???

Punisher War Zone Trailer

Wow, this looks waaay better than the last one. I wish Marvel would reboot Spider-Man 3, at least for my sake. I would really write the script, and do it all over again in CG and title it Spider-Man 3 Redux.

But back to Punisher War Zone...

Extremely violent, over the top, and downright action-packed, this is how Punisher was meant to be. Even dude's voice is on par with how I imagine Frank Castle's voice in the comic. What disappointed me the most about the movie in 2004 was the simple fact that Punisher was a fairly easy character to do. I know I shouldn't be too critical, since I myself have never engaged in making a comic based movie and I'm sure Hollywood politics come into play with virtually every comic movie franchise, but the revenge concept seems like a relatively basic idea. Man on Fire got it down perfectly. Even the old Punisher movie didn't seem that bad in comparison to the 2004 one.





Anyhow, we have a new one to look forward to. 'Nuff said.

Random News...

Kanye pisses off attendees @ Bonnaroo...(via Yahoo!)...

High demand for hybrid vehicles...(via USA Today)...

Romanian village re-elects deceased mayor...(via Reuters)...can't make stuff like this up

Al Gore endorses Obama...(via NY Times)...I'm sure everybody heard about this by now...

Highly stylized menus can alter perception of the food and value...(via TIME)...um, sort of pointless, but there hasn't been an overwhelming amount of relevant news

The sad state of American soldiers who return...(via AM NY)...it's been well-documented that soldiers who come back get dealt a bad hand. I just hope people think about this in November...

Potential levee problem with the Mississippi River...(via USA Today)...

New Yorkers worried about Taxes & Economy...(via NY Times)...gee, who couldn't tell. I'm pretty sure this sentiment is shared by 80 percent of the nation

GM developing electric vehicle...(via Reuters)...Perhaps this might save the flailing American auto industry?

5 Reasons Why A Thor Movie Might Be Terrible

I'm late. I know. One post that came early in the morning and nothing from me the whole day. I was busy @ work. My bad folks. Being as how Boston lost last night, I'll probably just take my anger out on a potentially terrible comic book movie that I sure hope I'm wrong about: The Mighty Thor.

By now many of you are well-aware of my penchant for comic books and comic book-based movies. In recent Marvel Studio news, they have already begun considering Brad Pitt (and most recently Triple H) to take on the role of Odin's begotten son. Not a bad choice for Thor, but I'm more worried about how they'll incorporate dude into the Avengers continuum. Here are my main concerns...

5. Villain

Thor's main antagonist was the Norse god of mischief, Loki. So not only would we have to be subjected to a 2-3 hour movie explaining how a mythological being ends up on Earth, but how his mythological arch-nemesis ends up on Earth as well.

4. He's the Norse god of thunder...

Building off of number 5, giving Thor his own movie opens up the floodgates for a variety of mythological super-villains who would have nothing better to do than attack planet Earth. It also opens up the possibility of Iron Man, the Hulk, War Machine and Captain America traveling to Asgard--Thor's mythological place of birth. Not that it wouldn't be visually stunning (I imagine in a Chronicles of Narnia-esque style of CG), but it sounds a little corny. It's a Pandora's box that can lead to a really crapified movie franchise.

3. He isn't the best character...

Thor's a respected character in print, but he's not exactly a character that needs his own movie, much less NEEDS to be incorporated in order to make an Avengers movie. The characters even less worthy of a movie are Ant-Man and the Wasp.

2. There's more logical characters that could probably be used instead...

Here's a list of characters who could probably be easily incorporated into the Avengers continuum with much more plausibility: Vision (he'd be sentient, much like Abe Sapien in Hellboy or Sonny, in I, Robot--and he wouldn't have a human form), Black Panther (I really want to see him be put into the Avengers movie), or Hawkeye (provided they give him a better costume). Heck, Spider-Man could have been in this is they had just paid closer attention to details in parts 2 &3 (e.g. "SHIELD has been monitoring the recent disturbances in NYC..."). I'd love to see some strong female heroes make appearances too, but most of the strong female characters were on the X-Men. That particular franchise is another story. If they could incorporate a more diverse arrange of heroes, that'd be great.

1. He' the Norse god of thunder...

In a continuum where one man upgrades his life support by creating a technologically advanced suit, a scientist becomes a monstrosity due to gamma radiation, and a solider becomes an American hero via modified serum, it's hard to place the begotten son of Odin into the same continuum and make it all fit.

Hopefully Marvel gets a superb script together the make me a "true-believer".

Miracle At St. Anna Trailer

I saw this during the Incredible Hulk, but wasn't paying attention and wrote it off. I watched it again on Shani-O's blog and had a whole different take on it. Looks good.

Audibly Bloggable: The J&R Summer Musicfest 2008 Part 2

Prior to Maino performing yesterday I got a chance to see a rock singer by the name of Danielia Cotton perform. I was really impressed by her body of work. She takes it back to the traditional rock-n-roll sounds but utilizes her soulful vocals to craft a contemporary sound that is refreshing to her in this day and age.

I managed to catch a 2 flicks...

As you can see by the photo's, it was very bright in NY this past Saturday...

I found her guitarist to be funny. He looked like the rocker in Forgetting Sarah Marshall...





I didn't film any of her performance due to the extremely high volume. Given my proximity, it probably wouldn't have come out sounding good. Here's a song from her...



Sorry for not having more music up, but when I get a copy of her album, you'll get to hear some more. As you can tell by this song, she sticks to a more traditional sound. But it sounds great live and on the computer. Check her out on Myspace.

Audibly Bloggable: The J&R Summer Musicfest 2008 Part 1

So I really had nothing major planned this afternoon, so i figure I check out the J&R Summer Musicfest. I managed to get Maino to say Hi to all of the Haters on my YouTube page...



Good looking out Maino.

I also managed to get footage of dude performing "Hi Hater"...

HULK....SMASH!!!

Those were the words that made my movie watching experience complete. I just got back from the Incredible Hulk movie and I'll admit, my opinion on it has changed completely. Although probably not as good as Iron Man (which has been well documented), it serves it's purpose as a reboot and serves it well. I didn't Ang Lee version as much as everyone else, but this one definitely kept my interest. There's a ton of action and when Hulk finally screams his trademark "HULK SMASH!!!", you feel glad that they revamped the series.

Mickey Factz Interview

I did an interview with Mickey Factz recently for the Brooklyn Bodega. He was tabbed for the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival on July 12th (make sure you cop your tickets!!!), so I figure I politic with dude about his upcoming appearance. Check it out here.

J&R Summerfest 2008

My bad folks it's not JVC, it's J&R Music World. Footage coming soon.

JVC Summerfest 2008

So every summer JVC by City Hall likes to have free performances @ City Hall Park. I've met The Roots and Chrisette Michele after their respective performances in 2004 and 2007. And tomorrow, one of Brooklyn's own will be making an appearance...


He'll be there @ 3PM.



I feel the same way about Maino's music as G-Unit's--it's like a vice you don't want to shake. And his recent music has been kind of heat. Peep "Be Me"...

Dude's aiight.

Audibly Bloggable: The G-Unit Listening Session

"I guess this is the part where we introduce ourselves..."

Big shout to Rob and Wes for holding me down with this one. I managed to go to the listening session for G-Unit's forthcoming album Terminate On Sight. I know some of you are probably sucking you're teeth saying "YR why would you post this? You were doing so good...Chester French, Santogold, Janelle Monae...G-Unit? How old are you? 15?"

I like G-Unit's music. It's like a vice to me--like smoking after a meal. And judging by what I've heard, the album is pretty true to their form. It's that hard street ish that most of us have probably grown out of, but still listen to on the side. Here are some songs that came on the sampler. For those at work, or if you're under the age of 18, please be warned that these songs are explicit:

Obviously this isn't everybody's cup of tea. But I was digging some of the album. Catchy hooks, hard beats that knock, with standard fair South Queens street ish. You can interpret that however you'd like. Other notable tracks I heard (that weren't featured on the sampler) include "Kitty Kat" and "Let It Go" ft. Mavado.

I'm digging Yayo's verse on "Straight Outta Southside". That song reminds me of their older material. It also reminds me of this song:

Also, big ups to Miss Info who was in attendance last night. If you get a chance, check out her rundown of last night. She speaks on the 50's newly drafted beef with none other than T.I.

IT'S RACISM....IT'S ALWAYS RACISM: Fox News Calls Michelle Obama A "Baby Mama"

Props to Shani-O. Peep her blog for more on this. Right now I'm SMH.

Random Kicks: PR AJ 1's

Via Sneaker Files

They should've released these prior to the PR Day parade in NYC.

Random News....

Wow I haven't done this in a minute...

Great so we might be outsourcing our beer...(via NY Times)...aright its not as cut & dry as I just stated, but I'd hate for Budweiser to be bought out by a foreign company

Cuba ending equal wages...(via BBC)...Wow, that's pretty surprising

Virgin Megastores closing but the small stores laugh...(via AM NY)...I'd imagine they'd be unfazed

MTA fares may rise again...(via NY Times)...WTF??? Where is this deficit coming from? I swear there's more people on the subway now than there's ever been.

Google will take over the world...(via Reuters)...

Toyota developing plug-in hybrid...(via Chicago Tribune)

The cause for Muslim extremism...(via The Telegraph UK)...very controversial article

Captain America in the Incredible Hulk movie???...(via Cinema Blend)

A good reason to vote for Obama?...(via Daily KOS)...I question the accuracy of this...

New report pokes holes in Asian stereotype...(via NY Times)...I should probably bow my head and raise my right fist in the semblance of my icon pic right about now

A Blog About A Blog...

So I got this email via a blast from Jeff Chang's blog (named after his quintessential book on Hip-Hop history, Can't Stop, Won't Stop). I thought it was insightful, so I figure I share an excerpt:

Since the '60s, youth policy has less often been discussed in terms of harnessing energies, than in terms of suppressing problems. There has been a massive shift towards harsher criminal and juvenile justice policies. The stunning rise in youth joblessness is a symptom of a larger national neglect, a neglect that is interrupted only by--ironic at best, disingenuous at worst--episodes of hand-wringing over young people's corruptibility and directionlessness. Punishment, it seems, has been the only coherent national youth policy since Kennedy.

Senator McCain, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been mostly silent on these issues, save vows to clean up the student loan mess. But even Senator Obama, who has clearly benefited by the enthusiasm of the young and who understands perhaps better than any politician youths' skepticism toward politics, has not yet outlined a place for them in his vision of America.

He supports focusing closely on job development and student achievement in 20 impoverished areas, what he calls "Promise Neighborhoods". More intriguingly, he backs a program of green-collar jobs for inner-city youths first pioneered by hip-hop activists in the Bay Area. But even these worthy programs are hardly more than a drop in the bucket, and don't by themselves add up to anything close to a national youth policy.

Senator Obama knows that the creative energies of young people can never be underestimated. In his interview with Vibe last year, he noted that hip-hop is a vast make-work project, a way of harnessing and channeling vast energies of young people. (This is partly why the up-by-the-bootstraps mythology--a narrative easily twisted into a celebration of consumerism that demagogues are then quick to criticize--has become so deeply interwoven into hip-hop culture.) But how could hip-hop be enough to reverse Great Depression-sized problems?

After four decades of the politics of abandonment and containment, now is the time for the presidential candidates to recognize young Americans are more than just a vote to be courted through late-night TV, more than a wellspring of videos, posters, music, and art, more than just an enthusiastic rally crowd.

Inspiration has been good, hope has been good, but both are not good enough.

The candidates must put young America to work, and involve the rest of us in taking full measure of the future promise of our Nation

The entry still has not been posted yet on Chang's blog, but I'm sure will be soon. It's titled Idle Hands :: Why The Candidates Must Focus On Young Americans.

Update: The entry is up now. Check it out!

Visually Bloggable: Shameless Obama Propaganda vs. Shameless Liberal Media Bias

So I saw this via Wynter Gordon's YouTube page...

At this point the way I look at it, if this encourages people to vote than I'm happy.

I also saw this via Brave New Films...

What a great way to start the morning?

Audibly Bloggable: More Fun Hipster Music...

I went on to Converse.com this morning and I swear this wasn't up. But that's besides the point. Here's a free track that you can download over @ Converse.com as part of their Welcome To The Converse Century campaign. For your listening pleasure here's "My Drive Thru" ft. Julian Casablancas, Santogold & NERD...

Puffy Wants You To Vote (Hey Didn't We Go Through This Already...)

Puffy wanted to let everyone know he didn't change his name and to remind everyone to vote on his birthday.

The New iPhone is $200

So the major news for all the techies/gadget-heads yesterday was the following...

The iPhone 3G handles data at nearly three times the speed of its predecessor, and has built-in global positioning via satellite, but costs $199 — $400 less than the original iPhone, unveiled almost a year ago. The phone will be available in the U.S. and 21 other countries on July 11; within a few months of that, the phone will be available in a total of 70, including Japan and the burgeoning markets of Brazil and India.

Via TIME Magazine

This only give me greater incentive to switch services and fortify my semi-yuppie-ism by purchasing one! Sheesh $200! Everyone's going to have one by the end of the summer.

New Nas Video!!

Via Nas Independence Day.
I'm not even going to state the title.

UPDATE: The Mixtape with Green Lantern is up (via NahRight)

Audibly Bloggable: Chester French

So I was looking at the LA Times and came across this article on Chester French. Here's an excerpt:

"Most of our fans -- we've really had a lot of folks who, from the best I can tell, are primarily fans of hip-hop," Wallach said recently over lunch at a Beverly Hills boutique hotel. "I think that's really cool. You look at their profiles on MySpace and we might be one of two or three acts that aren't rap that they are into."

The crossover didn't come without a certain amount of institutional backing, however. Chester French is signed to Star Trak Records, a boutique imprint distributed by Interscope and operated by the multi-platinum hit-making producer duo the Neptunes (responsible for hits for Justin, Britney, Madonna and Snoop, among many others).


The group's profile in the hip-hop world was super-sized when word leaked that three of urban music's foremost shot callers -- Kanye West, producer-rapper Pharrell Williams and So So Def Records label chief Jermaine Dupri -- took part in a frenzied bidding war to land the rights to Chester French's new album even before Drummey and Wallach had graduated from Harvard.

As some may have recalled, they did a song with Idle Warship...

So with that I figure, i share with y'all some more music from them. Check it out:

I'm kind of digging this "She Loves Everybody" joint. Enjoy folks!

The New Hulk Trailer featuring Tony Starks!!!!

Aright...I take it back. I want to see the Incredible Hulk movie now. The fact that thy tied in Tony Starks in this movie--fresh off the success of the Iron Man movie has me stoked.

Props to LatinoReview.com

LOL...

Via Poplicks.

Man that is creepy. Junichi makes a good assessment as to why Obama + Clinton should unite like Voltron for November 2008. Definitely check it out.

I Feel Kind of Crappy...

So I had a long day today. I was around Harlem and Long Island City, NY for various things and being as how I have this summer/spring cold that I can't seem to shake, I feel pretty crappy right now. So I probably won't make it to the Gnarls Barkley + Janelle Monae thing today, which greatly upsets me. Both are great acts and I've never been to a Myspace secret show. I'd hate to miss out on such a historic one as well.

Nasty Nas Is A Rebel 2 America...

Via Complex by way of Nah Right.

Eskay over @ Nah Right hit it on the dot when he said "Somebody at Complex talked Nas into dressing up like Kanye and letting them take pictures of him." LOL. He looks like a liberal arts student in a Soho gallery.

Anyhow in celebration of NasIndependanceDay.com launching on Monday (props Real Talk NY) and the fact that his controversial album is soon to be released, I've decided to compile a series of Nas tracks that were leaked for the promotion of Untitled as well as other assorted Esco tracks.

Audibly Bloggable: The Virgins & A Vampire Weekend

My brother said I could quote him:

Tho two most promising bands out in 2008 both hold the title of coming from New York. One sports the uptown sound; clean and neat with influences from other genres of music such as African drum beats. The other with the downtown cool, becoming famous mostly by word of mouth in Manhattan's hippest neighborhood has influences ranging from Lou Reed to Patti Smith.

Vampire Weekend, with it's self titled debut which came out in January held positive reviews only adding to their hype. These Columbia University graduates are never seen without a collared shirt or a pair of Sperry top-siders and garnered a lot of attention through blogs and talk.

The gritty, New Yorky, fashionable fellas from Downtown have a similar
story. The Virgins signed to Atlantic before execs even heard them play
live. With a range of friends from photographer Ryan McGinley to former
aNYthing's owner A-Ron, The Virgins had it hooked up from the beginning.
With their self titled debut just out, the Virgins seemed to have polished
up their sound in the studio.

While both have been compared to The Strokes, it's safe to say these
two bands have some of the freshest and newest sounds of 2008. Check Out:

The Virgins - She's Expensive Comments: With a sound byte at the beginning of the song referencing the 80's gangster flick King of New York, it sets the tone of the Virgins' sound. Has a Red Hot Chili Pepper sound at the bridge.

Vampire Weekend - Walcott Comments: Based on a concept for a movie the band came up with, this song journeys "Walcott" who apparently is in Cape Cod. Playful, light, yet danceable.



Would you believe he wrote that? That was really well done. He could be a publicist for either group. Or at least a music journalist. And not for nothing, I fronted on Vampire Weekend a little bit, but that '"Walcott track is aiight. Speaking of which they are doing a Central Park Summerstage show.

I Like These Asics....

I saw these on Hypebeast. I like them. Definitely see myself wearing these with a white v-neck and Mets hat.

NOOOOOO....

The Virgin Megastore in New York’s Times Square will close down in the first quarter of 2009, according to a published report that quotes a senior executive at the Vornado Realty Trust.

That company and the Related Cos., both real estate companies, formed a joint- venture to acquire the 10-unit Virgin Entertainment Group North America in September 2007. Vornado owns 49% of Virgin, while Related owns 51%. Neither company was available for comment at deadline.

The other New York Megastore in Union Square is scheduled to close at the same time, according to the Web site of the Winick Realty Group, a real estate broker that is shopping the site’s lease.

Via Billboard Magazine.

What a damn shame. If you read the report it goes to show that it's not closing because the CD or DVD's aren't selling like they use to. The company that owns that space just wants more money. Market rent around there is roughly $700 per square foot according to the article.

The bigger question is--who will move in next? The economy is so dismal, that I can't think of any company that would be able to operate in that retail space. Office space, possibly, but retail space, I dunno. It would be a shame if it ends up just as a vacant piece of realty.

Google Will Take Over The World....

If you're reading this blog, you are supporting Google. As I type this, I am supporting Google. When I check my email, I support Google and me using (& linking) the word Google this many times to prove a point is probably, some way, shape, or form supporting Google.

In just finding the right articles for this blog entry I used Google like 10-15 times. I would've used Yahoo! but I was afraid they might reject what my search had to offer ;- p

Back to the point (you either found that really funny or really corny), Google is growing day by day and has a seemingly unrelenting stranglehold on our digital lives. They've made checking e-mail efficient, seamless and almost fun (who else likes to label their incoming emails? Just me? Fine).

Yet in the last few months Google has continued it's corporate takeover of the internet. Not only was it the deals made between them and other companies, but by their own developers. Have you seen the services that they offer? It's crazy. There are Dummies books for them and their services!

In the last few months to the last few days, this has happened:

• Google's Great American Wireless Auction 'game' annoys US lawmakers (via The Register)
• Google Plans Major Expansion In Its Backyard (via NY Times)
  
• Google lets sites tailor what searches users see (via Reuters)
  
• U.S. Internet will shrink to 2 strong players: report (via Reuters)

Google is officially the capo of this. Do you see that 2nd Reuters link? Them & Amazon are predicted to be the top 2! The Internet is turning into an oligarchy!

The most interesting bit of news was the first link. I was actually informed of this by a co-worker. In basic, when Verizon began bidding 700 MHz C-Block (such a technical term) , it agreed to a particular condition set forth by the FCC that once bidding went past a certain amount (*ahem* $4.6 Billion), it would allow open access. In basic: Due to Google forcing Verizon to up the ante in bid price, Verizon must now allow anyone with a wireless device, access to their service.

In case you're still confused: Verizon cell phone service might be free.

Of course Verizon is trying to avoid this, but it might be a reality if Google keeps bringing it up.

I wonder if Teyana Taylor has had anything to do with this?

Google, I know I'm just a lowly blogger on your otherwise massive network and you're already official, but here's some suggestions of who should be next on your list:

Apple (Apple & Google together is like Nas & Jigga on a track)
Blackboard
Amazon (I mean why not)
Yahoo! (I know...I'm so messed up)
Wikipedia
Ebay
Mozilla Firefox

Face it. There's no stopping them. Take heed. Please.

Audibly Bloggable: The Green Album

Here's something cool...

I received an email about this. It's a mash-up album by Omer Saar of UniverSOUL Productions. It utilizes vocals of popular Hip-Hop songs with instrumentals crafted from Al Green beats (with help from T. Money Green).

And there's a cause behind this album too:

STAY TRUE (www.stay-true.org), founded by my brother Nir Saar, is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia dedicated to offering under-privileged, at-risk youth the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to become powerful agents of social/political change in their communities. STAY TRUE offers school, extra-curricular, and weekend programs that combine academics and activism to give students an amazing service experience.

THE GREEN ALBUM is being given away for free, but donations to STAY TRUE are strongly encouraged and appreciated.

Click here to d/l the album (via Sharebee)
Click here for more info on the album.

Hmm...this reminds me of this other Al Green mash-up from 2 years ago...

The College Dropout(s): Showing The World That Even Academia Is In Need of Some Change

By now many of my friends who I graduated high school with have probably graduated from college and are returning home or busy getting prepared for graduate school or perhaps job hunting in an otherwise haphazard economy. As I kept this all in mind I considered this article I saw a few days ago in the NY Times Technology section :

Who’s Smarter: Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg?

By John Markoff

The article questions notes that both Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook (or swagger-jacker depending on who you speak to) were college dropouts. Zuckerberg is 24; I'm 22. For a brief moment I had one of those downward spiraling "What Have I Done With My Life?" moments. Than I shook my head and realized I neither attended Harvard nor found myself around web developers that were cultivating a niche social networking site (although I have worked with individuals who deal with CMS). It's stuff like this that makes me wonder about the necessity of a college degree in the 21st Century.

To put it out early: Yes it's necessary. But there are individuals, who under particular circumstances, knew what they wanted to do and went about fulfilling that goal without completing a four year degree. I'm sure Steve Jobs, Sickamore, Diddy and Kanye West would agree.The question still remains--can you ascertain the same level of success (or a substantial level of success--a billy might be pushing it) as the aforementioned individuals and still receive a four-year degree? I want to believe so, and there are individuals (particularly in finance) that have achieved that. However, I'm not an academic, or sociologist, so please don't take this blog entry as a source of expert opinion, but I feel that the academic college experience has largely become dated.

In a previous entry I stated that the those in power are at Time Warner are probably scared of the digital innovations because it represents something new and relatively unknown. They're unclear as to how to adapt to this drastic change (or maybe they do and we still haven't felt the effects yet). In the case of the college curriculum it has yet to truly adapt to the 21st Century. Sure there are tools provided by colleges (such as Blackboard) that have been used to help teachers and students, but the actual curriculum itself has yet to really advance.

Oddly enough it was a professor of mine that clued me on the backwardness of the college curriculum. The concept of having to take core classes and general education requirements are harrowing enough, and the fact that most of these classes follow the traditional content and format makes the first 2 years of school relatively boring. You're forced to regurgitate info, that may or may not stick with you when you've received your grade, and by then you're probably fed up with having to be weighed down with debt, a less than spectacular social life, and another 2 years of intense classes that pertain to your major. I appreciated taking these classes, but nonetheless, they often fail to fulfill the ultimate goal of making all students more well-rounded. They often say college is the new high school, and these requirements are a part of it. In short, it's easier to see your dreams crushed during the first two-years of college than it is to feel like they will be fulfilled. And mind you, this is the people that go into college knowing what they want to do. I feel even worse for those that don't.

Even on a basic level, if your not a tech-savvy upstart, an aspiring mogul, or heck a solid Hip-Hop producer, if you just look at your average job description they usually ask you if you're familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, or any standard office program. Maybe I've just been under a rock but I've never seen a job description asking if you can write a 7-8 page paper discussing a book that you've Spark Noted.

***

In recent years there has been a major push to get students to do internships. This is probably the closest we'll see to these institutions attempting to adapt to a changing society, since getting hands on experience in the working world is starting to become a greater functional need than studying discourse upon discourse. Interning provides you with the real-world experience, and more often than not, has the potential to show otherwise unsure post-adolescents an idea of what they might want to do in the future. The LA Times has reported the growing number of students taking on multiple majors, which is somewhat indicative of the traditional one major curriculum not providing enough for students to chew on in our "post-everything generation" (to quote NY Times essay winner Nicholas Handler). This move towards interdisciplinary education strikes me as students taking it upon themselves to become more well-rounded.

So forgive me for this rant folks. In essence, I think the college degree is in need of some social networking/evolution. Of course this isn't a guarantee (mind you I'm not an expert), but just consider it as some food for thought. Feel free to leave yours...

Apple + Black Music Month=Fun Fun Fun

So I found this listing. I'm assuming it's free. Apple has cultivated a great niche for itself. too bad they didn't hire me last summer. Actually, on second thought, considering how busy it is in there maybe its best I didn't work there. But back to the point:

Apple Store, SoHo

• 6/1, 3:00 p.m., Tiffany Evans
• 6/9, 7:00 p.m., Wyclef Jean
• 6/13, 7:00 p.m., Mike Phillips
• 6/20, 7:00 p.m., Vaughn Anthony
• 6/26, 7:00 p.m., Talib Kweli

Apple Store, San Francisco

• 6/19, 7:00 p.m., Goapele
• 6/26, 7:00 p.m., Mistah F.A.B.
• 6/30, 7:00 p.m., E-40

Apple Store, Lenox Square

• 6/15, 3:00 p.m., Mike Phillips
• 6/16, 7:00 p.m., B.o.b.
• 6/23, 7:00 p.m., Pastor Troy/Killer Mike
• 6/28, 7:00 pm., David Banner

Apple Store, Perimeter

• Canceled, Cherish
• 6/9, 7:00 p.m., Janelle Monae
• 6/17, 7:00 p.m., Anthony David

Apple Store, Lincoln Road

• 6/25, 9:00 pm., DJ Irie

Apple Store, North Michigan Avenue

• 6/12, 7:00 p.m., Marvin Sapp
• 6/15, 7:00 pm., Yung Berg
• 6/28, 7:00 pm., Michelle Williams

Apple Store, Third Street Promenade

• 6/2, 7:00 p.m., Malcolm Jamal Warner
• 6/20, 7:00 pm., MC Lyte
• 6/21, 7:00 pm., David Banner

Apple Store, Somerset

• 6/6, 7:00 p.m., Dwele

Via Apple Retail website (props to Highbrid Nation). As you can see Janelle Monae is doing a concert with them as well, which is making me call into question whether I'm a fan or an obsessed geek.

Wow That's Pretty Messed Up...

Sorry for my lack of updates today. I'm feeling under the weather. I recently received this press release about Peedi Crack's upcoming album title:

After five years, North Philly rapper Peedi Crakk has parted ways with Roc-A-Fella Records in favor of booming independent, Amalgam Digital. The tech-savvy company responsible for launching hip hop’s first genre specific digital retail store attracted Peedi with their innovative business model and creatively fostering environment. Peedi Crakk joins a roster made up of both commercially successful artists and underground hip hop icons, including Grammy-nominee Joe Budden, Kurious, Tash (of Tha Alkaholiks), and the Juggaknots. His highly anticipated debut album “Camel Face Hunting Season,” will be released in September 2008.

As if it wasn't more apparent who he was going at. Honestly, there's really no point in me posting this, but for the shear sake of posting. My brother told me the new Virgins album came out yesterday. Maybe that'll be my next post...

LMAO!

Via First Showing. Although I have my reservations about Tropic Thunder, this video was funny as hell.

Gnarls Barkley + Janelle Monae Secret Show

A few days ago I posted this. Now here's the follow up info...

The information on Myspace is as follows:

PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG MOBILE

Featuring
GNARLS BARKLEY
with
BATTLES
AND
JANELLE MONÁE

SUNDAY
June 8, 2008

FREE! ALL AGES!
Doors @ 7:00 PM

DETAILS BELOW

@ Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
17 Irving Plaza
New York, NY
(212) 777-1224

PLEASE NOTE:

Admission is on a first come, first served basis. So get there early and stay in line.

I guess it's not much of a secret anymore. Anyhow, I'm interested in checking this out. Holler @ me if you're down to go.

And The Winner Is...

Via BBC:

Based on exit poll data and information from US media, Mr Obama will secure enough delegates to win the candidacy.

His rival Hillary Clinton has said she will not concede tonight, but is "open" to becoming Mr Obama's running mate.

Mrs Clinton made the comments in a conference call with other New York lawmakers, US media said.

Congrats Mr. Obama. Even your competition is considering getting down with the squadron. But it's still a long road to November. My advice: Let Hilary get down. And include Edwards and Gore in the cabinet as well. It'll be like a Democratic Pantheon/Justice League.

Visually Bloggable: K-Salaam & Beatnick Documentary Trailer

Real talk I will more than likely be copping this album this summer, if I don't get a press copy. I never got a chance to buy K-Salaam's first joint which was independently released 2 years ago, and I've been steadily watching the work that he does. I've been hyping up his stuff on this blog, but I'm surprised some of the major blogs haven't posted this stuff. What I like about K-Salaam's production is not only his choice in Hip-Hop but his choice in Reggae. I'm getting tired of cookie-cutter rap, and hearing this mix of roots Reggae, non-mainstream rap, with elements of soul is a nice change.

Related links: New K-Salaam & Beatnick Mixtape/Street Album "New York Is Burning"

K-Salaam & Beatnick @ Midway in NYC

"Mr. Sharpton & Anyone Like You, You Don't Know Me..."

So I was able to preview the Lil Wayne album and came across a particular track of interest....




This song utilizes the same song sampled for this Common track that appeared on Finding Forever last summer...





The song sampled was from an old Nina Simone song...

At the end of the song Dwayne Carter goes off on a spiel about the institutional racism as it pertains to the justice system--in basic, due to crack carrying a higher sentencing rate than cocaine, the system is already biased. I've heard this argument before while I was in school, and though I have my own reservations about the argument, I must admit hearing Lil Wayne talk about it for 3 minutes is something new. He then proceeds to talk trash about Al Sharpton.

Oh and the album's okay. Personally, I enjoyed TC2 more. I think the constant leaking of songs, oversaturation of mixtapes and promethezine has probably taken its' toll on D. Carter's album (and his sanity). Notably absent was his song with Sizzla...

It's solid nonetheless. I feel the same about this album as I did with TI vs Tip. Initially I compared TC3 with King, but I think TI vs Tip is a bit more accurate. I'll probably end up reviewing the album in the near future for the Bodega.

SMH...This Is Wrong On So Many Levels

Via Wrong Crowd's YouTube.

Disclaimer: In no way or means am I advocating doing something like this. As a matter of fact, I advocate the opposite and hitting anybody, man or woman, is wrong. But this video was just so stunning that I had to share this with the blogosphere.

Sadly this happened outside of Hot 97's Summer Jam 2008. Given Hip-Hop's already notoriety for the unethical treatment of the XX-chromosome, I expect someone to get tight about this.

Janelle Monae + Gnarls Barkley Myspace Secret Show Coming To New York!

Via Janelle Monae's Myspace

As you can see by the jpeg, where it will be held has yet to be announced. I know I saw her already, but heck, I'll go again. Plus Gnarls Barkley will be there.

If you miss out here, keep in mind you'll have to wait until the Afro-Punk Festival in Brooklyn to see her or Central Park Summerstage. Props to Brooklyn Vegan.

I know most of you are think I'm (a) obsessed (b) jocking her or (c) both. There's a possibility that you're right......


I kid, I kid. But the reality is this--there are few acts that make me enjoy music again. You would think with all of these music posts that I do, I was content with what I hear. Interestingly that's not the case. I usually go back to the same songs whenever I got the iPod plugged in and rarely do I find new music that really captures how I feel (with the right production at that).

Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Tickets Are Now Available ! / Mickey Factz + Blu & Exile Added To The BHF Line Up

To all of those interested in attending the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, the tickets are now available at Fat Beats and the Halcyon for $10. I know many of you might be a little peeved @ the price, but the economy has taken it's toll on the festival. On the bright side we have a dope line-up for y'all. In addition to KRS-One, Primo & Buckshot in attendance, we also have...



Mickey Factz



Blu & Exile


So please, if you can, come through and enjoy a day of solid events. Here are the directions & information for the ticketing locations:

Fat Beats is located at 406 Ave of The Americas (6th Ave between 8th and 9th streets).
Take the A,C,B,D,or F to West 4th
(212) 673-3883

Halcyon located at 57 Pearl St. at the corner of Water & Pearl Sts. in Dumbo, Brooklyn
F Train to York St. or A/C to High St.
www.halcyonline.com
718.260.WAXY

Some New Audibly Bloggable Purchases....

So I was @ Target with my Mom (yes, you read that correctly), and I went to the music section to see what they had available. I ended up FINALLY buying this album...

Some (if not most) of you are probably gasping. "Yellow Rebel didn't own a copy of Life After Death until now??? Is the sky falling?" So yeah, I never owned a copy of Life After Death until May 31, 2008. I've been meaning to buy this joint for, oh, about 11 years.

To be frank, I have the album (just not in CD format ;-)), heck I even own the CD single for "Going Back to Cali" (remember when they used to sell CD singles?). When this album first came out I didn't have much money to purchase CD's (mind you they were upwards of $20-$30 back in '97) so it was something I put on the backburner. I do own a copy of the classic No Way Out, which coincidentally, is the first rap album I've ever listened to. I also have a copy of Ready To Die that I bought from a friend 8 years ago. I guess the only thing I need now to complete this my Bad Boy collection would be the first Ma$e album.

I also bought a copy of the first Usher album. I know a lot of you will probably look at me funny for admitting that (you can go ahead and joke on me if you'd like), but I'm an 80's Baby/Child of the 90's and Usher was one many of the R&B acts that had a successful album when I was younger. Don't front My Way is a classic (plus it was $10, so I figured, hey why not) and it ranks up there with the following:

So don't hate...

I know I'm probably missing a few albums up there. I'm already expecting "Where's 112? Total? Dru Hill? Xscape? Brandy? Janet?", etc, etc. But I think most of you get the point (plus I'm feeling lazy). So yes, once again my audibly bloggable journey has left me back in the 90's once again. I'm sure plenty of you can relate. C'mon folks, let's throw on our Fubu t shirts (the ones with the big FB in the center) and Tommy jeans and get it cracking.