John Ruskin - "There is no wealth but life."

~~~

STEVIE WONDER IS MAKING A NEW ALBUM?! YES, HE IS!!!!!!!!

http://www.rnbmusicblog.com/stevie-wonder-new-album-the-gospel-inspired-by-lula/

Stevie Wonder is currently preparing a new album titled“The Gospel Inspired By Lula” which will deal with the various spiritual and cultural crises facing the world that should be released in 2008.

“The Gospel Inspired By Lula” is inspired by his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, who died last year. Lula co-wrote three of Stevie’s biggest hit singles, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” (1970), “Don’t Know Why I Love You” (1969) and “I Was Made To Love Her” (1967).



I didn't know this info below! It's old but it's ETERNALLY RELEVANT:

Lula Hardaway, mother of Stevie Wonder, dies at 76

By Damian Dovarganes, AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lula Mae Hardaway, mother of singer Stevie Wonder, has died. She was 76.

Hardaway died May 31 in Los Angeles, Wonder's publicist Shelley Selover said Thursday.

She did not know the cause of death.

"To us you are and always will be our everything! God blessed us with our only living angel," said a memorial comment from Wonder and other family members included in an obituary for Hardaway's Thursday funeral in Los Angeles.

Hardaway is credited as a co-writer on several of Wonder's songs, including the hits I Was Made to Love Her and Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours.

Hardaway was born Jan. 11, 1930, to a sharecropper in Eufaula, Ala. Her life was marked by poverty and abuse, according to interviews she gave for a 2002 biography, Blind Faith: The Miraculous Journey of Lula Hardaway, Stevie Wonder's Mother.

"She had a very, very rough upbringing. She went from house to house as a child, from relative to relative. Her parents didn't want her," said Stacy Brown, who co-wrote the book.

At 15, she and her father moved to Indiana, where she went to work in a sewing factory. She married a much older man, Calvin Judkins, father of her children, who drank, beat her and eventually forced her into prostitution to support the family, according to the book.

She eventually fled to Detroit, divorced and got work. It was in Detroit that her blind 10-year-old son, Stevie, began singing on street corners. His talent caught the eye of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr., who signed him to a record contract and nicknamed him Little Stevie Wonder.

His mother negotiated his first contract, Brown said.

The family moved to Los Angeles in 1975, where Hardaway was known for her barbecue sauce and peach cobbler. She was a religious woman who kept Bibles on the bed, dresser and couch, according to the obituary from her family.

WOW.

~~~

www.allhiphop.com

EMINEM IS SICK?

By Remmie Fresh
Eminem was taken to a hospital in the Detroit area for difficulty from a severe pneumonia and a heart condition over the holiday season.

The rapper is now at his Michigan home recovering, according to a report from tmz.com.

"Over the holidays, Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, was under doctor's care at a Detroit-area hospital for complications due to pneumonia. He has since been released and is doing well recovering at home,” a publicist told tmz.

The rapper’s career has been largely dormant in the public, despite releasing The Re-Up in December of 2006. The multiplatinum rapper is rumored to be recording his highly anticipated comeback CD.

Eminem’s Shady Records and parent company Interscope Records have yet to announce any new recordings at press time.

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JOELL ORTIZ, ONE OF THE FEW REAL, REMAINING RHYMERS:

This is a little something I put together from my two brief interviews with Joell - one from his album release and something from a couple of months back. The way he’s going right now, 2008 is going to be another great year for dude.

Robbie: You recently got an XXL cover. That’s a good look, man.

Joell Ortiz: Yep, I’m hyped about that – even though they’ve got me looking like I’m a million pounds, and I’m really not! Shit, it’s all good. That’s my first cover.

I heard that new song you did with Smif ‘N Wessun. Are you doing many features right now?

Actually man, I remember when we first did that shit, that shit was sounding real fun, but when I heard the finished product with Rock’s vocals I was like “Wow!” ‘Cos I didn’t hear it with Rock’s vocals on it, so when Rock had did the chorus I was like “Oh, that shit’s crazy!” I don’t really do too many features, but Smif ‘N Wessun are dudes I listened to growing up, so I got up with them. That was really dope.

You were in LA a couple of weeks ago working with Dre, right?

Yeah, I’m just working on the Aftermath record. I was working with a couple of different producers, it wasn’t just Dre. I was also working with this R&B female who’s signed over there. I’m always recording, brother, whether I’m in LA or New York. Whenever I go somewhere I’m trying to record and get recognized. That’s how I move.

Did you roll to the VMA’s with Dre for his appearance?

Nah, I don’t really do too many of those kinda things. Until the time is right, I don’t wanna be a spectator. I wanna be up there trying to hold something up myself. I don’t feel that’s my place yet – my place is the studio, so that’s where I pretty much live.

I also wanted to talk to you about some of your earlier work when you went by Jo-Ell Quikman. How did the 2001 Rawkus single come about?

That was my boy Mike Heron, who’s my manager now. He had a gig up at Rawkus and he had just got wind of the record. He was working with this dude V.I.C.- they was called Ghetto Pros – and I did a record with V.I.C. and he was like “Yo, this one here is a pretty good. I’mma pitch it to Rawkus”, and they bit and we put that out. We got a pretty good response from that. It was a one record deal, and after that me and Mike hit the studio hard, and that’s where we sit today.

There was also the “Street Knowledge” single on Hydra in 2004.

Wow, you know about all those early records, huh? [laughs] Yeah man, that was a classic. That’s vintage Joell, man. On those records I was going by “Quikman”. After those records I got some good feedback and some responses, I realized that I had to become Joell Ortiz, because my situation in life started becoming real and I started seeing things clearly, and I just wanted to go by my government name to let people know that I’m a real person, man.

Wasn’t “Humble” meant to be on Hydra as well?

I just did that to talk shit on a record. Just to fuckin’ rhyme over a hard beat. My boy MoSS is putting that out. It’s crazy that you mentioned that. You’re doing you’re homework somehow – you’re secretly finding things out, huh Rob? [laughs]

Mike said that you’ve “got the Purto Rican community in a fuckin’ headlock”. How important is that to you?

[laughing] Yeah man, I’ve got ‘em goin’ crazy! Since [Big] Pun, outside of Fat Joe, there’s really been no Latin icon in the hip-hop community. They’re just embracing me with open arms right now, ‘cos I’m running around just having a ball, and letting people know that Spanish dudes do hip-hop too. Don’t say “Yo, he’s nice for a Spanish rapper” – just be like “He’s nice!”

Have you got any comment on the T-Ray / Mike Heron situation?

T-Ray thinks he knows me somehow. I was like twelve when I was brought around to him. He doesn’t know Joell Ortiz, he doesn’t know Joell Ortiz. He’s only met a little kid that was 13, trying to rhyme.

I remember there was an internet contest to make a beat for you a while back. Was that for the old mixtape?

No, it actually was for this album, and we ended-up working with some of the winners. Frank Dukes had sent in some beats – I believe he’s from Sweden. Dude’s were sending in some heat. It was real hard to pick from, but we narrowed it down and we picked a few. We got some good stuff outta that one.

“125 Grams Part 5"; killed it. How many parts are there going to be?

Aww man, I did eight of those! I put a few of them on the album, a few of them are gonna leak during the album – I’m just gonna be sending them out to raise the standards and let people know that sixteen bars just isn’t gonna cut it anymore [chuckles].

You got Big Daddy Kane on the “Brooklyn” remix. Was he your favorite Juice Crew member growing up?

I’m early nineties – you feel me? I’m Big L, RIP Big Pun, early Nas, Raekwon Purple Tape, Smif ‘N Wessun. That’s the era I come from. I would be lying if I didn’t say that my favorite rapper is Jay-Z.

It’s good to hear that some real lyrics coming back after all these “Speak and Spell” MC’s.

[laughing] I understand, brother. I’m a fan first – then I’m a rapper. I’m a fan with a deal, I haven’t been excited in a long time, so I’m not gonna disappoint anyone with this album. If you wanna know what you’re gonna get on this album, it’s hard beats and emceeing – that’s just about it. If you wanna press the rewind button again, if you wanna say “Ohh” and “Ahh, did you hear what he say?” then this is the album for you.

Why do you think record sales are down right now? Is it because of so many weak albums, or something else?

Two things work in this game – you either follow suit, or you don’t. Both of them will work, you can’t coast in the middle. You can’t be like “Well I’m underground but I gotta give ‘em a commercial one” – it’s not gonna work that way. You feel me? You’ve either gotta be all the way commercial, and doin’ what they doin’, running around in videos and all this stuff, or you’re just gonna like “I don’t do that” and then you’re gonna have all the people that be like “Exactly! I agree”. That’s what I do. I just rap. I don’t target the club, I don’t target the radio – I just target the beat. My job is to rip them to the best of my ability, so that the joints you hear from me on the radio or in the clubs are loved by the DJ’s – they’re fans. They’re not directed at anyone.

Damn, so no token Dirty South songs huh?

Ha ha! Nah, man. No knock to the South, but that’s just not my thing. I’m a New Yorker, I came up on New York rap. That’s just how I do it.

Did you do much battling coming up?

I really only did one battle. I did NBA Live, an EA Sport battle, which I won throughout the US. That’s how I landed a song on NBA Live 2005 (”Mean Business”). But I never really did the battling thing, outside of my block. You’ll always have some ciphers on your block where you gotta be like “I’m the man on my block! Don’t forget that!” but I was much more of a recording person, trying to do my songs.

Air Max or Air Force Ones?

It depends on the situation, man. Yesterday I had Hush Puppies on! I mix it up real crazy sometimes, I ain’t one sneakered out.

“Brooklyn Bullshit” was my favorite cut off the album. That must’ve been great to work with Show.

Yeah man, when Show came through the studio he actually came through like “Yo man, I got a couple of beats I want you to hear. I know where you’re trying to go with this.” He played a couple, then when he got to “Brooklyn Bullshit” I was like “Hold up! This beat right here…that shit just brings something out of me.” I just wrote the record right there. I wanted to make it hood, but funny and catchy at the same time. I’m probably gonna be working with Show in the future, on some new shit.

Nice. What is it about Brooklyn cats that makes you guys stand out?

You know what it is, man? The competitive nature, that’s just different in itself. Not just music, you understand? I could just be standing in a store and be like “Oh, dude tries to crush his outfit? Man, he can’t dress better than me. What is this guy? Crazy?” We’re competitive down to the littlest things. “Oh, that’s the potato chips that dudes is eating now? Them shit’s is corny, man” [laughs] We’re just competitive about the littlest shit, so with music we over-critique ourselves. I guess that’s why sometimes the product sounds the way it sounds, or may come across the way it comes across, ‘cos we’re so hard on ourselves out here in Brooklyn.





~~~

Ice Cube is the fucking truth, I don't give a fuck if he made "Are We There Yet?", LOL:

http://www.complex.com/CELEBRITIES/Web-Exclusive/Ice-Cube

Taking 'Em To Church
The short trip from South Central L.A to Hollywood has been a smooth ride for the 38-year old Ice Cube. After making his mark as a greasy- talking rapper in the quintessential anti-establishment supergroup N.W.A, and further solidifying his legacy in rap history with the Westside Connection, Cube's hustle has hit the big screen. Finding his niche in family-friendly comedies has been the secret to his success as of recent, but make no mistake, O'Shea Jackson hasn't gone pincushion on us. As he gets ready to debut his recent film First Sunday alongside Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan, we caught up with Cube to talk about the movie, gangster vs. comic book rap, the difference between real and fake and his disdain for Dubya.

By Joe La Puma

Complex: The majority of "First Sunday" takes place in the church, are you a religious dude?
Ice Cube: I'm spiritual; I'm not really religious. Spiritual means you believe in God, you trust and love God, but you're not really into the rituals of religion and doing all the things religion has a person do to prove your love for God.

C: How would you recommend going about paying back a 17 thousand dollar debt in real life?
Ice Cube: How would I do it? At this point I'll just write a check, but for others, I say don't rob a church, because it's not going to turn out like a movie. But I mean, sell something; you got a car, you got to sling it. You got to sell something, that's when the brain gets to clicking, you have to prove that you're worth it. You got to figure out who's going to pay you to do what you need to do to get money. You have to hustle.

C: Do you feel like you still need to use comedies like "Are We There Yet" and "First Sunday" as stepping-stone films to prove yourself in order to land more serious roles?
Ice Cube: I don't think I need to do these to get those more serious roles. What happens is, I do these so good, and people want more. When I go do a new deal with a new company, the first thing they say is to give them what we do best. I'm the guy who can deliver different kinds of movies, and that's what people want. But I'm always looking to do other things- the XXXs of the world or a movie like Three Kings. I got this movie I'm doing right now called The Comeback, a drama.

C: How would say your movie opportunities have changed over the last 15 years?
Ice Cube: I mean you get more things offered; But it really comes down to relationships in this business. When it's time to do a movie, guys are going to think about people that they've worked with before. You have to go and make relationships with people you want to make movies with and I don't think that's going to change, no matter how big you get or how many movies you do. I think I've gotten more offers because I've been successful.

C: Do you feel like your movies get pigeonholed as black films?
Ice Cube: I hope so; I'm black [laughs]. All races enjoy my movies, if they take the time to check 'em out. But, you know there's nothing I could do to stop that part. I'm not going to try to be whiter in my movies for people not to consider them black movies. That doesn't make sense.

C: Do you think putting out "black movies" affects movie and DVD sales?
Ice Cube: No, because I think people find good movies and they leave bad movies on the shelf. I think DVDs allow people who normally wouldn't go to the theatre to see a movie, watch the film, and enjoy it. People might feel funny about going into a young black movie, if they're a senior citizen, but they may say "I want to see that movie, but I'll just get it when it comes out on DVD."

C: So are you and Chris Tucker cool?
Ice Cube: Yeah, he just came to my suite a couple days ago for the Laker game. He came up there, hung out for a while. We talk about working together, but I don't know if he's ready for a Friday. He does want us to do a movie together, so to me that's the first step.

C: Why do you think he's been so reluctant to do Friday again?
Ice Cube: I don't know if he had a good time making Friday. He didn't make a whole lot of money from that movie because it was his first movie. So I don't know if the overall experience was good for him. He never told me this, but it's the only reason why I would say that he didn't want to come back to it. But shit, he's Chris Tucker now! He's going get paid top dollar, and he going have a ball if he do another one.

C: He's in a different space now?
Ice Cube: Before he was a comedian trying to get seen and get known, so he might have looked at it as "that was my worst movie experience," but that was only because he was a new actor. We always get treated like rookies. It happens. I got treated like one in Boyz N Da Hood. But when you prove your worth in Hollywood, the treatment is better. That's my speculation on it. He's never told me any of this.

C: On your last album you kind of poked fun at kids coming out of pocket and acting hard in the rap game, do you think things have gotten worse since then?
Ice Cube: I feel like you got a different kind of rap. You got real serious rap and you got comic-book rap. And, you know most of them dudes just fall in the comic-book section of this whole thing.

C: What do you mean by that?
Ice Cube: You have people that are way over the top with it, and fake with it no matter what they do, and you got people that are real with it. I'm not saying that gangster rap is real, and ring-tone rap ain't, because both rap is real. I don't want you to be fake and just trying to do anything you need to to get over. Those are the rappers I don't like the ones that do anything to get over. They got to be popcorn they'll be popcorn, they got to be hard they'll be hard. That's fake. My style ain't never change.

C: What do you say to a dude like Bow Wow who's trying real hard to shatter his boyish image and become more gangster?
Ice Cube: Be yourself. You know that's the best advice. People could get in your head, tell you who you should be and what you need to be; nobody should be a part of that, just be yourself and everything will turn out how it's supposed to.

C: You said your new album would be more political than usual, what was the reasoning for heading in that direction?
Ice Cube: I just hate the commercialized game, I hate being worried about what the program director's thinking. All that kind of stuff doesn't make any difference. What makes the difference is what the fans think, what the intelligent hardcore, mature Hip-Hop fan wants to hear. Get it to them and let's make music. I'm at a point where I'm not just grinding at this record, like "Yo, I got to eat off this," so I could have more fun with it, and do what I feel and not do it for other reasons. When you're on the record label, they are worried about that kind of stuff. You know, like where's the single? Where's the single? You just want to give them a single kick in the ass, and tell them to get the fuck out of the studio [laughs]. I'm just going back to the essence, doing it from the heart, doing it from the gut, and being happy with the results.

C: On your last album you went kind of hard at George W. Bush, what caused you the frustration?
Ice Cube: He doesn't give a fuck about anybody. That's my main frustration. He cares about making his families rich and his friends. That's how his daddy is, and that's how he is. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. They don't care about nobody, they just want to be rich, and use their position to get richer. They know they have four or eight years to snatch and grab all they can and they did. And people are going to say "worst president ever," and he'll say "who gives a shit? I'm rich."

C: Who do you think is the most Hip-Hop-friendly candidate for 08?
Ice Cube: I haven't see any of them embrace Hip-Hop. If they were smart they'd embrace it, but if they want to keep shit they way it is, they'll probably stay away. I think the government treats Hip-Hop as a threat to their ultimate plan whatever it may be. I think they're doing more things behind the scenes that we don't see, to kill music.

C: In NWA, you guys said what you wanted to say and you never held back-how different is it today?
Ice Cube: I don't know if it's different. I don't know if rappers are holding back. I think the rappers are going with the audience. At some point mainstream media decided to promote hardcore gangster rap to the masses on a big level, and you can't blame the rappers for that, it was something that [the media] did in the mid '90s. Now they want to blame us for them taking it and blowing it up. The Viacoms and all these people in the world got to take the blame too. They ain't no innocent bystanders in this shit either. So if it got out of control or whatever, it ain't just because of the artist.

C: Interesting...
Ice Cube: What it is is that they kind of pushed escapism rap, and they pushed the political rap to the back. Political rap is more of a threat than shake-ya-ass, titties, get drunk, take an X pill, whatever the hell type of music-so that's what they wanted people to be focused on. They didn't like things were said in the early '90s, late '80s,that have been lost until now. In the late '90s there was no market for this kind of rap. Now through YouTube and people getting their own information through the computer and things like that, people are getting what they really want and they're not being programmed. This kind of music that's coming back is real. There was a wave to stomp it out. But it never went all the way out.

MORE ICE CUBE, WHY NOT? BETTER THAN PLIES:

Ice Cube doesn't see anything wrong with a stereotype. In fact, the 36-year-old rap mogul has built an empire on stereotypes, whether perpetuating them as the self-proclaimed "nigga ya love to hate" in NWA and Boyz n the Hood (1991), or debunking them in family-friendly fare like Are We There Yet? (2005), and in his reality TV hit Black. White. As he prepares to release Laugh Now, Cry Later, his first solo album in six years, Cube is looking to challenge another stereotype-that veteran rappers don't age well. Sitting in the Santa Monica office of his Cube Vision production company, he takes a long, hard sip of his Cherry Slurpee, shuffles some papers around his immaculate desk, and stares unflinchingly as the questions begin.

Every rapper from 50 Cent to T.I. has a movie now. Is it frustrating to get lumped in with all the new jacks?
Nope, because that tells me that my work needs to stick out above the crowd. Either you got it or you don't. It's nothing for me to think about, worry about, or hate on, or trip on, because early on in Hollywood you had to sing and dance to even get a job. If you couldn't do it all, you couldn't ever act. From Nat King Cole to Sammy Davis Jr. to Frank Sinatra to Elvis, people have always gone from music to acting, so it's nothing new. It's just a different time, a different kinda entertainer coming in. But that's how it's always been.

Do awards like the Grammys and Oscars mean anything?
Not to us it shouldn't. I remember when we wasn't accepted by anybody, like the radio, the video shows, Grammys, American Music Awards-so now they're kinda embracing the music not because they really want to, but because it's the most popular music of the day. It's cool to go up there and get 'em, but to define yourself-like, Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar, but do you think they a better group for that? I like some of their songs that didn't win an Oscar better than the one that did, so to me that shouldn't define us at all. If you get caught up in winning awards, I don't think you could really create your best work comin' from that angle. You tryin' to impress the wrong people.

You mention George W. Bush a lot on your new album. Why is that?
Because he needs to be on people's minds with what he's doing with his administration. When I came out with Death Certificate in '91, I talked about his father a lot. Every time one of these Republican cats gets into office, the economy's messed up, gas prices go up. Everybody's more paranoid. The Christian Right goes crazy. It does make the hip-hop better; oppressed people have the best art. People need to pay attention to my new album because people are into partying and bullshittin' and not really into what's happening with their rights.

Speaking of Death Certificate, when you wrote "Black Korea" about racist Korean grocers, did you know that many do get robbed in the ghetto, and their suspicion might be a reaction to that reality?
Yeah, I realize that happens a lot. I'm not Korean. I can only speak from my point of view and be accurate about it. But I'll produce any Korean rapper that wanna spit about niggas comin' in they shop stealin' and shit.

On Black. White., it seems like the people are essentially fulfilling stereotypes.
But see, when we picked these guys, we didn't think they was none of that. These mainstream, middle-class people gave us a better picture of the society we live in. People who didn't think they're racist, but by them living in a racist country, layers stack on top of them. Our show was to pull back the layers one by one. There's some truth in stereotypes. People just should be themselves. If we eating chicken is a stereotype, and I like chicken, I'm gonna have me some damn chicken. I'm not gonna worry about who's watching me and am I fulfilling the stereotypes.

Do you think your current image in family movies like Are We There Yet? contradicts your rap identity?
Yeah, but see, in movies you're just acting. If you wanna be an actor and you wanna have some kind of control in what you're doing, then it's kinda hard to parallel both of 'em and still work a lot. With movies you have to take more chances; it's whatever the character calls for. It's all me when it's all said and done-it's just most of the rap I do is gangster rap.

Do you think your music is still relevant for the 106 & Park crowd?
I don't know. I don't live for the 106 & Park crowd. I got older fans.

On movies, how would you compare your XXX performance to Vin Diesel's?
Mine was just better. Look better, act better. I don't know what he could do as good as me.

He could play an Italian.
Maybe that.

Three Kings was one of the first Gulf War films. Are you going to do anything about the current Iraq War?
We're talking about it. But in Hollywood, ain't nothing real until somebody signs a check.

~~~

Prodigy is GRINDIN' thru Babylon. 30 more days on top of his 3 year bid? UGH:





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Lil Wayne, still fucking with things. No release date for Carter III? Weirdo:

The curtain is just about ready to be raised on Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III LP. Weezy was in Miami on Monday with legendary photographer Jonathan Manion, shooting artwork for the album, and pretty soon he'll be going back in front of the camera to film the first video for the effort. The song is called "Showtime."

"The Carter III is coming in 2008. I don't want to give no months, no date," he said. "I got a gang of singles [on Carter III]. [It's] produced by my homeboy Diesel. He's also a Young Money affiliate. He's down with us. He's a producer/singer/engineer. He does it all. I have my artist featured on the song. Her name is Chanell. We already have a remix featuring Brisco and Lil' Boosie."

He added that for the "Showtime" video, "We're gonna get Gil Green or Benny [Boom] to direct. I really don't know. They're all my brothers. The concept is really 'Showtime,' just performance. Me and my artist Chanell gonna play a lot with the video. It's gonna be very animated but straight to the point. Colorful. Y'all [should be looking] to be entertained."

Wayne says he's recorded so many songs for the album besides "Showtime" that he's not sure which ones will make the cut. Just about every hip-hop producer you can name contributed to Tha Carter III, including Timbaland, David Banner, Jay Bezel from the Diplomat camp, T-Mix, Mannie Fresh, Cool & Dre, Just Blaze and even Wayne himself.

"Me and my homeboy Diesel, we got a Kanye West track and added some drums to it," he said. "I don't know what songs [the record company] picked. I just know the intros and the single."

Weezy says his side work as the most-sought-after cameo man in the business isn't slowing down. He just finished a remix of Rick Ross' "Speedin' " with Fat Joe — don't miss Wayne's use of the same voice enhancement T-Pain employs — and has been writing for Dr. Dre.

"Call me by a new name: 'Featuring Lil Wayne,' " he joked about all his guest appearances. But while he has more names on his résumé than you can count, he did say there's one MC he hasn't worked with but with whom he really wants to. Actually, that's "M.C.," not "MC."

"I have never done nothing with Mariah Carey, and I would like to, because I love older women," the 25-year-old said. "I'm attracted to older women. It's my thing. Mariah Carey, she might need a dude like me. I do my thing."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1579291/20080108/index.jhtml?rsspartner=rssMozilla

~~~

THEY ARE FUCKING WITH MY EMOTIONS. OBAMA SHOULD WIN AND WE ALL KNOW IT, BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LET HIM. WHO ARE 'THEY'? THE SAME 'THEY' THAT GAVE BUSH 8 YEARS TO FUCK UP PLANET EARTH.

Obama "I love the art of Hip-Hop;" Loses NH Primary

By Houston Williams

Senator Barack Obama is interested in utilizing rappers to educate youth with Hip-Hop, should he make it to the White House.

"I’ve met with Jay-Z; I’ve met with Kanye. And I’ve talked to other artists about how potentially to bridge that gap. I think the potential for them to deliver a message of extraordinary power that gets people thinking [is strong]," the presidential hopeful told Jeff Johnson on BET special What’s In It For Us?

While the possibilities are endless, Obama said that he still remains disturbed at some of the harsh images represented in Hip-Hop music.

"There are times, even on the artists I’ve named, the artists that I love, that there is a message that’s, sometimes degrading to women, uses the N-word a lil’ too frequently," he said on the show, which was played on Monday. "But also something that I’m really concerned about is [they are] always talking about material things about how I can get something-more money, more cars."

Obama admitted to being an "old school guy" that likes 60’s and 70’s soul music.

"I gotta admit – lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Jay-Z. This new American Gangster album is [good]. Kanye, I like. I enjoy some of the newer stuff. Honestly, I love the art of Hip-Hop. I don’t always love the message of Hip-Hop."

After being asked if he liked Hip-Hop, the Illinois Senator replied, "Of course."

Last year, Russell Simmons criticized Obama for calling on some rappers to amend their vulgar lyrics.

"What we need to reform is the conditions that create these lyrics. Obama needs to reform the conditions of poverty. I wish he really did raise his money on the Internet, like he said. I wish he really did raise his money independently."

Simmons later rescinded some of his claims and apologized to the Senator.

Throughout his campaign, Obama has preached under the mantra of change and he said he would like rappers to envision change through their music.

"Hip-Hop is not just a mirror of what is it should be a mirror of what can be. A lot of people say, ‘I want to be real. I want to be down. Then we’re just trapped in 'What is.' Imagine something different. Imagine communities that aren’t torn up by violence.

"Imagine that we’re respecting our women," Obama continued. "Imagine communities where knowledge and reading and academic excellence are valued, communities where fathers are doing right by their kids. Art can’t just be a rearview mirror. It should have a headlight on there pointing to where we need to go."

The show was telecast as the results of the New Hampshire Democratic primary were coming in.

Obama placed second after Hillary Clinton after besting the New York Senator in Iowa.

Despite the loss, Obama remained optimistic in a speech to his supporters.

"You know, a few weeks ago no one imagined that we'd have accomplished what we did here tonight in New Hampshire. For most of this campaign, we were far behind. We always knew our climb would be steep," he said to the crowd. "I am still fired up and ready to go."

With 75 percent of the precincts reporting, Senator Clinton raked in 39 percent of the vote and Obama took about 36 percent.

http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2008/01/09/19107681.aspx

~~~

so yeah... one day down, a million more to go!
no weed, no tobacco, no alcohol yesterday. AND i fell asleep at a time that wasn't something ludicrous like 3 AM, ha ha!
also, I got Gracie from the airport... and it's wonderful to see her again. That's my heart. Not my only heart, but she's my heart for sure. We continue to blindly dance down a path that I can't even describe, and I love to be there with her, even if I don't understand everything that's going on. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus... and our minds are even farther apart, LOL! But our hearts are in the exact same spot in the universe...

I want to clean up my life today. I saw the Secret again yesterday, and it's time to attract GODLINESS and SUPREME SUCCESS!

one love from Mindbender Supremacy