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TOKYO GORE POLICE:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1214128517/bctid1716424197
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HIPHOPDX.COM
The polarizing force of Barack Obama's impending nomination as the Democratic Party's pick to be America's next president continues to be felt within a few parts of the Hip Hop community. dead prez set things in motion this past weekend by performing in Denver, Co. during the Rock The Bells festival. The controversial group referred to this week's Democratic National Convention as the "Demon-cratic National Convention" and urged listeners to remember "one man can't change hundreds of years of corruption." Sunday stic.man and M-1 took to the steps of the state capitol building [video below] before a series of protests occupied the streets of Denver, resulting in traffic stoppages and police barricades.
After the convention officially began Monday night, Spike Lee also weighed in on the Hip Hop community's relationship with Sen. Obama. Lee was particularly critical of remarks DJ Chuck T made last week when calling Obama a traitor, and saying he "turned his back on everybody." Lee referred to Chuck T's comment that "Obama is not black, [but] biracial" as crazy.
"The truth is, every African-American is biracial," Lee tells the New York Daily News. "Go back far enough, and you'll find the massah was in the slave quarters. You can't be black and go to Harvard Law School? You can't be black and be articulate?"
DJ Chuck T, who has taken to calling himself "the Malcolm X of Hip Hop" has yet to respond to Lee's remarks. Lee also found himself at odds with another member of the Hip Hop community in 2007, after 50 Cent responded to Lee's criticism of his lyrics and use of a bullet-proof vest. With more artists continuing to give both criticism and sometimes unsolicited support of Barack Obama, emcees and activists alike should have plenty to discuss between now and November's election.
DEADPREZ
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MURS IS THA HOMIE:
Murs is ready to unveil his major label debut. After making a name for himself in the indie rap circuit, the Los Angeles-based rapper is now attacking the mainstream world with Murs for President, his debut on Warner. For any independent act, this may seem like a daunting task, but Murs sees nothing but good in the transition. Recently, HipHopDX caught up with Murs to speak on his new album, what fans can expect and more on his future projects with Slug and 9th Wonder. Plus, he shed light on why he is ready to "shame" all mainstream emcees.
According to Murs, a lot of time and effort has been put into making this record for different reasons. When asked what his approach was, he replied with two different takes on his intentions.
"I make three albums a year. I wrote 60 songs for this record, you know. This is just the 14 best of 'em. I'm not concerned with ratings or first week or all the numbers. I just wanted to make a good positive record and write some good songs just to showcase my skill, of course, cause this is rap but also just to contribute to the Hip Hop legacy and the overall oral tradition of music," he said.
"And yeah, part of me does want to kill the mainstream because all these dudes suck. None of them are a better rapper than me. None of them are a better live performer than me. Hands down. I will shame anyone on any major label, on my label, on any label. That's how I feel. I represent the independent circuit, where we really rap and we really perform. I compete against Brother Ali [click to read], Atmosphere. Those are my peers. Those are the people that I consider to be great rappers in the modern age. All these people on major labels are full of shit, as far as I'm concerned."
The first single, "Can It Be," is already out, which was kind of an unexpected move.
“What’s out now is 'Can It Be,' and I didn’t expect that to be a single or really to do a video. So, I think we’re doing a video for that and after that is 'Lookin’ Fly' which should be a pretty big scale video and a big scale push.”
Those who cop the album's special edition are also in for something extra.
“The first 10,000 records on this album will have a DVD. We shot a 30 minute short film. Anybody that gets the special edition will get that.”
“It’s a comedy about me running to be the president of Hip Hop,” he added. “It takes off from the intro. I have some adversaries. There this character called ‘The Niggama’ who kind of represents the gangster rap and then the corporate world is represented by this white candidate. It’s just us having debates. You know, they try to assassinate me and the government creates a clone. It’s a crazy movie, man! It’s funny.”
Murs also added that the next Murs/9th Wonder project is in the works and has a title but that it’d be too early to say what that title could be. Also, expect more from Felt before that, and some new projects including one with Terrace Martin, who contributed to Murs for President, as well.
Murs isn't just running for president on the album, he is also taking part in the current presidential election. He will be attending this year's Democratic National Convention, set to take place from August 23 through August 29 in Denver, Colorado. He will be on the field, interviewing young fans, politicians and supporters. He will also give a couple of speeches and perform at an after party hosted by Will.I.Am (who also co-produced a track on his new album).
Murs For President, which features guest spots from Snoop Dogg, production from Scoop Deville and 9th Wonder and mixing from DJ Quik, is set to be released September 30.
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DA BRAT FUCKS UP:
Former So So Def rapper and Vh1 reality TV star Da Brat was sentenced to three years in prison this morning. According to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, the sentencing stems from a Halloween 2000 incident, whereby the Chicago native, ne' Shawntae Harris, struck a waitress in the face with a bottle of rum, in Jermaine Dupri's Studio 72 nightclub.
The assault reportedly cost the victim permanent facial damage. Da Brat plead guilty, and was given three years of prison, 200 hours of community service and seven years of probation.
An east coast incarnate of G-funk, Da Brat's 1994 Funkdafied is her biggest success, backed by a single of the same name. The female rapper, along with Kriss Kross, proved to be instrumental in establishing So So Def Records and the artist tutelage of Jermaine Dupri. During this time, she was also involved in a brief feud with Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound.
In the '00s, Da Brat released two more albums (four total), including 2000's platinum release Unrestricted.
Despite leaving music's limelight, she found success again as a cast member on Vh1's fourth season of Surreal Life. On the show, she feuded with Jane Weidlin of '80s Pop band The Go-Go's over remarks of career slump.
Leaving this morning's trial, Da Brat told family and supporters, "I'ma miss y'all."
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RIGHTEOUS KILL TRAILER:
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SNOOP IS A HUSTLER LIKE NO OTHER:
When Snoop Dogg paid homage to the late Johnny Cash on the record “My Medicine,” it was obvious that his influences ran far deeper than just Hip Hop. Taking that idea to the next level, Snoop is gearing up to release a clothing line solely inspired by men like Cash who push their success to the limit.
Titled Rich & Infamous, the clothing brand is described on the official website as “A fraternity of sorts -- from presidents to gangsters -- who've been able to endure the burden of gaining wealth at any cost. Garnering equal parts admiration and disdain, these men savor the fruits and relish the spotlight.” Jimi Hendrix, Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, and Muhammad Ali, among many others, are all included in Snoop Dogg’s euphoric aspirations to make Rich & Infamous a powerful brand.
The clothing line will make its first public appearance at the Magic Fashion Tradeshow in Las Vegas this week, presented by Snoop Dogg himself. Being savvy promoters though, Snoop and his brand manager Robert Thorne are looking to make Rich & Infamous the brand of choice for men ages 18-35. Setting up cross promotion networking, they plan to have Rich & Infamous heavily featured in Snoop's E! reality TV series Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood, as well as other outlets like music videos, CD packaging, and film spots in the very near future.
Thorne, who is the CEO of the Robert Thorne Company, explained to Variety that his and Snoop Dogg’s decision to integrate the clothing line into countless media outlets is a venture few entertainers choose to take. “Big stars usually don't spend a lot of time promoting the brand,” he said. However, with Snoop, he sees a man who is creating a brand that is designed to stand the test of time. “This is no longer 'I'm going to make a few extra bucks.' Now it's about 'How am I going to make this about who I am and make this last a decade or two or more?”
WWW.HIPHOPDX.COM
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RAP IS OUTTA CONTROL. CONDOLENCES TO DRE.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the 20 year-old son of Hip Hop superstar Dr. Dre was found dead Saturday morning, when his mother attempted to wake him.
The city's coroner told the newspaper that reports stated that the young man born Andre Young, Jr. had been in Los Angeles partying, when he returned to his mother's Woodland Hills, California residence at approximately 5:30 am.
He was found less than five hours later, unresponsive. Cause of death has yet to be determined.
Dr. Dre has yet to release any statement nor confirm relations. The mother has also remained anonymous, although the mother is believed not to be Dre protege and '90s R&B singer Michel'le, with whom Dre did have a son.
Dr. Dre has at least five children, two of whom have stated aspirations to rap.
~~~
DID SCIENTOLOGY KILL ISAAC HAYES? HMMMMMM, READ THIS:
Isaac Hayes' History With Scientology
By Roger Friedman FOX News
http://www.4dasoul.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=278%3Adid-scientology-kill-isaac-hayes&Itemid=173
My friend, Isaac Hayes, died on Sunday, and his passing leaves many unanswered questions.
The great R&B star, actor, DJ, performer and family man, the composer of "Soul Man," "Hold On I'm Coming" and other hits by Sam Moore and Dave Prater like "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," also was a member of the Church of Scientology.
Isaac was found dead by his treadmill, but conveniently missing from the wire stories was a significant fact: in January 2006, Isaac had a significant stroke. At the time, the word went out only that he had been hospitalized for exhaustion.
But the truth was, Isaac, whom I'd seen just a couple of months earlier when he headlined the Blues Ball in Memphis, was in trouble. Having lost the rights to his songs two decades earlier, he was finally making some money voicing the character of Chef on "South Park." But "South Park" lampooned Scientology, so the leaders wanted Isaac out.
Push came to shove on Nov. 16, 2005, when "South Park" aired its hilarious "Trapped in the Closet" episode spoofing Tom Cruise and John Travolta. "South Park" creator Matt Stone told me later that Isaac had come to him in tears.
"He said he was under great pressure from Scientology, and if we didn't stop poking at them, he'd have to leave," Stone said.
The conversation ended there. Isaac performed Chef's signature song at the Blues Ball a week later with great delight. Although he was devoted to Scientology, he also loved being part of "South Park." He was proud of it. And, importantly, it gave him income he badly needed.
But then came the stroke, which was severe. His staff - consisting of Scientology monitors who rarely left him alone - tried to portray it as a minor health issue. It wasn't. Sources in Memphis told me at the time that Isaac had significant motor control and speech issues. His talking was impaired.
In March 2006, news came that Hayes was resigning from "South Park." On March 20, 2006, I wrote a column called "Chef's Quitting Controversy," explaining that Hayes was in no position to have quit anything due to his stroke. But Scientology issued the statement to the press saying Hayes had resigned, and the press just ate it up. No one spoke to Isaac directly, because he couldn't literally speak. "Chef" was written out of the show.
Isaac Hayes' Quitting Controversy
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188463,00. html
20 March 2006 FOX411
Isaac's income stream was severely impaired as a result. Suddenly there were announcements of his touring, and performing. It didn't seem possible, but word went out that he'd be at BB King's in New York in January 2007. I went to see him and reported on it here.
The show was abomination. Isaac was plunked down at a keyboard, where he pretended to front his band. He spoke-sang, and his words were halting. He was not the Isaac Hayes of the past.
What was worse was that he barely knew me. He had appeared in my documentary, "Only the Strong Survive," released in 2003. We knew each other very well. I was actually surprised that his Scientology minder, Christina Kumi Kimball, with whom I had difficult encounters in the past, let me see him backstage at BB King's. Our meeting was brief, and Isaac said quietly that he did know me. But the light was out in his eyes, and the situation was worrisome.
But the general consensus was that he needed the money. Without "Chef," Isaac's finances were severely curtailed. He had mouths to feed to home. Plus, Scientology requires huge amounts of money, as former member, actor Jason Beghe, has explained in this space. For Isaac to continue in the sect, he had to come up with funds. Performing was the only way.
In recent months, I've had conflicting reports. One mutual friend says that Isaac had looked and sounded much better lately at business meetings. But actor Samuel L. Jackson, who recently filmed scenes with Isaac and the late Bernie Mac for a new movie called "Soul Men," told me on Saturday that Isaac really wasn't up to the physical demands of shooting the movie. (Neither, it seems, was Bernie Mac.)
Sam Moore, who recorded those Isaac Hayes songs in the '60s and loved the writer-performer like a brother, told me Sunday when he heard about the death: "I'm happy." Happy, I asked? "Yes, happy he's out of pain." It was one of the most beautiful ideas I'd ever heard expressed on the subject of death.
But there are a lot of questions still to be raised about Isaac Hayes' death. Why, for example, was a stroke survivor on a treadmill by himself? What was his condition? What kind of treatment had he had since the stroke? Members of Scientology are required to sign a form promising they will never seek psychiatric or mental assistance. But stroke rehabilitation involves the help of neurologists and often psychiatrists, not to mention psychotropic drugs - exactly the kind Scientology proselytizes against.
What will come next, I'm afraid, is a wild dogfight among family members for Isaac's estate. His song catalog (with David Porter) is one of the greatest in music history. Isaac lost the rights to his big hit songs in 1977. But thanks to something called the Songwriters Act, his heirs - whoever they are determined to be - automatically get the rights back as the songs come up for copyright renewal. I guarantee this will not be pretty. Isaac Lee Hayes has over 300 original compositions listed with BMI, from the Sam & Dave songbook to Carla Thomas' "BABY (Baby)" to his monumental instrumental "Theme from SHAFT.
"None of this should ever take away from who Isaac Hayes really was: a great friend, a warm congenial man with a big heart and a big laugh. He had married again right before his stroke, and was very happy. If he hadn't had the stroke, I am certain he would have recorded a new album. There was talk of it after the stroke, but nothing materialized. When we made and promoted "Only the Strong Survive," he was a masterful musician with a great mind and a wicked sense of humor.
His loss at 65 is simply way too early and very tragic.
WWW.DAVEYD.COM
~~~
CAN'T SAY THAT I'M ANGRY ABOUT THIS. SMELLS LIKE KARMA CAKE, FRESH OUT THE OVEN!
A man selling controversial t-shirts that refer to Senator Barack Obama as a slave was attacked in his New York City boutique. The man, known as "Apollo Braun," claims that two African-American men entered his store Wednesday afternoon and shouted "Who do you call a slave, you f***ing Jew?!" before assaulting him.
Last month Braun - real name Doron Braunshtein - made news when a woman threatened to sue him after she was assaulted while wearing one his shirts that bore the words "Obama is my slave." At the time, Braun defended the shirts, saying that they reflect the views of "ordinary WASPs [white anglo-saxon protestants]."
According to an account from his publicist, the two men worked together - one grabbed Braun's hands while the other kicked him in the testicles. Now, after experiencing the physical fallout for himself, the shirt peddler is reconsidering his merchandise. "I don't want to be killed for my t-shirts. I am still shocked about what happened today but there is a big chance that I will stop selling my anti-Obama merchandise after what happened today. I mean, tomorrow someone can show up at my store with a gun, and I don't want that to happen."
After the incident, Braun was found on the floor of his store by a passerby. He then called the police and filed a report. It was the third time police had come to the store since the owner appeared on the cover of New York newspaper Metro wearing the Obama slave shirt. Since then, Braun has been flooded with phone calls and emails protesting his wears - some threatening death, according to his publicist. Though he's considering halting the sale of the inflammatory shirts, Braun calls the tees "art" and defends his right to make them.
"This is very disturbing to me that I am living in New York City and that I own a boutique for more than five and a half years [in] neighborhoods which are suppose to be the most open-minded and tolerant to any kind of art, but instead, people don't understand me, hate me and don't let me express myself the way everyone should be able to in New York."
Braun maintains that his distaste for the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States has nothing to do with the candidate's race. Instead he dislikes Obama because he believes he is a Muslim. The shirts causing all the trouble sell for $69 and include several other slogans such as "Jews Against Obama," "Obama = Hitler" and "Who Killed Obama?"
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A LOVELY NOTE TO END IT ON TODAY:
The Top 10 Political Rumors/Conspiracies of 2008 (Thus Far)
by Prof. John L. Jackson--
I should probably start off with a mild disclaimer by admitting that I am an anthropologist who has been interested in studying urban legends and conspiracies for the several years. My new book on racial paranoia spends a lot of time unpacking conspiracy theories, past and present, especially the kinds linked to race and racism. But a person doesn't have to go out of his or her way looking for conspiratorial thinking these days. It is all over the place, particularly in connection to this electoral season's heated presidential campaigns.
With that in mind, I decided to take a second to see if I could list at least ten election-related conspiracy theories that I've heard since the beginning of 2008. Again, this isn't me going out of my way and hunting down obscure claims from some dark and dysfunctional corner of the Internet. I just wanted to stick to conjecture that I've overheard in the streets or seen debated on cable news shows-or even those that have served as subtext (some people argue) for political ad campaigns.
There are probably more out there, but I figured that I'd stop at ten. Some are more outlandish than others, more or less fantastical and even offensive. But they are all already circulating (to greater and lesser degrees), and they each inform how some people think about the race for the White House. In no particular order, here are the ones that most immediately jump to mind:
1. Obama as Anti-Christ. This one has been making the rounds quite explicitly over the last week or so, so it seems sensible to begin here. With Obama's seemingly mesmeric charisma and worldwide celebrity, there are many detractors who want to link him to this prophesied Biblical figure. The anti-Christ is supposed to be so seductive that he fools the entire world into thinking he is some kind of harbinger of peace. Instead, he is a Trojan Horse for the devil's attempt at destroying humankind. When critics say his supporters have "drunk the Kool Aid," they are only voicing a softer and secular version of this same suggestion about people being wildly delusional vis-à-vis Obama.
2. McCain as Manchurian Candidate. Remember the film. American POWs get brainwashed while in captivity and turned into political pawns programmed to kill at a moment's notice-and without even knowing it. In this scenario, McCain's service and sacrifice to the country gets reconceptualized as a cause for suspicion, especially given supposed claims about his uncontrollable/ unexplainable/ irrational temper. There are two versions of this one. Either foreign powers have their finger on the McCain button, or the Bush administration will be making the puppeteering calls. Either way, McCain's sacrifice gets used to disqualify him from the presidency.
3. Obama will enslave white America. Jon Stewart playfully prodded Obama about this one on his TV show, but don't let its absurdist excesses fool you. The kernel of the concern/conspiracy is quite pervasive. The argument is that Obama isn't really a post-racial candidate at all. He is just trying to fool whites into voting for him. Once he gets into office, the theory goes, he'll only be an advocate for Black interests.
4. Obama as Jihadist. This one has gotten a lot of traction in some quarters. People look at his name, his biography, and his supposed cavorting with anti-American zealots to conclude that his commitments to Christianity are all a sham. He just needs that religious pretense to get himself into position to bring down America from the inside-for Allah. This crypto-Muslim theory hovers closely to the "anti-Christ" and "enslaving whites" hypotheses mentioned above. (His courting of evangelicals is doing some work to beat back this theory-as did his appearance with Reverend Warren.)
5. The Clinton Two-Step. Hillary and Bill Clinton are secretly trying to sabotage Obama so that Hillary can run again in 2012-and to make sure they maintain control of the party. They are pretending to back him (so that the Democrats don't ostracize them), but they will keep sending out subtle signals to their supporters that counter their more official positions of support.
6. The Other Clinton Two-Step. Bill Clinton has always wanted to support Obama, a candidate who mirrors some of his own oratorical gifts and political tendencies toward the middle. But since he can't do that in public, any racial faux pas he committed on the campaign trail with Hillary can be read as a self-sacrificial attempt to derail her candidacy. With full confidence that he can mend fences with angry and insulted Black voters once he and Obama publicly make up, Bill has been working against his wife all along. How else, folks argue, can you explain a masterful speaker making so many unexplainable mistakes this past Spring?
7. The Michelle Obama Trump Card. Karl Rove has a DVD of Michelle Obama calling whites "whitey" that will sink the Obama ship once and for all. However, he is waiting to release it until late October. That way, he doesn't give the Obama camp any time to placate offended white voters.
8. The 9/11 Plan. A powerful and secret cabal of powerful and wealthy Americans will organize a major attack on the United States before the election to either (i) shore up McCain's advantage as function of his military background or (ii) provide the pretext for Bush to call off the elections altogether and put FEMA in place to run the country indefinitely. I've heard the first one more often than the second, but the latter's advocates are much louder.
9. The Chain Reaction. Obama's presidency is little more than a ruse for creating a full-fledged race riot in 2009. In this scenario, Obama will be allowed to take office only so that a white racist can be allowed to assassinate him. That will set off a series of riots in urban America, which will be met by violent governmental and militia response. Racial concentration camps, the theory goes, are not too far behind. (I talk about earlier versions of this theory in the new book.)
10. Blame the Black Guy. In the 2005 movie Left Behind (based on the bestselling book series), Oscar-winner Louis Gossett, Jr., plays the President of the United States, and when we first meet him, he's sitting in an oval office that is completely engulfed in flames. During Morgan Freeman's portrayal of a sitting American President in 1998's Deep Impact, he delivers his most powerful speech of the film from the blasted-out shell of the state capital building. These two black presidents preside during the collapse of the nation-state itself. This theory maintains that America won't hand the reigns over to a black politician until it is clear that the country is on the brink of collapse, which will allow them to blame the black guy for all of it. With the economy seemingly in a freefall, three "wars" overseas (if you count Georgia), China flexing its military and economic muscles, and a rising sense of America's vulnerability to terrorist attack, the BBG theory holds that Obama is being set up to play fall guy for everything. If it happens on his watch, BBG theorists argue, he's going to be held responsible. "See what happens when you give a black person a country to run. They turn it into a version of Africa."
And I'm sure people can think of more. Did I miss anything major?
~~~
COLLIZHUN HAS THE 'F.A.I.L.' FILES. MY NUCLEAR MUSICAL BOMB IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED :)
LOVE,
MINDBENDER
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