The Source Saga Continues: 'Zino the Great Speaks Out

Wow. Benzino is a retard. I think that's all I can say about this interview. He's "coming back on a horse" and "heads are gonna roll". When do you
hear shit like that in corporate America? Is it any wonder that people don't take rappers seriously? Especially this dude who's never once had even a remotely decent song that I know of? This guy who regularly laced The Source with ads for his own wack crew (Made Men) that nobody had ever heard of? What a 'tard, man.

Muahahahaha! At Last! It is Done!

I don't know why I get such a kick out of the shakeup at The Source. After all, I haven't picked up an issue of that magazine since sometime in the '90s (when every ad was a Made Men ad), and I'm not even really sure what difference a new CEO will end up making. I guess I'm just kind of hopeful that the magazine will change into something positive for hip-hop, as opposed to the cesspool of lawsuits, beef, sexual harassment and journalistic bias that it has degenerated into in recent years.

Cam'ron vs. President Carter

Damn, so Cam came out swingin' at Jay over the last couple of days, huh? If you haven't heard the tracks (they've been playing 'em on Star & Bucwild up here in NYC), check 'em out at hiphopgame.com (scroll down a little bit - they should be near the top somewhere).

I'm a Jay-Z fan, but I have to say, Cam' really got in his ass with these. There's You Got It, which is pretty scathing in itself, although it takes a couple of cheap shots ("you look like Joe Camel"). But the other joint Swagger Jacker is the one that makes even the die-hard Jigga fans think twice. It's not even a song - it's a 7-minute long "side-by-side" analysis of Hov's lines compared to his "source material". I mean, we all know he references BIG a lot, but when you hear it all put together... And then, it's not even just BIG; there's some Rakim, some Snoop, 'Pac, and even Nas in there.

For ages, it's been commonplace to reference another emcee's lyric, and there was always a clear distinction between that and straight-up biting, which used to be the Cardinal Sin in hip-hop. Shit, Snoop blurred those lines most famously back in '93 or so with his Lodi Dodi cover. But Swagger Jacker makes one think about whether Jay crosses the line by the sheer frequency with which he "references" Big and others.

Let's keep it real, though - no matter what Cam says, and what evidence of hip-hop malfeasance he produces, I think that in the end, Jay's still the winner (see photo below).


Props to my good friend Mike G at HomeCookin' Radio for the head's up on this!

Ghetto Fights

Why, Black people? Why?

And I bet the proprietors of GF Entertainment of 5032 Third Ave Seattle, Washington 98104, aren't even black. I think this would be more palatable if I at least knew some black person was getting rich off of this.

Chocolate City

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin almost managed to retain the favor of the populace after his calling out of the Bush administration in regards to the Hurricane Katrina debacle. But then he goes and effs it up with this "chocolate city" crap:

"How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk, and it becomes a delicious drink. That is the chocolate I am talking about," he said.

Is he serious? This sounds like something from a Saturday Night Live skit. I can't wait until they reference it on my new favorite show The Boondocks.

YES! Kick those bastards out!

I don't know if I've ever really voice how disgusted I am with The Source magazine and what it's become in recent years. Under the stellar leadership of Dave Mays and Ray Benzino, the magazine has lost any semblance of journalistic integrity, and is essentially a joke. Not that I would pick up a hip-hop magazine looking for Peabody-winning journalism, but still, I personally haven't picked up a copy since some time in the late '90's. I mean, come on - they got evicted from their offices and all had to work from home. What kind of janky-ass shit is that?

All of which is why this article makes me really happy.

Luke Campbell Gets His Props For Innovation

So I've been hearing about this article on the 10 Most Influential Carribeans Hip Hop Culture, and as a Caribbean person, I was naturally intrigued. I read the article, which makes many interesting points about people of Caribbean descent and their contributions to hip-hop, but I had to laugh at the "innovations" Luke Campbell is credited with:

...pushed the limits of freedom of speech and was sued for selling sexually explicit lyrics to children. After winning the law suit he opened the door for more sexually charged rap lyrics. Since then he has produced many XXX videos. Luke is credited with advancing pornography in Hip Hop.

Nice work, Luke - thanks for all you've done to advance the culture.

Ol' School Album Art of the Day

Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde, The Pharcyde


Ah, Savannah circa 1992: paper mills... art school... a malt liquor with a crooked I for a logo. Shit, that logo was so cool, I knew a dude that made himself a medallion out of the damn bottle cap. And St. Ides was so dope, they got acts like Ice Cube, Cypress Hill and the frickin' Wu-Tang Clan to do radio ads for them (the Wu joint was my favorite - 100 points if you can tell me on which classic Wu-album you can hear it playing in the background of a skit).

Anyway, I digress. The Pharcyde's debut was so off-the-wall and refreshing for its time. No topic was taboo - from snappin' on ya mama to unrequited love, to possibly one of the first real references to the "down low" (without having anything to do with closet homosexuals), this album paints a rich tapestry that goes beyond simple hood life. I love this album. Which is why, if you are the low-down, no-good, dirty bastard who has my Pharcyde CD and left me with naught but the empty jewel case (and the stellar cover illustration by "fuct" - hey, remember that label? I had a fuct hat at one time...), I implore you by all that is good and pure in the world, please return it to me, and do so with no fear of recrimination.

Marion Barry Gets Jacked

Former DC mayor Marion Barry got got by two gun-toting youths last night. I'm having all kinds of conflicting feelings about this - at first I snickered a little bit about the former crack-smoking mayor getting robbed, but at the same time it's obviously a horrible and traumatizing experience for anyone to go through.

Happy New Year!

Here's hoping your New Year is productive and healthy.

On an unrelated note, always remember that no matter what the forecast says, it is almost certain to rain on the first day you wear your new Tims. The likelihood of this happening is exponentially increased if you haven't applied any weatherproofing.