So I Smoke A Little Too Much...

I guess that I've finally spent enough time celebrating the birth of Black Jesus---I should now be able to comfortably resume my abnormal blogging routine...

Truthfully, I haven't fucked with my computer much at all since my last post. The holidays have afforded me one of a myriad of excuses I employ to stay forever blunted---and besides that, many of the blogs/sites that I frequent have been posting sporadically (or not at all) for the past couple of weeks. The more diligent bloggers have been presenting their Year End Lists, an idea I entertained briefly, but quickly dismissed as futile. In my somewhat schizophrenic opinion, it's damn near impossible to enumerate the significance of a year's worth of recent music. Music tends to evolve with us over time, therefore its ultimate value can't be readily assessed. Some of the joints I was diggin' in January or February have overstayed their welcome, and now make me want to poke my eyes out with very sharp objects and shit. It's predictable then that some of the stuff I'm listening to in heavy rotation right now will also not withstand the test of time. This is part of why I am enjoying Treat's 1990's retrospective so much (see permanent links section). Yes, it's taking him long as hell to finish posting this series, but once the "recency effect" is controlled for, truly classic material becomes increasingly more evident. I have a feeling that Juelz Santana and Young Jeezy won't be such a hot commodity 15 years from now---but hell---Dionne Warwick's the psychic, not me...

I know---I'm pretty much rambling at this point. However, what is the point of a blog if not to have a forum for your stream of consciousness bullshit? But go ahead and say it anyway---shut up, Scholar...linkage, please:

Can I Bring My Gat? is featuring a producer who is truly deserving of greater recognition in the hip-hop community---J. Rawls. You can download 3 tracks that he produced---one song with J-Live, and two with Lone Catalysts: http://www.abitnice.com/canibringmygat/.

Solesides ("the funk from Quannum") is featuring a link you can follow to download a Skew mix of DJ Shadow tracks. I copped this myself, and it's pretty damn good:
http://www.solesides.com/.

Freemotion's most recent post offered a plethora of worthwhile mp3s. My personal favorite is Blueprint's cut "Half Smokin", but there should be a little something for everybody. Link to your right...

Random thought interlude---Rapidshare fuckin' sucks. Anyone who spends a lot of time downloading music ought to relate. You can only download a limited number of songs within a certain time frame, it frequently errors out or is too busy to work properly, and they've started that annoying pass code bullshit. Some of my favorite blogs are heavily utilizing their services, but I'm hoping this particular trend reverses itself in 2006...

You may want to visit Ear Fuzz to cop Build An Ark's version of "You Gotta Have Freedom". If you're unaware of this project, now isn't the time to be nappin': http://www.earfuzz.com/.

The Smoking Section continues to be an excellent source for downloading music. Amongst other things, they are currently offering all of the yearly "rap up" tracks MC Skillz (aka Mad Skillz) has released so far (2002 until the present):
http://smokingsection.blogspot.com/.

At Think Tank, you can now cop mp3s by Immortal Technique, Blackalicious, Percee P, and Lyrics Born:
http://leafhouse.blogspot.com/.

Not everyone has love for Canadian hip-hop, but that's not really surprising. For the most part, American audiences haven't embraced foreign rap in general, which is sometimes understandable, but often quite limiting. Anyway, Eric's Archives is offering a few mp3s by John Smith, who's a pretty witty (albeit nerdy) lyricist. Click here to expand your musical horizons: http://ericsarchives.blogspot.com/.

Now I finally have an incentive to give up my Barbies and Bratz once and for all---the Ghostface doll is coming soon, children...Wu-Tang is still for the babies:
http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/85553.php.

Last, but not least, I Know You Got Soul is offering links to download some classic jazz and soul material---Randy Weston's Mosaic Select, The Baby Huey Story, and Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin are just a few examples: http://www.yougotsoul.blogspot.com/.

And by the way---Happy New Year's, bitches...

Some Birds Don't Deserve To Be Caged

I'm going to resist the urge to pathetically apologize for the recent lack of posts. If you've been following along, you already know that I'm a terrible blogger, and my inclination towards procrastination and laziness tends to resurface from time to time. With that said, let me get straight to the linkage before I have a chance to decide that I'd rather watch sumo wrestling, or read The Bible in Portugese:

The Rookie is featuring a couple of my favorite Supernatural joints--"Mind Tricks" and "Buddah Blessed It". Be sure to cop these if you've never had the pleasure: http://www.soothsayrecords.com/rookie/.

"U Don't Know" by Bukue One is available for download at MP3 4U:
http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3341.

Freemotion posted a lot of great hip-hop mp3s this past week. Pay them a visit to download original tracks and remixes by Souls of Mischief, DJ Krush, Blackalicious, Das EFX, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. They are also featuring 4 new tracks from Aceyalone's upcoming effort, Magnificent City. The magic link is to your right...

How many more ridiculous VH-1 reality shows must be conceived before Chuck D finally decides to clock Flavor Flav's crazy ass?:
http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/8006.

Rest in peace to the SW: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1517985/20051213/index.jhtml?headlines=true.

My man Treat Williams is finally back from...well, whatever he was doing, I guess. Check out his selection of dope hip-hop joints from 1992, as well as some classic cuts by X Clan. Permanent link to the right.

Soul Shower is the place to be if you're looking for funky and/or soulful Christmas mp3s: http://soulshower.blogspot.com/.

At 1-800-Sassbucket.com, you can currently acquire some dope tracks featuring indie rapper, Despot. Read more about him here:
(http://www.urbansmarts.com/interviews/despot.htm). Also at Sassbucket---a Blockhead remix of Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Part II" and "Outro (Red Bandana)" by The Game. All of these tracks are worth checking out, so get to coppin' while you still can:
http://sassbucket.blogspot.com/.

I've said it before, but hear me again---Irma Thomas is one of the greatest female soul singers of all time. Props to The Number One Songs In Heaven for posting a couple of her songs ("Wait, Wait, Wait" and "Ruler of My Heart"): http://www.londonlee.com/blog.html.

Finally, this site is pretty interesting visually (at least from this particular stoner's perspective). Enter a subject keyword, and Dreamlines will create a customized vision for you. Maybe it is just the weed (?)...see what you think: http://www.solaas.com.ar/dreamlines/.

I Had Some Great Things And I Had Some Bad Things---The Best And The Worst. In Other Words, I Had A Life...

Rest in peace

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10412702/

You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Kills You

I don't know exactly how I manage to accomplish this, but every year I end up broke as fuck right before Christmas. As a result of this unfortunate truth about my economic situation, my loved ones frequently receive some pretty cheap-ass stuff . I could go on an extended rant about how unnecessarily materialistic this whole season has become, but venting my frustrations won't effectively resolve my dilemma. Problem is, my people are greedy bastards---and they really don't want my philosophical bullshit in exchange for a gift. Last year, I scraped up the funds to buy my little sister this blinged out ring that I purchased from a quarter machine at the grocery store. Do you think she was appreciative? Hell no...she went and had the damn thing appraised, and was pissed to learn that shit was 100% plastic. What can I say? It's the thought that counts, and my thought was that plastic is a hell of a lot cheaper than gold...

Anyway, this year--- I ain't even gonna stress. Everyone's getting a tampon angel, and they're gonna like it. I can make like 50 of these bitches for under $20...how can I resist? Normally, I'm far too gangsta to even consider doing crafts, but necessity is the mother of all invention. These Kotex tree ornament things weren't my idea, but you can bet ya life that they'll be totally unique when I get finished with them. I know that there must be at least one other poverty-stricken bastard who reads this blog---this how-to link is just for you. Even your baby mama will be impressed if you make her one of these...trust me:
http://web.dbtech.net/~suncastl/angel.htm.

Moistworks just posted an impressive selection of jazz tracks. Some of the featured artists include Sun Ra, Joe Henderson, Thelonious Monk Quartet (w/John Coltrane), and Charles Mingus:
http://www.moistworks.com/.

So Much Silence is offering a few hip-hop Christmas classics in mp3 format---"Christmas in Hollis" (Run-DMC), "Christmas Rappin" (Kurtis Blow), and the original and remixed version of "Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa" (De La Soul):
http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

"Feelin' Like a Woman" by Millie Jackson is available for download at Headphonehaus: http://headfonehaus.blogspot.com/.

Initially, the thought of Self Scientific with Bun B sounded about as appealing as cottage cheese with maple syrup, but as it turns out, "King Kong" is a dope-ass joint. Cop it at No Frontin' (link to your right).

With only a handful of days until his scheduled execution, the life of Crips founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams rests in the hands of "The Governator". Will Arnie make his day? :
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1517768/20051208/index.jhtml?headlines=true.

At Cuban Links, you can download two more tracks from the Biggie Duets LP---"Just A Memory" (ft. The Clipse) and "Hustler's Story" (ft. Akon, Scarface, and Big Gee):
http://onlybuilt4.blogspot.com/.

Download Edwin Starr's "Harlem" at The Number One Songs In Heaven: http://www.londonlee.com/blog.html.

I would type more, but I'm currently on a mission to score some feminine hygiene products. Later...

I Love You Like A Fat Kid Love Cake

Who says 50 Cent is too thugged out to be romantic? The title of today's post is one of his more touching quotables---and there's just no denying that this brotha knows how to kick it to the ladies...

Anyway, Mr. Cent has been all over the internet this past week, partly due to the Q-Unit mash-up project. Even if you haven't actually fantasized about hearing 50's lyrics blended with Queen's music, you still cannot resist the temptation to download "Bohemian Wanskta"---right? The whole concept is pretty amusing, considering 50's intense homophobia...the idea of pairing him with one of rock's gayest icons is, well---twisted genius at it's best, you might say. The cover art is also pretty hysterical---see Curtis Jackson sporting Freddie Mercury's facial hair (and download the album) here:
http://members.home.nl/visionx/. If that isn't enough 50 remix madness for you, you can also score a mashup mp3 by DJ Crook Air at Breath of Life: http://www.kalamu.com/bol/.

If you are part of the 95.9% of people who don't like 50 Cent or mash-ups, I'm sure this whole thing is getting on your fuckin' nerves, but I do have one more link to share---3 Futuro mash-ups are available for download at Free Tacoma: http://champion.biznautics.com/.

Bonus tracks from AZ's AWOL LP can be copped at Clockwork:
http://yourmansandnem.blogspot.com/.

Moistworks is currently offering a few "OG funk instrumentals". Download tracks by Joseph Henry and the Soul Command, Floyd Morris, and Eric and the Vikings here:
http://www.moistworks.com/.

Get some live Blockhead ish at Diggin' Music. Permanent link to your right.

Silence Is A Rhythm, Too posted three Run-DMC joints for free download---"It's Like That", "Slow and Low (demo)", and "It's Tricky":
http://siart.blogspot.com/.

A few new albums are up for download at I Know You Got Soul--Afro Blue: The Roots and Rhythms of Jazz Vol. 2, Looking Up (Freddy Hubbard), and Further Explorations By The Horace Silver Quartet:
http://www.yougotsoul.blogspot.com/.

Finally, I highly recommend checking out "Ike's Mood" (cover version) and "Funk Box", both of which are available at Spine Magazine. These tracks are from the upcoming Dirty Old Hip Hop LP, the new Visioneers project (overseen by Marc Mac of 4hero):
http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

For those of you who don't visit this site for the music links, I realize this post might be a bit disappointing. For the past few days, I've been purposely taking a hiatus from my obsessive exploration of politics and all things strange. I'm working on clearing my mental with herbal therapy, if ya catch my meanin'...I have absolutely no idea what's going on in the world, but for this particular moment, ignorance is pure bliss...

It's Been Five Years And Some Change, And This World Is Getting So Strange

I have been meaning to do a post for the past few days, but I've been doing less important things, like watching that stupid-ass Barbara Walters special on ABC the other night. I already realized that this past year has been kinda fucked, but the fact that Camilla Parker Bowles was chosen to be the most fascinating person of 2005 made me seriously contemplate suicide for no less than an hour. Life really is getting dismal, isn't it?

Maybe it's just sour grapes, or some sort of twisted haterism...Admittedly, I'd like to be featured on the list next year, and I think I understand the formula that they use. All I need to do is wear a halter top on TV, defend a pedophile, fall in love with an ugly person, jump on couches, and do everything I can to destroy our country's foreign relations...I might also start practicing Scientology, because that will make me seem spiritually edgy---and hell---it just can't hurt to try:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=1353649.

Breath of Life has 3 excellent tracks posted this week---"Dazzlement" by Cherrywine, "Stay In My Corner" by The Dells, and "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" by Mary J. Blige:
http://www.kalamu.com/bol/.

Lots of free downloads are available at The Charivarious Section. Recent posts include links to albums by dead prez, Big L, Gangstarr, Mobb Deep, Talib Kweli/Mos Def, and De La Soul:
http://thecharivarioussection.blogspot.com/.

Two joints from Atmosphere's You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having are available at So Much Silence:
http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

Fifteen Minutes To Listen is featuring "Love Fights Back" by 2Mex, as well as "My Mom" by Chocolate Genius (today's image and title quotation). The latter may be one of the saddest songs I've heard all year: http://15minutestolisten.blogspot.com/.

Ted Turner (founder of CNN) proclaims that George Bush may just be idiotic enough to start a nuclear war:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1354348.

Cowabunga is a new mp3 blog that seems to be off to a pretty good start. So far they've featured tracks by Casual, Freestyle Fellowship, Lord Finesse, KMD, 9th Wonder, and many more:
http://cowabungaaa.blogspot.com/.

"Trumpets of Zion" and "Yeah, Yeah We Know" by The Primeridian are available at Ear Fuzz: http://www.earfuzz.com/.

Televangelists are reportedly opposed to the proposition that cable consumers be allowed to create their own programming packages by selecting the specific channels they want to watch. The concern appears to be that they will lose viewers if the heathens are allowed to opt out of channels that exclusively air religious programming. As one pastor describes it, "we want to reach the unchurched". Let's remember that these are the same assholes who don't want anything darker than Disney to air on television---on network or cable TV. In other words, I should be prohibited from watching shows like Weeds or The Boondocks---instead, I must be forced to watch red-faced, bloated hypocrites preach "the word". Funk dat shit. Be a revolutionary, and shoot your fuckin' TV already---then consider it a mercy killing:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/29/134244.shtml.

I Need No Shackles To Remind Me

MUSIC:
Download "Writer's Block" by Fatlip at Mp3 4U:
http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3295.

Moistworks has posted some excellent tracks in the past few days. Don't sleep on the two Omegha Watts tracks that are available for download. They are also currently hosting "Prisoner of Love" by James Brown, "Now That I'm Free" by Wynona Carr, "Chained" by Mavis Staples, "Hey" by The Pixies, and many more tracks related to the subject of bondage vs. freedom: http://www.moistworks.com/.

If you aren't already hip to Briztronix, download a couple of their tracks and read a brief bio here: http://music.download.com/briztronix/3600-10686_32-100799627.html?tag=listing_song_artist.

Five tracks highlighting the production and lyrical skills of El-P are available at 1-800-Sassbucket.com. You can also download Blockhead's Downtown Science and Ten by Clouddead in their entirety. The latest post (as of this writing) also features a few free mp3s by The Game:
http://sassbucket.blogspot.com/.

Several Zion I tracks are available in mp3 format at Download.com:
http://music.download.com/zioni/3600-8520_32-100485997.html?tag=chart_topdls_artist.

That new Raekwon joint "State of Grace" (produced by the RZA) is further proof that the Wu dynasty lives on---download the track via Spine Magazine: http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

Earfuzz is offering two funkadocious Mandrill cuts---"Fat City Street" and "Two Sisters of Mystery": http://www.earfuzz.com/.

Three tracks from I Self Divine at We Eat So Many Shrimp:
http://www.somanyshrimp.com/.

ART:
Yeah, yeah---a lot of us have visited MOMA in New York, but the real question is---have you seen MOBA yet? The Museum Of Bad Art will introduce you to a whole new world of visual displeasure, as it features a number of works in totally poor aesthetic taste: http://www.museumofbadart.org/.

POLITICS:
So you may have already heard, but ex-FEMA director Michael Brown has started a new firm to assist with disaster preparedness. Here's the thing "Brownie"---you fucked up royally when you were actually in a position to employ some of your ingenious ideas. Now that you've been terminated, my advice is to just collect your little unemployment check, ride some horses with Dubya, and leave the rest of us the hell alone...:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/25/03401.shtml.

Cindy Sheehan returns to Crawford, Texas to resume her efforts to protest the war: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/25/AR2005112500997.html.

LIFE:
Navtones car navigation systems have decided to recruit a handful of celebrities to be the voices that deliver their automated driving instructions. Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, and Mr. T have already signed contracts to participate. You're going the wrong damn way, fool:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10038326/.

You May Not Be In The Mood To Learn What You Think You Know

So the news story that's stuck in my head (at this particularly strange point in time) is perhaps the most relevant sociopolitical event I have witnessed in my lifetime---William Shatner plans to sell his fuckin' kidney stone on eBay. I was kinda thinkin' at first that I might be interested in having some of what Captain James Tiberius Kirk is smokin' these days. I mean---damn---who wants that shit? A kidney stone is something you pay to get rid of---not something that you purposely acquire. However, upon deeper reflection, I came to realize the sad truth---William Shatner's calcium deposit is probably worth a fuckin' fortune. I can just see the highest bidder now---some pencil-necked Trekkie geek with unresolved anger issues towards his mother, alien abduction fantasies, and an unhealthy obsession with bodily excretions. Don't try to outbid this imaginary dude either---if the stakes get too high, he's prepared to pawn his Battlestar Galactica lunchbox and everything. Word has it that Jimmy Kimmel came up with the whole idea when Shatner appeared on his show. The proceeds will supposedly go to charity, assuming that eBay's pesky regulations concerning the sale of human body parts doesn't stand in the way:
http://www.cinematical.com/2005/11/18/shatner-sells-his-stone-on-ebay/.

Free Tacoma is currently offering MF Grimm's "Street General":
http://champion.biznautics.com/.

If you haven't already seen the "Hold Ya Head" video (Notorious B.I.G. and Bob Marley), you can check it out here:
http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/musicvideo/85373.php.

I don't think I've ever needed to mention this before, but I'm a huge fan of Bigg Jus. It always seemed to me like El-P and Mr. Len got more shine, but Jus has always been my favorite ex-Company Flow member. Freemotion just posted 3 mp3s from his latest effort, Poor People's Day, and I can't urge you strongly enough to go cop those tracks (link to your right). Then, you can go to Dirtyloop.com and download another song from the album, "Illustrations of Hieronymus Bosch...That 1467 Shit": http://www.dirtyloop.com/MusicandVideos.html. If you dig the track, and find yourself wondering who the hell Hieronymus Bosch is, you can check his artwork and bio at Bosch Universe:
http://www.boschuniverse.org/. I know advertising is bullshit, but if you like Jus, please buy his stuff. Dude needs your twenty bucks so he can eat next week...

Download Prince Paul's "Sucker for Love" at MP3 4U:
http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3288.

"So You Wanna Stay Down" and "(At Your Best) You Are Love" by The Isley Brothers are available at The Number One Songs In Heaven: http://www.londonlee.com/blog.html.

Cop a couple of dope tracks at Spine Magazine---"God Is Back" (Sadat X/Spencer Doran mix) and "Black Opera" (Supernatural/Raekwon): http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

Soundtrack to the film Derailed (produced by the almighty RZA) hit the shelves today: http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7900.

I'll try to hit you up again before the holiday, but I have a lot of dysfunctional people to feed on Thanksgiving, so shit's getting pretty hectic. Peace and absolute gratitude to all of my dedicated readers...

Puttin' Pieces Together That Don't Even Assemble

Just like you, I sometimes feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and incongruent with my environment as a whole. I guess we all have our own unique ways of dealing with that sensation, and that speaks to the individual nature and diversity of human beings. For myself, music is quite frequently my main means of escapism, but at other times, my imagination carries me through the heaviest of days. I often ponder what it would be like to start this whole shit all over again---to reinvent myself, my identity, my history on this earth. Sooner or later though, reality catchs up with me---which may just marginally separate me from the legally insane...

Anyway, if I had a penny for every time I've envisioned boarding a plane, flying to a foreign city, and leaving all of my struggles behind...I'd be rich as hell, bitch. It's really too bad that I'm so fuckin' cautious, grounded, and enslaved by my daily existence, because that probably means that I'll never truly realize this dream. However, if I ever completely flake out, and go into some bizarre fugue state, I finally have a resource to guide me...How To Vanish In America is the website for anyone who truly desires to pull a disappearing act---Makaveli-style. Perhaps we'll meet again next lifetime:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=13820.

Okay---so now, for all things somewhat resembling the real world...

Freemotion's most recent post includes 3 stellar tracks---"Ones We Miss" (Lone Catalysts), "Rock On' (Pumpkinhead), and "Flow On" (Lords of the Underground/Pete Rock remix). Linkage to your right.

This site is counting the number of days/hours/minutes/seconds until George Bush's last day as president:
http://www.bushslastday.com/.

Moistworks posted a couple of classic songs the other day---"We Travel the Spaceways" by Sun Ra, and "I'm A Pilgrim" by The Soul Stirrers. Notice how the latter is just in time for Thanksgiving and shit, jive turkies...http://www.moistworks.com/.

No Frontin' just so happened to post a couple of songs I played the hell out of when they came out---"Aerodynamic" (Daft Punk/Slum Village remix), and "A Day in the Life" (Handsome Boy Modeling School/RZA/Mars Volta/Tim Meadows/AG). If either of these songs has eluded you up until this point, go get your download on---link to the right.

Utilize this service to discover a wide variety of music that's in alignment with your personal tastes. Type in the name of an artist or song that you're currently diggin', and a personalized station will be created to expose you to music that's similar to your selection(s):
http://www.pandora.com/.

Checkerboard Chimes is featuring a couple of recent 50 Cent tracks...one joint is with Mobb Deep, while the other cut features the Hollywood gangsta with Young Buck. Closer to my personal taste is the live Cannibal Ox song, "From the Planet of Eat", also available for download: http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/.

Afterwards, if you're still fiendin' for some Can Ox, you can stream a couple more joints at Call Me Mickey: http://callmemickey.blogspot.com/.

Download a couple of Reanimator joints at Diggin' Music. You may also want to cop those Supastition mp3s before they expire. Link in this general direction-------->

Third and final installment of the MF Doom interview trilogy is now available at Loosie: http://www.loosie.com/words/archives/2005/11/000596.php.

Occasionally, I like to spotlight an artist who's unknown, unrecognized, unappreciated...but still dope as hell. Today that person is Rudy W. Rudy classifies himself as hip-hop, but his instrumentals encompass much larger territory than the scope of that particular genre might allow. Like a lot of things that are pretty fuckin' great, his style simply defies words. Besides having created some serious musical gems, Rudy can also add to his list of credentials that he writes some ridiculously ingenious song names. Sample titles include "Faking Retardation To Get In Line At Disneyland", "Theme For When Alex Melts Into A Capri Sun", "Little Kids Are Always On Shrooms", and "My Troll Can Beat Up Your Troll":
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pageartist.cfm?bandID=281490.

On a personal note---I feel at liberty to alienate my readers upon occasion to send a personalized message to a friend...Brea, I miss you...

Beyond The Flyest...

My technical drama appears to be over---at least temporarily. HP was able to con me into their $99 extended contract bullshit, if that's any indication of how often my PC decides to be wack. Here's the thing though---I'm gonna be grown about the whole situation. I'm gonna just suck it up---quit bitchin'---and hit you with the links:

"The Bizness" is a dope lil' hip-hop joint by Defari. Download it for free at MP34U: http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3262.

The Number One Songs In Heaven is featuring "Under the Street Lamp" by Joe Bataan. If you aren't familiar with his work, his style is primarily a combination of R&B, soul, and Afro-Cuban music. If you're a fan of any of these genres, I'd highly recommend checking out this track:
http://www.londonlee.com/blog.html. My man also took a stab at hip-hop when he released "Rap-O, Cap-O", but we're not going to even begin to discuss that shit...

An interview with Jean Grae here: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.492.

At Marathonpacks, the song "What You Want" (The Roots w/Jaguar Wright) is currently available. This track "ain't the freshest", but since it was released on a soundtrack, I'm posting a link for any Roots fans who haven't already copped it: http://www.marathonpacks.com/.

For a host of different reasons, the media seems to really enjoy blaming hip-hop for just about every societal ill plaguing our collective existence. This article (which has appeared in numerous publications) faults rap music for the "code of silence"on the streets. Allegedly, hip-hop is encouraging a lack of cooperation with law enforcement---Lil Kim's recent perjury charges are cited as one example. That argument's just great, except as far as know, snitches always got stitches. My guess is that personal safety concerns and tangible reasons to mistrust police outweigh anything that your favorite MC could possibly say:
http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-0099749.html.

Download "Remember My Name" by Fort Minor here:
http://music.download.com/fortminor/3600-8520_32-100769615.html?tag=listing_song_artist.

Scenestars is featuring "Aid Dealer", a track from the latest Coldcut LP, Sound Mirrors:
http://www.scenestars.net/

If you haven't already copped it, download "Whatchu Want" by Biggie and Jay-Z at Spine Magazine. This is from the upcoming Duets album. Unlike many of the other tracks, this is actually a duet---I still can't understand why so many of these cuts have 3 MCs. Back in the day, we called that type of shit a trio---what gives?:
http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

Video footage of Biggie and Tupac freestylin':
http://media.putfile.com/2Pac---Biggie_and_Pac_Freestyle.

Download "Oh Daddy" by Beanie Sigel and Young Chris at Am I High?: http://amihigh.blogspot.com/.

Microsoft plans to update its security features to detect and remove part of the copyright protection tools installed on PCs when certain Sony music CDs are played: http://news.com.com/Microsoft+will+wipe+Sonys+rootkit/2100-1002_3-5949041.html.

Download "Fly That Knot" by Talib Kweli and MF Doom (produced by Kanye) at Straight Bangin':
http://www.straightbangin.blogspot.com/.

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is drafting new anti-piracy legislation. Read the details here: http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/85368.php. Gonzales states in this article that he's crafting this bill to further illustrate the Bush administration's ongoing efforts to suppress piracy. And that, kids, speaks volumes about the days and times in which we live in America. It's perfectly fine for large numbers of people to die (or be injured) in a ridiculous war, but dammit---don't you dare even fuckin' think about illegally copying a CD. You got that, dummy?

Apology For An Accident

Sorry for the lack of updates, but my $#@^&! computer is having issues again. My PC has some kind of weird virus----bird flu, maybe? Anyway, I'll get the problem resolved ASAP, so check back soon. Meanwhile, pay a visit to some of the sites I'm souled on...or read some of the truly stupid archives from posts I've written in the past. Peace and hair grease.....................scholar

Haven't You Heard? The Quest Has Just Begun...

I've been inexcusably lazy about posting lately, so I figured it might be nice if I hit you up with a few music links. I'm guessing that I can only get away with posting stoned felines for so long---so here you go:

I'm really delayed in calling this to your attention, but you can still download "Doo Rags" by Nas and 'Put Me Under" by The Game if you visit Am I High?: http://amihigh.blogspot.com/.

Freemotion continues to bless their readers with frequent updates of quality mp3s. In addition to the many other stellar joints that are currently available, you can download ?uestlove's "Sample Lesson Mix"---link to your right. That mix is also available at The Smoking Section: http://smokingsection.blogspot.com/. It would be a massive undertaking to repeat all of the music they are hosting...suffice it to say that they are usually worth a daily visit. These dudes are pretty gangsta, mainly because they evidently have no fear of the fuckin' RIAA...

The Low End Theory was recently updated---this latest post offers several quality mp3s, as well as other links that may be of interest to you. Most of the tracks are instrumentals, including beats by Madlib, Hi-Tek, DJ Presto, and more. Linkage to the right.

Straight Bangin' just posted some songs that have been sampled by Little Brother. Download tracks by The Stylistics, The Floaters, and Arthur Verocal: http://www.straightbangin.blogspot.com/.

You can cop several joints from Craig G's album Now, That's More Like It at Eric's Archives: http://ericsarchives.blogspot.com/.

Scissorkick is offering Bonobo's "Change Down/The Sugar Rhyme" and "Hey Mr. Bundle" by Flevans. If that wasn't dope enough, today they also posted some Five Deez: http://www.scissorkick.com/.

If you're a fan of Eminem, you may want to check out Spine Magazine, where you can download the mp3 "When I'm Gone" from his forthcoming album, Curtain Call. Supposedly this is Shady's retirement record, and from the way it sounds, maybe it is time for him to give it a rest. Sorry, but I believe this may be one of the sappiest rap songs I've ever heard. Part of the chorus is as follows: Don't mourn/rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice/just know that/I'm lookin' down on you smilin'...The death metaphor seems a little too heavy under the circumstances. My guess is that most of us will live to see Shady rehashed, regurgitated, and recycled in some way, shape, or form--- way before the fat lady sings. Please stop cryin' like a bitch...I swear it'll be okay: http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

It's pretty safe to say that this is sappy, too, but I can't front on Neil Diamond's 12 Songs. I've never really appreciated his music much at all---in fact, I've been known to ridicule him mercilessly. All I can figure is that the beauty of this project is further proof of Rick Rubin's sinister superpowers. You can stream snippets from the entire album at Neil's official site. Trust me---the Jewish Elvis really outdid himself this time:
http://www.neildiamond.com/.

Gotta go, but let me apologize in advance for any typos or illogical nonsense I may have inadvertantly thrown into the mix. I swear, I'm tryin' to cut down on the Jesus Juice, but I've got twelve more steps to go before I'm fully recovered:
http://www.yeeeah.com/weblog/2005/11/michael_jackson.html.

Wondering Why I Haven't Posted For A Few Days?

Ten Thousand Fools Proclaim Themselves Into Obscurity, While One Wise Man Forgets Himself Into Immortality

Right or wrong, many people believe that the overwhelming presence of war, hurricanes, floods, fires and diseases is a signal that the end of days has finally come. If civilization as we know it is crumbling into extinction, then doesn't it follow that hip-hop may also be in danger? My inner optimist tells me that the art form will prosper as long as humanity still has a voice, but my pessimistic personality is quick to point out these signs of impending doom:

**People are seriously calling Kevin Federline a rapper. For anyone fortunate enough to not recognize the name, he's the insignificant other of the equally annoying Britney Spears. Lots of blogs have been linking people to sites where you can stream some of his "music", but I don't really see the point. Sample lyric: "Back then they called me K-Fed/but you can call me Daddy instead." Whatever you say, retarded one...

**Hip-hop karaoke is apparently the thing to do in NYC. This sucks for rap music because once something gets played on a karaoke machine, it automatically loses it's aesthetic value and/or it's street credibility. Notice how there isn't any opera or crunk karaoke available at a dive bar near you. Maybe this shit's fun---I don't know. I can't imagine anything dope about dorky white guys murdering Black Star tracks, but maybe I'm just bitter after having seen a dozen or more drunken biker chicks do terrible Pat Benetar impersonations:
http://www.hiphopkaraokenyc.com/.

**MCs (at least those who get a lot of press) have been caught saying some dumb-ass shit lately. I'm just gonna talk about one recent example, but believe me, there are plenty more. By now, everyone has heard about Cam'ron's recent carjacking incident. Killa Cam got shot and lived to tell about it, which further proved his gulliness to the legions of internet thugs who already worshipped his ass (as they would say, no homo). Please don't get your pink underwear in a knot if you're a fan, because anyone who's been reading this blog for a while knows that everyone gets clowned at some point. Anyway, in the aftermath,Cam has said that he's still reserving judgment about who's responsible, but he seems to be alluding to the fact that "the man" might have something to do with it. As he is quoted in this article, he appears to have drawn a comparison between his own situation, and that of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.3644. Let's hope that shit's a misprint, because that analogy may work on one level, but overall, it completely fails to ring true. As long as the majority of his rhymes revolve around whips, jewelry, and fat asses, the Feds aren't gonna worry that his message to the youth will shake up the status quo. Not to say that he's never written anything of importance, but if I was the government, I'd be more worried about silencing people like Mos Def, Chuck D, dead prez and Saul Williams, who are actively encouraging people to think along revolutionary lines. I would never--ever--even think about wasting a bullet on Cam. Jesus---even Kanye has more fire for the Bush administration.

**The Black Eyed Peas are the final example that I offer as a sign of rap's imminent demise. While Behind the Front (1998) was a great hip-hop joint, Monkey Business(2005) doesn't even qualify as decent pop music. "D-E-F, that's right we def"...

So hip-hop sucks and all, but since my love is pretty much unconditional, my admiration continues...

Less appreciative of hip-hop culture is the mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman. Dude was recently quoted as saying that graffiti artists should have their thumbs cut off. Yeah, and while we're in the process of eliminating offensive body parts, can we also remove Dubya's head and Rush Limbaugh's tongue? : http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5390726,00.html.

The city of Denver has decided that it's cool to possess marijuana. Should we expect any less from the "Mile High City"?: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/02/denvermarijuana.ap/.

In Japan, almost everything is available for purchase in a vending machine. The list includes, but is not limited to, porn, dumplings, beer, hot dogs, and toilet paper. Truly creative citizens may find a way to use all of these items simultaneously:
http://www.photomann.com/japan/machines/.

Freemotion has been extremely generous this past week, offering new mp3s every fuckin' day, whether we deserve it or not. I'm not going to spoil you by telling you everything that's available. Check it out for yourself---permanent link to your right.

"Grandpa's Bag" by Otis Goodnight can be downloaded at MP3 4U:
http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3244.

Stylus Magazine posted a feature on three MCs of the female persuasion this week. Download mp3s by Ladybug Mecca, Psalm One and Yarah Bravo:
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/ipod/.

Xanax Taxi is offering several versions of "Summertime"---this includes the efforts of Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn, and more...
http://xanaxtaxi.blogspot.com/.

If you've never heard "It's Good To Be Careful (But It's Better To Be Loved) by Shack, it's currently available at Moistworks---along with some other classic soul singles on Stax:
http://www.moistworks.com/.

Finally, get some free mp3s by L.A.Ment. On a couple of these tracks, they received a little help from guests DJ Babu and Evidence :
http://music.download.com/la_ment/3600-8543_32-100358162.html?tag=listing_song_artist. Enjoy...

Way Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

You may have to forgive me. I'm feelin' extra grouchy today, because Pusha Man brought me some real junk weed. I can't particularly trace the origins of this bullshit I'm smokin', but it tastes like it was born and raised under a bed in some hillbilly's trailer. Yep---tastes like it was cultivated amongst dirty socks, beer bottles, and whatever other unmentionables might be breeding in that particular geographic territory. Had I been afforded the pleasure of smoking something a bit friendlier, I would probably be in a much better mood. Instead, I'm all strung out on some glorified catnip, and quite a few things are pissing me off. Here are just a few examples:

**Met a girl today who asked about my interests. Music immediately entered into the conversation. As soon as she learned about my affinity for rap music, this clever genius informed me that she could relate to this, largely because she's "a huge fan" of Masta P and the Furious Five...

**George Bush---who, incidentally, doesn't like black people---"honored" the death of civil rights activist Rosa Parks on the same day that he nominated Samuel Alito. Since many fear that Alito is a racist pig, the irony of these events occuring simultaneously has been apparent to many, including Jesse Jackson:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/jesse/cst-edt-jesse01.html.

If you haven't yet formed an opinion about Alito, please allow me to bias your opinion with this: http://www.civilrights.org/issues/nominations/details.cfm?id=37322.

and if that isn't convincing enough, try this:
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/50/news-ireland.php .

**As if the prisons we know about aren't fucked up enough, information gets leaked regarding the CIA's "secret prison system": http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Terrorism/story?id=1275124.

I could go and on, but this isn't a fuckin' counseling session, right? Let me hit ya with some flava for ya ear, and then I'm gonna just ease on outta here like a pimp with a limp:

Diggin' Music is forever giving me an education on independent hip-hop. Props to you, Slade.
I've been listening to Asamov's "Gone Head" all afternoon, but I would recommend downloading everything else that's posted, too. Permanent link is to your right.

Am I High? posted "The Flyest Angel", a track by Nas and Pharrell. You can also download a $100 remix of the track---for me, it's the better of the two versions. If you haven't overdosed on Black Album remixes, there are also a couple of those available:
http://amihigh.blogspot.com/.

Jehst mp3s at The Broke BBoys: http://brokebboys.blogspot.com/.

"Giant in the Mental" by Showbiz & AG at Looking For The Perfect Beat:
http://boombap.net/theperfectbeat/.

Tracks by The Socialist can be found at Freemotion. Link to your right.

A great selection of joints are currently available at Straight Bangin'. Download recent tracks by artists such as Nas and Papoose, as well as a number of classic cuts by Willie Hutch, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Womack, etc: http://www.straightbangin.blogspot.com/.

At U Mean Competitor, you can download "Face Off" (Ghostface & Scarface) and "Face to Face (Ghostface & Babyface): http://www.umeancompetitor.blogspot.com/. While you're there, see if you can figure out the whole Michael McDonald /Epcot Center thing.

When It Comes Time To Choose Sides

I didn't discover Nina Simone until I was in my first year of college, mostly because I was raised in an environment where Aretha Franklin reigned as the undisputed Queen of Soul. Now don't get it twisted---I greatly respect Aretha's contributions to popular music. However, I hadn't heard shit until I listened to Nina---and that's the truth. As a result of my overwhelming admiration, I can't help but feel that Simone still hasn't received her proper placement in the pages of music history. I guess this oversight is to be expected from an industry in which commercial viability and capitalistic interests supercede talent and genuine artistry. Artists who can't easily be processed into a formulaic package are frequently marginalized into relatively obscure musical territory. There is often little room for artistic integrity in the corporate equation, which is why I'm forever urging people to think outside of the industry's box when selecting the music they want to hear. If you become an industry drone, you'll find yourself listening to Chingy and liking it, okay? You'll end up buying both Sweat and Suit by Nelly, but you won't know shit about Saul Williams. You really have to expend some energy in the search for good music, because it won't be fed to you on a corporate spoon...and Nina's a pretty damn good place to start:

Breath of Life is featuring three mp3s this week that can begin your primary education. Download the "Porgy and Bess Medley" by Nina, the Joe Claussell remix of her song "Feelin' Good", and Talib Kweli's interpretation of her classic cut, "Four Women":
http://www.kalamu.com/bol/.

Read more about Ms. Simone here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Simone
and here: http://www.boscarol.com/nina/.

So Much Silence is offering three b-side remixes of Pharcyde tracks:
http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

Vinyl Addicts have been posting some killer tracks lately. Cop MF Grimm's "Get Down", "Brainstorm" by 45 King w/ Latee, and the East Coast mix of "Poppa Large" by Ultramagnetic MCs, and more: http://vinyladdicts.blogspot.com/.

At Fifteen Minutes To Live, you can download a beautiful instrumental track by Omega One called "Memento": http://15minutestolive.blogspot.com/.

Besides these joints, I've been listening to this all weekend:
http://music.ign.com/articles/601/601772p1.html. I slept on this until just a few days ago, and I have no good reason why I didn't cop it sooner. If you are cursed with a pack on your back, you'll probably love this shit as least as much as I do...

Jigga makes nice with Nasty Nas:
http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/85282.php.

Nerdy Caucasian male does surprisingly amusing impersonations of several famous MCS:
http://media.putfile.com/white-guy/320.

Feel like you're being lied to by muthafuckin' CNN? Seek the truth here---if you think you can handle it:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/.

The CIA's World Factbook contains an informative profile of every country on Earth. Choose a nation and learn about its climate, government, economy, international disputes, etc. This site promises to make you appear very worldly and intelligent within just a few days:
http://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html.

Finally---the news we've all been waiting for---research suggests that weed does not propose a significant cancer risk: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051026/hl_nm/pot_cancer_dc.
Start rollin' up those trees, kids...

A Picture Ain't Worth No Thousand Words

So here's the picture that was meant to go with yesterday's post. Of course, I don't have shit to say now that I've fixed my little image problem---ain't that a bitch? I guess this is just my immature inclination to validate my triumph over Blogger, and all of its idiosyncratic behaviors. If you need more crack before I get back, check out some of the fine blogs/sites that are in my permanent linkage...peace.

To Write In Every Color I Think In...

I really would have liked for there to be an image accompanying this post, but Blogger is being a total bitch right now. Consider this a rare opportunity to exercise your imagination by creating your very own mental picture:

MP3 4U is hosting a dope mp3 by The Dead Kenny Gs. Great track, and brilliant band name, don't ya think?: http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3226.

At Ear Fuzz you can cop two Kev Brown songs---"Always" and "Outside Looking In":
http://www.earfuzz.com/.

The Broke BBoys have a post about DJ Format that includes four joints from his album Music for the Mature B-Boy. If you do nothing else today, make sure you check out "Little Bit of Soul": http://brokebboys.blogspot.com/.

Can I Bring My Gat? recently updated with a post dedicated to MC/producer Arythmatik.
There are a couple of instrumental tracks available, as well as one vocal mix:
http://www.abitnice.com/canibringmygat/.

"Spray Paint" is a fuckin' excellent track from the Fort Minor project. Ghostface and Lupe Fiasco both appear on the song, which can currently be acquired at From The Polo Fleece To The Jesus Piece: http://jesuspiece.blogspot.com/.

At Checkerboard Chimes, you can download ODB's "Lift Ya Skirt" and "Comeback" by Juelz Santana: http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/.

Visit No Frontin' to pick up "The Death of Chris Palko" from Cage's Hell's Winter LP. If for some inexplicable reason "Iron Galaxy" by Cannibal Ox isn't already in your collection, you may want to check that, too: http://www.songz.blogspot.com/.

Largehearted Boy is offering "Awful Raw", a song from Mike Ladd's upcoming LP, Father Divine: http://blog.largeheartedboy.com/.

Soul Sides has had a lot of good stuff this week. Download tracks by Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash, Dionne Warwick, and her lil' sista Dee Dee Warwick. Dee Dee's track "I'm Glad I'm A Woman" is beautifully sung, but the lyrical content may actually be even more damaging to women than most of the shit that The Ying Yang Twins have come up with so far: http://soul-sides.com/.

So Much Silence posted the classic cut "Stress" by Organized Konfusion, as well as the sample source---"Mingus Fingus No. 2" by Charles Mingus: http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

MF Doom has a number of upcoming projects in the works, including doing the voice of a giraffe named Sherman on Cartoon Network's new series "Perfect Hair Forever":
http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/7697.

If you can still afford cable after filling up your gas tank, I sincerely hope you're watching "The Colbert Report". If not, you'd better say five Hail Marys and watch this clip of his opening monologue: http://www.devilducky.com/media/36945/.

If you still don't know what the hell to do with yourself, here's a way to breakdance without ever getting off your ass: http://www.poplockin.com/flash.php. Simultaneously amusing and wack... kinda like this blog...

I Plan To Have A Whole Army By The Time That I'm Through

IMAGE: Erykah Badu LYRIC/TITLE: Saul Williams

Music:

The Rookie is back with some pretty dope mp3s by Insomniac and Spex. Even if you've never heard of either of them, trust that they're both worth checking out if you're a fan of independent hip-hop. Insomniac once had an infamous battle with Murs which some of you may recall: http://www.soothsayrecords.com/rookie/.

Checkerboard Chimes is offering a track with Rakim and Talib Kweli---"Getting Up Anthem": http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/.

At Silence Is A Rhythm Too, you can pick up two incredible tracks from Bill Withers' debut album---"Harlem" and "Better Off Dead": http://siart.blogspot.com/.

Spine Magazine has a remix of Saul Williams' song "Black Stacey" w/NAS. They are also offering the track "Shotta" by Juelz Santana: http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

Speaking of Juelz, you can also download his track "Clorkwork", courtesy of Notes From A Different Kitchen. Link to your right.

The Smoking Section continues to be an excellent resource for downloading miscellaneous tracks, mixtapes and complete albums. Right now, one of my personal favorite things that they're featuring is "Tell Me Why Our Love Has Turned So Cold" by Willie Hutch. This song has recently become familiar to many, as it was sampled in Three 6 Mafia's "Stay Fly": http://smokingsection.blogspot.com.

Breath of Life has another great selection of tracks this week---an Opolopo remix of Erykah Badu's "Southern Girl", "Queen in My Empire" by Rhythm and Sound w/ Jennifer Lara, and a joint by crazy-ass Fishbone:http://www.kalamu.com/bol/.

Two tracks from Biggie's Duets album are available for download at Lemon-Red---"Spit Your Game" w/ Twista and Krayzie Bone + "Old Habits" ft. T.I. and Slim Thug: http://www.lemon-red.org/blog/.

ART:

I tend to take this site for granted because I've been a frequent visitor for quite some time, but Stencil Revolution has quite possibly the best stencil graffiti galleries available online. They feature both street and studio art, and every day there are an abundance of new images that have been posted. If you've never had the pleasure, make it a priority to visit soon: http://www.stencilrevolution.com/photopost/.

POLITICS:

As many intelligent individuals have already surmised, the George Bush administration has been heavily promoting their own brand of weird science---replacing years of knowledge, testing, and study with whatever voodoo bullshit suits their needs and motivations at the time. This video is a humorous take on their treatment/denial of global warming and other issues affecting the environment: http://www.climatemash.org/.

If you find this interesting (and/or it angers you), a site called Bush Greenwatch is tracking the Dubya administration's "environmental misdeeds": http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/. Much more on this topic can be learned by visiting their site.

LIFE:

As I've mentioned several times before, I'm a vinyl junkie, and part of what I love about record albums is (undoubtedly) the covers. Somehow, I've never been able to feel the same way about CD insert bullshit. Some of the covers in my collection are outstanding works of art---and then of course, I've got some really bizarre stuff that isn't all that appealing to the eye. I haven't developed an actual list of the worst album covers I've ever seen, but someone has---and well--they're pretty fuckin' atrocious. That should be all I need to say in the way of an introduction: http://porktornado.diaryland.com/albumcover.html.

I leave you with just one thought...

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened" ---Dr. Suess

This Is My Pain/ These Are My Drugs/ This Is My Brain

So---how's my people? Things have been mad hectic in my world, but despite that fact, I've still been screwing around with some different ideas for upcoming posts. However, like any good weedhead, I suffer from a hyperactive procrastination gland, so most of my "projects" end up hangin' out in purgatorial limbo for quite some time. Apologies. Anyway, allow me to at least hit you up with some linkage, and then I'll go back to the drawing board (and quite possibly, the blunt):

At MP3 4U, you can cop the song "Prankster", some nice stuff by Will Bernard and Motherbug: http://www.mp34u.com/index.php. This track was recorded live at Bruno's in San Francisco a few years ago, and there's no proper way to describe it, except to say that it's pretty damn groovy. If you're interested in learning more about Bernard, check out his official website here: http://www.willbernard.com/default.htm.

Earfuzz recently posted a couple of songs by Rasputin's Stash:
http://www.earfuzz.com/. If you've never heard their music before, Junior accurately described their style as "a quality blend of funk and soul". If you know what's good, you could learn to love dat shit, son.

Checkerboard Chimes posted the mp3 for "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart", redone in the image of ODB and Macy Gray: http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/. All I can say is that's one crazy-ass track---my guess is that you'll either love it or loathe it. If Big Baby Jesus just isn't your thing, you can also cop Just Blaze's mix of "Kookies" by MF Doom. I had every intention of liking that track, but I was pretty underwhelmed upon first listen. I don't know about you, but I find that it really sucks when that happens...

Breath of Life is featuring three outstanding musical selections this week. Download tracks by Les Nubians, John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk, and Nona Hendryx:
http://www.kalamu.com/bol/.

The Number One Songs In Heaven has had a couple of quality posts this past week. You can currently acquire two classic cuts by Jimmy Holiday, and a song by Ruby & The Romantics---"Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore":
http://www.londonlee.com/blog.html.

The Broke B-Boys are featuring the artist responsible for today's image and quote---Roots Manuva. They posted three outstanding tracks from Run Come Save Me, an album that I played to literal death when it first came out: http://brokebboys.blogspot.com/.

In other news...

Noing Noing takes a stab at "scientifically" proving that Republicans are "more stupider" than Democrats. Peep the methodology behind the madness here:
http://www.noingnoing.net/home/2005/10/its_official_bu_1.html.

I'm still undecided as to whether or not Hillary Clinton would make a good president, but I'm absolutely positive that Bill would make a kick-ass First Lady. Get your t-shirts now, bitches! :
http://www.billforfirstlady.com/billsvideo/.

Finally, this has been circulating around the internet like crazy, but in case you haven't come across it yet, it's still worth posting. Cassette Jam '05 has a picture of just about every blank tape that was ever made: http://hanazuc02.ld.infoseek.co.jp/cassettes/cassettes.htm. I realize that many of you don't give even a tiny little fuck that the cassette tape has gone from endangered to nearly extinct. I probably wouldn't get all nostalgic about this fact either, if I wasn't such an old school rap reject. Prior to the technological revolution, it was just like Biggie said---"I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped". Surely you must have an old mixtape somewhere---my advice is to apply that bitch to your nearest ghetto blaster, and chill sucka...chill...

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones

MUSIC: So maybe it's redundant, but I have to try every so often to promote the soulful brilliance that is Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. I'm diggin' this poster like C. Delores Tucker's grave: http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/85221.php. Damn----sometimes it feels so right to be wrong...Anyway, I'm definitely not in the habit of trying to inflict bullshit advertising schemes on my readership, but today I'm making a rare exception. I'm convinced that the handful of people who read this blog who are still in their right minds should purchase at least one of these posters (creatively designed by Darren English). Each limited edition print is signed and numbered---and if you call now, this highly functional work of art will also remove stubborn pet stains, and tighten your flabby beer-bloated abs, practically overnight. Check out all of English's posters here: http://www.darrengrealish.com/2005P2.html
and here is a direct link to purchase the Jones print only: http://www.darrengrealish.com/sharonjones.html.

If you just stopped by to check out some free shit, the mp3 of Jones' rendition of "This Land is Your Land" is available at Moistworks:http://www.moistworks.com/. However, you must observe the following guidelines: If you're white---borrow the song. If you're Latino---steal it. If you're black---go loot that muthafucka.

While at Moistworks, you may also want to download "Winter in America", by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson. They've been generous enough to offer both a live and a studio version of the track, so you can hear the song any way you'd like.

Fans of Fatlip (formerly a member of The Pharcyde), will want to pay a visit to Diggin' Music in the near future. They are currently featuring "What's Up, Fatlip?" in mp3, music video, and documentary form. The latter two were created under the direction of Spike Jonze: http://www.digginmusic.blogspot.com/.

"Soul Reggae" is a classic cut by Charles Keynard. Download it now at Soul Sides:
http://soul-sides.com/.

Am I High? just posted several tracks for download, including "Read My Lips" by The Alkaholiks, and a Collipark remix of Twista's "Slow Jamz": http://amihigh.blogspot.com/.

At Stylus Magazine, you can cop "I See It", by The Staple Singers:
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/ipod/. This is definitely not one of my favorite songs that they've done, but it's a worthwhile track, nonetheless. I also happen to like the Los Impalas offering, but it's a little different than most of the music I write about on this blog. I would recommend giving this a try if you are a fan of The Doors, The Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, etc.

ART: Odd Wall has some pretty dope artwork on their site, as they've displayed a diverse selection of San Francisco street art: http://www.oddwall.com/. There's a little bit of everything there, including stencils, murals, and garage door paintings.

Politics: By now, most of you have heard about the violence and mayhem that unfolded in the streets of Toledo, Ohio yesterday. I don't particularly trust the media's representation of what
happened, but I'm posting a link to a CNN article in hopes that you will find the grains of truth in what's being reported:http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/15/nazi.march/. If you ask me, Neo-Nazi and KKK marches/rallies are inherently always inflammatory on some level, and possessing a permit and describing the event as peaceful doesn't do a damn thing to change that fact. I think it's a testament to the patience of minorities in this country that these uprisings don't occur more frequently. Don't get it twisted---as a strong proponent of free speech, I don't believe that hate groups should be silenced. However, we the fuckin' people have to at least try to understand and accept the emotional/psychological basis for a negative reaction to such flagrant displays of racism. Additionally, whenever African-Americans engage in any form of a struggle against their oppression, they shouldn't automatically be portrayed as unthinking animals, both vicious and animalistic. The choice of language utilized by the media makes evident one of the many subversive forms of racism that still prospers underneath the top layer of American society. As a prime example, two or more black people in assembly are considered a gang---while white folk who congregate in large numbers are described (more kindly) as a group. And hopefully, you caught onto the whole looting reference earlier in this post.

To top it all off, there are people in the media who question why the black people involved in the scuffle displayed signs of anger towards the police. Is it possible that people are really that uneducated? The way that law enforcement treats minorities is another one of the clearest examples that racism is not yet dead---despite the ridiculous claims of those who believe we've magically achieved a state of equality in recent years.

I sincerely don't believe in violence as a solution, and I cannot support the actions of anyone who was involved, because I'll never know what really went down---and sorry, but neither will you. I am simply asking my readers to realize the complexity of this situation, before blindly pointing fingers towards the African-Americans who came to protest. Predictably, the latest results of a poll hosted by CNN indicates that more people blame the "gangs" than the neo-Nazis.

LIFE: Finally, this is on the lighter side, but this blog I found is pretty interesting. It features bizarre products that are currently available for purchase. I'm not personally endorsing any of this shit---I just find a lot of these items to be sort of amusing. Are you cutting edge enough to be the first person sporting ear muffs shaped like breasts this coming winter? :
http://www.strangenewproducts.com/.

I'm So Busy And Stressed Out I Didn't Even Have Time To Give This Shit A Name

I only have 4 minutes and 32 seconds to get this post together, and I type more slowly than a quadriplegic. Links only for today, but I swear that I'll hit you up with some stupid stream-of-consciousness shit as soon as I possibly can...

Razorblade Runner recently posted "Build Me Up" by Rhymefest and ODB .

There are 4 No I.D. tracks currently available for download at The Low End Theory.

Treat Williams continues his retrospective of the 90's with some dope joints from 1991. Download tracks by Pete Rock, Freestyle Fellowship, KMD, and more.

***The links to all of the aforementioned blogs are available to your right.

At So Much Silence, you can acquire the mp3 for "Got Me A Woman" by Ray Charles. For anyone who isn't already aware, Kanye sampled this cut on "Gold Digger":
http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

Checkerboard Chimes has a Diplo remix of Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad":
http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/. I love both Outkast and The Cure, but I'm on the fence about whether or not it was wise to mix the two. I wouldn't necessarily eat peanut butter with bacon, if ya know what I mean...

Part 2 of Loosie's interview with MF Doom was posted yesterday:
http://www.loosie.com/words/archives/2005/10/000590.php.

Last, but never least, much gratitude to Lemon Life for writing about a charity that is very close to my heart (as her featured organization for the month of October). Please visit her blog to read more...catch her link to your right.

I'm 14 seconds past my time limit...peace...

I Remember When I Lost My Mind

Cee-Lo reminds me of this fat girl I used to know who peed her underoos on the regular. The kids on the playground used to rip on her constantly, but I didn't give a shit what anyone said---pee girl was cool with me. Her real name was Joyce, but I'm...you know...trying to protect her identity from any urinary investigators who may decide to probe further into this matter. Anyway, thanks to all the haters, Joyce is most likely a bulemic junkie these days, and let's just pray that she's not still dealing with that incontinence issue on top of everything else. Unlike most of the other twisted bastards I went to school with, my conscience is clear regarding pee girl. I used to pop a cap in any ass who dared to fuck with her, and yes--I'm prepared to defend Cee-Lo Green in much the same way. No--he doesn't pee his pants---not that I know of anyway. I've just heard and seen many people criticize him for being too different/bizarre to be palatable to the average hip-hop consumer. If that's the case, then the only people who should be buying Andre 3000's music are members of his immediate family, cuz that brotha's weird as hell, and everybody knows it. I'm unaccepting of most of the reasons given to scorn this man and his music...and if you hate on him unjustifiably, I'll be forced to handle you the same way I did those prepubescent gangstas who taunted Joyce. You got that? And judging by this photo, Cee-Lo's ready to battle you his damn self...

Now that I have that bit of insanity off my chest, you can go to Spine Magazine and download "Crazy", a track from Lo's new project with Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley: http://www.spinemagazine.com/index.php?task=.

On a political tip, get educated about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers by checking out her Wickipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Miers. It seems Dubya strikes again by attempting to place another of his incompetent friends in a position of power. I guess that all of the public scrutiny over the immense failures of his boy " Brownie" still wasn't enough to dissuade him from repeating his mistakes. I can't figure out why so many Republicans are concerned about her being appointed. She may not have a bit of judicial experience, but she's been a conservative bitch for her whole entire life. Isn't that enough to make them absolutely love her? And Condaleeza Rice happens to be one of her very close homies---'nuff said?

This video is dope...literally. Roll it up, light it up, and cue it up. This is on some Alice in Wonderland, acid freakout shit. Enjoy: http://www.1st-ave-machine.com/video/anime_final.htm.

A few more mp3 links, and I'm out:

Download a remix of "Yo Chevy" by Trill da Playa at Lemon-Red:
http://www.lemon-red.org/blog/. Don't worry---you won't need to purchase a Chevrolet to enjoy this track...it'll blow the backseat off of your Ford Escort, too....if you let it.

Cop "Live and Direct at the House of Hits" by Intelligent Hoodlum and Craig G at Unkut.com: http://www.unkut.com/.

A couple of tracks by Tajai (of Hieroglyphics) are available at So Much Silence:
http://www.somuchsilence.blogspot.com/.

Alright kids---in case I didn't make myself clear---today's lesson is to give Cee-Lo his propers, and don't pee on any electrical fences...until we meet again...

I Breathe Rusty Air Logic...It Becomes The Lung

A couple of weeks ago, I made a very sound investment. I bought a waffle with the likeness of Jesus burnt onto it. If you're looking for a relatively painless way to become rich, I highly recommend bidding on some of the Jesus food items that can be purchased on E-Bay. However, don't make the same mistake that I did---prevent disaster in your own life by heeding this cautionary tale...Earlier today, my friend and I smoked a gigantic shrub together. Motivated by an overwheming case of the munchies, she ate my sacred Aunt Jemima when I wasn't looking. I've been totally fuckin' bummed out all day as a result of this relatively significant loss in my life... The worst part is, I had some Pop Tarts with sprinkles, and would have shared.

The moral of this story is: DON'T GET HIGH WITH YOUR DUMBASS FRIENDS. Getting high by yourself may make you a lonely, loser weedaholic, but at least you'll have your Jesus toast for comfort food. I hope my friend feels damned guilty right now about having swallowed our Lord in one effortless gulp...

Potentially more shaken up on a spiritual level are the handful of Mormons who recently purchased the Latter-day Saints production, Sons of Provo. In a few cases, the Mormon-themed DVD was switched with a film about a gay porn star. Makes you wonder how many of these people watched this movie 'til the bitter end, just waiting to see when Jesus was gonna happen. Find out the whole story here: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,615155174,00.html.

Ear Fuzz posted a couple of my favorite Aesop Rock joints, both of which appeared on the Euphony compilation. "Water" is one of the tracks, and the other is "Sinister", featuring Vast Aire and Yeshua DapoED: http://www.earfuzz.com/. The title of today's post comes from Vast's clever rhyming on the track. If I may say so, that brotha is straight poetic on the mic. "My poetry's precision is the sole definition of latitude"...

In contrast, Busta Rhymes' new track "Touch It" manages to score fairly low on the scale of lyrical brilliance. His rhymes on the cut are fairly weak, and the overall tone of the track is too much like his previous material to be considered particularly original or creative. That said, I'd go download the damn thing anyway. The music is pretty infectious, and Busta seems more like himself this time around than he has on any of his other recent efforts. You can cop this track at either Checkerboard Chimes ( http://checkerboardchimes.blogspot.com/) or Lemon-Red
( http://www.lemon-red.org/blog/).

Freemotion is back from a brief hiatus with several mpfrees. Some of the tracks featured are "Red Hot" by Jurassic 5 and the Dap-Kings, Pharrell Williams' "Maybe" remix, and a cover of "Summer Breeze" by Jackie Mittoo. Link for Freemotion is to your right.

At MP3 4U, you can download "Yo Yo Yo" by Medina Green and Mos Def: http://www.mp34u.com/songCard.php?posting=3177 . The song is actually quite a bit better than its monotonous title suggests.

From the Polo Fleece to the Jesus Piece is featuring three solid tracks from the upcoming Slum Village album: http://jesuspiece.blogspot.com/.

Check out The Smoking Section for lots of free songs, as well as several full albums available for download: http://smokingsection.blogspot.com/2005/10/less-filling.html.

Before I go, I'd like to apologize for the fact that it's damn near impossible for most of you to leave a comment on this blog. The comment spam I was getting was totally ridiculous. As I've said before, my readership doesn't usually seem to have a whole lot to say, but I still feel badly that you can't cuss me out if you so desire. I'll try to make that option available again soon, but for now you're just gonna have to bite your tongue, or insult me via e-mail...