The Audacity of Dope

Couple things:

• Shout to Vancouver hip-hop
• LOL @ Pharrell always rocking that gray sweatshirt and red hat. I think he has the Inspecter Gadget closet full of that outfit. Double LOL @ remembering the dog’s name in that cartoon was “Brain.”
• Hearing Pharrell talk about how 2 million units sold isn’t a big number sounds mad out of place in 2008. Perhaps 2 mill wasn’t huge when Fly or Die dropped, but how many artists sell that these days? Like…5-8 last year…in all genres combined?
• I enjoy P’s CRS answer, though he delivered it better in my interview with him, which you can peep here (or here).
• Swiped from the BBC blog.

Today I’m starting my work for the Obama campaign, so for the next 6 weeks, your boy is bout to be reeeeeeeeeally busy. I should be able to stay steady bloggin’, but if it slacks at all, this is why:

Obama Campaign Dispatching Thousands

By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 13, 2008; Page A05

CHICAGO, June 12 — Moving to harness the grass-roots energy that helped win the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign will deploy 3,600 volunteers in 17 states this weekend, each committed to six consecutive weeks of full-time political work.

The project, launched two months before the senator from Illinois became the presumptive nominee, is a measure of his determination to out-organize Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in states that could swing a close election.

The campaign put out word in April about “Obama Organizing Fellowships,” an approach that went well beyond the “y’all come” model of luring volunteers with free doughnuts for two-hour canvassing stints. Supporters were required to answer essay questions, supply references and go through a telephone interview with campaign staff members.

In return for a promise to give the campaign at least six weeks of their lives, they were promised training in community organizing techniques.

A cover letter from Obama, who spent three years in the 1980s working in impoverished Chicago neighborhoods, spoke of lessons in the “basic organizing principles that this campaign and our movement for change are built on.”

Obama urged supporters to apply and to “put progressive values to work in the real world.”
More than 10,000 people applied, said Obama strategist Jon Carson.

“They didn’t have to have campaign experience before,” said Buffy Wicks, the director of the campaign’s national volunteer program. “The best organizers are people who are passionate about what they’re doing. We were looking for folks who had really compelling stories.”

There you go. Your boy is one of 3,600 working to make this country better. Do you part and if you talk the talk, walk the walk. Yes, We Can.

(damn @ how young they look)

Don Randi – “The Fox”

“eschuchela…la ciudad respirando…”

In the second edition of Throwback, I gotta shine some light on one of my favorite MC’s, the often overlooked Catashtrophe of Tha Alkaholiks. If you’re out here on the west coast, you better be a Liks fan…dudes are legends. Tash was always my favorite of the crew, and actually might be my favorite west coast MC ever. He has such a relaxed, but technical, rapid fire flow and to this day, I’ve never heard him spit a wack verse. I highly suggest you track down his solo album that dropped in 1999, Rap Life. If you don’t have it, or forgot about it, here are a few of my favorite joints:

Tash ft. Carl Thomas – “The Game”
Tash – “Nightfall”
Tash – “Fallin’ On”
Tash – “Bermuda Triangle”

I tried to pick just one, but damn…all these tracks are classic to me. “The Game” was especially ill, cause it was a different topic and sound than most of his other stuff. Sidenote: where’s Carl Thomas at these days anyway? And for the sample heads, “Fallin’ On” used David McCallum’s “The Edge” before Dr. Dre (and also Masta Ace, who later flipped a different part of the same sample).

Anyway, moral of the story, Tash was the ish…and he still is (peep the track he did with Torae last year). Last I heard, he’s working on a new album as we speak…can’t wait.

*makes my outroduction*

There’s been a lot of buzz over this kid Asher Roth recently, and from the joints I’ve heard so far, I’ve been impressed. The Em comparisons are the first thing that everyone wants to talk about, but I think that’ll end pretty soon. Click the image above to download his new mixtape, The Greenhouse Effect, with Drama and Cannon.

Shout to the homey Jonathan Master for sending this over.

Shocking and heartbreaking news…NBC’s Tim Russert, one of the foremost journalists in American politics, passed away from a heart attack in his office today. You can read more here. He was 58.

I didn’t agree with all his statements over the years, but as a media studies major, I always admired his work. Truly an incredible journalist, in every sense of the word. MSNBC has become my favorite news network these days, and I’ll miss hearing his analysis on there each day.

Tell your loved ones how you feel about them. “Tomorrow’s not promised today.” R.I.P. Tim Russert.

A few weeks back, Foul Mouth Jerk and TopR came through Seattle on their “Marathon of Shame Tour” and I had a chance to chop it up with ’em in the studio. We talked all about their recent albums, life on the road, collaborating with legendary figures in hip-hop, a little politics, and more. You can also hear Jerk’s song with Masta Ace, “Smalltown USA,” and TopR’s new track featuring Jerk, “The Name Game,” during the interview as well. Dope, boom bap inspired ish. Check it out and get familiar with the homies through the links below:

Foul Mouth Jerk & TopR on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?jy4c0i1gy3p
(Back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/13571318ee1dfcfb/ )

Be sure to check out their latest projects, Jerk’s Streetlight Music and TopR’s The Marathon of Shame!

(ok, well not there)

Check out a nice AP article on Chase Chad with some interesting quotes from Kenna and the mystery man himself right here. Published in The Columbian from Vancouver, WA, of all places. Yeah, the 2nd best Vancouver…aka where Dan Dickau was a senior in high school and absolutely abused a 9th grade Hyphen in WWU‘s summer team camp in 1996. Good times though.

Swiped from Chad’s hilariously impersonal blog.

(…too easy)

Another day, another puzzling, rambling, pathetic verse from Wayne leaks to the net. Take your pick:

“Sittin’ in the Caddy/(W)right like Betty”
“Hip-hop addict, hip-hop at it/Man I swear I’m on top like the attic”
“We stay clean but we get dirty like Harry”
“I am hotter than the sun day after Saturday”

–Lil’ Wayne, “La La (Remix)”

Third grade similes like what. Even Erick Sermon is cringing. Weezy, what did I tell you about celestial references?! Dammit.

Being the huge Lupe fan that I am, I had to post this up for y’all to check out. A Chicago producer named Itch13 remixed Lu’s “I Gotcha” off Food & Liquor, and it turned out pretty dope. I still prefer the original, but this is a good one for the collection:

Lupe Fiasco – “I Gotcha (Itch13’s Maceo Parker Funk Mix)”

Swiped from IllRoots.