Snoop's Sensual Seduction

This being funkypundit.blogspot.com, it seems mandatory to note that Snoop is declaring the G-Funk Era back on:

Well played, Mr. Snoop -- well played.

Finally, a New Rap Beef!

For those uncultured boors somehow oblivious to the latest goings on with the life and times of hip-hop impresario and Forbes' No. 2 hip-hop moneymaker, 50 Cent (nee Curtis Jackson), the Queens-born rapper has pledged to hang up the microphone once and for all should his apparent arch rap nemesis, Kanye "George Bush doesn't care about black people" West outsell him when the two drop new albums Sept. 11th.

Quoth Mr. Cent: "Mine will sell and his will still be on the shelf. He should be terrified. What do I do? Do I send flowers? Do I send my condolences?"

Someone just got served!

But wait! Kanye says much good can come from this impending bloodfest: "What's the point of even having magazines without us." Indeed, journalism itself would become meaningless. Mr. West continues: "We're the fucking Jim Morrisons, we're the fucking Kurt Cobains of this. Yeah, I said it. Listen to the fucking album -- I am."

For those starting to think Kanye might have something of an inflated perception of himself, don't be silly. He's still the same old Kanye (i.e., our lord and Savior) ...
Speaking of Kanye, anyone who appreciates jokes and other funny stuff like farming needs to check out Zach Galafianakis' video for "Can't Tell Me Nothing." Twice even.

Good morning boys and girls, I'm your substitute teacher, Mr. Method Man

From The Chicago Tribune:

NEW YORK -- Method Man is going back to school. As part of a plea deal reached following a marijuana arrest earlier this year, the hip-hop star was ordered to visit 15 city high schools to warn students about the dangers of drugs.

The former Wu-Tang Clan member and star of "How High,'' whose real name is Clifford Smith, "is thrilled to do it,'' defense attorney Peter Frankel said Friday. "He's never been in trouble before. He's not a stereotypical rapper.''

Word is bond: Educate yo'self and work yo'self up that corporate ladder; otherwise, you may find yo'self ending up like me, a blunt-smoking multimillionaire member of the world's most famous rap group, who also stars in the occasional wack movie. Now, who's got a light?

Rock the Bells

Rock the Bells has announced its summer line-up, and it features some of the hottest hip hop artists playing today. Tickets for the July 28th Randall's Island show go on sale March 31st. Just about the only band I'm not excited about is Rage Against the Machine -- the headline act.

Off the Wire

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Related: Wayne Gretzky inducted to Cooperstown.

Remember the King

Ten years ago today, the Triple Beam Dream passed.

















I remember driving in New Canaan, Conn., and tuning into Hot 97. Angie Martinez was crying, taking calls, asking "when is it going to end?" (recall that Tupac had also recently passed). Realizing what had happend, I too shed some tears. Ten years on, looking out at the hip-hop landscape, Biggy Smalls is missed more than ever.

RIP.

Rap & Funk, the Reunion

"New Orleans funk band Galactic is working on the follow-up to their 2003 release, Ruckus," Glide Magazine reports. "The band has been co-writing tracks with a variety of vocalists and MCs including Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, Mr. Lif, Lyrics Born, The Coup’s Boots Riley, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Ladybug of Digable Planets, and others."

In addition, the record will include various New Orleans icons including Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.

The hip-hop themed record will meld Galactic’s own New Orleans street funk with some of today’s most progressive MCs, something the band has experimented with in their live performances. Over the last several years, the group has appeared with the likes of Lyrics Born, Talib Kweli, The Roots, Jurassic 5, and Z-Trip. They also recently backed Juvenile on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“Everyone in the band listens to a lot of hip-hop” says saxophonist Ben Ellman. “We have always felt there is a natural connection between the New Orleans funk and brass band music that has inspired our sound and the rhythmic aspects of hip-hop. We wanted to push ourselves on this record to do something really different. We felt it would be fun to make an album with some of our favorite MCs with us as a foundation since its always felt great when we’ve had the opportunity to do it live.”

FunkyPundit will be seeing some of this for himself Friday night, when Galactic plays Irving Plaza with Brooklyn MC J Live. A review (hopefully) to follow.

News in Funk

Chicago is apparently the new hotbed for hip hop. Intelligent, lyrical hip hop, at that. First, there's Kidz in the Hall, comprised of Ivy grads Naledge and Double O. Their new album "School Was My Hustle" is solid all the way through. Check it.

Then, the other night on Letterman came my introduction to the Windy City's Lupe Fiasco, who is much more popular than Kidz in the Hall but was entirely new to me. He performed a song off his new album "Food & Liquor" featuring soulstress Jill Scott. Also accompanying was a band and -- awesomely -- a string section. In what could, I guess, be described as Chicago skater rap, Lupe's erudite mind (what other rapper references string theory?) comes to bear on tight production provided by the likes of the Neptunes and Kanye.

If Mr. Fiasco's Letterman performance doesn't knock your socks off, there's something wrong with your socks.


Check the second verse, where he brings straight violence to the rap establishment:

Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool
We need a few more half naked women up in the pool
And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels
And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s?
And where's the champagne? We need champagne
Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand
And now hold up your chain slow motion through the flames
Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain ...

My only complaint is that this song has just two verses.