Yes, I am giving love to MC Hammer - "Turn This Mutha Out"

This is my favorite MC Hammer video. The intro this video is classic. Watch how my man gets it in at the 3:25 mark...

WHOOOOA!

I dug in the crates and found this...

Remember when it was cool to a joint like this?

Know Your History - DJ Jazzy Jeff

Jeffrey Townes (born January 22, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania),also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or Simply Jazz, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and turntablist. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. DJ Jazzy Jeff graduated from John Bartram High School in Philadelphia where he is enshrined in the school's "Wall of Fame".

DJ Jazzy Jeff is not to be confused with Jeffrey Myree from the earlier hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, which in fact filed and won a lawsuit over the name Jazzy Jeff against Jeff Townes and Jive records when they signed DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.


Career
Townes got a job as a newspaper boy at age seven to support his family. Once he grew up, he developed a reputation and following as a school and block party DJ, Jazzy Jeff was the feature of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.


Acting
When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named "Jazz", Smith's best friend on the show. In the early season the two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back/snap with both characters saying "Pssh!"). His trademarks include being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (James Avery), screaming as he went flying out the front door. Jazz also was well known in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for always hitting on Hillary and getting rejected.

Music
As a duo, they had several gold and platinum-selling albums and singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, earning them the first rap Grammy ever presented in 1989 for Parents Just Don't Understand.

After DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince broke up, Townes went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer, establishing the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia. Among the artists that Jazzy Jeff has helped develop are Jill Scott and Musiq. Even though he separated from Will Smith as music partners, they are still best friends and still occasionally work together. Some songs by Will Smith were produced by Jeff Townes (Ex. Here He Comes), and he has performed on some songs by Will Smith such as "So Fresh" and "Potnas". In addition, he appears in several of Smith's music videos such as "Will2K", "Freakin' It", and "Party Starter". On some occasions, he makes appearances with Smith on live concerts, producing DJ scratches.

He, along with DJ Cash Money, is credited with making the transform scratch famous.

On July 2, 2005, DJ Jazzy Jeff performed with Will Smith at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. In the past, Will has performed on concerts with DJ Jazzy Jeff for the scratches. Moreover, Will acknowledges him in his music like "Comin' To The Stage" from the album Lost & Found or "Potnas" in his album Willennium.

His 2007 release The Return of the Magnificent is a classic work which returns to the roots of hip-hop with a neo-soul mixture included. This album featured numerous collaborations with old school and new school artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Peedi Crakk (a remake of Brand New Funk), Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn.

In 2007, he appeared with Rhymefest in the video DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Fest directed by Konee Rok, in which he makes music in his home recording studio with Rhymefest and they reveal that they are working on an album together called "I'm the DJ, I'm the Rapper".

In 2008 he performed with past partner Will Smith at the premier of Smith's 2008 film Hancock.


This is my dog!!! Watch how he kills Brand New Funk!!!

This dude...wow....

This is HEE-LARE-REE-US!!!!! Jay's Anatomy....

Jays Anatomy, Holla - More amazing video clips are a click away

Wow...Kanye is outta here!!

Who said Spock couldn't do his thing on the wheels of steel???

1st Birthday Parties are freaking expensive!

Family,

Well, in less than 72 hours, my first born son will turn one year old. It is an extremely joyous occasion in my household and I have reluctantly with my son's mom that we will have a party for him.

Rather than do the pre-packaged party at some Chuck E Cheese-ish place, we decide to do a party at our townhouse community's clubhouse.

This is for 50 people, 16 kids....

Food - $400

Decorations - -$150

Snacks and Soda - $60
Rental of Clubhouse - $650 - price includes deposit. (We'll get $300 back)

My son's b'day outfit - $30

Cake - $35

Goody bags - $30

Entertainment - $50

All in all we are spending well over a$1200 for a regular party!!

Why am I saying all of this? I was just surprised that something that I thought was cheaper, turned out to be the more expensive option. House parties are freaking expensive!! LOL!!

In any case, it's my son. I don't mind spending the money. BTW...the theme of his party is "Cars!"

One - Cap-D

Michelle Obama's girls

AWWWW SOOKIE!!!!! SISTERS ARE DOING IT!!!!

Desiree Rogers
New Job: White House Social Secretary
Super power: Party! Party! Party! Rogers is super social butterfly, big on the socialite scene in Chicago with her business connections and ability to have a good time
Obama Connection: Michelle Obama

From The Washington Post:
Rogers, 49, is a friend of Michelle and President-elect Barack Obama's, and a leader in Chicago corporate and civic circles; her appointment signals that the first couple consider the job crucial to how they introduce themselves to the country and the globe. She was a major fundraiser for Obama.

Claim to fame: Rogers was most recently with Allstate Financial, where she was "creating a social network of clients and consumers." She was also once president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.

From the Chicago Tribune:
Rogers, who studied at Wellesley College and later earned an MBA from Harvard, was once married to Chicagoan John Rogers, Ariel Capital Management chief and another close Obama friend and fundraiser.

Her first highly visible post was in state government. She managed the lottery for then-Gov. Jim Edgar in the '90s, appearing on TV giving away pots of money.

Why she's fabulous: According to Obama friend Valerie Jarrett -- "This appointment sends a strong message that the Obama’s want to use the White House strategically, to maximize its use in a way that is consistent with their philosophy -- [to] open it to a broader range of people, " said Valerie Jarrett, an Obama intimate and friend of Rogers's who also will work in the White House. "Desirée is a heavy hitter -- she comes with her own range of contacts from around the country. She's close to Michelle and she knows everyone who will be working in the West Wing, so she will be able to create a synergy."


Valerie Jarrett
New Job: White House Senior Adviser
Super power: Tenacious Charm and Outward Brilliance. She also managed to smooth things over with Clinton supporters, bringing them under the fold after the contentious primary race and she works as Obama's outreach to leaders within the black community

Obama Connection: She's a close and personal friend/mentor of Michelle, the n later Barack
From The New York Times:

“I can count on someone like Valerie to take my hand and say, You need to think about these three things,” Mrs. Obama said. “Like a mom, a big sister, I trust her implicitly.”

Claim to fame: "A protégée of Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago, Ms. Jarrett served as his planning commissioner, ran a real estate company, the Habitat Company — whose management of public housing projects has come under scrutiny with Ms. JarrettE2s rise — and sits on too many boards to count. She is an expert in urban affairs, particularly housing and transportation, in an administration expected to lavish more money and attention on cities than its predecessors." (NYT)

Why she's fabulous: While new to Washington she's ready to hit the ground running in an effort to avoid the pratfalls that hindered hometown heroes like her from making it in the Capitol.

She's tiny, but mighty, mighty powerful, in spite of being "underestimated" due to her ethnicity, gender, height, pixie haircut, being the only black woman in the boardroom and the fact that she's very "girlish" with a "singsong voice and suits that earned her a recent profile in Vogue." ( NYT )


Susan Rice
Potential Role: Ambassador to the United Nations
Super power: Anti-Genocide Warrior (she has also penned the occasional column for Huffington Post)
From the International Herald Tribune:

The choice of Rice to represent t he United States before the United Nations will make her one of the most visible faces of the Obama administration to the outside world aside from Clinton. It will also send to the world organization a prominent and forceful advocate of stronger action, including military force if necessary, to stop mass killings like those in the Darfur region of Sudan in recent years.

Obama Connection: She's a warrior. She needed no such connections! Actually, she's a former Clintonite who switched sides.

Claim to fame: She's considered brilliant and tough.

Writes the International Herald Tribune:
If confirmed, Rice at 44 would be the second-youngest ambassador to the United Nations. A Rhodes scholar who earned a doctorate in international relations at Oxford University , she joined Bill Clinton's National Security Council staff in 1993 before rising to assistant secretary of state for African affairs at age 32. When Obama decided to run for president, she signed up as one of his top advisers, much to the consternation of the Clinton camp, which resented what it saw as a defection.

Some colleagues from her Clinton and Obama days said Rice can be blunt and unafraid to "mix it up," as one put it, on behalf of issues she cares about. Rice herself acknowledges a certain impatience at times.

Admirers said she is a good listener and able to stand up to strong personalities, including foreign autocrats and militants in volatile regions of the world.

"Susan certainly is tough, and she's tough in exactly the right way," said Strobe Talbott, a former deputy secretary of state and now president of the Brookings Institution, where Rice has worked in recent years. "She's intellectually tough, she's tough in her approach to how the policymaking process should work and she will be very effective as a diplomat."

Why she's fabulous: Goodness, she wants to stop genocide in Darfur in the Sudan . That makes her fabulous enough. Good luck to her on that.

She's also not John Bolton, Bush's former recess appointment as Ambassador to the UN. Bolton, like much of Bush and Co., didn't believe in the purpose of the UN or giving it any power -- real or perceived. Therefore they sent a man to work at frustrating and undermining the organization our country help found and headquarters. (He's already bitching over Obama elevating the ambassadorship back to a cabinet level20position as it was under President Bill Clinton.) Under the long list of reasons why the world hates us you will find John Bolton's name. Rice is going to get a standing ovation just for not being him.

PEOPLE!!! IT'S ONLY A NEWSPAPER!!!!

Today, I witnessed two fights over Washington Post newspapers. Calm Down!!!

So what's next??? (The day AFTER the Presidential Inauguration)

Family,

Okay...so you spent good money to travel to DC, attained lodging, bought food and set aside money for Obama trinkets. You have hugged a billion strangers, told your fellow brothers and sisters that you loved them, listened to about a dozen speeches and pow-wowed on what the black man should be doing. Then you partied it up at one of the numerous balls, "patroned it up" with some friends you made and rejoiced. After swapping numerous facebook page urls, blackberried phone numbers and i-phoned contact info, you board your train, airplane, car or bus back home.

Now you are back...WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO??? SERIOUSLY...WHAT THE KCUF ARE YOU GONNA DO NOW???

It's all good and dandy that you went to DC to participate in such a historical moment, but all of that will be for naught if you aren't doing a damn thing to put the ideas and principles that President Obama spoke about. How are you going to have a positive effect on your community? How will you become fiscally responsible? What ways will you help the broken family structure heal? How can YOU make a difference in the world??

One too many times, we get together in events like these, get charged up and do not do a **d damn thing after that. (See The Million Man March). I am tired of the empty promises, people. I'd rather you promise nothing, instead of saying some politically correct BS. By all means, I am not asking you to start working on a better future the moment you hit your doorstep, but we can't wait too long to set the wheels of change in motion. We want better schools? We have to work for it!! You want jobs to stay in the US? We have to speak up about it!!! You want better health care? You have to fight for it!!! Sh*t will not get done if we are resting on our laurels.


One...

Cap-D

UPDATE: Some words from my man, DJ Don Luv:

We are on the same page Cap D. I hope that ppl see this as an opportunity to get themselves 2gether. The Million Man March turned out to be a disaster because Black Men who organized the event turned it into a commercial extravaganza instead of focusing on buying into the concept of nation building. How do you organize a million men and after the meeting do not have a financial institution established? Or a security institution for our neighborhood established? Or an educational faculty established? Or just a Black Men support group established? Brandon's assertion that we prefer not to think for ourselves and we want ppl to do the thinking for us is correct. Now its sad to say but there is a parallel of us being hyped for the million man march and the election of the nation's first Black president. Personally, this event is no different. Instead of us nation building, we partied and used our purchasing power to show our delight. This is exactly why we are not taken seriously.

And my dawg B. Easton...

The answer isn't pretty... in my opinion, the masses are fundamentally intellectually lazy, and they prefer other people to do thinking and analysis for them. Think about this for a second, and I know I may offend some people when I say this, but have you ever noticed that SOME super religious people are some of the most anti-intellectual people you know? Particularly hardcore Christians? They are anti-science and anti-socio-developmental progression. Things are peachy as long as it coincides with the contradictory and oppressive lectures from the King James Bible. Folks like that don't move without someone else telling them to do so (i.e. MLK jr in the south). I have a ton to say on this topic, but not enough space to do so.

Remembering Denzel!! LOL!!!

Malcolm X in The Middle

I love this old Mad TV skit with Aries Spears playing Malcolm X....

Know Your History - MC Lyte

MC Lyte (born Lana Michele Moorer) is rap artist who has scored several Rap and R&B hits. She has released several albums since 1988. She was born October 11, 1971 in Brooklyn, New York)

Biography
"MC Lyte" Moorer began rapping at the age of 12[1] and began her career in 1986. The release of her first single, "I Cram to Understand U (Sam)", was produced by her older brothers. This song, about a lying boyfriend’s crack cocaine addiction, became a modest R&B hit and led to her recording contract with First Priority Music. Her debut album, Lyte As a Rock, was released in 1988, and featured the previously mentioned single and another rap single entitled "10% Dis"; which targeted her rival at the time, rapper Antoinette.

Her second album Eyes on This was released in 1989. It spawned Lyte's first #1 Rap Tracks single "Cha Cha Cha" and another hit titled "Cappuccino", which is a metaphysical story weaved around a bad cappuccino experience. The song's video was directed by Ric Menello, who also helmed the The Beastie Boys's, "Fight for Your Right" music video. MC Lyte turned to producers Wolf & Epic (of Bell Biv Devoe fame) for her third release, 1991's Act Like You Know, which spawned another #1 Rap Track titled "Poor Georgie" and two smaller hits "When in Love" and "Eyes are the Soul". In 1993, MC Lyte released the album Ain't No Other. The album spawned yet another #1 Rap Track, "Ruffneck", which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Single and was the first ever gold single by a solo female rap artist (Salt-N-Pepa had had several gold and platinum singles earlier).[1] Another minor single titled "I Go On" also came from this album.

Lyte then signed Elektra/Asylum and issuing released 1996's Bad As I Wanna B, which featured a duet with Missy Elliott on the track "Cold Rock a Party," which became another #1 Rap Track for her. This would be her only album certfied at least gold in the US (selling at least 500,000 copies). She contributed to the Sunset Park soundtrack with "Keep On, Keepin' On". In 2001, Rhino Entertainment released The Very Best of MC Lyte. The artist mounted a comeback in 2003 with Da Undaground Heat, Vol. 1 with production team Maad Funk.

In 2003 MC Lyte released her first ialbum on her own label, SGI/CMM, along with manager/partner Fred Crawford. The album, entitled "Da Underground Heat Vol. 1 hosted by Jamie Foxx", went on to garner her yet another Grammy nomination and Bet Award nomination as well, although if failed to go gold. The leading single, "Ride With Me", became the title track for a show called HOLLA hosted by Cheryl Underwood and also became one of the title songs for EA Sports NBA video game of 2003. The song also appeared in a popular LL COOL J feature entitled "Deliver us from Eva".

In the 2008 presidential race, Lyte spoke in favor of Barack Obama. She was quoted in The Source magazine as saying "I'm not voting for him (Obama) because he's a black man, I am voting for Obama because of his message and I identify with his words and his passion." [2]

Acting career
Lyte has been featured on television as herself on such shows as MTV Unplugged, In Living Color, Moesha, New York Undercover, My Wife and Kids,and Sisters in the Name of Rap. She has also acted on TV as a character (not as "MC Lyte") in such shows as In the House, Get Real, Half & Half, and The District.

Her first acting role in a film was in the 1993 movie titled Fly by Night, starring alongside Jeffrey Sams, Ron Brice, and Steve Gomer. Since then she has also starred other films, such as A Luv Tale (1999), Train Ride (2000), Civil Brand (2002) and Playa's Ball (2003).

In 2007 Lyte joined the cast of MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar and coached Shar Jackson to a hip hop mc victory in a mere 8 weeks. During that same time Lyte hit the road in between shooting and joined The Roots for a nationwide VH1 House of Blues Tour.
in 1996 Lyte began what is now a very successful voice over career. She has completed campaigns with several corporate brands. Lyte is currently voicing a BET show called The BOOT and has just signed on to become a voice for the branding of the STARZ network.
She has also recently opened Shaitel, a Los Angeles boutique that specializes in accessories from belts to sunglasses. "We sell a mixture of new and vintage [items]," explains Lyte. "We also have a few signature pieces that are done just for the store. We boast to bring a little New York flavor out here to California."

Her Life Story
In February 2006, her diary, as well as a turntable, records, and other assorted ephemera from the early days of hip hop, were donated to the Smithsonian Institution.[3] This collection, entitled "Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life" is a program to assemble objects of historical relevance to the hip hop genre from its inception.

In October 2006, MC Lyte was one of the honored hip hop artists on VH1's annual award show, Hip Hop Honors. She was joined by fellow female MC's Da Brat, Remy Ma, and Lil' Kim as they performed some of her tracks, "Cha Cha Cha," "Lyte As A Rock", "Paper Thin" and "Ruffneck". She previously took part in the MTV reality series Celebrity Rap Superstar as the mentor of the Moesha actress Shar Jackson. MC Lyte is considered by many to be the greatest female rapper of all time.

She is also an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

In 2005 she released 2 songs called "Can I Get It Now" & "Don't Walk Away" (with Meechie) available on the iTunes store.

In 2007 she released a song called "Mad At Me" available on the iTunes store.

In 2008 she released 2 songs called "Juke Joint" & "Get Lyte" available on the iTunes store.

The Inauguration is today!!!

I dedicate this blog to the all the people in the world that still support hatred, bigotry, pain, suffering, classism, elitism and any other "ism." We elected a new era in leadership and your days are numbered...

To my family who is out on the Mall in front of the Lincoln Monument, be safe, stay warm and witness HISTORY!!!!!!

Happy Belated Birthday Dr. King, Jr.!!

Sorry that this is a day late, but I was busy celebrating my own birthday with family and friends. I wish you were here to see your dream come into existence.

Johannes Mehserle - May you rot eternally, you sick bastard...

The above picture is the coward fothermucker that shot and killed the young brother in the BART incident. This is the coward that killed a young black man while he was handcuffed and on his back. I wouldn't p*ss on him if he was on fire....

There is a special place in h*ll for cats like you....KCUF YOU Johannes Mehserle!

Just to say something real quick...

I noticed that the new slogan amongst many people is the following...

"We have a black president in office, we have got to do better...."

NEWSFLASH...we were ALREADY supposed to live life positively to it's potential. Stop using Obama as a crutch. Straighten your shi* out and do right because you are supposed to.

One!

God Bless The Dead - Ricardo Montalban...R.I.P.

Kcuf Antonio Banderas...he was the true latino leading man. He will be missed.

Know Your History - Too Short

*Courtesy of Wikipedia

Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too $hort, is an American rapper who started his career at the age of fourteen in Oakland, California.^[1]

Biography

Shaw was born in South Los Angeles, California, and raised in East Oakland, California during his teenage years. In the early 1980s, Short produced custom raps (called "special requests") for people with his high school friend, Freddy B. In 1983, Too Short released his first album, Don't Stop Rappin', on the local label 75 Girls.^[1] This and his next three releases featured raw, simple drum beats using a LinnDrum drum machine in the early 1980s, switching to mostly the TR-808 and TR-909 by the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1986, Too Short and Freddie B. founded the Dangerous Music record label to distribute his music regionally.^[1] Dangerous Music later changed names to Short Records, and then Up All Nite Records. With his 1988 release, Life Is...Too Short, he began infusing replayed established funk riffs (rather than samples) with his beats. It was then that he began to develop a noticeable fan base and a string of platinum albums. Too Short's songs are principally recognizable for their emphasis on Pimpin' and related sexually charged topics. With the rise of gangsta rap in the late 1980s/early 1990s, his style found a natural place in mainstream rap. Too Short's popularity peaked in the 1990s with Short Dog's in the House in 1990 and Shorty the Pimp in 1992. The latter included songs such as "No Love from Oakland", "Hoes," and "Step Daddy," all of which deal with his exploits as a pimp. While "macking hoes" was a common topic in other gangsta rap of the time, particularly the popular rap put out by Death Row Records, it should be noted that Too Short lacked certain thematic elements associated with the genre. His work chronologically straddled the rise and decline of gangsta rap, and never really dealt with guns, killing, drugs, or gangs, but rather focused on the lifestyle of a pimp, the music industry, and sex. His music style is unique in the fact of using real drums and bass on most of his songs. Something that is rarely done in the mainstream rap industry.

Subsequent work including Get in Where You Fit In (1993), and Cocktails (1995), dealt with similar issues. He retired from full-time solo rap with the 1996 release of Gettin' It.^[1]

Subsequent work was primarily collaborative, including work with Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Scarface, UGK, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg. He appeared TWDY's hit single "Player's Holiday" from their 1999 debut album Derty Werk^[2] as well as the Priority Records compilation Nuthin but a Gangsta Party.^[3] After these appearances, he began working on his eleventh album, Can't Stay Away. The album included guest appearances by 8Ball & MJG, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, Sean Combs, E-40, Daz Dillinger, Lil' Jon, Soopafly, Scarface and B-Legit.^[4] Too Short relocated to Atlanta in 1994, but he really didn't begin working with a more diverse variety of southern artists until 2000 including Lil Jon. Once 1999's Can't Stay Away was released, Too Short fully came out of retirement and released a number of new albums within the next few years, most of them taking on a crunk or Dirty South type sound, as he had become involved in the Southern Rap scene. However, he didn't totally give up on his trademark funk grooves or sexually explicit style. New albums released 2000-2003 were You Nasty (2000), Chase the CatWhat's My Favorite Word? (2002), and Married to the Game (2003). These albums all charted fairly well, as they all were in the top 71 of the Billboard Hot 200, but they didn't do quite as well as Too Short's earlier 1990s releases as none of them reached the top 10. ^[5]. (2001),

In 2004, his earlier 1990 single "The Ghetto" appeared on popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on West Coast hip hop radio station Radio Los Santos.

For his next album, 2006's Blow the Whistle, Too Short now took advantage of the new hyphyBillboard Hot 200, much better than each of his previous three releases. ^[5]. However, his subsequent releases, such as 2007's Get Off the Stage, have not been as successful. rap music that was emerging out of his original home base in Oakland, CA. This saw somewhat of a resurgence for Too Short as it peaked at #14 on the

On October 7, 2008 Too Short was honored by VH1 at the fifth annual "Hip-Hop Honors" along with Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Slick Rick and Naughty By Nature.^{[citation needed]}.^[6].^[5].

Influence

Although he is not usually considered a true gangsta rapper because the topics covered were almost solely about sex and rarely touched on other aspects of the "gangsta" lifestyle, Too Short nonetheless had influence in early and modern gangsta rap. Too Short's songs had a great influence on Ice Cube's (rapper and songwriter for N.W.A) early writing. ^[7] Following his relocation to Atlanta, he worked with a variety of snap and crunk artists. While most older rappers from the late 1980s-early 1990s (the so-called Golden age of hip hop) have criticized those genres for their lack of lyrical complexity or content, Too Short has been one of the few active in that time to embrace the new styles.^[8] Because of Too Short's normal rap topic of pimpin', he isn't credited with making uplifting, positive and political songs. However, he has made several songs encouraging people to survive, stop drug use, not to be a gangster and get money. Such songs include famous hits, "The Ghetto" and "Gettin' It".

Too Short has influenced many rappers who claim themselves as a pimp such as Snoop Dogg. His flamboyant use of the word "Bitch" (pronounced as BeeITCH or Biatch) that he has used since the Born to Mack album has been picked up and emulated by various other rappers (and popularized in the mainstream by Snoop Dogg) and was turned into a popular slang vernacular used in other mediums, such as radio, television, and movies. Other artists have gained much influence from his lyrics which include E-40, Rappin' 4-Tay, Mac Mall, Lupe Fiasco, The Dogg Pound, Lil Wayne, MC Eiht, Spice 1, Eminem, Young Buck, Turf Talk, 50 Cent, UGK, T.I., Dem Hoodstarz, The Pack, The Luniz, Richie Rich, Ludacris, and among countless others. For his last albums Too $hort collaborated with many Southern Rap artists, included Lil' Jon. That gave a new Dirty South and Crunk sound to his works.

Up All Nite Records

Too Short runs his own record label—Up All Nite Records. Artists on the label include The Pack,^[9] Dolla Will, Boo Ski, and Li'l J & Boi Payton, FX. In addition to creating Up All Nite Records, Too Short has been a mentor at Youth UpRising, a group serving at-risk youths for several years.

In July 2008 equipment from his recording studio was seized by Alameda County, California authorities failed to pay $1.1 million after a fatal automobile accident. Too $hort, whose legal name is Todd Shaw, was not directly responsible for the crash according to the Oakland Tribune. Phaedra Parks, Shaw's lawyer, said Shaw paid $500,000 over the years, but has not been able to come up with the lump sum all at once. According to court documents Shaw has paid at least $282,000 To date..^[10]

Too Short in film

Too Short played the role of Lew-Loc in the film Menace II Society.

Too Short has also worked in the adult film industry, with the 2003 film Get In Where You Fit In.^[11]

Along with Snoop Dogg, Short was one of the only interviewees in American Pimp who were not current or previous full-time pimps, a testament to his contribution to the Pimp culture.

Discography

• 1983: Don't Stop Rappin'
• 1985: Players
• 1987: Raw, Uncut, and X-Rated
• 1988: Born to Mack
• 1988: Life Is...Too Short
• 1990: Short Dog's in the House
• 1992: Shorty the Pimp
• 1993: Get in Where You Fit In
• 1993: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: The Player Years, 1983-1988
• 1995: Cocktails
• 1996: Gettin' It
• 1999: Can't Stay Away
• 2000: You Nasty
• 2001: Chase the Cat
• 2002: What's My Favorite Word?
• 2003: Married to the Game
• 2006: Blow the Whistle
• 2006: Mack of the Century...Greatest Hits
• 2007: Get Off the Stage
• 2008: Livin' The Short Life

LMAO.....

LMAO!!!!!!

This one of my favorite Chaka Khan joints....

OooOooOooOWEEEEEEEEEEE! Ya'll don't know nothing about this grown folk music!! ***two steps***

Yes, I like The Carpenters

Hey Family,

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a certifiable crack fiend when it comes to music. Obviously, my musical tastes are deeply steeped in jazz, R&B and Hip-Hop, but I am also a fan of rock, country, classical and various other forms of music.

One of my closest friends recently asked me what CD, group or solo artist people would be shocked to know that I loved. I thought long and hard, smiled and said....

"The Carpenters."

YES, I AM A DIEHARD CARPENTERS FAN! I admit it...sue me. Karen and Richard were the shi*!!! Man...look. I dare you to listen to "We've Only Just Begun" alone and depressed. We'll be reading about your death the next day! LOL! There is something about Karen Carpenter's voice and Richard's piano playing that has this harmonious, illuminating haunting quality to it. It's the same quality that Sade, Donny Hathaway and Sam Cooke had. Karen had the ability to emote such pain and feeling within her music. Battling bulimia, personal romantic problems and a whole host of other issues gives you more than enough material to draw from.Plus, Karen was pretty nice on the drums. How many female singing artists with the exception of Chaka Khan and Sheila E. was nice on the drums and the vocals??

So with that being said, here's my ode to The Carpenters. A lil history and some music for you to enjoy.

BIO (courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Carpenters were a vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and press materials is simply "Carpenters", without the definite article.[1] During a period in the 1970s when louder and wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a distinctively soft musical style that made them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[2][3]

The Carpenters' melodic pop charted a record-breaking score of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary genres. The Carpenters had three #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen #1 hits on the Adult Contemporary Chart (see The Carpenters discography). In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles (including their #1 hits). To date, The Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.[3]

During their fourteen-year career, The Carpenters recorded eleven albums, five of which contained top 10 singles (Close to You, Carpenters, A Song for You, Now & Then and Horizon), thirty-one singles, five television specials, and one short-lived television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career ended with Karen's death on February 4, 1983. Karen passed away due to a cardiac arrest due to complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders.[4][5]

Congrats Coach Dungy...you have earned your retirement....

After having a Superbowl team stolen from you (Tampa Bay Bucaneers) and losing a son, you always managed to keep your faith in God, family and friends. You are a positive brother that the NFL should trumpet...a class act that will never be duplicated.

A toast to Coach Dungy.....

I thought this was funny...LOL

Courtesy of Media Take Out....

I had to post this...the Making of "The Symphony"!!!

True Hip-Hop Stories: Masta Ace from D-Nice on Vimeo.

Wowwwwwww...D-Nice, you are doing the damn thing with these mini docs.

Kwame is still my dude...

True Hip-Hop Stories - Kwame from D-Nice on Vimeo.

Peep this D-Nice created documentary on how The Boy Genius aka Kwame aka K-Million did his thing!!!

"Is this Christmas?/ Cause everybody's rappin'...." - Kwame

I don't like this commercial...WACK!

What does Jackie Robinson have to do with Gatorade?? Plus, he should either be first or last. Actually, he is larger than all of those athletes.

BART shooting - facedown police execution with video.

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_11394377?nclick_check=1

PLEASE NOTE! THE VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC SCENES!!!!!!

Black people...the Presidential Inauguration is NOT an excuse to act ignorant!!!!

Dear Family,

As it grows closer and closer to the swearing in of our first African-American president, the excitement level has risen to an all time high. Thousands of my beautiful, Black people are making plans to descend on our nation's capital to witness the swearing in of Barack Hussein Obama, the new 44th president.

Over the past few days, I have heard, seen and read the increasing number of inaugural ball, party and after party invites triple. Of course, I am concerned. More parties means more opportunities for someone to act crazy. I will take this time to sum up my feelings with a quote from lyrical emcee extrodinaire Mad Skillz, taken from his 2009 Rap Up:

"Don't make the inauguration an NBA All-Star Weekend"

To my less than swift Black people, that means NO IGNORANCE!!!! Please, please, please, do NOT sully such a momentous occasion with stupidity. You know who you are and we see you. We do not need the press reporting about a shooting or fight at one of these events. Keep the drinking to a minimum and do not do anything to disrespect our new President, embarrass our families, friends or yourself.

For those of you who need some rules an regulations to temper your foolishness, here you go:

• Leave anything that is illegal at home. (That includes weed, drugs, firearms, etc.) The security will be thick and we don't need any press coverage with a Philly blunt sticking out of your mouth.


• To my sisters who like to dress scantily....please save that for the bedroom. I am sure President Obama doesn't want to see your thong and wares paraded on TV and nor do I.


• Keep the booming systems in your vehicles to a minimum. Yes, we know you have a Bentley, but damn, keep the audio system to a low roar.


• No dice playing on the steps of the Lincoln Monument. If I see someone playing Cee-lo on the very same steps where Dr. King stood, we have problems.


• If you buy something to eat or drink, throw the wrappers,bottles, bags, and etc. in the trash. You have home training...USE IT.


• DO NOT PISS OFF THE COPS! There will be a unspoken no nonsense rule put in place in DC. Trust me, the cops will not hesitate to throw any ignorant ass**le in jail, or pummel anyone who acts a fool.


• Vendors...I know you have to get that guap, but there are only some many incense, oil and t-shirt stands that we need on the Mall. Diversify!!!!!


• Rappers, singers and celebs that are visiting DC for the inauguration, please use your fame and power to temper your fans.

That's about it...I am done...

One - Cap-D

Skillz does a rap up of the entire "Wire" series....

FIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Who the EFF is this dude?

As much as I have enjoyed Jay-Z, this new "Kanyed-out" Jay is not cutting it. To borrow some of his own lines, I will say, "we don't believe you, you need more people."

Enough with funny glasses...enough with all the money talk...enough rapping with Santogold and M.I.A., and stop jocking Kanye's swag. Either retire, get hungry again or ask for help. Two shi**y albums in a row is hurting your legacy.

And for the lames that are probably saying, "Do you expect cats not to grow?" Of course I do. But not at the expense of the craft of emceeing. When Jay was doing Jay, he still was financially successful. This space cadet dude that you see above is not the Jay I used to admire...

One - Cap-D

This is how cats from Lousiana should spit...

Jay Electronica is the truth...you better ask somebody!!! Just Blaze killed the beat!

Sorry for the posting delays...

Unfortunately, my day job responsibilities will slow up my posting for the next few days. I'll try to squeeze in a few things for you when I get time. In the meanwhile, remain patient.

This is the perfect diatribe about RAP BEEFS

courtesy of illdoctrine.com

Rappers start behaving like adults, b**ches....

God Bless The Dead - Freddie Hubbard R.I.P.

Let's pay homage to another one of our jazz greats! My pops used to play Freddie's stuff on the regular. it's ashamed that we lose yet another on eof our jazz greats. Check out his life, courtesy of wikipedia below:

One - Cap-D

Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (7 April 1938 – 29 December 2008)^[1] was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 60s and on. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop.^[2]

Hubbard started playing the mellophone and trumpet in his school band, studying at the Jordan Conservatory with the principal trumpeter of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In his teens Hubbard worked locally with brothers Wes and Monk Montgomery and worked with bassist Larry Ridley and saxophonist James Spaulding. In 1958, at the age of 20, he moved to New York, and began playing with some of the best jazz players of the era, including Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, Eric Dolphy , J. J. Johnson, and Quincy Jones. In June 1960 Hubbard made his first record as a leader, Open Sesame, with saxophonist Tina Brooks, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Clifford Jarvis.

In December 1960 Hubbard was invited to play on Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation after Coleman had heard him playing with Don Cherry.^[3]

Then in May 1961, Hubbard played on Olé Coltrane, John Coltrane's final recording session with Atlantic Records. Together with Eric Dolphy, Hubbard was the only 'session' musician who appeared on both Olé and Africa/Brass, Coltrane's first album with ABC/Impulse! Later, in August 1961, Hubbard made one of his most famous records, Ready for Freddie, which was also his first collaboration with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Hubbard would join Shorter later in 1961 when he replaced Lee Morgan in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He played on several Blakey recordings, including Caravan, Ugetsu, Mosaic, and Free For All. Hubbard remained with Blakey until 1966, leaving to form the first of several small groups of his own, which featured, among others, pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Louis Hayes.

It was during this time that he began to develop his own sound, distancing himself from the early influences of Clifford Brown and Morgan, and won the Downbeat jazz magazine "New Star" award on trumpet.^[4]

Throughout the 1960s Hubbard played as a sideman on some of the most important albums from that era, including, Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth, Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch, Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, and Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil.^[5] He recorded extensively for Blue Note Records in the 1960s: eight albums as a bandleader, and twenty-eight as a sideman.^[6] Hubbard was described as "the most brilliant trumpeter of a generation of musicians who stand with one foot in 'tonal' jazz and the other in the atonal camp"^[7]; though he never fully embraced the free jazz of the '60s, he appeared on two of its landmark albums: Coleman's "Free Jazz" and Coltrane's Ascension.

Hubbard achieved his greatest popular success in the 1970s with a series of albums for Creed Taylor and his record label CTI Records, overshadowing Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, and George Benson.^[8]. Although his early 1970s jazz albums Red Clay, First Light, Straight Life, and Sky Dive were particularly well received and considered among his best work, the albums he recorded later in the decade were attacked by critics for their commercialism. First Light won a 1972 Grammy Award and included pianists Herbie Hancock and Richard Wyands, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Airto Moreira.^[9] In 1994, Freddie, collaborating with Chicago jazz vocalist/co-writer Catherine Whitney, had lyrics set to the music of First Light.^[10]

Columbia's VSOP: The Quintet, album was recorded from two live performances, one at the Hearst Greek Theatre, University of California, Berkeley, on July 16, 1977, the other at the San Diego Civic Theatre, July 18, 1977. Musicians joining the trumpeter for this landmark performance were the members of the mid-sixties line-up of the Miles Davis Quintet (except the leader): Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Tony Williams on drums, Ron Carter on bass, and Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophones. ^[2]

Hubbard's trumpet playing was featured on the track Zanzibar, on the 1978 Billy Joel album 52nd Street (the 1979 Grammy Award Winner for Best Album). The track ends with a fade during Hubbard's performance. An "unfaded" version was released on the 2004 Billy Joel box set My Lives.

In the 1980s Hubbard was again leading his own jazz group, attracting very favorable notices for his playing at concerts and festivals in the USA and Europe, often in the company of Joe Henderson, playing a repertory of hard-bop and modal-jazz pieces. Hubbard played at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival in 1980 and in 1989 (with Bobby Hutcherson). He played with Woody Shaw, recording with him in 1985, and two years later recorded Stardust with Benny Golson. In 1988 he teamed up once more with Blakey at an engagement in Holland, from which came Feel the Wind. In 1990 he appeared in Japan headlining an American-Japanese concert package which also featured Elvin Jones, Sonny Fortune, pianists George Duke and Benny Green, bass players Ron Carter, and Rufus Reid, with jazz and popular music singer Salena Jones. He also performed at the Warsaw Jazz Festival at which Live at the Warsaw Jazz Festival (Jazzmen 1992) was recorded. ^[2]

Following a long setback of health problems and a serious lip injury in 1992 where he ruptured his upper lip and subsequently developed an infection, Hubbard was again playing and recording occasionally, even if not at the high level that he set for himself during his earlier career. ^[11] His best records ranked with the finest in his field.^[12]

In 2006, The National Endowment for the Arts honored Hubbard with its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award.

On December 29, 2008, Hubbard's hometown newspaper, The Indianapolis Star reported that Hubbard died from complications from a heart attack suffered on November 26 of the same year.^[13] Billboard magazine reported that Hubbard died in Sherman Oaks, California.^[14]