Word.

I have learned about SO MUCH music (genres, styles, locales, influences, etc.) because of Hip Hop. The world of music opened up to me because I spent time reading liner notes, production credits, samples, shout outs, reviews and interviews. Hip Hop is like that gateway drug - you start there and branch out to harder stuff (if you really get into it). Dope fiends/crate diggers know what I'm talking about. This magazine takes it to the next level. Respect. If you don't know...

True DIYer and Independent Hustler...

EVERYBODY thinks they're a hustler ("but so is everyone else who ain't a sucker") but I don't know of too many people(artists or otherwise) that hustle this hard. Check the resume of this dood - beats, rhymes, promotion, video producer/director, movie writer/director...If you don't know about Sunspot Jonz well, follow me after the jump. He's one of the founding members of Living Legends but hasn't garnered the attention that Murs and Grouch have (unfortunately). He put together these DIY videos to accompany his "Never Surrender" album (all of which came out 2008). This is that raw, thinking-man's, independent show-and-prove shit that I'm always keepin an eye out for. Check it.

Signs of the Times

Yo. This is something I wrote earlier this year. So many people think that we are living in the Age of Aquarius - It's actually Pisces, cousin. It's a trip (all my Christian heads), check out the pope's hat, what's Jesus' sign (fish), his people were fishermen...check your history and try to overstand the meaning in my words. Christians are Sun Worshipers (do the research). Peace to my Freethinkers.


So, this is the Fish Age - Pisces,
the essence of pretentious aquatic-might-be's.
Close to the end but far from full sight, see?
60's folk has me thinking Aquarius but..not yet,
Land Mariners gilled from head to heel is the ideal theme
at least until this thing aligns 2012,
With 20/20 hindsight
and many, many mind's right
like, "I AM THE LIGHT",
footprints in the sand and follow them size 5's
On the 3rd day I rise, recognize, realize, analyze
like I am my eyes and life is my body
like it's all godly
got me throwin up signs of the times,
dry heaving west side, peace, and 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up,
Even though 'dumb down' sums up our overall attributes, attitudes,
and sumn's up with Blessings and Gratitudes;
On some almost non-existent - unless it's in my best interest investments.
Lessons with loaves of bread and 2 fish,
switched out like 'Pharoahe, let my people go'
An Earth cleanse on this human hiccup
assumin' a stitch up can heal heal the whole deal,
mix up and shuffle of thinking, thought, faith and whatnot.
Meanwhile, preparation stepped in the door, said it before,
Never have we not known, like never no more.
And knowing is half the battle
Times the square root of what we're about to know.
Set it off Mind-Spin.
Phenomenal Wise Men..Stars for a proper Sun Worship.
Surprisin' if your not hip to the direction your prodigal SON will rise in.
Sight beyond sight like all eyes in alignment.
'Never Despise Men'
Standing vertical on the horizon
on an Easterly Sunday sunrise and...
I'm still not lost
Just making new maps minus legends
replacing a compass rose with a compass cactus,
re-directional tactics/never ass-backwards
On some - go north, south, east AND west young man
A new dimensional hustle
as party people up, jump, bustle and usher in a new beginning
like it's something 99 A.D.
I mean B.C.
P.H.D on MSNBC says it's B.C.E. (LOL)
Dude from P.E. wore the clock so YOU could know the time,
Well? Julian, Gregorian, Mayan or Islamic assignment??
Perfect timin'. Cuz I was 2 seconds from losin' my mind
And I'M the one rhymin'.
Signs of the Times.

Olympichaos

This is a piece I wrote during all the Olympic hype (2008 retrospective??). It's a different spin on all the Olympic hoopla. Feel me??
Tommie Smith & John Carlos


It's hard not to get caught up,
locked in, trapped, snared and entrapped
in this capitalistic athletic system
pseudo patriotism via Olympic games, gold medal names and the like.
Psyched out by nationalistic competitiveness cuz "We're better than the rest!" - I mean,
I just respect their talent...
But who are you rooting against
and what does that mean? When the ends aren't justified
just vilified
Like "China's cruel to their athletes"
But what about us?
Well, if I'd known that American gymnasts were prone to eating disorders
sorta like Versace says
I never woulda pre-ordered cheers before preteens and their peers
hit the mats like that's
how it's supposed to be.
Really?
Child abuse illegal until it means fulfilling golden dreams
of coaches and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
That's filthy.
Media says it's us against them
U.S. against friends-TO-BE,
only if China acts appropriately,
support our imperialistic tendencies and we can be cool...
after closing ceremonies.
It has a hint of red scare if you ask me.
But if you'd asked me I'd ask for more Tommie (Smith)
and Dr. John Carlos
and less Lebron, Kobe and Michael Phelps.
Ayo, they got skills!
But what did their accomplishments fulfill
and what about their Kodak stills?
In 40 yrs. will they send chills down the backs or future revolutionaries?
or will they just be
where-are-they-now's?
I refuse to marry myself with the idea that those were the days and the future is now,
How could that be when athletes of today are compared with heroes of the past?
Jesse Owens and Jim Thorpe were ways past fast,
they were above and beyond the track and field
Field research and support for laborers unskilled,
the working poor, and the disenfranchised - community activists.
and this was back before gold toothed cats
on black entertainment television.
Back then it was black face, sit in the back unless you got snaps or musical stylings.
So who's the bigger hero?
Calling kids with talent heroes because they brought home gold,
But we can't get a Cesar Chavez holiday...when that's what he's owed.
Got everybody and their homeboys jumping through Olympic hoops,
Saying AMEN to Bob Costas' sermons and YES SIRin' the anthem
like the federal reserve isn't holding your money ransom.
And not to be too random,
But are All competitors in All events really athletes?
That's just a question burning - like some of their feats.
But you know what?
I'm not afraid to root for brothers and sisters
coming from countries where world banks won't let them be.
Cuz it's sorta like a "How ya like me now?"
to the whole establishment, system and anyhow...
How bout strictly competitive nature
versus nurturing a strictly competitive nature of the beast?
At least, we have the NBA, NFL and MLB - wait.
Nevermind.

Ernie & Bert - Ante Up

This is just funny!

It's almost genius.

Hyphy

People get real comfortable with what they listen to (or don't listen to). I mean, a quick self reflection reveals a guy who is very comfortable NOT listening to the radio. There are artists who I enjoy listening to that are featured on your popular radio stations, the thing is I cannot support force-fed, uniformly standardized formats and unbalanced playlists. While Kanye West is not one of my favorite artists , he does have some really good joints that I can headnod to but those tracks would never make radio playlists. Instead, they choose to over play the 16 bar/hook/16 bar/ hook format songs that he cookie cuts for them. I love the creativity of independent/underground music. It is the only source for true creativity. That's why I choose to load my 6 disc changer and ipod with music that isn't standardized by your Hot, Power, and Magic music found on dials in every city. When Crunk was hot I was busy ignoring it and trying not to let it infiltrate my air space. When I did come across it, I realized how ignorant it was. The music I listen to is very positive and uplifting (for the most part). Artists try not to stick to formats or sound like anyone else. MC's use original cadences, styles, delivery, and flows to separate themselves from the rest. What I was hearing from Crunk was a lot of same. All of the songs, artists, and rhymes sounded exactly the same. They even had similar moniker's (Lil' and Young). It was the next big thing. And I couldn't stand it.
Then came Hyphy. The reason I address Crunk is that like Hyphy, it is considered a movement, a lot of the lyrics are ignorant and there is a format that a lot of would-be Hyphy artists are trying to copy. And...I LOVE Hyphy. I love the simplistic bass-heavy beats and the original slang/lingo. I like the fact that they enjoy their autonomy and separate themselves from Hip Hop. It goes against everything I stood for and contradicts my ideas about positivity (Hyphy loves to denigrate their Bitches and they love their drink and drugs). Their music is as ignorant as all get out (they love to go dumb, stupid or the ultimate - stewie).
Here's how I stumbled onto Hyphy. Some of the positive artists I was speaking of are from the Bay area and as such are influenced by the movement. Artists like Zion I, various members of Living Legends and Heiroglyphics all make mention or have some connection to Hyphy. Somehow, I was able to add Hyphy to Hip Hop and it seemed to work. The assimilation came in part from tracks like "Lose Your Mind" from Zion I featuring Too Short. I got into other artists like Mistah F.A.B., Keak, Nump, and the Tupac/Biggie of the Bay - Mac Dre. Slowly, I started accumulating a small collection of good hyphy tracks. I started to think back on how I was anti-this and anti-that and here's what I came up with: I understand what good music is, I know when the energy that comes across in a song isn't good. See, that's the difference between myself and those caught in the web of radio culture. I also realized that although I don't own a tv, I do on occasion watch bad movies (and I know they're bad). I can't just watch documentaries ALL the time, so I mix it up with Hollywood crap, bad acting and just plain time-kill in the form of visual media. Well, shouldn't that be the same for music? Not to say that Hyphy is on the same level as Adam Sandler flicks or shoot'em up features. But, it is NOT on the level of positivity like Grouch's "Breath".
So, Hyphy has made it into my rotation and I understand that what I'm doing is adding a balance to my previous playlists. Hyphy IS original, it has (on occassion) positivity (F.A.B.'s "Make It Thru") and it is very creative. Check it out. See what you think. Before you know it you too might be Thizzin out as you ghostride your scraper while wearing your stunna's and Mac Dre tee's.

Time Cycle.

Saw the birth of a star thru telescopic lens,
science says the speed of light is somethin', somethin, somethin
but can't tell me the speed of time.
I tell my son just a second,
my wife says just a minute
and we're days away from a new year...
but I say, you've never experienced or
measure the essence of time until your mind has stretched with
the growth of a child.
I'm just a child -
child of my grandfather's child.
Teaching our ancestors the true measure of time.
Cuz time isn't static.
It slows as child of said-child awaits the birth of child-to-be.
See what I mean when expectant mothers mutter, "I can't wait"
dot. dot. dot.
And then science said nanosecond, string theory.
But that's another story.
Time stands still for no man,
just every man spanning space and time,
standing in his place in line
waiting for the birth of his child.
And it's like a lifetime.
It IS a lifetime.
The time of a life but not the end of a lifeline.
Then stop.
Birth.
Still stopped.
Life happening all around but for you just stopped.
4:18 a.m.
Smiles.
Kisses. Tears. Cries.
Stopped.
4:18 a.m.
And once that minute hand moves on to #19,
time for you has crescendoed.
Pickin up steam from that point on.
And momentum has the best of those minutes.
Before you know it
teeth, speech, keep reality out of reach.
It's not time to teach him about that -
Oh yes it is -
cuz time keeps on slippin...and you cannot stop it
spotted yourself in the mirror and time just told a story
but you missed it
cuz your eyes - I'm sorry - my eyes were on my son
as time took him to his second year in what seemed like seconds.
That's new time.
Neo time.
Time engineered.
His time is slow motion.
Can't wait for the next explosion of emotion
that mimics the smile on my face.
Instead it's slow movin and I can't move quick enough.
I'm going as fast as I can
understand
all this while I want it to slow down.
Catch myself saying "give me a second"
and meaning it.
Really wanting it.
Looking for a refund on time not with my child.
I'm serious. It's wild!
Saw my Dad.
Saw myself.
Saw myself in my child.
In due time.
On and on.
Through time.
Overstand the time paradigm.
I'm part of the human race
and I know the time.