To Hip Hop Heads and Haitians, with Love

"I'm sick of feelin impotent watchin the world burn, in the era of apocalypse, waitin my turn." -Immortal Technique

It's crazy how big events can make you feel so small. I mean, when in the booth or in front of the laptop or behind the podium, one can feel so big, so bionic. But when that same person is in the wake of a quake or a plane crash, it's hard to rise up, let alone mutter something inspired. Listening to Immortal Technique and Nas can get any hip hop head hype, but when Biggie says "Blow up like the World Trade" or Im says "burying your fam like a central american earthquake" it can put a lump in your throat immediately. There's something so real and visceral about their words, almost like you can feel the power summoned by the very disaster, or see the images those tragedies created as the words are spat into the microphone. Hip Hop is real life. Prophetic and revisited. Over and over for some real heads. And spat by any and all who can feel it. Real hip hop i guess. And that's why I can stay up late-ish and listen to old records because they convey real life situations and say things that i can't say myself. So with that, I send a hearty heart out to the doctors without borders, to the red cross, to unicef, to the UN, to Obama's administration, and most importantly, to the victims of this natural disaster and those throughout the world.

If, indeed, we are in the age of apocalypse, and hip hop is the voice of the people, maybe we need some more positive prophets. I mean, maybe i do need to pay attention to these holy hop warriors. If it's about praise and not so much worship. I know how to worship on my own (or with instrumental accompaniment). It's the praise that God inhabits...maybe we need some more of that goin up behind the podium, in the booth, or within the halls to even out the burden of proof here. To me, it's a simple equation: sound + words --> (+) or (-) w/ power = inspiration either negative or positive...it can get the asses shakin, or get the tambourines shakin....but what does it do in the face of earthquakin? Ok that was corny, but for real! I can send my donation and put my prayers in, but what can I really do?

As an aside, there should be free trips and free lunches for volunteers when it's time to make the trip(s) down to Haiti.

Brooklyn Museum - Questions re: Who shot rock n roll...

Now, you all know by now that I'm not the type who always needs to be complaining in print. I'd much rather coexist and love life with y'all than the alternative. But there is a time and a place for everything...and right now, i feel like complaining. Now, i've seen my share of the Cadillac Records, Dream Girls, and The Five Heartbeats, and Ray, so I know where rock and roll came from from a Hollywood perspective and beyond. I understand the contributions of greats like Ray Charles, Howlin Wolf and Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Etta James, at least on a superficial level. But nowhere in the vault of Brooklyn Museum's exhibit on Who Shot Rock and Roll do they honor Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, or Howlin Wolf. That's sort of to be expected, but what I did not expect was for them to put a sweaty, screamin lookin version of Tina Turner on the cover of their coffee table book and as the exhibit portrait. She looks terrible...for Tina. They had postcards where she was mid performance or posing for the camera where she looked oh so tasteful. My problem with it is this, she's an icon for black females, and for black pop/rock artists. Just as Elvis is an icon for the white rock 'n' roll "movement." But get this, not once, do they show Elvis, who is front and center for much of the exhibit, with as much as a hair out of place. He is perfectly coiffed, debonair, laid back, obviously posing - even his rendition of Heartbreak Hotel was a performance, and calmly if suggestively done with his modified crazy legs basic ass pelvic pump. And the girls go wild. Cat was type smooth. But not once do you see him break a sweat, lose a curl or get too loose...meanwhile Tina is Centerstage lookin like she been on stage for two hours givin her all to the camera and moreover, the fans. the juxtaposition is priceless man. Their heroes, our heroes. Personally, i'm like fuck it, just give Elvis the cover and give Tina two pages, one well done and neat and crisp, the other sweatin and carryin on. Had a whole video of Heartbreak Hotel anyway already....upon first breath in the exhibit...just to set the stage, so to speak.

The portraits of the Beatles were great. The work on Grace Jones was priceless. i wasn't impressed with the Michael Jackson photos, suprisingly - there were less than 8. And how do Biggie, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Salt N Peppa, or Puff Daddy figure into the Rock n Roll equation? Please tell me before I tell someone off. I didn't see Eminem in the equation anywhere - where was that punk rappers portrait. Actually that Momma said knock you out was a real crossover. lemme shut up then. aight i'm off.