Patrick Stump Covers Kanye West.

I kinda dig Patrick Stump (dude from Fallout Boy). His voice is pretty decent, and rather hookalicious on The Roots' "Birthday Girl." He does a really good cover of 'Ye's "Love Lockdown" that I think I like better than the original.

Happy Birthday Mike!

It's Michael Jackson's 50th (and John McCain's 72nd) birthday today. Still love ya, despite the craziness. I tried to find an embeddable version of "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" (my personal favorite MJ song) but to no avail. Click here.

Leroi Moore, 1961-2008

I was a huge DMB fan in high school and college. I own all of their studio albums up to American Baby, and several live albums. My favorite is Live at Red Rocks, but the best one was Live in Chicago (and that's how you know your stan-dom, when you know your personal fave isn't necessarily the best). I used to regularly stalk the website, and can rattle off the names of the five original members in a single breath. Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, and Leroi Moore. Dave did the strummy-la-la and the unintelligible singing, Boyd killed it on the violin, Carter held down the drums, Stefan did his cool bass thing, and Leroi brought the jazz. Leroi brought the jazz. The saxophonist was the quietest member of the band, rarely giving interviews, and generally content to let the other members speak. I'm sad to see him go.

Five Favorite Cover Songs

A while back, I wrote about my top 5 songs of all time. After hearing about the death of Isaac Hayes this weekend, the thing that kept coming into my head was his cover of Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By." See, the art of the cover song is practically lost. These days, it seems like every time a singer gets a bit of popularity, he or she wants to re-sing something. But as we all know, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Because of these travesties (I'm looking at *you*, ScarJo, Usher, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and ugh, BABYFACE!), covers have an understandably bad rep. But there are some good ones. Without further ado, here are my top five favorite cover songs, in no particular order. Walk On By - Isaac Hayes Originally by Dionne Warwick, composed by Burt Bacharach Hayes' voice, deep and rumbling, coupled with the strings and organ turned a sad little piano ballad into something dark and powerful. I'm a fan of Dionne Warwick, but this is one case where the original just can't hold a candle to the remake. Julia - Chocolate Genius Originally by The Beatles I heard this a few years ago, before I even heard The Beatle's version of it. Part of the reason I like it is the production value. It's simply higher quality. But I'm also digging Choc's voice in it. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray Originally by Soft Cell This may actually be my favorite cover of all time. I have an affinity for super-long songs, and SHWG clocks in at 9 minutes. Gray's cover of the Soft Cell b-side transforms the sorta cheesy, New Wave, synth-pop track into a long and rambling guitar-driven plea for a failing relationship. When I compare the two, I have no clue how he did made this out of *that*, but I'm so, so glad he did. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Eva Cassidy Originally by Simon and Garfunkel I happened across Eva Cassidy's work sometime in my senior year of college. Cassidy, who died in her thirties of cancer, had a songbook which consisted mostly of covers and standards. Her voice is really pure and clear, and her version of Paul and Art's classic is soulful and sweet, but a bit heartbreaking. When I'm not feeling too hot, this song goes on repeat. Maps/Since U Been Gone - Ted Leo Medley of songs originally by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kelly Clarkson This came out right around the time Clarkson's SUBG hit its stride. In fact, at the time, people thought Leo was mocking the fact that Clarkson's hit had clearly borrowed from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs to achieve it's rockability. But Leo said he just really liked both songs. As a fan of both Maps and Since U Been Gone, this live cover made me smile. Honorable Mentions: There were a million and a half covers of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." My two favorites were by Nelly Furtado and The Kooks. Nelly's was very chill, while The Kooks had the sexy British accent thing going on. Lauryn Hill - I Can't Take My Eyes Off You Amy Winehouse - Valerie Jamie Cullum - High And Dry What are your favorite cover songs?

Does Anyone Else Miss Beyonce?

Or is it just me? I haaaaaate this video, but watching it made me feel ... safe.

Beyonce ft Jay Z upgrade u High Quality
by darman40

Mikey wrote a hilarious post about the void in the music industry since B's been busy getting married and lightened up by Loreal. I, too, miss her crazy behind. I'm sure once she's back I'll be annoyed with her inside of a week, but come back soon!!!

Un-Review: 'Sketches of A Man'

I've been jamming to Dwele's Sketches of a Man for the last couple of hours. Like most other people, I came to him through 'Ye's "Flashing Lights" (my first favorite cut offa Graduation, and one of my favorite songs of the last year). Sketches is really, really good. Mellow, cool, and jazzy, it's reminiscent of the good part of the (gag) neo-soul movement; you know, Baduizm, Voodoo, and 1st Born Second. Sketches is something of a companion piece to New Amerykah. Though it isn't as funky, it has the same feel to it: warm, revealing, a little funny, and groove-tastic. Dwele even has a Dilla-inspired track, much like Erykah's "The Healer" and "Telephone." He covers Jay Dee's "Workinonit" from the posthumously released Donuts. Dwele's version caught me by surprise; he took Dilla's sliced-up, sped-up, sampled, mash-up (which is featured on my workout playlist) and turned it into a very smooth, very sexy, (and very short, sadly) cut. Dwele: Dilla: I highly recommend Dwele's Sketches of A Man. The best part about it is the lack of corniness which tends to plague R&B albums these days. Even my previous R&B favorite, Raheem Devaughn's Love Behind the Melody suffers from a wee bit of lameness. Go forth and purchase! Previous un-reviews: New Amerykah Rising Down

'Who's Gonna Save My Soul?'

I saw this posted over at Soror 1969's spot. Gnarls made a really simple concept video that somehow manages to be weird, gross, and really heartbreaking.

Woman A Go Run Dis Country

I think I've mentioned this before, but in case you didn't know, my mother is Jamaican. Her ex-husband was a prominent member of the People's National Party (PNP), and that's the political party my mother identified with when I was a kid. The other party is the Jamaican Labour Party (JLP), but none of our Jamaican family or friends were JLPers, so I tended to wave the PNP flag, even though I didn't know anything about its politics (and still don't). Today, I was changing my Facebook political views from 'conservative' to something more clever but equally ambiguous, and I noticed the form has an auto-fill feature (if you type the letter 'D' then 'Democratic National Party' appears. I typed the PNP just for fun, and it came up. I decided to check out the website, and had a look at Portia, Jamaica's first female PM (and current opposition leader). Like HRC, Portia Simpson-Miller just goes by Portia. She was defeated for reelection by intermittent JLPer Bruce Golding (who, incidentally, is called Bruce. Jamaicans don't seem to stand on ceremony). ANYWAY. The best part about the PNP site is the music. Three seconds into my visit, I was nodding my head to the current PNP theme, "Full Speed Ahead." I share it with you now. There's a full CD worth of songs on the site. Some of my other favorites... And... (Note: I love that they remixed the song.) Don't you think this is just what the DNC needs to put them over the top? Some great propaganda songs about Barack? Except for "Yes We Can," the music about the party has been unrelentingly lame. I think we should take a cue from Jamaicans and start demanding better music. Wouldn't you rather listen to this... ...than U2's 'Beautiful Day'? Again?

Culture Clash in Harlem.

The new white residents in this one building in Harlem don't like the loud drumming across the street in Marcus Garvey Park (though, it's a park named after Marcus Garvey, for cryin' out loud). That's fine. In fact, I find it to be illustrative of the cultural difference between blacks and whites. H/T RaceWire for the link to this Times piece:

The drummers in the park are African-American and from Africa and the Caribbean. They form a circle and have played in the park, in one form or another, since 1969, when the neighborhood was a more dangerous place. The musicians, who play until 10 p.m. every summer Saturday, are widely credited with helping to make the park safer over the years.

Their supporters, who acknowledge that the drumbeats can pierce walls and windows, regard the musicians as part of the city’s vibrant and often noisy cultural mix. But some in the building at 2002 Fifth Avenue, most of them young white professionals, have a different perspective: When the drummers occupy a spot nearby, residents say, they are unable to sleep, hear their television sets, speak on the telephone, or even have conversations with their spouses without shouting. Some say they cannot even think straight.

While many African Americans may find loud drumming for hours on a Saturday night annoying, they probably aren't going to call the cops on the group that's been doing the same thing every Saturday night for thirty years. I think it's because most black people have a higher tolerance for plain-old cacophony. Also, most black people aren't about to call the cops. We're a loud people, no? And African drums include a subset called 'talking drums.' It's only natural that they're going to be ... attention-getting. (Anecdote alert: My mother used to get on my nerves because she was so loud when she'd talk to her friends. Then, I got to HU and saw that all my friends' mothers, and aunties, and sisters were like that.) Though I'm a pretty quiet person, noise, disorganized or organized, doesn't bother me. It all is part and parcel of the way we communicate. My initial reaction was to take the side of the drummers, but, then I remembered a piece I read recently about a black real estate agent in Harlem who is selling (out?) homes in the area to the highest bidder. This, of course, is her prerogative in a capitalist society. But it does make you wonder how much sacrifice will have to be made in a traditionally black area such as Harlem, where young white professionals move for both the affordability and flava'. As the people who made Harlem what it is are forced out by rising real estate prices, and whites move in (which makes sense, because white people gotta live, too), what happens? In short, does a 30-year-old drum circle have a place if the people who loved and appreciated it are no longer there? And are we asking too much of the new neighbors to adopt the habits of the neighborhood?

Everyone Needs Anger Enhancement

Do you read Kanye West's blog? I used to subscribe to it, but that ninja (or his assistant) posts like fifty times a day. Some of the posts have got to be 'Ye, though. A post he wrote today:

Now the media is saying I'm going to anger management something or 'nother. I have never had any conversations about anger management. If anything, I need anger enhancement!!

I love him. I seriously love him. And his post on Soulja Boy vs. Ice-T had me dying. He really holds it down for the underdog. And I don't even dig Soulja Boy or anything, but this made some type of sense.

[Soulja Boy] had all of America rapping this summer. If that ain't Hip Hop then what is? A bunch of wannabe keep it real rappers that ain't even relevant, recycling samples trying to act like it's 96 again and all they do is hate on new shit?

Anyway, on top of that, he posts about cool random stuff like shoes and lamps. Check it out when you get a chance. (Warning for Jameil... he does curse a bit.)

Her bikini: small. Heels: tall. She said she likes the ocean.

I'm going back to Cali, y'all. So if you notice that posting is significantly lighter over the next week or so, that's why. Note: I haven't watched this video in ages. Two thoughts occur to me. 1) This was 1989...how did LL not get lynched? and 2) how art-house film-y.

Today sucks.

Tim Russert dies, and R. Kelly gets acquitted.

CHICAGO - R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.

Kelly dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict — not guilty on all 14 counts — was read. The Grammy award-winning singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted.

Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV.

I'm too through, y'all. Have a good weekend.

Imagine That

Things aren't looking too hot for the Pied Piper of R&B. As R. Kelly's trial for child pornography* plods along to its conclusion, it's becoming clear that he doesn't have very many people in his corner. Between the jokes about 'Trapped In The Closet: Part One Million" and the titles of Slate dispatches from the trial ("The Shaggy Defense" and "Sparkle's Revenge"), it would be funny, if it weren't so darn sad. There's a tendency to play blame-the-victim in sex cases, particularly when a male is the aggressor. When Mike Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old beauty contestant back in '91, the defense attempted to paint her as a woman who had consensual sex with him, and then got angry she was treated like a one-night stand. I remember hearing a lot of people, men and women, asking why she went to his room. Having been 18, and having been in the room of a boy or two, I can safely say that going there is not always an indication that you want to go there. The willingness to paint men as sexual predators, and women as weak, yet solely responsible for their own sexual safety would be baffling, if it weren't so clearly misogynistic. When I was in college, and the R. Kelly stuff was just coming out, a friend of mine from Chicago told me once that a girl who went to his school had an 'arrangement' with Kelly. He bought her stuff and she let him hit, basically. This is obviously hearsay, but at the time, I, like most of my peers, pretty much just shrugged. Girls want stuff, and men want sex. But five years later, I find the concept that stat rape is okay if both parties are getting what they want to be totally disgusting. The Sun-Times reports that a couple of erstwhile Kelly associates are flying to the Chi to ... have a press conference. About what, nobody seems to know. But it doesn't look promising for Kelly. There was a time when I was able to separate Kelly's music from Kelly the person. But — and this may be directly proportional to the diminished quality of his music over time — I can't do it anymore. I played blame-the-victim, before. But I can't anymore. He's a criminal, and it's time for him to pay the piper. (See what I did there?) * If they prove it's him on the tape, will they be able to get him on the rape charges, eventually? Does it matter that the woman won't testify against him? These are the questions.

Wednesday Randomness

1. Hillary is playing the waiting game, and so must we. That's it. Barack survived the media-manufactured sturm und drang of the Rev. Wright debacle, to take NC and come pretty close in Indy. Isn't that enough proof that this man is our nominee? I can wait for her to catch up. (Did you see how she loaned herself $6.4 million? And the Obamas are elitist? I tell you, it's Uppity Negro Syndrome!) 2. The Black Snob is killing me right now. Between her Wall of Sexy on flickr, featuring people who I agree are dreadfully sexy, and her hard work at reviving the Black Girl brand ... I'm officially through with her. 3. Hip hop is back. Well, it never really left, but since I've turned off the radio and started checking out sites that have real music (from Okayplayer to the homie Yellow Rebel), I'm going to say it's back. I mean, you've got The Roots killing the game right now, to sorta newbies Kidz in the Hall—who remind me of a more mature, less-rock-oriented Gym Class Heroes. "Drivin' Down The Block" is my new favorite song, and The In Crowd is quite good altogether. Check out the shout-out to HU at 1:45! 4. Busyness. Work-work, sorority work, hanging with friends and the potential (Lauren suggested "TB" as his blogonym, for various reasons, lol), and very little time to breathe. But I'd rather be busy than not busy. As they say, if you're bored, you're probably boring. 5. This is the hundredth post on my (new) blog!

Un-Review: 'Rising Down'

This may or may or may not become a regular thing, but I felt another Un-Review was in order for The Legendary Roots Crew. Previously... Un-Review; 'New Amerykah' Here's the thing. I found The Roots not through Things Fall Apart, or even Phrenology (though, like everyone else, I thought "Break You Off" was cool). In 2004, I fell for The Tipping Point, which, as a friend pointed out to me, is "like, everyone's least favorite album!" But "Star/Pointro" with the fuzzy Sly & the Family Stone sample ("everybody is a star / I love you for who you are") and Thought's laid-back flow sucked me in. While it may be everyone's least favorite album, The Tipping Point is a great example of what they do best: groove. I knew very little about The Roots when I listened to that album; for some reason, I thought they were a band that had guest rappers (this is probably Jay-Z's fault), but then I heard Black Thought's tight, "technical" flow, which may not be uber-charismatic, but is highly effective. Anyway, I worked my way backward to Phrenology, and fell in love with what is now one of my favorite songs of all time: "The Seed 2.0." In fact, after I had given Phrenology enough time to settle, "Break You Off" became the most frequently skipped track, while "Rolling With Heat," "Thought @ Work," and "Pussy Galore" got the glory of being on repeat. Snap my fingers, make you mine If not, I'll snap a second time After that, I guarantee You will be standing next to me Game Theory came next, and was well-deserving of the critical acclaim. Only, it wasn't long enough. After that, I went backward again, working my way through Things Fall Apart and Illadelph Halflife. More good-to-great music and rhymes. Things Fall Apart, while it's still miles ahead of its contemporaries, is probably my least favorite album, despite Erykah's presence on "You Got Me." So, today, Rising Down comes out, and I will purposely avoid all the reviews (although I will peep at Metacritic, just to see the aggregate) because I hate reading about how The Roots' music is hip-hop for people who "don't like hip-hop," or as I like to call them: white people. (Note: that was a conflation of "hip-hop" and "rap.") And it's endlessly frustrating to see talented artists get little recognition from blacks — like, how, at the Lupe Fiasco show, the majority of the audience was white high schoolers. But I like hip-hop. A lot of black people like hip-hop. However, music critics are largely white, and largely concerned with their own demo — as am I, so I don't blame them — and they underplay the love Mos, and The Roots, and Lu get from their own. There's a paradox there, and it's beyond me to sort it all out. I will say that if Black Thought started rapping about the travails of "typical white middle class life" (a lot of which was also my own experience, FYI), The Roots probably wouldn't be very popular with anyone. (Imagine you know, Thought being like: "my mom wants me to clean my room again / she ain't tryna hear I gotta chill with my friends" or "damn, these mutual funds make my head spin / my broker gon' have to say that one mo' 'gin.") At any rate, Rising Down is dope. Mos killed his verse on "Rising Down," Common did his thing on "The Show" and the go-go beat on "Rising Up" makes me homesick for D.C. Oh, and Black is deadly on "75 Bars." Go forth and purchase! I leave you with the video for "Rising Up."

Let the sun shine down on me.

I'm quoting James Taylor today: "Let the rainclouds roll out on the sea, let the sun shine down on me." Today is a great day. So many good things are going on right now (which a stunning turnaround from a week ago when I was thisclose to crying in my beer). 1. I got my iPod replaced. I bought a 5G iPod in late 2006. In April of 2007, it died. I went to the Apple store and bought the two-year warranty so that they could replace my iPod. The next day, the replacement had hard drive failure. A year later, still under warranty, and after many abortive attempts at making it to the Apple store that's forty minutes away (and once showing up on a Monday and discovering that they were all booked, like, WTF?) I finally got a new one. It hasn't failed ... yet ... and I forgot how great it was having access to 6000 songs in my car. 2. Today was the first sunny and warm day of the year. It's 73 degrees out... which is perfect driving-while-listening-to-Belle-and-Sebastian-weather. I even messaged Lauren to tell her how excited I was about the imminence of the left-arm tan. 3. I maybe kinda sorta like someone (that's all you get). 4. Work is keeping me busy and I feel very fulfilled, career-wise. 5. Did I mention my iPod? 6. Jay and Bey STILL haven't confirmed their marriage. I LOVE that. Keeps the mystery alive. And then, this morning, I came across my favoritest blog post of the year, maybe. It's from the Secret Council of American Negroes ("yes, the one your white friends keep asking about") and it's a list of 50 things black people should boycott. My favorite? 28. Clothing designers. (Because these pants don't fit.) Seriously. That post just told my life story.

Top 5 Songs of All Time

I've been mulling this over for some time. There are a few songs, when I put them on, that make me say to myself, "now this could be on my top five list." So here it is. A list of my all-time favorite songs. (Note: they do not align exactly with my favorite artists. For example, I believe Sam Cooke to be the greatest male voice of all time, but none of his songs are on this list - although a live version of "Bring It On Home To Me" was a contender.) There are lots of other songs I like, some, I listen to more than the ones to follow. But these are the ones I sing in the shower and/or completely melt over. Ella Fitzgerald - Sophisticated Lady Ella is my favorite female artist. She was effortlessly cool and could handle anything Cole Porter threw at her. The instrumentation for this song was laid by Duke Ellington, and turned into a sad love song by Parish and Mills. The horns, coupled with Ella's deep delivery make this my favorite song of all time. Then, with disillusion deep in your eyes You learned that fools in love soon grow wise The Stylistics - People Make the World Go 'Round I can't even explain my love for this song. It might be Russell Thompkins vocals, or the sentimentality expressed in the song (did I ever mention what a sap I am?). But this song puts me at complete ease. Go underground, young man People make the world go round The Roots - The Seed This is the newest song on the list, but ironically, I got into The Roots pretty late. Phrenology came out in 2002, and I probably didn't really listen to it until 2004, after I fell in love with The Tipping Point. But this song, with the heavy drumbeat, the vocal, Thought's flow, got me. Knocked up nine months ago And what she finna' have she don' know She want neo-soul cuz hip-hop is old She don't want no rock and roll Dave Matthews Band - The Warehouse Davespeak is fairly unintelligible, and the lyrics themselves are pretty vague, but this is still one of my favorite songs. It's visceral. Judy Garland - Stormy Weather The live version of this song, performed at the Carnegie Hall gets me all kinds of worked up. This song has the perfect build from warbling and tentative to vibrant and heartbreaking. When Judy pauses for breath after "this pitterin' patterin' beatin' and splatterin' drives me mad," then belts out ... "LOVE, love, LOVE, love..." I usually start to feel tears prick my eyes. And once she hits her stride with "can't go ooooooooon, everything I had is gone," it's pretty much a wrap for me. But, hey have you heard Cassie's new single? T-H-I-R-S-T-Y. It sounds like it's sure to become a classic.

Un-Review: 'New Amerykah'

In 1997, I remember my sister — she's 13 years older than I — listening to Baduizm a lot. 1997 was a big year for me, musically, because that was the year I started listening to new music seriously, and personally. Up until '95, I was pretty much subject to whatever my dad played at home (good music, of course: The Impressions, Minnie Riperton, The Dramatics, Roberta Flack, The Last Poets, Peter Tosh, The Skatalites, random ragga, soca, etc, but not my choice), and whatever my sister played in the car. (My sister is/was kind of a rebel, and I was/am a goodie-two-shoes, so I generally disliked most things she liked, just on principle.) In 1996, I started listening to the oldies station on the radio. Probably for a full year, all I listened to were oldies. The Beatles, the Shirelles, lots of one-hit wonders. To this day, I promise you, if you play some random golden oldie that I haven't heard in ten years, I know all the words, and will sing along. But in '97 – which, now that I think about it, was my first year of true self-awareness – I was facing sort of an identity crisis. Southern California, the 'Inland Empire,' wasn't a bastion of blackness. I wanted to identify with my classmates, and the cool (white) kids were 'skaters,' although, most of them didn't own a skateboard. It was a way of life. So, I hopped on the alternative bandwagon, which wasn't so much alt, as it was the mainstream. I turned the dial from the oldies station to the "X," a station that played songs I thought spoke to me... "#1 Crush" by Garbage, "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger, "Don't Speak" by No Doubt, "Fly" by Sugar Ray, "Super Rad" by the Aquabats, "Roll To Me" by Del Amitri, and so on. But one day, I was at home, with my sister — I think she was living in L.A. at the time, but she came to Rancho on the weekends — and she put in a CD, and I heard those first bass notes of "Rimshot." I came to hear the band today I ain't thinkin' bout ya I came to hear my drummer play Boom clack, boom clack I'm in love with you 'Cuz of the things you do Do to me when you Boom clack, boom clack I didn't even know what she was talking about half the time, but I loved it. "Apple Tree" was my favorite song. (Years later, in college, I rediscovered "On & On" and it kept me going through some difficult times. And when I was sick the other day, dizzy and weak and coughing, I put on Mama's Gun and let it wash over me. I felt better immediately.) It's like a twist on that line from Brown Sugar: "I felt Erykah, and Erykah felt me." Although I continued to listen to the alt-rock of the day — some of which I still like, incl. No Doubt and Sublime, though they had ska and reggae influences, respectively — I delved a little deeper into music that really spoke to me (Wyclef's The Carnival was another favorite of '97). When I got a copy of New Amerykah, I knew it would be special. Or maybe, special. I dunno, sometimes I wonder if she's permanently high, and sometimes I wonder how she manages to tell my entire life in just a phrase or two ("two fish, one swimming upstream / one swimming down, living in a dream / but when she loves she tends to cling"). First listen, I was kind of "hmm." Second listen, I started to get the rhythm. Third listen, I fell in love.

If Hip-Hop were the Civil Rights Movement...

Did anyone else see 50 spit that ignorant nonsense the other day? You did? Good. So anyway, watching that and reading the comments got me a-ponderin'. (Digression: you notice how white people refer to 50 as "Fiddy?" I've never heard a black person call him that, and yet, it's "Fiddy this" and "Fiddy that." Something about that just smacks of mocking and, yeah, I'll say it, unconscious racism.) My conclusion? 50 is the Al Sharpton of hip-hop. Don't see it? Ok, consider this. 50 Cent is utterly irrelevant in hip-hop. His music sucks, he's constantly making an ass out of himself, he was crushed by 'Ye in sales, and yet he just won't shut up. We are constantly barraged by his ridiculous statements on outlets like Gawker, and TMZ, and The O'Reilly Factor. He's everywhere, and nothing he says or does ever means anything. And he's proud of it, and the media eats it up. He's a freakin' fool. (And no, I still haven't forgiven him for criticizing Nas for reading.) At any rate, this leads me to the point of this post. If 50 is the Al Sharpton of hip-hop, where do the other members of the hip-hop nation fit into the Civil Rights Movement? Well, in my highly oversimplified and completely unqualified opinion... Malcolm X. Jay-Z. Once revolutionary and angry (circa Reasonable Doubt), Jay has mellowed out significantly. He can still bring the fire when need be, but he has nothing to prove, and a lot to teach. Just as Malcolm rethought things after he made his pilgrimage, Jay-Z just needed to retire for a bit and gain some perspective. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nas. A lot of people forget that MLK wasn't getting much love at the time of his death. The Americans didn't love King, they loved dead King. Nas isn't getting much love these days, either. I greatly suspect that he won't really be appreciated for his genius and until some later date. Jesse Jackson. Cam'ron. Charismatic, a little flamboyant, kinda smart, somewhat ineffectual, good at making other people look good. Rosa Parks. Mary J. Blige. Only because they both get mad recognition for doing something that is incredibly simple (in MJB's case, her lyrics), but means so much to ordinary people. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Cornel West. Did you know Brother West is fixin' to release his second album? Bayard Rustin. Lil' Wayne. There isn't really a reason for this choice, I just thought it was a funny juxtaposition. Angela Davis. Jean Grae. She's a G, 'nuff said.

Lupe Fiasco @ The Fillmore 1/31/08

Greaaaaaaat show! Can I just leave it at that? I went with a colleague from work. We're from different departments, but he facebooked me and we've become work buddies, based on the fact that we a) are probably the only black people under 25 who work there, b) can talk about Greek stuff - he's a Sigma, and c) he's mad cool. I SO did not want to drive to Philly, but his car was in the shop. Imagine my surprise when he said he could drive stick! Bonus points were immediately awarded. He drove us to Philly, and got a BEAUTIFUL parking spot directly across from the theatre, on South Street. Soooo fab! It was at that point we knew the night was gonna be awesome. I've got chills just thinking about it! Now, we had been late leaving Jersey, so my BFF and her boyfriend were already having dinner when we arrived. Work Buddy and I walked down the street to this diner type place, and ordered drinks and apps. (side note: the drink menu included a drink called the "Jamaican Me Crazy." It was made with Captain Morgan's. Ummm, how are you going to title a drink after my homeland without including either Appleton or Meyer's? Boooooo!) I had a Money Maker - I don't remember what was in it, other than Bacardi, but it was good. BFF and boyfriend met us at the diner, we drank, talked, took pics; Work Buddy and I got Blue Moon (yum!), then it was off to the show. It started at nine, but due to the warning of one of my HU bros Josh, we went in late, so as to avoid the crappy opening acts. We got there as this dude named Optimus was finishing up his set, with a surprisingly good version of Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain." There was an intermission, so we went to the bar, where WB sweetly got shots for the group (it was BFF's boyfriend's birthday). SoCo and lime, let's go! The majority of the crowd was white high school kids, of course, with a sprinkling of uber-hip and fly young black people. Fast-forward to the crowd chanting: "Lupe! Lupe! Lupe!" and the show started! I bet WB that Lu would start the show with "Superstar" and end with "Kick, Push." He was sure it would be the reverse. He was half-right, dang it. The show began with "Real," from F&L, and while I get the concept, it was kind of a wack intro. It was followed by an awesomely rocked-out version of 'Ye's "Touch The Sky." (Did I mention the whole rock band aspect? BFF remarked to me about halfway through -- "This is my first rock concert!" And that's what it was. Sooo cool.) My favorite cut was later in the night, when he did "Daydreamin'." It was so hard. I was practically moshing, while WB was looking at me like I had two heads, but I'm pretty sure it's because he was jealous. Intermission, with this random dude who kept repeating: "I had a dream I was a $100 bill." Um, ok! Back to the bar, then. BFF and I ran across a friend's line brother who also went to HU. We chat, finish our drinks, head back to the floor, where the boyfriend and WB have been gallantly holding our space. At that point, we're pretty much feeling like this: The most interesting part was when he performed "The Coolest" a capella. I have to admit, it was a little weird to see him reciting "the coolest nigga, what / the coolest nigga, what / the coolest nigga, what" in front of that particular crowd... And that's when I realized that the only really derogatory statement I could make is the following: Lupe is truly a poet. So, having the rock, and the hype man, and the flashing lights is all good, but between songs, you just feel like you should be snapping your fingers or something... I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but, he was awesome and yet so low-key... sigh, I dunno. The show ended with Superstar, and the super-cute Matthew Santos came out to sing the hook. Below is the clearest picture WB managed to get of Lu. Like I said. GREAAAAAAAT show!