I'm tired of this Obama/Hilary Reality Show

-So she wins Pennsylvania after being up 20 points, hooray

-If I hear one more pundit say Hilary has 'new life' I am gonna vomit. How many lives does she have exactly?

-She claims Obama should be questioned on why he can't put her away. Isn't the question why are you losing leads, pledged delegates, super delegates, and the overall popular vote?

-The argument that a close second should be awarded the #1 slot is ridiculous. Especially with the use of all the sports metaphors

-She wins by 8-10 points and thinks Obama is not competitive? Silly

-And I love the argument that she is a woman of the people but Obama has more popular vote

-And the woman of the people loves the argument that wins in NY, NJ, CA, TX, OH, and PA make her the best candidate. So the other states are irrelevant. Sounds real inclusive to me

-MSNBC, CNN, and the like have never seen ratings like this. They are going to do all they can to string this out. Don't beleive the hype. If the supers take this from Obama there will be 'blood in the streets' so to speak

-She is just making it easier for McCain, but I am not blaming her for not quitting. I just laugh at the silly arguments.

multi tasking

With the Festival ramping up it is getting harder and harder to stay on top of the SCR.
Most of my writing energy is going to the main blog at www.brooklynbodega.com and the Festival blog at www.brooklynbodega.com/brooklynhiphopfestival

Please check those out and Suppprt the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival with a donation.

Thanks

We love Ben stiller

Random thoughts this am about my favorite group of flicks

Here is how it works

There are two wings the Judd Apatow wing and the Ben Stiller wing (FYI Apatow worked on the short lived Ben Stiller Show)

The genesis – Swingers and Something About Mary
40 Year Old Virgin, Wedding Crashers, Semi Pro and the like all owe something to these flicks
These films introduced the new genre of ‘guy flicks.’ Part Animal House, zero parts Dirty Harry and part SNL

The templates – Zoolander and Old School‘Zoolander’ is the model for the caricature of pop icons of our youth
‘Old School’ is the modern day buddy flick/frat boy movie

The Ben Stiller troupe
Vince Vaughn
Owen Wilson
Luke Wilson
Will Ferrell

The Judd Apatow troupe
Seth Rogen
Paul Rudd
Jonah Hill

Players on both teams/links between the families
Will Ferrell
Paul Rudd
Steve Carell

Ben Stiller Tree films
Zoolander
Anchorman (the real bridge between the families via the inclusion of Paul Rudd and Steve Carell)
Dodgeball
Semi Pro
Talladega Nights
Blades Of Glory
Starsky and Hutch
Wedding Crashers (the Ben Stiller most like a Judd wing. Concedentally the worst of the Stiller tree)

Judd Apatow Tree films
40 Year Old Virgin
Superbad
Knocked Up
Sarah Marshall

I am a Ben Stiller Tree guy.
Superbad was weak, Roo much improv and Jonah Hill needed to turn it down a bit.

Wedding Crashers was the beating of the dead horse. The same joke only works but so many times

Drillbit Taylor, Semi Pro, Dewey Cox are what happened to this genre when Hollywood realize how much paper there was in it

You're not a boss, founder, or big dog unless...

I was speaking to some kids at York College about being an entrepreneur.
They all liked the idea of working for themselves and being their own boss. Somehow they thought that being and entrepreneur was the free ticket to money and power. They didn't realize that working for yourself is 10x harder than punching a clock.

I am a serial entrepreneur. Record labels, management company, marketing firms, Festival, e-zine, Lacrosse team. Still not a millionaire but I guess that will come eventually. That's not why I do it, though. Not for the money, fame, power, or props. I do it because i need to create things. Realize visions.

In my journeys I run into kids who don't know better and fake execs who claim to be the boss but when the shit hits the fan their true colors come out. In my career I have only met and worked with a few men and women who are truly fearless. Unfortunately I have dealt with countless big mouths who are all talk and no action.

So here is my simple test. You're not really a boss unless:

-you have never had to make a payroll
-never hired or fired someone
-skipped multiple paychecks to keep the lights on
-had your name on the contract
-had to sign off to get the check cut
-been the name on the contract that gets sued when sh*t hits the fan
-actually come up with the idea rather than cherry picked once the hard work was done

Respect to all who do whatever takes to realize your vision.
And respect to everyone who has ever sweated it out with me

Nas - Can't Forget About You

I booked Nas with Zhane (remember them?) in 1994 at University of Virginia.

My first real project. I had to fetch Nas, Grand Wizard, Jungle and the rest from the tour bus parked in at the Holiday Inn where groupies were f*cking up my production schedule.



After an 18 minute performance that was supposed to be two hours I took him back to the hotel. His manager was like, “Come and get us for the after party. It will be all of us except for Nas he is probably gonna get some rest.” All I could think was, “I thought sleep was the cousin of death.”

Special Ed - I Got It Made

“I’m your idol, the highest title, numero uno
I’m not a Puerto Rican, but I’m speaking so that you know”
One of the best opening lines of all time.
Special Ed followed up that single with two real strong albums. “Youngest In Charge” and “Legal”
After that it took him 5 years to follow up and the metaphorical train had left the station.

He did rock the Crooklyn Dodgers joint in the meantime and still is one of my favorites.

You know what would be dope to see the Crooklyn Dodgers all together on stage.

Hmmmm, someone should get on that

kwame the rhythm

Kwame is another one of those artists that I fear will be forgotten when we write the history books. People will remember Queens for Nas, Mobb Deep, Screwball and other thuggish ruggish sh*t. But there was another swath of Queens rappers that are responsible for the economic prosperity that Hip-Hop enjoys.
These were middle class, happy go lucky artists that created Hip-Hop for the mass media generation. Essentially the Hurby Azor wing - Salt N Pepa, Kid N Play, Dana Dane and the man we all know and love, Kwame.

If you love Kanye’s metrosexual meets Foxfields meets Williamsburg fashion sense then you have Kwame and his Pocadelic adventures to thank. Kwame was rocking blazers, jeans, and pastels about 15 years before ‘Cam got the sh*t to pop,’

“The Rhythm” is still one of my favorite songs of all time. Too bad BIG ruined his career with that killer line on “Unbelievable” and Kwame dug the grave a little deeper with his anemic response.

Good to see that the brother has bounced back as a successful producer