Bailout plan dies

This thing has more problems than a little bit.

This is a complex problem that is not solved by Bush logic.

Personally I don't like it

Entourage

A little rambling for a Monday while I'm sick

-Drama is getting embarrassing
-Hooray for E. Doing big things
-Time for Vince to be star again. But like my man Crack said. it's good to see the other side of the fame game
- Where is the Turtle story line?
- The Ari bitch slap!



More people need to slapped for running their mouth

Blu on "Sound Of Young America"

Great interview.
Take some time to check it out

Public Enemy - Night Of The Living Baseheads: Dope Version

y'all need more PE in your diet

new Blu video

dude is nice
done and done

Beware of Pro Life folks with their finger on the trigger

Top 10 ‘or so’ reasons why I won’t vote for McCain/Palin (for real - no blogger fodder/propaganda)

1. Their position on negotiating with our enemies is scary.
As a student of The Art Of War the Republicans’ or rather the McCain/Palin approach is madness. Their infatuation with aggression and dismissal of diplomacy and reason is a cause of great concern. If it weren’t for the actions of President Bush I would say I don’t believe it. This is the behavior of children in the playground not multi-millionaire legislators. But alas it appears that even trust fund kids of oil barons can act as ignorant as a fake thug from East New York.

The truth is as Master Tzu teaches diplomacy works and aggression must be your last course of action. It does not make you weak. In fact it makes you strong.

2. Fannie and Freddie
It takes a special kind of stupid to let two companies holding $50 trillion (with a ‘t’) in loans to almost go under. And it happened under the Republican economic watch. McC/Palin’s relative silence lead one to believe they are clueless on the matter. Their insistence on continuing this expensive war is bad news.
Ideology aside, this war is an economic Titanic. News flash people – the cost of crude oil didn’t pop because Britney and Kevin broke up.

3. Choose Life, but not healthcare
The Republican platform is undoubtedly pro-life but as I understand it universal health care is a no-no. Apparently, they like the health care system as is. As an entrepreneur with 2 kids this is unacceptable. The business model of ‘pay or die’ is not only a burden for families like me but I believe it is a metaphysical crime.

McCain has no problem taking our tax dollars to wage war (which I concede is a necessary evil for any nation – although more folly than wisdom in this case). When asked to use those tax dollars to save out life he (they) won’t even consider it. Absurd. I feel like those AARP commercials, whoever is our next president must address our health care system.

And oh yeah – they say choose life are pro death penalty and pro guns. Explain to me how that fits together. Me myself I am pro life and pro choice. Women should have a choice and I hope they choose life. No one in this debate is pro-abortion or anti-life.

This is longer than I thought. The other 7 will be later.

You know the story about leaving a club too early?

That was me last night.
After Mickey's rock/thrash set I was done.
Little did I know

Thoughts on the new Kanye

This is bugged out and normally it takes me a while to co-sign Kanye's weirdness.
But on this I am with him.

As much as we may not want to admit he may be the most provocative and progressive artists we have ever had in Hip-Hop.
as opposed to some other fake genre benders Kanye's arrogance may be deserved.

This song and performance is a risk. And to me that is what this is about.
Makes me wonder why he associates with so many artists (you know who) who are not even trying to push themselves anywhere near this.

Bravo Mr. West.
Keep pushing

The SCR s back

I just got too busy with the Festival this Summer. But now that it is all over I want to get back on the Swift Chance Report.
So for the three people who read this in the past welcome back.

The SCR will be a part of the new Brooklyn Bodega so I will hopefully double my readership to ...6

Excelsior!

Married to Hip-Hop

A friend of mine who went to the Festival came up to me on the way out the door and said 'I am in love with Hip-Hop again.'
Another friend recently told me he and Hip-Hop had broken up.
The Hip-Hop as a woman metaphor has been used long before 'Used to Love H.E.R' and has become somewhat of a cliche.
However, these two statements have reminded me of how appropriate the metaphor truly is.
All my married men will certainly get my point on this one. Here we go...

I love Hip-Hop so much I married her. I am not sure when or where the ceremony was held but we are married. There was no minister, no justice of the peace. No certificate. But we are married. I have stood up before family and friends and proclaimed my commitment to her. Through good times and bad. For better or worse.
My entire professional has been dedicated to supporting her. I have given all my profits all my savings, all my time and all my love.
The metaphor is appropriate because I have done all of these things to and for my actual wife.

The key here is good times and bad. My love for Hip-Hop allows me to forgive and forget when we have an argument. When times are good she is the music I need to hear. When times are bad she is my anti-depressant. When she gains weight I don't even notice. She is still the beautiful woman I fell in love with. And we are not breaking up. We committed to each other and we will do all we can before we separate.

A lot of people are not married to Hip-Hop.
To far too many, Hip-Hop is still a jumpoff that can be cut at a moment's notice. Some people used to love her, now that just bone her to quote Common.
Some are living with Hip-Hop or may be engaged. But as any married man knows there is a big difference between living together and being married. There is the love but a reluctance to 'pull the trigger.'

So when Hip-Hop decides to sully herself by flirting with sub par MC's and corporate vultures I don't blame her. I wait for her to come back. And she always comes back. Our relationship is nothing that can be ended so easily. We have a special place that when things get hectic we can always return to. Lil Wayne has her now. No worries. Enjoy your time together. This means the radio is not for me right now. I will just pull out the old BDP and EPMD, surf the internets for the new Homeboy Sandman and I will be fine. Hip-Hop has given me too much to cast it aside because I don't like the music right now.

If you and Hip-Hop needs a trial separation right now I can dig it. Take all the time you need. Our door will always be open.
For all those who came out to the Festival and were reminded that Hip-Hop is still that fly 1st year girl from Queens in those killer heels - welcome back.

The Swagger Era and the Brett Michaels-ification of Hip-Hop

Back when the SCR was active (no worries it will be a part of the new Brooklyn Bodega) I wrote a post about how Hip-Hop was in its Hair Metal stage. Well now I have a better term for it. We are in our Swagger stage.

Feel free to jack this for wikipedia, just give me credit:

Swagger Hop – an era in Hip-Hop in the early 2000’s that heavily emphasized style over substance. Swagger artists tend to be extremely fashion conscious. More so than previous eras (see Conscious, Gangsta, Crunk, etc). Swagger Rappers are known to employ stylists as key members of their staff. In an interview Kanye West famously stated that he would rather shop for clothes than shop for records. Almost if not more important than the music is the choice of sneakers, jewelry, accessories, etc. While Swagger rappers do place an inordinate value on cars and other big ticket items their opulence is focused more on their physical person.

Swagger rappers are not to be confused with Shiny Suit rappers popularized by Sean Combs and others in the mid to late 90’s. The term is taken from the suit worn by Ma$e (originally known as ultra hardcore rapper Murda Mase of Children Of The Corn) in his video for “Feels So Good” (album: Harlem World, Bad Bay).

The Shiny Suit era focused on over the top extravagance that included cars, houses, boats as well as jewelry. There was not the same focus on fashion in a traditional sense.
Swagger rappers are more keenly aware of the business side of the music than previous generations. The best of their lot are skilled marketers and entrepreneurs. They also are significantly more tech savvy and rely heavily on Myspace and other social networks to communicate with their fanbase.

Because of their focus on branding and marketing and their business sense Swagger rappers cross media with significant ease. Movies, publishing, and fashion are integrated seamlessly within their brand.

Examples of Swagger Hop artists – Lil Wayne, Kanye West, The Cool Kids, T.I., Souljah Boy, Jay-Z

See other Hip-Hop eras: Shiny Suit, Disco Rappers, Dirty South, Conscious, Glitch, Backpack, Golden Era, Indie Renaissance, Political, Proto

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I write this entry tongue in cheek with no intent to slight any of these artists. It is my belief that with each iteration of our culture we grow in power, influence and earning potential. Rather than condemn it we must study it and learn. Whatever your personal feelings about these artists or their content their marketing and entrepreneurial spirit is unprecedented. Their ability to bypass the traditional system (major distribution, MTV, Broadcast radio, print media) gives them enormous power.

In my study I have equated this era with hair metal. Further analysis shows that the response to Hair Metal was Grunge. Remember people the pendulum swings to and fro.
And when Nirvana and the grunge movement broke through they destroyed hair metal and raise the earnings bar even higher.

The ‘Swagger Like Mine’ (TI, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z) song where we see Kanye moving fully into the Swagger era and leaving behind his conscious, post Native Tongue, bourgeois roots is proof that the swagger era is approaching its tipping point. The addition of Jay Z (and his particular verse) only cements my feelings.

The Grunge type push back is coming. Hip-Hop’s Kurt Cobain is among us. He/she is about to sign to our version of Sub Pop (Stones Throw, Def Jux). He will be picked up by a major in 2-3 years. Their signing will officially put an end to this era and launch a new one.

You heard it here first.