For The B.B.F.B.M.A.

*SONG LINKS ARE DEAD, WILL UPDATE THIS EVENING.

Well it's a few days before Momma's Day and as a sign of appreciation, wait, no...anticipation, we here at The Funk are going to present today....

MUSIC FOR THE BROTHER B FUTURE BABY MOMMA'S ASSOCIATION Mixtape...*

So the format is some cuts are from the artists themselves and other cuts are just dedicated to the members of this prestigious organization. Simple and straight forward, right? Enjoy!
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Move Ya Body - Nina Sky

As many of you who know me as more than a purveyor of All Thangs Funky know that Latino women, specifically Cuban and Butter Pican Rican, are what TiVo would refer to as "hella bangin". Me myself, well I'd prolly just say "saucy" or something like that but you get the point. Muy Caliente.

I had not really been exposed to the group Nina Sky before I went to Miamuh last fall with Baffoe and crew to watch the FSU/Miami showdown. But by the time I left a few days later, I had heard their tracks so much that for a while there I'd break out into verse for no apparent reason, normally while waiting in line at the grocery store or at the DMV. Nice.

People initially were quick to write off the girls as the next Lumidee but looks like they will be more than just a one hit (seriously) wonder. And for the record, I have no clue what this whole Reggaeton (sp?) movement is but if it keeps girls like this employed and on the dance floors, I'm bout it. Bout it indeed.

*10:00 am Update: Apparently, this is what Reggaeton is.
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Karma - Alicia Keys

Sweet. Seductive. Soulful. No Boogs, I'm not talking about SteamBoat, I'm talking about Ms. Keys. Everybody should be familiar with her resume by now, but if not, peep game. Since minute one of her so far very successful career, Alicia has been basically killing it. And killing me for the record.

I've been calling and calling to see if she is re-upping her B.B.F.B.M.A. membership. As of yet, no joy on that, but I'm sure (hoping) her check is in the mail. But seriously, from a musical standpoint, she's the complete package. She produces, writes, arranges, buys the sodas, makes some sandwiches, sweeps the floor, owns the studio...etc. You get the point.

My homeboy Jady Experience tried to convince me one time that she swang/swung the other way when it came to relationships and whatnot, but I rebuked that. Moe-Joe would say, "She could get it"...and he'd be right.
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Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry

You ever catch that show "Without a Trace" on CBS? Yeah, well Ms. Poppy Montgomery stars as Samantha Spade, FBI Agent supreme. According to IMDB, Ms. Montgomery has been in a few movies and TV specials. One of note was "Dead Man On Campus". Did anybody actually watch that? Anyhow, she was born in Australia and like many Aussie imports to the U.S., is "Australian For Beer" or something like that.

If you have a subscription to or pick up Stuff Magazine on the regular, you peeped her spread in last months issue. Can I get a "Baby got back!"? Righteous. I'd recommend it to all my friends.

Her theme song, Buffalo Stance, well truthfully has nothing to do with her really. I just wanted to post it cause it's one of those great "New Jack Swing" era tracks that I just put on a mix CD for TiVo's pops out there in Spo-Compton, WA. Although one could argue that Poppy gets in the proverbial Buffalo Stance to catch the bad guys. But I'm reaching with that.
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Tragedy - The RZA
Tragedy (Inst.) - The RZA

Now, this fine young example of perfection, Adriana Lima, I would argue is one of the most bangin'-est females on the planet. My buddy Daniel doesn't agree with me, but he's a little off keel as it is (kidding man!). A Brazilian Victoria's Secret model (shock!), Adriana knows how to work that catwalk strut and in turn cause severe neck pain in many a man who are caught in its tractor beam.

If I had to settle down with one Victoria's Secret Model (you know, if I HAD to and whatnot) it would be Ms. Lima. I wouldn't be remiss to say that she is currently the background image on my desktop and laptop computer. I'm sure that once she gets back from her latest press junket to Japan, that she'll give 'Ol Brother B a call to get up and talk about having some chil'rens and stuff. Cause that's just how I do.

I picked out the seminal (or seminole?) classic from the RZA-Reckta "Tragedy" cause on many planes of existence, it would indeed be a tragedy if BB and Adriana didn't consummate our duties and give the world some smart/beautiful kids. Kind of like that GE Appliances commercial where the model and the nerd run into each other at the laund-ro-mat and end up having kids...Man I watch too much TV.

I included the instrumental just cause the beat is so dag gum killer. RMC 1997!!!!!!

Anyhow, these beauties are well deserved the honor of, well, being honored this weekend cause sooner or later, they will be the mother of many of my children. Here's to hoping!

But Happy Mother's Day to my mom, LaSchmoove, and to the mothers of our readers.

Catch you later.
BBD

*The B.B.F.B.M.A. Mixtape will be available one of these days in it's official form.
*Also, if any of you lovely ladies would like to join our organization, hit me up!

Same $&#!, Different God

From a forgotten place, The Return of God Shamgod!

Just kidding. Remember when dude was playing for the Bullets/Wiz? Then they cut him? I think everyone in town said at the same time, "You Can't Cut God!". Good times.

But today, we dedicate the post to those heartbreak (aka can't hold a lead to save their lives) kids, The Washington Wizards. If you are like me, you prolly can't remember on your own the last time the Washington Franchise won a playoff series. 1983 would be the year in question. They made the playoffs in 1997 with C.Webb and Gang, but got swept in 4 I think (Check with Joey for correct info...) and ever since it's been akin to the Basketball version of the Cin. Bengals. So congrats to Gilbert and Crew for winning on a last second shot to take a 3-2 lead against the Baby Bulls.

So please Coach Jordan, tell your boys to play some dag gum defense. We need to win this jammy tomorrow.

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Pack Up (Remix) - Lyrics Born feat. Evidence & KRS One
Callin' Out (Remix) - Lyrics Born feat. E-40 & Casual

Short musical update today.

Lyrics Born, of SoleSides/Quannum fame came out with a solo LP last year entitled "Later That Day", which I picked up and was happy with most of it. Like most underground west coast artists, LB focuses on the music/message more than the look, but he's been doing his thing for a while now and can still kick it with the best. Some of the best in the re-instituting of positive laced hip hop.

So recently, he released a sort of remix version of Later That Day called, "Same @&^%, Different Day". Here is what allmusicguide had to say:

Lyrics Born spent years, in front of the mike and behind the boards, preparing his solo debut, Later That Day.... High irony, then, that its remix album -- released just one year later -- is a much more exciting and engaging listen. Most importantly, more and better producers are heard here. For a rapper, Lyrics Born is a solid producer, and he infused his album with plenty of earthy jams, but after a cast of genuine underground hip-hop heavyweights got hold of these basic vocal tracks, they provided listeners with something special. Gifted with the first two productions, Jumbo of Lifesavaz has a special role, and his hooky versions of "Hello" and "Pack Up" (the latter with new verses from KRS-One and Dilated Peoples' Evidence) outperform the originals by a wide margin. Dan the Automator shows up for the mildly menacing "I'm Just Raw," an amusing game of the dozens that shows Lyrics Born using his head to outwit challengers (but unwisely recycling the Stuart Smalley slogan "Goshdarnit, people like me" for the chorus). Young Einstein contributes a Jackson 5 groove on "Do That There" that's just as fun as any of his Ugly Duckling productions, and remixes of "I Changed My Mind" from Stereo MC's and DJ Spinna make it easy for the vinyl-phobic to pick up a great pair of LB tracks.

So if you are familiar with LB and his style, I'd suggest checking out this recent effort. It's a solid piece of work that's worth a purchase.

If you are a member of the LowEndTheory message boards, I'll be posting the entire LP over there today for yawl to check out....Hint Hint. But go buy it if you like it suckaaaassss!

Brother B. Deenie.

HOLY CRAP!!!!!
Can it be true? Dave is AWOL? WTF?

Amerikkka's Most...Docile?

To...


Like many a person who came of age during the NWA heydays, watching Ice Cube do his movie thang is confusing yet somehow gratifying. Let me explain.

1. Cube will be forever know as the dude who kicked it all off with the classic verse from "Straight Outta Compton". " Straight outta Compton, crazy mutherfucker named Ice Cube, from the gang called Niggaz Wit Attitude", was the introduction to many a kid to arguably the angriest man in America (outside of yours truly and Louis Black), pardon, Amerikkka. So it's kind of confusing to see Cube on screen playing different roles, when you can clearly remember the debates about how "real" his Boyz N Tha Hood character was.

2. But at the same time, it is also gratifying to see a cat who now can transcend the moniker that put fear into so many parents back in the late 80's early 90's to become a household name in most of the country. I guess Dough Boy grew up and got a jobby job. Plus, it's hard to hate on a cat that can claim his movies grossed over 600 mil worldwide. Yatzhee!

So today, The Funk is going to take you back to the days where Cube was ready to kill anything that moved and if you caught his mean muggin' in person, you surely would have either turned to stone or morphed into some sort of spineless gelatinous blob. I heard that happened once. Seriously!

Endangered Species - Ice Cube feat. Chuck D
Dead Homiez - Ice Cube
Jackin' For Beats - Ice Cube
A Bird In Hand - Ice Cube
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" Endangered Species" the better version was found on the Kill At Will EP, of which I have just run across in my attempt to catalog all my music stuff. I won't go into the story on how I "lost" all my old O.G. tapes cause it's too dag gum sad. But "Species" came out as the gang epidemic in LA was reaching it's fever pitch in the early 1990's. Previous to the 1992 LA Riots, mainstream folks outside of the inner city rarely heard about/saw/understood the conflict between the police and the residents. "Species" was one of the many call to arms/call to attention that tried to bring awareness to the ever growing problem of gangs vs cops and the results of that conflict. From a musical standpoint, The Bomb Squad did it's usual thing on this track with the guitar/hard beat/and obligatory James Brown sample. Chuck D came as hard as ever on his verse...joint still gets me amped. It's lost on some people that after Cube left NWA, he was an unofficial compatriot of The Bomb Squad and PE.

"Dead Homiez" shows that rare side of Cube, the introspective hood if you will. Based around the events of a homie's funeral, "Dead Homiez" reflects on some of the ills and effects of the gang life that many young men in LA were and to some degree are still going through. In my personal opinion, "Homiez", with lines like " How strong can you be when you see your pops crying" and "That's why Ice Cube's dressed up, cause the city is so fuckin' messed up" force the listener to reflect on some of the decisions that they may have made in their lives that could have been different. One of his best songs to date.

"Jackin' For Beats" is just cube getting busy over other people's beats of the day. If memory serves me correctly, this was the first of those "using other peoples beats" records (please correct me if I'm mistaken). Not to be confused with the later attempts of Puffy and his cronies, who just used other people's beats in their entirety, Cube and Chilly Chill used snippets of some of the more popular tracks in 1990.

"A Bird In Hand", beginning with the Big Bird sample, is a short but to the point declaration of frustration from a recently graduated Cube who is entering the workplace with a child in tow and debt mounting. Written and released during the Bush I empire, the last line "a bird in a hand is better than a bush", speaks to the disdain that many inner city residents had with Bush 1 and his domestic policy towards the poor. For those uninformed, a "bird" was slang for a kilo of coke. Hence the "Birdman" stuff from Cash Money Records. Just so you can use it at your next dinner party. It's a conversation starter!

As a whole, Ice Cube's music career went from bangin' to blah in the past few years (linking up with Mack 10 can do that to you) but at one point Cube was the purveyor of all thangs hardcore. And for your information, I have not yet seen XXX: State of The Union. I can't decide if I'd lose some cool points for doing that or not. May have to be a TiVo style video rental, ala "Screwed". And also for the record, you apparently cannot trust a black man named Chip. Just so you know.

I spent my Sunday afternoon at the Chateau De Tallentire with some of my friends and our professors. I think we cooked enough food to end hunger in at least 4 SE Asian countries. Burgers, Dogs, Ribs, Potato Salad, Cookies, Cakes, Brew, some Wine....it was a feast of biblical proportions. This has no real relevance to today's post, just thought I'd let you in on my outings from time to time. Oh and LA spilled the first beer on the new hardwood floors! Tell EVERYBODY you know!

Brother B.