Monday Dope

Actually, it ain't all dope. Some of it's pretty wack, but I'd still read this post before I rush to fill out those NCAA brackets.

Leading off the mish-mash of things making the rounds among ATF heads and other things I've stumbled upon: The continuation of the Hip-Hop is Dead discussion. Clearly the debate's struck a nerve among computer-literate hip-hoppers, and not just our rant-happy homeboy Ox.

Now, I know none of this is breaking news. But cats have been talking about J-Zone's essay on the Hip-Hop is Dead topic (A must-read; I love that guy's attitude), the Paula Zahn CNN special Hip-Hop: Art or Poison and the PBS special Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes.

And the fact that we're discussing it all is now news. MSNBC says Hip-Hop is facing an increasing backlash.

It probably is dead
Onto funnier, and wacker, rap moments: Hip-Hop beef pretty much lost its luster a while ago, but it's still good to laugh at, and occasionally with.

I discovered the Timbaland-Scott Storch beef in backwards order about a week ago. I stumbled upon the third installment, the Timbaland/D.O.E. joint Pianoman, and it was funny enough that I had to backtrack and find out what inspired it.

What I found was a head-shakingly bad Storch video called Built Like Dat. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, you MUST. It is comically bad. Despite the terrible rapping and rap-video cliches, he gets a couple good shots in on Timbo, saying the back of his neck looks like a pack of hot dogs and what not. Storch, who has ties to my beloved South Jersey and helped out on one of my favorite songs of all-time, the Roots' Adrenaline!!!, in one fell swoop erases all the respect he's ever earned from me.

Anyway, if you care to look it up (Try Storch's Wikipedia page), Tim started it, and it goes back to Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River.

But that's not the only wackness of the day: Brother B put the ATF fam up on this TurboTax-sponsored embarassment, hosted by none other than our hero, Vanilla Ice (who is actually a lot more endearing these days than he was in '91). I'm all for hip-hoppers trying to give financial advice to those who normally wouldn't listen (USA Today wrote about this exact thing in Friday's edition; the story is OK, but read how people disparage hip-hop in the comments). But trying to make filing your taxes cool is a tough mission. You be the judge.

I thought I would have followed The White Rapper Show more closely, especially since I love everything the ego trip team touches. But apparently the generally unimpressive stars of the show are actually performing live these days. (Actually, I don't read the Village Voice nor did I know they blogged, but that's a pretty good read). Hopefully the White Rapper vets fare better than Da Band.

Hey, the Village Voice wrote about Storch as well.

There is hope!
Thankfully, talent still gets recognized.

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five are headed to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Considering that acts aren't eligible until 25 years after their first major release, and The Message came out in '82, this is a first-ballot induction on par with Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. in the baseball HOF. On top of that, it may open the floodgates for Hip-Hop acts in years to follow. That's what Flash himself thinks. Word up!

We also discovered some talent in our extended ATF family. Check out this video, directed by Eric Johnson, for Cursive (Saddle Creek Records) for their song "Big Bang." (It's a rock video, people, but fans of The Funk have open minds, right?)

Random mix
What's been coming up on my iTunes "Party Shuffle" while writing this:
Pop Goes The Weasel - 3rd Bass
Hollywood Divorce - Outkast feat. Lil Wayne & Snoop Dogg
Greedy Bitches - Ghostface Killah feat. Redman
Original Crhyme Pays - Prince Paul feat Tash, Tony Touch & The Beatnuts
Whateva Man - Redman
Shine On - Nas
Car Fulla White Boys - Haystak ... (Guilty as charged)
DJ Premier in Deep Concentration - Gangstarr (Saved by Primo!)
One for All - Brand Nubian
Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
Pass Da Mic - Da Youngstas
Bosoms - Soulive feat. J-Live and Wordsworth
Love is A Losing Game - Amy Winehouse

Parting shot
If you don't have the three free LPs making the rounds on the internet lately (Talib Kweli & Madlib's Liberation, Mick Boogie & Little Brother's And Justus for All or Definitive Swim compilation), go find them.

Peace

-- 'Vo