BROOKLYN HIP HOP FESTIVAL '12----"SCENARIO" LIVE WITH ATCQ AND L.O.N.S.

The best posse cut in Hip Hop. The aligning of the stars, metaphorically and existentially. The vehicle that launched two groups in the Hip Hop pantheon. I don't care if you agree or not, but in my Wisdom-laced opinion "Scenario" is the zenith for this music called Hip Hop. A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders Of The New School created a timeless cut that brings the Uncle Ruckus each and every time. I have been waiting for this moment for the longest, and the 2012 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival was the perfect opportunity for these NY titans to wreak havoc onstage. They may be older (and hopefully wiser), but Phife Dawg, Dinco D, Charlie Brown, Q-Tip, and headliner Busta Rhymes delivered on one of the most energized joints from the Golden Era, or any era, for that matter. Peep the video, and let me know what you think about Tribe and L.O.N.S. joining forces again for this CLASSIC MATERIAL (shameless L.O.N.S. reference).  Peace to Brooklyn Bodega and 2DopeBoyz for the footage/video material.

VIDEO: "ETERNALLY"---PHONTE FEAT. MEDIAN

From Charity Starts At Home, we have another Phonte gem, this time featuring Median.  The 9th Wonder-produced cut gets the obligatory Kenneth Price treatment, and to good effect.  In this dope video we have Tay Gravy and Median trading verses while showing their working-class roots from a lyrical aspect.  Enjoy another jewel from Charity Starts At Home, and if you haven't purchased The Foreign Exchange Music offering, please cop it soon!

VIDEO: "ILLUSION OF LOVE"---ROME CEE

Rome Cee is definitely Baltimore, yet has a uncanny knack for showcasing a worldview that you don't always find with local artists.  From his 14-cut Grey Area project we have the cool "Illusion Of Love".  Directed by Kirby Griffin and shot by Jay Mastermind (under the 87 Conceptions umbrella), this cinematic joint tells a detailed story to accompany the visceral lyrics of Rome Cee.  Peep the performances from Griffin, Isaac "Eye" Wilson, Teresa Renee, and Tiesha Parham.  This is a dope video through and through! 

SAMPLE SUNDAY----LIFE IS GOOD EDITION

Life Is Good is a dope, mature offering from Nasir Jones, known to the music world as Nas.  July 17th gave us the tenth studio album from one of the most acclaimed artists that the Hip Hop world has ever known.  If he would release sub-par music for the duration of his career, Nas would still be considered one of the best ever, bar none.  He didn't, however, release a sub-par album.  Life Is Good is indeed one of the best joints period for 2012 (at the present moment it is my choice as Hip Hop Album Of The Year).  I can elaborate on the plethora of quotables and jewels found throughout this collection, but I will save that for my forthcoming review that I will unveil shortly.  What I will discuss on this somewhat overcast, humid and damp Sunday is the twelfth track, "Stay".  This jazzy, Quiet Storm-format cut is the perfect song for the most mature and introspective album of an illustrious career.  The horns that are a part of this song brings an elegant flair to the lyrical content of Nas.   Take a listen below at one of my favorite joints on Life Is Good.

The L.A. Carnival (formerly The Les Smith Band) is the source for the bulk of "Stay".  "Seven Steps To Nowhere" is the credited joint from The L.A. Carnival offering Would Like To Pose A Question (Pacific Avenue imprint).  No I.D. is the production maven that provided the soundscape that would become "Stay".  As usual, No I.D. showcased a knack for finding a jazzy, atmospheric joint that would be the perfect companion for a top-tier emcee (see "D.O.A." by Jay-Z).  Take a ride on this adventure with The L.A. Carnival, circa 1971,  and see where No I.D. received his inspiration for "Stay".  

If you are unsure of any 2012 offerings, be it Hip Hop or any other genre, please cop Life Is Good.  Purists and novice listeners can get the next-level lyricism and introspection from an artist still showcasing razor-sharp skills twenty years deep into a career that is almost unparalleled in Hip Hop.  After you purchase the album, sample some other offerings from Lester Abrams, the heartbeat behind The L.A. Carnival, The Les Smith Soul Band and other funk/soul outfits during the bell-bottom era. 

SAMPLING IS ALIVE AND WELL!  RESPECT THE ART AND THE ARCHITECTS!

DEEP FLOW TV PRESENTS: BIG ASS COOKOUT (PART 1)

Last Born Child and Imatellmuva should be very proud of their Big Ass Cookout.  From the backyards in Northwood to NowChild Soundstage, this spectacular event is part performance, part cookout, and ALL family, immediate, extended, and artistic.  Thanks to all that participated, supported, shared, and indulged in the ultimate cookout experience.  Amotion, of Deep Flow fame, provided the videography, and this is Part 1 of the Big Ass Cookout experience.  Consumer Voice 360, OOH, seeWEED, and countless others provided behind the scenes support, ensuring that this year's Big Ass Cookout was a huge success.  Peace to the plethora of talent that graced the NowChild stage  Enjoy what I witnessed firsthand at NowChild.  A full recap will soon follow from Brother Wisdom! 

VIDEO-----"AROUND MY WAY (FREEDOM AIN'T FREE)"

Wasulu Muhammad Jaco, better known as Lupe Fiasco, has stirred the pot once again, using his mic as the spoon that feeds the masses.  The controversial song "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)" caused an uproar, not necessarily because of content, but because of the soundscape choice (see previous post http://wisdom40.blogspot.com/2012/05/lupes-fiasco.html).  Now we have the visuals to accompany this Food & Liquor II:  The Great American Rap Album Part 1 lead single.  I'm hoping for a triumphant return to form for Lupe.  He is a throwback emcee and forward thinker at the same time, and it would truly be a shame for him to go unnoticed in this climate of global warming and lukewarm rhyming.  Needless to say, peep the visual offering, directed by Alex Nazari.  As of this posting, his newest album will be released September 25th, barring any issues with the label (and you know that is ALWAYS a possibility in the Lupe realm).

HIP HOP EMBEDDED (A POEM)

Feel pain in heart burdened with excess stress


No relief in sight unless you look to the future

Don't live in the past because it will entrap you

In a prison that can be escaped once mind is refocused

Reloaded ammunition into life gun and shoot for the stars

Spit bars of hope instead of spend time and money in bars

Barred from that existence is what the outcome should be

Let income accumulate to build the American Dream

And stop having nightmares filled with fright and terror

Welcome To The Terrordome blaring from speakers made for deaf ears

Maybe one day listening instead of babbling may end the battling

But ears are filled with wax made of parrafin

Paraphasing paragraphs prepared for perpetual motion

Mountains out of molehills made mental notes of commotion

Not sure why these words appear on these pages

Maybe it's a way to deal with anger and rage

Slave to master 'bout to make escape into dark

Might hurt heart but life needs resuscitating

Hip hop not dead, I am hip hop

I am soul, I am rock and roll

I am neo-soul, like Neo in The Matrix trilogy

Looking for The One except eyes have seen too many

Empty feeling with two so now is the time to go underground

With railroad, with hip hop, with pipelines

Not sniffing white lines or telling white lies

Truth in coded language only a select few will understand

Who won't undermine or underappreciate

Or make mistakes the basis of existence

Facing resistance, flee into the woods

Following streams of consciousness to new land, new time, new person...





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