"A THUG CHANGES, THEN LOVE CHANGES, AND BEST FRIENDS BECOME STRANGERS"

THIS LINE FROM NAS MAY SUM UP WHAT HAS BECOME OF THE STRAINED RELATIONSHIP AMONGST LITTLE BROTHER CREW MEMBERS PHONTE, BIG POOH, AND 9TH WONDER.  THE TWO EMCEES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST OF FRIENDS WITH UBER-PRODUCER 9TH WONDER, BUT THE CHEMISTRY WAS UNDENIABLE.  NO RESENTMENT OR UNDERLYING PAIN COULD BE VIEWED WHEN LISTENING TO UNDERGROUND CLASSICS SUCH AS THE LISTENING, CHITTLIN CIRCUIT 1.5, OR THE MINSTREL SHOW (AS WELL AS A MULTITUDE OF JUSTUS LEAGUE JOINTS).  IT SEEMS THAT THE RELATIONSHIP STARTED TO SOUR BEHIND THE SCENES, EVEN THOUGH OUTSIDE EARS COULDN'T TELL WITH THOSE SOULFUL CHOPPED SAMPLES AND DOPE LYRICS.  IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THOUGH THERE ARE SOME HURT FEELINGS ON ALL SIDES.  EARLIER TODAY THERE WAS AN APPARENT TWITTER WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN 9TH AND PHONTE.  PHONTE EVEN POSTED A VIDEO AFTERWARDS ON THIS SUNNY DAY DOWN IN NC:  http://vimeo.com/10490580

I HOPE THAT THE OLIVE BRANCH THAT PHONTE EXTENDS AT THE END OF THE VIDEO WILL START THE HEALING PROCESS.  NOT TRYING TO SOUND LIKE THE HOOD DR. PHIL, BUT WHATEVER UNDERLYING ISSUES THEY ALL HAVE, AS GROWN MEN THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.  MAYBE I'M BEING SELFISH BECAUSE I CAN IDENTIFY WITH LITTLE BROTHER AS A GROUP MORE THAN ANY CONTEMPORARY HIP HOP GROUP (OR ANY TYPE OF MUSIC FOR THAT MATTER).  I SEE A PIECE OF MYSELF WHEN I HEAR PHONTE OR POOH SPIT AN ILL LYRIC, OR HEAR 9TH CHOP A SAMPLE INTO AN AURAL MASTERPIECE.  ANYONE OUT THERE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ISSUE, AND I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AS INFORMATION COMES MY DIRECTION.

PEACE AND LOVE!!!!
WISDOM