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09 Sep 2009 10:25

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Music: Snoop Dogg is top cat at an iconic hip-hop label imprint

  • Priority Records just made him top priority. Everybody loves Snoop Dogg, right? (Well, besides the dogg thing, but today he’s an honorary cat.) Well, Priority Records, a gangsta rap label which released classic West Coast hip-hop from the likes of NWA, Eazy-E, Ice Cube and Westside Connection, is making him creative chairman of the label. Just in time for their 25th anniversary, Priority will put him in charge of a series of releases to commemorate the label’s history. Not bad, Niggarachi. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Sep 2009 10:28

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Music: Jay-Z: Huge Grizzly Bear fan. Who’da thunk it?

  • The thing I want to say to everyone – I hope this happens because it will push rap, it will push hip-hop to go even further – what the indie-rock movement is doing right now is very inspiring. It felt like us in the beginning.
  • Jay-Z • Regarding Grizzly Bear specifically (he was recently spotted at a show with Beyonce) and indie rock in general, and how what they’re doing inspires rap. He says that if they can break really big (well, Grizzly Bear did go top-ten on the Billboards earlier this year) “it will force hip-hop to fight to make better music.” • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Aug 2009 10:30

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Music: Rapper homophobia evolves into “no homo” boasts on records

  • This is still a concession to homophobia, but one that enables a less rigid definition of the hip-hop self than we’ve seen before. It’s far from a coup, but, in a way, it’s progress.
  • Slate columnist Jonah Weiner • Who’s obviously thought way too hard about the role of homophobia in hip-hop. While it’s always been there, the latest mutation, the use of the phrase “no homo,” seems to at least offer a degree of wiggle room. “No homo tweaks this dynamic because it allows, implicitly,” he says, “that rap is a place where gayness can in fact be expressed by the guy on the mic, not just scorned in others.” Cam’ron, Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West (who has made statements denouncing homophobia) have all spouted the phrase on record. Is it really a turning point? • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 May 2009 21:22

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Music: Think Pitchfork’s right about Eminem’s “Relapse”? Judge for yourself.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 May 2009 11:17

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Culture: “Word Worms”: Another example of turning copyright on its ear

  • Public domain toons are a sadly-wasted resource – one Alex Gorosh uses in clever ways, creating family-friendly raps to go with the old-school toons. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Apr 2009 21:26

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Culture, Music: South Park, thank you for skewering Kanye West

Nothing against the man’s talent, but is there a single pop-culture icon more deserving of this (besides Billy Corgan)? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jan 2009 23:42

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Music: See any specks of gray in this Kanye West beard photo?

Kanye says his beard is in fact not going gray, like this photo on the cover of Vibe suggested. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
 
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