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The Bell Jar

April 30, 2008 | Tags: Sean Bell, Immortal Technique, police brutality, injustice

I had previously decided that I would remain quiet on this one, but in true Amanda-can-never-stay-silent-when-angry fashion, I have changed my mind.

First of all, for anyone that may not understand the title of this post, let me briefly explain. “The Bell Jar” is a novel by Sylvia Plath; a semiautobiographical piece that details the main character’s spiral downward into mental illness and details her subsequent treatment. The object in the title, “the bell jar”, is used as a metaphorical reference to the feeling of being trapped or stifled – as if being held captive under a literal bell jar. Feeling like you can’t breathe, feeling trapped, stuck, helpless. Shortly after the book was published, the author committed suicide. There is an obvious play in words that will become evident to you by the time you’re finished reading this.

This isn’t about Sylvia Plath though.

All this talk about Sean Bell, paired with the recent, beyond unfortunate acquittal of those behind his death, has had me thinking a lot about my old friend Aaron that I had mentioned a couple months ago. Admittedly, being half-Arab in a post-9/11 society and having to watch what my pure-blooded Palestinian side of my family (and friends, acquaintances, and strangers of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent) has had to deal with purely because of what they look like or the articles of clothing they wear that hint at their religious or ethnic backgrounds, has me thinking about racism issues in America rather frequently. Of course when Bell was shot, I thought that the fact that he was a black male living in our society may have had something to do with it.

Aaron is a reminder to me that the issue of police brutality and corruption within the police departments (not to mention the justice system as a whole) transcends race.

I’ve been thinking very seriously about this issue in the past 24 hours or so, and one thought keeps popping into my brain – think about a place like D.C. The place of my birth. A place I spend a fair amount of time in. A place where (as I also recently mentioned) citizens cannot carry firearms. A place where despite the fact that citizens cannot carry guns, the police can.

A place where 14-year-old DeOnte Rawlings was shot in the back of the head by two off duty D.C. police officers.

It pains me that while I write this, and I think about these things that have happened, I am watching the local 10pm news and they’re not speaking about this – they’re speaking about Jay-Z hating on the district. And I’m not even joking.

I’m beginning to stray from my point. The mass media will surely be addressed in a post to come, since they tend to disappoint me without fail. But in D.C., if you’re a cop, you put on that uniform and suddenly you’re good enough to carry a gun. Being involved with DX and coming into contact with many people who are at least minimally involved in the music industry has taught me a lot of things. One of these things is that a person is a person. No matter your occupation, no matter your age, your race, your religion, your level of income and the tax bracket you call home – you’re human, just like me. A rapper gets on stage and moves thousands of people with their words, but they can still face the same sort of problems that anybody else can. They have bad days, they have good ones; some make money, some don’t. They have girlfriend trouble, they get the flu, their cars break down. You get the point. Whether you’re a producer, a promoter, a lyricist, a DJ, we’re all human and we all need the same basic necessities to survive. The same sort of argument can be applied to a cop. A police officer is just as likely to be mentally unstable, to be prejudiced, to have a bad day and flip the fuck out as anybody who isn’t a cop. Who knows when a cop’s wife leaves him or something, and he’ll end up going as utterly crazy as the guy who shot up Virginia Tech? Yet with the uniform, despite who wears it, comes the gun.

I’m not going so far as to say that officers should be unarmed as they do their job. That’s unrealistic, ineffective, and just not going to happen. I just don’t always understand the instant superiority that people who claim “police officer” as an occupation are granted. Many praise officers because they “risk their lives and are in the line of fire on a daily basis”. Yes, this is true, and for those that take their job seriously and act righteously while exhibiting good judgment, this is something to be proud of and something that should surely be applauded. However, the same line of fire that they walk into with bulletproof vests, guns, tasers, pepper spray, nightsticks, tear gas, etc., many of us walk into everyday completely unarmed. We’re all at risk of being robbed at gunpoint, of being raped, of getting hit by a drunk driver. And when many of us, the citizens of the country not affiliated with law enforcement or positions of power in this country, meet our demise from a stray bullet or a wrong-place-wrong-time scenario, we are not sent off with 21-gun salutes, mile-long funeral processions, or memorials. Yet we are human, just like the people who exert superiority over us are as well. And yet for some reason, our lives, and our subsequent deaths, are not treated as equal.

We live in a nation that goes by “separation of church and state”, yet claims to be “one nation, under God”, so let me just throw something I’ve learned from studies of things ranging from Nietzche’s political theory to Daoist mystical tradition. When you vocalize a personal thought, the truth it holds vanishes for the person on the receiving end of the words. Such is the problem with language, and as a writer this is something that I struggle with rather frequently. I can experience something, and I can use every fancy or not-so-fancy word imaginable to be able to help you get a grip on what I experienced and understand the feeling I felt, but yet my experience is still nobody’s but my own. Words belong to everybody. There is no word to properly convey a true, deep feeling that was personal to you and nobody but you. I can say, “ice cream is cold”, but no word will ever cause you to feel the exact same cold that I felt as I ate the ice cream, nor can you simply eat the same ice cream and expect to feel the exact same thing that I felt. It’s a fairly abstract argument and one that is difficult to explain in one piece of writing. I don’t blame you if you’re not following me at this point. Certain truths are lost in words. Certain truths such as the pain a mother feels when she gets the call that her only son has been shot and killed. Certain truths such as a wife-to-be finding out that the man she loves will never take her hand in marriage.

I don’t know what it’s like to lose a son or a husband to violence that was a result of corruption and unjust motives. I’ve heard about it, I’ve seen people have to deal with it, but I’ll never understand their pain. And because of that inability to understand that pain, I also know that nobody else can feel that pain aside from those mothers and wives (or brothers, cousins, fathers, etc.). There is no judge, no officer that can feel that exact pain that Bell’s fiancé or mother feel, let alone begin to attempt to formulate a way to compensate for it (which has failed miserably. And that’s an understatement). All I know is that what is happening is wrong. And what’s even more wrong is how long this sort of thing has been going on. How many people have been lost or have severely suffered due to the same sort of problem?

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”

A simple, easily understood statement. We all get it. So why is it so hard to pull off?

Just some food for thought, that was partially inspired by some more food for thought that I came across from Harlem based rapper Immortal Technique. I strongly encourage you to read this in its entirety and participate.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4010185&blogID=387386389

I’ll share with you a small portion of what I wrote in reply and sent in:

“Police brutality is an issue that must be approached in a unique manner. Unlike many problems in our society that arise from economic issues - crime in poverty stricken areas, marginalization, and even some of our approaches to foreign policy, money won't even begin to cure the disease which is corruption within our law enforcement and justice systems (and in most cases, money isn't solely sufficient to cure the problems that arise from a basic lack of money and resources anyway). The police departments of Northern Virginia certainly already have far more money than they need. Citizens of the area who choose to be aware of the sort of thing are constantly reminded of this fact due to the constant sound of their various helicopters in the air, the strong presence of their flawless, shiny, new cars all over the streets, and how quick the departments are to utilize the latest technology in their line of work. Yet, even with all of this equipment and all of the resources we have, nobody is guaranteed a feeling of safety. The problem lies within twisted, unjust minds that possess instruments capable of forcing death upon another human being.

A great start is to aim for reform of our justice system. The injustice that is the acquittal of the men behind the brutal killing of Sean Bell is a travesty in itself. However, in cases like this, justice is only achieved when a life has already been lost. The dilemma lies in finding a way to stop events like these before they happen. I am but one mind, a young one at that who still faces a long road of maturity ahead of me, but with the help of others via communication, unity, creativity, and a desire for positive change, a plausible solution can surely be found. It's the least I can do to honor the lives of those taken from us too soon.

In an era, which really isn't anything new but rather something that just keeps evolving, where discrimination is still present and where superiority is felt by particular people over others whether it be for reasons of race, religion, or class, we are far beyond the point where a change is desperately needed. As I see my relatives of Palestinian descent suffer overseas and stare death in the face in the form of weapons bought with American money, and as I see those same relatives come here only to be detained, excessively searched, and constantly publicly embarrassed, the need for change only becomes more and more evident in my eyes.

The time is not now, the time was centuries ago. And we have to put a stop to it before one more innocent life is lost.

With deepest sympathy for the family and friends of Sean Bell, and everyone else we've lost, as well as a desire for progression past the injustice that we must face on a daily basis living in one of the most powerful countries in the 21st century world, it is with the utmost sincerity and hope for the future that I am proud to sign my name at the end of this piece of writing that had to come about from nothing but pain and corruption."

It's a sad state of affairs that we're living in. The sun is shining, yet I feel like there's a cloud constantly hanging overhead that rains corruption and injustice all around me. Sean Bell was another victim trapped in the bell jar that is injustice. The bell jar that represents the inequality that constantly stifles not only much of the American population, but much of the world. The bell jar that took the form of fifty bullets and held him down until he was no longer breathing. The bell jar that people are still stuck under, wondering how to get out of, running out of time until they're the next victim.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Give Me That Groupie Love

April 28, 2008 | Tags: none

I feel awful for not speaking on the Sean Bell issue (although I guess I just indirectly did with that statement), but it seems that all perspectives of that situation have been covered pretty well by all the other writers on this section of DX, so I’d just be repetitive at this point. It’s nice to see people giving a shit about serious issues. Extra shouts to J. Burnett, who I believe was the first (I may be wrong) of all of us to mention the recent developments in the situation, and if you guys didn’t notice…this guy really cares about what’s going on. Yo Burnett – whatever plans you’re cookin’ up, let me know. I’m in your corner for sure.

But since I feel like the situation has been thoroughly covered and you guys have probably had enough of it by now, I’ll lighten up the mood a little bit on this gloomy, rainy day. This past week was filled with gorgeous weather and good events in this part of the country, and for the most part it was a good time. I actually skipped a free show (awful, I know) but that’s what happens when people fuck you over and put you in bad moods.

Word to the wise – avoid classes that make you do group work in college. I’ve never seen so many unreliable people in one place in my life.

Anyway, before I ditched the show, I decided to check out the venue just to see what was going on and possibly score some free shit. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ll go out of my way to score some guaranteed free shit. I'm a fairly broke college student, what do you expect? Tomorrow you’ll catch me trekking to the nearest Ben and Jerry’s for free scoop day. I’m normally out for free shit like food, CDs, new product samples, etc., but one thing that is always free at an event is groupie love. And man, maybe it’s the nice weather and the fact that layers of womens’ clothing are now starting to disappear at an incredible rate, but the groupie love is in full force right now*.

So, I peep out the venue and determine that I’m bored and pissy mooded and feel like leaving. I’m just about out of the area when this tour bus rolls up. Suddenly all I see around me is girls. They’re running towards the bus from every angle, heading straight for the door. Part of the irony in this is that had you asked around prior to the show, most everyone you would talk to would be like “man, that band is wack, I don’t know if I’m gonna go.” But let them catch a glimpse of the bus that they’re in and suddenly they care. So, anyway, the bus door opens, they cram about twenty people in, and then the rest are shut out. Don’t ask me what went down inside that bus, because I am no groupie, and I surely don’t know.

So anyway, I walked my not-giving-a-shit-about-a-bus ass back to my car and went home. Nobody paid me any attention and that was that.

Then over the weekend I found myself at a show that I really did want to be at, and wasn’t about to miss for anything. The difference at this event was that I was dressed a little better, and I was in a far better mood so my “presence” was a little more pronounced. I also had a couple hookups that I won’t get into because I’m secretive like that, but a few people in the crowd noticed and some of their reactions to me were shocking. Some definitely had the audacity to assume that I had to have done something physical with somebody to land myself in the position I was in. And they had no problem telling me that to my face. About ten seconds later they were apologizing…they seemed to think that because they were gay they could get away with speaking like that to women or something because it’s not like they were trying to get with them, so why be nice, right? Something like that. Then they had the nerve to try to get me to listen to their boy’s music after they wanted to disrespect me so blatantly.

Riiiiight.

I’ve never told anybody that I wouldn’t listen to their shit before, but that guy can feel special that he was the first person I ever denied. I refuse to do business with people that disrespect me like that. And in public, to add insult to injury. So a word of advice to anybody that wants me to listen to their shit – don’t step out of line with me. It won’t do you any good. And just a warning, I’m not the type to just take bullshit from random people – I stand my ground and defend myself. If you can’t handle that from a woman, then you probably shouldn’t ever try to start shit with me.

But this leads me to a bigger point. I think I’m starting to figure out why there aren’t more women involved with hip hop behind the scenes. There are so many women freely throwing themselves at prominent artists (and even not so prominent ones), shaking their asses in videos instead of partaking in the actual artistic elements of them (dance? An art. Random booty shaking? Not so artful.), or just being plastic trophy wives (don’t even tell me that you’re not checking out Ice T’s wifey’s rack), that it seems to amaze the masses when a woman is doing something serious that is hip hop related or can work with these artists without having to give some one-on-one time in the back of the tour bus. There's something not right about that.

Shouts to the strong women who give a shit about hip hop, don’t give a fuck what people think about them, and constantly keep it classy and professional while being a part of what may just be the most powerful cultural movement that I’ll see in my lifetime. A culture that brings together people of all races and religions, that so many people can relate to. It’s an amazing thing. And I’ll be damned if I have to degrade myself to be a part of it.

Lesson of the story? Men, show some basic respect to your female counterparts. Aside from physical strength (which isn't even always the case), you're not superior to them. Female groupies? Stop giving the men reasons to disrespect you in the first place.

*Sidenote: groupie love is definitely a freebie that I'm never after.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

The Bootlegger IQ Test

April 25, 2008 | Tags: none

WARNING: self incrimination ahead. This doesn’t happen often, so bask in my admittances.

For the most part, I’d like to think that I’m a fairly intelligent young woman. I can pass a test with little effort, I can remember obscure facts about obscure things, and I can hold mature conversation about a plethora of topics. I’d also like to think I have a good balance of street smarts, but ask around and that may be able to be debated. However, I also realize that I still have a lot to learn.

So, I learned something new the other day – I should never attempt to rob a bank/convenience store/random passerby. Shit, I can’t even steal music these days. I feel like certain file sharing sites are constantly testing me or something. Some sort of twisted IQ test that you have to pass to get what you want. I mean really, what the fuck is this shit:

I have 20/20 vision (no, seriously, I was just at the eye doctor a week ago and they told me so!) and these damn verification codes still manage to trip me out. Is this some sort of industry joke? Is this some Rapidshare plot to get people to pay for those premium accounts? I can’t call it, but this shit is getting old. Fast.

Let’s examine this for a second. As if it wasn’t hard enough to tell the difference between the letter “O” and a zero, they slant the numbers and letters, and hide the little cat and dog looking things behind the numbers and letters. You then have to examine the rear ends of the animal looking things to properly identify what pixilated species they are. Then, if they’re resting alongside a circular shaped character, you then have to decide if it’s a zero or an “O”. What the fuck, right?

When you take a test for school or something, if you fuck up the punishment is a lower grade. The reward for doing well is a good grade. In the case of the musical bootlegging, if you pass, you get your music. If you fail, you have to wait another 1.8 fucking minutes to retake the damn test! Sure, not as bad as if you fail your driver’s license test, but damn son! You rob a bank? You wanna get in and out. Quickly. Don’t leave time for things to get messy. Stealing music should be the same way!

…OK, maybe not. But you have to admit, this is frustrating.

The other issue I’ve been having lately is with zshare. I love it for the fact that I can preview a single track before downloading it, but the downside is that I normally am working on other things while I’m previewing the track. Sometimes I get so wrapped into what I’m doing that I forget that I left the zshare window open while I was waiting 30 seconds for the download link to appear. Go to click on it again? And your thirty second wait period is now null and void and you have to start over from scratch. Go through the damn ads again, go through the waiting period…and honestly, I give up sometimes. Sometimes the track just isn’t worth it. I may not be paying money for all of my music. But I sure am paying with time and brain cells. Oh, and of course my early onset carpal tunnel syndrome. I’m always getting one click closer to losing the feeling in my hand. Stealing? I think not*.

Thank goodness there are still good file sharing sites out there. I refuse to call them out by name though – it’s like the mom and pop pizza place around the way. Call it out by name, then the next day all the hipsters start blowing up the spot. Next thing you know they’re commercialized, overcrowded, and the prices are shooting up. Rapidshare can kiss my ass, though!

My apologies go out to anyone who is about to comment on this blog and has to enter a verification code. If I had any control over it, I’d find you some way around the obstacle. At least DX doesn’t make you find the hiding cats.

*The validity of this statement, in a similar manner to my level of common sense, could be debated.

Sidenote: I hope some of you NYC dwelling heads have marked the Harlem premiere of “The Other Side of Hip Hop” on your calendars. Saturday, April 26th, 6pm. Be there.

DMV Heads: Tonight at George Washington University’s Mitchell Theatre (514 19th St. NW), you can catch a FREE Kev Brown, Kenn Starr and Oddissee show at 8pm. Get there early, max capacity is only 150 people.

Saturday is also the Immortal Technique / The Roots show @ Towson University's Tigerfest. Tickets are pretty cheap. Don't sleep like I did yesterday on the free Kidz in the Hall show. Shame on me.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Concerts Go Green

April 23, 2008 | Tags: none

Oh man, I’m not a fan of Tuesdays, but I can’t even complain about them when they entail the announcement of the Rock the Bells lineup for this year. It’s definitely not what I expected. Wale at Rock the Bells? I never saw that one coming. On the other hand, I’m looking forward to Nas, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Rakim, and the Pharcyde in particular – and I definitely expected some of those. Sure, the Wu in their entirety is absent, and Rage is ghost, but who cares? It’s still good music, and a good time to be had. So quit whining about how this year’s lineup is a disappointment (yeah, I see you!). I’d say this is right up there with the A3C or Paid Dues’ lineup for 2008.

And speaking of concerts, let’s talk about a recent phenomenon - Earth Day. Or week, month, year, decade, or however the fuck long the thing lasts. I feel like I’ve been seeing green nonstop for the past week. And last time I checked, Earth Day was only supposed to be a day long. Whatever though.

…ok so I just checked Wikipedia and apparently certain cities choose to observe an Earth Week as opposed to a single day. I guess DC is one of them.

Anyway, a large part of the festivities in DC involved the Green Apple Festival, which I had mentioned in my last post. I didn’t get to the event, it was raining like hell, but the show still went on. Or at least most of it did. This video pretty much sums it up:

“It’s raining sideways!”

I’m glad I stayed home. The point I’m slowly building to is that it’s kind of ironic to hold events like these to commemorate Earth Day. If I think about this too hard I end up with that “what the fuck?!” sort of look plastered on my face for a good ten minutes straight. Think about how much electronic equipment is necessary to put on a concert. Sound systems, lights, climate control if the event is indoors…not to mention the transportation people used to get to that event. So…what are these things really accomplishing? Concerts to save the planet and promote energy conservation and what not. Yeah. Sure. Talk to me when you can hear an acoustic guitar 500 feet from the stage over a crowd of 50,000 people.

Then aside from all these shows, you gotta love the environmentalists’ approach to promoting their agenda via television. Commercials about going green, news stories pertaining to things of a green nature…green, green, and more green. Nevermind the fact that 4/20 just passed and it was already green enough. It’s just insane right now. But back to my point. How much energy does it take to film these commercials? How much energy does it take to broadcast them? To watch them?

Don’t even make me throw in the classic argument about how much energy cost is involved in growing the damn crops to make ethanol, which is supposed to ultimately conserve energy resources. Go figure.

And to throw another point in here in a late honor of 4/20, did you know that hemp oil would be a plausible fuel source? But guess what? We can’t use it because it’s illegal to grow. Thank you, DEA. You’re really saving the world.

http://www.hempcar.org/indexOLD.html

Click on “Hemp Car Manifesto” on the left hand side. Wow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#Fuel

Peep the “Fuel” section.

And if you think about how many blunts were blazed during those Green Apple Festival concerts that ever so conveniently happened to fall on April 20th…well, I guess you know where I’m going with this.

Legalize the ganja, fools! Word to Brillyance.

I’m not entirely sure if I mean that, by the way. But I think if we’re missing out on a potential energy source, then that’s more important than worrying if people are going to blaze some blunts or spark up a bowl or two. Not to mention the fiber of the hemp plant is also quite useful. But hey, I’m not the DEA, I don’t make the rules, I just complain about them on this little section of the internet.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6193455876e499/

Bounty Killer and Masta Killa…blazin’ track. Double meaning.

This post is kind of full of ramblings, and for that I (kind of) apologize. I hope it has provided some food for thought for contemplating during your next concert trip or smoke session.

And remember kids, for more ideas on how to go green, keep those eyes focused on that television screen, and keep those laptops plugged in and charging while you stay posted to my little spot here on DX! That was halfway between a joke and being serious, by the way. Consider it conserving energy on making jokes.

PS - I think we should really be asking Amish people about energy conservation. Forget special light bulbs, fair trade coffee, and ethanol. They got that "save the world" shit on lock!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Another Local Scores a Deal

April 18, 2008 | Tags: Ernie Paniccioli, Marky

I’m sure all of you heard via whatever source you saw first that Wale recently landed that deal with Interscope. Well, here’s DMV artist number two of 2008 to score that record deal: Marky. On April 15th he signed with SRC/Universal, and that means the DMV got two artists signed onto the majors in a very short amount of time. I’ve heard from quite a few people that the DC area is the next area that’s going to blow up on the regional music scene, and look. It seems to be going down.

To my discredit, I had slept on posting Marky’s shit here on the blog. Shame on me, considering I’ve been paying attention to him for a minute. My boy Modi even was making sure that I gave his “Homework” mixtape a good listen, and I’m glad I did. Oh wait, you haven’t heard it? Here ya go.

http://www.zshare.net/download/34310696b6b1bf/

Marky also released a little statement…

"I went everyday since I was 11 years old thinking that the very next day was that breakthrough day for me...and that very next day finally came! This is a monumental event, not only for me, but for the entire DMV itself. I'm excited man, I'm EXCITRO - 2 levels above excited (laughs). Studio 43 is the match, SRC/Universal is the forest, and Marky is the FIRE! You already know what happens when that go down (smile). I'm with a legend (Steve Rifkind)! He called me from LA on February 27th and told me that he's gonna sign me. He was Iistening to my "Homework" mixtape in the background and came across the "Ice Cream" Wu-Tang joint I did! I was at Anacostia station on my way to the Guitar Center out in VA. We reminisced for a sec on how we met back in 2006 and I jumped on his table freestyling (laughs). He told me I was a star THEN and that him and the people I was with at the time would talk. Long story short the people I was with then couldn't make it happen so I'm here now two years later with my Big Bro Kenny Burns. It was God’s plan for me. How everything manifested and unraveled in time was actually PERFECT TIMING! Everything happens for a reason. I ain't like nobody else, I'm not trynna be nobody else, I'm just Marky. Judah and I crafted my introduction to the DMV with "Homework" - my mixtape released in September 2007. Now, I brought along my right-hand man AB The Producer to the mix and things are heating up with our 43ntourage! It may seem that I emerged from out of nowhere to some, but just in time to others. I been here, I was just a kid then when I was opening up for Lil' Romeo at the New Convention Center when it first opened, and Fabolous around Kenilworth Rec, and so on and so on. But now, I'm here and in the forefront alongside a whole city full of talented, youthful artist that are waiting in the wing for these majors to take note of them. It’s a matter of time before the DMV becomes the actual "Restaurant" rather than "The Drive-Thru" (laughs)."

Best of luck to Marky and to anybody else out there that’s pouring their heart into their dreams. I hope the industry doesn’t do you dirty, man.

There’s a lot of other shit going down in the DMV musically though that you should be aware of. First of all, tonight (Friday) you can catch Nicolay, Kay, and local favorite Panacea at the Black Cat at 9pm, for $15. Should be a damn good show.

Saturday is really poppin, and the district has been blessed with a treat. Gil Scott Heron will be at the 9:30 club (for $30 bucks, but I’d say it’s worth it). The revolution will not be televised, suckas. If you were lucky enough to get tickets, you may also be spending your Saturday evening over at Georgetown University peeping out the Common and DJ Clue show.

Sunday is when shit gets serious though. The Green Apple Festival (I really think that was a ploy to get the potheads to show up, considering what day they scheduled that) in D.C. on the national mall is featuring Talib Kweli, The Roots, Chrisette Michele, Doug. E. Fresh, Russell Simmons, and more. FOR FREE. Yeah, the crowd will be wild, but whatever, right?

Next weekend is also big, so here’s a heads up. Towson University’s Tigerfest on April 26th (Saturday) is featuring The Roots and Immortal Technique, and you can cop advance tickets through Ticketmaster for like $15 and some change including all their stupid ass surcharges. Not a bad deal overall, granted that the weather is nice. Look forward to both sets promoting their new material and putting on what will surely be an at least decent set. I hesitate to say a good set, because college shows tend to suck. Especially college shows at colleges like Towson. Oh, wait, did I say that? It’s OK Towson, GMU’s shows could be potentially great but aren’t either. We’re in the same boat.

And for all you New Yorkers…there is an absolutely amazing event going down in Harlem on the 26th. Ernie Paniccioli is finally coming with the Harlem premiere of his film The Other Side of Hip Hop. You can catch it at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, in the second floor gallery, at 163 West 125th St. Screening starts at 6:06pm (wow). In Ernie’s words…

“This documentary is an effort to assist in taking the criminality out of Hip Hop. Through the eyes and story of long time Hip Hop Photo Activist Brother Ernie Paniccioli we take a look at his work in Hip Hop, his connection to the artists and his activism in the culture. This Cree Native American Brother began photographing Hip Hop in 1973 when it wasn't called Hip Hop, it was simply something young people did to stay out of trouble. Now in a day where every photo stalker is attempting to get that photo that will take him/her all the way to the bank and when artists strictly copy cat what other wannabees are producing we are making an sincere effort to do our part in bringing things back to the true essence. Come out and join us for a fun filled edutaining evening of being Brotherly and Sisterly.

The screening will be followed by a Q& A with cast members from the documentary from 7:30 PM to 8:00PM (confirmed for the Q&A discussion from the film are Kangol of UTFO, Musical Director, Brother Ernie, Hip Hop Photo Activist, Linque of The Blackwatch Movement and Producer, Writer & Director of the Project, Alpha Brother Dion Michael Ashman. The Q& A will be Moderated by Brother Keith Howard of ZZL & Brother Jason Gamble of ZZL).

At the conclusion of the Q&A discussion there will a 8:00 PM book signing for Brother Ernie who has recently completed eight books in eight weeks an accomplishment that is unrivaled, and a CD signing for Linque who has recently released her latest effort “GOD SPEED”. During the book and CD signing from 8:00 PM to 9:45 PM You will have an opportunity to network with everyone in attendance including those from the documentary.This is something that we impress upon you to do. Please meet people and make that connection that can make change in our collective communities. FOR MORE INFO VISIT: ourgang62.com and press the button in upper left corner of the home page that says click to enter documentary.”

Peep out the flyer for the event (right click and view image for full size).

Have a great and safe weekend, DX. Enjoy the gorgeous weather.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Time After Time

April 16, 2008 | Tags: virginia tech, Mary Read

You know I had to do it, being that I live in VA – now home to the most brutal college campus massacre in our history.

It’s always a little interesting how the most ominously somber feeling days tend to be the ones where it’s gorgeous outside. It’s sunny, the cherry blossoms are looking amazing, and there doesn’t seem to be a cloud in the sky here in Northern VA (where the weather switches up on you faster than you can change into your “rain kicks”). Unfortunately, it’s not only the weather that seems to change up on short notice around here. In the blink of an eye your street can go from peaceful to a warzone (see my last post). And that doesn’t seem to change if you’re in the boonies of Blacksburg, either.

For those that somehow missed the memo, today marks exactly one year since the insanity that was the Virginia Tech massacre. It also marks a year since I have been driving past a memorial set up along a fence on my way to school. It belongs to Mary Read, and rests on a small, windy, residential street that happens to be a great cut-across to another main road when traffic sucks. Mary was young, just a freshman at VT when this all went down, and I remember catching the news last April and seeing her face and having to do a double-take because it was just that impossible to believe. See, Mary was a classmate of mine one year, and I got the chance to see her smile at least three times a week. She was one of the only things that made that particular class tolerable to sit through (although I never lasted and left anyway). Well, the smile, and the thought of my boy trying to mack on her. Oh, those were the days. Anyway, that girl would never hurt a fly, probably wouldn't even insult one, so you can imagine my feeling of disbelief when I heard. Although, after what happened to my boy Aaron, I’m starting to believe anything.

Especially that cliché saying about how bad things happen to good people.

Anyway though, since I drive past this memorial probably at least once a week, I get reminded of this event rather frequently*. Even aside from the tiny, fence-residing memorial to Mary, though, the reminders don’t end. I’m not sure about other places in the country, but here in VA (where we are definitely a gun state) a new debate has arisen that focuses on the issue of guns on college campuses. There’s two main arguments to this one: the people who support the carrying over of the state gun laws (open carry without a license, concealed carry with one) say “well, if just one person had been able to carry their weapon on campus that day at VT, somebody could have shot the gunman before he had a chance to kill so many people!”. Then, there’s the people that just feel completely insecure no matter who has the gun. They don’t want guns on campus, or in their state at all really.

Here’s my largest argument though: even if you outlaw guns, there will still be people who break the law. The law abiding citizens who you really don’t have to worry about not feeling safe around if they have guns will be the ones to follow that law and not have guns. Meanwhile the bank-robbing, rapist psychopaths will still be determined enough to have one (or ten, if you live where I live), and they’ll just turn to the black market and cop some anyway. Which leaves all the respectable citizens unarmed and vulnerable, and all the volatile people ready for war.

Just ask D.C.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/SCOTUS/story?id=4464727&page=1

New gun control measures have been taken in some cases since that awful day a year ago (such as measures to run mental health screenings prior to letting people purchase guns), but we have still been seeing the same thing. For instance, that shooting at Northern Illinois University in February of this year.

This world never ceases to amaze me. And I’m not sure I mean that in a good way.

So, as I get ready to head off to hip hop class and enjoy a sunny drive through the blossoming (in more ways than one) cities of the Northern portion of this wonderful Commonwealth, I’ll be thinking a lot about what kind of progress we’ve made since that day a year ago. I mean remember when they tried to do the benefit show for the students and some people were all up in arms about Nas' presence at the event because he raps about guns? Do you even think about that anymore? Did any change ever come from the outrage? I’m curious as to you guys’ thoughts about guns, gun control, rapping about guns and the influence it has on the masses, and school shootings in general. Get at me, and have a safe hump day, DX.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/1631036423e207/

…remember that track?

I’ll pull a Meka Soul and hit you with the original, too.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EWL5N6FG

*Actually, I’ll probably drive by it today on purpose, just to see what’s going on. I may update this with some pictures later, if anybody can’t sleep tonight and wants to check back.

OK, back with a couple pictures. It was so beautiful outside today.

My respects go out to all the victims' families.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

I'm Livin' in a Police State

April 11, 2008 | Tags: cops

The other day somebody told me that the environment I live in is akin to a movie set. I laughed at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed true. And there comes a point when it gets a little insane. What astonishes me the most, however, is how so many people remain seemingly unaware of what goes on around them. Shit, just today I was in the car with my mother giving her a hard time about how she’s oblivious to the cops around her on the road (hi, Mom!). It’s like people’s eyes are open, but they don’t actually see anything.

No wonder our country is so fucked up.

But the bitter state of our…uh…state, isn’t the point of this blog. I’m getting a bit perplexed at the fact that there are tons of eye opening experiences that happen around my way, but the people that need to see them are never around when they go down. Odd. Take for instance this past Thursday morning. I’m about to get like Slick Rick and get my storytellin’ on.

I’m about to get dressed for class in the morning (ok, early afternoon) and I look out the window and see a couple cops standing around outside the crib, and they got the street blocked off. I don’t think much of it, figure they’re trading donut recipes or something during a speed trap, I get myself as pretty as possible for getting damn near no sleep, and go to walk out the crib. I turn the corner and then promptly wish I had never even walked outside. Feds everywhere. I’m talking every 20 feet or so an unmarked SUV parked in the middle of the street or a parking space just filled to capacity with law enforcement officials. Again, I thought I knew what all the commotion was all about because my neighborhood isn’t new to this kind of thing (if I told you the reason, you probably wouldn’t even believe me). I start walking through the parking lot just minding my business and enjoying the weather, and by the time I’m about halfway to my car (which is admittedly a bit of a hike because the parking sucks in that joint, fuck the “association”!) there are guys hopping out the SUV’s in bulletproof vests running up the street with assault rifles (they looked a lot like AR-15’s) cocked and ready to shoot.

Assault rifles. At lunchtime. Did I mention I should have just stayed my ass asleep?

Of course there is no other person in the parking lot aside from myself and all of the pork patrol. It always happens that way. And people wonder why I’m so paranoid. Hmph.

So, I let my whip warm up and then decide that I’m ready to get my half-Arab ass the fuck outta there. I roll out, just about ready to take advantage of my supercharged engine, and promptly have to hit the brakes because there’s a cop chillin’ in the back cut exit to my neighborhood. And this guy was not trying to let me leave.

Fam. I’m an unarmed little ass girl, there’s guys running around with assault rifles, and you’re not trying to let me leave?! I had to give this guy my address, watch him punch it in his computer real quick, explain that I lived there and all that nonsense before he would let me out of my own neighborhood. Trapped in my own crazy ass hood. At least the last time this happened they let me leave, although they about damn near ran me over while they were ambushing some guy’s crib.

I mentioned earlier that I thought that I knew what this was all about. So I figured I could wait a few hours then peep out CNN or something to confirm the hunches I had, go back to feeling somewhat-safe-yet-definitely-not-secure, and that would be that. But this time the CNN story never happened. My hunch was wrong.

Get this: all of this commotion just to arrest a gang member. Are you fucking kidding me? I went to high school with hundreds of these so-called “dangerous gang members”, and you didn’t see me running around with a bulletproof vest and Bin Laden guns because I thought I was going to get knifed. Now, granted, the guy was accused of first degree murder, but come the fuck on. It’s one guy. One young ass kid. Everybody wants to save the world these days? You know how much gas you could have saved by only taking one SUV full of people to handle this situation? If you can say that I, by the rule of law, must attend school with these same people that these law enforcement authorities are so afraid of, and on top of that I must attend school with them and not have any weapons in my possession at the time, then you can be damn certain they did not need all that shit to arrest some young ass guy.

My theory about this is rather simple. The cops around my way (and around a lot of other areas as well, I’m sure) have far too much money for their own good. Shit, our cops roll around in BMW convertibles and Camaros. Crazy. They got helicopters up the ass that stay flying around at ungodly hours of the night. Not to mention they must have a lot of people on the payroll because I see them everywhere, all the time. And what comes with money? Corruption. “Money is the root of all evil”, right? Now sure, there’s some righteous cops out there (I’ve come across…two?), but there are some crooked as shit ones too. And the more money they have or are affiliated with, the easier it is for them to get away with the atrocities they commit in the name of “justice”.

Meanwhile, as they fly over us with fancy helicopters burning up some black gold, our public schools are roach infested, the gang problem isn’t getting any smaller, our own citizens are wondering how they’ll afford groceries, and I don’t see the drugs coming off of the streets. And maybe the worst part of it all is that I can wake up, see this shit, and it doesn’t even make me the slightest bit nervous anymore. Just some shit for y’all to ponder over the weekend.

And did I mention I'm getting too old for this shit? If I have to duck and cover, I may fuck around and throw my back out or pull a muscle or something. For that reason, I'm making sure I hit the gym tomorrow. You always have to be ready for a confrontation, right? Ah, Northern VA, at least you motivate me to work out.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Olympic Update

April 09, 2008 | Tags: china, Tibet, Darfur, Olympics

A nice handful of you contacted me expressing interest in my post about the Beijing Olympics and the displacement of people that was occurring to build the stadiums, as well as the atrocities involved with the situation in Tibet. I hope you’re still out there and paying attention, because there are some updates to be discussed!

For those that are planning on voting in the upcoming election, here’s some United States politics finding its way into the Olympic situation: democratic hopeful Barack Obama has called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony by President Bush if China doesn’t improve its human rights record, or if more steps aren’t taken towards helping end the genocide in Darfur. Hillary Clinton has also expressed a desire for action taken against the Olympics by Bush. It’s nice to see them doing something productive, rather than bashing eachother, isn’t it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7339943.stm

Ice cream company (and a long time frozen treat favorite of mine) Ben and Jerry’s has also taken a stand against the 2008 Olympics as well as the situation in Darfur. The company has representatives (one of which is Sudanese and one of which has worked in the Sudanese refugee camps) traveling across the company to college campuses and Ben and Jerry’s stores raising awareness by sharing stories of Darfur. According to the following article, “China buys two-thirds of Sudan’s oil exports”. Yikes.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-26-ben-jerry-china-darfur_N.htm

A name you should all be aware of by now, Ernie Paniccioli, notified me of a moment in this whole Olympic mess that has seemingly been overlooked by a lot of large, American news sources. During the torch run in San Francisco, runner Majora Carter flashed a Tibetan flag that she had hidden in her sleeve in an act of condemnation of China’s actions. An even bigger catch? She did so just after being passed the torch. Good for her!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080409/ap_on_re_us/olympic_torch

Those are my updates for now, DX. I hope at least some of you are paying attention, despite the fact that I'm not sitting here rambling about the latest faux-Carter III album cover that's floating around the internet, or whatever the hell else is going on in Hollywoodland right now.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Peace, Frosty Freeze

April 04, 2008 | Tags: Frosty Freeze, Rock Steady Crew

I was exploring my daily line-up of sites that I tell myself that I should peep out at least once a day if possible, and I noticed in very small print a little bit of information about Rock Steady’s Frosty Freeze.

Man…another one lost. As if it isn’t disturbing enough to see people that haven’t even hit 40 yet end up meeting their demise due to things like drug overdoses and gunshots, it’s such a weird feeling to start to see some of the people that paved the way for hip hop start to leave us due to natural causes. At first I said to myself the same thing that I’ve said damn near every day this week – “man…I’m getting old!”

But then I realized that I’m not really that old, but that unfortunate things are happening to people far too early in their lives. The news story here on DX says that Frosty Freeze died of an undisclosed illness. Now, I’m not really concerned with what he had, but what amazes me is that we’re living in such a technologically advanced society and yet there are still diseases that we can’t cure. AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, herpes, and the list goes on…

That’s all a little scary to think about. We can (allegedly) send ships to Mars, but we can’t even guarantee that a cancer patient will be able to be cured. Insane.

Anyway, I’ll save my ranting for another day, but I realized that hip hop has been around now for so long that some of the kids out there may not even recognize Frosty Freeze’s name. I mean shit, how many times do you hear about Rock Steady on the radio, or on TV? Even on the internet for that matter, unless you’re specifically looking for it? Exactly. Rather than just spit out a history of the crew, and of Frosty Freeze in particular, I figure I’ll cater to the YouTube addiction of the “90’s baby” crowd. I hope any of you that didn’t know very much about him can learn a little bit through these videos. Some may be semi-abstract cameos, but try to read into the context of it all a bit. And for all you older heads, or old souls trapped in young bodies such as myself, take a minute to reminisce about how things used to be.

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