NC's OWN featured on New Ludacris album

For Ludacris' 6th studio recording he called in none other than North Carolina's finest...9th Wonder for production on "Do The Right Thing" co-starring Common and SPIKE LEE...yes that Spike Lee. AOG and WeMIX.com take you behind the lines to show you how the concept of "DO THE RIGHT THING" came about. 


That's not all. We also got out hands on another exclusive from THEATER OF THE MIND. "Call Up The Homies" co-starring The Game and DTP's own Willy Northpole (thanks to our people at THATs-LUDACRIS)

THEATER of THE MIND IN STORES 11.25.08

iKnowTANK's SAVE YO SELF tip of the week...THE GHETTO BIG MAC

As we approach the weekend keep in mind a few things...
1)Your WACHOVIA Card may just be a card
2)$20.00 on pump 3 may not get you ANY on pump 3
3)iCHAT is the new "STOP BY THE CRIB..."


props to DALLAS PENN for the video

What Th@ H3LL?

I was at the Panther win over the Chicago Bears this past Sunday (Sept. 13) and I remember looking up at the monitor in the press box at the score of the New England Patriots and New York Jets game. The Patriots were up, and eventually beat the Jets. Most of you know that now. 

The fact the Patriots won isn't really shocking. Not to me. The fact they won without Tom Brady at quarterback isn't shocking either. What has me wondering, "What the Hell," is the fact that they started a guy at quarterback that hasn't started a game since high school. Let me say that again. Matt Cassel (pronounced like castle, not Ku-cel), guided the Patriots to his first win as a starting quarterback since high school. 

That's some bullshit to me because I can name about 10 really good black quarterbacks that are sitting at  home, hoping to someday sign with a team. Hell, Dante Culpepper was like, "Fuck it." He retired after he couldn't find a home before the season started. What I'm trying to figure out is how the hell can a guy make it to the NFL when he didn't even do shit in college. I mean, white guys have it easy as hell. Damn.

You wouldn't ever see a black quarterback, that didn't start, make it to the NFL as a quarterback. Hell, guys that did their thing in college can barely make squads these days. And, guys like Tarvaris Jackson (Minnesota Vikings) can't get a break because he's black. How many times do you hear announcers say, "The Vikings would be Super Bowl contenders if they had a quarterback." That's some bullshit. Is it because he came from Alabama State, and not USC (where Cassel sat the bench for four years)? I'm just sayin.' 

That was just one of the many random thoughts that had me thinking while I was watching another football game. Crazy... You can't tell me that I don't have a point, though. CHUUCH.

"Did I Miss My EXIT?"

According to industry insiders (who's identity I will NEVER release' cuz I ain't on "The First 48") LL Cool J's latest release, appropriately entitled "Exit 13," symbolizing his 13th and final album as part of a multi-album deal signed with Def Jam may not sell 50,000 copies in its first week.

My original feelings about the G.O.A.T.'s marginal success we of sympathy and disappointment then it hit me "I haven't even heard the damn album and don't care much for the single." Furthermore, he's had 13 albums....way more than most artist unless you like PRINCE or somebody.

Should LL be upset that he didn't see any records,of course but in the history of his last few albums, who will he blame this time. JAY-Z is gone, the deal with G-Unit kind of disappeared, and he probably could have gotten out his deal after....say album 10. The bottom line is you can't make people support you. If its over, its just over.

The above statements were in no way intended to disrespect you Mr.James Todd Smith or you Mr.LL Cool J but even you two stopped wearing FUBU at some point in your life,just look at your album and career as "PLATINUM" FUBU...we loved it for a long time but eventually moved on.

SIGNS THAT THE END IS NEAR....

QUESTION???...."IF I were the person responsible for puting this video or song out...matter of fact, if I was even in the studio, gave someone a ride from the studio,delivered the pizza that they ate at the studio or sold them a bag of weed before they went to the studio...should I not only lose my job but also get the DOG SH*T kick out of me for even pretending that this record wasn't trash"?

I'm just ASKING...enjoy

I don't want it...

I have to preface all of this with "This is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree." Since that is out of the way, I heard this song for the first time over the weekend and I had to talk to one of my homies to see what he thought. He laughed and told me I should write a blog about it...so here it is. Now I'm not going to take the usual feminist, anti-mysoginist, FCC, "Save Hip-Hop, Save the World" (please note the sarcasm) angle (I can do that another time), instead I'm going to take the "Why this wouldn't make my sex song list" angle. Here are my biggest beefs with this track: 1) The title. This is a song by Trina and Killer Mike is asking that a chick look back at him. Now I get it, the title, the hook, the chorus, the male voice...all of that gets more attention then say Trina saying "Eat me, Eat me, Eat me then leave," but I still think she should have had a bigger role in that part of the song. 2) Why do I need to look back at you?? If you want to know the kind of job you're doing give me about 15 pumps, and if I don't stop and give a brief tutorial on how to make even rough sex pleasurable for a woman (with a female anatomy class as an added bonus), go into the living room to make a sandwich or watch television, or make an excuse about needing sleep when it's 7 p.m. on a Friday night, then you must be doing okay. And if it's an ego issue, then we can make a run to a store of your choosing and purchase a full length mirror. That way you not only see me, but you see yourself. 3) There is such thing as a sexy, up-tempo rap song ("Temptations" "F*** all night" "F'in You Tonight" to name a few,) and this isn't it. Don't get me wrong, I like Trina and Killer Mike, but this song is almost like (for ladies) wanting to have sex with a really sexy virgin. You see a guy and he really has everything working for him. His mind, his body, his face, the way he speaks...everything is beautiful. You date for a while and the night comes when you decide to have sex with him. You make out, it's awesome; he touches you, it's great; and then he gets inside of you and starts doing a mixture of "fish flopping" and "jack-rabbiting." It's the ultimate beautiful letdown. This song had everything working for it, the title alone suggests that it would be on a lot of people's "Top 10 Up-tempo Rap Sex Soundtrack," and once you combine that with the beat and the ridiculously erotic lyrics, it has multiple orgasm written all over it--but it just doesn't deliver. So I'll chalk this up to a song meant strictly for club dancing (better known as dry humping.) As always, let me know what you think and enjoy the video!!

Morning Oil

Inspired by today's blog. Enjoy!

Skin & Green Perks

Another evidence of Skin Perks has been found in South Africa. Mark Scott Crossley, a man who was convicted of murder in 2005, has been released from prison on two technicalities--his skin color, and his money. Crossley was arrested after ordering that a black man (an employee) be beaten and thrown into a lion's den. He initially was sentenced to life in prison, but the sentence was reduced after a judge ruled that although he ordered the beating, he may not have ordered the man to be thrown in the lion's den, and the man may have been dead before his body entered the lion's den. Hmmm...so even if he did not order the lion's den execution, he still ordered the man to be beaten, possibly to death? I know this isn't hip-hop, but I thought we all could benefit from knowing how truly separate everything is. Let me know what you think.

Barely Makes My News

This barely makes my news because...well, it's Ice T and his wife, "Coco". I could get on my pedestal and discuss the proper way to present yourself, the image a photo like this is sending to the public, how this seems to be an unbalanced, unhealthy relationship, but the truth is that whatever they have seems to be working well for them. So while the mere fact that they chose to do this is hilarious to me, I really cannot say much about it. I hope you enjoy the pic.

Afternoon Oil

Enjoy!

Here's To You

Still one of my favorite songs.

Last But Not Least

It's always unfortunate when anyone suffers what is (to us on earth) an untimely death, but it seems to be even harder when a popular public figure, and cultural constant, passes away. With that said, I lower my head and say a silent prayer for the families, friends, loved ones, and fans (like me) of comedian Bernie Mac and artist Issac Hayes.

Barely Makes My News

I was on vacation for a week, and the few times I turned on the television I saw the "breaking news"John Edwards' affair. Here's why this barely makes my news:

A) His wife knew about the affair and they were taking steps to deal with the whole thing, so why should anyone else be upset?

B) Despite his smile and full head of hair, he's human like the rest of us. I don't condone adultery, but I do condone forgiveness.

c) Even if (A) isn't true, it's really none of our business.

Why is our culture so obsessed with infidelity? Is it a tribute to the old adage "Misery loves company," or is it something else? I'm not going to argue any man/woman points, because truthfully monogamy can be difficult for both genders, but it has always been intriguing to me why cheating makes so many waves. No one cares if a man murders, rapes, or pees on random women, but if he kisses or goes to the movies with a woman that isn't his wife, it makes international news. Not judging, just observing and commenting.

Double Shot

Enjoy!

Neechy Dayline

Everyone's favorite entertainer and reality star-ish, P Diddy, recently commented on the event he would win in the Olympics:

If Diddy were in the Olympics, what sport would he win a gold medal in? “Who could have sex the longest,” he tells New York magazine. “I think that’s an event I can do well in. And probably who could stay up the longest.” He adds, “Just so you know, that’s supposed to be funny. Even though I am serious.” Who would he compete against? He tells the magazine: “Whoever’s up for the challenge.”

*Sigh* I've been a firm believer that if you have to say it, chances are it isn't true. But let's say it is...so what? A man having a firm, everlast rocket doesn't mean anything. You have to know how to use it and when to use it. It sounds like a desperate attempt to be sexy, which is not doing much over here in my neck of the woods. It would be nice to hear male celebrities, other than Will Smith, talk about being romantic and making some love. Anything can f*ck (please excuse my language), so saying "I have a penis, it gets hard, and it stays that way" doesn't really mean that much. But hey, he was being "funny" and I know people say a lot for laughs, so I won't be too hard on him. Sidenote: Does he mean challenge like other men who can stay up, or women willing to have sex with him?

Morning Oil

Enjoy!

Twinkle

I absolutely LOVE Usher's "Here I Stand" album and here's 5 reasons why:

1) He is painfully honest about his past.

2) He gives all the people that speak negatively about his wife and his marriage a nice FU in at least 4 songs (one of which features Jay-Z).

3) He admits that his old tendencies try to come back and tempt him even as a married man.

4) "Gently"

5) "Moving Mountains" is quite possibly one of the best songs that chronicles what really happens when things are falling apart in a relationship.

Usher doesn't seem to be afraid to say all the things that other people are thinking. So kudos to him for (excuse the cliche) "keeping it real." I know most people probably listened to it already, but I just heard the whole thing last night. Sidebar: Isn't the mere fact that he feels like he needs to defend his relationship pure insanity?!

L.Hill

I read it twice to make sure I had it right, and it looks like one of my favorite artists is about to make another album. Yes! Lauryn Hill is resurfacing. I cannot wait and she will be the inspiration behind today's oil.

Really?

Like many women, I have become addicted to at least one "America's Next Top Model" season, so this is not to bash Tyra. I think she's doing an awesome job and making big, big moves. My issue is with part of her comment in a recent magazine caption. It went something like, "Barack and Michelle might be on their way to the White House, but I'm on my way to White Castle." This seems like a two-fold effort: 1) it's an attempt to show that she's at least somewhat aware of current politics, and 2) an intent to show that she's just like so many non-millionaires out there who eat at fast-food hamburger joints. I'm not sure why people have the need to do that at all. I use to read "US" magazine, and they would have this silly regular called "Stars are just like us" or some crap like that. Well in this, they would show celebrities eating ice-cream, tying their shoes, buying toilet paper, walking...I mean just ridiculously human things. Why is that something to get excited about? Why would someone think that they don't do human things like eat, shop, have sex, get pregnant, cheat, lie, do drugs, get saved, laugh, cry, celebrate...all those things are normal HUMAN activities, so since celebrities are human, exactly like me and you, why do people make such a big deal about them doing regular things? And why are celebrities sometimes forced to act like they do this regular things? Let me know what you think.

Barely Making My News

So Remy Ma has a new legal defense team to work her case. Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm not sure why someone making an effort to get out of prison early makes the news. Doesn't it just make sense? If I were imprisoned I would want the best team of lawyers my money could buy, and I think everyone else would too. So, that is why it is barely making my news. Best of Luck to Remy Ma in the future.

Another year without Vick in the NFL

So, I'm sitting here thinking about another football season approaching. I'm always pretty excited about this time of year because I love football. There's nothing like football season to me. The parties even seem to be more exciting after a big football game.

Let me get to my point real quick. This is another season without Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. As you know, Vick was given 23 months of prison time for financing dog fighting. Reports also said that he also contributed to dogs being killed simply because they didn't perform well. I mean, I love dogs just as much as the next person. But come on now. No one should go to prison for dog fighting, funding it, or holding dogs that fight. It's a cultural thing. Those of you from the hood understand that it's just something that goes down in the hood. It always has. 

Yet, Vick — one of the most exciting, black quarterbacks we've ever seen in the NFL, has to go another year without football. And, we have to go another year without watching him. That's some bullshit. I mean, it would be one thing if he had murdered a person, been caught doing drugs or even been in a number of questionable acts. But that's not the case. My man simply funded dog fighting. And, he was basically done in by some of his old homeboys who tried to get less time by snitching. That's just some shit right there. 

Damn, I hope he comes back better than ever, or at least just as good — next year. 

Afternoon Oil

I love it! Enjoy!

Really?

This may be a sensitive subject, but can anyone explain to me why people are upset about Rick Ross having a job at 19? I mean there are a lot of arguments that can be made, but basically that's what everyone is mad at, right? Someone possibly working to pay bills? Or wait, maybe everyone is upset because they think he has falsely identified himself as a "bad" man who worked on the street before making it in the music business. Is that it? I'm not sure if people realize this, but it's possible that he did both. And even if he didn't, who can blame him for stretching the truth a bit? Let's face it, each song and cd by any artist is like a resume, haven't all of us stretched the truth a bit on a resume? Do we really have all those talents and skills? Are our references really being bluntly honest about our reliability and work ethic? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but embellishment seems to come with the territory. I just think that the people whining about Rick Ross's employment several years ago are ridiculous. Yes, ridiculous. Furthermore, I doubt any of them would walk up to him and say it, because whether he was a C.O., drug dealer, pimp, sales manager, retail specialist, high school math teacher, whatever his occupation was, that's a large man and he looks more than capable of defending himself. Everyone should just enjoy what he's doing now, which is making music.

Morning Oil

More narcotic to get you through another day. Enjoy!

Neechy Dayline

In my quest to become an accomplished Hip-Hop philosopher, I try to find artist comments that really make me think. Today, this one by Roots member Quest Love really has me going: "The new minstrel movement in hip-hop doesn't allow the audience to believe [the] artist is smart." I'm not sure if this is the quote in its entirety, so I cannot say much about the larger scope. However, I will say that there are a few definitions of minstrel: 1 - a poet or singer, 2 - a medieval poet or singer, 3 - white men, dressed in black face, telling jokes and singing songs. So this makes me think - is Quest Love saying that there are white men pulling the strings of black artists, and as a result these black artists are viewed as mindless puppets? If so, then I ask: Does the minstrel show stop there? It seems as though all artists, of all genres, are being pulled and pushed into different directions by the "man." These directions may be welcomed, or they may be a means to an end, but nonetheless, the puppet act is not limited to hip-hop or music. This also makes me wonder: Is this really new? Haven't there always been people telling others how to sell their creativity, how to market their passion, how to make money from their dreams? I find myself growing tired of the idea that this "audience" is made up of blind followers who refuse to think and choose music based on any other reason than "it sounds good." I think both the audience and the artist deserve more credit than that. But, I could be wrong. I'm still learning. Let me know what you think.

Barely Making My News

The Dipset family seems to be breaking up. Cam'ron sold Juelz's contract to Def Jam for $2 million dollars. Of course Juelz claims to have no hard feelings toward Cam'ron and pledges to be loyal to Dipset. This tops my "barely making my news" article of the day, because I barely care about the content. I know a lot of people, most of whom are my closest friends, that think Dipset is akin to the second coming...I strongly disagree. Feel free to check out the full-length article by heading to link below.

http://www.livesteez.com/news/news_detail/982

Really?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDsQtIvgNt Damn Luda!! I enjoy Ludacris's music as much as the next woman, but he had to have known that this would be a bad idea. "The Bitch is Irrelevant"? Even now as I laugh at the rhymes to myself while hiding behind the monitor of my office PC, I still believe there should always be a decorum when dealing with the public and dealing with politics. Tact is something we should all learn how to use well, apparently this is a trait lost on one of my favorite rappers. I love Luda, so no disrespect to him, but every now and then we should use a little common sense.

Morning Oil

Here's your oil -- Enjoy!

POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK?

What's good people, this is your homeboy Mr. Wilmo. Dropping a line...

I recently ran across a music video that was apart of my childhood. Now that I'm grown, i think it was some super trifling shit! The video in question is 1994's "Funky-Y-2-C/Hey Little Mama". This video is what pedophile dreams are made of! All of juvenile ass shakin and hooker strolling is jaw dropping. The climax to the bullshit is the 3 min. mark of the video, when a girl that couldn't be any older than 9 does the nastiest butterfly EVER! With all of that said, I know my peers are quick to look at today's generation as crazy, or even hopeless... but before you judge them... take a look at this shit! Because, this right here is all us!

CANT KNOCK THE HUSTLE!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x61lab_ski-beatz-interview-and-ricky-rucku_music

The legendary Ski Beatz in the lab with NC emcee Ricky Ruckus. Peep Dat.

JOEY TOP 5?

http://www.zshare.net/audio/148738650c191f5f/

A MILLI MILLI'S

IS ANYBODY ELSE TIRED OF THIS WHOLE MILLI EPIDEMIC?

CAROLINA ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Unsigned NC Artist, Ricky Ruckus, wins 2008 Carolina Artist Of The Year Award! I think it might be safe to say Carolina might be up next.