Wale: DC Chillin (Hosted By Hear-It-First.Net)

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What the Hood Could Learn from the Somali Pirates

I pulled this from AllHipHop.com because it is a very interesting story. We need to remember there is always two sides to every story. Before you make a judgement on something please hear other views on why something is the way it is.

By Chloé A. Hilliard

Once again American forces have saved the day, popping up in the Indian Ocean to body the four Somali pirates that held U.S. cargo ship captain Richard Phillips captive for five days. Now all the European countries that had been punked by the water thugs for the last couple years are rallying on the heels of America to punish the pirates.

No doubt, more blood will be shed and the already frail country of Somalia—a country that hasn’t had a solid government since 1991, no economy and watches helplessly as mafia ran shipping companies dump toxic waste on it’s shores—will be further devastated by those who want to punish it instead of help it.

The pirates villianized by the media are no more than fisherman, who made a living by selling fish and seafood caught off the shore of Somalia in an area dubbed the Horn of Africa.

Left to their own devices they banded together and created a network that manned the shores and waters. Frustrated by the dumping and the damage to their livelihoods they began to tax and hold for ransom boats that entered their territory.

Their mentality: “You not just gonna up in my hood and f**k my land up. You got to pay!”

Does this sound familiar?

If you live in any hood across America, you have witnessed something similar. Impoverished neighborhoods treated as dumping grounds and its people as pawns. Children attend schools with no windows and cracked roofs, no supermarkets or chain stores will build and the underdeveloped lands, mass transit is sketchy, business are forced to close, homeowners are beat over the head with inflated mortgages.

Yet, on this side of the pond, what is the hood doing to change the situation?

Where is the grassroots mobilization, the community within the community that says, “we understand you don’t respect us but we respect ourselves enough to keep what money we have in this community, to create jobs, teach ourselves, etc…”

The Black Panthers did it and were quite successful…for a brief period of time.

Ask young black or brown kids living in the hood what’s the problem and their response:

“We killing each other.”
“We hungry, tryna eat.”
“It’s hard in these streets.”

Americans have no idea want hunger and poverty is.

Life in Somalia: Personal stories

Eight residents of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, tell us what the new government's priorities should be and how they have survived 13 years of anarchy.

Mahamut:
Scrap metal worker
"I smash the foundations of the US embassy wall to get steel rods to sell"

Halima:
Refugee
"I am too busy looking for food to think about the peace process"

Abdi:
Refugee
"I see a dark future for my children. There are no schools or health services"

Gangs here fight with each other over turf, small time drug trade and egos. Nothing is done to better the community. There is no structure or hierarchy or goal outside of selfish ones. This isn’t to say that the people of Somalia aren’t the victims of gangs who are taking advantage of the country’s weak state.

Let’s not even call them pirates anymore…the community activists of Somalia saw their people dying and their land being raped and did something about it.

They are really starving.
They are really trying to eat.
They are really fighting the man.
Can you say the same for the goons who claim to run your hood?

T.I. Re-Releasing "Paper Trail"

Before T.I. heads to the pen, he plans to spend a lot of time in the studio working on new tracks for the re-release of his platinum album Paper Trail. The rapper reveals to MTV that five tracks will be added to the album and he’s also thinking about including leaked collabos “Like I do” with The Dream and “My Dear” with Ciara. He says,

“I’m still in the process of picking the songs, but I’m also still recording. Through the best of times and through the worst of times, I’m still able to record. It may change the sort of song you do, but you never can tell”.

I wonder what Grand Hustle has on deck while it's leader T.I. is doing time?

Deeper Than Rap - Exclusive Rick Ross Mini Movie

Rick Ross' short film Deeper Than Rap has officially been released online highlighting the rise of a fictionalized drug dealer from a kid to kingpin.

Keeping the film under 10 minutes, Ross' movie project features a limited number of cast members.

Executive produced by Rick Ross, Deeper Than Rap shows the young brother of a successful drug dealer witness the murder of his older sibling and associate while in his home. Filmed with a dark setting and with songs from Ross' album playing in the background, the film jumps to a present-day image of the protagonist as he has followed in his brother's footsteps within the drug game. Showing he has a business mentality amongst his associates and partners, the story's main character faces off with the men responsible for slaying his family. (World Star Hip Hop)

Sadat X ft. KRS-One & Rahzel - Blow Up Da Spot

Sadat X will drop his latest project Brand New Bein’ on May 5th. The LP will feature guest spots from Grand Puba & Lord Jamar, KRS-One, Rahzel, Buckshot, CL Smooth, Craig G, C Rayz Walz, Poison Pen, Cold Heat and others.

Sadat X ft. KRS-One & Rahzel - Blow Up Da Spot

Sadat will also hit Europe for a 10 date tour with Diamond D starting on April 29th in Copenhagen.

Rock The Bells 2009

Nas, Damian Marley, the Roots, Big Boi and Common, among others, will lead this summer's Rock the Bells traveling hip-hop festival, which is set to visit 10 North American cities on consecutive weekends from June 27-Aug. 9.

Also on the bill in various markets are KRS-One, House of Pain, Reflection Eternal, Tech N9ne, Murs, RZA, Supernatural, Raekwon, Sage Francis, Pete Rock and others. Each tour stop will feature 25 artists on two stages.

The summer trek is scheduled to visit Toronto; Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York; Denver; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Miami; and Vancouver. Specific dates and venues will be announced during a later date, according to Rock the Bells organizer Guerilla Union.

Rock the Bells made its European debut last fall, visiting such cities as Amsterdam, Prague, Stockholm, Helsinki, Paris and London. The European visit arrived on the heels of Rock the Bells' 10-date 2008 summer run of North American amphitheaters, which featured A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, Rakim, Pharcyde, Santogold, Kid Sister, Cool Kids and Murs, among others.

Here is a list of artists confirmed for the 2009 Rock the Bells:

Nas
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
The Roots
Common
Big Boi
KRS-One
House of Pain (with all original members, featuring La Coka Nostra)
Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli, Hi Tek)
Tech N9ne
RZA
Raekwon (Cuban Linx II)
Sage Francis
Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5'9," Crooked I)
M.O.P.
Charlie 2na
Necro
Eyedea & Abilities
Evidence
Alchemist
Psycho Realm
Mystic Jouneymen (Sunspot Jonez, Lucky I Am)
Mickey Facts
Tabi Bonney
Supernatural
Murs
Pete Rock
Slum Village (Baatin, T3, Elzhi)
Buckshot
K'naan

How Is Hip-Hop Dead When The New Draft Class Is Killing It?

Written by Carl Lamarre

I sense a heartbeat. Maybe it's Ron Browz' heavy bass escaping through the speakers. Maybe it's Slaughterhouse's affable comradery, which appears reminiscent of The Firm. No, wait. Maybe it's Kanye returning to his roots, which consisted of a dark Caesar, and bantering lyrics that drew smiles from even the harshest critics. Call me cynical. Call me naive. But, maybe the demise of hip-hop has escaped death a la 50, and is on the verge of returning from its banal state, and into something "Brand New."

We heard the complaints. From the inept lyricism, to the eye-gauging dances that had people running to the bathroom as if their stomachs were soaked with laxatives. We've seen the complaints displayed on numerous magazines, and blogs. Yet, only a few outlets have applauded the positives that have been utterly apparent. XXL, known for deliberating as to who should grace the Freshmen 10, may have hit the nail this year. Wale, Charles Hamilton, Blu, Curren$y, Mickey Factz, Kid Cudi, Cory Gunz, Asher Roth, B.o.B, and Ace Hood are currently walking with targets on their backs, as if they're Obama at the podium. This class has the makings of possibly resembling the 2003 NBA draft class. The skills are there. Their potential is simply waiting to be tapped. Others have referred to this list as a pseudo of the draft class. Some critics even believe that these artists will vanish sooner than Chandra Levy.

The funny thing was, when people were asked to label their flaws, the question remained unanswered. All you heard was pure hate. Who cares if Charles' spare time consists of having his fingers glued to a Sega controller? So what, if Asher Roth rather play beer pong than floss some gaudy jewelry. Is that a bad thing? Then people want to throw shots at Ace Hood by questioning his mic skills. The same dudes that were blowing the whistle on his wordplay were baffled when he stood side-by-side with Jada, Fab, and Juelz, during the cipher at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, where he mutilated his freestyle.

Just like the 03' class, the love for one another is there. In a conversation I had with Curren$y, he openly told me how happy he was seeing Charles and B.o.B's video being played on MTV. No hate. Just love. The same love that listeners once showed when Big L breathed air into the track like CPR. The same love that listeners once showed when Meth & Red joined forces on a track. What people need to understand is that '94 came, and went. If you can't embrace the new school cats, then fine. That's why you have the option of having an iPod, where you can remember the times like Michael Jack.

If people are really claiming that lyricism has been gone for a minute, and is indeed on the verge of falloff, then let me introduce you to hip-hop's new four-headed monster named Slaughterhouse. Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, and Royce Da 5'9 have decided to join forces and form hip-hop's new super group, equipped with jaw-dropping punchlines. From songs like "Move On", to "Wack MCs", this group is proving why their faces should be plastered onto Mount Rushmore. Individually, these rappers are fully capable of wowing the listeners. Now when they assemble, the possibility of a person's ear drum being popped has risen to a high rate.

Now for people who prefer that club and party music, complaints should be minimal here. Last time I checked, people have been "Poppin' Champagne" as if it was aspirin, and were quickly placing the blame on Jamie rather than the alcohol for their discretions. Yes, Ron Browz isn't the best rapper, but that's why I listed those artists above for those who want lyricism. Stop complaining about not having any music that tickles your fancy, nor move you feet, when you're the same person walking to 7/11 claiming you have "Arab Money."

For people who want a hint of everything, here comes the new man on the block, Drake. It's sad because everyone just discovered him, when in the contrary, he released his first mixtape back in '06. This man's buzz has been off the Richter as of late, especially with his latest mixtape So Far Gone. If you're in need of a ringer, which reminds you of wifey, Drake can croon his way into your heart with "Brand New". If you're in need of some punchlines, and well-crafted lyricism, then he could hit you with "Ignorant Sh**". The man is like Baskin Robbins, he has every flavor you oh so need, and maybe even more.

What more do you want? I'm tired of people crying, and complaining about the demise of hip-hop. Hip-hop never died people. She simply went into the surgery, and is awaiting a makeover. If she looks anything like Kim Kardashian, than I see no complaints. If you think she's on her way to looking like Star Jones, then feel free to take shots on the comment box below.

Wale - The Road to “Attention: Deficit Mixtape”

With the release of his single, the announcement of his promo tour as well as the release date for his next official mixtape, “Back to the Feature,” we felt it was perfect timing to put together a nice compilation of Wale’s work up until this point.

This compilation mixtape includes work from his past mixtapes (Paint a Picture, Hate is the New Love, 100 Miles & Running, The Mixtape About Nothing), as well as some live material and rarer freestyles. This is similar in style to our Cudi mixtape, that’s done almost 11,500+ Downloads so far.

We set out to call it the “Road” to Attention Deficit (his upcoming Interscope album) because his career has been a journey thus far - so we included live audio from the UK, Australia, California, etc. that captures his journey around the world.

Thanks to HHU members Clif Soulo (who initially thought of the project), Tha Advakit and K-TO.

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Wii Virtual Graffiti

If you don’t have a spray can for graffiti, why not try the Wii Spray. This virtual can is a mod from your trusty Wii Remote to create your virtual masterpieces. This looks crazy, a new way to do graffiti, save it and not get arrested all in one. After spotting this over at Hypebeast , I then checked out their site at WiiSpray and found the video posted after the break. The Wii is cutting edge with creating games and programs that mimic the actual activity as much as possible so with this program you can do stencil drawings or straight from the can, really incredible stuff. According to the video after the break it is "coming soon"!


WiiSpray Teaser from Martin Lihs on Vimeo.