1. 16 Mar


    In light of the news I present to you my favorite Nate Dogg appearances. R.I.P. Nate. He didn’t always voice the most enlightened perspective regarding women folk. But you can not deny his sound or influence on west coast rap.  At one point during the 90’s if a track ddn’t have nate dogg on it—- it wasn’t a real west coast gansta rap track. Nigga What!  

    So in honor of the brother who sang lovely, looked liked he might beat down if you looked at him funny and extolled weed, 40’s and women.  I present my top five Nate Dogg videos.

    1. Regulate Warren G and Nate Dogg.  The one that introduced us all to the dynamic duo. 

     

  2. 16 Mar



    I glanced in the cut and I see my homie Nate
     

  3. 16 Mar


    This Stahhr Spreads Light to Dark Minds.Stahhr the Femcee aka Mother Nature with a Moltov Cocktail.  Normally, I would not identify an emcee that way.  I personally hate the word. However, this artist’s agenda from a personal and political perspective includes using the moniker to push women’s presence in hip hop.  Who can hate on that? Not I.  Stahhr is a throwback.  This ain’t no rah rah. This is some chill chill.  She is political.  She is jazzy.  She  is lyrical.  She is Black Arts Movement. She is Isis and Oshun.   It’s clear listening to her most recent project,  Almost Neva Was that she wouldn’t be out of place in the early 90’s.  The production is very ala Jazzmatazz, ala Instinctive Travels , ala Rebirth of the Slick.  Retro is one of those things that’s tricky.  It can be awful when poorly executed.  It can be fresh as hell when rocked right.  Stahhr, as any emcee who understands the tenets of hip hop rocks well.  She is a beast in a battle and can hold her own in any cipher. Metaphors and Similes, oh she got these. She is clearly influenced by east coast hip hop but a southern girl to the core.   Born in Memphis and raised in Atlanta.  The scent of honeysuckle is but one of her muses.  So she says in an interview on We So Fresh.  Where she presents a very encouraging and engaging perspective on the current state of hip hop and women.  Potential my ass, Stahhr, she’s kinetic.

    This Stahhr Spreads Light to Dark Minds.

    Stahhr the Femcee aka Mother Nature with a Moltov Cocktail.  Normally, I would not identify an emcee that way.  I personally hate the word. However, this artist’s agenda from a personal and political perspective includes using the moniker to push women’s presence in hip hop.  
    Who can hate on that? Not I.  

    Stahhr is a throwback.  This ain’t no rah rah. This is some chill chill.  She is political.  She is jazzy.  She  is lyrical.  She is Black Arts Movement. She is Isis and Oshun.   It’s clear listening to her most recent project,  Almost Neva Was that she wouldn’t be out of place in the early 90’s.  The production is very ala Jazzmatazz, ala Instinctive Travels , ala Rebirth of the Slick.  Retro is one of those things that’s tricky.  It can be awful when poorly executed.  It can be fresh as hell when rocked right.  Stahhr, as any emcee who understands the tenets of hip hop rocks well.  She is a beast in a battle and can hold her own in any cipher. Metaphors and Similes, oh she got these. She is clearly influenced by east coast hip hop but a southern girl to the core.   Born in Memphis and raised in Atlanta.  The scent of honeysuckle is but one of her muses.  So she says in an interview on We So Fresh.  Where she presents a very encouraging and engaging perspective on the current state of hip hop and women.  Potential my ass, Stahhr, she’s kinetic.

     

  4. 16 Mar


    Peep This:  Its that StickickiMarz Lovejoy is fresh on the scene crispy and clean and out of LA.  There’s alot of interesting shit coming out of LA right now, not Hollywood, but LA.  It’s a horse of a different color.  In addition to the movement, that is the jerk scene, a developing genre birthed of hiphop.  You have a whole group of cats innovating and putting out fresh material in the vein of the original form.  This music classification is 35 years old but it sounds fresh as hell coming from the likes of Blu, Nippsey Hussle , El Prez and Pac Div. Speaking of Pac Div, you might be familiar with the woman in question because of a guest appearance she did on Shine.  Social media is responsible for creating so many movements that have the potential to be liberating.  In this case twitter  and youtube were utilized to assist Marz in creating a wider female presence in hip hop.  It’s also how she connected with Pac Div and her producer du jour, Polyester.  This emcee is new to the scene and is currently traveling in support of her freshman release, This Little Light of Mine.   The first single on that EP, Sticky has a sonically gritty almost “grimesque” production.  Her flow is purposely offbeat which makes for an engaging listen. She also does some singing on the EP that could best be described as quirky.  While she is charming, witty and playful with her approach (something much needed in hiphop) she also has some room to grow from a lyrical flow perspective.  As she is a student of hip hop I’m sure she will.  The finished project is fresh, fun and definitely some Cali shit. Given some time to mature the sticky green should be the bomb.  What’s also nice to know about this emcee is while pursuing various creative ventures she has the focus to create her own umbrella company, Soundz. Allowing her creative freedom and business control.  Now that really will get ya high.  Peep her website here buy the EP here.  She is one to watch. You can catch her at SXSW.

    Peep This:  Its that Stickicki

    Marz Lovejoy is fresh on the scene crispy and clean and out of LA.  There’s alot of interesting shit coming out of LA right now, not Hollywood, but LA.  It’s a horse of a different color.  In addition to the movement, that is the jerk scene, a developing genre birthed of hiphop.  

    You have a whole group of cats innovating and putting out fresh material in the vein of the original form.  This music classification is 35 years old but it sounds fresh as hell coming from the likes of Blu, Nippsey Hussle , El Prez and Pac Div.

    Speaking of Pac Div, you might be familiar with the woman in question because of a guest appearance she did on Shine.  Social media is responsible for creating so many movements that have the potential to be liberating.  In this case twitter  and youtube were utilized to assist Marz in creating a wider female presence in hip hop.  It’s also how she connected with Pac Div and her producer du jour, Polyester.  This emcee is new to the scene and is currently traveling in support of her freshman release, This Little Light of Mine.   The first single on that EP, Sticky has a sonically gritty almost “grimesque” production.  Her flow is purposely offbeat which makes for an engaging listen. She also does some singing on the EP that could best be described as quirky.  While she is charming, witty and playful with her approach (something much needed in hiphop) she also has some room to grow from a lyrical flow perspective.  As she is a student of hip hop I’m sure she will.  The finished project is fresh, fun and definitely some Cali shit. Given some time to mature the sticky green should be the bomb.  What’s also nice to know about this emcee is while pursuing various creative ventures she has the focus to create her own umbrella company, Soundz. Allowing her creative freedom and business control.  Now that really will get ya high.  Peep her website here buy the EP here.  She is one to watch. You can catch her at SXSW.

     

  5. 3 Mar


    She’s right it does have to be a personal decision.  And we have to provide the means and the space that allows young women and girls to have this conversation, lead this discussion and think about what this means for them.  We are also responsible for providing more than one means of arriving at a conclusion.  A space where you can choose to be a Queen Latifah, Amplify Dot, Nitty Scott or a Rasheeda the GA Peach.   It all comes down to exposure.   That’s what this blog is all about.  

    letgirlsbgirls:

    “Young girls have to decide who they want to be. If you want to be a woman of respect. If you want to be a woman who can support herself financially and not have to depend on any cat, any man. If you want to be a woman that’s considered beautiful…It’s got to be you.” - Jada Pinkett-Smith

     

  6. 1 Mar


    RAPSODY - HONDA ACCORD MUSIC (REMIX) (via IWWMG)

    I fucking love her voice/flow on this track!  More on Rapsody coming soon!

     

  7. 28 Feb



    Is this what 39 sounds like?

    In light of our discussion on aging and hiphop I present to you Take Your Clothes Off.  The latest by the well known hiphop production duo Timbaland and Missy Elliot.  A bonafied Missy party track or old and wack she needs to go back-to the drawing board?  I’m just going to say.  I did a chair dance to it. I like it.  What say you?


     

  8. 28 Feb



    Er’body Grown in Here, Right? Pt II

    The next installment in my ongoing series where we talk about artist of days gone by.
    If you are a head of the golden era of hiphop and political rap then you have likely heard of The Coup.  If not then take Public Enemy set ‘em Oaktown and give them Marxist and Mao leanings instead of the Nation of Islam affiliation and then you got The Coup.  Of course nothing is that simple, but just work with me here. While P.E. had the Bomb Squad, The Coup had Pam the Funktress.

    I mean really the empress of funk. You don’t hear me doe. She proclaims herself the Empress of funk my nig.  That’s some serious talking—but she backs it up.  The Coup albums were never at a loss for good beats and that is due to the skills of Pam.  The Funktress also calls herself the party slapper—-because she keeps hitting you with bangers.  She has been around since the 80’s but is perhaps best known nationally from her time with The Coup.  A pioneer in the Bay area which has always been a community engaged in the culture.  Peep her here on the 1’s and 2’s and in the video for Dig It to your right.

     

  9. 28 Feb


    Pam the Funktress with The Coup from the album entitled Kill My Landlord

    Dig It

     

  10. 28 Feb



    Talk about beautiful things a little bit