"Keep You Head Up!!!"

Its been 10 years since Pac's death and next to Elvis I have not seen/heard anyone dead still making so many moves. I thought Puff was grindin' put Pac got this game on lock. Clothing lines, music releasing every year with enough material to release a few more, poetry, etc. Today I heard on radio, based on the book Tupac Shakur Legacy, Pac intended to develop a camp for children and a Restuarant alongside his career as a musician/actor. (WOW!!)

When it comes to Tupac I am a bit of a fair-weather fan. I liked his verse in "Same Ole Song" by Digital Underground but I didn't think his career would amount to anything based on the first single, "Trapped". (boy was I wrong!) "Trapped" didn't move me as "Brenda Got a Baby". Of course, I only knew of that song by watching it repeatedly on "The Box", a pay-per-view channel for music video in early 1990s.

Pac rode the thin line between gangster and conscious rap. One could never predict this man. Not too far away was trouble, tailing him at every town he entered.

In my opinion, his career made a huge turn for the better after the release of my favorite film, "Juice". Bishop will forever be that crazy @$$ Nuh that you don't want in your circle. The images of Pac as Bishop were dark and demented quite similar but less covert as his role as Bird in "Above the Rim". Very good portrayal for the first time actor. Pac went on to do a few more films i.e. "Poetic Justice" and "Gang Related".

As a hip-hop artist, "I Get Around" was fun to listen. "Get Yours" by MC Breed and 2Pac was fierce. He was a beast of a writer from songs to poetry and even stories. I could only imagine the countless sheets of paper that must have had been in his cell after being imprisonmed for "rape" or the number of tapes used after each daily recording ritual.

The fued with Biggie was intense enough to get escalate the East vs. West beef. "Hit 'em up" is the hardest dis track more so than Nas' "Ether". Pac's passion was evident in his tunes like Bone Thugs n' Harmony's "Thug Luv" (sick!!) His verse on Scarface's "Smile" was spooky. I always wondered why would anyone do videos or write songs about afterlife, i.e. "Not Mad at You".

"Thugs Mansion", "Letter to My Unborn Child", "Dear Momma", "Baby Don't Cry", "A N_ggaz Nature", "Ambition az a Ridah", "Changes", "Keep Ya Head Up", "Against All Odds", "Me And MY Girlfriend" and "Pain" were all my favorites. You may think I like I lot of songs than how am I a fair-weather fan? Well, I say Quality vs. Quantity. This dude has written over 150 songs and I liked only a few. A small percentage of top quality material. Also folks put him in their top 5 list only to mention some west coast artist. (BTW he was born on the east and dismissed the entire coast based on the "betrayal" of his people after his shooting as result of a robbery and the lack of support when imprissoned for the "rape" charge.) Don't get me wrong he could spit but there is something that is missing that would not place him on my top 10 or 20 for that matter. I know too many subpar cats that would toast him in 3 rounds. He did have one-liners that were ferocious.

He shared all his pain: abandoned as a child, his mom was a former drug addict and Black Panther member, raised by the streets, and the stressful life as a celebrity/artist. He expressed his pain in his tats. Thug Life written across the belly.

"I live the thug life baby I'm hopeless smoking on that endo trying to keep my focus."

The impression he made on fans are remarkable. His material still sells and resonates. Pac was the blueprint for artists like Zane, Drama, Ja Rule, DMX, and 50 Cent. His death is still a mystery and very unnecessary. He was very young and at the peak of his career. It was said he was an example of art imitating life and life imitating art. Pac said it himself, before he wrote "Trapped" he never was never arrested but afterwards it was routine for him to be harassed by other thugs, police and obseessed fans. As the fame grew so did the drama.

RIP Tupac Amaru Shakur.
"True to the game till they bury me."

"Some one please call 911"
-Wyclef Jean featuring Mary J. Blige.

The title is not befitting of the topic but I want to stay true to my theme. I apologize to anyone offended.

Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of 9/11. The damage caused by the tragedy of these events are far greater than folks are willing to admit. On my part I am tramautized. I get an eerie feeling when watching re-runs of Will and Grace (no brokeback!!) or Friends especially when the show fades in with a glimpse of how New York City used to look.

Five years ago at first glance, I was shocked to see the hole and flames in the first building I thought it was an accident but I saw the second one strike the second and I was floored. I called the very small few that I knew that worked in that building. Luckily they all survived but the six degrees of seperation weren't. As the buildings collapsed so did my spirit. We lost thousands of lives that day and even today as a result of the poor conditions in the area or just misery.

RIP to all those lost and God bless those affected by physically, mentally and spiritually.

"Last Night a DJ Saved My Life"
- Indeep

"There's not a problem that I can't fix, Cause I can do it in the mix..."

The other night I got to spin at my Boy Onion's BBQ. Actually I wasn't even supposed to play but I promised I would back him up. He was asked me to DJ months prior to the event but I declined because I felt I wasn't ready. The plan for the BBQ was a night with kareoke, a band and the DJ. If not for the encouragement from Onion I wouldn't have got on but I eventually did. The band monopolized the whole event so when we got to play the crowd was light.

I am like Diddy," I just wanna make you to dance!!" So I came up with a playlist in mind which required audience participation. It worked!! Some "Lean With It..." by Dem Franchise Boyz, "Snap Your Fingers" by Lil' Jon, and "Chicken Noodle Soup" by DJ Webstar and Young B. My intention was to play only a few songs but I once got in the groove and didn't feel like stopping. It wasn't an older crowd but I wore them youngins out.

I got compliments about my selection but I am not good at taking them but I really had a blast. This experience was better than my last. I made a few mistakes: I didn't bring the tunes I wanted to play, my mixes were weak, the music cut off a few times. We still made it through. Now I can't wait for the next one. In the meantime I am going to practice and try to get some gigs.

Thanks Onion!!!!

"Just Another Case of The PTA"
by Leaders of the New School

It's September and by now all students in the US are back at school. I am back fresh off the VMA's where all the major players in hip-hop attended. A friend asked me how it was? I thought about it for a second and came to conclusion: the Hip-Hop scene music is like attending High School.

Most of us have gone through that experience can relate to walking down the halls or the cafteria of the local High School. You are anxious to see what high school is like. Your hormones are racing because you are teenager ready to let loose. As you are walking down the corridors you notice all the different cliques. In Front of the school is gangster rap: 50 Cent, G-Unit and Dipset standing on the sidelines talkin ish starting trouble they all have criminal records and they aren't afraid to explain how they got that way. They are not inside unless they have business to attend. School means nothing to them. These "Trap" stars or however you wish to call them. They get a lot of love from the ladies. There goes Kim trying to roll with the bad boys. She had a reputation for being very loose. If you see Latifah PLEASE don't call her a B$#%!!! Missy won't mind.

Inside is Hip-Pop. You know the kind that everyone aspires to be because they are "in" or "cool" i.e. T.I., Diddy and Jay-Z. These guys have game and style are usually with the hot shorties like the Pussycat Dolls, J.Lo, Beyonce, Ciara or Kelis. They have so much game that their main shorty and side piece are standing right next to each other. hint Beyonce and Rihanna.

As you walk further along you see the dudes that dress really well. Almost too well or just plain akward. straight out of the show "queer eye for the straight guy." Kanye West, Common, Andre 3000, Ceelo Greene. very suspect.

Then we pass the skateboarders. There sense of style is having a lot of tatoos to cover all the scars from falling and wearing shorts in the winter i.e. Pharrell.

Nas, Snoop, Ludacris and Timbaland would be the hustle cats that knows everyone from each circle but "cool" in their own right. Their are also cats that no one even remembers attended school there: Clipse, E-40 amd Slim Thug.

Then we pass the apprenti. The freshmen. The cats that are trying to find their identity in the crazy mixed up school: Young Dro, Young Joc and Chamillionaire. Some of them start off in backpack scene (usually geeks) and evolve to the other scenes but everyone remembers them on the come up (Jay-Z is a perfect example.)

Wyclef and Lil' Jon would be the pranksters or class clowns.

Where is Busta and Spliff?? probably in staircase smoking a big fatty!!

The school is diverse: Paul Wall, Black Eyed Peas and Daddy Yankee all attend.

One last thing. Don't disrespect Coco, Ice-T's girl, if so you will have to meet him after school.

Now usually the cliques stick within their own circles: Collaborations on singles, touring together. They hardly ever intermingle outside their group unless they are in a class-like environment like the Award shows, video sets, concerts because they are xenophobic. Outside the class they dis each other, spread rumors about each other, mess with the same girls and fight each other. The teachers would be old school cats like Ice-T, Rev. Run and LL Cool J. But they really may not care about schooling the new jacks because the pursuit of the mighty dollar is far more important. There are some cats there to learn and graduate to better things (Kanye, Common, Timbaland) but face it some of them will drop out before commencement.

Life is what you make it.

BTW: Coco, Ice-T's "wife", is sick!!! (positive comment.)

Note:
This is just a satire based strictly on the cats I saw at the VMAs and how they interacted with each other. Don't take it personal if I mentioned you favorite artist.

"Oh What a Night"
Diamond Shell f/ Biz Markie off the Grand Imperial album.

I recently had a gig the other night that landed me backstage to the MTV Video Music Awards. I was responsible for escorting "Talent". Pretty much a babysitter gig. I had to learn the venue floor plan and basically navigate "talent" around. But also I had to keep an eye out for the "talent" as well. Now "talent" could be escorting the dancers, a choir, a magician or even an artist. Originally I had Ludachris' dancers. (It was nice to have an attractive harem of women depending on me to take them around.) At the last miute I was pulled from that assignment and given another artist. I wasn't as excited when I heard the name. 50 Cent.

I am a fan of his music but I an idea on how much trouble it would be and boy was it. I think I was picked because of my size (6 feet tall over 250 lbs., I call it mass profiling. lol). Being backstage was hectic. I mean, camera crews, stage hands, artists, and dancers shuffling around. 50 was late for the show and he never showed up for rehearsal. So I had to take him immediately to talent holdings to learn his lines and then to his seat.

As I greeted him. He respectfully says "Hello" and belts "Yo, I got to take a $#$@ piss!" I take him to the nearest one that I know but its a public bathroom. I navigate G-Unit Members (Banks and Young Buck. I have no sight on Yayo), Chris Lighty (President of Violator Management and Jive Records), and 4 enourmous bodyguards down the narrow halls of Radio City. G-Unit members were talking ish to intimidate folks. I must admit 50 didn't seem intimidated by anyone either. He usually walked ahead of his security but it was very unlikely that it would "pop off" either so I retract that.

After 50 is done, he asks me to direct him to a dressing room. I had no knowledge of such and inform him so. He decides to change in the restroom. I turn my back again and overheard a large clank sound hit the floor. I can't confirm the noise but it sounded like some sneaked a piece in the venue. Its not like it wouldn't be possible with all the armed policemen present in the arena. As we left, I was really shocked that Common gave 50 a pound (handshake for your lame cats) and told him to keep his head up for folks in the venue that may wish him harm. It was a picture moment that folks would been baffled to see. Ganster rap meets whatever Common is refered to.

As we returned backstage someone from Lil' Kim's camp says something to 50. It didn't really escalate but Chris Lighty was livid. At first Chris thought I said it but was reaffirmed by security that I had no part of it. It really was a close call because they were literally 8 feet away from each other as Kim left the building. "50 was about to set it off." said Lighty to the secuirty. As 50 and LL presented and I walked around the venue rubbing shoulders with Diddy, Hulk Hogan, Beyonce, Kelis, Timberland, Luda, Lala, Cipher Sounds, Rev. Run and Family, OK Go, pretty much everone there including cats I had no idea who they were. I watched the show, my time with 50 was done.


I later watched the tivo-ed show and saw myself and on the Overdrive section of the show. I really am a big dude. (time to hit the gym!!)

It was a cool night but I doubt I will do it again at least the MTV music awards. I have another blog which will sum up my attitude of the artist coming soon.