Last night, I was playing one of my all-time favorites, that Redman/Method Man classic "How High," rapping every word, when I was struck by Reggie Noble's declaration that he was "bombin' you like Lebanon." Not because it was a callous, offensive thing to say—such things are just part of the Funk Doc's oeuvre in general. I was struck because I'd always accepted such a line (and of course I've heard hundreds like that from rappers in my life) as just being part of the natural order. Like: We bomb the shit out of the Middle East on the reg, so of course.

Just like you, I was grappling with my feelings after the horrors in Paris, about how nobody was talking about the double suicide bombing that happened in Beirut the day before—no options to modify my FB pic with the flag of Lebanon, Iraq, Kenya, or any of the places that have been touched by this particular strain of monstrosity. Why didn't people care as much until it hit Europe? And the real question is: Why didn't I? Why have I come to accept that shit like this just-sorta-happens to certain people and not others? Doesn't that sound familiar?

I need familiar sounds too, that sanctuary that Gary Bartz talked about. There's plenty to love right now—terrific new stuff from Porter Ray (Nightfall) and Silas Blak (Editorials: War Tunes) that I'll get to soon, but you need it now. More local moves to speak of: King Leez (fka Leezy Soprano), one of Tacoma's top-tier spitters—which puts him high up in the NW's rankings—just announced that he's joined Raz Simone, Sam Lachow, and Fatal Lucciauno as part of Black Umbrella. Total power move, and a promise of good things to come.

Speaking of, the same bit that I heard on the end of Leez's stirring "This Evening" (a snip from Louis Farrakhan's speech at Morgan State University) was also on the end of that brand-new Freddie Gibbs and Black Thought workout "Extradite." (Kinda like how that same Pac interview that Raz sampled so liberally on "Drake & Macklemore's Platform" back in February became the kicker at the end of To Pimp a Butterfly a month later. Just saying.)

Young Thug and Metro Boomin's quick round of beef on Twitter (since downgraded to "genuine misunderstanding," remedied with the release of their hulking "Hercules") hurt my heart almost as much as Gucci and Waka breaking up years back—and that was without the possibility of new ATL demiurges Thugger and Future being at odds over it all. (I can see why, too: Future and Metro's chemistry is too obvious on a song like "Last Breath," their anthemic contribution to the soundtrack of Creed, the newest entry in the Rocky franchise. It could give "Till I Collapse" a run for bleacher-crushing mania.)

"YoungMetroYoungMetroYoungMetro"—who, much like Oliver Twist, just wants some more—will be coming to Seattle for the Family Matters Tour (no Winslow) at the Paramount on Thursday, November 19, headlined by no less than Chance the Rapper, along with Hampton, Virginia's "Cha Cha" man D.R.A.M. and Chano's fellow SaveMoney rep Towkio.