Police brutality is alive and well; just ask DV One, who alleges he was stomped, taunted, and Tasered by SPD officers in the Memorial Stadium parking lot after the Franklin/Garfield high-school football game Friday, September 15, while his 14-year-old daughter was also being forcibly detained. There will be more to report as it all unfolds, so stay tuned for the whole story. I hope our hiphop community, real and imagined, comes together to support DV right now, however we can. That being said...
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor finally "officially" dropped, and I still say it's freaking great. I recommend it, even if a few of my favorite cuts from the leak were left off the retail version. Now most of y'all have probably already made up your mind whether you're feeling dude, but I still have a couple bones to pick. First would have to be his "Daydreamin'" video in which Lupe dances with a giant animated robot. It is never, ever okay for rappers to do this in a videoâno matter how much their jeans cost. Also, the song "Pressure," which was great in its original incarnation, now sports two meandering verses from Fiasco, an ehhh R&B hook, and a lackluster verse from Jay-Z. Hearing shit like this does not get my hopes up for Jay's forthcoming album, Kingdom Come; who said you need to drop a comeback album right now anyway? Mr. President, you need to get focused, man! Method Man, the Roots, and NORE are doing shitty numbers and pros like Redman and Joe Budden are MIA.
There's a lot happening in town besides the usual names; don't sleep on some of the NW's next class, such as Life Cycle (mellow, jazzy hiphop to get your chillax on with), Kublakai (witty, unpredictable, currently working with dope 206 producer Budo Soul), and Oly's soulman XPerience (member of the Stepcousins with Macklemore, member of SIX with Oldominion's Smoke and Iame). The three will be rocking at Chop Suey Monday, October 2. Take it all in. Phoenix, Arizona, hiphop fixtures Drunken Immortals are bringing their evil shenanigans to the Rainbow Tuesday, October 3, on a bill also featuring locals Tulsi and Locke. If you like that sweaty live hiphop shhh, this one will be a rare treat; plus it's 21+, so drink some swill and get buck.
Recently, L.A. stalwarts Ras Kass and the Game were involved in a regrettable altercation in which Kazzy sustained a black eye; accounts may differ, but it sounds like Mr. Understandable Smooth got lumped. I only bring it up to say this: When rappers run to YouTube like middle-school goths to post their smug and "I'm gonna kill your crew" videos (Game and Ras, respectively), doesn't it make you wanna just stop listening to rap altogether? No, me neither, but I just thought I'd get rid of those suckers in the room. Beef on, fuckers; it's a bad look for both of y'all (Ras Kass, I expect better from you)... so you might as well just run with it while I await the next episode of Flavor of Love.
