http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:56:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 en ©Take Da Hood Back 2003-2006 krucial@krucialkeys.com (Take Da Hood Back) krucial@krucialkeys.com Music , News, talk radio 1440 krucial keys, hood, hip hop, soul, talk TakeDaHoodBack Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk Take Da Hood Back Take Da Hood Back krucial@krucialkeys.com No no http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/hoodback-cover-jpg.tiff http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog 144 144 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=141 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=141#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:57:36 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=141 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=141 We're back. And there's never been a better time to start clean.... as America is embarking on a new day. It will take a minute ... We're back. And there's never been a better time to start clean.... as America is embarking on a new day. It will take a minute to fully grasp the magnitude of such a meaningful moment in history. A process that, over 21 months, has ignited young voters, forced older generations to consider change, challenged and brought down racial barriers, continues to side-step religious divides, but has bridged countless gaps across the board and has shown how vast the landscape in America is.... and yet, how connected Americans are in your vision for a different future. What you may not have seen is how much the rest of the world is paying attention. Over the past 8 years, the respect that the world had for America has dwindled. Our confidence in American values and ideals, and in America's willingness to consider the needs of anyone beyond its own borders had diminished to the point of a collective frustration and anger towards the perception of increased American arrogance. To be straight- you cannot buy, exploit or bomb your way into earning respect in the world. The entire world recognized that a change was needed. Please understand the potential for a momentous, historic shift towards a new America. I emphasize the word "potential". Bush was the head of a deadly snake. But exploitation, greed, the collapse of the economy, the war in Iraq, the continued abuse of power..... could not manifest itself so greatly without structures of power maintaining a culture of corruption. With great expectations comes a great burden and President-Elect Obama was the first to make that clear last night. No matter how transformational a figure he is, if the American people do not hold Washington accountable, Barack Obama's agenda for change will not be realized. Real change will come with the revitalization of social movements, and new organizing that holds the administration, corporate heavyweights, big pharma, etc. accountable for their actions. It was will come when you are as engaged and involved in policy making as you were in this election process. And I truly believe that President-Elect Obama will do everything in his power to facilitate your involvement. Just an hour after it was clear he would be elected president, he personally sent an email to millions of his supporters assuring them that there was a lot to be done and that he would email them soon to lay out how they- how YOU can get involved in re-building your country. That is an unprecedented move towards a new way of governing. One that recognizes a technological shift and one that recognizes and values the voices of the people. I cannot remember a time that any world leader so blatantly spoke to the entire country as said, "I will listen to you.... especially when we disagree. I need your help". So please....... soak in this special moment in history. Understand the importance of this election and what it means for every generation that came before us. For those who lived through or died during the slave trade, for those who lived in a racially segregated America, who had grandparents or parents that experienced voter suppression, who remember the Civil Rights Movement, who marched from Selma to Montgomery, who remember the Feminist movement, who remember the anti- Vietnam war movement, who remember what it was like to revolt. Appreciate how far we've come. It's an emotional, epic moment in time..... but understand that we have a long way to go. History has taught us that change does not come to us. We move towards change. The enthusiasm surrounding this election and the high turnout rates proved that in order to realize the potential of a different future, each individual needed to do their part for the betterment of a collective movement. I've heard countless people say that this was the first time they felt like their voice made a difference. Recognize that you, not only watched history play out, but if you voted, you had a unique and pivotal General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=140 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=140#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:37:36 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=140 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=140 can y'all feel it?? stay tuned.... can y'all feel it?? stay tuned.... General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=135 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=135#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:41:34 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=135 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=135 The Sean Bell Tragedy By Kevin Powell April 25, 2008 I am sick to my stomach and I really do not know what to say right this second. ... The Sean Bell Tragedy By Kevin Powell April 25, 2008 I am sick to my stomach and I really do not know what to say right this second. My cell and office phones have been blowing up all day, and people have been emailing me nonstop, to let me know that Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora, and Marc Cooper, the three New York City police officers accused of shooting 50 times and murdering Sean Bell, were found not guilty on all counts: Oliver, who fired 31 times and reloaded once, and Isnora, who fired 11 times, had been charged with manslaughter, felony assault and reckless endangerment. They faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Cooper, who fired four times, faced up to a year in jail if convicted of reckless endangerment. And that's it: Sean Bell, a mere 23 years of age, out partying the morning before the wedding to the mother of his two small children, dead, gone, forever. Sean Bell and his two friends, Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman, all unarmed, ambushed by New York's finest. His last day, November 25, 2006, is marked as another tragic one in New York City history. How many more? I once heard in a protest song. How many more? But I knew this verdict was coming. I have lived in New York City for nearly two decades and, before that, worked as a news reporter for several publications throughout the city's five boroughs, and I cannot begin to tell you how many cases of police brutality and police misconduct I covered or witnessed, more often than not a person of color on the receiving end: Eleanor Bumpurs. Michael Stewart…Amadou Diallo…Sean Bell. This is not to suggest that all police officers are trigger-happy and inhumane, because I do not believe that. They have a difficult and important job, and many of them do that job well, and maintain outstanding relationships with our communities. I know officers like that. But what I am saying is that New York, America, this society as a whole, still views the lives of Black people, of Latino people, of people of color, of women, of poor or working-class people, as less than valuable. It does not matter that two of the three officers charged in the Sean Bell case were officers of color and one White. What matters is the mindset of racism that permeates the New York Police Department, and far too many police departments across America. Shooting in self-defense is one thing, but it is never okay to shoot first and ask questions later, not even if a police officer "feels" threatened, not even if the source of that "feeling" is a Black or Latino person. That is a twisted logic deeply rooted in the America social fabric, dating back to the founding fathers and their crazy calculations about slaves being three-fifths of a human being. And in spite of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, and other successful Black individuals, by and large the masses of Black people, and Latino people, are perpetually viewed through this lens of not being quite human. William Kristol of the New York Times wrote what I felt was an incredibly ignorant and myopic March 24th column implying, strongly, that we should not have conversations about race in America, that such talk was dated. This piece was in response to Barack Obama's now famous meditation on race. But Kristol, like many in denial, had this to say: "The last thing we need now is a heated national conversation about race… Racial progress has in fact continued in America. A new national conversation about race isn't necessary to end what Obama calls the 'racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years'— because we're not stuck in such a stalemate... This is all for the best. With respect to having a national conversation on race, my recommendation is: Let's not, and say we did." Well, Mr. Kristol, what, precisely, do you think Black New Yorkers are feeling this very moment as we absorb the Sean Bell verdict? Or do our thoughts, our feelings, our wounds, not matter? "Black male lives General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=134 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=134#comments Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:31:49 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=134 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=134 As a follow-up to the entry a few sections down, regarding tenants in the Bronx fighting off gentrification (which you should definitely read by the way), we turn ... As a follow-up to the entry a few sections down, regarding tenants in the Bronx fighting off gentrification (which you should definitely read by the way), we turn the focus now to Harlem.  Below are the words of D-Nice and a link to 9 black and white photos he took while happening upon a section in Harlem he never thought he'd see.  "While driving through Harlem, I came across a site that disturbed me. I never imagined the day that I would see a shantytown in the streets of Harlem. With all of the reconstruction going on, it seems that some of the residents can neither afford the rent increases nor the $800,000 price tag on a two-bedroom condominium. In some cases, these people have been forced to relocate and/or displaced and left homeless. I thought that the revitalization of Harlem was intended to empower the people of the community by creating jobs and improving living conditions. Is this considered an improvement?" D-Nice http://www.dnicegallery.com/p692981047   Below is a protest that took place in February 2008 for The Harlem Record Shack and everything this small business represents. For more information- http://harlemworldblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/place-matters-the-harlem-record-shack/   Joy.   General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=133 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=133#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:40:17 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=133 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=133 There is a radio show in New York has been having fun taking a mic to the streets to prove their point that people don’t ... There is a radio show in New York has been having fun taking a mic to the streets to prove their point that people don’t know a damn thing about the candidates they vote for. And let's be real. There are MANY people out there who do not know enough about the issues and the positions of the candidates. The following clip isn’t from the radio show mentioned above but it shows that occasionally a mic does get in front of someone that has paid attention. Notice the tone of the reporter, approaching this young man like he’s the perfect "don’t know shit" kind of guy... By the end, the reporter sees that this guy clearly hasn't been sleeping and he goes on the prowl for someone who will better fit the stereotype. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=131 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=131#comments Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:44:36 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=131 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=131 had an interesting discussion recently that I want to build off. we were not born with the perceptions we've created throughout our lives.  in ... had an interesting discussion recently that I want to build off. we were not born with the perceptions we've created throughout our lives.  in fact, my perceptions at this moment are vastly different than what I thought I knew five years ago. think back to your earliest memories of race and of a particular experience you can remember that was a changing moment in how you thought about race.  it may not be a first experience but it may be one that particularly stands out.  it may not be a bad experience.  not all racially motivated experiences are.  but can you remember how these perceptions were socially constructed in your own life?I remember back when I was seven or eight years old. i grew up in an neighborhood socially and physically constructed for immigrant families.... you know.... the type of neighborhood that when you're driving around with a realtor, they'll drive past the "white" neighborhoods, and into a particular community where they'll stop and say "here's where you should be" .... "here's what you may be looking for." yeah, those neighborhoods. so all my friends were first either "first-generationers" or immigrants themselves. never knew what race was, never had a conception of color except that we were all different shades of something. then one year, my family and i took a trip out of the country and into middle-of-nowhere, USA. And that's when I first felt it. you know.... it. that uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you feel like you're on display. but at that time, i couldn't place it. i didn't have the vocabulary to articulate how i felt or the capacity to understand why i felt it. what i did know was that it was the color of my skin that made the difference. -joy.    General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=130 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=130#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:07:27 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=130 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=130 Tenants of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the building where hip-hop was born, announced plans today to buy the 100-apartment building in an attempt to keep it ... Tenants of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the building where hip-hop was born, announced plans today to buy the 100-apartment building in an attempt to keep it from going private. The current owner is looking to shake it loose for big bucks. The building is an area of the Bronx where gentrification is in full swing; a sale to private interests could find the tenants paying higher rents or having to dial up U-Haul. To prevent the shift in ownership, they’ll have to come up with $14 million. Of course there is no way residents of an affordable-housing complex (ok.. the projects) have that kind of money. Their best bet is to gather funds from a combo pack of official and philanthropic sources. The city’s Urban Homesteading Assistance Board is helping to make the necessary connections to ink the deal. Residents will then be able to buy their apartments as co-ops for a couple thousand a-piece. Kool Herc, the official Godfather of Hip-Hop told AM NY (where this was scooped), “It’s like Graceland or the Grand Ole Opry, it’s the birthplace, where it all started from. It’s a piece of the American dream and we just want to preserve it.” NY Sen. Charles Schumer met with residents of the building this morning, where he echoed the sentiment, if not on historical terms, at least in economics, “1520 Sedgwick is in danger of losing its affordable status, as its owner prepares to sell the building to wealthy speculators whose only hope of profiting on the building hinges on hiking the rent rolls,” Schumer said. “That is why it is essential that the owner negotiate a reasonable, affordable deal with the tenants and their representatives to preserve affordability in this special place for the long haul.” -------- With 1520 Sedgwick being the birthplace of hip-hop, doesn’t this sound like something the big boys of the music - Jay-Z, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Russell Simmons, etc. etc. etc - could pool their money together, a mil from this guy, a mil from the other, so they can buy it and insure this symbolic landmark remains a place that people can call home? That’s all some of the tenants are concerned about. They consider it a safe and quiet place to live. Annie Jenkins, 70, who raised four children there, told AM NY, “It’s been my home for 36 years and I don’t want to leave it. I’m an older woman. It’s nice to have some history here, but I just always look at it as my home.” Clarification: That’s not Annie J. in the picture up top, that’s Mary Fountain. She felt the same way, but Annie’s quote was better. (c/o whudat.com) General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=129 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=129#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:11:36 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=129 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=129 for the record, i did not see this film. it may be phenomenally produced, acted and born out of love and respect. it ... for the record, i did not see this film. it may be phenomenally produced, acted and born out of love and respect. it may be powerfully written and in fact, i don't doubt the powerful scenes that are sure to leap off the screen. the fact of the matter is, how often is history distorted to portray a story intended to make the original history more "effective".... more "powerful".... more "accessible and easy to relate to".... more "true to life"? WRITTEN BY GLOBE NEWSPAPERS' ELEANOR BOSWELL-RAINE I am the daughter of Hamilton Boswell, who was a member of the Wiley College debating team of 1935. I regret that my father’s history was twisted and that writers somehow didn’t think that the truth was enough. He was so proud to have contributed his memories to the making of what he thought would be a representative account of his beloved alma maters, Wiley and the University of Southern California, his mentor Melvin Tolson, his debating team and the team’s triumph. Through the years I’ve listened to people say that early American historians distorted the history of blacks. It was a tactic that contributed to the undermining of the accomplishments of blacks; it haunts us to this day. In an interview with film critic Kam Williams after the opening of the film, Denzel Washington, when asked why he wanted to bring the story of "The Great Debaters" to the silver screen, said: “It’s history, that’s why I wanted to capture it. I said, ‘We can’t miss this.’ There’s a lot there, and we need to pass that on. These things need to be shared and celebrated.” While the film, "The Great Debaters," produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo production company and actor/director Denzel Washington, successfully projects episodes of cruelty and blatant hatred against blacks by the white South of 1935, it holds up a shining example of a tiny black Texas college that produced one of the finest college debating teams of the time. So the question is, why did its writers distort the Wiley College debating team’s history? Here’s what is true: Wiley College, in Marshall, Texas, is a real black college. Melvin Tolson was a brilliant professor who coached an outstanding debating team that competed and won against other black and white colleges. James Farmer, a famous civil rights activist, was a junior member of the Wiley debating team. The year was 1935. Whites were lynching black people in the South. Fathers and mothers were humiliated in front of their children. While on the road, Tolson and his debaters were traveling in a car when they encountered a crowd of white men, women and children who had lynched and mutilated a black man. The Wiley debating team did compete and win a championship against a highly rated and revered university. Professor Tolson did have leftist leanings, and one of the debater’s parents was concerned about how it would affect his son’s future. These are among the real facts. Here’s what is untrue: Perhaps one of the most damning distortions was the fictitious venue: the Wiley debating team did not debate at Harvard, it debated at the University of Southern California. The team traveled west, not north, to debate a university not used to debating with black schools and not used to losing. Three of the four debaters were fictional. The film’s writers took half of the names of authentic debaters and changed their last names. Hamilton Boswell became “Hamilton Burgess,” complete with the use of Boswell’s nickname, “Ham.” Henry Heights became “Henry Lowe.” There was no woman on the team in 1935. In his 90s, Boswell shared with the researchers of the film his memories of the times – of Tolson and Wiley and of his personal experiences on the road with the debating team. Boswell died in May 2007 thinking that the Wiley debating team’s story would be told, and without knowledge that his name would be fictionalized. The film sprinkled in fa General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=128 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=128#comments Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:35:00 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=128 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=128 There's a kind of joy and an electric energy that comes from poetry, even when it's hard-hitting and the subject matter oft-times covered in darkness. ... There's a kind of joy and an electric energy that comes from poetry, even when it's hard-hitting and the subject matter oft-times covered in darkness. Its modern incarnation, the art of “spoken word”, is a fusion of poetry and performance that draws on rhythms of the street and the culture of urban America. Some call it a “revival” of the Beat Era of the '50s, with poetry and spoken word making a comeback in nightclubs and coffeehouses of America’s big cities. This organic, raw verse continues its evolution, in the documentary feature film, "SP!T". teaser. www.spitthemovie.com joy. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=124 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=124#comments Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:26:28 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=124 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124 explicit language.... real talk.... viewer discretion is advised. joy. explicit language.... real talk.... viewer discretion is advised. joy. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=121 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=121#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:39:19 +0000 N.Vaughn General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=121 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=121 I have no words and you'll soon see why. I have no words and you'll soon see why. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=119 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=119#comments Tue, 02 Oct 2007 23:13:47 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=119 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=119 4:01 December 10, 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the day Otis redding passed away. His birthday was last month on September 9th. He would have ... December 10, 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the day Otis redding passed away. His birthday was last month on September 9th. He would have been 66. Instead, the legendary singer's life was cut short by a tragic plane crash on Dec 10th 1967- he was only 26 years old. 40 years later, his music lives on, his legacy will never be forgotten and his life will continue to be celebrated for generations to come. Otis Redding was a singer of commanding stature that to this day embodies the essence of soul music. Though his career was relatively brief, cut short by a tragic plane crash, Otis Redding left behind a legacy of recordings made during the four-year period from his first sessions for Stax/Volt Records in 1963 until his death in 1967. As a songwriter, Redding is responsible for such hits as "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Respect," "Pain in my Heart," "Satisfaction," and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" . In addition to being an accomplished songwriter, Otis Redding was also a talented recording artist, performer, businessman, and music publisher. As president of his own publishing firm, Redwal Music Co., Inc., he was very active in the company's operation and was directly responsible for the company's leadership in the music publishing field. To date, the company has copyrighted over 200 commercially successful songs and published many songs which have sold in excess of one million copies each. Otis Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern "deep soul" -- hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads. One of his biggest hits was a duet with fellow Stax star Carla Thomas- "Tramp," in 1967. That was the same year he began to show signs of making major inroads into the white audience, particularly with a well-received performance at the Monterey Pop Festival (also issued on record). The idea that music could be a universal force, bringing together different races and cultures, was central to Otis' personal philosophy and reflected in his everyday life. At a time when it may not have been considered politically correct, Redding had a white manager, Phil Walden, and a racially mixed band. While it was not Redding’s prime motivation, he was seen as a role model who made unprecedented moves for a black music artist in the 1960s. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which was recorded only a few days before his tragic death, represented a significant leap as far as examination of more intensely personal emotions. Also highlighted by crisp Cropper guitar leads and dignified horns, it rose to the top of the pop charts in early 1968. What Redding might have achieved, or what directions he might have explored, are among the countless tantalizing "what if" questions in rock roll history. For what he accomplished in his life and for what we remember today, the world will continue to celebrate the wonderful life and beautiful music of this truly brilliant artist. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=118 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=118#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:38:41 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=118 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=118 A new front on the content wars may be opening when Congress holds its first hearing specifically into media "stereotypes and degradation" of women -- ... A new front on the content wars may be opening when Congress holds its first hearing specifically into media "stereotypes and degradation" of women -- particularly African- American women -- later this month. Hearing, not yet officially announced and tentatively skedded for Sept. 25, will focus primarily on hip-hop lyrics and videos, which critics have frequently derided for explicit misogyny aimed largely at black women. But other media will likely come under scrutiny, too. "I want to engage not just the music industry but the entertainment industry at large to be part of a solution," said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, which will hold the hearing. Just as his colleagues on other committees have summoned TV execs to be grilled on sexual or violent content, Rush wants to hear from the leaders of companies purveying rap music. The intent is to examine commercial practices behind the music's most controversial content. "I want to talk to executives at these conglomerates who've never taken a public position on what they produce," Rush said. "But it's been surprisingly very difficult to get them to commit to appearing." Rush had planned the hearing twice before and had to postpone both times to accommodate execs' schedules. "But after a series of long conversations and other communications, they know this hearing is going to go forward, and they will be coming -- reluctantly, if I might add." Witnesses include toppers Philippe Dauman of Viacom, Doug Morris of Universal Music Group and Edgar Bronfman Jr. of Warner Music Group. A music industry exec said the delay was more an issue of getting the right people to appear. "Not everyone agrees that the top people are the same as the right people," the exec said, noting that decisions to sign particular artists or distribute their CDs are often made at lower levels. Another insider said scheduling conflicts had been the only reason for the delay. So far, only one artist has committed to appearing -- Master P, who began his career as a gangsta rapper but has since focused on positive messages and images in his music. The witness list is still being developed, according to Rush's spokesman. A congressional aide said witness lists are never finalized and released before the hearing itself is announced. Expect this hearing to be formally announced one week prior to the confirmed date, per standard procedure, the aide added. Currently titled "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degradation," the hearing is intended to address "what is certainly a timely issue and one that won't go away," Rush said. "I want to look at not only the problem caused by misogynistic content in some hip-hop music but also some of the pain that emanates from this degradation," he continued. Rush plans on having "representatives from African American women's groups" appear before the hearing. Rush stressed that this is "not an anti-artist hearing, or antimusic or antiyouth hearing." He said he's hoping for voluntary -- not regulatory -- solutions. "I respect the First Amendment, but rights without responsibility is anarchy, and that's much of what we have now. It's time for responsible people to stand up and accept responsibility." General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=117 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=117#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 18:26:20 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=117 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=117 Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, was tackled to the ground by six capitol police officers yesterday, when he was stopped ... Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, was tackled to the ground by six capitol police officers yesterday, when he was stopped from entering the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, where General Petraeus gave testimony today to a joint hearing for the House Arms Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee on the war in Iraq. After waiting in line throughout the morning for the hearing that was scheduled to start at 12:30pm, Rev. Yearwood was stopped from entering the room, while others behind him were allowed to enter. He told the officers who were blocking his ability to enter the room, that he was waiting in line with everyone else and had the right to enter as well. When they threatened him with arrest and tried to lead him away, he pulled away and responded with "I will not be arrested today." According to witnesses, six capitol police officers, without warning, "football tackled" him. He was carried off in a wheel chair by DC Fire and Emergency to George Washington Hospital. Rev. Yearwood said, as he was being released from the hospital to be taken to central booking, "The officers decided I was not going to get in Gen. Petraeus' hearing when they saw my button, which says 'I LOVE THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ.'" Rev. Yearwood is expected to be charged with Assaulting a Police Officer this afternoon. Stay tuned for more on how this case plays out. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=116 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=116#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:41:37 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=116 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=116 From thesmokinggun.com-- A crude "ghetto handbook" distributed to police patrolling Houston's public schools has resulted in the suspension of one officer. The eight-page booklet--a copy ... From thesmokinggun.com-- A crude "ghetto handbook" distributed to police patrolling Houston's public schools has resulted in the suspension of one officer. The eight-page booklet--a copy of which you'll find at the link provided below--was handed out in May by an officer with the city's Independent School District, but did not come to the attention of school brass until recently, when a discrimination complaint was lodged. The booklet, which was given to about 20 cops, is subtitled "Wucha dun did now?," and purports to help the reader "learn to speak ebonics as if you just came out of the hood...because you could find yourself with a problem one day and ebonics could save your life." The booklet offers definitions for street slang like "hoodrat" ("scummy girl") and "foty" (a 40-ounce bottle of beer) and concludes with a "poem" incorporating these terms. It also includes a copyright notation that the booklet is a "first edition, second soon to follow." That now appears to be the wishful thinking of a novice author. READ THE "GHETTO HANDBOOK" HERE General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=115 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=115#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:53:58 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=115 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=115 SKa - From Jamiaca to the UK Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=114 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=114#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:32:51 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=114 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=114 IS IT JUST FOR A 16 YEAR OLD KID TO GO TO JAIL FOR 22 YEARS FOR A FIST FIGHT IN HIGHSCHOOL!!!!!! IS IT JUST FOR A 16 YEAR OLD KID TO GO TO JAIL FOR 22 YEARS FOR A FIST FIGHT IN HIGHSCHOOL!!!!!! General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=109 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=109#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:57:01 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=109 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=109 21:15 WITH THE ELECTION COMING NEXT YEAR IN '08, LETS TAKE IT BACK BEFORE WE LOOK FORWARD WITH THE ELECTION COMING NEXT YEAR IN '08, LETS TAKE IT BACK BEFORE WE LOOK FORWARD General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=106 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=106#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:26:38 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=106 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=106 by: Binyavanga Wainaina some tips: sunsets and starvation are good Always use the word 'Africa' or 'Darkness' or 'Safari' in your title. Subtitles may include the words ... by: Binyavanga Wainaina some tips: sunsets and starvation are good Always use the word 'Africa' or 'Darkness' or 'Safari' in your title. Subtitles may include the words 'Zanzibar', 'Masai', 'Zulu', 'Zambezi', 'Congo', 'Nile' 'Big', 'Sky', 'Shadow', 'Drum', 'Sun' or 'Bygone'. Also useful are words such as 'Guerrillas', 'Timeless', 'Primordial' and 'Tribal'. Note that 'People means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress. In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn't care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular. Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African's cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care. Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation. Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can't live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed. Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country. Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children h General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=105 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=105#comments Sat, 23 Jun 2007 05:58:33 +0000 Krucial Music Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=105 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=105 Common-The People Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk Music, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=104 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=104#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:53:27 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=104 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=104 COINTELPRO: The FBI#8217;s War on Black America Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=102 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=102#comments Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:56:12 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=102 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=102 Apparently many people are having trouble registering or logging into this blog... We'd hate for you to miss out on some good discussions so if ... Apparently many people are having trouble registering or logging into this blog... We'd hate for you to miss out on some good discussions so if this is you, holla at me and I'll try to help you out. joyplaza@gmail.com peace. joy. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=101 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=101#comments Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:22:48 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=101 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=101 Censorship On Rap Music: Hear the Views of Krucial #038; Alicia Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=100 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=100#comments Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:22:08 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=100 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=100 Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=99 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=99#comments Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:21:04 +0000 Krucial General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=99 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=99 Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=98 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=98#comments Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:20:16 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=98 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=98 Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=88 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=88#comments Thu, 31 May 2007 20:34:08 +0000 Krucial Music Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=88 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=88 Krs-One #038; Marly Marl at Rap City Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk Music, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=89 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=89#comments Thu, 31 May 2007 20:33:29 +0000 Krucial Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=89 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=89 Censorship On Rap Music: Hear the Views of 50 Cent, T.I. Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=85 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=85#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 18:18:12 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=85 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=85 Stop the Clash of Civilizations Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=84 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=84#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 04:25:34 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=84 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=84 If you haven’t seen this film yet, check it out. With all the negativity the media dishes out- that our kids eat up…. it’s time ... If you haven’t seen this film yet, check it out. With all the negativity the media dishes out- that our kids eat up…. it’s time to feed them (and yourself) some of that positive energy for a change.     The Hip Hop Project is a project 4 years in the making. It is an inspiring story of Kazi, a formerly homeless teenager who inspired a group of New York City teens to transform their life stories into powerful works of art, using hip hop as a vehicle for self-development and personal discovery. Kazi challenges these young people to write music about real issues affecting their lives as they strive to overcome daunting obstacles to produce a collaborative album. Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons was a long-time supporter of the project and partnered with Bruce Willis to donate a recording studio to the Hip Hop Project. Willis along with Queen Latifah joined together as executive producers. After 4 years of collaboration, the group produced a powerful and thought-provoking CD, filled with moving personal narratives and sharp social commentary. Inspired by Kazi’s work, 100% of the net profits from this film are being donated to organizations working with youth. www.hiphopproject.com joy. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=83 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=83#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 03:56:19 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=83 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=83 Who Killed The Electric Car Trailer Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=82 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=82#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 01:48:36 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=82 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=82 Barack: Truth On Iraq Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=81 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=81#comments Fri, 25 May 2007 16:53:46 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=81 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=81 2:07 Malcolm X Birthday was May 19th 1925, this marks what would've been his 82nd Birthday, I'm a week late, But I had to show my ... Malcolm X Birthday was May 19th 1925, this marks what would've been his 82nd Birthday, I'm a week late, But I had to show my respect, He was a big influence on me during my teenage years after i read The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965),with Alex Haley.He has definately been an influence on many of us, and in Hip Hop as well. Peace goes out to Family and Friends He will never Be forgotten. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=79 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=79#comments Sat, 19 May 2007 21:52:36 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=79 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=79 Big Brother is Still watching. Check Out the articles Below K -------------------- JAY-Z , DIDDY AND ALICIA KEYS MONITORED BY NYPD Jay-Z, Diddy, LL Cool and ... Big Brother is Still watching. Check Out the articles Below K -------------------- JAY-Z , DIDDY AND ALICIA KEYS MONITORED BY NYPD Jay-Z, Diddy, LL Cool and Alicia Keys were named in New York Police Department intelligence documentation released Wednesday, revealing that the NYPD monitored various activists, bloggers and politicians in the months leading up to the 2004 Republican National Convention. The list of the spied upon was revealed yesterday in 600 pages of secret NYPD intelligence files released by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which is suing the city on behalf of hundreds of demonstrators arrested during the convention. Sean (Diddy) Combs, Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Alicia Keys were among the notables the NYPD monitored in the months before the convention arrived in New York. Each was expected to attend a protest rally during the convention staged by the Hip Hop Summit Action Network. Among the activists eyed by the NYPD was Aron Kay, aka the Yippie Pie Man, who earned his moniker by tossing pies into the faces of authority for more than two decades. Mostly, the NYPD intelligence squad crisscrossed the Internet, peeking in on Web sites like one for Camp Shut Down that urged viewers to Resist the GOP and offered advice for those caught up in an NYPD dragnet. The cops kept tabs on anti-Bush groups like Cabbies Against Bush and Bands Against Bush, as well as Billionaires for Bush, a group not really for Bush at all. Police also were watching City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), a onetime mayoral candidate who was expected to demand that the GOP hold the convention elsewhere "unless the RNC indicates that it is willing to address issues of the impoverished, such as HIV/AIDS, housing and welfare." The NYCLU says cops went too far in their surveillance of lawful political activism, while the city says the work of the intelligence unit justified the cops' high profile during the convention. "The surveillance spanned the globe," said Donna Lieberman, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. But Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, "I think a close examination of those documents will show the NYPD did an outstanding job of protecting the city during the convention." The city tried unsuccessfully to block the documents' public release. Two weeks ago, Manhattan Federal Judge James Francis dismissed city claims that potential jurors in the NYCLU case will be prejudiced by their release. The NYPD posted all of the documents, as well as a 26-page overview, on its Web site last night. ------------------------ Government Spies On Jay-Z, Diddy, Russell Alicia Keys (?) #124; Hip Hop News HipHopDX.com General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=78 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=78#comments Sat, 12 May 2007 20:19:10 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=78 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=78 If you know anything about gritty, gangster flicks then you’ve already seen (and probably) already own City of God (Cidade de Deus) . That story ... If you know anything about gritty, gangster flicks then you’ve already seen (and probably) already own City of God (Cidade de Deus) . That story of gangs in Brazil and one kid’s escape from that life through photography was a work of fiction though it did give us a taste of the reality in Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro. Ghosts of Cite Soleil is the first look at the gangs that rule the streets of Haiti. But there is the ever present touch of hip-hop.. see what the Bronx started? ;-)   This harrowing documentary presents an unprecedented, intimate look at the dog-eat-dog gangster culture of Cité Soleil, the most dangerous slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Cité Soleil is the poorest section of the poorest city in the Western Hemisphere, a place of horrific squalor populated by a half million people living in a chaotic world of filth and violence. The subjects of this shocking film, made with astonishing access, are 2pac and Bily, two brothers who are leaders of gangs that unofficially serve as shock troops for Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Lavalas party. But it is 2004, and Aristide is hanging on by his fingernails. The brothers, whose day-to-day existences are filled with constant, bloody turf wars, share the same woman -- a pretty, misguided French relief agent. Needless to say, this insane love triangle only adds to the tension between the pair. Director Asger Leth attained an incredible level of trust from his subjects that allowed him to capture unfiltered scenes of brutal honesty; scenes not just of terrifying violence but also of intimate moments between the lovers that serve as startling counterpoint to the world outside, where life seems completely hopeless. After a while, it becomes increasingly hard to blame these thugs who must do anything humanly possibly to survive. Let's be clear again- this is a documentary, not Spielberg on crack. Ghosts of Cite Soleil has been making the rounds through independent film houses and art and film festivals... (c/o whudat.com) ------------- http://www.ghostsofcitedesoleil.com Though this is an incredible documentary that gives viewers a surprisingly candid look into the violence in Haiti, we must also ask ourselves WHY?  How was the camera able to infiltrate and capture an otherwise secretive and incredibly violent story... and for that matter, what is the other side of the story?  Like so many other films (real-life or fiction), there is a pattern of inconsistencies and stereotypes laced throughout.  We should also ask who is fuelling all of this recorded black-on-black violence.  With President Aristide driven to Africa by the CIA, who and what is fuelling the ongoing violence in Haiti?  It would be interesting to know whether THAT side of the story would be as easy to access by filmmakers as this seems to be.  Either way- it is an interesting watch. -Joy     General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=74 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=74#comments Fri, 04 May 2007 22:02:13 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=74 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=74 Hip Hop Lives.... This Is GOING TO BE CRAZY Hip Hop Lives.... This Is GOING TO BE CRAZY General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=70 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=70#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:27:37 +0000 Krucial General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=70 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=70 Real Hip Hop Is Rebellion. Rebellion #124;riˈbelyən#124; noun an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler • uprising • the ... Real Hip Hop Is Rebellion. Rebellion #124;riˈbelyən#124; noun an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler • uprising • the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention Mos Def getting arrested at the MTV VMA's I Support Mos Def, I Support Real Hip Hop General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=69 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=69#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:23:16 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=69 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=69 Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=68 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=68#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:13:24 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=68 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=68 Poverty of Philosophy -Immortal Technique Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=67 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=67#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:09:17 +0000 admin General Music KrucialKeys Radio http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=67 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=67 1:21 KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to ... KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to itunes store type in KrucialKeys as one word and subscribe for Free General, Music, KrucialKeys Radio Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=66 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=66#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:04:30 +0000 admin General Music KrucialKeys Radio http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=66 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=66 22:12 KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to ... KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to itunes store type in KrucialKeys as one word and subscribe for Free General, Music, KrucialKeys Radio Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=65 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=65#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:20:45 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=65 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=65 8:18 KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to ... KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to itunes store type in KrucialKeys as one word and subscribe for Free General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=62 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=62#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:06:26 +0000 admin General Music KrucialKeys Radio http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=62 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=62 19:17 KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to ... KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to itunes store type in KrucialKeys as one word and subscribe for Free General, Music, KrucialKeys Radio Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=55 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=55#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2007 03:04:16 +0000 admin General Music KrucialKeys Radio http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=55 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=55 9:45 KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to ... KK Fam Discuss Music, Entertainment, Life etc. as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com Now Available on iTunes PODCAST. Go to itunes store type in KrucialKeys as one word and subscribe for Free General, Music, KrucialKeys Radio Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=54 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=54#comments Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:51:23 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=54 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=54  (Every so often, a spotlight will shine on people you should know, read up on, listen to, be inspired by, etc.  Folks who impact the world in ...  (Every so often, a spotlight will shine on people you should know, read up on, listen to, be inspired by, etc.  Folks who impact the world in one way or another.  Whether they're a revolutionary, author, community leader, activist, legendary artist, or even a hidden gem in the music industry that you should know about... we will continue to get you up and keep you up on the real issues and the real people that influence and inspire) So here we go...     This is a man you should know.  For those who don't, Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist who exposed police violence against minority communities. On death row since 1982, he was wrongfully sentenced for the shooting of a police officer. New evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence and an alleged confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two killers of Officer Faulkner) may further point to his innocence. Mumia had no prior criminal record. For the last 25 years, Abu-Jamal has been locked up 23 hours a day, denied contact visits with his family, had his confidential legal mail illegally opened by prison authorities, and put into punitive detention for writing his first of three books while in prison, Live From Death Row. While it is true that Abu-Jamal's death sentence was lifted by a Federal Judge (Judge William Yohn Jr. of the 3rd Federal District Court in Philadelphia) on December 18, 2001, even that decision is not final and was immediately appealed by the state. Abu-Jamal is still on death row, a place he has not left since his death sentence was made formal on May 25, 1983 - and his death sentence could be reinstated on appeal. Writing from his solitary confinement cell his essays have reached a worldwide audience. His books "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom” have sold over 150,000 copies and been translated into nine languages. You can hear Mumia Abu-Jamal's Recorded Essays from Prison Radio here- http://prisonradio.org/mumia.htm You can listen to one in particular here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZHRe28Cdk * and Here's a 1995 KRS-One track with Channel Live, simply called "Free Mumia"- http://clarence60.free.fr/RK/05-krs_one-free_mumi.mp3   Knowledge is Power. Joy.   General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=50 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=50#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:43:22 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=50 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=50 Here's the Contraversial "Blacks Dont Read Article" For Your Information - This was written a long time ago, but it is still circulating thoughout global ... Here's the Contraversial "Blacks Dont Read Article" For Your Information - This was written a long time ago, but it is still circulating thoughout global media venues. Of course it's just a generalization (as most stuff about black people usually are). These are not my words and I don't agree with them, However I do agree with others that our Children should read even more and We should write more books telling our own histories, successes and failures so we can learn from our truths as well as theirs to continue to prosper in years to come. But I'll ask Yall, What do you think? True or Not? Each one Teach one K “THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES ...” We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS." Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes Noble, and Amazon.com, not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all. GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%). Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing. They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a busines! s. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU, and they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them "Status" or that they have achieved the American Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities. With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. They'll continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them. SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that Segment has created another class, a “Buppie” class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community. They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not the best doers. Is there no end to their sel General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=48 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=48#comments Thu, 01 Feb 2007 22:58:59 +0000 Krucial General Music KrucialKeys Radio http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=48 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=48 69:28 TRUE TO LIFE OR JUST ENTERTAINMENT? KK Fam Discusses the Rap Industry, as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com TRUE TO LIFE OR JUST ENTERTAINMENT? KK Fam Discusses the Rap Industry, as well as take Responses from the KrucialKeys Message Board from www.krucialkeys.com General, Music, KrucialKeys Radio Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=45 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=45#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:12:11 +0000 Krucial General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=45 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=45 Adisa Banjoko lectures at Dickinson College showing how the political edge of early gangsta rap was removed from todays gangsta rappers. You can purchase his ... Adisa Banjoko lectures at Dickinson College showing how the political edge of early gangsta rap was removed from todays gangsta rappers. You can purchase his books, Lyrical Swords Vol. 1 2 at www.lyricalswords.com today. General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=44 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=44#comments Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:43:51 +0000 Joy Plaza General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=44 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=44 I think one of the biggest obstacles in creating change in our communities is that we're willing to talk about it, bitch about it, scream ... I think one of the biggest obstacles in creating change in our communities is that we're willing to talk about it, bitch about it, scream about it.... but very few people actually take the responsibility to BE about it.  I always hear people say, "I think it should be this way and I think this needs to happen" but when it comes to taking action, the "I" becomes a "we".... What "we" need to do is get peoples attention, "we" should be doing more, "we" need a leader.... This is all good and well but until you take action, don't expect the the person beside you to take on the responsibility that you yourself are not willing to take. Have you ever thought about what you would do in your community if you were given the financial resources and power to make a difference?  If you were given $250,000, what would you do in the community that you're living in to create change?  What would you set up, build, create, promote, etc.?  What does your community lack that you believe can be turned around if your vision became a reality?  I'm curious to know where you live and your vision of community building. And let's a make it a goal for 2007 to not only talk about.... but to BE about it.  You don't need a quarter of a million dollars to make a difference. Joy.   "The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.  The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised, will not be televised.... The revolution will be LIVE." -Gil Scott-Heron General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=43 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=43#comments Sat, 20 Jan 2007 02:10:33 +0000 Joy Plaza General Music http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=43 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=43 A few days ago, Justo's Mixtape DJ of the Year (who is also T.I.'s main DJ) - DJ DRAMA was arrested on federal ... A few days ago, Justo's Mixtape DJ of the Year (who is also T.I.'s main DJ) - DJ DRAMA was arrested on federal racketeering charges following a raid on Atlanta-based Aphilliates Music Group.Over 81,000 mixtapes were confiscated, computers and recording equipment, vehicles, and to top it off the company’s assets were frozen.The raid was executed on charges from a warrant filed under the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act. Which is a mouthful of lawyer speak to say they were selling mixtapes, a no-no in the eyes of the RIAA.Theoretically it’s illegal to sell mixtapes (or download free music) because they primarily contain music that record labels haven’t approved for sale and don’t make money on… you know the story, or should.Chief James Baker of the Morrow Police Department explained, “We have a partnership with a joint vice task force working pirated tapes in the country. We found an outlet in Morrow for the criminal sale of recorded material, breaking the OCGA, Official Code of Georgia Annotated, no. 16-8-60, which specifies that CDs must list the true name and address of their office, which these CDs didn’t, nor did they list copyright permission.”“People were able to make purchases over the Internet and these guys sold the pirated discs for profit.”Drama made his name from making mixtapes that were practically promotional albums for a specific artist and that artist participated on the mixtape, freestyling, giving him music, etc… the label execs knew exactly what was happening.A DJ Drama mixtape is almost like a must-do thing for a new artist or an established one heading into an album release - that high-profile push to the streets. In fact, "ask any southern rap fan to name the most prominent DJ in his region right now, and the words DJ Drama are sure to spew out of his mouth. Introducing the rap world to platinum-selling Def Jam artist Young Jeezy and ATL sensation Young Dro as well as keeping fans satisfied with exclusive pre-albums from Lil Wayne, Young Buck, Bun-B of UGK, Eightball MJG and Project Pat with his Gangsta Grillz mix tape series, Drama has supplied street soundtracks to every block, back alley and trap house like a pirate radio station on disc." His mixtape gold got him a deal with Asylum Records- a subsidary of WMG. Big labels know who and what he does, that’s why he got the deal... so his status in the game makes this arrest very strange. Police have promised a crackdown on Racketeering and pirated tapes in the country. What does this mean for the future of mixtapes? You be the judge. Joy. General, Music Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=37 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=37#comments Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:36:08 +0000 Krucial General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=37 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=37 Here's a very controversial episode of the Boon Dox. I found it very interesting. Heres my disclaimer... The views express in this video are solely ... Here's a very controversial episode of the Boon Dox. I found it very interesting. Heres my disclaimer... The views express in this video are solely of the writers of forth said cartoon, yada yada yada.... Don't be mad at me, if it was "Stylin' On Ya" K (Be patient it takes a Minute to load) General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=40 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=40#comments Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:55:44 +0000 Krucial General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=40 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=40 First of all i want to say "Happy Birthday Dr. King" And while most of us take a day off on what would have been ... First of all i want to say "Happy Birthday Dr. King" And while most of us take a day off on what would have been his 78th Birthday. I wonder how much do we realize what he represented, More that just a I Have a Dream Speech, More than a Civil Rights Leader. He was A Blackman , Father, Husband , son and Member of the Human Family. In these days and time everyones is crying I'm a Thug, and "why vote its doesn't make a difference?", "They're doin' this and they're doing that..." "nothing's ever going to change". Have we've really gone that soft. Do we really think Money is going to save us, deliver us from our misery? Dr. King Stood up and Died because he loved his people and Hollared for our rights, not only as citizens but as human beings. Is that Thug enough for you? Black people were getting arrested, beat down and even killed for trying to vote in the 60's. If it didn't matter, what was all the violence about? It was the LAW for Black people to be seperated from whites in public places, a LAW that we had to sit in the back of the bus and give up our seats to any white person that wanted, a LAW that we couldn't eat in white resturants, you had to go around the back and wait for your food you spent your hard earn underpaid wages on. Did Dr. King and so many countless other Back people say, "oh well, it ain't gonna change, lets just shut up, besides Its the LAW"? We all know the answer to that. How much do we appreciate what our forefathers have done. How many of us as Nas would say "Carry On Tradition". How much planning and psycological warfare has been put into us, to NOT "Carry On Tradition. Lets Face it where we're at mentally today didn't happen by chance. Nothing happens by chance. I can go on and on.. but I'll save it for another time. On this day I will remember. Dr. King. for he represented to me, what the true nature of a blackman is... A Strong, Brave, Loving, Humble Leader who will lay his life down for the people he loves. And Despite How It May Seem There are Many Many More of Us. The Struggle Continues...... Forever Grateful to know you've existed Krucial General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=38 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=38#comments Sun, 14 Jan 2007 00:02:43 +0000 Joy Plaza General Music Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=38 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=38 In a world where celebrities influence more young minds than our politicians and world leaders, I want to throw out a question regarding the dominance ... In a world where celebrities influence more young minds than our politicians and world leaders, I want to throw out a question regarding the dominance of the hip hop culture right now… As much money as corporate America is making off hip hop yet simultaneously degrading it… As much money as we, as consumers, are spending on hip hop yet simultaneously killing it's soul by buying into manufactured, candy-rap garbage… And as little as kids out there truly know about the history behind the culture... Should there be a lesson in hip hop brought to high schools and colleges around the country to teach children and teachers about hip hop beyond entertainment? I'm not talking about a year round class (though more and more colleges are now offering it), I'm talking about one (maybe two, if it's a lenghty discussion) seminar/assembly type discussions that introduces kids and aldults alike, to the history of where hip hop came from, why it came about, why it's so influencial and what communities can do to make it about postivity, unity and rebelling against the system. Remember when that's what hip hop was about? "Hip hop has become Republican. Everybody's talking about money. Dog eat dog capitalism. Ice…all this stuff. "I'ma get mine, I'ma get mine, I'm a get mine, Fuck you, I'ma get mine" These emcees are Republican. Hip hop used to be the language of rebellion. These cats aren't rebelling. That's why they posing for pictures with Donald Trump: because they love the system. They bought into the system. They ARE the system." -Saul Williams watch the video below of Krs-One taking hip hop beyond entertainment… joy. General, Music, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=36 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=36#comments Fri, 12 Jan 2007 21:15:23 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=36 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=36 I Don#8217;t Know, You Tell Me? Hip Hop, Soul, and Real Talk General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=31 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=31#comments Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:54:55 +0000 admin General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=31 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=31 Man I came across this Video today, It took me back something crazy, Great memories in the studio that day, and the song came out ... Man I came across this Video today, It took me back something crazy, Great memories in the studio that day, and the song came out better than I imagined it. Wow.. Memories, Where Are You Angie?!!!, Holla At Me We gotta do some more Music, Lol Krucial General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=26 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=26#comments Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:17:25 +0000 Joy Plaza General Video http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=26 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=26 Jumping on Krucial's blog-wagon to pay homage to a man who influenced us all. I was blessed enough to see James Brown put on an ... Jumping on Krucial's blog-wagon to pay homage to a man who influenced us all. I was blessed enough to see James Brown put on an absolutely insane concert a few years back while I was in London, England and... forget how old you thought he was, he was dancing on that stage like he lost his damn mind.... it was that raw energy... that funkified, undeniable swagger that truly made James Brown SUPER BAD. I found the following article to be one of the few that truly captures how groundbreaking he was and how influencial his music was for, not only the artists he paved the way for, but the audiences who are now listening to an amalgamation of sounds he created and dance moves he revolutionaized... enjoy. The Godfather of Soul: Death of a Legend With any and everybody proclaiming themselves the leader of this, the best at that, chest-thumping and ball hugging, when you state that a man is the Godfather of Soul, the weight of those words just don’t have the impact desired... it sounds like just another tag line. Father Time is also a factor. As an artist’s prime years pass, the spirit of their creations and performances lose impact to those who didn’t witness or experience the music on a first hand basis. Not a BET Award Show appearance... but those who were in the small packed clubs and theatres, sweaty house parties, picked up the needle on the scratched groove of a vinyl record, heard “Say it Loud/ I’m Black I’m Proud” in the revolutionary and pride pumping way that it was intended. They hold the true definition. James Brown was the Godfather of Soul because he kept it real and raw at all times. There was no gimp in his limp. No disrespect to Motown, they have history making artists *insert Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Supremes.. on and on* At the same time the label itself was considered the shiny suit operation of the era: carefully packaged and marketed to appeal to the widest possible audience. There no records like James Brown’s “Blues and Pants” on Motown: too raw and definitely too gritty. James Brown refused to change his sound to cater to a crossover audience or to sell records. He lived to entertain, but always did what he felt was the right thing to do for himself, putting emotion and truth ahead of a potential chart position. Ironically that truth to self is what made his music popular. Back in the day, my Grandmother would walk around the house singing at the top of her lungs.. “Tryyyyy Meee...!!!!” It helped that one hand held an icy, alcoholic beverage, but she was definitely dialed into the song in a way that spoke to her personally. What annoyed me was Grandma seemed to only love the real bluesy stuff in James Brown catalog. Stuff from the 60’s. Mentioning first-hand experience, my JB connection came from sneaking in her record collection in search of breakbeats.. records to sample.. the stuff hip-hop is built on. She had none of his mid 70’s albums.. my Pops had that...key word being had. In the mid 80’s, early 90’s, James Brown was THE man to sample. His records were 40% groove, 40% funk, 20% un-unintelligible grunts and noises. It was as simple as pressing record on the keyboard or spinning back a record to make the backdrop to a rap complete. The most prominent was “Funky Drummer"… Most known to this era of hip-hop is Total’s “Can’t You See” which sampled “The Payback” and Biggie’s “Dreamin” which sampled “Blues and Pants.” The mainstream always talks of his fun loving “I Feel Good” records and they are the songs he performed most often in his later years. If I had to pick one favorite James Brown record it would be.. “The Payback.” Lines like.. “I don’t know karate.. but I know Ka-razy” .. “I can do wheelin.. I can do dealin.. But I don’t do no damn squealin.” Gangsta before it was spelled with General, Video Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=25 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=25#comments Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:24:27 +0000 Krucial General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=25 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=25 On My Website www.krucialkeys.com, I take questions from People Posted On our Message Board. Every So often I post the answers to Good Questions ... On My Website www.krucialkeys.com, I take questions from People Posted On our Message Board. Every So often I post the answers to Good Questions via Video, Here's My latest Installment. To the Fam who've already been Up on the "Ask Krucials" sorry for the Big Delay. We're steppin it up this Year and we'll be revamping and relaunching the Website soon. Thanks For all yall Support. Krucial And Now Here's "Ask Krucial -Greece" General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=23 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=23#comments Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:04:21 +0000 admin General In Studio Series With KrucialKeys http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=23 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=23 Had to take it back a little bit to when we really started getting in the the flow of the Album. Yours truly was on ... Had to take it back a little bit to when we really started getting in the the flow of the Album. Yours truly was on the camera, the Young Queen herself was searching thru some sounds doodling on the keys, Even that Sounded Hot, Check it out!! Krucial In Studio Series - Searching for Sounds By the Way ,That was Incense Burning in the Background Kids, lol Be Sure to Log on www.krucialkeys.com/blog for more In Studios Series- Alicia Keys New Album General, In Studio Series With KrucialKeys Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=21 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=21#comments Sat, 06 Jan 2007 03:45:04 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=21 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=21 So Here we are in 2007 . My Slogan and New Year's resolution is NO SETTLIN' IN '07. Even my Mom has chose the same ... So Here we are in 2007 . My Slogan and New Year's resolution is NO SETTLIN' IN '07. Even my Mom has chose the same Mantra...... well sort of, She put it more like "I Want It All" " All the Blessings that God has in Store For Me , I'm Ready.", now I'm paraphasing, she's a Certified Christian Woman Been Born Again for several Years. Nevertheless the Vibes the Same. As some of you know '06 was a good year the the KrucialKeys Fam, We Drop Mixtapes, Krucial- Take Da Hood Back EP, We did shows at S.O.B.'s and Crash Mansion, repeatedly, We Toured (slightly) In ATL, DC , and South Carolina, Been on Satilitte Radio, Internet radio, and even a couple of commercial stations. All off the strength from Word of Mouth ..and Some Press, shout out to 5WPR. AnyWay, Nothing wouldn't be possible without the Music. So I've been on Triple Time with Music Music Music. So welcome again to My blog, also we have the www.krucialkeys.com/blog poppin too. Where Alicia Keys And I and the KK Fam will be posting words , pics and video on whats going on in the studio. For Now We'll be posting that Here Also. Check Alicia's First Entry Out. www.krucialkeys.com/blog As Always thanks for Checking In and Please Holla Back Krucial General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=20 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=20#comments Sat, 06 Jan 2007 01:53:50 +0000 admin General In Studio Series With KrucialKeys Music http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=20 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=20 Jan 4 2007, 3:02am oops Jan 5….;-) NYC Peace to the fam... I'm gonna give this Blog thing a try so we can stay connected about what's ... Jan 4 2007, 3:02am oops Jan 5….;-) NYC Peace to the fam... I'm gonna give this Blog thing a try so we can stay connected about what's going on in the studio... Whooohoooo! Sometimes you just have magic moments. You don’t exactly know that they’re coming, but when you’re on it…..you just ride it till you cain’t no mo! That’s my new philosophy… while you’re holding the bat make the swing count! Ha-ha. That’s how I’m on it! So these new songs of mine have been so much fun! I’m all about the moment. In the studio I’ve been having moments of clarity! When an emotion just fills me up and I'm about to burst…and the only way to get it out is that MOMENT! Sayin’ /singin' it right there to the music and getting it off my chest. I can’t tell you there’s a better feeling in the world. It’s like a ray of light that frees me. It’s A magic moment that I never want to take for granted. That sensation, that freedom, that honesty and desperate truth, THAT’S the thing about music that makes me SOAR….and I never wanna come outta the sky. I’m new at this blog thing…. Now what happens?;-) Check one of my favorite songs that I was BLASTIN’ today…. Peace and love AK This Song Below Is such a Zone , I'm sure this was a Magic Momment for Prince Prince- The Beuatiful Ones General, In Studio Series With KrucialKeys, Music Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=14 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=14#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:46:17 +0000 admin General Music http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=14 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=14 3:14 Saigon-nobody-cares-ft-stic-man.mp3 Saigon-nobody-cares-ft-stic-man.mp3 General, Music Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=10 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=10#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:24:25 +0000 admin General http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=10 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=10 How Many times does an unarmed men have to get shot before we stand up!! My condolences to Seans Family. I didnt know him personally, ... How Many times does an unarmed men have to get shot before we stand up!! My condolences to Seans Family. I didnt know him personally, but he is from my hometown of Queens NY, He also rested in Far Rockaway where I was raised. So it hits close to me. Also My man Tre-Pound and Psych knew him. I can't even began to express my anger. But we need more than just anger. We need unity. A word to the Thugs, Now its time to prepare and protect ya Hoods. Lets Thug for a purpose. Take Da Hood Back.... DJ's and media outlets always say they like that song of mine and the message, but say people are not really checking for that as if its not relevent. Is it relevent now. Unfortunately it is. " Cops Kill and Go free?! I Don't Like that Shit!!! Anyway I just wanted to post some articles and Pics to keep yall in the loop a little at a time. Bare with me I'm new at this Blog thing. Here's an interview from essence with Sean's Fiance ESSENCE: What happened that night when you got the call about Sean? Nicole: I was at my mom's house, where I had just had my bridal shower. It was fun, had all the ladies over. Then about 4:00 A.M. my mom came in my room and told me my sister had just called, that something had happened. Of course I was nervous, but I never thought it would be something like this. I just thought, Oh God, what happened now? Great. So we went on our way to the hospital, and when we got there they wouldn't tell us what had happened. Nobody said anything to us for a half hour until a police officer came out and took my name and saw my ID, wrote my information down and said he'd be right back. We didn't hear anything more from the police for about an hour and a half. Finally I got really upset and asked, "What's going on? Somebody has to tell me something." So one of the surgeons came in and moved my family and me into the ER conference room. Then another doctor came in, and she told us that he had passed. It was a complete shock. ESSENCE: The day before Sean was killed, you spent some of that afternoon together. Do you remember your last conversation? Nicole: He dropped me and the girls off at my mother'’s house. But actually I had spoken to him on the phone after that, during the middle of the day. We always contact each other several times a day just to check in on each other and say, "What you doing now? What's going on? I miss you." He told me that he had just bought something to wear for his bachelor party. He asked me what I was doing, and I told him we were preparing for the bridal shower. He told me he wasn't sure if he was going to go out. And at the last minute he did change his mind, so he did go out. And that was it. We told each other we loved each other, as we always ended our conversations on the phone. "I love you." "I love you too." That was the last conversation we had. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big Up to Sharpton for always Standing Up Also Shouts to Papoose for spitting about it like Hip Hop is suppose to do. Papoose-50 shots --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Is Footage from Demoracynow.org. Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 450 stations in North America. Pioneering the largest public media collaboration in the U.S., Democracy Now! is broadcast on: NPR, Community, and College radio stations; Public Access, PBS, Satellite television: (DISH Network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Link TV ch. 375)  http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2006/dec/video/dnB20061214a.rmproto=rtspstart=7:50  Thank You to Nick Vaughn, Shout Out to Joy, Always appreciate your input and info. General Take Da Hood Back no No http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=8 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=8#comments Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:02:56 +0000 admin General Music http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?p=8 http://www.takedahoodback.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=8 Why ThuG? This is the question I wanna send out to all yall up and coming rappers and just turn rappers out there, who know ... Why ThuG? This is the question I wanna send out to all yall up and coming rappers and just turn rappers out there, who know damn well you're not living that life. You're thinking its the thing to do or the thing to be, but really that Thug shit is played. You may Hear it all the time on the radio and on TV. But the truth is its not really selling like it appears to be. If you know anything about business, its about Supply and Demand. There is an Over Supply of wanna be thug rappers, so the Demand is Low.Yeah I know some of yall are like yeah but I'm a thug for real. I did thiss... I did that... I went to jail... Blah Blah Blah. I'm not referring to Yall. It is what it is, If you have no other option to maintain your household and family so be it. We all know what the consequences are. Get It How You Live It. But Unless You really Have Skillz(That's a concept that seems to be forgotten about)and legitamate talent beyond average and just so happen to get caught up in that life style and tryna change ya life, you're wasting your time and somebody's money. Everyone who is coming the same way, saying the same shit are really cancelling each other out. In this Day and Age Who really gives a fuck if you are a real Thug or not? Its Just entertainment for the people who are Not from the Hood and Who don't live in the situations that make a man desperate like that. Besides So Called Nerds are shooting up schools in middle America then Kill themselves, so Thug/Gangsta rap its not even that fascinating to Middle America that much any more. They Just Like the Beat. So To You wanna be thug rappers, The true Rule in Hip Hop Is Be Yourself. We Need more variety. Cut that one dimensional shit out. Thinking this is gonna make you successful. You're gonna successfully get you're ass into something you don't really want to be in. Then we'll see you for what you really are either a coward or a snitch .Stop feeding the babies Lies, Find something else to write about. Even 2Pac, Who most of yall try to emulate, came with some real shit, angry shit, uplifting, rebellious, heart felt shit for the ladies, dedication to his Mom, etc. His Meaning Of Thug was different than what yall felt it was. He said "I'm a Thug NOT beause I Kill or Rob People... But because I Came From The Gutter And I'm Still Here." (I'm Paraprhasing) but bottom line is..... YOU ARE NO 2PAC. Why Thug? Especially when you know in your heart you're far from it. Entertain Us another way. K General, Music Take Da Hood Back no No