The anticipation arose as time froze
I stared off the stage with my eyes closed and dove
into the deep cosmos
he patiently gazed at the frayed hair follicles that cicumvented the curves of his face and dotted his jaw's landscape.
as he paced to and fro with an impatient bop he held the crinkled sheet of paper in his wavering hand.
neatly folded to a fourth of its original size, he occasionally froze in his place with abrupt jolts to his body that made it seem as though the air temperature had dropped 70 degrees in a split second.
and in that instant, those same eyes that shielded the world from within, darted across the words calmly scrawled on the page. devoid of divinity...cocked and aimed and sprayed...at a moment's notice.
hollow words without true meaning when taken individually. but the picture they painted collectively was a concise story that wove many strands into one singular theme.
and with that, his pursed lips continued their slow and hushed reiteration of those very same words.
in the bathroom. on the sidewalk. in the truck. on storrw drive. in harvard square. at the atm. in the basement corner spot next to the speaker and behind the bassist. between bites of sweet potatoe fries and appluase for the slam and featured poets.
until it was his turn to take the stage.
and he reluctantly rose with determined hesitation as the emcee announced, "next up on the open mic...POPS"
...and then he froze up on stage and fuqed up his first time trying to perform without reading from a piece of paper. oh well. back to doing some more back pocket poetry. this memorization shT is for the birds.
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
-The Roots and Common, "Act Too"
Monday, August 21, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
we all got a little bit of nerd in us
some people are just bonafide nerds and that is just fine. ain't nothing wrong with it.
but some folks are just straight up geeks.
there are sneaker nerds, sci-fi nerds, poetry nerds, handbag nerds, basketball nerds, chinese food nerds, ipod nerds, movie nerds, and car nerds.
my personal vices?
hip-hop, technology, basketball, and chicken.
but i'll be damned if all the nerds didn't converge at movie theaters across the country this weekend to see SoaP.
that shT was comedy. nerds in all their glory. the movie was whatever. It'll make a profit on the strength of the sheer hilarity of the concept. As a matter of fact, if it had a different name, it wouldn't have been as bad, but then it wouldn't have generated as much hype. alas, the trade-offs of brand identity.
you got any nerd in you?
but some folks are just straight up geeks.
there are sneaker nerds, sci-fi nerds, poetry nerds, handbag nerds, basketball nerds, chinese food nerds, ipod nerds, movie nerds, and car nerds.
my personal vices?
hip-hop, technology, basketball, and chicken.
but i'll be damned if all the nerds didn't converge at movie theaters across the country this weekend to see SoaP.
that shT was comedy. nerds in all their glory. the movie was whatever. It'll make a profit on the strength of the sheer hilarity of the concept. As a matter of fact, if it had a different name, it wouldn't have been as bad, but then it wouldn't have generated as much hype. alas, the trade-offs of brand identity.
you got any nerd in you?
Sunday, August 13, 2006
the artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery
The Foundation Movement had asked if I could write a review of their latest album and I agreed some time ago, but never got to bang it out full throttle amidst this busy summer. But after finally cranking out something ready to read, I cam across the following. And I know going into this post that I'm on that slippery spchrist slope of BS blogging, but my man Davey D had this on his site and I found it very interesting. Definitely something to let marinate for a bit, but thought-provoking nonetheless. The balance it srikes with the previous post is stark like a mutha.
Music With A Meaning
Wise men speak because they have something to say.
Fools because they have to say something.
It should come as no surprise that one of the hardest-working crews in the Boston hip-hop scene dropped a greatest hits album capable of leaving listeners speechless. The Foundation Movement is literally that; two emcees and a DJ with a worldwide fanbase, a firm understanding of local realities, and global sensibilities. Their music is a mixture of passion, purpose, justice, and empowerment. Their scope goes beyond Boston's borders and the confines of New England blizzards.
Eroc, Optimus, and DJ El are three young men who rhyme and make music with a determined frenzy in their lyrics and a pulsing beat in their boom-bap their is singularly unique. Over the last three years, they have amassed a budding grassroots following and street movement on the strength of their EP, The Foundation, and the street mixtape, UnReleased Classics. Yet, it is with the arrival of Greatest Hits, their debut full-length album, that we get to hear their full range of talent and taste the collection of varied cultural influences that have colored their life's perspectives.
Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound
Through The Storm, You Never Let Me Down
Because of My Faith, I Walk On Solid Ground
I Once Was Lost, But Now I'm Found
Far from a hodgepodge of irrelevant words that rhyme and beats that bang, Greatest Hits is a storybook album that pushes the envelope of what hip-hop music is, is not, and can be. It is organic. It is not watered-down. It is street. It is not dumbed-down. It is real. It is not formulaic. It is conscious. It is not wack.
With eighteen tracks, Greatest Hits is sure to leave listeners' appetites fully whetted with a variety of beats, instrumentals, and spoken word pieces that paint the world with many brushes, but result in a world-class musical mural that is beautiful, progressive, and dope. There are several tracks that stand out, included among them are Movement, which features legendary Boston veteran Edo G as he teams with The Foundation to drop gems. This Is Life is a soulful song with reknowned poetess/songtress Iyeoka Okoawo, while in A Prayer For Mami, we bear witness to Eroc dedicating a spoken word poem to his mother with heartfelt conviction. Other notable tracks that are sure to end up on your MP3 player's playlist are Truth (Amazing Grace), Not Like All The Others, and Durak (Whare You At?). Each has its own sound distinct from the others, yet with the same Foundation Movement stamp that brings it all together.
The Foundation Movement has toured and traveled the world, yet when they get in the studio, the results are exceptionally hard-hitting and thoroughly fly. For those who have yet to witness them perform live, playing this album loud in your vehicle or living room is the closest thing you can get to experiencing. And it does its job. Greatest Hits also features a host of talented producers and artists who collaborated on the project; Lee Wilson, Dead Prez, Kelley Nicole, Soulfege, Shana Turner, Lady Enchantress, Bambuu, Omen510, Upryz, Nelly ProTools, Neomatrix, DJ Liphted, Francis Phan, and Filthy Funk. Their contributions helped to cement this album in the annals of good music with a message that made its mark without sacrificing its integrity. And that, my friend, is what hip-hop is all about.
Fools because they have to say something.
It should come as no surprise that one of the hardest-working crews in the Boston hip-hop scene dropped a greatest hits album capable of leaving listeners speechless. The Foundation Movement is literally that; two emcees and a DJ with a worldwide fanbase, a firm understanding of local realities, and global sensibilities. Their music is a mixture of passion, purpose, justice, and empowerment. Their scope goes beyond Boston's borders and the confines of New England blizzards.
Eroc, Optimus, and DJ El are three young men who rhyme and make music with a determined frenzy in their lyrics and a pulsing beat in their boom-bap their is singularly unique. Over the last three years, they have amassed a budding grassroots following and street movement on the strength of their EP, The Foundation, and the street mixtape, UnReleased Classics. Yet, it is with the arrival of Greatest Hits, their debut full-length album, that we get to hear their full range of talent and taste the collection of varied cultural influences that have colored their life's perspectives.
Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound
Through The Storm, You Never Let Me Down
Because of My Faith, I Walk On Solid Ground
I Once Was Lost, But Now I'm Found
Far from a hodgepodge of irrelevant words that rhyme and beats that bang, Greatest Hits is a storybook album that pushes the envelope of what hip-hop music is, is not, and can be. It is organic. It is not watered-down. It is street. It is not dumbed-down. It is real. It is not formulaic. It is conscious. It is not wack.
With eighteen tracks, Greatest Hits is sure to leave listeners' appetites fully whetted with a variety of beats, instrumentals, and spoken word pieces that paint the world with many brushes, but result in a world-class musical mural that is beautiful, progressive, and dope. There are several tracks that stand out, included among them are Movement, which features legendary Boston veteran Edo G as he teams with The Foundation to drop gems. This Is Life is a soulful song with reknowned poetess/songtress Iyeoka Okoawo, while in A Prayer For Mami, we bear witness to Eroc dedicating a spoken word poem to his mother with heartfelt conviction. Other notable tracks that are sure to end up on your MP3 player's playlist are Truth (Amazing Grace), Not Like All The Others, and Durak (Whare You At?). Each has its own sound distinct from the others, yet with the same Foundation Movement stamp that brings it all together.
The Foundation Movement has toured and traveled the world, yet when they get in the studio, the results are exceptionally hard-hitting and thoroughly fly. For those who have yet to witness them perform live, playing this album loud in your vehicle or living room is the closest thing you can get to experiencing. And it does its job. Greatest Hits also features a host of talented producers and artists who collaborated on the project; Lee Wilson, Dead Prez, Kelley Nicole, Soulfege, Shana Turner, Lady Enchantress, Bambuu, Omen510, Upryz, Nelly ProTools, Neomatrix, DJ Liphted, Francis Phan, and Filthy Funk. Their contributions helped to cement this album in the annals of good music with a message that made its mark without sacrificing its integrity. And that, my friend, is what hip-hop is all about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)