You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2007.
These new vids are extra dope and made me smile. One is poignant and thought provoking (Nickelback) and the other is the smoothest, most pimpalicious sh*t I ever seen in my life (Snoopy).
“Snoop-a-loop!” -Will Ferrell (Old School)
The Snoop vid proves that this man can do anything he damn well pleases. HELLA creative and superfly of him to bring it back to the 70’s. This vid is str8 outta the opening credits of “SUPERBAD.” Sexual Chocolate! *Drops mic and walks off stage*
Nickelback: “If Everyone Cared”
This vid is part2 of my “Keep On Rockin’ in the Free World,” entry. I been thinking a lot lately about the fact that it seems like White musicians who put out vids with political messages are usually challenged less by the recording industry, than when a Hip-Hop artist of color does so. Record labels seem to give rock artists all the freedom in the world (this is not a bad thing mind you), while having a set equation for what kind of Hip-Hop song will be marketable (this IS a bad thing). While Green Day can redo John Lenon’s “Working Class Hero,” Jay-Z loses points for making a record with Coldplay and only gets his accolades back when he returns to talking about his past in the dope game. ”This racism is killing me inside.” -Dave Chappelle
Keep rocking rockers. Keep pushing the envelope rappers.
Sensual seduction,
Senbeezy.
I was recently introduced to the works of Hank Willis Thomas, an amazing photographer who currently resides here in the Bay. Thomas’ art focuses primarily on race and class, and it was his “BRANDED” project that really grabbed my attention and pulled me in.
Willis states: By employing the ubiquitous language of advertising in my work, I am able to talk explicitly about race, class and history in a medium that almost everyone can decode. What makes a corporate sign so alluring? I am in awe of the fact that ad campaigns can embed a simple meaningless logo with enough meaning and legitimacy to fuel multi-billion dollar industries.
What makes Thomas’ work so powerful to me is the way he uses a medium that keeps the systematic oppression of so many in place, against itself. Like ‘YIELD’ or ‘STOP’ signs, we subliminally internalize advertisements without questioning them for a second. “Even our conditioning has been conditioned…” Thomas’ works indubidably do the exact opposite. Peep game:
This brother is an incredibly amazing artist and when I saw his stuff I just had to take the time out to pay homage. Keep on Hank Willis Thomas.
’til kingdom come,
Senbei
So I’ve decided to add a “Food & Liquor” category to COLINRESPONSE, in which I review restaurants and beverages for the 21+. This category is named after Lupe Fiasco’s first album because I believe as he says, that “life is made up of two things: food and liquor.” This is basically a mix of what you need and require in life and what you don’t need, but desire in life. Here goes (absolutely) nothing…
For my (east) Bay Arean bros and sisters who are fans of Indian fare, you have GOT to check out Khana Peena, located at 1889 Solano Avenue in Berkeley. These cats do not play games and the make some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten. The prawns tikka masala are like little firecrackers of explosive deliciousness, the veggie samosas make you feel like there’s a party in your mouth and everyone (except Trent Lott) is invited, and the baigan bharta (eggplant baked, mashed & cooked with sauteed onions, garlic & flavored with Indian spices) tatses like its got crack inside it son!!!
The ambiance (I like that word) is very nice. Great place to go with a date or family & friends. Dishes range from $8-$15. I highly reccomend the chicken tikka masala or tandoori mixed grill platter with garlic naan for those new to Indian food. You can’t lose. Check it:
I hope you like delicious-ass, scumptious food that is healthy, affordable and satisfying because that’s all they serve here blud. Khana Peena – Remember the name. Church.
Moving along… *ahem*
For those of you over the age of 21, I want…no, need to put you on to a drink that is sweeping the (thizz) nation. I was made aware of this drink by some of my close broskis (and loyal colinresponse readers) Kori Saika Chen & Gregory Allen Mitchell. This beverage is served on the rocks and is 2 parts Jameson Irish Whiskey, and 1 part (wait for it…) Hyphy Juice. If you don’t know what Hyphy juice is, you really don’t need to be drinking “McDummy.”
I was very happy/proud to assist in the naming of this refreshing beverage, which gets its nomenclature from being both Irish and Bay. As the homies say, “that sh*t goes…” It’s smooth & sweet like the new Alicia Keyes album and green like…Hyphy Juice? (I’ve never talked about Hyphy Juice so much in my entire life, and never thought I would.)
If you are 21+ and like alcoholic beverages that taste like “grapple” (WTF?) McDummy is the drink for you!
WARNING: Drinking “McDummy,” may increase your belief in oppressive stereotypes maintaining that the Irish and young, working-class people of color from the Bay Area like to get drunk and start fights/sideshows (or just relax while the Warrior game is on).
“McDummy” 2007. All rights reserved ninja.
P.S. Alcohol kills millions a year and destroys lives, relationships and your brain.
P.P.S. I am hella stupid.
“Burn Trent Lott, wrapped in his confederate flag…” – Immortal Technique
PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, announced Monday he will retire from the Senate by end of year.
“It’s time for us to do something else,” Lott said, speaking for himself and his wife Tricia at a news conference.
Lott, 66, said he had notified President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Sunday about his plans. Barbour, a Republican, will name someone to temporarily replace Lott.
If you are not already familiar with this jerkface, Trent Lott is most famous for his tremendous vocal support of Strom Thurmond, a presidential candidate from 1948 who ran on the basis of racial segregation. As a Congressman, he voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act, voted against the continuation of the Civil Rights Act and opposed the Martin Luther King Holiday. Lott also maintained for many years an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Thank GOD this JERKFACE is on his way out. He probably had a closeted, promiscuois rendevue with a young male intern (it seems to be the GOP’s way these days), and fears being found out. “To those who hide behind a false image of the son of man shall stand before God!!!” – Immortal Technique
This one’s for you Senator Lott: I hope when you reach the next life, God will have more mercy for you than I do you ignorant f*cking cracker. Way to use your entire privileged life working to further people’s suffering. Eat a sh*t sandwich and die.
Love, Senbei
“8 Diagrams” aint out yet, but you know ya boy got the leaked version already from my undisclosed source (thanx A.B.!). I’ve always loved these dudes. Wu-Tang is one of, if not the most influential rap groups of all-time. This is grimy, gutter, hardcore, NYC Hip-Hop at its very finest.
While some may find his sound dated, the RZA aka “Bobby Digital” aka “Prince Rakeem,” aka “The Funny Bone Tickler with Street Curriculum,” lays down some derrrty production that would make Tyrone Biggums feel right at home as always.
With Raekwon’s “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II” being released soon with Doctor Dre and executive produced by Busta Rhymes, Rae shows that he aint goin nowhere on this album. “The Heart Gently Weeps,” feat Erykah Badu shows Rae’s ability to go deep when he spits about some of the horrid things he’s seen an experienced growing up in the hood.
George Clinton & Erykah Badu are the only guests besides Street Life & CappaDonna, but with this line-up, who needs more than that?
I will defintely write more about this album after I’ve had some more time to listen to it. For now, I just wanted to let the world know how excited I am that one of, if not the greatest rap group of all time is back. “Protect ya neck,” wackrappers. It’s about time to diversify yo bonds ninja…
9 reasons to buy this album:
Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, Method Man & O.D.B. (R.I.P.)
“No time to grab the gun, they already got yo wife and children…” -RZA
I already reviewed Jay-Z’s “American Gangster,” but I found this recently and it was fresh ta death hearing directly from Jay-Z (interviewed by Charlie Rose!?!) about how Diddy(?!?!) played an instrumental role in the album being so dope. Check the vid. It speaks for itself.
Brittain’s ‘Steel Pulse’ has been one of my favorite roots ragga bands for a long time. If u aint checked ‘em yet, ”No More Weapons,” is a good place to start. This song features Damien “Jr. Gong” Marley and the video is extremely well done. It becomes more and more apparent to me that today’s musical artists are flatly refusing the current war on “terror,” and it is refelcted blatantly in their music and expression. Whether rap, rock or rasta, I pray this refusal continues until Amerikan troops are home with their families and Iraqi women and children don’t have to live in terror.
Check out Pink’s (where they been at?) new live music vid entitled: “Dear Mr. President.”
“Dear Mr. President…take a walk with me. Were you a lonely boy? What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away, and what kind of father would hate his own daughter if she were gay? I can only imagine what your wife has to say: ’You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine…” Let me tell you about hard work. You don’t know nothing about hard work. Can you even look me in the eye? How do you sleep at night? How do you walk with your head held high? Dear Mr. President, you’d never take a walk with me…”
F*ck Bush with a fist in his ass.
C
Kip Fulbeck is a Professor of Art & Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara and is the author of “Paper Bullets,” one of my favorite books of all time. His latest “Half-Asian, 100% Hapa,” book project made it onto CNN and MTV, and explores the vast diversity and complexity of mixed race Asian Pacific Amerikans. If you aren’t a Hapa yourself, you probably know some Hapas, and if you do, you’ve probably crushed on at least one of them sexy bastards (don’t front blud).
His new book displays close-up shots of mixed race Asian Pacific Amerikans and a one page blurb of them answering the queston all us Hapas have heard 10,000 times: “What are you?”
EXAMPLE:
I am a Yonsei (4th generation Japanese-Amerikan), Scottish, Iriquois/Mohawk 80’s baby from Richmond, California who dies a little bit inside everytime you ask me that question, because it frightens me how important it is for you to know what box you should place me in. I am Asian & Anglo but I am also a product of the Richmond public schools and raised working class. Which of your streotypes will override the other, for you to pass judgement on me now that you have your answer?
Love us or hate us, mixed folks are the future. We can’t be stopped because different people are going to continue making babies with each other until everyone looks like Tiger Woods and Nicole Sherzinger (is that spelled right?), and that don’t sound too bad to me.
Word to Tyson Beckford and Keanu Reeves,
Senbeezy.
[JACK LOVE THE KIDS!] Check out little dude in the bottom right goin’ for a booger. =)
Not only did the Warriors get their first win of the saeson since I last blogged an entry into “colinresponse,” but they won again in Toronto with the return of Stephen Jackson into the lineup. =D I’m not sure who made our schedule this year, but being 0-5 and then having to wait almost a week to redeem ourselves, was upsetting to say the least.
Al Harrington has been the most consistent Warrior (after Baron Davis of course, who has carried us his entire Warrior career), averaging 20+ points a game, playing solid defense and being one of our best free-throw shooters (not hard on this club). I also need to tip my hat to 21-year old, Latvian savage, Andris Biedrins. His rebounding and all around tough play have been the staple in allowing the Dub’s to even have a shot at winning in each of their 2 victories. Congrats to Mikael Pietrus who returned back today after celebrating the birth of his new baby daughter.
We next embark on a week long, east-coast raod trip where we will face the knicks, newly revamped/amped boston celtics, agent-0 and the wizards, and then to philly before returning to the Yay. Now that we are back in full-force, I expect us to win at least 3 out of 5 of these games, with losses possibly coming from boston and gilbert arenas (who has torched the warriors every time he sees them).
2-6 aint too bad, it’s a long season. Captain Jack is back, Baron is statistically better than Allen Iverson and LeBron James right now and we are on a WINNING STREAK! Let’s get ‘em warriors. Even Austin Croshere was ballin’ today!
(Victory #1 of many!)
Notorious P.O.B. (Patrick O’Bryant) like yee,
Senbei
Alicia Keyes new album “As I Am,” hit stores this week and my own personal opinion is that it’s raw, uncut dope like blue magic. Unlike her last couple albums, that I felt had incredibly strong singles but the rest of the cd felt a bit monotonous, “As I Am” displays Alicia’s incredible growth as an artist.
When I was watching the MTV Music Video Awards, 50 Cent actually had a great point (AMAZING, I KNOW!) when he pointed out that he’d seen her sing her ass off before but never really “put on a show,” until now. She seems to only get better and better, and in a world where “video killed the radio star,” there is an anomaly who is physically beautiful (dont sweat emi, ur the only woman for me!), but also sings with powerful ferver, writes her own music and plays the piano like the got-dam devil.
Led by the monster-ballad “No One,” “As I Am,” gives a new look to RnB/Soul (she got a duet with John Mayer son!) and is uplifting if you drive through the hood everyday and end up at work in a place where wealth is ample but not shared. (If I listened to rap everyday doing the work I do, I might be ready to body someone by now. =P)
Tracks that make you feel like “everything’s gonna be alright…”
“Superwoman” “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” “Wreckeless Love”
“Where Do We Go From Here’
“Sure Looks Good to Me”
“No One”
Here’s to you Ms. Keyes. Keep being a “Superwoman.”
Check out Common & Alicia cupcaking. =P Could she be the new Erykah???
