Andrew Taylor Recommends

Palin just pallin' around with secessionists!

2008-10-07T18:44:00.001-04:00

I am shocked -- SHOCKED -- that she hasn't been completely forthcoming about her allegiance to an anti-U.S., militant, secessionist political party. SHOCKED*.

*Not really all that shocked.

A must-read on the "honorable" John McCain

2008-10-06T21:10:00.002-04:00

At Rolling Stone, Tim Dickinson's got a whopper of a story to tell about the man who would become president, if only the illusion held up.

At Fort McNair, an army base located along the Potomac River in the nation's capital, a chance reunion takes place one day between two former POWs. It's the spring of 1974, and Navy commander John Sidney McCain III has returned home from the experience in Hanoi that, according to legend, transformed him from a callow and reckless youth into a serious man of patriotism and purpose. Walking along the grounds at Fort McNair, McCain runs into John Dramesi, an Air Force lieutenant colonel who was also imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam. ...

"I'm going to the Middle East," Dramesi says. "Turkey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iran."

"Why are you going to the Middle East?" McCain asks, dismissively.

"It's a place we're probably going to have some problems," Dramesi says.

"Why? Where are you going to, John?"

"Oh, I'm going to Rio."

"What the hell are you going to Rio for?"

McCain, a married father of three, shrugs.

"I got a better chance of getting laid."

Dramesi, who went on to serve as chief war planner for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and commander of a wing of the Strategic Air Command, was not surprised. "McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man," Dramesi says today. "But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."

Nebraska's Democratic Cowboy

2008-10-05T18:12:00.002-04:00

For my money, Scott Kleeb gets it. He's running to replace retiring Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel, and he's talking about the kind of change Americans need in terms we can understand. Interestingly, you have to look really really hard at his Web site to determine he is, in fact, a Democrat. He's more of an Independent, fiscal conservative type, but he is a D. Right now, though, party affiliation is indeed less important than issues, and he seems to be up on those.

Ukulele, Julia Nunes, YouTube and You

2008-10-02T01:19:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to my friend Loie, who directed me to this delightful young woman's YouTube channel. She plays ukulele and is rather low-tech in her approach but still manages to multi-track record her songs, some original and some covers. She's FANTASTIC! Here's her take on the Beach Boys' best song, "God Only Knows."

And here's one of her original songs, "Balloons," which is honestly one of the best pop songs I've heard all year.

This is serious talent and it's pretty clear she loves what she does. Go subscribe to her channel and watch watch watch!

EDIT: OMG SHE DID A SPOON SONG SHE'S AWESOME.

Career, health, love, etc.: Sorry folks

2008-09-29T17:13:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry about the lack of content here lately, but real life has got me in a chokehold. Some of it is good, some of it is bad, but all of it has drained me and left me fighting a cold.

So while I get my crap together, enjoy a new Decemberists song about CIA superstar Valerie Plame.

Must-read: Former religious righty repents

2008-09-21T16:59:00.003-04:00

This is really fascinating stuff: Frank Schaeffer, the son and former sidekick of pioneering Religious Right evangelist, Francis Schaeffer, says that if you're religious, you're a Republican and you love America, you really MUST vote for Barack Obama.

Take a hard look at yourselves. Play back this year's Republican convention and you'll see an all-white crowd of people screaming for offshore oil drilling -- fat lot of good that will do! more carbon! more polution! -- and essentially reacting like starved hyenas when presented with a piece of juicy carrion. At the convention Sarah Palin and others produced nothing more than a snide list of smart ass put downs aimed at the really dumb, with so little substance that former conservatives such the late William F. Buckley, for instance (let alone my late father) would simply have been ashamed to be in your company. You have become a hate-filled rabble proud of your ignorance and resentful of the rest of your own country, resentment that's exceeded only by your maudlin (and false) sense of victimhood.

People that hate half the population of their own country can scarcely be called patriots. On the contrary, people who exult in mocking as their only way to "contribute" to solving our huge environmental, energy, military and economic problems are true subversives. ...

Let's be honest: the Neoconservative Movement is nothing more than an kill-all-the-Arabs, pro-Israel-at-any-cost, morally bankrupt lobby that actually turns out to be anti-Israel. Why? Because taken to the logical conclusion the neoconservative's position on everything--from illegal West Bank settlements, to making war on Iran, not to mention the absolutely useless waste of life that's taken place in Iraq, warlike preparations against Syria and just about every other Middle Eastern country, no, scratch that, every other country in the world--puts Israel in worse jeopardy than ever before.

Fortunately for everyone, it seems that most Israelis "get" this, as well as most Jewish Americans (who vote Democratic) even if a few Neoconservative Jews, most Evangelicals and all the other Republican zealots don't. (Most Jews also know that the idiot fringe so-called Christian Zionists like Rev., Hagee, are no friends to Israel, rather they are perpetuating a doomsday nineteenth century Armageddon/ "Rapture" cult that wants to use the Jews as cosmic "End Times" cannon fodder.) ...

The Republican problem is a systemic disparagement of government, community, faith in our institutions, family, God's creation and the mitigating institutions that put a check on something any party aligned with a religious movement should know all about: sin. Greed is not the only problem. Human weakness and stupidity (i.e., "sin") is the problem! And the genius of the American system is supposedly that we have a system of checks and balances to mitigate our fallen state. You have destroyed those checks and balances.

Bush felt no guilt about promoting completely unqualified people to high posts merely on the basis of social, ideological or political connections. I'll take that a step further: I don't think Bush ever wanted the government to work. You Republicans hate our government as bitterly as our terrorist enemies do. You have been trying to deconstruct it. Since the government is seen as the enemy of freedom by you, if it doesn't work so much the better!

Keep in mind, this guy helped BUILD the coalition of the Religious Right. This is damning stuff from a guy who knows what he's talking about.

The smoking ... video cameras: McCain's distortions

2008-09-16T01:30:00.002-04:00

Wanna see why everyone's so worked up about John McCain's "nasty" and "untrue" advertising? Here's why:

It is nasty and it is untrue. Period.

McCain isn't a cripple, he's braindead, sheesh!

2008-09-15T00:14:00.004-04:00

Listen, I'm pretty pissed off that the GOP is counterattacking the Obama campaign's (admittedly brilliant) ad pointing out that McCain can't use a computer by saying "oh, he can't lift his arms high enough to use a keyboard because of his WAR WOUNDS! Go look at this old clip from a Boston paper that talks about it, shame on you, Barack Obama!"

How disingenuous can you get? First of all, if you can freaking write on a piece of paper with a pen, you can get your arms up to type. And I'm going out on a very strong limb to say that an injury that keeps him from raising his upper arms above shoulder-height doesn't keep him from operating his fingers at resting height. Also, even the Boston Globe article admits McCain has never cited his injuries on his own behalf as a reason for not using computers. And then McCain himself said this in a 2006 interview with Fortune:

"I read my e-mails, but I don't write any. I'm a Neanderthal - I don't even type. I do have rudimentary capabilities to call up some websites, like the New York Times online, that sort of stuff. No laptop. No PalmPilot. I prefer my schedule on notecards, which I keep in my jacket pocket."

But now that this is out there, I'm sure idiots will hear Karl Rove talk about how Obama's attacking a war hero for not doing something his injuries keep him from doing, and they'll say "OH I CAN'T BELIEVE BARACK DID THAT, WHAT A SHIFTY FELLOW!" I doubt it'll change any votes but still, talk about crying wolf.

The real issue here (and I admit, it's a relatively small issue) is that not only does John McCain not know how to use a computer, he doesn't seem to show any interest in learning how. He calls himself an "illiterate" who depends on his wife to navigate to Web sites and other things for him. He also has his staffers dial numbers on his smartphone, hit send and then hand him the phone so he can talk into it. This isn't a matter of him not being physically able to operate machines more advanced than an abacus, it's a matter of him being too stubborn and crusty to learn. Watch the video below for more clarification.

Also he doesn't know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite (hell, Thomas Jefferson knew that), he still thinks Czechoslovakia is a country and he doesn't seem to have any concept of what nuclear energy entails, despite wanting 40 (FORTY!) new nuclear power plants to be built in the next 25 years. Those are all bigger issues than whether or not he can use a computer, certainly. I just hate it when the people who hold all the power and all the money play the victim card.

That's the card we poor people play, dammit.

A tribute to David: Recommended Reading

2008-09-14T18:42:00.003-04:00

The world lost one of its most genuine souls and one of its most entertaining writers in one moment Friday, as David Foster Wallace, 46, hanged himself in his Claremont, Calif., home. His epic "Infinite Jest" ranks among my favorite books of all time because it calls such intense attention unto the task of being human. We're all observing and observing that observation and so on, even when we don't realize it. To live involves a lot of lying, to yourself and to others, about your intentions. It's a beautiful and tragic concept to reckon.

Laura Miller wrote a fairly brief but spot-on tribute to her favorite author and mine at Salon.com. If I'd had the chance, I'd have written a very similar piece because she got a lot of the same things out of DFW's work that I did.

He meant, with his footnotes and his digressions, to acknowledge the agonies of self-consciousness and the "difference between the size and speed of everything that flashes through you and the tiny inadequate bit of it all you can ever let anyone know." Point taken. Still, I read about his characters, each tennis prodigy and recovering addict and transvestite hooker and yuppie and ad exec and game show contestant and closeted political aide, and thought: Hey, I know you. Maybe it was an illusion -- Wallace would have been the first to admit as much -- but it made me feel less alone, too.

The five McCain videos you must see

2008-09-10T17:22:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of director Robert Greenwald:

The Real McCain 2 reached an astonishing 4 million views last week, just as the McCain campaign was trotting out lie after lie at the Republican National Convention. Coincidence? We don't think so. To us, this unprecedented number suggests that the public is desperately seeking the truth about John McCain -- a truth the corporate press still isn't providing.

Below are five videos that present the Real McCain: an elitist out of touch with hard-working Americans; a double talker who supports a costly war in Iraq but won't support our veterans. Forward this email on. This is the McCain everyone should know.

1. The Real McCain 2: Watch as McCain's YouTube problem became his nightmare in the video that received over 4 million views.

2. Less Jobs. More Wars: What is this 'Iraq war' charge on my bill?

3. John McCain vs. John McCain: Tell McCain to get off the Double Talk Express.

4. McCain's Spiritual Guide: The video that caused McCain to renounce Rev. Rod Parsley's bigoted endorsement.

5. Why Won't McCain Sign the GI Bill? Presenting the most blatant hypocrisy of the McCain campaign.

Imagine how differently people would regard McCain if they saw all five of these videos and learned the truth. That's why we want you to forward this e-mail to everyone and anyone with a personal note at the top from you. Why send these videos individually when you can send them all at once? Also, get them on all the blogs and traditional news sites you can. Make sure you're doing everything you can to educate the public about the Real McCain.

Yours,
Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New team

Mandatory Reading: Meet Mrs. Sarah Palin

2008-09-08T02:42:00.002-04:00

Hear about Sarah Palin, John McCain's ballsy choice for running mate, from the people who know her best. An excerpt from the best letter, written by Anne Kilkenny, a Wasilla, Alaska, resident:

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city. ...

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later — to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing. ...

She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal — loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).

As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

Young Chris + Change = Mixtape marvelousness

2008-09-06T02:13:00.003-04:00

It kinda crept up on me over time. Before I even realized what was happening, I started thinking about Philly rapper Young Chris whenever I thought about my favorite rappers. Weezy, Kanye, Nas, Freeway ... and oh yeah, that other State Property Philly guy, Young Chris. (That's not an all-inclusive list, or even representative of my current tastes, just an illustration) Chris has been putting out mixtapes for free online for a while now, and as a collaborator with Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Peedi Crakk (among others) on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records imprint, he showed up on a lot of good songs over the last several years.

But it wasn't until he started putting out the occasional free web mixtape that I really started to appreciate his talents. He did "The Newprint" tape with Mick Boogie a while back, just flowing over old Jay-Z beats to pay homage to his patron saint of major label contracts. And that was really good.

And then he released another free mixtape with Mick Boogie called "Politically Incorrect," and despite the title, it really didn't have much to do with politics. But it WAS another really solid mixtape, with Chris's somewhat higher-pitched, staccato flows over a wide variety of beats with a wide variety of guest spots. Again, free. Again, good.

And now it's been like six or seven months (at least) since I saw a Young Chris tape, but he just released one a couple weeks ago called "Campaign for Change." This one is a bit more overtly political, as he makes frequent references to Barack Obama and makes frequent use of audio snippets from his speeches. Oh there are still raps about guns and selling drugs, but it's a bit more early-era Ice Cube (we sell drugs because we have no better way to earn money, thanks Reagan/Bush 41/Bush 43) than current-era Young Jeezy (I'M THA SNOWMAN I LOVE SELLIN' DRUGS).

I really like this tape and it might be the best of his I've heard because he's clearly more focused on a theme, a topic, a message. It's not JUST good, technically adept rapping over fun beats, it's also got an aim. So go download it if you like street rap and go vote for Obama in November if you love America. Thanks!

Wow: Daily Show exposes real "Compassionate Conservatism"

2008-09-03T16:52:00.002-04:00

Watch for the guy who complains about not being able to trash Barack Obama on TV "because some people got rained on." Of course, the real lulz are just comparing these people in the Xcel Center to the people who huddled in the Superdome after Katrina. Because, you know, the president was playing the guitar when that storm made landfall.

Minneapolis, Alaska: Political satire for all

2008-09-01T18:58:00.003-04:00

The accent is a bit more Red Wing, Minn., than Anchorage, Alaska, but it's pretty funny nonetheless.

"I was elected governoress ... of Alaska."

"That is where Russia is, isn't it? Across the Bering Strait?"

I'm behind: CERN rap

2008-09-01T17:49:00.002-04:00

I think this pushes Michigan State ahead of Michigan in the raps about particle accelerators department. Man up, Ann Arbor!

Anyway, this Michigan State graduate and science writer, Kate McAlpine, went to CERN's Large Hadron Collider a while ago and filmed a rap about what exactly the Large Hadron Collider does. And as a hip-hop connoisseur, let me just say the girl can string together some bars. This isn't chump rap, it's a flow that reminds me of MC Lyte. And it's educational! I'm a giant nerd for quantum physics and I want so badly for us to fire this baby up and see what happens.

CERN Rap from Will Barras on Vimeo.

Quickie: Crumpets are good

2008-09-01T01:33:00.003-04:00

Do you like English muffins? Well, crumpets are way better. They're more filling and more chewy and more delicious. Also, they're basically really thick pancakes that are browned on one side, leaving these pores of awesomeness on the other side for your butter, honey, cream cheese, jam, Nutella, etc., to sink into, infusing the whole of the crumpet with your chosen flavors.

Really, guys, go get some crumpets. I found a six-pack of them for $2 in the refrigerated section (near OJ, English muffins, cold bagels, tube cookies and biscuits) at my local grocer. They are delightful.

Pop, don't stop: Pringles Restaurant Cravers

2008-08-29T01:17:00.004-04:00

I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Pringles. I appreciate the fact that they come in a tube so as to avoid chip crushage and I'm glad they're healthier and less greasy than a lot of potato chips. But I also find most Pringles flavors weak and not very good-tasting. But then again, they're like a dollar a tube, so I guess it's not so much a love-hate as a like-ambivalence.

My mom's always liked Pringles, though, so last time we were shopping together, I noted that not only were Pringles on sale, they also had these Restaurant Cravers flavors: Mexican layered dip, cheesy fries and onion blossom (clearly named to invite comparisons to Outback Steakhouse's bloomin' onion, but different enough to avoid lawsuits ... good work Mr. Pringle). They may have had loaded potato flavored ones too, but I've had enough chips with that flavor theme to know it generally translates to sour cream and maybe a hint of bacony flavor.

So anyway my mom got two and I got two and I sampled hers (for science) and I can definitively say that most of these flavors are just OK. Cheesy fries are mildly cheesy chips (yawn), onion blossom are mildly oniony chips (seen it before).

But then I opened up the Mexican layered dip tube, not expecting much, and was really impressed. This is easily the best Pringles flavor I've ever had and I've had a lot of them. The nice thing about these is that they actually have a lot of flavor! I can taste cheese, I can taste tomatoey pepper stuff (like salsa!), I can taste chives and the slightest hint of sour cream perhaps ... it tastes like nacho fixins and I certainly enjoy nacho fixins. And all this flavor in a crush-proof cardboard tube for a dollar! Check 'em out if you see them at your local grocer, bodega, soulless big-box retailer, whatever.

Denny K. saves the day

2008-08-27T18:31:00.000-04:00

Say what you want about Dennis Kucinich, he knows his stuff and he's passionate about it!

Premium price, not-so-premium M&Ms

2008-08-26T04:28:00.003-04:00

I don't really have much to say about M&Ms stab at sophisticated candy, particularly because the cappuccino-flavored M&Ms that were apparently a test-market run a couple years ago were way, way, way better. And not as overpriced!

I got two packages for 7 bucks, and there's not even half a pound of candy there. And that was on sale! I got the triple chocolate kind, which is white chocolate and milk chocolate and dark chocolate, if I remember right. And I also picked out the coffee-flavored mocha one, mainly to see how it stacked up to the white-rhino-rare cappuccino ones.

These M&Ms don't even have a crispy candy shell. The "shell," so to speak, is just one of the layers of chocolate and is slightly firm but not at all crispy. Each candy is about the size of one of those Mega M&Ms or maybe more like a peanut M&M. And the flavor? Well, it's Mars chocolate, which generally needs dressing up with things like nougat, caramel or, I dunno, CANDY COATING.

The mocha ones are decent, though certainly not worth the price, and certainly not anywhere as enjoyable as those cappuccino ones, which I will now dub "Moby Dick." And the triple chocolate ones weren't anything special, which is why it's taken me approximately a month to get around to writing this entry.

Basically, boo to Mars, yawn to the Premium M&M line and pitchforks to the pricing. If it's not high-quality chocolate you can't charge more than 3 bucks for like 8 ounces of candy, that's just the way I see it.

"I got a condo at the Trump I only slept in once"

2008-08-21T17:47:00.002-04:00

Who said the line I used as the subject of this post: Jay-Z or John McCain? Well, in this instance it's Jay-Z, but when McCain was asked how many houses he owns the other day, he honestly didn't know. He owns seven. Also, when asked what constitutes "rich" in this economy, he answered "as far as income goes ... about $5 million?"

Well yes, that's technically correct, but Barack Obama was more correct when he answered the same question "if you make $250,000 a year ... you're doing well." I get the feeling $250,000 doesn't even cover Cindy McCain's yearly clothing budget. Here's a great ad Obama put out just today to make fun of this out-of-touch, demented old man:

Colin Munroe does U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with mandolin!

2008-08-21T01:44:00.002-04:00

Man, this Colin Munroe kid really doesn't need to release any original material (though he has/will) because his covers are so supremely boffo! Here he is covering fellow subjects of Her Majesty the Queen, U2.

You may remember him from when he put his own spin on Kanye West's "Flashing Lights."

It's really worth watching again. And here's one of his original songs, "World of Pain," which is also quite good. He seems to have a knack for having totally rad videos!

I need more from this kid, post haste.

Rockwell Knuckles, Trackstar the DJ, Boogie Bang 15, go get it

2008-08-15T18:08:00.003-04:00

Do you want to hear how great the best hip-hop out right now sounds? Wow, because this new Boogie Bang 15 mixtape from Trackstar the DJ is it. Like, I can't possibly consider this for album of the year or anything because many of these tracks are off albums or forthcoming albums, but between the tracks Trackstar and Rockwell picked out and the other freestyles and remixes on here ... it's an incredible selection.

Here's the tracklist, just so you know what you're getting into:

1. Trackstar the DJ-Don’t Act Like You’re Not Impressed (intro)
2. Royce 5′9-I’m Me freestyle
3. Rockwell Knuckles/Reprezent-Bang 2 Slang (prod. Art Thugs)
4. Crooked I-Hero freestyle
5. Mickey Factz-Sublime
6. Young Chris/Beanie Siegel/Freeway-Ready for War
7. NYOil/Chuck D-Soldier
8. Nas/David Banner-Middle Finger U
9. Tech N9ne/Brother J/Krizz/Kaliko/Ice Cube-Black Boy
10.Killer Mike/Ice Cube-Pressure
11.Wafeek/Tef Poe-Black Presidents
12.Joe Budden-Who (amended version)
13.Promise/Probz/Supastition/Royce 5′9-Change
14.Wafeek-Internet Celebrity (Incredible freestyle)
15.Naledge-Incredible freestyle
16.Nas/Stic Man-Association
17.TI-A Better Day
18.Gemstones/Bishop G-Everything’s Okay
19.John Hill-Talking in my Sleep (prod. Supa Flexxx)
20.Pharoahe Monch/Erykah Badu-The Healer Remix
21.Family Affair-Here I Iz (prod. Victor Pain)
22.A-Bex-Scarface freestyle
23.Big Boi/Mary J Blige-Something’s Got to Give
24.Joell Ortiz-Memories

Um ... yeah. That's just about everything you need to know what the best rappers in the world are doing right now. Go get it for free.

In very few words: My love for Estelle

2008-08-14T20:31:00.003-04:00

If you haven't already been aurally pleasured by Estelle's "American Boy" on the radio, please enjoy below:

Gorgeous. Talented. Basically, she's the British Lauryn Hill. If Praz and Wyclef wanted to rebuild the Fugees and Lauryn was still off in her own world, Estelle would MORE than fill in.

Her second album (first for John Legend's Homeschool record label), "Shine," is in stores now, so enjoy.

Shouldn't a left you: DJ Spinatik, Jeezy, T.I., Ludacris

2008-08-10T18:38:00.003-04:00

OK my day job and Football Manager 2008 and my female love interest have been happily dominating a lot of my time lately (these are all great ways to spend my time, so I'm not complaining), so I apologize for the paucity of posts here.

So I've been digging in the ... Internet for new mixtapes and found this stunner from DJ Spinatik, who united the three hottest non-OutKast Atlanta rappers right now -- T.I., Ludacris and Young Jeezy -- to put up an original mixtape called "The Warm Up." It's free, it's fantastic Southern rap, and it's got great beats to boot. Keep an eye on this DJ Spinatik dude, it's the first I've really heard from him but he's been doing a lot lately.