DJ Jab's Place

THE END

2005-10-21T12:01:00.000-04:00

My Blog days are done. When I first wanted to post things on the site, I thought it would be cool and I can get information out to you that you normally don't hear. But since then, I've noticed that a lot of people are doing blog's.
Thanks for visiting the site.
Peace
Joab

VH1 Hip Hop honors

2005-09-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

I think it's great that a channel that didn't show Hip Hop videos for years has changed their format and does shows attributed to Hip Hop. VH1 is aware that the Hip Hop audience doesn't watch their channel so this show is marketed to a non-Hip Hop crowd. It's another format at spreading the Hip Hop culture. Last year they honored: DJ Hollywood, DJ Kool Herc, KRS ONE, RUN DMC, Public Enemy, Rock Steady Crew, Sugarhill Gang, & Tupac Shakur. Their missing a Graf artist but this was a pretty diverse crowd of groups and individuals to honor. 2005 honorees are: LL Cool J, Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five, Salt-N-Pepa, Notorious Big, Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, & the movie Boyz In The Hood. This is a tight emcee line up but their lacking on Dee Jays and graf artist. What is really out of place is the movie Boyz In The Hood. It was a great movie and should be honored but their are a lot of other influential Hip Hop movies that came out, long before Boys In The Hood. There was definitely some politics involved in who they chose because, how is Fab 5 Freddy, one of the producers of this years show, and they didn't honor Wild Style! That was a big mistake because anyone that's remotely into Hip Hop knows how Wild Style is the first Hip Hop movie and is partly responsible for Hip Hop spreading around the world.

power moves

2005-09-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

As B-Boy, you have to love power moves. Check this link out to see some ill power moves.

http://media.putfile.com/renamed_bigstrength1

Swiffer Wetjet poison

2005-09-22T15:14:00.000-04:00

I didn't know this! For those of you with animals......
I recently had a neighbor who had their 5-year old German shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago. They had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.

My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated "may be harmful to small children and animals." He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients. (Actually he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver. Soon after his dog's death, his housekeepers' two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats, so they couldn't file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible.

EVEN IF YOU DO NOT OWN A PET PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

grafitti - a letter from Phase 2 aka True Mathematics

2005-09-20T17:13:00.000-04:00

Interesting. Big up to the TATS brothers
Still you cats and the so called..."GRAFF"....nation need to recognize and realize...this...and it's far from an opinion...

Graffitti is primitive and it's for kids!!! Even if these brothers call what they do Graffitti....it's way more than that...and the world..the socalled writers and the media need to start to give Aerosol Culture and the highest degree of elements and art in it...more credit.

The very first generation never called it GRAFFITI...in the first place...they called it writing...which was actually their own style and reinterpretation of the English language... As long as you and whoever continue to view it as..."graffiti art"...it will be nothing more than that...and it (that terminology) will never say much no matter what the art looks like.
The same so called authorities that gave us inappropriate "appropriations" such as...NEGRO and (AMERICAN) INDIAN are the same ones who blessed us with nonsense like labeling our culture"graffiti"...Was it really their sincere intentions to serve justice to anyone connected to these absurdities???

It appears to be that...as long as writing and aerosol art is being done by "niggers*" wiggers* and "spics*" (the word *graffiti...is the equivalent) and not the so called upper echelon of acceptable so called artists and or individuals ...or even freaks...(Haring.. Basquait..Sharf) that it will continue to be viewed as far less than the incredible art and culture that it is...The proof is in the 30 plus years of it's existence and it's placement and perception in the world at large...

RESPECT TO MY BROTHERS....TAT...GET IT RIGHT!!!! CHANGE COMES WITH THE WILLINGNESS TO MAKE CHANGES!!!

TRUE MATHEMATICS

Has the world forgotten Sabra and Shatila massacre?

2005-09-17T11:25:00.000-04:00

Few days ago was the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, but there’s another September tragedy the worldwide media has ignored— the bloody massacre of Palestinian refugees in Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon.

In September 1982, Lebanese Maronite Christian militias were sent by Israel to Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon, to find PLO members and kill Palestinian refugees.
http://english.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=9661

The Christian Phalangist group are reported to have murdered entire families in cold blood in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila.

The massacre was apparently revenge for the assassination four days ago of the Christian President-elect, Bashir Gemayel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/17/newsid_2519000/2519637.stm

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. An old way of rules for us that never was dismissed.

George Bush doesn't care about black people

2005-09-08T17:02:00.000-04:00

http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/4932712/detail.html

This was a very bold statement that Kanye West said on live TV. He basically took this whole situation and gave his opinion. You have to have a lot of nerve to call out a commander in chief of a country, but I feel the non-actions taken by our government allowed Kanye to say what he did.

Hurricane Katrina didn’t hit the U.S. in 20 minutes, like the Tsunami during the Christmas season last year. Our government knew this hurricane was going to hit our land and didn’t prepare for it. They had over a week to prepare for the damage. Was it because of the demographics of the race that lives in the south that were affected by Katrina? Who knows? But the fact is that the U.S. military has dozens of military bases located in the south that could have easily prepared for the worst. Let’s say that the government was 100% convinced that Katrina wasn’t going to hit land. Our military could of still mobilized tens of thousands of troops within 24 hours and help the victims. The U.S. military is the most advanced and best prepared military in the world. They could have built bridges, helped evacuate, pump the water out, etc. etc., right when Katrina hit, but the commander in chief decided not too. Why, we’ll never really know. But the next time you decide not to vote, remember your non-vote helped elect a president that chose not to help you when you really needed it.

YOU’RE VOTE COUNTS. USE IT TO PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE BUSH RUNNING THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TODAY!

where's the help

2005-09-02T12:01:00.000-04:00

As the county watches the devastation in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and the rest of the south, where is the federal aid?

An open letter to President Bush........the vacation is over

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Police outnumbered and outgunned
Overnight, police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from gunmen roaming through the city, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/katrina.impact/index.html

HATE

2005-09-01T17:59:00.000-04:00

If you don't think racism exists in America, then read this letter that was sent to Fat Beats in Los Angeles. In the letter there referring to an event that Fat Beats LA is selling tickets for.
What’s funny about these type of people is that they would never send any politician this type of letter when their plastering their vote campaign posters and flyers all over their city.

Getting Up

2005-08-24T18:54:00.000-04:00

This was truly a controlled Hip Hop event. There were ten mock Subway cars that Crash, Lady Pink, Cope, TKid, Tats Crue and a few other graf artists were piecing on. Roc Raida, A.Vee & Prince Paul were on the ones and twos. There was a B-Boy circle and an emcee cypher going on. It was dope seeing the true elements of Hip Hop represented here in NYC.

Club Sway

2005-08-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

I went to this bar/club last night down on Spring off Hudson. It had a really nice vibe and atmosphere BUT the DJ's were playing all the wrong music. It seemed like the music was for the DJ's homeboys rather than the people in the spot. I heard some really hardcore Hip Hop early in the night that didn't quite fit but it still was a good night. A good DJ should be able to mix 70’s, 80’s, 90’s etc. music. Last night needed some Al Green, Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes!

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for the United States to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas. Robertson called Chavez "a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us badly."
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/23/robertson.chavez/index.html

For those of you, that might not read the Bible, please do not let people like Pat Robertson represent what the true form of Christianity is. This guy is truly not a follower of Christ. It's people like Pat Robertson, Jerry Farwell & Bill Graham that destroy God's word and the teachings of Christ. God is the God of everyone, including President Hugo Chavez. Our government tries to say that he's a private citizen and his views do not reflect U.S. policy, but they lied and they do. All men should love their neighbor like they love themselves regardless of race, religion, sex or anything. But unfortunately Satan controls this earth and his leaders are who the majority listen too.

this guy is totally stoned

2005-08-16T16:32:00.000-04:00

http://tbiley.textamerica.com/?r=3055126

Very painful.
Thanks Josh.

Fear Of A Black Planet Chosen by Library Of Congress

2005-08-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

First the seminar at NYU for It Takes A Nation, now this. The Library of Congress names Fear Of A Black Planet as one of the 50 selected recorded works to be enshrined for preservation. In the 3rd year of these recorded selections on 50 situations are chosen per year. Before this only one other rap record was chosen, The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5. Chuck D who attended the event on Capitol Hill stated ' theres more fantastic music in our past than our future so far, and we're honored to believe theres no future without recognition of the past'.
http://www.publicenemy.com/

Hip Hop

2005-08-12T18:00:00.000-04:00

What is Hip Hop? Are their any places where there's B-Boys, Graffiti artist, Disc Jockey’s and Emcees, collectively together repping. A few here and there but the culture as a whole is all over the place. I'm very lost when it comes to today's Hip Hop. It seems like Hip Hop wants to be Hollywood and would rather chill in that sort of environment, rather than a Hip Hop environment. It's evolved into something I can't understand. 99% of the people in the music end of Hip Hop usually start off repping but as soon as they get a little fame and money, they change. I guess I'm old school because if I can't get into the club you’re spinning at because I got sneakers on then how much Hip Hop is in the house.

the real number of U.S. military that died in Iraq is over 7,000

2005-07-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

U.S. Military Personnel who died in German hospitals or en route to German hospitals have not previously been counted. They total about 6,210 as of 1 January, 2005.

The government gets away with these huge lies because they claim, falsely, that only soldiers actually killed on the ground in Iraq are reported. The dying and critically wounded are listed as en route to military hospitals outside of the country and not reported on the daily postings. Anyone who dies just as the transport takes off from the Baghdad airport is not listed and neither are those who die in the US military hospitals.

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=21&cmd=showentry&eid=440

This only makes sense because if the real number was known to the public, I doubt America would of voted for Bush again.

governmental media

2005-07-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S, according to the Media Reform Information Center. By 1992, fewer than 25 companies owned and operated 90% of the mass media - controlling almost all of America's newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations, books, records, movies, videos, wire services, and photo agencies. Today, the number of major media players has fallen to six.

With only six major media players, the government can spin any story they want. Don't let the government and media make your decisions, because you don't know the truth.

be careful

2005-07-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

Though England is some 5,000 miles away from us, the U.S. Govt. will use what happened their, to invade our privacy. It's for a good cause I guess, because if a bomb was to go off in our subway and the Govt. wasn't checking people, they probably would have hundreds of lawsuits. So be extremely careful with what you carry in your bags, because the NYPD are not only looking for bombs and weapons!

Police to Check Bags on NYC Subways NEW YORK 2005, 07 21

Police will begin random searches of bags and packages carried by people entering city subways, officials announced Thursday after a new series of bomb attacks in London.
Passengers carrying bags will be selected at random before they pass through turnstiles, and those who refuse to be searched won't be allowed to ride, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.
"We just live in a world where, sadly, these kinds of security measures are necessary," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "Are they intrusive? Yes, a little bit. But we are trying to find that right balance.
" The announcement drew complaints from civil liberties advocates in a city where an estimated 4.5 million passengers ride the subway on an average weekday. The system has more than 468 subway stations _ most with multiple entrances _ and the flood of commuters hurrying in and out of stations during rush hour can be overwhelming.
Kelly stressed that officers posted at subway entrances would not engage in racial profiling, and that passengers are free to "turn around and leave." He also downplayed the possibility of bottlenecks at subway entrances.
Officials declined to specify how frequently the checks would occur. The inspections are scheduled to be in place by rush hour on Friday. Authorities said bus and commuter train passengers will also be checked.
William K. Williams, a 56-year-old Manhattan resident who rides the train every day, said such security measures _ while inconvenient _ are a way of life now.
"It doesn't bother me _ I mean, the whole state of things bothers me _ but it's just part and parcel of the world we live in," said Williams, who was carrying a briefcase outside the Brooklyn Bridge station of the subway.
Similar types of random searches of subway passengers have prompted criticism from civil liberties groups in other cities, and in some cases have been challenged in court. The New York Civil Liberties Union said the searches violate basic rights and will inconvenience New Yorkers, but the group stopped short of threatening a legal challenge.
"The NYPD can and should investigate any suspicious activity, but the Fourth Amendment prohibits police from conducting searches where there is no suspicion of criminal activity," executive director Donna Lieberman said.
Kelly said passengers selected for searches will be approached by officers, who will ask them what they are carrying, and request them to open their bags. If an officer looking for explosives finds some other form of contraband, police said that person would be subject to arrest.
Andrew Morris, a 57-year-old New Yorker who had a large bag slung over his shoulder Thursday, said he would consent to a search if asked, but added that the extra security measures are essentially useless. "I think these terrorists go where it's easiest to go, so if you make it hard on the subway, they'll go where we're weak," Morris said.
Williams predicted the new searches would frustrate New Yorkers, not exactly known for their patience. "Sometimes you need to get to an appointment, you're running late and a cop stops you to delay you even further? That's going to create a mess," he said.
In Boston, additional police officers were added at downtown subway stations after the latest round of London explosions, and Gov. Mitt Romney boarded a subway to reassure residents that the city's transit system is safe.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press.

11 Years and counting

2005-07-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

Today is Fat Beats 11th year anniversary. Yes we have been around for 11 years.
There's still some real Hip Hop out their and we will try our best to preserve the art form in its original form. We also have changed with the times but we will always support deejays, emcees, b-boys & graf artist as collectively known as Hip Hop.
Fat Beats is and always will be your last stop for Hip Hop.

Thanks to God and all the staff at Fat Beats for keeping our doors open for 11 years.

Bush goes Hip Hop

2005-06-30T11:55:00.000-04:00

http://www.kizash.com/films/1001/138/index.php

more hip hop

2005-06-29T09:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was an interesting day. Maceo from De La Soul calls me up about a demo we been talking about. He invites me to his show, that's going on at Central Park. So I go up to his hotel to meet him, in order to guarantee entrance. Now I'm chillin with the whole De La crew and Dres from Blacksheep. On our way to the park Dres and Maceo are kicking it about the Hip Hop game. When we arrive to the park we run into Sadat X who comes into the V.I.P. area with us. MF Doom was in the middle of his set at the time. There must be around 5,000 people there. I see a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time like Mos Def, DJ Premier, Cognito from Mass Influence, Just Ice, Psycho Les, and Destroy from the Arsonists. I also met Marc Ecko and did an interview for Sirius radio. Right after MF Doom's show, DJ Premier spun a wave of classic Hip Hop, and he used wax. De La comes on and kills it, like they usually do. They bring out Mos, Sadat, and Dres and do Rock Co. Kane Flow with MF Doom. After them DJ Premier rips it again and then The Roots come on.

It was a great show except for the fact that the music sounded a lot better than the emcees, due to them cutting out some of their voice, by cuffing the microphone. Otherwise NYC, the home of Hip Hop still represents for the real Hip Hop heads.

one for the history books

2005-06-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Anyone that was at Joe's pub last night witnessed Hip Hop history. I was fortunate enough, thanks to Ryan Siko and Ricky Powell, to witness a performance by the Gza and Soul Live. They performed tracks from Liquid Swords, Cuban Linx and few other projects. It reminded me of the old Giant Step parties when emcees would perform would live bands.

Guantanamo and human rights: Practicing what we preach

2005-06-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

by Jim Rice
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.forums&mode=display&itemID=3576
Guantanamo Bay has become not only a symbol of the U.S. government's hypocrisy and dishonesty - or "disassembling," as President Bush might put it - around the war on terror. The prison camp has become one of the more egregious examples of the cost of unaccountable power.

Human rights groups have long documented the abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo, including desecration of the Quran. (The International Committee of the Red Cross issued credible reports in 2002 and 2003 on mistreatment of the Islamic holy book, which last week even the Pentagon admitted.)

The 540 prisoners at the facility have been held incommunicado, denied access to legal counsel, and, in fact, denied the most basic aspects of legal process. The Bush administration has given mutually contradictory rationalizations for its treatment of prisoners there, claiming on the one hand that those incarcerated are effectively prisoners of war and in other circumstances that they are terrorist criminals. Yet the administration has refused to honor either the Geneva Conventions for treatment of POWs or the rights granted the accused under U.S. criminal law.

Defenders of Guantanamo and the policies it represents are quick to point out that our treatment of prisoners is far better than that meted out by the U.S.'s terrorist enemies - or the "gulag" of the former Soviet Union, for that matter. Fair enough. But if the U.S. is to continue to claim a place as a world leader for human rights, our standards must be infinitely higher and conform to or surpass international norms. We must not be satisfied with merely being "better" than al Qaeda or Stalin.

Former President Jimmy Carter has joined human rights groups, led by Amnesty International and others, in calling for the closing of Guantanamo Bay. "The U.S. continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation...because of reports concerning abuses of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo," Carter said, according to an A.P. report. President Bush refused to rule out the closing of the facility, saying the administration was "exploring all alternatives" for detaining the prisoners.

Guantanamo should be closed. But simply closing the facility - and either moving the detainees to another location or returning them to their country of origin - is not enough. If the United States is to regain any credibility as an advocate of human rights around the world, it must begin to practice what it preaches in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Guantanamo, and everywhere else. The erosion of respect for human rights by U.S. personnel didn't begin at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay, and the responsibility for it goes all the way to the top.

DEMAND THE TRUTH!
http://www.amnestyusa.org/investigate.html

The Government recognizes

2005-06-03T18:04:00.000-04:00

The Library Of Congress has added three seminal albums to the U.S. NationalRecording Registry, a collection of "culturally, historically oraesthetically important" recordings of life in the 20th century: Nirvana's Nevermind, Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet and Pet Sounds by The BeachBoys.

corporate mix CD's

2005-06-03T14:32:00.000-04:00

Ever since mix tapes came on the scene, the RIAA and the Federal Government have been ticketing and fining small retailers for carrying them. At first it was not a big issue but now that the music industry is involved, it is unjust.

This day in age the music industry is giving mix CD deejays new music to put on their mix CDs as a promotional tool. They even pay a lot of these deejays to have their music on the mix CD. These deejays then go out and sell their CDs to people and retailers. But retailers get hit with heavy fines for carrying these CDs. This does not make any sense. The big corporate monster of a label pays deejays, deejays in turn sell their CDs to stores and the stores get a ticket. Sounds crazy, but it is 100% true. What is sad is that the big wigs at these labels are probably chilling with the police chief in their area.

This is just another case of the man sticking it to the small guy.

the art of a disc jockey

2005-05-30T16:26:00.000-04:00

When deejaying first started, people used two turntables and a device to switch from one of the tables to another. Well, the art form has well advanced since the early days. But has it gone to a point where the original form has almost disappeared. I'll explain:

The art of a Hip Hop disc jockey consists of many skills.
1. Vinyl is essential. These days their are a lot of tracks that are not available on vinyl, so the use of a CD player helps, but if it's on vinyl, then that's what you need to use. Vinyl is sheet music while everything else is a digital recording of music. A lazy DJ that's not into the Hip Hop art form will supplement the use of vinyl with lame excuses.
2. You must learn how to properly mark your vinyl and BPM it. Putting your records into plastic covers helps preserve the covers also. You must also group your records for easy findings.
3. Now you must practice your mix. Needle dropping at the breaks in songs, cueing up records, mixing, scratching, blending, is all part of the art form. If you get rid of any of these, then your not fully a Hip Hop DJ.

A lot of DJ's old and new have supplemented the art form to make it easier for them to rock a party. To the end customer, party people, it all sounds good, because most people are not checking for disc jockey skills when they are at the club. But for us DJ's that worked very hard at establishing and maintaining the art form of Hip Hop, it hurts when you see a so-called DJ not using one piece of wax in his set. It's like going to see Beethoven play the piano compared to some techno kid playing a synthesizer. You'll get good sounds from both, but it's obvious whom the master is.

In case you forgot or never seen a real DJ rock a party the way it supposed to be, then check out DJ J-Rocc, when ever you get a chance. If more DJ's thought and spun like him, then maybe corporate America would not have its claws so deep into Hip Hop!

Peace to all the DJ's that still use wax.

Uzbek town still burying its dead

2005-05-17T07:54:00.000-04:00

Uzbekistan is an ally to the United States ever since they allowed the U.S. to put an army base in their country. Does this give their government the right to shoot innocent people protesting the incarceration of other innocent people? Does the U.S. turn a blind eye to certain countries atrocities because they cooperate with the U.S.?

"Eyewitnesses have told the IWPR media development charity that troops were still shooting injured people dead three and a half hours after the gunfire began."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4554165.stm

"TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- An Uzbek opposition leader says her party has compiled a list of 745 people allegedly killed by government troops in Uzbekistan."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/17/uzbekistan.unrest/index.html

Rest In Peace

2005-05-14T21:58:00.000-04:00

It's sad to say that Just O has passed away last night in a car accident. Just O was responsible for the mix tape awards. I met him back in the day when he was working for Nervous records. He was a down to earth guy that didn't let the industry get to his head.
May God grant forgiveness to his soul.

Emcees

2005-05-12T14:43:00.000-04:00

This is for rappers, emcees and anyone that's on the mic trying to get put on.
If your hand is covering the mic, then your not letting the mic do it's job. If you cuff the mic, say 10%, then that's ten percent of your voice that will be muffled. Last night I went to an open mic, trying to find some talent and more than half the rappers were cuffing the mic and I could not here their voice for a possible deal. Also breath control is crucial if you are going to perform in front of a crowd. Please master your performance and do something in the game before you ask people to buy your CD or support Hip Hop buy purchasing something from you. Supporting Hip Hop does not mean buying a CD from someone on the street that record labels are not interested in.

Genocide is not a partisan issue

2005-05-05T22:59:00.000-04:00

"This is not a partisan issue, for Republicans and the Christian Right led the way in blowing the whistle on the slaughter in Darfur.... Ultimately, public pressure may force Mr. Bush to respond to Darfur, but it looks as if he will have to be dragged kicking and screaming by Republicans and Democrats alike."

http://www.sojo.net

Rap vs Hip Hop

2005-05-02T20:46:00.000-04:00

This is an old argument that haunts Hip Hop. I'm only bringing this up because I got an email from Cornerstone promoting a Hip Hop week on MTV. I went and checked it out, but only saw popular commercial rap artist on it. Where's the Hip Hop! The artist there featuring has some Hip Hop elements in their music, but there not 100% Hip Hop.

I know that, probably everyone who reads this blog is up on what Hip Hop is, but in case you don't. Hip Hop is a culture that was created in the late 1970's to counter the gang violence that was happening in the streets of New York City. Under privileged youth, which were predominantly Black and Hispanic, created a dance style (B-Boying) that came from numerous dances. At the same time, Disc Jockys like Kool Herc, Grand Master Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore, were mixing certain breaks in records that these B-Boys AKA Break-Boys, where Break Dancing comes from, would dance too. During this incredible spectacular, you had Emcees, who host the parties, rapping and shouting out the crowd over these breaks. Graffiti art, which was already bubbling in New York, was incorporated into this growing culture. B-Boys, DJ's and Emcees would have graffiti artist paint something on their jacket, pants, shirts, hats and what ever they were feeling at the time, to show appreciation for the culture. If you would like a deeper explanation of what Hip Hop is, respond to this comment with your questions. I first experienced the culture in the late seventies in the Bronx so I have a fair idea of what Hip Hop is and I definitely know what it isn't, and that's high paid commercial rappers. This 20 + years of Hip Hop culture is a lot more than that.

Peace

The forgotton genocide

2005-04-25T08:17:00.000-04:00

April 24th, 1915
The world commemorates this as the beginning of the 20th Century's first genocide. The beginning of a campaign of annihiliation launched by the words of Talaat Pasha, Ottoman Turkish leader,
"Kill every Armenian woman, child and man without concern for anything"
http://www.theforgotten.org/intro.html

The Armenian Genocide of World War I is sometimes called the forgotten genocide since it happened some 90 years ago, and it has left the public mind. On the other hand, it is still a living issue to the survivors and their progeny, as well as to all right thinking people who believe that all genocides must be accounted for. Many scholars and intellectuals have argued that if the Allies had punished the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide after the war, namely the leaders of the Young Turk party of the then Ottoman Government of Turkey, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis would not have carried out the Jewish Holocaust during World War II. After all, Hitler read about the Armenian Genocide in his contemporary newspapers while he was a corporal in the German army and his bosom friend, Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter was actually one of the hundreds of foreign witnesses to mass killings of Armenians during WWI and notified the German Foreign Office, allies of the Turks, that the Turkish Government was attempting to eradicate the Armenian population of the Empire. It is worth looking into whether other Germans who were in Turkey during the Armenian Genocide later became active in the Nazi Party.
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/armenian/facts/answers.html

1.5 million Armenian's were massacred becuase of a possible future threat and because they were Christian. Our so-called Christian president does not recognize this!

music industry managers

2005-04-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

What are managers supposed to do for their artist?
A manager should look out for the best interest, of their artist. This means sometimes making decisions that the artist might not like. It also means making decisions that will benefit their artist in the long term.

A manager should have a plan for their artist. I have see dozens of managers book theirs artist for gigs and events, without a plan of attack or something to promote. For instance, if you going to do shows, a tour, in-store signings or appearances, make sure you have something to promote or sell or giveaway. Even if it is a website address for fans to go to that explains what is going on with the artist. A manger should know about release schedules and how to release product and who to target the product too. They should have a general understanding of the costs involved in recording records and what recoupable expenses are.

Though most managers are trying their best for the artist, their lack of knowledge has hurt many artists. I have seen so much talent get miss-guided by managers who thought they were helping their artist because, say; they got a nice fat advance for this project. What they do not realize is because that recoupable advance was so high, the label now does not have the proper money to market and promote the project the right way and the artist never sees any royalty checks. Then this talented artist with no plan and no home has to go to other labels to try to put out their next project. I have seen about a dozen labels go out of business because of high recording budgets and in-proper marketing plans.

Managers should know whom their competing with. Not in battle terms, but if you have a project that you plan on releasing on a certain day, you need to know what other projects in your genre are coming out on that same day or after. What is the set up for the project? What marketing happens on what dates and who is getting serviced? How long is the promotion campaign for. How many singles are going to be released commercially and for press?

The list goes on and on about what mangers should do for their artist. I suggest study the past and do not make the same mistakes that almost the whole rap industry has made. (Chasing checks) A well-executed plan will last a lot longer than a big advance.

New Pope A Strong Critic of War

2005-04-21T16:56:00.000-04:00

Ratzinger on war

"There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that, given the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups, today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war.'"

- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, May 2, 2003.

Source: Catholic Peace Fellowship
http://www.catholicpeacefellowship.org/nextpage.asp?m=1000

2005-04-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.
http://www.one.org/

R.I.P. Pope John Paul II

2005-04-02T16:15:00.000-05:00

May 18, 1920 - April 2, 2005
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/

May God have mercy on his soul.

Though I'm not a big fan of the Catholic church, I respect anyone that tries to follow in the footsteps of Christ. One thing about the Pope was he didn't discriminate against non-Catholics. He was against the Iraq war, which proves he's sane, and he met with all types of leaders, regardless of their religious background.

Rest in Peace

Who is who

2005-03-24T19:02:00.000-05:00

As you notice, I don't have love for worldly governments. Especially the evildoers that claim Christianity. These same people lie and are very deceitful when it comes to the truth. For true followers of Christ and anyone who believes in the one true God, their will never be any government or Holy Father on earth that are true followers of God, until the day of judgment comes.

This scripture is from 2 Corinthians.

11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministries also be fashioned as the ministries of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

It clearly explains how Satan will fool the majority by having them think their leader is an angel sent down from God: Their are a few scriptures that explains this. You'll be surprised how much the Bible talks about today's world.

ACLU and Human Rights First Sue Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Over U.S. Torture Policies

2005-03-24T18:47:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld bears direct responsibility for the torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First charged today in the first federal court lawsuit to name a top U.S. official in the ongoing torture scandal in Iraq and Afghanistan that has tarnished America's reputation.
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17584&c=206

'He did not stop' torture, humiliation of detainees

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. human rights groups on Tuesday sued Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying he first authorized and then failed to stop torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7048754/

2005-03-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Hail Caesar
Since March 19, 2003, more than 1,500 U.S. soldiers, that the media found out about, have been killed. Only God knows the true number. The total number of those maimed is many times higher; more than 20,000 American soldiers have been so wounded or become so ill that they are unable to continue their service. And still more soldiers will return home with deep and lasting psychological scars from their experience.
http://sojo.demaction.org/event/nationalEventSearch.jsp?national_event_KEY=9

Independent artist

2005-03-02T14:39:00.000-05:00

Independent - Not dependent on or affiliated with a larger or controlling entity: Not relying on others for support, care, or funds; self-supporting. Providing or being sufficient income to enable one to live without working:

The term "I'm an independent artist" has been abused by a lot of so-called indi-artist.
A real independent artist is, someone who presses their CD's and Vinyl, markets, promotes, distributes, and does their own collections.
If you record your music and then give it to a independent distributor to sell it for you, then you are dependent of that distributor.
The term started when artist like Show & AG pressed up "Soul Clap" and went around New York and sold the ep to stores and on the streets. That was a true independent artist. But for all the rest of you that depend on another staff to get your material into stores are not fully independent. Recognize what that staff has to go through for you and give them their credit do.

China and Russia

2005-02-25T08:54:00.000-05:00

This is scary.

Russia and China become part of strategic alliance, Putin now looks at BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)

China and Russia are planning joint military exercises. The joint naval maneuvers are scheduled to be held in August in China's Liaodong Peninsula.

http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/1627.asp

Hip Hop women

2005-02-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

What happened to the B-Girl? There are a few that still exist and you can find them at B-Boy jams or DJ events but the general image of woman in Hip Hop has turned damn near pornographic. I don't know what year porn started to infiltrate Hip Hop, but I remember woman looking fly in their Hip Hop/B-Girl gear. Nowadays all I see are girls with extra tight clothes, bathing suits or nude. This is not Hip Hop, It's porn. A whole different industry.
Hip Hop is a rebellious art form that is supposed to uplift people from the hard times that the man has put on it. The female emcees that are representing Hip Hop these days in the major world have degraded themselves to hootchie mamma's. I want to like you for your skills. If I want to see porn I'll buy Playboy, or Necro's DVD. To all the MIS-guided woman that think they have to degrade themselves for props. Chill with all that and represent for Hip Hop.

Bush smoking some bush

2005-02-20T09:16:00.000-05:00

I'm just a smokey boy from the land of the lost,
you can't see me, like Charlie's angels boss:

NEW YORK (AP) - Private conversations with George Bush secretly taped by an old friend before he was elected president foreshadow some of his political strategies and appear to reveal that he acknowledged using marijuana, The New York Times reported Saturday.

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050220%2F0117355752.htm&ewp=ewp_news_bush&floc=NW_1-T

The News

2005-02-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

While CNN and the other puppet news media is trying to scare us by saying Iran is the next threat, our government is playing the side lines on one of the most important issues of our era. "global warming"

The Kyoto Protocol that aims to slow down global warming takes effect but the US remains outside it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4267245.stm

Police state

2005-02-14T13:39:00.000-05:00

This clip is of various era's that don't all apply to now, but it's still something to think about.

http://www.infowars.com/Video/ps3/ps3_teaser.WMV

2005-02-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

Hip Hop church, Harlem NYC

Policies and Laws

2005-02-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

In the land of the free, simply saying we are free from totalitarian governments. Well, read this article and decide what is freedom?

Va. Bill Sets Fine for Low-Riding Pants
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginians who wear their pants so low their underwear shows may want to think about investing in a stronger belt.

The state's House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday authorizing a $50 fine for anyone who displays his or her underpants in a "lewd or indecent manner."
Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., a Democrat who opposed the bill, had pleaded with his colleagues to remember their own youthful fashion follies.
During an extended monologue Monday, he talked about how they dressed or wore their hair in their teens. On Tuesday, he said the measure was an unconstitutional attack on young blacks that would force parents to take off work to accompany their children to court just for making a fashion statement.
"This is a foolish bill, Mr. Speaker, because it will hurt so many," Spruill said before the measure was approved 60-34. It now goes to the state Senate.
The bill's sponsor, Del. Algie T. Howell, has said constituents were offended by the exposed underwear. He did not speak on the floor Tuesday.
Spruill and Howell, also a Democrat, are both black.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=817&e=9&u=/ap/low_riding_pants

Nike

2005-02-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

Who count the money
In da neighborhood
But we spendin' money
To no end lookin' for a friend
In a war to the core
Rippin' up the poor in da stores
Till they get a brother
Kickin' down doors
Then I figure I kick it bigger
Look 'em dead in the eye
And they wince
Defense is pressurized
They don't want it to be
Another racial attack
In disguise so give some money back
I like Nike but wait a minute
The neighborhood supports so put some
Money in it
Corporations owe
Dey gotta give up the dough
To da town
or else
We gotta shut 'em down

(Public Enemy - Shut Em Down)

What happened to this type of thinking? I'm calling out Nike because they have so many people in the Hip Hop community mesmerized and brain washed in thinking that owning 20 pairs of kicks is in. I'm not hating on people who own Nike's, but if you have more than three pairs and paid more than $75 for each pair, then you have fallen into the major corporation trap.
How many more corporation are going to pimp the Hip Hop community for outlandish profits and use these profits to make themselves look big. How many big time athletes are going to make more millions on top of the millions they make at the Hip Hop communities expense.
It's sad that Hip Hoppers around the world blindly support such corruption.

Timeline: United States of America

2005-02-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a timeline that starts at 1565 and gives you a brief history until now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1230058.stm

War is a very well known term in American government. This is probably why our current president was so quick to go to war, even thou the majority of the world was against it.

Major chain music retail

2005-01-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

I posted the last article so you could see how much retail cares about what they sell.

The American major retail music chain stores are almost impossible to get into if your not distributed by a distributor that is open with them. So let's say your label has a deal with a distributor that is open with the majors. Now it's up to four major buyers and six minors in the chain world to acknowledge you and your project. Say you are a new artist that has not sound scanned more than 50,000 units. Your label has to spend close to four dollars a unit to market your album so these four buyers might get interested in your project. Now if there interested they will offer you a program where you have to pay them to get your album in their chain. This does not guarantee sales or payment and is 100% returnable.

To all artist who ish on their label: Please learn what your label does and how hard it really is to get your product in chains, if your not Interscope or Def Jam.

Is Your Store a Bank in Drag?

2005-01-22T17:48:00.000-05:00

RETAIL & CREDIT

   Is Your Store a Bank in Drag?

   Some chains are starting to look a lot like credit card companies.

   By David Stires



   As if hooking customers on lattes and frappuccinos weren't enough, Starbucks

will soon begin pushing another great American addiction: plastic. The coffee

retailer announced in late February that it was teaming up with Bank One and

Visa to offer a Starbucks card that will combine a regular credit card with a

rechargeable Starbucks store debit card. The card will be available starting

next fall.



   Starbucks is the latest in a long line of retailers that have quietly been

developing a plastic addiction of their own. In 2002 more than a dozen large

companies, including BJ's Wholesale Club and Amazon.com, introduced either a

general-purpose credit card, to be used anywhere, or a private-label card, to be

used only in their stores. These days virtually every retailer now issues at

least one of the cards, says David Robertson, publisher of The Nilson Report, a

trade journal.



         Counting on Credit

       

         Percentage of profits derived from credit cards

       

               Company

               Circuit City    100%

               Sears	        54%

               Target	        15%

               Kohl's           5%

             

   Sears and Target figures are for 2002. Circuit City and Kohl's figures are

Argus Research estimates for fiscal year 2003.

       



   Why the plethora of plastic? Some retailers simply want to build loyalty or

boost sales by giving customers easier access to credit. But others are drawn to

financing because it offers more growth potential than their slow-growing,

increasingly competitive core businesses. Indeed, many companies have come to

rely on their credit operations for a substantial chunk--and in one case all--of

their profits.



   At Circuit City, arguably the biggest card junkie in retailing, credit income is

expected to account for 100% of the company's fiscal 2003 earnings, according to

Argus Research analyst Marie Driscoll. She estimates that Circuit City could

lose up to $17 million on its bread-and-butter business--consumer

electronics--while its credit arm brings in $55 million. "They're only making

money off the financing," she says.



   Like much of corporate America, says Morgan Stanley investment strategist Steve

Galbraith, retailers are increasingly becoming banks in drag. Overall, he

estimates that almost 40% of the earnings in the S&P 500-stock index are from

lending, trading, and other financial activity. Of those earnings, a third were

at nonfinancial companies.



   Like any addiction, this one comes with a dark side. Most store chains,

including Starbucks, Home Depot, and Best Buy, now either outsource credit card

operations to financial companies like GE Capital or issue co-branded cards with

Visa or MasterCard, which means that they don't carry any credit risk on their

books. But about two dozen stores, from Federated Department Stores and

Dillard's to Saks and Nordstrom, still run their own credit programs. It's at

this latter group that some big blowups have occurred. Last October, Sears

shocked Wall Street when it announced that it would have to kick in an

additional $222 million to cover unpaid credit card debt in the third quarter.

More recently the financially troubled Spiegel Group, parent of the Spiegel

catalog and Eddie Bauer stores, warned in late February that it may soon run out

of cash because of escalating problems with its credit card portfolio. With

consumer debt at an all-time high of $1.7 trillion, this addiction could be a

whole lot more dangerous than caffeine.



         From the Fortune 500, Mar. 17, 2003 Issue

THE SECOND TERMMMMMM

2005-01-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

For you tha know the JibJab cartoons, here's the latest one. It's just as funny as the past ones.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/jibjabinaugural.html

Pentagon attacked

2005-01-19T16:27:00.000-05:00

We know that the Pentagon was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. What we don't know is who attacked it. Check this link out and you determine who's telling the truth?
http://www.pentagonstrike.co.uk

El Da Sensei

2005-01-19T16:12:00.000-05:00

I checked out El Da Sensei last night at Don Hills. He performed several new songs which sounded tight. His delivery seems tighter and his flow was on point. He cuffed the mic so I couldn't catch everything he was saying but I think his next LP is going to be a step up from the last one. Don Hills didn't have a DJ last night. Ryan Siko played a few records but had no headphones so cant critique the DJ on this one. Peace to Sam Sever.
For info on Sam Sever's parties and Don Hills go to: http://www.donhills.com/index1.php?&width=1024&height=768

WAX VS THE WORLD

2005-01-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the Martha Cooper HIP-HOP FILES photographs 1979 - 1984 book
opening for her new book. A lot of pioneers were in the house including Charlie Ahearn,
(producer of Wild Style), Henry Chalfant, (producer of Style Wars), Lee, Dr. Revolt
Ken Swift, Crazy Legs and several other pioneers. The pure Hip Hop energy was in full
effect as I scoped out the classic photo's.

As I went toward the DJ booth I noticed he wasn't touching the turntables. When I went
to investigate, I saw that he has some computer hooked up to the mixer. I looked for
his crates but didn't find any. What I did see was a funny looing cd player and stacks of
CD's. I was crushed. At this type of event the DJ, (which stands for DISC JOCKEY), sold
out and didn't have one piece of wax. If these guys don't support what help started this art
form, how are the new generation going to continue the legacy of Kool Herc, Grand Master
Flash and Africa Bambatta!

state of Hip Hop

2005-01-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

This is to all new Emcees and inspiring artist.
Before you go to record your demo or album, please listen and study these artist and albums in any paticular order:

Boogie Down Productions: Criminal Minded
Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation of Millions
A Tribe Called Quest: Midnite Marauders
De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising
Redman: Dare Iz A Darkside
Kool G Rap: Road To The Riches
Big Daddy Kane: Long Live The Kane
Nas: Illmatic
Dr. Dre: The Chronic
O.C.: Word Life
The Alkaholics: 21 and Over
RUN DMC: RUN-D.M.C.

Study their lyrics, patterns, flows, rhythms and concepts.
I'm afraid that the state of core Hip Hop is being lost. Pop rap, R&B Hip Hop, abstract underground
is all good, but we also need core Hip Hop like the albums listed above.

Christmas Holiday

2005-01-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

It is frequently asked why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? The exact date of
Christ's birth has not been historically established; neither is recorded in the Gospels.
However, until the fourth century, all Christian churches celebrated Christ's Birth on
January 6th.

The Church of Rome changed the date from January 6th to December 25th in the fourth century.
The change was intended to subdue an ancient pagan feast celebrating the birth
of the Sun on December 25th. At the time, Christians also were tempted to participate in
these pagan festivities. Thus the church hierarchy decided to celebrate the Birth of Christ
on December 25th and the feast of Epiphany on January 6th.

In the Holy Land, the Orthodox churches use the old calendar, the Julian calendar,
which is 13 days behind the Gregorian, the one we use today, to determine the date of
religious feasts. As such, Christmas is celebrated on January 19th in Bethlehem.

Tsunami Victims

2004-12-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

Now is a perfect time to give.

http://www.cfhi.org/campaign.php4?ssno=12

https://www.unicefusa.org/site/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=duLRI8O0H&b=277271&en=efLEKLPpHdIJJSOEJbJCITNvEgJXI5MxEcJMIUMDKiIRIaI

https://secure6.hostek.net/secure1/christianaid/targetgive.asp?CAMcode=095DIS&NeedDesig=Disaster%20Relief%20for%20Earthquake%20and%20Tsunami%20Victims%20in%20Southeast%20Asia&NeedTag=give%20relief%20for%20tsunami%20victims%20in%20SE%20Asia

George W. Bush Had Ties to Billionaire Bin Laden

2004-12-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

President Bush and the bin Laden family have been connected through dubious business deals since 1977, when Salem, the head of the bin Laden family business, one of the biggest construction companies in the world, invested in Bush's start-up oil company, Arbusto Energy, Inc.

James R. Bath, a friend and neighbor, was used to funnel money from Osama bin Laden's brother, Salem bin Laden, to set up George W. Bush in the oil business, according to The Wall Street Journal and other reputable sources.
http://www.americanfreepress.net/10_07_01/Bush___Bin_Laden_-_George_W__B/bush___bin_laden_-_george_w__b.html

"On September 24, President George W. Bush appeared at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden to announce a crackdown on the financial networks of terrorists and those who support them. U.S. banks that have assets of these groups or individuals must freeze their accounts, Bush declared. And U.S. citizens or businesses are prohibited from doing business with them.

But the president, who is now enjoying an astounding 92 percent approval rating, has not always practiced what he is now preaching: Bushâ€™s own businesses were once tied to financial figures in Saudi Arabia who currently support bin Laden.
http://www.bushwatch.com/bushmoney.htm

Comment: Despite studying September 11 for two years solid, one fact I only just discovered is that George W. Bush's father was meeting with Osama bin Laden's brother, Shafig bin Laden, in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Washington, on the morning of 9/11. They were on Carlyle Group business just a few miles from where hijackers supposedly acting on behalf of Osama bin Laden would fly a plane into the Pentagon.
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/041203metwithbinladen.html

FBI and military intelligence officials in Washington say they were prevented for political reasons from carrying out full investigations into members of the Bin Laden family in the US before the terrorist attacks of September 11.
http://gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=103&row=1

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0109/S00108.htm

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/conspiracytheories/saudi.html

Seek the truth, and you will find it!

CNN Study: Christmas deadliest day for Americans

2004-12-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Christmas is the deadliest day of the year for Americans with 12.4 percent more deaths than normal, researchers said on Monday.

More Americans die from heart attacks and other natural causes on Christmas, the day after and on New Year's Day than on any other days of the year, the researchers reported.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/12/13/health.holidays.reut/index.html

Live rap shows

2004-12-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

Whenever you perform, you want to put on your best show. I am sorry to say this but rap shows these days can be quite boring and bad sounding. It is an age-old problem with young rappers coming up in the game. Here are some suggestions on how to make your show better:

Do a sound check: Become friends with the soundman. Have one of your peeps in the audience listen for a balance between your voice and the music. If there is more than one MC, make sure the adlibs are not too loud. Do not yell, if your not yelling on the original track. You want to sound as close to the studio recording of the song.

Do not cuff the microphone: I know it looks cool, but it sounds horrible. Especially in small clubs that do not have the best systems. If you do not cuff the mic when you record, then the same applies when you perform.

Put a set together: As an artist, you should have a few sets ready to go. I suggest putting together a 10-minute set, 20-minutes, and a half hour set. These set times will vary based on how big you are. Your set should consist of one too two verses of a song based on how many emcees are in the group.

Do songs back to back without breaks: Rappers should not do a whole song and stop type show, unless you have a band that is playing instruments. Come out with a banger, go into some album cuts, and then after you impressed the crowd with all your energy, stop, and talk a little. Then go right back into the show.

Remember what tracks put you on the map and end with those. This will get your original fans psyched. Remember your putting on a performance rather than just rapping over your tracks!

Good luck!

2004-12-20T22:52:00.000-05:00

Learn the truth, friend or foe?

2004-12-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

Pre-Civil War Free vs. Slave States
Greeen = free states and territories
Red = slave states
Tan = territories open to slavery

A Message written by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers,

wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more,

but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts,

yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much,

spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too

tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our

possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a

new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but

not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom,

but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information,

to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of

fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow

relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken

homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands,

overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when

there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology

can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or

to just hit delete. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments

that take our breath away.

Promotion

2004-12-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Things an artist should do to promote their project

Be involved: If your signed to a label whether indi or major, make it your business to attend all the marketing and promotion meetings. Learn what it takes to get your project out to the media and retail. Find out all the costs involved and how much of it is coming out of your budget.

Publicity: Know who the publicist is and their capability of handling a project like yours. Make sure you do not over spend. Find out which media branches are being targeted and if it fits your genre. Ask for interviews in magazines, web-sites, and radio.

Timing: Make sure the label and all involved in the campaign, promote the project early enough for the release of the project.

Artist: The number one promoter of a project are the artist themselves. After you done all of the above, your real job starts. Make sure to do as many radio runs as you can. If you do any promo or paid shows, do in-store appearances at the local record store and hype yourself and the show up. Be a people person. Interact with the fans as much as you can. Leave a positive lasting impression on your fans wherever you may be.

Peace

Joab

Trust

2004-12-04T13:31:00.000-05:00

Whom can we trust to lead us in the right path? Government? No, their lies have compiled so thick that even in truth, it is to cover up a lie. What are we supposed to think when, so far nine of the 15 cabinet members of our current president have re-signed after his re-election.
Can we trust our media and what's broadcasted to us through the television? No, imagine if you lived your life following what is marketed through our T.V. You would have the worst diet known to man, along with dozens of man made drugs that have horrific side effects.
Can we trust religious leaders and teachers? Unfortunately, the bad apples in these fields have ruined it for the few righteous teachers and preachers their are.
Therefore, what do you do? Look into your heart and build off the goodness you have. Look to the creator and what is obviously laid down for us in scriptures. The more truth you discover for yourself, the less the evils of the world can manipulate you.

DJ's

2004-12-03T14:51:00.000-05:00

The title D.J. stands for Disc Jockey, but yet I go out and see so-called DJ's playing CD's. Real DJ's need to preserve what started Hip Hop by spinning vinyl. It's alright to have a CD turntable on the side, but your main focus should be the Technics 1200's. DJ's cuttin' vinyl is one of the foundations of this art form and the more DJ's and MC's get away from vinyl and don't include scratching in there music, the further the word Hip Hop will go from it's original meaning.

Demo submission

2004-11-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

This is how you submit your demo to a record label.

Information: Most labels have a web-site. Get the correct address and information from the site, search engines or the yellow pages. Include suites, rooms or floors.
Submit your best music: Do not think you can turn in something that's alright and then you will hit them with something better. This is your first impression.

5 Track maximum: If the label or A&R are not feeling you by 5 tracks, then that demo has no chance.
Avoid wasting time and money on a press kit: The first thing a label is interested in is your music. If they're feeling your music, they will ask you for additional info.
Label the CD and the CD case: List your group name and tracks on the CD. On the jewel case list the group name, tracks, producers, features, and contact information. Include phone numbers and e-mails.
Follow up: This is the most difficult part of the task. Do this in case the label is feeling you, because not every A&R will remember to call the demos they like. Call the label a few days after submitting your demo. The chances are, if the label is feeling you, you'll speak to someone, but if not you will get a run around.
Keep Trying: Just because a label turns down your first demo doesn't mean to quit. Go back to the lab and keep producing. Hey, you never know!

If you have any questions please post.

Joab

freedom

2004-11-26T11:36:00.000-05:00

So, United States has taken a lead to conduct a war on terrorism to protect our freedom. All of us that are legally in the United States should appreciate our freedom and be thankful that God has placed us here for what ever reason.

War on terrorism for our freedom. The only people that can take a countries freedom away, is it's own government. So, if a person for whatever reason, bombs a U.S. Naval ship; Is that taking away our freedom? If extreme militants in other regions of the world do not like America's presence and policies in their land because of their corrupt government, and they attack a site that has U.S. interest, Is that taking away are freedom? It's great to have freedom, but what is the freedom that we prize so much.
Freedom of speech:, unless your comments dis-please certain people you will be fined, sued, banned from radio, or disappear.
Freedom of religion: = freedom of no faith due to men who have corrupted the beautiful religions for us.
Freedom to vote: But somehow, the best person for office is never on the ballet or just has no chance to win.
I can go on and on, but you get the point. What is our government fighting for? A safer world, freedom, control of the worlds oil, power, money? Do we, or will we ever know? The world has had corrupt governments for thousands of years and will continue to do so at innocent humans expense. We as humans, regardless of sex, size, color, or religion need to mend our differences and use our brains over brawn to settle differences. If we continue to follow corrupt governments, how much have we advanced since the barbaric days of the Roman Empire?

Introduction

2004-11-20T21:39:00.000-05:00

So Finally Fat Beats dot com is running. I apologize to everyone on the web about the poor web sites we had. We were miss-lead by a few people who thought they were website developers. All they really developed was a headache for both parties.
So, who am I to be posting on Fat Beats.com? I'm the one who created Fat Beats the company back in 1994. Ten years strong, thanks to God and the staff that help started the company to the staff that's currently running the company and everyone in between. I need to let you know who worked at Fat Beats so you can see how deep Fat Beats is involved in the Hop Hop world.
Famous DJ's that worked at Fat Beats:
Eclipse, Mista Sinista, Babu, Nu-Mark, Max Glazer, Cipha Sounds, J-Rocc, Truly Od, Mark Luv, Wix, Rhettmatic, and the list goes on. Emcees, Ill Bill, Q-Unique & Marvski to name a few.
Shouts to everyone that worked for Fat Beats or helped us out.

Mahoney, Dirt, Amir, Wilkins, Buddha, Mike One, Figgy Womack, Contakt, Bill, HarryO, Alex, John, Nefta, Bryce, Laleyna, Gyver, Mark, Mishaps, Bart, Dimmy, Vic, Ryan Siko and the rest of the names I forgot.

Fat Beats wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for: Rich King, Stretch & Bobbito, X-Large, Big Chris, Tom, Mike D, Lucas Zimmer and Ricardo to name a few.
Peace to everyone that supported us in the last ten years.

ODB

2004-11-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

Blog info

R.I.P Ol' Dirty Bastard 1968-2004