All Entries in the "Featured" Category
Ask dN: Black Unemployment
Today’s question comes from Jetaime Celestin on our facebook page: How do we approach resolving black unemployment? Great question, and this is actually my area of expertise, so this response might be a bit long. First, a few good books that I’ve read that deal with this subject and Black economics in general are Blueprint for […]
Top Ten Things Barack Obama Must Do To Regain The Progressive Black Vote
Get out of Libya. C’mon son… Going to Libya was a George Bush move. We’re supposedly over there to protect their citizens from the big, bad, boogeyman that is Qaddafi (Gadhafi, Khaddafi, etc. depending on the media’s mood today). Before Barack and the Frenchies started dropping million dollar bombs, Libyans enjoyed a pretty damn high standard of living. I mean free education, housing, healthcare, access to clean drinking water, a 78% literacy rate, and life expectancy of 70.2 years doesn’t sound too bad. On the real, it sounds a lot better than Harlem, Compton, and Houston’s 3rd Ward to me. But let’s not forget thatLibya boasts the largest oil economy on the African continent… Real slick B.O.
How We Should Celebrate The 4th
Hey you with that BBQ in your hands…what are you doing? Have you lost your natural mind…yes, yes you have. I’m about to say some un-American sh*t so get ready. When I’m done you can tell me to go back to Africa if I don’t like it here, and I will reply, “First, I’m planning […]
Where Art Thou Hip Hop?
In the religious folklore that is Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc is the Father, the author of Genesis. Every time you nod your head, admire the rhythmic marriage of two disparate beats, kick a drunken freestyle, or watch your favorite athlete hit The Dougie after scoring, you have Clive Campbell to thank. If Hip Hop made any sense, every culture junkie would adorn their home with a shiny, brass relief of the revolutionary DJ. Yet, despite Herc’s legacy, Hip Hop has tragically failed its founding father.
The Story of Queen Nzinga
This is an excerpt from The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams (available here). If you don’t know a lot about African History and have only been taught Black history starting with slavery, you should definitely read this book. The setting for the story described in the excerpt is Angola around 1622. The Portuguese […]
Top 5 Dead or Alive
Ever since Pac and Big died, we’ve heard emcees constantly attempt to include themselves on the “Top 5 Dead or Alive” rapper list. Hip Hop fans have compared their personal Top 5 lists with those of their peers, debating about the merits and flaws on each others’ bill. While it’s definitely been fun to participate in the Great Hip Hop debate, I’ve found it more exciting to broaden the “Top 5 Dead or Alive” discussion to encompass history’s most revolutionary figures.
Why The N-Word, Saggy Pants, and Ignorant Rappers Won’t Die
If you’re a member of the Hip Hop Generation, three relentless fires have burned in your debate circle for the past two decades: the n-word, saggy pants, and ignorant ass rappers. For sure, you’ve been unable to escape the controversies surrounding these topics…
Between Martin, Malcolm, and Modern
Oftentimes I find myself pondering who I would have faithfully followed during the turbulent Civil Rights Era. Would I have been a loyal supporter of Dr. King’s nonviolent resistance? Or would I have sided with brother Malcolm X in his militant approach to Black Nationalism?
Haiti and Apocalyptic Politics
Watching the current rally calls and pledges of aid to Haiti as a result of this unfathomable natural disaster, I can’t help but to feel proud that citizens across the world feel compassion for our wounded brothers and sisters. This makes me smile, only not too bright.
Finding Progression in Assimilation Nation
by Demetrius D. Walker Growing up in the United States, it is impossible to escape the implicit and explicit tenets of White Supremacy that embed themselves in the subconscious of every American. While the engine of this domineering machine is not as robust as it was in its heyday of slavery, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow, […]
Rhymefest Announces Contest Winner + Video Debut!
It took quite some time, but after listening to almost 1,500 contest submissions, Rhymefest has chosen his winner, Chicago native ADaD. After the winning verse, peep the world premiere of the highly controversial video for Give It To Me (Part 1). Let us know what you think!
Slamming Sammy Sellout Teaches Us A Lesson
The perpetual optimist, I am ever so grateful to Sammy Sellout for giving me a platform to discuss the overarching problems that are indicative of his predicament. First, as a man of mixed Negro and Latino heritage I must address the problem of race misidentifcation in the Black and Hispanic community.
FREE DOWNLOAD! The RE-education By REO The Emcee
REO The Emcee is the missing evolutionary link between Nas and Jigga. Today he offers to the world a musical masterpiece. The RE-education is on par with 50 Cent is The Future, Trap or Die, So Far Gone, and Man In The Mirror, as far as classic mixtapes go. It is equally infectious and indicative of a new star emerging on the Hip Hop horizon.
Tyler Perry: Cunning or Cooning?
Nobody in Hollywood can hold a candle to Tyler Perry’s meteoric rise to stardom in the last decade. From niche market gospel plays to Black blockbuster bravado, Perry is the American Dream realized – a rags to riches phenomenon. Despite Tyler Perry’s cinematic and syndicated success, anchored in applying Christian family values to modern day strife, there are those who choose to label the brother a sell-out.
Rhymefest Give It To Me Contest Evaluation 2!
Fest is back at it again… trying to find a hot verse worthy enough to make the classic El Che LP. After going through over a thousand contest entries, Fest gives a second recap…. check it out!
Rhymefest Give It To Me Contest Update!
Fest weeds through the first 500 entries to the “Give It To Me” Contest…. Check out the video!
