"I Get Money"....Ohhh Reaaaally?!

As the culture progresses to a new decade; we have seen changes constantly in Hip-Hop. Trends have fallen and revived, styles have been altered or improvised, but one thing has yet to change--our affinity for money.

And while we all love money, no matter who we are, or where we are, I must say, us as a culture is is borderline obsessed. And why shouldn't we? Many of us live in urban areas where the cost of living is enough for a person to yell "Hey, stop throwing your money in my face....before i rob your ass. Bitch!".

And for others, especially the youth who have to experience what it means to "budget", are constantly reminded whether through media, through their peers, or through entertainment that money is cool, fly and seductive, and being broke is for the weak and for suckas only. Not considering that one true observation exists among many people who are out there "getting money", your still broke.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, while getting money is one thing, being wealthy is STILL the impossible. And really, it starts by being smart with what you have, whether it's a full time job, or 2 part time jobs, many people especially close to me have yet to master the superhuman ability to save and to be smart with their income. And truthfully, no one out there is that rich to not give a fuck about their money. Matter of fact, the richer you are, the harder it is to let go of it without knowing it's coming back to you tenfold!

And don't get it wrong, it's hard...especially when you have the mentality that with money, comes shit that I can buy that may not be any use for me! It's simply said than done, so here's some suggestions:

Plan - It's something you should often do with everything in your life, whether it's for a career or for a vacation, plan everything out, so you know what your dealing with in terms of cost and in terms of income. Fuck that sporadic spending, or the shopping because there's nothing else to do, if you plan on doing some stupid consumer shit, give yourself some time to know what you want to buy, and if you can probably get it cheaper elsewhere. Know what you are doing because sometimes what you want and what you need will differentiate you from the ignorant.

Budget - Make a budget for yourself. Don't know what your working with? Then write down what you spend in a week and work from there. It's tedious, and it's hard work...but so was making that money.

Save - It boils down to this, because without it, you have nothing to build on. Do what you got to do to save. It's as simple as that. There are no secrets to this, just save. It's a hard thing to do, but it's very very realistic. Everyone has trouble with this, even I'm still learning this shit, so expect to constantly change your methods on how to save.

Open Up a Bank Account - Your rapper's favorite rapper has one. I don't care how many times you heard 'em say otherwise, or seen them wads of cash being pulled out their pocket in a video, they have accounts...don't be ignorant, your income that's stashed under your mattress is not accruing interest and not doing you a favor. Do your research when it comes to banks around your area, and also learn the difference between Credit Unions and Banks.


Debt - Pay your bills on time. Stay away from credit cards and loans if you can't afford to pay them back. Personally speaking, stay away from them in general unless your in the upper echelons of the social class pyramid.

Invest - Look into this, make it a reality for yourself, and more importantly, own property. Investments and owning property is the first sign that you have an understanding of wealth.

I'm pretty sure there are more things to consider, and to sum it up, I can basically just say do your research. Pick up a book on money, or google/yahoo the hell out of your questions and inquiries. Be obsessed with the foundations of making money because working for it is just the beginning.

And trust me, for those who think they are in a good position in life in terms of income....you're never too rich to be smart:

The mainstream Media a.k.a. Banter!

By "Nash’s Equilibrium"

Dictionary.com defines Banter as “an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good-natured raillery.” That’s the last thing you would want your source for world and local political, economic, and social information or news to be.

Many of us are all too familiar, with our college degrees in hand, with the corporate world, fancying ourselves as would be future C.E.O.’s. We must surely all be at a point where the basic principle of the corporate model is understood; profit above all interests. So why is that so many of us, some college educated and others experienced adult boys and girls continue to put our unwavering support and blind faith into corporate media? In other words if we all know that we can’t trust main stream media why the FUCK is everyone still getting their news from there?

There is a word for useless information and pointless discussion, its called BANTER! That’s exactly what the major news outlets are providing; more and more banter so a bunch of C- averaging college graduates can talk about bullshit at their Monday morning chitchat session over the water cooler. Think I’m mistaken? Well put this idea to the test?

Ask your above average intelligent self what was the last piece of news (bullshit) you soaked up from the media machine? Then apply that to who you are and where you want to be, meaning how has that information improved your larger socio economic status? Oh shit, it hasn’t!? No fucking lie.

Tell me how and why knowing about the details of the Pro wrestler Chris Benoit murder suicide weekend extravaganza has enriched your life. Are you still broke? Do you still have to get up Tuesday morning to get to that wack ass job? Are you still sticking to your five year plan?

Or better yet, enlighten me as to how any of the front page articles on the New York Times relate to you: NYT

Now I’m sure there’s a puta out there that’s all like, (in half whiny sellout half feminine bitch ass voice) “I like to be informed about what’s going on in the world and my community”. For the sake of brevity I’d reply simply by grabbing this dumb fuck by the ears and ramming my knee into his face 8 or nine times. And then explaining… “Look lil puta, you gotta understand that there are five dominating monopolies that own and operate the media industry; Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom. And those major corporations that aren’t owned by the “Big Five” as they are called are still subject to the corporate agenda. That being the case, what type of news do you think that you are getting? Something that will entertain, psychologically manipulate your desires thus creating a zombie consumer with an endless craving for material things that you don’t need, all the while encouraging a pacifist attitude making you more likely to consent and accept the degrading social and economic conditions… perhaps.”

It just makes sense, if I controlled something that you use to get informed; well I’m going to use that to inform you of things that will be advantageous for me.

I know why we continue to get our news from “daddy” (and you would call the corporate media structure daddy to if you noticed how much cake their eatin). It’s the larger issues about us Americans in general not interested in responsibility and the work of holding those people in charge accountable for a declining society. We’ll get into that with another article.) (And don’t cry Captain America, I understand all Americans aren’t like the above description, this obviously doesn’t apply to you, puta.)

Suffice to say, to that lil chump who supports main stream media if “daddy’s” so reliable in keeping your educated ass informed, where was he when Rwanda was eating itself alive in its genocidal civil war of 1994? Oh, was he too busy covering a story much more vital to your lil bitch ass existence, like the OJ Simpson trial? What about the 2003 illegitimate invasion of Iraq. Papi must have been a bit too preoccupied with something more important, like Jacko’s latest Catholic priest servicing of another alter boy. If so, consider viewing this dad like most other (but not all) American fathers, as dead beat and useless deserters who were too busy getting their “shit together” to take responsibility and being held accountable for what they should have been doing.

On that note, I gotta go, Oreily’s on and I can’t wait to know about more shit that will wont make me shit.

-Manufacturing Consent

-Outfoxed

-Consumerism

-Global Issues

-State of the Media

Peace.

Nash

Nash’s Equilibrium

Vick: Get At Me Dawg!!!

Pic Courtesy of Sports Illustrated:



Your tired of it, we know...but let's be serious, of all the media attention it's been given, how much of the coverage can you say has taught you something worth educated?...Figures...let us begin!





I had just finished reading this the other day, and I thought this article was fuckin' great...it touched on a lot of things I agree upon and some points that was well worth the mentioning. I believe in short, the writer was simply trying to convey this: "Ya'll mufuckas is Buggin'".

American culture celebrates violent sports--especially football--and is insensitive to the consequences that the weekly scrum has on the bodies and minds of its players. We love a sport where any given play can be a player's last. We accept that after 44-year-old former Philadelphia Eagle Andre Waters committed suicide, the autopsy revealed that his brain resembled someone with early-stage Alzheimer's due to repeated concussions. We ignore that a Hall of Fame running back, the once-unstoppable Earl Campbell, can barely get out of a car without assistance. We forget that Johnny Unitas, the greatest quarterback to play the game, couldn't grip a football by the time of his death.

But in Vick's case, when this media-massaged package of NFL fury fails to remain safely contained on the field, the sports establishment throws up its hands in horror. I asked one player why some NFL players are attracted to dogfighting, and he said, "It's exciting, it's violent and it's high-impact." That could easily be an ad for the NFL. Another player, when I asked him about dogfighting, called it a case of "trickle-down violence," a pastime in which players make the journey from controlled to controller. - David Zarin

That right there, was brilliant. I've been trying to convey this to people for the last couple weeks or so even in the dog fighting thread in the other section. This shit is beyond behavioral theory or even observation. The shit is full blown human principle that sociologist and anthropologist have acknowledged for years now---that we are a fuckin' violent culture. There's not getting around it, and it's not an American thing, this shit is a universal human characteristic, whether it's categorized as an artistic event such as bull fighting in Latin America and Spain, or considered a simple past-time with Cock-Fighting (no homo) in the islands, it's all the same shit--the principle to win. I am not fucking with anyone who says otherwise. In America, that shit is driven by a capitalistic foundation, everyday we are about the competition, we are about the drive. There's no getting around it. And that shit has birthed many problems including mental illness, so it's not just physical,. And I'm trying to be fair cuz I know what dude talking bout, especially with someone like myself and like many of ya'll that can relate, I'm like 100% fuckin' octane when it comes to sports, and competition, I'm an obscene, ruthless asshole, but I completely know what the writer is conveying.

As far as dogfighting is concerned, I'm going to go about this as equal as possible considering I had a good debate about this with some friends other night. My bias side, the one that owns a pitbull, is saying fuck Vick, let him rot. But in an objective stance the writer has a point and so does a member of our forum...the point that we don't even respect each other. We got enough horrific examples of humans mistreating each other, so yea, this isn't about the dogs. For christ sakes, we can't even fuckin' care for our elders, feed the poor, or raise our children, and these pricks, including PETA got the audacity to fight for this shit? I would gladly stomp any of them protesters with a new pair of Timbs made from an Indonesian underage, enslaved, homeless, abused, Child! I doubt the government really gives a fuck about the dogs, this shit is all politics. But, I can't agree to put humans above anything....I learned that everyone is equal no matter who or what it is. Just because animals don't know any better is no different than the fact that WE DO, BUT we don't give a fuck anyway. I think the whole situation is messed up historically, sociologically and psychologically, that's why even on an objective stance, I am siding with the dogs. Psychologically, dog fighting is nothing more than our extension of our ego's and competitiveness unto the dogs.

For some of you, their just dogs, they were built to fight, or it's in their nature. But really though, your wrong...aggression to fight in a pit against another is not a natural thing, it is not an inate behavior, that shit is a learned and taught conditioned, and don't get it twisted, I ain't trying to put dogs above humans, but clearly in this situation, WE are the reason the breed exist along with numerous others like the Akita, mastiff, etc. For centuries we've been breeding dogs to fight against their choosing and natural instinct for money, for ego, for entertainment, for all the wrong reasons. So as controllers of the situation, I ain't fucking with humans on this one.

And as far as Vick is concerned, more than half of me wants him punished but the other half of me (after rationalizing this with some friends) is saying he still a good person, he just fucked up bad, but I tell you this, a friend of mine is right, dude ain't in my prayers. Me and peoples been talking past couple days and we're pretty sure dude did wonders for his community, for Virginia, for Atlanta, we're pretty sure he bringing money in to family and friends and people overall. Hell, dogfighting is a multi million dollar industry, if not a billion dollars, if anything, dude was feeding closed kin. And yea, I fuck with the writer on some "this is a racist/classist issue" because he's right...before Vick, dogfighting has always existed, and my beef with black people is, ya'll buggin. Before dogfighting reached black culture/hip-hop culture, that shit was a Rich Man's sport, by adopting this shit into the poor man's culture, ya'll added another fuel for imprisonment of the poor....that's why that shit has never been touched publicly before this. I wouldn't be surprised to see white politicians and corporate individuals involved. It ain't no secret...before athletes, this shit has always been a multi-billion dollar industry, how many black males in this country, can throw money around like that? None...that's why this shit ain't nothing but politics since day one. If anything Vick should go to jail for being an idiot. You picked the wackest felony to be involved in. You making millions of dollars for the next couple of years, if anything dude should have got into the weapons transport market.

We're Back!....Again!

I have to admit...I never would have though blogging would be this hard, BUT based on the date I last made a post, it's quiet obvious this was no walk in the park. I think the hardest part of blogging is just the writing part. Essentially, all your really doing is typing down your thoughts...just my thoughts. But, ranting is one thing, actually having to sit down when your not in no mood to rant and type in a structure form is another. But you know what, you got into this for a reason, so you might as well finish what your started however you got to drive yourself right? I mean it could be worse, I could be this lady:

My version of the Most-Hard-Bodied MC in the Game

by iconoclastic.



We ain't forget bout you...we patiently waiting!


About a week or two ago I came across an editorial article from XXL on 'The Most Hardbody MC in the Game' and to much of my approval, i agreed to a certain extent. Sean P should be considered one the hardest emcees in the game to many, whether it's just him or his days with Heltah Skeltah, O.G.C & the Boot Camp Clik. But truly, in my opinion, I have yet to hear anybody fuckin' with Immortal Technique. You want to talk about Hard-Bodied? Try having a whole activist movement behind your back, dedicated to Prison Reform and legalizing the Mary Jane, or a grassroots organization named G.A.M.E dedicated to providing health care to underground rappers (thoro!).

No sir, dude is definitely not your typical 'Political/Jehovah Witness/Public Enemy' type rapper (nothing wrong with that). He'd probably break your face in, considering he did spend 3 years and few months behind bars. That, and a good friend of mine that went to school with him remembered Felipe as a 'not so nice muthafucka that would not want to fuck with'.

Emcee wise, I thought dude was okay for a while, considering I'm a Huge Lox fan, so nothing he could've said was going to warrant a debate. Plus I had issues with a some of his political beliefs, mostly issues with political conspiracy theories and certain aspects of religion. But I can't knock his overall philosophy towards poverty, racism, classism, and just life in general because it's something I completely can fuck with to a degree. But it wasn't until I heard a track that wasn't even his own (was a collabo, but he ended it) that made me dropped jaw (no homo!).

Outerspace ft. Immortal Technique - Angels of Death (I shit you not, this man destroyed this fuckin' track. This is how you literally kill someone else's track.)

After hearing this, I went back, re-listened to majority of his material, everything from Revolutionary V. 1 to 2, and everything in between with the mixtapes. Till this day, I ain't fucking with anyone talking bout hard-body until they hear this man. Till then, keep a look out for his long-awaited for album, The Middle Passage!

From Revolutionary Vol. 1:
Immortal Technique - Dance with the Devil (My dude, Joe Budden did a somewhat similar version to this, which I liked--3 Sides to a Story--but it ain't fucking with this)

From Revolutionary V. 2:
Immortal Technique - Point of No Return

Some dudes just be about being hard...and some dudes ARE just hard.


Peace and Hip-Hop!

Psychedelic....

Finding Forever's album cover...looks tough as hell. Hopefully it carries over to the album itself....keep a look out for the tracklistings!

"Life is Like a Movie"

Rest in Peace Rayquon Elliot bka Stack Bundles bka The Gorgeous Gangsta


Condolences goes out to his family and friends. Many people are saddened by this lost, while others like myself are more angry that something like this continue to happen among us as people.

As an artist, based off potential, and material he been dropping, he was Truly one of the best Queens rappers I heard since Ali Vegas, and one of the up-N comers of NY rap. The "I'm not here to play, I'm here to spit" type rappers, he was up there with the Lox as some of the hardest rappers I heard from this city in a long time. Lyrically, he had the potential, but to the eyes of his peoples in Far Rockaway, dude was already the best.

If you ain't know him, never heard of him...then you better find out!

"Ain't nothing but Guns N Roses out there...So what I'm doing is like the impossible...I'm like the Great White Hype, the fuckin New Hope"

(2004)Stack Bundles - NY Giant Freestyle
(2004)Joe Budden ft. Stack Bundles & A-Team - Freestyle
(2004)Joe Budden ft. A-team, and Stack Bundles - Bang out Freestyle
(2004)Stack Bundles - Freestyle
(2005)Stack Bundles feat. Rell - Why Would She
(2006)Stack Bundles - You Yont Luv Me
(2006)Stack Bundles - Tipsy Freestyle
(2006)Stack Bundles - Run This City
(2006)Ransom Ft. Fabolous & Stack Bundles - What Ya Hood Like
Joe Budden, Stack Bundles, Jae Millz - 6 Minutes of Death

You Tube Videos.

The Anti-Paris Appeal

By iconoclastic

One of the biggest "news" this week, if not, the biggest, has been the Paris Hilton Jail Saga. Now honestly, it's good to see a feel good, comedic story among news such as war threats from Russia and terrorist plots on JFK. But quiet frankly, I, like probably the rest of the world, don't really care about her situation.



Politically though it has showed that not all upper class individuals can get their way--including the law, but it shows that they sure can try and almost get away with it at that.

But the biggest non-violent related, felony-charged, court case appeal decision of the week will come with a more tremendous penalty--10 years. And this court case happens to be one that has fallen under the radar. It is a case, and an appeal that holds more weight that Paris' 45 day "struggle" for violating probation, because it's deals with a common situation--"what if the law was wrong for condemning me as a felon and it cost me years of my life?"


His Video

In 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia, Genarlow Wilson, then 17, was convicted of child molestation for having consensual oral sex with a 15yr old. According to a out-dated criminal statute (dated 1776 mind you); any person under the age of 16 performing oral sex, the person receiving it is guilty of aggravated child molestation, no matter how old they are. This comes with a minimum sentence of 10 MANDATORY years in prison. 10 cot-damn years. What's worse is, he has no past criminal or violent history, but yet he's placed among murderers, rapist, and other sick-ass criminals. But the one thing that truly hurts the most is, if he would've had sex with the girl, it would have only been a misdemeanor. If that's not the most horrible shit you ever heard in terms of the law, I don't know what is.

It gets even better from there, because as of 2006, that law was modified to prevent something like this from re-occurring, but it didn't save Wilson at all because it can't be applied to the 2003 decision. Supposedly this week, a Judge will take a look at this appeal, and hopefully make the correct decision to this unfair situation.

This is what Paris (and others that have taken advantage of their celebrity of status to benefit from jail-sentencing) don't understand. That there are more important fights against the law out there. They want to talk about how the law in unfair to them? Try being poor, of ethnic background, with no social power at all. Those battles are far more important, not because jail time will ruin their image, or endorsement deals, or get them suspended by their league, nah! It's because they clearly shouldn't be in jail.

Here's some common sense advice to those with celebrity status, whether socialite, movie star or athlete--stop doing dumb shit.

From everyone at Bka, G Keep ya head.

For more on Genarlow Wilson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genarlow_Wilson
http://www.wilsonappeal.com/index.php

Blast from the Past…

By iconoclastic

I came across some break-dancing videos on youtube the other day. Funny thing was, as much as a hip-hop fanatic I am, break dancing has been my least favorite element to be a spectator of. Number 1 reason being is probably because I’m pissed off for never trying the shit. It’s that ‘Nigga stop hatin cuz you can’t do that shit!’ Complex. Which it most likely is, but lately I’ve been heavily watching the shit, and might I add, its fuckin’ dope.

But the one thing I do hate bout watching break-dancing on youtube is they don’t have a soundtrack listing on that bitch when it comes to videos like this. It’ll leave your ass wondering ALL week what the song is. You’ll be sitting at work, in class, throughout the day thinking hard about the shit nonstop. You’ll even Google the fuck out of it whenever you come across a computer. And best of all, you can get a decent 3 minute conversation with ANYONE on some “what the hell is this song (lyrics here and expect potential laughs)?”

Well eventually after trying to keep myself entertained, I finally came across a cot-damn clip—which was dope I might add—that left me on a searching frenzy. Can you guess the song? (Answer at the end.)


Ladies and Gentlemen, The 'incroyable talent' Salah of The Vagabond Crew

After playing the hell out of it on repeat for a couple days, it had left me thinking, ‘where the hell are all the b-boys?’ And like the rest of Hip-Hop culture, the answer would be ‘it relocated’. In this particular situation however, it relocated overseas (mind you we're being dominated by their talent). I mean don’t get it twisted, b-boys are still doing their damn thing here in the states, especially considering that someone of expertise pointed out to me that it’s thriving in areas like Nevada, California, Arizona, & New York . But with an ever-growing popularity to be the thug, the hustler, the pimp and the rapper in Hip-Hop, there seems to be little room for the once great, feared ‘The B-boy’.

Internationally thought, break-dancing( popping, locking, and all that B-boy shit) is a cultural phenomenon, and personally, I should have seen this coming especially from the foreign students at my school coming through with the kangols to the side, fresh pair of addidas, and a affinity to the cardboard. Even break-dancing contest are super thoro, ranging from all types of sponsors including Red Bull. And by the looks of them on video, those shits have to be fuckin’ poppin’…literally.

Even with a growing internet world, where the elements of Hip-Hop are finding equivalents on the computer, a B-Boy cannot be duplicated through that means. How could you? It involves elements of body movement—dance, strength, co-ordination, creativity and of course flexibility. It is literally the one element that has no equivalent when it comes to an internet persona.

It is also the one Hip-Hop element that has died down because it has been looked at unfavorably as either un-cool, ‘ol school, or just too much damn work to do. But hey, real do real things…so Here’s to really living Hip-Hop.


Answer: Theres 2 versions actually...After doing some research, I found out the song is pretty famous...so much for me being a Hip-Hopist.

Bar-Kays - Freak Show On the Dance Floor
Dazz Band - Freak Show On the Dance Floor


Many 'ol Schoolers probably remember this jam from the movie 'Breakin'.

Peep close at the end, your boy Jean-Claude Van Damne got Hip-Hop on mufuckas!