Filed under: Current Events, Music, Paul | Tags: 88-Keys, Adele, Atmosphere, Best of 2008, Colin Munroe, Esperanza Spalding, Incognito, Jazz Liberatorz, Jazzanova, Kay, Stacy Epps, The Foreign Exchange, Wale, Zo!
Orginally I had this amazing idea to post my favorite albums of 2008. When I started, I began to reminisce over this year and all of its musical disappointments and mediocrity (Common, T.I., John Legend, Robin Thicke, Gym Class Heroes, Common, Common…Common). However, after a closer examination, I realized that there was a truly solid collection of great music that came out. Looking at incredible releases from Erykah Badu, Lil’ Wayne, Dwele, Nas, N.E.R.D., The Roots (as always), Q-Tip, and Al “Don’t Call It A Comeback” Green, 2008 was a solid year. But, generally speaking, these are names and releases that most people are aware of. So as this post was literally written and awaiting publication, I began to look at other “Best of 2008” lists and realized that every list was basically the same. I’m sorry but I just don’t get down like that. Deciding to not play in the mainstream, I figured I would rewrite the post and drop the “other” best of 2008. So I went back and looked at the musical masterpieces that flew under the radar of 2008. This is for the artists that said “motherf*** the wagon come join the band…” Download/Buy/Listen/Enjoy.
-Kay/Nicolay/Zo!/Phonte-Time:Line, Zo! and Tigallo Love The 80’s, Leave It All Behind
Apparently collabos were hot in the Justus League this year and we should all be thankful. The connection of Dutch producer Nicolay and rapper Kay dropped first with Time:Line in February, which was a great beginning to the collective of albums. It is my belief that Nicolay solely makes beats that transcend genres and just scream “NOT HIP-HOP!” and that’s why they are so powerful. On the other end Houston-rapper Kay brings a very solid flow to the tandem. The album is particularly feature heavy, which usually is not a good look. However, the album showcases many “underground” artists that deserve serious shine. Of particular interest is S1 of The Strange Fruit Project, an amazingly dope hip-hop act out of Houston.
Filed under: Current Events, Music | Tags: Christmas, Donny Hathaway, Flo Rida, Trey Songz
From the entire Ethos staff, we would like to wish everyone a happy holidays. Sit back, relax, eat good food, enjoy family and friends and watch 24 straight hours of “A Christmas Story” Expect more from us in the new year (maybe…). In the mean time, enjoy the rich sounds of the holiday season:
Trey Songz and Flo Rida go extra hard on this one…(pause)
wait….
wait…
wait for it…
and…
Just kidding…We would never let you “dash through the snow with Flo Rida and Trey, whip on 24’s…” Enjoy:
Quite possibly the greatest Christmas song ever…Donny (30th Anniversary of his death…Jan. 13th)
Filed under: Current Events, Eric, Middle East, Politics | Tags: al-Jazeera, al-Zeidi, Bush, Obama, Shoe throwing
I know it’s about a week old by now, but I thought it would be worth having in the ETHOS archives:
His name is Muntadar al-Zeidi and he is my hero.
Out with the old, in with the new is what they say I guess. Check out this long-ish sober (scary) assessment of what the new has to offer us from al-Jazeera English (yeah, al-Jazeera – contrary to popular belief they actually have some of the best coverage of U.S. politics and Middle East policy. Oh yeah, and they are also your one stop source for the latest Osama Bin Laden video).
The second part of the segment – a debate between Black Agenda Report’s Glen Ford and some activist preacher – can be found here.
Over and out,
Eric
Some artwork from my brother:
The Obamamobile heads to Washington
(Artwork courtesy of Danny Augenbraun, click image to enlarge)
Considering that it has been nearly a month since Obama became the presumptive Democratic nominee and at least some of the unrestrained euphoria has worn off among his supporters/fans, I figured I would take this time to do a quick recap of some of the recent developments in his campaign. It is hardly a secret that since the late 70s and early 80s the Democrats have embraced a national strategy that attempts to appeal to the same constituencies that the Republicans have been able to ride to electoral success for the last 25+ years. This, in turn, gives the Republican Party an enormous amount of leverage in setting the terms of debate in the run up to elections and also produces the inevitable rightward shift taken by every Democratic candidate over that same time period. Moreover, it should come as no surprise that the Dems are every bit as beholden to the same set of corporate interests as the Republicans which largely explains their unwillingness to reject a national strategy based on constituencies constructed by the Republicans and to attempt to create and appeal to an alternative constituency–namely one organized around a program that can be of immediate benefit to the working class.
But, without further adieu, let us take a trip back to the not so distant past:
Filed under: Current Events, Election 2008, Paul, Videos | Tags: Democratic Primary, Souja Boy, The Real World, white people
As a critic of most things, I find myself shaking my head a whole lot. Thusly, I would like to introduce my first installment of the Shaking My Head Awards more commonly known as the SMH’s (get it lol, lmao, gtg…smh?). This post is actually inspired by Melissa Harris-Lacewell’s “John Brown Awards”, which coincidentally put her on the list…well done. These individuals and entities have been awarded an SMH not because I hate them or dislike them, but simply because they have recently made me shake my head in disappointment and/or utter disbelief. Sometimes I laugh afterwards and sometimes I die a little bit afterwards. Either way I applaud you all for the incomprehensible moments of absolute bewilderment that you all have provided me; leaving me to just…shake my head.
Melissa Harris-Lacewell
As noted your “John Brown Awards” are given to “white me who are down for the cause.” So far, so good. After all there’s nothing wrong with giving out awards to deserving individuals. However, giving John Edwards a “John Brown award” is like giving Ward Connerly, the “Nat Turner Award” around his work for racial uplift and commitment to the Left. Now I do appreciate the fact that you started the piece noting that it was “unauthorized” and “likely to be rejected and denounced” which takes away any anger I would have held. That does not however negate the fact that you did this…I suppose that I am no better than you either considering I am responding, albeit facetiously. But I still have to shake my head on this one Professor.
Filed under: Current Events, Election 2008, Josh, Politics, Race | Tags: Election, Hope, Obama
When I was roughly 9 years old, i proudly declared to my older sister that after mulling it over in my head for the past decade or so, I had finally decided what I wanted to “be” when I grew up- President of the United States. It seemed like a rather glamorous position to me at the time, what with the king-like authority, cool-shaped office, 24-hour on-call posse of armed guards in black suits, etc. and besides that, it just seemed way cooler than being a paleontologist (my former dream career). Yet still, despite the amount of time, energy, and critical thought I’d put into my newfound aspiration, I was met not with praise from my eldest sibling, but rather discouragement. On the evening of my ever-so-eloquent verbal declaration of my intention to pursue the position of Commander-In-Chief, with all the careful delicacy of a falling anvil, my sister unflinchingly looked me in the eyes, and told me that no Black man would ever become President. No shot. Not a chance. Ever.
What a difference 10 years makes.
By Chloe Wayne
I don’t really have much to say except…
1. Barack Obama > Hillary Clinton – So, Barack’s won the nomination. I suppose I should be more enthused than I am. Well, when I really think about how historic a moment it is, I can understand the hullabaloo. I mean, what if you were a five year old? I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up with a Black president.
But for the most part, I’m completely turned off to anything that has to do with the election for awhile, until stuff really gets down to the wire. I mean, we all know what’s going to happen in the next few months…Barack’s camp will say McCain is too old and that he will be George Bush, III. McCain’s camp will say that Barack’s promise of “change” holds no weight and that he has no experience…and if that doesn’t seem to work, they will surely spew whatever dirt they can find his way. Wake me up in October.
2. Los Angeles Lakers > Boston Celtics – This is going to be epic. Enough said.
3. Wale’s Mixtape About Nothing > Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter 3 – If it weren’t for my penchant for catchy pop-R&B tunes– a la “Comfortable” and “Tie My Hands”, featuring Babyface and Robin Thicke, respectively– I really would not be playing TC3. “Dr. Carter” is the only gem on here, refreshingly creative and real: “And that was called recyclin’…some say it’s bitin’, but I say it’s enlightenin’“.
Filed under: Current Events, Eric, Middle East | Tags: Keffiyeh, Palestine, Rachel Ray, Terrorism
I will start by saying that from the very little I know of TV host Rachael Ray, I find her incredibly annoying and rather stupid, possessing the personality of a Jack Russell terrier or a similarly excitable small animal. I also know that my mother owns one of her misleadingly titled 30-minute meals cookbooks that contains not a single recipe that could possibly be prepared in 30 minutes or less. I get the impression that Ray’s audience (like that of most daytime talk show/cooking show hosts) is generally composed of middle-aged, middle-class, women of the white variety. So, given the demographics of her audience and her own dim-wittedness, I find it hard to believe that either Ray or those who follow her (or the vast majority of the American population for that matter) had even the slightest clue to the significance of the keffiyeh that she donned in a recent Dunkin’ Donuts ad.
That’s not a Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Mocha Latte she is holding, it’s a fully functional bomb!
Naturally, there was a backlash to the advertisement, eventually resulting in it being canned. Conservative pundit Michelle Malkin took a break from defending the internment of Japanese-American people during World War II to chime in: “The keffiyeh has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad.” I guess one person’s “murderous Palestinian jihad” is another’s “struggle for national liberation against a brutal apartheid regime.” We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one Michelle. In any case, this situation has brought to the fore a few issues I have wanted to write about for a while now:
By Chloe Wayne
I’m a little late on this, but check out this photo a blogger at Daily Kos, “the largest progressive community blog in the United States,” made and posted on the site (only to be taken down hours later):
What can be worse than the overt racist is the well-meaning, “colorblind” white liberal who is “down for the cause” but is seriously ignorant. I was shocked to find that the blogger in question posted the photo as a medium of support for Michelle Obama, and an attack against the Republican Party for their campaign tactics. The person even wrote underneath it: “Copy and send out as you wish.” Are you serious??????
In the question of Black freedom, the textbook answers are 1863 and 1964: the years of the Emancipation Proclamation and a landmark Civil Rights Act, respectively. But when, if ever, have we been emancipated from the mental and psychological stronghold our racially muddied history has had on us? It boggles my mind that the poster could not foresee people’s outrage at such an image, as if the pain of such atrocities no longer weighs heavily on our hearts and minds, as if racism and white supremacy are vestigial flickers of decades past that bear no implications for today.
While perusing the CNN headlines last week I stumbled upon an article entitled “White valedictorian: A first for historically black Morehouse.” I initially didn’t think much of the piece (surprised that there were actually white people attending Morehouse). But I clicked on the link anyway and found:
The article proceeds to describe the ways in which Packwood is one with the black community. Packwood explains that his mother’s second marriage was to a black man. The relationship didn’t work out and things were tough at home (another fact the CNN reporters highlight during their schpeal about Packwood’s ability to identify with the black community). Because of these conditions, Packwood was forced to live with a close friend and his family (also black) where he finished his high school career and prepared for college. Packwood states, “A large majority of my friends, like all my girlfriends have been minorities… So it was very, it was kind of strange that I always gravitated toward the black community.”
Joshua Packwood (left) & brother (who will attend Morehouse next fall) pictured with unidentified ethnic child
