ETHOS

“They say [Ethos] is dead, I’m here to resurrect me…”~Common/Paul

No Ethos is not dead, but as overly ambitious college kids, we get busy. The Ethos staff has most likely written around 1,250 pages (seriously…) in a few short years, so sometimes we forget about the important stuff…like the procrastination machine that is this blog. Don’t fret loyal followers. We will be back in about a week or so with the Top Ten Albums of 2008. Should be mildly amusing, in the sarcastic, dark humorish Ethos way you’ve all come to love.

In the mean time just watch this video of Penn’s dopest dance group Freaks of the Beat do one of the greatest things that I have ever seen…it should hold you over for a while.

Song: The Pharcyde’s “Drop”

Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah
Happy/Merry/Feliz Kwanzaa (cuz I really celebrate kwanzaa…smh)
Happy Holidays

By Paul Pennington

So….because we here at Ethos are a phenomenally lazy group (or just prefer to enjoy our summers) we have been dropping the ball. We probably won’t step our collective post games up until the fall (although I have a few posts collecting dust). While this makes no sense considering we will be overloaded with work in our junior years, we just like dope distractions like writing for Ethos…or Facebooking. To break the monotony of the Ethos silence I figured I would post this video of the Robert Glasper Experiment. First off Robert Glasper is probably my favorite modern jazz artist. Along with characters like Esperanza Spalding (opened for The Roots), Pimp & “Soil” Sessions (they’re from Japan-a place that still loves and respects jazz and hip-hop), and many other younger jazz artists, he is really bringing back a great musical genre. I recently bought one of his albums (if you know me you understand how extraordinary that truly is…)

For those that were there with me or happened to catch the concert at another venue, Glasper recently toured with Common and Q-Tip. He was the guy on the keys playing jazz guitarist Joe Pass’ cover of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”…which in turn was sampled by J Dilla for Q-Tip’s “Let’s Ride” (most people at the concert were confused as to what he was doing…but as a musical nerd and a huge fan of all three songs, I went through what some like to call multiple eargasms). With Glasper added to my list of musical mancrushes that I have gushed over, I’ll move on to the Robert Glasper Experiment. This musical mind trust consists of jazz artists Derrick Hodge, Chris Dave, and Casey Benjamin, and implores the talents of artists such as Mos Def, Bilal and Q-Tip. The group fuses hip-hop with jazz stylings, reminiscent of Illadelph Halflife. They do random shows all the time and if there is a god I will catch one.

This particular video is one of my all-time favorites…I almost broke down completely after hearing this live instrumental of Black Star’s “Thieves in the Night” (understanding this song is like understanding a part of me…) with the Mos Def ad libs. This is music folks…pay attention.

p.s. expect a post soon about those newer jazz artists I mentioned earlier…in the mean time google/imeem/myspace…or buy those names immediately.

p.s.s. To understand my love of Robert Glasper check out this cut of off his 2007 album In My Element…entitled “J Dillalude”…wooooooow.

By Paul Pennington

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you start to break it then people aren’t going to go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music…I don’t know about it. But I’m not having Hip-Hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.” ~Noel Gallagher of Oasis

Looks like Jay has been taking classes with Wayne at the Guitar Hero School for Rock&Roll

This weekend Jay-Z headlined the legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, much to the dismay of many diehard fans of the event. One of these haters came in the form of Oasis band member/clown Noel Gallagher. While Gallagher’s distaste with Jay-Z’s top billing is understood, it shows that he does not actually know the history of his beloved event and that he is a world-class douche.

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I’m posting this because:

1. Paul’s haterific post has been at the top of this page for too long. (Much love, Paul….lol)

2. This is one of my favorite live videos of the High Priestess of Flyness…and I’m currently reading her autobiography.

3. It’s my birthweek, and I can do whatever I want.

Nina Simone — Four Women

By Paul Pennington

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.

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ERYKAH BADU has done it again. Proven her genius.

If you’re a female, and you’ve ever wanted to make it in the music business, make sure you peep this video.

P.S. Everyone should have her latest album, New Amerykah, Part. 1: 4th World War, on repeat.

Butt Nekkid Wednesdays?