TELL 'EM WHY YOU MAD: News from the Road or Just a Little Road Rage

So, life is just one giant blog entry I suppose...

Three things happened to me while I was on the road today and since I'll never be able to tell those folks how I felt, I figured I would just write about it here.

To the dude in the gold Lincoln Navigator, I really hope that your name is Lincoln because the "Mr Lincoln" letters placed along the entire back bumper is really stupid otherwise.

To the dude in the blue VW Bug... I was beeping and waving trying to get your attention. I wanted to let you know that putting a car kit and rims on a VW Bug doesn't make you cool. Especially when you still had the flower in the center of the dashboard. Was that a daisy?

And lastly, to the dude in the black Mercedes - I let you in. When you look at yourself in the mirror, I want you to remember that. Your driving isn't that good that you magically appeared in front of me on the road. I did that for you. A head nod or a wave would have been nice. Pay it forward sucka!

What I'm Watching Right Now!

Phonte (of Little Brother) and producer Nicolay (who make up the crew Foreign Exchange) asked folks to join follow them on twitter at twitter.com/FEofficial. They promised once they passed 2,000 followers they would post their newest video "Take off the Blues". To me it was better than jumping on that bangwagon to follow Ashton Kutcher (even though he was doing a great thing for charity). They passed the finish line and boom, here is an amazing video and the reason you should definitely support Foreign Exchange.


Go cop the album. Click cover to purchase.




You can also follow: Phonte at twitter.com/phontigallo and Nicolay at twitter.com/nicolaymusic
Visit them at MySpace: The Foreign Exchange


The Foreign Exchange feat. Darien Brockington - "Take Off The Blues" from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.

What I'm Listening to Right Now... Dana Coppafeel

"No guns on your waist like it's 88..."

I guess like wine, sometimes the rhyme gets better and better with time. Perhaps that's the case with 32-year-old Dana Coppafeel. He calls himself an old head, in his second child hood. Originally from Rockford, IL he moved to Milwaukee, WI in the 90s, then Madison, WI for school and back to Milwaukee.

“I would say Milwaukee is where I grew up because it just feels more like home to me,” he said.

I reached out to him after checking his video for the track 88 (check it out below). You got to love that dude shot a video at a laundromat. That’s multitasking – get a load done while shooting a video and delivering real hip-hop. 88 is definitely a dope track (there I go using the word dope again). Immediately that beat takes you to another place. 88 is one of those tracks you need to listen to a few times and each time you’re like “ooooh” when you catch something you overlooked the time before. After checking the video, I immediately went on a hunt to check out more of his tracks. Impressed! There’s just something cool about his lyrical flow and it’s not just on one track. It carries.

“I’ve always free-styled ever since I first heard hip-hop music,” he said. “Even before that my mom used to take me to guitar lesson but I sucked pretty bad but she just knew music was my calling.”

“It’s kind of funny though because I told her I should sing or something like that,” he continued. “Hip-hop was filled that void.”

But he’s been seriously doing music since 1995/1996.

I reached out to him via email and this is what he had to say.

Is music your career or do you have a "day job"
“I like to think music is my career. I spend so much time out of the week in just music alone. At least four days, about 40 hours invested into music. There is really not a lot of money to be made it seems. It’s just endless grind sometimes just to support what you love. It’s my love and whether money is coming in from it or not I just want to perfect my craft. I always end up giving my music away free on the Internet anyways. But I flip burgers part-time (hahaha) for real. I don't even eat burgers.”

How would you describe your music?
“My music is just that real hip-hop you know I'm an older head. I like that gritty street shit but there’s a real message in the mix of it all. I'm from the Wu-Tang era, you know knowledge born. I study the 120 for a few years in my life but at the same time I'm a real big Dilla head and I'm talking about Jay Dee before Dilla died type of fan. So I really like the mixture of those elements.”

What projects are you working on?
“Right now I'm working on a CD, which is almost done called "Coppa's Welfare Foods" it should be done by summer. Also I'm working on a pre-album with the songs that are left over. I’m going to drop that first, but no name right now. I'm in two groups in the Milwaukee area. The first one is KingHellBastard. We are working on a summer release on 12 inch featuring SADAT X (also check YouTube for the KingHellBastard and Sadat X video) and STRICKLIN from EMC. Right now you can download our newest EP called "Y’all got excuse we got reason" (Click to download). The other group is like a super group with like 10 members called the House of M and we are right now working on a LP and a mixtape. So it busy, busy, busy...”


Alpha Sessions~Dana Coppafeel from Darren Cole on Vimeo.

For more Dana Coppafeel, check out:
www.myspace.com/danacoppafeel
www.reverbnation.com:80/danacoppafeel
members.soundclick.com/dana+coppafeel

What I'm Listening To Right Now...Nieve and Cook

I gotta thank MySpace and alot of the underground artists for bumping into this music. Because of MySpace, if I find an artist I like, I check which other artists they're friends with. So Nieve and Cook was my next adventure. I've had this album playing a few times over already. Still listening. Good music. Very good vibe. Check it out...

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Some other tracks:
I Feel Free
Priceless Few

Check them out at MySpace Nieve and Cook

TELL 'EM WHY YOU MAD: The PT Cruiser = Epic Fail

Okay, I have to get this one off my chest. You ever dislike something so much it just makes you angry when you see it? My mom for example hates those blow up lawn ornaments that people have in their yards. You know the ones I'm talking about for different seasons - big snow man at Christmas or pumpkin at halloween. The joints with the air blown into them and sometimes even have lights. Every time she sees it, she talks about getting a bb gun and shooting them or knocking on the door of the house and smacking the owner. They make her upset because they don't make sense. To her they are ugly to look at and unnecessary.

I feel that way about the PT Cruiser. When I see one, I just ask myself "Why?" The PT Cruiser is one of the worst looking cars, ever. The PT was launched by Chrysler as kind of a station wagon or hatchback (or a piece of complete confusion) in 2000. It later had the nerve to develop and introduce a two door convertible PT Cruiser in 2005. As if the four door wasn't horrible enough.

Who approved this car? Was he or she fired immediately after or praised by Chrysler executives? Based on the fanatic websites out there for this car, I'd assume praised. I've had the unfortunate pleasure of driving one on a few different occasions. It wasn't my choice. It was a rental car for work and I hated every minute of it (you should pay half price if they give you this as a rental). You can't ride in one and be cool in any respect. You could get it tricked out, blasting Jay-Z (hell, Jay could even be in the passenger seat) and had been on the cover of People Magazine as Person of the Year but all that goes out the window driving a PT Cruiser. When you drive one you should just dress like a clown with floppy shoes, make-up, wig... you know the whole nine yards because folks are going to laugh at you when you hop out. The joy stick geer shift, video game steering wheel and poorly placed window controls are just a few of the interior failures. When they introduced the PT Cruiser someone should have yelled out - EPIC FAIL!!!!

They make me so upset, I didn't even put a picture of it on the site for this post in fear that it would make me not want to come back and see my own blog. DAMN!

As we all know, Chrysler is struggling right now and looking for some more government money to keep them afloat. One of the conditions for bailout should include Chrysler discontinuing the making of this piece of crap. Chrysler in general may not make the best cars but at least the other ones look decent. The PT Cruiser is crap.

Okay, now I feel better that I got that off my chest.

Economy Affecting The Business Of The Bling

Seems like some of these rappers are finally realizing it isn't so financially sound to go all out with the extravagant jewelry. I, personally, always thought they were ridiculous and idiotic to spend tens of thousands, some even hundreds of thousands of dollars on enormous pieces that do nothing but shine and glisten. Haha. But that's just me. Here's the story brought to you by the Associated Press...

ATLANTA - The Hip-Hop World Is Dialing Back Its Bling.

The music genre defined as much by diamond-encrusted watches and designer sneakers as its gritty urban lyrics is scaling down its flash, insiders say, as rappers join the rest of the world feeling the pinch of the recession.

Rappers are cooling off some of their trademark "ice," sporting fewer and smaller chains, opting for plain white Ts over pricey labels and introducing budget-conscious fashion lines designed to let fans still capture the hip-hop swagger.

Make no mistake: The industry that made New York businessman Jacob "Jacob the Jeweler" Arabov an urban household name isn't entirely reversing course. But "the day of conspicuous consumption is gone," says Tamara Connor, an Atlanta-based stylist who has created looks for chart-topping rappers including Lil Wayne.

In the late '90s, Lil Wayne surrounded himself in videos with stacks of cash and rapped about his $50,000 pinky ring, or "bling," a term that referenced the glint of the diamonds on his neck, hands and wrists.

"We're still going to see some bling, but it's just not going to be as much," Connor says. "Instead of four diamond necklaces, it might just be a diamond bracelet — and it's a piece the celebrity wears all the time. They're not changing their jewelry out everyday."

Photo shoots, for example, are being done with fewer of the specialized medallions considered a calling card for the likes of Rick Ross, whose chain with a likeness of his head — complete with black diamond beard — has an estimated value of $30,000.

Instead you might see a rapper in an off-the-shelf diamond cross or wearing lower-quality stones. "You can save $3,000 a carat if you do non-ring quality diamonds for studs (earrings)," Connor notes.

Newest Rappers Feel Pinch Most
Ben Baller, head of Los Angeles-based jeweler I.F. & Co., says the shift is most pronounced among up-and-coming rappers, for whom a steady income is seeming like less of a sure thing.

Before, a new artist might spend $25,000 of a $30,000 advance on a chain, according to Baller, who counts Fat Joe as a client. "Now they would rather try to spend $5,000 and $6,000," he says, adding, "they're willing to talk about options by using sapphires, using very, very low quality gold.

"Some people (are) even wanting to mix diamonds with cubics (cubic zirconia) so it would not be completely ungenuine."

Cost cutting is major for the industry in which the carat-weight of one's ring or the price of tennis shoes could carry more cache than record sales. Ostentatious fashion has been in hip hop's DNA since Run-DMC sang the praises of Adidas in the '80s.

The flash reflected the music style born of the streets of New York, its stars often hard-knock kids who christened their new success with thick rope chains and designer sweatsuits.

"It was about creating a signature," according to Memsor Kamarake, fashion director of Vibe magazine.

A decade later, newer rappers like Young Jeezy are more likely to keep it simple.

"He'll wear a scarf and no jewelry, maybe a bracelet, with a baseball hat, a T-shirt and a pair of jeans — that's not a lot of bling," says Connor, who has also styled the Georgia artist.

Rappers aren't giving up glamour altogether, they're just not wearing it 24-7. In the past, several chains were de rigueur for a grocery-store run, now they're reserved for a show or nightclub, says Baller, who also is seeing more artists trading in old chains instead of buying new ones.

Return To Rap's Humble Roots
The shift might not be entirely economic, though, as the industry also moves back to its humble roots, says Ralph Reynolds, creative director for the A.K.O.O. Clothing Brand, a label launched last fall by T.I.

"When (rappers) first got money, they were all over the place," Reynolds says. "Then, I think they also started to lose contact with who their fan base is."

Rappers who have continued to flaunt their riches have received criticism. Fans bristled earlier this year after Kanye West unveiled a line of $400-plus sneakers he crafted with Louis Vuitton.

"Some of those same people who would reach and stretch and do everything they could to get that Louis will now say, 'I already have these two bags, let me pay the rent,'" Reynolds says.

He says a new generation is keeping its everyday style within reach of those most likely to emulate artists. A.K.O.O., for example, features military-inspired woven shirts, polos and denim, with most items ranging from $44 to about $200.

Female fans of hip-hop style can look to a label such as Baby Phat, with T-shirts starting as low as $39. Designer Kimora Lee Simmons has built the line on the notion of 'fabulosity' — high-class opulence and bling.

But she says even that adjusts to tough times.

"Fabulosity is not — the girls are seeing — that $5,000 pair of shoes," Simmons says.

Vibe's Kamarake says the key to looking like you spent more than you did is focusing on sturdy accessories — possibly a watch for men or unique shoes for women.

"The less you do the trend-copying and trying to look like whoever, it will be more enriching, both to your spirit and your wallet," he says.

“Do me a favor and ask questions later…”

Andy Suzuki’s 300 Pianos is a project that I’m very excited about hitting the streets!

I met Andy through his percussionist, Kozza, early last year while Andy was pushing his live album at the time. I was impressed with that project and the grassroots way he was getting it out – you know, that viral movement. He’d email the link and asked that you forward it. I surely did that. At the time I was the publisher and editor of a newspaper and asked our entertainment editor do a piece on Andy.

She referred to his sound as “acoustic soul”. I tend to agree. He brings something very different and very real to his music.

He said during that interview, “I am blessed to be able to be doing what I love.” You can definitely hear it in his music. The dude is funny as hell too, as I learned when I ran into him in DC (he’s originally from the area but has been in Rhode Island attending Brown). He was in town doing a show and I ran into him and Kozza at Union Station. It was perhaps one of the funniest 45 minutes. What a humble, extremely talented and down to earth guy.

I know 300 Pianos will not disappoint.

We’ll do a more in-depth piece when the album is available on iTunes and on CD for purchase but I felt the need to put him on your radar now. I had to make sure you were ready.

Seriously check out some of his tracks previewed at www.myspace.com/andysuzukimusic and you'll be excited too.

Black Ice - Exodus

Click to listen: Black Ice - Exodus

I heard this off Fabolous' album when it first came out. Blew my mind. I mean, I'm no artist. But I know alot of people that are or are trying to be. And when I heard this, I couldn't help but shake my head knowing that I know of people Black Ice is speaking about. This dude hit the nail right on the head with this. Insane. Some of these artists he's referring to needs to re-evaluate their methods. Or maybe like Black Ice says...pick up a book or something. Or fuck it, let him put it in a hook or something. Real Talk!


Black Ice - Exodus lyrics:

My young'ns get it fucked up when ya’ll talk about this game like it’s designed in their favor
Like it ain’t outlined for them to waiver their rights for a lil’ fame
Get in bullshit fights for a lil’ name
To get noticed by some niggas that don’t give two fucks about you
Till you make 'em a few bucks, they doubt you
Tell em’ you don’t do the jives and shucks, and they route you to the shelf
See there’s no money in good health
So they need you to be sick with it, ill content and delivery, niggas
This nation thrives off misery, niggas
So if you ain’t trying to let your hard times increase my wealth
Nigga, keep that progressive shit to yourself
This is the business of buying souls, and we only fuck with those who trying to sell them
See, they may see me as an adversary cuz they know I’m tryin’ to tell them
About the forest of artists who grow only to meet industry axes
How they take a nigga dreams and write then off in their taxes
Contracts is confusing, but don’t worry they’ll appoint the lawyer for you
Whore you
Loan you funds to fuck your soul, make you pay it all back and still maintain control of your stroll, your tracks and your hot ass slow flow
They’ll keep you looking good and all that, but no dough
You see when that get a bitch, they got a bitch
And contrary to popular opinion it ain’t my sistas that switch
It’s my brothers
We the dumb motherfuckers
Hardest niggas in the streets turned industry suckers
Cuz we refused to do the knowledge
Nigga, you can’t learn this music game in the streets or in college
So you betta pick up a book or something
Or fuck it, Black Ice to put it in a hook or something
and hope that you listen to it
Got you pumpin’ that poison while they paint you them illusionary parades and keep pissin’ thru it
You pussies don’t know the price or the sacrifice that this industry makes real niggas walk
F.A.B.O.L.O.U.S Album Number 3 - Real Talk.

For info on Black Ice, visit Black Ice Music on MySpace.

What I'm Listening To Right Now...The Official 2008 CMJ Mixtape

Nothing like an early afternoon listening of some good old hip hop from a bunch of different artists. Some of which I've previously heard of. Some of whom I'm learning of now. I know this mixtape was released in 2008 but since I have a full time job that doesn't involve listening to music all day long, I'm a little late. But you know what they say...better than never. So do me a favor, check it out!

1.Intro Torae & A. Pinks
2.Evidence “The Layover" (prod. by Khrysis)
3.Dilated Peoples "The Last Is First" (prod. by The Alchemist)
4.Kel Spencer – “Lord, Give ‘Em Some Help” (prod. by M-Phazes)
5.Emilio Rojas – “Young, Fresh & Fly” (prod. by Illmind)
6.Butta Verses – “A New World” Freestyle (prod. by M-Phazes)
7.Shabaam Sahdeeq – “Freaky Flow” (prod. by Nick Wiz)
8.Skyzoo – “Braggin Rights (Remix) (prod. by Analogic)
9.Wale feat. Skyzoo – 5 Minutes (prod. by 9th Wonder)
10.Chaundon – “Politically Incorrect” (prod. by Eric G.)
11.Sha Stimuli – “Gotta Get Money” (prod. by Soundsmith)
12.The Knux – “Fire”
13.Diamond D – “U Can’t Be Me” (prod. by DJ Scratch)
14.D-Black – “Black on Black Crime” (prod. by Black Milk)
15.U-N-I – “Yesterday”
16.Royce Da 5’9” – “Shake This” (prod. by DJ Premier)
17.Posdnuos & Slug – “Oh Really” (prod. by Jake One)
18.El Da Sensei feat. Doujah Raze – “Got Fire” (prod. by The Returners)
19.Heltah Skeltah feat. Smif N Wessun – W.M.D. (prod. by M-Phazes)
20.Wais P the Pimp feat. Mobb Deep – Stop Chasin (prod. by KY)
21.Black Milk, Pharaohe Monch, Sean Price – “The Matrix” (prod. by Black Milk)

Click to Download: The Official 2008 CMJ Mixtape

What I'm Listening to Right Now... Adele

She's a beast! You don't own "19" yet? Why not?! She recently scooped up two Grammy Awards for her work. Check out Melt My Heart to Stone (Click to Listen). This is a remix version off the Adele and Mick Boogie mixtape 1988. Yeah, that's Big Pooh of Little Brother on the track. Enjoy it.!

Paying it Forward ... Check out Carlitta Durand

Thank Little Brother! You might have heard Carlitta Durand on Sirens from Little Brother off of Get Back (and a few other LB tracks). Yesterday the crew shouted her out on Twitter telling heads to email her immediately to get the new mixtape "CARLITTA'S WAY: THE PRELUDE". She has a very chill and laid back vibe. Check out What If (Click to Listen).

More Info: www.myspace.com/missdurand

Slow Jam The News

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about Jimmy Fallon's new late night talk show but I love when he slow jams the news with the Legendary Roots Crew backing him up. Black Thought gets it in on those vocals! It definitely makes the news more entertaining.