Idol Escándalo

Vulture reported that American Idol producer Ken Warwick told the New York Times that "There are places that we went to — you know, to Puerto Rico — and the majority of them weren’t very good at all." That is an interesting stance to take considering that a large number of Latino/a pop stars are Puerto Rican.

According to Idolator, Warwick dissed the island because the San Juan auditions were picketed over labor concerns and the show's "anti-worker practices."

Idolator's Maura Johnston says:

So, did the San Juan auditions really have fewer attendees than a Katharine McPhee concert? Is it a sign that more people don't think that winning Idol is all that? Is there a groundswell of union support in the commonwealth? Or do people just want to be famous on their own turf? One comment on the USA Today blog Idol Chatter noted that Puerto Rico has its own Idol equivalent, Objetiva Fama. Whatever the reason, I can't wait to see how the producers get "creative" with editing this this one.

First Look: Air Jordan 2009

Nike Air Jordan 2009 By Jason Mayden
by PeteRock

Behind the shoe with the designer.

Tip of the fitted to Real Talk NY

The Louis Vuitton Don's New Kicks

Those of you that know me know that I SWEAT white kicks. I own like two pairs of non-white sneakers and one is a pair of basic black Chuck Taylors. So when I peeped these new Kayne West designed Louis Vuitton boating inspired shoes I started crying from the perfection (not really... okay well maybe a little bit).

I was going to pay down my credit card but...


Source: KanyeUniverseCity: TIME TO CRASH YOUR INTERNET SERVER….

Re-appropriation and "Arab Money"

So I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but the tangled web of "Arab Money" keeps getting crazier and more complicated.

First up, I was having dinner at a friends house and he was telling me that while teaching his undergrad class they started talking about "Arab Money" and whether it was offensive and if so how. The responses were mixed but one story stuck in my head. One of the young women told the class that she went out to a hip hop club and that while she was on line a Hummer pulled up blasting "Arab Money" and a "bunch of young Arabs" rolled out "really feeling themselves. That was their song."

There is something interesting about that story in terms of the way that certain forms of self/re-appropriation are playing out as a desire for visibility and recognition in mainstream hip hop culture. That brings us to our second serving of food for thought...

Bless' comedy remix/redo "Hebrew Money." Bless plays on a number of tropes about Jews, money, and spend thrift.

I haven't worked it out yet but there is an interesting triangulation between Arabs, Blacks, and Jews around issues of race, class, and relationships with money and hip hop culture that "Arab Money" and all its various permutations brings to the fore. Its especially interesting to have a song explicitly talking about glamorous images of "Arab life" at a time when Palestinians are experiencing such danger and terror.

I Love Asher Roth

This is Asher Roth performing his song "I Love College" on the Carson Daily Show (I didn't even know Carson Daily had a show but thats cool). Any hip-hop-ish song about beer bonging and beer ponging gets a stamp of approval in my book. I'm also really feeling that the song samples Weezer's "Say it Ain't So" which in my opinion is the ultimate small liberal arts school anthem, at least it was at Oberlin where I went to undergrad.

The remix with Jim Jones is tight...he compares Harlem to College...

Asher Roth feat. Jim Jones - I Love College (Harlem Mix)

Kid Sister is My New Hero

In an interview with Pitchfork Kid Sister spoke about how much she hates Usher's song "Trading Spaces." Pitchfork said, "I take it Usher will not be on your album." To which Kid Sister replied, "I'm gonna fart on Usher! Don't print that...actually it's ok. He deserves it!"

I love a lady who isn't scared to fart on a popular r&b singer.

Is Sasha Fierce Paris is Burning?

So over the holidays I went gay bar hopping with some of my boys (shout out to No Parking and Splash) and was reminded just how much the gays love Beyonce.

It was shaking my left hand in the air like an ass to "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" that made me truly appreciate a quote from "the Naomi Campbell of the Art World" aka Terence Koh. In the year in review issue of New York magazine the artist said,"Sasha Fierce, please watch Paris Is Burning and ask yourself, 'Am I Paris is Burning?'"

classic.

Judiny: "Quien Mato El Hip Hop Dominicano?"

Looks like Dominicanos are calling DOA as well.

Judiny's track points to a number of suspects implicated in Dominican Hip Hop's death including repetitive sounds, tiraeras, and materialism just to name a few.

What is especially interesting is the comments section of this video. A lot of commentors are making statements about race, region, and language, and calling Judiny and Dominican hip hop inauthentic.

Check out the track and the comments and hit me up with some thoughts.

Skillz 2008 Rap Up

Just in case you missed any of it...

Soulja Boy on NaS & Hip Hop is Dead

Happy New Year Mi Gente!

I'm back with some food for thought from my favorite case study Soulja Boy. As long as Soulja Boy is making video's and running his mouth hip hop academics will be in business.

I've been working on a piece recently about the current crisis in hip hop in the aftermath of NaS' statement that "Hip Hip is Dead." In particurlar I'm interested in how regional and generational divides are encapsulated in that discourse. Soulja Boy touches on a lot of those themes in this video. Soulja Boy tends to say some stupid ass stuff like thanking the slave masters for allowing him to "get all this ice," but not for nothing he is definitely holding older hip hop heads accountable for the current state of hip hop.

Shout out to my boy Elliott for forwarding this clip along.