Hip Hop Since '71

The Color Purple: HD Edition 2012

2012-01-12T23:20:00.000-05:00

I have a problem. It goes a little something like this: George Lucas shows up on The Daily Show with John Stewart to promote his new film, Red Tails. A film, George proclaims, has been a 23-year labor of love. Okay, great. No problem. But then George does something that raised my eyebrow. Take a listen for yourself here.

Okay, so let me get this straight. George "Money Bags" Lucas personally finances a film that took 23 years to make, figuratively speaking. Yet the film almost doesn't get released because 'Hollywood' wouldn't fund its distribution.

I call bull.

If George REALLY wanted to see this film get released, he wouldn't have had to go through normal distribution channels to get it done. He's GEORGE %#&#^% LUCAS. Translation: He *IS* Hollywood!!! George can get virtually anything he wants out of Hollywood. He would've phone half of Hollywood, "Hey, yeah...it's me. Your father. Yeah, the one who runs Industrial, Light & Magic. Yeah, you know...98.9% of all films in Hollywood get done with my company's resources whether you like it or not? Yeah, now you remember. Well, I need something done."With one simple interview, here is what the Lucasarts emperor accomplished and some random facts to consider:

1. If Red Tails fails, it's because it wasn't DISTRIBUTED or MARKETED correctly. Because, somehow Hollywood just has NO IDEA of how to market a 'Black' film. (Again, I call bull. If Meteor Man or B.A.P.S. can secure distribution...)

2. Black Americans are now -seemingly out of the blue - EMOTIONALLY interested in supporting something that 'Hollywood' wouldn't (or didn't know 'how' to) support. The Red Tails marketing onslaught began in the middle of 2011. TWENTY ELEVEN. I heard about it. I saw the trailer. I was unmoved. Apparently so was everyone else. I barely heard a peep from anyone of any race, color or creed about the film.

3. George made six movies about the future. A cast full of color. But only two Black people. Three if you count Jango Fett (Aborigine actor). And you already know the deal regarding Jar Jar Binks. Don't mistake George's interests as totally sincere. This is all about entertainment.

4. Red Tails is getting released on MLK weekend....a few weeks before Black History Month. Look at my face. Now look at what I typed. Now look at my face. Now look at what I typed. If you haven't gotten the message by now, just close your browser window and go back to sleep.

5. In a recent public message, Jon Bon Jovi said, "Last night I went to see a movie, it was explained not as Black History Film nor was it a Military History film, it was an American History Film. It is called RED TAILS and was made by the great George Lucas." Okay, everybody just calm down. Especially you, Jon. Hollywood wouldn't fund the film's distribution because of its 'all Black cast' but upon viewing the film one is to think that it's NOT a film about Black people?

"Ya know, Tyrone, I don't see you as Black. You're like... cool!" This madness must stop. Jon has basically given the 'go ahead' to anyone who thought this might be a 'Black' movie. "Oh, don't worry! You'll enjoy it! Yeah, they're Black...but it's not about *that*!" New Jersian, please.

I could go on but I think my point is clear. I am in no way, shape or form anti-Red Tails. Do I want to see the movie? No, not really. Will I see the movie? Eventually. It'll probably be a fun ride with those same four actors we see in every period piece about Blacks in the 40's-60's.

(That one guy with the square head, from The Great Debaters, just has an old classic look. It's like he was born for these rolls. It's simply amazing and not fair to people like Wesley Snipes!).

In the end, I just don't need George Lucas and the little marketing stormtroopers in his head trying to convince me that I should see it with subliminal messaging. And anyone getting caught up now waving a Red Tails flag after hearing George spit that nonsense should be ashamed of themselves for allowing themselves to be hoodwinked, bamboozled, and led astray...

Go see the film because YOU want to see it.

As usual, thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

A Heavy Contribution...

2011-11-09T10:49:00.009-05:00

I have a lot to say about Heavy D...

...but literally can’t get it all to flow properly. I've started, stopped, edited, deleted, etc… I'm so frustrated at myself right now because I usually can't shut up about things that mean something to me. Yet now... I feel mentally scrambled.

All I can say at this point is that I’m extremely sad over his passing because I love hip hop. I love it so much because while I was living with an abusive step-father, rap music was one of my escapes. It was my favorite escape because it helped me realize who I was.

I was paid in full.

I was tougher than leather.

I was bigger and deffer.

I was straight out the jungle.

I was a smooth operator.

I was a rebel without a pause.

I was a 100 miles and runnin’.

I was a brand new funk.

I was three feet high and rising.

I was one for all.

I was all souled out.

I was still number one.

I was strictly business.

But above all else… I was from money earnin’ Mount Vernon. I had more bounce. I had my own thang. I let it flow. I was in the mood for love. I was flexin’. I was dedicated. I was mr. big stuff.

I was big tyme and living large.

And the dude living right across town made sure I knew it.

In ten days, I expect to complete my 40^th year in this form. Had it not been for Heavy’s contribution to my mental and emotional peace 20 years ago, I have no idea where I would be right now.

Thank you very much, Dwight.

~ Russell Merritt

Bring That Beat B@ck!!

2011-08-13T20:30:00.003-04:00

320: Bring That Beat Back

It's P.E. What more do you need to know?

Bigg Russ

The Next 24 Volume IV...Mix CD Presented by Twix and New Era

2011-08-13T20:17:00.004-04:00

320: The Next 24

Don't judge me. I haven't heard it but it's literally been shrinkwrapped since 2002...until now. Someone DL it and let me know how it sounds. LOL!

Bigg Russ

The Highest Form of Insult Is...

2011-01-31T14:19:00.025-05:00

Kool Herc is sick and in need of surgery. The problem is, he doesn't have health insurance.

Here's a list of solutions:

Jay-Z
50 Cent
LL Cool J
Def Jam
Eminem
Interscope
Live Nation
Jive Records
Lil Wayne
Baby
Master P.
Dr. Dre
Will Smith
Ludacris
Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Diddy/Sean Combs/Jack of all Trades, Master of None
Russell Simmons
Lyor Cohen
Dame Dash
Ice Cube
EMI
Sony
Universal
Warner Music Group
E-40
Salt-N-Pepa
Snoop Dogg
Guerilla Union
Outkast
Those mofos' who shot Biggie, Tupac, Freaky Tah and Jam Master Jay (If there was EVER a time to repent, it's now.)
Jimmy Iovine
Bert Padell
Hot 97
Funkmaster Flex
DJ Khaled
Ed Lover
Viacom
Sirius/XM
Nas
Kelis (C'mon. She's made more money off Nas' money than she did with R&B.)
Violator Management
Geffen Records
Sylvia Robinson
Queen Latifah
The RZA
The GZA
Inspectah Deck
Raekwon The Chef
GhostFace Killer
Method Man
(U-God not listed on purpose)
Rev. Run
Cablevision
The National Basketball Association
Shaquille O'Neal (He still owes us for making OTHER athletes rap.)
The Source
Will.I.Am
Wyclef Jean
Dizzee Rascal
MC Solaar
Redman
EPMD
Vanilla Ice
Ice-T
Kid Frost
Cypress Hill
Gucci Mane (I'd only look at you 1/2 slanted after this.)
Emmis Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc.
The Roots
Fat Joe
Cam'Ron
Rick Ross
An umpteen number of talentless, video 'women' (I kept that clean. Here's a hint: 'We don't love 'em though!')
Soulja Boy
KRS-One
Nelly
Teddy Riley
Jermaine Dupri
De La Soul
John Singleton
F. Gary Gray
Bishop Don Magic Juan
The Christopher Wallace Foundation
Ciroc
Patron
Grey Goose
Hennessy (Hell, they should donate a wing of their corporate offices to Kool Herc.)
Remy Martin
St. Ides
Phat Farm
Cross Colours (In spirit...)
Lee
Girbaud
Nike
Addidas
Fila
Dr. Jay's
VIM
125th Street (From Broadway to Park Avenue.)

If I haven't made my point perfectly clear, PLEASE let me know and I'll do my best to provide more solutions.

Consider me a hypocrite but I find it EXTREMELY offensive to ask the FANS of hip hop to donate to Kool Herc's bills when we haven't been made privy to what ails him. And since the REAL fans have been 'donating' to hip hop for years via mis-managed contracts (Hey, it ain't MY fault if you were so hard up on 'getting a deal' that YOU didn't read your contract.), bad music, unsolved murders, contradictory messages, false feuds and other such nonsense I don't feel we should ante up ONE MORE RED CENT until those who've eaten for YEARS off US put their bling where their mouths are.

Kool Herc, get well soon. You're in my prayers.

Thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

Jane Child - Don't Wanna Fall In Love (CD Maxi-Single) [FLAC]

2010-12-14T01:36:00.011-05:00

This is an oldie but goodie. For an early 90's track, I thought Jane Child hit the nail on the head. The beat was cool. Her vocals seemed to match well. The one weird thing that stood out about her (besides her nose-to-ear chain) was that she was really an alterna-rocker. Don't Wanna Fall In Love was the only R&B track on what turned out to be an alternative sounding type rock medley of sound I can't truly define. Incidentally, it was the only single I saw released from the album. There might have been others but I surely didn't care.

Regardless, enjoy!

Tracklist:

Don't Wanna Fall In Love / Knife Feel Good Mix
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / T.R.Dub
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / Accapercapella
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / 7' Remix Version
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / New Jack Swing Club
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / T.R. Club-A-Dub
Don't Wanna Fall In Love / Bonus Beats
World Lullabye / LP Version

FLAC: http://www.fileserve.com/file/bu8XdvC

320: http://www.fileserve.com/file/2uBckfB

Madame X - Madame X (1987) (FLAC)

2010-11-11T06:23:00.008-05:00

Here's some late-80's female funk fo' dat azz!!!

Tracklist:

01 - Just That Type Of Girl

02 - I'm Weak For You

03 - I Wonder

04 - Cherries In The Snow

05 - I Want Your Body

06 - Madame X

07 - Flirt

08 - Marry Me (If You Really Love Me)

FLAC: http://www.fileserve.com/file/vw2PnDZ

320: http://www.fileserve.com/file/jB5gXcK

Myron - We Can Get Down (CDS) (1997) (FLAC)

2010-11-09T00:03:00.001-05:00

Tracklist:

01 - Radio Version

02 - Tim & Terence Mix

03 - Tim & Terence Instrumental

04 - A capella with rap

Download:

FLAC: http://hotfile.com/dl/81363384/bfabe42/M97WCGDFLAC.rar.html

320: http://hotfile.com/dl/81363224/317ccef/M97WCGD320.zip.html

En Vogue - Remix To Sing (1990) (FLAC)

2010-11-07T15:19:00.004-05:00

Tracklist:

01 - Hold On (Hip Hop Remix)

02 - Lies (New Jack Remix)

03 - You Don't Have To Worry (Club Mix)

04 - Strange (House Remix)

05 - Time Goes On (Dance Remix)

06 - Silent Nite (Happy Holiday Mix)

Download:

FLAC: http://hotfile.com/dl/81082737/9220e24/EV1990RTSFLAC_BR.zip.html

320: http://hotfile.com/dl/81083184/20ccb12/EV1990RTS320_BR.zip.html

Flavor Unit - Roll Wit Tha Flava (1993) [FLAC]

2010-11-06T11:15:00.006-04:00

Not a great compilation by any measure but it had two really good songs (in bold). Worth having, IMO.

Tracklist:

1. Bring Tha Flava, La - Queen Latifah

2. Roll Wit Tha Flava - Flavor Unit MC's

3. Uhh - D-Nice

4. Sounds of Fattness - Bigga Sistas

5. Badd Boyz - The Almighty RSO

6. Gimme Head - Cee Uv Da Blakmarket/Leshaun

7. On the Bone Again - Brooklyn Assault Team

8. Rough Enough - Freddie Foxxx

9. Let Yourself Go - Latee

10. Freak Out - Nikki D.

11. Enough Is Enough - Rottin Razkals

12. Keep It Real - Apache

13. Since You Asked - Groove Garden

14. Bring It On - Naughty by Nature

15. Roll Wit Tha Flava - Flavor Unit MC's (extended version)

16. Hey Mr. D.J. - Zhané

Download:

FLAC: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L57D24ID

320: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QQPYXQH5

The Fab 5 - Blah/Leflah Promo CD (1995) [FLAC]

2010-11-05T13:50:00.006-04:00

Classic track from the Boot Camp Clik!! Blah gets top billing on this CD single but it's the catchy Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka that most will remember. Enjoy!!

Tracks:

Blah (Radio Vocal)
Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka (Radio Vocal)
Blah (Dub Instrumental)
Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka (Instrumental)

Download:

FLAC: http://www.fileserve.com/file/yKVNpZJ

320: http://www.fileserve.com/file/YV3V5RV

Sade - The Remix Deluxe (1992) [FLAC]

2010-11-05T07:10:00.005-04:00

This is a Japan-only release of remixes from Sade's Love Deluxe album. Enjoy!!

Tracklist:

Feel No Pain (Nellee Hooper Remix)
Love Is Stronger Than Pride (Mad Professor Remix)
Make Some Room
Paradise (Ronin Remix)
Super Bien Total

Download:

FLAC: http://www.fileserve.com/file/vH3NHr3

320: http://www.fileserve.com/file/Tn2PRFh

Frankie Cutlass - Puerto Rico (CD Single) [FLAC]

2010-11-05T00:45:00.010-04:00

An anthem that'll never get old...

Tracklist:

01 - Puerto Rico (1994 Radio Mix)
02 - Puerto Rico (Puerto Rican Day Parade Mix)
03 - Puerto Rico (P.R. Day Parade Instrumental)

Download:

FLAC: http://www.fileserve.com/file/GaVSuNq

320: http://www.fileserve.com/file/v6y2Ygj

It's been a long time...

2010-10-07T11:41:00.000-04:00

I should'na left you. I'll be back soon...

Bigg Russ

News. (Not) News.

2010-08-11T19:26:00.012-04:00

I've been thinking.

This is what I've been thinking:

Am I the only one not surprised to hear about a male flight attendant exiting his job... sliding down some rubber... through the back door?

And Montana Fishburne's daughter... Please. So NOW it's news that a Hollywood famous so-and-so's daughter decides to screw on camera? Sure, I get the fact that it's Morpheus' offspring and all (I was gonna type Furious Styles' offspring ... but didn't want to lose half of you) but it's not really news. The real news here is that she wants to pattern herself after Kim Kardasian. I hate to break it to Female Fishburne but K.K. (the sexy one) isn't really a porn star per se. She's an opportunist. (Albeit, not as opportunistic as Ray J ... but hey, when you're that untalented you gotta make up for it somehow.) F.F. (the one who's not keeping it on the downlow) should do her homework. Can she at least show love for a REAL porn star like Vanessa Del Rio, Angel Kelly or Tera Patrick? Where's the respect?!

A-Rod hit his 600th homerun. So what? And I'm a Yankee fan. Yeah, I shouted it out on my Facebook status and all that... but let's be honest. Baseball is tainted. Kinda like F.F. There's no going back. Mind you, that's not to say that A-Rod's accomoplishments aren't grand in scale. I'm just sayin'... shoot me up witht the same enhancement drugs he used and I probably couldn't hit the ball to center field (LOL @ probably). 'Roids don't make you the Hulk, they enhance your natural ability. Still... sucks to know it'll forever be seen as 600*. The ONLY homerun dude we should pay attention to from this point on isn't in the MLB yet. Believe that.

Guiliani's daughter getting arrested for shoplifting. Nothing newsworthy here either. A Guiliani committing a crime?! Fruit. Tree. Something like that. Sephora gets no props for not teaching her spoiled ass a lesson either.

Isiah Thomas gets re-hired by the Knicks ... then turns the job down. That's not news. The news is that something actually GOOD happened for the Knicks. It won't help them get wins but at least they're just that much less a group of laughing stocks.

On a more personal note, someone just told me they didn't know Tyler Perry was gay. NOT knowing Tyler Perry is gay IS news. I should've called Fox.

700 people are dead and 1000 missing in China. That's not news. Whenever anything happens in China, a massive amount of people die. No disrespect meant to those dead or missing and the families and friends of them all ... but real news would've been had they said, "This just in... 5 people have died from [INSERT RANDOM EARTH-BORN UPHEAVAL HERE]! This ISN'T the worst disaster to hit this country in decades..."

Google offices raided by Korean police. KOREA. I'm shocked they let Google in there to begin with.

I think I might need to start thinking less.

Thanks for reading.

Bigg Russ

An Open Letter To All Rhyme Sayers...

2010-05-20T03:44:00.007-04:00

1. Create an ALBUM for a change. I dare you. Your continued use of 'mixtapes' are killing hip hop (again). Challenge yourself and try to put together a collection of related material. Try telling a damn story. There are more to tell. Trust me.

2. Try to make songs YOU can carry - by yourself. Must EVERY track be "Your Song" ft. [insert hot rapper/MC of the moment]"?

3. Polish your stage show. I don't know about you but what I see is what I get. If I don't 'get' you, that means I don't 'see' you. In case you haven't heard, music doesn't sell as much as it used to. Understand that CD's are no more than promotional items now. If your show sucks, you won't last.

4. Stop believing your own hype. Most fans don't really care about how hot YOU think you are. ALWAYS assume you can get better. Every rapper has fallen off at one point or another. EVERY rapper. Humble pie. Eat some.

5. Take a gamble. Find that diamond-in-the-rough producer. Most of you are SO anxious to 'get on' that you hire the same damn producers all the time. You know what happens when you do that? You all sound exactly alike ... despite whatever 'difference' you think you're bringing to the game.

6. Study the ART. There is a very real, very DEEP foundation in hip hop and it would seem only a handful of you seem to 'understand' it. Take a hint from some poets as well. They can teach you to say a lot in a much smaller space & time.

Yeah, that's all I got right now. Most of you need a lot more help though. I'll be back. Trust.

As usually, thanks for reading.

~ Bigg Russ

Killa Sha ft. Biggie Smalls UNRELEASED

2010-02-04T22:55:00.006-05:00

Step It Up (Produced by J.Force) featuring a virtual newcomer by the name of Biggie Smalls.

You heard it hear first! Shouts to my boy, DaSaga for the love!

R.I.P., Killa.

Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yji-Vi1JQY

Bigg Russ

HANDS-ON AID IN HAITI - VITAL INFO! DONATIONS CENTERS INFO

2010-01-14T02:30:00.003-05:00

FOR THOSE IN THE TRI-STATE/BROOKLYN AREA:

I heard on the news earlier tonight that if you want to do hands-on aid in Haiti contact the Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps for more information ASAP.
CONTACT THEM TO CONFIRM/GET MORE DETAILS.
727 Greene Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11221
(718) 453-4617
http://www.bsvac.org/contact.html

This is a list of Donation centers from state-to-state. Use this to find the nearest location to you: http://www.rockmasters.com/haiti-relief/relief-location.htm

Other donation centers in Brooklyn/Queens/Manhattan:
QUEENS RESIDENTS: Relief Location Dutch Travel Agency 221-09 Linden Blvd Cambria Heights, NY 11411 718-527-8594

Don't Forget Tomorrow Help support The cause for #HAITI. @ Redlight 163 08 HILLSIDE AVE TAKING DONATIONS OF ANY KIND.
Contact Delson Postman Laurent for more info.

BROOKLYN RESIDENTS:
Food/Clothes drop off point in Bedstuy
73 Lewis Avenue corner of Macon & Lewis Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11233

Church and Block association in Brooklyn N.Y
We are going to help, to send clothes and food. To donate clothes please
bring clothes to 817 Livonia ave New Hope Church. Contact Patrick Grant at 347-840-2410

MICHELE HELPING HANDS ALONG WITH THE HAITIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION OFLONG ISLANDUNIVERSITY IS COLLECTING CLOTHES (FOR KIDS, MEN AND WOMEN)HYGENIC ANDMEDICAL PRODUCTS.... you can call DJ Ricky @ 347-542-2849please call please CLOTHES (FOR KIDS, MEN AND WOMEN)

St. Pauls Community Baptist Church (OPEN until 9pm tonight) 859 Hendrix St.(between Linden and Stanley Avenue) Has allowed Yele Foundation tocollect blankets, solar flash lights, power/proteinbars, clothes, andmedical supplies at this location.

Epiphany 34 Productions & The Problem Boyz Ent will be having a Haiti Relief drive. TOMORROW JANUARY 14, 2010 ALL DAY from 10am until @ 1790 Utica ave between ave I & J. Canned foods, clothes, medical supplies We are all affected by this Tragedy. For more information please contact productionsbyepiphany@gmail.com Thank you
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=296063631112&ref=mf

Donations of canned food or clothes to Savoir Faire 1175 Nostrand av(corner of Fenimore st.) Thier doors are open now...if you are makinga cash donation they ask that you make it out in the form of a check... There will be a live visual there this eveni...ng as well starting at7:30Pm...News 1 , Channel 11 news along with other Media Sources will be there ...
P.S. Anyone with relevant Informaton.. please feel free to forward it to me so i can forward it to those who want to know and are willing help

Manhattan:
BMCC is also collecting food and clothing.

MULTIPLE COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES and CHURCHES are collecting donations - so please feel free to contact them as well.

This is a list of Donation centers from state-to-state. Use this to find the nearest location to you: http://www.rockmasters.com/haiti-relief/relief-location.htm

Hey this is a PHONE NUMBER FOR PEOPLE SEEKING INFO ON FAMILY IN HAITI 1-888-407-4747. This may be useful info for some people.

Overstanding...

2010-01-06T12:05:00.002-05:00

"So, me and my dudes is standing in the trap, 'naw mean? And 5-0 roll up like, "What's the deal, dunnie?" We started gettin' heated cause these pigs always wanna shake a brother down for something and $hit. We got mad like, "What y'all trippin', Columbo?! Shit is real all up on in these streets here! We just tryin' ta maintain, 'naw mean?!" Then all of a sudden, the big homie from up the block pulls out the jammie and starts buck off at them niggas! I'm like, "Say word?!" So, I pull out the ooh-wop like bam!! I'm like, fu*k it! I might as well start gettin' it in to, for real! I ain't no punk! If I'mma go out, I'mma go out like Corleone and dem niggas!!

Anyways, I break out like a porcupine with a poison ivy! I ain't wanna catch a charge neeva so I drop the rock candy down the sewer as I make my get away. I feel the wasps zinging by my ear as I run away, layin' low the entire time. I get about a block away and my dude is still firing the jammie! Then, all of a sudden, I hear one final shot from po-po's glock .... BLOW!! I turn to see my nigga just lyin' on the pavement, 'bout to take a dirt nap.

That's when I awoke from my mental slumber. After seeing my good friend get shot by the police, I realized that I did not want to die a senseless death as well. I stopped wasting my time doing things that I felt wouldn't contribute to a positive future for me or anyone in my circle. I had to. I was soon arrested. I've since come to terms with my mistakes and am peacefully repaying my debt to society. Alive. Not totally well ... but alive. Although I have done some horrible things in my youth, they have shown me the differences between right and wrong. And for that, I am grateful."

Don't ask why. My fingers just started moving and I couldn't stop 'em... 'Naw mean?!

Bigg Russ

The Crashing Sound of Tiger's Vanity

2010-01-05T14:57:00.010-05:00

Okay, so if you haven't seen it, here it is:

Now that we got that out of the way, allow me to share my take on all of this. Tiger is not 'us'. And by us, I'm referring to the stereotypical, media-saturated, hip-hop loving African-American male that many of 'see' on a daily basis. He's not even your typical 'Black' guy. I will not use this particular space to discuss typical. You're an adult. You know what I mean. Let's continue.

I've read a lot of people discussing who's wrong here: Is it Tiger? Is it VF? Honestly, they're both to blame. But I have to lean on VF much more. Plain and simple: Vanity Fair fu*ked up. Period. But not because they did this to Tiger. Tiger did this to himself. I'm pointing my finger at VF because it was purely tasteless. Their decision to run this photo as its cover lends itself to an ugly undercurrent of (what I like to call) anti-socio-celebrityism. Simply put, it's part of the mob-like, 'cash in now' syndrome that permeates most mass media when it's time to break down and continually stomp on a celebrity who's too perfect. This article in the San Francisco Chronicle says it best: A bad idea at the worst possible time.

Again, VF is a mass-market magazine. And a mass-market magazine's main goal is to sell itself. And nothing - NOTHING - sells like controversy. Personally, I would've thought VF missed the Tiger Boat. People weren't really talking about Tiger anymore ... until this photo hit the web, that is. It's a shame but VF is guilty of perpetuating the same shameful tabloid journalism that it most likely claims it's not. Not only that ... but the cover is so unlike ANY of their covers over the past year. Google their covers. Go ahead. I'll wait.

See? All the other covers are 'pretty' and 'artsy fartsy' and 'jovial' and 'inspiring' and whatever other pleasant feeling you can muster. Why this cover, now? Why did Tiger even bother to take the photos in the first place? What was he trying to prove? It surely wasn't to achieve some type of street cred ... I hope. But unlike Wayne Brady's turn at being evil on Chappelle's Show (see video below if you've been living under a rock), this photo doesn't scream, "Look at my other side! Ain't it funny?!" It screams, "Help! I'm stuck in this facade and I can't get out!!"

Tiger, if you're reading this, the photo is stupid. Not because you were trying to look different for the sake of art or ignorance but because you didn't need to do it. We, and by we I mean everyone, didn't care if your clean image was real or not. That's how we got you and that's how we knew you and that's how we accepted you. If you wanted to cameo on Prison Break, you should've just had your people call Fox's people. And yes, the photo would've been stupid even if 2009 hadn't happened for you.

Vanity Fair Editor, if you're reading this, yeah ... ya fu*ked up. And now your magazine has gained a borderline racist hue around is page edges. For all intents and purposes, I know you view Tiger as 'Black'. Most people did, do and will continue to do so. Your calculation for releasing this cover is commercial genius. Judgmentally speaking, your timing straight sucks ass. You can make up for your mistake by putting the first Black-looking canoeing champion on your cover.

As usual, thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

Good riddance!

2009-12-31T19:54:00.003-05:00

I'll keep this one short and sweet. For 2010, I'm saying good riddance to:

1, The Aughties in general. I've been looking back over the last ten years. They sucked. Outside of the birth of my daughter, I don't really have a personal moment that felt anywhere near as good. I really, really, REEEEALLY miss the 90's.

2. "I know that's right!!" Please?! I'm begging ALL the women of the world to STOP saying that when you agree with something. What's wrong with saying, "You know what? I strongly agree with what your saying! You couldn't be more on point!" See how simple that is?

3. Swag (and every reference or form of the word). Too many people claim to have it when only about 5% of the world's population possesses it. I know. I've done a study. We had this same problem with "player hater" too.

4. Blindly supporting Barack Obama because he's 'Black'. Seriously speaking, he could've been purple or burnt sienna and we would've voted for him at that point in American history. Yes, his being a non-traditional looking President is a welcome thing...but it doesn't make him a super man by any means.

5. Rap music. AKA hip pop. Yeah, I said it. I'm done. I'll continue to support HIP HOP to the fullest. But not hip pop. It's not fly. It's not fresh. I'm not with it, yo.

6. Reality TV. We need to ban together and stop it all. Jon, Kate, those damn White House party crashers, the balloon parents, Charlie Sheen... ALL of it!! As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to record my crusade and sell it to a network!

7. Laziness, poor planning and unpreparedness. This could be three but they all go hand-in-hand, in my opinion.

8. Bad spades partners. Sorry, Firan. Stick to sound engineering, brother! I mean that from the heart! One love!

9. Doing for others who don't appreciate it.

10. .....................

I'm leaving the 10th open for the Knicks. Their season isn't over yet.

Happy New Year, everyone!

One love...

Bigg Russ

God, please send these people back to us!!

2009-12-02T14:43:00.010-05:00

People die. Every last one of 'em. There are some, however, that I feel that God needs to send back. God needs to send these people back for a purpose. No, I'm not talking reincarnation. I'm talking send these people back to their SAME lives, not a new one some time in the future. They need to return to their old bodies with their old ways! They need to come and save their family, their friends and their colleagues from self-implosion!

Allow me to go deeper...

Donda West:

Kanye. 'Nuff said.

Earl Woods:

Let's face it. Tiger's human. He's not Black, he's not White, he's not Thai... Hell...he's a whole 'nother race altogether! That doesn't mean he's got it all together though! When Mr. Earl Woods, Tiger's daddy, was alive, Tiger would never have messed up his ... ESCALADE like that!! Shame on you, Tiger! At least your keeping some people at Cadillac employed.

Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls aka Frank White aka Big Poppa" Wallace:

Please. Sean Combs is so messed up over Biggie's demise that he renames himself every 8 months and 21 days. Biggie's untimely death not only caused Diddy grief, it messed up the careers of (*ahem*) artists that he's never even met! How many bands is Puffy gonna make? How many more (*ahem*) singers and rappers will have to deal with a man more intent on making HIMSELF more famous than he already is and the artists he signs?! Anyone seen Red Cafe lately? Yeah ... didn't think so. Biggie needs to return from the dead to make Puff Daddy whole again.

Kurt Cobain:

Dude, your widow is effin' nuts. We need you here to rein in her crazy ass. Ask the Man above for at least a 10-day pass.

Michael "The World's Greatest Entertainer" Jackson:

Honestly, God needs to send Michael back for all of us. At least we had someone to talk about. But specifically, Michael needs to come back and explain to us how Jermaine gets his hair like that! What exactly IS that style and where does he buy his products?!

Again, God, we need answers and solutions down here. Please send these good people back so that the planets will align properly once again.

Next up: People who should've stayed married. :)

As usual, thanks for reading!

Bigg Russ

Songs that mean something. To me.

2009-11-03T17:37:00.008-05:00

Nothing much to see here. Simply a list of songs that, at one time or another, have caught me off guard, made me think, protected or saved me from some pretty overwhelming emotions.

What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong): Quite possibly one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Simple. Sweet. To the point.

Cloud People (Sweetback): The horns swept me away...carried me, when I most needed it.

I'm Old Fashioned (John Coltrane): This one belongs to me and my wife. Forever.

Sweetest Taboo (Sade): Do I need to explain, really?

I'm Missin' Your Love (Kem): What's the title say? Well...there you have it.

Joy (Blackstreet): I simply cannot listen to this song without thinking of my youngest daughter. Subsequently, getting choked up @ the same time.

I'm sure you've got a list too. Why not share it?

Bigg Russ

10 For Thursday.

2009-10-29T13:13:00.009-04:00

1. "This Is It!!", huh? Please. It was that then. 'You' just weren't paying attention and too interested in dragging him down.

2. Now that I've seen the BET Hip Hop Awards, I actually LOVE the VH1 Hip Hop Honors!!*

3. Brian Smith, I really hate you for bring Ugg Boots to America. No, really... I hate you for it. Not only do you have our women looking like idiots, you're giving Eskimos a bad name. And they had nothing to do with it!

4. It's okay, Derek Luke. Don't feel bad. NBC doesn't know a good TV show when they own it. Surface, anyone? Nor do they know when to shut one down when it's past its prime. ER, everyone?

5. I'm rollin' with the Knicks and the Knuggets. That's how it is. That's how it's 'gone be. Kgot it?! Kgood!!

6. H1N1. Humans: 0

7. 50, remember those Jay-Z retirement rumors? You should make that a reality. And I'm not talking about a show either. Wait...scratch that. Keep doing what you're doing. You're making me realize what's good in hip hop. Thanks.

8. I-95 between The Bronx and Philadelphia is gonna be the most trash talkin'est piece of road this side of I-95 between The Bronx and Boston!!

8a. I swear, Girardi, if you screw this up..... &##@#%*#(^$@#@!!!!

10. Funny meter: Afro-Steve Harvey>>>>>> Bald-Steve Harvey.

Smart meter: Bald-Steve Harvey>>>>>> Afro-Steve Harvey

*BET should just produce a weekly show called The Cypher and spare us the other crap.

If I were granted one wish to change any day in history...

2009-09-11T08:48:00.006-04:00

My wish is not full of American pride, although that does reside somewhere within the pain I feel every time I think about that day. My wish consists of many parts. The part most important: the wish for a stronger humanitarian effort, which I feel should reside within everyone.

My wish consists of words and prayer for those who died.

My wish consists of words and prayer for those who died ... and are still living among us.

My wish consists of words and prayer for those who are alive ... and won't get a chance to live pre-tragedy. Remember how tough we thought life was? I'm frightened for all our children.

Amazing as it may sound, considering my proximity to the situation, I didn't personally know anyone who died that day. I do know a few people who where there, at that moment, either in one of the towers or on the street, and were able to get away. The changes I saw in them, whether good or bad, were remarkable to behold. I often wonder if the changes I saw in them were reflective in nature. Did I begin to sound like that? Did I begin to look like that? Did I begin to treat people differently because of...? Did I change that much too? Or was I going to become the person I am today regardless?

I wish I could make a wish and see for myself.

As usual, thanks for reading....

Bigg Russ

10 More Points...

2009-09-03T17:02:00.002-04:00

1. Please, I'm begging all of you... STOP saying, "I know that's right!!" every time you agree with something someone says! Every time I hear it, I feel like Danny Glover circa The Color Purple!

2. Bigger picture. Capture it. Film or digital. Doesn't matter. So longs as you see it.

3. Ladies...those faux gladiator, flat things you're wearing on your feet are ugly and doing nothing but bad things for your spinal columns. Just thought I'd share.

3a. Those faux gladiator, flat things you're wearing on your feet are just as ugly as those Korean ghetto slippers. You know that's right!!

4. Slick Rick wrote Children's Story back in '88 and rappers are STILL getting convicted of murder?!

5. Ciudad Juarez. I'm NEVER going there. Jesus himself couldn't convince me to go there. Nope.

6. Be happy. It's not hard. Trust me. As hard as you think you may have it, there are hundreds...thousands who have it harder than you.

7. Free health care. It really is that simple. More on this in another blog...

8. I liked Steve Harvey more before the baldy.

9. I like Wendy Willmans more now that she's off the radio.

Long Live Scott La Rock...

2009-09-01T20:21:00.013-04:00

On Saturday, August 29th, most of New York City was celebrating the 51st birthday of the King of Pop. In another corner of the city though, a few hip hop pioneers from The Bronx were celebrating the life & death of a fallen DJ.

Just days before a street in Hollis, Queens was renamed in honor of another DJ taken before his time, The Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza hosted a concert in honor of DJ Scott La Rock. He was one half of the original Boogie Down Productions crew (AKA, BDP) which included KRS-One, D-Nice, and others.

In a story that seems written for an early 80's hip hop movie, Scott La Rock (real name: Scott Sterling) was the social worker assigned to assist KRS (real name: Kris Parker) with his homelessness issues. Upon realizing that they were both halves of what could be a successful whole, they instantly hit it off and decided to pursue a recording contract. Just-Ice, another local rapper who once lived in the same shelter as Kris and already successful in getting a song played on the radio, was instrumental in getting BDP signed to Jive Records (after having previously signing a contract with B-Boy Records). On the way back from signing with Jive, KRS and Just-Ice learned that Scott had been shot and killed in a situation he was trying to diffuse. It was this event which has spearheaded KRS-One's album themes and various movements ever since (i.e. Stop The Violence, H.E.A.L., The Temple of Hip-Hop, etc.).

The bill for the concert was decidedly old school: KRS-One, Grand Daddy I.U., Double XX Posse, Kool Moe Dee (with help from LA Sunshine & Mighty Mike C from The Fearless Four), Lord Finesse, Red Alert and others. Scott La Rock's family was there on hand to witness the event and cut a cake on stage. The cake was made to look like the first BDP album, Criminal Minded.

Unfortunately, due to the various MJ affairs and unnecessarily high ticket prices, the venue wasn't packed. Regardless, the artists did what they came to do and they did it in spades. I've seen many a KRS-One concert and he definitely lost more weight sweating in this one than recent memory can recall. It was refreshing to see him perform songs from his first album that he hadn't done in almost 20 years. Kool Moe Dee and crew NEVER cease to entertain either so it felt good knowing they still got it. As host, Red Alert didn't have much crowd energy to pull from so he did what he could with what he had to work with. All I ask is that they do this again sometime in the near future and in front of a bigger crowd. It was classic hip hop show celebrating a classic album produced by a classic DJ that should be seen my more fans.

Let us get back to what we call hip hop,

And what it meant to DJ Scott La Rock

Bigg Russ

KRS-One

Kool Moe Dee and Crew

Just-Ice, 4Ron, Tre-Dee, KRS-One, Bigg Russ

Tre-Dee, KRS-One

KRS-One, La Rock's Mother, DJ Kool Herc (in sunglasses)

S.O.A.Q., Kool Moe Dee

Tre-Dee, Kool DJ Red Alert, Fred Ones, S.O.A.Q.

4Ron, Kool DJ Red Alert, S.O.A.Q., John Smooth

10 Points

2009-08-18T14:25:00.004-04:00

1. Why did Biggie and Common get sued for their performance names when there are so many Lil's and Yung's runnin' around? I'mma change my name to Lil Jay Chuck West One Allah Nasir. I just came up with that. Off the dome.

2. Really, fellas. It's time to pull the pants up and put some slack back in 'em. Cross Colors was better than this bullshit y'all are wearin'. Well...almost.

3. I'm not waiting for Lil Mo's comeback any longer. I haven't given up on Gina Thompson though.

4. Have you seen Denzel's new trailer for Book of Eli? He needs to come kick ass like that in Mt. Vernon!!

5. Speaking of Mt. Vernon, has anyone see the mayor yet?

6. Mayor Bloomberg is 'concerned' about 50 Cent's family day?! I'm a lot more 'concerned' about Bloomberg's 'family', if you catch my drift.

7. The past is the past. Leave it there.

8. Can someone walk to Junior's for me?

9. I'm challenging Joe Budden to a battle. I suck but it may get me just noticed enough to sign a reality tv show deal. I figured it be a lot easier than fathering 8 children.

10. Okay, I've given up on Gina Thompson. Someone let Xcape know I'm losing my patience...

Bigg Russ

Losing faith...

2009-08-12T02:54:00.004-04:00

That's me.

I can almost pinpoint the moment it happened. I hope I can put a stop to the slide before I sink too low. I often wonder if my love for humanity is to blame. I sincerely feel sorry for every child dealing with something horrible that's been done to them. I feel anger towards those who impose their will on others without care. I'm surely not perfect but I try my best to RESPECT everyone ... everyday. Why can't others? Why must winning translate into others losing? Can't we all win?!

Hoping that the rest of the world gets it just hurts so much. It's why I buried my head in comics and video games. It has always been better to watch the hero win then to deal with reality. I thought I was strong enough to deal with reality with my crutches...but now I'm not so sure.

Good. Evil. What really is the point after all?

It's driving me insane...

Bigg Russ

A class all our own...

2009-08-06T00:26:00.018-04:00

A few months back, some friends and I got together ... on Facebook, that is ... and started to ask, "Hey, aren't we supposed to be having a high school reunion soon?" Long story short, those of us asking were immediately promoted to reunion committee. We laughed, we toiled, we worried, we counted, we pleaded, we got dirty, we questioned our way into what we hoped would be a great, simplistic event where old friends could come together and catch up. What started out as a common 'in the cafeteria' type party soon turned into something much more grand. There now was a pre-reception, a BBQ (complete with wives, husbands, children & extended family members) and a joint-ventured, 'shoe & pumps' after party and birthday jump-up. There just so happened to be an annual jazz festival scheduled on the same day as the BBQ as well which fit right into any one's schedule.

Our one simple question somehow transformed into what should be considered the blueprint for producing an event out of love for one another. The children of a community scattered, came back together for a weekend of love, laughs, tears, music, dance, food, drink and all around joy. Expressing the fact that the community needed this weekend of reminiscing is an understatement. For most of us, the past represents ease and good times. We couldn't wait to escape those walls of learning so that we could be our own bosses. The fact is, many of us now long for those days again when adult responsibility didn't seem so near. The present is unstable but we're all learning to balance as best we can. The future is uncertain... but it is certainly coming and I surely want to see my fellow classmates again very soon. We need to continue to show our children what it means to come together under one banner without negativity and drama. They need to see it and we must do what's right by them or everything we've done is for nothing.

Do me a favor. If you're reading this, smile. Then think about those of us who couldn't attend, especially those who were taken from us too soon. Let 'em know how much you miss them.

Peace, love, happiness and blessings to the Mount Vernon High School Class of 1989.

Bigg Russ

4th Friday Open Mic Nights @ Cimarron Cultural Cafe!

2009-07-28T23:45:00.012-04:00

This is a quick shout out to Alicia Williams and the crew over at Cimarron Cultural Cafe (Mt. Vernon, NY)! They produce the 4th Friday Open Mic Nights. Live music, poetry, singing, emceeing, AND food!

Last Friday was very fun and inspirational! I'm going to the next one and would love to see more people support! Check some of the photos!

Also, if you want to know what a 'Cimarron' is, read here. Better yet, hit your local library for something more in depth...

Bigg Russ...

2009-06-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

Icon?

Legend?

Neither.

Myth.

Then again, I'm not sure if that even describes to the fullest extent. It is by far the closest my small mind can come to labeling him.

No words I put here will have the ability to convey to you how I feel at this moment. I'm typing through tears...

Mos Def suggests we're living life in marvelous times. Up until the evening of 6-25-09, I would have said times were just great. Now I understand just how less marvelous the world has become.

As a lover of all forms of music, no other solo performer, during my lifetime, has had the level of impact upon my listening habits.

I sincerely love and miss 'every' version of Michael Jackson ... from ABC to Rock My World.

In life, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears.

In death, my disbelief has grown tenfold.

I pray for his fans and non-fans alike. We were better with than without.

R.I.P., M.J.

One love.

Bigg Russ

New Music Monday is back!!

2009-06-22T01:21:00.007-04:00

Okay...there's never officially been a 'New Music Monday' but it sounded catchy! Here's a quick list of albums I've heard recently that I think deserve a listen by anyone who calls themselves fan of hip hop.

First up is J. Dilla's Jay Stay Paid. This album holds particular importance to me as a fan of Dilla for a few reasons. One, Dilla passed a few years ago way too early for someone with his talent. I know he's home now but I, as others felt, believed he was only just beginning to reach his potential. Two, the music on this album was compiled by his mom and none other than the Chocolate Boy Wonder, Pete Rock. They literally raided Dilla's 'vault' and put together a collection of music (with a select few emcees) that just keeps ya head noddin' non-stop. My sincere appreciation for Pete Rock's contribution to hip hop knows no bounds. This album only goes to further solidify Pete's place in hip hop's short history. A few of the beats were unfinished so Pete added his touch to 'em. I can almost picture this is what a Tribe Called Quest album might've sounded like had Dilla and Pete worked on the production together exclusively. Some of the other beats were left untouched most likely because they didn't need any work at all, keeping that original, dirty hip hop sound. The stand out track is Reality TV featuring Black Thought of The Jimmy Fallon Show (just kidding). Thought doesn't hold back as he shares his thoughts about reality TV and how it affects the people around him. The song is poignant and doesn't let up for one moment. Even in J. Dilla's passing, hip hop lives through him.

This next man needs no introduction. Even the new school cats know his name. Grand Puba, the front man for Brand Nubian, has returned with his first solo release since 2001's Understand This. Brand Nubian has been taking part of the celebratory resurgence of 90's hip hop. They've been doing shows just about everywhere so it just makes good sense to release new material for original and newer fans alike. There is no doubt about it...Puba is a throwback. Not in the sense of say Kool Moe Dee or Run-DMC but more like Nas or Jay-Z. Puba is definitely old enough to be considered old school...but armed with rhymes that easily rivals anything new on the radio. His style has never been matched and he's been laying down music since the mid-80's as part of his pre-Nubian crew, The Masters of Ceremony. This album has solid beats and more-than-solid lyrics. The stand out track is How Long?, yet another political based track which shows that life truly is deeper than rap. Guest appearances from Q-Tip and Large Professor add to the album's strength. You'll enjoy this.

DJ Green Lantern somehow got Dead Prez to do another album. If there's anything anyone knows about Dead Prez, it's that they don't put out albums often. Dead Prez fans already know what to expect so I won't bother writing this for them. For all of you who don't know who Dead Prez is or what they represent, well... Imagine Public Enemy driving in X-Clan's pink Caddy while listening to N.W.A., Paris and KRS-One on solid rotation. Dead Prez makes hardcore, politically charged rap music. Period. Sure, take a listen if you want to hear something a little different than Ron Browz and Soulja Boy Tell'em. Warning: If you can't stand the heat, then stay outta the muhfucin' kitchen and don't bother coming back to see what they cooked. It won't go down easily.

Honorable Mention: U-God's Dopium. At this point, Wu-Tang is simply Wu-Tang. They've developed their own Wu-sound and U-God's latest doesn't veer far from Wu's classic debut back in '94. Unfortunately, Dopium's guest appearances outshine U-God's performance. Lyrically, U-God simply can't hang with Ghostface or GZA but he hold's his ground like 'Golden Arms' is supposed to. U-God does lose a few points for hanging onto the ridiculously overplayed drug references though. A song entitled Coke, hilariously featuring someone named Slaine of La Coka Nostra (are you kidding me?!), as well as the album's title just screams, "Hey, look at me! I've run out of ideas!" Regardless, this album is true Wu. Love it or hate it.

As usual, thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

Come with me if you want to live!!

2009-06-17T02:07:00.007-04:00

Do you VERY best and stay away from Kettle Creek Outfitter's Corn Chips!! I would even go out on a limb and say stay away from this company all together.

Besides the obvious breath kickin' factor of this wonderful flavor, take a gander at the amount of SODIUM in contained in ONE BAG!

I'm thinking...they're a salt company who wanted to spice up their product with corn chips...but I could be wrong.

And from what I can tell, they're only available at your finer FAMILY DOLLAR establishments. That should set off all types of alarms for ya...

As usual, thanks for readin'.

Bigg Russ

The Curious Case of Funkmaster Flex

2009-06-10T01:59:00.016-04:00

This blog is late. Very. But I'm glad I'm typing it now instead of when I wanted to. I wanted to make sure I was being as objective as possible without sounding like an ass. Ya see...I hate Funkmaster Flex. With a passion. My hate is subjective though. I don't hate him enough to take food out of his mouth...but I do hate him enough not to listen to his radio show or give him any props more than he rightly deserves. Let's start from the beginning of why I decided to write this...

A few weeks ago, B.B. Kings Bar & Grill (NYC) hosted the first concert in a series of performances showcasing supposed hip hop legends. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go at first...until I saw who was on the bill. EPMD and Method Man & Redman?! Decision made. It would've taken a nation of millions to hold me back. Plus, I felt they actually got the billing correct this time. EPMD, Mr. Meth, and Redman ARE hip hop legends. As well as Brand Nubian, who were also scheduled to perform. The other acts, Lords of the Underground, Dres (from Blacksheep) and N.O.R.E...well, not so much legends. I didn't care. I was going and no one was stopping me.

I ended up going with a few friends who were just as psyched to see the crew formerly known as the Hit Squad (EPMD & Redman) as I was. I 'just' saw them last year at Rock The Bells '08 but with new albums released by all, I expected a really good show. Well, that I didn't get. What I got was, what I refer to as, Old School Shows In A New School Decade. Here's a short list of the problems:

1. We waited outside on line for two hours....for NO DARN GOSH reason! (There might be children reading this...ya never can tell). We could have easily stood inside while they set the show up.
2. The show began late. Like an hour late.
3. Funkmaster Flex was DJ'ing. Yes, that's a problem for me. He sucks as a DJ. I don't care if constantly demands respect for using vinyl. Big effin' deal.
4. N.O.R.E. was on stage way too long. Plus....he didn't deserve to share a stage with EPMD or Brand Nubian. Lyrcially and artistically, he couldn't carry their collective nut sacks. (Sorry children. This is how upset I am.)
5. A NYC fire marshal decided there were too many 'people' in the building and wanted to shut the show down.
6. Thanks to the persistence of the fire marshal (and N.O.R.E.'s long ass set) EPMD ran through their set in 15 minutes. They were trying to emulate the length of N.O.R.E.'s fame, I think.
7. #'s 4-6 above led to Meth & Red only rocking for about 20 minutes before King's management decided to rudely shut all power to the stage. They probably did that for fear of getting fined by the fire department. I'm not mad at them. I would've done the same thing. What made this a major problem is that Meth & Red did NOTHING from the new album...nor did they peform Da Rockwilder. Da Rockwilder!! ('Scuse me...I need to breathe for a moment...) The song is all of 2:30 minutes long yet I never get tired of seeing them perform it. How they got out of the building w/o performing it is beyond my comprehension...

So, for $30, I got an accelerated show, an abrupt end and no real satisfaction to speak of. At first I chalked it up to hip hop. Ya know....that thing that happens at most rap shows (i.e. family members and people you really don't care about standing on stage for no absolute reason other than to be seen by people who don't know or care about them, the expected and now comical threat to the sound man for not turning up the mic and/or sound levels, the 15 minutes of 'Where Brooklyn At?', etc.). But, I was wrong. I found out shortly after the show was over that this was a Funkmaster Flex produced concert.

Well, kick me in the head! Had I known that, I wouldn't have gone. Why? Because Funkmaster Flex is an abomination. He 'killed' hip hop in NYC after pretty much blowing it up single-handedly. He talks too much. He drops too many 'bombs' over new songs that maybe deserve half-a-bomb, if that. Did I mention that he sucks as a DJ? I've heard from some other concert goers that this isn't the first time this has happened. The truth is, most of his productions (concerts, car shows, etc.) usually end up like trash. I don't doubt it!!

After all these years of concert production, you'd think they'd all go right though. Correct me if I'm wrong, but rappers need but a few things to have a good show: A mic, something to play the damn music on (or a drum riser for ?uestlove, if you can afford him), a few bottles of spring water, a hand towel (if they're old school. They're usually fatter and sweat more) and a hype crowd. If it's one thing we know, the crowd will never let a rapper down...so long as the rapper doesn't let them down. Meth & Red was actually successful in sending the crowd into a frenzy, especially when EPMD and surprise guest (well, not really) K-Solo joined them on stage to perform Headbanger.

It was really just a shame to see all that energy literally go to waste because the production staff just couldn't get it under control. I blame Funkmaster Flex because he shouldn't have been trying to host, DJ and run the backstage all at the same time. Man up and delegate next time, fool. I don't care about your cars or rims or how fly you are because you bought vinyl. Red Alert DJ'ed that night as well...from a Mac...and still out-DJ'ed Flex in spite of all that vinyl muscle!

Whatever. Going forward, I will make sure I find out who's producing a show before I spend my money. Some say I do my homework too extensively. To them I say I'm just being critical of the concerts I attend because I'm paying for them...and I DEMAND a good show. You should never allow yourself to be shortchanged by the entertainment you pay for. Period.

As usual, thanks for reading.

Bigg Russ

Rock The Bells 2009

2009-04-20T19:21:00.005-04:00

If you don't know, you better...well...you know the rest.

It'll take a nations of millions to hold me back from attending.

Bigg Russ

This is why I'm hot! Again.

2009-04-13T11:01:00.004-04:00

Here's a few shots from the Mims album release party from last week. More to follow...

I may have been born in the day...

2009-03-23T19:54:00.019-04:00

...but not yesterday.

You may take this egotistical or just or worry free
But what you say I take none of it seriously
And even if I did I wouldn't tell you so
I'd let you pretend to read me

And then you'll know.
Cause I hate when one attempts to analyze.
That I despise those who even try
To look into my eyes to see what I am

Thinking.
That dream is over you gotta sink it.

The legend known as MC Lyte was referring to love but those words could easily pertain to any nonsense being shoveled in your direction. For instance...

I get an e-mail the other day from a recruiter about a position in Manhattan. Description, salary, hours...everything sounded peachy. The recruiter and I had a quick 10 minute phone interview. He dropped some knowledge about the position. I dropped some science regarding self. I let him shoot the spiel, "I'm still interviewing other candidates...if the client likes you...we'll keep in touch...yadda, yadda, yadda." S'all gravy. My professional resume over the past two years has been spotty because most of my positions have been temporary. Nothing more than 9 months. in lenghth. No big deal, right?

Well, just before we get off the phone, the recruiter goes, "I just wanna say one thing. The client might make mention something regarding your longevity at the most recent jobs." I reply with, "So? They were temp assignments." He replies with, "Well, they might be looking for someone with more stability." I reply, "More stability...within the temporary ranks?" At this point, I'm thinking 'Oxymoron...In Full Effect Mode'. He didn't really respond to my question. Rather, he deflected with some mish mosh about how some companies like an in-and-out type super hire who comes in, gets the job done, and gets out. Or how some companies want someone for a longer period of employment. I just let him speak 'cause by that point I just wanted him off my phone. Plus, I'm sure he and the client have lives outside of the office. Don't get me started. I'll save that for another blog. This is where it gets interesting.

About two hours later, I receive an e-mail from the recruiter's assistant. It reads:

Hi,

Seth has asked me to send out a note advising that the clients name is The Firm, because this is a contingency search other firms may also be working with the client. Double submittals to The Firm will be rejected. We maintain exclusivity with all candidates.

There is no need to respond to this email. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Beth

(Names have been changed to protect me from a law suit.)

At first, I'm like cool...no problem. Then, as I do, I start...thinking. My first thought was, "WTF does that mean...really?!" My second though: "Double submittal is a bad thing...?!" One would think a submittal from multiple sources regarding the same candidate would mean that the candidate just might be the bomb. There might be other legalities involved too, I suppose. Such as, if said candidate were to get the position, which agency should get the credit? Totally understandable but not the candidate's issue. Still, something still wasn't striking the proper chord with me. I needed clarification. I e-mailed the assistant asking for such and she replied with:

Hi,

Yes, please do not allow any other firm to submit your resume.

Thank You,

Beth

Okay...pause. Between now and last April '08, I cannot count how many employment agencies I've submitted to (not counting the ones who've searched and viewed my resume online w/o my assistance). So now, I'm supposed to contact any and all agencies that have my resume and politely ask them NOT to submit my resume for a position because this OTHER agency says so. I don't think I sounded too ignorant to Seth over the phone so I can only assume he takes every for an ass. How much wool does Seth think he could pull over my eyes? How many people has it worked on?

In this day and age, I can easily understand human resource departments being unbelievably swamped with resumes. I was there in the early days of Monster.com. The form e-mail you receive now after submitting a resume, you know...the one that reads like like a robot wrote it, wasn't even a thought back then. You would actually get a call, sometimes within minutes of submission, from a real live human being. Imagine that! So yes, in the 21st Century, if a resume gets submitted multiple times by competing agencies, I might be inclined to believe an HR executive would pass that resume over the 2nd or 3rd time it runs across her desk...especially if that candidate wasn't worthy after the first perusal. But how can one agency expect ME to stop another agency from submitting ME for a position that will only benefit ME?

In all honesty, most agencies can't (or won't) refer you to a client unless they get your permission or confirm that you're still seeking employment. In this economy though, I'll be damned if I'm going to get caught having this conversation:

"Naw...don't submit me. Yeah, yeah...I want the job, no doubt. No, it's not like that. Ya see, it's actually kinda funny really. Seth, over at Agency X...yeah, you know Seth right? Well, he said I shouldn't let YOU submit my resume because he submitted it firs....hello? Hello?"

I was going to reply to Beth with an e-mail she wouldn't soon forget but I decided against it for a couple of reasons: 1. Why? She probably wouldn't understand. Literally 2. What difference would it make? They probably weren't looking for anyone aware in the first place.

As usual, thanks for reading.

One love...

Bigg Russ

Welcome To NY, Larry Hughes!!

2009-03-19T17:37:00.011-04:00

Larry Hughes & Rick Green

Last night, the creators of Rhythm hosted a party @ Citrine for Larry Hughes, the NY Knicks latest pick up. Recently of the Chicago Bulls, Larry has been added to a Knick team that hopes to raise out of the depths of despair it's been languishing in for pretty much a decade now. I had the privilege of being invited by Rick Green (Rhythm) to take some photos. The party started slowly but soon blew up as select NBA ballers and various celebs showed up.

I wanna shout out my Mt. Vernon neighbors and former Argent peoples who I ran into as well! Always love!

Check out a few photos below. As usual, thanks for reading! One love...

Bigg Russ

Rick Green & Grammy winner Ralph Kearns

Al Harrington (NY Knicks)

DJ Kut (Power 105.1)Murphy Lee

Vince Carter (NJ Nets) & Rick Green

Diana Sanchez (far right) and crew

Jackie Tyson and friend

An Open Letter To The Residents of Mt. Vernon, NY...

2009-03-09T10:32:00.003-04:00

Wake the fuck up.

Russ

I don't even know where to begin...

2009-02-19T13:14:00.017-05:00

Oh, wait...yes I do. Monkey Lady from Connecticut. This is the part where people usually say, "I don't mean to sound rude..." Well, I do MEAN to sound rude. Monkey Lady is an idiot. Wait...don't brutalize me just yet. I'm literally VERY sorry for her friend, as I too have hands and can't think of life without them, but... it was a monkey. An ADULT monkey. Human beings have trouble controlling terrible two's. Hell, we can't control adult human beings! What made her, or her husband, think she could control a grown ass monkey? Las Vegas showmen have already shown us that even the most pampered and affluent of tigers can't be controlled. This monkey didn't even have a stage or Bedazzled cape & crown combo.

Monkey Lady and friends continue to ask (and I paraphrase), "We just don't know why he would act this way? It doesn't make sense!" Wow. Whenever a snake too large for its Brooklyn confines decides to suffocate it's owner, that's always the first question anyone asks. Whenever a horse decides he really doesn't like you riding on him, that's always the first thing the trainer asks. Whenever some pit bull mauls some poor soul simply because they got too close, people always ask, "Why?"

Now, I'm no scientist but I'm gonna give this one a shot. Let's see...maybe...it's because... THEY'RE ANIMALS! It's their God given right to act straight FOOL whenever they feel like it. Period. Who are we to question why? Sure, we can get all philosophical with the shit, "Why did he feel like wilding out on that particular woman on that particular day at that particular hour and so on and so on and..." What would be the point of that though? We'd be wasting our time on trying to find answers to questions we know are impossible to answer when we should be educating people that most...MOST...animals simply cannot be, or shouldn't be, domesticated. Especially for the purpose of raising them like children. Zoos are here and populated with certain species for a reason.

I remember Paul Mooney mentioning something about this:

*Sigh...*

There's just no proper way to segue into what happened with the NY Post. If you don't know the story by now, well maybe ignorance truly is bliss. For the rest of us, this is just beyond weird. Let me start by saying the depiction is wrong...VERY WRONG...but I just didn't find myself so riled up that I wanted to go and boycott the NY Post. Why? Because, well...it's the NY Post. Honestly, anyone, including the Good Rev'um Alfred Charles Sharpton, Jr., who has read the NY Post for anything that remotely resembles informative news reporting is fooling themselves. When I first caught whiff of the cartoon and the publication for which it hailed, it almost made perfect sense. The suits at the Post, and it's bosses over at Fox (Hello?!) have been, are and will always be about selling papers or causing controversy...whichever may come first.

I remember when my step-father used to purchase all three major NY newspapers religiously, Times, Daily News and Post. He told me he read the Times for serious, international and financial information. He told me he purchased the Daily News for serious, national and local information. He told me he purchased the Post for the sports section. He wasn't lying either. I'd watch him comb through the other papers like someone searching for treasure at Jones Beach. He'd reach for the Post and immediately turn it over and start reading about his beloved Knicks, Yankees and whichever boxer he admired at the moment.

A number of staff changes over the decades hasn't changed the Post. It's the same crappy newspaper it's always been. Incidentally, it's gotten worse as it tries desperately to keep up with the internet. You watch Smallville? You know that crappy school newspaper that Chloe Sullivan used to work for, the Torch? Well, that's what The Post is to me, The Torch. Except it's not located in Kansas and instead of covering stories about meteor freaks and weird phenomenon it covers steroid freaks and weirder phenomenon. The Post is barely worth any one's energy save for the people who work there and make a living. They don't represent me nor do they represent most intelligent NY'ers who should be able to shrug this one off their shoulders. The Post CLEARLY doesn't represent minorities so why are minorities really so upset? Honestly, had BET or Noticias or BlackVoices.com ran the cartoon, then I would've sincerely raised both eyebrows.

Listen, some fights are worth fighting and some aren't. I'm in no way saying that nothing should be said with regards to this extremely poor lack of judgment. I'm just sayin', it's not really worth anything to boycott a newspaper that's worth nothing to begin with. If the Post were to close down tomorrow, who'd notice besides Rupert Murdoch and the janitorial crew?

All that being written, what I find most interesting is the focus of most people's anger or disdain. From what I've read or been told, most people are upset because the cartoon disses President Obama. Bump all that. He knew what he was getting himself into when he campaigned for the position. It's just getting started for him (as I bow my head in prayer for his family). What I'm most disturbed at is the NY Post's obvious lack of disrespect for the already tense issues between the average male of color in America and those people sworn to protect its citizens. With the recent police-driven murders plaguing this country, the NY Post should've given just a little...well, a lot more thought about running this now infamous cartoon.

Here's something ironic. As this very recent study claims, it's not uncommon for most Americans to subconsciously associate Black people with apes. Here's an excerpt:

"In addition, the findings show that society is more likely to condone violence against black criminal suspects as a result of its broader inability to accept African Americans as fully human, according to the researchers."

I KNOW I'm not the only person who's looked at Patrick Ewing or Yaphet Kotto and thought silverback. I used to look at Frank Perdue and think, "He really does look like a chicken!" too. Does that make me wrong? Of course not. What would've made me wrong is if I depicted the slaughter of the Perdue family like chickens in a cartoon to prove some silly point. It's not about how you look at something. Eyes don't lie. It's about how you use what you see once you've seen it. The Post wanted to stir up controversy and they've done that. I applaud them on such a weak effort. At the end of the day, their newspaper still sucks, Obama is still the President, that misguided monkey is dead and cops will continue to shoot innocent Black/Afro/Negro/Colored-Americans under some veil of, "I was just doing my job." ... unless we speak out against it properly.

Boycott, my friends...but boycott with the proper focus. That's all I suggest.

As always, thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

P.S. Someone let me know when the original drawing of that cartoon is placed on eBay. It's gonna worth a fortune one day!!

P.P.S. Thanks for the university study link, Michelle!!

Abe Lincoln...the great racist emancipator?

2009-02-10T14:23:00.005-05:00

So, was he racist or not? Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a well known African-American author and professor at Harvard, posted this same question on his blog recently. Here's an excerpt:

But my engagement with the great leader turned to confusion when I was a senior in high school. I stumbled upon an essay that Lerone Bennett Jr. published in EbonyThe Crisis magazine in May 1922. Du Bois wrote that Lincoln was one huge jumble of contradictions: “he was big enough to be inconsistent—cruel, merciful; peace-loving, a fighter; despising Negroes and letting them fight and vote; protecting slavery and freeing slaves. He was a man—a big, inconsistent, brave man.” magazine entitled “Was Abe Lincoln a White Supremacist?” A year later, as an undergraduate at Yale, I read an even more troubling essay that W.E.B. Du Bois had published in

So many hurt and angry readers flooded Du Bois’ mailbox that he wrote a second essay in the next issue of the magazine, in which he defended his position this way: “I love him not because he was perfect but because he was not and yet triumphed. ….”

To prove his point, Du Bois included this quote from a speech Lincoln delivered in 1858 in Charleston, Ill.:

“I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races—that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

Say what? The Lincoln of 1858 was a very long way from becoming the Great Emancipator!

So which was the real Lincoln, the benevolent countenance hanging on the walls of black people’s homes, the Man Who Freed the Slaves, or this man whom Du Bois was quoting, who seemed to hate black people?

You can read the entire blog for yourself, if you're interested, as he does have some interesting insight to this matter as well as links to further information. I only want to pose one question: Does this actually matter now? It's long been understood that more than a few or out nation's more prominent leaders have been prejudice, slave owners, etc. A lot of us, like Gates Jr., learn at an early age and it seems mind blowing...at first. It's always been my impression thought that once you've studied these people and their particular situations and environments you get an even better understanding of who and why they were.

Honest Abe was trying to unify a nation. Do you not have to speak the entire nation's language to unify it? You don't have to agree with many but you need to be able to converse with most. In the end, maybe Lincoln put on a good show for those who thought him nuts for trying to free the slaves. In the end, maybe he was a racist but realized that the nation couldn't move forward while living in a such an uncivilized manner. In the end, he did what most of us felt was the right thing to do...racist or not.

Once again, thanks for reading.

Bigg Russ

Yet another 'senseless' shooting in Mt. Vernon, NY

2009-02-04T22:55:00.007-05:00

This time on Prospect Avenue near Park Avenue. The incident seems to have occurred in front of the bodega located next to Panda Chinese Restaurant.

The facts:

Drive by.
Four shots.
Some guy in the hospital fighting for his life.

The why:

Your guess is as good as mine.

I was told by an officer not to take photos...yet. I suppose he wanted me to wait until they were all gone and nothing left to shoot. That being said, I took some shots regardless. I didn't use the flash for fear of being annoyed by the officer again so please excuse the blurriness. There really isn't much to see in these photos as I couldn't get anywhere near the scene. I'm simply putting this on display for all current and former Mt. Vernon, NY residents so that they may understand just how ridiculous this city has gotten. Four square miles of city...and most, if not all of the homicides/major crimes happen in two square miles of it.

I used to frequent Panda off and on and my son and I used to get our haircuts at (what is now) Famous Barbershop before they moved to 1st Street. Who's to say this won't happen during the daytime...and some unsuspecting bystander gets caught up in the nonsense? Always something to think about...

As usual, thanks for reading.

Bigg Russ

LOHUD.COM UPDATE:

February 5, 2009
Police release name of man gunned down on Mount Vernon street

Will David
The Journal News
MOUNT VERNON - Mount Vernon detectives are investigating the shooting death of a 31-year-old Mount Vernon man last night, police said.
Police identified the victim as Nassan Yitzchak Ben Israel, 31.
Mount Vernon police Commissioner David Chong said this morning that police responded to 118 E. Prospect St. at 10:20 p.m. on a report of shots fired and found the man lying in the street.
He sustained several gunshot wounds.
Ben Israel was taken to Mount Vernon Hospital where he died at 11:36 p.m., Chong said.
It is the third homicide this year in Mount Vernon.

You'll get no pomp and circumstance from me...

2009-01-20T01:41:00.004-05:00

No drama...

No rants...
No attention towards controversy...
No questions...
No suggestions...
No criticisms...

Yet.

Simply....

Welcome.

I'm not buying into the Obama hype...

2009-01-19T03:06:00.005-05:00

Literally.

What's really up with all the Obama shirts, buttons, socks, headbands, window shades, couch covers, doggie sweaters, sneakers, turntable slip mats, etc.?! It's getting ridiculous. What's next...the Obama Condom? "Change your love life for the positive...with the Obama Condom!"

I first noticed the trend to get paid off of Obama's name with Rolling Stone magazine's commemorative edition. It even contains an Obama poster. You know...like Word Up! or your favorite teen or video game magazine. RS pretty much backed Obama from jump so I didn't see the reason behind this issue. Yeah, yeah...money. I get it. But when do we take a step back and start respecting what we believe in without having to make a buck from it? Beyond the understandable t-shirts and such, I think it's just too much as the example of product out there just hasn't slowed down. For example...

Hennessy Cognac has a limited edition "44" bottle available. Ummmm.....why? Won't there be enough Hennessy being poured on the 20th? The absolute need to cash in on this President is embarrassing. Don't get me wrong...I understand the popularity, potential and celebrity of this man...but his campaign was based on change. Wouldn't it have been cool if the advertising & marketing teams within these companies had paid more attention? Wouldn't it have been cool if the change that Obama spoke of started with our greed to get paid on everything we do during every breathing moment? As far as I'm concerned, it's greed that's gotten this country in the quicksand for which it finds itself. From The NY Times:

The maker of Hennessy Cognac, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is using numerology rather than language in its promotion, selling 180,000 bottles, priced at $30 each, bearing seals and labels on the front and back emblazoned with “44” and phrases like “In honor of the 44th president” and “In honor of the presidential inauguration.”
The company plans to make donations to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for each bottle sold, said Andy Glaser, senior vice president for Hennessy at Moët Hennessy USA in New York, with a goal of starting two four-year scholarships through a minimum donation of $50,000.

Nice gesture. The labels of the bottles will be emblazoned with phrases like “In honor of the 44th president” and “In honor of the presidential inauguration.” In my humble opinion, it would've been a true honor had all the proceeds gone to the College Fund. Even in this recession, liquor is doing just fine.

Again, thanks for reading...

One love,

Bigg Russ

P.S. Thanks for the original NYTimes.com article from which I first heard about this. You know who you are...

Yeah, you know what it is...

2009-01-16T07:24:00.004-05:00

Getting Over Race...

2009-01-14T23:53:00.006-05:00

What an amazing concept, huh? I'm not even sure if it can happen...but I find myself wondering more and more everyday if I can work towards that. Not in the, "Oh, I don't see you as [insert color here]. I just see you as a good person..." type of demeaning way. I'm trying hard every day to teach myself to not prejudge someone on sight based on any one particular characteristic. I'm just as guilty as many for doing this on occasion but I hear the first step to recovery is admission, yes?

Please check out this interview with Debra Dickerson. Methinks she and I are on the same page. I'll know more once I've purchased her book, The End of Blackness. After you've read her article, take a look at some of her reviews:

NY Times

January Magazine

The Village Voice

Another word for synonym...

2009-01-05T00:01:00.003-05:00

My brain is moving a mile a minute. I feel like Raymond Babbitt, 'cept I'm fully aware of my surroundings and I'm very much over Jeopardy. I consistently read the news and ask myself, "Is it just me?" I can't possibly be the only one finds the unfortunate humor in everything. At one point, I wasn't. My sister once admitted to asking herself the same question very often. We're busy with our lives now so I don't really know if she's still asking. I could, of course, ask her...but this feeling of being alone in my questioning is rather soothing.

Like right now, in fact, I have so much to share...but wonder how much of it is really worth sharing? It's like filing through a Rolodex of information but never actually choosing a card. How does one combine his shared love of hip hop with his love of oxtails, peas & rice? What would I really be accomplishing by telling Zune owners that having a non-working Zune for a few days due to a leap year date issue really isn't ruining their lives? Does anyone really care that Isiah Thomas, whose tale is uncommonly similar to Mayor Dinkins', might have actually done exactly what he was hired to do as GM? Is it really beneficial to anyone that Yugo's are probably the only thing I've ever searched for on eBay and didn't find? And what's more interesting is that Yugo line production just stopped in 2008?! (Really...who was still buying these things? Can I still buy a Sterling?)

I bet Alex Trebek didn't know any of that. He probably couldn't list the original members of Mantronix either. But that's neither here nor there.

All that being typed, what am I to do? How does one prioritize thought when finding a matching pair of socks proves to be just as frustrating as doing taxes? Maybe I should seek therapy. But then again, is thought prioritization an accredited course at most colleges? If so, how does one choose a thought prioritization specialist? Is there a non-anonymous thought prioritization meeting every Tuesday that has thought prioritization specialists listed on a cork board? Let's face it, it's easy for people to say, "Hey...seek help. Go see a shrink." No offense, shrinks. I just don't know how to spell psychiatrist and continue to wonder if it's a "psychologist" that I need to see. Personally, I think you guys do the same thing...but the iatr and olog simply put you in different pay brackets. You know...like Q-Tip and Jay-Z.

Anyway, I'm sure whatever it is I'm searching for, trying to figure out, looking to accomplish, hoping to find, pining to own, running away from, etc. will make itself known shortly. I just hope it's not one of those it's been under your nose the entire time kind of things. That would only serve to annoy me. So much so that I would probably give myself something else to find. I'd make sure it's my #1 priority too.

One love...

Bigg Russ

Just when I thought dying of natural causes was bad...

2009-01-04T20:40:00.002-05:00

John Travolta's son, Jett, died just after New Year's due to complications regarding his seizures. The full story hasn't come out. Regardless, it was plastered on every front page of every newspaper and website that felt it necessary.

I didn't mind the coverage. Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children. I sincerely believe that.

But what about the controversial shooting death of Oscar Grant by police (video)? The deceased was unarmed and handcuffed. Will this get as much coverage?

Sadly, I think I know the answer to that question. Maybe if O.J. were involved...

- Bigg Russ

Fear...

2008-12-20T19:51:00.002-05:00

This is probably my most polarizing emotion. I'm not talking everyday, run-of-the-mill fear such as hoping you don't get hit by a bus or watching the Knicks. I'm talking true blue fear of everything I know coming down around my feet. The fear of total loss of control. I've been dealing with this fear for quite some time. Years, in fact. No, it's not related to the now 'official' recession. No, I'm not talking about family. You can't control family. If you think you can, then you're fooling yourself. I'm talking about the one thing you can control. Yourself.

There are times when my mind gets so wrapped up in one thing, I feel - and it has happned on occasion - that I'm losing control over other parts of my mind. No, not I'm not going crazy. I'm talking concentration. There are times when I feel that life, in general, just may be too much. Too much bad news (heck, too much news period). Too many empty bank accounts. Too many bill collectors. Too many home owner issues. Too many extended family problems. Too many plans that I feel NEED to get done. Too many movies to catch up on. Too many whatever!!

I've been living in the past recently. Just out of control. Listening to 80's music. Catching up on old friends and acquaintences. Wondering what it would've been like had I done this or that. Or had I not done this or that. So forth and so on... This isn't a bad thing, per se...as it's been quite fun. The problem is I'm finding it hard to re-join the now as the now just isn't fun. Well, that is...no where near as fun as then. Hindsight being 20/20 and all that...

I am realizing though that I AM in control of myself and will be able to re-join the now eventually. Getting it out in this blog is probably a step. Ya know...like quiting cigarettes. Regardless, Bigg Russ IS here and Bigg Russ will continue until he's called home. Until that day, I hope to have regained full control. Before that though, I will need to get over this fear and deal with the deeper issues. I wish I had a hand book though. This stuff is tiring!

Thanks for reading...

Bigg Russ

I'm only going to say this ONCE (this week)!!

2008-12-17T16:53:00.013-05:00

I'll keep this short and simple: HIP HOP, as I know it, is NOT dead. Here's proof.

Q-Tip, EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Public Enemy, Charles Hamilton, Big Daddy Kane, The Roots, Kanye West, Common, Nas, Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Blu, Nicolay & Kay, Ludacris, Outkast, Busta Rhymes, Talib, Evidence, Mos Def, Sean Price, EMC, KRS-One, Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Premier, MCLyte, Black Milk, Little Brother, 9th Wonder, Illa J., De La Soul, Dead Prez, Tonedeff, Jadakiss, Wu-Tang, The Harlem James Gang, Eminem, Redman, K'Naan, 88-Keys, Bishop Lamont, Mike Phillips, The Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief, Cypress Hill, The Cool Kids, Gym Class Heroes, Kidz in the Hall, Wyclef, Royce Da 5'9, Large Professor, PETE ROCK, Heavy D., C.L. Smooth, Black Violin, D-Nice, Willy Northpole, DJ Honda, Jean Grae, Black Spade, Erykah Badu, LL Cool J., DJ Mick Boogie, Buckshot, MF Doom, etc...

This is a list of artists who have performed recently or have shows scheduled and/or released full length albums or mixtapes. Some of them are also involved in Hip Hop in other artisticcapacities (film, photography, art, books).

Seriously, if Hip Hop is dead...then I must be heaven.

As always, thanks for taking the time...

Bigg Russ

hiphopsince71@gmail.com

PRESIDENT OBAMA

2008-11-04T23:46:00.002-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS!!

The follow-through...

2008-11-04T18:43:00.004-05:00

Regardless of the outcome, after we've all voted and reminded our friends and enemies to vote, and worn buttons, and placed bumper stickers, and flooded Pennsylvanians and Floridians with phone calls, and planted yard signs, and e-mailed to death, and debated over debates, and laughed with SNL, and blogged, and have become mesmerized by Zoe Kravitz, and have used the words maverick and change more than we ever thought we would...we still have to DO THINGS as a country. One man can make a difference. But it takes a nation of millions to facilitate real change.

I thank everyone who's voted. It's an important act. But I'm also asking that you don't stop at the polls and expect good things to fall into your laps. We, all of us, must participate together for change and a better tomorrow. Let's follow-through so that the next president, eight years from now, has a hard act to follow...

One love.

Bigg Russ

Thanks, Mr. Walsh....

2008-10-28T11:04:00.002-04:00

First you tease me and get my hopes up by signing Ewing Jr., then you drop him just like the organization did his father not even a decade ago. Awesome. No, Ewing Jr. may not be a savior by any means but he surely would've worked out better than Mr. Bench Warmer, Jerome James. I'm sure he would've added heart to the team as well, something the Knicks need more of. How much heart can Nate Robinson and David Lee give to the team?!

And who knows? Maybe this would've led Ewing Sr. back here. Lord knows SOMEONE needs to teach our centers how to be centers. I don't know if you've been paying attention, Ewing Sr. did wonders with Yao and Dwight in their perspective markets. On top of all that, what a major marketing opportunity you've missed. Incredible.

Thanks for nothing.

Another senseless shooting...

2008-10-25T23:25:00.008-04:00

So, I forget to buy dog food for the pets tonight and decided to walk back to Pathmark after just coming back from there a couple of hours ago. Lo and behold, what do I see when I arrive? Police tape, a Maxima full of bullet holes and a young girl crying out...asking if her daddy is going to be okay.

In all honesty, I don't believe Mt. Vernon, NY is totally lost to violence and senselessness. I do believe it's getting mighty close though. I'll spare you the cliched rhetoric about how we all need to come together and sing spiritual hymnals and pray for the best. Is that needed? Of course. It wouldn't hurt. What I feel is needed more than that is Mt. Vernon's citizens LITERALLY getting up, getting out and DOING SOMETHING about the violence that plagues this city. It's that simple. If you know something. SAY something. If you know something, DO something. Don't wait for YOUR loved one to get gunned down and then want to speak out about injustices and whatnot. Pitch in now and you never know whose life may be saved.

After leaving the scene, I continued on my quest for dog food. What struck me with the most irony is that "O-o-h Child" by The Five Stairsteps was playing through the speakers as I walked in the store. All I could do was roll my eyes in complete disgust...

This is becoming utterly ridiculous. Mt. Vernon used to be fun. What really is the point any more...?

UPDATE: Here's a link to the shooting's extensive news coverage. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)

Chocolate News

2008-10-10T03:30:00.002-04:00

David Alan Grier has been funny for YEARS so I'll always give anything he's a part of a shot. He's got a new show on Comedy Central called Chocolate News. The title of the show says it all. I love humor based on race so this is right up my alley. Will you be watching with me...?

As always, One Love!

Bigg Russ

Hip hop is GodSent...

2008-10-08T11:20:00.003-04:00

My love of old school rap music knows no bounds, especially that which was produced in the late 80's to the mid 90's. That being said, when I hear new music which sounds like early 90's rap music, I go nuts. Recently, my boy Wes made my WEEK by hipping me to his boy, GodSent.

GodSent is currently from Mt. Vernon, NY and he's GOOD so I gotta spread the word. His single Loss For Words (ft. Jordan) instantly reminds me of production I've heard on various tracks from Trendz of Culture, Souls of Mischief, J-Dilla, Ali Shaheed Muhammed and, of course, Pete Rock. It's a smooth, laid out track like we used to do it. GodSent's MySpace page has samples of his other tracks. They're harder than Loss but it's still got that 90's, 'real hip hop' vibe to 'em.

Check the Loss video below for yourself and let me know what you think.

As always, One Love!

Bigg Russ

O.J. is off the streets!!!

2008-10-04T04:12:00.003-04:00

Finally!!

Whoo hoo! You got 'em, boys! I will rest SO much easier now know that this 61 year old man has been removed from society! I'm extremely elated knowing that my tax dollars went to imprisoning a man who, in all honesty, only wanted his stuff back so that he could pay for the other crime he didn't commit. It made so much more sense to chase O.J. instead of true hard working citizens who contribute so much to our great nation. You know...pedophiles, drug dealers, wholesale mortgage brokers, Republicans...

Just a quick shout out...

2008-09-02T19:07:00.001-04:00

One love to those I love and to those who love me...TRULY love me. All you haters take a seat and observe from the rear! LOL!!

Bigg Russ

LIke father, like son...

2008-08-29T23:08:00.005-04:00

Being the DIE HARD Knick fan and ALL TIME Patrick Ewing fan, I cannot express enough my excitement after learning that Patrick Ewing Jr. has become a NY Knick (via trade from Houston). Unbelievable! Welcome to the greatest professional basketball stadium in the world! Oh...did you know your father set NY Knicks records here too? No pressure, Jr... LOL!!

Bigg Russ

Obama's DNC acceptance speech...

2008-08-29T23:07:00.001-04:00

I have nothing to post about it. I'm speechless.

Bigg Russ

...and my favorite former First Lady!

2008-08-27T02:39:00.005-04:00

Hillary may not be the favorite of many now...but when she was 'running' the White House, she was da bomb. And let's not get it twisted...had Barack not been a factor, and it came down to Clinton vs. McCain...

'Nuff said.

Michelle Obama ... our next First Lady.

2008-08-26T08:01:00.011-04:00

Michelle Obama @ The Democratic National Convention '08

If you haven't heard the speech, there's no better time than now.

If WE mess this up, we'll only have ourselves to blame.

Bigg Russ

C'mon, ladies...it's Miller Time!

2008-08-22T20:36:00.010-04:00

If there was ever a family that needed a break it's this one.

LisaRaye and her half-sister Da Brat are just having one hell of a week. First, the former first lady of Turk and Caicos get's de-throned (and has the bruises to show for it). Now, Da Brat, the first female rapper to have a certified platinum selling album, has been sentenced to 3 years behind bars for assault. ASSAULT. All I can do is shake my head and offer 'em a beer. Or prayer. Whichever one they'll accept.

EDIT: Check the beat down below.

Click to enlarge.

Trifecta!

2008-08-19T12:36:00.012-04:00

Bigg Russ, Colleen Bigsby (Chelsea Brewing Co, NY) & Ben Gordon

Let me first start this entry by saying being a part of Ben Gordon Weekend 2008 was quite a fulfilling experience. Three days of faith, family, unity & sports and I had a blast being a part of it. I sincerely cannot wait to start planning the next one.

Ever since moving back to my hometown of Mt. Vernon, NY, I've wanted to become more involved in its community. Knowing where to start was the hard part. Well, that's not entirely true. I knew I could try adding my personality to the more common institutions (i.e. Boys & Girls Club, YMCA) but after approaching those places, I felt I didn't fit their set in stone ways and policies.

Based on conversations with several close friends, it became clear to me that becoming a part of Ben Gordon Weekend (BGW) might be something I should look into pursuing. I immediately met with Kenneth Plummer, president of Kensworth Consulting, hoping to lend my services as a volunteer. Instead of volunteering, Kenny saw fit to add me as a full fledged BGW committee member. Five amazingly short weeks later BGW is over and I almost find myself sad because of it. It's one of those things where you can't wait for it to happen but once it is over, you wish you had more of it. Kenny introduced me to an amazing group of people who seemingly shared the same love of my hometown as I did, the rest of the committee. The best part about this crew is not only do they love Mt. Vernon, they CARE about it. What's the difference?

Love is emotion. Caring is action.

After learning the who, what, when, where and so forth surrounding BGW, I found myself wanting to do more. Wanting to spread the word about BGW. Wanting to spread the word about how great Mt. Vernon used to be, is and will be. Wanting to spread the word that, most of all, Mt. Vernon matters. As a community, some of us longer term residents enjoy showcasing our hometown celebs (Denzel Washington, Dick Clark, Gus & Ray Williams, Phylicia Rashaad, Puff/Diddy/Sean Combs, etc.). But Mt. Vernon is so much more than that because ALL of its residents make it so. Mt. Vernon is so much more because people like Michelle Walker, Karen Thomas, Willie Johnson, Dept. Commissioner Curtis Woods (DPW), Wes Alston, Vanessa Cowen, Fay Bartley, Hank Miller, Lowes Moore, Ms. Yvonne Gordon & the rest of the Gordon clan and a slew of other people decided to do something instead of just talking about doing something.

All that being said (and most of you know I could turn this blog into dissertation), I sincerely feel BGW was a smash and set an example for what it means to be community. Enough cannot be said about how everyone pulled together and made this thing happen. Of course, we couldn't possibly foresee the worst storm of the season happening when it did but that's okay. We didn't allow it to dampen our spirits though and that's the most important part. The various clinics run by Ben, the Bowling Bash, the Family Day...ALL successes. If you were a part of this, please give yourself a round of applause. If you weren't, I hope to see you at the next BGW. It's only going to get bigger and better.

Check out some more few pics from the bowling bash below.

Coach Jim Calhoun (UCONN) & Ben Gordon

Ben Gordon, Ashley Battle & Emeka Okafor

Kym Hampton & Ben Gordon

Brian Gillard, Kenneth Plummer, Terrie Williams & Hank Miller

Rain Dance

2008-08-15T01:58:00.003-04:00

It finally happened. Ben Gordon Weekend 2008 kicked off tonight at City Hall in Mt. Vernon, NY. Being a part of the production staff for the last four weeks or so has been a task...but I'm glad to see all the hard work start to pay off. Today's events consisted of a talent show and youth based inspirational ceremonies. As the event was underway, I was still @ the office fielding phone calls, answering e-mails, solidfiying contracts, etc so I didn't get to see most of the festivities. It started raining just before the show was to begin but it soon subsided.

When I finally did arrive @ City Hall to partake in the occasion, it began to rain again (maybe I should have stayed in the office). The rain started coming down so hard, that we decided to cancel the rest of the night's performances and speaking engagements. At that moment, a lot of people decided to take cover in City Hall from the rain. As we started breaking down the equipment and trying to get people to vacate City Hall, something organic occurred.

The Revelators, an African dance troupe consisting of children from the local Mt. Vernon Boys & Girls Club, decided that they weren't going to let the rain wash away their performance. They cleared an area of the main foyer and started dancing. They were dressed to perform and that's exactly what they did. When I realized they were dancing, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. It was a great, proud moment in Mt. Vernon's long history and I was there to witness it. The Revelators were amazing to watch and the ovation they received when they were done was sincerely heartfelt.

Ben Gordon Weekend has and will continue to be about faith, family, unity and, of course, sports. When The Revelators decided that the show must go on, they exhibited those exact same attributes. They had faith in their skills and weren't afraid to show it. They performed for their Mt. Vernon family who stuck around when they could have gone home. They displayed unity by dancing as one. They showcased their athleticism by adjusting their performance to the limited space they had to work with. The Revelators should be proud of themselves and understand that they set a great example for many other children in Mt. Vernon and its neighboring cities to follow.

Bigg Russ

R.I.P., Issac....

2008-08-10T20:06:00.002-04:00

And before I could finish flooding my friends' e-mail inbox's with the news of Bernie Mac's death, the world of entertainment lost another major player. Issac Hayes, dead at 65. I'm not even going to begin to get into this man's resume. For real, if you don't know...you better ask somebody. Wikipedia, Google, Ask Jeeves...wherever you get your info, there's bound to be PLENTY of references on this great songwriter and musician.

Music just lost a piece of its soul...

Bigg Russ

R.I.P., Bernie....

2008-08-09T16:09:00.003-04:00

BERNIE MAC died today of natural causes due to complications related to pneumonia according to A spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He was a young 50 years old.

Bernie was best known to most for his hit TV comedy, The Bernie Mac Show. To others, he was the headliner for the record breaking tour, The Origina Kings of Comedy, as well various other stand up performances. He was most recently seen on the big screen in Ocean's 13 and The Transformers.

I was a fan of Bernie's and will sincerely miss him.

Denzel gives Mt. Vernon sports $100G

2008-08-08T14:56:00.002-04:00

He's good looking, owns Oscars AND he cares!!

According to lohud.com, Denzel Washington, former Mt. Vernon, NY resident, has pledged $100,000 to the Mt. Vernon Save Our Sports initiative. In case you were not aware, Mt. Vernon has lost its funding for sports in the school system. Several fund raising campaigns have begun all over the city and parts of Westchester County to help jump start the sports program again. Mt. Vernon's scholastic sports program is legendary, especially Mt. Vernon High School's basketball team, The Knights. The Knights hold several state and federation titles so this decision comes as a major blow to a program that has sent several players to college via scholarships and more than a few players to the NBA. Ben Gordon, the most recent Mt. Vernon H.S. graduate to be drafted into the NBA is currently the Chicago Bulls' leading scorer. Denzel's contribution will most likely be done via Ben's New Life Foundation.

Denzel is a big supporter of local Mt. Vernon establishments, most notably the Boys & Girls Club which he credits for keeping him on the straight and narrow. I'm VERY glad that he's decided to give again but I would also hope that current Mt. Vernon residents decide to contribute as well. These are our children that need a sports program.

Rock The Bells 2008 - Jones Beach, NY

2008-08-08T14:31:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to write something up about this concert since the moment it was over but I just haven't had the time. Consider this a place holder until I post the photos. Being 2nd row, center stage made for some GREAT photo ops.

More news @ 11...

Bigg Russ

Ben Gordon Weekend 2008

2008-07-28T15:02:00.008-04:00

Fellow Mt. Vernon native and current Chicago Bull, Ben Gordon, is hosting the Ben Gordon Weekend '08, August 14-16th, in Mt. Vernon & Yonkers, NY (Click the flyer for a larger image). Besides being a great time for all who attend, this is primarily a fund raiser for the sports program in Mt. Vernon which recently had its budget cut from the next school year. If you're local, please try and make it to any of the events. I'm working directly for & with with the company that's producing the weekend and I'd LOVE to see your support.

If you cannot attend and would still like to support the cause, please contact me directly @ hiphopsince71@gmail.com and I'll let you know where to send your donations. We're still looking for sponsors as well so if the company you're working for is in the giving mood, please forward them my info.

One love...

Bigg Russ

Governing parents...

2008-07-23T09:13:00.006-04:00

New York Governer, David Patterson, has decided to sign a game bill into law. My new governor seems like a good guy, in general, but I just don't share his optimism that this law will enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers.

You know what will enhance the quality of lives of all New Yorkers? New Yorkers, especially PARENTS, paying attention to what their kids are playing.

My youngest son, 8 years of age, had a friend over just yesterday. The friend, who is also 8, told my son that his mom lets him play anything. ANYTHING. He mentioned two games in particular, Mortal Kombat and BMXXX. Now...I can sort of give his mom a pass for Mortal Kombat. According to my son's friend, she doesn't watch what he plays nor does she pay attention to what is purchased for him. That led me to believe that although she's paying for the games, she's not always the one physically purchasing them. If you don't really know about Mortal Kombat and it's infamous 'finishing moves' where you're literally killing your opponent AFTER you've beaten them, then I can see how you might let this one slip by.

But c'mon...BMXXX. The game SCREAMS adult content. Although the game itself doesn't exactly promote sexual intercourse in any way, there is nudity and videos of strippers doing what they do best which can only be seen by unlocking them as you play. The Playstation 2 version was censored by Sony but my son's friend had the fully un-censored GAMECUBE version.

I know life is hard. I know life 'comes at you fast'. I know life is 'dog eat dog'. You can use all the cliches you want about being busy, tired, run down, etc. But I will never understand how parents can just let their kids do any thing. Don't get me wrong. Things happen. Other people buy our kids gifts. Sometimes we ARE too busy to notice this and that. But when does the check and balance happen? When do YOU stop, check on your kids actions/whereabouts/etc. and evaluate the situation? When the government has to step in and protect our children from 'us', then something is wrong. So wrong, in fact, that this law is essentially powerless and a waste of our tax dollars.

I told my son's friend that my son was not allowed to play those games and I would appreciate it if he wouldn't bring them to my house again. He said okay and felt the need to reiterate to me that his mom let him play pretty much any M-Rated game. I told him that was fine if his mom lets him...but I think I know better. She probably doesn't even know what her son is playing. I could get all involved and stick my nose in their busy but I won't. It's simply not my place. The rules behind the village raising a child has changed and getting involved can get you sued and/or physically hurt. Hopefully Mrs. Mom will read my blog and realize that I'm talking about her. But then again, she's probably too tired or busy or run down to surf the web...

Bigg Russ

Scarface meets Jacque Cousteau.

2008-07-18T00:53:00.004-04:00

Okay, file this one under NOW I've seen it all. According to the LA Times, among other sources, the navy intercepted a 33-foot submarine about 125 miles south of Puerto de Salina Cruz in Oaxaca state, Mexico. Simple research shows that Colombian authorities have captured over a dozen vessels over the past few years as well. What's really crazy though...is that this submarine was home made.

HOME MADE.

You ever have one of those moments when you asked yourself, "What have I accomplished today?"

The Dark Knight returns...

2008-07-14T21:37:00.002-04:00

So, I've lived in NY all my life but have never been to a movie premiere. My kids, on the other hand, seem to have the knack of doing things I never have. Both my son and my oldest daughter went to the The Dark Knight premiere tonight and got pics. My daughter actually got in to see the film (cue VERY jealous dad!!). I'll update with further pics and details later. For the moment, please see what my son's eye caught with his camera phone.

A Mt. Vernon author is born...

2008-07-12T00:24:00.009-04:00

Earlier this evening, I had the pleasure of attending the first book signing for Peter W. Sherrill's first book, Black to the Future: From the Plantation to the Corporation. The signing was held at the AC-BAW center in Mt. Vernon, NY. Mr. Sherrill is a fellow Mt. Vernon native and I thought it only right to show up and support.

Mr. Sherrill was a plaintiff in the record setting Texaco discrimination case back in the mid-90's. In that case, a Texaco treasurer was indicted and the case was settled for $176 million dollars. Being the last plaintiff called to the stand, Mr. Sherrill had the opportunity to see and here it all. Just over 10 years later, he has published his first book detailing what he says is betrayal by his own people while fighting a system of corporate racism.

I have not read the book. I am also not posting this as a review. What I am doing here is respecting the fact that Mr. Sherrill decided to pen such a book. Most people don't feel it's important to share their knowledge of major events - especially those that seem to go against the grain. Mr. Sherrill has something to say and I think we should pay attention. Mr. Sherrill is an admittedly un-perfect human being. He does, however, feel that it's highly important for people, specifically 'Black' people to understand that our leaders are just as imperfect. Mr. Sherrill wants everyone to understand that you cannot rely solely on our leaders to walk through the fire with you 100% of the way. Social leaders have their own agendas like everyone else. You need to stay strong and believe in yourself and your higher power. Only then, will you succeed.

That being said, the event was very entertaining. I got to meet several nice, intelligent, strong people who care about Mt. Vernon and came to support Mr. Sherrill. As I too am planning some events for the near future, in Mt. Vernon, I can only hope to garner an equal amount of support as Mr. Sherrill received.

Zulu! Zulu!!

2008-07-10T20:03:00.005-04:00

The Mighty Universal Zulu Nation is having it's 35th Anniversary soon. The LEAST I could do is help get the word out. If you can make it, GREAT. If not, please lend your voice in spreading the word.

The location has yet to be determined but I'm sure it's going to be a blast. Save the date! I'll be volunteering there so I hope to meet EVERYONE!

Peace, Love, Unity & Havin' Fun!!

Bigg Russ

How NOT to make a top 50 list...

2008-07-09T23:33:00.004-04:00

BlackVoices.com is a web site I love. It's got A LOT of info, mostly trivial, but I enjoy reading it. They do give me some real news, without the spin you might expect.

That being said, BV has just pissed me off. They screwed up by posting this HORRENDOUS list of the Top 50 'Black' Movies of all time. The list is so utterly ridiculous, I would have to think the person who compiled the list doesn't know what a 'Black' movie is or hasn't seen many at all.

Seriously...The Wiz or anything movie containing "Madea" in the title should not be anywhere near a list like this. Similarly, any Top 50 Black Movies list NOT containing Hotel Rwanda or Hustle & Flow needs to be deleted immediately.

I was going to re-list them for you here but I just can't get my fingers to re-type such drivel.

The Hotness

2008-07-08T19:51:00.004-04:00

There's a new film coming out called The Wackness. It's got something to do with some kid and his love of hip-hop or something or other. I have NO idea if the movie is good or not but the official mixtape of the movie produced by D-Nice is off the meter. Really though. It's all 90's hip-hop. Meaning GOOD. ;) Check it out for yourself (as well as D-Nice's Start of the Summer mixtape).

Missed it by THAT much...

2008-07-02T10:22:00.004-04:00

There was a little known and very campy movie released in 1979 called Americathon. It was a brief look into our future, 1998 to be exact. Here's a summary of the film as ripped from Wikipedia:

The premise of the film is that, sometime in the then-near future (actually 1998), the USA has run out of oil, and many Americans are literally living in their (now stationary) cars and either jog or ride bicycles to travel. The federal government, housed in "The Western White House" (a sub-leased condominium in Marina del Rey, California), is near bankruptcy and in danger of being foreclosed by a cartel of Native Americans in control of Nike Inc. (which has been renamed "National Indian Knitting Enterprise"). President Chet Roosevelt (John Ritter) hires television consultant Eric McMerkin (Peter Riegert) to help produce a national raffle. Instead, they decide that the only way enough money can be raised to save America is to run a telethon, and hire TV celebrity Monty Rushmore (Harvey Korman) to host it.

What I find interesting is that it's now 2008. Sure, we haven't run out of oil per se but we sure are scrambling for it. The entire world knows we're paying too much for it. The price is only going to rise as well. I'm sure incidences of theft are only going to increase as well. I'm not calling for it but I'm sure more 'random' acts of violence is going to occur from the rise of gas prices. This might occur because the trapped cage effect has surely begun. In April, Americans drove 1.4 billion miles less than in April of '07 and 30 billion miles less overall since this same time last year. Once people start getting tired of traveling to the same places or feel that their options have been cut off, they'll start fighting back. Albeit, they'll be fighting the wrong people but fighting nonetheless because they won't have any other outlet for their anger.

People need to let it out every once in a while. No unlike the various riots of the past, I expect another. Except this time, I'm not sure if it's going to happen in L.A., Watts, Chicago, Harlem or Brixton even. But it's going to happen. If I'm where a riot happens though, I just hope to God I have enough gas in my tank to get away in time...

I'm SO glad someone else said it.

2008-06-09T03:21:00.003-04:00

I've thought Tupac was overrated when he was alive. You can only imagine how I feel about him now.

That is all. Carry on.

Bigg Russ (back in the hizzy!)

The news of my death has been greatly yadda, yadda, yadda...

2008-04-21T00:33:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I'm still here. Life has been both busy and GREAT for me so I haven't had the time to post. That will all change shortly. To all that still check my page...One love!!

A mother and son reunited!

2008-03-28T14:17:00.005-04:00

Tiffany and Kobe...great together. (photo taken before the abduction)

PLEASE take the time out to read this story about a mother who NEVER gave up searching for her kidnapped son. It's just the kind of story we need to read more of in this time of illegal wars, unnecessary killing of monks and nuns, 'racist' clergyman, horny politicians, jailed rappers, steroid enhanced athletes and busted economies.

I absolutely LOVE children. I absolutely love RESPONSIBLE parents too. The bravery put forth by Tiffany Rubin in finding her missing child is ripe for recognition and praise. I wish more parents would love their children like Tiffany Rubin. We'd be living in a joyous place.

I believe that.

Please excuse the oversight...

2008-03-22T18:51:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago I laced you with what I thought were some of the best, newest hip-hop albums recently released. Well...I missed one. Sacrifice by QN5 F@MM menber, SUBSTANTIAL, deserves to be listed among those other albums I listed. You don't have to kick me in the butt for not telling you. I've already kicked myself for missing it. Enjoy.

Oh, if you see Sub in the street, tell 'em I'm sorry. ;-)

Peace, Tonedeff. You dropped another bomb, son.

Never fear...Pete Ross is here!!

2008-03-14T20:54:00.004-04:00

The problem is, he's not here to save the day. He's here to show the world how much of an ass he can truly be. For three or four seasons on Smallville, Pete Ross was THE best friend a man of steel could have. He lied. He created diversions. He committed crimes and got arrested for them. He accidentally and self-irradiated himself with meteor rock. Heck, he even died a couple of times if I recall correctly. Even if he didn't, I know I died more than once watching him bumble and fall his way through one of my favorite popcorn TV series of all time. He did all that for the (seemingly but not really) last son of Krypton and all he got for it was a butt-whuppin' and one way ticket out of Kansas.

After all he had done for Clark, Pete ended up hating himself for knowing Clark's secret. Some would call it jealousy. Others, envy. I just think deep down he wished he had never met Mr. Universe in the first place. He only hung out with Clark to get to Chloe anyway (oh, I remember that pilot episode very well, thank you very much). Not only was he 3 feet high and non-rising, he couldn't break that interracial wall of weird for all the meteor rock in the world.

Initially, I felt bad for young Ross. He was the object of a broken home but his mom was positive and tried hard to keep him out of trouble. She even became a judge or something unbelievable with regards to his storyline. I even demanded that the writers show him some respect. Mainly 'cause he was an Afro-Ameri...uhhh...Negro...uhh...Bla....you know, a colored fella trying to survive among aliens (I'm talking about the people of Kansas, not the Kryptonians). As the seasons rolled on though, I began to realize something. Pete Ross was an ass. Like, no really...an ass. How do you call the most powerful being in the world best friend and all you can think about is Chloe and acting a fool and living in his shadow? Dude, you're 3 feet. You live in most people's shadows. I didn't like the way Pete was dismissed from the show though so I've always wished for his return. But of course, you must always, always, ALWAYS watch what you wish for...'cause you just may get it.

Imagine how I felt this week after learning that Pete was actually returning for ONE WHOLE SHOW?! I mean, can it be?! Did he change? Did he conquer his mental inadequacies? Did he grow? To all of that, I sadly say no. Not only did Pete not learn from his former ways, he actually go worse. In this episode, he gets infected yet again by Kryptonite. In an over the top Stride gum advertisement, Pete chews some meteor rock-laced chewing gum and becomes Blastic Man with the ability to stretch a la The Elongated Man. Long story short, Pete ends up running around Smallville talking about how the world needs to know about his powers and in the process making the world safer for meteor freaks yadda, yadda, yadda. Three years gone and Clark ends up saving his corny ass...AGAIN.

Pete gets beat up. Again. Pete admits to being envious of Clark. Again. Pete apologizes for acting stupid. Again. Pete flirts with Chloe. Again. *Yawn* Then...vanishes! Bops off into the sunset as if he had something better to do. Riiiiight. I'd let Pete slide this time as it's good to see some consistencies in life. But he failed one test. He showcased his powers to Chloe by reaching across a room and grabbing a rose from a vase. I don't know about you, but if I felt for Chloe the way Pete felt for Chloe, I know how I would've showcased my talents to her if I could stretch like that.

In Search Of...$4,300 worth.

2008-03-14T14:16:00.002-04:00

Nope! We'll have to keep looking, boys.

Cue the track!! "And I still...haven't found...what I'm looking for!!"

Officer's Ridley death's...was his own fault.

2008-03-13T15:32:00.002-04:00

At least, that's what a grand jury feels when they decided not to indict the four officers responsible for killing their follow officer. Help me to understand this a little:

Okay, I'm a cop, right? I see a disturbance going on. I run into a local government building. I request back-up...IN PERSON. I run back outside to break up the disturbance. My back-up arrives. I hear my back-up yell drop the weapon. BOOM!! Through my head...I'm dead.

Yeah, I can totally see how my death would be my fault.

GMAFB.

New York's new Governor is a 'first'!!

2008-03-12T13:20:00.003-04:00

David Paterson

Not only is New York's new governor Black, he's also the first legally blind Governor. I don't know if legally blind people should be proud...but the 'news' keeps mentioning it...like that's an accomplishment. Once upon a time, being Black was enough to make most 'first' lists. Apparently, now you need to share your melanin level with your handicap if you do something first. Heck, I think him being a native of Brooklyn is enough to scream about. :-)

Let's welcome the homeboy and see what he can do. We'll be watching, Gov. Paterson.

No pun(s) intended.

Bigg Russ (est. 1971)

The illest...

2008-03-09T00:19:00.004-05:00

Ivan make basket!!

2008-03-08T14:47:00.007-05:00

Once upon a time, Whoopie Goldberg starred in a movie called Eddie, about a NY Knicks fan who gets the opportunity to coach the team through Hollywood only-type circumstances.

In the movie, former NBA player Dwayne Schintzius, more famous for being on the wrong end of Shaq's backboard shattering events than actually playing basketball, portrays a Russian NBA player who isn't much on words. Dwayne's character had one line, "Ivan make basket." He was clear on what he did. He didn't block, he didn't steal. He didn't assist. He made basket.

Well...check out this inspiring story of Sasha Kaun, a real life Ivan, except with PLENTY more skill. I'm posting this because it's inspiring AND about basketball. I'm also posting this because the locals need to pay attention and realize what others go through to get where they, the locals, don't appreciate. You're not guaranteed anything. No one owes you a contract. Just because you're born here means nothing in the 21st century. Learn from your hardships and do better...don't hold yourself and others back. Never forget but don't live in the past.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Bigg Russ

Keeping Hip Hop alive...

2008-03-06T09:55:00.011-05:00

If you think you care/know/love hip hop, then you NEED to check out these new albums.

(artist - album title)

Black Spade - To Serve With Love

Remember what Common used to sound like? Black Spade is the 2nd coming m. When those 'best rap album of '08' conversations begin, To Serve... had better be in included.

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War

A little known fact about Ms. Badu is that she's a rapper by nature. This album makes that fact crystal.

EMC - The Show

1/4th of EMC is Masta Ace. What more needs to be said? We Alright is THE feel good song of the year. Great job, fellas. GREAT job.

Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

Better than the first album. Did you hear me? I said better. And yes, Gnarls is Hip Hop. You know this to be true.

And in case you missed it...

Pete Rock - NY's Finest

Click for my semi-detailed review.

Celebrityismness....

2008-03-01T01:28:00.004-05:00

So, I'm walking through John F. Kennedy International Airport a few weeks ago and walking past the baggage claim area where I run upon a taller-than-me African-American/Negro/Black/Colored man. I'm just about 6'1" so I immediately think to myself, "NBA!!" Well, as coincidence or Murphy's Law or whatever would have it, I recognized the dude. And yes, he was NBA!! albeit former. It was none other than the Spider himself, John "Best Damn Sports Show Ever!" Salley.

I put my hand out on some 'ol hey, I'm black...you're black, let's do some soul clapping handshake!! kind of thing. He was tooling on his Crackberry so it either took him a minute to notice me or he was straight ignoring me. Either way, I didn't remove my hand until I knew he knew that I was recognizing his famousticitiy.

For those who don't know, John "The Spider" Salley (corny nickname, but he earned it) is the proud owner of four NBA Championship Rings - two earned via the Detroit Pistons before M.J. decided to shut them down forever and two ridin' the bench. He earned one with Shaq and Co. on the Lakers and another, ironically, watching from the Chicago Bulls bench as M.J.'s teammate. He's also been in Bad Boys I & II. You know...don't you remember the imprisoned computer geek? Didn't think so. He also co-hosts that show I mentioned in between his name earlier along side other more-famous-in-their-own-heads people such as Tom Arnold.

That being said, after he finally decided to shake my hand, almost on cue, he spun his head away from me as if someone called him or.....something. Pretty convenient. I suppose he didn't want any *ahem* fans recognizing him or anything. God forbid if I blew up his spot or anything. I didn't trip though. I took it in stride and kept on. I actually like John Salley. He's a nice guy and it was cool meeting him, even if it was really just me meeting him and him not really meeting me.

I didn't get five paces away from Mr. Spider, when I hear someone walk up behind me and say something. I didn't quite think this person was speaking to me so I didn't respond. The person then raised their voice to make sure I heard them. I then felt a touch on my elbow and heard a ladies voice say, "Excuse me, what NBA player was that?" Now...what made that question interesting to me is that w/o even mentioning NBA or sports at all, she KNEW he was in the NBA or had been at some point. Amused, I turned to see who this was. To my amazement, I see this vision loviness walking besides me:

My simple exit from JFK had now become a bona fide, very surreal WTF?! moment. Susan Sarandon - five time Oscar nominee, one time Oscar winner, political activist, grounded New Yorker and all around beautiful woman that she is - stopped me and asked me who John Salley was. Now, it wasn't the fact that she didn't know who John Salley was. I mean..he's not that famous. It was the whole famous person asking me who another (semi) famous person was that got me. I mean...I know Mrs. Sarandon (long time love of Tim Robbins) is just another human being in the grand scheme of things but isn't there a 'famous person' code written somewhere that says if you're famous, you're allowed to run up on other famous people and ask them who they are? I'm just sayin'.

Anyways, I open my mouth and the first thing I say is, "Well...you're Susan Sarandon," as if she didn't know already, "...and that was John Salley, former NBA player." She laughed at my answer for a second then said, "Oh..." I would've literally LOL'ed had I not still been semi-mesmerized that I was speaking with Susan fuckin' Sarandon. She became one of my favorite actors after seeing her in Lorenzo's Oil and Dead Man Walking. I'm respectful of celebrities' celebrityness so I didn't bother to ask for an autograph or anything like that. I just kept it moving.

Susan (I can call her that now) and I walked another 8/16 of a mile together just giggling ('cause right after she asked me, another woman ran up on her to ask her who 'that' guy was...until she realized she was asking Susan Sarandon which tripped her out). She was very sweet and humble and HUMAN. It was a GREAT moment to be in...especially after my brother gave me the cold shoulder. I won't read too much into it but the difference in how they both dealt with me was pretty amazing. The 2/4 champion acted as if I was disturbing him when in fact he should've been glad that someone who doesn't watch The Best Damn... recognized his corny ass at all. On the flipside, this seasoned, very accomplished, VERY FAMOUS entertainer was just as sweet and chill as could be.

If I were to ever reach that level of celebrity and want to be respected, I plan on handling it like a sexy, older white woman. Trust me.

One love....

The Chocolate Boy Wonder is back to save the day...

2008-02-27T10:20:00.004-05:00

If you're still one of the five people who actually pay attention to album *ahem* releases, then you've probably heard that Janet Jackson's and Erykah Badu's new albums were released yesterday. Well...I'm here to set the record straight and to let all y'all know that there was more than one major release yesterday. The Chocolate Boy Wonder, Soul Brother #1 himself PETE ROCK has dropped yet ANOTHER hip-hop gem on ya! NY's Finest, Pete's 6th 'solo' album (9th if you include his AMAZING work as 1/2 of the legendary group Pete Rock & CL Smooth), was released yesterday as well. Janet's album is good (MUCH better than the last) and Erykah's album is great (props to Ms. Badu for showing love to J. Dilla!) but Pete's contribution to this beloved art form is without a doubt the stand out release for me.

I told myself I wouldn't get into detailed reviews here...and I won't...but I will say that Pete's production on this album is just as good as anything he's ever done. The guest performances by Redman, Little Brother, Chip-Fu (on a reggae joint! Go Pete!!), and a host of others is handled with care as to make sure you don't forget why you're listening to this album. When you listen to a Pete Rock album, it's not for the rappers...it's for the MUSIC. Or, at least, that's how it should be. The most surprising guest appearance on the album comes from Lords of the Underground. I haven't heard about them in years and they still haven't lost a step. It does my heart good to see established artists still working with other established artists and not just the 'new' cats and who ever's 'hot' on the radio.

Pete Rock is not a legendary producer because he sold 5 million copies of an album or because he had a too-public beef with some other knucklehead. Pete Rock is legendary because he's GREAT at his craft. Pete Rock is a producer's producer. Don't take my word for it. Listen to what these little to somewhat famous producers have to say about him. Pete has produced for more artists than I can remember. He's extremely notable for his remixes which were usually better than the original track. Check any hip-hop remixes from the early-to-mid 90's. You're bound to find an amazing Pete Rock remix eventually.

All that being said, there is one ingredient missing from this mix. All the true Pete Rock fans know what I'm referring to. For all the rappers that Pete has produced for, NONE OF THEM flowed more fluently over his tracks than CL Smooth. It's a God given fact as far as I'm concerned. It's not even up for debate or discussion. Personal misunderstandings aside between the two, I will forever continue to wish/hope/pray that they will work together again on at least one more song or an entire album. CL released an album last year entitled American Me. It was a good album but it didn't get much attention at all. Wanna guess why?

Bigg Russ
'92 Forever...

I've always believed....

2008-02-04T00:46:00.000-05:00

Cop on (Black) cop crime.

2008-01-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

They say isolated incidents shouldn't necessarily be used as examples for a range of events. Well, a man who was practically like a SON to me was fatally shot and killed by another man earlier this evening. My 'SON' was a cop. Incidentally, the man who shot my 'SON' was a cop too.

Go figure...

I'm so ANGRY I can barely breathe right now...

"It belongs in a museum!!"

2008-01-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

If you know anything about Indiana Jones, then you recognized that quote. Well, take a look at how the Smithsonian is recognizing "African-American" treasures. I respect all preservation projects. Ya know...that whole thing about not knowing where you've been yadda, yadda, yadda... Some people like to say there is never a how-to book regarding this or that. In my humble opinion, the past is our best source of how- and how-not-to.

Once you've done reading the article, check out the rest of what Smithsonian.com has to offer. They rock.

In 1992, Snoop Dogg once wrote...

2008-01-21T00:53:00.001-05:00

"Compton and Long Beach together, now you know you in trouble..."

Well, in 2007, what he said still rings true. This is just ridiculous... Have 'my people' not learned ANYTHING?!

This just in...!

2008-01-20T16:03:00.000-05:00

Race is still an issue in the United States!!

I wish...

2008-01-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

...for a long, healthy life.

...for a safe, dependable, inexpensive, economically inclined vehicle. Like an H2 or a Dodge Charger. :)

...people would stop saying Tupac is the greatest ever. Skee-Lo is the greatest ever.

...Huckabee doesn't win. Seriously...Pres. Huckabee just doesn't cut it for me.

...religious fanatics would stop killing in the name of their 'god'. It's just doesn't get any sillier than that.

...Mt. Vernon HS (New York) would schedule the damn reunion already!

...Dunkin' Donuts would bring back the Berry Berry donut!! How you gonna tease me like that!!

...Hollywood would get off its collective asses and give the writers what they want. I'm about to start downloading more Bollywood stuff. Not that I don't already... I'm just sayin'.

...big business would understand that the answer is not to downsize but to cut back. Cutting back the entire staff's hours is infinitely better than laying off employees.

...a 32-42" LCD HDTV monitor with DVI, HDMI, VGA and component inputs w/ full 1080p output would drop out of the sky and gingerly land on my office desk at home.

...I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller...

Good riddance...

2007-12-31T11:34:00.000-05:00

2007 sucked. Plain and simple. It personally one of the worst years I've ever experienced. I'm glad to see it gone. That being said, I AM thankful that the Creator saw fit to have me experience it all though. As bad as it was, it would've been worse had I not been here at all. Experience, good or bad, is experience...and should be had by all.

I want to say God bless to everyone I know and love who's gone through the crap like my family and I have. This past year hasn't been good for many of us but we ARE HERE and will continue to survive as best we can. We have to.

Until next year, one love...

Bigg Russ

Two men and a camera...

2007-12-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hey, you ever visit a website to buy something and you see that photo of that happy customer service rep? You know...the one who reps EVERY company? That's what's known as a stock photo. I know people who do that. Photographers, that is, but with better subject matter.

Along your web travels, stop by Wicks Brothers' Photography. Instead of lame, unoriginal stock photos, they've got non-lame, original photos. Check out Brother Mike's eye for underwater scenes and landscapes. Or feast your optics on Brother Gary's thing for Europe or simple country living.

Like I've mentioned earlier, I don't get paid from semi-advertising other links in my blog. I share what I want to share because I want to share it.

Hip Hop Since '71

The Color Purple: HD Edition 2012

A Heavy Contribution...

Bring That Beat B@ck!!

The Next 24 Volume IV...Mix CD Presented by Twix and New Era

The Highest Form of Insult Is...

Jane Child - Don't Wanna Fall In Love (CD Maxi-Single) [FLAC]

Madame X - Madame X (1987) (FLAC)

Myron - We Can Get Down (CDS) (1997) (FLAC)

En Vogue - Remix To Sing (1990) (FLAC)

Flavor Unit - Roll Wit Tha Flava (1993) [FLAC]

The Fab 5 - Blah/Leflah Promo CD (1995) [FLAC]

Sade - The Remix Deluxe (1992) [FLAC]

Frankie Cutlass - Puerto Rico (CD Single) [FLAC]

It's been a long time...

News. (Not) News.

An Open Letter To All Rhyme Sayers...

Killa Sha ft. Biggie Smalls *UNRELEASED*

HANDS-ON AID IN HAITI - VITAL INFO! DONATIONS CENTERS INFO

Overstanding...

The Crashing Sound of Tiger's Vanity

Good riddance!

God, please send these people back to us!!

Songs that mean something. To me.

10 For Thursday.

If I were granted one wish to change any day in history...

10 More Points...

Long Live Scott La Rock...

10 Points

Losing faith...

A class all our own...

4th Friday Open Mic Nights @ Cimarron Cultural Cafe!

New Music Monday is back!!

Come with me if you want to live!!

The Curious Case of Funkmaster Flex

Rock The Bells 2009

This is why I'm hot! Again.

I may have been born in the day...

Welcome To NY, Larry Hughes!!

An Open Letter To The Residents of Mt. Vernon, NY...

I don't even know where to begin...

Abe Lincoln...the great racist emancipator?

Yet another 'senseless' shooting in Mt. Vernon, NY

You'll get no pomp and circumstance from me...

I'm not buying into the Obama hype...

Yeah, you know what it is...

Getting Over Race...

Another word for synonym...

Just when I thought dying of natural causes was bad...

Fear...

I'm only going to say this ONCE (this week)!!

PRESIDENT OBAMA

The follow-through...

Thanks, Mr. Walsh....

Another senseless shooting...

Chocolate News

Hip hop is GodSent...

O.J. is off the streets!!!

Just a quick shout out...

LIke father, like son...

Obama's DNC acceptance speech...

...and my favorite former First Lady!

Michelle Obama ... our next First Lady.

C'mon, ladies...it's Miller Time!

Trifecta!

Rain Dance

R.I.P., Issac....

R.I.P., Bernie....

Denzel gives Mt. Vernon sports $100G

Rock The Bells 2008 - Jones Beach, NY

Ben Gordon Weekend 2008

Governing parents...

Scarface meets Jacque Cousteau.

The Dark Knight returns...

A Mt. Vernon author is born...

Zulu! Zulu!!

How NOT to make a top 50 list...

The Hotness

Missed it by THAT much...

I'm SO glad someone else said it.

Killa Sha ft. Biggie Smalls UNRELEASED