10 Points

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...

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...

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!

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...

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!!

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!!

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