- Blu signs with Sire/Warner Bros., prepares to learn Industry Rule #4080 (hiphopdx.com)
- Elliott Wilson prepares to launch RapRadar, yet another mainstream rap aggregator site (folio.com)
- New RNC chairman Michael Steele wants to woo hip-hop voters, one-armed midgets (washingtontimes.com)
- Beastie Boys working on new album (ew.com)
- Overrated “legend” Rick Rubin (yeah, I said it) working with overrated rappers Clipse (ew.com)
- Eminem’s digital royalties lawsuit against Universal Music Group goes to trial (rollingstone.com)
Late passes: J. Period & Q-Tip, The Abstract Best (jperiod.com), Cool Calm Pete’s The Food Theme (thememagazine.com), Amanda Diva’s Spandex, Rhymes and Soul (myspace.com)
Here is a collection of songs inspired by yesterday’s inauguration of President Barack Obama. It’s a follow-up to my post from last November collecting hip hop themed Obama songs. Thankfully — save for Jay-Z and Jeezy’s celebratory “My President Is Black” track, which is included here — most of the artists ask tough questions about whether President Obama can live up to expectations.
This folder includes joints from Mr. Lif, Busdriver and Flying Lotus (it seems every MP3 collection I make has a Flying Lotus track), Pep Love, Saul Williams, Finale, Junk Science and, just for kicks, a bizarre number from Mr. SOS (best known for his association with Cunninlynguists) that turns “A Milli” into “Obama.” They were collected from various sources, including MySpace pages, direct links and blogs such as 2dopeboyz.com and Self-titledmag.com.
Enjoy.
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Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.
It’s been nearly a week since Illinois senator Barack Obama concluded an inspiring run for president of the United States by beating Arizona senator John McCain in the 2008 election. It’s clear that the global community as a whole have responded happily to his improbable victory.
Although Obama tribute songs have become the the new “A Milli” (as 2dopeboyz.com accurately put it, referring to the avalanche of remixes generated by Lil Wayne’s “A Milli”), however, not everyone has responded to this historic moment with unqualified joy. Many artists, critics and activists, while aware of the importance of Obama becoming the first African-American — and the first biracial — president of the United States, as well as the first black man to head a major Western nation in centuries, have cautioned against losing sight of the many problems that still plague American society. And a handful of others have argued that Obama may occupy the executive office, but he’s part of a political system that has fundamental problems one man can’t overcome.
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