I interviewed Denver-based rap group, Food Chain a couple of weeks ago and they were super cool. Good dudes with good music... a rare combo. This is a song off of their new project, Corpses, which drops tomorrow and features Talib Kweli, Big Pooh, Chaundon and Joe Scudda.
Ah, the never-ending joys of Devin the Dude. I was talking to my brother about how Devin pretty much has a song for every life circumstance.
Feeling bad about your finances? Circumstances? Throwing yourself a pity party? ... "Anythang"
"You ain't the only one who has problems...you ain't the only one who knows pain/Get up off your ass and just solve 'em...you still got a chance to try to change (try the shit again)..."
Upset about unrequited love? Wonder why folk only want to come around when you're up, but ain't around when you're going through it (and probably need them the most)? Grant it, this is pretty vulgar, the the general point is well-taken... "Only Your Mother"
"Now you lookin for a shoulder to lean and bitch I sure hate it, cuz my shit is dislocated..."
True story. Someone recently told me that his vengeful ex used her key to come into his house while he was at work and took all of his blankets, dishes and the vacuum cleaner. She even stole... the doobie out of his ashtray... "Doobie Ashtray"
"Somebody had the nerve to take the herb out of the doobie ashtray, why they do me that way?"
Tryin to make some life decisions? First off, read Proverbs, seriously. But at the end of the day, you can't listen to anyone else. You're the one who lives and dies with your decisions.... "Do What You Wanna Do"
"Everybody's got elders and you should respect them, they've been through similar shit, but then again, you can't let them/ put their hands on your life like a remote control/have you traveling down the same bumpy tore up road..."
This is by far the most interesting thing I've seen on the Internet in ages. The suffering, the injustice, the inhumanity, the sickness, the hope and the revival is so engaging. I couldn't stop watching and thought I'd share.
"...They abandoned working class rap with high ideals and bought into “conscious” fruit cake rap. Rap that is vocal but not offensive, rap that was smart but not blue collar, rap that was willing to protest (see Kanye’s rant on Bush) but not riot (see Rage Against the Machine at the Democratic National Convention)..." -Mike Bigga, Illuminati? Sheesh! This Ish Again!, XXL Blog
And this is why I will always love and support Mike Bigga (Killer Mike). His message goes beyond the convenience of 16 bars and into the actual community. He uses mainstream sites like XXL, not some obscure blog site that only you and your circle of "enlightened" friends know about, to inform the masses. He, in short, is what I have dubbed a "community rapper." Even if you don't agree with everything he says, or dig every song he makes, you can't deny that his heart is with the people.
I interview a lot of rappers for a living. I'm not going to go into the whole "Ignorant Rapper" rant, because the truth is, a lot of these guys that I interview simply are not ignorant. They just don't care enough to say anything relevant. In my opinion, that's a million times worse than not knowing.
So, as the music industry continues to mumble and blubber about "first week sales"-- as our rappers and artists continue to go ape shit over being Grammy-nominated, as "industry insiders" continue to rant and whine about the terrible state of urban radio and how dumb consumers are, at least we have a few people out there, like Mike, who is actually man enough to legitmately say something publicly that actually matters...and make music that actually reflects his knowledge, intelligence and more imporantly his genuine compassion for and committment to the people.
I thought this was pretty cool video shot by the homie Henny-- one half of the uber-dope production duo, Tha Bizness (alongside Dow Jones, who makes an appearance, holding the camera at one point in the video).
You never know what you'll find out when you talk to people on the street. The scenes with the brother breaking down everything from the gospel to crack was especially cool to me.
When I first heard that Foreign Exchange had been nominated for a Grammy for one of my favorite songs of the decade (seriously) "Daykeeper" featuring Musinah, I was excited.
Of course, I was glad that a great song was recognized- but more importantly, that an independent group snagged a Grammy nomination. Hell, their nomination sort of hails a new day. Independent groups/artists have a chance, without compromising their art and integrity.
FE had no Interscope or Def Jam machine behind them. No Viacom. No Radio One. No DJ-rubber-stamped mixtapes. What FE did have, however, was beautiful music, a few great videos and an engaging stage show (that did not, I might add, include any piro-technics or back-up dancers).
Now, they're not the first indie group/artist to be recognized by the Grammys. Last year, I interviewed DC-based singer, Wayna. She was nominated in the same catagory. Nevertheless, FE's nomination, in my mind, speaks of a new day.
Independents can make music, not compromise their art and be recognized by the most presigious awards show in the business. Grant it, the Grammys miss the mark routinely (how on earth did Beyonce's paper thin Sasha Fierce earn 10 nods?) but as an artist you'd be lying if you said a Grammy nom/win wouldn't be one of the pinnacles of your career.
At any rate, congrats to Phonte & Nicolay. Check out their Grammy-inspired video below (directed by Matt Koza).
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