Last week it was actually sunny for more than two days in a row, which in London is like a miracle. Here's a few summertime tunes to keep you going until our next patch of sun...
Roy Ayers- Everybody Loves The Sunshine 1976(Polydor)
Sampled by Brand Nubian on 'Reprise (In The Sunshine)' off the 1990 LP 'One for All'
Kool & The Gang- Summer Madness. From the 1974 LP 'Light of Worlds'
Sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff on the Fresh Prince cut 'Summertime', as well as countless others.
I think hip hop is unique in the way that it can take old music, tinker with it and create something new. Such is the alchemy of hip hop; turning old vinyl and pencil lead into gold or even platinum.
Eugene McDaniels,'Headless Heroes of The Apocalypse', released on Atlantic in 1971 is one of the dopest albums I've ever listened to. It's one of those rare albums that is both informative, protest music but still incredibly soulful and beautifully melodic.
The album has been sampled to hell and back by the hiphop community, Organized Konfusion, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock, Common, Madlib have all used his ish. It's nuts to think that if he never made this album some of my favourite songs might not exist!
The first track on the album,'Lord is Back' is about how the concept of god is a state of mind!
The next track 'Jagger The Dagger' is about how Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones is the devil! The following track, ' Lovin Man' is all about how men have become scared to display emotion and love within society!
And the last track on the album is 10 minutes long and is about the Europeans landing at Plymouth Rock, and what they did to the Indians when they landed, the song is called 'The Parasite'!
The album is heavy on the political and unconventional thought, which is probably why the vice president of the United States, Spiro Agnew tried to supress the record when it was first made!
I've never really heard another record that is so profound politically and even philosophically, and yet so beautiful sonically. It's as if Eugene uses music to help add power and resonance to his message.
This track is called 'Headless Heroes', It's not even one of the better tracks on the album but it's the only track they have on youtube! It's still pretty dope though! The political content is mad deep, 'Niggers and Crackers! Political pawns in the Master Game... Basically cannon fodder!' and the track mad funky! It's been sampled by Beastie Boys on 'Get It Together' and Pete Rock on 'Soul Brother No.1'.
One of my favourite crews Organized Konfusion on one of my favourite tracks called 'Black Sunday', which features a sample of 'Jagger The Dagger'.
Cop that Eugene McDaniels MP3 its only £6.32 on iTunes or wait till I figure out how to upload on here.
'They Live' directed by John Carpenter and released in 1988 is another very dope movie you can watch for free on the internet.
The film is a protest against media and materialism, and the corporate stranglehold media and advertising have upon our lives.
A drifter called Nada, stumbles upon a pair of special glasses that allow him to see the truth.
That an alien race of beings walk amongst us are managing to control us by distracting us with material objects and by sending messages to our subconscious.
The true language of the government and corporate elite (the aliens) is revealed once you don these special glasses, , 'Obey', 'Stay Asleep', 'Submit to Authority'. These words have since become synonymous with revolt and rebellion.
They use of the word 'Obey' in this film inspired the artist Shepard Fairey to create a whole art movement around they word. He's the bredda that made all those cool Obama posters.
The film is an interesting approach at dramatizing the ways we are being subtly controlled.
U mite as well watch it this ish it's free on Google video and its like £16 in HMV.
One of my favourite rappers Redman rhymin ridiculously over a soul-tingling beat by one of my favourite producers, the green eyed bandit Eric Sermon back in 1996.
I'm going to start posting dope movies you can get for free on the internet.
I'll start with Network made in 1976, directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefski. This is probably one of the dopest movies I've ever seen. If you've never seen it I strongly suggest you watch it.
If you're at all interested in the media and how it operates and the power television news wields in churning out it's version of the days events, you will find this film particuarly interesting. The film also shows how big business and government manipulate the media.
The lead role of Howard Beale, the frustrated Anchorman is particuarly brilliant. In fact the two leads, Peter Finch and Faye Dunawaye both won Oscars for their performances.
Erykah Badu references/samples this movie on her lastest album.
You can watch the whole movie right now, online, for free, right here...
The trailer for the new Watchmen film is pretty dope. The movie comes out on Friday and is based on the widely acclaimed graphic novel of the same name written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.
I suppose the making of this film highlights the recent trend in comic book or graphic novels being turned into films; X-men, Superman, Persepolis etc... It highlights how similar and almost interchangeable the two mediums are. The most recent popular and quite good movie to be made into a film from a graphic novel was of course Sin City by Frank Miller, who also wrote 300.
Whilst I found Sin CIty to be more stylish and fast like a Quentin Tarantino flick. I found The Watchmen graphic novel to be of meatier subject matter in the terms of psychology and an overall dialogue on the apocalyptic nature of the Human race. It also discusses themes of various superpowers within the world and their hidden motives, actions, agendas as well as the consequences to these superpowers' actions on a global and universal scale.
The superpowers of the superheroes in the film act as a metaphor for literal superpowers that exist in the world be they nation-states, corporations, religions, or other hidden or occult organizations or entities.
I look forward to seeing the movie and seeing whether it delivers the goods.
