Hoopz Arrested

Hoopz, real name Nicole Alexander, was arrested in Dearborn for assaulting a police officer. Supposedly, one of her neighbors complained about the noise level coming out of her house.

When police arrived, Hoopz began to explain to the police officers how she felt harassed by this neighbor and felt that their complaint was unjustified... the rest of the details are a little shaky to me but you can read the rest of the article below...

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Two 6 Mafia?

Crunchy black has left Three 6 Mafia. Currently there is no explanation for his departure from the group but he wasn't at SummerJam and his group members are claiming that they haven't heard from him in a few months.

Three 6 Mafia won an Oscar for their anthem "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" which was played in the film "Hustle and Flow."

Their most recent album, Most Known Unknown, has gone certified platinum.

We Invested In That, It's Like We Got Merrill Lynched

One of my favorite songs from Kanye West's Late Registration is Crack Music. Even Michael Eric Dyson agrees that Kanye makes reference to some important, although controversial, statements in this song.

For those of you who may not be familiar with this song, Kanye is suggesting that rap music is the byproduct of instituional racism and initiatives that have disenfranchised many of the listeners and performers of hip-hop music.

"Crack raised the murder rate in DC and Maryland
We invested in that, it's like we got Merrill Lynched"

The fact that Kanye believes, like many others, that hip-hop/rap music serves as a tool for expression (as well as) sharing one's conditions and environment is not necessarily a new thing. I just think that line I quoted above is kinda hot.

Where's Neo-Soul?

What do you think about the current state of Hip-Hop Music. While it is a little bit cliche to repeat how most hip-hop music is overrun with references to flashy cars, women and material items there still seems to be a void in the alternative artists who once provided a break from this "bling bling".

Where is Hip-Hop going?

I mean, where are the Roots? Common? Erykah Badu? I hear that Mos Def is back in the studio.

My point with this rant is that a lot of the artists who offer a counter image to the materialistic message found in most Hip-Hop these days seem to be on hiatus. When are they coming back with new stuff?

Does Oprah dislike Hip-Hop?

Ice Cube joins the list of rappers (i.e. Ludacris, 50 Cent) who feel that Oprah has a problem with rap artists. Some believe this problem stems from Oprah's disappointment with the use of the "n-word" in many hip-hop artist's song.

Ice Cube's beef with Oprah stems from his perceived feeling that Oprah repeatedly excludes him from television appearances on her show. He claims to have attempted to get on the show three times and has been turned down each time. He points to the 2002 Barbershop Oprah show where Cedric the Entertainer and Eve were invited to the show but he was not.

In response to remarks that Oprah did not like Hip-Hop Music, the talk show host appeared on New York's 105.1 FM to defend herself:

She revealed to DJ Ed Lover: "I listen to some hip-hop. You know, I've been accused of not liking hip-hop, and that's just not true.

"I got a little 50 Cent on my iPod. I really do. I love 'In Da Club', and you know, I love Jay-Z, I love Kanye West and I love Mary J. Blige."

What do you think?

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Full Frame Film Festival Report: Beyond Beats and Rhymes

This weekend, I had the good fortune to attend the Full Frame Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina. There were a number of good documentaries shown at this international festival, but one that stuck out to me was Byron Hurt's "Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-Hop Head Weighs in on Manhood in Rap Music."

This documentary really touched on some of the misogynistic and homophobic issues found in a lot of popular Hip-Hop music.  The documentary does a good job of distinguishing between the conscious Hip-Hop artists and those who use exploitative lyrics and references to "sell more records."

I can't do justice to this film in this small space, but Mr. Hurt's focus on the portrayal of black manhood in Hip-Hop suggests that these images of "manhood" are actually over exaggerated and detrimental to many of the individuals who may follow these molds. 

The film includes guests such as Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Russell Simmons, Chuck D, Micheal Eric Dyson and a number of other celebrity commentators.  This is one of my favorite movies of this year and I recommend that everyone attempt to find a copy of this film.

Check out Byron Hurt's website.

Outkast's Idlewild Trailer

Outkast is starring in a new movie called Idlewild which will include songs from their previous albums as well as never before heard songs.

Bryan Barber, director of many Outkast videos, has been assigned to direct the film. Some of the talent in the film include Bruce Bruce, Patti LaBelle, Ving Rhames, Cicely Tyson and a number of other celebritieis

Check out the trailer here