Word to the Recession
As I read about the rising unemployment numbers in the Times this morning I see the silver lining. I can’t help but to see it because the silver lining of this economic mess has become my company’s greatest asset. Years ago, a successful entrepreneur told me that extremely low unemployment is bad, perhaps even worse than extremely high numbers. In the late 90’s when unemployment was low (3 or 5%) due to the Internet boom there was a softness to the economy. Because it was relatively so easy to get a job no one was hungry. Unqualified ...
What’s Beef?
Beef=Bread. It’s no secret that throughout its history, Hip-Hop has thrived both commercially and artistically on the antagonism of its biggest names. Since the days when The Herculoids rocked the block parties of the Bronx, the open confrontation of the break, DJ, and later MC battles was responsible for the emergence of hip-hop’s earliest stars (Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation, Caz, and others come to mind). As battles became increasingly popular, the shift in prominence from breaking and DJing to the MC came to define our modern notion of hip-hop. Not only that, but think about ...
The view from the Bodega Booth
It has rained the most I have ever seen in the month of June; actually it has felt like April. Rain can be discouraging, especially in June, the beginning of summer where the sun should be sending consistent rays down your back. So in the days leading up to the 5th annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival we all hoped the rain contingency plan would not be needed. Maybe just for us the rain would stop and we’d have a gloriously sunny day in DUMBO (Empire Fulton Ferry State Park soon to be Brooklyn Bridge Park). This was certainly not ...
Did we embrace the Martian at South Street Seaport?
Internet hype is a crazy thing. It has made some of the greatest MCs of the 90s look like broke, washed-up, dust heads. Conversely it can make hordes of no-talent artists the flavor of the month, propelling them to short-term, “swag”-driven, faux-stardom. However, when these artists break out of the blogosphere and onto the charts, you have to begin to take them seriously, regardless of their perceived validity. Such was the case of Kid Cudi. His overwhelmingly popular Internet mixtape “A Kid Named Cudi,” along with an invaluable co-sign from the illustrious Mr. Kanye West, launched him into our popular ...
Opinion
As I read about the rising unemployment numbers in the Times this morning I see the...
Beef=Bread. It’s no secret that throughout its history, Hip-Hop has thrived...
It has rained the most I have ever seen in the month of June; actually it has felt...
Read More Posts From This CategoryEvents
Brooklyn: Afro-Punk Festival 2009!!
July 4-6 2009 at GGMC Car Park (BAM Parking Lot) Brooklyn, NY (corner of Lafayette...
Rich Medina & Q-Tip are OPEN | Fridays
The party is called OPEN. Dubbed “Best DJ Night” at Paper Magazine’s...
Beats & BBQ: The Star Spangled Boogie ‘0
Friday, July 3, 2009 Beats & BBQ returns for some early Independence Day...
Read More Posts From This CategoryNews
Joblessness Hits 9.5%, Deflating Recovery Hopes
The American economy lost 467,000 more jobs in June, and the unemployment rate edged up to 9.5 percent in a sobering indication that the longest recession since the 1930s had yet to release its hold. The numbers are indicative of a continued, very severe recession,” said Stuart G. Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh.... [Read more of this review]
MySpace victim’s mom disappointed by ruling
Tina Meier had hoped to see her neighbor and former friend, Lori Drew, go to prison for her role in the online hoax that caused Meier’s 13-year-old daughter, Megan, to end her life. But even though a judge is throwing out Drew’s conviction, Meier believes Drew didn’t get away with anything. “I wouldn’t want to be in Lori Drew’s... [Read more of this review]
U.S. Shifts Strategy on Illicit Work by Immigrants
Immigration authorities had bad news this week for American Apparel, the T-shirt maker based in downtown Los Angeles: About 1,800 of its employees appeared to be illegal immigrants not authorized to work in the United States. But in contrast to the high-profile raids that marked the enforcement approach of the Bush administration, no federal agents... [Read more of this review]
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