Republicans - now what. From the LA Times
As Republicans fight President Obama's gargantuan economic plan, they have plenty of ideas. What they don't have is a party-wide consensus:They can't agree among themselves on the best alternative, or on whether government action is even needed to pull the economy from its nose dive.
The Bodega congratulates Christina Norman on her appointment as CEO of OWN the new TV network from the world of Oprah. Christina was on our Making History Now Panel last week and we are more than happy for her and this power move.
From the NYTimes
The forthcoming cable network from Oprah Winfrey named Christina Norman, a former MTV president, to be chief executive on Thursday, concluding a search that started in earnest more than a year ago.
The appointment has been the biggest missing piece for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, which was first announced 12 months ago. A joint venture of Ms. Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications, the network will replace the Discovery Health Channel, which is available in about 70 million households. A premiere date has not been set.
You Tube and the William Morris Agency, the Hollywood talent agency, are close to signing a deal that would place the company’s clients in made-for-the-Web productions.
This would be YouTube’s most sweeping attempt to date to add professionally produced videos to its Web site.
NY Times
NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol said the network is down to just two available Super Bowl spots and has managed to sell all of them at prices above $2.4 million, a sign that economic issues haven't thwarted advertisers' desire to be in the annual football classic.
From Ad Age
Right now, somewhere in Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is smiling. Four years after skeptics questioned the Wii's viability, the console is soaring above even the wildest expectations.
From Game Spot
Ut seems as though the Republican position is to sit in the corner and pout while the President gets to work.
From the Times
Without a single Republican vote, President Obama won House approval on Wednesday for an $819 billion economic recovery plan as Congressional Democrats sought to temper their own differences over the enormous package of tax cuts and spending.
This quote says it best: “Not one person felt his or her district needed to have any of this assistance?” Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, asked of the Republicans. “That can’t be.”
We hope you enjoyed Native Tongue Week and have some new insight into this incredible moment in the life of Hip-Hop.
Next week is Dilla Week!
Back in the days on the Boulevard of Linden
Lee Major was underrated
what's up Fool!
s
one of the best De La songs and videos
It's the Cons
this performance changed everything
The heirs to the Native Tongue throne is a long list. Little Brother, Consequence, Black Star, Bush Babees, Mos Def, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, Butta Verses, The Pharcyde, Truth Enola, Souls Of Mischief and the list goes on. There are also many impostors. Groups who use a vague affiliation as a marketing ploy. Then there are those like Lupe Fiasco who shun the affiliation despite obvious parallels.
An analysis of all the heirs would take more time than I have to spend on this piece. Of all the younger groups who claim affiliation we will focus on two: Mos Def and Slum Village. The latter because of the very clear endorsement via Q-Tip’s verse on “Hold Tight” from Fantastic Vol. 2 “I’m out now this is the last time to cheer me…I’m a leave it in the hands of the Slum now.” And although Mos did not receive such a verbal blessing his amount of work with core Native Tongue cornerstones De La Soul and Tribe put him ahead of the pack.
Another reason why I focus on these two is they took the Native Tongue aesthetic and moved it forward. So much so that in many cases the teachers became the students. Slum Village and Mos Def both influenced Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest heavily. While groups like Little Brother built their career on reminding us of the Native Tongue sound and energy, Mos and The S created a unique sound based on the Native Tongues. This is not meant to take anything away from Little Brother as I applaud them for embracing their Hip-Hop heritage. Even by their name they pay homage to those who came before them. This level of humility is rarely seen in Hip-Hop. But for today we are going to discuss The Mighty Mos, Dilla Dog, RL Altman III and Baatin Rasul Rasi.
Mos Def was rolled out almost as the son of De La Soul sort of like how Run was the son of Kurtis Blow. “Big Brother Beat” from ‘Stakes Is High’ was Mos’ re-introduction after the short lived group UTD that was signed to Payday Records. His status as the #1 draft pick was cemented by the mere fact that ‘Big Brother Beat’ was far from the best record on the album but we all went ga-ga over him anyway. He was a key part of the De La camp in a time when the Native Tongue crew had lost much of its shine and members. He single-handedly resurrected the vibe. And what made it better Mos was one of us. A kid from Brooklyn who grew up listening to these classic records. Probably rhyming in the mirror, lip syncing to ‘Me, Myself, and I’ and rewinding the “Scenario” video to get a tally of all the stars. He was living the dream and his effervescent charisma breathed a new life into Hip-Hop.
After his initial affiliation with De La, Mos began to run with Q-Tip. While Mos became the rock star that Tip was, it is Mos’ influence on Tip that is most important for this discussion. Listening to the shelved “Kamaal The Abstract” album and you can help but think that the new singing Q-Tip spent a lot of time with the singing Mos Def. That same vibe has carried through on Q-Tip’s latest, the exceptional “Renaissance.”
Similar to Latifah as we discussed yesterday Mos has eclipsed his mentors in many ways. Mos’ has produced two incredible albums, his solo “Black On Both Sides” and the collaboration with Talib Kweli “Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star.” He is a movie star…I guess. At least he is the best rapper/actor out. No matter how you slice it Mos is a star. Certainly bigger than the MC’s who put him on.
As for Slum Village. Their influence on the neo Native Tongue sound may be the loudest. Jay Dee himself crafted many of the latter Tribe hits as a part of the Ummah. He co-produced the distinctly non Native Tongue chit “Vivrant Thing.” After the fire that destroyed Q-Tip’s stash of beats, records, and equipment Tip leaned on Jay Dee even more. “Beats, Rhymes, and Life” and “The Love Movement” were the products of the new responsibility to carry the Native Tongue torch that was thrust on Jay Dee. Coincidentally, as much we love Jay Dee and respect his work these two albums are widely recognized as the two weakest from the ATCQ five album discography of original work.
The hard snares and minimalist sound that defines so many neo-Native Tongue-ers all goes back to Jay Dee. He and Slum Village are the link in the chain. 9th Wonder is more a descendant of Jay Dee than Prince Paul, The Bomb Squad or DJ Mark the 45 King. The Roots, Common, D’Angelo, Badu and other extended members of the Neo-Native Tongue sound rarely worked with any original members outside of Q-Tip. But they all worked intimately with Jay Dee. He produced Common’s best work (along with No I.D. in the early years. His Kanye stuff comes in third for me). He was a part of the Soulquarians that simply dominated the non-commercial sound in the early 2000’s with the aforementioned Common, The Roots, Jill Scott and more.
However, the most important part of the Jay Dee/Slum Village legacy was the album “Fantastic Vol.2.” As good as Mos Def’s first solo was this is the only record by a neo-Native Tongue-er that rivaled the classics of the masters. “Vol.2” should be mentioned in conversations with “Midnight Marauders” or “Three Feet High and Rising.” It is the record that Q-Tip tried to make starting with “Beats…” and ending with “Amplified.” It is the record Common was trying to make with “One Day It Will All Make Sense” and “Like Water For Chocolate.” And there is no doubt that Phonte, Pooh, and 9th Wonder spent much time with it. It is a wonderful expansion of the laid back vocal style of Afrika, the reclusive coolness of Q-Tip, the playful ‘I don’t take myself so seriously’ vibe of De La Soul, the machismo bravado of Black Sheep and the innovative use of samples a la Prince Paul. It is the standard for this generation. Slum Village put Detroit on the map in a way that the Great White Hope could not. There is now a whole new generation connected to Jay Dee – Black Milk, Slum Village, Phat Kat, House Shoes, Invincible and more. None have quite broken through but there time is coming.
So here is to the 2nd generations. Fans turned legends.
One of the most unique aspects of the Native Tongue movement was the role women played. Not only was there a very overt effort to stem sexism but the women of the Native Tongue crew were prominently featured. Not because of their physical appearance or romantic relationship to male members but because of their artistic skill. It is interesting to note that unlike other crews it was a woman from this movement who emerged as the strongest member. Queen Latifah is clearly the most powerful and successful Native Tongue alumna.
As I wrote in the first installment there are more similarities with The Native Tongues and a DITC or even a Cash Money than not. Here are two key shared characteristics:
-Musically dominated by one or two (male) MC's.
-Regional in their genesis and overall appeal.
The Native Tongue was All City, cosmo and metropolitan with Tip and Phife repping for Queens, Afrika in Brooklyn, Mike G. - Manhattan, Black Sheep hailed from the Bronx, De La Soul, Busta and Leaders of The New School helped put Long Island on the map. And Latifah extended the love to Eastern New Jersey via Jersey City.
Cash Money and No Limit created a New Orleans mythology that Hip-Hop had never seen.
Outkast, Goodie Mob and Organized Noize made Atlanta cool in a way that Jermaine Dupri never could. T.I. and Young Jeezy are still eating of that plate.
There is no better example of this regional, male dominated mythology than the NWA/Ruthless/Eazy E crew. Their male dominance tipped over into full scale misogyny and even male on female violence (remember Dee from “Pump It Up”). And in the late 80's early 90's you might as well have called Compton Oz (like “The Wizard Of…” not the the prison HBO show) as far as an East Coast cat was concerned.
Now all of these crews had women in them. No Limit had Mia X. NWA had JJ Fad and Mich'ele. Organized Noize had Joi. But these women were minor players at best, window dressing and novelties at worst. (Note: I must admit The Juice Crew did put Roxanne Shante up front in the early days. But once Kane rose to prominence she faded from the spotlight.) On a business end they were never major earners and their releases (if they had them) were never priorities. With the Native Tongues this was not the case at all. Positive treatment of and respect for women was a theme that ran through much of the work.
Trackslike “Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa” addressed issues of exploitation and molestation. “Bonita Applebum” Q-Tip's plea to an older woman who had previously rejected him is one of ATCQ's biggest hits. The only member with a questionable record on gender relations was the black sheep of the crew - the appropriately named Black Sheep. Even then, songs like 'Strobelite Honey' were more playful than venomous.
The Native Tongues had Monie Love and the aforementioned Queen Latifah. While some may consider Monie a two hit wonder (“Ladies First” and “Monie In The Middle”) there is no disputing Latfah's dominance. (For the record I had the biggest crush on Monie Love back in the day)
“All Hail The Queen” produced by the Legendary 45 King was a stellar Hip-Hop album. 19983's “Black Reign” contained the classic “U.N.I.T.Y.” perhaps Latifah's biggest hit. But put all of her recordings to the side and Latifah is still a bona fide media giant. TV, Film, Publishing - she exists on a level with Will Smith, LL Cool J, and Ice Cube in terms of excelling across media for over 20 years.
So wrapped up in their quasi Afrocentric posturing the Native Tongues held a distinct feminist position. Women were given the space to contribute creatively and even rise to positions of power. This is a truly noteworthy part of their legacy because without this model of female empowerment I wonder if we would have had a Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, or Alicia Keys. Furthermore, if Hip-Hop were left to be represented by so many women haters would it have grown to such heights?
Tomorrow - the post Native Tongue-ers
Joaquin Phoenix's Rap Career Is A Hoax, Sources Say
Anonymous sources tell EW.com that Phoenix's supposed transition from acting to music is a big joke. From MTV
