Sunday’s a great day to write these random thoughts:

- Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life” is a really great song. I didn’t realize how dope it was until I went out last night and actually took a listen to it. I downloaded it off iTunes, and have it on my iPod nano a.k.a. “Knight Rider.” Yes, I called my iPod Knight Rider. I would have called it KITT, but that’s wack. When I get to customize the colors on an iPod, I’ll call that one Voltron. Hate me now.

- My cell phone went off in class on Friday, and naturally, I was pretty embarrassed. Of course, one of my kids tried to test me.

Student 1: “Mr. V, I’m going to have to confiscate your cell phone now.”
Me: “Oh yeah, until tomorrow right?”
Student 2: “No, until June 28th and your mom’s going to have to pick it up.”
Me: “So you’re coming in to register for summer school the next day? Cool.”

Needless to say, I kept my cell phone. They really don’t know who they’re messing with.

- Yesterday, I had the privilege of watching Three Mo Tenors at at the Little Shubert Theatre here in NYC, and I was very impressed. Their renditions of classics like “Superstar” by Luther Vandross, “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, and “Midnight Train to Georgia” by the Pips (no Gladys) really impressed me, even more than their renditions of the opera songs they did. Their renditions of “Yeah” by Usher, and “We Will Rock You” by Queen confused me to no end, but everything else was top notch. If they come around your town, go see it.

- Gary Payton’s the latest great player out of my favorite generation of basketball gods to “retire.” I know he’s not officially retired, but he looks comfortable where he’s at right now. Smart basketball player. Exciting defender and scorer. Shit talker. Part of one of the best tag teams on Earth (with the once-exciting-now-befuddling Shawn Kemp). Angry. Street. Charismatic. Just an overall awesome player.

I’m still enamored with basketball from 1989 - 1999, not only because Patrick Ewing and the Knicks gave New York fans a team to believe in, but also because of the amazing games week after week we got to see. The rivalries were intense, and even though the players had big-money contracts, they always played with a lot of heart and vigor. Even when your team was mediocre at best, you still knew you were going to get the best show possible from at least one side of the court. Rarely a dull moment in the NBA.

Michael Jordan. Reggie Miller. Charles Barkley. Clyde Drexler. Hakeem Olajuwon. John Stockton. Karl Malone. Scottie Pippen. Dominique Wilkins. Tim Hardaway. David Robinson. Chris Mullin. Even guys like Jeff Hornacek, Dan Majerle, Mitch Richmond, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Glen Rice, Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway … damn, I miss that NBA.

Really, I do. Even if I hated a good third of the guys on this list, it doesn’t mean I didn’t respect them heavily. To the contrary, I loved to hate them, and that’s what’s missing in the NBA right now. The NBA still has an abundance of stars (LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzi come to mind immediately), but they’re missing that flavor. David Stern and Co. cleaned out the cool from the league.

jose, who’s a semi-dormant Knick fan waiting for the Dolans and Isiah to get the hell out of here …

On April 22nd, 2007, Tay Zonday releases “Chocolate Rain” to the Internet world. 3 months later, the YouTube showing is the most popular viral video in the world, garnering thousands of spoofs, but also tons of mentions from Best Week Ever to Wall Street Journal. He’s even performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Music critics worldwide have actually reviewed his single, something even more “serious” artists can’t do.

Which is not to say he doesn’t take himself seriously. If any of you visit his official website, tayzonday.com, you can see this guy is honest about the songs he’s been making. It’s not enough for him to conquer the world with his erratic baritone and equally addictive choruses. He’s also getting his Ph.D in American Studies (under his real name, Adam Bahner, of course) and he looks ready to assume the crown of R&B.

The rest of us aren’t that ambitious about his future. Some (meaning me) have referred to him as the Black William Hung; he was going to have to pull out some serious covers for me to be even mildly impressed with his artistry.

That is, until I read the lyrics to “Chocolate Rain.” Now I’m a believer, and I’m copping that album. In his (honestly) unintelligible lyrics, we see a boy in need of a little attention. Yet, a closer look at the posted lyrics shows his in-depth understanding of the racial dynamics that exist today. The message is much stronger than the song itself, and he deserves an award for the most inconspicuous revolutionary song of all time, joining the likes of “Love Train” by The O’Jays and “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes. Yes, I said 4 Non Blondes.

The pace at which this song has transformed the musical landscape only goes to show that the people will eventually choose what they want to listen to. We won’t be forced into ditzy pop drug addicts and studio gangstas trying to be rappers. We won’t be swayed by bass driven dance hits and piano melodies by emo kids. We won’t be fed mindless drivel about sexual encounters with the same individual or ruminations from 17 year olds who look high on chocolate. No, we will not settle. Artists like Tay Zonday and Obama Girl are what we want to see: eccentric and realistic pop stars with a tangible message. Tay’s unassuming and boyish looks only serve to show the progress humans have made as far as letting those who aren’t aesthetically inclined to get their time to shine.

Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross are rolling in their graves right now … anticipating Tay Zonday’s next single. Tay, my brother, I salute you.

jose

Borrowed from J. Dakar:

The Rules:
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog.
5. 8 is a magic number. Though three is the magic number. (I changed this line.)

Eight Obscure Things About Me:

1. Derek Jeter’s my favorite baseball player. I love the heart and determination he shows on and off the field. From baggin’ every chick most dudes want to to baggin’ awards and stats left and right, he’s the epitome of awesome. That and the media gives him a pass for everything he does. He’s one of NY’s true kings. Plus, I got his home and away jerseys.

2. Alex Rodriguez is now a close second, surpassing just about anyone I can think of. I think the fact that he’s been playing with a “chip on his shoulder” really endears me to him more than anything. Despite the little blond streaks and the cheating sprees, he’s still a fantastic player on both ends of the field, so give him his crown already people. If he stays in NY, give him his “true Yankee” label already. ::rolls eyes::

2. If something were to ever happen to my favorite city ever (NYC), I’d move to either D.C., Chicago, or San Francisco. Let’s not let that happen, though.

3. As a math teacher, I gotta say: I didn’t choose math; math chose me. When I filled out the application through the NYCTF process, I don’t even remember what I wrote in, but they figured since I have a computer science degree, I must be good at math. I’m good, but if I had a choice, I’d teach … everything. Math, ELA, and social studies. Then again, maybe not. Math it is.

4. I have a slew of books I haven’t read yet, and that are waiting to be read. By my estimates, it’s a good 25 of them. I’ll get to them eventually …

5. I sing along to my favorite songs on my iPod (Common’s Finding Forever currently on rotation), no matter what song it is or time of day. I don’t care how people look at me; I’m going to sing and/or rap, f******.

6. I search for myself on Google just to see if my name is inappropriately associated with anything … and usually run into very interesting things. It’s mostly positive now, but wow.

7. I’m somewhere in between obscure and easily found. I have a MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo, AIM, MSN, GMail, my own site, an NYCDOE e-mail, CCNY, Syr, and a few other accounts out there I haven’t taken into account. I’ve had most of the social networking sites even before they became trendy. With that said, people always say how hard it is to reach me. Please …

8. The five contemporary famous people I’d like to meet are: Common, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jay-Z, and Joe Budden. There it goes. The Rock would be cool, and I’ve already met Talib, Rakim, and Chuck D, so I’m fine.

Tag. You’re it:

You, you, you, you, you, you, you, and you …

jose, going to New Orleans this weekend …

Many of you are familiar with Talib Kweli the artist. Since the days of Black Star, he’s blossomed into a premier face for hip-hop music. Unfortunately, because of the topics he discusses (politics, hip-hop, and urban community issues are among his favorites), he’s often type casted for a niche audience. What that usually means is that artists him, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Common, and Pharoahe Monch get put in a little slot, even when their music has the ability to reach more audiences. In this day and age where hits are no longer made, but manufactured, it’s hard for artists like him to get their shine.

What it does mean for people who like their artistry is that we have to invest in their product and be active participants in their growth. Acts like Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani, and Fergie, regardless of whether they actually craft their own music or rely on formulas for their success, already have machines behind them that will force listeners to hear their product. We don’t have to like their songs for them to be played a million times on the radio; they’re still going to get played. This is also not to say that they don’t work hard, but in Talib Kweli’s case, he doesn’t give the radio a diet Talib, if you know what I mean.

With the recent payola scandals (which were fairly obvious for decades now) and the mainstreaming of illegal downloading, it becomes ever more pressing for us as consumers of music to cast in our monies to artists we actually want to see succeed. I personally buy CDs from artists who have either come out with a very good project as of late (Linkin Park) or who have been consistent enough over their career that it inspires confidence in the product I’m buying (Janet Jackson). What this also means is that I’m also doing my “research” on the albums before I get them, something the music industry heads can’t understand. Many of us don’t download because we’re pirates; it’s because we’re tired of getting screwed over by a 15-song album whose quality is worth just 2.

You see, if they’re going to keep allowing cookie cutter crap to invade our ears and minds, then people will continue to download on a regular basis. As recently as 2004, I felt the music industry would remember how cutting edge music transformed the landscape for so many of these artists, when they gave breathing room to underground artists to get some shine on the major music stations. Now, because of the lack of variance amongst these radio and TV stations, it seems that we’ll never get the opportunity for these new energies to hit our eardrums.

This is all to say that, if you enjoy an artist, please support them, not just through CDs, which has gone the way of presidential voting, but also through concerts and word-of-mouth. BET’s 106 and Park was NEVER about the viewers’ choice, and radio’s still mired in money politics. I know I’ll be buying Eardrum (8/21/07), because more or less, if I want to see Talib succeed, I need to let the majors know he’s still relevant to people like me and you. More or less, if we want to see more of these artists, we need to support, or we stand to lose them all.

jose, who’s having the best summer in quite a while

I wrote this a few weeks ago in another site in response to someone’s inquiry as to why I believe Rakim’s the greatest rapper of all time. It bothers me a little that he doesn’t have an official website, and the last time someone tried to pay homage to him through a site, it was taken down. Yikes. Rakim’s the greatest. Timeless …

Venturing onto Jamaall’s blog, I noticed a comment by my homie Kika, who asked, “What makes Rakim the best rapper ever?” I thought it was a valid question, and one that I could respond to while Jamaall was coming up to on his own time. Rakim is the greatest rapper of all-time for 3 main reasons:

1) He is the absolute embodiment of a Master of Ceremonies in terms of presence and confidence behind the microphone

2) He achieved and continued to achieve at least some commercial success without selling his own message and agenda of P.E.A.C.E. short, which means that people are bending to him, and not the other way around.

3) He was a revolutionary when it came to rap flow. Rather than stick to the simple subject matter and rap flows that were popularized by his predecessors, he used tons of alliteration, alliteration, and other techniques that many rappers hadn’t even thought of to that point, and did it with such ease, that every rapper after him thought they could somehow emulate that.

To this day, people still can’t touch his combination of flow, charisma, and omniscient. Even his worst rhymes have often been favored by true hip-hop fans versus the more contemporary artists. He’s had the greatest influence of any hip-hop artist, living or dead, just off fact #3, and he also made it cool for rap lyricists to jump on an R&B track, now a staple for many rap and R&B albums for collaborations.

Jamaall went on to call him the Wilt Chamberlain of rap; I guess that’s an OK analogy, but I would more readily compare him to Muhammad Ali or a Malcolm X in his later years: awesome storytellers and lyricists, who didn’t necessarily have a “team” around them, and who people regarded highly in their respective populations. Then again, I would more compare him to Malcolm in his later years only because people only talk about him as part of the Nation of Islam, and not when he founded his own organization and spoke of peace after coming back from Mecca. Even those are weak analogies to the god MC, whose legendary status was sometimes ignored by younger rap fans.

By the way, that “Classic” with Kanye, Nas, Rakim, and KRS-One is nice, but honestly, they could have all hit harder. Maybe it’s because it became part of a Nike promo.

Updated: For more Rakim, you MUST listen to:

“Follow the Leader” by Eric B. and Rakim
“I Ain’t No Joke” by Eric B. and Rakim
“Microphone Fiend” by Eric B. and Rakim
“Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B. and Rakim
“Eric B. is President” by Eric B. and Rakim
“Paid in Full” by Eric B. and Rakim

features he’s done:

“The Watcher 2″ with Jay-Z, Truth Hurts and Dr. Dre
“NY State of Mind” with Alicia Keys and Nas
“R.A.K.I.M.” off the 8 Mile Soundtrack (*** HIGHLY SLEPT ON ***)
“Militia II” with Gangstarr, and WC

Whatever happened to P.E.A.C.E.?

PEACE PEACE PEACE!!!

jose, who tells competitors to not sweat the technique …

p.s. - Anyone that mentions Lil’ Wayne, Juelz Santana, or (insert random rapper who doesn’t even belong in the same paragraph except with the word “not” in between) needs to check themselves before they wreck themselves.

Law #27 in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power states:

“Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following”

Yesterday, Maná demonstrated that law in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena. Before the show, I heard about the band from most of my Central and South American friends, who absolutely love the band. When I first heard their songs, I thought they were OK, but not spectacular. Little did I know that this Mexican band would embody so much of what Latin American youth look for in a true rock band: a great live performance, songs they can sing along to, and a message of hope in a time of despair for Latinos in this country as well as across the world. 

Before I even got near the Garden, I saw hordes of fans from far and wide who wanted to just get a glimpse of the men on stage. Most of the women dressed very well and the men did likewise. Flags waved all over the crowd from Mexico to Dominican Republic, and this sea of colors only made the event that much more exciting. Even my friends couldn’t contain their screams for the band that created some of their favorite songs.

Essentially, I was floored by their performance, despite my weariness from a long day at the job. I didn’t know most of the songs (except for “Labios Compartidos,” a #1 hit on the Billboards), but I understood how deeply they touched the people in front of them. I would even say it was a religious experience. Maná performed as if MSG would be their best performance, and the crowd responded accordingly.

This most certainly makes me a convert, so I apologize to the Maná fans that tried to convert me earlier. I had never been to a sermon before ;-).

jose

p.s. - I thought about Maná’s name and while the definition they intended is “Supernatural Force” (hence the title of the blog), I also thought about how phonetically, it also sounds like “manna”, as in the food that miraculously appeared to the Isrealites in the desert in the Bible. Interesante. So when I first saw their name, I thought they meant “food for the people,” which I definitely saw last night.

*** Quick Update on the last blog: Soon after I wrote this blog, massive reports came out about the tons of violence that happened during that weekend. Superficially, one would say “See, Mayor Goodman was right.” What bothers me, though, is that past All-Star games were far more crowded and more violent, yet didn’t make quite the stir Vegas did. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, and I’m not a betting man, but … ***

For many, including me, music has been such an integral part of my life, so much so that I’m one of those walking demi-zombies you see walking around with his iPod all over the city (mine is a black iPod nano; I call it Knight Rider). With 517 or so songs on there, I often have songs I constantly put on repeat.

Then, there are those songs I wish I wrote. They’re usually the ones you don’t mind (at least) humming along to or whistling the melody. In my case, I wouldn’t even mind pantomiming the song on my way to, from, during, after, before, or any other preposition I can add for any destination I need to go.

For instance, I wish I wrote Eric B. and Rakim’s “Follow the Leader.” I have a hard time actually rhyming along with it because it uses so many in-rhymes, it makes me wonder what’s really going on in Rakim’s mind. He’s honestly the best rapper ever, and that song’s one of many reasons why I believe so. (”Don’t Sweat The Technique” was also pretty damn good.)
Another song I wish I wrote was “One” by U2. (While I thought Mary J. Blige’s version had a little more soul, it just simply wasn’t as good as the original. The song strayed from the original message Bono was sending to the rest of his band, too.) Shit, come to think of it, I wish I wrote any song that Bono wrote, but this is the one I wish I wrote. “Original of the Species,” “Elevation (Remix),” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” “Beautiful Day,” … This list could go on forever.

Continuing with the theme of 80’s band gone modern, one that I secretly wish I wrote was “Ordinary World” by Duran Duran. Yes, it’s Duran Duran, but as with the Beatles, I liked their older stuff more than their earlier stuff. They sounded so much more mature on this, plus they used more instruments as well.

By far, though, the song I wish I wrote is “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Of course, everyone’s going to have mixed opinions about this, because of his sordid history, but if you were a superstar in the 70s or 80s, you had some sort of history. Plus, MJ’s history cannot be denied. Even with all the music that’s come out since that record came out, that record still cannot be touched. Not that I have some experience with having a woman who thinks I’m the father for some reason, but this song’s just well done from top to bottom.

Noteable Mentions:- “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “I Am The Walrus” by The Beatles (drug-induced euphoria, and the lyrics for these two were written presumably by John Lennon)

- “Encore” by Jay-Z (sums up a career rather well)

- “Scream” by Janet and Michael Jackson (greatest brother-sister combination ever)

- “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses

- “Rocketman” by Elton John
Which songs do you wish you wrote? No, really, I want to hear your choices. Peace …

jose, who loves his Knight Rider

This weekend is probably one of my favorite weekends of the year, as it commemorates … the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. Every year, before I even think of the holiday dedicated to former slaveholders and rapists, I imagine who’ll win the various contests for the All-Star Weekend. I’m particularly interested in the the 3-Point contest, the actual game, and Slam Dunk contest (in that order). (Update: I’m only excited about the game, now.) I just get excited when I see the East and West rosters simply because these players typically never play with each other, and watching the dynamics between the players lets me imagine how I want to build my franchise in NBA2K7 or even if it’s possible to have a live version of NBA Street. That’s besides my point, though.

This weekend also highlights Las Vegas as a burgeoning city full of big franchise sports promise. Detractors still ask: who wants to have a franchise somewhere where the people inside the casinos can (and will) manipulate what happens on the field / court? However the situation plays out now seems the best time for Vegas to get its hands wet with a “Big Four” pro sports team.

However, no sooner than the thought of a legitimate pro team in Vegas crossed my mind did this breaking news come in my lap:

“I don’t want to see some gangbangers or hip-hoppers knocking over a jewelry store at Fashion Show mall.“

Who said it? If you said the mayor (Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman), you’re one of the people who doesn’t want to see this happen any more than I do. I bring this up because I find it interesting how quickly these men try to separate themselves from an image that evidently propels the sports image to the forefront of mainstream culture, namely hip-pop. Secondly, I also see another case of improper stereotyping on the part of the mayor.

After all, if one takes a glance at the top 20-30 players in the league, none of them strike the average fan as a “gang-banger” or a “hip-hopper.” A couple, namely Carmelo Anthony and Jermaine O’Neal have been in recent scuffles on the court, but that’s nothing compared to the slanderous slights Mayor Goodman’s making against Black men. Even at an event that recognizes the accomplishments of these athletes, the negative connotations of his statement alone sends a clear message to Black men athletes everywhere that they are still subject to the prejudice whims of powerful White men anywhere.

Certainly, the same fan base that voted these athletes in can identify the parallels between them and the rappers they adore. Even more so, when they watch basketball, they’ll turn on their MP3 players and listen to the same rap these players listen to. Yet, when it comes to actually having them in their residence or in their proximity, I’d venture to say that some wouldn’t want anything to do with them. Most of the NBA-related merchandise out there has a hip-hop influence and has a stamp of approval from some “urban audience” (read: they went to the hood and asked if that looked dope). Hence, for the majority of the consumer population, it becomes easy to select everything they want from these interwoven culture (the basketball and the rap skills), and filter out the “thuggery” and the “violent” language.

As I sit here, I think to how preposterous it is for such a statement to be made, and how he can codify Black men by using these labels, and in the process, sending a signal to the profitable sponsors of these events that their “privilege” and “identity” is intact within Las Vegas. This is not to say that the Black community as a whole does not have its issues, but I’m confident that these “gang-bangers” would more readily drop their guns and “bling” before the people who create the Las Vegas nightlife drop their own “local charms.”

As long as this sort of bigotry exists, there could be an entire field of highly-paid (mostly) Black men on the field and we’ll still live in the legacy of slavery.

jose, who stopped short of writing a book on this

p.s. - Mr. Goodman has a history with gangbangers, as he was a defense lawyer for mobsters all over Vegas. Hmph!

p.p.s. - Miami for the next few days. Leave some love.

Let me preface this by saying that anything I write here might actually have to do with my thoughts on myself. That may seem like a wild idea in this day and age, with many blogs opting instead to write about others’ lives, but I fully intend to make this blog and all the subsequent ones about what I think.

Little known fact: John Lennon wrote “I Am the Walrus” to confuse the hell out of an old English teacher from his alma mater, one he was not so proud of. He heard they were analyzing his lyrics, so he made a song that ensured they would stop using Beatles’ music for literary fodder. [Read more →]