music

The Manhood Series: About Eminem And My Own Slight Conflicts

by Jose 07.08.2010

“So, what you’re saying is that you don’t think it’s right that Benzino and the Source are calling Eminem Elvis?” “No, it’s like they’re using the pro-Black agenda superficially to garner the respect of the hip-hop community, and it’s gonna backfire because everyone knows it’s not true. It’s just personal BS from the Source ownership.” [...]

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An Excerpt From A Book I Should Be Writing: End of the School Year 2010

by Jose 07.02.2010

Usually, my iPod tells me everything I need to know. When I first started teaching, my iPod would serenade me with Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” while I napped from Dyckman St. to West 4th St., a 30-minute train ride on the A. If I spent the whole night stewing over some ridiculous comments by an [...]

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Short Notes: Fire and Rain

by Jose 07.12.2009

A few notes: This weather’s been so absurd lately, hasn’t it? I’ve bought more umbrellas in the past month than I’ve had to my entire life. It’s a rather heated meeting between fire and rain … Speaking of which, I know everyone wants to know what I’ve been listening to non-stop for the last couple [...]

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Who’s Gonna Cover Your Vibes, XXLs, and Sources?

by Jose 07.06.2009

Recently, Vibe Magazine closed its doors, at least in print form. For those who never ventured into black publication, Vibe Magazine was a Black-based magazine started by Quincy Jones last decade. The ostensible vision of the pub was to highlight Black culture, but with a bit of a White lens. It mainly featured R&B and [...]

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Oops, He’s Sorry, He Lied: He’s Number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

by Jose 07.03.2009

Someone asked me recently if I talked to my kids about Michael Jackson and the impact he had on me and people of my generation. I told the person, “No, we had things to do. I hadn’t seen them very much over the last week, so I just wanted that time to let them know [...]

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Letter: Man In The Mirror

by Jose 06.25.2009

Dear Michael Jackson, First, let me say that I’m deeply saddened by your death. Your passing ranks up there in the moments where people had to remember where they were standing when they heard the news. On a day when a fellow 70′s-80′s icon in Farrah Fawcett died and so did Ed McMahon, the news [...]

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Play The Soloist

by Jose 04.27.2009

When your voice finds you, it doesn’t matter how you express it: your signature’s all over it. I write this because, after seeing The Soloist, a movie about a Los Angeles-based writer who finds a homeless cellist / prodigy and a must-watch for any writer I know, I’ve given tons of thought about where to [...]

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Now on Blogcritics.com: Got Biggie?

by Jose 03.10.2009

Dead and Alive: Why Biggie Deserves to Still Be In Your Top Five I proffer 5 reasons why Biggie should be in everyone’s top 5 greatest MCs, dead or alive. Holla back. Technorati Tags: blogcritics, music

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Even Pac and Big Wished for Better Dayz …

by Jose 03.09.2009

I wrote this sometime in October 2008, but for whatever reason, people who I sent this to never actually published it. Some of the stuff I wrote in the original blog I’ve edited to fit my more informed views now, but the message remains the same. Please read and discuss below. Also, for more Biggie [...]

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The JLV’s Top 5 Greatest vs. Top 5 Favorite MCs of All Time

by Jose 01.22.2009

On Facebook, I came across a slight problem that most hip-hop heads come across whenever a major hip-hop event happens (i.e. the release of Notorious, the movie): how do we qualify our short-list of greatest MCs and favorite MCs? I put up my thoughts to the masses and got a good 30+ responses, ranging from [...]

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