Bill O'Reilly: You Too Are A Pinhead

Yesterday afternoon, while my focus should've been directed towards the menial duties of entering data, I spent my time perusing through the "twits" of all those I follow and I stumbled across one by adult film actress Aurora Jolie, in which she made reference to Bill O'Reilly's questioning if Michael Jackson was really an "African-American Icon" because he had children who weren't black. Now I can't recall remember her response, either I found it to be lacking of any logic and filled with the typical close-mindedness that's more likely to persecute than to understand or it was just a plain old lapse of memory but it forced me to locate the video of 'O Reilly's rants so I could develop an well thought out opinion.

After watching the video, my initial reaction dwelled in the caverns of frustration and agitation. I believe that my anger rose from O'Reilly's lack of respect for Michael Jackson's gifts to world through the channels of his music or his charitable efforts that benefited humanity. He, like that US Representative for New York's 3rd District, Republican Pete King who's blinded by the saturated clouds of ignorance and bigotry, choose to continually attack an individual who's is permanently unavailable to defend himself. The American media continues to crucify the memory of Mr. Jackson and the incessant degradation prior to his passing could have possibly added to his eccentricity.

I can't deny that I didn't think he was bit "different" or "special" but I refused to judge him especially after reviewing both of the child molestation cases which were two examples of blantant attempts of extortion. His plastic surgery, vitiligo, close relationship with children that went over the limit's of society's norms were all turned into weapon's of mass destruction in respects to his public image but when your in the spotlight for 80% of your life, EVERYTHING is under the public microscope.

As far as the show is concerned, I believe Al Sharpton was the right and wrong choice as Bill's debating partner. Al Sharpton became the de facto voice for black people whenever there's a crisis, but I feel like we need a younger, more aggressive voice like that of Mos Def, David Banner or Cam'ron (I hope you all know that I'm joking although his "You Mad" appearance from a few years back is an internet classic) to combat the good old boy conservative banter that powers FOX News. At times I feel like Sharpton is out of touch but I appreciate the moments where he speaks passionately on what's important. To say that Michael Jackson was less of a black man or not as proud of his heritage because he is the father to children of another ethnicity is laughable and if that's the case are Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie an Madonna unpatriotic for choosing to adopting children from other countries like Africa and Asia? And if O'Reilly and King want to denounce Jackson's for his past legal trouble in which he was found not guilty, then do the same for Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and any other politician, businessman, and entertainer with a shady past who aren't minorities. We still watch films by Woody Allen and Roman Polanski (who did a great job with Jack Nicholson in Chinatown) but view their checkered pasts as water under the bridge.

I love living in the U.S. but sometimes the media makes it hard for me to say that I'm proud to be an American, especially when hypocrisy's leviathan rises from the depths of the malicious seas of judgement. As for Mike, let the man rest in peace.

Funkghost "Vintage Futuristic" Video

YAWN! Finally getting to sleep after a long, long day but before I nod off into the wonderful land of the Zzzz's I had to post this video and comment on it. The song has a cool vibe which and there's definitely a West Coast flavor sprinkled throughout the track. M-Phazes, the producer of this opus, did a fantastic job of creating such a vibrant bouncy melody. Overall, I can dig it! Before I conclude this mini-review, I couldn't help but LOVE the videography, I really like when video director's put forth an effort in a creative direction. There's many instances where videos aren't in sync with the song's message but this isn't the case.

Mr. Finley aka Mr. LV "For The Money"

West Coast rapper Mr. Finley aka Mr. LV (Las Vegas) just signed to Def Jam and has a list of dope producers like Jake One, Don Cannon, Ghet-O-Vision and a few other talented individuals on deck for his debut album, "The Talented Mr. Finley".

Mr. Finley - For The Money (produced by Ghet-O-Vision)

Rap In The 90's: Erule "Listen Up"

I haven't heard this song in the longest time... 1994 Rugged and Raw, they don't make songs like this anymore (Commercially anyway)

iCon the Mic King "Drifting With The Tide" Video

New video by the big homie iCon The Mic King featuring Awar. The video has a dope concept and the song's fire.

PHILLY IS IN THE BUILDING!!!

Event: Red Bull After Party with Tanya Morgan and Phonte July 14th!!

Rap In The 90's: Wu-Tang "Triumph"

After a week and a half of mishaps and blip blaps, I'm coming back into fold of blogging once again. I updated whenever I could I appreciate the feedback but now I'm back with a few tricks up my sleeve. I've sharpened my photography skills but I still have a long ways to go, so I'm anxious to see how the work progresses. I'm in high spirits yet my tolerance for nonsense is at an all time low. There are so many things that I want/need to do so it's about to get interesting so stay tuned...

And yea, I need to chill on Twitter but damn the power of it's addiction during my downtime at work is a tad bit difficult to fight off...

I Get Around: Skater Kids of Philly

I took these flicks a few days ago in Center City aka Central Philadelphia. I spotted these kids after coming back from my sunday walk through Chinatown. These kids appear to be positive individuals and I'm glad to see the youth of my city doing something with themselves and not falling in the cracks and crevices of the inner city.

Event: Red Bull Music Academy w/ Phonte & Tanya Morgan

EMI's New Website

EMI's reputation as one of the most innovative music companies in the industry is undeniable. The recording company's resume of successful artists and songwriters exemplifies their value of quality music by promoting what's most important: talent. EMI's new website is one of the best that I've seen and is very easy to navigate. The EMI site appeals to those are and aren't "internet savvy" by creating a very user friendly interface. The "Home" tab offers an "iTunes" like browsing tool to view EMI's current album releases, the latest news and tour information, a section to manage a playlist of the newest hits from EMI artists as well as a link to an online research and feedback community for music connoisseurs. The "Discover" section allows you to search for new music and create playlists. For example, I searched for my favorite Hip-Hop artist and the results were similar artists that I enjoyed from Rap's golden era (1994-1998). The "Artists" section is divided into sections. There's the "Breakthrough artists" and "Browse Artists" tabs that provides a closer step in knowing the "artists" by providing links to videos, streaming audio, photos, and a biography (made it easier for me to check out my latest obsession Bat For Lashes). The "Charts" section displays the top video and audio from the EMI artists. The last section, "My Stuff", allows one to further their EMI experience by creating their own personal playlists and widget for sharing purposes. In conclusion, the EMI beta site is great for retrieving more information about some of your favorite musicians, their whereabouts, upcoming projects, etc. I believe all the record companies should follow this model so that their catalogue is more accessible.

Jay-Z Freestyle performed in Las Vegas

Boom! So after I spotted the Youtube Video on SOHH as soon as I got up and I figured "Hey!, let me add this is my ever growing Jay-Z collection" and I did just that. Hope you all enjoy it and yea... word has it The Game got offended... Eh well....

Jay-Z Freestyle from Las Vegas

C-San "Listening To Dreams"

This is another joint from the homie C-San's upcoming I Want To Work With Quik mixtape.

C-San - Listening To Dreams

iCON the Mic King "Drifting With The Tide"

Isn't this ironic... I was just chilling with iCON on Saturday at the 2003 party held at Johnny Brenda's. iCon is a very talented emcee and his work ethic is something that all artists should take note of but back to the proceedings. This is the first new song from his Headphone Classic Series. Instead of following the blueprint of dropping the traditional mixtape, he's releasing individual songs with videos and visuals to amplify the the track's message.

iCON the Mic King - Drifting With The Tide (Featuring Awar)

Collabs 101: Mac And Jack

Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson or Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, either order that you prefer still breeds the same amount of wonder in many a music connoisseur. Despite the disagreement that would sever their friendship (Jackson bought the rights to the Beatles music), these two great musicians came together and created some of Pop's greatest hits of the early 1980's. Both developed their talents in similar environments which gave birth to their individual celebrity. Paul, the lead singer of The Beatles and Wings, was a household name in the UK and then "invaded" the US in the mid 1960's to become one of America's favorite (and imported) musical sensations. Michael's star status built momentum with the Jackson 5 and quickly became the powerhouse that changed the game with the greatest selling album of all time, Thriller. In fact, you could almost compare these two to the characters of the Star Wars Universe, with Paul being Obi-Wan and Mike being Anakin. The rookie and the pro, a great representation of how differing generations could connect and produce viable music. One of the classic cuts from Thriller, "The Girl is Mine", was perfect for contemporary radio and the single sold close to 1.5 million by 1985. If their relationship didn't sour, I wonder what other songs would've been created but I guess we will never know...

Royce Da 5'9 "Gun Harmonizing"

This is first leak off of Royce's upcoming The Revival EP. The Revival will be released onJuly 7th and it will include new tracks from Royce’s “Street Hop” LP along with a new Slaughterhouse track and will be available at all major digital retailers.

Royce Da 5'9" - Gun Harmonizing (produced by Emile)

Dwele's Tribute To MJ

Yo, this is a very creative video and he plays one of my all time favorite MJ songs... The Thriller and Bad albums helped to define my 80's experiences. I still can't believe it....

Groovin': The Jackson's "Blame It On The Boogie"

Hopefully I'll have a good week at work.... I'm going to post one more Mike Jackson video this week and that's it, I don't want to overdue it.

Prophit "Cause When You Stop Dreaming, Its Time To Die..." sampler

Prophit, an up and coming emcee is releasing his new project in July and I was given the sampler so check it. So far so good.

Prophit- "Cause When You Stop Dreaming, Its Time To Die..." sampler

Listen to Aeon...

stress (april) from Aeon on Vimeo.

Listen carefully to the words of this song that my homie Aeon is working on and you will hear our everyday struggle. Just like Aeon and I, there are tons of individuals who's creativity suffers at the hands of the behemoth that we call a "work day". It's gotten really, really difficult for me to focus after losing all of my energy to that rat maze of a job, where the clock moves at a snail's pace and the increasing frustration we receive due to the incompetency of co-workers or customers never equates our salary after taxes. Though we're apart of the blue collar community, there's a select few whose tenacity is similar to that of baby taking it's first steps when it comes to our dreams. Our aspirations and overall wanting to be successful (cue the Drake mixtape) fails to allow us to get the prosper rest at night. I usually get about 4-5 hours of sleep per night and the reason is that I'm trying to enjoy as much of the day that I have left after I "clock out" and before I have to "clock in". I want to focus more on my writing, photography, MikeyMcFly.com and music. After seeing this video from Aeon, I've been so focused on writing music that I too planned on doing a video similar to this.

The Conversation....

After the Welcome to Soulville party, me and Aeon walked home together since we both live in the same part of the city. Our talk reminded me of a scene from the movie Platoon, where the war torn soldiers were knee deep in the wilderness trying to find their way out of enemy lines. He's a talented producer and I wish him the best, while I on the other hand need to reload on the ammunition and go on my seek and destroy mission, because when it comes to the monotonous "corporate" life, enough is enough. School is the answer, but the question is what to pursue....

I Get Around: Welcome To Soulville

Props to Lenee and Karas for the invite and to Ihsan, Brian Brizzo, Drew Nice aka Drewski, Chakka, Tracy aka Brokey McPoverty, Dave Ghetto, The entire 84 group, Aeon, and TLynnFaz (who is the reason why BLUE is my favorite color)

The Game "Better On The Other Side" (MJ Tribute)

The Game did a tribute track for MJ with Chris Brown, Diddy, Boyz II Men, Usher, and Polow Da Don..... and I like the sentiment alot but damn they made this track fast as hell.

The Game – Better On The Other Side (Feat. Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow Da Don, Mario Winans, Usher & Boyz II Men) (Tribute To MJ) (Produced by DJ Khalil)

Props to OS

Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years Tonite on TV One!

Link:

If you missed this concert from a few years ago, then here's your chance to catch all over again on TV One tonight at 8/11 PM Eastern.

Props to the homie Brent English of ICED Media

Fel Sweetenberg "Troublesome"

I laid down the foundation a few posts ago when I wrote the Bee Eater Records profile. Now allow me to introduce one of the artists from the burgeoning label, Fel Sweetenberg. Fel's upcoming album, The Sophomore Jinx will be coming soon so this new track should satisfy the appetites until the projects release.

Fel Sweetenberg - Troublesome

Props to DJ Ultraviolet and the entire Bee Eater family!

Groovin': Michael Jackson "You Can't Win"

I remember seeing The Wiz when I was a kid but I bought the DVD last year just to have it in the collection. I had an obsession with a sample that was used for a song called "Flash and Flare" by Phonte of Little Brother and fellow H.O.J. (Hall of Justus) member L.E.G.A.C.Y. from Little Brother's The Chitlin' Circuit 1.5 mixtape and I found out years later that the song used came from the Wiz. "You Can't Win" is a gem and I feel like it's overlooked. If you listen to the lyrics, every word that's being sung can be applied to our current state of affairs.

"Do The Bartman..."

Shout out to Thembi for putting me on to this gem, I had no idea that Michael Jackson wrote this song but as you listen to the chorus, you hear the King Of Pop's style of music.

Peace to the King Of Pop!