Truth-Hurts

What kind of Media Consumer am I now?

2006-12-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

After being in Mcom72 for an entire semester, all I can say is that not much has changed. Not much as changed since I last blogged about my media consumption. I still read the newspaper in the morning so I can keep in touch with the current events. Also, I would still go online to check email and shop at Amazon. I still have very little time to watch TV and listen to Hip Hop on a daily basis. For the most part, I am still the same media consumer as I once was.
Though most of my media consumption habits remain the same, there parts of it that were changed due to this class. One change it did was influence my ability to judge media more critically. Wheither it's critisizing a propaganda message, judging Howard Stern's comments, or analyzing a foregin TV station, this class has made me a more intellectual media consumer.
Another important aspect this class help me with was blogging. This class inspired me to blog, not only for self satiscfaction but also for others. Also, class helped me learn the importance of blogging. I learned that it is important for my future career as a Magazine Journalist.
Out all the events that happened in class, the blogging project, the group presentation, and many others, the one that made huge impact was watching the movie "A Face In The Crowd." That movie totally changed the way I view at media. Since the story revolved around a convict that suddenly became a national icon, it made me wonder about today's society. When I look at today's society, thugs and gangster are turned into heros while sluts and whores become role models, it totally scared me. My perception of the society is forever changed due that movie. Overall, it was an interesting class that proved to be somewhat of a success.

Special Thanks

-My group mates Julian Harris and Krystyna Coria. Thank you for pulling through to make our presentation a success. There were just 3 of us and we were able to pull it off. We rocked!!!

-Kelley Lugea. For being the first to post a comment on my blog.

-Amir Masood. For having interesting things to say in his blog.

-Anngiely Salvacion. For checking up on me and making sure I stayed focus in class.

-For everyone that made a comment on my blog. Even those spam peeps. Just seeing a comment on my blog made my day.

- For anyone that actually read my blog at least once. Thanks for donating a portion of your time.

- To those people that followed my radio experience at KSJS. Just to let you guys know, I passed the class!

-And lastly, I liked to thank Prof. Buchwitz for having the class. I seriously learned a lot about the role of the media in today's society. Wheither it's radio, TV, or newspaper, you talked about all of them. Also, thank you for all the blogging tips you gave me and leaving comments on my blog. I would also like to thank you for allow my group to present even though we only had three people. And lastly, thanks for the pizza at the last day of class.

My Top 10 Emcees of All Time!!!

2006-12-07T00:35:00.001-08:00

10. Slick Rick

When it comes to humor rhymes, no one can do it better than Slick Rick. When Slick Rick rhymes, it seems to flow with ease. Funny lyrics plus fresh delivery equals a combination that can't be beat. Also, he has a British Accent.

Favorite Songs

-La Di Da Di

-Children's Story

-Treat Her like a Prostitute

Best Album

-The Great Adventures of Slick Rick

9. Big L

One of the most deadliest rappers ever. When Big L grabs the mic, he unleashes a fury that can not be matched. He can literally rip any Emcee into pieces with his killer punch lines. Not only is his punch lines deadly but their also very witty as well. Just listening him can make any person want to be a battle rapper. R.I.P. Big L

Favorite Songs

-Put it on

-M.V.P

-Ebonics

Best Album

- Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous

8. Chuck D

When it comes to political raps, no one can do it better than Chuck D. of Public Enemy. His raps can range from topics such as corrupt government, racism, and Black Power. Not only is his raps very dangerous propaganda but also delivered very well. Chuck D's voice is one of the most recognizable voices in Hip Hop history.

Favorite Tracks

-Don't Believe the Hype

-Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

- Shut Em Down

Best Album

-It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

7. The Notorious B.I.G.

One of the biggest names in Hip Hop. The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was known for his stylish rhyme flow and his brutal death. Not only is his rhymes are on point, but their also very clever. Biggie Smallz had some quick metaphors in his rhymes that made it lovable. His lyrics would be violent and revolve around him being a playa. Overall, delivey and style is what made him one of the best.

Favorite Songs

-Juicy
-Big Poppa
-Hypnotize

Best Album

Ready To Die

6. Kool G Rap

The founder of Gangster rap in the east coast. His great lyrics are very violent. Also, his raps has a lot of mafia infulences in it. Other than his lyrics, there is one that sets him apart from all the other rappers out there, and that is his delivery. It's one of the best delivery styles in Hip Hop period. Kool G Rap has this one style were he would constantly rhyme with that last syllable of a line. With his vigor, Kool G Rap remains untouchable when it comes to delivery. He also influenced countless rappers.

Favorite Songs

-Truly Yours
-Ill Street Blues
-Road To the Riches

Favorite Album

-Live and Let Die

5. Scarface

He is proclaimed to be the " King of the South." His lyrics are gangster and very graphic. Another strong point about Scarface is the raw energy people feel when they hear Scarface raps. Scarface also was a strong infulence to a lot of rappers. Rappers such as Tupac and Biggie Smallz were influence by Scarface's psychological views about life and suicide. This is not "Laffy Taffy," music. Scarface is one of the most graphic, psychological gangsters out there.

Favorite Songs

-I Seen a Man Die
- Mind Playing Tricks
- Mr. Scarface

Best Album

-The Diary

4. Ice Cube

One of the founders of Gangster rap. He is truly an icon in Hip Hop Culture. Ice Cube and N.W.A brought the West Coast into the Hip Hop game. He penned a lot of contorversial lyrics. His lyrics were very political and gangster at the same time. He had funky delivery and was the best rapper in the early 90's. Ice Cube was the one the penned Eazy-E's lyrics. He was the mastermind behind N.W.A. Ice Cube is truly an Icon of West Coast Hip Hop.

Favorite Songs

-Today was a Good Day

-Steady Mobbin

-Once Upon a Time in the Projects

Best Album

-Amerikkka's Most Wanted

3. KRS ONE

His name says it all. Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody. His lyrics are pure knowledge. It's all intelegence. Everytime KRS ONE raps, it's like hearing a lecture because it lyrics contain so much knowledge.

Favorite Tracks

-MCs act like they don't know
-Still 1#
-South Bronx

Best Album

-By All Means Necessary

2. Rakim

Rakim Allah is the God of Hip Hop. He was the one that revolutionized rhyming. His internal rhyme schemes, rhyme patterns, and delivery are what caused people to call him a God. Rakim's mic skills are unmatched. He was the one that influence everyone in the Golden Era of Hip Hop. The best when it comes to microphone skills.

1. NaS

Nas is the heir to Rakim's throne. He was predict to be the next Rakim. Not only did he rhymed in a God-like way, but he also took the rap game to different level. He did every single kind of genre of rap. Gangster, Political, Club, Intellegent, and more. He is the BEST Emcee of all time. He would rap about ethics like no other rapper out there. And the best part about NaS,is that his lyrics is purely Street intellegence. His lyrics are poetry. There is nothing NaS can't do. He truly is the best Emcee ever.

Favorite Songs

-It' Aint Hard to Tell
-One Love
-The World is Yours

Best Album

-Illmatic

The Bridge Between Punk Rock and Hip Hop

2006-12-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

A lot of people tend to think that Rock and Hip Hop are total opposite. Some people would think that Hip Hop is all about being gangster and "BLING BLING," when actually it's not. There is a lot of rap out there that doesn't even mention any of those material at all. I believe these kinds of alternative hip hop can convert punk rockers into hip hoppers. So if any of you punk rockers out there are reading my blog, I suggest you keep an open mind listen to some of my music suggestions.

Atmosphere is an underground Hip Hop group. Out of all the underground hip hop groups, Atmosphere tends to some popular. Their got popular due their lyrics. Slug, the Emcee of the group, raps lyrics that tend to be very emtional and hardcore at the same time. Also his lyrics tend to be very poetic. Here's a sample from the song God Loves Ugly. Slug's emotional delivery matched with Ant's, Atmoshpere's music producer, piano sample is perfect Hip Hop chemistry. This song was an instant Underground Hip Hop classic.

Sage Francis is one of the greatest lyricists to ever grace the microphone. His deep lyrics are filled with metaphors that can leave listeners in a world of confusion. Sage Francis's lyrics is spoken word poetry at it's finest. Here is a sample from his songs Personal Journalist and Climb Trees. Sage Francis is truly on a level of his own.

I believe if any punk rocker were to listen to these emcees, they would have a different opinion about the Hip Hop genre. I know a lot of Punk Rockers who convert into Hip Hoppers overnight after listening to these underground rappers. For any rap haters out there, I suggest you listen to these artists. These underground emcees would break the stereotype that all rappers rap about "Bling Bling." Who knows. Maybe you guys would like it.

Hip Hop is Dead the Album

2006-11-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

Nas's upcoming album titled " Hip Hop Is Dead," can easily be the most anticpated Hip Hop album of 2006.
Ever since Nas made peace with former hip hop rival, Jay-Z, and signed to his record label, the hip hop community were anxiously waiting for his next album release. Nas has always been known to be one of the top lyricsts in Hip Hop. His first album "Illmatic," was so good that many serious Hip Hop scolars proclaimed it be the best Hip Hop album ever created. Now, nearly 15 years into the Hip Hop industry, Nas is still making songs that attract serious attention.
In his latest album, Nas is attempting to make people realize that Hip Hop is dying. He wants people to know that Hip Hop is not what it once was and that today's Hip Hop is more focused on money and snapping fingers. The title "Hip Hop is Dead," can act as an eye opener for those who have not noticed the corrupted state that Hip Hop is currently in. `
So far, the album has going through some tough times. At the beginning of the year, it was predicted that Nas's album would be release around September 14. As the time approaches, Nas was forced to delay his album to a November release. And again, Nas was then forced to delay the album to December 19. Nas delayed his album because it was not ready yet.
Along side the delays, some of the tracks on the album leaked. Tracks such as The N, Hip Hop is Dead, Where are they now, and Black Republican, the highly anticipated Nas and Jay-Z collaboration song, were leaked onto the internet. The leak tracks were considered very impressive by fans.
Just today on BET, Nas released his first music video from the Album, to the public. The music video is of the song "Hip Hop is Dead." Overall, the song and the music video centered around a fictional setting were Hip Hop was officially nonexistent in the public.

Nas Album drops December 19. I highly suggest serious Hip Hop heads to check it out.

Hip Hop is Dead music video

East Vs West Hip Hop

2006-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not familiar with Hip Hop, it has several sides. The two sides Hip Hop that tends to be the most infamous is the West Coast and the East Coast. Though some people might think that rap is just rap, hip hop actually has different styles according to coast or personality of the emcee.

East Coast is known to be the originators of hip hop. It was at the East Coast were hip hop started. Most of East Coast hip hop is based on the fundamentals, the lyrics and break beats. Upon hear an emcee, it can quite easy to tell if he or she is from New York. A rapper from New York would tend to be very lyrical. Example of some fine New York rappers include Nas, The Notrious B.I.G, Jay-Z, KRS-ONE, and many others. These emcee's lyrics tend to be really thought provoking and stays very close to the foundation of true hip hop. Not New York artists tend to be lyrically gifted but they are also different when it comes to music production. The beats from East Coast producers would contain sampling, and other traditional forms of hip hop production.

The West Coast whoever is a different story. While the East Coast as been known for originating hip hop, the West coast has been known for inovating it. The West Coast started gangster rap. Gangster rap tends to be less traditional than the music from the East Coast. Gangster rap uses funky beats, and would tend to be more straight forward than lyrical. For most of the time, lyrics of gangster rappers would revolve around life in poverty and mischieves acts committed by the rappers.Excellent examples of West Coast emcees include, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Tupac, and Ice T. Most of the noticable West Coast rap would come Los Angeles. There are other parts of the West Coast, such as the Bay Area, that would contribute musically. Bay Area rappers such as Too Short, E-40, Mac Dre, and Del tha Funkee Homosapien all part of the West Coast.

The balance for hip hop dominance is constantly shifting. Not all the money and power comes from one coast. The Coasts are constantly battling each other for Hip Hop supremecy. When Hip Hop first started, Hip Hop belonged to the East Coast. Then in 1988, when the West Coast group, N.W.A, dropped Straight Outta Compton, then the attention when directly to West Coast. From that time till 1993, the West Coast owned Hip Hop. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg's G-Funk made people forget about the East Coast during that time period. Then in 1994, New York emcee's Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. release albums that shifted the power back to the East Coast. Now, mainstream hip hop is currently being overrun by the South by their Crunk style music.

My Last Training Day with KSJS

2006-11-20T23:48:00.000-08:00

My Last Training Day with KSJS can be described in one word, disaster. I suffered a lot of technical problems while I was on the air. One of the notable problems was the major mistake I did with the instrumental track. At the radio station, it is good to play an instrumental track while talking live on air. Playing an instrumental track makes the DJ sound more enjoyable as he or she speaks. One of the major mistakes I did at my last training day involved the instrumental track. As I looked up at the clock, I noticed that it was almost my time to announce my live Public Service announcement. It was planned that after the track that is currently playing would end, I would play the instrumental and begin my announcement. When the track ended, I pushed the button to play instrumental. To my surprise, the intrumental track did not play on the air. As I fidget with the control panel, trying to get the instrumental to play, nothing was being played on the air. In other words, there was arounds 20 seconds of dead air. Dead air means nothing is being heard from the radio station.
Another problem I suffered was reading the Live PSA. Some of the public service annoucements were hard to read due to the faded ink on the paper, that I had to read. While reading the announcement on air, I would stumble on a couple of the phrases.
Those problems basically made my show sound unprepaired and utterly boring. Though there was some people that called the station claiming I was doing a good job, I had to feel that is was kind of like pity. Having 2 hours to myself seems to be a lot harder than I thought.

This will not be the end of my radio experience. I will continue to show up at Beatnik's show for a couple more weeks, including this Thanksgiving. Though Deejaying maybe somewhat hard, it also fun as well. I will use the remaining weeks I have to sharpen my skills. Thank you for all those that were able to listen me on the radio station.

Want to become connected with KSJS? Here is the Message Board. You can contact the KSJS DJs here.

Listen to KSJS RIGHT NOW!!!

I'll still be at the station this Thanksgiving Thursday. 8:00-10:00 am.

Is Hip Hop Dead?

2006-11-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

According to Nas, a self-conscious rapper, Hip Hop is slowly dying due to it's lack of self control. Hip Hop is not like what it was once now. Back then, Hip Hop was not about money, it was actually more about being something. At that early time period, Hip Hop did not involve a lot of money. Local DJs would assemble parties at the parks and play music to people for free. Now, Hip Hop has changed. Hip Hop is being crupted by money and large corporations.
Money has been one of the main reasons why Hip Hop is dying. Hip Hop artists of today are more focused on money rather than talent and skill. Instead of exposing some lyrical talent on the mic, current artist would rather make club hits and make more money.
Another reason why Hip Hop is dying is because the large corporations. Large corporations are the ones in control of the music artists. They are one's that influence the artist music style. Rappers are not in control of their music anymore because they are now slaves to the record label.
Much of the blame can be pointed towards the South. Their "Crunk," style of Hip Hop involves a lot of yelling and very little talent. Though their music lacks creativity, the beats of their songs are very easy to dance too, that is why it is so popular. This "Crunk," has then shadowed over what true Hip Hop sounded like. "Crunk," is best example of the death of Hip Hop. "Crunk," focuses on money rather than lyrical talent, and also it is widely influenced by the corporations the pushes it to make club hits.
Though most of the Hip Hop radio stations are filled with this type of music, there are some artists out there that are bringing the orignal style of Hip Hop back. For example, the group Little Brother is widely known for their lyrical abilities that mimicked early 90's Hip Hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Others artist such as Lupe Fiasco, Common, Nas, and many others are also contributing to the return to the Golden Age of Hip Hop. It's is up to the listeners to decide which is more important, the essence of Hip Hop culture or money.

My Fourth Training Day at KSJS

2006-11-13T01:12:00.000-08:00

I started my fourth training day with a quick review. I first asked my trainer operate the board and fill out the logs while I observed for the very last time. This will be the very last time Beatnik would show me how everything works. After she spent an hour reviewing the basics, I was ready to start an hour all to myself.
To start of my hour, I played the "Kings of Rock," by Run DMC. It was a lively track that lasted five mins. I choose this song because it's longer than an average hip hop track, also I helps establish the mood for the rest of the show. During the 5 mins, I was able to dig into to KSJS music library and find the songs that I would play on air. Also during time, I would ready the medium rotation tracks and the heavy rotation tracks. After playing another song, I had prepare myself before talking on the air live. Right when the song ended, I started up the instrumental track, a track contains only music and no lyrics, and began to speak. I basically told my listeners that I have officially taken over the radio station and kicked Beatnik off the studio. Beatnik thought it was a funny gimmick. Shortly after making my first solo annoucment live, the phone rang. It was listener who wanted to request a song. I digged through the library again and I was able to find the exact track he wanted.
Through out most of my show, I was bombared with numerous phone calls. All of them requested certain tracks to be played on air. Though I was frustrated that I was not able to select most of the music for my program, I was still able to abide by my listeners request.
There was part of the program were I messed up pretty bad. At around the 20 min. mark, I had to read a live public service annoucement on air. After reading it, potted down the instrumental and began to play another track. As I played the track, I began to ramble about how my voice sounded funny. To my surprise, Beatnik pointed out that I forgot to turn off my microphone. In other words, my listeners were able to hear the ramblings I made toward myself.
After the my finishing my training session, I was greeted by my friends at the Student Union. They claimed that they heard me on the radio. Suddenly, my friends started to laugh. My friends then told me that they were the ones making the requests on the radio. Also, they even altered their voice so I would not recognize them.
Overall, my session was really fun. I was able to play music for my listeners to enjoy. This week would be my last Training Session. According to Beatnik, I would have 2 hours all to myself. I just hope that I would be able to pull this gig off.

Want to listen to KSJS but don't know when your favorite music genre will be on? Here is the schedule.

Don't forget to tune in to my last training session this
Thursday 8:00-10:00 am.

Listen to KSJS right now.

ABS-CBN

2006-11-08T23:36:00.000-08:00

Since I won't be in class this Thursday, I decided to a blog about a very important TV station in the Philippines. ABS-CBN is a very popular TV station in the country. The station contains a lot of different kinds of TV programs. Out of all the programs, dramas, game shows, and talk shows seemed to be most favored by Filipinos.
In the Philippines, soap operas a very popular. One of the reasons why it is so popular is because Filipinos in the Philippines are constantly living in a troubled state. Philippines is a third world country and many of it's citizens are poor or constantly in need of help. I believe Filipinos love these soap operas because they can easily relate to the characters on the shows.
One popular show called,Maalaala Mo Kaya, is show that features a different heart warming story everytime. Popular themes for these kinds of stories include love and overcoming hardships. These kinds of shows can fill Filipinos with much hope.
Other than dramas, talk shows tend to be another popular part of the TV station. Talk shows would most likely feature celebrities, Filipino's with special talents, or Filipino with special stories to tell.
The reason why these talk shows are popular is because Filipinos love celebrities. Filipinos are constantly talking about Celebrities all the time. So, a good way to gossip about celebrities is on talk shows. Seeing succussful Filipinos can also give the people some hope.
Another popular part of the station has to include game shows. Game shows such as the infamous "Wowowee" are popular because there is money involved. These game shows can give people in the Philippines better lives if they win.
This station is important to the Philippines because it influences the whole country. ABS-CBN can keep Filipinos informed and entertained. Also, It can give hope to those Filipinos who watch it.

In their website, there are a lot of different features. There are sections about celebrities, movies, and TV programs. The site is in Tagalish, a slang term meaning half Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, and English. Basically the whole country can understand English pretty well because it was a colony of the United States.

Another important thing about the site is the numerous references to Text messages. In the United States, text messaging can be used as an alternative of form of comunication, though it's not commonly used. In the Philippines, text messaging is life. Filipinos constantly text message each other all the time. They reason why text messages are so popular is because of the cheep price. A simple text message can cost a person about 1 piso. A piso is equivelent to 2 pennys. With text message references all over the site, Filipinos can easily communicate with the station.

Here's their website

http://beta.abs-cbn.com/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx

My Third Training Day on KSJS

2006-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

From the last time I wrote about the radio station, I had my first chance to actually say something on the air. My third day of training is nothing compared to the first two training sessions.
My third day started off with a bang. As soon as I entered the studio, Beatnik immediatley asked me to use the mic. She asked me to say hello and tell listeners that I was at the studio. After saying such things, I then had to ready the list of music I had to play on the air. Beatnik then told me that I am going to speak at every time we go on air. So, for the rest of Beatnik's show, I was the one front annoucing and back annoucing tracks, reading the live PSA and promos, and updating listeners with information. It was tough at first, but at the end, I got the hang of it. I'm actually quite familar with using the mic now.
Not only was I speaking on the mic a lot, I was also the one playing the music. I was the one setting up the cds, queing up the music tracks, and adjusting the volume the board. It's still a pretty overwhelming process. I would probably get use to it over the next training session.
Another thing I had to do on my third training session was answer the phone lines. This tended to be a very annoying process. Every couple of minutes the phone would ring and I would forced to answer the call. Most of the time, the caller would make music request. These request were annoying because I had to literally dig into the shelves of the studio to find the specific song the caller wanted.
Another task I had to complete was filling out the music and traffic logs. Everytime I played a song or presented a PSA, I had to write it down on the log. It's one of the radio stations way of keeping track with what was said on the air.
Though my third day was pretty much an overwhelming day, it was still pretty much fun. I got a lot of feed back from friends and family that were listening to me. Basically, everyone that knew that listened to the radio the station said that my voice sounded funny. I just can't wait for my next training to come.

My next training day is at Thurday morning, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

Listen to KSJS right now.

Nas's new album leaks a couple of tracks

2006-11-02T00:03:00.000-08:00

Hip Hop is Dead, the newest album by Nas, is destined to be the most anticpated hip hop album of the year. Ever since Nas signed with Def Jam and former rival Jay-Z, concious hip hops eagerly wait for his next masterpiece to come out. In last year's Vibe magazine , Nas's next album was voted to be the most anticipated album of 2006, next to The Game's The Doctor's Advocate. Halfway through the year, Nas stunned the media by annoucing the title of his next album. The title "Hip Hop is Dead," drew some mix feedback between hip hop fans. Many of the fans thought the title was a great idea because it helped addressed the problem that Hip Hop is slowing dying due to it's money hungry corporations. Others believe the title was irrelevant because they believed that Hip Hop is still alive and that it is not dying. Overvall, Nas addressed the public saying that his latest album will include topics that revolve around the Hip Hop is dying belief, a dedication to old school rap artists, an unauthorized biography of KRS-ONE, and the long awaited collaboration with Jay-Z. Nas also said that his album would include great Hip Hop producers such as DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, Will.I.AM.,and Salam Remi. Most of all, the hype for this album has been unbelieveable. Numerous Hip Hop forums were flooded by Nas fans due to their excitement of the album. Though everything looked good for Nas, there were some times where he would suffered some negative parts. "Hip Hop is Dead," was scheduled to released on September, 14, Nas's birthday, but instead the album delayed to till some time in the month November. As time grew closer, Nas album again was then again delayed till the month of December. Not only is his album being delayed, he also has to face some tough competition. Jay-Z, just recently coming out of retirement, is dropping his album, "Kingdom Come", in the month of November along side The Game's "Doctor's Advocate."
Just recently, inside Hip Hop forums, there were numerous threads that would show leaked songs of Nas's album. The songs leaked from album so far is "

I suggest you download these leaked songs and formulate an early opinion on the album. From what I have heard so far, this is destined to one of Nas's best works. It's a classic in the making.

My Experience with KSJS

2006-10-31T01:01:00.000-08:00

I am currently enrolled in RTVF 192 and 94 and its easy to say that is one of the best experiences I ever had in this university. Basically these classes are the radio station classes. In these classes, students learn about the radio station, duties within the station, the FCC rules, and many other things. In order to pass the class, students must contribute hours to the radio station. Either by helping filling out traffic logs, writing music reviews, or attending movie previews, students can hours they need to pass the class. Overall, its a pretty fun class and I totally recommend it to anyone who loves music.
Recently I've been training to a live on-air DJ for the San Jose State radio station, 90.5 KSJS. After recieving an "A" on my midterm, I had the opportunnity to choose a time slot for me to fullfil my training. The time slot I choose was Thursday 8:00-10:00 a.m. because it best fitted my schedule. After the time slot and entering the designated time, I was able to meet my trainer. My trainer's name was "The Beatnik." She was a pretty cool person. After meeting her, I figured out we had a lot in common. We both loved the same music, had simlar personalities, and we both choice Nas as our favorite emcee.
Training with her was been great. I was able work the board, answer telephone calls, work the cd player, spin the turntable, and fill out music logs. She was able to teach me a lot of things.
Just last week I had the most interesting experience with the radio station ever. I had an on-air interview with my trainer live! I could not believe I was talking live on the air. The Beatnik ask me a couple of question regarding the radio station. She asked me about the my favorite rappers, my opinions about the radio station, and other information regarding myself. It truly was a unique feeling knowing I was on the air live.

If you want to catch me on my training session, tune in to 90.5 fm, at 8:00-10:00 a.m. Thursdays. The show is called "The Urban Design," and it plays a lot of underground hip hop. So, if your down with hip hop or just want to show some love to your boy, I suggest you tune in and give it a listen. These week The Beatnik is going to allow to me to read some Public Service Annoucements live. I just hope I don't mess up.

KSJS website: http://www.ksjs.org/

Listen to KSJS right now!!!

Only God Can Judge Him

2006-10-23T01:36:00.000-07:00

He is the most popular rap icon in the history of the culture, a hero to misunderstood youths, a scapegoat for conservative parents, and the face gangster rap. Tupac Shakur, one of the most successful rappers in the rap industry, somehow draws the attention of many people. Wheither it's his physical appearance or his political statements, there is always a crowd eyeing his every move. But why Tupac? Why not Rakim, Nas, or Biggie Smalls? There is one quality that Tupac posses that no other rapper can emulate. It's the power to express emotion.
Tupac is not a great lyricist. By most hardcore hip hop critics, his are lyrics are often described to be somewhat basic and straightforward while other emcees such as Nas and KRS-ONE recieve acclaim for their deep poetical writing styles. But why does Tupac's albums continue to sell millions and millions of albums? The answer is emotion.
Since the beginning, I never listened Tupac. Just his hardcore image alone can cause me to judge him to be an unintellegent human being. Also, I dispised the fact the most a lot of people claim he is the best rapper, when is actually just a basic lyricisit. If I wanted original gangster rap, I would listen to rappers such as Eazy E or Ice Cube but not Tupac. For some funky reason, just recently I decided to give Tupac a shot. I watched the movie "Tupac Ressurection," and bought the compilation cd " 2pac's Greatest Hits," and my mind was blown away. My judgement is true about the lyricisim, but Tupac's emotional factor caught me off guard. I was totally drawn in by his emotional songs about his mother, dead comrades, and political turmoil. Just the song Dear Mama can cause me love Tupac. Listening to the song made me apprieciate my mother a lot more than I ever had in my whole life. Why listening to the song, I was able to remenisce about most of the significant things my mom did for me. It truly was a great song. It was the basic lyrics for easy listening, the mellow beat sample, and the emotional delievery that caused me to love this song. By listening Tupac's emotional songs, I was able withdraw all of the negative comments I made in the past. Sadly, Tupac died September 13, 1996 due to gunshots in the chest, and now lives in our memories and the unreleased songs he recorded before his death.
So before you judged Tupac to be some idiotic gangster with no morals, I suggest you listen to songs such as Dear Mama, Keep Ya Head Up, Life Goes On, and Changes. Maybe then you can change your feelings toward him like I have. It is his emotions that has caused his albums to continue sell after all these years.

3rd Annual Hip Hop Honors

2006-10-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

I can summerize the award show in just one word. "Amazing!" All the performances, all the artists, all the rhymes were simply amazing. I was basically out of my seat most of the time due to all the excitement. The show was excellent and I suggest everyone to catch a rerun.
The show first started with Beastie Boys. Placing them first was definatly a great choice because they were able to hype up the show. With their raw energy, they were able to get the crowd pumped up for the other performers. They were great.
Another great part of the show was when the West Coast took the stage. Ice Cube's performace was exciting. He filled the stage with his charismatic lyrics that had the crowd jumping. But the most chilling part of the show was when Lil Eazy E took the stage. Eversince Eazy E died of AIDS in the mid 90's, rap fans had been left in sorrow. By watching Lil Eazy E perform, the audience felt chills down their spines. Lil Eazy was the spitting image of his father. When Lil Eazy E was on stage, it was like seeing Eazy E himself. His pressence was truly felt when his son performed. A very emotional part of the show.
The most hypest part of the show would be the very end when Wu-Tang Clan performed. The whole clan were definatly wild. When the group performed the song "The Triumph," the whole crowd went crazy. It was also funny to see Method Man jump into the crowd and walk on the balcony. One the best parts of the whole show.
Out of the whole show, the part that I favored the most is when Rakim took the Stage. Rakim is one of my favorite Emcees of all time. When he took the stage, I nearly fell off my couch. He totally brought the biggest vibe in the whole show. He performed songs such as his classic "I Ain't No Joke," that got everyone rapping. I could see most of the people in the crowd were rapping along with Rakim as he performed. Truely a phenomenal site.

Which part of the Show did you enjoy the most?

A. The Beastie Boys
B. Mc Lyte
C. Rakim
D. Ice Cube
E. Eazy E.
F. Russel Simmons
G. Afrika Bambaata
H. Wu Tang Clan

The Three Most Important TV Shows

2006-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

There are many TV shows today that are pure garbage. For example, reality shows, except Flavor of Love, are trash in my opinion. It's loaded with a bunch half witted human beings that are pitted against each other. A total waste of time in my opinion. Though most of today's TV shows contain idiots and dry acting, there are some TV programs out there that would tend to have some importance.
After much thought, one of the choices for an important TV show would have be an educational program. Shows that would educate the public rather than demoralize it tend to be important. Out of all the educational programs, I would have to chose the show Sesame Street. This is much more important than most people think. With Sesame Street, kids at a very young age can learn the basics of academic knowledge. By watching Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, kids can spell the words like cat, formulate equations such as (1+1= ?), and learn to share. These lessons can help children adapt to modern society a lot faster.
Another television program that should be recognized for its importance are News programs. Basically without the News, the public who do not read articles online or on newspaper would remain clueless. They would not know what is going on. News programs keep the public informed about important information such as, natural disasters, breakthrough research, and other relevent items. News is so important that numerous channels are devoted to just news alone.
And finally, the last important TV program that everyone should consider watching family sitecom shows. Though these shows are kind of cheesy, they provide interesting life lessons that can't be learned in any textbook. For example, the show The Wonder Years provides the solution to many problems teenagers face. Not only does these types of shows teach important lessons, it also helps keep the family together. These TV shows are family friendly so anybody in the family can enjoy watching it together. Also, another point about family sitecoms is that it's a mirror image of the typical American family at the time. Basically, viewers can watch family sitecoms and can relate to it's episodes because it has close ties with the events going on in the real world. It can show other nations how American families are like.
Education programs, News programs, and Family sitecoms are the backbone to American Society. Without Eductional programs such as Sesame Street, children and other people won't be able to learn information that can help them progress throughout society. If there were News programs such as evening news, everyone would know what is going on in the country. Without family sitecoms such The Wonder Years, Americans won't have the chance to learn and reflect on family life. We all needs these important TV programs to help the American Society advance into a more productive country.

My Opinion on Howard Stern

2006-10-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Howard Stern has been known for his highly controversial humor. His jokes would range from race, sex, religion, and many other topics. Since Howard Stern is constantly verbal abusing people, I highly disapprove him. I would find much of his comments irritating and offensive. Howard Stern can be known for some for his comments about children. I totally disapprove of any kind of violence, even verbal violence, towards children or minors. The reason why I dislike Howard's statements about children is because I've always considered children to be innocent and it be would quite unfair to degrade children when they can't defend themselves against a powerful radio mogul. Another Stern topic that I find most irritating is religion. Howard would constantly bombard religion with harsh comments that would offend it. Religion is an important part to human civilization. It has helped our societies grow and evolve. Also, religion helped people prosper by providing guidelines that benefit a person's lifestyle physically, mentally, and spiritually. In Howard’s quotes, he would often blame religion dividing people. As a final thought, I despise Howard Stern. I would find his comments irritating and very annoying. His comments can also cause people to think differently about certain subjects. In other words, Howard Stern can be somewhat considered as propaganda. His comments can be consider quite dangerous if people were to actually follow what he is saying. I suggest we remove Howard Stern from the radio immediately, so it can spare people from getting their feelings hurt.

http://www.howardstern.com/

Commercial vs Non Commercial radio

2006-10-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

When we are driving to work or school, we are given a lot of choices. We have a choice to listen to a cd, ipod or the radio. If we managed to choose the radio, we are given more choices. We then have to choose to either listen to am or fm radio. If we managed to choose one of the two, we then have to choose a radio station. As you can see we are given lots of choices. Though we have lots of choices to choose from, there is one decision that tends to be missed. It's the choice to listen to commerical or non commercial radio. What is the difference between the two?
There are several qualities that define a non commercial radio station. One quality that non commercial radio stations have is that it has a vast music library. Commerical radio stations contains far less songs than non commercial radio stations. It is said that if a listener were to listen to a song from a non commericial radio station, there is a good chance that the listener would never hear that song ever again. Their music library is that huge.
Another difference between the radio stations is the content of the music. Commercial radio stations tends to play popular mainstream music while non commericial radio stations will play underground and unknown music.
Also, another difference between the two stations is money. Commercial radio stations would play commercials so the station can make money from companies. Non commercial radio stations would never play commercials for profit. Instead, they would play public service annoucments that would help the local community.
Overall, I just want people to know that their is a difference between the two types of radio stations.
If anyone is interesting about hearing underground music, I suggest you listen to San Jose State's radio station, 90.5 KSJS. This non commercial station was voted as one of the best college radio stations in the country.

Here is their web site.

http://www.ksjs.org/

A Face In The Crowd review

2006-10-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

After knowing that Andy Griffith was has leading role in this film, I totally expected this film to be outstanding. I've watch a lot of Andy Griffith in the past, mostly The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock, and for most of the time I was entertained. Andy Griffith has that certain charisma that most actors don't have. As for this film, I was not let down at all. Andy Griffith and co-star Patricia Neal did such a wonderful job, I was impressed throughout the whole film. I expected this film to have great acting and I got what I wanted.
The story centers around a hobo name Lonesome Rhodes, Andy Griffith, and his road to success. After being hired by Marcia Jefferies, Patricia Neal,to sing at the local radio station, Rhodes started building a strong fan base. The expansion of fame grew quickly and Rhodes became local superstar. Eventually after having a lot of fans, Rhodes moved out from the radio and worked in a TV station. Sooner or later, Rhodes was offered a job in New York, and became promoter for Viatrex, a stimulant pill. Rhodes at one point got so popular, the whole country knew his name.
Griffith did an excellent job acting the part of Rhodes. He really into character and he brought along some raw talent that gave his character a realistic appeal. Another great aspect about this film was the drama elements. For some moments in the film, I felt somewhat sympathetic to Patricia Neal's character. After suffering through many of Rhodes lies, I can't help but feel bad for Marcia.
Even though this film contain great acting and a good plot, there was one part of the film that I didn't like. I dislike the fact there were too many characters in the movie. Since Rhodes constantly switched occupations, it was difficult to remember who some of the characters were. But overall, this was a great film and it totally deserves a lot of praise.

Rating

4.0/5

A Hip Hop Timeline

2006-10-02T23:27:00.001-07:00

Hip Hop started in the streets of South Bronx. Around the early 1970's, a revolutionary DJ named Kool Herc was playing music for a club one day. When he was playing the disco music, Herc noticed that the crowd got a lot wilder during the break part of a song. The negative about the break part is that it only lasts for about a couple of seconds. Herc then cleverly devised a way for him to constantly play the break part over and over again. This looping eventual led to the birth of Hip Hop culture and Kool Herc became its founder. Hip Hop back then, was basically a New York thing. There was block parties all the time. DJs would mix records together, and attract massive crowds to gather. Around the end of the 1970's A group called "The Sugar Hill Gang," was able to release the first Hip Hop track titled Rapper's Delight.
Hip hop in the 1970's was basically an underground thing. But in the 1980's, that is when Hip Hop became known all over the country. Many artists started coming out, such as Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but one of the most notable Hip Hop groups would be Run DMC. They were the first superstars of Hip Hop. Run DMC were the ones that actually brought Hip Hop into the mainstream. Another notable Hip Hop artist to come out that era was the Rakim, proclaimed as the God emcee. He basically established up the foundations to the art of emceing. Another important Hip hop group to come out of that era was Public Enemy. They were basically know for their musical propaganda against the Government and political raps. Also, another key group that came out at the time was N.W.A. They are the ones that founded the gangsta rap movement. Also, since Hip Hop was a New York phenomenon, when N.W.A launched their album, they were able to make Hip Hop a national thing. The 1980's were important years of Hip Hop.
The late 80's and mid and early 1990's were the Golden years of Hip Hop. Notable artists of that time period including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Wu-Tang Clan contributed to the expansion of the culture. Basically Hip Hop started going downhill after rise of commercialism. Many artists started rapping about wealth and women rather than talking about politics. Rap at that time wasn't taken too serious as before. That is when all of these pop rappers started becoming popular. Another event the hurt the culture was the East Coast Vs. West Coast beef started by Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. This event separated the nation into two and left Hip Hop divided. Sadly, both Tupac and Big were murdered which created a devastating blow to the Hip Hop music industry.
Now, true Hip Hop lives in the underground. Few emcees such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and groups such Hieroglyphics help preserved the culture's true essence. As the mainstream part of the culture, it sinks lower and lower. They are not losing money, but rather losing intelligence and respect from the true culture. So in other words, the 50 Cents, the Lil Jon's, and the Nellys are the ones that are killing the culture. Their unintelligent raps are giving Hip Hop a bad name. It's about time we revert back to our old ways and live true to the real Hip Hop.
To learn more about Hip Hop icons,

I suggest you watch the Hip Hop Honors on Oct. 17th. 9p.m. E.T. on VH1

http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/hip_hop_honors/2006/

Kite Runner Essay

2006-09-28T01:23:00.000-07:00

The novel "The Kite Runner," written by Khaled Hosseini, is about a young man named Amir and the experiences he went through during turmoil in his country, Afghanistan. The beginning of the story centers around Amir, the main character, and Hassan. Amir and Hassan are totally different people. Amir is well educated, a Sunni Muslim, and his a Pashtun. Also, Amir tends to read a lot of books. With his nerd-like attributes, Amir tends to be somewhat disappointing to his father’s eyes. In contrast to Amir’s coward personality would be Hassan caring personality. Hassan, a Hazara, is Sh’ia Muslim and a servant to Amir’s family. Aside from his status as a servant, he would still treat Amir with a lot of respect. Hassan would basically do everything for Amir. Also, Hassan would also back up Amir, every time he is in a hostile predicament. Though Hassan was illiterate, it did not stop him from caring about Amir. On the other hand, Amir was very jealous of Hassan because Baba, Amir’s father, admired Hassan more. Amir would do a lot of things that would disgrace and abuse Hassan. There was at one point of the novel where Amir tried to frame Hassan by stashing money under Hassan’s bed. Then, at one part of the book, the Russian invade Afghanistan, causing Hassan and Amir to split ways. Later on in the novel, Amir would try to return to his Afghanistan and to mend his wrong doings to Hassan. Though this story contains a lot of melancholy moments, one can not tend to ignore the propaganda that was inject within this novel. This novel contains numerous propaganda messages that would degrade the Afghan people. Many of the messages in this novel contains things about rape and violence that can propel people into thinking that Afghanistan is a wretched and filthy place.
There is definitely a lot of propaganda in this novel. In the novel, there are a lot of fine examples of negative propaganda. Parts of the book contained imagines of rape and massive violence The negative messages portrayed in the book would make Afghanistan citizens look bad. Though not all the Afghans are violent rapists, the ones in the book whoever are ones being used as propaganda. The most notable horrific incidents that happened in the book are the ones that include the raping of Amir’s servant Hassan, the raping of Sohrab, and terror acts committed by the Taliban.
Amir and Hassan were peacefully flying a kite during and Afghanistan event. When Amir’s kite flew away, Hassan was the one to chase after the kite. After retrieving the kite, Hassan and Amir were confronted by Assef and his gang. Assef and his crew assaulted and attack Hassan while Amir watch horror. Sadly, this incident ended with the raping of Hassan by Assef.
This part of the book should disgust a lot of readers. Usually people around that age would not even think of rape or violence at all. Instead of seeing only good people, this scene shows a trustworthy person being violated by malicious human beings. This image can definitely be used as negative propaganda. The rape scene can convince people that Afghans constantly rape each other. It also conveys a message that sex is violence in the eyes of the Afghan people.
The were plenty more rape incidents that occurred in this novel. Another notable rape scene can be found near the end of the book. After learning that Hassan is actually Amir’s step brother, Amir went in search for Hassan’s son Sohrab. Amir was informed that Sohrab was taken to a children’s orphanage. After arriving at the orphanage, Amir learned that Sohrab was no longer there. Sohrab was adopted and taken away from the orphanage. At that time, Amir learned the person who adopted Hassan’s son was the same person who raped him many years ago. Amir came with the conclusion that Assef, the bully that raped Hassan, was the one to adopted Sohrab. After tracing the steps and finding the location of the two, Amir learns that Sohrab was also raped by Assef. Again, rape and children is reappears in the story. This image of adopting children from orphanages and raping them can truly horrify anyone that reads about it. The rapping of Sohrab can heavily be used as negative propaganda. Sohrabs’s rape can convince a lot of people that Afghans are evil rapists.
Other than the subject of rape, there were numerous references to violence and hate through out the book. Most of the time, readers would encounter numerous racial slanders against a group known as the Hazara. The Hazara are very low class type of people. A lot of people in Afghanistan would despise the Hazara. The Taliban, a radical terrorist group in Afghanistan, is well known for their violent behavior against the Hazara. Sadly, Hassan was identified as a Hazara in the book. Later on in the story, Amir learned that Hassan, who stayed in Afghanistan, and his wife were utterly shot dead by the Taliban terrorist group. Unlikely for the Afghans, this can be used as negative propaganda as well. The Taliban and other hateful Afghans can convey a message that Afghans are murders and killers of their own people. Messages of death and killing can cause many viewers to despise the wicked Afghans.
There are many more propaganda that are within this book. For the most part, rape and violence seems to be the more highlighted ones. With these messages of sins, war groups, the promote war, can use the messages to boost their moral into attacking Afghans. This type of propaganda can not only be used for hate, but it can also be used for war as well. The propaganda mentioned in the book can help dehumanized the Afghans, causing a lot more people to hate them easier.
Overall, the was an extremely sad book. With the disturbing propaganda images, it can really convince people to despise Afghans. This however did not change my view on the Afghan people. Instead of giving into the propaganda message, I believed that not all Afghan people are evil and cunning. In fact, I still believe that Afghanistan does not have that much bad people. It is only the radical and hateful groups such as the Taliban that can promote the image of an evil Afghanistan. This novel did change my views of Afghanistan at all. It’s just like any other country. Some countries have bad and good people. This was a good book just as long as the readers ignore the propaganda messages.

A Magazine for a Hip Hop Head

2006-09-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

I suscribe to many different kinds of magazines, Vibe, Game Informer, Nintendo Power, and numerous others. Out of all the magazines that I read each month, the one that I tend to enjoy the most would be Scratch magazine. Scratch is a magazine dedicated to true hip hop. Unlike other hip hop magazines such as Vibe, and The Source, Scratch tends to be less commercial. It would tend to talk about more about lyrical and more self-concious hip hop rather than mainstream, commercialized hip hop. Another reason why I cherish this magazine is because of it's content. The writers in this magazine would write very intersting Cd reviews. The great thing about this magazine is not only do they write Cd reviews, but they also write mixtape reviews as well. Another great factor this magazine has, is that it comes in multiple covers. If a person who want's to buy the magazine but doesn't like the cover, the magazine would give the person the option the buy the alternate cover instead. As I wrote earlier, Scratch magazine has more interesting articles than the other hip hop magazines. The reason why it has better articles is because Scratch would tend to write articles about things that would benefit the hip hop culture rather than the other hip hop magazines who would write articles about hip hop industry. Scratch magazine would most likely appeal to true hip hop fans rather than casual mainstream rap fans. Also, Scratch magazine would write articles about old school hip hop artists. It's sort of like paying a tribute to the pioneers of hip hop. With great Cd and mixtape reviews, excellent articles about true hip hop, and less commercial appeal, Scratch magazine would be my favorite magazine for a long time to come.

This is my favorite Scratch magazine cover. It pictures Nas, one of my all time favorite emcees, and DJ Premier, one of my all time favorite producers. Not only is this my favorite cover, it is also my favorite issue as well. It not only featured stories about DJ Premier and Nas's new album, it also talks about other notable hip hop figures such as Marley Marl, Rhymefest, and The Notorious BIG. This was January 2006 issue.

Here's their website, if anybody want's more information.

http://scratch-magazine.com/

A lesson from Kool G Rap

2006-09-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

As you know, the record industry is dying. Millions of people download and copy songs from the internet, thus causing the the industry to lose a lot money. Sooner or later, cds will cease to exist and all the new music will be available for download. As soon as cds become media it past, it can easily become a collectors item. A value of a Cd can easily become 10x it's original price. How do I know this? Well here's an example. A rapper by the name of Kool G Rap is considered to be hip hop legend. He gain his legendary status from his versitile flow and great storytelling abilities in the mid 1980's. Also, it is claimed that Kool G Rap founded gangster rap in the east coast. After releasing two of albums, he was ready to make his third and best albums ever. When his album, titled "Live and Let Die," was finally released in 1992, it lived up to it's expectation. Kool G Rap brought his raw lyrical talent while Sir Jinx, of the Lench Mob, brought the funky beats. Also in the album, there was song titled "Two to the Head," which featured the gangster rap founders. It had Kool G Rap, representing East Coast, Scarface and Bushwick Bill, representing the dirty South and Ice Cube, representin the West Coast. This album had all the ingredients to become a classic hip hop album. Though it all seems to good to be true, there seems to be one gigantic setback, the CD cover. The album cover depicted two caucasian males hanging from a noose, while two individuals fed their dogs in front of them. This cover drew a lot of controversey, which eventually led the album to be pulled off the shelves for good. Till this day, the album still remains out of print.

Today, the album is one of the most expensive albums I have ever seen. Just guess how much the price is for a brand new one at Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0000010D9/ref=olp_tab_new/104-7941661-8677506?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Now imagine all the Cds you own. Next, imagine each one being out of print. Now, imagine each of your out of print cds selling over 10x their actual price.

As for me, money sounds really tempting, but I prefer staring at my Cd collection rather than selling them.

On the side note, I actually own that album.

The Two Faces of the San Jose Mercury

2006-09-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

I was reading a San Jose Mercury News article about the safest big city in America. According to what was written on the newspaper, New York was able to claim the title as "America's Safest Big City," while San Jose got second place. Leslie Griffy, the journalist who wrote the article, seemed to be very shocked by the results. Griffy claims that the results were based on overall data gathered by FBI. This data specifically includes crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and assault. Even though New York might have an overall lower crime rate than San Jose, New York has an overwhelming high murder rate. It all depends on how the viewer looks at it.
After reading the Newspaper, I decided to read the same article online. To my surprise, I found that the article online and the newspaper were basicially the same, word for word. Though the newspaper and the online article were similar, there is one slight difference between the two. The newspaper version of the article contains pictures, bar graphs, and detailed statistics about crimes in large cities while the online version lacked all the above. The online version, though having one picture of San Jose, did not have any visual images at all. After comparing the different versions of the article, I conclude by saying that the Newspaper version is superior to the online version due to it's visual content.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/crime_courts/15562255.htm

Hip Hopaganda

2006-09-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

When people hear the word propaganda, they would usually think of the Nazi's and WWII. But for me, most of the propaganda I encounter would come from the music I listen too. As many of you readers can tell, I listen to a lot of hip hop. Out of all the hip hop albums I listened too, there are two albums that stood out from the rest, when it came to propaganda. Those two albums are "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A. and"It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back" by Public Enemy.

This is probably the most revolutionary hip hop album of all time. N.W.A is comprosed of 5 members, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Mc Ren, and DJ Yella. Each member played a vital part to the groups success. Ice Cube, Eazy E, and Mc Ren would rap the lyrics while Dr. Dre and DJ Yella would produce the beat. The songs they would create contain the harsh realities inside the housing projects in Compton. This album is not just a violent album, it is also very political. The album sends messages about police brutality, racism, and sterotypes within the ghetto. Not only did this album got people to realize that ghetto places exist, it also influence people to rebel against authority and injustice. The propaganda on the album was so serious, that the F.B.I. got involved. But the F.B.I.'s involvment didn't stop the N.W.A. The group fathered the gangster rap movement, which still goes on today. That's some serious propaganda.

Rating

4.1/5

Notable Tracks

Straight Outta Compton, F#ck the Police, I Ain't Tha 1, Gangsta Gangsta.

As N.W.A was fighting police on the west coast, there was another rap group that was making music that was "Louder Than a Bomb," on the other side of the country. N.W.A.'s east coast counter part, Public Enemy, was also making music that had serious propaganda. Rapper Chuck D, hypeman Flava Flav, and DJ Terminator X, had some political messages of their own. Instead of rapping about the gangster lifestyle, Public Enemy rapped about black power, self respect, and self determination. Chuck D. also talks a lot about black unity, ignorance, and fighting the power. This album can be compared to a wake up call or an alarm clock because the propaganda within the lyrics inspired a lot of people in the east coast to become more aware of what is going on around them. Also, that is why Flava Flav wears an clock. It's a sign telling people to wake up. This album is definatly one the best albums hip hop has to offer.

Rating

4.0/5

Notable Tracks

Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Louder Than a Bomb, Party For Your Right to Fight.

The Future for Books

2006-09-13T23:12:00.000-07:00

Literature has been around for a long period in time. The reason why books have lasted so long is because it is crucial for human development. Humans put knowledge into text books so that other humans can read it and gain intelligence. Also, some books contains the imagination of authors. Once one of these books are read, it will entertain whoever that reads it. These factors, education and entertainment, are what keeps the books from disappearing. The need for education and the need for entertainment are supplied by books and novels. Basically without books, human society would remain ignorant.
It is true that books and literature are evolving. Some novels can now be read online. But for some apparent reason, it has not affected books in general. Unlike the music industry, the their is no website that get people into sharing their books online. I believe no one would ever want to share books online because no one would want to type up a whole novel. Just imagine copying every single word from a Harry Potter book, it would take some time. For music, all people need to do is burn it into their computer, which only takes a matter of seconds. Illegally copying novels are a lot more harder and time consuming.
Usually books are made for revenue. Most authors could care less about the money they receive from writing stories. They mostly writing stories because they love to write. Text books on the other hand are different. Just simply replace the words creative writing to knowledge. Text books are created because someone had a passion for something knowledgeable, and that person just wanted to pass the intelligence to someone else. Since books are all about passion, that means it usually won't make a lot of profit. That is why the music industry is failing. They prefer money over passion. Books are completely different from any kind of recorded music.
Another reason why books won't be popular on the computer is that, it's very difficult to read. Reading on a laptop or a computer screen is considered to be quite uncomfortable compared to reading a book. Also, books are very portable. You can take books possibly anywhere. That can't be said about computers and laptops.
Books are very important to human society. The only way for books to disappear is to have everyone in the world to be mindless illiterate zombies. I totally can see my grandchildren grandchildren reading books. As long as we have an evolving society, books will exist.

On the sidenote,

Today is the 10th Anniversay of Tupac's death.

R.I.P Tupac.

1971-1996

Ways to counter downloading

2006-09-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

I have proposed several solutions to the downloading problem.

1. Lower CD prices.

I believe the main reason why people don't buy music albums is because it's too expensive. A new CD today roughly cost around $15.00 to $24.00. I believe lowering the price to $5.00 would sound pretty reasonable. With lower CD costs, more people will tend to buy them. Now with a lot more people buying CDs, the companies can make up the money they lost from the low prices.

2. Get free stuff from buying an album.

When a record company sells a CD, they should also include free stuff along with it. Free stuff can include hats, key chains, action figures, or other things. Including these giveaways is good because the customer won't feel cheated. This can help convince the customer not the download songs because if the customer downloads the song and doesn't by the album, then he or she would miss the opportunity to get that free item.

3. Have the artist form a strong bond with the fans.

Instead of the artist laying around in their mansion all day, they should go out and meet their fans. They should have concerts often. Also, they should have autograph sessions with the fans. Doing these things can make a very strong die-hard fan base. By having a strong relationship, the fans would do the best they can to support the artist that bonded with them. Also, the fans will feel guilty for downloading a song from the artist. The main reason why people don't consider downloading stealing is because the fans feel that their is no connection between them and the artist. If the bond between artist and fan were to strengthen, then record sales will strengthen as well.

Music is more a bigger influence now than ever before. People constantly listen to music all the time. It's in their Ipod, in the car, in their computer, and even inside their cell phones. Music is one biggest influences in people's lives. Isn't it about time we help the industry back to it's feet.

The Power of Recorded Music

2006-09-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Back in my junior year in High School, I was a hardcore nerd. I would play video games and watch japanese animated cartoons all day long. I was such a big nerd, that at one point in time I actually caught all the Pokemon that ever existed. Yup, I was a definite loser. During those times, I thought that I would remain this way for the rest of life. I would remain a nerd until that one signiciant day that changed my life.
My friend and I were patiently waiting to get picked up from school. While we waited for our dads, we conversated about current events to pass the time. As we talked, I noticed my friend was wearing these big head phones. I asked him what he was listening too and he told me he was listening to hip hop. Since I wanted pass the time, I asked him if I could listen to his music. He agreed and handed me his head phones and his Cd player. I knew hiphop before, but the hip hop my friend was playing was different. It had this simple beat that would be looped over and over, while the rapper would rap something that would actually be lyrical. It was totally different from the hip hop I would hear on the radio. At that point, the music has melted my brain and turned me into a mindless a zombie, and I wanted more. I asked my friend who the artist was, and he said it was a underground hip hop group called Atmosphere. As my friend's dad came to pick him up, he gladly handed me the burnt cd inside his player. He told me that I could have it. After that inncident, my friend then continued to school me on the essence of true hip hop. Now I am a hip hop head for life.

I currently own around 350 hip hop cds. I would at least by a new hip hop cd every week. Also, I would suscribe to hip hop magazines, write hip hop songs, and wear hip hop clothes. Hip hop is
life. I am a completely different person from who I was junior year.

That is the power of media. Recorded music has the power to change your lifestyle. It has changed me from a pokemon hungry nerd to a serious hip hop analyst. Now, I am planning to become magazine journalist, and have a carreer writing CD reviews for a hip hop magazine.

What kind of Media Consumer am I?

2006-09-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing that I do after I wake up is read the newspaper. When I get the newspaper, I would read the front page first because it has all the important events. I find it important to read at least the front page of a newspaper because if I don't, I would not know what is going on in our country. I consider this newspaper reading ritual a very important part of my morning.

Anytime I get some free time, I would go on the computer. When I go on Online, I would do two things. I would check my email and shop. I constantly check my email because it is great way for me to keep in touch with my relatives in the Philippines. Other than communicating with my family, I would also go online to shop. Often times, I would go to sites such as Amazon and Ebay and buy DVDs, video games, and CDs for really cheap prices. It's seriously much cheaper buying stuff online than buying it from a store.

When it comes to TV and movies, I consider myself to be a very light consumer. Since I am constantly out of my house because due to school and work, I do not have much to time to sit down and watch the Television. The only opportunity I have to watch TV is at 11:00pm after job. Often times I would watch the news and parts of the Tonight Show and that's basically it. For movies on the other hand, the only time I would watch movies is on a boring Sunday afternoon. Since there is no school and work on Sunday, it is the only time for me to watch movies that I would buy online.

I consider myself to be a very heavy consumer when it comes to music. I currently own around 350 hip hop cds. I listen to hip hop music everywhere I go. Whether it be in the car, on the computer, at school, or even at the comforts of my home, I constantly listen to hip hop all the time. Basically without hip hop, I would die!!!

Overall, I constantly consume media all the time. I would read the newspaper, I would listen to music in the car, and watch TV late at night. After reading doing this survey, I just realized how much my life depends on media.

It Was Writtin Review

2006-08-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

When this album was released in 1996, it became an instant classic. Nas was able to rap about important topics such as the value of life, riches and wealth, gun violence and many others. With his crafty word play, Nas was able tell facinating stories. For example, in the song "I Gave You Power," Nas raps from the prespective of a hand gun. Nas mentions, as a gun, he was able to see all the fear that comes from it.

I see n***** bleedin runnin from me in fear, stunningly tears/
fall down the eyes of these so-called tough guys, for years/
I've been used in robberies, givin n***** heart to follow me/
Placin peoples in graves, funerals made cause I was sprayed/

After seeing all the damage he can bring, Nas decided to jam himself from firing the next time his owner were to pull his trigger because he was disgusted by what he seen. When the event finally came, Nas put his plan to work. He held the bullet and prevented it from firing. As a result, Nas's owner was shot in the head by a rival gunman. At that moment, Nas felt happy that he would be fired anymore because his owner in the end. To his dissapointment, in the end of the song, some random person was able to pick up Nas before the cops came, and Nas has to start all over again.

This was just one of many clever stories was able to rap about in this album. Overall, most in the songs in CD were quite good. Basically each song has intellectually written lyrics.

Though this album was all about the story telling, listeners tend to forget the producers who contributed to the album's success. Well known producers such as Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Havoc of Mobb Deep, and L.E.S composed the beats that help Nas with his song. The beats were pretty good quality overall.

The only negative part about this album is the tone or atmosphere of some of the songs. This album was somewhat mafia related. Nas used words such as Don Juan and also refered to himself as Nas Escobar. It just didn't feel right due to fact that Nas is from the streets and now he is talking about fancy cars and cigars. As an Nas fan would know, this album would be the start of his "Sell Out," time period in his rap career.

Rating

4.8/5.0

Notable Tracks

The Message, Streets Dreams, I Gave You Power, If I Ruled The World featuring Lauryn Hill.

God's Gift Mixtape Review

2006-08-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

Eversince Nas squashed his beef with former rival Jay Z, hip hop fans have been waiting for the two to start collaborating together. Though it has been rumored that Nas's next album will feature a song with Jay Z, his album won't be released till the end of 2006. The closest thing to an official Nas and Jay Z collaboration would be this mixtape.
This mixtape contains past Nas rap verses and blends them with Jay's verses. Along side with these legendary verses, notrious mixtape DJs such as Mick Boogie, Joey Fingaz, and Terry Urban provides production that suits the rapper's sentences. Also, this mixtape cd includes a live recording of the actual reunion of Nas and Jay Z on stage.

This is one of the best Mixtape cds I have ever heard. Just hearing Nas's lyrical verses back to back with Jay Z's hardcore rhymes totally blows my mind away. Nas has been know for his poetic genius while Jay's been know for his energy. Having both of these rap legends on a track tends to balance it. Also, it was great to hear these emcees together because each track seems like Nas and Jay were communicating with each other. For example, on the track titled "24 Years to Life" Jay talks about his experience in the ghetto while Nas talks about how the ghetto brings the worst of people. Excellent word play from both of them.

Though this album sounds to good to be true, it does contains some flaws. Not all the tracks are good. On some of the songs, Jay Z just lacks intellegence to keep up with Nas's word play. Also, some of the production doesn't fit well with the two rappers. Other than these flaws, It's a pretty good mixtape to listen to.

Rating
4.0/5.0

Notable Tracks

24 Years to Life, Most Incredible, In Between Us, What's Beef?, Analyze This