BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Pete Rock Interview

What's good everyone,

Here is an interesting video clip from the Karmaloop TV of legendary Hip-Hop producer and MC Pete Rock being interviewed by UnderGroundHipHop.com's Van Stylez where he touched base on Biggie, Tupac, whether Kanye West stole his production style and some other things.

Give it a look and enjoy!



Pete Rock Official MySpace Page
Pete Rock Official Website

Bonus Video #1: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Lots of Lovin' (1993)



Bonus Video #2: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - It's Not A Game (1993)



Bonus Video #3: Pete Rock & CL Smooth Sprite Commericial (1995)

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Talib Kweli Live at American Museum of Natural History

What's good folks,

Just wanted to share a video of some dope live Hip-Hop performance we were hit with (shouts to Tunji of Inverse for the good looks) of old and new school NYC Hip-Hop MCs Talib Kweli, Pete Rock and Buckshot of Duckdown Records/Bootcamp Click over at the American Museum of Natural History a few weeks ago.

Give it a look and listen - enjoy!

VIMBY - One Step Beyond: Talib Kweli

BlackRadioIsBack.com Comedy - Its The Real Presents "Can't Nobody Hold Me Download" Video

Here's another funny video from my sketch comedy folks over at Its The Real making fun of the RIAA, bootlegging and such...enjoy!

Its The Real Presents: "Can't Nobody Hold Me Download" Video

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: "Turn Off Channel Zero Documentary"

What a better way to counterbalance some of the nonsense of mainstream media in this day and age (especially with the incresing negative coverage of Black People all over the world, especially in the United States) than to put out a film about WHY things are that way and how to fight against it and have people be able to access it for free?

This documentary, "Turn Off Channel Zero" came out by Professor Griff (best known as the Minister of Communications for the revolutionary Hip-Hop group Public Enemy) originally came out in 2007 to talk about the numerous African-American stereotypes that populate the dominant American media.

Today, June 13, 2008 (Juneteenth) is the priemere of the entire documentary for free access on the internet for folks to check out and share.

"Turn Off Channel Zero" has some definite conversation starters and things to get you thinking up in here - check it out, support and spread the word!

"Turn Off Channel Zero" Documentary



Turn Off Channel Zero Documentary MySpace Page
Poli-Tainment TV Official Website

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Michael Moore's" Awful Truth - Fear of a Black Man"

Here is documentary director and writer Michael Moore's take on the incidents of violence and injustice placed on Black Men in the U.S. by law enforcement, particularly in the realm of Police Brutality (especially with the entire travesty of the Sean Bell case).

I've personally always liked Michael Moore since checking out the movie "Bowling for Columbine" and have to give him major props for putting this video out there when he really didn't have too.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Michael Moore's" Awful Truth - Fear of a Black Man"



Michael Moore's Official Website

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Erykah Badu's Tips To Make It In The Music Industry

Ms. Erykah Badu looks like she was smoking that excellente piff in this video, but this joint is mad funny with her breakdown of things...check it out (if you can't check the video on the blog, click here) .



And that new album, New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War, by homegirls is cool as all get out by the way for my Soul Music heads, our humble opinon at BlackRadioIsBack.com & the FuseBox Radio Broadcast...

Official Erykah Badu Website
Official Erykah Badu MySpace Page

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: "Ghostride The Whip" Movie Trailer

For those folks who want to know more information about history of the entire Hyphy movement in Northern California (a.k.a. The Bay a.k.a. The Yay) from the music to the slang to the famous (or infamous depending on your viewpoint) activities like ghostriding, turf dancing, thizzing, etc. may want to check out this documentary coming out from Image Entertainment on June 24, 2008, GhostRide The Whip.

GhostRide The Whip is directed by DJ Vlad (Hot in Here DVD series, H20 Hip Hop On Demand), produced by Academy/Emmy-nominated Peter Spirer and narrated by Sway Calloway of URSession.com, Bay-orginated The Wake-Up Show and MTV.

Folks like Bay Area rappers E-40, Keak Da Sneak, MC Hammer, Messy Marv, Mistah FAB and many others talk about the history and mentality of Hyphy from its California Black Music Movments of Jazz, Funk and Soul from the 1950s to the Civil Rights Movements (especially the Black Panthers) to one of its most famous representatives in the game, Mac Dre.

We got the preview clip below for folks to check out of GhostRide The Whip...what do you all think?

GhostRide The Whip Main Movie Trailer:



Bonus Video: GhostRide The Whip - The Bay Area in the 1960s Section



DJ Vlad Official Website (with GhostRide The Whip Info)

BlackRadioIsBack.com The Boondocks Lost Episode: "The Hunger Strike"

Enjoy folks - this is "The Boondocks" episode that has currently been banned/delayed from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Lineup that makes fun of BET and Lord knows what else:



* dies and cries at same time at "I saw three n***ers reading yesterday and one of them was SMILING." knowing that there are people of all backgrounds who would get mad at that mess *

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: A Raisin in the Sun (2008) TV Movie Trailer

Picture: Phylicia Rashad & Sean Combs (P. Diddy) Picture from the Broadway Play Version of "A Raisin in The Sun"

There is going to be a new movie version of the famous play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Black Playwright Lorraine Hansberry coming out on television this year.

“A Raisin in the Sun” tells the story of a Black family's trails and tribulations of living and struggling in Chicago’s impoverished South Side area during the 1950s.

Most of the recent Broadway cast - Phylicia Rashad, Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, Sanna Lanthan and others - are going to be a part of this movie, so it should be interesting to see how everything goes (as well as how much promotion will be given for this movie by the sponsoring television network).

It's going to be coming on Monday, February 25, 2008 (Black History Month, naturally, I guess) on the ABC channels here in the States from 8:00 - 11:00 PM.

Check out the trailer for the movie here - it looks like quality work worth watching for real.

Bonus Video: "A Rain In The Sun" Original Movie Trailer (1961) with Cast Members Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Glynn Turman & more



"A Raisin in The Sun" Official 2008 Movie Website
"A Raisin in The Sun" Wikipedia Listing
"A Rain in the Sun" Cliffs Notes
Lorraine Hansberry Biography

BlackRadioIsBack.com Flashback Video of the Day: Shanice

I haven't done one of these post in a while and it was just the proper time before the year ends...

Shanice released her second album, the platinum selling soul LP Inner Child , in 1991 as a teenager and "I Love Your Smile" was one of her really big hits off of that on all radio formats (I know I couldn't not hear that track on the local Black Radio stations around the way like WKYS, WPGC or what was essentially my parent's station, Majic 102.3 around the DC Metro as a youngin').

Looking back, Inner Child is a good album that's aged well throughout the years (there is a cover of Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" that is great) and no one can deny that her vocal range is crazy.

According to her website and MySpace page, she still on the grind performing and has a new album coming out in 2008 for folks to check out.

This video brings me back to around the beginning of middle school (long enough of a time ago for Tom Joyner to bring her on his Sky Show and make me feel like an old woman seeing it on TV One) and the song always just gives me a good light-hearted vibe.

It's nice to listen to a music joints that has young folk singing about actually doing innocent, young folk things and thoughts.

* sides eyes B2K, Bow Wow & Omarion, etc. *

Some Interesting factoids from Wikipedia listing: She's married to comedian Flex Alexander and has 2 childrem with him. Shanice also did backup vocals for Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart" and played Eponine in the Broadway musical "Les Miserables" for a hot minute.

Here goes the video:

Shanice - I Love Your Smile



Bonus Video #1: Shanice - When I Close My Eyes



Bonus Video #2: Shanice - Every Woman Dreams



Bonus Video #3: Shanice Singing "Home" At Age 9 (1982)




Shanice Official Website
Shanice Official MySpace Page

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Stay In School - Bay Area Allstars

I ran into this "Stay In School" music video featuring Dem Hoodstarz, E-40, Mugzi, San Quinn, Jacka, Cellski, Keak Da Sneak, Mac and AK, Erase E, Battle Loco and Kontac while going through Stash Magazine.

This was made to hit the children in the Bay Area of California due to the problems with the inner city minority children not finishing High School around that way (about 45%).

I think it's a good effort, has a good message and a pretty good song. The video is pretty cute to me too. What do y'all think?

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Jean Grae & DJ Tony Touch on Flow TV

Some real talk and flows from Hip-Hop MC Jean Grae - she's been on the underground grind for a minute and with her connection with the BlackSmith Music movement and label of Talib Kweli, she should hopefully be making some deserved noise in 2008, especially in this day and age of quality female MCs being rare in the game.

On this Real TV clip, there's also some talk from classic DJ Tony Touch about his career and the reggaeton movement.

FLOW - Jean Grae

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Jean Grae Official MySpace Page
DJ Tony Touch Official MySpace Page
Flow TV Official MySpace Page

BlackRadioIsBack.com Flashback Video of the Day: Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru The Damaja

This is a classic 1990s era DJ Premier produced Hip-Hop track with MCs Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru the Damaja on mic duty.

This song is from a pretty decent ("C+" to "B" grade, my personal opinon) Spike Lee movie, Clockers (it's not as good as School Daze or Malcolm X at all, but the movie is WAY better than WTF types of filmmaking mess from Spike like Girl 6 and She Hate Me - I'm still mad I spent money to see the latter for real).

Everyone absolutely murders their respective verses on here and doesn't do the "I'll just say some bulls*** and coast because the beat is fantastic" action.

Personally, it alternates between Chubb Rock's and Jeru's verses in terms of which is my favorite depending on my mood (young, gifted & black with mellow annoyance - Jeru's; young, gifted & black and ornery - Chubb Rock's).

All of these brothers still make their appearances on the Hip-Hop music scene - and aren't embarrasing - now with guest collaborations on singles and recent self-released album material (O.C. and Jeru the Damaja mainly, I think Chubb Rock is working on some new full length stuff).

Besides this song, the entire Clockers Movie Soundtracks are high quality - the jazz score version by Terrance Blanchard is off the chain and on the soundtrack compilation Chaka Khan's "Love Me Still" is a great R&B track along with solid joints from Seal, Mega Banton, Des'ree, Marc Dorsey and others.

Here we go with the video...enjoy:

Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru the Damaja - Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers



Chubb Rock Official MySpace
Jeru The Damaja Official Website
O.C. Official MySpace Page

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video Flashback of the Day: Lin Que & MC Lyte

Classic New York area Female MCs doing it up on the real on some early 1990s ish!

Lin Que is best known for rolling with the X-Clan and has been doing solo projects for a minute. She has a new LP out called GODSpeed.

MC Lyte is still doing it up all over the place and has an album of new material coming out soon in 2008.

Lord Knows that female MCs have gotten the pretty wack end of the stick in the mud this year, so hopefully, these sistas are a part of trying to get things back to being respectable again.

Lin Que featuring MC Lyte - Let It Fall



Bonus Video - New!: Lin Que - Breath Spit (The Ayatollah RMX)




Lin Que Official MySpace Page
Lin Que Official Website

MC Lyte Official MySpace Page
MC Lyte Official Website

BlackRadioIsBack.com New Video: New Season Commerical Promo for HBO's The Wire

The Wire is one of my favorite TV shows of all time - it just has very good storytelling and overall shows what probably happens in plenty of U.S. 'Hoods on all sides with issues from lots of perspectives (everyday folks living in the area, kids, police, school system, criminals, etc.).

Here is a promo commerical for the new season - the DVR and On Demand watching will be in full effect in case I won't be able to watch the live tapings:

BlackRadioIsBack Flashback Videos of the Day: Jackson 5

According to Jermaine Jackson, The Jackson 5 are going to reform with all of the original members to perform and tour in 2008.

* crickets *

I truly hope all goes well if this really jumps off, but something just screams "Hot Mess" and "I Need Attention" all over this thing.

It would be great to be surprised and have all of these folks sell out and put on a great show, but personally, their collective heyday ended around the early 1980s and we don't want to have a Bobby Brown wacked out live performance scenario times 5 go down or a Supremes Meltdown.

While The Jackson Family are pretty much known for being gossip fodder for crazy gear, crazy coupling, financial distress, kiddie issues, etc. at the present, they did put out a great deal of classic and good music as a group and as solo artists (with youngest member Michael Jackson of course, being the most famous of the Jackson 5).

Here we go with some videos of my favorite tracks by the Jackson 5:

Jackson 5 - Blame It On The Boogie



Jackson 5 - Medley Live on the Carol Burnett Show (1970s)



Jackson 5 - Can You Feel It



Jackson 5 Motown Records Website
Jackson 5 Wikipedia Listing
Jackson 5 Fan Club Official Website

BlackRadioIsBack FlashBack Video of the Day: Rampage

Rampage had a pretty decent first album with the 1997 release of Scouts Honor by Way of Blood - it just suffered from "Amerie Syndrome" (insanely great singles, rest of album paled in comparison).

While being a member of Flipmode Squad (which depending on who's press release that you read still exists, doesn't exist or is reforming under a new name) along with Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Lord Have Mercy and other folks, he didn't lean too heavy on that affiliation as an Hip-Hop MC, which can be appreciated in this day of weed carriers and when it feels like there are 15+ guest appearances per album release.

He has done numerous guest appearances, mixtapes and independent Hip-Hop album releases, including his latest album release of The Ambush this year.

I remember not being able to escape this joint, "Wild for the Night," back in the day on old fashioned mixtapes (on cassettes, folks), on the NYC/NJ Tri-State omni-prescient Hot 97 radio station (around the beginning of my 5 year stint at Rutgers University in New Jersey) and the parties.

This along with "Take It To The Streets" (whatever happened to the white chick who sang the hook, Billie something-or-other?) was at the present, the biggest joints that Rampage did on the mainstream music scene.

Here we go:

Rampage feat. Busta Rhymes - Wild For Da Night



Bonus Flipmode Squad Video: Rah Digga feat. Busta Rhymes - Imperial




Rampage MySpace Page
Rampage Wikipedia Listing
RiotSound.com Interview with Rampage

Flipmode Squad Wikipedia Listing

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: A Classy Clip from I Love New York 2

This is why the Hollywood Writers need to get off strike ASAP - we'll get more works of reality TV wonder like this clip from I Love New York 2 on VH1 that just make black folk look crazy as bat s*** on a china plate all around:




Seriously, I can easily admit I like my bit of trash reality TV and have watched (and currently watch) my fair share.

And for real, I Love New York 2 looks like PBS Masterpiece Theatre compared to ANY episode MTV's A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila with folks eating bull peen and whatnot.

But besides The Salt N Pepa Show, can we please have a little more balance with Black folks (especially Black Women) portrayals not looking like straight banshees and reality TV please?

You know there are plenty more shows like this in the pipeline...SMH

* waits for The Wire's new season to come on HBO *

BlackRadioIsBack.com Video: Cheaters - Hood Edition

Another funny clip from my New Jersey peoples over at Low Budget TV...enjoy!

Cheaters - Hood Edition

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BlackRadioIsBack Flashback Video of The Day - Troop

Troop was one of many great New Jack Swing R&B Music groups in the late 1980s/early 1990s. This group of childhood friends (Steve Russell, Allen McNeil, John Harreld, Rodney Benford, and Reggie Warren) had their main hits with the albums Troop (1988) and Attitude (released in 1990).

The group also continued to put out other good albums with Deepa (1992), A Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin' (1994) and Mayday (1998).

Troop still tours and perform live often all over the world.

One interesting and random unknown fact about Troop found due to the worlderful world of the Internet is that Troop member Steve Russell dubbed the singing voices of several minor characters (among them doo-wop singer Little Albert and the five brothers who make up the Jackson 5 pastiche "The Campbell Connection") in the 2006 film version of the Broadway Musical Dreamgirls.

One of the music joints that was the s*** for me from the Attitude album was "Spread My Wings", which below is the BlackRadioIsBack.com Flashback Video of the Day.

Besides the song being on some uplifting vibe, it had a good groove and the cheorography of everyone danciing in the video was casket sharp without feeling like the singing parts of the video were magically and/or poorly dubbed in on some old school Kung Fu flick stuff (Brittney Spears, I see you).

Hope you all enjoy!

Troop - Spread My Wings



Bonus Video:

Troop - All I Do



Troop Wikipedia Page
Troop MySpace Page