They Reminisce Over You... Raúl Alfonsín

Skateboard Fail

These are the things that keep me going through the day...

Update on ShininGate

This shit is just about over now... Check out Black Spade's latest post over at his blog, or peep the explanation (+ video!) below:

Okay, first off - here is Black Spade’s side of the story for the first time since the original e-mail. Note that everything else in the original post and subsequent comments under my name were my thoughts, opinions and words. So here are his:

Credit due to Made Monarchs for putting the video together.

On the other side of things… after two days of dodging questions and beating around the bush, Charles Hamilton finally came through on his word and uploaded the ProTools session files for his version of the “Shinin’” track. Below is a video the homie Primuts Luta of AvantUrb made showing that Black Spade’s original beat is sitting right there in the very file Charles himself uploaded, titled “08 - Shinin’” as it appeared on the beat CD and all.




So what this means is that Charles Hamilton, one way or another, took Black Spade’s original composition (note its a stereo track and not original source files) and added other elements to it. Now, all in fairness - what most likely happened was Charles was given the Black Spade beat on a CD by a mutual friend or something, and he used the beat thinking it was either that person’s beat and they were cool with it, or he thought it was the original break itself (since Spade did re-create it and sing it to mimic the original).

Not a big deal, right? However - Charles should’ve just said that shit from the jump and this wouldn’t have even been an issue, but he didn’t. He claimed that he did the beat all by himself straight from the original record, that the voice heard on his song was a filter and not Spade’s (note there’s no filtered voice part in those sessions), etc. So now this kid’s credibility is completely shot and I can only hope that people continue to treat him as such from here on out.

This is 2009. We are WELL into the internet age at this point. You CANNOT get away with blatant bullshit like this and not expect to get called out and exposed for it.

So in closing - I hope this a lesson for everyone. True artists - please be careful about sending out your demo beat CD’s, uploading tracks to your MySpace, etc. Watermark your shit, date it, copyright it, whatever - just make sure you don’t get Charles Hamilton’ed. And for all the fraudulent artists out there trying to pull similar jack moves - stop.

Don’t be the next contestant on that Fresh Selects screen

MC Lyte - Lyte As A Rock [The Samples]

The battle for the title of G.F.O.A.T. (Greatest Femcee Of All Time) has always been a toss-up amongst only a handful of worthy contenders. Roxanne Shanté, Queen Latifah, Ladybug Mecca, Jean Grae and Bahamadia, just to name a few, have all earned their stripes... But at the end of it all, it's always boiled down to a tug-of-war between Lauryn Hill and MC Lyte, as far as I see it. But c'mon, Lyte's been doing this sh*t since the golden era, and where's Ms. Hill at? This gem right here comes straight outta '88, featuring a minimal sample style based primarily on great drum breaks. One particular track which has (still) got me scratching my head is a Steve Martin comedy snippet apparently used on Lyte's "I Cra to Understand U". I don't hear it. If you can enlighten me, I'd be grateful. Anyways, this sample set is shorter than most... Nonetheless, I really wanted to put this one together because it's been my effort to complete as many Source 100 albums as possible. Dig in and... as always... turn it up!!

NSFW/NHJIC: In the Words of Nas... "Sacrilegious and Blasphemous..."

Artwork by the great Ben Heine

What do you think about the Pope's recent statement asserting that condoms do not (I repeat: not!) prevent HIV? [READ...]

Charles Hamilton Is...

I've never really liked Charles Hamilton one bit. I've made a very strong effort in not expressing these sentiments lest I be deemed a hater*. But what the heck. Maybe it's 'cause his lyrics are weak sauce, maybe it's 'cause he's trying to get with my girl Lacey (I keed, I keed), maybe it's 'cause of that lame display in the short-lived Charles Hamilton vs. Rhymefest saga, or maybe it's because he suffers from arrested development, exhibited by his excessive displays of childish nostalgia and cartoon/video game character fixation. Who knows? But now, perhaps, I've come across yet another reason to keep him on my "ignore" list.

I received a forwarded e-mail (phat shouts to RT!) from this cat named Black Spade out of St. Louis, and here's what it said:

Yo! So this is the beat Charles Hamilton CLAIMS he created. In short, when I was in Austin to perform and check out SxSW, I caught his set. He performed one of his tracks, "Shinin'", which I thought was dope. However, come to find out the instrumental that he used for that track is a beat I produced a while back. After he was done performing, I let him know that I produced the beat and asked him where he got it from. In the back of my mind I know that the only place he really could have gotten it from was off my MySpace page. When I told him I produced the track and liked his lyrics, he still continued to say that HE produced the track with some dude....FALSE. He said he cleared the sample and that he is the one singing 'Shinin' in the background and also that his homeboy was playing the keys on the track.

Now mind you, the background 'Shinin' vocals that he claims he laid were not laid in the studio at all. I know this because I sampled them by singing directly into the MPC.

Basically, the Frankie Beverly & Maze sample at the beginning is from when I put the beat up on MySpace. The whole point of putting that part in the track was to show that I was about to produce, from that part, my own version of the sample. So, if you don't hear the Frankie Beverly & Maze sample in the MP3 I am sending you, that is why.

Please Blog, a brotha needs his credit...

He included the two tracks, his and C.Hamilton's:

Spade...



Hamilton...



And I've added the original sample, courtesy of Frankie Beverly & Maze...


So... what do you think?

* Yes, this post was just an excuse to rail against Charles Hamilton! :D

Download: Mick Boogie & Terry Urban Present S.O.U.L. Purpose - City Permits [The Street Album]

Well, it's been a good minute since I dropped a mixtape up in this spot, so why not go with an emcee who deserves some shine. The homie Mazzi of Jersey group S.O.U.L. Purpose has been dropping heat consistently ever time he's been out, and I've been doing my best to cover his newest joints. His latest release is co-signed by mixtape sponsor-giants Mick Boogie and Terry Urban, so what more can I say. Tracklisting and download link after the jump <- Oh, right, we don't pull that wack shit on HHIR. :D

Enjoy... and turn it up!

Tracklisting + (Rapidshare) Download Link Below:

1. S.O.U.L. Purpose - City Permits: Intro (1:15)
2. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Keep Movin' (Remix) (feat. Fresh Daily) (4:16)
3. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Mick Boogie Interlude 1 (0:29)
4. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Dirt All By My Lonely (Remix) (feat. Skyzoo) (Prod. by Sixth Sense) (3:01)
5. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Freestyle (Part 1) (1:03)
6. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Right..... (feat. A.P.) (Prod. by nVMe) (2:22)
7. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Mick Boogie Interlude 2 (1:23)
8. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Revolution TV (Prod. by Dj Revolution) (2:31)
9. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Freestyle (Part 2) (0:37)
10. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Talkin' 'Bout You (Remix) (feat. New York Nick) (Prod. by Statik Selektah) (2:34)
11. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Mick Boogie Interlude 3 (0:44)
12. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Where I'm At (feat. Block McCloud) (Prod. by Elete) (2:34)
13. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Stop Playin'! (2:47)
14. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Universal Condition (feat. MURS) (Prod. by Malay) (3:12)
15. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Mick Boogie Interlude 4 (2:56)
16. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Black Ice (feat. G.C.) (3:28)
17. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Dip Dip Dive (Prod. by I.D.) (3:16)
18. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Freestyle (Part 3) (1:48)
19. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Trap Door (Remix) (feat. KeiPH & Senor Kaos) (Prod. by Jake One) (2:55)
20. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Mick Boogie Interlude 5 (0:43)
21. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Beggin' (Remix) (feat. DJ DPOne) (Prod. by nVMe) (3:37)
22. S.O.U.L. Purpose - Peter Rosenberg Promo (Prod. by Beirut) (1:09)
23. S.O.U.L. Purpose - City Permits: Outro (0:44)

Daily Operation: March 28, 2009

Join Think Progress in asking for companies to cut off ad-placement on O'LIElly's show!

D.O.T.B.:

Busta Rhymes - I'm Back (feat. Spliff Star & Show Money)
Fes Taylor - Joe Buttons
JFK - Baking Soda '09 (feat. Termanology) (Prod. by Statik Selektah)
Nice & Smooth - Funky for You '09 (Smirnoff Signature Mix) (feat. Pac Div)
Al Be Back - Brown People (feat. The Last Poets)
Jay-Z - Maybe (feat. Diddy) (Prod. by Sean C & LV)
Jim Jones - How to Be a Boss (Remix) (feat. Ludacris, NOE & Busta Rhymes)
Nipsey Hussle - Hussle In the House (Remix) (feat. Jay Rock & Maino)
Papoose - Na Na Nana Na Na Freestyle
Sha Stimuli - 6th Sense
Spliff Star - Bang Bang (feat. Uncle Murda)
Sulle - Sippin' (feat. Busta Rhymes)
Bryan Strong - The Only One (feat. Hood Fella)
Busta Rhymes - Exclusive Ownership (feat. E-40)
DJ Class - I'm the Shit (Remix) (feat. Kanye West)
Keri Hilson - Hey Girl (feat. T-Pain & Lil Jon)
Lil Wayne - Hot Revolver (feat. Kevin Rudolf)
Max Minelli - Dead Rapperz
Ne-Yo - To Be Continued
Nickelus F - Great Set of Teeth (Monumentus)
One-2 - Another Sound (Prod. by Komplex)
Will Roush - Go For It All
Young Buck - MediaTakeout
DJ Self - Swag Surfin (Remix) (feat. Fabolous, Juelz Santana, Red Cafe & Maino)
Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana - Bonifide Hustla (Prod. by The Runners)
Lil Wayne & T-Pain - He Raps, He Sings, It's T-Wayne
Slim Thug - I Run (West Remix) (feat. Brisco, Nipsey Hussle, Yo Gotti & E-40)
Teairra Mari - Automatic (feat. Nicki Minaj)
Icadon - Get It On (feat. Colee Stallone)
Lil' Jon - I Do (feat. Swizz Beatz & Snoop Dogg)
Lil Wayne - It's Been A Week
Lill Wayne - I'm Not Human
Shawty Lo - About My B.I. (feat. Mya)
Cassie - Let's Get Crazy (feat. Akon)

Weekly Address from President Obama (Mar. 28, 2009)

The President addresses the people of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota as they face down disastrous flooding. He speaks of what the government is doing, but also stresses that times of crisis like this are reminders of the need and opportunity Americans have to keep their dedication to service.