Support Jay Smooth and the Underground Railroad

Independent radio needs financial support to stay up and running. If you value stations like WBAI - which you should - hear Jay Smooth out and give if/what you can:

We are fundraising again tonight on my radio show the Underground Railroad, to help keep the legendary community radio station WBAI alive and kicking. So if you can, please tune in from 10PM to Midnight EST at http://stream.wbai.org (or 99,5FM in the tri-state area) and call up 212-209-2950 to make a pledge, or go to http://wbai.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9898 and select "Underground Railroad" to make a pledge online! It was slow last time so we can definitely use some extra support this time around.

(Needless to say you can also expect some great hip-hop from our DJs as usual, and we're tentatively expecting Parrish Smith from EPMD in the house. And if you pledge online let me know so I can give you a shoutout!)

Internets Celebrities: The Revolution Will Be Televised

Yesterday, the Internets Celebrities (Rafi Kam, Dallas Penn & Casimir Nozkowski) chopped it up with Eliot Spitz on MSNBC to discuss their innovative, street-themed documentary work (above). They also premiered their new documentary, Stadium Status, addressing urban decay and gentrification (below). Get familiar:

Building a Memorial In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wonderful news outta D.C.: Would you like to contribute to the building of a memorial to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Join Build the Dream to help them meet their fundraising goal to place a memorial on the National Mall to honor the life of Dr. King. More from MLKMemorialNews.org:

We want to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by leading a collaborative funding, design, and construction process in the creation of a memorial to honor his national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change..

The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.

Dr. King championed a movement that draws fully from the deep well of America's potential for freedom, opportunity, and justice. His vision of America is captured in his message of hope and possibility for a future anchored in dignity, sensitivity, and mutual respect; a message that challenges each of us to recognize that America's true strength lies in its diversity of talents. The vision of a memorial in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is one that captures the essence of his message, a message in which he so eloquently affirms the commanding tenants of the American Dream — Freedom, Democracy and Opportunity for All; a noble quest that gained him the Nobel Peace Prize and one that continues to influence people and societies throughout the world. Upon reflection, we are reminded that Dr. King's lifelong dedication to the idea of achieving human dignity through global relationships of well being has served to instill a broader and deeper sense of duty within each of us— a duty to be both responsible citizens and conscientious stewards of freedom and democracy.

Click here or on the MLK banner below to contribute to this great cause.

Massachusetts 4 Coakley

If you're a Massachusetts progressive, please do what you've got to do this coming Tuesday: make sure that the late Ted Kennedy's senate seat isn't filled and replaced by a Republican. The fate of this senate seat will directly affect the Obama administration's legislative ambitions. Coakley 4 Senate is a vote to uphold Massachusetts as a progressive stronghold.

Food for Thought / Thought for Food

DaySix.org: Be the Difference

DaySix.org is a faith-based organization striving to battle misconceptions about global warming and to fight the effects of climate change. Hopefully these initiatives -- highlighting humanity's plight, rather than the analytical perspective of scientists (because they're too "elite" to be taken seriously) -- will spark some awareness in the Bible-thumping red states.

Enemies

Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Tom Carper (D-Del.)

Line 'em up.

Hip Hop Caucus: United We Serve

Join the Hip Hop Caucus!

The White House launched the United We Serve initiative last week, and the Hip Hop Caucus is working with the White House and President Obama to do outreach to urban communities and communities of color. Rev. Yearwood is actually there at the WH right now having lunch.

To the Caucus, volunteering and giving back to your community is not a middle-class hobby. For impoverished inner-cities giving back is about survival. We did this video as a means of reaching out to Caucus members and the whole hip hop community, to get them to sign up either through the White House's site or through the Caucus.

Mistah F.A.B. Speaks Out In Support of Mumia Abu-Jamal

Via Journalists4Mumia:

On April 24, 2009, in Oakland, CA, Mistah F.A.B. speaks at an event marking Mumia Abu-Jamal's 55th birthday and the release of his new book: 'Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. The USA'.

F.A.B. is one of those guys that epitomizes the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover". At first I thought he was just a composite Bay Area rapper. Just your typical flammy, dank-smoking, ghost-riding, B.F.O., all about his scrilla. And he might be that too. But he's also got some stuff to say...

Update: Props to F.A.B. for the thanks and all of the several, various, assorted, numerous, multiple shout outs!

^ Ha!

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)

Daily Operation: February 20, 2009

Rick Sanchez calls out Sean Hannity... BIG TIME!

New music (in order of preference):

The Kickdrums - Just A Game
Busta Rhymes - Anthrax
QuESt & Nero - Check the Rhime '09
Busta Rhymes - Murdergram 2009 (Remix)
R. Kelly - Do What It Do (feat. 50 Cent) [No DJ]
(MF) DOOM - That's That
T-Pain & Kanye West - Flight School [WITH NMC TAGS]
The-Dream - Walking On the Moon (feat. Kanye West)
Nino Bless - Tribute To Bone Thugz
Young Buck - What Ever
Uncle Murda - Load Up Music
AZ vs The Golden Filter - Solid Gold From New York (feat. R.A.G.U.)
Kaze - On Smash (Produced by Ski Beatz)
C-San - Can You Work With That (feat. Casey Veggies)
Jason Miller - Sex (feat. Snoop Dogg)
RAtheMC - Prom Queen From A Prom Queen
Big Sean - Million Dollars
Maino - Colorful Clothes (feat. Lil Wayne)

Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved:

AAR: Air America Radio's Mark Green Interviews Al Franken: "We're Going to Win Soon"

FDL: SMH... Alan Keyes Calls Obama a "Radical Communist"

YTUBE: Rick Santelli's Rant

YTUBE: Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Addresses Rick Santelli's Rant

TECHCRUNCH: Last.fm Sold Its Soul to the Devil RIAA

WASHPO: LOL: Sarah Palin is "Dan Quayle With a Ponytail"

MEDIAMATTERS: Still Waiting for George Will's Correction...

Makin' the Rounds:

PREFIX: The Top 50 Best Selling Albums of 2008 Worldwide

TIME: The Top 10 Conan O'Brien Moments

CNET: It's Official: Google Earth Found Atlantis... Okay, Maybe Not

TYT: The Young Turks Respond to the Rihanna Pic

YAHOO: See? This Is Why I Prefer Rock Band: Guitar Hero Misspells "Lynyrd Skynyrd"

Quote for the Day (Courtesy of El Rizmatico):

Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

- Rudy Tomjanovich