Whitewashing “Akira” (via COLINRESPONSE)

Background: Akira was/is a masterpiece. Hollywood is going to crap all over said masterpiece with a racist live-action redo of the movie.

Concerns: The redo will be both subpar AND racist, since the ONLY people considered for the lead roles are shiny light-bright star-white actors (WTF?) when there are PLENTY of (arguably more-)talented people to pick from who are, you know…not. white.

Game plan is simple: Boycott the new life-action movie. Haven’t seen it? Watch the original (for free, even! see below). Still really really want to see the movie? I absolutely would NOT recommend that you go to a website like www.bitsnoop.com, snag a torrent file, and download it for free via P2P networks shortly after (or even slightly before) it hits the theaters. That would be wrong. Because it wouldn’t be supporting Hollywood’s hackish racism.

AKIRA (アキラ) is a 1988 Japanese animated science fiction film. It was written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, who based it on his manga of the same name. The film is set in a futuristic and post-war city, Neo-Tokyo, in 2019. The film’s plot focuses on Shotaro Kaneda, a biker gang member, as he tries to stop Tetsuo Shima from releasing Akira. The film became a hugely popular cult film and is widely considered to be a landmark in Japanese animation … Read More

via COLINRESPONSE

Bambu for Women’s History Month

The two songs below are two small (and important) reasons why Bambu is one of my favorite artists/activists of any kind, anywhere

1. Something

March, in case you were unaware, is Women’s History Month. Los Angeles’ own, Bambu, leaks a song that takes a look at domestic violence from a personal perspective. The song speaks on his family history with violence in the home, as well as his own struggles with it, even touching on the normalcy of such violence against women in our own Hip Hop culture. For this one, DJ Phatrick stepped out from behind the turntables to produce, sampling Adele’s “Someone Like You.” A video is set to drop at the end of the month and the song will also be included on Bambu’s …Exact Change… re-release bonus EP, Short Changed, dropping on April 29, 2011 through Beatrock Music Label.

2. The Queen Is Dead…. an older song calling out sexism in the “conscious” and “progressive” elements…

Bambu explains the track here (track #5)

If you haven’t yet, also check out his “Old Man Raps” (explanation is track #7) and “Crooks and Rooks” videos, as well.

DiezelP: Time for us to respect women

DiezelP writes over at What’s Happening PDX:

Will Hip-Hop Ever Reach Its Full Potential?

The Worth of Women

How will hip hop ever grow to its full potential when the very gender that reproduces our future artists, activists, columnists, producers, and entrepreneurs of our urban community are belittled to almost an object for the testosterone filled modern day rappers? When did the women of our culture become only useful for physical beauty and sexual activity? Why doesn’t Rap music uplift and inspire their female listeners to reach the same level of success males have?

Cartoon: A Concise History of Black-White Relations in the United States

oh, you know it’s true…

HAVEN: Hip Hop Against Violence Everywhere Now

Who is Diezel P?

DiezelP is one of many talented up and coming emcees who are involved in the beginning stages of a collaborative project entitled “HAVEN:  Hip Hop Against Violence Everywhere Now”

women in jazz

WOW. Grace Kelly. Y’all remember that, alright? Seriously. So I heard this amazing interpretation of “Ain’t No Sunshine” on the radio, waiting with baited breath to hear who the hell it was behind this crazy shee-it. Turns out, you have to qualify it as crazy youthful sixteen year old second-gen Korean American she-it to be accurate. Grace Kelly. Mood Changes.

In the liner notes, Don Heckman beautifully describes the casual sexism us men often carelessly throw around. Here’s an excerpt (emphasis mine):

Miss Toni Hill: Rose

Google her and find out more.

Interview: Alphabet Stew on KBOO

My cousin and his fellow Alphabet Stew collaborators promoting their new album, Mentil Soup.  It’s as action-packed and exciting as any KBOO interview I’ve ever heard :)

“just thinkin’ out loud…”

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to talk about my trip through Kuwait, Jordan, the West Bank (Palestine) and Israel [for the record, I'm still not done typing everything up and publishing it].  Lately, though, the blog has taken a deep dive into the tepid cesspool of crass political commentary.  Funny how priorities change like that…I’m still planning on finishing my writeup of the trip.  Not in the least because, hey, you gotta come up from the depths of the tepid cesspool for a breath of air every now and then (real life notwithstanding).  I also owe FoEME (Jordan) my notes from our conversations and brainstorming at the ‘Amman office.

However, the title of the blog itself hints at a different purpose.  When I started this blog, I also promised myself that I would use it as an outlet for my poetry.  That’s been a difficult promise to fulfill. 

your daily dose of Palin

Pining for Palin’s next poetic performance?   Anxiously awaiting her next open-ended mic experience?  Wondering when she’ll mash those wonderful words in another exclusive interview?