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Jam Master Jay shot and killed at his studio. Rest in Peace.

Tune of the moment: Drumagick Easy Boom. A lot of breaks that try to add the Jorge flave end up feeling like a Brasilian comp playing on the CD tray of a Kanata Starbucks, this one feels like you're sweating through your clothes in a basement.

The jam for tomorrow will be BLIM up at The Well for Simple Tings. Opening up, Stu Blunt always brings it and Haze dips into his magic box of Old School Hardcore. Don't think I can make it, and I'll be missing out.

Big ups all up at Fresco's & Kosmic over the weekend, especially T-Wrecks's "friend" for hooking up the cake - that's showing love right there. T, you are the all-time king of Jay Dee sub-bass sets, I could listen to that shit all day. Big up Scott Boogie for dropping that Benzino joint on the BIG system, I want to hear more dancehall next time guy. Tune of the set at Kosmic was Manu Dibango "New Bell". . .

Oh, and watch out for Oni's birthday party at the Merc on Nov. 7. Word is the whole spoken word mafia will be out in numbers, so I will not be getting into arguments that night because I always lose to those smooth talkers.

Just finished reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. A good expose on exploitation in the fast food industry, from the ranch to the plastic table that's bolted to the ground. Also will make you never want to eat McDonald's again.

A thought-provoking quote:
"The history of the 20th century was dominated by the struggle against totalitarian systems of state power. The 21st will no doubt be marked by a struggle to curtail excessive corporate power. The great challenge now facing countries throughout the world is how to find a proper balance between the efficiency and the amorality of the market. Over the past twenty years the United States has swung too far in one direction, weakening the regulations that safeguard workers, consumers, and the environment. An economic system promising freedom has too often become a means of denying it, as the narrow dictates of the market gain precedence over more important democratic values." - p. 261

The NBA season just got a whole lot tighter! If you've been living in under a rock, you haven't heard about the Rick Fox/Doug Christie mash-up yet. Not only is this the funniest shit ever, but it doesn't matter who wins, 'cause everyone hates them both! For the record, Fox-y Yellow comes off looking ridiculous for bitch-slapping Christie upside the head and then running over to the Kings' locker-room to try to sucker-punch him again. DC got a good shot in, but he's still a fool with no parallel.

Oh, and what's up with Shaq's shirt? That was fugly right there.

"Affluent White Man Enjoys, Causes The Blues" - I'm not laughing at much these days, but this had me ROLLING.

This ain't Oprah, but here's some shit I find inspirational:
"I'm here. Hey, when stuff got tight, when Steph (Marbury) left, I'm here. When we went through the draft-pick (forfeitures), I'm here. When we got put out six years in a row, I'm here. I'm going to be here until they don't want me anymore. If we can't find a (middle ground for the next contract), then you do what you've got to do. But I'm not going to put my foot in my mouth. This is where I live, 365 days -- or in leap year, 366 days -- of the year. I'm here. Life is tough. You can't run from everything."
- Kevin Garnett
from here

Preme and Evil Dee spinning live tonight:
Dj Premier and Evil Dee are going to join Pete Rock and Marley Marl on the Future Flavas Network, spinnin for an hour followed by the afterparty at 11 est. Find it here, click on the link labelled "live music".

Big up chkelly.

Kanye West can rhyme too? Damn, I'm not feeling the flow, I am impressed when dudes come from both angles. OKP Discussion

Check this Mac Switch ad starring Q-Bert. These Apple cats really know their marketing: Q is just about the perfect personality for this campaign. He's on some next shit, but he's still getting paid off his creativity.

Check the video for Gold Chains I Come from San Francisco. The usual "make fun of thugged-out hip hop" thing that's been around for a while - kinda funny, but worth checking strictly for the turntable boom box dude is rocking in the intro. Radio Raheem should've had one of these.

From darkhorizons.com:
"Catch a Fire": Cinefantastique reports that DreamWorks has put a biopic about reggae icon Bob Marley on the fast track with Mos Def in the role of the famed musician. Based on the biographical book of the same name, the choice of Mos Def is not only due to his blossoming film career ("Brown Sugar", "The Italian Job", etc.) but his very Marley-esque vocals in the single "Umi Says". Production is expected to begin in early 2003 with the hopes of going in competition with Miramax's Che Guevara biopic. A director has yet to be selected.

Big-up Roberto for the heads-up. Read the OKP discussion.

P.S. In what way are the Bob and Che pictures in competition? It's not like they're both about Christopher Columbus, or asteriods hitting Pearth! What do the two guys have in common? That's some ignorance right there. Watch out for the Mao vs. MLK biopic race coming up, it's gonna be like Ultimate Fighting XIV up in there. . .

This mini-doc (hi-lo)on the making of the new Riot Fela Tribute is further proof that it will be the next shit. Highlight: D'Angelo, ?uest et al gettin down to the playback :-)

Top 20 Noreaga quotes.

Dice fractured his kneecap AGAIN! The Knicks are gonn SUCK this year.

From the BBC: Nigeria's Digital Revolution. Perhaps armed with digital tools that put them on more equal footing with the rest of the world, Africa's pent-up potential will finally be realized.

Can't wait to get my hands on the Red Hot & Riot tribute to Fela. Collaborators include: D'angelo, Blackalicious, Mixmaster Mike, Dead Prez with Jorge Ben, Kweli and Bilal, Bugz in the Attic, Kelis. . .

New Gang Starr twelve: Battle. Not an update of the style like Skillz, this is classic-sounding Gang Starr.

A nice little piece on D-Miles. Dude is kind of an exciting one-trick pony right now, but give him a chance to get out of his teens and he'll be one of this era's greats. If the Cavs do land Lebron - and there would be some poetic justice to seeing the local kid save the day - they will be straight sick with Juanny, D-Miles and LJ.

While #21 Junior is impressive, he has nothing on the 10-year-old girl I played against last wknd who was AUTOMATIC from baseline, 12 ft. out. I'm serious, beware the 4'8" Reggie Millette. Her brothers never passed to her, but when they did, she sank it every time. How much do I love ball?

Updates, updates, no time to update VandV. Lots of things in the mix these days, check Oni the Haitian Sensation's site for one. Work on that album, my friend. . .

Also worth checking for. . . the bootleg Mos Def rare tracks 4-CD (!) set and the Madlib remix of Jazzanova's L.O.V.E. (curse the firewall bitches who prevent me from listening to this at work!).

More this weekend, count on it . . .

Latest low-budge Lauryn Hill news update. Collabos with Missy and Kelis both sound interesting - here's hoping they're produced by Tim and the Neps. People shouldn't give up on Lauryn post-Unplugged. . . I think she has a lot of exceptional music left in her.

MASH was tight, big up all those came by. Tunes of the night: the Capoeira Twins and 4Hero Hold It Down.

I'm gonn be up at MASH (south end of Elgin) tonight, spinning funk, hip hop, soul, drum'n'bass, broken, and rock alongside the man like Stu Blunt. 10pm-2am, come by and say whattup.

Oh, and be sure to check "RIAA Sues Radio Stations for Giving Away Free Music". . . the Onion is greating for flipping your perspective and breaking your kneecaps at the same time. . .

My riddim of the moment: Diesel. It's "Big Head" made dutty.

Also nice is the Truth Hurts update Indian riddim.

Just a heads-up in case you haven't seen the flyers that me and the rest of the Squad are up at Surface (128 York St., Ottawa) starting at 10pm tonight (Thursday, Oct. 3). It's mixsets, routines, and performance by HoddRawkz and PS affiliates Fonetiks, who are getting better with every show. Come by and say whattup. I have lots of new cuts I want to play on the big system.....

Proof that things done changed in the music industry and people need to recognize that labels can't operate under the "command and control" model any more. Already I've come across TWO remixes of the new Common (which ain't even out on wax yet!):
Un: Nicolay rmx
Deux: Slopfunkdust rmx