Gangsta Rap

"Gangsta" rap needs to die. The most played out, uncreative genre of "music" needs to die a quick and painful death. What was once a groundbreaking style of music has turned into the biggest pile of over-commercialized crap that exists.
One of the main problems is that none of these"artists" can rap outside of themselves. How many times can we listen to these fucking guys talk about how great and rich they are, how they love fat asses, cars, and jewelery. On the other hand, you have real artists like Mos Def and Common. These guys have entire albums filled with songs about society, politics, and global issues. And when they write a song about something like girls or crime, they tell a story, like in Ms. FatBooty or Justify. Then, at an awards show, these types of songs are ignored, or, God forbid, if they are performed, the artist is arrested.
I almost think that Mos Def was arrested after the music awards not for performing without a permit, but for performing an intelligent song of substance at a venue where stupidity reigned supreme. I mean, how dare he try to educate people or raise awareness with his music when he should be writing songs about ice, rims, and hoes. I don't really believe that that's why he was arrested, but who fuckin' knows? I know the federal government probably doesn't want someone like Mos Def rapping about Hurricane Katrina.
The truth is, the powers that be feed off of the stupidity and ignorance of the American consumer, who in the case of the "gangsta rap" fan is typically either a young teen or someone that should technically be classified as an adult but acts and dresses more like a middle-school student.
There's a great reference that I can point you to if you don't think I know what the fuck I'm talking about. Instead of reading this column and silently thinking to yourself that I have no position or credibility when it comes to this matter, go buy KRS-One's album "I Got Next" and listen to the first track where he is talking to the audience. If only rappers had actually listened and learned from the teacher.
If you rap about something of importance, or if your are lyrically clever or witty, the majority of people do not want to hear it. Believe it or not, this disgusting trend will only serve to keep the hip-hop community down, and I'm talking about the fans. This will have a negative affect on people growing up who are heavily influenced by this music. This, in turn, will have the greatest impact on minorities, namely the Black and Latino communities. You can deny it all you want but it is true. I really believe that "the man" probably knows this and wants this. These shitty rappers are perpetuating a state of ignorance, which is great for corporations and a government that loves CONTROL. For a second reference go listen to "The Rape Over" on "The New Danger." Unfortunately, most rap fans don't even listen to the likes of Mos Def or KRS-One, so this message will never reach them.
The public demands more songs about rims, ice, money, hoes, or some stupid new fucking dance.
I'm sorry, but I won't roll with it. And I won't lean with it. And I damn sure ain't gonna pop with it.

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10 Movies You've Never Heard Of

I am a movie buff. I know about movies you've never even heard of. Interested? Here are 10 movies you've never heard of, (or at least haven't seen), that are better than the 10 movies YOU would list as the 10 best movies of all time. And yes, I am that pretentious.


1. Old Boy (action/foreign)- A Korean flick better than any Bruce Lee movie ever made, because it actually has a plot. Make sure you watch it in Korean with the subtitles on, otherwise it will be ruined. RUINED! Heed my word.

2. Buffalo 66 (Drama/Independent)- Ah, Vincent Gallo. This is by far his best film; Christina Ricci, Angelica Houston- need I say more? Quite different than the Albany spinoff, Buffalo 69.

3. Mysterious Skin (Drama/Independent)- If you can stop being such a gay-bashing homo for a couple of hours, this is one of the most emotional, heart-wrenching movies of all time. The story is woven masterfully, and the acting is great. This flick, however, is not for the weak at heart.

4. 13 Conversations About 1 Thing (Drama/Independent)- Just a good fuckin movie.

5. Y Tu Mama Tambien (Foreign/Drama)- Okay, you've probably heard about this movie- but have you seen it? I thought not. Go rent it, because this is a bonafide 4 star classic.

6. Melinda & Melinda (Comedy)- Okay, you got me. You might have heard of this one too. But have you seen it? Oh, I did that already, never mind. Seriously though, this is probably both Will Farrell and Woody Allen's best film.

7. Chuck and Buck (Comedy, but not really)- Have some fun and place this movie in the children's section after you return it. You're sure to traumatize at least 1 child.

8. May (Horror)- This movie had just a touch of cheese, but overall, it's a great horror flick that's genuinely creepy. Definitely worth renting.

9. The Vanishing (Foreign/Horror)- Please make sure not to get the American version with Keefer Sutherland, because it is a cheap knockoff and it sucks big, fuzzy balls. The original Dutch version, on the other hand, has one of the most terrifying scenes in movie history.

10. Jacob's Ladder (Drama/Suspense)- Okay, you've heard of this movie. You may have even seen it. But when was the last time you saw it? Do yourself a favor and see it again, as it is arguably my favorite flick of all time, as well as being one of the most blatantly copied films of all time. It also is one of the creepiest movies of all time. And I am the coolest person of all time.

Fin

-DT

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"Sweaty Night" by Peter Toh

Go to Peter Toh's Myspace Page to check out a brand new track titled, "Sweaty Night". This is just one of the many great tracks Peter has recorded at Hidden Track studios, so keep posted for new releases!
-AS

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Steve Irwin

Rest in peace to Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, who passed away today at the age of 44. He was shooting a segment for an upcoming show, "Ocean's Deadliest" and was stung by a stingray, and put a hole right in his heart. All these years of watching him with all these crazy animals, and all the jokes that were made about his chances of survival in the past all seemed so trivial. I guess I always thought in the back of my head that it was on TV, and everything would always be ok. He really was putting his life at risk so many times, and I believe it was for no other reason than his love of animals. He was able to make a great living out of it, but you can tell that he truly loved what he did. We will all miss you Crocodile Hunter. May your re-runs live on forever.
-AS

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Realizations

Remember those talent shows they had at your middle school, when you realized that no one in your school had any actual talent...

So I was watching the MTV awards last night when I came to several profound realizations of my own. These very realizations are listed below:

1- The music industry is coming dangerously close to
hitting rock bottom, AGAIN, quality wise. All these
fucking generic rock bands sound and look exactly the
same, and it aint good. What is the deal with the
girly, manacured hairstyles and wardrobes. It's
obvious someone dressed these people, which i guess
makes sense considering they're all about 14 years
old. But come on, it seriously looks like they've been
in the salon for 2 straight days chewing on Toblerones
together while they hold hands. I actually hate these
people. I guess I can now see why Kurt Cobain killed
himself.

2- When I find Tenacious D and Christina Aguilera to
be the 2 best performers, BY FAR, there is something
rotten in Denmark. Yes, they are talented people in
their own right, but 15 years ago I wouldn't have told
you that my 2 favorite current bands were Weird Al and
Whitney Houston.

3- If someone tries to acknowledge a LEGEND who is
actually a talented musician like Lou Reed, you put
your fat fucking hands together and make noise. Do not
ignore Lou Fucking Reed and then go apeshit for Paris
Hilton. Everyone in that building should have been
fucking pepper sprayed and kicked in the nuts at that
moment.

4- All I wanted to hear Al Gore say during that speech
was that the real threat to our world right now was
ManBearPig.

5- T.I. is the king- of what? T.I. should be working
in Burger King. Wait scratch that- T.I. should be
getting fired from Burger King right about now.

6- I love Common, Green Day, and the Red Hot Chili
peppers. So you know what they get- a combined 4
nominations and ZERO awards. Good call guys; no way
was the Testify video better than My Humps. I mean,
who enjoys a lyrically clever song with a great beat
that tells a story with a twist ending in the vein of
Usual suspects- nobody. We want My Humps, My Humps, My
Humps, My Humps. BRILLIANT.

7- I'm sure that 50 Cent's collabo with LL will be
crazy, like LL says. I mean, what do you get when you
mix Candy Shop with Phenomenon? I don't know yet, but
I'm thinking its gonna come off smelling like a
steaming pile of shit.

FUCK COMMERCE!!!

-DT

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The MTV VMAs

This year's MTV Video Music Awards was one of the most awful displays of what MTV has become today. Panic! at the Disco winning the best video award is a total slap in the face to some of the great artists this year. I remember the classic VMA awards with Nirvana and Green Day performing, and now we get to see bands like 30 Seconds to Mars and My Chemical Romance. I personally, would rather punch myself in the face. MTV is too cool for the Chilli Peppers. They could've put on a better show than any of these bands, playing any song off their double-cd. The Hip-hop categories were also extremely off. No love for Kanye? Gnarles Barkley? 50? What the hell? You can make an arguement saying the 50 track wasn't big enough, or the Gnarles track came out too late, but "Golddigger" by Kanye was huge. Instead, they thought Chamillionare and T.I. were a better fit. Who does T.I. think he is coming out with this "king" nonsense. He claims to be king of the south, although he forgot that Andre 3000, Big Boi, Big Gipp, Cee-Lo, Scarface, Little Brother, Slim Calhoun, Killer Mike, Master P, Silk the Shocker, Mystical, Baby, Juvenile, all those cats, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Smilez and Southstar and like 10 other dudes are all better than he is. He put out 2 albums, and now he's King of the South? He might make the top 10 list of Atlanta rappers if he's lucky. (Smilez and Southstar was a joke by the way, they are absolutely awful). To get back to the VMAs, my biggest beef was that they ignore the videos, and choose winners based on the song. That is crap. This is the one awards show that specifically recognizes achievement in Music Videos, and they couldn't even do that. The video for "Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley was so clever and well-done, that it is amazing to me that they only won a minor award or two. Forget about best video of the year, that literally was the best video to come out in 5 years. One thing MTV can do right is show some good old-fashioned T & A, and they continue to make good on that promise. The Racounteurs were very cool as well, and Christina looked and sounded amazing.

Just when you thought I was done with this rant, you realized that I neglected to mention the host, Jack Black. He was so terrible, that he needs a separate paragraph. This was perfect proof that he's a funny guy when he has a script written for him, but when he has to do his own writing, it doesn't go so well. It doesn't go so well at all. He's not a stand-up comic, so why make him act like one? He's not that good of an actor, or a writer for that matter. These bits were piss-poor. He didn't even really make fun of anyone there. You suck Jack Black. Can we please have Chris Rock back?
-AS

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Indie Music Sampler

This week's episode of Indie Music Sampler features "Truly in Love" by Peter Toh. A special thanks goes to Paul from Indie Music Sampler, who really had some great things to say about Peter. His podcast is hosted by Odeo which has a great feature of being able to embed the show, so click to listen below!


powered by ODEO
-AS

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The 10 Best U.S. cities to find a job

These are the Top 10 cities for job hunting, as said by MSN last week. I'm going to tell you why this is bullshit...

10. Virginia Beach, Va. Cool, race wars, and rednecks.

9. Oklahoma City Are they serious with this one? My rule is that any state that does not have a professional sports teams is off limits.

8. Jacksonville, Fla. Ok they at least have a crappy professional football team, but Jacksonville is barely one of the top 10 cities in Florida, let alone the country.

7. Raleigh, N.C. Really, Raleigh? Enjoy your lunch breaks with Jo-Bob and Jimbo.

6. Richmond, Va. I think that Virginia Beach is probably a better pick than this one. Two cities from Virginia make the top 10 list...Who wrote this propaganda?

5. Bethesda, Md. Come on. Has anyone ever even heard of this city? Bethesda, sounds very appealing, especially for a Jew, I'm sure there's a lot of Jews there.

4. Orlando, Fla. Coming from some one who's been to Orlando many times, somewhat cool vacation spot (and that's a stretch), but to live there would be torture.

3. Las Vegas Isn't Vegas meant for a weekend of drunken debauchery and hookers...uh, I mean gambling? Do people actually live there for more than 5 years, while they are in their mid-20s? You can't live or work in Vegas, you'll lose it.

2. Phoenix It's hard to enjoy yourself when it's 120 degrees everyday. Phoenix is a nice city, and may actually deserve a spot on this list, but no way should be number 2. Well, it is the desert, but every girl from Phoenix is allegedly slammin, so you can sweat it up with your co-workers.

1. Washington D.C. Ok, I can see this as being a good place to live and work, but if you're not in politics, then I hope you don't mind commuting to Bethesda or Richmond.

They say in the article, "College grads often flock to New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago to start their careers. But they'd be far better off in Washington D.C., Phoenix and Las Vegas." Duh. There is a reason why people go to those cities. For one, you better believe that your salary will be much higher in New York or LA than in Raleigh, North Carolina. Also, the general atmosphere, and the quality of life in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco is much higher. There is always something going on in these cities, and that's why they are considered "major" cities. Try to go out at 4:00 in the morning in Oklahoma City, good times.
-AS

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4 Questions That Deserve Immediate Attention

1) - Where the hell is Larry David? I need Curb your Enthusiasm to come back ASAP with a new season. I mean, I'm starting to read over here. READ!!!

2) - Why does every movie that comes out these days suck giant, fuzzy balls? And why do all these crappy movies have to have a website? Anacondas 4, in theatres this Friday. Visit www.anacondasthemovie.com; why- so I can see in advance that Ice Cube is solidifying himself as the worst actor in history?

3) - Why is the public such an idiotic group of gossip queens? If there's a war starting in the Middle East (for the 12th time this decade), then I don't want to hear about Jon Benet's fake killer 23 out of 24 hours a day on CNN. Do your fucking job CNN! TomKat is not news!!

4) - Fuck Mel Gibson. This is not a question, but I'll say it again. Fuck Mel Gibson.

That will be all.

-DT

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Mixt Ape

Check out episode #44 and #45 of Mixt Ape to hear "Shoes of a Beast" and "Ages" by Peter Toh. Aside from having a really freakin awesomely creative name, Mixt Ape is a very cool podcast that plays indie stuff and also some great major label jams, to provide a mix that is 100% worth downloading every week. This is right up my alley, I like hearing some familiar songs, mixed in with new ones. And by familiar songs, I don't mean he's playing cheesy Top 40 crap either. It's just quality jams, with no interruptions. Subscribe to Mixt Ape today!
-AS

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Kick Her Ass C-Bass

Okay, so last night i was absolutely hammered walking around South Beach when I stumbled into Prive, an overhyped club on the strip. It was really hard to get in for some reason, so we called my boy Leroy who works there and he let us in the side door. Several hours, 12 shots of yager, and around a $300 bar tab later I happened to notice that Paris Hilton was in the club, dancing like a flamboyantly gay man on too much crank, surrounded by a group of her ridiculously cool friends, and for some reason I just had to fuck with her.
Just so happens I was watching Dumb and Dumber earlier that day, so as I walked by her towards the bar, clumsy me, I accidentally spilled my beer on her arm, and probably her dress.
"I'm so sorry," I slyly slurred. "Let me buy you and your friends a round of drinks, please...."
Now she was fuckin pissed, trust me, I could tell. But she was cool- she actually said it was alright, I didn't need to go to all the trouble of buying her and her friends drinks, epsecially considering her lavish tastes, which I, in my lowly existence, couldn't possibly know anything about.
Well, she didn't exactly say that last part, but I was drunk and of course, completely able to read her thoughts. Also, she just released all those horrible songs on the world, a terrorist action that could not be ignored.
Well too bad, Paris. You're not going to ruin my devilish prank.
I strutted over to the bar, more determined than ever.
"I had a tab," I told the barmaid, "but Paris Hilton spilled beer on my arm and she said she would make it up to me by paying my tab."
Big mistake. Apparently, Paris Hilton doesn't drink beer at clubs. Fortunately, with my awesome drunken mind reading abilities, I was able to pick up on the sudden suspicion in the barmaid's voice.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash and my credit card is horribly beyond its outermost limits, so I was in serious trouble here. I slowly and very inconspicuously moonwalked out of the bar, Paris Hilton giving me the crooked eye the whole time, and ran home as fast as I could.

I woke up the next day in a daze. Had I C-bassed Paris Hilton, did I get one over on the debutante, and why was i spooning a Phillipino midget?
I pushed aside my confusion for a moment and picked up my wallet. I needed breakfast, and so did Nuk-Nuk, my new phillipino friend. However, when I went for my credit card, which couldn't have bought me breakfast anyway, I realized it was missing. Shit! I left it at the bar. What to do? What to do?

Well, I couldn't convince nuk-Nuk to go get it for me, and God knows I wasn't going back in there after I recalled my attempted stunt the night before. So what did I do? I called my bank and claimed the card stolen. I still owe the balance of course, but at least i won't have to face that horrible psychic barmaid- or Paris hilton, ever again.
-DT

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More Podcasts Featuring Peter Toh

Peter Toh is one of the three artists featured this week on "Cream of the Crop". They pick 3 of the best Indie artists around, and put them up against each other to see who receives the most votes. The winners of each week go against the previous winners for one ultimate champion. So vote for Peter to stay in the running here at creamofthecrop.cc. I wish I could write a post for every podcast, but I don't want to overload, so check out these links for the other podcasts and internet radio he was on this week...artistlaunch.com/radiofreehiphop, madpod.com, LoveHouse Radio, isonliveradio.com, The Delicate Art of Noise Pollution, The Bald Guy Show, Preying Lizard and also a second appearance on both Insomnia Radio and AshRadio. Thanks to all these podcasters for including Peter in their shows!
-As

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Slip-N-Cried

Senior year of high school, all of our friends were at a party one night. Although I had gotten drunk before, this was one of the first nights I got REALLY drunk. Most of the events that took place this night were pretty hazy, but I definitely do remember a slip-n-slide set up in the backyard. People were wearing jeans and nice shirts, ya know, it was a party. Our friend Tony Baloney on the other hand wasn't too concerned that. He was the only idiot that decided to take advantage of this slip-n-slide. And you better believe he took advantage. He went down this thing about 15 times, laughing away, but little did he know that several plots were arising to spoil his fun. I was one of these people plotting, although I was too drunk to really plot anything. Then my boy Violence came over to me with the master plan. The plan consisted of myself and Violence each picking plastic lawn chairs, and throwing them at Tony, when he came sliding down to our end. This plan doesn't sound too great, but little did I know, this was only half the plan. Either way, I had to be on Violence's side. I mean come on, they call him Violence, it's not just a name. He's a pretty scary dude, especially back then. So anyway, we wait for the perfect time, to get ready to throw these chairs. As he starts sliding, I grab a chair, and see Violence behind me grabbing the other chair, so I led the way. We had him right where we wanted him. Once he jumped on that slip-n-slide, there was no turning back. So as I was about to heave this chair at Tony coming at me, I felt the earth shake, and a gust of wind behind me. By the time I looked back, it was already too late. My accomplice in the plot, had turned on me. Instead of him throwing his chair, he decided it would be a better idea to throw me and my chair. So all of a sudden, I'm launched in the air, what feels like 10 feet high. All that's going through my head at that moment, is that Violence tricked me and got me. I didn't realize that the original plan of ruining Tony's slip-n-slide fun was still in affect. As I flew through the air in this drunken stooper, I finally decided that I should look down to see where I'm landing. It happened to be the end of the slip-n-slide. At the last possible second before I landed, here comes Tones Balones sliding down the slip-n-slide. At the exact time he was coming to the end of the slip-n-slide, I landed right on him. The throw by Violence might have been the most accurate throw of a human being in the history of people-tossing. I somehow wasn't hurt at all from this, just very dazed. Tones Balones on the other hand, a supreme athlete who prides himself in being the toughest kid around, was crying like a little sissy-mary all night. This is coming from some one who won the "Best Tricep Competition" 3 years in a row in Huntington. I was so drunk that night that about 45 minutes after the incident, I stumbled over to Tony and asked him why he was hurt.
-JC

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Popular Culture

Everything that is produced now, whether it be television shows, movies, or music, is pretty fuckin crappy. It's been this way for at least 7 years, and I think it is a sure sign that the zombification of America has taken root.
Think about it- maybe 1 out of 50 movies, songs, or tv shows are decent, the rest is pretty much garbage. Why? Because the level of intelligence and thirst for knowledge is slim to none. The government and media have successfully created an atmosphere of apathy, between reality TV, corporate lies, and a general disinterest in improving the education system.
Am I a leftist- no. I think that left wing factions and even the democratic party are as useless as the right. Money is king here, as well as in the rest of the world, and absolutely nothing will ever change that. Money is necessary, but allowing it to dictate lawmaking is just completely wrong.

Sorry to get off on a tangent there- however, I think I reached an interesting point. Money dictates pop culture as well. Promotion and nepotism are the two headed beast that run the entertainment industry, and thus we are force fed crap. For every Mos Def, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Chumscrubber, we have 100 Lloyd Banks, Beauty and the Geeks, and Napolean Dynamites. I hate this shit.
-DT

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