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In The Mix: Driving Miss Daisy for the MTV Generation?

Text message I got the other night: “Oh stop the bullshit. Usher has a movie coming out.”

And he does!

Directed by Ron Underwood, the man who brought suchs classics as Adventures of Pluto Nash and Mighty Joe Young, the movie is titled In The Mix. In it, Usher plays an up and coming DJ who…surprise surprise…all the ladies want to “get with.” One night, he is DJing a birthday party for the daughter (Emmanuelle Chriqui) of a mob boss (played by the ever cool Chazz Palminteri). There is a driveby mob shooting and Usher takes a bullet for the “Mob Princess.” As reward for his bravery, he then gets to be her body guard. Hilarity, romance and deleted scenes from the Sopranos ensues.
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Tags: Mandrill

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Hip-Hop, What Ever Happened To?

Whatever Happened To……Kardinal Offishall?

Kardinal Offishall - “Bang Bang”
from Kill BloodClott Bill Mixtape

Update: Fire and Glory is up on RadioBlog at http://www.mrkamoji.com/

Remember when Kardinal Offishall was supposed to be the illest thing to come out of Canada? The dude was no Ben Johnson either. His mix of Jamacian-influenced cadence, UK grime, and general Canadianness (he's rapped about free health care) got him recognized by Busta Rymes, Green Latern, and underground support from Semtex (BBC).

Ever since he dropped Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, the dude got and no major radio airplay, but he got heat from message boards and underground radio. There were rumors of a major label deal, and affiliations with either Dipset or G-Unit, depending on which message board you frequented, but that talk ceased a year ago.

Since this dude has been on more mixtapes than your mother, I can certainly see him staying “in the underground” for most of his career. Sad.

Update: While I was doing my internets research, I found out that the dude's career isn't dead yet (at least not in Canada). He's opening for Fiddy on his Canadian tour dates, he's opened for Jay-Z as well. But as far as I can tell the dude is still unsigned. MCA Records distributed some of his mixtapes last year to try and get him some underground recognition, but apparently they stopped updating his website in June 2004.

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Jimmy Kimmel Vs. R. Kelly

Maybe I missed this when it was first aired…seeing how I don't have a working TV in my apartment..but apparently Jimmy Kimmel did a video that rivals R. Kelly's “Trapped in the Closet.” It's called “The Pizza”.

Watch for all the crazy plot twists!

Tags: Mandrill

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Wanna Love You Girl Wanna Love You….

I just want to throw up links of sites I read, shop, steal links from, etc. on a semi-daily and think you might enjoy as well…

Crunk and Disorderly

Being Hunted

Wooster Collective

Beautiful Hustle

Hypebeast

Crailtap

Mr. Kamoji
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Tags: Mandrill

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Tell Us What You Really Think: Top Ten Worst T-Shirts (For Women)

Everybody has seen them. Everybody has read them. The majority of people probably own them. They are the hot co-tour of the “hipster” chic. That's right, I'm talking about the catchphrase t-shirt. You know the one that has the funny saying on it so that people will automatically eye your chest when they pass by you.

There are some funny ones, clever ones, ones that reference an era long gone (i.e. the 80's). Personally, I wear “ironic” tees a lot. One of my favorite fashion statements. But there are those that are just a bit too much information. Ladies, I am directing this post to you. Like the “whale tail” (the thong underwear that is hanging so far out of your jeans, it would make a plumber blush), there are certain things we just don't need to see. Celebs like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera (both of whom deserve a napkin point) feel the need to share their inner most thoughts on their chests. Now, I am not one to judge someone based on what they wear. But if you are basically telling the rest of the world things about yourself that we may or may not have wanted to know, you are also allowing us to judge a certain aspect of your personality. So without further adieu, the top ten t-shirts that make you look like a bitch, whore, etc:
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Tags: Mandrill

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Your Woman is Most Certainly Back…

Undoubtedly, Autumn (as the title suggests) has an incredible flair for the dramatics. My personal resolution for 2006 is to remain drama free. But seriously where is the fun in that? Perhaps, on my radio show Au80?

I highly suggest you listen on in–for tonight's show features incredible journalist, organizer, and Hip Hop activist, Ms. Rosa Clemente–http://wbai.org and video director extrodinaire, Mr. Ethan Lader–http://www.ethandirector.com/.

And as always, Au80 breathes live, Sunday, 11PM - 1AM eastern, from http://kanm.tamu.edu/ .

Let us remain drama free; please listen on in…

Besos,

~Autumn

Tags: Mandrill

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Review: Dwele - Some Kinda

Dwele (born Andwele Gardner) has been an underground favorite ever since he dropped his Rize demo a few years ago. After Rize, the Detroit native has garnered him instant respect with Slum Village, BBC DJ Giles Peterson, and the ever-so critical Okayplayer crowd.

When his debut album, Subject, dropped in 2003, it was a welcome change from a neo-soul genre that was getting stoic and complacent. Although Subject had the same laid back sound of, say, D'Angelo, something about the album was different. It was obvious that Dwele used the “concrete jungle” aspects of Detroit as his inspiration.

After the months of worldwide touring and the critical and somewhat commercial success of Subject, Dwele returns with Some Kinda…, his sophomore effort and first major label release. Instantly, his underground fanbase questioned his status after learning that he was picked up by major label. Even before the album was released, people on the message boards and in the media were already starting to throw around the term “sophomore slump.”

In fact, I read so many message board post by the naysayers that I personally came into this review not knowing what to think about Dwele's sophomore debut.
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Review: Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone

Originally posted to Blogcritics.org:

Very few R&B /Soul singers have what it takes to be a real star. The ones who do get a hit either become a pop phenomenon or fizzle away into one hit wonder history. There are also very few R&B/Soul singers who can cross over to other genres of music without spreading themselves too thin.

And then there is Angie Stone

Having three phenomenal albums under her belt (Mahogany Soul, Black Diamond and Stone Love), numerous hit songs, a budding acting career, and having worked with some of the biggest names in music today, it seems like there is nothing Angie Stone has not done. So what better time than now to release a record of her best and most recognizable songs?

Entiltled Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone,, this album is simultaneously happy, angry and nostalgic. Stone???s talent as a songstress and storyteller is what sets her apart from other singers.
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Movie Flashback: La Haine

Looking at the pictures of the recent rioting in France, I began to feel like I had seen this somewhere before. At first I couldn't put my finger on it, but as I looked through more pictures and more articles I realized that it looked excatly like the opening scenes of the movie La Haine (Hate)

For those of you who remember, it has been nearly ten years since the then little known French film was released. Brought over to America by the plane-obsessed Jodie Foster, it was shown in mostly art houses and independent theaters. While it wasn't a mainstream film, it did get a lot of notice and became an underground classic among art house geeks, hip hoppers and the intelligentsia alike.

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz (the love interest in Amelie), the story follows a day in the life of three young men living in les banlieues, which, quite literally, are the suburbs of Paris. See, unlike in the states where we consider the inner cities to be the ghetto, in France, the poor were pushed out into government created housing (Projects) back during Louis the XIV or XV. And that's where they've been ever since.

Note:When they are in the States, It's interesting to see a Parisian's reaction when you tell them you live in the suburbs. Their face twists into a look of horror.
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Tags: Mandrill

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Assclown

You get a job on the hottest show on TV (Desperate Housewives) and you gotta go around and show your manhood to some lowly production assistants.

The first incident allegedly happened when a young female assistant was sent to summon him for a scene. A set insider said: “He opened his door and was standing there with his private parts hanging out of his shorts. Kennedy then allegedly made a sexually charged remark. A few days later, on October 28, Kennedy allegedly flashed to a female assistant director. “She cursed at Page and reported it to the main producers,” said the source. “After word got out, the first girl admitted the same thing had happened to her. After an investigation Page was fired.”

Okay, this is just rumor and speculation, so I gotta give the brother the benifit of the doubt.

Sike. Dude, you're on the hottest damn show in America and you gotta resort to this? Dude, you obviously have some social problems that you have to confront. Good lawd. Props to Concrete Loop.

Tags: Mandrill

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