Soulful Flava: Ryan Leslie-Diamond Girl

New Flava: Red Man-Run My Block

Courtesy of www.worldstarhiphop.com

Unsung Flava: The Fat Boys-Jail House Rap

In the history of Hip Hop, there are a few acts that deserve credit for opening the doors for Hip Hop's current global success, but never got their due.

These acts might not have exhibited the lyrical flow of Rakim or the hypnotic beats of DJ Premiere, but these artists deserve to be praised for blazing the trail for Hip Hop's future. The Fat Boys are one of those acts.

If The Fat Boys didn't make films like "Disorderlies" back in the mid 80's, Will Smith's "Hancock" wouldn't have made over $100 million dollars in its opening weekend.

Granted, Will Smith's movies are usually pretty good, while The Fat Boys movies (for the exception of Krush Groove) were well, quite bad, their combination of The Three Stooges meets Hip Hop films were successful enough that it allowed talented black filmmakers like Spike Lee and Robert Townsend to make better films and the end of the decade and rappers like Smith, Tupac Shakur, Ice T, Ice Cube, Queen Latifah and others to establish themselves as respected actors in the 90's.

Musically, if you go back and listen to The Fat Boys debut album( produced by Kurtis Blow) it is a Hip Hop classic, (Just click and listen to "Jail House" rap video below and tell me that song isn't a classic joint). Also, all praises due to Doug E. Fresh, but most people never heard of beat boxing, until the now deceased Buffy popped on the scene as "The Human Beat Box".

Unfortunately, The Fat Boys tried to become so mainstream by making songs like "Wipe Out" with the Beach Boys that they became more of joke than being recognized as the trailblazers that they truly were; So here's to The Fat Boys, the first inductees of "Unsung Flava"

--Kevin Lockett

Old School Flyer Of The Month

Alternative Flava: N.E.R.D.-Spaz

Kanye West - Nike+ Human Race ad

Flashback Flava: Brand Nubian-Wake Up

Rare Gems: Uptown Kickin It (Uptown Records)

Soulful Flava: Anthony Mills aka Mister Calderon-Ghettotrance

Video Combo: EMPD and Kanye West-Gold Digger

Even though these videos were made decades apart, the message is the same.

EMPD




Kanye West

New Flava: Fonzworth Bentley Feat. Kanye West & Andre 3000 - Everybody

Flashback Flava: Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth-I Got A Love

One more classic B-day video for y'all Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's I Got A Love

B-Day Video Block: Outkast- I Can't Wait/International Players Anthem/Lupe Fiasco-I Gotcha

Today's my birthday, so I'm dropping a few of my favorite videos: Outkast's, "I Can't Wait" with Sleepy Brown, "International Players Anthem" with U.G.K.and Lupe Fiasco's "I Gotcha produced" by TheNeptunes.

As an added bonus, enjoy the song that sealed my love or Hip Hop "Five Minutes of Funk" by Whodini.

Kevin Lockett, Hip Hop Flava's Blog, Host and Moderator


Sleepy Brown w/ Outkast-I Can't Wait


U.G.K w/Outkast-International Players Anthem


Lupe Fiasco-I Gotcha


Whodini-Five Minutes of Funk

Alternative Flava: My Drive Thru - N.E.R.D., Santogold, Julian Casablancas

Live Flava: Mos Def @ Carnegie Hall (After the Show)

On June 28th Mos Def performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Thanks to HUMANcinema who uploaded this clip on Youtube, here's a look at the Carnegie Hall afterparty performance of Mos Def and his Big Band, enjoy!!!!

Poltical Flava: Obama New Yorker Magazine-Satire, Smear Campaign or Racism?

This week, the cover The New Yorker Magazine will feature a cartoon of Barack and Michelle Obama. Not usual right? Wrong!

The cover features Barack in traditional Muslim clothes, fist bumping his wife Michelle who is sporting a big 70's afro with a machine gun strapped to her back. On the wall is a picture of Osama Bin Laden with the American flag burning in the fireplace.

The "liberal" magazine's editor, David Remnick, said that the image was supposed to "satirical" and that the cover “combines a number of fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them (the images) for the obvious distortions they are.”

Satire is one thing, but when 12 percent of voters incorrectly believe he's Muslim as reported in a recent Newsweek poll suggests, "satirical" covers like this can be quite damaging not for only for the Obamas (who unfairly has to constantly proclaim their love for Christ), but also practicing Muslims in American and around the world who are being painted with the broad brush of terrorism.

--Kevin Lockett

Cinematic Flava: The Dark Knight Code for Success

This weekend, The Dark Knight with Christian Bales as batman and late Heath Ledger as the Joker will be released on July 18th.

Recently, MTV.com posted an interesting article called 'Dark Knight' Dogma: Everything We Need to Know We Can Learn from Batman'.

Much in same vain as the "Art of War"by Sun Tzu, “The Dark Knight” code is filled with a lot of practical knowledge that we can apply to our own lives. Below is a sampling of the full list. Click here for the entire article.



The Dark Knight Code For Success

1.) It ain't over till the fat lady sings.

2.) There are two faces to every friend ...and enemy.

3.) Always announce your presence.

4.) Don't make promises you can't keep.

5.) Learn to trust at least two people in your life.

6.) Be self-reliant.

7.) Be smarter than your opponent.

8.) Make your own luck.

9.) Be prepared ... for anything.

10.) Embrace your fear.

11.) Forgive, but don't forget.

13.) The greatest enemy you face is yourself.

14.) The night is darkest before the dawn.

New Flava-Nas - Sly Fox

Flashback Video: Kam-Peace Treaty

Ladies First: MC Lyte - When In Love

"When in Love" is an interesting video because it shocked hard core MC Lyte fans when it first appeared. Prior to the video, MC Lyte was a lyrically beast who had a very tomboyish look.

Where cats would as Biggie would say "have Salt N Pepa on the wall", MC Lyte was looked upon as a homie whom you would call for an MC battle. However MC Lyte's look changed forever when she dropped "When in Love" in 1991.

Instead of wearing a sweat suit, MC Lyte was wearing bright colors. Instead of murdering MC's, MC Lyte was talking about love. Instead of grimy hip hop beats, MC Lyte was rhyming over a New Jack Swing beat and the final kicker, instead of looking gully, MC Lyte was wearing (gasp) make up!

Since her declaration of love, MC Lyte has not only has gone back to being a lyrical dynamo but in 2008 she looks hotter better than Salt and Pepa.

--Kevin Lockett

KRS-One & MC Lyte - Love (Track/Non Video)

Rare Gems: Jungle Brothers- I'll House You

4th of July Jam: Naughty By Nature - Feel Me Flow

Happy 4th of July!! Have Fun and be safe!!

4th of July Jam: The Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Love him or hate him, this song by Mr. Combs, Mase and B.I.G. was a crowd pleaser

4th of July Jam: Ghost Town Dj's - My Boo

International Flava: Jay Z Live @ Glastonbury Festival '08

Over the weekend, Jay-Z made history again by becoming the first Hip Hop artist to headline the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England, (The Glastonbury Festival is regarded as the largest music and performing arts festival the world).

Prior to his performance, Hov was criticized by English rocker Noel Gallagher of Oasis who said having Jay-Z as a headliner for the traditionally guitar-driven Glastonbury Festival was "insulting."

By Saturday evening, Gallagher’s words ringed hollow as Jay-Z won the crowd over the very minute he began "singing" Oasis’ biggest hit "Wonderwall."

Although Jay-Z's singing was less to be desired, he did send a message that a Hip Hop artist can rock any stage, no matter if it’s a club in New York or rock oriented music festival across the pond.

Thanks to the website Hip Hop is Read, you can download the entire set here.

Below is the Jay-Z's opening salvo at the Glastonbury Festival.

Rare Gems: Common & Sadat X - "1999 feat. Talib Kweli