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January 28, 2015January 31, 2015

Happy Birthday to The Microphone Fiend

rakim

Today is the birthday of William Griffith, better known in hip hop circles as Rakim, also known as Rakim Allah, a.k.a. the microphone fiend, a.k.a. the God MC, a.k.a the Greatest MC of ALL TIME in my humble opinion. He is turning 47 today.

Rakim took his name from Sun God RA and the ancient Egyptian kingdom of KIM. He was one of the first MCs to move from simplified verses into a style that blended complex metaphors with internal and multisyllabic rhymes culminating in a laid back delivery. At a time when other contemporaries like LL Cool J, KRS-One, and Run-DMC. delivered their vocals with screams and force, Rakim defied those conventions by developing a flowing style capable of verbally deconstructing an opponent all while making it seem like he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

When he released the track “Follow the Leader” and I heard how Continue reading “Happy Birthday to The Microphone Fiend”

November 2, 2014December 6, 2018

NY Cine Interview: Music and Movie Industries

This is a second excerpt from my recent interview with the guys over at New York Cine Radio on the similarities between the music and the film industries, especially as it pertains to the topic of digital disruption.

October 28, 2014December 6, 2018

NY Cine Interview: Digital Disruption

This is a video excerpt from my recent interview with the guys over at New York Cine Radio on the topic of the digital disruption in the music and movie industries, and how services like YouTube have made a seismic impact on future creative trends.

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014

It ain’t finished yet

emskee
For many years Hip-hop has been held up as the boogie man, by both whites and blacks, as a major contributor to the ills in the African American community. When this has happened I often found myself wondering to what artists and music these detractors were listening.

Hip Hop is one of the few modern day art forms which can reach across cultural and racial lines to inform and inspire. When done correctly it can speak to our youth in a way that few individuals or other mediums can. It can brutally address societal issues and injustices all while forcing us to take a hard look at our own strengths and weaknesses. With that said, I Continue reading “It ain’t finished yet”