(Why does Jay look like a black Will Ferrell to me? Gotta be the wrinkly forehead)
Ok, so I am slacking with any meaningful content recently, so anyone that keeps up with me trying to keep up with the world on this blog will just have to cope with this minimalist approach for now. Expect small update and wifey material posts in abundance. With various other work, assignments and business going on, there has been no time to ruminate over anything recently.
Back to the topic (by the way, J absolutely murders that 'back to the topic, actually forgot it..' line in the last verse), a track caught my attention yesterday for all the right reasons. The beat is nice, with a jazzy hook that's oh so familiar - I'll try and track down where the sample is from - word on the forums is it's a Pete Rock beat so it's bound to be some obscure 50s song.
I'm referring to Jay Electronica's 'Shiny Suite Theory' featuring a guest spot from that man Jigga. Jay Elec's voice and flow is buttery-smooth as always. I explained HERE how he's able to do this (10 paragraphs or so down).
Jigga takes it back with his flow on this one. Maybe it's the slight cassette-sounding quality to the mic he used, but it seems like '96 just rolled up in this song and overcame Jay's verse. The outcome is dope so lets not even dwell on what came over Jay and just enjoy this moment/track for what it is.
Jay Electronica - 'Shiny Suit Theory' Feat. Jay-z & The Dream
Oh I'm sorry, were you expecting some comment on Jay Elec's signing to Roc Nation? Well, ignoring the fact that if you are reading this, you're most likely a blog addict anyway so are already well informed. Phil already tied it up pretty nicely HERE.
I'm laughing as I type this one. Basically just had to get this out there, John Wall that cocky guy from N.C that was blowing up hoop mixtape and ballislife videos a few years back on the high school basketball scene.....Colin breaks down how he won't ever do anything serious in the NBA. If you haven't already done so, check out that dance Wall does and especially peep the comparisons between Iverson and Marbury in this vid below. Dead, at the end of the video when Cowherd pauses after saying: "It is a thinking mans' league.......John Wall" Brilliant.
(Mexico's biggest drugs bust in history. The police captured and set ablaze - no pun - 105 tons of marijuana)
It's songs like this that make me wish I had a driving licence and a car to drive. It's songs like this that also make me wish I smoked weed.
Yes you read the title of this post right, Cali could be on the verge of legalising that Buddha. Californians are set to vote tomorrow on Proposition 19 (the legalising of weed to you and me), a vote that coincides with the midterm elections vote.
This has been a long time coming for America. The U.S economy is still showing little sign of any serious recovery while tobacco and alcohol sales just won't cut it anymore. Legalising marijuana can kill a few birds with one stone. Marijuana sales could generate huge revenue for the economy, whilst simultaneously relieving the state of spending thousands on arresting and incarcerating inmates with distribution and possession charges. Though the thought of official stores stocking up on the green stuff might seem weird at first, I'm sure eventually Coca-cola or Starbucks will venture in to the weed market and package it up like all their other products. Before you know it Tiger Woods will be on T.V getting his career back on track, starting with a series of weed commercials. Can't you just picture it now? Tiger driving a golf ball in to the atmosphere with a blunt hanging precariously from his lip before turning to the camera to say: "Nike. Just do it."
If you bothered to pick up any newspapers this morning (even the free joints!) you would have noticed the onslaught of surveys proving that marijuana is less harmful to society than many of its legal counterparts. What does this tell us? That our news publications have become overrun with blunt smoking, high-as-hell journalists, who are intent only on writing about weed in a good light? Well as much as I'd like to think that is true, it's most likely not, and the facts they are spewing at us are in fact most likely valid.
Mos got the ball rolling a while back appearing on the Bill Maher show fighting his case: " What's wrong with a little weed!" Since then, many celebrities and intellectuals have come out of the heavily smoked-out closet to protest in support of their favourite plant.
On a more serious note, another bird America could potentially kill with that stone mentioned above, is the huge crisis taking place in Mexico right now. The country is ravaged by violence. Stuck in a vicious cycle of gang murders, witnesses fear for their lives and corrupt officials are on the side of the criminals. Even an illegal crossing to America - for many families, their only chance of escape, is something that often ends up with their murder out in the Mexican desert - is run through the very gangs controlling the drug smuggling to the States. All in the name of American suburban college kids getting a small kick out of smoking an illegal drug in college and at the weekends. However, despite all this, I doubt concerns over the safety of Innocent Mexicans is at the top of the U.S agenda when considering reasons for legalising marijuana. It is far more probable that continued Mexican immigration to the States could sway U.S politicians in favour, if violence in the land south of the border continues.
Pulling away from all this and back to the music, kick back and relax to this here joint. If you've got weed, roll it up good sir. If a Pete Rock beat fused perfectly with a classic soul sample can't soothe your soul, then lord help you. Even a Jay-z verse can't ruin this one!
Soul Samples in Hip Hip = possibly the greatest invention to date.
