Hey errbody! I’ve taken hiphopmuse to a new level, and rolled over to a real live site. You may now find me at http://hiphopmuse.com. I’m official now. Let’s go people!
Kanye, please don’t go to jail March 18, 2009
The internet is buzzing with the news that Kanyeezie could possibly face jail time for that little tiff he had with the paps at LAX last year.
If Kanye ends up going to jail, would that make him certified gangster? It’s almost a rite of passage for a hip hop dude (and I cringe to say for a black man, and shit, even chicks in the game) to go to the clinker at some point. Maybe if he goes in for a little while he can have time to think, be creative, and come up with some good music instead of being a hot mess in the streets.
I feel like Kanye would benefit from taking a sabbatical from the limelight. He ain’t been right since his mom passed. He’s been moving and shaking non stop since that tragic event. He may just need to tap out for a little while, grieve, heal, and regroup.
It’s ok Yeezie! We still luv ya, messy behavior and all. Just please get it together. HipHopMuse has you on her prayer list.
Peace out 0:-)
Spring Rain Boots March 2, 2009
Spring is coming, and with the sunshine comes rain. Even when the weather is dreary, one can still express her personal style. Check out my picks for cute and fashionable rainboots to carry the urban fashionista through the spring showers.
Red
I love a bright red, especially against gray skies.
Leopard Print
Leopard print is bold and attention-grabbing.
Houndstooth
Houndstooth is sophisticated, classic, and chic.
Plaid
Spring plaid is uber-fashionable.
Picks spotted on Target.com.
Jamie Foxx “Blame it on the Alcohol” Video February 28, 2009
This is one of my favorite club bangers right now. Perfect track for the weekend. 
Wind it up! Movado, “So Special” February 9, 2009
HipHopMuse loves reggae. Nothing gets me going like a good riddim. Check Movado’s “So Special.” I’ll keep it 100 with you, I really have no idea what dude is rapping about, but I dig the parts where he’s like, “I’m so special, so special so special…” Hey it doesn’t have to be that sophisticated.
The video is pretty cool. It reminds me a little bit of “Cher Chez La Ghost.” Enjoy!
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 19, 2009
Today we observe the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King’s memory takes on a special meaning this year in light of tomorrow’s inauguration of President Obama. Prez Obama is what Dr. King could have been had he not been taken so soon. Dr. King’s dream is realized!
President Obama has commemorated this day as a day of service. Even if “the man” didn’t let you off work, take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of the front man for the Civil Rights Movement. If it wasn’t for Dr. King we could still be living in a segregated world. Do a good deed, even if its as small and helping an elderly person with their bags. The universe will repay you.
Peace.
“Notorious” reviewed January 16, 2009
“Notorious” incites much nostalgia. For what was, and what could have been. It’s usually fruitless to focus on what could have been, but when I walked out of the theater from seeing “Notorious”, I found myself fixated on what things would be like if Biggie was still with us. Would he have live up to his greatness? Would he have faded into obscurity? Would have gone the rapper/CEO route? How would he have fared in the evolution of hip hop post 90s? We’ll never know.
Jamal Woolard was a convincing Christopher Wallace, though my friend and I agreed that Guerilla Black or even Rick Ross would have been even more convincing. Woolard captured the teddy bear/big pimp quality that Biggie embodied. Naturi Naughton did well as Lil Kim in my opinion, she took on that Queen Bee bravado pretty well. Antonique Smith was dead on as Faith Evans; she looked like her, and her performance was solid. Angela Bassett is def one of the G.O.A.T. actresses, though her Jamaican accent kept going in and out as she portrayed Mrs. Wallace.
Derek Luke killed it as Diddy. He had the Puffy swagger down to a T, as evidenced every time he did the Puffy dance (or as my homeboy calls it, the “Diddy bop”). He did a perfect job adopting that energy and braggadocio that we love Diddy for. Though no one can do Diddy like Diddy. Anthony Mackie performed well as Tupac, but I would have liked to have seen an actual rapper play Pac rather than a trained actor.
That’s something that was missing for me in this movie, the rappers. Critics blast rappers for acting, but this movie is about hip hop, so rappers with decent acting skills should be playing rappers. Of all the Tupac wannabes out there – Ja Rule immediately comes to mind – the role would have been better suited for someone who has practice in adopting Pac’s style.
The movie seemed kind of rushed, like a Cliff Notes version of Biggie Smalls. It isn’t feasible to expect a person’s entire life story to be played out on screen, but it would have been better to see it go more in depth. I wanted to see more of a character study than an brief overview of the life of Biggie Smalls.
Though the movie only skimmed the surface, it was great to see Biggie’s life story played out on screen. The evolution of a boy to a man played out in the streets and the rap industry. Ironically both the streets and the rap game have a propensity to eviscerate people who get entangled in their clutches, whether by their own demise or someone else’s hands. There are some who make it out, but many more get caught up in the game. Biggie was a tragic victim of “the life” in both the streets and the rap game. Jay Z’s “Allure” sums it up when he says, “even James Dean <Biggie Smalls> couldn’t escape the allure/dying young and leaving a good looking corpse.”
We can’t change the world until we change ourselves. – Puffy in “Notorious”
“Drank” relaxation drink: Syrup Sippin’ goes mainstream January 3, 2009
During my daily crawl of nytimes.com, I ran across an article about a new product that’s supposed to be the antithesis to the energy drink; a “relaxation” drink. Called “Drank,” the carbonated beverage is designed to calm your mood and put you in a relaxed state.
The whole design of the product is modeled behind the idea of “lean,” “syrup,” or “thizz,” all slang term for a cocktail usually containing promethazine and codeine. The name of the beverage, “Drank” is an offshoot of a nickname for syrup, “purple drank”. The product’s ingredients are pretty harmless, containing valerian root, melatonin, and rose hips. However, the marketing of the product is dancing the line of being trifling for me.
I take issue with this because though the drink itself is probably not very potent, the imagery behind “Drank” has much to do with syrup sipping, and syrup sipping kills people. Rest in peace to DJ Screw and Pimp C. I personally know people who have fallen asleep to never reawaken after syrup sipping, and it isn’t sexy to glamorize this activity to promote a carbonated beverage.
The marketing behind this product is very similar to that of an energy drink that came out a couple of years ago called “Cocaine.” The whole idea is to garner attention by associating the product with a popular street drug, and it works, based on shock value. NY Times is writing about it, and so am I. I’m all for compelling and innovative advertising campaigns but I think ethics needs to come into play on the part of the marketers, because associating a product with something that kills people is not cool.
It’s bad enough that hip hop artists are already in the business of glamorizing syrup sipping. But I ain’t gone lie, Three Six Mafia’s “Sippin’ on Sizzurp” used to knock. Oh, the ambivalence of it all.
Happy New Year! December 31, 2008
Happy New Year to everyone out there. 2008 was crazy hectic, but it wasn’t all bad. It had its good moments. If you made it to today, rejoice, because being physically present on earth is better than the alternative. Trust that 2009 will be better and brighter.
Be thankful that you made it to see a new year with new promises. Toast!
Love,
HipHopMuse
Spotted ’round da web… December 29, 2008
Got my vans on but they look like sneakers…check out these watermelon joints spotted over at Exactly.net. Though I can’t see myself sporting these personally, I appreciate the inspiration behind it. Now all of a sudden I’m craving summer fruit…
While on the vein of skateboard styles, NY Times is reporting that skaters are capitalizing on the wave of foreclosures. Apparently with so many empty houses, there’s a plethora of abandoned pools for skateboarders to practice their jumps. Word is the kidney-shaped pools are the best ones to practice in.
Reality TV world is reporting that Whitney Port, former marginal character of “The Hills” and current star of “The City” doesn’t really work for Diane von Furstenberg. Not to say she isn’t employed at DVF, but the heffa ain’t never at work. Oh, and they’re also saying this “reality” show isn’t real and it’s scripted. Did anyone think “The Hills” or “The City” were real? It’s TV! Most of the content on TV is fake. We watch it because, well, often times there isn’t much else on in that time slot, and reality TV is like crack. It’s all escapism, baby.
Bush’s former aides say that he never recovered from Hurricane Katrina, according to AP. Well guess what? Neither did New Orleans, or the people who don’t have homes to go to three years after the hurricane. At least dude doesn’t have to live in a toxic trailer.
The soul of the south is forever changed, but not broken.
Peace.
