Memory Lane

What you all know about "Nautilus"? If your shields are weak, you better step behind us:

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Random Acts of YouTube

But not-so-random. These are the lucky numbers my mama gave me to play.

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Gone trippin

Stop me if you've heard this before: I'm about to take a few days off.

I'll be on the road through Sunday, so expect the blogging to be pretty light here through the next few days. I don't think the First Lady would take too kindly to me tapping away at the laptop while we're supposed to be on vacation.

But I'm certain that I'll be checking in from time to time. Keep coming by, if only to admire my neat little blogroll, catch a few crazy-ass videos or take a gander at the archives.

In the meantime, let's figure out someway to keep Joe Jackson from getting in front of TV cameras over the next couple days.

Peace.

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The Ricci case in a nutshell

Courtesy of Matt Yglesias:

Thanks to John Roberts, the white man can finally get a break in this country.

Remember the good ol' days when empathy was wrong? Continue Reading »

Do what the man says

x-posted from PostBourgie



Folks,

Last year we were finalists for the Best Culture Blog at the Black Weblog Awards only to fall short in the end. Since then, we’ve added more contributors and have generally become a smarter, sharper site.

We trynna win it this year, but we need your help. All you have to do is vote for us here.

Thanks and be easy!

post-script: Alas, False Hustle ain't big-time enough to go this one alone. But my PB fam can get us to the 'chip. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Continue Reading »

Free Period

Your Monday Random Ass Roundup has been posted over at PostBourgie. Check it out.

In this week's edition of the roundup, we discuss the King, Ricci v. DeStefano, the impending decline of the black middle-class, a love-sick governor, vampires, Brandon Jennings and learning how to do the Moonwalk.

Enjoy.

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MJ: Miscellaneous Jackson

This is the dumping ground for all my Michael Jackson-related thoughts that didn't deserve their own post. Please bear with me and this somewhat cluttered format:

There's never been a more talented child singer than Michael Jackson. I consider this to be an inarguable fact. ... One thing all the people running around calling Michael Jackson a pedophile seem to forget is that he was never convicted of a crime in a court of law. So, no, he's not a pedophile. And I think it's distressing that people insist upon resorting to that terrible slur. ... And no, I don't think he ever intentionally touched a kid inappropriately. ... I'll never forget that my mama started crying a bit when Michael was acquitted of those child sex abuse charges in 2005. You've never met anyone more loyal than my mama. ... But I do wish Michael had refrained from sleeping in the same bed with children. It just wasn't a good look. I knew from jump, when I saw him holding hands with that kid (his later accuser) in that Martin Bashir documentary that it was going to be trouble again. ... MJ fans really don't seem to like Bashir. Or maybe that's just my mama. Either way, I don't understand this because Bashir was simply doing his job. Too bad if people mistook that for something other than what it was. ...



... I actually was fortunate enough to catch the Bad tour when it swung through Houston in the fall of '88. The concert was held at The Summit, then home to the Houston Rockets. It was awesome. Much props to my parents for making that happen. ... Few musical artists - from the U.S., at least - had the fascination with Africa that Michael Jackson did. "Remember the Time" video, "Liberian Girl" and putting together "We Are the World." I think that's pretty cool. ... Speaking of which, I had no idea there was a video for "Liberian Girl" ... Wouldn't the girl from "The Way You Make Me Feel" video - Tatiana Thumbtzen - be the most famous video girl in history? ... It should go without saying that I had a huge crush on Tatiana growing up. ...

... Actually, on second thought, maybe Ola Ray from "Thriller" is the most famous video girl. ... Does anyone really know the lyrics to "Jam"? ... I've gotta think more cocaine was snorted to Thriller than any other album in history. ... Not to hate or anything, but Michael Jackson was also part of a lot of bad music. I'm thinking in particular of "Torture" and all his albums after Bad. ... After re-watching the "Remember the Time" video, I still can't believe that Michael died before Magic Johnson. I'm telling you: Magic is going to outlive us all. ... Is it me, or did Michael's videos often have nothing to do with the song? That said, no one understood the influence or importance of music videos more than Michael. ... My favorite MJ video is "Rock With You." By far. Maybe it's because he seemed so happy. I was absolutely entranced by that video as a kid. The First Lady says it may be because kids are attracted to sparkly things. Maybe. ...

Michael Jackson - Rock with you
Uploaded by Discodandan. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

... Speaking of music videos, there was absolutely no chemistry between him and Naomi Campbell in the "Keep It In The Closet" video. None. ... The nonstop coverage of Michael's death over the past few days has shown that Ave was right. ... Btw, TMZ owned the story from the very start. We might as well deal with it. ... Was I the only one made to dance to songs from Thriller for their family members? Certainly my '80s babies feel me on this one. ... In the end, Michael Jackson just seemed like the kindest, warmest, most gentle soul that has ever been a bonafide celebrity. I don't know how to explain it. He didn't make all those friends and touch all these people the world over by accident. But more than anything, I just felt sorry for him. In a way, I'm glad that he's finally found the peace that seemed to elude him for much of his life.


Also - because it's always about me here at False Hustle - I feel that I should mention that it was "Off the Wall" that might have brought the First Lady and I together.

When we worked together in Shreveport, months after we had become friends and months before I summoned the courage to make a move, I learned during one of our hours-long e-mail conversations that she didn't own a copy of the album. This was odd to me because it was one of her favorites.

I never said anything else about it. In fact, I let the conversation pass for a couple weeks.

And then, without any warning, I dropped a freshly burned CD of "Off the Wall" on her desk and walked over to my cubicle. I wrote to her: "now don't tell anyone. I don't want people thinking that I like you or anything." Sad to say, I might have ended that message with an emoticon.

But she grinned back at me.

To this day, she says that's when she knew that I had my nose open a little. And it didn't cost me more than an unused CD and a couple minutes on my laptop. Continue Reading »

June 27

Homage must be paid to another influential musical icon today: the late DJ Screw.

For those who don't know, or aren't all that familiar with the Houston hip-hop scene, June 27 is the name of a legendary Screw freestyle session and mixtape. June 27 was also the birthday of D-Moe, one of the couple handful of local artists from the Screwed Up Click to flow over the 35-minute track.

Hard to believe, but this really means something in H-Town. Even today. I can't explain it to you. You simply had to be there.

Here's Part 1:



Also, here's Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Growing up - I can't lie - I was not a big fan of Screw. In fact, I openly mocked the music and its fans - which included most of my friends at the time. I was more of an East Coast hip-hop head: Biggie, Nas, Wu, The Roots, Mobb Deep, KRS, Jeru, etc. By comparison, I thought Screw and the SUC were unsophisticated and primitive, music for morons.

But I'd like to think I'm much more diplomatic than that today. If anything, the music has earned a permanent spot in my heart: I remember hanging out with my boys, listening to this very track and taking our turns in the cipher. And I was awful - almost every verse started with "I'm coming through..." and I'm sure I made some mention of niggas or candy paint.

Those were the days.

In the end, Screw was impossible to escape. And I'm glad he didn't let me get away. Continue Reading »

What was behind the music?

So the First Lady and I were watching "Beat It" the other night, laughing at the jazz hands and the leather and rhinestones and the Puerto Rican cat who went on to play Detective Eddie Torres on "New York Undercover."

Then it occurred to us both - at damn near the same time, once again - that Michael Jackson was almost certainly influenced by the rumble scene between the Sharks and the Jets in "The West Side Story."

You could see it, over and over again, in his music videos. "Beat It," of course. "Bad." "Smooth Criminal." It's apparent that Michael really, really liked his gang fights to have pocketknives, bandannas, a step, step ball change, kick and a spin.

But I'd never heard him say anything like that before. In fact, I could not ever really remember him talking much about his musical influences.

Which was sad to me.

Of all the things we lost when Jackson died Thursday afternoon, I think we'll come to regret never hearing much talk from him about his art and the forces behind it - and I'm not talking about Joe Jackson or Quincy Jones.

Now, maybe I need to read Moon Walk. Maybe I missed some Motown TV special that came on when I was too young to care. And it's plainly obvious that James Brown was someone that Jackson clearly modeled his career after at a young age.

But in a time where we can hear Zane Cook talk about his motivation on a special feature of the "Employee of the Month" DVD, it seems odd that there's not an exhaustive archive of Jackson really digging into his catalogue for the cameras.

Why the loafers and the army outfits? Where did "shamone" and "hooooooooo!" and the original pop-and-lock come from? Who got his feet tapping and head bobbing when he was rocking a 'fro?

Does anyone know the answers to these questions? And if you do, could you please send them my way? Continue Reading »

What's playing in my deck

Something, anything, with a little hint of the late King of Pop. It's no surprise that Michael Jackson left his substantial musical imprint all over hip hop, too.

Here's a list of my five favorite hip-hop joints that include samples from Jackson's unparalleled catalogue:

1. It Ain't Hard to Tell by Nas. Jackson sample: Human Nature. A couple of classics from a pair of artists who were, in a sense, pioneers of their genre. Obviously, Nas ain't touching Mike on a number of levels. But nonetheless, Nas has built quite a legacy in hip hop. This was the song that pretty much launched his career and turned Illmatic into a classic.



2. It's All About the Benjamins by Puffy, Biggie, The Lox and Lil' Kim. Jackson sample: It's Great to Be Here. If you're wondering where the sample comes in, it's the last verse of the song. Biggie's verse. And he kills it. As usual.

3. OPP by Naughty by Nature. Jackson sample: ABC. "OPP" is a song that has held up well over the years. Nothing feels dated about it.

4. You Ain't a Killer by Big Pun. Jackson sample: With a Child's Heart. The first Pun single that I ever heard. I was a fan from jump.

5. Breakadawn by De La Soul. Jackson sample: I Can't Help It. One of my favorite hip-hop acts rhyming over my absolute favorite Michael Jackson song. Both songs put me totally at peace.

Honorable mentions: All That I Got is You by Ghostface (Maybe Tomorrow); Izzo (H.O.V.A.) by Jay-Z (I Want You Back); Hey Lover by LL Cool J and Boyz II Men (The Lady in My Life). Continue Reading »

He made Thriller, man. Thriller.

Michael Jackson died today after suffering from cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon.

He was 50.

What a sad, sad, sad week for Hollywood. Death in 3s: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and now the great Gloved One.

Post-script: Though there will be more later, I had to mention this ... Off the Wall > Thriller. Continue Reading »

Not fulfilling the dream

I know Louisiana Rep. Barbara Norton. I know from whence Hurricane Chris came. And I know that the state capitol in Baton Rouge is where common sense goes to die a horrible death.

All that to say, I'm not surprised that any of this happened.



If you made it through that entire video, I'll bring the Pepto over to your home myself.

Thanks (I guess) to MetropolitanMagnolia and Crazy as a Road Lizard. Continue Reading »

Blaming Barack

Via John Cole, we learn that Rush Limbaugh is blaming President Obama for Mark Sanford's Argentine Adventure. And I actually agree with him on this point.

Obama is almost literally driving the Republicans insane.

Here's a list of other things Obama is to blame for here. I heard he also won't leave Britney aloooooone. Continue Reading »

We don't believe you/You need more people

UPDATE: To borrow a riff from blogmate Shani-O, Sanford has, er, outsourced his affair.

That means you, Mark Sanford.

Even the notoriously staid AP is looking at the South Carolina governor's bizarre explanation a little sideways:

He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he was alone and that he drove along the coastline.

Trying to drive along the coast could frustrate a weekend visitor to Argentina. In Buenos Aires, the Avenida Costanera is the only coastal road, and it's less than two miles long. Reaching coastal resorts to the south requires a drive of nearly four hours on an inland highway with views of endless cattle ranches. To the north is a river delta of islands reached only by boat.

Maybe this is much ado about nothing. But I doubt it. And I'm not alone. His explanation doesn't add up. It doesn't make sense.

Also, I think Ta-Nehisi has this right: this reeks of amateur hour.

"There are a lot of pretenders out there who don't understand that this really is the big leagues. This just strikes me as the sort of thing that pro can't do. This isn't the college game anymore."

Not that I think Sanford was a serious contender to the throne anyway. He was bound to be exposed as a lightweight. Might as well happen now instead of the fall of '11.

But the thing to watch for is what happens from here. There's no way that this story simply goes away. Speculation about what happened and with whom is already underway. Continue Reading »

Fear of a Mulatto Planet

Burnishing his credentials as a Hall of Fame asshole, newly released tapes reveal President Richard Nixon would have preferred Barack Obama, Tiger Woods and Halle Berry - to name a few - never existed.

Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases —like interracial pregnancies, he said.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding, “Or a rape.”

That's racism we can believe in.

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