Last night (October 30), HBO aired the second installment of their 24/7 series on Pacquiao-Margarito.
The episode showed some of the first footage we’ve seen of Manny Pacquiao in sparring. The clips showed Pacquiao mostly on the receiving end of punches, but this was of course edited footage to drive home Roach’s comments of Manny having bad training days. Next week, we’ll get a better update of Pacquiao’s progress now that he’s moved from his native Philippines to Los Angeles for final training preparations.
On the opposite end, Margarito looked in tremendous shape. The sparring clips showed him working over his partners against the ropes. He hopes to implement the same strategy against the Filipino phenom. Margarito also dismissed Pacquiao’s wins over De La Hoya, Cotto and Clottey, stating that unlike them he would never retreat or stop throwing punches.
The most controversial matter from the episode was Margarito’s camp making light of the hand wrap controversy. His team attempted to wrap his hand in a cement block, while Margarito parodied Pacquiao’s imitation of him last week. The Tijuana Tornado’s November 13 fight will be just his second bout since serving a year suspension for attempting to use plaster-like hand wrappings against Shane Mosley.
Was Margarito out of line? Watch the entire episode below and judge for yourself.
With the latest G.O.O.D. Friday and Nicki Minaj/Eminem releases, Lloyd Banks’s Blue Friday drop is once again being overlooked. But those who’ve been payinhg attention to Banks’ output know to check for him just as much as the aforementioned superstars. This week, he goes with a ”bigger is better” approach on “Goodbye.”
When I say ”bigger is better,” it’s in regards to the beat, which combines high-powered synths and guitar licks. It’s much more lively than than the plodding ”When I Get There” from last week, and Banks responds in kind with more energy to meet the track’s production. “Goodbye” is a nice drop and one of the higher-tier Blue Friday/Saturday offerings.
“No electro, no metro, a little retro…ah, perfecto!”
When Hip-Hop fans complain about how they miss the 90s, what do you think they really mean? Is it the baggy jeans or box braids they’re bemoaning the depature of? No, it’s the loss of the sound that defined the decade, specifically the early and mid 90′s work of producers like DJ Premier, Q-Tip, and Pete Rock. After playing around with autotune and the neo-electro stylings of today’s music, Kanye West seems to have begun to miss that sound too ( see his RZA/No I.D. track “Dark Fantasy” ). So this G.O.O.D. Friday/Saturday track isn’t your standard offering, but a DeLorean trip down memory lane featuring Pete Rock on the boards, and Jay-Z reminiscing on the “good old days.”
For the beat, Pete goes to Curtis Mayfield’s classic debut, Curtis, for “The Makings of You.” He uses Mayfield’s vocals for the intro, and loops the funk guitar led melody for the foundation. For bells and whistles, Pete includes the famous opening grunt adlibs from Syl Johnson’s “Different Strokes.” Finally, Charlie Wilson and Kid Cudi add subtle but recognizable background crooning to flesh out the song’s musicianship, delivering a lush palette of sounds for the emcees to rock over.
Kanye and Jay are drawn into nostalgic musings from different angles. West begins strong, rhyming on being inspired to deliver excellence by those who missed getting to his position (failed street rappers, emcees turned A&Rs, etc). Like many of Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday lyrics, there’s several lines of debauchery like ejaculating on a groupie’s face. But Mayfield’s lyrics on children also cause Kanye to think about the effects of unplanned pregnancies, and being haunted by “the ghosts of kids that I never had.”
“I never understood Planned Parenthood, ’cause I never met anyone that planned to be a parent in the hood,” Kanye rhymes. “Taking refills of that Plan B pill/ Another shorty that won’t make it to the family will.”
In his second verse, ‘Ye briefly goes back to his tawdry ways when discussing how he and a friend obtained two black women with the names of “white bitches.” Overall, Kanye uses the verse to indicate that not only is he hot again from a publicity standpoint, but that there’s music to back it up (“So next time you see me in your Fallopian/ Know the jewelry’s Egyptian/ Know the hunger’s Ethiopian”). As with most of us, and definitely Kanye West, the biggest potential obstacle is the face in the mirror.
”In the mirror where I see my only enemy/ Your life’s cursed?/ Oh, mine’s an obscenity.”
The music has a special meaning for Jay-Z, considering it’s his “Mama’s shit.” He sets the era by noting his household was littered by Afros, marijuana sticks, Bally shoes, and Ballantine Ale. Jay only briefly mentions his drug-dealing past. Instead, the verse is really an homage to his mother Gloria. He praises her strength in the face of the criticism she endured from the religious (“Virgin Marys tried to judge her/ I’m like where the Madonnas now?”). The end result was a child that became a “warrior,” and Jay promises that no one will ever take away their joy.
Early reports suggest this song may be a part of the Kanye West/Jay-Z album Watch the Throne. Both artists have been very instrumental in setting trends in Hip-Hop. Kanye, for example, played a hand in the neo-electro phase mainstream Hip-Hop is now enamored with. Don’t be surprised if within the year the next “retro” phrase results in a return to music like this.
KANYE WEST X JAY-Z X PETE ROCK X CHARLIE WILSON X KID CUDI ” THE JOY”
What was supposed to be a test for David Lemieux turned into a quick workout. In his Montreal hometown, the 21-year-old prospect made easy work of Hector Camacho Jr., blitzing the ring veteran with a highlight-reel first round KO.
In the first minute, Lemieux took his time feeling out his opponent’s southpaw stance. Camacho Jr. himself was tentative as well, backpedaling and holding whenever Lemieux came forward with lead right hands.
By the middle of the round, David Lemieux already begun to find the range for his right hand, the consensus money punch to land on a southpaw. He stunned Camacho Jr. with a right hook, causing him to fall forward and hold. Lemieux began mixing the right to the body and head, making Camacho Jr. retreat in hopes of making it through the round.
With less than 10 seconds remaining, Camacho Jr. backed into the ropes, and was caught flush upstairs with a compact Lemieux right hook. Camacho Jr.’s body went rigid, and he slowly collapsed on flat on his back. Sprawled out and unable to be saved by the bell, he could only muster raising his head and shoulders off the mat before being counted out.
The win raises David Lemieux’s record to 24-0 with 23 KOs. The fight marks his third consecutive win that’s ended in the first or second round. Hector Camacho Jr. falls to 52-4-1 (28 KOs).
If you missed it, wait until footage on the KO shot hits YouTube. Once it landed you knew Camacho was done. Mark it down as a Knockout of the Year candidate.
There has been justifiable doubt of Lemieux’s power considering the level of opposition he’s faced. But tonight he’s gone a long way to legitimizing his power. And it’s not thudding, wear you down power. Lemieux’s has that shock to your system, one-punch KO power. It’s an equalizer that can turn a fight’s momentum instantly. It makes him dangerous, and very exciting to watch.
The biggest upsides on David Lemieux is that he’s 21 years old, and competing in a wide open middleweight division. When you add Lucian Bute at super-middleweight, and Jean Pascal at light-heavyweight, Canadian boxing fans have a lot to cheer about these days.
Tonight (October 29), undefeated fighter David Lemieux will have the biggest test of his career when he faces Hector Camacho Jr. at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The 21-year-old Lemieux has amassed a record of 23-0 with 22 KOs since turning pro in 2007. His only distance win came in January when he won a 10 round unanimous decision over Jason Nauglar. Of his 22 knockouts, only one has gone as far as round five.
Camacho Jr. (52-3-1, 28 KOs) is a 14 year veteran, and looking to elevate his career after three years of dismal opposition following a 2007 decision loss to Don Juan Futrell. His best opponent during this time frame has been the 39-year-old former contender Luis “Yory Boy” Campas, who Camacho Jr won a split decision over after being deducted three points for fouls and excessive holding.
David Lemieux has promised to add Camacho Jr. to his list of KO victims.
“It’s not going the distance,” he told The Montreal Gazette.
The matchup will be available tonight at 10 PM ET via www.espn3.com or www.secondsouttv.com. The latter link is available only after completing a free registration form.
Famed jazz and social critic Stanley Crouch is citing the new “Baracka Flocka Flame” parody video as the latest example of “Hip-Hop Minstrelsy.”
Crouch, a long-time critic of Hip-Hop music, cites the culture’s images and themes as more damaging to black people than anything done by whites. According to Crouch, actions such as the Tea Party making President Obama into a witch doctor and pimp on posters pale in comparison to the “dehumanization” Hip-Hop music inflicts on black people.
“Hip-Hop minstrelsy, taken to an extreme, has repeatedly outdone all crude, vindictive and simply clumsy whites whenever it comes to dehumanizing black people,” Crouch wrote in a recent article on The Root. ”Hip-Hop obviously, and no less insultingly, does it better…And now, under the banner of humor or satire, yet another minstrel monster has raised his video head from the gutter once again in the brand-new ‘Head of State,’ which has been seen on YouTube more than a million times.”
The clip has caused conflicting views amongst its African-American viewers. Waka Flocka Flame himself disapproved of the video, saying it was disrespectful to the President. Others see it as acceptable satire of public figures.
Crouch defines good comedy as art that displays the “bittersweet feeling of human frailty.” He views the “Head of State” video as nothing more than shock treatment, something he sees as problematic for many black artists.
“Profound recognition of human frailty is always collective, and the exclusion of black people from that equation of universal fact is the perpetual problem,” Croch argues. “When sheer vulgarity is thought to do the job of liberating, more than a little is lost. Shock is misconstrued as a substitute for substance. Richard Pryor was, along with Charlie Chaplin and W.C. Fields, one of the prime geniuses of American comedy.”
“Unfortunately, Pryor’s use of coarse language, and his fast and loose sprinkling of the term ‘nigger’ as both a linguistic spice and a misbegotten form of black authenticity, bedevil us to this day,” he continued. “It has become no more than a product that any unimaginative black comedian or rapper can use as recklessly and relentlessly as possible.”
“Head of State,” directed by Martin Usher and starring comedian James Davis as President Obama, can be viewed below. The entire Stanley Crouch article can be read HERE.
I met Stanley Crouch when I was just starting to seriously look at writing as a career. He was speaking at an event and signing copies of his latest book Considering Genius: Writings on Jazz (which I highly recommend). He gave me some good tips on writing and urged me to continue studying my craft and make my voice heard. Note me back in my much skinnier days below with Crouch and fellow writer Jelani Cobb.
When it comes to Hip-Hop, and even his critiques on some jazz artists, we have drastically different opinions. When Crouch talks about Hip-Hop culture, I’m always taken back to my studies of the Harlem Renaissance. Towards the middle of that 10 year cultural explosion in the 1920s, there became a contentious divide between the older, established guard, represented by W.E.B. DuBois, and young, bolder artists represented by artists like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Claude McKay.
DuBois wanted the creative work of the period to serve as “propaganda” to show whites, and other blacks, that we were human beings capable of high art. Crouch’s phrase of ”the bittersweet feeling of human frailty” in his definition of “good comedy,” and the belief that certain African-American art can dehumanize the entire race, is an echo of DuBois’ points in his 1926 essay “Criteria of Negro Art.”
“Thus it is the bounden duty of black America to begin this great work of the creation of beauty, of the preservation of beauty, of the realization of beauty, and we must use in this work all the methods that men have used before,” DuBois wrote. “[The] point today is that until the art of the black folk compels recognition they will not be rated as human.”
In essence, W.E.B. DuBois believed that creating “high art” without threatening stories, images and stereotypes would be the gateway to liberating black people from white oppression and dehumanization. Hughes and his young colleagues adamantly rejected this line of thinking. In sharp contrast to the Talented Tenth ethos of DuBois’ philosophy, their novels and poems brought a voice to the working class and poor.
Hughes countered that the black artist’s work should be a reflection of the ugly as well as the beautiful. Art, he justified, was at times supposed to challenge societal standards. He looked at jazz, which like Hip-Hop started in the streets and was originally dismissed as art, as the most beautiful expression of black culture in America.
“But jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America; the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul– the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world…” Hughes wrote in his essay “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.” “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.”
In the glowing terms that Crouch talks about jazz, you’d almost forget the fact it came from the streets, originally thriving places like whorehouses and speakeasies. The term “jazz” itself was slang for sex. The same negative term of “uneducated blacks” that he uses to describe many Hip-Hop artists, were the same group that created and cultivated jazz in the early 1900s. Although both groups were not formally educated, through their creative spirits these black people from different eras birthed cultures that defined their generations and changed music forever.
It’s hard for me to understand how Crouch cannot see these parallels. Is there bad Hip-Hop? Of course. Waka Flocka Flame is not a good emcee or someone I would use to expose a novice to Hip-Hop. The video parody makes his work look more foolish, if anything. We know Obama is not a fool; the jury is still out on geometry college major hopeful Waka Flocka. But how anyone who studies music, poetry and literature cannot see the artistic value in the works of Scarface, Nas, Outkast, Rakim and countless others is baffling.
As much as I value some of Crouch’s work and contributions, after meeting him I made myself a vow. And that vow was never to become completely disconnected from the generations that came after me and the art they created. Sure, I knew some of it would make me shake my head and be confusing. That’s a part of growing older and becoming more conservative. But even in those changes would be artists whose work echoed the greats that came before them. These are the ones that need to be championed and not shunned if Hip-Hop culture is to survive and not go the way of jazz music.
Yesterday (October 27), David Haye allowed media and fans to check in on his progress a little over two weeks before his WBA title defense against Audley Harrison.
Haye looked to be in great shape, and did a relatively light workout that consisted of shadowboxing, mitt work, and explosive weightlifting. Haye’s hand speed, his main weapon in the division as a smaller heavyweight, looked sharper than his last outing in April against John Ruiz.
Another interesting note was Haye’s work in slipping under the jab. In recent fights, Haye would look to counter from mid-range. Here, he was taking steps in to work the body and head, indicating he may look to hurt Harrison on the inside. His training partner, who’s considerably bigger than Haye, would also be an ideal asset for the WBA titlist when he eventually faces one of the Klitschkos.
Haye-Harrison takes places on November 13.
Shout out to Global Sport In Colour (@GlobalSIC) for the footage.
Haye is on record as stating Harrison will experience one of the most brutal knockouts in boxing history. I have no reason to doubt that. This fight was a mismatch from the beginning, and I’d be surprised if it goes more than three rounds if Haye goes all out.
Wherever you stand on the Klitschko-Haye debate, none of them have any moral high ground considering their most recent opponents. Outside of Tomasz Adamek, they have no business fighting anyone else in the wasteland that is the heavyweight division.
In case you’re wondering how Audley Harrison’s training is going, check him out last month in Big Bear.
Kid Cudi gave a definitive statement on his future creative direction by proclaiming that rapping gives him no further enjoyment.
Cudi, who has begun the promotional rounds for his sophomore project Man On the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, explained that his main musical goal is learning how to play the guitar. While he did drop a recent verse on Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday track “Christian Dior Denim Flow,” Cudi revealed that these days he only gets excited about performing Hip-Hop music when he’s asked to create singing hooks.
“I’m just over rapping. I don’t get any fulfillment out of it anymore,” Cudi told MTV News. “I really don’t get any fulfillment out of writing a 16. That’s why you never really hear me on Kanye joints like that…I’m more passionate when he be like ‘yo Cudi come up with a hook!’ Because he asks me to put verses down and I’ll try to procrastinate or disappear or something. I get more fulfillment now out of singing and learning to play the guitar. That’s my newfound love; I just never thought I could play an instrument.”
Following his next solo, Cudi will front a new rock band called the Wizards. He will also work extensively on fellow Cleveland native Chip tha Ripper’s next album.
Man On the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager will be released on November 9.
Pretty ironic to hear Cudi losing hsi passion for emceeing the same week that Drake rediscovered his. I appreciate the honesty from Cudi. One listen to his mumbling verse on “Christian Dior Denim Flow” is strong confirmation that his heart isn’t in straight Hip-Hop. I wonder if it ever was.
Personally, I don’t care much for Cudi’s singing voice either. But with the right production and melodies it can come off well, as evidenced by a handful of songs on Man On the Moon, Jay-Z’s “Already Home,” and Kanye’s Runaway film. Luckily, no one looks at him as a straight emcee, so he won’t have to worry about possibly alienating any of his fans by going full-blown into other genres.
Overall, Kid Cudi remains a valuable member of the G.O.O.D. Music team. All that’s really missing now from the label is a first lady.
A few weeks ago, I warned everyone not to be swayed by the whirlwind of Pacquiao training rumors that would start coming out almost daily leading up to fight night. Earlier today, I was amused by some of the training news coming from other boxing sites.
If you check out Boxingscene.com, all is now well within Pacquiao’s camp. They report that the move to L.A. has stabilized his focus, and Pacquiao’s already had some of his best workouts.
“I was worried in the Philippines, yes. But since he’s been here in America, I have no problem and he’s back on track,” Roach said. “He was back to the Pacquiao I know yesterday. We had a great day.”
Take a trip over to ESPN and we hear something totally different. According to Dan Rafael, Pacquiao is still struggling to adjust with the media attention, and has even taken days off to handle political matters back in the Philippines.
“I know his mind is off the fight. I know his mind is somewhere else, and that’s because of politics,” Roach told ESPN. “If there are no more challenges out there after this fight, this could be it. If Floyd (Mayweather Jr.) doesn’t come to the table, I don’t know what’s going to challenge him. He loves his other job, and he might be done with this one.”
View the most recent training footage below and decide for yourself if Pacquiao has been “slacking.”
I got my hands on Statik Selektah and Termanology’s 1982 album a few days ago. The project is quality and well-worth the pickup. The duo have caught the animated video bug and have created a clip for their surrealistic concept song “People Are Running.” The video has the appropriate Halloween theme, and is directed by Nastee of 4wordproductions.
BILAL “TAINTED LOVE”
This song should sound familiar. “Tainted Love” has been remade numerous times since its first incarnation as a Gloria Jones single in 1964. It fell under the radar then and even when Jones remade it herself in 1976. But in 1981, the UK Synthpop duo Soft Cell cashed on their remake, reaching #1 on the UK charts. Since then, “Tainted Love” has been remade or sampled nearly 30 times by artists ranging from Rihanna to Marilyn Manson. The song’s original version was even featured as a radio station offering in the highly successful video game Grant Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Bilal, with backing from composer/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, gives an improvisational take on the now well-known northern soul b-side. This collaboration is their second, preceded by “Is This Love.”
Bilal’s latest album, Airtight’s Revenge, is available now.
