THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 17

TODAY:


Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, my former co-intern for Ryan Cameron, is about to take some serious heat for his newest song: "Politics," off his new Gangster Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE MIXTAPE HERE.

While you're waiting for the file to transfer, here are some quick quotes, just so you can see what type of mess people are saying that Ludacris has made, for himself and Obama, with his lyrics.


RESPONSE - THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN:

Through his campaign team, Senator Obama released a statement condemning the song as offensive and typical of much of Hip-Hop’s current lyrical content.

“As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to,” explained spokesman Bill Burton. “This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”

SOURCE: ALLHIPHOP.COM

RESPONSE - FOX NEWS:

In his new song “Politics: Obama Is Here,” rapper and staunch Barack Obama supporter Ludacris trashes presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain and former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.

“Hillary hated on you, so that b—- is irrelevant. … McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed. Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped,” Ludacris sings.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper, whose real name is Christopher Bridges, also takes aim at the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was recently caught on video slamming Obama.

“Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what? If you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut,” Ludacris sings, refering to Jackson’s off-the-cuff criticism of Obama’s speeches on morality at black churches.

SOURCE: FOXNEWS.COM

Do remember also that Obama was recently quoted by Rolling Stone Magazine founder Jann S. Wenner, voicing his support for Ludacris in his July 10 cover story.

Wenner:
What do you think of rap? Has it been unfairly attacked for destroying family values?

Obama:
By definition, rock & roll is rebel music, which means if it's not being criticized, it's probably not doing its job. I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics, but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music. Music was very segregated back in the Seventies and Eighties — you'll remember that when MTV first came on, it wasn't until Thriller that they played Michael.

I know Jay-Z. I know Ludacris. I know Russell Simmons. I know a bunch of these guys. They are great talents and great businessmen, which is something that doesn't get emphasized enough. It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves.



SOURCE: ROLLINGSTONE.COM

The internet is going nuts (no Jesse). All the commenters and geeks are saying that Luda is stupid. He should know his role. He's hurting Obama with this type of colorful rhetoric. Whatever.

Shout out to Cris Lova Lova; CONGRATULATIONS on getting tapped (nolo) for the GA Music Hall of Fame. And for the record, I happen to think that this was a smart if risky move that will ultimately work in both mens' favor. Nobody is changing their vote over a rap song. But Luda deserves some respect for even trying this, especially right after his induction was announced. Think about it; it leverages good and bad publicity right when he has the spotlight. He gets to be honored by a prestigious group, and he gets to retain his hood pass indefinitely. It's not like he's saying anything that every other Obama supporter isn't. He was just bold enough to record it over a Young Buck beat and release it, knowing that Fox News would go ballistic. Brilliant.

Obama can't pretend that Hip-Hop will just let him play the middle forever and not push him to either condone or condemn us. Hip-Hop, like Rock & Roll, is rebel music. And black people, as quiet as it's kept, created both. So he can't expect for those same rebels to keep quiet forever. Who knows; this might be exactly what needs to start happening to keep the Hip-Hop crowd interested and motivated enough to vote in November. Word to Nas; rappers are finally learning how to use politics to promote their projects.




"Hip-Hop... is bigga than religion. Hip-Hop... is bigga than "my nigga." Hip-Hop... is bigga than the government..."
Erykah Badu - "The Healer"

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 16

TODAY:


We're going to laugh. We're going to look at the ignorance, and laugh together. Because really, even though political humor can go too far, sometimes it's still funny if you can dig past an obvious insult and find your sense of humor.

Here are a few photos I've found along the way to fullfilling this assignment to cover the Obama campaign for 100 days.

















Pretty classy, huh? Feel free to pass them around to others. Or feel free to start a petition demanding that people stop using caricatures, drawings and graphic manipulation to create images that unfairly draw negative and misleading racial and cultural reactions upon political candidates from those who don't know how to tell a lie from the truth. See how far it gets you.

Good luck with that.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 15

TODAY:


The word around Washington is that Senator Obama will name a vice-presidential candidate sometime next week, when Congress goes on recess. The names are dwindling down to a few good men - all senators: Evan Bayh, Tom Kaine and Joe Biden. The idea of naming his running mate before the national convention has something to do with changing the discussion from Obama's recent trip - which I thought was a major success - into the judgement he exercised in choosing a presidential partner. But he still wants to remind people that, for the time being, he remains a senator.

"He wants to refocus his campaign on his agenda and doesn't want anything interfering," says a key Democratic leadership aide. "He wants Congress out before he does this."

SOURCE: USNEWS.COM

Biden, in my opinion, is the best choice out of these three. Sure, Tom Kaine is a power hitter in his own right, and Evan Bayh enjoys popularity that seems to never slack off, but Kaine doesn't have mass appeal like that. And Bayh has been everybody's possible #2 for so long that it seems like he has no real ambition for the executive office. I mean, forgive me if I'm wrong, but he's never been picked as far as I can remember. Always the "almost" candidate.

Biden is the new O.G. of the Senate. Now that Ted Kennedy is ailing, Biden has the strongarm potential to be the Dem's version of Dick Cheney, which is exactly what the blue party needs to support Obama. The good cop/bad cop role, if you will. Biden has always spoken his mind, even when it wasn't always in his best interest. If he can focus that heat on the Republickins and keep from saying anything too fresh, he'll probably add that elderly shine that McCain is flaunting all across the American stage.

IS SOLEDAD O'BRIEN THE HOTTEST LITE-BRITE IN THE TV NEWS GAME?

Yo, no b.s.

If Soledad O'Brien doesn't deserve to be recognized as one of the hottest lite-brites in the TV journalism game, then I don't deserve to have fingers. After recently putting it down with CNN's "Black in America" series, Soledad is now running neck and neck with Queen Suzanne Malveaux, who is pretty much untouchable in my book. They're both smart, sexy and willing to do the job at a higher level than their counterparts. Both deserve the utmost respect.

But what is it about CNN and MSNBC that they seem to have the black female game on lockdown when it comes to television reporters?


Let's look at the other contenders:



SUZANNE MALVEAUX




FREDERICKA WHITFIELD




ALISON STEWART




AMY HOLMES



(She's a Republickin strategist, but those curls say, "I'm down; just don't tell nobody...")



Much respect to CNN and MSNBC for keeping it extra gangster with the black females. Sly Fox News does the same with blondes, which in all honesty is just staying in line with their audience, so I can't be mad at that. But I must ask axe,


Who is the hottest?

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 14

TODAY:


Now that the senator is back on U.S. soil, everyone is wondering what's going on with the Democrat's V.P. search. And wouldn't you know it, The New York Times is now speculating that Senator Hillary Clinton is low on the radar as a potential running mate.

The arguments for picking Mrs. Clinton have always been highly pragmatic, based more on electoral politics than anything else, as Mr. McAuliffe suggested in pointing to the vote-getting power she has exhibited. (For what it’s worth, some of Mr. McCain’s advisers said they view Mrs. Clinton as the single strongest candidate Mr. Obama can pick for those same reasons.)

These arguments have not held much sway with Mr. Obama or his inner circle. Instead, they have indicated that whatever political benefits might be gained by putting Mrs. Clinton on the ticket would be outweighed by the costs.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

On another note, my earlier predition that Obama would see a bounce in his national polling numbers against McCain has not yet come to pass. Everyone, even Republickins, have praised the Obama campaign for running a tighter operation, yet even after returning from Europe he has not yet found a larger number of supporters.

Most surveys now show Mr. Obama with a lead of about 6 or 7 percentage points over Mr. McCain nationally, and Mr. Obama rarely breaks the 50 percent threshold. Those are statistics that have given Republicans, who are not exactly feeling joyful these days, a line to grab, and they have fed some underlying anxiety among some Democrats.

“They’ve known John McCain for years,” Bill McInturff, a pollster for Mr. McCain, said of survey participants. “But people say in focus groups, ‘Who the heck is Barack Obama? Had you heard of him before six months ago?’ And he’s 46 years old. He’s somebody nobody knows about.”

Mr. McCain is “running ahead of where he should be based on the environment,” Mr. McInturff said.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Give it some time, I say. Unless McCain has a tangeable answer for Obama's current globetrotter status, it's still not looking good for his campaign. McCain's supporters are just like their candidate - hanging on for dear life. The Democratic convention is approaching, and if the right correct person is chosen to be Obama's #2, you can expect the windfall to occur.

If I were Obama, I'd lay low and put the machine on cruise-control until the big party with the delegates. That's when it will be painfully obvious to all haters, racists, dummies, fools, morons, imbeciles, whores and idiots that there is only one viable option, and it is the African-American.

Expect the tide to rise soon, even as it appears that the waters are still.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 13

This guy is a machine, but even machines break down if not maintained properly.


Senator Obama was told today by a British conservative leader that he is looking pale (wow). Those of us with the light-skinded curse know that pale is not a good look when you're biracial. I'm just saying, I start looking yellow on the rare occassions I come down with a cold. But seriously, you can't afford to look sickly when you're a skinny mulatto with African descent running for POTUS.

Anyway, Obama has been in 5th gear all week, and it appears that his schedule is finally catching up to him physically. British Conservative Party Leader David Cameron took the liberty of telling the Illinois senator and presumptive Democratic nominee that he needed some sun.

Cameron told the candidate, "You should be on the beach…you need a break. Well you need to be able to keep your head together."

Obama told Cameron he would try to take a week of in August. And he said he got advice from a Clinton White House veteran on how to handle the demands on his time.

SOURCE: CNN POLITICAL TICKER

You can't even front on the work ethic. And he doesn't earn any stripes from me for doing this; I expect the POTUS to bust his arse keeping me safe and rich and comfortable. Otherwise, why the eff am I paying taxes? That's why we need a young man in office. McCain would literally get caught sleeping through his whole term. You can imagine him on a hammock, enjoying the cool Autumn breeze, then suddenly tilting over too far and falling to the ground on some end-of-Godfather shit.

At least Obama can withstand the demands of the job.


"I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death."
Nas - NY State of Mind

RAP NERDS DON'T DIE - THEY MULTIPLY

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY of how The Underwriter, your faithful and humble narrator, took part in a high-definition Hip-Hop discussion with four other pure rap nerds with presidential status in the game.


Shout to Billy X. Sunday, a.k.a. Dallas Penn, of XXL and iNTERTETS CELEBRITIES fame, for hosting a great Hip-Hop debate right chea on my stomping grounds of Cobb County, GA. The homie let me know early that he would be in the ATL this week, so I made a point to get up with him and a few friends at Taco Mac on the East-West Connector (near Six Flags) to discuss such relevant and immediate issues as The Dark Knight, Fonzworth Bentley, Lil' Wayne and of course the only five albums that a person could take on the Mothership. In attendance were Maestro (producer: Lil' Wayne's "3-Peat") and frequent XXL commenter Twerkolater.

It was a great night in Atlanta for rap thought. We consumed drinks, cigarrettes and topics like intellectual cannibals. Nobody was given too much free reign over their opinions, but everybody's words were respected and we all left feeling as if we had fleshed out our own ideas about how the game should be and how things really are today in the world of Hip-Hop culture.


And I was throwed like a horseshoe. I'm surprised DP even remembered any of this fuckery, because he seemed as drunk as I was. Shout to him for staying on point and delivering the story. I went home and crashed like Dale Earnhart (R.I.P.).



Until next time, Chea!






UPDATE:

CLICK HERE FOR MAESTRO'S BLOG


CLICK HERE FOR TWERKOLATER.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 12 - YOU CAN'T CHEAT THE REAPER

Truth be told, I was astounded - yes, astounded - at the comment that I received on one of my earlier posts. The comment appeared on one of THE OBAMA CRUSADES -you know, that series I've been posting for the last 12 days - and I admit that I really believed that some guy named John Maszka was one of those dudes who just started reading my blogs that I'd have to respond to. I mean, this dude went in on some foreign policy, self-righteous bullshit.


Check out the comment snippet:

"The really disappointing aspect of Obama is that he was supposed to be the peace candidate. But everything that he appeared to stand for- multiculturalism, religious toleration, peace, diplomacy- all are overshadowed by this foolish idea of moving the war to Pakistan.

Moving the war on terror to Pakistan could have disastrous consequences on both the political stability in the region, and in the broader balance of power. Scholars such as Richard Betts accurately point out that beyond Iran or North Korea, “Pakistan may harbor the greatest potential danger of all.” With the current instability in Pakistan, Betts points to the danger that a pro-Taliban government would pose in a nuclear Pakistan. This is no minor point to be made. While the Shi’a in Iran are highly unlikely to proliferate WMD to their Sunni enemies, the Pakistanis harbor no such enmity toward Sunni terrorist organizations. Should a pro-Taliban or other similar type of government come to power in Pakistan, Al-Qaeda’s chances of gaining access to nuclear weapons would dramatically increase overnight.

There are, of course, two sides to every argument;"

SOURCE: JOHN MASZKA

If you care to read the rest, the comment is on THE OBAMA CRUSADES: Day 11. Just scroll down until you see it.


Now, I was all good and ready to respond with fire, but then my wits kicked in. And I thought to myself, "What the fuck? Who is this guy? And what makes my dead-ass blog worthy of such a ridiculous rant?" I mean, dude wasn't wrong for stating his opinion, which even as respectable as it seemed I could easily backhand away with just a flick of my intellectual wrist, but come on now... who am I to make somebody, with that much to say on a blog, so self-righteous and aggy?

I had to investigate.

Lo and behold, I discovered the truth. This "John Maszka" guy is some type of geek lurker that wants me to publish his thoughts, just so that I can get excited enough to respond. I only found this out because I Googled the phrase "Thathiah Ravi (2006:119, 121)," which was included in his comment just further down from the segment I quoted above. I looked it up on the internet, and that's when I realized that homeboy was a fraud.


IF YOU CLICK HERE, you'll find the exact same quoted text that "John Maszka" posted to my blog.

That only means that this guy is a sucker, and I refuse to accept the same comment that you give to another blog, unless of course I happened to write the exact same shit as the other blog where you posted that exact same comment. And you know better than that. I'll post such buffoonery just once, just so you can see how I will thrash this shit in the future, even if it means it'll crash my desktop hard drive.

Either you're trying to size me up with a virus (nolo) or you're just an unimaginative loser. Either way, you ain't got no wins in mi casa. You ain't even in mi clasa. I never copy and paste comments. Me and that/those other blogs you visit have nothing in common. I'm the truth, and I'm deadly to dewshbags like you. Now run your sorry ass back to Rush Limbaugh's blog or something. Go suck Sean Hannity's dick.



"John Maszka", you are officially dead. Stay off my blog, even if it means you have to kill yourself. Besides this post, you and your kind will never get a response from The Most Deadly, especially if you can't even come up with an original comment.





"I ain't have to read The Art of War to slay men..."
Nas - "Nazareth Savage"



SHOUT OUT TO SNICKERS.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 11

TODAY:


Senator Obama spent the day in Paris. He met with the President Sarkozy today at the Élysée Palace. The two men showed mutual respect, with the French president stating that he is quietly pulling for an Obama victory in November. It is summed up in one line:

Sarkozy wishes Obama “luck” and says he’d be “delighted” if he wins.

SOURCE: THE PAGE

My opinion is that Obama knows that the U.S. cannot sustain the same presence in the Middle East without help. France has always been one of our closest allies; the type of friend that the U.S. loves from a distance and criticizes when they're not around. But they are an important part of European relationships, along with Germany.

Since Obama is mega-popular in both countries, it looks like we could even see France and Germany increasing their own troop numbers so that we can finally wrap this war up.

McCain is... losing.

BLACK TELEVISION IS BACK FROM THE DEAD (tonight)

Hell no, I don't mean B.E.T.


Just caught Nas on The Colbert Report. Much respect to Stephen Colbert and Comedy Central for letting the guy speak his mind and perform "Sly Fox." To be honest, I hadn't even heard it before watching it a half hour ago. Had plenty of chances to download it, but when you're a real fan you leave at least something to discover if you're going to support it with money. I had already downloaded The Nigger Tape, his mixtape with Green Lantern. How much free shit could I ask axe for without putting something in the collection plate?

So really, I'm going to buy the new Nas album tomorrow. He did a good job, especially considering how Colbert can throw a person off with his conservative schtick. You can't let him fool you into being pissed off, and you can't let him totally steal the show. He's known to do both to unsuspecting guests. Nasir was on point.





I'm about to run out and grab a six pack of that good Belgian beer (Bud Light) and sit my ass down to watch CNN. BLACK IN AMERICA: THE BLACK MAN is on right now. I'm waiting to see if Soledad O'Brien is going to wink at me through the TV. Baby girl has that thyow! Plus, I think I should see what Time Warner says about me and my life, under the guise and co-signage of Soledad O'Brien's fine ass.

So far, she's done a seriously good job. Her stock is rising. TV networks: you catch her contract up, you'd better snatch that. Don't be surprised if she asks axe where the cash at.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 10

90 days to go... Hold on tight...


TODAY:

The candidate delivered a major speech to over 200k people in Berlin around 3pm EST. Obama used the speech to talk about the relationship between Europe and the U.S., and reiterated his call for unity among the two allies in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

"Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future," he said. "The greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another."

SOURCE: REUTERS

The location, known as the "Siegessaeule" or "Victory Column", is a monument to 19th century Prussian military conquests. I guess he picked it because it suggests that success in this election is obvious and unavoidable. Plus, it's a phallic symbol, and we all know how world leaders and their supporters like to see large stone penises protruding from the ground towards the sky. I guess it's supposed to show how hard the government is.




Whatever. At least it looks pretty cool at night (nolo). I might put a fake one on top of my house whenever my credit gets clean enough to get a mortgage that is not sub-prime. Victory will be mine.


So where's the competition? McCain is somewhere looking for votes in the heartland, eating coleslaw and tuna salad with small-towners, still yearning for the love he's not getting from the media, youth, Hispanics, whites, blacks, Asians, conservatives, liberals, independents, Christians, Muslims, etc. As of today, he was still trying to convice people that Obama is naive for not supporting the so-called "surge" in Iraq, even though Obama praised its apparent success.


If you ask axe me, Obama believes that if we would have sent those soldiers to Afghanistan instead of Iraq, we wouldn't be dealing with more drama right now in the region that is most unstable. And if we never went to Iraq in the first place, we could have easily sustained Afghanistan without now having to balance and shift our resources as emergencies arrive.


Victory is Obama's. Get used to it.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 9

TODAY:

Your favorite US senator is still on the move. According to THE CAUCUS, the online political blog of The New York Times, Barack Obama is tired from all the traveling, but still managing to keep his aura on full blast and his circle super tight (nolo).

JERUSALEM — First came Charlie Gibson. Then, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Finally, it was Benjamin Netanyahu’s turn to meet with Senator Barack Obama here on Wednesday morning.

Barack Obama met with Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, and Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday.
(Photos: Ariel Schalit/Associated Press, Dan Balilty/Associated Press, Dan Balilty/Associated Press, Omar Rashidi/AFP-Getty Images)
This was all before 9 a.m., with twice as many more meetings scheduled before day’s end.
So when Mr. Netanyahu asked how he was feeling, Mr. Obama smiled and declared, “I could fall asleep standing up.”

SOURCE: THE CAUCUS

By the way, have you seen Obama's new jet? Sick as hell...


IMAGE: AFP



So now people are going to wait to see if he makes one of McCain's horrible gaffes on foreign policy. Too late for him to even compete with the geographical mistakes McCain has already given us recently. Dude has made up two different places on the world map: Czechoslovakia and the Iraq/Pakistan border. One never existed, and one hasn't existed in more than a decade.

Damn.

CAREER-DEAD MCs

[please notice the phrase "Promotional Use Only" underneath "THE BOSS." True, true.]



If you haven't already heard - and it's everywhere right now - the rap career of "Rick Ross" is OFFICIALLY OVER.

The Smoking Gun has found records that *allegedly* show "Rick Ross", a.k.a. William Roberts, at some type of training graduation for correctional officers in Florida, shaking hands and smiling in a tight-ass brown and beige uniform.

This has been a two-week saga in the Hip-Hop world, as it involves a famous rapper (Roberts) that claimed to be a cocaine dealer and outlaw leader of his own Florida narcotics gang. He even went as far as naming himself after a California crack lord - "Freeway" Ricky Ross. As you would guess, being a one-time employee of the state prison system doesn't bode well for the reputation, especially while we're still in the "Stop Snitching" era. But creating the false persona of a criminal when you were actually trained to babysit them for the government is, if true, inexcusible and unacceptable.


Trick Daddy had already put the word out that Roberts used to be a prison guard, but without providing proof, it was just held as a possibility and an unfounded joke. But once the word got strong enough to spread, Media Take Out posted the picture, and the internet went nuts like Jesse. Soon after, Roberts put out his own YouTube joint, denying that he was ever a prison guard and saying that he would "see" Trick Daddy.





But now, all we see is that TDD was on point. I don't think it's so unreasonable that a prison guard could become a rap artist, or even a cocaine dealer-turned rap artist, but why front for the camera? You don't have to lie to kick it. Bad day - William Roberts. Good day - Trick Daddy.


"Fake thug, no love / you get the snub / CB-4 'Gusto' / Your luck low / I didn't know 'till I was drunk, though..."
Nas - The Message

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 8

TODAY:

CNN HAS PUT UP A STORY about how an Obama presidency might hurt the state of affairs in black American life. The theory goes something like this: if and when elected, Obama might make white people believe that everything is all good for black people now, and a lot of things that still need to be done to correct the social, economic, educational and legal imbalances, as they relate to minorities, will be ignored after inauguration day. In other words, we're all even-steven. No harm, no foul.

Steve Sailer, a columnist for The American Conservative magazine, wrote last year that some whites who support Obama aren't driven primarily by a desire for change.

They want something else Obama offers them: "White Guilt Repellent," he wrote.

"So many whites want to be able to say, 'I'm not one of them, those bad whites. ... Hey, I voted for a black guy for president,' " Sailer wrote.

SOURCE: CNN.COM

ALSO TODAY:


An Arab terrorist drove a bulldozer through a crowded street near the hotel where Obama will be staying while he visits Israel. Both civilians and the Israeli police deaded him after wounding 11 people. The attack is believed to have no connection to the arrival of Obama; he was not even in the country yet when the melee ensued. The full story is HERE.


AND FINALLY:


MCCAIN IS STILL TRYING, IN VAIN, TO SHINE. Since Obama has the media in a perfect plex right now, McCain needs some type of news announcement or event to bring "The Straight Talk Express" back into the limelight. He is currently teasing the media with the possibility of announcing his vice-presidential candidate this week. Romney is favored. Not a good look.



If you ask axe me, I'm wondering what McCain's going to do when Obama throws a homecoming party. This dude is on a fantastic voyage right now. You don't think that his popularity is going to go through the roof after this trip is over? And you really think Mitt Romney can save the Republickin Party?

And most of all, what the hell is this supposed to be?




Question: why would you pay to make a video that only shows how much everyone in the media likes or loves your competition more than you? Doesn't that mean you're the only one in the stands at your own football game?


"Put a quarter in ya ass, cause you played yourself."
Big Daddy Kane - "The Symphony" (Juice Crew)





Your thoughts?

REALLY DEAD MCs

Estelle Getty, known to the world as Sophia from the hit television show "The Golden Girls", IS REALLY DEAD.


Ol' girl was the quintessential embodiment of an old lady. She died in real life at 84, but she played an octogenarian on the show for years. I'm sure my Mom will call me today and tell me how sad it is and tell me how that, along with "Cheers" and a few other 80's shows, used to be one of her favorites. You should call your Mom and console her.

But really, ol' girl did her thing. She made big money, got famous and made a character that everyone will remember. Much respect.


Please show your appreciation by singing along with the following video:




Or you can crank that Golden Girl one last time...

MALE SPIDERS ARE RAPISTS

Scientific researchers at the University of Aarhus (?) have made a brilliant discovery - one whose announcement is sure to spread like cobwebs in the circles of internet-saavy spiders. Female arachnids, beware: your men are out chea boning unsuspecting potential mates by playing dead and stealing the ass.





Hell, at least the spiders don't have to live in Darfur these days, for God's sake. Then not only would such savage spiders rape the ladies, they might just kill them and the kids, then burn it all down on the way to the next unfortunate victim.

So don't you PETA pricks get mad at me if you see me in the woods squashing the shit out of some tarantula or black widow. He might be the "Chester" that sodomized Charlotte.


CLICK HERE for the article.


"I'm gunnin' for your spouse, tryin' to send that bitch back to her maker, and if you've got a daughter older then 15, I'm a rape her, take her on the living room floor, right there in front of you, then ask you seriously, what you wanna do?"
DMX - "X is Coming" (nolo)

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 7

TODAY:

Obama's European Vacation continues. He is now in Iraq, although how long he stays is anybody's guess. Reports have him leaving sometime tomorrow for Jordan and Israel.

YESTERDAY, it was pretty much understood that Obama wouldn't meet with Nuri al-Maliki, since that should be the job of the current POTUS, not a major candidate.

Despite the Iraqi leader's recent call for a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal — not a far cry from Obama's pledge to withdraw all combat troops within 16 months of being elected — it remains unclear whether Obama and Maliki will even meet this week.

SOURCE: TIME.COM

But today, OBAMA DID IN FACT MEET IRAQ'S LEADERS.

After being greeted by General David Petraeus at Baghdad International Airport, Obama toured the capital via a Blackhawk helicopter with Petraeus and his two congressional traveling companions, Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. Later, he visited wounded U.S. troops at a military hospital in Baghdad and held closed meetings with five of Iraq's top political leaders — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Vice Presidents Adil Abdul Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashemi and Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salah.

SOURCE: TIME.COM

The press is all over Obama right now. So much that the McCain campaign is bitching about some type of media bias. They're even saying that Obama is monopolizing the coverage, as if he had that type of power. Even worse, The New York Times refused to print McCain's recent op-ed piece in its newspaper, right after they printed Obama's.

Sorry to dissapoint you Republickins, but it looks like Obama's being primed for the position (nolo). And McCain is just taking a farewell tour before fading into obscurity. Where he belongs.

LEGALLY-DEAD MCs

I apologize in advance, because I just have to curse on this one. This shit is a total fucking disgrace. It's so unbelievable, I can't even believe it. But I'll be damned to hell if it isn't the truth.


YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER DMX HAS BEEN ARRESTED - YES, AGAIN, for some brand new bullshit. Just click that link above and you'll get the story; I just can't even do it anymore. At this point, I can't even excuse any excuse he or his attorney might have, either for the judge or the media. What the hell gives anyone the right to be arrested so many times in one year and not go to jail? Isn't he beating Amy Winehouse's record right about now? It's so bad that all you have to do is type in "DMX arrested" in Google, and you'll find more pages than any encyclopedia will ever print. Ever.


But alas, I guess he had to keep on "keeping it hood." All we can do at this point is offer his name up in prayer. Dude is obviously a complete geek monster, and will be deemed as such until further notice.


Just for continuity, below you'll find that hilariously sad video from a few months ago where The Dog was severely geeked, throwed, twisted and shitfaced, all at once, in the booth. SMMFH at DJ GQ (the Asiatic dude at the mixing board), who co-signed this absolute tragedy. But I guess it makes sense, because people act any old way when they have friends enablers around them 24/7.




"With friends like that, you don't need enemies!"
Whodini - (if I really have to name this song, you don't belong here.)

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 6

Out of town in Afghanistan for just 24 hours, and my man Obama is already stirring up trouble.

Depending on who you believe, the Senator from Chicago either has or does not have the support of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in his quest to end the American military presence in 16 months.


Here's the CNN VERSION of the story:

"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months," he said in an interview with Der Spiegel that was released Saturday.

"That, we think, would be the right time frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes," he said.

But a spokesman for al-Maliki said his remarks "were misunderstood, mistranslated and not conveyed accurately."

SOURCE: CNN.COM

Now, just to keep it "fair and balanced", here is an excerpt of the version that you will find at SLYFOX.COM:

The statement by Ali al-Dabbagh came after an article was published by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine which quoted al-Maliki as favoring the 16-month withdrawal window proposed by Barack Obama.

The article quoted al-Maliki as saying “U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.”

Al-Dabbagh said al-Maliki’s views were “misunderstood and mistranslated” by Der Spiegel and that the prime minister backs a general vision of pulling out U.S. combat forces based on talks with Washington “and in the light of the continuing positive developments on the ground.”

Al-Dabbagh said statements by al-Maliki or any members of the Iraqi government “should not be understood as support to any U.S. presidential candidates.”

SOURCE: FOXNEWS.COM

In other words (mine), Iraq's prime minister probably should have consulted Bush before he went and endorsed anything pro-Obama without permission. Somebody's not being a team player, it seems.


All caught up. Moving on...

LEGALLY-DEAD MCs

Here's what happens when you try to legally represent yourself as an attorney in court, and you realize that you've dug your own grave. If all else fails, feel free to pull the fake heart attack card.


So classic I had to jack it (nolo). Please people, let professionals do their jobs. Shout out to Fresh over at C&D. As she said, this deserves an NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Fuckery in a Daytime Drama." Hilarious.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 5

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IS IN AFGHANISTAN.


Time Magazine is reporting today that Obama will be staying for two days or so in Taliban Country, trying to get a feel for the region he has deemed the most immediately relevant in the War on Terrorism.

Now that he's there, I wonder what he's seeing right now. Is the Secret Service actually allowing him to see what they know is not safe for him? Are the Generals giving him the most accurate information they have? Does he have a G-Pass, off G.P.?


Here's a quote from Time:

As president, Obama has promised that he would redeploy two more US combat brigades to the Afghan theatre, ask NATO for more troops and fewer restrictions on those troops, accelerate the training of the national army and police, encourage alternative livelihood crops for opium farmers and help support the fledgling Afghan government. In recent weeks, his Republican opponent has joined the call for sending more troops to Afghanistan, and earlier this week Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that U.S. officials are looking for ways to send more forces to the country. Before he left Washington for Afghanistan, Obama told a pool reporter that "I'm looking forward to seeing what the situation on the ground is. I want to, obviously, talk to the commanders and get a sense, both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of, you know, what the most, their biggest concerns are. And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they've been doing."

SOURCE: TIME.COM

Prediction: Obama's poll numbers (as if they mean anything) will go up at least two to six points after this trip. The media is already showing Obama much more love than McCain. More on that later.


Keep watching...

A MOMENT OF SILENCE...

My laptop is officially over. It died on Wednesday, and I still am in a state of denial. For the time being, it's going to be difficult to post new images, but I should find a way around it soon enough.


I am going to miss the little bugger (NOLO), but I did back up most of my shit a few months ago, so it's no big loss. Plus, I had over 200 albums stored on the hard drive, so I guess I was kind of asking axing for something like this to happen.

Well, it finally did. Mourn with your boy.





Actually, eff that. Let me bounce back on these hoes with a second line for "Sade."






I need a moment, y'all. See, I almost felt a tear drop.
Nas - "Can't Forget About You."

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 4

Still playing catch-up here, but as you can tell, I still keep it 100 by doing each Crusade post on the day it should come out, even if it takes another day to post. My style is like gumbo: slow, but consistent and full of that good shit. Anyway...



TODAY:

Everybody is talking about Obama taking a monumental trip to Afghanistan this weekend. Obama has consistently stated that he believes Afghanistan - not Iraq - to be the true focal point of the War on Terror. With the Taliban back in action, it looks like he was correct to project that we needed more troops there, instead of Iraq. In a very smart move, he's going to visit the war-torn region and get a first-hand account of just how funky it is out there.

But of course, the Republickins are trying to make it seem stupid. It's a good thing that we have journalists like John Ridley to make it make sense for the dummies.

The Right can't have it both ways on this one; they can't hector Obama about not traveling the world, then carp when he does. They certainly can't refer to a politician's travels as being political. That label is as obvious as it is inaccurate. What the trip is, is necessary.

SOURCE: THE HUFFINGTON POST

It says a lot about Senator Obama that he is willing to see it for himself and not rely on surrogates and envoys. Don't even ask axe me if I would be willing to take my light-skinned ass over there without Secret Service detail. I don't have that kind of muscle. But he does, so he's doing it.


I happen to think it's a brave and bold move, showing that Obama is willing to investigate his own theories and find out how close he is to the truth. Maybe if we never invaded Iraq, it wouldn't be a mess right now. And we'd still have hundreds of thousands of soldiers to send to Afghanistan, who could have prevented the Taliban from retaking the area while we were bogged down in an illegitimate war.

Just my opinion. I'm probably on point, though.

THE OBAMA CRUSADE: Day 3

Day 3 TECHNICALLY. With my current loss, I could easily have been caught off guard with my pledge to do one of these every day for the remaining 100 days of the POTUS campaign. Let's just say I plan ahead. Anyway...



TODAY:

CNN's Political Ticker reports that SENATOR JOE BIDEN IS SHOWING SOME TEETH as a possible veep candidate. He's been standing up for Senator Obama back in the U.S. Senate, where he chairs the powerful Foreign Relations Committee. Obama chairs the Subcommittee on European Affairs, which has jurisdiction over NATO operations in Afghanistan, among other places.

"Senator Obama has displayed great leadership on this issue: he called nearly a year ago for the deployment of at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan — it has since become the accepted position of a wide range of U.S. military officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Biden added.

Biden's defense comes at a key time for Obama — the Illinois senator heads to Afghanistan and Iraq soon, and has battled criticism from the McCain campaign over the last several days that he lacks an understanding of national security issues.

SOURCE: CNN POLITICAL TICKER

If you ask axe me, I'd think hard (nolo) about this one. I agree, like others with political minds, that Obama should choose an old white guy with government fame. It'll quiet a lot of the remaining scaredness that the majority has about his "electability", and it will show that he realizes his own shortcomings in national and world affairs, especially as they relate to war and turmoil.

But wait a sec... didn't this guy get called out for saying some jankyness about Obama being "clean" back when he first started running in the primary? I mean, if my memory (and brightcove.tv) serve me correctly...





Hmmm... What do you think?

OBAMA: THE LAST 100 DAYS - Vol. 2

Day 2.

99 days left before Senator Barack Obama is inaugurated as (literally) the first African-American POTUS. But, lo and behold, the time is not now to celebrate. There's plenty of work to do in the meantime. Let's get it.


TODAY:

THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS that in Iraq, Obama is beloved. He is urging an almost complete withdrawal from the country in 16 months. People there love the idea, but he is still being tested for his theory and proposal that America must pull out of the region before we are tied down for generations in a war that was never meant to be fought in the first place.

“In no way do I favor the occupation of my country,” said Abu Ibrahim, a Western-educated businessman in Baghdad, “but there is a moral obligation on the Americans at this point.”

Like many Iraqis, Mr. Ibrahim sees Mr. Obama favorably, describing him as “much more humane than Bush or McCain.”

“He seems like a nice guy,” Mr. Ibrahim said. But he hoped that Mr. Obama’s statements about a relatively fast pullout were mere campaign talk.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES ONLINE

IMO, we absolutely cannot afford, as a nation in a recession, to continue to let our national budget go deeper in the red because of a stupid decision by the outgoing Bush. We have to get smart. And sure, we have an obligation to make sure things are alright, but we might be giving the Iraqis their best chance to craft their own government if we actually leave it up to them.


See you tomorrow...

REALLY DEAD MCs

Damn. Another one bites the bullet(s).

According to SOHH.COM, NEW ORLEANS RAPPER SPORTY T IS DEAD. He was killed in a monsoon of AK-47 gunfire in his FEMA trailer while he was sleeping.

Is this the promised outcome for pioneering gangster rappers? What happened to getting chubby and moving to Miami? Why did he deserve to be killed in such a vicious way?

Who knows. All I can say is that I wasn't at all fooled by the atmosphere of the French Quarter when I was in The Crescent City during the Essence Fest. I knew better than to take my out-of-town ass through the lower 9th ward. It's not my turf, and I'm under no misgivings that I am welcome anywhere in the world. Especially the destroyed housing projects of the world's murder capital. And as you can see, I'm still alive.

Now I suppose I should post a video or something that shows Sporty T doing his thing. Here's a YouTube joint of his group, The Wild Boyz, dissing Cash Money back in 2000.





Pretty funny, I guess, but I must say that Baby had the last laugh. It's 2008, and Lil Wayne is still outselling Coldplay. That's major.



R.I.P. to Sporty T. Hope you get everything in heaven that should have been yours on earth.

THE NIGGER NEWS

So I go through my daily online news this morning and look what I found at CNN.com:

"On the untitled album, there's still an air of militancy, with the threats of violence directed toward those who aim to oppress African-Americans.

He boasts likenesses to Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton and threatens to throw Molotov cocktails in the name of civil rights murder victim Emmett Till.

On "Testify," Nas warns that he's loading a magazine to "send these redneck bigots some death in a bag/choke him out with his Confederate flag/I know these devils are mad."

SOURCE: CNN

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE.


It's great to see that CNN actually covered this in what comes across as a non-biased, journalistic way. Nas just might see some numbers and garner even more respect as one of Hip-Hop's best for making an album that targets the most feared word on the planet. Even if he changed the name, I totally support the idea behind this one. Untitled dropped yesterday. Go buy it.


"No matter what the CD's called / I'm unbeatable, y'all!"
Nas - "Hero"

MONDAY NIGHT LIVE: EWF @ CHASTAIN PARK

I did absolutely nothing today, because I was OVERTHROWED last night. However, it was for a great reason.

Your homie hit up the Earth Wind and Fire concert at Chastain Park in Buckhead. If you're ever in Atlanta and someone offers you tickets to Chastain, take them. Even if it's a KKK rally. There's no such thing as a bad show at Chastain. Everybody gets slizzard, shares good food and dances and sings. Always a good time, but when EWF is in the building, you know it's going down like Johnny Gill in a bathhouse. Nolo.





Maurice White, the founder of the group, no longer tours with EWF, but Philip Bailey, the guy with the high-high pitched voice, is still holding down the vocals. And when I say holding down, I mean it. Dude went from the low-low register to something in the Mariah zone. Amazing.





The show started at 8:10 PM and ended at 10:00 on the dot. The band went through all the mellow tunes first, then got it supercrunk towards the end with "Let's Groove", "September", "Fantasy" and all the others. For an encore, they came back with "Keep Your Head to the Sky." Great show.




Backstage, I got up with Verdine White and Ralph Johnson. Verdine asked axed me where the weed was. I gave him my business card.

OBAMA: THE LAST 100 DAYS

Go ahead and hit that cigarette, my brother. Only 100 days left before November 2. It's gonna get shitty...


This is the beginning of the real movement, for those of us who are true supporters and not suckers. It is time to toughen up and get ready for the real fight. The true political season starts now.

I believe that political action involves debate. And some people are too stupid to know why they should like Obama. All they can do is hate him, because they are programmed as such.


Here's where our responsibility comes in. Everyone who has an Obama t-shirt, book, poster, magazine or campaign sticker ought to be able to give anyone outside of the know a few reasons why they too should support the candidate. For me, it's culture, environment, economy, diplomacy, conversation and even freedom. Mental, that is.

I'm gonna try to post something every single day until November 2 - Election Day - about my choice for President. Good and bad. Supportive and critical. Realistic and idealistic.


If you feel like commenting, shit... go for it. If not, don't.


TODAY:

THE WHITE HOUSE JUST ANNOUNCED that a special envoy will be meeting with Iranian diplomats.

This is a major shift which stands to help Obama, because John McCain does not believe that diplomacy can work with Iran. If Bush starts a dialog with Iran, it will severly undercut McCain's stance on foreign policy.

Translation: Obama looks like he's on the right correct side of the Iran issue. McCain looks old as usual.

RACISM IS ALIVE - DON'T ACT SURPRISED

Yes, that's Michelle and Barack Obama, in the Oval Office, wearing revolutionary and Islamic attire, engaging in flag burning, Osama worshiping and fist bumping.

Absolutely not worth my time. I don't discuss blatant, incendiary racism when it is done just to stir up fear and loathing. Lest you forget, I live in Cobb County, Georgia, where these stupid ass people think that their ignorance is shared by all. It is strange that The New Yorker would take it this far, but I'm used to it.

Check out these tasteful and dignified items of race-baiting that originate not far from where I reside.


FROM THE ROSWELL BEACON:





FROM MULLIGAN'S FOOD & SPIRITS IN MARIETTA




Whatever the fuck. There's nothing new under the sun.


"White people could never surprise me with racism."
- Chris Rock

REALLY DEAD MCs

Tony Snow, former White House spokesman, is dead from colon cancer, and that’s for real. He was given the job after Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan decided that that shit was for the birds and flew away.


SOME PEOPLE BELIEVED HE WAS JUST ANOTHER BUSH MONKEY, but others were just frustrated that he never seemed to know what the hell was going on.





I remember him being pretty shifty with the truth in most if not all of his press conferences, but it was his job. And who wouldn’t take a job working for the president, knocking down questions that he doesn’t have time to answer? Sounds uncomfortable, but the check was probably nice enough to deal with it. Who am I to tell him not to feed his own? He was a journalist and a great writer from what I hear, which can make you a professional liar of sorts, especially in the wrong situation. Who knows if he was any better or worse than the rest of us. At least he’s out of his pain. Blessings to his family.

On the low, some unsigned underground rapper needs to take that name now that it’s available, if you ask axe me. Sounds like the biggest cocaine dealer the world ever knew. No disrespect.


And now, for your pleasure, the late Tony Snow plays the blues.





R.I.P. to The Snowman.

BREAKFAST IS DEAD

I present to you, "Futuristic Brunch."




If you look at the producer credits, you'll see a familiar name. Don't say I don't break bread.

JESSE JACKSON IS DEAD

JESSE DONE EFFED UP.

See, I've been telling people this for a minute, and it seems like nobody listened until today. But the old school class of black representatives is slowly dying off, in terms of political lifespan. Nobody cares what they think, or else their endorsements would have carried weight in the primary. This is what I call old geezers not recognizing that the times have changed without their consent. And that's what you call revolution.

If you haven't heard, Messie Jessie went off on a tangent and told UnitedHealth Group executive Dr. Reed V. Tuckson, in a whisper that was never meant to be caught by an open microphone (which it was), "See, Barack's been talking down to black people ... I want to cut his nuts off."





My question is why? Was Jessie planning to pickle them and serve them as appetizers for his next meeting with the Clintons? Nolo? Or is he just saltier than balls at the fact that Obama came out of nowhere and has managed to go further and farther than either he or Al Sharpton?





All I know is that this pretty much cements the fact that Jesse Jackson Sr., along with the entire elder statesmen group of the black Democratic electorate, is expired like bad chocolate milk. And he still doesn't know that his rhetoric, along with Bill Cosby's and Reverend Perm's is as outdated and questionable as LL COOL J . You're only still around because we used to love you as a performer, but now you're pushing it with this extra weird, persistent fuckery.

Big ups to Jesse Jackson Jr., who publicly denounced his father's bullshiite.





Out with the old; in with the new.