It is officially the middle of night here on the east coast of Los Estados Unidos and as I had to rub my eyes thinking my eyes deceived me, my late night internet crate digging(ok twitter chillin’) and apparently Soulculture’s early morning hustle is working. I scroll down through the twitterosphere(yeah I made that up) and I see Saigon-The Greatest Story Never Told has a release date!? YES Virginia there is a Santa Claus.
TRACKLIST
1. Station Identification (Intro) Feat Fatman Scoop Produced By Just Blaze 2. The Invita Saigon Feat Q Tip And Fatman Scoop Produced by Just Blaze 3. Come On Baby feat Swizz Beatz and Jay Z Produced by Just Blaze 4. War Produced by Scram Jones 5. Enemies Produced by D. Allen 6. Friends Produced by Just Blaze 7. The Greatest story Never Told Produced by Just Blaze 8. Clap feat. Faith Evans Produced by Just Blaze 9. Preacher Produced by Just Blaze 10. It’s Alright feat. Marsha Ambrosius Produced by Kanye West 11. Believe It Produced by Just Blaze 12. Give It To Me Feat Raheem DeVaughn Produced by SC 13. What The Lovers Do feat Devin The Dude Produced by Red Spyda 14. Better Way feat Layzie Bone Produced by Just Blaze 15. Oh Yeah (Our Babies) Produced by Buckwild
Journalist, author and former congressional candidate Kevin Powell who has been out front representing for the hip hop generation for many years signed two book deals. Earlier this week he posted a tweet stating:
Many have heard about the situation with onsmash.com a hip hop media outlet that has become a stable on the internet in recent years. Currently if you go to the website there is what appears to be an official U.S. government posting, essentially a seizure notice that onsmash.com no longer is operating. Seeing the posting would lead many to believe that it is in fact a governmental seizure, however some believe it is the work of hackers. There haven’t been any official statements released or much information disclosed about the story.The seizure appears to be a joint operation in conjunction with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. Also while more research is needed one of the legal codes/reasons cited for the seizure 17 U.S.C. SS 506 is a legitimate Statue under U.S. law. Digital piracy has become almost the new normal now and many can recall the mixtape raid on DJ Drama several years ago and the precedence that situation set with Hip Hop cultures’ understanding of mixtapes and how they are distributed. Recently a Senate Panel approved a domain seizure bill. As more information becomes available on the Onsmash.com story it will be posted.
I spotted this via twitter where Dr. Cornel West will be talking to Jay-Z about his new book Decoded and will also be having a discussion with Brown University professor Tricia Rose about her book The Hip Hop Wars before the Decoded discussion.
The Jay-Z/Cornel West discussion will be at the New York Public Library this Monday November 15th at 7:00pm but if you are like me and can’t get to NYC there will be a live webcast via http://fora.tv/live/nypl/live_nypl_jay-z_west . The discussion is part of the New Public Library’s “Live from the NYPL” series moderated by Paul Holdengräber for more information go to their website http://www.nypl.org/events/live-nypl .
Jay-Z’s book is scheduled to be released the day after the discussion on November 16th.
There have been new developments in the Mumia Abu -Jamal Case. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the new hearing Mr. Abu-Jamal was granted. Mumia Abu-Jamal has been imprisoned since 1982 for what has been a questionable conviction of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. His conviction has been the source of many debates and sparked worldwide protests. Mumia Abu-Jamal has published numerous books and made his voice heard through a radio show entitled Prison Radio, a 2008 court decision granted the new hearing which took place on Tuesday.
