Celebrate and commemorate the election and inauguration of Barack Obama with this mixed-media, stop motion music video. The video blends the imaginative stylings of toy artists Dalek, Bill McMullen and Kubrick and showcases Adam Freeland’s remix of Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic.”
Click play and party like it’s January 20.
Mr. Lif isn’t afraid to create an album that speaks brazenly about current political issues. He addresses the fear, paranoia, and angst resulting from the collapse of the U.S. economy. He raps about the bailout bill, self hatred in the Black community, and the housing crisis.
Lif takes these negatives and uses them as a impetus to search for a healthier way of life. He wants to use his realizations as a way to achieve freedom and peace of mind through the power of the imagination. In a true “change starts with you” move, Lif will self-release his album on his own label, Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Look for it on April 21, 2009. For now, you can check him out on MySpace or listen to his track Arise right here on this page.
The song of the week came to me scrawed on a piece of paper. Evidently Michael Zampelli was in the garage listening to music when this song came on and he didn’t want to forget it. 
I watched the video for the first time just now and I was bawling 2 1/2 minutes in. So powerful. If I was into giving stars, I’d give this one a strong five.
The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
I teach in the Human Services department at Long Beach City College. My main topic is addictions. Every semester we watch a video titled “Substance Abuse Disorders”. I have a handout I made for the students to fill out while they watch, hoping it would help them pay better attention.
Just recently, I was looking at that handout and incorporating it into my mid-term exam. These words really hit me:
One of the reasons cocaine is so addictive is that it instantly activates the pleasure centers of the brain. Cocaine that is snorted reaches the brain in 3-4 minutes. Yet it only takes 8 seconds for cocaine that is smoked to be absorbed by the lungs
Eight freaking seconds for the body to trigger the pleasure center. The pleasure center is what controls everything. You will do crazy things when the pleasure center wants something. The pleasure center drives your instincts for food, sex and survival. Can you imagine that urge for ‘more’ nagging at you every 8 seconds? Even the most educated, controlled, composed person would fall into addiction very quickly when using a drug that directly stimulates the pleasure center every 8 seconds.
So that might help you understand why Crackheads do what they do, but what about this for a thought:
Statistically speaking, what ethnic group uses the highest amount of crack? What neighborhoods does crack show up in and why. My experience is its not above the reach of corrupt authority to use various methods to “control” groups of indentured people. Allowing this to happen is parallel to co-signing genocide. Please keep that in mind when it’s time to vote for laws that fund treatment centers and mental health services.
Old school hip-hop videos were about dropping the knowledge. Check out this 1989 video featuring KRS One. According to Wikipedia, “The Stop the Violence Movement was formed by rapper KRS-One in 1988/1989 in response to violence in the hip hop and black communities.”
Members of Stop the Violence Movement include: Public Enemy (Chuck D & Flavor Flav), Boogie Down Productions (KRS-One, D-Nice & Ms. Melodie), Kool Moe Dee, Doug E. Fresh,
Stetsasonic (Delite, Daddy-O, Wise & Fruitkwan), MC Lyte, Just-Ice and Heavy D.
Here’s a little extra knowledge, straight out of the Victimology textbook by Doerner and Lab. “In 2005, 49% of homicide victims were black and 49 percent white. This racial composition means that blacks experience an overrepresentation in homicide victimizations. Considering that blacks make up approximately 12 percent of the American population, all things being equal, one would expect that they would account for 12 percent of all murder victims.”
I’m no master statistician but I do know that 12 times 4 equals 48…so does that mean that blacks get murdered at four times the rate of whites?
Buy Self-Destruction by Stop the Violence Movement on iTunes.
The song of the week is brought to you by Michael Zampelli, former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Zampelli manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
Tonight I’m reading a special pull-out section of the Los Angeles Times about Obama. It’s a powerful statement about a turning point in American history. There’s also a beautiful Obama photo essay on-line at www.latimes.com.
.
All links in article go to the Music Store on iTunes.
.
I was reminded of a video I found with Obama talking about his iPod playlist and his views about Hip Hop and it’s potential role in education. When asked if he likes Hip Hop, Obama says, “Of Course.” He’s currently listening to JayZ, American Gangster and Kanye. He likes them both because “it tells a story”.
Here are a few quotes from the interview. Scroll down and click the ‘play’ button below to see the entire video on YouTube.
“I have to admit, I still am an old-school guy. I’m still Stevie…Marvin. If you look at my iPod, it’s Earth, Wind and Fire, Isley Brothers, Temptations. I’ve got a lot of that old school stuff”, Obama said.
Obama loves the art of hip hop but not always the message of hip hop. “There are times where..there is a message that is not only sometimes degrading to women. Not only uses the “N” word a little too frequently, but also, something I’m really concerned about, is it’s always talking about material things and always talking about how I can get something”, he said.
When asked if there was a place in his White House to find an effective way to use Hip Hop in education, Obama answered “absolutely, I don’t think there’s any doubt that it (Hip Hop) can be (effective).”
Other things Obama had to say about Hip Hop:
“The potential for them to deliver a message of extraordinary power that gets people thinking…The way that they can communicate a complex message in a very short amount of space is remarkable. A lot of these kids aren’t going to be reading the New York Times, that’s not how they’re getting their information so the question then is what it is the content, what’s the message?”
“Hip hop is not just a mirror of what is, it should also be a reflection of what can be”, Obama said.
He encouraged people to
“Imagine something different
Imagine communites that aren’t torn up by violence
Imagine communities where we’re respecting our women
Imagine communities where knowledge and reading and academic exellence are valued
Imagine communities where fathers are doing right by their kids
That’s also something that has to be reflected.
Art can’t just be a rear view, it should have a headlight out there, according to where we need to go”, Obama concluded.
The interviewer ends the conversation with a quote of his own: “Hip Hop needs to have the audacity of hope.” Obama agrees.
“I think that we can work together – I don’t think that we have to shoot at each other, to beat each other, to curse each other and criticize each other, I think that we can do better in this country. And that is why I run for President of the United States.”
Taken from a speech delivered to the University of Kansas in 1968. See the entire transcript at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
I post a song of the week by former Zed Records owner, Michael Zampelli every Tuesday. But today I feel inspired to add a bonus song: Mood of Defiance doing Divided States of America.
It came about as a result of a Tweet I read by Zadi at twitter.com. In case you don’t know twitter, it’s a highly addictive way to keep track of a lot of people and a lot of things at once. It’s also your opportunity to share tidbits of information with people who choose to follow you.
Zadi wrote: “This campaign is turning into The United States of America VS The Divided States of America. We’re teetering on the edge of self-destruction.” This instantly caused the song Divided States of America to begin playing in my brain. I became obsessed with digging the album out of the top shelf of the closet, and forcing my husband to connect the turntable to the CD recorder so I could not only play it, but record it and have it on my iPod for eternity.
This song was an anthem for me in my youth yet I realize most American’s have never heard it. So, in the spirit of this ever-so-controversial presidential election I want to share it with you, with Zadi and anyone else who thinks we’re becoming the Divided States of America. It might take a second or two for the track to start, since it is vinyl and I did want to make sure you didn’t miss a thing.
On a side note, I have to say I enjoyed the whole process of getting an album out of it’s sleeve, putting the needle on the vinyl and hearing the popping sound that only vinyl makes. The artwork for the cover is clearly DIY which makes it all the more charming and for those who know or care about what this means, they come from Torrance, California. This album was recorded in 1979.
Ruefrex’s Capital Letters is a perfect example of entertaining, yet political, punk rock.
The chorus lines says; “‘Cause they’re keeping the airwaves open for capital letters.” One of two things crosses my mind when I hear those lyrics. First is how we respect people with “capital letters” behind their name even when they haven’t earned it. Second is how the information we receive is determined by capital letters like NBC, CBS and ABC and of course the proper names and institutions, in which we place blind faith. By the way, the diet industry, pharmaceutical industry and fashion industry are “Capital Letters”.
Agree? Disagree? Post your comments below.
Rinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records. For almost 30 years, this mecca of punk and alternative music kept Southern California enthusiasts adequately supplied with unique, original and innovative music.
Currently, Rinkrat manages a hockey fan message boards at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.
