Tag Archives: hip-hop

Hip-Hop, Logic

Masta Ace True Hip-Hop Stories: The Symphony

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Rappers and their Ego

How an inflated ego opened the door for a new jack MC in ’88 called Masta Ace

Rappers must have the biggest ego problem of all entertainers, yes many of your favorite actors/actresses are known to be major pricks and bitches, but I would think that rappers take the cake in the a-hole department. With the self-boasting, self-accolade, heavy bravado lyrics, rappers really believe that they are that ‘sh*t’; and treat others like they are their minions and peasants.

Anyhow, this story just goes to show how one’s ego can have a heavy cost.

MC Shan

Masta Ace

Though, MC Shan fell off in the 90’s, and Masta Ace remained relevant in the underground scene, both MC’s remain respectable rappers in hip-hop.

.:: LiBM ::.

Hip-Hop, Music Videos

Dot City – 187

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Dot City – 187

Dot City is the group, 187 is the freestyle track, and Just Feelings is the movement – more on the movement later. But my part in this particular video is the Directing and editing – thanks to Rhoda of www.Soul360tv.com for the help with the camera. Using a bit of Premiere Pro and After Effects, I was able to capture the raw & grittiness of this potent freestyle track.

Song Credits:
Vocals: Mr. P & Streets
Group: Dot City
Director & Editor: Desmond Blackman

Let me know what you think, peace.

Cre8ive Abstract, Entertainment, Hip-Hop

The DJ

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Designed by Papen

The DJ

Evolution of the DJ: the Playlist DJ

Wikipedia says

“a disc jockey (also known as disk jockey, DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc referred to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the source”

DJ’s today are not like the one’s we grew up to via real life and media; with programs like Virtual DJ, a heavy mp3 library, and a Macbook, anybody can create a playlist from home, setup the cues, and the program will automatically blend and match BPM’s. The hip-hop purists (the hip-hop snobs) frown down upon this new breed of the DJ, but the partygoer doesn’t really care – as their main concern is getting in that last drink before the bar stops serving liquor.

Now, on to the DJ Art …


Designed by frenzyy


Designed by Yurai the photographer


Designed by prisonsuit-rabbitman


Designed by balomc


Designed by Saint Chase

Whatever type of DJ you may be, just keep one thing in mind – move the crowd.  Don’t play for the minority, play for the majority.

.:: LiBM ::.

Hip-Hop, videos

Back to the Phuture

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The Future Crop of Hip-Hop

Music, culture, is in a constant change – and those that don’t adapt, can’t connect and relate properly. Looking at your BET/MTV for music videos (if you can find it), one would say that Hip-Hop is looking pretty bleak; but I would argue the opposite that not much has changed – except that more bullshit is exposed on the mainstream. The underground still produces great music, such as …

Jay Rock

Anti-Social

Big Sean

Getcha Some

Cre8ive Abstract, Hip-Hop

Great CD Artwork 2

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Great CD Artwork 2

More classic hip-hop album covers

Now, even though the artwork for these hip-hop albums may be creative and fresh, that necessarily doesn’t correlate to the actual content within the album. The MC’s are always reliable in producing some creative artwork; you know, putting some thought into how they want their material to be presented. The MC ususally is very hip to the art & design scene – most rappers just want to have an album with their jewels and women. Enjoy below:


– Yes, these two are very odd, but they produce great music; that is what drugs will do to you


– Q-Tip can always be counted on producing some interesting artwork, and music to match


– Cypress Hill was big in the 90’s, and now in the 00’s (in the future, how will we refer to this decade???) they are big in the alternative Hip-Hop scene


– T.I.’s Paper Trail album cover is somewhat creative with the artwork, I guess he is practicing being ‘reflective’; a lot of people do that in jail.


– LL Cool J’s Exit 13 is a very creative album cover, impressive. I never heard the album, and don’t even recall it being released.

Also, check out some of the worst hip-hop album covers by Honolulu Hip-Hop; some of it they got dead on with the bad Photoshop, layering of expensive cars they can never afford – while some are kinda questionable.
Check it out here

Peace.
.:: LiBM ::.

Cre8ive Abstract, Entertainment, Hip-Hop, politics, Popular Culture, Social, Technology

Great CD Artwork

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CD’s tangibility

Great CD artwork

The Audio CD will soon be replaced by digital downloads (iTunes, Napster) or by credit card sized items that act as a prepaid phone card; go online, scratch the back of the card, and download the album to your digital music player of choice. These steps are inevitable as the Internet age has made the physical CD obsolete as the medium’s message has changed, digitally speaking – the audio digital music device is the message (iPod, Zune), no longer the CD. One thing that will be missed from the tangible feeling of CD’s is the album artwork – which in the past few years have made a resurgence as record labels look frantically for ways to hold onto the traditional model. I am sure we all can recall a time when one of the best part of buying a CD was ripping the plastic, and opening the album artwork to see the credit, the pictures, lyrics, etc. That was a personal feeling and connection between the purchaser and the artist; which gave the CD far more relevance than the audio on the optical disk could ever have. Enough about that, here are some classic album artwork, all the way from the vinyl to the plastic:

Michael Jackson – Dangerous
Michael Jackson - Dangerous

Smashing Pumpkins: Zeitgeist

Kool & the Gang – Still Cool

Radiohead – Hail to the Thief

Van Halen – 1984

Kanye West – Graduation

I will miss this aspect of the music experience – as the last CD I recall buying was Kanye’s Graduation … even thought the iPod’s Cover Flow is cool, it just can’t ‘touch’ the affect of a physical CD.

.:: LiBM ::.