Rest in power Don Cornelius.
Category Archives: memorial
My country tis of thee: Troy Davis
I had nothing substantial to add to the outrage over the killing of Troy Davis. After he was killed, I struggled to find something to write that expressed my feelings of lament. Nothing came clear.
This weekend I was driving with my sweetie and this Ani DiFranco tune came out of the speakers. “Why don’t you just go ahead and turn off the sun. We’ll never live long enough to undo all the things they’ve done to you.” That is what I’ve been feeling.
DJ Screw vinyl archived at University of Houston
DJ Screw made a huge difference in the way hip hop fans understood the sound. Local, exceptional, slowed down, Texan, and all that made a package that made his 90 minute tapes (TAPES fool!) a necessity. Screw died a few years back and what we have are memories of him.
This University of Houston librarian knows the deal — someone should swoop in and try to save all that history. The vinyl, the photos, and all the rest from the Screw lab should get archived, and shared with the public. Now it’s happening. Kick ass.
Check Rap Radar for some photos of the collection. RIP DJ Screw.
Respect Frank Ocean
I woke up this morning with Frank Ocean songs running through my head. I did the dishes and made coffee singing “Novacaine.”
But now, its all about “There will be tears.” “Hide my face, hide my face, can’t let him see me crying, ‘cuz these boys didn’t have no fathers neither, and they weren’t crying.”
If you don’t have Nostalgia, Ultra — go get it!
Black Star
Thanks to the liberator magazine for the image.
Filed under colonialism, memorial, resistance
Dub Mixtape: reasoning with PK
A dude I knew just passed away. We didn’t know each other all that well. He was a good guy from all I could tell.
What I do remember about PK was the fun, crass, joking conversations. A decade ago we disagreed about everything. I happily advocated for critical inquiry, PK loved the politics debate. I loved philosophy and chaos, he loved order and logic. We had a few nice conversations where I left believing I’d made an eloquent point, only to have PK mock me about precisely the argument that I thought had been most persuasive.
Maybe it’s creepy, but I don’t think the conversations are gone. It got me thinking about the heated discussions I’ve had with people — living and deceased. The soundtrack to my recent reflection has been dub music — reggae with some open space. So I put together a mix to be enjoyed by all.
So here is the sonic backdrop — my reasoning with PK. Enjoy, live life, and have fun.
Link to playlist: Reasoning with PK
Life of refinement 