[INTERVIEW] Malik Yusef on Politics and Hip-Hop

Artist, poet, writer, musician, MC, rapper, and Chicago native, Malik Yusef is no stranger to success. This year, he won a Grammy with Kanye for the writing of “All of the Lights,” but this poet didn’t always have it so good.

Malik dropped out of high school because he had difficulty writing and speaking aloud in class.

“I used to crack a lot of jokes, distract the class, and get sent out all so I didn’t have to read out loud,” he said.

After dropping out of school, Malik decided to educate himself by spending a lot of time in the library. He started to write poetry about growing up on Chicago’s South Side as a coping mechanism.

“I had to learn ways to deal with people,” Malik said. “[young people should] figure out how to learn. They need to understand environmental literacy, and use context clues to inform themselves.”

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Ife

[WATCH] Gov’t Official Quotes Jay- Z “99Problems” and gets Corrected by the Moderator

Steve Stoute, Jay’s main man, framed this scenario best with his best-seller, ‘The Tanning of America.’ In this book, Stoute addresses the many occurrences in history where cultures clash and Elton John’s on stage with Eminem, while Jay-Z is on stage with Bono. These collaborations were most likely inspired by Run DMC & Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” a song that changed the collaboration culture in music.

By the way, Jay-Z at #SXSW last night, c/o American Express is definitely considered a tanning moment.

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DJWillieShakes

#NewMusic: Phil Ade “PhilAdeFriday2″ [MIXTAPE]

As recent as New Year’s Eve, while you were preparing resolutions for 2012, Phil Ade (Feel A Day) was still living out his 2011 commitments. The DC-bred emcee released the 2nd installment of PhilAdeFriday, which is dope by the way, through various online music platforms. Don’t hesitate to FOLLOW one of the leaders of DC hip-hop on Twitter, @PHILADE301.

If listening to the highest grade of spoken word w/ with a beat is on your list of to-do’s this year as is mine, you’ve already won (in my Publisher’s Clearing House voice). Thank God it’s PhilAdeFriday, again!

[DOWNLOAD] “PhilAdeFriday2″ HERE

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DJWillieShakes

Bachmann Throws the Deuces

If you can’t win a caucus in your birthplace, it is definitely time to throw in the red, white, and blue towel. Today, Michele Bachmann announced that she was dropping out of the 2012 election after reports circulated about her sixth place position in her home state of Iowa. It’s apparent that if a candidate does not have the support of their local community, most likely they will not be viewed as a favorable candidate in other states as well.

Last night, Bachmann only received 6,073 votes, which was only 5 percent of the total votes cast. Let’s examine some potential reasons why her candidacy was so unpopular.

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Lashunda

#OccupyHipHop: The time is NOW

“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers Mally Mel & Kool Herc brought forth a new genre.” Wait no – maybe that’s too far-fetched. “I have a dream that one day… I know it ain’t heaven-sent/ we ain’t ready to see a black president.” Maybe even that’s too harsh.

I’m looking at the world currently, both globally and nationally, and we are entering one of our most critical times in the history of our civilization. I’m wondering, who can save us from us? With one million and one questions about who will take over the throne in 2012 and what our country’s success will look like, who can weave out the truth? If you had a gut check now and BOOM the world as you know it changes, would you be ready?

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Posted by:

Terrell Thomas