Friday, July 18, 2008

Let it go dog, it’s over.


Tiger Stadium is nothing more than an abandoned building. And like any other abandoned building, it should be torn down. They claim there’s a lot of history on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. But you know what? That was then...This is now. What good is it doing for it just to sit there? Okay, some guy hit a ball there some 70 years ago...SO WHAT? Whooptie damn doo. What about homeless people who could benefit from housing that could be built there? What about the unemployed people who could benefit from business that could be built there? Not to mention the revenue that could be generated to the surrounding businesses as well as the city by building housing or businesses. But I guess none of that matters. All some care about is the history...Well you know what? Fuck your history, and fuck your memories. It’s time to move forward.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Music Reviews: By Isabelle Esling

D12/ Tbe Return Of The Dozen/ mixtape review

Global rating of the product: 4.5 stars

D12 is back, ready to stalk the face of the world again with their witty lyrical assault. After the loss of their homie Deshaun Holton better known as Big Proof, many of their enemies prayed for the group's demise. Little did they know about the group's powerful mind. D12 is back and Detroit is in the house again. The Return of the Dozen features numerous Detroit talents, including Royce da 5.9, King Gordy, Young Miles, Marv Won, T Flame, Quest Mc Quody, Rock Bottom artists, the beautiful and skilled Monica Blaire, just to name a few...

On a relaxing musical background, the D12 crew announce their come back with a brand new style of their own. Be prepared for some powerful mob music!

Dolo first introduces the CD; soon Swifty and Kuniva will expose their lyrical craft. Any hip hop head should definitely love the track that is built on loud and powerful heartbeat alike drums. D12 is killing it for real.

We Back sounds like an euphoria blossom. Again, Swifty Mc Vay sends powerful lyrical grenades on a soft violin, oboe and piano background. Bizarre goes .. to stomp his auditorium. Explosive sounding lyrics will leave haters in a mental state of devastation.

DJ Salam Wreck leads the listeners into the Throw Them Up High atmosphere. What the hell of an atmophere, in which our emcees excel in bringing their skills to light.

A must hear song that totally enlightens Kon Artis, Kuniva and Swifty's skills is The Drill. The rhythmic, chaotic song based on piano and keyboard sounds. The lyrical effort is obvious, the flow delivery well mastered.

Creep with them in the hood, follow their moves, feel the unsafe ambience of the track.

The crowds of listeners will be mesmerized, for sure.



Cheating In The Bedroom features two brilliant Detroit talents, King Gordy and Monica Blaire. Ready for some bedroom drama. Let King Gordy break it down for you while Monica Blaire's warm voice is playing with them listeners.

I'm a G features Akon and Maestro. The noisy background totally matches with the 7 Mile scary landscape. Guntalk is law in the hood of the Murder Capital.

If You Want is another powerful track in which Kuniva will amaze you with his well mastered craft. The emcee has a merciless attitude that he intelligenty combines with well thought lyrics and dark vocals. You don't wanna beef with him, do you? Be ready for war, fellows. Strident keyboard sounds are combined with gun sounds. Big Proof is mentioned in the song.

Swifty Mc Vay is taking over in U Never Know. The talented emcee will expose the hood for you listeners, followed by Bizarre. Welcome to a world in which danger is your daily part. A straight reminder: the hood is a jungle where you can get killed for nothing. Let them D12 emcees amaze you. By the way, Kon Artis' part needs to be underlined too, because t is incredibly well handled.into a bad guy's mind. He's giving up, after a life of sins. He's

Welcome to a Biggie styled song. I'm Gone featuring lets you enter about to take his life. Who's gonna have mercy on this rotten soul?

Win Or Lose features King Gordy. Again the song totally enlightens Swifty Mc Vay's lyrical force. I enjoyed the roughness of his voice, his determined spirit to conquer his audience. King Gordy will guide you into a cosmic, unreal atmosphere with the lighter tones his voice has to offer. I recommend this song for a listen.

Claps, a cadenced piano background...here we are in the 313 with our D 12 crew. I'm From The D has some beautiful sarcastic, hardcore-minded accents.

Suicide features Sindy Sirynge (Bizarre's wife)...meet a jealous man's anger while the music makes you feel the tension within the couple. Listen to Sindy Sirynge's complaint...suicide is on her mind...Bizarre describes human misery with a particular attention to detail.

The song also features RIP Big Proof who brings the song into a new light. The song's complex, well built.

Globally speaking I enjoyed the whole mixtape. True to the voice of the streets, the D12 emcees came up with their genuine spirit. They put a lot of work into the mixtape that also give voice to great local Detroit talents. I'm glad the Return Of The Dozen allows D12 to illuminate their great individual talent. Word to the haters: D12 can make it- with or without Eminem. Marshall Mathers does in no way obliterate D12's talent!

From a critical point of view, I have been a little bit disappointed by Plead For Your Life featuring Royce da 5.9. I am used to better Royce skills. However, you can cope the mixtape without hesitation!



Copyright © 2008 by Isabelle Esling

All Rights Reserved
reprinted with permission.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Where’s the outrage now?

Over the years, hip hop and hip hop culture has been under attack by self-righteous media whores, armchair revolutionaries and sideline activists for the way women are portrayed. It is a legitimate argument, Although I personally think that sometimes hip hop artists DO go a little too hard on the sistas, but every woman I know (and some that I don’t) that I have talked to about this very subject has said the same thing: They are not referring to THEM, so they don’t find it offensive. And as far as the so-called "video hoes" go, personally, I think it's uncalled for a lot of times, but facts are facts. No one puts a gun to these women's heads. They WANT to be in these videos...this is what they do to support themselves and further their careers. And in my opinion there is nothing degrading about a woman being on her grind, or a man supporting her grind. Hip hop has been blamed for every single thing that has ever gone wrong in the world. Everything from the crack epidemic, to the Beatles breaking up, to 9/11 and everything in between.



But these same hypocrites go home to watch dumb ass shows like that top model shit. Supporting an industry whose very existence was BUILT on the degradation of women...Depicting them as brainless eye candy. Encouraging bad body images by creating impossible standards of beauty that cannot be attained, and making girls and women feel like they ain’t shit because their butt is a little to big their skin is too dark, or whatever. But where is the outrage in that? A guy even SAYS the word bitch even if he is referring to his pregnant female dog, and there’s all kinds of hysteria. But some designer can have a simulate GANG RAPE....yes you read it right...check the picture...GANG RAPE, and no one bats an eye.

Fair is fair, gotdamnit! If you are going to get on one, then get on the other one too if he’s just as wrong. Otherwise, shut the fuck up.