Mos Def Changed His Name To Yasiin Bey

Mos Def recently changed his mic name to Yasiin Bey [see video]. Correction… I just recently learned that Mos Def changed his name to Yasiin Bey. According to Mos it is also now his legal name. I found a youtube vid that is dated August 2011 in which he announces the name change on stage. Mos, err Yasiin also appeared on the The Colbert Report along side Talib Kweli and briefly discussed his name change [see video].

Yasiin Bey is at work and still doing what he do. He released a music video for his song “N****s in Poorest.” It’s a stark contrast from the original song for this instrumental called “Niggas In Paris” by Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Yasiin Bey [Mos Def] – N****s in Poorest [Music Video]

Keep up with Yasiin via facebook or twitter.

Greece To Receive $170 Billion Dollar Bail Out

Greece Promised Euro130 Billion ($170 billion) in Bailout Loans From Eurozone

Time to share my favorite story from the Yahoo home page again. Every once in a while I read something that makes it hard for me to carry on with my day. I’ll spare you my condescending detailed analysis  and simply revert to subliminal suggestions.

Here we go:

[Reports have come in that] the euro surged as the news of a deal broke early Tuesday. The deal should take some pressure off the 17-country currency union that has been battling a serious debt crisis for two years.

Without the deal, Greece was facing a potentially calamitous default next month and possibly being forced from the eurozone.

SMDH. You can read that entire article by clicking here. I posted this vid before but I feel it ought to be posted again. Some of you remember this:

As I read the above referenced article my mind wondered back to a television program that I watched earlier this month in which someone predicted that in 2015 the Chinese economy will surpass the U.S. and become the world’s leading economy. “How is China doing so well?” I ask myself. Here’s an excerpt from another interesting article that I read:

…in recent months, the fond memorials for Steve Jobs and the company’s record-breaking profits have been tarnished by some of the worst press in Apple’s history, most of it related to its top Chinese supplier, Foxconn.

Just after a horrific rash of worker suicides at the Foxconn factory complex outside of Hong Kong in 2010, a monologist named Mike Daisey launched a one-man show called “The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.” He described travelling to the gates of Foxconn and meeting people coming off 13-15 hour shifts on the Apple lines. He described a 13-year-old who spent her days cleaning iPhone screens.

Daisey’s show was featured on NPR’s “This American Life” in January and a listener named Mark Shields was so moved, he launched a petition drive online. Over 250,000 Apple users called on the company to build the first “ethical” iPhone, and protests were planned at Apple stores around the world.

Read the entire article here. What say you of all this?

 

Raekwon Says Making Solo Albums Hurt Wu Tang’s Success [New 2012 Interview] Video

Raekwon sits down with VLADTV and opens up about the early days of Wu Tang Clan and mentions a few things that he felt could’ve been done differently:

Rae mentions that he misses the energy [comradery] and lyrical competition when they [Wu] would create songs together. He also admits for the first time on camera that he feels pursuing solo careers hurt the overall success of Wu Tang. “Egos came into play” and took away from the “brand”.

One Million Moms Don’t Want Ellen Degeneres

One Million Moms Pushes J.C. Penney to Drop Ellen Degeneres

…is the title that caught my attention on the Yahoo front page. According to an article written by Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben the organisation known as One Million Moms has been very active lately pressuring business to drop pro homosexuality related activities including the hiring of Ellen Degeneres (an openly gay talk show host) as the spokesperson for J.C. Penny.

It appears that One Million Moms and One Million Dads have taken on the task of combating corporate influence over the minds of Americans. The yahoo article states:

* The AFA’s One Million Moms, along with One Million Dads, speaks out against what members call the “culture war in America” by launching boycotts and letter-writing campaigns against advertising and television shows deemed objectionable and unhealthy for children. The major issues are TV violence, vulgarity and profanity in media.

The cause I must admit is noble and admirable. I like to see folks who are an active part of the process and do more than complain. The problem I have with this particular scenario is that I like Ellen. I really like Ellen, and though I myself believe in heterosexuality as a way of life I don’t feel threatened by Ellen’s lifestyle or popularity. I do however feel threatened by the sophisticated marketing that’s out there and the apathetic tone of most people that I speak to about it’s influence. So, what am I to do? Can’t really walk in the middle of the road on this one. If I did then I would be guilty of something that I loathe the most, inaction. hmmm….

Recently the first lady was on the set of Ellen (discussing what?… I don’t know). I didn’t actually watch the episode but I did catch a piece of it on youtube.

Ellen strikes me as open minded and fairly articulate. I wonder what she has to say about the move by One Million Moms.

Blu Ivy Carter Pics Released [Photos]

So after all the speculation and hoopla Beyonce gave birth to a baby girl. Recently the Carter’s released photos of “Blu” the new addition to their family.

Mayweather Lin’s A Hand to Sports Writers

Okay so I guess I’ll weigh in on the whole Mayweather-Lin conversation. According to reports, Floyd Mayweather took to his twitter account to express dismay at the amount of attention and press that NBA player Lin for the New York Knicks has received as of late. Mayweather was quoted as tweeting Lin is good but he wouldn’t be receiving so much attention if he wasn’t Asian (or something to that effect).

First things first…regardless of whether Mayweather’s comment warrants merit or not, it was a publicity stunt. Mayweather’s trademark has become controversy, a page out of 50′s book no doubt.

Second thing’s second…no the story would not be nearly as big if Lin were not Asian. That is a big part of the crowd draw. Sports writers need something to write about and unless someone else is going to step up…Lin is it right now.

Third thing’s third…Mayweather has successfully inserted himself into the conversation (remember the first thing). Good job Floyd. You’re right. Lin is good. You are good. Great job at generating more press for Lin and helping those struggling sports writer’s with something else to write about other than Meta World Peace’s impending meltdown….geesh.

MEEK MILLS PERFORMING LIVE SATURDAY, ALL STAR WEEKEND

MEEK MILLS PERFORMING LIVE
SATURDAY, FEB 25th 2012
ALL STAR WEEKEND
@H2O LIVE
100 W.LIVINGSTON ST.
ORLANDO ,FL 32801
HOSTED BY YO GOTTI

MUSIC BY DJ SKREAM

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT STONEKOLD.EVENTBRITE.COM

Artist Spotlight: Meet Kofi Black

Kofi Black is a self taught American rapper turned singer, songwriter and producer. His name “Kofi” is African in origin. Kofi was born in the Park Hill section of Staten Island (famed for the legendary Hip Hop group, Wu Tang Clan) but has traveled between Ghana and the U.S. throughout his childhood.

Kofi is now signed to the Ice H20 Label owned by Staten Island native Raekwon the Chef. In an interview with Jack Thriller Kofi boasted that Raekwon’s mother used to baby sit him back in the day.

Raekwon Introduces His New Artist Kofi Black

Kofi Black - I Love Your Crazy Feat. Raekwon

Kofi Black mixes soulful sounds with an uptempo twist. He is expected to release his introduction mixtape, ‘Love Sick,’ on March 5th.

The Black Radio Tour Is Coming To Atlanta, GA

Robert Glasper and Chrisette Michele will be in concert in Atlanta March 4, 2012

K’NAAN – Nothing To Lose ft. Nas [Official Music Video]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kn3TFkxFKeE#!

New EP, MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN SILENCE available now, featuring Nelly Furtado and Nas. Includes “Is Anybody Out There?” “Better,” & “Nothing To Lose.

Rapper Common Freestyles Live On The Radio [New 2012] Cosmic Kev

I’m not sure when rapping over someone else’s beat started being considered a freestyle (I think the mixtape dj’s started that). At any rate here’s an authentic off the top “Freestyle” from Common at Power99 in Philly on the Come Up Show with Cosmic Kev: