bigted

I think that it's a good choice of Obama to choose Biden, sure they went at it hard in the primaries against each other but I think they could put that to the side and make a great team

http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/arch...6/20447446.aspx Opio of Souls of Mischief: Soul Supreme Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008 12:20 PM By Alvin 'aqua' Blanco There are two choices for veteran MCs, advance your style and stay relevant, or remain static in your way and become a glorified fossil. Thankfully Opio of the mighty Souls of Mischief and their overarching Hieroglyphics crew chose the former. It’s been 15 years since Souls dropped their heralded debut, '93 'Til Infinity, and since then the team has gone on to carve out living as independent artists, cutting out any major lable middle men. Opio’s first solo salvo was 2005’s Triangulation Station and though it’s been available digitally, on August 26 he drops Vultures Wisdom Vol 1 in stores on Hiero Imperium. Wholly produced by longtime underground producer The Architect, Vultures Wisdom Vol. 1 finds Opio in deep lyrical mode, oblivious to any mainstream pandering. Longtime fans should be enthused and here the veteran Oakland MC speaks on the importance of the indie hustle, the importance of “'93 'Til Infinity,” respecting Hip-Hop and how he stays on some superfly s**t. AllHipHop.com: Vultures Wisdom, a trilogy, did you just have a gang of music in the stash or was there a vision beforehand? Opio: Kinda had a vision beforehand. We worked on one record, the first one, we did that and we had it tucked. We really had a good creative energy going, a lot of steam under our belt. We really focused on that first record and did it all as one project and made sure that it was tight in and of itself. We were still in work mode. We didn’t necessarily stop and say that’s it, no more. We just kept working. We had a concept of doing more volumes and making it out to be that way but we didn’t think it was going to happen as quickly as it did. AllHipHop.com: Are Volumes 2 & 3 done? Opio: Yep. We sitting on Vol. 2 right now, just waiting. We really want people to get this album and digest this record, get into the material. It’s the independent game so that’s the whole reason why I’m taking the opportunity now to let people know that we have more material coming. You gotta take as much opportunity you can to get out there and promote being that we’re independent artists. The material is there for the people. Each one is a full album and has a full personality. It’s really not necessarily the fact that it’s three records, that’s the hook. You going to get into Vol. 1 then you got another one coming that’s already ready. We just want to keep blessing people with music. AllHipHop.com: What was said in the convo with the Architect that made you two create these projects? Opio: I been a fan of his music for a long time, he been doing stuff since the early Stones Throw days. Me being with Hiero we felt that’s a powerhouse combination right there. He was definitely encouraging me to step out a little more lyrically. My first record, Triangulation Station, if you listen to it, it’s kinda has a universal appeal to it. If you’re not really into Hip-Hop you might be able to pick that album up and listen to it and still enjoy it. Vultures Wisdom is more for the avid Hip-Hop fan, the hardcore Hip-Hop fan. They don’t necessarily care about it having any universal appeal. They just want the grime and the grit. That’s really what I wanted to move towards on this record anyway. Me and [The Architect] was on the same page in terms of what we was trying to do with the record. A lot of people when they listen to it say it’s like a throwback. To me and him it’s more like a natural progression of our style. We trying to elevate our style. Even though I’m from the second coming of the golden era, or whatever, I just try to stick to what I do, and what I brought to the game and not copycat off other people. AllHipHop.com: So is Vultures Wisdom the record you would naturally make without having to keep everything easily digestible? Opio: Vultures Wisdom is more what I would naturally do. But when you’re doing a record you want to touch more people. You want to extend yourself and reach out to people. I’ve always done that in my career with Souls of Mischief and Hiero. We always make records [that are for] the Hip-Hop fans but they also have a universal appeal. To me it’s easier for me to get into this lane because that’s really what I am at heart: a lyricist, a storyteller, those type of things. It’s not about making a song that everybody can get into. When I was making music as a youth in high school it was just easier, just for my homies. As long as they liked it or if I thought it was tight, that was where I got my inspiration from. That type of energy translated into classic records like “93 to Infinity”. It was just for me and my homies and for the folks and it just ended up having a universal appeal naturally. AllHipHop.com: How’s it feel 15 years after “'93 'Til Infinity” that that record has stood the test of time and is so highly regarded? Opio: It ushered in a new era which was a good thing. During the time when it was out I feel like the average listener was a little younger than the people that [were] the established press and all that kind of stuff. We was like 17, 18 and all of our fans was around the same age. We didn’t really have no voice within the media to say, “Yo this is underground West Coast Hip-Hop, lyrical **** from the West Coast.” At that point in time everybody was like, “Yo it’s kind of like from the East Coast.” If you look at any comparison in reference to an east coast dude now, it’s always Wu-Tang: “Yeah, you guys are kinda like Wu-Tang.” But at that time Wu-Tang wasn’t really out yet. So it was Native Tongues. They was trying to compare us to Native Tongues, which we were a lot different from them at the time. If you look at that record 15 years later now, to me I’m happy to see it separated from everything; all of the boxes people were trying to put it into at first. In terms of sounding like it was from the east coast and it sounds like it’s Native Tongues or whatever. If you listen to it now you can tell that it’s west coast underground Hip-Hop. It’s a beautiful thing that it really got the opportunity to be seen and get it’s recognition for what it really was. At the time it was frustrating to me seeing cats trying to front on it a little bit or put it in these weird categories. AllHipHop.com: Being that y’all came into the game so young, when did the switch flip and you all recognized you had to really be about your business in this game? Opio: Before ‘93 'Til Infinity even came out, like the actual song I think we was on the road with De La and Tribe. They asked us to come on the road with them. Those were some of our favorite groups of all time. I couldn’t believe it. I’m coming out of high school about to tour with my idols. We were just like sponges on tour with them. They were hella cool, couldn’t be more informative and totally took us under they wing. They gave us a good blueprint to how to be in the industry period and on the road. They opened our eyes up to the possibilities. All we wanted to do at the time was get signed and get on, get a record deal, get our music out there and show it to people. What they allowed us to see is that the record label is just a filter. The people like you for you. They like you, they don’t like Jive Records. In our mind we really [thought] they was part of the equation; they f**k with us because we’re signed to a major label. They gave us the resources to get out there but at the end of the day the people is f**king with us and what we created. It opened our eyes to be like, Yo we get like a dollar a record at this point, in order for us to get any money we gotta go platinum. But if you selling records and you getting $7 a pop, you don’t even have to sell that many records. We just started doing the mathematics and breaking it down in our mind on that tour—it would be dope to be independent. You would never have to get caught up in all the industry bulls**t. Even though we were young, like Tajai and A-Plus was doing music for years before you heard Souls of Mischief. They was working with Sir Jinx, we f**ked with Ice Cube in the studio for years. Even though we was young we had at least, getting close to like ten years of actually recording. We was rapping since like seven…and really serious about it. We had a lot of time to work at that craft, we had a lot of experience in the game. We had a whole way of doing music for years and then when we got in the industry we were like, “This is not cool.” You got people telling you about s**t and trying to give you opinions about music. Barry Weiss doesn’t know anything about Hip-Hop. For the dude to come down and sit down with Souls of Mischief, four super creative dudes living the Hip-Hop life; there is no way he can relate to us and tell us about stuff. They would try to run that manip on you, “Yo we know about music cause we’re in the music industry and blah blah blah.” We seen it for the bulls**t that it was. AllHipHop.com: Would you compare to this age rift going on in Hip-Hop, not the best example but kind of like Soulja Boy vs. Ice-T? Opio: [laughs] Really, I hate to be talking about fools cause that ain’t me man. Ice-T is an icon, he can say whatever he want to say. Me, if I start dissing Soulja Boy I just look like I’m angry and I’m a hater. That whole thing ain’t really about the age, that’s him trying to take advantage of the situation cause the dude is just really not elevating Hip-Hop. That’s what’s really going on right now. There’s some cats that just have no respect for the music at all. They don’t care about it. The way that the music industry is right now it’s not a cash cow like it used to be. People aren’t selling ten million records and getting all this cheese off this record business right now. If you really out there doing that horrible…kicking Hip-Hop, taking it down, you really hurting it right now cause you ain’t even making money. When other cats was doing it…like for instance Master P, everybody knows he ain’t the greatest lyricist in the world. Was he really elevating Hip-Hop, probably not. But he was making all this money, so everybody’s like Yo he’s getting paid, whoopty whoop whoop. People ain’t making money like that no more so it’s really ain’t no excuses, in my opinion, for people to stick to this myth of we can do this bulls**t Hip-Hop and take it down a notch, talk about this bulls**t nonsense, as long as I’m making my paper then it’s justifiable. Now you ain’t even making paper like that, so where is the justification now? That’s really where the battleground is. What they really want to do is just make Hip-Hop over with. They’d like you to turn your backs on the people that made Hip-Hop what it is. If you get these OGs to holler at these young cats, start getting their mind right, listening to their knowledge that they have, you’d have a lot more young Black men in America thinking on a whole other level. They trying to misguide that energy, take that power away.

good idea vipa, this could make our teams even more competitive

What more could you say, great song from 3 legends: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...2/20437696.aspx

I'm happy with my drafted team, ready to dominate baby! :susel[1]:

Nice list but it ain't complete without JJFP

:yeahthat: Nicely put Visqo

Yes Will got too many classic songs better than "How The Beat Goes" but it's definately one of the better tracks off of "Born To Reign", the titled track and "Block Party" are other dope cuts on there

:yeahthat: That's what they get for talking smack :fencing:

I've been peeping out the Olympics every moment I get, Phelps is doing his thing and the Team USA basketball team lookin' strong in the opener against China :wickedwisdom:

Damn, we lost 2 legends in one weekend, RIP

Whoah, I can't believe it, this sucks to see another legend leave us so soon, RIP :shakehead: Friends, Colleagues Pay Tribute to Bernie Mac Jovie Baclayon Sun Aug 10, 5:32 AM ET Los Angeles (E! Online) - Hollywood woke up this morning to the news that actor-comedian Bernie Mac has passed away due to complications from pneumonia. He was 50. ADVERTISEMENT As word spreads, tributes are pouring in from the funnyman's friends and colleagues. Brad Pitt: "I lament the loss of a ferociously funny and hardcore family man. My thoughts are with [his wife] Rhonda and their family. Bernie Mac, you are already missed." George Clooney: "The world just got a little less funny. He will be dearly missed." Chris Rock: "Bernie Mac was one of the best and funniest comedians to ever live, but that was the second best thing he did. Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in. I'm gonna miss the Mac Man." Cedric the Entertainer: "It's hard to put into words just how I feel and what a painful loss this is. Bernie was a brother, a friend and one of the comic masters of our time. Sharing the marquee with him during the phenomenon of the Kings of Comedy tour bonded us like family, and created a unique moment in comic history marking some of the most meaningful, memorable and fun times of our lives. His comedic approach was his own brand and will definitely stand the test of time. The level of his talent always inspired me and other comedians to 'bring their A-game.' I promise you that you never wanted to be the guy who had to follow Bernie's set! As a husband and father, he was THE MAN and my thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will truly be missed, but so well remembered." Don Cheadle: "This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier." Kelly Preston and John Travolta: "We are heartbroken. He will be deeply missed. He was a wonderful, kind and gentle man." Ocean's Eleven costar Carl Reiner: "It's a tremendous loss because of his age and the fact that he was such a vital, original human being. When I use the word 'original' I really mean it. He was like no other person I knew. He lived his life to the fullest, even when we were on the set of Ocean's. He had his own little apartment and he cooked and invited people to lunch every day and he had food that was for everybody. He made very exotic things. His conversations were always different than any conversations I had with anyone else. They were very family-oriented; he talked about his wife and children with such love and it's very hard to believe that he's not with us anymore." Actress/comedienne Niecy Nash, who played Mac's little sister on the hit television series The Bernie Mac Show and acted opposite him in the 2005 film Guess Who, said this about her friend and mentor: "His passing is such a major loss to the acting and comedy communities. Bernie Mac was the personification of the word 'real.' He kept it real. That kind of genuine spirit that he carried all the time cannot be easily duplicated, but I will do my very best to try." Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox Television: "Bernie Mac was a gifted talent whose comedy came from an authentic and highly personal place. He was a tremendous live performer and a wonderful actor. Fox was proud to be the home of The Bernie Mac Show, and all of us at Fox and 20th Century Fox Television extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, Rhonda, and daughter, JeNiece." Jenifer Lewis: "Bernie's style of comedy was bold, courageous and revolutionary—I never knew anyone who loved to be funny as much as Bernie. He will most definitely be very missed." Samuel L. Jackson, Mac's costar in the November 2008 flick Soul Men: "It goes without saying that Bernie was one of the preeminent comedians of our generation. He was also an attentive husband, a great father and loving grandfather. I feel blessed to have shared years of friendship with Bernie Mac and I'm honored to have finally costarred with him in what I consider to be his finest cinematic acting achievement. My sincere prayer is that his family will be comforted by the warmth of love from all of us who knew and respected this man." Bob and Harvey Weinstein, whose studio, The Weinstein Company, is releasing Soul Men: "Bernie Mac was a brilliant performer whose legacy will bring laughter to all of us for many years to come. The thoughts of everyone at The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films are with Bernie's family." (Originally published on Aug. 9, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. PT)

I just found this new Big Boi interview on allhiphop.com: http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/arch...6/20375965.aspx

Phew, that's a relief it wasn't nothin' big, rock on Hax! :wickedwisdom:

LL bringing the heat here! http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...6/20376220.aspx

Check out this interesting ESPNMag.com Article On The Shaq-Kobe feud: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3508683 THIS JUST IN I can't stop thinking about the Kobe-Shaq feud. It's endlessly compelling, like any good train wreck. by Chuck Klosterman People use the word "hate" a lot when they talk about sports. They use it so often, it has no meaning whatsoever. Everyone in Minneapolis hates Brett Favre—unless, of course, he winds up playing there—even though most of them would feel nothing about him had the Falcons never traded him to Green Bay in 1992. Lots of people hated J.J. Redick when he was averaging 20 a game for Duke, but who hates a guy who's getting eight minutes a night in Orlando? Sports hatred is situational and generally metaphorical. Play-by-play announcers remind us that the Raiders hate the Broncos and the Sox hate the Yankees, but those alleged on-field enemies share the same agents and eat in the same restaurants and tip the same exotic dancers. If sports hatred feels real to the hater, it's a self-styled fiction: hatred for the purpose of play. About 99% of the time, it's a totally constructed emotion. But that final 1% is all I need. This is why the tension between Shaq and Kobe continues to fascinate me, even deep in the doldrums of summer. I love thinking about it. It never stops being interesting. Shaq and Kobe hate each other for real; I'm convinced of this. They despise each other in a way that's not only rare in sports but rare in life. They hate each other so much that neither would ever admit it, lest the other man get some sort of abstract satisfaction from the admittance of the loathing. O'Neal dismisses the conflict as comedy, and Bryant pretends he doesn't care, but those are the predictable defense mechanisms they use when faced with uncomfortable emotions. The reality is they want to kill each other. I can't prove this, but it feels obvious. And it makes me like each a little more and a little less. Every sports fan with a laptop and no life has heard O'Neal's freestyle rap about Kobe's inability to win a title on his own, punctuated by Shaq's relentless (and arguably valid) question, "Kobe, how my ass taste?" And everyone has found this material hilarious. The semi-extemporaneous lyrics also accuse Bryant of destroying Shaq's marriage (by reportedly telling Colorado police after his arrest for sexual assault that the Big Aristotle paid women for their silence after the ends of affairs), which is slightly less funny (although probably more valid). Now, Shaq is a funny guy and a charming fellow and—most important, at least from a PR perspective—a hyper-jolly goofball who likes to give toys to sick orphans. So as a culture, we tend to take his side. But his rap was still pretty weird. Go back and watch it again. Its only goal was to humiliate and emasculate Bryant, and it was conducted in a context that left Bryant no recourse. O'Neal knew Kobe couldn't respond, which is why he seemed to enjoy the performance so much. If Kobe took the situation seriously and called a press conference, he would seem weak and humorless. If he tried to respond with a rap of his own, it would be an inorganic disaster: Kobe would probably try dressing like the 1981 version of Reggie Theus, hire the Neptunes and come across like a chick from Northern State (the Brooklyn hip-hop group, not the D2 Wolves from Aberdeen, S.D.). Bryant can't do cool that isn't directly related to basketball. And this drives him crazy, because he wants people to like him. (I don't think he needs to be loved, necessarily—just liked. Or at least not actively disliked.) His only revenge is to tape a still from Kazaam on his bathroom mirror, stare at it every morning to remind himself of the man he hates, fixate on that hate at the gym for the next six hours and then drop 82 whenever LA plays Phoenix. He has no other option. It's this mutual desire to humiliate that makes the hatred between Shaq and Kobe feel so different to me. This isn't like the feud between Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent—that was just two guys who wanted to punch each other because they were: a) superficially different, but b) fundamentally the same. That was competitive; this is personal. Kobe and Shaq want to destroy each other's persona. Each wants to damage his rival's legacy because, 20 years from now, their legacies are all either one will have. By stressing that Kobe "couldn't do it without me," O'Neal was trying to negate the fact that Bryant has in fact won three titles. Shaq is suggesting that Kobe is only a second-tier legend, more like a statistically impressive nonchamp (Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin) or a world-class, ring-wearing role player (Scottie Pippen, Kevin McHale). In the NBA, you cannot be truly transcendent unless you've: a) won a championship, and b) been the primary reason for your team's winning that championship. Shaq is attempting to rewrite history, trying to rebrand Bryant as a nonwinner. This kind of attack serves no purpose and offers no personal benefit, but he does it anyway. So what's his motive? There can be only one: hatred. He simply hates the guy. This, I suspect, is what Shaq thinks about Kobe: You betrayed me. I tried to be cool with you, but you're not a real guy. You got yourself into trouble, and the first thing you did was bring up my name for no reason. Now my kids live somewhere else. When we played together, all you had to do was concede I was the focus of the team and let people make up their own minds about which of us was more important. But you made the Lakers choose between us, and you were younger and healthier, so they traded me to Miami. And that was embarrassing for me. So I'm going to embarrass you for the rest of your life. I am going to prey on your social insecurities and your need for appreciation. And I'm gonna do this because I hate you. Kobe, of course, sees things differently. He probably thinks about Shaq like this: You know I'm better. You know it. And that should be the only thing that matters. And I know I told a reporter you were fat in 2003, and I'm sorry about that. But you were fat, and that made you less effective and injury-prone. I'm just being honest here. Basketball is not a game; it's a science. Why does personality have to matter? I realize I shouldn't have dropped your name to those cops, but I thought my life was over, and I panicked. Everyone seems to like you no matter how you act, so I tried to associate my behavior with yours. Besides, you don't seem particularly depressed about your wife's being gone. In fact, you seem to be having a great time making me look like a bozo. Why are you doing this? You have made it increasingly difficult for me to enjoy my own greatness. And I hate you for that. George Bernard Shaw (who spent most of his adult life making random comments that writers could later use in magazine columns) once said that hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated. At least in this case, that seems pretty true. But which of these revenge-seekers is intimidated more? In the eyes of the public, there's no doubt O'Neal is winning this war. I wonder, though, if that actually means he has already lost. If Shaq honestly believes all the things he rapped about, would he need to say them? Probably not. Which is why this grudge doesn't get boring: Faced with the possibility of moving on and moving forward, neither of these guys can do it. What's more, they don't want to. It's part of who they are. They love it. And the love is what true hate is.

Friday, August 1, 2008 Rappers' Shout-Outs Make Obama Skip a Beat In the arsenal of the culture wars, rap music remains somewhat radioactive -- and Barack Obama now finds himself exposed. Avowed Obama supporter Ludacris on Wednesday released a freewheeling song called "Politics" in which he repeatedly praised the candidate -- as well as himself, for having found a home on the senator's iPod. But the Atlanta rapper also used a derogatory term to describe Hillary Clinton; asserted that John McCain should be in a wheelchair, not the White House; and declared that President Bush "is mentally handicapped." Gee, thanks for the endorsement, Luda! Some of the Democrat's most vocal (literally) supporters are sticking him with a hip-hop dilemma: how to respond to an art form that has a long history as a cultural wedge issue but whose fans and wildly unpredictable practitioners are a part of his base? Rappers tend to love him -- or at least the basic idea of a black man in the White House. Pro-Obama rap songs and references are proliferating at a staggering clip, and online video endorsements are arriving just as quickly, from "Yes We Can" splicer Will.I.Am and hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs on down. But Obama can't love them back -- at least not unconditionally, given the music's continuing lightning-rod status. This is a man, after all, who has worked tirelessly to make inroads among older white voters, many of whom have a deep aversion to hip-hop. Whenever Obama is asked about rap music in interviews, he always tempers his praise. "I love the art of hip-hop; I don't always love the message of hip-hop," he told BET earlier this year. "There are times where even . . . with the artists I love, you know, there's a message that is not only sometimes degrading to women; not only uses the n-word a little too frequently; but -- also something I'm really concerned about -- it's always talking about material things." Likewise, the Obama campaign immediately denounced "Politics" and suggested that "while Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics." So very Sister Souljah, with echoes of the 1992 presidential campaign, when Bill Clinton put that militant rapper on blast for her controversial remarks about racial violence. Clinton's public chiding was widely viewed as a successful play for centrist hearts and votes. And yet, so very different. For Obama is the first viable presidential candidate with an acknowledged affinity for hip-hop culture, having spoken fondly of Kanye West, Jay-Z and, yes, Ludacris. He borrowed Jay-Z's dirt-off-my-shoulder gesture to brush off his "haters" during a much-analyzed April speech that was loaded with the sort of swagger that's typical of hip-hop. Obama's candidacy is like catnip to rappers. Traditionally ambivalent about electoral politics, this time around they are drawn to the senator's rhetoric, the historic nature of his bid, or maybe just the rhyming possibilities of his name, as with a remix of Ice Cube's "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It," on which Scarface raps: "I hope that Barack could pull the troops from Iraq." On "Black Republicans," a song from Lil Wayne's mix tape "Da Drought 3," guest Juelz Santana raps: "I'm feelin' like a black Republican/Naw, I can't call it/More like a black Democrat runnin' 'em out of office/Young Barack Obama, I'm all for it." Three 6 Mafia's "Last 2 Walk" includes the couplet, "There's a whole lotta room in the front of the Range/Like Barack Obama said, yeah it's time for a change." (Never mind that the stanza is about sex.) Common, a rapper from Obama's home base of Chicago, has invoked the senator's name repeatedly, as in "The People," in which he declares: "My raps ignite the people like Obama." On a remix of the Jadakiss song "Why?," Common wonders: "Why is Bush acting like he trying to get Osama?/Why don't we impeach him and elect Obama?" In several songs, Obama's election is even treated as a fait accompli. In "Memories/Letter to Obama," Joell Ortiz raps about a litany of societal problems, then says: "It's time for a change, and that change is Obama/Dear future president, I hope you heard this letter and do some things to make sure the next one I'm writing is better." In the eloquent "Black President," the Brooklyn rapper and Bill O'Reilly foil Nas declares: "America surprised us/And let a black man guide us." And in a recent freestyle, Jay-Z -- who is always using analogies to cast himself as hip-hop's microphone commander in chief -- concluded: "I'm signing off as the hood's Barack." Other artists, from Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco to Ghostface Killah and Kidz in the Hall, have mentioned Obama in song, possibly making him the third most-popular topic in rap behind drugs and sex, not necessarily in that order. (McCain, on the other hand, barely rates.) Notably, it's not just black rappers jumping onto the bandwagon with the 24-inch rims. Obama has a rap-style rainbow coalition forming in his corner. A white artist by the name of 6th Sense recently released "Ignite the People (Like Obama)," on which he sampled Common while asking, rhetorically: "You ever think you'd see a white rapper endorse a black president?" And last summer, the Korean American rapper Jin posted the praise-filled and relatively innocuous "Open Letter 2 Obama" on MySpace. The official Obama response? Hip-hop hooray: The campaign Web site gave away a ring-tone version of the track -- a punchy snippet in which Jin declared "Go! Go! Go! O-bama! O-bama!" -- and even used the song to introduce Obama at a speech. By J. Freedom du Lac Washington Post Staff Writer

Happy B-Day Bro! :wickedwisdom:

Whoa, that's a lot of news, I heard a lot of it already too, I sorta have mix feelings about how that Dr. Dre album's gonna turn out, and I'm gonna check out that John Witherspoon CD 'cause he's funny as hell

Thanks for that info Tim, K. Fingers is a great producer

Joined! :thumbsup:

I'm definately looking forward to Big Boi's album, btw this "Something's Gotta Give" song he did with Mary J. Blige is great, real soulful song: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...1/20281244.aspx

Hey Vipa I tried the ID and password and they didn't work for me

:thumbdown: :shakehead:

August 03, 2008 SOHH Exclusive: Big Boi Steps Out of The Box On New Album, “My Sound Is On Another Galaxy” Written By Thomas A. Harden OutKast’s Big Boi is gearing up for the release of his new solo album Sir Luscious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty this fall. SOHH caught up with the ATLien to discuss his role in the upcoming presidential election, holding the torch for his father and his coming of age disc. “The concept is basically the grown version of Big Boi,” Big told SOHH. “I came out on Southerplayalistic at 15-16-years-old, I was Big Boi. I’ve matured, I’ve been around the world and I have grown up, so now it’s all about ‘Sir Luscious Leftfoot,’ the knight in rhyming armor is here.” When asked about the second part of his album title, Big broke down the meaning behind ‘Chico Dusty.’ “'Sir Chico Dusty' is basically my father,” he explained about his album title. “My father was in the military, and that was his nickname. He was a bad, bad man. He was cool as a muthaf*cka. I’m the offspring of that man right there. He’s no longer with us, so I’m holding the flag for him right now.” The first single off the set is the politically charged track, “Sumthin’ Gotta Give,” featuring Mary J. Blige. The song touches on world issues from the war in Iraq, to rising gas prices, to the upcoming presidential election. Big wanted to release a single that would not only entertain but address the issues affecting the masses. “I wanted to put that out first for the people, talking about social and political issues that is going on in the world today and not just a bunch of gibberish,” he revealed. “It’s time for it. We have the biggest election of our lifetime about to go down.” When asked about his views on the upcoming election, Big stated he wanted to use his position in hip-hop to help influence young voters. “I love it man,” he stated. “The voter turnout is going to be groundbreaking again. There are people that have been following my whole career for about 10-12 years now, who know what I’m about, so I’m going to tell them who I like in the election. It’s all about freedom of speech and having your own opinion.” Sir Luscious Leftfoot wouldn’t be complete without the collaboration from his OutKast partner in rhyme, Andre 3000. Dre and Raekwon the Chef teamed up on the infectious street single “Royal Flush.” Other appearances on the set include T.I. George Clintion, Too $hort and Goodie Mob with production from longtime OutKast hitmakers Organized Noize as well as Scott Storch and Lil’ Jon. “If you like any OutKast album up until now, then you’re going to love this muthaf*cka right here,” he explains. “My sound has already been out of this world. I guess it’s in another galaxy now. I might turn into a black hole and swallow the rest of this ****. It’s gotten there, way bigger. From beginning to end and you just go on an adventure.” Sir Luscious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty hits stores In October on his Purple Ribbon imprint via Jive.