January 31, 2009
MC Lars – This Gigantic Robot Kills
MC Lars This Gigantic Robot Kills is due February 24th on Oglio Records.
MySpace: MC Lars
Related ProHipHop Coverage:
G4tv Nerdcore Promos: MC Lars, MC Frontalot, YTCracker
MC Lars Markets Himself to the iGeneration
January 31, 2009
ET Online secured the divorce document for Russell and Kimora Simmons, one of the most visible of hip hop's power couples, and has made it available online in a handy .pdf file.
Though I'm a bigger fan of .pdf files than many, I would have expected ET Online to monetize such documents a bit more directly, as does The Smoking Gun.
Too bad for them the notion of .pdf ads has been a near total failure despite Kevin Kelly's early adoption.
And, yeah, this is an attempt to get something more than "dissolution" and visitation rights out of this story.
Hey, now Russell and Kimora can continue to live in sin and even bear children out of wedlock without the burden of cheating on their legal spouses! Yay!
Since my own values and priorities are obviously askew, as evidenced by my general lack of respect for these two, I do have to say that I was touched by the number of people whose comments I encountered on the web that revealed their sadness and disappointment back when the story of Kimora and Russell's separation first broke. Until that point I hadn't realized how meaningful this couple's relationship was to anybody that wasn't all about the gossip and, though I know publicists and web workers are often employed in planting blog comments, many of those responses struck me as sincere.
So, though New York taught me not to apologize, I do want to extend my sympathies to those who are saddened by this divorce before continuing with [drum roll, please]:
Clyde's Top List of Favorite ProHipHop Posts
RE: Kimora Lee and/or Russell Simmons
2008
I think I was too busy bugging other people and wanted to give Big Russ a little break! Besides, his moves were getting pretty darn repetitious by then anyway.
2007
HSAN Creates Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network [WEEN] Just in Time for Congressional Hearings
Russell Simmons: Servant of Hip Hop
Chuck D @ Guitar Center Sessions, Compares Russell Simmons to a Buzzard
Ivan Matias on Creating Caushon & Ghostwriting
Russell Simmons Promotes Do You! w/Literacy Events
2006
Russell Simmons Helps Diamond Industry Get Ahead Of Leonardo DiCaprio's Blood Diamond Flick
Russell & Kimora Lee Simmons to Divorce
Baby Phat & Brand Kimora at New York Fashion Week
2005
Russell Simmons: Lying = Good Brand Building
Russell Simmons Prefers Secret Product Placements
HSAN Partners with Problematic Education Company
Russell Simmons Presents Yoga Without the H Word
2004
On the Russell Simmons/Kazaa Connection
Kimora Lee Simmons: The Hip Hop Martha Stewart?
KL Simmons, Larger Than Life-Size
You know, I briefly considered and then dropped the idea of an unauthorized Russell Simmons biography because you know the man's never going to talk to me and I'd have to deal with so many of his hostile supporters that it would become wearing but, looking at this list, if I don't do it I feel certain that someday somebody will get it done.
That's why I'm keeping defbusiness.com alive, just in case!
January 31, 2009
David Banner at SXSW, Photo by OG Photographer
In the "I've been meaning to mention this" category, OG Photographer won a Billboard & PDN Magazine Summer Music Moment photo contest award for his photograph of David Banner at SXSW.
Congratulations!
Related ProHipHop Coverage:
OG Photographer @ An Art Producer's Perspective
January 31, 2009
Get set for MC Hammer and Ed McMahon appearances in Cash4Gold.com ads during the Super Bowl.
Not a good look for MC Hammer who told me during an interview, when I asked him about what he'd learned from his own bankruptcy, that he doesn't dwell on the past.
Given the juxtaposition with Ed McMahon in the TMZ pic, the gold records on the wall with drill in hand and Hammer's refusal to say something smart to me, like, "I learned money management skills" or "I learned the difference between revenue and profit", I'd say he still hasn't learned much about brand management but he is learning to lighten up and monetize failure.
On the upside, DanceJam seems to have finally found its rhythm and, unlike so many "hip hop" sites that seem to make their numbers from off-topic and often degrading content, rather than anything related directly to music, a peek at the top keywords in the right hand column of their current Compete stats indicates they're making it off dance.
And that's a very good look!
Related ProHipHop Coverage:
ProHipHop Takeaway from MC Hammer Interview:
DanceJam to Stack Major Skrilla
January 29, 2009
Hip-Hop Chess Federation Promo Video
From the video description:
"Hip-Hop Chess Federation Presents: Mind Over Matter 2. A gathering of some of the best minds in Hip-Hop, Chess & Martial Arts. RZA, Rakaa from Dilated Peoples, Amir Sulaiman, Traxamillion, Casual from Hieroglyphics will be on hand among others."
San Francisco: February 28th, O'Connell High, 2355 Folsom St. @ 19th
10 am to 5 pm, Free, All Ages
Official Site:
The Hip-Hop Chess Federation
January 29, 2009
Off-Topic Comments and Related Issues:
Off-topic promotional comments at ProHipHop now lead to having your ip address banned as well as having your comments deleted. If you're just dropping a link to something that doesn't have to do with the post, then it's spam, pure and simple and it will be eliminated.
Got press releases, news items, newsletters, pitches, promotional material, links to legal, quasilegal and illegal downloads, etc?
Send it all to: hiphoppress(at)netweed(dot)com
Update:
I pulled some fairly negative statements that I made from this info post. On the one hand, I hate the time I waste dealing with email sp@m and comment sp@m. But I know a lot of people in hip hop just think they're legitimately promoting themselves when they sp@m or are just trying to do too much and aren't thinking things through. It makes me sad that they waste their time and mine in the process
And, sometimes, it makes me angry that I can't get to other work cause I'm dealing with that or trying to find the best way to present what I have to say on the matter without alienating people.
It's unfortunate that some people persist in sending promotional email to my prohiphop.com address and, rather than embracing the fact that such contact is welcomed at hiphoppress(at)netweed(dot)com, they'd rather butt heads with a blogger than thank me and send it to the right place.
But that makes me really appreciate the pros at every level who see what I'm doing and recognize that I'm not like so many bloggers who don't say anything to you but just delete your blasts and so forth without a second glance. Which is their absolute right given the amount of material most active bloggers receive.
Adam Bernard has a very useful post related to this topic titled Major Self-Marketing Missteps that is useful to anyone doing web marketing. If his advice seems excessive, then it may be time to reevaluate your approach because what may appear to be restrictions are all intended to save you time, keep your brand clean and reach those folks who are receptive.
And why would anybody hate on that?
January 28, 2009
Hip Hope Hits 2009
Hip Hope Hits 2009 is due February 3rd on Gotee Records.
Hip Hope Hits 2009 Track Listing via JesusFreakHideout.com:
1. tobyMac Featuring Siti Monroe and KJ-52: One World (Liquid Remix)
2. Grits: Reminds Me
3. Canton Jones: I Call Him G.O.D.
4. Speech (of Arrested Development): When It Feels Right*
5. KJ-52 Featuring Bonafide of Grits: What You Want*
6. Pigeon John: Calculator Watch
7. Verbs: Future
8. Washington Projects: Come Back To Me*
9. Jade Featuring Coffee of Grits: Be Myself
10. Braille: Walking Loud*
11. Pettidee: Gimme Dapp*
12. Shonlock Featuring Canton Jones and V3: Avert*
13. B.Reith Featuring Knine: Bottom of the 9th*
14. Stefan The Scientist: Higher
15. Flynn Adam: Feel It Now*
16. J Remy: Cut Me*
17. Proxy Featuring Verbs and Stefan The Scientist: MY*
18. Rootbeer: Chimpanzee* (Digital Bonus)
* Hip Hope Hits 2009 Exclusive
Official Site: Hip Hope 2009
January 28, 2009
First Kanye West tried to sing, though his unmelodic rapping should have told him that was a mistake, and now Lil Wayne decides he wants to be a singer who plays at the guitar.
Problem: they suck at singing.
I've only heard Prom Queen from a live video. At least Lil Wayne didn't use a vocoder for that, cause Phonte is right about Kanye's use, but this killed my interest going forward, that's for damn sure.
One of the producers, Infamous, says:
"He's done everything he can with hip-hop and has proven himself…Now he's about to prove himself as a rocker and we're excited to be a part of it."
But he'll come back to rap cause he's going to hate not being a superstar and he might just realize that he's still got a long ways to go with hip hop.
However, if he doesn't, that means he'll go out with much of his best work being mixtape appearances and features on other people's singles with no seriously great album to his name. And that's kind of sad.
January 28, 2009
