Tag Archives: rap

The state of hip hop, the eating of 20-foot-long sausages, and the erotic drawings of fictional amphibians… on episode 7 of The Saturday Six Pack

If you missed the last episode of The Saturday Six Pack on Ypsilanti’s AM 1700, you missed one hell of a good time. I don’t want to give too much away, as I think you should listen for yourself, but here are a few of the highlights. [If you’d like to listen to the episode […]

Posted in Art and Culture, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Jelly Roll Morton and the gritty origins of jazz

At some point in 1938, while employed by the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song to record and preserve regional American music being put at risk by popular music like jazz, music archivist Alan Lomax found himself at a Washington, DC club by the name of the Jungle Inn, one of the few […]

Posted in Art and Culture, History, Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Boots Riley of The Coup… on Communism, Corporatism, hip-hop, and the need to beat down scabs

Last night, I had the occasion to speak with world-renowned hip-hop provocateur Boots Riley on a wide range of subjects spanning from his childhood in Detroit, spent in a household of Communist organizers, to his current work, organizing people in his neighborhood as a member Occupy Oakland. And, of course, we touched on his equally […]

Posted in Art and Culture, Civil Liberties, Corporate Crime, Detroit, Economics, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Washtenaw Eviction and Foreclosure Defense scores a coup… brings hip hop luminaries The Coup to Ypsi to play a benefit

I’ve been sitting on a secret for the past few weeks, and, tonight, I can finally tell you about it. On Sunday, December 2nd, political hip hop group The Coup will be visiting Ypsilanti from Oakland, and playing at Woodruff’s. The event, which is a fundraiser for Ypsilanti’s Ozone House, to support their work with […]

Posted in Art and Culture, Politics, Ypsilanti | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

On the passing of Gill Scott-Heron

Gill Scott Herron died a few days ago. I was going to commemorate his passing with The Revolution Will Not be Televised, but, seeing as how most of us reading this site are living in SE Michigan, I thought that I’d go with his anti-nuclear power song, We Almost Lost Detroit, which is particularly pertinent […]

Posted in Art and Culture, Observations, Politics | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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