Filed under: Video | Tags: bet, my mic sounds nice, female emcees, women in hip hop, nicki minaj
Via Nah Right.
Wow…BET doing something with substance?? Is Fox News going to actually report the news next?!
This is a very insightful review and commentary about the history and politics of female representation in the Hip Hop Industry. Educators, I highly recommend you watch it and include it in your curriculum as something to spark some real thinking around how gender issues come up in the pop culture industry.
The film is BEAUTIFULLY shot. All the women artists are interviewed with the camera directly in front and them looking straight into the camera, which serves to empower and bolden their words (MC Lyte IN YO FACE! Literally!). Men who are interviewed are shot in more traditional “look-at-the-interviewer-not-the-camera” way, but still in interestingly artistic angles and lighting (Questlove has a nice profile shot).
There was only one part in the film’s analysis that I was uncomfortable with, and that was when they were explaining the “glam” factor as being a part to the femcee’s demise in the early 2000′s. The film and the MCs being interviewed (Missy, Trina, & Eve) essentially were saying that women require more care and delicate handling than their male counterparts and thus cost record labels more to have them on their roster. This point to me is flawed because it’s still examining women under a misogynistic context where a woman HAS to look “good”…HAS to be “done up”; whereas that same requirement isn’t required of men. I’m pretty sure Invincible, Medusa, and Mystic has MUUUCH smaller hospitality requirements in their tour rider than many of the male emcees out there.
Overall, the film brings up many good points which, for newbies to gender politics, will get them to start thinking critically about gender and pop culture; and for longtime gender equality activists, will serve as a good review and tool for discussion.
I’m embarrassed to say this but…uh…[whispers]thank you, BET!??
PS: Never realized this (me slow) but the film brings up a good point: Nicki Minaj = Lil Kim (sexuality) + Eve (swagger) + Missy (creativity)
PPS: Nicki’s verse on Monster, will make you a believer if you ain’t one already.

My DJ students from Wilson High School in El Sereno finished their Summer Mixtape 2010! It’s pretty fucking good.
I’m really proud of these kids. They started learning in February of 2010 and all of them can beatmatch and do basic scratches now, even the kid who just moved to LA from China in January and doesn’t know anything about hip hop…he actually has a mean transform scratch.
LISTEN & DOWNLOAD: Wilson DJs Summer Mixtape 2010
Forward to 30:03.
Thanks to everyone at Vibes & Stuff for the good time!
Filed under: Events | Tags: freestyle fridays, jah, rocky rivera, sipa sessions, skim
Friday, August 27, 2010
SIPA SESSIONS Presents:
FREESTYLE FRIDAYS
All Ages Hip Hop Concert + Open Mic
FEATURE ACTS:
This month, we’re featuring all women emcees!
ROCKY RIVERA
SKIM
JAH (Watts High School Youth)
With DJs:
WILSON HIGH SCHOOL DJS
Plus:
OPEN MIC!
FREE!
FOOD PROVIDED!
6pm-8pm
SIPA COMMUNITY CENTER
3200 W. Temple Street
Historic Pilipinotown, LA
Filed under: Events | Tags: dj roza, good looks, honor roll, raichous, rrs feed, shred one, tap.10, west coast casual, whiz kid

West Coast Casual & Honor Roll Present:
Saturday, August 7th
||GOOD LOOKS||
…first saturdays sophisticated sleaze…
DJ ROZA FAREWELL PARTY!
featuring:
THE RRS FEED
(DJs Roza, Raichous, & Shred One)
with resident DJs:
TAP.10
PHATRICK
and host:
WHIZ KID (Honor Roll)
9pm-2am
21+
FREE W/ RSVP: goodlooksrsvp@gmail.com
E. 3RD STEAKHOUSE & LOUNGE
734 E. 3rd St.
Little Tokyo / Arts District
Los Angeles
Filed under: Video
Stream will begin on Sunday, July 25, 2010, 5pm Pacific Standard Time.
Filed under: Music | Tags: bambu, zumbi, oscar grant, the burnerz, kev choice, the are, no justice

Remember friends, most people still do not know of the Oscar Grant murder…keep educating, keep fighting.
DOWNLOAD: The Burners (Zumbi + The Are) – “No Justice” ft. Kev Choice & Bambu









