Paying Tribute to Three Pioneers Rammellzee, Mr Fantastik and Gary ‘Starchile’ Shider-RIP

Got word yesterday that legendary graf writer and emcees Rammellzee passed away… Not sure why or how, but for Hip Hop folks it was the second death in two weeks. People in the Bay Area are still mourning the death of pioneering B-Boy Mr Fantastic aka Melvin.. of the Royal Rockers He died of a [...]

Coundown to the Oscar Grant Vedict/ Why Are Police beating Our Kids?

Click HERE: http://bit.ly/9IlXCm Breaking News Update Wed June 30 2010: Judge has taken 1st degree murder off the table. Jury will choose from 2nd degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter… Closing arguments will start tomorrow…Mehserle’s lawyer wanted jury to choose either murder 1 or acquital. Many speculated getting murder1 would be difficult. As the [...]

Thembisa Mshaka: Forgiving Chris Brown

Forgiving Chris Brown: Re-post & Update By Thembisa Mshaka Peep the Breakdown FM podcast we did with Thembisa on this topic http://bit.ly/axcjDL I am on record as being one who advocated for the forgiveness of the multi-talented, multi-platinum Chris Brown as far back as February 2009, when the most media and much of the public wanted [...]

An Open letter to President Obama about Oscar Grant

     I sent this to the White house. Although it may never reach him, I sent it anyway. “The price of having hope is sometimes disappointment, but the price of having no hope is always failure…” ~ Immortal Technique Dear Mr. President, I am writing to ask that you bring national attention to the [...]

The Rise of Facism: More & More Journalists are Being Attacked by Police

Seems like with each passing day we are hearing and seeing more and more police getting drunk with power. Even though most are one of two paychecks away from being in deep financial trouble, many ignorantly like to go overboard and smash on people who they know are legitimately protesting policies that in the long [...]

Time for Artist to Posse Up and Work Around the Corporate Media Dominance

Detroit: One of the more telling aspects that stood out during last week’s Allied Media Conference held in Detroit, is the importance of artists forming collectives as a way to deal with the increasing impenetrable walls preventing access to corporate media outlets. In a world where media consolidation is the order of the day and money [...]

Rosa Clemente Gives keynote at Hip Hop Congress Convention in Detroit

Rosa Clemente gave the keynote address this evening (June 26, 2010) at the national conference of the Hip-Hop Congress in Detroit, MI. Taking place adjacent to the U.S. Social Forum this gathering of what Clemente described as, “the only real national hip-hop political organization,” happens at yet another moment of crisis in what is the [...]

An Open Letter, A Call to Action to Our Hip-Hop Community: Put us Women on that Line-Up & Stop the Disrespect!

Big shout out to DJ Kuttin Kandi for always speaking up and reminding all of us our responsibility. What makes this letter so important is that as much as we in Hip Hop like to smash on the troubling aspects of mainstream and corporate backed Hip Hop,our so called progressiveness and ‘us keeping it real’ [...]

Senator Robert Byrd Dies-How Should We Remember Him?

Just got word about Senator Robert Byrd dying and not too sure what to make of it. The first thoughts that came to mind are, he’s been serving my entire life and damn near my parents entire lives. Dude has sat in the Senate for almost 60 years. That’s a long time. I keep asking [...]

The Whole Truth Behind Trae and his Lawsuit w/ KBXX in Houston

Out of the Box Banned from KBXX 97.9, Trae tha Truth takes his case courtside. By Shea Serrano July 22, 2009 was the second annual Trae Day, a day devoted to honoring Trae tha Truth, one of Houston’s own rappers, known as much for his philanthropic efforts as for the menace in his lyrics. It [...]

USSF 2010: Historic March for Social Justice in Downtown Detroit

Day 1 of USSF (US Social Forum) in Detroit We caught up with a number of activists who poured out in the streets of Detroit for the historic march in Cobo Hall in downtown. Folks were there to let the world know social justice movements are uniting. An estimated 20 thousand took part. Here in [...]

USSF 2010: Legendary Actor /Activist Danny Glover Speaks the Freedom Struggle

Long time actor/ activist Danny Glover is here in Detroit at the US Social Forum making the rounds and showing support. We sat down with him along with our radio colleague Nora Barrows Friedman and got his perspectives on the city of Detroit and it’s important history in the Freedom and Labor Struggles. Glover talked [...]