video : new promo vid

Special thanks to Ralph Da Rula and my man Artic. We appreciate the love so far...we gon' take it up another notch! beatsandbooks.com!

(full post)

dj houseshoes tribute: titus 'baatin' glover (1974-2009)

We continue to honor the legacy of Baatin. This tribute was put together by DJ Houseshoes...check it:

(full post)

"stronger": mary j. blige featuring chris brown

Mary J. Blige featuring Chris Brown "Stronger"

This track will be featured on the new LeBron James documentary, "More Than A Game", which is due to be released on October 2nd. The song is also featured on the upcoming album of the same title from MJB. Good stuff.

(full post)

video: goapele's "milk and honey"

Been waitin' on this one for a while. Goapele is as talented as they come. This video is from her first single from the album of the same title, "Milk and Honey", which is set to be released in 2010. Thanks to pinboard for the drop.

(full post)

audio: chrisette michelle sings "if i had my way" and does impressions of the top artists

Chrisette Michele channels her inner John Legend, Erykah Badu, and Anita Baker

We recently shared with you a clip of Chrisette Michele doing her Ella Fitzgerald. This clip is from July 25th at the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut. Shouts to Miss Chrisette herself for the drop. If you haven't seen her live yet, you're missin out.

(full post)

"eyes on me": the clipse featuring pharrell and keri hilson

The Clipse featuring Pharrell and Keri Hilson "Eyes on Me"

New music from The Clipse. From the upcoming album Till The Casket Drops.

(full post)

"marty mcfly": lupe fiasco

Lupe Fiasco "Marty McFly"

New music from Lupe. The Lasers album coming in December.

(full post)

black august: soledad brother by george jackson

book info: published by Coward-McCann (1970)
the author: George Jackson (1941-1971) freedom fighter, prison inmate

Freedom was an uncompromisable objective for George Jackson. Sadly many of us either do not know, do not recognize, or ignore the struggles of people like him. Born in Chicago, Jackson faced the realities of urban life in America. He found himself in San Quentin Prison at the age of 18, after being sentenced to one year to life in prison for robbing a convenience store of approximately $70. While in prison, Jackson underwent a transformation that, like others such as Malcolm X, catapulted him into the international scene as an outright advocate for black freedom. For Jackson, his life experiences cast a light onto the struggles for all urban youth like himself. While still in prison, Jackson published the work, Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson, which shows the struggles of prison, as well as being a black man in the United States of America.

quote:

"Black men born in the US and fortunate enough to live past the age of eighteen are conditioned to accept the inevitability of prison. For most of us it simply looms as the next phase in a sequence of humiliations" (p. 4)

For more on the life of the late George Jackson, check out this article from the late, scholar-activist Walter Rodney.

View the trailer from Black August, the movie starring Gary Dourdan:


Black August was began in 1979 as a commemoration of the life, death, and contributions of several freedom fighters who were assassinated at the hands of the racist and reactionary United States government apparatus known as the California Penal System. These Freedom Fighters include George &Jonathan Jackson, William Christmas, Fleeta Drumgo, W.L. Nolan, Alvin Miller, Cleveland Edwards, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, and John Cluchette. With the exception of Jonathan Jackson, (who was the leader of the Marin county court rebellion) they were all prominent and
respected leaders of the resistance movement inside the prison walls.

The struggle lives on. There are currently hundreds of political prisoners left in US prisons today. Most notably, Mumia Abu-Jamal. For more information about Black August activities in Washington DC, email my man Naji @ runawayblood@gmail.com or see this pdf.

(full post)

audio: baatin tribute

Baatin of Detroit hip-hop group, Slum Village has passed. This comes 2 years after, SV member J. Dilla made his transition. We honor their legacy by sharing these Slum Village classics.


Slum Village featuring Dwele "Tainted"


Slum Village "Get Dis Money"


Slum Village featuring John Legend and Kanye West "Selfish"

(full post)

felt like honoring black women audio: q-tip "request"

This is for you: Black women. Love you all.


Q-Tip "Request"

(full post)