So this is what we do down in Dallas, Tejas. It really is a shame that there seems to be such little quality footage of our local hip-hop scene, so I had to pounce on it when I heard my roommate @Gonz2thaL shot some Dallas footage. This video comes from the freestyle battle that capped of the most recent edition of Poor Vida‘s Sunday Sessions at The Green Elephant. For those not in the know, the Poor Vida crew hosts a pair of monthly hip-hop events, on the first Sunday as well as the third Saturday of the month. The main goal for these shows is to give local performers an outlet for their art, so if you think you may be the next big thing out of Dallas a la Astronautalis or Damaged Good$ this may be your shot. More importantly, you very well may end up in this space, featured by yours truly. And now to the battle! Six emcees did combat on Sunday night for a pair of tickets to tomorrow’s Summer Jam, featuring Bun B, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Trae, Big Tuck, and more. Do you think that YOU should have been the one rockin’ a free entry to the Summer Jam tomorrow? Well here’s your chance. Hit up Poor Vida for your very own opportunity to get up. Enjoy the battle. Big ups to judges Rob Viktum, Fishr-Pryce, Jackie (who has the excellent Myspace vanity URL “ilovehiphop”) and some guy who I do not know (sorry, dude). Do you think the right guy won? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Round 1

Bobby Fischer v. Cainam Suge v. MC Astro — Astro does battle with a female poet. Suge comes with the rapid-fire acapella. Must be seen! Lord Oasis-75 v. Flotation

Round 2

Flotation v. Bobby Fischer v. MC Astro

Final Round

Bobby Fischer v. MC Astro

So you know who passed away on November 22? Flint, MI rapper MC Breed died yesterday in his sleep after complications he had been having with his kidneys.  On September 5, Breed collapsed while playing pickup basketball and was hospitalized and placed on life support when his kidneys failed. R.I.P. Breed, and remember, there ain’t no future in your frontin’.

***UPDATE***

So I was watching video again and am I completely stupid that I just now realized the the the video for “Ain’t No Future in Yo’ Frontin’” was shot in Dallas? This makes my initially innocent reference to JFK somehow have more relevance, right?

Need the proof? Around the 1:24 mark, when the lady in the tight black dress is dancing in front of the city, you can clearly make out the dinstinctive keyhole in the Chase Bank Tower. Also, to further the remembrance of those whose service is sadly no longer our privelige, keep a look out around the 2:13 mark, where the gone-but-not-forgotten Good Latimer Tunnel bares it’s tell-tale “1930″ marking that can be seen here. I cannot believe that I just noticed this.

This letter remains one of my all-time favorite instances of the song of unrequited love. There’s some real classic stuff here. It was found at a toy store in an extremely affluent section of Dallas called Highland Park, either discarded by the target of the affection, abandoned by the hopeless suitor, or just lost. I really love to think about how old the kid was who wrote it and how he sounded when he spit the lyrics of this rap/song/poem. Solid gold.

We’re just giddy waiting for the release of Bill Cosby’s upcoming hip-hop album. What’s that you say? Everybody’s favorite poppa of the puddin’ pop is gonna drop some verses? Well, not exactly. While Cosby has said that he will not be rapping on the project — perhaps some spoken word-type stuff will be going on — he has divulged that the unifying theme of the album is aimed to counter the misogyny and negativity that are so prevalent in today’s popular rap. I say good for him. It’s always been so obvious how much Cosby actually cares about the advancement of society, particularly when it relates to the inner-city minorities that he can most relate his upbringing with.  Snip following, with a link here:

“Cosby Narratives Vol. 1: State of Emergency” is designed as a companion to Cosby’s provocative book “Come on People: On the Path From Victims to Victors,” which he co-wrote with Dr. Alvin Poussaint last year.

The album weaves hip-hop, jazz, pop, funk and other genres around frank, positive messages drawn from Cosby’s lyrics, stories and musical ideas.

Cosby does not rap or sing on the album. He is on board as executive producer and co-writer. His collaborators include longtime musical colleague Bill “Spaceman” Patterson and Patterson’s partner, Ced-Gee, co-founder of the hip-hop group Ultramagnetic MCs.

Thanks to the folks over at the Gorilla vs. Bear blog, I just heard Jason Kidd’s 1994 attempt at rapping — a sad song called “What the Kidd Didd” that features Digital Underground’s Money B.  It can be said with no hesitation that Kidd and B. have recorded one of the sorriest songs in the world’s history.  I have done my best to transcribe the lyrics here, but there were a few nonsensical parts that I could not comprehend.  Jason Kidd, if you read this, please leave a comment and fill in the gaps. Enjoy!

mp3: What the Kidd Didd (feat. Money B)

[wpaudio http://thenperiod.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/jkidd.mp3]

(Kidd)
J. Kidd from the town O-A-K
He came from a newcomer or so they say
I’m the new Kidd on the block, but they jock still
I got skills with the rock

(Money B.)
And you can call Austin like Steve Austin
Steady flossin’ with cash earned from hittin’ Mashburn

(Kidd)
On the break, you want me to take (??)
With a left, right uh get shook, look

(Money B.)
More steals than Ricky Hen (??) from the Pac-10

(Kidd)
I ain’t new to
This, I give assists like a high school tutor
But who the hell said bein’ a Kidd was easy?

Chorus:
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
But ain’t nothin’ goin on but cash and b-ballin’
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
But I guess they’re all ears cus they hear a brotha fallin’
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
Don’t sweat it everything’s gonna be alright
I said people wanna know what the Kidd didd
But all you really gotta know is he’s tiiight

(Kidd)
Let’s go back
A few years to be exact
High chool the fools didn’t know how to act
At St. Joe’s the hos treated me different
But I was good on the dribble like an infant
And it went
All down accordin to plan
At UC-Berkeley I was the m- I was the man
Every week, my name in the (??)
J-Kidd, kickin’ ass like Jim Kelly

(Money B.)
And he had more chicks than Kentucky Fried
The ones that said they didn’t wanna

(Kidd)
Well, they lied, and a few tried the kick it
Tough
Lookin’ at me like a meal ticket

(Money B.)
Now you gotta play the low on the scene

(Kidd)
And try my best to avoid Billie Jean

(Money B.)
But now you gotta deal with the drama

(Kidd)
I shoulda seen it comin’
Like Rocky’s momma

Chorus:
Now, people wanna know what the Kidd didd
Work hard and try to get my family paid
Oh yeah the people wanna know what the Kidd didd
Now all the chicks screamin’ “I wanna be saved!”
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
Don’t sweat it everything’s gonna be alright
Uh-huh the people wanna know what the Kidd didd
But all you really gotta know is he’s tiiight

(Group)
Now it ain’t no party like a J-Kidd party
Cus a J-Kidd party don’t stop

(Kidd)
But it ain’t no party cus I can’t get it started
With all the player haters on my jock

(Money B.)
Q said every block in America’s Most Wanted

(Kidd)
But ooohh try to hit the strip in a drop 500 Benzito
The phat two-seato

(Money B.)
Lookin’ fo freaks to lay like a Frito

(Kidd)
Everybody’s got they eyes peeled back
Cops lookin’ for a chance to jack
And every chick that I pass
Is smilin’ and wavin’
Dam near turnin’ flips on the pavement

(Money B.)
Old folks roll up, stop and grin atcha
While their kids get atcha
For a signacha

(Kidd)
All that could really make a brother bat (??)
But hey, hasn’t this happened?

Chorus:
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
Just livin’ my life like a brotha supposed to
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
And I’m surrounded by rumors like the Timex social
People wanna know what the Kidd didd
Don’t sweat it everything’s gonna be alright
Yeah the people wanna know what the Kidd didd
But all you really need to know is I’m tiiight

Also available hi-res here.

This amazing video is the coolest use I’ve seen yet of the trend of light graffiti that has been in vogue over the past year or so.  The creators of this great video have published an amazing instructable of how they did it here, which they parlayed into a $15,000 laser engraver in a contest from the folks over at Instructables.

Snoop Dogg has created perhaps the finest music video of all time.  If there was ever any doubt that Snoop was a pimp, this gem will alleviate all doubt.  As a matter of fact, this video should be used as visual aid to illustrate the definition of the word should anyone ever wonder what a pimp is. I cannot believe that this video was made in 2007!

Pimp C, one-half of the Houston-area rap duo UGK, was found dead at his hotel room this morning in West Hollywood. LA County Fire responded to a 911 call from the rapper’s sixth floor room at the swanky Mondrian Hotel on the vaunted Sunset Strip. No cause of death has been determined at the time of this writing.

The performer, whose real name is Chad Butler, has been a staple in the “Dirty South” genre of rap since his 2000 appearances as a member of UGK in such rap anthems as Jay-Z’s  “Big Pimpin’” and Three 6 Mafia’s “Sippin’ on Some Sizzurp.”  He even became a martyr in his community when the “Free Pimp C” movement formed when he was sentenced to eight years in prison for failing to comply with community service ordered stemming from a previous assault charge. Pimp C was 33.