Tampa Calling

The second man to walk on the surface of the moon meets the first man of bud in this Funny or Die clip.

Swine flu

Noun Pathology:

A form of influenza caused by overly aggressive pigs (also known as law enforcement professionals) that occurs commonly after close encounters with these infectious vermin. Symptoms include nausea, despair, and a general lack of a good time.

After a successful performance at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, I caught a flight this past Friday to rock mics with the rest of B.A.S.E. Inc at Radford University’s Quadfest 2009 in Virginia. We were all excited to play a show together for the first time on our home turf. Little did we know that we were the ones about to get played.

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I hate to perpetuate a rumor, but this is a juicy one worth mentioning: Tupac is Alive in New Orleans! No…. freakin’…. way!

BallerStatus.com reports:

We’ve always heard that the late rapper was hiding on some island somewhere, locked in a studio, recording all the music you’ve heard released following the years after this death.

But, that’s all not true. He’s alive, and has been hitting the town.

TMZ obtained a few photos of the Tupac, alive and well, drinking and have a good ole time at Hand Grenades in New Orleans.

Click below to see the pics…

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In the hip-hop community, no one really wants to be labeled a hater. While I don’t hate Lil Wayne, I am far from a fan. I respect the fact that he has put out more music than any other major hip-hop artist in the last five years and probably has the best work ethic of any rapper not named Tupac Shakur. But is doing your job really worth the iconic status he seems to have achieved? I’m going to have to say no. So at the risk of earning the not-so-superlative hater label, I present to you my Top 3 reasons why a dead Biggie Smalls is better than a living Lil Wayne.

Lil Wayne has been successful but is he really a worthy successor?

Coattails

Sean Combs might be the owner, but Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G., is responsible for the Bad Boy Entertainment empire. The considerable wealth Combs amassed thanks to Mr. Wallace’s efforts funded his Sean John clothing line and propelled Puff Daddy to stardom. Diddy got a Grammy for his No Way Out album that featured Biggie on five songs. He also gave Lil Kim, the most popular female rapper of her time, her start.

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Over in the record reviews section, I’ve posted a write up of the new Dälek album, Gutter Tactics. Haven’t heard of them?

Give it a read and check them out. Here’s a teaser for you:

Dälek is not your typical rap group; in fact, they are something completely different altogether. Sure, there are beats and rhyming, but it’s not the sort of music that would pass for hip-hop on MTV or in dance clubs. There are no guest rappers littering every other track. There is no hook while the DJ revolves it. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been called a lot of different names thus far in my life: jock, nerd, fat boy, lightweight, goofball, transplant, outsider, new guy, frat boy, weirdo, and cool kid. Those were all while I was in school.

Nowadays, I pretty much just go by Infinite Skillz or Infinite for short. My mother just calls me loud. As the middle child, I’ve kind of always needed to be that way. I’d speak early and often, flexing my vocal cords to get noticed. After every loving admonishment, I’d always tell her that one day I’m going to get paid to make noise.

Officially, N.O.I.S.E. stands for the Nation of Infinite Skillz Entertainment, which is my official fan club. Making N.O.I.S.E. is the name of this blog, but it is also my motto. When asked about Hip Hop, President-Elect Barack Obama said that one of the things he admired most about rap artists is their entrepreneurial spirit. He liked the fact that many of my colleagues have started their own record labels becoming moguls instead of commodities. That’s Making N.O.I.S.E.

I too respect hustle and hard work but there is a limit to that. Are you really doing big things if your label roster consists of your hype man and your roommate? That is not Making N.O.I.S.E. That’s you and your homeys playing House: The Hip Hop Edition. Read the rest of this entry »

My cover story/feature on local hip-hop collective Umbrella Corporation has been nominated for A Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists’ Griot Drum Award. Here’s what we call the “lede,” aka the opening salvo, in the journalism biz. I labored over it much longer than I care to admit:

Heavy beats slam through the room like war drums. The crowded nightclub is thick with cigarette smoke, booze, a trace of weed — and adrenaline. Here at Full Moon Saloon in Ybor City, well past midnight on a Wednesday, local emcees are engaged in rap battles — face-to-face put-downs built on improvised rhymes. Umbrella Corporation, a Tampa hip-hop collective that’s changing the landscape of the 813 underground, calls the venue home. Tonight their artists dominate the congested stage.

Click here to read entire story “United Front.”

Umbrella Corporation’s Aych and Wade Tatangelo on Media Talk