RANDOM BLIPS

caught? can I get a witness?

I hear Kim's Video in the East Village got raided by RIAA today - store shut down, people arrested - all for selling mixtapes? Say it isn't so.

What I don't get is that if RIAA wanted to bust down illegal mixtapes, they could have just rolled down to Canal St. and knocked the whole block. Why Kim's? If I were the folks running Amoeba, I'd be sweating right now.

UPDATE: I read this over at Soulstrut.com:

"they got raided for mix cds. an undercover cop bought a G-Unit mix, then a few minutes later a bunch of detectives rolled in and arrested all the employees who were behind the counter when the sale happened and 2 managers and took them to jail overnight. the cops confiscated all the mix cds. i'm guessing some djs will get cease and desist letters from the RIAA but that is just speculation."

Jazzbo breaks down the history of screwed and chopped for MTV.com. No word on whether this article is better read while on syzurp.

Not that I don't appreciate the NY Times for reporting on judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown comparing liberalism with slavery (yeah, you read that right) but might not this have been more useful information, say, three weeks ago?

I need a late pass but a few weeks back, SF/J declared war on music industry policies that hoard advances and force writers to attend listening sessions instead. Apparently, Wired has joined into this policy - now it's just a matter of getting everyone else out there to agree. Can someone ring up Vibe, XXL and Rolling Stone and get them to co-sign too?

Speaking of lateness, oh yeah, Jin retired. For Asian American rappers, it's like...2001 again. Same s---, different day.

More bloggage: The Pacific Standard. My man Rawj's new blog, reporting on hip-hop happenings around the Bay and nationally.

Did Common dis Nas on "Chi-City"?. As proof, Sootser points out the following verses:

"As I was listening to Be for the trabillionth time I thought I heard something.
I rap with the passion of Christ, nigga cross me (1)
Took it out of space and niggaz thought they lost me (2)
I'm back like a chiroprac' with b-boy survival rap
It ain't ninety-fo' (3) yo we can't go back
The game need a makeover
My man retired, I'ma takeover (4)
Tell these halftime (5) niggaz break's over.
Does that look like a subliminal shot at God's Son to you?

1. Maybe the whole Hate Me Now thing with Diddy?
2. Nothing to do with the subject, I just thought it was funny he had a little go at Miss Badu.. or the way he was while with her kinda.
3. The year Illmatic dropped.
4. His man? Jigga? Takeover sounds right.
5. Halftime, a track on Illmatic."

To start with the most obvious observation: 1994 is also the year Resurrection dropped and we all know that Common's fans have been clamoring for another Resurrection since. I'm surprised no one pointed that out already. Moreover, when I interviewed Common last month:
1) He cited "NY State of Mind" as a song he wish he had written.
2) He cited Nas as an artist he'd like to record with.

Verdict: Rashid heart Nasir. No beef here.

Has anyone read Bakari Kitwana's new book on white folk in hip-hop? Can I get the Cliff's Notes until I can cop my own copy?

--O.W.