Video for Lupe’s “Dumb It Down,” supposedly taken from The Cool. Hilarity at its finest.

Mychal Bell, one of the accused teens involved in the Jena 6 incident, has been released from jail.

Bell, 17, one of six black teenagers charged with the beating of a white classmate at Jena High School last December, was freed after a local judge abruptly set a bond of $45,000, which a local bail bonding firm quickly posted on Bell’s behalf.

The youth’s release capped a day of mounting political and judicial pressures in a case that has drawn condemnation from scores of national civil rights leaders concerned about perceived inequalities in the town’s justice system. [Full Story]

I guess the protest paid off.

::Bill O’Reilly discovers Black culture. [via: Rawkus]

>>What if Bill O’Reilly was a rapper? [Illdoctrine]

>>Speaking of O’Wildy, here’s one piece of news that’ll certainly excite him. [CNN]

>>Audio: The Game - “Early Morning Moves” [Hip-Hop is Read]

>>Hip-hop’s (current) favorite white boy teams up with hip-hop’s favorite wifey. The result is, as you might expect, genius. [Sandra Rose]

>>Rumors: Free (former 106 host) has signed with Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam. Developing… [Hip-Hop Crunch]

>>MF Doom responds, in true MF Doom fashion, to rumors that he’s been hospitalized. [Prohiphop]

“It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.” (Mark Twain)

Shame on Master P and David Banner, whose sub-par representation of hip-hop at the congressional hearing has forced me to unearth this classic Frank Zappa testimony. While most of us were still in underoos, Zappa was invited to testify before Congress over the PMRC’s decision to adopt a rating system/warning sticker for music recordings. Unlike Banner and P, Zappa didn’t bite his tongue. Not only did he stick it to the Senate committee, which included would-be Vice-President Al Gore, he also laid his mack game down on a female senator.

Boys and Girls, I give you The Frank Zappa Files. (more…)

>>Kanye bows to Reba, proves Curtis right. [About]

>>Someone finally remembers the King of New Jack Swing. [Singersroom]

>>Alicia Keys’ new video > any rap video out right now. [Writers Block]

>>Lupe plans to include a “Hip-Hop Lyrics for Dummies” guide with his next album, The Cool. [DefSounds]

>>will.i.am on the hidden complexities of “My Humps.” [Radar]

>>Bill O’Reilly is surprised that Blacks are civilized. [HipHopDX]

::BET’s Hip-Hop vs. America debate featuring Nelly, T.I., Al Sharpton, etc.

I don’t get all the hullabaloo over hip-hop these days. How come it took a Don Imus to get us to this point? Since when have we become a community of reactionists? And, to paraphrase Nelly, since when did hip-hop become the lifeline of black folks?

*Violently throws keyboard against the wall and walks out*

::Lil Weezyiana covers the November VIBE. [VIBE]

>>Hip-hop generation checks in on the Jena 6 rally. [Davey D]

>>Rumors: Yung Joc’s Hustlenomics chain has been ganked from his neck. Please hit me up if you see it on sale on eBay. [Bossip]

>>Hip-Hop vs. America: Brothers Gonna Work It Out. [Whudat]

>>Idolator live-blogs the hip-hop congressional hearings. [Idolator]

>>While Weezy’s fighting for Jay-Z’s throne, Jay’s busy fighting for the naming-right pat to the NJ Nets’ arena. [AHH]

I have nothing short of respect for uncle Todd (unlike Jim Jones, I don’t disrespect my elders). After all, LL is still No.1 on longevity. But longevity doesn’t sell records or earn you trophies in today’s battleground.

It wasn’t enough to blame Jay-Z for his last album, which tanked heavily, Cool J is now getting all emotional over Jay’s “billy the goat” line from “I Get Money (Forbes 1,2,3 Remix).”

Maybe someone needs to remind uncle Todd that:

1) While he’s definitely in the upper echelons, no one outside of his immediate family really bought into that GOAT claim
2) This isn’t 1987. That was 20 years ago.
3) Jay-Z is no Canibus. Not only is Hov ahead of today’s LL in all the vital categories (except longevity, of course), he’s also become a big enchilada in the game. So, blackballing Jay like he did ‘Bis is definitely not an option in 2007.

In any case, this should be an exciting one, assuming Jay agrees to play. He’s been reluctant about responding to shots lately.

Kanye West ft. John Legend - “Coming Home”

Kanye West ft. Chris Martin - “Homecoming”

Kanye occasionally falls under a category I like to call “green rappers.” Not because his money is longer than a stretch of Texas highway, but because he recycles more rhymes than the average rapper. Anyone remember the “Hater n***as marry hater b*tches and have hater kids…” rhyme from a mixtape freestyle that found its way onto “Bring Me Down”? Or the “people talk so much sh*t about me at the barbershop that they forget to get their hair cut…” line from “Is That Your Car” that wound up on “Everything I Am.”?

Similarly, “Home Coming” (with John Legend) appeared on a pre-College Dropout mixtape back in 2003. The same song, now starring Coldplay’s Chris Martin and a new beat, resurfaced on this year’s Graduation.

Ye figured that not too many people knew about the original song. Plus, he already told Jay he did a song with Coldplay.

Compare both tracks and let me know which version you prefer.

Hell Rell ft. Cam’ron — “I’m the Sh*t”

Believe it or not, Hell Rell has just dropped one hell of an album. For the Hell of It is a classic case of don’t judge an album by its cover. Ruga Rell’s grimy tales coupled with equally hard-body beats by Dame Grease, A-Raab, and others, makes for an exciting listening experience. And when Hell’s rhyming beside superior MCs — Juelz, Styles P — he still manages to deliver more than his fair share of the 16s. The best part (at least, for a Capophobic listener like me) is that Jim Jones is not even around to ruin everything. I’m pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

Oh yeah, Cam’ron. Well, he still has issues with diarrhea, as evidenced on “I’m the Sh*t.”

—————————————————————
For the Hell of It
Executive Producers: Cam’ron Giles*, Dukedagod, & Hell Rell

*how does cam find the time produce a Dipset album while holding down a full-time gig at Mickey D’s ?