Like some of you, I’m all Ozone’d out at this point. But Matt Sonzala has some interesting things to say about the fiasco that was this year’s Ozone Awards, so I’ll gladly make an exception. Matt isn’t just a trailblazing hip-hop journalist, he’s a guy we all look up to. One of the very best in the business.

He saw Ozone take its first steps and helped mold some of its content from the jump. None of that stopped Matt from posting an unflattering and unadulterated account of the Ozone Awards from his vantage point. It’s definitely worth a read for the sheer hilarity. Oh, and did I mention that he takes excellent photos?

• Matt Sonzala’s Ozone Awards Recap

Supastition always dazzles with some thought-provoking ideas, and “Black Enough” is no exception. This issue really hits home, especially in a year when many in the black community had the nerve to ask whether Obama is black enough.

And for the record, I’m black. No, I’ve never been to jail. Yes, the only trigger I ever pulled was the gas pump.

I’m sure the producers of this documentary set out to initiate a well-intentioned discussion on the drug war in America, but it reeks off a blatant attempt to sell some DVDs by sensationalizing a serious issue like racism. Those who encountered 17th century slavery didn’t even have to commit any crime in order to be enslaved.

I haven’t seen this film in its entirety, but from what I can tell they failed to recognize the stark differences between pre-civil war era slavery and the ugly circumstances surrounding today’s drug war. Drug use is a choice. Slavery is not.

Check out this interesting article on Gizmodo about iPhone hate in the hip-hop community.

• Trugoy (De La Soul): “It’s too cute, too delicate and I drop sh*t a lot”

• Bootie Brown (Pharcyde): “Gotta have word document, power point. Can’t get that with iPhone”
• DJ Premier: “All cellphones are not perfect.”
• B-Real: “Sometimes, it’ll freeze up now and then, but it’s alright.”

I wonder what provoked Gizmodo to come up with such a Q&A concept.

Jay Smooth offers an excellent analysis of the Ludacris — Obama flap.

Obama says, “I think you’re good, but you should stop using words like “bitch.”
Luda says, “Obama thinks I’m good, bitch!” Haha!

[Props: IllRoots]

I wonder why that sourpuss Hannity is cherry-picking when discussing Obama’s radical alliances. There are zillions others besides Ludacris, some even more outrageously offensive than Luda. Maybe he needs a primer, so I’ll try to help.

Obama’s radical associates (aka rappers who may have said or done something that Hannity’s middle America find politically incorrect):

Jay-Z
Common
Amanda Diva
Ti$a
6th Sense
Kanye West
Snoop Dogg
Russell Simmons
Naas
Naledge
Talib Kweli
Joell Ortiz
Michelle Obama

Hey, you know Hannity is entitled to his own definition of “radical associations.” I’m sure DMX understands where he’s coming from.

Excerpts from the Nas interview in August issue of YRB magazine:

On the word N-word:
“The majority of rap albums are nigger albums – it’s a nigger culture. We took the horrific, bloody holocaust of the Black American slaves, and the word they called us, and transformed it into money…There are a lot of people other than blacks who are niggers right now – whether it’s dumb motherfuckers in the Dominican Republic where you got light-skinned people hating the dark-skinned one, and you got the same kind of thing happening in Haiti, Brazil…”

On Rev. Jeremiah Wright:
“That’s street corner shit. That’s that nigger shit, just on a higher level. That’s just a dumb-ass nigga. With all the degrees and intelligence he has, he throws all that out the window when he starts cooning. Reverend Wright is the biggest coon of the 21st century so far, and that’s just what it is. And I don’t give a fuck who he’s down with, where he studied at, he’s a great fucking coon.”