Otherworldly Videos: Busdriver’s ‘Colonize the Moon’

Rapper Busdriver along with Pegasus Warning presents the video for “Colonize the Moon.” If you can get through his fast rapping style, which might be fueling his faster-than-the-speed of light acceleration through space, you will hear a song filled with head-spinning stream of consciousness as he lists off various social commentaries about living on the […]

Modern Griots Interviews: Colored Girls Hustle Part 2

*Become a patron and support my blog and other writing endeavors on Patreon! __________ Here is part two of yesterday’s interview with Colored Girls Hustle’s Taja Lindley and Jessica Valoris.In this part, they talk about their plans and expectations for the mixtape and Colored Girls Hustle, and how their work is both futuristic and ancient. Enjoy! […]

Modern Griots Interviews: Colored Girls Hustle Part 1

*Become a patron and support my blog and other writing endeavors on Patreon! __________ Hey, everyone! I’m returning after a short break with an interview I did with Colored Girls Hustle’s Taja Lindley and Jessica Valoris. A few weeks ago I did a review of their Colored Girls Hustle Hard mixtape and below they talk about […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Colored Girls Hustle Hard Mixtape

Become a patron and support my blog and other writing endeavors on Patreon! ____________ What is your hustle? Colored Girls Hustle featuring founder Taja Lindley and Jessica Valoris released their first official mixtape, Colored Girls Hustle Hard, a 19-track compilation reimagining the conventional ideas of what it means to hustle and giving positive encouragement and […]

Time Forward Music List

For the last day of 2013, here is a list of some recent releases to vibe to as we go into 2014. Happy New Year!

Modern Griots Reviews: Yugen Blakrok’s “Return of the Astro-Goth”

In continuing with women this week who are taking hip-hop to higher spaces: Cosmic rap (or God Hop as some artists call it) is in South Africa by way of the Johannesburg independent label Iapetus Records (Saturn’s moon) and emcee, Yugen Blakrok. Influenced by other labels like Boogie Down Productions, The Bomb Squad and Ninja […]

Moving on the Wires: Colored Girls Hustle Hard Mixtape and Afro Aliens Video Premiere

After watching their Colored Girls Hustle videos, I wanted to give special highlight to these two women and artists, Taja Lindley and Jessica Valoris and their Colored Girls Hustle artistic creations, including jewelry, poetry and music. I am definitely attracted to their positive message and mission of self-affirmation and self-expression for women of color, whether […]

The My-Stery: Tribute to Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

After reading Shadow and Act’s review about the TLC biopic, Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story, I was reminded of how much Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes is underrated as an artist. In TLC, some thought of her as mainly the wacky and crazy rapper of the group who burned her boyfriends house down. But if we […]

Otherworldly Videos: Kina Sky + Ain’t Nothing But a She Thing

Sorry everyone that I have been gone so long. I kind of was distracted for a bit. But I am back! In light of some of the recent internet controversies that happened last week, including one involving Harriet Tubman (shame on you Russell!), here is a some uplifting videos: 1) Kina Sky from Jamaican filmmaker […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Malik Manifesto

On their bandcamp page, duo Malik Manifesto has the phrase “real is ‘relative,’ truth is ‘absolute.’” The motto appears to be a fitting explanation to Malik Manifesto’s debut, self-titled album. Consisting of producer Dasman and MC Mike Lamont, aka “Sintex Era,” Malik Manifesto’s album begins with what Lamont calls “the king’s manifest,” a title for […]