'Fest and 'Ye Love the Kids

This looks promising.

I supposed it wouldn't be long before Kanye got himself involved in something like this, and from what I know of Rhymefest's sense of artistry and musical exploration, it doesn't surprise me he's ideas like this in his head.

We'll see how things turn out. But I know one thing. The theme music is gonna be hot!

Update:

Apparently, the pilot for Alligator Boots was to air on Comedy Central way back in 2008, but was never shown.

From Huff Post:

Dear Comedy Central: Why did you never air "Alligator Boots"?!

In this video discovered by The Vine, we take an extensive look behind the scenes at a 2008 pilot for "Alligator Boots," a sketch/puppet show pilot created by rapper Rhymefest in collaboration with Kanye West and Daniel Ellison of Jackhole Productions, who also produced "Crank Yankers."

The show had almost the exact same concept as "The Muppet Show" -- the puppets, which interact with live action celebrities, even were created by Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop -- but with a decidedly hip-hop flavor. For instance, Rhymefest describes a sketch in which a literal pig is touted as the next big thing in rap, but nobody notices that he's just a pig "except for smart people."

Read more here.

Well that just sucks. I was looking forward to this. I guess I should have known by the video. Kanye was in his "Cosby sweater" phase back then. I just figured he was being retro.

peace.

!?!?!?!?!?

What did they say?

"Let 'em die"?

"LET 'EM DIE"!?!?!?!?

Wow. You people are f*#@in' ruthless.

Patriots and tyrants, indeed.

peace...?

Child of the Eighties

Imprinting is real, because I've been singing these to myself all my life (as I've mentioned a bit before here).

If you were born between 1978 and 1983 and your parents paid for cable, it's very likely you were imprinted the same as me. These brilliant Nickelodeon bumpers were the work of tv ad men Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman during their revamp of the Nick brand during the mid to late 1980s. Charged with the mission of rescuing the stalling network's market share, Fred and Alan developed the doo-wop sound to be one of the defining bits of vocabulary for the channel.

From FredAlan.org

When we brought up the notion of a sound identity, Nickelodeon executives, still not fully understanding of where we intended to steer the channel, suggested a consideration of Raffi, then a recent phenomenon as a singer for young children. “He’s very popular; our research confirms it.” Fred/Alan tried a lot of arguments to bring them around to a doo-wop sound, but they fell on deaf ears. “Doo-wop’s 30 years old, no kid has ever heard of it.”

We won the day on two grounds.

Fred played on the executives’ liberal backgrouds. “We love all forms of African-American music, and using doo-wop will be a great way to educate American kids without anyone being the wiser.”

Alan’s worked even better. He opened his mouth and, quoting The Marcels’ arrangement of chestnut “Blue Moon,” sang:

“Bom-ma-bom, a-bom-bom-a-bom, ba-ba-bom-bom-a-bomp, b-dang-a-dang-dang, b-ding-a-dong-ding.”

“What kid isn’t going to relate to that right away?” Alan asked.

Case closed.

It's fascinating to read about simple decisions made miles away such a long time ago, and how those decisions shaped our perceptions of the world. I mean, these guys were absolutely right. I hadn't heard doo-wop before I heard these, and I did relate to them immediately. So much so that I've given them enough importance to spend 30 minutes writing and researching them on my blog. They were inventive, artistic, and absolutely charming.

peace.

Emergence

Well, I don't really have too much to say today; perhaps later on. But my friend Dave has some stuff he'd like to get off his chest.

(There are two more parts! Enjoy!)

peace.

Emcee of the Month: MF Doom

I love this video.

3rd Base feat. Zev Love X (a.k.a. MF Doom) - "The Gas Face" Yes. That last cat to rhyme is, in fact, MF Doom.

So why am I posting a 3rd Base video from 1989? Well for the uninitiated, the emcee we now know as MF Doom started his hip hop career as Zev Love X, a member of early 1990s rap group KMD (Kausing Much Damage). This record with 3rd Base was Doom's recording debut, leading to KMD's first album Mr. Hood.

More than anything else, however, is that I wanted to show MF Doom's face. Since 1997, he has rarely allowed himself to be photographed without his mask. It's true that Doom's reluctance to have his face be seen has led to the interest and mystique surrounding his work. Much of that reluctance seems to be a direct result from the sudden and untimely death of his younger brother and fellow KMD member DJ Subroc. During the period after his brother's death in 1993 and the Operation: Doomsday release in 1999, Doom's transition from Zev Love X to the man with the metal face took place during a self-imposed three-year exile, resurfacing at New York's famed Nuyorican Café open mics in 1997 (performing with stocking over his head). He descirbed his retreat as a period of "recovering from his wounds" and swore revenge "against the industry that so badly deformed him." Therefore, I feel it's both interesting and appropriate to see the man he was before the mask.

peace.

Comedy = Bravery

I suppose you'll be seeing a lot more things like this from me in the coming months.

Louis CK commenting on the influence of George Carlin

A couple of days ago I found out I'd be taking my first journey into the world of satirical comedic theatre (think "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report"). Not only that, the nature of the show requires that the ensemble rewrites the show's material each week. I'm immensely excited for the opportunity to explore this kind of work, but I would be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge part of me that is completely terrified.

Comedy writing is a tough art. For someone to really be memorable at being funny, it requires much more than goofy voices and fart jokes. It's absolutely vital that s/he develops a uniquely specific and adaptable perspective of the world. Jon Stewart has described it as the ability to "articulate an intangible", verbally illuminating responses to our society that only exist as sensations for most of us. Equally as important is the challenge of straddling the line between incredibly funny and obscenely offensive, which the great comedic writers and performers are able to do with both daring and sensitivity.

In my research of how comedians build their material I came across this video, which I feel is a wonderful illustration of how really good comedic writing has the power to change ideas and perceptions just like poetry, song, essay, or any other written art form.

But honestly, if I can just get someone to laugh one good time, that'll be enough for me.

peace.

The Rhymes of Our Lives

In celebration of what I feel is my first truly palpable week as a member of the Philadelphia community, I humbly offer The Roots' 1996 single "What They Do".

It took me a little while to find a version of this with the subtitles. The video doesn't make any sense without them.

Ever since I've moved to Philly, I been slowly introducing myself to the theatre community here. And although my family has been extremely supportive and invited me into the fold, the larger Philadelphia arts scene has been a bit tougher to crack. However, this week has revealed to me a collection of friends with open hands and warm hearts that have recognized my willingness to join them. It's a wonderful feeling.

So I'm feeling really Philly right now. I hope you enjoy.

peace.