A gaggle of rappers and wordsmiths speak on the most charismatic presidential candidate the hip hop generation has ever seen. They graciously answered the call of the Littlest Lyrical Lounge Interviewer That Could, Angelica LeMinh.

It’s been four years since November 3, 2004, when Saul Williams stood on top of a speaker in Vancouver and said to us, “tomorrow is the most important day in our history.” He could’ve repeated that yesterday with some next level significance.

It’s been almost five years since “Letter To The President“, the QD3 documentary, was made, as a response to the political climate of the time, just after the second rigged vote of the second ragged Bush. A few comments that stood out and remain true from the project:

-KRS-1 reminded us that in the ’60s, people wanted to be part of America, but in the ’80s, people were like, “Fuck America”. It would appear that things (at least on a general level) have taken a turn back in the previous direction, as folks are more mobilized and involved in this election than ever before (it doesn’t matter what statistics show, we can see the difference in our neighborhoods and social circles). My personal hope and wish is that folks are not about to get American Idol’d, that Obama isn’t about to be the next Jennifer Hudson, in her recent short-lived triumph that came at the expense of tragedy (our condolences).

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For those of you who have not seen the Newsarama article, I just wanted to post up a link that connected Shotgun to promote some more awareness for the art auction that will be raising money for the Obama/Biden campaign.

Here’s a link to their official site.
Here’s a link to their MySpace site.

They’re even on Facebook, folks–look them up.

It’s hard to call it these days, either our hip hop heroes are everything we expect them to be and still inspirational, or they’ve gotten a bit too big for their pedestals. During a brief stint at a day job this summer, I made sure to do my part and channel the public funds available to me to pull together Montreal’s biggest Honey Jam to date, featuring Lyrical Lounge favorite Eternia, and hometown heroines Nantali Indongo (don’t sleep on this Nomadic Massive-ly affiliated woman, officially the illest chick in the 514) and Meduza, with the groundbreaking headliner and subject of this interview, Michie Mee. She’s funny, she’s obliging, and she swears by Millie Jackson and Jamaican patties (no bias towards chicken or beef, but she loves home cooking and that of her traveling chef, best). I’m happy to deliver on a promise that I made when I first started giving my ten cents to this here e-zine.* - Angelica LeMinh
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Josh Dysart (BPRD: 1946, The Unknown Soldier) posted this gem on his blog over on MySpace.

Try to have an ignorance free weekend…it’s going to be hard, trust me.

Please to enjoy, Vince and Lucas’s conversation with Warren Ellis from within his hotel room at Wizard World Chicago. He talks FreakAngels, other Avatar work, his Internet presence, and how he feels about being back with the X-Men. Every time this man opens his mouth, gold spills out. Hit play and catch some for yourself!

 

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What’s that you say? You missed Wizard World Chicago and wish beyond wishes that you could just experience a little bit of it? Well you’re in luck! We’ve got TONS of video content coming to you, being shown both here, and at Newsarama.com! First up is Peter David! Watch for his announcement, and enjoy a little reading as if Lucas is a little child. It’s awesome!

Chris Gore is a speaker and writer on the topic of independent film. He is also the main writer and founder of Film Threat, a project dedicated to covering independent and underground movies. He appears weekly on the G4 television program “Attack of the Show” in a segment entitled DVDuesday in which he reviews the newest DVD movies released that day. His books include The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made , The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 3rd Edition, and The Complete DVD Book: Designing, Producing and Marketing Your Independent Film on DVD. Sidenote: he remembered me as the guy who loved “Amalgam Comics”.

Yep. I’m the second caller.I called him up recently so get an insight of the future of film and any other projects he has in the works and to see what lies in that spiky head of his.

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The Sapiens are in their third year as a band. The dance rock band from Chicago has recently made several must-hear lists, and was even chosen by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top ten bands to watch in 2008. With a show in Chicago tonight, Thursday April 3, at The Note (for more info visit www.thenotechicago.com), Shotgun Reviews had a conversation with the band’s lead guitarist, Charlie Nadler. Read on for a look at the band’s roots, plans, and dreams, then head over to their site to have a listen.

Shotgun Reviews: First thing’s first. How and when did The Sapiens become a band?

Charlie Nadler:The band formed in 2005 as a foursome of Columbia College grads who had left other various projects to start something new. I’d embellish this with an anecdote about our first show or something, but I didn’t join The Sapiens until about a year later. So I won’t.

SR: What does your band have to offer that the music industry doesn’t already have?

CN:I’d say that every band with a unique sound has something to offer that the music industry doesn’t already have. Or if not a unique sound, at least a sweet gimmick. We don’t really sound like anyone else right now, so the question is: Does anyone want what we have to offer? I think so. People are ready for something different. (more…)

by John Stvan AKA Halcylon
Edited by Vince Scalabrino

Much like the fabled unicorn, Achronos is elusive, majestic, and beautiful.  Well, we assume he’s beautiful.  Regardless, the Shot in the Dark crew managed to track down this mythical man and cornered him.  He agreed to grant us three wishes.  The first two were wasted on Lucas’s wish to have Spider Man’s super powers and Vince’s wish to have Codemaster’s “Overlord” become a reality.  With Spider Lucas out the window and The Dark Lord Vince safely within his evil tower, the rest of the crew were left to have their final wish granted: that Achronos answer a battery of questions.  The following is a relatively exact representation of what ensued.

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By John Stvan

On February 20th, Shots in the Dark found, tied up, and guerrilla interrogated a current Forum Ninja (see: Moderator) from Bungie.net. Moderating a bunch of rabid Halo fans is no small feat, and he told us of the ups and downs of one of the largest gaming communities around. To protect his identity, we shall simply call him by his tag of Yoozel.

Shots in the Dark: Yoozel is an interesting name. Does it come from anywhere or anything?

Yoozel: It’s a mystery really… there is some truth out there about it… but all I’m willing to say is that it came from an artist I went to school with and she’ll get mad props always. Not to mention it was an inside joke back in the day….

SitD: Has that always been your gamer name?

Yoozel: Well… in the Bungie realm of things, yes. Over the years I have assumed countless identities to game under… but I was never really into competitive online play until Xbox Live came out.

SitD: Nice shameless Microsoft plug! Have to make the bucks somehow, right?

Yoozel: Will moderate for 401K and benefits!!

SitD: You’ve been a part of Bungie.net for how long?

Yoozel: I’ve been apart of Bungie.net for almost 5 years now. Still going strong and continually pissing a lot of people off. And despite public opinion it’s not over until my liver explodes or the Webmaster gives up!

SitD: Are you telling me that the fans, the forum community, cause you to drink?

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Okay, so our dollar is getting stronger but our buying power has always been high. The Lyrical Lounge’s favorite Canadian recently found her way backstage on a snowy Monday night to interview both Classified and Shad after their sold-out show. And yeah, Tim Horton’s fans, the title is a shoutout to how we do our coffee (the closest compliment to the NYC deli coffees). -Angelica LeMinh
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Mr. J. Medeiros (of the Procussions) talks to your favorite Lyrical Lounge interview queen about “hurt(ing) this pride, murder(ing) this ego”. Here’s a look inside the mind of a (Super)man who ain’t too proud to eat humble pie, just hold the milk - Angelica LeMinh

ALM: Rappelles-moi ton histoire avec la langue francaise….
Mr J: I am still learning French. I know just enough to keep the show going and some extra phrases to get around town. France was the first place I toured (with The Procussions) outside of the U.S. and that was 4 years ago. We go twice almost every year, in fact, I’m here now, about to finish about a 7 week tour…of France.

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Not too many rappers are Nikki Giovanni approved! Seriously. And when he’s not crushin’ his own mic (ya know feedin’ his hip-hop habit), you just might find Dumi Right contemplating the significance (and utter brilliance) of the handful of Tribe Called Quest albums out there. See, Dumi can spit verses from both the Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders albums forward and backwards–and he won’t forget a bar, I swear–but just don’t ask him to chose which one is better! - JB

What’s good? Its been a minute since we last spoke? (Circa the first PH Music compilation release) What have you been up to?

Staying busy. Since then I went on to release the O.U.O album, of unknown origin through pH MUSIC/Domination Recordings and through a coincidental conversation I had with DJ Fisher, I connected with some cats that were interested in putting out unreleased Zimbabwe Legit material in the form of the album Brothers from the Mother that never saw light of day when things fell apart back when we were still with Hollywood Complex. After putting out those 2 albums I’ve been working on this new project, The House of Stone and putting in some work with guest appearances on records by Cadence, The Good People and The Saint and a few overseas compilations.

How do you leverage your time between the fam and your music?

I mean its like there are really not enough hours in the day. I have a full time day job, then I have a family so want to make sure that is the main priority. Then there is this business of music. Basically I just have to prioritize, some social stuff that isn’t business related has to get deaded. I mean if some heads want to get together and just kick it I might have to pass so I can spend time with the fam and then jump out when I have a session, show or some business stuff happening. I also have to try to be ultra organized so I can maximize my available time. I have to make sure I stay sharp in all the arenas of my life but also remember that family is most important.

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Angelica LeMinh goes into the locker room with one of the only 3-time Shotgun Reviews’ champion interviewees, Eternia (Miz Green Eyes), who still holds one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios to date. Following the NBA’s groundbreaking lead, The Lyrical Lounge has annointed a Canadian MVP.

ALM: So, you’re DJing with Prince Paul and shit. What’s your libation of choice on and off the decks?

MIZ E: Aww man, everyone who knows me knows it’s Bacardi Gold rum and coke, though recently I been switching to Grey Goose. Not because I like Grey Goose more, because I don’t, but Jean Grae once told me personally that “dark liquor is a no no”. I agree, but then again, maybe all liquor is a no no.

ALM: I love that you haven’t forgotten your home (sweet Screwface) on your whole Underground From Canada journey. Did it take moving away to really feel it?

MIZ E: Yes. Anybody that claims that Canada doesn’t have an identity, that “Canadians” cannot be typified, is dead wrong. Or they just haven’t moved away. We most definitely have our own identity and it is uniquely ours. I miss Canada, especially Toronto, too much to fully express on any track.

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It’s hard not to be noticed when you drop a video like “Y’all Should All Get Lynched”, but NYOIL is pleasantly humble and effervescently funny when he meets the little Lyrical Lounge Interview Queen that could, Angelica LeMinh, as she travels across international borders and domestic waters to chat with him on his side of the Staten Island ferry.    

ALM: Is NYOIL an acronym?

NYOIL: It used to stand for “New York’s Original International Lover” but I had to retire that because it became too ridiculous (laughs). Now it’s NY Oil, oil is black gold, we’ve been at war for oil, the youth has been dying for oil. I think the youth is black gold, and that’s what I’m going to war for, the youth, this hip hop.

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