Recognize Exhibit @ the National Portrait Gallery in D.C.

So I'm vacationing in the nation's capital. I visit the district w/some frequency since I have family and lots of friends that live in the area. Sometimes, I check out the cultural scene, but often I don't have the time.

But on this trip, I did get a chance to see a great deal. I had heard about the "Recognize" Exhibit, but the person who mentioned it to me did not seem so impressed. So now you are thinking that I was impressed, and I will say that I really enjoyed it! It was a small exhibit, considering the size of the museum, but I'll take it.

What was there to like about it? Everything. There were still photos of the hip hop icons like KRS-One as well as SuperNatural and DJs Shadow and Cut Chemist and my boy ?uesto from The Roots; there was paintings of LL Cool J and Ice Cube; there was a mixed media piece that paid tribute to some of the fallen hip hoppers like Biggie, Lisa "Left-eye" Lopez and others; a poem by Nikki Giovanni; some film shorts set to hip hop music and several graffiti murals. The website has images of nearly everything that is in the exhibit (in the event that you can't get there, but would like to see how hip hop fits into the major museum scene).

The artists behind the exhibit are incredible. I went w/a friend who is a true art connoisseur. And he gave me the back story on most of the artists especially Kehinde Wiley, whose talent is exceptional. I truly love David Scheinbaum's photography; I could look at it for hours. Just the kind of photographer that captures so much in an image. And who knew that so many hip hop artists make a stop in the Sunshine Theater in New Mexico.

Good stuff ... if you get a chance to see it, definitely take it in. It's there until October 26, 2008 ... and it's free and I know you are down w/that price tag hip hoppers! Get your culture on, kfox.

Adding insult to injury

So I'm off to Vegas for a couple of days - all work and very little play. Attending and presenting at a conference "Conducting Research for Non-Profit Media" - ooooh, juicy topic, eh? Whatever, point is, I get to get away, talk media and test new technology. Oh, and I plan to see Wayne Brady perform while I'm there. I hear that his "Making %@ It Up" show is hilarious. Though he is no replacement for what I am missing while I am away.

Which brings me to my main point ... what appears to be a cruel joke that is being played on me. The Roots are scheduled to perform at Carnegie Mellon University. I got all geeked only to discover that I would be nearly two thousand miles away when the action arrives in The 'Burgh. Not so great for me. But to add insult to injury, I just learned that my boy, ?uestlove - Roots drummer and dj extraordinarie, is performing a set at a local club - yeah, it's true and I am soo sad about it.

I have not seen The Roots perform Live in, what, almost a year ... ? Sinful. So I've been combin through their other tour dates to see when I can be down, but it's not looking so good. I'm considering the D.C. dates, but I know the tix will be outrageously priced. The next good lookin date is the Festival Pier on June 7. We'll see.

So hip hoppers, if you are down and checkin out my guys, can I live vicariously through you or what?

**NOTE: image borrowed from The Roots blog

The Brit is officially in the building!

Earlier this year, I mentioned Amy Winehouse. Well, the british sensation has officially arrived on the U.S. music radar.

I came to know Winehouse via The Roots' ?uestlove (not personally, but he had been tauting her on his blog and what not), so I thought I'll give it a try. I thought that she was okay, but I really thought that my sister would enjoy it. So I ponyed up the Euros to get the disk prior to the U.S. release. And yeah, it did cost about $17 for nearly 30 minutes of music. To Winehouse's credit, the project (her second) is chock full of fresh profanity and upbeat, Motown-esque songs; it is both likeable and loveable.

So I ask my sis a few days after Christmas how she like the album and she says "I have not listened to it yet..." Are you kidding me; you better get grateful and pump that on your iPod (that I also invested in ...; spoiled little sisters). Point is the girl is now hooked and is singing the Winehouse praise to anyone who will listen.

We are now seeking some tix to one of Winehouse's sparse U.S. gigs. Until then, we at least have Winehouse's recent appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

My passion for The Roots ...

... continues to grow. I saw them perform LIVE in Cleveland on Thursday, March 15. What an energetic show! They are such an incredibly talented band. ?uestlove was a beast on the drums; Capt Kirk rips the guitar and he just brings fire to the stage; Black Thought was looking scrumptious in his rock star suede jacket; the whole crew was on point ... they even had a four-piece brass band complete w/a sousaphone!

They performed "You Got Me" in their true LIVE performance style-they stretch it out and Kirk lays down this thunderous and sexy solo ... ooooooh. For this show there was also a James Brown tribute. It was nice; I liked the funky soul train line as the band was introduced, but then ... it was over. I mean, I was completely wound up and aching for more and it was a wrap.

Lest I forget that when a Roots show is done, guess what happens? The concert-goers go home ... true, but before that, the band's infamous drummer signs the drum sticks and tosses them out to the audience. Damn, I'd forgotten because I had really hoped they would do an encore. At any rate, I am still w/o a signed drum stick from ?uesto. The good thing is I know that my fate is not doomed; no it is not.

There is one tidbit: as I was talking to a friend when the show was over, Kamal, The Roots keyboardist, walks by and I sort of tap him and say "hey, good show; I drove two hours to see this show AND I am your biggest fan!" (though I know that I am not their biggest fan). He nodded and shook my hand ... and kept it movin.

I am waiting for my friend Pam to email me some pix from last night. There was a bevy of cameras: cellphone, digital, video ... I figure why should I take pix when someone w/a really good camera can just share their goods w/me ... ?

So, you already know that The Roots are my fav band. But what you did not know is that I have seen them perform LIVE four times in the past eight months - AND ALL FOR FREE! Oh, and all in Cleveland. That is pretty awesome.

2007 Hip Hip intake = 0

...I know that your face is on the floor. But I have been music-less for the past few days. Just not listening to music (except for a little bit of radio in the car). It's still early though and classes (i.e. work) have not yet resumed.

I did download the ?uestlove hyped Amy Winehouse. I got it as a backup Christmas gift for my sis. Since the project is not avail in the states, I ventured to an international site and got the joint in Euros. It still only came to about $15. Only eight tracks though. I like it. Oh, but it is NOT, I repeat NOT hip hop. I read somewhere that she's like a Joss Stone - interesting compairson since they are both caucasian female vocalists. Conclusion - I like them both!

That's all I got at the moment ... more in the next few days; give me a coupla days, yall!

Slow movin in the '07 ... kfox

He's got heart!

I've viewed this video blog by ?uestlove a couple of times. His passion is deep for what he and The Roots do ...

... I'm enjoying the holiday season, which is why I've been posting so sporatically (and the end of the semester). I'll have comments on the new Nas (out now) and Mos Def (out on 12.29.06).

Have a nice holiday season hip hoppers ... kfox

A Roots Tour Update ...

This is sooooo crazy. ?uesto has been blogging the Roots' European Tour and right about now, I think my boyz are ready to return to familiar turf.

Is anyone else super surprised that some of the guys were in an all out brawl; an old school fisticuffs? I saw the wounded - and you can too.

You can also catch the ongoing video log on Okayplayer and here.

More about my obssesion w/the Roots: I let a former student borrow my "Game Theory" disk last week. It was a random act of kindness (I let him borrow my Dave Chappelle's Block Party cd as well - I know, I know, what was I thinking...?). So a day went by, then two and then I sent him a nice and tidy email that he should return it, and soon - maybe I gently worded that I would track him down and physically harm him if he did not return it within 12 hours ... However, I did not think he would get it back to me prior to my holiday road trip ... but he did. Whewwww, that was close. Why didn't I just offer to burn him a copy myself ...? Next time - lesson learned.

Prayers for the Roots to get healthy and be safe ... kfox