We Got It For Cheap Volume 1

Clipse, We Got It For Cheap Volume 1

[Ed. note: I just realized that I am missing a few songs. I'll have the whole thing up tomorrow, so check back. Sorry for the delay.]

Okay, here is the mixtape that everyone is talking about, or was talking about 6 months ago. I'm usually about a year behind on trends, so I'm actually kinda proud of myself on this one.

While it may be old as Moses for a mixtape, We Got It For Cheap 1 is still being talked about, as it is so much more than the typical throwaway shit that just tries to collect the latest songs and blends/remix them into one package. Ain't nothing wrong with that, but they usually don't get more than a week's long listen, before one moves on to the newest shit, yamean? This one holds up months later, as Clinton Sparks and The Clipse have put together the gold standard for all mixtapes with these two volumes, elevating the mixtape to an art form.

The first one is the weaker of the two, with not enough Pusha and Malice and a bit too much Ab Liva and Sandman, the two new members who helped to form the Re-Up Gang. It's still got some great shit, with "Coast to Coast," "Pussy (Remix)," and some freestyles over LL Cool J's "I Shot Ya." More to come when I put up Volume 2 later in the week, as I want to get into the music and some of the interesting pieces that have been written about these two mixes.

-Be still my sad, dejected heart. The Democrats found their fight today, lead by the Senate minority leader Harry Reid. Today, Reid brilliantly called a closed session of the Senate, in order to force the body to continue the investigation of pre-war intelligence, invoking a little used Senate rule. This report has been delayed because of the foot-dragging of Pat Roberts, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the administration and the Republican leadership. That all changed this afternoon, and Harry Reid and Richard Durbin deserve the credit. As Arthur Silber says, "We may finally have an opposition party again. And just in the nick of time." I couldn't think of better news.

Go here to read Reid's speech on the Senate floor before he called for the closed session. Go here for the video of the speech and resulting fit that Bill Frist threw to reporters. Awesome stuff. Steve Clemons has been on this story all day, and is the best resource to know what's going on, who is behind this, and what this all means.

-Like Gatorade at the end of a marathon, light at the end of a tunnel, or a valium at the end of a panic attack,the NBA season begins tonight. Sixers open with the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. More basketball talk in the future, but in the meantime, check out Straight Bangin' (so necessary season preview here and here) and Wizznuttz for all your basketball needs. Any other good basketball sites, let me know.