Monday, November 28, 2005

The Sound of Music

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The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more

Substitute Pound for Pound for the hills, iPod for heart, and the news should be obvious. For those a little slow on the uptake or just uncomfortable with Julie Andrews, get ready for the resumption of mp3s here.

Shout the good news out to the world, as we're back in business.

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Friday, November 18, 2005

Things That Are Making Me Smile Part 1

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Amazingly, the news has been cheering me up, which is either a good sign for the state of the country, or a bad sign for the state of my life. For real, though, there have been some nice developments in politics, sports and music that have put me in a better mood- a little sun on a cloudy day.

-The Democrats won both Governor's races last Tuesday, in New Jersey and Virginia. The Virginia one is especially exciting because it comes in a red state that voted for Bush by a nine % point margin in 2004. Bush actually made a campaign push for the Republican nominee on Monday, and it seemed to have a negative impact. The Republican nominee for NJ Governor, Doug Forrester, blamed Bush for his loss. Nice to see the GOP big tent collapsing under the weight of corruption and ineptitude. However, heed kos' words that this is just the beginning, that we need to keep the Republicans reeling.

-Philly voters overwhelmingly approved a change to the City Charter that will enable ethics reform to go forward. It was 6 to 1 voting yes, a clear and loud message that voters do care about this issue. Again, this is just a beginning. We must keep the focus on this issue and the pressure on members of City Council.

-The Philadelphia Flyers look great. although they lost in overtime last night. I cannot begin to tell you how nice it is to have my boys back in action, winning, playing well and taking my mind off of things. Actually, this is just a shameless way to boost Canadian readership, but whatever.

-lemon-red! Bol is straight killin' it. Go here and check out the new monthly mix, this time by DJ Benzi. Go here and grab the DJ Eleven mix, Houston Rocks It, as one of The Rub DJs takes you on a journey through the hip hop history of everyone's favorite city, H-Town. Go here for the man's first foray into mix making, a nice start and hopefully the first of many.

-Thanks to the good guys at Those Two Words for the kind words over at their site and in the comments section. It's real nice to have them back writing and updating on a consistent basis. Go check them out here, or use the link on the right as I have finally added them to the links list. It's one of the best hip hop news sources around.

More to come later in the week on the positive, as I try to stay on the Bobby McFerrin grind.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Monday Did Not Happen

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That's right. Monday did not happen, there was no football game or telegraphed pass or returned interception or injured quarterback. Nothing.

We will have a post up shortly, as Pound for Pound is desperately trying to think happy thoughts. The only one coming to mind is that things can't get worse. Right? They can't, can they?*

(Robber, please post Burt Bacharach's "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" now. Thanks.)

Sunday, November 13, 2005

RIP Arrested Development

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In a fitting end to a shitty week, Arrested Development, the FOX sitcom, was dropped from the November sweeps schedule Friday. While the show is due to return in December, the network has cut the third season to 13 episodes. In other words, the show has been cancelled, fulfilling the threats of FOX executives and the worst fears of its fans. There are 5 more episodes this year and that's it. It will not return in the new year.

This is really upsetting news for me, as this was the one. The only show that I got excited to watch, that I waited for each week, my TV jawn. What does the future hold for Pound for Pound's TV time? I guess that I will continue to let my inner 16 year girl out, solely watching MTV programming. I am thankful that both seasons are available on DVD, as it's nice to know that I can always watch the show and pretend it's still on. Go here to buy them.

More than anything, it's a sad day for TV viewers. I know y'all are watching lots of TV, but I just can't figure out what you're watching? Law and Order: Short Hills? Some girl with implants eating worms for money? A family terrorized by a morbidly obese, Christian maniac who was swapped for their real wife/mom? Bobby and Whitney? The Danny Bonaduce train wreck? (Wait, that last one's legit.) We let something unique and creative die, and so we deserve all the reality show crap that fill the air. The folks at TV Squad have a far better attack on the people who didn't like the show.

The cancellation's got the Internet going nuts. The people at Fox's Arrested Development forum are plotting a revolution. For real, that is the subject of a post. Here is the site dedicated to bringing the show back from the dead. Read this lament from someone who watches TV for a living, The Arizona Republic's Bill Goodykoontz, who makes it clear just how bad this news is. As Goodykoontz (a simply awesome last name) says, "This is perfect television." The Moderate Voice weighs in, as does TV Fodder and TV Elites.

Finally, a big fuck you to FOX. Your pathetic network had a real treasure, the best comedy on television. A successful network would have made this work, like NBC did with Friends or CBS with that pile of shit Everybody Loves Raymond. Unfortunately, the douchebags at FOX are too concerned with finding new ways to switch wives or make people cheat on their boyfriends to promote an Emmy winner. Great job, guys, as I guess that you can focus all of your attention on the greatest comedy of all, FOX News. Learn your lesson and stick to propaganda.

It is a shame that there will be no more Michael, Gob and Buster, but I still hold out hope that another network will step up and find a home for the best TV show since Seinfeld. HBO, stand up!

Free Anyan!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

You Can't Take Away My Dignity

I am sorry for the brief absence, but the real world frighteningly intruded into my life Monday. I was robbed at gunpoint, and had my laptop and some money taken. The good news is that I escaped without being harmed physically, and did not pee or defecate in my pants in the moment. I am, however, a shook one right now, trying to get back on my feet and back into the real world as best I can.

I'm going to try to post up regularly, as honestly it has helped writing and looking at the news and checking out blogs and doing my general nerd stuff. It's helped get my mind off of my own troubles, and that's all I can ask for right now. (Well, that, and a brand new laptop, powerful pharmeceuticals and world peace.)

However, I am not going to be posting up music for the foreseeable future, until a new computer is purchased and my music is back on a machine. Perhaps if we are lucky, the armed robber will feel free to upload some Miami bass and DJ Screw tracks on yousendit for everyone to enjoy, as it would be nice to know that the music is being enjoyed and shared.

Well, that's about all for now. I am sorry to say that this blog won't be living up to its potential for now, but it is nice to know that it will have its day again.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Scooter? I Hardly Knew Her!

We now return to everyone's favorite chief of staff and traitor, Scooter Libby. Last we left our hero, he was awaiting the decision of Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney investing the CIA leak case. Last Friday, he was indicted on 5 charges: 2 counts of perjury, 1 count of obstruction of justice, 2 counts of lying to a grand jury. All in all, he could serve a maximum of 30 years. Serious time. A chance for him to hit the weights, get his degree, convert to Islam, figure out his true feelings for Dick Cheney. Go here (pdf) to read the indictment.

He was in court yesterday for arraignment, pleading not guilty. The trial has begun, and it should help remind everyone that the indictment wasn't an end, but rather a beginning. Don't forget that there is so much more to come, as evidenced by Karl Rove's uncertain future. The Washington Post reports that aides are discussing whether he should resign or formally apologize. Jane at firedoglake has some great thinking on this article. Even better, contrary to the Right's talking points, Rove is still under investigation in the leak case.

-Libby resigned as the Vice President's chief of staff last Friday, as well. Are you wondering who was picked to replace Libby as Cheney's chief of staff? You are, aren't you? Wondering if the White House and Dick Cheney have learned from the Libby indictment? No, they have not. David Addington has been named as Libby's successor as Cheney's chief of staff. TAPPED has the story on him, the man called one of the president's "torture lawyers" by Slate. Even better, Cheney's new national security advisor, John Hannah, is closely tied to the lies that lead us to war. Matt Yglesias links to this Knight Ridder article about Hannah's pivotal role in the bogus claims that was used as evidence to bring us to war. Oh, and both men are pivotal actors in the leaking of Valerie Plame's name to the press.

-Speaking of torture, are you missing the stories about Abu Ghraib? Feeling a bit of pride when you consider our country, the US of A? Well, do I have a tale for you. The Washington Post has the story that the CIA has been hiding terror suspects in secret prisons in Eastern Europe, prisons that were once used by Soviet police. You want more? Dick Cheney has chosen his cause: torture. He is ACTIVELY lobbying members of the Senate to add a CIA exception to John McCain's bill banning torture by any American. Other members of the administration are even disturbed at how far down the slope they have gone.

In light of all of these stories, Cenk Uygur asks the fundamental question: What have we become?

-With such scary news out there, go to Laundromat United and grab the nice Halloween mix that Lambo and Capski put together for the holiday. We Mix On Their Graves is really great stuff.

-I have been sleeping on a great blog from a Philly bol, Trapper Juan. Drew's got lots of links and thoughts on topics ranging from rap to myspace to Barry Melrose's hair. Anyone who gets harrassed and stalked by people who frequent the OkayPlayer message board and references the greatest MASH character has to be alright in my book.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

We Got It For Oops Volume 1

Clipse, We Got It For Cheap Volume 2

Sorry, I'm going to have to wait to put up We Got It For Cheap Volume 1, as I am in NYC and away from my CDs. In its place, I am putting up We Got It For Cheap Volume 2, a logical replacement. More to come on these two volumes, as I will get Volume 1 up in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

Keep the votes coming in on the next focus here at Pound for Pound.

DJ Screw vs. Miami bass vs. Three 6 Mafia

Vote or Die

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

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.

Monday, October 31, 2005

The Scariest Day of The Year

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That's right, it's October 31st, Halloween, a night for ghouls and goblins, when scary stories are told and horror movies watched. This year, no one needs that fake shit, we've got the real thing. What else to say about the nomination of Samuel Alito, a man dubbed "Scalito" and "Scalia-lite"? He is the Right's wet dream, Princeton, Yale Law, white, male, against judicial activism except when it serves the interests of conservatisim. Quite simply, it's a treat for the right wing/religious conservatives, who demanded repayment for bringing Bush victory in 20o4, and a trick for everyone else who just wants the government to serve everyone's interests.

It wasn't hard to see that Bush, beset by scandal and incompetence, would play to his base, those who want to overturn Roe v, Wade, who want the Court uphold states' rights except if the state wants to do something they don't like, who want to return to earlier times before Roe, the Voting Rights Act, Social Security. It's also not shocking that he would rush this decision in order to get the news of his Vice President's involvement in the CIA leak out of the news. While I understand the need to change the subject, he did not consult any Democratic senators on this decison. Are you fucking kidding me?

It is a really sad and pathetic choice by Bush. There is nothing sadder than seeing a man brought to his knees by his patrons, but there is no other way to see this. He talked diversity before, he talked about bringing people together, he talked about a new voice other than a federal court judge, he talked. That will be the gist of the man's presidency. He talked a good game, but his actions were simply the work of an incompetent, a liar and a fraud. A conservative who destroyed the federal budget. A uniter who divided worse than ever before. An ethical man (unlike the previous President) whose second term is marred by scandals everywhere. The 9/11 President who has done nothing to capture the man responsible for it, who lead us into a war that has only benefitted our enemies, and a man under whose administration our government has done nothing to protect our citizens from another attack. He talked about Iraq, but did nothing to plan for the reality on the ground.

Philly's own Atrios has already picked up on my theme here, as he looks at the words of Scott McClellan today at his press briefing, picked up by Think Progress. "Cooperating fully with the Special Counsel"? Scooter Libby was indicted for obstruction of fucking justice! All I can say is: Calgon, TAKE ME AWAY!

-After this kind of day, it only makes sense to go out and dress up, drink too much and have fun, as there is no sense sitting at home worrying, imagining doomsday and reading too much news. That's my job. Everyone else, go to Sway tonight for Roxy's Halloween party. Diplo is spinning, along with Catchdubs and I-Trak. In Brooklyn, Caps and Jones are holding it down at Savalas (second best flier, btw). In Philly, Philebrity celebrates the holiday with Monster Mash-Up (please, G-d, no actual mash-ups, please). Yah Mos Def, DJ Ron Morelli of Reagan Disko Headache and strippers.

-Before you head out, make sure to head over to lemon-red and grab his October mix as this is your last chance. Certified Bananas, it is indeed. More to come on l-r, as big things are going down for bol from what I hear and read.

-Also, a last chance to grab this mix over at Yewknee, a Halloween/spooky themed one that should hold up for the rest of the year, looking ahead to the horror lies in the news. [Via Catchdubs]

-This week at Pound for Pound, we will be getting back to the music, as I promise to upload the two Clipse mixtapes. I will put up some pics and thoughts on the madness that was Child's Play Friday night. More Scooter Libby stuff, Supreme Court, state of the world, blah blah blah. I'm also going to give youse guys and girls a chance to vote on the next mp3 focus here: Three 6 Mafia vs. Miami Bass vs DJ Screw.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

What Are You Going To Be For Halloween?

How's it do? I wanted to check in and drop some link-y goodness, as I'm gonna save the two Clipse mixtapes for the weekend. Big news today, as it appears that George W. Bush is going as a weasel this year. He nixed the nomination of his good buddy and the President of the Official W Fan Club, Harriet Miers today. It isn't surprising news, as no one had stepped up to defend her from the constant attacks of the past few weeks. Josh Marshall has a good post looking back at Miers and forward to the next choice. Mark Schmitt does the same.

As for the next choice, be afraid, be very afraid. Bush caved into the radical right wing with Miers, and he will make sure to please his voting base with this next nomination. Maybe Ruth Ginsburg can dress up as a white, male, strict constructionist.

-I would love to see Karl Rove and "Scooter" Libby go as criminals this year, dressed in orange jumpsuits or those black and white numbers a la the Hamburgler. No indictments today, but most people seem to think that they will be announced tomorrow. *Late Update: Libby to be indicted tomorrow, Rove not indicted, grand jury will be extended by Fitzgerald, investigation to continue. [Via Talking Points Memo]*

Murray Waas
has the story of the day in The National Journal, writing that Dick Cheney and Libby withheld documents from the Senate Intelligence Committee last year. Rep. Jerry Nadler has asked Congress to expand Fitzgerald's investigation to answer whether the White House deceived Congress in order to get us to war. Tip of the iceberg, he says. Josh Marshall and Laura Rozen are leading the charge to expose more of the iceberg, putting the focus on the reason for Joe Wilson's trip way back when: the forged documents that said Iraq was trying to buy uranium from Niger.

-It seems safe to say that everyone in the White House is dressing as Ashton Kutcher, punking the citizens of this country. How else to explain this story? (Or this one?) Iraq, Katrina, Wilma, SCOTUS, huge deficits, Iran and Syria? Fuck that, we need to take down The Onion. For real, this is not a joke. (Via TA)

- Do you have plans for Halloween weekend? I will be here in Philly Friday night, that is definite. Great flier, crazy cool event. Halloween party in a funeral home? Yes, yes. I hope to make it to some of the cool events in NYC this weekend too, as The Rub is Saturday, Caps and Jones in Brooklyn and Diplo with Catchdubs in the West Village on Halloween night.

-What's that? What am I going as? Slick Rick, with a possible reprise of my Flavor Flav costume from Hollerween last year at the Ukie. Holler.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Locked Up! I Hope They Don't Let Them Out















This is a special "Indictments Issue" of Pound for Pound, as we take a look at two scandals bringing down awful people in D.C. and Philly.

-I want to scream this news to the world, but instead I am going to write it for my four readers. According to Steve Clemons, indictments in the Valerie Plame leak case are coming out Thursday morning. The target letters have already been sent to the indicted, the court will receive them tomorrow sealed, and the world will find out the next day. Go here and read his post for the specifics, and then take a deep breath. Think Progress updates with a CBS story, which confirms that Patrick Fitzgerald will announce his decision to indict today. Even better, CBS introduces a Mr. X to the story, claiming he is the real source of the leak. All I'mma say is this; if it's Donald Sutherland, I'm going to shit the bed. Anyway, I waited this day out to give you the latest news, and here it is. Grand jury adjourned for the day.

-In more local news, Rick Mariano, Philadelphia City Councilman, was indicted Tuesday afternoon. This warms my heart as much as the White House scandal, as it's another front in the war against corruption in the city. He is accused of taking bribes in return for his political support, as he helped out a few businessmen in his district. Shockingly, he has been one of the people working and voting against ethics reform.

You know what? I had another nice, long rant to put here, but I am going to save it. I'm going to be starting something up soon that will allow me to discuss Philly, NYC, cities in greater detail, as I want to keep the focus on music, art, politics here. The short version of the rant is this: It's time for the people of Philadelphia to stand up and say enough is enough, or forever acknowledge that we don't deserve a better city. Philadelphia: America's Hometown shows the next step that we can all take on November 7.

-More music later today, as I'm going to be putting up music from The Clipse, more specifically both volumes of We Got It For Cheap. The King James/Bun B mixtape should be up in the next hour or so, so go grab it.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

King James Presents...Bun B-The King of the Underground

King James Presents...Bun B- The King of the Underground

Okay, as promised, here is another Bun B mixtape that collects his verses. It's an amazing document, another attempt to chronicle the career of one of the greatest. The reason for the upload is the complete lack of info or even availability to buy a copy, as I feel the need to spread the man's music as much as possible. I just feel that this should be heard by everyone, especially those just getting into Bun's music. It is a long one, 3 discs worth of music, 190 MB. It's a similar concept to the Rapid Ric one, King of the Trill (which can still be downloaded at Houston So Real) featuring Bun's guest appearances and mixtape songs.

Of course, you're playing yourself and me if you haven't copped the new album, Trill. Go here and buy it, as it gets better with each listen. It's going to be talked about as the best album of the year, so get in now.

Please leave thanks or complaints in the comments section, as I wasn't sure if posting a whole mixtape made sense.

-Ooowee, I came across this older post over at Government Names while looking for more DJ Screw info. An amazing job by Dylan_K, as he reviews 10 Screw tapes that kill it. This isn't your basic overview (like what I spit out all the time), but instead is an amazing piece that ties criticism, humor and history together. I'll probably come back to this one again. Check out Government Names, the best source on the music coming out from below the Mason-Dixon line, simply the best.

-An even bigger holy shit with this story in today's New York Times. We now learn that Dick Cheney was Scooter Libby's source for the name of Joe Wilson's wife at the CIA. This means that Libby lied in his grand jury testimony, when he told Patrick Fitzgerald that a journalist was his source. Jane Hamsher at firedoglake believes that Cheney committed perjury. Larry Johnson discusses this latest news, wondering about the names lurking in the background. Steve Clemons hammers home the key point: "For now, we can know that the Vice President of the United States was neck-deep in this affair and knew it ALL along."

-Great commercial for Guinness beer, especially in light of this Pennsylvania case. [Via Crooked Timber]

Monday, October 24, 2005

UGK and DJ Screw



















Bun B and Pimp C freestyles over UGK's "Fuck My Car"


Bun B freestyle over Mac-10's "Fo Life"


Pimp C and Grace freestyle over MC Lyte's "Keepin' On"


Bun B and Grace freestyle over Ice Cube's "Check Yo Self"


Pimp C freestyle over Lady of Rage's "Afro Puffs"


Again, I must reiterate that UGK sound so perfect slowed down, or at least, they sound perfect to me. [Disclaimer: I actually like music screwed and chopped, and listen to DJ Screw tapes for fun. No, I am not kidding. And yes, this does mean that I am on a special FBI watch list originally formed to keep track of white guys with dreads.] It's just something about Bun and Pimp's drawls that fit perfectly with the slowwwwwed down sound, as these tracks hopefully verify.

These tracks come off of the Ridin' Dirty tape, and should give you a sense of the screwed sound. Slow, woozy, audio molasses. Side A of the tape is mostly Bun B and Pimp C freestyles over other beats (West Coast classics, mainly), all tracks screwed by the master, DJ Screw a.k.a. Robert Davis. These tracks should also give you a great sense of the DJ Screw tapesthat are slowly spreading East and West. This is a good one, one of those amazing documents of the UGK bols in a laid-back environment just dropping verses for the hell of it. It's necessary just for the Pimp free-flow speech at the end of Side A: ""Screw fuck with my..." Bitch, Screw don't fuck with your old busted ass cousin." Go here to grab this tape and all the others, as this is the only official site, the only one that benefits Robert Davis' estate. We will come back to Screw, when I have more material to post up.

-Great Bun B inteview over at The Fader, properly titled "Royalty."

-Speaking of great things in Texas, Tom Delay was booked Friday morning in lieu of his indictment on money laundering and conspiracy charges. Above is his mugshot (via The Smoking Gun), where he attempted his first human gesture with that "natural" smile. We'll see if he is still wearing that smug, shit-eating grin when he heads to prison, and if they let him keep his toupee and dentures so shiny and clean-looking in the slammer.

-I'm going to upload another Bun B mixtape later tonight, King James Presents...Bun B-The Underground King. It's a long one, 3 CDs, and an amazing document of the man. Have you bought his fucking album yet? Go here and buy it now.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Cam'ron Shot In Failed Carjacking

I just saw this one on the wire, although it may be old news to many. Cam'ron was shot early this morning in Washington D.C., as an attempted carjacking turned violent. It sounds like Cam'ron, a.k.a. Cameron Giles, is okay, and in no serious risk, as the bullet hit both his arms. Go here to read a better account at SOHH.com, and here to read MTV's coverage.

Favorite part of the story: his manager is called Big Joe in the Reuters story. Just Big Joe, no last name, no quotes around Big, nothing. We are all living in a Dip Set world now.

-In other breaking news today, it seems likely Patrick Fitzgerald is planning on bringing charges this week in the Valerie Plame leak case. Go here for the story, here for a helpful look at the cast of this story, and here to see the website that the feds set up Friday afternoon. It's going to be an interesting week, as I can barely sleep at the thought of Rove, Libby et al being indicted.

-I am going to put up a special mixtape or two this coming week, finish up the look at UGK and generally kill it. It's just a real big week for the country, people, a real big week.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

UGK Chopped and Screwed



UGK, Diamonds and Wood (chopped and screwed by DJ 007)


UGK, Let Me See It (c+s by DJ 007)


UGK, Pinky Ring (c+s by DJ 007)


Here are some tracks off of the Jive Records Presents: UGK Chopped and Screwed album, a sort of greatest hits album given the slowed down treatment by DJ 007. These are some of the better tracks, which isn't saying much. I cannot recommend this one at all, as DJ 007 does a horrible job. Horrible! Some songs sound terrible (distortion?), as the bass is up too high. He doesn't chop the songs with any skill, instead just sort of randomly repeating a line here and there. Finally, he doesn't really screw most of the songs, as they don't sound noticeably slower. The whole thing just seems sloppy and opportunistic, another chance for Jive to milk a few more bucks out of the group that they screwed over for years.

Our next post will feature the master's take on UGK, as I will post up some of DJ Screw's interpretations of UGK. It really doesn't get any better, and might be the conclusion of our Bun B week.

-More Plame news, as this thing heads to its conclusion. Go here to read the New York Daily News' scoop that Bush has known of Karl Rove's involvement in leaking Valerie Plame's name for TWO years! Go here to read Americablog's speculation about the possible problems for the President in all of this. Josh Marshall raises more great questions at Talking Points Memo.

-The reaction in the blog world has been spot-on with regard to Judith Miller's involvement with the Valerie Plame scandal, calling everyone out on this embarrassment. Greg Mitchell at Editor & Publisher has the best piece, calling on the New York Times to fire Miller and apologize to its readers for this disgrace. Arianna Huffington continues to put Judith Miller and the Times on blast (all of her posts are fire), and this is one of my favorites along those lines. Matthew Gross has a nice analogy on what this case is for the Times, and offers a nice summary of blog links.

-On a lighter note (mmm, puns are sexy!), it turns out that fatter guys are more trustworthy and less prone to cheating. Before us fat guys get too happy, the reason is that we have less testosterone because of our giant bellies, i.e. we are lesser men. Science has just gotten meaner, hasn't it?

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Big Pimpin'

Jay-Z (feat. Bun B and Pimp C), Big Pimpin' (screwed by DJ Screw)

I'm heading back to Philly today, so this is gonna be a quick update. One of my favorite tracks of all-time, Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'," brought the UGK bols to the world. By world, I really mean myself, which should be expected from someone who has a blog. Anyway, Bun and Pimp C kill it on this one, and I imagine it as a watershed moment for Southern rap. Here is the heavyweight of the game, Jigga, thinking highly enough of the duo to put them on a track. To top it off, they don't just hold their own, they go Buster Douglas and win the battle.

Above is the DJ Screw version, slowed down and chopped up like only the master can do it. There's just something so right about this song slowed down, especially when Pimp drops that "What y'all know about dem Texas boys", hearing that drawl slowed to molasses is stunning. Amazing stuff, straight from one of DJ Screw's remastered CDs, Crumbs to Bricks. Go here to buy this Screw CD and all the rest of the remastered tapes at the official site. More screwed UGK tomorrow.

-Lots happened this weekend in the Valerie Plame federal investigation, too much to get to in a single post. First, the New York Times finally got around to write a piece detailing this story that has ensnared "the paper of record." Go here for Judith Miller's account of her testimony to the grand jury, her telling of the story that she is now at the center of.

-Go here for the latest rumor, one that seems too good to be true. Dick Cheney as the focus of the Patrick Fitzgerald investigation? That's what sources are saying.

-R5 Productions has put together an amazing three-day series of psychedelic, free-rock, whatever-you-want-to-call-it at the First Unitarian Church. Boris tonight, Black Dice tomorrow, and the Acid Mothers Temple on Thursday. 22nd and Chestnut. $25 for all three shows.

Monday, October 17, 2005

UGK- Side Hustles



Rob Jackson and Bun B, Breakin' Sketti

Celly Cel and UGK, Pop the Trunk

A quick word on the musical selections. These tracks come from Side Hustles, the UGK CD that Jive put out in 2002, featuring various guest appearances and whatnot. The sad part is that this is the last UGK release (for now), as Pimp C was incarcerated a year before this one even came out. Buy it here, although I would recommend getting their four albums first. Jive put this one out to make some money, and so you get a thrown-together feel on it. While there's nothing amazing on here, definitely nothing to rival the tracks on Ridin' Dirty, this is a nice chance to get some harder-to-find, obscure songs in one package.

-The Sixth Borough Invades! Oxy Cottontail puts together her greatest event yet: What's Rilly Philly?! Low Budget and Cosmo Baker spinning at Sway tonight. Check the amazing flier by Semen for all the info. We run New York.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

UGK- Ridin' Dirty



UGK, One Day

UGK, Diamonds and Wood


UGK, Fuck My Car

It seems like a great time to put up some UGK tracks for your listening pleasure, after hearing how great the Bun B and Pimp C songs are on the new one. Plus, we do talk about Southern rap all the time, so it makes sense to talk about the originators, the group that helped pave the way for all the that has transpired recently.

These first tracks come off their stone cold classic Ridin' Dirty. This album should be talked about in the same breath as other classic hip hop albums (Illmatic, Ready to Die, etc.), but unfortunately it came out before the South ran things, Jive did a terrible job promoting these guys, and people just weren't ready for this sound. If you do not have this album, go here and buy it immediately. There are no excuses, especially if you are reading this fucking blog. It still sounds fresh-- nearly 10 years later, it's still the standard by which all other Southern rap is judged. The slowed down, funk sounds, the down-South slang, and the tales of drugs and women and everyday life all came together perfectly on this album, the duo's best.

Next up, a few tracks from Side Hustles, a compilation of remixes and guest appearances and general miscellany.

-Go here for more UGK talk, as Cocaine Blunts & Hip Hop Tapes is doing his usual scholarly, intelligent take on all things hip hop. I almost hate to delve into the same topic, as I know that he's gonna bring an 'A' game that consists of history lesson/aesthetics/rare songs for download. Imma see what I can do, as I ain't ready to concede defeat yet.

-Serg at So Many Shrimp is also paying respect to Bun B the last few days. It's clear that we did not coordinate our uploading, as we put up most of the same songs. All is not lost, as he put up "The Story" from Trill, a nice intro and history lesson before you listen to what goes up here over the next few days. Bun tells the story of UGK, their dealings with Jive, and his brother Pimp C going to jail. As Serg says, "These might be country rap tunes but this is about as hiphop as it fucking gets. If you want to front on bun well then don't ever bother reading this website ever again because you're a worthless piece of shit." Hit up Serg's blog, Beer and Rap, for some rants, San Fran stuff, hip hop, etc.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Bun B- Trill



















Bun B, Bun

Bun B, What I Represent

Pound for Pound has atoned, so it's back on. In fact, having shed my sins and a few pounds, things are going to be real serious in here, as we're feelin' so focused. As promised, here are a few more cuts from the new Bun B album, Trill. These are two of the only cuts that feature only Bun or Bun and Pimp C, which is a shame, as they are too of my favorites.I might put up a full album review in a few days, but who knows? I will post up again later tonight, as that last song seems like the perfect jump-off point for a leap back and highlight some UGK tracks. Not sure how well-known this shit is, but it will help to explain why this man is so important, why a who's who wants to drop a verse on this album (Jigga, Luda, T.I., Scarface, et al) and why he is the Underground King.

Free Pimp C!

Thursday, October 13, 2005

No Food Til Sundown!



















Bun B (feat. Lil Keke), Draped Up

Bun B with Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Lil' Flip, Z-ro & Aztek, Draped Up (remix)

Okay, I'm gonna to start to dig a little deeper into the Bun B archive here at Pound for Pound after the High Holidays. That's right, I just wrote that. And what? In the meantime, I figured that I would drop the lead single (at least I think it is) that's been leaked from the new album, The Trill, since that's what it's all about. "Draped Up" is a good one, a classic Bun song with that amazing voice and slow, authoritative flow front and center. I love the synth in the background, as it adds a real menacing feel that I like. The remix is crazy, bringing together everyone who lives in the city of Houston except Tom Delay. It's nice to see all these young guns showing their respect, and doing whatever they can to help the godfather out, but, honestly, I just want to hear Bun right now.

-The great Cuban Links has the remix up as well, and a few other goodies. He has the great idea of someone writing a history of the posse cut, which sounds perfect for Sasha Frere-Jones. Go here now, as he has a ton of great songs and words up right now. It's really great to have him back posting on the regular, for real.

-I have begun my fast, so this is the last post until tomorrow night. I hope that you can survive without me, although it's understood that this is going to be a tough 24 hours for everyone. It could get ugly, like that time Elaine had to fast for 3 days before an X-ray and was seeing like the wall move and talking about "mountains of duck" and asking who "tastes the dog food." Real ugly.

P.S. The title is meant to be read in the same cadence as The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." Just an FYI.

P.P.S. More songs from the new album tomorrow.