Sleaze put this joint on the fansite, and he’s right. The song is ill. So here’s the sum up in Sleaze talk.

Director - Konee Rok

This song is way hard! Good looks on ‘Fest for keeping it all the way real. One of the more progressive videos I have seen in a long time.

“Have you ever been through a genocide?//Hiding in a closet with the Devil on the other side.” (c) Rhymefest

‘Fest also chopped it up with HipHopDx about his thoughts on the vid;

“For those who appreciate music with both soul and social commentary, this video will offer an intriguing look into the lives of people who suffer from genocide, starvation and war. It was very important for me to make this song after my travels to London where I had an opportunity to speak to a former child soldier from Sierra Leone,”– [ SOURCE ]

Dope.

Live @ UCLA 5/29/08

From Ben:

More sweet video from Rhymefest’s performance @ UCLA last week. I’m not sure of the official name of this track. I called it “Make Love” but it could be called “We Can Make Love” or “Binary Code”. I found people calling it different names everywhere.

This is another track from his second and highly anticipated album “El Che” which as you know is supposed to drop sometime this summer. Let me know if you can get this up or if you have any questions. The rest of the video from this show will be available at www.youtube.com/ahn1tv. Thanks for looking over this and stay up.

Recently SOHH.com spoke to Lupe Fiasco about his presidential choice:

“I’m not voting for anybody,” Lupe told SOHH. “I don’t believe in voting on that level. But I want Hillary [Clinton] to win,” he says. Surprisingly, the Chicago emcee does not support the junior United States Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.

“Obama doesn’t really impress me like that,” Lupe told SOHH. “It’s not a shot at him but some of his agendas, the bombing of Iran and all that stuff.* He ain’t gonna do nothing but perpetuate the nonsense that all the Presidents before have done, and what Bush is doing now. It’s to the point now where the world is so twisted and so messed up that we need somebody to come in.”

“I think Hillary will set an example for women all around the world and hopefully effect some change, as opposed to another man pushing for agendas and pushing policies,” Lupe said. “I think even if she don’t do anything, just the statement that it makes–that the United States is run by a women–would be so phenomenal for the world.” — [ SOURCE ]

Fellow Chicago rapper, EL Che aka Rhymefest just wasn’t feeling what Lupe said and responded on his myspace blog:

Recently, a prominent Hip-Hop website asked an artist who they supported in the 2008 presidential primaries. Shockingly, their response was Hillary Clinton. Now, I’m not one to judge a person’s political, religious or [even] artistic views; however, the reasons that this artist gave were so fucking erroneous and outrageous that it compels me to speak out, even if only to give fans the right information so that we are not following uninformed-ass rappers down the hole of ‘abstract nothingness.’

First of all, the facts:

Barack Obama has stated he is not opposed to military action against Iran if they were persistent in their ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons; weapons being the operative word. However, he also states that as president, he plans to talk to Iran without preconditions about certain assurances in the context of them showing some good faith, as well. Barack Obama stated “I think it is important for us to send a signal that we are not hell-bent on regime change, just for the sake of regime change, but expect changes in behavior. And there are both carrots and there are sticks available to them for those changes in behavior.” This clearly does not describe the agenda of a candidate who supports ‘the bombing of Iran and all that stuff.’

I would be very interested to know if this particular artist even knows what Hillary Clinton’s position is pertaining to military action against Iran; and, no, I’m not giving him the answer.

Barack Obama being the only Black senator from Illinois automatically gives me a sense of pride and appreciation for his journey. Of course, for America to be flipped on its axis with a qualified woman president would be a significant milestone in this chapter of our country’s history. But, I fail to see how a qualified Black man as president wouldn’t be just as significant a milestone. Please, to all artists who dare to speak on political issues in this election: understand that Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus by inspiring more young people and women to vote than any previous presidential candidate. How could it not be impressive to see the new Bobby Kennedy of our day in the White House?

In the words of Gabriel when he revealed the Holy Qur’an to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the cave: “READ.” Please do not let your arrogance be the fuel for your ignorance.

Peace,

Fest a/k/a EL CHE — [ SOURCE ]

Foot-In-Mouth disease is a muthaf****a. Fest’s MJ Dedication album, Man In The Mirror, is available for Free99 in the drop below.

Part 2 after the jump.

Is Mallz a prophet?

“It’s only a matter of time before Michael Eric Dyson has his own hip-hop record.” — Mallz

Which brings me to possibly the one out of a handful of hip-hop cds that you MUST purchase this year! Never Forget: A Journey Of Relevations not only features that discussion but collaborations from Talib Kweli, IRIZ, Lucky Witherspoon, Black Thought, Rah Digga, Ambassador, Paul Woodruff, Prince, Rhymefest, Malik Yusef, Neo Abyss, KRS One, M1, Lucky Witherspoon, Doey Rock, Killer Mike, Andre 3000, Jill Scott, Darryl Moore, Dave Hollister, Chuckii Booker, Gerald Levert (RIP), Waynee Wayne and Lenny Williams.

There’s a 12-minute jazz-backed discussion between the knights of the roundtable (Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson & Tavis Smiley) breaking down the application, use, and possible non-use of the controversial “N-Word”. I’m appalled that I wasn’t invited.

Amazing…simply amazing guest list. If you are like me, I KNOW you were looking at some of the names like “DAMN???! How did he get such-n-such on a track!”

Wait There's More

What will really become of Q-Tip ‘n Co? And another 2006 Sleeper Album Alumnus, Rhymefest will be opening for them. More importantly, Roberto…sup with that Rhymefest audio I was supposed to get? Don’t say that he’s frontin’ on the shout! Here are the dates:

9/1 - Detroit, MI - Chene Park

10/1 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom