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‘Rap Shirts for White People’
05.27.2014
12:15 pm
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Get it here.

Yep, there’s a lil’ site called Rap Shirts For White People where the lyrics are chock-full of references to quinoa, Whole Foods, the Prius, startups, and naturally nepotism. Of course anyone can wear these, the shirts are not just for caucasians…

A few choice selections are below, and if one of ‘em piques your interest, I added a link where to purchase.
 

Get it here.
 

Get it here.
 

Get it here.
 

Get it here.
 

Get it here.
 

Sadly, this shirt is no longer available.
 
Via WFMU on Twitter

Posted by Tara McGinley
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05.27.2014
12:15 pm
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Rap activity and coloring book
10.30.2012
03:25 pm
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For those who haven’t seen this yet: Bun B’s rap activity and coloring book on Tumblr. The illustrations—by Shea Serrano—are all downloadable.

Hours of entertainment for the entire family! Now get those crayons to work! 
 
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Via Nerdcore

Posted by Tara McGinley
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10.30.2012
03:25 pm
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Puke-worthy Pier 1 Imports ‘rap’ retail training and motivational video
09.04.2012
02:54 pm
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According to the YouTube description, this Pier 1 Imports rap-style “Let’s” Coaching (their name not mine) training video was made in 2003! Normally these kind of craptastic rap gems are from the late 80s and early 90s!

I can’t believe some ad agency (in this case, the comically named RAProductions) actually got paid to come up with an idea like this in 2003…

Now, let’s connect with the customer and make a sale y’all!
 

 
With thanks to Glen E. Friedman!

Posted by Tara McGinley
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09.04.2012
02:54 pm
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‘Letter to the President’: Snoop Dogg tells the history of Hip Hop, Rap and Politics

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Ronald Reagan, that evil fuck President who willfully destroyed working class communities to give tax breaks to the rich. Reagan was happy to do it so long as it was African-Americans that bore the brunt.

Reaganomics left half the Black population on welfare. Reagan had no conscience about it. He had a money lust which hit hardest on those who were weakest and least able to fend for themselves.

Stopping poverty wasn’t on Reagan’s tick list. Rather it was cut corners and take, take, take from the poor - which stooped as low as having the tomato base on pizzas reclassified as fruit to ensure he could slash the cost of school dinners. He even tried to do the same with tomato ketchup but failed.

Reagan’s policy was simple - if you were poor: fuck you. If you were sick: fuck you. If you were dying of cancer: fuck you and get a goddamn job.

For young African-Americans in the 1980s, it seemed the hard-earned achievements of the sixties’ Civil Rights movement had been too easily betrayed and forgotten. And when crack cocaine hit the inner cities, it seemed any hope of a future was gone.

Against this background arose a culture of music that was to redefine Black America. Hip-Hop and Rap reflected the poverty, despair and violence of life in the ghettoes. It also railed angrily against the indifference and cynical exploitation by successive Presidents, whose only interest was to help themselves and help the rich.

Letter to the President is a fascinating over-view of the rise of Hip-Hop and Rap, and their importance in bringing a community together against a common enemy. Narrated by Snoop Dogg, and with contributions form Quincy Jones, KRS-One, David Banner, 50 Cent, Chuck D, Ghostface Killah, Nelson George, Sonia Sanchez, and Dick Gregory.
 

 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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08.06.2012
08:38 pm
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Cringe-worthy video: ‘What is Rap?’ (1987)
01.09.2012
01:11 pm
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Eighties Canadian teen TV show Switchback tries to explain to their young audience what “rap” is. You’ll just have to watch the cringe-worthy soulful demonstration below to understand why I posted this.

On a side note: What kid in 1987 wouldn’t know what “rap” was, anyway?
 

 
(via TDW via HYST)

Posted by Tara McGinley
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01.09.2012
01:11 pm
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Debbie Harry: Late on a Saturday Night, 1981
08.05.2011
07:04 pm
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Highlights of Debbie Harry hosting a certain late Saturday night show from 1981. The clip includes what is now believed to be the first appearance of a rap act on national US TV - the Funky Four Plus One More.

The Videodrome Discothèque is pleased to present these excerpts from the rarely seen 10th episode of the ill-fated 6th season of a certain rather popular late-night weekend entertainment program.

Fronting a marvelous one-off band, Ms. Harry offers up fabulous versions of both “Love T.K.O” (made famous by Teddy Pendergrass) AND Devo’s “Come Back, Jonee”. Chris Stein plays on both, with Clem Burke joining in for “Come Back, Jonee”.

Also included: a sketch featuring Debbie & Joe Piscopo, as well as the performance of Debbie’s special guests, The Funky Four + 1 More.

 

 
Via The Videodrome Vault
 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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08.05.2011
07:04 pm
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Superb documentary on Malcolm McLaren from 1984

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This excellent documentary on Malcolm McLaren was originally shown as part of Melvyn Bragg’s South Bank Show in 1984, when McLaren was recording Fans—his seminal fusion of R&B and opera.  Apart from great access and behind-the-scenes footage, the film and boasts revealing interviews with Boy George, Adam Ant, Bow-Wow-Wow’s Annabella Lwin, Sex Pistol, Steve Jones, as well as the great man himself.

Everyone whoever came into contact with McLaren had an opinion of the kind of man he was and what he was about. Steve Jones thought him a con man; Adam Ant didn’t understand his anarchy; Boy George couldn’t fathom his lack of interest in having success, especially when he could have had it all; while Annabella Lwin pointed out how he used people to do the very things he wanted to do himself.

All of the above are true. But for McLaren, the answer was simple: “Boys will be boys,” and he saw his role was as:

“To question authority and challenge conventions, is what makes my life exciting.”

It did, Malcolm, and still does. Enjoy.
 

 
Previously on DM

Who Killed Bambi?: the Roger Ebert Sex Pistols screenplay


Scenes from the Malcolm McLaren funeral


 
More from Malcolm McLaren after the jump…
 

READ ON
Posted by Paul Gallagher
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04.13.2011
11:14 am
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Rap’s golden era: 1986 documentary with Schoolly D, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and more
01.18.2011
02:37 am
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Shot in New York City in 1986 by Dutch filmmaker Bram van Splunteren, Big Fun In The Big Town contains a motherlode of amazing footage of Schoolly-D, DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Biz Markie, Jam Master Jay and more.

Check out Doug E. Fresh beat-boxing Kraftwerk’s “Tour de France” on a Harlem street corner.

I look at the new rock ‘n rollers…it’s a shame what they did to it, and I hope that rap don’t go that same route – where they take the rawness away…just then make it too pretty! I don’t think rock ‘n roll was meant to be pretty. Rock was meant to be bad – just like rap” - Schoolly-D

In English with Danish Dutch subtitles.

This shit is golden.
 

Posted by Marc Campbell
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01.18.2011
02:37 am
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Anatomy of a fresh vibe: A BBC jungle music documentary from 1994

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MC Gunsmoke
 
When done right, the underground music genre primer can be the most dynamic type of documentary. We’ve seen it time and again, whether it’s punk, hip-hop, or in this case the hugely energetic scene surrounding the dance music subgenre known as jungle in early-‘90s London. In 1994, the All Black show on BBC 2 presented this community-conscious look at a genre that would eventually morph into a largely over-the-top mish-mash of sci-fi imagery and unsubtle software flogging.

At the time of the doc, jungle is definitely posited as young, multicultural black music, and treated in classically analytical BBC style. DJs, producers, MCs, label people, academics—everybody seems to chime in on issues of roots, authenticity and commercialism. Not only do you get an intro to the basic ingredients of the music—the samples! the reggae! the soul! the basslines! the breakbeats! the speed!—but the producers even weave in some drama surrounding a club gig starring the legendary Shy FX and his crew.

Of course, this program fails to feature some of the genre’s giants, like Goldie, Roni Size or Dillinja. But the American Moonshine Music label sent journalists a VHS copy of this doc along with their compilation Law of the Jungle for good reason—it’s a quality document of a time now long gone. Check it!
 

 

 

 

Posted by Ron Nachmann
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06.28.2010
01:29 am
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Gingers have souls
05.18.2010
03:04 am
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Ginger kid reminds us that GINGERS HAVE SOULS. As YouTube user “hairybaws911” comments, “better than half the rappers now a days.”

(Previously on Dangerous Minds: M.I.A.: Gingers Don’t Have Souls)

Posted by Jason Louv
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05.18.2010
03:04 am
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