The fellas from Stussy have put together a documentary to pay homage to one of the greats, J Dilla. Dig it. Part 1 of 3 is below and of course we’ll be following up with the forthcoming installments.

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We try to practice ‘if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all’ over here. To degrade or mock someones art is one of the worst things one can do. However, the line has to be drawn somewhere. Is this art? Or another lost soul trying to recreate what he sees on TV and hears on the radio, and doing a terrible job at it.

The eldest Simmons son tries to blend in swag rap, with southern, with mixtape Weezy, introspective Lupe, LL’s “Knock You Out” and a bunch of other stuff….and the video below is what ensued.

This is remiscent of what happened during 2005 – 2007 when EVERYBODY became rappers and just TRIED TOO TOO HARD. Kanye already told us what happens when you try hard….that’s when you die hard.

Watch Rev Run’s son JoJo “go in” on his comeback freestyle and if you feel it’s ill, then leave a comment.

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This is our third post in the last week in regards to racial matters. Seems to be getting out of hand but if race is the new topic then we as journalists are obligated to discuss it and create a forum for others to let their voice be heard. My views, don’t necessarily reflect the views of others associated with Da Fam Inc. I’m my own individual and part of why I write here as opposed to an a website or magazine run by someone else is so I can express my individual thoughts without being censored.

Playboy Magazine recently sat down with singer/songwriter/self proclaimed “sandwich artist” John Mayer. For those unaware, when John isn’t writing or performing his multi-platinum records, he spends most of his time writing some of the funniest and most sarcastic blogs and Twitter updates, dating some of Hollywoods it chicks (Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson), and generally being as hippie as one can be in 2010.

The interview goes in depth with Mayer as he discusses everything from chronic masturbation, failed relationships, his struggle with celebrity, and of course, his music. Mayer, as he usually does, pulls no punches. With each answer he gives the interview more than he and his readers could ever bargain for.

I encourage you to read the full thing here to get the full gist of Mayer’s personality but with the stage set, you can now read below the excerpts that are causing people to label John Mayer a racist today.

PLAYBOY: If you didn’t know you, would you think you’re a douche bag?

MAYER: It depends on what I picked up. My two biggest hits are “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters.” If you think those songs are pandering, then you’ll think I’m a douche bag. It’s like I come on very strong. I am a very…I’m just very. V-E-R-Y. And if you can’t handle very, then I’m a douche bag. But I think the world needs a little very. That’s why black people love me.

PLAYBOY: Because you’re very?

MAYER: Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a nigger pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, “I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.’”

PLAYBOY: It is true; a lot of rappers love you. You recorded with Common and Kanye West, played live with Jay-Z.

MAYER: What is being black? It’s making the most of your life, not taking a single moment for granted. Taking something that’s seen as a struggle and making it work for you, or you’ll die inside. Not to say that my struggle is like the collective struggle of black America. But maybe my struggle is similar to one black dude’s.

PLAYBOY: Do black women throw themselves at you?

MAYER: I don’t think I open myself to it. My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a fuckin’ David Duke cock. I’m going to start dating separately from my dick.

PLAYBOY: Let’s put some names out there. Let’s get specific.

MAYER: I always thought Holly Robinson Peete was gorgeous. Every white dude loved Hilary from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And Kerry Washington. She’s superhot, and she’s also white-girl crazy. Kerry Washington would break your heart like a white girl. Just all of a sudden she’d be like, “Yeah, I sucked his dick. Whatever.” And you’d be like, “What? We weren’t talking about that.” That’s what “Heartbreak Warfare” is all about, when a girl uses jealousy as a tactic.

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Courtesy of YBF, a few vacation pics of Ms. Keys and Mrs. Carter looking as good as they wanna look. Safe to say, no snow in those places.

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I guess we’re just going to have to have this racist debate every few days. You make the call. I thought it was funny as hell.

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I woke up this morning like most of you probably did; thinking where do I start? If you are buried in snow like most of us on the east coast then you were wondering where and how to start digging yourself out. If you were in Florida, California or somewhere without snow then you probably asked yourself the same question but about something else.

We always want to know where and how to start, will we ever be able to finish, how difficult will it be, will we be laughed at etc. It’s a broken record at this point but we need to just get up and do it. Whatever it might be.

People asked me “where will you start?”. They said I should think about paying people because it’s impossible to single handedly shovel 2 feet of snow alone. “It can’t be done”, they said. I even doubted myself. I came up with a million excuses – my bad shoulder, the cold, the amount of snow that’s out there, the fact that I have a garden shovel that’s half of the size of a real snow shovel. Excuses that upon further review made no sense. You don’t even use a shoulder to shovel; it’s more so bicep and wrist. Yes having a small shovel would make it harder but you’re not always going to have the proper resources or help to achieve your goals. Should that stop you? No.

I put aside the doubt and went out there. Yes it was difficult. Yes I slipped once or twice. But the more I went the more my body adjusted. I learned strategies that made it easier and faster. Soon I even began to enjoy the shoveling. Two hours later, I looked up and I could see the driveway and walkway again. It wasn’t pretty, but I got it done.

In life, you can either get up and shovel or it sit back and watch those who have clear driveways.

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Former senator Tom Daschle was trying to push his car in the snow to no avail when this Fox 5 crew stumbled on him and helped him get back on his way. I just hope he has a good reason to tell his wife why he was on Wisconsin Ave. No grocery stores over there Tom.

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This one gets Da Fam stamp of approval for certain. Great track. Vintage Badu.

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?uestlove of the Roots took this picture of the menu posted in the hallways of NBC as he arrived to work on the Jimmy Fallon show. Himself, along with many others found it to be offensive.

The chef, who is African American, said she’s always wanted to cook food that represents the culture and the last two years NBC allowed her to do so. “Last year it went over well” she said, seeming puzzled as to why the controversy this time around.

I’m with her. Victims always want to remain victims forever. Just stop it. That’s what we eat. If I see a sign with all of that for only $7.50 I’m not gonna scream racism I’m gonna scream “wooohooo!!!” and gather my $7.50 and throw down. Like Kanye said last week, everyone since Obama won wants to act like black people don’t eat fried chicken anymore.

It’s good that we have pride but we choose the wrong time to show it. The same people that watch these mockery tv shows on VH1 and degrade themselves on the internet all day will scream racism over a simple menu.

Just my 5 cents. Add your $7.45 and let’s go to NBC and get busy!!!!

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Below is a screenshot from Curren$y’s latest video snippet “Vision”, which will be featured on his forthcoming mixtape, “Where is Smokee Robinson?”.

Seems as if Spitta is throwing a Rocafella chain around his neck.  To add to the speculation, he also spits over Kanye’s “Last Call” instrumental on the song.

Another point to ponder…Center Edge Territory (the supergroup of Jay Electronic, Mos Def, and Curren$y if you’re not up on game) met on Dame Dash’s new premises, DD172, and recorded 6 tracks not too long ago.

Could this be the revival of the Roc?

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The first drop of the Spring ‘10 collection from our friends at Commonwealth is now available in store and online. Below are pictures of a few of the offerings including: 4 styles of tees, a flannel, and a 5 panel hat (all of which are available in multiple colors).

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We were supposed to catch up on sports last night but things came up. Have you fallen off like I have? If you’re reading this then probably so. There was a day when I could name every coach and assistant coach of each team in the NBA. I could name pretty much every starting 5 and most bench players. I knew who was leading baseball in home runs and RBI. I knew what Tom Brady was doing to keep from getting injured. Those days, my friends, are long gone. Myself and a friend were discussing a few weeks ago about how we’ve lost touch completely with sports. We’re becoming those two dreadful words – “casual fans”.

You know the type. Catch an occasional game or two, might not even watch it in it’s entirety. Find out about trades months after they happened. Only aware of the major stories like Gilbert Arenas‘ gun toting and Tiger’s infidelity. It’s a sad way to live life when you think back to your wonder years. The days when you could win a million dollars if Regis only asked sports questions. Before bills, before spouses, before children, and everything else that gets in the way of our sports fanaticism.

Let’s get down to business and see if we can get up to speed on what’s going on.

NFL

The NFL season is coming to a close. The Super Bowl is slated for this weekend and both teams (New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts) are in Miami practicing as well as handling media obligations. The Colts being the more experienced team, have a quarterback in Peyton Manning who seems unshakable. He’s won every way you can fathom and he’s been on this big stage before. So has his brother (Eli) and his father (Archie) who ironically played for the Saints for 10 seasons. Note: Archie Manning never made it to a Super Bowl but did have a respectable career including NFC Player Of The Year honors in 1978.

The Colts and their experience face a talented and hungry opponent in the New Orleans Saints. This will be the first ever Super Bowl appearance for the city and with Hurricane Katrina still in the minds of most, a victory would be one of the best things to ever hit Bourbon Street. Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Jeremy Shockey and the rest of the black and gold are confident that they belong. They’re so confident that head coach Sean Payton is encouraging his troops to be loose and enjoy the experience. This was proven when they showed up in Miami “wearing bellhop uniforms” according to NFL.com, helping fans carry bags and generally taking the lighthearted approach to Super Bowl preparation.

The big game, the pre-game video with Jay-Z, and the $3 million dollar commercials all commence this Sunday, February 7th at 6pm on CBS.

Other NFL headlines:

After 12 years, three Super Bowl appearances, one championship, several injuries, quarterback Kurt Warner retired from the National Football League. He leaves the Arizona Cardinals in the hands of QB Matt Leinart from USC.

Speaking of left handed QB’s, the Philadelphia Eagles plan on retaining Michael Vick for the upcoming season. Skeptics believe Vick will be traded due to the $1.5 million bonus he will be owed next month but the team insists it has no plans on letting Vick go. Vick himself still believes he’s still in the Top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL and is open to any team that will allow him to prove that next season. His TV Show, The Michael Vick Project airs Tuesdays at 10pm on BET.

NBA

The association is going strong this year. It’s season has been overshadowed thus far by the NFL as well as it’s own self inflicted wounds (the Washington Wizards Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas’ season long suspensions).

Standings:

The Los Angeles Lakers (37-12) have maintained the top spot in the Western Conference while the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-11) have surpassed the Celtics and Magic to claim the East’s number one spot. The two teams squared off twice this year with Cleveland coming up victorious both times.

As the league approaches it’s All-Star game next weekend, the playoff picture looks to welcome two newcomers – The Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Bobcats are currently in 6th place in their respective conferences. This would be the first time in the playoffs for both young franchises.

Players:

Kobe Bryant surpassed Jerry West as the Lakers all-time leading scorer during a 44-point effort against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant was the leading vote getter for this years All-Star game as he continues to fight through a broken finger and ankle injury.

Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony are currently neck and neck for the scoring title – both averaging 29.7 points per game. Side-note: Durant’s uncle told me two months before the season started that KD would lead the league in scoring and so far his prediction is holding up.

Atlanta’s Josh Smith recently became the youngest player to reach 1000 blocks for his career. Smith is currently tied for second in blocks per game on the season.

Trade Talk:

The big blockbuster trade that is expected is the Phoenix Sun’s to move Amare Stoudemire. The question is where? With the February 18th deadline vastly approaching the All-Star power forward has been rumored to be going to as many as six different teams. Stoudemire’s stance is that he’s deserving of a maximum contract while the teams and experts question his commitment to defense as well as overall team leadership.

The Washington Wizards are also actively looking to trade players after a very disappointing first half of the season to say the least. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are the names being mentioned inside Washington as possible trades. After the loss of Gilbert Arenas, the team is considering rebuilding from scratch and going with a younger roster. Jamison is thought of as the locker room leader of the team so his chances of being shipped out seem unlikely.

That’s all for now. In Part 2, we will discuss the NBA All-Star Weekend, College Basketball’s exciting season so far, and MLB off season news.

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This is funny and serious at the same time. Funny to see people constantly use the social network known as Twitter as a forum to cause trouble. In this case, Budden, unprovoked, takes a semi-shot at the homie from Oakland. MC takes offense and tells Joe to watch it. It’s serious because believe it or not, Hammer is not the one to mess with…so legend has it.

Thank goodness this isn’t the 90’s and most beefs never make it past the computer screen. Below is an old MC Serch interview where he dry snitches explains Hammer’s gangsta.

grandslam magazine: so from having that outlook on things, did you ever come face to face with either hammer or vanilla ice?

serch: the closest i came to hammer was when he put the hit out on us.

gs: that really did happen then?

serch: oh yeah, that really happened. “really happened” is like the biggest understatement, it was beyond really happened. that **** is like as real as breathing air! ok, here’s the whole thing…so we diss hammer, and hammer wasn’t really pissed about “gas face,” he was really pissed about “cactus,” when pete said “the cactus turned hammer’s mother out.” he took it as a straight diss to his mom, and we weren’t dissing his mom. we were putting a play on words with “turn this mother out” and the cactus turned this mother out–we turned him out, we’re just hotter. ok, he took it as a diss to his mom. so we get on a plane at that time, and we’re on our way to LA, and i’m with my then girl, now wife, chantelle, and pete’s with his girl roxanne, and daddy rich is with his girl, and we’re just like “oh my god, we’re going to cali, this is amazing.” so we’re on the plane, and i got this whole story obviously from later in life, but this is how it went down…louis burrell–hammer’s brother–calls rush and talks to carmen ashhurst watson, who was the president of def jam at the time. and he says to her “is 3rd bass really coming to LA?” and carmen says “yeah” and louis says “good THEY’RE DEAD!” and hung up the phone.so they basically had to figure out who was involved in what, and where, and how.

gs: and you’re on the plane oblivious to all of this?

serch: yep. so they basically got five hours to clear this up before we land. they put a $60,000 hit out with one of the biggest gangs in LA, for any member who got to us, and could prove it–a huge amount of money. they contact mike conception, who at the time was doing that record “we’re all in the same gang”, and hammer had gotten mike’s help. so russell simmons manages to get a hold of mike and says “listen, this can’t go down, how do we stop this?” and he says “it’s too late now, we can’t stop it” and russell is like “no, no, i’ll do anything.” so, mike finally says “listen, i want to go to the american music awards, and i want to sit next to michael jackson, and then we won’t kill them, we’ll just break their legs, but you’ll still be able to film them on tv from the waist up.” this was his reasoning! russell says “no, you can’t shoot them at all,” and finally that’s the deal that they made. so russell calls donnie inner and tommy motola and he explains the situation, and if you check the seating plan for the american music awards from 1990….michael jackson next to mike conception. we get off the plane and we’re like “this is cali!” we’re amped, and the second we get off the plane, the guy that wound up being our security for four years–uncle mel–grabs us and is like “get in the van!!!!” and is pushing us together with about 5 other bodyguards. now we’re thinking that we’re the beatles, we’re like “yo, they must be stopping fans from ripping our clothes off, we’re out of control!” when we get in the van, we’re noticing strange things, like the windows are plexi glass, there’s no way to open the doors, there’s no handles. we’re thinking that we’re HUGE! we get in the van and we’re told that we have a whole floor booked at the hyatt and that we can’t have any guests, and we’re like “whoa!”…we still don’t get it.

we get to the hotel, and as we get to the hotel…at the hotel i’m confronted by rakim, and im like “oh my god, rakim word up” and he’s like “yo dogs, why’d you diss me?” and im like “WHAT?” and he says “you dissed me in your record “steppin to the a.m.” and im like “what are you talking about?” and he said “you knew that we were suing MCA and you said the line “you just a sucker seeking a settlement…” and i said “no dog, the line is “you’re just a stunt…seeking a settlement” i was talking about hoes. dog, i would never diss you, you’re my favorite emcee of all time!” all of a sudden, this car comes by, and these bangers start coming out of it, throwing up gang signs, and uncle mel grabs me and im like “don’t drag me away from my fans” and he’s like “what, are you stupid?” and then for the first time he explained the hit out on us. you know what? the whole LA thing…i didn’t get it. i didn’t realize how deep it was, and i didn’t get it. im like “this is nonsense.” then, all of a sudden, this skinny dude comes in there, jheri curl dripping, and skinny as a rail, scarred up, just pure tats and scars, and uncle mel goes “are you pookie?” and asks for i.d. and believe me, at this point, guns are drawn on this kid. he shows i.d. that he’s pookie, and it’s cool. me and pete are like “yo, what’s the deal?” mel tells me that this kid is going to be our liaison and he’s going to stay with us. pookie was a high lieutenant in one of these gangs, like second in command, and he had to roll with us the WHOLE time we were in LA.

im now thinking that this is b.s., and just say that i want to go to the mall to take my girl shopping. mel says no, but pookie is cool as long as he’s with us. i go in the van for my first time to the beverly center, and im walking around like im the king of LA. im still saying that the whole thing is just some b.s. and pookie is like “oh, it’s b.s.? ok, do me a favor, and go stand over there and take that elevator, you go and meet some fans then” i’m like **** it, alright. so i go, and there’s a couple of girls like “oh my god, it’s mc serch.” but then, all of a sudden, im looking left and right, and im seeing all these dudes, and im like “oh ok, dudes are coming over too, it’s all good” next thing i know, they all got bandanas pulled over their faces, and then they start to pull out right there in the mall. then i hear this whistle, loud as hell, and i see pookie, and he’s throwing up crazy signs and shouting “IT’S ALL GOOD, IT’S OVER” then the bandanas come off and the guns put down, and these same guys start talking like “yo, we really like your records homes. word up” but me…im literally shook white, and only then did it hit me that it was real. it was really REALLY real. so this definitely put a dampener on our trip to cali!

gs: did you make up with rakim?

serch: yeah, i made up with rakim, and we’re still cool to this day. but the next day, we went to k-day, which was a 24 hour hip hop station in LA, so it was like mecca, it was hot. greg mack “the mack attack” was the morning show, and it was THE morning show in LA. so we come and do the show. greg mack does about 2 minutes of an interview and then all of a sudden, he goes “hey, we’ve got a surprise guest on the phone…mc hammer live from the a.m.a.’s. you won five awards last night, thank you for being on the show” and me and pete are like “yo!” i mean we have so much to say to this dude, so much. so hammer starts going on this whole tirade saying it’s one thing to diss, but another thing to diss a man’s mother. and we were saying that we didn’t diss his mother, and i was trying to be real deep, and i’ll never forget what i said: it was “yo man, if you think that we dissed anyone in your matrionical background, i apologize.” i don’t know why i said it like that, i was trying to be like real high falutin. and he was like “well, that’s fine to say now, but it’s on record and will be for the rest of our lives” so i was like “well dog, you know what you did though, let’s just keep it in perspective.”

gs: and how did hammer respond to that?

serch: he straight hung up the phone. and greg mack thinks he’s got us locked, and he gets on and says “well, let’s see what you guys think, 3rd bass or hammer?”–first call comes in–”yo, i love mc hammer and 3rd bass is wack”–second call comes in”yo, i love 3rd bass, hammer’s a cornball”–third call–”yo, hammer is wack. it’s good that they dissed him.” about 10 minutes later, greg mack couldn’t even find somebody to say a good word about hammer. nobody. greg mack is like “well hey thanks for coming” and im like “**** you” and just walk out.

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