I don’t know much about the artist Sabatta, only that I got this link via Twitter, and that they’re based out the UK. I dig the song, and I really dig the video: chicks, boobs, cars, action and what not. Peep and let me know what you think.

Ya’ll know how much I love Brooklyn, and how I stay in the neighborhood I grew up in, Crown Heights. Some of ya’ll might have also seen how my home was featured on that HGTV show. Crown Heights is on the come up, gentrification is in full swing. Shit is looking sweet ’round here. Continue reading R.I.P. Born Reality

For being such an influential emcee in the game, Nasir Jones is a certified weirdo. Especially by Hip Hop’s standards. Hip Hop has always been about being fresh, on to the next shit, slick, nimble word play, always winning. In the public eye, NaS stays losing, especially here on these Internets. Since the lil homie dropped the classic that remains ‘Illmatic’, Mr. Jones has frustrated many a fan (me included) with his inconsistent output of work, some dope, some wack, and more than a few being, well, weird (anyone remember “Who Killed It?” from his ‘Hip Hop Is Dead’ album?). His personal life hasn’t helped dude’s losing image, especially with that nasty divorce thingie and post marital rapeage with Kelis that made headlines recently. When it was announced some time back that NaS and Damian Marley would be recording a complete concept album entitled ‘Distant Relatives’, I was like “meh”. Son of reggae king Bob Marley, Damian had that one massive street/reggae banger ‘Welcome To Jamrock’ back in 2005, but after that, not so much (that I know about). Not that I’m against conceptual rap related albums, just that with Nasir, I’m not really checking for that. And with reggae and Damian Marley? Nah son. Continue reading NaS & Damian Marley – ‘Distant Relatives’ Album Review: NaS Won

I don’t really know what the fluck is going on. This internet virus shit is a pain. Last week as I was about to get busy with my blog 1,2, I noticed my shit getting flagged for being virus laden again. WTF? I’ve since left Network Solutions, the server that was hosting this site. Still, I’m getting a couple of virus notices on my end. Is that what you’re seeing on your end? Please let me know.

I’m apologizing because a loyal reader from the UK hit me direct message via Twitter last week to inform me that them viruses from his site shut his computer down. Huh? Shortly after, a sister from Brooklyn hit me via Twitter to let me know her computer got shut down after visiting my site as well. That. is. so. not. cool. I took another week off to work out the kinks, make sure them bugs dint follow me here. I won’t be having the Daily-Math shut you good peoples’ computers down. Before that happens, I will shut this bitch down first and good. Word.

So here we go again. Another shot. Secret confession, I’ve been using my viruses to let me get slow and lazy. What part of the game is that? Here’s to a virus free run. Let’s go.

It’s been a rough couple of years for New York Hip-Hop. Yeah, Jay-Z & Raekwon  may have done some decent numbers considering the current climate in the record industry, but recent albums from Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Jim Jones and Capone & Noreaga weren’t up to the artists usual standards and while the latest from Nas, 50 Cent, Cam’ron, Maino, have gotten praise from critics and fans, they still sold way less albums then expected, especially considering the amount of buzz they had and the attention they received from the rap media. Add that with the fact that the industry has seemingly stopped pushing new acts from New York in favor of signing one hit wonder/ringtone rap acts, Southern rappers (they seem to be all the rage these days) or dumbed down production driven music that will get spins on the radio today but will be irrelevant next month (C-O-N-spiracy?) and you begin to see why New York rap is in such an abysmal state.  But the blame doesn’t fall squarely on the labels, the radio or the fans of Southern Hip-Hop. The young rappers from New York who actually have talent are mostly clueless as to what it means to be actual artists and the OG’s are usually too concerned with their own thing to provide the proper guidance, if any at all. This usually results in new rappers putting out  music that panders to the radio and is so concerned with getting love outta town, it lacks any kind of identity. If you can’t connect with the people where you’re from and get hot in your own hood, you can’t expect people to feel you anywhere else.

That’s where Harlem’s Vado comes in. Continue reading On The Bubble: Vado

There’s something in the Kool-Aid. Or the red cup… the Ciroc or whatever rappers are sippin’ nowadays. Whatever it is, something just doesn’t feel right. Actually, it does, but it wasn’t supposed to happen for another few years, if ever again.

There’s balance in hip-hop.

Continue reading Balance

You already heard how opinions are like assholes. I was invited by Complex.com to join a group of Internets Tastemakers to review Eminem’s 1st single “Not Afraid” off his upcoming Recovery album. The Consensus panel consists of yours truly, along with Miss Info (MissInfo.tv), Andrew Noz (CocaineBlunts.com), Jake Paine (HipHopDX.com), Nation (ItsTheCalm.com & NahRight.com), Dallas Penn (DallasPenn.com), Elliott Wilson (RapRadar.com), Robbie Ettelson (Unkut.com), Eskay (NahRight.com), John Gotty (The Smoking Section), Jeff Rosenthal (ItsTheReal.com), Meka (2DopeBoyz.com), Peter Rosenberg (RosenbergRadio.com), Nigel D. (RealTalkNY.net), Maurice Garland (MauriceGarland.com), and Noah Callahan-Bever (Complex).

I’m honored to be down with such an impressive group of cats that I really respect. Peep to see how we all felt about “Not Afraid”.

What’s The Consensus? The Internets Top Tastemakers React To Eminems’ “Not Afraid”

PLEASE READ POST BEFORE VIEWING:

I dropped this post last year. Before most of ya’ll knew about the Daily Math. Not tryna re-hash, but I just got an update. Let’s start from the beginning. Continue reading Still. Most. Painful.

I just left Whole Foods located in Union Square. I sometimes cop breakfast from there after dropping off my kids to school. This morning I mixed some of the hot food (turkey bacon) with some of the cold food (seaweed salad, quinoa) in my take out container. I’m tryna stay healthy. So I get to the cashier, and the West Indian girl behind the register asks me if the food is from the hot or cold section. I say both, then joke about how I’m not tryna break no laws. She scoffs, then goes into a tirade about “how yoo should see ‘ow these people comes in ‘ere an’ eat up a ‘hole lotta food, then come to the register, complain ‘ow they di’na like it an’ refuse to pay! Everyday! Meanwhiles, security is wastin time followin’ Black people who don’ steal nothing.” Huh? People are allowed to eat foods up in Whole Foods, way before paying? I never got that memo. But I did understand the greater message. Whole Foods, like most US institutions, have antiquated racist policies when it comes to how it deals with it’s patrons. Continue reading Combat Jack’s Six Step Plan For Whole Foods Racial Harmony

Ya’ll don’t know how good it feels to be back. My site was hit by a virus damn near two weeks plus ago. Actually, the good folks that support this site, Networks Solutions, was hacked and hit, on a major scale. Being that I’m not no tech head, the customer service Hindudes cats stationed out in India initially didn’t give a rat’s ass about my predicament, but were enthusiastic enough to try and sell me a gang of product. Frustrated, feeling like this site was going to be down for like forever, I did what any red-blooded American would do, I started blasting Network Solutions on Twitter. No lie, I let off a tweet last Thursday swearing I would never eff with these cats again.  That’s when magic happened. Within 30 minutes after my tweet, I get a tweet from Network Solutions, acting all concerned and what not, and asking how they could help me.

After I accepted their offer and explained how the Daily Math had been down for two weeks, they send me an email address to send them a breakdown of my issues. I did, and the funniest shit happened, they managed to shake loose all them bugs and leeches I had infecting my shit within the next 24 hours. Word up. Moral of the story is if you ever get sick and tired of getting dissed and ignored my a corporation’s “customer service department”, put them fools on full blast via Twitter, that’s cause them to attend to your shit quick fast.

A lot’s transpired in the past two weeks. ‘Kick-Ass’ dropped, and please believe you need to peep it asap. My favorite local Brooklyn coffee shop Gorilla closed two days after I got hit for good. Then re-opened today. My favorite white boy re-imagined if the Tea Party was Black, Shyne droped hot garbage, two of my favorite bloggers, Nah Right and Ivan from Hip Hop Is Read got into it, Kat Stacks got tore the eff up,  Jim Jones finally came to his senses and kissed his boss, Cam’ron’s ring, and most notably, Keith Elam, p/k/a Guru, forever to be remembered as 1/2 of Gang Starr died. The sadness of his passing continues to be marred by the weirdness and allegations that surround his death, especially as it relates to his ‘partner’ Solar.

Yeah, alot can pass you buy in these Internets time. I missed ya’ll dearly. Hell, maybe I needed that virus shutdown, just to remind me how valuable you all are. So yeah. I’m back. Time to get this show back on the road. Let’s go.

It’s been a long time….