Blog is a Mix Tape

@politics: why i voted for mr. obama

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:15:37 -0800

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."

- Eleanor Roosevelt (via a tweet by Will Keightley), about 3 hours ago, 02.06.08

I've been cynical about politics since the mid nineties. Going to college in DC will do that to you, I think. So, while everyone around me was getting swept up in Obama fever, I sat back. I liked Kucinich and Edwards. Kucinich was down the line with me politically. I could even get down with him believing in aliens. Aliens is, in my opinion, the best action film of all time. Edwards, I trust. He's a doer. He walks the walk of his politics. He's the embodiment of the contradiction that is the soul of America that I love. Obama, the cynic in me thought, I don't know squat about that guy except that people are glad to come and hear him speak. They love it.

Key Note Speaker

Talib Kweli

But then Kucinich dropped out. And, last week, Edwards tumbled. And, in between all of that I started to really listen. Not to Obama, really, but to the people I trust, honor, respect, admire, and love, talk about Obama. They were inspired, hopeful, excited, anxious, active, engaged, involved, and joyful.

This I can get with. If Barack Obama is that kind of an agent of change, I'm down. If Barack Obama can, without question, inspire these genuine feelings of hope and unity and activism then, hell, I could honestly care less about his plan. I thank GOOD magazine for breaking it down for me (Mrs. Clinton got one, too) and I thank the Christmas elves for putting The Audacity of Hope in my stocking. I'm sure I'll read it eventually. Mostly, though, I thank Obama for dealing in big ideas. For encouraging, no, demanding change. For challenging us to be better than ourselves. For challenging us to stop waiting. What did he say last night?

"We are the ones we've been waiting for."

Yes, we are.

Let's go.

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song for sunday: the magic of your love

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:36:23 -0800

The Magic Of Your Love

The Majestic Arrows

Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label takes a look at the underside of Chicago soul through twenty tracks of blistering R&B, sweet soul, and discofied funk. Hundreds of hours were spent researching, interviewing, re-mastering, and compiling the history of Bandit and the life of Arrow Brown. Unearthed in the process were two cassette tapes worth of acappella rehearsals that we\'ve done our best to preserve in their lo-fi, in-the-red state. Numero 003 might be the deepest we\'ll ever dig. No map, no shovel, just a stack of 45\'s and a city of three million people.

- Numero Group

This space, in which I usually talk about my week, my head, my heart, my future, intentionally left blank. This week, this is my private life.

Now, on with the show.

The Show

Talib Kweli & Madlib

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Vox Hunt: It's Hidden

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:11:22 -0800

Audio: What's your favorite hidden track or song from an album?
Submitted by Kristine.

22 We Can Make It Better

Kanye West

Corny lyrics notwithstanding, this track not featured on the US release of Late Registration has quite the infectious beat and I'm predisposed to like anything with Kweli and Common. Plus Q-Tip's verse feels very old school in a nostalgic but not totally offensive way.

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VOTD: Never Been In Love

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:34:32 -0800

Talib Kweli - Never Been In Love

"You gave the rest a try now come and give the best a try." That's what I'm talkin' bout. And I'll just point out that every time I see Just Blaze in videos or whatever, I always think, "He seems like a cool cat" even if he is aping the Kanye West sped up soul sample stee-lo here.

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Freep3: Liberation

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:54:13 -0800

The Show

Talib Kweli & Madlib

Dang. If I knew the free album from Stones Throw was only going to be available for a week, I would have been more diligent about getting this live before today. As I rummaged through Stones Throw's site trying to find it this morning, however, I was reminded that the Madvillain action figure will be released at Kid Robot this Thursday.

Who wants to make a run with me to Santa Monica Thursday night?

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