Music Video: Jay Z & Kanye West Featuring Frank Ocean - No Church in the Wild

Anarchy seems to be on everyone’s minds lately, and for good reason.  The economy is still in shambles.  Not too long ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement had the one percent fearing that their day of reckoning might be soon be at hand.  Americans of all races watch the George Zimmerman murder trial unfold, fearing the violent repercussions a “not guilty” verdict could bring.  Artists have caught wind of the popular zeitgeist and allowed it to inform their work.   Well, some artists have.  Mainstream rappers are too busy living their dreams to care.  It’s surprising then, that Jay-Z and Kanye West have allowed “No Church in the Wild” to become the soundtrack of the coming rebellion.  At least that’s how the video makes it seem. 

Music Video: Pusha T - Exodus 23.1

Okay, I admit it.  When it comes to Young Money Entertainment, I am indeed a hater.  Their roster is chockfull of annoying “characters” masquerading as cutting edge rap artists.  Even the more exceptional among them (The perpetually sappy Drake, for example) apply their talents in an obnoxious way.  It is for such reasons that I take sadistic pleasure in just about anything that gets a rise out of them and/or their fans.  Pusha T’s new diss record “Exodus 23.1” has managed to do just that.  Now, in a clear bid to add insult to injury, it also has a video.

Jamie Foxx Swaggers through Quentin Tarantino’s Version of the Old West in New Photos from ‘Django Unchained’

Last week, a seven minute trailer for Django Unchained wowed audiences at the Cannes Film Festival.  The rest of the world will have to wait until the release of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus to see any of it, as Ridley Scott’s film will carry a teaser for the highly anticipated spaghetti western.  Until then, British film publication Empire Magazine has provided a batch of new photos to satiate the lust for all things Tarantino.

Jedi Since Birth: My Connection To Star Wars

The force has always been strong with me.  I was born in the same calendar year that Star Wars made its worldwide debut..  I’ve always taken it as something of an omen that I was born the exact same year as the film franchise that redefined the movie industry as we know it.  It played a large part in shaping my tastes as a movie buff.  I’ve been a Star Wars fan for so long, that I sometimes forget that the relatively unconventional way I initially became acquainted with it.  I was indoctrinated long before I was even old enough to truly understand it. 

Music Video: Nas – Daughters

A theme in both The Sopranos and Road to Perdition is the double life that gangsters are forced to lead, especially the ones that attempt to be good fathers.  The lead characters commit any number of sins that put their mortal souls in jeopardy, supposedly so their families can lead comfortable lives.  They also indulge in the worldly pleasures that their underworld status affords them.  They hide that side of their lives from their children, going to great pains to ensure that the sins of the father are not visited upon the heads of the sons and/or daughters.  On one hand, it’s the worst kind of hypocrisy.  On the other, it’s totally understandable.  Those who provide for their own by morally questionable means don’t want their kids to follow in their footsteps.  Though it has nothing to do with gangsterism, the video for Nas latest single “Daughters” wreaks of reeks of a similar brand of guilt.

Book Review: Seth Ferranti - The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince's Reign of Terror and The Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed

Queens, New York has a storied Hip-Hop history.  It has produced some of the most popular and influential rappers of all time.  It also has another legacy, albeit one much darker.  During the 1980’s, it served as ground zero for New York City’s drug trade.  The Southside was a hotbed of activity, lorded over by a new generation of violent and ambitious hustlers.  The most fearsome and remarkable of this new breed was the fabled Supreme Team.  Headed by the charismatic Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, the team set up shop in the Baisley Park housing projects, from which they instituted a reign of terror.  Their style and swagger left an impression on a generation of rappers, many of whom would take their crack game gospel worldwide.

Rider on the Storm: ‘The Road Warrior’ Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

Though the Western fell out of favor with audiences decades ago, the action genre has been faithfully carrying on its traditions ever since.  However, some action films aren’t satisfied with placing the archetypes and tropes of their forebears in a more modern setting.  Some filmmakers have gone so far as to create dystopian futures where the stories and images of the old west can thrive.  These imaginary landscapes functioned in much the same way as the western frontier of popular American myth.  The most famous and influential of these was writer/director George Miller’s Mad Max trilogy, the second entry of which proved to be revolutionary.  So effective was its presentation, that it arguably spawned its own sci-fi subgenre.  

LBP Stunts Chicago Pays Homage to ‘The Raid: Redemption’

Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and the internet has made it easier to exhibit such tributes to the masses.  It used to be that the influence of an instant classic would take time to show up in popular culture.  Now, thanks to video sharing websites like YouTube, homages and imitations can show up in a matter of months, weeks, or even days.  LBP Stunts Chicago has taken full advantage of such resources, and frequently uses them to channel their various influences into a number of creative ventures.  They have recently done so with The Raid: Redemption, offering their take Gareth Evan’s martial arts masterpiece in less than 60 seconds.

Two New Batman Banners From 'The Dark Knight Rises'

With all the posters, images, and banners comin down the pike lately, one would think the fictional character was running for president this November.  Warner Brothers is clearly working overtime to remind audiences just who rules the night, or in this case the summer Blockbuster season of 2012.  Two more banners have emerged, and both are just as good as the four released yesterday.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and Unleashes A Flurry of Marketing Materials

While The Avengers has been taking the world by storm, The Dark Knight has been brooding in his cave and waiting for the right time to strike.  The earth’s mightiest heroes are a box office behemoth the likes of which no one could have foreseen.  They’ve proven to be much more than just formidable opponents.  Not to be outdone, the Batman has finally and truly arisen from his slumber with a bevy of gifts, some of which are quite wonderful.