Earth Amplified : green Hip Hop album

photo: Seasunz

The album "Earth Amplified" came out almost a year ago ... but I just learned about it. The album's lyrics address current environmental and socio-political issues.

Produced by Brooklyn-based J.Bless and multi-instrumentalist Golden Horns, the album features Oakland-based frontman Seasunz as well as guest appearances from stic.man (dead prez), Killah Priest (Wu-Tang), Zumbi (Zion I), Wes Restless (The Gents, Dynamic Vibrations), Rocker T (Jah-Warrior Shelter) and Jahiti (Brownfish).

I found this on the Green For All website:

Ashel Eldridge aka Seasunz, originally from Chicago, is an educator with the Alliance for Climate Education in Oakland, CA. He is a co-founder of Oakland's Green Youth Arts and Media Center and teaches music and meditation with Art in Action. He is a co-founder of CommuniTree, Oakland Resilience Alliance, and serves on the West Oakland Project Area Committee board. As a frontman emcee and vocalist, he has toured and performed extensively on the West Coast, including joining Bay Area hip-hop/reggae group, Wisdom and has collaborated with and toured with Bay Area breaks DJ and Producer Bassnectar on various recordings and performances. Additionally, Seasunz has either performed with or shared stages with the likes of KRS-One, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Zion I, Dead Prez, Ozomatli, Damien and Stephen Marley, Michael Franti, Midnite, Steel Pulse, and VP Records reggae artists Anthony B., Killah Priest and Warrior King. His second CD release, Earth Amplified, this summer, is a fierce tribute to the earth and peoples' struggles for justice.

TRACKLIST

1. Lady Justice
2. Hungry Money (feat. Zumbi of Zion I)
3. Sunnyside (feat. Wes Restless)
4. Global Warning (feat. stic.man of dead prez)
5. Food Fight (feat. stic.man of dead prez)
6. Water World
7. Nitewriters (feat. Killah Priest)
8. Storm Before the Calm (interlude)
9. Not the Same Thing
10. HWY 1
11. Any Day Now
12. On the Way (outro)
13. Defend Her (Bonus Track) (Little Island Mix feat. Rocker T and Jahiti of Brownfish)

The album kicks off with the first single, the Fela-inspired “Lady Justice" - an ode to powerful women and Mother Earth. In the second verse, Seasunz shouts out Angela Davis, Wangari Maathai, Assata Shakur, and Vandana Shiva for being fearless female revolutionaries.



You can buy the album here - just name your price.

Speaking of Hip Hop Art ... Kehinde Wiley

While I am on the subject of hip hop art, I saw an AMAZING hip hop art exhibit, "Recognize!", at D.C.'s National Portrait Gallery last spring.

I love Kehinde Wiley's paintings. Kehinde, age 31, is known for his unique style in which old European portraiture meets modern hip-hop culture.

I went back to the museum several times, just to see the gigantic portraits up close, and made sure to drag friends, along:) The painting below was my favorite - LL Cool J.



Here's a good video about the artist's work --

Hip-hop and art history collide on Kehinde Wiley's canvases, where contemporary urban black men pose as angels, prophets, and saints set against richly colored swirls of ornate and rococo ornamentation:


If you ever have the opportunity to see his paintings in person, then make sure that you take advantage of that opportunity!

The Hip Hop Community & Obama

I've been meaning to look these up for a while - a collection of youtube videos representing the hip hop community & Obama. I'm sure that there are many more, but this is a start!

My favorite video is "Jay-Z at Virginia Union College in Richmond, VA puts election day in historical perspective." Jay-Z says to the young people assembled "I wanted to come here, I wanted to look you in the eye, I want you to know ..." It reminds me of Obama's Nov 4 Grant Park speech, when our next president said, "I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me."

Change is afoot.

Enjoy the videos.


Obama on Hip Hop:



On March 3, 2008, some voters in Ohio received this call from Jay-Z encouraging them to vote for Obama:



Kanye West freestyling at Virgin Festival 2008:



KINGSMEN @ MUSIC FOR DEMOCRACY FUNDRAISER, Nov. 1st, Atlanta:



Jay-Z at Virginia Union College in Richmond, VA puts election day in historical perspective:



Jay-Z's Obama victory song:



Dizzee Rascal explains how Hip Hop helped Obama win the Presidency. Also, Dizzee wants to become Prime Minister:



Diddy, Jay Z, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Kevin Liles -- Team Obama Campaign Trail. Yes We Did!!:



LUDACRIS - OBAMA IS HERE (MUSIC VIDEO):



Common - "Changes" (A Tribute to Obama):



Common & Talib Kweli sponsored an event on Election Night, in Chicago:



Obama vs Clinton: Who's got Hip Hop's vote? Opinions from Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Mistah Fab, Paul Wall, Luke, Bun B, David Banner, Supernatural, Chingo Bling, Chamilliona... :



TALIB KWELI on the election:



Hip Hop Rocks The Vote:







Rapper Snoop Dogg says Senator Barack Obama Can Win!:



Rapper Ice Cube 4 Senator Barack Obama President 08!: