The story of Video Music Box is long, long overdue. Video Music Box existed in a world where everyone “wanted their MTV.” While MTV hesitated to play music from people of color well in to the eighties, “Video Music Box” was a New York institution that proudly played music videos and performances from African American and minority artists that were legendary and up and comers, and for that it continues to be heralded by iconic music artists.
Tag Archives: Hip Hop
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert (2014-2017) [2 Blu-Ray]
The yearly “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” induction ceremony is one of the more iconic and polarizing concerts, often inspiring a slew of controversy from music buffs and musicians alike. There’s always a hailstorm of “Why not this band?” or “Why not this artist?” and you’re always guaranteed to read an interesting headline of someone griping about an overdue band not getting their dues yet. Suffice to say whether the ceremony falls flat or it’s raucous, it’s almost always a promise you’ll get an interesting experience. And that’s from what we get to see on the edited annual broadcast on cable television. There are some bands and or artists excluded from this list as they have been omitted consciously, from what I’ve read, but for your money it’s a pretty solid release from Time Life I recommend.
You Have to See This! NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell (2007)
“New York wasn’t burning. It was burnt!”
Director Henry Corra’s exploration of what New York was in 1977 is quite fantastic and a surprisingly rare chronicle of the political and economic turmoil that ironically bred timeless art and music. As a born and bred Bronxite, 1977 is a mythical year, and a period of the decade that I’ve heard about very often from elder family members. In particular, the night of the infamous black out of New York, my mom and uncle were stuck in the edge of downtown Manhattan and had to brave their way home during the mass looting and rioting. “NY77” garners a very unique tone that balances out the inherent importance of the year, the depressing living conditions of the city, and the obvious fun that was had by most, who managed to endure poverty with laughs and creativity.
8 Mile: Dealing with Pain through Music
It’s hard to believe that “8 Mile” arrived in theaters fifteen years ago and took the world by surprise. That’s essentially what Eminem’s career has always been about: Surprising people who have always doubted him. After the stigma of white hip hop artists permeated music for years, Eminem stomped on to the world of hip hop. He didn’t just make a name for himself, but he challenged everything about the world he was in, the music he performed, and the people he ran across every single day of his life. Here was a man who kind of tore through the façade of fame, and also challenged the conventions of hip hop, which by the late nineties, was more about fame and wealth than hardships and confronting a harsh society.
Cool as Ice: And Other Assorted 90's Nonsense
A Few interesting facts about “Cool as Ice”: It’s never been released on DVD and the chances of it being on Blu-Ray are slim, Gwyneth Paltrow nearly took the role opposite Vanilla Ice as his love interest but was advised against it by her father who objected the sexual content, on Amazon.com the rare VHS is available on auction for nearly five hundred dollars, and director David Kellogg disowned the film. He later went on to direct “Inspector Gadget” in 1999.
Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! (2006)
In 2004, the Beastie Boys handed different hardcore fans Hi-8 Cameras to walk around the audience shooting the concert and offering up their own view of the concert taking place in Madison Square Garden. And my first thought was: Did any of them steal the camera? I can imagine one of them just making a break for the door with this great camera in hand. But I digress, “Awesome;” is for the hardcore fans only.
The Necromasters – Dead Baby Suitcase [Digital]
The Necromasters album, “Dead Baby Suitcase” was recently sent to me, and after listening I remembered I’m a rock buff at heart, so I had the help of a hardcore hip hop fan and at the end of listening to the album I realized that we were pretty much on the same level regarding our opinion of what we heard. The Necromasters’ songs have great rhythm and some are even worthy of listening aloud with smooth beats and decent melodies including “Matter of Time” which has a great energy, but in the end, there just was nothing here.