Murakami at Brooklyn Museum

The Murakami exhibit, recently displayed at the MOCA in Downtown LA, will be opening at the Brooklyn Museum this April (link to press release here)




Takashi Murakami, best known for founding Superflat style of contemporary art, masterfully deconstructs the Japanese notion of cute while raising questions about sexuality and the lack of masculinity in Japanese society today.

Rest In Power Jay Dee (Feb. 7, 1974 - Feb. 10, 2006)

Download: Janet Jackson (feat. Q-Tip) - Got Til It's Gone [Ummah Jay Dee's Revenge Mix]

Broken Glass Everywhere ...

Welcome Home LA, a public art project initiated by USC students, uses LED lights to create windows along the bleak streets of Skid Row.

"We want to utilize public art and the reproduction and documentation of public art to bring attention to marginalized urban space," the Welcome Home LA website explains. "These images, which allude to homes, human presence, security and comfort, will be juxtaposed with the urban spaces and bring attention to the lack of all of these qualities in these spaces. The symbol of windows also alludes to research which reveals that areas with a high crime rate have more broken windows."



Photo: taken from the Welcome Home LA website

Download: Mick Boogie & Busta Rhymes (feat. Q-Tip & Talib Kweli) - Lightworks

Busta Meets Dilla

I know I just posted a Jay Dee related mixtape last week, but I couldn't resist. Mick Boogie released this mixtape yesterday through his website.

“The homie Busta Rhymes called me the other day following up on an idea I gave him months and months ago. So long ago that I actually forgot about it. He called me with four very specific words: ‘Check your inbox, son!’ When I opened it, I found song after song of unreleased craziness from Busta and the late, legendary J Dilla. So after a week of figuring out our strategy, it’s done. Mick Boogie + Busta + Dilla = Dillagence. The album of the year…and it’s not even an album!”

Busta Rhymes + Dilla Beats = Pure Boom Bap Joy.

Download: Mick Boogie & Busta Rhymes - Dillagence (link courtesy of illroots.com)

Jay Dee vs. The Beach Boys

"(Bullion) has transformed the Beach Boys' classic 1966 album into a whole new masterpiece...Dilla would have been up for a bootleg as inspired as this."--Exclaim

Bullion posted this mix *not a mash-up* Pet Sounds: Songs In The Key Of Dee on his MySpace page. The smash-up artist from the UK mixed elements of The Beach Boys seminal pop record Pet Sounds with your favorite producer's favorite producer, Jay Dee.

Note: I came across this on music blog gorillavsbear, respect.

Photo: taken from the Exclaim review.

Download: Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee

Suicide by Cop ?

A peaceful demonstration took place last night in Brooklyn after police officers shot and killed 18 year-old Khiel Coppin on Monday night. Witnesses claim that cops took 20 shots at the unarmed teenager, one officer continuing to shoot despite shouts of "stop shooting" from fellow officers. The shooting evokes memories of the shooting deaths of Sean Bell in 2006 and Amadou Diallo in 1999.

NYPD is looking into a bullshit phenomenon police officers are calling "suicide by cop." They claim that the troubled teenager was suicidal and purposely induced the officers to open fire on him. It sounds like a bunch of crap because it is. The truth is that police department has stopped even trying to justify their actions, pinning the blame the a dead victim.

Photo: by Damon Winter/The New York Times

Download: Jay Dee (J Dilla) - Fuck The Police

Download: Pharoahe Monch - Welcome to the Terrordome