Today In Black History: Toni Morrison

On this date in 1988 Ohio native Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved. The book would later become a movie in 1998 staring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.

"Black people are victims of an enormous amount of violence. None of those things can take place without the complicity of the people who run the schools and the city."
-Toni Morrison

Narduwar vs. Big K.R.I.T.

Big K.R.I.T. “Dreamin” [Video]

Returnof4eva got pushed back until next Monday but here's the video for the first single off of it.

Nardwuar vs. Curren$y

Narduwar aka The Human Serviette was in Austin last week for SXSW and hooked up with the Hot Spitta for a interview that only Narduwar could do. ENJOY...

The Graduation Rate Of Black Players On 2011 NCAA Tournament Teams

College athletics continues to fail our young black men while these institutions of higher education make thousands and often millions off of their talents. The NCAA makes billions of off these "amateur" players in the name of a free education. Something has to change ASAP.

Charts courtesy of The Afro

Happy Independence Day Namibia

On this date in 1990, Namibia gained its independence and Sam Nujoma was sworn in as the first President.

theINcrowd presents…The Young and the Restless Musical Showcase

theINcrowd brings you their first event of the 2011 this saturday at Georgetown University headlined by the Leimert Park legend Dom Kennedy. This is gonna be a dope show and great way to spend the first saturday of spring. Oh yeah did I mention its FREE 99. So get your tickets while they last because once they're gonna, they're GONE. Click on the flyer to get your tickets now while they last. 

S/O to my homie Shay, the brains and mastermind behind his showcase and theINcrowd. You are on your way my dude. 

DETAILS

Date: March 26th, 2011 from 10pm - 2am
Location: Hoya Court at Georgetown University - 37th & O St. NW, Washington, DC 20057

 Musical Acts

Tate Tucker- a student at Georgetown University that balances his studies and his budding musical career. With his debut mixtape releasing in the next few months, Tate looks to perform for his fellow student body that has seen him blow up, literally, overnight, after rapping for Lupe Fiasco in Michael Eric Dyson's "Sociology of Hip-Hop" course.

Kardi- a college student as well that has been no stranger to the music community. Hailing from New York City, Kardi has put out a number of musical compilations and will release his first album on iTunes in the next month. Kardi has opened up for XV on his home turf and he hopes to establish his presence in Washington, D.C.

Purple Monkey Sircus- a quartet of young musicians originating out of Cleveland, Ohio. Working with DJ talents such as Mick Boogie, these guys have made quite a name for themselves in the underground music industry. They have opened up for artists including: Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, and the Clipse, leading to their large presence in the blog community.

Dom Kennedy- the Lemeirt Park, California native known for his strong allegience to his roots. Dom Kennedy has shone in the past few years releasing projects like 25th Hour, FutureStreet/DrugSounds, the Best After Bobby, From the Westside With Love and most recently, the Original Dom Kennedy. His works have gained him a great deal of attention from coast to coast, nation to nation. He's no longer that small artist from the West Coast, but now a well-respected front runner in the hip-hop community. Dom Kennedy will be headlining The Young and the Restless as his fans steadily anticipate the release of his upcoming project We$tside II.

Jay Electronica - Patents of Nobility

Here's some unreleased Jay Electronica that has the great Muhammad Ali sampled on it. Jay is reportedly recording his debut album in Africa as you read this.  Enjoy as this as the King creates a classic masterpiece in the motherland.

"I went from nothing to something like the planet earth, I'll show these major labels how to make a man from dirt" -Jay Electronica

Listen/Download: Jay Electronica - Patents of Nobility

DMVincible Showcase At SXSW

Harmony Muzik & 368 Music Group Presents DMVincible. This event includes 25 DMV artists representing all parts of DC, Maryland, & Virginia. The show tomorrow is at Prague (422 Congress Ave.) and is from 10:45 AM- 5:00 PM. If you are in Austin, TX for SXSW, make sure you check this showcase out. Find out more about this incredible show at www.dmvincible.com

Big K.R.I.T. – American Rapstar

This is off of K.R.I.T.'s ReturnOf4Eva which drops March 22nd. This will be the follow up to the  Mississippi native's Wuz Here which was one of the best mixtapes of 2010.

Download: Big K.R.I.T. – American Rapstar

Bonus:  Big K.R.I.T.’s 2011 Freshman Class Freestyle (Video)

Q-Tip's Beef With ATCQ Documentary [Video]

Pusha T – Cook It Down [Video]

Fear Of God.... March 21st... Enough Said

QuESt – In My Defense [Video]

Here are the latest visuals for one of my favorite tracks off of QuESt’s The Reason: A Defense Mechanism.

Download: The Reason: A Defense Mechanism

Today In Black History: Freedom’s Journal

On this date in 1827, the Freedom’s Journal newspaper was founded. It was the first Black-owned and operated newspaper in the United States. The paper was started by a group of free Black men in New York City. It served as an counter to racist commentary published in the mainstream press. Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm served as its senior and junior editors. The Journal consisted of news of current events, anecdotes, and editorials and was used to address contemporary issues such as slavery and "colonization," of blacks back to Africa. The paper only lasted until March of 1829.

Jay Electronica – “Prelude To A Freestyle” [Video]

Jay Electronica has blessed us with more music to hold us over until his highly anticipated album drops sometime this year. To fully understand Jay I feel you need to actually read his lyrics as you listen to the jewels he drops. The lyrics to this track are HERE.

Download: Jay Electronica – “Prelude To A Freestyle”