Lil Wayne on Around the Horn

I love it how they just gave the victory to Lil' Wayne... but seriously, he made some good points. Clearly the man knows sports.

Check out Lil Wayne's blog on ESPN here.

Good Stuff

Editorial: Are Bloggers, the Internet Killing Hip-Hop?

Before I hop into it, Shout out Hip Hop Game and Nah Right for the post/video.

Jabari, 9th Wonder, Young Guru, Young Chris, and Neff Discuss Hip Hop and the Web



So the question raised by the gentlemen in the video is a good one... What has the internet done for Hip Hop? Being the creator of a music blog, which focuses primarily on Hip Hop, I would not have the platform that I have without the revolutions afforded to me by Web 2.0 platforms like Blogger. I feel that bloggers have a responsibility to promote material that they find to be interesting, whether in a good way or a bad way. Whether one thinks a text is great or atrocious, bloggers have a responsibility to be true to themselves and their audience.

As with any new medium, authenticity is a point of tension amongst bloggers and non-bloggers alike. What makes a blogger authentic? Where does authenticity lie, and where can it be drawn from? These are some of the questions which are being hinted at by the video above. Many pundits of blogging, or Hip Hop purists, would argue that the rapid influx of bloggers on the internet has destroyed music; more specifically, Hip Hop. Now, if you have an email address, you become a resource to the community. You have the power to provide illegal downloads, and incorrect material, via editorials (like this one...).

I retort these claims by saying that even before the internet and web 2.0 became the big thing, I had a voice and I frequently used it to voice my varying opinions on music. I see no difference in my blogging than in my general conversation with anyone I know. Herein lies the beauty of this medium, the conversation goes from being local to being global. And lets be serious, if bloggers weren't provide audio/visual drops, there would still be dubbed CDs, camera photos and, of course, word of mouth. People would find out about stuff some how, some way.

In the end, I would argue that the internet, specifically bloggers, have HELPED Hip Hop by allowing anyone with an opinion to log on and be heard. No matter how any blogs there are, its still up to the reader to filter through the clutter and find the best, most stimulating blogs.

But of course, you already know Daturnpike is the only blog you need... as long as I'm not being lazy.