Ok so seems that the technical difficulties at the Kitchen Sink are mounting but that does not mean that I'm going to give up. So I'm going to hit you off with some classics, some unheard of sounds and something that might require a bit of translation.


First up is the legendary Hip Hop crew Boogie Down Productions. I was first introduced to BDP and the master MC KRS 1 via their Edutainment album which contained the classic "Loves Gonna Get Ya" and rather epic for its time "7 Dee Jays". That album combined with the 1992 release Sex and Violence provided the sonic foundation to the three years I spent in Columbia, MD. I am pretty sure that this video clip of "My Philosophy" and "I'm Still #1" was from the performance recorded for BDP's 1990 Live Hardcore Worldwide album, which is as far as I can tell the first live Hip Hop album ever. (If I'm wrong enlighten me in the comments section). By the way, the "I'm still #1" section is all freestyle. Sickness. And check the reaction of the crowd, the call and response. Thats real hip hop.



Ok to be honest I don't know much about this next MC, The Last Emperor. I came across this video of "Secret Wars" by chance a few months ago.Marvel vs. Hip Hop with the Earth as the prize! He has also done a track with KRS-1 and Zack De La Rocha from Rage Agains the Machine called "CIA" that is bangin'.


And now time for something a little different. When I was in Miami last October on vaction that timed itself between a pair of hurricanes, my girl and I were in a south beach chinese restaurant that had MTV Latino blasting on a pair of flat screen sets. Now I was bracing my self for a bunch of reggaton but was surprised when the first video we saw while waiting for our order was "Pal Norte"by Calle 13. Calle 13 is the brainchild of two Puerto Rican half brothers Residente and Visitante. They have been thrown in to the general reggaton category but simply consider there music urban, drawing from a variety of influences from traditional Puerto Rican roots to contemporary hip hop. "Pal Norte" is one of those few songs that has a banging track and beautiful lyrics. For those whose Spanish is as bad as mine here is a link to an English translation.