How awesome are Eric B. & Rakim? They are so awesome that even my friend Leigh likes them. If I were to rank everyone I know based on their interest in rap, Leigh would come in pretty far down near the bottom—probably just ahead of my mother and Fr. Kowalewski, my high school freshman religion teacher.
Hip-Hop/Rap
Eminem
A friend once explained to me that it was OK to like Eminem, because he wasn’t actually homophobic—he just acted homophobic because he knew it would sell more records. So pretending to hate gay people for money is better than actually hating gay people. Glad we cleared that up.
Coup
When I first saw a picture of the Coup, I realized that I used to run into Boots Riley all the time—on BART, at coffee shops, etc. It’s probably just as well I didn’t know who he was—he doesn’t seem like the type to get excited about a middle-aged white guy asking for his autograph.
Beastie Boys
My son used to think the line was “Mom you’re just jealous it’s the B Street Boys!” The B Street Boys were some kind of Disney boy band, kind of like the Jonas Brothers. I don’t think they ever sang—let alone rapped—about porno mags.
Playlist of the Day 