HipHopdom

Starting on July 16, 2008, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum opens a new display exhibiting hip-hop artifacts providing visitors with an overview on the evolution of this musical genre and cultural movement from its origins in the middle 1970s.

According to the museum’s committee, hip-hop is such a cultural phenomenon in the American society that deserved this to honor. The movement was first introduced by African American residing in the turbulent New York suburbs of Harlem and Bronx, and shortly after it was enriched by Latinos and other minority groups encompassing a series of elements such as DJ’ing, MC’ing (rapping), B-boying (breakdancing, and urban inspired tagging commonly knows as graffiti.

The hip-hop culture was formerly identified as a manifestation of refrained violence and segregation in suburbs and ghettos, but soon was adopted as a lifestyle to which many young American feel identified regardless their color, race, sex, or religion.

At Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum display includes a large number of assorted flyers from around 1977 to 1987 featuring hip-hop work from Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Saul Abbatiello, Lovebug Starski, Grandmaster, and Phase Too.

However you can also enjoy personal stuff from Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Slick Rick, Jay-Z, Pepa of Salt-n-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, Snoop Dogg, Run D.M.C. The collection also includes, but is not limited to, original artwork from Public Enemy, Prince Paul, a rare “Rapture” lyric manuscript written by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry in 1979, and a letter from the FBI to N.W.A.’s Priority Records.

Obama Rolling Stone Cover

Shaquille O’Neal will lose his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.

“I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”

Shaq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me.” O’Neal skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.

“I was freestyling. That’s all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,” O’Neal told ESPN.com Monday. A call to the Suns on Tuesday seeking comment from O’Neal was referred to his public relations firm, which didn’t immediately respond.

Arpaio, who describes himself as “America’s Toughest Sheriff” and is best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn’t expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.

“Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn’t there,” Arpaio said.

D-Tay talks about how close he and 50 Cent are

Shaq disses Kobe, Patrick Ewing, and Kareem Abdul Jabar

Ant comment on this picture? Decide yourself

Not much of a challenge has been extended to 50 Cent by Taco Bell as if they hadn’t already set this all up as a marketing campaign.

Diddy Blog #6 The Game Has Changed!