2 Dope Boyz

PREVIOUS: Chris Brown – Way Too Cold Freestyle x Mercy Freestyle

Here’s a dope 20 min documentary on a day in the life of one of the busiest and most knowledgeable men in music, ?uestlove. Yes, per usual, there are commercials. Don’t let that stop you from watching this though. Everything from the origins of his name (first went by BrotheR ?), his health to his introduction to music which gave birth to his extensive knowledge of MUSIC are spoken on. Oh yeah, ?uest raps too, in case you didn’t know. Peace to Khal on the heads up.

PREVIOUS: ?uestlove On Jay Electronica’s Debut Album

Up top, Bronsolini tells us the grossest food he’s ever eaten in Fuse’s “intimate interview” along with some other hilarious questions. After the jump, Mac talks tour pranks, moving into his own crib and hints at a project called Pink Slime.

Strange Clouds available now.

PREVIOUS: The Next 48 Hours w/ B.o.B pt.1 (Video)

Of course Mek didn’t make a post for the last game when the Lakeshow won haha. Then again, he didn’t make a post for the Spurs/Clips earlier today either. Anyways, game four is going down shortly and LA is looking to even up the series. Y’all know the deal, hit the c-section and get your jibba jabba on..

DJ Enuff chops with 50 and Drama about Gangsta Grillz “Lost Tape” and the future of 50 on Interscope, Precious Paris and more…

PREVIOUS: 50 Cent – Get Busy f. Kidd Kidd

Here’s the entire collaboration compilation between X & pianist The Theorist, with piano covers of ScHoolboy Q, The Weeknd, J. Cole, Drake, Jay-Z and much more.

01. The Weeknd – High For This (The Theorist Cover)
02. The Weeknd – High For This (The Theorist Piano Cover)
03. Schoolboy Q – How We Feeling (The Theorist Cover)
04. Schoolboy Q – How We Feeling (The Theorist Piano Cover)
05. The Weeknd – What You Need (The Theorist Cover)
06. The Weeknd – What You Need (The Theorist Piano Cover)
07. Rick Ross Ft. Drake & French Montana – Stay Schemin (The Theorist Cover)
08. Rick Ross Ft. Drake & French Montana – Stay Schemin (The Theorist Piano Cover)
09. The Weeknd – The Knowing (The Theorist Cover)
10. The Weeknd – The Knowing (The Theorist Piano Cover)
11. J. Cole – Work Out (The Theorist Cover)
12. J. Cole – Work Out (The Theorist Piano Cover)
13. Drake Ft. The Weeknd – Crew Love (The Theorist Cover)
14. Drake Ft. The Weeknd – Crew Love (The Theorist Piano Cover)
15. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Ni**as In Paris (The Theorist Cover)
16. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Ni**as In Paris (The Theorist Piano Cover)
17. The Weeknd – The Morning (The Theorist Cover)
18. The Weeknd – The Morning (The Theorist Piano Cover)

DOWNLOAD: The Theorist – Music of the Night (Mixtape)

Today would have marked the 87th physical born day of the great Malcolm X, who we lost on the eve of Feb 21, 1965. Personally, Malcolm, along with Yuri Kochiyama (who we’ll get to later), Richard Aoki (who played an integral role in the genesis of the Black Panthers) and Marcus Garvey are all heroes and role models in my eyes, and will always remain so. Legends who pushed for justice and equality of all minorities and oppressed people. Now you may be asking who Yuri Kochiyama is. After the jump, you can read a small editorial I wrote on Yuri and who she was, if you’re at all interested.

Blue Scholars – Yuri Kochiyama

Yuri Kochiyama with Fred Hampton Jr. at the Black New World in West Oakland in 2008

The story of Yuri is quite amazing, and equally inspiring. Mary Yuriko Nakahara was born a Nisei Japanese American in San Pedro, CA on May 19th, 1921 (fun fact: she shares the same birth date as the late, great Malcolm X). Fast forward two decades, Dec. 7th, 1941, the fateful day when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Just two hours after the bombing, Yuri’s father was immediately taken into custody for unwarranted “crimes” and labeled as a “spy” (a/k/a simply being Japanese and residing in the U.S.). Yuri’s father, who was gravely sick, was eventually taken to a local hospital, where they proceeded to surround his bed with white sheets and a sign that read Prisoner of War. Barely a month after he was illegally taken into custody, and released from the hospital, Yuri’s father, Seiichi Nakahara passed away (January 22, 1942). Eventually, Yuri and the rest of her family were relocated to an internment camp in Jerome, Arkansas, where more than 120,000 other Japanese-Americans were imprisoned for nearly two years.

Another twenty years into the story of Yuri, we find her and her husband, Bill Kochiyama in Harlem, New York during the 1960s. Yuri at the time was a member of the Harlem Parents Committee, while sharing the same neighborhood that Malcolm walked and lived. Sometime in 1963, Yuri recalls seeing a young group of brothers surrounding Malcolm, and curious, she approached. Inspired by his optimistic aura, confidence and smile, she attempted to meet Malcolm and shake his hand. Yuri yelled out “Malcolm, may I shake your hand?!” Malcolm responded, “What for?” to which a bewildered Yuri responded “Because of what you’re doing for your people.” Malcolm’s response, “What am I doing for my people?” Yuri, scrambling to find the right words in her head, replied with “Giving them direction” After this response, Malcolm’s entire demeanor changed, stepped down from the crowd and extended his hand to Yuri.

At the time of this once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the brother Malcolm, Yuri had just been released from prison for protesting for the independence rights for Puerto Ricans, even leading a group, The Young Lords and took over the Statue of Liberty. A group of Japanese Atomic bomb survivors / victims were making a tour around the World to speak out against Nuclear Proliferation and eventually made contact with Yuri who wanted to meet Malcolm. Although they had their doubts of Malcolm visiting the household (Harlem projects) of Yuri’s family, he eventually showed up one evening. From this second meet-and-greet, Yuri became good friends with Malcolm, to the extent that he’d continuously write her letters while he was traveling around Africa (Asia).

On February 21, 1965, Malcolm, despite rumors of war and assassination, spoke at a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. With 400 people in attendance, Malcolm’s personal security were very wary of the potential danger that permeated the atmosphere that day. As you may recall from Spike Lee’s film, a diversion of sorts was created when two men yelled “N!gger, get your hand out of my pocket!” Malcolm, in his cool, calm and collected demeanor tried to mollify the men, which is when Malcolm was shot in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun, and peppered with bullets from a handgun by two other men. Yuri, who sat in the 10th row from the podium, immediately ran up to the stage. “Malcolm had fallen straight back, and he was on his back. And so I just went there and picked up his head and just put it on my lap. People ask, ‘What did he say?’ He didn’t say anything. He was just having a difficult time breathing. I said, ‘Please, Malcolm, please, Malcolm, stay alive.’ But he was hit so many times.” – via Democracy Now.

Yuri was in attendance when Malcolm X was slain, rushed up the podium and gently cradled Malcolm’s head in her arms as he took his last few breaths. Yuri is pictured in the bottom right, back facing the camera.

The assassination of Malcolm X, better known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, only inspired Yuri to further fight for “social justice, human rights, racial equality and prisoner rights. She is a staunch supporter of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has lived on death row in Pennsylvania for a quarter of a century.” Although, regarding the fight for civil and human rights, we must consider human rights as first priority. As Malcolm once wrote, “How is the black man going to get “civil rights” before first he wins his human rights? If the American black man will start thinking about his human rights, and then start thinking of himself as part of one of the world’s great peoples, he will see he has a case [for the United Nations].”

If you wish to find out more information on this legendary Queen, you can pick up two of her books: Passing It On a memoir penned by Yuri herself, and Heartbeat of Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Yuri Kochiyama written by Diane Carol Fujino.

Earlier this year, the dopehouse teamed up with producer Confidence & Ill Adrenaline Records for a remix contest to Rashad & Confidence’s The City. The cut to be remixed is off Rashad’s debut album, The Element of Surprise produced entirely by Confidence. Since we launched the contest, we’ve received more than 300 submissions. So you can imagine it was difficult to have to narrow it down to these top 6. Some were straight trash, others were well crafted. We figured we’d let the dopehouse narrow it down further from the top 6. So, without further ado, here are the top picks. Vote after the jump. Peace to all who participated.

Rashad & Confidence – The City (Original)

JES’ Picks

D.G. Productions Remix

Kids of Crackling Remix

Ill Adrenaline’s Picks

Bboy Enea Remix

Big Malk Remix

Confidence’s Picks

Max Caporaletti Remix

Silent Someone Remix

Take Our Poll

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The Irish, German and Trinidadian vixen Aisha Thalia who has appeared in music videos for Kanye West and John Legend lands on tonight’s (2)dope sexy screen. Caribbean chicks for the cot damn win. You already know the drill.

PREVIOUS: Curren$y – Capitol f. 2 Chainz

The Amsterdam spitress is gearing to release her Check Out Melodee project with Cookin’ Soul. Also set to appear on the tape is Mac Miller, Chuck Inglish, OhNo, Smif n Wessun, Chuuwee, Mucho Muchacho and more. This is the first cut off the tape, produced by Chuck Inglish. Hit the jump for more on Melodee, including a music video shot entirely on an iPhone.

DOWNLOAD: MC Melodee – Rock N iT f. Feliciana (prod. Chuck Inglish)

MC Melodee – Check Out Melodee (prod. Cookin’ Soul)

MC Melodee – Cha Cha Cha 2011 (prod. Cookin’ Soul)

Here’s a cut off the upcoming Quit Your Day Job Vol. 1: Unemployment Lines compilation mixtape dropping this Friday, also produced by the North Carolinian. #No9to5

Bonus: JSWISS – Got ‘Em

PREVIOUS: JSWISS & Topiq – Good Life (Video)

Exclusive footage of Wais P & Roc Marciano creating the Statik Selektah produced “Put Jewels On It” live from the Showoff basement in Brooklyn. “Put Jewels On It” will appear on Wais P’s upcoming mixtape Pussy Rich also featuring 8ball & MJG, Sean Price, Action Bronson, Fiend & more.

NYC Residents: If you happen to be in the Long Island area or plan on making a drive up there, there’s a dope event going down tonight. The Cop Shop Reunion featuring a TON of artists, including 2DBZ favorites J57, Rasheed Chappell, Apathy, Skyzoo and Rashad & Confidence.

PREVIOUS: J57 – Elite Status f. Rasheed Chappell

Jay Z and Kanye West kicked off the European leg of their Watch The Throne Tour yesterday in London’s O2 Arena.

PREVIOUS: Vintage: Notorious B.I.G. & Jay-Z Perform “Get Money” (Video)

Slaughterhouse seeks to impress their overseas connects with a special appearance at the Tim Westwood show as they breeze through the instrumentals “Stay Schemin”, “I Don’t Like” and “Ima Boss”.

PREVIOUS: Slaughterhouse Live in London (Video)

Another day, another release from the Chicago collective.

DOWNLOAD: Cocaine 80′s – Take My Keys
PREVIOUS: Cocaine 80′s – Queen To Be

Eve, Juelz Santana, Missy, Cassidy and many more assisted Kim on her Return Of The Queen Tour stop in The Bronx’ Paradise Theater last night. You can check out some of the show (excluding the violence, of course) up top and down bottom.

Directed by Phil The God

The opening track to The Heir Up There gets the visual treatment.

PREVIOUS: Chase N. Cashe (of Surf Club) – Fumble