There’s something to be said for a bit of righteous anger in the name of the oppressed and unfortunate. They make up the better part of the world, and by better I mean larger. Poverty is a fucking bitch. Even a taste of it can be a nightmare, but try to imagine living in an inescapable world of it, your national borders a solid wall keeping your people’s suffering from leaking out into the world of possibility. Feelign a little bit of righteous anger yet? Well, some fairly fucking englightened hip-hop artists are.

The 3rd World is a 2008 release from hip-hop activist Immortal Technique and Shady Records’ former beat machine DJ Green Lantern, among others. Okay, so they’ve made an album that speaks to the troubles of the people forced to the bottom of the economic food chain. Big deal, right? Bleeding hearts do this shit all the time!

Wrong. Bullshit. Shut the fuck up.

This isn’t just activist artistry bullshit. This is hip-hop at its finest. This is top-notch production, it’s flows like commercial rap dreams of, it’s oral sex for your ears, and its fucking intelligent. Don’t believe me?

Click the link, motherfucker. If you’re gonna crank some badass fucking hip-hop, you might as well get smart doing it.

http://www.myspace.com/immortaltechnique  

Shit, maybe you don’t give a damn about the Third World. You’ve got your own shit to worry about, I know. But unless you’re one of the 0.001% of people pulling the world’s strings (or setting the retarded multiple choice bullshit that changes nothing for us when we vote), you’re part of the powerless majority and your wealth, your happiness, is all disposable to people who have the real power, the real wealth, and the ability to take it all away from you. Power is still shifting from the many to the few, and doing it faster every time you turn your back. Give it a couple more decades, unchecked. I fucking dare you.

http://www.globalissues.org

I’ve been reading a translation of Hagakure, a Japanese text meant as a guide for warriors in peaceful times. I’d feel pretentious if I didn’t acknowledge that I’m neither Japanese nor a warrior, but I find the concise bits of wisdom in Japanese writings like this fascinating and really a motivator for my own thoughts. It’s really cathartic to read things that express such clarity of thought, even if I often disagree or think the writer was misinformed. Anyway, there are some gems in there, so I want to share at least one.

Among the maxims on Lord Naoshige’s wall there was this one: ”Matters of’ great concern should be treated lightly.” Master lttei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.” Among one’s affairs there should not be more than two or three matters of what one could call great concern. If these are deliberated upon during ordinary times, they can be understood. Thinking about things previously and then handling them lightly when the time comes is what this is all about. To face an event anew solve it lightly is difficult if you are not resolved beforehand, and there will always be uncertainty in hitting your mark. However, if the foundation is laid previously, you can think of the saying, “Matters of great concern should be treated lightly,” as your own basis for action.

–Hagakure

This really struck me because I know for a fact that that I place way too much importance on decisions when it comes time to make them, and tend to try to weight pros and cons when there’s just no time to do it. The point is, to have the most clarity when you need to make a decision, the best way to go about it is to forget the importance of the decision, ignore the consequences of a poor decision, and simply try to see the solution, the best choice. Seems pretty simple, but if you read the text, there’s a much deeper understanding of it than I’m willing to explain in detail.

Of course, the guy also thinks its better to fail in revenge immediately than to be patient and succeed, so it’s wise to be critical of the overzealous. Fascinating nonetheless.

I’d recommend it for anyone who might be interested in this type of thing. There are translations out there on the ‘net for free. Check it out.

I got to Pemberton in the dead heat of Friday afternoon. After lugging a cooler to the far corner of the campground, I wandered off toward the “B-live” DJ tent to meet up with my fest’ group, but I was drawn away from the discouraging line by the sounds from the smaller of the two outdoor stages. Something about experimental indie rock draws me like an E-head to an all-night dance party.

The five strangers on stage were playing their asses off and, needless to say, I was Goddamn impressed. Not just because it was one of the tightest performances of the festival, but ’cause this band’s sound is somehow familiar and unerringly original at the same time. Out of Seattle, the group’s mix of conservative synth use, busy guitars, and modern rock sensibilities is like indie and prog rock met somewhere near [after hearing more of their discography, more like nowhere near--I really can't describe this band with reference to other bands I know of] mainstreamers like Maroon 5. The result is an impressively cohesive and fresh sound. They dish out hooks and progressions like real rock vets. Biggest surprise of the festival, and they were off stage before most people had so much as seen a band. After Minus the Bear, even Metric seemed pretty average, and Metric is no slouch of a band.

This is a pick for any fan of new rock music, mark my words. Check ‘em out.

http://www.myspace.com/minusthebear