5 posts tagged “rap”
Just got the new Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. Meant to get it the moment it came out, and somehow didn't. What was I thinking? This album is great.
And as a special surprise bonus, it turns out that there's a recitation (in Mandarin) of the Heart Sutra at the end of the final track, "Life Changes." The track is a tribute to fallen Wu-Tang member -- and arguably one of the most unusual and greatest MCs ever -- Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Of course, you have to also deal with the usual language about ho's and such -- and more throughout the album that I really don't feel like typing up -- but then, that's the thing about the Wu: they make albums that mish-mash elements of spirituality and martial arts (Divine Mathematics, Buddhism, tai chi, kung fu, taoism) with all the other lyrical stuff that is almost boilerplate in East Coast rap.
Sometimes (often, really) they really nail it anyhow. Except for a couple of tracks, that's pretty much the case with 8 Diagrams.
Wu-Tang forever! ODB, R.I.P.
(You can download "Life Changes," and the rest of 8 Diagrams here.)
And as a special surprise bonus, it turns out that there's a recitation (in Mandarin) of the Heart Sutra at the end of the final track, "Life Changes." The track is a tribute to fallen Wu-Tang member -- and arguably one of the most unusual and greatest MCs ever -- Ol' Dirty Bastard.
Of course, you have to also deal with the usual language about ho's and such -- and more throughout the album that I really don't feel like typing up -- but then, that's the thing about the Wu: they make albums that mish-mash elements of spirituality and martial arts (Divine Mathematics, Buddhism, tai chi, kung fu, taoism) with all the other lyrical stuff that is almost boilerplate in East Coast rap.
Sometimes (often, really) they really nail it anyhow. Except for a couple of tracks, that's pretty much the case with 8 Diagrams.
Wu-Tang forever! ODB, R.I.P.
(You can download "Life Changes," and the rest of 8 Diagrams here.)
New on The Worst Horse's homepage:
* The "gold plated Buddhist cell phone for monks"
* What happens when you cross the Buddha with the Michelin man?
* The mighty band Mission of Burma to play Boston-area show for -- what else? -- Burma!
* Cool: cartoonist Joe Matt is a Buddhist
* Noah Levine's Falling Fruit interview: brought to you in part by The Worst Horse
* Rapping monks, nuns hit the catwalk to promote Buddhism
* DharmaCrafts' Dyan Eagles on BusinessWeek.com
* NY Times: "Mindful" scrubbing and vacuuming
* Guardian (UK): Buddhist retreat for caregivers
* Dalai Lama to invade China? Well, in Chris Elliott's mind, he is.
* "Courtney Love: Chanting Buddhist" (via Huffington Post)
Check it all on http://theworsthorse.net
Just sharing this with you -- a video that will give you a sample of music from the excellent hip-hop duo, Shambhala.
Imagine if the Wu-Tang Clan stopped talking about guns and drugs and instead started talking about enlightenment. That's, in a nutshell, Shambhala. Their record, "The Lotus of..." (from which this track comes) is pretty much bulletproof.
And their new album is coming soon. Frankly, I can't wait. As they write: "wer'e experimenting with a few new sounds -- more melodies and different instruments. This time around, we really want to deliver the full Shambhala experience. Expect a few surprises and changes in direction, but have no fear -- this is Shambhala 2.0 - it's all an UPGRADE."
That's hard to believe.
It's gonna smoke!
Imagine if the Wu-Tang Clan stopped talking about guns and drugs and instead started talking about enlightenment. That's, in a nutshell, Shambhala. Their record, "The Lotus of..." (from which this track comes) is pretty much bulletproof.
And their new album is coming soon. Frankly, I can't wait. As they write: "wer'e experimenting with a few new sounds -- more melodies and different instruments. This time around, we really want to deliver the full Shambhala experience. Expect a few surprises and changes in direction, but have no fear -- this is Shambhala 2.0 - it's all an UPGRADE."
That's hard to believe.
It's gonna smoke!
Don't know what's really going on here, but I love this shot.
It's from a VH1 special about DMC (of RUN-DMC; duh), looking to find his birth-mother, which he basically just did. It was actually great -- he's a very cool, humble guy. Thoughtful.
Anyway, I missed most of it, but what I did see included some shots of DMC talking in this room with candles and a Buddha. Was it his room, or were those things just props? (I'm guessing the latter, but I dunno.)
It doesn't really matter.
Y'know?
It's from a VH1 special about DMC (of RUN-DMC; duh), looking to find his birth-mother, which he basically just did. It was actually great -- he's a very cool, humble guy. Thoughtful.
Anyway, I missed most of it, but what I did see included some shots of DMC talking in this room with candles and a Buddha. Was it his room, or were those things just props? (I'm guessing the latter, but I dunno.)
It doesn't really matter.
Y'know?
A little while back, rapper Xzibit's "Concentrate" video -- featuring the
Buddhist chant Nam myoho renge kyo -- was a Horse Video of the Moment. We
also VoTM'd the first, kind-of hip-hoppy video from Sakyong Mipham
Rinpoche, head of Shambhala International.
It seems that Singa Rinpoche, a thirty-year-old Tibetan lama, has gotten into Da Rap Game as well. He's released an album in which he mixes rap with Buddhist chanting in English, Chinese, and Tibetan. This hasn't done much to help his reputation -- he's frequently criticized for his too-Western ways (indulging in expensive clothes and cars) and his cavalier interpretations of his monk's precepts.
And then, there's the video.
No need for gratuitous snarkiness. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.
That is, if you can get through it!
...Ooops, that was gratutiously snarky.
Bad Horse!
(And actually, there's also something kinda awesome about the Singa video. In a way.)
It seems that Singa Rinpoche, a thirty-year-old Tibetan lama, has gotten into Da Rap Game as well. He's released an album in which he mixes rap with Buddhist chanting in English, Chinese, and Tibetan. This hasn't done much to help his reputation -- he's frequently criticized for his too-Western ways (indulging in expensive clothes and cars) and his cavalier interpretations of his monk's precepts.
And then, there's the video.
No need for gratuitous snarkiness. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.
That is, if you can get through it!
...Ooops, that was gratutiously snarky.
Bad Horse!
(And actually, there's also something kinda awesome about the Singa video. In a way.)
