Hammer, I plead with you...

please don't hurt 'em.



With the arrival of the Philadelphia Phillies, I returned my slight behind to a cold seat at AT&T Park for the first time since beginning of April. Purchased some nice seats from the Masons (- beware of the Illuminati) and gathered some homies to attend. It was a clear Mother's Day, nearing 60 F, but we couldn't tell since we were sitting back in the handicapped GrandMother seats (Grandmother's Day, Babin Den, is celebrated in late January in Bulgaria; Grandparents' Day is celebrated in early September in US) and it was colder than a Bulgarian witch's tit. The game was good, but not compelling enough to help us forget about the cold. Ultimately, the Giants won on Steve Holms' first major league home run - but who cares about that? Real baseball fans don't really like the Giants, do they? (Jason V. excluded.)

It took seeing MC Hammer for excitement to warm our blood. Al pointed out that Hammer had just walked by us, and I assumed he was joking. In the moments following, a well-dressed black man was shaking hands in the stands near the field. Al noted again that it was Hammer, and I realized he wasn't joking - I should have trusted the Oakland native to spot an East Bay legend. A few short minutes later, I jumped and the Reverend of Rap was kind enough to take a moment for us to capture a photo together. Did I mention he looked sharp?

Photos by Mike Thorn

Another of Mike's Hammer pics was celebrated as today's Photo du Jour on the SFist blog. You can check that out here: http://sfist.com/2008/05/13/photo_du_jour_1_26.php. Also, a little surprised that Hammer didn't mention our encounter on his Twitter site. Sign up now and you can receive text messages from him.

PS Check out the new Prodigy record - HNIC II. It's hot. Horror rap? Tell me what you think. Check out some of those beats.
http://rapidshare.com/files/108833132/prod.rar

Reggae Music

If you haven't been before, I highly suggest showing up at Club Oasis in Oakland (by the Lake) sometime around midnight on a Wednesday night. I don't make it out very often myself, as staying out late on a Wednesday is hard enough, let alone doing that in the East Bay (I am a city resident, despite my frequent posts regarding the East Bay). However, if you are interested and able - you WILL NOT be disappointed. Lion Rock is the most fun dancehall night I've ever attended, and short of the early Hollertronix parties, prob the most fun DANCE night I've gone to before. Ten dollars may be a lot to spend to go out on a Wednesday night, but hanging outside with a really ethnically diverse crowd in an open air patio with a great, loud sound system really gets you your money's worth. Jah Yzer (from Jah Warrior Shelter Hi Fi crew) spins heavy hitters along with a couple other regular DJs. However, if you are a woman, and you don't go out dancing that often, I would suggest bringing a guy with you - you are likely to make "friends" quickly.

Lion Rock @ Club Oasis
Wednesdays, 135 12th St, Oakland, CA $10
---------------------------------------------------------

I thought I would post up some music for your enjoyment. Joe Gibbs was a producer of some great reggae artists/songs, and he died in February. The Heatwave blog from the UK posted a tribute to him a few days after his death. The last four songs are productions by Joe Gibb's sons.

Download the 16 minute long mix here. Check the tribute site for track listing.
---------------------------------------------------------

Lastly, I am excited about going to see Baby Cham on Sunday. He is playing at Club 6 and will be playing on the small stage in the basement. Irie Dole (also from Jah Warrior Shelter) will be DJing along with others. Should be a good time!

Baby Cham w/ Irie Dole, more
Sunday, May 11, Club 6, 60 6th St (a few doors down from Matador), $30!



Ghetto Story w/ Alica Keys

Ghetty Story w/ Akon