ThirdOption

His blog is quite good, has some very decent docs on social/political/economic/historial type stuff. He argues well and the interviews he manages to get are killer. Watched his documentary Pandora's Box yesterday (have already watched the Century of the Self, The Trap, the Mayfair Set and another that slips my mind..) In my opinion he's one of the best documentary makers of our generations, and I'm actually quite surprised the BBC showed certain docs (The Century of the Self pretty much exposes how New Labour got into power in the first place...as well as looking at how propaganda/public relations have been employed by governments for their own ends. All very relevant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyPzGUsYyKM and also I'll leave them for the timebeing. I suggest you all download these docs if you feel them, because Youtube has been going extra with deleting documentaries recenty - took down about 1.1 million in the last month. There's about 500,000 if you search 'documentary' - there was over 1.6 a month ago!

Same kinda story with me. I won't hijack your thread, but my life has been up and down since as far as I can remember. Again, looking back now I see the signs, I used to bite my nails when I got anxious as a kid, used to binge on food (was a likkle fat teenager, but quite active still). Never smoked weed, but dabbled in drugs at uni and am still smoking weed. Let's just say uni's been an extended experience. Just split up with my first serious girlfriend after living with her for a year, a cousin who I looked up to passed away, my uncle just died (possible suicide), people close to have been stabbed/shot at, right now mortality is very real and life just seems deep, like you said.I know weed isn't the one, haffi lock it off soon. Depressed thoughts + overthinking = bad zone. However, sometimes I know that all I need to chill is a spliff, some good music and a cup of tea. Need to start hitting the gym, getting fatter after losing nuff weight recently.Keep your head up VIPers, anyone who's suffering just know that it could always, always be worse! Depression is essentially a waste of energy, and I believe in the Secret kinda flex, what ever energy you put out will be the energy returned to you, positive or negative. Be creative, it's generally a good positive outlet for people - many famous artists suffered from it, but it also kinda saved them!

Thought I'd post these up to keep things interesting. Broadway was Gooch Crew's official soundsystem, straight dutty TDK business! Rare groove, soul, jungle, hip-hop and ragga! http://www.megaupload.com/?d=29OAR2KK http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4281LJBX Got a couple of rare ones from the early 90s somewhere, if you're feeling I'll dig them up. And a nice little two sider featuring some serious early Jungle and early 90s boogie. http://www.mediafire.com/?yn2y2n0ytzy http://www.mediafire.com/?hnzyynzm1yn

Couple of guys I know from Oxford. All freestyled, so don't take it too serious - but I kinda rate it. For the oils...

^ That basically. A little goonie who is rapping about doing things is essentially projecting an image of their whole world view, their beliefs etc. Some people don't believe the image, some people do. But I think some people are also forced to changed their minds, because a lot of supposedly 'fake' rappers end up doing some pretty deep sh*t to prove how true-to-life the image is. Do you rate Big H for posing with the shotty on Myspace? Chances are if you're over 21, no. But if you're 15, that's a big thing for you to take in about that person. What about the 1% of really-real rappers out there?

Considering that your mind is full fo thoughts that are articulated in the English language, you're about as white on the inside as any English speaking person. Think about it! You speak Swahili, my brodda?

My bredrin Tobias put it on me once. Can't quite remember what he said, but it was something about me being mixed race and acting black. My dad is a well known old-school Jamaican from Chapelton in Clarendon, I was brought up on Jamaican food with my Jamaican grandma in the yard. Yes my mum is white, but my mum met him in Bristol in St. Pauls, so she knew the dilly from day one! I love both sides of my heritage, I'm an post-Empire '85 baby. I take everyone on a case by case basis. Pricks come in all shapes and colours.

True, but consider how many unreported crimes there are. A lot of young rappers are claiming to be shooters (some guys have accused others of firing and missing, firing blanks and only shooting at legs), a coupleclaim to have 'bodies' all over the shop, and others talk about knives more. In a real life situation, you and Yunger Lickmandown walk past each other. You've heard his raps on Youtube and you know what he says he does. He's with 10 man from Say Nizzy Camp, but there's no camera man to be seen. Is it a different thing then?

Easy everyone... So I was thinking, considering that most young rappers these days are so concerned with being 'real' and representing their lives/experiences accurately, how much importance does VIP2 place in authenticity? What do you think it means to be 'real'? For example, people I've spoken to mentioned Tanna being fake for rapping in Jamaican/American even though he was raised in Brixton, fake for talking about selling crack but not about smoking it, and more recently for getting stabbed up in South London...Is any of that fake to you lot? Discuss..

Yes Goddaz! Done know brudda! Remember you from HLC days, still got couple old sets (Crews In Control?) from back then with you on. Think it was Y2K, I'm talking 02/03 'Trouble Ahead' times - Some sh*t happened with either Moe or Fonti in Napa at the airport or something and you were on the show. I just remember you riding that Angie Stone 'Brother' instrumental!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIoDvc94GyM&feature=related The days when man getting on camera was a next ting... Deep bars from MCD! Classic footage of Westwood from way back. R.I.P. Cipho! Anyone clock the glass Lucozade bottle? Feeling old now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DrZfTsWCLQ Classic album IMO! "....but I can't sit and screw, cah/ You do the crime and you do the time/ But don't do me like this when I'm in my prime/ Weren't it my time to step up and have my shine?/ Tryna show certain heads what's been on my mind?/"

Classic Kizzy! Nutty P on production, I believe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW_Wfc3Rnt8 One of the best known tunes from the Poisonous Poets days. Deal Real days!

Big up Tony Rotton, and a big R.I.P to Lynden David Hall! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6gyAha8dhI Some of you might prefer this version, without Lynden. Perfect summertime ish! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSL0alsMaA0&feature=related

To this day man can't really f*ck with Jehst lyrically. Classic cipher track from back in the day! I could quote this bredda endlessly. "More rowdy that squaddies on the lager/ But you'll probably scarper, from bobbies in body armour/ And if you're smart you'll tuck in your chain, cause nothing has changed/ You can get mugged on this rugged terrain.../ Similar freestyle, couple of the verses are the same...but boy. Say no more!

Couple joints from up North. UK Team were put together by Simon Webbe from Blue (yeah the boyband)...Lyrican and Hoodman, big MCs. Love the vibe on this one: Broke N English aka Konny Kon & Strategy. You might have heard the DnB remix of it by Calibre...got rinsed a few years back.

Boy....One of them old-school dusty headnodders! Listen lyrics...

London Posse? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WusqL0l0uXU&feature=related Respect to Giggs for touching America, but mandem have been making moves like that from way back! "YEAH! You done already know me!/ Me a di puh-duh-duh-DUH puh-duh-duh-DUH...Pum-pum daddy!" Tell dem Rodders!

Sorry, gotta stick up another one...Hang tight Edmonton! Funnily enough I said they come like Mobb Deep...the pictures form this video actually remind me of Queensbridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmJLdswR00E Hard bars. "Call me Henry the VIII. we move Henry's of Flake/ That'll leave your nose in a terrible state/"

Big up you man, pos'd just for responding! P.O.W is too deep. Anyone who knows about this 'road rap' ting, should really understand the roots! Man like Ricochet and Ultra are untouched in terms of their contribution...I don't know any Edmonton man, but I find it hard to believe man haven't heard of them...talking about the older heads, mandem who remember the '90s fully! Holla'd at Black The Ripper not long before he did the video below, really want him to link with either Ric or Ultra - he knew about them though, still. Rowdy Mics was another bredda who I know moved with them. "The Asian forefather, the rapper they call master/ My 419ers they fraud harder than Lord Archer/" Different level.

Badman MCs, big up to Ricochet and Ultra V. Think Ultra is doing tings with Dice Recordings....Was involved with London State of Mind and them kinda tings. IMO these guys are like the Mobb Deep of the UK, for real. Check the Slanguage album if you man never heard of them...Deep rappers, from way back!

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL / I'm 20 today, f*ck*ng hell mate I feel old Happy Birthday, brudda! Big man tings!

Symmetry/We Are Dubist Warehouse rave down Peckham this weekend... http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125287434154468&ref=ts

I was looking at getting their TV+BB package, allow that. What's the best short term internet provider people? Is Talk-Talk any good? Using some bullshit USB T-Mobile dongle at the moment. The Voda one is worse!

None of the stuff about Oxford is going in, I'm just letting you lot know where I'm coming from. No being a stupid f*ck*ng prick. I want to work in social/youth work where I'm from, and I will be doing voluntary stuff once I graduate. Like the work that organizations like Brathay do, but at the end of the day people have to be taught about it - and I studied cultural geography at uni. I did a variety of modules, and understand migration, economics etc, all matter too. Luckily, I relate to a lot of the same cultural elements of a lot of the kids who are dying! My dissertation is a look at that, but it's only an undergraduate degree. Anyone who knows about my university knows that it is a pretty forward thinking place, I'm not chatting any sh*t. If this is where the discussion ends, cool. Thanks for participating. This stuff may amount to perhaps 2000 words of a 10000 piece in total, I just needed some opinions. I know where my discussion is heading, but I can't test my theories by asking lecturers, I have to ask people. You lot are basically the subjects, big ups to everyone who posted!