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DOOM & FRANK 151 BOOK COMING IN SPRING

THE QUARTERLY BOOK FRANK 151 IS PREPARING THEIR NEXT ISSUE ON DOOM – AKA MF, THE SUPER VILLAIN, METAL FACE DOOM, THE WORST GUY – TO BE RELEASED IN SPRING 2012. WE PLAN ON HAVING COPIES HERE, AND A LIST OF WHERE TO FIND THE POCKET-SIZED PUBLICATION.

THE BOOK WILL INCLUDE ALL ORIGINAL CONTENT: ILLUSTRATED DOOM LYRICS, ARTICLES FROM COLLABORATORS, PHOTOS. A TASTE BELOW – KING GEEDORAH BY JEREMY POVOLNY; DOOM & BIG BEN IN AUSTRALIA; "MEAT GRINDER" BY MR. KIJI. THIS THAT & MORE.

MF DOOM + CARS

DOOM is featured in the latest issue of Intersection Magazine, a car/culture/fashion magazine, with an interview by Tom Hall covering his latest project JJ DOOM, and – perhaps most important of all? – his passion for motorized, radio-controlled toy cars.

“I'll easily spend two thousand dollars on one of those. Every kid wants to have a remote controlled car, but back when I was a kid we couldn't afford it. One day I said OK I'm goinna treat myself and there down 500 dollars for one of these. It was a T-Maxx from the Traxxas company."

Intersection set DOOM up with a array of cars to test and review (rating scale: 1-5 masks). The second place is seen below. To find out what took the top spot, pick up Intersection's winter issue at the local news stand or online at Intersection Mag.

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Ice Cube talks about Amerikkka’s Most Wanted and Boyz N the Hood!

Examining the Nation of Islam Through a Hip-Hop Lens: The Brothers Wu-Tang

Since the words were first uttered from the stage of the 1998 Grammy Awards, one thing has been certain.

“Wu-Tang is for the children.”

Well, maybe they’re not literally for the children; however, the nine founding members of Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan must have known back in 1993 that they were onto something monumental that might someday affect future generations of babies. Their unique, unrelenting sound, made up of some the most distinct rap characters and musicianship the culture has ever seen, has stood the test of time. But what makes up the Wu foundation?

The answer – Supreme Mathematics – is far more complex than any explanation that can be offered in the context of a feature story. With their fusion of Islamic beliefs, backed by the wisdom of numerous 5 Percenter “degrees,” and underscored by a knowledge of self, Wu-Tang Clan burst onto the scene with content that may have hovered high above the heads of most of their early fan base. Still, the symbolism sounded intelligent, and it was rooted in empowerment and self-worth. Couple that with RZA’s otherworldly production, and the people liked it, clear early on that the legends-in-the-making were set to teach us all a thing or two.

Longevity and talent afforded Wu-Tang their meteoric rise to the top of the rap game, all the way to the top of the charts and even to the Grammy stage. That night in 1998 when the famous “for the children” quote was uttered, Ol’ Dirty Bastard had just “gone all Kanye” on the audience, rushing the stage just as Shawn Colvin was set to accept the award for Song of the Year.

“Please calm down, the music and everything. It’s nice that I went and bought me an outfit today that costed a lot of money, you know what I mean?” Big Baby Jesus spoke earnestly. “‘Cause I figured that Wu-Tang was gonna win. I don’t know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children.”

Over the years, the Wu-Tang Clan family grew, then decreased tragically, but has always stayed ahead of the curve. And, though Ol’ Dirty Bastard no longer lends his Cirque de Soleil of brilliant lyrics and quotables, the remaining members hold the Wu flag high. Like many who have weathered the changes since rap’s Golden Era, the cultural prominence of rap has been good to them – allowing for nearly 20-year recording careers for most of them, along with expansion into film, books, product endorsements, and beyond.

The Brothers Wu – particularly Divine, CEO of Wu-Tang Corporation, and brother RZA, the primary architect behind Wu-Tang Clan from its beginning – have accomplished things they never imagined possible when growing up in a poor, New York household with nine other siblings. As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers, and having a lot of siblings means being able to harness the muscle of a lot of people with different talents and skills.

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BIGGIE WEEK: Was Biggie Smalls the G.O.A.T.? – Reflections from 9th Wonder & Phonte

Game recognize game. And when your name appears 99.99% of the time on the Hip-Hop Nation’s lists of greatest rappers, you just might be the greatest.

The debate will likely rage on forever as to whom is the “Greatest Of All Time” in rap music, but there is little doubt that The Notorious B.I.G. remains one of the sturdy pillars of the genre and the culture.

At age 24, and with only two studio albums to his credit, Christopher Wallace had a definite “it” factor – that certain something that today might be called “swag” or might have earned him a privileged place among living icons.

Still, in death, his iconic status lives on. And in rap, where there is mutual respect among competing MCs but little affection, even the greats who still uphold the music can agree that BIG left an indelible mark on them as artists and people. For producers and DJs, the relationship to Bed-Stuy’s Boy was different but equally powerful – the way he “rode the beat” ranks high among many of their reflections eternal.

Last evening (March 8) with two North Carolina rap giants – producer extraordinaire, 9th Wonder, and his talented partner and former Little Brother member, singer/rapper Phonte. At the legendary Sigma Sound Stage, after sharing their own endearing stories of industry triumphs and struggles during Red Bull Music Academy’s stop in Philadelphia, the duo reflected on whether or not The Notorious B.I.G. was indeed the G.O.A.T.:

Wu-Tang’s GZA Signs With Babygrande, New Album Coming in 2012

Legendary Staten Island, New York rapper and co-founder of the Wu-Tang Clan GZA has announced that he has re-signed with Babygrande Records.

The most recent deal is the 5th for GZA, who has recorded with Cold Chillin’ Records, MCA Records, Geffen Records and Angeles Records.

“We have a fantastic relationship with GZA, and we are honored to have the opportunity to continue to work with him,” Babygrande’s founder and CEO Chuck Wilson said in a statement about the new deal.

GZA is currently working on the follow up to 2008′s album Pro Tools.

Babygrande is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and is currently preparing to release M.O.P. & Snowgoons Sparta November 22.