Charli Batimore, Armed and Dangerous

Remember that Sucker Punch movie that was terrible but you watched it anyway. Well you watched it because of two reasons, chicks with guns; BIG guns, and boobs; big ones. Charli Baltimore apparently just made the soundtrack for the entire movie, umm a couple years late. Not officially, I'm just jking, but still. She is talking about her sex (boobs), and it being like a machine gun (fully automatic, that is!). Get it? No maybe I'm just tripping, I just had taco bell.

Nate Dogg (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011)

Grammy award nominee Nate Dogg died this week from complications of a stroke. Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Hale) suffered two strokes in the last few years beginning in 2008, which left him partially paralyzed.

Suffering his first stroke in his late thirties, it was surprising to me that someone under 60 would be susceptible to having strokes at all.

After following my first instinct to Google everything, I stumbled upon this website on which the first of many statistics on strokes was "stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States." This fact was a shock to me as I thought of strokes to be something that only the very old were afflicted with.



Words and Illustration by Ken Francis

Does Lupe Fiasco's Lasers Misfire?

Fans have waited with bated breath for a little over three years for the release of new Lupe Fiasco album.


The Chicago native was ready to release his new project for a long time, but his album was repeatedly put on the shelf by his record label. 


A number of album title changes and a and a public demonstration later Lupe emerges with Lasers, an album that is not as good a package as Lupe Fiasco's the Cool, but still has it's high points and winning moments.


Thankfully the bulk of the album still has compelling material that Lupe is known for. Stylistically, he has the ability to blend witty societal and political critical rhymes alongside catchy hooks and hypnotizing beats. In that regard Lupe hasn't missed a beat. Just look to the second single "Words I Never Said" in which Lupe starts off "I think your war on terror is a bunch of bullshit/just a poor excuse to use up all your bullets." In the same lane are the great "Beautiful Lasers" and "All Black Everything," the latter an imagining of a world where the African slave trade never existed.


A nice standout is the whimsical "When I Get There" that is rife with sound effects, imagery and is reminiscent of "Superstar," the first single from The Cool.


A couple forgettable tracks on are on here which is why the album feels a bit flat in comparison to Lupe's last effort. There wasn't a dull moment on The Cool, even if High Definition feat. Snoop Dogg seemed out of place on that album. The Cool was rolled up into a package and its tracks delivered in a way that was unforgettable. After the last song faded, it left you with a clear message about the fallacy of a life built on flash, ignorance, pomp and a lack of tangible values and substance.


Lasers, while holding on to some of the message from The Cool album seems to be lacking a clear target. 


If fans were expecting another solid concept album, this isn't it. Lasers instead feels mostly like a cry of frustration from an artist locked in mortal combat with the world, and his record label.




Words and Illustration by Ken Francis

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