Always changing but never disappointing, Erykah Badu has remained the strong voice of an entire generation of music aficionados.  Her fourth studio album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), dropped today and earlier she released her video for the first non-Internet released single, Window Seat, which is by far one of the most creative and innovative music videos I’ve seen in the past few years.  Shot in one take, Miss Badu shows us what she’s really got.  Along with this video (featured first below), I have compiled some of MY most favorite Badu works in celebration of her new album, her fight against groupthink, and everything that makes her absolutely amazing (and a sweet female artists video which features one of my favorite Erykah tracks, Cleva).

Working with Upper Playground out of SF, Flores has been able to reach a vast audience of folks who are involved with skate, hip hop, and art culture by rocking his own clothing like – 24 Grain.  Earlier this week, UP opened presale orders his newest print, Jungle Baby, a cross between feminine birds, butterflies, flowers, and the weird out of proportion sexiness his female characters always seem to hold.  You can pick up the limited edition print for $100 via UP by clicking the image below.  Keep in mind, this issue is limited at 100 prints.

Below are a few of my favorites out of some of his work – be sure to check out Flores’s e-portfolio at SamFlores.com

Control Lost. 36"x48" acrylic and aerosol on canvas

David Choe & Sam Flores - Denver DNC. I drive by this piece at least 3x a day.

Not enough Sam Flores?  Be sure to check out the re-release of his 3-piece vinyl figure, which was crafted in conjunction with The Loyal Subjects out of LA (pictured below, clicking the image will take you to the pre-sale request form) and limited to 200 units.

Forbes recently released its list of the most well-paid movers and shakers in hip hop in 2009… Here are the top 10.  The full list can be viewed here and includes Common and Andre 3000 (damn, maybe it has something to do with Erykah…?).  It’s obvious that building a mogul empire as Diddy and Jay have done is essential to topping the list.  The most interesting thing to me is that Jay pulled $82M last year as a result of his contract with Live Nation but the 2008 top hip hop cash king was 50 Cent, who was knocked down to #4 on this year’s list.  For all of the bitching about the recession, a cool $35M would be welcome in my pocketbook any day.  In other news, I’d like to start a petition to pay Akon and T-Pain not to make music any longer.

Please note that Magic Don Juan (pictured left) is not on this list, as pimping isn’t recognized by the IRS… or Forbes for that matter.

1. $35M – Jay-Z

2. $30M – Diddy

3. $25M – Kanye West

4. $20M – tie Akon / 50 Cent

6. $18M – Lil Wayne

7. $17M – Timbaland

8. $16M – Pharrell

9. $15M – T-Pain

10. $14M – Eminem

I remember my neighbor from across the street, Dominic, was old enough to check the Victory Tour and sadly, I wasn’t quite old enough – Dom was at a very elderly age of 4.  I remember staying up until Dom & his family got home, mad as shit that my parents didn’t take me, and asking Dom questions until the wee hours in the morning which is quite late for a little girl.  I had my MJ doll, complete with red leather jacket, silver glove, and awesomeness.  I remember VHS recording the interview with Oprah.  I remember seeing every one of his video debuts.

In memory of a true icon, trendsetter, and trailblazer for minorities everywhere, here are my top five Michael Jackson videos ever.

RIP, MICHAEL.

5.Beat It

I still get goosebumps during the opening scene with the gongs… I’ve always loved how MJ was a little gangster with it.  If I was in a gang battle, this would obviously be my theme song.

4. Rock With You

One of my top 10 songs of all time, the video doesn’t disappoint.  I love simplicity – a sequined MJ is just right.

3. The Way You Make Me Feel

When I was a little girl, I used to pretend I was this girl in my backyard… No joke.  MJ is the only man who can pull off wearing white socks & black shoes any day and also holler at a girl by…. hollering at her.

2.  Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

I’m not exactly sure how many Soul Trains I’ve participated in to this song, but the count is off the rocker.

1. Thriller

Need I say more?  This video single-handedly explains why I’m such a freak about horror movies and men with red leather jackets. I love MJ’s dark & borderline twisted side. Vincent Price is an added bonus.

(Photo by Larry W. Smith-Pool/Getty Images)

Enough said.  See ya’ll in the 09/10 Season… proper.  Sure, I cried a little bit on the inside… but 8th row seats on the hookup for the final game in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers isn’t anything to shake your head at.  Big ups to Nickro.

Bonus Game 6 Nuggets theme song:

I Try (Live, NYC 2007) – Talib Kweli

Go Lakers!

I bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies
and hypothesis can’t define how I be droppin these
mockeries, lyrically perform armed robbery
Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me
Battle-scarred shogun, explosion when my pen hits
tremendous, ultra-violet shine blind forensics
I inspect you, through the future see millenium
Killa B’s sold fifty gold sixty platinum
Shacklin the masses with drastic rap tactics
Graphic displays melt the steel like blacksmiths
Black Wu jackets queen B’s ease the guns in
Rumble with patrolmen, tear gas laced the function
Heads by the score take flight incite a war
Chicks hit the floor, diehard fans demand more
Behold the bold soldier, control the globe slowly
Proceeds to blow swingin swords like Shinobi
Stomp grounds and pound footprints in solid rock
Wu got it locked, performin live on your hottest block

See?  killed it, right?

Wu-Tang Clan – Triumph

LARD Clothing.   Big ups to the D/LARD for the conversation & multiple shots the other weekend… Dudes are putting in work for their Summer line.  I’m excited, quite frankly… anyone that supports a women’s line whole heartedly deserves every ounce of shine I have.

Watch out now.

Their blog is killer too, definitely RSS that shit.

Unrelated but funny:  Big ups to the homie Anthony as well.

Weezy sports tattoos on his eyelids which read, “fear” on his right eyelid, an ‘&’ sign on the middle of his forehead, and “god” tattooed on his left eyelid.    “M.O.B.’ adorns his chest, which means “Money over Bitches,” he has “Hot Boy” tattooed between both of his hands.  Above his eyebrow it reads, “I am music” in red ink.  Right around his hairline he has “Misunderstood” printed in jail-type ball point pen & a needle script.  I can’t leave out the played out, gang related tears on his cheek either.  While most of his body is tattooed, my favorite is the AK-7 he has tattooed on his palm.  That has to be kind of awesome when bitch slapping some hoes.

Just like his raps, The Game’s tattoos pay homage to West Coast legends including NWA (on his chest),   Tupac appearing as an angel (upper arm),  Eazy E (right forearm), and a G-Unot (yes, U-not) on his forearm.  Perhaps most well known by the huge LA tattoo on his face, it’s clear to me that jocking past rappers to the point of complete annoyance by his listeners has caused dude to lose his mind on some Mike Tyson shit.  Maybe that’s just me.

Pharrell dons tattoos of angels on his neck and forearm.  I got word last year that he’s trying some new scientific tattoo removal which involved growing his skin cells and replanting them over his tattoos.  Dude must be too diva to handle laser tattoo removal.  Isn’t there something weird about removing angel tattoos anyway?

50 Cent is definitely no stranger to the needle either (funny how ironic that is, really).  With a big ass back piece carrying his name, as well as tattoos of Jesus (neck), the head of the devil, his mother’s name with the text “Ghetto Angel” (arm), the name “Beau” (neck) and a posse of angel images adorning most of his upper body, he’s sure to regret some of that shit when he’s 80.

My favorite asshole pretty boy, Kanye West is locked in for life on his left forearm with a Maya Angelo poem.  All I can really say is how very ‘Kanye’ of him.  He also rocks a dragon tattoo, which I’m sure he got when the whole tribal / dragon shit was actually popular.

It seems to me that Eminem had like, 3 tattoos and then the next time I saw dude, he had multiplied that number by 90.  2006devistated Em the death of D-12 group member, Proof so much that he dedicated his whole arm to him (pictured).  Other tattoos include “D / 12″ spread across both arms (I bet you’re regretting that one, eh, Em?), the infamous “Rot in Peace” tattoo above his belly button (in dedication to his ex wife, how romantic), a portrait of his daughter, and the words, “Slit me” on his wrist.

HONORABLE MENTIONS :: Paul Wall, Eve

Bonus video :: Nas ruins Brandon Bond plans with an Ak-47 / Malcom X tattoo:

On a random mission up north last night, I decided my 30-something minute drive wouldn’t even remotely be okay unless I had some Lucy Pearl in the deck.  Why?  I don’t know.  Scratch that… I do know.  Lucy Pearl was the fucking shit (not to mention the Dilla remixes that followed… FIRE – the ‘Without You’ remix is in my top 10 songs EVER).  Consisting of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Raphael Saadiq, and Dawn from En Vogue.  D’Anglo was kicked out somewhere in the mix early on.  A  super group of some of the most talented and gracefully eclectic exploded like some sort of freak accident in space – all of their groups had disbanded (Tone x3, En Vogue, Tribe) and they somehow meshed into this one album of freshness.  That’s the bitter part of the sweet – one album and then… nothing.

Classic Lucy Pearl throwback video

“Dance Tonight”

*Bonus D-Angelo Update:

Year 2000
The before:

Sorry, fellas… and you’re welcome, ladies.

Year 2009
The after:

What the… fuck? AND! He’s planning his comeback.  As Diddy would ask, ARE YOU LOCKED IN D’ANGELO?!

1.  Craig Mack

One of the most notoriously ugly emcees out there, Craig Mack is most known by the classic ‘Flava in Ya Ear’ track with Bad Boy in the early 90s… and then falling the fuck off.

2. Biz Markie

Biz Markie reminds me of this dope ass skateboarder I know, Maddie… Maddie is an English Bulldog.

3. Birdman

I think if I were to see Birdman at say, 7-11, I’d probably think that he was a hardened criminal who had his face broken in vicious jail brawls instead of Weezy kissing, bird call producing rap star.

5. Weezy

I have to admit, I had a mini crush on Lil Wayne when it was trendy.  The face tattoos and the Muppet face.. not so much.

6. Flava Flav

Flav’s FIFTY years old.  Why does he look like he’s 75 and completely bat shit senile?

7. Krondon

I’m really not trying to hate albinos, I promise… But this dude’s reminds me of a cross between Jay-Z and the monsters from “The Descent.”

8. Fat Joe

If I ever met Fat Joe, I’d bring him a salad.  I wonder if he stays large so he doesn’t have to change his name.  Somehow, Skinny Joe just doesn’t sound right.  I’m not trying to hate on the large man (I have love for you!), but Joe has always reminded me of that dude that you see at Country Buffet who can’t stay away from the vat of mac & cheese.

9. Prodigy

I’ve actually had the “pleasure” of meeting this dude and he was one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever come across.  His face reminds me of this crackhead that frequents my corner store and typically gets super upset if I have no change to give him.

10. Vinnie Paz

Somehow, whenever I see Vinnie, I think about the Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

HONORABLE MENTIONS :: Aesop Rock, Bushwick Bill, the entire WuTangClan (minus Meth – dude looks good), Busta Rhymes post 2000s (did dude swallow a basketball or…?), most of the Anticon camp, especially Sage Francis.