At the crest of yet another b-day for Professor Griff and myself, I’d like to say again how appreciative I am of this online community we have here. I was in NEW YORK CITY recently where I noticed a moving billboard advertising the new VIOLATOR compilation. Nothing against CHRIS LIGHTY, who I’ve known and respected for years, but it seems like marketing and promotion departments are getting carried away with their campaigns. Whether it’s a t-shirted BAD BOY for life still waving their pickets or some staple and stickering of the nearest pole, it seems that rap/hiphop marketing makes music truly look like ‘product’. I swear, at times I think rap music and detergent ads are looking more similar by the day.

Thanks to all for rolling thru to SLAMJAMZ. Especially on the PE cut remixes. There have been rough rides for some but bear thru the glitches, THOUSANDS have downloaded, so we’ll work you thru some of this… info@slamjamz.com… catch me in the info section twice a month on record updates.

As I enter another year, I feel appreciative... and even if I didn’t it would only take looking at another situation to add perspective. When I was in London, I took the time one night to call the hospital room of fellow rhymer TOO POETIC who was recently admitted. I didn’t know his condition, but I spoke to his wife Dee and she said he was under painkillers and was heavily sedated. She put the phone to his ear and I said a few things pertaining to him keeping faith, etc. Then I spoke with Dee again and discussed music industry healthcare programs and regular checkups. In a time where a lotta cats feel invincible, and smoking and drinking remains 'the fuel for actin fool,' health is often lost on deaf headz. I found out 36 hours later on the ENEMY BOARD that POETIC had passed, and I was stunned. Here’s a cat that recorded terminally ill... for his love for life, his family and music. How it must've sounded silly when he saw and heard cats complaining about dumb beefs, fame or some little insignificant hood problem.

There is a fund in his name...no, this rapper wasn’t shot in some hood brawl, didn’t pass on some wreckless auto or motorcycle accident and didn’t self inflict harm. He was taken by the misfortune of fate... and we should think about how lucky we are and stop sweating the small stuff and appreciate life. TOO POETIC should remind us all of how precious this life is. The fund for donations:

Washington Mutual Anthony Berkeley Fund 3901 Atlantic Ave Long Beach Ca 90807

The new GRAVEDIGGAZ album called 'NIGHTMARE IN A MINOR' is coming out August 23rd on ECHO INTERNATIONAL Records... Support...

I don’t know, whoever said that DESTINY’S CHILD’S BEYONCE couldn’t sing is bananas. Recently I took my kids to PHILLIPS ARENA ATL for the MTV TRL TOUR, and D.C... They can all sing, especially her. I was surprised, it was a good show. NELLY and the ST LUNATICS were sharp and EVE has definitely honed her skills. Puffster’s DREAM and 3LW rounded it off. It was pop and, with the exception of a few bad words, tolerable for young folk.

Just caught MR CEE, multi faceted DJ of HOT 97 and BIG DADDY KANE fame, who might be doing a show on the exploding WWW.BRINGTHENOISE.COM. Check out the latest btn.com addition, the SEDITIOUS BEATS SHOW. Hip hop music consciously comin atcha.

BEANIE SIEGAL had an altercation in south PHILLY. The thing that got me is that he was driving his BENTLEY. Rap at the major level is really paying cats, and this is his first album.

I’m gonna be hosting the BLACK SUNDAY concert in NYC on August 12th; DEAD PREZ, TALIB KWELI and THE ROOTS have stepped to the issues…

Recently spoke at a luncheon for AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS and met the great OSSIE DAVIS for the first time. At 83 he is phenomenal and one of the great speakers and actors of our time. I also had the task of speaking after him on the subject of ARTS and the COMMUNITY. What does a senator say after the president has spoken?

It has just been confirmed that MUMIA ABU JAMAL WILL BE IN COURT in Philadelphia on FRIDAY, AUGUST 17. The 17th is the anniversary of Mumia's first execution date in 1995. This hearing is taking place in the State Courts, and stems from papers filed by Mumia's new lawyers -- Marlene Kamish, Eliot Grossman and Nick Brown -- to take the appeal back to the state courts based on the ineffectiveness of former Counsel.

We are urging everyone who can possibly come to Philadelphia on that date to begin making plans to do so. We MUST have a substantial presence to demonstrate to the court that, even in the dead of summer, all eyes are on it’s actions and that the people will not tolerate this frame-up, no matter what legal reasoning it may be couched in at any given time. Over a dozen buses are already being filled to bring people from New York. For more details about plans being made in your area contact your local Mumia support organization, or call the Philly office at 215-476-8812 or 215-476-5416.

All right, TV alert, I’ll be hosting BET TONIGHT next Thursday and Friday, August 9th and 10th. I don’t know the topics but I hope to hold it down half as well as my good brother ICE T, who did work a couple of weeks ago.

Speaking of ICE T, PE just played with his crew at the UK’s ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL at the HACKNEY MARSHES in South LONDON. Felt good to see the guys. Now that SLAM is done we could be making some cameos here and there, performing some new released joints. We were joined by ICE, SEAN E SEAN, EVIL E and the crew on the sidelines, and returned the favor checkin his show. As usual ICE performed like no other can. He brought, as part of his package, SMOOTH THE HUSTLER and TRIGGER THE GAMBLA, freestylist giant SUPERNATURAL, as well as members of JURAISSIC 5. We, on the other hand, were joined by UK legend MC MELLO and his crew AGAINST THE GRAIN, we all did a new rendition of TIMEBOMB. We talked about a lotta things including UK hip hop’s relationships with stateside artists, and how cats ignore that diplomacy, its always been cool with me.

TIM WESTWOOD gets a big wssssp... We’ve known Tim 15 years now and we urge him to keep doin his thing, but to keep an ear on the UK’s exploding scene as well. There’s a lotta hot stuff rollin outta there... just check www.peoplesound.com.

We took off to JEREZ, SPAIN and played a festival in a sprawling, still growing country. JEREZ is south of SEVILLE, which is not far from the ROCK OF GIBRALTAR. It’s a reminder of the closeness to AFRICA, where the MOORS brought the guitar to the bottom of EUROPE. Anyway, that crowd was blazin in ESPANA and GRIFF and the 7TH OCTAVE played behind the groove, set new grooves and played a wicked ‘WHAT GOOD IS A BOMB? in the middle… this will be a good idea to show around.

A few weeks ago TERMINATOR X stopped by the STRONG ISLAND HQ from NC and he is down with SLAM and an occasional cameo.... but DJing and studio work, he’s goin all out…

Oh, did I say how wack the UNIVERSAL compilation on PE is…who the hell came up with that lineup and corny liner notes and photos? Well that’s why the camp is putting together a special 3 CD-ROM set for DEF JAM this winter. You see, because we don’t actually own those masters we are at the mercy of their processes, etc. We most DEFINITELY will ask the ENEMY BOARD for creative advice, and will make it a collectors item.

By the way, the HOUSE OF BLUES DVD is heading towards you showcasing a sliver of the 1999 US ‘POISON’ TOUR and all types of background STRONG ISLAND flavor like 510 HQ, the ROOSEVELT YOUTH CENTER and the old WBAU radio station at ADELPHI U.

Gas prices around my way are now $1.16 a gallon, but up around the way in LI HQ regular is still hittin $1.85…now tell me…

Backstage I ran into J DEE from BRIGHTON and wished him a safe trip home. We couldn’t catch up with MARK ESSEX or JACO though and I appreciated the visit.

I haven’t done a book list in a long time but here it is, bam…

1. WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO,THE RISE AND FALL OF THE MOTOWN SOUND / NELSON GEORGE 2. KIND OF BLUE,THE MAKING OF MILES DAVIS MASTERPIECE / ASHLEY KHAN 3. TROUBLE MAN,THE LIFE OF MARVIN GAYE / STEVE TURNER 4. REGGAE ISLAND, JAMAICAN MUSIC IN THE DIGITAL AGE / JAHN & WEBER 5. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE / COLIN DEVINISH

I’m gone like TURK WENDELL…

Catch me, CHUCK D web weekly on:

www.rapstation.com hiphop service internetwork www.bringthenoise.com hiphop radio network www.publicenemy.com artist site/Terrordome editorial/world famous Enemy Board
www.slamjamz.com interactive record labels

CHUCK D on www.bringthenoise.com alternating SUITCASE RADIO and the BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE hip hop news show every Saturday night at 9:00pm EST US, ‘if you don’t catch em live get the archive’...

E MAIL mistachuck@rapstati on.com