Untouchable Records was one of the many New Orleans rap labels that sprang up in the early nineties after the advent of bounce. A small label with a roster of musicians that, for the most part, came and went as they pleased, they nonetheless featured some of New Orleans' biggest, most notable talents. It was started by … Continue reading Untouchable Records – down wid it cuz we bound to get it
California Fool’s Gold – Exploring Yucca Corridor, Los Angeles’s Crack Alley
In this installment of the California Fool's Gold, we visit Yucca Corridor. The Yucca Corridor is a small, crowded neighborhood in central Hollywood, just northwest of downtown. Its borders are Franklin Ave on the north, Hollywood Blvd on the south, Highland on the west, and Vine on the east. Below is the southeast corner of what's … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold – Exploring Yucca Corridor, Los Angeles’s Crack Alley
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Elysian Valley (aka Frogtown)
In this entry of the Los Angeles neighborhood blog, we will cover Elysian Valley. City of Los Angeles neighborhood sign for Elysian Valley Elysian Valley is a small working class neighborhood in Mideast Los Angeles (MELA), bordered by Fletcher to the north, the 5 freeway to the west and south, and the Los Angeles River … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Elysian Valley (aka Frogtown)
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Obscure & Unrecognized Republics of Eastern Europe
So as not to offend anyone, films set in Eastern Europe commonly take place in imaginary countries like Trouble for Two's Karovia, The Terminal's Krakozhia or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Vulgaria. In reality, there are several little-known, obscure republics which enjoy various amounts of autonomy that would fit the bill. As portions of their citizenry actively campaign for … Continue reading Obscure & Unrecognized Republics of Eastern Europe
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Big Boy Records
For several years in the '90s, before Master P moved to New Orleans and gobbled up most of the talent of the legendary Parkway Pumpin, Big Boy Records was one of the main creative and commercial rivals to uptown's fledgling Cash Money. Over the course of the next few years, they released some of New Orleans' … Continue reading Big Boy Records
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Mobo Records – West Bank’s Finest
In the old days (the '80s), most New Orleans rap was released by labels from outside the state. Dallas's Yo! had handled Gregory D & Mannie Fresh and Tim Smooth. Ft. Lauderdale's famous bass label, 4 Sight, released Ninja Crew's "We Destroy." Juvenile was initially on New York's Warlock. When majors got involved, they invariably … Continue reading Mobo Records – West Bank’s Finest
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Vietnamese New Wave Revisited
Due to popular response, here's a follow-up to my initial blog on Vietnamese New Wave. For those of you who may not have read it, Vietnamese New Wave (less often called Asian New Wave) is not Vietnamese music. Think Northern Soul, a British genre of music that didn't come from British artists, but were beloved … Continue reading Vietnamese New Wave Revisited
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Jon Moritsugu – Original BB in da house — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Jon Moritsugu and Amy Davis Jon Moritsugu is an American filmmaker who's enjoyed a long career of critical acclaim and underground fandom. Many of his films feature actress/wife/Scumrock co-writer/sometime bandmate Amy Davis. Although best known for his cult classic Mod Fuck Explosion, he's consistently and constantly made films that challenge and entertain with his unique … Continue reading Jon Moritsugu – Original BB in da house — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
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Emily Ryan of Emily’s Sassy Lime — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Interview
Emily Ryan is an artist/actress/DJ/musician who, in 1994, formed possibly the first all female Asian American rock group, Emily's Sassy Lime, with sisters Amy and Wendy Yao. In 2002, she played James Duval's girlfriend in Jon Moritsugu's underground classic Scumrock. Eric Brightwell: Question 1: what other all Asian-American rock bands were there before Emily's Sassy … Continue reading Emily Ryan of Emily’s Sassy Lime — Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Interview
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A History of Asian-American Cinema
INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN-AMERICAN CINEMA Very little has been written about the involvement of Asian-Americans (and Asian-Canadians, also discussed here) in the production of film. Even though their contributions are usually overlooked, Asian-Americans have played significant roles in the formation of America's film culture since the early 20th century. In the early silent Sessue Hayakawa and … Continue reading A History of Asian-American Cinema
Eric Brightwell 