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Monthly Digest #1: April 2021

www.kicksgroove.com

Monthly Digest #1: April 2021

RIP DMX, RIP Black Rob, RIP Shock G, Nipsey Hussle Biography & Documentary

Julien Tribet aka Kicket
May 8, 2021
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Monthly Digest #1: April 2021

www.kicksgroove.com

Welcome to the first edition of my monthly digest where I share cool and interesting stuff I’ve been reading, watching or listening to lately.

I wish I had started with lighter content, but April was particularly tragic, as we lost within a few days 2 legends (DMX and Shock G) and a solid veteran who was way more than just a one “Whoa” hit wonder (Black Rob). May they rest in peace.

Twitter avatar for @imgarysuarez
I’m Gary @imgarysuarez
The loss of DMX, Black Rob, and Shock G in such rapid succession, coming so soon after the passing of Double K and Prince Markie Dee, serves as a reminder that we in hip-hop media need to amplify veteran artists' voices and help them tell their stories while they're still alive.
4:02 AM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
2,721Likes787Retweets
Twitter avatar for @noz
andrew @noz
we should start publishing obituaries for our favorite musicians while they're still alive and call it music criticism
4:39 AM ∙ Apr 26, 2021
94Likes14Retweets
Twitter avatar for @NewYorker
The New Yorker @NewYorker
The infrastructure to support DMX and Shock G into middle age didn’t exist, Sheldon Pearce writes. Both went largely underappreciated until it was too late.
nyer.cmDMX, Shock G, and the Plight of the Middle-Aged RapperSheldon Pearce writes about the deaths and careers of the gritty, best-selling rapper DMX and the comedic, funk-influenced hip-hop artist Shock G.
10:37 AM ∙ Apr 28, 2021
188Likes48Retweets

🐕 RIP DMX 🐕

December 18, 1970 - April 9, 2021

Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
RIP DMX. No one radiated more agony, pain, and atomic energy. The Cerberus from Yonkers, who suffered for all of our sins and his own. Maybe the rawest rapper of all-time, no pretense or frills, just pure adrenaline, lawless genius, and reckless abandon. The struggle incarnate.
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4:29 PM ∙ Apr 9, 2021
65,884Likes14,523Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
A requiem for DMX, a superhero who anyone could relate to, whose existence embodied & transcended the struggle, from the School Street projects to the pitfalls of fame. The realest of the real ones. May he finally have found peace after a lifetime of pain.
gq.comDMX Turned Agony and Atomic Energy Into One of Rap’s Most Titanic LegaciesHe was both the last great, raw ’90s rapper, and a harbinger of the harmonic pop sensibilities that would dominate the next generation.
1:30 AM ∙ Apr 11, 2021
773Likes175Retweets
Twitter avatar for @JustinTinsley
Justin Tinsley @JustinTinsley
#MyLatest — On Earl Simmons aka DMX. A man whose grief + pain made for some of the most transparent music we’ll ever hear. But through it all, a man who showed us what real resiliency and finding peace in a life full of chaos truly looks like. R.I.P., Dog.
theundefeated.comAn entire generation owes DMX for his lesson in resilienceDMX’s entire life story has felt like him standing down at the prospect of an early death — and the Grim Reaper retreating to a corner. But not even the old ada…
5:27 PM ∙ Apr 9, 2021
1,370Likes488Retweets
Twitter avatar for @doxellis
justin sayles @doxellis
Wrote about the legacy of DMX, who became one of the biggest stars hip-hop has ever seen on precisely his own terms
theringer.comDMX Leaves a Legacy of Passion, Unparalleled Success, and PainThe gruff-voiced MC died Friday, nearly a week after suffering multiple heart attacks resulting from an apparent drug overdose
4:45 PM ∙ Apr 9, 2021
343Likes100Retweets
Twitter avatar for @GQMagazine
GQ Magazine @GQMagazine
In Belly, DMX showed immediately that he was a magnetic presence on camera
gq.mn‘Belly’ Gave Us One of the Clearest Pictures of DMX During His RiseX’s star turn in the Hype Williams cult classic showed he had full command of glossy aesthetics just as much as the grimy.
1:40 PM ∙ Apr 11, 2021
82Likes18Retweets
Twitter avatar for @evanmcgarvey
Evan McGarvey @evanmcgarvey
For @VICE , I wrote about DMX's inimitable run as 2000s B-movie action star and the ease and fun he showed on screen
vice.comDMX’s Surprising and Joyful B-Movie LegacyHis unlikely star turn in movies like ‘Cradle 2 The Grave’ and ‘Exit Wounds’ are an important part of his legacy.
4:18 PM ∙ Apr 16, 2021
54Likes17Retweets
Twitter avatar for @okayplayer
Okayplayer @okayplayer
#BehindTheBeat is our series where we talk to rap producers about the making of their most iconic beat. Here's a look back at our first edition, where @DAMEGREASE tells us about crafting DMX’s “Get At Me Dog.” 🙏🏿 bit.ly/351xSFp (illustration by: @Popephoenix)
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9:41 PM ∙ Apr 12, 2021
39Likes12Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
Over the next week, we're running "The Pick of the Litter," a series dedicated to the best songs of DMX. First up is @pahwa_nitish on "4,3,2,1."
passionweiss.comThe Pick of the Litter: “4, 3, 2, 1”Our DMX tribute series kicks off with Nitish Pahwa’s examination of an iconic posse cut and DMX’s style that would eventually hold the rap world by the throat in the entrance to the new…
10:14 PM ∙ Apr 12, 2021
86Likes17Retweets

Check out here for the rest of the series, including songs such as “Slippin”, “Stop Being Greedy”, “Come Back In One Piece”, “Damien”, “Get At Me Dog”, etc.


🖤 RIP BLACK ROB 🖤

June 8, 1968 - April 17, 2021

Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
RIP Black Rob, one of the great millennium-era crime rap novelists, gruff but with Harlem slickness, who endured fire & brimstone to briefly reach the apex, before gravity and the law took hold. Of course, "Whoa," which owned the world for a full year, the platonic tunnel banger.
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8:51 PM ∙ Apr 17, 2021
5,548Likes1,945Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
"[I] never had nothin, never went to school, was always on the streets, always takin' money. But [I] changed. God blessed [me] for my talent...God blessed that kid Rob to do something with his life." -- Black Rob in The Source, January '99
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12:40 AM ∙ Apr 18, 2021
148Likes27Retweets
Twitter avatar for @MMLunlimited
MML @MMLunlimited
Wrote a @GQMagazine piece on why eulogizing black men gone too soon is tiring, ironically enough. RIP Black Rob. gq.com/story/black-ro… #BlackRob
gq.comRemembering Black Rob, The Husky-Voiced One-Time Savior of Bad BoyThe rapper who gave us “Whoa!” and other classics died Saturday at age 52.
5:25 PM ∙ Apr 19, 2021
15Likes6Retweets
Twitter avatar for @_ShamGod
Comorienne 🇰🇲 @_ShamGod
Not an easy task for me in the slightest bit, but I tried to capture my thoughts on Harlem icon Black Rob’s life, career and transition from Earthly life for @vulture. Thanks to the amazing @Dee_Lockett for guiding me through this.
vulture.comThe Irreplaceable Black Rob, Bad Boy’s First Street StoryHis ascendance is pivotal to documenting the rise of Bad Boy Records, both before and after Biggie.
8:53 PM ∙ Apr 19, 2021
87Likes36Retweets

🥸 RIP SHOCK G 🥸

August 25, 1963 - April 22, 2021

Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
RIP Shock G, psychedelic rap pioneer, one of the 1st & best to translate funk into hip-hop. A high concept genius, who discovered 2Pac & invented sex packets. Our Groucho Mark: raunchy, hilarious & weird. Burger King bathrooms would never be the same. Humpty Hump lives forever 🥸
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12:57 AM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
19,875Likes6,500Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
When I interviewed DJ Quik a few years ago, I asked him about his early years and who he was chasing. I figured the obvious answers would be EPMD and Dre but he said "Digital Underground." They were true funk innovators, which sometimes got masked by the novelty hits and humor.
1:00 AM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
1,503Likes257Retweets
Twitter avatar for @waxpoetics
Wax Poetics @waxpoetics
"Be peaceful and enjoy your time on Earth as much and as often as you can. The more you do, the more it becomes you."–Shock G ​ ​Part one of our three part piece on Shock G is now live.  ​ ​Words by Alice Price-Styles waxpoetics.com/article/digita…
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6:48 PM ∙ Apr 28, 2021
30Likes15Retweets

Part 2: Shock G eschews grand theft auto for a career in the music industry.

Part 3: Digital Underground frontman Shock G talks about the deep impact that Parliament-Funkadelic and its eccentric leader George Clinton had on his career and life.

Part 4: Tour stories and tragedy: Digital Underground frontman Shock G relates the highs and lows of the band’s touring days in the ’90s.

Twitter avatar for @oddbodkins
Chris Daly @oddbodkins
In an effort to be crowned Upper Northern VA's leading expert on all things Shock G., i wrote a couple of things for a couple of folks about the Burger King Bathroom Legend. Here's the playlist you need: thewitzard.blogspot.com/2021/04/tribut… And here are more words:
passionweiss.comPeace and Humptiness Forever: A Tribute to Shock GRIP to the genius who ruined the image and the style we were used to.
8:03 PM ∙ Apr 26, 2021
15Likes5Retweets
Twitter avatar for @RyanProctor75
Ryan Proctor @RyanProctor75
My plan was to do more writing this year. That hasn’t happened for a number of reasons. But I did want to say a few words about the great Shock G. Readhowyalike. #RIPShockG
oldtothenew.wordpress.comLet The Funk Be Your Guiding Light – A Tribute To Shock GAttempting to write about an artist who has passed away can feel like an overwhelming task. It feels that way now as I sit here looking at my laptop screen. Where do you start? How can you adequate…
8:11 AM ∙ Apr 26, 2021
44Likes16Retweets
Twitter avatar for @Passionweiss
Otto Von Biz Markie @Passionweiss
Wrote a tribute to Gregory Jacobs, aka Shock G, Humpty Hump, Edward Ellington Humphries III, and MC Blowfish. The mastermind of Digital Underground and the eternal freak of the industry. May his memory be blessed with peace and humptiness forever.
washingtonpost.comPerspective | Shock G of Digital Underground was a psychedelic rap pioneer who helped hip-hop crossoverBest known for the hit “The Humpty Dance,” the late rapper-producer left a major imprint on West Coast rap.
8:33 PM ∙ Apr 24, 2021
955Likes272Retweets
Twitter avatar for @KQED
KQED @KQED
In his tribute to Shock G, journalist Eric Arnold remembers the late rapper as a man who "came along at a time when Bay Area hip-hop was beginning to heft national gravitas and helped push it over the hump."
kqed.orgRemembering Shock G, the Funky Digital Underground Frontman Who Shaped Oakland Rap | KQEDFunny, raunchy and philosophical, the rapper made a major impact and helped launch Tupac’s career.
10:01 PM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
Twitter avatar for @murphdogg29
Keith Murphy @murphdogg29
“I’m sorry,” he says with a quiver in his voice. "But I just get so emotional thinking about the past. I’m so happy that people are finally paying attention to my work,"- My 2010 VIBE interview with Shock G. Rest In Power to hip-hop's UNSUNG music man.
fatcapmagazine.blogspot.comShock G Breaks Down Digital Underground’s Entire Catalogue, 2Pac & MoreGregory “Shock G” Jacobs is having a moment. During the interview, the musical mastermind behind the Oakland-based rap-funk outfit Digital...
12:55 AM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
1,575Likes494Retweets
Twitter avatar for @vulture
Vulture @vulture
.@paulxt: "What made Shock G's music special was in the cleverness of his syntax, the modulation of his voice, the depth of his grooves. It was as if he came from somewhere else entirely"
vult.reRap’s Most Imaginative Roads Lead Back to Shock GHis presence is felt in those rappers who skip from one identity to another to get at something deeper in the human condition.
9:46 PM ∙ Apr 26, 2021
Twitter avatar for @doxellis
justin sayles @doxellis
Quick re-up since it went up late last night: Some brief thoughts on Shock G, hip-hop’s true Dr. Funkenstein and yet another legend gone far too soon
theringer.comThe Interplanetary Impact of Shock G, From “The Humpty Dance” to BeyondThe Digital Underground founder, who died Thursday at age 57, brought the Mothership to hip-hop and helped chart the course of Bay Area rap for the 1990s
2:56 PM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
11Likes1Retweet
Twitter avatar for @XLMiddleton
XL Middleton @XLMiddleton
One of my fav Shock G moments was the OG version of Pac’s “Do For Love.” Just Pac rapping, backed only w/ drums & keys. And who was on those keys but Shock G himself, setting a whole mood w/ nothing but piano chords. May we all succeed in trying to make a $ out of 15 cents.
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9:50 PM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
66Likes20Retweets
Twitter avatar for @icecube
Ice Cube @icecube
RIP Shock-G/Humpty Hump. I remember when NWA’s road manager Atron said he had a group called Digital Underground. He played DOWHATCHALIKE video & I went crazy. I had to sample DU on JACKIN FOR BEATS and WHO’S THE MACK. And nobody had a better stage show. A true Bay Area original.
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2:53 AM ∙ Apr 23, 2021
36,329Likes5,526Retweets
Twitter avatar for @guardian
The Guardian @guardian
Cult heroes: Digital Underground peaked so high, so early, little more was required
trib.alCult heroes: Digital Underground peaked so high, so early, little more was requiredDigital Underground are best remembered for one novelty song and giving 2Pac his big break. But that completely undersells a pioneering hip-hop group
12:22 AM ∙ Feb 25, 2015
9Likes12Retweets
Twitter avatar for @TB_Times
Tampa Bay Times @TB_Times
The funeral of rapper, musician and producer Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs was held in Tampa, where he grew up and launched his music career. The Digital Underground co-founder also died there at the age of 57.
trib.al‘We lost another legend.’ Friends, family say goodbye to Shock G in Tampa.Download/Stream - https://tommyboy.lnk.to/DigitalUndergroundTheHumptyDance Follow our official Spotify Playlist: https://tommyboy.lnk.to/PlaylistSpotify Listen to more Tommy Boy Classics: https://VA.lnk.to/TommyBoyClassics…
4:17 AM ∙ May 2, 2021
58Likes24Retweets

🏁💙 NIPSEY HUSSLE BIOGRAPHY & DOCUMENTARY 💙🏁

Twitter avatar for @AtriaBooks
Atria Books @AtriaBooks
Renowned Hip Hop journalist @RobertJKenner writes the 1st in-depth bio of #NipseyHussle, mogul, artist, and activist whose transformative legacy inspired a generation. Quincy Jones calls it "a beautiful tribute to a legendary artist.” In stores now! bit.ly/3cSGkJU
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4:37 PM ∙ Mar 23, 2021
26Likes15Retweets
Twitter avatar for @stereogum
Stereogum @stereogum
Veteran hip-hop journalist Rob Kenner's new Nipsey Hussle biography 'The Marathon Don't Stop' is out today. We talked to Kenner about the book, which attempts to give the rapper and community organizer the recognition he deserved in life: bit.ly/2PpTkig
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5:40 PM ∙ Mar 23, 2021
20Likes10Retweets
Twitter avatar for @latimes
Los Angeles Times @latimes
Review: Nipsey Hussle, canonical rapper, gets his first gospel
latimes.comReview: Nipsey Hussle, the late canonical South L.A. rapper, gets his first biographyIn “The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle,” Rob Kenner nails down the first biography of the iconic L.A. rapper who died in 2019.
3:55 PM ∙ Mar 23, 2021
35Likes7Retweets
Twitter avatar for @vulture
Vulture @vulture
The first time Donald Trump was impeached wasn’t in Congress. It was in a song by YG and Nipsey Hussle. @RobertJKenner writes
vult.reThe United States vs. ‘FDT’The first time Donald Trump was impeached wasn’t in Congress. It was in a song by YG and Nipsey Hussle.
11:09 PM ∙ Mar 27, 2021
13Likes2Retweets
Twitter avatar for @rubadirivictor
rubadiri victor @rubadirivictor
4 parts series DEXTER BROWNE, NIPSEY HUSSLE , & THE GANGS OF LA- w exclusive never seen before pics. The stunning hidden story of Nipsey's' mentorship by a Trinidadian Howard-educated engineer who simultaneously was documenting the rise of Black Hollywood:
artistscoalition.wordpress.comDEXTER BROWNE, NIPSEY HUSSLE, AND THE GANGS OF L.A.Dexter and Nipsey Part I: A HIDDEN HISTORY The just released biography of sainted rapper Nipsey Hussle- ‘The Marathon Don’t Stop’- by famed Hip Hop biographer Rob Kenner reveals a stunning story th…
11:46 PM ∙ Apr 6, 2021
6Likes4Retweets

Additional readings on Rob Kenner’s blog:

  • Don’t Let the Water in the Boat: Thinking of Nipsey Hussle Two Years Later

  • Nipsey Hussle’s Final Act Continues: Fighting Gentrification

Last but not least, one of the best and most heartfelt Nip tribute tracks received the video treatment on the 2-Year Anniversary of his passing:


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Ok, it’s a wrap, see you next month!

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Monthly Digest #1: April 2021

www.kicksgroove.com
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