Robocop last year was the shot!

nah, this is not another of my pleas to get Chubb Rock into the Rock n Roll hall of fame, this is about the CNN report on the next step to futuristic tech like what we see in games like Halo and movies like ghettoManga faves Aliens, Terminator and of course, Robocop.

Mos Def in the Lab with Kanye?


ghettoManga fave-the mighty Mos Def is working on a new album: his debut release for indie label Downtown Recordings, after his major-label swan song Tru3 Magic came and went with no fanfare (86,000 U.S. copies sold) last december. dropping Tru3 Magic freed Mos from his obligation to evil step-label Geffen Records, who inherited Mos' contract after the demise of beloved Rawkus Records.
Downtown bigwig Josh Deutsch says West will produce tracks on the as-yet-untitled record. Mos Def recently appeared on the "Drunk and Hot Girls" from West's new album, "Graduation." Although he didn't appear in a film in 2007, Mos Def has no less than eight movies pending through 2009, including "Toussaint" (directed by Danny Glover) and "Be Kind, Rewind", so it's good to hear he hasn't forgotten his rap fans!
holla!
samax
www.ghettoManga.com
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get on tha BUSSA BUSS!

greetings fam! i'm geekin' cause there's a new mixtape out by mick boogie and Busta Rhymes, called DILLAGENCE where Bus blesses tracks from the late J.Dilla... listen to and download the tracks Dillagence and Step Up for FREE off 'a zshare. ah, what the hell! here's that N.O.R.E. remix Set It Off (f.Busta, Talib Kweli, Red Cafe, Cassidy, & Sho of Final Chapter), just for good measure!
enjoy!
[[UPDATE!!!! DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE RECORD FREE COMPLIMENTS OF BUSTA AND MICK BOOGIE or BUY A COLLECTOR'S EDITION COPY!!! JUST CLICK THE PICK TO GO TO WWW.MICKBOOGIE.COM!!!]]
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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Dr. Seuss/Mr. Blakes Collabo

Living Proof

i was riding home from Thanksgivin' with the new Inlaws, and we drove past a comic shop i'd never seen before... so the wife says "hey! a comicshop... wanna stop there?"

that's love.
so anyways, i was walking down the wall o' comics they had, and aaaaall the way at the end one book caught my eye:
PROOF is the story of John Prufrock, agent of the international organization known as the Lodge, and his new partner ex-FBI agent Ginger Brown. oh, i probably should mention Proof is a sasquatch. y'know, a Bigfoot! but he dresses nice, so it doesn't really matter, right? PROOF #1 chronicles the very first meeting of the new partners, and launches them into the investigation for the Lodge, a group that chronicles and manages the co-existance of "Cryptids" (animals that science cannot find concrete evidence, of despite multiple sightings) with mankind.

i really loved this issue, and am looking forward to more!
so buy it, so it won't get cancelled...
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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(pronounced Bah VOO)...

i can't say enough about 35 south allstar Bavu Blakes (although i have really tried). in years of plowing through ceedees and watching shows by unknown local artists, Bavu is among the best (if not THE best) artists i've ever come across. the "garland globetrotter" (and 2006's ghettoManga Emcee of the Year) has done as many mixtape appearances and collabos as anyone could possibly ask, and many more than i can afford to keep track of!

anyways, i just heard "Orangutans"- a collab with Deejay and Dallas Indie hipHop fixture Rob Victum and Element 7d, who i never heard of (isn't indie rap GREAT?!?)- and it's HOT! listen to the track here and lemme know what you think!
also, you can cop a FREE download of this track and other mixtape goodies, watch vids and even (GASP!) buy something at www.mySpace.com/Bavu... i freakin' RECOMMEND it!
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

putting the SICK in classic

one of the most under-appreciated artists ever: Special Ed.


new teeshirts




these and more styles for men and women are available in the store at Ziontific.com.

so, i'm in the process of getting my stores ready for the Holiday rush when yesterday, i changed my mySpace profile picture to the sketch "True and Living", and suddenly got a ton of friend requests, as well as a few messages and comments, including demands to make this available on tee-shirts.

so here they are!

feel free to look around the stores when you get there... and as always, if you take a picture with one of my products, i'll post the pics here!

happy shopping!

samax.


www.Ziontific.com

Reyzor Sharp!

click above for cool sharknife wallpapers by Corey Lewis!
At the intersection of underground hip hop, punk rock, anime, and video games, you’ll find the rising comics super star Corey “the Rey” Lewis (Peng, Rival Schools). so far, the Jewel in his indie comics Crown is the Ballad of Ceasar Hallelujah, better known as the show-stopping man-monster SHARKNIFE (one K please!). rather than pull a brain muscle trying to explain Sharknife, i'll point you at the Sharknife preview here!
all i will tell you is that Sharknife has one Original Graphic Novel out now(cover at left) , and another due in 2008 both published by ONI Press... but this cat is so freakin’ fresh, he is BOUND to get snapped up and taken away by one’a the majors, so catch the wave while you can...
get more sharknife at www.sharKnife.com or stay tuned here for more news when the new joint drops!
holla!
samax.

www.ghettoManga.com
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Gab and Lateef are back as The Mighty Underdogs!

"The Prelude EP" from The Mighty Underdogs (Quannum Projects)
if you are a fan of hipHop lyricism, wonder what really smart california rappin' sounds like, and/or feel like you just HAFTA have more of Blackalicious/Gift of Gab... cop THE PRELUDE ep!
here, Gab partners with frequent sidekick Lateef the Truth Speaker and Headnodic (with guests like DJ Shadow, MF DOOM, Ladybug Mecca, and Rashaan Ahmad from the Crown City Rockers) to form The MIGHTY UNDERDOGS!
as they say on Dragon Ball Z "But enough Talk..." go check 'em out... and DOWNLOAD "Gunfight (f. MF Doom)" for FREE (that's in the budget homie!) at their mySpace!
holla!
samax

www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

deeper than atlantis...

one of my favorite things is to pick up a comic, read the interior cover blurb, and buy it. Abyss #1 actually managed to sell me on the first issue without even giving away the premise of the series! all they gave away was that the series star Eric is coming home after the death of his multi-billionaire father. he is home for the reading of Dad's will, and... well, let's just say he left him more than alone!
if you haven't figured out what happens next, congratulate yourself by purchasing Abyss #1 from canadian publisher Red5 Comics!
next week i will get to all the spoilers i am holding in right now, but suffice to say, this comic was a lotta fun. I can't wait to read the next one!

holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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according to Mark...

i went to the local Half-Price Books to dig for cheap graphic novels and came across (among other things) a book called PowerMark. i copped the PowerMark Series One TPB, which encapsulates issues 1-12 for $5 (the regular price is $9.95). Within the context of a futuristic adventure comic, PowerMark is a christian comic, so if you're one of those people that hates christians, pass on it!

that said, the book has the personality of classic sci-fi adventure shows like Land of the Lost, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, etc. it is action-packed, but the package is good for young children. like the comics from my youth, it uses big words and ideas in context, which will encourage kids to figure them out.
Another thing i really appreciate is the multi-cultural cast, starting with the alpha-male Mark, from Singapore. it has the feeling of shows like Bionic Six or the 80's X-men.
i haven't read the whole thing yet, so i can't speak to the overall quality of the book yet, but i certainly applaud the spirit of it so far. feel free to check them out at www.PowerMarkComics.com

peace, love, etc.
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
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Buffalo Soul ...

Buffalo Soul by samax. hand drawn, colored/finished with Illustrator
research sketch, ballpoint pen, sharpie
what's up fam!
here's an illustrator joint i finished recently called "Buffalo Soul", commisioned by one of my clients.
"Buffalo Soul" is about the Buffalo Soldiers, the black division in the U.S. military before it was integrated. the term "buffalo soldier" was coined by native americans to describe these rawkus brown dudes they kept seeing on the battlefields...
original drawing for final design, pencil
in doing my research for this, i got into the subject! originally applied to the members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, the term Buffalo Soldier eventually encompassed the U.S. 9th Cavalry Regiment, U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment and the 25th Infantry Regiment

you can learn more about the buffalo Soldiers at http://www.buffalosoldier.net/

as always let me know what y'all think!
peace,

samax.
research drawing. pencil, sharpie

No Common Sense?

Since his silver-screen debut in Smokin' Aces has been followed by turns in American Gangster and the upcoming action flick Wanted, Common has decided to quit rapping to persue film full time.

"I need a new fulfillment as an artist. I feel like I can become a bigger actor than I am a rapper. It's scary thinking, 'Damn, if I don't sell no records, what am I going to do?' When you haven't made multi millions in this game, you got to think about what you want to be doing when you're 50 or 60. I found an art that I really love and it's infinite."

cash rules.
how this will effect that record he was supposedly doing with Qtip is not really clear, but we shall see how this ball bounces...
holla!
samax.
www.ghettoManga.com
comics. hiphop. news. art. culture

Real Nigga Quotes

A Few Words from RhymeFest
"Well, by now, some of you have heard it; most of you have not.
A song from my upcoming EL CHE album has leaked. So instead of complaining about it or continuing my futile attempts to hide its existence until my album's release date, I will share it with you: my comrades.The name of this song is REAL NIGGA QUOTES, produced by and featuring DJ Premier.
This song is filled with famous quotes from great people throughout history. If you listen close to my lyrics, I'm sure that you can pick out a few that you are familiar with. On the 3rd verse, I even allow Premo to let loose with a hot 16 of his favorite revolutionary quotes.On sites such as HipHopDx.com and Okayplayer.com [where the leak of the song first appeared], there were interesting debates between Black & White Hip-Hop fans about whether this song was necessary, divisive or flat-out Black racism.
In the defense of my work, I will say that we as a Hip-Hop audience feed ourselves with all kinds of cultural nonsense when it comes to rap music. No one ever complains about Black racism when we are calling each other hoes, niggaz or bitches in a way that promotes self-hate and violence. I rarely hear complaints from anyone when the d-boys glorify the spewing of poison (crack, coke, etc.) throughout our communities. My album EL CHE is not a Black power album; it is a PEOPLE power album. It will represent the taking back of our communities; the disenfranchised, no matter what race, color or creed they consist of.The first song I released was ANGRY BLACK MAN ON A ELEVATOR, where everybody got it; from the ignorant-ass gangbanger without a purpose to Anna Nicole Smith. I spared no one. As much wrath as you will feel from this album upon its release, you will also see elements of mercy and love. Not much, but a little bit.However, I will stand firm in my belief that a color-blind society is not in the best interest of Hip-Hop, America or the world. We must confront the disenfranchisement, the stereotypes and the lies that are perpetrated on us all. Black people are not inherent criminals. White people are not against all people of color. And not all Brown people are plotting on taking your job. Hip-Hop is our way... it's my way... of speaking truth to power. So as you listen, enjoy or disagree with my new song REAL NIGGA QUOTES, all I ask is that you hear it not with a critical ear but an insightful mind. By doing this, you will have the best listening experience.So with no further ado, head over to my profile for song number two: REAL NIGGA QUOTES.GET PLUGGED!

Peace,Fest"

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