Boston based hip-hop artist Jeffrey Haynes, also known as Mr. Lif, is ready to tell you what he thinks about the government, no matter who is in charge. On the title track of his newest album, I Heard It Today (2009), which he released on his own record label, Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises, he makes references to the housing crisis of 2009, September 11th, the 2008 election and the war in Iraq… in his first verse alone. His lyrics come off like a CNN news ticker, filtered through a conspiratorial libertarian point of view, and dripping with a sense of mistrust that he is not hesitant to express, even in the era of Obama. The first words on his latest album are “Oh I see, so uh, we all supposed to just start trusting the government again cuz we got a friendlier face to it now, huh?” (Welcome To The World). He’s fed up with all the promises and his only comfort now is a little bit of smoke to settle his nerves. His style and sound is similar to some of the artists he has collaborated with such as Aseop Rock and Akrobatic, but Mr. Lif takes it to the next level lyrically, and even musically. “I Heard It Today” is full of his typical in your face rap style and huge beats, but is contrasted by the kind of electronic bleeps and blips you might expect to hear on a Brian Eno album. His diverse collection of words, beats and sounds has plenty of pop sensibility, while drawing inspiration from rock and electronic music as well. Expect an equally diverse crowd of indie music fans, grooving hip-hoppers and forward looking political crusaders when he hits the stage of Soundlab on Saturday (Feb. 27).
– cory perla
9pm. Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. (440-5907)
McCain on preconditions to talking with Iran: He’s lost this point, which is no surprise; but he makes a noble effort at the end to salvage some sympathy. Obama’s wielding of Kissinger trumps McCain’s feigned incredulity.
Obama on Russia and Georgia: Obama’s got a balanced and somewhat subject-broadening (or, to be less generous, subject-changing) response. McCain’s analysis on pipeline and military issues is spot-on, and to his credit, Obama doesn’t look for a weakness there.
When Obama switches the subject to alternative energy investments again, that’s smart: Russia’s power is based on its ability to broker petro-products. But will it seem an evasion or a smart transition? McCain’s not arguing…
In a debate that began like a Tower of Babel, in which questions were answered with non sequiturs, in which both candidates tried to pound the square pegs of their chosen talking points into the round holes of Jim Lehrer’s questions, McCain just drove that metaphor of the cliff. Into a deep, square, roundish canyon.
The barracks bombing in Beirut? The tired technique of evoking a conversation with “A mother whose son is…”?
Obama’s response is strong, up until the point that he, too, conjured some Jane Anybody. At which point my hostess brings me another beer, and Jim Lehrer turns the conversation to Iran…
McCain just called himself a maverick.
And now he’s making the attack he’s been waiting for: He’s saying the surge in Iraq was a success, and that he lobbed for it early and continues to stand by the tactic.
He’s relying on this argument, both to eclipse the current financial crisis as an issue and to make Obama seem weak on what McCain and those who gravitate toward his way of thinking call “national security.”
Obama, I think, could have done better than to dwell on the cost of the Iraq war. He’s going to be the candidate who was (at least) skeptical about the war. So just go whole hog: Say it was mistake. maybe even argue that the surge’s vaunted success is not a given. And all this stuff about Afghanistan? It’s a fantasy argument: If we focus military resources there, we just move the quagmire.
That said, Obama does sound voter-palatable on the matter. McCain’s attempt to differentiate between a tactic and a strategy was a suicide mission.
But at least the give-and-take has begun between the two.
Some surface observations, since that’s what most debate analysis comes down to: Obama stammers. He sounds a bit rougher than one might expect, and McCain is wearing a terrible tie. And (I’m on ABC now) what’s that weird aquatic motion graphic? Does that represent sea level?
If you’re watching CNN, there are six circles flanking the screen on which pundits are apparently scoring the fight in real time. The scoring system is impenetrable.
Nonetheless, it seems Castellanos is seeing hits recorded everywhere, but he scores it even so far. Brazile gives Obama a narrow lead. I can’t tell what Paul Begala is doing.
Borger (lower left hand) appears to have left for the bar. If this were a drinking game, Borger would be a buzzkill. Is he even listening to this debate?
To begin, McCain sounds a bit frail and tired, which draws down the hardass maverick caricature he’s been composing for himself.
Then he makes that crack: “What are you afraid I can’t hear him?”
It gets a laugh, and he takes some strength from it, finds his feet. Then he’s talking about bears, and then he pulls what looks like a permanent marker out of pocket and says he’s going to veto all spending bills. That’ll make government more efficient.
