Proper propaganda: Information Age by dead prez

 Music  Tagged with: , ,
Dec 062012
 

By Martin Mudd

In their best album since the groundbreaking debut Let’s Get Free, revolutionary hip-hop duo dead prez have released a masterpiece in Information Age. In the decade following Let’s Get Free, stic.man and M-1 have released some great singles amid some weaker material, but this album is a rock-solid return to form, a much-needed update to their radical message encoded in catchy beats and poetic lyrics.

Since their early days, dead prez have geared their artistic decisions toward using popular musical forms to spread their uncompromisingly revolutionary message to a wide audience. Let’s Get Free was a savvy blend of gangsta-rap bangers and soul-inspired tunes; Information Age, meanwhile, adapts recent trends in hip-hop and electro to incorporate bust-ya-shit-out dance beats and synthesized vocals. What has not changed is dead prez’s lyrical quality and flows, which are liquid, inspired, and inspiring. If something inside you has not changed by the time you finish listening to this album, then you probably need to check yourself. Continue reading »

A sit down with Mudd

 Neighborhood  Tagged with: , , , , ,
Aug 242011
 

Science teacher Martin Mudd recently returned from a two hour stint in Governor Steve Beshear’s office as part of the ongoing Sit-In for the Mountains. Mudd spent his time there lying on the ground beneath a homemade tomstone that read, “RIP: In memory of our friends in Appalachia past present and not yet born who suffer under the sin of strip mining.” North of Center tracked down Mudd, a Lexington resident living in Kenwick, to ask him a couple questions.

NoC: Why were you in Frankfort last weekend?

Mudd: I went to Frankfort last Thursday to occupy the Governor’s office and send the message to Steve Beshear that people are dying in Appalachia and we will not be ignored. I also wanted to participate in the weekly sit-in that has been happening at the Governor’s office since the Kentucky Rising action in February. Continue reading »

Mudd at the Governor’s office

 Features  Tagged with: ,
Aug 152011
 

NoC News break

Martin Mudd, In memory of

The Herald-Leader picked up a story on the Sit-in for the Mountains that spontaneously self-organized in the aftermath of the Kentucky Rising sleep-over. Martin Mudd, a member of the group that occupied the governor’s mansion last February, finally got a chance to participate and decided to escalate a tad bit. If you’re in Kentucky, he strongly encourages you to participate and contact Caroline at sitinforthemtns@gmail.com to join.

For more information on Sit-In for the Mountains, go here: http://dailyindependent.com/local/x1886877903/-Sit-in-for-the-mountains

Monday lunch with Mountain Justice

 Announcements  Tagged with: , , ,
Jun 042010
 

Join MTR abolitionist group Mountain Justice in Lexington, KY, Monday June 7 at 11:30 on the courthouse lawn to send a strong message that we will no longer tolerate the criminal destruction of our mountains, streams and communities.

This rally marks the beginning of a summer of non-violent direct action in Kentucky to pressure corporations, banks, politicians and regulators to end destructive strip mining for coal and help build sustainable economies in Appalachia. Continue reading »

Mountain Justice Summer

 Neighborhood  Tagged with: ,
May 072010
 

A call for participation

By Martin Mudd

Spring brings encouraging evidence that the ongoing campaign of grassroots political pressure and civil disobedience to stop Mountaintop Removal (MTR) coal mining is having an effect on the federal level. The EPA announced new rules that could strongly restrict stream impacts by coal mining. The Army Corps and OSM are revising their permitting processes. MSHA is likely to clamp down on mine safety enforcement in response to the terrible mine explosion in West Virginia that appears to have been caused by criminal negligence by Massey executives. Bills to ban MTR are gaining traction in Congress.

However, in response to these developments the industry is marshaling its forces. The fight is far from over. Continue reading »