Hsinchu, Taiwan

I knew hip-hop was an international medium, but I didn't realize what that meant. I am keeping track of a few things such as my favorite thing I've eaten on a stick (bbq squid... so good) and the least expected place to hear that 'Ms. New Booty' Bubba Sparks song. A touristy clam shack in Japan holds that spot right now. It isn't a US problem of vapid rhymes over bumping beats... this thing is worldwide.

Case in point: The Black Eyed Peas. Now I am not going to lie, I did shake my ass to 'Joints and Jam' and I own the first two records, but everything that came post-Fergie is pre-fab, formulaic, glossy pop drivel. It goes beyond so-bad-its-good back to so-bad-its-really-really-bad. They love the Black eyed Peas here; on the opening chords Taiwanese youth rush the floor and go all stupid dummy retarded. If I was DJing here I'd come with Serato and last half dozen Black Eyed Peas 12"s. I'd be eating caviar for breakfast.

Scratch that dummy part. Haven't heard too much hyphy out here yet. It is just blowing up stateside just like Houston did a while ago. I heard Chamillionaire in the largest mall in southeast Asia the other day. Unfortunately normal speed... They don't know nuthing about DJ Screw in the TW. I guess these things just take time. My prediction is that by the time I get to Europe there'll be no escaping E-40.

International? So you have a Bangladeshi-American in a club in Taiwan listening to a remix of Ying Yang Twins 'Shake': A song from Atlanta with a Jamacan dancehall star and a Miami reggaeton artist which is just an reedit of a Africa infuenced German dance pop classic. Hip-hop makes Esperanto more obsolete.

We are in the middle of a typhoon right now. It'd be a lot more exciting if I didn't have to be at work today. No cows or scooters flying around, just rain. Matter of fact if there wasn't all this buzz about typhoon Bilis, I would assume it was just a rainy day. Hype... all hype. What this typhoon did was kill the plans to go to the mountains this weekend. If the rain clears up, it might be Taipei. Not that its played out or something, I just want to see other parts of the Taiwan other then the dance clubs in its capital. Maybe I'll check out the dance clubs in Kaoshiung in southern Taiwan next weekend instead.