"I Used to hand out my tapes, but then I got hungry..."

hey kids, it's hip hop! more kooky quality raps from that dude Listener of the mighty DeepSpace 5 crew. This is another song off that Ozark Empire album he did with EQ.
"The landlord needed money, and i didn't have his funding.
So that day i started running, and relied on just my cunning.
Man it really wasn't funny..."
NICE! if you missed it, you need to peep the youTube video where he spits over a dude beating on a washing machine. click here now to be blessed!
holla!
-samax 
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peep the MILESTONE FOREVER wrap-around cover

yo! Check out the cover of Milestone Forever #1, on sale February 3rd. This book wraps up the continuity of the original Milestone Universe characters HARDWARE, STATIC, ICON and BLOOD SYNDICATE. Milestone collaborators Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, John Paul Leon, MD Bright, and Chrisscross get together to set the stage for Milestone's future in the DC Universe. A story over a decade in the making!
holla!
-samax
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Preview the new Robocop Comic

The fine folks over at CBR have blessed us with a 7 page preview of Robocop #1! click the pic to roll  out to old Detroit as the action movie classic returns to comics.

here's the Sales pitch.
Dynamite Entertainment proudly presents the dynamic debut of Robocop by writer Rob (Classwar) Williams and artist Fabiano (MARVEL ZOMBIES VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS) Neves! Under two awesome covers - one by the sensational Stephen Segovia and the other by Dynamite's newest artistic sensation (and the pupil of artist David Finch) Johnny D! - Dynamite goes back to basics as it unveils the dystopian, deeply satirical, and all-out violent world of Robocop.


This is ROBOCOP meets the conspiracy theory mystery of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, following on from Paul Verhoeven's original by mixing high action, extreme violence and satire. Plus: the return of ED-209!

Sounds pretty tight... Robocop #1 will be available in stores January 27th. While you wait, get in that Old Detroit state of mind with the the movies! I don't remember watching the third Robocop, but the first two parts are mustard! To cop the whole trilogy on Amazon.com, click here.

holla!
-samax
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Start the day off RIGHT----------->

I feel Good by Jay Electronica

another nice joint from Jay. I never heard this one before, but it sure seems like a great way to start the day...  If you want more Jay Electronica in your morning, click here!

holla! 

-samax 
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LeSeans talks Drawing Tools

that dude LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters, Boondocks, Ben 10:Alien Force) takes a minute or ten to talk about the tools he uses to make comics. he starts out by reminding us that there's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to drawing, which I totally agree with. In case you're wondering, that's a Dilla beat in the background.

holla!
-samax
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2 Free tracks from that NAS & DAMIEN MARLEY collabo record!

aaaaah... Jr. Gong and Nastradamus been working on the collabo album Distant Relatives for a minute, so everytime I heara snippet I get fired up all over again. click here to listen to and download As We Enter by Damien Marley and nasty Nasir Jones. while you're at it, click here to check out Strong Will Continue, produced by Stephen Marley.  the record has been delayed since the fall, but word now is that it will drop in April. for more Nas and D. Marley click here.
holla!
-samax
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Angry White Dude Rap

Ozark Empire... by Listener

first thing i need to point out is that this is NOT a joke. I'm posting this song because I think it's DOPE! this is Listener, of the mighty Deepspace 5 crew. If you find Listener's early music, you might be led to think he was a black dude because he spoke with a deep voice and street slang... over time though, Listener has gotten more and more comfortable in his own skin, so to speak, and his music is better for it.  I mean, his music is weird, but it's authentic. I heard this song a while back, but did not know there was a video for it. This song Ozark Empire is on his 2005 album of the same name (to preview and/or purchase the record on Amazon, click here). While this 'washing machine' mix of the song is not on there, the record is still pretty good on EQ's hippity hop beats. Check it out unless... y'know... you don't like white people.

holla!

-samax 
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This Shirt = Help for Haiti

my homeboy Justin Nygren and the rest of the fine folks at ShirtsEqualsAwesome have put out this simple teeshirt design to do their part in assisting the earthquake relief in Haiti. 100% of the profits will go to Mission of Hope in Haiti. Justin is one of the founders of ArtLoveMagic, an art collective I participate with a lot, so I know him well and can testify that he is a good dude. To order a shirt, go here or click the pic.

holla!
-samax 
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Rhymefest "Closest" acapella video...

Rhymefest goes hard on this acapella... this was made into a song on that mixtapeThe Manual he did with Scram Jones. good stuff.

Wanna Watch The Black Panther Cartoon?

Everybody can stop being mad at the Australians... now we poor Americans can watch the new Black Panther cartoon too, thanks to the miracle of YouTube. The animation is more than a typical motion comic, but don't expect Afro Samurai. I thought it was pretty dope for what it was. I'll be tuning in... to y'know... YouTube... for anybody who hasn't read Reggie Hudlin's  Who Is the Black Panther trade already, this pretty closely follows the plot of the book.  They made some minor changes to the story, adding a couple scenes, for example. I was actually surprised a couple times. I think I'll go back and read it again while we're waiting on the next episode...
so anyways, what did you guys think?

New Multiple Warhedz pages by Brandon Graham!

I have made no secret of the fact that i freeking ♥ Brandon Graham (King City, Pillow Fight, Escalator), but what you might not know is that after he finishes the year-long King City story he's doing for tokyopop/Image, he will be returning to his Oni Press book Multiple Warheads (which i spell different every time i mention it... sorry), the comic that first exposed me to his work a few years back.  Anyways, dude is like a sensei about comics, fam... he speaks like a sage master about my favorite artform (and my most hated foe), and inspires me every single time... i swiped these pages from the upcoming MW book off a post he dropped during his residency on Warren Ellis' Whitechapel forums. click to enlarge, read, rinse, repeat...

Haitian relief Art Auction: Tinkerbell by Arie Munroe

Tinkerbell by Arie Monroe

Here's another drawing being auctioned for the Haitian Earthquake relief by a favorite artist of mine. Comicbook artist and illustrator Arie Munroe (Mainasha, DrawLikeCrazy, QB Dolls) is donating 100% of the sale price of this piece to hopeforhaitischildren.org. Please click the picture to place your bid on ebay. The this auction ends January 27th.

if you know of other artists doing relief auctions for Haitian Earthquake Relief, email me at haiti@ghettoManga.com and i'll post them here!
holla!  -samax 
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Haitian Relief Art auction: Ross Campbell

Kinzoku 08 by Ross Campbell

This beautiful drawing by Ross Campbell of his character Kinzoku from Wet Moon is up for auction on eBay. 100% of the purchase price will go to Haitian earthquake relief. click the pic to go to ebay and put in your bid. the piece is the ORIGINAL artwork, not a print. it's ink, markers, and ink wash on thick illustration board, 7.5 x 9 inches.

The auction ends January 26th.

Storm Warnings...

this drawing of Storm from the X-men is one of the pieces I'm hanging at the Janette Kennedy Gallery today as part of  Underground: Dallas' Hidden Talents, the show I'm participating in courtesy of the fine folks of ArtLoveMagic.com. Prints will be available at the show, and at Dallas Comicon, which I will also be set up at that same weekend (because I'm insane in the membrane), longside my man Corance of the mighty GhostWerks crew. Anyways, I have been wanting to draw another Storm piece for a minute, and this show gave me the perfect excuse! hope y'all like it!

holla! 
-samax 
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limited Edition Tee Shirts

i smashed out this tee shirt design (click for larger view) last week for my dude Justin Nygren of Shirts Equals Awesome. He's gonna press up a gang of shirts during the Underground live art show on the 30th, and asked me if I wanted in on it. they're gonna be one-color screen prints, and Justin is known for doing nice work, so i HAD to get down with it!anyways, if you want one, hit the paypal button below or email me at samax(at)samaxamen.com for an invoice. it's gonna be black ink on a white or grey shirt ... select the size you want, and let me know what color you want. your shirts will be scooped on Saturday the 30th and shipped out the following week.

SIZES

Small $12.00 Medium $12.00 Large $12.00 XL $14.00 XXL $14.00 XXXL $14.00

what color do you prefer?

holla!
-samax
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Start the Day Off RIGHT ---------------->

The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World by Keith Murray off the album of the same name. well, I been up all night, so I'ma lay down for a minute. have a good one...

Certified DOPE: Obadiah One

People that have known me for a while know that I used to be very religious. At the time, I was listening almost exclusively to Christian Rap/hip hop music. Just like the larger culture, Christian hip hop produces a lot of poop and a few classics. After I got over my religious phase, I brought my love of classic Christian hip hop with me. That brings me to this dude Obadiah One, and his album Let the Truth Be Told, which as far as I'M concerned, is a freaking BANGER!

I guess it's only fair to point out that this record will not fit well into the collection of the average 'Christian Rap Fan,' who will be bothered by Obadiah's hardcore rap sound (think Keith Murray or DMX), and conscious rap leaning. Ob-1 sounds like that dude that when he sits next to the sweet church lady, she clutches her purse and tucks her chain. Whether he deserves it or not, I think it's an image he cultivates: I could see Obadiah battling thug rappers holding forty ounces in strip club parking lots. Although he doesn't curse on the record, he spits so violently on songs like Desperately, The Exorcism, and Rumors of Wars that you may feel like he let you have it.

On the other hand, the conscious hip hop and hardcore rap heads may find his frequent scriptural references and evangelical spirit off-putting or even offensive. The funny thing about it is, I'm sure Obadiah doesn't care, and that's one of the things that makes him dope. He's very niche and (i guess) not for everyone, but I assure you, this dude is certified dope! He doesn't appear to be posturing or pretending... he doesn't seem to fear being marginalized or controversial... and unlike a lotta these sunday school teachers calling themselves emcees, dude can really SPIT! Let The Truth Be Told is an old record (dropped in 2000, I think), but it still bumps hard today. preview his music (especially Desperately, and The Exorcism) on his mySpace page, and cop this joint mad cheap on Amazon.com.

holla!

-samax

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the Art of Seven is Coming...

that dude Seven of Kingdom Graphica has an art show next month, February 12 at The Bench in Atlanta. You may remember the name from the dope piece he submitted to the MF DOOM ART Contest. It's also in the latest issue of GhettoManga Quarterly. peep the flier for more details and peep the skills over on his mySpace!

still fresh: Do The Knowledge mixtape by DJ J-Live

good hip hop is still good, even if it's been in the fridge for a minute. peep this dope mixtape of 2009 classic burners, mixed by J-Live. if you got a minute, download that joint for the morning commute!

have a good one, fam!

-gM

Black Panther Cartoon Debuts! (sorta...)

Marvel has been teasing the release of a cartoon for the Black Panther produced by Reggie Hudlin (who was writing Black Panther and was an executive at BET at the time) for a minute: I posted the teaser trailer on Youtube in 2008, and the comments ranged from "OMG I can't wait" to "worst animation everrr"...  nevertheless, with Hudlin gone from BET and no longer writing the comic, I figured the show was dead in the water. how wrong I was...

Since then, they have replaced the voice actor playing the Panther in the trailer with your man Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator, Amistad, Push, Constantine), whose likeness has already been immortalized in the sword and sorcery comic Thulsa Doom, now his voice gets to embody the King of Wakanda. Jill Scott supplies the voice of Storm from the X-men (that's Queen Ororo to you, buddy!), longside Kerry Washington (Lakeview Terrace, Ray, Fantastic Four) as Shuri (the Panther's sister, currently the new Black Panther in the comic) and Alfre Woodard (The Family That Preys, The Forgotten, Love and Basketball, Crooklyn) as the as T'challa's moms (she also voices NSA secretary Dondi Reece).

If you lived in Australia, you would already know all this, of course... since Black Panther: The Animated Series debuted on Aussie station ABC3 with an hour-long T'Challa-fest featuring episodes 1 and 2 of 'Who is the Black Panther' this past weekend.   While Hudlin insists that the show would not be just a glorified animatic or motion comic (like people were fearing based on the trailer), and that there are scenes and characters in the animated series that did not appear in the comic, I can't confirm the quality of the final animation, yet. still no word of when the show will drop here in America either, but once I hear something (or catch some bootleg BP:TAS video), I'll pass it on to you.

holla!

-samax

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Reggie Hudlin speaks on Black Panther Cartoon, Working for Marvel, etc

here's a nice interview with Reggie Hudlin, movie director and producer, former BET exec, and comicbook writer. in this interview from San Diego Comicon, Hudlin speaks on his time at BET and his writing Black Panther for Marvel. I read recently that Hudlin was originally supposed to do the first six issues (the story collected as Who Is the Black Panther), and wound up writing the book for 5 years, all of which are now collected in Trades. I found that interesting, since those were the strongest issues in his run. In his defense, the book would have been better if all the issues has art of the caliber as what John Romita Jr (Amazing Spiderman, Kick-Ass) produced for that early arc. anyways, hope you enjoy the interview, and stay tuned for more Black Panther news later on!

holla!

-samax
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Start The Day Off RIGHT-------------------->

This World by Jean Grae off the 9th Wonder collabo album Jeanius. I know you already copped that free track Rock In The Pocket that i posted last week (if not, get it here), so you know Jeannie spits that fire. enjoy the YouTube heat and have a nice day!

holla!

-samax
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In Theaters Friday!

yo! in case you haven't seen it, peep the red band trailer (i.e. cussin' and violence included!) for Legion
the new action horror joint starring Paul Bettany (A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, Ink Heart), Tyrese Gibson (2 Fast 2 Furious, Transformers) and Charles S Dutton (Rudy, Get On The Bus). In this joint, when God gives humanity the finger and sends a gang of bloodthirsty angels to bring on the Apocalypse, our only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a lonely desert diner. Lucky for us one of them is the archangel Michael... will this be one of the films we're talking about when the GhettoManga Awards come back around at year's end? we shall see...

anyways, Legion opens Friday January 22nd.

holla!

-samax
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