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First impressions from London
After a few days of absence, I’d like to share my impressions about the British Capital with all of you.
My trip to London was a quite crazy ride. I missed my first train from Brussels to London, because the Brussels train station is such a mess!
However, the three of us arrived safely at the London Waterloo train station. The way the tube station works is not much different from the Paris underground station.
So, dear readers, I guess you are probably curious about my opinion regarding London and its inhabitants.
London is made of an incredible melting pot of different people of all races and origins, which is really fantastic. I must say that I like it very much.
Most of the people I talked to for the moment seem to be friendly and open minded.
Unlike France, you don’t have the feeling that people have to face racial discrimination of any kind in the UK.
Blacks , Chinese, Pakistanis, Indian Caucasian and many other people seem to live together in perfect harmony. What a good feeling !
Many people are very helpful too. We had to carry so much luggage and people were willing to help us out very fast. A very nice person even paid us the cab to the hotel (without even telling it to us !)…(dear stranger, if you ever read this article, I’d like you to know that I am very grateful to you for this attention. I don’t know you, but I won’t forget you)
Life here seems to be quite exciting and I am curious to explore it much more.
I will tell you more about it as soon as we will have a permanent internet connexion. Therefore, I am asking you for a little bit more patience. I also hope to discover more about the world of music and hip hop in particular in London. I’ll keep you updated.
This little post was written for you all to know that the three of us arrived safely in the UK. Stay tuned until the next episode.
Copyright 2OO6 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five/The Message/ video review
Rating: 4.5 stars
You talk best about the environment you know very well. Many inhabitants of the ghetto feel like they live in a disgusting, stinky place of desperation where daily dramas happen. Between the broken glass, the piss in the stairs, the cockroaches that stalk your kitchen and living room and the constant noise and the bloody murders, you have to stay strong if you don’t wanna lose your head-particularly when you know you don’t have the money to leave your place.
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five describe the world of American ghettos with a poignant sense of reality in their old school rap video entitled « The Message ».
Based on a funky sounding musical background combined with some dope ass beats, the video draws a raw and realistic picture of the living conditions in the hood:
« 
Broken glass everywhere
People pissing on the stairs, you know they just
Dont care
I cant take the smell, I cant take the noise
Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice
Rats in the front room, roaches in the back
Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat
I tried to get away, but I couldnt get far
Cause the man with the tow-truck repossessed my car
Chorus:
Dont push me, cause Im close to the edge
Im trying not to lose my head
Its like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under… »
Grandmaster Flash has a strong message to deliver to the viewers of his video. His mind is racing, full of contained rage. Don’t push him too far, because he might show you his quick temper in no time.
« A child was born, with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but hes frowning too
Cause only God knows what you go through
You grow in the ghetto, living second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
Youll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps, pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them
Smugglers, scrambles, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers and even pan-handlers
You say Im cool, Im no fool
But then you wind up dropping out of high school
Now youre unemployed, all null n void
Walking around like youre pretty boy floyd
Turned stickup kid, look what you done did
Got send up for a eight year bid
Now your man is took and youre a may tag
Spend the next two years as an undercover fag
Being used and abused, and served like hell
Till one day you was find hung dead in a cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young… »
Growing up in the ghetto fills your heart with hatred. You are destined to face harsh living conditions, unemployment, violence and abuse. Your probability of living a long life are quite low.
The video describes daily life in the ghetto with realism and a good sense of humor. Check out this good piece of old school rap if you haven’t done it yet!
Copyright © 2OO6 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

I arrived safely in London with my kids last Tuesday. I have a lot of priorities to handle for the moment and I might not be able to post any article for a while, since I don`t have a permanent internet connexion for the moment. I am asking you all for a little bit patience. I will go on writing as soon as I can. Much love to you all over the world!

My internet has been messing all the time and I have been unable to write anything. I am about to leave my apartment…The Eminem Blog will take a little pause until I will be settled in London. I’ll keep you all updated. Be sure that I won’t give up my passion for hip hop and for writing…
Next time I will post from England…Thanks to my worldwide readership:)

Ron Patterson/ Call That Love song review
Rating: 4 stars
People who know me well also know that I’m not a big R’n’B fan. Very few R’n’B singers have owned my respect.
However, I discovered an amazing R’n’B artist on a Brooklyn rap website a few months ago. His name? Ron Patterson.
Ron Patterson has developed an original style of his own. The talented artist combines a warm and deep voice with some good instrumentals and a good rhythm . He manages to create a quite magical atmosphere while expressing his deepest feelings.
Call That Love starts on a soft piano melody combined with sweet harmonica and keyboard sounds. How many times have we taken love for granted with a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Love is a fire that needs to be nourished every day. A relationship needs to be based on confidence.
Even though it is difficult, a good dose of faith in your partner is required, even in bad times, in order to make a couple work.
Ron Patterson expresses it very well in his song. His voice has some very emotional accents that he manages to combine with a quite rapid rhythm.
I’m sure I increased your hunger about Ron Patterson. Discover more about the gifted artist here.
Copyright ©2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

taste this good old school flavor…Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five!

please read this satirical blog dedicated to Mr Sarkozy! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it:)

When leaders like Nicolas Sarkozy start to single out young people from the ghetto and talk about cleaning out ghettos from its « villains » with a karcher, we might question what motivates them most: the will to solve existent problems or to get rid of people with different skin colors and origins.
When both teenagers Bouna Traore and Zyed Benna were « accidentally » electrocuted in Clichy Sous Bois, (obviously trying to escape from the cops), it lead to major riots as a huge form of protestation.
In 2005, France was burning. Many people saw the fire, complained about it, but didn’t really want to look at the cause: a government tries to single out the youths that come from the legal emigration.
Living in a French ghetto means facing racial discrimination in front of employment, for instance, no matter if you’re a graduate or not. Employers just don’t give a fuck. You don’t have the right color, then your CV’s destiny is to end up in the trash.
Living in a French ghetto means to be condemned to live with the lowest sources of income with nearly no escape from your situation.
Living in a French ghetto means to face insecurity and violence on a daily basis. Thanks God, you don’t get shot there as easily as in American ghettos.
However dramas happen. Nobody helps you to get a decent job when you live in the hood. You are « trashy » , so you are supposed to be condemned to live with minimal wages while fat mayors cumulate two or three wealthy jobs.
It looks like Mr Sarkozy created a monster with his demeaning words towards young people of foreign origins.
It looks like some 14-16 year old French white boys and girls spread his ideology, talking about « cleaning up France with Blacks and Arab folks ».
Those young people are not even ashamed to used racist terms to qualify people of different skin colors.
You young morons need to be reeducated if your parents and school don’t do it for you.
You need to learn about French history, and about what happened in the French colonies in particular.
Your ancestors invaded many of those countries you complain about. They used people as slaves in order to make their economy turn. So first, if France used to be prosperous in the past, you owe it to those « foreign » people you despise. Your ancestors mistreated, enslaved, raped those people physically and mentally! Even envisioned it THIS way? If not, then you definitely should, you pieces of scum!
Moreover, many of the people you despise are of French nationality, whether they are Blacks from overseas or kids from people who emigrated in France. Immigrants whose workforce the French government exploited with no remorse after luring them into the country you claim to be yours.
You all need to grow some brains and to revise your own history. Many people don’t have the same color as you, but they have nevertheless the same rights as you. They are French citizens as well as you.
And if you really wanna apply to your racist beliefs, don’t buy bananas, pinapples and any kind of exotic product from abroad. Don’t buy any foreign brand of any kind. Never travel abroad, because anywhere else in this world, you’ll be viewed as the FOREIGNERS.
Screw racism. Parents, take your responsibilities and teach your kids the right way. Don’t encourage discrimination of any kind.
Be what you wanna be, but don’t be one of those brainless racists!
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Rating: 4.5 stars
Obie Trice’s long awaited second album is hotter than July.
It is rich of great lyrical skills and many influences. After introducing himself in Cheers, Obie opens the second chapter of his story.
24’s is a club song in which Obie flows with confidence. Nice and various instrumentals are intelligently combined with ill beats and lyrics.
Obie Trice Ballad is definitely an interesting piece of work. Starting with a slow « Obie Trice- Obie Trice-Obie Trice » refrain in the background, the song slowly draws you Obie’ s life story.
Obie reminds his listeners that he came from the bottom and picture the harshness of hood life. Yes, young black men have it hard in the hood. Obie knows it. He’s been there too.
Catchy beats, guitar sounds, keyboards in the background spice up the well written track.
Cry Now is a wonderfully well written song where realness triumphs against fakeness. You wanted to kill him? Cry Now, enemies. Obie hits you with his words and he does it with confidence. I particularly enjoyed the instrumentals. Trumpets in the background reinforce the struggling atmosphere of Obie’s song.
Everywhere I Go is an intelligent 50 Cent-Obie collaboration that will make you fully appreciate both artists’ talent.
You could barely stay indifferent in front of the instrumental/ vocal jewel called Ghetto in collaboration with Trey Songz. The song has a wonderful gospel/ soul flavor, the vocals are touching and bring this unique black music flavor where rhythm/instrumental/ lyrics and deep feelings meet.
The song introduces into black souls’ pain in the ghetto. Obie will make you acknowledge how hard it is to live in the slums. The Detroit hood is the place where many bloody dramas and discrimination happen on a daily basis.
Ghetto is truly one of the best songs from Obie’s second album. I highly recommend it to all of you.
Also There They Go, that I first reviewed under the title D Town Boys is a great piece of work including Eminem and local Detroit talent Big Herk’s collaborations.
Kill Me A Mutha is a track aimed at annoying people you can meet in the club. Violins, keyboards and rhythmic beats make the track enjoyable.
Obie’s flow is enlightened in Lay Down. Soft violins contrast with Obie’s offensiveness.
Mama featuring Trey Songz is dedicated to Obie’s mom: Eleanor Trice.
Only mothers can see their sons cry. Only mothers know the pain and their kid’s personality. A few years ago, Obie exposed the beef that opposed him to his mom in Don’t Come Down and how he had to experience the hard side of street life in Detroit. Eleanor eventually reconciled with her son and has all reasons to be proud of him.
Violent starts with some dark piano sounds and gunshots. Flutes mixed up with violins and rhythmic beats will make the listener feel the reality of the streets.
Snitch combines Akon and Obie’s talents very well and exposes the problem of snitching that is so typical to the don’ts of the hood.
Globally, Obie Trice did some great lyrical work on his second album.
The only negative side of the CD are commercial tracks such as Jamaican Girl, They Wanna Know and All My Life. I didn’t like them that much.
However, one needs to recognize the great effort Obie Trice has put into his second album. Obie Trice, real name, no gimmicks.
Copyright2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to my readership
Less than a week left until I leave for London City!
I am very busy right now, so those of you who are regularly in touch with me shouldn’t be surprised if I don’t reply to their emails as fast as I usually do. Between the reeducation hours for my back, domestic and administrative tasks and other little things to handle, my free time is quite limited at the moment.
However, I am excited to live in a big town such as London very soon. Also, I am happy to be able to grab bigger opportunities. I’m leaving with a positive mind and spirit.
Some people have asked me if I left my place with regrets.
My answer is : I won’t look back and I don’t regret anything.
I have very little to lose considering the economical and political situation in France right now.
Many people have told me that I was courageous to go to a country I didn’t know at all and to start an new life there.
Let me tell you what. I don’t feel like I am particularly courageous. I consider that you sometimes have to see where your priorities lie and make some sacrifices if needed.
Sometimes, you have to make decisions in the right direction at the right moment. That’s exactly what I am doing. I want to give myself more chances to succeed and if a little dose of courage is required for that, well then I gotta grab it with no hesitation and go forward.
The fear of breaking habits is something that prevents people from making some real progress in their lives. If you have to make some efforts to adapt to a different life style, then do it! It is that simple!
Why mentally jail yourself with habits that won’t help you to go further?
You don’t need to be courageous for that purpose, all you need is an open minded spirit. For the remaining questions and uncertainties, I’ll raise my hands to the sky like DMX and ask God for directions.
Ok let me go straight to the point: my places like blogit, The Eminem Blog and my space might take a little pause in August until I get settled in London with my sons. I don’t know when I will able to write again on a regular basis. However, I want you to know that it will just be a pause. I have a great passion for writing and for the music. Be sure I will keep writing for you all.
Please keep visiting me, even in my absence. I will keep you updated with life in London as soon as I can.
P.S: I’d be more than happy for any kind of advices regarding British hip hop magazines and about anything hip hop in the UK. Thank you so much.
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved