Sometimes you fall for the hype. Sometimes you don't.
I'm totally feeling the new (first?) UK hip-hop sensations, The Streets. Despite the name, it's a one man project by Mike Skinner, whose debut album Original Pirate Material, is a fantastic mix of garage/two-step beats and ultra-laddish British rapping about smoking spliffs and taking mushrooms and raving til dawn. Its enough to make you jealous, thinking about how the cultural cross-over of dance/indie/hip-hop is so prevailant in the UK. Just to give you an idea how British this is, Skinner peppers every track with the word "Geezer", the same way US rappers gotta pack "N***er" into every verse. It's total -flavor of the month-, but if nothing else, "It's Too Late, is definately the pop song most likely to get stuck in your head for a week or two.

And speaking of hip-hop hype...
I gotta say how dissapointed I was with 8 Mile. And for all the reasons you wouldn't expect. In its effort to be a serious film, showing Eminem as a break-though talent, the movie honestly could have used some more Hollywoodization because it is BORING. Eminem doesn't sing one friggin' song. Imagine Purple Rain without any of the music scenes. Pretty lame huh? The Detroit aspect is nice, although the suspension of disbelief gets tested when you see the kids park their cars in the Michigan Theater, then walking on over to the Chin Tiki. As if those two places are right next to each other (As If both those places weren't chained shut). And it turns out the "Shelter" is actually a facade that they built amongst some taller buildings down around Griswold area. Its surreal. You know its not the Shelter, but there is a side-alley scene just like the one next to St. Andrews. So actually, the film might be worth it to natives just for the Bizarro Detroit effect. But overall, 8 Mile isn't anywhere near Oscar quality. And its far too flat for mindless pop-movie appeal.