ThaWilsonBlock Magazine

Iran Urges ICJ Action to Stop Gaza Genocide, Allow Aid Deliveries Wednesday, 30 April 2025 4:19 PM Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs Tehran has slammed the Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as a clear example of genocide, calling on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the international community to act responsibly to halt the atrocities. Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, made the call during the third hearing session of the ICJ probe on Israel's obligations toward UN agencies delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza. At the beginning of his remarks, Gharibabadi highlighted the stature of the ICJ as the highest legal authority within the United Nations, noting that this international body is once again confronted with a historical test, one that is inextricably linked to the fate of an oppressed nation. Citing undeniable evidence of genocide in Gaza, th...

New York’s underground hip-hop scene continues to thrive, and longtime collaborators Eff Yoo and Deep (of 2HungryBros) are proving why they remain pillars of the culture. Their latest single, “Master Plan,” marks the first release from their forthcoming joint album With All Due Respect—a vinyl-exclusive project that’s now available for pre-order. On “Master Plan,” Eff Yoo delivers hard-hitting bars with his signature precision, perfectly matched by Deep’s dusty, boom-bap-infused production. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, reflecting a deep-rooted commitment to raw, authentic hip-hop. The visuals, directed by Clear Vision Filmz, reinforce the duo’s no-frills, culture-first approach—gritty, honest, and made for the purists. With All Due Respect isn’t just another release—it’s a statement. In a streaming-heavy era, Eff Yoo and Deep are keeping the physical tradition alive with a limited-edition vinyl drop aimed at true collectors and hip-hop heads who value the craft.

Rising hip-hop voices G4 Jag and producer IM’PERETIV return with “ Circus ,” the third single from their highly anticipated collaborative project, Alive! This latest release features fellow Fly Family member L-Biz and packs a punch with thunderous production, razor-sharp bars, and a hook that pulls it all together with force. On “Circus,” G4 Jag takes aim at the theatrical side of the rap industry—calling out the gimmicks, frauds, and flash-over-substance performers that dominate the spotlight. His message is clear: skill and authenticity still matter. The track builds on the momentum of earlier singles “Apple Pie” and “Stopped Chillan,” further defining the Alive! sound—raw, booming, and grounded in truth. Adding a powerful visual layer to the single is Craig Dyer’s stunning cover art. A haunting scene unfolds: a clown, gun to his head, stands beneath the weight of chaos. An elephant balances precariously in the background, and overlooking it all is a masked figure—G4 Jag’s iconic pl...

Boston emcee M-Dot is back with a powerful new single, “Primavera,” produced by longtime collaborator Confidence and featuring hip-hop heavyweights Big Shug (Gangstarr Foundation) and Royal Flush. The track blends the raw energy of golden-era hip-hop with crisp, modern production—delivering a sound that feels both classic and fresh. The title, “Primavera”—Italian for "spring"—signals a new creative chapter for the seasoned lyricist while nodding to the roots of the culture. Big Shug’s unmistakable voice and Royal Flush’s sharp bars elevate the track, while M-Dot holds it all together with his signature wordplay and flow. “Primavera” is the first single from the upcoming full-length album Library of Sound by M-Dot & Confidence, set to drop later this spring. Keep an eye on social media for the official pre-order announcement. Primavera by M-Dot & Confidence

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What if every conspiracy theory, fairytale, and urban legend turned out to be true? That’s the eerie question at the heart of CONSPIRATORIUM, the new concept album from Providence hip-hop artists Wolfman Jeckyll and Studs Ramrod, dropping April 22. The lead single “Get Cha” offers a gritty preview of what’s to come, with Wolfman Jeckyll’s razor-sharp delivery layered over a haunting beat from Studs Ramrod. The song’s dark visuals mirror its tone, setting the stage for a project that blurs the lines between fantasy and paranoia. Stream “Get Cha” now on all platforms—and prepare to enter the CONSPIRATORIUM.  

Hip-hop artist Branded Moore, a longtime fixture in Canada’s independent music scene, is turning up the volume on industry exploitation with his latest release, “Robert Greed.” Recorded alongside the Drunken Arseholes, the track takes a pointed jab at the “pay-to-play” practices that continue to plague grassroots music communities—from shady promoters to artists buying their way onto stages. With a gritty beat and unapologetically sharp lyrics, “Robert Greed” challenges the status quo and calls for a return to authenticity in hip-hop. It’s more than a diss track—it’s a demand for respect, built on talent, not transactions. “This one’s for every artist who built their name the right way—by earning it, not buying it,” Moore says. “The game’s flooded with people who think they can buy credibility. It’s time someone said something.” The single is now available on all major streaming platforms. Stream “Robert Greed” here - https://open.spotify.com/track/47aHFqi6z3YTkldX5r51e4?si=pT-BtKSaQPa...

From top New York high school baseball prospect , to the major leagues in music, it’s been a long time coming for Queens, New York native MRG. With two projects, a string of viral hits, and a co-sign from Timbaland, the bilingual Dominican-American emcee has been rhyming in both English and Spanish with unprecedented swag and clarity since 2014. MRG's unique musical style fuses influences from Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, J Cole, and Nas. MRG dropped his debut project Live From The Hurst in December 2017. The six-track EP features the standout " Like I'm Lonzo ," a DJ Mostwanted production in which MRG raps about disrupting corporate control over artists and athletes. In the summer of 2018, MRG ditched his corporate IT job to focus on music full time. Since releasing Live From The Hurst 2 in 2019, MRG has amassed millions of streams, and earned support from the two cornerstones of New York radio, HOT 97 and Power 105.1. DJ Enuff debuted MRG's breakthrough record ...

Attack by Armed Men in Western Niger Border Village Kills 12 Soldiers, Army Says 5:46 PM EDT, April 26, 2025 DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — An attack by armed men in western Niger killed 12 soldiers, the army said Saturday, in a border area that has long been a hotbed of extremist violence. The “surprise offensive” was launched Friday against a military unit near the village of Sakoira near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, the army said in a statement. It described the assailants as “terrorists” but did not say what group was responsible. The tri-border area has long been a site of extremist violence. Last month, an attack by a jihadi group on a village in the region killed 44 civilians. The army blamed that attack on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, or EIGS. Niger, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all...

Another "PBS Soundstage" episode. This time, it's a Leo Sayer concert from 1978. I can't say I'm much of a Sayer fan, but he has enough quality music for me to post this. Besides, there are virtually no live recordings of him from his prime, so it's good to get this out there. Sayer was a pretty big star in the late 1970s. He wrote most of his own songs, and even co-wrote most of the songs on the first solo album by the Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey in 1973, including the hit "Giving It All Away." His biggest success was in 1977, when he had two huge Number One hits, "You Make Me Feel like Dancing" and "When I Need You." However, his success declined a lot in the mid-1980s, when he suffered a bunch of personal problems and legal and financial problems related to bad management and record company woes. You can read his Wikipedia entry here: Leo Sayer - Wikipedia   I found an audio bootleg of this concert, but it had lots o...

Trump’s ‘Gift from China’ Posts Debunked: Images of Ocean Debris Proven to be Outdated and Altered By Global Times Apr 27, 2025 12:32 PM US President Donald Trump recently posted three images of floating ocean debris on social media Truth Social and claiming they are in Pacific Ocean and caused by China, however, these pictures are turned out to be either old pictures or digitally manipulated.  On April 21, Trump posted three images on Truth Social with the text "A Gift from China in the Pacific Ocean!" – All three pictures showed large amounts of garbage floating in the ocean. However, fact checks and picture searches demonstrated that the first photo was in Indonesia and released in 2014. The photographer of the picture is Ethan Daniels, the Global Times found. “Plastic Floating Garbage in Raja Ampat. Bits of plastic garbage wash against a remote island in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This tropical region is known for its spectacular marine biodiversity and is a popular de...

Just a couple of days ago, I mentioned that I had no plans to post the "PBS Soundstage" episode for Trisha Yearwood and some other country stars. But the person who has been sending me some very rare BBC material (including some of the Joan Armatrading stuff I posted yesterday) saw that and asked if I could post the Yearwood one. He's been so helpful that it was the least I could do. So here it is. Yearwood had eleven albums that at least achieved Gold status (meaning sales of half a million in the U.S.) between 1991 and 2005. This is a well timed concert, because it took place after the release of her most recent Gold album, "Jasper County," meaning she could choose from most of her best known songs. 2005 also was the year she married country mega-star Garth Brooks. Since then, she's slowed her music career to focus on other interests, like writing best-selling cooking books and having a cooking themed TV show. She's sold over 15 millions albums wo...

Dallas, Texas emcee  Nowaah the Flood  surprise-releasing his 23rd EP on Bandcamp. Breaking out in the summer of 2018 by releasing his first EP  Trill Life Mathematiks  around the same time as  Nas ’ 11th album  NASIR  fully produced by  Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West , he would go on to drop his last 19 EPs along with The Nowaah & the Dewer’s eponymous debut album and roughly 6 proper full-lengths. Standouts for me personally include the  DirtyDiggs -produced  Private Stock , the  Estee Nack  collaborative effort  Planted Seeds ,  The Infallible , the  Stu Bangas -produced  Respectfully , the  Giallo Point -produced  Right Over Left  & it’s sequel, the  DJ D-Styles -produced  Crème de la Crème , the  Kyo Itachi -produced  Sudan Samurai Scrolls  & recently  Plans of the Diligent  last Thanksgiving alongside  Belug...

Here we have the 9th full-length solo LP from Philadelphia underground veteran  Vinnie Paz . Breaking out as the MC of  Jedi Mind Tricks  & the leader of  the Army of the Pharaohs  collective, he put out his first 2 solo albums  Season of the Assassin  &  God of the Serengeti  in 2010 & 2012 respectively until returned in 2016 with  The Cornerstone of the Corner Store .  The Pain Collector  would become my favorite of his since his first 2 but since  as above so below , Paz has been staying consistent by delivering a new solo effort every year.  Tortured in the Name of God’s Unconditional Love  spawned a trilogy &   All Are Guests in the House of God  continued it, only for it to come to a close on  God Sent Vengeance . After the “Abudadein” intro, the first song “Shepherd’s Rod” is this soulful boom bap opener courtesy of Hobgoblin talking about slapping a few rappers because of...

Here's another album of Paul Weller performing for the BBC. This is a collection of BBC studio sessions, from 2018 to 2024. I'm finally getting close to the end of the BBC albums from him that I want to post. I'm caught up to the present day with studio sessions (since I'm writing this in early 2025). However, I still have two more BBC concerts to post. And I assume he'll keep performing for the BBC in the future, since he's been doing so ever since he first started getting widespread attention back in 1977. Everything here is officially unreleased, from lots of different sessions. The first four songs are from 2018. The next one is from 2019. Tracks six and seven are from 2020. Track eight is from 2021. The remainder are from 2024. A couple of the songs had some audience applause. But I used the MVSEP audio program to get rid of all of the applause, so everything sounds like a studio recording. For the most part, the songs are originals from Weller's the...

Here's a "PBS Soundstage" episode from country star Martina McBride, from 2005. When it comes to these Soundstage shows, I'm trying to post as many as I can, provided I like the music at least somewhat. But I have to admit I'm not a fan of a lot of country music from the past couple of decades, so I'm planning on skipping some episodes. For instance, episodes by Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Sugarland, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Jake Owen, and Old Dominion don't look interesting to me. If you think I'm missing out on any of those who are particularly good, please let me know. I must admit I'm not that familiar with most of those names. However, I am posting this album by Martina McBride. I can't say I'm a big fan of hers either. However, I noticed that in October 2005, the same month this concert was either recorded or broadcast (I don't know which the date refers to), she release...

It seems the people who made the "PBS Soundstage" TV show really, really liked Chris Isaak in the early 2000's. They gave him episodes in 2003, 2004, and 2005. No other musical act in the history of the show had three episodes in a short time period like that. Luckily, the content of all three are mostly different (with one of them being a Christmas show), so I'll post all three. Here's the first one, from 2003. In early 2002, Isaak released his latest studio album, "Always Got Tonight." But by the time the Soundstage show was revived after being off the air for over a decade in 2003, it had been well over a year since that album's release. A couple of songs were played from that album - "One Day" and "Courthouse" - but mostly he just played the most popular songs from his career to that point. And the end of this album, there are two songs by Raul Malo, who is best known for being the lead singer of the country band the Maveric...

  Information here .  Miyami is one artist who hasn't ever appeared here before.  I think-- but my memory is not so good now.  Could be wrong. Sunset Valley is a nice piece, typical of the whole album, naturally: source https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2025/04/toshiyuki-miyama-new-herd-plays-chikara.html

‘Full-blown Meltdown’ at Pentagon After Hegseth’s Second Signal Chat Revealed Existence of group chat including Hegseth, his wife and others prompt calls for defense secretary to step down Edward Helmore Mon 21 Apr 2025 09.15 EDT A former top Pentagon spokesperson has slammed Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the department of defense, as pressure mounts on the US’s top military official following reports of a second Signal chatroom used to discuss sensitive military operations. John Ullyot, who resigned last week after initially serving as Pentagon spokesperson, said in a opinion essay published by Politico on Sunday that the Pentagon has been overwhelmed by staff drama and turnover in the initial months of the second Trump administration. Ullyot called the situation a “full-blown meltdown” that could cost Hegseth, a 44-year-old former Fox News host and National Guard officer, his job as defense secretary. “It’s been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive o...

Here's another episode of my newly favorite TV show, "PBS Soundstage." This one stars Jackson Browne in his 1970s prime. In November 1976, Jackson Browne released the studio album "The Pretender." Frankly, as with many of these shows, I don't know if the date is the recording date or the broadcast date. But either way, this concert must have taken place before people in the audience were familiar with the album. It turned out to be a big hit, eventually selling over three million copies. It would be his second best selling album (behind "Running On Empty" released in late 1977).  Maybe because "The Pretender" album was just coming out, he only played two songs from it, "The Fuse" and "The Pretender." "The Fuse" has "[Edit]" in the title because there was an emcee voiceover over the beginning. I got rid of that in the usual way for me, using the UVR5 audio editing program. The last song, "Run...

Early this Friday morning, I posted a write up about the Insane Clown Posse ’s independent professional wrestling circuit promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) putting together a taping of their increasingly popular YouTube webseries JCW Lunacy in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was later come to my attention during the weekend that the tapings had been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances beyond JCW Commissioner Violent J ’s control. However, John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to become a 17-time WWE world champion earlier tonight to close out WrestleMania XLI. Why do I bring this up, one might ask? Well, lemme school you on it. In juggalo culture lore: the number 17 is quite important since that was the amount of copies their 1992 debut album & the first ever Joker’s Card in the Dark Carnival mythology Carnival of Carnage initially sold. The shortest winning JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion Shaggy 2 Dope ’s late older brother John Kickjazz would later be replaced by Gre...

In today’s edition of “America’s Favorite Political Soap Opera,” we revisit a question that just won’t die, won’t delete, and definitely won’t encrypt itself: Does Hillary Clinton objectively belong in jail? On one side of the aisle, critics cry, “Lock her up!”—a phrase that somehow outlived disco. Their case? The infamous private email server scandal, which they believe was less “oops” and more “espionage with a dash of WiFi.” Add Benghazi, uranium deals, and a general distrust of pantsuits, and you’ve got a recipe for a MAGA-flavored true crime docuseries. On the flip side, legal experts—and reality—point out that Clinton was never indicted, the FBI concluded she was “extremely careless” but not criminal, and that if we jailed everyone for using private email for work, half of America’s workforce would be behind bars next to your uncle Steve who still uses AOL. Clinton herself has responded with a calm “I’m still not in jail, am I?” while continuing to appear in more podcasts and mem...

DR Congo Bans Ex-president's Party Over Alleged Rebel Links Joseph Winter & Aaron Akinyemi BBC News Joseph Kabila has denied having any links to the M23 rebels The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned the party of former President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of links to the M23 rebel group which has seized large parts of the east of the country this year. The ban comes amid reports that Kabila has returned to the country after spending two years in South Africa. He is said to have returned to the town of Goma, which was seized by the Rwandan-backed M23 in January. Kabila led DR Congo for 18 years, after succeeding his father Laurent, who was shot dead in 2001. Joseph Kabila was just 29 at the time. An interior ministry statement said all activities of Kabila's PPRD party had been banned because of its "ambiguous attitude" to the occupation of Congolese territory by the M23. It also noted that Kabila had chosen to return to Goma, where he was being pro...

DR Congo Suspends Kabila's Political Party Over Rebel 'Ties' Africa News Congolese authorities said Saturday they had suspended the party of former President Joseph Kabila. An Interior ministry statement justifying the ban on the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) accused Kabila of of 'overt' activism. It said the 53-year-old had been reluctant to condemn M23, the rebel group controlling North and South KIvu provinces. Kinshasa has accused Kabila, in self-imposed exile since 2023 until Friday, of supporting separatist armed rebellion in the country's east. Kabila who ruled Congo until 2019 made a low key return to the country Friday. He arrived in the rebel-held city of Goma through Rwanda. Weeks before his return, Kabila said he wanted to make a contribution to peace in Congo without elaborating how. Days ago, Congolese security forces raided two properties belonging to Kabila - a farm east of Kinshasa and a compound in the cap...

Here we have the 6th studio LP from Detroit, Michigan emcee/producer  Ilajide . Formerly of  the Clear Soul Forces , he’s put out a couple beat tapes along with 5 full-length albums & 7 EPs under his belt. It’s been over 3 years since I covered  Code 200  & that was the finest solo LP of his entire career, linking up with Seattle producer  Def Dee  for his best EP  Tape Delay  last summer. Continuing the 4/20 tradition of releasing music,  Pocket Jams 2  is finally here after being announced on New Year’s Day. “Pimp Talk” sets the tone with this funky self-produced instrumental telling us what it’s like to be a playa in his shoes whereas the aptly-named “Issa Nice Day” keeps bringing the funk for a summertime anthem only 2 months ahead of time. “Stop Talkin’” works in some crooning vocals & synthesizers for a retro, carefree club banger prior to “Impress Me” groovily talking about women having to wow him to get his attentio...

On Thursday, Mthunzi Luthuli took the stand at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, where the recently reopened inquest into his grandfather’s death is being heard. Afrikaner wanted money in exchange for ‘real’ information regarding Luthuli’s death - grandson Mthunzi Albert Luthuli, grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli, testified at the inquiry into his grandfather's death at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on 17 April 2025. Picture: Thabiso Goba/EWN JOHANNESBURG - The grandson of Chief Albert Luthuli has testified in court that the family was once approached by a white Afrikaner man who wanted money in exchange for telling them the truth about the death of the former African National Congress (ANC) struggle stalwart. On Thursday, Mthunzi Luthuli took the stand at the Pietermaritzburg High Court, where the recently reopened inquest into his grandfather’s death is being heard. Luthuli died in 1967, with the apartheid government saying he was hit by a train; however, ...