thawilsonblock magazine issue85 (January 16th, 2019)

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Grand Opus talks Streaming, Musical Influences, & the State of Hip Hop in an Exclusive Interview w/ Mistah Wilson + Mance Makall's DIAMOND IN THE MUD album review + Suff Daddy + al.divino + Amaka Queenette + so much more...

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Location: Seattle, WA, USA

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How Nathan Hochman Applied Double Standards to the Menendez Brothers

On June 27, 2025, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office , led by Nathan Hochman , filed a forceful reply brief in the Menendez resentencing matter — a reply that sent ripples through legal and public circles precisely because it explicitly urged the court to weigh honesty, insight, and acceptance of responsibility as determinative factors in sentencing and risk assessment. But that very standard — a standard of accountability and truth — appears to vanish like mist the moment prosecutorial interests turn inward. In a press release bearing Hochman’s official imprimatur, the DA’s office did not mince words: “The Court must consider such lack of full insight and lack of acceptance of responsibility for their murderous actions in deciding whether the Menendez brothers pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community.” The office continued, affirmatively stating that their motion position was based on “the current state of the record and the Menendez brothers’ current and ...
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Big Hit Releases 3rd Album “Free Big Hit” From Prison (Album Review)

Los Angeles, California rapper  Big Hit  dropping his 3rd studio LP from behind bars. The father of  Hit-Boy , he was found guilty & convicted of a hit & run resulting in great bodily injury almost a decade ago & unlawfully being sentenced to 12 years & 4 months in prison including a 5-year GBI enhancement connected to Count 1. His petition for a writ of habeas corpus was later granted & became a free man on his son’s 36th birthday. Hit would have his father join forces by making  Surf or Drown 2  a collab effort tailored for Father’s Day Weekend & put out a debut album of his own  The Truth is in My Eyes  only 6 months later.  Blacks & Whites  produced by Hit-Boy &  The Alchemist  outdid the debut last spring, finding himself incarcerated again 4 months ago & Surf Club Inc. has put together  Free Big Hit . “The Game Just Forced Me” is this summery intro talking about wanting to live his li...
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King Leez — Mastering the Underground in the Age of Algorithms (Full Interview)

In an era where music moves at algorithm speed and attention spans are shorter than ever, King Leez stands out by doing what most artists won’t: adapting without compromising his craft. The Tacoma -born lyricist has steadily carved out a reputation for razor-sharp bars, consistency, and an instinctive understanding of how the underground breathes—both online and in real life. Since his last in-person conversation with ThaWilsonBlock , Leez has taken creative control of his visuals, expanded his reach, and sharpened his rollout strategy, culminating in the release of Year Of The 9 . In this exclusive interview, King Leez breaks down his evolution, his approach to production, the blurred lines between Seattle and Tacoma soundscapes, and the mindset that keeps him locked in while the culture shifts around him. Mistah Wilson : Yo, King Leez, what’s tha deal, family!? Thanks for comin’ thru for this exclusive interview with ThaWilsonBlock. You came thru tha Pueblos a few years back fo...
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Trump Set to End Program That Let 530K Migrants into U.S.

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Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of Drone Strikes Across Border

By Al Mayadeen English 3 Mar 2026 Sudan's government has accused Ethiopia of allowing drone strikes to be launched from its territory amid growing regional involvement in Sudan's civil war. Sudan's government has accused Ethiopia of enabling drone strikes against its territory, marking the first formal allegation of direct interference by Addis Ababa in the country’s nearly three-year war. In a statement released Monday, Sudan’s foreign ministry said aerial attacks carried out in February and March originated “from inside Ethiopian territory,” describing the incidents as “clear aggression.” The ministry warned Ethiopian authorities of “the consequences of these hostile acts,” though it did not specify who conducted the strikes, how many occurred, or which locations were targeted. Khartoum added that it had been monitoring the incursions over several weeks and characterized them as a “flagrant violation of Sudan’s sovereignty” and “a clear act of aggression against the...
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First US Fighter Downed in Past 27 Years: Iran Armed Forces Hit F-15 Near Kuwait Border

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Grieves Brings the Out Cold Tour to the Lodge Room

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Didier Malherbe in 1990's Fetish CD [plus 1979 Bloom, 1981 Melodic Destiny, 1986 Faton Bloom, 1989 Saxo Folies]

  I thought for sure I posted him before, but only in connection with Faton Cahen, here , and Patrice Meyer . Of course he's most known for the work he did with Gong . From the requested album Fetish, released 1990, the last 2 songs feature synth player Rykiel, discogged here .  These are really lovely, consider Hors D'oeuvres: I'm assuming everyone is already familiar with the great Bloom album and Faton Bloom, which is a kind of follow up from 1986 with Cahen.  From that one, the lovely but oddly named Vulvox: From the cassette only release with guitarist Yan Emeric, A Breughel really blew me away in its compositional glory, I am not sure which of his paintings the progressive complexity could be alluding to: Otherwise this release is a bit of mixed bag. Back to the Japanese stuff straightaway after. source https://progressreview.blogspot.com/2026/03/didier-malherbe-in-1990s-fetish-cd-plus.html
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AJ Snow Headlines The Bricks in Los Angeles Debut

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Sonnyjim Goes on a “Chinatown Chicken Tour” Prod. by Sumgii (EP Review)

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