As someone who periodically posts in blogs I should probably be the last person to admit that I'm not actually a fervent blog follower let alone a fervent follower of vlogs. And despite the fact that I've always had an enormous respect for rap and hip-hop artists, actually following hip-hop blogs has never been something on the forefront on my day-to-day radar.

But pushing all my ill-formed daily habits and tendencies aside, I'd like to bring up  an intriguing hip-hop vlog that I recently stumbled upon: "The Ill Doctrine" (http://www.illdoctrine.com/), run by John Randolph, founder of New York's longest running hip-hop radio show, "The Underground" on WBAI, and who more commonly goes by the name Jay Smooth.

Perhaps what's most  unusual about this hip-hop blog is that it's not just about hip-hop. Well sort of. Wait…

Like the more politically charged subject matter of his topic of choice, Smooth uses his video blog to critically address the often charged issues of race, feminism, and homophobia by posting videos that consistently address his nuanced take on these issues in a meaningful and humorously engaging way.

Not one to be exclusionary in his critiques, Smooth often turns his eye towards his own hip-hop community, criticizing artists such as Charles Hamilton, and includes posts such as "An Old Person's Guided to No Homo," which takes a look a hip-hop's often homophobic content.

In the end, perhaps one of the most endearing aspect of Smooth's work is the fact that rather than focusing on directing content towards or against anybody's agenda, Smooth simply wants to be part of the global conversation.

As he recently told NPR's "All Things Considered," "I try to set an example for being kind to people, and critiquing them while still being aware of their humanity." And in today's world where people are constantly interested in promoting their own agendas, that's a bit refreshing, isn't it?

Check out his work at:

http://www.illdoctrine.com/ and http://www.hiphopmusic.com/ 

Lara Gabrielle Blanco Heintz