POP/ROX (Noise Pop + Roxie Theater) present a screening of the rockumentary N.A.S.A.:The Spirit of Apollo at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco on November 16th at 7:30pm and again at 9:30pm.

The filmmakers and the band will be there in person for a post-show party DJ-ed by N.A.S.A.!!! 

A look behind the making of N.A.S.A.’s globetrotting debut album, The Spirit of Apollo, featuring a truly staggering array of talent: David Byrne, Karen O, Tom Waits, Kool Keith, Nick Zinner, Lykke Li, M.I.A., Kanye West, George Clinton, Chuck D, Seu Jorge, and the RZA. The movie features design and animation collaborations by Syd Garon, Shepard Fairey, Splunny, Sage Vaughn, Marcel Dzama, The Date Farmers, Logan, Didiu Rio Branco, Three Legged Legs and Lorenzo Fonda.

1) Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being (Cash Money/Universal Records)

2) Atmosphere To All My Friends (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

3) Foreign Exchange Authenticity (Foreign Exchange Music)

4) Trademark Da Skydiver Super Villain-Issue #2  (iHipHop Distribution)

5) Pigeon John Dragon Slayer (Quannum Projects)

Thanks to Luis at the Amoeba Music San Francisco store for this week's hip-hop top five chart. The still incarcerated Lil Wayne is at the top of the chart with his latest CD I Am Not a Human Being, which continues to garner positive reviews and sales round the country. He continues to cool his heels in solitary confinement in Riker's Island in New York for the next two weeks and is scheduled to be released on November 4th. Let's hope for his sake that at once released he can stay out of trouble and out of jail and that people can pack away their "Free Weezy" t-shirts for good. And while I Am Not a Human Being is way better, nearly all agree, than last year's long delayed Rebirth, it is clearly not as strong an album as 2008's The Carter III. Human Being was rush recorded right before Weezy began his stint behind bars and there are cameos many from his Young Money crew, including Drake, who makes five appearances here. As an album that was rush-recorded, it is a damn good offering but my guess is that once Lil Wayne gets out of jail and is free to go into the studio to record The Carter IV that he will truly appreciate his freedom and deliver perhaps the best work of his career.

1) Rick Ross Teflon Don (Def Jam)

2) Eminem Recovery (Aftermath, Interscope, Shady)

3) Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)

4) The Roots How I Got Over (Def Jam)

5) Drake Thank Me Later (Cash Money Records)

Special thanks to Marques at the Hollywood Amoeba Music store for this week's in-person Top Five Hip-Hop Chart (scroll down to see video clip) from the Sunset Blvd. store where I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday this week soaking in all the loveliness of being surrounded by so much music Damn but the huge, cavernous two-level Hollywood Amoeba is just so vast that you seriously need to pace yourself if you go shopping there. The hip-hop section alone, where I stumbled upon records and DVDs that I had never even seen before, is worth the trip.

Besides crate digging and talking music with a slew of impressively knowledgeable Hollywood Amoebites, I also had the honor of moderating Wednesday evening's Q&A session with The Teacha himself, Hip Hop legend KRS ONE, who, in support of his latest book, The Gospel of Hip Hop, came for an exclusive Amoeba Hollywood instore that involved him talking about his unique hip-hop history-meets- life- manual publication, and also responding to questions from myself and some Amoeba customers who had bought the KRS book. One such customer was General Jeff (pictured above with KRS) from the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, who had a great question about homeless youth -- something that KRS, as a former homeless youth himself, enthusiastically responded to in enlightening detail.

1) Kool Keith Lost Masters Collection (Dmaft Records)

2) Solillaquists of Sound No More Heroes (Anti/Epitaph)

3) Poison Pen The Money Shot (Gold Dust Media)

4) Dorrough Dorrough Music (E1 Entertainment)

5) Dudley Perkins Holy Smokes (1 AM APPROACH)

Classic Hip-Hop Reissue of the Week:
Marley Marl In Control Vol. 1 (Traffic Entertainment)

Thanks to Luis, the hip-hop buyer at Amoeba Music San Francisco, for this week's top five, which includes in the number one slot the brand new triple CD release from Kool Keith, Lost Masters Collection. The record dropped on the Ultramagnetic hip-hop living legend's own Dmaft Records this past Tuesday. This 3 disc set (50 songs in total) is a must get for fans of the veteran, prolific, freaky-minded emcee. Also just released this past Tuesday is the full-length from popular Dallas native Dorrough, who previously scored a hit with the song "Do Tha Muscle" as a member of the group Prime Time Click. Simply titled Dorrough Music on E1 Entertainment, the new album features the hot summer 2009 radio/club song and riding anthem "Ice Cream Paint Job" (see video below).

1) The Jacka Tear Gas (SMC)

2) Big Rich Heart of the City (3 Story Muzik)

3) Raashan Amhad Soul Power (Crown City Rockers)

4) Wu Tang Chamber Music (KR Urban/KOCH)

5) Dead Prez + DJ Green Lantern Pulse Of The People (Turn Off The Radio Vol. 3) (IMG)

Thanks to Luis at the San Francisco Amoeba Music for this week's Hip-Hop Top Five Chart, which is  60% homegrown Bay Area talent this week, including the number this week at the Haight Street store: The Jacka and his latest full-length, Tear Gas. The album from the Mob Figaz member is doing well on the Billboard charts too. It debuted at #4 on the music trade magazine's Rap Charts, #12 on the R&B Charts, #13 on the Indie Charts, and at #93 on the Top 200 albums chart, 

With studio assistance from a dozen different producers, this follow up to The Jacka's popular 2008 mixtape, The Street Album, is the hard working Oakland-born/Pittsburg-raised rap artist's most diverse sounding release to date. Tear Gas features mic guests from far beyond the Bay, including Houston's Devin The Dude and Philly's Freeway. Of course, the Mob Figaz member is also joined by some of his Yay Area peeps such as Mistah F.A.B., Andre Nickatina, and Zion I. Converted to Islam, The Jacka lets his faith be known on the album via lyrics such as "in Allah we trust, I try to purify my heart, because I’m a slave to my thoughts. I’m a monster out here, because I change when it’s dark" in the song "They Don't Know," on which he is joined by Freeway, who is a fellow Muslim.