Freddie Gibbs’s best attribute as a rapper is that he’s a really good rapper. That’s neither the answer to a riddle nor a plainly obvious statement, as smart storytelling and dexterity on the mike are no longer all that’s needed to become one of the genre’s biggest superstars. Gibbs lacks those other traits — an outsize personality, a star-studded entourage, a multimedia mindset — common in today’s chart-toppers and headliners. Read full article > >

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Freddie Gibbs’s ‘Cold Day In Hell/Thuggin’ ’: Rapper’s in his element

It seems almost impossible to imagine in today’s overheated, hyperpartisan environment. But there was a brief time in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 , 2001, when congressional leaders of the two parties regarded one another not only as trustworthy allies but also as indispensable partners. For then-Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), that altered reality crystallized one October afternoon in the Mike Mansfield Room of the Capitol as he was battling conservatives in his own caucus over the Bush administration’s request for expansive powers it said were needed to prevent another attack. Read full article > >

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How 9/11’s sense of purpose gave way to partisan divisions

IN NEW YORK Anyone who thinks presidential ambition is an incurable condition hasn’t spent much time lately with Mike Huckabee.

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Does Mike Huckabee still want to be president?

Why many Tea Partyers and social conservatives are urging him to run.

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Why Mike Pence catches conservatives’ eyes