* Milwaukee’s Juneteenth Day celebration ended without altercation, as it does most years. Here’s betting that doesn’t stop future press from dwelling on past incidents.
* Not sure how I missed this one, but Wale, one of the many great rappers The Roots have helped surface, released earlier this month his Seinfeld-themed Mixtape about Nothing. Like its inspiration, the free mix is about a lot more than it purports to be—"The Kramer" explores not Michael Richards’ zany next-door neighbor, but rather Richards’ racial-rant meltdown.
* Now all growed up, Lil Dap of the Gang Starr protégés Group Home has a new album coming out on Aug. 5, featuring production from Large Professor and Alchemist, but, sadly, no Premier.
* You’re not a real R. Kelly fan unless you attended every day of the R&B singer’s child-pornography trial.
* Why are black musicians so obsessed with outer space? Jonah Weiner explores the question in his fun, insightful and ridiculously researched Slate column today. It’s worth reading. With Lil Wayne’s rare first-week platinum sales—the first since 50 Cent sold over a million in one week way back in 2005—there were plenty of Lil Wayne-based stories all over the Internet, but Weiner’s is easily the most inspired.
