Don?t know how many of you in the NY/NJ area watch Eyewitness News in the morning, but it?s always amusing to watch the celebrity birthdays scroll by on the bottom of the TV screen. This morning?s roll call was particularly humorous. Along with folks like Fred Grandy (TV?s Gopher from The Love Boat), there was also Mr. Josh Davis a.k.a. DJ Shadow. The fact that Shadow was even included was somewhat cool. The fact that he was mentioned in the same list as Gopher was downright hysterical. Even better than that, however, is how he was listed.

?Rapper DJ Shadow is 32.?

That?s right. You read that correctly. Rapper DJ Shadow is 32. Unbeknownst to him, he has joined a long line of DJ/producers that MC on the side. Either that or the folks at Eyewitness News still aren?t able to distinguish the difference between DJs and MCs. Then again, seeing as how they don?t even use the term ?MC? when referring to those who rock rhymes, I think we all know the answer to that one. I suppose it?s my fault for expecting more from those that only report on hip-hop culture whenever there?s violence going down or an arrest taking place.

At any rate, a happy birthday shout out to Josh Davis, student of the drum, master of the sampler, a sick archivist and digger of great music, and one who reminds that the possibilities in hip-hop instrumentals are endless.

And if you spot him spittin? verbals, let a brother know.