Dear House Phones

I was watching some sporting event last night (I must have flipped back and forth between football and baseball 100 times), I saw a commercial for home phone service provided by Vonage, and had to snicker at the idea of a home phone. Then I wondered the last time I'd ever received anyone's home phone number. Home phones, you're dead. Cell phones have made you useless. You are to cell phones what CD Walkmans are to iPods. That's probably why it cost $20 a month for unlimited home phone service. People are attached to their cell phones in ways that are innumerable. With the rise of pocket PC's, there's no real need to be tethered to a desk or stationary, meaning that you, home phones get abandoned faster than a rabid dog.

Let me tell you something though. I'll always miss you guys. Along with being a more personal line of conduct to have, you gave us security against anyone we didn't want to get too 'personal' with. I know some heads out there would be shook if back in the day, the wrong person had been calling their 'house phone'. Also, having a cell phone is more or less the equivalent of having a $100-a-month tracking device on you. Though, at the same time, a home phone is more easily tracked than a cell phone. I suppose in this day and age, surveillance is inevitable, but having the domiciliary security of a home phone was comforting. Home phones, you will sorely be missed. Well, kinda. Hold on.. I gotta Twitter something..

The Clipse - Popular Demand (ft. Cam'ron & Pharrell)

Popular Demand - The Clipse (ft. Cam'ron & Pharrell)

Dude, why do Malice and Pusha insist on pushing back Till the Casket Drops?? Tracks like this shouldn't be allowed to sit there and fizzle due to record label politics (see Jockin Jay-Z). Even Cam came through and blessed us with his dopest verse in a LONG time. I'm not going to mince words with this post. Listen to this track. GET READY FOR TILL THE CASKET DROPS!!! It drops in December (completely tentative)...

Freestyle Friday (10/23)

What's up people! It's Friday, which could only mean one thing: FREESTYLES. Don't take the first one seriously. It is only up there for comedic purposes. Nicki Minaj spits a written, OJ da Juiceman is indecipherable, and Wacka Flocka just spits wack shit. Not to say that all of them suck (watch OJ's performance at Better Recognize), but these three could have come harder. The second cipher is at Crack Distributors Radio with Chip tha Ripper (your guess is as good as mine) and Naledge from Kidz in the Hall. Chip is average at best, but Naledge, much to my surprise put together a pretty good verse. Check both of these ciphers out and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Neighborhood Newsletter (10/22)

Cars could run on algae 'within a few years'

Pentagon used psychological operation on US public, documents show

New black Barbies get mixed reviews

5 Ways to Ruin Your Credit

Why the world will NOT end in 2012: Nasa scientist debunks conspiracy theories

Out of LSD? Just 15 Minutes of Sensory Deprivation Triggers Hallucinations

10 Simple Tips to Master the Art of Haggling and Savvy Shopping

Atheist ads to adorn New York subway stations

Dear Timbaland

Okay, the verses are fire. The chorus does the job too. And you do a pretty good job with the beat too. But Timbo, why do you insist on including your name in the title as an artist if you don't actually say anything on the track? I'm all one for self-empowerment, but you've been doing this since Magoo was still relevant. How can you have an album that you're on less than 50% of? You don't see Just Blaze or DJ Premier shouting themselves out like that. You putting your name as an artist is like Charles Hamilton putting J-Dilla on his album: NOT COOL. I'm all for hot beats, but when does lyricism ever come into play over a Timbaland beat? I've never heard one of your songs that didn't put me to sleep after the 12th loop of the beat. Not to say that your influence in hip-hop is non-existent (Besides beats, what does this man do?), but the whole one-trick pony act doesn't work very well. And when it does, repetition is usually involved. Ask Swizz Beatz. Being a dope producer doesn't guarantee you sales, no matter what other artists you feature on your tracks. I hope Shock Value 2 doesn't do just the opposite and put me to sleep like the first one did. What would be the real shock is if it actually doesn't...

I don't suppose there are any stairs??

The title says it all, even if the content is two hairs away from being AMAZING. This man clearly lives in a vacation-worthy tropical paradise, for two reasons: 1) Only someone who lives at or near a beach can practice this enough to be good at it & 2) After he gets down the dune, you can hear the tourists clapping. Check the rhyyyyyyme (10 dollars to anyone who can tell me where that last sentence came from)...

Dear Lil' Wayne

Now, you knew this was coming Wayne. I'm not even trying to make fun of you, because jail really isn't a laughing matter. However, this is an excellent example of a rapper's art imitating life, only we're in the real world, not on wax. Wayne, it's been no secret that you're lyrics deal with the 'grittier' side of life. From slanging cocaine and running prostitutes, to shooting rivals and wearing gang colors (which you apparently didn't even earn), you've pretty much exemplified the violent lifestyle that more or less breeds platinum records. What you seem to have forgotten is the two other things that that kind of lifestyle breeds: jail and death. And you seem to have gotten the lesser of the two evils (if either can be called lesser).

Gun possession and illegal drug possession are the charges. Both of them seem silly in comparison to how you got them. According to police reports (yeah, they're not the most reliable, but that's all we have to go off), when they smelled and saw marijuana smoke seeping from your tour bus, they approached the bus. And when you saw them, you threw a Louis Vuitton bag, containing a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic gun, out of the bus. To me, you sound guiltier than Cheddar Burress (also arrested in NYC on gun charges) on a Saturday night at a club with no metal detector. Face it Wayne, your 'gangsta' (I feel like Tom Brokaw writing that word) lifestyle caught up to you. And while you might not serve the minimum 3 1/2 years (thank your $5000/hr lawyers), you'll definitely be in prison for a year. I wonder how 'real' your lyrics are going to be after some hard time...

The Mailing List: October 2009 (#3)

3. The 2009-2010 NBA Season



You guys knew this post was coming. Here we go again. Another 82 games with 30 different teams. A lot of sports 'experts' have been saying that the NBA is the weakest professional league. I highly disagree, and not because I'm an NBA fan. The NBA has the best All-Star weekend, the players are more easily accessible, there aren't arbitrary calls like the MLB, the commish doesn't clamp on the players like the NFL, and it actually gets aired unlike the NHL. I'd be as driven to say that this is going to be the best season yet. I don't care what you say. I don't care who you are. It's NBA time. October 27th, bitches. I just have one question: Is anybody else as hyped for this season as I am?

PS: Make sure you look out next week for my season preview letter...

2011 Lexus LF-A

Now, tell me you wouldn't break a child's arm to get in the driver's seat of one of these. Lexus has long been known as the black sheep of the luxury automobile makers, simply because all of their sports cars from the last 10+ years, have SUCKED. And it wasn't for lack of effort. Their sports cars just weren't good compared to the Benzes, Beemers and Audis. Let's just say they did a 360 with the LF-A. This new 2-seater boasts a 4.8-liter V-10 engine that's smaller than a V-8 but weighs the same as a V-6, revs out to 9000 rpm and is capable of pushing 202 mph and 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The LF-A also has an official horsepower of 552 hp at 8700 rpm. In laymen's terms, that means plain old FAST. Of course the interior is plushed out with leather and carbon fiber accents. And the exterior? Well, you should just check out the pictures and video for that...

Oh yeah, before I forget. If you think you're ballin enough to cop this bad boy, think again. Lexus dealers can only begin accepting "purchase applications" now. That means you can't just walk in and place an order. The price tag is gonna be from $350,000 to $375,000, too. So you might want to hold off on that X-Mas vacation if you're trying to take a spin in one of these...

UNDRCRWN Fall 2009 Collection

UNDRCRWN (Undercrown) is known in the streetwear scene for its juxtaposition of basketball and hip-hop in a fashionable medium. So much of the brand's style and inspiration comes from the hardwood, and this Fall is no different. UNDRCRWN draws from both the early 90's and early 2000's in the NBA with its references this year, and they come out looking not only simple, but very clean. Check out some more selected pieces from UNDRCRWN's Fall 2009 collection...

MIckey Factz - #FuckYourShow

Mickey Factz - #FuckYourShow

It seems like forever since Mickey Factz has released any new shit that I've liked. Either the man uses the wackest technoed-out, ultra-synthesized beats, or his rhymes get repetitive. That's not to say that Mickey isn't one of my favorite MC's, but the man needs to get back into the studio these days. I suppose going on the road and doing shows is a good look, but your body of work is what draws fans in. This song is a step in the right direction. I just wish he would come with the fire like he did when he was dropping mixtapes...

Dear 50 Cent

See, I can respect that. I can respect candid and open commentary on a particular comment. 50, let's be real, your music has been lackluster as of late (since GRODT, actually). The Massacre was a massacre, and I don't even remember anything from Curtis but 'I Get Money'. And to be honest, the way The Game was rapping in 2004, even with your beats and production and help, he might have been able to get at you on wax. Even so, the business instinct you showed was truly remarkable. It comes off sounding like extortion, but I suppose in your terms, it's 'making the best out of a bad situation'.

The Game is a hothead. Anybody who's watched BET, listened to his music or been on a blog knows that. And Game also has had a lot of sideways shit happen to him in his life, that's ALL come up to bite him in the ass in the past few years. From being on that dating show, to being a stripper (can someone cite that for me?), to the random tattoos and his famous disses, Game has a lot of shaky behavior on his resume. While I still think you did him and Young Buck dirty, they've done a lot worse things for themselves than you have, especially when it comes to PR and promotion. Those two have more blog screw-ups than Charles Hamilton. You just managed to get to them before they could get to themselves. I guess in the long run, doing good business ultimately leads to the downfall of others around you. It's survival of the fittest, and anyone can respect that...

Neighborhood Newsletter (10/20)

I can't even laugh at this one.. It's too easy

Public option gains support: CLEAR MAJORITY NOW BACKS PLAN

U.S. Support for Legalizing Marijuana Reaches New High

'2LoveMyLips' lip gloss detects roofies & spiked drinks

Meet future woman: shorter, plumper, more fertile

10 Best Facebook Moments

The 15 Most Brutal Methods Of Execution Of All Time

Apple will take over the world by 2012

Scientists find 32 new planets

Kanye West x Spike Jonze - " We Were Once A Fairytale"

I kinda expected something out of a different galaxy with this video, especially with Kanye's current state of mind (is it just me or does this negro do something every year to make people question his sanity?). However, this was really, really really clever. Kanye does his best job of impersonating what everyone thinks of him. And Spike Jonze's cinematography is unbelievable at portraying the mantra of the scene (take a look at the sex scene). I'm not sure what caused 'Ye and Spike to collab on this one, but I'm glad they did. Check what the two Renaissance Men (I use the term loosely, obviously) did in their free time...

Nike Blazer Mid - Light Chocolate / Black

This is honestly one of the cleanest releases I've seen in a minute. On a personal note, I've been looking for a pair of brown shoes/sneakers for a long ass time, and these might just be the one. There's suede on the upper, canvas on the interior, leather on the swoosh, and the laces are Timberland-esque. In fact, if I had one other shoe to compare these to, it would be Timbs. Check out what's probably going to be my next cop...

The Mailing List: October 2009 (#4)

I haven't seen any concerts recently that I've really been interested in. Oops, scratch that. Curren$y, Styles P and Raekwon already make 'Better Recognize' a highlight on my calendar. For the heads out there that dig the trap-rap stars, OJ da Juiceman and Waka Flocka (apparently he's actually kinda nice?) are performing. And for all you blog-dwellers and Ivy-Leaguers, Kidz in the Hall and Donnis are set to rock the stage too. Best believe if I wasn't up to my neck in exams, I'd be in New York on Wednesday night. Hopefully you are though. Shoutout to OnSmash, NahRight, The Stadium and 10 Deep for throwing this one together...

Diddy lets Ma$e out of his contract

As much as I think Diddy is a conniving yet brilliant businessman who profits off of the idiocy of others, I have to admit that the man makes quality moments on film. From Making the Band to I Want to Work for Diddy, his persona makes for hilarious results on television. This instance, it happened to involve Ma$e (I don't know if I should have added the Murda) and his lifelong saga to leave the artist graveyard aka Bad Boy. They bring the cameras in, and the result is great video. Check it out...

Supreme x John Coltrane T-Shirt Collection

Okay, let's get this out of the way... I despise Supreme, in all of their overpriced, over-hyped, overbearing, underwhelming glory. However, I can respect when something is dope. That's the case with their latest collaboration with the John Coltrane Foundation, which features three t-shirts with the jazz great's likeness. Yes, the t-shirts are simple, but they feature an icon actually related to underground culture (we're not going to delve into Supreme's track record). Regardless of how you feel about the brand, there's no denying how dope this collab is. Check the rest of the pictures...

Another way for the government to watch you...

Okay, the title is a bit depressing, but the actual technology is amazing. This helicopter, developed by MIT, can fly with no sort of human input. It's completely autonomous, with a laser scanner and a dual-camera array to help it navigate terrains in real time. That means, as you're on the block peddling your drugs, this thing can see you. That means, if you're hiding somewhere, it can find you. But let's not dwell on what we already know our government is planning. This is an amazing breakthrough. Hopefully that doesn't turn into Skynet in another 100 years...

Freestyle Friday (10/16)

AYYYYEE!!! It's Freestyle Friday and this week we have somebody who's been ghost for a few months. Mickey Factz gets recorded having a cipher in New Orleans, and to be honest, he hasn't lost a step. All we need now is a new mixtape to bring dude back to the limelight. Make sure you check out the other guy spitting, Lyriqs from New Orleans. The second one is from Harlem's Cash. I swear, Harlem's Cash is the TRUTH. If you want to hear punchlines, please press play. No lie. Have a happy Friday, and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...