Greetings From: Manhattan, NYC

via The New York Times:

Eventually, the Rolling Stone cover line “Lil Wayne Goes to Jail” will be correct, but not today. On Tuesday a court spokesman in Manhattan told The Associated Press that sentencing for the rapper Lil Wayne had been postponed because of a basement fire at a courthouse.

Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, was to be sentenced in State Supreme Court on charges stemming from a July 2007 incident in which a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun was found on his tour bus. (He pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in October.) The hip-hop star was originally scheduled to be sentenced in February, but received a postponement so he could undergo a dental procedure. A new sentencing date was not immediately given.

Greetings from Manhattan, New York City, where Lil' Wayne is living up to his namesake as the 'Fireman'. Today, Weezy F. Baby aka Dwayne Carter was supposed to be sentenced for felony gun possession. However, around 10:45 or so, the courthouse was set on fire. Now, I know this is somewhat fishy, but I'm gonna give Wayne the benefit of the doubt. That's not to say that he had nothing to do with the incident, but stranger things have happened (OJ Simpson should know). At this point, it goes without saying that maybe Wayne will never go to jail. First it was dental surgery, then it was the snowy weather in NYC, and now it's a fire. I shudder to think about what the next delay will be caused by. Then again, I definitely want to see how long this man can go without going to jail. After a while, wouldn't you want to just get it over with, though???

Dear XXL (re: 2010 Freshman 10)

It's a rarity in life that a good deed goes unnoticed. However, in hip-hop, good verses, ciphers, MC's and producers go overlooked every day. That's why hip-hop publications exist: to inform the less-than-informed masses about who's going to be on the come up in hip-hop. Unfortunately for you XXL, you're preaching to the choir with this year's XXL Freshman 10. Before we rant about who deserved what, let's see exactly who is on the list:

J. Cole
Nipsey Hussle
Wiz Khalifa
Donnis
Fashawn
Pill
OJ da Juiceman
Big Sean
Jay Rock
Freddie Gibbs

Now, doing a quick Wikipedia or Google search of all of these names, here is what I already knew stumbled upon: 1) ALL of these dudes have been out since at least 2007. 2) ALL of these dudes have put together at least one album-quality (yes, that's subjective, so feel free to disagree) release in the past year. How exactly does that qualify them as a new breed of hustlas? (I love how hip-hop publications purposefully misspell shit to make it sound more underground) Not that I'm hating on anyone's grind, but shouldn't the 'New Breed of Hustlaz' actually be a 'new breed'? I've heard music from each and every rapper on your list, and I'm sure that I'm not the only person who can claim that. Even so, your list is indicative of the way the hip-hop is going.

Now, instead of promoting artists and music suitable for the radio, you guys (as well as most hip-hop publications) are catering toward the internet. While inevitable, your new direction was obvious just from the way you guys pushed those freestyles from this year's class (5/10 were wack, and 3/5 hot ones were from other songs/ciphers). With the exception of maybe OJ, (why is he on the list in the first place?) all of the rappers on the list are coming from blog fame, not random guest spots or local radio. XXL, the blogs (including this one) are forcing your direction more than you'd like to admit. That's not to say that blog influence is a bad thing. However, any regular blog reader (and EVERYONE reads blogs now) will know more than half of these acts. XXL, you're doing a valiant thing with the Freshman 10. That said, you need to seriously search for rappers who are going to appeal to hip-hop as a whole, not just the ones featured on blogs or hailing from your local trap house. Lord knows another list with an OJ-esque rapper will have your list looking wacker than this year's NBA All-Star Weekend...

Revolving Door = Electricity??

I love ideas like this because they're so simple, but can make such a huge difference if installed on a wide scale. The GOOD people at FluxLab, all working out of Brooklyn Tech, have created the NYC Revolution Door. The invention uses the revolutions from a revolving door to generate electricity. The fact that revolving doors are a staple of damn near every Manhattan office building makes this idea invaluable. The incentive-based electronic board connected to the door is all the more reason for people to want to use revolving doors. At this juncture in human history, we'd be stupid not to explore every avenue of energy and energy creation possible; even the little things. Check the video out...

Neighborhood Newsletter (3/1)

Glenn Beck, guns and the Bible... If that doesn't spell America, then the flag should make it crystal clear to you

Benjamin Banneker: The First African-American Geek

No Lie! Your Facebook Profile Is the Real You

Baby 'starved to death' because he did not say Amen

Five Things You May 'Know' About Marijuana That Aren't True

Warren Buffett: Punish Big (Failed & Still Rich) Bankers

Breast Implant Stops Bullet and Saves Woman's Life

Atheists Visit White House - Religious Right has Fit

New Spider-Inspired Surface 'Nearly Perfect' Water Repellent

The World's Shortest Political Quiz

I'm a Liberal!!

The World's Shortest Political Quiz

In these trying times, it's not enough to go off hearsay and political propaganda to know where you stand on the important issues plaguing our nation. That said, everyone should know exactly where they stand in the political spectrum. There's no excuse not to have a firm grasp on your political leanings (Knowledge of Self, bitches). That's why things like 'The World's Shortest Political Quiz' are so important. By answering 10 questions, you can know whether you're Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, Statist or Apathetic (thanks for adding to the confusion, Facebook). Regardless of where you stand, make sure you're abreast of your own leanings. Check out my score and take the quiz for yourself...

Dear Michael Jordan

"Now, I can own you on and off the court!"

via The Wall Street Journal:

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player in basketball history, has reached a deal to buy an NBA franchise. Mr. Jordan has agreed to buy a majority interest of the Charlotte Bobcats from Robert L.Johnson, the team's majority owner, according to a statement released by Mr. Johnson Saturday. The deal is subject to league approval. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but the sale price was beneath $300 million— "in the mid-to-high twos," said a person familiar with the matter. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mr. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, paid $300 million for the expansion franchise in 2003, but the team has been losing money amid a rough economy and years of poor on-court performance. In the past two years, the team has attempted to save money by doing everything from shedding at least 40 front-office jobs to saving as much as $15,000 a night by hiring cheap halftime-entertainment acts. Neither Mr. Jordan nor Mr. Johnson were available for comment.

Michael, you are the greatest player to have lived, in my opinion. Numerous childhood memories of basketball were shaped by the man we know as Air Jordan. It would seem as if being a player of that caliber would afford you an unparalleled knowledge of basketball. Unfortunately for you, Mike, that hasn't been the case. For lack of a better word, your decisions while dealing with the Washington Wizards were stupid. Kwame Brown turned out to be nothing more than a punchline, and other than you playing, the Wizards went nowhere but home during your tenure as Director of Basketball Operations. With Charlotte, you were given a minuscule role, just pouring money in, rather than making decisions, which hasn't turned out too bad.

Enter 2010, and we hear that you're finally going to buy a controlling stake in the Charlotte Bobcats. *GASP* My heart jumped into my esophagus upon hearing that news, not because I was excited to see you in the front office, but because I know what happens when you and money get involved (1993 gambling controversy anyone??). Michael, the Charlotte Bobcats are on the rise. They just had their first All-Star nomination in Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson is still playing out of his mind, and they just made a trade to bring high-flyer Tyrus Thomas in. All signs are pointing forward for the franchise. Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that the Bobcats are destined for doom with you at the helm, because Bob Johnson didn't do much himself. #imjustsayin that your track record has a few holes in it when you're not on the court. Michael, I wish you all the best of luck as the owner of the Bobcats. Just make sure that as the new owner, you at least get a stylist, because no owner should be coming out of the house looking like this...

For someone who revolutionized fashion, you'd think he wouldn't be shopping at TJ-Maxx...

XV - 30 Minute Layover

XV - 30 Minute Layover

A second chance is something that few rappers can or should be afforded. After what seemed like a techno-laced snore in 'Everybody's Nobody,' I was reluctant to give the man another listen. Then, after listening to 'Warmup Freestyle' off XV's new mixtape '30 Minute Layover,' I couldn't not give him that second chance. XV seems to have upped the ante since his last offering, experimenting more with his wordplay and making wiser decisions with his beat selection. Vizzy seems hungry on the mixtape, his delivery is clear and straightforward, and his metaphors are masterful. I would go so far as to say he's one of the top 3 in this year's XXL Freshman 10, the other two being Wiz & J. Cole. Ironically, he says 'nigga what's a freshman list?' on one of the tracks. If that means he's doing it for the love and art instead of the accolades, then I can't help but be a fan. I'm definitely on the lookout for 'The Kid With the Green Backpack'. Check the download, tracklist/back cover, #dopetracks, loosies and videos...



#dopetracks:
Warmup Freestyle
Top of the World
Nothing on You
X.plosi.V.e
This Plane

Loosies:
XV – Lift the Game
XV – Warmup Freestyle
XV – Me, You (rmx) f. Freddie Gibbs & Shawn Chrystopher

Videos:

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the first artists of African descent to make it big into the mainstream. While some of his Brookyln brethren were finding out about crack and hip-hop, Basquiat was a psuedo-celebrity in his own right, hob-knobbing with the likes of Madonna and creating art that would stand the test of time. Twenty-plus years later, one of his closest friends is releasing unseen footage of the artist, in a documentary entitled 'Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child'. The footage includes Basquiat talking about his art, motivation, and shows him living two years before his death in 1988. Check the trailer...

Dear Anthem Blue Cross

via The Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Sacramento — Executives from California health insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross, under fire for scheduled rate hikes of up to 39%, insisted Tuesday that their premiums were fair and legal, and they told lawmakers they expected that the increases would go forward. Appearing before the state Assembly's health committee, the officials said that they believed rate increases for individual health insurance policies, delayed until May 1 while being reviewed by the Department of Insurance, would survive scrutiny by regulators.

President Obama on Monday proposed an expansion of federal authority to regulate health insurance rate increases such as Anthem's as part of his national healthcare reform package. In Sacramento, Anthem's president, Leslie Margolin, told the committee that much of the public frustration over the rate hikes was misdirected and should be aimed at the nation's healthcare system.

"This debate and this inquiry cannot and should not be just about the insurance industry or the delivery system or regulators or legislators or customers or brokers," Margolin said.

Now, it's kind of hard to address a letter to an entire company, but I've done worse so here goes:

Take a look at the video... Take a good long look at it. Look at how happy that kid is that he didn't have a serious condition that you guys wouldn't pay for. I've kept my mouth shut about insurance and health care and the insurance companies for a while, simply because I'm not in a position to sit here and talk shit about a entity that I don't identify with. Now, however, I can talk all I want. Anthem, you guys are trifling. How dare you hike up your prices 39% for health care while we're still in a recession? I mean, seriously. As if the overwhelming financial collapse and the impending doom from global warming or natural disaster weren't enough, you guys decided it was cool to nickel and dime Californians some more. I don't get it. How can you guys be so hypocritical, as to claim the system is failing, yet continue to feed into it by charging insane rates for health care?

One thing I've always wondered about most service companies is how they can purport this ideal of caring employees and respect for the customer when you guys lie to everyone, including yourselves? Since when has raising prices been a method of helping people? Since when has an 'affordable plan' come at a 39% markup? The fact that you guys are even trying to fight it shows how screwed up the priorities of big health care are. Instead of reworking your system in an effort to work with our government for a change, you guys are making it worse. They say most good businessmen are bad people. But if your business is to help people, where do you draw the line between trying to make a profit and simply screwing people over?? I guess when you have enough 'Jacks' running around breaking bones, all you can see is money...

Freestyle Friday (2/26)

Yo, yo, yo!!! It's Friday, which means we made it through another week, and that we've got freestyles on deck for your guys. Last week I must've posted about 5 verses from this year's XXL Freshman 10. This week, I've got one. The ones that came out this week were kind of weak (aside from Donnis), so I went digging through the interwebs and blogosphere for some other joints. The first one is from XV, who I gave a second chance to last night. He didn't disappoint me this time, and you (readers) should be pleasantly surprised too. The second one is from someone who was an unknown to me a few weeks ago. Pill, repping Atlanta, is signed to Def Jam apparently, and was in last week's Freestyle Friday. He rips off a nice set of bars while on some random rooftop (hip-hop video staple). The third one is from Donnis, and though his voice irritates me and his flow is semi-retarded, his lyrics are on point. Isn't that what we listen for though?? Whatever the case, check out all three ciphers and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

2011 Audi RS5

Eurocars > Everything (except maybe Japanese). Yes, I said it. The past few car shows have been all about the US manufacturers and the fact that they've finally realized no one wants a humongous gas-guzzler anymore. At the same time, the European car makers are sticking to their scripts and still improving their designs and performance by that much more. Audi is carrying on that tradition in preparing for the release of its 2011 RS5. Pictures and specs got leaked for the German supercar, and the car couldn't be sexier. It boasts a 4.2-liter V8 that produces 444 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, connected to a seven-speed S tronic transmission. The engine goes from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and clocks in at a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph). With specs like that, you'd better come with your pockets open, with a price tag of $105,000. Then again, this baby might not even make it to the US. I guess I can dream...

Neighborhood Newsletter (2/26)

Best front door policy ever...

5 Things You Can Learn About Credit from Gangster Flicks

G.M. to Close Hummer After Sale Fails

How You Can Live To 100 (Graphic)

Cigarette smokers have lower IQs than non-smokers

Viewer's guide to the health-care summit

More Black Women Consider Interracial Dating

A Curvy Woman's Body is Like a Drug for Men

5 Reasons The U.S. Isn't Ready To Leave Iraq

Blockbuster Closes 500 Stores. Lying CEO: "Future Is Bright"

Illecism - Tenga Un Refresco: Vol. 2

Illecism - Tenga Un Refresco: Vol. 2

Illecism kind of took a step back with his last offering 'Forhdaboy'. Along with having a weird name, the beat selection was iffy. That was in January. Now that it's February, you'd think Illy would be taking a bit of a break to charge his batteries. Clearly that's not the case. Illecism dropped 'Tenga Un Refresco: Vol. 2' today, the sequel to his mixtape from last year, 'Have a Refreshment: Vol. 1'. This time around, Illy didn't skip a beat. His lyrics and punchlines are consistent and hard-hitting. You can hear the charisma in every track. He switches up flows on every song, so it really doesn't even feel like 24 tracks. Illecism makes light of his life as a 20-year-old struggling rapper, painting his pictures perfectly with stories, bars, interviews and skits imploring the rap game to 'have a refreshment'. The man is correct and is just the drink rap needs. Check out the link, back cover and tracklist, #dopetracks, loosies and videos...



#dopetracks:
Hora Feliz!
Jerk
Chica de la Hood
Janae
Bares
Radio Contra

Loosies:
Illecism - Dilla Day

Curren$y & Stalley - Address

Creative Control needs to be on your radar these days with all of the dope visuals they've been putting out lately. They teamed up with Curren$y again and brought along Stalley for the song Address. The video is filmed in Kingston, Jamaica (876 LIGHTERS UP!!!) and shows both uptown and downtown Kingston. The video fits the song perfectly, in that, for both of the artists and for Creative Control, nothing has changed but the address. Check the visuals....

Dear Diddy

Diddy, Diddy, Diddy, you've long been the culprit of my ire because of your ridiculous penchant for being overly flashy, but this takes the cake (birthday puns haha). Honestly, I've never seen such an unneeded showing of wealth as when I turned on the TV and watched you shower your son with gifts for his 16th birthday. Though, I cant't deny that I would give my children at least one birthday blow out each, there is a limit. There are entirely too many things wrong with they way you're doing this whole parenting thing.

First of all, why in God's name would you ever bless a 16-year-old, who hasn't driven a day in his life, a $400,000 Maybach?!?! It's not like he's got pressing business to attend to on his way to high school, using the wireless. It's not as if he has to have a glass of Ace of Spades on his way to soccer practice. Hell, the Maybach came with a driver! What really was the point?!?! Second of all, what is the deal with all of the conspicuous consumption? What kind of parenting manual were you reading, that told you stuffing a stack full of $20 bills into your child's pocket was the way to show your children love? When you do that, you're basically shouting to the kid in Ebonics: MONEY CAN BUY YOU HAPPINESS!. Also, you're ensuring that your son will never want to do a hard day's work in his life. Third of all, why at the end of the party did you decide to donate $10,000 in Justin's name? That's unbelievable! The car you bought that kid could have fed an entire village, so to make up for it, you shaved off 10 stacks. I suppose when you're that rich and arrogant, helping out by signing your name is the least you can do in the face of overspending and inane celebrity appearances. Like I said, celebrating the triumphs and milestones of your children is a must. It's just when that in and of itself turns into *gasp* an MTV reality show...

Neighborhood Newsletter (2/23)

Piracy Isn’t Killing The Movie Industry, Greed Is

Law enforcement tracking US cell phones in real time

Toyota exec boasted of saving $100M avoiding recall in 2009

Important Work Can Be Done While Daydreaming

Top 10 Most Dangerous Foods

CBO: Stimulus bill created up to 2.1 million jobs

Doctor Accused Of Sexually Abusing 103 Children

Two-seater rocket may fly humans to space by 2011

Army Alcoholics: More Soldiers Hitting the Bottle

The Kid Daytona - The Minimum (ft. Tiara Wiles)

The Kid Daytona's been pretty quiet as of late, but I trust he's been in the stu doing what he does best: rapping. Regardless, he dropped a video for his song from 'Come Fly With Me', 'The Minimum' with Tiara Wiles. The video oozes influence from A Tribe Called Quest and does the song a hell of a lot of justice with the visuals. Check out the video and the BTS footage below...

Nike Air 180 (Spring 2010)

Groundhog Day was 3 weeks ago, meaning there are still about 3 more weeks until winter meets its end for the year. That said, it's never too early to think about new threads for the spring. Nike's bringing back more colorways of its Air 180, starting with this one. It's clearly made for spring with the teal and orange (Miami Dolphins, anyone?), and should be out in April or May...

Greetings From: New Richmond, Ohio

Greetings from New Richmond, Ohio, where people have gotten so fed up with the banks trying to play bully with their property, that they'd rather destroy it. Terry Hoskins was weeks away from having his home foreclosed by River Hills Bank, after defaulting on a debt of $160,000 on the mortgage. Instead of letting that happen to his $350,000 home, he took matters into his own hands and bulldozed his own house, leveling the property in just under 2 hours. There's no word yet as to what the legal ramifications will be for Mr. Hoskins. However, I don't think he'll be doing too many deals with the bank anytime soon. Hopefully he doesn't still have to pay that debt, or the guy will be homeless and broke...

ItsTheReal - Charles Discharged

Charles Hamilton had a hell of a year in 2009, to say the least. I kind of wrote the man off after the Normalcy EP came out, just because it didn't come hard enough and seemed like Chuck was too late in trying to recoup his career. Videos like this from ItsTheReal show not only that Charles might not be done, but also he has no problem poking fun at his mishaps. As a matter of fact, it's somewhat exciting to see that Charles is sober and ready to work again. Whatever the case, the video is hilarious. Check out Charles Discharged...