Dear Swag

I can't deny, this ish is hilarious!! Too bad swagger had to die...

It's funny how terminology and slang can one day be remotely cool, and then the next day, that same slang is played out. I remember the last time I heard someone say 'phat'. I don't think I would to see the day when you, 'swagger', and all your variants (swagg, swagged, swagnificence, swaggerific, etc.) became obsolete. It's funny that you're even slang, considering a good amount of slang aren't even words. I guess that made you all the harder to get rid of. Since around 2006, swag, you've been the word everyone, their mom, pop, aunt, uncle, best friend, cousin and sister used for at least a week. People were changing their Facebook and Myspace names, making up new words (see above) and finding every possible way to include you in their conversations, no matter how out of place you were. Then came these guys:



And these guys, who turned from an already butchered word into a nonsensical idiom...



Finally, these guys turned you out into the whore of a word you are today, though I guess the Grammy's were a dope coming out party...



Let's just say this, swagger... Most, if not all slang, is done in by the same thing that makes slang in the first place: word of mouth. At least in the subcultures that create slang, it catches on like wildfire and soon entire cities (states, regions, etc.) are saying it. You were no different, swag. New York was your birthplace, and as Dip Set videos and songs circulated the mixtape game, everyone wanted a piece of you. Now, you're reduced to being a ploy for Toyota to cater to suburban mothers, minority crowds and people who are late on fads. Auto-tune suffered the same fate, and I have yet to hear anyone use it in a song since (where is T-Pain??). I don't think you'll last as long either, though you'll definitely live on in forgotten Twitter names... RIP SWAG

Dear Homeland Security

See, had you guys not done a good job, this picture wouldn't be as hot...

via The New York Times:

An investigation into a failed car bombing in Times Square widened rapidly on two continents on Tuesday as Pakistani authorities arrested several people, just hours after a jet bound for Dubai was called back from the runway at Kennedy Airport and boarded by federal officers, who seized a Connecticut man accused of carrying out the attempted attack.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, was arrested just before midnight Monday aboard an Emirates flight. He was expected to face charges of terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in what Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. called a “terrorist plot aimed at murdering Americans.”

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Mr. Holder said Mr. Shahzad had been talking to investigators and had provided “useful information.” Officials had previously said that Mr. Shahzad had implicated himself in statements after he was pulled off the plane. At the same time, President Obama said federal investigators were looking into whether Mr. Shahzad had any ties to terrorist organizations.

Mr. Shahzad, 30, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, had apparently driven to the airport in a white Isuzu Trooper that was found in a parking lot with a loaded handgun inside, an official said. He told the authorities that he had acted alone, but hours after he was arrested, security officials in Pakistan said they had arrested seven or eight people in connection with the bombing attempt.

About 5 months ago, this wouldn't be the letter I would have been writing. In fact, the letter I wrote in December, ripping Airport Security a new *sshole is a far cry from how I feel today. Homeland Security, you guys have seriously upped your game since the last time there was a legitimate terror plot. This past weekend in New York City, Times Square was shut down by the presence of an unmanned and unmarked green SUV. When you and the NYC Police arrived, you found gasoline, propane, fireworks, fertilizer and an alarm clock in the car. Now, this isn't that serious. I mean, Times Square is probably the busiest place in NYC at any given moment. If you didn't find anything suspicious about a car parked there packed with explosives, then I'd probably move to Canada.

What transpired in the past 4 days though, is nothing short of a new plot for Jack Bauer to explore. I mean, seriously, Homeland Security... Did you guys go into a hyperbolic time chamber (all my DBZ fans stand up!!) and work on your investigative skills or something? It literally took you guys four days to identify the car, it's previous owner, the buyer, and then nab the man as he was boarding a plane to flee the country!! If that's not a drastic improvement from last year's TSA fumble in Chicago, I don't know what is. You guys went from letting a Nigerian terrorist onto a plane with a bomb strapped to him, to nabbing Faisal Shahzad in less than a week! Between the camera shots of the guy, tracking the car's sale through Craigslist, and scouring through plane tickets, this operation had the makings of a CSI episode. Maybe it was the technology, or how badly planned out his terror plot was, but the way you guys handled this situation was impeccable. I'm almost still waiting for there to be some screw up in this undertaking, but since Shahzad's been arrested, I guess you guys can chalk this one up. Let's just hope this wasn't just an NYC thing. I know we've got the blueprint on how to deal with a terrorist attack, but hopefully the rest of the country caught up. Kudos, National Security...

Dame Dash x Curren$y = New Roc-A-Fella??

It's a great feeling predicting or making a calculated guess at something and then that thing coming true. I posted a freestyle last week from the homie Curren$y, where the man was spotted sporting the Roc-a-Fella chain, and driving a Chevy Camaro with the BlackRoc imprint on it. Now, for those of you in the know, BlackRoc is Damon Dash's new musical endeavor, and as seen in the above video, the Hot Spitta himself will be one of the headliners. His new album 'Pilot Talk' drops on May 18th, most likely with a pressing & distribution deal with Roc-a-Fella, much like the deal Drake has with Young Money. Honestly, I've been waiting for news like this for a minute. Curren$y is one of the best up-and-comers in the game right now. Hopefully this new venture will 'bring listeners underground like quicksand,' just like Spitta and Dame Dash are plotting...

Dear Reality TV

Is this what we've come to? Really?? Come on TV networks. This is lame. It's lamer than lame. It's not even funny. Let's get this straight. I hate reality television. The idea of people essentially putting their dirty laundry out for people to ogle is ridiculous to me. The private lives of celebrities and wanna-be celebrities probably shouldn't be fodder for our viewing pleasure. That said, I understand why people watch some shows. They like the scripts storylines and get personally drawn in by the actors casts. If that's the case, then why do shows like 'What Chilli Wants' even exist? I feel like damn near every reality tv show nowadays follows one script now:

EVERY REALITY SHOW SCRIPT:
- Has-been celebrity/C-celebrity/wannabe celebrity has some problem that would be trivial to most people (ie: finding a mate, a drug problem, pursuing new work after a fizzling career).
- Enter a 'friend' (aka hired actor) to help counsel the celebrity in their matters.
- The two stumble over the problems and (hopefully) find out the problem isn't even that serious.
- The season ends with the problem unresolved and a whole new season of trivial problems on deck.
- Season 2 comes back with a new problem and new friends.

Now you guys aren't even hiring the actual stars!! It's their bird-brained wives!!


That's a pretty simple premise. Think about all the shows like that: Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business, Salt-N-Pepa Show, What Chilli Wants, Breaking Bonaduce, and numerous other shows that follow the exact same script. You guys don't even try to hide it with different locales!! It's always in Atlanta, NYC, or Los Angeles, in the most artificial of environments. All of the themes are the same. All of the ideas are the same. Hell, some reality TV stars have more than one show (coughcoughthecoughKardashianscoughcough), and if it wasn't for extended casts, they'd be the same show!! Seriously though, clean up these shows. Either head back to the drawing board and find something better to point your cameras at, or at least find some celebrities with something of worth to bring to the telly. If this is what we're raising our kids on, I might just deem myself infertile at age 30...

ONLY NY Spring 2010 Collection

Haven't posted any clothes in a minute, since nothing's really caught my eye as of late. As a matter of fact, I'd say that most of the brands I used to bang with have put out sub-par Spring collections. Maybe it's a shift in their M.O.'s or maybe it's me getting older and less cool with over-the-top designs. I suppose that's why I dig ONLY NY's Spring 2010 Collection. It's very simplistic in their t-shirts, hoodies and caps. The collection rocks with quality vintage cotton with simple logos. In fact, ONLY has extremely good branding. You never find yourself wondering 'Why'd they put that out?' or 'That doesn't fit with the rest.' It's just apparel. Well made and well designed in the mold of NYC street culture. Check out some more choice flicktures and the rest of the collection at ONLY NY...

If you don't know what that is behind the dude, I revoke your hood pass...

Neighborhood Newsletter (4/30)

My grandmother said it best: Time changes EVERYTHING

Magnum Condoms Embrace Hip-Hop, Hire Ludacris As Spokesman

Hugo Chavez Invites Fidel Castro to Join Twitter

Arizona Rewrites Immigration Law to Prevent Racial Profiling

15 Greatest Foods for When You're Hungover

This is Why You Still Live With Your Parents

McDonalds Happy Meals Banned in Santa Clara County, CA

Blind boy learns how to 'see' using dolphin technique

BMW knocks Toyota out of top spot in brand value survey

Jay Electronica - The Ghost of Christopher Wallace (ft. Diddy)

As an artist, saying 'CHEESE' with Diddy are some famous last words...


Jay Electronica - The Ghost of Christopher Wallace (ft. Diddy)

I can't honestly say that I commend Jay Elec's pick of Puff Daddy P. Diddy Puffy as a hip-hop affiliate, but you can't knock the man for getting a good co-sign. That co-sign also happens to come with the permission to say the name of the late, great Notorious BIG (think about it; no one writes songs about or concerning him). 'The Ghost of Christopher Wallace' is a lyrical journey through hip-hop of the last 15 years. Jay tells the rap world to stop trying to compare everyone to Biggie and work on their own damn raps, which I can't agree with any more wholeheartedly. Of course you've got Diddy in the background with the finest of ad-libs (only he can claim that), and the beat kinda grows on you. Check out what's hopefully the start of a beautiful friendship business partnership. RIP to every other artist that Diddy has ever laid eyes on...

Stalley - Pressure (Produced by Michael Sterling Eaton)

Stalley - Pressure (Produced by Michael Sterling Eaton)

Got this in my e-mail yesterday and was bumping it all night. Stalley has been hitting the tour circuit and working with Ski Beatz for 24 Hour Karate School (which has lost damn near ALL buzz). That doesn't mean he doesn't have time to do a few side projects. This latest one is a collab with filmmaker Michael Sterling Eaton, who is working on a short film called "Pressure". Eaton produced the smooth, relaxing title track for the movie, with Stalley tossing out uplifting lyrics about persevering and staying with a struggle no matter how much pressure is on you. Hopefully the album is just as dope as the song. Check the download...

Freestyle Friday (4/30)

If it's Friday, you know we've got freestyles. Both of these freestyles show that there's a changing of the guards going on in hip-hop. The first one is from Vado, and it's official: Vado is legit! That's by Jadakiss's standards though. The Harlem MC stopped by DJ Green Lantern's Sirius radio show with Cam'ron and got the chance to spit some freestyle bars in front of Mr. Al-Queada. By the time the beat was done, Vado had one of the meanest co-signs in hip-hop. The second freestyle is from Curren$y. The premise here is simple. He rolls in in the flyest of whips, lets his bass bump and drops off a verse that sounds like it was off the dome. The craziest part of the freestyle was the fact that Spitta was rocking the Roc-a-Fella chain and the Camaro he was riding had the BlackRoc (Dame Dash's new initiative) imprint on it. Dame x Spitta might damn well equal FIRE, especially with Curren$y's new album 'Pilot Talk' dropping soon. Whatever the case, check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Drake - Find Your Love (Produced by Kanye West)

What's with these single artworks looking the same?? Drake, hire new photo people...


Drake - Find Your Love (Produced by Kanye West)

The 2nd leak I posted off 'Thank Me Later', called 'Fall For Your Type' was a silky, sultry ode to loving a person who doesn't fit your mold. This 3rd leak, entitled 'Find Your Love', is just the opposite of that, talking about the hardhsips of finding that right person. The result is just as smooth and comes out sounding great. I always rag on Drake for his singing, but he always seems to sing just well enough over a beat just hot enough to draw people in. I hope the whole album sounds as good as this. Then again, with Kanye West among others on the boards, it's hard not to blow. Whatever the case, check out that new Drake...

Neighborhood Newsletter (4/28)

Something tells me they don't have too many customers...

Boy Scouts introduce videogame badge, other badges ask 'Really?'

Bad habits (bad diet, smoking, drinking) can age you by 12 years, study suggests

The 9 Most Annoying People at Starbucks

Ibogaine -- The Magic Plant That Could Cure Addiction, Still Banned in the U.S.

The Arizona of 2010 is the Alabama of 1963

Philidelphia Pushing to Pacify Pot Prosecutions

Brazil's Health Minister Prescribes More Sex

Survey: 72% of Millennials 'more spiritual than religious'

Convicted Pedo Priest Found Working w/ Children in Holland

Dear Al Davis

Only a true bust could do that...

via The Associated Press:

As JaMarcus Russell(notes) struggled through the worst statistical season for an NFL quarterback in more than a decade, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis preached patience.

It appears that even Davis may have finally given up on his young quarterback.

With last weekend’s trade for Jason Campbell(notes), the Raiders seem ready to close the door on the exorbitantly expensive and unproductive Russell era in Oakland.

The only remaining question looks to be if they cut ties with the former No. 1 overall pick before this weekend’s mandatory minicamp begins, wait until training camp, drag it out until final roster cuts or even keep Russell on the roster for another season as a backup. But his days as a starter are likely over.

Al, you've always been one of my favorite owners for two things: your legacy and your catchphrase. Just Win Baby. In the last decade though, it seems like you've traded that in for either a dunce cap or a bet gone bad. The way the Raiders have played for the past 7 years (worst winning % of all time in the NFL) has been atrocious. It's been laughable. It's been ridiculous. And you were always the lynchpin making all the decisions. It was always you. From Jon Gruden to Norv Turner to Bill Callahan to Art Shell to Lane Kiffin and now to Tom Cable (that's 6 coaches in 7 years), you've never let anyone take the reins. And that's even with your health getting worse (knock on wood) and your team getting even worse than that. You watched raggedy games, penalties, blowouts, insubordination, and worst, players who don't care.

Al, let's cut to the chase. JaMarcus Russell is a bust. A tremendous bust. No he's the 2nd worst NFL draft bust of all time. Ryan Leaf was a jack*ass, on top of being a bad QB. Then again, J-Rock wasn't any angel himself. The man is constantly teetering to the wrong side of 300 lbs, held out his rookie season for a bigger contract, comes to training camp and practice late and doesn't know half of the plays. Russell overthrows people constantly. He can't even control the huddle and makes stupid videos like this:

Who know JaMarcus was a rapper too??


Al, please don't deny the fact that Russell wasn't the right QB for the Raiders. He brought the team down and probably cost them a few wins last season. The most shine he got was on the bench showing off his earrings. Do yourself, your legacy, the Raiders, and their fans a favor. Release JaMarcus Russell and send him to the waiver wire, where some hopeless team will pick him up, hoping they can develop him. You signed Jason Campbell and Kyle Boller to go along with Gradkowski. The draft was a success, and you have more young, talented players on defense. Let the fat man sing and move forward with your organization. If your team doesn't improve next year, then maybe JaMarcus really did come out on top...

Lupe Fiasco - I'm Beamin' (Music Video)

#allblackeverything now, Lupe??

People always seem to have one major point of hatred about Lupe Fiasco: that he's too convoluted, archaic, confusing or 'smart' in his rhymes. Waka Flocka would call that 'dictionary rap'. Lupe, however, never is unwilling to try something different. The video for the first single off Lasers takes the advice of every critic that Lupe's had, and dumbs down the video completely. There are kids with cardboard cutouts acting out Lu's bars and bright, multi-colored lights flashing around him as he raps. Hell, it's like a show on Nick Jr. Whatever the case, it still turns out brilliantly. Lasers is coming closer. I wish he would hit us with a release date though. Enjoy the video....

Pac Div - Don't Mention It

Pac Div - Don't Mention It

Monday, I threw out a loosie from Pac Div called 'Shine'. Today (or yesterday) I got a chance to listen to their new mixtape 'Don't Mention It', and I must say, I'm impressed by the boys from the 'new' left coast. First and foremost, the first few tracks on this mixtape are CRACK. 'Underdogs II' sounded entirely too smooth, 'Birds' was a cheeky ode to dumb and fast women, and 'Broccoli' showed the group's knack for punchlines. Pac Div show a lot of charisma on this mixtape, which shows up in how much more pop-oriented it sounds. Tracks like 'Waves at the Prom' show that they're still catering to a younger audience. Some of their wordplay is a little bit dumbed down from the classic level of 'Church League Champions', but not to a fault. It's just an indication that these guys are ready to blow. Now, do I think it's the best way to go? Not necessarily. You can still keep your content up while making your music more palatable. I just think Pac Div wanted to put something out. Regardless, the production on this mixtape is album-quality and the beats (all original) were a pleasure to hear. I said on Twitter that 5 tracks in, this mixtape was my favorite of the year. It didn't finish with that billing, but rocked enough to make it worth the listen. Pac Div, as well as the rest of the left coast, need to be heard. Check out the download, tracklist/back cover, #dopetracks, loosies and videos...



#dopetracks:
Underdogs II
Birds
Broccoli
Here We Go
Waves at the Prom

Loosies:
Pac Div - Shine (ft. Marz Lovejoy)

J. Cole - Who Dat

I already like where J. Cole's mainstream debut is heading... This artwork is FIRE


J. Cole - Who Dat

Ummmmmm.... If you didn't know by now, J. Cole is on Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint, and is set to release his debut album 'Cole World' later this year. Everyone's sitting behind their computers comparing him to Drake, but if you've listened to both, there really is no comparison. Whereas Drake has gotten watered down and Weezy-fied, J. Cole has gotten a lot better and has been spitting fire over the last few leaks. I'm going to spare you the talk about those, though. Please, please, please give 'Who Dat' a listen, and tell me that J. Cole isn't the #1 draft pick in hip-hop right now. The beat is crazy, and Cole doles out pure heat rocks. Seriously, download this NOW...

Kanye West x The Cleveland Show

This Sunday night should be an epic one in television history... Well, not that serious. But still, along with the third and final season of the Boondocks beginning, we'll get treated to Kanyeezy making a nice little guest spot on the Cleveland Show. For someone who's been known to at times take himself and his opinion way too seriously, it's going to be interesting to see what kind of jokes Mr. West is a part of, or better yet, the butt of. Also, the rap and hip-hop references in this episode should be crazy. Hopefully there's some action with Rallo and Cleveland Jr., too. Check out the sneak preview of the episode airing Sunday, May 2nd...

Dear GOP

Truer words have never come out of an elephant's mouth...

via The New York Times:

Senate Republicans, united in opposition to the Democrats’ legislation to tighten regulation of the financial system, voted on Monday to block the bill from reaching the floor for debate. As both sides dug in, the battle has huge ramifications for the economy and for their political prospects in this year’s midterm elections. Republicans said they were intent on winning substantive changes to the bill and accused the Democrats of rushing the most far-reaching overhaul of the financial regulatory system since the Great Depression. Both sides say they expect the overhaul eventually will be approved.

Democrats charged that Republicans were leaving the country at risk of another financial calamity and siding with wealthy corporate interests. The chief executive of one such firm, Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street powerhouse accused of fraud by federal regulators, is to testify Tuesday before a Senate committee. Sensing political momentum at a time of deep public anger at Wall Street, Democratic leaders said they would keep the regulatory bill on the floor — and delay the rest of their busy legislative agenda — to ratchet up the pressure on the Republicans.

Democrats said they believed the fight over financial regulation — and signs of economic recovery in many parts of the country — could help turn the tide of anti-incumbent sentiment that has them bracing for substantial losses in November. President Obama joined in criticizing Republicans for refusing to begin debate, and urged them to “put the interests of the country ahead of party.”

There is nothing worse than when an entity just can't admit when it is wrong. Actually, I rescind that statement. It's even worse when that same entity knows it's wrong, tries every method in the book to keep those wrongs from being exposed, and blocks every attempt to right those wrongs. I couldn't be talking about anyone, but you, oh great GOP. You see, over the past 10 years, America has gone from a surplus, to a crippling deficit, to a full blown recession. As a matter of fact, the surplus Clinton left you guys with left faster than it came. That said, rather than change your clearly errant ways when Obama took office, you guys have been more stagnant than a turtle sipping sizzurp. When it came for the health care bill, you as a party made it your prerogative to block the bill, no matter how much the facts and national support stacked up against you. And the same thing is happening again with this financial regulation debate.

You see, I wouldn't be so mad if you guys weren't so adverse to even talking about reforming the regulatory standards of the financial industry. Truth be told, if you guys were open to debate, came with points that were valid and more complementary to the country's financial health than the Dems, what could I or anyone else say? That would be retarded. If something is clearly beneficial to the country, opposing it is hindering not only the country, but the entity opposing it. It's as if as soon as Bush was out of office, someone in the GOP sent a party-wide memo entitled 'NO'. The memo was simple: say no to everything. How can you build any type of following or make any progress when anything not from your party is met with unanimous opposition? How can you claim to want to 'take back America' when you don't even listen to America? Hell, how can you watch the American economy crumble, and then say no to debating (not even legislating) a solution? What sense does that make??

GOP, I've had a revelation about you, especially after you trying to block this financial debate. You're like the parent that says no to everything. You don't even look at the permission slip for the field trip before you say no. You have your no's cocked and loaded like an American soldier lost in hostile territory. It's actually sick how readily you reject things thrown your way. Perhaps, after the financial debate does go through (there's no way the public or Obama will let them live the block down), you should watch this movie, and take notes. It'd definitely make your options a little more diverse...

Pac Div - Shine (ft. Marz Lovejoy)

Pac Div - Shine (ft. Marz Lovejoy)

The thing I love about some of the artists I've been introduced to in the past 2 years writing a blog, is that when some artists go underground for a while, others pop up. When one of your favorite rappers hasn't put out anything in a minute, either because they've been in the lab or on tour, another one starts releasing new music. That's the case with the boys from the Left Coast, Pac Div. Last year they rocked the mixtape circuit with their banger ' Church League Champions,' and now they're setting up shop to release a new mixtape, entitled 'Don't Mention It'. If they keep up this type of fire, then Pac Div should be damn near at the top of the game by this year's end. Check out the track & download...

Lupe Fiasco - 'Love Letter to the Beat' x 'Horn Synth' (Snippet)

Looks like the nuttiest photoshoot ever...


Lupe Fiasco - Love Letter to the Beat (ft. Alicia Keys)


Lupe Fiasco - Horn Synth (ft. Pharrell) (SNIPPET)

Can you feel it in the air? I can. Lupe Fiasco's 'Lasers' is drawing nearer. Today we got two leaks from the new album. The first one, 'Love Letter to the Beat,' is a star-studded lineup, with Alicia Keys jumping on the track, which is produced by Chad Hugo. It's a really jumpy synth beat with a lot of drums during the breakdowns. I think Alicia plays the keys along with her vocals. The second one, 'Horn Synth,' I didn't even want to post, because it was a snippet, and I HATE partial leaks and snippets. But the one minute and sixteen seconds of music that Pharrell and Lupe were so dope that I had to. The beat, the lyrics; EVERYTHING. If this is the caliber of hip-hop music that Lupe's bringing for Lasers, then I for one can't wait. Check both tracks out...

Nas & Damian Marley - As We Enter (Music Video)

As Nas and Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley prepare to release their album 'Distant Relatives,' I can't help but think about other rap & reggae combinations that did the deed. Their video for 'As We Enter' shows the darker, grittier side of both artists, while jumping over a springy beat. The black on black wardrobe with the post-apocalyptic scenery pays a little too much homage to Jay-Z, but the track is so dope, you don't pay any attention to it. Back to my original point. Rap & Reggae, especially coming from a New York perspective, was heavy back in the 90's and early 2000's. As a matter of fact, both Rap and what we call Dancehall came from the olden art of dubplating. Maybe Jr. Gong and Nasir can bring that trend back. Check out the video for 'As We Enter' and some of my favorite Rap/Reggae clashes...