Neighborhood Newsletter (8/9)

This just made me chuckle...

'Static Kill' Worked; Well Is Plugged: BP

How to Write a Black Eyed Peas Song

40 Ways to Save Money on Almost Anything

America Goes Dark

60% Of Young Male Workers Would Punch Their Colleagues In The Face

Huge Ice Sheet Breaks Off Greenland Glacier

Why Older People Hate Inception

New Al-Qaida Leader Lived In U.S. For 15 Years

Krispy Kreme Burger Sweeps the Nation

Which Twin Did It - NY police not sure which twin to charge

Dear Tweeple

Last year, I posted 9 rules for Twitter that stated little, unwritten by-laws for my tweeps that would keep their Twitter experiences as sucka-free as possible. That list was, by no means exhaustive, or exclusive, as we've got 8 more guidelines that will keep your timeline out of the netherworld. They're based on general findings on Twitter and seeing some annoying people polluting my timeline with their balderdash and hullabaloo (love those two words). Follow these, and if so led, follow me @elektrik788. Here goes nothing...

1. Quit tweeting like or re-tweeting Rev Run. Seriously, it's annoying. I understand that people are thirsty for inspiration, but come on... Does any other reverend that you know walk around talking about haters or making up random acronyms for hood terminology? If you find one, please nominate him for a Nobel Prize. Until then, just don't hit 'Tweet'. Imagine Twitter to be a bunch of tables in a lunch room. No one wants to talk to the guy that's walking around, spewing out inspirational quotes. As a matter of fact, people would probably laugh at him. It's not that uplifting dialogue is a bad thing. It's that most people say this stuff but don't live it. I'd rather have my timeline filled with mindless chatter than a sea of wanna-be Rev Runs. Especially when most of the tweets are about as trite and cliche as a summer of Brett Favre announcements.

2. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a rule for the sexes. Gentlemen, stop trying to bag women off Twitter. It's a social networking site, not eHarmony.com. Seriously. Just because you dedicated a #FollowFriday to her, and tweet all of her favorite songs, does not mean she will recognize you in real life or even find you attractive. As a matter of fact, unless you've actually met this person in real life, it would behoove you to NOT act like you're pulling chicks through your 140 characters. And for the ladies, this one is simple: don't be a skeezah over the internets. A few twitpics here and a few suggestive tweets there, and every male follower you have will have the wrong idea about you. It's not that you should be bashful about your sexuality or love of it. It's just that some things are better left un-tweeted, your underwear shots and bathroom pics included.

3. Allow yourself some Twitter-free time people. As much as I love to tweet my little heart out, there are times when I won't be caught dead doing it. At some point you have to run out of poignant or hilarious stuff to say, or you're just not doing anything interesting enough to tweet about. That's when you take a little break. Turn off Twidroyd (or whatever phone app you have), close the browser and go do something that doesn't involve you head buried in your lap as you type away furiously. Not only will it clear your mental registry, you'll remember why you started tweeting in the first place. Newsflash: People can tell when you're constantly on Twitter. Try spending some time away from technology, people.

4. Quit it with the follower rush. By that I mean stop talking about how many followers you have, why you don't have followers, just to name a few topics. Your Twitter isn't a personal vanity mirror for you to see how many people find you funny, cute or insightful, though it may seem that way sometimes. I'm not saying that followers aren't important. To get a message out and to make sure that people on Twitter hear it, you need followers. But followers are gained through saying things that resonate with other people, not desperate pleas for attention or using a #teamfollowback hashtag every 20 minutes. Trust me, no one on #teamfollowback cares what you have to say anyway. You might as well save yourself the tweet...

5. If you're a musician, designer, DJ, or creator of any type of media, don't tweet people with your work unsolicited. Plain as that. And that goes for your fans, too. Don't hit me and 30 other bloggers and 1000 other people you follow with a link to your mixtape, especially if you have no relationship with these folks other than being on Twitter. Not only does it look like you're desperate, but it makes your work look weaker because you have to push it so hard. Good work stands out regardless of how you find it. There's no need to flood my timeline with singles and videos and promo that myself and 95% of the people you send it to won't listen to. You'd be better off just working on your music, designing, DJing than hitting people on Twitter. Chances are, half the people who said they listened, didn't anyway. Also, doing that defeats the purpose of social networking. The key word there is 'networking'. Which chapter of the 'Idiot's Guide to Social Networking' includes pushing your product in people's faces and hoping for a response? I thought so. Build relationships on Twitter, not contact lists...

6. Learn the Twitter protocol, as in @-ing someone, re-tweeting and DMing. Yeah, this is nitpicky. Yet, how many times has a tweet been completely indecipherable because there are 5 different users in it, each re-tweeting with a different format? You might as well not even re-tweet, if the next person who sees it wonders if you and your homeboys have Twitter-dyslexia. I know I'm not the only one who's genuinely irked by seeing sloppy mentions and re-tweets. That goes for @-ing people, too. If the dialogue takes up 4 or more tweets, and is more than public in nature, just DM the person. Or better yet, e-mail, text, IM, Wave, Facebook, or even call the person. Twitter is for short messages and terse conversation, not full-on catching up.

7. I said this in the last post to you, Tweeps, but this is really irking me. People, 1f YuH tYp3 LyK3 DiSz, 1 WiLl uNf0110wH YuH... It's as simple as that. There's nothing cute or cool about misspelling words on purpose. Some terminology needs to be either abbreviated or adjusted for spatial reasons, and other terminology just doesn't lend itself to typing. Making exceptions for those is cool. However, turning your tweet into a mashup of Matrix code, hood ratchetness, and a Rosetta Stone lesson is about as cool as putting rims on a minivan. Not only do you look stupid, everyone riding in that van (retweeting; if anyone does it) looks retarded too. People wonder why literature and writing are going down the shitter. Just one look at Twitter, and we know why. Just because it's the internets, does not mean grammar, spelling, diction, and punctuation go out the window...

8. One of the best parts when I began was the trending topics. At any given point in the day there was a topic or hashtag worth tweeting about. The topics ranged from anything to sports, everyday life, music, or what have you. Now all of the topics are relationship ones, usually bashing the opposite sex. It's either that, or rehashed versions of older topics. It's not that I have a problem with new tweeps getting their try at the #TT's. It's that most of the heads 'going in' on these topics have been going in on them for months now. Give it a rest. We know you don't like hoes. We know you love sex. We know you're pro-Obama on everything and #cantstand a horde of things. Doesn't mean we have to hear about it every day, with a different hashtag attached to it...

9. Point blank, most celebrities have Twitter for one reason, and one reason alone: promotion. If you can't help them with that, aren't one of their personal friends, or don't have anything constructive to say to them, please stop tweeting them as if you were such. These people wouldn't recognize you in a police lineup or walking down the street. What makes you think that they care about your tweets more than the next user? Yeah, that's negative. Yeah, it's sad. But it's true. As a matter of fact, if you keep hitting them up and they don't respon, what does that say about you? Maybe you should focus on having something of worth to tweet about rather than sucking at the kneecaps of Ashton Kutcher and Diddy...

There you have it, tweeps. Another year, and another list of things that will get you unfollowed. Don't take some of these grievances personally, because we're all guilty of them at some point. It's just that some tweeps take them overboard, while others are only momentarily guilty. Take heed, so you don't get labeled 'that guy' on Twitter...

Kardi - Joke (Produced by Dru Classic)

Kardi - Joke (Produced by Dru Classic)

The weirdest thing to me right now about hip-hop is the fact that everyone takes themselves so seriously in hip-hop, yet most rappers out right now have too many inconsistencies in their being. Either they don't live the life they lead in their rhymes, are complete copy-cats or mistake their weirdness for being unique. That's not to throw salt on anyone's game. It's more just a simple statement of the state of hip-hop. I guess that's why I replayed Kardi's 'Joke' about 4 times. A lot of rappers are laughable in their approaches and for that, we have to laugh at their jokes. Whether it's stupid gimmicks (Wiz's steeze is getting old), bad flows (everyone copying Big Sean's punchline flow) or simply lying on wax (coughcoughRawsecoughcough), the jokes are rampant these days in hip-hop, and Kardi provides the punchlines over this jumpy beat...

The Internet World Map

You ever wonder where everyone's internet allegiances lie? By that, I mean the random social networks and websites that everyone frequents. Well, here it is people. The Internet World Map. On this map, there lies every major social network and website, complete with a bunch of different municipalities, bodies of water and populations of each. This is so funny because it makes the internet look like an imperialist world, which it is. Companies vie for bragging rights and revenue as they try to increase theit populations and conquer their nearby rivals. Notice, that Google has an outpost almost everywhere in the internet world. That's not a coincidence... Nor is the massive amount of land they have compared to the rest of the internet. If I had to put money on who is winning the Internet World War, Google would be my guess, though Facebook might put up a pretty good fight. Whatever the case, check out the Internet World Map, and see where you would reside if websites were countries...

Dear Wyclef Jean

via TIME:

Hip-hop, more than most pop genres, is something of a pulpit, urban fire and brimstone garbed in baggy pants and backward caps. So it's little wonder that one of the form's icons, Haitian-American superstar Wyclef Jean, is the son of a Nazarene preacher — or that he likens himself, as a child of the Haitian diaspora, to a modern-day Moses, destined to return and lead his people out of bondage. Haiti's Jan. 12 earthquake, which ravaged the western hemisphere's poorest country and killed more than 200,000 people, was the biblical event that sealed his calling. After days of helping ferry mangled Haitian corpses to morgues, Jean felt as if he'd "finished the journey from my basket in the bulrushes to standing in front of the burning bush," he told me this week. "I knew I'd have to take the next step."

That would be running for President of Haiti. Jean told TIME he is going to announce his candidacy for the Nov. 28 election just days before the Aug. 7 deadline. One plan that was discussed, loaded with as much Mosaic symbolism as a news cycle can hold, called for him to declare his candidacy on Aug. 5 upon arriving in Port-au-Prince from New York City, where he grew up after leaving Haiti with his family at age 9. "If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this," Jean says. "The quake drove home to me that Haiti can't wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century." Jean sees no contradiction between his life as an artist and his ambitions as a politician. "If I can't take five years out to serve my country as President," he argues, "then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything."

It's a rarity that the terms celebrity and philanthropist are used in the same breath without some sort of qualification. See, celebrities, while they may lend their faces and names to good causes usually aren't the best about practicing what they preach. They may donate a few thousand dollars or a few hours to a charitable cause, but at the end of the day go back to their lives of excess and indulgence. That said, there are a few stars who truly make strides in giving rather than receiving. Bill Gates, for example is constantly finding new ways to hand over his Microsoft fortune to the less fortunate and convinced other multi-millionaires to do the same. Brad Pitt is a huge contributor to the ongoing relief effort in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, building alternative energy houses with the capability to withstand another breach of the levies. Even rappers are getting into the business of giving, with Ludacris and T.I. making strides to educate children in their hometown of Atlanta. Yet and still, the most intriguing philanthropic effort today, is more political than anything. Wyclef Jean, you are running for the President of Haiti. Just say that... President of Haiti. It sounds nice, but there are a lot of issues that come with having that title.

Clef, by being elected as the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Haiti, you take over a country with 30-40% of the government's budget in foreign aid. That means you'll have essentially no money to work with. Your country is the poorest in the Americas, yet 1% of the island controls 50% of the wealth. Add to that, the fact that the country is among the most corrupt in the world, and you're inheriting the fixer-upper of municipalities. Oh yeah, and the earthquake. It's been over six months since the 7.0 earthquake that ravaged the capital city of Port-Au-Prince, and there's been little if any significant progress in repairing the already fragmented infrastructure of the countryside. It's as if the worst possible tragedy happened to Haiti at the worst possible time. Wyclef, if you do end up getting elected, then you've got your work ahead of you. The reason I'm not lambasting you and calling you out on a fame-hating tirade, is because there is no way you could be running for the presidency for the fame, Clef. With the state of Haiti as it is, you're going to be doing a lot more work than partying, when it comes down to it. To be the President of Haiti, with no political experience whatsoever, you have to love Haiti. Besides the name, there's not too much pomp that comes with the position. To fulfill the duties of the office, you've got to do more than just be in the office, Clef. Now, I'm not saying I'm an expert on the political state of Haiti, but to anyone watching the news, there are a lot of hurdles and red tape keeping you from succeeding, Clef. I'm confident that you have the heart, and the ears of the people. Hopefully you've got the political savvy to make good things happen. Put all the controversy of your Yele' Foundation and any sideways accusations behind you, and just focus on the good of the country, and you should be fine. Pras doesn't have to back you, but if he sees good work on your part, his opinion won't matter, and neither will anyone else's...

Add-2 - Getting Up Freestyle

Add-2 - Getting Up Freestyle

You ever hear about an artist all the time, but never see any music from them? Add-2 is that artist for me. I've always heard freestyles and random guest spots on other mixtapes from him, but I've yet to hear a full work from him since I've been blogging. I guess the blogging/music god heard my prayers, because Add-2 is set to drop his new mixtape 'Tale Of Two’s City v.4: Better Days' later this summer. This freestyle won't be on the tape, but it's a good chance to showcase a new face from the Chicago scene, and see how nasty he gets on wax. I said this the first time I featured Add-2, but he reminds me a lot of Lupe. Maybe it's the glasses, or maybe it's the lyricism. Whatever the case, dude spits straight heat rocks over Q-Tip's 'Getting Up'...

Kanye West - Power (Music Video - UNCENSORED)

I've had this since last night, but I really wanted to wait for the uncensored version, simply because a song this good can't be censored, lyrically or visually, in the case of the video. Kanye revisits the whole motif of power and how easily people are drawn to it in the video with a photo-esque display of lavishness. The theme seems to be somewhere in between Egyptian luxury and a sick Kanye West fantasy. Either way the scene is spectacular. From the gradients and shading to how the people move in place, this video (I don't even want to call it a video anymore) look like it's from the most divine brush ever created. I can't stress how hyped I am for Ye's album. I really think it's going to be game-changing, especially if it comes equipped with visuals like this one. Check out the uncensored version of Kanye West's 'Power'...

PS: In reference to the dude that Kanye singled out and followed on Twitter, all the people mobbing him should be ashamed of themselves. I really think this is one huge, sick social experiment that Kanye is playing on the 'social media generation' to show how easily they give people power. Then again, who am I to guess? *takes off conspiracy theorist hat*

Freestyle Friday (8/6)

People, how goes it? It's Friday, and Friday means freestyles. Today, we've got two freestyles that will have your ears wiggling and your fingers wanting to press rewind. The first cypher features Mickey Factz on a show called 'The Syndies'. Mickey does the term 'freestyle' a bit of justice and decides to go completely off the dome. His verse is damn near miraculous, considering most heads spit from a Blackberry nowadays. The fact that he can make coherent thoughts come across in rhyme form without writing it down is amazing. The improvisational aspect of freestyling is dying, but Mickey Factz is one of the people manning the respirator. The second freestyle is by J. Cole on Power 10 (wherever that is). Cole does his usual masterful job over the airwaves, so there's really nothing to say other than to just watch the video. The third cypher is by an oldie, but goodie, Pharoahe Monch. The Lyricist Lounge alumni dropped by Tony Touch's Tuesday Sirius radio show and does DAMAGE. I don't even want to talk about this one either because it's piff. Seriously, just listen and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Dear Gay Marriage

My how times HAVEN'T changed...

via The New York Times:

A federal judge in San Francisco struck down California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, handing a temporary victory to gay rights advocates in a legal battle that seems all but certain to be settled by the Supreme Court. Wednesday’s decision is just the latest chapter of what is expected to be a long legal battle over the ban — Proposition 8, which was passed in 2008 with 52 percent of the vote -- and proponents were already promising to appeal, confidently predicting that higher courts would be less accommodating to the other side than Vaughn R. Walker, the judge who issued the ruling.

Still, the very existence of federal-level ruling recognizing same-sex marriage in California, the nation’s most populous state, set off cheers from crowds assembled in front of the courthouse in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon. Evening rallies and celebrations were planned in dozens of cities across California and several across the nation.

In San Francisco, the plaintiffs’ case was argued by David Boies and Theodore Olson, ideological opposites who once famously sparred in the 2000 Supreme Court battle beween George W. Bush and Al Gore over the Florida recount and the presidency. The lawyers brought the case — Perry v. Schwarzenegger — in May 2009 on behalf of two gay couples who said that Proposition 8 impinged on their Constitutional rights to equal protection and due process. For gay rights advocates, same-sex marriage has increasingly become a central issue in their battle for equality, seen as both an emotional indicator of legitimacy and as a practical way to lessen discrimination.

I've got a confession to make. You know those annoying 18-24 year olds you see in train stations and on street corners in trendy neighborhoods trying to get you to give them money for (insert cause here)? Well, I was one of those people. Albeit, it was only for two months as I raised some much needed funding, but I learned a great deal about patience and the importance of lobbying. That's neither here nor there. It's just to say that the movement to legalize you, gay marriage has been bubbling over for years now. Gay marriage, I'm not going to sit ehre and say that I'm completely for you. I believe that homosexuality is wrong religiously. Yet, as I so eloquently placed in my pitches to passers-by, there's no reason that the government should be able to tell people who they can't marry. None.

Gay marriage, you are this generation's civil rights movement (along with health care reform and marijuana (for some), which is quite refreshing to say, honestly. You are this generation's (hopeful) victory that we will be able to look back on in 20 years and say that we supported rather than downplayed. While the ruling in California only overturned Proposition 8 in that state, and is likely to be appealed by those stick-up-the-ass conservatives, you're still something to fight for. You give a silent group a voice by allowing them the same unalienable rights that every other potential marriage should have. The United States is full of kooky double standards that no one wants to fess up to. Your banning is one of those double standards. How can we call ourselves the land of the free when some of our citizens can't marry freely, or the home of the brave when a good portion of our citizens are scared of you becoming legal? America talks a good talk, but until you have your fair day in court and come out a free institution, our country is failing on its promises and its Constitution. I guess this is kind of a preachy letter. At the same time, the opposition are still preaching, using religion and fear to influence political views against you. If they can stand in their (proverbial) pulpits, I can use my keyboard. I may not agree with you're concept spiritually, but politically you should be as legal as anything, gay marriage. Relish this victory, because the road won't get easier from here on out. I suppose the fight is half the beauty of victory, though. Keep fighting...

Dear Wale (re: More About Nothing)

Okay Wale. I've had a weird relationship with your music since 2008, when 'The Mixtape About Nothing' dropped. That mixtape was damn near perfect. From beginning to end, it reeked of creative freedom. I could go through all of the tracks on that tape, but it'd be burning the body of the horse beaten to death. You sounded so carefree and clear that, it was impossible to not knock to it. In fact, that's your appeal on that work: the sheer honest that emanates from every sound. Honesty is a hard thing to convey in the hip-hop game, especially with cats like Ross running around. That said, after 'The Mixtape About Nothing,' I grew tepid on your music, because it sounded too packaged. Your album 'Attention: Deficit,' while good, didn't have the same *umph*. It sounded unfocused, even with how good some of the tracks were. And that was the last time I really listened to you.

Enter August 2010. The internets were a calm place two weeks before now. Then, out of nowhere (or better yet, nothing) you came with a leak from your new mixtape 'More About Nothing'. I was a bit confused, as you didn't seem like the type of artist to revisit a concept that had been so successful in the past. I figured it would be a good attempt, but would fall short to the prequel. After listening, I can honestly say that it did. That isn't to downplay how good 'More About Nothing' was. That's more to say that the disappointment from the album seeped into this mixtape. Let me explain myself after the back cover.



Ahem. 'More About Nothing' began with 'The Problem,' a track dedicated to the ills that plagued the album. You mentioned bad PR, a segmented hip-hop industry, label woes...

SIDENOTE: Can rappers stop blaming the labels for all of their problems? Hip-hop is the only music genre that is constantly trying to go against the will of 'the Man' (for illustrative purposes), yet always acquiesces to the demands of the label. Rock or pop artists don't outwardly get mad at labels, and then sign to them. If heads wanted to move away from the labels, they would. Either work within the system or create a new one...

... and disinterested fans as reasoning for your albums performance. At first I thought it was a cop-out, but the way you conveyed it was masterful. I'm convinced that that private school time you always allude to made you the rapper you are today. The mixtape then picks up heavily, with the next 5 tracks knocking hard. My favorite was definitely 'Friends and Strangers' complete with a Ronnie Laws/MF DOOM (depending on your age) sample. To round out the first half, 'The Breakup Song' is a well-placed ode to a former lover with a tender feel to it, while 'The Work Working' is a hard, sharp-edged lyrical sword that had me rewinding to catch subliminal lines. As a matter of fact, the first half of this mixtape is impeccable, flowing well, with great beat selection and a charisma from you that we haven't seen in a while. I even liked the Wiz Khalifa feature, even though it was clearly directed at smokers. The first half was a complete, non-stop listen. The second half was a different story, though.

At times 'More About Nothing' seemed like it was stretching the Seinfeld theme a little too far. As a fan, I'm honored to see a rapper try to immortalize his love for the show. Yet, because Seinfeld is so idiosyncratic and specific in its references, I found the mixtape losing its focus to that theme at times. Where tracks like 'The Manipulation 2' showed the bilateral nature of language in relationships and tied in Costanza's 'It's not you, it's me' speech, tracks like 'The Posse Cut' and 'seemed misplaced and had no real ties to the theme. It seemed like they were there more for two reasons: A) high-profile features and B) because they couldn't be included on the album. 'More About Nothing's' 2nd half featured a lot of songs that were good, but lined up more with what 'Attention: Deficit' should have been rather than the Seinfeld motif. Wale, that's not to say you should've changed either. That's to say there seemed like a slight layover from the album, which is fine. If anything it gives your fans more about some of the 'nothings' that contributed to your success in the past two years.

In conclusion, what helped your 2nd foray into Seinfeld-dom be a good mixtape was how great the actual music is. You seem to be back into your go-go roots, and I'm not mad at you, because it makes for some interesting instrumentals for you to go over. It also seemed like you were experimenting a lot more with faster beats so that your flow didn't run dry, as it's been known to do. The experimentation worked to your benefit, as you had more breathing room lyrically (only makes sense if you listened to the mixtape). I can honestly say that I liked this tape, Wale. While it doesn't really hold a candle to 'The Mixtape About Nothing', it supersedes 'Attention: Deficit' and gives you new life as we get ready for your next album and hopefully a better performance. We don't know whether it will be 'something' or 'nothing', but isn't the beauty of Seinfeld watching as 'everything' unfolds? Questions aside, the marker of whether this mixtape was a success will be determined through how many new Seinfeld fans there are. Point. Blank. Period. That you melded hip-hop and situational comedy is a victory in and of itself. Kudos, Wale. #clapforhim

PS: Check out some of the trailers for the mixtape. Lord knows those were hilariously creative...

The Chinese Straddling Bus

I found this courtesy of my homie Ant at Backyard Banter

Having lived in cities for all of my life, I've noticed two distinct problems that plague every city: traffic congestion and public transportation. Some cities have so many cars on the road that public transportation suffers, while other cities have so many cars that everyone suffers. The amount of vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes) on the roads today make finding sustainable ways to keep our cities' roadways moving a high priority. That said, few people have found good methods to lessen the congestion while keeping costs down. Until now. Shenzhen Huashi of China has developed an ingenious, yet remarkably simple concept to ease congestion in cities: the Straddling Bus. The bus uses the space in between different lanes on a street, and literally straddles the road, going over cars, other (smaller buses), trucks, small motor vehicles and pedestrians. It would use electric and solar energy to run, as well as be easier to construct than, say a subway. People would enter and exit the straddling bus through ladders on the side or through overpasses. Plus, the straddling bus (in the demonstration) has a capacity of 1200 people per bus, which dumps all over any other modern transport system in the world. All in all, this is an brilliant idea because it's so simple. It almost makes you wonder 'Why didn't I think of this?'. The straddling bus already has over 186 km of track ready to start construction next year, so this concept is about to make it to practice really soon. Check out the video and some flicks...

Neighborhood Newsletter (8/3)

Nasa scientists braced for 'solar tsunami' to hit earth

US combat mission in Iraq to end on Aug 31: Obama

Undersea River Discovered Flowing on Sea Bed

Social Media Sucks Up 23% of Time Online

10 Disgusting “Foods” You Loved As A Kid

Televangelist "Heals" People With "Jesus Jacket" [video]

Spoiler Alert: U.S. Unemployment Is Now Rising, Not Falling

6 La. Teens Drown in River; None Could Swim

Dear Kanye West

It takes a lot for someone to 'change the game'. By that, I mean someone operating in a way that goes against the grain of the time, and makes everyone else reconsider and reevaluate how they're going about their business. When someone changes the game, the status quo takes a hit. Not necessarily a hit that will rearrange everything, but just enough for the rest of the world to take notice. Over the past 4 years, blogs have begun a steady coup of the hip-hop game. Whether through internet labels preparing digital-only releases or the online mixtape phenomena, blogs now have a considerable amount of control over who's 'next' or who's time it is to shine. Chances are, if you've got a huge blog following, then you have pull in the hip-hop industry. That said, it's gotten to the point of over-saturation, where there are so many rappers on the scene, that no one knows who to listen to anymore! Go on any hip-hop blog today, and you'll find a different cast of characters than you did the previous day. That's not a bad thing; it's simply the state of the industry. It's hard for people to stand out. That is why your recent tour of... everywhere, is so mind-blowing, Kanye.

Over the past week, you've visited the offices of Twitter, Facebook, Rolling Stone, at each, speaking on not only the state of the music industry, but your own state. The way you presented yourself was damn near classic, Ye. You were professional, coming dressed in a simple black suit, black tie and donning the 'cool guy' sunglasses so we knew you weren't a corporate drone like the people in the audience. All of the speeches you gave were impeccable. I've yet to hear an artist admit that the places where most get their musical inspiration from are dark, morbid, depressed ones. That you want to bring your music out of joy and hope is a breath of fresh air for the industry. In fact, it's a rarity that you spope on it at all. Artists are notorious for keeping their personal lives chambered after they blow up (their first works may be raw and emotional), so to have you being open about the feelings that went into 'Good Ass Job' (apparently that might not be the album title anymore) is incredible.



A huge point in these visits was when you mentioned being a truth-teller in your music. I find that so groundbreaking. Everyone says that their album is the truth, but few artists actually purvey truth in their music, whether personal or public. 'Truth,' as most artists use it is a way to say you've lived something, not necessarily that you've learned from it or grown as a person (or artist) from it. Kanye, we can see such growth from you in these videos. Whereas last year, you had your mouth glued to a Henny bottle and your hands to Amber Rose's butt, now you seem to be as clear as day. Back to the music, though. The verses you spit at these places were too dope. 'Chain Heavy' had the makings of a track that would ruin the jewelry industry, 'Mama's Boyfriend' tells the story that every child with a single mother will vibe with, and the third one (no title, I suppose) has introspection written all over it. If those three songs are any indication of your album, this should be one of the greatest musical works in a WHILE. I guess when you write from a position of contentment, everything you put out there flows so much better. There's no need to gloss it over with auto-tune or unnecessary features. Labels and whoever else can't put the brakes on your work because you're doing it from such a good place that it automatically sounds good. People can feel the difference in your the beat, your words, your delivery and everything in between.

Kanye, if these sightings signal anything, they show that personal semantics, intimate theatrics, and simply going to the people are the way things should be done. The days when a person could showcase their talents from behind a keyboard are slowly dwindling (ironic that I'm writing this on a blog; sue me). It's not enough to shoot bloggers and tastemakers (I really hate that term, but that's a different blog post) press releases, leaks, random freestyle videos, and mixtapes. As a musician, you have to show why your work is the best, especially in hip-hop, where everyone claims they're the best. You're taking the game away from the computers (though you visited two social networking sites) and back to the (hypothetical) streets. It's very grass roots-esque, and different from anything we're seeing today. Your efforts seem duly poised to change the game Ye. Whether the album is a Good Ass Job (you see what I did there?) or something beyond that, we'll see in September...

Antoine Dodson: The REMIX

The funniest part about most viral videos that hit the internet isn't always the videos themselves, but sometimes the spin-offs, remixes, and responses that come with them. From mashups between videos, to reaction videos, and ultimately to remix videos, they've got it all on Youtube. In this case, we've got the story of Antoine Dodson, and his epically heated warning to the perpetrator in his sister's attempted rape. The man, who's... let's say... a bit zestier than most had some harsh words for the criminal, which were turned into an autotune track. As much as autotune might leave your ears ringing, you can't deny how hilarious this remix is. Antoine's head motions look like he's really in a music video, neck snapping and everything. What's crazier is the fact that he's relishing his newfound web fame, complete with Facebook fan page, and of course, the remixes. Check out Antoine Dodson: REMIXED....

Freestyle Friday (7/30)

Hey people, it's Friday and that means nothing other than freestyles. Today, I'm posting up a guy who I've seen floating around the blogosphere but never got a chance to listen either through my own disinterest or just because there are too many rappers out there. Either way, Rain, hailing from North Carolina, is nice with it. He visited Tony Touch's radio show this week and dropped off a long freestyle about where he's from and where he wants to go in this industry. The beat he goes over is really good too. Anyone got the title for me? The second freestyle is by Joell Ortiz, whose YAOWA movement is gaining steam by the day. This freestyle, over DJ Premier's 'Sing Like Bilal', is somewhat of a subliminal diss track, coming at all of the 'new' rappers on the scene now. Not that I agree completely with Joell's stance, but you've got to admit, the man does spit some truth about the way labels act towards them. Not to mention, Joell is actually a monster and could go toe to toe with most of the cats coming out now. Whether YAOWA will put the bullseye on some backs has yet to be seen, but with verses like this, it's looking like the summer's going to end on a high note for Joell. Check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Nike Air Force 1 - Borough Pack & Block Party

From top to bottom: The Bronx (*shots lick off*), Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island & Brooklyn

If there ever was an iconic sneaker in the culture of New York City, it's the Nike Air Force 1. Uptowns, as we call them were one of the first kicks to have a cult following (aside from Shelltoes), and that's before Nelly made the world go ape shit for them with his track 'Air Force Ones'. Overexposure aside, it seems only right that the Air Force 1 get some colorways specifically about New York. That's why Nike and DJ Clark Kent combined their forces to create the Borough Pack. The pack gives a different style for every borough in the fair city of New York, each with a fabric and tumbled leather upper to mimic a varsity jacket, and gum bottoms for the old school sneakerhead in us all.

The best part about this release is that Nike is also sponsoring a block party at their 21 Mercer Street location in New York to commemorate the release, as well as the World Basketball Festival going on. All boroughs are invited as an initiative to bring New Yorkers together under one banner. I love what Nike's doing here. They're making every effort to appeal to people, and it's a great look for sneakerheads, basketball fans and everyone else in between. The block party is tomorrow, July 31, starting at 6. To top it off, DJ Clark Kent, along with DJ King Solomon and Miss Banks will be hosting the party. This might very well be the spot to be at in NYC tomorrow. Hopefully you can make it. Check out some flicks of the 'Borough Pack' as well as a flyer for Nike's All-Borough Block Party...

J. Cole - Problems (Unfinished)

J. Cole - Problems (Unfinished)

I hate (to the upteenth power) posting unfinished songs and leaks. Not only does it lessen the value of the track when it does come out, the track usually has a lot of rough stuff on there. In this case, J. Cole's latest track to hit the interwebs doesn't even have a chorus (there's supposed to be a singer on it), and there's a random screeching sound where the chorus should be. That doesn't erase the fact that the song is incredible even unfinished. 'Problems' talks about just that, problems. From bill collectors, to drugs to the police, to Tiger Woods'plight, Cole hits all the bases in a (hopeful) ballad about everyday struggle. The track sounds very endearing. Supposedly, 'Problems' isn't even the name, though that's what most people are calling it. I guess that's the price you pay when a track is unfinished. I'm not complaining, though. Good music is good music. Check out Cole's first leak, and quickly, because it's not guaranteed this'll see the light of day again...

Dear Delusional Cavaliers Fans

The LeBron-athon, and it's subsequent wake is OVER. Let me repeat. The LeBron-athon is OVER. LeBron James is a Miami Heat (they need to work on their subject-verb agreement in the NBA), and is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. It's over. Cavs fans, it's time you started preparing for a new season without he-who-shall-not-be-named-anymore. The fact that a man can't show up at a Cleveland Indians game (a completely different sport, mind you) donning a different jersey without catching shade is a terrible. You should feel ashamed for trying to kick the guy out of the stadium, when he wasn't even trying to start trouble. Whatever the case from some random Indians game (they're not making the playoffs anyway), it stands to say that you guys still haven't recovered from the LeBron fallout. Mo Williams is going to be your best player going into the season. I don't know whether to feel bad for this season or really good because you'll have a good lottery pick this season. All signs are pointing to a long, long, long season in Cleveland, which makes your anger understandable. What that doesn't do is allow you guys to turn into the stereotypical sports fans you look like in these videos. A guy really can't wear a LeBron Heat jersey to a baseball game without being harassed? It's not even the same sport!!! I could see the ire if he showed up for Cavs opening night decked out in heat gear. Otherwise it just comes off as petty. You mad? (Cam'ron voice) If so, you'd better get used to frustration coming from the basketball court, because it's not going away until you get the #1 pick again. And guess what? No amount of peanuts and beers thrown, LeBron jerseys burned or angry open letters will ever get LeBron James back. He's moved on to bigger and (hopefully) better things. Deal with it, and just watch the damn game...

Shawn Caliber - 24 Hours to Live Freestyle

A logo to most.. A banner for a genre


S-Cal - 24 Hours to Live Freestyle

Two days ago, I had somewhat (I say somewhat because I kind of already knew) of a revelation: NYC hip-hop, while starting to have somewhat of a resurgence, isn't making moves. Our region has fallen by the wayside either due to silly beefs, bad albums or just general inactivity. Besides Jay-Z, I can't see any NYC rappers out here getting the numbers or press that they should. It's almost as if NYC has grown complacent with it's hip-hop, content to rest on the laurels of its innovators, rather than carry on tradition. I question whether the likes of Big L, Biggie and Big Pun (RIP) would be pleased to see the city that they left and the music that came from it. I'm not too sure if they would be, so I started tweeting, airing my grievances with NYC hip-hop and it's latency. From those tweets, a challenge was issued:


Shawn Caliber answered that call, and with the quickness. I shot him over the instrumental of the classic featuring Ma$e, DMX and the Lox, and he came up with a freestyle detailing what he would do with his last 24 on this planet. I'm not going out on a limb and saying NYC rap will be back tomorrow (it's far from that). Yet, with artists like S-Cal on the come-up, it's hard to see the city being down on its luck for much longer. Check out the homie Shawn Caliber ripping up '24 Hours to Live' with a nice 16...

PS: Be on the lookout for #NewYorkTimes... Don't say I never told you

Tron: Legacy x adidas

Seriously, I'm signing up for 2011 Comic Con tickets TODAY. The San Diego Comic Convention has become something of a cultural experience, where movies, music, games, television, graphic novels, and of course, comics mash together to keep our inner nerds occupied for four days straight. Add that to the fact that the divide between different media interests has become parchment-thing, and you have my heaven. This go around, we've got adidas collaborating with the people behind Tron: Legacy to create a new line of Tron-themed, futuristic apparel. The first pieces we'll see drop are two pairs of the adidas Heat Check, the company's new signature shoe. Both feature reflective stripes, along with screen-printed graphics on the upper and toebox, reminiscent of the glitzy, high-tech feel in the of Tron. The hoodie below will be self-illuminated, just like the movie. Oh, and in case you were wondering, this collab is set to hit shelves in December, right on time for Tron: Legacy's release. Check out some flicktures of adidas x Tron: Legacy, as well as a new trailer for the movie, which is starting to look sicker and sicker by the day...