2nd Best Rap Video of the Year

Trick Daddy is without question one of the most underrated rappers of all time. Name a track he's been on that he HASN'T murdered. I think T-Pain and Trick Daddy could really be the Best of Both Worlds. And no matter how much I abhor DJ Khaled's incessant use of the word "nugga" (not a typo), and his complete disregard for grammatical structure ("We the best! Who? We!" :-/), I cannot deny that this track goes hard. Not to mention that this video is outstanding. It does what a music video's sposed to do, make you like a song even more than you did at first. Three cheers for DJ Khaled, the only Arab I know of who has carte blanche to say "nigga" whenever he pleases. Word to Michael Richards.

P.S. Khaled's call and response monologue "We the best! Who? We!" is prolly not grammatically incorrect. The answer to "Who?" is really "We are." Thus, shortening the phrase correctly, one should actually say "We" as Khaled says and not "Us" as 99.9% of Americans would because you cannot say "Us are." It is the same principle that applies to the use of pronouns in subjects and predicate clauses. One says "Jane and I are talking" not "Me and Jane are talking" for the same reason because if one removed "Jane" it would become "I am talking" not "Me am talking." One says "Mom gave that to me and Jane" and not "Mom gave that to Jane and I" because removal of "Jane" would leave "Mom gave that to me" which of course is correct, not "Mom gave that to I." I guess he learned something in those English as a Second Language classes.

See, you learned something today. Still doesn't take away from the fact that Khaled sounds stupid when he says it. But hey, he's so hood, he prolly doesn't even care. And with a video/song combo this vicious, I wouldn't either.

Big Brother is watching

Kanye Tudda performs "Big Brother" live at a secret concert in England. This song is sposed to be a candid reflection on his relationship with his "big bro" Jay-Z (pause.) I'm sure u all've heard about the whole 'Ye vs 50 Cent "soundscan showdown" on September 11. I'm lookin forward to Graduation, don't care about Curtis--pun intended. But if anything ppl, dead this desperate attempt to keep rap relevant and buy the Kenny Chesney album on September 11 just to prove a point. I'm highly considering it, and the last CD I bought was Black on Both Sides.

Better yet, buy the new street DVD featuring one of Jay-Z's former homeys, De-Haven. This dude useta run the street with Kanye's big brother back in the day and says the Jiggaman abandoned his duties as a friend. It's all interesting considering that ppl been takin shots at Jigga's character for quite some time, but when it was ppl like Cam'ron, we ignored him. (But really, can u blame anyone for ignoring Cam?) Then Jay snatched the Roc from Dame and things seemed a lil fishy, but I trusted that he prolly had good reason. It wasn't his lust for money and status that caused him to do that. It was prolly Dame's fault.

But now, iunno. I'm not ignoring the fact that some people hate, but when a lot of ppl start sayin the same thing, *shrugs* it's time to pay attention. Another one of President Carter's old homeys, Calvin Klein (a Brooklyn drug dealer, not the clothing designer) was on radio a month or so ago making similar claims about Jay's (lack of) character and integrity. He even went as far as to say that Jay has always been a "white boy" on the inside. Interesting. And then around the 3:20 mark in the video up top, 'Ye talks about how Jay went and snatched Coldplay right after Kanye went and told him he was gonna do a song with them. It doesn't take much to connect the dots here, but what does that say for the legacy of one of the most poetic and prolific rappers of all time? It certainly doesn't take away from his work, but legends become legends because, the magnitude of their achievements is fortified in some way by integrity of some sort.

But then again, maybe it just reveals his humanity. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence but owned slaves and banged one of em, Michael Jackson made Thriller but likes to sleep with little boys, R. Kelly... well, you see where I'm going. All great people are still people. They don't transcend their humanity by achieving fame. Still, I feel some type of way about the Jay thing (no homo). Rappers require authenticity. One of the worst ways to diss a rapper isn't to talk about what nasty things you're gonna do to his wife or daughter or how many times ur gonna shoot him and his entire neighborhood up, it's to attack his credibility. To reveal someone as a fraud, as an outsider masquerading as an insider. As someone who says one thing, but lives another. Know why Prodigy still hasn't recovered from Summer Jam 2001? Cuz Jay showed him in a tu-tu. You can't make "Shook Ones" and wear tu-tu's. I don't care how old you were. That's not hip-hop. The day you wear tights is the day you sign off on ever becoming any sort of gangster rapper. Better rap about politics or love nigga. Ain't no gun bustin' hapnin. I will not be robbed by a nigga who wore leotards. Forget half-way crooks, you'll be half-way dead son.

But I digress... (and i'm also kinda kidding. we call it "hyperbole")

People revere Jay because we came to believe that he rapped the truth. What happens if it turns out to be that Jay never lived it, he witnessed it from his folk's pad, scribbled in his notepad, and created his life?

In essence, I doubt that that is the case, but I do realize that the Big Homey is prolly not the nigga you trust. Separate the art from the artist. Look at what he's done. With romanticism comes revisionism (did I just make up a word?). Basically, when you romanticize anything--an event, a person, an object--it is inevitably followed by some sort of revision of that story. The Americans weren't so entitled to invade Mexico in the 19th century; JFK was a womanizer; Chinese toys kill babies with lead paint. Something happens to bring it all back in perspective.

Here's some perspective.

"I got niggas that'll blast for me... no religion"

If Complex Buyers' Guide is my personal bible... and not in that anti-Jesus kinda way but aesthetically speaking, Antenna which premiered this month, is like the Torah; bigger, more complicated, read from right to left i think, and old testament kinda hardcore. 200+ pages of random cool stuff from A-Z, literally. It takes the Houston slanguage of "havin thangs" to HNL* status. From vintage candy cigarettes to ridiculous bluetooth accessories, to Burton luggage, to PRPS Denim & Maharishi outerwear, Antenna kills it. Light on columns, heavy on gear. And despite the 7.95 price tag I got stuck with in Chicago's Midway Airport this weekend (to avoid paying for an issue of VIBEKingXXLoftheSource) the annual subscription price of $16 is dumb cheap for a lil religion.

Pz.

*Hol' Nutha Level

101 Posts and Running

Closing in on a year, You Hype! Sike Nah... recently passed the 100 mark in posts. We celebrated accordingly and, after our Salvadorian maid cleaned up the mess of half-empty bottles of Chandon and kicked out all the groupies the morning after, were left with the satisfactory feeling of having accomplished something. I started this as my means of maintaining sanity in what was one of the most vexing periods of my life. It was sposed to allow me to vent all the hot steam. I definitely had no idea how to "blog." My first post didn't even have a title. Not that there are any rules to this, but i got graphics and music now. The homie DKG joined the team and upgraded the jawn. Niggas is posting comments and ish (even if 90% are from Jeff). The homies in St. Louis always let me know they enjoyed reading it. What can I say other than uh... thanks? I really appreciate the love, cuz if yall didn't read this, it would really mean I was talking to myself, which is a sign of insanity. Thus, being that the blog's purpose was to prevent such a state, you, the people, are more responsible for maintaining my present (but fragile) state of sanity than you may think. So yeah, thanks.

Now, seeing as this is the first of the next hundred posts, I think i'm jus gonna ramble. Buckle up.

Last night, I went to the club with some friends for a birthday party. It was fun. (Note: "Fun" is a relative statement, based on factors like company and location. That is to say "Fun" in DC wit the niggas is not equivalent to "Fun" in Vegas with Paris Hilton and definitely not "Fun" in a Philadelphia nightclub.) I've come to a realization. Philadelphia is the San Francisco of big, black women. You know what Mecca means to Muslims or San Fran means to gays or Atlanta means to black men who call themselves straight but enjoy other men's privates? Yeah, Philly is that for big, black women. Sorry skinny heffas, you have no place in this city. Seriously, big girls run the club, or at least the ones I've been to (which really doesn't mean much). And the funny thing is, they come dressed to the hilt, clearly ready to party. Bony broads get no love. Big girls be wearing them freakum dresses, you know the "short and backless" jawns, but have you seen a fat black women in anything backless? There are an inexplicably infinite number of folds of skin. No details necessary, just use your imaginations.

Aside from the big girls, there is a second phenomenon that is strange in its acceptance among niggas. Some dangerously crunk nigga in the club last night decided to make it rain during T-Pain's "Buy You a Drink." I've yet to understand how or why this is an acceptable practice in anywhere but a strip club by individuals who ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY TO THROW AWAY LIKE USED KLEENEX. Regular niggas have no place doing that. Frankly, I don't believe you. Ur not caking like that. And yes, ur durn right I'm picking up any and every dollar bill that comes anywhere near me; and I know that in ur heart of hearts, you wish u were me, getting back the money I spent on drinks, rather than you, the foolish nigga blowing your unemployment check in the club. Cuz trust, I'm not too cool to be seen picking up money off the ground or grabbing it out the air. I'm broke and I ain't afraid to admit it. I hate paying cover and buying drinks. If I can get back ANY of that money, I consider it all worthwhile.

Speaking of things worthwhile, loyal readers know I stopped listening to (99% of) rap. It's gotten so bad that I didn't even hear that Plies song "Shawty" til like 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure, but I think it was sposed to be old by then. *Shrugs* oh well. [Insert title of the last Nas album here.] Outside of the catchy, ringtone-happy hook, can't say I missed much. And of course the whole MTV Brain Trust (tsk tsk for that name) was tryna inject some fire back into the game with their list. Oh well, I applaud them for the effort and for the list. With the exception of The Game (I've never been a fan of him) I won't completely hate on it. That said tho, I've been grooving to two pretty good albums that are pretty left of center. And guess what? That's right, I'm gonna put u on.

Alice Smith's For Lovers, Dreamers & Me is a pretty solid album by a pretty unknown talent. They played one of her tracks, "Dreams," on an episode of Entourage (the one where Turtle was sposed to bang the blonde chick in a bunny outfit) and I liked it enough to go surfing the net for the album. Download it by clicking the cover or click here.


Big ups to David Kenneth. If you downloaded the Pure White Audio Mixtape, then you'll recognize that Feist sang the cooky-but-catchy "My Moon My Man". I'll admit, this one may be a lil too left field for some of you. It doesn't come with any dance moves and I don't think Feist has a grill, but The Reminder is a great album despite these major shortcomings. She's Canadian anyway, iunt think they've learned about that stuff yet. Standout tracks are "So Sorry," "My Moon My Man," "Sealion" (a very fresh cover of the Nina Simone track "See Line Woman"), "The Limit to Your Love," "1234," and "Brandy Alexander." I just name-checked about half the album, so I guess I shoulda just said it was a good album. Click the album cover above to download it. Album's very chill tho. Definitely not what you play on ur way to a party, more like the joint you play during bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic to keep u calm. As Feist sings in "Brandy Alexander," "it goes down easy." Pause.

In other news, the never-ending struggle between me and higher education may (heavy on the unpredictability denoted by the use of "may") be drawing to a close. No, I'm not dropping out. What I have been doing is turning in papers on time and getting A's. Yes, big things are popping. My final paper is due this Thursday and will be the true test of my scholastic maturity. I might live up to this "potential" thing after all. Maybe I can finagle my way back to the M.S. ed. program again. We'll see.

Until then, I'll enjoy the present. I have exactly one month left of my summer break. The first day of school is September 10th, after that, it's back to the daily grind. But it's definitely a different feeling this go 'round. Like, I got my hands around the joystick (pause) and know what i'm sposed to be doing now. I plan on ruffling some feathers this year to combat the culture of failure at Tilden. Plans include: frequent field trips to expose and connect my kids to positive black people, a class garden, possible class mural, and some other things. Hopefully i'll be able to work out something for them to visit UPenn. I might be living at Tilden next year, but I don't mind. (Famous last words. Let's see if my tune changes in a couple months.)

For now though, life's all about trying to survive in heat that reminds me in some cosmic ancestral way of the Middle Passage. Luckily, a gang of storms came through this weekend and cooled us off. And did I mention I started reading a book? For fun? No bull. I picked up Coin of the Realm by Wash U Prof/Poet extraordinaire Carl Phillips. It's a prose work on the art and conventions of poetry. It's dense, but only cuz the nigga's intelligent. I'm sure he wouldn't like being referred to as "nigga" but oh well, I haven't received an email from Al Sharpton and even if I did, I'd prolly ignore it. Since Paul Mooney said he wasn't gonna say nigga no more, somebody's gotta take his place.

Call Me... "Mr. Nigga? Nigga Nigga?"

P.S. in my rush to deliver the freshest goods, the version of M.I.A.'s Kala on the blog doesn't have "Paper Planes." It's sposed to be track 11, right before "Come Around." Aqui

This is Mr. Nigga, signing off.

MTV's Hottest Rappers

MTV recently released their 10 Hottest Rappers List, and its caused quite the stir... lol

1. Lil' Wayne
2. T.I.
3. The Game
4. Andre 3000
5. Kanye West
6. Young Jeezy
7. Jay-Z
8. 50 Cent
9. Common
10. Jim Jones

Not to drag this one out any further, but I heard about the MTV list as well and I honestly wasn't put off by many of the decisions... If your criterion for this list is swagger, sales, "now" factor, and impact on the streets, with a hint of quality... we all know Wayne, T.I., and Jay were a lock for this list. Jay is a brand like never before, and everyone wants a feature from the "King of the South" and the "Best Rapper". As far as the rest, I'll be the first person to vouch for Jim Jones.

[pause]

By all means, Jim is trash... but there is something to be said for having the second most features on O.P.P. this year behind Wayne and Andre3000. Also there is something to be said for coming from Village People status in Hip-Hop fashion, to tricking the streets into wearing wallets chains, biker vests, and sagging Chip & Pepper low-rise jeans in a matter of 12 months. Jim stays.

50 stays, sheerly on track record and endorsements... because the streets are not f---ing with him anymore and no one is looking to him for fashion tips (did y'all see that monkey suit in the Ciara video!?)

Andre3000 is preparing the game for a vicious and much needed Outkast come back.Say what you want about 'Ye, but hip-hop needs him. Average rhymes or not, he maintains fashion icon status and his albums are actually anticipated (even though "Cant Tell Me Nothing" is subpar at best). Plus "Stronger" is DOPE!

I would actually question The Game's NOW factor, and toss him up with Young Joc & Lupe Fiasco... I know its weird, but Game has the numbers and skill minus the respect, Joc is the new millenium Ma$e minus lyrics, and Lupe caught a brick on sales, but maintained crazy exposure, crossover appeal, a shoe with Reebok and is a shining beam of hope for the commercial draw of lyric-driven rap.

Jeezy is the streets lol.

Common is more relevant than he's ever been, and at a time when Hip-Hop needs his diversity the most.

MTV hit it right on the head... with The Game, Lupe, and Joc in a cage match for the last spot.

[pause]

Hip-Hop is no longer about expression, or even b.s. commercial vs. real conflicts, its about survival in a depressed market. Downloads didnt destroy the game, nor did the South, the cross section of complacency and technology did. ANYONE with a laptop, software, a hookup with a hot DJ, and a camera for youtube can make a fire ringtone (seriously).Rappers dont make records, they make singles and ringtones, and the world is catching on. Rappers began treating albums like the Yankees, and forgot how to create something memorable that the people connect with. In the late 90's commercial boom of hip-hop, bigger meant better, but somewhere along the lines the essence was sacrificed. You can buy the most collaborations and expensive beats, but in 2007, that can't cover up the lack of talent or passion for the game.The reason only one album went platinum in the 2006 calendar year, is because only 3 other records had an equal or greater anticipation and they came out in the 4th quarter.

[i'm done]

With that said, my 10

1. Lil' Wayne (one hit away...)
2. Jay-Z ("Hov's a living legend and I'll tell you why/ Everybody wanna be Hov and Hov still alive")
3. T.I. (I'll forgive him for TI vs. TIP, he dropped 06's best album and upped the ante for the South)
4. OutKast (because Andre AND Big Boi are killing the game)
5. Lupe Fiasco (a musical genius developing at a crazy pace... beware his second release)
6. Pusha T (of the Clipse... thank them for cocaine anthems and BAPE)
7. Kanye West (decent lyricist, best hip-hop ARTIST in the game)
8. Nas (Hip Hop Is Dead gave me hope for 2007)
9. Common (Be was a modern classic, Finding Forever is life changing)
10. Ghostface Killah (most visual and entertaining rapper ever)

peace.

Perspective

So many times I'm, covering my eyes
Peeking through my fingers
Tryin' to hide my, frustration at the way that we treat...
(Seems like we don't even care)
Turn on the TV, seein' the pain
Sayin', "Such a shame,"
Then tryin' to go on with my life
Of that, I too, am guilty
(Seems like we don't even care)
So we send a lil' money, tell 'em it's alright
To be able to sleep at night
You will pay that price
While some of these folks lost their whole life
(Seems like we don't even care)
Now it wasn't on the nightly news no more
Suddenly it didn't matter to you no more
In the end almost nothing changed
What the hell, what was that for?
(Seems like we don't even care)




My heart goes out to those in Minneapolis, but I can't stop thinking about...


People was poor before the hurricane came
But when the downpour poured is like when Mary J. sang
Every day it rains, so every day the pain
But ignored them, and showed em the risk was to blame
For life is a chain, cause and effected
Niggas off the chain because they affected
It's a dirty game so whatever is effective
From weed to selling 'caine, gotta put that in effect
Wouldn't you loot, if you didn't have the loot?
Baby needed food and you stuck on the roof?
Helicopter swooped down just to get a scoop
Through his telescopic lens but he didn't scoop you
The next five days, no help ensued
They called you a refugee because you seek refuge
The Commander-in-Chief just flew by
Did he stop? No, he had a couple seats
Just proved, Jet Blue he's not
Jet flew by the spot
What if he ran out of jet fuel and just dropped?
Huh, that'd been something to watch
Helicopters doing fly-bys to take a couple of shots
Couple of portraits then ignored 'em
He'd be just another bush surrounded by a couple orchids
Poor kids, just 'cause they were poor kids
Left 'em on they porches. Same old story in New Orleans
Silly rappers, because we got a couple Porches
MTV stopped by to film our fortresses
We forget the unfortunate
Sure I ponied up a mill, but I didn't give my time
So in reality I didn't give a dime, or a damn
I just put my monies in the hands of the same people that left my people stranded
Nothin' but a bandit
Left them folks abandoned
Damn, that money that we gave was just a band-aid
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis this is my minority report
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis this is my minority report
-Jay-Z

See success and its outcome?

MINE! ALL MINE!!!

So the pic speaks to the last post. And no, I did not stand in a line. It was an easy cop. Almost bought 2 purrs. Word to Delmar Boulevard.

And oh, ya boy definitely got 100% on the paper he turned in (on time!) last week, so you can't tell me nothin'.

Tuhday wuz a guud day.

Got Caught Sleepin

So today I was chilling in my rather warm apartment. The heat at some point was starting to get to me so I decided to take an afternoon nap. I can do that, it's not like I have to teach or any (immediately impending) work to do. So I caught some Z's.

I woke up about 6:30ish and mulled around for a lil bit before I picked up my board and began surfing the web. To my utter surprise, I discovered this:



The Nike Mita Trainer Dunks. I know, you've never seen them before so go ahead, google them. Don't know how successful u'll be. No, you won't find these at the mall nor at ur 3rd rate sneaker spot. It's another reason why I love Philly and why I'm also dead broke, but that's neither here nor there.

They released here today at one of Philly's sneaker boutiques, at like 5 IN THE FRIGGIN AFTERNOON. In other words, mid-nap. Now, I definitely feel some type of way about all this. 1) Philly stores get most shipments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so that is almost always when new gear drops here. 2) Most shipments come between 1 and 3PM (don't ask me how or why I know this) so if it's past this time and a store hasn't updated their stocklist, then ur pretty safe to assume they're not getting them that day. 3) When I last spoke to someone at the store, they told me they were getting them in on Thursday, so I kinda rested easy on this release, assuming that I could get them easily on Thursday after class.

Now, to the store's credit, these were a very limited quickstrike release, which meant that the store really had no idea when they were gonna get the shoes, and it would not be unheard of for these to be delivered at an unorthodox time.

The problem:

1. The fact that they released this late in the day means that most of the city's sneakerfiends are in the same position as me. They're finding out after the shop's closed already. (They close at 7.)
2. Capitalism and commerce 101: Supply vs. Demand. You may not know much about the niche sneakerhead market, but i'm really normal compared to most ppl with this fetish. Scenes like this are not unheard of for limited sneaker releases. Now really, I am far too old and far too cool to stand in a line of high schoolers spending their allowances on some kicks. But I'm not exactly above the practice (lol). So basically, I expect for there to be a line of patrons at the shop's doors when they open at noon tommorow.
3. When do I have class tomorrow? 9am to 12noon. That's right, I get outta class when the store opens, i.e. when there are already 20 ppl salivating outside the store like fiends itching for a fix. And remember, this is a limited release. They may only have one or two pairs of each size. Where will I be? 40 blocks away in West Philly atoning for my sins last semester. AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Now, if I don't get the shoes, it won't really hurt my soul too badly. Just keeps money in my pocket. But this year's sneaker game has been akin to the Hip Hop game: not too many really good releases. Moreover, (yeah. "moreover".) I haven't been a fan of most the releases that have been hyped. (Example: See Nike Dunk SB MF Doom) So when there is a shoe that I like, and I know that it's out of the reaches of the proletariat, kinda makes the blood rush. pause.

Gives new meaning to "I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death," huh? Wish me luck tomorrow.

DJ Ken Paxton - Pure White Audio

Always one to show love when its due... I figured I'd hit youhypesikenah's constituents with a key of that good. As you know, we love music and you love free stuff so its a perfect deal. The following is 60 minutes of eclectic grooves you need in your life, mixed by yours truly, David Kenneth aka DJ Ken Paxton.


Pure White Intro
MIA - Bamboo Banger
Lloyd - Get It Shawty Remix (Feat. Lil Wayne & Big Boi)
Kid Sister - Pro Nails (Feat. Kanye West)
Feist - My Moon My Man
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Stronger Sample)
Kanye West - Stronger
P & The Yessirs - Number One (Feat. Kanye West)
Saturday Love/Last Night Mashup
Timbaland - The Way I Are (Feat. Keri Hilson)
Wale - Good Girls
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
Jones Girls - Nights Over Egypt
Cassie - Sometimes
Common - Driving Me Wild (Feat. Lily Allen)
Hero Interlude
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
SaRa - Hollywood
Wale - Ice Cream Girl
Andre 3000 - Int'l Players Anthem (verse)
Kanye West - Bittersweet (Feat. John Mayer)
Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking (Sean Paul 'Still In Love' Sample)
Plies - Shawty (Feat. T-Pain)
Dynasty - Adventures in the Land of Music (Luchini Sample)
Camp Lo - Luchini
Prince - Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Feat. Q-Tip)
P & The Yessirs - Mamacita (Feat. Daddy Yankee)
Fonzworth Bentley - Everybody (Feat. Andre 3000 & Kanye West)
Gemini - We On (Feat. Lupe Fiasco)
Starship Outro (Prod. by The Paxtons)

Enjoy

Nothing subpar about the subcontinent

M.I.A.'s latest album, Kala. Click on the album cover to download.

I'm only 3 tracks deep as I post this, but so far so-friggin-good. And yeah, MTV came out with their "10 Hottest MC's in the Game"[/pause] list. M.I.A. is hotter than all of them... except 3000 and Weezy (no homo). Yes, I'm gonna say she's hotter than even Common.

pause.

Speaking of which, BE > Finding Forever. I kinda knew it wasn't gonna be as good as soon as I saw the album cover. If you've seen it, you might get my drift. That doesn't mean it's not an alright album, the production is definitely great, and the lyrics are good, but they're far from Mr. Sense's best. I feel like they already released the best songs. Obviously, Comm needs to take a page outta Kanye's book as far as marketing goes.

But yeah, back to M.I.A. Top 3 Hottest in the Game right now. She and her sound are definitely love or hate, but if u hate it then it's prolly cuz ur lame. No, really, I'm being serious. I could expound upon why only lame ppl would hate her but then u'd be reading this for another 2 hours as I talked about music, politics, race, ideologies, history, and ringtones (yeah nigga. ringtones). But I'll keep all that to myself. Just don't be surprised if you tell me you think she sucks and I stop talking to you. I would say it's not personal, but it is. I try to make sure all my friends IQ's are above 12 respectively. (So yes, you can like DipSet and still be my friend). But telling me that you hate M.I.A. would inform me that you are far beneath that baseline.

Surf the internets and find the video for one of the best (and craziest) songs, "Boyz." BTW, it's a great song to do the Sponge Bob Dance to.

Call me... (somewhat) big on the underground.

School Daze

You gotta know I was feeling this. I teach in the hood, son. This might be Room 401's theme song come September.

knowledge of self

K-Os "Crucial"

nuff sed.

Remember "Tip Drill"?

Pause.

Discuss.

Intuition is there even when my vision's impaired

Raul Midon. I would recommend listening first, then coming back to watch and listen.

P.S. Dood's blind. Don't know if he's counting 1's or 50's.

Damn right, I kiss my daddy

Does Baby know ur "single and ready to mingle" Wayne?

I read somewhere that "Weezy F. Baby" stands for "Weezy [effs] Baby." Sorry for the expletives ppl. I try to keep it PG-13, but there's only so much u can edit with these potty-mouth rappers (pause).

David Kenneth's True DC Stories

As a new contributor to You Hype? Sike Nah... I feel the need to hit u with one of the classics:

"So I'm downtown in DC last night, at this little spot called Eyebar. I didnt really expect too much taking a few things into consideration...

Its Tuesday.
Its a bar called Eyebar, which happens to be on I Street.
What are the chances of a bar, catchily named after its street, popping on a Tuesday.

But then again what were the chances of a plane hitting the Pentagon? Clearly anything goes in the nation's capitol. Regardless, after getting bounced from the VIP section by Miami Heat star Eddie Jones and his 4 goons, I could tell this wasn't a normal tuesday night happy hour. Upon hitting the second floor I saw more Heat players in one reserved section, and Roc-A-Fella artist/ Jim Jones' latest wedgie threat, Tru Life w/ entourage in the other.

First note. NBA listings couldnt be farther from the truth. (6'6" Jones was my height and 6'8" Dorell Wright was as tall as Chris)
Second note. If they look lame on the court, chances are their real-life persona isnt too far off. (Case in point, Antoine Walker)
Third note. Rappers are flesh & blood people, just like us, with equally thin skin and insecurites (Enter Tru Life...)

The cold-hard facts about Jay-Z's latest protege.
Tru Life's VIP was packed with 6 niggas as compared to Walker and Wright's 6 groupies
The entire entourage, including Life, were Roc-A-Wear'd out but made sure to keep their chains tucked
When the DJ played his new single which nobody seems to know, the floor cleared, as he snatched the mic and proceeded to spit his own adlibs

and the true highlight of the evening...

As the DJ teased the crowd with the opening sample from Jim Jones' "Ballin", one of Tru Life's entourage got a bit caught up and prematurely through up the Fadeaway... only to have it yanked down by the visibly bitter rapper. After which, the DJ assured him, "dont worry Tru, we got you" and played Jay-Z's "Brooklyn" freestyle to the same beat, much to his delight.

The moral of the story... professional athletes lie about their height and rappers are emotional."

Summer Soft

Today's the unofficial last day of my summer break. It really hurts on the inside. Like really. Oh well, put a heel on a gym shoe and get grown, Mr. Garr. I'll get over it.

Knocked Up deleted scene - Kuni Gone Wild

There isn't a word in the english language to describe how hilarious this is. If you haven't seen "Knocked Up" yet, ur lame.

Shalom.

Under my um-ber-ella... ella... ella...

decided to blow the dust off an old poem. read it. read into it. but don't read too much into it. and oh, it's long. ha.

Broken: a poem in parts

I. Clouds

my fist can’t break
through the paper bag of
my thoughts, tree rings leading
only to themselves. (what do my words make) since
this straw hat keeps the light
out of my eyes the heat
empties out of my head in ribbons that

tie knots in the air
there is work to be done

things to hold onto
blesséd gossamer threads
to stick to something, anything
strong enough to carry the weight
of my thin filament.


II. Do you love me

The question marks
my anxiety, establishes
the border between
that which is and cannot be
said without compromise
and fear held without conquest;
but oh, so lonely, with nothing
to say.


III. Rosebush

How peacefully do these waters fester
Held at bay by the strength of men
The hand of man immortalized in concrete slabs
And the city beneath that most mighty palm
Sifting nonchalance within itself
Unaware of the danger in a trickle.

And you, a buttress breeched, must hold back the ocean’s tide
In the face of the moon, must dam yourself unto yourself,
A broken spirit flooded into the chaos of equilibrium.


IV. Mourning Lovesickness

At first, I told myself
that it was my heart
sunken into my belly
that shook my stomach
every morning, dragging
me down to my knees
before this porcelain altar
to spill my guts.

I am lovesick,
me said, searching
the water for heart-chunks
among the morn’s vomit,
so sick of love
that I came head-bent
before a toilet as if in
daily ritual prayer
over some gestating sacrifice.

As the anger waned,
the pang in my belly grew,
each morning’s release making room
for divine intervention,
the sanctity found only in sin;

My knees buckled
to better carry the weight
I couldn’t stand.


V. Broken

Everything seemed to come
down in pieces. Even the rain
fell like glass: as if her soul had fallen
like a brick through some window
in heaven. She, with no umbrella
left, to wade sole-deep in a sea of piece
and fragment, shard and crumb.

Rain spilled from heaven’s floor like mop water,
in thick, heavy strings—yarn
that poked persistently at her dogged body
as though she were a needle. Drops reaching into her
stomach like a bullet. A slug, this bellied burden, whose growth bore
down and into her with each dribble of fallen cloud,
each fleeting dash of rain. She could not escape:
there were icy puddles in the pockets of her raincoat
that drowned her clenched, knotted hands.

Still, the clouds extinguished themselves above her,
bleeding drop by drop, resolute in their confusion
to empty as well as fill. Maybe standing
in the midst of it all,
she understood.

She, drenched and jeweled, beaded with rain,
baptizing the strange fruit of sorrow. Rainwater broke her
cheeks and crawled through the tracks of her
years.

Her eyes were dry,
now.

The writing on the wall

Leda, After the Swan
by Carl Phillips

Perhaps,
in the exaggerated grace
of his weight
settling,

the wings
raised, held in
strike-or-embrace
position,

I recognized
something more
than swan, I can't say.

There was just
this barely defined
shoulder, whose feathers
came away in my hands,

and the bit of world
left beyond it, coming down

to the heat-crippled field,

ravens the precise color of
sorrow in good light, neither
black nor blue, like fallen
stitches upon it,

and the hour forever,
it seemed, half-stepping
its way elsewhere--

then
everything, I
remember, began
happening more quickly.

Pause.

It's 3.5 minutes, but all u need to see is the first 30 seconds, pay specific attention at 22-25 seconds.

That is all.

Just bob your head like you get it

Click the album cover to download. Rap ambassador for the capital, fresh off the international tour with Mark Ronson (who just released his album Version state-side.) Long-awaited, but well worth it. I love hip hop.

The Burning Bush

Find it.

Bring down my blood pressure

What happens when u lock Kanye, Swizz Beats, and Drag-On (yes, Drag-On. That's not a typo) in a trailer with a video camera. (Can I get "No Homo" for $800, Alex?)

Same old song

"Rap has gradually degenerated from an art form into a ring tone. It's a hip catchphrase or a musical riff with a short shelf life. It has a novelty element that captures the listener's imagination, but it's not a song. It won't build a career. That's why we're seeing this backlash."

read the article.

bad hip hop raises my blood pressure. seriously.

P.S. I got 4 hours of Funkmaster Flex blacking out on the 4th with gutta 90's hip hop. Beautiful. Also, Flex played The Mad Rapper a couple weeks ago and publicly rebuffed the "stop snitchin'" movement as well as the state of hip hop. You know it's a problem when Flex is pissed.

Flex is You hype! Sike nah...'s first Hero of the Week.



And lastly, I un-DS'ed my Bobbito Air Force 1's today. ("un-DS": to wear for the first time.) Them thangs are beautiful. Perfect shoe for the summer.

Well whuddaya know

I have much more music than I actually listen to. Randomly, looking for another song, found this on my computer.
Project Pat - "I Choose You" http://www.zshare.net/audio/2575534b556e24/

sound familiar, don't it?

Spell iPhone, Mexican.

I found this picture of 5 grass cutters (with 7 iPhones) hilarious. Is this why they swam across the Rio Grande? Two drop 4-5 stacks on phones? Yes I'm racist. Yes I'm hating.


And while I'm hating, how bout something a lil more justified?

Here's the mayor of Philadelphia, John Street, waiting in line for an iPhone on Friday. He was 3rd in line and got there at 3:30am. Yes, 3:30 in the morning. Watching this, you wouldn't think that Philadelphia is the deadliest major city in the U.S. Or maybe you would. With leadership like this, no wonder the city's crumbling.

Needless to say, not too many ppl were happy when they discovered this. Watch this video of a tax-paying, city government employee, rip Mayor Street a new one.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=952695&cl=3202261&src=news

Oh the irony

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mnr08b

Download the album. Make sure u have winrar so u can open the file. (If u don't have winrar, google it and download it. It's free.) Be patient. Sendspace is kinda slow.

So about the album. All I have to say is it's a white boy (obviously) whose album is entitled "S.O.S.: Save Our Soul" (Captain Obvious strikes again). Hence the title. It's 11 tracks, 10 of which are covers of soul classics. If you read this blog as much as I do, then you should see where I'm taking this. (If u don't then holler at "The Curse of Ham" post from March 19.) White boy. Sings soul. Kills it. Like "send chills up ur spine and catch the holy ghost" kills it.

Just so u know what I mean when I say he kills it, Mr. Broussard did a cover of Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". If you know me, then you know that my all-time favorite artist is Donny Hathaway. Yes, I like Donny more than Jay-Z. (That means a lot. No homo.) Since I'm such a Donny Hathaway fan, I am a VERY harsh critic of any person who feels like they should desecrate a studio by doing a cover of any of his songs. I've yet to hear ONE individual cover a Donny Hathaway song and it sound OK, much less good or even great. Iunno what it is, nobody but Donny can get there.

So I'm listening to Marc Broussard kill track after track on this CD. It gets to track 5, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". I'm a nervous skeptic. I'm like, nobody's ever kilt a Donny song except Donny. But I'm also like, this dude just kilt the first 4 tracks. And finally I'm like, he's white! So I'm feeling quite ambivalent.

Let's just say that before about 20 minutes ago, I had never heard another singer other than Donny Hathaway do a Donny Hathaway song justice. Now there's only one other person, and he's white. I feel some type of way about all this.

Moral of the story: Download the CD. Enjoy it. It's great music. Too bad he wasn't black.

But to restore some vestige of hope, here's a new one from Teedra Moses. If you don't know who she is, see if u can find the best R&B album of the decade Complex Simplicity somewhere. It's the best CD you never heard of.

Anyway, her next album's been due for quite some time. This is sposed to be the first single. It samples a familiar soul record. (I always try to keep a theme with these posts)

"Love's Gonna Be" - Teedra Moses
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5og2h4
http://rapidshare.com/files/39773795/lovesgonnabe.mp3

2 links. Same song. In case one's down, try the other. If neither work, then u better hope u have VIP access to my music. Otherwise, it's limewire for youuuuuuuuu.

Cuz it's black music month

...and also the month of my bday, and the beginning of summer, I'm gonna bless yall.

Now, those who know me know that I am the self-proclaimed King of the Playlist. I can do magic with an 80 minute blank cd. Since I've been in the real world (and moved my music to the external hard drive) I lost all my former playlists and haven't had much time to make new ones. But don't cry for me argentina, the truth is I never left you. This summer is all about destroy and rebuild.

The following fits on an 80 minute cd, for those without mp3 players.
I call it "Real Niggas Light Candles"

"These Streets" - Paolo Nutini
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476217505ab31/
"Fame" - Citizen Cope
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476239270b3a9/
"'Round Midnight" - Thelonious Monk
http://www.zshare.net/download/2476293b60ddc4/
"Peachtree Blues" - Janelle Monae
http://www.zshare.net/audio/24763126e78bd6/
"Giving Up" - Donny Hathaway
http://www.zshare.net/audio/24763656156487/
"Sideways" - Citizen Cope
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476258c46704c/
"Mr. Curiosity" - Jason Mraz
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476389d9158e6/
"Open Your Eyes" - Bobby Caldwell
http://www.zshare.net/audio/24764050a5b775/
"Where Did My Baby Go" - John Legend
http://www.zshare.net/audio/247643169bcf84/
"If It's Magic" - Stevie Wonder
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476453c26e661/
"I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good" - Nina Simone
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476469e1d249a/
"Love Is You" - Chrisette Michele
http://www.zshare.net/audio/247650525e4e19/
"Ne me quitte pas" - Nina Simone
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2476488d3faf39/
"Chariot" (stripped)- Gavin DeGraw
http://www.zshare.net/audio/24765223536f57/
"To Be Young, Gifted & Black" - Donny Hathaway
http://www.zshare.net/audio/24765579b708d2/

(FYI: The Citizen Cope songs have different names than what the actual songs are. )

For a proper, full-bodied, listening experience, one must play the following in order. Nothing is coincidental. So when the sun goes down, open the windows, let the summer breeze wrap round ur legs, light a candle, take a seat, prop ur feet on a coffee table, and close ur eyes...

Call Me... too grown for kidz bop.

Is Kanye kissin on Cassie?

P.S. "International Player's Anthem" still holds the title for video of the year. This didn't even come close.

I Choose You

Video of the Year. Leave it to Andre Benjamin.

It's not just me.

So Wale has appeared on a few remix tracks by british/new york DJ/Producer Mark Ronson. If you were smart, you downloaded Version when I posted a link a month or so ago. Just found a new Wale joint with him rapping over "Outversion" (which happens to be one of my favorite tracks off the aforementioned album).

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xrxd2t

I could be a professional "tastemaker," except I'm too much of a music snob.

P.S. I'm bout to take a nap, but i'll prolly add another post, seeing as it's May 31 and June, also known as "The Final Month of School," begins tomorrow. stay tuned...

Oy

Vey.


Yes. This was worth a post.

P.S.
Daft Punk - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
Edwin Birdsong - "Cola Bottle Baby"
Thom Yorke - "The Eraser"

If you have Kanye's Can't Tell Me Nothing Mixtape, you'll understand.

But yeah, back to the point. Oy. Vey.

It's ME snitches!!!

http://rapidshare.com/files/33563841/Chrisette_Michelle-I_Am-_Advance_-2007-RAGEMP3.rar

For those who read this regularly, there are a number of artists for whom I feel the need to champion at every possible moment. Chrisette Michelle is one of these artists. Her debut album is due soon I guess, but this is the album sampler. 5 solid (and pretty wholesome) R&B tracks. Girl's got a full jazzy-r&b voice a la Jill Scott. I'm sure there will be plenty comparisons between the two.

And while I'm on the subject, how bout a new track from Jill?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3vgg34 ->It's a banger.



Name some artists you know I always talk about: Ms. Winehouse, Wale, Janelle Monae. hmm.. What about Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" with a verse from Wale thrown on for good measure? Here ya go, "Rehab" remix featuring Wale.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/2007533bf5cf30/

And here's one with just Wale. "Rediscover Me." It's kinda old, but what's old to me is always new to you.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ezbnbz



And if you thought I was gonna bring up Ms. Monae without putting you onto something, u'd... prolly be justified, but i'm not gonna be grimy like that. The bootleggers over at Purple Ribbon are keepin the cap on tight for her first album, Metropolis. It's gonna be quite an ambitious album (or rather "Suite" of albums). Either way holler at her MySpace page and listen to the first single off the new album, "Violet Stars Happy Hunting." The girl's quirky in a "cool-at-first-but-weird-and-unsettling-after-a-while" way. Me gusta!

http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae


In other news, Common's got a few tracks making their way around the "internets," and Kanye's looking to do big things with Graduation. Just heard a nice lil Talib track today. Nope, no links, you greedy leeches. Be happy with what I gave you.

Ok ok, how bout a snippet of what's rumored to be Kanye's first single off Graduation?
http://www.zshare.net/audio/204110512f8b38/

There. Happy now?

Call me... the musical acrobat.

This is a Public Service Announcement

STOP WEARING WALLET CHAINS

Save the first installment, updates to Greazy's Gear Guide are few and far between. But as the summer approaches, and I think of things that annoy me when I'm in the streets of Philly, I feel the need to educate my brothers and sisters.

Black people, if you thought wallet chains were lame in high school, then they still are. They belong with one group of people: hard-core rockers. A wallet chain is not suddenly hiphop jus cuz DipSet and Lil Wayne started rocking them. Let's be serious here folks. What is your wallet chain even connected to? I've yet to see one person connect his or her wallet chain to an actual wallet, which is what the durn chain is meant for anyway. I don't care how much you paid for it or how many skulls are on it. I don't care that you think it matches your extra slim fit skull and crossbones thermal undershirt that you've decided to wear with your mathcing skull and crossbones belt with rubies in the eyes of the skulls. Take it all off (no homo). You look ridiculous. In a couple years you're gonna look at that picture of you with 4 wallet chains and think "Why in the name of all that's holy did I dress like that?"

So for those of you who were thinking about going to that stand that sells wallet chains and belts that light up, I hope this will dissuade you. Some trends were never meant to be followed. If I see you wearing a wallet chain, I'm gonna think you're lame. And that will be because you are.

Now ladies, when, where, how, why did weave and wigs become such a fashion staple for black women? I mean what ever happened to taking care of your real ("My hair is real!" "Shush. It doesn't grow out ur cot durn scalp, woman") hair. I mean really, it's the friggin status quo to go to the hair dresser bald and come out with a head full of hair cut from Chun Li, a Chinese immigrant girl who makes her way through the world fighting in streets among the likes of metrosexual Spaniards and Mike Tyson wannabes. Whatever happend to a perm? A press and curl? Do hair dressers even know how to do that anymore or is it like the 8-track player? "Come in, sit down, and lemme stick this suction cup on ur head so I can needle-and-thread 9 inches of jet-black stringy hair that makes even ur baby hairs look nappy. And yeah, I'ma style it and give you bangs too." Bangs? Weave bangs? I mean, you didn't even have enough healthy hair to pull off bangs? Yes, I know, we've never seen how much hair Beyonce really has, but it's Beyonce, and as long as Jay's happy, she can get as much million dollar weave as she wants. Last time I checked, none of you were her. (Correct me if I'm wrong tho.)

Despite what most would assume, I would much rather see a woman who took care of the hair growing out her scalp--short or long--than a woman who's funding communism by spending her child support checks on Chinese hair or, worse yet, wigs, instead of buying some formula for her baby. No, it doesn't have to be bone straight. It just has to be healthy. Nothing worse than a woman with a fresh 'do and a spoiled everything else. Where are your priorities?

Now that I've got that off my chest, on to some things for the summer. Fellas, a few must-haves:

White shoes. This should be a no-brainer. It's bout to be friggin summer. What are you doing not wearing white? Preferably more than one pair: a low top sneaker and a high top one, as well as a loafer. Pass on the lace-up hard bottoms though.

Chancletas: Yes, I know you wallet-chain wearers are cringing about the thought of what your hero Cam'ron "Get a shot of my [kiddie] pool in the back" Giles would say about you wearing sandals or flip-flops but let's be real, when the heat really kicks in, we all need to let our toes breathe. Let Cam wear his Timbs to the beach. Besides, what's less gangsta, sandals or facials?


Don't forget to exfoliate Jimmy!

That's it. As far as me, I'm doing the same I've always done. More sneakers u think are ugly today but will be asking me about in a couple months, tee shirts you don't understand, thrift store dress shirts, fresh fitteds, and japanese selvage denim.

P.S. ya boy's bday is coming up. I'm thinking about a week-long celebration here in Philly. Start a grease fire in the city, "ya dig?" [said like Weezy]. That reminds me, I gotta wax philosophical about The Carter 3 soon. Another post. Another day.

Call Me... "the trapeze artist"

Has it really been a month?

So yeah, I haven't posted anything on here in a long time. In fact, it's my first post for the month of May. And those youtube posts really don't count for much, seeing as I didn't really say anything. Either way, I hope the month long reprieve afforded all you procrastinators a chance to get caught up on schoolwork and the like. I know I didn't get any work for UPenn done, but I'm hoping you people are smart enough to not look at me as a model of exemplary scholarship.

So it's May. The end of May at that. What's happened? Well, near the beginning of the month I had an itch to spend money (it's prolly more accurately characterized as "psoriasis" and not an "itch"). I had been seriously contemplating upgrading my computer and getting a laptop, but we all know I can't afford to drop a stack like that. So as I walked around the UPenn Tech shop, I came across some backup hard drives. So I copped 250 gigabytes of fresh hard drive and rushed home.

The result: Roberto Miguel de Dell is no longer on life support like he's been for the past 4 years. I emptied my hard drive of all my music and loaded it all onto my new hard drive. Plus, I finally upgraded and downloaded iTunes. So for those VIPs who still have access to My Music folder, you've prolly noticed that it's scant. Now you know why. And no, I'm prolly not sharing my new hard drive for you vultures. :-) But I will let the new joints marinate in My Music folder before I delete them for good from Roberto Miguel.

Now that I have 250gb to fill, I've taken the time I useta spend blogging and finding all the random music I always wanted to have but couldn't. Complete Stevie Wonder discography? Pretty much got it. Random rock albums? Got them joints too. Old school hip hop albums? Slowly but surely building the library. So yeah, me and my first love have been romancing heavy.

So then there's Tilden. Hmm... can I tell you that I love my job? Like really. I'm not being sarcastic here folks. My school is still a hellhole in the heart of Southwest Philly. The kids are still not the brightest crayons in the box. The administration is as disjointed and catty as ever. But I love it all. My kids make me laugh every single day. No matter what happens between me and a student (or me and a group of students), I always win. (This is very important. Teachers must always win in order to maintain authority and loyalty. Watch animal planet and you'll understand.) I don't have to actually carry around my "consequence chart" like I used to. My kids listen and they work. It's kinda great.

My sneaker collection has exploded. It now takes up 2 closets. It's quite disgusting. And with the summer coming, things can only get worse. Plus, New Balance is now going all out on fresh colorways, so I guess my other love affair is gonna continue as well.

Was this as boring as I think it was? Prolly so. Kinda hard to pack an entire month into one post. Oh well, it's not like you need to know everything anyway. Touch your nose... you're being nosy.

I believe you

I see u Corinne... Cover of JT's "Sexyback"

Gobble gobble gobble

British Band covers Amerie's "One Thing"

"It's a secret society; all we ask is trust"

good luck kids.

Shop talk

Is it just me, or does a fresh line make you the most confident man this side of the River Jordan?

Why is getting your hair washed (by a female--never a dude) so relaxing?

Little Lily

"Littlest Things" Lily Allen

One of my favorite songs on the album. Youtube is a monster.

and for those interested, it samples some theme song from a french show or something called "Emmanuelle" by Pierre Bachelet. google that jawn.

Inner memories mar my mind...

http://www.vh1.com/vspot/player.jhtml?name=music&id=1556642&purl=/artists/az/winehouse_amy/artist.jhtml&launchedFrom=/artists/az/winehouse_amy/artist.jhtmlSo

I've been waiting patiently for the Live MTV/vh1 Amy Winehouse performance since I saw photos from the performance a few weeks ago on mtv.com. Today, they finally put the actual videos online. 4 songs: "You Know I'm No Good," "Rehab," "Back to Black," and "Love is a Losing Game." Her only accompaniment is an acoustic guitar.

The result: chill-inducing, gut-wrenching soul. Amy's been getting a lotta press lately. Usually when such a thing happens, you reach a point where you're just like "Enough already. She's good, but she's not that good." But the thing with Amy is, she really is that good. And not just in a musical sense, but in an artistic sense.

Believe the hype. All of it. Watching this performance made me love her and pity her simultaneously. Just listening to it put Koiner "in the land of the lost," but it was watching it that really twists ur guts and chills u to the core. She sounded like something between a cello and a trumpet, the strength, the delicacy, the beauty. But watching her, you knew that these weren't just songs. It wasn't a singalong. She was revealing herself to us, and it seemed as if she wasn't sure that we had earned such a privilege. She sat on her barstool as though she were naked and forced to be there. Watching it made me feel like I was, in some way, violating her. She never smiled, not even a grin to accent some of the witty lines that make her album so enjoyable. Her eyes stayed down, she never looked into the camera. At times, it seemed as though she weren't even there mentally. It seemed as though she was looking back into her past, sadly reminiscing of the heartache that produced an album so drenched in lonely torment.

I think much of this had to do with her simple accompaniment. There is an added level of comfort and security when you share the stage with a band and backup singers. (Indeed, it allows many of our less talented stars to camoflauge their lack of talent as well.) It can also infuse a performer with confidence. However, with minimal accoutrement, the covers are pulled back. Someone could be a very emotive singer in a choir, but suddenly become a shy mouse as a soloist. The crab no longer has his shell or his claw, it's pure meat. (I'm a cancer; i had to get that in.) And what I saw today in Amy, was that behind the wit and deprecating humor was pure sorrow. A sorrow like fire, refining her to the point of producing a true masterpiece in Back to Black, but also destroying her, consuming her like her well-publicized bouts with alcoholism and depression. Watching her sing "I just need a friend," during her performance of "Rehab," you're left thinking that it wasn't meant tongue-in-cheek. She really needs a friend. Her disillusionment at that point is almost tearfully palpable. You see--no, you feel--why and how a shot glass became a dependable anchor to a person plagued by dissapointment.

*Cue Ms. Angelou*

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hillfor the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Call Me... marred by memories of the "Littlest Things"

Sharing is caring

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W9ND2BE4
^click and get. It's a zip file.

Now you too can act like a hipster at the next cool-guy shindig. First Mark Ronson, now Lily Allen? That's two free albums from ppl you've never heard of. I must be gettin soft.

Call Me... The Giver.

P.S. Don't tell the RIAA.

"They 'Youtubed' us? SHOOT THE VIDEO!"

Between Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and his own album, Mark Ronson rules my media player right now. Here's the video for "Stop Me." Apparently, the song is burning up the UK charts (for good reason).



And here's the original version of the song by The Smiths.




Happy Easter folks. I'm headed home for the weekend. Sweet potato pie is waiting for meeeeeeeeee!!!

Call Me... no wait, stop me :-)

One more reason why I only watch HBO

"It's a miracle our government hasn't outlawed fat white women."

If you have HBO OnDemand, try and watch the whole episode.

Now I don't necessarily agree with his stance on drugs, (Maher is a pothead), but you gotta admit that ole head brings up some very good points.

Call Me... before I post again

Iran knows something we don't

http://www.rapidsafe.net/rc-QTY4MmN3UTM/Mark_Ronson-Version-_Promo_-2007-SAW.rar

^click this link to download the album

Mark Ronson is the man behind the boards on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. His sister (Samantha Ronson) was signed to Rocafella back in the day but nothing really ever came of it (surprise). Either way, you ppl know I don't like sharing, but it's no real point in hoarding all this. Version is an album of covers, retooled by Ronson. Because u care, here are my personal faves: "Oh My God" Lily Allen, "Stop Me" Daniel Merriweather, "Valerie" Amy Winehouse, and "Outversion." "Stop Me" is definitely one-song playlist worthy. (And I'm sure this doesn't need mentioning, but all these folks are melanin-deficient. Merriweather is from the Land Down Under.)

And while I'm on the subject, holler at Lily Allen's album Alright Still. She's not another Amy Winehouse, and I feel bad for putting yall onto her after Amy cuz Amy's such a hard act to follow, but she's worth your attention too. Lily's pure pop tho. She also has a remix to her song "Smile" produced by Mark Ronson and featuring Wale, the best thing coming outta DC since the Republican Congressional majority.

The second wave of the British invasion is in full swing. Hope u folks have ur white flags ready. They'll need some place to run to after Iran gets done punking them.

P.S. U need to download winrar to open the file in the link. It's a .rar file which is like a .zip file. Don't say I never did nuthin for ya...

Call Me... but I prolly won't pick up.

Supply and Demand

So a lotta nothing's been happening of recent. I've informally been removed from the grad program at UPenn and placed into the Teacher's Certificate program. It's okay, don't shed any tears over it cuz I won't. I'm dissappointed in myself, but really it's for the better, and it'll save me quite a bit of dinero next year. Plus, I have an automatic hook-up (and a possible discount) should I decide to finish the Master's program at UPenn in the future. What it amounts to (pun intended) is about $10,000 less and class one weekend a month next year. (No Thursday classes!) I'm happy to say there are no hard feelings between me and the director of my grad program, the mother of DJ Drama.

On Friday, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. James Spady at the UPenn bookstore. If u don't know who he is, google him. I'm not wasting time to explain. Anyway, he teaches at UPenn and was speaking about a book he and two other ppl just published on Hip Hop. I went to meet him and one of the other authors, H. Samy Alim, but Alim was stuck in Cali and couldn't make it to UPenn. Oh well, I still got an autographed book. (Yes, I'm a nerd. Stop hating.)

Now, Spring is officially here, and with summer around the corner, all the retailers are breaking out the goods for the sunshine. Luckily, instead of going broke, I might make a few bones. Why you ask?

Because of these limited Nike Air Force One's. I know. You're looking at them and ur like "OK, enough about shoes already. It's just leather and rubber, Jonathan. And these aren't even that special looking." Yes, I'll admit, these really aren't that special. (They have some nice details tho). The real story behind the shoes is this: they are limited to Nike's top-of-the-line "Tier 0" retail accounts. Translation: you can't get em at the mall, only at cool-guy shops. Tier 0 accounts are located only in NYC, Cali, and--as of a few weeks ago--Philadelphia. The one and only store in Philly with a Tier Zero account is supposed to get them in sometime this week and when they do, Mr. Garr will buy at least four pair.

Why? Because I can expect to get at least 150% return on my investment by selling them to ppl all over the country who are making messes in their pants every time they see them. I used to be one of those ppl, sitting in his dorm room in the god-forsaken midwest, looking at shoes only available on the coasts and stabbing my hands with spoons because I knew I'd have to sell a woman's ovaries to get the cash to buy them from a reseller. My oh my, how the tables have turned. Except the game isn't easy as it was 3 years ago. Reselling sneakers is much harder to do profitably (I'll save u the explanations why) and profits from reselling have gone down substantially. Still, there's money to be made when the right shoe drops at the right time, and at the right places (and by "right places" I mean as few places as possible). It's pure economics. You don't need a degree from Olin or Wharton for that one.

Call Me..."Ur Pusha"