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.