... as some of you might have noticed, i did sell some of my higher valued shoes in the near past.
You might have thought: "Why the fk does he sell them?"
Well, here is the answere: I tried to reduce the collection to what I really like and wear. Getting rid of all the stuff that has been tried on or at max. been worn 1-2 times and been locked in the boxes since.
Some are gone now, some are gonna get sold sooner or later.
Plus it gives you a nice little cashflow ;)
So i re-structured my spendings a little bit... See the pics ;)
I hope everyone is fine.
If you want, drop me an email to ch.westermeyer @ me.com
P.s.:
If you know someone who wants to buy some MTV YO! Raps Clyde (Pink ones) in a 14... let me know!
First let me preface this by saying I've always been a fan of astronomy, but don't expect this to be any kind of a current event or newsworthy post. I've studied my fair share of astronomy and I've seen just about every show that ever existed on basic cable about the field. One of them in particular summed up the universe better than any other I'd seen: Journey to the Edge of the Universe onNatGeo. Because of those pesky copyright laws, the closest video I could find was about the most important picture ever taken, be it much more compact and to the point. I appreciate its bluntness, I suppose.
Okay, look it. We live in an excruciatingly boring little neighborhood in the Universe. Our planet orbits an ordinary star in an ordinary galaxy. The Sun is one little star out of billions or trillions. The Milky Way is an average little galaxy in an average little cluster of galaxies in a super cluster of galaxies, one galaxy out of billions, which each contain billions or trillions of stars just like the sun. The picture above is only the tip of the iceberg. This is a picture looking 13 billions years into the past, and it contains an estimated 10,000 galaxies, each of them with billions upon billions of stars.
Now here comes the depressing part: I don't know how anyone can explore astronomy and not feel insignificant. The Universe is an impossibly enormous, cold, dark place. And quite frankly, we live in a BORING, quiet little neighborhood where nothing bad could ever go wrong. And oh my god could it go wrong. We could be facing extintion, meerlightyears away from being sucked into a black hole, or in the process of violently merging with another galaxy all together. The question is, will we be around long enough to see anything truly cosmically interesting happen, and will we be able to do anything about it?
The fact of the matter is, and this is a pivot point necessary to appreciate the Apollonian perspective, we're stardust floating on a rock in the vacuum of space. We are nothing, and we are everything. The next time you look down at your gold ring, that platinum jewelry, any kind of precious metal, remember that it was forged billions of years ago when two neutron stars smashed into each other with enough energy to create new fucking elements. The particles that make up everything that we see, taste and touch at every moment of our lives were created one day when a star died and will be used again someday when a new star is born. The life cycle is at its most glorious in the heavens. Nothing in the Universe is wasted, everything is connected one way or another.
Now, as for getting into what that picture means. It means everything! I haven't got the time to get into the probability of life on other planets, how that impacts our view of the Universe, interstellar travel (or how we could ever begin to fathom the significance of the Universe being 78 billion light years across), or ANY of the multitude of things we just don't know. I just wish this human evolution thing would hurry along, because we are weak and insignificant compared to the raw power of the cosmos. It never ceases to blow my mind.
btw, don't ask me why the numanuma kid pops up in the middle of this video. -.-
Tom Ford is an American fashion designer. He gained international fame for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of the Tom Ford label. In 1994, Ford was promoted to creative director. In his first year at the helm, he was credited with putting the glamor back into fashion introducing Halston-style velvet hipsters, skinny satin shirts and car-finish metallic patent boots. In 1995, he brought in French stylist Carine Rotifeld and photographer Mario Testino to create a series of new, modern ad campaigns for the company. Between 1995 and 1996, sales at Gucci increased by 90%. By 1999, the house, which had been almost bankrupt when Ford joined, was valued at about $4.3 billion.
When Gucci acquired the house of Yves Saint-Laurent, Ford was named the creative director of that label as well. During his time as Creative Director for YSL, Ford won numerous Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards. Like his work at Gucci, Ford was able to catapult the classic fashion house back into the mainstream. His advertising campaigns for the YSL fragrances Opium (with a red-haired Sophie Dahl completely naked wearing only a necklace and stiletto heels in a sexually suggestive pose) and YSL-M7 (with martial arts champion Samuel de Cubber in complete full-frontal nudity) have been famous and provocative by pushing fragrance ads to a new level of creativity in artistic expression and commercial impact.
In April 2004, Ford parted company with the Gucci group after he and CEO Domenico de Sole, who is credited as Ford's partner in the success story that is Gucci, failed to agree with PPR bosses over creative control of the Group. Following his departure from Gucci (and YSL), Ford opened the fashion house, Tom Ford.Ford began with accessories; his line of eyewear was the first to become successful. The Tom Ford line now covers Menswear, Beauty, Eyewear, and both Men and Women's Accessories. In 2006, he also established a fragrance line called Tom Ford Beauty. In early 2006, Ford attracted media attention for appearing fully clothed on the cover of Vanity Fair alongside Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, both nude.
So as you know, or don't know, I now work at Toys R Us. Today about 15 minutes after I clock in, a man asks me for help. When I look at him I did a double take. It was "The Game". He was the last person I'd expect to see at Toys R Us, I helped him pick some games, and he bought a PS3( Doesn't he already have one?) anyway He brought his son who was pretty excited. when he was checking out, we tried to charge his card about 4 times, turned out he had to call it in to authorize... so he chilled and was on the phone for about 10 mins. All I told him was that Lax is an album we need right now. what got me though was when someone else asked him if he does school shows he said "naw, I'm too vulgar for that, you should get lil bow wow", then the other guy said "oh, cause I work at a school for the mentally disabled." well I just felt like telling you guys lol. and I know, No Pics=Lies.
One of my personal favorites for many reasons, also after reading Chico's entry it's fitting. This post is dedicated to a close friend of mine since the 4th grade who passed away back during the Summer of '06 right before I left for NYC. This also goes out to the homie Pimp C who's presence will forever be missed in Southern Hip Hop and for everyone out there who has lost someone close to them.
One day you're here, and then you're gone.
Enjoy life, it's too short to be caught up in the bullshit.
Quick show of hands. Who's NOT completely sick of the election at this point? Can we vote already? It's been ugly, it only seems to be getting worse as the McCain campaign becomes more and more desperate and vindictive. It's a fucking circus at this point, honestly. I've BEEN sick of it for a long time already, and I just can't stand it anymore.
Let's boycott this crap. I will not click over to CNN. I will skip every article in the paper, refuse to click any newstory on the web, skip over every video on YouTube, mute every commercial on the TV, and keep far, far away from NPR, and everything else that has ANYTHING to do with this election. Who's with me?
I'm not going to post any shocking videos or pictures or ridiculous ads. Nor am I going to try and make fire rain from the sky as I SCREAM my opinion at any stranger who walks by. I will neither take part in nor listen to any discussion, argument or debate, let alone CONVERSATION about the election from this second forward. Until I cast my vote on November 4th.
Anyone close to me can vouch that I've been in pretty shitty mood as of late. I've been pretty stressed dealing with a lot of different stuff and I've lost sight of the daily blessing that is life.
I just spoke to a friend of mine and found out one of his close friends passed away over the weekend in a car crash. That caused me to reflect on my life and notice that things aren't that bad right now. Stressing is natural, but always try to keep yourself positive.
That joint really hit home with me even though I didn't know the guy myself, but I've had several people that I know just suddenly not be there anymore. So enjoy everyday people and don't sweat the small stuff.
Rox, Klean, and anyone else in NYC lets get up for Rox' bday and all have a good time and put the negative stressful shit in our lives aside for a night and just have a blast.
Enough is enough. I don't always get offended by the typical stereotypical ideas about Blacks. For some reason though I have had enough, maybe its the fact that people have nothing else to do with their time. However, I have decided to just make sure my behind votes and every damn person I know goes out and votes.
OR
Maybe I'm just tired of trying to live in a "peaceful" world. Maybe I'm tired of Blacks and other minorities getting the short end of the stick. Or maybe I'm tired of not seeing enough people of color on TV or in the paper.
Lemme say this, Kanye knows how to put on a show. I got 6 tickets to see him perform at the jimmy kimmel show. I waited two and a half hours in line, and an hour in front of the stage until he finally performed. Regardless, Kanye just knows how to make a good performance. He brought out eleven of those big drums, which I forget what they're called...? and the drummers had costumes/masks on. he had to do three takes of "Love Lockdown" because his drummers/or pianist kept messing, it up. they got it right after he cussed at them ha ha ha. anyway, I feel like I'm talking to myself now. Goodnight.
Rox, whoa! that video is... Ignorant(why'd I say arrogant) 0.o , If that's what most of their supporters are like, Jeez.
So Bishop Lamont played a clip of what is apparently the first single off of Dr.Dre's Detox album. sounds like an early 90's joint, Wow. alot of signs lead me to believe its coming, and hopefully coming strong. and I'm gonna say it, so let me say it now, If Dre doesn't outsell lil Wayne in the first week, my head will explode.
I'm sure some of you are sick of my Kanye posts, but here is another one for you. This comes in the form of (finally) a high quality snippet of his second single from 808's & Heartbreak "Heartless". In my opinion, so far he is 2 for 2 and I'm eagerly anticipating the album which drops November 25th.
So I saw Young Jeezy live at the Jimmy Kimmel show, and I saw/met Nas at the Jimmy Kimmel show. Now I have seen them together on the same stage at the Last Call with Carson Daly show. Although Jeezy only performed 3 songs, and Nas only performed "My President Is Black" with him, it was damn well worth the one hour wait to seem them both. Damn, its already 1:30 in the AM,
p.s. I just got hired at Toys R Us, eh. I'm going to quit in late December.
p.s.s I'm quitting after Christmas for one reason alone, to go on my Road trip which is now scheduled in early January. And they wont give me 2 & a Half weeks off, because I'm a Seasonal employee.
Now this is lux! When I hear Pharrell of The Neptunes bragging about his gold BlackBerry, I kind of chuckle to myself. While having your cell phone shrouded in gold is no doubt a testament to your wealth, it doesn't really say anything about style or class. It's still a BlackBerry.
I recently discovered this Russian company called Gresso. It puts Vertu phones to shame as far as I'm concerned. The casing is made of 200 year old African Blackwood and gold. If that's not luxury enough for you, there are other models that have full gold keypads and, of course, diamonds.
I also spotted some other pieces of theirs that really blew me away from a design standpoint. An mp3 player and a couple of USB flash drives. If you wondering how to get your hands on any of this stuff, the only authorized retailers are in Russia. Nothing is available online.
Yes I'm from Southern California, but my #1 Team has and always will be the Yankees. I am always critized by my L.A. Pride friends for liking the Yanks, but I'm still happy to say that Joe Torre is doing some Ok things for the Dodgers. just got home from the Dodger game. Final score 12-4 Dodgers.
So its been awhile since I have been on here. But I wanted to let you all know about something I am volunteering for. The Hip-Hop Theater Festival is in full effect right now. Sorry I did not get to guys sooner to let you know that opening night was last night. All I can say is this stuff was FIYAH! So I suggest if you guys have time you def. hit it up!
This little system is NO JOKE! After having to spend so much time largely inactive, I was excited to get back into an exercise routine and resync my mind and body. I picked up the Perfect Pushup after hearing such good reviews about it. I tried them out once when I spotted them in a Costco, but I only did 2 or 3 reps. I didn't realize how much these really isolate the pectorals, biceps and triceps.
After picking my set up, I cracked the box open and got straight to work. The objective is to work in a pyramid system in under two minutes. Starting at the maximum number of reps you can do and then decreasing by 4 each set. After completing the routine, my muscles were burning GOOD and I knew I had worked well.
The next morning was when it really hit me how serious these things are. My chest felt like it had been pummeled throughout the night by a meat tenderizer. I could barely life my arms to move my computer's mouse around. It was awful. I'm still feeling the burn and I have Karate class today. This should be fun indeed.....
If you're into keeping fit, you should definitely pick this system up. For the chest and arms, it is something ferocious.
On the 17th I had the pleasure of playing my music for a crowd of new listeners at the iStandard music producers showcase. Unfortunately, I didn't place in the event and that was a bit heart breaking but I still wanted to share my music with you all.
Here is video of my time on stage. Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Rough planning has begun for my road trip across the country. I am shooting for sometime mid-November. Really looking forward to it, I will keep you posted.
01 Crazed Madman Intro 02 Heat to the Streets f. Kid Vishis (prod. Green Lantern) 03 It’s the New 04 I’m Me Freestyle 05 I’m Nice 06 Gun Music (prod. Green Lantern) 07 Weatherman f. Sucka Free & Kid Vishis 08 I’m the Shit Fool!!! (Interlude) 09 We Deep f. Trick Trick (prod. Denaun Porter) 10 Let the Beat Build Freestyle f. Stretch Money 11 Royal Flush Freestyle f. Canibus & Elzhi 12 Jockin My Fresh (prod. Green Lantern) 13 Gettin Money Freestyle 14 Gangsta Remix f. Akon (prod. Green Lantern) 15 Happy Bar Exam 2 f. Marv Won 16 Ignorant Shit Freestyle 17 Flow Boy f. Tondalaya 18 Been Shot Down (prod. Green Lantern) 19 J-Ro vs. Mike B (Skit) 20 Kill Em Pt. 2 f. Kid Vishis 21 Wall Street f. June The Great 22 Royce Outro
Many know me by the screen name, few know the actual person behind it. So I figured I'd make a quick entry about, well, yours truly. I was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee (although I claim Memphis), and I spent 20 of my 22 years of living on earth in that little piece of country. I've always had a passion for music, one that touches my heart and soul. Fashion and the arts are also two other passions of mine, but nothing can touch the love I have for music. From a young age I remember always being drawn to the likes of Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Kool G Rap, Eightball & MJG, Luther Vandross etc etc. Basically, I loved everything these narrow-minded country folk disliked. Growing up I was always labeled a "wigger" or "that white guy who sits at the black table at lunch". Whether it be ciphers in the morning before the first bell, or hanging out in the parking lot after the last bell, I was always perceived to be something before they got to know the person behind the assumptions. My mother got her start teaching in one of the poorer parts of town, she would have to take kids home because either their fathers were locked up or their mothers were too drunk or strung out to get them themselves...or both of the above. Due to this, throughout the years she would have kids that looked to her as a mother figure and in return, I made close friends that I grew up with through middle school and through high school that I still have to this day. The mentality as a white youth in Tennessee that I had was drastically different that the norm. I understood struggle, I understood poverty and I was always color-blind towards any and everybody that came my way. Never passed judgement. Unlike the majority of the white kids I was friends with and grew up with. Don't get anything twisted, I had plenty of white friends as well, but they wouldn't come sit with me when I was at the "black table" or when I was around majority people of color. Of course, unless it was the handful of black kids they considered "cool" because they either played for the basketball team, or they dressed more like them and talked more like they did.
I simply couldn't take that mentality much longer. I tried the college route after high school, and after a whole semester and a half, as I sat in my dorm at the University of Memphis, I realized I simply can't do this shit. Not that I wasn't smart enough, it just wasn't for me. So I dropped out and spent the next 6 months working full time and saving money to pursue a dream. Fast forward to Summer of 2006, and after many discussions with my family, I packed everything I had and made that 17 hour drive up to NYC. No family. No friends. I came up there with nothing more than hopes and dreams. I had a rude welcoming and met heartbreak at the door and that dampened my initial experience in a new area. Through friends and family I made it through the darker times in my life and persevered through it all. I owe them all everything. Fast forward again to the present day, and I look back with no regrets at all. I've been across the country, met a lot of interesting people, and most importantly, gained friendships that to me, feel more like family. All of the Fontaines, I hold close to me like family. I had nothing coming up here and throughout it all they each have been there for me when I needed them, and I love the hell out of them for that. I can't express that enough.
Who knows what the future holds, but I'm prepared for it and staring it right in the face. It's all or nothing. Take risks, follow your heart and follow your dreams. Who knows where it may take you.
Ummm.....yeah. This is a free download via Kanye's blog. Vocoder. Big drums. 808. Piano. More vocoder. This is a real love it or hate it track. I think I hate it.
No not the awesome Chamber of Fear Air Force 1 but the term "hater".
I find it quite hilarious that people can't have an opinion of their own or disagree with someone anymore. Instantly upon disagreeing someone must be declared a hater. Has individuality become that much of a lost product in society that this is what it's come too?
I'm not saying there are no haters out there. Hell I'm a self proclaimed hater when it comes to certain things, mainly KleanKicks and anything he stands for. People don't grasp the full concept of a hater. I suggest they go watch the Chappelle show episode with the "Playerhaters Ball". There you will see what a hater truly is.
Classic Kicks has released an in-store exclusive pair of Vans. They pulled out a model that no other store has right now, the Midschool '77, so I imagine that these will be sought after by Vans fans. Har.
While I can appreciate simplicity; these are just plain boring. On top of that, they look just like Nike Blazers. All look same!
Every once in a while I stumble upon a song that makes me crazy. And I have to listen to it over and over again. I trade a lot of music with a friend over AIM, and she's opened my eyes to a lot of amazing stuff. This song, I plan to listen to on repeat until I can't stand it anymore because it's SO GOOD. Fuck your Kanye Wests and your Wu-Tang CLANS. Wild Sweet Orange, Ten Dead Dogs.
Friday, September 5th, 2008. I had a long day. I crashed at probably 11 pm. I was unaware that my wife had gone up the street to do some laundry.
KleanKicks hit me up at about 12 am to shoot the breeze. He was drunk and trying to zig-zag his way home. It was then my wife clued me in that she was in the middle of doing laundry. I was very tired so it didn't really register to me that she was doing laundry in the middle of the damn night.
I went back to sleep thinking the next time I'd awake it would be 9 or 10 in the morning. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
I suddenly shot up as I hear my wife screaming. I was fast asleep but the urgency registered before I was completely conscious. I jumped out of bed and shot out of the front door. I was barefoot and only wearing some boxers and a t-shirt.
As soon as I hit the sidewalk I see my wife on the ground. The next thing I notice is somebody start off into a mad dash. I immediately followed suit. I had no idea what had happened but I knew I was about to stomp somebody's face until it was no longer recognizable. Me being barefoot and it pouring rain outside, I lost my footing as I hit the smooth surface of the street and fell down hard. I hopped up and continued in pursuit. As I gave chase, I noticed a second male running about 20 yards ahead of the one I was chasing. They shot across a highway and that's when a couple of things hit me:
1. I recently finished a stem cell transplant and the little dash I made exhausted me quickly. Even beyond that, I have spent 3 weeks of every month for the last year in a hospital on some form of chemotherapy or another. I'm very much out of shape. 2. I was barefoot and my feet were blistered from me digging into the pavement so hard. 3. I still had no idea what had happened and my wife was around the corner on the ground the last time I saw.
I screamed out some expletives at the culprits and went back to check on my wife. She then told me that they had attempted to rob her. She gave them nothing and luckily was able to get me up and outside to scare them off. Luckily, she wasn't injured at all.
I then went back to where I had last seen them run off and tried to scope them out. It was very dark and the rain made it even worse so visibility was dreadful. I wanted to canvas the entire area but there were two of them, I never saw their faces and I was half naked.
We called the police and filed a report but I was nowhere near satisfied. I want blood. These motherfuckers tried to rob my wife in front of my home! Had I been my normal self, one of those dudes would have been in for the ass whooping of a lifetime. I was so disappointed that I wasn't at my full strength.
I came back into the house and got out of the soaked clothes I was in and got myself warm. Then I cleaned up the scrapes and cuts I sustained from my fall and sat with my wife to calm her nerves until she could sleep.
At a recent show Kanye performed a new track which I am assuming is from his upcoming album that will be dropping in December. On top of this new track, the assumed lead single, LoveLockdown, will be performed tonight at the finale of the VMA's. The quality isn't the greatest, but you can get a general idea for the vibe of the track. The beat is sounding ridiculous!
This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a minute. It wasn't even the open handed pugilism that got me. It was the cries of, "How can she slap!?"
Everyone seems to think swag is something you can acquire by rocking hot kicks or gear. I beg to differ. A persons "swag" is instilled in them from a young age and possibly even birth in some cases.
Your swag is your mojo and your mojo is your swag. Being a Harlem dude I feel that swag is a necessity in every ones life. That's the thing everyone is trying to have "swag"; but they're not embracing their own shit. DO YOU!! Another person or celeb can't tell you or show how to have swag. Your swag/mojo is your essence, its what makes you you. I'm tired of all these people talking about their swag or posting pics and they look like 100 other motherfuckers claiming the same shit. THAT'S NOT SWAG THAT'S DOING WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO!
Do you think Dame Dash or Kanye started acting like that after they got famous? No their mojo is what made them and got them to were they are. I don't know if it's a transitional period to a new swag but as i write this I'm feeling like Austin Powers in the second movie. My mojo is gone, my god given swag is nowhere to be seen. I guess it's a young midlife crisis or even an existential crisis for those up on there ISM game.
Embrace who you are and what you stand for, stop being carbon copies of what society wants you to be. Think outside the box for a change and always remember to do you. My quest to find my mojo, be it a new one or the one that made me the man I am today starts now.........
Some friends and I went to Six Flags Great Adventure yesterday and it was a BLAST! We got there for park opening so we got on all the major coasters with no wait and many of them twice. I have to give nods to Nitro and Kingda Ka as my favorite rides at the park. I hadn't been to Six Flags for years before yesterday so it was good to catch all the new coasters.
I have to give you all warning that I did not have going into yesterday. AVOID, I repeat, AVOID the Dark Night "coaster". What a piece of crap waste of time! Worst "coaster" ever. I assume they wanted to make it family friendly but this thing is just pathetic. First of all, it's indoors. That was clue number one that I might not be too impressed with the ride. Second, the movie that you have to watch before you get on the ride is longer than the ride itself. When I got off of this ride, I just wanted to kick and cuss. Yes, cuss. Not curse.
After walking around and racking up a bunch of prizes from the games and claw machines we went to the Old Picnic Grove and had an all you can eat BBQ buffet. It was NICE! There were burgers, BBQ brisket and the biggest damn pieces of chicken breast I've ever seen. Looks like the chickens they got them from may have been on some serious 'roids. Of course, they had baked beans, potato salad, etc. After stuffing our faces in there we went out for more park. We left at about 8 pm.
It was a long HOT day, but it was a great day. We had a great time. Sorry, no pics. I was having too much fun.
Young Jeezy's album "The Recession" drops September 2nd. I had requested tickets to see him perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live a few weeks ago(same place I saw NAS & The Game) the performance was supposed to be September 3rd! at 6:17pm I receive an E-mail saying that its been pushed to tommorow, at 6;21pm I receive an E-Mail saying its Tonight and I still have an hour to get there. I am frightened that I wont make it in time! so I call up friends until I find someone to roll. I'm doing 100 on the freeway, then traffic stops completely in Hollywood, I'm sitting in traffic, completely stopped for about 30 minutes. Luckily we park, and make it to the entrance at exactly 8pm. Fortunately not many people received the lat minute email, and I got third row! so they brought crowd fillers from inside the studio audience to take up space. I am looking forward to his new album be sure to give it a listen!
I have worked at a supermarket for a while now. It will be a year on Sept. 6th. Dealing with so many types of customers, none of them ever truly stuck out until today. A man average build with a beard and long hair, short running shorts, and a white t-shirt. The t-shirt had LB stamped on the upper right hand corner, initials of the elementary school I went to from 4th to 5th grade. I looked at him thinking is that my old gym teacher? As he passed me he says, "I know I look weird but you don't have to stare." I was shocked! I felt so bad. My tongue was literally in my stomach. I couldn't believe he thought I was judging him. I couldn't speak; I had nothing to say as he was already passed me. I went back to scanning the rest of the items on the belt, processing what had just happened.
As I sit here one of my favorite feelings is being comfortable. Comfortable saying or doing anything silly/dumb in front of people you know won't judge you. I just hope he's not thinking back and saying, "Do I really look weird? Should I cut this hair or shave this beard?" No you shouldn't sir. Do you.
Here is the full version (finally), from 88-Keys upcoming album "The Death of Adam" which is dropping on October 28th. Guaranteed to be a heater, be on the lookout for it.
I've decided to take an entry I had made initially for everyone back home in the South and make it available for everyone to check out. After watching the Glow In The Dark Tour for the first time back in May, it really inspired me and got my mind racing again. Something that hasn't really happened much this year. I'm not going to ramble on any more with this, since there is plenty to read below, but I hope you're able to take something out of what I have to say.
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for what I'm not". - Kanye West
Throughout my life, I've always seemed to be different than anyone else around me. Mainly because I never tried to put on this facade of being someone that I'm not. Too many people conform to what is "cool" or what is "in". Whether it be during their high school years, in the office, or in everyday life. When that one person steps up and brings a different outlook on the world, or just straight up speaks their minds, for the most part the "cool" or "in" crowd shows reluctance in accepting them into their circle. I honestly couldn't care any less if someone does not agree with my views/opinions, if that's how I feel on a particular subject, then that's how I feel. I'm not going to conform my thoughts or hold back on my words for the sake of trying to salvage some type of 'relationship' with any particular group of people.
BE YOURSELF.
For the love of God, be yourself. You only have one life to live, so why live it trying to impress others who will come and go throughout the years?
Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. If you have a goal, a dream, or even a personal resolution, go out and PURSUE IT.
THE BIGGEST RISK YOU COULD EVER TAKE IS NOT TAKING ONE.
I've encountered many people who said that I would not last in New York. They said I would be back within months and go back to working the same job I was stuck in before I left. People laughed at me because I dropped out of college, they said I would regret it. I guess because having that piece of paper to hang on your wall really holds a lot of weight...especially when you don't even put it to use, right?
I had a dream. I pursued that dream....and I didn't give a shit what anyone else thought. It's been a long, hard road through Hell and back but whatever it takes, I'm going to make it. No matter the cost.
Fast foward to the present day, I've been living in New York two years strong...I've traveled across the country...and I've met a lot of interesting people along the way. You know what else? Those same people back home are still stuck in that same job they were in two years ago when they said I couldn't make it. Although this time around when I come home people try to show me love and support. It's funny how people's opinions/outlooks change and they just expect you to roll with it and accept it now. You weren't on board when this ship took off, so why should I let you on deck now? You try to hop on and I'm throwing you overboard...simple as that. I can see right through you. Fuck You. Plain and simple.
As harsh as those two words may seem, that's exactly how I feel. I'm not going to bite my tongue.
If you have a dream, please PURSUE IT. Why settle for less than what you are capable of? To get what you truly want in life, you have to STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND TAKE RISKS.
Yes, you may fail and fall right on your face. But get right back up, dust yourself off, and get back at it again. You may have so called friends turn on you and not agree with the choices/decisions that you make...and you may receive a lot of backlash, but ignore that negativity and do something for YOURSELF and not for someone else for once. Don't live your life for someone else...whether it be your parents, your best friend, your boyfriend/girlfriend, fiance/wife. Whoever it may be. Don't ever let their influence get into your head to the point where you feel like you HAVE to be what they want you to be.
For all my people back home with big dreams, get out and pursue them. See the world. Life is too short to be scared of testing the water. Sometimes it takes a little push, sometimes people jump in with both feet. Whatever it takes, get out and do it. You may very well wind up back in that small town somewhere down the line....a month, a year, ten years....you may fail...and you may have people give you the "I told you so". But at least you can look them in the face and say I TRIED. I chased a dream, I learned from it and became a stronger person, what have you done?
I'm going to cut this entry off here. So stop reading, get off your ass, and live life.
Tip, Weezy, Mr.West & Hova teamed up to drop a track sampling M.I.A.'s Paper Planes. Alot of people are having conflicting opinions about this song. Can this be the next big hit, or just a mediocre song put together by some of the greatest in the industry? post your opinions.
This is one of the most thorough and accurate conversations about Rap business I've heard in a long time. Not the same ol' same ol' whining about why Rapper X isn't on. This is Skillz talking about how the seniors of Rap today aren't bringing in and developing new acts in the way that they themselves were brought into the business. This is a must see for true Hip-Hop heads!
So, y'all already know I'm exhausted. Today, I followed up with a family outing to 135th street in Harlem for a dose of Harlem Week. We got there at around 2 pm and we didn't leave until 7:30 or so. We walked around and did a little bit of everything. We bought a couple of things, ate some great food, did some children's activities and then capped it all off with some incredible music.
While we were waiting in line to get something to eat, we saw the most gangsta kid ever! He was cool as a fan and, of course, everybody that passed him had the, "WTF!?" face on. It was so funny.
Back at the main stage the Harlem Chamber of Commerce gave recognition to legends DJ Red Alert and Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box fame for 25 years of community service. It was great to see Red Alert get the award. He's always out in the streets representing at public events in Harlem.
After they cleared the stage, the DJ spun some oldies and the whole crowd was dancing and singing along. It was so much fun! On a side note: I saw the man with the crustiest feet of all-time while I was sitting on the curb in front of the stage taking a much needed rest. Look at this sea of people. The best thing about Harlem Week though is even with this many people out, it doesn't feel cramped. I had a good 2 feet of space on every side of me when I took this picture.
As I'm standing there listening to the DJ spin, out comes another Hip-Hop legend. None other than Grandmaster Caz from the Cold Crush Brothers comes out onto the stage! He talked to the crowd for a little while and told us how he first herd Kool Herc play and knew he wanted to DJ. It so dope to see him in person. He was real chill and just came to hang out.
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. "The Teacher" a.k.a "The Blastmaster" KRS-One blessed the stage. He was CREW THICK! The stage was just swamped with people. Of course, he killed it! Freestyles, classic songs and knowledge drops. He had the whole of 135th street rockin'. The people in the next block even had their hands up in the air. I went into a frenzy when he did "MC's Act Like They Don't Know". Probably my favorite KRS-One track ever. After he rocked for about 20 minutes, he told the DJ to drop some breaks and started a cypher. They started to lose the crowd so he grabbed the mic back and brought on Lil' Vicious. Needless to say, he's not "little" anymore. He did "Freaks" and everybody livened back up. At that point, my feet were furious with me for torturing them so we started for home.
I had such a good time and I always do at Harlem Week. I can't wait for Harlem Week '09 and this one isn't even finished yet!
Man, I almost killed myself today. I went to Chico Fontaine's family's annual picnic and after eating and mingling, everyone broke out to do some activities. After a pretty hilarious potato sack relay race and a couple other activities, people decided to break out the pigskin for some two hand touch ball.
Now, football is my game! I played most of my life on organized teams. I told myself I wasn't going to get out there and play. The only reason I told myself that is because I recently got out of the hospital and I just SHOULD NOT have been out there. My body needs time to recover, ya dig?
Well, after about 15 minutes of watching, I decided I couldn't fight the itch. I guess much like Amy Winehouse in the line of sight of a crack pipe. Ok, that was tasteless. Sorry.
Anyway, I got out on the field and decided I'd just play quarterback and take it easy. After throwing back to back interceptions, I knew that I could not embarrass myself any further. So, I jumped to my natural position; wide receiver. Then, things got very different.
I was zipping all over the place catching almost everything thrown my way. It felt good to play, but it felt horrible to play. I tried to finish the game, but my body shut down on me. I plopped myself down on the grass and just gasped for air. I took a couple big gulps of water that my wife brought to me but I just couldn't get it together. I felt like I was going to vomit.
I eventually pulled myself up and went to sit in a chair in the shade. I threw a hand towel over my face and I just sat there shaking. It was pretty damn stupid of me. Now I'm exhausted and I'm going to pay DEARLY for my error in judgement tomorrow. :-(
Time to lace up those Nikes tightly! On August 31st, 2008 Nike will be holding its worldwide Nike Human Race 10k run. Nike's goal is to have in excess of one million runners join across the globe in their first global 10k. Nike will also host post-event concerts in each city. Acts include Kanye West, Fall Out Boy and Moby. Register At Nikes Human Race Website
If you don't catch me running, I'll be on the sideline snapping photographs.
You can quote me on this right now.....L.A.X. will be the album of 2008. If Game really meant what he said by saying this would be his last album, then he's going out with a bang. I've been following this guy before he signed to G-Unit/Aftermath and it's amazing to see his growth as an artist over the years. There will always be the haters, but L.A.X. is shaping up to be a classic.
Until the album drops on August 28th, check out these leaks (clean version's, sorry). All I can really say is "Letter To The King" is simply amazing.
Someone broke into my car today. Smashed the driver side window out. They stole my Garmin Nuvi 260 navigation unit and that was it. Man, when it rains it pours. I had already had a pretty rough day and then my wife called me with that news. I should be able to get the window replaced tomorrow but, damn, that really sucks.
Is Aquaman. I'm convinced of this. Never before has such aquatic dominance been seen outside of the pages of DC comics. The way this guy just effortlessly flows through the water is insane.
Don't be surprised if one day you see Michael Phelps talking to sea creatures. I said it here first; this guy is Aquaman. Now I wonder what other potential superheroes are lurking out there.......
Not to one-up my man Rox, but here is the first official link to the HQ full version of "Jockin' Jay-Z" first heard live at MSG last week. The rumor mills are churning and word is that Mr. West will produce, in it's entirety, the upcoming Blueprint 3 album. If it's anywhere near the quality brought on the first Blueprint, I'm anxiously awaiting.
I don't know if you saw the clip on Kanye's blog of him bringing out Jay-Z to perform a new song from the upcoming album during his return to MSG with the Glow in the Dark Tour. It's a BONKERS track we knew then only as "Jockin' Jay-Z". Of course, it's produced by Yeezy himself. Well, the track made it to radio and you know some savvy fan had to up it to the web. This is radio edit and it's not the clearest in the world, but if you haven't heard this song before. Behold...
AT&T put together some great artists to create a soundtrack for Team USA at the Olympic games in Beijing. Artists include Colbie Caillat, Chris Brown, Queen Latifah, Sheryl Crow and more. I've already fallen in love with Chris Brown's "Dreamer". You can check out all of the songs and their accompanying videos by simply clicking on the artists name at the right of the page after the jump. Enjoy!
Call me a Nerd or a Dork. Whatever. But I AM a fan of the Harry Potter series! and you can bet that I will be there at midnight, November 21st,2008 at The IMAX 3D Release of Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince!
This track is bananas! MIA and Santogold together on a track, so you already know it's going to be something otherworldly. Not really feelin' the Gorilla Zoe verse, but the rest of the the song is crazy.
The finest display of the power of the human spirit on Earth. I've been watching ALL day and I just can't turn the TV off. No matter what event is on, I'm glued to the TV watching these Olympians give their all to their respective sports.
I almost lost my mind when Michael Phelps smashed his own world record in the 400 meter individual medley. Then not long after that, Stephanie Rice and Kirsty Coventry both smash the world record in the same event! I can't imagine beating the world record time and still coming in 2nd place. That must have really hurt.
It gives me so much energy and hope watching these games. I hope you are all enjoying the events as much as I am.
A football fan receives a free ticket to the Super Bowl from his employer. Unfortunately, when he arrives at the stadium he realizes that the seat is in the LAST row in the corner of the stadium. He's closer to the damn Goodyear Blimp than he is to the field.
About halfway through the 1st quarter, he notices an empty seat 10 rows off the field on the 50-yard line. He decides to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium to the empty seat.
Before he sits down, he taps the shoulder of the man in the next seat over. "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" The man says no. The fan can't keep his excitement to himself. He turns to the man and says, "This is incredible! Who in their right mind would buy a seat like this at the Super Bowl and not use it?"
"Well, actually the seat belongs to me," the man replies. "I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Super Bowl we haven't attended together since we got married in 1967." "
"That's really sad," says the fan. "Couldn't you find a relative or a close friend to take the seat?"
"No," the man replies, "they're all at the funeral."
