peace

i was going to type an actual post....
but, fuck it....its been real. peace.

formspring

today's topic: formspring

i set up a formspring account, and promoted it on different websites i post on. i didn't want to do it on facebook because i didn't want people i know to send me anonymous stuff...that's sorta like the honesty box revisited....so, i had fun doing it for the last month. here is the q&a.....enjoy.


q.) what is your weirdest sexual crush you've had?
a.) very good question....for the longest time, i would've loved to fuck kim whitley....why? i have no idea. (see above)

q.) where do babies come from?
a.) alcohol and broken condoms

q.) best gift you've ever received from a girlfriend?
a.) barkley 180 nike's....i was happy.

q.) why are you a knicks fan, they suck this yr?
a.) this is why i have a problem with nba fans post 2000. everyone either hops on the lakers bandwagon saying they've been there from the start (meaning, they were there when they first won in 2000), or they are fans of particular players (lbj, melo, wade, etc.)...real fans know the deal, i know the heartache of mj, miller time, the rockets, the spurs. etc....it will be so so so muthaFUCKIN sweet when we're back on top....i miss the NBA when players would fight, not allow easy buckets, and really hated each other. everyone is too nice now, even the fans...shit sucks. i need the knicks to have that edge when they had starks, ewing, a. mason, and my nigga, charles oakley.

q.) fav. sexual position
a.) sex

q.) fav player growing up, and now?
a.) tie between charles barkley and john starks (i had a love/hate relationship with starks...i should write about it). now, kobe...he's an assassin

q.) what is the biggest misconception about you?
a.) that i don't care about people....i just choose not to join in public "pity parties" or "woe is me" moments....i'd prefer to help those truly in need, instead of people who are uncomfortable having to live with the decisions they've made

q.) fav. non-prince produced album by prince
a.) very good question. the family is my final answer.

q.) what would you rather have: good sex and a bad relationship...or bad sex and a great relationship?
a.) have we met?

q.) guiness or newcastle
a.) ............duck rabbit porter beer

q.) if you were a superhero, what would be your theme song
a.) wolf like me by tv on the radio

q.) boats or hoes?
a.) money buys both

q.) scenario: a woman gives you the option of: 1) married, sex everyday for the rest of your life/cooking for you whenever you want or 2.) engaged: a real relationship with ups & downs, and potential....which do you prefer
a.) showcase # 1 bob © price is right contestant

q.) fav. porn dvd
a.) who pays for porno? you really just wanna waste $$ huh.....to answer your question, i had a copy of jazmine cashmere's sugarwalls black tales part. 3....my gf then, and i, had some great times to those 3 scenes

q.) what is your weirdest sex proposal story from someone?
a.) in my previous life, i was a porn connoisseur. i was at a bachelor party one night....drinking beer, saving my $$$, and hangin out with my buddy who is soon to be married. when suddenly....*cues the simpson intro* in walks ava devine and some other bustdowns...ava devine is a ho. she is a porn G. some of her scenes i can't watch, it's just too much for my eyes...long story short, ava and her bitches were offering up head for $100 (her phrase to me was "i'll suck the life outta your ebony dick, the best you'll ever have), and you could fuck for $200. anal was $250. threesome (2 girls/1 guy) $400 (2 guys/1 girl) $350....i declined all of the above....i wonder how much he paid to get her there, he's got some change....oh well, that is all lol.

q.) when was the last time you did the *bown chicka bow woooooown*

a.) lol, about two hours ago.

q.) would you be able to survive prison
a.) no....i'm too cynical.

q.) oprah or ellen
a.) arsenio

q.) do you scratch your ass in public?
a.) ass scratching means you didn't wipe your ass good....consult your physician if this problem persist

q.) harold miner or isaiah rider?
a.) rider had the talent, but he was a fuck-up....rider

q.) who would you rather have suck your dick.....prince or morris day
a.) please apartheid that foolishness stage --->

q.) dilla or premo
a.) lol.....cold steel, dedication 2 the suckas, somethin that means somethin, anti american graffiti.

q.) if mcdonalds made a sandwich after you, what would it be called and what would be on the sandwich?
a.) bread, obviously....roasted chicken, crab, collards, tomato, an egg, mustard, and toast it.....mmmm, food. © homer simpson

q.) why don't you have a twitter?
a.) no need, i have a phone...i'm not famous, and i don't really care to receive updates from people saying: "stuck in traffic", "i can't believe everyone is watching the oscars", and "this food sucks"...this is why i wouldnt make it in prison

q.) give me your thoughts on facebook?
a.) its a necessary evil in my life. i drink the kool-aid when thirsty

q.) have you ever had to question your sexuality?
a.) i lu da pussy (c) alpa chino

q.) first celebrity you've met
a.) lol.....he was a celebrity to me. at the time i was 2, and i still have this picture....but gospel bill aka. willie george was the first "famous" person i'd ever met…(see the video of the day)

gospel bill intro

vcc...u know what time it is

Watch ya Mouth...

James is a great book of the Bible. It has helped me alot in my recent struggles. Here's a passage that you should try to live to the best of your ability... Its about watching what you say...

(And before you go thinking I'm beefing with someone, just know that I'm not. Lol.  This ain't no facebook status putting someone on blast. Too mature for that, grow up playa.)

¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ²We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
 ³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt^[a] water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


I've had to learn this lesson myself, and I'm coming to grips with the reality of the world. If you do the right thing long enough the right thing will be done for you. Nuff said.  If you ain't got notta productive statement to articulate, press those two lips together oh so tightly and utter not a word. Observe.



L'Chaim.... P!ed P!per

8 things about getting fit

At the start of this year I made a resolution to get into better shape. At that point I felt I was in decent shape, and I was exercising on a regular basis. What I did not know was how much fitter I actually could be. Near the end of January I found this helpful IPhone app called Lose It, and decided to put it to the test. Using the apps calorie counting features I was able to see how unhealthy my eating habits were and begin making serious headway towards my goals. I started the program weighing in at a healthy 208 pounds and now I am down to 188 pounds. Losing the weight has been an interesting learning experience. I have found out a wealth of information about what to eat, what not to eat, and also I learned a lot about myself. Instead of going into a lengthy description of all of my findings I have decided to just list some of the most poignant things I have learned.

1. Losing weight actually isn’t that hard. The struggle seems to be half mental and half physical. With the right motivation and determination, you will be surprised at the ease of which you can lose weight.

2. Losing weight is actually terribly difficult. Old habits die hard and temptation is a constant antagonist. Sometimes to allure and instant satisfaction of that sugary snack or piece of candy is simply too hard to resist. I personally love bread, sweets and salty snacks, all of which car ruin a day’s calorie count if not carefully monitored.

3. Counting Calories is the best method I have found. Increasing exercise is very useful in losing weight, but the biggest results are seen when control what you eat. Counting calories allows you to enjoy the foods you love but it also lets you know what the consequences are. Want to have a beer with dinner? Go right ahead, but don’t forget that it is adding an additional 150 calories to your meal. When you actually take a hard look at what you consume you will be amazed how easy it can be to change your eating habits.

4. Water, water and water. I have become a believer in the usefulness and power of water. Most Americans simply aren’t getting enough and it can have an impact on your efforts to get into shape. By increasing your water intake, you will find that you won’t be as hungry as often, and your body will retain less water, so you will weigh less. The easiest way to increase your water intake is to get a bottle which you can refill, and pledge to refill it several times each day. I personally use a nice 26 ounce bottle and it gets emptied and refilled at least 5 times every day. Sounds daunting, but it is actually very easy.

5. Sodium is terrible for you. Sodium is something which I find a lot of people tend to overlook when they pick out foods. Most processed foods, fast foods, or canned foods contain a large amount of sodium which most people don’t even give a second glance. Beyond the obvious health effects of sodium such as high blood pressure, it can also cause your body to retain water, which will increase the number when you step on the scales.

6. Being fit is very satisfying. The great thing about working out more and controlling your diet is that if you stick with it and don’t cut corners you can meet a lot of your own personal health goals. Over these few months I have found that I can now run much farther than I could before, and lift more weight.

7. Avoid fast food like the plague. Although it may be fast and easy the amount of sodium, saturated fat, and calories make choosing fast food a bad choice. If you have to eat fast food take a good look at the nutrition facts of what is on the menu so you can make informed choices. A grilled chicken sandwich may seem like a healthy alternative but once you look at the numbers you may find it to be just as bad as the burgers. My personal favorite if I do eat out is KFC’s 395 calorie meal, which includes two pieces of their grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Pair that with a diet soda, and you have yourself a decent meal.

8. Losing weight and counting calories will make you annoying. Counting calories by its nature is a very obsessive practice and it is far from masculine. Despite the drawbacks the benefits are well worth it.

So tell me, what sort of weight loss tips and tricks do you all have?

random rap observations

today's topic: random rap observations

i. i think puff doesn't get enough credit from people in the hip-hop community. granted, his label was never the same after biggie died, and his artist choices have been drastically subpar (i'm lookin' at you da band, dream, and black rob).....however, i think when you look at what he did from 1992-1999, he should get some props. people clowned him for taking radio friendly 70's songs (diana ross, mtume, etc.) and using them on his hooks, but if you listen to those records, them shits knock. AND, they still knock in the clubs to this day (all about the benjamins, can't nobody hold me down). i mean... jodeci, mary j., biggie, mase, the harlem shake (oops...nevermind), the lox, and sean john.....he's put in some work. he's the best marketer the game has ever seen. i know, i know...to the "purists" who read this blog, you may think record sales don't matter, will negruh....they do matter. these artists aren't working for free. and puff is a paper shark. if puff wasn't puff, hip-hop would invent someone like him. that's how much he matters.

ii. i noticed that the first generation of 90's producers (primo, tip, pete, lp), they never sampled vocals. they would take the records they wanted to sample, and find only the instrumental portion of the record. which may not seem like a big deal, but after the rza came along with verbal intercourse, the game changed in my opinion. today's producers make a living sampling the vocal portion (just, ye, 9th). just listen to the blueprint, the listening, or college dropout, and then listen to the low end theory, ready to die, or mecca and the soul brother. it's a drastic difference in sample choices, and the way producers sample.

iii. if you don't like j.dilla, i don't like you as a person. i don't understand how people can place him any lower than top 2 as a hip-hop producer. (preme is the only exception)

iv. i bought my ticket for the roots festival 2010. i haven't been this anxious about anything since moving into my crib. it is rumored that run-dmc is going to reunite and perform.....if this happens......with the roots......wow, i'll be happy. the festival last yr. was one of the greatest things i'd ever seen in my life. aside from the roots and run dmc, i guess i would be most excited about seeing the MMJB & vampire weekend....either way, it should be dope.

v. i have finally created my list for my favorite 10 rap albums. i'm not saying they are the greatest, but they are my favorite, and accurately describe my personality.

slum village - fantastic vol. 1&2 (i look at those two, as one big-ass album)
roots - game theory
pharcyde - a bizarre ride ii the pharcyde
souls of mischief - 93 'til infinity
little brother - the listening
mos def - black on both sides
de la soul - de la soul is dead
beastie boys - paul's boutique
q-tip - the renaissance
dilla - donuts

questo on MJ

dude is like a walking librarian

Check the Credits

As an aspiring music producer and musician, Ive been trying to stray away from the obvious "state of hip hop" or "why pop music sucks" posts. Anyone that knows me knows that i am a hip hop head (though kind of a new one...only been listening to it for about 6 years). I am also a converted music snob (used to only listen to black music before 1986 and back-pack rap) and an avant garde art enthusiast. I figured those posts would be entirely too easy. BUT, I'd like to take some time to drop some of my favorite producers on the blog and explain why they are so damn good at what they do. A lot of these you will recognize and some you won't. Either way here it is.

BUT First let me explain the difference between a producer and a beatmaker. A producers job is to be involved with the arrangement, instrumentation and sometimes lyrics of a song. They take a good musical idea and turn it into great art with depth character and appeal(the good ones at least). Some are just really good at making hits. A beatmaker is someone who creates a skeleton for a rapper to spit over. Its where a lot of producers start out. Its like the difference between Souljah Boy(beatmaker) and DJ Toomp(producer)...

Ok heres the list for real this time...no particular order.

Questlove

you may know this guy as the drummer of The Roots. Thats because he is. He's probably a guy that you know you've seen before and would recognize but not know where from. He is definitely one of the best producers out right now. He was responsible for Al Greens 2008 album "Lay it Down" Jay Z's Unplugged joint and Pharrell's unreleased Out My Mind album where he re-vamped the original "In My Mind" and if you haven't heard that shit...get on that.

Strengths

Questlove's musical library is so vast, he can draw inspiration from damn near any genre. He is one of the best drummers alive and he's the bandleader of one of the best bands EVER(not arguable) in The Roots so he has great musicians at his disposal.

Rick Rubin

One of the most highly regarded producers ever. You might remember him as the white dude with th e long ass beard sitting in the car with Jay Z on the "99 problems" video (no that was NOT one of the members of ZZ Top). Apart from working with Jay Z he is one of the pioneers of hip hop with his production of Run DMC, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys in the 80s. He is also really active in rock and has produced a lot for Slayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Johnny Cash.

Strengths

He was there when hip hop was new and has adapted since then. Not a beatmaker at all, he takes a bigger picture look at a song.

Will.i.Am

This dude is all around dope. One of my favorites. Couples sampled beats and synthesizers where most producers pick one or the other. His drum programming is some of the best and he has a great use of static sounds and vocals to create depth in his beats. Although his Songs About Girls album wasn't the best, the production was sick as is most of his tracks with the Black Eyed Peas. He's also assisted Kanye on tracks and produced for Common and John Legend among others.

Strengths

He has appeal commercially without losing the integrity of the music.

Mark Ronson

This Jewish cat from London started as a DJ doing parties for Diddy before coming out with his first ablum "All That Fuzz"(which flopped but whatever). Most famous for his production of the critical and commercial success, Amy Winehouse's, "Back to Black", he is also a well respected hip hop producer. He signed DC rapper Wale in 2007 who he produces for and he did production for Nas' album "N word" with one of my favorite tracks "Fried Chicken". He has this raw style, live band-ish almost analog sounding tone with old school horns and live drums as a signature.

Strengths

His drums are sick but simple, he uses strings and horns which is hard to do and he's a multi instrumentalists playing keyboard drums and guitar which always helps.

DangerMouse

He rose to prominence in the hip hop world and set a trend among young producers with the remix album "The Grey Album" where he mixed Beatles "White album" tracks seamlessly over the a-capella version of Jay Z's "The Black Album"....genius. He has also worked with the "anonymous" band Gorillaz, MF Doom, and blues rock band "The Black Keys". Now he's working with Cee Lo Green as 1 half of the band Gnarls Barkley. He's got an unmistakable style, his drums are super complicated, and he uses samples like no other producer I've ever heard.

Strengths

His blatant disregard for the rules of how hip hop is supposed to sound like...enough said.

Here are some honarable mentions ( i really didn't feel like writing a bunch more) with my opinion of there best work.

DJ Premier

Best Work: I cant say...but he is one of the best samplers of all time...this dude may sample 6 songs to make one...GENIUS!

J Dilla

Best Work: Everything he touched RIP

9th Wonder

Best Work: The Listening, Little Brother

Timbaland

Best Work: Future Sex Love Songs, Justin Timberlake (classic)

Kanye West

Best Work: Late Registration (i love to argue this one with people...be my guest)

Booty Booty Butt Cheeks

Hell Yeah!!1

What A piece of Work is Man

What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me,
what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not
me:

This is by far my favorite piece of text William Shakespeare has ever written. Hamlet is over 4 hours long, but here in a rare act of simplicity, Shakespeare muses on a topic that we as humans have often grappled with. The divinity of humanity and yet our animistic nature. The ultimate duality that we all share, and the incompleteness we often feel. I have grappled with this question often, and come to varying conclusions. When I was a kid, man was meant to be God. As a teenager man was an animal nothing more. As a young adult I find man to be devil. As I grow my perception of man will change as well. Anyway, this was a brief look into what I am often contemplating, as I stare pensively out in space.

Be !nspired... Don't Quit

Here is one of my favorite poems of all time.  It has helped me COUNTLESS times.  I hope it can do the same for you...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 

When the funds are low and the debts are high, 

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 

When care is pressing you down a bit, 

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, 

As every one of us sometimes learns, 

And many a failure turns about, 

When he might have won had he stuck it out; 

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man, 

Often the struggler has given up, 

When he might have captured the victor's cup, 

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-- 

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 

And you never can tell how close you are, 

It may be near when it seems so far, 

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown