Inside My Ubiquitous Mind

eternal sunshine of the hopeful heart

2012-01-22T02:18:00.001-05:00

people are strange, they're selfish, they're need based
they are imperfect but we need them
we hate them but cling to them
our hormones, pheromones and homophones long for them
a bit of a joke but it has to be said

people will evoke feelings from you
crack your egg, take your yolk and provoke
feelings in you that are never reciprocated
almost making you feel hated, and then days later elated

maybe our generation followed the wrong map
the blueprint was skewed, the plans a booby trap
entrapment, ensnared because no one taught us to care
just taught us to get it, to hustle, to fit it. to fit time into it, to just do it

and do it we shall, judging without regard
you want to reach out but damn it gets hard
when you do it so often and the nail just goes deeper
but all you are is a hammer with more work than relief
feelings and memories you keep and embed
wishing someone would come and erase your head

you fall into bed, another necessary slumber
but unfulfilling and you're willing to maybe try again
and you do, even though you have a better clue,
but faith is made up of hope and unseen evidence
we base it on what's baseless hoping for better from a friend

sometimes we're rewarded and it makes us smile
most times it's disappointment, linger in it for a while.

the recipe.

2012-01-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

tame
insane
inane
for shame
what i embody is what fear is when crystallized
a festering, testing battle with mettle
afraid to greet failure
thereby failing to recognize the human condition
cognition
recognition
situation
hesitation
regrets forming clouds that shroud
going pound for pound with a dust cloud
of what was left undone
all the while feeling more distant from--
the sun
inquire
perspire
desire
dire

need
succeed
speed
heed

unknown

the fear i hold dear

2012-01-15T21:20:00.000-05:00

merriam-webster’s definitions 1b and 1c of change are: to make radically different. to give a different position, course, or direction to.it is one of the most difficult things to do, while being among the most simple things to do in the scale of human difficulty. at least that’s my perception. we become so inescapably bound to the things that give us pleasure, comfort, fleeting happiness that our cognition is unable to see the stagnation, repetition, and stifling growth in our faces. if we do our best we get 6-8 hours of sleep in a 24-hour day. what we do with the 16-18 hours is what builds to sweeping change, minute change, no change, further stagnation, further coddling or simply nothing at all. i cannot play judge. i am and have been caught in the dependence on things, entertainment, television, excess, perception, ego and all of the things that coincide with them and i have stifled my ability to learn, to express. i have done a great deal of wasting my time while simultaneously stunting my mental growth.the blame can’t entirely go to the world, to america. we all make choices. we all become a part of what we want, feed whatever desires we develop, do the things we feel are important. allocate time to people, places, ideas and situations of no merit. comfort ourselves with the idea that the little bit of good we do will be enough to absolve us when our predecessors and peers inquire about what we’ve done to balance the scale of justice.

is this what happens (what i’m writing) when you have an epiphany? is it supposed to be frustrating? is it supposed to completely frighten you by making you question the devotion you’ve given to every ritual and thing you hold dear? are you supposed to instantaneously “make a radical difference?” can you even do it?

i am so unabashedly afraid that i will continue to live my life, express the thoughts i have, do the things i do and never come close to tapping into a tenth of the most amazing thoughts my mind can perceive. i don’t brag about my mind because i’m a genius, my intelligence quotient is above average but not genius-level. i do think i have the ability to grow into a person that can be mentally astute, but even then i’ll have so much to learn. i want to learn, i want to be a better person, i want to be more than i am, to lead a transitive life not a typical one. but all of these desires battle with needs and the abstract constantly quarrels with the concrete. bills have to be paid, debts have to be repaid, we have to eat, we have to have shelter, we have to be hygienic (that word is spelled so awkwardly, awkwardly is too).

maybe (definitely, assuredly) i will stagger back into what i’ve always done. because the weight of what i know and the power of one of the keystones of humanity—nostalgia—towers over me and creates and perpetuates a fear and unsettled view of the unknown. i will fail. i don’t like failure, i don’t want to be a failure. but considering that none of us are infallible i should wake up and recognize that i was limited before i was even born.

i wrote all of this because my mind needed release. i wrote this because i want to be a holistic person. not the kind of holistic person i am know; i know about all kinds of tv shows, movies, music, popular culture, random facts, just a myriad things that should not be more prevalent in my mind than legitimate thought and thoughts of what truly matters.

i am 21 years old. i am an american. i have been crippled by a broken, antiquated educational system but since i excel in it, i have become tracked to continue in it. i am a citizen in an imperfect country, settled in an imperfect continent on an imperfect planet.i am as insignificant to the world as an ant is to a human. but my advantage over that ant is my mind. my envy of that ant is his ignorance and his steadfastness.

i don’t want to die without properly impacting the world in a positive way. i don’t want a statue, i just want one man, one woman, one child, one elderly person to smile when they think of something i did for them.

i desire peace for this troubled, unsettled mind. not the peace of silence on a day with low obligations. i mean peace that allows a mind the room to breathe and flourish.

finally, and ever so ironically. i’ve expressed all these thoughts on a platform that is a product of what cripples me. and that might just be the irony of american privilege.boundless opportunity and boundless distractions.

the tick

2012-01-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

what do i do with this frustrating tick?
this tick that i cannot flatten or remove
this tick that is constant as how the wind might blow
this tick that makes sense of the different and difference

you see this tick has been merciless
its fervor unmatched and unwavering
it has been as creative as it is destructive
a patchwork of ingenuity and genius made corrupt

as tensions and anger can erupt
a volcanic overflow of retributive force
makes itself known in the orphan's call
in the buildings that would fall

eagles soar above amber waves
protecting some, redeeming others we believe
but can we conceive that our decision
is as sickening as its creation

this tick i say, it didn't last long
it was short, constant, leading to a swan song
it laid waste to everything it could find
its radius reflective of its chemical design

the same child that cried
matched for another that died
all in the name of justice and liberty
the percussive tick. i sing to thee

Best Albums of 2011

2012-01-11T22:15:00.001-05:00

This post took me a little longer to compose than I wanted because I wanted to give proper attention to as many albums as I could, and to remind myself why I liked certain projects from early in the year. The albums are in no particular order because that's too tough for me. This list is obviously influenced by my biases and with all the rigramole out of the way...here we go:

Bon Iver- S/T

TV on the Radio- Nine Types of Light

Toro y Moi- Underneath the Pine

ScHoolBoy Q- Setbacks

GIRLS- Father, Son, Holy Ghost

The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts

Tennis- Cape Dory

Wilco- The Whole Love

Shabazz Palaces- Black Up

M83- Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Radiohead- The King of Limbs

OverDoz- Live For, Die For

The Joy Formidable- The Big Roar

Big K.R.I.T.- Return of 4Eva

Bibio- Mind Bokeh

Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2

Adele- 21

Kendrick Lamar- Section.80

Friendly Fires- Pala

Little Dragon- Ritual Union

J*Davey- New Designer Drug

Superheavy- S/T

The Black Keys- El Camino

The Roots- Undun

tUnE-YarDs- W H O K I L L

Feist- Metals

TiRon and Ayomari- A Sucker for Pumps

Alabama Shakes- Alabama Shakes

Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch the Throne

Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes

Cults- S/T

Red Hot Chili Peppers- I'm With You

Common- The Dreamer, The Believer

St. Vincent- Strange Mercy

Thundercat- The Golden Age of Apocalypse

SBTRKT- S/T

Cage the Elephant- Thank You, Happy Birthday

Naj Murph- Heir Murph

MUTEMATH- Odd Soul

Moist Ghost- Enter the Dolphin Vault

illuminate

2012-01-05T00:25:00.001-05:00

how is it that the words i express
find a way to caress
and manifest; taking time to invest
in that which controls your process

your cerebral cortex, i spy, i enlist
the highest form of wit to penetrate it
you can slit--my mind--take your time
the content might be irreverent

but i beg of you, patience. i'm your patient
and you my victim of mental probing
now i'm creating visions of eloping
to another sphere where we--my dear--can mingle with mingus

let our minds mimic the mad jazz man
or with another hand, shift the plane to another plane
and meet with dali or garvey, to see if maybe
we can be as crazy as the greats of history

no crimes committed, no thoughts omitted
mining in valhalla for the treasure of the gods
then returning to terra firma in our escape pods
god, it would be an experience unlike any seen

debunking all that is sacred and pristine
take my hand, if this sounds like more than a dream

a brief catharsis

2012-01-04T01:32:00.002-05:00

What can I really write here that will make things better? I have utilized this blog about as much as a overweight person in denial uses the medicine ball their aunt got them for Christmas. I'd like to say my life is too busy, but ultimately that's not the truth. Ultimately, I give my time to so many things that I consider important and I let so many thoughts fester. I despise coming across as a person who complains when I ultimately let fear, stagnation, fear of disappointing/failing, the seeking of perfection, uncertainty, naivete, and a degree of low self-esteem halt so many things that could potentially advance my life. The problem is I only feel some of these feelings when looking at my life in comparison to what colleagues, friends, associates and peers are doing. For a while I was relatively and almost completely assuredly happy with where I sat in life. To an extent I still am because I value happiness and joy in so many ways, and I am a very simple person in those respects. My hobbies don't involve things that are showy, they aren't things that warrant attention or acclaim or really even the cooperation of others. I don't desire to dress particularly flashy, I'm not an overwhelmingly great looking guy so I don't feel I have a standard to live up to. I am a relatively average person who is perpetually unique only through thought processes, genetics, aesthetic tastes in entertainment, creativity, emotions, intelligence quotient and other indeterminable factors.

Maybe this is the most depressing thing I've ever written on the internet. Maybe, like so many posts on this blog, this won't really be read by a great deal of people. But I had to express this somewhere and I hate venting to other people because they don't deserve having to be affronted with my problems just because I can't handle them, I don't care how kind they are or if they're family. Who knows, maybe I'll seek psychiatric help. Maybe I'll continue to try different things and see what the outcomes are, maybe things will turn out entirely the opposite of what I expect. Maybe (undoubtedly) life will take an unexpected turn, and I'll end up doing something else that I'm passionate about. No one's life is charted precisely the same; the beauty and overt frustration of life for a person so used to following by the book.

Way back in middle school a girl told me I was very school smart, but not very street smart. I think I've developed in both ways, but the former still trumps the latter. Perhaps there lies "the rub?"

A Hamlet reference to end a morbid post, but don't worry, I'm not suicidal. I'm just pensive.I'm trying to lead a life that will make an impact for all the right reasons. I'm impatient, I'm apprehensive, I'm imperfect. But, ultimately I'm alive. Which simply means I'll just have to keep trying to advance my life, doing certain things, forgetting to do/not doing other things, and then taking the consequences/rewards.

This post was completed on January 4, 2012. Let's see where I can try to go from here. End.

trial and fervor

2012-01-04T01:07:00.000-05:00

I'm typically a fighter in the way of a rhyming soothsayer
A purveyor of words from the world without end
Attempting to recollect feelings from how your body would bend
An aerobic payback of loving dividends

But it ends as quickly as it begins
Friends and more than friends interwoven and chosen
To play roles they didn't chose, play games they might lose
Oceans and streams, fronds and anemones, enemies embedded into recent memories

Lovers play with heart chords and write songbooks of solemnity
All while we wonder why cardiac arrest seems to arrest our thoughts
Undeveloped acquaintance falls into decay
And life settles into a dust of doldrum and disarray

I would assay why this fight is so typical, so inescapably normative
As we remain inextricably bound to action and reaction, cause and effect, courage and relent
Ultimately settling for whatever we design
Free will at its most formative--an equally frustrating and beautiful design

Follow me into this firefight of homily, homonym, homophone and hometown glory
As we divulge the innerworkings of our twisted stories
Life begins and ends with the tongue, the pen, the eyes
Lies, lies, lies until someone testifies

meditación

2011-11-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

a place i knew once spoke to me
and told me of its life
of strength, dedication, blood and strife
it invited me to see

gave me a treasure trove
unpacked the richness in its inner alcove
reinvigorated a desperate dreamer
ignited a passion in a glorious fever

a necessary and productive venture
one embedded with growth and truth
forcing us to reinspect this creature
this body, this soul, inner turmoil we sooth

perhaps we perilously plunge into the unknown
but is the peril as pejorative as we perceive?
or will it deconstruct? a new creation grown.
the former for which we take no time to grieve

ultimately we sail to a new horizon
greeted with an incredible prescription
unsure of how long the healing effects will last
a difficult task--suspension of the past

yardbird

2011-10-30T21:32:00.000-04:00

there is a statement in your smile
a monologue for the huddled masses
a display of God's divine craftsmanship
the subtle hint of joy or trepidation
how you hint at laughter I desire to bring
a proclamation of how your soul might sing

32 or less defenders of my embrace
a chase I loathe but with dividends great
how I long to transform a smile to much more
with this I implore you to never stop
shake foundations and create light in despair
inspire hope, make change, write one more page

a smile that could reshape history
one that I'll eternally yearn to see

Lost One: Rest in Peace James Hicks

2011-10-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

I didn't think I'd be writing these words. It's not something you even picture happening. No matter how many people I've lost in the last few years when they seemed so young I just didn't think I'd be writing rest in peace to James Ambrose Hicks. You were my little brother in earnest. I don't have any younger siblings so he and all of the guys I got to know in high school and even in college now who are younger than me are pretty much the only substitute I have.

I could say a great deal about your personality. I don't think I knew a freer spirit and a person more dedicated to enjoying every day he had. Not even in a hyperbolic way, even when the setting called for people to be serious you were finding a way to make someone laugh. James knew how to tug at different people's nuances in the best way no matter who they were. I regret that I didn't recently tell him how extremely proud of him I was.

I don't even know how to process someone younger than me passing away because it's not a sensation I've ever had to really go through. The grieving process is hard because although there's blame to assign here there was no malicious intent. It was just an accident, a fated tick in the rhythm of your life that caused your end. The last time we spoke the only thing you wanted to do was see how I was. That's an extremely legitimate and rare quality in these days of self-satisfaction.

When I met you, you were a quiet weird kid who didn't really know how he would fit in the whole black high school situation because you a bit of an enigma. You found your lane, found people to cling to, and we were able to share so many conversations. You occasionally gave me advice when I didn't expect so much wisdom from you.

Ultimately I love you man. I'm sad and disheartened that you are gone, mainly because I wish I would've done a better job of appreciating you when you were here. I have another look at the fragility of life and the importance of really letting people know how you feel. James you were a great guy on the verge of much greater. I'm praying for your family, our mutual friends, your friends and loved ones.

Best Albums of the Third Quarter of 2011

2011-10-13T21:58:00.000-04:00

Same thing as the post that predated this one back in June. I give you what I consider the best albums/mixtapes/EPs of July, August, and my birth month.

Kendrick Lamar- Section.80
Little Dragon- Ritual Union
The Cool Kids- When Fish Ride Bicycles
Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch the Throne
Danny Brown- XXX
TiRon and Ayomari- A Sucker for Pumps
Red Hot Chili Peppers- I'm With You
Phonte- Charity Starts at Home
9th Wonder- The Wonder Years
Girls- Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Das Racist- Relax

loucura

2011-10-13T21:57:00.000-04:00

the words that are said
are predictable and disputable
the pen trumps the sword
but what do we progress toward?

going forward what is the goal
what should we yearn to seek?
so much of how we think is shaped and is bleek
so now we have moments
but people still seek instant gratification without prudence
can we fix it? who can do it?
who can chew the seared portion of life
when so many struggle with strife
fear precipitates into our lives like precipitation
as we wonder why we face such castigation

society has cast a net that feels like stone
burning from epidermis to bone
when our legitimate feelings are shone
we see the struggle in developing the skills we seek to hone

minds cluttered and disheveled
when level-headed becomes a state of imbalance
minds moving in a state of physical stagnation
connected but hectic, love and peace fade away

And Another Year Passes

2011-10-02T04:08:00.000-04:00

"Stern, firm and young with a laid-back tongue. The aim is to succeed and achieve at 21."

September 30, 2011 went ahead and passed and now I'm 21 years old.

Wow, life has certainly done a lot of changing from the time I wrote a birthday post in 2010. However, some things have remained the same. There are still a lot of things I conceal from people, still a lot of growing for me to do, still a lot of uncertainty. But, also a lot of incredible moments, great music, awesome and hilarious times with friends, tears, smiles and life-changing experiences.

So again I reflect on life, looking comparatively to this point last year:

I use both tumblr and twitter way more than I use blogspot, something I regret but can't really help.

I have maintained a good friendship with my best friend who is a college grad now.

I got the internship I wanted, it was an amazing experience. It didn't pay as much as any of my prior summer internships but it was closer to my career aspirations, gave me great tips and tools, and allowed me to meet some of the most beautiful people I've ever encountered, inside and out.

My brother is better settled in Orlando and I was able to spend some time at his house. My parents really miss having us around.

My mother was laid-off but found temporary employment, used unemployment and continues to try to make things work. But, since my last birthday post, she's had two heart attacks. I love and try to appreciate her even more. My father got yet another new principal and has lost connections with the assistant principals he befriended who have moved on to other jobs.

Still living in the Morehouse Suites, still awkward but not too bad.

Financially things weren't as bad this school year. It meant more loans but I and my family tried to be more strategic with our financial plans.

I am the Managing Editor of my school's newspaper, a burden and a blessing.

I've renewed a few friendships, lost some, and built on/created quite a few.

I'm still utilizing friendships and relationships in school and elsewhere, a little more effectively.

I'm probably still as cynical, but in a nicer way.

I have another crush on an AUC lady, or maybe more than one. Meh.

I continue to depend on faith, and try to let my work equal it.

I've come close to tears a few times in some depressing and frustrating times but not very frequently at all.

I've gotten even more incredible music.

I've continued to learn academically and introspectively.

I'm a little less concerned about the future but not much, still working on not worrying about it so much.

My sense of humor and comedic timing are still as strong.

I'm still not a great driver.

I still haven't kissed a girl, in a legitimate way, since my last ex.

I still have a slight crush on girl #1 but still not much more than a friendship there.

I do still regret not breaking up with my girlfriend before college.

I am more social in general, but not in an out of character way.

Still not huge on partying, it's cool but still not entirely me. I drink a lot more often though.

I know how to approach a girl and tell her I have feelings for her, I'm just not courageous enough.

Still don't have low self-esteem, still recognize that I'm a pretty nice looking guy but not exemplary.

No major injuries or sicknesses to report.

Still aware of my surroundings in public, don't really care all the way about perceptions.

Still no girlfriend, but I have a lot of other good things in life. Hahaha.

Got to go back to, and spend a while in New York, I'll probably be back there for grad school or professionally in general.

Still not as big of a texter/caller. But, I'm doing better. People aren't though. Although, I interact with a lot of people through social networks.

Yeah, life and people are still amazing in good and bad ways.

Ignorance is still bliss. I'm not generally ignorant.

No "Last Resort" here. Prayer, music, writing and hobbies are still therapeutic.

My posts on here have become ghost-like.

Got a few pairs of shoes, but still work to be done.

My laptop is still holding on.

2010 Homecoming was incredible, I am certain this (my last undergrad one) will top it.

Video game skill has not escaped me. I'm still improving on FPS's though.

Was able to go to a good mix of hip-hop and other genre concerts, especially over the summer.

Went home for Spring Break again, was a hermit again, but I needed a bit of a break as I usually do from people.

Still kept over a 3.5 GPA.

And that's all from one year to the next. A lot of things are the same for me, but certain things have begun to change and I hope to continue to grow so that when I'm 22 (!!) I can report a great deal of positive change here, but nothing drastic. 'Tis all.

romantic recluse

2011-09-28T16:25:00.001-04:00

we don't take time to enjoy life

we don't address our pain and strife

we live as if those are just to be stepping stones

cliches mar us and leave us in a subconscious mire

i tire of people on their grind, with a conflicted mind

i like taking time to appreciate wonders

to listen to things that make you think, even if your brain is the presenter

defender of recollection in tranquility

this is not a lyrical ballad, but it's valid to respect the idea

don't come near with fear, that you can combat

if you connect to something beyond people

life is more than the few levels of substance we prescribe to

in fact if we do half of what we should do we would be better off

maybe i long for a society more archaic

but then how would i even express these thoughts to you

pen and pad are all my ancestors had, trachea and tongues before them

i lend my thoughts to the cosmos hoping they will fall as comets do

because of the grid, the system, the lights we are in a constant fight

we cannot even see the stars we aspire to be

it frightens me to think of what matters to most

if we lose ourselves who will we have when we are gone

and what will others after us look to; so on and so on

answers i have few, advice i have much of

i'm pensive, i'm tensing up, freedom's great but freedom sucks

at least in regards to the battle that this society presents

maybe the small child in africa knows happiness more than i

if you surrender to the air, you can ride morrison once penned

maybe giving up the ghost is where i'll be peaceful again

deliberate delusions

2011-09-02T22:36:00.000-04:00

it seems that when the sun goes down
waning feelings rise from their surface
and curse the recipient of fake recognition
a fatal cognition, a thought of untruth
a thought that has festered and bubbled
but is huddled under the masses, and asses of people who claim you as equal
unsure when these feelings made themselves clear
unveiling themselves like a substance from the rear
they are feelings that are fleeting when the people are around
but their earnestness is found and brings friends down
and replaces them intently with the role of foe
as we know one cannot straddle a fence
hence, choose this day what your intent will be
to coddle or throttle so eloquently
words are futile, pointless, as fleeting as the pen that can fade
no matter how one tries to dissuade
when light escapes the perimeter
the true intentions are delivered.

Watch the Throne, Change The Lens

2011-08-13T13:34:00.004-04:00

Every calendar year there's a particular hip-hop release that is tossed into the hype machine as the release that will cause a sea change in the spectrum of rap music. This year that release is Jay-Z and Kanye's super fusion dance "Watch the Throne." The two have been discussing the album since shortly after the release of Jay's "Blueprint 3" and obviously as a fan of both rappers (Jay-Z being my favorite in general) I was excited but given the nature of announcements of such dream parings I was skeptical that it would happen, and skeptical that it would be delivered on time. I was wrong on both accounts obviously as the album is here, and reactions have been quite interesting to say the least, which is why I prompted my feelings with the paragraph you've just read.

So, in discussions I've had I have heard people say they really enjoy the album but what I've heard from fans of the old-school and the more "conscious" rap fans is that the album is just a commercial firestorm of lyrics about wealth and excess. While I agree with these sentiments to an extent there are multiple efforts on the part of these artists to make clear points about race, the future, to resolve demons, to expel demons, to show weakness and to show emotion in ways you wouldn't expect, well at least not from Jay-Z.

Jay at this stage in his career is like the godfather and overseer of a wave of rap he was a major player in creating. The persona of businessman and being a brand in and of itself. At times he is much more "Song Cry," "Regrets," and "Beach Chair" than he is "Big Pimpin," "Money, Cash, Hoes" or "Run This Town."

On tracks like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Murder to Excellence," "New Day," "Made In America," and even "The Joy." These artists touch a gamut of topics that are both relevant and important and more than braggadocio. What do they receive in return from hip-hop purists? The opinion that their efforts to be socially aware, on an album that didn't require it or where it wasn't expected, are corny or seem forced. I can understand this point as it was also raised in reaction to Jay's song "Young Forever" but it just makes me wonder what will satisfy people in regards to consciousness in rap.

Rap was built on a fusion of two, if you look at two rap classics "Rapper's Delight" and "The Message" they represent a blueprint for "I have more than you, I'm the nicest MC" hip-hop and "My people are suffering, you need to hear me" rap. It makes you wonder if people believe they have to remain mutually exclusive just because of the rappers involved.

Jay-Z and Kanye West are essentially the two biggest and most marketable draws in hip-hop today. They have no obligation to feel our pain, to paraphrase Kanye West on "Devil in a New Dress" from his most recent solo release, the critically-lauded "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," it is pretty hard to be humble when you see your face on a Jumbotron. What should these two rap about to satisfy fans? They understand their target base and make a poignant effort to rap about what they have but also the struggle to get to where they are. I would think this is more of a call for fans to aspire to reach their heights than to be separatist or elitist.

Public Enemy was one of the most necessary acts in music history but for all their aggression they had people follow them but also take their message and deliver it differently. A Tribe Called Quest and the Native Tongues movement took the message of fighting for your rights and your individuality but spun it into exemplifying the message in a positive way and in a way that showcased the beauty of blackness not the evil of "the man."

Ultimately, there seems to be a difficulty in establishing what hip-hoppers want. "Watch the Throne" is not a classic but it is a very good album, it entertains and also touches subjects that are important and necessary to bring to the light. It is equal parts emotion and commercial expression. In many ways it is the purest form of hip-hop.

Perhaps the invitation to watch the throne is not a call to be in awe, but an invitation to see that while "most kings go insane" they have a message of inspiration.

chemistry.

2011-07-28T21:34:00.002-04:00

i will bottle the feelings that make you smile

a concoction that you can readily imbibe

and your smile will redefine imperfection.

humans are said to embody fallibility

but you challenge this notion with every waking moment

your heartbeat envied, your destinations desired

your tears a sweet elixir, your frame a masterwork of design

to have the ability to add to your glow

is a gift that would be sought after in droves

so i tinker with beakers and the scientific method

to find verbal cues and the hues of your blushing countenance

convinced that the essence of these things will combine

to be a potion of emotion, that will make you mine

the innocent indulgence

2011-07-24T21:16:00.004-04:00

there are few safer places

than your mother's warm embraces

the way you rested your head in her lap

and your troubles melted away

a solace that you wish you could trap

long before you enter the world's fray

peace of mind often flees from us

growth and life as arduous as advantageous

no matter how fast or far we grow

when we're with our mother the pace will slow

longing for and remembering the days of old

when she was everything love meant

before those hidden things and flaws were told

but why should faults make us view our loved ones different?

if we return to the tranquility of that brief slumber

then our demons will disappear by the number

The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival: A Retrospective

2011-07-18T19:31:00.002-04:00

so, let’s just say if you’ve heard how busta rhymes said oh my god, on the track of the same name from midnight marauders then imagine that emotion on 11.

the whole day was incredible.

i thought i got there late but it turns out they were having set-up problems so most of the opening acts had to do rush acts. Even with limited time the people i wanted to see were pretty much great.

saw homeboy sandman which was awesome because his energy is amazing for such a tall dude. he did three tracks from “The Good Sun” (which you must get if you haven’t) which were: “the carpenter,” “yeah, but i can rhyme though” and “table cloth.” it was awesome.

i didn’t really know who eternia was until saturday, but her set was cool and rah digga came out and did a verse on one of her songs which was very cool.

the next act i cared about was random axe, and they were sick. sean price on stage is something everyone should see because that dude is hilarious, but he spits so effortlessly. their stage presence was great and they did tracks from the album like “chewbacca,” “understand this” and “the hex.” it’s actually funny because when i was waiting in line to give them my ticket sean price walked by with his family and the security lady almost didn’t let his wife and kids through so he got a little pissed. anyway, moving along.

next was kendrick lamar. now i’ve seen kendrick perform before in atlanta, but i was still hype. the only thing that sucked was that his time was so limited he only did like three songs and nothing from section.80. all he did was “the heart pt. 2,” “p&p2,” “she needs me” and “ignorance is bliss.” so not the worst thing in the world, but it would’ve been cool if he at least did “hiiipower.”

after him was the man, myth and legend ali shaheed muhammad doing a dj set. full of hip-hop classics, and obviously a good amount of new york stuff and jay dee songs.

this group diamond district performed after him, i’m sure they’re not bad but their mics were up so high that all i really got from them was ringing in my ears so i pretty much tuned them out.

the penultimate act before headliner q-tip was the legendary mash out posse m.o.p. the crowd was stupid hype they did “how about some hardcore,” “dead and gone” and then went into the song we all know and love “ante up.” crowd obviously got stupid hype.

so then it was time for the abstract. before the show when i found out that it was q-tip and friends, at the very most i was thinking “wow it’d be cool if phife showed up” but that obviously didn’t happen. then i thought it’ll probably just be people like norah jones and amanda diva and he’ll do more of “the renaissance” stuff. *charlie murphy voice* wrong. WRONG.

this part will be hard to really describe he started with “verses from the abstract” and went to other tribe stuff like “sucka nigga” and “excursions” and then the solo stuff with “we fight/we love” and “move.” the first notable guest was bringing out the first lady of the native tongues monie love to do her verse from “b.u.d.d.y.” and to do “monie in the middle” which was very cool.
shortly after he just up and says “the legendary roots crew” and there goes freakin black thought. they do “act too…the love of my life,” and “the next movement” then tariq does a freestyle, it prompted q-tip to do a freestyle “song” which led into “bonita applebum.”

then he does “find a way” and not long after does “electric relaxation” which obviously puts the crowd into a frenzy. which only got larger when he kept saying “here we go yo, here we go yo” which led into “scenario” and busta flippin rhymes came on stage to do his verse and add a crazy level of hypeness to the show. then busta did his verse from “look at me now” and they followed that up with “oh my god.” it was an incredible cameo, but q-tip wasn’t done.

he starts talking about how he feels high, then “dark fantasy” comes on asking can we get much higher? of course. so i’m thinking it’s just him wanting to play the song...until kanye west comes on stage. definitely the most unexpected cameo. kanye does his verse on that song, then he does “can’t tell me nothing” and “all of the lights.” q-tip and kanye then closed it out by doing “award tour.”

incredible.

q-tip comes back out for the encore and does “can i kick it?” and “vivrant thing” and he ended it there.

one of the best days of my 20 years. only $15 to see multiple artists i enjoy and appreciate, and to be engulfed in hip-hop culture.

pugna exertus

2011-07-03T11:58:00.002-04:00

as i wait incessantly

for your heart to latch to me

words expel doubts like wizardry

magic spells and ringing bells

in my head a symbol of a feeling

now known as restless healing

a toxic transition of emotional currents

that flow as i grow

in an attempt to become phoenix-esque

and to be reborn, even love dies without defense

so i lose and lose, ruse after ruse

but build a reserve for the unexpected curve

of your frame or life's next game

expecting a challenge, a chemical imbalance

never a master of science, but instead self-reliance

determined to win, still not right within

Best Albums of the 2nd Quarter of 2011

2011-06-30T21:49:00.005-04:00

Same thing as the post that predated this one back in March. I give you what I consider the best albums/mixtapes/EPs of April, May and June.

TV on the Radio- Nine Types of Light

Foo Fighters- Wasting Light

Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2

Tyler, the Creator- Goblin

Arctic Monkeys- Suck it and See

Random Axe- Self-titled

Jean Grae- Cookies or Comas

My Morning Jacket- Circuital

Bon Iver- Self-titled

the new-age murder of gonzago

2011-06-27T22:36:00.002-04:00

an indispensable malady

the common disease of fallacy

do not saw the air too much with your hands

as you appeal to phantom fans

often one feels as hamlet did

addressing a company of players, who's intellect is hid

behind non-inventive regurgitation and repetition

seeking a cheap laugh or a moment of recognition

fools on parade without a float that signifies completion

knowledge being voided like bowels or another secretion

selective battles in a war unidentified

from common human nature they hide

the spectators will laugh and applaud, they the groundlings

not the audience that would be fit for kings

a lack of any semblance of true originality

these fellows o'er do Termagant, how can one flee?

Most Underrated Releases of 2011 So Far

2011-06-20T21:06:00.001-04:00

Weezer- Paranoid Android [Cover]

2011-05-28T00:26:00.002-04:00

Weezer has become nearly a caricature of their former selves but this effort shows me that they remember their roots and the artists that came up around the same time as them. This is them doing a cover of one of my favorite tracks from the classic album OK Computer and they do the source material a great deal of justice.

defeated dunce

2011-05-21T09:23:00.002-04:00

easily temptable
thankfully inimitable
amalgamation of laws
gauging purity out with claws

distant from right
seeking light
flawed but not unique
a creature you would not seek

freak
fool
tool
think

desperate but daunted
haunted by horrors unspoken
but not unseen or unknown
had he but flown.

fate unknown.

Beauty of the Week: Andy Allo

2011-05-13T23:55:00.004-04:00

Featured on G4's Attack of the Show, on the television series The Game and she's also a musician who released her UnFresh LP back in 2009.

air tran-sitional

2011-05-10T14:57:00.002-04:00

i watch the clouds become rock bottom

a fallacy made true through flight

i reach a distance that leaves me trapped

or rather in search of liberation through meditation

caught below the heavens

yet higher than the limits

they tell us stop at the sky

but defiance took us higher

in the celestial spheres we can find

an even greater peace of mind

carry that weight

2011-05-10T14:51:00.004-04:00

we still scrape our knees

remembering to say please

filling in the nooks of old

with choices that are much more bold

our dreams not on hold, told and sold

mistakes and misery, symphonies of heartbreak

yeah baby, i love you too, good luck

that's great, i'm proud, i miss you

all exclamations we know and recite

constantly seeking a way to grow

tossing fear aside, as our souls ride

to a destiny we seek to know

Beauty of the Week: Marsha Thomason

2011-04-28T17:23:00.001-04:00

Featured in the films The Haunted Mansion and Caffeine, also featured on the TV series' Las Vegas, Lost and White Collar.

the race

2011-04-26T00:18:00.005-04:00

she lays her cheek on her hand

and now here i stand

not Usher, but ushering my feelings to the stands

i clasp my hands.

i enter a state like prayer

for the words that will catch the tortoise up to the hare

her hair, flowing like the Euphrates in Africa

and asking her to be mine? tougher than navigating Atlanta

Mylanta for my heart as these butterflies swarm

from my stomach looking for a new home

on my way home like Gil-Scott, Kanye and Common

because her uncommon beauty is brighter than the light

there may be times when you need someone

and if she needs me then for her i'll fight

more like jack johnson in the ring than like kimbo slice

actions over bravado, she might choose the guy who's nice

they say we finish last, us who value what's true

but i'll gladly finish last, if still waiting at the finish is you.

Human Maintenance

2011-04-25T20:09:00.002-04:00

I am sorry for the gradual lack of content on this blog for those who actually care to check it. I have been dealing with what has been the busiest and most rewarding academic year of my life. This semester has not been very different from my fall but it has been very enriching and has helped me to learn more about this collegiate experience and how to truly take advantage of it and how to appreciate the people around you. This year has taken me to my home, New York, Pittsburgh and back to Atlanta for various reasons, all enriching. I have learned how to channel my stress in different ways, although I have still struggled. I have gained new friendships, enriched others, tried new things and just done things that have made me happy. I still face internal conflicts, times when I feel afraid or lonely, and I still haven't had any luck in the female department with a relationship but I'm finding ways to cope with the bad, learn from the bad and appreciate the good. I'm not sure what the future holds for me or this blog but I know it's necessary I just wish the most consistent content wasn't the beauty of the week and the videos on Fridays, which is why I didn't post them last week. I didn't want to post them just for the sake of doing them. I feel like expressing certain ideas that I used to express just weren't as important to me as they used to be [sports picks, etc.] and they almost felt like chores in a sense. So from now on I'm probably only going to post when I feel a direct inspiration to or if something is on my mind, other than that I don't want to force things on this just for the sake of having content. So that's the spiel, thank you for the support and more blogging will be on the way, albeit more sparingly than past years.

Video Daily Double!

2011-04-08T23:41:00.001-04:00

Went with two artists that have a unique connection. The first track is a cover of the second artist that's featured this week. James Blake did an awesome cover of "Limit to Your Love" on his debut self-titled album. The song was originally by Feist who burst onto the scene with her hit that I've posted "1234" off her album "The Reminder." Enjoy mates.

Beauty of the Week: Linda Cardellini

2011-04-07T13:27:00.002-04:00

Featured in the TV series' Freaks and Geeks and ER, in the Scooby-Doo film series and in the film Brokeback Mountain.

Best Albums of the 1st Quarter of 2011

2011-04-05T23:58:00.004-04:00

I wanted to put pictures but I have quite a lot of choices to include and I didn't want to have to split the post up. Essentially these are my favorite albums/mixtapes/EPs that have come out in January, February and March of this year [cheating slightly by including some stuff released yesterday]. I hope you guys inspect this list and check out whatever you might not be familiar with:

Toro y Moi- Underneath the Pine

James Blake- Self-titled

Schoolboy Q- SetBacks

Tennis- Cape Dory

The Go! Team- Rolling Blackouts

The Money Making Jam Boys- The Prestige: Jam Boy Magic

OverDoz- Live For, Die For

Radiohead- The King of Limbs

The Joy Formidable- The Big Roar

The Strokes- Angles

Beady Eye- Different Gear, Same Speed

Big K.R.I.T.- Return Of 4Eva

Adele- 21

Frank Ocean- Nostalgia, ULTRA

Raekwon- Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang

Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes
Jhene Aiko- sailing soul(s)

Video Daily Double!

2011-04-01T21:29:00.002-04:00

Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean from Fleet Foxes on Vimeo.

I typically don't post new videos when I do these daily doubles but this week is an exception. The first song is the latest single from Fleet Foxes called "Grown Ocean" from their upcoming album "Helplessness Blues." The second video is from the xx for their song "Basic Space." Happy weekend. No April Fools stuff here.

Blu and J*Davey concert

2011-03-31T14:37:00.004-04:00

The show was incredible.

The people i was with were pretty much the most hype ones in the building and that added to the good time. I met this girl that goes to Spelman and she’s mad cool too. I also met this other cool girl from Clark, just some good times. Anyway the show opened with this dude name DJ Golden and he was spinning most of the Atlanta concert favorites like “Elevators” “Dirty South” “Luchini” “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” “Chief Rocka” that kinda stuff. The crowd got mad hype when he played “Yonkers” and “French!” though which was cool to me. However, the crowd got the most hype when he put on that “Country Shit,” it’s amazing how transcendent Big K.R.I.T. is already.

Anyway the opening acts were hit and miss. The best one to me was Lyric Jones, she can spit pretty good and she did a song with Esperanza Spalding which i thought was pretty impressive. The most annoying thing at the show was that people didn’t seem to be very hype and that theme would continue pretty much until late in the J*Davey set.

Blu came on and did a couple tracks from Below the Heavens like “Simply Amazin” “No Greater Love” and “My World Is…” then he went into a bunch of newer stuff like “SLNGBNGRS!”, “Everything’sOk” and his verse from the “I’m Beamin” remix. Then he did some song that Madlib produced which sounded pretty impressive. His set wasn’t as good as I’d hoped because Iwould’ve liked to hear like one more track from Below the Heavens and at least 1 song from Her Favorite Colo(u)r. at any rate overall he was just spitting and I liked that because there were good lines snuck in there.

Finally J*Davey prepared to perform. Def Sounds opened for her and his set was pretty good as well. He gave out glow sticks and performed some really good songs, the highlight was when he passed out forks, spoons and knives and did a song that would’ve made the Based God proud. Finally Miss Jack Davey arrived on stage and man she’s skinny in person but she is soooo beautiful. She started with their cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and went from there doing stuff their latest album and older material. She caressed my hand when she was singing a song and it was magical. Then she was getting ready to do the song “Mama’s Back” and she pointed at this chick standing kinda close to me and my friends and told her to come on-stage, then she just started inviting anyone on stage so I jumped the railing and went up there. She said their flight was delayed so that’s what took them so long, so she wanted fans to experience her up close. We ended up essentially raging and dancing with her on stage and it was awesome. She came back out for an encore and did a very sensual rendition of their song “Rain Check” and then it was done.

Ultimately it was really awesome.

Beauty of the Week: Ari Graynor

2011-03-30T17:52:00.001-04:00

Featured in the films Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Whip It, Youth in Revolt and Holy Rollers.

Video Daily Double!

2011-03-26T16:30:00.002-04:00

Although I've featured Kanye on this blog numerous times, this week I feature him again because in light of his most recent album a part of me misses some of who he used to be. I decided to go with two songs that feature the conscious Kanye and the fun Kanye, but fun before all the pain he went through. So first we have the instant classic "All Falls Down" featuring Syleena Johnson, and the visual stylings of Stacey Dash. Next is Kanye and Jamie Foxx with the hit song "Gold Digger."

Beauty of the Week: Maria Teresa Kumar

2011-03-24T16:27:00.002-04:00

She is the Executive Director of Voto Latino. Other than that she's very attractive. Yeah that's all I got.

Video Daily Double!

2011-03-18T14:49:00.002-04:00

Florence And The Machine - Dog Days

Florence And The Machine | Myspace Music Videos

This week we've got two feel-good tracks for your weekend. The first is the original video for Florence and the Machine's hit "Dog Days are Over" from her debut album Lungs. The second video is from The Temper Trap with their song "Fader" which I prefer much more to the super overused "Sweet Disposition." Enjoy this and enjoy your weekend.

Beauty of the Week: Bree Turner

2011-03-17T13:45:00.001-04:00

Featured in the films Sorority Boys, Bring It On Again and The Ugly Truth.

The grass is green, and now I've seen it.

2011-03-16T17:29:00.004-04:00

I went to the WGC Cadillac Championship,which is a golf tournament for those less aware, last Saturday. It was funny to see Tiger Woods because he really wasn’t playing well at all, i got to see him up close because he hit a tee shot into off of the fairway and you can see more of his Asian features in person. Also he’s taller than tv makes him seem. After he shot the shot back onto the fairway it was funny because a group of ladies were plotting how they’d find him in the clubhouse after he was done. I learned that groupies exist regardless of the sport. However the golf groupies are less conspicuous. Beyond that i saw Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Rickie Fowler and many many other golfers.

Anyway the golf course at Doral looked beautiful and picturesque and the women there were just as nice. White, Spanish or whatever, there were a lot of very nice looking women in heels walking around the course. There was one particular group that seemed to not know anything about golf but had great bodies and seemed to be looking for a rich guy to help them out. I came to this conclusion once i saw them park by the exclusive club tent by the 18th hole.

Other than that it was a nice peek into how the other half lives in a sense. Both rich and poor were there but definitely more rich and privileged than anything. They get drunk, they eat, they flirt but ultimately they watch golf. It was my first experience watching golf live, and like with most things it was better in person than on tv. I look forward to my next experience and hopefully snatching up a milf [just kidding, mostly].

Video Daily Double!

2011-03-11T19:36:00.001-05:00

This set is brought to you courtesy of me hearing the first song earlier today, "Like That" by Memphis Bleek is a song that will always get me hype and is one of my favorite songs from Bleek. This song made me think about Roc-A-Fella and I decided to go with one of the posse's anthems for the other song, "Roc the Mic" by Beanie Sigel and Freeway. Throw ya diamonds up!

indefinite notations

2011-03-11T01:19:00.002-05:00

if life could be solved by putting pen to pad
if that girl had more time with her dad
if love was as effortless as a dream at night
as finding it is as complicated as a plane taking flight

what is the answer!?!?!?!
what is this experiment supposed to mean
why are we trapped in a undefined capsule
a solution that is never seen

when we die that's when our story is scribed
before then our milestones are just steady notes
that we struggle to tune as for meaning we swoon
an existence consistently undefined.

Beauty of the Week: Alyssa Milano

2011-03-10T12:00:00.002-05:00

Featured as a child on the TV series Who's the Boss and later on the series Charmed. Also featured in the film Hall Pass.

For Your Consideration: Adele vs. Gnarls Barkley- Crazy in the Deep

2011-03-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

Just press play people. One of the cleanest and best mash-ups I've ever heard.

the heat is on

2011-03-08T16:25:00.002-05:00

as i have stated in previous posts on this very blog, even before we got lebron i am a loyal fan of the miami heat basketball team. i hate allan houston, i respect jordan but hate what his teams did to alonzo mourning, i was in the AAA the night dwyane wade hit his buzzer-beater against the hornets in his first playoff series [the hornets play in the west now, so that should indicate how long ago that was]. essentially i know this team, know it's history, i've sighed, huffed, puffed, cheered, nearly cried and gotten headaches watching this team over the years. this season has easily been the most frustrating and exciting one in my history watching the team. the addition of james and bosh, mainly the first obviously, put a bullseye on a team that hadn't had pressure to win since shaq was still here. what has frustrated me so much is the large amount of negativity placed on us for no particular reason as if we're legitimately the worst team in the nba. i know the stats, i know we made some of this pressure ourselves but my point is that we are not a bad team, we are an inefficient team and an underachieving team but not a bad one. do i think we'll win the title this year? no. i never thought we would, and i've stated that before, i thought we might make the finals but i see we're too unprepared for that. i don't think spoelstra is entirely the problem either, he teaches with the same philosophy as pat riley and assistant coaches bob mcadoo, keith askins, and ron rothstein were apart of riley's staff too so there's not much of a change in personnel besides the players. we had a lot of expectations the year shaq got here and we came up short in to the pistons, but no one talks about how we overcame that and won a title the next year. another major point for me is in that title season we lost by 36 on national tv to the team we would eventually beat in the finals to win a title. we also were down 2-0 in those finals and came back to win 4 straight. the main sources of heart on that team were dwyane wade and a person we are missing dearly...udonis haslem. haslem has been there before the hype, even before shaq, playing a similar role to joakim noah for the bulls, or more historically like dennis rodman. i think we really need him back to have a chance for success, he has hit game winners before, sunk clutch free throws, and is never afraid to guard a bigger guy. if we can get the team away from all the lebron focus and talk and go back to the things that won us a title 5 years ago i think we can be successful: those things being wade/haslem, defense, and much better bench play. the main thing people need to remember is that lebron came to us, we didn't bring the heat to him. now he's got to recognize what his decision really entails.

For Your Consideration: Arctic Monkeys- Brick by Brick

2011-03-05T21:42:00.003-05:00

New song from one of my favorite bands in the new guard of alt-rock. This doesn't sound like Alex was singing lead vocals, but at any rate it's not half bad and is an indication that more is on the way unlike other artists [looking at you Red Hot Chili Peppers]. Anyway I suggest you check it out, and if you're unfamiliar and want to hear more from them just click the tag under this.

Video Daily Double!

2011-03-04T07:27:00.002-05:00

This week features two of the corniest yet catchiest songs in hip-hop history. They both feature dances that are iconic and the artists themselves are as well, despite these hilarious tracks. The first is the Fresh Prince himself with "Gettin' Jiggy With It," then we have the Digital Underground getting busy with "The Humpty Dance." Enjoy my people and put on your dancing shoes.

Beauty of the Week: Christina Vidal

2011-03-03T02:24:00.002-05:00

Featured on the TV series Taina, and in the films Freaky Friday, See No Evil and I Think I Love My Wife.

the third age

2011-02-27T00:20:00.002-05:00

i envy him

whoever has placed his lips to yours

drunken in the beauty of your shape

embraced you in great moments of weakness

has held his hands clasped in yours

caressed the most sensuous parts of your frame

he who will give you a ring

the man that you will join with as one

a citizen that will connect his love to yours

grow old with you see your beauty flourish

critique your flaws, celebrate your triumphs

one that will wipe the tears from your sweet face

even if you leave him, or if he affronts you

does harm to you or is the source of your hurt

i envy him

because he had your love first

Video Daily Double!

2011-02-25T11:37:00.003-05:00

This week features two artists that released albums about 3 years ago who I haven't heard from since and really desire to. The first is Santigold with her break-out single "Creator" from her debut eponymous album. The second is pop rock outlet The Cab with their song "Bounce" from their debut album Whisper War. I've actually posted this song before on a Video Daily Double but this is the official video. Here's hoping they both produce something before 2011 is over.

blitzkrieg

2011-02-25T10:53:00.002-05:00

in this generation people are overwhelmingly in love with success, but not in love with the idea of working towards success. everyone picks young idols, moguls and legends of their respective fields and latch on to them as they model of success, not understanding when those same people had a modicum of respect they still worked extremely hard. no one wants to let their talent marinate or develop steadily, instead they have to develop a buzz and they have to become great instantaneously. young people look at stories like donald glover, seth rogen and the "apatow boys" or someone like kevin hart and think that if they start working today by 2012 or '13 they should have their recognition. no respect is given to the process anymore. donald glover didn't just appear on the show "community" he had to build to that point. rogen and his coherts didn't just show up when "knocked out" came out, they'd been doing things since the previous decade, and apatow even longer. kevin hart appeared in a myriad of movies and in smaller gigs until he became a household name. this is why i still have so much patience and respect for the situation i'm in as a collegiate student. gaining acclaim is great and fast and early success isn't to be scoffed at, but it shouldn't be the ideal. people have developed the habit of being happy with shout outs and name drops, but don't properly satisfy the base they want to appeal to, and don't have longevity because they don't appreciate the process in a real way. for example, someone like antoine dodson. people seem to want that kind of idiotic internet popularity, because it leads to tv appearances, money and fame but in all truth who's going to be talking about that idiot by september of this year? little children want to be youtube celebrities, want to "whip their hair" and want to be drake or nicki minaj. if we keep following exceptions to the rules we will end up as fools. i'm not doubting, or knocking people that want to be exceptional but a strong foundation is better than a weak skyscraper. i don't think people should set their goals lower, but they shouldn't expect to meet them overnight. not sure how to end this but that's it, work hard but don't demand instant success, it will be more satisfying when you've earned it over time.

Beauty of the Week: Emanuela de Paula

2011-02-24T12:12:00.002-05:00

A model for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the UK retailer Next and the makeup company MAC.

after the love is gone

2011-02-22T01:22:00.002-05:00

man right now life is an amalgamation of thoughts, work, obligation, stress and all kinds of emotions that i’m just gonna keep under wraps. i’m frustrated because i’ve downloaded a lot of new music that i want to sit and actually listen to and enjoy but i can’t do that because i hardly ever get time to sit and listen to stuff. i mainly mean rap albums in this case. i am a person who has to appreciate a rap album track by track and try to catch as much of the wordplay and flow on the first listen as i can. if i don’t i feel like i’ve slighted myself or not appreciated it as much. rap music is the only genre i do this with. i can type a paper and listen to a rock album i haven’t heard before, i can read a play and listen to an indie rock or dream pop album i haven’t heard before, but i can’t listen to rap if i’m doing to much thought-provoking multi-tasking. so that’s frustrating to me as a music fan, i know i should get over it but i can’t.

i have a bunch of obligations to family, friends, my school newspaper, my classes, personal upkeep of my room, somewhat giving a damn about how i dress, trying to help my friend with her campaign, trying to be a responsible student and complete homework on time, actually study and not cheat. so much so that i haven’t played my own video game system in nearly two weeks. granted i’ve been playing marvel vs. capcom 3 a lot on my friend’s 360 but it’s not the same, and i haven’t done that since saturday.

my weekends haven’t belonged to me in a while, sometimes by choice often times not. i haven’t seen a movie in theaters in months, i haven’t had food from some of my favorite restaurants in the longest [i’m looking at you chipotle, sonic and panera bread], i haven’t even been to the gym in about a week now. i’ve still been making efforts to eat healthy and do situps and pushups but i just feel like i can’t keep everything in balance.

midterms are next week and i know about half of what i’ve actually learned. spring semester sucks because you’re just as busy with far less time to accomplish things. february will be over next week, march is 31 days but then april is 30 and school ends for me by the 27th of april anyway.

everything hasn’t sucked and a part of me welcomes the busyness and the stress but i just wanna go back to freshman year, when i didn’t have to worry about this conflicting with that, i could play video games all night and my biggest concern was did i still wanna continue my ROM file in final fantasy 6.

anyway, i’ve divulged enough. my life is far better than about 500,000 people somewhere even in this country, let alone the world. fin.

Video Daily Double!

2011-02-19T16:16:00.002-05:00

Christina Aguilera - New Music - More Music Videos

Christina Aguilera's been going through a lot lately, as a fan of hers since i was in elementary school I decided to post two of my favorite videos from her. The first is the theatrical, DJ Premier-produced "Ain't No Other Man" from Back to Basics. Then there's the song I prefer to "Beautiful" from her album Stripped called "The Voice Within."

Beauty of the Week: Mary-Louise Parker

2011-02-17T01:11:00.002-05:00

Featured in the films Fried Green Tomatoes, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Red. Also featured in the TV series' Angels in America and currently on Weeds.

For Your Consideration: Cee-Lo Green- Bodies

2011-02-16T13:37:00.002-05:00

The motion picture [because it's fitting] for Cee-Lo Green's track "Bodies" from his album "The Lady Killer." This song was immediately one of my favorite songs off the album when I heard it, and this video definitely captures the haunting auditory ideas and illustrates them in a way that works excellently. The video features cameos from Karl Lagerfeld, the lovely ladies Kerry Washington and Janelle Monae, and some other artists you might recognize.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy Trailer

2011-02-14T13:36:00.003-05:00

Video Daily Double!

2011-02-12T13:46:00.001-05:00

Radiohead - Karma Police
Uploaded by donhubert. - Explore more music videos.

This week we have two videos featuring artists on the road in, albeit, very different situations. The first is the classic "Karma Police" by Radiohead and the second in the song "Rill Rill" from Sleigh Bells. Enjoy and have a heart.

Beauty of the Week: Yvonne Strahovski

2011-02-10T14:01:00.002-05:00

Featured on the TV series Chuck and will be featured in the film The Killer Elite. Also featured as a voice actor in the Mass Effect series.

comfort food albums

2011-02-09T23:13:00.001-05:00

the other day i was listening to one of my favorite albums when i was in a not so great mood and i started thinking that certain albums are like “comfort food.” music that you can go back to and when you hear it, it soothes you or at least for however long it lasts helps you deal with what’s ailing you. i thought i’d compose a list of albums that serve that purpose for me:

red hot chili peppers- californication, by the way
the white stripes- elephant, white blood cells, icky thump
the strokes- is this it
arctic monkeys- whatever people say i am, that’s what i’m not; humbug
the black keys- brothers, magic potion
kanye west- the college dropout, late registration
nas- illmatic
jay-z: reasonable doubt, american gangster, the black album, the blueprint
beck- modern guilt
miles davis- kind of blue
clifford brown- study in brown
maroon 5- songs about jane
the beatles- abbey road, the white album
daft punk- discovery
john legend- get lifted
amy winehouse- back to black, frank
adele- 19
duffy- rockferry
wu-tang clan- enter the wu-tang [36 chambers]
common- be, like water for chocolate, resurrection, finding forever
lupe fiasco- food and liquor
a tribe called quest- midnight marauders, the low end theory
fall out boy- infinity on high
flaming lips- the soft bulletin, yoshimi battles the pink robots
rilo kiley- more adventurous
coldplay- a rush of blood to the head
paramore- riot!
kings of leon- only by the night
radiohead- ok computer, in rainbows
regina spektor- begin to hope
the roots- rising down, things fall apart, how i got over
tenacious d- self-titled
vampire weekend- self-titled, contra
yeah yeah yeahs- fever to tell, it’s blitz!
arcade fire- funeral
gorillaz- demon days
corinne bailey rae- self-titled
michael jackson- thriller
blu- below the heavens
blink 182- enema of the state
no doubt- tragic kingdom
maxwell- maxwell’s urban hang suite, blacksummers’night
tenacious d- self-titled
the cool kids- the bake sale
the killers- hot fuss
major lazer- guns don’t kill people…lazers do
MF DOOM- MM..FOOD
madvillain- madvillainy
the temper trap- conditions
the jimi hendrix experience- are you experienced?
gnarls barkley- st. elsewhere
lcd soundsystem- this is happening

lauryn hill- the miseducation of lauryn hill

Super Bowl XLV Preview

2011-02-06T15:18:00.002-05:00

Well the day has finally arrived. Lots of storylines here. Big Ben looking for redemption, Mendenhall trying to cement his legacy as a Steelers running back, Harrison redeeming his fines, Mike Tomlin going for his second ring to top Bill Cowher, Hines Ward's last game?, can they do it without Pouncey, Pittsburgh creating a second dynasty essentially. Aaron trying to extract the ghost of Brett, Donald Driver and Charles Woodson probably guaranteeing themselves Hall of Fame berths, Packers winning for the first time in a long time, Pack overcoming injuries, and much more. Polamalu or Matthews? Raji and Jenkins or Woodley and Farrior? Will Ward, Wallace and Miller dominate or will it be Driver, Jennings, Kuhn and the injury plagued bunch? The QB matchup between two different styles of play. Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg vs. Lil' Wayne? Terrible Towels vs. Cheeseheads? Two rabid fanbases, two great defenses, and two potentially explosive offenses. I think the Packers will take it 24-17. I think they'll be able to confuse Polamalu a bit, cheat up behind the line backers and put enough pressure on Pittsburgh's O-line. Enjoy your beer, chips, dip, pizza, wings, barbeque, alcohol, celery sticks or whatever floats your boat. Not looking forward to the halftime show, but perhaps the commercials will be good.

Video Daily Double! Goodbye The White Stripes Edition

2011-02-04T11:03:00.003-05:00

This week I decided to go with two videos from The White Stripes as they decided to pack it up this week. It seemed like it was inevitable as they hadn't released an album together since 2007 (excluding a live album last year). I've posted multiple videos by them so I decided to go with two I hadn't posted before. The first is "Blue Orchid" from their album Get Behind Me Satan, the second is "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" from White Blood Cells. I know Jack will continue to make music with his other bands and with his label, I'll miss Meg White though. Goodbye to one of my favorite bands.

Beauty of the Week: Lily Collins

2011-02-03T14:17:00.001-05:00

Featured as a correspondent on Nickelodeon and in the film The Blind Side. Will appear in the film Priest later this year.

running rodents

2011-02-01T23:18:00.003-05:00

the sun points a gun at your ambitions

tick.

a constant mission, unheralded condition

tock.

the moon rises in the worst of ways

tick.

we count the days, memories become strays

tock.

tick tock, no stopping the clock

maintain the rock, traveling through this epoch

trying to make each day epic

don't be just a speck

Video Daily Double!

2011-01-28T17:05:00.003-05:00

This week I decided to go with...The Go! Team [ba dum tiss]. At any rate this group is best know these days for their song "The Power Is On" which was featured in the NFL Play 60 with the Atlanta Falcons. They are a very eclectic and creative group and these two videos illustrate that. The first song is "Junior Kickstart" and the second is "Bottle Rocket" both appear on their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike.

Beauty of the Week: Natasha Leggero

2011-01-27T14:10:00.002-05:00

Featured in her own edition of Comedy Central Presents, also a featured panelist on the show Chelsea Lately. Featured in the film He's Just Not That Into You and on the TV series Ugly Americans.

4:14 a.m.

2011-01-24T00:23:00.002-05:00

where is love?

oliver twist sought to know

taylor swift plays a show

where thousands wait with baited breath

for an answer through percussive plucks

no such luck, no such denotation

motivation for living, reason for death

trouble, false joy and real pain

something both problematic and productive

curse the one who introduced it

bless them with the same tongue

we were so young how would we know?

time would make us its court jester

deny it if you wish and see

it seeks you even more passionately

Video Daily Double!

2011-01-21T13:26:00.003-05:00

I was listening to "What a Catch, Donnie" by Fall Out Boy earlier today and that inspired me to post some Fall Out Boy for this week's edition. This is essentially their breakout hit "Sugar We're Goin' Down" from the album From Under the Cork Tree. While in the nostalgic mood I decided to go with one of blink 182's earlier hits "Dammit" from their album Dude Ranch. Enjoy and rock out.

Beauty of the Week: Rebecca Hall

2011-01-21T01:59:00.001-05:00

Featured in the films The Prestige, Frost/Nixon, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Town.

For Your Consideration: Best Coast- Crazy For You

2011-01-18T23:56:00.004-05:00

Here's a video that is totally awesome to my inner-hipster/inner-Internet meme lover. This is the video for "Crazy for You" by Best Coast one of my favorite debut acts from last year. Enjoy the visuals and if you haven't heard their album go remedy that.

the steady beat

2011-01-18T04:23:00.002-05:00

develop a way to say what you feel
decide what your heart desires
work towards it, breathe it, become enamored
release your dreams into consciousness

trying times await the prepared and foolhardy
and it hardly seems right but such is life
we don't choose the fight, but suit up we must
rush, learn, develop, grow and be done before we know

live an enviable life, for your deeds not wealth
do what you can but don't ever neglect
the forces that gave your life cadence
be fearless.

Predictions for Divisional Weekend

2011-01-15T16:43:00.004-05:00

Yea I know the first game is on right now, but no one has scored so I can still be uninfluenced with these picks. My initial thought on the Super Bowl was Ravens and Packers so that will influence my picks. Not much more exposition beyond that, picks ahoy.

Baltimore over Pittsburgh- Fail

Green Bay over Atlanta- Win

Chicago over Seattle- Win

New England over New York- Fail

Split this week. Half of my potential Super Bowl is still alive.

Video Daily Double!

2011-01-14T17:30:00.002-05:00

I tend to like to feature creative videos and this week I shall continue, with two bands that i've featured on here a few times. The first is Gorillaz' video for "On Melancholy Hill" from their latest LP Plastic Beach. The second video is The White Stripes' somewhat mellow hit "The Hardest Button to Button" from Elephant. Enjoy bredren.

Beauty of the Week: Carla Gugino

2011-01-13T14:19:00.002-05:00

Featured in the films Sin City, Righteous Kill, the Spy Kids trilogy, American Gangster and Watchmen. Also featured in the TV series Entourage.

For Your Consideration: Oliver Taylor- Ocarina of Tetris

2011-01-12T03:08:00.002-05:00

This was just too funny/awesome to pass up posting. This chap took the time and effort to play the Tetris theme using the Ocarina in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I call it slightly funny because he keeps a straight face the whole time and doesn't even blink. At any rate if you're a video gamer like me I figure you'll find it pretty cool.

Predictions for Wild Card Weekend

2011-01-08T12:02:00.002-05:00

Decided to keep it simple like last year and do no picture just my picks. I'm gonna go pretty chalk on some of these but none of these 4 games are really a given as the teams match up well. No upset picks or games of the week in here either. At any rate here we go...

New Orleans over Seattle
Indianapolis over New York
Baltimore over Kansas City
Philadelphia over Green Bay

Well this didn't go well: 1 out of 4.

Video Daily Double!

2011-01-07T15:18:00.002-05:00

Sorry to be so depressive on Video Daily Double day but both of these songs have lyrics that are therapeutic and fitting for what I've had to deal with this week. The first is "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World and the second is "The Scientist" from Coldplay. I put only the lyrics not real music videos so people can just appreciate the messages of these songs [and the first one doesn't have an official video lol].

Beauty of the Week: Adrienne Bauduit

2011-01-06T13:52:00.002-05:00

I could've chosen a celebrity like i do every week but I just couldn't. This is a friend of mine who passed away this week and it's honestly still very much a struggle for me to understand it. She was honestly one of those people who always put others before her and always wanted people around her to smile and to be in a good mood. I don't know the cause of her death still but even with that knowledge it would still be hard to comprehend how she could be gone. I honestly hadn't seen her in a while, partially because she was pledging but also because like we do I took her, like most people I know, for granted. I've had people in the same class as me die, going all the way back to high school, but this one has been the closest to home for certain. It's going to be very difficult to face my friends especially those who were even closer to her than I was. This is somewhat therapeutic and I suppose this may be the final wake up call to help me understand just how much a gift life is. I can stand to lose another friend before it's their time I just can't. My prayers go to her closest friends, her family and even her community back home because she was that important to them from what I've understood. I decided to pick this picture because Adrienne loved to smile and laugh, no matter how corny her or another person's joke was. I love you Adrienne and I wish I would've appreciated you more. I hope you rest in peace and God gives everyone who misses you some extra strength.

mountains beyond mountains

2011-01-04T14:12:00.001-05:00

i want to be a writer or a journalist but there are 4 major things in my life that i could talk about ad nauseum and feel like could write about and there lies my major issue in finding direction.

i love music a lot, i love sports a lot, i love movies a lot and i love video game a lot and i the major bulk of money i spend that isn’t for food or living is related to those 4 things. and my interest in all 4 of those things is a fusion of my family and my life.

my father used to play basketball in high school and has a passion for his home teams and he’s where i get that from. i’ve become a student of studying the game, understanding nuances and realizing the different factors of multiple sports and not just being an asshole who talks loudly about sports but can’t differentiate between a pk in traditional football and a pk in american football.

my brother played the trumpet, my parents always played jazz and soul music when i grew up, and my mother loves to sing all the time. i mean for every thing or situation we talk about she would always have a song that fits it and she’ll just randomly be playing a game on our computer and she’ll just burst into song. i get a lot of my spontaneity from her and some from my dad. their musical taste isn’t as diverse as mine but my parents never shoved anything down my throat or ever classified a kind of music by race and i appreciate them for that.

my brother is a movie buff. he literally has more movies in his personal collection than i’ve seen in my life. he appreciates great acting and i respect him for that. he’s watched way more foreign films than me and has opened my interpretation far beyond regular shit. i also used to do theatre from about 3rd grade to my senior year of high school and because of that experience i look at movies and television through a very different frame. it’s something i still wish i could do but i just feel like i’m not good enough, which is a hurdle i may or may not ever cross.

as far as video games they’ve been there since before i could write my own name. most of my bonding with my brother and my best friend has occurred through video games and there are memories in my life that i tie to video games before anything else. psychology talks about classical conditioning and how two things can be tied to one another. well there are smells, tastes and sounds i can correlate with video games and vice versa.

all of these things are a part of my life and i would love to be able to express my opinions on them all but time, systems, limitations and fear seem to be my largest hurdles. i don’t know what direction life will take me, i’m not sure if people will care about my opinion i don’t know any of the answers. i just know i get the same emotion from getting 100% completion in an rpg, as i do from watching my home team score a game winning touchdown, as i do when i hear an amazing song or insane beat or guitar solo as i do when i see an amazing performance, a great screenplay or a visual that challenges me to think. you are truly defined by both nature and nurture. i just don’t know how my experiment’s gonna turn out.

Predictions for Week 17

2011-01-01T19:59:00.003-05:00

The last week of the season. For many teams it's a chance to play for their pride if they know the playoffs aren't imminent. For others it's rest or a shape up for those same playoffs. For many it will decide their eventual fate as well as playoff seeding. I'm personally just hoping that the Dolphins can find a way to win this one, at least for the fans. Other than that Atlanta needs to win to keep their hold on the NFC South and will Brett Favre be able to take at least one snap in his "last game?" Well we shall see, I chose the above as game of the week because Seattle can actually make the playoffs if they win so it's a pretty big deal.

Atlanta over Carolina- Win

Baltimore over Cincinnati- Win

Cleveland over Pittsburgh- Fail

Detroit over Minnesota- Win

Kansas City over Oakland- Fail

Upset of the Week Miami over New England- Fail like our season

New Orleans over Tampa Bay- Fail

Jets over Buffalo- Win

Denver over San Diego- Fail

Green Bay over Chicago- Win

Houston over Jacksonville- Win

Indianapolis over Tennessee- Win

Dallas over Philadelphia- Win

San Francisco over Arizona- Win

Giants over Washington- Win

Game of the Week St. Louis over Seattle- Fail

Overall: 10 out of 16

Video Daily Double!

2010-12-31T13:09:00.002-05:00

Green Day - Time Of Your Life (Music Video)
Uploaded by timkeung2. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

This week in honor of New Year's Eve we have two fitting songs. The first is Jimi Hendrix's live take on the New Year's staple "Auld Lang Syne" then we have the song that sums up a year pretty greatly. Green Day with "Good Riddance [Time of Your Life]." Enjoy your celebrations people and see you in 2011 with more blogging!

Beauty of the Week: Mary Elizabeth Winstead

2010-12-30T18:21:00.002-05:00

Featured in Final Destination 3, Live Free or Die Hard, Grindhouse: Death Proof and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Favorite Acts I've Discovered in the Second Half of 2010 Part 4

2010-12-28T02:12:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's not in sequence with the other 3 posts like it but I had to show these artists some love.

Video Daily Double! Christmas Edition

2010-12-24T15:22:00.001-05:00

Last year I went with two hip-hop Christmas favorites, this year I decided to go animated. The first is from the classic Charlie Brown Christmas special "Christmas Time Is Here." Then from Disney classic anti/pro-Christmas film The Nightmare Before Christmas we have "Making Christmas." Happy Holidays everyone.

Predictions for Week 16

2010-12-23T17:15:00.005-05:00

The last Monday Night game of the season is among the biggest games of the season. The Falcons have much to prove and almost seemed to be favored at home, the Saints are coming off a loss. It will be interesting to see what happens. Another interesting match up is the showdown between the Giants and the Packers for both of their playoff lives. Finally the Jets vs Bears could [probably not but who knows] be a Super Bowl preview if the cards fall right for both teams. Picking time.

Pittsburgh over Carolina- Win

Dallas over Arizona- Fail

New England over Buffalo- Win

Jets over Chicago- Fail

Baltimore over Cleveland- Win

Jacksonville over Washington- Fail

Kansas City over Tennessee- Win

Miami over Detroit- Fail [sad face]

St. Louis over San Francisco- Win

San Diego over Cincinnati- Fail

Upset of the Week Denver over Houston- Win

Indianapolis over Oakland- Win

Green Bay over Giants- Win

Tampa Bay over Seattle- Win

Philadelphia over Minnesota- Fail

Game of the Week Atlanta over New Orleans- Fail

Overall: 9 out of 16

a four letter word

2010-12-22T00:53:00.003-05:00

where did it go?

who once held it?

why did they let it go?

can you retrieve it?

is it worth saving?

do you miss it enough?

has it been shadowed and turned cold?

spoiled and turned to mold?

will you find it when you get old?

can you live without it?

does it ever truly disappear?

or did you simply shroud it?

why do people die for it?

who truly understands it?

is it meant for everyone?

does everyone feel it?

it is a mystery and enigma a constant

from birth--from sea to shining sea

and we seek it, write about it, cry for it

irresistible, necessary, unstable and undying

Video Daily Double!

2010-12-17T19:15:00.003-05:00

This week features Dave Sitek in his two roles. The first is his solo effort Maximum Balloon featuring Theophilus London with "Groove Me" then we have his main outlet TV on the Radio with their song "Wolf Like Me."

Best Albums/Mixtapes/EPs of 2010

2010-12-17T03:33:00.014-05:00

Not much exposition as the title here speaks for itself. Did this last year and it's time for this year's edition. This isn't a list of best to worst or anything just a list.

Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Tokyo Police Club- Champ

Nas and Damian Marley- Distant Relatives

Corinne Bailey Rae- The Sea

Sade- Soldier of Love

Vampire Weekend- Contra

Minus the Bear- Omni

MGMT- Congratulations

Theophilus London- I Want You

The Cool Kids- Tacklebox

Janelle Monae- The ArchAndroid

Erykah Badu- New Amerykah Part 2: Return of the Ankh

Interpol- Self-Titled

Crystal Castles- Self-Titled (2010)

Best Coast- Crazy For You

The Black Keys- Brothers

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Before Today

Fashawn- Ode to Illmatic

CurT@!n$- The Dissertation: The Wu-Thesis, The Killer Tape

Black Milk- Album of the Year

Big Sean- Finally Famous 3

Rox- Memoirs

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs

Neon Trees- Habits

Two Door Cinema Club- Tourist History

Salem- King Night

Chromeo- Business Casual

Flying Lotus- Cosmogramma

Cee-Lo Green- The Lady Killer

LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening

Big Boi- Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Broken Bells- Self-Titled

Gorillaz- Plastic Beach

Das Racist-Shut Up, Dude, Sit Down, Man

Tyler the Creator- Bastard

MellowHype- BlackenedWhite

Earl Sweatshirt- Earl

Yeasayer- Odd Blood

Homeboy Sandman- The Good Sun

Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown

XV- Vizzy Zone

Beach House- Teen Dream

Fitz and the Tantrums- Pickin' Up The Pieces

The Roots- How I Got Over

DJ Green Lantern- How to Make It in America

Esperanza Spalding- Chamber Society Music

The White Stripes- Under Great White Northern Lights

The Dirty Projectors + Bjork- Mount Wittenberg Orca

Nick Jonas and the Administration- Who I Am

Girl Talk- All Day

No Age- Everything in Between

The National- High Violet

Major Lazer- Lazers Never Die

J. Cole- Friday Night Lights

Maximum Balloon- Self-Titled

The Foreign Exchange- Authenticity

TiRon- MSTRD

Ghostface Killah- Apollo Kids

Wavves- King of the Beach

Kendrick Lamar- Overly Dedicated

The Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards

Best Songs of 2010

2010-12-16T16:44:00.015-05:00

Last year I tried to be diplomatic and include the "most iconic" songs of the year but there was quite a lot of crappy popular music this year. Some of it I cared for other songs I could definitely do without so this is my list, no particular order as with the albums:

Kanye West- Every song on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Don't Look Down, Looking For Trouble, Christian Dior Denim Flow, Chain Heavy, The Joy, Lord Lord Lord, Christmas in Harlem

Curren$y- Example, Audio Dope II, The Day, Michael Knight, Lemon Kush, Invincible Jets, Racing Stripes, Airborne Aquarium, Silence, OG...[The Jar], Famous, Real Estates

Ski Beatz- Prowler 2, Taxi

Drake- Fireworks, The Resistance, Over, Show Me a Good Time, Light Up, Miss Me

Tokyo Police Club- Bambi, Wait Up [Boots of Danger], End of a Spark, Hands Reversed, Favourite Colour

Nas and Damian Marley- As We Enter, Leaders, Friends, Strong Will Continue, Tribes at War

Jay Electronica- Shiny Suit Theory, The Announcement

B.o.B.- Don't Let Me Fall, Airplanes pt. 2, Nothin on You, Lovelier Than You

Meth, Ghost and Rae- Our Dreams, Miranda

Corinne Bailey Rae- Feels Like the First Time, The Blackest Lily, Closer, Paris Nights/New York

Mornings, Paper Dolls

Sade- The Safest Place, Soldier of Love, Bring Me Home, Skin

Usher- Hot Tottie, There Goes My Baby, OMG [It's just too catchy]

The Roots- Dear God 2.0, How I Got Over, Now or Never, Right On, Doin It Again, The Fire

Blu- CityOfLos[t]Angel[e]s, OnMarsWithStars, SLNGBNGRS!

Vampire Weekend- Holiday, Run, Cousins, Giving Up the Gun

Kings of Leon- Radioactive, The End, Pyro, The Immortals, No Money, Pony Up, Pickup Truck, Birthday

Ayomari- Happy Thoughts, Up, Body Language

XV- X.plosi.V.e, The Flying V, She Go, I Go; Reset Button, May the Force Be With You, Falling Awake

Nick Jonas and the Administration- Who I Am, In The End, Conspiracy Theory, Olive and an Arrow, Last Time Around

Minus the Bear- My Time, Hold Me Down, Excuses, Animal Backwards

Royce Da 5'9"- Real Hip Hop, Nobody Fucking With Us

MGMT- Siberian Breaks, Flash Delirium, It's Working

Janelle Monae- Locked Inside, Cold War, Tightrope, Come Alive, Mushrooms and Roses, Say

You'll Go, BaBopBye Ya

The Cool Kids- Great Outdoors, Strawberry Girl, So Neat

Major Lazer- Bruk Out [Buraka Son Sistema Remix], Jump Up [Thom Yorke Remix], Sound of Siren

Theophilus London- No Answers, Accept The New, Soles of Fire, Departure [Paris 96], Sorry To Interrupt, Life of a Lover [Remix]

Infant Sorrow- The Clap, Furry Walls

Reflection Eternal- Just Begun, Ballad of the Black Gold

Aloe Blacc- I Need a Dollar

The XX- You've Got the Love [Remix]

Dan Black ft. Kid Cudi- Symphonies [Remix]

Kid Cudi- Mr. Rager, Erase Me

Kelly Rowland- Commander

The Black Keys- Tighten Up, Howlin For You, Never Gonna Give You Up, Ten Cent Pistol, She's Long Gone

Erykah Badu- Window Seat, Turn Me Away [Get Munny], Gone Baby, Don't Be Long; Umm Hmm, Love, Fall In Love [Your Funeral]; Out My Mind, Just In Time

CurT@!N$- The Gentrification, Crown Heights 11213, 2 Sports Cars, Letter to the People pt. 4

Owen Pallett- Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

Esperanza Spalding- Winter Sun, Apple Blossom, Knowledge of Good of Evil, Wild is the Wind

Interpol- All of the Ways, Barricade, Lights, Success

Ratatat- Party With Children

Wale- The Problem, The MC, The Soup, The War, The Black N Gold

Best Coast- When the Sun Don't Shine, When I'm With You, I Want To

Crystal Castles- Doe Deer, Fainting Spells, Baptism, Empathy, Suffocation, Violent Dreams, Vietnam, Birds, Intimate, Not In Love

Big Sean- Fat Raps Remix, Supa Dupa Lemonade, What U Doin, Home Town, Too Fake, Crazy, Bonus Song With Kanye

Arcade Fire- Ready to Start, Month of May, Sprawl II [Mountains Beyond Mountains], The Suburbs, We Used to Wait

Maroon 5- Misery

Black Milk- Deadly Medley, Welcome [Gotta Go], Gospel Psychedelic Rock, Round of Applause, Distortion, Warning [Keep Bouncing]

Rick Ross- Free Mason, Tears of Joy, B.M.F.

Travis Porter- Make It Rain [I had to]

Waka Flocka Flame- Hard In The Paint

Chromeo- Night by Night

Neon Trees- Animal, Love and Affection

N.E.R.D.- God Bless Us All, Hot N Fun, Hypnotize U, I've Seen The Light/Inside of Clouds, Perfect Defect, Help Me

Tyler the Creator- Odd Toddlers, Sarah, VCR/Wheels, French!, Jack and the Beanstalk, Tina, Inglorious, Slow It Down, Session,

MellowHype- Gun Sounds, Loaded, Loco, F*ck The Police, Chordaroy, Circus

Earl Sweatshirt- Earl, Couch, Luper, epaR, Pigions, Stapleton

Domo Genesis- Rolling Papers, Dreams, Cap N Crunch, Super Market, Drunk, Clear Eyes

Yung Humma- Lemme Smang It, Fried or Fertilized [Another had to]

Mac Miller- Good Evening, Ride Around, Knock Knock

J. Cole- Too Deep For the Intro, Before I'm Gone, Villematic, Enchanted, In The Morning, 2Face, The Autograph, Home For the Holidays

Big Boi- Shutterbugg, Tangerine, Fo Yo Sorrows, General Patton

M.I.A.- Born Free, XXXO, Teqkilla, Meds and Feds, It Takes A Muscle, It Iz What It Iz

Cee-Lo Green- Fuck You, Bodies, Love Gun, Fool For You, It's OK

LCD Soundystem- Dance Yrself Clean, Drunk Girls, One Touch, All I Want, I Can Change, Pow Pow

Broken Bells- The Ghost Inside, October, Mongrel Heart, The Mall and Misery, The High Road, Sailing to Nowhere, Trap Doors

Girl Talk- All the songs on All Day

Maximum Balloon- Groove Me, Absence of Light, Communion, If You Return, The Light, Pink Bricks

Homeboy Sandman- The Carpenter, Not Pop, Yeah But I Can Rhyme Though, The Essence, The Things They Carried, Listen, Angels With Dirty Faces

Das Racist- Who's That? Brooown!, You Oughta Know, Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Rainbow in the Dark, Fake Patois, Nutmeg, Shorty Said [Gordon Voidwell Remix], Ek Shaneesh, Hugo Chavez, All Tan Everything, Puerto Rican Cousins, Hahahaha Jk?, People Are Strange, Rapping 2 u, Rooftop, Return To Innocence, You Can Sell Anything; Sit Down, Man,

Beach House- Walk in the Park, Lover of Mine, 10 Mile Stereo, Better Times

Yeasayer- Ambling Alp, O.N.E., Rome, Mondegreen, Love Me Girl

Sleigh Bells- Riot Rhythm, Infinity Guitars, Rill Rill, Kids

The Dirty Projectors + Bjork- On and Ever Onward, All We Are, When the World Comes to an End

No Age- Valley Hump Crash, Fever Dreaming, Shed and Transcend, Depletion

The National- Afraid of Everyone, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Little Faith, Anyone's Ghost, Conversation 16

Gorillaz- Rhinestone Eyes, Stylo, Superfast Jellyfish, Empire Ants, Broken, Cloud of Unknowing

Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are

Miguel- All I Want Is You

The Script- Breakeven

Lady Antebellum- Need You Now

TiRon- The Richers, Ms. Right, Boys and Girls

The Foreign Exchange- Authenticity, This City Ain't the Same Without You, Fight for Love, Don't Wait

Duffy- Well, Well, Well; Don't Forsake Me

Joe Budden- Remember the Titans

Ghostface Killah- In Tha Park, Drama, Troublemakers

Lupe Fiasco- I'm Beamin [Remix], I'm Beamin

Child Rebel Soldier- Don't Stop!

Katy Perry- Firework

Kendrick Lamar- Ignorance Is Bliss, Growing Apart [To Get Closer], Opposites Attract [Tomorrow w/o Her], Barbed Wire, Heaven and Hell, She Needs Me [Remix], I Do This [Remix]

The Dead Weather- Blue Blood Blues, Hustle and Cuss, I'm Mad, Die by the Drop, Gasoline, No Horse, Looking at the Invisible Man, Jawbreaker

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Bright Lit Blue Skies, Round and Round, Beverly Kills, Butt House Blondies, Little Wig, Can't Hear My Eyes, Menopause Men

Toro y Moi- Thanks Vision, Low Shoulder, Talamak, Freak Love, Causers of This

Flying Lotus- Nose Art, Zodiac Sh*t, Computer Face: Pure Being, ...And the World Laughs With You, Arkestry, MmmHmm, German Haircut, Dance of the Psuedo Nymph, Recoiled, Table Tennis, Galaxy in Janaki, Velvet Cake

Two Door Cinema Club- I Can Talk, What You Know, Cigarettes in the Theatre, Come Back Home, Undercover Martyn

Salem- King Night, Frost, Sick, Redlights, Hound, Tair

We Are Scientists- Rules Don't Stop, I Don't Bite, Pittsburgh, Break It Up, You Should Learn, Central AC

Fitz and the Tantrums- Winds of Change, Pickin' Up The Pieces, Moneygrabber, L.O.V., Dear Mr. President

Predictions for Week 15

2010-12-16T04:34:00.004-05:00

Some might consider the Jets-Steelers game or the Packers-Patriots game as bigger than this pictured one but I disagree. Not just because I hate the Pats and Jets but because I think this game holds a lot of meaning for the bigger picture. The Ravens need to make a statement and can do so if they beat the defending champs, meanwhile the Saints try to stay on pace with the Falcons. The Colts and Jags game is also very intriguing to see if the Colts can get back to familiar territory. The Eagles and Giants rematch is also very intriguing as is the reunion of a heartbroken Texans team with the antagonistic Titans. Overall there's a lot of good storylines this week, pick time:

San Diego over San Francisco- Win

Game of the Week New Orleans over Baltimore- Fail

Arizona over Carolina- Fail

Cincinnati over Cleveland- Win

Dallas over Washington- Win

Indianapolis over Jacksonville- Win

Miami over Buffalo- Fail

Philadelphia over Giants- Win

St. Louis over Kansas City- Fail

Upset of the Week Detroit over Tampa Bay- Win

Houston over Tennessee- Fail

Atlanta over Seattle- Win

Oakland over Denver- Win

Pittsburgh over Jets- Fail

New England over Green Bay- Win

Chicago over Minnesota- Win

Overall: 10 out of 16

Beauty of the Week: Piper Perabo

2010-12-16T04:30:00.001-05:00

Featured in the films Coyote Ugly, Lost and Delirious, the Cheaper by the Dozen series, The Prestige and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Currently featured on the Golden Globe nominated series Covert Affairs.

Video Daily Double!

2010-12-12T19:40:00.004-05:00

This week my post comes quite a bit late but I've started my winter break and I've been traveling/hibernating. This week is a feature of two of my favorite artists that I've become familiar with this year. The first comes from underground rapper Homeboy Sandman called "The Carpenter" from his album The Good Sun. The second is an act that's picking up steam Chiddy Bang with their breakout hit "Opposite of Adults" which samples MGMT's hit "Kids."

Beauty of the Week: Alia Shawkat

2010-12-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

Featured on the TV series Arrested Development and in the films Whip It and The Runaways.

Predictions for Week 14

2010-12-08T12:30:00.006-05:00

This week begins the stretch run of the NFL season and is full of match-ups that might've seemed like a big deal at the beginning of the season, but feature a lot of teams that have underachieved. The Ravens and Texans are mainly interesting to see if the Ravens can rebound from their loss, the Colts also have a lot to prove tomorrow night if they still hope to win their division. There are quite a few good division rivalry games though and that's really it. At this point it seems kind of clear who the class of the league is.

Indianapolis over Tennessee- Win

Cleveland over Buffalo- Fail

Atlanta over Carolina- Win

Green Bay over Detroit- Fail

Jacksonville over Oakland- Win

Giants over Minnesota- Win

Upset of the Week Cincinnati over Pittsburgh- Fail

Tampa Bay over Washington- Win

New Orleans over St. Louis- Win

Seattle over San Francisco- Fail

Denver over Arizona- Fail

Game of the Week New England over Chicago- Win

Miami over Jets- Win

Kansas City over San Diego- Fail

Philadelphia over Dallas- Win

Baltimore over Houston- Fail

Overall: 9 out of 16

Favorite Acts I've Discovered in the Second Half of 2010 Part 3

2010-12-07T19:28:00.005-05:00

Favorite Acts I've Discovered in the Second Half of 2010 Part 2

2010-12-07T19:19:00.003-05:00

Favorite Acts I've Discovered in the Second Half of 2010 Part 1

2010-12-07T19:13:00.003-05:00

I did the first half for acts from January to July, here's July to this point in December.