All Things All Things

'cism!

2012-02-11T19:03:00.000-05:00

Jeremy Lin's been a great story (so far), but damn, it sure is bringing out a lot of that sort of commentary.

De La Soul - Life Is Great

2012-02-10T02:26:00.000-05:00

Better. (Much)

I Wish De La Soul Still (Didn't) Made Tracks Like This

2012-02-08T17:10:00.004-05:00

Pardon the language butchering in the title, but I wish to keep the "I Wish..." thing going.

Taking it back to 96/97, our favorite Plugs have revisited the art form off displaying distaste using parody.

Now I could go back to 91 with Kicked Out The House, but I was less bothered by that particular track, partly because I did not hear it until years later (I owned a cassette copy of De La Soul is Dead); but also because it did not seem -- at least to me -- to be fueled by an us against them mentality, which I feel lead to the creation of...

De La Soul - Baby Baby Baby Baby Ooh Baby

During this period of their career they may have been so focused on championing better morals in Hip Hop, that they didn't realize that this could have been a fun (if not spectacular) track, even without the it's really this simple eye winking. You know, kinda like the track with the telephone sounds that appears a little later in the album.

While I'll always love the Strong Islanders (be easy, Matt), and the first song released from this project was a little better than this one, I still worry that this won't amount to much more than "ha ha...look at us!"

That sort of humor just isn't fresh to me.

Bonus track:

The Beatnuts - Give Me Tha Ass

Kendrick Perkins

2012-02-02T01:48:00.001-05:00

"This is so unfair" (c) Mos Def

While teammates were caught out of position (sup Serge? Russy?), Perkins tried to make a defensive stop on the play. Unfortunately things didn't work out the way he or his teammates would have hoped, and for about two days he became the laughing stock of the league.

He's probably a little embarrassed right now, as this era of the NBA is largely fueled by individual players, and Sportscenter highlights (now compounded by Twitter). But I'd like to say to Perk, keep your head up, dawg. Hopefully your teammates appreciate your effort, and it might even become a rallying point for the duration of the season.

Nothing remedies the blues like a championship.

The Sartorialist: Lunch for 25

2012-02-01T12:05:00.001-05:00

It's possible that number 26 on Scott Schuman's list of friends is a little upset right now.

Bill Belichick

2012-01-30T17:57:00.001-05:00

Frightening.

John Williams - Emperor's Theme

CASSETTE: A Documentary Film about the Cassette Tape

2012-01-26T15:01:00.001-05:00

Project information:

A few months ago, the term cassette tape was taken out of the Oxford English Dictionary.

It may seem ironic, then, that the cassette has experienced a quiet comeback over the last few years, as independent labels issuing tape-only releases have begun popping up around the world.

What better excuse to take a look back at this beloved musical format?

As recorded sound continues its love affair with the downloadable, ethereal digital file, the tangible artefact is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Help us celebrate the A Side, the B Side, the mixtape, and the whole of cassette culture by supporting Cassette: A Documentary. We'll look at all parts of popular culture influenced by the cassette, including hip-hop and B-Boy culture, indie rock, home recording, and beyond.

We've already conducted a number of interviews in the UK, and with your support we'll be able to speak to manufacturers, musicians, and historians around the world. Along the way, we'll stop in Zimbabwe to cover the recent boom in cassette culture there.

Please support if you can, and visit cassettemovie.com for updates! Thanks!

Kickstarting here: Link

UPDATE:

This project has successfully reached its funding goals.

Every dollar does count.

Including mine.

365 Things In 365 Days

2012-01-25T01:26:00.001-05:00

Currently one of my favorite things on the net.

Wanting to do more this year than cutting back cupcake consumption, Toronto creatives (and friends) John & Laura are thinking past the resolution by challenging themselves to do 365 things they've never done before -- in 365 days.

An exercise that may inspire others to break up the day to day with some fun.

They are documenting their exploits, so if you wish to follow along, you can do so by visiting their website.

365 Things In 365 Days: Link

Commerical Break - Hershey's Chocolate Bar (1984)

2012-01-18T20:59:00.002-05:00

"Pure milk chocolate, delicious and smooth..."

As a child, I thought this video was so cool. It made me want to try breakdancing.

I quickly moved on after realizing how horrible I was.

The HedRush: Episode #43 - L.A. Hip-Hop Appreciation Pt. 1, featuring DJ Mark Luv

2012-01-13T02:35:00.000-05:00

The HedRush is back again, and this time celebrating the hip-hop history of the City of Angels. This is part one of a two-part episode celebrating and exploring Los Angeles hip-hop. JB d'Mulatto stays behind the boards, while Spider Jerusalem chops it up with DJ Mark Luv, Zulu Nation King, former DJ for the Pharcyde, and co-founder of the legendary Unity event.

Along with providing a few choice anecdotes/words about some hip-hop mainstays, the crew discuss the importance of tailoring beats to the MC, artists who experienced nervous breakdowns over their albums, and learning how not to be hard-headed while on tour.

E-mail any questions or comments to thehedrush@gmail.com. Become a fan of the show today. And tell a friend!

Tracklisting and previous episodes: The HedRush

Knot Yourself by Alexander Olch (Matt Lenski, 2011)

2012-01-09T18:42:00.000-05:00

I'd cop some of his seersucker joints.

Alexander Olch: Link

'cism!

2012-01-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

2011 Year In Review: FiyaStarter Podcast

2012-01-06T13:27:00.009-05:00

My favorite new podcast, and possibly my new favorite podcast.

Once a week, TKO, K-Badd, and Basa have a round table discussion on American sports, popular culture, and societal issues...from a Black perspective. For those not fully immersed in world of sports, the hosts inject enough humor to keep that particular section of the podcast entertaining. The rest of podcast is open season, and everyone from Toure to Pitchfork has felt the Fiya in past episodes.

Co-host Basa took a moment to speak with me, and provides a brief rundown on the podcast and the FiyaStarter crew.

---

Boothe: Before posting the first episode, the blog was in a period of inactivity. When did you guys decide on trying the podcast format?

Basa: We'd been kicking around the idea of a podcast for years, even while we were regularly filling the blog with new content. The podcast is just the natural evolution of Fiyastarter. The response we received for the things we did with the blog gave us the confidence to reveal our actual personalities and comedic sensibilities on the podcast and not just hide behind the characters we created for the blog. However, Basa, TKO and K-Badd could also be considered characters in a sense.

The chemistry between you, TKO and K-Badd is very strong. How long have you known each other?

TKO and I met at Howard University in Fall of 1995 and quickly bonded over our love for Seinfeld, Craig Kilborn, Madden, NBA Live and our complete and utter disdain for Cheese Eyes (Michael Jordan). To that point in my life, I hadn't met too many other young black men who'd never owned a pair of Cheese Boots (Jordans).

I think I met K-Badd at our boy Gooch's (I met Gooch through TKO, as they roomed at Howard) spot sometime in the late-90s. Or it could've been an HU Homecoming event. But, K-Badd and I clicked over socio-political issues. I remember commiserating with him about our shared disgust for the willing tools of the conservative agenda, such as Armstrong Williams and Larry Elder.

The coverage and knowledge of sports here is pretty in-depth. Between seasons of MLB11: The Show and horrible double dates, where do you find the time to keep up with it all?

I think we do a good job of keeping each other informed. Before Fiyastarter even existed, we would all send each other links to every bit of minutiae we could find about sports and the entertainment industry. Between every one in our circle, there's not much we're going to miss.

Don't you ever forget...

Outside of Doug Williams’ continued presence on your ranking of Top Asiatic Quarterbacks, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hometown rooting here. Why is that?

Speaking for myself, I have never been a Bullets/Wizards fan and my love for the Redskins faded after they let Art Monk go, who was pretty much the first athlete I idolized. Things had already gone left when they treated Doug Williams like dirt after he'd won that Super Bowl, but don't fuck with Art Monk! That man is all class. And everyone knows I don't mess with the college teams. I've been a Duke basketball fan since I can remember liking basketball, and that's all about Johnny Dawkins.

TKO is originally from NYC and he could never shake the Giants. And he's a Laker and UNC b-ball fan because of his uncle's influence.

K-Badd is a classic DMV dude who loves all the local teams and we love him for it, because his misery can always be mined for non-stop comedy.

He's almost made PG Warz a non issue.

With the return of the NBA season, what sort of features/segments do you have planned?

Rookie rankings. Power rankings. Allen Iverson Award (given to the player who contributes most to his team's loss by shooting too much or turning the ball over). Bamma Big Man of the week. TYRUS! PG Warz. The Calvin Murphy FT% watch. And much more. We think of stuff on the fly a lot...obviously.

The 'Single Black Woman Put on Notice' segment might be the most controversial part of the show. What has the reaction been like?

TKO should answer this.

TKO: People seem to have strong opinions one way or another, which is the purpose of the segment; to get a dialogue going through reaction. If a woman or a man, for that matter disagree, which has happened on the show, the dialogue helps people begin to understand different perspectives on a given topic. Nothing is too big or small, because everyone has their own pet peeves that may be deal benders or breakers...and on top of all that, if it provides some amusement, wonderful.

Single Black Woman Put On Notice clip

Black Walnut was the gift that kept on giving to this podcast. How disappointed were you in his decision to end his campaign?

...

It was a huge blow, because he was the lynch pin to our final segment. So, we were totally disappointed in his decision to call off his campaign. But, it's not a total disaster. He's now starting to hit the cable news show circuit and he's set to give his endorsement, so the comedy will not stop with B-Nut.

For the uninitiated, can you briefly define the following?

Goon Running Back:

A RB with very limited skills and gets by on brute strength and giving maximum effort on every play.

Tank:

When someone says something that sounds as if it could be correct, but upon further investigation is incredibly wrong and stupid. As you may know, Tankings was born when I incorrectly identified "Gangsta Bitch" hit-maker Apache as Cherokee.

Cyse:

A cyse is when someone exaggerates something. It can be good or bad, but mostly bad.

Final words or any agendas new listeners should be aware of?

If you like what you hear, please keep spreading the word. If you don't like what you hear, please keep spreading the word. We started Fiyastarter because we are regular black dudes and we felt there wasn't enough stuff out there appealing to "regular niggas" ("regular niggas like us" is how we actually identified who we wanted to appeal to when we started Fiyastarter). We aren't nerds...or hipsters...hardcore gamers...super-duper hip-hop heads..."conscience" brothers...we're just regular. We have fans from all of those subcultures, but we exist primarily to entertain the regular brothers who go to work, come home, take care of their families and stay outta trouble.

---

Warning: Repeated podcast listening will increase your usage of the words "young" and "dawg"

Follow FiyaStarter: Blog | Twitter

2011 Year In Review: Portal 2

2012-01-04T23:56:00.003-05:00

If you're looking to take a break from space marines or any of the Call of Duty games, have a look at the Portal series.

The sequel to Valve Corporation's first person puzzle platform game was my favorite title released in 2011. Actually, it's the only game released this year that I played. Frank Napoli joins me to discuss the title, and why we believe it lives up to the promise we saw while playing the first game.

Direct Download: Link
Subscribe via iTunes: Link

For those who have never played the game, Portal works something like...this:

Pretty simple, huh?

Now get it, and give your gaming brain and hands some exercise.

Jungle Brothers - Crazy Wisdom Masters

2012-01-03T21:59:00.004-05:00

Afrika, Mike G, Torch, Sammy B

Quick Recap: The JBs were to follow their second album with a collaboration between themselves and Bill Laswell (with David Williams) titled Crazy Wisdom Masters. Long story short, the label thought it was too out there (early 90s? hell yeah...), and it was toned down (a bit) and released as J. Beez Wit The Remedy, which Hip Hop (myself included) deemed...still too much out there.

Happy to finally be able to hear this at a time when I'm able to accept something that's a little to the left of center.

Jungle Brothers - Mysterious Monkey

Unearthed here: Much appreciation to The Unheard Music

2011 Year In Review: Iz-Real

2012-01-02T13:12:00.002-05:00

In 2011, I discovered that it is still possible for me to find new artists -- new being relative in this case -- whose music I enjoy. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, and affiliated with friend of the blog Omega Jackson, Iz-Real's rhymes intersect somewhere between the comic shop and the x-rated section of your neighborhood video store.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;iz&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-real.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bandcamp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.com/track/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;jem&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-and-the-holograms-v-sharp"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;JEM&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; and THE HOLOGRAMS {v-sharp} by &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;IZ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-REAL&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;iz&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-real.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bandcamp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.com/track/game-stop-girl-v-sharp"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;GAME STOP GIRL (v-sharp) by &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;IZ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-REAL as &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;LUKEY&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; CAGE&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;iz&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-real.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bandcamp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.com/track/letter-from-&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lukey&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-the-rebel-cortex"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;LETTER FROM &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;LUKEY&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; (the rebel) {cortex} by &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;IZ&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-REAL as &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;LUKEY&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; CAGE&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

An obvious expert on the subject, Iz aka Lukey Cage has provided a list of his Top 5 Hottest Cartoon B*****s.

---

Mature Content Warning

SHE HULK: she tall and fine like a MODEL CHICK. i don't really like them type of bitties but thats a whole lot of woman right there. i wonder if the pussy is pink or green. the world may never know like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a toostie roll pop. boom.... i think it's pink tho my dude.

Kagome Higurashi: ayo,....... she was only like 15 when the show started man,... i bet she didn't make 18 yo but bo bo is bad tho. she has big BOOBS yo but the ass is lacking yo. but i guess thats what you get when you messing with a chick from Japan. there very few Hitomi Tanaka's over there. some slim doo doo makers but no DONKEYS. (i think she has a flat on too tho. o well)

Jessica Rabbit: you know te girl off RODGER RABBIT, she's had to be a porn star yo. come.. she's bad yo. I would wife her tho man, her whole steez says WHORE yo.

Shana Elmsford: she was on JEM and the Holograms,.. she was a Hologram. She had PURPLE hair and shit.. played the drums and guitar yo. When i was mad young i remember she was singing and i took my dick out and humped the T.V. My grand-ma caught me and was laughing yo. Rest and Peace grand-ma. i was like 5 but i was mad embarrassed to i got caught with my pants down tho. shit. SMH.

STORM: she gots the ultimate lube control by having the power to fuck with water yo. lol, joke. But i love DARK SKINNEDEDEDED chicks yo. And she is. Them long legs and b cups, and slim doo doo maker yo. long ass hair looking like a fine ass black Australian aborigine son son. I WANT THAT BLACK SKIN YO.

---

I'm more of an Aja type of guy.

Follow Iz-Real: Twitter | Bandcamp

The HedRush: Episode #42 - Can't Get Enough

2011-12-30T01:30:00.000-05:00

...of that '80s stuff, that is. This episode of The HedRush has been sitting in the vault for a bit, but now it's time for you to enjoy your final taste of the HedRush in 2011 (Don't worry, we'll be back even stronger in 2012).

Here JB d'Mullato and Spider Jerusalem hit you with another dose of all '80s hip-hop. Some of it's known, a whole lot of it is pretty obscure. But it's chock full of break-beats and hard rhymes. Your co-hosts also discuss "rappity rap" and get caught up in killing an actual spider in the control room.

E-mail any questions or comments to thehedrush@gmail.com. Become a fan of the show today. And tell a friend!

Tracklisting and previous episodes: The HedRush

2011 Year In Review: Freestyle Fellowship

2011-12-26T16:59:00.006-05:00

gri-ot [gree-oh]
noun
a member of a hereditary caste among the peoples of western Africa whose function is to keep an oral history of the tribe or village and to entertain with stories, poems, songs, dances, etc.

I have a new found appreciation for Freestyle Fellowship after hearing their 2011 release, The Promise. Spider Jerusalem of The HedRush joins me to discuss the west coast based collective, their roots in the early 90s L.A. hip hop scene, and our thoughts on the new album.

Download: Link
Subscribe via iTunes: Link

I may do a couple more of these if I can find willing participants, and not allow myself to be overcome by 'cannolongerbebotheredness.'

Watch this doc: This Is The Life - Ava DuVernay
Buy this album: Freestyle Fellowship - The Promise

How To Tie A Tie (Alexander Olch, 2011)

2011-12-24T21:30:00.003-05:00

I'd like to visit France someday.

Thoughts of the Thoughtful

2011-12-13T13:02:00.005-05:00

Haven't been blogging as much, but I still like to chime in every now and then on various topics discussed on the Internet.

'The players are not becoming nerds or diving into nerd culture; they're just becoming more fashion conscious.'
(Re: The Rise of the NBA Nerd)

'Holy shit, that 'kid' is annoying. Got to a point where I started hoping that bad things would happen to him'
(Re: The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi)

'I didn't have a problem with the 'ewwww' aspect of it, but they had beaten us over the head with all the hint dropping, that when they decided to pull back the curtain, my reaction was mostly "yeah...and?" (c) King Geedorah'
(Re: Jimmy Darmody having sex with his mother Gillian on Boardwalk Empire)

'I'm not sure what they're going for here, or how I'm supposed to listen to it.'
(Re: The Roots - Undun)

'Great musically, memorable melody, perfect set up for the following track, got a weed carrier a record deal...classic'
(Re: Top Hip Hop skits as listed by Complex Magazine and Ego Trip, from which Quinton's On The Way was omitted.)

'Yeah, kinda.'
(Re: Sam Cooke's resemblance to Q-Tip)

Commerical Break - Samsung

2011-11-27T15:36:00.001-05:00

Mobile Warz.

No one asked, but...Android.

Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen, 1986)

2011-11-21T03:27:00.001-05:00

I'm currently in the midst of a Woody Allen marathon. This one appears in a lot of 'favorite lists', and it didn't disappoint.

A lot of unfortunate 80s womenswear in this film, but most of the menswear wouldn't look out of place today.

End movie spoilers ahead.

http://youtu.be/_V2sBURgUBI

Michael Caine: Always a winner.

Shirt, tie, polo, elbow patches.

The fur is a little too pimpin' for me, but her toggle coat could be worn today.

Bum.

The anxiety of the man in the booth.

Would love to know the story behind this shirt.

Daps.

"I want so badly to kiss her."

Grief and herringbone.

Hair.

Over accessorized.

Mia Farrow doing the menswear thing. Michael Caine looking guilty
in a comfortable sweater.

This time with less accessories.

Specs.

Anxious in a V-neck.

Neurotic in a crew neck.

Those poor sleeves.

Varsity jacket.

Dark plaid, bold tie.

Comfy cable knit sweater.

A happy ending.

As part of its American Masters series, PBS is airing a documentary on Woody Allen, directed by Paul B. Weide. It airs November 20th and 21st.

Woody Allen: A Documentary: Trailer
Hannah and Her Sisters: Trailer

Hell On Wheels

2011-11-19T12:48:00.001-05:00

"N***a act like a freed slave on everything else, he finally get to PLAY one..and he fucks THAT shit up."

A quote found on a message board that was too funny to not share. Props to Lonnie for the SAG card thing, and finding a steady source of income, but I don't know if I can trust the quality of any television show or film that has him in a prominent role. One of the reasons why I don't see myself ever getting on board with this show.

Another reason of course being AMC's spotty track record of late.

Unboxing: J-Zone - Root for the Villain

2011-11-17T00:18:00.002-05:00

Order information: http://www.govillaingo.com

Heavy D

2011-11-09T12:06:00.001-05:00

"didn't really know Heav well... just in passing.. we shared quite a few mutual friends... they loved the hell out of him.. God Bless his FAM" - Dres

"Rest in peace to my homeboy Heavy D. Truly one of the coolest mafuckas Hip Hop has ever known. The west coast loved Heav from day one" - Too Short

"Heavy D is the person who gave me my 1st chance in the music industry. He got me my internship at Uptown. He Believed when no one else did." - Diddy

"yo Hev...when you see T.R.O.Y tell him we still miss his ass....#RIPHEV" - Kid

"Even my mother loved Heavy D's music. A local hero & artist that nobody could hate - he touched all generations & remained humble. RIP Hev." - J-Zone

"Respect #HeavyD. Ill voice. Charming style. Wasn't afraid to dance. Embraced his heritage. Champion." - Tajai

"I can't even think right now yall. Heav was my dude. What a friend. My heart is heavy" - Q-Tip

"Rest In Power to the man Heavy D, he plugged in Pete Rock and Puffy amongst many other powerful things fly w/ the angels Heav RIP" - Dante Ross

"Instead of just playing Heav's old songs, you should play them 4 ya children & tell them the story. That's how u keep legends alive!!!" - Big Daddy Kane

"R.I.P. my man Heavy D a true HIP HOP GOD. damn." - Chuck D.

Homeland

2011-11-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

Ciphers.
Brew.
Morena Baccarin.

This might be the best new show on television.

Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer - Peter Elkind

2011-11-05T13:57:00.001-04:00

All Things Eliot Spitzer Report Card

Attorney General: A
New York Governor: D
john: F

A Tribe Called Quest - The Night He Got Caught

Gravediggaz - The House That Hatred Built

2011-10-31T16:43:00.004-04:00

Today I had a conversation with Done about the Wu-Tang Clan and their minor league affiliates. Even though they weren't conceived as a Wu side project, the Gravediggaz were brought up. We both agreed that the first album was enjoyable, largely a result of being guided by the capable hands of Prince Paul.

Funny though, when he decided(?) to lessen his involvement in the project, the group transformed into this...

Not at all wack, but you could throw this on a Sunz of Man album and it wouldn't miss a beat. What happened to levity of the debut album? The RZA's influence for better or worse, is all over this song (and probably the album, which I'll admit to not peeping). Unfortunately for them, it was released on the wrong side of Wu Tang Clan's apex, so it kinda got lost in the shuffle with the likes of Immobilarity, and Inspectah Deck's solo release (what was that called again?).

In the spirit of October 31st, Prince Paul released this demo from their early recording sessions. Even on non-single type tracks, Paul had a knack for making his productions interesting. The MCs also sound like they're having fun with it.

Gravediggaz - The House That Hatred Built

This is the First song we recorded as the Gravediggaz in 92". It was the intro to our demo and it was actually recorded the day I introduced these guys to each other at my house . This track never made the album but it was one of my favorite productions. This was the track that started it all .. RIP Poetic. Enjoy

Prince Paul > RZA4thDicipleTruMaster

Things That Scared Me

2011-10-31T01:48:00.000-04:00

During my childhood, I was a bit of a coward when it came to TV and movies. I was creeped out by the following.

Eyeballs, long red nails, large tridents, spider people, dancing skeletons, Tito's outfit.

Evil Edna.

I understand that this was supposed to be all Marines type level of badass (ugh...), but as a child it scared the shit out of me. Good thing I didn't know about the Ridley Scott installment.

That laugh...

I probably shouldn't have been watching this. I blame my mom.

And finally there was this...

The scariest thing from my childhood. Medusa was the cause of many sleepless nights.

Happy October 31st, y'all.

West Coast Hip Hop: A History In Pictures – Michael Miller

2011-10-28T21:27:00.001-04:00

Project Details

We want to print Michael's book as a lovely 9x12 coffee table art book. Your help can make this possible! Michael Miller was the man at the right time when the west coast hip hop movement was exploding. Besides shooting all the major players in the game he also hung out with the artists and became a part of the culture. Shooting important figures like Cypress Hill, NWA, Tupac, Ice Cube, Snoop, House Of Pain, etc, etc His photo’s are an amazing archive of a magical time in music and his crazy but true stories about the shoots are mind blowing! These photo's will debut in major galleries in LA,SF,NY take advantage of this great opportunity to own one of these limited editions.

Kickstarting here: Link

Freestyle Fellowship

2011-10-21T14:23:00.004-04:00

No one asked, but -- Aceyalone.

Also...'Self Jupiter' is one of my favorite Hip Hop monikers.

Also...P.E.A.C.E. looks like a really cool brother.

Also...One word for Myka 9 -- Legendary.

Freestyle Fellowship - The Promise, available on Decon Records.

All Talk: Project Runway - Season 9

2011-10-20T18:30:00.006-04:00

Anya Ayoung Chee - Winner?

Leighton Gordon and I, disagree on the quality of the season, but we both agree on the who the front runner is to win the competition. Before the 9th season of Project Runway comes to a close, we take a look at the remaining four competitors, discussing their strengths, weaknesses, and their chances of winning.

Download: Link
Subscribe via iTunes: Link

A Fistful of Popcorn: http://www.afopop.com/
Leighton Gordon: www.twitter.com/lategordon

Beastie Boys - 3 Minute Rule

2011-10-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

I'm a fan of the group, but I don't know their discography inside out. Do they have songs similar to this?

Beastie Boys - 3 Minute Rule

Three straight verses from the three MCs; no back and forth business.

They should have done this more. Perhaps they were afraid it would expose their lack of lyrical genius? Well, that's been common knowledge for a very long time, and I think it's fair to say that most of us are here for the fun, and not the education.

Also...

This album is starting to grow on me.

Though, I really wish they would stop doing the old school "yes yes y'all" type of chants. It's very lazy. And no more collaborations with Nas, please. Talk about a match made in hell.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T20:00:00.001-04:00

From Apple.com:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have build, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

Prime Minister Pete Nice

2011-10-05T13:19:00.006-04:00

No gas face for Professor Prince Paul

Pete Nice recently shared several old-school photos from his personal collection on Deadspin. This of course made me happy, not only because Pete is one of my all time favorites, but all evidence of Hip Hop past (venues, magazines, artists) is guaranteed to put a smile on my face.

Wasn't all good though. Further digging brought up some disturbing information. Seems like Mr. Nash has gotten himself in trouble with the law, over some sports memorabilia dealings. The appearance of the Deadspin feature was a little curious to me, as I've always been under the impression that Pete had very little interest in Hip Hop today. Could this (reported) financial instability have him exploring options?

Not sure if there's still a hunger for 3rd Bass material, and there's that thing about people not buying music anymore.

Bad timing, Pete.

3rd Bass - Identical To None

When Rap Ruled The World: A White Boy MC's Photo Album, 1986-1991: Deadspin
From Rapper to Baseball Collector, the Wild Tale of Peter Nash: Sports Illustrated

Update: Courtesy of Anonymous reader.

Judge rules against Hip Hop artist...: NY Daily News

Community

2011-10-02T00:40:00.012-04:00

Community, Comedy, Commentary on Canadian Cinema: A Twitter Conversation with Done.

Rosa Parks

Done: yeh so communitys full-on shite now, so is always sunny, curb your enthusiasms worse and louies finished til next year. what now?

Boothe: From what I've heard of Community, it just seems a little too eye winky, self aware, meta for me.

Like, I don't want to sit around trying to guess what film genre or whatever they're paying homage, or commenting on.

gimme some laughs, please. And characters I care about. Thanks. Parks and Recreation, better. Yup.

I should probably note, that I've only seen about 3 episodes of Community.

pretty much. they use that shit instead of actual jokes half the time. plus double dipped sugar coated morals instead of...

...any actual heart. eh, it didnt have far to fall imo.

oh yeh, parks & rec >>>>>> best american sitcom (bar maybe louie) going atm. 30 rock fell the fuck off too imo. it was always patchy to me anyways

Heart...AND SPOILERS, OMG!

you ever watch any english comedy shows?

Enjoyed Spaced, and currently catching up on Peep Show. What's the general feeling about these shows? UK internets shitted on me for enjoying Downton Abbey. *grin*

ha dozens of jane austen adaptations starring colin firth will do that. peep shows gotten a good reception but i havent seen enough

ha and spaced is cool if i remember right but i thought you werent feeling the meta parody shit?

then again, they have actual jokes

Other than the Star Wars commentary, I never felt I was being hit over the head, and it seemed to better serve the story.

Whereas I always felt that Community was building the "*fill in the blank*... episode"

Probably the best episode of Spaced

yeh with something like spaced, the parodys logical but with community its like theme night

you watched any of the older ones like porridge? sitcom set in a prison, ive been revisiting it lately

Haven't seen any of the older shows. Will make a note of that one.

actually, whats the reaction on trailer park boys over there? never hear it mentioned much

Gets homer love in Canada, and from what I've heard from American friends, they like it. Haven't peeped it myself.

ah you need to check it out. dunno if proper absurd is your thing but its amazing for at least half its run imo

rly great characters, even the villians are sympathetic. mane not tryna make assumptions but thats like me sleeping on father ted

made me want to visit canada. 4serious

We've always had this thing about our creative industry, especially our film and television. A lot of us view it as below standard.

and errr...when we put out selections like this...

...it kinda perpetuates the feeling.

I kid you not. THIS movie opened the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010

jesus. least ye make use of actual candian culture, we cant even muster up 1 alcoholic fight flick. we also have self-hatred down.

Including the Russell Peters Indian's on Ice flick, there were THREE hockey movies at TIFF this year. #overkill

i notice your not mentioning the 3rd hockey flick that will change everything i ever taught about hockey flicks

We do have a lot of people doing great things in Hollywood, and French Canada will release acclaimed movies now and then, but

the general feeling around Canadian productions is "ehhhh". That's probably what has kept me away from TPBs, though it may be good

this is our 2nd most successful show

then theres father ted and......eh, i suppose fair city can be good for lulz. Teds great but thats it.

Season 16? That's insane. Girl in black can get it....

shes a rarity on that show. thats an old clip, its well in its 20s by now. it survives solely off good will of patriot seniors

Fin.

-----------------------------------

Done's green text courtesy of laziness and stereotypes.

He frequently shares his thoughts here:

Twitter: @rlydoe
Tumblr: damn, heres a tissue
Wordpress: we got both kinds, rap and bullshit

Boardwalk Empire

2011-09-30T20:30:00.002-04:00

Mean muggin' is played.

Not so new opinion I recently shared on a popular message board.

Some of you have already noted this, but MKW was horrible in the scene where Chalky was visited by Nucky and Eli. Some of the worst overacting I can remember on this particular show.

To be honest, I've always felt that Chalky was one of the weakest elements to this show. Perhaps not necessarily the fault of the actor, because they really didn't have much for the character to do in season one. I'm worried though that this season they're just setting him up to play prohibition era Omar; taking on the Klan all by himself, so that everyone can comment on how 'bad ass' (ugh...) he is.

There were moments I liked this episode, in particular when he had a barrel of a gun in his face, and a small part of his rant to Nucky, when he spoke of 'his people' in Atlantic City.

I'm hoping when all is said and done, there will be more to the character then what leads me to believe he was just put on this show for fan service.

Drive

2011-09-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

...

Ryan Gosling's henley game is mad tight, yo. (Pun?)

Costume designer Erin Benach on this particular shirt: (via: GQ UK)

"The henley is quite an interesting piece. It was an awesome challenge. We probably tried on every henley that has ever been made by anybody anywhere, from Japan to Europe to the Americas. I seriously think we had 300! We liked elements of each one but we didn't like the label on the collar or, the collar was too thin... In the end we wound up finding some deadstock Thirties army/navy henleys. My assistant found the first one, and the person we got them from said, 'Oh yeah, I have 15 of them.' I said, 'What? You have 15 deadstock Thirties white henleys?' [laughs] Interestingly, the T-shirt originated from soldiers wanting to wear a layer underneath their wool, just to take off their fighting jackets, their combat jackets, and then still have something on."

Later it was revealed that this particular henley was purchased at Mister Freedom, in Los Angeles, California. The store's founder, Christophe Loiron, had this to say: (via: The Undershirt Guy)

"Indeed had a long chat with Ryan at the store when he was working on his wardrobe (he’s one of the few who actually works close with his stylist to get clothes that work for his characters). We discussed ideas for a jacket that he wanted to be as iconic as De Niro M-65 in Taxi driver etc…

The henleys came after.

We always have a large selection of vintage henleys, from new-old-stock military issue to 1940′s vintage pieces, mostly 3/4 sleeves but s/s as well.

We also have our original Mister Freedom production (made from vintage cotton jersey knit), our “gym henleys” http://www.misterfreedom.com/?p=1299.

Jordan and John will answer any Qs you might have.

Thanks again for the kind support."

Good movie.

I'm gonna go do some push ups now.

Louie - Subway/Pamela

2011-09-26T03:31:00.003-04:00

What a way to get shot down.

This show is pretty amazing.

Guy - I Like

Edit:

Louis discusses the episode with Nathan Rabin, here: A.V. Club

The Low End Theory - 20th Anniversary

2011-09-24T02:58:00.009-04:00

20 years of The Low End Theory!

Taking it back to '91, friend of the blog(ger), Matt Tassone, brings the love and knowledge as we discuss one of our favorite albums of all time. We cover a number of topics, including: the group's new sound (The Low End Theory), Phife's improvement on the mic, and of course, our favorite tracks.

Agree or disagree with anything we discussed? Feel free to comment, or share some of your favorite memories/anecdotes regarding the album.

Also:

Read this book: Check The Technique: Liner Notes for Hip Hop Junkies - Brian Coleman
Watch this doc: Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest - Michael Rapaport
Buy this album: The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest

The Pharcyde - Otha Fish (Promotional Art)

2011-09-22T19:29:00.001-04:00

I can't recall ever seeing this ad.

I like it.

I've said enough about this track, so here's the previously unreleased live track that was included with the CDS.

The Pharcyde - The Pharcyde Live @ Dodger Stadium

Scan via: Roy Ayers Project

3rd Bass - Green Eggs and Swine (Unreleased Original Mix)

2011-09-16T22:05:00.002-04:00

Very bold, Peter.

Download: Link

"Green eggs and swine, this was a song that was recorded for the derelicts of dialect album. Unfortunately this mix never made the album but was one of my favorites. The song is a bit too long but this was 1990 hip hop style production ..Hopefully you will enjoy the Prince Paul unreleased series of goodies. more to come! Why let it rot...share music" - Prince Paul

I think I like the album version better, but it's always good to hear different beats, and vocal takes.

"But my balls itch"

Dungeon Family

2011-09-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

"and still cooler than a polar bear's toenails, yea...*BREAK*"

via: The Time Machine Studio

The Beach Boys - 'SMiLE' Animated Unboxing

2011-09-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

Quite possibly the last physical purchase I'll ever make.

Kinda sad, now that I think about it.

Sloan

2011-09-09T10:16:00.001-04:00

Damn, E.

Organized Konfusion - Interior Car Nite (Skit)/Invetro

No, No Homo

2011-09-08T17:27:00.005-04:00

Thank you, character played by Mr. Begley.

Of course this attitude would never take anything away from, or stop me from loving such selections as:

The Pharcyde - On The D.L.

Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush The Show

De La Soul - Buddy**

Slick Rick - Lick The Balls

** Heh, the album version.

Put This On: Season 2

2011-09-01T02:13:00.000-04:00

Kickstarting here: Link

David Williams (Jungle Brothers Producer)

2011-08-25T01:53:00.003-04:00

The Unheard Music talks to Mr. Williams about his introduction to the Jungle Brothers, and his contributions to the Crazy Wisdom Masters/J. Beez Wit The Remedy project. It's a little dense, but you may find something of interest in there.

Interview: Link

It appears David Williams and the Jungle Brothers are in the early stages of a new recording projects. He's posted some early tracks on his soundcloud page, and...I'm kinda liking what I hear so far.

A Kickstarter page has been set up, with the hopes of raising money to cover some of his costs. If you're inclined to help out, you can find information here:

David Williams Kickstarter: Link

I do hope they're able to complete the project. Their collaboration (with Bill Laswell) brought forth some interesting product, though it might have been a little ahead of its time.

Jungle Brothers - Troopin' On The Down Lo

Jungle Brothers - Ra Ra Kid

The HedRush: Episode #41 - Who Got Some More Gangsta S#!t?

2011-08-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

While you're sweating through the super-heated summer, the HedRush brings you more super-hot gangsta rap music. For this episode, we revisit the LA scene, take a quick dip over to Kansas City, and then head down south as well, especially showcasing the work of Rap-A-Lot Records. Your hosts JB d'Mulatto and Spider Jerusalem also spend a good bit a time speaking their mind on everything from 2Pac's ethic to great gangsta rap tracks featuring horrible singing to the "appeal" of PCP.

Tracklisting and previous episodes: The HedRush

Looney Tunes - Hyde and Hare (1955)

2011-08-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

This creeped me out as child.

3:04 = Better than No Need For Alarm.

The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)

2011-08-14T16:36:00.001-04:00

Kurt's #beardgame is tight.

You know, for a second, I actually allowed myself to believe that two Black characters might survive the horrors of this film.

Solid flick, even though the final showdown wasn't much of a showdown. Kurt's "Yeah, fuck you too" was good for laughs, and the final FINAL showdown was a really great way to end the film. Much better than the alternate ending I read about.

The Thing: Trailer

An Outtake: De La Soul is Dead Chat

2011-08-13T04:07:00.004-04:00

I had planned on doing a chat with my friend Matt Tassone, commemorating the 20th Anniversary of De La Soul is Dead's release date. Unfortunately, things did not work out as I had hoped. Not only were we late to record, I later found out that my mic level was very low, making our conversation almost unlistenable.

I say almost because Matt sounds fine, which is great because he's the biggest De La fan I know, and offered some great thoughts.

I'm posting the entire conversation (no editing) if you're interested in listening. It's quite mellow, and runs a bit long, so I've include time stamps, in case you only want to listen to a specific part of the conversation. I would also recommend listening in a quiet room, with headphones. You should be able to pick up most of my part in the conversation.

Download: Link

00:30 - Pre-release chatter
03:33 - Ring Ring Ring
09:00 - First impressions of the album
16:38 - Storybook Skits
17:48 - Oodles of Os/ Talkin Bout Hey Love
19:54 - Peas Porridge
22:10 - Johnny's Dead AKA Vincent Mason
22:45 - A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"
32:22 - Bitties In The BK Lounge
37:40 - My Brother's A Basehead/Let Let Me In/Afro Connections At A Hi 5/Rap De Rap Show
42:08 - Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa
45:15 - Who Do U Worship/Kicked Out The House
47:00 - Pass The Plugs/Arsenio Hall
54:19 - Not Over Till The Fat Lady Plays The Demo/Ring Ring Ring (album version)
56:30 - Shwingalokate/Fanatic of the B Word
58:00 - Keepin' The Faith
104:30 - Final thoughts, legacy of the album

Bold titles are tracks we really enjoyed.

The Howard Shoe

2011-08-02T16:30:00.002-04:00

By Native

What part of the game is this?

Put This On - Episode 7: Personal Style

2011-07-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

Episode seven of Put This On explores personal style - elegant, quirky, distinctive and everywhere in between.

Field correspondent Dave Hill visits the annual meeting of the Corduroy Appreciation Club, held each year on 11/11, the date which most resembles corduroy. He discovers a magical world, dedicated to the promotion of that most bookish of fabrics, and to the denigration of the sworn enemy of the wale: velvet.

Then Roxana Altamirano brings a new Nerd Boyfriend segment, with an investigation of an icon of eccentric style, Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000 of Outkast.

Plus: a conversation with one of the world’s most elegant men, Gay Talese. He’s not just one of America’s most celebrated magazine writers and the man who invented the contemporary magazine profile. He’s also one of the best-dressed men in the world, the son of an immigrant tailor who imbued in his progeny a love of fine clothing. Besides that, he’s got his own lapel shape!

"Andre 3000!" - Roxana

Missy Elliott - Beep Me 911 b/w Surrounded By Idiots

2011-07-26T02:58:00.001-04:00

Featuring 702 and Magoo.

Yes, Magoo -- one of Hip Hop's easiest targets. Most discussions involving him are usually summed up by two points:

1) He biting Q-Tip.
2) He's wack.

The former, I would say is a little silly. I'm pretty sure that's what his voice sounds like. The latter, well, yeah...not much defending that one. BUT...no one can convince me that he was wack on this track. As a matter of fact, I would say he was quite nice on it.

FF to 3:24.

What musical times we live in. I'm here fondly reminiscing about DeVante Swing's bastard children. I even went as far as copping a bunch of Missy joints to listen to. I deleted most of them within an hour, but I kept this one.

All of this was brought on by Complex, who (over a week ago) posted early recordings by the group Surrounded By Idiots. Hailing from Virginia, the group was made up of Magnum (Pharrell Williams), Magoo, Larry Live, and DJ Timmy Tim (Timbaland).

Surrounded By Idiots - Skull Caps & Striped Shirts

Surrounded By Idiots - It's Like That

Surrounded By Idiots - If Ur Freaky Baby

There doesn't seem to be any hint of innovation that Pharrell and Tim would bring later in the decade. It was probably for the best that they had a little more time to refine their craft.

Crooklyn Dodgers - Crooklyn

2011-07-24T15:13:00.001-04:00

‎"Originally we all wanted ‘Ol Dirty Bastard to be on it. He came to screening and in the middle of watching the movie when the little girl went to visit her other family Dirty was like, ‘This ain’t no Brooklyn shit!’ He got up and walked out. I guess he didn’t want to be in that boat [laughs].” -- Q-Tip

I miss Russell Jones.

Q-Tip Interview: Vibe

Otis

2011-07-22T11:38:00.001-04:00

Nope!

Taking it back to '74.

Watch The...

2011-07-21T05:04:00.003-04:00

Nope!

Taking it back to '93

The best thing to come out of Joe's rising popularity was his ability to style himself (a bit) better. Black shirt, black shorts, and black shoes paired with white socks? Martorial Elegance if I've ever seen it.

Puba's setup of the Gilligan line was great.
Diamond was one of the best at dropping solid, but not spectacular verses.
Were the limo scenes shot early in the morning? Everyone (especially the girls) seem disinterested.
There seems to be similar level of interest at the dining table. Maybe everyone was hungry at the point. Jorge's camera awareness is kinda funny though.

Downton Abbey

2011-07-20T01:53:00.000-04:00

UK peeps, were any of you down with this show?

Over the past week, it's been mentioned often on my Twitter feed (due to its Emmy nominations), so I decided to check it out. 2 episodes in, I have to say that I'm enjoying it. I mean, it's pretty much --and I'm being lazy here -- Gosford Park: The Series, without the high powered cast, and (as far as I know) the murder mystery.

Errr...can we please stop using music from Scala & Kolacny Brothers in trailers?

Thanks.

All Talk: The Return of Omega Jackson

2011-07-11T11:43:00.002-04:00

Future target in a Kurupt diss track

This blog's favorite broke rapper, Chris "Omega" Jackson, returns for a conversation on random topics including: the new sex trade (canvassing), Kurupt and hip hop beef, a new track released by Common, our homie Jelani (the Morpheus of New Jersey), Quentin Tarantino, and Tracy Morgan.

Download: Link

-----------------------------------
http://twitter.com/omegajackson
http://omegajackson.wordpress.com

Music Credits:

Pulling Teeth (featuring Omega Jackson) - IZ REAL | Bandcamp

Put This On - Episode 6: Body

2011-07-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

Jesse Thorn visits Carl Goldberg, owner of CEGO Custom Shirtmaker in New York City, to learn the difference between a custom shirt and an off-the-rack shirt. Then it’s off to Alan Flusser Custom in New York for a visit with the proprietor, a menswear legend. Flusser offers some tips on dressing for your body with the help of three associates of Put This On. Finally, a visit with Ryu Kwangeol at Pro Tailor in Los Angeles to answer a viewer’s question about altering off-the-rack dress shirts.

R.I.P. Nathan Clark

2011-07-07T18:03:00.000-04:00

GQ Eulogy: here

Frankenstein

2011-07-05T19:06:00.003-04:00

"To be a great and virtuous man appeared the highest honour that can befell a sensitive being; to be base and vicious, as many on record have been, appeared the lowest degradation"

It's funny how my (probably not uncommon) perception of Frankenstein's Monster, had been shaped by the Boris Karloff's portrayal in the 1931 film, directed by James Whale. Reading the plot summary of the film, it pretty much mirrors most of my mental images of tale.

The mad scientist. ("It's Alive!")
His hunched assistant.
The secluded laboratory.
Opened rooftops, and lightning storms.
A slow walking, dull creature.
Enraged villagers with pitchforks and torches.

Basically, this:

* 0:08 - 0:14 sounds mad familiar. Did someone sample it?*

I recently read the book, and wasn't surprised at how different it was, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

The monster in this story is very complex, and at different points in the story (sometimes in a manner of pages or paragraphs) can be thoughtful, caring, frightening, stubborn, and quite frankly -- an asshole. There are points when you're not sure if you should feel sorry for it, though I suspect towards the end of the story, many wont.

The best parts of the story occur when the monster holds court with its creator (depicted by the author as more emo than madly ambitious). A good portion of their dialogue revolves around Man's capacity for evil, and I guess the circumstances which causes him to become or act this way.

The edition I read was only 200 pages, some of which dragged (surprising for such a short story). Still, there some to chew on here, so if you haven't read this classic, I would say it's a solid read.

The HedRush: Episode #40 - Style Wars

2011-07-02T12:36:00.001-04:00

I'm putting this show into syndication on channel All Things. I'm a fan of the content, and the hosts are cool peoples (Thanks again Jesse, for doing the chat).

The HedRush has returned, and is taking it waaaaaay back. Well, at least back to the '80s, where they made us at. Every track featured on this episode was released during 1989 and earlier, and runs the gamut from straight raw lyrics to story raps to dance tracks.

"even though we call it the 38th episode, it's indeed the 40th" - Spider Jerusalem

Tracklisting and previous episodes, here: The HedRush

Rapidshare

2011-07-01T01:04:00.000-04:00

I hate you.

All Talk: The Killing and Game of Thrones

2011-06-26T23:13:00.004-04:00

I'd Jaime Lannister her.

Jesse Ducker aka Spider Jerusalem (The Hedrush), joins me for a spoiler filled discussion on two of the most talked about cable channel shows; AMC's The Killing, and HBO's Game of Thrones.

This conversation was a little more free flowing than usual, so it runs a little longer than ones posted in the past. If you only want to hear discussion on one of the shows, you may use the timestamps below.

The Killing (0:00 - 16:45)
Game of Thrones (17:06 - 46:30)

After listening to our conversation, head over to The Hedrush, and subscribe to their podcast. The latest episode (#39), has Spider Jerusalem and JB d'Mullato playing (and discussing) classic L.A. gangsta tracks from the late 80s and early 90s.

Download: Link

*I meant to say Alan Sepinwall...seriously*

-----------------------------------
http://hedrush.podomatic.com/
http://twitter.com/j_ducker

Glenn O'Brien - The Daily

2011-06-24T15:15:00.001-04:00

I'm too poor to ball out like Mr. O'Brien, but I'm still a fan.

Sock Game Alert: 1:05 of video.

Video by Shalini Sharma and Jonathan Tortora

Socks available at Tails and the Unexpected: Link

Toronto Raptors: 2011 NBA Draft

2011-06-22T20:54:00.001-04:00

The experts have spoken.

More accurately, they have long speculated that this would be one of the weakest draft classes in past 10 years. Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, and Arizona forward Derrick Williams are projected to go one and two in the draft. Beyond these two, it's pretty much a crapshoot.

Being that I'm a Toronto resident, my main concern is the Toronto Raptors, and who they will draft with the #5 pick. I don't watch NCAA college basketball, or pay any attention to the international leagues, so I decided to gather** a panel of experts and ask simply -- Who do you want the Raptors to draft? Who do you think they will get.

**gather = asking them all the same question on Twitter

Kahwi

Zack Cooper - Sportnet Radio Fan590 Toronto

"I like, and I think they can get Kawhi Leonard"

Tom Liston - Raptors Republic

"I'm with Zack. #Kawhi@5"

Architect Ed

"I say Kemba Walker if they keep the #5 pick. If (Brandon)Knight falls, he's the pick"

Kemba

Kris Cuaresma - GamePoint

"Kemba is the sexy pick, but I think they end up with Biyombo; maybe both?

Boothe

Both? That's interesting. You like both, or you think they'll end up with both? If so, who do you trade?

Kris Cuaresma

Possibly Milwaukee involving bargs? (Andrea Bargnani) I like both, and would like to pick up both. I think we'll be able to get a wing next year.

Biyombo

Hasan Tahir - Arbitrary Opinions

"Kemba is the best talent at 5 probably, but I wouldn't mind Kawhi"

Architect Ed

Biyombo could get someone fired if picked in top 5. If Raptors could get in on Josh Smith, it's worth trading #5.

-------

Kemba Walker (small player, big heart) is my pick, and seems to be the popular choice here, though I do believe everyone (myself included) was under the assumption that Brandon Knight would go either 3 or 4. Hoops Hype is now reporting differently. According to the reputable basketball blog, both Minnesota and Cleveland (with their second pick) are looking to draft big. That may leave the door open for Toronto to draft the second ranked point guard in this draft.

Brandon Knight

Could the letter T he's pointing to, be an omen?

This draft may lack future all-stars, but it definitely is not lacking in intrigue.

2011 NBA Draft: Link

All Talk: E3 2011

2011-06-16T22:14:00.005-04:00

Wii U

Megaton [meg-uh-ton]

-noun
1. In videogame folklore, an announcement that will "shake the foundations of gaming to its core".

Last week, Yameen took a break from music making and game development, to check out the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. During our chat, he discusses the latest products from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony; Apple's effect on the portable gaming market; and a few games that caught his eye.

After listening to the conversation, try your hand at Yameen's 8-bit game Sifters in the Land of Fun.

Download: Link

-----------------------------------

http://sifters.in/the-land-of-fun/
http://www.yameenmusic.com/

Bastion: Trailer
Journey: Trailer
Street Fighter X Tekken: Trailer
Bioshock Infinite: Trailer

Music Credits:

Fire (Featuring Casual & Georgia Anne Muldrow) - Yameen | iTunes

Unpopular Opinion: Casting For Django Unchained

2011-06-13T21:08:00.001-04:00

Not exactly breaking news at this point, as I'm sure we've all heard about Quentin Tarantino's next project, Django Unchained. For those not knowing, it basically boils down to this:

"It’s a western whose lead character is a former slave who is in league with Waltz to save his wife from an evil plantation owner." *provided by Quentin's representatives.

Further information followed, with a plot description listed on the blog, Shadow and Act

“Django is a freed slave, who, under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter (played by Christopher Waltz the evil Nazi officer in Inglorious Basterds) becomes a bad-ass bounty hunter himself, and after assisting Waltz in taking down some bad guys for profit, is helped by Waltz in tracking down his slave wife and liberating her from an evil plantation owner. And that doesn’t even half begin to cover it! This film deals with racism as I’ve rarely seen it handled in a Hollywood film. While it’s 100 percent pure popcorn and revenge flick, it is pure genius in the way it takes on the evil slave owning south. Think of what he did with the Nazis in Inglorious and you’ll get a sense of what he’s doing with slave owners and slave overseers in this one.”

Almost immediately after this information leaked, the Internet began making pitches for their favorite Black actors, to step into the titular role of Django. As expected people start listing the same go-to black actors we've seen in films over the last 10 to 15 years. Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejifor, Michael Jai White, Tyrese (ha!), and Samuel Jackson.

Really????

I haven't gotten to my unpopular opinion yet.

Ready for it?

Here it comes.

Over the past few weeks, Idris Elba has been rumored to be a front runner, while Michael K. Williams has expressed interest in the role.

I
DO
NOT
WANT
TO
SEE
EITHER
IN
THE
ROLL
OF
DJANGO

I know The Wire has sacred cow status for the pop culture elite (yes, it's a damn good show), but cherry picking from its cast just seems...i don't know...easy? I understand the brothers need work, and they should have an opportunity to escape typecast, but I kinda think The Wire is still too fresh in our minds. It's one of the reasons I can't get with the Chalky White character on Boardwalk Empire.

I have an idea. How about casting an unknown? Can we not boost the profile of a relatively new actor, or attempt to make a new star? A number of films over the last few years have cast newcomers who garnered a lot of acclaim in breakout roles.

Perhaps the same can be done with this project.

Unless they really try to please the studios and stakeholders by casting Big Willie, I really don't think it matters much who they cast as Django. Why? Because the real star of the film is...

It's truly the only name that matters here. More so than Brad Pitt, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, or Leo Dicaprio.

Along the way he's helped to raise the profile of actors such as Steve Buscemi, Sam Jackson (ugh...), and Christoph Waltz. While he might be able to do the same for Elba, or Williams, I'm sure they'll be able to get roles in the foreseeable future based off of the their work on The Wire.

Quentin, for this project, I would like you to give 'Joe Blackman' a chance.

Thanks.

And Now, A Message From J-Zone

2011-06-02T13:00:00.001-04:00

I am very excited about this book, so I thought I would share this message sent out to those on his mailing list.

-----------------------

What it is,

If you're getting this e-mail, there's a 98% chance it's because you posted a comment on the J-Zone blog on Dante Ross' website a few years back and left your e-mail. (If you want to be removed from this mailing list, just tell me – I hate mass e-mails too.) After garnering a cool and loyal following (due to your support), the blog croaked. I'll attribute 50% of that to the “real world” kickin' my a*s and 50% of that to the fact that blogging consistently nowadays is humanly impossible if you work 4 jobs and you're writing 2000-3000 word articles about specific sh*t like I was trying to do.

Rather than letting that blog to slip into "let me post a You Tube clip and write one line about it just to keep content flowing" territory, the energy went into writing my first book, Root for the Villain: Rap, Bullshit and a Celebration of Failure, instead. The book will be released this fall. The blog has also resurfaced (albeit with posts going up a bit less frequently) over at egotripland.com, home of Ego Trip NYC (the minds behind the VH1 TV shows Miss Rap Supreme and The White Rapper Show and the books The Book of Rap Lists and The Book of Racism). As for the book, those who dug my grumpy old man tirades and general lampoonery from years past might enjoy this collection of curmudgeonly rants, hip-hop-inspired memoirs, humorous outlooks on failure, and think pieces on the general stupidity of the world at large in 2011.

If you:

are over 30
are a native New Yorker (If you don't know who David Dinkins is, you don't count.)
often wonder if men are the new women
feel it’s perfectly acceptable to wear a clip-on tie with Master P’s face on it to a corporate job interview
have a college degree that got you two choices in the real world: the broom or the mop
had the opportunity to work with the legendary musical heroes of your childhood, then your broke a*s got sued by one of them for copyright infringement
stuck a fork in dating in America and are now looking into blow-up dolls due to their low maintenance, low noise level, and low cost (an air body beats an airhead)
were robbed for a fake gold chain in the early '90s
are an artist whose career went kaput, so you were forced to get a “real” job and fall back into “real world” protocol. It was then you learned that the hip-hop 401k does not exist
are sick of “couple accounts” on Facebook (Fellas, if you allow your girl to create one page for the both of you, her d*ck is bigger than yours. Furthermore, anyone over the age of 21 trying to “poke” me will be attacked with a Wiffle ball bat.)
still use a Walkman and collect records
live with your hostile 87-year-old grandmother who passes gas 24/7, leaves her dentures on your bathroom sink, and disrupts pimpin' at the house
were a hip-hop kid of the '90s and/or enjoy nostalgic music business stories from that era
plan on entering the music business and want to read true accounts of how utterly dysfunctional and useless most of the people in it are
are sick of hearing all this bourgeois “Eat, Pray, Love” sh*t on dates. I want NYC's crime rate to return to the 1990 statistics for a week; then you'll really be praying to travel someplace expensive to “find yourself”. Shut the f*ck up and stop whining.
hate incessant texting, emoticons, internet lingo you have to be 18 years old to understand (ROTFL, OMG), “Gadget Hoes”, “Flash Hoes”, and “Cosmo Hoes”. (Note: If you come to the club solely to text all night or to ask me to take a picture of you and your raggedy a*s friends at the bar holding drinks, those last three terms apply to you.)
are a curmudgeon with an allergy to bullsh*t
don’t stand a chance in life doing anything that doesn’t involve purchasing a Mister Softee ice cream truck, but truly believe that one day you will run for mayor and win…

This book is for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Root for the Villain is for 0.02% of the world's population and will probably sell like it. It's my first attempt at publishing a book after having my work published in bits and pieces over the years, so pardon me while I figure this out on the fly. More info coming soon!

New website, Ego Trip affiliation

http://www.govillaingo.com/ is my new website and it’s under construction (official launch later this month), but links to all of my social network crap are on the site now (Facebook, Twitter, Ego Trip page, etc.) Or, find links to the aforementioned social network crap at the bottom of this email to be kept abreast of developments if the book interests you. Chapters from it will be posted on my Ego Trip page starting in about three weeks, for a sneak peek.

In the meantime, check out my analysis on why the rumored remake of the movie Juice (feat. Soulja Boy) can't happen in 2011...it's impossible! (Click here to read)

Also, check out this super duper rare and extremely early Wu-Tang Clan footage that I taped off of public access TV in 1991 and ripped to You Tube. (Click here to see and read).

Some of my older articles are on my Ego Trip page as well. I'll periodically be posting articles that aren't in the book, so check back in every so often.

Stay tuned and thanks for your past support,

J-Zone
--
--
P.S. - F*ck an iPod.

Attn: Producers of The Office

2011-05-29T01:46:00.001-04:00

Hire James Spader.

I may actually watch future episodes if you do.

"I saw an episode on how they make paper on Sesame Street"

He didn't exactly save The Practice, but he made the final season very interesting, won an Emmy for his work, and then had a show spun off for his character where he received 2 more Emmy Awards.

I don't' watch The Office, but I get the feeling that the character played by Spader in the season finale, might be a bit too dark to for the cast, but it would be great to see him wreck havoc like he did on The Practice/Boston Legal.

I love him.

Norwegian Wood

2011-05-22T23:27:00.002-04:00

"Perfect selfishness. Like, say I tell you I want to eat strawberry shortcake. And you stop everything you're doing and run out and buy it for me. And you come back out of breath and get down on your knees and hold this strawberry shortcake out to me. And I say I don't want it anymore and throw it out the window. That's what i'm looking for"

First viewing of film: solid
Novel: good
Second viewing of film (shortly after reading the novel): errrr...not so good.

I have to stop doing that to myself.

Kevin Durant - 2011 NBA Playoffs

2011-05-19T00:57:00.002-04:00

"Knapsack on the back, that's just my flavor ock"

Grand Puba - 360 (What Goes Around) [SD50 Remix]

Rampage - Beware Of The Rampsack (Boyscout Acapella Mix) [Radio Edit]

Rough House Survivors - Check Da Back Pack

KD, bringing the 90s back.

The Best and Worst NBA Style, Round 2: Link

A (Very) Brief Conversation: Cee Knowledge aka Doodlebug

2011-05-15T12:52:00.002-04:00

Listen to these tracks...

A Tribe Called Quest - Push It Along

Digable Planets - It's Good To Be Here

Do they not appear to be similar in structure, or am I just reachin'? (bad pun)

Was this intentional? An homage or sorts? Black Eyed Peas also did something similar on their debut album -- the game show skits, recalling those appearing on 3 Feet High and Rising. It's something I've thought about since I first listened to the debut album by Digable Planets.

I shared my thoughts with Doodlebug, and he offered this:

"naw if it sounds similar to you it definitely wasn't intentional fam"

"...but don't get it twisted because we were and are big fans of ATCQ ya'meen"

There you have it. It appears it was just coincidence. I hope he didn't think I was accusing him of biting.

My laptop is still in for repairs, but when I get it back, I hope to have Matt join me again for more Native Tongues chatter, and I've managed to lock down my first artist interview. Exciting times...

Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011)

2011-05-11T09:30:00.005-04:00

I really like this movie poster.

The poses, and mean muggin'...very hip hop.

I'm coming off of my movie snob high horse to see this one. Paul Feig has a solid resume and from I hear, that cast is pretty funny.

Bridesmaids: Trailer

Put This On - Episode 5: Tradition

2011-05-09T19:39:00.000-04:00

Jesse talks with Jay Walter, head of Made-to-Measure at J. Press in New York City about their classic American style. Then a talk with designer Thom Browne, who’s merged traditional aesthetics with fashion ideas, and become perhaps the most influential menswear designer of the last ten years.

That stripped tie, and red sweater is the business.

The Chase Pt. 3: or how i learned how far i would go (though not far enough) to obtain unreleased music.

2011-05-04T09:41:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, my co-worker approaches me, asking if I've seen the ebay auction for the Tribe tape.

"The whut tape?"

"The Tribe tape. Someone is selling one of their original demo cassettes on ebay. Description, Pubic Enemy, El Segundo...and 2 unreleased tracks"

"..." (mind blown)

I tell him to send me the link immediately. Sure enough it's already over $200. As a joke, I make a posting on my Facebook page. An attempt to gather a group of people to contribute money to acquiring this cassette.

There were a few joke replies, but then my friend Ryan tells me that he's willing to go splitsies. I got an adding machine by my side, so i'm figuring out how high we should go. Ryan tells me that he's willing to spend $200. Damn...he's serious. I'm nervous about dropping that much loot, but I agree to the total. We put in our bid. Less than an hour left, and we're the high bidder.

At this point, my reservations about spending $200 on a cassette are starting to disappear. I'm actually getting excited about it. In my mind I'm making dates on my calendar for sharing the cassette, Lord Stanley styles with Ryan. I'm thinking about future blog posts, and how I would share this rare item with the hip hop nation. Basically I'm getting a little carried away.

Moments before the auction ends, I get an email saying that we've been outbid. Reality kicks in. I check the auction, and it's now closed. The winning bid? $879.99!

I told my co-worker that I had got in on the auction item, but didn't win. He laughed at me and commented that "I guess you're not really that big of a Tribe fan". Shit...not enough to go that much out of pocket.

Thanks for indulging me and my story. The most I can offer now, are snippets, pics, and the description provided in the auction. I made sure to copy it all. I tiny piece of this hip hop history is better than nothing I suppose.

I only hope that someone shares these tracks in the future.

------

MEGA RARE 1ST DEMO TAPE BY HIP HOP LEGENDS A TRIBE CALLED QUEST!!!

THIS DEMO TAPE WAS GIVEN TO A FEW DJS IN THE LATE 80'S WHILE ATCQ WERE SHOPPING THEIR WORK!! I ACQUIRED IT WHEN A PROMINENT DJ LOST HIS STORAGE UNIT AT AUCTION!! HAND DRAWN ART WORK QUITE POSSIBLY BY Q-TIP OR RED ALERT! THIS DEMO WAS RECORDED AND SHOPPED BEFORE PHIFE WAS EVEN IN THE GROUP AND RED ALERT WAS HANDLING ALL THE PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT! THERE IS A RUMORED DEMO THAT WAS SHOPPED TO GEFFEN RECORDS AROUND THIS TIME WITH "CAN I KICK IT?" ON THE TAPE BUT THIS DEMO DOESN'T HAVE THAT SONG ON IT!! WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS RECORDED PRIOR TO THAT!

THE DEMO HAS 5 SONGS. 3 OF THE 5 ARE PRE MIXES OF WHAT EVENTUALLY SURFACE ON "PEOPLES INSTINCTIVE PATHS" WHILE THE OTHER 2 WERE NEVER RELEASED! I HAVE PLAYED THESE FOR FRIENDS AND THE LIKE AND NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HEARD THESE SONGS BEFORE!!

BY PURCHASING THIS TAPE YOU DON'T OWN THE RIGHT TO ANY OF THE UNRELEASED MATERIAL AT ALL!! AS I DON'T. I JUST HAVE THE TAPE!!! CHECK OUT THE SNIPPETS! TRACK LIST IS AS FOLLOWS AND CAN BE SEEN IN THE PICTURES!!

Beautiful...

1) DESCRIPTION OF A FOOL
2) PUBIC ENEMY
3) NATIVE TONGUE (UNRELEASED)
4) LEFT MY WALLET IN EL SEGUNDO
5) DUST (MY PAL) (UNRELEASED)

THE TAPE ITSELF IS IN GREAT CONDITION! I HAVE PLAYED IT THROUGH AND IT IS WOUND TIGHTLY. THERE ARE NO CRACKS. IT IS HOWEVER A BLANK TAPE WITH A DEMO ON IT. IT ISN'T A MIND BLOWING AESTHETICALLY PLEASING CASSETTE BUT IT IS A PIECE OF HIP HOP HISTORY!!!

UPDATE

Q-Tip Says:

"The tribe demo on ebay is not even the 1st one. About 20-30 of those circulated. The original one w/1st bonita is the real."

"the demo is still a worthwhile purchase."

Beats Rhymes & Life: A Conversation

2011-05-03T10:10:00.011-04:00

Last week, my homie, Matt Tassone and I were both lucky enough to see festival screenings of Michael Rapaport's Beats Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest. Our thoughts on the film are as follows:

-----------

Old school, AOL Instant Messenger styles. Mostly raw, and unedited (grammar nazis, step off).

Boothe: Toronto Blue
Matt: Pittsburgh Black

ok, so let's start this off with a quote.
"Beats, Rhymes & Life is The Low End Theory of music documentaries"

is it fair to say that you enjoyed this film?

even more than i had hoped i would. i went to nyc specifically to see it and it was more than worth it

had i not had a plane to catch the next day, i would've tried to get rush tickets to see it again

and as the low end theory of docs, that makes it my favorite hip-hop one of all time

i enjoyed the hell out of it too

one of the reasons why I wanted to talk to you in particular, is because of your background in film

i wondered if this was really a good doc, or was I just getting caught in the emotion of it

at the end of the day, i'm not sure it really matters

well, to be honest, i don't think i can separate myself from it to make a valid observation on that, but my inkling is that it was well done

it's surprisingly touching in places, very funny all through out and just has a great spirit to it

granted, you and i probably feel that more than others, but i think even non-fans would enjoy it. although, if someone is a non-fan of tribe, they clearly don't have any taste at all so perhaps they'd be more happy watching a dane cook special

haha

one aspect that really impressed me, was the animation in the film. in particular i like the work they did with the old photos, bringing them to life

i just loved that they included the busted ass jetta in the title sequence

just like in notorious when they had that one shot of biggie in a red and black lumberjack with a hat to match

yes indeed

ok, being tribe fans, was there anything in the origins section that you didn't know?

i didn't realize that the jungle brothers had actual family ties to red alert

but i think that's about it. again, though, it's one thing to read a bio for info like that. it's another thing to see it captured in a manner that communicates non-tangible things so well

seeing q-tip hug the principle form his high school, ali pausing to let that little kid zoom by on his scooter, etc. things like that really elevated it

that's why i'm leaning towards thinking it was good documentary filmmaking

yeah

the high school scenes were great. q-tip pounding on the table...got some great percussion sounds out of it.

i got the sense that most people in the theatre i watched it with, didn't know about Mike G, and Red Alert. I'm gonna play class nerd, stand up and say I KNEW THAT

one thing i wanna mention is that i was worried at the very beginning when they started by teasing the beef. it made me think they might go the behind the music route, but they didn't at all. i thought it was a great mix of the good times with the bad

the one thing that i wasn't aware of though, was the relationship between Phife and Jarobi. didn't realize that they were that close.

yeah, me too

apart from jarobi being a chef, i didn't really know much about him at all so most of that was new as well

ok, so i think the first really great laugh out loud moment was when they spoke about Tribe's presentation and attire. how did your audience react?

enough laughter that i missed a few sentences of what black thought said after that. there were a few places where lines got lost in bouts of heavy laughter

note to those reading: Matt saw the screening at Tribeca Film Festival, NYC. I saw it at Hot Docs in Toronto

i think phife saying he couldn't kick fruit punch got just as big of a laugh

and when they showed the seaman's furniture commercial. i actually remember seeing those when i first moved to nyc

it was kinda of startling seeing their clothing. i remember it being boho-ish, but not to that extent. it was fantastic

what was the first video of theirs that you saw? cause for me, it wasn't until 'check the rhime.' previous to that, i had just heard them on the radio

el segundo

so i don't have first hand memory of the clothes being that wild

let's talk native tongues

i had a strong emotional reaction to that part of the doc

especially when de la was introduced. ryan can confirm this...i kinda let out a "yes!"

me too. i get goose bumps when i heard 'buddy.' seriously

so to see that in a theatre w/ 300 people singing along was great

wow...there was one guy in our theathre who was rapping some parts, but to have the audience singing along to Buddy, that's dope

there was lots of singing along w/ our audience. rappaport had told everyone beforehand to get up and dance in the aisles if they wanted so i think that sorta set the mood for high audience participation

were you anticipating seeing more de la? i was

i loved every moment de la was in, and they happened to be in some very important scenes
i'm assuming you're talking about the 'i hope it's their last show' line from dave?

yup

very strong statement

two things that made that stand out so much - pos's reaction when dave said it, and the fact that de la look so relaxed and happy around each other. they still seem like their best friends

quite a contrast

another important scene was Maseo and Q-Tip's discussion

the shot they captured of Ali, was perfect

and what did you read into that? that they were siding w/ tip? or that they were there just trying to diffuse things with the understanding that tip is high-maintenance?

seemed like they were trying to diffuse things

yeah, that's what i thought too

it is another interesting contrast that phife seemed to always be flanked by his wife and family

but tip only had his boys around him

yeah

so in regards to the interviews

did anyone stand out to you in particular, with regards to the information or insight they provided?

is there anyone you might have wanted to see less, or more of?

i could've seen more than everyone. it could've been 4 hours long and i wouldn't have gotten bored

one of the things i was struck by is just how funny and engaging most everyone they talk to is

and it makes sense. that's why the music was so engaging. it was being made by intelligent, charismatic people

yeah

i was maybe a little struck by how on point pharrel was because i've never been a big fan of his

everyone else, it's exactly what i expected

questlove is always a great interview

prince paul is always funny

i found monie to be a little...grating

she is on her sirius show sometimes too

she made good points i suppose, but...i don't know...i think i'd prefer if she was a little more...classy?

i also found it funny that everyone from the native tongues can talk about how positive and everything they were and not seem to find any irony in mentioning the beatnuts in the same breath

haha

yeah...or Dres. The first Black Sheep album wasn't really that positive

yeah

and the second one sucked

i do want an answer as to why prince paul wasn't on midnight maruaders

yeah, that is odd

maybe his invite was lost in the mail

ok, do you think they did a good enough job of covering the musical elements of the band?

given the scope of the documentary and the time limitations, yes

that bit where tip is talking about the drums on 'can i kick it' was one of my favorite parts

yeah

i can't wait for the dvd as i've read there's loads more along those lines

and a little section about large professor, which i assume will be pretty music-focussed as well

i really like what Tip had to say about the near absense of melody in the music, and how it's made up for by the rhythm, and lyrics

the improvisation

yeah, that was pretty poignant

i'd also like to hear if tip was a theory on drums

if you go back and listen to the first three albums, he practically never uses fills or anything

they're just on a loop. they'll cut in and out, sometimes other percussion will be laid on top of them, but there's almost never any real changes

personally, i could listen to them talk about the music itself in terms of theory for a whole film

indeed

but i don't think that would be all that interesting to non hip-hop geeks

one thing i noticed...they sort of glossed over Beats Rhymes and Life, and The Love Movement

they did

rappaport said they just had to draw the line somewhere

i'm sure they hve a lot of footage discussing those albums in particular, but i would have loved to hear about what went wrong with those albums

and since those albums had much more input from outside the group, that's sorta where it made the most sense to stop

oh ok, so it was addressed during the Q&A?

actually, i think i read that in an interview

he said there was a full ten minutes on beats, rhymes and life that convered jay-dee and consequence that will be included on the dvd

good

not really the biggest cons fan, but let's keep it moving

a lot of the press, pre-screening hype (trailer) led me to believe that Q-Tip would be villified

how did you feel about him after watching the doc?

no different than i did going on

everyone i know that saw it basically said the same thing. no one in there comes off particularly bad and they can't understand why they wouldn't want it to be seen

like i said, i think most of the film comes off as a feel-good story about the music

that's what people are taking from it more than anything

yeah

well, i'll throw this out there

you tell me what you think

i thought Phife came off as overly sensitive

i felt more like he came off as unprofessional than overly sensitive

unprofessional as an interview subject, but i felt he was overly sensitve regarding q-tip

and i don't want to sound cruel, because his condition is a big deal

i just felt more unprofessional as far as the way he seemed to approach his career compared to tip

but I can't imagine (and i could be wrong) that q-tip would be that crude (cruel) to insult him on stage like

i think it might have been a misunderstanding, and Phife maybe used that to air out other issues he was having with Tip

when either of them complained about the other, i always got the sense that it was more about other things than what they were actually arguing about

exactly

so that's why i think it's hard to accuse either of them as being dicks or overly sensitive

because i never felt like i really got a sense as to what each was truly upset about

yeah

ok, so let's wrap this up

wait...i should add that the blue jacket Q-Tip was wearing in the park....dopeness

with the scarf? figured you'd be all over that

word

Beats Rhymes Life....

you would recommend this to fans of Tribe, Hip Hop, and music in general?

yup

yeah, when it hits theatres, there will be multiple viewings for me

me too

and i'm already salivating for the dvd w/ all the extras

indeed

alright matt...thanks for taking the time to chat with me

my pleasure

All Talk: Archer

2011-04-22T13:25:00.007-04:00

Do we love Archer?

YYYYUUUUUUUPPPPP!

Frank Longo (A Fistful of Popcorn) and I make a case for the FX animated series, which we believe might be the funniest show currently airing on television.

Download: Link

-----------------------------------

http://www.afopop.com/
http://thepasswordisswordfish.wordpress.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/FrankLongo

*shout out to Roods for introducing me to the show.

All Talk: Beisbol

2011-04-16T19:59:00.005-04:00

"My favorite players are Roy Holiday and Roy Oswald"

Spring is in the air, and with it comes a lot of unwelcomed precipitation, and a new season of Baseball.

Part 1: John Chidley-Hill from the Canadian Press joins me for an attempt to figure out the Toronto Blue Jays, 2 weeks into the 2011 season.

Download: Link

Part 2: I managed to track down Tug Haines, who is currently on a summer long tour of ballparks across America. We discuss his project Casual Fan, and speak about the mystique of minor league baseball.

Download: Link

-----------------------------------

http://johnchidleyhill.com/

http://twitter.com/jchidleyhill

http://www.casualfan.org/

http://twitter.com/TugHaines

Photo courtesy of Tug Haines

Following Over 100 Twitter Accounts

2011-04-12T21:50:00.006-04:00

Including mine.

J-Zone's been diggin through his VHS tapes, and he recently found and posted a 1991 video of GZA, ODB and RZA appearing on the public access show, Rhythm & Soul. Write up, and video can be found here.

I miss Russell Jones.

Portraits: Megan Fox

2011-04-11T14:05:00.001-04:00

This photo belongs here: http://bookshelfporn.com/

It's almost too perfect.

R.I.P. Sidney Lumet

2011-04-09T11:37:00.002-04:00

Unboxing: Timex Easy Reader

2011-04-07T22:15:00.004-04:00

Internet unboxing videos...YAY!

Yeah, I know this watch is a little Style Forum Chic, but its simplicity works with my steez, and I feel I can get some mileage out of it. Also, I paid less than $30, so...

Quotable

2011-04-06T08:59:00.004-04:00

"If it ain't loaded and cocked, it will not shoot"

(Not surprisingly) The courtroom showdown is just as good in the novel, as it was on screen.

LL Cool J - Jingling Baby

2011-04-04T06:14:00.010-04:00

Perhaps the greatest "I wish I was there" Hip Hop video of all time.

There's so much to love here, including:

1. Spazzed out dancer guy.
2. Strobe lights, lava lamps, electricity ball thingys.
3. LL's gears are working in this video. The shoes in particular are dope. I think i'll send a screen capture to Nerd Boyfriend.
4. Too cool for school, beatnik dude, holding up the wall.
5. LL's cool grandma. (cute)
6. Fakin' the funk, instrument holding, fly women.
7. Wall Street pencil pushers. (nice suspenders, dudes)
8. Dudes (successfully) hustling their way into the party.
9. Punchbowl carrying and plotting, pretty women.
10. Impromptu, choreographed dance breakdowns. LL's like "hey, what's going on here?" Then somehow knows all of the moves. He's got some steps though.
11. Late 80s/Early 90s Hip Hip Video Muscle Guy (harrrrrrrrrrrrr)
12. Marley Marl (Word to the mother!)
13. Weaved chairs. (I love those things)
14. Old ass record player. (Hustle Guy on the wheel of steel)
15. No music industry lames allowed!

Dedicated to Conor and Crystal. Congrats on your engagement.

Guest Blogging on "Ten Things I've Learned"

2011-04-02T19:14:00.006-04:00

In which I share things I've learned as a wannabe screenwriter (good and bad) on Joshua Bowman's blog, 10 Things I've Learned.

Right here.

All Talk: Voltron Force

2011-03-27T22:30:00.010-04:00

"meow"

Chris "Omega" Jackson shares his thoughts on the recently announced Nicktoons show, Voltron Force. Let's just say, he's not overly impressed.

We also wax nostalgic about the classic 80s Voltron, and the original Japanese series Beast King GoLion.

Download: Link

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Still working out recording issues. Apologies again for the sound quality.

Chris curses a lot, so if you're listening to this with your mother, keep a hand on the volume knob.

It's all in fun, so don't trip.

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Voltron Force First Images: MTV Geeks
Go Lion DVD Trailer: Link

My Tweets Will Rock And Shock The Nation...

2011-03-26T14:46:00.008-04:00

YES!

Being serious for a second, I don't believe U-God was as wack as people made him out to be. I've said this before, and will say it again, I think he's just a victim of music 101 nerds, who need an easy way to start or enter a conversation.

"Yeah, I love all of them...except for U-God, he's the wack one"

*Yawn*

That said, I don't know if there's been a worse song, released from a legendary group, than this one...

St. Patty's Day Sartorial-isms

2011-03-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

Naah, I keep it subtle, kid.

Positive K: No One Can Be You (But You)

2011-03-12T12:21:00.004-05:00

Can we get Positive back in the rap game?

I don't see why not. The Mars/Venus thing never really gets old, and it's something the kids today could get down with. Really all he needs is some updated production. Might not be something a lot of us hard rocks can get down with, but i think his legacy (good or bad) lies within his singles.

It's almost been 20 years since "The Skills..." was released; someone please throw this man some beats.

"whoop, therrrre it is, honey"

Put This On - Episode 4: Grooming

2011-03-10T22:20:00.004-05:00

Underarm stains are a bitch.

Put This On, Episode 4: Grooming from Put This On

Jesse visits the barber, a how-to for the classic wet shave and some guidance on avoiding and removing underarm yellowing in shirts.

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I should also mention that Jesse Thorn's main hustle, Maximum Fun, is currently in fund drive mode. I'm a fan of The Sound of Young America, so I thought I'd throw up a link in case you're a fan of the show and want to...you know...

Maximum Fun Fund Drive: link

Please Listen To My Demo

2011-03-08T22:05:00.013-05:00

Experimenting with adding (more) audio content to the blog.

May or may not do this again, largely depending on whether or not I can get people to chat with me, and if I can learn to properly enunciate and control my sniffling problem (it's the drugs man).

Quality is a little rough, as I'm still figuring out the software, but if you care to hear some thoughts on reality television, I've provided two choices for you: Giant Black Man in a Brief, or Dumb Hot Indian Chick.

Special Agent Sheppard?

Survivor: Redemption Island w/ "Survivor Junkie" Hoss Mostafa

*Yes, I am shamelessly exploiting Padma here*

Top Chef: All-Stars w/ Leighton Gordon, co-host of A Fistful of Popcorn

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A Fistful of Popcorn: http://www.afopop.com/
Leighton Gordon: www.twitter.com/lategordon

Thanks to Ryan (producer at large) for donating equipment and valuable time.

LeBron James & Dwyane Wade

2011-03-06T18:46:00.004-05:00

Remember this?

A Tribe Called Quest - Sucka Nigga

Out Of This World

2011-03-06T17:20:00.006-05:00

Rick Owens Fall 2011 (via The Sartorialist): Link

Outkast - E.T. (Extraterrestrial)

What The F*** is Michael Jordan Wearing

2011-03-02T22:28:00.004-05:00

My favorite Tumblr blog at the moment.

You thought Tim Duncan was bad? Wait till see what 'His Airness" has in his closet.

What The F*** is Michael Jordan Wearing: Link

Tim Duncan

2011-02-21T21:53:00.003-05:00

...

No words.

Milk Carton: Mooky Mook & DJ Motiv8

2011-02-20T21:49:00.009-05:00

Are these two the Hip Hop equivalent of Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe?

Some rapper (can't remember who) tweeted during the Super Bowl halftime show (yeah this post is late) that the Black Eyed Peas wouldn't have had so many sound troubles if they had a proper DJ in their crew. Now I don't know if they do or not, but it reminded me of their Ruthless material with Motiv8 and Mooky.

I can't imagine what it's like for these two to turn on the TV or computer and see Will and Ap banking on their special brand of music. I wonder if Will looked out for them and paid their student loans and mortgages?

Anyway, shout out to Mooky, wherever he is. He was my favorite MC in the group. His calm delivery was a good balance to Will and Ap's...annoyance. It's funny reading comments about Atban Klann (and early BEP material) where people talk about much doper they were before "selling out". Uhm...not really. Production was better, but as emcees they were average at best. They were better served going pop. The university circuit wasn't doing much for them anyway.

Atban Klann - Yougohdah

Atban Klann - Styles Are Critical

Atban Klann - Mountain Top

Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek, 2010)

2011-02-06T19:46:00.003-05:00

This picture (sorta) encapsulates everything you need to know about the movie.

1. There's a lot of nice Fall/Winter gear.
2. Carey Mulligan is one of the finest young actors out there.

This movie didn't entirely work for me. It's a beautifully shot science fiction drama, and I'm certain the source material is an excellent read, but the adaptation by Alex Garland (not my favorite screenwriter) doesn't quite succeed.

I had a little trouble buying into this love triangle for the ages. With a running time of 103 minutes, there isn't much time to properly explore these relationships. The audience is pretty much asked to buy into it with the sharing of a gift, and a kiss on park bench. I also found myself not caring much for the characters when portrayed by child actors. 30 minutes later when the lead actors appear, I felt the need to start over and reestablish connections with the characters.

If you're at all interested in this story and the world presented within it, I would probably recommend reading the book. I think I'll do so myself in the near future.

Never Let Me Go: Trailer