Archive for the ‘The Guest Room’ Category

Unsigned Hype…

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

blake griffin

After all the world class athletes, like Oklahoma’s BLAKE GRIFFIN, have been selected to compete on the professional hardwood courts of the Association there will be one lower, okay really lower class athlete whose heart still pumps the blood of a champion. His name is Dontrevius Wenters.

TERRENCE ELENTENY created Draft Daze specifically for the NBA draft. He asked me on the project to play the role of the central character and to add some writing to the project. I think that under the time constraints of all the people involved TERRENCE nailed this joint.

If you haven’t watched Draft Daze in it’s entirety please do so.

And don’t stop believing…


NaS Won…

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

illmatic

Editor’s note: This excellent counterpoint submitted from FRANK D. is in response to Friday’s drop titled ‘Jay-Z Won…’

Yo Dallas,

I have been reading your blog for a while now.

I like it a lot.

Sometimes when I am walking on the street, I see a big black dude, and I say “That’s Dallas!”

But it hasn’t been yet. Someday, I guess.

Anyway, I am finally writing because of this: I saw Nasir in concert for the first time last night.

At Hunter college. In what was basically a high school auditorium.

It was, quite simply, like church.

You see, I am a 31 year old dude. I grew up in Queens. In Douglaston. I have been listening to Illmatic for 15 years now… 15 years!?!

I never wanted to see the dude perform, because I thought he could never live up to what i had built up in my mind. That album is really one of the most important pieces of art that I have ever come across. So when I finally went to see him last night, I was almost nervous that my impression would be ruined. I have read tons of stuff saying that he was lazy in concert, et cetera.

Anyway.

It was amazing. Maybe 1500 or 2000 people rapping along, verbatim, to New York State of Mind. I just stood there and watched. There were some goosebump moments, but mostly I just thought about how important this album was. It is really on the level of some Picasso or Shakespeare stuff. I mean, if the true measure of ART is how it affects people, emotionally, then Illmatic is art of the highest caliber. The people in this crowd were moved. There were moments where he just stood there and listened to the crowd as they rapped to him.

I couldn’t help but to think about gospel music and preachers…

Then I started to think about the man himself. He has really aligned himself with the underdog, and this is important. Isn’t this what hip hop is about? Likkle ghetto youf? He went through the whole catalog, and it was hit after hit, and the hits were mostly 1) sort of smart and, 2) sort of important. I have seen what you wrote about ‘I Can‘ and I agree… This is what rap music was supposed to be.

I think it is important for us to remember that this is what the music is about; that someone like Nas is really what an MC is supposed to be.

And the other thing that really came home to me last night that is that comparing him to Shawn Carter isn’t really of any use. Nas is of the people for the people (as much as a “rapper” can be), and Shawn is a product, no?

I don’t know, I wanted to talk to you about this, because I thought you would get it.

Hope this message finds you well. Please write some more stories about you are your boys when you were young and stealing cars, those posts are really beautiful.

All the best.

Frank

DALLAS PENN’s THEME…

Monday, March 30th, 2009

fatboy slim

I had to put on my suit for this joint…

My homey in ATL that I call Fats laced me with this track that I use as background music to collect my thoughts.

I thought I could do some of you folks a favor as well by giving you something for your iPod that didn’t require tightjeans to listen to.

Thanx Fats.

Download – Dallas Penn’s Theme

How Does Fresh Eat?

Friday, March 20th, 2009

the truth

HowFresh is my big homey from the tippy top of Manhattan. HowFresh gets around though. You have to respect HF’s fitted cap game as well as his classic NYC swagger.

HF and I don’t share the exact same taste in footwear, but we pretty sure the same taste in overall taste. HowFresh’s website is called ‘HowFresh Eats’ and it travels around NYC with him as HF gets it in.

HF caught up to the tail end of the Sneaker Fiends Unite! NYC Tour from AmyRuth’s in new Ha’arlem. Give him a look see. You won’t be disappointed.

NYC’s Most Notorious Housing Projects…

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

unkut

A while back my peoples over at UnKut.com asked me to lend a hand in a piece they were creating for the best Hip-Hop magazine on the planet, the U.K.’s Hip-Hop Connections.

The piece was to focus on the most notorious New York City housing projects. I’m glad that UnKut came to me for the assist. If I am nothing else I want to be a repository for NYC’s history, both good and bad, but mostly actual and factual.

The Unkut Guide To Hip-Hop’s Most Notorious Projects – Part 1

The Unkut Guide To Hip-Hop’s Most Notorious Projects – Part 2

“The housing projects plan isn’t flawed until you fill it with poor people. When these building were filled with working class folks it seemed like there might be a better life for people.

Generations stayed up in those buildings too. Remove the manufacturing and shipping industry from NYC and add the rampant access of drugs like alcohol, heroin and then crack and the housing projects devolve into what we have now.

The government smartened up with regards to warehousing the poor and disenfranchised. In the early 1900’s they gave away tracts of land to the Native Americans for them to drink themselves to death. The housing project is the same idea except the acres are stacked on top of one another instead of being spread out.

This aids in the control and regulation of these populations as well. Police can black off a few traffic arteries if the native get restless now.

Housing projects are just reservations in the sky.”