Archive for June, 2010

Superhero Polysyllable Rap…

Friday, June 25th, 2010

blk tht

This is my favorite track off the new Roots album. The drum x voice hits hard like Colossus from the X-Men. I had to do a polysyllabic word count on Black Thought’s verses to see how he matches up with some of the greats…

Black Thought uses a total of 298 words for his verses and the number of polysyllabic words is 20. Thought’s average is 1 polysyllabic word every 14.9 words. That average is better than Eminem on the ‘Forever’ track where Em merc’ks Drake on his own shit along with KanYe West and Lil’ Wayne.

I timestamped this drop at 20 minutes after 8pm EST which in military time is 20:20 for those of you niggas what can’t see straight.

[Chorus: John Legend]
I keep it doin’ it again
Oh, I’m doin’ it again
Yes, I’m doin’ it again
I said it would end

[Black Thought]
Uh, remix, rising up out of the flames like a Phoenix
Straining to carry the weight of my brain like a genius
Knowing I’m sowing seeds, let’s see whose thumb is the greenest
If I said I mean it, I did it because I need it
Eat, sleep it or bleed it, write it down and then read it
Asphalt to the cement, your trash talk, delete it
I blast off then lay ’em out like a Tempur-Pedic
It’s Black Thought, for certain I’ma win eventually
This unsung, underrated, under-appreciated
The one them underachievers had underestimated
Finally graduated, I’m one of the most hated
Something that’s so sacred, nobody gon’ take it
Face it, I keep doin’ it well
Doin’ it sans assistance, just do it yourself
Doin’ it below the radar, we doin’ it stealth
Doin’ it again for Illadelph, yo who else?
We gon’ do it again!

[Chorus]

[Black Thought]
Yeah, aiyyo I’m on a job, see my eyes focused where the prize be
Even though they tried to rob me and sabotage the spot
Just like ‘Pac when they got him in the lobby
Try to tax and fine me like Ronald Isley
I is a changed man, hanging with fans are probablies
Niggas used to know me, they don’t even recognise me
Yep, the P-5-D is who the repertoire be
Doin’ it again just like Poitier and Cosby
I’m like Martin Luther King, you like Rodney
The difference is I give it everything inside me
Dear diary, the fans still swear by me
Even though I’m Late Night now like “Here’s Johnny”
Swimming with them Great Whites now, that’s where to find me
Funny how it break right down, but never mind me
Forever grimy, I guess it’s just Philly shining
Rock roller, bi-polar like Phyllis Hyman

[Chorus]

SNEAKER FIENDS UNITE!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

ice cream

I have been on my New Balance grind so serious for the past few months.

Aside from the Air Max 2009 there is no other shoe I’m looking to consume at the moment that isn’t from the New Balance stable. I peeped these 1300’s a few weeks back on the CrookedTongues site and I have been smitten ever since.

Too bad they aren’t making it to the States unless you have heavy cream to drop on them.

That must be why they are giving me the ice cream inspirations?

nb 1300
nb 1300
nb 1300
nb 1300
nb 1300

The only people that rocked New Balance back in the day were professors from Columbia and hustlers from Harlem.

Columbia just received the legal right of eminent domain to increase their land holdings in Harlem. As the poor people get shuffled around for more professors I also imagine the hustlers will return to Harlem to stake their claim as well.

New Balance is poised in this perfect storm for a renaissance. I’m on my way to Atmos 125th.

nb 1300

Balling Out With The NBA’s Elite…

Friday, June 25th, 2010

nba elite

The big homie DUK-KI from MajorDC hollered at me last week to ask if I would be in town to fux with the launch of EA Sports franchise NBA video game Elite 11. There would be a few players to chop it up with as well as musicians and assorted industry folks. I was like “Hells Chea!” Even tho’ I’m not a gamer I realize that gamers and myself are both cut from the same cloth.

That material would be called fanboyhood. Google it.

TERRENCE is the major hoopshead and he had the backstory on all the players in the party. We shot some footage with me acting as Dontrevius Wenters since it was NBA Draft Week and John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were in the building. The real athletes had a hard time believing that Dontrevius expected to be drafted as well. Dontrevius told them that age and weight were only numbers and since he was high in both of those categories shouldn’t his points per game follow suit?

Sometimes players just don’t understand.

A big shout out goes to rapper J.Cole who said the word ‘Internets’ like he meant it. Sean Price is the ONLY other rapper that recognizes that we are all interconnected networks. Somebody send me some J.Cole music like yesterday so I can get familiar with this young gunner. When I told Brandon Jennings that J.Cole might join the league as well he rolled his eyes. Why do athletes want to be musicians, but they won’t allow us to be great in other shit like their sport?

All the players were pretty nice with their stick game too [ll]. I’m talking about the game controls for Electronic Arts latest version of NBA Live they have renamed NBA Elite. I hope the Madden Curse doesn’t follow these players as well since my homie KEVIN DURANT is the dude on the cover of NBA Elite ’11. Me and K.D. kicked it for a few and I told him about my predictions that he would be the greatest player of all time.

I also gave him props for arranging his signature sneaker to have such a reasonable pricepoint. I made him laugh when I told him that he pwned Amare Stoudemire so much this season that Amare started wearing K.D.’s signature shoe in the playoffs instead of his own. Good times. That video will surface sooner or later. In the meantime and in between time take a peek at the LeBron and Durant characters movements on NBA Elite ’11.

The ball handling [ll] and shooting is so ridiculous and effortless from the controllers. Whatever happened to the joystick and orange button of the Atari 2600? I kicked it with some of the developers and programmers of the new game and they aren’t finished getting the bugs out yet either. That’s why the event was also filled with gamers who could give their feedback directly to the techs. I was amazed at how much development Electronic Arts puts into their games. EA might be in the business of making videogames, but these dudes aren’t playing around.

EA Sports… It’s definitely in the game.

We Almost Lost New York…

Friday, June 25th, 2010

summerstage

Amid all of the outdoor festivals taking place this weekend it should be noted that on Sunday dozens of NYC MTA bus routes will be terminated.

Forever.

The revolution will never be televised, or posted on YouTube.

The revolution will be all the way live.

In Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield.

Gil Scott-Heron
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
3pm

“The godfather of hip-hop and neo-soul performs classics and music from his first new album in over fifteen years.”

Party for your right to fight.

R.I.P. Dilla

Gil Scott-Heron – ‘We Almost Lost Detroit’

gsh

Oil Fields = Killing Fields…

Friday, June 25th, 2010

killing fields

^ Study how the vic getting clapped on gets transformed into the British Petroleum dandelion. It really works that way too. In a few thousand years all the bodies of the people who were merc’ked by the Khmer Rogue will become some fossil fuel we will use to do the shit what we do.

WIRED mag from 2007

Altho’ the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster is wild bad (I suppose) it was bound to happen sooner or later and its likely to happen again and again. The problem isn’t British Petroleum who contracted TransOcean to put the hole in the ground underwater. The problem is you. And me. But really, its more you. You see I recognize that shit like what happened in the Gulf is what happens in the world when niggas need iPhone 4Gs, Snuggies, sneakers, audiobooks and even plastic bags. Sheeeeeeed, paper too.

You can close this drop right now if you want or you can face the truth that you and your fake ass righteousness has always been the problem. You want to save the Earth but you steady killing it. You don’t want to be a racist but you tacitly approve the lynching of Black males. You want to be a vegetarian but your lying ass knows how much you love the taste of bacon on your lips. British Petroleum is your dealer and you are such an addict if they weren’t here you would go across the street corner to get your fix.

We rely on petroleum for EVERY FUCKING THING in our lives. EVERYTHING. You want to challenge me on that?!? Good luck, but you still can’t handle the truth. You don’t have the mental ability, determination or courage to live above petroleum production. The difference between you and I is that I won’t try to fool myself about the issue. There are drilling apparatus that have penetrated the Earth for greater than 6 miles (over 30,000ft) because you need the blood of your ancestors that badly. So as long as you read this weblog please recognize that you are the problem and British Petroleum is your scapegoat.

Let late night Jimmy Fallon with the help of the Roots, Brian Williams and Herbie Hancock bring some levity to your consciousness…