hope this finds you well...

Saturday, February 21, 2009

School

Hopefully in about 4 years I look back at life and realize how important and happy i was that I stayed in school and got a degree. But until then, school sucks. I try to make it as best as I can but sometimes it gets the best of me. Example: about 2 weeks ago, it took me 4 hours to do homework, just for accounting. I could have spend 4 hours: watching 3 episodes of Boondocks, getting a skate session, play some PS2, make a mix cd, eat some tacos, and enjoying a mocha frapucchino. Instead, I had to deal with writing account balances (that I couldn't get to balance right) and writing journal entries that were completely wrong.

As much as I want to stay positive about school, every now and then I just wanna say "fuck it!". However, if I were to drop-out now, it would be the biggest disappointment in my life, no joke. So I guess its best to not be a bitch about it and tough it out. Matter of fact, call me a bitch, cause if you were in my shoes, you'd feel the same way.

Listen to:

Copeland-Beneath Medicine Tree
http://www.mediafire.com/?vcc9susfys1
http://www.myspace.com/copeland

I have come to really like this album in recent months.

Friday, February 13, 2009

R.I.P. Hip-Hop

Illmatic, Enter the Wu-Tang, The Low End Theory, Ready to Die, 3 Feet High and Rising, Paid in Full, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back; what do these albums have in common? They are considered among the greatest hip-hop albums ever recorded. These albums have influenced countless rappers, producers and each has gained a strong cult following. Fast-forwarded to 2004: Get Low reaches #1 on Billboards Hot RAP tracks and #2 on the Top 100.

Since then, beats and lyricism have been replaced with half-assed synthesizers and chourses consisting of "WHAT!?!?, YEAH!!!!!". Crunk and Snap music ( so to speak) have been the reigning supreme for the past 3-5 years (depending when you started to lose faith in hip-hop). Somehow, they end up selling millions of albums and receive massive airplay on MTV and BET (latter being an absolute given). Striking, isn't it.

Next we got rappers who can't rap, yet they claim to be the best rapper alive (yes, him). Let me give you an example:

"What is that, who is that, I never heard of it
I will take your picture and make a 'rest in peace' shirt of it
Tell those niggas beatin to make a rest in peace shirt of me cause I
Killed and now don't tell no one you heard of me
It's like, the beat was screamin, murder me
And I'm a, murderer
So I murdered it"

compare that to:

"I stagger in the gathering possessed by a patterin that be scatterin
Over the globe will my vocals be travellin
Unravellin my abdomen it's Lon that's babblin
Grammatics that are masculine"

It's amazing of how hip-hop when from being introspective storytelling to trying to "superman dat hoe". These days it seems like lyrics don't even matter, but as long as you got the "hoes", bling" and "shot a nigga or two", you are a made man. And don't worry about the critics saying how you're destroying hip-hop, bragging how much bling you have or how hard you're tryin to incorporate you "street-life" into your career, you'll always have the support of dumb niggas or crew of people defending you because "your new joint is hot!!!".

Hip-Hop: 1978-2009, Rest in Peace.

Listen to (for god's sake):

Eric B. & Rakim-Paid in Full
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?d2z5y02zjmz
http://www.last.fm/music/Eric%2BB.%2B%2526%2BRakim
(no credible Myspace account)

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Nostalgia

1. a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.

You know that feeling when you here a certain word, phrase, see a movie or hear a certain song (especially), it makes you think back to a certain time in your life that reminds you, "those were some fucking good times" or "I wish could go back to those days". That ladies and gentlemen is called Nostalgia.

Whenever I hear that word, I always think back to 2003-2005, more so late '03, early '04.
I can honestly say between that period was the best time of my life. Back when I didnt have to worry about paying for school, finding a job, having little money, supporting myself, etc. Bascially it was when I had no true "responsibilities". Everything during that period was great: music, people I knew or met, events, actually being involved in skating, school, goin to shows; couldn't ask for anything better.

But as everyone knows, good things never last forever. Things change, people grow up, move away, lose touch and, sadly, some are not here anymore. Out of the 100 people I knew, I can only name maybe 10 off the top of my head I still keep contact with, but the good thing is I'll always have 10 people I can always reminisce, and for that I always cherish those conversations. Other than that, music sucks now these days, nothing exciting happens, school is pissing me off (though I am willing to go through it), I am in spitting distance away from quitting skating, and there's MAYBE a good show once every 5-7 months.

I sure some people (I hope) feel the same way I feel, wishing they could go back to a period of time when they truly enjoyed it. Sadly, the more I grow up, the more I wish to go back. Some people may think its bad to not let go of the past but the way I see it, you'd only keep wishing it if you truly enjoyed what you experienced.

....And that's my rant for the day/week (to make up for the missing posts).

Since we're talking about nostalgia...

Listen to:

Atreyu-Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
http://www.mediafire.com/?zwuccoxzozc
http://www.myspace.com/atreyu

fuck the haters. this cd was (and still is) the shit.