in rotation: blueprint - sign language
new slaughterhouse video for the remix of joell ortiz's move on. damn i hope an album actually drops. 'nuff said. check it out.
slaughterhouse - move on (remix)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
grind time bars for beats week 5 entry
in rotation - eligh and jo wilkinson - on sacred ground
grind time has been holding a weekly competition where producers provide beats for emcees to do their thing. each week there is a different beat from a different producer. after voting, the winner of bars for beats in the given week wins the actual beat itself. this week the producer is ken i produce a.k.a. 2 pieces, and the beat is just plain filthy. this is my second submission so i hope it's a bit of an improvement from the last. i used the lyrics from my verse on 'if i should lose you'. nevertheless, here is my week 5 entry for grind time's bars for beats.
nix - grind time bars for beats week 5 entry
grind time has been holding a weekly competition where producers provide beats for emcees to do their thing. each week there is a different beat from a different producer. after voting, the winner of bars for beats in the given week wins the actual beat itself. this week the producer is ken i produce a.k.a. 2 pieces, and the beat is just plain filthy. this is my second submission so i hope it's a bit of an improvement from the last. i used the lyrics from my verse on 'if i should lose you'. nevertheless, here is my week 5 entry for grind time's bars for beats.
nix - grind time bars for beats week 5 entry
Thursday, February 26, 2009
anecdote vs 360 melbourne street battle
in rotation: the alchemist - the alchemist's cookbook ep
i've been a fan of both dote and 60 since before their fame as the dynamic duo which represented australia in the 2007 wrc. seeing them compete together in the melbourne division in 2007 was such a treat, especially their battles against prime and purpose. to see them go up against each other face to face, is an even bigger treat. with that being said, here is the video of the anecdote vs. 360 battle which was held recently in melbourne. anecdote is so dope off the top of the dome but 360 is just such a funny cunt. dote's schemes are so ill. 60 absolutely beasted it. it's nice to see that they got personal and that they both came correct but i give the w to 60. check it out and see for yourself. props to the heads who filmed, edited and put this all together, and of course to both anecdote and 360. hopefully this is a good precursor to the establishment of grind time australia. shit was real proper.
here are some of my favourite lines from this battle:
anecdote:
"in this town there's no one as hopeless as sixty,
so all these people had me flown in from sydney to get rid of the biggest joke in their city,
he's getting tough like he's going to hit me,
but you're too boney and skinny 'cause you smoke cones like a chimney and snort coke like you're whitney"
"when we went to new york, he had a wet dream on the plane deck,
woke up with his cock in his hand, screaming the name pez"
"you've got no job, you can't rap, and you live in your parents garage.
it's safe to say your adult life is off to a terrible start"
"i hit you to death with right hands and end your lifespan,
the only time you find him next to mic stands is as pez's hypeman"
360:
"you a puss mate, say something,
i'll climb your family tree and start face-fucking your late cousin"
"i'd love to know how many copies of his cd's sold,
when i sold fifteen hundred when it was three weeks old,
and when we play in sydney, he doesn't get to see me roll,
'cause he's backstage keeping my fucking vb's cold"
"his mum's fat as fuck, since her birth she only ate burgers,
she's an overweight version of an overweight person,
and each one of her titties look like beanbags dude,
i'd give that bitch respect but she'd probably eat that too"
360's entire round about lyric's born's albino slip slop slap campaign was absolute murder. that round was domination. if i could be bothered quoting that entire round, i would. holy crap, that shit was bananas.
my favourite moment of the battle however was owned by 360:
"look at his fucking head, look at it!"
anecdote vs 360 battle
anecdote vs 360 post-battle interview
i've been a fan of both dote and 60 since before their fame as the dynamic duo which represented australia in the 2007 wrc. seeing them compete together in the melbourne division in 2007 was such a treat, especially their battles against prime and purpose. to see them go up against each other face to face, is an even bigger treat. with that being said, here is the video of the anecdote vs. 360 battle which was held recently in melbourne. anecdote is so dope off the top of the dome but 360 is just such a funny cunt. dote's schemes are so ill. 60 absolutely beasted it. it's nice to see that they got personal and that they both came correct but i give the w to 60. check it out and see for yourself. props to the heads who filmed, edited and put this all together, and of course to both anecdote and 360. hopefully this is a good precursor to the establishment of grind time australia. shit was real proper.
here are some of my favourite lines from this battle:
anecdote:
"in this town there's no one as hopeless as sixty,
so all these people had me flown in from sydney to get rid of the biggest joke in their city,
he's getting tough like he's going to hit me,
but you're too boney and skinny 'cause you smoke cones like a chimney and snort coke like you're whitney"
"when we went to new york, he had a wet dream on the plane deck,
woke up with his cock in his hand, screaming the name pez"
"you've got no job, you can't rap, and you live in your parents garage.
it's safe to say your adult life is off to a terrible start"
"i hit you to death with right hands and end your lifespan,
the only time you find him next to mic stands is as pez's hypeman"
360:
"you a puss mate, say something,
i'll climb your family tree and start face-fucking your late cousin"
"i'd love to know how many copies of his cd's sold,
when i sold fifteen hundred when it was three weeks old,
and when we play in sydney, he doesn't get to see me roll,
'cause he's backstage keeping my fucking vb's cold"
"his mum's fat as fuck, since her birth she only ate burgers,
she's an overweight version of an overweight person,
and each one of her titties look like beanbags dude,
i'd give that bitch respect but she'd probably eat that too"
360's entire round about lyric's born's albino slip slop slap campaign was absolute murder. that round was domination. if i could be bothered quoting that entire round, i would. holy crap, that shit was bananas.
my favourite moment of the battle however was owned by 360:
"look at his fucking head, look at it!"
anecdote vs 360 battle
anecdote vs 360 post-battle interview
Monday, February 23, 2009
royce da 5'9 - part of me video
in rotation: flying lotus - shhh! ep
royce is one of my favourites but i think he damn near outdid himself on this track/video. y'all need to watch this shit through. the ending is pretty rough. i cannot wait for street hop to drop!
royce is one of my favourites but i think he damn near outdid himself on this track/video. y'all need to watch this shit through. the ending is pretty rough. i cannot wait for street hop to drop!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
nix one - if i should lose you (produced by kas3)
in rotation: joe budden - the padded room
my mate kas3, who is one of the most talented beatsmiths i know, recently got some life breathed into him which resulted in his triumphant return to the beatmaking world. two nights ago, he put together this crazy, nice beat which in turn breathed light into me. with that being said, i took it upon myself to come up with some fitting rhymes to compliment it. download the finished product here. the appropriate information for this short track can be found below. props to kas3 for bringing that dope shit. welcome back homie.
samples:
aretha franklin - this bitter earth
bill evans trio - how deep is the ocean
lyrics:
yo, i'm just sitting here thinking about how much i fucking love you and hate at the same time. it's doing my fucking head in so just hear me out...
yo it seems that i've gone from i love you to take five,
to unmoved and dazed like i must move and aim high,
to fuck you i hate life! to trust proves it's pain right?
i'm stuck boo, if i don't suck you, i ain't high,
once you displayed light, i'd take a deep breath,
from krush groove to stage-fright, our fate was preset,
and your taste was deepened when i craved your sweet scent,
it just proved my brain's site was stained with each step,
my flame, the reason i lived life - enjoyed it,
when lit right, shit you were just like some poison,
i spent mad cash so you'd live like a spoilt bitch,
plus i loved how you always did like your joints licked,
this time my point is - yeah we're possibly through,
although you claim you always did what i wanted to do,
but honest to kool herc, that was the problem with you,
when i wanted to move, you were psychologically cruel,
pompous and rude, dominant too,
so tell me, is it responsible to even bother with you?
what do i do? should i just swallow the truth?
or abolish my youth like what a shotty'd do?
honestly boo, you've been playing with my soul,
by following you i thought i was taking the high road,
not saying we're dipoles or as stable as time's flow,
but because of your fumes, i'm unable to side-scroll,
changing all my goals is the way to disengage,
i hate to think and say our relationship was fake,
you were often seedless but still laced with different strains,
just a crazy chick to date that created disarray,
so take it as you may past the jaws of your kind,
even though i miss the laughs and stories we scribed,
so i'm sorry that i said my heart was yours when it's mine,
and that if i should lose you, the stars'd fall from the skies...
...and that's it. you know, i feel like i've gotten everything i wanted to get off my chest, and i guess that means that it's time for me to make some sacrifices if i want to get somewhere in life and i can't do it with you by my side, so i guess this is goodbye. i'm sorry. goodbye...
my mate kas3, who is one of the most talented beatsmiths i know, recently got some life breathed into him which resulted in his triumphant return to the beatmaking world. two nights ago, he put together this crazy, nice beat which in turn breathed light into me. with that being said, i took it upon myself to come up with some fitting rhymes to compliment it. download the finished product here. the appropriate information for this short track can be found below. props to kas3 for bringing that dope shit. welcome back homie.
samples:
aretha franklin - this bitter earth
bill evans trio - how deep is the ocean
lyrics:
yo, i'm just sitting here thinking about how much i fucking love you and hate at the same time. it's doing my fucking head in so just hear me out...
yo it seems that i've gone from i love you to take five,
to unmoved and dazed like i must move and aim high,
to fuck you i hate life! to trust proves it's pain right?
i'm stuck boo, if i don't suck you, i ain't high,
once you displayed light, i'd take a deep breath,
from krush groove to stage-fright, our fate was preset,
and your taste was deepened when i craved your sweet scent,
it just proved my brain's site was stained with each step,
my flame, the reason i lived life - enjoyed it,
when lit right, shit you were just like some poison,
i spent mad cash so you'd live like a spoilt bitch,
plus i loved how you always did like your joints licked,
this time my point is - yeah we're possibly through,
although you claim you always did what i wanted to do,
but honest to kool herc, that was the problem with you,
when i wanted to move, you were psychologically cruel,
pompous and rude, dominant too,
so tell me, is it responsible to even bother with you?
what do i do? should i just swallow the truth?
or abolish my youth like what a shotty'd do?
honestly boo, you've been playing with my soul,
by following you i thought i was taking the high road,
not saying we're dipoles or as stable as time's flow,
but because of your fumes, i'm unable to side-scroll,
changing all my goals is the way to disengage,
i hate to think and say our relationship was fake,
you were often seedless but still laced with different strains,
just a crazy chick to date that created disarray,
so take it as you may past the jaws of your kind,
even though i miss the laughs and stories we scribed,
so i'm sorry that i said my heart was yours when it's mine,
and that if i should lose you, the stars'd fall from the skies...
...and that's it. you know, i feel like i've gotten everything i wanted to get off my chest, and i guess that means that it's time for me to make some sacrifices if i want to get somewhere in life and i can't do it with you by my side, so i guess this is goodbye. i'm sorry. goodbye...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
my week 3 grind time bars for beats entry
in rotation: nems - super marvelous mixtape
grind time has been holding a weekly competition where producers provide beats for emcees to do their thing. each week there is a different beat from a different producer. after voting, the winner wins the beat itself as well as promotion. this week the producer was the talented phillip drummond. i decided to give it a go and have some fun with it so here is my week 3 entry for grind time's bars for beats.
nix - grind time bars for beats week 3 entry
grind time has been holding a weekly competition where producers provide beats for emcees to do their thing. each week there is a different beat from a different producer. after voting, the winner wins the beat itself as well as promotion. this week the producer was the talented phillip drummond. i decided to give it a go and have some fun with it so here is my week 3 entry for grind time's bars for beats.
nix - grind time bars for beats week 3 entry
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
sweet potatoes! granger and paul are awesome!
in rotation: pharrell - out of this world
amazing.
hornets vs. pacers finale
amazing.
hornets vs. pacers finale
Monday, January 12, 2009
andrea bargnani has arrived
in rotation: platinum pied pipers - abundance
in light of andrea bargnani's awesome play as of late, here is a fitting article i found by trevor smith on hoopsaddict.com. click here for the original link.
"“There’s never a band of people pushing and inspiring you. Most will never believe your potential until you literally prove it to them.” – Shelby Lohr
in light of andrea bargnani's awesome play as of late, here is a fitting article i found by trevor smith on hoopsaddict.com. click here for the original link.
"“There’s never a band of people pushing and inspiring you. Most will never believe your potential until you literally prove it to them.” – Shelby Lohr
I am, and will forever be, an Andrea Bargnani apologist. I acknowledge this candidly and wholly, as it surely skews my arguments that follow. I do not present this fact reluctantly. It is not a confession of wrongdoing or an error in judgment. I simply concede it as the open truth.
I admit this because it influences how I understand the factors around Bargnani’s development and the Raptors in general. One always aims to remain completely objective and free from bias, but the idea that I could remove my partiality when discussing for the third-year forward is overly idealistic. My beliefs do not exist in a vacuum. They influence my understanding of everything around me, including the NBA.
That clarified, allow me to present my point: Bargnani has arrived. This arrival was certainly stalled, delayed, and at times awkward, but it has come.
When the adjective “potential” is used in relation to professional athletes, it has a number of interesting, and conflicting, connotations. It is at once both a blessing and a curse. On the surface, it suggests merely that the player might become great, but beneath its surface, the term implies something more subjective about how that greatness may never be reached.
At times, the label provides the player a safety net to make mistakes in the name of growing their talent in a safe, controlled environment. Yet paradoxically, it also creates extreme pressure. Being assessed as a potential future standout infinitely increases others expectations. Should those great expectations not be met soon, all the potential is the world will not save them from the wrath of scorn sports writers and casual fans.
Andrea Bargnani has dealt his entire life with the complexity that having “potential” brings. Nothing has ever been simple when it concerns the No. 1 pick from 2006 NBA Draft.
A good deal of this has been his own doing: for the last season and a half his play has been maddeningly inconsistent and he has at times appeared aloof.
Yet there have been other factors at play that made his progress a complex subject. These include life tribulations (ex. the language barrier and cultural divide between Canada and Italy) and basketball specific harms (ex. two coaching staffs that have never defined his role or provided consistent playing time at one position).
The argument about his potential seemed to reach a tipping point in December; Bargnani was playing some of the worst basketball of his career after Jay Triano took control of the team. Many declared that if he would he ever realize his would-be greatness and that the “Bargnani Experiment” needed to end.
The last two weeks has seen the pendulum swing completely: he is now playing his best basketball ever. Since taking over for the injured Jermaine O’Neal, he has started every game and is putting up numbers that point to his ability, not his capability, numbers that point to his game now and not to possibility.
Seven Games. 21 points a night. 6.57 rebounds a game. 1.71 blocks. 52 per cent shooting.
He has been given an opportunity and has responded by performing. He has long deserved this chance for serious, consistent minutes in the rotation and he has thrived since receiving them. His development is critical to the Raptors future, not just this season, but as a franchise.
In his typical stoic, minimalist way he has dismissed any suggestions that something larger has clicked, that pieces have now fallen into place. He has instead said that playing more minutes is what has allowed for this level of play. He may not be wrong. For any player (and specifically for a 23-year old) it is easier to gain confidence in your game and abilities if you remain on the court.
Over the last seven games he is playing 33 minutes a night. His career average hovers just above 25 minutes a contest. Given this increase, it is understandable why results have begun to flow in so steadily.
Under Sam Mitchell, Bargnani made an abundance of mistakes. Due to his tough-love attitude to coaching and the pressure he had to win immediately, Mitchell never allowed Bargnani to play through those mistakes. Recently, Triano has allowed that to happen (even if it is only a result of their depleted depth) and the results speak for themselves.
His detractors always point to the other players Toronto might have drafted in 2006 over the Italian standout. The most obvious example thanks to hindsight is Brandon Roy, who has already been an All-Star and presently scores 25 points a game along with over 5 assists. Roy is unquestionably already a star however he also plays 37.1 minutes a night. For his career, Roy has played 36.8 a contest compared to Bargnani’s 25. I am not suggesting Andrea would be an All-Star were he to play 10 more minutes a game, I am merely highlighting that the number six pick from 2006 came into a very different situation and had very different opportunities compared to his counterpart in Toronto.
The same argument can be made against comparing Bargnani to LaMarcus Aldridge. While Aldridge’s numbers are slightly better for his career than Andrea’s, he also plays over 35 minutes a night (over 30 for his entire career) and has started every game he has played in this year. Even with that extra court time, Aldridge’s averages do not greatly trump Bargani’s.
As for the rest of the lottery picks from 2006, Bargnani’s development is leaps and bounds ahead of his contemporaries such as Mouhamed Sene, Shelden Williams, Tyrus Thomas, Adam Morrison or Randy Foye. Admittedly, Rajon Rondo was also in the 2006 Draft, but was taken 21st overall and therefore was not an option ever considered by Toronto or others in the lottery.
Behind the man dubbed “Il Mago”, Toronto has won four of their last six games. The team is winning thanks to its young star rolling in all elements of his game. Once a defensive liability, Bargnani has become grasping the team’s most complex defensive concepts. His foot speed has improved when drawn out to defend on the wing, while as his post positioning in the paint has also leaped forward. This season his blocks per game have increased to 1.33 a contest compared to .77 for his career, and he recently had a five block performance. While he will never be mistaken for Bruce Bowen or make the All-Defensive team, he has shored up what was previously his greatest weakness.
The other complaint has been of his rebounding. This too has shot up this season, from 3.9 for his career to 4.5 a night. While protesters would point to his seven-foot frame and ask for more, the fact remains that he is playing fewer than 28 minutes a night and has two double-digit rebounders (O’Neal and Chris Bosh) on his own team to contend for boards with.
The Italian’s greatest asset has long been his considerable shooting touch and range. Few, if any, seven-footers possess the sort of long-range shooting capability Bargnani does, which is why it is so convenient to unfairly compare his development to that experienced by Dirk Nowitzki.
While he will not convert 62 per-cent of his three-pointers for the rest of the season, as he has since becoming a starter, he is still shooting 41 per-cent on threes for the year compared to his career average of just 36 per-cent. That improvement is seen elsewhere too: he is hitting 87 per-cent of his free-throws (up from 84 per-cent) and 44 per-cent from the floor in general (compared to 41 per-cent).
The boost in his shooting is not a result of changed mechanics. It is merely a by-product of confidence. He has always demonstrated this kind of ability; he is just now receiving a showcase to present it without feat of being pulled or rejected when he struggles. When his potential did not translate into immediate production, he sat. Now he starts, and flourishes.
This brings up the final point about Bargnani’s sudden ascension: his consistency. I concede that seven games does not a career make. This level of excellence must (and I believe will) continue going forward if we are to say definitively that he has turned the proverbial corner and finally arrived. The only way to discern if that is really the case though is to continue to play him.
He must continue to receive the same looks in the offense, the same responsibilities defensively, and the same amount of playing time, once O’Neal returns. That is the only way to know for certain that he has shook off the dreaded tag of having “potential”.
He can rebound, he can defend, he can score.
Now he needs to play.
That is how his confidence will grow and, incidentally, that is how Toronto will win.
As I already remarked, I am an Andrea Bargnani apologist. Only now I have a clearer certainly that I have nothing to apologize for. Instead, I merely have complete support for a developing young star. I was not always sure that it would reach that point, and depending on how the team handles his progress and playing time once O’Neal returns, it still may not.
But I believe the forward’s progress, not his inconsistency. I believe in what he represents about how a player can mature and grow into their game.
I believe in Andrea Bargnani."
Thursday, January 8, 2009
danny granger is the man
still in rotation: dumbfoundead - dumburger with no cheese ep
danny granger is the shit. fuck yeah.
danny g's game-winner
danny granger is the shit. fuck yeah.
danny g's game-winner
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
how odd?
in rotation: dumbfoundead - dumburger with no cheese ep
here's a play featuring two of my most hated nba players - manu ginobili swatting dwyane wade. i figured it was just a little strange and warranted a little attention.
oh and for the record, manu and wade both share honours on my most hated list with the likes of roger mason jr., tony parker and rajon rondo.
eurgh.
manu blocks wade
here's a play featuring two of my most hated nba players - manu ginobili swatting dwyane wade. i figured it was just a little strange and warranted a little attention.
oh and for the record, manu and wade both share honours on my most hated list with the likes of roger mason jr., tony parker and rajon rondo.
eurgh.
manu blocks wade
Monday, January 5, 2009
okwerdz vs jaze juce
in rotation: okwerdz - the rush hour ep
i was anticipating this battle as much as that tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle. after all the internet squabbling between these two cats, you knew it was going to be a hype battle. i have to admit that prior to this showdown, i was not a big jaze juce fan at all but he really impressed me this battle. nevertheless, okwerdz took this shit. dope battle. 'nuff said. check it out.
jaze juce vs okwerdz part 1
jaze juce vs okwerdz part 2
i was anticipating this battle as much as that tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle. after all the internet squabbling between these two cats, you knew it was going to be a hype battle. i have to admit that prior to this showdown, i was not a big jaze juce fan at all but he really impressed me this battle. nevertheless, okwerdz took this shit. dope battle. 'nuff said. check it out.
jaze juce vs okwerdz part 1
jaze juce vs okwerdz part 2
the fatal consequences of masturbation
in rotation: aesop rock - bazooka tooth
i thought this was rather interesting - an extract from le livre sans titre (the book with no title), 2nd ed. (Paris, 1844). some of you motherfuckers are lucky to be alive. click to enlarge the image and find out why. oh yeah, happy new year suckers!
i thought this was rather interesting - an extract from le livre sans titre (the book with no title), 2nd ed. (Paris, 1844). some of you motherfuckers are lucky to be alive. click to enlarge the image and find out why. oh yeah, happy new year suckers!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
multis: the final verdict (as found in mc battle blog)
in rotation: oddisee - oddisee 101
an excellent article on the use of "multis" in emcee battles as found in mc battle blog - an insightful guide to the entertaining world of emcee battles.
"When utilized properly, multi-syllable rhyme patterns can dramatically increase the impact of your lines. When employed incorrectly, you sound like a fucking dipshit. Follow along as we guide you from an Eleagle to a.. well.. not Eleagle.
an excellent article on the use of "multis" in emcee battles as found in mc battle blog - an insightful guide to the entertaining world of emcee battles.
"When utilized properly, multi-syllable rhyme patterns can dramatically increase the impact of your lines. When employed incorrectly, you sound like a fucking dipshit. Follow along as we guide you from an Eleagle to a.. well.. not Eleagle.
Ever since this style became all the rage, there’s been a legion of incredibly terrible battlers desperately trying to incorporate this tactic into their arsenal. Almost all have failed. The most obvious reason for this occurrence? They fucking suck.
In order to excel at rapping in multi-syllable fashion, you must be moderately intelligent and possess a large vocabulary, as well as the self-awareness to realize when your lines are atrocious. Since the majority of battlers lack these basic fundamentals, their verses wind up becoming a jumbled mess of stupidity.
The key to spitting a good, clean multi is a very simple concept, yet it somehow eludes many, many battlers. Above all, the most important guideline to follow is relevance (this is a mandatory requirement in general, but even more important when using multi-syllables). Despite this being completely disregarded by the majority of the current battle scene, without it, the most your bars can hope to achieve is to sound pretty.. and even then, they’re still trash.
Examples:
You really think those played, used bars are gonna take you far?
You’ve got a better chance rolling through in a busted up, fake used car!
-Eleagle to D-Lor
Why is driving a used car such an impossibility? Why are we calling the car fake? There’s absolutely no reason Eleagle needed to say this. It’s forced, makes no sense and was only included because he needed words to rhyme.
Ayo! TheSaurus and Illmac? Your clitoris just builds fat..
-Frankie Wapps to TheSaurus & Illmaculate
How does a clitoris build fat?
TheSaurus’ grill, looks like a tortured seal, leftover pork & veal
Or some ordered meal from a Greek diner of half chewed orange peels
-Jaze Juce to TheSaurus
Saur’s face doesn’t resemble a seal, despite how much it’s been tortured. It’s also nothing close to a chewed up orange peel. Leaving out the worst comparison and inserting “pork and veal” at the end of the bar makes much more sense as that’s an item people might order at restaurants. Irrelevant multis ruin lines.
What is this? A.C. Slater? I think his fucking.. face seems gayer
And with 18 craters he’ll scare away each neighbor
-Jaze Juce to TheSaurus
How does a face seem gay? Why only 18 craters? Why not 17? It’s a bad sign when you need random numbers to make rhymes fit. Where’d these neighbors come from?
In case you don’t remember, but a while back there was a battler who garnered more hate than anyone else on the battle scene due to his abundant use of irrelevant and ludicrous comparisons. He’d often compare his opponents, human beings mind you, to inanimate objects that no human could possibly bear resemblance to.
Examples:
“You look like a giant sized onion on a fucking retarded broom stick!”
“Your face looks like someone stuck TNT inside a belly button!”
“His face looks like John Goodman’s face superimposed on a sack of potatoes!”
-Mic Assassin to Iron Solomon
Yeah, I’m just not too sure how accurate those lines really are. As you can see, Iron Solomon just looks like a normal human being.
I doubt anyone out there would label these comparisons acceptable, which boggles the mind because so many jump at the chance to defend similar lines which follow nearly the same formula. The only difference between them being, you guessed it, multis.
Battle rap listeners give a pass to terrible comparisons because they sound pretty when surrounded in multi-laden rhymes. They are fascinated with these schemes because they think they’re harder to write. They laugh like morons while overlooking the fact that, despite how cute it sounds, nobody resembles 12 inanimate objects or random people.
Examples:
He looks like Tiger Woods
Busted nuts inside of Little Red Riding Hood
Then out came Kobe Bryant’s foot
-Mosh Jelton to Unorthodox Phrases
Unorthodox looks nothing like Tiger Woods, but he is indeed a tall, black male so I guess whatever. What’s not debatable is the fact that he doesn’t resemble a small, fictional white girl or an NBA player’s foot. I don’t know how anyone can resmeble another human’s foot. Again, the multis are only in place to rhyme. It’s lazy writing.
You’re barely makin’ weary statements
And if you listen close enough to this fairy Haitian
You can hear Gary Payton’s cherry breakin‘
-Mosh Jelton to Unorthodox Phrases
I can’t tell if the first line is supposed to be a diss or a compliment? Weary means to cause fatigue, so um, whatever, at least it rhymes, right? Again, Unorthodox gets compared to another random black guy with another irrelevant multi attached. What the fuck does that shit even mean? Why is Gary Payton’s cherry being broken and why/how are we hearing it? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!??! *head explodes*
There’s really no explanation for these lines unless Mosh was battling Unorthodox while on a mescaline trip.
In closing, multi-syllabic rhyme patterns will never be a fair trade for making sense in a rap battle. In reality, they make you sound much, much worse. Create a line rooted in accuracy and relevance and stick to it. The battle scene will thank you."
Friday, December 26, 2008
r.i.p. sega mega drive
in rotation: silent knight - holla burton (the unmixed cassette)
oh what a marvelous day. yesterday my friend rich told me about gametraders, a multi-award winning australian owned retail video games franchise with over 45 stores across australia. what's amazing about this place is not only do they specialise in the buying, selling and trading of all gaming formats from the latest systems such as the wii, 360 and ps3, they also do this for retro systems such as atari, snes and mega drive. i always knew this place existed but never checked it out under the assumption that a) no new gaming store could possibly have anything novel or unique to offer me, and b) i could probably pick up any game found in there at jb hi-fi but for much cheaper. apparently i was mistaken.
today i went into gametraders at castle towers to try and find some old school mega drive games, as well as a ps copy of final fantasy 7 (ff7; quite possibly the greatest game of all time!). whilst i was unable to find ff7, fortunately for me, i managed to pick up four pre-owned mega drive titles - nba live 95, jordan vs bird, usa basketball, and barkley's shut up and jam!. each of these were eight bucks each! i couldn't believe it. who knew my childhood could be re-bought for $32? i forgot how much i love my sega mega drive. sure, i spend a lot of time on my wii and my 360 these days, but the sega mega drive is by far my favourite gaming console of all time. now i just need to track down toe jam and earl, as well as the whole streets of rage trilogy, and my life will be complete! fucking yeah!
oh what a marvelous day. yesterday my friend rich told me about gametraders, a multi-award winning australian owned retail video games franchise with over 45 stores across australia. what's amazing about this place is not only do they specialise in the buying, selling and trading of all gaming formats from the latest systems such as the wii, 360 and ps3, they also do this for retro systems such as atari, snes and mega drive. i always knew this place existed but never checked it out under the assumption that a) no new gaming store could possibly have anything novel or unique to offer me, and b) i could probably pick up any game found in there at jb hi-fi but for much cheaper. apparently i was mistaken.
today i went into gametraders at castle towers to try and find some old school mega drive games, as well as a ps copy of final fantasy 7 (ff7; quite possibly the greatest game of all time!). whilst i was unable to find ff7, fortunately for me, i managed to pick up four pre-owned mega drive titles - nba live 95, jordan vs bird, usa basketball, and barkley's shut up and jam!. each of these were eight bucks each! i couldn't believe it. who knew my childhood could be re-bought for $32? i forgot how much i love my sega mega drive. sure, i spend a lot of time on my wii and my 360 these days, but the sega mega drive is by far my favourite gaming console of all time. now i just need to track down toe jam and earl, as well as the whole streets of rage trilogy, and my life will be complete! fucking yeah!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
coincidence?
in rotation: q-tip - the renaissance
is it a coincidence that while the raptors have lost several games in a row, including one to the the worst team in the nba, the rate at which i post per month has dropped significantly? sure, one could argue that there is a meaningful correlation between the two, but in all honesty im just enjoying my holidays back in sydney. i finally graduated from the university of canberra with my bachelor's degree in science (psychology) so the last few weeks have pretty much been spent chilling. my graduation ceremony was on the 17th of december, and was held at parliament house. it was quite an elaborate ceremony, and it was pretty surreal standing on stage in my gown and hood, accepting my piece of paper from the chancellor. yep, right now life is all good... at least until the wrath of the gamsat engulfs my being in its entirety.
oh yeah i feel this is worth documenting. i was fortunate enough to catch the kanye west and nas gig with my close friend cristal earlier this month. she was extremely excited about seeing kanye, whilst me being the hip-hop head that i am, was extremely excited about seeing the one and only nasir jones! seeing nasty nas perform was one of those things which i had to do in life, and i am now glad that i have done it. he definitely made up for canceling his last australian tour earlier last year. the show was held at acer arena. despite acer arena being one of my least favourite venues due to its size, nas still managed to create an intimate atmosphere for his fans. he performed damn near everything from 'illmatic' to his most recent tracks in 'hero' and 'n.i.g.g.e.r. (the slave and the master)'. he even performed his debut verse on 'live at the bbq'. dude was just tearing it up. complimented by a live band, nas just had that unbelievable stage presence. no fancy stage shit, just straight spittin'. i thoroughly enjoyed his set. nas was a real professional emcee that night.
kanye was on for what felt like an eternity. now, i was moderately excited about kanye's performance since i'd been checking for him since his production on jigga's 'blueprint' in 01. the first time i heard kanye spit was on 'through the wire' when it was dropping all over mixtapes. shit had me excited to be honest. i always appreciated kanye's use of samples, and although he was not ever the most talented rapper, he was always sincere in his rhymes - a quality i appreciate more than most things in hip-hop. when 'college dropout' was released in 04, i bumped that shit back to back to back. that album was my shit. so... about five years and four albums later, we flash-forward to kanye west at present and acknowledge his evolution.
i can appreciate innovation, growth and development in an artist but in my personal opinion, kanye's show was not good. i don't really want to go into the details but let's just say i felt like his show was on some cirque du soleil shit. it did not feel like a personal experience at all. in fact, not once do i recall kanye ever addressing the crowd directly. it did not feel like a hip-hop show at all. yeah, yeah, yeah i know kanye's trying to take music beyond it's limits, but kanye's set was too long. it dragged. his sub-par performance as an on-stage artist was camouflaged by bright lights and effects, and autotuned songs. moreover, he ended the whole concert on 'love lockdown' - this put a real damper on the whole night. it was by far the worst way to end the night.
in terms of performance/show quality, well kanye west failed to join masta ace, atmosphere, and jean grae on my list of favourite live performances. i'm actually pretty certain that given the right venue, nas would not only tear shit down, but be at the top of my list. overall the night was pretty enjoyable. i believe this to be due largely to the fact that i finally got to see nas rip the mic live, and that i shared the experience in good company. thanks cristal.
anyways, it's two days before christmas. it's not really that big a deal to me anymore, kind of like birthdays. they are no longer the same spectacular events that brightened up my day during my younger years. instead, they have become just another day in my life. nevertheless these occasions do provide me with an ample opportunity to spend time with my parents and sister as a family unit. this is nice because we rarely get the chance to do so, what with my sister and i currently living in canberra, not to mention the fact that whenever my sister and i are in sydney together, both of us usually have plans already. so on that note, i guess i'd just like to say merry christmas and a happy new year to all my friends and family out there. you guys are what's up.
always,
nix to the...
is it a coincidence that while the raptors have lost several games in a row, including one to the the worst team in the nba, the rate at which i post per month has dropped significantly? sure, one could argue that there is a meaningful correlation between the two, but in all honesty im just enjoying my holidays back in sydney. i finally graduated from the university of canberra with my bachelor's degree in science (psychology) so the last few weeks have pretty much been spent chilling. my graduation ceremony was on the 17th of december, and was held at parliament house. it was quite an elaborate ceremony, and it was pretty surreal standing on stage in my gown and hood, accepting my piece of paper from the chancellor. yep, right now life is all good... at least until the wrath of the gamsat engulfs my being in its entirety.
oh yeah i feel this is worth documenting. i was fortunate enough to catch the kanye west and nas gig with my close friend cristal earlier this month. she was extremely excited about seeing kanye, whilst me being the hip-hop head that i am, was extremely excited about seeing the one and only nasir jones! seeing nasty nas perform was one of those things which i had to do in life, and i am now glad that i have done it. he definitely made up for canceling his last australian tour earlier last year. the show was held at acer arena. despite acer arena being one of my least favourite venues due to its size, nas still managed to create an intimate atmosphere for his fans. he performed damn near everything from 'illmatic' to his most recent tracks in 'hero' and 'n.i.g.g.e.r. (the slave and the master)'. he even performed his debut verse on 'live at the bbq'. dude was just tearing it up. complimented by a live band, nas just had that unbelievable stage presence. no fancy stage shit, just straight spittin'. i thoroughly enjoyed his set. nas was a real professional emcee that night.
kanye was on for what felt like an eternity. now, i was moderately excited about kanye's performance since i'd been checking for him since his production on jigga's 'blueprint' in 01. the first time i heard kanye spit was on 'through the wire' when it was dropping all over mixtapes. shit had me excited to be honest. i always appreciated kanye's use of samples, and although he was not ever the most talented rapper, he was always sincere in his rhymes - a quality i appreciate more than most things in hip-hop. when 'college dropout' was released in 04, i bumped that shit back to back to back. that album was my shit. so... about five years and four albums later, we flash-forward to kanye west at present and acknowledge his evolution.
i can appreciate innovation, growth and development in an artist but in my personal opinion, kanye's show was not good. i don't really want to go into the details but let's just say i felt like his show was on some cirque du soleil shit. it did not feel like a personal experience at all. in fact, not once do i recall kanye ever addressing the crowd directly. it did not feel like a hip-hop show at all. yeah, yeah, yeah i know kanye's trying to take music beyond it's limits, but kanye's set was too long. it dragged. his sub-par performance as an on-stage artist was camouflaged by bright lights and effects, and autotuned songs. moreover, he ended the whole concert on 'love lockdown' - this put a real damper on the whole night. it was by far the worst way to end the night.
in terms of performance/show quality, well kanye west failed to join masta ace, atmosphere, and jean grae on my list of favourite live performances. i'm actually pretty certain that given the right venue, nas would not only tear shit down, but be at the top of my list. overall the night was pretty enjoyable. i believe this to be due largely to the fact that i finally got to see nas rip the mic live, and that i shared the experience in good company. thanks cristal.
anyways, it's two days before christmas. it's not really that big a deal to me anymore, kind of like birthdays. they are no longer the same spectacular events that brightened up my day during my younger years. instead, they have become just another day in my life. nevertheless these occasions do provide me with an ample opportunity to spend time with my parents and sister as a family unit. this is nice because we rarely get the chance to do so, what with my sister and i currently living in canberra, not to mention the fact that whenever my sister and i are in sydney together, both of us usually have plans already. so on that note, i guess i'd just like to say merry christmas and a happy new year to all my friends and family out there. you guys are what's up.
always,
nix to the...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
asian vs asian a.k.a. tantrum vs dumbfoundead
in rotation: anthony hamilton - the point of it all
for those that know me well, i watch emcee battles quite a lot. there's nothing better than watching a good battle. i'm not going to claim to have been there from the start because i haven't, nor have i witnessed any of these battles firsthand. i have however been watching footage long enough to acknowledge it's evolution. in a nutshell, i'm just a hip-hop fan from australia and there's not much more to it. if you were to ask me what my favourite battles of all time are, i'd probably have to really think about it.
as i have mentioned in previous posts, grind time has developed into the premier battle league with currently five divisions across america. so far, grind time has not failed to impress me. in fact, grind time, whilst still a young entity in itself, has hosted some of the dopest battles i have seen in recent times. props to the grind time staff for putting in mad work and providing the rest of the world with such high quality battles. on that note, the purpose of this post emerges - asian vs asian - tantrum vs dumbfoundead.
i was already a big fan of both dumbfoundead and tantrum's work so i'd been waiting on this battle for a minute. prior to the footage release of this showdown, certain forums were hyping this shit up, some even claiming that it's the greatest battle of all time. now it might also be due to the fact that i am asian, but a tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle! cot dayummmm! i don't think i remember the last time i was so excited.
so upon watching the video itself, i have to say that it did not disappoint. i don't know if i'll ever be able to cite my favourite battles but this battle is now easily in my top five battles of all time. there are so many quotables in this battle and a perfect contrast of styles between the two swordsman. tantrum's third round is one of the best rounds i've ever seen. i wish i could have been there to experience it. my god, you just have to watch it for yourself. see below.
big ups to grind time and both tantrum and dumbfoundead for coming so fucking correct.
grind time presents: tantrum vs dumbfoundead part 1
grind time presents: tantrum vs dumbfoundead part 2
oh yeah before i go, i feel like i should address the whole raptors situation. so sam mitchell is gone and jay triano is now at the wheel. i don't know what to say really. we just keep getting worse and worse. yesterday we hit an all time low by losing to the worst team in the league - the oklahoma city thunder. i still have faith but really, i don't think i can justify this loss. no excuses can be made for the raptor's play this season. a change must occur immediately or this season is finito. haha it's funny, i had a dream last night that what happened with v.c. actually happened with bosh too. it's not an unrealistic scenario for bosh to depart in 2010. i don't really know what to say. fuck. i guess i'll just watch that tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle again to lift my spirits haha!
peace suckers.
for those that know me well, i watch emcee battles quite a lot. there's nothing better than watching a good battle. i'm not going to claim to have been there from the start because i haven't, nor have i witnessed any of these battles firsthand. i have however been watching footage long enough to acknowledge it's evolution. in a nutshell, i'm just a hip-hop fan from australia and there's not much more to it. if you were to ask me what my favourite battles of all time are, i'd probably have to really think about it.
as i have mentioned in previous posts, grind time has developed into the premier battle league with currently five divisions across america. so far, grind time has not failed to impress me. in fact, grind time, whilst still a young entity in itself, has hosted some of the dopest battles i have seen in recent times. props to the grind time staff for putting in mad work and providing the rest of the world with such high quality battles. on that note, the purpose of this post emerges - asian vs asian - tantrum vs dumbfoundead.
i was already a big fan of both dumbfoundead and tantrum's work so i'd been waiting on this battle for a minute. prior to the footage release of this showdown, certain forums were hyping this shit up, some even claiming that it's the greatest battle of all time. now it might also be due to the fact that i am asian, but a tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle! cot dayummmm! i don't think i remember the last time i was so excited.
so upon watching the video itself, i have to say that it did not disappoint. i don't know if i'll ever be able to cite my favourite battles but this battle is now easily in my top five battles of all time. there are so many quotables in this battle and a perfect contrast of styles between the two swordsman. tantrum's third round is one of the best rounds i've ever seen. i wish i could have been there to experience it. my god, you just have to watch it for yourself. see below.
big ups to grind time and both tantrum and dumbfoundead for coming so fucking correct.
grind time presents: tantrum vs dumbfoundead part 1
grind time presents: tantrum vs dumbfoundead part 2
oh yeah before i go, i feel like i should address the whole raptors situation. so sam mitchell is gone and jay triano is now at the wheel. i don't know what to say really. we just keep getting worse and worse. yesterday we hit an all time low by losing to the worst team in the league - the oklahoma city thunder. i still have faith but really, i don't think i can justify this loss. no excuses can be made for the raptor's play this season. a change must occur immediately or this season is finito. haha it's funny, i had a dream last night that what happened with v.c. actually happened with bosh too. it's not an unrealistic scenario for bosh to depart in 2010. i don't really know what to say. fuck. i guess i'll just watch that tantrum vs dumbfoundead battle again to lift my spirits haha!
peace suckers.
Monday, December 15, 2008
crooked i is that dude
in rotation: company flow - funcrusher plus
damn it's been a minute since i dropped something. i've just been enjoying holidays too much. well, to keep this blog relevant, here is an interview and q & a with crooked i on the world famous wake up show on october 25th, 2008 for the 100K battle top 20 invitational. crooked i stays dropping that knowledge.
crooked i interview and q & a on the wake up show
damn it's been a minute since i dropped something. i've just been enjoying holidays too much. well, to keep this blog relevant, here is an interview and q & a with crooked i on the world famous wake up show on october 25th, 2008 for the 100K battle top 20 invitational. crooked i stays dropping that knowledge.
crooked i interview and q & a on the wake up show
Monday, December 1, 2008
my first time performing on stage...
in rotation: leigh jones - music in my soul
"for those that don't know, my name is nix and i'm the resident asian of this rhyme collective"
the phoenix bar in civic hosts "the bootleg sessions" every week - an opportunity for artists to showcase their musical talents - and last monday my homie professor anarchy did his damn thing. for those who are unaware of mr. anarchy's stylistics, he raps pretty darn well. please click here to educate yourself on the ways of the anarchy. anyways, there is a first time for everything, and fortunately enough, i was given the chance to perform a track live and uncut with anarchy on monday night. this was my first time performing on stage.
anarchy's setlist comprised of approximately ten songs. all tracks were anarchy's solo shit except for three - one featuring me, one featuring my boy tobias kid, and one for freestyling at the end featuring all of us as a collective (professor anarchy, tobias kid, toddler and myself). we arrived at 8:15pm, and anarchy was set to go on stage at around 9pm. i have to say i was pretty nervous. prior to anarchy's set, i'm certain i would have gone to the bathroom about five or six times, if not to take a slash, then to drink some water. damn my throat was dry. it's funny, approximately five minutes before i was due on stage, i completely forgot my verse - how could i forget my 32? and why now? i was forced to venture my way back to the bathroom and lock myself in the cubicle so that i could recite it over to myself several times. i had butterflies in my stomach and i couldn't shake them. i felt like eminem in 8 mile haha... meanwhile anarchy was on stage ripping his set in a charismatic fashion.
so after all my bathroom breaks, it was finally my time to step to the mic. anarchy introduced me to the phoenix crowd and i made my way onto the platform. my heart was beating a million times faster than normal. god i was so fucking nervous. nevertheless, i got up and uttered the words found at the beginning of this post. i got a few cheers and the beat kicked in. anarchy and i opened with the chorus:
"go with the flow yo, roll with the flow so
be where you're at and forget what you know, oh!
ain't no need to fight for control,
we can just breathe deep, shine light from your soul!"
after the chorus i was set to go with my verse. initially i was so shakey. i'm well aware that i was looking down quite a bit, but from what tobias tells me, i really hit my stride about halfway through the verse. i felt like i picked up the pace as i progressed through my verse. i built up my confidence and tried to connect more with the crowd. it's really quite hard for me to tell because it was just such a surreal experience - almost like a fuzzy dream captured by blurry snapshots. despite my anxiety and anguish leading up to this set, performing onstage at the phoenix was one of the most exhilirating feelings i have ever experienced. it wasn't like executing a speech for a university tutorial. it was different. it was liberating.
it was really comforting and reassuring to have anarchy by my side during my first performance ever. after i knocked out my verse, we did the chorus again and then anarchy took care of business with his verse. After our track was finished, i was feeling pretty comfortable. i even proposed to the crowd that they "support good music and go buy the anarchy cd". whilst my five or so minutes of shine was over, i wasn't relieved, instead i was feeling amped for the next opportunity to do it all over again.
after my departure from the spotlight, the anarchy show went on. the professor continued to tear it up song after song. a special mention in particular should be given to my boy tobias kid for shredding through his tongue-twisting verse on 'jawbreakers'. i was there to witness him practice and rehearse that shit, and it still blows me away to this day. look out for tobias some time - motherfucker is crazy on the boards and on the mic. evil twin suckers. anyways, as the night continued, we were all finally given the chance to get on stage and freestyle at the end. everyone did their thing. extra props to anarchy, tobias and toddy for all coming correct on the mic that night. as for me, well as i mentioned previously, i was already pretty comfortable on stage. i can barely remember any of my lines but i felt like i was on it. we actually had a friend recording video footage of the whole set but we ran out of film by that point. it's all good. that's what next time is for.
following our little onstage cypher, the set was pretty much over. what a trip. after our adventure, we chilled at the phoenix for a bit. whilst the crowd at the phoenix is much more of an alternative one (what do i know? i'm a hip-hop head!), it was quite a nice suprise to have dudes givin' me daps telling me i rap good. at least it made me feel like maybe i am actually doing something right. following a few beers, we all migrated to anarchy and kay's crib to chill some more. what a fucking night. i can easily say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. i don't go out to pubs and clubs much but on this night of all nights, i had a motherfuckin' blast. i have to say thanks again to tobias kid, toddler and anarchy. without you guys, i wouldn't have even been blessed to grace a stage, let alone a track. you guys are talented as hell. thanks for puttin' me on.
so before i leave this post at a close, i feel i should drop a special mention and congratulations to my good mate thomas who's set to graduate with me at the end of this year. we did it son! thanks to you and rose for coming out and supporting me at my first ever performance. it means more than words can describe. it's the lamp people bitches!
in conclusion, i'll say this - the night was a festive success. i look forward to the next time i am given a chance to perform. i look forward to the fast heartbeat, the dry throat and the butterflies. i look forward to going through that same process i went through on monday night at the phoenix. i probably will never pursue a hip-hop career with mine but hip-hop as a culture, particularly the element of rhyming, will always be an integral part of my existence. my first time performing on stage did nothing but solidify that notion.
hip-hop is alive.
"for those that don't know, my name is nix and i'm the resident asian of this rhyme collective"
the phoenix bar in civic hosts "the bootleg sessions" every week - an opportunity for artists to showcase their musical talents - and last monday my homie professor anarchy did his damn thing. for those who are unaware of mr. anarchy's stylistics, he raps pretty darn well. please click here to educate yourself on the ways of the anarchy. anyways, there is a first time for everything, and fortunately enough, i was given the chance to perform a track live and uncut with anarchy on monday night. this was my first time performing on stage.
anarchy's setlist comprised of approximately ten songs. all tracks were anarchy's solo shit except for three - one featuring me, one featuring my boy tobias kid, and one for freestyling at the end featuring all of us as a collective (professor anarchy, tobias kid, toddler and myself). we arrived at 8:15pm, and anarchy was set to go on stage at around 9pm. i have to say i was pretty nervous. prior to anarchy's set, i'm certain i would have gone to the bathroom about five or six times, if not to take a slash, then to drink some water. damn my throat was dry. it's funny, approximately five minutes before i was due on stage, i completely forgot my verse - how could i forget my 32? and why now? i was forced to venture my way back to the bathroom and lock myself in the cubicle so that i could recite it over to myself several times. i had butterflies in my stomach and i couldn't shake them. i felt like eminem in 8 mile haha... meanwhile anarchy was on stage ripping his set in a charismatic fashion.
so after all my bathroom breaks, it was finally my time to step to the mic. anarchy introduced me to the phoenix crowd and i made my way onto the platform. my heart was beating a million times faster than normal. god i was so fucking nervous. nevertheless, i got up and uttered the words found at the beginning of this post. i got a few cheers and the beat kicked in. anarchy and i opened with the chorus:
"go with the flow yo, roll with the flow so
be where you're at and forget what you know, oh!
ain't no need to fight for control,
we can just breathe deep, shine light from your soul!"
after the chorus i was set to go with my verse. initially i was so shakey. i'm well aware that i was looking down quite a bit, but from what tobias tells me, i really hit my stride about halfway through the verse. i felt like i picked up the pace as i progressed through my verse. i built up my confidence and tried to connect more with the crowd. it's really quite hard for me to tell because it was just such a surreal experience - almost like a fuzzy dream captured by blurry snapshots. despite my anxiety and anguish leading up to this set, performing onstage at the phoenix was one of the most exhilirating feelings i have ever experienced. it wasn't like executing a speech for a university tutorial. it was different. it was liberating.
it was really comforting and reassuring to have anarchy by my side during my first performance ever. after i knocked out my verse, we did the chorus again and then anarchy took care of business with his verse. After our track was finished, i was feeling pretty comfortable. i even proposed to the crowd that they "support good music and go buy the anarchy cd". whilst my five or so minutes of shine was over, i wasn't relieved, instead i was feeling amped for the next opportunity to do it all over again.
after my departure from the spotlight, the anarchy show went on. the professor continued to tear it up song after song. a special mention in particular should be given to my boy tobias kid for shredding through his tongue-twisting verse on 'jawbreakers'. i was there to witness him practice and rehearse that shit, and it still blows me away to this day. look out for tobias some time - motherfucker is crazy on the boards and on the mic. evil twin suckers. anyways, as the night continued, we were all finally given the chance to get on stage and freestyle at the end. everyone did their thing. extra props to anarchy, tobias and toddy for all coming correct on the mic that night. as for me, well as i mentioned previously, i was already pretty comfortable on stage. i can barely remember any of my lines but i felt like i was on it. we actually had a friend recording video footage of the whole set but we ran out of film by that point. it's all good. that's what next time is for.
following our little onstage cypher, the set was pretty much over. what a trip. after our adventure, we chilled at the phoenix for a bit. whilst the crowd at the phoenix is much more of an alternative one (what do i know? i'm a hip-hop head!), it was quite a nice suprise to have dudes givin' me daps telling me i rap good. at least it made me feel like maybe i am actually doing something right. following a few beers, we all migrated to anarchy and kay's crib to chill some more. what a fucking night. i can easily say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. i don't go out to pubs and clubs much but on this night of all nights, i had a motherfuckin' blast. i have to say thanks again to tobias kid, toddler and anarchy. without you guys, i wouldn't have even been blessed to grace a stage, let alone a track. you guys are talented as hell. thanks for puttin' me on.
so before i leave this post at a close, i feel i should drop a special mention and congratulations to my good mate thomas who's set to graduate with me at the end of this year. we did it son! thanks to you and rose for coming out and supporting me at my first ever performance. it means more than words can describe. it's the lamp people bitches!
in conclusion, i'll say this - the night was a festive success. i look forward to the next time i am given a chance to perform. i look forward to the fast heartbeat, the dry throat and the butterflies. i look forward to going through that same process i went through on monday night at the phoenix. i probably will never pursue a hip-hop career with mine but hip-hop as a culture, particularly the element of rhyming, will always be an integral part of my existence. my first time performing on stage did nothing but solidify that notion.
hip-hop is alive.
Friday, November 28, 2008
dope new videos
still in rotation: seth sentry - the waiter minute ep
here are some dope new hip-hop vids - ill bill's 'my uncle', and jake one's 'the truth' featuring freeway and brother ali. both clips are ill but the animation in the bill track is particularly impressive. the track in itself is powerful but the clip caters as the perfect compliment. oh yeah and brother ali is that dude. if you don't know, you better ask somebody.
ill bill - my uncle
jake one feat. freeway and brother ali - the truth
here are some dope new hip-hop vids - ill bill's 'my uncle', and jake one's 'the truth' featuring freeway and brother ali. both clips are ill but the animation in the bill track is particularly impressive. the track in itself is powerful but the clip caters as the perfect compliment. oh yeah and brother ali is that dude. if you don't know, you better ask somebody.
ill bill - my uncle
jake one feat. freeway and brother ali - the truth
1987 was a good year
in rotation: seth sentry - the waiter minute ep
i came across this and couldn't believe i had not seen it before. it is a television commercial for the converse "weapon" shoe featuring the best players from the golden era of nba, rapping two bars each about how great this shoe is. the rapping order for this clip is as follows - magic johnson, isiah thomas, kevin mchale, mark aguirre, bernard king, and larry bird. the clip was shown and aired throughout the 1986-1987 season, during larry bird's final reign as the mvp.
as both a hip-hop and basketball enthusiast, i found this ad to be something else. who would have thought that mchale would have more flow than magic? haha it was simultaneously cringe-worthy yet just plain amusing. yeah when it comes to the court, they are all hardwood legends in their own right but damn, most of them have no rhythm at all.
despite their apparent lack of rapping ability, i think i have even more respect for these heroes than i did before. yes, in fact all six of these former nba players are now that much cooler than they originally were to me before i even actually saw the clip - except maybe for isiah. i'm still trying to figure out what he's doing down there in front of magic at the start of the commercial. see it for yourself.
converse "weapon" shoe commercial
i came across this and couldn't believe i had not seen it before. it is a television commercial for the converse "weapon" shoe featuring the best players from the golden era of nba, rapping two bars each about how great this shoe is. the rapping order for this clip is as follows - magic johnson, isiah thomas, kevin mchale, mark aguirre, bernard king, and larry bird. the clip was shown and aired throughout the 1986-1987 season, during larry bird's final reign as the mvp.
as both a hip-hop and basketball enthusiast, i found this ad to be something else. who would have thought that mchale would have more flow than magic? haha it was simultaneously cringe-worthy yet just plain amusing. yeah when it comes to the court, they are all hardwood legends in their own right but damn, most of them have no rhythm at all.
despite their apparent lack of rapping ability, i think i have even more respect for these heroes than i did before. yes, in fact all six of these former nba players are now that much cooler than they originally were to me before i even actually saw the clip - except maybe for isiah. i'm still trying to figure out what he's doing down there in front of magic at the start of the commercial. see it for yourself.
converse "weapon" shoe commercial
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