We’ve all been in this situation. Something goes haywire at the worst possible time and customer service promises they’ll call back in a few minutes. Chi-City, hold ya head.
If you’ve been following ML for any length at all you know we have a thing for the arts around here. With that said, I though I’d share with you a cool blog that I came across, and can relate to. Krista launched a blog which showcases & chronicles her photography and her growth as an artist. Krista shares her personal insights and some technical tips, as well her emotions regarding her photography. Personally, I recently invested in a DSLR camera (no, not a full-frame), and after a few months I’m just getting a hold of all the manual controls, (no more automatic/pre-set modes ever again, even on the point and shoot-for facebook camera, ha!). As I slowly progress, its enriching to follow the trials & tribulations of someone’s growth with the camera on such a personal level. By the way, Krista also happens to be 88-Keys’ lovely wife. Speaking of whom, expect to see him on our next Beat Drop installment (ETA: next week), and check out his freshly launched blog (our sources tell us he is a huge Nautica IZOD Clothing company fan).
I almost fell out of bed when I saw this on sportscenter last night. It was that awesome. Jeff Xavier’s Brother on the court> male streaker. I love the announcers reaction when they though it was just some random guy, and not a players’ brother.
Chuck D will be speaking at NYU on January 26th as part of its “Social Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century” speaker series. Past speakers have included Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist and John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods. RSVP here. While I know next to nothing about Public Enemy (bloggers don’t actually know everything), I might check this out.
One of my favourite comedians right now, Patton Oswalt,wrote a blog post on his MySpace about how adding Jason Statham to various arthouse pictures would improve them. It’s fucking hilarious.
CHANGELING: Jason Statham plays the kidnapped boy, who immediately beats his kidnappers to death, then fights female assassins on top of a blimp. CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: Jason Statham injects the backward-aging man-freak with a Sino/Chilean rage compound, and they fight in lava pit. DEFIANCE: Jason Statham throws Hitler into a woodchipper, eats the entrails as they fly out the other end, and then shits out Winston Churchill. DOUBT: Jason Statham drop-kicks the Pope through the core of the Earth, and the Pope’s head goes up Meryl Streep’s ass and then Motorhead’s “The Ace of Spades” plays. FROST/NIXON: Jason Statham pulls off David Frost’s skin, drops him into a tank of sea salt, and then Statham and Nixon rent a limo and drive across country, shotgunning hippies. GRAN TORINO: Jason Statham glowers at Clint Eastwood, who glowers back, creating a Glower Vortex which destroys the planet. THE READER: Statham kills the teenage kid with a lawnmower, then fucks Kate Winslet literate. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD: Jason Statham drives an 18-wheeler full of nitro into the title suburb, blows everything to shit, and then spends 90 minutes hunting down absolutely everyone involved with the making of this film, beating them to death with TV trays. THE WRESTLER: Jason Statham, Richard Nixon, the ‘roided-out Benjamin Button murder-freak, the Churchill feces-baby and Mickey Rourke drive cross country in a limo, with Leo DiCaprio’s severed head on the hood, where they crash the Spirit Awards and kill everyone.
I have been sleeping on Best Week Ever this year (and a lot of TV in general), watching this the other night made me realize what a fool I am for not keeping up. I missed out on a lot of awesome pop culture stuff from kids eating 30 magnets to gropings on reality shows. Thankfully, the BWE crew did the legwork for me and wrapped up the whole year in a nice, like always-funny package. If you need the best recap of all things pop culture, have amnesia, or just have time to kill before the champagne is ready, watch this.
Also be sure to check out KNOWxONE’s year end wrapup featuring some serious Up & Comers.. and yours truly musing on the year that was.
Browsing through the Crate Kings archives, I came across this mini documentary about the Fat Beats location in New York, hosted by the legendary (and Beat Drop Contributing) DJ Eclipse. Pretty interesting. They also did a slightly more generic documentary on the store while back that’s worth checking out too.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has announced that it will stop suing individuals thought to be sharing music. The previous strategy consisted of threatening filesharers with hefty lawsuits if they didn’t settle out of court, a scare tactic that has gained the music industry more bad press than actual results. Instead, the RIAA is going to work with ISPs to penalize filesharers and warn them with emails like this.
I’m glad that the music industry is abandoning the largely ineffective mass lawsuits, but keep in mind that the music business is far from “fixed.” The beleaguered industry has a long, bumpy road ahead.
Real talk: I got a warning letter for uploading a few Cam’ron CDs back in the day. Don’t ask.
ML Homie Steve (of OGHipHop) passed on this piece they wrote up about a youtube producing sensation named Ronald Jenkees. What caught my eye with Richard is how musically talented he is, the way he sorta blackouts while playing on the keys.. as well as the fact he doesn’t look like anyone you would expect to make beats, check it out.
No, its not fake. The Ying Yang Twins are doing a Christmas album. I got this via e-mail and I thought it was a joke until I heard this. The only track I heard was “Sleigh Ride”, and it might be the biggest piece of shit I have ever had to suffer through. Its all about Christmas!!!
Think about it. A Ying Yang album with a positive message, little to no cussing, and nobody talks about their penis!!! What the hell is the point?!
The best part of my day came when I read the statement that the promoter sent with the news about the Christmas album:
The Ying Yang Twins are getting into the holiday spirit with a new Christmas themed EP, The Ying and the Yang of the Holidays, out now through Deep Records. The EP finds the twins striking a Bing Crosby-esque pose and caroling listeners with medleys of traditional Christmas songs with a Ying Yang Twins twist. On “Sleigh Ride” D-Rock and Kaine drink eggnog and smoke blunts while making a Christmas wish for peace in the hood and giving President elect Barack Obama a shout out. “This Christmas” is a soulful take on a holiday classic, and “Deck Da Club” and “Carol of Da Bellz” are quintessential Ying Yang Twins.
“Sleigh Ride” and “Ballin’ on XMas” from the Jim Jones album are after the jump.