The Daily Operation

Watch Out

2010-10-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

They're Everywhere

Playing Catch-Up

2010-10-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

illuminati x mad cleva

Let The Truth Be Told...words from Jay Electronica via Twitter

2010-08-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

I used to be one of those people who dispised the idea of Twitter, but once i gave in and created one, I found that it was not only a legit social networking site, but one that could keep me up to date and in-the-loop with all of my favorite artists...

One in particular: Jay Electronica. Twitter has these things called a trending topic, and it allows for people to let their voice be heard to all their followers about that topic, one recent one was #truthbetold. On this tweet, Jay admited that his long anticipated "Act II" has yet to be put out because of the pressure he feels as an artist to deliver to the fans...

All I have to say is: whatever he puts out will be better than what 90% of emcees in the game today can produce, and if hes making us wait this long, im sure it will be worth the wait.

The Recap: Blackstar with Zion-i

2010-08-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say that last nights concert was the best performance I have ever been to. Everything about the event contributed in my opinion: from DJ mr. E rocking the crowd in between sets, Zion-i paying tribute to the bay area, the Dilla & MJ tributes along with new & throwback jams not from just Blackstar but from each of Mos Def and Talibs solo albums too. (these pics were taken on my jankie phone, and didn't do the concert justice)

I had never been to Fox theater in Oakland prior to this event; when we entered, 106 KMEL greeted us and took a picture of me and two of my homies. Walking into the theater, we found that we were one of the first people there, and took our place at the front of the crowd on the floor. The venue wa huge! Similar to the Warfield in SF but it had two whole floors above the first floor, which were completely filled by the time Blackstar hit the stage. The concert was supposed to start at 8 o'clock, but I never expected it to start on time, but it was al good because DJ Mr. E was on the tables making the wait seem like a party. He kept it live until Zion-I finally took stage to pay tribute to their hometown: Oakland. The amazing thing about this is that I used to see Zion-i perform before they blew up at random events at bookstores and music shops, and now they're opening for two of hip-hops most decorated legends. They performed a lot of their new music, but didn't fail me by the end when he performed "the bay" and "a birds eye view" - my two favorite songs from them.

By the time their set was over the whole crowd was set for Blackstar to hit the stage, the crowd was dying off of the anticipation since they rarely ever perform under the Banner of Blackstar. But it took about another hour for them to set up, but until then DJ Mr. E turned the party vibe back on, and everyone got their boogie on until one last opening act that lasted about 10 minutes from one of bay areas own called Curtains.

Then, finally, Mos Def started talking to the crowd from behind the stage, and then comes in from the right side of the stage where I was at, and Talib came in from the left; it was on! They opened up with the very first song of their album "8th light," all of the legit fans in the crowd got hyped. After each song Mos and Talib spoke to the crowd gradually transitioning to their next hit. Each of them performed songs from each of their solo albums along with their collabs, it was way more than I expected. Throughout the concert you could tell that Mos Def was their to pay tribute to his childhood hero Micheal Jackson; his whole outfit was a tribute, along with his dance moves, you could tell they were both enjoying performing here stating multiple times that its been way too long since they have been here together.

I felt like I was going to loose my voice; "the definition" right into "the re-definition" to mos def's "Hip-Hop," then songs from Ecstatic, then to Talibs acapella version of "Revolutions Per Minute" "in this world" back into the Blackstar jams with "Respiration" right into "Brown Skin Lady." I think its impossible for me to recap each song they played because they pulled out so many from their repituar. I jsut remember rapping along to each one...by midnight Mos Def pulled out an olde: "Traviling Man" which seemed to signify the end of an incredible performance...But then a few mintutes after they took their leave from the stage, the DJ's called for the crowd to bring them back... and sure enough, the show that had already satisfied even the most die-hard fan continued.

They came back right into a classic: they performed their own version of Gangstarr's "DWYK" obviously paying tribute to the fallen ledgend earlier this year: Guru. But, after that, they were not done paying tribute to fallen soldiers, they pulled out one of their favorites from De La Soul "Stakes Is High" to pay tribute to Batan and J Dilla from Slum Village. After these two epic tributes to their idols, I thought they would once again take their leave, but, I was wrong. Mos Def blessed the crowd with a new joint of his, one of his favorites, then went into a classic: "umi says." It seemed like the show was never going to end as he pulled another one from his album Ecstatic that paid tribute to the greatest himself: Ali, the song was "Pretty Dancer." Right after Might Mos had his shine, Talib brought it back with a classic Reflection Eternal jam : "The Blast," and the crowd went nuts. After that song they pulled one that I never dreamed of them performing, and over half the crowd didn't even know the song, beacause it was the first song they ever did together, that songs was "Fortified Live." They took all the way back to their roots at the Lyricist Lounge, I was one of the few people rockin with them to that one. Then for their final curtain call, I believe it was one of their relitively new ones, "Just Begun" (which also features Jay Electronica and J.Cole). The Crowd gave a thunderous applause afterwards, and Mos and Talib just stood their in appreciation of the crowds love, thanking everyone. After one little goodbye freestyle from Talib, they finally exited the stage. Best Concert I've ever been too.

Pusha T signs to G.O.O.D. Music

2010-07-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

This news is somewhat recent, but since I havent written about it yet, I thought I'd do so now. Pusha T of Clipse just signed to G.O.O.D. music, a lable whos artist include Kanye, Consequence, Common, John Legend, and many more. Now, this might not seem significant to people who don't know the brilliance of Pusha T; he and his counterpart Malice have been some of the most underrated lyricist's in Hip-Hop. Many of the rap heavyweights today acknowledge this fact; they can easily hold the title "your rappers favorite rapper." Pusha has been one of my favorate emcees for a long time, and its good to see him moving up the ladder by signing to G.O.O.D. music, maybe now he'll get the recognition he deserves. I can't wait to see Clispe perform later this year at Rock The Bells.

Playing Catch-Up

2010-07-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

I fell into the tumblr hype for a sec, what was I thinkin...
Just to play catch up a little bit:
@robsoutdeah
~~Pacquiao vs Mayweather~~
#25 on the HEAVY HITTERS
Blackstar concert on Sat
21 is comin up
Rock The Bells 10'
I've been havin some crazy ass dreams since seeing Inception

Stay Tuned

The St. Valentines Day Massacre

2010-02-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

I'd like to start off by saying Happy Valentines Day! However, considering im not really into the Valentine's Day thing, Id like to make this throwback post about a legendary fight that actually took place on Valentines day; it was later labeled the St.Valentines Day Massacre because of the battering that took place in the ring. On Febuary 14th 1951, The "Bronx Bull" Jake LaMotta: considered the first fighter to utilize the "bully" style in boxing, and a man with one of the greatest chins in Boxing history took on the man many consider to be the greatest fighter to ever live: "Sugar" Ray Robinson. This was the 6th fight of their historic rivalry; LaMotta became the first man ever to knockdown and defeat Robinson, and in this fight, Robinson became the first and only person to ever knockout the "Bronx Bull," and he did it in brutal fashion in the 13th round..LaMotta never dropped, but by the time it was stopped he was clearly a beaten fighter. Robinson gained the Middleweight championship.

Theres no denying it...

2010-02-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Floyd Mayweather is one of the best fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves; a supreme tactician who embodies the phrase "sweet science. With "Money" Mayweather finally stepping up to plane against an aged, but still dangerous Sugar Shane Mosley, we will be able to see him display his skills to full extent. Though he has arguably the biggest "mouth" in boxing, his work ethic in the gym allows him to back up his words come fight time...peep

Wife

2010-02-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

Find me a girl whos Doppelganger is Scarlett Johansson

I'd Marry her

Jay Electronica

2010-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

"Nas hit me up on the phone said what you waitin on?
Tip hit me up with a twit, said what you waitin on?
Diddy send a text every hour on the dot
said 'when you gunna drop that first? nigga you takin long'" - Jay Electronica

So basically, im tired of the music these days; sure there are some cool club joints, and it seems that electro music is influencing a lot of whats being played on the radio today, and im not hating, but there hasn't been a dope hip-hop album from any new emcee in a while. 2009 was a year where we saw the re-emergence of Raekwon as a heavy hitter in the game, Skyzoo dropped his debut (which lived up to the hype), and Jay-Z ended the year with a bang with Blueprint 3, but I am still waiting on who Nas calls the "future of hip-hop" to drop his debut. For the past couple of weeks I've reverted back to listining to old mixtapes from Lupe (he was most raw in his mixtapes) and Jay Electronica especially, and I couldn't help but wonder when we will make his presence known to the world. I saw him open for the 2007 Rock The Bells, and he surely has the talent to carry hip-hop into this new decade with a fresh new sound. Like the quote from his song "Exhibit C" above, he knows that there is growing anticipation for his first album, the question is when will he give the people his first LP. Lets hope 2010 brings it; I've read that hes working on an album with Mos Def, I hope its true.

The Faceoff: Mosley vs Berto

2010-01-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

On January 30th HBO will telecast this championship Fight between "Sugar" Shane Mosley and the undefeated Andre Berto..Watch as these two face-off face-to-face before the actualy bout..and peep some of their highlights..

Mosleys greatest hits..missing the margarito fight

Berto's greatest hits

Legendary Nights: The tale of Leanard vs Hearns

2010-01-13T01:05:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be appropriate to make this post as the cancellation of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight became a reality. It was said to be the most anticipated bouts since the classic fight that pitted the welterweights"Sugar" Ray Leanoard vs Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns. That fight took place in 1981; now as 2010 comes along we are in the same exact place, only the fight that the world wants to see has been called off...at least for now..this is the type of atmosphere that the fight could have brought, watch this..

Bits & Peices #2

2010-01-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

From perhaps the Greatest Album Of All time...

Song: Memory Lane (Sittin In The Park) 1994

"My pen taps the paper then my brain's blank
I see dark streets, hustling brothers who keep the same rank
Pumping for something, some uprise, plus some fail
Judges hanging niggas, uncorrect bails, for direct sales
My intellect prevails from a hanging cross with nails
I reinforce the frail, with lyrics that's real
Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats
I decipher prophecies through a mic and say peace."

Clipse X The Roots

2010-01-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

OMG one of the dopest collabs on stage..Black Thought kills it on these dope ass Clipse Tracks.
The first is from their new album Till The Casket Drops and second is their most popular song "grindin." Sooo Dope

Bits & Peices #1

2010-01-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Im going to start a new chain of posts where I highlight sections of my favorite verses..this first one is from the Mighty Mos Def

Song: Hip-Hop (1996)

"Stimulant and sedative, original repetitive
Violently competitive, a school unaccredited,
The break beats you get broken with
on time and inappropriate
Hip Hop went from selling crack to smoking it"

Top 5 Dead Or Alive: Revisited

2010-01-03T23:13:00.000-08:00

My top 5 emcee list is always changing depending on what kind of mindset im in at the time; my new list only has one change in it...
1: Jay-Z

He is the only rapper from what I like to refer to as the Golden Age of Hip-Hop (the 90's), to still be holdin it down as the king of the East Coast. It wasn't until recently did I develop a liking to Jay; I've always loved his first album Reasonable Doubt, and looked at it as a Hip-Hop classic, but I didn't really care for his other material. With the lack of good music playing in the airwaves lately, I decided to take another look at all of his work, starting with his In My Life Time series. After re-discovering all of his work from then up until now, I have to say at this point in time, he's my new favorate emcee.
2:Nas

Being a hip-hop prodigy as a teen, he has surely stood the test of time. His vocabulary, for someone who dropped out of school so young, was prolific. He created in my opinion, and in the opinions of many the greatest hip-hop cd of all time in illmatic.
3:Biggie

if Biggie ain't in your top 5 then you clearly don't know Hip-Hop. His debut album Ready To Die is another album that highlighted (in my opinion) the most glorious year for hip-hop ever: 1994. There were so many dope albums that year it's ridiculous. Biggies voice stood out, and his story lines were representative of the New York emcee at the time. What I loved about Biggie was also his freestyle ability, which a lot of rappers today lack. Biggie is so dope, I don't feel like I need to explain this much.
4: Black Thought

Black Thought - I feel like most people forget how ill Black Thought is on the mic. I have every album from his group The Roots, and I have come to conclude that Black Thought is the most consistant emcee out there. Ever since the debut of The Roots in 93' Black Thoughts lyrical ability and jazzy aura has yet to diminish; and seeing him every once in a while freestyling on BET proves this to be true. The best rapper to come out of Philly in my mind...no doubt.
5:Mos Def

A true hip-hop fans emcee...I follow Mos Def all the way back to his beginnings with the Lyrisist Lounge. Hes one of the most versatile emcees out there. Hes an actor, poet, rapper, and he ain't too bad at singing (evident on many of his tracks). Hes apart of one of Hip-Hops greatest duo's of all time: Blackstar (mosdef & Talib Kweli). His album Black On Both Sides is in my top 5 albums of all time as well. An emcee in the truest sense, displaying his knowledge on a variety of issues whenever hes on the mic. Truly someone you need to turn your ears to.

Pyrex Vision

2009-12-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

Raekwon asked his fans to choose which song from his latest album Only Built For Cuban Linx 2, he should do a video for, the fans spoke, and here it is...its funny, this is actually the shortest song on the album, but its also my favorate...

Throwback: Roundtable Cyph

2009-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

So i came across this video of some of the dopest emcees in their prime..ch,ch,check it out..

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is probably the most meaningful holiday of all; no giving material gifts to people, no pretending to be someone your not, and no paying tribute to one single person. Happy Thanksgiving!!...P.S.Caught this video of Mos Def & Talib Kweli performing History. I can't wait for Blackstars second album.

Andre "S.O.G" Ward

2009-11-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Showtime concluded the first part of their Super-Middleweight tournament with the fight pitting undefeated hometown favorite, and 2004 gold medal winner Andre Ward (21-0-13kos) against the champion Mikkel Kessler (42-2-32kos) of Denmark. The last time I saw Ward fight live, I was sitting front row because I had won free tickets on a boxing radio show. Yesterday, he put on a clinic..His speed and versatility as a fighter ultimately proved the difference as Kessler had no answers for Wards straight right hand. All of Oracle Arena was standing up chanting "S.O.G!! S.O.G!!" while he continued pepper Kessler with jabs and straight right hands until the bout was stopped due to a cut from an accidental headbut in the 11th. Ward won by technical Majority decision..a clean sweep.

November 14th, 2009

2009-11-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

On this day, Manny pacquiao makes history, while I helped make a class event happen. After getting home at 3:30 in the morning from a 14hour final (event), I at least went to sleep knowing that the pride of the Phillippines achieved what no one else in boxing as ever done: capture 7 world titles in 7 different weight classes. Even though I missed the excitement of the live fight I was at least able to learn some valuable lessons with some dope peeps. Props to Miguel Cotto for his valiant effort in the ring...Mayweather awaits, and ill forsure be in Vegas next year for what is most likely Mannys last fight.

Happy Birthday Hip-Hop

2009-08-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

36 years ago...August 11, 1973 in the Bronx, New York DJ Kool Herc sparked the revolution that would eventually be known as Hip-Hop

and another one...

2009-08-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

(Dilla,T3, Baatin...T3 is now the only remaining member of the original trio)

The legendary Hip-Hop group Slum Village, which introduced us to one of the games greatest producers the late-great J-Dilla has lost another one of its original members: Baatin. The news came earlier today, and it has since swept the Hip-Hop world as rappers and producers such as Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek, and 9th wonder have already expressed their condolences. Ill update this when I hear more about the story...

Flashback:1966 Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams

2009-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

People always talk about how Ali was like poetry in the ring, and to a lot of people, that statement might not have much meaning considering Boxing and Poetry are two completely different types of activities; one being a sport in which you attempt to inflict as much damage to your opponent without being victim to any yourself, and the other, a linguistic art form and expression. However, certain similarities can be drawn from the two, and in this fight, Ali brings meaning to the phrase "poetry in motion." While I may not be able to find the words to describe what I am trying to say, I'm sure watching this video will allow you to understand...enjoy

(the last round is one of my favorite finishes ever)

Red & Meth speaking on the topic of Nas & Kelis

2009-07-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

The recent divorce of Nas and Kelis has been all over hip-hop media lately, especially because the two were expecting their first child together...While the child was born just a few days ago, Nas is ordered by a judge to pay $44,000 a month (1,400 a day to be exact. In this interview Red & Meth voice their opinions on the subject ( "THATS SOME BULLSHIT!!") peep it...

on a side note...RIP Vernon "The Viper" Forrest, 3 Boxers in the past month, dang

Paquiao vs Cotto is on!!!

2009-07-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Biggest fight of the year is finally set in stone for Nov 14th. After Pacquiao's 2nd round KO of Ricky Hatton earlier this year, everyone in the Boxing world set their eyes on Manny as their next target. What ultimately made this fight happen is the massive fan base of Puertorican Miguel Cotto; just like Pacquiao, Cotto is a national hero in his native country, and when two fighers of this magnitutde collide, it is sure to generate extrodinary PPV buys. Pacquiao is looking to add to his legacy in winning 7 lineal titles in 7 weight divisions, a feat that has never been achieved in the sport, while Cotto is still out to prove everyone else wrong as Pac is a 2 to 1 betting favorite.

Arturo "Thunder" Gatti ... RIP

2009-07-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

"The Ultimate Blood and Guts Warrior"

(April 15, 1972 - July 11, 2009)

Arturo Gatti was one of the reasons I was originally drawn to the sport of Boxing. He wasn't the best fighter to ever live; far from it actually. What made him special was his ability to "leave it all in the ring" as some would say, often driven by pure determination, his come from behind victories captivated the imagination of fight fans, regardless if you were rooting for, or against him, by the end of the fight, you were fan. He has been apart of 4 "fights of the year" awards (1997-98, 2002-03). Known for his thunderous left hook and his willingness to take a punch, Gatti has earned the title as "the ultimate blood and guts warrior," he has given so much to the sport, and the trilogy between himself and "Irish" Mickey Ward (pictured above) is one of the greatest that Boxing will ever see.

Today he was found dead in the condo that he and his wife were renting in Brazil.

Goodbye Michael Jackson

2009-06-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

It has been nine days since the passing of the greatest music artist to ever live... There hasn't been an event in my memory that has left the whole world in shock as much as this. Its rare when you can actually have an artist who truly transcends the boundaries of music genres like Michael has; just minutes after his death you could turn to any radio station and here them paying tribute to the beloved icon. The man dubbed the "King of Pop" has accomplished feats in the music industry that will never be matched again by any artist; with 13 Grammy awards, 13 number one singles as a solo artist, and his album "Thriller" carrying the title as best selling album of all time, he is sure to be remembered in history as he is one of the few artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll two times.

Jackson has constantly revolutionized the music industry, from his truly incredible music videos to his unmatchable stage presence...he has set a precedent that has inspired countless musicians across the world. It was evident since the days of preforming along his brothers in the Jackson 5 that he was something special. As Michael Jackson announced his last tour, for the later stages of 2009 and early 2010, fans could only imagine how spectacular this sell out show could be; Michael always strived to bring fans the greatest show there possibly could be as he would even put his own money into every concert to ensure that they were over-the-top. His death (at least in my eyes) caught the world by surprise, it was the last thing that anyone expected. All I remember on the day of his death was the mass amount of phone calls and text messages I received that told me the grave news. At first I was in a state of disbelief, I thought to myself "this is another fake death rumor, pay it no attention." At the time I was with two of my homies on the road, so I turn of my CD player and turn to several radio stations and noticed that all were playing MJ tracks, that's when it started to sink in...

His life that was filled with turmoil and controversy can be overlooked once you listen to one of his records, it is a sad truth that you don't really appreciate something until it is gone, I feel like this is the case with Michael as he has never stopped receiving criticism, but now, that he is gone, we can see that we have lost a piece of ourselves, as we have all grown up listing to his music.

Rest in Piece Michael Jackson.

Michael performing along with his brothers as the Jackson 5 at age 13 in 1972

From his album "Off The Wall" in 1979, for this song he won Favorite soul/r&b single as well as favorite male artist and album at the American Music Awards.

Preforming "Billie Jean" from the greatest selling album of all time "Thriller," which is an album that helped revive and rescue the music industry and inspire numerous artists in the future. In this performance, he unveiled to the world, an dance move called the back-slide, but referred by Jackson as the Moonwalk...

Also from the same album, the single "Thriller" which was the first music video of its kind. - 1982.

Almost forgot to add this single from "Thriller" - "Beat it"

The hit single from his next album "Bad" titled "The Way You Make Me Feel." This album did not do as good as "Thriller" but nevertheless was a success.

One of my personal favorites, "Smooth Criminal" off of "Bad" (1987) as well, this video was apart of the short film Moonwalker. Following this album, in 1989, he was awarded by president George Bush the award "Artist of the decade" and dubbed "king of Pop" by Elizabeth Taylor.

In 1991 his album "Dangerous" became the most succesful new jack swing album of all time. His single "Remember the Time" is also one of my favorite MJ videos.

From his 2001 album "Invincible" the single "You Rock My world"

Michael's last rehearsal at the Staples Center

Rest In Peace

Mighty Mos calls out (so-called) greatest rappers alive!!!

2009-06-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

Mos Def addresses the video released months ago that shows him playfully calling out all the biggest rappers in the industry...In this interview he explains that the video was not meant to get out to the public, but ultimately defends his statement by calling out for a battle in which two teams of 5 emcess go at it (towards the end of the video). Mos Def says his team would be composed of himself, Nas, Jay Electronica, MF Doom, and Black Thought (who has already agreed to roll with him in this battle). The other team would compose of the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye, Weezy, or whoever wants to join the team. The battle would be done for charity, and take place along with beat battles and break dancing battles on Dec 30 or 31st.

This is why I love Mos Def so much, he is speaking up when no one else will. I think this would be great for Hip-hop because it would bring all other rappers down to earth. Now I dont expect that these rappers are going to accept his friendly challenge, but we can always hope...

Mayweather vs Marquez Postponed!!!

2009-06-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

The return of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather is delayed because of a rib injury during training, as of right now there is no set date for the fight dubbed "Numero Uno," both fighters have expressed disappointment about the situation. Marquez says he'll stay in top shape until the fight takes place.

There is a growing anticipation to see "Money" Mayweather back in the ring, especially because hes coming back with the mentality that hes still number one pound-4-pound, and furious about the fact that many regard him second to Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather must win this fight in order to eventually begin negotiations for the fight against Pacquiao, and I think he will win; I'm thinking Mayweather is going to put on a show for once in this fight in order tp hype up the fight against pac-man, but who knows, Mayweather has never been the one to take risks...

The records for the fighters as of right now is 39-0 (with 25 KO's) for Mayweather, and Marquez coming in with a record of 50-4-1 (with 37 KO's).

ECSTATIC

2009-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has been a long time since I've updated this blog; since my last post, my summer vacation has started and the crew threw another party for Jaye's birthday. Since I don't have any pics from any events since my last post, I thought I'd take the time to talk about Mos Def's latest album that drops today: "The Ecstatic". This album is truly his best work since his debut album "Black on Both Sides" evident from the quality of the music. You get a sense that the title of the album is exactly his mentality about rhyming again. While Mos Defs acting career has flourished in the past years, his music hasn't. However in this album, we see Mos for what he really is, an artist; an artist who seems for at least the time being, to be returning to his roots: hip-hop.

...p.s. I'm going to really try and start updating this blog more often

Some pics from Zonio's week home

2009-05-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

"Hey take a picture" - Zonio

"Hey take a picture" - Zonio
"Hey take a picture" - (Zonio in the background) lol

Surprise Surprise

2009-05-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, its only a few days till Zonio leaves for Iraq once again so we are kicking it as much as possible before that happens...it's been hard to do so because it is also finals week at school, but on this Friday, after watching Star Trek (which was pretty dope) for free, it was another night of beer pong, and out of nowhere in comes the homie from Vegas: Uly. I should have known actually, the way his messages online come way more frequently right before these surprise entrances that makes. After all the screaming and everything is done with, and a few games to break him in, its his turn to take the boot...apparently this is much easier with light beer...I'm going to try and get the videos of everyone else trying it from when Zonio first came back...they are a must see.

The Battle of East and West

2009-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton

The build up to this fight was incredible...two fighters who come forward in an endless pursuit to destroy any foe in front of them are finally in front of each other in the quest to prove who is really the number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. Many believed thatthe the difference in this fight would be Hatton's size advantage; after all, he has been undefeated at 140 pounds (his natural fighting weight)his whole career, and this was Pacquiao's first trip into the division. Others thought it would be Pacquiao's hand speed that would sway the fight in his direction, but no matter what anyone thinks, no one (except Pacquiao's trainer Freddy Roach) ever thought it would end as swiftlyand as devastating as it did. I myself predicted that Pacquiao would win by knockout via 7-8th round tko...however, Pacquiao shook up the boxing world and proved whyhe is considered #1 pound for pound. The fight that seems to be looming in the horizon is a historic fight against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather(who was regarded as #1 before his premature retirement), who is the one other person who defeated Ricky Hatton; clearly that would be Pacquiao's most difficult test because of Mayweathers huge size advantage and the fact that he is probably the most gifted pure boxer of our generation...however, no matter what happens Pacquiao has clearly cemented his legacy: 6 division world champion and #1 pound for pound...Manny Pacquiao

here it is...the battle of East and West, enjoy

Z man is back! (from Iraq)

2009-05-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since i last updated this blog. Theres been a lot of things going on, a lot of issues to talk about, but the real highlight is my homie Alez Zonio coming back from Iraq. He is only here for 2 weeks but its been just like old times so far and its good to see that being in the war hasn't changed him a bit. A lot of events have been going down since hes arrived, ill be sure to update this whenever I can.

Might Mos (Playfully) Calls Out Everyone: Weezy, Andre, Jay-z

2009-04-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

Watch these videos...this is why mos def is so dope

Long Time No See part 2

2009-03-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last night we were celebrating a visit from a homie that moved to Vegas (Uly), he came back slim and more muscular than before. Because it is still spring break, all the homies were drinking and having a good time, and after a night of listening to Uly brag about his muscles and how he could balance a cup on his chest, we got to see the drinks take their toll on him...yes, the bartender passed out.

Random thoughts on Uly

Long Time No See

2009-03-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated this blog in a while...Some homies from Hawaii have been over here for spring break and me and my friends have been showing them around. Last time we saw them was in 07, the week of Rock The Bells. Its been a pretty chill break so far, spending money when I shouldn't be, its all good tho. It feels like this break is going by so fast. I'll be sure to start updating this more often. To be continued...

"the greatest rapper of all time died on march 9th"

2009-03-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

- Can-i-bus

RIP BIGGIE SMALLS...you wanna hear the dopest Biggie mixtape? check out j.periods best of Biggie, on his website, its a free download

My Top 5 Dead or Alive...

2009-03-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Yo here's a list of 5 of my favorite emcees in the Hip-Hop Game

NAS - The first emcee I would put on this list has to be Nas...To anyone who disagrees with me just check his credentials. Being a hip-hop prodigy as a teen, he has surely stood the test of time. His vocabulary, for someone who dropped out of school so young, was prolific. He created in my opinion, and in the opinions of many the greatest hip-hop cd of all time in illmatic. Although he has made a lot of dope albums following this, my favourite material from this man is his pre-illmatic material through his second album It Was Written...Not to say all his work after those albums aren't dope though. Nas's style (to me) is a perfected combination of his influences Cool G Rap & Rakim, which lands this emcee at the top of my list.
Biggie Smalls - Yo if Biggie ain't in your top 5 then you clearly don't know Hip-Hop. His debut album Ready To Die is another album that highlighted (in my opinion) the most glorious year for hip-hop ever: 1994. There were so many dope albums that year it's ridiculous. Biggies voice stood out, and his story lines were representative of the New York emcee at the time. What I loved about Biggie was also his freestyle ability, which a lot of rappers today lack. Biggie is so dope, I don't feel like I need to explain this much.
Black Thought - I feel like most people forget how ill Black Thought is on the mic. I have every album from his group The Roots, and I have come to conclude that Black Thought is the most consistant emcee out there. Ever since the debut of The Roots in 93' Black Thoughts lyrical ability and jazzy aura has yet to diminish; and seeing him every once in a while freestyling on BET proves this to be true. The best rapper to come out of Philly in my mind...no doubt.
MOS DEF - A true hip-hop fans emcee...I follow Mos Def all the way back to his beginnings with the Lyrisist Lounge. Hes one of the most versatile emcees out there. Hes an actor, poet, rapper, and he ain't too bad at singing (evident on many of his tracks). Hes apart of one of Hip-Hops greatest duo's of all time: Blackstar (mosdef & Talib Kweli). His album Black On Both Sides is in my top 5 albums of all time as well. An emcee in the truest sense, displaying his knowledge on a variety of issues whenever hes on the mic. Truly someone you need to turn your ears to.
Mad Skillz AKA Skillz - This is one of the most underrated rappers of all time in my opinion. Im assuming that most people who read this dont know who this guy is, but he holds down my number 5 spot regardless. Being the first emcee to rep Virginia to the fullest, he first gained attention taking second place in a national freestyling contest in 92. Throughout his whole career he has been overlooked and forgotten. But he has always been in the game underground at least. Hes also someone who has probably ghostwritten for one of your favourite rappers. He has written hits for P. Diddy, Mase, Will Smith, Jermain Dupri, and others. Check him out, hes dope foreals. (peep his debut album From Where???)

Plummers Crack

2009-03-01T20:51:00.001-08:00

I know im not the only one who hates seeing this view during class. It's a pretty distracting sight, especially when you got one of your best friends right next to you to laugh at it with. I understand that some times shit just happens, and people just may not notice it, but when its out on the daily basis it just starts getting disturbing. I'm not posting this to be mean, I'm simply posting this to address the issue. lol

Keepin It Real vol. 2

2009-03-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

"why don't you eat a cupcake?"

"...naw, G's don't eat cupcakes"

"wth, I eat cupcakes and I'm a gangsta....holla at me"

-volume/ed ether

Big L....

2009-02-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of a Hip-Hop legend: Big L aka Lamont Coleman. The sure to be rap superstar was gunned down before his career could ever really take off. Regardless of his short lived Hip-Hop expedition, he was able to make a mark as one of the greatest lyricists ever. Big L...R.I.P.

Keepin it Real vol. 1

2009-02-14T17:46:00.001-08:00

"I never want to think of myself as being in my prime...

yah, cuz then youll end up like Kanye West"

-Volume/Robzilla

Happy V-Day

2009-02-14T09:17:00.001-08:00

So here was what when down up at SF state in celebration of valentines day. Whoever holds this position longest gets a free i-pod.

J.Period Tribute to Q-tip Mixtape

2009-02-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

Q-tip was one of the first Hip-Hop artists that I got into as a kid. I remember when everyone was still rockin cassette players my Older brother had this tape (which I still have) with a bunch of dope music that Ive never heard. On side B of the tape, Q-tips "Lets Ride" was on there; Ive been a fan ever since. This mixtape is probably one of the best Ive heard, it highlighted his career from the beginning up to the present, and had lots of dope commentary. And the mixing and scratching was on point. I suggest yall go listen.

The View From Up Above

2009-02-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

The weather has been real shitty lately

Jamies Dog

2009-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Blank CD's

2009-01-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate when you mess up labeling blank CD's? look how he titled "Smif n Wessun" lol

In my "backyard"

2009-01-19T22:50:00.001-08:00

Ive lived next to this place for so long, but I just found out about it recently....

Random Beach Day

2009-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the weather was so nice that, me and some of the homies decided that we should take a visit to the beach. By 11 we were off, and when we got there, the weather was perfect. We had a spot to just lounge and sippin on 40's, blastin some hip-hop....the "scenery" wasn't bad either...

Monday Is a Good Day

2009-01-12T23:03:00.001-08:00

Expecting to spend Monday with nothing to do, I found myself doing much more than I thought. My homies hit me up to meet them at the golfing range next to my house, so I took my skateboard (which I haven't stepped on in the longest time) and was off. Theses guys with their thousand dollar golf clubs were pretty rusty, evident from their soreness after the session. After that, we went to an $8 dollar buffet. After all of us were done eating, the waiter gave us some fortune cookies. But Marcus found his cookie bringing the exact opposite of "fortune." It read "a window of opportunity won't open itself." Later on that day brought us to a coo view of the area with some crazy ass wind.

"a little stiff"

^^^ his fortune cookie

ready to launch

The Lab

2009-01-11T23:32:00.001-08:00

...

Tahoe with some of the Homies

2009-01-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today is my first day back from the snow trip with some friends. There were 9 of us this year, which is small compared to last years trip with about 40 of us. This trip was pretty dope, we had two connecting rooms which were pretty bigger than i expected at this place called "Lazy S Lodge," a pretty funny name, which i didn't trust at first, but ended up being a coo hotel. We were on the trip for a total of 4 days, we took the first night over just to settle in and rest. The second day half of the group (whoever owned a snowboard) went snowboarding and the rest of us went sledding, had a snowball fight, build a snowman, and whatever you could do in the snow...

We rented our snowboards at this place called "Don Cheapos," which held true to its name; I only spent $20 for all my rentals, thats pretty damn cheap.

It was pretty much my first time snowboarding, but me and Darren (also his first time;cut off in this pic) went up the hills with our homies who are already pretty good. Clearly we weren't ready for the route we went on, but we managed to get down alive. The view was so high that I could see all of Nevada and Lake Tahoe from the lifts and the edge of the mountain we were snowboarding on.

There is always one more sledding session and snowball fight on the way home.

Can you guess who this is?

New Years

2009-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

This new years was different from all my previous ones...I cant remember any of it. I woke up with a hangover not remembering what went down ne new years eve. Im going on what my friends all told me and some of the videos and pictures they took of me. Later on during the day it was poker night with the homies at "the wood" (russ's work) then chillin in "the lab" (vegeos house). It was good day to start the new year.

Christmas pt 1

2008-12-26T00:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas with the family this year was interesting, just like every years is. I got money for the most part, which is not a bad thing. All the attention was going to all my little cousins, who are always the entertainment at family party's.

"Professor Snape"

Black Thought

2008-12-23T22:01:00.001-08:00

My favorite Emcee as of right now.

Free Raiders Game

2008-12-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today was supposed to be a day of last min studying for my last final tomorrow but this morning I got a call from one of my homies, they had a free ticket to the Raiders game against the Texans. I didn't hesitate, so instead of studying I was out to the Football game. It was the first game Ive been to, it was pretty dope. I saw why people call Raiders Fans the most rowdy fans in the NFL..."Whats your name?" asked one Raiders fan to a Texans fan, and before he could respond the Raiders fan shouted "FUCK THE TEXANS!" and then they had a wrestling match right in front of everybody...the Raiders fan won, and so did the Raiders.

Attack Of the Seagulls

Raiders win 27-16

Flashing Lights

2008-12-14T11:08:00.001-08:00

"Did yall see that?!?"

2008-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

So during lunch break today Marcus came to campus to chill since he didnt have work, and once he gets here he spots a Hawk snatching a seagull right out of the air! Looked as if the the whole school gathered around to see the hawk pick at its prey. It doesnt look it in the pics, but the scene was pretty graphic...the hawk began to tear the seagulls head off when it realized it couldent fly away with it....by the end there were feathers from the seagull all over the grass

The Dream Match

2008-12-07T00:30:00.000-08:00

...hmm, well this match was more of a mismatch...and to my surprise in Mannys favor. He dominated De La Hoya from the opening bell with his speed and great footwork. It looked like a modern day David and Goliath match up in which youth prevailed over all. This is going down in the history books as one of the greatest upsets ever in boxing history. De La Hoya gave the sport some great moments, and seemed to carry the sport on his back for a long time; but its time to pass the torch to the new man in the spotlight....Ricky Hatton, watch out.

One of my Many Adventures

2008-12-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

So I told myself that I was going to every class this week, since finals are coming up and everything. But my homie Chris asked me to roll with him to pick up a secret santa present for his female co-worker...so I was like "alright, its for a good cause." So I turned in my finals and we bounced onto muni, were chris lead us on a number of wrong stops haha. His i-phone came in handy and we were on our way to haight.

Later on that night the crew went to BJ's again to celebrate Darrens birthday, and then to kick it at Russ's new house. When we got there, it was his cuzzos birthday too, so we all ended up drinking and kickin it....it was a good day....ohh and its the De La Hoya vs Pacquiao fight tonight...im pretty nervous

the ascension

"if you pick heads and get heads, you get 2 shots, if you pick tails and get tails its 1 shot, but if you pick tails and dont get it, its 4 shots. choose your destiny" - Ant

The Hundreds x Pacman

2008-12-03T20:29:00.001-08:00

Well not quite...but The Hundreds is supporting Manny in his upcoming fight against Oscar De La Hoya, which is funny because Oscar is an LA based fighter while Manny only trains in LA. Mabe its because Oscar hasn't been a "real" fighter since he took on Fernando Vargas (IMO). Still,this is going to be his most difficult challenge to date due to Oscars obvious size advantage to say the least...more on DeLaHoya vs Pacquiao later...

Thanksgiving Weekend Part 2

2008-12-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

So this thanksgiving all the homies decided to throw something for ourselves...

we had everything from turkey to fried ice cream...it was a dope way to end the weekend

Thanksgiving Weekend Part 1

2008-11-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

So this year, instead of going out shopping on black friday, we had tickets to the Nas Concert at the Warfield in SF. This kicked off a dope ass weekend. We drove over to my homie Marcus's house right next to SF state where we left the car to take muni. We had SKY vodka in a water bottle and orange juice for the trip downtown. We were gone by the time we were at the concert. Right before entering the building, we put one up right on the corner of the block...and to my surprise, it was pretty cuts. Goapele opened up for Nas, she was lookin fresh! Its hard to tell from these pics on my phone, but she was lookin good...trust me! I had forgotten my digital camera at home, so I had to settle with my phone for pics. But anyways, she was rockin it hard with a lot of ol school hip-hop beats in her act and with her own jams. I only wish her set was a little longer.

To my surprise, there was no long delay in waiting for Nas, he came on the stage and right off the bat jumped into his illmatic set saying "Can we go back for a min?! You know most of you were 10 years old when this came out?!" (I was 6 when he dropped Illmatic)...I saw him at RTB 08, and he preformed a variety of songs, but ended the show the same way as RTB, with "One Mic"...which was a weak way to end the show in my opinion, but it was a dope preformance all in all.

Cory & Shawn

2008-11-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

The GFK mobile is Dead

2008-11-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was driving down to Newark early in the morning, and as I was exiting the freeway my car died. I pulled over to the shoulder and after about 30 min of trying to re-start it a white tow truck came and offered me a free tow; the guy said he wasn't supposed to do this, but he dropped my car off to the homie Jaye's house. I got my usual ride with Chris and Dennis to school but ended up chilling downtown (skipping my first 3 classes) and the lady at Blondie's forgot to charge me for the pizza so I just walked out. Me and Chris Went to the Virgin Mega Store and I copped the Jurassic 5 re-release album. We took muni back up to state where I went to my last class only to watch a movie, "The Secretary," one of the weirdest movies I've seen in a while haha...

Right after school I came back to Jaye's house where the homie D-Rock and his boy Chino offered to help fix my engine for free...after hours of work, my car still woulden't start.

While all of this was happening Jaye (who was blasted) got challenged to a game of SKATE by a lil kid passing by. The game was pretty close, with each having SKAT, Jaye eventually won with a double kick flip. haha close one right here...

my cars still at Jaye's house, stay tuned....

An Unpleasant Surprise

2008-11-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Afternoon Chill spot is flooded ...

we ended up loungin over there regardless

now is this really necessary?

to be continued...

A Letter To The Governor

2008-11-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

There was a protest rally outside of the Cesar Chavez building today opposing the CSU budget cuts that are going to go into effect...The students at SFSU organized a sit-in/sleep in to further oppose the Budget Cuts

Da Throwbacks #1

2008-11-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

My homie Zonio, he is currently in Iraq right now; we used to have kick-its in his garage almost everyday...I think this was a night spent planning his going away party...

Heres a pic of Russ passed out at Zonio's going away party, haha, he got caught slippin.

These next two are pics of the homegirls Sylvia (on the left) and Danica (on the right) at one of the many BBQ's we throw over the summer...

Sylvia took these pics...

Flavor FLave! at RTB 07....good times...more to come.

Ohh and i took this when I was still working...who really wears orange pants?!? lol

The End of an Era

2008-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've seen every fight that Roy Jones Jr has ever had; for most of his career he dominated any fighter put in front of him. No person could touch him; his lightning fast hands and superior reflexes made all other fighters seem like sparring partners for the most part. In a career that started after he was robbed of a gold medal in the 86' Olympics, he has achieved so much. A champion in 5 different weight divisions, he was no doubt an athlete with unmatched skill. He was the first person in 100 years to jump from middle weight to heavy weight to win a world title...that fight against John Ruiz was truly the last we have seen of the old Roy. After that fight, everything went down hill as he suffered 2 consecutive K.O. losses. And a string of wins over novice opponents lead to the match last night against undefeated Joe Calzaghe. It was a sad night in seeing Roy being dominated as he has never been before. His legs, precision, and reflexes were not the same as they once were; the only thing that could be seen was his heart. After Calzaghe was knocked down with an uppercut in the first round, he came back to overwhelm Roy, becoming the man with the most punches landed ever against Roy, and giving him his first cut. Both these fighters are no doubt future hall of famers...hopefully they don't fall into the class of fighters who fight way past their prime as many do. No matter what happens next, there is no doubt both these fighters have a place in the history books as extraordinary champions.

just another school day

2008-11-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is what goes down when i cant concentrate in class...

(my geology teacher)

and my psychotic Philosophy teacher

loungin, making fun of Dennis

On The Comeback Trail part 1

2008-11-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

After voting, I went and posted up with two of my homies Vergeo and Jaye. After a quick session we decided we were going to get back into the past time that we were so hyped about in High School: Skateboarding. Apparently, we weren't as good as before...

Jaye is in the car too scared to see me in a game of SKATE, he remembers what happened last time lol

jaye showin off his legs

he put his Fresh Prince snapback on for old times sake

I dunno...

Here was our skate crew 2 years ago...GFK!! "Stay Tuned Mutha Fucka!!!"

Election Day!

2008-11-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Finally its election day! It was a long time coming, after all the car rides up to SF listening to talk radio, after all the debates both inside and outside of class, after all the arguments Ive heard, it was finally here; I'm kinda glad its over.

I got to my polling location pretty early to beat the lines, and when I was done voting, the lady in red asked me to place my ballot into the scanner to show all the little kids how everything works; they're reactions were a mixture of "oohs" and "awes."

Select Scenery

2008-11-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

I see this truck on a daily basis on my way up to SF state. Usually i see it parked on the side of the road while im sitting on bart looking through the window when I get to daily city, but today I saw it on the road while I caught a ride from my homie Chris. Anyways, its a pretty dope truck...

here are some other random pics i just felt like postin...its MadDarren...anyone get it?

This is a chill ass spot

Halloween

2008-11-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

(Me, Russ, Vergeo, Jaye, Marcus)

Caught In The Act

Even tho Frank didn't dress up, he still resembles Waldo.

Jaye was in his on world haha

This is how everything looked for me the whole night

Marivelle had the most fun lol

Preperation

2008-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Blood In Blood Out Vatos Locos 4 Life

Homie Love

hmmm??

2012...

The Host

We Be Jammin

Jam Master Jay Remembered

2008-10-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today, JMJ was shot in his recording studio in his hometown Queens, New York. He was the DJ for Run DMC - one of the most influential groups to ever come out of Hip-Hop. It was this group that would achieve groundbreaking accomplishments such as the first rap group to: have a #1 album on the R&B charts, top 10 album in the pop charts, recieve a multi-platinum album, appear on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine, recieve a Grammy Award nomination, and debut their video on MTV. A lifetime of accomplishments in one career that helped push Hip-Hop into the mainstream, R.I.P. Jason William Mizell aka Jam Master Jay...

1968

2008-10-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

I was in the Cesar Chavez building up at my school waiting for my nine o'clock class to start when I hear the sound of Indians shouting what sounded like a war cry at the moment. I walked outside and saw a crowd of people circled around the stage. I took me a while to find out that today was the anniversary of the SF state student strike 40 years ago. The strike demanded an ethnic studies program and an end to the Vietnam War. As the announcer called out a bunch of names, I realized that I was standing next to many of the participants and leaders of that strike. Ohh, and Cesar Chavez's Grand daughter, and Danny Glover were over here too...