The Tipping Points!

Since when has "tipping" become such a standard almost everywhere you go in American society? I completely understand the art, and it is an art, of the tip. Having worked in the service industry for about 5 years, I totally agree that all tips should be at least 20%! But being a veteran of service, I am almost appalled (did I just use the word appalled?) at the fact that everyone is trying to get in on the tipping game. Its got me to a "tipping point" (big up The Roots) so to speak. Why do we need to tip people who take our money at the door of a lounge or club? Why do people working at the local bagel joint have a tip jar at the register? This brings a whole lot of unwanted pressure to the consumer. Now, I know I sound like Larry David, but I don't need that pressure! The same goes for places like Starbucks. I'm not trying to offend anyone who works at any of these spots, but if we have to start giving these cats tips, what's next? McDonalds? Wendy's?! Cook Out?!! Not at all. These cats need to fall back from the tipping point and simply work. Don't give me a look when I don't put my change in the tip jar. It'll open flood gates of epic proportions. Not to mention, it will lower people's opinion about tipping servers/bartenders alike! Can we reign this one in please?

Squirrel Toss 9000

In my quest to find out how people completely and utterly waste time, I came across something pretty interesting. It's called a squirrel launcher. The first question I had when I stumbled across this little contraption was, why? This was followed almost immediately with another question which was, WHY?! I'm not an acting member of PETA or anything, but this is a pretty fucked up thing to do to an otherwise harmless woodland creature. Although I have to admit, it's funny as shit also!



I wonder what goes through the squirrel's mind as this happens? Prolly something close to "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOGOOOOOOOD IIIIIII'M GOOOONAAAAA DIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEE!!"

ninjaSciences

We are Water

I'm pretty sure its easy for everyone to become mesmerized by the movements of those who perform capoeira. I mean if you didn't then you're probably either dead, or on the verge of death. My boy Maf posted this on his fb page and I had to speak on it. The representation in this video named, Mestre Suassuna's Miudinho Gamejust bleeds of the beauty of Afro-Latin culture. A culture that most African-Americans have no conception of, nor care for. The rhythms, the dance, and the music, all come together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a tall glass of purple stuff Kool Aid. The dancers feed off of the people clapping/singing, the music, and each other. You can watch how each of the dances gets more intense with each passing second. Beauty is found in so many places. These dudes look like a living human incarnation of water. The funny thing is, a lot of people have no idea this beauty exists. I suppose it will expose itself to them in due time no? Only time will tell I suppose. Enjoy.

Smoke 7 (incense smoke) Podcast

Just a little something for all those "next shit" cats out there..

Eye Vagrants

People have their own definitions/misconceptions about what "art", and artistic expression truly are. While walking the streets of Tdot this summer, the w.o.o.d.s.m.e.n found forms of artistic expression that is kept preserved in back alleys that AREN'T in the seedy part of town. The thing about graf is, you have to truly decipher the picture. These artist aren't mentioned in the same breath as Monet, or Hokusai. Instead, they remain in obscurity. Some people don't even consider what they do to BE art. Not us.. Props Tdot once again for your creative juices.

I provided a little music for this one. At first, I didn't like this Santogold song, but with a little seasoning, I find it now palatable. Enjoy.

Wall Etchings

You know, most people complain about the same things over and over again. Constantly we hear people drive into our ear; "where's all the good music?". Of course this question depends on where you find yourself situated in this god forsaken country. Do yourself a favor, stop reading this for a second, and click "play" on the youtube video below. After that, continue reading. I'll wait....

Cool. So people complain about the music. Its not just the people who listen to most of the dumb shit that floods the radio waves right now either. I don't worry too tough about the "hater" title that is bestowed on me, or my age so bleh to all of that. If the music sucks, I'm going to say it sucks. The masses never got anything right anyway. Which is why this song makes sense at this very moment. War Of The Gods is what the title is. And if any of us want our music to continue in any spec of importance, then we must all be ready to fight in this war.

This goes out to the DJ's; You cats need to stop being so afraid. Recognize that YOU control what they listen to. And to the new heads that are just stepping on to the scene. Don't JUST get some tables and think that everyone is loving your stuff. Take some time to develope this craft that you are jumping into. If you've been DJing for a few months, NO you shouldn't be spinning out at a club/lounge/wherever you are playing for $50. First off, you are driving down the price into crackhead range. And it makes it worse for the DJ's who are actually NICE. Yes there is an economy to this.

This goes out to the record collectors; You cats need to understand the fact that you are the archivists. Don't use the fact that you have a rare record to justify your love, and can sell it for $1300 on ebay. If you ain't giving the money, or ANY of the proceeds to the artist that created what you have, kinda "shut up". You're making money off of SOMEONE ELSE's creative genius. Cool that you have it no question. But chill. Some of these cats is outrageous with their hollywood attitudes.

Finally, this goes out to the listeners. Don't be so lazy. Don't listen just because there is "nothing" else on the radio. Being inundated with some of this "bafoonery" shouldn't mean its okay to turn a blind eye. With songs like; Whip it Like A Slave and LOL Smiley Face, I find it a tad surprising that the NAACP, or any other of these so called African American community leaders, hasn't stepped up to condemn this action as detrimental to the African American Community as a whole. The same people who stepped up against Don Imus to complain when he called those women on the Rutgers Women's basketball team; "Nappy Headed Hoes", should be front and center when they hear some of this music. Its pretty amazing actually. Take a look at a minstrel show and then look at one of these new videos. Hardly any true creativity is can be found. When analyzing the actual power of potential and creation by African Americans past and present, one sees that, that very power of creation is more than an illusion. It is very real. And I know a lot of these kids are young, but Nas was 18 once too. And you Never heard anything so simple/tired from him. Same goes for cats like Q-Tip, KRS-ONE, and Kool G Rap. I guess all drugs lose their potency at some point.

So who'll win the War? Suppose only time will tell the end of this tale. This song that you are listening to however? This song, War Of The Gods by Billy Paul, is a testament to how all the "good" music, has never gone anywhere. It was always here for us. And so what if it is "old". It still remains timeless. It is music at one of its rare and unique peeks. The level of creation was far beyond where it has sank to. No matter if its Hip Hop, Soul, Rock, whatever. It is all watered down. Rock music even sounds uninspired and empty. Hip Hop sounds almost offensive to the people whom CREATED it. We are all players in this story that will at some point, have to come to an end. How will we be remembered? And most important, how will the music be remembered.

But back to Billy Paul. After you are done reading, set the song back to the beginning... Then listen to the words. Crazy shit. Classic. Immortal...

Caribana 2009!!!

I can honestly say, new experiences can be great for reinvigorating the spirit. "The Tour" took a trip north of the border last week, and while it is way off most people's radar, Toronto (aka Tdot) is one of the dopest cities in the western hemisphere. Last week, we hit up the big city for the biggest Caribbean festival/celebration/one love/lada mercie in North America. Closest thing to it; The Brooklyn Day Parade on Labor Day.

Every crew from the Carib came through to represent, with the exception Haiti, which I found a little odd. However, after talking with the ONE Haitian cat I met out that way, I realized Haiti crew was mainly in Montreal. You know, the whole French thing?

The Parade took place on Saturday Aug. 1. Hard to describe, other than the fact that everything was peace. As a Guyanese bredren told me out on the street; "Its all ONE LOVE!". My sentiments exactly.

Possibly the ONLY summer blockbuster?!

Not only is August 14th two days from my birthday, but it is also the release date of a pretty interesting movie as far as sci fi fanboys are concerned. I'm definitely going to check THIS one out!



Its a shame too, because almost every "summer blockbuster" that was supposed to be a "summer blockbuster" has pretty much sucked. Well, I'll give a pass to Terminator Salvation because I thought it was pretty straight as far as content, and sticking to the story line. So far, Star Trek was the best one, but lets hope District 9 takes us home with some deep, behind the sofa, caught up in your belly button FUNK!

SaaaWING and a Miss!!!

So I have this book, Siddhartha. A friend let me borrow it almost a year and a half ago. I've read most of it and it is very good to say the least. I didn't finish it because well, I do that sometimes. It is a book about a man living in India named, Siddhartha. He meets the Buddha, but somehow feels that the path to Enlightenment should be his own, and not something mimicked from someone else. He lives a rather full and interesting life, no doubt taking "the path less traveled" by most seeking Nibbana. The Buddha's teachings make a sharp impression on him however, ultimately helping him to find his own path to Enlightenment.

Over the past year and a half, my friend has found the time to periodically harass me about giving her book back. Now you may be thinking; "Shit, its her book, so give the thing back!". Can't fault you or anyone else for thinking this. Before i get to, "the rub", lets put a number on how many times my friend has contacted me about getting her book back. Six. I'm pretty sure its more, but not by much.

Okay now the rub...

Each time, save maybe once, we've coordinated getting her book back, she has totally fronted and either
1. Not showed up
or
2. Came up with a lame excuse as to why she hasn't received her book yet

She gave me the book in my house. Am I wrong to assume she should pick it back up if she wants it? Maybe yes, maybe no. Either way, when it came down to it, she balked on more than 5 occasions. No matter which way one looks at this, there is a glaring truth about what we read, as opposed to what we LEARN.

The book, if you could not already tell, is a Buddhist writing translated by Hilda Rosner. If there is anything to learn from Buddhist thought (Mahayana or Theravada), it is that we should not become so attached to things. I am not absolving the fact that I myself am pretty attached to more than a few things in life. But that cannot stop me from recognizing seeing it not only in myself, but others as well. My friend is very attached to her belongings. I can tell by how she is acting with this book. Not only that, but she's attached for the sake of being attached. Because she knows no better. This is seen because she never shows up to actually GET the book back, which shows a glaring lack of true importance. She's attached to something which, in its overall message, tells us not to be attached! Earth can indeed be an interesting and oxymoronic place!

She may want to ask herself; "Would the Buddha ask for his book back?"

Don't Pale In Comparison to...

Every now and then, something sparks a thought in our heads that harkens the question; "What are we, and why are we here?"  I mean you would not be human if you didn't ask yourself this question here and there.  Front if you want.  Be as deep into your supposed faith as you THINK you are.  Thats fine.  But don't be upset with yourself if you find yourself asking that very question.  

I was driving a few days ago, and there was an unusually high number of fireflies out that night.  Then I got to thinking... 

What makes Fireflies turn on the little lights in their bellies?  When did the FIRST Firefly turn on its light?  Did it think to do it?  Is that even instinct?  Do thoughts lie within the instinctual realm?  Do Fireflies "think" with little tiny brains?  Did a higher power just make this happen, or was there an evolution involved? 

Pretty strange what an overabundance of fireflies can do to the mind on any given night.  These thoughts of course lead into something I watched a little earlier today called, The Pale Blue Dot.   Enjoy...

This week in music.....and thought...

music music music!! classics surround us, and we don't even seem to pay them any attention anymore.. I watched an old interview with Leaders of the New School, and listened as Charlie Brown, gave props and respect to those who came before them.  He didn't call them "old", or "out dated".  Listen to what he says when he talks about "what the old school is about".  

 Thats just how it was.  Everybody gave props to those who inspired their creativity.  I had an argument with someone a week or so back, and she told me she wasn't going to "hate" (hate blog coming soon), on the younger generation running hip hop now.  She of course didn't have a really GOOD reason for not hating but simply said, and I'm paraphrasing, that she didn't think telling them they're music is a dumbed down bootleg version of the original would do any good.  Oh on the contrary mo' frair!  Thats what Hip Hop was spawned from.  People are so afraid of telling people they suck nowadays.. The younger generation doesn't "know" and they really don't care.  Its unfortunate, because in the above interview, "they" (the corporates) would boycott selling OUR music.  They would put out "rap" versions of songs and NOT play them on the radio.  Now they run shit, and our youngins sweat the shit out of em'.  Its a shame.  But like i said, thats for the "hate" blog.  Enjoy some Dred Scott! 

  

Danger Means Everything........... at least when you're dealing with Xanaxed out Chimp!

What do you get when u get when a chimpanzee becomes a pet of +1o years, 5 (or more) Xanax pills because he acts a little "erratic" sometimes, and a longtime friend who returns from the beauty solon with a BAD haircut?  You get a chimp-man who thinks he's a hostage in a terrible sci-fi movie.. The rest you can hear for yourself...  Personally, I don't think the 911 operator believed her at first but.....

Arts, Beats, and Blogged out Lyrics 7.0 styleee

Well another year has passed, and we've come around to another spat of the annual "Arts, Beats, and Lyrics" celebration. This year, it was held at the Blake Hotel in downtown Charlotte. I suppose it was a step up, as far as location was concerned considering it was held at Center Stage in NoDa the previous year. Truthfully, I liked the NoDa location. It had more of an "Arts, Beats, and Lyric" feel as opposed to the somewhat stuffy Blake.

The Art Work was no doubt on point, featuring some of Charlotte's dopest artists and photographers such as; Jasiatic Anderson, Marcus Kiser (God City), Wolly Vinyl (GC), and the rest of the God City crew. Here are just a few examples of the goodness we all got to experience...

The music was cool. When we first rolled up in the spot, there was a very cute female on the 1's and 2's, along with some dude who was MCing the event. She was very cute, but most definitely was new at the whole DJing thing, as her playlist was incredibly predictable (which may or may not have been her fault), and her blends sub par at best. She lost me with the shades she had on while spinning.. Props usually mean people are trying to draw attention away from something else.. Dj Applejack did his thing up there about an hour and a half after the event kicked off. Only gripe I had with him, didn't really have anything to do with him at all. It had to do with the fact that at every hip hop event I go to, there is some kind of "Dilla" tribute.. Do not get me wrong, the guy was a great producer, and definitely had his own sound, but fuck! There are a lot of cats in the hip hop era who have passed away that we should be showing tribute too.. I STILL haven't seen a Jam Master J tribute here in Charlotte! Scott La Rock, Big L, etc.. We gotta do better.

There was a pretty cool B-Boy battle between cats from Atlanta, and the homers from Charlotte.. Don't know who really "won" but it was pretty entertaining for the most part..

Oh, I almost forgot to give props to Jack Daniels for hooking up some free drinks at this illustrious event. All one needed was a ticket and one was eligible for alcohol consumption (21 and over of course). I somehow found out a way to get way more tickets than the two I was greeted at the door with. Meh, people weren't that interested in getting a little toasty I guess. Not this woodsmen though! The rest of the night was filled with chillin with the fam, meeting some new folks, and so called "networking".

The thing about redheads is, they never stay focused! lol

A rather interesting shirt! I've seen the Wu joint, but the Bulls joint? Thats the team that dismantled my damn KNICKS so many times!! Props tho!

One of the artist and I..We protect the guilty here at 7.o mf's!

A pretty dope band even though I forgot their name.. They DID however, need some bigger jeans!!! Damn man!

Yes, she's guilty too... Of being a sick Photographer... Though, you'll never know who she is cause she's protected!

All in all, Arts Beats and Lyrics was pretty cool.. Props... Flav out...

The return of the FIGHT scene!

Had this posted a few weeks back on the side.  Definitely worth the watch.  This is especially for fans of the first Ong Bak.  This one scene makes the movie, scheduled to be out here in the states sometime in September, actually look promising.  Gotta give it up to the the choreographers on this one...

THE BITCH IS BACK!!??? REALLY?!!!

You know back in the mid to late 1990's, my era, Hip Hop music was running at full steam.  Crews like Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Nas, Dred Scott (and a host of other underground West Coast cats) Saukraties (Tdot), and Company Flow were just feeding our insatiable appetites for a music that kept creating, kept reinventing, and never seemed like it had an end.  Even cats like Notorius B.I.G (or just Biggie Smalls as we used to call him in NY r.i.p) were holding shit down on the radio.  Now most of the cats I ran with, didn't really even care too much for "radio rap", and were still put in a trance by beats that banged from the underground.  Nevertheless, Hip Hop was probably at its strongest point, as far as all around heads were concerned.  I mean, you could find a female rhyming right along with Nas' hit; Life's a Bitch.  That time, as everyone knows however, has proverbially "passed us by".  

One of the things I can starkly remember from that time though, was the crusade that was put out against Hip Hop Music for using the word "Bitch" to describe women.  It was a crusade started by the white women's movement, and almost totally taken over by groups like the NAACP, and various other African American Women's groups.  I have nothing against any of these groups, but their attacks didn't focus on the ENTIRE Hip Hop community, even though they painted that picture.  Now, my stance hasn't much changed over the years, and I STILL say, if you see a woman acting/carrying herself like a bitch, then you are fully within your rights to call her one.  Oh, and "Hoe" was another term the crusaders went after.  Which brings me to April 27th, 2009.  

While over my mothers house, helping her get shit straight with general upkeep of the grounds and whatnot, I decided to take her up on an offer to eat some pink beans and rice.  A traditionally Puerto Rican dish, but one my CUBAN grandmother kicks the shit out of EVERY TIME hands down.  While I sat down to eat, she clicked on the television, and began watching her little guilty pleasure; Dancing With The Stars.  Arguing with her on why that shit is all brain deterioration was as pointless as trying to get her to watch a special about the life of Carl Sagan.  After all, she's 60something, and she's lived enough life to tell me to fuck off because she's still my mother.  Anyway, that lame ass show was on and these two "stars" were dancing away, looking like white folk with no rhythm trying to do a sock hop.  It was actually kind of hilarious.  After they were done, and the girl dancing was finished trying to keep her low cut jeans from falling down on her straight and un-curvy ass, it was the next couple's turn.  Fortunately enough for me, Kimberly Denise Jones' (aka Lil' Kim's) now crazy, self hating, Michael "Jazzy" Jackson look alike more than Latoya's ass was the next one to dance!  No harm no foul.  I needed a good laugh, and just looking at her new face is pretty much enough.  But she did have to dance yet!  Cue the clip.  What you are about to watch (and you MUST watch it ALL THE WAY THROUGH) is the show talking about how she (Kim), kinda sucked it up the week before.  The judges claim she didn't have any "edge".  And that she needed to add that "Queen B" flavor back into her step.  You can already see where I'm going with this.  If you don't watch all the way through the key point is at 3:40.

Now my beef isn't that two of the three judges are gay british men who often have too much criticism for the females who dance on the show.  Its this;

1.  What the fuck do you mean she needs to add more "Queen B" to her routine?  Her little partner all but called her a nigger while he was describing to the camera what she was missing.  

2. Why did Kim need the judges to give her "permission" to bring her "personality" into any god damed dance?!  

3. Most of all however, WHEN IS IT EVER OKAY TO STAND UP, POINT, AND CALL A BLACK WOMAN (or at least a woman who USED to be black) A BITCH ON NATIONAL TELEVISION?!!  This by far is my biggest gripe.  The gripe that some gay men, think they can say whatever the hell they want without thinking, and not get checked for it.  First off, a white man calling a black woman a bitch is bad enough.  With all the history behind that, it still didn't matter.  And then Kim's stupid ass is sitting there jumping up and down because her "bitch" was back!?  Pretty disgusting.  We love to jump all over ourselves when it comes to a lot of shit, just like crabs in a barrel.  But when someone else does it, its totally okay.  It flies under the radar and all that.  Good job DWTS, way to keep that underlying racism/sexism, alive, well, and firmly entrenched within the American way of life.  I wonder if the NAACP will come calling again?  Just who is it they work for?  peAce.  

 

This is classic! Taking; "If I could be like Mike" to a whole other level! lol peAce!

Yo, we received this DVD about 2 months ago at Monday Night Mic Fights from my man K.O.  Its the third installation of his Say Word series.  This shit has some of the best rollerblading cats u will ever see, and from all over the U.S.  They even touch up Europe!  If you didn't know, well now you do.  This movie has an absolutely fucking killer soundtrack, that only add to the already sick quality shots!! 

Usually when u hear about a "skate" movie, it involves skate boarders.  No diss to them, but these cats on the blades are fucking fearless!!  Its a shame the took them out of the xGames like that.. Unfortunately everything is politicized nowadays, and our xpeoples don't seem to be immune to it either!  Keep crushing ish mf's!  

Educational Vidz... BOOMBACLAATZ!

Have posted these few vids many times before (myspace/fb/etc) but in the famous words of my man Jus, "Truth is Truth". So they are to get posted again! They aren't ALL the examples of what House Music brings, just a few. Not to mention, its this type of shit that helps cats to know WHAT house music is. There are a lot of misnomers all over the place.. People who don't know the difference between Soul House, Techno (crap), Dance/Clubby House (crap), Deep House, and Broken Beat.. Especially in Charlotte. Hopefully this clears up any confusion.

First up, and example of some Deep House.  These Brothas do their collective thing out on the floor in NYC.  Brooklyn T is ill (for those who know, u know!).  This clip is from the movie Maestro.

Next up, another deep house set spun by Mr. V.  Although, I would tend to associate this with some soulful house as well, as the MAWU girls are so damned SOULED out its fucking rediculous!  Let the ladies get open on you a minute...

Lastly on this list, is from a cat I met out in Seattle a few years back.  His name, Free (the soul shifter) off of his Beautiful One Man Show dvd.  Giving us some dope visuals to go along with the broken beat mix of Feist's, Gatekeeper

Lets continue to educate.  peAce.

Dream Mirror Vid (Maf Maddix)

Met an interesting woman today with a tattoo on her finger of a dove... When I asked why she had that tattoo, she said so it would be easier to "flip the bird"... Wit is often something taken for granted!

New Maf Maddix video below.. unSeen vision creation.. Enjoy!

Afro-Cuban Culture vidz.. pt.1

I've posted this on facebook before, but I found some other parts to it.  I'm still trying to find the name of the documentary in which music great, Harry Balafonte, explores African (Yoruba) culture in Cuba, and how it has been handed down over generations.  Many don't know about blacks in Cuba, and this is a great teaching tool.  Being half Cuban, I will never turn an eye on learning more about my mother's homeland.  Enjoy.  Flav out..

Pt. 1

the unHeard hits crAve

(thursday 4/16/2009)

unHeard Sound Check

peAce,

Took a trip "out on the town" in this god forsaken "God City" this weekend to see if we could dredge up anything to DO around here while we all slowly vaporize from harmful gases.  In case no one knew, unHeard Sound, is but one, of many W.o.o.d.s.m.e.n cohorts that roam the globe.  They all couldn't represent this particular night, but the few who did, found a possible jewel.  Now we all know the jewel won't last, since no beauty ever truly lasts, but it could prove to be a very nice little target for future ventures.  

The spot is called "Crave".  Its a little lounge that sits on the opposite side of the bar Cans here in Charlotte.   What can I say?  The layout of the place is peace, but that doesn't mean too much most of the time.  They are considered a "dessert" bar, which is the new trend here in town.  Don't know how much I can trust it, simply because its part of a new trend.  And everyone knows that new trends die hard here in the south, save Atl.  The menu was pretty cool.  Our little group of vagabonds decided on the Chocolate Cake, and the Red Velvet Cake slices, which were both scores.  

The pocket DJ was a little suspect at first, but then slid into a nice little old school soul set. A few of his selections included; In The Rain by The Dramatics, and Why Marry by The Sweet Sensations. He no doubt had the same Shaolin Soul vol 1-2 albums I have ha!. Why was he a pocket Dj? No turntables. Only this funky looking contraption and a mixing board. I should've taken a flick.

Overall, the place was pretty chill, and has a shit ton of potential!  But we all know how far "potential" has gotten us before.  All we can do is try however.  Much of the reason "potential" only ends up being THAT, is because of us more so than anyone else.  Flav out.  

unHeard Sound Set at Apostrophe.. Charlotte, NC

1'z n 2'z

Flav and Jus, immaculate.  

Ahh yes the Wu Tang Button. A true head!

Tricky takes Charlotte

Since this blog is a Charlotte to DC thing, I figured it'd be cool if I started with the one of the things Charlotte needs the most.  That would be a string of successful LIVE SHOWS!  If the show Jamez and I went to on 3/9 was a testament to what is to come, then we're in for a great year.  Halleluyah!  Enough with the incantations.  

Tricky made an appearance here in our small sleepy little town earlier this week, and put on a great performance.  He played at the Neighborhood Theater.  It started out on some classic Tricky shit.  The band exited from some mysterious back room behind the stage and the lights went all purple.  Just when I started to question whether someone slipped some acid into the bowl of cereal I ate before I got there, Tricky comes strolling out with his hair still fucked up from the last time I saw a picture of him (that boy needs a barber BADLY).  I didn't get to take any great pictures, because as soon as I started clicking, some short stocky white man approached me and told me I couldn't use flash. Not only couldn't I have used flash, but I had to cease with my image capturing by the end of the 1st song (which Tricky was already 3/4 of the way thru!). What this means is that you won't get a chance to look at whatever the hell "J-Bone" and I witnessed. What we witnessed was a great show.

It was at that precise moment that two strange white women approached me and asked me to take their picture.  Now, I'm no dick, and if someone wants me to take their picture, I'll happily oblige them 95% of the time.  The strange thing was, they wanted me to take their picture with MY camera! Okay, where is this going? Nowhere because they disappeared shortly after that.  Maybe they were just figments of my camera's imagination?  Whatever they were, the encounter left me scratching my head a bit.  As long as they had fun I suppose.  

The band consisted of Trick himself, a female I didn't recognize who sang with him, bass player, drummer, lead guitar, and a keyboard cat whom from our vantage point we could not see (but we HEARD his ass).  The drummer started in playing a slow, hard beat, to which the keyboard cat then added some mind numbing chords.  Tricky stood with his back to the crowd smoking a blunt for the first 9 minutes of the show.  All good even if he's a non-sharing mf (hate, hate hate!).  

The show lasted about 2 hours total, and Tricky went on a pretty thorough journey playing old shit from the late 1990's all the way to the present.  I don't know song titles, I just know what beats I like from that cat.  Never was a straight on Tricky fan, but the dude is a serious producer, and after this last show, that has changed.  His music is certainly worth remembering.  

Purpose: A letter from the Editors.

We are the w.o.o.d.s.m.e.n.  Wisdom Overstanding Outshining Derelicts Stained Mentals Emitting Nonsense.  No need to get into the name, its origin, or other specifics pertaining to it as of yet.  This is just an overview o what is to come.  The purpose of this blog is documentation.  Yeah, there are other blogs, hell most blogs, out there that do the same exact thing.  Oh well, then I suppose you can just add another one to the mix.  The slant (because there's always a "slant")? The slant is going to be that this is written from the perspective of a band of people who see the world, and it's collective intelligence, dulling over a bit.  In an age where creativity is certainly on a downward slide, and all who are in at least their 30's are starting to realize that those feelings of things like; World War III, the hole in the Ozone Layer, Mesothelioma, and toys from China that could kill you, never really went away.  They were only momentarily swept under the rug, and are now beginning to poke out from the side.  We are in a time where the once complex yet intoxicatingly addictive styles of music, Hip Hop, is being represented by a song with the title, "Stanky Leg".   Police brutality is at an all time high, and the War on Homelessness which became the War on Drugs, which then turned into the War on Terror, and is now a War with the Environment/Afghanistan.  All of that, and the trafficking of human beings is the third most lucrative illegal activity, beneath weapons, and the drug trade.

Take all of that, and put it into ground zero.  You, me and every other Gorilla In The Miss who just don't get these crazy "beings" that sit next to use everyday at lunch; carpool us to work; sit next to us at the bar; or lay next to us in bed every night.  These folks, need to be documented, and so do we.  If it takes another blog kicking the same shit to do that, then so be it.  Enter Water B, and Flav to try to display an image out of this puzzle for you.. Enjoy