When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

This young lady is seen visibly upset and mouthing off in a college class. At some point she goes back and forth with the professor and one of the students. She is completely disrupting the class and believes she is in the right. The police are called and that's when she decides...


To keep it real.

From C-SPAN to Black SPAN

This made my day. A seemingly white man calls into C-SPAN to give criticism on the influx of "black so-called republican callers" who praise Barack Obama. Just watch the video. This is just comedy to me.

I've Been Promoted (Officially!!!)

For the past two months I've been languishing in promotion limbo wondering when my title would change along with responsibilities, opportunities, and headaches. About two weeks ago I finally got the hard answer to that question. April 5th. That news was followed by an official congratulations letter from the company (signed by no one)making it official. I was now going to be a Jr. Copywriter working in advertising. I can officially place a picture of Don (The Man) Draper on my desk and it will be understood.

I've been wanting to be a copywriter since I joined this agency almost four years ago (time flies). I moved up the ranks of project management learning the ins and outs of traffic (ad speak) while keeping my eyes on the copy prize. I took a course at SVA got my first feel for the relationship between headline, body copy, and layout.

More than a year later i just filled out the form for my new business cards. Dashaun Simmons, Jr. Copywriter has a nice ring to it don't you think?

Homeboy Sandman (Do Your Homework)

I was talking to my homegirl Derrica yesterday about rap and I mentioned Homeboy Sandman. She didn't know who dude was so for any of you out there missing the boat, here's Homeboy Sandman. He's NICE!





This is my favorite Homeboy Sandman song. Buttermilk!

Meth Ghost Rae - Our Dreams (Official Video)

Meth Ghost and Rae have had the streets and world wide innernets buzzing about their new project since Fall of last year. I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical. I purchased the Only Built For Cuban Links 2 album because New Wu was so gutter I couldn't deny it. However after a week or two I was bored with it.

Now we have a new album from the three stars of that New Wu song doing a whole album together. Here's the video for the first single "Our Dreams" which samples a MJ banger from the Forever Michael album. Let us know your thoughts.

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Before The Video Games

Remember playing outside with your friends? I do. This past weekend I spent some time outside playing with my nephew and niece (8 and 2 yrs old respectfully) on my old block. The kids brought their scooters with them to the park and that was fun for about 3 minutes. Then we went over to the jungle gym so my nephew could play tag with some other kids. My lady and I kept my niece occupied with slides and a little handball we found.

While in the park I ran into my boy Illanoyz whom you might remember from the first two Heltah Skeltah albums as well as the Boot Camp Click album "For The People" where had a solo track. I haven't seen Noyz in years and he had his children in tow. We took a minute to think back to a simpler time. Noyz remarked that this was where it all started for us. Playing in the parks with one another before we had serious video games. I agreed and realized that that's how we got to know folks from different blocks. Noyz told me that this park was his kids favorite place to play and a few minutes later told them it was time to go. "Yall too big for this park now." All I could do was nod my head and smile. I too, am "too big" for this park now and serve a different role. I'm ok with that, although I do miss those great games of Freeze Tag with my friends.

I can't wait to take the young ones out again.

Old School Mondays

Lets get into a little UK R&B flavor today folks.

Song of the Day: Vakil - The Creed

This brother has a real dope flow. It reminds me of Ras Kass when he was on one in the 90s. Vakill hails from Chicago and with the production on this track he reps the crib properly. Vakill has made a presence on the independent scene and hopefully he's getting his just due and money on that side. This song "The Creed" is from his second album and is an older track, but it still bumps. I never really hear folks talk of this cat, he should get more light.

DOWNLOAD HERE

A Little Sun Does Not = T-shirt Status

If I've seen it once I've seen it a thousand times. Just because the sun is out and it doesn't "feel" like winter anymore doesn't mean you can throw on a T-shirt and call it a day. It's still March people! Next week we will be back to highs of 45. I appreciate beautiful weather as much as the next guy, however Spring doesn't officially start until next week and even then I'll wear a jacket. I saw all types of folks wearing t-shirts with no jacket yesterday like it's the end of April. It's not!

Also, flip flops? Easter hasn't even come yet and you're breaking out the flip flops? I'm done. < /rant>

Hip Hop Karaoke Tribute To Guru

If you know anything about the HHK family you know we love that good ole boom bap hip hop. One of the torch bearers for said genre Guru of Gang Starr has fallen on hard times and is currently in the hospital. Hoping for a speedy full recovery a couple of regulars got together and rocked a nice tribute for dude.

The video shot below was on an iPhone by the man the myth the legend Murray.

Video Game Confessions: Super Mario World

Yeah, um I never actually beat this game. *looks down at the ground* The groundbreaking pack in game for the Super Nintendo system had amazing colors and addictive game play. This was definitely one of the best platform games to ever drop. The problem for me (which isn't really a problem) is that it's a big game (or was for it's time). I start to lose interest if I die too many times, which happens often especially in a haunted house level. As a person who loves video games I should have on my resume this game completed say... 15 years ago.

This past weekend in NYC there was rain, rain and it wouldn't go away. So I retreated to the good ole SNES love of Super Mario World. I still have a long way to go.

Gamers like the one in the video below really piss me off. Why can't I be that good!?!?

They Broke Ground Yall... (Atlantic Yards)

Well, it's on now. They broke ground for the Atlantic Yards and Brooklyn wept. What can I say that hasn't already been said. We don't need it, we never did. Affordable housing for who exactly Mr. Ratner? Jay Z should be ashamed of his face being used for such a nefarious act. I'm rambling a little bit here I know, but I'm just really frustrated.

Brooklyn is my home. I was born in Brooklyn hospital which is not too far from the Atlantic Yards site. My father spent a significant part of his teenage years living in the Atlantic Terminal projects right up the block, so you see that area is special to me. The Nets can't even buy a win right now. They should focus on winning a game and not ruining the landscape of my beloved Brooklyn. To the politicians who stood by and endorsed this mess I say, shame on you.

In the words of the great Walter Sobchak "Has The World Gone CRAZY!?!?!?"

Learning a New Language

I've been studying Japanese on and off, for years now. I went through phases of learning basic greetings and conversation starters, to days of the week and how to tell time. At this point I can read and write in two of the three alphabets (Kanji will probably take the rest of my life). However, in high school I took 4 years of Spanish. Now I'm nowhere near fluent but I do understand some basic stuff like sentence structure and some vocabulary. The problem I have is because for so long my brain was programed to view "Spanish" as THE foreign language that I speak, it was my default. So now because I've been learning Japanese and not using my Spanish my brain is fried. If someone speaks to me in Spanish I'll have a Japanese answer pop up first. This is no good. A friend of mine is currently taking a French course and he speaks both English and Spanish. Since I told him of my issues with two foreign languages he's answered questions in class using Spanish instead of French. Much to the dismay of his teacher I'm sure.

So have you ever experienced such a thing? What's your second language and what's the third one that gives you trouble.

SPEAK OUT! (c) Martin "Raw Dawg" Payne

Old School Mondays

You may not believe this but there was a time when new music was good. Great even. Lets go back there...

Musical Insanity (aka Ja Rule and Bobby Brown)

This post is inspired by my boy Bill from Okayplayer. I remember when this joint came out it was just pure insanity. Ja Rule and Bobby Brown!?!? What's funny is that this actually isn't too bad of a song, but it's just...Ja Rule and Bobby Brown.

Enjoy.

It's Funny Because It's True

Felipe Luciano: A Man You Need To Know

Felipe Luciano is OLD New York. I'm talking real melting pot so hot it causes riots and gang wars New York. Out of all of that Luciano gained a strong sense of self and used himself to help the people of his community. As a chairman of the Young Lords Felipe Luciano took to the streets and mobilized his people to become a political force. He was an original Last Poet and his poetry is the stuff of legends. One of the reasons I love this man is he is all about Black and Latino love (the way it should be).

Here is one of my favorite pieces from the man, and one that he's most famous for.