Jay - Z - Empire State of Mind (Brock Mills Stills)

Check out this video from a talented young brother straight out of Brownsville, Brooklyn. Watching this video made me appreciate the song way more than just hearing it or even seeing the performance on MTV's VMAs earlier this year. Be on the lookout for Brock Mills Stills you might want him to do some work for you. He's ill!
http://www.brockmills.com

Empire State Of Mind from Brock Mills on Vimeo.

The Demise of the Chirp

Nothing has made me smile harder than realizing that the era of the "chirp" is over. I was talking with a friend at work today and she brought up how she hated speakerphone people. This reminded me that I had an old co-worker who would 90% of the time answer her cellphone on speakerphone. You would have to ask her to take you off speaker to have a normal conversation. What a waste.

Those thoughts made me think of the infamous "chirp". For those of you not in the know the chirp is the sound emitted by a phone when it's on the setting of a walkie talkie. The first phone company I came across to use such technology was Nextel. Nextel allowed people to not use their regular phone minutes and instead contact their friends/family directly. This mode of conversation became known as "chirping". So now as a way to save money people would chirp their friends making a damned walkie talkie sound whenever they wanted to talk or receive a communication from someone else. HOW ANNOYING! Yet, it caught on like wild fire and we were forced to endure another company with similar technology, Boost Mobile. During this time people would be on the bus and the train chirping away. I've seen people wait for that fateful moment the train leaves the tunnel and gets some reception to get busy chirping.

Jerkstore #1 :"CHIRP CHIRP Hey I just got out the tunnel. Where you at? CHIRP"

Jerkstore #2:"CHIRP Oh word. I got a bottle of Bacardi here. CHIRP"

Jerkstore #1 :"CHIRP CHIRP Yo! Don't drink all the Bacardi yo! I'm almost there. Two stops left! CHIRP"

Jerkstore#2 :"CHIRP Aight! CHIRP"

Jerkstore#1 :"CHIRP CHIRP One CHIRP"

Now did I really need to hear that conversation. More importantly did the whole train car need to hear that conversation? My answer is a resounding NO but that's my opinion, yours may differ. You probably got annoyed just reading that exchange imagine hearing it. I've heard all types of conversations that I really REALLY didn't need nor want to hear. Where is the common courtesy for your fellow man? Will someone please think of the children!?!

These days I remove my terrible iPod earbuds from my ears and hear no signs of chirping. The fad has gone to rest along with other fads like Crystal Pepsi and Keffiyeh scarfs. May it rest and leave our ears in peace.

The San Francisco Treat

Photos by Shino Yanagawa

I have a friend who always goes on and on about how great San Fran is. My only experiences with California have been with southern Cali and they at times have left me underwhelmed. However this was not the case once I touched that good San Fran soil. My first views leaving the airport were those of hills and fog with a sun on the other side begging to be enjoyed.

I haven't been taken in by a city in the way that SF took me in since Chicago. Once we got settled next stop was downtown to see the people and do some walking around. The bus ride out there is very rough I must say. The MUNI line is filled with buses which seems to only stop using hard breaks and make turns requiring you to hold on for dear life. There was a large number of Chinese women on the bus with us almost all the time. One even mentioned to Shino that I was cute (HOV!). Fortunately none of our rides were like this.

In town for 5 days we made sure to hit the ground running. We made a journey down to Fisherman's Warf which is very much a tourist attraction but fun nonetheless. I found an In and Out burger down there and was very tempted to get a grilled cheese animal style. However that will have to wait for next time.

During the trip I discovered the super dope neighborhood of Mission with its many restaurants and beautiful people. On the train ride over there we met a gentleman who helped us with directions. He told us where to get off to maximize our time. We ate at a restaurant with the largest stack of fresh blueberry pancakes I ever had...MAN! The food was official tissue. Shino had some crazy fish tacos. The service was very nice here as well as the prices. After grubbing we walked up and down many hills to burn off the calories looking at the many striking homes lining the streets. Then we crossed over into Castro...

Pt 2 coming up (c) Old Dirty.

Old School Mondays

Lets take a trip to the west coast and peep how it used to be.

I still listen to this song every other week.


One of the illest to ever do it right here.


MC Eiht....Geah


Ice T The official tissue cat right here.

Tanya Morgan - Hardcore Gentlemen @ SOB's

The boys Tanya Morgan put it down something terrible at SOB's the other night. The energy got live when they performed this throw back to the early 90s. Peep the MotherGreen T being rocked by the homie Donwill. Rugged and Smooth.

Hardcore Gentlemen - Tanya Morgan featuring Revive Da Live from filthygomez on Vimeo.

NEW Lupe Fiasco - Fire

Been a while since I heard some new Lupe music. I didn't get to see his concert on Governor's Island but Just said it was official tissue. This new track is kinda hard. I like the energy of it for sure.
Go Chicago!

Lupe Fiasco - Fire

Lost In Translation?

I've never been to Australia so I don't know how they view people of color. Unfortunately I'm not up to snuff on the status of the Aboriginal population there. However I can honestly say I was not ready for the video shown below. I'm very pleased to know that a gentleman named Harry Connick Jr. stood up and said something against this deplorable behavior. Skip towards the end if you can't take the performance to see commentary from the judges.

What do you think of this "tribute"?
SPEAK OUT! (c) Insane Martin Payne

You Need Some MF Doom In Your Life

Hopefully you know who Doom is but in case you don't here's a little taste. He's not for everybody but those who dig him are blessed. I fought against listening to him for years then I finally caved in once I heard One Beer before the Madvillain album dropped. I've been a fan ever since.




And here's a video of Mos Def discuss how much he loves Doom.

The Foreign Exchange - I Wanna Know

If you don't have this album and you like R&B you're playing yourself. This is the latest installment in banging videos for their album Leave It All Behind. Phonte' and Nicolay are really doing their thing for this project. Salute to my OKP fam.

The Foreign Exchange - ''I Wanna Know'' from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.

Does Your Child Have A Cellphone?

If so why? When I grew up the cellphone was a mark of luxury. It was something I saw on television and was always a big deal. The rich kids in the suburbs would use their cellphones to talk to friends. I never thought I would actually hold one in my hands. Then high school came in the mid 90s and cell phones became more accessible. I remember taking a Regents exam in my senior year of high school. One student got a call on his phone and walked into the hall to answer it. It was the ultimate sign of cool. Fast forward to today and everyone and their child has a cellphone.

The world is a very different place but the more things change the more they stay the same. It's interesting to talk to people and hear about how all of these school children have phones. A personal phone! Why? You need to get in touch with a 12 year old while they are at school? CALL THE SCHOOL!

I don't see why any child who is not a teenager should have a cell phone I'm sorry. If I was a parent (which I'm not) and I wanted to give my child a phone they would get the cheapest no frills phone. Minutes only and you can only call ME. No texting allowed on the plan, no web pics, NOTHING. Just "I need you to pick me up." and that's it. These kids are getting spoiled AND they are learning NOTHING. When I was a kid we would find ways to not pay attention in school. We had no cellphones and we would draw or do something to stray from the lesson. I can only imagine with cellphone games and texting how much actual learning takes place. In my opinion we need to help our teachers and students to get the most out of their time in school. So I ask you, does your child have a cellphone? If so why? And if you don't have a child what's your position on this issue?

Speak Out! (c) Martin Payne

Tanya Morgan and Black Sheep Tonight @SOB's!

If you want a dope show to see tonight in NYC you really want to be at SOBs at around 8pm. My boys Tanya Morgan are gonna tear it down something terrible with a band backing them up. Not to be outdone they will be sharing the bill with Black Sheep. It's gonna be a hip hop fernanzie in the spot and I can't wait.

Here's a lil video to give you a taste of what we are in for tonight.

BabyStone (Sly's Legacy In Good Hands)

Just a few days ago I was listening to California's radio station KCRW and came across a super dope band by the name of BabyStone. I started going crazy listening to their song "Halfway" as it didn't sound like anything out currently. The song was just plain sick!

Once the song finished I immediately went to a few friends for some info and got nothing. I did find on cdbaby that their is an EP out by them. The real nugget was learning that the band is comprised of none other than Sly Stone's baby girl Novena Carmel and Itai Shapira. I'm a still learning fan of Sly and the Family Stone. I think the band put together some of America's most amazing music from a very important time.

BabyStone is exactly what I'm looking for right now in music. Been feeling a lil stale with my iPhone choice of albums as of late. I can't wait til I get this CD in the mail.

Enjoy the video and the song I initially heard from them is the second jam they perform.
(Oh and doesn't Novena look just like her daddy?)

I guess it's that time for World Disasters

First I hear about the terrible flooding in Atlanta. I'm sure there was a ton of damage down there. Next I see there was major flooding in the Philippines which is very scary. I have a bunch of friends who are from there. There is a serious push to get relief to Filipino people. For those of us who want to help the people who are under serious duress right now check this link and give what you can. This company (Xoom) is providing money transfers to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) with no fee attached for a limited time. Lets make a difference folks.

Philippine Assistance

While I'm still digesting those two disasters Indonesia gets hit with an earthquake that kills over 700 people and the numbers are rising. *smh* So much death caused by nature. What makes rain hail snow and earthquakes?

I just got back from San Fransisco (which I will discuss later) and I noticed there is a surcharge on plastic bottles to encourage folks to recycle. While we possibly cannot change the situation regarding living in the ring of fire in the pacific, we can affect change here at home. Remain conscious of the abuse visited upon the Earth every day by humanity and the role we all play. Every moment is a choice, lets choose to be helpful rather than a hindrance and/or burden on our planet. What if Fulton St. got flooded or Guy R. Brewer BLVD? You would want people to assist in ending your suffering and rebuilding so lets do the same.

Remember that the Planet Earth is our home not just our respective countries or our block. We are responsible for every square inch of it. 196,940,000 sq miles. Lets treat it and it's people with some respect.

Derrion Albert, When Will It Stop

"Are we gonna live together?" (c) Senior Love Daddy

I just watched a video that made me sick to my stomach. I've often professed my love for all things Chicago but this my friends is one thing I can't condone AT ALL. There is no excuse. Such senseless violence being perpetrated by our young people. It makes me sad and angry. What's not so funny is I remember driving along an avenue similar to the scene of the crime. That fateful day there was another fight going on among some teenagers. The look of it was way more tame than what you will see when you watch the video (if you can).

I think of the culture of violence encouraged by our neighborhoods and by our country on a larger scale. This particular incident was a byproduct of the gang culture which has been present in Chicago since before I was born. Derrion Albert was reportedly NOT a gang member. He was actually an honor student in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to do the right thing. There has to be community outrage regarding this incident. A 16 year old is beaten to death by a mad group of his own peers. There is no outside force to blame here. There no need for blame, but there is a need for action.

Lets not wait until Derrion become James from the second floor in your building. I think this is a case of teenagers who have clearly insulated themselves in their own little world where this behavior is ok. Build a relationship with the young people on your block. It may save a life.

"Together are we gonna live?" (c) Senior Love Daddy

Dropbox comes to the iPhone

Looking at one of my favorite blogs Lifehacker I ran across this great piece of news. One of my favorite software items is now available for the iPhone/iTouch as an app. The software is called Dropbox. I'm sure a few of you have heard me talking about this program for a minute now. My good friend K Dub put me up on it a little over a month ago. I've been all about it ever since and even hooked it up on my mother's computer.

You see Dropbox works just like any other folder on your PC or Mac. The trick is this folder (or set of folders) starts out with a free 2 Gigs of space and has the same content no matter where you are. So say you set up Dropbox on your home computer, and also set it up on your work computer. You just did 80% of a project and would like to finish it at home, however it's too big to email. Place this file on Dropbox. When you get home you open up Dropbox and you are looking at the same folder from your job containing your project. Say goodbye to flash drives my friends.

You can also log on from any computer with internet access by logging into the Dropbox website and reach your folder that way without installing anything. And now that good folks at Dropbox have created an app to keep the good times rolling. I'm downloading this bad boy tonight. P.S. Just so you know, I installed Dropbox on my mother's PC so that when she needs new music for the iPod I bought her, I can just place it on my shared folder in Dropbox (which I gave her access to) and she can just pull it down. Cuts down on my traveling during the week.
Get Drop Box

Your Welcome
(Oh and hit me up dashaun@mothergreen.com for a referal so I can get my Dropbox size up. That's right with every person you get to sign up you get more free space)

Drake - Forever (feat. Kanye W. Lil Wayne, Eminem)

You be the judge.

Forced Vaccinations in Massachussets?

I ran across this video on the web and thought I would share it with you all. The bottom line is don't take your liberties for granted. There are folks out there who are looking to undermine your freedom at every turn. Keep up with laws being passed in your territory and find out what you can do to enact change when necessary.

Hands Off My Brooklyn Neighborhoods!

Recently I was in the market for a new apartment in Brooklyn. I'm finally taking the big step out of East New York (where the manic depressive psycho murderers stalk). As I looked through the different craigslist postings and real estate websites I got very upset.

First of all lets get something straight, I've been living in Brooklyn all 30 years of my life. I've spent time in Flatbush, Crown Heights, Bed Stuy, you name it I've walked there. These real estate maps are trying to tell me that Flatbush doesn't start until after Church Ave. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Also the area known as Lefferts Gardens is within Flatbush just for your information. Flatbush starts at Empire Blvd. Prospect Heights while it's a neighborhood now was only a high school when I grew up. There was no such neighborhood to my knowledge. Clinton Hill...only within Clinton and Washington on THAT HILL going between Fulton and about Myrtle. Now I got people telling me that Franklin and Dekalb is Clinton Hill, WRONG it's Bed Stuy.

I know there are still some Brooklynites out there who know the deal. Don't let these outsiders come and tell you what your neighborhood is. Reclaim the streets and buy property. Lets dictate how we live and who we live with. If you don't yours could be the next Williamsburg (unless you're into that sort of thing *smh*).

Remember When Gov. Patterson Was Liked? Me Either

Ok well that's not entirely true. When he took office initially I was hype. Here we have a blind Blackman living uptown in Harlem taking over the highest office in the state. You gotta love that right? ...Right? Well then the coke thing came out and I thought cool he's clearing his table to do the work. Then the relationship scandal dropped and I thought ok but now get to work. Then there was the... well you get the point. A LOT of time has passed now and I'm still waiting for him to get to work.

Apparently I'm not the only one as word has come down from President Obama's administration that the Gov. should not look to run in the next NY election. His poll numbers are in the dumps and have been for quite some time. The Governor in his steady pattern is still looking to run despite word from Capital Hill. *smh*

I had some high hopes for Mr. Patterson. He still lives in Harlem and is running the state. Maybe before he leaves office he can make sure the drummers in the Mt. Morris Park don't get edged out by the "new Harlemites". At least he pardoned Slick Rick.

Well here's further discussion of the tension between The Gov. and The Pres.

The Robert Glasper (Trio / Experiment)

The first time I heard of Robert Glasper (and the Trio for that matter) was over a year ago. I was invited by a friend to see them in concert in Madison Sq. Park, downtown Manhattan. Watching Mr. Glasper alongside Chris "Daddy" Dave on drums and Vincente Archer on bass I was stuck. Here is a young man on Blue Note records representing a new generation of fresh Jazz. Each member is incredibly talented.

I just listened to the new Robert Glasper album "Double Booked" and it's sick. On the album he moves from his Trio work to his second group the Robert Glasper Experiment. The change is apparent and seamless. Here's a video of the trio getting busy.