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?

Old School Mondays

Yes Yall, good Monday on this gloomy day.  I'm gonna take back to my hood with some bangers, & mix in a couple.

A little Mic Geronimo, take back to 94.  The Wastelands of Flushing.

Large Professor is one of the main brother's that brought that new sound to hip hop in the early 90's.

Gotta put Flush on, always reps the Q.U. 97.(not a video just audio) had to put it in.

I just wanted to drop a little Raekwon to the mix, 93.

Another one of my favorites.. I got too many. Wu Baby. Peace!!!! 96-97. (If I'm correct)

Song of the Day: Q-Tip Renaissance Rap

This little gem is a hidden track on the 2008 release from Q-Tip The Renaissance. The track uses a sample I first heard on a Fat Kat track a few years ago. Tip also borrows Rakim's flow from My Melody on this song which fits perfectly. While it's not an original sample (hah) Tip does a damn good job here.

Enjoy

This is my HOOD...

Now this was a great time that took place last week in MY HOOD.  I went over to support my younger brothers NUTSO aka Nutrageous shooting his video out in my hometown Flushing Queens. I haven't seen dudes in a long time shout too, Nique-Mark Dollars-Supreme-Nutso-Bear-Battle-34th rd... all the hoods in Flush Town.

(Parental Advisory)

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!

Hump Day Humor

Half way through the week with health care and spring on the brain, lets take some time to laugh.

My second favorite comic of the new generation.


Richard Pryor predicting the future.


My man Rodney working the room in Caddyshack.


Eddie in his prime.

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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Penny For Your Thoughts

I just finished a recent work. I've truly been enjoying this particular project just because it allowed me to dive into some of my childhood fears. I remember reading this book and how much it scared the crap out of me. For me the book was far better than the movie just because I thnk your mind can run wild with imagination. Please take a look and I hope you enjoy the end product as much as I enjoyed creating it.

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.

Jazz On Sunday Morning...

Peace and good day people

Here's another playlist of some of my choice tunes for you to handle your business to. Hope you get it on, and in your zone today...

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

Barnstormers in NYC

The other night West hit me up and asked if I knew about the show that was taking place. To my surprise I didn't especially since I just spoke to Bluster and he forgot to mention it to me (Thanks Blust!!!!). I was definitely eager to go and support the crew so when we showed up it was a really good turn out. Made our way to the 3rd floor and worked our way down. Got to reconnect with heads I haven't seen since the early 90's which was really dope. Take a few moments and go check out the show at the Joshua Liner Gallery.

Here are a few pics from the show. There are some really good pieces I didn't get a chance to shoot but you get the idea.

Some people checking out Bluster's interactive/enter at your own risk/welcome to a collection of my thoughts exhibitPeople Pics

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>

Hump-Day Humor

Peace fam.

As always I hope everyone is making the best out of their week. Here are a few video's to make you smile. Happy Hump-Day!

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

Drunk History: Douglass & Lincoln (Starring Will Ferrell & Don Cheadle) from FODPresents

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

Mariah Carey VIDEO PREMIERE w/ Jack McBrayer from Jack McBray

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!?!?

Old School Mondays

Originally this was gonna be a totally different post but due to timing we are here once again. I really enjoy posting anything that basically takes me and any other person back in time to their childhood. So since youngun Dashaun did his post on "They Broke Ground" in Brooklyn I decided to take a few of my favorite songs based on the planet we all know and love!!!

Bluster's Birthday Bash Bang Out

Black cat is bad luck, bad guys where black, must've been a white guy who started all that....©3rd Bass. For Bluster's 40th rain nor nor'easter kept it from being a great turn out. It fell nothing short of good vibes. Faces I haven't seen for a minute showed up. Here are a few pics from that night.

Me, Jay Debeck (Deadly Dragon Sound) & Blussa Blust

Original EOS Crew

The Lioness teasing the Hyena

The Cuban Mysterio & Big Doves The Don

AJL in effect

Fuse Green & Gemma

Cake and Pics courtesy of Gemma, you can check out her blog here

Turn it up!

New video by Sadat X....

DJ Tahleim was one of the original dancers from the Brand Nubian Camp,

the Swingers Of Soul... Good to see y'all doing your thing! Peace Savior I see you...

Jazz On Sunday Morning

I wanted to bless the Sunday Jazz with some of my favorites.  One thing about Jazz you have to appreciate the art between man/women & instrument.  

Enjoy some of my favorites.

Alice Coltrane (John Coltrane's wife)  on the Harp & Pharoah Sanders the horns. 

I got to keep it with Alice I used to listen to her hard. A Harp is not your normal instrument to hear played.

A great drummer who's played with all the greats, Roy Haynes.

The 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

Car Crazy

With all the things going on with Toyota I felt I had to show why German cars(VW-Audi-Porsche-Mercedes) are the best engineered cars. 

Everyone knows how much of a car junky I am well I gonna share some clips on an Engineer who built a machine of all machines. Ferrari, Lamborghini, it's not that I don't love those cars but when you can't drive your machine everyday and have the same performance. Why...

A Beautiful Day for a Stroll

I don't know much about this song or the people who made it but I am a fan of the subject matter. Plus it was illustrated/animated so beautifully I had to share it with you. Thanks to Bluster Primero for sharing this with me. You can check out his site here.

Record Makers Promo from CreativeApplications.Net on Vimeo.

Hump Day Humor

I had to take it back and share some of my favorite episodes of cartoons when I was a little one with no care of my own. To sit in front of the TV was great but to have a large bowl of cereal and a big spoon to accompany me was even better. So here we are with great way to keep the week moving with a few good laughs.

Nightmares (NYC 70's) - Imagination or Reality

I saw this documentary and I felt it contained so much of what we (fellow NYers, who have lived here for more than 20 years) have been feeling about this great city. It contains the struggle, the anxiety, the fear and the triumph that every underdog goes through.

To set it off I thought it would be fun to listen to some Dana Dane


One of the main things I remember saying to people is how sterile the city has become. Due to gentrification (shhh don't say that word) and all the new comers to the city who have no concept of paying dues. It's as though there is a sense of "I deserve" just because of ego. That's straight shit, in order to have a rep you'd had to have put in work = time. This isn't about being known by everyone but known by the select few in the right places. Relationships are crucial to survival. Just to get a clearer picture of what it was like back then watch the first episode, but I know once you start you will see it all the way through.

Old School Mondays

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

Throw Backs

Recently I had the privilege of watching a movie by one of our peoples you might know of as DJ Shan Boogie. This movie documented a special time in The Rotten Apple when something was made out of nothing by the youth. It touches on and captures moments when New York was truly a melting pot. Not a microwave quick fix meal like today. I was only a youngster having fun and playing with my toys at this time but I had an older brother and sister who were teenagers and enjoying this moment for themselves. I talk about those moments with them till this day as well as compare my childhood notes with O Doggs since he also had 2 brothers and we shared the same age difference between our siblings.

Because of Shan's Movie as well as going through all the great mix cd's that Serve FBA (download here) has given me, the MG Fam has provided one for your listening pleasure to go along with this post. It made me dig up my brothers old Fun House tank top. I also came across another old tee still in my collection but that is for another post. Enjoy

Jazz on a Sunday Morning

Peace Family,
This post is a follow-up to Dashaun's original "Jazz on Sunday Morning" post. Last week sometime, Oxini and I got to discussing our love of Jazz music. I really dig the Love Jones soundtrack, particularly number 15 entitled "In a Sentimental Mood" which was number 1 on the original album Duke Ellington and John Coltrane 1962. After that CD I found a new appreciation of this wonderful genre and the people from which this art is manifested.

I remember when the Love Jones soundtrack first came out (1997) I played it like crazy. One day thinking I was putting Big O down with a headbanger I started yapping as I loaded the CD player, but as usual he already was up on this and then blew my mind with some other John Coltrane stuff who just happend to be his favorite Jazz Musician. Since then I've developed a list of favorites too...

Here's a playlist from my favorites, to become a soundtrack to your Sundays with the MotherGreen Family while you're doing you...(whatever you like/have to do) Enjoy!

Well maybe it wasn't that short but I hope you got alot done. Whether resting, exercising, loving, cleaning, refining your talents, preparing for the week, paying bills, organizing budgets, perfecting your craft, renewing yourself etc. Love You Family. Peace!