T.I. is a braggadocio but he could back his swag up with fluid flows and lyrical skills. From the self-boosting “King Back” to the shit-spitting “I’m Talking to You,” King, his most successful album to date, proves T.I. at the top of his game. Clocking in around 75 minutes, the album could use some trimming, but the fine productions, especially the hypnotic horn samples and energetic beat from Just Blaze’s cuts, help pulling through. In fact, several revisits to King are necessary.
Scholar Michael Eric Dyson drops his academic knowledge to defense hip-hop, in which he believes “is one of the most authentic expressions of the black experience.” Dyson has a new book titled Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip Hop coming out with an introduction written by Jay-Z:
At this point it might seem hollow to repeat what has been widely said about Michael Eric Dyson: this gifted man is the “hip hop intellectual,” a world-class scholar, and the most brilliant interpreter of hip hop culture we have. But plain and simple that is what he is. He has shown those doubters and critics that hip hop is a vital arts movement created by young working-class men and women of color. Yes, our rhymes can contain violence and hatred. Yes, our songs can detail the drug business and our choruses can bounce with lustful intent. However, those things did not spring from inferior imaginations or deficient morals; these things came from our lives. They came from America.
While watching Paris By Night 88, I noticed the background photo in Hoang Oanh’s performance of “Chieu Tan” to be familiar because someone had sent it to me to be included in “Bonjour Viet Nam.” It turns out that Thuy Nga not only didn’t ask for permission to use it, but also manipulated it. How ironic is it that Thuy Nga executives have always been preaching about copying issue for years, yet they don’t practice it themselves? (Via Andy)
Canh Than’s “Di Voi Toi Den Chon Troi Xa” gets a good ol’ “wah wah” treatment. The musical accompaniment is actually pretty. Not bad for an old lady at all. Should record more tunes like this mama.
With the weather plunging to 100 degrees, iced coffee is taking off as well. Dunkin Donuts started it, and now even McDonald’s and Burger King are jumping on the bandwagon. My recent regular is Burger King’s IC, which taste like chocolate milk but the location is convenience for my way to work. IC in the morning helps keep me stay awake while IC in the evening helps me clean my system. Whenever I get constipated, IC unclogs everything. Too much information for you? My bad.
Being a keloid former is a bitch. A little cut could turn into a big scar. Surgical remove is not an option because the scar will grow back even bigger. After years of continuous growing, acute itching and sharp agonizing, I decided to seek treatment.
After reading, researching and consulting, the best way to cure keloid is cortisone injections. The dermatologist warned that injection is a bit painful, which translated to: sting like a motherfucker. And I have to do it every month until the scar gets flattened. Dr. Uyttendaele who is very nice and patience injected on my chest and back, but not on my neck. I can’t even imagine how intense that would be.
I am here bitching about my little keloid while the little boy Hoang Son Pham has a huge tumor on his face. What I am going through is nothing compare to what he will have to go through, yet he’s only three. But God bless the child thats got his own. I sincerely wish him all the best.
Air traffic as seen by the FAA:
The Flight Patterns visualizations are the result of experiments leading to the project Celestial Mechanics by Scott Hessels and Gabriel Dunne. FAA data was parsed and plotted using the Processing programming environment. The frames were composited with Adobe After Effects and/or Maya.
One is a jazz piano prodigy. One is a bluegrass banjo virtuoso. Together Chick Corea and Bela Fleck crafted The Enchantment, a master of art. The secret behind the success is the way the two musicians communicate through sounds. Cue into the end of “Joban Dna Nopia” (at 5:50 to be exact) for instance, you will hear how Corea makes his keyboard sounds like the banjo by playing at the high keys to perform in unison with Fleck, and then vice versa. Whether exchanging melodies, trading counterpoints, accompanying one another, or charging tempos against each other, the harmonization between the two is an unbreakable spell of fusion.
Admire me or despise me, deep down you can’t forget me. The more you think about me, the more difficult for you to get rid of me. Like a ghost, you creep up once in a while to let me know that you’re still around. I wish I could bring you back, but I couldn’t. You’re…