Thursday, January 27, 2011

GO GET SOME..."T.R.I.M.M"

T.R.I.M.M
Straight out of Atlanta, Georgia, by way of East Point, comes an innovative young talent by the name of YOUNG TRIMM. T.R.I.M.M, which means The Realest Individual Making Music, is a southern based emcee who lends his vocal talents to the world of Hip-Hop in a powerful way. Trimm encompasses that undeniable ATL swagger, highly evident in his music.

Songs Like "Beautiful" and "Radio Killa" just to name few blazing tracks, demonstrate this rising stars rap prowess. Speaking of "demonstrate", Trimm recently released a 7-track digital album entitled "The Demonstration" produced by HeadRoc of Battery 5.  Hot tracks like "Always Here" featuring Esther Dean and the aforementioned Radio Killa can be heard on The Demo. The album IS online, and available for download here:


Pay the site a visit, and take a listen!!



Along with The Demo tracks, there are an abundance of other joints available, like "Pay Me" featuring none other than The Dream. I am a big fan of hot, new hip-hop music, and if you are as well...do not hesitate to check out what Young Trimm has to offer!! He is indeed a "Radio Killa"

GO GET SOME TRIMM!!!

For more music, and more in depth information on, or about Young Trimm, feel free to visit these sites:




and don't forget to follow him on twitter!!



PEACE!!!


MARLON WAYANS VS. JOE BUDDEN?? WTF?


Wayans
VS.
Budden



Apparently Comedian/Actor Marlon Wayans has been having quite the back and fourth on twitter with Rapper Joe Budden today.

It all started with this tweet...


After tweeting this, the youngest Wayans brother went in!




In which Mr Budden replied...



LMAO...The jokes continued for a few hours. Joke after joke, Marlon Wayans dug into Joe Budden, mainly on his appearance, and even Joe Budden's floundering rap career.




I wouldn't even call this a back and forth. It was pretty one sided. After all, Marlon is the comedian and Joe is the rapper. Eventually Joe would almost beg Marlon to stop.



He said..."Just stop fam...please" wow.

I don't know if this was a hoax, or a minor publicity stunt (probably not), but it sure was entertaining.

Let see what happens next...



PEACE!

NEW MUSIC: LLOYD "THINGS I LIKE ABOUT YOU"

LLOYD
New music from singer LLOYD!!!

"THINGS I LIKE ABOUT YOU"




ENJOY KASUALLY!
AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!



ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!








Wednesday, January 26, 2011

NO BLACK NOMINEES???

ALL OF THOSE..AND A BROTHA' AND SISTA CAN'T GET ONE!?

Apparently for the first time in ten years-since the 73rd Academy Awards, there were no African-Americans nominated in any of the 24 categories. The recognition of films fostering the creativity of the African-American community, was seemingly low this year. All of this following a year where the breakout film directed by Lee Daniels, 'Precious', managed to be nominated an outstanding six times.

Obviously I don't believe this was a Hollywood wide snubbing of black actors, just not our best year. Personally-with the exception of a few movies, I don't think this was a thrilling year for the film industry as a whole. In any event, films created by, and starring minority men and women have always endured a tougher journey at the box office.

As far as black cinema is concerned, its apparent that we won't grandstand every year at the Academy Awards. Each year, I would like to think that our fascinating culture will gain us more and more recognition, and not for movies that show the worst aspects of our culture, but the best.

Here's what I mean...

After being in a notably graphic sex scene, Halle Berry won an Oscar for playing a primarily abusive, single black mother, all while her baby's father was in jail [Monster's Ball]. This movie-which happens to be yet another Lee Daniels production, doesn't intend to focus on the lead female role's attributes, but her personal struggle and then burgeoning love affair with a racist. Nonetheless, the characteristics of the less attractive features of our culture were instrumental in Ms. Berry's Academy Award win, I'm sure.

"Why Halle have to let a white man pop her to get an Oscar?,
Why Denzel have to be crooked before he took it?" - Jadakiss

Denzel Washington won not for his extremely powerful roles in 'The Hurricane', 'John Q', or even 'Malcolm X'...but for playing a corrupt, self-proclaimed H.N.I.C (head nigger in charge) of the city streets in which he ruled through fear and questionable behavior [Training Day]. Stories of a pimp on a quest for rap stardom [Hustle and Flow], and most recently the story of young, living and breathing statistic, that is perpetuated in poverty stricken black communities world wide [Precious] were the talk of the town stemming from their respective Academy Award nominations. The list goes on and on, and these are the stories that allow our actors to take home that little gold man.

Training Day is probably one of my favorite movies of all time, and in no way am I trying to condemn Mr. Washington for taking on that role, he did great. In no way am I trying to make a point of saying that, the stories told in these Academy Award nominated films are not true, they indeed are. The point I'm trying to make, is that the sole driving force behind the recognition of progressive black cinema, shouldn't be the visualization of our downfalls. We need more romantic comedy's, films demonstrating our tragic-yet triumphant histories.We need more more African-American thrillers and not all starring SAMUEL L JACKSON! ( he is very good though). We also need less of the generic, repetive stories brought to the big screen by Tyler Perry. He's a strong supporter of female empowerment, but his movies are all so similar. He somehow manages to have room to play dress up and offer comedic relief in the form of Madea in each film.

There are many exceptions, but in any event, better luck next year right? As long as we focus on progress, and not settle for digressing roles, we should be OK.

PEACE!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"TAKE A LOOK BACK'" TUESDAY!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK" TUESDAY IS A WEEKLY FEATURE FROM THE KASUAL WORLD.



In the music industry, Tuesday is commonly known as the day that new music, more specifically new albums are released. Instead of taking a look at NEW albums, we will be taking a look back, at previously released albums, classic albums that we would run and buy (before digital downloads) and play until the CD (compact disc) skipped! These are the albums of yesterday, that are the topic of discussion, today...


Today's Album: "HARLEM WORLD" BY MASE"
by King Riv (contributor)






I’m extremely excited about this particular album. Harlem World by the former prince of Bad Boy Records, Mase. This debut brings so much memories to mind. I will never forget buying this album because it was my first purchase of a non bootleg cd/cassette. Before purchasing this album, I was getting my all my music from the bootleg man on Nevins Ave and Nostrand ave in Brooklyn, New York. 


"Two for ten Dollars!" which was yelled out to pedestrians passing by. This was quite the bargain back then, just two CDs for just 10 bucks! This is when one cd was $16.99 and up. But because Mase was dropping this soon to be classic (in my mind) album, I had to get the real deal this time.


"That will be $19.75 sweetie"
This is what the cashier said to me as my eyes lit up. I handed her the crispy twenty dollar bill I got from my mom. As soon as I got home, I began tearing through the those annoying stickers and wrappers that came between me and the most exciting thing to me at the moment.

I quickly popped the CD into my Sony boom box and the journey for me began. The first time I heard “Lookin At Me” I was like damn this guy is the best no one can’t tell me anything.




This album was the manual to life.at the time. I would recite lines from the song “Tell Me What You Want Me” feat Total to all the girls I liked in class. I would always get a smile back when I did, so I was hyped off that. Every morning you could catch me on the B41 riding to school with my Disc Man ( Remember those?) in hand, headphones on full blast listening to “24 hrs to live”. Every night I listening to the whole album, all the way through 'till I eventually fell asleep.




Harlem World was and still is...one the most well rounded albums I can think of. How many east coast rappers had a down south influence on their albums at that time. Speaking of which, Mase did his thing with 8ball and MJG on the track “ The Player Way". He also had the ladies loving the tracks in which they could dance to like “ Feels so good”. He also had the street record hit with “Niggaz Wanna Act” with the always rowdy Busta Rhymes in the background.



There was a little bit of everything for everyone on this LP, which is why I place it in my top 20!

POW!!!!

King Riv
Kasual Contributor

Friday, January 21, 2011

kASUAL MUSIC: “Can A Drummer Get Some” - Travis Barker and CO.

NEW MUSIC! "CAN A DRUMMER GET SOME" BY TRAVIS BARKER FEAT SWIZZ BEATS, THE GAME, LIL WAYNE AND RICK ROSS!

LIL WAYNE AND RICK ROSS ARE ON EVERY SONG!!
( GUESS 50 COULDN'T DESTROY "OFFICER RICKY'S" CAREER AFTER ALL )



( i like to give options )


ENJOY KASUALLY!!!


ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

Panhandling: Big Business?

Aren't you?

Elaborate signs and catch phrases, singing, dancing, spoken words of despair, or maybe just a sad face and half-filled cup of change. These are the marketing schemes and techniques implemented throughout major city streets day in and day out. I'm not talking about huge corporate enterprises, I'm talking about the person panhandling on a corner, or a subway train car near you. The buck doesn't stop at panhandling either. No matter where you are, there's someone trying to sell you something (something you may or may not need).

I don't have a problem with hustling. I, as well everyone I know hustle in some form or another. I wholeheartedly believe those of us without the necessary tools of survival must hustle to attain the things we need. My only problem is, sometimes it seems these people who are so adamant in getting my loose change, are probably better off then me!


( Lucky for him, the park has a wi-fi connection )

3 reasons why I don't easily dispense my hard earned currency:


1. Skepticism. I always felt like when I gave my money to some drugged out looking homeless person, that they were going to use every cent to purchase more drugs or alcohol. I do not wish to perpetuate their homelessness and I have no interest in feeding someones habit. ( I got my own beer to buy )


2. Lack of funds. Sometimes, I just don't have any loose change. "That's what they all say" says Mr. Hobo. I'm a self proclaimed "Debit Card Head" A person who goes around with no cash, just debit and credit cards. No paper, just plastic. Even if I did have some loose change in my pocket, I may very well need it-and I'm not willing to hand it over. I may need to buy a 75 cent pack of aspirin short notice. ( this city gives me a headache sometimes)


3. My third reason for not handing over my change is pretty much the primary focal point of this entire post. I have always had this strange feeling that this particular homeless person, isn't really homeless. More skepticism. At the very most, this person may actually be homeless, but may be making quite the living off panhandling and street performances...perhaps more than I am.


Although the bulk of my readers are most likely from New York City, I am aware that some of you are from elsewhere. So If you are from New York...even if you're are not, I'm sure you know about the overwhelming amount of beggars in this city. I'm not writing off these individuals as con artists, and drug addicts, I understand that many of the people have merely fell on hard times, but I'm still skeptical...here's why.

This is little more believable...( unless he's a magician )
There is this one particular beggar who has been a consistent fixture on New York City trains since about 2005 (as far as I know). For six years I've watched her go from train car, to train car, telling her sad story of how her husband passed away leaving her and their kids homeless and hungry. Sounds like a pretty sad story huh?

Despite the sad tale, my skepticism caused me to pay more attention to detail. I noticed that every year the reason behind her husband's death seemed to change. From dying in the world trade center tragedy on September 11th, to a particular ailment or some freak accident. Either she's been married a whole bunch of times, or she's not being truthful.

The last time I seen her, she didn't even mention having a husband. Now her reason for being destitute was due to the current recession! This woman also tried to gain an extra helping of sympathy by showing everyone pictures of her children. Guess what...the picture she used was a generic picture that comes in a wallet when you first purchase it! If all of this isn't enough to make you believe she's trying to pull the wool over our eyes, I once over heard her talking to a fellow panhandler about her exploits.

This is just one of many examples of the "Big Business" that's going on underground. There are also the young candy salesman.

" Excuse me ladies and gentleman, please pardon the interruption...My name Jason Wilcox, and I am here selling candy. Not for no basketball team*, but for some money for my pocket. All I have left is M&M peanut and jolly rancher's fruit snacks"
*They used to say the money was indeed for a basketball team, but they've gotten more honest saying that is just for their pocket, and too "keep them out of trouble", a new marketing ploy.

The candy pushers have quite the hustle, they sell candy to train passengers for $1 a piece. They tell a story about how they need money to be able to support themselves, yet most of them are wearing sneakers that cost more then most people's entire wardrobe, nice try. Good Hustle.

He's getting that "Ugg" money!

The only street hustle that I fully support is the performing arts. There are many talented people living in New York City who make our train rides much more entertaining. The skillful b-boys, soulful singers, even the Mexican mariachi bands, spice up an otherwise mundane train ride (unless a heated argument occurs ).


Like I said respect a hustle, especially one that is demonstrative of some sort talent. But as far as people just asking for money and tricking me into feeling some sort of sympathy...that is something I frown upon.

There about 24 train lines in New York City transporting 5 million Passenger's, weekly! Of the 24 train lines there are just under 6500 train cars. Imagine one person spends a week traveling on these 24 train lines. Go further and imagine this person manages to get $1 in each of the 6500 train cars in this week. That's $6500 for that one week! Assuming there is no police presence, and this person gets little to no sleep and doesn't go home, wait! I forgot..they're homeless!!! This scenario most likely won't occur. (unless I've given you guys some ideas...if you try this, I want my cut! )

A more realistic scenario: ( get your calculators ready )

Imagine a person rides the train for 8 hours (normal work day). If they manage to get one dollar from each train car per hour...they would make more than minimum wage! (about $8-$11, some trains have 11 cars instead of 8). If this person does this for 8 hours then the that's $64-$88, tax free! This a minimalists scenario.

If this homeless individual is a bit more determined, they will take advantage of the lack labor restrictions of those with regular jobs and could possibly work up to 24 hours a day. 24 x $8-$11 equals $192-$264 daily! (work two days straight and you can take the rest of the week off!)


( Video clip from "Don't be a menace to society while drink juice in the hood", great example for what I'm talking about )

Obviously there is a trade-off involved when it comes to these scenarios. Any individual willing to make excessive amounts of money panhandling must deal with many unsavory instances. They would have to come up with a catchy marketing scheme, deal with the draining effects of train riding, and the possible humiliation of being homeless.

The world of begging and aggressive panhandling is definitely a big business. Despite the many people who are actually homeless and stranded on our city subways, there are people who are trying to get over on us. Through tactical forms of guerrilla marketing, these individuals are making individuals like myself more and more skeptical. With the growing skepticism, our city will be less likely too support the people who actually need our help. The mentally and financially disabled will continue to be overlooked due to the unwillingness of members of society to believe their stories. Nobody wants to be conned, especially not for their money. 


Thanks for reading!!!

PEACE!



kASUAL MUSIC!!!: Red Cafe “Hustle Hard (Freestyle)”

NEW MUSIC "HUSTLE HARD ( FREESTYLE)" FEATURING RED CAFE 


TAKE A LISTEN!!:  http://db.tt/HcPKGLG  OR http://twiturm.com/8g6kz






ENJOY KASUALLY!!!








ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

kASUAL MUSIC!!!: "ROUND DA WAY TIM" BY TIMBALAND

NEW MUSIC!! "ROUND DA WAY TIM" FEATURING TIMBALAND!!!










ENJOY KASUALLY!!!






ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

kASUAL MUSIC!!!: H.A.M (REMIX) Feat BUSTA RHYMES

NEW MUSIC!! "H.A.M ( HARD AS A MOTHAFUCCA!REMIX" FEATURING A NEW VERSE BY BUSTA RHYMES!!!

Busta definitely goes HAM! on this track! (as always)





STREAMING >>> http://db.tt/GqL6Tvj


ENJOY KASUALLY!!!



ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

kASUAL MUSIC!!!: S&M (Remix) Rihanna ft J. Cole

NEW MUSIC FROM RIHANNA "S&M REMIX" FEATURING J.COLE





STREAMING >>>> http://db.tt/oQ4SIfj




ENJOY KASUALLY!!!


ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

kASUAL MUSIC!!!: ROMANS REVENGE 2.0 FEAT LIL WAYNE

NEW MUSIC FROM NICKI MINAJ "ROMANS REVENGE 2.0" FEATURING WEEZY





STREAMING >>>> http://db.tt/RhmfSy7



ENJOY KASUALLY!!



ALSO BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK OUT OTHER NEW MUSIC, AND MY LATEST BLOG POSTS!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK'" TUESDAY!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK" TUESDAY IS A NEW WEEKLY FEATURE FROM THE KASUAL WORLD.


In the music industry, Tuesday is commonly known as the day that new music, more specifically new albums are released. Instead of taking a look at NEW albums, we will be taking a look back, at previously released albums, classic albums that we would run and buy (before digital downloads) and play until the CD (compact disc) skipped! These are the albums of yesterday, that are the topic of discussion, today...


Today's Album: "MARSHALL MATHERS LP" BY EMINEM written by King Riv (contributor)





The Marshall Mathers LP! What can be said about this great album that hasn’t already been said? I could remember listening  to it and hanging on every word with amazement. Before Eminem dropped this classic, I knew he had skills, but this particular album made me more of a fan then I already was.

The passion he spit on every one of his verses was legendary. If you weren’t a fan, you sure gave up props to Em for this one. Tracks like The Way I Am and the timeless hit  Stan were major hits that propelled this album to over 19 million units sold worldwide!



When taking a look back at this classic album, I gain even more respect for it . The Marshall Mathers LP  is one of those gems that will stand the test of  time, and for that I give it a...



POW!!



King Riv
Kasual Contributor









Friday, January 14, 2011

STARS BEHIND BARS: A VICIOUS CYCLE

Let's start this post off with some numbers...statistics if you will.





The number of individuals currently incarcerated is roughly 2.3 million. A little over 90% of these individuals are male, and of that percentage, 43% of those males are black (despite making up 12% percent of the total U.S population!). This means HALF the men in jail are black, the other half are other...Hispanic, white, etc.



Despite their claims of innocence, its a given that people in prison are there due to a crime committed (whether they are guilty or not). Crime statistics seem to be higher in areas of high poverty. Blacks and Hispanics are the dominant races in low income, high poverty areas. The relationship between high poverty areas and the population in prison is established by the propensity for minorities to commit crime. So basically, poor people are more likely to commit crime, thus, these individuals are the bulk of the prison population.

Its safe to say, If one were to strive to achieve a more substantial life by leaving the hood, they are less likely fall victim to the aforementioned statistics. To quote the late Notorious B.I.G...
"Either you're slingin' crack-rock, or you've got a wicked jump-shot"
This quote specifically explains that the outlets to achieve greatness are minimal.  In contrast to Biggie's so eloquently vocalized lyrics, there are indeed many other options available to young men to achieve greatness. For example; higher education, overwhelming determination, and the wonderful world of entertainment. Assuming the athletic skill, or even musical talent-is present, the pursuit of a career in entertainment should be the obvious choice over illegal sales of "pharmaceuticals". This is why everybody wants to be an emcee or play sports.



Quite a few young minority men are blessed with the musical or athletic talent to excel. Once on a higher plateau, these young men are free from the hardships of the hood (so we thought). As famous rappers and athletes, there is no longer a reason for these beacons of hope to perpetuate the unsavory statistic of going to jail right? 

WRONG!!!

Rappers and Athletes ( Rappers especially) can't seem to break free from being a statistic!

I don't even get surprised by a headline stating yet another rapper is behind bars. From Tupac to Wacka Flocka ( I hate to say their names in the same breath ) rappers seem to have a hard time staying out of prison. To understand why rappers are constantly getting arrested, we must examine the factors of their predicaments. The steadily contributing factors in each case against these rappers are drug possession and weapons charges, and the lesser frequent charges such as; parole violation, assault and for rappers like mystikal, sexual battery.
Mystikal served a six-year prison term for sexual battery and extortion.
                                                        
"Once a criminal Always a Criminal"

This is not a direct quote, but a constant variable when explaining why rappers are always in the clink. Some of the most prominent rappers of our time have told vivid tales of drug slinging and violence in their rhymes. A majority of these are indeed tales,tall ones. For some of these men, the stories of a criminal upbringing are all too real.When you're used to living your entire life dealing with excessive hardships, it takes an extreme amount of will to drastically change your characteristics. Even with the introduction of fame and fortune, rappers still have the very same mentality they had when they were struggling to survive in the harsh atmosphere of the inner city streets.
"Rubber Band Man"
Rapper T.I  was a repeat offender throughout his teenage years. The "Rubber Band Man" as he was called in the street, improved his situation and made his way to the upper echelon of hip-hop. Due to a parole violation, he was again arrested just as his career began to gain momentum. Despite this minor setback, he continued to soar to the top until he was once again arrested for weapons charges. Released early last year after seeking redemption, he was arrested yet again for possession of illegal substances, wow. It's almost as if most rappers are uncomfortable with spotlight they so avidly gloat about in their music. Does that jail cell feel like home?

I totally understand that in the world of hip-hop, street credibility is a very important attribute of a successful rapper. But is going prison worth risking everything they've worked hard to achieve?


I've heard someone use stress as an excuse to explain the love affair between prison and rappers. I'm not going to deny that the life of a celebrity isn't stressful, but I'm stressed 24/7 and I've never been arrested. Maybe my stress levels haven't quite peaked yet, I am only in my mid twenties. Although I do believe stress won't directly buy a round trip ticket to prison, I am aware of the elevated levels of drug and alcohol abuse due to the stresses of fame and fortune. "Mo money, mo problems" - yet another Biggie quote. Drugs are an issue for someone with no money, imagine someone who's wealthy having an insatiable appetite for drugs. The examples are endless.

Case and point.
Before I fully commit to making this issue just a another black issue, or a rap music issue, I want to acknowledge that rappers aren't the only wealthy people who go to prison. From rock music superstars to the "dignified" stock brokers on wall street-who are beside themselves with greed, many well off people find themselves in hot water. Greed, crimes of passion, mistakes made under the influence are all terrific reasons to do hard time.

The major point I'm trying to make is, when you're life is so diminishing all you have is goals for a more sought after life. Not to say that all rappers come from meager backgrounds, but since the birth of hip-hop, songs of poverty have saturated our consciousness. From Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" to 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Trying", the ghetto has worn its heart on its sleeve in efforts to give the rest of America a glimpse of a hard knock life. As Hip-Hop progresses, music is more triumphant, riddled with evidence of a better life, for the lack of better phrase...many more people are eating. Rappers work so hard for a life of fame...free of mediocrity...

Why do they work just as hard to throw it a way, with a life behind bars?



PEACE!!!


FOXY'S GOING AFTER LIL' KIM!!!

No more love? lol

FOXY BROWN IS NOW GOING AT LIL' KIM IN THE NEW TRACK ENTITLED "MASSACRE"
“First a bitch wanna hate on Foxy/ Ten years later now she hating Minajie,”- Foxy on Massacre



It seems as if Nicki Minaj's glorified rise to the to top of has awoken two of Hip-Hop's most popular female emcee's.
First Lil' Kim goes after Minaj with "Black Friday". Now Foxy is going for Lil' Kim's throat with this new "Massacre" track!






Who next to jump in? Remi Ma?...(live from behind bars) or maybe even E-V-E?

I've always believed rivalry in the form of diss tracks were great for the wonderful world of Hip-Hop. There is nothing wrong with some healthy competition, a long as it stays "healthy".

What do you all think of this battle that's beginning to brew, once again??

Take a listen to "MASSACRE" http://db.tt/L7KrRdL 
And If you haven't heard "Black Friday" >>>>  http://db.tt/LmMNLi0


THE BATTLE OF THE FEMALE EMCEES CONTINUES!!!



Thursday, January 13, 2011

NO....NOT THE CRICKETS!!!!!


SO... Apparently millions of crickets have died. *pours out liquor*.

First the Birds, then the Fish, now the crickets. There has been quite a few bizarre occurrences where sections of the  wildlife population are strangely dying, and in somewhat catastrophically large numbers. DAMN 2012!! ( i'm not ready )

If this strange phenomenon continues to spread, I hope it doesn't reach the chickens!

You know who loves chicken right????.....EVERYONE!


I tell you which group of wildlife I do hope is next to kick the bucket....


HIPSTERS!!!
(joking...or am I)



PEACE!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

GUCCI MANE.....WTF????


An ice cream cone is NOT a great tattoo for a repeat offender too have on HIS FACE! You don't need to give your fellow inmates ANOTHER reason to lick your face!.....wow!

That "Mentally Incompetent" plea he entered obviously wasn't from far from the truth.

Getting crazy face tats is in the "Falling Off" Handbook...Just ask Mike Tyson...

BRRRR...

WRITING FOR MY LIFE...


I hear you man!


"THEY SAY 'LIFE'S A GAME' SO I PLAY HARD...                                                                              WRITIN' FOR MY LIFE 'CAUSE I'M SCARED OF DAY JOB" - Common


This is a quote from Common's song "They Say"...Not only is this an ill lyric from my favorite MC, Common, its a personal realization drawn from my feelings about being an member of the labor force. I realize I as well as countless others, hate to consistently go into a job in which we have no passion for. Its not about being lazy, its about exerting large amounts of energy doing something you don't enjoy, for meager amounts of compensation.

If you hate your job and you're currently working a full time schedule, your job tends to become your life. If you hate your job, and this job is a major part of your life, by association...you HATE a major part of your life, which is "wack". I hold pure contempt for many of my previous jobs, now that I'm unemployed that hatred has been subsided. In order to retain this high level of freedom and accompanying happiness, I try to make sure I never have to partake in these dead end jobs ever again.

My particular method of avoiding the harsh reality of life-that is a dead end job? WRITING!
In a sense I'm writing for my life, because I'm scared of a day job...

"They Say": Common

QUESTION?


How many people are currently receiving unemployment compensation as of right now?

An even better question would be...

How many people are currently unemployed and doing something useful with their somewhat "paid" hiatus?


I've been unemployed for sometime now, like many others during periods of economic recession. One day I walked into work and noticed many grim looks of disappointment on my co-worker's faces, I knew what was about to go down. On this remarkable day in question, my manager which I will simply refer to as "management", brought me in to this quiet conference room to give me the bad news. The atmosphere of this room was so pensive you could cut the tension with a knife. As management informed me of my termination due to employee downsizing, it took every fiber of my being, not too crack a smile. In contrast to the look of what seemed to be sincere disdain on management's face, inside I felt like giving this guy a hug! I was oddly excited to be unemployed!

I have been a highly active participant of the work force for about five years at that time, even sometimes having two to three jobs at once! The longest I've been out of work was about two weeks. Due to the fact that I was at this particular job for over 18 months, I was eligible to receive unemployment compensation (assuming my my employment was terminated by management and not by me). So as I sat there and received this "horrid" news, all I could think about was how I would finally be able to pursue the things that were most important to ME, all the while getting a weekly paycheck. I shook management's hand, listened to his apologies, and said " Its no problem, I fully understand" My nonchalant nature must've threw him for a loop, he was probably expecting the stereotypical angry black man. I had no major responsibilities at the time, so I wasn't angry or sad in the least.

After being let go, I was finally able to re-assign my focus to the things I really wanted to do. The mentally exhausting eight hours of tedious work was now subject to my own personal preference. While working a dead end job, we constantly seem to fantasize of doing something better with our time. For me a world of music and writing was my way to break free from the mundane nature of the daily grind. For others it could be acting, modeling or various other instances. I had a plan, but as we all know, things don't always go according to plan.

Once unemployed, It seemed as if all of my ambition had vanished. My writing, my extensive reading and several of my business endeavors were put on the back burner. The absence of employment, increased my freedom, thus increasing my amount of leisure activities. I noticed when you're employed to a unsatisfactory job, the sense of urgency to either find another job or to focus on your calling, is at its peak. Think about how many people search for jobs while on the clock at the current job that they hate.

As I approach the end of my unemployment benefits, I feel as if I'm in race against time toward a goal of financial freedom and the clock is ticking. Relating back to Common's quote, I'm with out a doubt writing for my life. Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to convey. I'm not writing merely to achieve a higher financial standing, I'm striving for a higher sense of self worth at the same time freeing myself from the constraints of a boring 9 to 5.

I know most people are currently working a job they despise, and for various reasons. Some people have highly important bills, or have many other financial obligations they need to take care of. Because of these of these obligations, people have to curb their appetite for more. Due to the constant need for money, and the stability that comes with it,  many quests for greatness are often stifled. I on the other hand, was given the opportunity to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and still get paid. Despite my previous quest for greatness, during this extended time off from working, I feel as if I have squandered away all my plans of action.

So in these last few months of unemployment, my focus has been renewed. I'm writing to ensure I never have to wake up early to go to a job I don't like. I'm writing to enhance my chances at making a more substantial amount of money. I'm writing to increase my input in society and I'm writing to maintain my sanity and my happiness. Most of all, I'm writing for my life, because I'm scared of a day job.

Peace!

No more!!!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"TAKE A LOOK BACK'" TUESDAY!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK" TUESDAY IS A NEW WEEKLY FEATURE FROM THE KASUAL WORLD.


In the music industry, Tuesday is commonly known as the day that new music, more specifically new albums are released. Instead of taking a look at NEW albums, we will be taking a look back, at previously released albums, classic albums that we would run and buy (before digital downloads) and play until the CD (compact disc) skipped! These are the albums of yesterday, that are the topic of discussion, today...

Today's Album:  "ITS DARK AND HELL IS HOT" BY DMX written by King Riv (contributor)



Dark Man X commonly know as DMX debuted with arguably one of the best Rap albums ever...
"IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT".
I remember it all so clearly. It was 1998, and school was close to being let out for summer vacation. DMX's debut album was about to drop. I had been saving all of my allowance, and when the album was here, I headed straight to The WIZ (the former go-to outlet for new music) to get my hands on this album in which I so eagerly waited for.


From the first listen, this album did not disappoint. Man, oh man!..I was hooked. Playing this album was so refreshing for my ears. At this point we were all stuck on the Puff Daddy movement, the "shiny suit era". The shiny suit era was great, but I needed something more aggressive. DMX delivered just that, and in a major way. Tracks like "Ruff Ryder’s Anthem" which you could be heard blasting out of every car and window in my home town of Brooklyn at the time, was the hardest thing out in a long while.

"Ruff Ryder's Anthem": It's Dark and Hell is Hot

At the time of this album's release I was 13, and hearing a rapper create a song like "Damien" had me so impressed. This cat actually had a song on the album, where he thinks a particular person is his friend, but really is a devil in disguise. FUCKING GENIUS!!
 
 
"Damien": It's Dark and Hell is Hot

I thought to myself, "No one had a prayer skit on an album (to my knowledge) at this point" This album was hitting on so many different levels, so Hip-hop gravitated toward DMX's music like bees to honey. People couldn’t get enough of this album and neither could I.
 
To this day, I can still play this whole album and vibe to it, like it came out yesterday. You can’t find too many hardcore hip-hop heads who didn’t buy this album, and still own it. I will forever remember this album as one of the few albums that made me really understand rap music for the lyricism, creativity, and the ingenuity in which it contains.
 
Bottom line IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT is , and will always be a great album.
 

POW!!!

-King Riv


King Riv
Kasual Contributor