My first Vlog entry. I’ll be doing more of these….no web cam next time though…the video is horrible.
Your thought ?
Hip Hop culture is something that I’ve loved ever since I was a child. I was born in its epicenter in the Bronx in 1981 and as such, I knew nothing else.
I wasn’t raised on Jazz, Funk, or Rhythm and Blues. Hip hop was, and still is, the soundtrack to my life. In recent years I’ve grown dissatisfied with what passes for Hip Hop.Dancing and partying is ok, but back in its hey day Hip Hop had balance. It spoke to the playboys, dope boys, back packers, 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths, and every division in between. These days it seems to only speak to dope boys, strippers, ignorant teenagers, and those infatuated with “swag.”
I was one of the many newly christened old heads lamenting Hip Hop’s death. What I didn’t realize was that the art form that I know and I love was merely returning to its essence.
I recently listened to a new project by Kenzo Digital called the City of God’s Son. I call it a Hip Hop Opera where the art of the sample is used to craft a story out of soundbites, clips, and verses from Jay Z, Nas, GhostFace, Raekwon the Chef, and Biggie Smalls. It’s not only an homage to the sample but also to mid 90′s New York Hip Hop.
If you’re a student of Hip Hop or a late comer to the genre then take a listen.
http://www.cityofgodson.com/
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
I, like the many millions of computer users out there, used to worship at the altar of Microsoft. I was a slave to the dreaded windows OS and have come face to face with the dreaded blue screen of death more times than I care to count.
My personal experience with the Windows OS forced me to learn how to troubleshoot common pc problems, update drivers, switch out hardware and peripherals, rid my HDD of viruses, and eventually how to place a fresh install on my box of choice.
I was happy to do this up until sometime last year. My wife tried to download a documentary from zshare and we were greeted by the blue screen of death. I was unable to clean the virus off this last time and lost countless photos, songs, and many other files. I was not pleased. I vowed to rid myself of my unholy dependence on Microsoft.
The wife and I went to South Carolina last night and rang in 2009 with family.
Being with the people you love is so much more fun than going to a party, club, bar, cabaret, or any other traditional expensive and overrated NYE events.
I think I’m going to actually make ONE resolution for the new year; spend more time with family and friends. They truly help to make life worth living.
Happy New Year from your friendly neighborhood math teacher and hip hop geek.
Enjoy the Skillz 2008 wrap up
JDM
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