This is How You Get Got

For the record, before I begin, I was never a huge fan of the Ferrari F430. Not that I don’t think it’s pleasing to the eye or that its performance isn’t up to par (V8, 480+ hp, 0-60 in 4.0 seconds, top speed 190+ mph). It’s a beast. It’s just not my style. I see myself as more of 612 Scaglietti kind of guy or the California if I were going to stick with 8 cylinders, not that I wouldn’t trade my car for one in a heartbeat, even if it does get three times the mpg.

But this isn’t about me. I just tend to make it that way.

Former NFL-er, Corey Dillon, is (possibly was, now) a fan of the 430, so he bought one and wanted to do some work on it and add some upgrades to it to make it faster, a twin-turbo system according to stories I’ve read. FYI, it costs over $1000 to change the oil in one of those Italian stallions from a certified spot, and we aint talkin’ Jiffy Lube. I don’t know if there was necessary work that needed to be done to the car outside of performance enhancements. So, he drops around $55,000 to make it happen.

That was Mr. Dillon’s first mistake.

I repeat, “480+ hp, 0-60 in 4.0 sec., 190+ mph.” A Ferrari needs an upgrade like Halle Berry needs plastic surgery.

That means it doesn’t, and she doesn’t. Try to keep up with me, kiddies. I know most of you don’t understand Italian or &91!$# for that matter.

This excerpt below is the from Ferrari’s American site.

The only company in the world to consistently apply Formula 1 technology to its production cars, Ferrari prides itself on building some of the finest high-performance road cars available today.

This is Ferrari’s way of telling anyone generous enough to part with over $200,000:

*cues George Lopez accent*
*pounds on chest several times*

I got this!

Now I like to have nice things just like you
But I’m from Brooklyn certain s--- you just don’t do. -Mos Def, "Got"

You don’t put barbeque sauce on fillet mignon. You don’t give GW a second term (Thanks for that, no seriously). You don’t make suggestions on how you would improve the Mona Lisa. You don’t believe 100 percent of what any rapper says in his/her music. You don’t eat anything with beans on a first date. You don’t say, “Yes,” to the, “Does this make me look fat,” question. You don’t go to a University of Michigan football game wearing an Ohio State Jersey (okay, maybe this year), and you don’t do anything to a Ferrari. Is it possible? Of course. Is it a good idea, probably not. If you are going to do some aftermarket work on a Ferrari, get it done by some read-deal folks (like Hamman). Chances are, the best aftermarket spots for Ferraris (Although I'm sure there are some decent spots stateside) are outside the U.S. After all, they built the car, but I'm no expert.

Anyway, back to the story. So many, many moons go by—about 14 months’ worth—, and Corey’s super-fast car is yet to be made super-fasterer. In the midst of all this, the people who were supposed to make the upgrade to the car somehow convince Corey to invest $470,000 in the actual shop that was supposed to do the work. Now Corey’s out over a half mil, and his Ferrari F430 still only does a measly 190 mph. He eventually takes the car to another shop, drops another 34K to make it, “driveable.”

*bangs head on desk, takes bathroom break, refreshes cup of tea*

Now Corey’s pissed and wants his money back, understandable. He claims the Ferrari fixers spent the money on “fast food, perfume, liquor, groceries and gasoline.”

My math might be off, but let me see. $550,000 (I’ll round it down, because it already hurts too much) could get:

196,428 Animal Style Double Doubles from Inn & Out Burger

Or

1 Meeellion White Castles

Or

114,087 Gut(thrie’s) boxes, one with extra toast, no slaw, extra sauce (FAMU, anyone?)

Or

2 kidney-shaped swimming pools filled with High Karate

Or

66,344 5 fl. Oz. bottles of Brut cologne

Or

550,000 mini bottles of alcohol found on liquor store counters nationwide

Or

3 entire shopping carts (filled to the brim) at Whole Foods

Or

1 month’s worth of premium gasoline (Mid 2008 price, Pre-Obama era. … Coincidence?)

Or

3 Ferrari F430's

Or

550 hours with Ashley Dupre

Damnit! I forgot to include lawyer fees! Disregard the above calculations.

This is why you have financial advisers. This is why you save your money, children.

Guy with a lot of money: Hey, I’m thinking of opening a couple of Porkchop-on-a-Stick franchises, but I’m not sure where.
Financial adviser: Why?
Guy with a lot of money: Well, I like pork chops on sticks.
Financial adviser: Fair enough. Where were you thinking of opening them? Have you scouted locations?
Guy with a lot of money: I’ve narrowed it down to two locations. The first one is on Rader St., right around the corner from the PETA office. You can see the bay from there. It's a beautiful view.
Financial adviser: . …
Guy with a lot of money: The second is next to the Boulevard Veterinary Hospital for Integrative Healing. I already put a down payment on both of them. I was thinking of even going as far as Nebraska and Wisconsin, but all they eat is corn and cheese over there.
Financial adviser: What!? Why didn’t you. …
*Financial adviser bangs head on desk, takes bathroom break, refreshes cup of tea*
Guy with a lot of money: Where you going? We’re also gonna have smoked turkey legs. … You know. … For vegetarians.

*financial adviser returns, googles "Japanese ritual suicide"*

I don’t know Corey Dillon, never followed his career, didn’t even know he was retired. I am not losing sleep over this, and I have absolutely no problem with this man. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, and he has a right to spend his money how he wants to. Maybe he likes to race, and cars are his thing. Normally I wouldn’t write about something like this, but judging how I wrote an entire song this morning in my head while still in bed at 7 a.m. it’s safe to say I’m in a writing mood. There I go, making it all about me again. Seriously, I really just want people to learn from the mistakes of others. Use (not spend) your money wisely. Many times when you see these people on TV flashing all this money--whether athlete or musician, other entertainer etc.--the people who can afford to pay them are often in some country like Sweden or France. The same goes for all that nice clothes and expensive alcohol. We gotta be fly, swagged out, trill, gangsta or whatever crap we're calling ourselves nowadays in order to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, and we have to let everyone know it at all times.

*Takes photo in bathroom mirror wearing ridiculous sunglasses, throws up imaginary gang sign, sets as default profile picture, caption reads, "supaswag - Kia ownzz only".*

After all, "Jockin' Rober Kuok, J-jockin' Robert Kuok," just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Corey Dillon could’ve just purchased the Ferrari Enzo (approx. $700,000-1M, v12, 660 hp, 0-62 mph in 3.6 sec., top speed 217 mph) and saved himself the headache or merely savored the supercar he already had and bathed in 55,000 1-dollar bills a-la Scrooge McDuck, unless 217 mph isn’t fast enough.

Regardless of what I say, Corey Dillon got, got, and I hope he can get at least some of his money back. I can't stand a crook. I remember when I was around 19 I got got for about $5,000 by some shady car people (Watch out for those car auctions.). I got most of it back, though, thanks to a blood-thirsty lawyer. ... Should've listened to my girl at the time when she said, "I'm going to the bathroom. Don't buy a car until I get back." I think she went #2, because I couldn't have possibly lost all that money while she pee pee.

*gags at thought of ex going #2, again for losing all that money while she pee pee.*

(note to self: stop making this about self)

And if anyone is interested, I have some land for sale that’s made out of sugar. It’s about 25 miles southwest of Houston.

Mr. President

Thank you. Have a nice day.


P.S.
I've been really busy lately. I'll tell you about it later.

Joy Denalane feat. Lupe Fiasco - Change

I ran into the politically charged version of this song at Bronxrap.com which led me to look for the original version. First check out the original, then the Obama remix version.
Enjoy.

Joy Denalane feat. Lupe Fiasco - Change from Nesola on Vimeo.

Obama and Joy - Change from John Mc Kinsey on Vimeo.
I dig. I dig.

SNL - MC Palin. ... Kind of

That's Young Pay-Lin, @!#$&. You betcha.
I spotted this at HipHopDX.
They have the lyrics here.



Gunshots. ... Classic.

McCain's Dead Corner

For the record, before I begin, this is just an observation.

I was driving in Studio City yesterday, and I came to the light at Ventura and Laurel Canyon. It's a pretty busy intersection. As I waited for the light to change I noticed a bunch of people with signs for McCain saying this and that about Obama. No problem. Normally when people are holding signs on a corner for whatever reason, people are yelling slogans, drivers are honking their horns; you know, the usual. However, something stood out to me.

The corner was dead. ... Not a single slogan yelled, not a single car horn. I could barely hear the cars drive by. It's like everyone was driving a Prius or something. Those cars are frighteningly quiet. It was as if time slowed down like that scene in 300 where Leonidas kicks the Persian messenger down the hole that leads one to the floor right above Hell.

Maybe people are ready for something different, at least an attempt at something different. Maybe everybody on the corner was just tired. Maybe the drivers didn't see them, or maybe they had one hand dedicated to the wheel and the other to their Blackberries or Frappuchinos. Maybe they were on Obama turf.

Ironically, during my stint on the dead corner (and during this historic election that involves black and female candidates), I began listening to KCRW, and they were playing a segment that delved into the historic run for the U.S. presidency by Shirley Chisolm, the first black woman elected to congress. They played old sound bytes and talked about how brave she was, and it triggered a desire to learn more about her.

Crawling down Laurel Canyon for about 15 minutes (traffic was rediculous) gave me time think about a couple of things.

1. Shirley Chisolm was one baaaaad woman.

And.

2. I should've taken the 101.

Barack & Curtis: Manhood, Power & Respect

I thought this was pretty interesting. I found this over at HipHopdx.

John McCain: My Fellow Prisoners

A friend of mine sent this to me a little while ago.

The way the words, "Clarity," and "Candor," soon follow are priceless, not to mention the awkward silence afterward.

McCain Refuses to Shake Obama's Hand After Debate

Don't even get mad. Just keep it moving. If O does become the president, this is just one more thing he'll have to deal with. However, I think the number of political leaders worldwide who would stand in line to shake O's hand would balance things out. 

(Sorry if the text looks a little, "off." Get mad at Blogger.)

Biden v. Palin

Politics doesn't normally excite me, but I was amped to see this debate. The Obama/McCain debate was ok, but maybe I didn't get too into it, because I was listening to it while stuck in traffic on I-10 after working about 14 hours on the set of a TV show, and it's not like we haven't been hearing these two speak for some time now. Maybe my interest had something to do with the fact that in her short time in the spotlight, Sarah Palin has been a talking disaster when it comes to interviews. I think the presidential election process is way too long and expensive anyway. I understand this is the world's toughest job interview and all, but. ...

However, Biden and Palin are new to us. I was dying to see this debate like. ... Gee golly gosh darnit, I don't know, like a pitbull that plays hockey with lipstick on. 

I made some food. I had a bottle of wine ready.

Joe Biden ran back the opening kickoff. I think he just seemed in control from the start.

...The following are just random thoughts that popped into my head as the debate went on...

Obama voted against the against the bailout. Biden voted for it. Strategy? Smart. I guess. Well, people are allowed to disagree. 

Did she just call him Senator "Obiden"?

Did she just say "nucular?" Really, four more years of that, but she says naivete correctly?

Ooooh, she said the "H" word (Holocaust).

Senator Biden. So, gay couples can do all that great stuff. ... But you don't support gay marriage? 

Sitting down with our "enemies" makes me think of the heads of mafia families or drug lords sitting down together trying to figure how all can prosper. It's not great, but it's better than a free-for-all. It's a necessary evil.

Stop looking at your cue cards so much, both of you but especially you, Sarah.

Why is she blinking so much?

She made a good point about Biden changing his views on certain issues after becoming the VP candidate.

If she says, "Maverick," one more time. ...

------------------------------------------------------

(according to answers.com)

maverick  (măv'ər-ĭk, măv'rĭk)n.

    .  An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.

    .  One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.

adj.

Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence: maverick politicians; a maverick decision.

------------------------------------------------------

I think voting for Mr. "Maverick," would be like voting for George Bush III. It would also guarantee Tina Fey a gig on Saturday night Live for the next four years.

I love Tina Fey.

If Palin says, "Gosh," "Golly," or "Darn," one more time. ...

Biden getting choked up when talking about being a single father. ... Nice.

John McCain knows how to win a war? Apparently someone doesn't know that the "P" in "POW" stands for, "Prisoner." Didn't we lose in Vietnam?

John McCain knows how to win a war? Does he know how to end one? Does he know how to avoid one?

I have to go now. I have to go teach Joe Biden how to say "Cha-rac-ter-ized."

Biden 1 - Palin 0  

Trip to Puerto Rico

For the record, before I begin, my grandfather (on my mother's side) is probably the most intelligent person I've ever met, and trust me, I know more than a few brilliant minds. I come from them. I hang with them. I work with them. ... I hope to be one of them. You know the deal.

I went to Puerto Rico for a week to chill with my grandfather. As soon as I heard he wasn't doing too well I booked a flight ASAP. I went down there for two reasons. One was to hang out with my grandfather. The other was to give my aunt a break, because she puts in a lot of her time into making sure my grandfather is ok, not to mention that grandma (another ridiculously brilliant mind) needs a helping hand herself sometimes.

My aunt also had to leave to a medical conference in Prague.

So I get there around 3:30 p.m., and as usual when I go to PR I'm greeted with food & liquor (word to Lupe Fiasco). I brought my grandfather a gift, a futbol (soccer) jersey and a ball from his favorite team, Real Madrid. He's from Madrid. He's hardcore with that, like I am with Dade (Miami). He loved that.

So we chilled, talked, watched a few futbol matches. He even wore the jersey I bought him during the Real Madrid match. They won. I forget who they played against and the score, but I think it was 2-0. He was yelling at the screen and everything. It was good to see him full of life, even if he was cursing out the announcer.

We also went to this (mainly) seafood restaurant to celebrate my grandfather's brother's (grand uncle?) 44th wedding anniversary. We were about 30 deep, and the food was cool. The staff was cooler. I had a fried snapper, some wine, some appetizers and a great time. There was also a belly dancer there. Someone said she was family. I was disappointed. I later found out that she was my grand uncle's neighbor and god daughter. That's not family. Is it? I hope not. She was. ... not family I hope.

So I hung out more with the grandparents, went to eat a few times, went to a supermarket that might be more expensive than Whole Foods and cooked almost every night. Everybody knows when I come to Puerto Rico I own the kitchen.

I also chilled with my little cousins who are both aspiring musicians. They started a band together with a few other people. I gave them some advice about recording and promoting their music. My younger, female cousin was a piano prodigy at the age of five and was playing in Canada before she. ... Well, before she probably did anything.

The last couple of days before I left I made sure I was able to sit down with my grandfather, and just talk to him, and learn more about him. I always knew he led an interesting life, but I had no idea what I was in store for. I knew he was a doctor (psychiatrist), an olympian for Spain and an art collector among other things. He was also an amateur boxer (35-0). I found that out when I saw a picture of him with my grandma. He had a cast on his right arm. He mentioned he broke that arm during a bout with some Italian guy. 

There were some other interesting facts I learned about my grandfather, but I'll save that. If time allows I think I'll go to go back to PR, and pick his brain some more, maybe even record it. If I live one-third of the life he's lived, I'd be content with that. He amazes me, and that's not something that's easy to do.

I got back from my trip late Saturday night, used Sunday to recuperate and went to work early Monday morning on a TV show. Tomorrow I work on another show. I'll let let you know more about that soon.

Be good.

Q-Tip Rap City Freestyle

For the record, before I begin, Q-Tip is my favorite emcee of all time, and Midnight Marauders is my favorite album of all time. Enjoy.

BMI Urban Awards 2008

For the record, before I started this post the day after the awards, but a lot has been going on recently, so I wasn't able to put as much into it as I would've liked, but. ... Today is 9/14. Life happens.

Last night I went to the BMI Urban Awards. It was cool. I've been to several BMI Awards for other genres but never Urban. Usually the awards are more like banquets, a nice hotel, an open bar, amazing food, me sitting next to people I've never met, the usual. Then hey run down 50 or so songs that were performed a bunch of times throughout the past year.

This was more like. ... An award show. There was not hotel, but a theatre, The Wilshire Theater to be exact. There was a long line for viewers to get in when I got there. I was both media and a guest. Normally, red carpet is not my favorite thing to shoot, but. ... I got bills. I usually prefer to shoot during the show. That stuff is usually more interesting to me, and it's how I've shot every ther BMI award show I've been to.

So I get there right before the red carpet opens and I get a spot by the house photographer for the Wilshire Theatre, a music trade publication and MSNBC. I take some pictures or a about 90 minutes and head in. For most of the night I hang with a new friend, publicist, Jasmine Vega.

I go inside, and since I have a ticket that means I don't have to leave or hang in the press room. When I get in there are metal detectors at the front, and I'm told I can't bring my camera, so I have to check it or take it to my car. As I'm getting ready to check it I notice producer, Danjahandz, behind me in line, so I ask him for a flick. Then I check my camera, and see a girl who works at BMI that I'm cool with. I compliment her on her perfume (she always smells amazing), chop it up for a couple minutes then go in.

I go in with Jasmine, and there's a bunch of people: artists, publishers, writers, groupies (male and female), publicists, the whole gamut. ... And food. Hennessey, Patron and Smart Water were sponsors. I didn't get a single drink. I was starving, and by the time I was ready to sip the bar closed, but I was full off crab cakes, chicken skewers, chocolate mousse and some other stuff that I couldn't identify, but tasted good regardless. I end up seeing my old boss (a major player in music and just an all around, good dude) and a former coworker (a really cool cat and a lover of "real" Hip Hop) and chop it up with them for a minute. I also run into DJ Khalil (super cool, humble, done some shows together). The preshow was hosted by Fonzworth Bentley and Yung Berg, Ray-J and Soulja Boy perform. I was still outside at this time. Then Jasmine and I go into the show.

We end up in the sixth row, directly behind my former coworkers and execs from my old job. A Rick Ross performance kicks off the show. Then, BMI President/CEO, Del Bryant talks about soe of the great things BMI has accomplished in the past year like over $900 million in earning and over $780 million inpayouts to songwriters. BMI's Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations (Atlanta), Catherine Brewton is cohost alongside Bryant, and she looks amazing (as usual). Polow Da Don gets the night's first award for Ciara's "Promise."

At these shows they usually just run down the award-winning songs; the award-winning writers/producers/publishers come up on stage, take a picture, and the process is repeated througout the night.

In a nutshell:

- BMI President and CEO, Del Bryant is funny, and he doesn't even try

- BMI VP, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, Catherine Brewton is gorgeous

- T-Pain wins songwriter and producer of the year (Surprised? He shared producer of the 

   year credit)

- Universal Music Publishing wins Publisher of the year (Again, surprised?)

- The Jacksons were awarded the BMI Icon Award

- Janet Jackson showed up

- Michael didn't

- Keri Hilson, Mario, Ray J, JoJo, Bobby Valentino, Lloyd and O.N.E. performed Jackson

   tribute songs 

- Those Jabbawokeez can really dance

I'll put some pictures up on my Myspace. I can't just throw pictures up all willy nilly like that. Every picture I post has to be edited, even if only just a tiny bit.

Why?

Because I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my sh-t.

Anyway, I'd get deeper into the details of all the festivities, but I have to jump on plane. See you in a week. I'll tell you about some of the TV stuff I've been working on.

Be good, and my prayers go out to everyone affected by that bastard, Ike.

Hot Links

• Nine myths and mistakes in online music marketing - Elemental-Consulting
• White S. Africa man feeds black man to lions, gets parole - Bossip
• Humanity Lobotomy (future of the internet, video) - Sweeneykovar
• Seven-year-old girl uses Viagra to stay alive - Scotsman
• US Army to have laser guns by 2013 - Newscientist

YouTube in 1985

I'm still waiting on my "Tight Bootyshakers" video.

Stephen Colbert's Speech at the White House Correspondent's Dinner pt. 1-3

I ran into this somehow and remembered how brave (read: gangsta) this cat had to be to pull this off . Comedian, Stephen Colbert basically gave the finger to the U.S. government and made them laugh while doing it, right in front of the President. This was history in the making to me. Plus I love stand-up. This is old, but I figured I'd put it up. If you're even semi-aware of what is going on in the world and have something resembling a vocabulary (I'll just assume you do) you'll appreciate this.

Balls? Spheres is more like it. I salute you Mr. Colbert.

In case you weren't aware, Stephen Colbert is more gangsta than any rapper ever. ... Any. ... Ever.

Hot Links

For the record, before I begin (I'm trademarking that), Current TV is probably my favorite channel. I stop by their site from time to time, and find some interesting stuff on there. They get probably thousands of links to news and entertainment stories every day. So, I just gathered a few that I thought were interesting (disturbing and scary as well). Here are some links to some of the stories. I know some of the fonts below look a little bit off, but it's 5:48 a.m. (disregard the time below), and I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to sleep. Good morning.
(I see the fonts look OK now, 6:14 p.m.)

• The first person to undergo plastic surgery - Telegraph
• Cuba rock band blasts Cuban government, charged with "social dangerousness" - Pornopararicardo (CNN Video)
• Girl set on fire for rejecting marriage proposal - Bild
• Double standard for threats on Presidential candidates - Firedoglake
• Black assault helicopters hover over Portland during Michelle Obama's DNC speech - Indymedia
• Slavery haunts America's plantation prisons - Truthout

R. City (aka Rock City) Showcase at Area

Before I begin, for the record, I think Rock City (brothers, Theron and Timothy, and I'm not calling them R. City no matter what legal papers say) will be bigger than Akon, and I think they are better musicians/songwriters than Akon. I'm not taking anything away from him at all. He's one of if not the biggest artist on Earth. ... Well, I still think Rock City are better musicians/songwriters.

I don't think I've ever had such a great time at an industry function. It was the perfect combination of celebrities, "regular people," and silicone. Anyone I've talked to on the subject knows I feel that no city in America can compete with Miami (maybe I'm biased; that's so not journalism, but we're just talking here, right?) when it comes to beautiful women, but I will say this, if Miami is Michael Phelps then Los Angeles was Milorad Cavic tonight. L.A.'s beautiful women came out on this Monday night (yes, Monday).

Another reason I had such a great time was due to publicist/event planner, Jasmine Vega. I met Jasmine about a month and a half ago, but never worked with her. I've worked with many publicists and event planners over the years, but she may have been the most pleasant to work with thus far, not to shun the other great ones.

One thing that impressed me about Jasmine was her ability to balance work and play (which is really all work in the PR world) so seamlessly. I've seen many do it but never with such cool. One minute it was drinks and small talk with labelfolk and journalists, next minute it was off to see how Raven Symone was doing, then back to entertaining labelfolk and journalists like she never left. We talked shop for a little and I found out that she did PR for The Wu-Tang Clan when they first came out. That really impressed me. I can just image that meeting.

"So, Jasmine we have a new client we want you to handle. They're a Hip Hop group from Saten Island. They're called The Wu-Tang Clan. One of them wears really pointy rings, another one wears white contacts. One is an old, dirty bastard. One is a genius and one wears a mask at all times. Oh yeah, and there's four more of them. They're great. They're really into Kung Fu flicks. You'll love them. ... How do you feel about fangs?"

Jamsine greeted me with a huge smile and hug. Next thing I was invited to a drink. I was warned that the Rock City signature drink of the night was blue and might contain an umbrella, a reasonable gesture in West Hollywood. I was told I could have that or whatever I wanted, but I was game and secure in my manhood. Bring on the umbrella. Later on I found out that the Rock City signature drink of the night may have actually been a Blue Hawaiian (in this case, coconut rum, blue Curacao and pineapple juice, topped with a cherry. ... And an umbrella). As I took the drink in my hand I remembered that I had just started the master cleanse (aka the lemonade diet) this morning. I couldn't turn my drink away now. That would be rude. I had never had a blue Hawaiian until this point. I now like Blue Hawaiians. ... And nicely tanned Hawaiians of the female sort for that matter. After the blue Hawaiian came a few more drinks courtesy of some record execs I had just met. Master cleanse? I'll start tomorrow.

Rock City took the stage around midnight if I remember correctly and performed for about half an hour (if I remember correctly). They put on a good show. Their energy was ridiculous as expected, and the crowd, for an industry crowd, was pretty into. The duo ran and jumped all over the place. I thought the bartender would have been a bit cooler and let Timothy perform on the bar when he jumped on there. ... Wrong.

I'm not a big fan of red carpet/club photography. Shooting a performance is fine, but I don't enjoy shooting people while they're partying, celebrity or not. L.A. is different from Miami in this sense. Miami has more of a "Leave me alone. I'm trying to smoke my weed" mentality. However, in L.A. people want to be seen, so it's a little easier out here. There were a lot of celebrities in the house, but I let them chill for the most part. Who am I to interrupt their inebriation process. Besides, like I said before, club photography, not my thing. A bunch of folks came out like: Evan Ross, Ben Baller, directors Jesse and Ulysses Terrero, Sean Kingston, DJ Irie and DJ Vertigo from Miami and some others. After Rock City performed Tyga jumped on stage for a few songs. I have some of the pictures at my Myspace. I would've put them here, but I thought it might have been a bit much, and Blogger didn't like me at the time anyway.

Lisa Raye was also in the house. She looked really nice with her short hair and a smile that stayed lit. On one of my final rounds around the club before leaving I walked by her and a friend she was with, some actress I recognized but whose name I couldn't remember. This was the highlight of the night for me. Why? As I walked by I heard the unidentified actress yelling out, "Gay. ... Gay, gay. ... Gay," while pointing at approximately every other guy that walked by. She then looked at me. ... "Not you," she said with a smile. She's gooood. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I helped her up some stairs about 30 minutes prior. Maybe it's the fact that I'm straight. Either way. ...

Why didn't I holler at her? ... Oh yeah; it's because I'm an idiot. She was !@#$%&* gorgeous. Honestly, sometimes it feels like you need a three-picture deal or a Grammy to talk to some of these women out here, especially at industry parties, but that's another blog. I should've rolled the dice anyway. Ah well, L.A. is a small town. I'm sure I'll see her again. What was I writing about again?

Anyway.

I left before I go into any trouble or got someone pregnant or woke up with a rash of some sort or co-signed for a car or something.

When I first got to L.A., The Highlands in Hollywood was my favorite spot, then it was Basque up the street. ...

. ... After my night at Area. ... Yeah.

Chillin' with DJ Houseshoes at Fat Beats LA

Sorry for taking so long, but Blogger was acting up, plus I just started this thing last week. Give me a break.

For the record, before I begin, I think Detroit is making the best Hip Hop music in America and has been for a few years now. I say that as a boy proud to be from the South who grew up on all types of Hip Hop, especially that New York sh-t. On a major-label level, however, the gold medal goes to Chicago.

On Saturday I stopped by Fat Beats (a legendary Hip Hop spot in case you didn't know) to chop it up with the king of Detroit (now living in L.A.), DJ Houseshoes. I've been cool with Houseshoes for a little while now, and I think his skill as a DJ and producer along with his taste for song selection will one day lead him to be an international superstar, a definite tastemaker.

Another thing I like about Shoes is that he is a super-humble, regular dude, and you'd never think he was a beat-making protege of the late, great James Yancey aka J Dilla, aka Jay-Dee, aka Pay Jay, aka arguably the best drum programmer in history, aka a guy many people consider the father of Neo Soul and one of the best to ever do it.

When I met with Shoes we talked about a few things like the Brazilian Jazz/Funk show he was going to attend shortly, the fact that he's due to be a father next March and chili cheese dogs, yeah chili cheese dogs. He had a picture on his phone of two hot dogs drowning in chili and cheese that obviously left an impression on him. He was showing the dogs off like they were his kids, perhaps practicing for next March. It's the simple things that matter. In his words, "It looks like death, but it's the best sh-t you'll ever eat." I won't pretend like I don't like hot dogs, chili or cheese. Once their powers combine, I can't resist. It's the simple things that matter.

Another thing we talked about was publishing. This was the main reason I met with him. I've been working on getting him to meet with someone in publishing, nothing incredible; there is just one particular person I want to hook him up with. If you're an artist or a songwriter/producer, publishing is something you definitely need to educate yourself on, STAT! When it comes to hard-hitting, Hip Hop beats, Houseshoes is one of the best I have ever heard, literally. He's one of those cats I definitely want to see shine, because his potential is limitless. That, coupled with the fact that he's such a people person, makes me root for him even more.

After listening to some beats and part of a set by Black Milk (Youtube link, since the Myspace wasn't working at the time) I took a few pictures of Shoes and wandered around the store and snapped a few pictures of the shop. Fat Beats is wet dream for any real Hip Hop fan. For the short amount of time I was in there I fell in love with the genre all over again and forgot how messed up it is right now on some levels.

If you want some good music in your life (and I know you do) you can check out Shoes' podcast right here.

Chris Brown/Wrigley's Gum Commercial (shot by Michael Dallatorre)

Watching Chris Brown play with gum isn't high on my to-do list. It's right before "Buy pack of Wrigley's Doublemint gum, SLIM PACK ONLY!" and "Learn how to dance so I can star in TV commercial."

The only reason I'm posting this is because it was shot by a very talented, up-and coming cinematographer named Michael Dallatorre.

As much as I enjoy the minty fresh sensation of Wrigley's Doublemint gum, not to mention the fact that it is now available in the time-stopping slim pack, I put this up, because I've worked with Mike on several projects, and I'm proud of him. This is his first national commercial, and it looks amazing.

He also did some second camera unit on the film, Hancock and has shot videos for Ziggy Marley, Mario Winans, Blu & Exile and Miss Prissy among others. Check him out here. You'll see he's top-notch and deserves the shine.

You can also check out a much better, hi-res version of the commercial here.

One Block Radius showcase at the Gibson Showroom

One Block Radius, Def Jam's newest addition, is an alternative Hip Hop trio consisting of Z-Man (emcee), Marty James (emcee/producer) and MDA (DJ/vocalist). The sounds were cool, relaxing at times. They made me think a little of Atmosphere and Gym Class Heroes. I felt like the mics could have used a little more treble in order to hear the lyrics a little better. Maybe it's the tendency for emcees to cup the mic when they rhyme, but still, come on Gibson. I know guitars are you thing, but. ... You're Gibson! One thing that was just strange for me was that the place was fully lit. I don't know if it's just me, but I think the the whole vibe of the event could have been much better if they dimmed the lights. Call me crazy, but it's little things like that that mean the most to me.

I wasn't going to write about this, because I just went to hang out after a friend of mine invited me, but then I figured if I'm going to start a blog about some of the things I do I might as well blog about some of the things I do. I saw a couple of familiar faces, and there was free food (that never ran out) and drinks (that never ran out). One Block Radius' album release date is September 16.

All in all it was a good time. I even met a beautiful, young, Puerto Rican woman who grew in the same neighborhood as me back home. After that, I went home, saw Michael Phelps win the 100-meter butterfly against Milorad Cavic of Serbia by a hair and then went out for drinks with some friends at this spot called The Griffin just north of downtown L.A. We just hung out, and I was talking with some friends about some of the film and video projects they had been working on among other things. One guy was telling me about shooting with Dolly Parton and shooting in Glasgow, UK. I really need to learn how to work pro video equipment. That stuff will take you everywhere.

Why a Blog?

I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while now. I have another blog here that I haven't touched for a while, but I'll probably get back on it in a little bit. The main reason I haven't touched it lately is because I wanted it to focus more on video about things I think generation X and Y might find interesting and useful, not so much on the life and writings of a young man who fancies himself nice with words. I really just got bored with it, because I wasn't writing at all on it.

The fact of the matter is, since I've been a journalist, I've encountered some pretty interesting people and situations, and when I tell some of my friends they get really into it. I've had the opportunity to see many of the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Now, I'm not here to put anyone's business out in public. Privacy is very important to me, which is exactly why I chose to blog using Google's blog service. ... Is this thing on?

But seriously, I just want to give people a sneak peak into the life of an entertainment journalist, because people always get to see the end product, but rarely get a glimpse of what goes into making it all possible.

Another reason I wanted to blog is, because many times I read blogs I see instances of irresponsible journalism or just some that is not up to par. However, I understand that blogging isn't necessarily journalism, but that's no excuse. Everyone has a computer or a video camera, so everyone thinks they can do everything. In some instances it's great, other times, not so much. A former co-worker of mine said it best. "Technology made it easier for the sh-t to rise to the top," which is a huge reason as to why everyone is an "artist" nowadays. Hell, I make a little music myself, but my stuff is good. At least that's what my mom says, and she knows everything.

This is not a rumor or gossip blog. Though I won't pretend I don't read (and love) some of them. This is just a young writer making his way through the industry and some of the things that happen along the way.

I'll also talk about some of my past experiences like the time I interviewed Janet Jackson on my lunch break while I was working a 9-5 at a major Internet company, the time I interviewed Cassidy and spent most of our hour on the phone talking about religion (and a couple of careers he ended before they began, an exclusive), to the time my computer was stolen which prompted my move to L.A., to coverage of events I cover from time to time.

Other times I might just write about things that I believe are relevant to us, the young, cool and upcoming. That's where the "Life" part comes in. I think it kind of gives me permission to write about whatever I want. They say blogs should focus on one subject. If I did that I'd have 50 blogs, because I'm into a bunch of different things. Enough for vanity. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

My name is Aurelio Mitjans, and I approve this message.