Nike: 1 Love Series

The World Basketball Festival was earlier this month in NYC.  Nike did an online documentary where they traveled to each borough in New York & had a homegrown talent show them around, showing them how their borough influenced them. Looking at these videos, I'm now realizing why people say this is the best city in the world. It's so diverse, each borough their own little world. It just oozes culture. New York truly breeds fighters. Watching these videos I'm reminded of my deep love and re-dedication to my craft[s]. Below is my favorite one: Harlem. Check out the whole series. Could this be the city I live in next year?

Paid in Full (D.A.R.E.)

I work. A lot. So I hardly ever have time to write how I would like. But today at work some lines just came to me outta nowhere & I ran with it. Over the course of the day, between ringing up customers & completing other tasks I finished probably some of the best shit I ever wrote. I know I said that in my last entry but I really feel like I'm getting better each time; my heart is FULLY exposed now. I feel like within this "poem" & because of this "poem" I've found peace in the situation that I'm in & who I'm with. Or not with.

My voice 
Silent, calm 
I didn't dare project
What my heart was too scared to reflect
Inside my head I was screaming
"Don't you DARE do this to me again!"


How can I object?
When SHE'S the subject?


My heart hasn't gotten any rest yet
If I pack in too much hurt
If I pack in too much pain
I feel like it's gonna burst outta my chest
My eyes try to close
My mind tries to forget
My heart tries to erase 
But my soul knows


These feelings have burrowed 
Embedded, engraved
Water flowing
Hoping to wash it all away
But the stain stems too deep 
It's here to stay


As my feelings are getting deeper
The climb to get to you is getting steeper
It grows from anger, to hurt, to disappointment
Take a shot
Pop a pill
Just to feel the numbness
Tryna hold it together
So I don't say you're full of shit
But me walking away would say I don't want none of this 
& me staying, tight lipped would say that I'm okay with it


This 
Situation that we've been placed in
My mind spaced out
My soul levitating
My high elevated
I'm sobering up
Now I see what it really is 
The reason why you're hesitating
I'll have my love paid in full
No apologies 
You are accepted

"Nothing is a void with no stars."

Pharrell inspiring kids to chase their dreams. Sit back. Take notes. Understand & adapt to your life. & what YOU really wanna do with it. 

FLICk...I. Want.You. X 2

So this week, this one song has been in my head, everytime I go on the computer, it plays over and over. I Want You by Theophilus London. If you look down, you'll see footage of him performing it live. I swear I vibe with him so hard because of this song, If somebody could take a picture of my heart, my soul, my thoughts right now, it would mirror that song.

So today while I was in church, I wrote maybe one the REALEST things I ever wrote. It was exactly how I felt, what I saw in my mind in real time. I have to say that this song inspired it but I can't say entirely. LIFE inspired this.

Sitting on my hands in church
All the while
Thoughts unleashed
Mind runnin' wild

3 successive kisses
kiss. kissssss
kissssssssssssss
Spirling towards a bleak abyss
Where only you and I exsist
one of those cinema, epic kisses
where the camera circles slow
not quick
dizzying kisses

I like you (kiss)
I love you (kisssss)
I'm in love with you and wanna spend the rest of my life---ooo shit are we moving too fast kisses (kisssssssss)
The I don't give a fuck who sees (kisses)
Lips moving at a steady pace
While the hands seem to move and fit in every place
Face, neck, shoulders, chest
Bodies moving in rhythm with every caress
I confess
No longer awake or even concious
I still feel every chill and sensation
Pulsing through my chest
No turning back
No regrett
I stil believe this is a dream
I just haven't woken up yet

I. Want. You.

This song has been in constant rotation all week. Theophilus London. I want you.

I'm still mentally slapping myself that I just got hip to Chip & we live in the same city.

Go Dougie

GO DOUGIE!!! from levi maestro on Vimeo.

I love this video. Doug E. Fresh By Levi Maestro

Mixtape Junkie

If there's one thing anybody should know about me is that I L O V E mixtapes. They are seriously one of my most favorite things in the world; I can go on and on for hours about mixtapes.

In my opinion, mixtapes are better than a CD. They show the range of the artist, there's really no boundaries, you truly get to see your favorite rapper in true form, discover some new amazing people, and plus they're free. What's better than that?

I loved the idea of a mixtape, it was genius. When I was in the 8th grade, I thought "Why aren't singers doing the same thing?" About 6 months later, Amerie came out with her mixtape, being one of the 1st major signed singers to come out with one.

Mixtapes have been around for awhile, it was a way for new rappers to get their name around, get a buzz in the streets. The 1st mixtape I got was the 1st installment of "I Can't Feel My Face", a collaboration with Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana. I played that mixtape to death; after that I was hooked.

In about '07, I started to go a different direction in how I found my music(meaning I actually searched for my music) and I got hip to a lot of different, origional, talented artists such as The Cool Kids, Santigold, and Miguel Jontel.

Last year people called '09 "The Year of the Mixtapes", with the release with Drake's, "So Far Gone", J. Cole's "The Warm up", and even newcomer & one of my favorite Diggy's "The First Flight."

In my opinion 2010 is raising the bar on how mixtapes are percieved. You could really package and sell these projects as actual CDs. These artists put so much work in these mixtapes for them to be free, just for the fans. They genuinely love what they do. Even though 2010 is far from over, there's been so many good mixtapes released but I have my Fav 5.

1. There Is No Competion 2-Fabolous
Dude officially killed the game on this one. I really liked how he brought on some people that were as talented as him, but weren't really well known(Paul Cain, Red Cafe, Kobe, Freck Billionaire).

2. 100 Words and Running- Machine Gun Kelly(MGK)
OMG!!!! Words cannot express how I feel about this one. Reppin my hometown Cleveland heavy, MGK, being the 1st rapper to win Apollo; he's doing big things at only 20 years old! This guy can spit, he's hands down my favorite rapper right now. Look out for him. Remember the name! Or better yet download it before he blows up!

3. May 25th-B.o.b.
It's so refreshing to see somebody who's signed who actually has talent and something new to say. ♥ I'm sure you've heard of the radio friendly single, "Nothing On You" feat. Bruno Mars and "Airplanes" and "Airplanes pt. 2" feat. Hayley Williams & Eminem. On this mixtape, you really hear him without all that packaging & nonsense. He's outspoken about a lot of things, plus he sings and raps; that's why I love him.

4.In My Zone-Chris Brown


I was surprised at how much I loved this mixtape. In my eyes it was better than his CD that he came out with in December of last year. In My Zone all about sex, girls, and partying; while the CD was more emotional. I think his fans needed to see this side of him again.

5. Don't Mention It- Pac Div
Talented group that got that Cali Swag with a message. 'Nuff said.

There are many more mixtapes that I would've talked about but these are my current fav 5 that I can listen to over & over again.

Honorable Mentions: Yelawolf's "Trunk Muzik" & Chris Webby's "Optimus Rhyme."

Check out Datpiff.com for all the hottest mixtapes, that's my favorite website. They have everything.

*Tyga & Chris Brown's "Fan Of a Fan" mixtape drops at midnight! You know I will be one of the 1st to cop that! *

Pandora's Box

Yesterday I went over my friend's house and I watched Avatar for the first time. I was always kind of skeptical about this movie since it was a smash hit immediately in the theaters and I hate to love what everybody else does. I have to say I'm blown away by this movie. From the first couple of minutes, I was transported to the world which the people of Na'vi call Pandora, which is their homeland. I grew to love and appreciate it just like the natives, just like Jake Sully did.

Basically the condensed version of this movie is about Jake Sully, a injured war veteran who gets recruited to learn the ways of the Na'vi and communicate through an avatar, controlled by his conscience. As usual the U.S. wanted to infiltrate and take over. The more he learned about the ways of the Na'vi and had been accepted as one of The People, he no longer realized what his mission was or what side he was on. He was more attached to the world of Pandora than his own.

I could see why; the scenery, the people, the way they looked at life, at their planet was so awe inspiring. Pandora, spirituality and their god Eywa were at the center of their life. They were so connected to and respected their planet so much it made me mad. The U.S. didn't understand how important and vital the environment was to the people of Na'vi they were so quick to destroy it for their own gain. I wanted to cry.

It made me think about what the U.S. always do and these 2 words kept popping through my head: deploy and destroy. & then we leave with the destruction in our wake. That's what we do time after time, and it's crazy what we're doing.

I got so lost in the world of Pandora, I could care less about this one. But it also made me look at it differently and for that I'm grateful.

I look at it like this: I am of this world but I also inhabit the world of music, wishing I could be a permanent native. Living and experiencing things in that world helps me to see things in this world & hopefully help me to show a new way to look at things for others. I am reborn after this experience.

"I see you."

Future Plans

Saw this tweet a couple of days ago & it had me thinking. Where do I think I'll be in the next 18 months? I hate to even think about a couple months from now. My mind won't even let myself go that far into the future. To me it looks dark and bleak, because of the present.

It's crazy how I used to stay up every night till almost 2 in the morning, dreaming, planning, writing for my future. I didn't care what time I had to get up in the morning. I loved my sleep but I lived for my future. That's what kept me up night after night. Now, I usually go to sleep at 12; 1 if I'm really feeling daring. My current state of mind at that time was," I have to be responsible, I go to college." That was what I thought would get me out of my situation. I had to be focused. But I wasn't living, I really wasn't thinking at all. I slept soundly, while many other people, were grinding, chasing after and working towards what they live for.

I want to wake up every morning, tired as hell, knowing that I worked my ass off on something that's apart of and contributing to my future. I want to know that I'm one step closer to my dreams becoming an reality. I plan to devote my heart, my soul, my everything to make this happen.

So here's to returning to late night writing & planning sessions, giving my life to something that I live for: my future. ♥