im good

HER

my sophomore year so far

Alright so syllabus week was a forgettable one..... things just take a second to settle

there was this party though the first friday night.... i met her..... moving on

Sadly I've been a lesser me then in previous times; yeah I've been supporting leaks.  Currently listening to GOOD AM a couple days before it comes out but we'll get to why some other time.... let me explain....  The entire semester and its current wave was kick started when Rodeo leaked... I was hesitant at first but you'd have to see the living room I spend a lot of my time in to understand just how the speakers drew me in.  We can even put a lot of the blame on Nick who teased the whole listening event I'm going to get to when he played Antidote LOUD.  I know Travis Scott has this whole Rager/Goth vibe that might be weird to listen to with a girl not far from perfection but after the magic of Sonic Slushies ran its course she was in attendance of our "listening party."  It was past curfew so the speakers smoothly played the album as Vine Compilations blessed our TV with their humor.... I still listen to 90210 hoping it'll sound the same way it did that night.

That marked the beginning.  Surprisingly the songs that stuck weren't the ones i thought would... Piss on your grave???

LAKE TAHOE NOT A-TOWN

thoughts from the present on the whole Rodeo release...... I'll write about how I think albums should be released now a days but WTF it only sole 75k copies... we got to support better for real 

Four days after the official release of Rodeo Earl Sweatshirt came to Houston... I was there, with her.  HUGE SHOUT OUT TO VERONICA who is kind enough to bless me with the definite opportunity to attend these shows at Warehouse Live.  I had originally shown up solo dolo early enough to catch these openers I'd never heard of but when I found out the blessing included a second ticket I called her.... she was in the gym but agreed to let me pick her up and attend.  I was high key nervous cause... well lets analyze this.

1) I had never brought a female to a concert of such 

2) I didn't know how we could possibly have fun if the concert was as depressing as expected

3) this album

In my opinion the best album of 2015 had been my go to music since I saw Earl at SXSW hours before the release.

It is so good at defining this part of my life that was just dark and stupid negative.  I mean good grief.....  I think it's just a matter of understanding and not understanding when you listen to it and I nons want to try and elaborate BUT you can watch the video below if you're super interested

(SIDE NOTE: so I'm currently reading The Odyssey in one of my classes here at the private baptist university that houses me; the part of the book where Odysseus has to drag his men off the Land of Lotus Eaters reminded me of this album)

BACK TO THE SHOW

We showed up and I want to say Earl was performing Sunday but I really don't remember because I know it wasn't long at all until he was performing all of IDLSIDGO.  It was pretty fucking euphoric if you ask me; the entire atmosphere was super positive.... i think it has a lot to do with the fact that she was there with me and being super cool with me shouting out the lyrics I knew.  Looking back on it I think that was definitely a transitioning point in my life were everything in general was starting to look far more appealing and worth while then it had in quite some time.  I think it was most apparent in the way my running career went from being a struggle back to fun and competitive like the days before I represented HBU when I raced.

DIPPIN ON COPS IN MY TRACK SHORTS

ON TO THE MOST CURRENT.... Crazy cause this artist has been providing soundtracks for me to live with/by since freshmen year of High School

WAIT WAIT WAIT before I get into the album I watched the interview below right around the time of the Earl Sweatshirt show

I really do think this whole sequence happened in the order it did for some odd reason... like some one had me consume it in this order on purpose but I don't go to church sooo scratch that right.

So by the last ten minutes of this interview I feel like the whole vibe has been killed because of just how obscure Mac answers to the repetitive questioning of what happened to him or what it is he went through.  The best answer we get is that whatever it was it wasn't very productive or appealing to his mother and that we should simply trust him when he says "I'm Good"

I think it kind of solidified that life continues after the weird/dark phase.

I'M GOOD

On to the Album! GOOD AM

Sooo I had the opportunity to listen to it when he first tweeted the link.... but it just wasnt the right time.  I can't go into detail on when it was the right time... but guess who was there; her.  The intro track reminded me of the album that made my senior year in high school what it was, BECAUSE THE INTERNET, but all because the theme is about starting fresh... new beginnings... new day.... alarm sounds.... GOOD AM
Mac Miller has never failed to help improve the quality of my life! 
You don't have to read all this purple text about how i remember Mac Miller stuffffff
Blue Slide Park came out my sophomore year in High School; first concert I went to at Warehouse Live with my then bestfriend, Queso... it was the first album I bought the day it came out.   I listened to Macadelic the first time I drove to San Marcos to visit my brother... that route/drive and album are all too familiar now.  That tour was odd but thats when my I was out there getting in line for the show hours before the doors open just to have a good spot. Delusional Thomas/You/The TV Show all were consumed.  Watching Movies with the Sound Off came out the end of my junior year; I listened to that one through my beats while riding my bike in the early hours of the day.  The Space Migration tour was ridiculous; vince staples, the internet, chance the rapper fresh off of Acid Rap, and the fresh acoustic way at which he tackled the show was all just.... beautiful.  Then there was Faces that came out the night I had competed in the UIL Texas 5a State Championship 3200; it was so odd and hard that it set the perfect mood for the summer between graduation and the rest of my life.

Now for GOOD AM ohhh this ought to be good

you know uhhh

do what you want

defy what you don't

@kikegiraffe

"Need a little bit more Soul"

So this summer I know i haven't been posting and all, but don't think that we been slacking, cause we never do that.

Anyways let me get to the point of this real quick. 

Over the summer I been taking suggestions from my peers on the artist they think can make music. One artist that I would like to show love to is Soul of Sherif . This guy makes music that actually means something not that nonsense that stay on the radio nowadays. From the first song I heard "Sold my Shoes" I knew I would like his music. I wish it was more artist out there like this dude and that he had more music out.
Check out some of his songs on Soundcloud below  

#11189JOHNNY98111#

DWUDWUD

The ART of Rap vs the SKILL of Rap

For the longest, I've heard people debate about "lyrical" and "technical" in terms of rapping. It's very interesting topic to me, because most people THINK they know what those terms mean, but their definitions and examples are almost always off. In fact, these two terms are what make the "Tupac vs Biggie" debate so difficult to conclude. Allow me to explain.

Lyrical ability refers to how well a rapper expresses his themes, messages and emotions. Displaying creativity through imagery, storytelling, entendres, wordplay, metaphors, similes, and hyperboles are all elements that play a big role in a rapper's lyrical ability. Lyricism often holds substance and has meaning. Being lyrical in rap is extremely similar to poetry or other forms of art. It has been said that the purpose of art is to convey and draw out emotions and passion, which is why a great lyricist can effectively make the listener resonate with his emotions and visualize his words. (ie. Lupe Fiasco, Jay-z, Wale, Nas)

Example: (Nas on "I Gave You Power")

"I seen some cold nights and bloody days /
They grab and me bullets spray /
They use me wrong / so I sing this song 'til this day /
My body is cold steel for real /
I was made to kill / that's why they keep me concealed
Under car seats they sneak me in clubs /
Been in the hands of mad thugs /
They feed me when they load me with mad slugs"

Technical ability refers to the structure of the rap and how it sounds to the listener. I like to call it the "scientific side" of rap. The use of complex rhyme schemes (internal and external rhyme), assonance, enjambment, paradox, and other literary devices are what define a technical rapper. Unlike lyricism, technical rap does not require substance or emotion to convey its message. It just has to "sound" pleasant to the ear. A rapper's flow and delivery are also a testament to one's technical ability. (ie. Tech N9ne, Chino XL, Twista)

Example: (Tech N9ne on "Interlude")

I’m accustomed / fucking lovin’ nothin’ / but to get your brain
And I be stuck in lust / and quick to bust a nut / and take a nigga’s dame wit’ no shame
When they be bussin ‘nough/ they thinkin’ they thuggin’ tough /
But never do knuckle up / you in the game, you bang /
You druggin' / touchin’ everything, you lame? /
Sucka, you cannot sustain the rain

Now that we have clear definitions, let me proceed to say that Tupac and Biggie cannot be compared! Tupac is probably the the greatest example of a lyricist who had little technical ability. Most of his songs were passionate, had substance, and painted pictures of the hardships faced by those in poverty. He was very poetic with his raps, but his rhyme schemes were predictable, similes were basic, and kept the same flow in most of his songs. Biggie, on the other hand, was a great lyricist, but his technical ability is what separated from the rest of the genre. If you ask an old head what they liked about Biggie, they'll most likely say something like "It was jus the way he flowed on the beat!" and then proceed to spit about four to eight bars from one of his songs (probably getting half of Big's words wrong -___-). His flow and delivery, combined with his punchlines, rhyme schemes and storytelling, make him a fan favorite. Biggie, however, lacked substance in most his music. His songs were mostly belligerent and bravado-filled.

Based off this analysis, one might conclude that Biggie is the clear victor of the debate because he is both lyrical AND technically sound, while Tupac is mostly lyrical. However, a factor that I feel is relevant enough to consider (and that most people omit) is influence/audience. Tupac's music is holy grail of passion in hip-hop. Songs, like "Dear Mama", "Smile", "Thugs Mansion", etc. garner introspection every time you hear them. Even J.Cole said that "'Pac wrote the bible". Tupac made people believe that the "system" wasn't made for people to prosper so we'd have to make a way. Biggie's music was for people who just had dreams of making it from the projects to the penthouse.

Lyricism and technical ability are what separate good rapper from great rappers. The best rappers are those who can't fit under only one of these categories, due to their ability to excel at both. Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Chance the Rapper, Eminem, Andre 3000, Earl Sweatshirt, Drake, Tyler the Creator, Big Sean, Joey Bada$$, and Childish Gambino are all examples of great lyricist who also showcase technical ability in their verses on many occasions.

Examples: (Andre 3000 on "Sixteen")

"I feel right at home, y'all / sitting right at home
All / Kelly green with envy / while I'm jelly beans descending /
Into the palm of a child / looks up at mama and smiles /
With such a devilish grin / like "where the hell have you been" /
She yelling selling's a sin / well so is telling young men /
That selling is a sin if you don't offer new ways to win /
A dolphin gon' shake his fin / regardless if he gets in
Or out of water / most important thing for him is to swim"

(Kendrick Lamar on "Good Kid")

"Look inside these walls and you see I'm having withdrawals / of a prisoner on his way

Trapped inside your desire to fire / bullets that stray
Track attire just tell you I'm tired / and ran away
I should ask a choir what do you require to sing a song / that acquire me to have faith"

Everything that I said in this post is my educated opinion. I suggest that you go do your own research on the topic.

@nubeemac3

do what you want, defy what you don't

east side x south west

Thought this whole event was pretty cool because I managed to bring together my friends from the east side of houston with my friends from the south west side of houston.

The mission was one big project.... whats important is there was this "team" working to try and achieve a goal.  Everyone was contributing their skill/hobby/passion to achieve something bigger then any individual.

Jaquory and Casron are from the east side of Houston and have the experience behind the camera to create something worthy of serious attention.

Jacob and Brandon are from the south west and make the entire concept of a photo shoot so simple and easy without lacking in quality production

check out the random photos i took saturday night

@kikegiraffe

do what you want, defy what you don't