The Amazing Spider-Colbert #573

Stephen Colbert and Peter Parker will collaborate on this upcoming issue of the Amazing Spider-Man #573. What to expect? Who knows?!?!?!?!?!

Shouts to Current for the article.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

SNL's Coverage of the Road to the White House

Hip Hop's Birthplace Up For Sale

City officials have given the okay for the historical building to be sold for 5 million dollars to a high profile investment group headed by Mark Karasick. Even though residents and advocates for keeping the apartment complex out of the hands of big investment companies proposed a 10 million dollar petition, it was not approved by city officials. This is pretty upsetting because over a 100 families are at risk for being displaced once the new changes take place. Not to mention who knows the fate of this historical building now that is no longer in the hands of the people.

It would have been nice to atleast see it transformed into a museum if it was going to be sold or damn remain a home to 100s of people, but that's business for you.

click here to read the article

Hip Hop Theater Festival Sept.23 - Oct.11

So this weekend my friend Netty and I went to the Skirball Center for Performing Arts at NYU to check out this Performance entitled the Break/s written, directed, and starring Marc Bamuthi Joseph. (the flyer in the previous post is what I attended)

The show was pretty dope simply because it was a narrative, spoken word performance, and interpretive dance all in one when recollecting his experiences in Paris, Japan, Haiti, Bosnia, Wisconsin, San Francisco, Senegal, Cuba, and New York. Throughout his travels, Joseph speaks on his search for identity as a black man, educator, lover, and person in general. He definitely had the crowd on the edge of the crimson red seats because you did not what to expect this dude by the approach he used when telling his narratives and his unique incorporation of dance of spoken word that also told a thought provoking story.

It is said that The Break/s is a "live mixtape on stage" and this is the best way to describe it.


Here are some photos from my night:




PS... From Sept. 23- Oct. 11 is the Hip Hop Theater Festival in which plays, performances, exhibits, and open mics will be taking place all throughout NYC. Anyone in the area who may be interested in partaking in the festivities may need to hit this up.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

-PeAcE

Que Estoy Haciendo Esta Noche?

You Can't Be Serious?

They have decided to put Shrek on Broadway. I may need to check this one out simply because if they do not do a good job on the scene with the gingerbread cookie then...

I WILL BE PISSED!!!!


VIEW SLIDESHOW HERE

Video De La Dia

I don't know what the musical attachment is that I have for this song but it's catchy. Plus Kidz in the Hall and Estelle are dope anyway.

Enjoy

-PeAcE

"Notorious" The Movie

To all the Biggie Fans...

Notorious will be in theaters 1/16/09. My friend Tiffany told when it was still in production that she's an extra in this, as well as the former member of 3lw is portraying lil' kim, and angela bassett is playing voletta wallace. So this only means that the crew and I will be taking up a whole row so we can check out this film.

My Ode to Hair (3 years in the making, but it's finally complete)

I am my follicles’ keeper. I like to call it the dreadlocked door to my new growth psyche. It’s attached to me continuously like the press and curled strands of grass on brunette soil. Like the spiky jet-black words on this thinning elderly white sheet. My scalp’s thread count is infinite. But just like a sensitive blanky belonging to an infant or duvet covers to an elitist, my follicles look down upon being bathed, dried, and lotioned up in anything generic.

My raggedy door opens up and gladly welcomes in the trusting hands. They come armed with weapons of mass arson. Gasoline tanks of tasteful tea tree shampoo set my abandoned scalp ablaze putting an end to unattended rotten carrot oil, stale shea butter, and unappetizing frosted flakes. But the fire rages on as those tiny but hulk strong hands whether it being mine, mommy’s, or a stylist’s allows it to spread by way of a methodic front and back rotation. If lathering, scrubbing, and rinsing, was a composition with repeat as its chorus, then this ballad would be entitled, “SSH” in ME Flat, because total silence is necessary to enjoy it in its entirety. I always know when the song is on its last verse when small hoses or 7-11 big gulp cups of 80-degree high and 50- degree low water put these flames out resulting in screams. But my scalp’s screams come with ease and a smile when whispering that 2-letter word “AH”. Finally fully tamed and put out, I hear the individual locks and scalp squeak like Alvin, Simon, and Theodore letting those hands know that was job well done. We are happily hygienic.

My follicles’ offspring are elongated and substantial like the Bible, but just not as sanctified. However, this dude named Sampson wishes to refute that. I always envisioned Jesus and my genes deliberating for 9 months straight negotiating on the fate of it, never reaching a compromise. But somehow on the 13^th day of the 1^st month, God simply said, “And let there be hair”, allowing me, the recipient, to mold something that could bring a tear to his unknown eye. And ever since that day, my hair has been through genesis and exodus more times than most, but that’s just the beauty of expansion and transition.

Video De La Dia

Shouts to Elysse and her 55 yr old behind for showing me this...

The One Obama Shirt I'll Purchase

I KNOW I KNOW... I made a rant about the Obama t-shirts but I have been in love with this 1 for a couple months now.

No catchy corny phrase, just straight to the point with it, and I dig that.

Shouts to Hoodman for creating the design and Digital Gravel for selling it


PS- I'll be glad when they restock on xs's

Excuse My Ignorance

What's going on bloggers and viewers...

As some you probably noticed I took a sabbatical from Inner City Truths but I am back finally.

However...

I FORGOT TO MENTION HOW DURING MY LEAVE I WENT TO NICARAGUA !!!

Most sincerest apologies for not posting this sooner but I have taken the time out to share with everyone my life changing experience out the the country

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME (NOT ONLY OUT OF THE USA BUT ON A PLANE!!!)

Here's a list of what I did during my 12 day stay in Nicaragua:

- adapted to using only cold water from buckets and showers (not that bad)
- planted coco plants in the mountains of Campo Uno (rural section)
- built letrines
- painted a mural for an adult school with the people I went with as well as those who attended the school
- tore up some sugarcane!
- learned about the revolution during the 70s and 80s and how it impacted EVERYONE to this day
- fell in love with Eskimo ice cream (Ice cream sucks here now!)
- discovered the KFC of Nicaragua (Tip Top is the best!)
- Swam in an old volcano (I really cannot swim so rather I enjoyed the warm water)
- got eaten alive by every insect known to man
- fell in love with gallopinto (Nicaraguan Rice and Beans)
- was referred to as "morena" the entire trip
- realized that Rojito are disgusting (red soda... literally not strawberry, cherry, or fruit punch... RED)
- danced my ASS off !!!
- never spoke so much Spanish in my life
- made so many new friends (mostly the young boys and guys surprisingly lol)
- learned that the most English they knew was the lyrics to the "titanic" theme song
- did not miss cable, internet, hot water, or cell phones one bit
- never had so much plantains, rice, beans, fanta, tang, and mango/guava anything in all my life
- saw the most beautiful murals EVER
- went to three cities: Managua, Siuna, and Estelli
- slept on HARD bunk beds with nets in a room with about 15 people and loved it
- stayed with a sweetheart named Modesta who knew NO ENGLISH but we made it work

- KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I MUST GO AGAIN!!!

PS- please check out the rest of my pics here

-PeAcE

Downloadable Textbooks?! Say it's So!

CourseSmart, an online publishing company owned by five publishers may just be the Limewire and I-tunes of college textbooks. I say this because this online site provides online textbooks for college students to read, download, and print in numerous portions. Not to discredit institutions where professors provide copies of texts and excerpts (i.e E-Reserves at my school). However, this company is taking E-Reserves to the next long overdue level.



Every college student, parent, and those who are just aware of staggering prices knows damn well that the prices of textbooks are astronomical. It is ridiculous that many of us have to pay over $100 for 1 textbook, USED! CourseSmart has been around only for 1 year, however over 1200 institutions have had students who purchased or took advantage of this site. With over 4,000 books available which is 1/3 of the entire market of textbooks, Coursesmart plans to expand to 50%.
There is light at the end of the pitch black tunnel for making textbooks affordable for everyone. Let's just hope that this site can benefit all college students in the near future. With the economy on life support, who can really dish out $100 for a book that will most likely be utilized for a couple of weeks, then left in the custody of dust?

Click here to read the article

PS- I love Noam Cohen's analogy of textbooks publishers to drug makers... Delicious Food 4 Thought

-PeAcE

Real Talk with R.J.

I present to you bloggers a glimpse into my anxieties about transition. It has been on my mind for awhile that it needed to be expressed on here. No fillers. No coating of the sugar. I put Mel O. and Eye.D aside so that everyone can get to know R.J.

I praise the Lord for enabling me to reach my 4th and last year as an undergrad. I definitely am ecstatic about graduating and approaching the new chapter of my life. However, as I take a sneak peak on what's probably to come in my life, I immediately put the book down and contemplate whether or not I want to pick it back up again. Am I fully equipped to fight on the battlefield called the real world alongside my comrades, competitors, and opponents? Do I really have a lucid idea on what I want to do with my life? Will I succeed? Not only succeed, but will I be content with my decisions? These are just some of the thoughts that are on overdrive, but I realize that I need to turn this overheated engine off and relax for awhile until it cools down. Graduation-commencement-bidding adeiu to undergraduate school waits patiently to walk up and through my life, however I just cannot let some stranger in without getting to know them first. And this particular stranger I can't help to but skeptical of.



-PeAcE

Fashion is in the Tastebuds of the Beholder

(disclaimer- i had this saved as a draft for about a week now i don't know WHY it took me years to post it though... forgive me)

I'm a magazine fanatic and Vogue happens to be my guilty pleasure of mine. About a week ago, it was one of the many subjects up for discussion amongst my friends and I particularly the international issues. First one of my friends informs me on the Black Issue of Vogue Italy. This issue had record selling sales and is in the process being reprinted due to its mass popularity. It's Worth looking at I'll admit it. However, the advertisements are still catered to white people, hmm.

But...

The issue that really caught my eye was Vogue India. I was on NY Times and I see that this issue sparked a lot of controversy within the fashion advertising world. Common everyday folk were photographed wearing Fendi and Burberry among other popular labels. Ironically readers and viewers can obviously see that the people are indeed the focus rather than a Fendi bib or Burberry umbrella. However, many columnists and viewers found these images utterly distasteful and even derogatory to the essence of tasteful fashion.




I'm actually a bit captivated by this spread on so many different levels , but does my opinion really matter in this ridiculously superficial and judgmental fashion world?

NOT 1 BIT... BUT THAT AIN'T SHUTTING ME UP THOUGH

So since I would to get my feet wet in the ever evolving world of photography, would it be distasteful to have crackheads, junkies, and homeless folk all over NYC pose in Yves St. Laurent, Gucci, and Dolce and Gabana then propose it to Vogue USA as a future spread?

Just a thought...

-PeAcE

ps.. click here to read the article

You Have Just Tuned Into My "I Get It... Damn!!!" Segment

What's going on bloggers and viewers.

It's about that time when I rant a bit about something that is overkill which makes me wanna say...

OK I GET IT DAMN!!!!

So without further wait here's one of those moments...


1988

OK EVERY YOUNG PERSON I KNOW STAY TALKING ABOUT BRINGING '88 BACK. OK I GET IT... DAMN!!! It was a dope year yes, do I need to be reminded by every hipster and hip hop head constantly? NO!!!
LET ME TELL YA'LL ONE THING, MOST OF YOU WEREN'T EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER '88 SO SHUT IT UP NOW!!!

Let me tell you what I doing in 88:

- being a 1 year old
- chillin in my unwed parents' 1 bedroom apt
- watching my cartoons on LOCAL NOT CABLE television
- throwing my pops clothes out the window
- hiding behind plants when I needed to take a poopy (TMI? OH HUSH!)
- walking my little butt off
- being oblivious to the year 1988




there you have it... PeAcE

Shop of the Week...

So listen

I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday reading magazines (what else is new lol), updating myself on the happenings in music, culture, and fashion. I'm reading YRB and I see this ad for backpacks. Ok usually backpack ads go unnoticed but this ad was advertising bags designed by grafitti artists.

People hear me out ok? These bags are CRAZY DOPE!!!!!!




I was diggin the magazine ad so much that I had to check out the site.
The store is called Tatootbags and they sell backpacks and messenger bags that are tagged and bombed by artists who add their personal touch to an otherwise plain standard bag.
These artists bombed the hell out of a common necessity so it was only right that I shout out the shop on here!!

I'm not a grafitti artist but does that stop me from purchasing a bag? YEA OK!!!!
The only quarrel I have is that some of the bags are RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!!!!
I fell in love with this one bag but it cost an astounding $1200!!!

Other than that, the bags are dope so go to the website and check em out

Click Here

Speaking of Barock Stars...

New track from Mims entitled


"Barock Star"


Major step up from his debut single. I guess now he's proving to the people in a better way why He is HOT
pretty decent track must admit

click here to listen

Shouts to 2dopeboyz.com where I first heard it

From Wax to Print... Illmatic Reaches New Heights (I didn't think it was possible!)

Michael Eric Dyson has announced that he will be writing a book based on the classic Illmatic album (considering that I read his biography of Marvin Gaye it will most likely be chock full of analysis, interpretation, and critique)



... it should be interesting so I 'm anxious to read it when it hits the shelves

Read the Article here:

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7635/title.large-professor-reacts-to-illmatic-being-turned-to-book

Someone hand me a belt, switch, or shoe ASAP

Now when I saw this MESS, the LAST thought I had was "THIS IS SO ADORABLE"



MY INITIAL REACTION WAS...

WHOOP THESE KIDS ASSES AS WELL AS THEIR PARENTS AND THE PERSON FILMING THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marvin Gaye said to Save the Children... dude was not lying

Shouts to Misha for showing me this clip