If Florida doesn't get the high speed train going soon, this is also dope and should be considered.
In Europe they are testing "Road Trains" where cars line up and a lead car or bus, controls all of the other cars computers GPS and Cruise control remotely to drive em. You just pull up behind the bus on the highway, link up to the bus, and he will be doing the driving. That sounds sweet, also sounds like in the movies (Fifth Element, Star Wars, Minority Report, I Robot etc) when you see all the flying cars zipping around, I always wondered how'd they stay in a straight line.
The lead vehicle will be driven by an experienced motorist — it may even be a bus that regularly travels the route — while the functions of each following vehicle will be automatically controlled and tethered to the actions of the lead car so that individual drivers can hammer out e-mails or eat breakfast. Despite the project’s name, cars can exit at any time.
While the project, sounds futuristic, all it requires are navigation systems that communicate with the lead vehicle and control acceleration and steering. The project’s lead agencies estimate that vehicles will begin testing in 2011 and say a full-scale rollout is likely within a decade.
"This type of autonomous driving actually doesn’t require any hocus-pocus technology, and no investment in infrastructure,” said Erik Coelingh of Volvo, one of the principal companies participating in the project. “Instead, the emphasis is on development and on adapting technology that is already in existence.”
My first instinct was to say Wu-Tang as a whole group, but I would specifically like to point out Corey Woods, better known as Raekwon. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, in 1995, and has continued recording solo and with the Wu-Tang Clan since then. In 2009, Raekwon released the sequel to his critically acclaimed debut with the similarly praised Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.
OB4CL better known as "the purple cassette" to me back in the day, was the holy grail for my crew. We would ride around in that white Ford Taurus, be smoking, chillin, or on full grind mode. All the words got wiped off over over-using it, and we must have copied it so many times, for each of us.
Fast forward 13 years to 2008. The chef was back in the kitchen, he created a masterpiece that feeds everyone that is starving for the 90's NY Era. Even myself, who after moving to Flawda in 96 became more of a southern rap head. I was highly anticipating this release...
Raekwon has "the album of the year", don't fall prey to the media pushing Jay-Z and Empire State of mind down ya throat. It's also really sad how most of the online rap communities only care about sales numbers and not the quality of work. Quote from an online forum - "What are you gonna do when Jay Debutes with 400,000 and Raekwon Legs 18,000?". Album sales numbers doesn't hold that much weight to me. Of course these rappers wanna sell, but seriously Fergie and her crew be beasting on the charts, and I never even wasted a second downloading their music. Some mixtape rappers that aint selling shit, be putting on quality too.
For all information on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II - CLICK HERE
If you need a copy of the album, buy it if you can afford it... it can be found online though.
HellaTight has released a new Fitted inspired by Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour. His trademark bear and the vertical blinds shades are on the cap. I didn't get a chance to grab a pair of Nike Yeezys earlier this year (none were released in my area). But they would go great if you are a fan of Kanye's...
Has he been in hiding since that "I'mma let you finish.." fiasco?
I've seen a few sites over the years selling t-shirts from unknown designers (for steep prices) and you aren't sure what quality you are buying. I ran across teeFury earlier this year and I was impressed. I have only bought 2 shirts from here, but the price is worth it $9 and $2 shipping. That price rivals Wal-Marts corny shirts... You can buy up to 3 shirts daily. Each day it's a new design (some are excellent, others are meh). Tip- Only buy the excellent ones, duh. The way it works is: HERE
This is related to the "Who is Saving Hip-Hop!" post I made on Dame Dash. In this video he addresses the failure of Rocafella, Dipset, and his latest ventures being more indie based. His aspirations for Jim Jones to be succesful, and his realtionships (no homo) with some rappers over the years in the industry.
After talking about the Dirty Copper Foamposites, I was asking myself, what kind of modern muscle car (anything 78+ or not older than me) would you want to driving while rockin them, and flying down I-75 on a clear night...
I upgraded from Copper to Gold for my colorway of choice (yeah I cheated, but Gold is more me), here's my top 3.
1. Hurst 2009 - Dodge Challenger - Series 2
Series 2 is based on the R/T, aint no way in hell I can afford a Series 4 or higher which is based on the SRT
2. 2007 Shelby Mustang GT-H
The H is for Hertz, yea the rental cars only 500 are made, how many of the 500 are convertibles, I dunno but you can buy them for the low compared to a retail Shelby, after they reach 25,000 miles. - Search Autotrader
3. 1977 Pontiac TransAm - Year One Bandit Edition
...but I said 78 or newer and this is a 77?
Year One customized these 77's to be just as good as anything on the road today
Common (originally Common Sense) has been in the rap game since I was in high-school at least. I graduated in 96', so that is a lot of years of navigating thru the industry that is filled with snakes and a helluva a lot of bullshit artists. He has always been what I consider a "conscious" rapper. He makes sure what he is talking about is relevant. He has made so much good music, from back in the Erykah Badu era, or now when he is a Hollywood cat, dating Serena. He has never faltered in my opinion. Have you ever heard anything bad about this cat? Gun charges? Drugs? Domestic violence? (if he did any he sure kept it low key).
Even his new music takes me back to mid-eighties when I was tryna dance, with my big cuzzins and all I had was a lame breakdance move I thought was cool, but looked like I was having a seizure I called "The Freeze!"
This is the original video for a song from his last album "Universal Mind Control" (2008), his next project should be out in 2010. It later was shelved in favor of the Hype Williams version. This video/song is something I can play with my two sons, push the couches back and breakdance in the living room. Edit - a few cuss words, that my sons hear me say already, is not a big deal in my house.
Common did an interview 6 years ago, that should be in pamphlet form, printed and handed out to the new rappers when they get in the game. In seems a lot of the younger dudes is missing out on much needed advice. I mean he has 8 albums under his belt, a 9th on the way, is doing movies, and video game voiceovers... he must be doing something right.
Ten Ways to Save Hip-Hop - by Common circa 2003 [From Issue 918 — March 20, 2003]>
1. Free Your Mind, and Their Asses Will Follow
"I worry when people are able to imitate hip-hop so well on Saturday Night Live skits -- it means we have set this culture up to be just one thing. I think the big problem comes from us trying to please the crowd. We limit hip-hop to just one look, one uniform, one statement of being real: getting money and guns and women, or selling dope all the time.
"But you try to please the crowd, and the crowd might change. They may say, 'We're tired of that gangsta stuff.' Or a new cat will come in, doing the same thing as you. But because his face is new, he'll get accepted. As Ice Cube said, 'They'll have a new nigga next year.'
"Rock artists are allowed to just be themselves -- to be the nerds or punk rockers or skateboarders or acid takers that they are. Stevie Wonder or Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan or Bob Marley -- they did songs about all type of different things. You can't make yourself secure by just trying to please whatever is happening now. I believe you please the crowd by being you."
2. Don't Let Your Homeys on Your Albums
"In hip-hop, we let our homeys rap on our records all the time, and sometimes that's not what they were meant to do, bro. I believe in providing opportunities for our brothers and sisters, but my record is my child: You gotta be bringing something special to a song to be on it. This is my art -- if you ain't got league game, I don't think you should be playing in the league. There are other ways your people can make it in the music business."
3. Check Out the Hood in Cuba
"I was talking to some of the guys from Linkin Park, and they were telling me that they toured for two years straight. Only one band does that in hip-hop: the Roots.
"Hip-hop artists need to tour more -- both to build a real fan base and just to see different cultures, and know that this is a world hood. Southern cats need to experience New York and Paris or Cuba; East Coast artists need to experience Chicago and the Midwest, go down to Jamaica or Italy."
4. Hot Producers Can Burn You
"We get coerced by our record labels to use the producers of the moment -- the 'in thing' they think can get us to the promised land. Ask yourself: Are you making music just to have a producer's name on your song, or are you trying to make something good? Put it this way: I think the Neptunes are some of the greatest musicians around, but what's gonna make the consumer differentiate you from the other twelve artists that they produced?"
5. Don't Think Rhyming About Bitches and Ho's Doesn't Influence Five-Year-Olds
"Words are power. Don't think you can rap about money and bitches and ho's and shooting somebody and then make it better by giving ten dollars to somebody in the community. Your words are probably destroying more people than the ten dollars is helping. Your words are affecting the five-year-old riding in the back of their daddy's car; your words are affecting how the world sees you. I listen to the Roots and Mos Def, and I also listen to Dr. Dre and the Clipse -- we just need to have balance in the music."
6. Look for the Union Label
"Many artists don't have health, life insurance and dental and medical benefits -- and they don't have the legal advisers that truly have the artists' interests at heart. I'd love to see a support system in hip-hop -- actors have a union, NBA players have one, so why not MCs? I would set up medical and dental and life insurance for artists -- maybe even a pension plan for old-school cats."
7. Put Your Money in the Bank, Not on Your Records
"You really need to know what's going on with your money; sit down and go over what's going on with your accountant. At the same time, the music in hip-hop sometimes seems like an afterthought, because the dream is just to get money. You gotta create the art and let the finance come as a result of it."
8. Know Your History
"A lot of shorties got into hip-hop in the Biggie-Tupac era, or even later. We can't live back in the Eighties, and I don't wanna try to re-create it, but to really know it, you need to know its history, from the Sugarhill Gang to Grandmaster Flash to KRS-One on up."
9. Keep an Eye on Your Record Company
"My album's out, and I still ain't got all of my advance check. Hip-hop artists get less long-term development than rock artists -- hip-hop albums are looked at as a product that should get a quick return, and if it ain't catching on, they don't work it like they do the rock artists. It's hard, because rock artists have more of an outlet: MTV reaches more people than BET."
10. Make Your Music Look Like Your Life
"For one, we all didn't grow up in the ghetto. And even if you did, there's more to ghetto life than just violence and sex and getting money -- there's a lot of beauty in the community aspect of it. That needs to be reflected in the music. Most people I know from the ghetto don't want to glorify ghetto life -- ain't nobody happy to have to sell dope, and most people don't wanna talk about killing people and violence. As my father used to say, 'Even gangster dudes go to church.' "
Forgot to do this yesterday and I have a pair of Deadstock Red Destroyers in my closet so, I will just do a basic fit. Yes I like to color match. I love Obey shirts, they always have a deeper meaning to them and have nice artwork. This one is a female Chinese soldier with a rose in her machine gun.
Headgear (Corner Store - $1 - Red Beanie)
Shirt (Karmaloop - Obey Tee - Repcode Kalik)
Pants (Lee's - Double Black - Straight Fit)
Kicks (Superkix - Destroyers - I got mine local on a deep sale)
Part 1 of my weekly Saturday who is SAVING Hip-Hop, I will try to do this weekly.
Ever since I seen him double fist 2 champagne bottles on that yacht video with UGK and Jay-Z, in that classic track, then proceed to splash the video vixens up. He has been on my radar.
We all know one side of the story (Jay-Z's side) on what happened at Rocafella. Jay-Z has also been putting out music for what 3-4 years now, since coming out of retirement, BUT has he saved, or TRIED to save NY hip-hop. IMO he hasn't.
In the video's below, you can see that behind the scenes Dame is grindin and tryna get some of the biggest 90's/00's NY names, to do collabs. RZA, Mos Def, Raekwon, Jim Jones, Pharoah Monch, Billy Danze and others. The album was recorded in 11 days. These videos are a must watch! Introducing The Black Roc Project! Below the videos are a few MP3 downloads released, and yes Brooklyn, they go HARD! (Kalik edit - Dame is also responsible for Center Edge Territory (the collab group Curren$y, Jay Electronica & Mos Def I mentioned earlier)
I already drank 2 of these suckas today... for my caffeine fix. I know its supposed to be Silver and Red color combo. But I went with a darker shade on both to Maroon and Grey. Lets see how Kalik pulls this off...
A big segment of American car enthusiasts love tuner cars (Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi's - Fast & Furious) style cars. But just in case you didn't know, a segment of Japanese enthusiasts love the American style too. They import muscle cars and even SUV's and high riders (midwest), donks, boxes and bubbles. Most of these cars could shut down a win trophies at your local car shows.
Just got my 14k Bullet with black diamonds charm. It was smaller than I expected (damn website camera tricks)... BUT I still like it. I just need to get a slimmer chain to rock it on. I was going to put it on my gold dog tag chain. Now I guess I will have to wear 2 chains...
Tryna piece together a miltary fit tonite, from some of my fave sites... I saw the kicks at Journeys (waiting for them to go on sale, I TRY to never pay retail). I found a shirt I like on T-Shirt Hell. Rock with a miltary style M65 jacket from an Army Surplus store (or Karmaloop for a nice one) and I'd be set, with brown/khaki cargos or dark jeans.
I always loved the Girl Graphic TRIBE used and may just grab the Jordans. The Jordans have been out for awhile, 6 months or so, but I was sleeping on em. Here's some tees and a set of laces to match. As well as the shoes.... Hope someone starts doing the same with the girl from Outkast album covers.
Jordan 1 Retro - Tribe Called Quest
www.pickyourshoes.com
Starks Laces - Tribes
www.starkslaces.com
Bonafide Icon - The Midnight Run Tee
www.karmaloop.com - Repcode Kalik
