New York . . .

Was one of the dopest experiences in my life.
Even better, it opened my eyes up to joys of traveling and getting away. I think everybody needs to travel and escape their little microcosms once in a while.

When People ask me about the trip, my usual immediate response is "it's totally different than California."

The people, the culture, the fashion, the mindsets, the attitude, the food, etcetera, it's all different.

I'll dive into greater details of the trip later, but for now, here's a little glimpse of the trip through my iPhone.


crackhead in subways. mig got shook



"i smoke where i wanna smoke..."



there are bums who sleep here too.


NY driver's don't fuck around.


the line at Grimaldi's, home of the bombiest pizza known to man.


a light in soho. NY is the king of gettin up.


on top of the city, a view from the empire state building.


peace out New York. I'll be back.



and finally, i'll end this by saying, It's good to be home. I had a lot of fun the past few days, but nothing compare's to Sunny California. Free Refills, clean streets, nice(r) people. and oh yeah, it's not 25 fuckin degrees, haha.

HIP-HOP, BACKPACKERS, AND THE UNDERGROUND

disclaimer: I'm not trying to single or air anybody out. However, if you take offense to any of the subsequent following, you're probably guilty.


I could write a thesis on why backpackers are the number one most annoying people on the face of the planet.

What is a backpacker? In my definition, these are self-proclaimed, knowledgeable people on the subject matter of hip hop. Furthermore, one as such wouldn't dare admitting to listening to anything not considered "underground".

We've heard the age-old argument.
"Fuck commercialism and the mainstream."
Let me guess, uou only listen to lyrics with substance. You're on that conscious lyrical tip. real hip hop isn't played on the radio. yada yada yada.

Just because an artist is on the radio doesn't mean they are lyrically weak. Alternatively, just because an artist is signed on def jux, RSE, stone throws, anticon, etc. doesn't mean they're dope.

Jay Hov could easily body Aesop Rock on the mic anyday.
(don't even get me started on Aesop Rock)

I can't even name how "underground rappers" can't deliver on beat.

Che Guevara shirt wearing, pseudo-revolutionists tote Immortal Technique as the greatest thing to arrive at hip-hop's door step. I don't know how many songs you can make about government conspiracies (i'm looking at you, Non-Phixion), how the white man is fucking everybody in the ass, and how bush is a fuck up. We get the point. You're angry.

... but you also can't rap on beat to save your life.


Moreover, put two backpackers together and they'll end up playing a game of who can name-drop the more obscure emcee. I've never really understood this. I guess knowing esoteric basement hip hop groups conveys a sense of elitism and reaffirms how underground they are.

People like these are like the nail on a chalk board. Go jerk off to the b-side of El-P's lost demo tape or something.

I digress.

I also hate those who constantly complain about the stagnant state of hip hop. I strongly disagree with the notion that hip hop is dead. Sure, you can say that when you turn on TV, all hip hop has to offer is dj Khaled (who needs to die already), a million rappers who's name start with Young (Joc, dro, Jeezy, berg, gunz, bloodz...the laundry goes on and on), and bad remixes of already bad songs.

However, outside of that is a whole new wave of artists who are giving hip hop a breathe of fresh air. If you want to sit in your basement crying over the state of hip hop while masturbating to old VHS tapes of the Juice Crew, be my guest but I don't want to hear about it.

It's Been a Minute

I didn't really write this blog with any particular intentions. I just felt it's been a little over due since the last entry.
It's weird how work and school drags on for what seems like an eternity, yet time still manages to fly by. Anyways, with the change in time, it is now six in the morning and I've yet to get a wink of sleep. I've written and deleted my entry at least four times now, so I'm just going to give up and go to bed.


"now you say you want the real but it's the real I'm saying, so what the deal" - Blu

moderation

As with any blog, I feel that it should function to organize the random thoughts one has circulating in their mind. Since my days are so cluttered and my memory is garbage, any insight I have usually fades away; to be replaced with unimportant statistic formulas and my mental artillery-to-do list.

Anyways, lately, i've been struggling to balance free time and money. Given that I were to work a lot, and thus, have money to spend, I would rarely find the time to go out and enjoy it. Conversely, when I don't work often (which is now), my disposable income is lacking and despite having free time to go out, I'm limited in what I can blow money on.

And thus, i've concluded that life is all about balance. Not necessarily limited to the aforementioned example, but just in general. I've discovered that moderation is the solution to most things.

Just think about it.
Sure, you could say this entry has done nothing but state the obvious, but i'd say "eat 10,000 wee wee's and die" -Pimp C

Lupe Fiasco on Racism

Growing up, if there was one thing my parents made sure they instilled upon me, it was the value of education.
and while I didn't fully understand it then, I did well in school to make my parents happy, not fully understanding the struggles they went through and the opportunities I have.

and so, for most of my growing up school life, i worked my ass off in school. Tedious and trite homework assignments, stupid essays, monotonous lectures..."it'll pay off later", i'd tell myself. but as the years go by, this concept of sacrificing the now for a better future doesn't necessary seem so appealing. we live life reminiscing about the past, and the dreams of the future, not fully realizing the gift of the present. (It's a tired cliché, i know.)

While I don't really spend time reflecting upon my past, I do notice I spend a helluva lot of time thinking about the future. the pressures of finding the right career path, getting an internship, researching grad school, it seems as if my head is stuck in the future and not in the now.

well until of recent. maybe its the scare of 2012, but lately, I've sort of stopped caring about the future. that's not to say I'm going to develop a coke habit, smoke a carton of cigarettes a day, and drop out (though admittedly, school blows.), but I've just had less concerns about all this academic crap they shove down your throat.

what if I die tomorrow? (shit happens man.) all this time spent sacrificing my time now for a "good future" will be in vein and i'll be on my deathbed with nothing to show but some units on my transcript. fuck that.

I guess it took me twenty years to realize this, but I want to live in the now...starting now.

i mean, if 2012 is really true, i can say I REALLY LIVED for 4 years, haha.

-Philmatic.

my name is chrissi and I AAM buZzed. That was a run-on sentence. Phil is my only friend. Tom and denise are cool too.