Nike Boots Video

Most of y'all know I'm a huge fan of DC rapper, Wale (pronounced wah-lay). His last two mixtapes, 100 Miles and Running & the Mixtape About Nothing, are better than most hip-hop albums. Here is his new video for the song that made him famous. It's called Nike Boots and it might sound like your typical rap song about a popular shoe, but listen to the lyrics, especially the last verse. He is talking about some really deep stuff. Insecurities and whatnot.

Record Review

Album: 808's & Heartbreak

Artist: Kanye West

Record Label: Roc-a-fella/DefJam

Rating: 3.5/5

Kanye West recently followed up his first three critically acclaimed hip-hop albums by venturing into a new world of music. Kanye has often proclaimed himself to be an international pop star and not just a rapper. This new album reflects that vision and direction. West recently dealt with the loss of his mother and a rough break up with his fiancee. 808's & Heartbreak, named for the drum machine used to make the beats, is a glimpse into the mind of a superstar who is reeling from these emotional times in his life.

The main difference between this album and other Kanye albums is the obvious lack of "rapping." West sings on every track using the autotune software popularized by T-Pain. While this software does give West's voice an eery tone that fits the subject matter, I get tired of it by the end of the album.

Another difference is that in the past, Kanye's albums have been quite diverse, featuring a wide variety of sounds and moods. 808's & Heartbreak is brooding and dark throughout. Fortunately, this works to West's advantage because it allows the listener to connect emotionally with West's experiences. This is quite possibly one of the most personal albums I've listened to in a while. The soundscapes of each song are supported by the simplistic 808 drums.

Overall, 808's & Heartbreak is an exciting trip into the mind of a broken-hearted superstar. West tries things that haven't been tried in pop music before and breaks through boundaries that separate genres of music. Despite all this, I still miss the old Kanye. I miss the more soulful tracks and quit-witted rhymes. Hopefully, this album has given Kanye to get all the pop out of his system and when he drops the rumored follow-up to Graduation in June we will get a real hip-hop classic.

My favorite songs are Street Lights:

and Amazing:

My 1st Podcast

Ok guys. I think I've worked out all the kinks. Here it is. My first podcast. Enjoy.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

This cartoon is one of my all-time favorites. It's an interpretation of Rudyard Kipling's short story from "The Jungle Books." The video is in 3 parts below. Total running time is about 25 minutes.

What The.......????

Bruce Lee was obviously the man. See below.

Most Ridiculous Soccer Moves EVER!!!!

There's no way this can be real. Absolutely no way. I want to believe in it but I can't. Common sense will not allow it. Nor will the url at the end of the video advertising for fifa street 3 (video game).

Réinvente ton jeu
by ElectronicArts

Hope vs. Hype

I am so glad this election is over. I'm so sick of all the political banter especially from people that don't know what they're talking about or from people that don't normally care at all about politics but now that it's the "cool/trendy" thing to do, they're all about it. I voted, but I really didn't feel that either candidate was a good choice for our country. Watching the returns with Ashley last night, I realized that a lot of people don't know anything about the issues and are all just falling for the hype. When a reporter asked why two young women were happy to be at the park in Chicago for Obama's victory speech, they responded "We're just so happy to be a part of history!" Really?!?!?! That's all you've got? No mention of what issues Obama brought to the table that you hope he will address now that he's president or what changes you hope to see? I had a better reason when I stormed the field after NC State beat FSU for the first time back in 1998. Come on people! Anyway, here's a video of my favorite actor/rapper, Mos Def with some of the things he would do as president... notice that not everything he says (tax policy) matches up with what Obama is going to do.

If Mos Def Were President by GOOD Magazine