The Winner Circles

Bongo Cazongo

2011-11-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

Yeah every year I log in here to smell the fumes and leave positivity. Hope everyone is good. We've elevated to new worlds. Peace

Follow the new

2010-09-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Things never stay the same. Change is the only thing that is permanent. This Change is good tho'. We've elevated folks. Please if you followed me here. Follow me over here as well.

GRILCHYFACE

Nas Interview Jacked

2010-05-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Broadied from Life Files

the.LIFE Files Sits Down With Nas!! from the.LIFE Files on Vimeo.

Saturday in the A

2010-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Crazy energy out in Atlanta this weekend. 1st some of the premier sneaker afficionado's from all over the World are converging on ATL for Greg Streets Sneaker Friends function. Also Converse is having a b-ball tournament featuring Jim Jones(Cam'ron actually made a guest appearance), Jay Electronica, Sean Price and some other folks. There's also a Sean Price show tonite as well as Mayweather rematch with Sugar Shane Moseley. Also some good folks in town, but this is a positive weekend to start thinking about Summer and stacking. From the end of June to the End of July, I'm anticipating alot of craziness. Really all summer, but I'm planning on doin alot of travelling between those times.

EDIT: Caught up with Sean P! that show and chopped it up wit him and Sha Stimuli! Real Talk and a dope show = Winners in the Circle

The Gritty Committee presents Sean Price Live from Lex Boogie on Vimeo.

DAME DASH ,yup I can relate

2010-04-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

The enigmatic Dame Dash. Dame is an influence on me I can honestly say. YUP! Asshole because he's so adamant and passionate about his interests. I can relate. Aggressive to the point it's frightening to some. Again, I can relate. Saw two interesting articles you need to check. Peep

ARTICLE 1

and

ARTICLE2

I hope for the best for Dame. Starting with fresh new talent like Curren$y and companies like Creative Control is a great start. I'm gonna sit down with him one day......WATCH!

CRITICAL

2010-04-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

New M.I.A video "Born Free'. Not to many artists seeing her.....at all. The freedom and depth of expression set her apart on a whole other level. It's about message and artistry. I really wish our Industry wasn't so soft and dickrider based and political, even Puritanical. We have the means to do it but no one wants to ruffle any feathers for fear of not being invited to the party and be able to tell tales of all the metrosex cats they got a chance to "hobnob" with. Part of the reason I'm kept on the outskirts and negative things are said about me is because I look at folks the same and I'm never overly excited to meet folks. Some people are insulted when you don't kiss their feet and you look at them directly in their eyes. It reminds them that at the end of the day there are folks out there who don't give a fuck about whatever their selling and it makes em uncomfortable. You either a yes man or a yes maaaam! or your ignorant and deemed someone not worthy of their presence. You don't know how many faces I've laughed in Loooolz when folks expected me to be blown away by meeting them. I keeps it 1 million so anyone expecting otherwise is in for a rude sleep, then a rude awakening..enjoy

Catch me if u can.......

2010-04-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

http://thiefintheday.tumblr.com/

is the new hustle. Yes I'm still expanding until I build up to the MarcusRespekt.com or something along those lines of that nature. I can't put my creativity into a box.

So many different interests and a hunger for more. I have a really amazing summer planned. Lots of getting fresh and traveling. Been soaking up alot of gems and the 1 I want to spread to you is that YOU are your content. YOU are your commodity. Once you realize your worth you can start charging appropriately. I'm blessed because alot of other blooggggers(or beams of light and thought bearers of collective consciousness) feel my wavelength and the ideas I bring forth. Dunno why, but it's a good feeling to inspire those folks I'm inspired by. Now it's about synthesizing appropriately. Some of y'all have been keeping up with me for a while. You've seen some sort of growth I hope. My Twitter page has usurped this particular blog, but it has given birth to the tumblr page above you. It's actually a more compact version of here. I don't have to get too wordy, and I can incorporate my photography alot more. It's getting me better at this actually. Again, I'm one of those rare cases of a dude who has actually been in the culture, street level, artist level, managing level, style level,journalist level, performer level. Not too many bloggers actually have that type of experience. They speak from the point of view as strictly fan/critic who have no experience hands on with the culture. That is one of the reasons I try to push thru and spread the word and maintain my relevance. Unfortunately I'm in the minority as far as my voice is concerned. Most people in power don't want to see a dude like myself get thru because their power becomes limited. Who is going to listen to some geek who was never hands on with the culture, but has a popular site because they have become a hub for artists who are confused as to how to use this new medium? I'm dangerous because of my standards and ethics and experience. Follow my daily struggle on twitter and peep this intereting drop from my homie Dallas.

HipHop Bloggers "If I Ruled the Blogosphere." from Words Beats & Life on Vimeo.

HipHop Bloggers "If I Ruled the Blogosphere." pt 2 from Words Beats & Life on Vimeo.

New Inspiration

2010-03-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Aiiight, I'm back!!!!! Newly refreshed and recharged. I have decided to pick up the pen and let everyone(myself included) on the new direction. When I say that I am many things to many different people, I mean it. I found myself getting a little burned out and crossing my wires. I had wanted to contribute some good things over at Daily Math.com and so I decided to direct most of my energy over there to show and prove. It was an honor to be selected.....anyone who knows how far CJ goes with his writing, knows that it is a beast to keep up with him....... I still feel like I stepped up to the plate fully, but putting some stresses on myself may have held back my pen a little bit as I took some time to find voice and direction. I ended up just saying fuck it and staying in my lane and not forcing it. I'm still a collaborator, but I wanted to make sure that I also nurtured The Winner Circles and my other endeavors.

Mentally I operate as an artist. I think of the concept, work on a cover and then I complete and materialize it. This is a gift of mine. The curse is that it is not constant. I have to be inspired. When I am inspired, I feel like I'm one of the best at anything I put my mind to. No QUESTION. I see it, I want it, I get it!!!! I definitely make it happen, when I get off my ass. My new goals are somewhat immense. Peep. I'm still a contributor t some of your favorite blogs, I'm still getting a great amount of respect from those I respect and I'm generally in good health and spirits. Just typing this now is a blessing. No images right now, I'm on 1.

I plan to jump off an all inclusive dot com within the next few months. To those who know me. I mean really know me. You know I have different personas spread throughout these internets.....I have different monikers on every social media platform. A different myspace,facebook,ebay,twitter,tumblr as well as different names on these blogs I contribute to and support. MY SITE will consolidate all of these things. It has come a time to truly concentrate my energies and give you my pure feelings and expressions. My main goal this whole time was to experiment and see if it would be viable. My voice has been recognized, appreciated and respected from many of my peers. I feel as though it is time for me to fully immerse myself and share with everyone equally. WHO AM I? I am simply a black kid who grew up into a man and had some pretty good experiences which helped shape my outlook on this world. I am a man with aspirations to be greater only because I know I can be.

I also hope to totally become independent. I have been working on some entertaining podcasts, some original music, doing interviews with other artists and tying everything together in one little pill. I have just laid out everything in front of you. Now I ask that you tune in and see where it is going to.

Shouts out to a few blogs who provide constant inspiration. These sites have all fueled this one in some way or another, I appreciate all they've done for the kid.

dallaspenn.com
daily-math.com
mickeymclfy.com
ohthatvixen.blogspot.com
nerdathecooltable.com
dreamandhustle.com
junglejem45.blogspot.com
thegrittycommittee.com
poisonousparagraphs.com

AH HA

2010-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

I was gonna leave this 1..........Dear John letter shit.....but, I owe more to those who actually read this blog and enjoy it. Where have I been? Yeah as you can tell I been in flux for a while. I been grinding working as a Vid tech early in the am, streaming video from all over the world. I've been recording/producing expressing my art and staying creative. I've been travelling, I've been working on my home and I've been planning and networking for the future. Now to some, that won't seem like alot on the plate, but mix all that in with keeping the daily stresses and struggles at bay and keeping ones self healthy. I have been getting lazy with wanting to even dedicate the time to blogging. I have a ton of pics from my latest travels that may or may not see the light of day in this format. I just haven't been feeling giving people myself/thoughts/etc. I've been feeling like holding more for delf and being selfish. Not to say I am selfish, but as a creative person and "true" artist who paints life's canvas I honestly don't always feel inspired.

Some pretty great things have happened lately.

I got a chance to go up top and see a lot of friends I grew up with from like 6 years old. I got a chance to reconnect with family and further center myself. I released another free download project in 2009 which has been getting alot of positive feedback from those who took time and listened. I got to meet personally some folks I have only known online. I also have been presented with new opportunities.

I'm looking at doing some more work with this music and expanding the catalogue. I love the culture so this is more labor of love as opposed to business.

I'm guiding the brilliant direction of those others around me. Broady International, focusing on my company 4th Eye Media LLC and continuing to help with the expansion of www.thegrittycommittee.com <-Please if u follow me here, follow me over there and support that movement.

I've been invited to contribute to 1 of the fastest growing and hottest blogs around " Combat Jack's Daily Math http://daily-math.com/weblog/ <- Please check me and the other brilliant writers over there as well. Huge potential for that movement.

I plan on going back and furthering education by obtaining a cert for Networking( hey now in the present is when you handle the future)

Plotting more travel and expression and making my mark. Thanks for your taking time to come and visit this blog. The funny thing about this blog was that it was just my practice to get the Gritty Committee off the ground. I never intended to be here as much as I was. I just got into a groove and truly enjoyed the outlet. I may eventually revitalize this place with new energy, but my plate has been extra full. Expect some of the classic posts and some of the favorites to reappear at either Daily Math or the Gritty.....Hey no need to waste any good posts that maybe only 6 or 7 people saw....lolz.....

oh yeah as always I'm on twitter. Thanx for giving me a few seconds of your time. The positive reinforcement also helped push me further than I could have imagined.

WERD!

2009-12-23T03:27:00.000-08:00

Back from Illadelph, yes I got caught in the Tundra last weekend.............Fun to see the fam up there and build. Flix coming soon.
Yeah, a brief sec in ATL then off to New Orleans for Xmas.............Had to get my shopping on and get extra fresh in Philly, copped alot of new gear. Now bout to go get my eat on in N.O. The kid is blesssssssssssed.

Raekwon breaks down the classics

J Rocc playing some new Madvillain

Wintertime Whip security

2009-12-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

Ran into a couple car myths online......I could use em, figured y'all could too.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, it's not what you don't know that can come back to bite you; it's what you know for sure that ain't true. When it comes to maintaining your car, misconceptions abound. And even the best intentions can lead you to spend more money than necessary or even compromise your safety. Here are common myths that can do more harm than good:

Myth: Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles.
Reality: Despite what oil companies and quick-lube shops often claim, it's usually not necessary. Stick to the service intervals in your car's owner's manual. Under normal driving conditions, most vehicles are designed to go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Changing oil more often doesn't hurt the engine, but it can cost you a lot of extra money. Automakers often recommend 3,000-mile intervals for severe driving conditions, such as constant stop-and-go driving, frequent trailer-towing, mountainous terrain, or dusty conditions.

Myth: Inflate tires to the pressure shown on the tire's sidewall.
Reality: The pounds-per-square-inch figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure that the tire can safely hold, not the automaker's recommended pressure, which provides the best balance of braking, handling, gas mileage, and ride comfort. That figure is usually found on a doorjamb sticker, in the glove box, or on the fuel-filler door. Perform a monthly pressure check when tires are cold or after the car has been parked for a few hours.

Myth: If the brake fluid is low, topping it off will fix the problem.
Reality: As brake pads wear, the level in the brake-fluid reservoir drops a bit. That helps you monitor brake wear. If the fluid level drops to or below the Low mark on the reservoir, then either your brakes are worn out or fluid is leaking. Either way, get the brake system serviced immediately. You should also get a routine brake inspection when you rotate the tires, about every 6,000 to 7,000 miles.

Myth: If regular-grade fuel is good, premium must be better.
Reality: Most vehicles run just fine on regular-grade (87 octane) fuel. Using premium in these cars won't hurt, but it won't improve performance, either. A higher-octane number simply means that the fuel is less prone to pre-ignition problems, so it's often specified for hotter running, high-compression engines. So if your car is designed for 87-octane fuel, don't waste money on premium.

Myth: Flush the coolant with every oil change.
Reality: Radiator coolant doesn't need to be replaced very often. Most owner's manuals recommend changing the coolant every five years or 60,000 miles. Of course, if the level in the coolant reservoir is chronically low, check for a leak and get service as soon as possible.

Myth: After a jump-start, your car will soon recharge the battery.
Reality: It could take hours of driving to restore a battery's full charge, especially in the winter. That's because power accessories, such as heated seats, draw so much electricity that in some cars the alternator has little left over to recharge a run-down battery. A"load test" at a service station can determine whether the battery can still hold a charge. If so, some hours on a battery charger might be needed to revive the battery to its full potential.

Myth: Let your engine warm up for several minutes before driving.
Reality: That might have been good advice for yesteryear's cars but is less so today. Modern engines warm up more quickly when they're driven. And the sooner they warm up, the sooner they reach maximum efficiency and deliver the best fuel economy and performance. But don't rev the engine high over the first few miles while it's warming up.

Myth: A dealership must perform regular maintenance to keep your car's factory warranty valid.
Reality: As long as the maintenance items specified in the vehicle owner's manual are performed on schedule, the work can be done at any auto-repair shop. If you're knowledgeable, you can even do the work yourself. Just keep accurate records and receipts to back you up in case of a warranty dispute on a future repair.

Myth: Dishwashing and laundry detergents make a good car wash.
Reality: Detergent can strip off a car's wax finish. Instead, use a car-wash liquid, which is formulated to clean without removing wax.

A sad state

2009-12-07T05:29:00.000-08:00

This is one of the reasons why I tell the kids and aspiring artists to have a solid foundation before they start "dreaming" about music. Especially in this digital age where physical product isn't selling just off the merit of it being dope. Even indie groups who make their living on the road are having a time of it keeping up their lifestyle. Notice how many multi-multi millionaires you see in the industry working like they have $20 in their bank accounts and freezing out new talent or competition unless they are directly affiliated with the artist, and even then, the artist is still going to have to wait on the premier artist to want to give up some of the ever addictive limelight or shine. I was a fan of G-Dep because I could feel the streets in his flow. The grilch that comes from sharpening swords in the streets and not in a home studio. His pre diddy mixtape appearances made me a believer. His bad boy album had a few joints too, "Child of the Ghetto" in particular, but G-Dep is also an addict. His addiction is a character weakness, a destructive one. Usually fueled by fame's fleeting glance. The fame biz is one of highs and lows, Extreme High's (in St. Bart's wit Puff having menage's) to being back freestyling in front of the corner store with nowhere else to be and people not returning your phone calls. Everyone is a little bipolar, but it's things like this that will push you over the edge that you are already dangling off of.

I need a Brazil trip

2009-11-29T09:38:00.001-08:00

Freeze vs Rhymefest

2009-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Rhymefest best known for helping Kanye write his raps and Freeze an artist my homie C Rayz Walz put me on to duke it out on some mc shit....enjoy

Griff speaking the truth again

2009-11-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

Real ASS VS Fake Asss

2009-11-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

Good judge here....Roxy Reynolds

Real Talk wit Snoop and X

2009-11-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Minaj

2009-11-17T19:42:00.001-08:00

Bottom line is she's dope..........with the volume on mute.

neo

2009-11-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

Wassssup!!!! introducing the SCALPEL....that's my new concept. I'm cutting thru the bullshit. Been on a hell of a creative spurt of late, but with great creativity and energy comes alot of stress and exhaustion. I've been chilling but my mental energy has been drained. It's dealing with a lot of artists on different schedules. It's all good, my vision came out how I wanted and I'm thankful. I actually been laying off the web as a whole as well, limiting my internets time to reflect on stillness of mind. I was scouring the web checking out 100 sites a day, even that shit can strain your mental, reading a book a day type shit. Anyways, just checking in, feeling good cuz I got a call from my fams from Phila who been bidding and is free, and spitting!!!!! It was a strong convo....He actaully told me I been a thoro dude since back day and in this day and age, to get respect from a homie I aint spoken too in 10 yrs is real as fuck. So many fly by night folks and fake outnumber the real...so it's def a good look.

Heres some cake

Where u been at

2009-11-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

I'm here, just been wrapping this project and shillling. Been doing more and more drops at THEGRITTYCOMMITTEE . more up to date shit. Haven't really had the time, due to some temporal displacement because my molecules are moving more rapidly at the moment.....fell back off twittering and pretty much everything else online....I'm around but not hardbody. A few things in the works, but I'm feeling a lil burned out. I'm on sabbatical soon s tis tape is done. Back to traveling and expanding. Since I've beenlocked in at the gig and with the art my movements haven't been as O.T as the past few years. That will be changing in December. I'm back on that gristle. First Philly,then NJ, then NY then Outside US then the West.........That's the plan and I plan on sticking to it. Been working out staying chisel. The bornday is less than a month away and I feel a year younger. Been reading the Rza book, writing for delf, excercising and vibing on all the yesterdays new quintet eps.................Heres a curveball tho'.......take it away and give it up for Mr. Gary Wilson.- If you want a tone to describe my vibe........this is it.

the new hustle

2009-10-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

The economy has everything depreciating except the value of gold and asscheeks.........

In the DC area >>>>over wale

2009-10-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling the gutternesss over the tight jeaninessss

Me:Revisited

2009-10-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

Aiight, whattup to my g's who follow the kid!!!!! Nothing moving but the $. Been on my heavy excercise regiment, no dranking, no smoking, just stacking.....Clearing my head of all the bullshit....Enjoying listening and reading more than spitting and speaking. I've been working on art and just gaining knowledge, same time reflecting on past losses and triumphs. I don't know what it is but shit is seeming really blase to me at the current moment. Shit just doesn't move or excite me like that. NOTHING. I'm not depressed, I'm in a good place actually, but I feel like I need a major trip. Nothing fuels me like travel and with the new gig I've undertaken I haven't really been able to jetset like I had been the last few years....I've gone to New Orleans and Florida alot, but I needs to go home, sink into that east coast vibe and fully recharge my battery. Every time I go back to the crib (Philly,NJ,NY) I soak it up fully and bottle it and take it with me and become damn near unstoppble....Not to say I can be stopped already, but we move a lil differently, vibrate at a different speed, plus I get to build wit my crimey's I ran the streets with as a youth. Sometimes u need that perspective as well. I know for a fact, I can't do uptop for longer than a week or two tho' because u start falling into routine and that is never a good thing. I remember the routine for uptop and being settled and comfortable with shit, even tho' there is always something to do and the energy is crazy...once you adapt to it, it becomes boring. Trust me I know. Now I'm a minamalist, happy to just chill in the castle with the queen and get out every once in a while, still remaining low key. Trust, I feel that alot more than my previous life of running the streets crazy and sharpening my game by talking to multiple chicks and still going out to bag more.

Now I feel like a Jedi. One who has soaked up some wildlife and is rich with experiences on a global level. I give thanks to have lived a lifetime before the age of 20. In my 20's I did exactly what I was supposed to do as well. Take chances, go out on my own and make mistakes. Take advantage of opportunities and fully sharpen my blade. I was cool with hustlers who were in their 30's when I was 17 and 18 yrs old. I was wit a chick who was 37 when I was 18. I was in desolate hoods seeing shots pop peoples tops off and at the same time was connected in the burbs as well, being in million dollar homes.Seeing shit like red rock opium and being in the hoods where the labels on the baggies was the rep. "Yo got them Batman baggies over here", "Yo this that, choclate,skunk, afghani,hydro,Kill,Lah,etc. etc. These types of experiences allowed me to relate to folks on many different levels and being on the entertainment industry grind helped me to see through people very quickly. Even to this day, I meet the people who I admire in different professions and they always pull me to the side to build and drop jewels. I always feel good about the fact that people give me the time of day moreso than some pedestrian hi and bye shit. It shows that the energy I've harnessed still glows. Yeah, sometimes I test myself to see if I still got it. Really I don't care. It takes alot to be a dude who can bag a chick, get her wrapped up, then delete the number or throw it away quicker than it took to get it. You gotta test your discipline and set higher standards for yourself to truly be considered a champion. To the insecure, your humbleness may come across as arrogance....fuck em tho'.

My circle gets smaller and smaller as I grow, just like how the earth looks smaller and smaller the more you blow and elevate. I'm talking about space folks.....The planet is small, the galaxy is big. I ain't got time to sweat the terrestrial small shit. I may do my lil twitter rant and move on, but trust, I don't take none of this shit serious. Humor to me is when I see straight thru folks who do take themselves too serous and scream out for attention. The music industry is full of folks who just now are starting to develop an "ego". You can tell just by how they act and carry themselves now that they have a little bit of light on them, that they were totally unaccustomed to anyone ever paying attention to them. Some people may not be able to see through it but I can and have always been able to. It's humor. Same time tho' I take it as the fact that you are supposed to laugh alot during your day and these jokers and jesters provide the fuel for that comedy.

Nothing I love more than just sharpening the tip of my bullets, loading up and taking aim with the confidence that I'm gonna hit my mark. 1 shot 1 kill!

Superb

2009-10-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah some grilchy east coast shit. Perb been down with the Wu since the 90's, you heard him all over Supreme Clientele and Bulletproof wallets......he supposedly cowrote and helped Ghost steeze his shit out more....that whiny crying style is what he specialized in.....As some of the best mcs wit the most potential always do, he went and did a prison bid. Now home and back on the streets he has just released a mixtape called "Supreb Clientele" which isn't half bad. I support the raw no matter what so heres a quick taste...Love it or hate it, Perb is Perb...Far Rockaway stand up!

MEGA SEAN

2009-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Not too many cats inspire me these days...I mean literally as far as mc's less than a handful........Sean Price is a special case. Dude has that energy in the rhymes, not just pure lyrical or just raw steeze, but that good mix of both that you need as a well rounded mc. This is an Mc's Mc.....I feel blessed to say that I've rhymed along side him before on a track......Son is a Monster and to be respected. I salute, because between his upcoming project and the Cuban Linx 2 that Rae just dropped, it aint really too much hardbody HipHop that give you that grilchy feeling. I know in my case, as a kid who holds the pen like a fucking gattling, it takes a lot to move me. You can't just say you rhyme, because nowadays who doesn't...but it's a big difference between sounding like a fan and sounding like an mc.

Also peep the latest interview he did that I jacked from XXl.com
What a difference a decade makes. Back in 1996, Sean Price (then known as Ruck) was merely one-half of Boot Camp Clik’s dynamic duo Heltah Skeltah. He and partner Rock, made their mark on the game with gritty bars, hardcore beats and an unmatched chemistry. The duo was a (magnum) force together, but Sean P eventually became a movement by himself when Rock went on to a pursue a solo career outside of their label home Duck Down Records.

Sometimes overshadowed by Rock’s heavy baritone, Sean was now able to have his voice heard loud and clear. The Brooklyn MC quickly earned critical acclaim for his string of successful solo albums (2005’s Monkey Barz and 2007’s Jesus Price Supastar) and mixtapes (2004’s Donkey Sean, Jr. and 2007’s Master P). Thanks to his consistency and continued growth as a lyricist, Sean positioned himself as the anchor artist on the Duck Down roster.

Despite his accolades and a trio of releases on the horizon—including his Kimbo Price mixtape and Mic Tyson LP, as well as a group project with Detroit’s Guilty Simpson and Black Milk—Sean is not happy. The lyrical pugilist talks to XXLMag.com about rap retirement, how come there’ll never be a Fab 5 reunion and why a Costco job application might be in his future.

XXLMag.com: You’re known for real unique titles for your projects. Where do the ideas come from?

Sean Price: Just how I be feelin’ at the moment, man. I’ma ape, man—not on no monkey, Black racist shit—but I’m out there in the streets hard body. I’m more than a rapper, man. I’m out there in trenches, I’ma gorilla, so that was the whole thing behind the Donkey Sean Jr. mixtape and the Monkey Barz album. For the second go round I just felt like people thought it was a fluke so I hit them with Jesus Price Supastar because I’m the god of this hardcore shit. Then I dropped the Master P mixtape ’cause I’m the master. Now I feel like the fuckin’ game is bunoodles and I don’t really want nothin’ to do with this shit no more, but before I go out I’m going out with a bang, hence the name Kimbo Price.

XXL: What should fan expect from the Kimbo Price mixtape?

Sean Price: I can’t even describe it, man. I’m just rhymin’ and havin’ fun, B. I really have fun in this hip-hop shit, so you know… Actually, I don’t have fun in this hip-hop shit at all besides me going in the studio and putting these words together. So I had fun makin’ it, but after that the fun is over.

XXL: What do you mean by that? You getting ready to retire on us?

Sean Price: No, I’m not retiring—don’t get it twisted like I’m retiring or quitting—it’s just that, me and [Duck Down CEO] Dru Ha have talks and I’ll be like, “What can I do with this, that, and that?” Everything he told me I need to do to improve the Sean Price brand I don’t wanna do, so guess what? That means it’s time to leave.

XXL: What exactly was he telling you to do that you weren’t feeling?

Sean Price: I don’t even want to get into detail and expose my homie like that ’cause besides being my manager and my boss, Dru Ha’s my friend. He didn’t say nothin’ wrong to me I just don’t wanna do [industry] shit. If someone hire me to give them a verse, I’m with it and I’ma still do music but I just don’t wanna play the game. All I wanna do is rap, do a show, come home, smoke my weed, play with my kids, and fuck with my wiz—that’s it, man. I don’t wanna front like I’m somebody’s friend and I don’t wanna hang out at your fuckin’ party. I’ve been in the game too long for that.

XXL: What’s the status of the Mic Tyson album and the Random Axe project with Guilty Simpson and Black Milk?

Sean Price: The Random Axe project got delayed because Black made his little boo-boo and erased all my vocals. I’m not trying to throw him under the bus ’cause I didn’t even discuss it until he said it in another interview first, but he erased my vocals. I had my lyrics on my Sidekick and then I upgraded to the G1 so I’m actually rewriting all my verses. While I was reworking on Random Axe, Alchemist and Evidence started sending me some [beats] and I started working on Mic Tyson. It’s about 14 songs on that album, ’cause a fight is 12 rounds, plus the intro and outro so that’s what it’s gonna be.

XXL: How’d you even link up with Guilty and Black in the first place?

Sean Price: I was on tour and some dude called my man Dan Green and asked me did I want to do a song with Guilty Simpson. Me being the rap whore that I am I was like, Sure. Then, I hung up and was like, “Who the fuck is Guilty Simpson?” [Laughs]. My man had a whole bunch a Guilty Simpson shit so I listened to it on the ride to the show and was like, “Damn, this nigga’s nice.” Then we met up and it just went from that. We real good friends now.

XXL: After a 10-year hiatus, you and Rock reunited last year for a Heltah Skeltah album. Will we hear more from y’all in the future?

Sean Price: I don’t know. If Rock wanna do it, I’ll do it. I’ll be in the studio, I’ll rap, I’ll do my part, and then whatever happen happen.

XXL: Does the same apply for a Fab 5 reunion with you, Rock and O.G.C.?

Sean Price: You can forget about that Fab 5 shit, that ain’t happenin’, bruh.

XXL: Word? Why not?

Sean Price: ’Cause it ain’t, just straight like that. I ain’t mad at none of them—Top Dog my nigga, Louieville my nigga, Starang my brotha from another mother, but that ain’t happenin’. I can’t even get into why, but trust me, it’s not like I’m just sayin’ no and shuttin’ it down ’cause them dudes don’t wanna do it neither. We was never a group anyway. We was on Priority Records and Dru wanted to announce the new acts on the label so we did an A and B single together and it took a life of its own.

XXL: Since you’re growing tired of the politics of the rap game what’s on the horizon for you after these releases?

Sean Price: Next year you might find me workin’ in Costco or some shit. I’m dead ass serious, ’cause I don’t got money like that to retire and fall back on a yacht. People might say, “Yo, man, you supposed to be here and blah blah.” Yeah, I’m supposed to be but guess where I’m at? Costco. Now don’t get it twisted, I’m not starvin’ and I’m good, but I don’t give a fuck about pride. My kids can’t eat pride so as long as I take care of my family I don’t give a fuck. —Anslem Samuel

IRON

2009-10-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

early leak....peep while u can....looks like its gonna be dope

Freeeekey Zeke

2009-10-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

easily 1 of the most unintentionally funny cats in HipHop....the days of Dipset are long past, but the comedic value of Cam,Jim Jones,Zeke and Juelz remains.........First we had Biz Markie, then N.O.R.E, then Dipset...The Kings of HipHop Comedy

Friday Workout

2009-10-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

I been feeling clear.....on my workout regiment and eliminating suckaz from my cypher.....I also been grinding extra hard, getting up early and starting my days on that power trip. I'm keeping it extra grilchy these days and have no time to be bothered by the nonsense. I don't even wanna shake hands, give out pounds, bearhugs or none of that shit except for meeting with a select few. I have hundreds of associates, less than a hand full of friends and then I have family. Only winners in my circumference. Isn't it funny how that circle gets smaller and smaller as you get older? I grew up being a pretty popular dude. Known for being mischievous, but good hearted. Wicked, yet kind. I was blessed to have been someone fellas wanted to be cool with and girls wanted to kick it with. I've had some of my dreams come true, I've also gone thru my share of struggles. What keeps me motivated, being the somewhat bi-polar artist I am is the fact that I always leave myself open for that next thing. Like I said, I've been blessed to experience alot at a young age. Alotta shit that most reg average people may not ever have the pleasure of experienceing, let alone know enough to even care about the experience in the first place. With me, I have to set the bar higher for myself constantly. It's what made me a good hustler. I constantly would have had enough(in someone elses standards) but I always wanted more. These days I am seeing on the web how things are overrated in my book. I'm thinking it's because people are settling for something and want other folks to settle as well or the fact that people have not experienced other things to know the difference between Filet Mignon and plain flank steak(I'm a NY Strip dude myself), but I feel a little bit jaded by it. I'm feeling like I may come off as a little arrogant at times, a little conceited other times, shit I may be at times.....I'm also a humble cat tho'. Dunno what it is, but I think it stems from being used to Better, because I've always PUSHED for better.

BATMAN DUMBING OUT

2009-10-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

spotted at cracked....lolz

REAL HIPHOP in the Flesh yo!

2009-10-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Thanx to Philaflavas.blogspot.com and Digiwaxx

A Treat

WILDING!!!! P.R Parade edition

2009-09-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've seen some shit like this go down at the Greek Picnic in Philly. When women wanna chill out amongst the Mob mentallity of dudes getting drunk,high and beligerant.......The scene in Philly was damn near broad day rape......chicks wearing little to nthing, shaking their asses and stopping to take pictures, then getting they asses grabbed then getting they clothes riped off and trying to complain......never dangle raw meat in the jaws of a canine.

GLENNNNNNNN BECCCCCCKKKKKKKK

2009-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

I used to work detailing cars part time in the early 00's and they used to have the radio turned on to Mr. Gennnnn Beexxxcks show......to call him a raving lunatic would be an understatement. He is a schizofrenic and admitted drug and alcohol abuser, easily someone in tune with the views and politics of Mainstream Middle America. He is also the Right Wings most venemous voice at the moment, given his launch pad via Fox News.Found a nice article on exactly who he is....
Read it
HERE

LOLZ!!!! eat

2009-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

glad I'm not the only 1 who thinks thse cats r silly

HIPHOP 2day

2009-09-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

CAM Interview!!!!! funny shyt

B SEIGEL

Rosa Acosta

Just some rounded up vid I wrangled from the web.....peep the Cam video especially, that shit had me in tears today...aint peep Sieg yet and Rosa is bottom line carrying the vaton from Vida Guerra as eatable new HipHop jawn...at least thats the word on the streets...lets get this weekend started!

REALER TV

2009-09-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

clawwwd a mercy!!!!!!!

mo inspiration for your day

Honorable Mention to Bubbles

ANYONE CAN USE A WEAPON

2009-09-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

But the NINJA IS A WEAPON............

Ninja Assassin Trailer [US]
Uploaded by GeeDee85. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

They reallly, trying hard to bring back the 80's huh.....It's 2010 this shit, tho dope is unnacceptable.....I expected some futuristic shit right about now...District 9 was dope by the way

Secret Menu Items

2009-09-05T05:10:00.000-07:00

Go beneath the surface....the No code words you just have to know to ask

1. In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu” isn’t so secret these days – in fact, they’ve posted it on their website. But in case you’re not in the habit of surfing fast food sites, here’s the skinny on the rather un-skinny items: ordering something “Animal Style” at In-N-Out means you’re going to get it with lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty, pickles, extra spread (it’s sort of Thousand-Islandy) and grilled onions. You can even get your fries Animal Style. “Protein Style” is a burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of a bun. A Grilled Cheese is two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spread on a bun (grilled onions if you so choose). And you can get just about any combo of meat and cheese that you want if you order it like you’re ordering lumber: 3×3 gets you three beef patties and three slices of cheese, 4×4 gets you four of each, and so on. It doesn’t stop there – one gluttonous patron requested a 100×100 at an Las Vegas store a couple of years ago. One item not listed on the website secret menu: the Flying Dutchman, which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties, hold the bun.

2. If you’re at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine, don’t worry – there’s a tiny option for you. It’s the Short size, and they don’t advertise it. It’s like a little baby cup of coffee. It also comes in handy when you’re scrounging for change and don’t have enough for a tall… not that that has ever happened to me.

3. It’s a good thing we don’t have Jamba Juice here in Iowa, because I would be all over candy-based smoothies. Because it’s considered a health-food chain, Jamba Juice doesn’t officially list these on their in-store menus, but Mighty Foods assures us that the secret flavors exist. The ones they confirmed with the company’s headquarters include Strawberry Shortcake, White Gummy Bear, PB&J, Various flavors of Starbursts, Fruity Pebbles, Push-Up Pops, and Skittles. Other tantalizing flavors that are rumored to exist: Chocolate Gummi Bear, Apple Pie, Sourpatch Kid, Tootsie Roll, Chocolate-covered strawberries, and Now and Later.

4. Chipotle has a whole secret menu that is limited only by your imagination – they have a store policy that says that if they have the item available, they will make it for you. Things that have been tested include nachos, quesadillas, taco salads and single tacos. Some stores are testing out quesadillas as a regular menu item, however, so maybe someday soon you won’t need a super-secret handshake to order one.

5. If you’re at Wendy’s and you’re really hungry – like, three-patties-just-won’t-cut-it hungry – go ahead and order the Grand Slam, which is four patties stacked on a bun. It’s also known as the Meat Cube. Gross.

6. Several places, including McDonald’s and In-N-Out, will serve you the Neapolitan milkshake. It’s just what it sounds like – chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shakes layered in a cup. This gives me a great idea… I wonder if they would make me a mint-chocolate shake when they have the Shamrock Shake in March. Hmmm. (Picture from Flickr user Mrjoro.)

7. Feeling a little health-conscious at Popeye’s? If you are, you really should have gone somewhere else. But there’s a little hope for you – ordering “naked chicken” will get you breading-free poultry. The word is that this is on the menu at some Popeye’s, but not all of them, although it is an option at all of them.

8. Like Chipotle, Taco Bell will make you just about anything within reason as long as they have the ingredients for it. Since most of the food at Taco Bell is made out of the same basic items, that means you can probably ask for most discontinued items and get them. One “secret,” though, is that they have a not-advertised green chili sauce at most locations, and apparently it’s excellent.9. Some Subways will still make you the popular pizza sub from the ‘90s. Once the chain decided to make their focus healthy eating, the pizza sub disappeared from the menu in most places (the word is that Canadian and Mexican Subways still offer them on a regular basis). But if you ask, lots of places will still make it for you. Be warned, though – Jared would not approve of the nine slices of pepperoni and copious amounts of cheese slathered in marinara sauce.10. This one might be my favorite. At Fatburger, you can order a Hypocrite – a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon.

swiped from Mental Floss

The Wave Crashed

2009-09-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about Max B, but love him or hate him, you can't deny he was entertaining. I personally like the vibe he was bringing to the music and was listening to Max in 2005 when he had no mixtapes out and would drop a crazy ignorant freestyle verse here and there. I thought dude had some talent and style....Even his slang was a fresh approach. WAVY!!!! OOOWWWW!!! yeah it was wild but the way music has been these last few years has been straight up boring and non exciting. Anyways...Max hold your head!!!! 75 yrs. is a looong time in prison.

Spotted at http://coolehmag.com

WIPEOUT
THE FALL OF MAX B
words: CHRIS BENSON & D. PORTER
photos: ALEXANDER RICHTER
The sky was crystal clear on the morning of June 9th, 2009 in Hackensack, New Jersey. With an entourage including his lawyer and a camera crew, Charly Wingate, a.k.a. Max B, confidently strode through the parking lot of the Bergen County Courthouse. As he approached the fortress-like building he told the camera that he’d be found innocent and leave a free man. His attorney, Gerald Saluti, bragged about his cross-examination of the state’s star witness and was pretty sure of a victory. The mood in Max’s camp was extremely optimistic as they walked towards the courthouse’s thick stone walls.

But the wave that Charly Wingate had been riding would abruptly knock him over that morning. In the Hackensack courtroom of Judge Harry G. Carroll, Max would be found guilty and possibly spend the rest of his days in a New Jersey prison. Like most other court proceedings it was mundane, almost boring. Judge Carroll read the charges and the jury’s forewoman replied “guilty” to nearly every one. Then the jury was polled and they all agreed that Max and his stepbrother, Kelvin Leerdam, had planned a crime that resulted in one David R. Taylor II losing his life. The jury exited, Max and his lawyers embraced, and a stoic Mr. Wingate kept his composure as he was placed in handcuffs, unlikely to be a free man ever again.

On January 18, 2005, Inmate 97A2823, a.k.a. Charly Wingate, walked out of the Oneida Correctional Facility a free man. He had “maxed out”, no pun intended, on an eight-year bid for robbery in the 1st degree. It would appear that Max came out determined to make up for lost time. How he got involved with Diplomats “capo” Jim Jones is anybody’s guess, but Max certainly must have made an impression. Seven months after his release from prison, the rapper/singer was heavily featured on Jones’ second solo album Harlem: Diary of a Summer. In fact, the lead single “Baby Girl” was co-written by Max and got fairly significant radio play, considering the independent nature of the release.

www.alexanderrichterphoto.com

Whatever else one might say about Joseph Guillermo Jones, a.k.a. Jim “Capo” Jones, no one could say that he is a man who would let an opportunity pass him by. Having started his career as a hypeman for his friend, Harlem rapper Cam’ron, Jones did not hesitate to walk through the doors Cam opened for him. Along with another Cam’ron protégé, Juelz Santana, they formed The Diplomats—once Cam’ron strong-armed his way out of a bad record deal with Sony/Epic. Almost immediately Cam signed with Rocafella Records, through his long time affiliation with Rocafella co-founder Damon Dash, and the Harlem group’s debut went platinum. Jones had bigger plans though. When the majors weren’t interested, he launched his solo career through indie label Koch (now d.b.a. E1) Records. His first album sold surprisingly well, but Jones was still mostly known for being Cam’ron’s sidekick. It was not until he began working with Max B that Jones would come within striking distance of the level of wealth and fame he so clearly wanted.

Starstruck

This complex, interwoven tale starts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Baltimore native Gina Marie Conway was living in North Carolina in 2005 with her common-law husband of nearly ten years. She was a huge fan of the Diplomats, the Harlem-based rap crew fronted by Cam’ron, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana. Her admiration for ‘Dipset’ was evident in the amount of time she spent in chat rooms singing their praises. Ms. Conway had to have been thrilled when she heard that the Dipset was to perform a show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The fact that she was able to get a backstage pass to the show no doubt added to her elation. This excitement was tempered when she realized that she would not be meeting Cam or Juelz, as the show was headlined by Jim Jones. Disappointed about not meeting her rap idols, Ms. Conway did take the time to introduce herself to the Diplomats that were there. Among the performers she interacted with was Charly Wingate, a.k.a Max B. While she would claim later in court that she only talked to him in order to smoke his weed, Gina and Max’s relationship would end up being something neither party would soon forget.

It was only about a month after this initial meeting that Max convinced Gina to move to New York to live with him. So she packed her life up and left her “husband” in North Carolina to cohabitate with Max at his residence at 1950 Andrews Ave. in the Bronx. By all accounts it was a sordid affair. Max was busy getting his rap career together while Gina was plying her trade as an exotic dancer at the Bronx gentleman’s club Sin City. Neither of these professions makes monogamy easy, and beyond that, neither person seemed like the marrying type, a fact that came up repeatedly in the trial. With various boyfriends and girlfriends in the picture, this initial arrangement did not last long. About six months after moving in, Gina and Max parted ways. Gina returned to her native Baltimore to live with family.

Gina Conway

This first break-up was only the beginning of end for this couple. After a few months apart Max was once again able to convince Gina to move back to New York to live with him. But this time there was one small caveat. Max was now living with another woman, by the name of China. But as we would find out, Gina is an open-minded woman, so this fact did not deter her. She jumped at the chance to join Mr. Wingate’s harem. While the exact arrangements aren’t clear, both women considered themselves to be Max’s girlfriend and didn’t mind the presence of the other—or the various other women that he dealt with.

Like all good things Gina and Max’s second act did not last. China, a woman so striking that Saluti prefaced her every mention in court with that fact, became pregnant with Max’s child. Max and China thought that Gina should no longer live with them, so Ms. Conway was forcibly thrown out of the apartment. At this time, it is about a month before David Taylor’s death.

But again the story of these two lovers did not end there. Gina was determined to stay in New York and carve out her niche in Harlem World. In August of 2006 she moved in with one Michael “Murda Mike” Wingate at 480 St. Nicholas Ave. Murda Mike is one of Max’s Brothers. Also living there at the time was Max’s Uncle Hassan, and one of Mike’s girlfriends. The fact that she lived with people related to Max says a lot about Gina. She still had very strong feelings for Max; she still called herself his girlfriend and saw him on a daily basis. Despite their rocky relationship the two remained very active in each other’s lives.

At this point in her life Gina seemed very driven to remain in New York. The life she always wanted was starting to become a reality in her mind. But New York is an expensive town, even if one doesn’t have a 4–6 pill per day Ecstasy habit like the one Ms. Conway was allegedly nursing. In order to support her addiction and establish herself in the NY, Gina supplemented her dancing income by pushing coke for Uncle Hassan. It became clear that Ms. Conway would be down for just about anything that would help her stay in NY and remain in Max’s life.

JIM JONES

Early 2006 was the calm before the storm for Charly “Max B” Wingate, in more ways than one. We can only assume that having gone from prison inmate to somewhat successful rapper/ghostwriter/hook specialist in only one year must have been a nice turnaround. But at the same time, Max was thirsty for the limelight, and in the grand scheme of things, he was still just the sidekick of a sidekick. While the rapper was undoubtedly getting some money from Jim, clearly in Max’s mind it was not enough—unsurprising given his appreciation for the finer things in life. Still, Charly was heavily involved in working on Jones’ forthcoming album and had snagged an attention-grabbing feature on the chorus of a Cam’ron song attacking Jay-Z, called “You Gotta Love It.” The song was getting spins due to the controversial subject matter and Max’s slurred sing-song flow stood out; people began to mention his name. Jim Jones also paired him with the Byrdgang, a crew of street-rappers that Jones was trying to form into a new wing of the Diplomats movement. Things seemed to be headed in the right direction.

The seeds to this crime were first planted in April 2006, when a man who would cross Gina’s path began making money hand over fist. According to court documents, this was when Allen “Jay” Plowden first began his mortgage and mail fraud scheme. Using the name of a fictitious closing agent, Harrison and Associates, Plowden received a loan from Novastar Mortgage in the amount of $300,000. The proceeds were then wired to an account in a California bank held by Virtual Automated Technologies. VAT, as it’s called, produces stored value cards, SVCs, which function like ATM cards but are pre-paid through VAT, not linked to a bank account. Plowden, via Harrison and Associates, had these cards sent to a mailing address in Atlanta. From April 9th to April 12th, the funds that Novastar mortgaged to “Harrison and Associates” were withdrawn through numerous ATM transactions.

Emboldened by the success of his first scam, Plowden sought to do it again. This time he upped the ante significantly. Court documents allege that in August of 2006, another fake company, “Williams and Associates” applied for a home loan from Countrywide Financial. This time Plowden struck it rich, obtaining a loan worth $1,426,769.62. On August 10th this money was wired to United Community Bank. Four days later the funds were wired to Vida Mejor, a subcontractor of Virtual Money, Inc, who issued SVCs paid for with the proceeds of this loan. On the 17th the cards linked to this “virtual money” were mailed to an address in Bethesda, Maryland. Over the course of the next week this money, like the money from the Novastar loan, was made available to Plowden via numerous ATM withdrawals.

Despite the attentions spent on this case, exactly what David Taylor’s role was in Plowden’s scheme, and his past in general, remain murky—at least in the documents and testimony COOL’EH was able to procure. What we do know is that in death, Taylor was found in possession of a falsified passport and other materials related to the mortgage scam his partner was running. It seems safe to assume his association with Plowden must be connected to the fact that both men are from Florida. Whatever their past was, once they began making the rounds in New York City, Plowden and Taylor stuck close together.

Getting the money turned out to be the easy part of Jay Plowden’s scheme; holding onto it would prove to be an entirely different matter. Like the suitcase in Pulp Fiction, Plowden’s bags of money would attract problems from all directions. While he was orchestrating the withdrawal of his cake, Plowden and Taylor met with an individual who, unbeknownst to them, was actually an undercover FBI agent. According to the numerous conversations that were recorded on that day, August 16, 2006, Plowden was seeking to launder large amounts of the cash. The U.S. Attorney’s office was unwilling to discuss how the FBI identified the two men or the details of how they were lured into this money-laundering sting, but we do know that Taylor and Plowden revealed that they got the money through ATM withdrawals, and agreed to the undercover agents’ fee for washing the loot.

www.alexanderrichterphoto.com

The two men continued to attract attention—attention that would cost Jay Plowden his freedom and David Taylor, much more. At some point after arriving in New York City, and during the months before the Bergen County robbery, the two out-of-towners frequented a motor vehicle accessory business in the Bronx. It was there that they met Julio Cruz and Edward Blancaneaux, two New Jersey residents who are referred to in the U.S. Attorney’s charging documents as “the car thieves.” Plowden was allegedly at the “rim shop,” in words of Kevin Leerdam’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean, “to get his Mercedes Benz tricked out.” While Bonjean believes that they may have had other illicit business with Plowden and Taylor, all we know for sure is that the two Dominican men eventually introduced Plowden and Taylor to two women, Maite Castro and Gisselle Nieves. It would appear that the purpose of the introduction was of an amorous nature. Whether the two women were indeed prostitutes or merely posing as such is hard to assess, but we do know that they were soon conspiring with Cruz and Blancaneaux to rob the two Floridians.

Amazingly, Plowden was not done making bad decisions or making new friends. Around the time of the meeting with the supposed money launderer, Jay Plowden would have another fateful encounter. Gina Conway was standing on the corner of 126th and Lexington on September 20, 2006, waiting to be picked up by Max. Plowden was also on that corner, sitting in his white 2007 Mercedes-Benz S55. Conway would later recall in court that she felt like something shady was going on in the car. Other unknown males were in the car with him and she thought some sort of black market transaction was going down. But Jay saw something he liked in Gina, and approached her. By this point Max had told Gina he couldn’t pick her up and in her own words she “had nothing better to do.”

www.alexanderrichterphoto.com

Undeterred by his shadiness, or perhaps more impressed with his vehicle, Gina got in Jay’s car. Their first stop that night was a bar. While there, Gina noticed Jay talking to another sketchy character, a man referred to in court as “G-Head.” Ms. Conway would later share that, again, she felt like her new friend was into something illegal. But that did not stop her from putting her number in one of Mr. Plowden’s phones.

After a few drinks the two got back in the Benz. Gina claimed that she told Mr. Plowden to take her to her job at the strip club Sin City. But he had other ideas, and made a beeline for a motel in Mahwah, New Jersey. According to testimony “Jay” was very aggressive in his romantic approach to Ms. Conway. His fruitless “courting” was so forward that when she left, he felt obliged to give her money as a way to make amends. By this point Gina was starting to notice the stacks of cash that her new friend had. Gina returned to city around 4 that morning. She shared some of her cash with Max, a common practice as she claimed he was broke and always “took” money from her, then headed to Sin City. There she waited for a new romantic partner/Sin City bouncer, Turon Gholston, to get off work. The couple made a rendezvous at a seedy uptown motel before going their separate ways.

September 21st, 2006, was the beginning of the end for this circle of Harlem hustlers. The scenario started when Allan “Jay” Plowden called Gina. He wanted to further apologize for his actions the last time they met by taking her shopping. Once again showing a severe lapse in judgment, despite the fact that this man had almost raped her, Conway agreed to meet and told him where she lived. When she got in the white Mercedes she began to fathom the sheer abundance of Plowden’s ill-gotten revenue. He had a black bag stuffed with thousands of dollars and she saw large amounts of cash stashed in the car’s glove box and center console. Jay was going to put all that money to good use in the form of a shopping trip to one of Jersey’s more expensive malls, Paramus Park.

The trip to the mall was not unlike Michael Jackson’s shopping spree in the documentary Living with Michael Jackson. Money was no object, and Jay made that abundantly clear. He purchased everything that he and Gina wanted. Money was so far from his mind that on more than one occasion he forgot to take his black bag of cash with him. All sorts of cash register bells and whistles had to be going off in Gina’s head at this point.

The two left the mall and headed for a Holiday Inn on Route 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Mr. Plowden checked in, had the Benz valet parked, and his luggage portaged. For some strange—and fateful—reason he gave Ms. Conway a keycard to the room so she could use the bathroom without having to wait on him. Jay took a shower and emerged, seemingly ready for Gina to “pay him back” for his generous nature at the mall. According to Gina, this did not happen and Jay decided it best that she head back to the city, as he had a long night of clubbing ahead of him.

www.alexanderrichterphoto.com

At this point events become complicated. Attorneys for Mr. Wingate and his co-defendant/stepbrother Kelvin Leerdam cast doubt on events as Ms. Conway recalled them, without providing much of an alternate narrative. What follows is largely based on her testimony.

Gina met up with Max at the basketball courts at the Lincoln Houses, a housing project on 132nd St. between Fifth and Madison Avenues. Max was upset that she had been out of touch and demanded to know where she had been. In an attempt to make him jealous Gina told him about Jay and his fancy Benz and the bottomless cash he had on hand. As luck would have it Gina went in her purse for a lighter and found the keycard Jay had given her. She also shared with Max that Jay would not be in the room for a while as he was out clubbing. This prompted Max to make a comment, according to Gina, along the lines of “getting this dude for his guap.” One of the trial’s lighter moments occurred when Conway explained to Bonjean, Kelvin Leerdam’s lawyer, the meaning of guap.

Subsequently, Gina went with her and Max’s mutual friend, Chinchilla, to get some E pills. Ironically her pill spot was on the same corner where she had met Mr. Plowden. She returned to Max around midnight on what is now the twenty-second of September 2006. She took one of her four to six E pills and imbibed some Hennessey with the crew as they watched the games. Around this time Leerdam, a.k.a. Sims, was summoned by his stepbrother and soon arrived at the basketball courts. Gina would testify that Max said if she took Leerdam to the hotel room, he would love her forever. Since she had the keycard and Plowden was thought to be out of the room, it was to be a simple burglary. She would jump at the chance to earn Mr. Wingate’s undying affection.

Gina recalled that Charly Wingate’s next move was to call a cab driver he frequently employed, one Mamdou Gbenga. Mr. Leerdam and Ms. Conway then piled into the Lincoln Navigator and headed for the Holiday Inn on Route 4 where Plowden and his partner in crime, David Taylor where staying. All the pills and drinks fogged Gina’s sense of direction, making what should have been a quick cab ride into a two-hour sojourn. The trio rode all over the upper Northeastern corner of New Jersey, even venturing across the state line into lower New York. This wasted time proved to be a costly error, as it allowed Mr. Plowden time to return from the club.

When the Navigator finally made it to the right hotel, Mr. Leerdam had the driver pull into a side parking lot and told him they’d be right back. She went inside with Leerdam and proceeded to room 408, where Plowden was staying. They were unable to open the door because of a problem with the keycard, so Gina claimed that Sims (as Leerdam was known to her) told her to call Jay’s phone. They heard it ringing, confirming he was in the room but were undeterred. Leerdam came prepared, bringing with him a handgun, gloves, and duct tape just in case.

Gina knocked on the door and was greeted by Giselle Nieves. Unbeknownst to them, Ms. Nieves was there as part of a plan to obtain the Plowden and Taylor’s car keys in order to abscond with the luxury vehicles (In addition to Mr. Plowden’s Benz, Mr. Taylor had purchased a 2007 BMW 750). Kelvin Leerdam burst from behind Gina Conway brandishing his pistol. With Jay still sound asleep, Mr. Leerdam kept a gun trained on Ms. Nieves while she and Ms. Conway searched the room for the cash. It is believed that at this time Ms. Conway filled a Louis Vuitton duffle bag with the valuables she did find, clothes, jewelry, and a laptop used by Jay in his various fraudulent schemes. Gina maintained that during this time she tried to comfort her visibly distraught captive, Ms. Nieves. Angered about not finding the cash, Mr. Leerdam confined their hostage to the bathroom and told Gina to wake up the man she knew as “Jay.”

Jay was woken and bound with duct tape. At Max’s trial Plowden testified that he refused to acknowledge the presence of any cash in the room and told his assailants that his partner, David Taylor had the money. According to his testimony, they demanded that he call Mr. Taylor—who was in a room on a different floor with Maite Castro—and tell him to bring the cash to the room. Mr. Taylor, who was about six foot four inches tall and weighed about 270 pounds entered room 408, only to have a gun jammed in his face. Apparently he reacted instinctively and struggled with Mr. Leerdam, himself a big guy, before being shot in the face. However, according to all available testimony, Taylor did not bring any significant amount of money up to the room. In the version of events supplied by the survivors Plowden had removed a few hundred dollars from his main stash and secured it under the mattress. Conway and Leerdam allegedly took this money, along with the aforementioned designer luggage, jewelry, and laptop. Gina would later testify that she took cash from the dead man’s pockets but couldn’t stand to take the watch off his wrist, a task more to Mr. Leerdam’s temperament. At the end of the day, it was this relative pittance that the state contends Leerdam and Conway were forced to abscond with after inadvertently killing David Taylor.

Accorfing to her own testimony, upon returning to Manhattan, Gina did not meet up with Max B. This seems counterintuitive since her entire story is based on the fact that Mr. Wingate planned and put her up to this robbery. Instead of bringing her bag of goodies to him, a man she loved who told her he would love her forever if she pulled this heist off, she sought out her new flame, Turon Gholston. The two met up at Sin City and returned to Gholston’s place in Bloomfield, NJ. When they got there Gina gave him some of the items from room 408, including clothes and the laptop. This is interesting to note due to the size of the men involved. Mr. Gholston and Mr. Plowden are similar in size, with both men being about six feet tall. Max B, for lack of a better term, is quite diminutive, topping out at about 5’ 7” and weighing around 140 pounds. Why Gina would take the clothes of a much bigger man if they were to be given to Max is unknown. From there Gina went to the apartment of “Murda Mike” Wingate, where she stashed the LV duffle bag and its remaining contents. Charly Wingate never received any property or cash that had been taken from room 408 the night David Taylor was killed.

As it turned out, “Jay” Plowden’s thirty grand had been in the room all along, hidden under the plastic liner in the trashcan. But instead of fleeing the scene of the crime or calling the police, his behavior after the robbers left was inexplicable. On the stand, Plowden claimed that he freed himself and attempted to chase Conway and Leerdam. A motel employee stated that he saw a partially clad Plowden behaving suspiciously in the hallway and that Plowden told him to call the police. The police arrived to find Allan barricaded in his room with Ms. Nieves and the corpse of Mr. Taylor. He eventually came out of the room and was detained by the Fort Lee police.

Things certainly did not look good for Plowden. Taylor’s dead body and tens of thousands of dollars in ill-gotten cash had been found in his room. As it turns out, the items he was missing would prove to be his undoing. The Toshiba laptop and thumb drive, which were later found in the possession of Gina’s friend Turon Gholston, provided the F.B.I with a detailed record of his crimes. The proverbial smoking gun, as it were. Among the items on the computer were files relating to the opening and closing of mortgages, invoices for the shell company Harrison and Associates, and the picture of a US passport issued to one Justin Lieberman. The hard drive also contained copies of agreements for the mailboxes that the suspects used and the card numbers for the SVCs that were sent to said mailboxes. For good measure much of this information was also found on a Sony Vaio laptop discovered in David Taylor’s BMW. The feds had already been sizing Plowden up for a fall and eventually took him into custody, where he remained through his guilty plea on charges stemming from the fraudulent mortgage schemes. But Allan did not go into federal custody quietly. He cooperated with New Jersey authorities and once he began spilling the beans, the police immediately began searching for Gina Conway.

On September 26th 2007, the search for Conway brought Bergen County Prosecutors Office Detective Dave Borzotta to Max B’s residence at 1950 Andrews Avenue in the Bronx. According to the detective, Mr. Wingate was very helpful. “Mr. Wingate dealt himself in,” Borzotta would later recall at trial. He was forthcoming about his dealings with Ms. Conway and even told them addresses she was known to frequent. Max revealed that she could be at “Murda” Mike’s, where stolen property was later found. Max also told them about Sin City, close to where they ultimately caught her. Max gave the officer his cell number and even called him on more then one occasion during the preliminary investigation. Borzotta recalled one instance when he went to interview Max and the rapper was outside his Bronx residence, talking on the phone with Jim Jones. “The police talking to me about some bullshit,” Max was overheard telling his future nemesis. Max even let the police search his apartment to look for Gina. It was clear from the officer’s testimony that Max was not considered a suspect at this time.

The search for Gina Conway ended on September 28th 2006 around 12:30 a.m. when she tried to borrow money from Mr. Gholston. She was placed under arrest and taken to the 32nd Precinct. Conway was cooperative with the officers who interrogated her. It is at this point that things get complicated. Gina was Miranda-ized at 12:58 a.m. and the tape of her confession started rolling at 1 a.m. Whatever was said during those two minutes, Ms. Conway proceeded to sing like a bird, painting Mr. Wingate as the mastermind behind the botched burglary that left David Taylor dead with a gunshot wound to the face.

After interviewing Ms. Conway, officers proceeded to Max’s apartment and arrested him at about 6 a.m. that same morning. The long arm of the law caught up with Kelvin Leerdam at his aunt’s apartment on Flatlands Ave. in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he was also taken into custody.

Only weeks after Max was arrested and charged with a slew of felonies, including murder, Jim Jones released the first single for his upcoming album. The song, entitled “Ballin’,” quickly became a nationwide hit with the help of the New York Football Giants. On their way to the franchise’s first Superbowl victory in seventeen years, the Giants players began pantomiming jump-shots to celebrate big plays. The move was an obvious reference to the song, which was already popular on local radio. Giants Stadium soon began playing the song over the PA system. The Giants success on the field certainly paid off for the Capo, who watched as his song hitched a ride with one of the NFL’s most popular teams as they tore through the playoffs on national television. The single gained a traction unlike anything Jones had been able to generate before, from strip clubs to sporting events, “Ballin” was everywhere. Meanwhile the man who claimed (quite credibly, since he is credited on the album) to have written the song for Jones, was sitting in a New Jersey jail cell under a $2 million dollar bail. The single would peak at a meteoric #5 on the Billboard charts and Jim’s subsequent LP commercially outperformed all his previous work, selling over 100,000 units in it’s first week. Max B was featured on seven songs of the albums songs and claims he ghostwrote or collaborated on many more. Regardless of exactly what he did, Max’s influence on Jim’s music is plain to hear, and Jim was no fool, he clearly saw Wingate’s talents and put them to good use. The problem was, Max was in prison now, and seemed to think that what with all he had done to ensure Jim’s success, it was time for some payback. But for Jones, the $2 million bail was likely starting to seem like a lot to pay for someone who could be on their way back to jail for a very long time.

It is possible that had he never been arrested, Max and Jim would have fallen out anyway but Max’s prison stint made it a certainty. The friction started when, after months in the can, Max began publicly airing his grievances at having not been bailed out yet. Apparently, sitting in the jail day room and watching Jones pose in front of luxury vehicles while reciting lyrics Max wrote rubbed him the wrong way. Go figure. While stopping short of outright disrespecting his former boss, Max made it clear that he felt something fishy was going on and seemed to impugn Jones’ financial dealings with him. Jones copped various pleas in interviews about why he hadn’t put up his protégés’ bail money, alluding to wanting to wait until the bail was lowered or wanting to give Max the money once the rapper was released. What spurred him to finally act, we may never know, but at least one party has alleged that Jim only decided to bail Max out after he found out somebody else might. Whatever his reasons, Jones’ next move would make Iago blush, Suge Knight blanch, and even the infamous Morris “Mo” Levy tip his fedora. Jim “Capo” Jones went to the jail and gave Max the $90, 000 he needed to get out of jail in return for Max inking a new contract. When the relationship between Max and Jim later turned to outright acrimony, Jones would tell radio disc jockey Funkmaster Flex that:

“He’s signed to my label and I bought his publishing for roughly $90,000 which he cried over the phone to get out of jail for…he sold his soul, the stupidest move I’ve ever heard anybody make in their entire life.”

It did not take long for Max to realize that he had made a costly mistake. He would later claim that Jim had been eager for him to get back in the studio after bailing Max out, but Max felt he was owed more money. He also seemed to be becoming leery of continuing to do Jim Jones albums when his own solo work was getting scant attention from the Capo. For his part, Jones would later imply that the wisecracking rapper was attempting to rise above his station and being unappreciative of what Jones had done for him, before and after the arrest. By this time, Jim had parlayed the success of “Ballin’” into a financially significant deal with Columbia Records. Roc-A-Fella was already history and Dame Dash was more than happy to hitch his wagon to Jim’s; they began working not only on his album, but a documentary and a potential reality show. Meanwhile, the Diplomats as a crew had pretty much ceased to function as Jim and Cam’Ron slowly grew apart and Jones made it clear that he had every intention of being bigger than Cam ever was. The most successful personalities in Dipset, Cam’Ron, Jones and Juelz Santana parted ways and began promoting their own new crews. The second-tier Diplomats artists like 40. Cal, Hell Rell and J.R. Writer, were left to largely sink or swim on their own. So when Max began to disassociate himself from Jim and Byrdgang /Diplomats, it made sense that Jones had neither the time nor the desire to try and placate his former weed-carrier. However, the more he nonchalantly dismissed Max as a “twerp” and a “nobody”, the more lyrical gasoline Max poured on the fire he was attempting to light under the so-called Capo. Suddenly, Jim, whose whole career had been filled with disrespectful interviews and vendettas against some of New York’s more respected rappers, was getting a taste of his own medicine. If Jones had set the bar high for ignorant foolishness and blatant “goonery”, Max B cleared it on his first try. His claims were legion; he wrote all of Jim’s songs, he pepper sprayed Jim at an event, Jim’s “wifey” tried to seduce him on numerous occasions, Jim was a homosexual, Jim couldn’t come to Harlem anymore, Jim needed police protection to keep Max from getting “at him”…and so on. To Wingate’s credit, people started to notice and pretty soon Max was omnipresent in the hip-hop blogosphere. His non-coastal style and easily digestible lyrics won fans in this age of hook-driven, regional hip-hop. His amusing interviews and on-camera antics kept the Internet turning to him for ready-to-post controversy. It did not hurt that veteran beat maker Dame Grease was backing him, giving the mixtapes an additional level of credibility. The timing of Max’s feud against Jim Jones also gained him additional listeners because of the controversies surrounding the dissolution of the Diplomats. At least some hip-hoppers tuned in to Max’s schtick simply because Jim Jones is a polarizing figure in hip-hop and, generally speaking, everyone likes to see a bully get bullied. All this, combined with his distinctive slang, surfing-related catchphrases, and ongoing murder case meant that Max’s visibility was at an all time high.

Unfortunately for Max, no matter how many graphic verbal attacks he made against Jim and his “wifey,” and regardless of how many hours of anti-Jones DVD footage he compiled, the Capo held one hell of a trump card. The entirety of Charly Wingate’s publishing was now the legal property of Jim Jones. This meant that anything he had done in the past put money in Jim’s pocket, and anything he would ever do was essentially under Jim’s direct control. Max could put out free mixtapes (and did he ever!) or other penny ante deals that Jim couldn’t be bothered to track down and stop, but any hope for mainstream or even independent success would have to come with Jones's blessing. By now however, Jones had clearly had enough of Max’s antics and had no inclination to be charitable. He made it clear that Max had passed the point of no return in an interview with Worldstarhiphop.com, saying:

“Maxi-Pad? He’s like finding Nemo right now, where is that faggot? [Actually] he is on the shelf right next to my Nike boots, we ain’t never letting him come out”

With little more than the word of Gina Conway, the trial of the State of New Jersey v. Wingate, Leerdam, and Conway began. The fact that Max and Kelvin were tried together raises the first set of eyebrows. As attorney Jennifer Bonjean would argue on her client's behalf, the two men’s defense strategies should’ve kept the trials separate. Gerald Saluti, Esq. argued that Gina was a woman scorned and that Mr. Wingate was never at the crime scene and was not involved in the crime at all. Ms. Bonjean’s argument was that whomever Ms. Conway brought to the Holiday Inn as muscle, it was not Kelvin Leerdam. After all, the police were unable to find a murder weapon, or any physical evidence tying Leerdam to the crime scene. Although Leerdam had a drug conviction, there was no previous involvement with violent crime on his criminal record. When reached for comment Ms. Bonjean pointed out that there were significant irregularities in the witness identification, as well:

“Allan Plowden was presented with two photo arrays in the hopes of making an identification of the shooter. The first photo array contained a photo of my client and he did not identify my client. He did not identify anybody. They showed him a second photo array where they put an updated version of my client, in the array and Plowden actually identified somebody else. He identified one of the fillers. So that was very problematic for the investigation; the lead victim, the person with supposedly the best ability to identify the man in the room, not only was unable to do so in one array but actually identified the wrong person in a second photo array.”

Nevertheless, when he appeared as a prosecution witness during the trial of Wingate and Leerdam, Allan “Jay” Plowden readily fingered Kelvin as the shooter. Bonjean considers the testimony “laughable”, given Mr. Plowden’s failure on two occasions to pick her client out of a photo array and said she argued that “the state did not have a good faith basis to ask [Plowden] to make an identification in court” after his earlier failures. And as far as cab driver Mamdou Gbenga’s identification of Leerdam, Ms. Bonjean had the following to say:

“What the police did, which I think is very…I think, improper…is they did not show him a photo array, because, I think they questioned his ability to make an identification. So he was never shown a photo array or asked to identify the person who he drove in the cab that night with Gina Conway. But come trial they put him on the stand and he made an in-court identification of my client. I argued that it was improper to even elicit that testimony and, in fact, it is going to be an issue on appeal. That it was improper to have him identify someone from a suggestive situation where you have him sitting at counsel table with two white lawyers. The only black people sitting at counsel table were Charly Wingate and my client. The cab driver knew who Charly Wingate was and had driven him on prior occasions, so there was only one person left to choose. When I questioned Mr. Gbenga on cross-examination about his recollection of the person he drove in the cab, he had no ability to describe him, and in fact, described him differently to police.”

Reviewing the records of the trial it is clear that both defenses would’ve been better served if the trial had been split. One instance involved cell phone records. Detective John Haviland of the prosecutor’s office testified that on the night of the crime Ms. Conway “chirped” Mr. Leerdam about the time they should’ve been in the cab looking for the hotel. While possible that they could’ve been playing as they drove around, it is curious that they would chirp each other on the way to commit a felony in the same vehicle. The prosecutor did say that it could’ve been the two talking to each other as they fanned out across the Holiday Inn, but it still didn’t add up. Points such as this could have been better argued if the defense co-counsels didn’t have to worry about implicating the co-defendant. When asked, Jennifer Bonjean detailed several other ways that the joint trial hurt both Wingate and Leerdam:

“I felt strongly that the trials should be severed. [Both men’s] defenses were limited by virtue of the fact that they were sitting next to each other. Speaking hypothetically, Mr. Wingate could have, he did not, but he could have tried to point the finger at Gina and Mr. Leerdam. But that would have been more easily done had they been severed. Similarly, we argued before the judge that we intended to present a defense which centered around third-party culpability, meaning that Gina Conway did this crime with somebody else. And that one of the possible people she could have done it with was Charly Wingate, or other persons associated with Charly Wingate. Ultimately, that was not necessarily the defenses’ pursuit but we didn’t want to be limited in our defense…but [the court] denied it and as I understand it, getting a case severed in New Jersey is pretty difficult.”

Another quirky aspect of the trial was that the prosecution’s entire case is based on a witness that is sketchy for more than one reason. As noted before, Ms. Conway loved her Ecstasy and her alcohol. She was drunk and high when the crime was committed and when she gave her statement to the police. At more than one point she testified that the intoxicants had clouded not only her memory but also her perception of events as they happened. For instance, she said on the stand that Mr. Leerdam threatened her with his gun and directed her to do things in the hotel. She had never before stated that she was under duress during the crime. Her testimony is seemingly riddled with enough inconsistencies to cast a shadow over everything she said under oath.

During Gerald Saluti’s cross-examination Ms. Conway stated that she did not commit the crime, despite the fact that she plead guilty and faced up to 18 years in prison. When asked who did the crime she pointed to the defense table and said, “They did." Saluti continued, reminding her that she signed a document saying she did commit the crimes and that what she signed and said in her statement was the truth. The truth didn’t matter much to her, as she explained repeatedly that the main reason she copped her plea was to avoid life in prison. She continued to hedge her bets throughout her testimony, claiming that the plea is “basically true” but that she signed it in an act of self-preservation.

When Giselle Nieves, the woman who was held captive along with “Jay” Plowden during the robbery, took the stand, she only added to the murkiness. At one point she testified that, in her opinion, Plowden had been in on the robbery from the beginning. She went on to state that he seemed unperturbed when Taylor was killed and was mostly concerned with his notorious “bag of money”. Of course, according to her own testimony, she herself was only in the room as part of a wholly unconnected scheme to rob Plowden and Taylor.

Neither Charly Wingate nor Kelvin Leerdam took the stand during the trial to explain the nature of their relationship with Ms. Conway, or offer an alibi.

The whereabouts of the duffel bag of cash David Taylor supposedly had in his own hotel room are not known. If indeed such a bag did exist.

Perhaps most surprising is that none of the many people involved in this convoluted Venn diagram of a case seems to have benefited at all from their respective schemes. As of this writing, Max and his stepbrother await sentencing later this month from inside a jail in northern Jersey. They continue to protest their innocence and say they will be filing appeals. Gina Conway also awaits sentencing, although having co-operated with the authorities as part of her guilty plea should ensure that she does significantly less than the 18-year maximum penalty that she copped out to. Since she has already done about three years inside and is being credited with time served, a lenient sentencing might mean that she would be out in 7-10 years. Attorney Gerald Saluti has spoken at length about his close relationship with Wingate and has vowed that he will not rest until he sees Max’s convictions overturned. Unfortunately for Saluti, the press has roundly criticized his actions before, during, and after the trial. As of press time we were unable to reach him or even determine if he was still employed with his last known firm. When we called the only number we could find, a woman would only tell us that she had been instructed to say that Mr. Saluti “no longer worked there". Allan Plowden is in Federal prison facing decades behind bars on a host of interstate fraud charges. Being that he is forty-four years old and there is no parole in the federal system, Allan may very well die inside. Jim Jones got his big shot as a solo artist on Columbia but without Max the album flopped hard, and he has not yet managed a hit single on par with “Ballin”. He still owns Max’s publishing but being that the permed rapper may never get out of jail and has dependents to support, Jim may be forced to sell it back at cost or run the risk of appearing to be taking food out of the mouth of Wingate’s newborn.

Most people seek to take advantage of their opportunities, everyone connected to this saga sought opportunities to take advantage. Each actor here established an interlocking web wherein they took turns playing and being played. Jim Jones has nothing to do with the murders in Jersey but his attempt to rise from middling independent artist to hip-hop mogul on par with Jay-Z and 50 Cent was greatly aided by the writing talents of Max B. Then, when Max sought Jim’s help in making bail, the Capo obliged by pulling off one of the rap industry’s more noteworthy shenanigans when he obtained Max’s publishing rights in return. This wasn’t all bad for Max, as this provided him with a soapbox from which to rail against Jim Jones, the very person who co-signed his entry into the music game. His feud with Jones raised his profile considerably, which in the end may help his dependents (assuming Jim ever gives up the publishing). Charly Wingate and Gina Conway in turn used one another for all they were worth. Max provided Gina a way out of the boondocks and the chance to live the life of a rapper’s girlfriend. That was fine with Charly, as Gina offered a ready supply of sex and pocket money. For Gina, opportunity knocked when she met Jay Plowden and his bottomless bag of cash. Taylor and Plowden took advantage of stolen identities and pocketed a lot of cash in the short run but they both paid a steep price in the end. The lawyer who presented Charly’s case, Gerald Saluti, also knew a good business opportunity when he saw one. Whether he was in YouTube videos outlining his defense strategy, announcing a new career as a hip-hop manager, or tweeting during trial; Saluti made sure everyone knew he was defending Mr. Wingate. As for Mattie Castro, Julio Cruz, and Eddie Blancaneaux, their case is still pending for a robbery they claim they never even got the opportunity to execute.

X needs a exorcism

2009-09-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

I can see the demons dwelling

OUTFORMATION

2009-08-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Prof Griff speaking on some things. Whether you believe it or not- interesting none the less.

NO IMAGES

2009-08-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Feeling a lil blah today.....totally not caring......I ate a beef hamburger for the first time in years(been eating turkey burgers) and I can say that it is adversely affecting my body and my mood. I'm on detox mode again after that. I thought it would be good to switch it up, but It's got my gut feeling heavy, my attitude like fuck everybody and it's got me stuck like I just smoked a blunt. Maybe all that with a feeling of....hhmmmmm, best way to describe it is hmmmm dunno, boredom perhaps.....I been on intense paper chase for the last few months.......I fell back off twitter, been creating with the fam, have a special gem of a person holding down the bed and am relatively healthy....MOOD SWINGS, yeah, Idunno.....aint been piffing and I know that chemical withdrawl, aint been sipping but don't miss it. Maybe just a time to be reflective......ahhhh there it is. Time to totally fall back off the web, skip the bullshit people are talking about and read a few books and come up with some additional hustles. I'm definitely in a better place than I was last year, but everybody go thru some form of nuerotic depression even when everything is going good. I'm blessed, not depressed just really feeling like "who cares"

BATTLE RAPPPAS

2009-08-19T17:38:00.001-07:00

for dem FB junkies

2009-08-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

just to add on. You catching me on my Facebook Page is a rare thing.............I feel like that world is connected in it's own way and that's good, but at the same time.....meh

that said....peep this

BOCKLE YA SELVES

2009-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

MAJOR LAZER!!!!!!! ZAP!!!!!!nu

new beginnings

2009-08-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Flash Forward

Re emerging is always a great blessing. The greatest people in the world have all at 1 time faced great adversity. The biggest difference between them and everyone else is that they took the opportunity to pick themselves up off of the ground after they fell. They took things in stride no matter how hard they stumbled. They took that stumble and made it into a flip.......Fall back Move forward. The whole premise to being a winner and great champion in everything you do is to move like one in all instances.....There are historically some defeats that are actually greater than victories. Here inside the depths of the circle, there has been some deep quality control going on. I'm one who strongly feels that when you get that instinct and vibe to go a different way, then you should heed it. I often get these vibes when I feel like the writing is on the wall. I like to move freely and to transition. As a youth I used to hate change. That inevitable change.......That shit had me going to different schools, going to different states and never being comfortable. I moved all throughout the tri state as a youth and went to various different schools(only got kicked out of 1 FTW) and experienced a lot of different cultures. At the time it felt like I would never settle, never meet 1 REAL chick and never have true PEOPLES.....

The gem was that little did I know, that all of the moving around I was doing was grooming me to be able to adapt and to also renew myself. I always had to stay sharp. I also learned that no matter what and no matter where, 1 rule never changed and that was your respect has to be earned from day one. That REAL Respect, not that sociable,network,political,transparent,cordial respect. It's times I look back at all of that shit and see that this game is basic. I also know that when I start feeling like I'm comfortable, I know that I can do MORE. Once you start getting to that point, you know it's on. Rest your brain, that's necessary too. I been re evaluating and working so hard that I feel like I'm back on grind mode........time to update again. Some folk are cool with complacency and that's good. Change is good as well tho. Continue Evolving.

Easy Stars.......

Saturday its a Saturday

2009-08-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yup, its been a hell of a weekend so far. Went to Arts Beats and Lyrics, my homie Dubelyoos' jump off Friday night hosted by Gentleman Jack Daniels.....got my real grown man on. Not really tilted but a nice slush. Wifey on the other hand got towed down. Had a blast man, saw some good art and ended up being on 1. Only thing is that I come to the realization that we aint real compatible with folks like that. Our viewpoints are a lil worldly so it's hard to feign interest in topical bullshit. Just noting it, but we realized that when we rolls out it aint easy to gel, maybe it comes from a lack of faith and trust in folk, dunno.

Yesterday was a big red X day cuz I aint do too much, rolled out the crib mid-late afternoon and ran into Smiff and Wessun and chopped it up wit them for a few.

Tehy was hanging out by Vinnie's Styles and getting ready to do a show later that night. I ain't make it but I have seen these cats numerous times over the years, they get busy...plus they have my No.1 Tree burning anthem album Dah Shinin".

Went home from running around and walk in to the smell of home cooked food and beef on the internets. Krazy....tho I had a feeling in the gut that something would go down. I think Buddens is aiight and have always felt that way. Never was above avg. to me personally, but he has some joints. The problem lies in the slick talk. It doesnt matter what you say in the comfort of your club house around your peeps or how hard u wanna make yourself out to be online, when real street dudes get involved all that shit goes out the window. Now I know the beef was squashed, but I also noticed that son was still talking slick after the fact about Deck and Rae and still saying that he had a subliminal diss to Mef on the slaughthouse album. My thing is this: why keep running your jibs if the beef is over? why publicize that u may have taken shots(subliminal at that)? why even put that energy out there? I know why, to save face for having apologized for some some shit that shouldn't have even gone there. Now the real embarrassment comes, because I was watching the aftermath of what happened and it was some shaking, a little crying, a little bit of wound licking and a whole lot of whining and dry snitching. Now this is what i be talking about being Live in this internet era. If you think you are Live, let the people tell it like they did back in the day thru word of mouth, not you "pretending" to be a live dude for youtube. The thing is that when cards get pulled there is no way around it. Yes, the internet soldier die hards is gonna say it was pussy for Rae to go over there with multiple people, but at the end of the day, if you rolling with 4 cats that you came with and been rolling with all day and you find out where son is to talk to him, it aint pussy for them to roll with you, because you could be in the room with 30 people and he rolls in with 4 to confront you. People all have their biases and will spin it any kind of way to defend an artist they have invested a gig f space to on their computer and have defended in the multiple beefs. I understand. The L came from the horses own mouth for behaving a lil tender in front of the cam for an hour after the event occurred.

CRACKKKK coming soon

2009-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hilarious....to me at least

Now Serious
PLANET HULK

the concept behind the book was crackkk....Marvel been killing these straight to DVD jawns of late....

I'm right here!!

2009-08-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!! vibing off the Power of activity. Been getting my run on.......summertime out at the park. Yeah, getting back in shape...terrorizing peoples grills and heavy chilling. Soaking up this summer sun. My vibe is real Alpha Omeg.....not to be confused with Alphamega, tho I don't know dude personally, but definitely enjoyed the energy he was bringing to the table....Anywhoo, hope y'all been lamping and living.....-breathe-

Yeah, tho I kinda fell back from the internets and putting my brainwaves towards this shit, I've been in the lab cooking up a few different souflees....dig it. My head is to the grindstone and I'm a million miles away from where I was even a few months ago. I know if you been following then you know I been positive most of the time with this blog, tho every Peak comes with valleys, I can honestly say that I'm growing pretty well. I'll be posting a lot more good shit and get back in the swing of things........heres a lil interview I did recently wit LacedOut, a lifestyle and flavor blog/magazine. Just some shit off the chest.......it feels good to vent....lolz....

Heres the interview LACED OUT INTERVIEW

Jogging the brain......

2009-07-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Newness.....inspiring the kid.

Highlights from the Hood

2009-07-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

iPhone 3GS Augmented Reality from Chris Hughes on Vimeo.

Keep it Golden

2009-07-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

1 of my brothers had a dope interview done in this mag. Goldi been keeping his art razor sharp, going IN!!!! Love this cat for realz.....1 genuine gem in a whole truckload of rock concrete chips.....This kid keeps it real to the utmost and respects the arts as a whole culture....You can't just focus on the pen work, you also have to focus on the inspiration behind it. This is also one of my g's who has one of them ill magazine stashes that artists keep at the crib......peep more in depth from my comrade in arms...Goldi Gold!

GOLDEN INTERVIEW

Maintaining

2009-07-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Kenes just sent some mail......sketching stretching the barriers.......It actually works perfect for right now.

Vibrations.......Mind Wavelengths......yeah continued progress...............Now currently on the deck chilling fighting mosquitos taking it all in. Been a minute since I really went in with y'all. So yeah this one we call: the breather.

I've been beasting out with my homey Richie and building this Deck

and basically having some other company staying at the crib for the last 2 weeks.....Everybody made their trips and visits except my brother, but summer ain't over yet. As far as where I've been....it's been hectic. I been trying to keep my tweets current tho, but as far as everything else I been just trying to get my head together. Buying a home is an undertaking, but buying 1 that you have to renovate is definitely extra......It's been 2 years since I've been here and it's like now is the first time I can say "yeah I'm feeling real comfy". Other than that, been working extra hard grinding, getting up everyday with the mindstate to getit. Not just show up, but excel past expectations. I'm a world away from last summer, so that can only be seen as a blessing and a half. I still have to see some projects to fruition but I'm further along on the path.

I actually got into an accident a week ago, but through all of the work I honestly didn't feel it. No real damage either, just some rear and front bumper damage. As well as some alignment and muffler stuff, but I'm also happy to say I just picked it up and after a week of rental(on their dime) I'm comfy. They basically handed me what looks like a new car as well. It felt so good to get the warranty when they handed it to me.

I'm still tired but I'm even. Feels great to be in this space....I got that Dionne Warwick Deja Vu on just so you can feel the wave I'm currently on:

Just wanna give thanks for where I am, the accomplishment feels butterworth.....When you climb a mountain it always feels great to stand on the top of that shit and just breathe the air. Take in the view and just Maintain. I'm on one of my jaunts, just ready for a weekend of rest and hopefully no drama........I gotta fade back..................

It's been a while.......

2009-07-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

Man.....been in the trenches like a muuuug. Built a deck last week. Had some company staying over and just been going super hard. I got pics coming. It's been an eventful week. Got in a accident too. Been finishing up a tape....just hectic...I got some powerful drops coming this week tho'. More perseverence and foresight. I'm noticing my already thick skin is even thicker.......check in and as always I'm on teh tweeeets.... holla

INSPIRATIONAL: Jay Electronica

2009-07-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

This cat Jay Electronica is easily the best artist I've heard in a few years........His energy and style reminds me of my homie Z from back in the day.....Deep with the sciences and substance. Literally this cat is the only person I've heard in a while who inspires me to write. This is the type of wave HipHop needs. He gets it in on teh twitters too, got P Diddy keeping an eye on him, but it reminds me of Dracula keeping an eye on Blade........ I say this becausethe energy and density of the lyrics is the antithesis of what the gatekeepers is letting slide thru now. This is literally the cat who can change the "game" back into HipHop. That's why I can see a major signing him just to shelf his works and throw away the key like "yeah, what you trying to kick knowledge?" "nah not while we got OJ the Juicy fruit and Coogi Mane, here take this advance and give us your publishing and your masters"

I gotta keep it unadulterated bone core essence. I like to speak freely, just cuz this is my blog/journal and I ain't looking for "hits", favors or affiliation with a label, like most other HipHop blogs, I can always keep it 100% wit y'all. Jay Electronica is someone worth your investigation.

Back at IT

2009-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

When your soul is at peace, you just feel good. Been back on my positive shit just realizing that most of what I been doing has beenelevating from where I was a year ago. Had some major paradigm shfits this past year. Definite growth, upgraded career, got the house renovations coming along, just sold one of my cars, got the family in town and have just been sharpening skills.......

It all starts with one thing. Thinking positive. That's it. No matter what your religious preference. It starts with a thought. The mind is powerful. Putting forth that energy leads to positive things happening. TRUST!!!

When these people come at me as enemies, this is what I see thru my eyes

It's hard to stay in a fucked up mindstate or attitude when you think like that!

My tribute

2009-07-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Been real busy of late...Told y'all I don't play with Summertime. Catch me when you catch me. I'm not mourning MJ really, but this jawn right here is 1 of my top 3 Mike joints. I reflect every time I hear it and found it fitting for how we all feel. At the same time it's sad to see him go, it's beautiful to see that this 1 man was a cultural force which shifted the world. This is being placed on my blog just to document and so I can reflect and say goodbye every time I see this classic vintage vid.

SHUT YA BLOODCLOT!!!!!

2009-06-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

New Beanie Sigel Crack!! only fucked up thing is these bitch ass djs talking over the track..........but it's definiton Sigel and a grilchy philly jawn

PUNCH OUT

2009-06-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite games ever!!!!!!!!

THINKING MAN Rules for Women

2009-06-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Man Rules
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down

We always hear
" the rules "
From the female side.

Finally , the guys' side of the story.
( I must admit, it's pretty good.)

These are our rules!
Please note.. these are all numbered "1 "
ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.
You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports It's like the full moon
or the changing of the tides.
Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want.
Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.
In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are.
Don't ask us

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something
Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both.
If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials..

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings.
Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have! no idea what mauve is!

1. If it itches, it will be scratched.
We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but! it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine.... Really ..

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball
or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this
Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight;

But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like going camping.

Some real shit

2009-06-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

I felt my reply to my homie Sun perfectly embodies how I feel on some real life, real thought, real time shit so let me copy paste here so you all can see and step inside my astral plane for 2 seconds.

-based on my last post about becoming more disillusioned with twitter the more followers I get. Not just twitter tho' Internets life in general.

yeah man, shit is getting a lil well alot tired to me.......I can only take so much "political" and fake shit, I really loved twitter when I had less than 200 followers, I think it was the realest. I look at some of the "realest" cats I know and they have like 130 followers and I reminisce on my days like that. It's all g. Still love the info but I'm really allergic to corniness and fake ass wanna be Z list celebs who act like they need to put they stunna shades on like they really on some shit. I enjoy my privacy fam. I lived a few lifetimes and I ain't bitter at all. I honestly wanna get to that level where I can just fall back from it all, and that may come sooner than later......I may just dip offline(and outside public radar for a few months and pop back up renewed.) People can't read me or understand me for shit. They be like don't you want this? and don't you want that? and don't you want fame? all this trash, not understanding that I had been a dude used to attention and being thoro since I was a lil kid. It's hard trying to explain to folks with that mindstate that my life from 91-95 was almost like being a legend in a lot of different ways, so I was used to alot of different things, girls, money, wilding out, shiiiiit now my peace comes from sitting in my backyard by myself looking at my dog run around my back yard. When I try to explain that type of thinking, it's hard to relate to. Especially to these cornball ass dudes who was never "Live" and are now just "networking" and "mixing" with folks trying to get a "name" so that hopefully they can get a degree of "fame" so that hopefully they can get "laid" and maybe start to feel good about being themselves, if only for a day, just yearning to feel some sort of self worth where they totally feel like "yes I am ME"

Been looking for this shit

2009-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

I remember dying laughing in 99 when I first saw this shit. It's the type of comedy you want to own on DVD. I knew one day it would resurface. Take a sec and peep and let your kids watch it wit you.

CHEW!!!!

2009-06-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah I've been maintaining my blizzzog in the spirit just not writing down things catching my eye. The hiatus comes from new daytime endeavors as well as work on the house. I realized how much information I've been soaking in on a daily basis that by the time I get tired I haven't read through half the open tabs on this lil mac book elite. That said don't feel any jealousy because my twittttering has gotten dry of late too. I dunno if I'm losing the fascination with it or what, but as I've been getting more and more followers I've been getting more and more detached with it. Honestly I love the information real-time flow and the new friends and acquaintances I've made over there as well as the fact that you're never alone at any moment of the day. The drawbacks are that you start following people you really don't want to and seeing some things from people you REALLY don't wanna see. Not beef, but real, real, crabness. I think the funniest thing is that people are amazed at how "real" I am or the fact that I'm myself online. It get's me to think like damn, what the fuck are all of you guys, online? your secret fantasy image of what you want to be? That shit annoys me slightly if I let it just for the fact that I start seeing the fake ass portrayals and don't be wanting to pull up skirts, so I'm like let me just chill and fall back a lil bit. Also some proposals and that "internet love" shit I don't need. Whether it be some chick trying to "kick it" or some cats who wanna try to enter your zone, I'm Straight with where I'm at. I don't have want or need for much, just my piece of mind.

That said here's some links I been digging up lately

Gingrich saying Obama failed alreadyy

Racist explains HipHop

get your abdominals up

YZ interview

best fried chicken in atlanta

SCARE DEM

RAPPER CHAINS

Star and Buck vs Dyson

Old NY

2009-06-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of my personal favorite mc's and a good friend/ally in the artform known as HipHop Culture, I first met Vordul in 2001. I was at the Rocksteady Summer performance in NY that summer and I solidified a lot of good relationships and mutual admirations. I met basically the whole NY underground that summer and Cannibal Ox was definitely at the forefront. I've been blessed to have created art with these cats as well as bond on other levels....... From the time I met Mega he was always blessed wit that raw skill and freestyle built from raw grit. This was before he was faced with the craziness which comes from success and elevating yourself. We all have our inner and personal demons to face, but some of our struggles are deeper. Mega is definitely a soldier I keep in my prayers and thoughts and wish the best for him as I do with all the fam on my team. My thoughts ran to that Summer and I figured this would be a good time to give him some shine. Peep the Painting and Scream Phoenix wit this 1.

a GIANT

2009-06-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Jobs is literally a magician with alien dna and he has most of us under the reign of the Apple. Get a lil deeper into the root with some not so well known facts about that dude behind the iphone you're gliding on.

STEVE JOBS FACTOIDS

He's back

2009-05-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah just had a restfull weekend in Florida..........chilled heavily with fam,maxed out hit the beach and flipped Turkey Burgers. It's good to catch up with the folk and get your stress in check. I feel like I gained years just from soaking up the Sun and their energy. I love being detached from home....it makes coming back to the crib that much better. I been leaving tweets about the whole thing, but to fill y'all in it's been real. I got some big drops coming soon here as well as at Grittycommittee.com

Only say that to say this, if y'all wanna catch up with me I'm here...or I'm there....or I'm on twitter...or I'm in the streets. I'm not hard to find. It's all about having all your eyes opened. I've been busy but thesecret is to make it effortless. Work hard.......I tend to feel like if you can't feel that burn when u work out u aint working hard enuff. I've been making sure that no matter what I've been doing it I have to feel like I've exerted myself. I have to feel exhausted physically but contented mentally. My energy been rotating something lovely. I know some of y'all have been keeping up wit me for months and during that time I've been maintaining...standing strong even in the midst of adversity and attrition. I have my energy channelled and harnessed to where it has me on my pivot like a Top. I'm spinning too rapidly, now the real trick is not to spin out of control, but to gracefully draw em in and hypnotize em while they don't even see.hahahahahhahahahahha yeah, I'm there.

Stay Tuned

Everything that glitters.......

2009-05-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Been on a different chamber for a few weeks now.

Fell back a lil taste.

Been formulating and working and sweating...........It feels good to eat brainfood right now, definitely soaking up a whole other texture. It's cloudy right now,but it's bright.

Your journey always gonna have Middle Passages.

But when you get there and adapt and it's Survival of the Fetus...........

YOU GOTTA REALLY COME OUT YOUR EGGSHELL!!!!!!!!!!.........That's while the whole time they trying to come out their FACE...

Then you just explode it.

knawmean..............................................

Davinchis, Angels,Demons Crouching, Tigers,Hidden dragons

2009-05-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

u know what's hilarity to me? The fact that these "predictions" are all coming true.....even the predictions about the "predictions" are coming true. The thing is that the griots were in the streets building about this shit and some of us were listening then......Alot of folks were disbelieving and casually observing. Until they started seeing movies about the "Matrix" and "Illuminatii" and the papal conspiracies as well as the "families" like Bilderburg/Rothzzzzzzzzz knawmean. They made the shit an intirguing story or a fucking gay ass hollyweird ass joke. It'sdefinitely got some nice exploosions and CGI, but at the end of they day they feeding you the real shit in distorted assed purina cat chow type view. I mean nobody really knows nothing. The god megalon been hitting me talking about days be numbered and we really don't know nothing. We know this shit from a book and call it "air" and we drink this "water", but at the end of the days you know that Macys is Masons..............keep buying free shit you muddascumps.........I ain't even on no other shit than you gotta deal wit people so plastic it would take 300 years for their bodies to break down and be re-absorbed by the earth and re-emitted.

on another note.....I know that it's a blessing to have motor skills...........blessed to be living in the day. Feeling more and more like them dues been paid while I was soaking up the earth and giving back that energy that will swallow your mind. Everyone NEEDS to DO their OWN RESEARCH.....................mothafuckas wanna scribble they lil shit on some newborn shit...but the real always know that scent.......it's aged.......and you ain't gotta explain to these lames...................

The Origin of Gil Scott Heron

2009-05-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

As any of you who frequent this site already know. This is my favorite MC hands down. Also one of my greatest inspirations. His artwork has held me down many a Sunday afternoon. This is such a great series I had to share.

The Power of Oneness

2009-05-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

"Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius."
Sir Edward Gibbon

"Every evening I have a by myself meeting"
Cappadonna

I move at the speed of life. That said you know that everything goes in cycles. Some cycles are abrupt,abrasive in your face and straight up explosive. Other cycles more contained and subtle. The latter is how I'm moving now. Totally changed my environment and started seeing the power of self. Making that mental affirmation that it's time for a life change and paradigm shift and then focusing your energy and alowing it to happen. I've been going thru this process for months and within the last week am I finally able to say that "Yes things have changed" and it's all for the better. I tell people this shit all the time, that "You" are the only 1 who can change "You". Sometimes seeing is truly believing because it takes some dramatic almost supernatural shit to bring people around. I tell folks that "I don't go to church, but I talk to God". A lot of times folks like to go thru the motions to feel like their doing something instead of really doing it. I like to put that good work in and really really grind so that I can not only see but enjoy the fruits of my labor. Things work in cycles, yes, but it's being prepared mentally and physically for that shift. I'm here now exhausted from my new change of pace, plus from exercising real heavy this week my whole body is numb...............I've been doing a lot of thinking and just trying to find that peaceful medium. I'm very dis attached from things and I'm enjoying it more and more that way...Just let me be an island on my own, cuz that's how I'm feeling.

Roth apology.......not accepted

2009-05-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

The homie Dallas twittttered this earlier..............I'm still crying over here.

where your head at

2009-05-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

as we get into that hot weather season, here's a few things that have me vibing lately

Buckshot- Follow remix

Bootcamp wilding on Flex
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Showbiz ft Money BoSS Players - Them Boys is doin it

NIKE SB-3

NIKE DELTA FORCE 3/4

NIKE Dunk LO Neon

Ernie Barnes R.I.P

OBEY the New World

Also joined Adult Swim's Online Hub

These are all things that have inspired me in some way this past week...................Some of that good motivation.....If you were to look inside my brain these are some of the images you would see turning the wheels and cranking the gears.........

Floatin'

2009-05-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Went thru my home girl Stacy Epps video shoot today for her single Floatin. Mad fam in the building, we flicked it up and came thru to support her on her path to Victory..............It was a heavy vibe rooftop on the Cotton Mill Lofts....

also slid to Likkle 5 and caught up wit NYC and saw some new flavors.

Floatin wit Stacy

The shoot

ILLADEL to ATL wit D.R.E.S and JayForce
Them Philly Bols

BEATSMITH ILLASTRATE

Pon di Street

NYC at the Reggae spot

The Homie Dubelyoo in front of this oil painting he did

POWWWWWER!!!!! this was one of them classic chill weekends. Grilling chilling.......coudn't really ask for too much more

AKILMATIK PHILLY GRILCHY SHIT

2009-05-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

The family in Illadelph thru this event and I'm just now getting the footage now....peep, courtesy of Filthism

Kenes getting it in something proper...........

can't sweat the techniques

2009-04-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Inspired today...........get your blood pumped. THE R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY YARD SALE!!!!!!

2009-04-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Batman Garage Sale with Adam West from Adam West

ONLY BUILT FOR..........

2009-04-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last Night got it in on the scene something heavy.....The homies Big Tah and Fort Knox were celebrating the 1 yr. Anniversary of their TRU Skool Tuesdays at the Apache Cafe. Lotta guest appearances last night along wit Raekwon the Chef, who pretty much gave me 1 of the biggest compliments ever, saying the kid's steeze was Colorful and Flavorful. When Rae says you got a flavorful stee, you know you pretty much certified LOL!! Anyways took maaad flicks since I promised myself I would start taking the cam out a lot more and would definitely document my nights more and how we promote the Broady Lifestyle.....Take a walk wit me.

"YO YO YO YO Champion Gear that I rock you get ya BOOTS KNOCKED" in the midst Rae was killin the classics

The crowd was charged!!!

Them Peaches was OUT!!!

The ladies was definitely in the Building

Senor and the kid - The Lo Bears was getting a lotta love

The O.Gs Flux and Tack

Built wit the kid B.O.B aka Bobby Ray for a sec, mad cool folks, definitely give him a shot

The Chef, had a good laugh wit the God about some crabs in the background.......

Posted in Front of the Raebach---200k aka your house on wheels,

Definitely had a blast last night, didn't get too devious, but of course we got a lil grilchy hahahahahhahahahahahah

I can see these in the closet

2009-04-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well 1 is an ill custom design from this kid HUSH......let it be known these would be an auto-cop for moi!!!!!!!!

straight dopamine!!!!

These SUPREME P Rod 2 Dunk Lows may be on my feet when I hit up Myrtle Beach in a month or so.....................
Now that I'm in a new space my shoe game is about to get laced wit adamantium....................fitteds too although I hear alot of chatter from some kids in Atlanta who are in their early 20's.......I gotta pull the young yute's to the side and tell em' "hey if your fitted and shoe game ain't been up since the late 80's early 90's then you may be on their level BUT you ain't ON my Levs..........shit I may have some shoes from the early 90's to fit yo lil ass feets" LOL

NEW ORLEANS -Jazzfest edition

2009-04-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Just got back from spending a WONDERFUL few days in my(5th or 6th home) New Orleans....been twitting the whole time, but no bloggin', Heres some photos, it was truly a blessing Hot weather,good food,good vibes......can't really ask for ANYTHING more....walk wit me.

Spring Flavas

2009-04-23T16:06:00.001-07:00

Y'all already know I goes in with the flavors and always have my eyes out for that new shit/next level shit that everybody and they mama ain't up on yet(if ever).....Y'all know I go in with the fitted hats(ever since the early,early 90's) and the NIKE SB's....well just found out that Paul Rodriguez JR.(of SB's fame) opened up a spot in Cali called PRIMITIVE

If you are an SB head like myself or just sneaker head (they had the Yeezy's for y'all too) YOU GOTTA Check em online or when you head thru the West Coast. They repping hard and got some good folks over there. Shout out to Jubal, very cool peeps....You'll be seeing more from them around here as well and I will be dipping thru there next time I hit the Westsiiiiiiide.

a minute wit Mike

2009-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

and peep the documentary....it was pretty dope

Time for some Revolt

2009-04-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

FEAST......definitely ain't No New thing.

And b4 y'all go in to DEFEND. I see y'all out there protecting the "Big" House and telling those of us in the Field that things "ain't that bad". I'm watching HipHop go thru what Chuck Berry and them went thru. They got y'all so programmed that as long as you get some party favors,a pat on the back or pat on the head and some good crumbs, not the scraps that everybody else gets then you are happy as a pig in shit. You are too ignorant to see the emotions that their eyes give off as they pat you on your head tho'. That look is one of pleasure, but not for the reason you think. It's one of an owner who calls it's dogs name and sees the dog running like clockwork to it's master. "Fetch my slippers" which you gladly do, almost out of breath to get the slippers back and lay them just so at your masters feet. Not noticing when you are being used and that your actual prescence is not one which is pleasing to them. They deal with you out and about in open spaces, never at the home....They give you your dog house and are happy throwing you a bone (II). You are just so happy for that bone (II), It means so much to you and give you a sense of purpose.......Master loves me....hahahahah at least as long as you are useful, then you will be dismissed as quickly as the cold out of the side of their eyes..............Bask in your momentary love and realize the whole time you give away the essence little by little that it was dudes like me who tried to told you. When you arrive back in the field, sickened realizing that the love was fake and that you have served your purpose, I will still show you the same love and not turn my back or say "told you so".

SUMMER CRUISING

2009-04-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z and I have alot of things in common. We share a LOVE of Creole Women, We're Both Sagittarius, Love Fried Chicken Wings and we both have a lot of love for a particular dj's mixtapes. Neil Armstrong puts together some of the best mixtapes I've heard since the 90's(The true mixtape-tape era). I have accumulated a collection of most of his 15 tapes and I saw that Complex was giving him some love in an interview today. Just wanted to put some of y'all onto this cat. I am not leaking any of his stuff, but Google is your friend. Do your research, you won't be dissapointed and with Summer coming up, his Sweet and Bittersweet tapes are going to get a lot of run round these parts.........
peep the complex drop right HERE

CRAY Z Deranged

2009-04-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yeah last night whooooo, had a blazt!!!!! Ended up having some fams I've known for a long time come in town to do a show at the Speakeasy. My man C Rayz Walz and John Robinson (LIL Sci) came and shut it down.......... I had a hell of a night, lotta TOYz got played out last night from a wannabe heckler to a wack ass graph artist, things got a lil grilchy. I started wit Absinthe,which was my first time going in on it...had a shot and a "Death in the Afternoon".....pretty intense tings dey. I then linked up with the team and a fly slapboxing suicide girl looking punk rock chick. Them type chicks always look vicious in a sexy way but scare super easy. I think the tattooos and piercings are there to cover up how tender they really are LOL. So as we proceed, the show was smash. I actually got up there wit Walz and spit a lil something. Don't know if y'all know it but this cat is a member of our secret society..........pep the logo tatted on him hahahahahahhaha a soldier and a rebel, say what you will about him, but he's 1 million percent him.

The homie John Robinson was in a crew called Scienz of Life which was an integral part of the NY underground and Fondle Em Records (II) lol, but he has recently reinvigorated himself and continued on the path. He also was on my first single damn near 10 yrs ago. Another family member and rising name in the game. It's always great seeing him. His brother Invizzibl Hands(which is the name I gave him) ID 4 Windz stays close to my heart. These are some real brothers man. John proceeded to prove why he's definitely a threat last night. Excellent Show.

So yeah I also had to grip up some spray cans and TOY the shit out of some trash last night.....What you thinking fam? U think I aint the embodiment? You sadly mistaken family. I come from the era of boomboxes,cardboard on the concrete, 'know when HipHop was outside and there was no internets. A tape was the internets back in the day, you used to dub some ill shit and it spread from person to person. There was heavy airbrush on the shirts, and fashion was the 5th element. DJ,MC,Breakdancing,Graphiti, and fashion. Go back to school suckaz........anyways, I ended up getting tilton bradley and made my sojourn home, some other shit happened but peep my tweets for details. 1

Oh and EFFFFFF the Beast dem nah ready for my red eye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Resolute

2009-04-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

As a kid back in the 80's I used to run home from school to catch those GI JOE movies that used to come on every half hr at 430 pm. Those were my favorite shows back in the day and were extremely deep. I remember how uneasy I felt when Snake Eyes got caught in the arctic and trapped in a radiated room. He was basically fuxed, but he saved the team. I recall when they used to have the illest weapons,kung fu, fight scenes and crazy costumes. I don't know how old you guys are, but in the early to mid 80's all kids wanted to be 1 of two things. A Ninja or a wrestler. GI Joe was a mix of all of that, plus the toys and weapons that came with them were unmatched. You used to have full bases to build and a lot of different characters and weapons. I think playing with those damn action figures back then as a child helped formulate a lot of the creativity I still possess to this day. I remember taking characters and building my own worlds around them, go outside and make obstacle courses, set some on fire(which I almost got my ass kicked for) and just stay creative. GI Joe toys were aggressive, so was the cartoon, and I think about how the world was with the threats of war with Russia and Nukes and all that and I reflect back to how aggressive things were. The time we live in now isn't sweet, even tho a lot of these kids are growing up playing with Yu-Gi_OH and staying inside to play computer or video games and listening to MC Hot Pink. I just think about how I grew up, yes we had the arcades and Atari and Nintendo(later) but we also were outside playing basketball,stickball,wallball and fighting with each other. Rock wasn't Jonas Brothers either....I mean when Phil Collins and Boy George make these kids look like pussies we have a serious problem. I say all that to say this. I'm glad Adult Swim is bringing back GI Joe and I will mos def be tuning in. Plus I'm loving how they kept the original animation with a Manga twist.

Locked and Loaded

2009-04-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Been a Super Positive week, y'all. I have been feeling a positive energy burst of late. I been putting that energy out there, connecting, building relationships and most importantly following up. Those things are starting to bare fruit. I have a pretty big meeting tomorrow, which would enable me to do bigger and better things as well as have more stability. I have a good friend of mine coming into town this weekend, my man C Rayz Walz and he just hit me on the horn talking about building on some good things. I got the camp hitting the streets dipping to a couple of events this weekend and I also have been feeling great due to my workout regiment I've been on daily. Been real sober and clear headed as well. Got another letter from Chop in the mail that has me beaming. Got all my little toys in check,all the likkle idevices, the car running great and I'm gonna throw some black rims on this bitch in a minute, after I get done with siding and painting the house LOL......prioritize. Also gonna work on more music, the creativity has been flowing because the stress hasn't been there. My prayers get answered so I'm definitely thankful. The Gritty Committee is coming up, the Secret Society is coming up,PEEP THE SHOW SAT if You're in PHILTHADELPHIA, YEAH!! I'm one of those peoples who is happy and excited when good shit happens to the other cats in my circle! Oh My Pops check up went well too, everything is negative. I'm just taking a sec to touch up the blog and mentally get ready for the next level, cuz like I said I been feeling it coming for a second now. Stay UP!!! FARWARD Neva Backward!! And ONLY KEEP WINNERS IN YOUR CIRCLE!!!!!!

Keep it thoro

2009-04-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

Been on my health tip real heavy lately. Just got me feeling good knocking these sets out, gettin my push ups and sit ups back in and eating right. I been pretty sober of late in general and just feel good about that as well. I generally get a plan in my head about how I wanna move or what I wanna do and I just pray for the strength to do it. From there the pieces move together. Here's a list I came across that I felt was dope to promote that winning attitude and keep evrybody HEALTHY. We gotta inspire each other.

10 Essential Health Tips
3/1/2009 8:03:00 PM

1. Move More

Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it’s a stress buster. Think ‘move’ in small increments of time. It doesn’t have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that’s great when you’re up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!

2. Cut Fat

Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!

3. Quit Smoking

The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we’ve seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or ‘tough guy’ stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.

4.Reduce Stress

Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.

5. Protect Yourself from Pollution

If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It’s a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.

6. Wear Your Seat Belt

Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.

7. Floss Your Teeth

Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it’s because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don’t? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body’s boss.

8. Avoid Excessive Drinking

While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.

9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

There’s a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can’t be unhappy when you’re smiling or singing.

10. Choose Your Parents Well

The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn’t mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.

Spotted Here Originally

LIVE FROM PORTLAND

2009-04-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Home of NIKE and the Trailblazers, pretty chill place, very clean city...I mean not even a crumb on the ground. Very Earthy folk who blaze the highest of the highest grades and wax poetic. Everyone seems pretty educated too. Not just school smart but definitely know about foods and nature and they eat accordingly. No bodegas and the ones they have are health conscious. I had some fried chicken yesterday that had no grease, also had jalapeno and bison pizza with top quality mozzarella. The cheese had more protein than fat and the bison or buffalo meat has very little fat and is the most natural meat you can have and the jalapeno has the vitamin c and helps break down the meat quicker. They told me this as they was serving it. Copped some ill kicks and the ill Fidel Undefeated and got ALOT of love. The Roots was out here last night doin their thing as well. I didn't know this was a major hub like that.....I'll most def be back or should I say next time they send me a ticket I won't hesitate like I did initially.

Fronting on the world when i start 4 wheelin'

2009-04-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah, just sitting back peeping the game........The kid is feeling mighty healthy....enriched if you will. I'm good throwing that middle finger out there and letting these folks know that "I see em". I been feeling like that shift within self has been coming. Well it's almost here, like tomorrow. I've been back on my calistenics, back on my patience and discipline and just meditating taking in life. The energy around me has been really influx, but God been looking out with that extra galactic spiritual push. I got my team around me, the roof over my head and been basically making something out of nothing but these visions and ideas in my head. Yeah, I know that people fear the unknown and all that, but I have faith. I got a flight out to Portland next week to do a gig, then I'll be back plotting on my NY trip and my Cali trip. We all just have to hold our heads and keep that faith and realize that everything happens for a reason. Get your mind healthy, get your body healthy and it will effect your whole being.

Let these crabs stay in their barrels, but do what you can to help push them out of it. Take your time to breathe and be thankful for what you have. Realize your talent and your intelligence and count your blessings. FOR REAL, take like 5 minutes and count them shits. I got friends who didn't make it to see this. I got friends locked down who don't even know what the hell a blog is. We all wanna complain about shit. Trust me I feel you, as soon as I accomplish something I'm thinking about the next thing,,,,,,,,,,I gotta slow down, but that's something I'm working on now. Shout out to DJ Neil Armstrong, these mixtapes is holding me down something ferociously right now.That's my favorite dj for the moment. Also shout out big Lex Boogie who's Birthday is today and big Karniege for his belated. You can catch all of us putting it down at www.thegrittycommittee.blogspot.com , yeah that's right Winner Circles folks, I'm over there too doing some heavy drops, that's the other blog home so if u don't catch me here or on twitter I'm over there cheffing up. The Wnner Circles is my personal, lemme holla at y'all joint, on some yeah come by the crib and let me fix you a drink. The Gritty Committee is me out with the homies just building at the clubhouse. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled as we further expand the brand. WE CONTINUE TO ELEVATE, make sure you doing the same so you can flow wit us.

Peace

Lesson of celebs who went broke

2009-04-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

In this current economy, unless you're a doctor or lawyer or teacher, your job could be GONE......These are all celebs who have made enough money to be set for a lifetime who made bad decisions and lost. Y'all know I drop movies,fly kicks,music and all that, but I also try to keep y'all up on the Winner mentality as much as possible. I share what I find interesting and this definitely was eye opening.

Top 10 Celebrity Bankruptcies You Can Learn From

Celebrities from around the world are often admired for their fame and their fortune. Let’s face it, practically anyone would love to live in the lap of luxury, with millions to spend on some of the world’s most extravagant and opulent treats. Whether it’s John Travolta’s Boeing 707 private jet(1), Donald Trump’s high-end real estate ventures(2), or Ryan Seacrest’s magnificent home theater(3), celebrities certainly know how to spend a pretty penny. Every now and then, however, stories of celebrities gone bankrupt come about. Whether they make it back on top or not, celebrity bankruptcies are some interesting stories to follow. Here are 10 celebrity bankruptcies that you might want to learn from on your way to making your own fortune.

Mike Tyson(4)

Michael Gerard Tyson, otherwise known as “Iron Mike” Tyson, is one of the most popular and controversial figures in boxing history. As the youngest-ever winner of a heavyweight boxing title, Mike Tyson gained fame and a fortune amounting to an estimated $300-million. In August of 2003, after being convicted of rape and getting back into the ring again, Tyson filed for bankruptcy due to uncontrolled spending and bad financial advice.
Kim Basinger(5)

Kimila Ann “Kim” Basinger was a model turned film actress who became famous for her roles in “Never Say Never Again,” “The Natural,” “L.A. Confidential,” and “Batman.” Winner of a Golden Globe Award, Academy Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, Basinger had a promising career. In 1989, Basinger and a few other investors put up $20 million dollars to buy a small town in Georgia called Braselton. After spending such a hefty amount, she was sued for $8-million for backing-out of the film “Boxing Helena,” ultimately leading to her filing for bankruptcy.
Burt Reynolds(6)

Burton Leon “Burt” Reynolds, Jr. is an actor who has become well-known for the hundreds of film appearances that he has made throughout his ongoing career. Reynolds had to file for bankruptcy in 1996, because of his lavish expenses, a failed business venture and a divorce from Loni Anderson. He rebounded from the bankruptcy within a couple of years.

Toni Braxton(7)

Toni Mechelle Braxton has gained much of her popularity as a singer and songwriter of R&B music, as well as a few acting roles. In line with a $3.9-million debt, Braxton had to file for bankruptcy in 1998, forcing her to sell many of her posessions to pay-off creditors. After filing for bankruptcy, she was offered a Broadway role in “Beauty and the Beast”, which helped her get back on track. She soon released a chart-topping album that catapulted her back into fame and out of bankruptcy.
MC Hammer(8)

Stanley Kirk Burrell, best known by his stage name MC Hammer, became famous during the 1980s and 1990s as a rapper and dancer. In 1996, Hammer had to file for bankruptcy after acruing a debt of $13 million. His extravagant lifestyle and decreasing album sales led to the bankruptcy. Since declaring bankruptcy, Hammer has released a number of albums and, in 2008, became host and CEO of a television show.
Wayne Newton(9)

Carson Wayne Newton, also known as Mr. Las Vegas, is an actor and entertainer who has had over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas. Despite his success as an entertainer, Newton had to file for bankruptcy in 1992, with a debt of about $20 million. The debt was largely due to a libel case that he filed against NBC. It was not until 1999 that Newton would be able to build his fortunes once again.
Marvin Gaye(10)

Marvin Pentz Gaye, Jr. is an iconic image in the soul and R&B music who became famous during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1979, Gaye had to file for bankruptcy due to tax problems, overdue alimony payments, and drug addiction. He moved to Hawaii and, later on, to Europe. Touring Europe and later returning to the US, Gaye began to regain fame until he was shot and killed by is father.
Meat Loaf(11)

Michael Lee Aday is a musician, stage actor and screen actor who is best known by his stage name Meat Loaf. Meat Loaf has been very successful as a rock musician, but he has had to endure two major bankruptcies during the 1980s. The first bankruptcy was caused when Meat Loaf found out that his managers, Dellentash and Sonenberg, were stealing money from him. Meat Loaf changed managers and was sued for breach of contract, leading him to file for bankruptcy. The second bankruptcy happened during 1986, when Meat Loaf’s new album failed to become a hit. Since filing for the 1986 bankruptcy, Meat Loaf has been able to rebound, touring and producing new albums.
Cyndi Lauper(12)

Cynthia Ann Stephanie “Cyndi” Lauper is an actress and singer-songwriter who has won an American Grammy and an Emmy award. Before becoming successful, Lauper was in a band called Blue Angel, which released an album that didn’t do well. The band broke up and fired their manager, who later sued them for breach of contract. The $80,000 lawsuit caused Lauper to declare bankruptcy in 1980. She later went on to success and fame in the mid-1980s. Lauper has released a total of 11 albums and more than 40 singles, with her total record sales amounting to over $25 million.
Gary Coleman(13)

Gary Wayne Coleman became popular during the late 1970s up to the mid-1980s as an actor in an American sitcom named “Diff’rent Strokes.” Coleman filed for bankruptcy in 1999, due to the mismanagement of his trust funds. Since declaring bankruptcy, Coleman has made a number of appearances on television and in movies, but he has never regained the fame that he had in the 80s.
While some of these celebrity bankruptcies may be inspiring “rags-to-riches” stories, others have not ended so well. It can be difficult to maintain one’s fortune after making it, which is why it’s important to learn from these stories of bankruptcies. Most of the celebrities who have filed for bankruptcy have been forced to do so due to uncontrolled spending, lavish lifestyles, legal matters, or mishandled fortunes. It is easy to get caught up trying to make money, but it’s essential to know how to manage money once you have it, to avoid bankruptcy.

Here are some simple things you can do to avoid bankruptcy:(14)
1. Try to negotiate with your creditors for extensions on debt payments.
2. Make sure you get sound advise from financial and legal experts who have a good track record.
3. Manage your resources well and keep track of your expenses and income.
No matter what you do, always hold on to the things in life that are more meaningful than money, like family, friends, laughter, and love.

SOURCE

Ong Bak your top

2009-03-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

As some of y'all know I did a stretch in Thailand a few years ago. Lovely trip but I got sick as a dog from overworking myself here to the point where when I finally got to Asia to chill, my system completely shut down. I ended up coming down with the flu all the way on the other side of the planet. It hindered the trip a little but gave my survival prowess a boost, knowing that I could survive under almost any condition anywhere in the world. That said I still had a great time and life changing experience. I found myself going to many an underground flea market in search of some good old authentic Thai shit. Having had Ong Bak a few years earlier I was in search of what other cool ass martial arts flicks they had. I ended up finding 1 called Dangerous Hero which is a totally outrageous film involving a lot of guns. I was happy with my purchase even though I should have also copped Shaolin vs Evil Dead but that's neither here nor there. Now I wake up this morning to be greeted with Ong Bak part 2. I ain't dropping links, but if you want to b pointed in the right direction holla at me.

PROTOTYPE

2009-03-29T01:21:00.000-07:00

this shit loooks incredible

The Ghost

2009-03-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Styles P Speaks On Formation Of D-Block & More (14 Mins)

Easily one of my favorite Mcs'. EASILY. I always fucked wit S.P the Ghost the most out of the Lox back in the day, even tho everyone else always liked Kiss. It was something about his wordplay and voice that always had me. He reminded me of them classic street cypher cats who had THAT SHIT. The ability to come in the cypher and give you some simple yet complicated metaphors that you'd have to listen to every line to really peep. It just always had that raw feel. I mean he's held his own on tracks with BIG,Jay-Z,Nas,Ghostface,Beanie Siegel and countless others. Always repped streets 1st Industry second and has the ability to hop on r and b joints without them bein corny. Matter of fact he makes the r and b joints more accessible and grounded if anything. He is a cat who's work ethic is literally unmatched when it comes to putting out new shit for the streets. I always consider it a GREAT DAY when I get some new S.P to bump in the whip. This is the definition of grit your teeth and go hard in the gym music, that good old hop out the whip and backslap the first tender hearted cat you see and tell em to straighten up. The Ghost ladies and gents is definitely for you if you need that motivation to get EXTRA.

peep the new mixtape as well where he has bars aimed at the whole tight jeans movement these new cats is trying to get everybody on board with.............................If you rocking your jeans all tight like a female or listen to that tight jean colored music I recommend that you don't fuck wit artists like Styles P, DOOM or Ghostface cuz you may get your sensitive assed feelings hurt.

STYLES P Phantom Empire Mixtape

dopeneeeast

2009-03-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

B13

find the flick and watch

La fleur La Fla Eshkoshka

2009-03-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

peep the snakeskin on these jammies....I'll pull these out the box and stomp on your clodhopppers fam.

WHO Wan RAMP WIT IT!!!!!!!!!

My shit at the current moment

2009-03-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yukimi Nagano jawns wit Koop got me in my zone 1 light 1 dark enjoy

sharing the wealth

2009-03-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

This lil tidbit inspired me this morning. I haven't dropped something for those who want that Winning status in a minute. Stay positive and think like a Champion. We should all have dreams and goals and we should always push each other to get where we want to go. Secrets of the self employed and successful.

#1 –

We Only Have 2 Products: Time and Knowledge
No matter how you make a living or who you think you work for, you only work for one person, yourself. Likewise, you only have 2 products to sell, your time and your knowledge. Here are a few example scenarios:

Migrant Farmer – Sells hours of his/her life to pick fruit or vegetables for a farmer in exchange for money. A perfect example of trading hours for dollars.
Doctor – Sells hours of his/her life to perform medical treatments based on the knowledge stored in his/her brain. A perfect example of trading hours and knowledge for dollars.
Best-Selling Author – Spends time crafting a book based on his/her knowledge or intellectual capacity and then sells the book (knowledge) many times over. A perfect example of trading knowledge for dollars. The key benefit here is residual, passive income.
In almost all cases of the self-employed, the small business owner is taking information out of his or her brain and spending the necessary time to convert it into a product of value. This concept confuses some people, and to others it seems obvious. The bottom line is that customers pay you for your time and knowledge. Success is achieved by properly crafting the two into one convenient bundle that can be sold many times over (think of products vs. services).

What knowledge do you have in your brain that provides value to others? How can you extract this information and sell it?

#2 –

The Implementation of Knowledge is Power
Knowledge alone is not power! The implementation of knowledge is power. Knowledge is simply a commodity; it’s a product like any other that has the potential to be sold. How knowledge is organized, packaged, presented, shared, and received by others is what makes knowledge so powerful.

Knowledge is useless unless it’s effectively shared with others. Your ability to educate others in a way that allows them to effectively apply the instruction is what makes knowledge an asset… something worth buying.

#3 –

Time is More Valuable than Money
One of the most important points to understand is the fact that there are two basic forms of currency, money and time. Of the two, time is the most valuable, for it cannot be replenished. A surplus of time, and the unfettered liberty to do with it as you choose, is the true measure of success.

Your time must be extracted from the formula of making money. No matter how skilled you are at transferring your knowledge to others, if you are paid on an hours for dollars basis, your ability to expand your business will eventually plateau. You will run out of time.

The successfully self-employed have made this realization and concentrate the majority of their time and effort on the single greatest secret of self-employment: generating passive income. Passive income is achieved by applying what you know into a package that can be designed and built once, and then repeatedly sold over and over again. Finding a unique way to promote and sell this knowlege is the key.

Passive Income Examples: Useful books and guides, time saving computer applications, etc.

#4 –

Success is About Knowing What You Want
Self-employed success is not the byproduct of working your way up from the ground up. It’s based on knowing what you want, understanding your abilities and implementing them diligently to achieve your goals. There are plenty of people who get laid-off from their 9 to 5 day job and end up making millions in a few short years of self-employment.

Take a look at some of the success stories around you that emerged from nowhere. These success stories were not initiated by people paying their dues to someone else’s initiatives. These success stories revolve strictly around perception and choice. The people in these stories know their capabilities, what they’re doing, and what they want. Once people make this realization, and the conscious choice to act on it, the possibilities for success are limitless.

shouts to the bgol illuminati

Yes I'm still here

2009-03-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Been busy on twitter. Make sure y'all add me over there cuz I go in way more frequently wit 140 words. I can say tho that it has been turning myspacish, with me being propositioned and so forth, but I'm loving evry minute of it and I'm interacting with some good folks. I will be updating the blog later on in the week and may go in on a story or 2. BROADY show tomoro night sissssssies. THE SUMMER IS OURS.

Japan Spidey

2009-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yeah the Japanese got flavor, peep how they mix wit P. Parker

also peep the Marvel Home site for more
HOME

SB ZOOM Paul Rodriguez

2009-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

playing the fall in these jawns right here.......................................................it's nothing. I stay radioactive......

ps walking aroung last weekend getting hated on for the infrareds, some of these cats don't know how I do, so hate is the first emotion when they've seen me like 7 times in the past 2-3 months with kicks on that splash radioactivity their way and contaminate they gear.

most disturbing films of all time

2009-03-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

Ran into a couple of lists of disturbing films....I either own or have seen most of em. I'm wondering how the hell a lot of movies were left out. If interested peep thru some.

LIST 1

LIST 2