The M-O-S-D-E-F-initely

Photo Via: Okayplayer

Wow. Mos Def was extraordinary. No, the entire night was… indescribable. Words fall short but seeing Mos Def backed with a live band makes me complete. The night was unforgettable.

I took a red eye flight from Sacramento to New York and boy was I tired. That didn’t stop me from being madd excited to see Mos Def that night. I’ve been lucky enough to catch Mos Def perform several times (maybe 10 or so I lost count). I even was lucky enough to meet him but blanked out. Lol.

This night was going to be different from every other time that I’ve seen Mos perform. I just felt it and indeed it was. There was between a 20-25 piece live band and Mos Def was the composer. Gil Scott Heron took the stage and everyone was up to give him a standing ovation. The applause didn’t stop because Mos Def started to cry tears of joy. At that very second I also wanted to cry. I felt so proud of Mos. I’ve been a fan of him from day one and to see him alongside Gil Scott Heron. Yo. That was history in the making. Mos did covers of everything from De La Soul to Madvillian. He performed Brooklyn and ended the night with Umi Says. His voice and Gil Scott’s was able to calm a storm within myself and it was so soothing. The same kind of soothing that you hear every time you listen to Sade. Indeed.

I love Mos for his passion and his love for his craft. He’s so talented way beyond words can convey and that night reminds me why Mos is the greatest in the rap game. Words do fall short but catching a red eye flight that same day from Sacramento to New York and being madd tired, even walking in the rain to the subway with an umbrella didn’t help much. The bottom of my pants were wet and my shoes were soaked but it was indeed worth it. Mos def was phenomenal. He killed it!

Download: Mos Def - Stakes is High

Okayplayer: Audio/Photos: Mos Def Does Carnegie Hall, Big Ups Jay Electronica

Youtube: Mos Def’s Tribute to Jay Electronica

Nas is Like Half Man, Half Amazing

Nas is on point. Enough said!

Joe Budden is Running This Rap Sh-t

Joe Budden speaks the truth on these tracks. He’s taking the words straight out of my mouth. Thank you Joe!

Did we go against everything that we used to stand for? Sighhhh.

Download: Who Part 1 / Who Part 2

The Trials of Jean Grae

Jean Grae is so beautiful and talented but she’s often overlooked as an emcee because she’s a female. I feel for Jean Grae because being a female in Hip Hop, you get questioned and tested every time. There was never a time where I felt that I didn’t have to prove myself. Enough on my rant, back to Jean Grae, in this candid interview, Ms. Grae opens up on “retiring”, her story which took her ten years to write, and what’s next for Jean Grae. Enjoy.

Click this link for the interview: The Village Voice: The Trials Of Jean Grae.

Shoutout “Go Brooklyn!” I’m Representing It

New York has been so good to me. What it does to me, I couldn’t tell you. I could but it would take forever. From letting me cross paths with GZA, Black Thought and Mos Def and the countless of beautiful souls that I run into on a daily basis. New York is beautiful but it also has a different side to it. New York is a concrete jungle. This was my fourth time in NY in three years and I’ve seen everything so it got old. It was mad hot and humid. It also rained. I spent five days in Bucktown and it was real chill. I saw Mos Def backed up with a band alongside Gil Scot Heron. (That deserves its own post) I went to the Brooklyn Museum for the Takashi Murakami exhibit (the man behind Kanye West’s Graduation cover). His artwork is phenomenal. I walked the BK Bridge, ate at Dallas BBQ’s, Juniors Cheesecake, chilled at the Brooklyn Bridge Parkway and I spent most of my time in Soho. I chilled with Warren, saw my friends, Tati and Vanessa. It’s been years since I’ve seen them. New York remains special in my heart.

*** Side Note: A special shoutout to Miss Info! Yo. She reads my blog! She just commented on my Raekwon post. Miss Info is my idol. She’s an Asian female and she reps it hard in Hip Hop. When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

Swift Notarizer Wu Tang All Up in the High Riser

I heart LA! I ran into Raekwon in LA and here’s how it went down… Sam and I were walking down Fairfax Ave. to catch our bus to get to the Amtrak. I’m looking at someone in a car and he’s looking back towards us. For a split second, me and him are just looking at each other and as he’s turning the other way, it hits me. It’s Raekwon! As Sam and I kept walking, I blurted out how I thought it was him but was just too shy to do anything. Sam, on the other hand, wasn’t holding back, she was lurking and Supreme saw Sam, Supreme pointed it out to Raekwon who was in the backseat. We take pictures and he’s telling me how Cuban Links 2 is coming. I was madd nervous! I kept shaking but he was so sweet. Something else came out of this but it’s a secret… Lol but mos def it’s going to be fresh if everything goes right. Wordddd!

Nas - I Am (Advanced Promo 1998)

This is a must download! I enjoyed it so much more than the actual album itself. Enjoy!

Props: Digital Hustle Media

Download: Nas - I Am (Advanced Promo 1998.)

Common - Announcement ft. Pharrell

Common comes through again with a track from Invincible Summer feat. Pharrell. Enjoy!

Download: Common - Announcement ft. Pharrell

Google Earth Phalary I Got Flats in Other Continents

This is where I live. I’m going to take you on a tour. Sike! Ha. I’d wish. My sister and brother in law came to visit from out of state and it’s his first time in CA so we took them to Fisherman’s wharf. We walked from the wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge and I almost passed out halfway, lol, so we went back. I got too lazy to take anymore pictures but enjoy my deck. It’s 3 levels, son!

Phalary is a Traveling Woman, Moving Through Places, Space and Time

Gotta lotta things I got to do
But GOD willing I’m coming back to you
Baby boo
I’m leaving…

As a graduation gift to myself, my best friend and I took a trip to San Diego to visit her brother. I fell in love with downtown San Diego. It’s so beautiful with the harbor less than 10 minutes away and of course, the shopping! We took a trip out to the beach and went swimming. I’m owning me a beach house in San Diego! Sam and I took the Amtrak to LA. I heart LA! We went to Melrose Ave and ran into Raekwon (that deserves its own post). I left my heart in Southern CA!

Man, why can’t life always be this easy?

I wonder what it all really means. I wonder if I’ll ever find my dreams…