superfluously necessary

Week wit Maluca

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

Maluca came to LA this week and I was fortunate enough to hang out with this beautiful, dominican, punta blasting, mambo killing, big haired babe. She performed several shows and all were pretty wild. I hooked her up with a custum hologram city sweatshirt designed by my friend Jose. Look for it, its hot! Black with red tassels. Heres a video of one of her performances, look closley you can see me on the side of the stage wiln out.

Maluca "El Tigeraso" LIVE @ DANCERIGHT 7/2/09 from Miles Wilkerson on Vimeo.

Honduran crisis, and confusion

2009-06-30T12:47:00.001-07:00

I was in Honduras a few weeks ago and the political tension was high. President Zelaya was making drastic changes that were upsetting the economy. He was raising the minimum wage up to incredible highs. You may think that this sounds great for the poor; however, their economy can't support it. Thus, the employers had to fire more employees. So, instead of making more money, they now make no money. Not dope. Zelaya then tried to change their constitution to remain in office, (something that happened in Costa Rica when I was there) the people and congress were getting restless. (note: the Honduran Constitution has been changed previously) Talks of a coup began. This all seems pretty straight forward, but it gets complicated. The US has a huge presence, including a military base, in Honduras.(wrong in my opinion) The coup was lead by Gen Romeo Vasquez who was trained at the US army School of the Americas. In my opinion this school is all about imperialism. It also seems that with such a large US presence the US would have know about the coup. Barrack Obama, (along with Hugo Chavez) has come out against the outing of Pres. Zelaya. I'm pretty sure Obama could have stopped it with a phone call or two, though that wouldn't have been right either. (non interventionism please) Seems like the US is riding the fence or playing for both teams here. I just want to know who really was behind all this and what the Hondurans really want. Anybody know? I just hope the Hondurans come out on top here, but judging from history they will get screwed.

To live and die in LA

2009-06-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

So, it has been ages since my last post and this is due, in part, to my travels to London and then to Central America. I have now moved back to LA and am here to stay, for minute anyways. I am back on Yo Gabba Gabba and applied to a recording engineer program. Hopefully that all works out. Here are a few pics I took on my move back to LA:

Start the new year right!!!

2009-01-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

In this day and age of suckness we all must make time to get our boogie on; so I made a mixxx tape for y'all! Download foe free at: http://www.zshare.net/audio/53605288e900c6f5/

it goes as follows:

1. Calle 13 feat. Cafe Tacvba -Nadie Como Tu (toy selectah remix)
2. Cherry De Tropix - Oi
3. monksphere - monktime
4. M.I.A./Mylo - Sunshowers (luminfire edit)
5. Dj Zuki - Trubaci Cik Cik (Reggaeton remix)
6. Radioclit feat. Esau - Wena
7. Boy 8-Bit - Suspense Is Killing Me
8. Hostage - Shake It
9. Megatrons- Rock the Planet
10. Dj Marlboro - Vampiro
11. Jamtech Foundation feat. Mr. Vegas - Hot Fucker
12. monksphere feat. Cisko - "World Dance"
13. Ice Cube - You Can Do It (Bass Kleph bootleg)
14. Radioclit - Divina Gosa (Switch remix)
15. South Rakkas Crew - Mad Again (Boy 8-Bit remix)
16. Crookers - Il Brutto (Mustard Pimp El Burrito remix)
17. Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (Dj Tameil Gypsy Theme remix)
18. Dj Sega - Get Em
19. Dj Big H - Kuduro Ki e Confuson
20. Radioclit - Secousse (Crookers remix)
21. Dj Tim Dolla - Digital Cable
22. Uproot Andy - La vida Vale La Pena
23. Born 2wice feat. Bun B - 7 Executioners
24. Bjork - Joga
25. Cut Copy - Eternity One Night Only
26. Moondog - You The Vandal

The American Agenda

2008-11-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

I just finished a film called "The War on Democracy" by John Pilger. It was pretty amazing and affected me deeply. This film discusses how the United States Empire has treated Latin America in the past 50 years. I was astonished. The United States has backed, directly as well as indirectly, several military coups throwing out democratically elected presidents and replacing them with dictators. "Go U.S.!" It has happened in Bolivia, Argentina, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile, and Venezuela to name a few. The United States government and it's corporations don't give a rat's ass about democracy or freedom; all they care about is economic power. If a country becomes nationalistic and doesn't meet our economic agenda, we screw them over hard. I also watched a speech by John Perkins in which he discuss his role as an economic hit man. They basically make countries corporate economically or they take them out and replace them with someone who will. We need big change people and the key is education. (and probably ak 47s) What are your thoughts people? I want to know.

Gay marriage can be so gay.

2008-11-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

I live in L.A. and right now there is a very heated debate about prop 8 and the legalization of gay marriage. Yes on prop 8 means a ban on gay marriage, No means no ban. I say to everyone No on prop 8 and No on Yes on prop 8. I find a bigger problem here. Why does the government get to decide what marriage is? Marriage was always a religious action and it wasn't until about a hundred years ago, in the u.s., did the government even get involved. Why would a heterosexual married get more benefits than a homosexual couple? I don't think that should be the case. If prop 8 doesn't pass it takes away rights from certain adoption agencies and religious sects. That is not fair either. If gays want the right to get married....guess what, they have it. They can get married to someone of the opposite sex just like I have the right to have a civil union with someone of my same sex. If a civil union has access to all the same benefits, then whats the deal? Churches are happy and Gays are happy. In my opinion, if you're not religious than the only reason for marriage is tax benefits and possession issues in a divorce. If you take away the governments role, than its just for divorce issues. Thats lame. I say some kind of contract should be made up by the Justice of the Peace or something about possessions and thats that. The sacred rite (and I do mean rite not right) of marriage left to the religion of your choice. I would love to hear anyone's opinion about this. I'm not as educated as I could be. I have more gay friends here in L.A. than not and we've talked about it. They, of course, are against the ban, which is fine. We still hang out and get along fine. (and they jokingly admit gay marriage will lead to more divorces and thats it lol) Look, I love my gay friends a lot and I want them to be as happy as possible. This isn't about bigotry, this is about the government and its infringing actions on our freedom.

To those that don't want to waste their vote....

2008-10-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

People say that if you vote for a third party its a waste. That is complete bullshit. Voting isn't about picking a winner; its about picking someone you believe can guide this country in a positive direction. We need change people and neither Obama nor McCain will provide any major positive change. Some say, "Well, you got to just pick the lesser of two evils." THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS, ARE YOU KIDDING ME????!!! I was watching Ron Paul and Ralph Nader on Wolf Blitzer and Wolf actually asked that question. Ron Paul responded, "Evil is evil" Nader said, "The lesser of two [evils], isn't good enough for the American people." There is another option folks. You don't have to decided which of the two douche bags you hate less. Third parties can offer a lot. I got my absentee ballot and proudly voted for RON PAUL. Granted, he's not with a third party and actually isn't running anymore, but he has the answers to all the tough problems. You don't have to vote for Ron Paul (though you should) but just look at these for points: Foreign Policy (get our troops home and stop imperialism), National Debt (budget and live within our means and stop inflation), The Federal Reserve (get rid of it or least make some serious changes, but just get rid of it) and Privacy (screw the patriot act and revise fisa) Most of the third party candidates got it figured out on those four things. So anyways, I say to everyone, DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE! ESPECIALLY ON MCCAIN OR OBAMA!! Try and refute me on this. (I'm not saying go out and write in you neighbor cause he's cool, but there are other candiadates that are better.)

lil ol dood from arcadia

2008-09-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

So, people always ask me how I like living in Arcadia. Well, it's pretty cool. Its 20 min. from downtown l.a. and like 30 from Hollywood and about 20 to east l.a. where all my homies reside. Plus, it's super safe and you might see the following here:

...or a retarded white bengal?

2008-09-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Who would win in a battle?

2008-09-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

Who would be the victor, a great white shark or under water tigers?

Speaking of hamburgers

2008-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Another burger movie, with one of my favorite bands...Nickleback.

Haunted Hamburger

2008-09-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

So I found this movie and just loved it. Garfield is so cool and so are haunted hamburgers, not to mention Jim Davis the genius. It is scored by Jimmy Buffet who is really an interesting phenomenon. Note: it is the midi version of his song.
OMFG SO LOVE.

The truth behind the creation of this world

2008-09-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Creationism or Evolution? A huge debate in our society, well I have the answer. Enjoy!

Looking for my Christmas present? This is it.

2008-09-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

Some one should give this to me for Christmas, I would be eternally indebted.

We like the cars....

2008-08-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, on Yo Gabba Gabba we had the dopest opportunity ever. The Lady Tigra rolled in and covered "When I Hear Music" She killed it. She was super cool too. (and a super babe!)

The NY trip deserved its very own post.

2008-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

Disneyland is to my mom like New York is to me; the happiest place on this planet. Maybe not THE happiest, but pretty darn close. I went just cause I'd never been, but I assumed it would be my style. I kicked it in Brooklyn for a large portion of the time. Got to go to the M.I.A. show and roll with all those guys till about 5:30 in the morning!
That was by far the highlight. Dante's chicken, boogeyin wit Rye-Rye, Blaq tried to steal my sweatshirt (not really, he just misplaced it after he wore it), Zakee high as an SR71, Gina takin care of the lil dancers, and Mos Def just rollin around. Not to mention Jose and Cisko's shimmy. Pretty crazy. After that night I did saw some of the tourist stuff, which didn't do much for me, so I just went into all the famous ghettos and projects that my favorite hip hop stars flow about: Marcy, Bed-Stuy, Queens Bridge, 139 and Lennox, and South Bronx. All the while I listened to the appropriate song that correlated. I also spent too much money on fresh gear, which was cool. It was a pretty amazing trip, with the exception of JetBlue, the worst customer service ever. I hate them as much as I hate fascism.

....round, round, I got around

2008-07-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

So, my life has been a bit crazy as of late. I went to New York for the first time, moved to L.A. and now work on "Yo Gabba Gabba" Its been pretty dope. Seattle was a beautiful place and I loved it. I found the people to be a bit different, but it wasn't too bad. (Though I am glad to be in L.A.) New York on the other hand, is the dopest joint ever! I kicked it quite a bit in Harlem and Brooklyn. Bed-stuy has the most character. I made a bunch of friends out there. I think I'll wind up there one day. Now, as for L.A., it's cool. People are really laid back and there is tons to do. The show I am working for is crazy, but pretty fresh. (pictured above: me with mix master mike, and chromeo!!)

Greatest night of my life, or was it? Yes, yes it was.

2008-05-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I am just going to post a few pics and you all can figure it out...maybe. Anyways I will post the details and the story a little later. (Short on time.) I am now know as "KING CHASE" and/or "DANGLE CARROTS!!"

i'm back, as if anyone really cared

2008-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since an entry. I've been working and adjusting to Seattle and frankly just put it off. It's back on. New post soon.

Ron Paul and foreign policy.

2008-02-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul, in my mind, has the clearest idea of the candidates of how to go about foreign policy. His view of the invasion in Iraq just plain makes sense. Try and refute the following:
Congressman Ron Paul U.S. House of Representatives February 26, 2002 Before We Bomb Iraq... The war drums are beating, louder and louder. Iraq, Iran, and North Korea have been forewarned. Plans have been laid and, for all we know, already initiated, for the overthrow and assassination of Saddam Hussein. There's been talk of sabotage, psychological warfare, arming domestic rebels, killing Hussein, and even an outright invasion of Iraq with hundreds of thousands of US troops. All we hear about in the biased media is the need to eliminate Saddam Hussein, with little regard for how this, in itself, might totally destabilize the entire Middle East and Central Asia. It could, in fact, make the Iraq "problem" much worse. The assumption is that, with our success in Afghanistan, we should now pursue this same policy against any country we choose, no matter how flimsy the justification. It hardly can be argued that it is because authoritarian governments deserve our wrath, considering the number of current and past such governments that we have not only tolerated but subsidized. Protestations from our Arab allies are silenced by our dumping more American taxpayer dollars upon them. European criticism that the United States is now following a unilateral approach is brushed off, which only causes more apprehension in the European community. Widespread support from the eager media pumps the public to support the warmongers in the administration. The pro and cons of how dangerous Saddam Hussein actually is are legitimate. However, it is rarely pointed out that the CIA has found no evidence whatsoever that Iraq was involved in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Rarely do we hear that Iraq has never committed any aggression against the United States. No one in the media questions our aggression against Iraq for the past 12 years by continuous bombing and imposed sanctions responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children.
Iraq's defense of her homeland can hardly be characterized as aggression against those who rain bombs down on them. We had to go over 6,000 miles to pick this fight against a third-world nation with little ability to defend itself.
Our policies have actually served to generate support for Saddam Hussein, in spite of his brutal control of the Iraq people. He is as strong today- if not stronger- as he was prior to the Persian Gulf War 12 years ago. Even today, our jingoism ironically is driving a closer alliance between Iraq and Iran, two long-time bitter enemies. While we trade with, and subsidize to the hilt, the questionable government of China, we place sanctions on and refuse to trade with Iran and Iraq, which only causes greater antagonism. But if the warmongers' goal is to have a war, regardless of international law and the Constitution, current policy serves their interests. Could it be that only through war and removal of certain governments we can maintain control of the oil in this region? Could it be all about oil, and have nothing to do with US national security? Too often when we dictate who will lead another country, we only replace one group of thugs with another- as we just did in Afghanistan- with the only difference being that the thugs we support are expected to be puppet-like and remain loyal to the US, or else. Although bits and pieces of the administration's plans to wage war against Iraq and possibly Iran and North Korea are discussed, we never hear any mention of the authority to do so. It seems that Tony Blair's approval is more important than the approval of the American people! Congress never complains about its lost prerogative to be the sole declarer of war. Astoundingly, Congress is only too eager to give war power to our presidents through the back door, by the use of some fuzzy resolution that the president can use as his justification. And once the hostilities begin, the money always follows, because Congress fears criticism for not "supporting the troops." But putting soldiers in harm's way without proper authority, and unnecessarily, can hardly be the way to "support the troops."
Let it be clearly understood- there is no authority to wage war against Iraq without Congress passing a Declaration of War. HJ RES 65, passed in the aftermath of 9/11, does not even suggest that this authority exists. A UN Resolution authorizing an invasion of Iraq, even if it were to come, cannot replace the legal process for the United States going to war as precisely defined in the Constitution. We must remember that a covert war is no more justifiable, and is even more reprehensible. Only tyrants can take a nation to war without the consent of the people. The planned war against Iraq without a Declaration of War is illegal. It is unwise because of many unforeseen consequences that are likely to result. It is immoral and unjust, because it has nothing to do with US security and because Iraq has not initiated aggression against us. We must understand that the American people become less secure when we risk a major conflict driven by commercial interests and not constitutionally authorized by Congress. Victory under these circumstances is always elusive, and unintended consequences are inevitable.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/65/before-we-bomb-iraq/ --------------------- The war in Iraq was sold to us with false information. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies, the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. This war has cost more than 3,000 American lives, thousands of seriously wounded, and hundreds of billions of dollars. We must have new leadership in the White House to ensure this never happens again. Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft of our young men and women. We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing America and bring the troops home. No war should ever be fought without a declaration of war voted upon by the Congress, as required by the Constitution.
Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations. Too often we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised. Too often we have supported those who turn on us, like the Kosovars who aid Islamic terrorists, or the Afghan jihadists themselves, and their friend Osama bin Laden. We armed and trained them, and now we’re paying the price. At the same time, we must not isolate ourselves. The generosity of the American people has been felt around the globe. Many have thanked God for it, in many languages. Let us have a strong America, conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/war-and-foreign-policy/

Sling Shot Hip Hop!

2008-01-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

So, last week I had the opportunity to check out a Sundance flick. I went to the documentary "Sling Shot Hip Hop" It followed the hip hop movement going on in Palestine. It was quite the eye-opener. These cats really threw down. It mostly followed the group DAM and P.R. It was really cool. The Palestinians really have a tough situation, they really get shit on. One of the songs by DAM has a flow about them being called terrorists in their homeland. Kinda makes you think. There are a bunch of clips of Palestinians hurling rocks and just getting slammed by Israelis. I am rather ignorant to the details of that whole conflict, but I know its not good. (anyone with info or links, please leave a comment) The interesting thing was to see their influences, guys like N.W.A., Tupac, Wu-Tang, Talib Kweli, and Public Enemy. They listened to all those guys and related to it in their own way. Thats the beauty of music. American hip hop trickles down throughout the world and now it is being reciprocated back in a new fresh angle. After the movie was over we were surprised to find that the guys from DAM and Mohammad from P.R. were there. They answered questions and did a little performance. It was pretty ill. Talking with the dudes after made me think. Those guys have been subject to and seen some pretty gnarly shit, yet they are just regular homies. Thanks bogus political battles. The guys on top really screw the rest. Anyways, it was a great documentary and the music was good, and the guys are cool and tuff. Check em out! (thanks myspace)

Saudi Arabia: get on your knees America, time to turn a trick

2008-01-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe what I heard and read today about President Bush's trip to the middle east. Read the following from the Jerusalem Post: "Coinciding with Bush's trip, the Bush administration in Washington notified Congress on Monday that it would offer Saudi Arabia the chance to buy sophisticated Joint Direct Attack Munitions - or "smart bomb" - technology and related equipment, the State Department said. The administration envisions the transfer of 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth US$123 million, that would give the kingdom's armed forces highly accurate targeting abilities.
The proposed deal follows notification of five other packages to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, bringing to US$11.5 billion the amount of advanced US weaponry, including Patriot missiles, that the administration has announced it will provide to friendly Arab nations, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Administration officials say the total amount of eventual sales as part of the Gulf Security Dialogue is estimated at $20 billion, a figure subject to actual purchases.

The arms packages are an important part of the US strategy to bolster the defenses of oil-producing Gulf nations, such as Saudi Arabia, against threats from Iran. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, which have majority Sunni Muslim populations, harbor deep suspicions about Shiite Iran's apparent designs to establish itself as a major power.

Congress already has been briefed on all the packages, which also include the sale of the navy's Littoral Combat system. Lawmakers mostly see the deals as critical to maintaining relations with war-on-terror allies. Some are opposed to the JDAMs portion out of concern that it gives Saudi Arabia the ability to attack Israel, but are unlikely to muster the two-thirds majority needed, within an allowed 30-day period, to block the sales."(italics added by the blog author) And this from the New York Times: "President Bush on Tuesday urged Saudi Arabia and other members of OPEC to consider the strain the high cost of oil was having on the American economy, addressing an issue that has begun to color the last year of his presidency and dominate the presidential election campaign." What the hell is that all about. Why are we in bed with Saudi Arabia? Is it to get control over oil? Is it to get Saudi Arabia to attack Iran? (the U.S. might need an ally when it attacks Iran, cause, unfortunately, that is most likely going to happen at the rate we are going) Saudi Arabia is not our ally. They have never fought a common enemy of ours. 15 of the terrorists in the 9/11 attack were Saudis, the attack was funded by Saudi money, many of the attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq are wrought by Saudis, not to mention they bailed out Citi Group financially, and have billions of dollars of investments in U.S. businesses. They own us. How can we just let this stuff happen? Granted I don't know all the facts regarding our connection with Saudi Arabia (please email with any insights, ideas, or facts) but I'm no dummy and I don't think that our dealings with them are very sound. I am not trying to say that all Saudis are evil, but we need to avoid strong ties. Trade with everyone and avoid strong alliances with any country. I feel like everything is just building up so that the U.S. can take over the entire middle east. What are we doing people!?

P.S. This entry was off the cuff and any specifics of facts will be investigated further this week and emails are appreciated.

(we need a revolution.)

Hard NYE, harder than necessary.

2008-01-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

So, for new years I went to L.A. to go to Hard NYE which was a concert featuring 2 Live Crew, Peaches, Busy P and Justice.
(and a few others) I was pretty excited and so we got there pretty early, which was good because I heard the line got too big for security to handle efficiently. Anyways, this was the debut for the event and it showed. They didn't have any kind of schedule posted for the lineup. I figured that it was a minor set back and that all I would need to do was ask someone that worked there, well I was wrong. No one had any idea where and when the artists were playing, not even the damn sound board guys. I just went to the main stage figuring that it would be the best. Well, the super hyped L.A. DJ by the name of Steve Aoki came out. I was pretty excited because everyone was talking about him. He came out in a glitter American flag vest so I assumed it would kick ass. Unfortunately he just kept falling on his ass. He was mad plastered. Now, don't get me wrong sometimes mad plastered can make things tuff and cool, but it took him 20 minutes just to get the borrowed needles plugged in to his tables. He fell over a couple of times and then got playing. Some of it was ok, but then he pulled a cord out or something and the sound cut and that was that. If thats all that L.A. has to offer as far as DJs go, man L.A. sucks. (His album is coming out soon, so I will give it another chance, getting mad drunk on new years can be an exception) After him I think it was Whitey that came on, it was ok. Peaches then came on and she is pretty tuff. I really enjoyed the theatrics of it all. I felt her amazing roland 505 beats got a bit lost in the live performance on account of the rockin guitar, but it was still good and super sexual. Her outfit was incredible. She hit the new years off. There wasn't a countdown which was weird, but whatever. Justice came out after and were perched upon a 10 foot high lit up cross, way tuff. They played a great set with much of their own material remixed. Security blew, so we kept storming the stage to boogie, but they then cut the sound and said no mas until we get down. When I say "we" I mean the Hard NYE security. Justice told everyone to get back up and dance. Busy P was dancing up there and then got up on the cross and Justice mixed right into his set. His set was super dancy and awesome. Some boner blew off a dust bomb thing on the side of the stage and I, being in the front, got dust crap (or anthrax) all up in my face. Nevertheless it was rockin. Now I really wanted to see A-Trak, and I kept seeing him on the stage hanging out so I figured he'd go on there, well he never did. Apparently, (I read later) he played on the other stage at 11, probably during suck Whitey. I didn't know due to the dumb asses "running" the thing. I still am bitter about that. Overall it was worth it and I had a great time, but there was such organization problems it hindered its awesomeness from reaching maximum levels. (p.s. tuff is better than tough)
(Thats me in the yellow shirt)

Amigos of Honduras

2007-12-29T16:08:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine started a foundation called Amigos of Honduras. It is amazing some of the work and progress they have achieved. They brought water to two different villages they previously had none. They have built a school in the mountains of El Portillo de la Oky where most of the kids prior to the building of the school went without any education. They have provided homes and land for those without. They also contribute to the battle against aids on the island of Roatan. The great thing about this foundation is that 100% of all donations go directly to the people of Honduras, that kind of thing is hard to find nowadays. Honduras is the poorest country in it's hemisphere second only to Haiti, it is also plagued with an aids epidemic. Those people really need our help. Please check out their website www.amigosofhonduras.org It is a great organization doing great things.

Holidays are happy, especially when listening to good music.

2007-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to lots of music this holiday break and it has been great. I am always looking for that next movement in music that blows my mind. Lately I have been really interested in the DJ scene, especially that of "mash ups" and global influences. It is a great niche for anyone who is a fan of all genres because all genres get rolled into one uber song. More than that I enjoy the global stuff. I am fascinated by the other cultures that are just killing the music scene in their respective regions. It is so frustrating how hard it is for their amazing music to penetrate our culture. I lived in Costa Rica for a few years and there I was exposed to many different styles of Latin and Afro-Caribe music and I always have been fascinated by music from India and Africa, but it is hard to be "in the know" about some of the more underground movements there. (That is why the internet is awesome, especially myspace.) When I first heard M.I.A.'s mix tape "Piracy Funds Terrorism" I had my mind blown into bits and dripped out my nose. She, along with help from Diplo, combined hip hop with favela baile funk or hard reggae or African drums. Artists like them really help with exposure of those rarer scenes. M.I.A.'s first real release, Arular, wasn't a mix tape, but the global influence was there. Now, if you add "in your face" flows and lyrics you have one intense and amazing record. Her second album was of equal "amazingness" but I feel it is a bit more sophisticated. She uses drums and temple flutes from Africa and India and combines a sort of weaved quilt of sounds and samples. You can hear more world sounds in her one CD than most people have in their entire collection. In her lyrics, she presents issues that were unheard of in main stream music. In "20$" she raps about the cost of AK's in Africa, "Hussel" speaks loud and clear about the influence of money especially in the shanty towns. Lets not forget the loud booty shakin anthem of "World Town", "hands up, guns out, represent the world town." This entry started out as just a review of some DJ stuff and world beats, but kind of digressed to a review of how badass M.I.A. is. I guess that says something in itself. I think we need more artists like M.I.A. As artists like 50 cent, Jay Z, and Dre pump their influence into the third world, its nice to have someone like M.I.A. reciprocating some third world back. (thats more interesting anyways) Her album has influenced me to investigate more and be more aware of whats going on and thats a good thing, I recommend her albums to anyone, plus she's a babe and her music is great to dance to. Now, let's go outside the western block and listen to something different like Casablanca hip-hop.

First Time.

2007-12-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

I was originally going to create my first post to describe what the purpose of this blog is, but I figure there are many purposes and due to a conversation that I had last night, I will just jump in. I was speaking with my cousin who is a soldier and did a turn in Afghanistan. I am pretty opposed to all forms of war, but I also realize that due to circumstances war happens and I thank my cousin and others like him who sacrifice their lives in the call of duty. That is not intended to be a rationalization, but a realization. Anyways, we got to talking and we bounced all over on different topics. From boarder control, socialist movements in Central America, to the war in the middle east. He gave me a very interesting point of view, and I guess that is the real point of this entry that we should all be more open minded and educated. My cousin told me that he had somewhat of a limited view on the overall situation, a small cog in a big machine type of view. He told me of the schools and roads they are building to get them on their feet and of the love the Afghans have for voting. I  was pretty impressed. He also told me of the fact that the extremist laugh at the thought of our concern for the prisoners we detain, especially in Guantanamo Bay and that they have cut off limbs of people just for talking to Americans. Rather disturbing. The question is "why", what have we done to instigate such a hatred. My cousin and I also talked about Iraq and why the involvement. He had less of a qualified view than that of Afghanistan, but better than most. My main question to him, and to anyone really is this: to what end are we fighting? Are we looking to eliminate or rehabilitate all extremist? Will we fight terrorisms in all parts of the world? To what end are we fighting? That conversation just made me want to learn as much as possible. Too many people live their lives in ignorance without a concern of what goes on around them. No matter how thin cheese is cut, there are always two sides. We need to educate ourselves in these matters to better have a handle on whats going on. With that knowledge we can better demand things that will lead to progress. Complacency is death.