November 10, 2009

August 3, 2009

CROSBY


Crosby aka Crosmopolitan aka Bling Cosby aka Composition Cros aka Clock Work Cros aka Young City the Kid (Don't know where that came from) aka Clutch, has a lot of aka's. But that may be because of his diverse personality and flow. I met this kid when I first came to Purchase College from a fellow teammate and friend of mine Miz Metro. I didn't know he did what he did until we became further acquainted.


When I first heard Crosby flow, I couldn't believe my ears. It all started when I was just browsing some of his creative videos on facebook. The way he pieced ideas and metaphors together, was genius. I'd say his rhymes are a little less chaotic then Eminem's and a little more deep than Asher Roth. I don't mean to be stereotypical because he is a white emcee but he always gets compared to other white emcees. I don't put Cros in a white or black category, I put Cros in a Crosegory.





Crosby first started by doing benefit shows supporting arts in public schools, then he ventured on to bigger and better things with a break away performance at the DKNY Flagship stort on Madison Ave. From that, he was introduced to one of the most influential leaders in Hip-Hop, Russell Simmons. Along with his musical talents, Crosby has a natural niche for the camera. He was given the privilege to work with Charlie Ahearn, director of the hip-hop movie "Wild Style". To develop his craftmanship he has worked with his manager Steve Paul, manager of Buster Poindexter, Johnny Winters, and Muddy Waters.



On Stage: Crosby has peformed with The Cool Kids, Drake, Emily King, Moby, Yarah Bravo, Tone Def, Homeboy Sandman, Louis Logic, Maya Azucena and the love of his life, Miz Metro.
Venues: He has performed SOB's, The Knitting Factory, Don Hill's, Joe's Pub, R Bar, Europa, The Bitter End, Bowery Poetry Club, Public Assembly, The HOWL!, Festival in Tompkins Square Park and the Hyeres Music Festival in the south of France.


Not only does Cros make music, he helps others in the same game. As co-producer/director of HIP HOP HOWL, he successfully organized and performed at the 2009 SXSW HIP HOP HOWL showcase in Texas. It ran like a live mixtape featuring over 28 artists from around the world and helped establish the presence of urban music at SXSW. The mixtape received over 600,000 plays as the featured playlist on IMEEM.



Crosby does not need to shout to be heard, he commands audiences with his charismatic stage presence and tight flow. He's experienced in performing to crowds ranging from 1500 to 15, engaging people with his high energy interactive crowd participation. Crosby is a great addition to any bill.

Where's Crosby?

CROSMOPOLITAN

EPK


YouTube

Myspace

TWITTER

HipHopHowl

July 13, 2009

21


Sooo, the day finally came. I TURNED 21. It has been a blessing for me, a lot of kids don't get the chance to become an adult. I must admit though, with all its priviledges it is still very intimidating. Being 21 entails major responsibilites and as independent as I may seem, inside I never want to grow up..


Let's Move on..






My birthday was very personal. A little friends, a little fam, it was all love in Bubba Gumps. I would've gone somewhere more intimate but I wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and I didn't know what could've gone down, so Bubba Gumps it was..



I thought this day would never come. I've always chilled with the older crowd so everyone was getting into clubs and shows before me. They always had to find ways to sneak me in, I'd have to use an ex's I.D, or I would have to tell the security guard that the person performing was my cousin and that I drove all the way down from Toronto. But I had to do what I had to do. Getting put on the guestlist at 21+ clubs when I was 18! And now, it all ends.. I don't have to come up with schemes, plots, and plans anymore and I wonder if it will be any fun now that I'm 21..



I'll let you know next blog post..




Special thanks to my Stink for making my 21 the best birthday yet..Nuv You.

June 30, 2009

JASMiNE SOLANO


Jasmine Solano, a Philly Motown girl turned "HIP HOPSTER SOUL GAL." Representing on the airwaves and turntables since she was 17, nowadays you’ll find Jasmine Solano DJing in NYC, Brooklyn, Miami, DC and LA. Winner of "Best Female Radio Personality" at the New England Urban Music Awards in 2006 and the annual EVVY Awards for "Best Radio On-Air Personality." She owes it all to the Boston community where it began on WERS 88.9FM. Jasmine put a ‘face to the name’ as a VJ for MTV2 and has been the host and MC for concerts featuring Grandmaster Flash, Akfrika Bambaataa, Questlove, Q.tip, De La Soul, GZA, The Platinum Pied Pipers, Dilated Peoples, M1 of Dead Prez, Jaguar Wright and Goapele.--side note: Goapele is a secret crush of mine.



In late 2008, she decided to pursue her passion full time: making music. Christmas day of that year DJ Wonder and Solano released her first single, “That’s Not It” and by the end of January, the buzz was undeniable. Performing for 700 people at the famed Hiro Ballroom wasn’t far behind. Stints at Miami’s Winter Music Conference, an international tour with Ninjasonik, gigs DJing for J*Davey, performing at Lyricist Lounge and opening up for fellow Philadelphian ?uestlove and Nina Sky all followed.



You can catch her rapping to a mosh-pitting crowd in Bushwick with Ninjasonik, performing for Roxy Cottontail’s birthday party in Midtown, or DJing a deep reggae bashment party in Brooklyn or at one of her long standing parties: Jasmine's infamous Reggae/Dance NYC party, ELECTRIC PUNANNY that she runs with Melo-X and Roxy Cottontail has become a downtown staple as well as “Sticky Mikes” the weekly reggae bash at Leopard Lounge with DJ Gringo & Bintou. Known for her contagious hip hopster spirit and unwavering allegiance to old soul, Jasmine effortlessly combines the cutting edge with the timeless in a mix of R&B, Soul, Reggae, Electronica, House and Hip Hop.





Thats Not It (Produced by DJ Wonder).wav - Jasmine Solano

Verve Christmas Remix Cd Shoot from Jasmine Solano on Vimeo.



June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson


Yesterday, Thursday June 25th, 2009 the King himself Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26pm. Apparently he went into a cardiac arrest from being "addicted" so prescription drugs. Other sources say that he was also fighting anorexia and had just overcome a staph infection..but who knows, someone is always saying some shit about Mike.


What's crazy is yesterday was also my moms birthday, so I was in a good mood knowing my mother was blessed with another year of life, then this shit happens. First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett (FAUCET), now Mike? The shit is CRAZY! Well atleast it was still my moms birthday..[trying to look on the bright side]



So while I was doing my research I found out from a blog on Myspace that Lisa Marie Presley wrote, that Mike had a pre-concieved notion about his death. He discussed with her that he was frightened that he would end up dying just like her father Elvis "The King" Presley did. As much as she tried to convince him to get that thought out of his head, it was no use..she already knew that his mind was made..
[research how Elvis died because I'm not going to tell you, this post is about Michael Jackson.]





I'm not going much further into this post though, everyone knows what happened, you just can't have a blog and not blog about the death of a King. Below are some facts about his record sale history and such. Also there's some of my favorite videos posted below. Live In Peace, Michael Jackson. [1958-2009].

Five of Jackson's solo albums – "Off the Wall," "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous" and "HIStory," all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label – are among the top-sellers of all time. During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award.


Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture..










June 23, 2009

Blue Screen of Death!


I know, I know, I've been missing in action for a while now. I was supposed to blog about Summer Jam 2009 but I figured it's too late. You just had to be there...

The reason I've have been off the face of the earth is because of "The Blue Screen of Death!" You only see this screen when your computer crashes. In the past couple weeks technology has not been my friend. My ipod got fucked up somehow, so now that's dead. Then my computer crashed because of an update gone wrong..I'm like that's computer maintainence and it fucked my shit up?? Yeah I was tight. So I couldn't write blogs for a while and I don't like to write on anyone else's computer. But trust, I was going through withdrawl.

Also, when I took my computer to Computer Technical Services, they said they would be able to restore my computer and save all my docs, pictures, and music. So I thought I was good....no, I was wrong. I got my computer fully restored, basically brand new..BUT! THEY DELETED ALL MY MUSIC. I damn near almost cried..[deadass]. Like I was in total shock. My girl kept saying I could get it all back, which is true but if you're a go-hard music feind like myself, then I'm sure you can understand. I mean why the hell else would I do this blog?? Nonetheless, I am officially back on track, so expect a new blog post fairly shortly..

June 5, 2009

Miz Metro


Laura O'Reilly aka Miz Metro, is a creative, laidback, quirky musician from New York City. (She's also my homegirl). In H.S she received the award for musical theatre/spoken word from the Presidential Scholar National Foundation of the Arts. They ranked her in the top 5% of teenage singers and actors in the USA. [[THAT'S CRAZY!]] With such a natural gift for song writing, at 16 she began to write songs that later went on to be licensed to MTV's MADE!I wish I could be MADE to do that..Yeah so, in June 2008 she performed one of her hit songs "T.V Land" on Fox 5's "Fearless Music" tv show. The show aired internationally and she won the viewers pole for best performance.


Miz Metro is a New Media/Studio Composition dean's list student at SUNY Purchase. I recently saw her at a charity event at Marcy Playground and I remember her telling me that she couldn't believe she had achieved a 4.0 gpa for the last two semesters. I couldn't believe that shit either! I only recieved a 3.5 and she is way more busy than I am...anyway, with all that going on, she still made time to perform as an official showcasing artist at the 2008 SXSW first ever SOUL showcase. She has also performed along side Ladybug Mecca, of the Grammy winning group Digable Planets. In response to her performance at Mixtape Riot, URB magazine said that "Miz Metro's rare voice and style were something never heard before in NYC." Personally, I believe that Miz Metro's sound resembles Gwen Stefani's but I will agree with the quote since Gwen Stefani is not from New York.


Miz Metro has graced over 60 stages from California to London, engaging audiences with her quirky stage presence and well crafted songs. It is her "fresh dynamic", as Chuck Taylor from Billboard Magazine puts it, that is making Miz Metro a creative force in the music industry. "But it isn't her sense of style that pulls in the audience. Her powerful, controlled voice blends with and rises above the music to bring her message of social change," explains ClubPlanet.com.


The name "Miz Metro" came from Lady Sovereign at the 2006 WMC. Laura was interviewing Lady Sov and she happened to be wearing her favorite metro card doorknockers. Lady Sov called her "Miss Metrocard", the card got dropped, the Z got added and the rest is history. The name fit like a puzzle piece, at the time Miz Metro was also the ringleader of her "Urban Gypsy Circus." They were a series of loft parties at a 5,000 square ft. loft space in SoHo, New York.







She has done VJ work conducting exclusive interviews with Fab 5 Freddy, GZA and Spankrock working along side Santi White for Panjea.com. Miz Metro has also been featured as a solo artist on "Breaking For the Holidays" along side the likes of Chaka Khan, Ben Jelen and Sandra Bernhard. As co-presenter of the "Hip Hop Howl Mixtape" for the Lower East Side's HOWL! Festival, she's been featured next to Grammy nominated singer Emily King, Mickey Facts, Louis Logic among many other fierce talents coming out of NYC.



Miz Metro's debut album "UNLIMITED" is a mix of studio tracks and songs recorded with her 7 piece band "The Makebelieves." It will be released in early July 2009. From her experience with editing her own music videos, she designs all the fliers for her shows and promotions. Miz Metro is a bold communicator and a leader in building community within the New York's hip hop thrift shop scene. Poised to be a future media music mogul, she's the next Madonna, but the first Miz Metro.


Check out Miz Metro at:
Twitter
Myspace



May 28, 2009

Lost. In. Eternity


Lost In Eternity aka "L.I.E" is a R&B/HipHop group coming out of Long Island. (Go figure). The trio consists of three male artists, Justin Leakey, Dennis Kellum, and Deshaun Sutton. Each member bring a different aspect of musical genius to the group. With Leak's explosive vocal range, Deshaun's ability to harmonize, and Dennis K's freestyle dance techniques, I'd say L.I.E is a force to be reckoned with..



Justin Leakey bka "Leaks" is the head hancho in charge. He has put everything on the line to take L.I.E to the next level. Eventhough Leaks has such a commanding spirit, his voice and rhymes are able to vocally harmonize with Dennis's ostinati and Deshaun's octave range.


Dennis Kellum bka Dennis K aka "Roc4ya" has been with L.I.E from jump. Dennis and Leaks were apart of former group "Yungfellaz" which disbanded a few years back. They have been working together for about 5 years now. Dennis brings diversity to the group, his stage performance combined with his dance techniques equal fans in the stands. With his ability to sing, rap, and dance Mr. Kellum is a triple threat that may be hard to beat.


Deshaun Sutton aka "Slink"--(ha didn't think I remembered that!) is the newest member of L.I.E and as a new recruit he is well above-par. He adds that "umph" that every group desires. His musical genius has added the fulfillment of sound and rhyme of choice. Since I know him personally, I know how hard he has worked for an opportunity like this and how hard he will work to make it last.



First of all, I forgot to mention that yes, ladies they are all single, sad but true. So if you want to get your L.I.E on, you may have to wait in traffic. Lost. In. Eternity currently has two singles out "Greatest Show" and "American Girl." (Personally, I'm fucking with Greatest Show). The trio is managed by Theo Brown of Interscope Records and is under Third Lane Ent. They have opened up for various artists such as Fabolous, Tank, Bobby Valentino, Brian Mcknight, and Lee Carr one of their fellow lable mates. They are currently working on a new up and coming single, make sure you look out for that one.

For more info: Look up L.I.E on FACEBOOK or MYSPACE




May 14, 2009

Nicki Minaj a Trois



Nicki Minaj, Nicki Lewinski, hiphop's newest female femcee. I know everyone has heard about this chick by now and if you haven't..well it's about time you have. She is Lil' Wayne's female protege of Young Money Ent. This is the same entertainment group that Drake is apart of. I see Wayne is creating artists to pass on his legacy into the future. The artists that he seems to find, end up being the new best thing. First Drake, now Nicki? No one expected or even expects the shit that comes out of her mouth. I mean she looks like eyecandy from XXL, but then again no one expected Lil' Kim to step out the way she did either...



Nicki Minaj hails from Jamaica, New York (Southside Jamaica Queens). I'm pretty sure everyone around the block knew her, just like they did 50 cent. I heard she still makes a few cameos on the block every now and then. You can even find her in Brooklyn chilling with Maino, Red Cafe or the A-Team bike club. She chills with a lot of dudes, so I'm guessing that's part of the reason why she rhymes so good, just from being around that type of environment. When you hear her, she's like a bunch of different artists combined. She has a flow like Wayne, delivery like Fox, the persona of Kim, and the rawness of Eve.



She has been on many mixtapes: "The Come Up" DVD, "Play Time is Over" and "Sucka-Free" of course. Tracks on those mixtapes have giving her street credibility in the sense that she is able to hold it down, keep her femininity, and handle business. Plus, the fact that she is under Lil' Wayne's wing, says a lot as well. She has collaborated with Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, Bobby Valentino, and Eric Benet, to mention a few. She has her own mixtape out called "Beam Me Up Scotty." Personally, I think she is definitely up to par..granted her voice is kind of annoying..DIFFERENT! But nonetheless, still annoying at times and the auto-tune doesn't help.


There have been rumors about Nicki Ninaj and Reece Steele from VH1's Miss Rap Supreme have got into some altercations, misunderstandings, or what ever but they have beef. Nicki Minaj won female artist of the year at the Underground Music Awards. Maybe some of the beef could've started from hateration from Steele but you know I had to find out and let ya'll see it for yourself..Enjoy.




PS.- In this industry, image is everything. Note to Reece Steele: Please watch the company you keep..smh

May 6, 2009

Triple L Society



Ok, as promised here's the post on Triple L Society bka TLS. You've probably seen me sporting TLS around campus. I must admit, it's definitely my style of choice. I've been a fan of underground street wear for years now and I found out about TLS through facebook. I mean when you hear of someone making their own clothing, you kind've don't take them seriously. But when I heard about TLS, I decided to give this kid a chance. He has his own website, blog, and has appeared in many fashion shows. With that kind of weight under his belt, it gave Triple L Society a lot of credibility.



Triple L Society is more than just a clothing brand, it is a lifestyle. That's what the 3 L's stand for: "Live, Life, Lavish." TLS was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur, Lawrence Nurse. At the age of 20 Lawrence has already accomplished what some fashion designers wish to accomplish in a lifetime. TLS clothing brand can be found at Stack House Brooklyn on Lafayette and Fulton St, online on the Triple L Society website and have been featured in various magazines.


This May, Lawrence has launched the Spring 2009 Line, which I feel is more or less high end, street wear. I like the "swag" of this line so to speak. It's very casual and boardwalk material. You can also look out for TLS Summer 2009 line, from BBQ's to the beach, best believe I will have my TLS living lavish in my life.


Triple L Society Spring 09 from Triple L Society on Vimeo.

April 29, 2009

Christian Anti-Gay Protest At Purchase?


I know this doesn't have to do with music, photography, fashion etc. But it does have to do with myself and my fellow classmates..

On Monday, April 27th, 2009 I got a call from my girlfriend saying that there were Anti-Gay Christians protesting on the Great Lawn. My first response was "At Purchase??" I couldn't believe what I heard. We suggested that we go out there and make-out in front of them, just to piss them off. Luckily for them she had class but I didn't. I had to go and see what was going on for myself. Mind you, Monday was the day that it was damn near 90 degrees outside, the weather was beautiful. I wasn't going to let something like this ruin my day, it just sounded so entertaining that I wanted to experience it first hand. Plus, I never witnessed anything like this, for someone to be totally against what I am.

When I walked up to the protest, I walked into lesbians cursing, cross-dressers in frantic, and straight people reciting bible verses. The time I arrived, there were only two protesting. There was a middle-aged white man and a much more middle-aged white woman. The voice of the protest was definitely the man though. The woman was so soft spoken and kept talking about the bible and what "God" said. The man however spoke as if he knew Jesus and God personally. He told everyone how God intended the world to be, what he wanted, what he wants, and how everything should be. He stated that "Everyone who is not Christian is going to hell." "Roman Catholics are not Christian, Episcopalian's aren't Christian, and you are only Christian if you are "born again." "Homosexuals can be saved and or healed because it is a disease and if you believe in the power of God, you will be." Lesbians started to quote the bible and say "God also said "Love thy neighbor!!!"



Arguements continued to go back and forth and seemed never ending. To distract people from the Anti-Gay protest, a group of students made signs that read "Down With Homework" and "Tests Suck!" They figured if they lead people toward their protest, that the Anti-Gay protesters wouldn't have anyone to preach to..Well their efforts diminished after a while. People just couldn't help but to gravitate toward the crowd and give their two cents. Personally, I feel if you give your two cents, you'll be broke. Especially knowing that you cannot change a HARDCORE Christian's mind. It's like fighting an uphill battle..I'll pass on that. I am what I am, I am who I am, I am me and that's it.


P.S - The white, middle-aged, man is an "Ex-homosexual" ahem.. and there was a student who actually goes to Purchase, (I don't know his name) but yeah he was a "Reformed Homosexual"..yeah I thought the same thing too..SMH.

April 25, 2009

"Let's Do Lunch" Podcast

Music podcast:sumlite

Posted using ShareThis

I tried to get an embedded code, shit was being stubborn. This is the best I could do. Let me know what you think...Thanks.


-- The Management

April 22, 2009

Culture Shock


This year's Culture Shock at Purchase wasn't exactly a "culture shock" so to speak. Last year there were different genres of music selected in order to provide that cultural experience for everyone. From merengue, salsa, and reggae to alternative, punk rock, and hip hop, everyone got a chance to enjoy and appreciate the different types of bands and artists. This year it seemed like mostly rock all day with a few performances from Purchase's very own. At the end of each day (Friday and Saturday) the hip-hop act would perform.


On friday Drake performed his first solo concert, which was complete mayhem. It was advertised online, on flyers, radio, and from word of mouth. People who I haven't spoken to in months, hit me up trying to get me to sign them in. This girl on facebook even changed her network to Purchase so she can add random people and ask if they could sign her and her friends in. WTF!!! People went so hard for this concert. But it's understandable why..Drake is definitely "the young spitter that everybody in rap fear.." Coming from playing the role of Jimmy from "Degrassi" to being signed to Young Money Ent. says a lot. His rep has increased from being hailed as "Lil Wayne's protege." The performance was definitely well worth it, although he didn't do many songs from his latest mixtape "So Far Gone," I still enjoyed myself. And believe it or not he actually sounds the way he does on tape as he does in person.



Next hip-hop performance was on Saturday at 10pm "The Cool Kids." For those who don't listen to The Cool Kids, then I guess they would say "they sucked" so to speak. I mean shit, they were throwing cup-cakes up on stage. One cupcake definitely hit Mickey Rock's silk letterman jacket and stuck to it. I didn't see The Cool Kids performance because I was currently at the Ricky Blaze performance at the S.O.C.A fashion show. But during the after party in the Student Center, I saw Mikey Rocks cooling out with Kaz of R.L.E so I went up to him and we chatted for a bit, he's DEF a "Cool Kid." He wanted to go to another after party with us but his team told him he had to make moves. I thought that it was cool that he wanted to chill with us though.


Since I wasn't at The Cool Kids concert, I got some footage of the Ricky Blaze performance. I'm not going to lie, I should've went to see The Cool Kids. A lot of people left the fashion show to go see The Cool Kids because the fashion started late and the concert was at 10pm. If the fashion show started on time, then people would've been able to see both Ricky Blaze and The Cool Kids. Ricky Blaze got paid $3,000 to do 3 songs and I only knew 1 of them. Nonetheless, I still got some footage and photos with him. I won't put footage of the performance because the acoustics suck. I will put a photo up though just to show how short he really is..smh.

April 14, 2009

Forever In A Day26


Diddy's "Making the Band" history hasn't been very creditable. His platinum selling female group 'Danity Kane' has also suffered from the Making the Band curse and has disbanded. No one thought it would ever happen because they had exceeded their first album. Shortly after Danity Kane's first album, Diddy began to form an all male group. The process of Danity Kane's sophmore album and the formation of Diddy's third band, was aired on MTV as Making the Band 3. The male group consisted of five members-Willie Taylor, Robert Curry, Brian Andrews, Michael McCluney, and Qwanell "Que" Mosley.

Since Danity Kane disbanded, Making the Band 4 has aired on MTV, showing the process of Day26 creating their sophmore album. Those who have watched, know what I'm talking about when I say "Que" has been wilin. This season's MTB4 has really gotten up close and personal with the guys. Although not everything is recorded, you really begin to see the band members for who they really are. Personally all of Que's outburts, portrayed a negative perspective on the band. Que's behavior was an example of someone letting the money get to their head. I haven't seen such dramatic, egotistical, childish behavior in a new celebrity before. I mean like, just a couple of months ago you were trying to make it like everyone else. People just take shit for granted sometimes and don't realize that as soon as you made that band, your ass could be disbanded...remember you were apart of Diddy's making the band, there's a huge possibility that your career could end just like the last.

Everyone thought that after Que's antics that Diddy would kick him out the group. Well obviously he didn't because Que is on their sophmore album "Forever In A Day" which dropped today, April 14th, 2009. Their debut single "Imma Put It On Her" feat. Yung Joc and Diddy was released about two weeks ago. I'm in the process of reviewing the album now because I just bought off iTunes..so far, so good. I do realize that Que is on a lot more songs than he was on the last album. Diddy said so himself, Que made the band by the skin of his teeth and he mostly made it because he could dance. I will admit though, he doesn't sound too bad, especially being the weakest vocally. Kudos Que. Que also had a lot more say so on this album and you can definitely tell. The rest of the guys believed in making another R&B album because they are indeed an R&B group but Que believed in doing what the mainstream does in order to change the sound and sell records. He wanted to move from R&B to Pop, which is too much of a big transition especially for your sophmore album. But on certain tracks like "Shawty Wats Up" feat. T-Pain, you can here the boys using the Auto-Tune with T-Pain on the vocoder. We'll see how the record sales look during this week. But I won't front on it, go out and buy it, download it, whatever. The album features T-Pain, P.Diddy, Yung Joc, Lloyd, Lil Wayne, and Jermaine Dupri.

April 8, 2009

Dead and Gone..


By now, I'm pretty sure everyone has heard about T.I's arrest on federal gun charges back in October, 2007. T.I aka T.I.P's real name is Clifford Joseph Harris. When he was arrested, he was in the parking lot of the rehearsal B.E.T awards. He had been arrested after his bodyguard/informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers, according to a Justice Department statement.

Officials say that T.I provided his bodyguard with 12g's to buy the weapons, which he isn't allowed to hold down because he is a convicted felon. Documents said that he was convicted on felony drug charges back in '98 and he has stated himself that he has been arrested 32 times since the age of 15. Come on now, with that type of history you already know you're not supposed to even have a .45 in your possession.

T.I was nominated for nine awards, including album of the year and lyricist of the year. He was also scheduled to perform with Common, Nelly, and Kanye West. The show went on without the "King of the South." His car and College Park home were searched following his arrest.

Authorities ended up finding three more firearms in the car which he drove to go pick up the machine guns and silencers, including one loaded gun tucked between the driver's seat and the center console. At home, authorities found six other guns--five loaded, in his bedroom closet.

It really hit him hard when T.I's bodyguard was arrested while purchasing the machine guns and silencers from an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent. The bodyguard agreed to cooperate with the ATF! [snitches get stitches!]The guns were not registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. The bodyguard -- who has worked for T.I since July, told authorities he had bought about nine guns for him in the past..smh he's wilin.

T.I made a plea deal to do 1,000hrs of community service and pay a $100,000 fine. Under the plea deal, he will be subjected to an audit of his finances, drug counseling, DNA testing and random searches of his property, and he will not be able to own firearms. He will also be under home confinement under the same pre-trial conditions, which included a curfew, permission-only travel with a court-appointed supervisor, and complete another 500hrs of community service, he would only be sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

Some of his services were televised on MTV with a show called "T.I's Road to Redemption." Over the last 7 weeks it aired 7 different shows of troubled youths that T.I had helped. He did everything from taking them to jail, to taking them to the funeral home, to taking them on a shopping spree. He also made any of their dreams come true. If they wanted to be an actor, photographer, boxer, or rapper, he made that possible for them to do.

According to court reports, T.I. has completed 1,030 hours of community service, not including his MTV show. He's also completed 305 days of his required one-year home confinement. His plea sentence is notable, according to legal experts because of the length of time. If T.I were to be sentence just for a year, he would be required to complete the entire sentence. Now the fact that he has been sentenced to a year and 1 day allows him to be released earlier for good behavior, if he doesn't fuck up. [smart right?]

Basically T.I went off the wall after seeing his best friend, Philant Johnson get murdered. I'm guessing it was the aftermath of it all and how it all went down. Johnson was killed in the cross-fire of a drive-by of suspects unknown. So after that T.I decided to be more than prepared and that combined with emotional distress can result in "O.D-ing" so to speak. Do I think he O.D'd by having illegal possession of all those firearms, and types of firearms? Yes I do. I've also had my best friend pass away, he was street racing and got into a car accident. But that never made me want to stop driving, or not want to buy the make of the car he was driving. But I do understand where he is coming from. I honestly think after he serves his sentence, he will be bigger success than ever before. He's going to write an entire album while he's in prison and everyone will be awaiting his return. It's like T.I's ressurection. I honestly can't wait, best believe I'll be blogging about him in a year...and a day.


March 31, 2009

The Wait Is Over!



I'm not talking about the wait for something mediocre, like an album or mixtape...No. I'm talking about the wait for the promo video for this BLOG! This due date has been pushed back for weeks now. I wondered how I was going to promote a blog about music entertainment and news..So I thought, and thought, and thought some more. Then I thought again and it hit me.."How are clubs, parties, entertainment groups, and musicians marketed?"--hmm through clubs, parties, entertainment groups, and musicians! So I didn't know how to make a small banner from scratch but I did the best I could. From a far it doesn't look too shabby. [[Pats self on the back]]. So I got a Nikon D60, started taking some pics, people began to ask if I was a photography major, I told them "No." They asked "Why do you have that camera?" I told them to "hold this and smile." From there I set many Lunch Dates. (That's what I call potential followers)..clever right? Anyway, although the mission was a long thought process, I enjoyed it.

The party that I took majority of the pics at was at "Swimsuits and Jungle Juice" thrown by R.eal L.ife E.ntourage Ent. I had balls bringing that d60 in there..it was a hot box, I could barely move. I felt like paparazzi who would do anything for a good pic, too bad I don't have to do much to get one. I did suprise myself, those pics came out better than I thought they would. You can see for yourself, the video is posted below.

You can look out for more pics and slideshows from SkyLine Photography(new blog coming soon) of future parties here at Purchase. R.L.E will be hosting more parties to come! Look out for "One Night Stand" on Saturday, April 4th @ 10pm AV1-1.