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some Refinery fuel...

some Refinery fuel...

20100527

a wonderful night in the wastelands...

i've been a resident of Illadelph for 20+ years now. over the years i've been stopped or "talked to" by the blue shirts for various reasons. these interactions don't usually go as anyone would generally expect, especially not the blue shirts.

i have a real basic philosophy when it comes to dealing w/blue shirts. they have a job to do. if i'm not doing anything illegal, i should not be a part of that job. don't ask me foolish questions & expect compliance...it's not going to work like that. i'm not rowdy, i just don't like being bothered when i'm not bothering anyone else.

a few days ago i was chillin' in the wastelands MMOB & a squad car rolled by 2X. me being me i told self they were going to come by & bother me. eventually that's exactly what they did.

there are no houses or any other buildings in the wastelands. the main reason i go there is because it is quite desolate & for the most i can be self undisturbed. it is 1 of my favorite spots to chill, w/the exception of the circus acts that find it useful to randomly dump actual waste there.

so, i'm simply sitting on the wall & these 2 dudes hop out & do the usual w/the lights & whatnot. the 1 dude starts telling me not to make any sudden moves while his hand is on his gun, as if i'm slow or something. they asked me to put my hands behind my head & i refused. they asked to dig in the pockets & i refused again. i don't play that. i'm sitting on a piece of jersey wall watching these dudes & various other vehicles drive by & they want to interrogate/search me. not the move.

supposedly they got a call for a male fitting my description w/a gun. problem is nobody hangs out in the wastelands. i told them i had a book in my hoody pocket & my headphones. the 1 dude asked me to flip up the hoody so he can see the waist. nothing there but my camera.

the other dude asked for the government to verify my ID. since i wasn't doing anything i didn't have a problem w/that. they confirmed my ID & rolled out. to me this was bullshit. maybe they did get a call. i can't verify the + or the - of their claim for fact. the thing that struck me as odd was WTH would i be doing sitting in the wastelands w/a gun? i should've asked the raccoon i saw on the way back to the rest. maybe that's who called it in...

SMH...

who sits on a wall & gets stopped by the blue shirts?

apparently i do. i had to laugh at it on the way back to the rest. watitis?

get at me...

PEACE
...be calm...

Big Boi - Shutterbug

i have to thank my man Los for putting me properly up on OutKast back in '94. thanks to this dude i got to get into 1 of the more interesting hip-hop groups that has done it post golden era...

the production work of Organized Noize combined w/the lyrical stylings of Big Boi & Dre have been a great formula over the years. i don't get down w/what's hot at the moment. i have to feel what i dig. if i feel it, i'm checking for more. i'm still checking for these dudes...

on that note, i don't know for fact watitis w/Dre, but that doesn't particularly matter to me. behind the scenes can be interesting, but personal info does not play much into how i dig sounds. the personal lives of artists is just that: personal. perhaps 1 day a new OutKast album will be available. perhaps not. i'm more than good w/the catalog thus far.

i'm looking forward to hearing more of the straight Big Boi flavors. Speakerboxxx was a great listen for me, so why would i have any kind of diminished expectations for Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.

this joint drops 100706. did i say i'm looking forward to this 1? yes...yes i did...

get at me!

PEACE
...be calm...

20100525

time for a Refinery system upgrade...


waup & watis...

when i was teaching self to build & repair computers, i had no idea how much it would change/enhance my pursuit of artistic endeavors.

many of the creative ideas that i am now able to bring into the physical have directly benefitted from my continued study of computers & related technology.

it is always a great feeling to come up w/an idea, figure out how to make it real, & then actually create the physical representation of that particular idea.

being able to maintain my own equipment is a great benefit. i don't have to worry about if i'm getting jerked/jacked by a technician trying to take advantage of my lack of technological awareness. it also saves quite a few $$$ in service fees.

a couple of weeks ago i realized that the system drive on the Refinery system was getting crowded. usually i just get rid of some files here or there & i'm good. this time it appears the hard drive is just too small. 160GB is just not cutting it anymore. time for a 320GB drive. i never use anything but Seagate drives. in 10+ years i've yet to have a technical problem w/any of their hard drives. if it ain't broke...

get at me...

PEACE
...be calm...

20100521

Diesel Funkin' 10...

the '10 catalog is slowly growing. here is a tank listing thus far...
  1. DieselF - Terok Qeolam
  2. DieselF - Haudjioji
  3. DieselF - Skubidgidnit
  4. DieselF - Ido Giwdo
  5. DieselF - Reok Argwibet
  6. DieselF - Jik Iroteai
  7. DieselF - Qeraip Aos
  8. DieselF - Kei Fa Toyng
  9. DieselF - Poin Fe Gwok
  10. DieselF - Lirf Nung Giyate
  11. DieselF - Opttri Indo Koleen
  12. DieselF - Momf Pehnk Erquot
  13. DieselF - Nahkboquan
  14. DieselF - Neordiayet
  15. DieselF - Min Gilochea
  16. DieselF - Orpila Weyonte
  17. DieselF - Liokaye
  18. DieselF - Pygomdielfak
  19. DieselF - Kopaque Doimp
  20. DieselF - Qita Ontir
  21. DieselF - Jionilphoktor
  22. DieselF - Raltourpeq
  23. DieselF - Izo Aldeock
  24. DieselF - Sibaugh Osnaut
  25. DieselF - Heboli
  26. DieselF - Tobangsumwa
  27. DieselF - Gidauch Idoarh
  28. DieselF - Ungot Ingot
  29. DieselF - Fegortocs
  30. DieselF - Vomgomilit
  31. DieselF - Engoli
  32. DieselF - Wengolagesse
  33. DieselF - Dinta Spoutac
  34. DieselF - Xorgont Fironk
  35. DieselF - Cobitogil
  36. DieselF - Yeockaiont
  37. DieselF - Bilonkpiol
  38. DieselF - Ziaok Pweotique
  39. DieselF - Angtok Gosplip
if i recall correctly 1 or 2 of these is up on The Refinery's I. i'm working on some visual concepts for a few more. the SoundCloud collection may get be getting updated in the next couple of weeks, & Pipeline updates are still in the works.

if you just so happen to be reading this post, give the blog a follow. if you already follow the blog, tell your peeps to check it out. the blog can be followed using a twitter, Google, Yahoo!, AIM, Netlog, &/or OpenID account.

#ff #followfriday get at me!

PEACE
...be calm...

expectation hate...

apparently there are different levels/kinds of hate. personal hate is on some beef/animosity. someone did something to someone else & now there's hate. hard hate is just some darkness in an individual. there is no legit reason for the ill will, but a person keeps & feeds it regardless. i'm not going to classify what i perceive to be every different kind of hate, but i will get a little into another of what i believe is a distinct kind of hate: expectation hate.

what is it?

very plainly it is the hate that comes about when something has not met expectations. for some reason or another, instead of being taken at face value, hate is felt based on some preconceived notion of what was supposed to be. take an album for example. it's been a few years since so & so artist has dropped a gem. the new project hits the shelves & w/o any hesitation it gets copped. the excitement is at an all time high. all of a sudden, after listening to the 1st 2/3 grooves, a unsettling feeling of unfulfillment begins to build. thoughts of all the other albums that were available begin to come to mind by the time the music stops playing.

is the album wack now? some might label it as such. there is a problem though. what if the album is fine? what if it just didn't meet the expectation of the listener(s). now this person starts bad mouthing the album. maybe they write a review. maybe they give it to someone but dis it as they do so.

what happens when the creator is in a different space? what happens when the creator decides to explore new ideas &/or technology? why does a creative endeavor owe anything to its predecessors based on expectation?

opinions, perspectives, hate...

where is the line?



all this to say i copped The Boondocks Season 01 & 02 on DVD as a gift to self. i've been seeing some comments that peeps aren't digging Season 03. i can't say i'm mad at the new season yet. in fact, i have yet to find any reason to question it at all. i don't feel i'm laughing any less, & IMO the messages are still poke you in the 3rd ill. maybe i'm missing something...

the only thing i have to be mad about thus far is the idea that this is the final season!

watitis?

PEACE
...be calm...

20100517

the list...2009...


this is the final installment of the list. the '09 albums. i will be making changes periodically as warranted. as i discover &/or recall albums that seem to fit the vibe of the list, i will add them. i will be practicing what i preach as far as the F.P.C. suggestion(s).

get at these albums if you have not done so already. cop what you dig. support what you dig. quit focusing on the wackness. options such as these are still readily available...
  • 1969 - Mikah 9
  • 7th Veil: Stoned - Kool Keith & H Bomb
  • Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones - Aceyalone
  • Armed To The Teeth - Swollen Members
  • Arts & Entertainment - Masta Ace & Edo G
  • Bikinis N Thongs - Kool Keith & Denis Deft
  • Blackout! 2 - Method Man & Redman
  • Brand New Bein' - Sadat X
  • Chamber Music - Wu-Tang
  • Control Freak - Tash
  • Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez - Murs & Slug
  • G.O.D. (Gold Oil And Diamonds) - AZ
  • Ghostdini Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City - Ghostface Killah
  • Guru 8.0: Lost and Found - Guru
  • Half Woman Half Amazin' - Tiye Phoenix
  • Idea Of A Master Piece - Kool Keith & 54-71
  • II - Kurious
  • Legendary - AZ
  • Mainstream Outlawz - X-Clan
  • Montezuma's Revenge - Souls Of Mischief
  • Oasis - O.C. & A.G.
  • Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II - Raekwon
  • Parallel Uni-Verses - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & Tame One
  • Rare and Unreleased, Vol. II - D.I.T.C.
  • Retroactive - Grand Puba
  • Survival Skills - KRS-One & Buckshot
  • Tashan Dorrsett - Kool Keith
  • The Ecstatic - Mos Def
  • The Seventh Seal - Rakim
  • Welcome To Bucktown - Steele
Find them...

Peep them...

Cop them...

#mm #musicmonday waup & watis?

get at me...

PEACE
...be calm...

20100510

technical difficulties...

the Refinery system has been having some issues w/it's ability to record. this is not very productive seeing as how i've been doing more writing lately. these types of situations can be quite frustrating, but you have to K.I.M..

knowing other cats that have gear helps quite a bit, but i tend to like to do things as independently as possible. it isn't that i mind working w/others. actually the opposite is true. i find working w/other creatives to be quite inspirational. the vibes can be quite amazing when you link up w/the right peeps.

the thing about working w/others is that everyone is not always on the same page or schedule. creative people also tend to have certain ways that make schedule syncronization extra challenging. some are easier to work w/than others. some will slow you down or damn near stop you in your efforts to work w/them. w/all that in mind, i've learned to value doing as much as i can independently. you cannot expect to do everything completely independently, but the more you can do proficiently, the less you have to worry about plans being scrapped because so & so bails on you.

so, i have to do some dismantling & uninstalling of HW (hardware) & SW (software). i contacted M-Audio support to see if they could offer any useful suggestions. tech support is always fun because i'm a tech & i have to be patient w/these cats. since they use standard procedures that are for people who are usually not familiar w/the technical aspects of HW, the process can be somewhat redundant for me. the bottom line is the system needs to function properly, so i have to get through this.

fun w/machines...

this is watitis for this #mm #musicmonday!

get at me!

PEACE
...be calm...

20100508

the list...2008...


waup & watis...

it can be difficult to maintain in the face of adversity, but as the the youngest godren told me earlier, "life is a challenge."

what is worth having that is easy?

supporting hip-hop that mainstream outlets continually tend to ignore is a challenge on many levels. finding media outlets that legitimately & consistently cover it is definitely a challenge. this is not to say that none exist, they're just not out in the open. makes sense, since the music/culture that they cover & perpetuate is also not usually out in the open.

hip-hop is a legitimate global culture & peeps still front...

i don't get mad anymore. i'm working on building instead. those of us who dig the cultural foundations & the music that reflects such things need to come together on the + side of the nonsense. simply complaining about legitimate &/or perceived wackness does shit. the wack has been around for years & has yet to go away. some of us dig the same, some of us don't, whatever you dig, support it...

that said, here are the '08 albums.
  • Anthology: B-Sides & Unreleased - AZ
  • Crazy Like A Foxxx - Bumpy Knuckles
  • Da Ol' Jersey Bastard - Tame One
  • Dueces Wild - Vast Aire
  • Eleventh Hour - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
  • Final Call: The Lost Tapes - AZ
  • Generation X - Sadat X
  • Intellectual Violence - Keith Murray
  • Jeanius - Jean Grae
  • Live Hard - The Show & A Experience
  • Main Source - Large Professor
  • Maximum Strength 2008 - KRS-One
  • Megagraphitti - Vordul Mega
  • Murs For President - Murs
  • N4L - AZ
  • NY's Finest - Pete Rock
  • Pro Tools - GZA
  • Puff Puff Pass - Keith Murray
  • R.A.G.U., Pt. 1 - Raekwon And Ghostface United
  • R.A.G.U., Pt. 2 - Raekwon And Ghostface United
  • Rising Down - The Roots
  • Separate But Equal (Drama Free Edition) - Little Brother
  • Street Creditability - Street Life
  • Sweet Lord - Murs & 9th Wonder
  • The Formula - Buckshot & 9th Wonder
  • The Gathering - Living Legends
  • The Huge Hefner Chronicles - Diamond D
  • The Movement - D.I.T.C.
  • The Show - E.M.C.
  • U.G.P. (Underground Prince) - Tek
  • Universal Mind Control - Common
  • Untitled - Nas
  • Violenttimes Day - Smooth Da Hustla
  • Vulture's Wisdom Vol. 1 - Opio
  • We Mean Business - EPMD
this list was originally supposed to be made up of albums that i was already aware of. in researching the releases i knew about, i came across quite a few that i didn't. this was a very revealing process to me. as a creative & someone who actually gives a damn about quality, seeing this many albums from this many people is very encouraging.

hip-hop will not die...

F.P.C.

Find'em..Peep'em...Cop...Cop...Cop'em!

get at me!

PEACE
...be calm...

20100505

the list...2007...


from the mid '90's on it would seem that hip-hop music got away from itself culturally. it would seem that radio doesn't really give a fuck about the cultural aspect of the music. it would seem that certain artists, for whatever the reason, decided to get $$$ at all costs w/o regard for basic ideas of being original (not biting), not going commercial, etc.

i'm saying it would seem repeatedly because working on this list presented plenty of physical evidence to the contrary. i've been hearing different complaints over the years about the quality of hip-hop music & the cultural absence of what makes the mainstream. there is a basic problem w/the argument that hip-hop has fallen off or is dead. the people that seem to hold on to such ideas the most vigorously are people who look to mainstream outlets for direction.

hip-hop never has been mainstream. occasionally hip-hop culture is so popular that it reaches into mainstream. the reality is that the core of the culture is where it always has been. if you do not comprehend such things, then you likely are among the group who trusts mainstream to do right by hip-hop culture. stop fooling self...

hip-hop is not dead. hip-hop is not dying. hip-hop is fine, just don't expect to have it spoon fed to you by the mainstream. that would not serve the interest of those who maintain the status quo. hip-hop is irreverent, outspoken, underground, off the meter, etc. hip-hop is not supposed to be safe. hip-hop music does what the various other music genres do at their core: speak to the masses. very often the messages are deemed threatening or distasteful. hip-hop music is freedom speaking. you can believe it's just entertainment if you want.

the truth is that no media is just entertainment. there are people who don't want this to be commonly known.

here are  the '07 albums...
  • ...And Justus For All - Little Brother
  • 8 Diagrams - Wu-Tang Clan
  • Break Glass... - Polyrhythm Addicts
  • Casualties Of War - Boot Camp Clik
  • Desire - Pharoahe Monch
  • Finding Forever - Common
  • Getback - Little Brother
  • Hip Hop Lives - KRS-One & Marley Marl
  • How You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? - P.E.
  • Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future - Guru
  • Lightning Strikes - Aceyalone
  • Mos Definite - Mos Def
  • My Last Good Deed - A-Plus
  • Over Time - Hieroglyphics
  • Psycho Therapy - Psycho Les
  • Rap-Murr-Phobia - Keith Murray
  • Rare & Unreleased - D.I.T.C.
  • Rare Earth B-Boy Funk Vol.2 - J-Ro
  • Red Gone Wild: Thee Album - Redman
  • Representin' - MC Eiht
  • Return From Mecca - X-Clan
  • Rhyme Pro - Rob O
  • The Album - Smif-N-Wessun
  • The Best Kept Secret - Ultramagnetic MC's
  • The Big Doe Rehab - Ghostface Killah
  • The Dealers - Phesrock & DJ Lex
  • The Grudge: Fuck The Industry - Tame One
  • The Orchestral Files - Jean Grae
  • Tom C3 Presents... Saga Of The Simian Samurai - TomC3 & Prince Po
  • Undeniable - AZ
F.P.C.

Find these albums. Peep their content. Cop the albums you dig.

support those who strive to perpetuate the core of hip-hop culture. if you don't see/hear it, stop waiting. don't complain. go...go...go...

go find it & make it known to others!

get at me when/if you can...

PEACE
...be calm...

20100503

the list...2006...


finally...

it can be a personal challenge for me to finish things that i begin. i won't get into the details as to why.  to my knowledge the list is now straight & correct based on the resources previously listed.

keeping the words short, here is the '06 business...
  • 4:21... The Day After - Method Man
  • 818 Antics - J-Ro
  • Affiliated - MC Eiht
  • Alter The Chemistry - Black Moon
  • American Me - C.L. Smooth
  • Angelz W.I.T. Dirty Faces - Living Legends
  • Beats and Places - P.E.
  • Black Magic - Swollen Members
  • Black October - Sadat X
  • Bring That Beat Back - P.E.
  • Citrus Sessions Vol.1 - Mikah 9
  • Collabs Tape - Kool Keith
  • Compton's OG - MC Eiht & CMW
  • Firewater - Tha Alkaholiks
  • Fishscale - Ghostface Killah
  • Game Theory - The Roots
  • Get Dirty Radio - A.G.
  • Good Game: The Transition - Saafir
  • Grand Imperial - Aceyalone
  • Hidden Treasure - Last Emperor
  • Keep It Gangsta - MC Eiht
  • Larger Than Life: Collectors Edition Vol. 1 - Defari
  • Legendary Music Vol. 1 - Living Legends
  • Life - KRS-One
  • Magnificent City - Aceyalone
  • More Fish - Ghostface Killah
  • Murray's Revenge - Murs & 9th Wonder
  • Music To Gang Bang - CMW
  • Natural Born Hustler - Street Life
  • Nogatco Rd. - Mr. Nogatco
  • Prettyblack - Prince Po
  • Rebirth Of A Nation - P.E.
  • Separate But Equal - Little Brother & DJ Drama
  • Spazmatic - Tame One
  • Strategize - Shabaam Sahdeeq & DJ Revolution
  • Street Music - Defari
  • The 5% Album - Lord Jamar
  • The Commercial Free EP - Little Brother
  • The Commi$$ioner - Kool Keith
  • The Commi$$ioner 2 - Kool Keith
  • The Da Vinci Code: The Vatican Vol. 2 - Raekwon
  • The Format - AZ
  • The Impossible Mission: Operation Japan - De La Soul
  • The Last Stand - Boot Camp Clik
  • The Resident Patient - Inspectah Deck
  • The Return of Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagon
  • The Vatican Vol. 1 - Raekwon
  • The X Files - Smif-N-Wessun
  • True Magic - Mos Def
as always F.P.C....

Find!

Peep!

Cop!

support the artists. being creatively successful is a great challenge. it has grown more challenging over the years. the industry itself is not all that supportive of art & it isn't hard to hear what happens when listeners don't support those who live & breathe art...

stop complaining about it & do something constructive...

PEACE
...be calm...