What's Valentine's Day mean to you? A day to spend and appreciate your loved one? A day to buy your mother flowers and make sure everything is alright with her? A day to be bitter because you don't have a woman/man? Or is it just another day? No matter how you may feel about today, EVERYONE feels a little different on February 14th every year. Whether you're happily in a relationship, happily single, or the bitter bitch that doesn't have a Valentine...something is on your mind today. For me Valentine's Day has always been a day of thought, whether I've had someone to share it with varies year by year. This day in particular has always made me appreciate the love all around me, whether it's been from a young lady or my family, I make sure I take time to humble myself and think twice about how good I have it. While relationships haven't always worked out for me, I've never lacked love at any point in my life.
But I'd be lying if I told y'all it's always all good on the 14th. In life you're never guaranteed a happy ending, and you've got to take your losses along with your victories, and Valentine's Day is no different. We all have our ups and our downs, but how we handle them individually will determine the winners in the end. So I respect the women out there who don't have anyone to share the day with, but haven't been on social networks whining about it and acting bitter for the past month. One time for those out there in relationships, to the women who make themselves easy to love, and my n words who hold it down for them.
I leave you with this, a new song by my brother M.e.Z, "My Love My Bitch My Future", to show you multiple sides of the spectrum. Appreciate what you have, or be patient and realize that we all have our time. Download link can be found on the right side of the music player. Happy February 14th ladies.
My Love My Bitch My Future by M.e.Z
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Inception Boutique
Ever since I met my brother Josh Oquendo, he's always said he was gonna open a sneaker/clothing spot one day. That was like 05, and now it's 2011 and everything is finally starting to fall into place. Along with my bro Jose Rodriguez, they've got a really good thing going on. Brands are hitting them back, and they have several locations in mind already. Hopefully before 2012 hits I'll be blogging with pictures of the actual finished product to go along with the writing. As two 20 year old young men, you really have to respect them being on their grind and not only making a goal, but taking the proper steps to achieve that goal at such a young age. It's gonna be nice to have another ill spot to cop fresh shit in Charlotte right?
Anyone who is curious can hit me with questions about the store, and I'll relay the message to them. Also follow them on Twitter, @TheJoshOquendo @HoesSayJose.
Check their site for store updates as well sneaker/clothing news. Inception
Anyone who is curious can hit me with questions about the store, and I'll relay the message to them. Also follow them on Twitter, @TheJoshOquendo @HoesSayJose.
Check their site for store updates as well sneaker/clothing news. Inception
Thursday, February 3, 2011
LASERS Tracklist
1) Letting Go (Feat. Sarah Green)
2) Words I Never Said (Feat. Skylar Grey)
3) Till I Get There
4) I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (Feat. MDMA)
5) Out Of My Head (Feat. Trey Songz)
6) The Show Goes On
7) Beautiful Lasers (Two Ways) (Feat. MDMA)
8) Coming Up (Feat. MDMA)
9) State Run Radio (Feat. Matt Mahaffey)
10) Break The Chain (Feat. Eric Turner & Sway)
11) All Black Everything
12) Never Forget You (Feat. John Legend)
FINALLY, we have the track list for Lupe's 3rd album Lasers. Don't know about you all, but I'm excited. Thoughts?
Spotted at LupEnd
SONG REVIEW: Kendrick Lamar (Feat. Gucci Mane)- Vanity Slaves Part 2
Kendrick Lamar, also known as K. Dot, is an up and coming rapper out of Compton, California. He's had a buzz ever since the release of his Kendrick Lamar EP in 2009, and it has only been growing ever since then. After another stellar mixtape drop, Overly Dedicated, in 2010, people are really starting to catch onto how talented he really is. Right now I'd say he's one of my top 3 to 5 favorite rappers. I like how versatile he is, he can rap about issues in the environment that he grew up in, things going on in society, or he can completely switch it up and give us a fun song to vibe to. I always appreciate how he stays in his lane, he doesn't smoke so we don't see any of the all too common marijuana anthems on any of his compilations. I think he's literally the only Compton artist who has ever been relevant without claiming a gang and I really respect that about him. Individualism is something that's been lost in modern times so it's always good to see an up and coming rapper being himself and not Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, or any other popular artist. On his EP from 2009 one of the stand out songs was entitled "Vanity Slaves" in which he rapped about how we're too obsessed with material and name brands when money could be going elsewhere. I loved the first one, so I was excited to see how the second on would go.
Songs like this hit home, because you know it's about you. While he's not preaching or telling people to stop what they're doing, he definitely gets his point across. Kendrick uses himself as a personal example throughout the song. As an up and coming rapper who is quickly gaining attention, the money is starting to come in as well. From cars, to clothes, to sneakers, he's invested a little change to them all. He makes subtle jokes throughout the song about how we NEED these material items just to maintain in society. Whether it's to remain relevant in the media, or things like pursuing women....a name brand and a nice ride is going to definitely help you along the journey. I liked how he used Gucci Mane on the chorus to aid the song without necessarily knocking him. As a rapper who ONLY raps about vanity, Gucci added a little comic relief to an already serious, but funny song.
Songs like this hit home, because you know it's about you. While he's not preaching or telling people to stop what they're doing, he definitely gets his point across. Kendrick uses himself as a personal example throughout the song. As an up and coming rapper who is quickly gaining attention, the money is starting to come in as well. From cars, to clothes, to sneakers, he's invested a little change to them all. He makes subtle jokes throughout the song about how we NEED these material items just to maintain in society. Whether it's to remain relevant in the media, or things like pursuing women....a name brand and a nice ride is going to definitely help you along the journey. I liked how he used Gucci Mane on the chorus to aid the song without necessarily knocking him. As a rapper who ONLY raps about vanity, Gucci added a little comic relief to an already serious, but funny song.
The things people do to seem cool in society these days are damn near ridiculous, and we're all guilty. It's like a natural instinct to purchase nice and expensive things when you first run into money. But look at the popular brands these days. Gucci, Polo, Lacoste, Levi, etc. etc. Are we helping ourselves by buying into those brands? The owners have been rich forever, why not pocket the money and advance as individuals? Naaahh, that makes too much sense. As the younger generation in society, we may be the worst. It's like all citizens of our country are free, but we make ourselves controllable with how we buy into what they want us to buy. In all honesty, I don't plan on changing my clothing brands or my spending habits anytime soon, but you have to sit back and think about the reckless spending that we do just to be seen as "fresh".
Check out a stream of the track, or even download it here at 2dopeboyz. If you haven't check K. Dot out yet, it's never too late to get on GOOD hip hop music. Do yourself a favor and check LiveMixtapes for a few offerings from him. Expect more posts centered around him in the future, with his debut album Good Kid in a Mad City set to drop this year.
SPINS: 4/5
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
SONG REVIEW: Lupe Fiasco (Feat. Skylar Grey)- Words I Never Said
With the release of my most anticipated album of the year, Lasers, just a little over a month away, Lupe hits us with the second single off the compilation. With the first single 'The Show Goes On' currently on countdowns and the charts, why not hit the masses with some more heat? Let's dive in.
Wow. That's about all I can say after the first listen. Dude touches on so many real life issues just in the first verse alone. It's not everyday that you see a rapper go COMPLETELY left field and say all the things that are on people's minds, but aren't brave enough to say. From war, religion, marijuana, liquor, Obama, Tupac, fear, honesty, and even television....he touches it ALL. If you listen to what he's saying he's really dropping knowledge. In today's society most of us would rather worry about irrelevant bullshit than focus on the real issues that are right in front of us every day. How often do rappers put out SINGLES like this? He's sending this to radios, shooting a video, all of that. Lyrical rap really isn't dead as long as he's around. Using your popularity to send out a good message is something that should be done more often. There are a lot of things in this society that we're sleeping on and we really need to change that. I'm not saying I'm about to become an activist or anything, that's not me, but it doesn't hurt to know what's around you.
Hottest Lines: "If you turn on TV all you see is a bunch of what the fucks, dude is dating so and so// blabbering bout such and such. And that ain't Jersey Shore, homie that's the news. And these the same people supposedly telling us the truth."
"Crooked banks around the world would gladly give a loan today, so if you ever miss a payment they can take your home away."
"I think that all the silence is worst than all the violence. Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it."
This track has me even more excited for the release of Lasers next month. His last album, The Cool, came out in December 2007 and I have yet to hear an album better than that since then. In my opinion Lupe's 2 for 2 with classic albums thus far in his career. I'm excited to see if he can pull off a rare 3 for 3. If, and when he does, people aren't really going to have a choice but to sit back and evaluate their top rapper's list. What did you all think about it? People ready to hear this kind of talk in rap music again? Let me know in the comments section, or simply tweet me (@djayare). #Lasers
SPINS: 5/5
Wow. That's about all I can say after the first listen. Dude touches on so many real life issues just in the first verse alone. It's not everyday that you see a rapper go COMPLETELY left field and say all the things that are on people's minds, but aren't brave enough to say. From war, religion, marijuana, liquor, Obama, Tupac, fear, honesty, and even television....he touches it ALL. If you listen to what he's saying he's really dropping knowledge. In today's society most of us would rather worry about irrelevant bullshit than focus on the real issues that are right in front of us every day. How often do rappers put out SINGLES like this? He's sending this to radios, shooting a video, all of that. Lyrical rap really isn't dead as long as he's around. Using your popularity to send out a good message is something that should be done more often. There are a lot of things in this society that we're sleeping on and we really need to change that. I'm not saying I'm about to become an activist or anything, that's not me, but it doesn't hurt to know what's around you.
Hottest Lines: "If you turn on TV all you see is a bunch of what the fucks, dude is dating so and so// blabbering bout such and such. And that ain't Jersey Shore, homie that's the news. And these the same people supposedly telling us the truth."
"Crooked banks around the world would gladly give a loan today, so if you ever miss a payment they can take your home away."
"I think that all the silence is worst than all the violence. Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it."
This track has me even more excited for the release of Lasers next month. His last album, The Cool, came out in December 2007 and I have yet to hear an album better than that since then. In my opinion Lupe's 2 for 2 with classic albums thus far in his career. I'm excited to see if he can pull off a rare 3 for 3. If, and when he does, people aren't really going to have a choice but to sit back and evaluate their top rapper's list. What did you all think about it? People ready to hear this kind of talk in rap music again? Let me know in the comments section, or simply tweet me (@djayare). #Lasers
SPINS: 5/5
CONCERT REVIEW: CyHi Da Prynce & Big K.R.I.T.
The other day on Sunday, January 30th, I got the chance to check out G.O.O.D. Music's own Cyhi Da Prynce & one of Def Jam's latest roster additions, Big K.R.I.T in Greensboro at Greene Street. If you follow my Twitter account you've noticed that I've been tweeting about this shit for a good month now, so obviously I'd really been looking forward to it. I'm relatively new to all of Cyhi's music just like everyone. Never heard of him until Ye signed him, but signing with Kanye pretty much speaks for itself so I figured he wouldn't disappoint. I really fucked with his Royal Flush mixtape last year so I was eager to see how he'd be in person. As many of you may know, K.R.I.T. became one of my five favorite rappers out of nowhere. K.R.I.T. Wuz Here was my favorite tape of 2010 by a long shot so any time he's in our state, you can bet money that I'll be there.
After hours of opening acts, they finally decided to bring Cyhi out around 10:30. My first impression was like "damn....son's really short", but that's irrelevant. He took control of the crowd as soon as he stepped on the stage, something NONE of the opening acts could accomplish. He opened up with a song that everyone's familiar with by now, Kanye's "So Appalled". When I first heard his verse on this a few months back I knew that he would be a problem, and ever since then I've never really heard a wack verse from him. He also dove into another one of my favorite G.O.O.D. Friday tracks,J. Cole's Kanye's "Looking For Trouble", I always thought his verse was kind of overlooked in that song simply because of how good J. Cole's was. The rest of his set he performed a few songs off of his mixtape "Royal Flush", including Fast Lane, Hero, and Livin' Wonderful. For the most part it was a solid set, I just wish he would have performed "Can't Find Love", also off of his Royal Flush tape. After seeing this solid performance, and hearing him hold his own on tracks with rappers like J. Cole, Big Sean, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Pusha T, I really respect him and am looking forward to whatever he has in store for us in 2011.
This was my second time seeing K.R.I.T. live within the past few months, so I pretty much knew what to expect. Him and Big Sant bring a lot of energy as soon as they come onto the stage, especially by opening up with the fast paced joint "Return of 4eva". Most of the audience was rapping along to every song, so it's showing that people are really starting to fuck with him. Both times I've seen him, he's come off as a very humble dude, he reminds you at the beginning of each set that's he's just like us. I really appreciate that, because a lot of rappers these days are trying to be way more than what they really are. He performed a lot of my favorites this time around. Those include I Got Drank, Just Touched Down, Moon & Stars, Glass House, Hometown Hero, See Me On Top, Children of the World, and Country Shit. While performing Country Shit, he even jumped in the crowd and had a little mosh pit joint going. It's always real to see artists really interacting with the people that are buying their music, and he always shows appreciation, whether it's his shows or through the music itself. He's one of my favorite acts to see live and I couldn't even fathom a complaint if I wanted to. But I would like to see him perform 'King', and 'I Ain't Shit' (my anthem) at his future shows that I will be attending. Next time he's in the Carolinas, I really encourage everyone to go and check him out, even if you never really check out his music before. You might learn something, and he's definitely worth your $10-$20. Check out a quick little clip of him performing "Glass House" down below.
After hours of opening acts, they finally decided to bring Cyhi out around 10:30. My first impression was like "damn....son's really short", but that's irrelevant. He took control of the crowd as soon as he stepped on the stage, something NONE of the opening acts could accomplish. He opened up with a song that everyone's familiar with by now, Kanye's "So Appalled". When I first heard his verse on this a few months back I knew that he would be a problem, and ever since then I've never really heard a wack verse from him. He also dove into another one of my favorite G.O.O.D. Friday tracks,
This was my second time seeing K.R.I.T. live within the past few months, so I pretty much knew what to expect. Him and Big Sant bring a lot of energy as soon as they come onto the stage, especially by opening up with the fast paced joint "Return of 4eva". Most of the audience was rapping along to every song, so it's showing that people are really starting to fuck with him. Both times I've seen him, he's come off as a very humble dude, he reminds you at the beginning of each set that's he's just like us. I really appreciate that, because a lot of rappers these days are trying to be way more than what they really are. He performed a lot of my favorites this time around. Those include I Got Drank, Just Touched Down, Moon & Stars, Glass House, Hometown Hero, See Me On Top, Children of the World, and Country Shit. While performing Country Shit, he even jumped in the crowd and had a little mosh pit joint going. It's always real to see artists really interacting with the people that are buying their music, and he always shows appreciation, whether it's his shows or through the music itself. He's one of my favorite acts to see live and I couldn't even fathom a complaint if I wanted to. But I would like to see him perform 'King', and 'I Ain't Shit' (my anthem) at his future shows that I will be attending. Next time he's in the Carolinas, I really encourage everyone to go and check him out, even if you never really check out his music before. You might learn something, and he's definitely worth your $10-$20. Check out a quick little clip of him performing "Glass House" down below.
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