King $#!+ Pt. 5

I decided to do one more post before moving on. So this go round we have the mighty Thor and Apocalypse.

Hope you enjoy.

King $#!+ Pt. 4

Savage Kings!

We got Planet Hulk- Green Scar Hulk and Conan the King. These might be the last of this series for now. I do have a new series in mind for next week I want to get started on.

King $#!+ Pt. 3

This post is going to be short and sweet.

First up we have Magneto, former leader of the former nation of Genosha. Genosha had gone from a dump where mutants were experimented on and mutates were created to a mutant utopia ruled by Magneto, until Cassandra Nova had it blown up in the opening arc of Grant Morrison's New X-Men. Now Magneto is helping Cyclops and the X-Men with remaining hundred or so mutants on the island of Utopia (formerly Magneto's space-fortress: Asteroid M).

Following Magneto is the Black Panther, T'Challa, ruler of the African nation of Wakanda. Wakanda is a mix of technology and a society ruled by tradition. Wakanda has never been successfully invaded by anyone. The Black Panther was recently married to Storm of the X-Men.

*If you have any questions about anything above, Wiki it.

King $#!+ Pt. 2

Since I did two guys that literally torn a hole in the universe to get rid of each other, this time I will put up two buddies (usually).

Dr. Victor Von Doom, emperor of Latveria, and Namor "the Submariner" McKenzie, King of Atlantis, have been often portrayed as buddies. The two even appeared in Marvel's Super-Villain Team-Up book together. They will both kick your teeth in for testing their gangsta or messing with the people of their nation. Both of these guys are not fans Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four (Dr. Doom hates on his smarts and Namor wants to do his wife).

Namor usually finds himself going to the side of the good guys. He has fought on the side of the Invaders during World War 2 with Captain America, the Avengers, and most recently with the X-Men (Namor is a mutant-Atlantian).  Doom... he ain't with all that.

Enough Nerd-Education, here are the pictures. Starting with Dr. Doom (Doom is second to no man!!)

King $#!+ Pt.1

So I decided I would do some art posts. I thought maybe if I have start a routine, I can have more focused art exercises and get some blogging done.

This first series is called "King $#!+" simply because it includes comic characters that are kings, rulers, emperors or at least leaders of some sort.

First up are the Kings from the "War of Kings" storyline: Vulcan and Blackbolt, rulers of the Shi'ar and Inhumans/Kree respectively. Not a big fan of Vulcan, but I think thats the point. On the other hand, I like drawing Blackbolt a lot.

Okay that's enough commentary. Take a look and please leave comments below the post to let me know what you think.

PS. I'm going to post two versions of each picture, one to show all the scribbling (with red or blue pencils) and one that looks a little neater (the greyscale).

For my first contribution to this blog, I'm going to give a peek at some of the things going on in between my ears. I know usually "in between my ears" could be seen as a metaphore for my brain or whats on my mind, but this time I mean whats in my ears. This may get long a little boring, so beware: This is a list and breif description/explanation of the podcasts on my iPod.

Why is this important and worth the blog post? Well, at work I listen to my iPod (actually my wife's iPod-- mine always freezes up and-- nevermind, that's post for another day) and usually I listen to podcasts before music. Just thought it would be interesting to know what keeps me semi-sane or to know why I'm as crazy as I am. These should be in alphabetical order not in a favorite order. Here goes!

AROUND COMICS- THE COMIC BOOK CULTURE PODCAST... Usually this podcast is hosted/starring Chris Neseman, Brion "Sal" Salazar, and Tom Katers. These guys sit around in the middle of a comic shop every other Friday night, drinkin' beer, talkin' comics and just having fun until they get annoyed with each other. The guys are usually recording @ Dark Tower Comics and Collectibles, but sometimes they go to Challengers Comics (I think the guy that runs Challengers, Patrick, used to work at the comic shop I would go to all the time when I was in college. he always had cool vests). Did I mention that these stores are in Chicago? I like Chicago. The guys are are usually joined by other "guests." Thats in quotes because they all seem like just extras hosts. These guests include John Siuntres (host of another show on this list), Mike Norton (pro-comic artist and co-host of another podcast where he is crankier- thats a pun, nevermind), Tim Seely (another comic guy- creator of the Hack Slash comic), and Hank (I think he use to work at Dark Tower and now is a student at Columbia College Chicago-- my old school! how cool is that?). There other dudes popping up all the time, not to mention the actual guests the guys do interviews with comics legends like John Byrne, Erik Larsen, Denny O'Neil and more contemporary (not saying the former don't still crank out good stuff) creators like Tony Moore, Jason Aaron, Rick Remender, and Chris Neseman's love of all comics love Greg Rucka. I always look forward to this show because I feel like these guys have so much fun making it. Things are going to get interesting with Brion Salazar in semi-retirement (although he does do book club-style interviews with creators focusing on single stories/graphic novels in a side show called Around Comics presents) and Tom Katers moving to the Boston area. I'm sure the peanut gallery will be there for the assist, but like I said, it should be interesting. Thanks to this show I was properly introduced to Mr. Sal Abanatti, the man of a million off the wall stories (most notably a grantmorrisonshithimselfonaplanewhilewearinganallwhitesuit story and a glennfarbygotdrunkfellasleepoutsideatrianstationeverydayforaweekendandmissedanentirecomicconvention story, sorry tweeting habits die hard)

BEARCAST- CHICAGO BEARS PODCAST... Did I mention I like Chicago? Well, I was wrong... I love Chicago. This show, hosted by Sean Cassidy and Mr. Payne, has an iTunes description that simply reads "the voice of die-hard Bears fans." These guys discuss and pick apart the Bears on an almost regular basis. They are honest and often respectfully disagree. I feel like I am arguing with friends of mine that are Bears fans, only now that I typed that, I don't think I have any Bear fan-friends... Hmm. That's sad for me. Oh! I forgot to say those Around Comics guys recently had the Bears' Lance Briggs on the show just talking comics.

COLLECTED COMICS LIBRARY... Hosted by Chris Marshall, this is a simple guide to a comic book trade or original graphic novel. Chris is a normal guy, not some anal, nit-picky jerk who buys books just to hate them. The title of show says it all. Chris gives a brief bit of comic news and a shipping lists for the weeks collected comics. Worst thing about this show is that I always want some book I have never heard of before.

COMIC GEEK SPEAK PODCAST... I'm sorry, but there are like 50 guys that host this show and I don't know their names yet. I haven't been listening to this show that long and I usually just pick certain shows to download based on the topic. The shows are alway fun and funny. Apparently these guys, their show, and message board kind gave birth to several other comic book podcasts. They recently celebrated something like their One Zillionth Episode and considering they put out like 800 episodes a week, they will be at Ten Wakabillion in no time. Great show- they have I guy named "Pants" on the show, case closed (by the way, none of the numbers mentioned in this entry are accurate)

ESPN: PTI... I. Love. This. Show. This was one of my favorite shows on television- not just ESPN, but television. Now that I don't have ESPN, I get to listen to Wilbon and Kornheiser yell at each and me everyday. I don't get to see the stupid masks during the "role play" segment or Tony's wacky themed hats, but I get to listen. It still works, except when they are watching a clip of something. I wish Around the Horn had a podcast. Then no work would get done.

FANBOY RADIO... I used to stream and download this show before I knew what the heck a podcast was. I was loyal too. I would do this through a dial up connection. Hosted by Scott Hinze and Oliver (sorry, I don't think Oliver has a last name), these guys talk all things "fanboy" and that might be why I just pick and choose shows to download to my iPod. I'm not big fan of board games or listening to someone describe their video gaming or Doctor Who watching experience. Maybe I would like to hear about those things (except board games- that just doesn't work) from someone else, but Scott gets waaayy into it and starts shouting at me. His voice is not made for shouting and it makes me made having him shout at me, unlike PTI. I love their comics and movie talk though.

iFANBOY Family. Oookay. There are 3 shows (actually 4, but read on down the list, its different) here: iFanboy, iFanboy Video Show, and Talkspode: Don't Miss. All of these shows are almost exculsively about comic books. iFanboy show is a Pick of the Week show, where one of the hosts- Ron, Conor, or Josh (they do have last names and I know them, I just don't want to type them right now*) pick his favorite comic of the week and talks about it. The guys go through other books that came out. The picker of the week also writes a short essay at ifanboy.com about the pick. I like that each guy has a personality and an almost political "party line" (as Ron recently put it in a video show) and sometimes I fit find that I am exactly that person or the exact opposite. Ron's the X-Men and general Marvel guy, Conor is the Batman, general DC, and sometimes Archie guy(?!), and Josh is the guy that still cannot bring himself to call Clint Barton "Ronin" instead of "Hawkeye." The iFanboy Video show is pretty random, but is always entertaining. The "Don't Miss" show is a very short interview where one of the guys talks to a comic creator about a book coming out that week. These guys stay busy. No wonder they are out of their minds. "Archie?" (*Ron Richards, Conor Kilpatrick, Josh Flanagan).

THE LEAGUE OF NOBODIES.... A short lived bookclub style show, where a collected comic book is discussed. The show was hosted by artist Skottie Young, Brion "Sal" Salazar, and comic message board superstar: Braxton Harrison and Matthew Burden. It was fun while it lasted.

MARVEL NOISE... Hosted by David A Price and featuring contrabutions from the man loved by almost every comics creator Pat Loika, Marvel historian Steve Raker, and who the hell knows who else. David starts and ends the show and the other fellows bring in all kinds Marvel news and discussion. Never the same show twice.

MARVEL PODCASTS... Featuring creators of Marvel's upcoming events and special issues. Mainly this is an ad for Marvel Comics. Nothing wrong with that.

MSNBC Shows... Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the Rachel Maddow Show, and Hardball with Chris Matthews Snippets. Sometimes the wife gets sick of me watching hours and hours of left-wing liberal hoggin up the TV.

MURMUR.COM PODCAST.... This is a podcast from a website from the guys that do the iFanboy podcasts. The mission statement is simple everything, but comics. Movies, TV, gadgets, books containing more words that pictures, music, baking, etc.

NPR: WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME! PODCAST... Did you know there are still game shows? This show is fun. There is usually a panel of funny smartish people and comedians and a caller. The thing that makes this show funny, is that it is based on true stories. And because there are so many idiotic news stories in the world, the jokes write themselves. Did I mention I love Chicago?

PIPELINE COMIC BOOK PODCAST.... Augie De Blieck Jr is a contributor and editor on the comic book website ComicBookResources.com or CBR.CC for short and was named the biggest comic letterring nerd by Brian Michael Bendis. Augie does a simple top ten each week based on what comic books are scheduled to come out. But with Augie you never really know what he is going to pick, but you usually can usually bet there will be there will be some European comic collection that sound like the most beautiful man-made accomplishment after he describes the hell out of. So what if he's late usually? He usually rewards you with the sound of sirens in the background of the recording.

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER... More waky Liberal "news" except this is from an HBO show, so Bill can use the correct words with commenting on Sarah, Rush, Bill, and Sean.

THIS AMERICAN LIFE... This is one of the newest additions to my podcasting family. This show is incredibly well done. Whoever is responsible for this deserves the Noble Prize. The stories are so easy to relate to and you feel the people. So far, I've listened to stories about the top party school in America, a kid that gets to take over a class nearly everyday, a run down house, stupid traditions, and a guy who tries too hard to hate people, so much so I feel bad about hating most people. I wish I would have gotten into this sooner. Even the stories I could care less about, prediction economic trends, are so engaging. I think there is cocaine on this podcast.

TOM VS. THE FLASH (formerly TOM VS. THE JLA)... Tom Katers from Around Comics has this side gig. It is a solo show where Tom tells the listener a story about the DC Comics "silver age." These comics themselves would be outright ridiculous if you tried to read them on straight on, but more like wanting to shoot yourself in the face with multiple six-shooters the size of your iPod's earbuds. Tom retells the stories as he looks through and reads the books, adding just enough. Recently in story where everyone in the Flash's town of Central City is falling head over heels for some new guy in town called the Ringmaster, they begin to critize the Flash, causing him to think to himself why he is good hero. Tom lets us know that the Flash "has his game tight." Tom also recently mentioned that he is leaving Chicago and will be unemployed. Well, it doesn't sound so depressing when he says it. He says his wife has a good job lined so he will now be able to answer listen email so fast it will scare you. How appropriate (I do not know how that is appropriate and when Tom said it, he didn't sound like a bum. the man needs a break, he's an accountant)

THE TONY KORNHEISER SHOW... When I found out that PTI's Tony Kornheiser had a Washington DC based radio talk show, I figured it would be a sports show. I was for the most part incorrect. Tony does talk big sport news and local team stories, but I think he perfers talking about the about the strange attraction he had for Kate (the lady with fifty trillion kids), how Jos A Banks stays in business, how to use his new Google Phone, or the animal revolution. The more I think of it, do not listen to the show if you hate sports. He does mention sports just not quite so conventionally. I mean, through this show I found out about Gil Arenas pooping in someone's shoe and I got the most extensive coverage of the who else has done Tiger. This is a comedy show all the way the the mailbag segment, please understand this. And I need to laugh.

THE BEST SHOW ON WFMU WITH TOM SCHARPLING... The reason I even know this show exists is because of comics writer and serial tweeter Matt Fraction. Fraction is weird awesomeness cubed, so when he gets excited everyweek about this show coming on, I knew he would wear me down to try it out. When I did try it out, my reaction was first "How many opening theme songs does this show have?" Followed by several "WTF?s" that last for nearly 3 hours. I do not know how to describe this show. I just know I like it now... usually.

WORD BALLOON... I don't care if I mentioned it now... I love Chicago. I think this was the very first true podcast I listened to and it led me to Around Comics and then iFanboy and 11 O'Clock Comics then Marvel Noise. So its John Siuntres' fault. Thanks John. This show is a basic interveiw show. John talks to well know comic creators to less know personalities that tangentally are comics related. John Siuntres is a radio guy and you can tell by his voice. He hooked me for good when he started having 15 hour long Q & A sessions with Brian Michael Bendis and he and Matt Fraction had an interveiw where Fraction slipped into a drunk Orson Wells impression. This show also introduced me to the wonderful world of instocktrades.com. Damn you John.

11 O'CLOCK COMICS PODCAST (formerly BULLPEN BULLETINS)... Not really hosted by, more like starring Vince B, Chris Neseman (of Around Comics), David A Price (of Marvel Noise), and Jason Wood (affectionally known as Wooood). Pardon my French, but this show is a shit-storm of craziness. Often referred to by other podcasts as a show so good that you want to shake your fist at your iPod. Bat-shit crazy. The guys talk about comics and comics and comics and drinks. Beginning as a Marvel Comics- centric show called Bullpen Bulletins (after the newsletter-like page that used to appear in Marvel Comics) Vince and David talked Marvel past and [then] present. Along the way, Vince B would have ridonkulous sound art and music playing in between segments and sometimes over the conversations. Eventually Vince grew tired of only talking Marvel and on episode 33, the guys called it a wrap. During that show a very very drunk Chris Neseman pleading with the guys to keep going. David started Marvel Noise and almost a year later 11 O'Clock Comics was born. Vince B is the crazy comics lover of all kinds and finds the artist merit in almost everything, whether he hates it or not; Chris is usally pretty hammered and likes to bitch about the price of Marvel Comics and hates on stuff just to get listeners to react I think; David gives the short snappy one liners and breaks out the trivia knowledge; and Wood is the coolest WuTang quotin, Deadpool lovin, stock broker in the world. Along with 4 drunk grown kids, there are voicemail messages sprinkled throughout the show- included the forementioned Braxton, Matthew, Darrell (who used to be on the iFanboy voicemails all the time when they checked them regularly and almost always ends his call saying "Fuckit!"), some dude that called using his one phone call in jail to bitch about being arrested (on a later show he called saying he was out). This might be my favorite show. When first downloaded it remember thinking "this is the the most random pile of ..." It works though.

So there you go. If you survived that, you must be goofing off or putting off something and if you look at the clock, its probably waaaay later than you think it is. I hope you all enjoyed. I promise I won't post anything this long again, unless I lied.

oh...

... damn. this thing still works? be back as soon as I can condense all the stuff I want to write about or draw some stuff.

PEACE

I'm Going, Going, Back, Back to Cali, Cali...

...for the first time. So for the first time in my 80 year college career, I am going somewhere for spring break. Will I show my boobs? That my good people, is a promise. Maybe I'm get my stomach tattooed. Thats what skinny niggas in California do, right? Thats what that one guy did right? Yeah. I have 2 days to get all my 2Pac jokes out the way. I hear they hang people for mentioning Pac sideways out there. Its not like he was from Cali. I could understand if he was from Brooklyn. All jokes aside, I have to get myself prepared and I have to get all my preconcieved ideas of California out of my mind. Don't want to be a hater and I love this girl I'm going with, so its going to be fun. I'm out.

I Wish Oshea Jackson Would Help Us Out

Hello world. This is Sway. I wonder if he and Ms. Badu trade headwraps? Just my thoughts man.

This post has been put off for a mighty long time. It really should have been up last month sometime to coincide with that Black History Month. By the way, shout out to Farakhan. Thank you for the years and years of racism. Cause honestly, thats the only way to make things better. The higher road is soooo overrated anyway, homie. Big ups to you my fine sir. I really hate I missed that Saviour's Day thing you did. But I just know you spread the truth and attacked some Jews and white people. Excuse me, am I rambling again? Um have you guys (like anyone even reads this anymore) been clicking the ads? If you had ads I'd click them...
So I've doing some reading and listening over the past month and I came across some stuff about the black community coming together- just for the month, let's not get crazy. For the first time in my life I thought for a second: thats damn- near impossible to do. When I realised what I said to myself, I thought about why did I think that? I'm pretty sure I'm not being brainwashed, I'm not on some Uncle Ruckus shit, I still care about people who don't have shit. So what was up?

In this lovely country of the United States, people love to trace their roots. Black people can trace theirs only so far. Thanks to slavery lineages are so mudded and fucked the fuck up that its hard to figure out where we're from. Hispanic people can usually tell where in Central and South America parts of their families hailed from before being mixed with the Spanish. People of different Asian backgrounds can tell where they're from. Persians, Indians, Native Americans, etc. They can all tell what they are.

Geography lesson: Africa is a CONTINENT! Not a country... its a continent like Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and Australia- uh forget about Australia for a second that's a bit too complicated for me to get into right now. But the point I was trying to make was all of those continents with the exception of Australia are made up of different countries. England, France, Spain, Italy and nem are parts of Europe; Japan, Russia, South and North Korea, China, India and those are a part of Asia... you get the idea. Africa is no exception. People talk different languages, have different customs, they can tell tell the differences in each other's appearance, all that shit. And like all those other countries, they fought/fight each other.
So yeah. The more I thought about it, the more I got frustrated about being called an African American. Other nationalities get their respect. I've never heard of a European American or a North American- American. See, that sounds dumb. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb... I don't know where I'm from. I dont know what all races are apart of me. And I KNOW I am not the only one like that. I heard someone at work say they were 100% black the other day. I chuckled and shook my head. She was light skinned! Unless she was Egyptians- I aint going for that (she isnt from Egypt).

How can you expect a group of people who don't who they are to just come together with each other purely because they look alike- or less like someone else. For all they know they could be next to someone that belonged to the family that sold their family to slavery. But wait, we don't even know if their whole family made it over the Atlantic- umm... before their family was broken up at the auction block. But hey, if we can get pass that and still come together, that would be one hell of a show of forgiveness and unity.

I have hope... a little bit... on days when the sun shines.

PEACE

P.S. Oh yeah! A good start would be if we would stop saying nigga all the muthafuckin time.

P.P.S. Check out the kid Gorillarms. He's got a tight blog round here and a website in the works!

P.P.P.S. Bonus points if you can identify the name in the blog title

Quick One...

Chappelle. Oprah. The Couch. Friday.

Black History Month is here. Bitches.

Peace.

"cause i dookied on every song that they threw me on"

I dont know what that quote has been in my head all day, but yeah. Youre welcome.

Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow is the muthafuckin day!!! Damn, I'm excited! I have a lot of cleaning to do tonight and I plan on watching the Texas and USC Rose Bowl tonight with my good friend tonight. My good friend Beer, oh and real people too. Should be intresting to see how clean I can get the place while drunk - especially since I know the game wont be over til late.

Quick update: The crazy people are getting rowdy at work. Yesterday one of the guys here got punched in the face quite nicely. Lets put it this way, his eye got to lookin like a Krystal/White Castle burger and the other eye ended up lookin like a microwave sausage buscuit - except you know it was skin and eyeball. Today one of the clients threathened someone else (I dont blame him for this though) to do the same face rearranging to him and another guy cursed out a fellow client due to a tooth ache.

By the way, I am very excited to see Jayka tomorrow!

PEACE

I dont usually do this, but...

Okay I promise there wont be any talk about peeing on little girls, I just needed a title for this edition (which I almost just mispelled...) of me just ramblin and ramblin. Lets get it!

Apparently Diddy has a heart in that oh so cold shell of his. slick ass mutha-so and so. Diddy and LOX came to an agreement and they got their publishing back- who says guerilla tactics dont work?

They killed Tookie. Not surprised, its just a shame thats all.

Yesterday was the last day of my Hip-hop and global culture class. It was sad. Where else can we talk about music and things that we know about and say things like fuck, shit, ass, asshole, bitch-ass nigga, "ol soft ass booty ass rapper." There were some cool folks in that class. Made some friends (which I'm totally against) and saw a lost little white girl constantly say dumb shit. My last memory of her will be her admitting that she had no idea that breakdancing came from hip-hop. I only hope that my legacy wont be saying things like "but come on... I dont care where he's from that nigga pee'd on little girls! That shit is nasty- thats a nasty ass dude."

Sorry. I guess I did talk about pissing again.

R.I.P. Richard Pryor. thanks for making cussing funny to black people. and being one of the first black entertainers to REALLY scare white America.

I cant wait to come home for Christmas. I will be eating at all your homes. I'm currently stretching my stomach. I dont have too much time there- so there damage will be severe.

mental note: dont forget to buy some cheese tonight

mental note 2: $0.49 hamburgers and $0.59 cheeseburgers tomorrow at mcdonalds. fuck my health. I cant beat my old freshman record- hatin ass 5 burger limit...

back to Tookie... I dont get people. Why didnt he ever get a retrial, like a fair. with a jury of his peers maybe? am i reaching? is that not fair?

one of my teachers game me a short script to read a while ago about fumi kuti, wife of afro-beat supastar fela kuti. she wants me to see if i can throw together some character designs for the story of young fumi and maybe a storyboard. it could be something nice for the kids.

there have be several reports and documents confirming that in fact Trick does love the kids.

PEACE

The sexiest head you've seen in your m*$^$*^@@%! life?

For any of you that could read through that last post with its typos-a-plenty (hey read the top of the blog: proofreading is for sissies) here's a slight reward for you, some links to that interview

LOX vs Diddy:http://www.hot97.com/multimedia/interviewPlayer.aspx?source=http://media.hot97.com/av/audio/interviews
/angie_dblock.wma&jock=Angie

Da Diddy's Rebuttal Part 1: http://www.hot97.com/multimedia/interviewPlayer.aspx?source=http://media.hot97.com/av/audio/interviews
/angie_diddy_pt1.wma&jock=Angie

Da Diddy's Rebuttal Part 2: http://www.hot97.com/multimedia/interviewPlayer.aspx?source=http://media.hot97.com/av/audio/interviews/
angie_diddy_pt2.wma&jock=Angie

enjoy that shit.

So yeah. Busta Rhymes cut his hair for the first time in what, 15 years. Not a trim- throwback to the celery-head look from Leaders of the New School (yuck! Love me some Busta, but that was one of the worst groups of all time-- I really mean it), but a full fledge cut! Here's the video. By the way I dont know whats worse some bored ass dude on the internet posting this or my ass posting it again... in my blog... oh GOD!! I have a blog!

Bus-a-bus: http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/interscope/
bustarhymes/video/cuts_his_dread.asx

I think that link name explains everything. Could have saved some time typing that...

PEACE

talkin bout droppin stainless steel maytag refridgerators on em!!

"Play the Jamacian version!" --Jadakiss


come close kids let me tell you a little story. Waaaay back in the 90's there was this record company called Bad Boy. And it was run by a Mr. Sean "Puffy" Combs. Puffy had the best hip-hop record label in the world. He had Biggie, Craig Mack, 112, Faith Evans, Ma$e, and a group called the LOX. Now after Biggie's death, Craig Mack pretty much vanished, and it was Puffy and Ma$e crapping up the airwaves with what we will refer to now as Diddy-Hop. Now with the LOX that pop stuff seemed a bit forced, they soldiered on and released their debut "Money Power and Respect." What's that? A gangster movie reference? In rap? gasp! Anyway, they first single and the song that almost made me hate them was "If You Think I'm Jiggy" which included a sampling of Rod Stewart's song about thinking his funny lookin ass was sexy. That my friends is a no no. I dont care who you sample, Rod Stewart should never EVER cross your mind when making a song. Wait was that a sample or one of thos interpolations or whatever? Same thing to me. You didnt right that shit. And what the fuck is "jiggy" suppose to mean in that context? Thank Jesus, Allah, God, and nem for Will Smith (jump on the train folks! its a oneway trip!! CHOO CHOO!!!!-inside jokes suck dont they?) for making sense of that word. Needless to say that suck was for the streets or anybody with ears or a face. Next up strangly enough was a super thugged-out track, the title track in fact that served 2 purposes: it showed everybody what this group was supposed to sound like, like those guys on the mixtapes and on the Biggie tracks and killed it on "the Benjamins" and it introduced us to DMX (hey, seemed like a good idea at the time). Well lets wrap up this history lesson. The LOX became more and more frustrated with the way Puff was controlling them creatively and they wanted out! But in the words of Puff: "Eh uh" - or no. So showing how street they were they started a movement that consisted of them taking their fight to the radio and the streets with a campaign called "Let the LOX go!!" T-shirts and all that shit. Cause its not a real campaign without T-shirts (thats a good idea huh? what do you think about it Puff? "Take that! Take that!" "Vote or Die" maybe?). After what seemed like forever they were released from their contracts and allowed to go with friends at Ruff Ryders. But when I looked into the liner notes inside a couple of CDs that the LOX appeared on and where usually the publishing for artist's publishing company names are I kept seeing "Justin's Music" and shit. That nigga Diddy still had them by the nuts. Apparently buying out the contracts the LOX had with Bad Boy wasnt enough and Puff still owned part of their publishing. Which means everything they did he a cut. I dont think you understand. EVERYTHING that is sold with Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch's name on it individually or as a collective he was gettin some of that money. Effed up? Very.

DATELINE: Wednesday Novemeber 16, 2005.
The LOX are on NY's Hot 97 and are expected to announce they were about to sign to Def Jam Records with Jay-Z and of course to promote Sheek's independent release. But Styles and Jadakiss especially had somethings to get off their chests. The publishing. They wanted their publishing. Over 10 years Diddy had been get paid without having to do anything. They have been shorted out money that would have gotten them in very comfy positions in the music industry to launch their record company and blah blah blah. Diddy got em though. Styles passionately, but sensically pleads his case, in Frued (sp?) terms he would be the ego, Jadakiss was off the wall, waaaaay to passionate and wild, (id, like woah), and Sheek- well - he was there, so I'll call him the superego so my point makes a bit of sense. Now when it came time for a music break, Styles suggests that they play "the Benjamins" (which they wrote nearly all the lyrics to) "and think of that check you got off that and off us." Jadakiss added "Then play the rock n roll version..." the DJ Angie Martinez says something- more Kiss, "Then play the Jamacian version!!!"
wow.
Thinking about it I guess gets them a bit hot. They tell about being brushed off several times, how they've been through like 9 lawyers, how hard it was standing next to him performing and really keeping quit about this whole thing for so long, how they constantly feel like quitting, and... how this is their livelihoods (more sp) and how "this shit is worth killing and dying for." It gets really tense for a while until Jadakiss says "Security cant save you when I drop a refridgerator offa building on you! One of dem stainless steel, double door joints!" That shit is hilarious! I threated at least 5 people with maytag vengence!! Later Kiss calms down and tells the Hip hop police they can calm down, they aint really gonna kill nobody.
Diddy calls. He sounds off about how they aint killin nothin and they should have calmed down and talked to him. He claims he's always in his office and how he's always available. Diddy, Diddy, Diddy... Come on now. We've seen you enough times on t.v. you are never in your office. You just pimped out a van cause youre always on the move. So you my dear sir have just earned a "Negro Pleeeeeaase." Diddy says there is an open invite anytime to speak to him.... sigh.
But anyway after Diddy abruptly hangs up. We later find out that Diddy owns Biggie's publishing too. His "best friend."
In the end, nothing is resolved, nothing is announced. Only thing we find out is that Interscope is willing to sit down and discuss things with them. Several people call in and offer to buy out they publishing from Puff (Jermaine Dupre' and (?!) Carmello Anthony(?!) to name a couple) and sell them back to them. We learn of a kind of contract never heard of by me or JD called a lifetime contract on publishing. Now they might have been some dumbass kids with some snake ass lawyers when they signed that contract, but now 10 years later come the fuck on! Diddy you got money and I- I forgot what my point was in writing this shit. As usual...
PEACE

takin up space

i was looking at the ads at the top of my page and i thought "a spider-man party would be cool. nothing like having a mask with bug-eyes on it or swinging around in pajamas, spewwing sticky shit from your wrists, why you deal with crazies. oooooh and cake. i like cake." then i said to myself, "job well done. you are 22 years old and just wasted time on the clock at your place of employment thinking about a spider-man party."
yep... its tuesday alright.

PEACE





mmm... cake.