Deaf Poetry Jam Part 1 was originally the acapella intro track for Phella’s 2009 EP entitled Gimme A Second I Swear. It was well received by listeners. Detroit based producer, Wake, recently took the vocals and built this track around them. It has the same motivational and inspirational vibe as the original, just stepped up a few notches with Wake’s excellent production.
The visual is a compilation of exclusive video and photos of Phella to accompany the words of the track.

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Da Fam At Ricky Rozay/Lissen Band Pool Party from Da Fam Cam on Vimeo.

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Can’t say we never gave you anything. Play pool with our friends over at Skc and possibly walk away with great prizes.

Faces of Skc: 8-Ball Challenge
April Amazement
First Come, First Serve
64 Competitors
Win to Proceed; Single Elimination
April 24, 2010 @ Side-Pockets
Start Time: 8:00 pm

PRIZES

Champion: Apple I-pad , Championship Trophy , Top 4 Medal, & Top 32 Pin

Runner-Up: Ipod Nano, 2nd Place Trophy, Top 4 Medal, & Top 32 Pin

Top 4 Males: Medals

Top 4 Females: Medals

Most Stylish Male: Stylish Plaque

Most Stylish Female: Stylish Plaque

Top 32: Pins

Unsung Hero Award: For bringing in the most competitors

Four Brackets:
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
London

Head to the Contact section of www.spoiltkidcompany.com for rules and more info on how you can be part of this event.

Address:

Side Pockets Bar & Grill

904 Upper Fairlawn Ave
Laurel, MD 20707
(Located in Laurel Shopping Center- Behind Books-A-Milion)

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The above photo is a behind the scenes shot of my homie Kunle’s photo shoot for SKC, his company. I was fortunate enough to be asked to take part. The photos were taken by two other friends of mine, Matt and Fresco. Good weather and good people being creative in the most relaxing part of the District of Columbia (Georgetown); that’ LIVING.

Besides taking photos I’ve been able to agree with the engineers mixing ‘Winter Wonderland’. I don’t think such a big deal has ever been made over 25 minutes of music but that’s just how it has to be. My whole life I’ve been so eager to share my art with the world that I often compromise quality. I say something like “people will get it..they’ll know what it was supposed to sound like”. True but not true. Some people can’t appreciate the girl in sweatpants with her hair tied. They need to see her in all her splendor; makeup, fancy heels, purse and the whole nine. So yeah, I’m dressing my music up and you’ll see her soon. It may be 80 degrees then but when has the temperature ever stopped you from admiring a pretty girl? LIVING.

The other day I had the pleasure of seeing Russell Simmons speak. I was about four rows back and it was cool. Cool to see that man that started this whole thing. With no Russell, I’d probably be……I don’t even know what I’d be doing but it wouldn’t be this and I wouldn’t trade this for the world. It was cool that almost everything he said were things that I already believe and actively practice. For instance, he’s currently re-defining the word ‘RICH’. Most people here that word and think of money. Russell is telling us that rich is a state of mind and that each of us already have all we could ever need in this world. Once you truly believe that, the Bentleys and ocean side mansions will find you. In other words, start living and soon you’ll be LIVING.

My official date to start my new life in New Jersey is April 6th. I feel like that’s too much info but whatever. I’m excited and so nonchalant about it. Maybe the reality that I’m moving to new state to live in a bare apartment with no furniture, no internet, no nothing has yet to set in. Or maybe I’m just that naive to believe that things will work themselves out. We’ll see. Either way, I know I’m about to be Jerzee LIVING!

I also hung out in NYC one day last week. Kicked my homie Nisarg’s ass in pool. It was ugly…very ugly. He should have just let me get on the road in peace. He and I, along with another friend ate at this vegan spot in the Lower East Side. Expensive as hell but cool. No cheese, no meat, no dairy. Just straight veggies but somehow they made it taste good. That’s LIVING.

I been listening to a lot of Tupac (2Pac) the last few days. Really vibing out and zoning. I love Pac man. His me against the world but yet, me with the world attitude is something to marvel at. The song I’m listening to as I type this, “Changes”, he says something about we have to “change the way we eat”. Like are you serious? This so called gangsta thug who gets shot up and shoots at cops cares about the health of his people? Enough to say on his song that we should be conscious of our diet? That was Pac for you. That’s why he’ll forever be LIVING.

I’ll leave with this Benjamin Franklin quote I stumbled across today. I read his book and study him almost any chance I get.

“Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.”

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For those that don’t know much about Young Guru, here’s the story. He’s been the engineer (the guy pushon the buttons and mixing the sounds) on most of your favorite songs for the past decade. Pretty much every Jay-Z record has been mixed by him as well as a lot of Cam’ron, Kanye West, and plenty more. As far as hip-hop goes, you’re probably not going to find a better ear. Beyond that, Guru is a graduate of Howard University and a pretty accessible guy. If you’re fortunate enough to catch him on the streets of DC or NY, like I have once or twice, the guy will enlighten you to something — even if you’re not a music person.

With that said, here’s a few clips from Elliot Wilson’s conversation with Guru about several subjects from old Roc-A-Fella tales to the making of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3. Grab your popcorn and learn something.

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I’ve never been big on these TV series’ that air once a week. Takes a lot of dedication and effort to be in front of the TV set at the same time each week and then sit through commercials, then just as the episode gets good, they cut to commercial and tell you to tune in the following week…aka torture. Luckily for me  and through the power of Netflix I was able to watch ABC’s LOST (All 5 seasons) over the holidays. In a span of 2 months I covered more than 100 episodes and it was a great experience. What added to my experience was the fact that I knew nothing about the show for the 5 years it’s been on the air so to me it was brand new.

The synopsis is basically this: A bunch of people from various walks of life are flying from Australia to Los Angeles. Mid flight something goes wrong and the plain begins to descend. Ultimately they crashed on an island and that’s where things get crazy. We’re introduced to a doctor by the name of Jack, who assumes the leader role on the island. We meet Sawyer, a foul mouth, sarcastic, country pretty boy who calls everyone everything but their real names. John Locke is the elder in the group. Then you have Kate, the eye candy/tough chick of the group.

There are several other main characters that crashed on that island and overtime each of their stories are revealed. Basically what kind of lives they lived prior to boarding that plane. Although most seemed so normal to the naked eye, several of them had been through near death experiences, murdered people, alcohol and drug abuse, there’s even incest in the first few episodes of the first season. If all of this sounds crazy it’s because it is. LOST is about real life but at a very fast pace. They hook by showing the characters good sides as well as bad. You begin to learn not to judge people so quick and understand the motives behind certain actions. You see them problem solve as it becomes apparent that they may spend the rest of their lives on that island. You see them find creative ways to enjoy themselves like playing golf with clubs that were found on the plane. It’s pretty much about life, it’s complexities, and surviving and making the best out of them.

I’d give the first 5 seasons of the show an A-. At times the fictional aspects got a bit corny to me at times but not too much. It was done in the same sense that rappers rap about their “real life” but say lines like “money taller than the Statue of Liberty”. A little stretching of reality to drive home your point never hurt no one I guess. Overall LOST is a great show that I’d recommend to anyone. If you’re really focused you can watch tonight and catch up on most of the first 5 seasons over the next week. Your children would probably starve and you won’t pay rent but it would be worth it.

Sidebar: How sick are they for using Sade’s “Soldier Of Love” for the trailer? Her album drops a week after the premiere. The kind of cross promotion that would make Nike execs proud.

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Hello and Happy MLK Jr. day.

I know most of your inboxes have been inundated with every kind of Exhibit you can think of and I think it’s a testament to just how ridiculous the original was…Just Blaze and Jay outdid themselves. The first time I heard this track the words came to me and I had to record it. To not do it because so many others have done it is to not eat McDonalds because they’ve served over a billion……….

Exhibit-P (81 Points) Phella

Download: Click Here

Video: In Studio

Phella In Training Camp…Working On Exhibit P from Da Fam Cam on Vimeo.

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Two powerful New York City voices are celebrating birthdays this week. Hot 97’s Angie Martinez as well as the queen of Hip-Hop and R&B Soul, Miss Mary J. Blige.

A youthful looking Angie partied up with the likes of Jay-Z, Beyonce and more. And the queen celebrated on national TV with Ellen. Wish you many more ladies.

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Sometimes I’ll see stuff and I’ll store it away for a while before actually dissecting it. I made the mistake of doing that with this video. I stumbled upon it a few months ago and literally just moments ago sat down and watched it for the first time. This piece is pretty dope stemming from the stuff that Colin Munroe talks about all the way down to the cinematography of the whole thing.

A few things that Colin said that really resonated with me:

“Often I talk with people about being part of the ‘playlist generation’…It just makes sense that all of those influences are going to melt together and start creating unique and individual sounds that dwell somewhere between the traditional lines.”

What he’s referring to is the fact that people aren’t afraid to listen to all types of genres of music and in turn that has allowed people to create music without boundaries that blend different sounds culminating in a truly unique product. This is a concept that really excites me. It’s something that Colin, himself, along with folks like Chester French and Mike Posner are pursuing.

EDIT: I apologize. I just realized that I didn’t mention the forerunners of this movement. People like N.E.R.D. and Gym Class.  There are a ton more too. Don’t judge me.

“There’s a lot of cool being sold, more than there ever has been…It’s not as much about people striving to say something, or be something, or to be on a journey, or to tell their story. People are striving to make sure they are as cool as fuck…Cool is the commodity, that’s what’s sold now.”

If you know me then you know that one of my complaints with society is the lack of integrity and that is definitely conveyed in the entertainment industry. People aren’t worried about quality product or making a difference, they’re worried about material accomplishments and appearing to be “cool as fuck”. Honestly, this is something that bothers me deep down and, if I’m ever put in a position of influence, will transpire to change.

Check out the rest of the video and if you’re unfamiliar with Colin Munroe’s music treat yourself to his first mixtape.

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This is a pretty dope all-access, behind the scenes type of documentary with Mos Def shot by the folks from Current TV.  It follows Mos throughout Japan and documents his interaction with and appreciation of the Japanese culture.

Mos discusses everything from his love for Japanese fashion, to the inspiration to his new album, to expanding “his” Japanese burger chain into the US.  The one thing that gets me the most though…professional Japanese baseball has cheerleaders!  In the US, baseball is the only of the three major sports to lack cheerleaders.  Quite upsetting.

Anyway though, the documentary is almost 50 minutes long and is a great insight not only to Mos Def but also the Japanese and their customs.  Check it out.

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