He Say's It Best...

Here's a toast to all that's good

And here's a toast to hate

And here's a toast to toasting

And I'm not boasting

When I say I'm getting Straight

Lou Reed

"The Last Shot"

Just Like You...

Its that time of the year again. If its not midterms and/or term paper proposals, your ten chapters behind in every class and you have two assignments due next week. The weather is getting colder and classroom crushes are becoming full blown infatuations. You may be lonely or just alone, but don't worry, because Drake is feeling the same way too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13LRJR0mE1s

This song has been on repeat for the past five days, its actually playing right now. Drake takes the brilliance of TLC's intro on "Fan Mail" to a whole new level. Yes, its whiny, its repetitive, its cheesy. Essence, it's everything a mid fall song should be. With winter comes frequent all nighters, 20 page papers that aren't going anywhere and those September romances are now losing their allure. Drake is just preparing you for what's to come and letting you know that he gets lonely too. So when your 100 words deep, living off black coffee and sleepless nights, play this track and remember its almost over.

ps - this track is off Drake's upcoming mixtape "It's Never Enough", its set to drop in the next month or so.

There's a First Time For Everything

Lately I haven't felt the need to write. Frankly, some individuals have just been taking what I have to say and placing it in such an arrangement that even Klosterman would be proud. However, I am the ruler of my domain when it comes to defending myself. I recently made a claim that I believe Talib Kweli's new album has the potential to alter or perhaps even transform my life. And yes, I understand the magnitude of this statement, just let me explain.

I discovered Kweli in eleventh grade. This was the year that I not only uncovered my own humanity but once again became whole as a person. I was hormonal, angry and in love with Jimmy Eat World, MSN was my escape from a society that could not comprehend my profound knowledge of the English vocabulary. (I’m almost positive that at this exact moment you are picturing an ‘emo’ kid with an unfortunate hair who brags about having a livejournal, and your right.) I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Kweli’s “Never Been In Love”, off his 2004 release The Beautiful Struggle, but I do know that it was on repeat for two weeks following my first listen. Although I could not understand his lyrics byway of experience at the time, his talent encapsulated me. He made words feel as if they belonged together while simultaneously making everything rhyme. For Instance,

“You running back to the kid like this was home base

Or a marathon I let you set your own pace

Your own space and the beautiful struggle

Now baby tell what's it gonna take to prove that I love you”

This is what music was supposed to be about, or at least it was in my opinion. His lyrics plagued my MSN names for weeks, as I hoped that I could impress a dude that was way more fiction than he ever was real. Still to this day I play the track at least once a week and I can spit every line by memory.

The Beautiful Struggle is one of my favorite albums of all time and while it doesn’t sit at the top, it has great significance in my life. In 2004 a lot changed, almost all for the better and Talib was along for the whole ride. He saw my life change then and I’m almost positive he’s going to see my life change again when he drops “Gutter Rainbows” later this year.

The defense now rests.

Sleezy Swizz Is About to Ruin a Classic

Not to long along hip hop producer and A.Keys baby daddy, Swizz Beats provided everyone’s favorite Silm Shady with beats for a proposed sequel to his 2000 smash hit ‘Stan’.

Eminem however, turned down the idea on the basis of sheer insanity.

Instead, Swizz is putting it on his own album with Weezy providing the lyrics.

Talking to MTV Swizz said “taking something that people remember and putting them in that time and taking it to the next level, the way that Wayne tells Anne he’s sorry what happened to Stan. The album is crazy.”

R.I.P.

I vividly remember the morning of August 25^th 2001. The smell of my mother’s morning coffee filled my lungs as I entered our kitchen to see the Calgary Herald open on our table made of dark cedar. While the exact headline eludes me, the news that hip hop artist, singer and actress Aaliyah had passed broke my pre-prepubescent heart. I was 12 at the time and just beginning to discover the world of hip-hop, rap and RnB. My emotions were on high volume and my raging hormones almost drove my parents to take up a vicodin addiction. There was something about Aaliyah’s beauty and voice that diminished my teenage angst and subconsciously told me everything would eventfully be alright. While my feelings for Timbaland have changed since the early 00’s, Aaliyah’s collaborations with the notorious hit maker produced undeniable billboard hits. She was at the top of her game in 2001 and was taken from us far too soon. You’ll forever be missed.

While I’ll admit my love for Drake is becoming a borderline obsession, I couldn’t help myself.

Dear Dana,

I’ve never lost a parent, a friend, or a lover but I will never forget this day for the rest of my life. I remember getting the news that you had passed and it connected with my heart like a clean shot from Muhammad Ali. I was crushed. Not only was I one of your biggest fans but I was truly in love with you. I loved the way you carried yourself, the way you dressed, the confidence with which you addressed passion and relationships in your music. I said to myself that even if we never met, I wanted a woman in my life just like you. I am pained that we will never get to connect now that music ended up being my career path. But you should know, we all listen to you everyday and we remain inspired and moved by all that you’ve given the world. I hope I make the right life choices so I can end up in heaven where I know you rest your head. I’ll continue to make music in your honor until the day we finally meet. Dinner’s on me!

Love you always and forever,

Drake

Prop What?

In November 2008 proposition 8 was passed during state elections in California. The proposition, which was passed via ballot proposition, restricted the definition of marriage to strictly the union between members of the opposite sex. Such limitations overturned the California Supreme courts decision that marriage was the constitutional right of same-sex couples.

In reaction to it’s passing, the NOH8 Campaign was born. NOH8 features photographs of protestors against a white background with their mouths taped shut and the words NOH8 printed on their cheek. Created in 2009, the campaign that started with everyday individuals reached Hollywood. Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, FeFe Dobson and Perez Hilton are only a few of the starlets that posed for photographer Adam Bouska.

The campaigns for and against Prop 8 have raised $39.9 million and $43.3 million respectively, making it the highest-funded campaign on any state ballot and surpassing every campaign in the country in spending except the presidential contest

On Wednesday of last week District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, finally giving justice to the thousands of Same-sex couples who reside in California and beyond. Although an appeal is currently being filed, we can temporarily rejoice in the fact that equality in America is no longer impossibility. And in reality we all win, as admittedly following news of Prop 8’s death Lady Gaga “instantly began to write music”.

Put Your Hands Up If You Single For The Night

Damn she text me all day and night,

So pissed off she aint even spelling sh-t right,

I text her back, tell her it's life,

Now somebody tell them hoes, I'm single for the night.

If I’ve learned anything this summer its that emotions are only relevant for short periods of time. Very rarely do we constantly feel the same way about someone or something. One moment anger completely consumes you and the next your flattered over a text message or a late night voice mail. Yet, feelings for a particular music track can remain stagnant forever.

I remember the first time I heard Weezy’s song “Single”. It was the start of summer, when possibilities of flings and pure adulterated fun are endless. As I lay in my queen-sized bed, the need for sleep eluded me. My nightly blog surfing found me at a site previewing Weezy’s new video. Within the first 30 seconds of the song I was absorbed by the words of a lyrical genius. Weezy takes words and cements them into sequences, which after one listen now seem like common sense. In the first chorus of “Single” he simultaneously objectifies the female body while making it seem perfectly natural at the same time. Yes, Weezy's personal conduct is questionable, as he drinks more cough syrup than cola, but there is no question that two years from now I’m still going to be infatuated with “Single”.