My Global Hustle

Happy Friday to my friends on the otherside of the globe!

My BX brother, Geddy has decided to bless my page as a guest blogger. Most of you know him from the sick rhymes he has spit as a member of Terror Squad (TS). Well….in 2007 he is coming with a solo opus that will definitely throw the Hip Hop game on its side. Geddy shares his thoughts on the future of Hip Hop for 2007. Good looking Geddy….. Enjoy!- YG

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What will take the state of Hip Hop to the next level for 2007?

As of now, the hip hop community is demanding something NEW and different from what we’ve been hearing for the past few years. A few years back, Down South music made its way into mainstream and opened the doors for scores of artists from that region. It was a new sound, it was different from what we were rocking to at the time and so we embraced it. Every few years a new hot sound, rapper and/or label or clique comes along and changes the game. Not to mention, every region gets its turn to rock. Years back, it was the West on top (Death Row records)….this last run just happened to be dominated by the South.

It usually takes 4-5 years before a particular sound begins to fizzle out and the people begin to demand something new. I think that’s where hip hop is now and has been for the past year. That South sound is fading out and all the rappers are trying to pick up the torch…. But, who’s the next big thing? What’s the next big sound? Who knows? …..

But whomever or whatever the next thing is, they or it will have to be of the times! That rapper and/or sound has to be the embodiment of what the hip hop community is feeling and experiencing, right now! The next big thing will have to address the frustration we’re feeling now, toward our music and everyday life, it will have to fufill our needs, sonically and intellectually (cuz we are definitely tired of the ignorant babbling some of these cats do lol..).

Once we decide who the next big fish is….then we can begin working toward the next level of hip hop. Personally, I think the next level will have to be Politics. I mean…rappers have done everything else so far, but that. Sneakers, clothing lines, record labels, liquor, nightclubs, restaraunts, jewelery, cars (snoopdaville)….you name it, they’ve done it. Politics is my guess for the next level. We’ll see what happens. Until then, keep an ear open for the next new sound.

One
Geddy!

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YG Note:

Armageddon: From The Beginning of The End Mixtape coming soon!

GEDDYMUSIC.COM

THE GEDDY MOVEMENT IS REAL!!

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I wanted to share this with you all… this is some of my new work done
in Kenya last month. The story is called Midnight in the Garden of Good
and Evil.

 

 

It basically is the age-old story of man’s wanton desire to be KING
at any cost. Living in New York City, it becomes really easy to fall
into that “money is the root of happiness/ money motivated” trap.

If you ever wonder why I have the look of melancholy on the 27th, its because I am reminded that rent is due on the 1st.

 

We often forget that the hours we put into these corporations to help
fuel our nation’s thriving economy, are also the hours that we take
from our friends and families. And ourselves. In other countries people work
to live, while we in the Big Apple live to work.

 

 

I am not saying that it is bad to be passionate about something. But growing up in places like Sierra Leone and Washington D.C. has shown me that the pursuit of money, for each individual, has its own cost.

 

 

As Rich’s daughter, 2 year old Nyatche, would sing from James Brown, “paid the cost, to be the boss.” Thank you for taking the time to view my work.

 

Be Blessed,

Myron Christian- www.myronchristian.com

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Thx for the Guest Blog Myron – YG

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Here is feedback from my buddy Simon Humphries about an article, “What It Takes to Make a Student”, that I emailed him from the NY Time Magazine on Novemeber 26th, 2006. The article highlighted many of the issues that plague the US Education system. So here is Simon’s feedback from a UK perspective.

Check it out..

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Hey Bro,

A very interesting article. As you know, I have lived in the UK all my life and have no experience of the US educational system. However, it does seem that there are a few similarities between the two systems. Particularly with reference to the poor/middleclass background.

First, let me qualify what follows by saying that I am no authority on education, nor am I well versed in anthropology (although the subject is slightly familiar to me as an archaeologist) but I would like to offer a few points;

 

1) I think that the question of differentiation between black/white/Hispanic/yellow/green/pink-with blue spots is misleading. Scientifically speaking there is no such thing as ‘race’. Skin colour (please note the spelling of colour! -just a British dig at American education! he he…) in my opinion is not a factor in education, though I will concede that some will argue that there is a link – such as the majority of poor people in the US are predominantly ‘ethnic’.

2) Hart and Risleys’ work is interesting. It seems to me that the wealthier families seem to be less stressed in general and so can spend more time with their children in let us say a more positive fashion than those of poorer backgrounds.

 

I myself come from a fairly poor white background. My experiences as a child tally quite well with this research; my father spent a lot of time working and mother, if she was not busy with the household wanted time alone to read or relax, which meant that my little bro and I were left to our own devices most of the time, as well as being exposed to short (often one-word commands).

 

As per the article, my brother [Lee] and myself were not exposed to a large vocabulary and (I think the article expresses it well) this defiantly effected me in an educational sense. I remember spending a lot of time asking myself what the teachers were talking about (i.e. they were using words that I had never heard before) and also as the article suggests, being brought up to respect unquestioningly any adult. So, from such a perspective it seems probable that the children of wealthier families may do better at school having a larger vocabulary and if the research is anything to go by I would say that being encouraged to question things in general would help a child’s development. While I’m on the subject, my childhood still affects my educational performance even now at university level. The key word I think is CONFIDENCE. I still feel that my opinions are worth less than those of my tutors – even though we are told endlessly that our opinions are just as valid as theirs.

 

3) The idea of the ‘KIPP’ schools seems to me a stroke of near genius. If the results of these schools are ‘all they are cracked up to be’ (is this just an English phase?) then the expansion of such schools needs to be taken far more seriously. Perhaps the US government should consider replacing the existing school system with ‘KIPP’ schools or their equivalent.

 

Now my friends, seeing as you have asked me for my opinions, how about you let me know what your thoughts on this are? I’m sorry if my ramblings are not quite what you were expecting (see, the confidence issue raises its’ ugly head again) but I have tried to express my feeling as they were prompted by the article.

Talk later bro,

Ciao,

Simon

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Thx for sharing you thoughts Simon…

~Time to Shake,

YG

YG Note:

YES, Simon is an archaeologist! We met in Greece a while back and have been buddies since. If U would like a copy of the article please shout me an email at Young.Global@Gmail.com

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As a 10 year old sitting in my kitchen in Plainfield, NJ with my boom
box, I fell in love with hip hop. My parents were not letting me run
the streets after the dark, so at 9pm I was glued to 98.7 Kiss. I
might turn to BLS during a commercial, but Uncle Red and the BDP Crew
rocked with KISS. Being a huge KRS fan, there was no question where
my loyalty was.

For those of you who don’t know, Plainfield(the name says it all) is
a small town in Central New Jersey, about 20 minutes  from Newark.
This meant there weren’t too many home-grown celebs in my generation
(Shout Out to  “Da Famlee, DJ Cheese?”). Because of my geographic
location, and my parents’ tight reign on my freedom, the only time I
was in New York was to go to the African parties my parents’ friends
would throw.

This made the radio invaluable to me.  No I wasn’t from the Bronx,
but my older brother grew up there, My sister lived in Tracy Towers
and I knew it was the birthplace of hip hop.  I became a pupil of
this art form. No I was never lucky enough or even old enough to go
to the Rooftop, The Roxy, Union Square, Latin Quarters or even Skate
Keys, but listening to Rakim, Just Ice, Big Daddy Kane, Super Lova
Cee and Casanova Rudd, JVC FORCE,  the Diss Masters made me feel like
I was right there. I became a student, and every Friday and Saturday
night Red Alert was the Professor.

Fast forward 20 years later, I’m living in Brooklyn (A whole
different Ft. Green then it used to  be.) I get an email from out of
all people, the TR808 himself, D Nice talking about Red Alert’s 50th
Birthday party.  $25 Bucks for moment of history. As, I stood there
in awe listening to Funk Master Flex, Mr. Cee, Q-Tip, Frank Jugga,
Chuck Chillout recreate what Red Alert did for me so many years ago,
I smiled. It made me realize why i loved this music, and after all
this time, here I was experiencing my own moment in Hip Hop History.

“And to earn a position to do hard work, you can ask Kool Herc or my
man Red Alert.”

–Just Ice, Going Way Back

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Thx for the Guest Blog Stan – stonefacephotography.net.

~YG

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Travel is a wonderful and inspirational activity. I use my travels for professional and cultural inspiration, which is why I love doing it, taking the road less traveled and returning to favorite destinations.

Paris, the romantic city of style and sophistication, is one of my favorite city destinations. Of course being Miss Jennifly, I had to turn the city out in style. It was a weekend trip for my best friend’s 30^th birthday in and what a cool and sexy weekend we had.

Paris brings back memories of when I first got the travel bug. It was about eight years ago when some friends and I went back-packing through Europe. It was a comedy of errors, my first taste of travel, non- stop fun, running for trains, missing boats and almost getting arrested. We started and ended our journey in Paris, and it’s been a long distance love affair with the city since.

I arrived Friday morning; my hotel was just off the famous Champs Elysees (Elyzay), Hotel le A, a fabulous and beautiful boutique hotel with a cool library in the foyer. As soon as I arrived, I dumped my bags and luxuriated with a hot bubble bath.

Fresh and clean I headed to LaDuree for chocolat chaud. LaDuree is a renowned French institution founded in 1862, a bakery and restaurant. It’s classy with a luxurious and plush interior, it gives off a very special feeling, a great place to sit and have tea be served by impeccably dressed and handsome waiters. The last time I came here I got a sugar high from the rich chocolate I consumed. Do you know what that feels like? They have the best hot chocolate and are renowned for their sweet tasting pastries… uhmm uhmmm uhmmmmm.

After I enjoyed my chocolat chaud, I strolled down the famous Champs Elysees in my Burberry trench and heels beaming all the way. The weather was ok, not cold not warm just mild. I decided to stroll around hopping the metro and visit some familiar spots. Bastille, a cool area with lots of restaurants and people and home to the new Opera house, Rue de Rivoli is famous for its department stores and high street fashions. I strolled through the little back streets in between checking out the boutiques until my friends, Faridah and Pier Paulo arrived later that evening from London via Eurostar. Faridah I call her ‘Fabulous’ Faridah, because she is, as crazy as she can sometimes be, think Absolutely Fabulous…Eddi Eddi Eddi!…, I could only go to Paris with her. We went to St Tropez this past summer and had a fabulous time.

I met my friends at Gare du Nord, and headed back to the hotel. We had dinner reservations at Castille a cute old school French/Venetian restaurant that evening, we had an hour max to get ready. Faridah slipped on her birthday dress a beautiful beaded navy blue Matthew Williamson piece, paired with Black heels. At Castille, we met up with Pier Paulo’s brother and friends who were in town from Italy and another friend from London, Gorgeous George in tow with his girlfriend.

Three courses and three bottles of wine later, we descended downstairs to the club in the basement of the hotel/restaurant, which at midnight was already packed and smoky with revelers, our first party of the night. After about two hours of dancing, we left, with every intention of hitting another spot. By that time everyone else had called it a night, except Faridah, Pier Paulo and I. We jumped in a cab and instructed the driver ‘nous sommes aller a la Suite, a boite de nuit (night club) last stop before we headed back to the hotel.

Saturday afternoon in Paris, the best way to recover from a hangover is to have a big brunch, of course we had to go to the most trendiest spot in Paris, Hotel Costes, c’est tres chic, famous for their CD compilation series, and plush setting. The waiters and waitress are all beautiful to look at – mostly models and ex-models. The patrons were a mix of hip and old school, families and couples. It’s the place to go, a scene in itself with its velvet-upholstered soft chairs, it’s a well designed opulent setting. Located on Rue Saint Honore, the equivalent would be London’s bond Street. Rue Saint Honore is the location for flagship designers stores including Hermes and Colette the hip style concept store, the one stop ultimate fashion experience that houses top designers, art, food, design, music and cool gadgets, I hear Karl Lagerfeld is a regular shopper.

Fast forward to Saturday nite. Girls and the Italians went for dinner at the famous MandalaRay formally ManRay, owned by Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and John Malkovich. It was the hippest place five years ago, but is still a hot spot today. The interior was akin to a Buddhist temple, the food was a Thai fusion, accompanied by live music, a guy on a keyboard singing renditions of Frank Sinatra.

What I loved most about Mandalaray was that it turned into party at about 1am. A steady crowd started gathering upstairs waiting to descend onto the empty space in the middle that would turn into a dance floor. Sure enough after the last food check was cleared, bottles service replaced cutlery and plates, the Buddha statues removed, the crowd was allowed to descended on to the dance floor while the live singer was replaced by a DJ who played soulful electronica and house. We stayed until the music got top 40, then headed over to V.I.P. boite de nuit.

V.I.P. was literally across the road on the Champs Elysees. With a big crowd of people outside, busy explaining themselves, we all naturally walked to the front, no questions asked and were escorted downstairs into the club. Inside reminded me of New York, everyone dancing on tables to familiar sounds of Justin Timberlake etc, with the occasional French hip-hop tune, the only difference was that there was a showgirl performance every hour. Also, and I think this may be a French thing that I have seen adopted in some London clubs and in St Tropez, when a Magnum of Champagne is ordered, the DJ would switch the music and play the Superman theme, followed by group of waiters carrying a bucket with sparklers on top of the bottles….It was quite a scene but too much when your song is interrupted for the umpteenth time. A bit too conspicuous for me, which is why I moved away from our table when the sparklers came towards us and delivered a bottle of Krug.

Sunday marked our last night of the weekend, and it was low- key evening. During the day we done a little sightseeing, had lunch at another Hotel Costes franchise on the top floor of the Centre Pompidou, the hub of modernity in Paris. From the top you have a panoramic view of Paris and all its sights as we settled into our late…late lunch. This was a nice cool spot with a mix of young and old dining listening to a chilled lounge selection by a DJ.

After lunch you have the option to see an exhibition or browse in the bookstore on the ground floor. Sunday is a great day to take a stroll and sightsee. Walk off our food we went through the Musee Du Louvre courtyard, the building is a great work of architecture. The Lourve is home to the Venus de Milo and Leonardo de Vincis’ Mona Lisa. From there is a nice stroll back to the hotel up the Champs Elysees which begins at Place de Concorde, which is marked by a tall Egyptian obelisk to the Arc de Triomphe and back to the hotel.

Exhausted we had a siesta before dinner at Pershing Hall, another sexy hot spot to add to my fabulous trip. Pershing Hall had to be the second most stylish place after Hotel Costes. Equipped with a dizzying vertical garden, yes… an array of forestry that ascends up the wall. It gives you a feeling that you are dining in a garden patio that is nicely lit with hues of red, green and purple, with a DJ spinning lo-fi and soulful electronica adding a nice touch to a very cool and sexy dining experience, and a fabulous place to end my weekend in Gai Paree.

J’adore Paris. Chic and sexy, fabulous and classy and stylishly ahead.

~JenniFly

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Thx JenniFly (www.myspace.com/jenniflyone)……
~YG

YG Note: JenniFly hails from London and has a passion for music, fashion and travelling. She works as a fashion publicist as well as a part-time music selector at Popburger every Tuesday night spinning soulful electronica, nu jazz, 80s soul and broken beat.

 

 

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