Something New From T.I And Grand Hustle’s Brandon & Big Kuntry..We  Can’t Wait To Hear What T.I’s New Material Will Sounds When He Get’s Out In 3-4 Months…. Download Inside T.I( Ft Brandon Big Kuntry)-Let Em Talk …::LISTEN::…

Windows Enterprise Suite is a one more clone of rogue VirusDoctor antivirus family.

While Windows Enterprise Suite is running it will display security alerts on your desktop stating that your computer is under attack or that active malware has been detected.

These alerts are just cunning tactics where they are trying to convince you that your computer has a viruses and should be ignored.

As the year comes to a close it is with great pride and pleasure that we present Idle Warship Starring Talib Kweli Live From Southpaw November 28th!

While keeping our ears to the streets and eyes on the prize we have assembled a stellar group of feature performers for this homecoming of sorts for Talib Kweli’s super group which features Res and Graph Nobel.

The winner of The Brooklyn Bodega’s Show and Prove Kalae AllDay, will be setting it off.
Megabone is ready to bring their unique brand of hip hop to the stage and Niles is ready to show you what all his buzz is about!

Soul Queen TreZure The Empress will continue her year of classic and memorable performances and rounding out what promises to be an epic evening of culture and performances will be Jah C & The Antidote and Rebel Starr!

The event will be hosted by End Of The Weak, The Music and Afterparty will be provided by Kool Kear of East Village Radio’s “Chances With Wolves”.

In addition, you can step into The Down South Lounge and see a beautiful art exhibit curated by Kimberly Messano and also catch Live Painting by Marthalicia Matarrita!

Shout outs to our prestigious sponsors: Southpaw, Brooklyn Bodega, Staple Design, Beyond Race Magazine, Flud Watches, East Village Radio, Fusicology & FatBeats!

This event is presented by End Of The Weak in conjunction with Royalty Media Group, Forever Fresh, Southern Thunder Promotions and Hustlemode!

For advanced tickets check out this link, they are selling fast!

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=510085

See you there!

Players are often times looking for a quick fix to improve their games.  There are no “quick fixes” in the game of basketball, but there are some things that you can do without any practice that can help you get the attention you may be looking for from your coaches.  Here are three things you can implement immediately that will definitely catch your Coach’s eye.

1.  Communicate!  Coaches are always trying to get their players to communicate better on the floor.  Talking is something that any player can do regardless of skill level.  Don’t be shy or scared to be vocal on the floor, it’s something you can do right now to make your team better.

2.  Be First In Line!   Coaches notice when players gravitate towards the front or end of lines in practice. In order to get in the front of the line, you will have to hustle.  Always being in the front of the line will show your Coach that you want to be a leader, you understand the need to be efficient in practice, and that you are eager to start drills and improve.  Again, this is something you can do immediately that will improve your team.

3.  Listen!  When your Coaches address you make sure that you look them in the eye.  Keeping eye contact shows that you are listening to the Coach and what they are saying is important to you.  Talking, bouncing a ball, or not paying attention sends a message that you would rather be doing something else with your time.

Hitting the stores November 23

Track List:

1. “Intro” T-Minus

2. “Been About Money”

3. “Money to Blow” (feat. Drake & Lil Wayne)

4. “Money Machine”

5. “Pricele$$” (feat. Lil Wayne)

6. “Bring It Back” (feat. Lil Wayne)

7. “Nightclub”

8. “4 My Town (Play Ball)” (feat. Drake & Lil Wayne)

9. “Hustle” (feat. Gudda Gudda & Lil Wayne)

10. “Shinin” (feat. T-Pain)

11. “Mo Milli” (feat. Drake & Bun B)

12. “I Want It All” (feat. Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne)

13. “Always Strapped” (feat. Lil Wayne & Mack Maine)

Back in May you questioned how I could be in love in four days. Yes, in four days I had fallen in love with a man that goes by many names; B.A, C.O.D., and C.T.N.S., are the most common when people refer to him. To me, he was just my love.

About a month in I realized this new found love of mine had major characteristic flaws. My lover was loud, always overcrowded by people in his space, he had too many other options, sometimes he smelled horribly, he was very big and moody. Strangely, he never allowed me to drive either, it was always ‘Take the E train to 42nd transfer to the 2 headed Downtown and get off at Clark Street.’ But those same flaws never provoked me to pack my bags and abandon him.

Our relationship seemed to be on-again off again for many reasons. Mostly because of how different this was than anything I had ever experienced. Even though it was different, I loved him more than all of the ones that came before him. He brought out those attributes that many never see. Instantly he taught me the importance of networking & building relationships. He introduced me to people that most will only be able to google their names. With so many people competing for a spot in my new man’s life I learned the art of hustling. I’m not talking about hustling to make a dollar here and there, although that is always helpful. But the hustling I’m referring to was the hustle of being remembered, being unique, making your mark. No matter how many other people enter into his life, which many will, I will be the one that always has a place in his heart.

Besides what he taught me, he had so much to offer. I’m talking about entire avenues dedicated to shops, fine dining, Broadway shows, walks in the humungous parks, rooftop parties, fashion shows, block parties and the mecca of fashion he was. He exposed me to a world that was more surreal than I ever imagined. There was never a dull moment while I was with him.

But all along I knew this love affair was only temporary. From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew this was the beginning of something that would soon end. Unfortunately, that end approached faster than I was prepared for.

It has been a dream of mine since the age of 14 to meet this man. I wanted to experience everything the TV and movies said he had to offer. In my heart I believe we were always meant to be.

Once I met him I quickly realized all the preconceived notions about him couldn’t be more wrong. He was no ruder than people in anywhere else. None of his boys ever tried to rob me or grab me coercing me into some back alley. My dude had taken me to the worst parts of his state and never once did I feel unsafe. So now when somebody talks about my man, I can confidently shut down all of the foolishness that just isn’t true.

Tonight I am saddened that we have come to an end. Not because of irreconcilable differences. Not because of infidelity. Nor are we over because of how he treated me. Only because the time has come that he and I always knew would.

My man has been often imitated but never duplicated. Many have tried-Chicago being one, but no one will compare to my boo. Nothing in the world like him.

For the first time in my life I can say I have no regrets about meeting you and falling madly in love. My dreams have never seemed more alive, attainable, close to being achieved than they have since we’ve started kicking it. After only four days I knew I was in love. In the words of Raheem Devaughn, “You’re my soul-ol ol ol mate, with this ring I pledge to be with you.”

Because I know this isn’t the end of our love affair, rather a temporary separation, I will not say goodbye. Instead I’ll say…

Until the next time we meet.

New York, te quiero.

Jumpin Jack Flash, they love our Black Flash
Lean on us like a back slash,
Get raw talented braggadocio all about to make cash
Yet like a cow to a Masai drain cash
Cos they’re pinned up like a thumbtack
Enslaved to chinese whispers about how they run that
Yet bad contracts, corrupt contacts stunt that
Life blood drained because they slash the vain
Get you insane in the membrane as they yank the reins
So many artists don’t have business brains
Stepping into the game being hustle trained will make you spaz out OJ,
Act a fool like OJ,
Yet its wise guys with sharp minds, not white guys, or bright eyes or curves, cleavage and nice thighs
Who see the ladder and climb
Aesthetics and substance must combine to be more devastating than Columbine
Kill your nightmares with a dream realised

Recently, I took my son to see “This Is It”, the film compilation of rehearsal, behind-the-scenes footage for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” concert series that was to be held for 100 shows in London.  We got our tickets, popcorn, and soda, and expected to see an entertaining film about Michael Jackson, complete with the timeless moonwalk, a “scha-mon” here and there, and endless soundbites of “he-he”.  Instead I learned a lot more.

Michael Jackson was a hustler.  And a damn good one too.

He had you all fooled into thinking he was all about zipper pants, glittery gloves and wearing white socks with everything.   People talk about MJ because of child molestation accusations, Bubbles, carrying around a grown man like a 3-year-old (what ever happened to Emanuel Lewis?), or his battles with Vitiligo (hey, give him a break).  But Michael Jackson was about his business; his business just happened to be music.  In watching the film, I learned that Michael Jackson knew what a lot of us so-called business types still have failed to learn:

Love over Money

Through out the film, Michael kept talking about the love of what he was doing and the passion that follows it.  That’s key, and a lot of us miss it.  We’re so quick chasing a dollar that when we get it, it’s hard to hold onto because of how we got there.  Listen to most successful people.  Not your “guys” like Floyd Mayweather and those Cash Money Morons who throw money in the air every chance they get.  Not guys that will probably be broke in 10 years.  I’m talking about your Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Russell Simmonds.  They rarely talk about money first.  It’s almost as if the money is a product of something when you love what you do.  More attention is on staying true to the craft and what you do.

Focus on Service/Quality Of The Product

It’s been said there are three components of business: Price, Product, and Service/Quality.  If you have to focus on of them, I’d focus on Service/Quality.  It’s the only aspect of any business that is unique to the provider and can’t really be duplicated.

Too often, we focus on the Price and the Product itself; that’ really a mistake.  Focusing on price will cause you to lose business as soon as your competitor’s price is lower than yours.  Walmart has been doing that for decades.

Products become outdated, so focusing on the product itself is also a losing proposition.  I’m guessing that you haven’t used your VCR in years, and you might not even know what an eight-track player is.  Someone will always come around and build a better “mouse trap.”

Michael Jackson focused on the quality of his music.  There is a lot of music today that sounds better because of sound engineers, digital recording, and the autotune, but is the quality there? Will it be around 20 years from now? The hooks today are better, but I can almost guarantee you Chris Brown and Lil’ Wayne will be forgotten about in 20 years.  Michael’s music has lasted generations, from the Jackson 5 to his last album “Invincible”, and was indelible to everyone that heard it.  People say that his last album flopped; yeah, it flopped to about 13 million sales worldwide.  Most artists would dream to “flop” an album like that.  His best-selling album was Thriller, which did well over 100 million in sales world-wide.

But the biggest reason I know Michael Jackson put out a quality product was because of my son.  My son was singing along with a lot of his songs word for word.  It wasn’t just my kid, either.  There were dozens of parents in there with children from about age 5 up that were singing along.  You don’t last that long in any game unless you pour quality into your product.

Attention To Detail

One particular scene I remember was when  Michael and his producer were going over the music for “The Way You Make Me Feel.”  They were going over the intro and Michael kept harping on how he needed to make the intro “simmer” before going into the main part of the song.  The sticking point was one note.  ONE note.  One.  Not a whole bar, just one note that was dropping too early.  They must have gone over that 5 – 6 times before it got Michael’s approval, and he wasn’t moving off of what he wanted.

If Michael didn’t hear or see what he wanted, he stopped rehearsal and they did it again until they got it right.  Everything else seemed to flow, but if there was one aspect that didn’t quite work, the whole piece didn’t work.

Michael Jackson knew that people will demand success and remember your failures.  If you’re going to do something, do it right until it’s where you want it to be.

Be Hands On

Every great hustler/entrepreneur makes sure they are a part of the process in each aspect.  I remember years ago when Toni Braxton was on Oprah and she was saying how it was hard to manage millions of dollars so she had accountants and managers handling most of the money.  Oprah quickly pointed out that she still signed every check for Harpo Productions to makes sure she knew where the money was going.

I believe Oprah is currently sitting on about $1.5 billion right now.  Toni Braxton…not so much.

This doesn’t mean be micro-managing. Hire the right people and trust them to make good decision, but only a fool would leave their entire operation in someone else’s hands.  You need to know what’s going on.  Michael Jackson was hands on, even on what seemed to be menial tasks.  He  was even present at the dancer auditions, pointing out flaws and picking out the ones he wanted.  This could have been left to the dance choreographers, but if the dancers were going to be an “extension of Michael” as it was put, he wanted to make sure he was a part of the process.

“This Is It” taught me a lot about Michael Jackson’s drive to be successful, but it also gave me tools I could take away and apply in my own life and push to be successful.

It almost made me want to give him a pass for wearing skinny jeans and those damn Captain Crunch looking jackets throughout the entire film.

…almost.

Rest in Peace, MJ.

I totally just had the night of my life!

I decided it was about time for me to go learn ballroom and latin dancing.

I went to Arthur Murray in Plano, expecting to get a sales pitch with a few dance moves as a bonus.

Au contraire! I learned the foundation steps for any dance style, danced to a wide variety of music, and met several people who enjoy dancing as I do. Take a look at this list of the different styles I danced…in one night, mind you!…:

• Foxtrot
• Rumba
• Jitterbug
• Cha Cha
• Waltz
• Merengue (with a Conga Line!!! haha)
• Salsa
• East Coast Swing
• Hustle
• Tango

Apparently, I’m a fast learner. They are trying to get me to sign up for a “fast track” type program. I even got a “job offer”!!

I had SO much fun! I can’t wait to go back to learn more!

I’ll keep y’all posted on my future professional dance career.

As the saying goes, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”  Well, I’m speaking out on something today.  Let’s see what you do on this one.  This is partially a rehash of an old piece I did, but it still applies.  Hope you enjoy.

I first want to say that this will address a very sensitive topic to many: religion.  I do not mean to make light of, fun of, or change your beliefs.  I feel that all religions are to be respected, no matter what deity you pray to.

But I do want to make you think a little.  If your sorry ass keeps letting you get taken advantage of, you need to start opening your eyes.

One day I was watching a religious broadcast, not for the religious aspect, but because I found it entertaining.  You’ll understand why in a minute.  I don’t want to put the name of the preacher out there, but I don’t think A Dollar of mine will ever be Flowing out of my pocket to him (if you can’t figure it out who it is, think about it).

He was talking about communion and how he was at a church and they didn’t have bread and wine.  This guy said that he took potato chips and Sprite, blessed them both, and they became the bread and the wine for the communion (I’m not making this up; I couldn’t if I tried).  I burst into laughter, thinking, “He can’t be serious!”

Then, I looked back at the television, and the audience gave him a standing ovation.  Women were crying and testifying.  Men gripped their bibles tightly as feelings of euphoria took over.  All in attendance looked towards the heavens as if to thank God for sending this man down to them.

That made me ask a question:  Is organized religion is the new “hustle”, and I don’t mean hustle like we talked about before like effort, ingenuity, and creativity.  I mean like a con.

Organized religion has grown to astronomical proportions.  Mega churches with thousands or parishioners are popping up all over with television deals and advertising sponsorships.  If you can’t make it to service, don’t worry.  You can even get your favorite televangelist’s latest DVD delivered to your door for a little as $19.95…shipping and handling not included.

Here is why I think the con works:  People are afraid to question anything claimed to be sent from God.

Think about it.  Let’s say I was throwing a dinner party, ran out of cheese, crackers and wine, gave you chips and soda instead, and tried to pass it off as the exact same thing.  You’d think I was crazy.   But throw the Word it and people are falling out from catching the Holy Ghost.

I’m not saying this applies to all churches, but I see too many people scraping together what little money they had left to feed themselves (and even their kids) for the week and putting it on the collection plate, thinking that God will put food in their mouths. It’s sad really.  Belief in God is one thing; allowing someone to stick you up with a smile and a Bible in their hand is another.

If some of these things are going on in your house of worship, you may want to think strongly about changing where you pray:

• If there is an ATM in the lobby
• If the church checks your W-2’s to make sure you’ve paid your 10%
• If they pass the collection plate around more than once during service
• If you put money into the collection place and the usher stands there shaking it like he wants more
• If your church and/or preacher is being investigated  by the IRS

Some of you are laughing or saying to yourselves that these things are made up.  Actually, these are things that take place in churches that some people I know go to.

People will question their leaders all the time.  We question scholastic leaders (teachers), we question our bosses at work.  We even question the leader of our country who resides on Pennsylvania avenue.   We won’t question our religious leaders though, even though we are instructed to.  The Bible Book of Matthew 7 warns to “beware of the false prophet.”  How do you know he’s a false prophet unless you question what he does?

If you feel something isn’t right, ask.  Don’t be afraid to speak up.  I don’t remember reading about Jesus ever turning someone away when they wanted to know more.  I also don’t remember Jesus ever being adorned in the most expensive clothes or drinking from cups made of gold.  I guess times have changed; some preachers need luxury cars and private planes.

And you wonder why you’ve had a building fund for years, but the roof still leaks?

What are your thoughts?  Feel free to comment.

Dance After Dark

DANCE AFTER DARK
DJ Freedom’s latest greatest featuring BIG ROOM ANTHEMS.

“Big Room Anthems” are songs made for the dancefloor of a full scale nightclub. Venues in NYC like Pacha, in South Beach like Cameo or in Vegas like-like any hotel with a nightclub really-feature these songs.
My versions on these songs is meant to feature the best parts of the songs. I don’t get into the WORDS a lot but they are there to guide the original vision of the song, and the person who remixed it.
If you like the list and want the download (I don’t sell these) then you should send me a note.
There’s a SPECTACULAR jazz song at the end that I want you to go to giantstep.net and buy…it is so well done and emotive I thought for those of you who LOVE music you’ll dig on this one.

Until next time…stay in tune!

BIG ROOM ANTHEMS | PART ONE

1) Love Songs (Bimbo Jones Dub) -
2) Did You See Me Coming – Pet Shop Boys
3) We Are Golden (Radio Edit Vs DJ Freedom’s Refix) – Mika
4) Sad Song (Jason Nevins Club Mix | FJ Dubout) – Blake Lewis
5) Smoke (Extended Mix) – Jus Jack With Phil Garant
6) Obsessed (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Mix) – Mariah Carey
7) Wake Up (Buzz Junkies Mix) – Sliimy
Fight For You (Beltek Mix) – Morgan Page
9) I Gotta Feeling (David Guetta Remix | FJ Dubout) – Black Eyed Peas
10) Down (Club Remix) – Sean Feat Lil Wayne
11) Use Somebody (Club Remix) – Kings Of Leon
12) Bad Romance – Lady Gaga (FreeMix)
13) Dollhouse – Priscilla Renea (FreeMix Reprise style)
14) Turn It Out – Altar and Jeanie Tracy
15) Shoes (Green Velvet Remix) – Tiga
16) Be Alright (Perry Twins Los Angeles & Demons Mix) – Kristine W
17) Shoes (Electro-fied Remix by Lanzamientos) – Tiga

HUSTLE TO THE NEW DISCO | PART TWO

18) Get It Shawty (Moto Blanco Radio Remix) – Lloyd
19) Red (Moto Blanco Club Remix) – Daniel Merriweather
20) Outta Here (Moto Blanco Club Remix) – Esmee Denters
21) Let Me Show You (Moto Blanco Remix) – K-Klass
22) Generation Noise (Twocker Remix) Laidback Luke Featuring Boogshe
23) I Call It Love (Moto Blanco Remix) – Lionel Richie
24) Let Freedom Think About It (Free*Beats) – Ida Corr
25) Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix) – The Ting Tings
26) Gypsy (Laidback Luke Gypsy Woman Remix) – Steve Angello
27) Hotel California (Latino Guitar Mix) – Eagles
28) Time After Time (Tommy Trash Club Mix) – Soul Central Feat Abigail Bailey
29) Whatcha Think About That (Starz Angels Remix) – Pussycat Dolls Feat Missy Elliot
30) SPECIAL CLOSER: No Worries – Robert Glasper (Special thanks to GIANT STEP ON THIS ONE!)

DJ Freedom | Music Scientist…Rhythm & Soul Productions
(917) 405-4423 | Freedom@socialtravelers.net
www.facebook.com/freedom.us
www.myspace.com/rsmf

I was reading Single Black Male today (singleblackmale.net; a good read) and it made me think of an argument I saw not too long ago.  There were two young women and one man that looked like he’d much rather be somewhere else.  From what I could gather, one woman was the girlfriend, the other the side piece, and they were fighting over who got the right to call him their man.

I couldn’t help but think that he broke one or more of the side piece rules somewhere.   Did he make her feel too special?  Did he pour out his heart to her? I don’t know.  But he did something wrong.

But that made me think more.  If you apply the Six Sigma philosophy of the “5 Whys” (ask why 5 times and you usually get to the root cause), you get to the foundation of the matter.  If so many guys are following the side piece rules, why do so many guys get caught?

I know I addressed how to manage a side piece in one of my earlier posts (“Something On The Side”), but maybe I gave you guys too much credit.  I assumed you knew how to get a side piece the right way in the first place.

(Note: again, I do not advocate having a side piece.  If you have a monogamous relationship, stay true to it.  But if you’re going to cheat, dammit, do it right.)

If you don’t get a side piece the right way, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Just like the House of Quality (for some reason, I’m on my Six Sigma today) if you don’t have a solid foundation, the house will collapse.

So I’m going to give you 3 rules that help form the “Side Piece Rules of Engagement.”  They will guide you into getting a side piece the right way.  After that, proper management of the side piece should be a snap. As the late Biggie Smalls said,

I been in this game for year, it made me a animal

It’s rules to this sh*t, I wrote me a manual

A step-by-step booklet for you to get

Your game on track, not your wig pushed back

1 . The Rule of Opposites

Fellas, if you are going to have a side piece, you have to be willing to explore the spectrum of women out there.  Yes, you may have to go outside of your normal comfort zone or race to find a safe side piece.  You are not looking for a soul mate (that’s some bullsh*t anyway) or someone to call your lady; you already have your main girl for that.

Your side piece must be the opposite of your main girl.  If your lady is a diva that needs to get her hair and nails done every week, get a cute ass tomboy that likes sports. If your lady is an ebony soul sista, you should be looking for Pamela Anderson.

(Another note: Pamela Anderson is a fine white woman.  I’d tag that and write an article about it in Essence for all of you to read).

The reason is they are less likely to have the same interests or the same circle of friends.  Just like in math, you want to decrease the probability that Circle A will intersect with Circle B.  You might have to listen to some groups like Nickleback (actually, they’re not that bad) and go to the movies to see some stupid sh*t like Saw VI, but you probably won’t run into your girlfriend while you’re out either.

2.  “Something To Lose” Rule

Whenever possible, get a side piece that has something to lose to.  That means she is in a long-term relationship of her own or is married.  She will be less likely to catch feelings or grab your cell phone and call wifey.  Plus, she already has a man, so she is looking for something on the side herself that doesn’t have commitments.  That’s a win-win.

3.  30 Minute Rule

This rule is very important, probably the most important of any of the side piece rules. If you meet a side piece, no matter how fine she is, no matter how big her ass is, she must live at least 30 minutes away from home base. Minimum.  No one said having a side piece was going to be convenient, but again, the goal is not to get caught.  You don’t want to be out with wifey and bump into the side piece at the supermarket.

In my post “The Mission”, Greenbacker commented that he flew about 2 hours to meet an old side piece.  That’s planning for your ass right there!

You will have to take the side piece out for drinks, to a movie, etc., so you need to be smart about it.  Unless you live in rural America, there is plenty to do by your house, so you and your main lady probably stay local unless you’re planning something special.  In most cases, you probably don’t go more than 30 minutes from home base, especially if you live in or near a big city.  So local isn’t an option for having a side piece.

Another advantage is that the side piece isn’t likely drive 30 minutes from her house to make a surprise trip.  She’s likely to call first to make sure you’ll be there, so you can have your alibi ready.

Again, I don’t condone cheating, but if you have ever had an experience like ol’ boy in the argument, you’re f*ckin’ it up for everybody.  Keep these rules in your wallet and refer to them often if you’re going to have a side piece.

Feel free to comment.

Columbia Sportswear Women’s The Halftime Hustle Interchange Review

Feature

• Shell: 100% Polyester Ultra Storm Lite¿ Dp. Lining: 100% Polyester Luxe¿ Satin. Liner: 80% Recycled Polyester, 20% Polyester 360G Mtr¿ Fleece. Lining: 100% Polyester Chamois Touch¿ Tricot (Sleeves). Insulation: Faux Down (Vest).
• Omni-shield = water and stain advanced repellency.
• Zip-in interchange system; insulated; recycled fleece liner
• Na
• Vietnam

Overview
You can change up your gear at a moment’s notice with the Columbia® Halftime Hustle™ women’s interchangeable jacket. It features a removable fleece liner that can be worn on its own or with the shell vest for enhanced protection from the environment. The liner is constructed using 80% recycled polyester fibers to create an eco-friendly garment.
Specifications

Nov 04, 2009 11:00:32

I’m writing this to you from Canada, so I guess I should start with “Aye”.  Business trip.  The traveling isn’t anything new, but I haven’t been to Canada in a while, it was nice to go back.  I’m in Mississauga, about 20 minutes or so  outside of Toronto.

It’s nice “north of the border”  and they say it’s different from life in the States.

I caught a cab from the airport to my hotel from my Indian cabbie.  I understood about every third or fourth word but he was nice.  We talked about my trip, how long I’d be staying, and recommendations for a few good restaurants to try.  I reach my hotel to find a crew of Asian deskclerks, which because the hotel was new, were only too happy to help me, almost harassing.

As I check in, the Hispanic looking woman from housekeeping confirms to the deskclerk that my room is cleaned and ready.  Thanks.  I hate a dirty room.

My co-workers took a later flight, so I had some time to myself.  I decided to take a walk to the convenience store a few blocks away to get a few items.

The Korean store owners smiled nicely as I walked around the store for my spray starch, bottled water, and bubble gum.  I decided to bypass the skin magazines and the bootlegged DVDs and CDs.  Gotta pay with cash, card not accepted.  As I make my way towards the exit, I notice the store owners seem a little more at ease.

I walked by a small stand where an African gentleman was selling sunglasses.  They looked like some cheap knockoffs, but you can’t knock him for trying.  The warm greeting “Nice eh’, my friend” doesn’t phase me.  I keep it moving.

About a block up, I approach a few of the “block boys” dressed in baggy jeans, Timberlands and hoodies.  No words were exchanged between us; just a “whats’ up” head nod as I passed by.  Keep a sharp eye out…just in case.

It’s a little cold and rainy today, so I dipped into Starbucks to grab a small coffee.  Old, white lady, you don’t have to grip your purse as  I walk by.  I just want a coffee.  Can’t believe I’m getting this overpriced bullsh*t, but it’s cold.

Time to head back to the hotel.  I’m passing by a Popeye’s and peer through the large glass widows.  There’s a little bit of every type in there.   I guess everyone loves greasy fried food.

I’m almost at the hotel.  As I pass the office building next to my hotel, I notice it’s empty, except for a few mannequins in the lobby.  I ask the kind young lady behind the desk about it and she tells me the business that used to be there closed down because they couldn’t get any business.  About 200 people out of work.

I guess things aren’t so different over here after all.  All around the world,  same song…

Feel free to comment.

Self Gained Treasures have released a load of new t-shirt designs! Here’s a message from them…

Available as of the evening of Wednesday 28^th October. Limited to 25 pieces. XXL already sold out! Sweater & T-shirt included in the package.

The t-shirt and sweatshirt package is £110 but these are really exclusive!

Click here to visit the T.Magic site

-  Graeme Day

There is no denying that Urban Desi producers Kray Twinz have developed an enormous fan base with their sick beats and collaborations with artist like Twista.

Well now it looks like the boys feel like giving back to their fans. They are offering a mixtape for free download on their Web site ( http://www.kraytwinz.com/ ). The mixtape even includes their new single “Hustle” featuring Sway and Jags Soul Singer, as well as an exclusive remix of “What We Do” featuring Cecile.

Check out the teaser for their mixtape below and tell us what you think. If you have listened to the new single, drop your comments.