WTFIT!?

My New Best Friend

2007-11-21T15:07:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_nZhHx-DfY

Word from Colombia -- Politics and Butt Demons

2007-11-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

A friend of ours is doing some major good-karma work in Colombia and files regular dispatches to all her friends that are pretty incredible, both on the humanitarian struggles (heartwrenching) and the cultural peculiarities (hilarious). Here's the latest: it's long and it's worth it.

November 10, 2007

Hi all, or, I should say, ¿Que 'ubo? which means literally, "what
was there?" but it's used as a greeting and is more adequately
translated "what's up?". Either way it's better than the other
interrogating salutation which they often use here: "¿Que has hecho?"
which means "what have you done?" to which I immediately feel guilty.
People say it so nicely in a sing-song voice accompanied by a kiss on
the cheek: "what have you done?" but of course I can't help but think
they are saying it because they think I've done something bad which of
course I haven't. Never. The other good greetings here include ¿Como
te vas?/how do you go? and ¿Que mas?/what else? Silly languages.

Sorry it's been a little while since I last wrote you all. I just got
done with several months of a really intense work schedule which has
left my intestines in a bit of a wreck as well as my ability to make
sentences in both Spanish and English. So much has happen since I
last wrote that I'm not exactly sure where to start…but one issue that
that has been rolling around in my brain over the past few months is
how and why people are displaced.

So let's talk a bit about internal displacement. Internal displacement
in not some special academic or psychological term for when you lose
your keys inside your house (or in my case, inside your pocket), but
instead refers to when people are forcibly displaced within their
country. The Sudan was number one for quite a few years in terms of
the number of internally displaced people, but this year it was passed
up by Colombia who now has nearly 4 million internally displaced
persons. Yeah--Colombia wins yet again!

One exemplary case of why Colombia wins the gold for displacement
these days is in La Guajira, a Colombian department (state or
providence) that is on the Caribbean coast, bordering Venezuela. La
Guajira is often seen as the Wild West of Colombia, due to it's desert
climate, lots of people with guns, and it's general history of
lawlessness. Oh, and there's lots of contraband there, but I digress.
La Guajira has Colombia's largest indigenous group, the Wayuu. And
if that didn't make La Guajira lucky enough, it is also super rich in
mining resources and has the world's largest open pit coal mine, the
Cerrejon mine.

As often happens when there's money to be made and poor people
standing in the way of those profits, in August of 2001 Colombian
authorities and the Cerrejon mine officials forcibly displaced the
community of Tabaco. The mine wanted the land, so they pushed the
people off, what's the big deal? Well, the Tabaco families repeatedly
refused to sell their land to the mine (at that time partially owned
by the U.S. corporation Exxon), as they are entitled to do. So the
mine got fed up and came in with tear gas, batons, and the Colombian
armed forces and bulldozed the houses, beat up people (resulting in
several deaths), and left the whole place looking like a hurricane had
just hit.

The people of this village continued to say NO, and maintained that it
was their land and that the mine couldn't have it; yet when someone
comes in and kills your family members and demolishes your house it is
kind of hard to continue to stay there. Thus displacement. The land
where Tabaco was is now completely underground, mined due to the
insatiable demand for coal. The people of Tabaco continue to demand
justice and relocation while suffering from hunger due to living
somewhere where they don't have land to farm and there's little or no
work. Other communities are in danger of being displaced due to mine
expansion, most likely not with bulldozers but instead by slowly
isolating these agricultural communities by cutting off
transportation, clean water supplies, and access to markets. It's the
"smoke them out of their hole" method. Apparently when you bulldoze
peoples' houses you get bad press.

That's one example.

Example two: Urabá is a region of Colombia up near the Panamanian
border. It's a super-biodiverse, resource-rich region which is
primarily inhabited by Afro-Colombians. Well, at least it was until
there was massive displacement of the people there in the late 90's.
A paramilitary and government joint plan, called Operation Genesis,
was carried out to displace the people (again, primarily
Afro-Colombians but also indigenous and campesino/small-scale farmers
as well). These legal and illegal forces pulled together to rape and
pillage communities, spreading terror, leaving massacres in their
path. Everyone fled, first to the nearest small town, then to the
nearest city. In one case, there was such massive displacement that
they had to cram hundreds of people in to the Turbo Coliseum (a
massive covered stadium similar to the Superdome stadium in New
Orleans) where people lived for three years.

And why bother massively killing Afro-Colombians people in no man's
land Colombia? I mean jeez, there aren't even roads in this water rich
jungle for heaven's sake. Why did the armed forces and paramilitaries
think it was worth massacring villages and cutting people up with
chain saws? It's simple really: corporate interests. Corporations
were and are interested in having the land to cultivate oil palm, also
know as African palm, but it's such a nasty nasty product that has
caused so much death and destruction that African descendents have
rightfully rejected calling it something that correlates it to Africa.

Oil palm is a major export for things such as soaps, cosmetics,
and…drum roll please…. Biofuels! Once they had displaced the people
they waited a few years (as not to be TOO obvious) and then planted
the lands with oil palm. The land rights continue to be in dispute
and some of the most amazing people I've ever met continue to fight
for their right to their land and to return to their land despite the
fact that they are being targeted (as in threatened, killed, and
terrorized) for doing so. As one of them said to me while out there
recently, "We are campesinos. If we don't have land, we have nothing."

You're saying, "yes, I know it's sad, poor people
struggling for their rights, displacement, poverty, yadda yadda, I
have to go to work/school/band practice/watch the OC and this email is
way too long". But I promise I'll tie it all together (and give you a
funny Colombian story at the end, but no fast forwarding). There's a
reason we should look at the past, sigh, cry, burn a candle, talk to a
crystal, and then look at what's happening now and (surprise
surprise), it is closely linked to U.S. policy (eh ehm, U.S. citizens
take note – a.k.a. action).

Buenaventura is an industrial port city with about 300,000 people,
again, mostly Afro-Colombians on the Pacific coast. Buenaventura has
been plagued with very high homicide rates, nearly reaching Baghdad
levels at points (over 400 reported so far this year). The violence
has been painted as being due to conflict over territory between
narcotrafficking gangs, urban militias, guerrilla groups, and
paramilitaries. Government officials and the media have wanted to
explain the horribly violent situation as a bunch of crazy young
Afro-descendent criminals that are killing each other and that there's
nothing to be done, as if it was an isolated, unexplainable incident.

And in a way we could say the situation facing Buenaventura is similar
to other places as well – the southside Chicago, New Orleans, etc.,
places where there are high levels of violence, Black people, very
little state investment, and poor development plans leading to no real
economic advancement of these communities.
Other than that we live in racist societies, why would there be no
investment in these primarily Afro communities? In the case of
Buenaventura it appears that the government is intentionally
neglecting the community in order to clear the land for port
expansion. If the living conditions and/or the violence is
unbearable, people will leave, which equals cheap sea-front property.

As one woman told me, "To get water, people have to walk to the other
side of the neighborhood with buckets. And even then the water is only
available every once and a while. All the roads, bridges, and houses
were built by the community. There's no investment here." Another
woman who was displaced from her original community noted, "the
programs for displaced people do not work here. I've filed all the
paperwork, but they won't give me anything. There's no work, how am I
supposed to feed my children?"

Almost everyone we talked to in one neighborhood had a family member
killed by one of the armed groups. According to the police, the
homicide rate has nearly decreased by half. According to human rights
organizations working in the various neighborhoods the murders
continue at the same rate, however now when they kill people they cut
them up, put them in garbage bags, throw them in the ocean and then
threaten the family, saying that if they speak out about it and/or try
to recover the body of their dead family member, they will be the next
victim. The first person to try and recuperate one of the bodies was
then killed. So the tactic worked. Now the families don't report the
killings out of fear.

The only real visible state investment in Buenaventura appears to be
the massive military and police investment, however, the violence has
continued unabated and in many cases communities complain of
harassment and violence by the police. The lack of development
combined with the inability of the public forces to stop the violence
all seem a bit fishy to me. One way to look at it is that the land
where these impoverished communities live is wanted to expand the port
and it's cheaper to do that if you don't have people there. So let
those gangs just kill each other off and we won't have this person
problem on the land that is wanted for port expansion.

The expansion of the port is very closely linked to U.S. policy
interests in the region. Although the Colombia–U.S. free trade
agreement is not likely to be voted on in the near future, there are
still preparations being made to construct the port after the free
trade agreement is signed (let's not kid ourselves, folks, no matter
what Hillary says, the democrats will sign pretty much every free
trade agreement sooner or later). The U.S. wants to have more
U.S.-based corporate investment in Colombia. So does the Colombian
government. But at what cost? At the cost of the communities that live
on the edge of this port who are now seeing their young people
assassinated daily and their bodies cut up and thrown into the ocean?
Is that the kind of economic development we want to promote?

Port expansion does not have to be a bad thing. It's how it's done
where lies the issue. If there was actual community consultation
about the process and attendance to the needs of the people of
Buenaventura – completely superfluous things such as drinkable water,
employment, roads, sewage systems, etc.- the expansion of the port
could be somewhat of a good thing if that's what the community wants.

The U.S. is promoting a model of economic development that encourages
and supports displacing people through the use of violence, terror,
and lack of adequate infrastructure development. U.S. corporations,
which essentially run the U.S. Congress, are the ones that will be
benefiting from this economic model that is based on the use of
violence for profit. I'm not advocating that we close our borders and
turn our backs on globalization but instead that we have economic
trade policies that are based on people – not corporate profit.
Policies that actually have peoples' input and not just a bunch of
war-mongering greedy corporations. Seriously, it's possible, so if
you run into any U.S. lawmakers tell them to get a grip and stop these
dangerous free trade agreements. And to throw in some more aid for
displaced people in Colombia while they are at it.

Okay, the rant is over.

And so I don't only leave you with just sad stories about how
corporate capitalistic interests are ruining the world, here's a funny
Colombian custom. And by funny I mean really weird. Colombians have a
lot of strange rules about warm and cold. For example, you don't want
to eat a cold fruit in the morning and they aren't talking about
temperature but about fruit "energy". Any drastic switch in
temperature should be avoided at all costs and the idea of being in a
sauna and then immediately going in to cold water is sufficient to
nearly kill you according to the Colombian hot/cold gods. But my
favorite is how this is dealt with on public buses. Pretty much all
public transportation here is super duper crowded and public bus
drivers drive like maniacs, but that's besides the point. When
someone gets up from a seat, the next person to sit in that seat
CANNOT immediately sit down. Of course not, the seat is still warm,
right? Apparently if you trap someone else's butt heat in the seat and
in your pants it'll upset your inner temperature, so people rush to
the seat, often pushing old men and pregnant women out of the way to
take the seat, and then proceed to hover above the seat for 30 seconds
to let the previous ass demons out.

Hope you're all well and let me know what you're all up to (as in,
¿Que has hecho/What Have You Done?!?!?!)

Lots o love,

[Redacted for our buddy's safety]

Hot product placement

2007-08-31T13:37:00.001-07:00

New icons..

2007-07-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

i've been working on some new annoying gifs....

these shouldn't cause a seizure or anything...
haha

At the KCPD gun range....

2007-06-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Follow a two-lane road just off I-70 and Manchester Trafficway for a few miles and you’ll pass the regular Missouri roadside sights: an old, rickety railroad trellis, treadless tires and trash ditched on the side of the road, butterflies and wasps buzzing in the grasses – and a bunch of Kansas City, Missouri police officers blowing some paper targets into oblivion.
Yesterday afternoon, Sergeant Ward Smith, the Firearms Training Section Supervisor, instructed 20 KCPD officers as they fired shots from their new AR-15 semiautomatic rifles at targets 50 yards away. While I was there, the cops practiced firing from a prone position, laying in the grass like snipers. I asked one how it was going. He replied, “It’s hot.”
The cops – twenty out of 120 that will be trained in the new gun by the end of the summer – had to spend their own $1000 to buy the rifle if they wanted one. But I got to try one out for free.
I’m not gonna lie. My heart was pounding when Smith handed over the AR-15 and told me to aim the crosshairs at a target 25 yards away. Rather than a paper X, my target was a metal bust of a man’s head and shoulders that looked tiny compared to the heavy, black gunmetal in my hands. My first shot made a puff in the dirt at the same time as the smell of gunpowder hit my nose. My second shot made that little metal bust sway back and forth with the impact. Even with ear protection on, it sounded as though a cherry bomb went off next to my head.
I couldn’t have been more excited if I had knocked an armed insurgent off a galloping goat at 300 yards. Which is exactly what members of our armed forces are doing with guns very similar to the cops’ new AR-15s. In fact, some officers had to wait while their guns were on backorder as manufacturers sent parts overseas (the upper and lower receivers, for those who know what the hell that means). The bullets are also military-grade and were backordered until recently from Shore Galleries Inc. in Lincolnwood, Illinois.
Smith was quick to correct the misconception that the department approved the AR-15 for its officers in order to match the firepower of the average 16-year-old drug dealer on the street.
“I don’t want it characterized as an arms race with the criminal element,” Smith told me. “Truth be told, you can get an AK or SKS on the street for $100. With these guns we are addressing that in a secondary way.”
The AR-15s will be useful for a situation when an officer doesn’t want to get as close to an armed suspect as he or she would have to be to use a handgun, but requires more precision than the department-issue shotgun could provide. The shotgun is primarily brought out for its psychological impact, Smith says, but the trigger is rarely pulled. “People understand that everything in front of it is going to disintegrate and disappear.”
Officers are limited to 20- to 30-round clips. While bigger ones are available, Smith says, “Over 30 doesn’t sent the right message.” The gun will be stored in a locked case in the truck of an officer’s car unless it’s in use. “You’re not there to look cool with it,” Smith says. “It’s equipment. It’s like getting issued a new Crown Vic. You don’t go driving around town doing 120 (miles per hour) just because you can.”
Hopefully the KCPD’s officers will use their new toys responsibly. Because if I could hit a target with one, anyone can.

just be ya self

2007-06-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Guru's Jazzmatazz ft. Common & Bob James - State of Clarity

Pictures from the 7th Annual 18th Street Fashion Show!

2007-06-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

I hope for this first model's sake that this was fake hair?
And dig the little pinky-bald head in every shot...the real star of the show....

Tittsworth photos

2007-06-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

peep the event photos from the night

click above...

Q and A with DJ Tittsworth

2007-06-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Q: I'm sure a lot of local DJs and musicians around here would love to
> know the secret to national notoriety. What did it for you -- the
> mixtapes? The collaborations? The live show?

A: it was the sum of many things, the major ones being:

1. timing. a couple years after i started experimenting with (baltimore)
club music, it started getting international attention. credit is
definitely due to hollertronix and many others. so i'm not saying produce
club music specifically, but do consider the social context of what you do.
2. i was initially known for bootleg vinyl and mp3 remixes so being a
producer was critical (in my case). initially promoters have been surprised
that i could actually dj as well as i can!
3. having said that, djing is also important. you can have great timing
and records but ppl aren't going to (re-)book you if you trainwreck!

other tips that i learned:
- in the beginning, don't be afraid to give you music out! i was so
concerned about leaking tunes and exclusivity, when in actuality that stuff
really isn't important until so much later.
- develop a critical attention to detail. study everything, painfully. why
did this remix get 23 replies and why did the next only get 5? what type of
tune does the floor seem to enjoy the most (what genre, what time period,
what geographical location)?
- spend as much time as you humanly can to be the best at what you do!

>Q: Do you think that where you
live (like, what part of the country you live in) has a lot to do with
how big you can blow up?

A: ultimately i am the product of my environment, so living near b-more and dc
has an incredible influence on who i am musically. having said that, my
whole take on the situation was that i was a dc kid, writing b-more music
with a dance music background. so i am living proof that environment is
important, but by no means the essential. i think ultimately that having a
unique voice is key. there are plenty of people killing it for (b-more)
club that aren't from here- diplo (FL/philly), sinden (uk), bird peterson
(tx), etc.

Q:How did you catch the eye (ear) of magazines
like Urb?

A: i guess i'll never be certain, as i don't have a publicist at the moment,
nor did i ever officially start reaching out to urb, xlr8r, etc. they took
an interest in what i do and for that i am grateful. if i had to guess i
think it would be because the genre is very hot at the moment and also i am
approaching things a bit differently so the music comes out sounding.. well,
"tittsworth!"

party with those you like....

2007-05-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Are we bored at the Peanut on Sundays?

2007-05-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Or is this just a bad case of the "itis" haha

these ladies didn't have what they had...

Cinco de Gyno

2007-05-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, Club Korruption, how you fail to impress.

We went to Korruption in the West Bottoms AGAIN on Friday night (incidentally, Cinco de Mayo, aka Mexican St Patrick's Day) in the hopes that it would be the party that matched its overblown MySpace bulletins. ("Biggest dance party ever! You'll sweat through your shirt!!!")

We played some pool, drank some margaritas. We made our own fun, don't get me wrong. But the owners of the bar, well, they worry me.

First of all, one of the owner's friends, a roundish guy who was playing pool next to us, was wearing this shirt that read, "I'm not a Gynocologist, but I'll take a look." Step aside, Dean Martin -- we've got a real gentleman here!

Secondly, the Corazon tequila girls were in attendance, and handed out free keychains. You know what? I don't have a problem with that. Never mind where I was going with that. Advance apologies to whomever gets regifted this second-rate tequila keychain...with love from me.

But thirdly, as he was closing up shop, the owner (the not-Gary owner...I like Gary...I think) announced loudly to the room, "Okay everyone, last call. Everyone must get out. The only people who can stay are the people who know what my bathroom at home looks like." He gave a hint: his bathroom has just been remodeled. The look on his face indicated that he was going to enjoy this game immensely. Owning a bar must be far better for getting chicks than simply being the Guy With Coke.

And get this: there were chicks at the bar actually guessing about this fat old man's bathroom for the privelage of staying with him in the empty ballroom of Korruption. Is that really a prize? These girls were really, really trying to be right, guessing about fixtures and stuff. I was at the bar waiting for my tab, so I took a shot.

"Porcelain dildos affixed to the shower walls?"

Just kidding...

But seriously....I do like Korruption...it's like there's a voodoo curse on that dance floor, though. It's a no-man's land. No shirts were sweat-ed through...which is too bad, because I really needed to see that Gynocologist shirt switched out.

Westport Mushroom Angel

2007-04-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

Who does this? We approve.

All Hail the Mighty Ezekiel

2007-04-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

This cat can solve America's obesity problems, because it eats fat kids.

We're not worried about Oklahoma's killer bees. Because Zeke EATS BEES.

(I think you see where this is going.)

Tainted cat food? Zeke watched the other household cats keel over from the poison, nudged them and said, "You gonna eat that?"

Zeke almost got run over by a car once. Except the car that hit Zeke required metal detectors to pick up the pieces that were later sold for scrap.

When Zeke coughs up hairballs, they are placed strategically along I-70 and billboards are erected declaring "World's Largest Ball of Twine."

Let's not talk about the litterbox. Kay? Kay.

Feel Sexy One Year Anniversary!

2007-04-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was the one year anniversary of our favorite monthly activity, Miles Bonny's Feel Sexy night at the Hangout (didja get that from the title of this post??). Miles was a little eager on account of having DJ'd for the cosmetics counter of Nordstrom's for six hours prior -- really.

So by the time that he actually had a willing, excited and non-octagenarian audience to jam with him, well, he was READY.

And KISSING PEOPLE.

And by people, I mean girls. Girls who are his friends. Don't get any ideas here. The guy's expecting a baby, c'mon.

As a special treat, the Hangout's plumbing was functioning. Thanks, Tony. You're so kind.

But boy, this crowd was on his level, putting up with everything he had to dish out.

For instance....

He played a song that sampled Chris Rock saying, "Women will dance to the NASTIEST SHIT." And then the song went, "Smackemwithadick, smacksmackemwithadick."

And we danced.

Miles? You are loved.

DJ Brain Mix

2007-04-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

I was on myspace when DJ Brain from Switzerland sent me a mix of somee underground hip-hop goodness. I dug it..maybe you will too. Enjoy

DJ BRAIN MIX

More KC raps!

2007-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Vert's Verse

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Qan Verse

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Anti-Crew

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New Raps!

2007-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

Qan Verse

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Anti-Crew

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Rapping Lucid

2007-03-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Lucid raps KC shuffle verse

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SIKENOMICS is starting a new ad campaign with emcees. This is the 1st installment.

Behind the scenes Phenom Shoot

2007-03-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Ron Berg did a spiffy photoshoot for the new Phenom ad campaign.

stay tuned for the final pics! here are a couple behind the scene shots

Event Recap and Photos

2007-03-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

The weekend of the 16th 17th and 18th of March has been and intense party weekend.
Especially for a laid back place like KC. Not only was St. Patty's day wild and crazy in mid-town with hordes of suburban "Irish" descending on the Westport area, the Hip-Hop shows this weekend were on point as well.
I only went to three. The Innate Sounds Party / Feel Sexy and Hip-Hop and Hotwings.

The Innate Sounds show was off the hook. It's great to see the Record Bar packed for a hip-hop event. I doesn't happen enough to be honest. And if acts like Stik Figa, Miles Bonny and CES CRU keep up the great live performances there should be no reason for an empty room when they are on the bill.

Feel Sexy was extra sexy this last Saturday...once again party people in the place to be. And this time without the weirdo element or pseudo thug atmosphere. It was one of the better Feel Sexys. Miles can't go wrong with a Dre / Snoop / Dogg Pound / Nate Dogg / Warren G / Game / Devin the Dude medley.

The Peanut on Sundays has been on point recently as well. Lots of new faces and great music again. The weekend before last Reach brought in Kev Brown and friends and it was a bangin' show! Kev Brown composed a beat right in front of us while local MCs got down on the freestyle tip tradin' 16 bars. After the show there was a line of rappers who looked as if they were about to whip out their credit card to cop the beat Kev Brown made that night. Hahaha. I can only imagine how that conversation would have gone down.

Nadia sums it up nicely on the Pitch Blog

Joc Max is now a regular at the Peanut upstairs with Miles. B-boy take turns on the floor when there is an opening from girls dancing. Or when a classic break can't be resisted.

I've put together a new flickr account with pics from the weekend.
CLICK HERE FOR PIX

What army is this?

2007-03-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

please comment away...

Remember the Gnotorious

2007-03-09T12:29:00.001-08:00

Style Freeks at Skybox

2007-02-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

So last Saturday we had a fashion show that wasn't really a fashion show. Everyone wore Style gear but there was no runway. There was a soul train line, lots of dancing, and a random fight (between hoes we don't knows) in which a gross chunk of hair ended up in the middle of the dance floor. I think Dara did the honors and picked it up with a napkin. Anyway, Ataxic's mixes were fresh and the drinks were cold and Ajia showed off her new ring and her new fiance. Good times.

New Sikenomics Clothing ad campaign

2007-02-21T21:54:00.000-08:00

click the image above to see it in action!

Pictures from KC's World of Wheels auto show, Feb. 18

2007-02-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Big Brother is Watching You

2007-02-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

You guys...you totally have to try this...you enter in your phone number at this site and they can totally zero in with a satellite to wherever your phone is. It's super scary, try it out:

www.phonetrace.org

Chipotle is NOT GOOD FOR YOU

2007-02-09T12:31:00.000-08:00

See that 1125 number down there? I tried to cut and paste my nutritional info from the last meal I ate here. Normally I like to keep my food far away from math but I was kinda curious about how many calories are in a vegitarian Chipotle burrito after reading an article about the bozos who are on heavily calorie-restricted diets. Apparently, in a study, lab rats who weren't allowed to eat very much survived like five years longer than fat, happy rats, and therefore some scientists believe starvation must be the fountain of youth.

I know I can't get down with starvation (no Olson Twin) but I'd rather not look like Rosie O'Donnell when I die, so I checked out the calorie content of my Chipotle, which is currently gurgling in my stomach. P.S. I get the veggie Chipotle because then guacamole isn't extra and guac is more important to me than meat. So if I had had meat in my burrito it prolly would have exceeded the daily caloric intake of all the inhabitants of some sub-Saharan countries. Either way, dude, 1125 calories is like more than half of the calories you're supposed to absorb ALL DAY. Just call me Rosie.

Chipotle Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Burrito


Amount Per Serving

Calories 1125	Calories from Fat 459

% DV*

Total Fat 51g

Saturated Fat 18.5g

Cholesterol 70mg

Sodium 2928mg

Total Carbohydrate 133g

Dietary Fiber 15.5g

Sugars 7g

Protein 34g


Vitamin A 65%

Vitamin C 54%

Calcium 54%

Iron 30%

Chipotle'>http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator">Chipotle

Back at the Peanut

2007-02-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of fun to be had at the Peanut these days...if these guys don't make you wanna come by....check out the other pics>> Hip-Hop KC

To My Valentine

2007-02-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

I love you like a rap kid loves breaks.

I love you like a fat kid loves cake.

I love you like a sneakerhead loves Bapes.

I love you like a superhero loves capes.

I love you like an interior decorator loves drapes.

I love you like an art student loves shapes.

I love you like a wino loves grapes.

I love you like a Walkman loves tapes.

I love you like a pothead loves papes.

I love you like a French chef loves crepes.

What you missed at last night's Hater's Ball

2007-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last night changed our lives forever.
It was, perhaps, the best night that has ever occurred.
On the planet.
First of all, there was something about the lighting at the Record Bar. It was as though we were all being filmed with a soap opera lens. It was like everyone who came through the doors of the RB became smokin-hot, superhero versions of themselves. It was, like, everything we could do not to make out with each other. In fact, all the Stylegirls did.

One of the owners, Shawn Sherril, was in a grr-eat mood. He was passing out free drinks around his bar like it was water. Marcus from the Soul Servers was there, holding a bottle of Patron in one hand and a bottle of Grand Marnier in the other, just alternating sips. I don't know if Shawn won the lottery or what, because he was just giving away the house. I think I heard him say something about the Roman Numerals winning a Grammy.

Anyway, then Shawn had the chefs in the kitchen make this giant pizza, it was like 10 feet across, and in the middle of it was a giant SIKE tag written in pepperoni. I wish I'd gotten a picture of it, but it was so good that we pretty much demolished it before I could get my camera out. I'm still full.

Then, he gave everyone shares of Apple stock.

The music that Sike and Nest and DJ Jah spun ended up having some kind of supernatural effect, because who walked through the door, but Stevie Wonder. He said that he could just tell that really great music was being played somewhere, so he ordered his private pilot to fly him to the location of the greatest DJ set in history, and lo and behold, there he was on our dance floor. That dude can cut a rug. You don't need eyes to do the percolator. You don't need sight to do one of those moves where you jump in the air and do the splits on the floor on the way down, and then jump right back up like you were attached to strings. No. Stevie Wonder proved that last night.

And then, the most amazing thing happened. The ghosts of Tupac and Biggie and Aliyah materialized in the middle of the dance floor. I think Jeff Buckley appeared with them, which I thought was weird, but I just figured maybe they all party together up in musician heaven. 'Cuz it's all good. Anyway they said the greatest vibe on earth was taking place right there, at the Record Bar, and they had to come see it for themselves because it was almost better than the concert going on in heaven at the moment. Which is crazy because they said James Brown and Miles Davis were up there jammin'.

Man, if you missed it, I just don't know what to tell you. You should probably just kill yourself. Because there's never gonna be a night as great as last night ever again.

Ugly Sweater Party

2007-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

There exists some impressively ugly knitwear out there, people.
Last Saturday night at Davies Uptown, the Kansas City Roller Warriors held a fundraising party and broke $3 bucks off your entry fee if you came in wearing something as putrid and fantastically passe as the little number pictured above. We witnessed a sweater that had some kind of knit dingleberries hanging off it and the words "VOGUE!" across it in purple. I think it was a cardigan. Bleh. There was actually an ugly sweater contest going on, and the winner was this dude wearing a sweater that looked like panels of stained glass, with sparkly details and more dingleberries, which are perhaps now, endangered, but were at one time prolific sweater-enhancers. Anyway, I don't know what that guy's prize was for having the ugliest sweater, but I hope he won matches and a metal trash can so that he can put it out of its sparkly misery.

This is what this week's gonna feel like

2007-01-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

A change coming to Westport

2007-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

The Westport VIP ent. company asked our homie Miles to spin at America's Pub last night. That's right. America's Pub. Yes that same place were you see tube tops and mini skirts stading in line with tall tees and striped shirts on the corner of Westport. The same place i thought i would never step foot in. EVER! But i have to admit that besides the bad "eagle" art and some busted TV screen walls...the place isn't that bad. At least when it's not packed with Westport's finest drunks and posers.
I met up with Dara and the Nads to check out what Miles was spinning and he was on point for sure. I started day dreaming of a place and time where the KC underground scene would seep into the mainstream and inject a lil "style" into the normal club dj routines. It would be refreshing to not have to party in a hole in the wall or dive bar to hear some dope music. Miles hopes to be able to avoid playing any song by anyone named "lil" or "Young". Lets hope that lasts. I think Wesport can get down to Stevie Wonder / Talib Kweli / the Neptunes and Chromeo for at least one night of the week. Westport VIP should stay the course and keep Miles...with a few more weeks of promotion the photographers won't have to bunch up the 5 random people at the bar and squeeze them together for a party shot to make the place look packed.
To read more about Miles in the Star click the link below.
MILES BONNY

Spring is coming...

2007-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

Someday....
It doesn't seem like it anytime soon...but this guy is ready for it!

Hip-Hop and Hot Wings and belly buttons and ass cracks.

2007-01-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the pic miles!

Thanks for the video Miles. Check out Milesbonny.com for more pics.

Tonight was some kid's 21st birthday at HH&HW, so Ashley, the bartender upstairs, was treating him right....by pouring shots of well vodka into her skinny skater boys' belly buttons as they laid on the bar...and then Birthday Boy would slurp the vodka out. It was a lot more Jackass than it was gay, I promise.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But for two seconds it did remind me of that scene in Hot Shots where Charlie Sheen is frying an egg on that chick's abs...but I digress...

So then, some dude tried to take it to another level, as skater boys are wont to do, by pulling his pants down and inserting a full shot of vodka so that it was triangulated between his two ass cheeks and his belt that he'd scootched to mid-ass. Just as Birthday Boy went in for his shot, teeth first, the guy kneeling on the bar stuck a hand behind him and mashed Birthday Boy's face into his butt. And just then, Adrienne walked in to settle her tab and was like.......WTFIT.

Ya'll Just Ain't Ready

2007-01-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

Gas Leak at Jilly's?

2007-01-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Seriously, call someone from MGE to go check that shit out, because people were acting inordinantly ar-tarded last night at Jilly's.

Me and Sike walk in, after seeing "Letters to Iwo Jima," dead sober, at like 11:20. Tactic's spinning. Great! But there's only like 30 people in the bar, and one squat girl dancing. When I say "dancing,' what I really mean is "stumbling to something that vaguely resembles a beat." Some guy trips past, walking as though he's got an anvil in one pocket, spilling a dollop of beer out of his plastic cup with every step, til one of his friends sits him down.

So naturally, we figure we need a drink. Two shots of patron and two Pabsts. The bartender, a really pretty brunette woman, serves us cheerily, but she's kind of got a Paula Abdul slurring thing going on, too. After our shot, she comes and grabs the salt shaker, and then, as if we still needed it, she's like, "Oops! It's right there. It's not going anywhere," and leaves it for us. Uhh, thanks.

Did you know Paula Abdul is Syrian and Jewish? Me neither. Ah, Wikipedia. Anyway.

So then this blond girl, who I found out later was a friend of Sike's ex, starts talking to him. I have a thing where I don't like it if people bust in and start talking to my boyfriend without at least acknowledging me first, if I'm standing right there, so I just ignore her and start surveying the room. I watch this dude nearly take out a table falling face first on the floor. What are these people drinking, arsenic? Lead paint chips mixed in antifreeze? Did Budweiser change the recipe to lithium instead of hops? WTF.

Next thing I know, Sike is PULLING me across the room, straight fleeing that blond girl who was talking to him, and she has this surprised look on her face. He goes for his usual people-are-freaking-me-out hideout, by the dj table. I go sit down in a booth. The blond girl is looking at me from across the room.

Sike's hideout isn't very effective, as two girls pounce on him, cornering him. He's holding his beer in front of him like it's some magic beacon that might ward off freaks. One of the girls is the drunk one from the dance floor and I realize she's Casey, this girl who used to work at Jilly's. Only she used to be cute. This is like the Back to the Future II version of Casey, when you realize that you fucked something up in the past and now the present is this twisted, sad version of itself. A version that drank too much Tussin.

Meanwhile, some girl in a booth is having her back rubbed by her friends and has her head in her hands. Oh god, I really don't want to see any puke.

Casey's going, "I looove you! I looooove you!" I'm considering saving Sike from these girls but I'm kind of amused by the torture, and just then, the blond girl from before has crossed the room and is right in front of me.

She introduces herself (she said a name but all I heard was "wonk wonk wonk") and says, "I used to be friends with (Sike's ex). I hope I didn't freak him out, I just, I'm really into astrology and I was trying to tell him that he's the ultimate Scorpio. See, if a scorpion is backed into a corner, it would rather sting itself to death than allow you to kill it. And Scorpios are really hard on themselves and they know their faults and they'll tell you what their faults are before they let you...." wonk wonk wonk wonk.

No wonder Sike ran from this chick -- he hates astrology crap, or more accurately, the people that try to press it on you and use it like they know the first fucking thing about you. But I'm not about to tell blondie that.

She's saying, "I was just afraid that I freaked him out because the way you guys walked away, I felt like I was back in high school or something."

Uh huh.

"Maybe you understand," she says, looking at me closely. I'm thinking SIIIIKE HEEEEEEELP MEEE! "I'm a wierd one. You know, the universe speaks to me? And sometimes I know things I shouldn't know? Like before they happen?"

I was trying really hard to keep my face straight but I must have failed, because she abruptly got pissed, turned on her heel and returned to the bar. I followed her and I think she thought I was going to apologize but I looked past her at the bartender and ordered another beer. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Lawrence.com podcast

2007-01-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Miles Bonny interviewed SIKE, and Clint and Bill from Phenom for this pod cast...
click the image to link to the page to peep it!

www.lawrence.com is the site to check! peace

DJ SKU @ the Record Bar 10-14-06

2006-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

What's next?

2006-10-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on recently. Big hip-hop events. Massive art shows. Store openings. We at WTFTIT plan on bringing you all up to speed very shortly. Be on the look out for the new fall/winter edition this November.
check the photo section of HIPHOPKC.COM for the Reach Video release pix.
PHOTOS

Push It!!

2006-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

We are not posting this to mock Alan Schurstuhl. We are posting it because he's better at karaoke than anyone on the planet. And that includes whoever invented karaoke.

Andrew Miller is the best dancer

2006-08-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis pitchers

2006-08-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

(Picture #2: What's up with your girl -- Minneapolis edition!)

Graffiti Wall at the Twin Cities Hip Hop Fest on a blocked off street downtown. Here's an example of something KC does a hell of a lot better!

Get to Work, KC!

2006-08-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.nerve.com/screeningroom/music/theroots/

In this link, ?uestlove from the Roots says some interesting things about women and hip-hop and the fact that it's a man's man's man's man's world.
Which reminded me that I wanted to post a recap of last weekend's Twin Cities Hip Hop Fest in Minneapolis. Why are the two related? Oh yeah. Chicks.

See, there are TONS of women in the Twin Cities' hip hop scene. Like, onstage. Singing. Rapping. Not just busting ass on the dance floor or supportiing their boyfriends...not that there's anything wrong with that. But it was refreshing. We probably saw five or six female-driven acts over the course of two days. Not only did it bring out the lesbians in full force (lots of those in Minneapolis too, apparently...something to do with the cold? And, you know, fur?), but it brought a much-needed balance to the whole vibe. In addition to the acts on stage, the Minneapolis free weekly, Citypages, was running a music feature about a three-MC girl group that week...meaning there were MORE talented musical girl acts that weren't even there.

Coming back to KC, it's painfully obvious that our scene is a sausagefest. And you can't blame our male hiphop groups for that...it's not as though anyone's wrestling the mic away from female MC's. We just don't seem to have any. And I, for one, welcome the sight of some KC girls getting off their asses and trying their hands at lyricism, singing, hell, get somebody onstage to clang a triangle. It might be just the thing to wake the sleepy Peanut up.

Relatedly, I was impressed by how many acts showed up to perform with live bands, a la the Roots. Here in KC people get away with rapping over a Discman, and in Minneapolis they come packing horn sections, bongos, drummers, keyboardists, bassists, guitarists....AND a goddamn Dj in the back.

Not trying to diss our scene...I'm just sayin'.

HIP-HOP ARTS SHOWCASE 2

2006-08-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

It's that time of the year again and the Hip-Hop Arts Showcase is back with it's second installment!

Here is a video from the event last year at the Boley Gallery

Live Painters:

Hector Cassanova

GEAR

ONION

Contributing Print artists:

Jeremy McConnell

SCRIBE

LUCID

Van Sneed III

Adrian Halpern

NETH

Davin Watne

DESEO

SODA
Featured DeeJay's for the event:

Dj KizOne

Mr. Mafesto

Ian Frost

Sponsors for the event:

Sike Style Designs

Urban Culture Project

Scion
Here are images from last years event.
For the full image library check out the photo section on www.hiphopkc.com

Dance Floor Domination just about every 1st Thursday

2006-06-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

at the record bar 1020 westport rd.
maybe someone will be getting down like this...

Another Art Event 7-15-06

2006-06-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who didn't make it out to the rainy crossroads art fest with a millon djs and artists...here is another similar event in the Grinders lot coming on the 15th of July. It's sure to be cool and the SIkenomics merch booth will be there in full force with new Neely / SIke bags!
here is the flyer.

Click here for the event web site

New Lucid Web Site

2006-06-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

check this link for one of the hottest artists around!

CLICK HERE FOR SITE

Dougie Did It

2006-06-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

And didn't even get arrested.

Dewey Decible Festival

2006-06-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Marching Cobras!

Anti-Crew!

New issue out soon!

2006-05-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Stay calm...
It's coming...
Look out and pick one up...
Or be smotherfucked!

Sweaty Boobs...

2006-05-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

We at WTFIT mourn the loss of Kabal, our favorite River Market nightclub, and are perplexed by rumors that it's going to become a sports bar by day and remain a Bill Pile-style club on Saturday nights. Just tell us this one thing: will you still be making girls boobs sweat, Future Kabal? Because if you still are, we'll still go.

DJ VAJRA @ THE PEANUT 5-21-06

2006-05-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Touch where?

2006-05-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

A very unfortunate t-shirt design in the kids' aisle at Target.

"Where did the bad man touch you?"

No Requests

2006-05-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yesh yesh ya'll....Why B and Steve Marxx in the mix feat. Kid Cut Up and John Swan!
It's pretty hot..
we've been bumpin' it at the WTFIT office and it'll be stuck in you car stereo or in your iPod random mix for a while..
here is the track list so you can read it..

Nas - Bridging The Gap
Kanye West - Gold Digger
Rhymefest - Brand New
Consequence - Caught Up In The Hype
Slug & Murs - Early Mornin' Tony
Shawna - U Crazy
Clipse - Goin' Out
Busta Rhymes - Woo Ha (Remix)
Dangermouse & Gemini - 26 Inches
Masta Ace - Born To Roll
Lyrics Born - Hello Remix
The Roots - What You Want (Remix)
Kid Cut Up - Word To The Juggle
Ghostface Killah - Be Easy
Danger Doom - Benzie Box
Gorillaz - Dirty Harry
Dilated Peoples - Back Again

Jay Z - Lucifer
Musab - Kool Aid
De La Soul - Rock Co Kane Flow
Notorious BIG - One More Chance
RA The Rugged Man - Chains (Instrumental)
Lil' Kim - Lighters Up
Rodney P - The Nice Up
Joi Campbell - Watch Me (Remix)
Damian Marley - The Master Has Come Back
Nas - Virgo
Swan . . . John Swan - Do You Scratch
Memphis Bleek - Like That
Juelz Santana - There It Go
MIA - Galang
Busta Rhymes - Touch It
Def Harmonic - So Emotional
Kanye West - Diamonds (J.Todd Remix)

Classic TV

2006-05-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

I doubt we'll ever see anything like this again on network TV

They're Baaaaaack!

2006-05-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

Who's next...

2006-04-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Persephone!

Don't Point At The Seal

2006-04-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

It makes seal verrrry angrrry....

Style Net BBQ Birthday Bash

2006-04-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

April 21st was the cook out season kick off at the Style Lab...Ubi, Michelle, Boogie and Drew's birthdays were celebrated with style...
Carrine didn't pop and Eanna showed up just in time to finish off the ice cream cake.

What's up with your girl?

2006-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Matching kicks...

2006-04-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the arrival of the new Rasta Mo shirts i've been on a hunt for the perfect kicks to match. Here is one custom Reebok that i put together. I just might have to cop some of these. $75 a custom shoe...ill! Too bad i already picked up some red black and gold pumas the other day. Alas...what can you say

Here is an example that i found earlier today.

Customize your Reeboks here

What's up with your boy?

2006-04-13T12:10:00.001-07:00

We at WTFIT are starting a new section: "What's up with your boy?"
I think you all will be able to tell what this new section is about.

Joc Max and Miles Bonny on the beats

2006-04-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hip-hop and Hot Wings at the Peanut has been a staple in my weekend activities now for quite a while. I've beenfortunate to have found my niche over in a corner at my merch table and can watch everyone safely behind my button bins and t-shirt stacks. Last Sunday was definetly one of those nights not to be shy behind a table or glued to your seat. The place was like a living timeline. Several generations of local artists, djs, producers and emcees gathered together. I saw Phem, Scribe, Gear, IncOne, Krie, Aero, Dj Hike, TaHa, GodSon, Adrian Halpern, Brother of Moses, Approach, Atilla the Beatsmith....
the list goes on and on. Joc Max and Miles Bonny took turnsplaying beats they had crafted on a soundsystem that was nearly buckling under the bass they were pumping out. By the end of the night, when the music became too contagious to handle, everyone was on their feet. Not even a minor b-boy scuffle downstairs -- HH&HW's first fight? -- could dampen the spirits.
It's funny because we'd been talking about making an official Kansas City/Lawrence Hip-Hop timeline...but nights like this, with a living, breathing timeline under one roof, make a written record seems so inadequate compared to the real, live thing.
You might remember a couple of weeks ago, when Miles got himself into a so-called "PR Disaster" (see the hiphopkc.com forum for reference) for telling a radio interviewer that he had a beat worth no less than $7,000.
The beats were definitely worth $7,000, but the night itself was priceless.
-Sike

We Hit the Jackpot

2006-04-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

Godemis of CES CRU

Here's J-Queasy casting a spell over the crowd....

Here's Reach...Milkdrop is in the background, bowing his head reverently....

And here's Ces Cru...wait...that's not Ces Cru. Shit...this somehow slipped over from our file of kitty porn....aagh!

The A3C in ATL

2006-04-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was in ATL the 1st weekend of April for the A3C EVENT.
It was good to be in ATL for more than just the time it takes to pass through on the interstate heading to West Palm Beach.
The A3C event put together by ARCH THE FINGER records lasted three days and featured a whole grab bag of hip-hop acts.
The majority of the groups that i saw perform on Thursday and Friday didn't stick in my memory for some reason. Maybe i've seen too much indie hip-hop and it all blends together after seeing all those acts together. Maybe i'm burnt out. Maybe i'm too superficial. When I see guys with surfer hair cuts (the kind that flips up at the ends...eeew.) and half-time drum-and-bass beats, I just have to wonder if having a mile-a-minute flow with twenty 6-syllable words is each line is really going to make you dope on stage. I just couldn't get into it. The crowd was right there with me, too. Sure, people were in front of the stage, having conversations about the after-parties, or swaying back and forth in a drunken state. But no one really seemed to be rockin' out what this dude was puttin' down. The few groups that I saw who captured the crowd (that I remember) were:
Collective Efforts. And Simple Complexity had a crowd of girls front and center screaming at Mas Appeal and Junkie. Check it out.

Rob Roy was another performer that held some interest for sure. Jumping on speakers and whatnot. Of course Asamov was dope. That giant boom box is a sight to see. Binkis Reks had a hot set where they rocked over classic breaks from hip-hop's funk history library. My favorite was the Perceptionists. Yeah I know...I’m just a fan. But I had yet to see Mr. Lif and Akrobatic live, so I was hype to hear what they had to say. After a bit of microphone cord difficulty, Mr. Lif came off really solid. He's not as monotone in person as he is on record and you could hear every word. Excellent diction. ( haha ) The crowd who stuck around until 2am to see them was feelin' it too. Akrobatik rocked a couple of verses that I’ve been waitin' to hear and I hope you can hear the video audio okay.... check it out.

One of the most memorable moments in ATL was this cat we ran into in an area they called Little Five Points. I don't know really where we were so I’ll have to take my guide's word for it. This guy was wild. I thought that we was part of a local hip-hop duo out slangin' CDs to the shoppers passin' by. But when homie with the CD player left and didn't return I realized we were dealing with a different type of street urchin. This guy was from all over the east coast, New York, Fort Myers FL. and anywhere in between. He rambled on about the difference between MCs and Rappers for a while and I was glad when Junkie let him know that he was preaching to the choir and could spare us the lesson. Check out this exchange we had.

KRS ONE speaks in Lawrence 3-29-06

2006-04-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Don't even ask, just go there.

2006-03-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

http://owlparty.ytmnd.com

Suck It!

2006-03-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

Chicago Carnivale

2006-03-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Something you might notice when you visit Chicago: everywhere you go, they're playing house music. Appropriate for the home of Frankie Knuckles, and where Mayor Daley declared a citywide day of appreciation for Chicago House. (Really!) But they're really trying to get the most out of their patented genre when it's the must-bump music in every single trendy eatery in the whole goddamn city. At least that's how it felt at Carnivale, this amazing and gigantic new restaurant that's colored like the inside of a kaleidoscope and overlooks a highway of zooming headlights. We'd offer more detail but the mojitos were wicked, wicked things.

Record Bar show 3-20-06

2006-03-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

Judging by the crowd last night at the POS/Mac Lethal/SIMS/Dessa
show at the Record Bar, there are some mid-20s guys out there on
the hip hop circuit who remember what it was like to be 17, all full of
rage and impatience, with moods swinging from despair to elation. Thank
God the folks at the Record Bar were able to make it an 18+
show...there were more Xs on hands than at a straightedge convention. POS,
who was reppin' DoomTree and Rhymesayers, came packing all his crossover appeal,
with his emo-tinged vocals and super-fast lyricism. A little pool of
high school kids swarmed the base of the stage, singing along, hands in
the air, occasionally getting busted by Toon for trying to mosh.

We gotta admit, it went a little over our heads, or maybe we've lost
all that edge now that we're old enough to drink.

In this crowd, Mac Lethal fit right in, and not just because he's home
(with only four more shows left on a tour that began in January).
Watching Mac woo all those lil fresh-faced girls with his comic torment,
strings of rhymes like jewels in a box, we had to wonder if Mac is really
still 16 at heart, writing feverishly in a diary and
trying on different expressions in the bathroom mirror...

I Heart Hip Hop and Hot Wings

2006-03-20T18:32:00.000-08:00

Where it's not only the beats, the menu, the mic talent, the dancefloor domination...it's the fashion.

Friday Night at the Green Door Gallery

2006-03-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

Quick video-tour of the Green Door's live art show featuring Gear and Hector Casanova and Tim Rowland before he got booted off...haha.

Somebody Please Pay Attention to Percee P...

2006-03-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

He's feeling a little neglected.
Percee P, the "legendary artist" who worked with the likes of Big Daddy Kane and recently, Jurassic 5, closed out a stellar, if undersold, show last night at the Jackpot Saloon in Lawrence. The whole lineup rocked it from start to finish (Asamov, Earatik Statik, Approach and Doujah Raze, whose soul samples got us nice n sweaty), but Percee didn't get his chance onstage until after midnight.

When he did, he proceeded to narrate his own performance, just to make sure that not an ounce of his genius was lost on his audience. When he actually did perform some of his righteously tongue-twisting, ultra-fast lyricism, it was impressive, especially coming from a guy who was rapping as fast as Outkast before some of the kids in the crowd were even born. But he didn't miss an opportunity to tell us how underappreciated his artistry has been (The Source lyric of the month! Page 17!) and it got a little tiring. I mean, when you're a long-standing artist in your own right, should you really be onstage begging college kids to Google you?

When 1:20am rolled around, the sound man cut off Percee's mic, just as the bartender flipped on the lights. "That is VERY DISRESPECTFUL, sound man!" Percee glared from the stage. I guess Lawrence, Kansas, isn't ready for Percee P. Hopefully he'll find a venue worthy of gracing with his veteran status, somewhere further along on the tour.

DOMINATION!

2006-03-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

Wanna See More? Go Click on the Photo section!

IT'S HERE!

2006-03-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

The 1st hard copy hit the streets this Sunday...
be sure to check out B-blaze or Prosperos books to get a copy..
or hit us up at the merch table at the peanut..

Here are the videos related to the Freelanze Ent. article. Enjoy!

Take That! Take That! Take That!

2006-03-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

fun at Target.

Fly Kicks...

2006-03-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

I know this was posted a couple other places but i thought that i would pass it on to those who might stop by and check things out one WTFIT. This is a site that feat. a lil flash movie of some really slick kicks. The kind that most of us midwesterns have to catch a plane over the Rockies or the Appalachians to get. Peep these

Fly Kicks!

Watch out Blair!

2006-02-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Be careful of the giant Chachis!

3rd Friday Review

2006-02-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

What is it about dj's and these rubber bands on their hands? Is this a tribute to fallen dj's or symbol of hip-hop awareness like the yellow cancer wrist bands. We'll see if the trend catches on, or if this is an isolated trend.

Check out this link to Patchcord.com they have a cool photo essay set you a classic tune.
3rd Friday Review

To the Lou, Foo'!

2006-02-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

We found St Louis' very own version of the West Bottoms. This factory is what lured us off the highway to find it. They make evil there.

It was a graf writers' paradise...and maybe a Lord-of-the-Flies-type space for runaway kids...we found gutted buildings full of overturned mattresses, kids' shoes, stashes of canned peaches...a random stone angel on a pillar looked down upon weird, circular sculptures people had erected out of scrap wood, metal and bricks. There was even a mini St Louis arch made out of a bent metal rod...if it were warmer than 2 degrees we might have found other living things, too...

Some of the work was really funny...

So we had a photo shoot. It's why they make white-rimmed glasses, anyway.

Comin' Up Friday

2006-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Third Fridays with the Urban Culture Project are pretty great because there's free Boulevard beer and this time, at the Paragraph, there's also free Soul. You know, in case you're missing yours. Come drink beer and listen to Boogie...sorry, Mr Mafesto, KizOne and Sike Steez spin and if that's not enough promotion about it, hear about it on NPR and read about it in the Pitch's calendar section and in the Star probably. Actually, don't read or listen to any of that, just go, or else you might be sort of worn out from the whole idea before you ever make it to the Paragraph. (23 E 12th Street) But maybe that's why there's beer.

Dispatch from Bembe Night, the Hangout, 2/11/06

2006-02-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

A velvet-soaked bar full of happy strangers and
friends, girls showing off their musical prowess
behind three (?) decks, spicy Carribean-inspired beats
in the middle of winter and a dance floor hotter than
white sand on bare feet -- we gotta call it like we
see it, and we call Bembe Night a success. We're sure
that if it becomes a regular, monthly event, Ashley
and Erin will have learned a few key lessons: setting
up turntables is more important than setting up
tealights and incense and table decorations; giving
new talent a chance to spin is important and
encouraging -- but maybe not at midnight, the most
prime DJing hour; and sometimes seeing yourself
partying, projected on a giant video screen, isn't the
thrill it's cracked up to be. But the night rocked,
read on.

We miss the shit out of the old Hangout, where old men
used to hang out in hats and then place whispered,
"Chill." The man at the door with rings on every
finger used greet people who entered like everyone was
royalty. We didn't mind paying $5 for a teensy drink
then, because you knew it was helping support an
overall ambiance -- and helping to pay the kickass
Hammond-organ-led band onstage.

But we really oughta get over it. Things change fast,
especially in nightclub-land. We're slowly coming to
accept the Hangout as a spot where young people can
groove to good DJs. We love the fact that the second
floor is open -- it reminds us of the clubs in New
York City that stack up one, two, three stories high,
each a little, skinny space decked out in colored
light and sound. We can dig it.

We can also dig the lady-DJ theme. These girls really
did need a night of their own. DJ Lady J's crates are
stacked with the finest funk, and she sat cutely (new
word just for you, J) behind the turntables like a
sweet stewardess of sound.

DJ Madame E, aka Erin's beats not only sound good, but
she couldn't possibly look hotter doing it. She dances
behind the turntables, absorbed in the music, like
every DJ's dream girl. Good thing we spotted her real
boyfriend, Joe Good, being true to his name and
dropping off a valentine-colored potted plant to his
coveted lady dj.

And while it wasn't the wisest move to give Amber a
set at midnight for her very first public outing, the
crowd was supportive. She should feel encouraged to
keep it up.

But, um, thank God for cQuence. The whole crowd, which
enjoyed all of the previous DJs, was nevertheless
grateful for a steady hand at the wheel to drive the
night home with her signature drum n bass. We love
cQuence from her camo jacket to her afro, and we
especially love the story we heard from a friend about
her cleaning her house with a feather duster to one of
the slicker songs in the mix. cQuence, if you Dj'd a
carwash, a baby shower, or a public stoning, we'd
still be there. Which I guess means we ought to show
up at the Cup and Saucer more often.

At the risk of sounding negative, we have a few
personalized messages to throw out:
1. Yo, skinny cameraman guy: we love you at the
Peanut. Thank you for keeping this scene documented.
Now, please get that bright-ass spotlight away from
us. We half expected you to follow us into the
bathroom.
2. Tony (1/3 owner of the Hangout): "Go Fast" is not
Red Bull. It tastes like a gummy worm someone found
soaking in the gutter and melted down into a
caffinated drink. I don't know what you get from that
stank-ass, name-brand-wanna-be, Red Bull biting
company (the drink is even the same pee yellow!) in
exchange for hosting their silly drink, but it's not
worth the faces that your patrons make while passing
it around to each other, daring each other to sip it.
3. This one's for all three owners, including the one
who looks like the Camel cigarettes' Joe: the $20
minimum might cut it in the meth-techno world of Los
Angeles, but in hip-hop-loving KC, all it means is
that we're going to sneak in flasks, drink in the car,
or order a water with lemon. Get an ATM or lose that
stupid policy. Nobody likes their bar owners to be so
blatantly greedy.

Congratulations to everyone who made it out last
night: as you obviously already know, you made the
wise decision and turned out for a lovely evening. And
if the organizers are wise, perhaps Bembe Night can be
a recurring event, with talented guest lady DJs from
all over the place, and from our own KC. Thanks again.

My New Friend

2006-02-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

Eats data. Loves data.

SIKENOMICS

2006-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

At: B-blaze Clothing: 1415 w. 39th St KC,MO 64111

Lot's of Sikenomics Gear in stock now...
-Propaganda shirts
-High Style Club shirts
-Sikenomics Logo shirts and Hoodies too
-Buttons
-Scarves

stop by !

New Button Packs are online now too!

SIKENOMICS
powered by
themerchgirl.com

work haiku

2006-02-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

powdered coffee cream
looks like dandruff on the rim
of my mug. is it?

Spacetime

2006-01-25T08:59:00.000-08:00

While devising his general theory of relativity, Einstein combined the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single useful concept he called spacetime.

Spacetime can be thought of as an elastic sheet that bends under the weight of objects placed upon it. The more massive the object, the more spacetime bends. If the massive object is also spinning, it causes spacetime to not only bend but to twist as well. Scientists call this effect "frame dragging."

Twisted spacetime will cause gas falling into a black hole to move in certain ways. The phenomenon can be roughly compared to the movement of a needle on a record player: as the needle moves along an etched groove on a record, it produces a sound, the exact nature of which is determined by physical deformations in the groove itself.

Similarly, the black hole has created stable deformations in the fabric of spacetime that affects matter moving around it. Gas swirling around the black hole acts like the record needle, but instead of producing specific sounds, it produces certain frequencies of X-ray light.

for the full story cut and paste this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2627&ncid=2627&e=13&u=/space/20060124/sc_space/blackholeputsdentinspacetime

2006-01-24T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Pelicaque

2006-01-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's 50% Pelican and 50% rhesus macaque, and 100% terror.
Be sure to have an offering of sardines and bananas when you encounter this beast while walking along the coastal areas of your town.

Spam of the Day

2006-01-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

"SPERMAMAX is a scientifically validated herbal nutritional blend to enhance fertility by improving sperm quality, count and motility (spontaneous motion).

SPERMAMAX is formulated to:
+ Improve overall sperm production
+ Improve sperm quality
+ Improve sperm integrity
+ Improve sperm motility
+ Improve sperm morphology

This premium combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals improves overall health and helps address many of the deficiencies known to decrease fertility health."

This came in our inbox today....and we gotta wonder...who writes these? And where is "sperm motility" a must-have quality? Don't these things originate in, like, Lebanon? When we start getting spam about a product that makes sperm really, really lazy, that's when we'll sign up. The ad will be like:

SPERMADOZE

SPERMADOZE is scientifically created to:
+ Make sperm more palatable. Flavors range from pina colada to banana laffy taffy to popcorn shrimp. Coming soon: barbeque!
+ Make sperm surprising colors upon exposure to air! Your choice of hot pink, electric chartreuse and aqua blue. Coming soon: glow in the dark!
+ Make sperm drunk and lethargic and thus unable to make it to your girlfriend's egg and screw up her career...be a dear and run to the fridge and get sperm a beer, will you, baby? The game's on.

Oh, wait. We forgot to write this in broken English. I guess we'll have to outsource it to Prague for translation before we debut SPERMADOZE to the world.

Naa what I'm sayin?

2006-01-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's said that hip-hop is a great uniting force.

True.....

What unites some hip hop artists, regardless of their level of fame, their age, race or sex, is an amazing ability to say so much in interviews...while saying absolutely nothing in interviews.

"Yeah, you know, man, it's like, we're on the come-up, doin' what we do, and not to take away from what tip anyone else is on, but, you know what I'm saying, it's like, we're on the rise. And our sound is like what you hear out there, you know, but at the same time, yo, different from what you hear out there, it's our own thing, you know what I'm saying, and we've been out here hustlin', gettin' ourselves heard, becoming, you know, known, and you know, we're just on the level. Naa'I mean?"

What. The Fuck. Are you talking about? Would it kill you to say something substantial? Tell a story? Talk about something specific? A really cool fan you met? A homie who inspired you? A time when a studio rejected you, only to regret it later? Na' meen? Na'what I'm sayin?

But the best, the very best, is when, after saying that big, long explanation about nothing, the dude will be like, "Yo, so you're gonna let us read the story before it comes out, right?"

Hahahaha. Why? So you can add a few more "ya know what I'm sayin's" in there? It's as though people have been coached by the same media advisors that tell sports stars how to be interviewed. "You know, they're a great team. We just made it into the endzone more than they did, and they weren't able to score as much as us."

What would be in your ideal zine?

2006-01-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is how is goes down at the Peanut on any given Sunday...

2006-01-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

Whoa...

2006-01-13T15:45:00.000-08:00