'THIS IS NOT A GAME, PEOPLE!'

I've got a lot of guilty pleasures, but one of the biggest as of late has to be VH1's 'The White Rapper Show'. Kind of an American Idol / Survivor / Real World hybrid, the just of the show is finding the next 'Great White Hope' of hip-hop. The show throws 12 wannabe MC's from various locales and backgrounds in a hovel in the birthplace of hip-hop, the Boogie Down Bronx, and pits them against each other in various challenges testing both their mic skills and knowledge of the game.

The show is hosted/moderated/judged by a white hip-hop legend in his own right, MC Serch from 3rd Bass, and super-producer Prince Paul (the man behind De La's opus '3 Feet High & Rising' ) and luminaries from Grandmaster Flash to Kurtis Blow to Brand Nubian to Just Blaze are brought in to drop knowledge on these kids as they strive to become last MC standing. Seriously, not only are these lucky contestants getting an opportunity to blow up...but they are getting schooled by true legends.

The actual contestants are way too new school for my taste. Some of them have decent skills on the mic, but they are all kind of cookie-cutter to what's selling records in the genre today. That said, watching some of these youngsters and how tweaked they are is what gives the show it's charm. One cat, the self-professed 'King of the Burbs' John Brown, is seriously from another planet. The dude drives people nuts by repeatedly referring to a "Ghetto Revival", a personal social movement scant on details other than the claim that it's a "lifestyle brand" that will support "the revival of ghettos and all types of different struggles throughout the world". BWA-HA! Even better than the interaction between the housemates, is the freestyle contest at the end of each episode to decide who stays and who'll step off.

Really, i'm not doing it near the justice it deserves, so tune in or hit up Vh1.com and check it. Outside of that, i'm digging on NBC's 'Heroes', plus the Thursday night 1-2 punch of 'My Name is Earl' and the US version of 'The Office' (F the Haters, it's just as good as the original). Then, next week, ABC kicks back in w/ the Winter season of 'LOST'...WHOO-HA! Be sure to tune in next time...same Dalek time, same Dalek channel. Bzzzzt.

HOLY (FOOT) BALLS!!!

Not only was it a landmark day in the Famous household due to the boys hitting 11-months, but THE FREAKING BEARS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!! I was lucky enough to see them go in 1985 while in Junior high, but my boys get to see this before they even turn a year old!

It'd be cliche for me to post up w/ the Super Bowl Shuffle, so, instead, be a Grabowski...

GO BEARS!!!

The Man With Two (RED) Shoes...

As anybody who knows me can tell you...I am an absolute sneaker junkie. I really can't remember the last time I wore anything but a pair of tennis shoes to go about my daily routine. Via post-Christmas shopping excursions, I was stoked to find a light grey pair of Adidas Superstars (w/ the shelltoe) and (even though outside of the Onitsuka Tiger kick a few years back I usually rock Adidas exclusively) a pair of coffee colored suede Pumas...both on sale.

That said, even better than those finds, was the gift I received from Mrs. Famous. Originally, she had gone to the Converse website and was one click away from ordering me a pair of low-cut Chuck Taylors she had designed for me herself. Unfortunately, she went to the other room to check on the kids and never completed the order...which I stumbled upon getting on the PC several hours later. Since the surprise was ruined, she ended up just giving me a gift certificate to design my own. Roughly 3 weeks later...

...BOOM BIP! There you go. Nothing too radical in the design, but they came out great. It has some fresh bandanna/skull print for the inner lining and the personalization on the back is embroidered. Ooh. La. La. Throw in that they are hella comfy and that Chucks are just so timeless, i'm a happy camper.

Even better than all of that though, as part of the (Product) RED initiative, 15% of the net retail sales of the kicks will be paid to The Global Fund for AIDS Relief. Those of you may recall from my post a few weeks back, that I recently headed the development work for the two first US phones for Motorola's RED offerings at Sprint and US Cellular. Other particpants like GAP and Apple have some cool offerings too...you should check what it's all about and where you can 'shop RED' to make a difference...IT'S A RED THING. Peace!

Here in my car...

There is a brief period every morning, totalling no more than 35 minutes, where anything seems possible. As I take the drive into work, sip my coffee, sing along w/ whatever is on the stereo... the world passes by through automatic windows and over the top of my dashboard. A new day begins and the rigours of work and everything else yet to beat me down. It's one of my favorite moments of each day, very empowering and eclipsed only by the moment each night when i'm greeted at home by the two boys and my wife.

More stuff later. Peace.

...and TWINS!

I promised a long overdue update on the boys in my return to blogdom a few posts back, so here you go...

OWEN (AKA MR. MEAN MONKEY FACE)

O is really our thrill-seeker of the two. He's army-crawling at breakneck speeds, sitting up at the drop of a dime and pulling himself up onto coffee tables, pack'n'plays, couches, etc. I had to lower the cribs earlier than expected before the holidays, as my wife exclaimed one afternoon while I was on the phone w/ her from work: 'I just heard a thud! I think Owen fell out of the crib!' She informed that she found him on the floor on his back, completely fine but a little shaken up and (best of all) not wearing any pants...pretty much like me any given day in college. He also can not only withstand the Baron Von Raschke Brain Claw, but will place his face into your outstretched hand just to mock you.

Seems he's also fashioning himself quite the lady's man, flirting w/ any female w/in a 2-foot radius. A friend of the wife was over to see the kids and, after flashing some puppy dog eyes and his trademark grin, he decided to help himself to an under-the-shirt/over-the-bra handful...pretty much like me any given day in college. I figured it's okay to let him revel in the random grope before he's old enough to get sued for it.

He has an arsenal of interesting facial expressions, most of them Zoolander-esque versions of the same thing. The Mean Monkey Face, The Stinky Cheese Face, The Booker T Face...all of them usually brought out to express his displeasure that you're not letting him do something that he wants to. He eats like a horse, rarely turning down any thing put in front of him...uses an excellent pincer grasp on cheerios and fruit puffs too (one at a time, very efficient). Outside of that, he's a really content kid...as long as he can be a busy-bee, he's happy!

LOGAN (AKA BIG CAT)

While O may be catching up, Lo is still the beefier 'big' brother of the pair. However, under that slightly chubby exterior lies a total creampuff 90% of the time. He's extremely social and loves to be around other people...more specifically, HELD by other people...especially Mommy. We still haven't received our infant decoder ring, but it seems he's babbling about some very important stuff. When he's not talking, he's testing additional uses of his mouth and vocal chords by yelling ('HEY!')...motorboatin' ('PHHHBBBBBBTTT!')...or, when upset, reaching out to his Mother ('MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA!'). He's a little more content to stay in one place than Owen and, since he has a few more pounds to work with, hasn't quite grasped pulling himself up...but when he's army-crawling, he moves really quick.

It's funny to watch how he really has two moods. While the word 'jolly' is rarely used to describe something other than Santa Claus or a Rancher, I can't think of a better way to describe him when he's in a good mood. Big deep laugh and a huge open mouth smile to show off what seems to be the 200 teeth he's had come in over the past 3-4 months. Loves to play peek-a-boo, even though his hands usually end up on his forehead versus over his eyes...will laugh until he has tears playing tug-of-war w/ the dog (or Daddy)...claps his hands in celebration when somebody says 'HOORAY!' Then, something happens that he doesn't like or, most of the time, somebody has told him he can't do something...to say he gets agitated would be an understatement. Fists pound, legs kick, screaming/crying ensues...just articulating to you the best he can that's most definitely not happy. Luckily, this usually only happens 2-3 times a day...especially in the morning if he hasn't had his bottle yet (just like Dad and his coffee).

Speaking of food, depending on the day, Lo can be quite the challenge to get through an entire meal. If he doesn't like something you've offered up to eat...he'll let you know by swatting his arms around or trying to wrestle the spoon from your hand to throw to the floor. Recently, he's also chosen mealtime to practice spitting things out of his mouth...not because he doesn't like what' he's eating, but just because it something new. He finds it hilarious...Mommy, not so much. That said, he has taken to holding his bottle himself and pound the whole thing w/out any assistance and can put down a handful of cheerios/fruit puffs/shredded cheese in the blink of an eye. Bottom line, he's such a fun kid to watch grow up...every week it's a new trick and we're so proud to watch it happen.

So, if you couldn't already tell, i'm one extremely proud poppa. They'll be a year old next month and I can hardly believe it. They came into this world 3-weeks early and so tiny when we brought them home. Now...they're like little men and, next to Mrs. Famous, the most amazing thing to happen to me in my lifetime. Until next time...PEACE.

AMBFAD BEST OF 2006

Well, here it is...my obligatory 'Best Of' list required of every music geek...

1. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

2. The Roots- Game Theory

3. Asobi Seksu - Citrus

4. Cut Chemist - The Audience is Listening

5. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

6. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
7. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
8. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
9. People Under the Stairs - Stepfather
10. Mr. Lif - Mo' Mega

I'll refrain from pontificating what it was I dug about each release, as a few of them I already reviewed earlier on. Suffice to say, the Hold Steady swooped into the top spot at the final hour. The Roots brought the goods...but the Springsteen meets Thin Lizzy rock'n'roll throwdown was too infectious not to give the crown to. Fishscale made every hipster's list as the obligatory hip-hop release, but it's wacked out lyrics and tripped out soul clips that backed them up deserved all of the hype. That said, the more indie hip-hop releases from PUTS (awesome beats) and Mr. Lif (lyrics and flow you won't hear on the radio) were tight as well...and definitely worth checking out. TV on the Radio's latest finally got me on their bandwagon w/ it's eclectic (but uptempo) line-up of tracks and YLT/Neko brought some sweet sounds that ran the gambit from perfect chill-out to moderately freaky.

That's kind of a lazy recap, but it's about all I have the energy for right now. Decide for yourself, go out and listen to clips via your normal means and hook yourself up w/ some good tunes. More next week. PEACE!

I know I hurt you and I made you cry...

...and to love I rhapsodize.

Wow. 4 months. It's been 4 months since I updated this thing and we're a few days into a brand new shiney 2007. It's not that i've been gathering moss or anything...to the contrary, actually. I got a new gig at work (where I launched the US versions of the RAZR for Bono's Project RED campaign for starters), the boys have grown so much and gone mobile and, thusly, we've had our hands full.

Anyways, as part of my New Year's resolution (amongst others) to get back to writing more, i'm going to get back to filling the interweb w/ more useless bullshit about music, film, TV, art, fast food, physics, kung fu and general pop culture tomfoolery. (Segue coming...watch for it) I'm also going to try and really reconnect w/ my love of music (new and old), as I only really dabbled in what was out there in 2006. Which leads me to...

...the video for the new(ish) single from U2 from their recent 'singles' collection 'U218'. The collection itself is kind of useless for most long-time fans of the band and contains the above tune and the Katrina relief tune they did w/ Green Day. I liked the tune when I heard it, but this is one of those rare moments when a video takes a song to a new level and gives it meaning. The just, being that even the biggest of bands are fans in their own right...that they can be fanboys and/or music geeks as much as the guy typing this. The video, literally gave me chills the first time I saw it. On top of that, the droves of performance footage from such a diverse collection of some of the greatest performers to grace a stage used throughout is just too fun to watch (check out the clip of 'The Killer')...see if you can name all the artists included.

Speaking of U2, I received their huge book 'U2 by U2' for Christmas and i'll provide a review after the 3 months it'll take me to read it (it's chocked full of stuff). I'll also post my my Top 10 of 2006 by week's end, which (self-admittedly) is really only the few records I listened to the past year and really enjoyed. Plus, some pics and an update on the twins and other stuff I planned on throwing on here in 2006, but didn't get to. Promise (he says w/ his fingers crossed behind his back). So, as always, stay tuned and peace out. Whoo.

An actual music post?! Oh, snap.

Yep. I'm actually serving up a few quick hits of stuff i've been digging on over the past few weeks. I've also got more wack bullshit i'm tinkering with in the lab...the AMBFAD 'Battle Royale'...(finally) the eagerly anticpated follow up to 'Mix Tape Manifesto'...more music, movie and book reviews...for real, son!

So, here we go. It's an El Famous music celebration and your eardrums are invited, bitches...

SOUND TEAM - 'MOVIE MONSTER'

An indie-rock hybrid of everything from Sonic Youth to Spoon to Ride and maybe even the Killers if they weren't so weaksauce. Post-punk new waveishness w/ their own flair about it, it sounds inventive...not at all textbook. Probably one of my favorite things i've listened to so far this year.

ASOBI SEKSU - 'CITRUS'

A take on the whole shoegazing genre w/ generous nods to My Bloody Valentine, Lush and Ride for 2006. However, there's also some sweet tasting power pop bubbling underneath it all, that gives it a fresh perspective. Great production brings out the swirling guitars and gorgeous vocals (sung alternately in Japanese and English). This one is sure to be a grower and take a spot high atop the year-end 'Best-of'.

CUT CHEMIST - 'THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING'

Former DJ for Jurassic 5 goes solo and dishes out a hot platter full of turntable goodness. A nice mix of influences/sounds ranging from brazillian to funk to rock and all sort of wild shit. Track #8, Storm, also features two of my favorite MC's du jour: Mr. Lif and Edan...fucking tight. Fans of former collaborator DJ Shadow and RJD2 are sure to dig.

Speaking of DJ Shadow, came across 4 tracks from his upcoming release ('The Outsider') and if they are any indication of the rest of the disc, it's going to be some seriously hot shit. Same goes for Illadelphia's Roots crew, who have the most excellent 'Pre-Game' EP out on iTunes to give us a taste of their upcoming 'Game Theory' album. All the tracks sound fantastic and you can DL the first single 'It Don't Feel Right' on their myspace page for free HERE.

Stay classy, Word Wide Web...Uncle El will be back soon. Peace.

I'm sorry...so sorry.

Again, a gajillion years between posts on here. I'd like to show, for the record, that I actually spent some time working on a brand new layout for AMBFAD, but haven't finished it...thus the lame-o back-to-basics dilly you see here. Still trying to figure out some HTML and you know, it's all ball-bearings nowadays (hey!).

I have actually got a bunch of new music to talk about, so i'll post up by week's close w/ some reviews. The boys are doing great...there is cereal, veggies and fruit being eaten (and spit out), some sitting up nearly unassisted, much rolling over and we had studio portraits taken for the first time ever (which, i'll post soon)!

Stay tuned, true believers...fresh goofy crap will be coming your way soon. Peace!

Sitting in the back of a car

or, maybe, keeping w/ the Big Star thematic...'When My Baby's Beside Me'? (Thanks BK)

As this post finds me on the horizon of my very first Father's Day, i'd like to give a shout-out to Dads everywhere...including me own. I credit my Pop for my sense of humor, amongst other things. I only hope I can provide a life for my kids like he provided for us. I still can't comprehend his need to put salt in his beer (don't ask me) or his allegiance to the St. Louis Cardinals, but he's my old man and i'll let him slide.

My plans for the weekend look to consist of a couple of bottles of the inaugural batch of Fat Tire shipped to Chicago, a copy of 'Kung Fu Hustle' fresh from Netflix, Cubs vs. Detroit in the comfort of air conditioning, BBQ ribs on the grill, a possible viewing of 'Nacho Libre' w/ the Mrs. while Grandma watches the boys and a mystery gift (ooh) that will be unveiled on Sunday. While all that adds up to a Father's Day weekend fit for a king, the best part of it will be spending time w/ the two monkeys that have bestowed me w/ the title of 'Dad' and the wonderful woman who blessed me by bringing them into our life.

So, to those of you who are Dads...have a great weekend. To those of you who aren't...be sure to give yours a ring, pat on the back, hug, salt shaker for his beer, whatever. I've said it before, it's the hardest job i've ever done...but it's also the best thing i've ever been given the opportunity to do.

'It's been a long time since I...'

Has it really been almost two months?! Wow. Between being slammed at work and the two even bigger reasons you see above, having even 5 minutes to post up w/ some assemblance of anything anybody would want to read...just hasn't been in the cards.

Anyhow, as you can see, the Brothers Famous have changed sooo much. It's crazy. It's getting harder to call Owen (Left on the B/W and bottom photo) a 'Peanut' and Logan (Right on the B/W and top photo) could be the youngest linebacker in NFL history...if I didn't insist both of them go to college first. Logan is all smiles for the most part, the kid is either sleeping, eating (a lot), dirtying his diaper or grinning from ear to tiny ear. Owen is coming around too, the kid is smiling more every day and will actually giggle on command. Both are holding their own heads up while sitting upright and lifting their necks when on their tummy. Logan has quite the melon on him though, so it's a little tougher for that neck to hold it up. All that and more new tricks every day...Owen has even turned over a few times. Completely by accident, but he'll master it soon enough. They are truly amazing and both have come so far...little fighters through and through. So blessed.

Not much to report outside of the twin-cultivation business. Listened to some decent music here and there...most recent Neko Case is good, still trying to get the big deal over Ganrls Barkley (Cee-Lo and Dangermouse) and getting into Frank Black's back-catalog. New Mats songs have surfaced and will be featured on a 'Best Of' being put out by Rhino. The track selection itself is kind of meh, but i'll end up buying it for completist reasons...and the new tunes really are pretty decent. Again, i'm torn about any sort of reunion tour...but it worked for the Pixies and God knows the Mats deserve a big payday.

Throw in an excellent season finale of 'LOST', the new KFC chicken bowls and too many baseball games sure to educate my sons on the pain you endure being a Cubs fan (seriously, I still bleed Cubbie blue, but how much worse can they get). I'll really try to get back to some legitimate business on here...but, obviously, you should take my threats to do so w/ a grain of salt.

As always, peace.

Speaking of GAS FACE...

Kick 'em in the Grill Pete?

Oh. Snap.

That's right, it's the MC Serch talking alarm clock and it looks pretty badass from where i'm sitting. May have to pick me up one or two of them. Outside of that and babies (who are kicking much ass), I have a lot of music to let everybody know about and promise to get to it soon. Let's just say that between his own album and two of the mixes I can't stop listening to...Edan the DJ has my stereo in a figure-four leglock and is yelling 'WHOO!' as I bob my head to the music. Believe that or get the gas face. BRRRRRUHHHHHHH!!!

It Takes Two

Well, first week back at work under my belt. It was rough. I missed the Wonder Twins and their Mama big time, but they got along fine while I was out. Logan caught the same stomach bug that his Mom and Dad had earlier in the week and we had our first 'sick kid' experience...and a lot of laundry as a result. He's doing good now and (hopefully) Owen won't catch it as well. The pediatric visit at the front part of the week showed both gaining a lot of weight and getting overall favorable marks in everything else. Sleep? Still a commodity, but we're getting better w/ coping w/ the lack of it. Next to disposable diapers...naps are a parent's best pal.

Outside of babies, I have received a lot of insanely good music from people like my man Matt outta' Chi-diggity and my fellow b-boy Charles. Breakastra...J Dilla...Dilated Peoples...Edan...The Roots...reviews/deeper dives to follow. Signed up for Netflix, so some movie posts forthcoming as well. New Dr. Who series from the Beeb started showing on Sci-Fi last nite...but Comcast moved the channel to the digital package and Mrs. El doesn't want to spend the $ to upgrade quite yet. I'm hearing good things and it's got Daleks...can't go wrong there yo. I'm pretty close to having 'Son of Mix Tape Manifesto' under wraps as well. So, until then, be good and PEACE!

Little baby goes...woo! (all night long)

As I still can't quite put the whole fatherhood thing into coherent thought quite yet, here's some more pics...being posted after a whopping 1 hour of sleep. Woo indeed.

I will say this...being a Dad is the hardest job i've ever had, but i'll be damned if it isn't also the most fullfilling. They change a little bit every day, in some of the most amazing ways...more alert, stronger, vocal and (when we're lucky) smiley. So blessed.

Heyyyyyyy, Brother.

Logan Wolf Dunham and Owen Anderson Dunham. Yep, i'm a poppa. More to come...

LIGHTHEADED

'Wrong Way'

For me, made obvious by the numerous shout-outs in previous posts, 2005 was all about Portland, Oregon DJ/MC/Producer OhMega Watts. His solo joint ('The Find') received regular rotation and his work w/ other West Coast indie hip-hop artists (Giant Panda, Time Machine, People Under the Stairs, Etc.), rekindled my love affair w/ the genre in a big way. So, I was stoked to see that TRES Records would be releasing a new album from OhMega's crew: Light Headed.

Light Headed is comprised of MC's OhMega, Othello and Braille w/ a revolving cast of DJ's. I got my first listen to the entire group via the killer tracks 'That Sound' and 'Long Ago' (OhMegha and Othello) on 'The Find'. The trademark OhMega production/composition runs rampant over all but three or four of the tracks, a sound that bobs a head to the Old School/Golden Era where the soul and funk is so thick you could sop it up w/ a biscuit. Additional DJ/production work is provided by DJ Bombay, Rob Swift and Muneshine and holds up as well. Seriously, one listen to the floor-rockers 'Timeless' and 'Soul Power' and you'll see what I mean.

Even more of a pleasant surprise...the lyricism and mic skills on display, especially from Othello and Braille. They flow like liquid and come confident w/out the tired braggadocio most would associate w/ hip hop today. Actually, there may be a little bragging going on, but it's not about their cars or bankrolls...it's about both their skills and faith. Yeah...THAT kind of faith, but they never come off preachy and use it as fuel for positivity. In fact, you may not even realize you're being taken to (Sunday) school until a few listens...but, again, it never polarizes and excludes those who aren't of the same beliefs. Regardless, mad skills all the way around.

Tres Record's less-than-major-label distribtuion may mean you need to order online or head to either your local indie store or Tower Records. You could also wait until it hits iTunes (they do have some albums up in there), but no clue when that'll be. No clips to be found, but you can check the promo vid featuring 'Soul Power' below:

Alive and Kicking

As i've been busy w/ insurance customer service lines, doctor visits, hospital stays, baby showers, housework and regular work...obviously posting up hasn't been a priority. I'll just be Reader's Digest and say that EVERYBODY is doing okay. The closest thing to news would be that Mrs. Famous is home on light bedrest and that we will likely be parents well before the original March 16 due-date they gave us at the beginning. She's chilling out and keeping the boys cooking for as long as she can, but average term for twins is 35-36 weeks...we're at 34. Zoiks! Anyhow, the next post you read may be about us having our babies...if you're the praying type, please put in a good word and if you're not, cross your fingers or chase down a rabbit to rub it's foot. Hopefully, i'll be able to drop the sequel to the last mix before things go all 'goat rodeo' on us...but don't count on it. Gracias!

Friends

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST COULD QUALIFY AS THE TYPE OF HEARTFELT BLOGOSPHERE OUTPOURING THAT THE KIDS FROM WHITE CASTLE TO THE NILE ARE CALLING 'EMO'. IF YOU CANNOT READ THE 'EMO' WITHOUT 'TOSSING YOUR COOKIES' OR 'POPPING A CAP IN SOMEBODY'S ASS' (AS THE KIDS ALSO SAY)...PLEASE STOP HERE AND WAIT FOR THE NEXT INANE RAMBLING ABOUT BIG DADDY KANE, THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT TENNIS SHOES, ROBOTS OR WHY NETFLIX CARRIES NONE OF THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ONE MR. RUSS MEYER.

I've got some of the best a guy could ask for. We've never danced w/ umbrellas around a fountain and nobody ever went out and copied our haircuts (which, if you saw us in high school or college even, would make complete sense). I've known them forever (or at least kindergarten) and we can go for days, months, years with out talking to each other and then...when we do get a chance to get together...it's like no time has passed. It's amazing really and I feel blessed.

I'm blessed to have the type of friends that you don't think twice about hopping on a plane to w/ a day's notice to be with them in a time of need...because you know they'd do the same for you. I'm blessed to have the type of friends that can make taking said journey with a cathartic experience that YOU needed on the cusp of life-changing events. I'm blessed to have the type of friends that can make sitting in a nearly deserted bar in Prescott, AZ...on the eve of one of the toughest days one of them will ever experience...the best 2-3 hours you've all had in a long time, using only the three of you, a couple of pints and a Tesla song on the jukebox to make it happen.

Outside of my wife (truly my best friend in the entire universe), i'm lucky to have a small group of truly amazing people I can all call 'best' friends. All of us very different, but the same in just as many ways. Constantly rooting each other on in whatever race the other has decided to enter and helping to pick the other up when they feel like they can't make it to the end. Full of advice or silence, when you really just want somebody to listen. Most importantly, the ability to make the other laugh...even when they feel it's the last thing on earth they want to do.

To two of the best friends...brothers...one could ask for: Kev, Kory...dudes, god bless you both and thanks for ALWAYS being there. Life will place many challenges ahead of us, but we can face them all (or as Mr. Jovi once said: 'ROCK them all') knowing you always have the others to carry you through them. Muchos...MUCHOS...gracias. Peace.

Hummin'... Comin' atcha...

So, every year for x-mas I make my brother a mix CD and (as mentioned in the previous post) i've really been on a major hip-hop binge over the past few months. Thusly, this year's mix turned into a non-stop hip-hop joint and (honestly) is one my most favorite mixes i've ever done. It's a combination of both old school and some new (albeit more undergound/indie) shit i've some into...the results were actually pretty damn fresh. In other words, you could rock a party w/ it for at least an hour if need be. So, for a limited time, you can DL it right here:

MIX TAPE MANIFESTO

TRACKLIST:

INTRO (These R Sounds) - Mista Rogers

This Is A Recording 4 Living In A Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.) - De La Soul

Diggin' In The Tapes - Giant Panda

Flava in Ya Ear - Craig Mack

Make Some Noise - Edo G & Masta Ace

How Ya Like Me Now - Kool Moe Dee

That Sound - OhMega Watts (Featuring Lightheaded, The Procussions & Noelle of the Rebirth)

Treat 'em Right - Chubb Rock

Energy Drink - Ugly Duckling

Freak Out - 9:15 & Jaysonic

Jimmy James - The Beastie Boys

Nitty Gritty - KMD

Deep Down and Dirty - Stereo MC's

Don't Believe The Sensorair - DJ Pantshead vs. Cabaret Voltaire vs. Public Enemy vs. Air vs. Pharcyde

Follow the Leader - Eric B & Rakim

Sum Of Us - Jurassic 5

You Gots to Chill - EPMD

Breakfast Club - Z-TRIP

Ogre - Fingathing

Matter Transporter - Time Machine

Hope you enjoy it and if anything grabs you, please support the artists featured by purchasing their album or single from iTunes or whatever. I'm not looking to take food off of people's tables, but I am looking to turn people on to new sounds. Word.

P.S. As i'm on a roll, keep checking in...'SON OF Mix Tape Manifesto' is already almost complete and is proving to be a worthy follow up. Peace.