Jacques Jams, Vol. 1: Endurance.[download]

It's been like eight years (that's almost ten!)
No Doubt -Stand & Deliver.

I came across this really talented artist online a few days ago. I've been meaning to check out his website and see his collections. I randomly saw one of his pieces somewhere and made a mental note to investigate him more. Turns out he's actually someone I've decided I love. He's known for paintings of modern African American men (from my generation) paired with a classic poses and old European portraiture. It's really quite interesting.
I also found an article on him in BusinessWeek, it's a few years old, it was about dream jobs.
Kehinde Wiley
$12,000-$40,000 per painting
This artist won’t be starving anytime soon. Known for his unique style in which old European portraiture meets modern hip-hop culture, 29-year-old Kehinde Wiley has a waiting list in the hundreds for his work. “I’m blessed to be in the place actualize what’s going on through my head,” says Wiley. He says his dream is for his work to appear in more museums and steer clear of auction houses, as they reduce art to a commodity. Exhibiting up to eight new works every three to six months, Wiley could take in over $1.5 million in a year if he’s productive enough.

ASHER ROTH ft. CEELO - Be By Myself

Kanye West & Spike Jonze are working on a short film together for fun.
The song "See You In My Nightmares" will be featured and it'll run about 10-15 minutes.
Spike as you know directed the upcoing film, Where The Wild Things Are...
This is apparently a collaborative non-paid effort...Should be cool.
[source.]

It's Official!
Love the Future is on Amazon.com
Pre-Order it! $8.99

"...Chester French's world is a musical universe in which everything's in play. The glorious "She Loves Everybody" mixes sensibilities equally drawing on Motown and power-pop. "Beneath the Veil" throws country twists into hip-hop aesthetics. "Neal" has echoes of swing, hip-hop and rock - with a guitar break paying tribute to the genius and magic fingers of Les Paul. And "Fingers" is just your basic orchestral-pop with, you know, a lap steel solo. There's a curtain-raising "Introduction," and a couple transition pieces ("The String Interlude" and "Country Interlude") to help tie it all together and stress that this is, overall, far more than just a collection of songs, but a whole statement."

1. Introduction

2. C'Mon (On My Own)

3. Bebe Buell

4. String Interlude

5. The Jimmy Choos

6. Time to Unwind

7. Fingers

8. Country Interlude

9. Beneath the Veil

10. Neal

11. Not Over You

12. She Loves Everybody

13. Sleep

[Peter Hadar ft. Selita Eubanks] Planets

[Ryan Leslie] I-R-I-N-A

[Raphael Saadiq] 100 Yard Dash

The Fast & The Bi-Curious

watch the commercial

I'm OBSESSED with John Maeda. John Maeda! You don't know who John Maeda is?
He's a "Japanese-American graphic designer, computer scientist, university professor, and author. He is the current President of the Rhode Island School of Design. His work in design and technology explores the area where the two fields merge." -Wikipedia (of course.

I was captivated by this piece here (look down--click to enlarge).
see more John Maeda

poker face [cudi, kanye, common, and a-trak]
I like this one.
[source]

Summer is on the horizon...
It's time to get proper eye protection.
I suggest these. The also come in green.
They provide good coverage, their sleek, and bold.
interested? while you're there pick me up a pair in silver.
Then again, I'm not good with shades...I break them.

After touring the festival circuit last year, director Ceri Levy's documentary about the Gorillaz will premiere on Babelgum.com on April 20. Filmed over the course of seven years, the movie -- aptly titled Bananaz -- offers a candid behind-the-scenes look at the real-life band behind the animated characters, following from the inception to the eventual evolution of co-founders Damon Albarn's and Jamie Hewlett's brainchild. Highlights include guest appearances by everyone from Danger Mouse and the late Ibrahim Ferrer to...Dennis Hopper? "Damon and Jamie had this track called 'Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head' on [2005's] Demon Days and they thought Dennis would be great to narrate it over music," says Levy. "They approached him and he said yes. Next thing I know, I'm sitting there like a child waiting for him to do his thing at this small little studio in London. It was pretty exciting when he walked in -- Dennis Hopper was in the room doing what Dennis Hopper does, and it was fantastic." He's not lying. Check out this exclusive clip of Hopper laying down his vocals.
I'm definitely gonna check this one out.
[source: Entertainment Weekly]

I connect more with musicians who above all else are artist--meaning, regardless of the voice or instrument their music and work expresses something truly meaningful. I respect that. Beyond the albums sales, number of hit records, Grammys, and endorsements there's the music---that is more important than any of the other bull. Popularity and radio play mean absolutely nothing to me because in the grand scheme people don't know what they really want---they want what people tell them to want. So a string of top ten hits doesn't mean your music is amazing or that you're changing the fabric of our culture with your revolutionary new dance, it means you've got a great team behind you, producers, writers, etc. You buy their tracks, and lyrics, throw in some of your own flavor and run with it. It's a big business transaction and selling is the art not the music. Don't get me wrong, everybody has bills and desires so I realize proper compensation is very important. It's just that these days it seems like it's more about the money and less about the music. Or maybe it's just me. Either way, now that I've completed that thought I'm off to bed.

Goodnight Moon.

Lykke Li is a Swedish import, she's 23 years old, blonde and sounds like a baby angel frolicking
in a field of white lilies and linen. Drake used her song "A Little Bit" on his mixtape. It's my favorite. Thus I felt the need to learn more about the mysterious voice behind the melody I cherish oh so much. She's sort of reminiscent of Dido if you crushed her voice into a powder and poured it on your tongue. Take a listen to her stuff on myspace, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. When I discover artist like Lykke Li, I'm inspired. Her voice isn't traditionally strong, she does not belt out ballads, nor is her music conventional. But I really like it.