Peep This...Vlog Remix (and Rare Public Appearance!!!)

New Jay Smooth!!!!!!!

"Here's a new version of an old video, for the good people at current.tv.
And for those who are in NY, you are welcome to observe my nerdiness in person, on Saturday at the UCB theater. Details are below. "

Peep This...10.Deep Presents: Piecebook - The Secret Drawings Of Graffiti Writers

I Want This Book!!!!!!!!!

"The graffiti movement is one that has long influenced streetwear, culture and art in general. Sasha Jenkins (Ego Trip Magazine, White Rapper show) and Legendary Artist Chino BYI in conjunction with 10. Deep clothing gives you a look behind the scenes into the graffitti before it's immoratlized on walls, the beginnings of masterpieces. Piecebook: The secret drawings of graffiti writers, a compilation of sketches from world famous artists will be on prominent display on Thursday June 12th as 10. Deep holds a gallery reception for the release of the book. The event will showcase prints from select artists featured in the book and for sale at the event will be a special package including a copy of the book, a Piecebook tee and sharpie.
Check out more info on the book here. "

MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peep This... "Midget Fight On Springer"

Since we were already laughing at things that we shouldn't....

For The Beat Heads... Room Acoustics (Better Your Mixes)

Fresh out the oven is something from Mau. I have not had a chance to read it yet as I just checked my e-mail real quick before dinner. Considering his track record though it should be a good read.

"A bit technical but a good read - the things to really read (read them and understand them) is the mirror test, bass traps, and speaker positioning. Handle this stuff, you will not need to buy new speakers. I know people than mix on 4 inch KRKs, and 4 inch M-Audio 100.00 speakers - that can get a better mix than people with better equipment. They have all gone to school btw, but it is because of their understanding of room acoustics that they a) save money, b) get a more balanced stereo mix.

The mastering engineer I have been working with told me to read this. The part about sound fooling your brain is trippy, but explains why a lot of people automatically reach for a stereo imager like S1 which in a poorly treated room will translate to a bad mix widening the mix more than it really should.

http://www.gikacoustics.com/education.html

Love Learning... "

Peep This/Add 'Em... Hangar 18 - Feet To Feet

I just saw this video 30 minutes ago and I had no idea who these guys are. A quick googly googy and I come up with their Myspace page. They video and song are dope. And the songs on their Myspace page are pretty ill. Keep an eye/ear out for them as I will most definitely be trying to get my hands on some of their material to bless you with on "Listen Up". Peep

Hangar 18 - Feet to Feet

http://www.myspace.com/hangareighteen

Peep This ... The Thoughts Of Sasha Rose

An entry from my little sisters blog. Comedy!!!!!!


"June 9, 2008 - Monday

SUMMER
Current mood: dorky
Category: Life

Summer is finally here no more school no more teachers and no more drama. Sik about the drama i mean. Summer is supposed to be the time where we cool off have fun and go shopping but it isnt. The shit is just starting girls fighting over which guy to take to the movie the guy wondering which bra will she wear. I dont kno what it is about sunmmer that make girls more of bitches then usual. Its like they have nothing better to do than fight with each other. I liked him first he said he liked me first. They just do it for attention from the guy who by now has moved on to something else. I have these 2 friends that dont even talk anymore over a guy who didnt like either one of them. And have you ever notice how bitchy girls get when they get with someone and ur still single like it was a race and the beat u to the finish line. Even though on their way there they may have picked up the ugliest guy at the race. Then after you stop caring they break up with the guy like ur getting ahead in another race. On the other hand its like having a soap 24 hours. To bad i hate soaps Like girls say ho's before bros Oh wait!!!!!!!! girls dont say that because they are to busy wondering what color lip gloss to buy. Oh and by the way ALL SHADES OF PINK LOOK THE SAME TTYL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Late Pass... "Iron Mic - Eli Porter vs. Envy"

I'm debating on whether or not I should even give this a late pass because it's really not that old. The first clip is a freestyle battle between Eli Porter and Envy. Pretty run of the mill right? WRONG... WRONG!(c) Charlie Murphy. Eli Porter is disabled. Which is where the slippery slope begins.

Do they not allow him to battle simply because he is handicapped?

-No. That's fucked up.

Do they impose some sort of handicap (pun intended) to level the playing field?

-No. How is that better than the first option? This hip hop and the battle is all about skill.

Or do they put it on the Internet for everybody to laugh at?

DING!!!!

Even though this option is the most fucked up thing they can do, it works out in the long run because it just goes to show that just because someone is disabled does not mean that they do not have the same love or desire to do things that me and you can do. It made me respect Eli for

having the courage to do his thing. So take from it what you wish because even though it made me respect Eli, I still laugh every time I watch the clip.

Now the second clip is a video mash up of the battle with a song that was written from the perspective of Eli. This is where the true comedy lies. Peep...

Iron Mic: Eli Porter vs. Envy

Iron Mic: Eli Porter Responds 2 the Iron Mic Controversy

Peep This... Illdoctrine.com

I came across this site when I clicked a link on my most favorite place on the net Okayplayer.com (why have I not posted a blog about this site yet?????). The link lead me to a Youtube clip by a young man named Jay Smooth. This guy does AMAZING video blogs about whatever topic is on his bird. The first clip is in regards to the "Who Is The Gay Rapper?" witch hunt that has been going in since the early 90's. Dude is always on point with his opinions and delivers them with a sarcasm that not only makes you think, but simultaneously smacks you on the forehead ( a la the new V8 Juice ads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJAJ8xw4374) and calls you a dummy if your really thinking about arguing the point hes' making. Peep the vids!


The Gay Hip-Hop Book


The Other Suge Knight Knockout


Obama Mashup Tribute: He Really Deed It.

For The Beatheads... "Mixing Tip - turn it DOWN!!! And change the volume on speakers every 5-12 min!

Courtesy of Mau...

(Keep in mind that this was sent to me over the span of 3 e-mails.)

Email 1---------------------------------------------

"Yeah, its crazy. I've been doing more testing and research than I ever have on mixing lately. Reading the Bob Katz books on mastering, playing with compressors and EQs. Testing, doing phase cancellation tests between plugins to see if one produces a better sound than another. But this, is so simple, and helps your mix a lot. So why turn it down? Because you want room for the dynamics - the punch, the attack. YOU CAN NOT HAVE PUNCH AND ATTACK IF THERE IS NO SILENCE OR LOW VOLUME NOISE!!!!!

"If everything is loud, then nothing is loud" - Mau (Kamau Washington)

A lot of people don't seem to get this, and push the levels to close to or at 0 before the master bus because they think it sounds better - when in reality, it sounds louder. If your mix sounds like crap at low volumes, then it is exactly that. GO FIX IT WHILE ITS LOW!!! :-)Download this (it is free)...

http://www.pspaudioware.com/indexen.html?url=http://www.pspaudioware.com/plugins/vmeter.html

Then put it on one of your channels or the whole mix bus for that matter. See what level you have to pull the fader(s) down to, to get the VU meter to peak at 0db. This, believe it or not, is the level you SHOULD mix at. Usually at around -12db.

This is the starting point, start here, it will sound low, it should, if you want your kick louder- guess what - now you have room! You can push it up above -12, compress it, do what ever. But start here. If it sounds good at -12db, it will be a crisp a** clean a** mix once you throw a limiter or compressor at the end.

If you want your mix loud - turn up the monitor OUTPUT (not the master fader in your DAW) to the speakers on a mixer/Big Knob/Dangerous Music Monitor/Presonus Monitor - or adjust the level setting on the back of your speakers.

Also, note that all digital DA conversion stops at 0db, keep it way under that, your ears will thank you for it when you are 60. To keep your ears sane and a "fresh" ear while mixing, ALWAYS change the output volume while mixing. Turn it up then mix, turn it down then mix, turn it down lower, turn it up really loud, turn it down, repeat randomly. Doing it this way, your ears can't adjust to the mix making each pass fresh. Your ears are your best and your worse enemy, they can filter out noises due to prolonged play, don't let them do that. TRUST ME ON THIS, for those who have heard my mixes (not track outs), know that I'm not bullsh*tting :-)

Email 2---------------------------------------------------------------

I forgot to mention - (I know its long, but if somebody told me this sh*t 4 years ago, I'd be more of a beast!)

1) The level I am referring to is on the master bus/fader (pre limiter)

2) On the VU meter, the calibration on the back of the PSP vintage meter for the OVU Level reference, set it to -20. You can do this by clicking on the PSP Vintage meter on the bottom, you can get the front back by clicking the center. -18 to -22 level ref is standard for post production (film) due to the amount of compression needed for television broadcast btw. When I said -12db, this is the average level (RMS) not peak on the digital meter. All DAWs let you specify or some show you the RMS, use that as your level for mixing, not the peak. Another reason to mix with -20db = 0VU, because you have tons of headroom for transients (the dynamics, the attacks, the punch)

You can use any metering plugin for this (shown in the attachment)...If you think the PSP vintage meter is too hard - try the Sonalksis free G (its free) and mix with the RMS around -12db on the master bus...

http://www.sonalksis.com/index.php?section_id=99

Also to note, to those who think that doing it this way will make your drums louder than everything once you raise them and your instruments will sound small. It will, which is what you want for the drums, but, squashing instruments and getting a louder level on the instruments independent of the drums is easier than squashing drums with compression.

So trick no.2 : compress and or limit in stems (all drums & bass together, all vocals, all synths, all strings, all pads, all leads, all guitars, all samples as individual groups). You can in effect if done right make your music 6db louder than current and way punchier by starting lower :-)And for the gear sluts, I ran my tests through one of these from an engineer at TreeSounds ->

http://www.dangerousmusic.com/mq.html

My levels and average sound were on par with the raw mixes (no limiter) from their engineers when metered on PSP and on the MQ. So, that should tell you something :-)

Email 3 -----------------------------------------------------

HOLY SH*T!!!!!!!!!

They (Bob Katz, and other mastering engineers) were right the whole time.

1) Export your mix with an RMS of -12db. It will look like a wimpy piece of sh*t in a waveform editor.

2) Then bring it back into the audio program.

3) Now raise the volume on that track in the DAW,

4) Slap a compressor/limiter with limiting to taste (no distortion - you don't always need a limiter btw) and damn.

LOUD AND CRISP AS F*CK!!!!!

Better than mix mastering (mixing through a limiter or trying to fix a mix with Waves L1-L3 - like most people do)

I guess the two stage mix is important.

So I figured, why don't I run that -12db rms mix through the Avalon 737 using the avalon's pres and back into the computer, and HOLY F*CK!!!!! Ok, they were right again. I never noticed a difference when I was metering using peak and running through the avalon. I'm not even using the avalon's compressor or eq, just the pre-amps to boost the signal!

Running it through the Avalon, makes the L1-L3 look like sh*t. Also, I ran the signal through my mackie board, and believe it or not, its quite nice as well - on a mackie? Yes on a mackie?. Mind you this is through crappy converters on a Delta 1010, and it still sounds good.

So the -12 RMS / Re-import / Digital or Analog Amplification - is a nice mixing process.

To those who think this is over their head, ask me questions! I wish someone had explained it all to me a while back. One thing I've learned is that, perfecting ones craft requires constant study. And that is what I'm doing, something that I feel I forgot to do while chasing the dream of making music for the masses... Now, its just for me and those I believe in :-)"

NEW ADDITION!!!!!!!!!!! "For the beatheads..."

My man Mau is a super dope producer who transplanted from Los Angeles to Atlanta a few years back. For me the thing that sets him apart from a lot of producers is his meticulous attention to detail. He would call it dedication, I would call it OCD. Whatever it is, it definitely allows him to constantly create something new and usually puts him a few years ahead of the latest trends. Anyway, because he keeps busy and he is not in Cali anymore we don't get a lot of time to chop it up like we used to. But what he does do is text and e-mail.

Usually the e-mails center around music and production techniques. His latest e-mail reflects his longest quest for perfection in mixing. I stopped counting how many books he has read and analyzing (notice how that word contains anal?) of big studio mixing boards and home mixing software/hardware. My philosophy of clean in = clean out and just adjusting the level of each track has definitely been influenced by his finds.

So far I have been passing these finds on by word of mouth but now that I have a blog... why not? So this is a new edition to the blog called "For the beatheads" inspired by Mau's new blessing (Congrats you biggity biter) since he stay blessing with the knowledge. So I will be adding some elements of music production to future editions of "For The Beatheads" but what I will primarily be using it for is to post whatever little tid bits Mau hits me with. So keep an eye out.

Peep This... It's Green Snitches!!! (c) Swizz Beats

http://www.treehugger.com/

Since I found out I was going to be a father back in 2007, I started to realize and understand that I am actually laying a foundation for another human beings life. That realization was an overwhelming force in my decision to do a lot of different things. One of those has been the decision to go green. Now I have been recycling since I was a kid and I have been donating clothes to Goodwill since high school but those were for different reasons. I recycled cans and bottles as a kid just so I could get money. That was one of my hustles. And I donated to Goodwill because I was buying clothes there. So that was out of convenience. Now I'm doing these things for the planet.

So for those of you who want to go green and don't know how. Discovery Channels Planet Green ( http://www.planetgreen.com/ )is a new channel that launched last week and dedicates it's programming to informing it's watchers to eco friendly alternatives to inject into your everyday lifestyle. This is where I found out about treehugger.com .

This site is awesome and stretches over the entire eco spectrum. Offering insight into cooking, transportation, architecture, air pollution and even fashion. I found a free (so far) service that helps you manage junk mail by removing your contact info from mailing lists. They also rank everyday products/technology so that you know how green things are. Check out this article on the greenest laptops available - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/buygreen-laptop-computers.php .

So check out the site and get involved. It's not as hard as it may seem and you get to choose how green you want to be. Even if you don't want to go green the knowledge that you gain from this site is going to stick with you. Peep

Peep This... Lloyd feat Lil Wayne All Around The World

I'm not a huge fan of today's R&B acts for several reasons and Lloyd was not somebody that I thought would have a second album. But his second album exceeded my expectations. And not only is dude on his third album but he is pretty much the artist that is making Murder Inc./Irv Gotti a relevant presence. Props to ya!

Now this new song has been out for about a week and is a definite banger. Most of me wants to attribute that to the heavy sampling of Eric B. & Rakim but the vocals are definitely there. Even though the video is kinda wack, it's definitly worth checking out. Peep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyh6YeymFoE

http://www.zshare.net/audio/8797412c4f0951/

Peep This... Dwele - I'm Cheatin

New Dwele!!! This song is dope and the vid brings the concept of the song out. I'm excited to hear some new material as I have rediscovered his first album "Rize". The new album is due out on June 24th. Here is his myspace page for those of you who ain't knowing!

http://www.myspace.com/dwele

Peep This... NASA Moonstream

With all that grade A real estate up on the moon the question arose that when we do decide to live there, how are we going to move things around? Our current moon buggies are only built to carry 2 to 3 people so designer Anthony Sims came up with the answer. The NASA Moonstream. I believe it's intended to be the first vehicle to ever travel from pole to pole on the moon. The design is definitely forward thinking as they're have not been any futuristic looking vehicles coming out of NASA for a minute now. This vehicle is definitely a reason for a former space nerd to slip back into old habits. Peep.

http://www.anthonysims.com/mars.html

Peep This/Add 'Em ... The art of Russ MIlls (a.k.a. byroglyphics)

I think I want to blow up a few of these and hang them in my new living room. Dope artist... Nuff Said!!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/byroglyphics

http://www.byroglyphics.com

Peep This.... Classic Pics in Lego

I came across this guy on flikr and he does a lot of work with Lego characters. In this particular set he recreates famous photographs using Lego bricks. Peep

http://www.flickr.com/photos/balakov/sets/72157602602191858/

Listen Up... Common feat Pharrel - Universal Mind Control

I am a huge fan of Common but to say the least, I have been disappointed with his most recent work. It's been slipping in quality while his popularity increases and it's pretty much been on the decline since "Like Water For Chocolate". That said he is still one of my favorite emcees. Anyway this song has been out for a week or two and it is mos def a throw back to the Zulu Nation era of hip hops foundation. The sound and flow on this is really not Cornbreads strong point but it might work out for him. Listen up!

http://www.zshare.net/audio/13012835a1a20403/

Peep This... Color Flip Book

Only if you've got time to waste.

http://www.colorflip.com/

Peep This... The things we do for poo/ "Guano bowls! Collect the whole set" (c) Ace Ventura

The New York Times posted a photo story about laborers in Peru scrape dung off the soil by hand to sell as fertilizer. Reading things like this make you reevaluate your own crappy job.

P.S. - Puns Are Fun!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/05/30/world/20080529PERU_index.html

Peep This... Bomb It - The Movie

Since I'm in a graffiti aartsy fartsy mood today, check out the trailer for a new documentary called "Bomb It". I didn't know anything about it until I saw this trailer but it looks like something I will most definitely be checking out when it slides through LA.

http://www.bombit-themovie.com/

Peep This... 3D ads in your local newspaper

A zoo in the UK came up with a groundbreaking way to promote their zoo by putting an ad in the newspaper that allowed viewers with camera phones to see color 3D images on said phone by simply pointing the viewfinder on the black and white ad. Click the link and peep the vid.

http://www.adforum.com/Focus/business.asp?AD=12652298&TDA=VDCubwGlxD

Peep This ... The MIRF

Just the concept behind this is dope. I don't know if this is the first ever but it is the first I've ever seen. A sculpture of a graffiti piece. This one in particular is a collab between 1134 NYC members "MINT" and "SERF" (hence the title"MIRF") and is being produced by NYC Art Toy brand Thunderdog Studios.

Peep This... ASKO Laundry Care

As I find myself shopping for a washer and dryer I am completely impressed at the advances in laundry technology. It has come a long way since I was washing clothes at my moms house. Quite a few have stood out but this one is one of a kind. It is a completely self contained modular unit that allows you to pick configurations of the washer, dryer, ironing board, storage drawers and closet. With coordinating doors in front of the actual washer and dryer doors, it makes the room look sleek and modern. Mos def what I would put in my dream house if I win the lottery.

http://www.creative-laundry.com/

Peep This... diNovo Mini

This is THE must have keyboard for those of you who have digital media on a PC that you watch on your big screen TV. This bad boy takes the hassle out of having to find a place to set a wired/wireless keyboard and mouse by placing them both in the palm of your hand. The palm sized mini keyboard is back lit and runs blue tooth 2.0 on rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. It extends battery life by measuring the amount of light in the room and turning off the back light if it is not needed. The track pad also functions as a D-pad to navigate menus (DVD, Software, etc) all with the flick of your thumb. Not only does it have a dedicated Windows Media Center Button but it offers all of this, plus more at a range of 33 feet. With a suggested retail price of $150.00 this is most def a dope Fathers Day gift (hint, hint).

www.logitech.com

Add 'Em... J Davey

I must confess that I don't know too much about this duo outside of their 2007 LP "Land Of The Lost" which was a free download. But the music was solid enough to warrant a a mention of them on my bloggy blog. Give them a listen...

Sorry...

My bad fam. Real life be moving at the speed of light! Anyway. I'm back again.