F*ck you, Haiku

It is with great pleasure that I announce a new installment of the Landing Pad! A daily haiku brought to you for your enjoyment. Each day,17 syllables of  insightful perspective, reflection on nature, and the address of common problems our society faces today whether it's ugly chicks, light pollution, or penis envy (that's you, not me). Even a stab at Doo Doo Mamas of America! I promise you won't be let down. However, if you are a true connoisseur of prose and poetry and manage to stumble across the haiku series you'll probably be little more than slightly nauseous in which case I'd recommend that you pop some Skittles and chill the fuck out. Really excited about this...no, the picture is not entirely relevant, I simply hoped to evoke a similar level of disgust with the series to come.

Smoke DZA

Puff, puff, pass! Smoke DZA is one of my favorite artists as of recent. Dope hash-baked flow with awesome features (Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T, Mickey Factz, and more), this George Kush Da Button Mixtape is stuck on my playlists. It's been out for a minute but if you didn't get it, get on it. Snatch it HERE. It's 4:20 somewhere.

You tweet? Follow Smoke DZA

Tracy Morgan on Nailin' Palin

Here's a little bit I stumbled into while surfing the net the other night; Tracy Morgan with a rather risque take on Sarah Palin's beauty. This all took place sometime between the Heat vs. Knicks game; I'd rather watch men's beach volleyball than a basketball game. Ronspliff would believe me, but either way I still don't know who won, and I don't care much. Shout out to Charles Barkley for looking like less of an ass than usual.
"Wanna thank Tracy Morgan for stopping by" = Yes

George & Wizzle

Wiz Khalifa's single "Black & Yellow" can't get enough play and I honestly could listen to this several times on repeat but frankly, I don't. His weed songs get much more play on my headset; all else has been replace with dubstep *wink. Wiz was dope from the start, before he became the new model for all things Marijuana. You might not even believe me if I told you he had a thug swag before that, but all the proof is in his track "Oh No" on the Prince of the City mixtape; it's got that Steeler flow. * I had to. This is the clip of Wiz performing at Lopez Tonight and as I'm a huge fan of George and his comedy I think it's great to see to of my favorite people getting together. Ok, so he was a guest artist on a show I like, whatever! What do you think about the black and yellow afro? Side note, the official Black & Yellow video has upwards of 29,167,876 views...goddamn. Oh, be sure to download his latest single "Roll Up"

it's 4:20 somewhere...

J Dilla Artwork

Everyday R.I.P J Dilla...chances are, if you ever spit to an instrumental that blew your mind or tried to track down "that one sick beat" it was the work of the master JD. This work was entered in the J Dilla Tribute Contest. What's with the donut? Maybe the ill tape Donut Shop...I really feel terrible for not having a larger feature for JD but I'm absolutely sure that there will be many many more to come  *right click, save link as...enjoy...Mmm good

Grime and crumpets

Sorry rap game but I'm having a very public love affair with Grime music. *Google it. In short Grime music is the UK's equivalent to rap music with a dreadlock twist. Think dubstep meets the English rapper and the occasional Jamaican dancehall artist. I fucks with that...here's a video of Hip-Hop/Grime artist Professor Green's "Before I Die." Note, this is not a Grime beat, I'll be posting a more relevant video when I'm finished studying. Signed to Virgin Records, Green came up on the freestyle circuit before gaining notoriety and he's done recent work with The Streets, Lily Allen, and popular Grime artists Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, and Devlin (I'm a big fan of Chippy and Dev). Oh, and he also put on with Compton rapper The Game during his bit on a London tour. *Not so fun fact, his father hung himself in late 2008 and before the music scene his life choices resulted in dropping out of school and close calls with the coppers. Perhaps the notion that music has changed his life for the better is being playfully juxtaposed in this video, as he is seen being hung from a belt with piano keys as well as a light-hearted reference to his father's passing. This is of course, apart from its relevance to the lyrics...too much too much, just enjoy..




Here's the Remix with Plan B, Ghetto, Narstie, and others if you dig it...

Untitled

Just thought you guys might enjoy this little project I'm working on right now. The inspiration for this piece draws from graffiti art and the abstract expressionist style of Jackson Pollock (albeit a far cry from the likes of his detailed work).  This is the first layer I've applied so far but I expect to apply at least three more layers using heavier based paints. It's all acrylic with a mix of fabric paints fused with melted wax to create a similar texture to oil based paints. I also used some basic quality spray paint and mod-podge. I'm really excited to finish it off though; I'm gonna seal it with a coat or two of clear gloss lacquer for a glassy, hardened look and texture.

On a different, though related note, I had the luxury of enjoying a day with the family at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. It was like an art history course all over again walking through the corridors filled with the works of Picasso, Van Gogh, and Matisse. Not much else needs to be said to expand on the aforementioned names, it was very impressive but sadly there was only one Pollock canvas and no Salvador Dali work. It's ok though, I got an eye full last year at the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fl.

"Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it." ~~ Salvador Dali

The Importance of Being Earnest

I hope you all enjoyed the New Year with positive vibes all around. For some, a new year is a time for reflection; we can sit back look at what we've accomplished, what we haven't, and perhaps more importantly what we strive to accomplish. Personally, this year has been marked by setbacks and mounting emotional and physical stress. It took me until the 31st of December to notice the silver lining in the rain clouds. Correction, that shit was Golden. Sometimes, inaction brings forth the most progress. Whether you're out of school, out of work, or just plain out of luck, the important thing is to continue to maintain a positive and wholesome attitude through troubled times.  The positive mind is a powerful tool, lest we forget. We seldom recognize the things we do to ourselves that hinder our growth and keep us bogged down. Consider not what is that you want, but what it is that genuinely uplifts your spirit. It can be as simple as reading or burning incense and meditating in solitude or a more dynamic activity as say, playing sports or creating artwork; what matters is that we find ways to maintain positivity. In the words of almost every dancehall artist, "bun wickedness  and bad-mind." Surround yourself with positive influences and experience the difference.

A rainstorm can't last forever but the sunshine is eternal!

Love and Be Loved