Chapter: Billie X Armstrong Interlude

Chalk on the Walk from Marlene Marmolejos on Vimeo.

Me at the Chalk on the Walk at the May Fair 2011. First try at chalk art, fun day.

Chapter: Breathe

Edward Shapre & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks

Chapter: Off Future

One thing that really gets me annoyed is potential gone to pure waste. It pains me to see people and places that I love become obsolete and useless. I'm all for change, but let it be productive and positive for yourself and the environment. We all possess personal freedom, but know what you are choosing and what you are deciding to support. What is this with our youth chanting "Kill them all!" Really?

I was recently introduced to OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All). Basically a bunch of rapper dudes between ages 16-21 who don't care about anything and rap and stuff. They have variety, but I'm being vague. But yeah, cool, good for them. I listened to them for a few days, mostly because I was angry, but when I began to cool down and had the lyrics rolling off of my tongue, I noticed what I was saying.

Tell your b*tch stop complaining bout her achey tits
A body is a temple - I don't give a f*ck; I'm atheist

-__-, inspiring. I'm all for religious freedom and people have the right to believe whatever they wish to believe, but c'mon. This is what hip hop is coming to? This group is different, that's obvious, but is what they're bringing to the table something we should be praising? Their content usually has to do with rape, "f*cking white b*tches", mutilation, murder, or life generally. Not forgetting homophobia, misogyny, and just extreme violence.
They're different, people like different, but why would a young girl be so enthused by a guy saying..

Moving on to a Jessica, planning to make a mess of herAfter a couple drinks and a session of anal sex with herLike "Hey there, intestines, my cock is erect, next to ya"We the sh*t like what you make, them n*ggas still ain't fresh as us.

No offense to the group, but after those few days, I felt like my IQ dropped a few points, and I was offending myself. But that's just me.

So back to my point. I feel like some of the people I know are growing up and changing, but in my eyes, instead of progressing they're degenerating. Supporting music that in no way represents what they claim to "love" (i.e. soul), and just completely contradict themselves. I'm all for spontaneity, but not when it's running around saying you want to kill people and "burning rubber and f*cking beasts with a burnt d*ck". You're still in high school, probably can't completely fathom what it is you're listening to, and so you categorize it as "swag". Because raping and killing people is attractive and respectable. (I know it's all hypothetical and in theory, but really?) Calm down. These dudes were even afraid of their mom listening to what they were creating. Seriously, see for yourself.

Odd Future's Tyler, The Creator says:

"If you go to any other rapper's show, they just stand there and rap. Rap is really just too conventional. Everybody does the same thing. No one ever pushes the box. And then when you get people pushing the line too far, people are like, 'What the f--- is this?' And then it's like ... 'This is tight, it's new.' We're doing something that no one has ever done before."

I love new music. I respect this group's outlandish approach, but I don't like that it's adding corruption to an already messed up youth.

I'll leave you with some wise words..

"Yo I’m seventeen, already sniffin’ blow. I tell my friends its asthmary time I itch my throat, I got a new show for MTV, Pimp My Boat."

Odd Future, indeed.

Remember, just my opinion.

Chapter: Selah Sue (Beast)

Chapter: Balistic Tunes

Keep track of Balistic on his blog as he creates an awesome mixtape with a plethora of artists.

Tune in here.

Chapter: MTV

MTV, it began broadcasting August 1, 1981. It's initial purpose was to play music videos that were guided by on-air hosts called VJs. (Interesting name.) It was devoted entirely to music, something like a mainstream where fans could listen to their favorite music, watch interviews of recording artists and even hear what other fans thought of the music. But, now nearing 3 decades of being on-air, MTV has evolved into a pop culture & reality TV bowl of turd. Even the logo has been changed. They dropped "Music Television" completely and the M even appears to be shorter. Tina Exarhos, a spokesperson for MTV's marketing team, explained the change to "The New York Daily News": "If you watch the channel, you've seen that it's definitely going in a new direction. We really wanted to see the logo featured in a new way, and this was really meant to be able to house all the great things that are happening at MTV at any given time." Sigh. I'm losing my MTV.

I mean, it's still great and all, and it still shows music and stuff, but "Teen Mom"? Really? Or "Is She Really Going Out With Him?", "Date My Mom" ? Get outta my face, c'mon. I used to love just watching music videos, or just leaving the channel on and letting the music soothe my soul. But now? I feel like my IQ decreases as soon as I put the channel on. These shows are so unnecessary, and worse, stupid! Over the years MTV has morphed into a channel that is less focused on it's original intention. It's now focused on targeting a certain teen/young adult audience, and ditching it's roots to giving the audience what the network believes they want. What a shame. Way to follow the crowd MTV.

"The MTV brand, to me, stands for such an irreverent groundbreaking brand, and unfortunately I feel a little underwhelmed when I look at this," Hamish McLennan, global chairman-CEO of advertising powerhouse Young & Rubicam, told Ad Age. With shows like "Jersey Shore", MTV is farting out celebrities overnight. And it's clear that people are more swayed by a show like this, rather than old-school music video blocks like "120 Minutes".
Let's retrogress and take a look at MTV back then...

MTV's first promo featuring public domain images of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Let's get back to music MTV.

But, I'm not gonna hate, I do love me some ABDC. (STATIC NOYZE!!)