Czon Live @Street Fair 7/13/19

Screenshot of an IG video I uploaded. I was walking into Street Fair located in West Seattle, WA and specifically in the WS Junction which is like Downtown to WS. They shut down the street once a year for the whole weekend and include trinket kiosks, beer gardens, food and novelty stores etc and live bands at the far end of the street. I spotted this MC just with a microphone hooked up to a speaker and it seemed most of the passing people didn’t notice what he was doing. I did. He was rhyming and flowing completely freestyle to everything he saw. If you walked by he would uplift you with lyrics to what you were wearing or doing. Completely positive and very talented. He made some references to my tattoos and red shoes but kept going with his flow into other things about Seattle and where he was at. I was very impressed and took a card from him,dropped some cash, dapped knuckles and kept walking. Then I looked him up on youtube and he had a few really cool music videos with his son. His son only 5yrs old raps with him and they duel the mic together, not only is it moving to see them together its equally impressive to see this child with such talent. Also not many if possibly No One is MC’ing with their kid like this making Czon potentially the first ever in the streets of Seattle. Nice guy, well talented and you can find more of his videos on IG: @czondeluna / @niccodeluna or youtube Czon Delunatic. Check them out!

Springbreakers Movie (2012)

Wow….this movie…before you go judging the idiotic DVD cover looking like a Bikini Barista stand crashed into Malibu’s Most wanted. No sir…open your fucking mind to something real. Remember when Scarface first came out? No! Of course not because most of my generation were shitting in their diapers when it was a brand new box office film. Now it’s considered a classic and we all know and love and quote every scene. People have posters all over their walls of the great Tony Montana waving an M16. Check this out though…there is actually those muthafuckers over in Miami Florida right now. Not even fake and live by no rules. Cops are bought and the news stays out of it. The main character in this film is based on a real guy from Miami. Forget celeb status Franco’s name understand that this character he is playing is of a real person. Not even fictional by one bit. In fact there is a gangster ass full white guy with dread locks in Miami tattoo’ed up even drops the “N” word and no one says shit to him because hes well respected and crazy as fuck. Not to mention thats the only culture he knows as if someone got pregnant and then threw him down a hood ass street in Miami…only to let him raise himself into a full blood money making gangster in an African american neighborhood exactly how we seen Tony Montana or how Griselda blanco did it in real life. If you really know your shit! See now, Blanco was a real life rich Columbian drug lord who was really doing everything Scarface portrayed. Then in this film Franco is playing a real deal white drug lord with a house full of M16s and Lamborghini’s in his driveway. Only difference is this character is really alive still to this day. Right now. In this movie they walk around doing what they want when they want to do. 4 young girls meet a guy well connected in Miami, they all have a connection. Next he figures out how Crazy these 4 girls are and how they are down to kill for fun just like him. Literally. 2 of the girls drop off and decide it isn’t fun anymore but leaving the last 2 who loved the thrill of danger and you sort of could tell were the crazier of the group. You knew the remaining 2 were the female versions of the Scarface Film. You at first question if the girls really care about this white chocolate eccentric gangster who looks like the biggest dofus you have ever seen. However you would only say that if you never knew him in person. Because out in real life, in Miami he is heavy like steel and well respected by those who matter. Once you get that through your thick skull that this guy is based off a real character you will realize this shit is just some now era millennial war lord Scarface-esq shit. Once that is in your mind you will see this is some current war lord shit you can say damn I was right there when that movie came out. That’s the point, like saying you saw opening day of James Dean films but on that same level you were here for this. The way it is filmed is art, it does long scenes, so each scene lasts much longer than typical movies. Next there is loud noises and gun cocking sounds between the scenes to wake the audience back up that they are i,still n outlaw town. You see just how fierce the 3 of them are together and how if they kill the rival war lords they will rule Miami. They go up in a boat with M16s showing how bout-it they really are. They have a shoot out similar to the Scarface ending shoot out but in this film Franco dies instantly. The girls shoot on and kill all of the rival henchmen without ever blinking an eye that their seem-to-be boyfriend Franco was shot dead. They push on not looking back killing all of them up to the last boss. It;s at this point you can’t deny that these aren’t helpless broads, they are true ass bitches who can kill if they flip the switch. The roll through the end like a couple of Banderas’s from the Dusk till down-movieMusic plays in the background as the boss lips something of an arrogant composure at them as they shoot him in slow-motion killing him and trumping his cockiness with their might. Next the 2 girls are all thats remaining of the movie and their initial squad is not seen in the ending credits…yet they are rolling out in a Lamborghini comfortable as fuck with their hair blowing in the winds like Victoria Secret models. In the background during their shoot out killing an entire drug mob you can hear a seemingly voice message to their parents of how great the summer is and how proper and “good” they were being on their Spring Break. Giving you the impression these girls could shoot an entire army then go home to kiss their Grandmother and bake cookies wearing pink. That being said as they drive off with zero mercy and no care -but the color of their sparkle lip gloss….it cuts to a brief ending scene of them both kissing Franco’s dead body before they left the mansion massacre they made. This romantically proving they loved Franco just as much as he truly loved them. Making those woman also seem human mixed major fierceness. The baddest bitches on the Miami block and even though the girls part of this actual film is fictional, remember Franco’s character is actually as real as can be. You can enjoy both aspects but one last reminder that this white dude Franco is acting is crazy on point to this real deal Lamborghini driving and 2002 outfit/gear wearing, loony. Just a real deal one and that has so much money he doesn’t have to care what you think about him. He handed the girls bouquets of 100’s to show he loved them not flowers. This is a cult classic and probably one of the greatest movies of all times because its a real story we just never cared to notice.

Stunt Bikes & Booties DVD (2015)

Many of you may not know the history of the motorcycle street bike/stunt life. You’ve seen people do wheelies or tricks but in the 80’s it was just a standard wheelie, then on through the early 2000’s you had to at least scrape the tail and stoppie, maybe occasional burnout. Now in the current era you better scrape on the freeway, do 100s of feet long in stoppies, circle wheelie, drift and jump everywhere on the bike while you wheelie for miles. Well that is if you want to be noticed on the internet and social media zones. See because back before 2005 youTube didn’t even exist home boy, and even when it did people just got started. Back then video devices were only in handheld camcorders or maybe digital cameras thru the 2000s. Now a days we have GoPros and camera phones at every disposal. Even drones! The most likely started out with very old tapes used in the old school big cameras. You can tell in the editing that they were limited which gives the DVD a much more intensely real feel. The music they probably have zero rights for but it all works well in the background. The ending even has 10 mins of completely dead screen as the music plays which makes you feel like you stumbled across a rare artifact of stunt bike history that was never finished. Anyway back then it was stock bikes too, factory made un-modified OEM bikes doing stunts similar to know but not as intensely smooth with safety nets or crash bars or 3rd Hand brake control. Not to say the skill hasn’t increased greatly it’s just to say the OG’s did it when it was all or nothing to learn and forcing stock bikes to be manipulated into tricks. In this video I 100% feel these guys, Ruthless Tactics str8 out of New Jersey, straight out of the hood! No bullshit, no helmets no verbally or visual fucks given. The bikes might even be borrowed in some cases, ha! and the cops are ignored throughout the rides. The amount of Skill these guys have is way ahead of the stunt-game time. Circle wheelies using just the factory foot brake where is now there are sold hand levers to compile with your foot lever for added control. Back then if they dropped the bike that could mean serious damage. Not in the now where there are specialized cages on the internet to protect everything after years & years of research. Not to mention bike parts and replacements pieces all on the internet now. This DVD is the Boyz in The Hood version of every freestyle motorcycle “street” stunt video. Basically the Scarface of biker stunt era videos. Enjoy the culture we grew up in, enjoy the intense raw fury of fighting the street on motorcycles.

Blue Hill Avenue Movie (2001)

This movie had great reviews and a decent soundtrack but not a movie you hear many people recalling or talking about. It takes place from the late 1970’s through the 80’s up into 1991 and rumored to have some loose ties to an actual true story of 4 friends in Boston. It shows the guys making money off selling marijuana on up to the crack/cocaine era that drug dealers thrived on. All of the actors are B actors in my opinion so that could be the reason there was never any buzz from this film. The narrative parts give you a poetic background with an excellent performance by Clarence Williams III as a mob boss of sorts. Each main character does a great job showing their positions in the story with many twists and turns that have you guessing the outcome. Interesting movie and probably can be found on Amazon or any movie website.

Machine Gun Kelly Live @Showbox Sodo 6/25/19

First time I seen this guy was at the AVN awards in Vegas some years ago and never had heard of him. It was a quick 1 or 2 song intermission show and I was hammered so didn’t remember too much of it. Then I heard the song “Till I Die” and I was like this guy is cool. Then the whack ass Eminem beef starts and I thought…who is this slim shady guy think he is? Some type of dope relic from a mystical fake past he dreamed of? Eminem has never ever had play in my cars and he is a great lyricist who can think of witty little rhymes about his mom and living in a trailer park but BITCH , MGK is FROM THE LAND! Plus I just really think MGK’s long arms would knock the EBT card out of trailer park boi M&M. Anyway, back to the show. Showbox Sodo isn’t as good as Market but still a good venue and large open good sound quality. You can pay extra for the VIP section and have reserved seating with a dedicated waitress. He had a solid entrance rising up behind the stage in a tan khaki suit which he went shirtless halfway through the show. This was a great mix of Rock and Rap /some alternative that reminds me of Aerosmith and Run DMC when they did their collaboration “walk this way” back then. He even went up & played the drums, tore it up then hopped on the guitar while doing lead vocals proving this guy has talent. This was his very first sold-out show and he thanked the crowd a few times for it thus Seattle, WA showing their support. He even said he did a show with about 3 rows of people before and now it was filled and thanked us. MGK coming straight out of Cleveland tattoo’ed everywhere sporting died hair you can tell his is an individual just being himself. We use to think people of color were the only ones representing the hood but MGK says in his lyrics “in the hood hes good, till he dies” and the Showbox crowd went crazy for him. Also here to let you know people with lighter shades of skin have been out here in the hood so throw your stereotypes in a sack. Towards the end he did the song 27 which is a deep song about dying young but dying a legend, great track. He climbed on the rafter at one point so someone could throw him a joint. This guy is a real entertainer and if you on that Eminem shit remember MGK has that reach and will physically beat him up so stop listening to a guy that will lose to the opposing artist in a fist fight. Haha JK M&M alright. Check MGK when you can he is worth the money to see.

Celly Cel Live @Brothers Gemini 6/22/19

This is the second time I drove deep to the oddest of places to see Cel perform live. I took this solo drive to deep Port Angeles , WA this time, which is like a hill billy town with the tallest building about 3 stories high. I decided to take the ferry to cut the drive time thru Tacoma but still was hours from the Bremerton Terminal to get to the show. The venue itself had good reviews online but when I got there they had a weird layout with the bar in the middle and the “stage” off to the side which was just a built in platform with railings. Wasn’t terrible but just small area. The towns people all gathered in there and you had to wonder where these people came from. I even spotted an elderly lady at the bar as if someone misplaced their grandmother. The bartender looked like 2 hours after her 21-first birthday and took about 60hrs to pour drinks so I was sure to get doubles and double fist. There was cheap motels nearby so don’t stress where to stay for shows but ZERO uber or lyft out there so you gotta go old school and whistle a cabbie to get around town. As for Celly Cel I was front and center after the 4-5 openers (too many I think) performed and like the last time I saw Cel he walked in with no entourage just hella G by himself walking through the actual crowd. It was at that point it dawned on me that many just have not heard of Cel to need security for his shows and also because he looks built like a line backer if you see him up close. With hands the size of catchers mitts like he could palm a face in Killa Kali. I digress, the show was cool, although you catch some slight lip syncing but mainly because they turn his background vocals up real high so he is rapping over himself almost like tracing a drawing. I noticed that at his last show but the amount of energy he puts into his stage presence along with the fact he recorded these songs himself in the 90’s you can’t complain. He did tracks from G Files, Killa Kali and some new stuff to keep the crowds ears well versed. After the show he hung out a bit, took pics, signed a couple posters for people and he and I shot the breeze outside. I told him to stop doing shows outside Seattle, WA because it’s like an artist doing a show in CA but never performing in LA. I hope to see him in Seattle next time and would for sure support this original at his next show but feel I have paid my dues on the long treks.

Wu Tang Clan Live @WAMU Theater 6/21/19

“Wu Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to fuck with!” I have always wanted to see this legendary rap group but have missed every Seattle show. However not this year and even though I hate WAMU theater for shows I still had to make attendance. WAMU is a huge area usually with an entire general admission venue with some exceptions on folding chair seating and stands in the very back. The sound quality inside is never good, it echos and loud bass and tremble over powering the performers. They are very strict on what you can bring inside and it cost money to check your shit into lockers outside, real pain in the ass. Not to mention they only have one area when you first walk in for drinks and nothing can be taken into the venue-performance area. So that means you sit in a long ass lines for a $10 beer that you can only buy 1 per person and it can’t leave the beer garden which the show cannot be seen from. WAMU is located in downtown Seattle and a terrible parking zone. About the only benefit to WAMU is at least you know the artist made their money of housing a huge place for lots of ticket sales. Anyway, the group did decent for the shitty venue and the ODB cover /tribute was on point with much energy. My favorite of the group that specific show was Method Man, he was about the only one who had the crisp original voice while others were distorted due to the venues low capabilities. They did all the classic tracks and mixed a few songs together which sounded good the way they did it. The lights and background effects added great appeal and the crowd went crazy as seen here they all put up W’s to show their support to the group. All and all worth it but would never see them again if it was at this venue. WAMU Theater should just stick to EDM shows with lasers and shit.

Blindspotting Movie (2018)

Great movie displaying life in Oakland CA. Many of us reminisce of the golden era of 90’s hood movies but take a ride in the current time through CA with references to modern-time themes. The two actors are real life childhood friends from Oakland who spent about a decade writing this film. It was limited release and written in a spoken-verse-style which is commonly known as a rhythmic poetry. Daveed looks like a version of O-Dog from menace II society and Casal looks like Machine Gun Kelly and G-Eazy made a baby. There is some comedy in it especially the scene of where a young man explains a story he recalls of Daveed and Casal beating up someone but then also much drama and real life struggles that give the viewers full understanding of each persons characters. Also you have realistic trials and tribulations of young men trying to stay out of trouble in a city breeding trouble at every corner. You see clear comparisons of neighborhoods blossoming gentrification including a camera shot of new modern built homes in between older homes. You see racism tackled in multiple different ways including a very different approach I can relate to but never seen on screen much. The ending is interesting and not one you really would expect but the entire film has great engaging scenes to keep you curious of what will happen next. I enjoyed this and each character played a very believable role. Many of us watch movies or hear music of Southern CA but this is a great story of Northern CA worth watching.

Goodybagg Live @Genesee Park 6/8/19

I first heard this live band at an Adult Prom that I was stood up at. The sounds were amazing and they did lots of classic R&B, 90’s rap covers with some classic MoTown and Funk. If you ever heard any 90’s rap song actually sang with live instruments, saxophone, drums, and guitar it changes the whole sound in a great way. Almost like a brand new song yet very familiar. Seen here is Genesee Park located in the Souf End (not to be confused with “South”) Anyone really from South Seattle area calls it “The Souf End” just always been that way. Anyway, this park is large and close to Seward park with the area pictured to set up for family BBQs or live music. This specific event is an annual Spodie that a bunch of people put on once a year to sort of kick off summer and bring the community together. This includes residents, families, friends, motorcycle clubs as well as a few food truck vendors. It was $15 a cup and all you could drink so I imagine people were hammered at some point. I left after the band was done and Goodybagg was doing great covers by snoop dogg and Ice cube with the Sax really doing major justice to the songs behind vocals. Check out Goodybagg they perform regularly across Seattle, Tacoma and various places like The Royal Room, Edgewater and casinos.

Brotha Lynch Hung Live @Crocodile 6/4/19

Growing up in the 90’s Gangsta rap was a huge thing for people that lived it or just wanted to listen to the stories told by the people who either saw it or lived it themselves. To see this artist touring was not only great but also to see Mr. Lynch at the Crocodile in Seattle, WA was even better. This venue is located in Belltown and the venue has been home to many 90’s grunge artists who caught their big break from there. It has an upper deck and lower main area that anyone can go to and from. Lynch put on a great show, new songs and classic ones from his earlier albums. He interacted with the crowd doing handshakes as he sent the lyrics into the ears of the audience. He showed up in sweat pants displaying he is still Brotha Lynch from the Garden Blocc. Lots of these 90’s rappers never made it very far when they stayed in the gang life but it’s reported that Lynch is one of the few to leave the gang life behind and then rap about the stories he may or may have not lived or seen. Lynch also is one of the originators of “horrorcore” which is a rap style that comes off evil and sick to some, not just killing people but dismembering and rapes with guns. However many of his classic tracks were blasting thru the speakers of many youth then and to this day, great show and glad to say I was there.