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So it was my birthday yesterday and I received a lot of comments and questions. The most popular being “Happy Birthday, wit your old ass”, followed closely by “What are you doing for your birthday?”. This question got me to thinking about all of the wild ass times I’ve had on my birthday over the years and the varying degrees of success I’ve had celebrating them. I’ve got some memorable ones and some not-so-memorable ones. Not because any of them weren’t special, but because I was so drunking funk! I mean, 14 Hennessey shots is excessive on their own but follow them with some Long Islands and Incredible Hulks and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Thank Allah I don’t get hangovers (knock on wood).
It’s kind of crazy how much pressure people put on having a balls-to-the-wall blowout for their birthday. Like if you don’t do the most outrageous thing ever, then you’ve wasted the whole last year. Man, I’m happy just to be here another year so celebrating doesn’t start on my birthday, it merely continues. I know I’m talking like an old man but dammit, that’s just how I feel.
Well, for those that don’t agree and feel like they need to “do it big”, this song is for you. I know how you feel. I’ve been there. I just prefer to know why I woke up in my own bed, missing a shoe, wearing a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” trucker hat with cake frosting smeared across my stomach. I’m just sayin…
 We only use 100% gangsta candles around here!
Click here to listen or download:
Six Million Dollar Mixtape (Old School Hip-Hop)
So I dj’d at the ever-fabulous Layover Lounge and Bar last night {facebook – twitter} and it was an all vinyl night, mostly because I’ve been djing for over a decade and have still not bothered to actually purchase Serato (I should handle that). My thousands of records are still not organized after the move, almost 3 months ago (it’s a lot of records) so I had to actually dig through them all to put together a set. As I’m digging through them, I see my LL Cool section and I almost throw it in the bag cause, come on, Uncle L made CLASSICS. I decided not to bring them because I already play them sooooo much.
I jump onto twitter this morning and one of the best bloggers around is on my timeline. And what do I see?
“DarkGracie - they’re jingling, baby”
So you know me…
“@darkgracie Go head, baby.”
I love that fawking song! Wow. The universe is crazy. I couldn’t believe somebody else was even thinking about it. After a short twitter convo, I felt the need to re-post this mix. Old School Hip-Hop heads, go get it!
Happy Freebie Friday
 l to r: Stretch, Moses, Mark Click Here to listen:
Sitting On My Steps produced by Oh No
So this past weekend, I happened to be in Novato, so I decided to take a little drive and look at some of my old haunts. I went by Our Lady of The Ghetto (The local church school), Novato High (Hornets for life! Class of ‘90), Hill Jr. High, Hamilton Air Force Base (to see my old crib and the gym) and a few other places.
- The old youth center that we used to breakdance at…
- The swimming pool where me and my boys would try (and more often fail) to pick up on the new girls on base…
- The gas station that we used to steal letters from to put up in our rooms…
- The old Theater where I saw “Breakin” for the first time…
- The restaurant where I decided that I needed to date my high school sweetheart (when I saw her there with some other jerk)…
- The church I used to go to where I was a youth group leader (shut it!)…
- The old elementary school where me, D, Keith and most of my hoops homies (and closest friends) spent the majority of our summer days playing Slamball on 9.5ft rims…
As I drove around and noticed how many new buildings there were (and how many old buildings there weren’t), it dawned on me that I have come a looooooong way since roaming these streets looking for something to get into. I’ve played semi-pro football for 2 different teams… been around the world a couple of times… released music and been shown more love than I could have ever imagined as a kid. It puts a smile on one’s face to know that you’ve put your best foot forward and the universe has rewarded you with experiences that you just can’t put a price tag on.
N-O-V, you can’t change me… Cause Imma be a Hornet for life!
 You gotta love that California weather. Click Here to listen:
Summer Shine feat. Danjres Will
In honor of the beautiful weather that we’ve been enjoying lately, I would like to give you a slice of music that goes along with this wave of good energy. This one was actually recorded a while ago, with my boy, Danjres Will Robinson, up in Santa Rosa, CA. It feels just as relevant today as it did when we made it and all of this lovely sunshine has certainly reinforced the vibe that we felt when we made it. Enjoy it. A bit of sunshine before the April showers get here.
Now just because I hit you off with an oldie-but-goodie, don’t go thinking that I don’t have anything new for you. There’ll be extra updates this week, plus we’ll have the first post from Big Willie Dynamite as we’re launching our blog this week. You’ll be able to get to know Mondo, Ray and myself, just a little bit better, as we work on our second album. Stay focused, yall. Big tings agwan.
Click Here to listen:
Love U prod. by Colm K
So today, I woke up in California City and looked out the window. It was BEAUTIFUL!! I hopped up and got dressed for my run. Now, as I had never run out here, I had no idea what the conditions were going to be or how to gauge the distance I was running.
I fired up the gps and my Sportypal app on my trusty Cliq and started running. After the first mile I felt surprisingly good. My lungs were handling the elevation change and the desert climate pretty well. I felt encouraged even though there were a couple of buzzards circling me as I ran. Damn, do I look that out-of-shape??
At the 2.1 mile mark I was feeling pretty strong so I decided to push it. “I wonder if I could make it 5k” I thought. Domingo (of Psycokinetics) and I were discussing it just yesterday and he said that he thought could do 5k.
“Fuck it. Let’s do it!”, I told myself as my calves complained.
One foot followed the other for the next 1.7 miles and I’ll be damned if I didn’t finish the bitch! But I think I sprained my shoulder patting myself on the back.
 Go get this record. Support the homies. that still loves rappin’!!! This is gonna be a short, but sweet post. Awhile back, my boy E da Boss hits me up and says that he has some beats and thinks that I’d fit nicely with my style and voice. I said “Done deal. Send a couple over”. now anybody that knows E, knows that he cat is ALWAYS working hard so when I didn’t get anything right away, I wasn’t really trippin’. I know how it can get. But I didn’t get anything for a couple of days and just when I was starting to get concerned, BANG! He hits me with a joint!! Not only does he hit me with one, he hits me with one that already has a verse from Z-man (One Block Radius). Didn’t see that one coming at all. Now anybody that has heard/seen Z, knows that this fawking guy his energy and wit to spare. He’s like the West Coast version of O.D.B. without all the extra kids. So, I got my game up and laid down a hook and a verse. The result is a song called “Greedy”. And if that wasn’t enough, once the song is finished, I hear Bicasso has bars on the song. Wow! I may have to go play the lottery.
So please, check out the music right here as soon as you can. The songs are at the bottom of the page. Enjoy
 Making it look easy is what I do Click here to listen:
Magic Touch feat. Robin Thicke
Some days you get up out of bed and try to do what you normally do and shit just ain’t right. The dog chewed a hole in your couch… The cats have decided to revolt against using the litter box… Your favorite sweats aren’t feeling right… You feel older than you know you are.
This is when the universe puts a choice in front of you. You can either: A. Go back to bed and try it again or B. Get your ass up and keep it moving. Some mornings it’s just that way. Sometimes, it’s an uphill battle to just get through the morning.
But you know what, in times like those, you have to remind yourself that you’re lucky to even be here, wherever that is. You have to find things to be thankful for. Me… I’m thankful for my life, my family, my girl, my pets (even though they ain’t really MINE, per se), my health, the roof over my melon and absolutely, positively, all of you who actually seem to give a rat’s ass* about what I have to say about any-frickin-thing. I love yall for sticking with me even when I’m bitching about a bad training day or music or money or anything at all. I love all of you for that and I’m thankful for it. Seems like being thankful might just be the magic touch I needed.
*I always wondered; How do you give a “rat’s ass” and why would you? Was it ever fashionable to give somebody the posterior of a rodent? Were they highly regarded fur accessories? Will G-Shock or DKNY ever design a piece inspired by the 1936 Warf Rat?
On Christmas morning…
Mom: Did you have a nice Christmas, Billy?
Billy: (Dejectedly) I guess it was alright, Mom.
Dad: Hey Sport, looks like you missed a present over there in the corner. Santa must have dropped that off on his way out.
Billy hurriedly grasps the present from under the tree…
(insert the sound of wrapping paper being ripped, excitedly, to shreds)
Billy: OMG!! I can’t believe it…. a RAT’S ASS!!! Now it really IS a Merry Christmas! <bing>
 Show up in a pair of these and I'll buy you a shot, my damned self!! Looks like there is gonna be some rug cuttage involving The Master of the Mayhem, Captain High School Fight Music…. Marc Stretch. This time it will be at the East Bay’s best place to be spotted by the Popparatzi, The Layover. Oakland’s crown jewel of watering holes.
 DJ Murry... in the mix I’ll be rocking alongside one of the Motor City’s finest alums, DJ MTM. If you’ve ever witnessed an MTM set, you know that this dude takes you on a ride. Don’t let the quiet demeanor fool you. This cat plays for keeps.
We’ll be playing a few selections from our dearly departed brother in boom-baboom-bip, Jay Dilla.
Motor City Mash – R.I.P. Dilla
It’s Friday night and there’s no cover so there’s no reason why music lovers can’t come down and enjoy themselves. Get there early. The velvet rope knows no loyalty.
The Layover
1517 Franklin Street, Oakland Ca.,94612
* look for the green neon martini glass *
Click below to listen:
Marc Stretch’s 40 Bar Dash – (The One Re-Spit)
Not for the fame or the money :cough: Not to bring The Illuminati to the light so that everybody can know that 12 families are running the world…. Not to get an endorsement from Dr. Dre or whoever… Not so that I can eventually pop bottles of expensive ass liquor that I don’t even like the taste of © Phonte… Not to get my minaj (purposely used) on with 2 “model chicks” at some club where they took my $20 at the door and had the nerve to tell me that I couldn’t wear my sneakers (FOH*)… Not so that I can eventually stunt with 32 inch rims on a $200 car, while I’m still defaulted on my student loan. No. Not for any of those reasons. But because I just love the shit. I love hearing it (when it’s right) and I love doing it (sometimes it’s right). This is one of those times that I just did it because I love it. You’re welcome.
*FOH = FuKOuttaHere – pronounced like it’s spelled.
Apparently….
 We can't ALL be gangstas.... can we? So I’m on the blog run and checking out all of this new music that’s out there. Upon making my visit to HipHopDX.com I start reading the comments. Apparently, Hip-Hop is no longer about who’s more witty, technical, charismatic or talented. It’s about who’s more believable. Now, while I do contend that a lot of the essence of Hip-Hop revolves around convincing the listener of how (insert hip-hoppy adjective here) you are, I do NOT contend that the ability to trick you into participating in your own belief’s suspension is reached through a singular path. In other words, just because an emcee threatens you with a big ass gun, on a record, that don’t make em dope!!
I know that there’s lots of music out there and an even larger selection of blogs/sites where you can listen to these selections, but as I read the comments it becomes clear that the technical merits of rhyming are completely lost on a large selection of listeners out there. I saw people like Gucci, Baby and Nicki Minaj get props for being openly ignorant while artist like Em, Tanya Morgan and even Lil Wayne (the new untouchable artist… huh?) saw criticism for using pattern changes, vocal changes and double entendras. This just makes me sad. Maybe because I personally understand that 100% of the artists out there are just giving you a slice of the real. Never the entire story. It’s just not possible to do so.
I suppose I’m just having a disillusionment moment. I (and every artist I know) pride myself on putting words together in a unique and heartfelt manner. It just burns to know that the majority of the people out there are completely uninterested in being dazzled/impressed/awed by an artist anymore. It feels like they just want you to dumb down everything so that they no longer have to do any extra thinking. I just don’t get it. I remember listening to “Only Built 4 Cuban Links” over and over trying to figure out the metaphors and similes they were using. Hell, I still don’t know wtf Rae meant by “lobster heads”. If somebody got that one, bless me, please.
I guess all I can do is hope there is still a group of people that actually do listen and want to be dazzled by wordplay and imagination. People that ACTIVELY participate as listeners. Otherwise Imma have to go back to professional wrestling and that would suck.
S.O.A.P featuring Mondo
~Chito
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