DJ Doo Wop Uses Sweet and Sour Sauce When Going Down.

Doo Wop ft. Fat Joe, Akinyele, Prettyboy Floyd, and Lord Tariq- You Gotta Go Down. This shit deserves it's own post.

I've been looking for this joint for years and I finally got my hands on it. The first time and one of the only times I ever heard it was on Stretch and Bob. Didn't even realize that it was on Doo Wop '95 Live.

I'm not even sure what the exact title is. I've seen it referred to as "I Wanna Be Down" Doo Wop remix- but I prefer "You Gotta Go Down." This is the official Anti-Cunilingus anthem. Go figure. Akinyele used his lyrics for "Put It In Your Mouth." Doo Wop kills it with "I put the sweet and sour sauce on your chicken nugget and you love it." Fat Joe comes through on some "And if you put me on quick sand I still won't go down."

You Gotta Go Down- Doo Wop ft. Fat Joe, Akinyele, Prettyboy Floyd, and Lord Tariq

Over at WakeYourDaughterUp they're discussing the 100 Greatest Obscure tracks with links by installments of 10. Definitely interesting to peep. It's pretty subjective so you might feel certain tracks are missing. The track this post is dedicated to would definitely be on my list, though it's missing over there. To each his own. They gave love to Diamond's "Hiatus" remix ft. Cru, which is in my top 10 dopest tracks ever, so I can appreciate their opinions.

For the old heads- an added bonus- Snaggapuss' Myspace Page. Now he refers to himself as Snaggdadon. Need to start scrounging up all the old Bounce Squad freestyles. If anybody has any, get at me.

If you're looking to cop Doo Wop '95 Live parts 1 & 2 you can cop them at Doo Wop's Myspace page.

Or you can get Part 1 HERE.

Super Tacos.

Until recently I had a huge stigma attached to food trucks and street carts. They seemed filthy and I felt the food wasn't that fresh so I opted not to patronize. Then things changed- I started reading about certain vendors, tried some of their offerings and became a full fledged advocate of street food. I missed a lot of good food over the years due to my bullshit, so I'm working extra hard to make up for that lost time.



One of these spots is Super Tacos located on the SW corner of 96th St. and Broadway. You can't miss it, basically it's a stationary ice cream truck. Replace the freezers with grills and Mexicans getting busy with cutlery and you have Super Taco. The menu is on the side of the truck and pretty cut and dry. Until today, I've only gotten tacos, choosing between bistec(steak), chorizo(sausage), and al pastor(pork steak with pineapple). They have daily specials, which I have missed out on in the past for getting there too late, but today I was able to try the Caldo De Pollo, spicy chicken soup. Next time I'm going for a torta (sandwich).



So I ordered 1 of each of the afore mentioned tacos and the chicken soup. You can choose from 9 different taco fillings. The suadero, steak with peppers and onions looks good. The goat and tongue don't sound that appealing, but I should give it a shot. Maybe next time.



Let's start with the soup. Like the name of the spot, the soup was SUPER spicy. I don't mind spice, but this shit was alarm blazing. From jump I was a little turned off because the pieces of chicken still had the skin attached. That soft boiled skin that kind of makes me sick. Getting over that, the rest of the dish was pretty good. It consisted of a reddish broth, several pieces of chicken with bone attached, rice, and various spices and herbs including cilantro and hot pepper flakes. After getting halfway through the dish the broth became too oily and the spoon had to be put down. It's 7 hours later and I'm still feeling it. I was given a stack of about 8 plain tortillas that probably should have been used for the soup. I ate all the meat by the time I saw these so they went to waste. Now I know to lay out everything before I dig in.



The tacos come pretty bare bones. Each have 2 tortillas, the meat, and cilantro and chopped raw onion. You have the option of lime, green or red salsa, and radish slices. I always go for the lime and green salsa.



The chorizo taco adds that extra spicy kick. Chopped up pieces of chorizo with cooked onion along with raw onion and cilantro. It's a nice tablesetter to be followed up by the less aggressive bistec.



The bistec taco is always on point. Simple, yet strong flavors. The lime juice and salsa verde add a new dimension that transcends the typical American taco experience. For years I doused tacos with sour cream, cheese, salsa, jalapenos, and a variety of other shit, when in reality, the simpler the better.



The tacos al pastor pose a problem for me. The strips of pork are great, but pineapple is always added. For those that know me, I prefer keeping my savory and sweets separated. Segregate that shit. The pineapple isn't overbearing, so I throw extra salsa on to mute the sweetness. Good shit.

All the years we stopped at Koronet for a slice or San Loco for some queso locos, we would have been better going here for some late night tacos. I don't know the hours, but I believe they're open till at least 2 am.

All tacos cost $2. My meal consisting of 3 tacos and a large bowl of spicy chicken soup cost $8. In hindsight, the girl might have made a mistake calculating. Either way, you really can't beat that. Being right off the West Side Highway, it's good to know that a 5 minute detour can get you a nice little meal.

NY Times Discredits HowfreshEats' Burger Opinion

Do they really want to battle? I was built for this. In Friday's Escapes section (3/28/08) the Times did a piece on NJ Turnpike eating. Starting in Hackensack and making their way down to Pennsville, a stones throw from PA, they visited around 10 spots, each with something different to offer. The front page had a huge photo of White Manna, describing it as "a piece of hamburger heaven in Hackensack." As I've said before, I disagree, but the article is worth the read and I suggest you take some mental notes for the next time you're cruising the NJTP. It seems that I'm in the minority of not loving the White Manna product, but I will not waiver.

Read the article HERE.

While we're speaking of burgers, May 20th will host the Burger Battle of the Boroughs in Astoria, NY. Each borough sans Staten Island will battle for All-City burger supremacy. For all the info check HERE. The Bronx's only representative is Coals on Eastchester Road. I've wanted to check them out but haven't had a chance to. We should write-in Piper's Kilt. But then the other places wouldn't have a chance. Sissies. More burger news- April brings us 2 new burger books- The Hamburger: A History and Hamburger America: One Man's Cross-Country Odyssey to Find the Best Burgers in the Nation. The second book might lead to many a road trip. Read more about them HERE.



Now I discuss irony. While in H-ouston, I missed another H fitted from Fitted H-awaii. Manilla gold cap with green H- Green Bay Packer colorway. So I didn't cop any Astros fitteds in H-town and I missed out on another H-awaii joint. It just might be time to hang it up and retire from the game.

Peep the new video from Blu & Exile- "Blu Collar Workers". Tell me dude doesn't look like Bubbles from The Wire. It even looks like he lives in his sister's basement.

Aren't Fantasies Supposed to be Fun??

Because Fantasy Baseball sure as shit isn't. Call it Nightmare Baseball, or This Isn't Fun Baseball, or Little League was Great Compared to this Baseball. Beginning in approximately 8 hours, the next 6 months of my life will be dictated by daily line-ups, injury reports, constant conversations with my brother to discuss who should play corner or utility, praying your pitcher doesn't get shelled, and things of that nature. I only have one player in the Japanese opener between the A's and Red Sox- Mark Ellis, but it's all we need. Full disclosure, being a Yankees fan I have always refused to draft Red Sox. You have to root for your players to do well and I will be damned if I root for any of the Sawx. I am so happy Prince Fielder fell to us in the first. Really didn't want to draft Big Papi.

For those of you unfamiliar with Fantasy Baseball or other fantasy sports, the goal is to draft a team with players that will produce the greatest collective amount for the chosen categories. For offense our categories includes runs, rbis, home runs, stolen bases, and OPS- that's on base percentage plus slugging percentage. With OPS sluggers are more valuable. Little speedsters that hit for a lot of singles, i.e. Ichiro, lose value. Our pitching categories are wins, strikeouts, saves, ERA, and WHIP- walks and hits per inning.

Not that anybody gives a shit, but I'm going to provide a detailed breakdown of our team (my brother and I).



1st Round- Prince Fielder- 1B- Milwaukee Brewers. This dreaded vegeterian wonder will wreak havoc on all opposing pitchers. No room for that vegan shit at the plate. We out for blood. All this shit happened because his wife gave him a book.

2nd Round- Mark Texiera- 1B- Atlanta Braves. Locking down pop between Tex and Prince. His walk season too. Braves will win the NL East, or the Phils.

3rd Round- Bobby Abreu- RF- NY Yankees. Will steal 30 with Girardi and score a shitload of runs. Love having Yankees. Hopefully he'll have some more pop and hit 20-25 HRs.

4th Round- Alex Rios- RF- Toronto Bluejays. Poor man's Grady Sizemore. Can go 25-25 with an 850+ OPS. With Pence being the next OFer to be taken, I'm ecstatic to get him where we got him.

5th Round- Brian Roberts- 2B- Baltimore Orioles. Love having him on my team. Will steal 50 bags. If he gets traded to the Cubs the stock rises even more. Not a fan of having Orioles.

6th Round- Chipper Jones- 3B- Atlanta Braves. Prettiest swing in baseball. And a humanitarian. 1000 OPS last year with 29 HRs, and he missed 30 games. Stay healthy Chip.


I hope to see A LOT of this.

7th Round- Carlos Zambrano- Pitcher- Chicago Cubs. Usually don't got a pitcher this high, but Zam Bam was just sitting out there and is primed for a great year. Plus Smoltz was taken several picks earlier and I wanted Smoltz. His head case shit seems to be a thing of the past.

8th Round- Mariano Rivera- Closer- NY Yankees. When you need a closer, why not go with Mo. Had a little hiccup last year, but with the new contract and Joba setting the table, I smell saves and a great ERA.

9th Round- Felix Hernandez- Pitcher- Seattle Mariners. Not characteristic of our drafting style, but his upside is major. Plus love Safeco. El Rey, El Rey.

10th Round- Manny Corpas- Closer- Colorado Rockies. After cleaning up Fuentes' mess last year, Corpas enters the season with security. Even in Coors field, dude's nasty.

11th Round- Brad Lidge- Closer- Philadelphia Phillies. I know you're thinking- 5 pitchers in a row?!?!?! We are too. This completes are closer trinity and puts us in the top 3rd of saves. He might be hurt right now, and has some shaky history, but Brad will be happy to play with some winners in Philly as well as being a bit further from Mr. Pujols. We hedged it later by taking Flash in the 21st. See below.

12th Round- Johnny Damon- LF- NY Yankees. I really like this pick. A potential 25-25 guy in the 12th round. WHAT?? Leadoff on the Yankees means runs machine. Hopefully he stays healthy.

13th Round- Adam Laroche- 1B- Pittsburgh Pirates. If he can put it together and give us 30 HRs and near 900 OPS, I love the value.

14th Round- Ted Lilly- Pitcher- Chicago Cubs. Until last year I wanted nothing to do with Teddy. Between his under achieving Yankees days and fighting his manager in Toronto, dude was a mess. Then he landed in Wrigley and shocked the shit out of everybody. I'm not expecting last year's numbers, but something close. At least the Cubs will win games. Keep the WHIP down doggie.

15th Round- Stephen Drew- SS- Arizona Diamondbacks. We needed a SS and he was the best guy on the board. He has the potential to go 15-15, a slight rarity for that position. It's his second full year so hopefully the kinks are out.

16th Round- Michael Cuddyer- RF- Minnesota Twins. Not in love with this pick. Had a down year in 2007, but hoping for some '06 numbers this year. 25 HRs is doable along with 100 and 100. Somebody's got to make up for Johan's absence.

17th Round- Scott Rolen- 3B- Toronto Blue Jays. Needed a back up 3B, especially with Chipper's propensity for injuries, but might have been better getting someone that doesn't have a similar history. Would have taken Kouzmanoff in SD if he was on the board. New digs in Toronto should be good for Scotty. Too bad he broke his finger yesterday and is on the DL.

18th Round- Randy Johnson- P- Arizona Diamondbacks. For all the pain he put us through with the Yankees, I feel this can be his bounce back year. As a 4th starter, I love the upside. Just stay healthy and you're still nasty.


Doesn't he look so much more relaxed in Arizona? Not punching photographers or anything like that.

19th Round- Bronson Arroyo- P- Cincinnati Reds. Our 5th starter, so there isn't any pressure to pitch him. If he can regain some of that '06 glory, we might be in for something special. Otherwise he'll keep the clubhouse atmosphere upbeat with his guitar solos.

20th Round- Freddie Sanchez- 2B- Pittsburgh Pirates. Didn't like this pick at all during the draft. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been with all my rookie and prospect info. Shame on me. Turns out it's not a bad pick. He can score runs and has OPS potential of 800. His shoulder's acting up so he might be headed for the DL.

21st Round- Tom Gordon- Relief Pitcher- Philadelphia Phillies. As mentioned earlier with Lidge, felt it was a smart move to hedge the Phillies bullpen by scooping up Gordon. Very insightful on our part since Lidge is starting the season on the DL and will miss at least a week.

22nd Round- Carlos Gomez- CF- Minnesota Twins. Took a flier on him and he won the starting CF job. Acquired from the Mets for Johan, Gomez has 50 SB potential. Might be some great trade bait in the future.

23rd Round- Mike Cameron- CF- Milwaukee Brewers. Killa Cam baby. He'll take the 25 games like it's nothing and return with the hat tilted and the bat ready. A 20-20 guy in the 23rd round is too good to be true. Plus this is the first hitters' park he's played in in 9 years. Hold your head Mike.



24th Round- Mark Ellis- 2B- Oakland Athletics. This pick took too long for us, but getting a MI who had 19 HR and 9 SB in the 24th round seems like a good thing, possibly a great thing. One of a small handful of players from South Dakota.

25th Round- Derrick Turnbow- Relief Pitcher- Milwaukee Brewers. I really don't like Turnbow. He's broken my heart before and I don't want to get hurt again. But he's next in line for closer duties for the Brew Crew and Gagne has looked the farthest thing from impressive. For a 25th round pick, worth the gamble.

26th Round- Andre Ethier- LF- Los Angeles Dodgers. At the time of the draft (March 16th) Ethier had been tearing it up. He still is and completely outplayed Juan Pierre. We'll see what Torre does. He deserves to start. To draft a starting OFer with his skill set this late is pretty nice.

27th Round- Joey Gathright- LF- Kansas City Royals. Last pick of the draft and we weren't that focused. Gathright had been on my radar for his steal potential so we scooped him up. Might be the fastest man in baseball, but he needs to play for that to matter. Watch him jump over a car HERE.

This was very therapeutic for me. The more I read and write about the team, the more confident I am we can place. Buy in per team is 3 bills with 1st place winning $1900, 2nd place $800, 3rd $600, and 4th $300.


I'd be pleased with either the Yanks or my team winning this.

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN.

Some baseball ditties:

John Fogerty- Put Me In Coach

Terry Cashman- Talking Baseball


And a Happy Easter to all. Did you know that in 2007 the average amount of eggs sold in a week was 41.5 million dozens, but Easter Week sold 67.3 million dozen. Also egg coloring kits sold better in colder areas. I'd be interested to find out if there's a noticeable sales spike for the week preceding Halloween.

HouFresh Eats- Houston Edition

Just got back from the great state of Texas, and for a weekend trip I tried to cram in as much grub and country as I could in 52 hours. I think I succeeded. Thanks to the former NYer Paul for laying out the "Welcome Northerners" mat. Between crawfish, boudin balls, oysters, shotguns and pistols on a 38,000 acre ranch in La Belle, TX, shrimp, 200 pound crawfish boils in the town of Winnie, TX pop. 2,900, quail and eggs, Dos Equis galore with Twang lime salt, gator watching in the bayou, stepping in freshly made cattle shit, venison sausage, seeing the heart ripped out of a just shot red winged black bird, Shiner Bocks, shrimp etouffee, riding in the back of a pick-up truck, and more crawfish, I'd be hard pressed to say I missed anything. Would have wanted to check an Astros game at Minute Maid, but I was a week and a half too early. Also missed out on the rodeo- having too much fun in the country, and I mean country. And I didn't even purchase any old school Astros caps with the H and star.

Hopped off the plane, dropped our bags off and went straight to the Ragin Cajun on Richmond Ave. Anyplace that has a 10 ft. crawfish hanging off the roof is good in my book.

Each bucket contains 3.5 lbs. of crawfish. Accompanied by oysters, boudin balls, gulf shrimp, and shrimp etouffee.


Next day we headed to Goode & Co. Taqueria on Kirby Drive for some traditional Texas breakfast before taking part in some traditional Texas activities, i.e. shooting guns, drinking beers, and watching yankees have no clue what they're doing on a ranch. The biscuits were the truth and the hash browns with sliced bacon and pork were serious.



Quail and eggs. Unbelievable.

Buck Fever. Eggs with Hill Country venison sausage.

Catfish and eggs.


Filled up and headed east to La Belle, about a mile past Boondocks Road and Leon's fish camp and turkey shoot. This was my first time shooting guns so I was kind of hyped. Had some NWA "Fuck the Police" banging out the pick-up. Honestly, bluegrass was in the background since that was the only attainable station. We had an assortment of firearms, Glock 9mm, Heckler and Koch 9mm with the attached laser light, 2 Benelli shotguns, and a .22 rifle with the banana clip. Big shout to Texas Phil and Kevin for making dreams come true.

We had to ask the cattle to leave so we could waste some ammo. I was told it's not proper to shoot them, and that calves demand a lot of money.



The hi-tech shooting gallery.


Banana clip H. Possibly an album cover in years to come. The mudboots really came in handy. Between all the bovine dung and mud, I'm glad I didn't have to wear my Nikes. Truth be told, these are the hardest things to put on and take off.


Texans don't play- 10 year old kids on pick-ups holding rifles. That shit kind of freaked me out.


Riding through the sprawling property we were lucky to sneak up on an unsuspecting black bird. Being that this was educational, thus serving a greater purpose, I choose to not view this as an egregious act of callous murder. Kevin, cousin of Phil, jumped out the ride, and introduced the bird to his maker. Then he proceeded to rip it apart and throw the still beating heart on the back of the truck.



Gators don't like to be photographed. Every time I saw a gator head on the surface of the water they quickly ducked under. Not to be denied, we came up on this one right before exiting the ranch. Unfortunately there was no gator to be had for dinner.


As if we hadn't had enough Texas for the day, we headed out to Winnie to experience an authentic crawfish boil. A crawfish boil entails many live crawfish, a huge pot with potatoes, corn and Zatarain's crawfish boil seasoning, a propane tank, plenty of paper towels, an abundance of cardboard boxes to serve as the tray, white bread, tabasco sauce, butter, beer- unfortunately no Heiny Lights, a huge cooler to keep the crawfish hot, and plenty of people. We held it down. Eating crawfish for close to 5 hours. I learned that if the crawfish tail is coiled up it was alive when cooked. If it is straight out, it was dead before being thrown in the pot and the meat might not be firm.

Get them done.


I almost got sick of crawfish after this weekend, but now that I'm back, I could definitely eat a couple of pounds.


I came to find out that the gracious crawfish boil host Sara, and her father, are direct descendants of Texas royalty. James Taylor White is considered Texas' First Cattle King, and the tradition has been carried down through generations. The family's brand- the Crossed W (looks like 2 overlapping V's) is one of the longest used brands in all of Texas- see the 2nd row far right. There were 3 steer heads on the wall in the living room with horns that measured close to 7 feet from tip to tip.



As if the day couldn't get any better, I was able to play with their pet calf, Tuffy. Yes, they have a mini barn in the back of the house where Tuffy lives. She is 2 months old, and when I asked when does a calf make the step to cow-dom, I was told it's when she gets pregnant. Foolish city folk.

Happy St. Patty's Day.

Living in the Irish ghetto, I would be remiss to not wish everyone a jovial and peaceful St. Patrick's Day. Right. I'm sure I'll be waking up at 3 am, then 4 am, and possibly 5 am to a variety of sounds, and then might be greeted by a passed out donkey in the alleyway when I leave for work. Let's not that forget that a year ago today, while looking for parking, I was stuck behind a cab letting out passengers and a balls naked donkey ran in front of my car and freaked my headlight. It fucked me up for a minute, but I've gotten past it. I hope that dude was deported. Only in Woodlawn. I hope the term donkey doesn't offend anyone.

It should be known that the Irish bakery on 235th and Katonah closed several months ago and they made the BEST scones in the city. I kid you not. The plain with raisins and a spread of butter was the shit. If anybody can recommend a truly authentic scone, please do. Word is/was that a Dunkin' Donuts might move in. Am I the only person that is disgusted by DD taking over every piece of real estate in the city, primarily the outer boroughs and neighborhoods you might not consider affluent? It's either a bank or a DD with a Baskin' Robbins. I like ice cream and I like donuts, but I've had close to 20K worth of dental work done over the last 5 years and I'm not trying to give the dentist another fucking dollar. True story. It's a shame independently run businesses are getting run out of NYC. Support local businesses. They won't be around forever.



This shirt might be last year's, but the message is the same. "Suck it Boston" glows in the dark by the way. Fuck the Red Sox- the Yankees will win the division this year. Beckett's a fat fuck and the rest of their staff is a bit suspect. We might not have gotten Johan, but Hughes and Kennedy should perform on the much better side of good. As long as Moose can give us some vintage, we'll be fine. And our offense... Wow- no need to even discuss that. When Giambi and Hideki aren't guaranteed a spot in the line-up, you know it's serious.



I know it's cliche to throw some House of Pain on but fuck it, who else reps the Irish lads? You know who- JIM KAHN. The dude just exudes Irish. Black and white sausage for breakfast every morning, with his Lucozade and a shot of Jameson, and the dude is good to go. The dude pisses green and shits leprechauns. On a side note I remember thinking that Everlast wasn't even Irish, but Albanian. I thought that the Albanian flag with the eagles was in one of his Rhyme Syndicate videos. I'm probably totally wrong, but the shit's stuck with me for years.

Enjoy the beats:

JIM KAHN:

Extravanga

King of the Neighborhood

The Bogeyman is Real

For the Record

House of Pain:

Top O' The Morning To Ya

Jump Around

Jump Around Pete Rock Remix

Danny Boy, Danny Boy

House of Pain Anthem

Shamrocks and Shenanigans

Malecon- The Self Proclaimed Rey del Pollo.

Usually I'm not that high on unqualified claims of poultry superiority, but I really can't argue with this one. I've been eating at Malecon for years now and each visit gives me a reason to come back again. Whether it's the chicken "Malecon Stlye", pollo salteado (sliced breast meet with green peppers and onion), platano maduros or tostones, or just about anything else I've tried, it's always a success.

There are 3 Malecon locations. I have been to the location on 231st and Broadway, just under the 1 train in the Bronx, and the one on 175th and Broadway in Washington Heights. I've never eaten at the Amsterdam between 97th and 98th St. location. The 175th Street location is larger than the Bronx spot and has many more rotisserie chickens cooking in the window. Just by seeing the amount of chickens they have rotating, it is safe to assume that's their specialty.



On my most recent trip to the 231st location I ordered a whole roast chicken, "Pollo Estilo Malecon", with white rice and red beans to go. For 12 bucks, you can't go wrong. The chicken comes in an insulated bag to keep it warm, and is great to use for leftovers in the fridge.



The chicken came chopped up and ready to eat. Just opening the bag is a treat. This is some aromatic shit. Who would have known that garlic, herbs, and the drippings of the rendered chicken fat would smell so good. The skin might be the best part. Burnt and crisp with all the flavor. The entire chicken is moist and delicious. These are small chickens. Not as small as cornish hens, but smaller than a roaster. 2 people could knock off 1 chicken, with the possibilities of some leftovers.



The white rice and red beans are the perfect accompaniment. Unlike most people, I eat the rice plain. The rice served at Spanish restaurants is always on point- the salt and butter and clumpiness at times is perfect. The beans are great too, but I don't even need them. Usually I'd give them to whoever I'm with.

I'd be lying if I said I've had better roast chicken elsewhere. Until I experience dry chicken or a bad meal there, I have no problem sticking with their royal assertion as "El Rey Del Pollo."

Malecon Restaurant
5592 Broadway at 231st St.
Bronx, NY 10463
718-432-5155

Malecon Restaurant
4141 Broadway at the corner of 175th St.
New York, NY 10033
212-927-3812

www.maleconrestaurants.com

H is for How Did You Miss This?

I don't know. I procrastinated and now I suffer the consequences. Weekday releases get me nervous. Another Fitted Hawaii creation and this color might be the best one that dropped. Brown and orange with a touch of green- perfect. 80 pieces total and only a 7 7/8 left. You mean to tell me Hawaii beasts like that?

I'll take the L and move on. Word is next week they will release a Greenbay Packer colorway. Interesting. Then 2 more in April and the U of Hawaii joints will be put to rest.

MC Serch and Ego Trip are Back!!

EXCLUSIVE! ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme Trailer

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This time not with John Brown and the White Rapper Show, but with Miss Rap Supreme, where a group of females live in the Fembassy (hysterical) to claim the queen's throne, reportedly co-hosted by Yo-Yo. Don't forget that without Serch and the creative folks at Ego Trip none of us would be dropping Hallelujah Holla Backs. King of the Burbs baby, the Burbs. I'm hyped for this one. I saw this on Nahright, but had to do my own write-up.

I've always had a lot of respect for Serch, partly because he's a member of the Tribe, but also cause the dude could spit and created some classic hip hop with Prime Minister Pete Nice. Plus he always sported dope kicks in videos and album artwork. Grape Jordan 5s on the "Pop Goes the Weasel" 12", Air Trainer Huaraches on Return of the Product, and some Flights on the cover of Derelicts of Dialect. Underrated lyrically, his contributions to hip hop go greatly unnoticed. He is responsible for both Nas' and O.C.'s careers. That's gold right there. Years later he brought us Non Phixion, a mainstay in the NYC underground circuit in the late 90's.

Prime Minister Pete Nice aka Peter Nash took a completely different path after 3rd Bass disbanded. He moved to Cooperstown, NY to follow his love for baseball and become a historian of the sport. He owned a baseball memorabilia shop and last I heard was in the process of opening a bar called 3rd Bass- only Serch, Pete Nice, and KMD in the jukebox. He has since written 2 books Baseball Legends of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery (2003) and Boston's Royal Rooters (2005), and produced the film Rooters: The Birth of Red Sox Nation (2007). A bit too much Sawx affinity for me. From hip hop to baseball- that is some dream type shit. We should all be so lucky. Peep this article on ESPN about him HERE.


From the "Wordz of Wizdom" video shoot- Serch in the NB 710s getting his groove on.

Some classic joints:

3rd Bass- Product of the Environment Remix

3rd Bass- Brooklyn Queens

3rd Bass- Steppin' to the AM

3rd Bass- Gas Face

3rd Bass- Pop Goes the Weasel

MC Serch- Back to the Grill ft. Chubb Rock, Red Hot Lover Tone and Nasty Nas

Prime Minister Pete Nice- Rat Bastard

The Beginning of the End.

For me at least when it comes to kick copping. You might hate yourself for watching this, so don't say I didn't warn you. This is a harrowing expose into sneaker culture and should be watched by all. I really don't want to come off like I'm spewing vitriolic lungies. I am still sick so lungies are inevitable, but I'm trying to keep them benign. This flu still wants to chill in the crib. I've made it clear to get the fuck out. On top of that the antibiotics are nasty- full disclosure, I can't swallow pills and these taste worse than the worse taste you can imagine- and it lingers. Back to the video- good for dude that he can afford to cop kicks that have a cumulative value of a down payment on a house. Unless he's the white Rick Ross, I imagine his parents are funding his footwear escapades. To be fair I do like the Air Force 1 Low ID he did- red/white swoosh with the gum bottom is clean- I just would have had a white stich on the sole instead of the red.

The problem with this video, aside from his excessive use of yessirs, strongs, earlies, terrible grammar, and the fact that he wears his shades in the crib, is that the sneaker isn't important, but the price and exclusivity are. It turns into one big pissing contest and becomes a competition between dudes trying to one up each other. Price and availability will always affect an opinion, it's a fact, but the sneaker itself should be the determining factor- how it looks, colors, etc. That is lost today. These young kids, even young adults, are so caught up in it and trying to be fly that they stress their parents or drop every dollar they saved up mowing lawns on some rare shit. That's some pressure. All we had to worry about back in the days was a Starter jacket and possibly a pair of Jordans. Or a pair of Cavariccis for my Italianos. Not $800 Nike SBs (that the Nike Skate Boarding division).

I haven't paid more than 2 bills on a pair of kicks and have no plans of doing so. The first $200 sneaker I copped was the Air Max 95 Neon 1999 retro. This was the 2nd retro of that model, 1997 being the first, and I loved that shoe having never copped it in 1995. I thought I had a connect at Hermann's to get a pair back then but it fell through. So I waited, and finally I pounced. If anything I felt bad for dropping 2 bills- this was around 2001- and the price wasn't anything I wanted to talk about. I would rather brag about getting a steal. Having some clean joints on the feet was all I needed. Turned out the sz 12 was too small. I needed a 13, 12.5 would have been perfect but that's almost impossible to find. I wound up getting a sz 13 off a friend several years ago so it's gravy now. To all potential AM95 buyers, be aware that they run small.

The fucked up thing is that these companies are so aware of the spending habits of this sneaker copping population that they have began to design and produce kicks that start at a price point that the average consumer might find appalling. It should be noted that the excessive prices being paid are not to a direct Nike retailer, but rather to a reseller or consignment shop, namely Flight Club. That means Nike isn't seeing that grotesque mark-up. I imagine Nike's on some Frank White King of NY shit, "A pair of forces get sold on Ebay- I want in." (Give it a listen- this shit never gets old.)

The Nike army moves fast. Special Ops scouted and they're reconnaissance has become evident. They now make an Air Force 1 Supreme Max which retailed in '07 for $225, but with the recession looming nowadays, the price dropped to an even $200. Thank you Nike. Now I can buy milk. Retail on the lowest air force model is $85, followed by $125-$135, increased to $150-$175 depending on the type of release, and then to the $200 cadillac of forces. The $85 model is complete shit- looks and feels like plastic and creases like a motherfucker. The next models might be decent but the majority of quality seem to be only a touch better. The Supreme Max are really nice though- leather insole and lining- top quality leather and a visible air bubble. We shouldn't have to justify the price by saying the quality is great. I mean the quality should be great regardless of the model. But these marketers know how to play and by having us think it's better, we can justify dropping that loot. A lot of the pairs get marked down since they are so expensive- but $150 for a pair of forces is still a grip.

Having completed my diatribe, I am still madly in love with sneakers. I wonder if it's possible to love sneakers and not cop. I will begin the experiment. There are a couple on my hitlist that will be grandfathered- just need to complete the puzzle. About 2 months ago I took photos for a sneaker magazine that was interested in featuring my Air Force 1s. I don't think they're going to run due to the not-so-professional quality of the images. They work GREAT for this blog however, so I'll share. It took so much energy taking those shits out and putting them back that it's only right that somebody reaps the fruits of my labor. The first pair bottom left cost me $62 and they made 24,364 pairs, then $93 limited to 12,500 pairs, then $85... I kid. The fucked up shit is that I remember the price and location of coppage for almost each sneaker. Good memories I guess, or trauma inducing which cause me to carry this shit everyday.

Red Hook Ball Fields- The Games Go On!!

The inaugural post on Howfresheats was a mini photo collage of the Red Hook Ball fields out in Brooklyn. No editorial, just some photos to whet the appetite. Rumor had it that the summer of '07 would be the last to enjoy the wide variety of all the Central/South American cuisine. The vendors had no permits- they had been coming out for 15 years or so to feed the soccer players and give them a taste of home. Over the years the park's popularity grew exponentially, and one would assume caught the attention of the Park's Department. Without permits, the show could go on no longer. They received a reprieve this past summer and were able to operate until September 21st. I was lucky enough to make it out there twice- once in August for dolo and finally on September 20th with a little company. I had accepted the fact that this would be it.

Thankfully, I was wrong. We have just received some good news. The Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park have received a permit to keep churning out some great food for the next 6 years. But wait- read this article and you will see that it's not perfect and there is some ambiguity as to how the vendors will continue to operate. I'm sure they'll figure something out to keep all parties content, and more importantly keep our bellies smiling.

One of the many treats I sampled out there was a Huarache. Until then I just thought Huaraches were footwear- originally a sandal type shoe and ultimately one of the dopest Nikes ever made. A huarache is a cheeseless quesadilla. They make the tortilla in front of you and then load it up with steak or chicken, lettuce, tomato, sprinkled queso blanco and a white sauce. Add some salsa verde and you good to go. Costs $5 or $6 and is delicious.



Here's the original post- Red Hook Brooklyn- Go Hungry. What you will see is some great shrimp ceviche, chorizo and chicken tacos, and El Salvadorian Pupusas which are stuffed tortillas with a variety of fillings.

I know traveling to BK from the Bronx isn't that appealing, but believe you me, it's worth it. The car ride is pretty easy- Deegan to the BQE to Exit 26- Hamilton Ave. Get off the exit, make a right on Clinton Street and you can't miss it.

H is for Hate.

As in I hate myself. I don't need them, but I'm addicted to the H. Not that H, but the "H". It's like a blind rage takes over and I need to cop. I'm sick as a dog, so that might be contributing to the feelings of disgust. When you're already feeling under the weather don't celebrate St. Patty's day a week early with beers, some crazy oreo Moloko Clockwork Orange libation, and Indian street snacks. That shit will put you on the straight path to misery.



Hats are buttahs though- teal with silver and black with white- little checkerboard touch. I don't really understand the use of special materials or graphics on the underside of the bill. Nobody sees it and it might bother your eyes after looking at some weird design all day. Crooks and Castles always puts some bandana print under their caps. Fuck it.

And keeping with the countdown to the release of Fat Joe's Elephant in the Room tomorrow (really today), 3/11, peep the cap he designed. There's really nothing nice about it. I'm not a big fan of elephants. If it was a silhouette of a bison or an eagle, or even an alligator head, that might work. This is just a rather rudimentary drawing of an elephant and the logo's too big. And the black/purple/teal colorway is OD.



There is an album release event at the New Era store- 4th Street between Broadway and Lafayette. Tell me how it is.

Watch Coka Baby cop some fitteds and discuss the true meaning of a New Era cap HERE.