Triple A sAAAturday- Alife, Ali's Roti House & Alabama

And by mere coincidence AAA would have been a tremendous help.

I didn't plan the A theme, it must have been G-d's way. Shit, if it was up to me you know we'd be on some Quadruple H shit. Allen, I dedicate this to you. And all the other Alphas out there.

Saturday morning, summer time, the sun's out, and the day is full of hope. The to-do list was overflowing, but it was around noon so I figured I could make it downtown to scoop those Alife Sauconys as mentioned the other day and make it uptown with enough time to tend to priorities and responsibilities. Apparently I woke up focused on the cop and trying to dissuade me would have proved fruitless. The level of addiction didn't become evident until I was behind the wheel and the fiend was in full effect.

Boom- hit the Deegan to the FDR and exited at Houston St. Located on Rivington between Clinton and Suffolk, I found a lovely spot on Rivington 30 feet from the Clinton St. intersection. Paralleled in the spot, moved forward to straighten it out and SMASH. Some fucking jerk left their Bud bottle on the street and that shit jigged up my tire like they had beef for years and it finally came to a head. Immediately I heard the SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS of the air escaping to join their molecular buddies in the LES. Several pieces were lodged in the tire, so I removed them thinking it might decrease the mass exodus. Wrong. I knew there was a gas station on Houston and C so I made the move asap, but within a block I was riding straight rim. Turned out there was a tire shop right there on Houston between Attorney and Clinton St. aptly named Houston Tire Shop of NYC. For $35 got a used tire and was good to go.

Now I'm fully aware that this tire episode wasn't some random act of misfortune. It was the sneaker gods trying to get my attention in order to tell me to fall back. They never got my new number but the text would have read- "Howfresh- they're cool, but not worth the loot. There's some dope shit coming out this summer so play skip and we got you." The bottle was some last ditch effort to prevent the purchase. Stubborn as I am, I parked in the same spot that got me earlier and won the second time. Then I spit on the remains of the bottle and uttered some shit under my breath.



Alife is a rather sophisticated boutique, you need to be buzzed in for entry. After all the clubs that have fessed me over the years it feels good to finally get behind the velvet rope. Walked in, saw the young dude that helped me with the Adidas a while back and asked for the blue and greens in a 12. Out they came and the war within began. They're cool, but not great. Royal blue's my shit but I need a green pair of kicks. The $110 is doable but for a pair of vintage Sauconys? At least have an air bubble or light up or some shit. Damn son, what should I do? Plus the greens run a little bigger. Will the toebox crease and be more prone to the dirt line? Do I need these? But they kind of fresh. Should I just get one? Which one? I need green but royal is that piff. Walked out with both pairs hating myself. As of Tuesday night, the more I look at them the less I like them. They just look really dated and plain. The photos made them look really good- the way they laced them and had the tongue out. Maybe it's me. I don't think it's the guilt or the disgust. I genuinely believe that the aesthetics aren't that pleasing. By the way, they're limited to 200 pairs. Now I love them. False.



So between the flat and the internal deliberations, the clock jumped a couple of digits and all that brand new day hope and butterfly shit was quickly turning sour. I would like to take this time to applaud myself for exerting some self control and not getting a milk shake at Gem Spa on St. Mark's and 2nd Ave. It wasn't the healthy option being that I hadn't eaten lunch yet. I can be mature at times. Skated north and still had one non-necessary item on the not so important to-do list, hit 4U on Allerton Ave. to see what new fitteds they got. Now that they're closed on Sunday, Sat. is the only option. Always stocked with the treats, the new NCAA joints are fresh. Peeped this Alabama joint that had an elephant and "Bama" below it in burgundy and we formed an instant connection. Plus it's fun to say Bama. Full disclosure, I had no clue the elephant was Bama's mascot- just knew about Crimson Tide. I'm CUNY fam, Hunter Hawks. Fuck all that big school D-1 shit. NYC has professional sports. Who needs NCAA.. You know I had to take her home. This elephant puts Fat Joe's to shame. Keep your eyes out for these NCAAs. NHL New Eras splashed and these will do the same.



Knocked out part of the list and it was food time. Since I was on White Plains Road figured I'd do the Yardy route. Wanted more than a patty so I kept driving, looking for that perfect spot. And then it hit. Ali's Roti Shop on the corner of 234th and WP. It is very uncommon for me to explore north of 233rd, but that is going to have to change. I never had roti before, but was somewhat familiar with it. A West Indian burrito if you will. Walked in and ordered the chicken roti. Asked if I wanted it wrapped, I nodded of course, like I knew what I was doing. The menu had some crazy sounding shit- pholourie, dhal, channa, bussup shot, and other Trinidadian delicacies- but I kept it simple. Next time, and there will be a next time.






For $5.50 you get a dumbell's worth of grub. Shit was heavy- weighed it when I got home- that make me a weirdo?- and the roti topped out at 1 pound 7 ounces. Roti is similar to a wrap or tortilla and made of wheat flour. It can be filled with a variety of choices. The chicken roti consisted of curried chicken over a spread of soft potatoes. The only problem I had was that the chicken was attached to bone. You're eating this thing and all of a sudden you crack your tooth off a chicken bone. These West Indians must have some strong teeth. The bottom photo shows the bones top left. It was too big to eat by hand so I got out the fork and knife and went to work. The chicken was delicious- a mild West Indian curry, not too spicy at all, with tender fall-off-the-bone meat. The roti is pretty bland, a minor sweetness that complements the curry perfectly. It is soft and easy to pick apart in order to sop up the curry sauce. Later I noticed that there is an option for boneless chicken for an additional 75 cents. A nice option but I think I'd still have to use utensils based on the size of it. Eating it like a burrito is a great shoulder work out though. Getting jacked eating roti. Oooooh.

The A Itinerary:

Alife Rivington Club
158 Rivington St. betw. Clinton and Suffolk
212-375-8128
Mon-Sun noon-7 pm
Rivingtonclub.com

4U
2557 White Plains Road at Allerton Ave.
718-882-5484
Mon-Sat 11am - 8pm

Ali's Roti Shop
4220 White Plains Road at 234th St.
718-655-2178
Mon-Thurs 10am - 8:30pm
Fri-Sat 10am - 9pm
Sun 11am - 7pm

Get It Crystal Clear, Stay Crispy to the Fitted and Every Kick I Wear.

Wise words from a hip hop luminary some of you might know as Jim Jones. The man is just speaking the truth. I'll take it from here Jimmy. Side note- the joint that line was taken from "My Love" on Juelz's From Me To U album was almost on my music list for day game at bats. I believe I played it several years ago at one of the Heineken Honky Home Run Derbys. Don't know what that is? Wikapedia that shit. Like how Soulja Boy researched Ice-T. Unbelievable. Just trying to speak the language. I'm too analog.

For your listening pleasure... Juelz Santana ft. Jim Jones- My Love (Remix)



Saw 2 things today that were worth a little exposure. As mentioned a week or so ago, the Neon 95s just dropped and pretty much sold out everywhere. If you ever wanted a fitted to match, it was a serious mission to find that neon yellow on a New Era. They never hit it quite right- always more green than yellow, and that shit didn't pop enough. I heard New Era had a limited amount of color swatches to use while Nike was always able to create new colors, thus never producing a match. Doesn't make much sense to me. Anyway, this spot Leaders in Chicago just dropped this joint that is DOPE. Playing off the Polo Wing logo from the early 90s, the hat features an L with the wing. H is # 1, but L is the last name so it can get some play. Though it's a pinwheel-esque cap- solids are much more preferable- the color scheme is buttahs. This might be the first fitted that truly matches. The different panels reflect the gray gradiant and that neon looks like neon. The major problem with fitteds for the 95s is the use of a light grey cap instead of the charcoal gray. The dark/neon contrast is what makes the shoe, and therefore will make the cap. Preach.



Kicks wise, Alife just dropped these Saucony Shadow 6000s in 3 "classic revival" colorways. We're talking simple flavor. An 80's model, the Shadow is a clean show with a chunky midsole that screams 80s baby. The colorways, especially the red, remind me of the first Air Max 1s. Not busy at all, these utilize a perfect allotment of color. This is the type of shoe not non shoeheads will double take. That kelly green joint is hmm, hmm, hmm on some Kane shit. Green kicks are hard to find. This might be the winner. They drop at Alife Rivington Club down in the LES this Saturday and cost a reasonable $110. You can also get them online at Rivington Club. Alife usually hits the mark when designing. One of their most recent collabos- the Irak Adidas RMX EQT runners had me urinating on myself. In a good way. Hurry up or you'll miss these.

Now Batting. # 24. Howfresh...

We're talking Rickie Henderson status. I'll throw Tino in the mix too. Ruben Sierra was the man in Texas, but not NY. Kevin Maas- had a season for the ages. Sidney Ponson- beat it. Cano might get there one day but needs to start hitting way above the Mendoza line.

6 months later and we're still going. Eats, beats, kicks, and fitteds continue to be devoured and I am enjoying this shit. Pushing myself to attempt a post per day, and while I've been sticking to that as of late, the late night typing and uploading is taking its toll. Fuck it. This city never sleeps, so I won't either. It's nothing new anyway. Been the M.O. since JHS 141.

Going to Yankees games my entire life, it was always a dream to be announced by Bob Sheppard. "Now Batting... Number 24...Howfresh." The power his voice evokes. The cadences. It's perfect. The man was a speech teacher at St. John's so he learned a thing or 2 over the years. Now comes the tricky part. Which songs would be playing when I came to the plate? I've been having this conversation with friends and myself for years. You can be slick and say you'd have new joints each game, but that wouldn't work. 4 or 5 songs that you want to hear each time you enter the box. By the way, I imagine myself batting clean-up. Don't hate. So you know my shit needs to be hard. I've noticed that the Yankees rarely switch things up. Jeter has Jeezy now or something of that ilk, Giambi still uses that crazy bass heavy west coast track, A-Rod comes out to "This is Why I'm Hot"- again, don't hate, Abreu and Cano rock that salsa, and Matsui is on his rock and roll. I need some help next time- somebody to not focus on the game, but only the intro tracks.

Here's my theory behind what tracks to choose. I do believe that day games warrant different beats than night games. When the sun's out the gangsta-ness isn't as necessary. Channel that sunlight in a positive way. On some feel good shit. Still knock the shit out of the ball, but not out for blood. Just riding them nice vibes. Night time we get gully. Hard beats- that kill kill kill shit. Like you're going to war. Mind you, I'm aware that the dirty versions wouldn't be able to be played, and certain tracks wouldn't be appropriate, but this is my dream so anything flies.

NIGHT GAME:

1st At Bat- 1st inning hopefully- with some ducks on the pond

Eric B & Rakim- Run For Cover- Gun shots. Letting the pitcher know he's in trouble.

2nd At Bat- 3rd or 4th inning- already in the lead

Ghostface- Mighty Healthy- Oooooooooweeeeeee. "Once a man's a killer, they just keep on killing and killing- they develop a taste for blood." The pitcher is so shook at this point. On some intentional walk steez. "Rap Derek Jeter" makes it even more appropriate.

3rd At Bat- 6th or 7th inning- relief pitcher

Purple City Bird Gang- Purple City Bird Gang- Ditty bopping up to the plate with this shit pumping through the speakers. That beat is so mean. All the purple in the front row has the pitcher scared to climb the mound. I need to keep calling time- dude's fucking up my focus.

4th at bat- late in the game- 9th inning or so

Brand Nubian- Allah U Akbar- Summonsing the heavens on this one. The chanting build up until that drum drops is heavy. The pitcher is some Midwest Git 'er Done patriot and freaks out once he hears Arabic- if only he knew the meaning. Regardless, he's unfocused and I'm going for the cycle.

5th At Bat- Bottom of the 9th

Gang Starr- Mass Appeal- Full count, 2 outs, bases loaded. "Money's Growing Like Grass with the Mass Appeal." You know it's on. It's so on. Home run. Good night. All the fans rush to the Dug Out where the party continues.

DAY GAME:

1st At Bat

Eric B & Rakim- Microphone Fiend- Been dreaming of stepping up to the plate with this for close to 20 years. This could be a night time beat too. Gets the adrenaline shooting out the ears.

2nd At Bat

Nas- Memory Lane- The organ and heavenly chants take you to that next level. Add some Primo drums, and I'm smacking balls off the facade. The realest shit I ever wrote.

3rd At Bat

Cam'ron- Killa Cam- You already know what it is. On some complete cowinkidink (Cam steez) there's some baseball talk in the intro. Cue it up to some "Bitches say I'm tacky daddy, range look like laffy taffy" and the bat will do the rest of the talking.

4th At Bat

Special Ed- I Got it Made- It doesn't get more braggadocio than this. Letting the pitcher know I'm his idol, the highest title, numero uno, and I'm not a Puerto Rican.

5th At Bat

Nice & Smooth- No Delayin'- That Prince sample and Kane's "Ah Yeah, I'm With This" gets me every time. That beat makes you want to conquer the world. Absolutely no striking out with this playing.

While I'm sure there will be additions to the list with the flavor of the month and so on, I like what I'm playing with. I got plenty of honorable mentions and if the game went extra innings I have an arsenal of heaters, but I had to really trim the list down and stick with the heavy hitters.

Hit the comments and list your joints.

Coming soon- Yankee Stadium eating. Where you need to hit prior to the game. Unless of course you're working with expense accounts and corporate cards. I know who you are.

It's the Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers, What Happened to Special Ed & the Chubbster???

We're about to find out. Don't ever say that hip hop dreams never come true. This Saturday, June 28, live from the Planet of Brooklyn, the Crooklyn Dodgers will be making their long awaited reunion. I'm talking both squads- Buckshot, Masta Ace & Special Ed as well as Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru. Heavy hitters to say the least. I don't care where you live- or if you're scared to enter the gentrified borough of Brooklyn. 6 legends on the stage along with Primo and Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Ace's new crew EMC. Hosted by Buckshot and Special Ed. If there was ever a must see show, this is it. And it's outside, and it's summertime, and they serve beer. Oh yeah- and it's FREE.

Show starts at 7pm at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Part of the Bud Light Music Series presented by Celebrate Brooklyn and Lyricist Lounge. The show is free, but it is strongly suggested that you donate $3. I believe that's doable for most of you.

For more info about this show, the venue and Celebrate Brooklyn! click HERE.

I think it's time KRS, Lord Finesse, A.G., and Kool Keith get together for some Bronx Bombers Murderers Row joint. The B-Squad can be Fat Joe, Diamond, and Tim Dog. We'll even do a C-Squad with Preacher Earl, The Legion and Greg Nice. Showbiz, Diamond & Buckwild on the beats. Sounds like a home run to me. I had to do it.

Crooklyn Treats:

Crookyln- Crooklyn Dodgers- Buckshot, Special Ed & Masta Ace

Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers- Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru

Brooklyn In My Mind- Crooklyn Dodgers 3- 9th Wonder ft. Mos Def, Jean Grae & Memphis Bleek

H is for Hope.

I was told that Cap City sold out of the Hickory Crawdads in a 7 5/8. I accepted that verdict initially but it didn't sit well with me. How could I miss out on this. This shit is me. If that H isn't for Howfresh, I don't know what is. I called on Saturday and there was 1 available. With 45 minutes to make it out to West New York, NJ, I speeded up the FDR to hit the GW and made it there at 7:31. Doors were still open so I slid in and did what had to be done. Seriously, I need to have more conviction next time.



Keeping with a Monday morning H theme, Heltah Skeltah's taller member just dropped a mix-cd "Shell Shock" that is definitely worth a listen. He can spit plus the dude's got a sense of humor- a hip hip rarity. Rock spits over a bunch of well known beats- "Simon Says", "I Get Money", but brings his own flavor to the mix. Too many guest appearances from unknown cats however. Many thanks to Jim Kahn via Eskay from Nahright for this one.

Rock of Heltah Skeltah- Shell Shock

HowfreshEats Stacks (Potato) Chips Like Hebrews.

Disclaimer: I am not a potato chip expert. I just love eating them shits. I probably eat them every night while enjoying some ice cream, neapolitan preferably. The sweet/salty interaction is quite enjoyable.

Lately I've been trying to get a new bag of chips every time I'm out food shopping. Problem is there aren't many options. But whenever I see a chip I haven't tried I roll the dice and give it a shot.

Today I will be reviewing 6 different chips. Taste is the only thing I care about.

Kettle Brand Krinkle Cut Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

I was really excited to try these. The packaging looked official- the thicker bag always gives an air of quality. From Oregon and hand-cooked in safflower/sunflower oil. But the chips disappointed. They were thick- too thick- melba toast type thick. Very crunchy. They encompassed a burnt, earthy taste and after a couple I couldn't eat anymore. Most of the chips were light brown and some were even darker. Chip man must not have been paying attention. Not a good look.

Lay's Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar

My favorite chip. Hands down. Been getting busy with these for a couple of years. And the relationship should continue to prosper. Great vinegar and salt taste that burns the tongue a bit but not too much and has your hand continually grabbing for more. A bag can be easily eaten in one sitting. And you wouldn't even realize it. Bite size crunchy and curly chips with a nice pale yellow hue. Cooked in sunflower oil. This is my chip of choice when expecting company.

Miss Vickie's Creamy Buttermilk Ranch

The name did it for me. I'm a sucker for buttermilk, it just sounds so rustic and wholesome. Buttermilk fried chicken, pancakes, biscuits- mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... delicious. I prefer more subtly flavored chips- salt, pepper, vinegar is all I need. The more flavorful chips can taste good but intake has to be limited before you get sick of them. That rule applies to these. The chip is quality- small, bite sized with ample crunch, but that ranch taste is too rich. Cooked in sunflower oil. Under the Frito-Lay umbrella. Miss Vickie's makes a lot of different interesting flavors. I'll try to get some soon.

Dirty Potato Chips Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt

You would think simple enough, but each bite tasted like a funyun. Remember those onion puffs back in the days? Yeah, they must have been reincarnated. Wasn't a huge fan of funyuns, and not such a huge fan of these. The chip is airy, another factor reminiscent of the funyun. Cooked in a peanut oil blend. Pretty disappointed with these.

Wise Choices Unsalted Chips

BLAND. I must have been on some anti-sodium high blood pressure kick when I bought these. Otherwise I'm clueless as to why they're in my house. Cooked in vegetable oil.

Dirty Potato Chips Salt & Vinegar

I gave Dirty the opportunity to vindicate their lackluster reputation and they swayed my opinion with these. I'm partial to sea salt & vinegar, but they pulled it off really well. Small bite sized airy chips with enough zing from the vinegar. Cooked in a peanut oil blend.

I ate too many chips tonight. Kind of feel like shit, but it's cool. I do this for you. Always looking for new brands and flavors, so hit the comments and leave some info.

Pastrami Dreams Finally Come To Fruition at Katz's Deli.

The first thing I thought of after receiving the link to my blog-to-be was reviewing Katz's Deli in the LES. When I think of NYC food, Katz's is the quintessential institution. It doesn't get more New York. The fact that they are celebrating 120 years is testimony to that. I love the food there (that means pastrami), but I'm equally enamored by the history and culture. My pops grew up around the corner on Essex and Delancey and knowing he went there 50 years ago and that I continue the tradition means a lot to me. Plus he still loves when I bring him back that divine sandwich- just can't tell Ma Dukes. I'm not trying to be an accomplice to weight gain.

In a neighborhood that used to be a Jewish enclave and is now nothing of the sort, Katz's still holds it's ground and keeps that Old New York alive. On some I see you moving in, but you ain't fucking with me. I'm not even sure how to characterize the new neighborhood with all the new condos (the condo being built across the street uses Katz's as an attraction point) and chi chi shops- a far cry from the tenements and squalor that existed not too long ago. But the lines keep forming, the tickets keep getting handed out, and the turnstyle keeps spinning. (You are handed a ticket upon entrance and each purchase i.e. sandwich, fries, soda is written on the ticket with the total price. Even if you don't use your ticket you need to give it to the cashier or you will pay a penalty.) Business is great as usual. While everything is changing on the outside, time stops in this cavernous room that smells of cured meats and pickles. It's a beautiful thing.

After getting shut down 2 months ago, this past weekend was the first time I had a chance to get my revenge. I admit that I've been to Katz's several times since the blog jumped off, but I never had my camera, and cell phone pics just wouldn't be acceptable for this epicurean landmark. And the crazy shit was that I left my memory card home this weekend, but thankfully Kodak cameras have a decent sized internal memory. You crazy for this one Kodak. It was almost a trip for naught. Not really, I still would have enjoyed the sandwich.



When you walk in, to the right by the window is the grill for hotdogs and knoblewurst (garlic beef sausage) as well as soup and beer. All the way down the counter in the back of the restaurant are desserts, as well as the counter to wrap up any uneaten food. To the right of that are the fries and soft drinks, notably Dr. Brown's, and in the middle is where the magic happens. There are 3 to 4 carvers behind the counter ready to prepare the sandwich of your choice. While corned beef, brisket, roast beef, and turkey are all available, the MVMeat is the Pastrami. I'll profess my love for the cured and seasoned brisket later in the post. There is waiter service along the wall, but that's boring. You need to participate.



For years I've been doing business with the same dude. I trust his knife skills and he has never left me unsatisfied. His name is Peter- a short older white dude with a Europeanish accent and white hair under a black Katz's cap. His sleeves are always rolled up and he has a small tattoo on his right arm. He doesn't smile much, but his sandwiches will leave you grinning from ear to ear. The problem this weekend was that he wasn't there when I went to order. There were 3 Spanish dudes- 2 younger and an older cat- so I went with age thinking experience would garner the better sandwich. It's customary to tip the carver a buck or 2 so that he'll let you sample a slice or two of the pastrami. I always prefer a new brisket fresh out of the smoker, rather than one that was already sliced for a sandwich or 2. Nobody wants that chick that has been ran through. The carver also provides you with pickles- sour or half- and pickled tomatoes. Sours are the perfect compliment to pastrami on seedless rye with mustard.





The pastrami sandwich and pickles were joined by fries and a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda. The sandwich had about 2 and half inches of pinkish red pastrami with plenty of briny ends throughout. I prefer the briny pieces, where all that spice and taste lay. The meat was a little more red than usual meaning it was a little more done, and not as moist as what I'm used to. The fat was minimal. It didn't really matter. It's still so tender and easy to pull apart. The first bite of the salty spiciness makes you wonder how do they get their meat to taste this good. Your teeth cut through the bread and meat with such ease. This is sandwich heaven. A bite from the crispy moist pickle and a swig of cream soda, and the party is in full swing. Like a summer time outdoor jam with Kid Capri on the ones and twos and the heiny lights flowing. It doesn't get better than this.



I always order the fries and then wonder why I did. They're decent- long, thick, uniform looking fries where half are crisp on the outside with a nice soft inside and the other half are too hard and crisp. The portion is pretty big and all it does is put potato in the stomach where pastrami should be . It's cool though, I took home half the sandwich and ate it last night for dinner.




Before I bounced I had to order another sandwich to go for a friend and guess who I saw behind the counter- Peter. I approached and told him I was disappointed he wasn't around earlier. Though he's up there on my list, I doubt he remembers who I am- but I'll stroke myself on this one and believe he does. I told him what I needed and he got to work. He pulled out a fresh moist fatty pastrami and proceeded to create a beast of a sandwich. I was out of singles so I put a 5 in his cup and he gave me a plate with half a sandwich's worth of meat. This was that wet- as Peter called it- decadent meat I was used to. I couldn't even finish that shit. He kept blessing me- pickles, tomatoes, extra slices of rye- I felt VIP in there.




No matter how many times I've been to Katz's, the experience and taste never get old. It's just one of life's finer pleasures. Seeing all the first timers trying the sandwich puts joy in my heart. That's why I love going with people that have never tried it- hopefully out-of-towners because no self-respecting NYer has never been there. Once you've tried the pastrami your brain and tongue will never forget it. The problem this creates is that at random, various times you will get that craving in which you need to head downtown and quench it. All of our problems should be this tough.

Katz's Deli
205 E. Houston St. on the corner of Ludlow St.
212-252-2246
Sunday- 8am - 10:45pm
Mon-Tues- 8am - 9:45pm
Wed-Thurs- 8am- 10:45pm
Fri-Sat- 8am- 2:45am
Katzdeli.com

Beats, Eats, Feets, & The Letter H.

Some random shit that deserved exposure:

BEATS:



Joell Ortiz might be the nicest dude out right now- at least that I listen to. He just dropped this "Summertime in Brooklyn" over Jigga's Primo produced "A Million and One Questions." Jacked from Nahright.

"So I stay fresh and find a girl that's thinking what I'm thinking/ And give her back shots like I ain't feel like drinking"

They just don't make them like this anymore.

Joell Ortiz- Summertime in Brooklyn

And this new Raekwon "Once In A Lifetime" ft. Mika on his relationship bullshit is in rotation- the Mid June mixtape. Any track dealing with female drama is always worth a listen. Loyal dudes get burnt. Ugh. Shit's dope though, and I'm looking forward for that OB4CL2. Snatched from 2dopeboyz.

Raekwon- Once In a Lifetime

EATS:


The June 8 NY Times Travel section did a great piece on ballpark fare throughout the country. Along with an article recounting Peter Meehan's travels to 12 parks, they provided a guide for all 30 stadiums in the MLB. Peep the article HERE and the ballpark guide HERE. Luckily the Yankees have had great teams over the years, because the food is pretty shitty. Seems like the better the team, the worse the food. In that case, the Yankees should step their gourmet game up especially with Wang being out for 6 weeks. Now I understand why the Giants always have asses in seats.

FEETS:


The Air Max 95 Neons just dropped AGAIN. And no matter how many times they drop, they are still a beautiful shoe. The more recent drops look a bit cheaper and you can tell the differences (see above)- i.e. smaller bubble in back and darker shades of grey- but that neon is so fucking fresh. How fresh? So fucking fresh. I was in Oneonta back in '95 when they dropped and I recall some rich Italian kids from Brooklyn having them. I knew a girl that worked at Hermann's in Cross County who said she could get them for me on discount- $92 or something, but it never panned out. I've had a pair for years- the 99 release which has the PS 20 on the sole- that I got off ebay back in 2001 or so and paid a grip not realizing they'd drop 10 times since- but you can never go wrong with extras of these. I had a size 12- but we all know you need to go a size up or you get that toe lump and that is a TERRIBLE look. Luckily my boy had a 13 he wanted to get rid of so we worked something out and I unloaded my 12. The neon completely makes the shoe. I'm not in love with the style, just the color- and the way Nike allotted the colors- not ODing on the neon, but just enough to want more and creating an aesthetic that hasn't been matched since. They used the grey radiant and black mid sole with a variety of other colors- but nothing matched the neon. I almost get the same feeling looking at the neons as I do my name. On some shit never gets old feeling. Possibly a personal thing.

Here's the Original Ad from Sports Illustrated- the yellow is from aging:



THE LETTER H:


I fucked up and slept on this Hickory Crawdads fitted. What the fuck was I thinking? The shit has an H, a crawfish, and a baseball- 3 loves in the world of Howfresh. The spot sold out my size so I'm H-less on this one. It was designed in conjunction with the lobster dunks, so I guess some little dickhead hypebeast will be rocking my shit. Fuck him and fuck me. Please disregard the Mets joint- in the process of getting photo editing software- still a rookie at this shit.


Wow, I was angry on this post. Maybe due to the ants I had in the bathroom this morning. First time I ever saw them in 5 years. This humidity's a bitch.

Jim Kahn Live in the BX- Friday Night, June 20th

NYC and the Triboro will finally have the chance to see Jim Kahn in action Friday night, June 20. The buzz from the L.A. show has toned down and it's safe again for Jim to be out in the public eye. The unexpected stardom caught him off guard, but the 7 1/2 59-50 New Era hasn't increased in size at all. This homecoming show has been a long time coming and guaranteed to be a banger. I'm sure the local folks will be out there in full force, but those of you that don't know him but like his music come through and enjoy. Who knows, DJ HowFresh might even get on the tables and fuck around with some treats you haven't heard in a while.

Jim Kahn Live at The Connecting Bar
6697 Broadway just north of 262nd St.
718-601-3823
Doors open at 9 pm
$20

New Jim Kahn Joints:


Jim Kahn- Just Blaze Joint

Jim Kahn- No Philosopher


Jim Kahn Classics:

Jim Kahn- Extravaganza

Jim Kahn- The Lix Freestyle

Jim Kahn- End of Time- On the critically acclaimed HowfreshEats Best of 2007 list

The Weekly Hip Hop Agenda

It's been a while since I've updated concert and tour dates and wanted to keep everyone abreast. This coming week, starting tonight, is chock full of treats.

Saturday, June 14 @ Knitting Factory
Los Beatnuts with Powerule, Gab Gacha, DJ JS-1, hosted by Greg Nice (Nice & Smooth)- $17 in advance, $20 at door.

Thursday, June 19 @ BB King's
Raekwon and Cappadonna- in conjunction with Cappadonna's Slang Prostitution album release- $25 in advance, $28 at door.

Friday, June 20 @ The Connecting Bar in the Bronx
Jim Kahn- his first performance since ripping the Whiskey A Go Go in the City of Angels- $20, and some ice cold Heiny Lights.

Saturday, June 21 @ The Apollo
The Throwback Comes to Harlem 2 feat. Naughty By Nature, Nice & Smooth, Positive K, H Town, Full Force, Case, and more- Tix range from $27 to $67.

I know I'm hitting some. That Thurs to Sat trifecta would be the buttahs, but I don't know if I'm built for this shit like I used to be.

Styles P + Leo Sayer = BANGER.

As mentioned yesterday, this new Styles P "Understand Me" is my shit. It was in heavy rotation today and warrants its own post. Before you start commenting (i.e. complaining) on Wyclef's participation in the record, his contribution is minor, and Styles' lyrics and the beat take top honors. The beat is dope- the sped up sample with that piano works well with the hard drums. Don't have a clean copy so please excuse the Big Mike chatter in the background.

Included is the sample- "Endless Flight" by Leo Sayer, recorded in 1976. Sayer's a British pop singer/songwriter most popular for his hit "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." I'm a start dancing in this muhfucker as Jigga says.

Style P ft. Wyclef- Understand Me

Leo Sayer- Endless Flight

This Dead Mouse is Really Fucking Up My Shit.

My mouse is broken. After just 5 minutes with it you want to break it into 1,000 pieces and smash your head off the keyboard repeatedly. The heat isn't helping matters. The problem is that I'm trying to look at wireless keyboard and mouse reviews, but with a broken mouse, it's extremely difficult- some catch 22 shit. I'm to the point where I'm lifting the mouse and manipulating the ball with my fingers. YOWZERS.



Haven't done much with music lately, aside from the brief Rakim review- well it was a brief performance. Copped the new Big Mike last week. No clue why- the outcome is always the same. Poop. It had the Busta "Don't Touch Me" remix ft. Game, Nas, the mixtape hater Lil' Wayne, Reef the Villain, Spliff Star, and a special appearance by Big Daddy Kane who shuts the shit down. They didn't even list Kane on the cover- what has this world come to? That beat is BANANAS. The first couple of Jada joints are dope- peep Corey Gunz verse. How old was this kid when Deja Vu dropped? He's Peter Gunz seed for those in outer space. The 4th track is printed as "I'm Coming" but the track is titled "Understand Me" and features Wyclef. The beat is dope, and Styles always comes correct. After track 9 I stopped listening. Though the beat on Lloyd Banks "Top 5" shit is dope- that Swizz Beatz- "Where the Cash At." Depending on your tastes, there might be 2 little treats at the end of the CD. Hopefully my readers don't have such terrible taste.

The tracks haven't been individually coded- but only 5 or so are worth a listen so it's not that much work to input it yourself.

DOWNLOAD HERE: Big Mike & DJ Thoro- Grand Theft Audio 2

MEDIA ALERT!!- Jim Kahn will be performing on Friday, June 20th. Details to come ASAP.