watch as i combine, all the juice from the mind.

check out the white boy ying and yang of michael rapaport's hyper explanations and peanut butter wolf's chill cadence in amoeba's latest installment of 'what's in my bag?'.

and please check out beats rhymes & life: a travels of a tribe called quest, by any means possible.

-t

im far gone with your long distance call.

a whirlwind weekend with the bester that was fueled by pounds of amazing food, deep fried treats, coffee shops, whiskey, cameos from old friends, strangers, art and walking. another beautiful weekend in the bay and i couldn't have asked for much more. till we meet again san francisco. as always, it was my pleasure.

thank you silverlake for the barrage of fireworks when i came home.

-t

migrating to a higher form of consequence, compliments.

it appears as if two of my favorite rappers from my teenage years have discovered the fountain of youth. they're returning with new music that's reminiscent of hip hop's golden years, before things turned a little shinier or auto-tuned. grimy beats with harder lyrics. check. less pop hooks, more dj cuts. check.

keep drinking from the fountain boys.

common featuring nas - "ghetto dreams"

-t

you say that were just friends, but i want this to the end.

proving that it's usually more about the journey than the ending, race through the streets of japan with two hairy dudes in the latest clip from UK producer tropics.

tropics - "mouves"

-t

i took a sip of something poison but i hold on tight.

back in 2007 i was in drunk in san francisco and answered my phone around midnight. my best friend was calling cause she was upset but i couldn't talk. i drunkenly promised her that when i got back we could chat and that the next weekend i would take her wherever she wanted to go to get her mind off whatever was bothering her. 

the next morning she called me back and said "i know where i wanna go". i had no idea what she was talking about. she reminded me of the convo from the previous night and all i could say was, "OHHHHHHHHH". the next weekend, i held up my end of the bargain and we took a road trip back to the bay. 

i always said she owed me a trip whenever i wanted as well. fast forward a few years and an ill-conceived trip to seattle has now turned into a july fourth SF adventure. it's pretty much been a year since i went north via greyhound and watched the fireworks from the bay bridge, so here's to a trip four years in the making.

-t

don't go to the well, there's no water.

for all you kids gearing up to celebrate america this weekend with some grilled meats (or portabellos) and a cooler filled to the brim with the cheapest of beer, play this during the daylight hours and watch your worries (and sobriety) fade away.

breakbot - 'lazy sunday selecta mix'

 

-t

if you're this crazy now, there's no telling what's in store.

yesterday around 5pm, my good friend vizion offered me suite tickets for the rihanna show at staples center. i've explained my love for the barbados pop star in the past and without a shadow of a doubt was excited for the show. 

10 things i learned from last night's rihanna show.

when in dancing doubt, squat down and flap your thighs.

if you're a tween and didn't know what dry humping was before, you sure got an advanced lesson.

she splits her show between sex pot jams, ballads and a medley of hits where she sang the hook.

those drum tricks that travis barker taught her last year are still put to use with an awesome rendition of sheila e's 'glamorous life'. 

she sang for two hours straight, no lip synching. 

great use of a treadmill in heels. no falling tonight!

she's making a run at beyonce's best thighs in the music game.

my god she has so many hits. totally forgot about 'hate that i love you'.

the crowd was a good mix of ages and a lot of guys still in full dance mode post last week's SF pride parade.

she chose a middle aged man to dry hump on stage. an odd choice at first, but she probably choose him cause there would be less chance for #bonerjams.

spending the show with gaps (who matched my fandom) and vizion's little brother (who hilariously got all giggly whenever there was girl-on-girl contact) was the perfect balance for such a crazy, high production show. 

-t

blood, sweat and one year.

happy birthday gorillajedi!

my theme was a middle school sports banquet. and for you squares out there, my apologies for the mannequin buttocks shot!

-t

wishing never solved a problem.

beets will always remind me of dwight k schrute and that if you eat too many, they might leave a stoplight hue on your pearly whites. but despite their potential for stainage, i am an avid fan and would love to try this sweet treat. will someone with an oven invite me over? pwease?

beet cake by the awesomely named, tiger in a jar.

-t

thanks for making me shake, it keeps me on point.

"sometimes it matters how cocky i'm feeling that night" - zach condon

the beirut frontman does caetano veloso justice on his contribution to the red hot organization's forthcoming comp: red hot + rio 2.

-t

i'm the hero of this story i don't need to be saved.

i'm pretty sure we're all suckers for a good splitscreen. 

expectations vs reality anyone?

'splitscreen: a love story' by jw griffiths - winner of the nokia shorts competition 2011.

-t

why don't you believe in it? till it's gone?

i once worked on a proposal for bombay bicycle club, what feels like a gazilly years ago. i never heard much about the london youngsters since but their new single from their upcoming album, a different kind of fix, is a hell of a fun re-introduction.

for fans of matt and kim's keyboard skills and two door cinema club vocals, stream bombay bicycle club's new single, "shuffle" below.

a different kind of fix drops this august.
-t

you on point phife? all the time tip.

on friday i had the pleasure of checking out a special screening of beats, rhymes & life: the travels of a tribe called quest at the ford amphitheater. 

i mentioned how stoked i was for the release of this documentary back in december and under a blanket of city stars and a steady outdoor breeze, it did not disappoint. starting from the very beginning (you get the pleasure of seeing tip and phife in elementary school yearbook pictures), the film explains the group's formation, how they chose their iconic name, zulu nation/native tounge ties, inner dynamics, insecurities, as well as a thorough breakdown of their first three legendary albums (with brief coverage of their final two). 

director michael rapaport was able to capture all four original members in various stages of ecstasy, anger, vulnerability and health. and despite your level of ATCQ knowledge, the film helps to cement tribe's status of importance in the realm of hip hop and within your own personal memories.

you have to see this. trust.

a-e-i-o-u and sometimes y,

-t

saying what's on your mind is actually not the end of the world.

there's something about the number two on this fine thursday. san francisco duo, painted palms, has joined forces with seattle dynamic twosome, beat connection to remix their fantastic single "all of us".

while the first version earned certified head nods via layers of exotic repetitions, the remix builds upon a steadier groove and metallic island beats. 

painted palms - "all of us" (beat connection remix) via yvynyl.

-t

leave that nine to five upon the shelf and just enjoy yourself.

today my little blog turns one. this time last year, everything changed and i wanted to have something that remained mine. and 302 posts later, these are all of my words and my experiences. 

this has been the craziest year of my life. filled with all ends of the spectrum, i survived and learned more about my life than i could have ever imagined. i've always been obsessed with becoming a better person and what that means not just to myself but to others. whether i've actually accomplished that still remains to be seen, but i know that i've certainly grown, changed and have kept the experiences of substance close to my heart. 

everything about the last year was about moving forward, balance and the art of letting go. the witnessing of my grandmother's unexpected passing in february is a haunting feeling that remains an issue that i'm still trying to sort through and accept. it's a solitary emotion that i'm sure will eventually heal, but has definitely made the past few months some of the most difficult. 

freelancing has also taught me a lot about self-motivation, execution and the importance of communication between a company of two. thank you gorillajedi for an entire catalogue of amazing memories that will always outlast the confines of a normal work day. 

most importantly, i'm looking forward to what's next with the people that mean the most.

-t

the heart of the nightlife.

the many faces of an ice cream cone. bet you thought there could only be just one. but thanks to london twee contemporaries, the history of apple pie, we learn that ice cream cones smile, laugh, get embarrassed and cry without melting. they also apparently get the girl, so whose the real soft serve now?

the history of apple pie - "you're so cool"

-t

turn down these voices, from inside my head.

some things don't need explanation or a description. some things are just felt and are appreciated in utter and respectful silence. my god, this is one of those things.

bon iver - "i can't make you love me"/"nick of time"

just hold me close, don't patronize.
-t

bon iver's self-titled sophomore record is officially out today. click here to give it a listen.

ain't like you to be shy or hide from the light.

i still have troubles with his name, but dude's got game that either MJ would be proud of. 

theophilus london - "last name london"

timez are weird these days drops july 19th.
-t

color my life with the chaos of trouble.

today the sun shines a little brighter, smiles get a little wider and the possibilities feel a little more infinite. summer solstice has shown it's face and who are we to ignore the adventure we're bound to experience the next few and suntanned months. 

soak it in and let it wash over you.

washed out - "amor fati" MP3 

via p4k

-t

if you cannot cook instant ramen, something is wrong with you.

as a ramen enthusiast and eternal hangover hater, this is some must see TV.

david chang teaches the masses the korean breakfast of champions courtesy of late night with jimmy fallon.

all sriracha, all the time.
-t