In an effort to expand the video content on Imagination Detonation, here is a new monthly motivational series called Great Scott's "Wiz of the Biz" where Scott Mckenzie drops his words of wisdom to inspire and motivate. Most of you may remember Scott from last summer, as he was one of my first interviews. If you don't remember him or just want to refresh your memory, click that last link above and then follow it up with this video. Enjoy.
In an effort to expand the video content on Imagination Detonation, here is a new monthly motivational series called Great Scott's "Wiz of the Biz" where Scott Mckenzie drops his words of wisdom to inspire and motivate. Most of you may remember Scott from last summer, as he was one of my first interviews. If you don't remember him or just want to refresh your memory, click that last link above and then follow it up with this video. Enjoy. I was sitting in a small, cluttered room on the top floor of a brownstone in Harlem when I first heard Kardi recite the opening bars of Convocation. He put on his bulky beats by dre headphones and walked into the booth (well, closet) and started to let loose with line after line of lyrical lethalness. I knew then and there that everyone was in for a treat with his new musical compilation: The Valedictorian. The aforementioned song, Convocation, is tracklisted at number 2 on the project and follows a 30 second intro where friend, manager, and basically rap-renaissance man, Matthew Trammell, sets the stage for Kardi to metaphorically tear down. With a smooth set of soundbytes floating by in the background, emphatic and eye-raising rhymes are carefully but recklessly thrown around. He plots out his moves and lines, but could probably care less if you agree. It'd be nearly impossible for anyone to not be intrigued enough to play more after an opener of that caliber, so let us proceed. Kardi's rhymes can best be described as 'confident but not cocky.' At least not cocky to the point where you get annoyed and think "who does this guy think he is?" - but more so that you start nodding your head in unison and agreement. To quote Phillip Annand and one of my favorite Award Tour posts of all time, "in literature they refer to it as the confidence of the youth. The invincible armor many of us seem to be able to throw on that consist of blind ambition and never ending drive." Homecoming, Joke, and Black Ferris Bueller are perfect examples of this. Don't Leave is a serious, humble, and somewhat sad song that sounds like Kardi wrote on a dark, rainy day alone his room at 3 in the morning. Reminiscing over a past relationship and re-routing the steps he took in deciding whether to stay with or leave his girl and if he ended up making the right decision. This track adds a versatile dimension to the piece of work, rounding it out more. It shows a different and more humble side to Kardi that is interesting to see. A side that would be nice to see a little more often on future projects, regardless of how good his more arrogant songs may be. Sonically, my favorite part of the album is when the drums drop on Badd. It's difficult to even describe that in words, but if you don't start nodding your head or tapping your foot after hearing that then I don't even know what to say. In general, the production throughout is very well put together and different. Not to mention that Kardi produced three of the tracks himself, with the rest of the beats being done in-house by mostly Thiz aka Matthew Trammell (what part of rap-rennaisance man did you not understand), with the addition of one track done by Dru Classic. On Black Ferris Bueller, Kardi says "this'll probably be the track you cue up, to tell your friends that you knew about me before I blew up." Well, I have to disagree with him there. The track he should instead be referring to with that statement is the dream-chaser anthem that is entitled Busy. With bar after bar of quotables on the dedication to his craft and being too busy chasing his dreams, this is easily one of the best songs on the project. The album consists of 10 songs, which includes two interludes and a bonus track. While at first I felt it was a bit short, after I let it digest for a little bit I realized it all actually syncs together pretty perfectly. Of course I want to hear more from him, but this project really isn't missing much. Not saying it's perfect, but it's a great compilation. At such a young age of 18, and writing this project at 17, the future for Kardi is clearer than the skies on a sunny day. Somewhere between his daring delivery, whimsical wordplay, and youthful determination - a star is waiting to rise. You can hear it in his voice already, as he rhymes so effortlessly and with such skill that it seems like he was born to do this. As he himself remarked recently, the New York hip hop scene is very weak right now and for the taking. If he keeps it up, the crown is as good as his. Download The Valedictorian compilation HERE This is the second Musical Review that I've posted and although I want to try to incorporate my love for music more into the site, these reviews will only come every so often. If you missed the first one back in January (of Casey Veggies' "Sleeping In Class") then click here. Philip Post is a 16-year-old kid from the streets of Norwalk, Connecticut. Even at this young age, however, he runs his own clothing brand called Dertbag Design (and a successful one at that). With a combination of bold and simple graphics, Phil certainly is onto something and has a bright future ahead of him. Recently Phil and I met up by Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and discussed the meaning behind the brand name, how the company has progressed over the years, the benefit of starting young, and much more. This is the sixth episode of a series under Boundless Dreams TV called 'Youngest in Charge.' The series is about a young generation of talented beings who are already on a path filled with making moves along the pursuit of nothing less than greatness. EPISODE 1: GREAT SCOTT EPISODE 2: MIKE WAXX & MIKE CARSON (ILLROOTS) EPISODE 3: MODI (DCtoBC) EPISODE 4: JABARI EPISODE 5: JASON (HERDS OF THE FATHERS) This clock (that was recently repositioned) along with the rest of the
ceiling pattern provides a nice architectural feel and visual. Location: Grand Central Station, New York Architectural Aesthetics is a photo series focusing on interesting and unique architectural spots. Erin Christine is a singer and musician, currently based in New York, who has been into music since the age of three and has been steadily pursuing her craft ever since. I was lucky enough to find out about her music after I listened to the song "All For Me" by hip hop artist XV. She was only on the hook, but her part in the song still stood out to me and I decided to look more into her musical catalogue. On her youtube channel, she gained my respect and appreciation with both quality songs of her own and terrific covers (personal renditions of other songs). She's working on her debut album at the moment, which I'm sure will be something to watch out for. Erin and I recently met in the studio and apartment that she shares with her writer, Tiffany Star, who also signed Erin to her company Star Studded Sounds. Although not visible in the video, there was an incredible view from their Battery Park studio of the river and opposing skyline. Anyway, we discussed everything from the steps she took in music growing up and how big a factor emotion is in her music to collaborations with hip hop artists XV and Pusha T. Press play on the video above to learn more about Erin and the music she makes. Enjoy. This is the seventh episode of a series entitled 'Universal Language Originators.' The idea behind the series is that regardless of where you go in the world, there is no denying the impact that music has. It's basically a universal language.
EPISODE 1: PHIL ADE EPISODE 2: THEO MARTINS EPISODE 3: ERICK ARC ELLIOTT EPISODE 4: DONDRE GREEN EPISODE 5: MIKE LIGHTS EPISODE 6: KARDI Sean Quincy Munro, otherwise known simply as SQ, is a talented photographer out of Brooklyn who continues to pile up his collection of interesting shots. While his personal project and moniker for his photos is Good Habit, he also has garnered respect from working with the also-talented footwear designer by the name of Ronnie Fieg. The latter is where I actually initially heard of him personally, as I had been (and still am) a fan of Ronnie's work in shoes. When I started seeing all these incredible product shots which were different and better than what people are normally accustomed to, I needed to look more into the photographer behind the lens of these pictures. Low and behold, I found more of SQ's work and was of course impressed. About a month ago SQ and I met in the SoHo area and discussed his start in photography, knowing and working with Ronnie, Good Habit, his first gallery show, and more. Press play on the video above and enjoy. This is the seventh episode of a new series entitled 'Flipping The Lens.' The idea behind the series is to take the folks who are usually behind the camera and turn the lens around on them to see what they're like. EPISODE 1: VINNY PICONE EPISODE 2: TONE EPISODE 3: KING TEXAS EPISODE 4: ETIENNE (SCOREMORE) - PART 1 EPISODE 5: ETIENNE (SCOREMORE) - PART 2 EPISODE 6: KELLEN DENGLER Last week, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend yet another great event at the Apple Store in SoHo. This time, one of my favorite actors, Will Ferrell, was speaking alongside director Dan Rush on their upcoming movie Everything Must Go. After first running through some questions by an Apple-appointed moderator about the film, which certainly seems worth checking out, the floor was then opened up to an interesting session of Q&A. It consisted of requests that certain people couldn't resist, such as asking for a hug or trying to offer a gift, but also had its share of seriousness when people conjured up questions about his motivations as an actor, certain roles he's played, and more. Let me say this: Will Ferrell is just as funny in person as he is in movies. While I wholeheartedly enjoyed the abundance of laughter that took place among the whole crowd consistently throughout the event, I also enjoyed getting a glimpse into Will Ferrell's thoughts and opinions on a more introspective level. Dan Rush, who's making his directorial debut with this film, also added inspiration in being able to bring Will on board despite his lack of experience (at least in terms of actually making a movie) which goes to show that it really depends on one's talent, not necessarily always the position they're in. Thanks again to the Apple Store in SoHo for another terrific event.
It's always great to see good and quality design around you when you're dining.
From the jukeboxes (how many of those do you still see?) to the painting of Yankee Stadium in the background, the Acme Bar in Indiana, where this was taken, gets a thumbs up for their dining decor. Depth of Details is a photo series on I.D. Many little things in life go overlooked. Often though, attention to detail is crucial and makes much more of a difference than you probably think. This series shows you some of those very details that are hiding in plain sight, just waiting to be discovered (and appreciated). |