The Mixtap Champ: For Promotional Use Only

Its that time again where I talk about something Ive had on my mind and for a while. I have no idea what the shower does to people, but I like this think it bring comfort almost like when a baby is in the belly of their carrier. I say that like it Fed-ex, but Im not that shallow. On to the topic at hand before I go off tilt and start talking about complete nonsense. Mixtapes, yes the infamous mixtape that has before a cheaper version of an album. It has almost become a norm for an artist to drop a mixtape with new material these days, when maybe 10 years ago the mixtape was for promo. As you may know the mixtape use to be about taking someone else beat and throwing your own verse on it. It help when it came to the streets, because some mixtape tracks were better than the original. The image to the right is from Kochece Lloyd Banks vs. Cassidy, although they never meet the mixtape was dope because the tracks were together as if they were battle each other (I think Banks killed it).

The Mixtape to the left was a promo release to the "Kiss of Death" album. This was also a dope album, but other than the Kochece mixtape this mixtape was more on the side of being an actual street album. It has some old school beats, tight new rhymes and some new material that would be on the upcoming album. I have come to love mixtape as they are now downloadable via the internet and $5 at the corner bodega. (we dont have those in Canada but you catch my drift)

Mixtapes in 2010 are album and yes, any album made is for promotional use. Curresny, Wiz Khalifa and J.cole all doipe in their own right and have made names for themselves mearly off their mixtapes. It almost seems like the next step foe mixtape is to start selling them in your local music store alongside the offical album. Exposure is everything and the more you have the more people talk, which is only good for the artist that trying to make it.

Need I say more about the album of 2009. Yes! Once a mixtape which had more hype than Wale. No disrespect to Wale but Drake smashed it last year, then me made it an offical album. This maybe the new turn for mixtape, making them offical because if all the songs are original, then why not. Make it offical and see where it take you. Im glad to say he Canadian, but thats a side now. Drake is the defintion of hussle. I once saw him at the movie theatre in my hometown and now he at the all-star game with my favorite ball player. It all started with this Replacement Girl. and  moved to Best I Ever Had. Now someone can not think about Canada without thinking about Drake unless your talking about the Olympics and Hockey. He has come along way and it`s been because of the mixtape

Thats my short, rant about mixtapes and where thet are going. I had alot more but everyoe from twitter decided to tweet the scores of the hockey game and now Im a completely distratced thanks twitter. Let go Canada....This year is our year...

-Live Strong
-Sean

Above Water: About Sean/SMurk

 I made this blog years ago, for a course I took years ago to display my art work on the world wide web. Im not sure anyone else still uses their blog from the course. It was a 2 year applied college course: Visual and Digital arts. I felt a the end of the day it was a waste of time as a hole. Today all I really have to show for it is the basic knowledge I gained while I was there a blog. The outsider lookin in may think its just your typical blog, but every post I make has some meaning to it and is not just posted to jump on the social chain letter of in formation like there other blogs. If you look at my 1st post: my 1st post.. you see it has always been about the artwork. and still today the idea remains the same. This blog is almost the Life and Times of Sean Lawrence or my heavily used alter ego....Smurk. Smurk for a week was a word I would hear frequently and someone always told me to "wipe the smurk off my face" so i ran with it. It been a staple in all my work, give me an escape a way out.

Always been one mess with the dry medium, I have always felt paint takes to damn long for my liking to deal with. Yeah!! I can paint I love dipping my hand into new things. Paint just takes really long to and all the mixing and what not. It has been the pencil that has been my friend for years. I never use to use colour for years for the simple fact I didnt know how to. I would have a dope image drawn and use colour and mess it up. Graffiti has also played a large role in my life time. It was really what drawn me into the art. It was my nirvana in a sense. It was something I had that the other kids didnt understand, nor did they want to. I was into graffiti from about grade 4 if I can remember that far back and eversince the art work has evolved with a graffiti-ish look to it.

As the I grew so did my passion for art and like a tree I began to branch out. Tattooing sketchs,  graffiti sketches, you name it. I was drawing it, colouring whatever I could do. In one year I had filled my computer with images I liked but realized if I come across it again I will remember it. My 1st tattoo was the names of my mother and father two people that are not going anywhere soon. I think my mother has alot to do with my art and the passion I carry with me. She is the reason I still drawn today, but not in thw way you would think. She would always try to get me to read and the more she tried the more I rebelled, the more I wanted to make art on the hallway walls and on the kitchen counter.

Today, I am a little more sane and have gone to a cleaner look:

The world is moving so fast these days which means, and thats also means the foundation of everything is crumbling from underneath us all. The pencil has been replaced with a wacom tablet and the letters and mail had been taken over by the likes of: facebook, twitter, and myspace. Yeah don't get me wrong I have all these things but to stay above wated you have to stick to your guns and not conform to societies pull for popularity and our cultures rise to that 15 mintures of fame. Andy Warhol once said "everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame". Im sure oneday I will get that, but when I have a realized the more you try to attaind soemthing the harder it is to obtain. So I figure Ill just keep my head above wated and keep doing whats makes me happy. My motto is "Creativity is a Must" and the word should be spread life wild-fire.

Well before this turns into a biography remember stay true to yourself never sell out and always do what you love.

-Stay Golden

Sean

We Are The World vs We Are The World 25

Who Killed it?

J.Dilla Will Live on..

Music is endless and J.Dilla made his beats that made it appear or sound that way. His legacy will never die, because of what he put into the game and how he went about doin it. Dill forever...just watch what some notable fiugres in music have to say about their friend. J.Dilla. R.I.P your music will live on..

Knowledge Is Power

The worse thing about this, people will look at him and thing he is old and look pass what he really is trying to say. The message he is trying to give the world and the youth of today. What kind of a world do we live in when we are controlled but without control we have no order. Sheppard Fairey has the right idea. It almost seems like one word, no people one nation one GOD, but society has taken that away from the people of the world because without order is chaos.

Know your rights.
-Be Well, Smurk

A Good Debate

Just think gloabal warming is on the rise, humanity as we know it will surely come to an end or will it we dont know. We can only wait and see what happen depressing it seems, but you just have to live your life and care on untill further notice. one to speak my mind, regardless of the topic and or the situation. I think the debate is just that much better when its really hard to choose between the two subjects at hand. For example Jay-Z or Nas, or Biggie and Tupac. It the big debates we face in everyday life and face when listening to two New York Greats like The Notorious BIG and Raekwon The Chef.



They cant be compared on careers because Raekwons has had a longer career and which is obvious. So Im here to talk about albums. If you listen to Hiphop you will know the 90's almost seemed to be the prime of HipHop music. It has had such an impact that 10 years later we are still talking about hiphop and ol' skool hiphop.

For me growing up Biggie was the guy I would always listen to because he had more commecrcial fame than The Chef. I knew who Wu-Tang was but never really invested my time to listen it was all bout Biggie and Bad Boy.

Its hard to think is there really an album that can be better than this one and that where the debate begins. Bonafide classic. I sit here looking at my Zune and going through the songs as I write this track 3: Gimme The Loot, big track after that is Warning just to name a few. How dare I draw a debate to a legend and then think I have to put the death aside for a moment because if I dont he win this debate automatically. My friends have always been Biggie fans and I think this is because at the time a commerical artist was very big, but we get older and realize that its not about that its about the music and this album is epic. Raw and uncut Biggie had a flow like no other and never wrote his rhymes which only boosted him as an artist. I think this is what makes made Ready to Die such a dope album.

I think its very hard to compare the ablums because no matter what people will look at the face that Biggie has passed and Raekwon has just not to long ago dropped Cubin Linx 2. It is another issue that Ghostface Killah played a big part in the album. He didnt take away from the alum but at the same time he definetly added to it. Two heads against one sometimes can back fire, but in this  case its hard to say because where do you start the deabte? Rawkwon had Ice Cream, Criminology, and Striving Perfection. These arent the dope tracks but definetly my favorites. So do you go track for track, lyrical content like the hiphop magazine do? I dont think so. I think it comes down to orginality, flow, and most of all the last impression each album left on you. I know these arent realist was off camparing albums, but its the only way I see fit. I love the fact that people use to say Rae and Biggie had a beef. Nas even brought it up in a track he made. Im not sure what the entire story was but Im sure it makes for a compelting argument.

So there it is thats my short rant about Ready to Die and Only Built 4 Cubin Linx. I love both albums, but you were to be trapped on an island and your Ipod could only take one of these albums which would it be.

Mr. Carter Or Mr. Jones

I was playing Zune on shuffle and it felt like everyother track was either a Jay-Z track with a dope beat and punch lines or a Nas track with mad lyrical content with a deeper rooted meaning. I had recently visted Phillip Annand aka the founder of The Award Tour. And was stuck with the debate of choosing between Wu-Tang and Outkast. I went with Wu-Tang because I grew up listening to it more. No thats not really a legit reason to choose, but at the same time its hard to compare Ol' Dirty Bastard with BrooklynZoo, TheMethod Man with Tical, and  GhostFace with Supreme Clinetele just to name a few. I havent forget about The Chef but I wanted to be fair. Life is all about decisions and if you were forced to make a decision who would you choose? The Boy from Marcy or one of QB's finest? (here ball's in your court)

 

I have been listening to Jay-Z for years and I steer toward Jay-Z because he symbolizes alot more than just music to me. I see a legend in the making, I see someone that came from a hardknock life to sitting in beachchairs. On another note I love the swagger, the way he carrys himself, not to hype, more of a cool ,calm and collected approach. Yes I believe he lost the battle with Nas anyone really fan of battes will see that, but at the same time we won the battle. Jay-Z was paying Nas, he became his boss.

I feel like comparign the two is like comparing Tupac and Biggy really, just for what they stand for now and what Biggie and Pac stood for when they were around and its pretty much the same thing for both guys. Its hard to debate the, because its like comparing a rapper to and MC or Magic to Jordan. MC will move the crowd with an Alife t-shirt and a rapper will flash the crowd with a chain. 

Nas similar to Jay-Z quiet, but I think he has a more assasin feel to him. I feel like you mess with Nas he mess you up to the point where you no longer realize it. A lot of people dont realize how big off a track ETHER was. I was shocked when I 1st heard that track. As a youth Nas wasnt really a favorite because I could comprehend what the man was talking about. Call me slow but as I get older I respect him more as an artist and even more as a man.

This debate is not black and white, its not either or. I can put it up there with whether or not abortion is right or wrong. I think it all comes down to Who stlye most appeals to your life. Thats the best way I can put it, because countless times I have gone album for album and I will say Nas wins when it starts off, but Jay-Z comes back with a very strong finish. Bottom line they are both dope and both legends in there one right, but if you had to choose one who would it be? If you could only have one. Would you choose D'Evils, Hardknock Life, Big Pimpin, Friend or Foe 98' or would you choose Ether, One Love, Book of Rhymes, Shoot 'Em Up. I dont know I know who my choice is. I think by reading you can figure out who my choice is. 

Dont get me wrong I love music and I feel what bother artist are doing but to me there had to be someone on top and there has to be someone that is right behind them. So whats your choice. Jay-Z or Nas. Choose! 

(leave comments)

Movers & Shakers (via @ twitter)

Today I was talking with the homie Tempo today about young up and comers that I happen to find via twitter. Movers and shakers are the ones with blogs, twitter, and tumblr acocounts. These guys are putting their creativity to good use. Since getting a twitter account I have seen my fair share of twitter personalities. I have spoken to the likes of Phil Annand from The Award Tour, Levi Maestro from Maestroknows who is a facebook freind and gave me a  call when he was promoting his MK13 shirts. This the next generation of world and they`re gonna stop any time soon.

Let get into it:

Levi Maestro aka Maestroknow is a ``vlogger`` which is some with video blogs. I never knew what that was until I started watch his short films of his life and other act like 9th wonder and my favorite The Seventh Letter Crew. At the young Age of 23 Maestro is doing his thing travels the world and is doing somethinf he loves. I think one day we will take over T.V. His work is nothing short of perfection because it raw, its original, its him behind the camera and in from of it as well. Here interview with him in Paris by BKRW. If you dont know well then your miss out and you need to see whats goin on in the world because Maestro is going to show you whether you like it or not.Follow at: @MAESTROKNOWS

Street Etiquette two guys I envy for the fact that they have so much style, and when I say style im not talking about the freshest nike dunks for the illest Crooks & Castles hoody. No disrespect to those companies but these two: Joshua and Travis are on their grown man swag. I hate that word but it seemed like the best word to use for this section. Anyway I can say enought about these guys. Fashion forawrd check out the Sewn From the soul and tell me what you think.

I cant say too much cause its only been a few days now that I began to follow these guys and what they are about, but so far so good. (from left to right: Travis, Joshua) Check these guys out at Street Etiquette you wont be disappointed. Follow them at:@StreetEtiquette

The Award Tour a t-shirts, a brand, a lifestyle. Phil Annand is doing hid thing when it comes to creativity. On the young age 20 this ``young sir`` as he likes to put has an online store (corner store) that sells out in minutes I dont know anyone that doing that right now. I put him in the same class as Drake because he is know but isnt global but can touch the masses by just being himself. Drake made a mixtape and out sold Wale. Im not knockin Wale im just making a point that Award isnt a job is the way of life for Phil. I came across this video with TONE and felt he couldnt be any more right. Blog need to be different copy and paste is not going to work for the internet sufer like myself because the same things keep poping up and a lack of orginality is not cool by any means. Follow Phil at: @On Award Tour

PHILLIP ANNAND from TONE on Vimeo.

On the next one. The next guy I recently followed on Twitter because I downloaded his free mixtape off of Phil`s site(phil being the guy above this section). He`s a graphic designer, a musician and be makes web templates. Like the other he`s under 25 and he`s making moves on taking over the world one track at a time. I will say it has been in heavy rotation since the tweet went up a few months ago.

The Love In Us is his offical website and where you can download this:

(Download Here)

Like Street Etiquette I have only just started following Erick Arc Elliott. (try saying that name 10 times)but stay posted because Im sure that you will be hearing his name or see him on a T.V screen near you. Follow him at: erickarcelliott

And.(your teacher every tell you dont start you sentece like that..oh well)

We have come the reniassnace man. Anwar Washington or his persona AnwarCarrots. He does it all, models, manages CaseyVeggies and another up and comer but thats another post.

He is another friend found on twitter and fills my timeline, I dont have any complaints because it keeps me in the loop. But Homie can tweet and it seems like he doesnt sleep but its all good. He can also be found at Arrogant Veggies ther will be a day where day where you see him in a magazine you buy. 

There it is the up and comers that I believer will change the way we see, buy, look and listen to things. I hope one day someone can put my name one of these lists but thats the motivation. The passion I have to be successful doing somethnig I love. Follow me at @Smurkone

I AM ART

I woke up today and went through my routine of brushin my teeth and thought to myself how can I  make myself become a better artist. Many people say repetition is the father or learning and pratise make perfect , see as nobody is perfect the pursuit of perfection is the ultimate goal. I look back and see where I have come from as an artist and how my art is growing as I grow as a man.

These says my moto has been creativity is a must cause I believe in many ways its the way of life. In any occupation some form of creativity is used to help us throughtout out daily lives. Imagary get me goin and keep me ticking. I love music and sometimes it the music that motivate me to keep going and keep doin the things I love. I dont think I could see myself doin anyting else but art work. Its my passion my bread & butter as I would like to think. The two pictures were when I was ready to see my prints or artwork on t-shirts, Knowngallery and Revok1 were some in heavy rotation for me best graffiti is the reason I still draw and write. I love the way letters can be moved around and colour and made to look 3-D.

Jay-Z and Kanye West probably to of the biggest influence in my life. Growing up I was always a Jay-Z fan from Hardknock Life and  Beach Chair off the Kingdom Come album. These two pieces are recent but branch from my days of being in school for 2 years and know what I wanted  to do with my life as an artist. Visual and Digital Arts was the program I took and I think I learned more about myself in those two year than I could in 23 years of life. At this point anything thats dope on the internet is what im interested like Maestroknows, The Award Tour, Rebel8, and even Complex Magazine. I dont have a pasticular site I like to view because for me its all about Creativity and being about to look back and see where I was at my life and where I cam today. (today being a year from now)

On that note Im off to see whats goin on in the world and what I can take from today so that Im a better man, artist and a friend. Be well, stay safe and remeber to stay creative. thanks for listening. Look ouft for future advemtures.

-Creativity is a Must.

Smurk

Its only a year

As I right this post I look down at my nike dunks and think to myself I definetly need some new kicks. The selections are endless because as i get older my shoes selection is beiginng to thinken. Anyway Long story short I want to get these: Air Yeezy the plus side of things are when I get them I kno they are comfortable courtesy of MaestroKnows Air Yeezy's episode. I love black shoes Im not sure why as of yet but maybe because I cant treat anything with care wreckless abandonment is my moto. Go hard or fall back. Another reason I can get them without a sweat is because I wont have to wait in line like Phil From Award Tour. The only down fall is I didnt get them whem they 1st came out and I never had the chance line up like the rest of kooks and fans. I have been thinking about it for a while, so i may second guess myself a few times over but the fact is, there will be a day where I spontaneouly just go out and buy them. Enough of my ranting Im goin to work, maybe I come home with the shoes maybe I dont. stay tunes.

Be Well

-Smurk

Long Awaited

Im not feeling my greatest but felt a small post was need for a great woman. Its been a while since I made anything, new and I felt Erykah was the next to be plastered on my blog. Only because I feel not enough people speak about the female in the urban community unless you watch Worldstarhiphop for is explotation of the female anatomy. No disrespect to Wolrldstar, but where is the love? Anyway before I get off topicI just wanted to pay tribute to one of the many hiphop females that have been making good music. Let's not forget On & On, Bag Lady, and Love of My Life...just to name a few of the commercail greats. I dont kno what it but i feel she's on of hiphop's renissance woman and can do anything she puts her mind.

(Erykah ft. Lil Waynen Jump In The Air)

Got love for World star hiphop every now and again when they keep dropping music like this...

Be Well

-Smurk

I Did It

Well here it is The Midnight Villains Brand its been a long time coming, its feel like ive been talking about it for years. Ive always wanted to have my own t-shirt to wear because a lot of the time I feel as if the shirts out there just arent worth buying. Im not saying that other people arent doin their things but being an artist I tend to be much more judegmental when it come to art and graphics.

You can find the 1st tee at Big Cartel looking to make an offical blog when I can talk about in the in and out of a bussiness the struggles of an artist and the life and times of an artist in a big Canadian city. Its only a matter of time before Im looking back at this post and laughing cause Ive come so far.

Be Well

-Sean Villain

We Stylin' On Them

Crazy I think Amber Rose is just about as crazy and stylish as Kanye. I dont know what it is but I fond when your with someone you tend to develop their style, fashion sense and even pick up on thins they like.

Kanye dropped the memorable line " If The Devil wear Prada, Adam/Eve wear nadda, Im in between but way more fresha"...and  that line stands true when you think about Kanye and his style and about him being about to get away with anything. He can go to church and look fly, or go to Sneaker Pimps and have the rarest kicks known to man. I will say visiting his blog has to be an everyday thing because you never know what you will get.

I envy his style and his passion. The way he carries himself and the fact that he is not affraid to say whats on his mind. I dont know if you guys remember when he publicly told the world " George Bush Dont like Black People" and he didnt blink an eye. Its things like that I can respect him for, the style to me is a plus and the fact he has arm candy like Amber Rose. If I could spend a week with anyone I thinnk it would be Kanye just to see days in the life of Kanye. Lookin forward to see how she shocks the world this year and to hear Good Ass Job.

Musically Sound!

25 Most Anticipated Alum of 2010

As I do my daily web-surfing I came across this!!! Complex's most Anticaped albums of 2010..Most of the list consistants of up-and comers, commerical celebs, and your underground artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Jay Electronica, Common and PacDiv and thats just form the front cover theres more where that came from but youll have to click on the link above to see more.

Since reading this I have gone music hunting and have found music particular hip-hop and found the results to be mind blowing. I havent stop looking for new music and what these artists on this list have to offer. Jay Elevtronica is a musical genius, we alread know the Beastie Boys from Licensed to Ill and Paul's Boutique. 2010 seem like the year that music will rule the air waves...

I am definetly excited to see how the years turns: will drake have another amazing year? Is Common losing hos touch? Will The illest members of Wu-Tang have an epic album? the question can go on and Im definetly goin to be posting more about these alubms when the dropped...but for now lets keeps it real funky and play that old school music.

Be Well

-Sean

Music Is My Inspiration

Im one that has a love for hiphop and how diverse it can become and branch off into other project. Kamaal/The Abstract is that album. Q-Tip's third album it happens to be an eclectic fusion album that features Q-Tip rapping, singing, and trying out jazz. I was never one to Listen to Q-tip but when you have 120Gb Mp3 you tend to have space to seak out other music field and different things. when it comes to music.

I tend to draw for inspiration, as does anyone else but I tend to look for it  more because I find there is more passion behind things and ideas when there some sense of emtion in your work. Last night the Mp3 happen to be on shuffle and more than once I came across music that made me want to stop work pick up a big and jot down some ideas. I pull from every walk of life to find things that push me to the next level and this album happen to  do that for me.

 The Abstract

Themusic helped me get throught more things that I could remeber thats why if your bringing something to the table I can hate because everyone has a passion for something and who am I to down play that. People were born to create and pro-create haha. On another noteI wanted to tribute Q-Tip and the album in one. Music to me can make you lose control as per Missy Elliott, hahaha I love music and I love creativity putting the 2 together goes hand in hand.

Creativity is a Must.

BeWell-Sean

Music for my thoughts: Sade - Promise

I cant tell you what it is, but I find myself listening to music that I would never cathc myself listening to. It seems the older I get the more my music my selection changes. It was only a few years 50 cent and Lloyd Banks were in heavy rotation. Anyway back to the real reason Im posting this. I feel it brings me back to how life was during the 80's but on the other side, and what I mean by that is not the glits and glamour or hiphop and style and hair cuts. The grown folk music that your grandparents were probably bumpin'.

Its always good to look back and see what state the world was in and its even better to hear it through music. I love the Sweetest Taboo and Is it a crime.

Be Well,

Sean 

Midnight Villains

The "MIDNIGHT VILLAINS" has been something I have always wanted to since I thought of art as a potential career. A lot of people includinug family dont believe I can do it but thats the motivation. I called in Midnight Villains cause thats me and everything I represent. The Graffiti artist goin to tag a train, the producer in the studio lookig for the right beat. A rebel without a cause not afraid to go against the grain. The t-shirts is just a same of what Im doing with my art stay posted for new updates.

Thanks,

Sean