Daily Antics: Artist Spotlight: XXL Freshmen Classes

Every year we wait and look out for XXL's Freshmen class and like any kids in high school you get your new batch of new kids and they in 4 years they become popular and relevant. Its a good article to look back on if your keeping track. High school was always cutthroat in terms of who is going to take over and what oath each artist is going to take and where will they be when they graduate.

Daily Antics: Album Spotlight: Kendrick Lamar- good kid m.A.A.d city

I know everyone is falling head over heels on Kendrick and last night he was passed the torch by Snoop Dogg or Lion as he is currently known as. Yeah I would agree to some point that Kendrick brings a positive feel to the LA and its violent atmosphere, but times have changed. I'm sure that Los Angelas is still an unsafe area to live in but Kendrick is a product of his own environment. It wouldn't make sense to be negative if you want to make record sales in this day and age. Its not that kind of party anymore.

Kendrick is a fairly young artist and fit in the same category as his peers like Drake, Asap, Danny Brown, J.Cole and Big Sean who for the most part are not as nice as Kendrick. Yeah they spit and they make records, but Kendrick brings the lyrical game to an all new high. A positive advocate in a negative ego dominated genre makes him stand out from the rest. Because he stands for whats true and speaks from the heart.

When you watch his interviews, he is real humble and together. Every move seems to be well calculated. Not someone your going to see screaming "thug life" or talking about a beef. He is here to share his story and share his life with the world, which means he isn't going to get much hate from people and if he does it will be because they're just not feeling him. I can admit I wasn't always a Kendrick fan because my favorite songs circles the east coast and music particularly from New York.

Kendrick came at the right time. Hip-hop needs something new a uplifting artist like Mos Def, Talib or even a Common. I know people like to say Hip-hip is dead but there were genres before hip-hop that took a back seat. Hip-hip is the streets, always evolving never staying the same. My personal view on an album is that I cant compare to "Illmatic" , "Ready to Die" or even "Reasonable Doubt" because they re classics for a reason. You can not call an album a classic if it hasn't even sat on the shelf for a year. You can turn on Illmatic and still bump it today, will Kendrick's music live on for years that remains to be seen, but until that time we listen to the album and embrace Kendrick's music for the time being.

There are a few tracks that I like, I'm not no to remember track lists. For the first 2 weeks all i do is listen to the album. Sometimes the name has an influence, like judging a book by its cover, but "Poetic Justice", "Money Trees", "Sing About me, I'm Dying of Thirst",and  "Compton" and for a 17 track album that's a lot of tracks to like, but he puts in work. You never know how well an artist is until they drop that debut album. There have been a fair share of mix tape rappers and rappers that can only do well with feature they can not hold up an album them self.

So far Kendrick has done his thing, from Section 80 and Overly dedicated. If an artist can maintain that hunger they have when the first start rapping they will continue to be successful and thus far Kendrick has done that. It should be fun to see what Kendrick has in store, because this album just might have made him the artist of year, but he has some stiff competition with Kanye and 2 Chainz.

That being said grab the album I did....good kid m.A.A.d city:

Daily Antics: Art: Illustration

The daily antics is a movement. Its a way of life, what people do when they wake up and how they achieve the success in their life and how they go about doing their day to day.

This post is a bit different this post is a bit more egocentric because it about me and my hard work. 

The illustration that I work on from a day to day basis:

Art has always been a passion of mine ever since I was young. From a young age I have been in to art and now I am able to do what I want when I want. My creativity crosses different mediums and different techniques. I went to school form 2 years for something I have always done. Not to say that illustration is the only thing that I am able to do, but it has become something that I am known for. I believe the most traditional use for art is the pencil and the paper pad.

The way I go about making the illustrations I find someone primarily someone that I'm listening to and go from their. I think from the first day I started I have not stopped:

I recently had gone wild on a new batch of artist which feature; Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, Asap Rocky, Frank Ocean and Nicki Minaj. I do artist that are know, but no to far up in the sky that they don't remember where they have come from. I believe everything has a meaning and everything if done right and well thought out can be done right. 

Peace  and keep pushing... there will be more to come from myself and this Daily Antics movement I'm trying to share with the world.

Daoly Listen: Meek Mill: Dreams & Nightmares (Intro)

Meek Mill's isn't one to shy away from going in on a track and thanks and this intro is no different. He sums his album in this intro and from this intro alone makes me want to go out and buy. Talking about his dreams, which turn to nightmares. Peep the intro after the jump:

Daily Grinders: Kanye West

Daily Grinders is going to be something new to the table that highlights the inner workings of  people and their hustle. From all walks of life we looks to touch on who's doing what and how they came to this point and where they have come from. 

Today we highlight Kanye West.

Daily Antics: Heavy Rotation

Its been a while and yes this may be said one than once, but I feel like I have come out of my slump and I'm back to wreck havoc on the bored and tired blogs that you may all read. Why am I on the attack I'm not and why should you read my blog cause I don't have an obligation to be nice to anybody other than my brother and my mother. That being said I would like to introduce you to my rotation of music as of late. 

Lets start from the top left. "The Heist" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I like this album for the one reason hes dope and that claims comes from the fact that when their is a white rapper I have a tendency to listen more because they don't have the came blah, blah, lingo that their black counter parts can use. Their use of words and subject content has to be a lot more creative. Track like; ' Same Love" and "Thrift Shop" make this album a cut above the rest. Well thought out and well put together.  Its a great recipe fro success when you can rap about anything like being gay. Not saying Macklemore is gay, but he touches on a subject that many wont touch. I bought The Heist and am happier because of it.

Daily Antics: Mark Ecko "Lets get weird"

Never been much of a fan on Marc Ecko and his style of graffiti or art work for that matter, but that doesn't mean that I don't respect what Marc has done for the hip-hop/ graffiti culture. I was web skying and came across a video of Marc at his finest.
I love to view another artist work space or even see how they go about making their creation. Everyone has a different way of going about their daily antics and Marc is no different.
From the rough sketch, to the rending process to the final illustration. Take a look at the process:

Tattoo in beginning stages...

It has been quite some time and I'm sure at this point nobody is really reading or listening to anything I have to say, but I have lived grown, got promoted and look at life in many different ways. I started drawing again and I'm working on my sleeve that I have wanted for the better part of 3 years.

Good news is I have come up with some art work, I just don't know if its what I want or do I want more. Decision if life can haunt you or bless you. Funny how things work that way.

Frank Ocean -Blue Whale

Well Frank comes out, but I'm not talking about his recent event. Blue Whale is the latest tracks from Mr. Ocean is rapping and believe me it's dope. You would think that your getting that when you click on some Ocean music your going to hear vocals, but dude lets you know he could spit. Take a listen for yourself...