Roots, Rock, and Brooklyn

I have been FIENDING to go to a Roots concert for the longest time. I wanted to go to their picnic in Philly and didn't have the ends when it rolled around (all three times, so far). I found out about their performance in Brooklyn, and was like "I must be in attendance." I was not disappointed.
The pix above are from the Celebrate Brooklyn/OkayAfrica event on 7/12. It was hosted by the guy who plays Fela Kuti in Fela! on Broadway. The roots came out first and rocked the stage, then a few acts from Sierra Leone and Ghana came up and and rocked as well. The energy was a peaceful one that you probably would not find at a Young Jeezy or a Drake concert (sorry stans! I'm just keepin' it real!)
After all of the performances from the African performers (and the fervor at Ghana not making it to the finals at the World Cup) The Roots came back out, introduced Talib Kweli and he did a few tracks. The Roots ended it out performing a few of their classics such as "You Got Me" and "The Seed 2.0." They also...well, I do not know how to articulate what they do musically in words, but it gave me a high that combined with the contact high I got being in the audience. They also covered a few classics, like Curtis Mayfields "Move on Up"
Just when we thought it was over, and the bumrush began, Greg Nice and Smooth P came out and spat a few bars for the crowd. Me? I didn't know who they were, but they apparently were what was good back in the day, so I fux with it. They weren't half bad at all.
Singlehandedly, this might be the best free concert I've attended thus far.

my stuff.

this is my makeshift nightstand. this situation that i live in doesn't allow me to have one, so this barstool will do for now. i got that copy of Miss Jane Pittman that i have yet to go through, my keys,my obsolete-ass cellphone, my wallet and my iPod charger. everything i need for for life.

free concert season has begun

and no better artist to start it off with than Jay Electronica. it was worth the two-hour journey in the rain (well, it wasn't raining too bad). I wish this Nikon had video, or I'd put one up.
Part of his show included getting people from the audience to spit some bars. A white kid came up, and the audience booed the mess out of him. The young lady in the green ripped it though. She was standing behind me, screaming to get up there. She wasn't chosen by Electronica initially, but she just walked up there and he allowed her to lay it down.

City Fuckery

this absolutely incenses me. every few years, the MTA raises fares, yet and still they continue to cut service. they talk about budget cuts, yet you hear about them getting grant money from the federal government. at $2.25 a ride, with millions of people taking the subways and buses everyday, and thousands of people purchasing $80-something monthly cards, there's something wrong with this picture. they probably need to hire new accountants, or get the MTA muckety-mucks to STOP POCKETING MONEY!

Excuse me?

you have got to be kidding me. 24 years old, and the lil girls still wanna refer to me as boy.

looks familiar?

this monument probably looks real familiar if you watch a lot of spike lee films. (or if you live in fort greene)

One man's trash..

...is another mans trash. i saw nothing in this pile of records that i wanted. i don't even own a turntable.