Educate yourselfs

Murs is better then your favorite rapper...That means you Mac Dre...

Murs - Better That the Best
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Album coming soon - Murs for President...

_Ryan

Long Time No Talk

sorry everybody for the lack of posts, schools been pretty hectic lately and ryno and I both have been doin work tryin to keep up with everything. I thought that while I was up though and I've got a day off tomorrow for MLK that I'd write up a quick post.

I dont really have anything super specific/insightful to talk about at the moment, but since this is Clarity I thought I'd talk about a little bit that I've been able to have recently (have some clarity that is). In the past year or so I've been doing some 'soul searching' if you will- just tryin to figure out my outlook on life, and have been trying to make some changes in how I see things, how I deal with things, how I take things; because we all know that its all in perspective. I used to waste my time holding onto things that had come and gone, and I had also gotten into the habit of looking too far ahead. In doing these things I missed what was going on right before my eyes. my advice to you is to refrain from doing either of these things.
Ive learned to take things as they come, and life my life day by day. Im a much happier guy because of it. Ive had some really great conversations this week with people that are important to me, I wont go into much detail but theyve led me to a calm that I forgot I could reach. thanks to you who reminded me of that, Im not sure if you read this, but you know who you are.

like I said, I dont have anything really specific to say, but I hope that everybody can find that clarity that theyre looking for, cause once you do-youll be one happy camper.


oh hey ryan needs a new lens, if anybody wants to pitch in 6-8 bills thatd be greatly appreciated



'its artsy'





and as for the song of the day goes, I'd like to bring some 90s rock into everybody's life. Ive always been a fan of oasis, and when I told ryan about them he found this song that I had no clue about. if you could please keep it on the DL, I like to preserve the purity of good music
this song is called slide away by oasis.

laazzzzyy

Coming through with new stuff for yall this weekend...For now this is our La connection (Nick)



_Ryan

Blue Skies

Today Ryno and I went downtown and hit up 23rd street. While Ryan couldnt get the right size P-Rods he was looking for, I did cop a pretty sick M-65 jacket I'd been looking for, but thats besides the point. As we walked out of the little mexican resturant we had lunch in, we looked up and caught a glimpse of a naturally absent blue sky. For those of you who arent from Portland, during the winter months you dont see the sky. Its straight rain clouds. A blue sky brightens anyones day, and if it doesnt you should really get out more- lets just be honest.




Speaking of that mexican food, it was absolutely bomb, and the salsa was some of the best Ive ever tasted.



Last thing I'll say about food, we also found this little gelato spot, and after going in there I never want regular ice cream again. Look up gelato if you dont know what it is.



If youre bored, check out Sais's blog at supersais.com/blog, look back through a few entries and youll find yours truly haha

I did something I dont normally do tonight and that was go to a church that wasnt my own, I went to The Way with Ryan, Ian, Nick Derrah, and Kirk, it was different, but I enjoyed myself. And as for the song of the day goes, Im going to post a song by Telecast, the band that played at The Way. Im a known skeptic of Christian music, but I really like this stuff, check Telecast out on myspace if you get a second.




-lando






P.S.


hahahahaa!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Clarity to you and your family. Hope its filled with joy and laughter...Designs coming shortly be ready son...

Good lookin out to my dudes at Nike Sb, New video was sick btw



_Ryan

F&F

This past week Lupe Fiasco released his second album entitled The Cool. Ryan and I are going to be doing a joint post, both doing a review on the cd, so as Im up first, here goes

To be plainly honest, Im relatively new to the world of hip hop, I havent been listening long, but in the short time that I have been opening my ears, Ive decided on a couple of things:

1. The radio has suffocated rap music
2. Ring tone rap is killing hip hop
3. People judge hip hop and the hip hop culture off of what they hear on MTV etc.

In the past year or two, Ive tried to find the good stuff, the piece of hip hop that is still thriving and living. I feel like Ive found some. Im no personality, no expert, but I feel like Ive gained some knowledge that Ive willingly added to my mental music library. And from this knowledge, Ive made some firm decisions about Lupes album.

At first I was just excited to listen to it, I had heard a couple singles and it sounded like it was going to be a great album. For lack of a better phrase, I wasnt prepared. I was not ready for an album like this. Earlier this year I had been listening to albums from Little Brother, Jay-Z, and Louis Logic, and I was thoroughly impressed. This kinda stuff was what I knew was still alive in rap, I knew it was there- I felt like I had found some chill beats and lyrics that talked about more than sex drugs and cash.
The Cool is different though, while I've listened to tracks from other artists that have a depth I thought unmatched, I've never listened to a hip hop album that places this depth at the center of every song. If I could be bold enough to make the statement, I feel that The Cool transcends the rap game, it has raised the bar to a level previously unreached. I guess to put this as plainly as possible, Lupe killed it.

Ryan will probably go in depth with the story told in Lupe's albums, but Id like to talk about a couple of my favorite tracks. I want to start with Fighters. When I first heard the beat I was really interested, and as my itunes played through the track I was hooked more and more as each second went on. What I like so much about the record is that while Lupe's telling a story, I feel like its almost open for interpretation. At first I thought the chorus was talking to the 50 cents of the world, but after some extra listening I feel like the track is almost challenging Lupe as he says what he has to say, and for anybody who listens to this album all the way through, youll have to agree with me that hes got a mouthful.

Secondly, I really enjoyed Paris, Tokyo. Its just chill. Its just that track you listen to in the car when youre with those people who keep you calm, it sounds like a classic, like something you forgot you knew, youll know what I mean when you hear it. Its the breath of fresh air on the record, most of the other tracks are laying down the law.

And aside from Dumb It Down where Lupe destroys what everyone thinks is rap these days, thats it for me. I loved the album, I hope you do too, look for Ryan to add onto this post soon or just write a new one with his thoughts.
If you wanna sell more records you gotta dumb it down. psyche




-lando


ps; no song of the day this time, just go buy the album right now.

Call It A Lesson Learned

Let me just start things off by letting anyone and everyone know that if you have not seen I Am Legend yet then head over to fandango.com and buy your tickets right now. It will keep you on the edge of your seat without a doubt. To plainly put it, the movie was awesome.

Anyways.

Every now and then I'll probably end up bringing something a little more on the serious side of conversation, just cause I tend to think about this stuff from time to time, so here it goes;

I am increasingly more surprised at the arrogance and selfishness of my generation as the weeks go by. The things I read and see online, the things that go on at school, the ways that the kids around me conduct and carry themselves really confuses me.
For example, in Vernonia, Oregon, the city has been nearly destroyed by floods and extreme weather conditions. The highschool there was completely unsalvageable and as a result, the students have to go to a highschool 40 miles away every day. A few students from the Leadership class made a video when they drove down to Vernonia just to put into the perspective the state that the town was in. The video was shown a couple times on different days, and not that Im some kind of saintly samaritan, but I mean I tried to think of maybe something small I could do to help out- donate to a drive for something the kids need that went to the school. Little things.
I was in the bathroom after the video had been shown again, and overheard a conversation that went something like this,
Kid A "Dude why do they keep showing that Vernonia video?"
Kid B "I dont know, its so annoying, I mean what are we going to do. They just need to chill out, somebody will help them or something I dont care about whatevers going on."

And I sat there washing my hands wondering how these guys couldnt feel like even a little sorry for those people. Honestly? Their homes and lives have been shaken by something they had no power over.

I've seen things like this more and more as I've started paying a little more attention to whats going on around me. Im not trying to say I've never done anything like this, because I know I have. I've just made it a point to try to be a little more aware of the world around me and act accordingly. I feel that the moral decline of my generation as opposed to that of my parents and grandparents is absolutely appalling. I dont understand it. We're selfish and lazy, we hate doing anything that requires work, even if its better for us in the long run. Im speaking for the population of kids my age in general, obviously there are exceptions. There always is. But dont you think what Im saying has some validity? Im not trying to rant, its just something I've been seeing, and its bothering me. If we're supposed to be the future, how bleak is it looking at this point?
I dont want to be a downer. We just need to pick it up yafeelme?


Since I enjoy music I think I'll put up a song of the day every post I do, Ryan might do the same if he feels so inclined. For today it will be a song of Alecia Keys's newest album. The track is called 'Lesson Learned' and features none other than my personal musical idol, John Mayer. Happy listening.


(I couldnt find just the song so I had to get the youtube version hah)




-lando