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Janelle Mon e feat. Wondaland - "Hell You Talmbout"

Posted by mauricegarland — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 21:19 GMT

Listen on SoundCloud Janelle Monae and her Wondaland roster just released a track that demands action and commands emotion over the loooooooooooooooooong history of White supremacy and police brutality against Black people specifically. To the name even. Can't remember the last time a song made me mad and damn near cry at the same time. The way they used African and American war drum patterns here is powerful beyond words, which made the words on top of them even more powerful. Raw emotion captured in a bottle.

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Maurice Garland Speaks On Patchwerk Studios' 20th Anniversary

Posted by mauricegarland — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 16:57 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Atlanta's Patchwerk Studios is currently celebrating their 20th Anniversary and I was invited to share some of my earliest and most recent memories of this place. I actually heard of Patchwerk back when it was a record label with guys like Ras Kass and Meen Green. Years later I went on to conduct alot of my interviews and photoshoots here as well. I even studied under the homie Kevin "Mr. Soul" Harp who has been the long time in-house graphic designer there some years ago. Check out this clip and be sure to look at the dozen other videos featuring Rico Wade, Jazze Pha, David Banner and others over at Patchwerk's Youtube page. Also, I wrote a feature story on Patchwerk's 20 years in the game for RESPECT Magazine. It's in the current issue with Future and Mike Will Made It on the cover, which hit newsstands today.

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David Banner Brought His Uzi To Day 1 Radio

Posted by mauricegarland — Fri, 3 Jul 2015 14:30 GMT

Listen on SoundCloud David Banner made a return visit to Day 1 Radio this week to talk about his new album #TheGodBox, his last memory of his mentor Pimp C and of course, all of the crazy ish that going on in the news right now.

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Killer Mike On The Tavis Smiley Show

Posted by mauricegarland — Fri, 3 Jul 2015 05:10 GMT

My favorite rapper sat down with the man who I've modeled much what I do after. Enlightening as expected. Second part of this two part interview after the jump.

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Big Sean feat. Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 19:35 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Sean kept it real Detroit on this one and borrowed from the greatest TV show in the 90s for this one, Martin. Dope way of bridging generations with this one. Reminds me of when Snoop Doggy Dogg made the "Doggy Dogg World" video with all of the actors from the 70s. There's probably some parents out there right now going down memory lane watching this video with their child right now.

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Raury-"Devil's Whisper" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 19:37 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube 2nd Annual Raur Fest is tomorrow.

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When Dopeboys Get Fed Up: Young Dolph - "Cold World" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 19:10 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Can't say I'm the biggest fan of Young Dolph's music. Not because I hate it or anything like that. But because most of what I've heard just isn't for me and because from a distance, it seems to be the same ol' same ol' dopeboy rhetoric. But hey, drugs aren't going to stop selling anytime soon, so, that style of music will always exist. However, this video he just released for his song "Cold World" got me thinking about a few things. In the midst of all of the racial turmoil that's been building over the last few years with the revolving door of unarmed Black men getting killed, teenage Black girls getting manhandled by cops and now, churches getting shot up by terrorists, many of us have been looking for new "Black leaders." Now, that term "Black leader" is one that I retired from my vocabulary a couple of years ago when I realized that labeling someone a "Black leader" usually does more harm than good. I mean, they usually either get singled and get (character) assassinated or they wind up believing their own hype and shaking down their own community in the process. If you look at any significant social movements over the last 30-plus years, the movements were usually successful because of groups, not just one person. I mean, there is no "Gay rights leader" or "Immigration reform leader" that we can namedrop when asked, but we do know their groups and organizations more readily. Sorry for rambling...but yeah...in the midst of calling for and on "Black leaders" or even the traditional organizations that do exists, one part of the population that seems to be get forgotten are the (excuse the French) "street niggas" and, for the sake of this post we will use this term interchangeably with "dopeboys." Now, we all pretty much know who and what "street niggas" and "dopeboys" are, and I'm going to assume that you do if you are reading this blog. This video got me thinking are any of these Black organizations (new and old) or "leaders" looking to get "street niggas/dopeboys" involved in their movements. History tells us that "street niggas" started the Crips originally to protect their communities from racist cops and other communities that looked to enter and do them harm. Most of the gangs in Chicago started as community organizations created by "street niggas/dopeboys" to give their community resources that the government we not. The Black Panthers had "street niggas" in their ranks no doubt, but from what I've read, they looked down on "dopeboys" and dope users for the most part. But they welcomed you with open arms if you cleaned up. Seeing this video where Young Dolph, who is perhaps the rap dopeboy of the moment, voicing frustrations from his side of the fence loosely (very loosely) reminds me of how NWA used to sound when they would attempt to bring Black suffering and angst to the spotlight. However, even back when they were at their height, you didn't see Black leadership groups attempt to involve them in their efforts. Hell, most condemned them. And if they did like what they were doing, they did so in secret. I've been told that Andrew Young was a huge fan of NWA, loved the name and wished that he could have used it himself. That said, in 2015 and beyond, can you see traditional, and even some of the more modern community groups, reaching out to guys like Young Dolph? Watch Video on YouTube I remember hearing the J. Prince and Larry Hoover conversation that opened the Geto Boys' 1996 album The Resurrection. In it Hoover was talking about how there is a "sleeping giant" that the world is afraid to wake up. That sleeping giant he was referring to are "street niggas." Now, we've seen "street niggas" come together in the most extreme of cases, i.e. the Ferguson and Baltimore protests. But what about the times where we aren't in the street but inside of the barbershop, church, playgrounds and community centers? I'm sure with the right communication, these are the people that Black folks can really community build with. I'm talking about working with them to create self-defense strategies and codes. It's should be obvious already that we can't trust the police to police our communities until we start grooming children and citizens from our own neighborhoods to become ones we can trust. We keep getting reminded of what happens when cops who didn't grow up with or around us are placed among us. It has also become obvious that our communities are very vulnerable. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and as much as I hate to say it...our churches might be that link. When I say "weak" I don't necessarily mean as in puny...but more so vulnerable. I don't think we can afford to pray with our eyes closed and hands folded anymore. You can't see or swing at your enemy in that position. We need something to either strengthen, protect or eventually replace that institution as our community core...and it might just be "street niggas."

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A Day Early: These Are The New ATLANTA Hawks Jerseys

Posted by mauricegarland — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 03:43 GMT

According to the AJC, these are the new Atlanta Hawks jerseys that will be revealed tomorrow. What do you think? I am not a fan of the bright lime yellow/volt looking color though. I'm assuming this is supposed to be nod to the "Pistol Pete" days. Or maybe they wanted to go back to the red/yellow/white days but with a more modern shade. They aren't as bad as I thought they were after seeing the mock ups that leaked a few weeks ago. Red, Black and (kinda) Green. I guess they really are trying to connect with the African-Americans? The colors and the patters seem to (borrowing from former GM Danny Ferry's infamous words) "have a little African in them." At least they went left with them. By far one of the more eye-catching jerseys in the league. I would've preferred a more classic look, but hey, at least it isn't bland and is void of the color blue which the NBA seemed to be forcing teams to use as of late. They also stayed with the ATLANTA branding. In case you didn't notice, none of the jerseys actually said HAWKS on the chest last year.

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In Atlanta, 'Dungeons' Nor Pyramids Are A Place For The Homeless

Posted by mauricegarland — Tue, 9 Jun 2015 00:16 GMT

"Operating Under The Krooked American System Too long OutKast, pronounced out-cast Adjective meaning homeless, or unaccepted in society But let's look deeper than that Are you an OutKast?" -Big Rube, "True Dat" "I think about all the homeless folk, when it rains..." -Khujo Goodie, "Is That You God?" In November 2014, Atlanta-based artist (and one of my personal favorites) Fabian "Occasional Superstar" Williams erected his highly-anticipated Dungeon Family Pyramid along the Atlanta Beltline towards the back corner of Piedmont Park. He spent nearly six months painting and building the 8-foot tall, 12-foot wide structure. The announcement of the project came on the heels of Outkast's 20th Anniversary reunion tour and the city of Atlanta's excitement of seeing their prodigal sons and the rest of the DF resurfacing to national visibility, together for the most part. "I want to create a semi permanent monument that pays homage to the creative achievement of the Dungeon Family," he explained in his Kickstarter campaign attempting to fund the project. "To me, pyramids are a symbol to the viewer that something significant has occurred here...The pyramid structures that have been left behind from ancient civilizations rival or even surpass modern construction in just about every continent. The Pyramid is a remnant of a society that celebrates the mastery of its architecture, culture and wisdom...The Dungeon Family Pyramid will be an artistic homage to their iconic achievements. As nomadic travelers view it, even if they are unaware of the cultural influence of the artists who will be depicted on the structure, it will be evident by the style and representation of the figures that they hold great significance." Initially, the pyramid was going to have four panels featuring the DF's most popular members, Outkast (Big Boi and Andre 3000 having separate panels) and Goodie Mob, with the fourth panel adorned with hieroglyphic writings. But after some stern consultation from other DF members like Backbone, the pyramid was redesigned to feature all of the original members (Backbone, Witchdoctor, Cool Breeze, Ray Murray, Sleepy Brown, Big Rube, Mr. DJ and Rico Wade) as well as satellite and second generation members including Janelle Monae, Killer Mike and Joi. The pyramid was topped off with a custom-built glass capstone with future plans to include laser lights that could be seen from a distance. While the Kickstarter campaign was unsuccessful, the project did secure funding from the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Beltline Art Committee via Elan Buchen who oversees Art On the Beltline. In the contract between Williams and the Beltline, the funding was to be used to build the project and maintain it. It was also stipulated that the project was to be a temporary art work, that would eventually be removed as either end of tenure or failure to keep the project in good standing. Most that have walked or biked past the pyramid have stopped to admire it. However earlier this year, a handful of people began to vandalize and even inhabit it. The first instance happened in March when the glass capstone at the top of the pyramid was damaged.

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According to Atlanta Beltline officials, Williams was notified of the damage as soon as they saw it. Williams suspects that a passerby threw something at it to crack it. He also says the piece costs "a few hundred" dollars to make, let alone replace. "From our contract, [Fabian] knows that the piece has to stay in good repair," says Ericka Davis, Communications and Media Relations Director for the Atlanta Beltline. "He acknowledged that and said he would seek a solution." The capstone was removed and was never replaced. "That takes money to fix," Williams says, laughing for emphasis. "That's not something where I can say, 'oh, let me find an open evening to find some glass, gather these special chemicals I have laying around' and just put it back together." I'm not really mad at it. Its shelter. I just wish they would keep it clean tho. #DungeonFamilyPyramid #Shelter #beltlineart A video posted by Fabian (@occasionalsuperstar) on May 12, 2015 at 3:14pm PDT In May, the Beltline contacted Williams again after they noticed that a panel from the base of the pyramid (ironically, the "Backbone" panel) had been jarred loose. Inside, there was evidence of someone actually sleeping in the pyramid. "I wasn't really tripping at first," admits Williams. "Even when I put it up, it was cold outside and I said, 'somebody is going to sleep in this shit,' because its just too warm inside, and its the size of a small shed. I knew someone would make it into a shelter, that's what I would do. Especially with the Dungeon Family's music, it is representative of that segment of the population who is left out and disregarded. I felt like it made sense." But not to everyone. The public art that is displayed on the Beltline does come with stipulations. One of them being that they can not have enclosures where people can enter and potentially settle in. Up until Williams built his Dungeon Family pyramid, there had never been structures featured that were large enough for people to fit into. In his initial pitch to build the pyramid, Williams actually wanted to include a door that would allow people to walk inside. But sensing a future problem, the Beltline did not approve that request. "Fabian has a good heart," says Ericka Davis, Communications and Media Relations Director for the Atlanta Beltline. "But he wanted to have a door, some lights and put some books in there. We were like nooooo, this is art. You aren't creating a homeless shelter, you signed a contract with us for art. What if you don't do the lights right, it burns down and the person dies?" Per the contract with the Atlanta Beltline, Williams was obligated to repair the damages to his pyramid, which he did, sort of. "I kept returning and putting the panel back," says Williams. "[Atlanta Beltline] may not have noticed it because whoever was sleeping in it kept coming back, knocking it down, but I kept coming back to put it back. I didn't want to glue it on there because I figured they would really fuck it up trying to break it." But that's exactly what ended up happening anyway. Now I'm mad. #DungeonFamilyPyramid #dungeonup A video posted by Fabian (@occasionalsuperstar) on Jun 2, 2015 at 11:10am PDT Last week, Williams saw that a hole had been kicked in the pyramid. In just a matter of days the pyramid had now went from a piece of art to a place of refuge to a potential "broken window." "That really bugged me out," says Williams. "When they kicked it in, they broke the panel that holds the entire thing together. I don't understand why they would do that, especially since one of the panels was already removable at that point. They got tired of bending down, I guess." With the pyramid now missing a top, having a loose panel, a hole kicked in it and even having two sleeping bags, food waste and old sneakers inside of it, the Atlanta Beltline seemed to have gotten tired too. Soon after the hole was discovered, they informed Williams that it was time for the pyramid to go. They gave him one week to remove the showcase-turned-shed from the premises. "Fabian's piece from the beginning, came with challenges," says Davis, who insists that she and her constituents loved and enjoyed the piece just like everyone else. "In the contract we agreed that his piece would be installed in August, he had some difficulty getting it together, so we held it out and allowed him to get in when he could, which was last November. We even extended the time that it could be up, considering that he turned it in late. We have discussed with him the times when the piece has needed repair, and became a place for shelter. If we have a human life form using a structure that we are legally responsible for and that person gets cut or it collapses, we would be responsible for that person's life. So obviously, we cannot have a person living in it. We would not be responsible stewards of the community or the Beltline if we had someone living inside [the pyramid]. It was never meant for anyone to be inside, it was supposed to be an art piece." "But why the urgency," asks Williams. "They all of a sudden give me one week to move it? It's not a street sign, it's the size of a shed. In my personal opinion, I think people in the surrounding community and people who live off the Beltline just didn't want it there." To that, Davis responds, "His piece was always temporary. It was never intended to be there forever. It's not a thing were we are telling Fabian, 'hey we are done with the Dungeon, get out.' Trying to make sure that all of the art on the Beltline stays in tact is not only our responsibility, but the responsibility of the artist as well. We ourselves can't even protect the sanctity of his original piece. When it becomes shelter, its not art anymore. Fabian had a great six month run. For a temporary piece, that's pretty good, most are only up for three months." Adding, "There is no disagreement that we love the piece, but there is also no disagreement that it needs repair." The homie @occasionalsuperstar #dungeonfamilypyramid had a good 6 months run...but due to vandals damaging it and a few homeless people living in it, he had to take it down today. I'll post the full story behind this structure and its future at MauriceGarland.com later today or tomorrow. A video posted by Maurice Garland (@mauricegarland) on Jun 8, 2015 at 2:29pm PDT The accidental shelter didn't stay homeless for long, if at all. After posting the news of the pyramid's removal and need for a new host on social media, an outpour of responses flowed in. One of them came from painter "CP The Artist" who actually assisted Williams in painting on the pyramid. He tagged Nuri "Farmer I" Icgoren, founder of Urban Sprouts Farms in one of the photos. Icgoren, a former school teacher, biologist and farmer purchased a foreclosed three-and-a-half acre property in Atlanta's Lakewood area in 2011. He has since converted it into what he describes as an "urban art playground and farm" with future plans of being an agricultural hub and commercial grocer. He swiftly contacted Williams and volunteered to house the pyramid at his complex. On Monday, June 8th, Fabian and a team of people, including Icgoren and Elan Buchen from the Atlanta Beltline dismantled the pyramid, loaded it on a truck and transported it to Urban Sprouts. Williams has no concrete timetable on when the pyramid will be resurrected. He has to replace the capstone, repair and possibly redo the hieroglyphic tiles and touch up and treat the paint. "It wasn't just homeless people fucking it up," insists Williams. "There are tire marks on it from people putting their bikes on it." Icgoren is anxious either way and can't wait to house it. "It should be in Southwest Atlanta anyway, not in Midtown," laughs Icgoren. "I would love to have the Dungeon Family come see it, the youths see it, maybe even have the DF do a small concert there raising awareness in SWATS about food." Even if that doesn't happen (though we wish it would), the pyramid has already raised a bit of awareness to some issues. The obvious one being Atlanta's homeless population. In 2013, there were 6,664 homeless people counted in Metro Atlanta. If you were to take a walk outside though, you'd swear that number was too low. You'd also wonder how there are so many homeless people in a city with so many abandoned homes and empty apartments/condos. The second issue revolves around public art in the city. Can it stand to be better monitored? #BLACKLIVESMATTER is definitely a cause worth rallying around, but is it fair to scribble it (or anything else for that matter) on a mural an artist spent days working on? "I learned a lot of lessons on public art, costs, expectations, and society," admits Williams about this experience so far. "I feel like this the universe telling me to do something about the problems we have and getting others involved. People who live here ignore homeless people, hell I used to be one of them. It is a systemic problem, the more we ignore it, the more it will grow. We have to approach it form a creative and intellectual standpoint, it can be solved. It has got me thinking how my work is received, I want people to feel. This has been a good and bad experience at the same time." He adds, "I'm going to build another pyramid and it will be shelter. I just don't know where yet."

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Jack Preston - "It's Ok" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Wed, 13 May 2015 23:02 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Sometimes we all need to hear some words like these. Jack Preston just dropped a video for "It's Ok" and it is directed by William Feagins,Jr. of Divided Time fame.

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This Tuxedo Album Is Jammin' Like A Mahfugga

Posted by mauricegarland — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 04:37 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube I heard Tuxedo's first single "Do It" a while back and found it enjoyable. But the Nat X in me kind made me not like it a lot. One reason was because Mayer Hawthorne is in the group. Back when he first came out and was all the rage of the blog world, I had a few things to say about it (and got some great responses). Everybody thought he could sing, but my ears only heard a white dude singing black karaoke. The second reason was because damn, how Mayer and Jake One manage to bring the funk back so strong while Black bands are damn near dead and black singers out here trying to be rappers. But, after listening to the whole album just now, I have to give them their props...THIS SHIT JAMMIN. Seems like the funk is about to make a resurgence this year. Dam Funk been out for a minute and got some more eyes on him thanks to Snoop Dogg. Bruno Mars had been toying with it and pretty much brought it to mainstream relevance with Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk." I'm just hoping that we get to see some more Morris Day and The Time and Kleer since everyone getting inspired by them. Seeing this album happen reminded me of my favorite post from "Stuff White People Like" when they said White people like Black music that Black people don't care about anymore. Sad as it may be that Black folks have all but completely abandoned Blues and Funk (Jazz was just declared the least popular genre in the U.S. too), I guess we have to be happy that someone is at least trying to keep musicianship alive out here. But yeah, this album is jammin and is worth every penny. How can you not dig this song "Number One?" They said since they couldn't figure out where (or if) Snoop and Dre sampled a song for "Ain't No Fun" they'd imagine and write the original themselves. Came out damn near perfect brah. Tuxedo is available on iTunes or at Stones Throw Records.

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India Shawn feat. James Fauntleroy - "Floating Away" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 22:37 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube This shit jammin... India Shawn teamed up with uber-producer/songwriter James Fauntleroy to give you her latest project Outer Limits. She premiered this video at her Outer Limits EP listening/release party last night and everyone in attendance approved. Of course, there is more where this came from. You can purchase Outer Limits via IndiaShawn.com right now.

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D.R.A.M. - "Cha Cha" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 22:05 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube This video made me smile. Wonder how this sounds in a club. May play it at #PLAYLISTPARTY. I like his "$" song too. "Gotta Go" and "Everythang" are some chill tracks too. Dude make some interesting vibes. Straight out of Hampton, VA. Listen on SoundCloud

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Ludacris - "Call Ya Bluff"

Posted by mauricegarland — Wed, 4 Mar 2015 18:11 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Luda snapped on this one. Never fuck with a nigga who got some kids 'Cause when you talk about me Then you talk about them Then I gotta come where you live You takin' food out they mouth Now I gotta put a fist in yours I don't play about my hustle A nigga got all these acres All my neighbors think I'm flipping them birds Ludaversal in stores March 31st.

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B.o.B feat. Bankroll Fresh - "Candler Road Shit" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Mon, 2 Mar 2015 21:54 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube Towards the end of the B.o.B cover story I wrote for Creative Loafing late last year, he and his manager B. Rich inferred that they were going to do a better job of working with more of Atlanta's "street" artists to show that he still had love for and a connection to his hometown. His newest video for "Candler Road Shit" aims to capture that. B.o.B and Bankroll Fresh hop, skip and jump over a familiar tune shouting out the Eastside lyrically and visibly. I don't think I've seen the Eastwyck Village sign in a rap video in almost 20 years. (I wish I could remember those dudes names, but they had a video they used to play on American Rap Makers all the time with the Isley Brothers' "Voyage to Atlantis" sample. It went "Atlanta, I'll always come back to you.") UPDATE: FOUND THE VIDEO. Group was named Xplicit. Shoutout to Greg Street for reminding me. Ha, song was seven minutes long brah. Watch Video on YouTube But yeah, shoutout to Moss B and my potna from Atherton Elementary school Cru from Super Sounds Music for making an appearance in the B.oB video. Really doesn't get more Eastside than that.

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Janelle Monae's New Artist Jidenna Attempts New Hip Hop Genre With "Classic Man" Video

Posted by mauricegarland — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 16:06 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube This looked fun. I just got introduced to Brooklyn-based artist Jidenna's music last month sometime when I heard "Classic Man" for the first time. It wasn't quite what I expected to hear given that he is the first artist to release music via Janelle Monae's new Wondaland label deal with Epic Records. Not to pigeonhole their creativity or anything, but I thought buddy was going to come out sounding like The Harlem James Gang. Remember them? That "throw-back Neo Vaudevillian performance troupe" that John Legend signed back in 2006? Watch Video on YouTube I'm guilty of judging a book by its sleeves because he came out rapping/singing like Future on a DJ Mustard-esque beat talking shit. The song is danceable and catchy enough to get a party started if any DJ's out there are willing to throw it in the mix. I can't stop watching it being amazed at the power of imagery though. Sonically (and depending on how you look at it), you can say that this song sounds exactly like everything that's come out over the last 18 months. But because the imagery associated with it, it makes you feel like you are really hearing something that doesn't sound like what you've heard on the radio. Yeah, him and Roman GianArthur said "nigga" a couple times but there wasn't all the "I'll take you bitch and spend more money" type stuff that usually follows. Maybe Jidenna is doing that on purpose? He says that his style of music is "Swank" meaning "an elegant and funky take on hip-hop that transforms ordinary parties into sweaty soir es" which is pretty much what happened in the video. What do you think? Oh yeah, shoutout to the guy from Brooklyn Circus making a cameo in the video.

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On Raury's "PSA" Video and My Current Addiction To The "Black Mirror"

Posted by mauricegarland — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 18:44 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube I really have a love/hate relationship with social media, mostly hate. I love that I am able to "follow" smart informative people and stumble upon great reads and leads. But...that's about it. I don't like being tagged in photos. I don't like that life happens there. I don't like that I'm expected to share my private life updates there. I don't like people assuming that I saw something they posted and then act offended that I don't acknowledge whatever it is they posted the next time I hear from them in real life (instead of just telling me then). I don't like that EVERYBODY has an opinion. I don't like seeing people display their personal problems. I don't like the false reward of "likes" and "shares." I don't like feeling like a failure if something I post doesn't get liked or shared as much as something else. I don't like that because I "like" the Atlanta Hawks on Facebook that the algorithms assume that I only want sports in my timeline. Hell, I don't even like promoting shit that I'm involved in half the time. Feels like I'm spamming people...and I KNOW I'm pretty moderate with mine. I hate that how many times an article gets liked or shared is now used as a gauge as to if what you wrote is "good." Don't get me wrong, it is a solid way to measure. But, if an article gets retweeted 3,500 times but only two people bothered commenting on it and tried to engage the author or spark a dialogue...does it really mean anything? I hate that being on social media is a part of a job description or brand identity now. I accept that it is a part of our lives...but yeah. I hate feeling like I HAVE to say something about every little blip on the media and pop culture radar. Why do we HAVE to say something. Especially about things that don't even affect us. Social Media has a way of turning every itch into a full-blown virus. But yeah, watching this Raury video for "PSA" where he and a team of smartphone smashing vigilantes go around stealing people's phones (check out the ninja move at the 2:09 mark) struck a nerve because that's where I'm at right now. I've just started on a social media fast, I'm two weeks in. I haven't been on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for a couple of weeks now. I'd like to stay off all of them for a very long time. I wish I could just go on there maybe once a day or something...you know, diet or ration it out. But I really don't care to be on there at all right now. All of it seems like an echo chamber of everyone preaching to the choir. I go out of my way to try and find new things to learn and enjoy but it gets difficult via those channels. Most of what I see is what I already know, some times it just sounds better from other people or is painted prettier by a better artist. What's crazier is, you get penalized if you deactivate anything. You are threatened that you will never be able to come back, your name can never be used again and you will have to "start over." Sounds like you're getting banned from baseball or a fraternity. I started scaling back on it a month or two ago though. The last two weeks have just been cold turkey. In that time I got introduced to a television series currently available on Netflix (or Youtube if you're a pirate) called Black Mirror. Black Mirror (the title comes from the idea that TV, computer, tablet and smartphone screens are..."black mirrors") is a London-based "Twilight Zone" type show where they focus on the darkside of technology and the impact it has on human nature...and vice versa. Watching this, I feel like I've seen the future of everything from the private prison system to streaming video...and it doesn't look good. I've been binge watching the episodes and watching them again when company is over. I've noticed myself telling the story of every episode to everyone I've talked to about it, spoiling the plot in the process. But, the show played a part in me leaning away from social media and the internet in general and asking myself a question... What do I gain from being on it...what do I lose from not being on it? The answer I came up with was: not much. Yeah, I can do easy things like find a book half-priced and have it sent to my house instead of paying full-price at the book store. But outside of that, it feels like all I get to do is have people invade my mind with selfies and opinions on things that I don't even care about. Yeah, to whoever is reading this may feel that I am a part of the latter matrix...it is true. Which reminds me of another story I stumbled upon recently. The story of Paul Miller. Watch Video on YouTube Miller was a tech writer for The Verge. In 2012 he decided to take a year away from the internet. That meant, no web browsing, no email, no Skype, no social media. He even went as far as to not text anyone. On the surface his story looks and sounds profound, but as he will readily admit, it is not. His year away from the internet didn't make him smarter, more personable or "better." He did however become more self-aware and learned that the internet wasn't having a negative effect on his life. It was how HE was using the internet that was having the negative effect on his life. Seeing his story is part of the reason why I came back so fast from my "walk" that I posted last week. But yeah. As you can see, I'm over here trying to figure some shit out right now. That's life. See ya'll outside.

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MauriceGarland.com Is Taking A Walk...

Posted by mauricegarland — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 17:54 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has checked out and checked on this site for the last few years, but as of today, MauriceGarland.com will be taking a walk. When it returns, who knows? Love.

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New Kendrick Lamar Song - "The Blacker The Berry" (video)

Posted by mauricegarland — Mon, 9 Feb 2015 22:40 GMT

Watch Video on YouTube ...the biggest hypocrite of 2015.

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Day 1 Radio Interviews Glasses Malone

Posted by mauricegarland — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 01:22 GMT

Listen on SoundCloud This week we have Glasses Malone in the studio with us to talk about some social and political idealogy. You guys already know what we're on. Glasses goes deeper than you'd probably expect and this is arguably one of our most riveting conversations we've had with any guest. If you've been wondering about what the rapper has been doing since leaving Cash Money take a listen. Also, we talk about our own top 5 black movies in honor of Chris Rock's Top Five release and we discuss all the good new hip hop music that dropped in the 4th quarter. Listen, Download and Share!

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