Dilla Tribute Week: One Day Common Makes Sense

(from left; Dilla, Common, Karriem Riggins)

My feelings on Com, as an artist, are 50/50. He's done some things I like. He's done some things that I don't like. I copped the Can I Borrow a Dollar album. The singles, from that album, "Take It EZ" and "Soul By The Pound" (more so the remix) were dope. No question. The Resurrection album is a classic. That album probably catches Common at his most lyrical. So yeah...I've supported. Around the time he got to the Be album.....eh......meh.....I guess. Not that Be wasn't a good album, from his press rounds, I got the impression that he was trying to distance himself from Electric Circus (his experimental, yet dope album) in an effort to sell Be (the more mainstream, Kanye produced album). He talked down about the album (Circus). References were made to his dating Badu as the reasons for the album's eclectic sound and his wardrobe choices at the time. Crocheted sweater vest anyone?

The sad thing about the PR knocking of E.C.? Electric Circus is actually one of Com's best albums. It's spiritual. It's Hip-Hop. It's Rock and Roll. It's pretty f*cking brilliant. For real.

There were other things that raised question.

* Criticizing Diddy and others as being "commercial", but yet Common did a Gap commercial. The last time I checked he was actually ghost writing for the Puffster. [See: Diddy's Press Play album]

* Or what about those 2006 guest appearances on The Roots tour, where he just kinda sat on a barstool and did the GQ Man-Of-The-Year photo shoot poses?

* There was a serious effort to distance himself from Electric Circus but then he co-sign's Universal Mind Control. Wasn't that album "experimental" too?

Yeah, Com...I know. We all know. You don't burn the incense anymore. You don't make abstract albums that alienate people. You buy all of your clothes from Banana Republic. You're an actor on the come-up. You ghost-write for Sean John. The babes love you. Dude, I'm happy for you...honestly. Artists go through phases. I know that. C'mon son...I'm a Miles Davis fan. I think that says it all. 


I understand re-invention.

It's not that I don't appreciate your growth, It's just seems like you don't own the earlier phases that made you---you.

By the way, Universal Mind Control? Dope in theory. Not so much in execution. I think Chad and Pharrell are geniuses. For that to be your "dance album", it just lacked something. Let me go back and re-listen in 3 years. My mind grows every so often. I may need to listen with fresh ears. You know I love Bambaataa, Com. But it takes more than "Planet Rock" tributes/Kraftwerk to win me over.

But I digress.

I kinda cooled on Common. Somewhere, I just got off that boat. Really wasn't interested in anything he had to say...until today.

Dilla gave Common some heaters. No question. Outside of No I.D., Dilla and Com have probably had the best chemistry. In this clip from HardKnock TV, Com gives Dilla his due.

And for the record, Common is probably one of the illest emcee's alive. Hands down. When they make these Hip-Hop lists and DON'T include dudes like Com, Black Thought, GZA and Ras Kass, I shake my head with equal parts disgust and comedy. Lyrically, Common has proved countless times that his emcee skills are often without peer.

Damn, Com-ster. I may have to go back through your catalog and give it another listen.

Dilla Tribute Week. It makes everything okay again.

Props to HardKnock TV.

Meant For Something Bigger Than This

Artist: Yuna
Song: "Live Your Life"
Album: Yuna


I love this song. Laid-back music, designed for me to chill-out, eat cookies and watch the digital fireplace on the HD.


By the way, there is a message in this post (and the music). If you don't get it, I don't know what else to tell you.


Happy New Year.


Love, Ziti


p.s. Find your light.

The Shadow Conspiracy

A few more days until 2012.

What are you doing to make this next year "pop"?

You're going to live THIS life once---unless you believe in some form of reincarnation.

[NOTE: In which case, you may have no control of the form of your incarnation. You may come back as a blade of grass.]

Are you happy? If not, get yourself some happiness.

And if all you see are the shadows, you might need to leave the cave.

Zesus loves you.

Hallelujah. Hollaback.

It Will Turn Gold

Artist: Deerhunter
Song: Desire Lines
Album: Halcyon Digest
LAbel: 4AD


At the end of last year, I wanted to post my favorite tunes of 2010. It didn't happen. I was in LH's the other day and Greg was rocking out to this. And I remembered: "This was my favorite rock song last year!" 


Well, better late than never.


It's good. You should think so, too.  

Sweet Potato Bisque

Word To Adam West

Paying homage has never been more genius.

Live From New York

The Butter Rum Victory Lap

The people that (actually) know me, know that I write.

I take it seriously. It's not a hobby. I'm a writer. I don't use it as something "cool" to say to people, while I'm in Starbucks sipping a latte and discussing the finer points of 'War & Peace'. It's not something I have to bandy about so that people respect my intelligence.

You're reading this. If you haven't ascertained my intelligence level yet, I've really f*cked up. I mean that in the most humble manner. Seriously.

For the past 9 months, I've been developing a few ideas for TV. Not only have I been working out the logistics of creating a "show bible" and trying to write characters that "work", I've also been sending out sample/spec scripts to various agencies/production shingles/networks. I call myself trying to stoke as many fires as possible (without doing too much and failing before I start).

Monkeys have been rocketed into outer space. I should be able to write a TV show.

I've probably written more in the last year than I have in my entire 3.5 years of college. Yep. 3.5. Me and the title of that first Kanye album have a lot in common.

And I'm not saying that with pride. Nope. That sh*t is frowned upon around here. My disregard for the pursuit of institutionalized academia doesn't sit well with some of my family members. The waste of a higher education garners you being thought of as the "bright scholar-turned-hoodlum". At the family gatherings, I'm a walking, talking 'Good Will Hunting'.

Yeah, Aunt Rose.....I agree. With all these "smarts", I could've been something.

What people don't see is the dedication. As God (whichever one(s) you pray to) as my witness, I'm writing so much that I'm blurring my fingerprints. Long nights are followed by pensive days, where you do nothing but edit the ideas in your head. You write notes on post-its, notebook paper and, occasionally, the oddly placed burrito napkin. Usually, this takes place at a day job. You know? The place you go, that hands out those weekly mule droppings that they call a "paycheck"? Time has been passed, on many a mundane job, thinking about the projects that I have in the cooker.

The other side of this laborious coin is the business aspect. Not only do you have to be creative and actually think of witty things to write, you also have to be a studious businessman. You have to send emails, follow up on said emails, print scripts, ship packages, assemble portfolios, revise scripts, write further drafts, do table reads, make phone calls, hound agents/managers/producers, track submissions, get meetings, take meetings, finesse contacts and track your own career.

That's the non-glamorous part of it. That's the part you hope pays off. That's the part that has you ordering Chinese food at 1 a.m. (after a long night of writing), wondering if you threw your life away.

But make no mistake. This is the beginning. When I make the "big sale", I won't have to do this sh*t. I can have my clan of curvaceous female assistants (who work part-time as my Samurai security team) handle the operatic details. That way, when I wake up, I can start my day off by diving in a pool of powder blue M&M's.....Scrooge McDuck-style. All I'll have to do is come up with the hits. I can do that. But am I doing this solely for the loot? Nope. Actually, I don't even need a bunch of money. Gimme enough to take care of my family, buy books, buy some records and get myself the occasional pair of sneakers. I'm good. You can have the rest. I really don't need it. Are you listening Hollywood producers? It doesn't take much to woo me.

1. A bag of cash (preferably $20's and $1's).

2. A gift card to Barnes & Noble (or a visit to a discarded Borders warehouse).

3. An open tab at either: Flight Club NY/LA, Ubiq, Sole Brother, or DQM.

Do that for me and I'll give you something that stays on TV longer than The Simpsons. The lesser my worries, the easier the creative juice.

In the meantime? I keep writing.

Day job? I'm trying to see what's so necessary about this "necessary evil". Thinking about your day job can make a dick go limp at an orgy.....unless you're a porn star. But I digress. Ghostwriting=cash. Not insane amounts. Not chicken scratch either. It's okay money. I can't complain. There's also the "fixing" I do on the collegiate level. You get that windfall and it's a sweet Christmas for everybody. There were times where I've paid my rent with two days worth of work.

Thank you, college kids.....and your G.I. Bills.

That's where I'm at, boys & girls. Uncle Ziti is trying to make this happen.....for us. Yes. For us. I don't want to go on this ride alone. F*ck that noise. I have to bring some of you with me. You're going to want to document this excursion into Tinseltown.

Why?

This will be one of the few times that you'll see someone navigate Hollywood (and all of its trappings) and not lose/sell his soul in the process.

Somebody grab my pistol and my prayer beads.

Art-Hop Episode 6: Beastie Texas Pete

Artist: Beastie Boys feat. Santigold

Song: "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"

Album: Hot Sauce Committee (Capitol Records)

Director: Spike Jonze