SO, have you heard this album yet? Rappers St. Paul Slim (Guardians of Balance) and Prof (of Prof and Rahzwell) recently released Recession Music, the premiere project from the MPLS collective (or record label - anybody?) Stophouse.

Their release party is about to be OFF THE CHAIN!! DJ Fudamentalist will be making us dance all night. I'm singing with Big Zach at 10pm, I'm even doing a song of my own! You should come early. I NEED FANS, BABY!

The Fine Line
Saturday June 13
Doors @ 9pm
Music @ 10
18+ FREE (with ticket)

Here is the link to download Recession Music - FREE

My first impression - it bangs!
The beats are good, really good. I've been trying to figure out who made beats for the album, but I downloaded mine off the internet. I'll have to buy a copy Saturday so I can read the liner notes. My favorite tracks off the album:

Everybody Down
My Heart (Remix) - Yo! I sing mad loud to this in the car
Demons (Remix)
A Month From Now - Yup, this one too

I've always been a big fan of St. Paul Slim. His (rightfully) boastful raps have certainly gotten him attention and respect. Of course his use of caribbean shout outs have been known to make my sneakers move and head a little hypnotized (easy way to hook a browngirl). Really, he's smart with mad witty raps and puts on a good show. I have been listening to the same GOB album for YEARS, yo! I'm so, so glad he is out with this Recession Music (NOTE: He released an EP that I bought a while ago - it didn't play in my computer :( I was frustrated - damn Toshiba).

My favorite memory of seeing Slim was bringing my girl Shay to a rap show he played at. I LOVE rap music, okay, but not all my girlfriends get down like I do. At the time, years ago, I was a little shy about my rap obsession. Still, determined to get some of my girls down for the get down, I talked Shay into coming with.
Slim gets on stage, punchlines killing the audience rolling over in excitement. His piece about the rap game being "so shady" seems to hook everyone. I've known that song, almost have all the words memorized and still haven't gotten tired of its honest, smart-ass and accurate lines.
"What!? Girl, I like him!"  she says.
 
His talent can't be denied.

Some of his best work inspired pieces on the new release, but updated beats and updated raps. That Demons remix has been put on repeat in my car for many sessions over. If you've been in the Kia with me hopefully you know the song by heart now.

Now there is Prof :). Dude is TALENTED. He is incredibly creative and his cocky delivery demands respect. His use of rhyme is really sophisticated and exciting to listen to; not to mention the man can blow - like, officially. Prof provides non-apologetic explicit raps about drugs, alcohol, partying and women. Originally this really turned me off - really. It just got too hard to listen to. I have no problem chastising something that makes me feel disrespected.
Still, something made me keep listening to this young man. Between (and underneath) all the partying and one-night stands is intelligent vulnerable honesty. He is honest about his irresponsibility, insecurities, selfishness, and pain; specifically how his fathers alcoholism has affected his life.

The song A Month From Now expresses his superficial interactions with women. It is a really honest piece about him taking women for granted and admitting his superficial needs. It's a warning to women (and himself) about the future and his inability to carry on long-term relationships. Really, I love the song. It takes a lot to introspect and be transparent about parts of your personally that potentially bring pain to others; to admit the (maybe ugly) parts of how we interact with good people.
The piece is really beautiful UNTIL he screams "bitch!!" at the end - totally hurts. Really, it does hurt me. I am fully aware that most rappers are not visualizing my face every time they say/write the word, but it does hurt me. I feel like they are talking to me directly. I don't feel like a bitch. It hurts to think that someone would just demean me without ever meeting me. Why are you calling me a bitch, yo? I support your album, I support you, how does that make me a bitch?

With that said, I really can't believe that Prof hates women or genuinely wants to hurt women.  I think it is easier to say "bitch" for shock value and distract your listener to the vulnerability you just graciously and courageously provided. I want to support him.  Like I said, this man has got some real striking, dynamic and inventive talent. I know I have a line that cannot be crossed. I also know I have high expectations for poetry and creativity, which he certainly provides.

Come to the release party and figure it out for yourself. It is going to be a great show! Last time I played a show with them, Prof gave a huge group hug to the audience - totally sweet and genuine. They provide explosive energy, so you can skip your cardio today and head to the Fine Line tomorrow night for some body groovin.
Go listen to Recession Music, seriously. I couldn't stop playing it for weeks after I got it. You may be a little behind, but you can catch up now before Saturday so we can lip sync all the words together at the show.

Plan on dancing with me really hard, so wear tennis shoes - don't be a fool.

Love,

Alicia
..

I feel great!! Already I'm waking up and getting going much easier than last week. This has been the most important for me - I've missed almost all of my morning workouts. Not today! My alarm went off at 6:30am; I was on the road by 6:38am to yoga.

My energy level is really high. Yesterday I was at around a 9. Today I'm at an 8. It could be the excitement of doing something new, but with all the water and vitamins I can't deny that the food is really giving me this great energy boost.

So I've spent $60 on food. I'm planning on it lasting me 7 days. So far I'm in the clear. Surprisingly most off the food I've purchased has been organic; I expected to be spending a lot more. Most of the stuff that I need, raw cashews, coconut, vanilla beans, are only available in bulk. The unplanned effect of this has been a lot of money saved. I spent $25 at The Wedge and had more food than I ever remember purchasing before. It really helped to have a plan of my weeks meals, grocery list in hand, and a pen to check it off. It made the trip go a lot easier/faster.

Ran into VerbX at the Lake St. Rainbow foods on a late night trip to pick up nuts. They have the best bulk nut selection that I've seen thus far. They have raw cashews for $5.45/lb, where Cub sells them for $7.99/lb! Cub, you crazy for that one. Although Seward wins with their awesome (cooked) deli and community-boosting montras, The Wedge does take the W for prices. I purchased a vanilla bean at The Wedge for $1.90. At Seward it is $6.49 for two - they are even kinda small!! I am totally disappointed cause I really want to support Seward over The Wedge (BUT gluten-free muffins? The Wedge hands down, yo!).

Anyways here's what I've been eating.

Yesterdays breakfast before my impromptu session with Big Jess:
Fresh mango
Coconut breakfast cakes with bananas
Water, water, water



Lunch running to the Northside Y for work:
Red pepper unfries
Tomato sandwich on raw sesame bread
w/rosemary black pepper cheeze & sprouts



Dinner driving to meet Fresh Squeezed at the studio:
Mango fruit parfait
w/luscious lemon pudding (while stenciling with Marisa @ Diamonds)
Tomato sandwich on raw sesame bread
w/rosemary black pepper cheeze & sprouts - again, yes
(and one extra sandwich for nice rappers to try)



Every meal I feel stuffed and satisfied. Today's goal, eat more greens. Didn't get any in the last two days because I've been so excited about the other stuff: pancakes, cheeze, "bread." The side effect of this is not very pleasant. Still shows me that I gotta make sure to keep balanced even with an all raw diet. I'll make sure to get some kale in before the day is done.

So far I've had: organic grapes and strawberries (on sale @ Lake St. Rainbow now), a fresh pineapple fruit parfait w/lemon pudding and buckwheat crispies. Ima hit that sandwich up again for lunch, but add kale. Hope I don't get sick of anything, so far, so good!

Today is Day 1 of my only raw diet. I made the announcement to my co-workers at the North YMCA yesterday and they looked at me crazy, thinking I'll be including raw meat - nope. All raw veggies, fruits, nuts and herbs will be going into this browngirl's body.

It's not that hard once you have all of the proper equipment: food processor, blender, juicer, microplane, and a power-packing dehydrator. When I didn't have these tools it just plain didn't work. There are not enough salad combinations in the entire world to keep me only eating veggies/fruit/nut combos - how totally boring and bland? This is certainly not said to discourage you from adding raw foods to your diet. In Ani Phyo's ani's raw food kitchen - Easy, Deleectable Living Foods Recipes there are plenty of easy recipes that you can make with just your hands and a knife.



Like this for instance:
Ani Phyo's Cranberry Coconut Almond Cookies


Why I'm going raw?
It is really not that bad. I'm only cutting out meat, dairy and heat (well, if you know me, you know I don't do gluten either). Plus, there are ALL SORTS of great alternatives to dairy - the thing I miss the most. By filling myself with fresh living-foods, I'm cutting out hydrogenated fats, cheap sweeteners, and preservatives. That stuff just clogs our bodies as filler and slows us down; many have been proven to even be dangerous. I'm looking forward to all the water I'll be getting. It has been proven that cancer cannot survive in highly oxygenated environments. The more water I'm taking in, not only will it make my body run more effectively, but a shield to cancer (that runs in my family, so super important to me).

My dehydrator arrived in the mail two days ago - mad hype about it! It is big, bulky and full of potential filling meals. I got a 5-tray Excalibur off the internet. After doing tons of research and comparing, this is the best for my needs. Having a dehydrator is really helpful for me to emulate dishes that I love without cooking out the vitamins and water (the max temp I can use is 115 degrees, but my dehydrator can go up to 155).

Here is what is on my grocery list for today:
4c soft dates
1 vanilla bean
4 lemons
1c coconut
4c raw cashews
1c flax seed (I still need a coffee grinder to make powders - let me know if you're getting rid of yours)
psyllium powder (natural thickener for cheezes and puddings)
1 lb buckwheat groats
1c carob powder
sprouts
firm tomatoes

THIS WEEKS RAW MENU
Breakfast:
Mango & Pineapple Fruit Parfait
w/buckwheat crispies and luscious lemon pudding

Lunch:
Tomato & Sprout Sandwiches
w/black pepper cheeze on black sesame sunflower bread

Snacks:
Ginger-almond pate
w/red pepper unfries

Fresh pineapple, mango, oranges

Sweet Kale chips w/honey

Dinner:
Sun Burgers on black sesame sunflower bread
w/black pepper cheeze and hot mustard sauce

Dessert:
Lemon coconut bars (and they are serious)

__________

So I'll be reporting back in 30 days about how this has (hopefully) effected my life. The last week and a half I've been having crazy low energy. I haven't been eating horribly bad. Mostly rice, beans, corn tortillas, chicken, dahl, curry and tons of thai (Lord knows I don't want to leave Thai behind - lets not talk about it okay?). It could be my insane about of jobs, night class and preparing for a show later this month, but hopefully this will give me the energy to get back in the gym with Danielle.

Let me know if you want to get down for the get down! Even adding a few raw meals into your week could make a huge difference. This weekend I made Ginger-almond nori wraps and broccoli mash with orange-miso gravy. The nori rolls were kinda fishy-tasting. Everyone else said they liked them, but I need my co-workers recipe--much tastier.

So April got supersized to being EARTH MONTH! Congrats, April. No longer are you limited to one day of recycling and car-pooling.
Really, EVERY DAY is EARTH DAY. We have no life to live without our precious planet to live it on. So every day you need to figure out what you are doing to keep your home clean and safe. You do it for your apartment; vacuum, wipe the counter, keep your belongings in a safe place. Same things should be applied with your larger home. Be an advocate today! You can tell folks not to litter--it is your space too.

Because we now celebrate keeping our planet safe every day of every month in the year (right!?!), we can celebrate Earth Day more creatively. Feminist sex shop, The Smitten Kitten, is having an Earth celebration of their own this Wednesday at their shop at 3010 Lyndale Ave. So.



HERE ARE SOME OTHER HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

Whole Kids Club and ARTrageous Adventures Presents: Earth Day Class
Whole Foods
3060 Excelsior Blvd
MPLS
4:00-5:30 p.m. $10 or $8 with membership
Join Ms. Amanda as she gives you a variety of recyclable items to create your own masterpiece!  Then get your hands sticky with Amber as we make Earth krispies, crunchy cattails and fossil sandwich stacks.

Como Zoo - Go Green for Gorilla: A Party for the Planet
Celebrate the Year of the Gorilla (who knew it was this year?) at the Como Park Zoo around Earth Day and learn how to protect these memorable animals by going green.
Apr 22-26, 10am-4pm
Como Park Zoo, 1225 Estabrook Dr, St Paul

Bell Museum - A Sense of Wonder: Earth Day Film Screening (I wanna go to this - you in?)
Based on the life and writings of environmentalist Rachel Carson, this documentary-style film is about Carson's final year of life during which she battled cancer as well as backlash from her critics. The film viewing will be followed by a panel discussion with experts from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Healthy Legacy campaign. Admission is free.
Apr 22, 7pm
Bell Museum Auditorium
10 Church St SE MPLS

You could also celebrate by dining at environmentally progressive spots like:

The Ecopolitan
www.ecopolitan.com
Serving 100% raw and organic foods. Seriously, they have this pineapple, cilantro, macademia nut, and green pepper pizza that I go mad for! Their soups are off the chain too. When treating yourself to their unique deserts, stick with the parfaits. They tortes might be a bit much for a beginner, but I certainly challenge you to be open minded. I'm confident you'll be pleasantly surprised when it comes to raw food (Ronnie, I'm looking your way). "Every day is Earth Day here," says the waitress when I called to inquire about events for Wednesday, "but we might kick up some specials, so come in!"
Check their menu here
2409 Lyndale Ave. So.
MPLS (612) 874.7336

Common Roots Cafe

Serving organic, free-trade, local food from scratch makes Common Roots an easy choice for Earth Day dining. Local food means it takes much less gas to get to our plates - very important! They have happy hour every day from 3-6pm. So after work you can head over for some $5 apps and local wines.
Check their menu here
2558 Lyndale Ave. So
MPLS (612) 871.2360

The Birchwood Cafe
It's local, its organic, it not-only-vegetarian-food, it's in the Seward neighborhood - it's damn good. They even have live music and free wi-fi. Very comfortable and homey atmosphere. Food is a bit expensive, like $8-15 per person. Still a nice place to support. I like to hang here cause it is a great hide-away and never busy.
Here's their website - it is confusing to navigate. Let's tell them that to make them better.
3311 East 25th Street
MPLS (612) 722.4474

Skillz presents... Hip-Hop Confessions from Visually Inklined on Vimeo

Skillz, rapper more popularly known for his "Yea End Wrap-Ups," has a new online show, Hip Hop Confessions. The show features Skills and two to three other contributors to the scene sitting on a round table facing their hip hop demons.

So far I love the show. In hip hop, much of your credibility lays in how much history you can correctly regurgitate, how many songs you know before 1989, how soon you purchased that new Parallax CD and such. This apparently solidifies your place as a hip-hopper in the eyes of many--especially for those who don't rap, beat box, DJ, write, or dance--ridiculous.

The show explains that not everyone has had the same experience and knowledge of hip hop and its evolution, but that each unique experience and lens on the scene makes richer community.

Skillz presents: Hip Hop Confessions

Kooley High just released their new mixtape this month, Kooley Is High (hosted by K-Salaam). It has been the source of my running energy and sound blasting my Kia factory speakers since I got it. They are offering it for free here:

FREE MIXTAPE: Kooley Is High (hosted by K-Salaam)

Originally I picked it up after seeing K-Salaam's name on the album. His name on an album co-sings that I'm going to like what I hear. And for Kooley Is High this couldn't be more accurate.
Kooley High is a NC State student organization turned rap group featuring MCs Rhapsody, Charlie Smarts and Tab-One, producers Sinopsis and Foolery, and the table stylings of DJ Ill Digitz. They really have a beautiful thing going on. They are creating very honest music and it shows when you hit play. I can hear their passion and love for expression, family, community, people, future, and creativity.

The MCs are tight, yo. It has been a while, like since Medusa, that I got this excited about a female MC. Rhapsody is the shit; I've got high expectations. Female MCs are always assigned to their own category with separate expectations and standards than their male counterparts. Which is crazy cause I know plenty of wack fools that can't stand up/mic up to Jean Grae or Lauryn Hill; yet they are still alienated in the rap community. Rhapsody, from what I've heard on this album, has so much potential. I hope she continues to create music and add her piece to inspire and push MCs, period.

Each of Kooley High's MCs have got raps. It sounds like their are being themselves - a rarity in the rap game. They make it okay to be nerdy, broke, black, sexual, strong, green, female, party, stay at home, and love.

The mixtape features beats made by their producers as well as some off of recent popular albums (I'm pretty sure K-Salaam & Beatnik have a few on there too).

My favorite tracks are:
Stay Up (Young 'N Fresh Remix) ft. Halo
I'm Fresh (Remix) ..... I sing so loud to this in the car
Soldier (Kooley High Remix)
Rude Bwoy

The raps are tight, the beats are tight and it's put together right. Seriously though, the whole album should be played from start to finish - don't be skippin tracks on Kooley Is High - you might miss something.
__________________________________________

They also have a beautiful documentary out about them, One Day - Introducing Kooley High, filmed, directed, and edited by Napoleon Wright II. The music featured in the film is OFF THE CHAIN! Somebody tell me what that "22nd Century" song is! You get a intamite view of the lives, personalities and opinions from each of the members of Kooley High. As well as a look onto the NC rap scene (it really makes me want to take a trip down there, yo). The film features Kooley High, local NC rappers and a sweet shout our from 9th Wonder. Watch it over breakfast like I did.
                                                                
One Day - Introducing Kooley High from BECAUSEUS on Vimeo.
                                                          


"The only gas I omit is from cheese and milk." Charlie Smarts
"We do what we like, not what we think you would like." DJ Ill Dijits

KooleyHigh.com