silly thug... gangs are for kids

due to the overwhelming presence of gangs in hip hop and general youth culture
i have been compelled to write this

i have had many conversations with so called
bloods & crips
i say “so called” because i have had encounters with the real deal
and these encounters with real and fake have lead me to ask
when did claiming a gang become a fad?
i mean i could be wrong
but i remember being younger and gang affiliation not being something to claim frivolously
now everybody and their cousins wants to chunk the c or throw up the b
its getting ridiculous

the original
bloods & crips
were a gang formed for the purpose of comradery and protection
{no matter how illegal or violent}

i may not have the stats to support this
but when was the last time you saw a group of oppressed kids in the suburbs?
im not saying their soft or anything
but suburbs usually have a pd that responds to 911 calls
unlike many neighborhoods where these gangs were originated

the original
bloods & crips
have specific ways of initiating new members
{blessing, jumping, branding etc.}

when was the last time you were in the suburbs and you asked a kid
“how did you get all those bruises?”
and he responded with
“just got jumped in”
i have had countless run-ins with people who claim to be a
blood or crip
and im supposed to believe them just because they say so
i have actually met someone who told me they were a blood
why? you ask
because their favorite color was red
wtf!?!?
{sorry but...}
get real my nigga!

i cant necessarily say that gangs are respected
but they are a serious matter
pop culture and ignorance has turned gangs into a joke

just a thought


p.s.
ill have more on the subject later


holla front, one and all that shilznit


.:the one u love to hate:.

And Then There Were Six . . .

If you haven't noticed already, ...the one you love to hate... has joined The Cast of Zu York City. He's been part of the crew for a while now, but now he's dropping blogs too . . . as well as tracks, his own special segment (yet to debut), and a podcast here and there. Yes, baby, we're doing it big, and the blog only launched less than two months ago! Its amazing how much we've progressed despite our relatively small following at the moment . . . but don't forget to tell everyone from your mother's auntie's cousin to you grandfather's ex-wife's brother-in-law about this blog. We love the support! And The Cast is more well-rounded than ever, so you're sure to witness that in our posts.

Updates, Updates, Updates!

We'd like our readers to take note that all of our Playlist Blog posts from now on will have little media players embedded in them, so you don't have to go and search for the songs we recommend. You can now listen to them right here on Zu York City. How's that for convenience? They'll look like little boomboxes or cassette tapes so don't get confused by their appearances. Coolio.

Like So . . .

Or So . . .

I'm also going to try out a couple of new background colors to see which ones match the blog the best. I think I'm leaning towards navy blue (too many black blogs out there, even though that would normally be my first choice) but ultimately its our readers who are most effected by things like that, so I'm putting up a poll for you guys to vote on which one you prefer. It'll be up on the left side of the blog later on today.

We have plenty of posts coming in the next few days, but we might have to slow down so you can digest the food for thought that had us slaving in the kitchen like House N*ggers (shoutout to Nas, that N*gger Tape is WOOOOOO). Feel free to leave a comment! We love answering those. So what's to come? Hmmm . . . mixtape reviews, Death predictions, fashion guidelines, and media bashing. And don't forget to check every Friday for ???'s Friday's Freshest Five and Grizz Adams' Where Its Wednesdays! You won't be disappointed.



Anyway, I'm on my way to the Galleria for a lil' something something. Showing H-Town love, but I can only be the mayor of one city: Zu York, Zu York . . .




One Time For Your Mind
ZuLou

The Cave

"I stopped combing my mind so my thoughts could lock . . . "
-Saul Williams, the dead emcee scrolls

I'm digging my way to China
Through the concrete I walk on
Away from the Sun's Heat
Into promising darkness, that which becomes me
Swisha, I'm far from Sweet
So feel free to put it Bluntly
From where you at, I MUST look a fool
While U Enjoy the open air, letting the wind blow your hair
Filthy niggas, trying to boast with flair
But only few can rule
And in my cave, its hard to lose my cool
Unlike U
The block's hot, feel me?
Let's hotbox, feel me?
Living in a cave does not limit my flight skills
And the fan's blowing
so I won't lose this cool

Feel me?

Tip-toeing around these black holes
For bankrolls that draw me in like stencils
By the fortune-tellings of fortune
drawn in my mental
Watch my Step, I scale the Stairs of Time
While they aim for a Strike, I'm just trying to Spare their minds
In this Stage of my Life
I don't perform for the critics
Just exploring the mystics
and pop-lock, feel me?
I pop locks, feel me?
No Doors Could Keep Me Out
You feel me, now?
As I dictate in this cave
never losing my cool . . .
Just intake the Swish blaze
and play Pool with the crew
Marco Polo, anyone?
Ha! I guess Zu IS a fool
You can laugh at or with me . . .

. . . Most likely I've been clowning YOU for years, fool.

today's playlist

ok

its my turn to make a playlist
guess ill go with the first 4 songs that come to mind
{not in order of importance}

and for your listening pleasure
the tape above is an audio player containing all the tracks from today’s list
thank me later

tupac – high til’ i die

first off
great effin song!
the title says enough...
but ill say more
he just speaks on real shilznit

“its the last of the drank, pull over/
cant hear a damn thing sober
cuz im high til’ i die!”

i love it
don’t you?

lion’s den – way it goes


this is a throwback underground track
its by a guy out of the group lion’s den out of dallas
listen to this song!
each verse tells of a different day in his life
and its o so real
the art of storytelling is mastered

check it

jay-z – all i need

just play it
he murdered it too much for me to eff it up with a review

lupe fiasco – hip hop saved my life

im getting
“hip hop saved my life”
tatted on me
foreal foreal
not for play foreal

but this song is also the shilznit
{if you havnt noticed by now i really like that word}
as a rapper on the come up, lupe’s words hit me at the core
if you ever wana make it doing anything
not just rap
this is a great motivational song


guess that wraps up my list
hope you feel the same way i do about these tracks
if not
comment
if so
comment

holla front, one an all that shilznit

.:the one u love to hate:.

back for the first time

ahhhhhh
{sigh of relief}
feels like ive known you guys forever... lame
real talk tho, im back for the first time
guess i should introduce myself
i go by many names
{bc, mr hard work, horse-choker, hr paperstacks, etc.}
but you can call me

.:the one u love to hate:.

why? you ask
because you hate to love me and you love to hate me
probably has something to do with me being the shilznit
but anyways...
im a fly young guy with his head in the clouds
{in multiple senses of the phrase}
ive been told that im “throwed in the head” as well as sarcastic to a fault
but what can you do
ive been judged by many of my peers
you can normally find me chillin or in the studio murderin a track
{check for me}
i guess that’s enough on me for now
stay on the lookout...

ill be back

p.s.
i chose the picture because i think it represents me in so many ways
try to figure out why...
if you can
or be a loser and ask



.:the one u love to hate:.

Scatterbrain's Season

{{Friday's Five Freshest}}




















"and then She arrived. like daybreak inside a railway tunnel. like the new moon, like a diamond in the mines, like high noon to a drunkerd. Sudden." ~Mos Def











5 Thought provokiing songs

Click the tiny play button on the boombox above to hear the songs; all the buttons work.


5} iignorant shiit: Jay Z {ameriican gangster}






"ii make some thoughful, vocal shiit"...





the True mr. Carter haiils iin the iintro of the song.

and thus he does.

the take of thiis partiicular song,

iis hiis iironic depectiion of hiim gloriifiing

iignorant shiit".



the chorus goes on to giive you

"that iignorant shiit you need".

from Hov's standpoiint,

he iintends to send a deeper

more iintellectual message


that screams *Poliitiics*!!!!!





iin the 3rd verse

Jay speaks Truth,

"are you sayiiin what iim spiittiin/

iis worse than these celebrutants

showiin thiier kiitten/

you kiiddiin'!/

lets stop the Bullshiittiin'/

to we all wiithout siin?/

lets quiit the pullpiittiin'."

now who learned a

Valuable lesson from

Hov today?

Feel It

4}glorious: Sa-Ra {the hollywood recordiings}

Sa-Ra's melodiic beat

and robotiic vocals

wiill sparks some seriious

Thoughts.

thiis song iis

buiilt around an

One Word Chorus.

{Gloriious}

iits an uncanny Love Song

that expresses depth

of a Woman's beauty,

conviiently deemiing the song

and iits Muse,

Gloriious.

"and even iin the Darkness/

ii can stiill see you/

ii'm iin awe of your Beauty/

and your Essence/

tell me thiis iis true/

GLORIOUS."

ahhhhh shiit!

iits bananas.

please check iit out.

Feel It

3}put you on Game: Lupe Fiasco {the cool}

"they love my darkness/

ii make them heartless/

and iin return they have become/

my martyrs."

WTF Lupe?!

you done diid It agiian!!!!

and ii love It!

thiis song entaiils deep thought.

who or what iis he exactly

tryiing to showcase iin thiis song?

iis He money?

"one of the most anciient-est of thiings/

speak every siingle language on the planet/

Yao Miing?"

iis He politics?

"ii am the ameriican dream/

the rape of Afriica/

the undyiing machiine/

the overpriiced mediicine/

the murderous regiime."

iis He violence?

"the gun shots iin the class/

and you cant pass iif you miissiin G/

ii taught them better than that/

ii taught them aiim for the head/

and hope they never come back."

deep lyriical content there...

can you fucks wiith it?

leave comments,

to diiscuss Lupe's complex

storytelliing.

hell, ii wanna know too!

Feel It

2}on & on:Erykah Badu {baduizm}

throughout thiis song,

Erykah Badu discusses

The Nation of Gods and Earths;

more commonly known as,

the Five Percent Nation.

she descriibes the teachiings

and the beliief system,

iin whiich they do beliieve.

"iif we were made iin

Hiis iimage,/

then call us by our name/

most iiintellects do not beliieve

iin God/

but they fear Us just the same.

thiis lyriic depiicts thiier beliief.

they viiew themselves as God;

iindiiviidually and collectiivley.

Very iinterestiing song/art.

iits very abstract,

yet fulfiilliing.

good liisten.

Feel It

1}gotta fiind Peace of miind:Lauryn Hill {mtv unplugged}

not only does thiis musiic

provoke thought,

iit also evokes emotiion.

ms. Hill's raspy voiice

over striipped acoustiic guiitar notes,

exudes a poiignant message.

we all are famiilar of

L Boogiie's struggle wiith her

battle of

Geniius

and

iinsaniity.

and iin thiis very song

she addresses that exact

feeliing.

the song transforms from a chant

to an Heartfelt Prayer.

there iis a turniing poiint

iin the song,

when she crys,

"Touch my mouth wiith Your hands".

after a few more harmonies,

she begiins to speak pharses that hold

Serious Substance.

she speaks as iif she holds

Revaltiions iinside her beiing.

"He's my Peace of Miind/

what a Joy iit iis to be Aliive/

to get another chance/

Every Day's another chance/

To get IT Riight thiis tiime."

although she criies whiile siingiing,

iit iis very pleasant to liisten.

iit is,

Poetry from the Heavens.

FEEL IT.

floatiing hiigh.

the Words are Aliive.

~???

Today's Playlist {*Jam iiT*}

iim holdiin down the playliist today.

so, you can get an iidea of what 'muz-ac' ii Indulge iin...

iim going hiit you wiith somethiing you're not expectiing.

thats how ii usually tend to functiiion anyway.



here we go!







Mase- same Niggas











before you Judge,

shut up and liisten.

real shiit.

who wants more unconventionality?!

Shyne: the Life

thiis song iis Pure Poetry

no hook

just hiis liife over a beat

and he does iit Oh, So Well.

Trust.

good muz-ac iis good muz-ac.

shut up and liisten.

Jay Z and Linkin Park: dirt off your shoulder/lying from you

the combiined miixture of both songs gets me Every tiime.

iits Epic.

Hov and Linkin Park recorded a dvd on how they made thiis album {collision course}

and iit iis Epic as well.

step your muz-ac game up.

and stop liisteniing to one genre of muz-ac!

iits bad for your health.

shut up and liisten.

Lupe Fiasco: and he gets the girl

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

who doesnt love Lupe?!

thiis iis Great shiit.

on youtube there iis a bomb ass versiion

viideo on iit.

check iit out.

ZuYorkCity.blogspot.com approves of Lupe!

ii swear iits magiic.

shut up and liisten.

the Words are Aliive.

~???

Today's Playlist

SA-RA- The CD, why the whole CD cus I just got the best news ever...sorta!!!!

Scatterbraiin’s Season

{{Friiday’s Fiive Freshest}}

since Knowledge is infinite, it has infinitely fell on me.-Erykah Badu{Apple Tree}

5 Words to Thiink about…

5} Power: Great; ability to act or do; Strength; Might; Force

thiis sole word sums up what we get Lost iin exiistence striiviing for.

countless years of schooliing…

Shiitty rules and restraiints…

the undermiindng death tone of siilence…

etc. etc. etc.

these Thiings all structure us for the pure Need

of what we feel we must obtaiin.

all to get a piece of thiis “fucked up american pie”

{as Black Ice would say}

but what we Need to Realiize,

that we Need to seek deep wiithiin our Souls

to diiscover our True Power.

Feel IT.

4} Evil: the Force of nature that Governs Rise to Wicked and Sins

Just thiinkiing about thiis Word,

Scares the Fuck out of me.

Seldom iis anyone descriibed iin thiis manner.

Seldom iis thiis word even said.

IT iis only used went iit iis Present.

Eviil roams thiis earth wiith two legs.

wiith a voiice and a Purpose.

Learn to detect genuiiness and crediibiiliity.

so iin the War that ends Natiions,

you’ll be on the Riight siide.

Feel IT.

3} Quixotic: idealistic to an impractical degree

ii actually have thiis word ‘tatted’ on me.

thiis iis what ii try to exude to everyone ii encounter.

wiith that statement,IT should puzzle you.

why would anyone want to exempliify thiis iin theiir actiions?

or get iit Permanently stamped on theiir body…

well.

you read the defiiniitiion closely,

iit damn near meansUnreal.

IT runs deeper than you Know.

Feel IT.

2} Loyalty: Feelings of allegiance, the act of Binding yourself intellectually or emotionally through a course of emotion

thiis word siingle handedly envelopes the Feelings of

Love,

Devotiion

and

Trust.

IT should be coveted as the

foundatiion of any Relatiionshiip.

iif someone asks you iif you are Loyal,

iit's Definitely someone who understands the Word

and iis surely iinstiilled iin them.

keep them.

fuck the Fake shiit.

that’s whats Real.

and iif you ask me,

Loyalty iis whats Up.

Feel IT.

1} Faith: belief that is not based on proof; Promise; Oath: Allegiance

there iis a Reason why thiis Word iis Number One.

FEEL IT.

ii am my Thoughts.

the Words are Aliive.

~???

Greetings to all,
This is Ariel Anderson signing in...
Sorry for the delay,
{technical complications, of course}
But I am hear to no avil.

I appreciate greatly, the warm invite
from my fellow bloggers.
{friends}
And a special thanks to Mr. Adams
for that cool ass introduction.

Whenever I enter ZuYorkCity,
I will be recognized as the name>> ???
Only because I can.

I am here to express myself.
Writing is an art,
my art.
And i choose to share it with the world.
I appreciate all,
forever.
Godspeed.

the Words are Aliive
~???