Go B.I.G. Or Go Home.

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: As I stand Raf Simons booted on the precipice of yet another glorious birthday I still find it hard to believe that it has indeed been 15 years since the world was robbed of the late, great Notorious B.I.G. Equally staggering is the landscape of Hip Hop 2012 - a musical map dotted with constant reminders that we may never fully recover from the combined loss of both Christopher Wallace and his complicated contemporary Tupac Shakur.

For fly individuals such as myself, an aerial view of today's Hip Hop field quickly reveals a cold-to-the-touch cultural climate bearing all the hypothetical effects of a Nuclear Winter scenario where our collective subjective theories of truth are severely clouded by mediocrity, promising talents are covered in cynical soot and ambitions wilt away in remote corporate created pigeon holes deprived of sunlight.

Yes, to quote Biggie, "Things Done Changed". However, bleak descriptions aside, I remain an eternal optimist, so amongst the wreckage of lonely non-wrecked microphones, I still see hope! When people insist that we "Think B.I.G." today, I agree ... we must ALL truly think big. Better it that we take the bitter lemons that we were given when the original "true player for real" passed and enjoy Hennessy® spiked lemonade in his Coogi-laced memory than to stubbornly succumb to sour-pussed artistic dehydration. Biggie's catalogue has survived the true death and is a living, breathing testament to his conceptual genius all these many years later. Appreciate it.

On this, the 15th the anniversary of his assassination, I invite Y.O.U. to do all that Y.O.U. can to keep this man's legacy alive and well. Never stop dreaming of new "Lear jets and coupes" the mesmerizing way that "Salt "Shoops" and how to sell records like Snoop" ... lol. Continue to look to his awesome body of work for inspiration and motivation ... I know that I still do. #RIPBIG Think B.I.G.

Smoke DZA Ft. Dom Kennedy - Pow Wow (Official Music Video)(Directed By 3 Little Digs)

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Ahhhhhhhhh, shades of Jay-Z's iconic "Dead Presidents" video, huh? My nigga Smoke DZA and Mr. "From The We$tside With Love", Leimert Park's finest, Dom Kennedy, dramatically raised the stakes, effectively filtering out the lint pocketed riff-raff, and decided to play Monopoly® with "real cash" in this video for their puff, puff, pass collabo, "Pow Wow". I can dig it. Good shit!

Helloooooo Ladies: The Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie Watch = That Park Avenue Ice Grill Chill.

"For half a million dollars you can get a lot of watches or this lovely new high jewelry watch from Swiss Girard-Perregaux. The Cat's Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie timepiece has an 18k white gold case and is 32mm wide by 38mm tall in the typical Cat's Eye oval shape. It has a stunning amount of large diamonds all over it. According to Girard-Perregaux the watch required over 700 hours of work to create, containing over 20 carats of diamonds. The precious stones come in various cuts and are placed all over the case, crown, and dial.

Inside the watch is a Girard-Perregaux in-house made caliber GP09700-0006 manually wound tourbillon movement. The Tourbillon escapement is visible on the dial using a traditional GP style bridge. The movement has a power reserve of about three days. Attached to the strap is a gray satin strap with a white gold buckle... and more diamonds. Price for this very impressive haute joaillerie watch is $490,000."

Information Courtesy Of: Luxist.Com x Worldtempus.Com

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Where I would typically bemoan such an over the top appropriation of diamonds as merely yet another vulgar display of nouveau riche naivete, I've had a change of heart today. Hey, what can I say? It's wild hot outside and people need their ice b ... lol. I can't front though, in the interest of full disclosure, it certainly doesn't hurt matters that the decadent piece in question is this Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie Watch. Yup, I'm partial to nice things and I don't care who knows it!

Anyway, this fancy feline represents the height of Haute Horlogerie sporting the signature oval shape silhouette characteristic of the "Cat's Eye" series set entirely in 287 dazzling baguette-cut diamonds. So deluged in diamonds is this watch in fact that - aside from the grey satin watch strap (NOTE: Which itself proudly bears a nimble white gold pin buckle closure set with 13 dancing baguette-cut diamonds totalling 0.56 ct) - the overflowing crowd of carats only parts ever so briefly to reveal the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon movement with gold bridge, itself a symbol of the brand's storied watchmaking expertise.

Message To The Livestyle Ladies: Listen, anybody whose pockets are chunky enough to drop $490,000 on this ticker has EVERY right to spit shit like, *Cue Biggie Smalls Voice* "Niggas 'round the way call me "Igloo" ... stick who!?" early! I see Y.O.U. shorty. Stop playing.

In full accordance with the protocols of Livestyle it is my sworn province to indicate, clarify and ultimately elaborate upon any fuzzy references that might have escaped the casual observer. Honestly though, @ this point of the game I feel like I really shouldn't have to school ANYBODY reading this blog on Biggie lyrics, but one never knows, right? LOL.

So yeah, in any event, that "Igloo" line cited in the main body of this post was a direct quote from the late, great "N-O-T-O-R-I-O-U-S, you just lay down slow ..." as featured on the DJ Clark Kent Produced classic "Brooklyn's Finest" off of Jay-Z's brilliant debut album, "Reasonable Doubt". Holla @ ya boy in BK!

A History Of Violence: The Unauthorized Story Of Haitian Jack (2009) x A Special Livestyle Commentary On The "G-Code" As Religion.

(L to R: Tupac Shakur and Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant.)

(L to R: Jacques "Haitian Jack" Agnant, Tupac Shakur and friend.)

"INTRO BY BLACK PACINO

TREATMENT WRITTEN BY DETECTIVE WILLIAM COURTNEY

A can of worms was opened last week when prison inmate Dexter Issac, an associate of hip-hop mogul/gangster James “Jimmy Henchmen” Rosemon, claimed he was paid by Henchmen to rob Tupac at Quad Studios in 1994.

There is currently a nationwide manhunt for Jimmy Henchmen, who is wanted by the Feds for everything from cocaine distribution to murder. Of course, Mr. Henchmen denies these charges.

With the skeletons of the 90′s resurfacing, now is an ideal time to revisit the story of another shadowy figure and Henchmen associate involved in the Tupac case: Haitian Jack. For the uninformed, Brooklyn’s own Haitian Jack (pictured above with Tupac) is one of the most feared gangsters ever to walk the streets. He basically strong-armed his way into the inner circles of both Biggie and Pac.

A detective by the name of William Courtney, who had intimate knowledge of Haitian Jack through his investigation, wrote a movie treatment about the infamous urban legend. This treatment has been online for a while now but last night I read it for the first time and it totally blew my mind. Not only is it a gripping story that held my interest from start to finish, it also intertwines many famous names and groundbreaking incidents.

Seems it was only available via PDF file with excerpts scattered throughout the internet. But below the jump, you will find this document posted in its entirety.

Shit is deep, yo…


Treatment for HAITIAN JACK

A story based on the real life exploits of the music industry’s most notorious gangster and the members of law enforcement who controlled him.

William Courtney Title and Concept Registered WGAW and Library of Congress Copyright Office May 23, 2009

“Listen while I take you back (NIGGA SAY HIS NAME!) and lace this rap A real live tale about a snitch named Haitian Jack Knew he was working for the feds, same crime, different trials Nigga, picture what he said, and did I mention Promised a payback, Jimmy Henchman, in due time I know you bitch niggas is listenin, The World Is Mine…”

‘Against All Odds’ -Tupac Shakur

Haitian Jack was the most feared man in the music industry. Jack, AKA Jacques Agnant, was born in Haiti to a family of privileged politicians. They were highly educated professionals. His older siblings attended medical schools and universities in the United States. His family attended parties at ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier’s mansion. After the coup, his family fled to Brooklyn, New York with limited funds and connections. Jack, speaking only French, was placed in a tough, local public school and forced to fight on a daily basis. He became one of the toughest street thugs in the history of Brooklyn, New York.

Jack began committing burglaries during his teen years. He specialized in drug dealers’ apartments. Jack formed a gang known as the Black Mafia. He recruited the toughest street robbers in the borough. His posse consisted of thugs such as, Tut, Nubs, Stretch, and other sociopaths, all looking to cash in on the drug economy. His crew was so feared; they could walk down the lines of New York’s hottest night clubs and take every drug dealer’s Rolex and wallet without as much as a peep. Jack began befriending such people as Mike Tyson and some local professional ball players. He used his charm to get into their pockets and when that failed, he produced a firearm. He invented the ‘friendly’ extortion game in the Black community. He is said to be the only man Mike Tyson ever feared.

In the early 1990′s, rap music could be heard on every comer of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn -a neighborhood so bad, the local residents coined the saying ‘Bed-Stuy Do or Die.’ Jack went out of his way to get to know Biggie Smalls, a young, local rap artist with a lot of promise. Tupac Shakur heard about Biggie, travelled to Brooklyn, and the two began to perform together. Tupac put Biggie on the map. Biggie introduced Jack to Tupac, a day that would forever seal Mr. Shakur’s fate. Jack felt that rap artists should pay homage to him; after all, he lived the life they exploited through song.

Jack and Tupac hit it off. Tupac loved Jack’s street creds and the feeling of power this mobster exuded through his swagger and earned reputation. He wanted what Jack had almost more than fame and fortune. Jack provided protection, women, and marijuana. Tupac picked up the tab at all the hot clubs. Jack was unofficially managing Tupac; the two were inseparable. The duo found themselves partying at clubs such as Nell’s with the likes of Madonna and other hot stars. Jack felt that his ride with Tupac would never end.

Jack whispered in a girl’s ear one evening at Nell’s. She smiled and walked over to Tupac. The two danced and later returned to his hotel suite. The following day she returned. Tupac took her to his room; they began having sex when Jack’s crew entered the room. The young woman became the victim of date rape. She left in tears. The police later arrived and arrested Jack and Tupac. The two hired the best attorneys and planned strategy for their defense. Jack’s attorney, Paul Brenner, decided to sever Jack’s case from Shakur’s. He got Jack a six-month plea deal. The Manhattan D.A.’s office wasn’t so kind to Tupac. He went to trial, was found guilty, and was due back in court for sentencing at a later date.

Tupac felt betrayed by Jack. He thought they should have gone to trial together. He knew Jack could handle prison; he wasn’t so sure about himself. Tupac stopped taking calls from Jack and his crew. Tupac began clubbing again. He returned to Nell’s and made a fatal mistake: he commented on Jack’s criminal dealings to New York Post reporter AJ. Benza. After making Page Six the following day, Jack plotted his revenge.

Puff Daddy feared Jack so much, he once handed him ten grand and his Rolex. Jacks’ crew coaxed Shakur to Quad Studios in Manhattan to lay down some tracks with Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy roster. Tupac entered the lobby with one of Jack’s crew, a kid named Stretch Walker. Jack’s boys confronted Tupac in the lobby. He resisted a beat down and was shot several times, suffering gunshot wounds to the head and groin. Stretch was shot in the melee as well. Shakur felt that Puffy and Biggie had set him up. He was sentenced to prison a few weeks later. Jack’s muscle within the prison system relentlessly sought Shakur out. One day, Tupac received a visit from Los Angeles gangster and owner of Death Row Records, Marion ‘Suge’ Knight. Suge convinced Tupac to sign with his label. The east coast-west coast wars were set in motion.

Years of violence between Bad Boy and Death Row left Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur dead. Knight’s organization had been crippled by numerous police investigations. Jack reinvented himself through The Fugees; Wyclef Jeans’ pockets were deep and Jack had both hands in them. Wyclef didn’t mind so much. Jack was a fellow Haitian and he kept all the extortion crews far away. After touring with the Fugees, Jack fell in love with Beverly Hills. He started his own management company and attached himself to artists’ publishing rights by way of fear and the gun. He broke ranks and had amassed a small fortune. Jack wasn’t happy though; he wanted more.

In 1997, Tupac was killed in Vegas and Biggie was later murdered in Los Angeles. Haitian Jack broke ranks from his crew. Nubs was murdered, and Tut went away on a Rico. The rest were bottom feeders unable to drive through the Hills without attracting attention. Jack was solo. Haitian knew he could have problems with L.A. gang members, so he established a geographical zone to stay in. He never ventured farther north of Sunset, south of Pico, east of Fairfax, orwestofthe405. It kept him away from gang bangers and the police. Jack was getting rich, but he was also getting bored.

Detective Bill Courtney was an undercover detective in the NYPD’s elite Intelligence Division. He was given his own unit and tasked with an impossible mission: taking the mob out of the music industry. Bill knew Jack’s rep from back in his Robbery Squad days. He had heard about Jack again while assigned to the DEA. Jack had robbed half the drug dealers in New York. Wire taps were abuzz about being done by the ‘Haitian One’, but no one knew where he had gone. His name was legendary, as the killer of Tupac. A little homework revealed that Jack had never earned his citizenship. As a predicate felon, Jack was deportable. Bill felt that if he found Jack, he could make him an offer he couldn’t refuse: join Team America or go back to Haiti.

One of the last times Bill heard about Jack was on the ‘Kendu’ case. Bill’s wiretap took down East New York’s biggest drug dealer, Darryl “Kendu’ Riley. A cooperator told an interesting story about Jack back when Tut was still on the streets. Jack and Tut once kicked in the door of Kendu’s top lieutenant, a gunslinger named T.T. They stole hi8 stash and threatened to kill his girlfriend if she called the police. His girlfriend Crystal foolishly called 911 as T.T. was rushing home to her aid. He beat the cops to the apartment. When the police entered, they found one of his AK-47′s under a bed. He was the victim of a robbery and now he was going to prison. Jacks’ crew later raped Crystal to keep her from testifying. T.T. wouldn’t cooperate, but a source of information on the case promised to deliver Jack."


(L to R: Darryl "Kendu" Riley, Domencio "Montana" Benson (R.I.P.) and Ra'son @ The Omni Hotel, NYC Circa 1990.)

Read The Entire Treatment Here: Spizzyblog.Com

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Religion is a curious apparatus. Performing purely as a social construct religion can be easy to criticize. For centuries man has deliberately used the name and power of GOD to assign divine command to human - and by that definition imperfect - judgement in the most harmful of ways. So, yeah, I get your beef ... lol. However, removing the infinite wisdom and authority of GOD from the equation, we are then simply left with a cultural system of beliefs, codes and symbols that are shared by any particular community ... yup, that's all we have.

Now, given that understanding, applied to today's generally accepted corner boy ethos, the exalted "G-Code" dogma acts as a serious and greatly revered religion of sorts on its own for millions of people whom embrace "The Life". Indeed, urban mythology is no different from mainstream religion in that street lore has also taken on measures of idolatry where historical hood figures over the years have transmorphed into super human (NOTE: In this case) anti-hereos as their individual stories are filtered through the grapevine of time. It is within the halls of this gangster cathedral and beneath sky-high vaulted ceilings that these laudably lawless names exist. With special regard to the unauthorized story of one Haitian Jack as featured in the main body of this post, the nom de plumes of goons from years past now ring bells from broken doored N.ew Y.ork C.ity H.ousing A.uthority project building corridors to the packed general population prison yards of Upstate New York's most feared penitentiaries.

For myself - and I would imagine many whom share this mighty metropolis with me; especially those hailing from Brooklyn - the subjects mentioned here are NOT merely some vague inaccessible names. No, for many of us they are real live human beings whom we either have heard numerous stories about or, perhaps, have even personally encountered. I represent the latter. Don't compare me to these other bloggers. Church!

Growing up with 1 foot on the block and 1 foot in the music industry, I have come to know a lot of the people intimately tethered to these tawdry street tales. Some I even consider family. So, it is with that great respect that I publish this post sans any extra commentary. I'll let the snitches hang themselves. As my nigga Little Shawn said to me via Twitter some 3 weeks ago, "Once old stories get told, new niggas fold". Say no more. Shit is too real. This is Livestyle.

Hey, Sometimes You've Gotta Throw A Water Bottle @ Your DJ When They're Fuckin' Up! I Mean, That's What Biggie Did ... And He's A Legend.

"You know what made Big Kap a great DJ? A major fuck up. Or at least that’s how he tells it. In the summer of ’95 Kap headed out to San Francisco with Biggie and some of Junior M.A.F.I.A to perform at the annual KMEL Summer Jam. But what was set to be a hugely successful headlining show, turned out to be a challenge in light of the extreme heat. Kap blames it on the heat, and Big blamed it on Kap. In our exclusive interview (F73), Kap tells the story:

I’m throwing the records and it’s like, alright, cool we’re going through it. But it’s so hot the heat is actually warping the records. The records is melting! So the records are warping right before me and it’s just like woooommp. And Big looking at me. We had this thing like, every time you make a mistake on stage during the show, you get fined $100. So during the show, Big heard the first womp, and he was like “A hundred dollars!” The record is crumbling up right before my eyes. Then it’s getting bad and Cease is like, “Two hundred dollars!” And then Big, he just stopped everything and was like, “Yo! What the fuck is going on?!” I’m looking and my records look like a piece of bacon back there. Big is tight! He had a water bottle, he threw the water bottle at me, and just walks off the stage.

According to Kap, everyone abandoned him after the show—he even had to take a cab back to the hotel alone with all his DJ equipment. But it turns out that, in the end, Big wasn’t too angry:

So, I go to Big’s room, and I knock on the door. And then he opens the door laughing! And he got a bunch of girls in the room! I’m bashful and I’m like, Yo, I’m sorry, I apologize for all that. He was like, “Man, I knew! I saw those records. I knew it was the sun and all that. But I couldn’t let them think that it was me out there messing up!”

Article Courtesy Of: Thefader.Com

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: And in true benevolent B.I.G. fashion, recognizing that the melted wax that ruined his set was not the fault of DJ Big Kap, Biggie did, indeed, give him "one more chance" ... lol.

Today Is This Guy's Birthday!!!!

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! "I've been in this game for years, it made me an animal ..." - Biggie Smalls

"See The Problem's That, You Way Too Nice, Please ... Where That Coke At? Fuck Where It Might Be"

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Fresh off of their legendary stint batting freestyle lead off on a slew of DJ Clue mixtapes in the mid grimey 90's, a youthfully effervescent L.O.X. - clearly eager to impress - each deliver some of the most memorable lines of their celebrated careers. Styles P. licks a certified Magtech First Defense copper bullet off top when he eloquently and accurately shows tried and true good hood ethics when stating, "I'd rather not breathe than snitch and I love my niggas, not my bitch ..." Whoaaaaaaa! How could Y.O.U. argue with such honest logic? That's right, Y.O.U. can't. Nevertheless, the man of the hour, the late, great Notorious B.I.G. goes kleptomaniac on this freestyle from Funkmaster Flex's "60 Minutes Of Funk Vol. II" circa 1997 and steals the whole show! "Ayo, wherever I go, my crew is true to swarm, got stripes in New York like Yankees uniforms ..." Smh. Y.O.U. already know. The crown stays in Brooklyn! #RIPBIG

Never Stop Thinking B.I.G.

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: For my generation of hardcore Hip Hop lovers reared on slum gold chains (NOTE: Thank Y.O.U. Fulton Bazaar), Timberland® boots, camouflage suits (NOTE: And/or the equally acceptable venerable Carhartt suit), White Owl® brand cigar blunts and hurried sips of St. Ides® frothy "high gravity" malt beverage, few events evoke more misty eyed nostalgia than the life, career and assassination of the late, great Notorious B.I.G. On the heels of the murder of that iconic rapscallion, Tupac Shakur, our adolescent culture was served yet another adult-sized dose of reality when the once and future "King Of New York" was slain by a still somewhat unknown cadre of paid killers.

On his last album, posthumously released weeks after his demise, the magnum opus "Life After Death", B.I.G. famously asserted that "You're nobody 'til somebody kiss you", but he was wrong. The man born Christopher Wallace whom was raised by a doting single Jamaican mother in a 1-bedroom apartment on the very pre-gentrification block of St. James Place and Fulton Street had indeed become a champion for us ALL! As his soul rests in "Versace Heaven" I hope and pray that he knows that he made each and every ashy life that he touched that much more classy. Yes, we'll ALWAYS L.O.V.E. Big Poppa. Salute this man. #RIPBIG Think B.I.G.

Wiz Khalifa Performs "Black And Yellow" Live On Lopez Tonight 1-26-11 x A Special Livestyle Commentary On The Origin Of The Blonde Streak In Hip Hop.

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Yup, Wiz Khalifa has gone all "method actor" on us and gone the extra mile by putting a blonde streak in his hair ala Kwamé circa 1989. Clearly Amber Rose has her fangs deep in his soul now and is sucking out his life force in a questionable transfusion of coolness. Smh. Really, what is it about bad lightskin itchbays from Philly? These femme fatales are serious my nigga. Let's talk about this.


BONUS:

Kwame
Uploaded by granki. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Per the exclusive Livestyle user agreement by which, through quid pro quo I enrich your lives in return for your patronage and undying gratitude, after mentioning Kwamé in the main body of this post, it is incumbent upon me to elaborate upon this man a bit.

Once the toast of the town, the "Boy Genius" born Kwamé Holland was doing his thing back when House music and much of Hip Hop shared a curious bond that saw a lot more men and women than they would probably like to admit today wearing Zodiac shoes, balloon pants and both polka-dot printed silk shirts AND blonde streaks in their hightop fades. The last of the 2 aforementioned trends have Kwamé's tiny fingerprints all over them, for better and worse. Don't get it twisted though, the man responsible for such hits as "The Man We All Know And Love" and "The Rhythm" was all the way Hip Hop and über early on the live band accompaniment tip.

The homie had a good run, but, around 1994, as rap music heads traded in the suave bola look for rugged Carhartt suits and Timbs, shit hit the fan for artists like Kwamé. In fact, his life was all but a wrap once, the man who would be king, the late, great Biggie Smalls proclaimed that, "Your life is played out like Kwamé and those fuckin' polka-dots ...". Dammit man! Bye bye rap career Mr. Holland. Sure Kwamé tried to diss Biggie back, but, come on ... Y.O.U. already know that didn't go too well for shun.

Fast forward to the early 2000's and, thankfully, Kwamé - with all of his innate musical talents - was able to reinvent himself as a hit making producer even crafting Lloyd Banks's debut single "We On Fire" from his 1st album. Salute this oft ridiculed and forgotten Hip Hop innovator. The kid stays in the picture.

Random Acts Of Flyness: Biggie Smalls "Squeeze 1st ... Ask Questions Last"

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: The iconography of some pictures is such that truly, few, if any, words are needed to describe them. This picture of the late, great Biggie Smalls, seen here captured @ the height of his undisputed "King Of New York" powers by renowned American Hip Hop photojournalist Ernie Paniccioli is 1 of those very special images. "My trigger niggas represent! Driving dirty in J30's gettin' bent ..." Stop playing. "Who shot ya!?"

The Gucci For Jay-Z "Decoded" Leather Bomber Jacket = Will The REAL Gucci Mane Please Stand Up.

"Italian luxury house Gucci is partaking in the global scavenger hunt organized by Jay-Z and search engine Bing in advance of the rapper’s book release.

The innovative marketing campaign physically placed pages from Jay Z’s memoir Decoded in various venues meaningful to the hip hop impresario, including the Delano Hotel in Miami and the Spotted Pig restaurant in New York.

Clues as to where pages were hidden were regularly revealed on the singer’s Facebook and Twitter pages as well as on a dedicated Bing website.

Last week, Gucci unveiled two of the book’s pages in the storefront windows of its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York.

Gucci creative director Frida Giannini fabricated a special leather bomber jacket for the occasion with text from two pages of the book printed on its lining.

The jacket will remain on display until November 16 when the book goes on sale and will subsequently be gifted to Jay-Z.

Featuring an image of Andy Warhol’s ‘Rorschach’ on the cover, Decoded is a memoir of the multi-platinum artist from his rough childhood in the Brooklyn projects to his music stardom."

Information Courtesy Of: Luxuo.Com

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Be careful what Y.O.U. wish for, because Y.O.U. just might get it! Although such a well worn idiom (NOTE: Allegedly derived from an ancient edition of Aesop's Fables wherein a lowly man impulsively wishes for death) sits perilously perched atop Mount Cliché, this most famous of clichés is just that because it's moral is timeless. To that end, Hip Hop has long had an infatuation with the greater pop-culture @ large, the overly romanticized view of an outsider whose failure to gain acceptance was both frustrating and perversely validating.

That was then, this is now.

Today, Hip Hop's collective rebel yell has been roundly reduced to sappy emo-filled status updates and most, if not all, have traded in the legacy of the Black Panthers for black diamonds. For this too I am guilty. I do NOT see this as ALL b-a-d though. Livestyle is steeped in the grand belief that an aspirational lifestyle need not be simply "wine and roses" and is only truly valuable when matched with an optimum standard of intellectual curiosity and a strong code of ethics. Jay-Z, in my esteemed opinion, has become 1 of the best, though clearly humanly flawed, examples of this new dichotomy. From corner boy to papered up occupant of a corner office, the man born Shawn Corey Carter has invited all to join him in his modified Maybach Tour Bus (NOTE: Patent pending ... lol) and chauffeured us to the promise land. Of course, not everyone is pleased.

While pilloried for losing some of his technical lyrical prowess and biting (NOTE: If not gumming his way in his old, by narrow Hip Hop standards, age) through the late, great Notorious B.I.G.'s catalogue) en route to success, I simply can't knock the homie's hustle. Now, if Y.O.U. are of a more political slant like, say, a group like Dead Prez (NOTE: Whom Jay-Z has recorded with, although he didn't make the video. Wack.), I could stomach the hate a lot easier. If you're not concerned with money or, for that matter, the trappings of fame, Jay-Z is probably NOT your idea of a leader. Cool. However, for all other money grubbing rappers with obnoxiously ostentatious bars stocked with millionaire wishes, Jay-Z is your living and breathing motherfucking precedent! Respect the game.

Anyway, on the eve of the release of his autobiography/choice verses translation tome, "Decoded", NOT so Young Vito has done it again with this 1-of-1 Gucci "Decoded" Leather Bomber Jacket. Yup, Gucci's lovely creative director, Frida Giannini, crafted this special jacket lined in satin with 2 pages from Jay-Z's book to especially to celebrate this momentous occasion! The scavenger hunt clue jacket is on display now until tonight @ New York City's 5th Avenue flagship Gucci store. Once the book goes on sale, this jacket is a goner ... lol.

Sooooooooooooo, how much is this collector's item supreme Y.O.U. ask? Good question, but, it doesn't matter ... this is a personal gift to Jay-Z from the good people @ Gucci! Whaaaaaaaat!? How Y.O.U. L.O.V.E. that? Holla @ ya boy in BK!


BONUS:

The above image is a complete listing of the 36 venerable songs deconstructed in "Decoded". For those counting, YES, that is indeed the equivalent of 2.2 pounds of uncut dope boy poetry! Bon Appétit!

NEW MUSIC: Nas - Last Real Nigga Alive Pt. 2 (Power, Paper, Puxxy)(Dirty)(NO DJ)(Off That DJ Green Lantern "Invasion Radio 2K10" Mixtape)

Streaming Audio/Download Link: Nas - Last Real Nigga Alive Pt. 2 (Power, Paper, Pussy)(Dirty)(NO DJ)

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Previously released last weekend as both a DJ "tagged" and later an all-curses-scrubbed version, I opted to Aaron Rodgers pass on those premature offerings and simply wait for the internet to do what it do ... lol. My confidence in the World Wide Web's (NOTE: "World Wide Web"! Of course we ALL know what "www." stands for but, how creepy and eerily Orwellian does that sound when NOT abbreviated and actually written all the way out?) ability to self-regulate and respond to the online market's rabid demands for C.ompact D.isc Q.uality records was promptly rewarded when the official "Dirty" version of this Nas "Last Real Nigga Alive Pt. 2 (Power, Paper, Pussy)" dropped yesterday. And all was right with the world.

For all of his near career shattering missteps, all it takes is a classic Herb Alpert horn loop, a sparse "Boom Bap" drum that would make the always bitter Krs-1 proud and precisely 1 minute and 17 seconds of his time to remind us ALL why Mr. "Nasty to Nas, Nas to Escobar" can NEVER be counted out of the "Greatest Rapper Of All Time" discussion. Listen and L.O.V.E. it!




BONUS:

While immediately upon pressing play any music fan worth his or her weight in vinyl will recognize this songs unique capacity to "Hypnotize" the crowd, follow the sample brick road a bit further to fully appreciate the sublime Jazz-Fusion trumpet of Herb Alpert on his 1979 Billboard #1 instrumental hit "Rise" that was deftly utilized for this new Nas track. Know the ledge!

Fat Joe "Tales From The Darkside" Eps. 1, 2 x 3: Talks Biggie Wanting To Clap DJ Clue, Booking Biggie's 1st Paid Show x R.Kelly's Boxing Skills.

Uno.



Dos.



Tres.

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Although it may not be reflected in his rhymes, as anyone who has ever shared a studio session with him can attest, Fat Joe is 1 H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks of a storyteller.

Blessed with a salesman-like gift of gab and an endearing "every man" wit, not to mention being so closely linked to DJ Khaled, and one might have thought that Joey Cooked Coke would have taken to the internet with his "Tales From The Darkside" web series a looooooooong time ago. I mean, son's album is about to drop like TODAY, right? And he's only on his 3rd webisode? Really? Clearly, the lessons of Rick Ross's video-after-video-after-video relentless online media assault didn't make a dent with the geniuses up @ KOCH Records on Fat Joe's "The Darkside Vol. 1" promotion team. It is what it is.

Anyway, while the 1st 2 installments could have been longer, the homie from the BX borough laces listeners with some special memories about the late, great Biggie Smalls and a funny ass story about R.Kelly putting the beats on niggas in a ghetto Chicago "Fight Club" ... lol. Say what Y.O.U. will about Terror Squad top dog's talent, but this man's Hip Hop roots run crazy deep my nigga. Watch and learn. Good shit!

Pusha T - Bidding War (Freestyle)(Over Jay ElecHannukah's "The Ghost Of Christopher Wallace") @ Missinfo.TV.

Streaming Audio/Download Link: Pusha T - Bidding War (Freestyle)(Dirty)(NO DJ)

Diddy Wisely Proclaims That, "There Will Only Be 1 B.I.G." x Rick Ross Performs "B.M.F." x "Angels (Remix)" Live In Atlantic City, NJ.

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Right now, I really, really wish that I had access to a technology that would allow me to quickly re-edit this video clip and remove the horrid stray-cat-being-dragged-by-a-car screeching that is Puffy's Antares© Auto-Tune™ assisted ass "singing" (NOTE: And I use that term in the absolute loosest sense of the word.) his "Angels (Remix)" during his all-star show last Friday night @ the Showboat @ the House Of Blues Atlantic City, NJ but, alas, I do not. However, all is not lost, as it is clearly worth it to watch this narrowly averted tragedy and hear a thoughtful Diddy finally take his Sean John shoe out of his mouth and clarify that NOBODY could ever take Biggie's place ... not even his latest butt buddy Rick Ross ... lol. Obviously, "B.M.F." is the main event of this clip. REMINDER: Feel free to press mute the second that Diddy goes for his on that "Angels (Remix)" my nigga ... lol. Cheers!

The Balmain "Teddy" Jacket For Fall/Winter 2010 = I'm NOT From Marcy, But I Am Varsity Chump! You're J.V.

"Balmain continues to take classic pieces to transform and customize them. As part of their Fall/Winter 2010 Collection they present the Teddy Jacket, a baseball jacket with a sweat body and leather sleeves. Additionally they added an embroidered batch on the chest. Overall a solid looking jacket, yet of course the price is a little off"

Information Courtesy Of: Highsnobiety.Com


Available Online Here: Colette.Fr

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Just beyond the known reaches of such stellar luxury labels as Gucci and Chanel, there lies yet another, more obscenely priced, galaxy of fashion stars. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has identified Balmain as the center of this extravagant universe.

Founded by master haute couture pioneer Pierre Balmain in 1945, this ultraelegant women's label has survived waning popularity and bankruptcy to reemerge as the reigning poster child for post millennium high fashion excess. Under the ambitious design direction of Christophe Decarnin, this once crumbling house has been saved and restored to it's rightful landmark status. What started with a chic rock-n-roll revamping of the entire women's line has now grown to include a small, but impressive men's collection. The Balmain "Teddy" Jacket for Fall/Winter 2010 is 1 of their latest bank breaking offerings.

While Balmain in recent years has made a mint off of ridiculously loud disco-ball sequenced t-shirts that sell for $3,000 (NOTE: Yes, I said t-shirts.), their menswear ranges have alternatively taken a more understated road towards opulence.

To that point, the Balmain Teddy Jacket is simply a varsity jacket re-cut in a slightly more motorcycle jacket type form and embellished with just the right amount of luscious detailing to keep us fashion snobs happy! I mean, who in their right mind would pay $2,914 for a glorified high school varsity jacket if it DIDN'T have supple black calf leather sleeves? LOL. Is this jacket waaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced? Yes. Do I care? No. This is Livestyle.


BONUS:

The inspiration for the title of this post should really require no explanation. I have neither the time nor the patience teach a remedial course in Hip Hop classics tonight folks ... lol. In order to actively participate in this Livestyle thing of ours, I will need Y.O.U. to always come prepared to class homie. Get it? Got it? Good. *Cue "Reasonable Doubt" Jay-Z Voice* "What the fuuuuuuuuck!?"

Diddy Crowns Rick Ross The "Biggie Of The South" x A Special Livestyle Commentary On Why Diddy's "Supreme Team" Is So Wrong For America.

(DISCLAIMER: This entry was indeed written last night, however, as game time drew ever near, I had some serious life decisions to make. Complete this post OR watch the Los Angeles Lakers beat up on the bitch made Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the 2010 NBA Finals. I watched the contest. The Lakers lost the game ... the Celtics did not win the game. Fast forward and, now, some hours later, this item is now ready for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!)

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: In light of the fact that the "Lake Show" starts in approximately 45 minutes, I have precious little time to waste. Let's keep this rant brief, shall we? As of late, Sean "Puffy" Combs (The O.G. name) AKA Diddy (The newfangled alias that rarely sticks with anyone whom remembers him as an ambitious young promoter who twice oversold tickets to an AIDS benefit celebrity basketball game that killed 9 people @ the City College of New York in 1991) has taken to committing not 1, but 2 unpardonable acts of unmitigated blasphemy against both the streets and Hip Hop.

I gave Puff a pass for his heretofore seemingly innocuous hyperbolic outbursts comparing Rick Ross to the late, great Biggie Smalls because A) Puff is the consummate promoter. Talking shit and advertising EVERYTHING and/or EVERYONE that he is involved with is simply what he does and B) because I fux with Rick Ross. In spite of his cocaine credibility having been exposed and proven to be more Gold Medal Flour® than the raw fishscale flounder that he imagines it to be, this former C.O. can rap. As an adult whom makes his living in the "real world", it is not necessary for me to believe your lyrical content in order for me to enjoy it. Sure, it's nice be able to relate to an artist whose work reflects some of the grim aspects of my life, thereby giving voice to a struggle that we both may share, however, it is not that serious ... I live vicariously through myself homie. Anyway, back to the muthafuggin' program.

I have been uncharacteristically forgiving of Diddy's recent shenanigans, that is, until he started to proclaim Rick Ross as the new "Biggie of the South"! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? Not only should NOBODY make such asinine claims attempting to equate a new jack, talented though he may be, to the greatest rapper ever, but such declarations take on an added layer of ri-damn-diculousness when the words come from the mouth of the friend and manager of the deceased greatest rapper EVER! Message To Puff: I know that Y.O.U. are on a relentless pursuit to revitalize your career @ any and all costs, but please do not desecrate the legacy of your so-called friend and partner in the process. The crown stays in Brooklyn!

The 2nd act of heresy perpetrated by Mr. Combs goes against historic New York City street legend. While this infraction may hold less weight to those unfamiliar with the giants of New York City's crack-era his 2nd recent promotional folly is similarly egregious.

This nigga has the audacity to name his latest rag-tag assemblage of unsuspecting rape victims - I mean artists - the arrogantly designated Supreme Team. Dammit Diddy! Y.O.U. should know better. Be this new collective named after Hip Hop pioneers the "World's Famous Supreme Team" (NOTE: Probably not), the Puerto Rican Supreme Magnetic sponsored "Supreme Team" criminal enterprise from Brooklyn's Fort Greene section (NOTE: Warmer) or the Southside Jamaica, Queens based drug empire headed by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff and his murderous nephew Gerald "Prince" Miller the "Supreme Team" (NOTE: BINGO!), the "Supreme Team" name should not be invoked and made a mockery of merely as a means to achieve some cheap ass, quick media attention. Half the niggas that Diddy's rocking with aint even from New York.

Now, my displeasure with Diddy's insistence with christening his new squad the "Supreme Team" has nothing to do with petty territorialism as I, in fact, regardless of region, actually respect most of the artists involved in this project. Hear me out though. Imagine for a millisecond the less than appreciative reaction I, a dude from Brooklyn, NY, might receive if say I took it upon myself to name my newest rap click B.lack M.afia F.amily or, better still, maybe the "Boobie Boys" that Rick Ross is soooooooooooooooo fond of trumpeting as his dope game colleagues. That shit wouldn't fly, right? Right. Shit like that would and should be completely unacceptable to the real niggas that went to jail and died for the right to rep those names.

Alas, I am just 1 lonely voice that echos in the empty halls of a once magnificent, now long abandoned social structure called "Standards". I don't know any of the parties involved. I just had to vent to my loyal Livestyle contingency ... I always drop jewels like a clumsy thief ... lol. Know the ledge.


BONUS: The Original "Supreme Team"'s x Corresponding Links To Online Information About Each Crew:

The World's Famous Supreme Team (Hip Hop Crew)



The Supreme Team (Brooklyn, NY)



The Supreme Team (Southside Jamaica, Queens, NY)

NEW MUSIC: Jay Electronica Ft. Diddy - The Ghost Of Christopher Wallace (Dirty)(NO DJ)

Streaming Audio/Download Link: Jay Electronica Ft. Diddy - The Ghost Of Christopher Wallace (Dirty)(NO DJ)

Jay-Z's Speech @ The Barclays Center/Atlantic Yards Groundbreaking Ceremony March 11, 2010 = "Brooklyn, We Did It!"

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: After numerous setbacks and court ordered injunctions, today marked the official groundbreaking ceremony for Brooklyn's very own arena - The Barclays Center @ The Atlantic Yards.

Designed by the team of Ellerbe Becket and SHoP Architects (NOTE: The original concept was designed by star-chitect Frank Gehry) and scheduled to open for business come Fall 2012, The Barclays Center will finally give the NBA's Nets a $1 billion new crib and give the borough of Brooklyn our 1st professional sports team since the beloved Dodgers ditched Ebbets Field for the West Coast sun and fun waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1957.

Although real-estate mogul/developer Bruce Ratner is the true might behind this project and O.G. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Al Sharpton were in attendance for this gala, for all Livestyle intents and purposes, minority owner Jay-Z (NOTE: That's riiiiiiiiiiight! Contrary to what Y.O.U. may hear in your local barbershop, Shawn Corey Carter enjoys only a sliver of this cherry pie ... not that that is anything to scoff @ ... lol) is the only speech from this afternoon's press conference that we give 2 fucks about. True story. I mean, what's the use of buying a $540,000 a year luxury box suite if there's A) No games, concerts or whatever to watch from your pricey perch and B) No Lebron James playing for your hometeam which Y.O.U. just so happen to own a stake in? Exactly! That would be patently ridiculous ... lol.

Shit wasn't all sweet though as this highbrow happening was met by local protesters who have long contended that the Atlantic Yards Project spells doom for the Brooklyn that we all know and L.O.V.E. Personally, I do have mixed feelings about this gargantuan undertaking ... I know that this will turn traffic into a food fight mess and that the already exorbitant property prices in Downtown Brooklyn will only soar higher and higher and, worst of all, force out long time low-income residents. No bueno.

On the other hand, the jobs that this arena will provide and the patronage that the overflow of crowds will bring to neighboring businesses can only be seen as a good thing, particularly in this barely rebounding economy. Ehhhhhhh, Y.O.U. can't stop the tag-team of big business AND progress. It is what it is.

BONUS:

"Representin' for THE BOROUGH!" Think B.I.G.

Diddy x Friends Celebrate The Life x Legacy Of B.I.G. @ The Lab In Brooklyn, NY March 9, 2010.

For Hip Hop News & Entertainment at DimeWars.Com

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Just when the world wrongly assumes that Puff has become completely estranged from his underground roots, he turns the game on it's solitaire diamond studded ear and reminds us ALL why, after nearly 20 years of sharing road duties with other innovators behind the wheel and driving Hip Hop culture, we still fux with him.

Earlier this year he helmed Raekwon's "Only Built For cuban Linx II" album release extravaganza @ New York City's über trendy Santo's Party Haus and, now, last night, he crossed that bridge to Brooklyn to celebrate the life and legacy of his friend and biggest meal ticket, the late, great Notorious B.I.G. AKA the "Invisible Bully" on the 13th anniversary of his death. Call it shrewd political positioning and/or merely the latest cog in his well oiled branding and mass marketing machine, but, no matter what, Diddy ALWAYS finds his way back to the hood ... even if it's *Cue Luther Vandross Voice* "If only for one night" ... lol.

Additionally, for my readers uninitiated in the workings of the murky Brooklyn underworld, The Lab Banquet Hall (Where this esteemed event was held) is a 1st class deathtrap ... lol. How many rappers on par with Diddy journey to the depths of the gutter - even better, a gutter NOT their own - and give it up for the hood (NOTE: Yes, Jay-Z I am looking @ Y.O.U.)? Huh? That's right NONE. Oh yeah, he also brought out everybody's favorite daydreaming dope boy, Rick Ross, DJ Mister Cee, Busta "Mr. Irrelevant" Rhymes, Fabolous and his latest tax-write-off Red Cafe to join in the fresh-tivities! Salute this man! Think B.I.G.