Finally getting some work done on that exclusive hybrid, podcast-mixcd 128kilobyte listening experience I’ve been “working” on well since…last winter…lol
stay tuned!

Got this last night, loading it up now and will listen again while running some errands today .
One early review was that this album is too much downtown Manhattan and not enough Bed-Stuy Brooklyn
That may be right but you have Dr. Dre producing 4 tracks so it can’t be all that bad.

Get it Fresh direct to listen

Jay-Z- Kingdom Come

Nip/Tuck season 4 started last night and it looks to be a really good season with Larry Hagman and Sanaa Lathan as a married couple and Brooke Shields as a shrink.

While all this is happening in Miami, I wonder if there is a New Jersey cosmetic surgery practice that had similar stories???

One thing that makes it one of the best shows on tv is the music:
Here is a downloadable list of music in this season first episode “Cindy Plum”:

“Boogie Oogie Oogie” – A Taste of Honey – Christian and Sean operate on a couple in their 50’s, celebrate in upscale bar

“Love Is In The Air” – John Paul Young – Christian has ménage a trois, Sean tries to make love to Julia

“Notas” – Gotan Project – Christian has post-coitus argument with Riley and Jill White

“You Sexy Thing” – Hot Chocolate – Sean performs larynx surgery on Cindy Plumb

“Diferente” – Gotan Project – Christian performs a testicular implant procedure

“Tired of Being Alone” – Al Green – Christian has sex with his shrink, boys sign away the practice

Enjoy!

It’s also Fashion Week next week, I heard rumors of 2007 prom dresses being shown.
It can’t be as bad as a show I attended a few weeks ago where I got a sample spray of Clive Christian cologne.
The brand for men is called “1872″, and was given the royal seal from Queen Victoria….

It’s touted as the worlds most expensive cologne!
The perfume spray is $695, a 30ml bottle of your initials in white diamonds is $14,500 and there is a 500ml bottle that is set with a 5 carat diamond.
(they only make 10 of those )and it will cost you $215,000.

Only one problem, it doesnt SMELL that great at all.

Bottomline, If I was strolling around in the hills somewhere in Europe it might fit me.
It’s like olde english…just sweeter.
I will stick to my Egyptian musk, AXE or Carolina Herrera for when I really want to get jiggy.

This is genius. The dudes fromSound Advice
K. Ross and Elsewhere are doing a highly anticipated release of their Gnarls Biggie album.
Already making huge waves all over the internet, banned by MySpace (3 times at last count), this Notorious B.I.G. / Gnarls Barkley mash-up album is finally going live after over a month in the making. A few release parties are planned this week, but who needs a CD when you can download it NOW?

I found the GEM on the Internet. so I figured i would share it with you all.

Marvin Gaye singing Nat King Cole songs! Need isay more?

01 – Nature Boy
02 – Ramblin’ Rose
03 – Too Young
04 – Pretend
05 – Straighten Up And Fly Right
06 – Mona Lisa
07 – Unforgettable
08 – To The Ends Of The Earth
09 – Sweet Lorraine
10 – It’s Only A Paper Moon
11 – Send For Me
12 – Calypso Blues

Download it here
The password is: peacockalley

In case your forgot and want to skip ahead to St. Patricks, Easter and getting
mothers day flowers
Most people think of celebrating Black History Month starts with slavery or the civil rights era…

To trace the importance of the African heritage one must go back millions of years. Evidence has accumulated to the effect that Africa is the cradle of mankind. Professor Louis Leakey argues that Africa was important in the development of mankind in three ways.

(from The Black Experience in America by Norman Coombs Originally published by Twayne Press in 1972)
You can download or view the entire book here. or if you into ebooks like me,
here is a version you can download for you pda (Treo). (use ereader for best results)

I recently began consulting on some high-end technology projects in the Wall Street area.

Slaves built the walls of Wall Street, which makes me think differently when it comes to
precious metals quotes or stock option investing

I recently came across some Jim Crow laws that were enforced from the 1880s into the 1960s:
Nurses No person or corporation shall require any white female nurse to nurse in wards or rooms in hospitals, either public or private, in which negro men are placed. Alabama

Buses All passenger stations in this state operated by any motor transportation company shall have separate waiting rooms or space and separate ticket windows for the white and colored races. Alabama

Railroads The conductor of each passenger train is authorized and required to assign each passenger to the car or the division of the car, when it is divided by a partition, designated for the race to which such passenger belongs. Alabama

Restaurants It shall be unlawful to conduct a restaurant or other place for the serving of food in the city, at which white and colored people are served in the same room, unless such white and colored persons are effectually separated by a solid partition extending from the floor upward to a distance of seven feet or higher, and unless a separate entrance from the street is provided for each compartment. Alabama

Pool and Billiard Rooms It shall be unlawful for a negro and white person to play together or in company with each other at any game of pool or billiards. Alabama

Toilet Facilities, Male Every employer of white or negro males shall provide for such white or negro males reasonably accessible and separate toilet facilities. Alabama

Intermarriage The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a Negro, Mongolian, Malay, or Hindu shall be null and void. Arizona

Cinco de Mayo is here, I think I explained last year in the archives what it was all about.
Good things happening today as in last night(sometime after 12am) got some burn (as in song play) at
APT by the world famous Rich Medina who played the new joint we been working on click here to

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

.

I had said “hello” to some chick earlier that night and she either didnt hear me or had a stank attitude but i saw HER jammin to OUR song that I produced so in the end it didnt matter….lol

Peace to Ramon aka IllMind for the love.

He got a joint with S1 titled “Art of One Mind dropping on May 31st on BBE Music

I got an email today from my man Sammy about an interesting article as to why the president should be IMPEACHED. MAKE SURE TO READ IT

Or to quote Chuck D from “Rebel without a Pause”

Impeach the president – pullin’ out the ray-gun
Zap the next one – I could be you’re Sho-gun

Knowing the day was going to be good, i started it off right with Sunday Brunch.
I had a giant belgian waffle with pure shagbark hickory syrup & whipped cream
with ice cream and fruit. And a few mimosas of course.

Went back home and called GRFX about the audio settings for the vocals on a track.
Easy fix that literally took 30 seconds. A lot easier than sending the whole file back and forth.
We joked about how long this process would have took 5 years ago.

Encoded it and dumped it on my Treo/MP3 player and went for a walk to listen.
The plan was to go the Brooklyn Museum for the Basquiat exhibit.

Instead I made changes to the song. Midnight Star’s “Curious” pops in my head, I download it (again), BS’ed some more and essentially just enjoyed the weather.

Someone suggested possibly going to the Nets vs. Philly game at the Meadowlands.
I don’t follow sports that much, but that was sure a game to watch.
The fact that is was ALL the way at the Meadowlands in Jersey was the deciding factor NOT to go.

I tuned in at the 3rd quarter. Vince Carter eventually got 43 points!
NJ gave a good spanking the 76′ers with the final score 108 to 83.

I finally put an end to those pesky popups on my computer for good.
Installing a cable modem and wireless router was bound to expose my computer to all kinds of stuff.
Digging further I suspected my HOSTS file might be infected.

Jonn, What it a HOSTS file?
The Hosts file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. This file is loaded into memory at startup, then Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries any DNS servers, which enables it to override addresses in the DNS.
You can use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, cookies, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the Server that supplies these little gems.
In many cases this can speed the loading of web pages by not having to wait for these ads, banners, hit counters, etc. to load.

I found that in most cases a large HOSTS file (over 135 kb) tends to slow down the machine.
This only occurs in W2000 and XP. My HOSTS file was like 738kb!!!

(at this point if you’re a MAC user you can gloat)

So I figure I would spare what every pain others might be facing.
Click right here to download a fresh HOSTS file. After that place it here:

Windows XP = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Windows 2K = C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
Win 98\ME = C:\WINDOWS

There is no need to install, turn on, or change any settings. Windows automatically looks for the existence of a HOSTS file and if found, checks the HOSTS file first for entries to the web page you just requested.

I’m still in SHOCK over the passing of Ossie Davis.
I’m glad I got to say hello to him last year at Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me” screening.
Even though Al Sharpton sat behind me and as I was leaving rn into Lynn Whitfield and Chris Rock.
I have to say I was really starstruck like DAMN, that’s Ossie Davis!
Make sure to watch the premiere of original documentary “UNSTOPPABLE: A Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks and Ossie Davis” for 8 p.m., Sunday, February 13, 2005 on Black STARZ!

There is a saying:
Less than 1% of the world population has access to internet,50% never touched a telephone.
Which is mostly TRUE than FALSE.
Moreso for even watched cable television or been to the cinema.
I bet it the same for :
Eyes on the Prize.
Hands down, THE most comprehensive and revered civil rights documentary ever made.

But it’s illegal for makers of the civil rights documentary “Eyes on the Prize” to put it on DVD or show it in public. Why???
Mainly because licensing fees for the song “Happy Birthday,” (yeah, you know THAT song) which appears in footage of a group of people singing to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I used snippets of this footage for a documentary I produced “Brown Eyed Intelligence”
Peace to Orlando Bagwell and the people over at Blackside.
Which brings me to get out the information about an online/public screening initiative.

On Febraury 8th there is a huge online initiative to screen the film in public AND several sites are making it available for download for FREE.
Get more detailed information here
It provides more information about gettiing public screenings in YOUR area.

I heard Amazon has the whole series on VHS for $1,000.
That’s crazy!

:crazy:

So I just left the screening for Interrupted Motion
I design/host the site so call it a shameless plug.

Anywho, my dy started off with an email from no other than the RIAA.

Most of you who have been coming to the site will know occasionally I will post a download for the full alum of new releases.
So I had posted the John Legend which doesnt hit stores until 10.26.
Funny the day I uploaded it I got invited to see him perform the same night.

He was talking on his site about fans not downloading “bootleg” copies of the album.
Thing is I only promoted the availability of the download on this site which I have done with Jigg, Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah…you get the picture.
Besides MY site and the site I mentioned is a “niche” audience of industry “insiders” of which would be privy to NOT buy the retail copy of any album.

I havent bought a newly released CD in 5 years since working with labels various record labels.
ANY CD except the Iceberg Slim album which is a rare find at a old record store in the village ($7)

Getting a check from them wouldn’t mean I;d spend that money on their product.

Case in point I was working on a project at ARISTA a few weeks before the closed thier doors for good.
Usher album sells 1.2 million units in the FIRST week then they layoff most of the people working at the label. Makes sense right?

Thing is the music industry has evolved and they are trying to keep the status quo.
Even though a CD and packaging cost like $1.37 to manufacture.
The average consumer ill still go to the store and buy it for $18.

On top of that I got a few emails from people stating that they appreciated the download but will STILL go and buy it in order to support the artist.

The long and short of it I got this email:

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thing is Tracy may/may not know that I too am an artist with a release due this quarter.
I am have my writing and publishing with ASCAP.
I noticed when I looked over the contracts that ALREADY penciled in was to have the RIAA represent me with infringment of home recording use.
I was wondering why this was already CHECKED off in pencil, who are they trting to fool??
I just ran a big RED pen through it
:hehe:
I remember this heated up when someone posted the Black Album and was threatened to be sued from Universal. Same week I got an email from Chuck D to challenge the RIAA on the real.
Since I OWN my server and domain name there wasnt no sorry ass phonecall from some attorney talking about the will get me. So instead the got Tracy to try to punk me.

Am I shooting myself in the foot?
Thing is I have a distribution deal with the project I’m working on which lends me to get my music oout with MORE freedom.

Here is a break down of someone who sign a deal who single almost went GOLD:

Advance: $ 250,000
Manager’s cut: $ 37,500
Legal fees: $ 10,000
Recording Budget: $ 150,000
Producer’s advance: $ 50,000
Studio fee: $ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase “Doctors”: $ 3,000
Recording tape: $ 8,000
Equipment rental: $ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation: $ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio: $ 10,000
Catering: $ 3,000
Mastering: $ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses: $ 2,000
Video budget: $ 30,000
Cameras: $ 8,000
Crew: $ 5,000
Processing and transfers: $ 3,000
Off-line: $ 2,000
On-line editing: $ 3,000
Catering: $ 1,000
Stage and construction: $ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation: $ 2,000
Director’s fee: $ 3,000
Album Artwork: $ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $ 2,000
Band fund: $ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit: $ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]: $ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]: $ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp: $ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental: $ 500
Big blowout party for their friends: $ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]: $ 50,875
Bus: $ 25,000
Crew [3]: $ 7,500
Food and per diems: $ 7,875
Fuel: $ 3,000
Consumable supplies: $ 3,500
Wardrobe: $ 1,000
Promotion: $ 3,000
Tour gross income: $ 50,000
Agent’s cut: $ 7,500
Manager’s cut: $ 7,500
Merchandising advance: $ 20,000
Manager’s cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer’s fee: $ 1,000
Publishing advance: $ 20,000
Manager’s cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer’s fee: $ 1,000
Record sales: 250,000 @ $12 =
$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty: [13% of 90% of retail]:
$ 351,000
Less advance: $ 250,000
Producer’s points: [3% less $50,000 advance]:
$ 40,000
Promotional budget: $ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label: $ 50,000
 Net royalty: $ -14,000

——————————————————————————–
Record company income:

Record wholesale price: $6.50 x 250,000 =
$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties: $ 351,000
Deficit from royalties: $ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution: @ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit: $ 7l0,000

——————————————————————————–
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.

Record company: $ 710,000
Producer: $ 90,000
Manager: $ 51,000
Studio: $ 52,500
Previous label: $ 50,000
Agent: $ 7,500
Lawyer: $ 12,000
Band member net income each: $ 4,031.25

Read more here