The Quotable Reviews: 808s & Heartbreak

"I'm a monster. / I'm a maven. / I know this whole world's changin'" - "Amazing"

Fresh off the success of his now-near-classic LP, Graduation (and subsequent album-sales-shalacking of 50 Cent), tragedy rocked through Kanye West's self-important world when his mother, Dr. Donda West, died from cosmetic surgery related complications[1]. The loss of his mother, along with ending his engagement (to Alexis Phifer), combined with the obligatory difficulties dealing with pop-star status provided the inspiration for the concepts behind The Louis Vuitton Don's fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak.

808s & Heartbreak is unlike any other album in Kanye's catalogue. For starters, he's not rapping, opting to half-sing-half-croon through T-Pain's ubiquitous Vocoder electronic voice manipulator.

Thats right. All beats. No rhymes.

Furthermore, Heartbreak's all 808-drum beat production and all love content mark the first true concept album of 'Ye's career.

Always pushing the envelope.

But the risk behind this concept is whether or not Mr. West's loyal fan base and Hip Hop heads alike will buy-into this form of artistic expression. Emphasis on buy. This isn't a Rap album. This is a Pop album.

THATS RIGHT. ALL BEATS. NO RHYMES.

And Hip Hop is notoriously critical of its most-valued Emcees veering left creatively (Common's Electric Circus nearly ended his career relevance and most cats cringed at the thought Andre-Three-Stacks rockin' without rhyming. Then he dropped "Hey Ya" and all was good. Its funny how winning multiple Grammies can make people forget). Not to mention that Kanye's lack of humility and perceived bitchassness has supplanted a Times-Square-Target-sign sized bullseye on his back. People want him to fail. Can't wait to hate. Prey and pray on his downfall. Does Ye's Pop experiment provide ammo to the enemy? Ride with us as...

THE QUOTABLE REVIEWS: 808s & HEARTBREAK

"And my head keeps spinnin.' / I can't stop having these visions. / I got to get with it." - "Welcome to Heartbreak"

Bass and heartache abound all through 808s & Heartbreak. The album opens with minimalist production and a plodding 808 drum beat on "Say You Will." Yep, Ye's definitely singing. Or something something like it. Honestly, this is the worst track on the album. The beat is dope, moving almost. But I'd fall asleep if it wasn't for the bass line. Plus, the vocals are underwhelming and the lyrics sound like the internal justifications of a date-rapist ("When I grab your neck / I touch your soul").

Following a 3 minute and 14 second instrumental to end the opening track, the album rises with one of the LP's brightest spots, "Welcome to Heartbreak." "My friend showed me pictures of his kids. / And all I could show him was pictures of my cribs. / He said his daughter got a brand new report card. / All I got was a brand new sports car." My oldest friend and his wife just had a baby. A beautiful baby girl. I remember back in '99 when he was sweatin' her at The Racquetclub, and now they're starting a family. Me? I'm still chasing the dream - searching for something real in the world. And theres nothing wrong with that - nothing at all. But it is a reminder that I have yet to truly own, truly create that which is most important in this world - love and family. This cut hits close to home (minus the cribs and sports cars. More like...rent and Metrocards. I keeps 'em clean, though).


"Heartless"

808s hits its stride on tracks 3 through 10. "Heartless" is a head-nod enducing ode to the eventual heartache of an unwanted breakup. 'Ye borrowed Dre's repetitive-keys, layed them over a thumping bass-line, and crooned his ass to a hit record. Possibly one of the hardest heartbreak tracks ever. "Amazing" feels like a marching tribal revolution with Young Jeezy's gruff ad libs adding the exclamation points. Even Da Snowman's verse here is quality (and I'm certainly not a Jeezy fan). This is the first track worth running back after first listen.

"Ok, I'm back up on my grind. / You do you, and I'm just gon' do mine. / You do you, and I'm just gon' be fine. / Ok, I got you out my mind." - "See You in My Nightmares"

Kanye continues with the brooding 808s and tribal-drum break down on "Love Lockdown," while opining on not loving the right way in a relationship. The beat and piano keys feel like that scene in The Matrix: Revolutions when Morpheus gives his I-know-it-looks-like-we're-marching-into-our-fiery-destruction-but-trust-me-it-will-work-out speech followed by all of Zion erupting into a massive, primal, half-butt-naked, tribal, dance party. Or, as my homegirl Noelle calls it, an "audio aphrodisiac".


"Love Lockdown"

808s peaks on the infectious "Paranoid." Sounding like straight out of the '80s pop-music, this club ready track is the closest 'Ye gets to rappin', as he questions why she's "so paranoid" about infidelity ("Yeah you heard about all the word of mouth / don't worry about what we can't control. / All the talk in the world, lost in the world / til you finally let that thang go. / You wanna check into the Heartbreak Hotel, but sorry we're closed").

"Robocop" explemplifies 'Ye's masterful production, showcasing another thumping beat (this albums' designed to bump in the truck...err...Hybrid) with bouncing, triumphant violin strings layered within. "Street Lights" is more of a subdued extended hook than a conventional song. The Louis Vuitton Don repeats the same chorus five or six times with ad lib-like interjections on life's unfairness arising sporadically. Its as if he only had the hook and the melody and decided not to fill in the blanks. Oddly enough, it sounds pretty decent. "Bad News" is an unfortunate, near-ballad about finding out you're getting played. Similarly to "Say You Will," if it wasn't for the bass line, I would have fallen asleep. Lil Wayne assists on the anthemic "See You in My Nightmares," providing his own Auto-Tuned crooning for the hook. The LP closes with rumbling drums and electric keys on "The Coldest Winter," and then "Untitled," a live performance of "Pinocchio's Story" where 'Ye expresses his frustration with pop-stardom and mourns the loss of his mother. A suitable close to an uncompromising album.

"Do you really have the stamina / for everybody that sees you that say 'wheres my camera?' / For everybody that sees you that say 'sign my autograph. / For everybody that sees you, crying, sayin' 'you all of that'" - "Untitled"

Ending after only 12 tracks, 808s & Heartbreak is sleek and to the point. It never wavers from its concept, and stays true to its title: 808 beat-laced production and a contextual focus on heartache. At best its a thumping, melodic, drive-by on matters of the heart. Tracks like "Welcome to Heartbreak," "Amazing," "Heartless," showcase 'Ye's top-shelf songwriting and production skills and overshadow the fact that he's not rapping. Like Graduation, (read review here), the production is anthemic. Its melodic, bass heavy, and crafted to be felt physically and emotionally. In fact, the soundscape reveals as much, if not more, of the emotional revelations Mr. West has experienced over the past year than the lyrics (and the Vocoder actually allows Kanye's voice to meld into the electric bass-line and keys, acting like an instrument in the techno-esque-ensemble). And in that sense the album is effective. The stadium-ready production, infectious melody, and memorable hooks are so rich that they nearly compensate for the fact that Kanye West cannot sing at all!

I mean at all.

Even with an electronic voice enhancer.

But 808s & Heartbreak is crippled by its potential lack of replay-value. "Untitled" is unlistenable. "Say You Will" is saved by the beat. And "Bad News" is one of those tracks that, more often than not, you probably won't be in the mood to hear all the way through. Thats 3 tracks out of 12.

1/4th of the album!!!

Think about it like this. Lets say you're walking down 6th Avenue on a brick-cold day. So cold that you're questioning why the hell you're outside in the first place. But you're bundled up nicely with you're earbuds in and iPod tucked away in your inside coat pocket, bumpin' your favorite track in the world - perfect enough to keep you focused entirely on the music and not on the blistering cold 7 blocks you have left until you reach your subway station.

Then suddenly your favorite track ends. And some wack track comes on right after.

Now you have a choice to make. Do you: A. Undo your perfectly bundled arrangement, letting that BRICK winter air dart your skin, erasing every semblance of warmth collected inside your fabric body armor, instantly reminding you that it is so cold even chicken soup won't help - reach into your pocket, pull out your iPod, and skip to the next track? Or do you: B. Spend the next 4 and a half minutes rushing to the subway while listening to one of the wackest tracks ever, immediately refocusing on the fact that you have no business being outside because its so damn cold???

Unfortunately, on the wrong day, 25% of 808s & Heartbreak will put you in that muttaksuttin' situation. And thats something a great album just doesn't do.

"When did you decide to break the rules? / Cause I just heard some real Bad News." - "Bad News"

Rating: QQQ.5

[1] November 10, 2007. The saddest form of irony considering 'Ye partially made his name by openly discussing self-consciousness on tracks such as the seminal, "All Falls Down"

Carry on...

R.I.P. MC BREED

Rapper MC Breed dies at friend's home at age 37 from conditions related to kidney failure.



RIP MC Breed. Get Yours.

The Quotable Reviews: The Renaissance

"And its up to me to bring back the hope / and feeling in the music that you can quote" - Q-Tip; "Johnny Is Dead"

Nearly a decade has passed since the the masses have sunk into a new, full-length Lp from the-artist-also-known-as Q-Tip.

And its not his fault entirely.

Three-years after the release of his craptastic solo debut, Amplified (uber pop-centered compared to the timeless material released as a member of A Tribe Called Quest), Tip's critically-acclaimed sophomore Lp, Kaamal The Abstract (2002), was shelved by Arista Records due to a feared lack of commercial appeal. Since then, Q-Tip has left Arista, guest-appeared on cuts by everyone from Jay-Z to R.E.M., toured internationally with newly-reunited A Tribe Called Quest, signed with Motown/Universal Records, hinted at forming a group with Common (The Standard), and still found the time to craft his third solo album, The Renaissance.

A busy man to say the least.

Its been a minute since Q-Tip's surfaced from the lab with new product for heads to O-D on. Much has happened in the world. Much has happened in his world. Whats on his mind? Whats in his ear? What does he have to say?

Come along and ride with us, as The Quotable Reviews: The Renaissance.

"So get it in your head / We gon' rock the dead. / Night of the living Emcees. / The weak ones fled." - Q-Tip; "Move"

From the onset of The Renaissance, Q-Tip, A.K.A. Kamaal The Abstract, makes it crystal that he's back, and returned with an evolved soundscape. Over the funky strings and light snare of "Johnny Is Dead", Kamaal reintroduces himself and tells us to "inform a friend / that your boy from the hood / is on that shit again." "Won't Trade" showcases that quintessential Q-Tip flow (slightly nasal, slightly monotone, somehow appealng) and wordplay as he uses hoops analogies to describe his attraction to the ladies and hip hop heads alike, while riding the base strings and sped-up soul sample to perfection. This track also sports one of the albums iller quotables:

"I train for the pressure. / It comes out fresher.
Equiped for the game / you know my name it makes me better.
I cheer for the home team. / Lets go for the whole thing.
The ballots that your holding. / MVP voting.
And I represent the sentiment that your emoting."

Q-Tip slides into relationship mode on the smooth "Gettin' Up", discussing the allure of reuniting with an ex. "Official" is a subdued, head-bobbing, scratch-heavy freestyle track which Tip rips lovely - kicking "percussions our weapons / drums are Smith & Wessons / Lyrics poppin off leaving deep impressions." From there relationship mode resumes with "You" (an ode to the realization that at the end of it all, it wasn't me...it was you), the Raphael Saadiq assisted "WeFight/WeLove" (where the two opine on loves ups and downs), and the funky, snare driven "ManWomanBoogie" (a musical metaphor for the spiritual connection between women and men).

The album's apex arrives with the J Dilla produced "Move." Clearly the Lp's standout cut. Tip spits cypher rhymes over Dilla's impectable drums and Jackson 5 sample ("Dancing Machine"). The beat switches 2 minutes and 49 seconds in as Kaamal reverts to a Rakim-esque delivery while reflecting on his path into rap lore ("And then my legend would grow on the A train line / where brothers would gather to see me, blowin' nicks and dimes"). Yep, clearly the album's standout cut.



"Plus a little bit more because you're choosing the prettiest / The wiliest, wittiest, on the low we the grittiest." - Q-Tip; "Dance On Glass"

The Liu Kang of the Loose Leaf page comments on Hip Hop's morbid state ("Who can make it up? / Dark Age is here in Rap") on "Dance On Glass." Norah Jones guest appears on the sultry "Life Is Better" where Q-Tip delivers the central theme of The Renaissance - "hip hop is here again...and its bangin'" - while giving shout outs to everyone from Kool Herc to Kanye West (excluding Lupe Fiasco. Not suprising after their recent dustup following last year's VH1 Hip Hop Honors). The tempo slows down on bass guitar-heavy, motivational, D'Angelo featured "Believe." "Shaka" is the closest Kaamal gets to bringing back that feeling of A Tribe Called Quest - carrying an early 90s vibe throughout. The Renaissance closes with the upbeat, soulful "Good Thang." Top to bottom, a pretty nice run.

"The formidable, unforgettable painting Abstract" - Q-Tip; Dance On Glass

All in all, The Renaissance feels like...well, a renaissance. Its apparent Q-Tip hasn't lost a lyrical step during his hiatus. The album is diverse, with a complimentary mixture of intropection, common man sensibilities (relationships rather than revelry), and fun freestlye cuts.



Perhaps whats most impressive and simultaneously most unfortunate is that Q-Tip produced nearly the entire album (excluding the ubiquitous "Move") himself. No doubt he's talented behind the boards and the album knocks most of the way through. But the problem with single-producer albums is the potential danger of sounding repetitive. For the most part, Kaamal stays away from the trap, but tracks like "Gettin' Up", "WeFight/We Love", "Official," and "Life Is Better" (although all dope) feel very similar - most noticeable when rocking on random and they happen to follow each other. A petty, pet-pieve of The Company Man. Plus, its been a while since I've listened to an all Q-Tip album, and unfortunately his trademark pitch is slightly less appealing than remembered. Not necessarily Freeway annoying. Just less appealng. Still classic though.

Front to back, The Renaissance is one of the better albums of the past couple years. Its a lean 13 tracks (only 2 verses on most), zero interludes, and maintains a solid lounge feel all the way through. Its the type of album that you'd appreciate more at S.O.B.s than MSG (smaller intimate setting as oppose to a stadium). And its versatile soundscape (you can clean to it, ride to it, enter mack-mode to it) signals the all important replay-value potential. The Renaissance will likely not break any sales records, but its a top-shelf Lp nonetheless. And most importantly for Tip, a more-than-worthy return. Hip Hop is playin' again...and its bangin'.


Rating: QQQQ.5

Election Day Running Blog Pt 1

November 4th, 2008. 9:41AM.

Just sat down behind my desk in my 10 ft x 12ft glass office that now feels less like a place of business and more like a den of punishment (think OZ-like prison cell. Only with more sunlight). My current discontentment for corporate america preceeded the recent economic crash by 6 months or so, but on this day, I awoke with an earnest sense of 'Hope.' Hopeful that a positive political strategy defeats the fear tactics and unilateralist policy we've trumpeted over the past 8 years. Hopeful that Obama wins by wide margins. Hopeful that McCain will return to the 'straight talk express' he rode for 20+ years only to abandon it for Bush-like fear mongering in a soul-selling attempt to win an election. Hopeful that the middle class will once again be the barers of the bounty, the focus of fiscal policy. Hopeful that Sarah Palin becomes little more than a political punch-line, or trivia question.

Hopeful that the this election will prove to be proof that America's turntables might wobble, but they won't fall down.

Hopeful that work won't suck today.

THE ELECTION DAY RUNNING BLOG

9:48AM

Text from Karmen: "I have been in line for 45 minutes and haven't moved an inch"
Return Text: "Si Se Puede"

9:53AM.

EP called while standing in line to vote at a Harlemworld elementary school (PS something or another). She's been at her precint since 8:30...lines extending out of the building. Normally voting lines Uptown arent' this long, but apparently 'Hope' has hit Harlemworld, and the masses have begun to show-and-prove.

10:06AM

Noell calls in with her D.C. voting report. She was in line for 2 hours (7 to 8:54). Theres an honest excitement in her voice. Not only did she cast her ballot for the first black presidential candidate, but since Election day is a teacher work day in Fairfax county (Maryland), she also has the day off. Win-Win.

Noell: "It will be a completely different experience if he loses, rather than if he wins. Poor black people, latinos...there is a groundswell of lower income people who have hope. But if he loses, they will be so disappointed, angry, disenchanted, disenfranchised...it will be ugly. And if he loses, the voter turnout will be non-existent in the next election. I don't want to deal with all of the nonsense if he loses."

TCM: "Yeah, it will be painful. It will shake peoples faith in our electoral process."

Noell: "Yeah, and I want a black man to win. It will be amazing. But also if McCain wins...I dont' want him to be able to f*ck with my benefits, and my insurance, and...it'll just be ugly."

Seriously.

10:24AM

EP calls back. "I just voted! Oh, and by the way, they didn't check people's ID there. And this girl was there who looked like she was 14 - but she must've been 18 since she was voting - and 8 and a half months pregnant saying 'I've never done this before...can you teach me?' Should I tell the press or something? I mean, she could have been anyone. She could have been her mother or something"

Voter irregularity in Harlemworld? At least its on our side this time.

Maybe thats bad for Obama.

10:32AM

Text from Karmen: "I am surrounded by McCain supporters voting at Riverside HS. Yuck!"

10:44AM

First election results are in! Obama is declared the winner of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, defeating John McCain 15 - 6!

Dixville Notch (sounds like the main character in "Boogie Nights 2") is a tiny town in northern NH with a population of 75 people and is best known for being one of the first to declare its US Presidential Election results. Since 1960, Dixville Notch has held a middle-of-the-night vote, where all eligible voters gather at midnight in the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, and cast their ballots. The polls are closed one minute later, and the results are broadcast to the rest of country immediately afterwards (FIRST!). And get this, there is an informal rivalry between Dixville Notch and other NH burgeoning metropolis' (Millsfield, Hart's Location, Ellsworth, Waterville Valley) for the recognition of being the first (FIRST!) to report its election results.

Now, not only is interesting for the Obama campaign, but also for the Democratic party. Dixville Notch has voted for the Republican candidate in each election since 1968 (when the good people of Dixville Notch supported Hubert Humphrey over Richard Nixon, 8 to 4).

Si Se Puede. Si Se Puede.

11:28AM

Text FWD from Yahnick: "They have a sign up sheet for volunteers to help Bush pack up his shit and get the f*ck out, Nov 5th. I put us down for the 3-8 shift..."

11:37AM

Text from Karmen: "Still here havent' voted yet"
Return Text: "Si Se Puede. Si Se Puede."

1:33PM

Back from an hour-plus-long meeting which also represents the first work done today. But on the up side, so far work hasn't sucked. Yes We Can. Checked my text backlog and received an update from Karmen at 12:43PM:

"Just finished"

3 hours and 43 minutes...longest time recorded on todays Election Day Running Blog. Now thats dedication. Not only did she wait almost 4 hours to vote, but she did so in the Republican locker room: South Carolina. Sure her vote is unlikely to count since SC isn't exactly a bastian of liberalism. Nevertheless, she stuck it out and staked her claim as a part of history. She'll have this story to tell forever, regardless of whether or not Obama wins.

I wonder if she would have waited to vote for Kerry? Or Edwards? Maybe Hillary.

2:03PM

My boy Devan emails:

"FED hires former Bear Chief Risk Officer. Whats wrong with this picture?"

2:10PM

Heading outside for a Black & Mild break. Wine is the new Regular. Tastes like Hooka.

2:35PM

This just in from CT. Sherese says there was no wait when she voted, "but her aunt waited an hour, and her girl waited 3 hours!...its worth the wait!"

2:44PM

My suddenly-arch-Republican homie, "JB", emailed this article to me:

Posted: November 04, 2008
12:48 pm Eastern

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Black Panthers blocked a doorway to a polling station and intimidated voters in Philadelphia, according to a Republican poll observer.

After one of two men wearing Black Panther gear brandished a nightstick to threaten voters, the poll observer called police.

As I walked up, they closed ranks, next to each other," he told Fox News. "So I walked directly in between them, went inside and found the poll watchers. They said they'd been here for about an hour. And they told us not to come outside because a black man is going to win this election no matter what."

He said he then walked back outside and the man with a night stick told him, "'We're tired of white supremacy' and he starts tapping the night stick in his hand. At which point I said, 'OK, we're not going to get in a fist fight right here,' and I called the police."

Officers escorted the man with the night stick away from the polling location, but the other person in Black Panther gear is a poll watcher and lives in the building where voters are scheduled to cast their ballots. He was allowed to remain on the premises.

A little backstory:

For the past 3 months, "JB", Sean P, and I have engaged in an intriguing, often anger enducing, running debate over The Election, the candidates, politics in general, whatever. JB (with the occasional input from his older brother) might as well be the Republican Elephant itself by the way he's co-signed his party's policies over the past 8 years - no matter how false history has proven them to be (Iraq's possession of nuclear weapons, for example). And Sean and I put on for the liberals.

Now there is a fundamental difference betweeen supporting a party and supporting the principles of that party. For example, its contradictory to say you agree with the way the Bush Administration has run the government while still calling yourself a conservative. Conservatism favors small, less intrusive, fiscally prudent government and the Bush Administration has recklessly spent tax payers dollars (fighting 2 multi-billion dollar wars while arrogantly cutting taxes, and borrowing money from other countries to float the bill) and sanctioned domestic wire tapping - just to name a couple. So when I say JB is a Republican and Sean and I are liberals, I mean he pulls for his team, and we pull for liberalism (regardless of whose effing up the government).

Now these conversations expanded from sporadic phone calls, to daily I-might-get-fired-due-to-chronic-misuse-of-company-property emails back and forth. Neither side would hesitate to blow up the others spot with a random factoid, or FoxNews/MSNBC 'breaking news' release, or Sarah Palin comedy routine (err...interview) just to prove the others' idiocrocy. After a while it got to the point where we were no longer debating viewpoints, but fighting each other. It became clear that nothing said would make a dent in the others resolve, but rather heightened each others sensitivities. The debates turned toxic and I've since put down the pipe. You vote your vote. I'll vote mine.

2 things learned:

1. I doubt I will ever understand the fiscal motivations of non-rich Republicans. To me its simple, Republican party policies help the rich first, and possibly trickle down to everyone else (tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% of Americans and Fortune 500 companies, for example). The non-rich are the last to benefit. The argument is that when you give money to the richest few, more jobs are created which helps the economy as a whole - middle class and lower class included. Republican commentators further defend this ideology by reminding us that wealth is not static -meaning that when wealth is given to one population, its not necessarily taken away from another population. There is no set size to the pie.

Fine. I get it.

But wealth equals Opportunity. And those with the wealth control the Opportunity. People don't want money because they like having pictures of dead presidents in their pocket. People want money because it provides the Opportunity for more stuff, more experiences, a perceived better life. When wealth is redistributed to the richest few (which is exactly what a tax cut for the rich is...wealth redistibution), you are not only providing them with more resources, you provide them with more Opportunity - in hopes that they find it in the kindness of their hearts to let it trickle down to the rest of us. True, the company with lower taxes may hire more people, but at the same time they control when they hire, who they hire, where those people who are hired will come from, what schools they will require, etc, etc, etc. And with an under funded education system (possibly inconjunction with a reduced tax revenue base to support public schools. Tax cuts?) Americans as a whole are becoming less competitive on a global scale. Which means that many of the best jobs available are not necessarily reserved for Americans. My firm spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year paying for H1-B Visas for international transplants. Sure the economy grows, but who benefits? The shrinking American middle-class?

Control the wealth. Control the Opportunity.

Non-rich Republicans control neither. Its as if they believe that they will be rich at some point in life and want to make sure they will benefit from the same system thats currently shafting them. Breaking news - Fiddy got rich. You'll die trying.

2. As much of a circle-jerk as the convos became, its still refreshing to vere from the usual debates about college football, 'whos' uglier', and scattered-ass. I don't know if its The Election capturing the global consciousness, or us getting older - but either way, its appreciated. I learned quite a bit from JB. And I'm better for it.

Pardon my tangent.

Anyhow, JB is back at it with this Black Panther report. The irony is that I'm not sure how to react to this story. I mean, for decades we've heard Democrats complain about voter suppression in swing states - putting armed, off-duty cops in predominantly black polling locations, or telling people if you owe taxes that you will get arrested if you vote as a means of keeping minorities from dropping their ballots. Now we have Republican's being intimidated by Black Panthers??

I guess thats whats poppin' in 2008.

Voter suppression is unconstitutional no matter who is responsible. But I can't front, it feels much better on this side.

Cautious optimism.

Cautious optimism.


3:13PM

Marcus dials in with a "Happy OBAMA DAY!!!"

TCM: "So what do you think? Does he pull it out?"

Marcus: "Obama better win. If he doesn't its a conspiracy. Brandie's been nervous all day. Stressing about it. Calling me every five minutes. Its like she's in love with Obama...Gotdamnit."

Marcus: "One of my [clients] asked me if I voted today. I said 'Yes ma'am.' She said 'I can tell your a young black man...don't vote for him because he's black...vote for him because he's a young smart man. Vote for him because you believe in his policies.' I said 'Yes ma'am, I believe in his policies'....it helps that he's black, though."

3:46PM

Text from Derron: "Rosa Parks sat so Dr. King could walk. Dr. King walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so our kids can fly."

I've never forwarded a text message before. This one might be the first.

4:13PM

Text from Marisol: "I just Baracked the vote - Yay!!!"
TCM: "Nice! How long was the wait?"
Marisol: "None"
TCM: "How do you feel?"
Marisol: "GOOD and I'm wearing my Obama shirt."
TCM: "Any resistence?"
Marisol: "Nah lol where I vote is Tracey towers ghetto as hell"
TCM: "Where chinese delivery man got trapped in an elevator?"
Marisol: "Yup lol"

4:37PM

I wonder what Mary thinks of all this?

4:47PM

Got this yesterday from my boy James. Finally watched it today.



Definitely a one time watch.

I still need to make a Youtube video.

Si Se Puede.

Si Se Puede.

5:15PM

Sean's sister Shauna sent this one. Much better than the previous.




6:19PM

Nearly a complete day of non-work related work. Headed back to BK to recharge before the Election Night party (the new phenomenon in the 2008 election season. People just need a reason to drink.

9:32PM

MSNBC reports Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Ohio in the bag for Obama.

HUGE.

I repeat in bold: HUGE.

Cautious Optimism.

Chris Mathews makes a good point about McCain's downfall in this election. The moment he stated that the 'fundamentals of the economy are strong' a week prior to the collapse of the financial sector, McCain essentially married himself to the Dubya's failed economic policies. Add that to his short-sighted Palin pick and you have an old, scattered, erratic presidential candidate who doesn't look Presidential.

McCain looks like a Ninja Turtle.

Minus the Ninja.

Cautious Optimism. Cautious Optimism.

9:44PM

MSNBC electoral talley: Obama 200. McCain 94.

70 votes to go with Democratic strongholds still open.

9:49PM

Tossing on the jeans, kicks, hoodie, and blazer. Headed to the election party. Looks like a throw down is on the way.

PART 2 ON THE WAY