Crooked Smile - J. Cole

Look
They tell me I should fix my grill cause I got money now
I ain’t gon’ sit around and front like I ain’t thought about it
A perfect smile is more appealing but it’s funny how
My shit is crooked look at how far I done got without it
I keep my twisted grill, just to show them kids it’s real
We ain’t picture perfect but we worth the picture still
I got smart, I got rich, and I got bitches still
And they all look my eyebrows: thick as hell
Love yourself, girl, or nobody will
Oh, you a woman? I don’t know how you deal
With all the pressure to look impressive and go out in heels
I feel for you
Killing yourself to find a man that’ll kill for you
You wake up, put makeup on
Stare in the mirror but its clear that you can’t face what’s wrong
No need to fix what God already put his paint brush on
Your roommate yelling, “Why you gotta take so long?”
What it’s like to have a crooked smile
This crooked smile

To all the women with the flaws, know it’s hard my darling
You wonder why you’re lonely and your man’s not calling
You keep falling victim cause you’re insecure
And when I tell you that you’re beautiful you can’t be sure
Cause you see that no one wants you back and it got you asking
So all you see is what you lacking, not what you packing
Take it from a man that loves what you got
And baby you’re a star, don’t let ‘em tell you you’re not
Now is it real? Eyebrows, fingernails, hair
Is it real? if it’s not, girl you don’t care
Cause what’s real is something that the eyes can’t see
That the hands can’t touch, that them broads can’t be, and that’s you
Never let ‘em see your friend
And if you need a friend to pick you up, I’ll be around
And we can ride with the windows down, the music loud
I can tell you ain’t laughed in a while
But I wanna see that crooked smile

We only fronting like the people on the screen
You know them movie stars, picture perfect beauty queens
But we got dreams and we got the right to chase ‘em
Look at the nation, that’s a crooked smile braces couldn’t even straighten
Seem like half the race is either on probation, or in jail
Wonder why we inhale, cause we in hell already
I asked if my skin pale, would I then sell like Eminem or Adele?
Yo one more time for the ‘Ville
And fuck all of that beef shit, ni**a let’s make a mil
Hey officer man, we don’t want nobody getting killed
Just open up that cell, let my brother out of jail
I got money for the bail now, well now.
If you asking will I tell now? Hell naw
I ain’t snitching cause
Man, they get them ni**as stitches now
If you was around, then you wouldn’t need a witness now
How you like this crooked smile?

Power Trip - J. Cole Feat. Miguel

J. Cole featuring Miguel

Good Ass Intro - Chance The Rapper

Visual and Musical Perfection.

Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix Preview with Jay-Z)

Thoughts and Regrets

I'm afraid I chose the wrong circle. The wrong group of friends to take me through this part of my life.
They're not driven, they're not ambitious. They're not academically equal. Not in the same percentile.
That's not to say they're not smart guys, just smart with different things (couldn't find a better way to put that).
Growing up I've always been about my books and that's evident in my grades and achievement thus far. Coming to university I thought I could branch out and relax a little. I went into the path of girls and alcohol. Disappointed in my grades but I still do well enough to be called 'smart'. 3 years down the line, a few months from graduation and I've entered my comfort zone again I feel a shift in my friendships. I don't find my guys interesting anymore.
I'm finding comfort and peace in my books. My taste in music is changing and I'm comfortable with the girl I'm with. I don't see myself doing stupid things anymore.
I don't know if they see the same changes but I'm curious to see if these friendships last.
After graduation, I don't think I'll be making much of an effort to see them. I'm actually looking forward to going back to the friends I grew up with. The ones that know me.

Perspective.

Higher - D'Angelo, Brown Sugar

Feels like heaven when I think about you
sparking that love within my soul
and when I touch U, I can't describe it
sending chills, down my bones

With God as my witness and watching over
We'll write our love in the stone
Please give us strength Lord to fight our battles
and we can walk on the streets of gold

Cause you take me higher, than I've ever, ever known
give me good feeling, like a king and queen on a throne
cause you take me higher, further than the sky above
send me in ecstasy baby, with you love

Tell me what you're thinking of, must thinking of love
put your hands into mine and then we'll take off to the sky above
soft like an angel, like the feathers laying on a dove
touch me with your soul love, till I lose control

Just like an angel watching over me
(U protect me from my fears)
I once was blind, but now I see
(Ever since the day U appeared)
I just wanna say
I want U in my life
till the day I die baby

Look in my eyes,
tell me right now,
that U and your love
will 4-ever take me higher

Jared Evan - Black & White feat. Joey Badass (Official Video)

Guru (featuring Les Nubians) - Who's There

Lovelier Than You

I'm dangerously, dangerously, dangerously in love
I love her more than I love myself and still that ain't enough
If this's a dream I don't wanna wake up
We go together like the tub and the shower head above
Not even thousands and thousands of miles
Could amount to my love I'd have countless sky miles
I'd climb up a mountain, climb right back down
I'd run across the world and jog back around
Noun and a verb is just a sound
And a word is not profound enough to show my urge for her smile
I'd shout on a curb with a loudspeaker
'Till the entire town heard how I felt
And I'm out

- Bobby Ray

B.o.B-Lovelier Than You With Lyrics

Jhené Aiko "Mirrors"

Jhené Aiko "Burning Man (3:16pm)"

a jazz spin to a popular song

Frank Ocean 2013 - Tuesday from Lumentech on Vimeo.

Kendrick Lamar - Poetic Justice (Explicit) ft. Drake

The xx - I Miss You (Beyonce cover)

The Hunger Games

LL Cool J - Take It ft. Joe

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

After watching the movie on my flight to South Africa last summer, I thought I'd give the Hunger Games Trilogy a read. 

The movie (although it left me with many questions) was really good!

The books, good-ish.

The main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, comes up short with all the characteristics you'd expect her to have. She's not charismatic, warm, the smartest or the bravest character in the book. The only time you feel she shows emotion is when her little sister is involved. Besides then, she comes across as selfish, annoying and helpless.

In the first two books, both exceptionally good, she doesn't come across as the favourite character, this title goes to Peeta Mellark, who saves her and just oozes hero.

I feel like the author did such a good job in building his character up that the last book was dedicated to trying to redeem Katniss and thus, lost some of its essence.

I have to admit, I struggled to read the last book, and at times it lost some of its cohesion and descriptions didn't flow as well as the other books but in general, it made for a decent read.

I wouldn't recommend it to adult though (the size of the writing might offend you).

I think it's safe to say the film didn't do the book justice. I wonder how they plan on producing the next two installments.

Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments

Faith

Is it wrong to believe in different religions simultaneously?
Growing up, my best friends were Sikhs and Muslims. I grew up learning Arabic and short prayers from my friends, went to Sikh and Hindu festivals, and not once did I question my faith.
When I was 15, I asked myself, "If Christianity is the true faith, why are people of other religions so blessed?"
I've been raised in a strict Christian family. Church 3 times a week, choir members, deacons and several of my uncles are pastors with their own churches. The religion though, has never embraced me... Or I haven't embraced the religion.
I love God. I love Jesus. Is it wrong then for me to say that Muhammed (SAW) could have been the last prophet after Jesus?
Is it wrong for me to want to live my life like Buddha? Seeking peace, humility and enlightenment?
The Guru Granth Sahib, is it wrong for me to take its teachings into my life?
I feel like as Christians, we are very quick to say other religions are wrong, and we don't spend enough time reading and learning about them to see that Islam and Hinduism and Sikhism etc. are all trying to make us better people to prepare us for the next life, whatever that is.
My Muslim friends always told me about their love for Allah, trying to live like the prophet Muhammed. They would even tell me about how the Qu'ran has stories about every situation we can come across in life, from sex to surgeries.
I envied them because I wasn't that close to my God.
Despite being a healthy, well educated guy with good relationships with all the people in my life, I still feel an emptiness in my soul. Music is the only thing that touches me that deeply but I know there is more that I'm searching for.
I just want answers. Faith needs to find me. I need to find God. Whatever path I'm going towards, I need to restore my faith in God.

Before Babylon takes me to a place I can't return from.

Kendrick Lamar

I went to see Kendrick Lamar last night, January 20th at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. It was my second time seeing him live, my first time being his first show in London, ever.
The first time he came, he spent a lot of time teasing the crowd. Giving us a couple verses and then moving onto the next song. This almost felt like a waste of energy because just before you could really go crazy for the song he'd finish it, so I was happy that last night he really performed for us.
The crowd was crazy! Jumping, screaming, and rapping along to every song, from P&P to The Recipe. We really showed him that we are O.D fans (pun intended).
The highlight of the night must be when he told someone in the crowd, "If you can survive through a performance of M.A.A.D City you can survive through any song", after which the crowd really went psycho, ape shit out there! Not finished yet. For the encore, he came back and told the same person, "I lied. If you can survive through Cartoons & Cereal, you can survive through anything!" 

Haven't seen a crowd go that hype since WTT.
Wonderful night, despite the weather. Great performance.

Kendrick really is bound for greatness.
TDE. HiiiPower.

INCIDENTAL COMICS: The Nature of Ambition

INCIDENTAL COMICS: The Nature of Ambition


Love this.

Always Love African Print

Appreciate the Words. iLLuminate by Ab-Soul and KDot

Back when I first grabbed that pen
I told myself I was gon' win
And I ain't know when
But it was gon' end
Up happening, I want in
So you can take your top 5 list
Dead or alive and put me after Em
I'm a fucking genius
Gripping my fucking penis, living this life
You can't tell me nothing
Still ain't really got no money fucking right
I'm all about that real, about that real
This ain't no motion picture
I tell you how that feel, how that feel
Even when the odds against you
They wanna see me wearing Polo drawers
Put 2 chains on and that ain't wrong
But that ain't me, I go too damn hard
I don't need clothes or jewelry to stand out
Black lip nigga with his hair wild
Too damn proud
Been killing this since Cam made Oh Boy
Oh boy, I'm the man now
TDE, put the money in my hand ain't shit free
This business is quick sand and I won't sink
Put the pistol in my hand and I won't think
Rest in peace, you just made room for the next to be
I never been afraid to say what I wanna say when I wanna say it, okay then
Further more we do this for y'all
Rap is stressin' but it pays great
That is until you lose appeal
And your release date gets date raped
Stay safe, hold your head
I got two fifth and a loaf of bread
Feed the people, food for thought
Because we are equal, who'd have though

I used to wanna rap like Jay-Z
Now I feel like I'm runnin' laps around Jay-Z
Nas ain't seen nothing this nasty
B.I.G. & Pac got it coming when I pass too
You got the mic, I ain't the one you wanna pass to
My niggas say my new shit past due
I paid dues, even got that shit tattooed
HiiiPoWeR on another plateau
I know you know we need a few plaques too
The brand new niggas with a attitude
Poppin' Compton or Timbuktu
I might even sell my new shit for 10 bucks too
Too I'll when I jot these words
True eel when I shock the world
I know life's a bitch
When you know life's a bitch and that's not your girl
Cold shit, I'm hot though
Like Cold get, Ab-Soul
This is a shift in paradigm
I remember when I couldn't spare a dime
Now I step in with a pair of dimes
On P's, y'all know me
Flow like water, admiralty
The best author ever to breath
And as we proceed to follow these dreams
I ain't losing no sleep
No, no at them no doors
Just know "No" if it's no dough
So high but I'm Soulo
Two cups and I sip slow
Taking my time
We don't just shine, we illuminate the whole show
Now let's go

Time and time I drop line for line
But only time will tell
If I ever go Columbine
And cop 30 nines and cock back and kill
See the truth is, they wanna know how close me, Dre and Snoop is
Or how the shoe fits when they choose this to be 2Pac
But truth I give two shits 'bout
Expectations or critics hating
Shit, I just put moms on vacation
Bitch you never know my new location, it's across nations
Court cases get thrown out
So tell the motherfucking King dethrone now
I am ruler, I am highness
The Prince Zamunda
I am the shit like what the prune does
Black on black tip like Kinta Kunta
Black is back bitch I'm the the coupe-da
Black on black crime resent the shooter
Black, black, black, I intend to mute you
Racks on racks, I don't rap on tracks
Without my A-game so please don't ask me about no pressure
Bitch see the grip on my fingertip I can hold this coast together
 

Ab-Soul 'ILLuminate' ft. Kendrick Lamar (Official Video)

Life.

Namibia

Somebody told me Windhoek was an ugly city. They lied.

Cocaine 80s

Everyone should bless their music collection with some Cocaine80s.

4 EPs, cocaine80.com

Their music just makes sense.

Gael Bigirimana

In 2012, a friend of mine signed his Second (but more high profile) professional football contract.

I remember playing football in the park with this guy so it's good to see his dreams come true. 

He keeps God close to his heart so I know his future is already blessed.

Gael, thank you for being an inspiration.

2013

Every now and then, you come across a piece of music that you know will be legendary. 

Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City will be remembered for a while.