Thank You Lupe
I won’t pretend as if I’m some mystical being who magically knows about all good music and no one ever puts me on. However, I find it rare when a Grammy winning artist tweets about an amazing singer that would’ve probably gone entirely unnoticed. Ever since I saw “The Tweet“, I’ve been scrambling to find all of his music ever since. At this point you’ve either undoubtedly doubled over in anticipation or you’ve already clicked the play button. Regardless, I’m speaking of Frank Ocean. I could ramble on, but I’d prefer you just listened.
Moscato
Ab-Soul – Moscato ƒt Kendrick Lamar #LTM by TopDawgENT
Moscato ft. Kendrick Lamar
Ab-Soul
Ease into it. Let it creep through your headphones. Imagine, that 1 AM drive where the streets are your own. As you sink lower into your seat, you reach for the volume dial and turn it up ever so slowly only to accelerate just enough to put your vehicle into cruise control. You reach for your drink, take a sip and return to your hand to the steering wheel.
Sound like a nice story, because that’s exactly what I’m going to do to this song. As you know, we’re big fans of Kendrick Lamar and the Top Dawg Entertainment camp. Anywho, as always click HERE download to begin your own late night mind cleansing drive.
The 20 Minute Photoshoot
Who said dopeness takes time? Sometimes it can be found in its purest form through dramatic chaos… or #Insanity, if you will. This is exactly the case with my last project: The 20 Minute Photoshoot.
So.. I’m sitting at my laptop, in class as usual, when a notification pings my vision. “It’s a beautiful day outside. Perfect for Pictures.” On the other end of the information highway sat Ms. Sabah Khan, a gorgeous Freshman whom I had no doubt wanted to shoot for a while but hadn’t had the time to.
At that moment, there stood opportunity… And me without my net. (Sad joke.. It’s cool if you don’t laugh) So, I told opportunity to meet me in a few and be ready to go when I get there. I pulled up to her dormitory at 3:02 on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, and by 3:14 we were in Down town Norman with a one light studio set up shooting against traffic.
By 3:18, we were headed home. And dopeness ensued. Check it out:
Step Behind Our Lens #ArtisticInsanity
Well as you know, over here at The Artistic Insanity, we like to take pictures. Some of you would call us photographers. Now, I (Pheno) just consider myself a guy who shoots from time to time, but one of my partners Jaren C. Collins AKA JCi Creatives/Just Cause Images on the other hand is a PHOTOGRAPHER. The man is a beast, but I’m aware that words mean nothing, so I suggest you look at these photos.
Be With You
Be With You ft. Marsha Ambrosius & Ludacris
David Banner
Death of a Pop Star
Before you read any words, click that play button…. but really, press that button in enjoy the epitome of a classic Southern rap song. David Banner, widely known for his beat making, teamed up with 9th Wonder for this beauty of a song. If you couple those two with Ludacris and Marsha Ambrosius, you have no choice but to let the melodies override your current state of mind and relax.
Much thanks to my brother Robert I. Brown for telling me about the song some time back.
A Good Read
I was recently given the opportunity to write a style post over my favorite African-American individual. I chose Malcolm X seeing how the 46th anniversary of his death was yesterday. Head over to my brother Robert I. Brown’s website for the read. While you’re on the site, take a look around and enjoy the beautiful lifestyle blog.
Read the article here: R.I.B.S. : Malcolm X
Thank you in advance,
Pheno
#ArtisticInsanity
Pretty Girls Wale ft. Gucci Mane (Remix) by Drome1031
We like babes. We like The Artistic Insanity. We LOVE it when babes wear our clothing. We have the lovely Ms. Shala who granted us the privilege of capturing her beauty by none other than, our official photographer/one-third of The Artistic Insanity, Jaren C. Collins.
SN: We haven’t been posting as much as usual but we have some more heat coming for you in the very near future.
The Johnny Polygon Project
About couple of months ago, we had the pleasure of shooting and filming Johnny Polygon, a musician from our hometown Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’s been on tour with Kid Cudi and has released a mixtape with the help of DJ Green Lantern whom I’m sure our visitors are probably sure of. He’s been slowly putting out quality that’s been getting quite a few people to nod their heads. Johnny decided to do a two night set in our hometown and was gracious enough to let us shoot it. Check out some of the footage from the first night. More to come later!!!
The Johnny Polygon Project from Jaren Collins on Vimeo.
(**Due to restrictions, we are not allowed to show any of the actual show footage. However, be on the lookout for any Johnny Polygon news.**)
The Distinguished Urban Society
I discovered these gentleman one late night perusing the internet and was extremely impressed. Its a pleasure to find a group of men who haven’t forgot about the most dangerous weapon in a man’s dressing arsenal. No, I’m not referring to those deadstock Jordans, I speak of a well-tailored suit. They teach you how to get everything right. Their work is phenomenal. Now Valentine’s Day is upon us, and fellas if you don’t have any idea what to do, I suggest you scramble up some ideas from The DUSociety. Make it snappy you only have a few hours left.
The Distinguished Urban Society Valentine’s Day Edition from Elliott&Tokz on Vimeo.
Now they have MUCH more in store if you click the link below. They even give you the secret of how to dress as debonair as the gentleman in the video. I guarantee you’ll be happy you paid their site a visit.
Website: The DUSociety
Twitter: @TheDUSociety
The Introduction
Thanks to our good friend DJ View, we’ve become painfully aware of this wordsmith named Los. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been this astonished by one man’s flow since J. Cole. He was the first person signed to Roc Nation, so I’m paying him a huge compliment. However ever compliment is well deserved. Los shows you different flows for every song and he does nothing less than rip your favorite track to shreds only leaving you to wonder if you’ll ever be able to listen to the original again.
You’ve been formerly introduced. I’d suggest you get well acquainted and allow him to infiltrate your iTunes.
Follow him on Twitter: @SwaggaBoyLos
The Break Up Song & The MC
The Break Up Song
Wale
More About Nothing
The MC
Wale
More About Nothing
The lyrical assassin from the DMV area is back again with his first videos off of his critically acclaimed mixtape “More About Nothing”. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Wale even despite his recent arguments with Kid Cudi. I’m a firmly believer that good music is hard to come by so it should be appreciated no matter where it comes from.
Fun Fact: Wale sampled Stevie Wonder’s All I Do for The Break Up Song
Stevie Wonder – All I Do by tolgarNYC
All I Do
Stevie Wonder
Hotter Than July
Valentine’s Day Part 2…
The month of February is upon us. That means three things, Black History Month, The NBA All-Star game and the much dreaded Valentine’s day. Now usually many of my male friends are scrambling for gift ideas around this time much to the dismay of their bank accounts. Fear not, The Artistic Insanity has a few ever so creative gift ideas for you that aren’t very costly.
1) View Day (V-Day) mixtape
Now instead of going out to dinner and a movie, spend a cozy night while having your favorite DJ play some recent R&B favorites. Draw her a bubble bath and let the music take you on a ride. The best thing about this is its COMPLETELY FREE. That’s right, DJ View made a mixtape for you and your significant other this love season.
2) Ladies Love Mars Mansion (LLMM) tee
The fly gentleman over at Mars Mansion have made something for your misses. The up and coming streetwear brand not only has some heat for her, but it takes the pressure off of your wallet. At only $20, its a STEAL!
3) JCi Valentine’s Day Photoshoot
Not to be out done, Mr. JCi himself Jaren C. Collins is here with yet another special for your photography needs. If you’re in the OKC/Norman/Edmond area, you can book a special photoshoot for the lady in your life at only $75. Not only is this outside of the box, its something she won’t soon forget. However, since spaces are filling up swiftly, I’d suggest you contact Mr. Collins at your earliest convenience to get your slot secured before its too late.
Contact Jaren C. Collins of JCi Creatives here
For more of his work, visit his website: JCi Creatives
Now, if you want to be the Casanova you were born to be, you can get all of these plus some flowers and still be at or under $125, how can you beat that? You can’t. Thank us later. We hope these ideas help you out in your gift preparation ideas.
Air Jordan Cement III
We here at The Artistic Insanity like the finer things in life. Whether it be crisp button down oxfords, wingtips or Air Jordans and Nike basketball shorts. When I got word that the Air Jordan Cement III’s were releasing in the classic box, it was something I couldn’t pass up on. Check the photographs below. Enjoy.
**All photos courtesy of Phillip Buggs of JCI Creatives.**
I do have one recommendation. These particular shoes run a half size larger, so I’d suggest sizing down. I’m usually a perfect size 9, but as you can see I went with the 8.5.
Musical Genius
#HistoryLesson
No one is on this musicians level. He’s a legend. He’s been make music before the majority of us were alive. He was your idol’s idol. Don’t believe me? Michael Jackson looked up to this man. Over at The Artistic Insanity we support good music, past & present. Now what would it look like if we left this savant out? Enter the man, the legend and most importantly the musician.
MR. STEVIE WONDER
You couldn’t challenge him on any instrument. it would be a waste of your time. Not only did he not let his blindness handicap him, he overcame it and became one of the greatest musicians EVER. Point is Stevie Wonder will EAT you on any instrument. He’s not a legend for nothing. Go listen to his music when you get a few minutes to relax, it’ll be worth your time.
Stevie Wonder – Superstition by jorgineys
Stevie Wonder – For Once In My Life by elpeeda
Stevie Wonder (feat. Prince & En Vogue) – So What The Fuss by M A J E S T Y
My Cherie Amour_Stevie Wonder by simples
In order:
Superstition
For Once In My Life
So What The Fuss
My Cherie Amour
You’re welcome.
#ClassClosed
That Feeling
I get this feeling knowing about something or someone that’s so dope but very few people know about it. This feeling is euphoric. There’s something about that feeling. For example, I’ve had a likening towards Wiz Khalifa’s music since “Say Yeah”. Before Kush & Orange Juice was released, I was still avidly listening to “Flight School” & “How Fly with Curren$y”. When I first downloaded Kush & Orange Juice, it was just another Wiz mixtape to bump until the album would be released. Deal or No Deal was okay, but I knew his talent had yet to reach its capacity with that work. However, after its release there seems to be an abundance of Wiz Khalifa fans as well as Curren$y fans. Much to my dismay, I logged onto my Facebook, which I had deactivated because it was a distraction, I saw all of these Kush & Orange Juice posts…it was sickening. For example, the majority of these new fans wouldn’t know that the cover of Kush & Orange Juice is Wiz Khalifa’s face photoshopped over a David Ruffin album cover, whose music Khalifa enjoys.
I remember that feeling when someone would ask what I was listening to and I’d say “Dom Kennedy – Of All Time” and they’d say “Who?!?!” and my response was always “Give it a while. You’ll know who I’m talking about in a year.” The best part was that it always came true. Now, you’re listening to my favorite artists with no respect for the music and its disgusting.
There’s always that downside to the feeling. It’s the feeling I get when everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Its like sitting on the front row of an empty stadium watching you’re favorite artist and you’re the only one around. Then it seems suddenly you’re fighting for a balcony seat. I hate that. No, I loathe that feeling. How could you come in and disrespect all the hours of research and listening I’ve put in and then try to tell me you know about (insert favorite artist/clothing line/anything that means something to you)!?!? For me, that blank is always filled with music, books, photography or fashion. I mean honestly, am I allowed the right to get mad? It wasn’t like I was the first person to ever hear it, but I still feel like I can get mad. Its not just music to me. Its a way to get lost in the sound of the harmonies that put me in a place that’s simply indescribable.
When that feeling gets tampered with, its annoying. Until I find that next thing, so I suppose I’m always looking for that next thing. I’ll probably scroll across some page looking for new music and I’ll find it, then so will the rest of the world and the feeling will be gone. It’s a never ending painful cycle, but would I change it?
Not for the world.
Celebrating Black History – Malcolm X
Far too often we only choose to acknowledge our ancestry as African American’s during the month of February, but during the remainder of the year we choose to hide our heritage in the confines of our minds. Well if you know me personally or if we’re even Facebook friends, throughout the year you’ll probably see a portrait of Malcolm X as my profile picture. Malcolm X is one of my personal heroes. We don’t share my commonalities, but he encompasses all that I believe a young black man should be. He possesses all of the following qualities; Stylish, Well-Spoken, Intelligent, Compassionate, Determined and aware of his history. Personally, these are all things that I aspire to be. Throughout the year, I’ll continue to post things as I see fit and to truly show that there’s more to African-American history than 28/29 days out of a year.
There are several reasons I chose pictures of Malcolm X smiling. Historically, he’s been painted as a racist power-driven savage so I wanted to paint the image of a softer side that’s rarely shown of Malcolm X. He’s depicted of being stern and serious, however I’m sure he had a few laughs here and there.
I post these two video clips to show that his diction and eloquence is unmatched. These are all reasons why I’m a fan of his speech writing and delivery. In summation, I hope you actually take something from this post. If not, I feel sorry for because there’s a lot more where this came from.
And in the words of one Lupe Fiasco, “Somebody tell Malcolm X I’m tryna steal his style.” The man was SHARP!!
A Day In The Life of The Style Blogger
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Hope you all do as well.
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Coffee House
i guess we never
really touched
on the subject since
i often burry
my lips in my fist
5 fingers below a whisper
instead.
i raise my voice
in streaks of
black ink,
underlines and circles
surrounded.
they are, the
continuous confessions
i can’t control
like.
the reason i write slowly
is because i imagine
carving these words on your lips
in a language
only you
can speak.
the extended blinks
i hold when you’re
not around are
mini prayers
i pretend bring you near
and.
until then
i’ll season
these pages,
litter them with letters
like footprints in fresh snow
carry this conversation close,
keep them on the
tongue of your ear
to taste the tone
of my voice
when you remember
the affectionate flavors
that make you bite
your lip
don’t resist
because now.
you.
are melting in the
hot chocolate,
of my dark brown eyes
-5ategory
He’s extended family of The Artistic Insanity. We’ll keep you posted on his work. Its nothing but quality that continues to grow as his pen touched the pad.
*Not 5ategory, just an artist in a coffee house*
Words I Never Said
I for one am glad I never doubted Lupe. He is unmatched in his talent. Listen to his new song, “Words I Never Said” ft Skylar Grey. Its epic, and not that, “I made an A on my test” but rather the, “I just graduated from medical school.” epic. This will be on repeat for at least a week.
Lookout for Lasers dropping March 8th.
