With family in town this weekend I finally had an opportunity to breath and decided to add a new column to the blog. “Moments of Clarity”. These are moments in the life of a By Any Means repper that stuck out in some capacity or were thought provoking and could be captured in one image. I wanted to start this because we are fortunate enough to live such an unrealistic lifestyle and we want our supporters to live vicariously through us until we can bring everyone along. These moments can be anything from a behind the scenes pic at a video shoot to something a little unorthodox as our first feature “Henry”. Hope you enjoy the new column and if you have any “Moments of Clarity” please send them to info@byanymeansonline.com and we just might feature yours.
I’ve lived on my block in BK for about 3 years now which honestly has some of the most eclectic group of neighbors I have ever had…in a good way. When we first moved in I would see this older gentleman about once every two to three months, he would just sit on his porch and listen to his radio (mostly Yankee games) as if he had not a care in the world. There was just something about him that intrigued me though, maybe it was the older swag that just doesn’t seem to exist in our generation anymore, maybe his lawn which hadn’t been mowed in decades, or the fact that his fencing had no opening. It was such a photo to me…as if someone spent thousands on art direction and location scouting, and with my newly obtained Canon Mark IV 1D it was my mission to obtain this image. As I started seeing him more often I would try my best to exchange forms of pleasantries to set up a shoot, the nod, salute and the always infamous “Hi” didn’t work. After almost a year of being rejected the older gentleman finally returned the nod..I knew this was my time to strike up conversation. He introduced himself as “Henry” and it was full steam from then on, about 20 minutes into the conversation I finally figured out what was so intriguing about the man that lived across the street. He was suffering from Agoraphobia and hasn’t gone further than his porch in over 18 years! It was all making sense now, the stand offish attitude, his impeccable vintage attire, but more importantly his fencing with no opening. Days later, I came by with my camera and after a slight “ehhhhh” he obliged my request to a photo. I bring to you….”HENRY”.
So last night the night before last (still hazy), the BAM crew (myself, The Wolf, Al “2 Cool 2 Trend a Topic” Bundy, OG Juan (a/k/a Uncle Lou), Feev, and a person to be named at a later time) celebrated Lord Shiva’s favorite passtime by taking a trip to the home of the Washington Natinals in the lavish luxury of a double-decker MegaBus. (Yup, we’re too groovy to go downtown on that Chinatown Express.) The event? The homie Thi’s grand opening of the D.C. leg of his soon-to-be worldwide art gallery Exhibition, Addiction.
Sometimes, you get more than what you bargain for. After a four-hour trip, which included weapons lessons from an arms dealer who turned a month-long birthright trip into a 9-month training camp of using Palestinians as target practice (who also happened to miss his trust fund-provided private plane trip to Zurich in favor of a $14 Megabus to DC…bummer), and a bunch of sorta/kinda-attractive-in-that-girl-next-door-to-the-girl-next-door kinda way girls (who, to their credit, were some acceptable-ass DJ’s), we finally arrived in the land of opportunity — a bar.
After getting some samples (one-half Pinesol, other half Dawn), we acquired this thing. Who knows what it is, or who invented it, but as the picture clearly shows, this item in question was noteworthy. Damn.
Come party with us in DC this 4.20…if you remember the last ADDICTION exhibit in NYC it was pretty epic. Dame Dash, J. Cole, Donnis, Curren$y, Pardon Me Duke, TaVon Sampson, Feev, Phylicia Jones…etc. So dont miss out this time and if your not in DC..take the trip. It will be worth it!!
Welcome to my new column “QUEUE-TIP”. Here’s the rundown: Pretty much every now and then I will suggest a movie for you to throw in your Netflix Queue. If you know nothing about me, know this…my movie knowledge is top tier. So don’t fret my pets, take head and get put up on some classic cinematography.
My first installment is quite appropriate considering its one of my favorite movies. Some know about it, but its a cult classic so most dont. Its a shame too, cause its by far one of the most well put together movies of our generation. The direction & writing (Guy Richie) is impeccable, the score is unmatched (maybe the oceans), the character development is astounding and it has more one liners than a Bruce Willis flick.
“You should never underestimate the predictibility of stupidy” – Bullet Tooth Tony
“The true master is consciousness, and I mean true consciousness — not simply being awake — I’m talking about the consciousness that never sleeps. The part of you that is aware of your consciousness. There’s a part of you that’s always there, always consistent, that represents your true self — the part connected to God. That’s who you gotta get in touch with.”
RZA – The Tao of Wu
We’ve all got our Maxims, Credo’s, and Mantra’s. We throw it up on Twitter, post it on Facebook — fuck this is sounding sappy already. But you get the point. All these sayings, quotes, and otherwise inspirational pieces of trivial trivia are everywhere. And, honestly…
I don’t give a fuck what Ralph Waldo Emerson says.
“Power – the control of company money and information backed by the force of law – is shifting out from under those with legal or formal position and toward those with natural authority based on knowledge and certain psychological and political skills.”
- Alvin Toffler, author of Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century
Whether in the boardroom (“Greed is good!”) or the concrete jungle (Money, Power, Respect), you’ll come across books that encourage you to increase your power base. The 48 Laws of Power, How to Win Friends & Influence People, The Art of Persuading an Airline Hostess to Give you a Double Before Take-off, the list is endless. And I’ve read ‘em all, once loved ‘em all, and, eventually, came to hate them all. Until I came across Powershift.
New millennium…New Money. So while we get ready for our 2010 releases take a moment to peruse over some of our most popular projects of 2009. BY ANY MEANS!!!
Reefer Madness, by Eric Schlosser, deals with the Underground economy in the United States. Namely, Marijuana, Porn, and (Illegal) Immigrant Workers. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these topics, it’s a great way to catch up…and if you are familiar, there’s nothing new here, but a great brush-up.
By Any Means is a Fully Staffed multi-media company, we specialize in management, event planning, and marketing consultation. For more information or to set up an appointment please email us at: info@byanymeansonline.com.
