Time To Pretend

"Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives..."

There is so much symbolism going on in that video, my head was spinning - and I loved every minute of it!

Who is MGMT.com

I might love him. The jury is still out.

"This is our decision to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?
Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?"

Two More Blocks... Two Blocks, Two Blocks

"Of the more than two million people incarcerated in jails and prisons in the United States, a disproportionate number come from very few neighborhoods in the country’s biggest cities. In many places the concentration is so dense that states are spending in excess of a million dollars a year to incarcerate the residents of single city blocks."

"Using rarely accessible data from the criminal justice system, the Spatial Information Design Lab and the Justice Mapping Center have created maps of these “million dollar blocks” and of the city-prison-city-prison migration flow of five of the nation’s cities."

Architecture and Justice

from the

Million Dollar Blocks project 2006

“The maps pose difficult ethical and political questions for policy makers and designers,” explains Kurgan “When they are linked to other urban, social, and economic indicators of incarceration, they also suggest new strategies for approaching urban design and criminal justice reform together.”

WOW.

I accidentally discovered that amazingness at the MoMa's

Design and The Elastic Mind 

exhibit yesterday. But initially, I went to see an exhibition called:

The written introduction to the Color Chart exhibit explains that the featured artists portray beauty "found in the everyday rather than the ideal."  By letting "life and art mingle rather than remain separate," their works may not look like much at first, but have to ability to later reveal their impressive conceptual intentions. 

I discovered this stuff in college when I took a Contemporary Issues in Art class, and I immediately became smitten with the hidden-in-plain-site thought-process behind it all. Therefore, having the opportunity to see some of my favorite pioneering pieces at MoMa was something that I had to make a priority. And coincidentally, my trip to the museum came full-circle when appreciation for thoughts from the past (Color Chart) was met with new-found appreciation of thoughts for the future (Design and The Elastic Mind).

I mean, who knew that mapped flight patterns could be so beautiful?

I sure didn't. And speaking of maps...

Found in their permanent collection, this is close up on New York, 

from Jasper Johns' Map, 1961. 

What Kind of F*ckery Is This?

Yesterday morning, I heard from a reliable source that Max B. had been shot Wednesday night.

"Oww"... literally.

Miss Info and Eskay (like Batman and Robin) are all over it now, and whatever happens, I just hope Biggavel is okay so he can continue singing PERFECTLY out of key :)

T.I. is going to prison for a year - in a year. 

*sigh*

It was not long ago that I was with him, running around Atlanta for a Sucker Free taping. That was a special trip for me... golfing, in the "trap," and then ending the night at Body Tap, watching (as Gucci Mane would say) "bitches get rained on."

It looks like Manhattan is no longer on Papoose's ring finger... Instead, he will wear a wedding ring after his nuptials with Remy Ma.

They're trying to get married in prison since she was found guilty yesterday. I guess there really is Something About Remy. I certainly don't see it.

I never really discussed this (because, well, I'm devastated), but The Wire is done and I miss it! For everyone else out there who does too, here's some footage of Clinton Sparks interviewing the cast on the Red Carpet before Season 5's Premiere - courtesy of KarmaloopTV.

 Thanks to Sara for showing me!

I really want to see STOP LOSS this weekend.

I never make movies a priority, but (1) it's about the Iraq war and (2) dimes, dimes everywhere! Ryan Phillippe is talented, and I never saw either of the Step Up movies (because I'm not 12 anymore), but OMG Channing Tatum?!?! Yeah, you already know - I LOVE HIM.

And lastly, for some YouTube fuckery, here's La Pequeña Amy Winehouse. 

That's right, a little person dancing around (in drag) to "Rehab." Got this from the usual suspects at work... It's a little disturbing at the end, but enjoy!

I'm an Alien From Outerspace

Maybe you didn't know Zilla was into esoteric thought? 

Well, you do now...

"What's your sign?"

Unfortunately, the answer to that cliche question can only provide so much information about a person. 

I'm interested in real astrology, and NO, I'm not referring to the crappy advice you get from the daily newspaper. Using one of the oldest sciences, astrologers (and early astronomers) have been looking up to the stars in search of understanding for centuries. The birth chart, for example, is one of astrology's strongest tools, showing us the meaning behind the planets' exact location when we were born. At everyone's unique time of birth, each planet above was aligned with ONE of TWELVE zodiac signs (and houses). Since each sign holds a different MEANING, this planetary positioning (in conjunction with our upbringing) has an alleged impact on our personalities. 

When someone asks what sign you are, they're referring only to your SUN sign. Meanwhile, other planets are in the mix, affecting your whole being...

SUN 

How we are at the core, as individuals

MOON

Our subconscious predisposition stemming from birth

MERCURY 

How we think and communicate

VENUS 

How we express affection and conduct relationships

MARS

How we assert ourselves and express desire 

JUPITER 

How we seek to grow, improve ourselves, and experience trust

SATURN

How we seek to establish and preserve ourselves through effort

And that's just scratching the surface of the birth chart. I know it might sound corny to some, but at the very least, astrology forces us to look at ourselves - and that's never a bad idea. Coming to terms with your best and worst attributes will allow you to be more balanced, and in turn, make you cooler and increase your swag ;) 

Whether you are into it or not, I've done Hillary and Barack's birth charts below. Although I won't go into them in detail (because it would take FOR-EV-ER), they are certainly interesting for me to compare!

Barack Obama's Birth Chart

Hillary Clinton's Birth Chart

I'm not an astrological specialist, but I know enough to interpret a chart. 

I'll do yours if you want... let me know!

That Shit's Questionable Like Barack's Culture

AC, that Staten Island emcee... I'm accidentally sweating his music. But it's not my fault! First he made that Spitzer song, and now he covered the Yael Naim track from the MacBook Air commercial. There's a line in there about Barack Obama that got me thinking (see: the title of this post), but I'll delve into that in a moment.

Speaking of Barack, I don't even know what to say about this next item...

Pastor James David Manning of ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem discusses his HATRED of Barack and voices his disappointment in those who choose to follow him. It's insanely entertaining in so many ways, and I suggest you watch it all the way through if you can! Thanks to my cousin Jason for putting me on to this craziness!



Read more about the Manning's church here: ATLAH.org

And now, I need to officially address this Obama/Pastor Jeremiah Wright situation. Bottom line: If Hillary's spiritual advisor was anti-government with close ties to anti-semites, she would be done-for! But because Wright belongs to Barack -the fluffy bunny who can do no wrong- Obama, no one really cares that much. In fact, people are getting more excited over a f*cking photo taken of Bill and Wright at a White House religious leader breakfast years ago. But Barack, worshipping this man for 20 years, is kosher? Get the EFF out of here!!! I wouldn't care either way, but if the shoe was on Hillary's foot, I think we all know she'd be crucified. I'm disgusted with this whole, twisted primary. UGH.

RANDOM BONUS?
Here's Death Cab For Cutie's new single, "I Will Possess Your Heart" ...Gauren-damn-teed to calm you down after that aggressive clip (and my angry outburst!)

Gotta Bring The Hood Back After Katrina

Last night, Rory, Mjeema and I went to see Lower Ninth at tiny TriBeCa theater, The Flea. Starring The Wire's own Chris Partlow (um, I mean, Gbenga Akinnagbe), the 3-man play had us Wire fans interested in seeing HBO's urban assassin transform on stage. But unfortunately, Gbenga wasn't there, and his understudy was replacing him for the night. After being promised he'd be in the show the following evening, we left the theater, opting to go tonight instead. Rory couldn't make it this time, but I'm SO GLAD we went back... The whole play takes place on a rooftop during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Still a little shaken from his performance in the final scene, I spoke to Gbenga's co-star Gaius Charles (Friday Night Lights) after the show, and told him how much I appreciated that intense part of the play. After a brief conversation with them and Mjeema, I asked a question and both he and Gbenga agreed that, "YES," theater is much more difficult than on-screen acting. But -according to Gaius - the benefit to stage acting is seeing the viewers' immediate reaction in-person (as opposed to not at all). I instantly blushed, realizing that only a moment earlier, I had done just that by explaining to him how powerful the last scene was to me. Touching on survival, heroism and faith, you know ZILLA took something away from it!

I managed to get a 2-minute clip during the play, so take a look below. In this scene, E-Z (Gaius) is talking to the ghost of Lowboy (Gbenga), presumably while dreaming or hallucinating.



Both the NY Times and The Village Voice gave it pretty sour reviews, but quite frankly, I don't think either review was well-written, so screw them both :) Or maybe I'm just bias because Mjeema and I got to meet the talented gentlemen afterward? Who knows...

You've Got Me Beggin' You For Mercy

Went to see Duffy Monday night at Hiro...
People are comparing her to Amy Winehouse because she's a Brit and has that RETRO voice going on. The little blonde can definitely sing, so I'm interested to see how her project unfolds...



"Why Won't You Release Me?!" ...I hear you girl!

Just Broken Queens, Confusing Bling For Soul

Is it strange or hypocritical that this track (AC f. Client 9 - "She Spitzer or Swallows") makes me HAPPY, but this front page headline makes me SAD?

I love to see emcees immediately react to events that impact society, so I'm not mad at the song - both in theory, and as a fan of hip hop. But this cover? "BAD GIRL?" I don't know... I'm not saying she's an angel, but that's the best they could come up with?!
Don't misunderstand, either: I know why they did it, and as we learned from the 5th season of The Wire, sometimes newspapers let us down.

But have no fear, here is Christian from Project Runway talking about his superhero, FEROCIA COUTURA, just in time to cheer me up!

I know he won 2 weeks ago and it's old news, but I kept meaning to post about both his designing and verbal greatness :)

On the music tip, Busy posted this photo from Lupe's Paris, Tokyo video shoot. I didn't think they'd make the imagery so literal ("camel back across the desert sand"), so I'm interested to see how this one comes out. Meanwhile, The Cool will go gold within a month or so since Lupe's Soundscan numbers are consistent each week, averaging 15-20K.

Janelle Monae is STILL my 1st Round Draft Pick for 2008. If her project is executed well, I think she has the potential to be a household name one day. In the meantime, listen to "Sincerely, Jane."

UPDATED 3/16:

Mariah's 2nd Single?

"Migrate" f. T-Pain (audio from SNL)

I think T-Pain went-in harder than she did here, but I imagine her vocal is much stronger on the final track. There are moments in this version where you hear her almost go-in, but then she pulls back - especially at the end.

What's Your Fantasy?

Clive asked me a great question yesterday:

If you could have sex with any celebrity, who would it be?

I know it's a cliche question, but my mind started racing for the perfect answer...

W.W.Z.D.?

LL, with those lips? Eh. Maybe.

Brad? No, too predictable.

COMMON? The handsome gentleman?

Arod? Too arrogant, SMH.

Wait, wait, I GOT IT!

He looks good clean cut.

He looks good scruffy.

He looks good in funny outfits.

He can wear makeup, I don't care.

Johnny is my favorite. He has the crown. And I love him.

Oh yeah - PS...

I actually met Clive in person today, and he's not too bad on the eyes either :)

I Could Be a Would-Be Killer

So the Gnarls Barkley album leaked over the weekend, and I have to be honest: It's absurdly good and you're a dummy if you don't give it a spin.

Like if Genius and Soul got married and had 3 kids - Truth, Nonconformity, and Fire - their family's collective dopeness would be a good match for this album. Stupid analogy, but seriously...

Thanks F Deez... and high five to us agreeing on something.

Equally as engaging (but not in musical form), PostSecret is my new favorite site! People anonymously send this person their secrets on a postcard in the mail and they get posted for all to see. Some funny, some dark - all very, very real. Like the lyrics to Gnarls' songs, the content in some of the secrets is so strangely intense that you tap into that special something... you'll see.

You Don't Have To Look Up At The Stars

My friend asked me to read and comment on an "Open Marriage" article. Before I launch into how I feel about it, I want to share the feedback received from polling 10 friends. Overall, the majority said "NO," they would NOT participate in an open marriage, and after commenting further, it became apparent that their opinions were clearly divided.

Those who shied away from experimenting with open marriage made a point to either strongly criticize OR strongly defend couples who tried it out. While some believe that the decision is unique for each individual and should not be judged either way, an alleged "hopeless romantic" advised couples seeking to experiment outside their marriages to "not even get married" in the first place. Those who defend the idea insisted that maturity and a "strong bond" develop after a long marriage, and could, in turn, allow committed couples to mentally separate LOVE and LUST. But open marriage critics brought up FIDELITY and DISCIPLINE, claiming that "what separates us from the animals" is our ability to execute self control. From both sides of the argument, however, most admitted that bringing any comparisons into a relationship (requesting another partner, for example) will only stir up JEALOUSY. Many also mentioned INSECURITY surfacing as a result ofthe rejected partner's depleted SELF ESTEEM. That would naturally become a problem, and eventually, an imbalance within the couple would be created. About half of the males voiced inevitability (and in some cases, excitement) in regards to eventually committing ADULTERY, but none of the females who were polled (married or unmarried) brought up the DESIRE to cheat on their husbands.


As I read the article, one specific sentence stood out and made a lot of sense to me:

"Extramarital sex was not what really destroyed marriages, but rather the lies and deception that invariably accompanied it - that was the culprit."

Word. After all, the goal of a healthy union is mutual growth and elevation, not damage via deceit. And I'm realizing, more than anything else, that this topic should serve as a tool to summon awareness of other important relationship issues. For instance...

I generally come across only two kinds of people: (1) those who are afraid to fully share themselves with another, and (2) those who are so thirsty for love, their standards are either low or nonexistent. Unfortunately, neither type is attractive to me, so I can't even fathom the concept of marriage right now, let alone entertain agreed-upon adultery. However, (like some of my friends did,) I must admit that I salute couples capable of pulling this off. If your matrimonial bond is strong enough to not be affected by releasing your lust elsewhere, then who am I to judge you? I know I'd want my love to be that solid. And even though I might not be sure open marriage is for me, the kind of love that can survive extramarital sex is not necessarily one I'd be ashamed of having - unless I was cheated ON! 

For all the romantics out there who want to slap me right now because they truly believe in love and scoff at the thought of an open marriage, here's my gift to you:

>>> Justin Nozuka -"After Tonight" <<<

Hola Hovitooooo

One of my friends was recently in the studio and caught Jay playing Rock Band! This photo is EXCLUSIVO (hence all the text over it):

A NOTE FROM JTB:

(THE PHOTOGRAPHER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER/BARBER)

On my usual appointment to cut hair with a good friend who shall remain nameless, I noticed a Maybach parked outside of the downtown studio, along with several trucks with the engines running. You already know someone was upstairs recoding and/or hanging out. Who else but the God MC, Young Hov, accompanied by Young Guru and Beyonce (who was recording at the time), as well as Nick Cannon. So I get upstairs and begin to kick it with my Gs in the office, and Hov then walks in and starts playing Rock Band. Shit... might as well name it >>> ROC BAND! Being the fan that I am, I had to take a snapshot with my Blackberry... so here it is... don't go and try to make money off my shit! But I will say, please look out for my website, expected to launch by the end of the month: http://www.jtbny.com/. There you will be able to find an assortment of things: Web Design, Graphic Design, Barbering, and just a place you can go to and have a good time. Hit Me!

A big THANK YOU goes out to him :) Check out his site when it lands in April!

4 Minutes To Save The World

First thing's first. 

Here's the Madonna/Justin track "4 Minutes" off her new album, Hard Candy.

And on a more serious note, watch this trailer for Body of War, a documentary about an Iraq war veteran who was shot and paralyzed and is now actively speaking out:


Eddie Vedder collaborated with the film's star and aided in making the soundtrack. It's people like this who really accomplish change, and I wish we had more of them out there. If music and film can be used as vehicles for social progress, certainly there are plenty of small contributions we can all make in our daily lives to help people get their heads out of their asses.

F*ck Me Gently With a Chainsaw

Zilla, where are you?

I don't really know, to be honest.
This week has not only kept me busy, but it has also not allowed my brain to produce blog posts that I'm happy with. But I assure you, I'll be back - guns blazing - in no time.

On the bright side: I've wanted to institute a new section on the blog for quite a while now. Inspired by one of my favorite movies, Heathers, the Lunchtime Poll Topic will take effect within The Labyrinth very soon. (I actually have an idea for the first question to poll you all with, but I'm too scared to ask it right now. Until I get tough enough to post it, I leave you with a clip from Heathers where Veronica and Heather #1 are polling their peers in their high school cafeteria:)

"You're Beautiful!"

Who's Gonna Save My Soul?

I'm so excited for The Odd Couple, I could pee my pants.
Here's a little clip ?uestlove made over a new Gnarls track:

Guest Blog #2

Rory's back. You missed him.
The views expressed in his blogs are his own and do not necessarily represent my views or those of The Labrynth... But that doesn't mean we didn't miss him too.
xo, Zilla


So last night had to be the most interesting time I've had in a LONG time. Anytime you hang out with girls you've "knocked down" before (see: bone, beat, hit, etc....) you take a risk. This could only go a couple of ways. It could literally and figuratively kill you. Now, this all depends on how you left things off with the chic. Did you sneak out at 6am while she laid drooling and snoring in an alcohol-induced partial coma? Did you call her the wrong name during sex, only to have her call you a multitude of wrong names?
There are many roads this drunken evening can take, but the optimal situation is a mutual understanding of "we're just having a good time." This is the key to every casual sexual encounter you will ever have. Once you start asking yourself questions like, "what am I doing?," "is that door locked?" and "who is this person?" then you are pretty much screwed. But if you can convince yourself that both parties are in it for the same thing, you will be fine.
But as I was saying...
Last night was the stuff dreams are made of. I was hanging with a chic that I've previously knocked down, her sister, and some of their friends, when a friendly contest of "I bet you that I can fuck him tonight" develops between this former busty object of my penetration and her posterior packing friend. Now this can be a very dangerous place to be, so if you don't think you can finish up strong, I say bail out now. This is not for you. But for those of you that have stayed, you are to be commended.
Now we have a choice to make, and you can do one of two things: You can just focus on one chic and see where that takes you (which is usually home alone), or you can do what I did: Just LET IT GO and act like the BEST SHIT EVER is NOT about to happen. That's the only way this is gonna turn out good. You can't act all giddy and try and press up on both of these inibriated subjects. Let them do all the work. And now that you've solidified your spot between the two, you are halfway home, so to speak.
This is where it gets tricky... It's now time to pick a venue, but its NOT okay to yell out, "let's get a hotel room!" And if that was your first instinct, stop reading this right now because this isn't for you, nor will it ever be. The theme of this whole thing is relaxing and letting the chips fall where they may. A good idea is to let the girls decide where we will be going after the bar/club/church/temple, etc.... hopefully someplace devoid of cockblockers, as you've already been fending these people off (girls & guys) for the better part of the night. This has to be a place where both girls feel extremely comfortable. Think, the ladies room in a gay bar. That's the level of comfort we're trying to achieve. And now we've come to the finale. It's make-it-or-break-it time folks. When you and these two chickies invariably make it back to one of their cribs - preferably the one without a roommate - it's time to get down to business.
Always position yourself in the middle. At no point do you want these girls to questions what they are doing, and definitely don't let them question what they are about to do. I've brought you this far and the rest is up to you. But if you wake up in the morning, and you're in between two girls, congratulations. And if you wake up next to just one girl, and you smell breakfast, then you are to be commended.