Where Does it Hurt?

This question has been haunting me for the past week or so...Why? Because it seems as if my whole career is riding on whether my my answer isn't "creative enough" or not. I could miss out on getting in to the Creative Advertising program, which has been a dream and a goal for about a year now.

First off, what an open ended question...It's vague enough to cause my brain to go numb just thinking about it. But that's the art of it, because your mind is able to go just about anywhere with this question, and just about nowhere at the same time. Every time I ponder about the question, the only thing that keeps coming to mind is the idea of Generation Rx. We live in a generation where pills are digested more than vegetables for some, which is wild to even think about. Back in the day, I feel as if people just rolled with the punches when it came to sickness and pain. Call me old fashioned, but sleep is the best medicine...I'll take a bottle of slumber, than a bottle of Hydrocodone any day!

There are pills for everything, and I mean everything. You got a problem? Then there's a pill out there for you...you name it, "we got it." I feel as if our society can't live without pills, but we have survived for so long without them. I'm not promoting any sort of anti-prescription pills, I'm just trying to raise more awareness of the fact that these drug companies need to be regulated more. I mean there's no way some of these pills are healthy, look at the side effects: enlarged breasts for men? AMNESIA? DEATH?!?! Decrease in testicle size??? Cancer? WHAT...In...The World! I mean none of that even sounds remotely cool.

Regulation is a hard a pill to digest (see what I did there...very corny) for these drug companies, because of the money, but it needs to happen!

Shame, Shame, Shame

We pride ourselves on having the latest technology and weaponry, building awe-stricken architecture, and having sophisticated communications systems. Evolving and transforming technologically, Optimus Primus in the flesh. But the moment we are required to show one ounce of humanity to fellow man, we begin to devolve...shame shame shame.

There have been days where I wasn't able to come in contact with any sort technology, and while its true that I have had to get used to things like having no microwave sometimes, or having unreliable WIFI, I've also seen a lack of human spirit and the value of comradery. People here worship the mighty dollar (I'm guilty too) praising everything that brand new luxury car represents. Meanwhile in third world countries, I'm sure there has been a time where a crowd of strangers rush to the aide of a car crash victim, bare-handedly extracting the victims body from the wreck of his once brand new, American car...shame shame shame.

What is modernity? Does it even matter?

RETROFUTURISTIC FLY: PTERODACTYL

I made some "retro-futuristic" art pieces and thought I'd add them to the blog. Enjoy:

The theme was to revisit vintage NASA pictures, and add my own twist to them. Seeing that the name of the blog is, "A retro Future", these pieces go hand in hand with the blog.

Time aint waiting on NOBODY

The crazy thing about life is that in your youth you spend a lot of your time wanting to grow up. This is apparent when you were asked "how old are you?" and replied "I'm 6... and a half" with so much pride. Its was as if we had to age ourselves to feelcooler. We had to let the world know that we were almost 7. And how could we help it? We constantly saw the older kids, teens, and young adults doing things that we just couldn't do. While our 18 year old cousin came home at whatever hour he felt was good, we had to be in bed by 8:00pm. And on the nights you weren't sleepy at all, you found yourself lying in you bed, in the dark, counting sheep, wishing you were older so that you wouldn't have to follow any silly rules.

And now your about to be 22 and your realizing what a special time your youth was. It was a time when everything is simple. You had no kind of responsibilities, no worries, and are yet to be tainted by life experience. At age 20, I have come to realize that time is of the essence. Just this year I have lost 2 of my fellow family members. The loss made me realize that I still have my life and that I should live it to the fullest while I can. I no longer have this sense that time is endless, like I once did as a young boy.

I say all of this to say, that I don't want to waste time. I know I sound like an that one 'old guy in the barbershop', but time is sooo precious. Why wait to do something tomorrow when you may not even see tomorrow?? I want to get to know as many people as I can. I want to love someone while I can, I want to be loved while I can. I want to be successful while I can, I want to achieve all my goals while I can, I want to do everything I desire to do while I can. And I do not want to waste time doing things I don't want to do or spending time with people I don't want to be with. 

So if you know me, you may see a new me. An improved me. A more honest me. A more true me. A more fun me. A more real me. I don't have time for anything less. 

I really appreciate it...

I just want to thank God/the universe/the forces that be, for surrounding me with friends and especially fam who inspire me to be a better me. These people continue to challenge and teach me more about themselves and myself. These people, although few, are something truly special. They spark my imagination, inspire me more than they will ever know, and give me strength by exemplifying courage in their own lives. And above all, they inspire me. 

Thank you all for the memories, advice, hard-learned lessons, and unconditional love...


If you fam, you fam...ONE LOVE! 

15 facts

1. I have a deeply embedded love affair with blogging now and I am obsessed with the idea of recording one's internal workings on paper or blog, for what its worth.
2. I need to be challenged in order to be productive. 
3. Man I wish my potential, matched my work ethic. 
4. I'm misunderstood.
5. I hate the texture/smell/taste of most seafood, but envy those who know their seafood.
6.  North Carolina Blue and black are my favourite colours, but I wear too much black!
7. I often toy with the idea of picking a destination at random, buying a one-way flight and seeing what unfolds (till reality reminds me of the limits of being a female).
8. I'm deathly scared of failing at life, and that is the source of much of my restlessness. I want to be GREAT.
9. I'm a dreamer in the thorough-est sense, and sometimes that can distract me from acting on my dreams
10. I'm drawn to people who can vibe with my thoughts, challenge my thinking, provide insight into who I am, discuss current affairs with me, engage in thought-provoking conversations, and see the world on multi-levels like I do
11. "I'm like Che Guevarra with bling on, I'm complex"- I often find myself torn between the innate materialist with a capitalist mentality who dwells within me, and the idealist with humanitarian values and a sometimes overly-whimsical vision of how I can change the world.
12. I place certain people on high pedastools, and unfortunately this has made me all-too familiar with disappointment.
13. I hate all white sauces: ranch, mayonaise, etc.
14. I can be kinda selective when it comes to girls, and that usually gives a wrong impression about me
15. I find I'm usually drawn to women/friends/acquaintances who are older in age

Trading Places

What if you could trade places with someone for a day? Corny? VERY...but It's still one of those intriguing questions to think about. 


I'd definitely love to walk in the shoes of Jay-Z:

"First I snatched the streets, then I snatched the charts,

First I had they ears, now I have their hearts,
Rappers came and went,

I been here from the start.

Seen them put it together,

Watched them take it apart...

This is not an image

This is God given

This is hard livin'..."

I wanna know what it's like to walk onto a stage, and see thousands upon thousands of people cheering for you...

I wanna know what it's like to be quoted by artists, academics, fans and critics alike...

I wanna know what it's like to push limits in a genre I helped shape, a

nd then I wanna know what it's like to set higher bars and reach those too...limitless.

I wanna know what its like to be credited, scorned, and etched in the pages of history by people who have never even heard a hiphop song.

I wanna know what its like to be recognized as a creator, success story, hard worker, artist, and entrepreneur...

I wanna know what it's like to be looked up to by kids who aint got nothing but a dollar and dream and a standard that I set....WOW.

I wanna know what it's like to grind hard for years, make millions off my grind, and then go in even harder..

Most of all, as someone making something out of nothing, I wanna know what it's like to sit in my Italian leather seat, in my penthouse suite, looking out the window at my city-skyline view, and know that I did this all for me...