Nothing to see here, folks.

Carry on.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Thuggin' (Official) - Piñata

Let's pretend for a minute that Tupac was a real gangster. Let's suppose he wasn't a drama school back up dancer. With all the facts about how fake and fraudulent Tupac was... let's just pretend he actually was the person he claimed to be in all of his songs. Well... if that were the case he'd be Freddie Gibbs.

Ladies and gentlemen.. Gary, Indiana represent:

Muay Thai Bangla Stadium Patong Knockout

San Diego representing. This was my favorite Thailand experience. Muay Thai, bitch. Straight from Patong, Thailand. 

Lakutis - Too Ill For The Law

Video is highly enjoyable. Watch it and agree.

Cee-Lo is underrated as a lyricist. That's all.

In no fashion have I lost my passion for the pen
It's just that lately life has been a lot less inspirin
To tell you the truth trials and tribulations is very tirin
I gotta play a little game of gimmick and gunfirin
I'm not aspirin to be any lower or higher than,
I get equal as in eye to eye again
I'm the truth, I'm complicated I'm all ready but try again
I've got to die once to never ever die again
And what I believe within I engrave within my skin
And one thang that I ain't is a saint without a sin
How could there be a now if there never was a then?
That is unbalanced just like the yang without the yen
I am distinguishably deeper as opposed to the paper-thin
And I breathe oxygen, and you rhymin bout rocks again
You stagnant, standing still enough to feel the world spin
I'm beginning to smell the end in the path of the blowing wind
Hopefully I'm fortunate enough to spend forever with a friend
I'm slow dancing with destiny every day until then
When I first got my big break I said that I would never bend
And discredit my character to keep up or contend
And my belief beat baseline secrete such a special blend
I am not like them at all and I cannot pretend
I am not like you at all and I cannot pretend.


[Verse Two: Cee-Lo]
I get off on an extension or compare comprehension
I'm in a classroom of my own, I'm too far gone for competition
Yet I'm never obnoxious with my obvious ambition
Perfectly imperfect is my dimension's definition
I engage my pen pierces the page so that it bleeds my intention
With honorable mention of God's divine intervention
I'm incredible I'm inevitable and there's no possible prevention
I'll hardly (have to) scream my dream and I'll have your undivided attention
The powers that be will be beaten into submission
And you will be able to see my revolution on television
You'll get an aneurysm fuckin around with my head on collision
With the power to get you dead and half the dead risen
I remember when my development was arrested
I was doin time on my mind misguided and misdirected
I was sick, so sick if I spoke to you you'd be infected
Then my conscience was cleared of all charges and I came out corrected
Reinvented, refined, replenished and well rested
On a mission for a medium to manifest the thoughts I collected
After that everything I breathed upon, I blessed it
I committed crimes of passion and my soul was suspected
But it was thrown out of court because of course the Creator and I connected
He told me, "fear not for thou art protected. Your life is being requested
And you are being tested, so make every attempt you can to expect the unexpected.

[Verse Three: Cee-Lo]
I am internally evolving entirely
Extensive eclectic expression eloquently
Instantly innovative, Courageously creative
I'm driven, this God given gift it comes naturally to the native
Not a need for the dramatics or the systematic
Simplicities, strictly science and mathematics
The mastermind of the mighty mystical and magical moves
And metaphors manifests masterpieces
Thoroughly fury through the inner mind's eye establishes this syn-thesis
Of these innermost, insightful, intriguing interpretations of extreme 

intelligence
My common sense is no co-incidence
Caution: competitors approach carefully
I'm able to see
Rare ranges of distance, I expect respect
There's no tolerance for negligence, never
You'll forever
Feel the wrath of the pure and powerful poetry, permanently
Pre-meditative, political, critical, compellin, story-tellin
Defining desire, faith fuelin the fire
Brilliance, ?? philosophical, psychological willingly waging warfare,
Withstandin, commandin, demandin the listening ears to hear what God's forcin
Instead endorsin education. Equality, not hate
Just revolution of the mind state
Note mere words but emotions
Which is essential, influential provin my people's potential
Militancy, innocence, insight, listen to God then write
Since my birth date I been tight!
Shit

[Hook]

Now I don't want never hear nobody else say
goddamn a nigga from the South can't rhyme
NEVER!

Are You Still Writing?

Shut the fuck up with that question. I'll never stop writing. Not until the day I die. And even then I'll be writing in my dreams while I'm chillin' up in Heaven with Edgar Allan Poe and shit like dat der. So maybe I've been slacking off considerably lately. Yes, that's true as all hell. But... shut the fuck up either way. I have a wife and two young boys at home. They get all of my time when I'm not at work and that's the way it should be. At least that's the way I feel at this point. I feel like if it doesn't involve my family I want no part of it. I'm blessed. Very lucky to have what I have in this life. If you approached me with two free nights in a luxury resort all expenses paid to Las Vegas to hang with my best friends I'd shoot down the notion quicker than you could lose a thousand bucks on a blackjack hand if you had a gambling problem. I just wanna chill with the fam.

So the next time you think about asking me if I'm still writing... press the off button on your life first.

-- Words

Do You Guys Fantasize About Grown Men Wearing Tights?

It's okay, you're simply part of the enormous demographic of men that play fantasy football every year. I used to love football season, but now it's a little less exciting and that bums me out. Most of the reason for this is because anyone that plays fantasy football becomes obsessed with it and seems to be all they're capable of talking about for the next 17 weeks or so. They say if you can't beat 'em join 'em, but I don't think I'll ever be able to make the switch and become something that I loathe. I refuse to be the "I knew I should've started Turner instead of Peterson" guy. No matter what there's always something they should've done better to make their team score more points but at the last minute they made a costly error in judgement. And everyone thinks they know something about football all of the sudden. Even if they just moved to America six months ago and can't tell you what a safety is (the position or the play).

In closing, I'm proud to be part of the 1%. I'll keep my head held high while the rest of you dicks occupy the shit out of the work computer and incessantly talk about how funny your fantasy team's name is gonna be when you change it for the upcoming Sunday.

-- Gangster of Love

Pizzo - On My Way

Classic. Enough said.

-- Hobo

Life Is...

Many things. Life, love, stress and set backs. Push on. Don't stop. Never quit. Everyone quits. You don't. You get what you get because you deserve it. You earn it. Work for it. It's not free. Nobody will give it to you. Take it. If you deserve it, take it. Don't steal. Be upfront about it. It's yours. It's mine. For my kids. For my wife. I want it. I'll have it. Bottom line. No need for explanation. Let's toast to what we need and what we want. Let's cheers for all our kids and our family and all the beautiful things and blessings life's given us. Here here. Raise your glasses.


-- Christopher Lane 

Silence Is Underrated

By now we've all heard the saying, "Less is more" about seventeen-thousand times. So why can't more people apply this wonderful adage in their everyday life when it comes to speaking and having conversations. I don't need to hear about your issues. I don't care that you haven't been feeling well. The fact that you have allergies doesn't concern me in the least. We all have issues in our lives. I have a wife and two young boys at home and a full time job that can at times be pretty hectic and stressful and most of all, tiring. But you don't see me running around looking for sympathy from anyone, and you never will. That's what therapists are for. Or understanding wives I suppose. But I mean, life is tough. It's hard work. Being good at your job on a day to day basis takes a lot of discipline. It takes mental toughness, and depending on your job it can take a lot of physical toughness as well. Being a husband is no different. Being a parent is even tougher. Well, let me rephrase that: Being a good parent is tougher. Anyone can be a father. Anyone can be a mother. Being a good parent is a whole different ballgame though.

But I digress. Suffice it to say I'm not a fan of small talk either. I'll let you know right now I don't give a damn about the weather. I don't give a shit if it hails tomorrow. {It'd be pretty cool to get hail in San Diego in the middle of July though, I have to be honest.} But I have no control over the climate whatsoever, so if all you have to talk to me about is how surprisingly overcast it is tomorrow please do us both a favor and don't even open your mouth. Silence is underrated. Exercise your right to shut the fuck up.

-- Christopher 'Sea of Tranquility' Johnson

Ice Cube In The Summer Time For Your Cold Glass Of Lemonade

The hot summer weather always inspires me to compile some crazy mixes for the car or to bring to a BBQ or for whatever the hell else I like doing while listening to some of the all time classics. And this can range from soul to classic rock to blues or jazz or even country... kidding about the country of course. Fuck that shit. Unless it's Johnny Cash. But that's a cliched statement so you'll have to forgive me.

Either way, this Ice Cube song has to be on your radar. Maybe if I stop feeling so damn tired and lazy after work and dealing with the kids I'll post up a link to one of my summer mixes for all to enjoy.

Until then, just ride out to the beat...

-- Hobo Junction

Eddie Hazel's Masterpiece

While recording Funkadelic's third album, George Clinton instructed Hazel to "play like your mother just died." The resulting 10-minute epic, "Maggot Brain," is an exploration in isolation and despair, and is hailed as the one of the greatest guitar performances in not only the funk genre, but in the history of music.


Since there's no proper video to the album version of this song I figured this video would be more entertaining than staring at a picture of the album cover for ten minutes while the song plays. Especially if you're on acid. This video will kick the shit out of your maggot ass brains if you're on acid or shrooms or even if you're just really high off some crunchy green leaves.


Enjoy...

-- Funkadelic Gangster

The Good Ol' Days

I've always been huge into Bay Area Rap and this is one of the best videos from Oakland's heyday. Look at the Zach Morris cell phone in the beginning of the video. Gotta love it. R.I.P. to Dion Stewart {he and his brother were Black Dynasty}.

-- Bay Shit

Beck - The Golden Age

Nothing really needs to be said here because the music speaks for itself like nothing else can, so I'll simply state that if you've never heard Beck's album Sea Change you need to add it to your collection as soon as possible. It'll become one of your all time favorite records and you won't be able to stop listening to it for the rest of your adult life.

-- Christopher Lane Johnson

Long Live The 6-Pack!

Every day there seems to be more and more breweries packaging their beers in 4-packs instead of the classic 6. The only time this is acceptable is when said beer comes in 16 ounce tall cans. I can let that slide. But when we're talking about regular 12 ounce bottles, I will purchase nothing less than a 6-pack. To be honest, I feel a bit disrespected every time my eyes land on an overpriced 4-pack of some super fancy beer. And trust me, I'm well aware of the best beers in the world and I've tried them all on numerous occasions. But that's really what it comes down to: These breweries want to feel so special about their precious quadruple IPAs that they feel it's warranted to cut two beers out of the equation. Well, I'm here to say that shit just won't fly with me. It never will. And it shouldn't fly with you either. Boycott the 4-pack. That shit is unequivocally unacceptable.

And trust me, I know more about beer than anyone else on planet earth. I was drinking Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale Barley Wine in middle school when most of y'all were drinking Strawberry Hill and Thug Passion. I understand that the vast majority of the beers being sold in 4-packs are stronger than average beers. We're talking 8% alcohol and above. But who gives a shit? Who wants to pay $9.99 for four twelve ounce beers? Not this guy. If you showed up to my house for a summertime BBQ with a 4-pack of Green Flash in your hands I'd probably punch you in the throat and smash the beers over your head while laughing hysterically at you. And if I showed up at your house for your birthday party carrying nothing but a 4-pack of Sam Adams I'd expect the same treatment from you. And quite honestly, I'd be livid if you didn't at least kick me in the shins and spit on my forehead.

Enough is enough, fellas. Gas prices are still through the roof with no decline in sight; the recession is taking its shoes off and getting comfortable in your living room; our government is nothing more than a bad joke, and zombies are literally eating faces off of homeless people. And now you're trying to sell me beer in a 4-pack. Fuck you. Shame on you and fuck you. I will not accept your treacherous offer. You're all cowards and I don't know how you sleep at night.

6-Pack Or Die!

-- Hobo With A Shotgun aka The Real Blue Collar Gangster.

Let The Haters Hate

Everywhere you go in life you'll encounter these disgusting, loathsome, deplorable human beings. They'll shoot down your every idea. They'll tell you that you're not talented enough. They'll tell you that you're not skilled enough. They'll tell you that millions have tried and failed to accomplish what you're trying to do so you shouldn't waste your time. Or better yet, they'll tell you that you have to be "realistic."

What is realistic anyway? What does that even mean? Was Thomas Edison realistic when he invented the phonograph? "You mean you wanna play music that's been recorded onto a cylindrical disc for all to hear? Impossible, Mr. Edison. You should check yourself into the looney bin post-haste." Was he realistic when he decided to create a device that could record moving pictures? Who knows when cinema would've come into existence or where it would be today if it weren't for him. I'll tell you this much: We probably wouldn't be watching movies like Avatar if it weren't for Edison. Not yet anyway.

Or crazier yet: Was Edison being realistic when he decided that candles might not be the best way to light up a room? You know, because of the risk of fire and whatnot. Because of this, Thomas Edison decided to create a bulb that would light up a room by use of electricity. These days light bulbs are used quite often. Good thing Edison decided to say fuck you to the haters. And that was almost exact verbiage, by the way. Nearly verbatim. I believe what he was actually quoted as saying went something like this: "To my many detractors and those not willing to merely attempt comprehending some of the ideas I have to improve this magnificent world we live in, I have but three simple words: Fuck you, haters."

So don't hate. Congratulate. And come participate. Cheer on your friends and your family members and your colleagues. Be a supporter, not a bitch. And trust me, I understand that once in awhile you're going to encounter a situation that you might feel the need to be "realistic" about in order to "help" someone. For instance, what if a one-armed man came up to you and told you he was going to be a professional baseball player one day. You might be inclined to laugh at him, right? Hopefully not to his face because that would be rude as fuck. But I mean, you probably would think he'd be wasting his time to even try, correct? But don't you think Jim Abbott already knew that? It didn't stop him though, did it? He not only played professional baseball for over ten years, but he also was a contender for Rookie of the Year in 1989 and in 1991 Abbott came in third place for the highly coveted Cy Young Award {for those clueless regarding all things baseball that means he was in contention for the title of best pitcher in the league that year}.

So fuck being realistic. Be real; real to yourself. That's all that matters. Let the haters do what they do best. After all, the hatred they spew is nothing more than a projection of the way they feel inside about themselves. They'll never accomplish anything in their lives until they can shed their snake skin and become rejuvenated and ready to attack the world in a positive way.

-- Christopher Lane Johnson aka The Authentic Blue Collar Gangster

My Funeral Song: Ladies & Gentleman... Mr. William DeVaughn

Please play this song at my funeral. That's all I ask. Ok, maybe that's not all I ask. I also ask that everyone dances and has a blast. And everyone must have a brown bag 40oz beer of their choice. Or some local San Diego beer from Lost Abbey or Ballast Point. But no Stone. Fuck Stone. Shit's overrated as all hell. And the people that work there are douchebags for the most part. And I don't even like the word "douchebag," but I'm gonna use it here because it fits.





-- Blue Collar Gangster Lean

Treyvon Martin Didn't Deserve To Die

That's the bottom line. I don't know why America is still so disgustingly racist that they feel the need to defend a murderer like George Zimmerman, but the facts are the facts: We as a country are still extremely racist. And the sad part is we're going to continue to be that way for a very long time to come. It makes no sense to me. But I blame the parents more than anything. If you grew up in a family of Ku Klux Klan members you'd most likely grow up to be a Klan member yourself. Or if you were raised a vegetarian you'd probably view eating filet mignon as a wrongful act. Or if you came from a family of religious zealots you'd unfortunately grow up thinking that all gay people are going to hell. I don't pigeonhole myself when it comes to political parties and stances, so it's easy for me to poke fun at those that do. But I don't want to create enemies for no reason either, so I try not to be too offensive and immediately turn off an enormous group of people. At any rate, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very diverse environment between the schools that I attended, the friendships I made, the situations I put myself in, etc. Because of this I learned one enormous fact and invaluable life lesson: There are good and bad people of all colors. There are worthless white people. There are great white people. There are scumbag Asian people. There are incredible Asian people. There are shitty black people. There are amazing black people.

You get my point.

Here are the facts: Treyvon Martin was killed on February 26th, 2012. George Zimmerman followed him around his neighborhood into an apartment complex even when the dispatcher advised him not to do so. As a result of Zimmerman's racial profiling {call it what you want} a young man's life is lost and his family continues to mourn. It doesn't matter what happened after the pursuit began. It doesn't matter if Treyvon threw the first punch or called Zimmerman names or even if he said he had intercourse with his mom {I made all those things up, by the way}. It doesn't matter. That's entirely irrelevant. What matters is that a life is now lost forever for nothing. For no good fucking reason at all. Zimmerman never saw Treyvon commit a robbery. He never saw Treyvon steal a car. He never saw Treyvon abuse a woman. George Zimmerman never saw Trayvon Martin do anything outside of walking around his neighborhood to purchase some skittles and a drink for himself and a friend/family member {in other words "look suspicious"}. And now he's gone. For what? And why? Should it be okay to get a suspicion about someone that's merely walking the streets and then go follow him and ultimately kill him even though he was innocent the entire time? Because that's what happened. And it makes me sick to see all the comments and posts people are making on the television and the internet defending what George Zimmerman did. They're saying he's innocent. That he was "defending himself." Essentially what they're saying is that Treyvon Martin deserved to die that night. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely sickening, revolting, and flat out ridiculous. How would you react if someone was following you in their car late at night and then approached you asking what you were doing? Zimmerman already made up his mind that he was following a criminal. He approached Treyvon Martin as such. How would you feel? Would you be kind and understanding? Would you explain that you were merely buying some Skittles for a family member or a friend? Or would you be angry as fuck and want to hurt the person that had been following you in his car at night with the high beams on for the last 20 minutes and scaring the shit out of you?

No matter what your reaction may have been, at the end of the day Treyvon Martin is dead and he didn't deserve to die. Call it racial, call it a misunderstanding, call it what you will. A life is lost and it didn't need to happen. George Zimmerman is to blame for an innocent life lost. Treyvon Martin is dead because of an overzealous, trigger happy Paul Blart Mall Cop/Seth Rogan in Observe & Report scumbag motherfucker trying to play cops & robbers in real life. Taking an innocent life is not a game. And what happened in this case will hopefully open a lot of eyes to the kind of things that still happen in our country on a daily basis. This case says a lot about how severe the problem of racism still remains in America and I can only hope we can learn from this. Privileged white people love to say that racism doesn't exist and they often cite having a black president as a major example of proving said statement. The fact is -- and anyone with a brain can attest to this -- electing a black president has in a lot of ways only acted as a blanket to cover up just how prevalent racism still is in our country. I was born and raised in San Diego, and most people will tell you that they consider our city to be one of the most liberal places to live in the good ol' U.S. of A. If that's true I'm even more scared about the current state of America. I never thought I'd see so much racism in San Diego till I started working in North County five years ago. I felt like I was in Mississippi the first month I was there. To hear the way people so nonchalantly made racist comments and summarily dismissed anyone that wasn't white as being obviously inferior, it really shocked and disgusted me. It still does. It always will. And it really woke me up to how enormous of a problem racism still is in our country. We all have to take it upon ourselves to change it. We have to raise our kids the right way and show them that color doesn't define who is good and bad. We have to put people in their place when they make bigoted comments. If we don't, who will? Martin Luther King can't. He was assassinated. Malcolm X can't. He was also assassinated. So who's going to step up and do their part in making this world a better place for all of us? Stop looking around for someone else to raise their hand. Raise your own hand and start making a difference right now.

-- Christopher Lane Johnson

Killer Mike w/ El-P - Reagan (Produced by El-P of Company Flow)

Pretty amazing stuff right here, folks. Killer Mike and EL-P just released this gem of an album entitled 'R.A.P. Music' and I strongly suggest any hip hop fan add this to their collection immediately. Every song is wonderful. These guys really know how to put together an album and not just a collection of songs. Controversial, insightful, angry, rebellious, and just straight up solid from front to back. How many albums can you pop in and press play without ever wanting to skip a track? Not too many, right? Well here's your medicine. Take it and smile. A real breath of fresh air to a genre that really needed something fresh. And pick up EL-P's solo album 'Cancer4Cure' while you're at it. I just saw him perform 'Stay Down' on Letterman the other day. Big things for independent hip hop.

Support important music from passionate artists that truly care about making good music first and foremost over album sales and ring tones. If you build it, they will come. Well these guys just built a classic album some come and get it. And no, it's not too early to call this album a classic. Buy and you'll see for yourselves.

To The Mother Of My Children And Love Of My Life

Thank you for your unconditional love and your unwavering support. This year hasn't been an easy one and it's not even halfway over.  At times I felt like I'd never be the same person again due to a few events that took place. And maybe I won't be the same person ever again. But there's two ways to look at it. I could say, "I can't wait for this year to be over so I can start fresh in 2013." Or I can say, "The next eight months I'm going to rebuild myself into the strongest person I've ever been." With you by my side through all of this, I know I can do anything and that's why I'm choosing the better option. I can accomplish my goals without fear or doubt. Fear is self-sabotage, and we all can be guilty of it from time to time. We listen when people shut down our ideas. We second guess ourselves until all that remains is a beaten down shell where an optimist used to reside. Instead of letting fear control us we have to believe in what we're passionate about. People are scared of the unknown, and they're scared of what they can't do or what they feel they can't do. And as a result of that fear those same people want to bring you down with them because they feel weaker when they watch someone succeed. They'll never bring us down. Our family is too strong.

I've said this many times and I'll continue to say it because quite simply, it's true: I'm extremely blessed. I'm blessed to have such a wonderful family that has my back without question. I'm blessed to have found such a strong, intelligent and beautiful woman to hold my hand and stand by my side through some of the toughest, most challenging times of my life. Most women would've quit long ago. People do it everyday. But she never did. She never quit me. She never walked away from what we have. And because of that I feel like she never will. But I refuse to take advantage of that and I refuse to take her for granted. At times I feel like she deserves better than me. But she loves me so much that I know she disagrees. And I love her the same way she loves me. I always will. They say the only thing constant in life is change. I'm here to say that my love for Diannica Tidwell Johnson will never change. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it will change. But if it does, I can promise you that the only change will be that my love will continue to grow for her. Our bond will only become stronger over time. I met her in 2001. I had just turned twenty-one years old. Most people would've enjoyed being single and hitting the bars and clubs and not bother with relationships or they'd say something stupid like, "I don't wanna get tied down by a woman." That thought never crossed my mind the day I met Diannica.

The fact is, the day I met you Diannica, I knew my life would change forever. And I was right. That's the day God blessed me and that's the day God started the creation of our beautiful family together. I love you so much and I wouldn't change a thing if I could. Thank you.

Happy Mother's Day,

-- Christopher Lane Johnson