Internet Troll Apologizes (He Confused This Blog with The Orlando Weekly)

Internet Troll: A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues. Such arguments can happen on blogs, Facebook, Myspace and a host of others.  Definition by Urban Dictionary.

On a recent post about a local establishment, a troll posted a comment.

 

I feel embarrassed for responding.  To make matters worse, the argument continued.

 

The next morning I received an e-mail from him. You can read the words underneath the pic.

Hello there,

Woke up today and realized how shitheaded I was to leave those comments on your blog.  Truth be told I thought that it was the Orlando weekly. Not that that’s some excuse, but I actually already found your blog before and I liked it, it’s not something I’d want to shit on but rather something very nice you do that should be supported.  Thanks for being a good sport about it,  I really need to not use the Internet when I’ve had a night involving three types of liquor.  In summary, I’m sorry pal. None of that stuff I wrote was even a little necessary for me to say and keep up the good work.

-Stephen Yeago

I’m not mad at the guy for trolling.  Trolls attacking my blogs are a good thing. If a blog is shitty, trolls won’t attack it.

What does catch my attention is his confusing this blog with the Orlando Weekly.  I really don’t know how to take that.

As for being a “bro”, I think “bro” is in reference to white frat boys. Not “brothas” which references black guys.  Yet, as for being a “bro” blog, the occasional booty pic does appear.

Yet, this isn’t really a “bro” blog.

All is forgiven, Steven. Thanx for inspiring another blog.

Orlando’s Bao Le-Huu: The Music Columnist Central Florida Needs

I love Bao Le-Huu’s music articles. When he writes about bands, he can either be brutal or uplifting. The world needs critics like Le-Huu. Too many artists expect praise without actually working on their craft. Oh sure, their buddies who write blogs may still lick their asses. Yet, writers like Bao Le-Huu comes along and write words no-talent musicians and bands really deserve.

Another thing, too many Orlando residents kiss out-of-town artists asses. For some reason, words like “New York Artist” or “LA Artist” blind Orlando folks. They rarely look beyond the words to see if “New York Artist” has any real talent. Not Bao Le-Huu. I’ve observed his writings ripping out-of-town musicians and bands to shreds also.

Recently, I asked Bao to bless this humble blog with his words.

1. What is your history in Orlando?

I’ve spent most of my life in Orlando and practically grew up here. With the exception of college, I’ve lived here since the mid-‘80s so I’ve seen much of the development and critical mass of this city’s modern era.

2. What is your history with music?

My parents were always music fans, so music was always playing in our house day and night, much more than the TV in my early years. And thankfully, they had good, diverse tastes.

So once I started developing my own taste in music, I was always the most passionate listener among my friends. Even more, I was the most analytical and most vocal about it. And once I began going to concerts and nightclubs, well, a lifer was born.

3.What is your writing history?

I’ve been a freelance music critic and journalist for over 11 years now, contributing to various national and regional publications. I’m currently the music columnist for the Orlando Weekly, a post I’ve held for eight years.

I don’t have any formal J-school education or anything. But throughout my school life, I was always far more interested in and better at English than math (myth busted). So between all the English, philosophy, and literature classes I took over the years – and there were many – I did a lot of writing development.

I got my start in music journalism through a huge, possibly semi-blind roll of the dice by our dear mutual friend, the late Kelly Fitzpatrick. Before she was the Sentinel’s nightlife columnist, she was one of the editors for Orlando CityBeat, an online culture and entertainment magazine that was launched in 2003 to be the hot, young sister of the Orlando Sentinel. Kelly and I sort of knew each other socially, and she was aware of my enthusiastic show-going and overflowing opinion about music. So when they were gathering their first pool of writers, she asked if I was interested in possibly contributing. Since I wasn’t a published writer at the time – or any sort of writer at all, really – she asked me to submit a couple pieces for consideration. So I banged out a couple album reviews that were adequate enough for her to give me a trial run as OCB’s music columnist. It was a completely insane chance she took, one that probably sometimes gave her pause, but that column (The Set List) caught some attention and ended up being one of OCB’s longest-running columns. Once OCB became subsumed by Metromix, local coverage was whittled down to a meaningless trickle so I took a column offer by OW.

4. Explain your Orlando Weekly article.

This Little Underground is OW’s music column. It consists mostly of live show reviews but it’s not some straight, boring play-by-play. First and foremost, it’s a piece driven by opinion, sometimes strong. There’s some scene news sometimes, too. But as much as possible, I try and do it all with some perspective and context. And though everything is fair game, the focus is on the city’s more underground side. It’s Orlando’s most robust and most original frontier. And for me, that’s where it’s at.

5. Some reviewers tend to be on some kind of power trip. You’re different. You’re outspoken. Yet, you seem fair.

I’ve always believed in the role of critical, independent review as a key force in the advancement of anything we do as humans, whether it’s art, government, or whatever. At heart, I believe that criticism, even hard criticism, should be an agent of positive forward movement. Unlike what sensitive, reactionary types believe, those aren’t mutually exclusive things. And though I’ve sometimes overextended the bounds of critical license, I try and base my critical ethics in solid analysis and reason as much as I can.

6. This may seem like a stupid question. How do some folks react to your reviews? Any threats?

The spectrum of reaction has been wide. I’ve been received with everything from high-fiving respect to open hostility. And, yes, some threats. But the negative reactions are usually just ad hominem hate rants that are fueled more by the need to expel emotion than any interest in furthering the dialogue. I think most people, even many of the recipients of negative reviews, understand the deal.

7.What are your views on the Orlando music scene?

I think it’s a scene that’s loaded with talent, creativity, and vision. I see it every week. If I didn’t believe in it, I would’ve stopped doing the column a long time ago. It takes a lot of street-level time to do right. I get paid to do it, but I don’t get paid enough to do it without any emotional investment. And though it’s a personally rewarding platform, even I would eventually get tired of just masturbating.

That said, I think there are things we do that prevent us from breaking through to the next level, a thing that we’re sometimes closer to than most realize. On the fan side, there’s too much apathy. On the musician side, there’s too much insularity, fractionalization and bullshit micro politics. Support is often way too conditional in this city. With some legitimate breakouts in recent years, we’re getting big but not big enough to have the attitude that some of us are carrying around. We need to just get over ourselves a little bit. Other tribes in the scene are doing cool shit too. So step outside your party lines a bit and check it out. You don’t earn the right to talk shit from your couch.

Words from Orlando’s Rapper/Artist/Poet Asaan “Swamburger” Brooks

Recently, Asaan “Swambruger” Brooks won Orlando Weekly’s Best Poet/Spoken-Word Artist, a reader’s choice award.  Since 2002, he has rapped in the group Solillaquists of Sound.

Recently, he offered some words for this humble blog.

1. What is your history with Orlando?

I moved to Orlando from Chicago Illinois around 1998, just after my graduation from Columbia College. Prior to my 98′ move, I’d been visiting Orlando since 93′. Upon reaching the South, I mingled with various folks who seemed to have their names already carved in the scene. I met people like DJPaleface, DJ Subtle and DJ Fathead. These were the cats that held me down when I first started to make a name for myself in Orlando, Florida. Later, I met my extended fam, DJ BMF, Gerard Mitchell, Q-Burns, and the rest of the folks at 8th Dimension Records/Publishing. While signed to 8th Dimension, DJ BMF was my producer. We recorded what I can refer to as my first official Florida release.

Chi, Gerry Williams, and Chuck Dinkins were three key components for my career’s growth. Chi got me into some battles while Chuck allowed me to make a name for myself (and whoever I was with), on the House Of Blues big stage, opening for major acts like Run DMC, Busta Rhymes, The Roots, etc. Meanwhile, Gerry Williams created opportunities for me to record in a BIG studio, becoming very well versed in studio artistry. I built my relationships with all the local celebs. I shared the stage with Anthony Cole, Matt Lapham, Roland, and Eugene Snowden, damn near every week at a place called Dante’s, (which is now known as Pulse), for their weekly night, “Jazz Garage.” I even used to skate with Dave Duren, Bear Hughes, and John Montessi at times, attending Badlands Skatepark everyday to brush up on my skill sets, selling mixtapes, and doing “Half-Flip Casper Big-Spins” over the pyramid.

As I continued my career in the music industry, I collaborated with Beef Wellington to put out an album in 2000-2001, called “Feel Fantabulous,” featuring various artists. Today, those songs are played everywhere, (says my BMI statements: MTV, HBO, EA Sports, Etc.) Lately I’ve been making my moves with Solillaquists Of Sound.  Just recently we’ve won the Orlando Weekly’s “Best Of Orlando” for the 10th time and have been asked to open for Lauryn Hill this month at the House Of Blues, Aug 15th.

2. Most people know you for hip-hop. What are your views on hip-hop in general?

Hip Hop used to be known for it’s artistry at one point, stressing the tenants: Peace, Love, Unity, and having Fun.  Today, it’s mainstream mentality seems to ignore art and make a mockery of the culture every chance it gets. Not all the elements in Hip Hop are so quick to become the public’s entertaining stereotype though. However, when rap is involved, everybody has an opinion on what black culture is to them and how they all should be involved in someway to make a life-long dream of theirs come true. Why do so many folk feel the need to express themselves through rhyme and rhythm… even when they lack rhymes and/or rhythm???  We did it for the sake of survival, creating code, exchanging the news, and common interests. I don’t really get why others do it. I usually hear deep answers with hypothetical situations that mask the reality of their true theory, because, once I get a hold of an album they’ve advertised as the next coming of Christ, it fails to meet the criteria they’ve explained as “next level.”

3. What are your views on Orlando’s hip-hop scene?

Ok, after a long process of observation into the arena of a lot of rap acts in Orlando, I feel it’s pretty safe to say that most of these acts really need to step their “stage show game” up. Although, I’ve seen great shows from cats every now and again, there really hasn’t been a lot of consistency from show to show that can pack a room or TRUELY grab the fan’s attention. With the exception of a few pros in the game, there’s really not a whole lot that the Orlando Hip Hop scene can capitalize on. The reason I’m bringing this up is because there’s BEEN a huge shortage of: repeat customers, excitement about hip hop shows from the masses we promote to, an overall vibe given to potential fans, and, to put it bluntly, there’s simply not enough mind-blowing shows given for the price paid at the door. Personally, I believe the lack of an exciting show creates a financial shortage for our scene’s future. I made an attempt of asking a few hundred folks about their honest thoughts on local hip hop shows. The results rated the local hip hop show as a boring showcase with poor mic mechanics. Now, as far as those rappers that disagree with the opinions stated, I encourage you to challenge your current show and whoop it’s ass. Practice!!!

I feel that WE are a collective who determines the worth of our art and culture, so, if WE continue to give weak shows, the scene will eventually die. The entertainer within us needs HELLA work. The hunger and/or grind to become the “best” needs to resurface in our craft again. That “Fat Gold Chain” shit gave us a standard. Not everyone was a damn “Yes Man” either. Too many cats just rapping to rap. No goal or direction towards a desired path. I see the apathy of the crowd growing on the scene to the point where shows are now thought of as half-ass. This is OUR fault. Let’s fix it!

4. You’re also known as a talented painter. What are your views on Orlando’s art
scene?

In most cases, the Orlando art scene is continuously striving to become a Mecca for groundbreaking art. In attempts of Orlando becoming a Super power in the art world, I’m finding that most curators have become obsessed with cluster-fucking the “Now” with as much art from every level of artist possible. Nothing wrong with being encouraged, but, I do question if a more strategic plan of execution is in play. I hope that the quality of art dictates the course of our artistic future. I wouldn’t want the progression of Orlando’s art/artist movement to be watered down by an over-saturated and overzealous need to be seen.

5. Congrats for winning Orlando Weekly’s Best Orlando Poetry/Spoken-Word Artist. What are your views on Orlando’s poetry scene?

Hmmmmm, I don’t think much of the poetry scene here… I seriously believe there’s too many slam poets, poems for competition, and imitation Saul Williams acts, to have a scene I can truly invest in… It pisses me off to be honest. I tried to be nice but, that’s really how I feel. Aside from a few folks in the scene, I don’t care for it.

6. You’ve traveled the world. Describe your travels?

How bout I have my alter ego, “Black Gallery,” tell you.. He describes the world in a very brute manner, expressing that there are only two types of people in this world… “Niggas,” and “Ninjas.”

Black Gallery presents:
Niggas and Ninjas
An Adult Sci-Fi Children’s Book.

Niggas in the street,
Ninjas indiscreet

Niggas smoke bomb weed,
Ninjas just smoke bomb.

Niggas are into trees,
Ninjas are IN the trees.

Niggas beware,
Ninjas be where?

Niggas swore they killed somebody,
Ninja’s sword killed somebody.

Niggas say shit like, “You don’t want none Chuck Norris,”
Ninjas just nunchuck Norris.

Niggas love Jesus,
Jesus was a Ninja.

Niggas don’t snitch,
Ninjas tip toe around the issue.

Niggas are big on self,
Ninjas are big on stealth.

Niggas dress in all black and walk with a tight rope around the city,
Ninjas dress in all black and tightrope around the city.

Niggas are always in some ass,
Ninjas are always assassins.

Niggas discuss trouble with sighs,
Ninjas discuss trouble with Sai’s.

Niggas chop it up,
Ninjas chop YOU up.

Niggas believe Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to fuck with,
Ninjas achieve Wu Tang Quan and ain’t nuthin to fuck with.

Some Niggas disbelieve everything you tell em…
Ninjas are real.

7. On Facebook, you posted anger at rapper Common. Can you explain that?

Here’s the original post:

Divinci called me over to listen to the newest Common album.. originally was supposed to listen to one track that features an old friend of mine from the Chi.. ended up listening to more than that.. slowly became silent in my heart… damn, another one bites the dust.. Common been falling off for a while now though, however, this was just an all time low.. no spirit, no real dynamic, no sense of rawness.. just seems like some neo nigga shit.. typical. damn… don’t know why hip hop feels the need to remain stuck on TRYING TO BE MOST STEREOTYPICAL BLACK GOD OF THE HOOD or whatever the hell is going on in today’s rap world.. Be great! Stop trying to be everybody’s favorite Black nigga, nigger, coon, homie, etc.

Alright, here it is… My take on Common’s music is pretty basic. I used to love his music. I started with “Can I Borrow A Dollar.” Once he hit a certain stage in his career where he fumbled the magic he once possessed, I stuck through it to hear what he would create next. As time passed, I lost interest. I noticed what I didn’t like about his musical choices though. I noticed that he started to put on this facade after he tried putting out “Electric Circus.” The hood was feeling him, most believed that he was becoming “soft” by way of Erykah Badu. He said that he would return to that street shit. He then completed that adventure by collaborating with Kanye West. When I heard the album, I could hear the “try” in his voice. He was fronting. He no longer sounded like he meant what he was saying. On the last album to date, I went in thinking that he would truly present something different…. He didn’t. It was fabricated. It was dumbed down. It was as if he did it to be down with black folks who like Lil Wayne but know nothing about Aesop Rock, Freestyle Fellowship, Qwel & Maker, etc. I was definitely displeased, hahahaha!

8. There’s an experience you and I share. We joke about it all the time.

Hahahahahah, maaaaaaaaannn… You talking about how people think I’m you and you’re me. Hahaha, that’s gotta be innocent racism or some shit. There’s gotta be a word or phrase for that type of consistent foul up between a whole city fucking our names and/or faces up with one another. Hahah, we look nothing alike!

Man, I had this cat come up to me and swear up and down that I was you.

The man acted like we were friends, telling me, “Hey, you really like some big ass huh?”

I responded with, “Yeah, a lot of folks do.”

He said, “Hahahah, man you sure are funny Patrick.”

I just walked away with my head down. He was sure that I was you. And what makes it so bad, his wife bought a CD from me moments before we spoke. Hahahahahaha.. What the?

9. Any future plans or dates?

Yep.. Solillaquists has mad shows coming up. Some in town, some outta town. As I mentioned earlier, we have a show this month, Aug 15th at the House of Blues, opening for Lauryn Hill. We also have a night that we do called “Final Fridays,” every last Friday of the month at Peacock Room. The future plan is paint, make music, be a good husband, and own a mansion, living as the mayor of this city until it’s my time. Peace, Love, Unity, and have Fun!

More Photos of Will’s Pub

When I uploaded them on my last Will’s Pub blog, I was fully aware my photos weren’t showing the whole truth. During the first WIll’s Pub, I really wasn’t documenting. Mostly, I photographed people during the Tuesday night poetry readings.

When I posted the blog on Facebook, Will Walker (the owner) loved it. When he reposted the blog, so did most of his friends. Yet, some nitpicked. They felt certain bands should have been included. Others felt because of their loyal attendance at Will’s Pub, I should have included them.

Well, most of the bands they mentioned I didn’t care about. Nothing against the bands themselves, or their music. I just didn’t follow them. Understand, I really wasn’t attempting documenting Will’s itself.

As for why some folks didn’t get included? For one, they probably weren’t present when I had my camera. Second, the most likely, I probably didn’t know them. Most of the folks in the photos were people I knew for years. One was someone I knew since fifth grade (Cynthia Barrett). Third of all, I probably didn’t like the person or people. I loved Will’s Pub. There I gained friendships still lasting to this day. Yet, before the days of the Great Hipster Invasion on American Culture, their predecessors hung out at Will’s too. (Except for Christina B, I suspect those are the ones doing the most bitching.)

I attempted fixing the problem. Last week, I created a Facebook post asking folks to send photos of the first Will’s Pub. Will Walker and other friends reposted. How many people responded? A HUGE WHOPPING NUMBER TWO!!! Manuel Daddy and Sandra Rapp, you’re beautiful and I shall forever be indebted to you.

I’m really not pissed. More than likely, because Will’s started in the 90’s, folks own prints. This means a lot of time-consuming scanning. Out of sympathy, that’s why I’m not pissed.

Here’s the next batch of Will’s Pub photos. Some are personal photos I later found. Also, these same photos will be included in the first Will’s Pub blog. A special shout out to Ashley Belanger of the Orlando Weekly. She blogged about the first Will’s Pub blog.

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Manuel Daddy

Photo by Sandra Rapp