Run Wrake is a British animator and illustrator. He has collaborated with Howie B, created visuals for U2′s Vertigo tour, and many others. All of his animations are based around beats and music. For “Rabbit” (the video posted above), he pieced together 1950‘s educational children’s stickers that he had bought from a junk shop. The film is a story about the dangers of greed and exploring nature. There were about 200 stickers total and it took about 16 months to create. “Rabbit” has been quite successful at various film festivals all over the world, and once you view it, you’ll soon understand why. It’s like something you have never seen before, in a good way. His work can be so inspirational; the way he transforms and creates things is amazing. If you go to his website, you can see a lot of his other work – short films, music videos, tv graphics, commercials, and illustrations. It’s a small glimpse of what Wrake sees in his head and then puts it all into visuals for the entire world to see.

I don’t know about you girls and guys, but I have this thing for vampires. I’ve always been really interested in them since I was younger so like a good little minion, I’ve read all of the books in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. Several times. I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something very attractive about the way she breathes life into these characters.

Of course I also saw the movies,loving Interview and thoroughly disappointed by the mess that was Queen of the Dammed. However, I’m not going to go into detail on Ann Rice’s books vs the movies, or about how I used to wish Armand or Lestat would make me a fledgling after reading chapter upon chapter into the wee hours of the night (hey,don’t judge me,it doesn’t sound weird if you’re a true Rice fan!)

What I will tell you about tho is Russian singer Vitas. What does Vitas have to do with any of this? Well for one,Vitas gives off vampire vibes in waves. I’ve heard talk about “gaydar” and well, I have a “vampire-dar” if that makes sense. Again, don’t judge me.

He’s gorgeously androgynous and I can just picture him feeding off of some unsuspecting fool. I mean look at him! How can you not see “VAMPIRE’!?Secondly if you don’t already know, Lestat is a rock star, or was. And if you also recall, as a rock star Lestat would hit these amazing notes…and Vitas does just that! ha! He’s got this song called Opera 2 and the minute I heard him wail soprano supreme, I screamed at my computer “OMG IT’S LESTAT EN VIVE!” LOL

Check him out:
The Star (I think this PV is absolutely beautiful)

and Opera 2…best song ever?!

Anne Rice would be proud.

This is an entry regarding Jay Smooth… and his awesome vlogs. If you don’t know who Jay Smooth is, get familiar. Let me school you just a little bit on who this man is:

1. Founder of NY’s longest running hip hop radio show, WBAI’s Underground Railroad… which he began in ’91.
2. All his vlogs are posted up on his website, illdoctrine.com.
3. A columnist on XXLmag.com.

I have his site bookmarked and I just signed up on youtube recently (mad slow, I know), and added him to my subscribed list of people. And by “list of people“, I mean… he’s the only one I have on there right now. Haha, word. Anyway, this man is awesome and I enjoy watching his vlogs. Whether he’s speaking about hip hop, politics, hip hop & politics, the news, anything everything else that is bundled up in the less-than-three minutes of video he creates each time… are wonderful. I don’t even follow up on politics really… I just know bits and pieces of the candidates and from what other’s who follow politics tell me. I enjoy watching and listening to Jay Smooth speak though – his vocabulary is way beyond mine, and anyone else I converse with… I like it. It makes me want to open up a dictionary, or a thesaurus, and expand my own vocab. I love words.

The first video of his that I’m going to post is his newest one – “No Homo“. I remember when my ex-lovah, he’s a Cali boy, would say things like “pause” after things he’d say that might come off as sounding homosexual. I can be quite the perverted individual, so I think a lot of things sound sexual or could sound sexual, haha. I remember asking him wtf “pause” meant too, because shit… I wasn’t up on my hip hop slang (atleast not for that). My other good friend, also a Cali head, often uses that “no homo” phrase. I don’t listen to Dipset or Cam’ron, so I didn’t know that’s who it came from until I asked. Haha, but yes… this video explores all of what No Homo is.

Now I will do what I do best, and post youtube videos. Okay, so that’s not what I do best… but it’s fun to do when you have a blog. Amirite? Yes. I like sharing things that I enjoy, or don’t enjoy, with people. Like Jay, making connections and sharing moments… I like to do this. Anyway, march foward Crayon-Beats readers! Other Jay Smooth videos that I liked:

The Gay Hip Hop Book.

1:11 – 1:21 of what he said… is real talk. Yes, I am not against gays. Love is love… and love sees no race, nor sexuality. :]

Obama Mashup Tribute: He really deed it!

I LOL‘d at the nom-nom picture thrown in the middle… and I smiled at the fact that he used a song I like listening to on repeat sometimes. It’s Cage “I hope you die (I really mean it)” in case you wanted to know.

Honor your connectedness.

Goodness cultivation… day.

He’s right. There is good in all people… and I really liked everything he had to say. I participate in finding the good within people on more than one day. You should too.

The music biz and the moral high ground.

Seriously.

Hip hop is dead (FOR YOU).

“As long as I love hip hop, hip hop is gonna be alive for me… how ever I choose to live it. I’m not gonna let MTV live it for me.” — TRUTH. And for those of you who know me (which is nobody on this blog, besides Tiff), know that I am a big hip hop head (underground in specific). Haha. :]

Alrighty, that’s it. I’m hungry. Peace!

This is kinda an extension of yesterday’s post, I just got an email from Hoc, of Ningin, the media sponsor for this event and I thought I’d post for those of you who may be interested:

PERFORMANCES BY:
Cynthia Lin,Heather Park,Jay Legaspi,Warhol Soup,Chosen 1,Deep Foundation,DJ DStrukt,Dumbfoundead,Hydroponikz,Kelly Tsai,Koba,Lyraflip,Magnetic North,Misnomer(s),Youthinasia,w/ DJ Boo

August 16th, 2008
Doors open at: 8:30pm
Public Assembly (Formerly Galapagos)
70 North 6th Street (bet.Wythe & Kent)
Brooklyn, NY
L Train to Bedford Avenue
You must be 21+

Tickets are available for purchase:
Online Or Email and there’s a $10 discount if you buy online. But Hurry as seating is limited! $15 @ the Door

–Credit: Ningin.com

You know how in almost every highschool, there’s that one kid who is funny as hell, a total slacker, but also crazy talented?! Well imo, that’s Dumbfoundead. Totally. First, let me say, I’m kinda ashamed to say that I almost passed him up. I decided to check him via commentary from Sonny B, and I gotta say, he’s a riot, and I lurve it. With songs like “Freeloaders” and “She Don’t Care” he showcases his killer flow, and his crazy sense of humor. I swear he was thinking of me when he wrote “She Don’t Care” lol that’s my life story =S …anyway, that’s a whoooole ‘nother blog post.

He’s also a member of Project Blowed, Swim Team and Thirsty Fish, and as he shows on his songs “Lifestyles of the Under” and “First, Second, Third” it’s not all about making the listener laugh. Don’t get me wrong, they are pretty rad too, but with the twist of spitting his truth about the music industry and life. Now, I personally haven’t listened to the other guys in the crews he’s a part of, aside from those featured on the songs on his myspace, but I definitely plan on it, especially if they’re anything similar to him.

Check out his myspace, add him , and if you’ve got the time, check him out at one of his tour stops. If you’re in the NY area, then you’re in luck, as he’ll be performing in the city Aug 16&17th. =). More info on his other tour stops can be found at his myspace.

OH YEAH! And another thing, if you go to his blog you can download his whole EP “DUMBURGER WITH NO CHEESE” for free. YEP! free! woot!

Yeah Pretty Much. I suck at introductions. When I first started CrayonBeats, it was just me and I hadn’t the slightest idea about what to blog about, but as I got into the groove, and started inviting my friends to blog with me, I totally neglected to introduce them! Tiffany and Monolithic, I’m sooooo sowie! LOL, but in my defense, I wasn’t really sure if anybody was actually reading CB. *cough*stillnotsure*cough HAHA. Well, to kinda make up for that, I’d like to introduce them, along with our newest blogger, Yuri.

Tiffany, La Ghost is one of the coolest people I know. Say Hi everybody!! I believe I first met her on the ‘Tiffanys’ Myspace Group. haha, who’dve thunk I’d actually meet a friend on myspace: the place for friends!? WOOT! Anywho, Tiff is, I would have to say, me, if I were tall, blue eyed, fair haired and White. LOL she’s probably cooler tho. Seriously, if rad were an Olympic sport, she’d take gold. I heart this girl, and not just cuz we have the same name (that’s part of it, tho =P ). Oh and don’t forget to check out her blog I HAZ CABLE. <33

Next up is Monolithic, another awesome person I know from teh internetz. Monolithic has played and intricate part in expanding my tastes for music of the Japanese set. He’s always putting me on to new (and old) acts who really make some awesome ear love, as well as schooling me on 80s hip hop culture. Now that I think about it tho, when I first met him as KingAdidas, he was kinda mean to me! tsk tsk. LOL but it’s all good now, especially since we seem to be always on the same page when it comes to the tunes. Music is the peace maker…It should run for president O_<.

And last,but not least is Diandra aka Yuri. She’ll be added later on, but I’ll introduce her now. =) I met Yuri hmm..I honestly don’t remember if it was one or two years ago, but yeah, I met her on a messageboard for Korean music, as at the time we both were auditioning for Korean record labels. LOL yep you read correctly, we ,two black chicks, auditioned for Korean record lables. Since then we’ve become very close friends, and it turns out she and I have so much in common it’s kinda creepy….as in Twilight Zone material. Ooooh! Anywho, she’s been added to the roster, and I hope everybody gets along. <333

oh and GO TEAM USA!!!!!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpEuJxAoUho&hl=en&fs=1]

I don’t not listen to something because it’s in a different language… and you shouldn’t either. Music is music. I already know Tiffany and Mono agree with this, because I can see their music tastes are outside of the English realm too. Examples of what I’m talking about include – and are in no specific order:

1. TTC – French hip hop / electronica. MC’s Tido Berman, Teki Latex, and Cuizinier plus DJ Orgasmic
2. Hocus Pocus (2) – French hip hop. Their music mixes all of hip hop’s true elements with live instrumentation influenced by jazz, soul, and funk music. What’s not to like? They’ve done music with artists such as The Procussions too.
3. Ghislain Poirier – He’s a French DJ and producer. Pronounced: Jeece-lan Paw-war-yeah… say it properly, or he won’t be your friend (on myspace, haha). His music is considered dubstep / hip hop / reggae / bounce / baile funk. I really like his beats. And the music video, “Don’t Smile”, is dope.
4. Les Nubians – French R&B sisters Helene and Celia from Paris. Here’s a track they did with Guru.
5. DJ Mehdi – French hip hop / electro producer. This video features the group Chromeo. The video is cool, it shows these two dancers passing by eachother every day… dancing. (Another video that features a legendary graffiti artist, Futura, tagging all over a white room). Mehdi is married to Fafi too. ;]
6. Jazz Liberatorz – French hip hop beatmakers. Their latest album, “Clin D’oeil”, is a tribute to the golden age of hip hop… with a fusion of soul and jazz music from the 70s. If you’re not the least bit interested in that alone, you need to be smacked. Haha. The album features artists such as: Fatlip, Stacy Epps, Buckshot, Apani B, Sadat X, J Live, Rashaan Ahmad, etc.
7. Yelle (2)- French electro / pop singer.
8. Nujabes – Japanese hip hop DJ and producer, I love his music. You should seriously check out his other beats, I’ve never been let down. Video: features an artist by the name of Shing02… also sick. He’s worked with Cyne, Funky DL, Apani B, Substantial, and CL Smooth (videos!). I ♥ Nujabes.
9. DJ Muro – Japanese hip hop DJ and producer. The video in the link features a few other Japanese cats – Uzi, Deli, Q, Bigzam, Tokona-X, and Gore-Tex. I haven’t seen the video in so long, I didn’t think it’d ever show up on youtube again. Haha, so I had to post this up on here. I’m mad I still can’t find it on slsk.
10. DJ Krush – Japanese hip hop DJ and producer. Video: beat is nice and it features Esthero. I love her too.
11. DJ Kentaro (2, 3) – Japanese hip hop DJ. In 2002, he became one of the first Asians to win the DMC World DJ Final. He’s worked with folks like Pharcyde and DJ Shadow. :]
12. DJ Bizkid – My hip hop friend in Germany. His turntablism is dope and he works with some dope MCs that I’ve never heard of… but they spit some good stuff.
13. Killa Kela – Beatboxer from England. Video is about 10 minutes long, but it’s worth it.

If the song has a video to it and you can dig the vibe that it brings…
If the song has the perfect beat that makes your body parts move and dance (feet, head, other limbs)…
If the song is laced with some ill table scratching…
If the song features someone making music with their mouth aka beatboxing…
If the song can make me feel that specific emotion that it’s expressing…
If the song can speak to you on numerous levels…

then it can climb inside of me/you no matter
what language or genre it’s in or represents.

Though I don’t understand songs in another language, the beats and vibes of the music are universal. And even if or when I translate the words into English… it’s still music to my ears. None of that phony material. Now, I know what I posted above is a small portion of what’s out there. What I posted is just a glimpse of what’s up in the hip hop scene, for the most part (excluding Yelle) and that I could think of off the top of my head. Anything else you know of, that you think I might like, you’re welcome to drop names in the comments. :] Be easy.

Plus, if you have Last.fm – add me or something. /End shameless-plug.

OK, I’ve got a confession to make…I’m a closet Hyori fan. HAHA damn. I say that like it’s bad to admire her and her music. Whateves. She’s awesome. I stopped listening to her during her “Dark Angel” episode, only because with all of  the gossip surrounding her scandals and  the insane netizens who attacked any and everybody who remotely critizize their idols…well, frankly I was turned off by it.

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