DubiousCraves: Lasonic i931 Portable iPod Ghetto Blaster

As much as I hate to perpetuate the stereotype that has come with the ghettoblaster-carrying era of the urban mid-80s, there is something utterly irresistable about the Lasonic Portable iPod Ghettoblaster.

The nostaligic qualities alone make it the perfect summer gift for your freinds, family and even (most importantly) your damned self!

It has an AM/FM tuner, 3.5mm stereo auxiliary input, USB input and SD card reader for direct MP3 playback. The only downside is the incompatibility it has with iPhones, but the auxillary jack should clear that up.

Lasonic's RAP-UP limited-edition Ghettoblaster, $169, lasonic.com

Not only would you be the talk of probably all of your friends, but this is definitely something that could be handed down from generation to generation.

Radio Raheem would be proud.

-BJW

New Music Review: Diddy – Last Train to Paris

It's bad enough most of us are still trying to get the taste of Press Play out of our mouths, but Diddy has done it again with his art nouveau-inspired album, Last Train to Paris.

First announced (almost seven months before the projected release date), during an episode of Making the Band, this album is anything short of a train wreck.

Promising fans that he's going to "bring a new sound", Diddy is more than confident in his talents as a rapper and producer.

A screenshot of Diddy's LSTP iPhone app that keeps you updated with everything from concert dates to Twitter posts.

But this is just a bunch of hot air out of the wrong end of Bad Boy's head-guy-in-charge.

He should have stuck to things he was go at, like throwing white parties, and left hip-hop to the professionals.

Listen Now (but you really don't have to): "Diddy Bop"

-BJW

DubiousTips: Staying Fit on the Go

Work, school, children, parents, stress, deadlines, coffee runs and lunch breaks – these are just a handful of the many distractions in our lives that keep us from eating healthy and staying fit. But there is hope. Here are a few tips and tricks of the trade to stay active in an overactive world:

• Regardless of how much free time you may have at the end of the day, do NOT exercise at night. The added flow of adrenaline could keep you awake for anywhere up to four hours after you leave the gym. This does not bode well for the morning after.
  
• If you can schedule it, try to work out a weekly routine with a partner a few days a week; preferably someone who isn't prone to convincing you to skip out on workout days. The added pressure of not wanting to stand up or reschedule with your partner will give you enough motivation to keep with the routine.
  
• It's perfectly okay to "workout" at your desk, but don't be that obnoxious co-worker that turns at-your-desk butt crunches into a spectator sport. We've come here to work and complain about work, not watch the strained look on your face.
  
• Treat your workout routine as a sacred ritual; A time when you can release all the stress and strain that you might be carrying. This will make the experience seem more enjoyable and less of a chore.
  
• There are a handful of iPhone apps, like iFitness and the "100" collection, that can help stay in shape without missing a beat. Check them out on the App Store in iTunes under "Healthcare and Fitness".
  

-BJW

DubiousSighting: Baked Bakery and Coffee

The view outside my window. I could get used to this...

It's about 8 a.m. as I write this post and I couldn't help but wonder something: why don't I ever see more black people at coffee shops in the morning?

At first, part of me thought that it was just a scheduling conflict, of sorts, you know? Most people usually don't make it into work these days until about 9 a.m or so, right?

But then, as I took a closer look at the types of people coming into the coffee shop, I realized that it's really a certain caliber of human being that frequents these types of establishments at such an ungodly time of the morning (both black and white, mind you).

The same caliber that's been responsible for adapting that old adage: "The early bird gets the worm."

Nina simone "ne me quitte pas"
by GERARDSERGE

They say that there's no real rest for the wary, and now I've finally figured out what that means now after the countless times I've heard it.

It means that in order to be truly successful in this life, you can't allow yourself to be satisfied with the status quo. You always have to have that fire in your belly, so to speak.

It was with this revelation that I also realized that I hadn't felt said "fire" for a long time until recently (which is rather odd for a 22-year-old).

So, I suppose, there is much to be said for that much scrutinized, but often underrated "early bird" crowd that flocks to the nearest java spot. They've got a lot to accomplish in a very short period of time, or to "catch the worm", if you will.

This is a mentality that I could definitely get used to...

-BJW

New Music Review: M.O.P – Foundation

"Ante Up!" – This is probably the anthem that most hardcore hip-hop enthusiasts are familiar with. Yes, there was a time when M.O.P muscled their way to the tippy top of the rap mountain with head bangers like "Cold as Ice" and the "Ante Up!" remixes with Busta Rhymes and Remy Martin.

But this doesn't mean that their rise to fame, in the late 90s, wasn't riddled with label disputes, petty in-fighting and money woes.

Through it all, they've been able to come from the ashes and release a preview of, Foundation, their ninth studio album overall and first album with the E1 Music label.

Foundation, right off the bat, has something that most hip-hop of this sub-genre doesn't: Intensity.

And I'm not just talking about the bang-your-head-in type of intensity. There is a certain rawness and reality that comes with many of the tracks on the album. The most complex and heavy track is "Prep Foundation". There's not much I can say other than it is definitely the track to be on the lookout for.

The full album is slated to release December 29^th, but for anyone that's even remotely familiar with the rap game, release dates are usually taken for a grain of salt.

Listen Now: "Prep Foundation" and "Blow the Horns" featuring Busta Rhymes.

-BJW

New Music Review: Jeremih

This young upstart has had a quick rise to the top of the charts over the past few months.

With his signature track, "Birthday Sex", backing him up, most people would look at this artist and think that he has everything going for him and then some.

Unfortunately, I am not most people. The biggest problem with this album is not all-star production cast (Mike Schultz of Def Jam Records), or the official backing of L.A. Reid, Island Def Jam's chairman and executive VP of A&R.

No, it's more so the fact that Jeremih, (pronounced Jere-mee), is just not very good on this album. While one can applaud him for keeping the guest list of supporting artists down to a bare minimum, the album just doesn't have much of a voice.

There is no unique or defining factor that separates him from the rest of the watered-down, sorry excuses for R&B floating around the charts right now. And as much as I would like to give him a chance, I really just can't.

Granted, women are still going to get weak in the knees every time they hear the tell-tale "Girl, you know I-I-I-I" reprieve, but Jeremih's novelty is going to fizzle out faster than most of those same women would like to think.

Listen Now: "Birthday Sex" and "Imma Star (Everywhere We Are)"

-BJW