Shifting Sands Newsletter

RIP to Capital STEEZ, a 19 year old hip-hop emcee who killed himself by jumping off of a roof on December 24, 2012 after tweeting “the end” on twitter. We lost one of the best up-and-coming rappers in my opinion, and what really gets to me is that he was the same age as I am and his music gives the impression that he really loved life. I really wish he were here to give us more music, but a part of me is satisfied with what I got. Luckily, we got his crew Pro Era putting out music similar to his but Capital STEEZ was one of a kind. Some of his subject matter included governmental corruption, love, and human insight to name a few. I’m really looking forward to his posthumous release titled King Capital coming sometime in 2014 but for the moment I will enjoy AmeriKKKan Kurruption Reloaded . May his soul rest in peace, one love, Capital STEEZ.  

Sometimes I think I exsist. -Teren Dante Maxwell

Meuvidar's Lamp Part 1: Escape Traveling to Arab countries looking for treasure I will search high and low despite of the weather Speak of the devil here comes a storm It's coming in to fast I can't make up the form I try to turn back and it swallows me whole I awake in a buried tomb it's dark and it's cold I spot something, my eyes set upon a golden glare So much beauty it beholds as it shines and I stare Feelings of awe I step closer inside the thin air I can barely breathe but I must have what's there Whit gold in my grasp I feel so enchanted Like It's the most gracious holy entity on the planet Then I begin to panic as the room falls to granite A trap was set, I must leave out here alive Where to go there's nowhere even to hide Until I spot an entry way off to the side I sprint there and boulders fall on my shoulders As I narrow on my target the air only gets colder I'm barely breathing praying this

After listening to this album for about four years now I only recently found out why Amy Winehouse named it Frank (Frank Sinatra). It should have been obvious because of the heavy jazz influence but it’s one of those things that just slip your mind. From the moment I first heard Amy’s voice I instantly fell in love with her music, but I didn’t know who she was until her death in 2011. Yes she had some drug problems but that’s another topic for another day, her debut album Frank in 2003 is today's agenda! With such a lovely voice “dusty but polished” as my friend describes it, Amy Winehouse talks about love most of the time. I haven’t really listened to frank Sinatra but there is a clear blues and jazz feeling to this album. Other artist influences include Nas, Bob Dylan, Fugees, Erykah Badu, Sarah Vaughn, and The Ronettes which she gets her hair style from. Alternative Album Cover Intro/Stronger Than Me You Sent Me Flying/Cherry Know You Now Fuck Me Pumps I

I laughed so hard when I first saw this picture, I instantly had to have it for myself. I forgot what I was doing, but I was browsing the web and a user posted this in response to whatever topic it was. Enjoy!

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” ― John Lennon

The roaring twenties is one of my favorite time periods to learn about and study. The nightlife was genuine, everybody was living life with no regrets, and the abundance of jazz music filled the atmosphere. Created by Russell Patterson, this picture shows a young flapper with short brown hair, dressed up, and holding a cigarette. Other artwork from Patterson is a lot more vulgar than this image and not colored so to me this is a more definitive piece of work of all the others. The title, Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire is a perfect description for this masterpiece. Flappers were known for going against the casual role of women by cutting their hair and wearing long dresses that often exposed a little bit of their legs and heels. I think cigarette holders are awesome because they have a fancy elegance to them as shown here. Her red lipstick, long fingernails, and “I don’t care” attitude shows that she is looking for fun, most likely sex otherwise she wouldn’t have her ches