The Origins of Jordi Scrubbings and his Afro

Ever wonder how I came up with the name Jordi Scrubbings?

Ever wonder why I wear an afro?

Buddy of the Blog Clark Brooks wondered that as well. And Clark did something about it. He invited me on to his podcast, The Ridiculously Inconsistent Podcast, which oddly enough has been ridiculously consistent since it began in January. But that's Clark's irony, right there. Who else would say his podcast and blog for that matter are inconsistent, yet post on both regularly?

Seems he should celebrate his consistency, not his inconsistency. Well, at least he is ridiculous. That is true.

I am not so sure about the trickle. Clark is a bit older than I am, but his trickling is a personal issue I am not sure I want to talk to him about.

But back to the podcast!

Clark had me on his podcast (did I mention that already?). It was the first podcast I have been on in a while and it was the first I have ever been on in person. Clark has a radio-like set-up and it's quite snazzy. And he is sponsored! Which means he may or may not be making money on the deal.

Too bad I don't have an appearance fee.

But anyway, I was on Clark's podcast. We talked the origin of the name "Jordi Scrubbings", why I wear an afro, my recent lack of comedy, my worst comedy performance ever, my new blog, my current blog, baseball, and how years ago I got really sick after a night of drinking.

It was a great time.

You can find the podcast on itunes by clicking the underlined letters, under the name

An interview with triple or quadruple threat Michael Lortz aka “that kid with the Afro wig”

Did I mention Clark is older than me? I think that's why he thinks he can call me "kid".

Hopefully, maybe, one day, if the planets align correctly, and the sun shines right, perhaps Clark will have me back.

Reactions to The Lego Movie

I've been told I think too much. That I dissect things I like into little itty bitty pieces. So of course, it stands to reason I would take apart and dissect 2014's biggest movie so far, The Lego Movie.

Because Legos are supposed to be taken apart into itty bitty pieces.

I went into the theater thinking The Lego Movie was going to be a mindless kids' movie with great animation and offbeat humor. I had seen the Star Wars Lego videos and found them cute and comical, but nothing overly spectacular.

But The Lego Movie is far different. Far more dystopian. It reminded me a lot of a "Brave New World" and somewhat of Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We", the forebearer of Huxley's novel and Orwell's "1984".

It is a movie about finding that niche between complete anarchy and utter obedience, that "Hairball Orbiting" discussed by Gordon MacKenzie.

It is a movie about Fun and Play.

Unfortunately, the 24-hour news cycle has completely milked the fun out of the movie, with both "sides" of the political spectrum claiming the movie espouses their world views. It's almost comical.

Here is John Sexton of Breitbart saying it promotes an idea "one would expect the late Occupy movement to embrace." and he is "not surprised Michael Moore is a fan".

Here is John Heyward of Breitbart saying the movie is actually about capitalism.

The joke is on the lefty fools who didn't see the movie, because it's evidently a devastating slam at socialism, particularly the Obama model of government-business cronyism.

and

The expressions warn by doctrinaire liberal parents who took their kids to see "The LEGO Movie" thinking it would deliver a wheezy Michael Moore Marxist screed against free enterprise and voluntary commerce must be priceless; they should have planted hidden cameras in the theater to capture audience reactions.  Or maybe those doctrinaire liberal parents are too far gone to think about what they're seeing, the way Mollie Hemingway did, their critical faculties short-circuited by the sight of a villain named "President Business" who looks like a Republican.

There is Molly Hemmingway of The Federalist, who gets closer to the mark when she opines that The Lego Movie is a subversive pro-liberty film.

This is not an anarchist cri de coeur, with the film also rejecting the absence of rules and government itself. In one pivotal scene, Emmet explains how rules help build teamwork, efficiency and the ability to meet objectives.

See MacKenzie's ideas on knowing the rules before you can play! Hemmingway also continues:

Even though the film is a 100-minute commercial for a business, it’s also an ad for personal responsibility, individual choice, meaningful work, natural constraints, the dignity of the individual and the fight against a government that desires control of the lives of citizens. Its message about heroism being based in creativity, hard work, and resourcefulness — not superpowers — is deeply unifying.

Then there is the conservative flagship station, Fox News, which wondered why leftist Hollywood would make yet another anti-capitalist movie that would try to teach kids how horrible and evil businesses are and attempt to brainwash them at their tender ages.



Gotta love the Fox News spin machine.

What most of these politicos miss is the key element of the Lego Foundation:

The LEGO Foundation has a goal of creating impact by inspiring and developing children and youth to become active citizens – and to empower them to create a better future for themselves – through fun, creativity and high quality learning.

Fun, Creativity, and High Quality Learning.

The Lego Foundation even gives out prizes for people who promote that mantra. If you thought a movie about Legos was going to be made and that wasn't going to be the message, you were wrong.

That's their thing.

From this Fast Company article in October, 2013:

A growing body of research shows that testing-focused education systems are stifling children’s creativity and critical thinking skills--the exact skills many CEOs say will be critical for success in the workforce in the years to come (see our related story “Why Solving The Creativity Crisis Means Looking To 3-Year-Olds”), not to mention the skills needed to solve looming societal challenges such as extreme poverty and climate change.

Grob-Zakhary believes the Lego Foundation can help preserve these skills by paving a path for more structured “hands-on play”--whether that is with a Lego brick, an Erector set, or a robotics kit--to be incorporated directly into school curriculums.

"Systems are stifling creativity" - the ability to play should be fostered. That's the manta of The Lego Movie.

Playing and creativity is not the 9-5 office job inputting data or digging the same ditch. Of course a Lego movie is going to attack that. Creativity and play is Miles Davis jamming, it's art, it's a group of college dropouts wandering the country playing gigs in coffee houses and rock bars trying to get their band signed. It's the reason open mics were established. To some, hippies are a burden on society, to others, they are living life on their terms without the burden of society.

But that's the classical dilemma. Conservative-minded parents want the college dropout to finish school, get a 9-to-5, and play life safe, but the dropout wants to create.

Then there is this interview with the Lego Foundation CEO on Forbes.com:

Play allows us to test our capabilities,  as all forms of learning should.  It stimulates children’s learning abilities by fostering creativity, building critical thinking, sparking intellectual curiosity, and facilitating learning by doing. Learning by doing deepens our engagement and understanding significantly, and strengthens the most important pathways our brains use to learn and develop.

When the rules are strict and mandated, there is no reason to develop. When the TV dinner is packaged, there is no reason to hunt. No development of that brain function. That is the element we find the hero in in the beginning of the Lego Movie.

While Hemmingway claims a key scene is when the protagonist insists the characters follow some rules and channel their creativity under some guidance, there is an earlier scene I think is more powerful. When needing to build an escape vehicle, Batman, a pink unicorn, a spaceman, and several other characters combine their ideas and cooperate to build a plane that moves the heroes out of immediate trouble. They do this by themselves, without instructions, and without a leader. They just find the pieces they need (Batman: "I only work with black, and sometimes dark gray"), work together, and create.

In 1921, the Russian State Committee for Publishing found Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We" so anti-establishment that it was quickly banned. According to LiquidHip.com, the book dramatizes the struggle between freedom and security, nature and artifice, spirit and order.

In 1988, 65 years after it was written, "We" was finally published in the Soviet Union.

If it was written today, "We" would probably be taken apart piece by piece like The Lego Movie.

Thoughts on Kendrick Lamar

Amidst all the hype and hoopla around his Grammy snubs and highly acclaimed cameo verse on Big Sean's song "Control", rapper Kendrick Lamar has been the talk of the hip-hop world for the last year, if not longer. Being in Afghanistan, I missed out the "longer" part, but since I've been back, Kendrick has been the world's biggest new rapper.

With more than a little curiosity, I bought the much-praised "good kid, mAAd city" album.

The first time I listened, I thought it was good. But I was surprised for a Compton/LA MC, how little "Compton" Kendrick Lamar was.

The second time I listened, "good kid, mAAd city" became great.

The second time I listened, I realized how "Compton" Kendrick Lamar really is. His Compton is buried in the nuances of his lines. Here is a dude who grew up in Compton, but didn't subscribe to the gangsta lifestyle of the early 90s rappers. He is not telling us to "fuck the police" as an anthem for rebellion. As a matter of fact, he is not rebelling at all. He is trying to survive.

From the track "mAAd city":

Ain't no peace treaty, just pieces BG's up to pre-approve / Bodies on top of bodies, IVs on top of IVs

"BG", or baby gangsta, is the "Lil Ass Gee" Ice Cube warned LA about in 1994 on the Lethal Injection album. They are the youngsters who grew up in the shadows of the gang wars of LA where the Bloods and Crips duked it out for street domination. But that's not Kendrick Lamar. He is the kid who wrote what he saw and tried to stay alive. In this regard, Kendrick Lamar is similar to Somalia-born rapper K'Naan, who, in his song "Dreamer" said,

And "The boys from the hood are always hard" / Let alone in Mogadishu it's a mastered art / If you bring the world hoods to a seminar / We from the only place worse than Kandahar

Which of course references Easy-E's "Boyz in the Hood", a Compton classic, making the whole conversation full circle.

Writing what he saw while others fought also aligns Kendrick with Chuck D's great hip-hop saying that "rap is the black CNN".  Instead of the protester image of NWA or Ice Cube, Kendrick is the storyteller, the narrator, and the bard. He is the Nas/"Illmatic" of the post-gangsta Compton.

But while telling the tale of his "new" Compton, a plain tilled by the plows of old school OGs and featuring the blossoms of the BG/Lil Ass Gee generation, Kendrick reaches out to one of those same OGs, the legendary MC Eiht. Some would look at the Jay-Z cameo or the cameo and executive producer title of Dr. Dre as the legends signing off on Kendrick, but Jigga and Dre follow dollars like Toucan Sam follows Froot Loops, sometimes at the expense of hip-hop.

When MC Eiht opens his verse of "mAAd city" with the line "Wake yo punk ass up", I said "with the 93 shot" out of instinct. It was "Streiht Up Menace" from the Menace to Society soundtrack 20 years later.

A fucked up childhood, is why the way I am / It's got me in the state where I don't give a damn, hmm / Somebody help me, but nah they don't hear me though / I guess I'll be another victim of the ghetto

While MC Eiht resumes the gangsta veteran in "mAAd city" , Kendrick plays the survivor of the streets, "aka Compton's Human Sacrifice", an acknowledgment to MC Eiht's "Compton's Most Wanted".

Maybe that's why the Grammy voters gave their awards to Macklemore and passed over Kendrick Lamar. Not because "the Grammys hate rap", although past snubs can build that argument, but because "good kid, mAAd city" transcended the music in a way that was tough to digest unless you knew the backstory. Unless you knew how South Central LA was affected by the Bloods and Crips, unless you knew about truce between the gangs, unless you knew why LA rioted after Rodney King, and unless you knew how those events molded and shaped Los Angeles rap music. Unless you listened to Ice-T, NWA, Ice Cube, MC Eiht, and their peers. That backstory was Kendrick Lamar's life. It's where Kendrick Lamar came from and what he wrote about. When Ice Cube left Compton for Hollywood, he left kids like Kendrick Lamar behind.

Music, especially hip-hop, is a sum of its culture. Whether Grandmaster Flash in "The Message", Nas on "Illmatic", any Public Enemy album, early Ice Cube, the political stylings of Boots Riley, or the urban poetry of Kendrick Lamar. That's why so many rappers miss the point rhyming about cash, gold, or drugs.

That's why I am buying the hype. Kendrick Lamar's album is that good. But it had no choice but to be that good. It is poetry from an American war zone. Not quite Somalia or Afghanistan, but a first world struggle for survival. A struggle for control. Prophetic then that Kendrick's next big statement was in a verse on a song called "Control".

After the Grammy uproar and his transcendence from the underground to the mainstream, Kendrick Lamar now has control of the rap game. But the "rock star" life and its fortune means sacrificing other areas of control. Fame claims its victims as well. See the backstory on another '90s icon from a few states north of California, Mr. Kurt Cobain.

[Update: I was listening to the song "Sing About Me: I'm Dying of Thirst" with it's religious speech in the end and it reminded me of one of my favorite West Coast gangsta rap cultural laments. On the 1993 song "Lord Have Mercy", Da Lench Mob rapped:

Lord have mercy, the devil he cursed me / I heard you had the cup of life, and I'm thirsty / My niggas keep fightin for a street, the white man own / So many died, before they got full grown

Kendrick Lamar's "I'm Dying of Thirst" uses the same religious metaphor 20 years later. Coincidentally, both songs are also bookmarked by the voice of older woman commenting on the youth. In Kendrick's song, she tries to convert them to the ways of God, and in Da Lench Mob's track, the woman offers only an ass kicking. Hopefully the view in the more recent song is representative of a real change in attitude of those surrounding the plight of modern day Compton.]

A Sad Farewell to Mello Bondz

I've often used this website as a way to say goodbye to people I know who have passed on. People who I have met, spent time with, and smiled with. Some I have known since Day 1, others only for a moment or two. But all I feel deserve more than just a "RIP" on Facebook or Twitter, where acknowledgements are quickly buried by other news of the day.

So it is with a sad heart that I am writing here about the passing of Tampa Bay area musician/rapper Melvin Curry, aka "Mello Bondz".

I didn't know Mello all that well, especially in regards to other friends who knew him for many years, but my experiences with Mello were always pleasant and he always seemed to be in a good mood.

The first time I met Mello was during his affiliation with All-Stars Wrestling of Florida, a small independent wrestling organization. He wrote and performed the ASWFL theme song as a favor for longtime friend, music cohort, and ASWFL owner Nick Major. Not knowing Mello, I joked with him, saying he looked a lot like Cee-Lo Green.

Around the same time, about 2009-2010, I met with Bill McArdle of XtraMedium Productions in Largo, Florida. Bill showed me some of his music video work, and sure enough, there was Mello Bondz in the video "I Dropped It".



Mello also contributed songs to some of Bill's media projects, and they had a longtime partnership. A few years later, I again crossed paths with Mello Bondz. In January 2012, I attended Nick Major's "Unity Jam" concert in Ybor City. Nick had returned to music and contacted Mello to host the showcase of some of the best in Tampa-area hip-hop. This time, I knew who Mello was and we spoke briefly about our mutual friends and a bit about his musical work. During the show, Mello gave a shout out to his son, Ajay King, who passed away a few weeks before the concert. Mello and his son appeared in this video together in 2007.

 

 Sad to hear Mello Bondz is gone. He leaves behind a lengthy list of music and if his Facebook is any indication, an even longer list of friends.

Math Anxiety and the Quest for an MBA

Math is something new to me. Or at least something I haven't done in over 10 years. As an Arts & Sciences major and with a Master's in a Social Science, quantitative problems were never part of the curriculum. Methodologies weren't tested through formulas. Teachers in social science only want to know if you understand the facts and the concepts.

Do you know Israel and Palestine went to war five times since 1948? Can you explain why? What peace plan do you think would work best?

There is no right answer here. There are of course, wrong answers. There are answers that are so far in left field it becomes obvious the student didn't have the right knowledge before taking the test, but these questions use a totally different train of thought than mathematics, science, or any other field with calculations.

Recently, I have found myself in a conundrum. I am seven classes into an 20-class MBA program at the University of South Florida and have been working with math and concepts I haven't seen since my freshman or sophomore years in college, way back in the 20th Century. Even then, I wasn't very good at math.

Although my mother insists I was good at math once upon a time, way back in elementary school, I can't remember ever liking math. I was never enthused to sit at the kitchen table or a desk and do repetitive problems. I could never get excited about math. I think this dislike of mathematics eventually led to an avoidance which spiraled into me falling behind in math in high school. Math courses - from algebra to pre-calculus - were always my worst grades. They were my only "D"s in high school. They were the only courses I was not in honors-level classes.

I had no idea business classes were so chock full of math. I minored in business as an undergrad and took courses such as Business Law, Marketing, Advertizing, Economics, and Organizational Management. I've read Forbes, Fortune, a few Wall Street Journals, and some stock reports. I watched CNBC and Bloomberg. I thought that's all there was to business, and never imagined there was a world of business math.

Last semester, I struggled through Accounting. First, there were the terms such as "debit" and "credit" and meanings I had never been exposed to; that took learning. While other students enjoyed the refresher of their previous business undergrad lessons, I studied hours every night to stay afloat. I achieved a "B" in the class, but only by the slimmest of margins, and only after being aided by an extra credit assignment.

This semester I am taking Finance. For those who don't know, Finance is a mathematical-based class where students compare stock value, find the value of money, and evaluate portfolios. At least that's what we have done so far.

Needless to say, there is not much writing.

After three weeks in class I was petrified. The word problems the teacher handed out were in the English lagnuage, and the words were familiar, but I had no idea how to find the solutions. There was math I had to do, I knew that. I also knew I couldn't skip the math and rely on my strengths in writing to get me through. There was no writing to do.

As the test approached, I decided to start studying a week out. The first day, I stared at the problems. I had no idea what to do. The teacher's notes had formulas and variables that might as well been in Sanskrit. After an hour, I put the notes and the study guide down and quit for the day. I still had six days.

The next day, the same result. I was frozen. I decided I would visit the professor in his office the next day and talk to him about my problem. That night, however, I googled "math phobia". Surely someone had been down the same path. Sure enough, among the first entries was a Wikipedia page that caught my interest:

"Mathematical Anxiety"

I clicked.

Math anxiety is a phenomenon that is often considered when examining students’ problems in mathematics. Mark H. Ashcraft, Ph.D. defines math anxiety as “a feeling of tension, apprehension, or fear that interferes with math performance” (2002, p. 1)

Hmmm.... tell me more.

Ashcraft(2002) suggests that highly anxious math students will avoid situations in which they have to perform mathematical calculations. Unfortunately, math avoidance results in less competency, exposure and math practice, leaving students more anxious and mathematically unprepared to achieve. In college and university, anxious math students take fewer math courses and tend to feel negative towards math. In fact, Ashcraft found that the correlation between math anxiety and variables such as confidence and motivation are strongly negative.

Interesting. But what causes it?

Math is usually taught as a right and wrong subject and as if getting the right answer were paramount. In contrast to most subjects, mathematics problems almost always have a right answer. Additionally, the subject is often taught as if there were a right way to solve the problem and any other approaches would be wrong, even if students got the right answer. When learning, understanding the concepts should be paramount, but with a right/wrong approach to teaching math, students are encouraged not to try, not to experiment, not to find algorithms that work for them, and not to take risks.

Very interesting. Then I read a paragraph that really hit home.

Active learners ask critical questions, such as: Why do we do it this way, and not that way? Some teachers may find these questions annoying or difficult to answer, and indeed may have been trained to respond to such questions with hostility and contempt, designed to instill fear. Better teachers respond eagerly to these questions, and use them to help the students deepen their understand by examining alternative methods so the students can choose for themselves which method they prefer. This process can result in meaningful class discussions. Talking is the way in which students increase their understanding and command of math. Teachers can emphasize the importance of original thinking rather than rote manipulation of formulas. This can be done through class conversations. Teachers can give students insight as to why they learn certain content by asking students questions such as "What purpose is served by solving this problem?" and "why are we being asked to learn this?"

Holy cow. That is my elementary and junior high math experiences in a nutshell. As you can see on this little website, I am the creative sort. I ask questions. I analyze. That's been my thing since I was kid.

So often, however, math teachers in my early years dismissed my questions, said they didn't have time to explain, or taught strictly by the book. I am not blaming them, but that could be the reason my for negative attitude towards math. My questions were never answered so I never bothered asking again. I was never taught in a way that fit my learning style.

Now here I am, 15 years since my last math class with a need to learn.  I've decided to take a step backwards before taking more steps forward. After I get through Finance - IF I get through - I am going to enroll in a lower level math course, either statistics, business calculus, or college algebra, to brush up or add to my skills. I think the pressure of having math homework will force me to do the problems and practice getting solutions. Perhaps the professor can also answer why.

It's humbling to know that I don't know what I should know in these classes and that the skills I do know aren't that good. Hopefully I get better at math in the next few months and my increased skills will lead to increased confidence. Of course, increased skills and increased confidence are good things to have when looking for a job. So is math.

In the meantime, I'll keep watching Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land for inspiration.

Protesting Presidents and Attributing Tweets

On Monday, Jan 20th, a candidate for Florida's 68th Congressional Seat got himself in a bit of hot water. According to many media reports, candidate Joshua Black, a taxi driver from Pinellas County, Florida, called for President Obama to be impeached and hung.

"I'm past impeachment," Joshua Black wrote on Twitter. "It's time to arrest and hang him high." - Tampa Bay Times

A Republican candidate for the Florida House is calling for the arrest and execution by hanging of President Barack Obama for treason — but only after a trial. - TheNewCivilRightsMovement.com

Joshua Black, candidate for House District 68, made the comment in a Tweet Monday saying he was “past impeachment” and that “It’s time to arrest and hang him high.” - CBS Miami

Joshua Black, who’s running as a Republican for the 68th legislative district, Tweeted on Martin Luther King Day that Obama should be arrested and then “hang him high.” - ColorLines.com

Monday, he tweeted: - ThinkProgress.org

A Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives District 68 seat, Black tweeted, "I'm past impeachment. It's time to arrest and hang him high." The comment gained national attention after being brought to light in a Tampa Bay Times political blog. - BayNews9 (Tampa)

The problem with all these media articles is that Black DID NOT actually tweet that.

Here is the tweet in question:

"@civilwarcometh: @BrandonMArms @RedNationRising I'm past impeachment. It's time to arrest and hang him high. commieblaster.com" Agreed

— Joshua Black 2014 (@JoshuaBlack2014) January 20, 2014

Notice the quotation marks before @civilwarcometh and after commieblaster.com. That means the tweet was a quote. All Black added was "Agreed."

Here is the original tweet from @civilwarcometh:

@BrandonMArms @RedNationRising I'm past impeachment. It's time to arrest and hang him high. commieblaster.com

— stephen abner (@civilwarcometh) January 20, 2014

Black quoted this tweet in his own. Some publications did observe the difference and cite properly.

The remark that launched a thousand tweets came when Florida state representative candidate Joshua Black simply agreed with a comment from another user. - TheDailySheeple.com

When one of Black's followers tweeted, "I'm past impeachment. It's time to arrest and hang him high," Black simply wrote back: "agreed."- Complex.com

He tweeted in agreement with a fellow Twitter user (Stephen Abner) who called for the U.S. president to be executed. - Canoe.ca

Black's official campaign Twitter got behind a plan by one of his followers yesterday: - Gawker.com

Black didn't do himself any favors by re-writing the above tweet in his own Facebook post, confirming he believes in the idea. But again, my point is not to defend him. My point to show that many media members are still unsure how to properly cite Twitter.

This ambiguity is why many people and organizations attempt to put distance between Tweets they type and their quotes and re-tweets. Hence the common "RTs do not = endorsement" phrase in Twitter profiles.

Let me make this clear one more time: I do not agree with Joshua Black. Not one iota. However, I do think many media outlets attributed something to him that he didn't write, although it seems he has no problem claiming credit for it.

Stay tuned next week when I quote the Gettysburg Address on twitter. Feel free to say I wrote it!

Review of Wes Fif "American Beach" EP

Back in July 2012, I wrote a review of Orlando rapper Wes Fif's album "International Drive." I was admittedly late reviewing the mixtape, as it came out in March of that year. A few months later, in July of 2013, Wes Fif dropped his newest EP "American Beach". In keeping with the trend, a little more than five months later, here is my review. I am really late. Sorry.

In my review of "International Drive", I wrote that although I liked Wes Fif's sound and his beats were nice, his lyrical content took me by surprise. Much of "International Drive" was about hustlin' and grindin' on the streets of Orlando. Having lived in Central Florida for over 20 years, I never thought of Orlando as a place where a lot of hustlin' and grindin' goes on. After I posted a link to my review on Twitter, Wes Fif reached out:

@JordiScrubbings I appreciate the review! Good read - I have to have to you come kick it with me one day! No fantasy rap here. Lol

— Wes Fif (@WesFif) July 13, 2012

I have a lot of respect for artists who reply and engage in conversation. That's one of the awesome things about Twitter.

Shortly after I wrote my review for "International Drive", Wes Fif released "American Beach".

First, a note on the title. Wes Fif continues using Florida landmarks as titles of his work. American Beach was a prominent beach for African-Americans during the Jim Crow-segregated South. Created in 1935, the beach became a National Historic Site in 2002. I had never heard of American Beach prior to the EP, so I had a history lesson right from the start. That's a real good thing.

Here are a few thoughts on each song on "American Beach".

Track 1:  Intro by Dinero Jones. Jones explains the meaning the title of the EP, giving a little history lesson and applying the past to Wes Fif's current efforts to make a name for himself in Orlando, a place known more for N'Sync and boy bands than hip-hop.

Track 2: "Forever" - Over a quick club beat, Wes Fif announces his presence with a rapid rhyme attack. Again with a Too Short-like flow, Wes Fif talks about how his crew is the best and how he gets the girls and runs his city. Standard rap braggadocio. Wes Fif also talks about his experience in the game as a veteran in the music business, even slipping in a few lines of social commentary. More on that later.

Track 3: "Get It On" - This song is Wes Fif rapping a positive ode to a woman he is looking to spend a lot of time with. This is the type of song I mentioned was missing on "International Drive". Legend has it 2Pac told Biggie to write for the women and the men will follow. "Get It On" is one of those type of songs. The beat is slow and Wes Fif rhymes directly to the woman of his affection.

Track 4: "100" - "Everything a 100". Over a slow electric beat, Wes Fif rhymes about how everything in his crew and his life is 100% real and true. Solid track.

Track 5: "Too Wrongs" - Another relationship song to the ladies. In this song, Wes Fif talks to a woman who is not his main girl, but someone he has feelings for and has been close to. As the song progresses, Wes Fif reveals both he and the lady have significant others, and they both know it's wrong.

Track 6: "Wave" - Best beat of the album. Like "100" and "Forever", another song about the grind. "Ride the wave" is a perfect fit for an EP with beach in the title.

Track 7: "Heelz" - This song is the complete opposite of "Get It On". Heelz is pure sex rhymes - albeit with a twist. "Heelz" is the first shoe fetish rap song I've ever heard. Over another slow electric beat, Wes Fif and guest singer London tell the subject of their affection "Baby keep those heels on". Could this lead to a trend of more rappers dropping fetish songs?

As I mentioned in the review of "Forever", Wes Fif has become more outspoken in his lyrical content. Since the release of "American Beach", he has continued to expand his social commentary. In August 2013, Wes Fif released a track entitled "Wake Up (F**k WorldStar)" in which he criticizes WorldStarHipHop.com, a website that posts street fights, arguments, and other videos of people acting like fools.

From his "Wake Up (F**k WorldStar)" release announcement:

It’s that time again, time for another installment of #WesFifWednesday. This week, we’re going to take a break from the cliche, stereotypical rap and get on some real shit. I present to you an original track titled “Wake Up (Fuck Worldstar)”. It’s my take on the urban community as a whole and the self hatred that’s going on at an alarming rate. I believe sites like WorldStarHipHop could have a much more positive impact on the community, instead they rather peddle demeaning filth on a daily basis (hence the subtitle).

Of note, Wes Fif isn't alone in going after WorldStarHipHop. In Februrary of 2013, the Universal Zulu Nation, the founding organization of hip-hop culture, wrote a letter to WorldStarHipHop, asking the site to stop portraying hip-hop and urban culture in a negative light. In hip-hop, when the Universal Zulu Nation speaks, many listen, including Vibe, Jet, and other media claiming to represent the culture. It's great to see Wes Fif taking a similar stand.

As the year comes to a close, Wes Fif is still promoting his anti-WorldStar track and also encouraging other artists to take a stand on something.

I'm calling out my fellow rappers to diversify your message in 2014. You can drink, fuck, stunt, etc. But shit slide a message in sometimes!

— Wes Fif (@WesFif) December 28, 2013

From the title to the content, Wes Fif has grown as an artist, even in the short time I have listened to his music. That's impressive as too many artists get stagnant. After hearing his latest content and reading what he writes on Twitter, I am definitely looking forward to new Wes Fif music in 2014, and hopefully the opportunity to see him live. Even if he doesn't like FSU.

Overall, "American Beach" is a good Florida summer album. It stays hot, but doesn't go too fast. As anyone who has been in Florida in the summer knows, moving too quick in the summer gets you all sweaty. And being sweaty and sticky might be alright in the bedroom when she keeps on her heels, but being sweaty is not good when you are on the streets, trying to get your grind on.

Writing about local rappers

On the online version of the Tampa Bay Times, I profiled a new young rapper named Nick Dessasore. 

Check it out.

So Long, From the Sunshine State - A Review of the Final FCW Event in Tampa

From 1961 to 1987 Championship Wrestling of Florida was the number one wrestling promotion in Florida. At its height, the company ran four to five shows a week throughout the state, from Miami to Orlando to Jacksonville, and boasted a who’s who of wrestling legends, from Dusty Rhodes to Bob Orton, Sr. to the Funks to many more. Although the company spent most of its time entertaining state-wide, there was only one city it called “home”: Tampa.

Tampa had hosted pro wrestling events since the 1940s and the early days of Eddie Graham. After a promotional war in the mid-40s, the city’s primary venue became the Fort Hester Armory, a few miles from downtown. Through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Championship Wrestling of Florida continued in the Fort Hester Armory and the armory was where most old-time local fans saw their first wrestling show.

Of course, we all know what happened to the territories, for better or for worse. CWF merged with Crockett Promotions in 1987, an NWA Florida was created in 1990, and in 2003 Championship Wrestling of Florida was created as an NWA promotion. Meanwhile dozens of fly-by-night promotions sprung up in Florida – some good, some bad – and the local wrestling market became heavily saturated.

In 2007, the WWE decided to move its main training facility from Ohio Valley to the Tampa Bay area under the leadership of Steve Keirn. They resurrected the Florida Championship Wrestling name and hosted many of their early shows in a bar called Bourbon Street in New Port Richey, Florida, about 30 minutes north of Tampa. For years, Bourbon Street was home to indy shows and its consistent wrestling booking fostered a loyal and passionate fan base, the “Bourbon Street Mafia”.

When FCW completed its training facility in South Tampa, shows were moved from Bourbon Street to the FCW Arena. The first FCW match in the new location in 2008 was between Tyson Kidd and the then-Gavin Spears (now known as Tye Dillinger).

Shortly thereafter, I attended my first FCW show. With shows every Thursday, it wasn’t long until I knew every member of the Bourbon Street Mafia and became part of a second wrestling fan crew, the Afro-Squad. I could go on about how wearing an afro in public and having a grand time at wrestling shows helped me embrace my performing side, while also getting a much deeper understanding of the role of the fan in wrestling, but that’s a post for a different day. Let me just say that through the FCW fan crews, I made friends in Tampa that have lasted for several years and have extended far beyond the arena.

Although attending FCW was the thing to do from 2008 to 2010, eventually people seemed to lose interest. While the first class of stars were main eventing on RAW and Smackdown, the follow-up classes from FCW weren’t as exciting, save for a Bryan Daniels here or a Loki there. As time passed, most of the fan crews started to dissipate – some people moved, some found other interests, and some even tried their hand at their own local indy promotions, sometimes even using former FCW talents in their shows.

In 2012, the WWE joined with Full Sail University and in August 2012 did away with the FCW name, swapping it for the NXT brand. Shows were still held in the FCW Arena, but it was now a satellite location, far from the main hub.

And that brings us to last week’s final show at the FCW Arena and the possible end of more than fifty years of Florida Championship Wrestling.

The writing was on the wall since they took the posters off the walls and replaced them with the stark corporate blackness of NXT. Despite “FCW” still illuminating the front of the building, there were no traces of Florida Championship Wrestling anywhere in the building. Gone were the pictures of former champs, pictures of Gordon Solie, or any traces of the palm tree logo. This was NXT and it could have been anywhere.

But that’s how WWE likes their product. Save for a tip of the cap to Jerry Lawler in Memphis or a few other geographical acknowledgements, the WWE keeps its product as geographically sterile as a Wal-Mart, a McDonalds, or an Olive Garden. You would never know where a WWE event is if they didn’t tell you in the opening of the broadcast. That’s because shareholders like corporate uniformity. And with fans gobbling up spin-offs of the WWE brand beyond the traditional outlets of RAW, Smackdown, and PPVs, tying the product to a location made little sense.

For thoughts on the last show, I’m going to go Magic Bullet Style:

• Great crowd. Absolutely great crowd. Half the chairs were not there, so many stood chair-less the entire show. Steve Keirn mentioned it was a sell-out and I would guess in the ballpark of 300 fans. I am not sure what advertising they did, if any, or if it was just word of mouth, but it was great crowd.

• Being in Afghanistan from early 2012 to mid-2013 took me out of the loop on a lot of wrestling. And wrestling, due to its continuous nature, is very hard to catch up with. Hence I knew very few people on the FCW roster. I did however recognize Gavin Spears and Leo Kruger, but did not recognize their new names.

• The show opened with a great speech by Norman Smiley, a trainer for FCW since it opened. He talked about wrestling in the Fort Hester Armory a few miles away and how to him FCW was the completion of life’s cycle. He mentioned how it was time to move on to bigger pastures. Of interesting note, after he concluded a few fans tried to start an “N-X-T” chant but they were quickly out-chanted by the majority’s “F-C-W” chant.

• WWE has put a lot of work into character development since the early days of FCW. Maybe because NXT means TV and fans know characters much earlier in their WWE careers, but almost every wrestler had personality. Far different from when FCW would parade undistinguishable Randy Orton clones to the ring, leaving fans to ask each other who the heel and face were.

• Best match of the night skills-wise was Solomon Crowe versus Kallisto. Even though I had no clue who they were, right from the start I could tell they had experience outside of WWE/NXT. One of my friends confirmed they were long time indy talents. I was really impressed. I’m looking forward to seeing more of both of them, even if not in person.

• Seeing Gavin Spears (Tye Dillinger) back with FCW/NXT was cool. He was on the FCW roster when I first started going to their shows in 2008. After his release, I saw him wrestle for various indies throughout Florida. Some were even bar shows in front of 50 people. And even then, he still brought it. Good to see him back on the cusp.

• Also bringing back memories was Leo Kruger (aka Adam Rose). He too was on the early FCW roster, although then he was one of the many undistinguishable talents. As Adam Rose, he has character flair and his match with Corey Graves was big on entertainment and in-ring trickery.

• The match of the night was NXT Champion Bo Dallas versus WWE veteran and NXT trainer Billy Gunn. Of course as the challenger, Gunn came out first. I was disappointed he came out to the DX music and not the “Ass Man” theme song, but gotta play to popularity, right? When Gunn did enter however, the crowd went nuts and Gunn did a great job building the crowd’s excitement. That’s a gift most veterans learn – how to build up the crowd. He ran around the ring, slapped hands, and urged fans on one side to chant louder than fans on the other side. It was a lesson in charisma for the young superstars.

• At first the match showed Gunn as the stronger competitor as Dallas bounced off of him, went down hard on punches and clotheslines, and generally built up Gunn through a series of hard bumps. But eventually Dallas reversed the match and built himself back up as a worthy young champion, with Gunn taking solid bumps.

• As part of the no-DQ stipulation, Gunn asked the fans for chairs to hit Dallas with. With an extra afro wig in our group, we passed Gunn a wig, to which he promptly used to pummel Dallas. Best use of an afro since we passed John Cena a wig and he struck a pose with it.

• The end of the match was a gimmick-fest as several wrestlers ran in and gave each competitor a finishing move, depending on whether the interfering wrestler was a heel or face. After even Norman Smiley and Bill DeMott ran in, Dallas eventually avoided a Fame-Asser and pulled off the win.

• After the match, Gunn took the mic and gave a Randy the Ram-like speech thanking the crowd for being there and commenting on his own mortal fragility. Gunn put on a hell of a match for a guy past his prime. Not sure he could mix it up on a regular basis, but he looked good.

• Following Gunn on the mic was Norman Smiley. Again, Smiley thanked the fans for coming out and supporting the product during its time in Tampa. He then asked Steve Keirn and his wife to come to the ring. After thanking them, he presented Steve with a plaque of appreciation.

• Keirn then took the mic and gave a nice impromptu speech. He talked about establishing FCW in Tampa and mentioned Vince McMahon’s request that Keirn supply two talents per year to the WWE roster. Keirn said FCW promoted 116 in six years. That’s almost 20 a year. Keirn then acknowledged the support of his wife in his career. Finally, he concluded that although FCW was done, he wasn’t and NXT represented another chapter.

• After the show, the talent packed up the ring and other equipment and loaded it into an NXT truck, taking with them years of memories.

Final thoughts:

Although Tampa area fans could possibly make the drive an hour or so to Full Sail University and see their favorite upcoming WWE talents, what will be missed most with FCW closing is the family aspect of the promotion. From the days of Eddie and Mike Graham to the Keirns, FCW has mostly been a family promotion. The wrestlers came and went, but the family aspect stayed. And that idea of family extended into the crowd as well, as regular fans grew closer and FCW became an oasis in their busy lives, a place to meet, socialize, and bond over common interests. Perhaps one day someone will chronicle the slow removal of families from the top levels of the pro wrestling landscape. I think it would make a great story. That’s not to say there aren’t still great lineages in the business, but as time passes, so too does their influence. Shareholders don’t care about family names or fan families.

As for Tampa wrestling, there are still plenty of places for the indy fan to see shows. SHINE and EVOLVE run shows in Ybor City and other local promoters still put on shows headlined by regional talents, including those who had a cup of coffee or two with FCW. And Orlando, with its many promotions is only an hour away. Although fans who know wrestling only from TV will lament not seeing wrestlers they recognize, the underground scene will be fine.

As for the legacy of Championship Wrestling of Florida, perhaps the WWE Hall of Fame will one day include it in exhibit on the history of the territories. Perhaps locally the Tampa History Center may feature a few pieces of memorabilia. And hopefully the Jewish Community Center being built on the grounds of the Hester Armory will acknowledge the many years Championship Wrestling of Florida called the building home.

Names have power and carry memories. Championship Wrestling of Florida and Florida Championship Wrestling will forever live in the memories of Tampa wrestling fans.

Are Macho Man Randy Savage tribute shows cursed?

Last month, aptly-titled pro wrestling blog "The Wrestling Blog" posted this picture of a wrestling show that didn't quite go as planned.

Yes, the man in the red tights is wrestling legend Nikolai Volkoff. And yes, besides Volkoff nothing in the picture resembles a pro wrestling show at all. There is no ring, no referee (unless you count the guy in the black pants who looks like Francis from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure), no banners, no signs, nothing. The Wrestling Blog called it "The Saddest Wrestling Show" ever. I agree.

According to one of the people involved's Facebook:

I arrived at the venue around 6pm and as I went in well things werent looking too well. The ring crew got pulled over due to a too heavy load with a ring that was on their way to the venue but were told that they had to turn around in which it made it to where they couldnt bring the ring in. The promoters were on the phones trying there best with others to get a ring to the venue but it wasnt looking too bright. I noticed that everyone became discouraged due to this incident and some wanted to leave. As the fans were coming, they were all told that abt the issue and it didnt seem to bother them one bit because they wanted to see a wrestling show and it motivated the promoters to get the wrestling mats out and put on a show. The boys in the locker room were all still worried due to having no ring. Bobby Fulton took charge and had a meeting in the locker room informing us that the show must go on and that we were here to give fans what they want to see. Bobby then assigned us all to duties to where the locker rooms discouragement lifted up to where everyone became encouraged and did their part to where we all worked together to make this event happen. The end result was the event was an hour and a half and the fans were louder then most shows ive been on in the past. The workers stepped up got out of their fear mindsets and put on one of the most memorable and loudest shows i ever been on. The fans were into it like u wouldnt believe and every fan left with a smile on their face and a wrestling show that they will never forget.

However believable that explanation is, there is one more tidbit that makes this show even more bizarre and separates it from all the other half-attempts at pro wrestling entertainment that go on world-wide on an given day.

This show was supposedly a tribute show for Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

Another tribute to Macho Man gone horribly wrong.

Who can forget the July 2011 "Macho Man Tribute" debacle in New Port Richey, Florida when "promoter" Dino Puglia shafted not only the wrestlers and the band out of pay, but also shorted the charity the show was put on for? As a first-hand spectator, that was by far the worst show I have ever been to. The Tampa Tribune covered most of the problems with the show, but left out a few other embarrassing details such as:

• Puglia's "tribute" to Macho Man was dragging a big screen TV into the ring and showing Macho Man's WrestleMania 3 match against Ricky Steamboat. If members of the crowd were on the backside of the TV, they couldn't see. And there was no volume.


• Wrestling legend Ox Baker openly mocked the promoter's no-bell "moment of silence" for Randy Savage. Usually wrestlers gather around the ring as the bell is rung and all observe a moment of silence. Every time Puglia said "Ding", Ox Baker replied with "Dong". Standing in the crowd, it was extremely difficult for me to not laugh.


• The first match wasn't even a match. It was two fans horsing around in the ring with a referee pulling them apart. It was backyard wrestling in a wrestling ring.


• Puglia nearly got into a shouting match with the band before he left. This interaction happened by the front door of the arena just behind the bleachers where a majority of the crowd was siting. Where everyone could hear. When the band learned they weren't getting paid, they asked Puglia if anyone was getting paid. Puglia tried to hide behind wrestlers, many of whom quickly realized they too weren't getting paid. That left no safe place for Puglia and he bailed.


• The main event didn't even happen as after Puglia skipped out, the show disintegrated. After the ruckus with the band, some wrestlers only went back into the locker room to change back into their civilian attire. After 30 minutes, the ring crew started taking things apart and packing up.

Of course, Puglia denied all the accusations against him and blamed the band, other promoters, and anyone else he could think of. You can read his defense here.

Since the Macho Man died in May of 2011, I have not yet heard of a good tribute show to the former wrestling legend. Maybe it has happened. Maybe it had living legends and local wrestlers opening their hearts to the memory of the Macho Man and putting on the greatest spectacle the squared circle has ever seen. But I am starting to think that maybe the man who wanted no part of wrestling after his retirement is haunting the business. Maybe he figures since he can't get back at Vince McMahon, he will make sure any "tribute" is fumbled and every promoter who tries to capitalize on Macho Madness is made to look bad.

Dig it?