Back from Iraq

Interviews, My Dudes, The Good Old Days

Mike Halas (above right with the sunglasses) moved in next door to me on Ogden Avenue back in the 1980’s when I was 9 years old.  He was a year younger, and our families shared a long driveway in between our houses, but it wasn’t long before we basically shared backyards.  His Dad, a direct relative of the Chicago Bears “Poppa Bear” Halas and new head coach of the Columbia University basketball team, put a hoop up in the driveway, and Mike and I spent most of our after school time and weekends playing knockout with his younger brother Johnny (who went on to play in the CBA) and other neighborhood kids.  But in addition to hoops, Mike was always into “army stuff” like watching Platoon and Navy Seals, hanging up pictures of fighter planes in his room, and of course playing the game we all affectionately called “Guns”.

As we got older and closer, our families became FAMILY.  Mike joined the armed forces after attending Johns Hopkins University and in 2004 he was called to duty in Iraq.  Now in 2008, after going back and forth a couple times to war, Mike is home in the United States.  Check out the interview with him below, where Mike talks about his rise through the ranks, his experiences as a platoon leader in Iraq, and what it’s like to be home from war…

IP:  What was it that initially made you want to join the military?

MH:  From as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a Soldier.  Both my grandfathers served in the Second World War.  Around the neighborhood, I was always trying to organize games of Manhunt, Capture the Flag, and Cops ‘n’ Robbers (which we called Guns). So basically, I grew up moving through the few wooded areas in the Highlands section of White Plains and pretending I was running operations.

IP:  Tell us about your different levels of training.  I know you’ve gone through some fairly intense shit.  What’s it like getting ready for war and what exactly was your rank?  Did you have guys under you out there, and did your roles/rank/duties change as the war went on?

MH:  I went through ROTC in college and following that I went down to Fort Benning, GA.  At Fort Benning, I first went through the Infantry Officer Basic Course.  In IOBC, we are taught the basics of being an officer in the Army with regards to duties, responsibilities and what is expected of us.  We also learn the rudiments of small unit war-fighting operations, concentrating mostly on squad and platoon level combat operations that included attacks, reconnaissance missions, and ambushes.

Following IOBC, I went to Ranger School.  Ranger School is the preeminent small unit leadership course in the US military.  There you learn not only your own physical and emotional limits, but how to continue to motivate your subordinates when they are at their physical and emotional limits to complete the mission.  It is one of the greatest things that I never want to go through again.  

I went to Airborne School after that and learned how to jump out of airplanes on a static line parachute.  After Ranger School, that school was just a lot of fun.  

All this time I was a 2nd Lieutenant, an O-1, the officer entry level.  I went to Hawaii to report to my first unit, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, “Golden Dragons”.  I pinned on, or was promoted to, 1st Lieutenant, in late November while I was serving as a rifle platoon leader.  As a platoon leader, or PL, I was responsible for a 34 man light infantry rifle platoon.  The lives of 34 soldiers and non-commisioned officers (sergeants) was quite a thrill and a tremendous responsibility for a 24 year old.  It was an incredible job and a fantastic experience.     

IP:  Where were you during the September 11th attacks?  Were you pretty sure that you were headed out to war soon after that?

MH:  I was actually at the Dean’s office dropping a class when I first heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center.  From there, I went straight to my ROTC building and watched the second plane hit.  As I was walking from one to the other, I called my mom and dad to see if they were okay.  My cousin Patrick worked in the South Tower and no one had heard from him.  I found out later that he was late to work that day and had never even been in the building.   

I spent the rest of the day glued to the television in my fraternity house.  Most of my brothers were from the New York, New Jersey, Long Island, and collectively, we knew a lot of people in the city and a lot of people who worked in the Towers. 

Yeah, I was pretty sure we would be headed somewhere after that.  At that moment, I didn’t know where, but figured Afghanistan would be a safe bet.  

 

IP:  Can you remember the day you first touched down over there?  Where were you stationed?  Did you move around alot once you were over there?

MH:  My unit, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, the “Golden Dragons”, took off from Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, HI on the 19th of January 2004.  We landed in Kuwait at Ali Al Saleem Air Base on or about the 22nd of January 2004.  Like every unit, we spent a couple weeks there in Kuwait training up and getting acclimatized. On Groundhog Day 2004, we crossed the berm and were on our way towards Tuz, a small city of 50 thousand approximately an hour south of Kirkuk.  And boy did we ever move around a lot.  Not more than a few weeks after we took over Tuz from the 173rd ABN BDE, the Golden Dragons became the Division and then MNC-I (Multi-National Coalition-Iraq) reserve.  We spent time in Tall Afar, north by the Syrian border; An Najaf, fighting against Muqtada Al-Sadr and the Madhi Army; Kirkuk; Ad Diwaniyah; Samarra; and Mosul.  The soldiers took to calling our deployment the Golden Dragon Iraqi Tour 2004.  Most units will get into country and be in one place for the duration of their deployment.  We went the other way, not staying in one town for longer than 8 weeks in a 14-month rotation.  

IP:  Take us inside the daily mentals of a soldier at war.  What was going through your head?  Are you so focused that your world back home is blocked out, or is that constantly on your mind?  

MH:  As a rifle platoon leader, I was responsible for 34 soldiers and non-commissioned officers.  They consumed my time.  Planning operations, supervising the execution of orders already given, exercising, discussing with my platoon sergeant and squad leaders about what and how we could improve our platoon’s performance.  There are so many things to do.  I am not a parent, but I can only imagine that it is very similar a feeling to be responsible for the lives of 34 others.  

IP:  Compare yourself to the other guys you were fighting with.  Does everyone kind of share the same mentality towards the war, or is there a lot of clashing ideals and personalities?

MH:  The 34 soldiers I had in my platoon, no two were alike.  You take a handful of kids from all over America and put them into one room, that was my platoon.  There were as many different ideas and backgrounds as there were kids.  Oh, and I refer to everyone in my platoon, except for my platoon sergeant, as one of my kids. Not sure when it started, but that’s how I thought of them.    

IP:   Did your political views about the war shift once you were actually there?  Are most of the people fighting in the war even aware of the politics of it all?

MH:  No, as a young lieutenant, I was fired up and excited to be there and excited to be in the duty position.  

IP:  Do you know anyone personally that died in the war?  What happened?  Tell us about it if you can.

MH:  I do know a few.  And I am sure that as time goes on and we continue to maintain ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, there will be more.  It is inevitable and an unfortunate consequence of the profession of military arms.  

My friend Luke Wullenwaber was killed in Iraq in the fall of 2004.  We were in the same IOBC class and we were also in the same platoon during Ranger School.  During Mountain and Florida phases, we were members of the same machine gun team and spent a lot of time together.  He was great guy, a great leader, a great friend.  He is missed.   

IP:  Does it get so violent out there that you get used to shooting at the enemy or being shot at?  How violent is it really on a day to day basis?

MH:  Some days were that violent.  Most days were not.  

IP:  Did you kill anyone?

MH:  I am responsible for the deaths of others.  My platoon killed people and, as a platoon leader, I am entirely responsible for all my platoon does.    

IP:  On a lighter note, what’s the most fun you had over there?  What do you do for entertainment?  Is there time for that, you know, socializing, listening to music, watching movies or sports?

MH:  In different places, we relaxed in different ways.  Some places we had electricity, so we’d watch DVDs or listen to music.  Some places we didn’t have electricity, so we’d play chess, read anything we could get our hands on, and talk.  While we were in Ad Diwaniyah, we stayed in captured Iraqi Army barracks  and there was a sand volleyball court in the middle.  My unit being from the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, we played a lot of “beach” volleyball!

IP:  How do you stay in touch with people back home?  Is email the easiest way?  Can you call home?  How does that work?

MH:  Email was usually the easiest method.  I think the key was typing out all your emails to people before you got to the computer because there was always a time limit and a long line.  So when your turn came, you could copy and paste all the emails sent to you and copy and paste the outgoing ones.  There were opportunities to call home, but I usually left that method for the soldiers to use.  Of course, I did my best to call home on birthdays and special occasions.  

IP:  You went back and forth a couple of times to war?  What was that like, coming home knowing you had to go back?

MH:  The first days being home and the last few days before I went back were always challenging.  But, I really didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to it.  The way I saw it, I had a job to do and Iraq and Afghanistan were where I had to do them.  The biggest change is going from having the freedom to choose where and when you wanted to go to dinner or catch a movie back home to being told when to eat, where to go, etc.  After my first tour in Iraq, I volunteered to go to the 75th Ranger Regiment where I knew I would deploy.  

IP:  What has your life been like since you left the military?  I know you’re still on call as a part of the National Guard, but on a daily basis, what have you been up to?  Are you having fun?  Are you happy?  Are you working?  Where are you living?

MH:  My life has been pretty interesting since I left the Army.  I have traveled all over, seen friends and family that I hadn’t seen in years.  I moved out to the Rocky Mountains and taught little kids how to ski last winter at Beaver Creek in Colorado and I am planning on doing the same thing again this winter.  I have read and read and read and I started to write, as well.  I just recently submitted an article to the NY Times.  Haven’t heard anything back yet, but I am still hopeful.    

IP:  Has it been tough adjusting to life after war?  What have been the challenges for you?  Have you changed mentally, physically, and/or socially?

MH:  At times it is tough and, at others, it is not.  I know that who I am today has been influenced by my time spent overseas.  There are portions of that character that are on both sides of the moral spectrum.  But, good or bad, they are now as much a part of me as growing up in White Plains.  

IP:  Do you watch any of the Iraq War related TV programming or movies?  Have you seen Stop Loss?  Generation Kill?  If so, how realistic or accurate were they?  If not, is there a certain reason why you won’t watch them?

MH:  I don’t make a concerted effort to watch or avoid media regarding the war in Iraq.  I started to watch Stop Loss but didn’t finish.  It was just so Hollywood that it wasn’t entertaining.  I have served with hundreds of soldiers who have done or have been ordered to deploy consecutively.  And, of all the soldiers with whom I have served, every single one reported as ordered for duty.  In the March timeframe of 2004, my platoon got a new sergeant who had just been transferred from the 4th Infantry Division.  He had just served a year tour with 4th ID, got home, received orders to report to the 25th ID and now, about 2 months later, here he was, back in Iraq for another year long tour.  Following our return to Hawaii the next February, he, again, received orders to a new unit and was back in Iraq again.  Three times in as many years. He did not run or complain.  He did not appreciate the constant deployments, but he knew what he signed up for and honored his commitment.

I did not watch, but read, Generation Kill.  I was not a Marine, nor did I participate in the initial invasion, so I cannot attest to the accuracy of their actions.  But, with regards to the relationships and the conversations between soldiers, the book was quite accurate.  

I think the reason that I don’t go out of my way to watch these movies and shows is because I was there.  I have my own memories of how things were and why they were that way.  I don’t need to read a book or watch a movie to help me remember.  But I will watch and read because it is interesting to see what others remember and how they interpret their memories.    

IP:  Obama or McCain?  Does it matter to this war who wins the presidency?

MH:  I will vote in the upcoming election.  But, due to the fact that I am still a commissioned officer, I will hold my opinions of the individual candidates.

IP:  What advice would you give to someone just getting home from the Iraq War? 

MH:  Take your time getting acclimated back into society.  Talk to someone about how you are feeling.  There are many others out there with similar experiences.  You don’t need to keep it bottled up inside.  

*BONUS*

Mike’s Top Five Movies of All Time:

Braveheart

Grosse Pointe Blank

Bull Durham

300

Miracle 

 

Mike’s Top Five CD’s of All Time:

Guns ‘n’ Roses- Appetite for Destruction

Beastie Boys- License to Ill

anything by Jimmy Buffet or Jack Johnson 

(ip’s note: would’ve bet money that the Animal House Soundtrack made this list! ha!)

 

Mike’s Top Five TV Shows of All Time:

Band of Brothers

Rescue Me

The A Team

The Office

Las Vegas

Ip (in skull cap) and Mike (in shorts!) shoveling snow on Ogden Avenue, 1995.

Special thanks to my brother from another mother Mike Halas for taking the time to be interviewed.  You are truly a local hero…Peace…

 

The Great Schlep

Events, My Dudes, The Good Old Days

The Great Schlep

I figured I would write about this in celebration of the Jewish New Year.  At first, when my uncle Steve sent a video of comedian Sarah Silverman to me (see below) talking about “The Great Schlep”, I thought it was a joke.  But in fact, it wasn’t.  There really is a movement of Pro-Obama Jews organizing a trip to Florida with the intent to persuade their not-so liberal grandparents to vote for the Democratic Candidate in the upcoming presidential election.  Read this opinion piece from the LA Times for a closer look at “The Great Schlep”…

Off on the Great Schlep by Joel Stein 

My Grandma Sooky, who just turned 90 (see pic above from her party, Happy Birthday!!!!), lives in San Francisco, but actually she was born and raised in Florida.  I doubt she will need much persuading from me to vote for Obama, she’s a pretty hip grandmother.  But I miss her and wish I could make “The Great Schlep” to California just to hang out with her, and that’s the truth jack.  

However, it’s specifically Florida that Jews are worried about, being that it’s a swing state with 27 electoral votes up for grabs.  And of course, we all remember what happened in 2000 don’t we?  Check out the Sarah Silverman video, it’s pretty funny…

Shout out to my uncle Steve for sending this to me, no one on the planet makes me laugh harder than him, plus he’s the biggest Borat fan I know…which reminds me, I’ve got a Best of Borat post on the way, don’t sleep it’s gonna be sick!!!  And here’s the website for “The Great Schlep”…

www.thegreatschlep.com

Fox Trot

Events

First of all, how awesome are these album covers?  Pretty rad huh?  So is the band.  Fleet Foxes are one of the newest members to the SUB POP Records family, which also includes my two other favorite bands, The Shins and Band of Horses, and my dude Iron & Wine.  I first discovered their Sun GIant EP (pictured above) on the “Staff Picks” shelf at a random Borders in Farmington, Connecticut this past spring while visiting my fiancee’s family.  They were described as “a modern day Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young”.  I was so intrigued by the cover and the description (and the fact they were on SUB POP) that I tried to hunt down the staff member responsible for making the pick.  Turns out he wasn’t in, but supposedly he came to work the day before ranting and raving about them.  So I bought the EP.

I wanted to love it, so badly.  But I didn’t.  I LIKED IT ALOT though.  One song in particular stood out, “Mykonos”.  Check out this video a fan of theirs made, it’s set to pictures of the Greek Island the song is named after, which perfectly accompanies the sort of natural harmonic sound this band has (haha you like that description right!)…and after that, check them performing the song live on tour in Denver…

Friends honor Mykonos is on my TOP 5 PLACES I WANT TO VISIT BEFORE I DIE…best believe I will be pumping this track heavy on the portable IPOD speakers whenever I get there… 

Then a couple months later, their full album dropped (cover second from the top).  I LOVED IT.  Particularly because of two songs.  The first was “Blue Ridge Mountains”, it’s so ill.  Check out the fan made video for this one, and their performance of the song on Late Night with David Letterman…

Also on their self-titled album is another gem, “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”…first video is again set to a landscape of American beauty, and the latter is a live in London clip…

Definitely cop the album, it’s a breath of fresh air.  Lots of other great songs on there too.  Check the Fleet Foxes live in New York CIty next weekend on October 4th at the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom and October 5th at Webster Hall.  Both shows are sold out so scalp off.  Peace, love, and harmony….

BONUS STAN IPCUS TRIVIA QUESTION:  

In the beginning of “My Ferris Buellers” video, I snuck in a clip of a Fleet Foxes track.  What was it?  Name it in the comment section and I will mail you an official copy of my last three mixtapes, FLIRTING WITH FAME, REAL BREEZY, AND BACHELOR PARTY complete with bonus tracks…be sure to include an email contact so I can contact you for your mailing addresss…..holllerrrrrrr.

P.S. Stay tuned for my video tribute to The Shins…and for those of you not up on Iron & Wine, peep both the official video and a live acoustic clip of a song from his latest album The Shepard’s Dog, it’s called “Boy with a Coin”…

Sub Pop is the shizz.

 

More Bricks for the Knicks?

Interviews, My Dudes, Sports

The New York Knicks have had a tough time winning ballgames the past few years.  It seems like forever since they were an actual threat to other teams in the NBA.  Tommy Dee, who covers the beat for SNY-TV’s theknicksblog.com, called a time out to tell us here at Westcheddar what to expect from our beloved Knickerbockers this season.  Check it out…

IP:  Ok, Tommy Dee, how bad are the Knicks going to be this year?  It’s been miserable trying to root for them lately.  Any hope?

TD:  This year? I would say no, but stranger things have happened. If they make the playoffs they lose a first round pick, and there are some solid point guards to be had in next year’s lottery in Ricky Rubio, who played on Spain’s Olympic team, and Brandon Jennings. Knick fans should hope for a competitive season without making the playoffs. Somewhere around 33 to 35 wins.

IP:  How’s this new coach Mike D’Antoni?  Seems like he could do a good job.

TD:  D’Antoni is an innovator, offensively, he’s a proven winner, despite falling short in Phoenix. He was cheated two years ago against the Spurs by referee Tim Donaghy. I love the combination of GM Donnie Walsh’s old school mentality, with D’Antoni’s new-school style.  When you combine his knowledge of the European game with the fact he hung with the Olympic team loaded with 2010 free agents, there’s no doubt he’s the right guy for the job. Their up-tempo style will be fun to watch.

IP:  Who do you see as the go-to guy on this Knicks team?  Who’s going to lead us to victory?

TD:  Victory? Well there won’t be many of them, but they are going to lean heavily on Jamal Crawford, who’s been improving year-to-year, to step his game up to an All-Star level. Not sure what to expect from Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph, but I’d expect nice years from David Lee, Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, and rookie Danilo Gallinari.

IP:  Did we pick up anyone good in the draft?  As far as I know, we didn’t.

TD:  We did in Gallinari, who was very impressive as a young buck in Europe’s top elite league. This kid is good and fits D’Antoni’s system to a tee. There are questions about his back, but I think he’ll be healthy heading into the year. Give this kid some time and he’ll take this city by storm.

IP:  What about the rest of the league?  Is it going to be Lakers vs. Celtics again in the finals?  Is Lebron ready to win a championship?

TD:  Not sure if Lebron has the horses to win it all, but you can bet he’ll bring it. He was awesome in the Olympics. The Rockets have improved with Ron Artest, but I’d say Kobe and the Celts would have to be the leaders going in.

IP:  If you could bring any of the big superstars in the league to New York, who would you want?

TD:  Lebron, of course. He’s Magic and Jordan rolled into one. He’s amazing. I was really impressed with Dwayne Wade this summer, but he has a history of injuries. They are the top two free agents in 2010. I’d take Chris Bosh from Toronto in a heartbeat, but for me it’s Bron Bron and Wade then Bosh.

IP:  Ok, let’s look back in Knicks history for a second.  Give me your all-time Knicks starting line up position by position.

TD:  Dude, what a great question. I go back to around 1984, I’m not one of those guys who pretends he saw players never saw, so players that I saw I’d go with are:

C- Patrick Ewing

PF-  Charles Oakley

SF- Bernard King

SG- Allan Houston

PG- Derek Harper

…with Camby and Spree off the bench…Can I do that?

IP:  Of course.  You know Sprewell is my favorite player of all time.  What about top five moments in Knicks history?  Is the John Starks Dunk on that list?  That was my birthday you know.

TD:  Again, that I’ve seen…

1. John Starks Dunk

2. Larry Johnson’s 4 point play

3. Allan Houston’s runner against the Heat

4. Patrick Ewing’s tip against the Pacers in 1994

5. This is a little known one, Chris Childs tried to dunk on Alonzo Mourning in the playoffs (maybe 97 or 98?), he missed and hit the back rim, but if it went down it would have stopped time.

IP:  I remember that Childs play, it was crazy!  You’re a big time golf guy too.  Are there any NBA players out there that are known for their golf game?  I know MJ loves the links, but are there any current players that are nice?

TD:  Not Charles Barkley.  MJ brings it as does Jason Kidd, but my money’s on Allan Houston, he shot 83 when I played with him.

IP:  How good is Tiger Woods?  Greatest of all time?

TD:  Jack Nicklaus has GOAT status until Tiger gets to 19 majors.

IP:  You also help out coaching Stepinac hoops here in Westchester.  How are they looking this year?  Can they beat White Plains?

TD:  I give some time there, yeah. When I was at Stepinac playing, basketball was a privilege that had to be earned.  Coach Tim Philip has done a great job of bringing respect back to the program. This year they’ll be young, but fun to watch. The kids are working really hard so we’ll see. They’ll be okay. As far as White Plains, I’d love to see that but apparently the Tigers don’t have room on their schedule this year.

IP:  Are you a big fantasy basketball guy?  Any sleeper fantasy players this year to recommend to the bball nerds out there?

TD:  Take Wade, dude is ready to dominate in every category again. Lean towards guys that are good at a bunch of things like rebounds, steals, assists as well as points.

IP:  You’re also a guy with a lot of Irish Pride in his blood.  Who’s your favorite Irish basketball player in history?

TD:  Uh, Shaquille O’Neal?

IP:  Ha!  Ok, for my final question, draw out the play for this situation.  The Knicks are down 1 point at the end of the 4th quarter, you’ve got the ball at half court, 15 seconds on the clock with no time outs left.  You’re the coach.  What do you do? 

TD:  High screen/roll on the strong side with Crawford using David Lee and a shooter in the right corner. Crawford attacks the block as Lee rolls, if he has Lee throw the lob, if he doesn’t try to get fouled or make the corner’s man help then kick to the corner for a wide open jumper.  

Game over.

 

BONUS LINKS:

Tommy Dee on SNY-TV Sportsnite

Tommy Dee on with the boys from The Wheelhouse

Tommy Dee on CNN

Ill Doctrine

Uncategorized

I’ve been checking this website out for a few months now and it’s about time that I give it some burn here.  ILL DOCTRINE is a video blog (a VLOG!) created by and featuring J SMOOTH, who is responsible for starting hiphopmusic.com and also hosting the longest running hip hop radio show in NYC, WBAI’s Underground Radio.  J SMOOTH first caught my attention when I saw his “A Beginner’s Guide to NO HOMO” vlog posted on the bible for hip-hop media, NAHRIGHT.  It was honest, intelligent, funny, accurate, and eloquent.  Check it out…

Seeing this of course led me to his website, ILL DOCTRINE, where I found a bunch of videos, shot in a similar style, covering all sorts of political, social, and hip-hop related topics.  J SMOOTH knows his stuff, and has a fresh perspective on lots of relevant issues that concern the people of this generation.  And he’s musically talented too.  Check out this little vlog ditty, I bet my dude Max B would appreciate this…

Here’s J SMOOTH’s newest vlog, about the recent economic crisis.  I’m sure most us can relate when he says “I don’t understand what any of this stuff means, I don’t understand economics!”

Stay tuned to J SMOOTH at ILL DOCTRINE

one.

Dirty Jax Fall/Winter 2008

Events, My Dudes

The New Season of Dirty Jax Clothing is here.  Some new shirts are finally in print, and some old favorites are back (with a twist).  Check the look book…

Here are my personal favorites…

I like it in this color too…The Dirty Jax Crests are always sick, every season…

For all orders, holler at dirtyjax@mac.com

Tell ’em IP sent you….

Oh, and peep the background music in this video (hint hint “My Ferris Buellers”) made by Nieves TV, from the Dirty Jax x Deko Lounge Fall Trunk Show in Northern New Jersey…

www.dirtyjax.com

 

 

Mr. Youtube

Events, Youth

The GET LIGHT style of dance is spreading quickly throughout New York, and every crew is trying to make a name for themselves both in the streets and on YOUTUBE.  But there is only one Mr. Youtube.  Also known as Swiss, Mr. Youtube hails from the Bronx (arguably where the GET LIGHT phenomenon started), and according to the kids in the streets he is the NICEST.  Supposedly no one wants to battle him.  I must say he looks older than the rest of the middle to high school age teens in most of the videos, but if you are familiar with the dance style you can clearly see why Mr. Youtube is highly respected.  Check him out…

Mr. Youtube is also a heavy innovator of new dance moves, or “tricks”.  He posts videos of himself dancing in his bedroom and suddenly his moves are all over the streets.  Here’s one for you to watch…

Brotherhood is the name of Mr. Youtube’s crew, which also includes Kid Patt (who I featured a couple months ago click here to check out his battle with Mr. Styles it’s sick).  According to the kids up here at the BGC in Mt. Kisco, most of whom live at group homes in the area but are originally from Harlem and the Bronx, Brotherhood is no joke.  Here’s one of their sessions…

There’s others too, like my fam from White Plains TEAM GET RIGHT.  I just saw them perform at the Westchester Arts Council this month during the Hip Hop Legacy event hosted by my dude Lord Judah.  Most of these kids I’ve known since they first got to middle school.  Check the video out below from the performance…

Check out more videos of TEAM GET RIGHT below, and stay tuned to the GET LIGHT movement…

TEAM GET RIGHT YOUTUBE PAGE

Californication vs. Entourage

Uncategorized


I watched the first episode of Californication Season Two last night, kind of by accident.  I heard that the new season was starting at the end of the month, so for fun I went to the menu for Showtime On Demand and saw that the new episode was up there.  I then called the cable company and somehow I ended up with all the On Demand channels free for one month by trying Showtime out for a month.  Sweet.  Anyway, the new episode was great, and it turns out it actually doesn’t air on Showtime until next Sunday September 28th, but they already have it on Showtime On Demand.  If you’re not familiar with Californication check out the preview of the new season:

Californication Season One was a classic, and it’s totally worth owning the DVD.  My buddy at work first told me about the show, telling me it was “better than Entourage”.  This is a credible source too.  Not sure if I can say it’s better just yet, but it’s up there and worth the discussion.  Since I am deeply connected to both New York and California, and both shows are about New Yorkers living in California, I love them almost equally.  They each have great characters that I can relate to, amazing writing, and every episode of both shows is entertaining.

The new season of Entourage is also underway (which has started off splendidly), and both shows air at the same time, Sundays at 10pm.  The question now that I have Showtime is, which one do I watch live and which do I watch On Demand?  Kinda sucks that the only two new shows I like on TV are on at the same time.  I think my loyalty lies with Entourage, but then again…I guess the real question is, when does the new Curb Your Enthusiasm start?

Behind the Diss

Interviews, Stan Ipcus

Stan Ipcus’ latest song “The Great White Hope (Asher Roth Diss)” has been causing quite a stir online since its debut on nahright.com this week.  Westcheddar sat down with Stan to discuss how the song came about and some of the misconceptions surrounding the diss.  Check out the song first, then the interview:

Stan Ipcus- The Great White Hope ASHER ROTH DISS

wc-  ip, thanks for sitting down with us.  first off, you’ve never made a diss record before.  why asher roth?  he’s certainly not the first white rapper to come out since you’ve been recording.

ip-  well at first, i wasn’t even gonna do it, but then he just kept getting more and more gassed so i had to step up.  everyone was just jocking him too hard, and for someone like me who is unsigned, it was getting to be too much.  he’s corny, and i don’t want the general hip hop public to think the only voice of the suburbs is a cornball.  he sounds like eminem too which is unfortunate, like why does the next big white rapper have to be a herb and sound like eminem too?  i’m from white plains, new york and i have my own angle to share, and since i’m out here with no label or manager backing me, i have to put myself on the map the best way i know how which is to spit.  plus, it was fun.

wc-  in your interview with bombin magazine you said you weren’t going to diss him though.

ip-  i know.  i changed my mind.  he deserved it, and so did everyone who gassed him up like he’s the greatest thing ever.  sure he can spit, but let’s not get crazy.

wc-  so how did you come up with the lyrics?  and why that beat?

ip-  i was in bed the other night watching tv and my girl was asleep, and the first line came to me, “asher roth is a herb, i put my balls and my word on that…”  then i grabbed my laptop and reached for that beat, it’s off the latest prodigy album and i’ve had it for a minute.  i love that beat and i’ve been wanting to get on it for a while.  i thought it was perfect because it’s such a new york beat and it’s so hard, which are the kind of beats i love.  it got me excited and an hour later the rap was done.  that was monday night.

wc-  but the song came out tuesday morning?

ip-  i know, i went to sleep, and i couldn’t wait to wake up and lay it down.  i woke up, grabbed a glass of water, and went in.  it was done by like 11am.  i sent it to nahright, took a shower, drove to work, and when i got to my office i checked nahright, and it was up.  isn’t the internet amazing?

wc-  wow that’s hilarious.  there’s a lot of people commenting on the song.  someone said you should use a compressor on your mic, i guess they weren’t impressed with the quality of the track.

ip-  maybe i should use a mic then!  yo for real, i did that track on my laptop in my living room with no mic, i just spit into the keyboard and use the internal mic on the mac.  i do a lot of my tracks like that.  it makes the vocals sound gritty, plus i don’t even own a mic, so when i do tracks at the crib that’s how i have to go in.  shit, i did “my ferris buellers” that way too, and they play it on hot 97, shade 45 and all that.

wc-  that’s crazy.  you mention that in the song too, how you got your song and your video out there without any agent or label help.  how hard was that?

ip-  it was more strategic than hard.  i knew cipha sounds liked the ferris bueller dunks because i heard him talking about them on his podcast with rosenberg, the juan epstein shit.  so i sent it to his hot 97 email, and he hit me back like “yo that song is fresh, send me the radio edit i’m gonna play it on the radio”.  and he started playing it that weekend, which was crazy cuz i had never heard my shit on hot 97.  then after the song had spread a little and been getting some blog and radio love, people were telling me to do a video.  but i had no chips.  so on my day off from work while my girl was cleaning the crib, i made the video on my laptop and edited it up myself.  i sent it to nahright the next day and boom, it was all over.  shout out to eskay at nahright, he’s been posting my shit.  he hit me up after i thanked him for putting up the asher roth song and told me “i can’t front, you went in.”  i don’t know him personally, so for him to support my shit as an unsigned guy is a good look.  nahright is big.  and shout out to cipha sounds too, he played my shit and didn’t even know who i was.

wc-  i saw some people saying they thought you were making a reference on your song to your intro on the cipha sounds and rosenberg show.  i guess they didn’t understand that you were talking about “my ferris buellers”.

ip-  hey, i’ve had some small wins, but it doesn’t mean that everyone is up on me.  i’m still very unknown.  even being on matisyahu’s platinum album people don’t know me.  plus matisyahu is not in the hip hop world so much as he is in the reggae and pop rock world.  but yeah, me and matis did an intro for their show after they had us on as guests and they use it alot, almost everyday, which is a great look, but not what i meant by getting my shit on the radio.  i was talking about ciph breaking “my ferris buellers”.

wc-  i saw rosenberg co-signed asher roth and labeled you a hater.  what’s up with that?  isn’t he your boy from university of maryland?

ip-  yeah, rosenberg is my dude, he def looked out for me by having me on his show and has always been supportive of my music.  it’s funny cuz ciph played “my ferris buellers” before he even knew i was cool with rosenberg.  we know each other from maryland and have a few mutual friends.  i guess him and asher are new BFF’s, which is cool with me.  i’m sure asher is a great guy.  it’s all hip hop at the end of the day.  i discussed it with peter, he told me the song was hot but unfortunately asher was his man.  at the end of the day, i got love for rosenberg, but i let him know that he could have co-signed asher on his website without making it sound like he doesn’t fuck with me or that we’re not peoples, but it’s all good regardless.  i also told him i didn’t mean to put him in a tough spot.  we’re cool, he told me he didn’t mean it like that, he just meant that he fucks with asher and he disagreed with what i was saying about him on the song.  he knows i’ve got nothing to lose and that i’m in it for hip hop and nothing else.  and on the song at the end i said to asher “i don’t hate i congratulate, best of luck to you.”  that was my way of saying it’s nothing personal, it’s just hip hop.  whatever, if rosenberg and asher want to ride together it’s all good i understand, rosenberg doesn’t owe me anything.

wc-  are you a hater?

ip-  i don’t think so, though alot of people might call me one.  a real hater just talks shit and doesn’t do anything about it.  me, i went in.

wc-  there’s alot of haters on the internet huh?

ip-  the funniest thing i saw someone say about me is that they wish there was still a draft so i could get sent to war and and get shot in the face!  hilarious.  but hey, even kanye west, jay-z, nas, and all the greats have tons of haters.  it comes with the territory.  it’s much easier to be a hater than to actually be an artist.  but there’s some people out there that are definitely with me, a bunch of them.

wc-  in that bombin interview you also mention charles hamilton as someone who is gassed.

ip-  yeah, but i also said i like the kid, he’s a weird guy with all the sonic the hedgehog shit but i feel him, he keeps it real.  he is too gassed, as a fan of hip hop and an artist i’m not sure his music deserves that much credibility just yet.  but i’ve been knocking this one song he has that pete rock did called “stay on your level”.  that shit is fresh.  plus the kid can freestyle his ass off.

wc-  just to clarify, you don’t rap full time right?

ip-  not at all.  that shit is a hobby to me.  i work full time with the youth, i direct a cultural arts center in northern westchester, doing art, music, dance, photography, stuff like that with kids, all ages from little dudes up to high school.  most of the people that work with me don’t have a clue i rap.  some of the kids know the deal though.  i’ve got some young kids that come to my center that can spit.  we make tracks, i put in a little studio up there and they make their own beats and all that.

wc-  word?

ip-  yeah, my dude sosa, he’s dmx’s son actually.  kid is nice, he one takes everything and is a beast.  they just did a story on him in xxl.  him and his boy young 1 have a group called hood legacy, they’re honestly real sick, and they’re only like 14, 15.  they got songs with hooks, and they do shows and all that.

wc-  that’s crazy.  what about you, what’s next?

ip-  not sure yet.  i’m still waiting for people to catch on to my last couple mixtapes, especially my latest one bachelor party.  i’ve got a ton of dope songs on there.

wc-  yeah, i saw the cover, i saw you used the john belushi college picture, same as asher roth.  i like how you changed the college letters to ipcus.

ip-  yeah that was a coincidence.  true story, i had that out before he came out.  i’ve had the idea for that since i was in college.  actually, seeing dude wearing the college shirt on his site is what made me check him out in the first place, i thought it was cool that we were on the same page.  i even hit his manager up scooter to see if he was interested in another whiteboy, but he never hit me back.  i mean, if he got asher a meeting with jigga i thought maybe he could get me one too.  i’ve always wanted to spit for jigga, i know exactly what i would spit for him too.  it’s all good though.  anyway, i was going to use the cover for an ipcus greatest hits or something, but it seemed appropriate once i got the idea for bachelor party.

wc-  why bachelor party?

ip-  well, i’m about to get married next year, i’m engaged, and all the songs on that cd were recorded when i was still living wreckless.  it’s kind of my last hurrah.  listen to the cd, you’ll understand.

wc-  no doubt.  yo, do you think asher is gonna respond?

ip-  not sure, he’s big right now, i don’t think he needs to, i’m basically a nobody to him in the industry, though he does know i’m cool with rosenberg and my shit is up on nahright and a bunch of blogs.  it’s not like people aren’t checking for the diss, but for most people it’s their first introduction to me.  i wonder.  i’d love for him to, it would be sick.  it probably would be my new favorite song.

wc- i’m sure if he does he’ll find a way to make fun of your name.  it’s such an easy target.

ip-  well the truth is i didn’t make the name up, my boys gave me that nickname after the mask came out back when i was in high school, and it just stuck like crazy.  people who don’t know me personally sometimes think i gave that name to myself as a stage name, but actually it was given to me.  bring it on though.

BONUS: “GEORGE MUSH” VIDEO VERSION

and here’s the link to the Bombin Magazine interview too:

Stan Ipcus Bombin Magazine Interview

A Tale of Three Cities

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So my homegirl Leah Rose, a fellow WPHS class of ’96 graduate and former music editor of XXL Magazine, has her own show now, in addition to her co-hosting Lip Service on Shade 45.  It’s called Sound Proof (see the ad above), on Flow TV.  This week, Leah was also a guest on National Public Radio’s Sound Check, discussing three cities that are changing the face of hip hop today (Chicago, Atlanta, and New Orleans).  Check out the link below and listen in, she’s quite the hip hop expert!!!!

Leah Rose on Sound Check- A Tale of Three Cities