Life is Like a Beach Chair When I'm in A New York State of Mind

Now this is definitely not going to be a debate about naS or Jay-Z, Jigga or Nasty Nas, Nasir Jones or Shawn Carter, J-Hova the God or God's Son, Mr. Super Ugly or Mr.Hawaiian Sophie fame, Esco or Hovi, the king of Rocafella or Nastradaumas, Street's Disciple or Jiggaman. Nor will this combine their relations being all about "the dead presidents (except Obama of course =], by the way I usually would make a smilie face like this :), but since I'm doing this in parentheses I find this helpful :]. Now I'm sure other people have done this, but I always think of my friend C.A.B.{- initials that's how I will refer to people who I haven't gotten consent from for "publication" lol} because I know she always does smilie faces this way) that represent me" to becoming "the black republicans", but instead this will be just about the philosophies of the song... just what I think it all means...

Okay so not only do these represent about as different as the facets of life as possible, but even the style is different. You have the gritty uncut sound of "Illmatic" versus the polished crossover sounds of "Kingdom Come". This naS paints the picture of life as it is, while Jay's reality is our fantasy of life as it should be.

now this may seem scattered but that was written like a week ago, but applying for jobs kind of crushed my focus...so yeah. anyway back to finish this joint.

Real talk, this may be kind of disappointing but i just see that N.Y. State of mind that classic "hustle". When I was growing up I wasn't po' but I wanted nothing more than to "make money". Don't get me wrong I'm still about it, ask anyone who remember seeing me getting Jay-Z / T.I. tickets. lol. The difference now is I'm not single- minded in the C.R.E.A.M. mentality. <<>>

1.	C.R.E.A.M.
	The acronym standing for, "Cash Rules Everything Around Me." Originating from the Wu Tang Clan, this phrase was popular in the early/mid-ninties when the hit song was released. Unlike many current rap songs, this song stressed the importance of obtaining money, as opposed to spending it. It also showed youth that selling drugs was not a good way to make money, and that hard work and creativity would make more money. "cash rules everything around me cream get the money, dolla dolla bills yall."

I am still about getting paid, but I also understand that currency has as much value as you give to it. I think I gave so much value to it in the past, that I wouldn't spend it...Now I've diminished it's value, and I'm comfortable spending it. I think this thin line get blurred alot with that N.Y. State of Mind. Especially when considering the "what-ifs" of live. For some, its medical bills, or a car accident, for others its that stick-up or those drug users... But the more that those latter two events become less considered... is the more that one leaves the N.Y. State of Mind and goes onto the Life is Like A Beach Chair. Foreal, this is the "after". The "Mama I Made It" lifestyle. This is when you are beyond what you thought you'd do. Not necessarily entertainer or athlete money, but this could be you with a house worth three- quarters million, a jag and benz in the garage and not living pay- check to pay-check. I think personally... to sum it up, your life should follow the time-line of N.Y. State of Mind-> Life is Like A Beach Chair

DONE

Prologue to: Life is like a Beach Chair when I'm in a New York State of Mind

Okay, first off don't want you guys getting spoiled thinking this will be an everyday thing... It's not, and DAMN IT, who is this "you" I keep talking to. Any psych majors feel free to analyze these writings in a case study or something. (Use any technique just not psychoanalysis...please not psychoanalysis, because Freud was weird...no eccentric that's the term they use when they are famous. Of course if you combine that with eminence now you get greatness, but 'mos folks don't know nuthin bout that')...
You know what I think I just realized MY "you" is standing for my readers... now when asked who those are...that's the true problem in itself(did I use that colloquialism right[is colloquialism the right word?? - i want to say saying... *side note so I had this TA last semester who said I don't know the meaning of some of the words I think I know{by the way she told me this AFTER my last paper, so she let me make this mistake all semester -_- FML... (by the way that's my website right there. If you don't know about it, find out . I'll tell why this site is funny, and why no one cares about MLIA (my life is average) based off what I learned in an AP Language class at another time.) so in other words this semester and everyone before I've just been using big words that penetrate the cranium of my consciousness and using them... only to now realize some don't mean what I expected! * So, I've become great friends with the dictionary...well with google typing in "defintion (word)" see like colloquialism I thought it meant like a synnonym for "saying" or something, turns out it means

"Characteristic of or appropriate to the spoken language or to writing that seeks the effect of speech; informal."

So now I have to use "saying". Let the record reflect that I meant "saying" when I said "colloquialism" Noted. *my attempt at law humor... **rephrase- my DRY ATTEMPT at law humor** also noted.] So yea, hope that was the right "saying" anyway." On a small note... I said in the beginning that I may do a stream-of-conscious thing; so you have been warned- my pity for any of you is bare minimal...if any. Nope that pity is gone since I had to waste another sentence telling you about that pity. It seems this has turned into the prologue for the actual topic, and rather than making this into another excessively long blog which will remove any chance of a serene tone, I will simply wait and separate it into two posts. The second one will actually be "Life is Like a Beach Chair when I'm in a New York State of mind". lol

Selling- out

So I saw I can make money by allowing ads on this blog...I almost did it, but I figured I should at least finish a week or month of this thing before I sell out. Selling out after the first post isn't a good look. lol


Words to reflect on:
"Call myself poetic justice, because I'm giving words liberty."

The Name of my post

Iight, so honestly I don't care who ends up reading this to start off, nor if I even continue to do this. Real talk, I plan on this just being my thoughts :

"Just my thoughts man - right or wrong
Just what I was feeling at the time, uhh
You ever felt like this, you vibe with me"
- Jay-Z
yea i'll probably do that alot. haha. May even get like Hemingway and run into a stream-of-consciousness. But somewhere between the thosands of parts of songs and million random facts in my brain I hope to give some sort of understanding if anything. Not sure for who yet, but an understanding. Now that i'm writing it reminds me of "Fight Club" (great movie, just watched it for the first time last night). Besides the intense bloodshed, i just keep hearing:

1. I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
2. I am Jack's smirking revenge.
3. I am Jack's inflamed sense of rejection.

these are the 3 that I think that I could be most, and besides the other ones SCREAM "creeper joe" lol. So consider this blog " I am Ryan's ______."

There, alright now for the title of this blog. I am calling this "The Life and Times of a Poet Laureate". This title combines two of my favorite hip-hop songs. The first part "The Life and Times" is a lyric that been stuck in my head for the past 10 years. Of course Jay-Z's 2nd-4th album were all volumes of the "Life and Times of Sean Carter" but its the 2nd volume of which I will be lecturing today. The 2nd track (hmmm alot of 2's huh... i'll discuss the important of the deuce...i mean two at another time) is Hard Knock Life. Yea you know the joint with the orphan Annie hook. Well the line is about 1:14(14 hmm another good number) and you hear the words that have ran through my mind since the first time I heard it. "Life and times of Sean Carter nigga Volume 2". I don't know why this has stuck with me, maybe it's due to this is one of the first hip-hop songs I remember like everything about it. (I know its 1998, and thats late, but give me a break single mothers are not trying to let their kids hear all that hippity hoppity music, lol) But yea maybe its even the style, but for some reason I hear this line at least twice a day since I was like 8. Now you'd think this would be irritating or mind-blowing... but foreal its calming, because it reminds me of a peaceful time. *wuu sah*
Now the second part is from a lesser known series of tracks by the unsigned Canibus or Can-i-bus if you rather. Most people think the "production" as my boy Dubbz calls it "beats" are too out there... but i don't know with Canibus's flow it seems cool to me. Now Poet Laureate I and Infinity are good, but again the prize goes to Poet Laureate II- its like eleven minutes of lyrical gratitude and wordplay...just pure art. Well, maybe i'm over-exaggerating, but that's how it feels each time i hear it. lol like this this part out it's right before the beat switches... yes i said it- the whole beat just switches.

Complete enigmas wrapped in puzzles encrypted in language
with sound but without shape or signature
Kept files in his garage, on MS-DOS
in a fire-proof pod, we thought it was odd
Outside there was a shed with an Oppenheimer lock
he apparently kept more wax then Madame Tussaud's
We were in total awe, cause it blew our minds
so many rhymes that were intricately designed
He WAS Poet Laureate of his time
and if you dont mind, I'd like to share some of his rhymes

beat switches

Alone in my room, looking thru the 32X telescope zoom
adjusting the focus of the moon
One should not assume the philosophy of David Hume
is nothing more then a subjective conclusion
What is the maximum field rate application?
the run away glaciation surrounding the ocean basin
affects the population fluctuation
on a continuous basis but that's just the basics
- Canibus

Last thing to say about this title also refernces the actual title of Poet Laureate of the state, as I think is one of the most "ill" positions, since your are the emergency poet to christen any moment. I think it kind of makes you the truth. (As you can see, I like to make things bold, lol... and still have not figured out who is this you I'm speaking to. lol) Example of "the truth" Amiri Baraka was a Poet Laureate of NJ. Now regardless of what you may say about the man...he is a revolutionary. End of story. Anyway this is where the title of my blog comes from, as well as where I leave you (there's that you again...lol)

Up next... artistatcantdra- no what forget it, i'll answer that here. Iight my author name as well as aim, ( anyone who likes this and doesn't want to leave comments, [or however this works...as you can see not really a blogger...well guess I am now, but still] hit me on the aim) is Artistatcantdra. It comes from the idea of the r&b artist Musiq Soulchild theme of phonetically doing albums like Aijuswanaseing instead of "I just wanna Sing", or Juslisten instead of "Just Listen". Anyway this is me phonetically saying "Artist that can't draw". It's what I like to consider myself. I've even thought that if I did do a spoken-word/ hip-hop album that it's what I'd want it to be called. I know artist that can't draw may seem dumb...but wait no YOU' RE dumb. lol Because I do consider myself a lyrical artist or a master of diction and synthax, yet that requires no paintbrush or canvas... Hopefully the only canvas I need is a reading eye or listening ear...

That's it. Now I doubt all my entries will be this long, but I just wanted to get all the basics out for .... people. There, now I'm not dealing with this mysterious "you" again. lol

o and last thing shout out to "The Executive" -> Shanel my LS of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated... she's doing it big today for her 21st. "I SEE YOU ACE!!"


by the way i just found out i'm a "trip and a half". that's bet! haha