Saturday Night with Animal Behavior.

The only fun in Boston. That’s me. All black everything.

Photos from Born in ‘88 ! 6/17/09

OMG I am so late. But here are some pics from my Birthday party back on June 17. A special day to me for several reasons. Thank you to everyone who came out…Shawn Lawrence James, my older sister India, Animal Behavior, Ray Kairos, Wave, Christine, 106th, Mimi, Shyvonne, DJ Will Gates, J. Cole. Ib, Elite, Omen, GWIZ, Roland, Danyel Smith, Elliott Wilson, John Kennedy, Goat, Donny Goines, Danni, Alex Gale, Laura Checkoway, D. Scott, Omar A., Anthony, Morales… okay, everyone. [** by Rahan Cotterel]

21, ya’ll**

The cake, it’s a stack of books.

AnimalBehavior y John Kennedy

Sorry, Mámá?

Me y J. Cole

Whose arm is this? I love you.**

It’s Mimi, Baby.**

AB

AB, Waverly, Me**

Omen and J. Cole performing “The Badness” DOPE**

Cole Killin’**

Mas.**

Dannii !**

Loyalty. Those are Let’sJustEatCheese stickers. Omar A. He’s been reading my work since Journalism class in high school.

Trying to hide from a camera, per usual.

106th WORKING.

Shyvonne was AMAZE.**

Never gave a fuck about no high end fashion.**

BEAUTIFUL.

With regard to the Cape Verde-type hurricanes and tropical storms (Bertha, Josephine), this is what the island of Sao Vicente, Cape Verde looks like.

Al images courtesy of my step mom’s dear friends

love.

letsjusteatcheese & have a happy weekend.

It’ll go like this.

Get caught reading Nathanael West’s complete works. Miss Lonely Hearts and The Day of the Locust are both short and intense stories and each give a compelling look into American Society (New York, LA) the things we hold value to, and the values we’ll let go of at any cost.

While you’re reading, take a second to read my favorite Shouts & Murmurs: Ask the Optimist piece from The New Yorker. This is the kind of funny I am totally into.

Dear Optimist:

I am a man trapped in a turkey’s body. I have dim memories of my life as a human. But then I look down, and there are my wattles! Sometimes when it rains I find myself gazing up at the sky, mouth open, gullet slowly filling with rain. I’m really starting to feel bad about myself. Can you help?
-Chagrined Gobbler, A Farm Near Albany

Dear Gobbler:
Of course I can help! Come to my house for some private counselling! Does Christmas work for you? Wait for me at the “waiting spot,” a tree stump with an axe leaning against it! And do you happen to know a human trapped in a pig’s body? I can also counsel him! Until then, I suggest eating as much as you can, preferably some high-quality corn! And keep your chin up, or your wattles up, or whatever!

Have a night with the lover. Whether on Sunset or the West Village. Take a bow, baby.

Or, you can be a tour guide to a young beautiful Cape Verdean tourist who has crowned me worst tour guide in tour guide history. She’s single like a dollar bill (her words).

Dine at Sea in Brooklyn. Their Thai food will capture your heart kind of like Republic down Union Square. Actually, ball ’til you fall at Chanterelle. Or take a weekend business brunch at the Soho Grand Lounge.

Listen to J. Cole’s, “I Get Up.” It’s inspiring, dope and he graduated college and insists that’s where it’s at.

Oh, you can also get down to http://cheeseisdelicious.muxtape.com. It’ll make you feel good.

happy weekend. : )

The Constant.

Why haven’t you picked up your phone? Hi Dad! What are you doing? Leaving the airport. Why? Dropped K. and N. off, they’re going to Cape Verde.
He pulled my heart out just like that Gnarls Barkley video…I called the house today, K. was sleeping, and N. didn’t want to talk to me. And I’m fine with that. As long as my little brother and sister are a bus ride a way.

Sometimes I think about my life with my face down
then I see my sons
and put on that Kanye smile.
- The Game ft Lil Wayne – My Life

In The Right Place

Monocle magazine has an amazing, informative feature on Praia, Cape Verde in the April 2008 issue. I want to re-post the entire story but it’s not available online and there’s just pretty much nothing else I can do. But – here are some interesting parts:

Writer Andrew Mueller makes it clear you probably do not know where Cape Verde is. And that there are good reasons for the long-running failure of Cape Verde to register in the global consciousness (no trademark produce, no well known citizens, almost entirely untroubled by Africa’s moral and actual plagues of disease, tribalism and corruption).

Tourism has tripled since 2001. Making more opportunity for employment.

Ranked fourth best overall African government on the continent.

Cape Verde recently escaped the UN’s list of least developed countries.

The Sambala Resort on Santiago is proof of the world’s belief in Cape Verde. Sambala is a small city with villas and townhouse and privately owned land. Some believe that new commercial developments are being sold under false promising. “The strengths of Cape Verde are in its people, its music, its unspoiled ambience. At Sambala, there will be no Cape Verdeans aside from those who work there, no music and it’ll destroy the peace people think they’re coming for.”

The article is wonderful. It also mentions, Tarrafal, Cidade Velha, Sucupira (Cape Verdeans will understand). Cabo Verde is in the right, as it has been for a very long time. I remember blogging on Cashmere Thoughts about how all we need is a celebrity to get over there. Someone to rap about it. Then boom! We’re on the map. Literally. But I’m completely open to waiting for something a bit more compelling. Like a super famous, notable Cape Verdean writer.

The Undiscovered Paradise

e ka pamodi
o ki bu anda
na mundu bu ta manda.

e so pamodi bo e kriola.

love to Mary Lou. kriolas ta manda.

Dizzy

WTf is up with New York taxi drivers? They just love to love me. And I love them back. Sometimes. After a slow start to a long night – we’re over it. LA, her designer home girl (with the cutest complexion!) and I get ready to leave the over hyped Hookah Bar and take a taxi to the diner. The diner we just can’t get over. Creatures of habit. It reminds me of Cape Verde. Burgers with fried eggs. Love. We’re dizzy. Dizzy. Does anyone have Volvic water? I was thirsty. We’re leaning in the taxi. Liiike, just get us there. After about 11 seconds of direction. The music turns ON.

And what does this yellow taxi driver play?
This.

Seriously? Is that how we’re doing it? I couldn’t contain myself. “I Can Love You,” is one of my Mom’s favorite songs (a devout Mary J. lover). I’m dizzy. I’m singing. Rapping. The music was so damn loud. How did he know how to touch my heart without saying a word?

You Should Be Here

If you’re in Boston. And if you make it, FedEx me some pastel from Ideal’s Sub Shop.

Thanks.

And I’m back on my grind…

And I’m back on my grind, a psychic read my life line, told me in my lifetime that my name will help light up the Cape Verde skyline.

I warned you all about my idleness. I’ll get all emotional about my Christmas and the wonderful 2008 in a second, but before I forget, I encourage you all to check out Cape Verdean rapper, Chachi on 106 & Park tonight (6pm). I know it will be hard to actually watch the show, but I plan to after a couple of drinks. And if you’re sitting there questioning what and where Cape Verde is, here’s a brief history lesson. I’d totally be out at a party and some annoying ass man will go, “What’s your nationality?” “Cape Verdean,” I’d reply. And then his face is blank, so I’ll pull ‘em to the side and break it on down about how Cape Verde is this beautiful country off the West Coast of Africa that was colonized by the Portuguese. And we’re all in Boston because of the Packet Trade between Cape Verde and America in the mid 18oo’s.

Watch the show. Love and support to all Cape Verdeans who love, work hard and love fried cachupa and eggs.