All posts by Terry McCall

About Terry McCall

I'm currently working on everything. INcluding this blog. For the past few hours, I've been keeping some of my typos. In what I write that is.

Humble Beginnings my ass.

Music, , , , ,

So one of the greatest tricks of elementary school education that I uncovered as a collegehigh school student was that all the holidays and celebrations that are inherently “American” are hella fucked up. Columbus Day (Kill the Savages and Take Their Land), Thanksgiving (KTSATTL II: Whitey Strikes Back), Black History “Month” (Here’s your twenty-eight days) etc., etc. But don’t shoot me! Its really about the celebration (OF PATRIOTISM!111) with friends and family right? And BBQ. Yeaaaah…

Fuck Yeah!

Perhaps as a reward for America’s thankless effort in the War Against Terror, some patriotic archaeologists have found the home of our 1st founding father himself, George Washington, in . While growing up, I envisioned Washington, Adams and the crew as crazy rugged, statuesque, super-people (Culture II Anyone?). Reading about them in history books and stuff, you get a lot of “pulled up by the bootstraps” epic hero shit.

But apparently these “humble beginnings” were as real as Washington’s fabled wooden teeth (i.e. as fake as a wooden nickel):

Dr. Levy and other members of the excavation team said the foundations, stone-lined cellars and other remains suggested that this was far from being the rustic cottage of common perception, but instead one befitting a family of the local gentry. It was a much larger one-and-a-half-story residence, with perhaps eight rooms and an adjacent structure for the kitchen.

Did you ever doubt it?

Call & Response

The Coup – Piss On Your Grave
(from Steal This Album)

Boots & Pam the Funkstress’ humble tribute to the #1 whitey. This song helped me understand what “privalege” is, both the white kind and my own.

your hands is soft as a peach/
cuz you ain’t never did work/
been rich ever since/
your daddy’s dick went squirt/
have you ever hurt from your back?
ducked from rat-a-tat-tats?
seen your mama on crack?
lived in a pontiac?
drank baby similac/
so you could have protein?
(just for enough energy
to hustle up some mo’ green?)

I ain’t no white person, but I’m a college student who don’t gotta worry bout the bills. Uncle Sam takes care of those thanks to my Vietnam Veteran Dad. Is it hypocritical to hate the military/industrial complex, but take and be thankful for their money? Oh opposing truths!

People say I have really soft hands. I wish I had the bankroll to match. Ah well.

PS: Gotta love the mini-skit halfway through—I too, love DC.

Nitro Microphone Underground Japanese Rap Expose

Music, , , , , , ,

Nitro Microphone Underground
“Down the Line”
“Akugidenwa (Prank Call)”
“10 Muri”
(from Straight From The Underground)

J-rap is an intriguing genre if anything. A lot of the vernacular is taken from the US Rap scene, but according to the wikipedia article, Japanese rappers are able to “express themselves in a more Japanese style, both in basic language and in regard to themes”. Yet when I went over there back in 2005, I sampled what was current on the Tokyo scene (aka “The Bay Area”). I heard a lot of shit, and everyone wanted to sound like a Japanese DMX—Barks and all.
But forreals though, Japan’s hip-hop/rap scene is developing into its own, and some of that shit bangs! Some of the pop stuff like the Teriyaki Boyz is aight (think Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift), but the real gold is in the underground rap/hip-hop scene.

Nitro Microphone Underground is one of the first j-rap artists who didn’t sell out and pop out their act, and were recognized by the industry for it. With “Down the Line”, the members of the group (Dabo, Macka-chin, Deli, Suiken, Gore-Tex, S-Word, XBS, and Bigzam—its like a Japanese Wu-Tang) take turns passing the mic after 24 bars. Each distinctive flow & swagger is punctuated by a beat the hits the rewind button between each rapper, giving the track a fresh restart each time.

In “10 Muri”, you might recognize some famous samples which are long standbys in the rap producer’s lingua franca. And the memorable, chanting chorus “けっこ、マジ、けっこ、マジ！” (kekko maji kekko maji – “I’m fine. Forreals?”) knocks up the appeal.

“Akugidenwa (Prank Call)” has a lot of the crazy space shit that Japanese producers (and Pharrell) love to include in the background of their tracks. Just as how the Neptunes craft the perfect beat that matches a particular artist’s style, NMU’s hard-hitting delivery matches the repetitive beat perfectly, and shows off the crazy potential of japanese lyricism.

By keeping true to hip-hop (w/o the beats, the MCs are nothin!) NMU makes sure that even if you can’t understand their flow, you can at the very least listen to some high-tempo production with some of the craziest loops since the Neptunes.

Speaking of loops, I also copped some Nujabes shit over there, but couldn’t find anything from Fat Jon or Tsutchie (shoutout to Champloo Fans!). Note: I didn’t look TOO hard.

You see, Japan is a crazy place for hip hop gear collectors. Not only vinyl, but shit from all 4 elements have a strong representation in Japan, whether through special limited editions gear, crazy tech, or bumpin producers. There are even services out there where you pay people to peruse through Japan’s crazy used CD/Book/Video stores to look for that vintage recording/print that you just can’t find anywhere else. I don’t even wanna talk about the shoe/streetwear scene over there. BAPE is a Japanese phenom after all.

PS: Looking at these makes me wanna be a sneakerhead. “Anti-Babylon Equipment” Can it get any more “Crazy Engrish Oxymoron” than that!?

Nitro Microphone Underground Air Force 1s

Return of the Maestro

Return of the Maestro

Game, , , , ,

So I watch broadened my youtube watching from the realm of funny commercials, inspiring speeches, video tutorials and fighting game matches (in roughly that order), to include the world of StarCraft. For those of you who care nothing of Pro Gaming (in Korea E-gaming is just as valid a sport as soccer), forgive me as I geek out.

In this particular video, one of my favorite players—who is in the midst of a post-championship slump—named “Savior” (The Maestro of Zerg) is seen here in this epic 30-minute battle. For those of you who know whats up, this has a nice “Pimpest Play” and is well worth it. Those of you who don’t know your zerglings from templar, you might enjoy the highlights below with the knowledge that the main commentator is also an undying Savior fan, and is takes out his frustration with the Maestro’s recent failures by trashtalking his opponents.

(If you’re watching this match elsewhere, the YT time is ahead of gametime by 8 seconds).

2:18

“Regardless of his skilIs, and demonstrations as a player, I have very little respect for FireBatZERO”

ZERO. Hah! Yeah, FBH is no Hero in my eyes either… but I must admit its pretty funny to watch. As some would say, “Its just a game”. And to that I would reply: “And so is ___ball!; and people riot over that”

16:34~16:44

“Savior’s got a big mass group of Mutalisks… Looks likes he’s just focusing on that CC…I think he would have been better off killing lots of SCVs…”

I don’t understand pro’s latest obsessions w/ suiciding to kill CCs/Nexus/Hive, especially when the same time could have been used to kill all workers and then some (especially against repairing Terrans). But picking off the CC @ 22:14 was gold, and was the beginning of the end of the end.

22:49~22:57

“Savior KILLS THE CC! I CANNOT BELIEVE Savior has managed to kill that command center. Savior, sends in a Ninja Stealth task force to take out that expansion!”

First time I can remember (at least in a while) getting out of my chair and pumping my fist during a commentary.

Thank god for Savior. Though I’m sure he knew that it took longer than it should/could have.

Good game sense from Diggity too; nice calls on the vultures & lategame mutas

29:24~29:38

Fantasy’s got ONE Goliath. And that goliath’s going to DIE. And then the Science Vessels are going to DIE. (He managed to get a couple Irradiates off, actually, on a couple of the mutalisks. But that’s not gonna bother Savior too much).
But the goliaths are DEAD. Now the siege tanks will DIE, and then Fantasy will DIE. So byebye Fantasy; that’s the end of his fantasy”

Fuckin’ Klaz! Love this revival of the maestro much?

I love these commentaries :) Go to SC2GG for more videos, and join the great community there, whether you’re gosu or newb.