The Creative Process and Gulden Draak

Gulden Draak

The other day I was asked about my creative process.  That’s the first time anyone had ever asked me that.  So of course it got me thinking about my creative process.  The best I can do is chaos.  Sometimes its random and sometimes its planned.  Most of the time music is involved.  I like to be comfortable.  If I’m not comfortable I can’t create.

When I have customers over for consultations I want them to be comfortable so we can get down to creating something unique to your personal style.  Style is really about being yourself….having the confidence to wear what you want.

I can tell you that tonight is a Friday night.  I had a long week…So its the best time for me to  do what I want to do.  So I had to find some tunes.  Im going to go on a tangent…So brace yourself.

My Buddy @PDXBlazersFTW is a MAVEN.  He is a music Maven.  So as always I went to a mix tape that he sent.  And as always it was exactly what I needed.  This guy knows his tunes.  Tangent over.

I needed something to drink so I went with Gulden Draak.  I dont know if you guys have ever had this beer but is it heroic.  It is the official beer of Happy Hour Clothing.

Friday Night + Mix Tape + Gulden Draak = Creative Process

Good Night Ladies and Gentleman…I will catch up with you next Friday.

*Drink Gulden Draak Responsibly.  It carries a punch.  To find out more contact @CraftBeerNYC

Like a Virgin….LOL

Beyond Rock Star, Madonna still has what it takes to be a style icon.

I bet she would never be caught in Uggs!

Boston Perspective of Young Jeezy Album

Jeezy

 

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up a copy of Young Jeezy’s latest album Recession. It had been a couple years since his last album and I hadn’t really been following him since I left Atlanta. Don’t get me wrong…I am a Jeezy fan but I was a bit disappointed with his lack of material. Perhaps it’s because I am in Boston and his mix tapes don’t make it to me.

So for me I had high expectations for the album as a whole. I wanted it to be a great follow up to a great first album. Call me a history buff but the current state of America reminds me of the 60’s. Music was one of the driving forces back then and Jeezy is well aware of that. His message is clear…We are in tough times…and “I am going to show you how to make a million”.

The album opens with a passionate rant about the recession. Personally I want more creativity and music, instead of an Atlanta anthem. I get exactly what I want 2 songs later. “By the way” Bumps! To me this is classic Jeezy…tell me a story and then kill the hook. You can’t play this song on your ipod…rock this with some subs.

Before getting to song 4 you can tell that Jeezy has been thinking and has a lot on his chest. Does Jeezy have something to prove? The game is getting more competitive. With artist like Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and T.I. (fellow ALT Rapper); Young Jeezy needs to solidify himself as a Rock Star.

Skipped song 4. Good hook but I’m not a frat boy and I don’t feel like fighting. I think your second album is difficult because are you supposed to piggy back the success of your debut or completely reinvent yourself. Track 4 would have worked with me a couple years ago.

Song 6 is what I have been waiting for. First of all Jeezy and I have something in common…LOL. “Bitch I’m Amazing” is hot…it Bumps. Listen to it once and then pop it in your car…turn it up and hit the freeway. Jeezy should just rap about drugs and how nasty he is. Don’t talk about the recession…don’t tell me how to make money and don’t make slow jams. Just get blazed and Dream Big!

Next up…Song 9…I just like how he changes it up…Same theme though. But Jeezy this is good. The hook is original and catchy…Why isn’t this a single?

Why did you wait so long to drop “circulate”? Fantastic change of pace! The beat is smooth but classic raspy Jeezy on the vocals. Way to mix it up.

I think I am missing out on the mixtape scene by being in Boston. It will be interesting to see what Rusky says.

“Vacation “is a solid song. I feel it’s the calm before the storm. Drugs and money as always…but at this point in the album it works. The hook hits you when you need it and you can’t argue with Jeezy on this one. Listen to him on this track…and take a vacation…I am!

Of course anything with Kanye BUMPS….Anything with Kanye after his mom died is going to BUMP. I love this song. The whole album has been waiting for this moment. He had to have a hot single and he knew that Kanye would deliver. The Hook makes it personal. The Hook gets me jacked up. Kanye’s verse blows it out of the water. Wait for it….Wait for it…Wait for it. I bet you are already pounding your fist and bopping around the room…cause I am. Kanye just gets to you…

I say end the album with Kanye period. But that’s just me. The last track is decent. Hopefully Jeezy gets his wish…For the sake of mankind I hope Jeezy gets his wish. “We need a miracle…cause this shit is ridiculous”

Overall I think that the album was ok. It was a difficult time to release a second album and I think he had a lot to say but he really didn’t find his swagger with this album. There were several moments when I saw greatness but those records were deluded with some immature tracks. I am looking forward to his 3^rd album and I hope to see him on this winters albums from Jay-Z, Kanye West and Eminem.

-Allin Bond

Jeezy vs. Paulson

Paulson

 

Young Jeezy and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson have a lot in common. Both have aggressive plans for recovering from America’s recent economic woes. In his new album “The Recession,” Jeezy speaks fondly of birds, likely unaware of Mr. Paulson’s decades long membership in the Nature Conservancy. Lastly, but certainly not the end of the similarities, Jeezy is affectionately known in his hometown as “the snowman” while our Treasury Secretary’s pale skin and reflective scalp may push him to make a run at the title.

 

Though their comparisons are vast, Jeezy and Mr. Paulson have different views on how to resuscitate the American economy. Jeezy takes an independent free market approach, demanding consistent output and strong management to reap benefits from the vociferous street demand. I am referring to both his tax free income and capital gains from his new album. “The Recession” combines fresh beats, authentic storytelling, and addictive ad-libs. In addition, he has enlisted industry veterans Anthony Hamilton, Kanye West and NaS to expand upon his bold thesis.

Mr. Paulson prefers to reverse the economy’s course by propping up our financial institutions with a 700 billion dollar loan. Though it may be a necessary form of socialism, it wreaks of a conflict of interest as the Treasury Secretary used to work for one of the firms he hopes to bail out. And I can assure you that Jeezy would not take such egregious asset risks by loaning (fronting) beyond capacity, the same culprit that has ravaged Wall Street.

As we move towards a new President, we will soon have another U.S. Treasury Secretary. But this financial crisis demands immediate action. A few days after its proposal, it seems like Paulson’s plan will be pushed through the legislature and enacted early next week. Chalk it up to another win for the white collar. Nevertheless, Jeezy has shown this summer that the white cuff is also a force to reckoned with. Will his economic plan have more impact than Mr. Paulson’s? Probably not. But Jeezy has hypnotized the South by providing an escape from the foreclosures and high gas prices, problems that the multimillionaire Mr. Paulson and his colleagues will never have to face. THAAAAT’S RIIIIIIGHT!!!!

-Rusky