Muzik News

To all Hip-Hop Heads world-wide.

My song "Four Walls," the last single off Tha Audio Bully album is now available on all digital platforms. The treatment for the video is already done and shooting will begin after the "Love Hip-Hop" video is released next month.

The video production for "Love Hip-Hop" was started last week. After scouting around Amsterdam to Haarlem for a few days we finally found the best spots to guerrilla shoot (shooting without a permit). The day after we began shooting it began to rain. 

Most of the video is shot outdoors. The weather has been rainy and inhospitable so outdoor shots were on hold for the last few days. Two of the locations feature graffiti from local artists in different styles. Some people do lettering,while others design whole scenes. One of my favorite locations features characters from the Guardians of Galaxy movie. 

The concept for the video is to show all the elements of Hip-Hop. MC'ing, Graffiti, DJ'ing, B-Boying, and Knowledge combined to give a visual to the song lyrics. I'll write another post once the video is done. Until then check out the new music and some pics from the video shoot below.

Earth Chronicles

There's been a lot of debate on whether the world is round, flat, or spiral like cheese doodles. Due to recent discoveries about our solar system I'm going to explore all the current hypotheses and share my opinion on which I believe.

In January 2016 researchers at Caltech discovered the existence of a 10th planet in our solar system.  The planet currently dubbed "Planet X" has only been confirmed through mathematical modeling and computer simulations. Researchers have posted a video requesting amateur astronomers to search the night skies for the missing planet. The reason that I call the new planet the 10th planet and not the 9th like mainstream media is reporting, is due to cosmology. When I was growing up Pluto was the ninth planet in the solar system. Therefore I still consider it a planet. 

Back in 1999 I read a book called the 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin. The book is the first in a series called The Earth Chronicles. In the book Zecharia explains the creation story of civilization and our solar system from ancient deciphered Sumerian tablets. On the cover of the book is a diagram of our solar system from the outside (beyond Pluto) heading in towards the sun. That's the only way interstellar travelers (without wormhole technology) could reach earth from a distant planet. The diagram shows the entire cosmology of our solar system which is nine planets, our moon, sun and "Planet X" which they called Nibiru. According to ancient cosmology the newly discovered planet is actually a rediscovery of the planet Nibiru that was known in antiquity.

Now with that juicy tidbit of information let's explore a few of the current theories about our earth. The two main theories being debated are whether or not the earth is round like a ball or flat like a carpet. I'm not a dismissive person, BUT the flat earth theory has zero credibility. Since every other planet, moon, and celestial body in the universe has a circular shape it is reasonable to believe earth has the same shape. Also, the description of the earth from pre-history has always been a sphere. If someone can show undeniable proof that the earth is flat, then I will change my opinion. Until then the earth is round.

The second theory is that the earth is round.  As I mentioned above, all celestial bodies excluding comets and asteroids are spheres. To me this isn't a theory it's a fact. The last and more scientifically plausible theory is that the earth is hollow. The "Hollow Earth" theory is as old as humanity and has been documented for thousands of years. Some Tibetan, African, South and North American ethnic groups claim their ancestors came from subterranean realms inside the earth. In 1692 Edmond Halley hypothesized the Earth consisted of a hollow shell about 800 km (500 miles) thick, two inner concentric shells and an inner core, about the diameters of the planets Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Internal atmospheres separate these shells, and each shell has its own magnetic poles. Although it sounds far-fetched, current science has given this antiquated hypothesis traction.

Back in 2007 seismologists from Washington University in St. Louis, discovered a huge water reservoir beneath the Earth's crust in Asia. The body of water was estimated to be larger than the Arctic ocean. More recent investigation has shown the amount of water inside the earth's mantle is larger than all the oceans combined. Aside from water there are entrances to the interior of the earth at both the north and south pole. These specific areas are restricted for commercial flight and heavily guarded by the military. One of the most famous cases for the "Hollow Earth," theory is the diary of Admiral Richard Byrd. Admiral Byrd was a highly decorated US Naval officer whose diary documented his 1947 expedition to the North Pole. During that exposition he discovered lush forests, wild-life and even a woolly mammoth. Entrances into the poles can be viewed by satellite photos of earth. 

I won't go into more detail because this subject has been thoroughly covered by many writers before me. I wrote this post providing an alternative perspective to the two hypothesis being promoted by the mainstream. Below are some videos that expand upon the subject. I don't claim to have the answers. I just like proposing questions. Like..."If there's nothing to hide at the poles, why are citizens restricted from investigating them?"

The one thing I know for certain is ..."The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction." 

Snowboarding Slovenia

I recently returned from a snowboarding trip to the mountains of Slovenia. If you're shredding powder on a budget... Vogel is the place to go. 

Vogel Ski Resort is located in the Bohinj Valley of the Julian Alps and is part of Triglav National Park. At the base of the resort is a long cable car, which is a five minute walk from Lake Bohinj. The cable car is probably the most dangerous ride in Vogel. It's elevated at a sharp 55 degree angle and comes uncomfortably close to the mountainside. Although it appears dangerous, it's actually fairly safe. Plus from broad windows inside the cabin you get an awesome view of Lake Bohinj below. The rapid change in altitude makes the inner ear feel pressure, like when planes are ascending during a flight.
 

Once on top of the mountain, the area is perfect for riding. There was fresh powder as far as the eyes can see. In the distance from the resort, there were lower mountains with hikers and cross-country trail skiers. I walked around for the first hour, checking which slopes had the best places to go free-riding.

I love to snowboard! The feeling of gliding down the mountainside at mach speed gives me an adrenaline rush like no other. Most of the slopes in Vogel are for beginners and intermediate riders. They have a snow park with a few kickers and rails, but it's usually crowded by midday. For advanced riders, there's a ton of places to go free-riding and drift through fresh powder. That's where I ran into trouble.

After snowboarding most of the beginner slopes, and doing one day of skiing with my woman, I decided to go off slope in the back country for some authentic free-riding through the Slovenian mountains. I began at a place known as the "Eagle's Nest." It's a ridiculously high mountain peak that can only be reached by drag lift. At the top is a platform where people with para-gliders launch to ride the air down currents to Lake Bohinj.

Once I started down the slope I know I had made a mistake. The snow was fresh and soft as cotton balls. After a few minutes of riding down the steep incline, I hit a ditch in the snow. It felt like there was a hole in the ground below and when I hit the hole it threw off my balance. Thankfully, I'm an experienced enough rider not to fall the first time. As I continued down the mountain, my speed increased, as did the rocks, trees and shrubbery not too far from the slope, controlled by the resort. Roughly ten minutes after my first almost fall, I hit another dip in the ground. I was already past the halfway marker, back on the main path when I sunk too deep into the snow and fell forward.

The speed of my descent, combined with the soft snow and wind milling arms, caused me to fall in what can only be described as painful Yoga positions. When I finally stopped rolling, one glove was off, one boot was loose from its binding and it felt like someone had hit my shoulder with a sledge hammer. Luckily nothing was broken, and I made it through the rest of the trip without any more injuries. The lesson learned was, don't go free-riding on unfamiliar terrain ... without a helmet and body armor.

Aside from skiing/snowboarding, Vogel offered a diverse assortment of outdoor and indoor activities for families and couples. There was sledding, hiking, ice skating, para-gliding, sauna, spa, and even cave exploration. The local cuisine consisted primarily of meat dishes (like most places in central Europe) like beef, pork, and lamb. There were enough alternatives like chicken, turkey and veggie (fried cheese) burgers to keep me well-fed.

Overall the trip was awesome and super affordable. Like I said in the beginning..."If you're snowboarding on a budget, Slovenia is a place to visit." Below I posted some pictures and videos of me snowboarding and skiing from the trip. Check 'em out. If you like what you see, post a comment and tell a frend to tell a friend.