Tech Stuff

It’s been a busy month. Time feels like it’s moving faster than I can keep up.  I’ve been busy promoting the music and new clothing line. While my people have been making updates to the company and my personal website. It’s a rush to get all the projects completed because I leave for Toscane, Italy on Sunday.

Technology is like time. It’s developing at a pace that our society is having trouble keeping up with. Over the last few years technology has made dramatic advancements in the fields of science, medicine, astrophysics and robotics.

One of the most significant advancement is the ability to perform head transplant surgery. Did you read those word right? Yes, you did.  Dr. Sergio Canavero, is a controversial neurosurgeon who believes we possess the technology to complete human head transplant surgery. The surgery will take around 36 hours and needs over 100 surgeons and assistants.  

Dr. Canavero, would not be the first surgeon to perform a head transplant. Back on the 1930’s through 1950’ Russian surgeon Vladimir Petrovich Demikhov, successfully transplanted heads between monkeys, rats, dogs and other animals. You can view some of his results in videos on youtube. One of the most famous is the video with the two headed dog. 

New and larger telescopes have allowed scientists to discover more exo-planets in the last year than ever before. Aside from planets there have been discoveries in black hole research, quantum physics and understanding the very fabric of reality. 

In the field of robotics a homemade Hoverboard has glided into the Guinness book of world records. While advancements in drone technology have produced insect sized drones, and personal drones that track you like GPS.  

Below are a few videos of technology that is changing the world.
 

4/20 Classics

Last night I returned from a week in Paris just in time to enjoy some of the 4/20 celebration. I got so smoked out that I almost didn't finish writing this post.


In between all the shameless self promotion for my new album "Tha Audio Bully" (buy a copy) I've been traveling and listening to a lot of music. In honor of 4/20 (April 20th) I've put together a few of my favorite songs to smoke a bong too.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term. 4/20 is the international marijuana smoking holiday. The term was first used in the 70's by a group of guys who used to hang with the Grateful Dead. Rumor has it that during that era the police would use code: 420 to describe a person caught smoking weed. 

Once weed smokers learned what the police code meant, they began using the term as slang. By the 80's the Grateful Dead had done hundreds of tours the term was nationally known. By the 90's thanks to magazines like High Times the term 4/20 became internationally known and is now part of pop culture.

So to all my fellow cannabis enthusiasts and connoisseurs of fine music. Enjoy tunes from Redman, Method Man, Styles P, Devin The Dude, Snoop Dogg, Tyger Vinum, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, The Luniz, Wiz Khalifa, and Too Short. Happy 4/20 and medicate responsibly.

AniManga: Kiseijuu (Parasyte)

 



















Movies always speculate on what would happen if an intelligent alien species colonized the Earth. Parasyte, offers a gruesome answer to that question. Kiseijuu (Parasyte) is a horror manga written by Hitoshi Iwaaki that ran from 1988 - 1995. The anime started airing in October-2014 and ended March-2015.

Parasyte's are worm-like creatures that invade the body through the nose or ears and take control of the brain. Once the Parasyte controls the brain, the body is just a host that can change appearance and physical characteristics at the parasites whim. Once a person becomes a Parasyte they no longer retain their personality or human characteristics. 

All Parasyte's eat whatever type of creature their host body is. If a Parasyte invades a dog's brain, they feed on other canines, a cat's brain, they eat cat's, a human brain, they eat humans. When a Parasyte invades the body but cannot take over the brain, then both human and Parasyte share the body but retain their individuality.

The story revolves around a 17 year old teen named Shinichi Izumi. Shinichi lived a normal life in Tokyo with his parents until one night parasites invaded the earth. One Parasite attempted to crawl into Shinichi's ear as he slept, but failed because Shinichi was wearing headphones. The Parasyte was forced to enter through his hand which alerted Shinichi. Who then used the cord from the headphone's to trap the Parasyte in his right hand. Since the Parasyte took over his right hand Shinichi named it "Migi," which is the Japanese word for "right".


Migi and Shinichi form a symbiotic relationship as he learns about the world and tries to find his place in it. Parasyte's have low level psychic abilities which allows them to sense their kind but not what type of host they inhabit. These abilities also allow the Parasyte to assess the emotional state (aggressive, peaceful, nervous, etc...) of other's in their species. As well as the foreign Parasyte's proximity within several hundred meters.  

In the beginning of the relationship Migi protects Shinichi from other Parasyte's. As the story continues Shinichi develops his own power due to suffering a near fatal wound from the Parasyte who killed his mother. Along the way Shinichi gains a few friends and many powerful enemies from a group of organized Parasyte's trying to control mankind.

The story is a twisted reflection of the fear humans have when confronted with meeting other intelligent life. It paints a graphic tale of tragedy, suspense and horror mixed with elements of a normal high school student's life. The anime was incredibly well done! It looks like they used the manga as a storyboard for the animation. 

I recommend watching this series if you're looking for a dark science-fiction animanga that's action-packed to the very end. Check out the clip below.

Tha Audio Bully Contest

The first 100 people to buy a copy of "Tha Audio Bully" CD will be eligible to win a free Tyger Vinum T-shirt. The shirts are from the new merchandise line and come in colors silver and gold. Winners get to choose their size and color. To win contestant's must:

1. Buy a copy of "Tha Audio Bully" off tygervinum.com or vinumousrecords.com.


2. Send an email to "info@vinumousrecords.com" with "Tha Audio Bully Contest" as the subject.


3. In the body of the email, first put your paypal or bitcoin transaction ID.


4. Next, write one music single off Tyger Vinum's last three albums "International Hustler, Sinister Ambitionz, and Grindin Muzik."


5. Last, put your name, mailing address, size: (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL) and color choice (silver or gold).

Winners are only eligible for one prize per mailing address and after 100 winners the contest will be removed. 

Below are pictures of the shirts and the new line of fitted and snapback caps. Thank you to all my fans! Check out the album cuz I know you're going to luv it. 

Music & Snowboarding

I titled this post music and snowboarding because the two activities are intertwined in my life, like the twin serpents on a Caduceus.

First, snowboarding in the Czech Republic. The trip was dope... minus all the distractions off the mountain. When I arrived it was too late to take public transport so I used the hotel's shuttle service. This is the first and last time I use that service due to incompetence. The driver strapped his and my snowboard to the roof of the car with thick elastic bands. The coils seemed sturdy, and the driver seemed to have complete confidence they would hold the equipment safely during our journey. 

Two hours into our three hour drive from Prague airport to the snowcapped mountains of Spindleruv Mlyn, the driver pulls off the highway for cigarettes and discovers both our snowboards missing. Needless to say..."I was not happy." Upon further inspection we found that the elastic coils snapped and the boards fell off.

We drove back over an hour and made several detours along the way before finally finding both snowboards separated by a few hundred meters on the side of the road. It was a bad way to start the trip, but I was happy to have my board back.

When I was on the mountains it was superb! Fresh powder, long wide, lines and endless points to off-road free-ride. This year I got to try night riding! This is when they open the brightly lit mountain of Hromovka at night, so riders can snowboard or ski in the dark from 6-9pm. Yo! It was off the hook...like a telephone receiver. 

The night sky was so clear, the stars looked like tiny Swarovski crystals, glittering on an obsidian canvas... that stretched to infinity. Everyone on the mountain was a serious rider who could carve the powder like a sculpture. There were no more than twenty of us, but once I hit the slopes it was like I was alone on the mountain. Smelling the fresh pine scented air, while carving the snow in intricate "S" shapes... riding the contours of the mountain like a surfer does a wave. I did more riding than filming, but the video below is footage of me riding down a mountain trail.

Aside from winter sports the small village of Spindleruv Mlyn has activities (bowling, snow biking, casinos, aqua-park) to keep tourists entertained off the mountain. I saw a few people bowling, but most of the people who weren't on the mountain were drinking. They have more varieties of liquor than flavors of potato chips. 

I came back with some souvenirs of Absinthe and a Pear liquor that's similar to vodka. The Absinthe, looked like this Chartreuse liqueur I used to drink with a friend when I lived in California. They taste nothing alike. Chartreuse has a sweet, almost liquorish flavor, and the Absinthe tasted like toothpaste flavored formaldehyde. The only upside is that it's so strong, one shot and you got a buzz. I haven't opened the Pear liquor yet...cuz I'm saving it for a celebration occasion.

Now the music...Yesterday, the album became available on iTunes and Amazon.com for download. This came as a total surprise to me, since "Tha Audio Bully" wasn't set for release until the 17th of March. I'm not complaining though, cuz you can buy a digital copy of the album RIGHT NOW by clicking this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tha-audio-bully/id968917907?uo=4 

In conjunction with the album release, Vinumous Records will be doing a promotional contest where fans win free merch. I'll post more information on the contest in the next post. For now, check out the rest of the pics from the trip below. Also go check out the album and if you like the music...share it with a friend.  

Release Date

The album is DONE! The release date for "Tha Audio Bully" is March 17th 2015, and It will be available digitally and on CD. 

Along with the album release my label Vinumous Records will be doing a contest for the fans to win free merchandise. To find out more details on the contest and to see our original selection of T-shirts and caps, check out our store page. While I was recording the album I also recorded songs for “The Bonus Traxx” EP. The EP will include songs that didn’t make the album, as well as a few extra tracks.

2014 ended strong for me with the single “New York Spit” reaching #1 on the Starfleet Music Charts. The single stayed on the charts for twelve weeks and the video has over 20,000 Youtube plays and is still climbing. It’s all thanks to you fans!  The next video project will be for the single “Love Hip-Hop” off the new album. Be on the lookout for that video in the next few months. 

Everything was done just in time for my trip to the Czech Republic tomorrow. I'm taking a week off to shred some powder and relax. I'll post some pics from the trim when I return. Until then...check the tracklisting for the album in the pic below. 

Much luv to everyone who contributed to the project! 

 

Holo-Tech

There is a quote by someone I can't remember that says. "If civilization was confronted with a technology so advanced that it baffled our imagination. That technology would be perceived as magic." To some people who have viewed Microsoft's new product HoloLens...magic is here.

HoloLens is a pair of goggles containing a Windows 10 operating system that generates holographic projections (in midair or on a surface) that can be manipulated by the user. This Holo-Tech (Holographic Technology) produces an interactive form of augmenting reality that's user friendly. It uses sensors, a high-definition 3D optical display, and spatial sound to allow users to manipulate augmented reality through gaze, voice, and hand gestures. 

The concept behind HoloLens was to take all the tasks done behind a computer screen and bring them off the screen. Blending the digital world with the real world where the users can interact with their projects in augmented reality. Who is this technology made for? Everyone. The diversity of how HoloLens can be is applied to everyday life depends on the user. Engineers, architects, designers, jewelry makers, and visual artists can make 3D scale models of their projects.

There's a similar gaming product about to hit the market this year named Oculus Rift which also offers augmented reality. The major difference between the two is, Oculus Rift was designed primary for gaming, while HoloLens was developed to be more project oriented and used in everyday life. HoloLens will be available this year. It's release will coincide with the launch of the new Window's 10 operating system.

Below I posted a video displaying HoloLens in action. It's the demo for the new product and shows how science fiction can be made real. 

Appreciation

I want to give a big shout out to all the fans! For making "New York Spit" #1 on the StarFleet Music Pool "Top-50 Indie Urban/Hip Hop/Latin Charts" and #2 on the "Top-50 Urban/Hip Hop Charts" in November.

The single stayed on the charts for twelve weeks...I appreciate the love. It was a success thanks to all of you. Big things are on the way. 

The merch is HERE! Get your Tyger Vinum T-shirts in all sizes from the website store page. The shirts are available in colors Silver and Gold, because everyone who wears one is royalty.
 

The album is done and being mixed and mastered as I write this post. Once it's turned in, it takes one month for the album to be available on all digital platforms. So expect the release to be at the end of February. I'll post the exact date in another post. 

For now check out the shirts...while listening to some tunes. Next month we have fitted and snapback caps in four colors available, so check back soon.

Peace,

Tha One an Only 

AniManga: Akame Ga Kill

Now that the album is done, I have a little extra time to go snowboarding and catch-up on my manga. My latest love is AniManga: Akame ga Kill!  which literally means "Red-Eye Kill!"

I can describe the manga in three words "Off The Hook." The story focuses on Tatsumi, a villager who travels to the Capital city to raise money for his village only to discover the Empire was covered in corruption. The assassin group Night Raid recruits Tatsumi to help them in their fight against the Empire to end its corruption.

Night Raid, is a group of assassins comprised of the swords woman Akame, scissor wielder named Sheele, the string manipulator Lubbock, armored warrior Bulat, the sniper Mine, beast fighter Leone and their leader Najenda. They work together with the Revolutionary Army to take down the evil prime minister and free the citizens of the empire. Pay attention to the original line-up of names, because this series kills off main characters faster than the show "Game of Thrones".

All the members of Night Raid and most of the powerful fighters in the series use "Imperial Arms" also known as a Teigu. Imperial Arms were created by fusing parts of supernatural Danger Beasts with alchemy over 900 years before the series begins. Forty-eight of these items were created. Half of the Teigu were lost to history and the rest have been collected by the empire and rebels to become more powerful.

Although Teigu are weapons, they can be human and animal based which makes some hard to identify. The easy to identify Imperial Arms are swords, firearms, scissors, cosmetic box and armor. The difficult ones are a shape-shifting dog that has a fetish for consuming human flesh. And Susano, a powerful warrior who is also a Teigu who has lived over 1000 years. Not everyone can use an Imperial Arm. When a person chooses to use a Teigu, they must be compatible or the user risks death.

Throughout the series Night Raid collects and loses members and Imperial Arms battling the Empires most powerful general Esdeath. She has her own team of Teigu wielding warriors named "Jaegers" who protect the Empire and more specifically protect the minister. Aside from being crazier than the mad hatter on an acid binge, Esdeath is powerful and has an attraction to Tatsumi that borders on the psychotic. During a few points in the series Esdeath kidnaps Tatsumi and Night Raid has to rescue him from her icy clutches.

The manga series and the anime diverge with the anime no longer following the canon material during the "Wild Hunt" story arc. The anime chose to skip that whole arc and add their own ending to the series. I personally don't like how they ended the series, because they made up the ending and it seems rushed when you compare it to the rest of the anime series. 


 

With that said, I recommend checking out both the anime and manga because the series is worth it. Above I posted the final fight between Akame and Esdeath. 

If I had to describe the series to a new viewer in one sentence...it would be. Akame Ga Kill, is a mix of hardcore action, high speed battles, tragedy, madness and a whole lot of dead people.

The Fire Painter Art

There's a man who uses a rare and often destructive medium for his art. He uses fire.

Canadian, Steve Spazuk better known as the "Fire Painter." Spazuk uses the soot left on canvas from the wick of a candle flame. To draw out a rough out line of the objects he desires. Then he uses paint brushes and tools to bring detail and depth to the image. 

The technique is called Fumage, and Spazuk has perfected it. For the past 14 years, Spazuk has worked on this amazing technique that allows him to use a candle or a flame off a torch, to create his paintings.

Below I posted two videos. The first shows how Spazuk uses Fumage to make a painting. The second is an interview with Spazuk. To learn more about the  Fire Painter or see more of his art. Go to his website www.spazuk.com.