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. 

 

Animanga: One-Punch Man

It's been awhile since I've read a manga that has such a great blend of humor and action as One-Punch Man.

The original series began as a webcomic in 2009 by a man mysteriously known as One. The remake is illustrated by Yusuke Murata and written by the same One. That is the version I've been following.

One-Punch Man is an action packed manga, full of bizarre villains and heroes. The main protagonist is a man named Saitama, who is as unremarkable as they come. He has an average look, build and even a laid back disposition. What makes Saitama unique is his strength and love for mankind... especially his home town Z-City.

Ever since Saitama was a child he wanted to be a super hero. After numerous encounters with criminals he finally decided to take action and train his body to perfection. Through basic calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups and running) for three consecutive months, Saitama was able achieve incredible power. He acquired enough raw strength to destroy almost every enemy he faced with one punch.

In his world the cities are given names from the alphabet (City A, B, C, ect....Z) and are often attacked by monsters. These monsters are called "Mysterious Beings," and range from normal humans to hybrid (beast) humans to intergalactic conquerors. Each attack against an alphabet city by one of these is given a threat level. Those levels range from "Wolf" which is a human level threat, to "God" which is an extinction level event. No one knows where the Mysterious Beings come from but they all seem to have an instinctive hatred for humans.

To handle threats against mankind a group of powerful individuals began the Heroes Association. This association employs citizens as heroes and provided them pay and services for protecting the alphabet cities. The hero classes range from "C" (ordinary human) to "S" (superhuman) and all officially recognized heroes are part of the Heroes Association.

Saitama joins the as the lowest ranked C-Class hero and works his way up through the ranking. Along the way he gains a disciple named Genos (The Demon Cyborg) who is impressed by his strength. Genos is on his own quest for vengeance and tries to learn the secret of Saitama' power. Ironically Genos is given the ranking of S-Class based off some of the monsters Saitama defeated. He is also one of the few individuals in the Heroes Association who knows how strong Saitama really is.

The manga was recently turned into a 12 episode anime that ended in December 2015. The anime was taken directly from canon material and featured superb artwork and battle scenes. The great thing about this series is that it's a parody of the whole super hero genre. In the video below Saitama shows up to stop a meteor from destroying all life on Earth. Check out the anime and check out the manga....if you like what you see. Don't forget to purchase official copies from the Mangaka, cuz those guys work long hours for little pay or appreciation.

Love Hip-Hop (Live)

Happy (belated) New Year!

I know it's a bit late, but as the old saying goes..."better late than never." The new year has been positive for the business and I appreciate all the new opportunities.

Over the last few weeks the song "Love Hip-Hop," has been played on a variety of radio stations in Europe and the U.S.. There's Fun X, Radio 010FM, 1-Xtra, and WTCR - Chicago just to name a few. In between the radio promotion I've been writing new songs and organizing tracks for the Underground Artist Major Threat album.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to perform at the Radio 010FM studios in Hoogvliet. I was invited to perform "Love Hip-Hop" and "Four Walls" live. This was the only radio station I've been in that was on the ground floor. All the rest were on the top floor of the building where I either had to take an elevator to reach the station, or walk up a lot of stairs. Inside the station they had interview rooms and a sound stage for musicians.

The performance was for "De Winkelwagenshow" hosted by Peter Kunnen. "De Winkelwagenshow" translates into "The Shopping Basket Show" in English. Similar to its title, the show is an eclectic mix of different styles of music.  Peter has been hosting the program for almost 25 years (he's a cool guy) and has played everything from rock, pop, hip-hop, to jazz, blues and country. While I was doing the sound check for my performance, two acoustic guitar players arrived. Later I found out they were folk music singers and were there to perform after me.

The show went smooth. I performed for a small intimate crowd of people who worked for the radio station, were waiting to perform, or were guests. Check out the video below... if you would like to see the show. Also, there's new music, artwork, and videos, coming in the next few months. So check back often for updates. 

R.I.P. Sean P.

Sean Price a.k.a. Sean P. a.k.a. Ruck (March 17, 1972 – August 8, 2015) was more than just a talented MC. He was a proud father, born entertainer, and really funny guy.

When he died, a lot of people who listen to his music but wouldn't work with him (cuz he would outshine them on their own record) started posting "we'll miss you" and "R.I.P blah, blah, blah" on social media. To me that's fake and the man I knew deserved more genuine respect than that. Real love is appreciating a person while they're living and can feel the love... not after they're gone.

I met Sean P. for the first time in 2005 at the "DROP" festival in the Melkweg. He and Buckshot had already rocked the crowd and were chilling backstage. Smif-N-Wesson were up next and I wanted to meet Buck and Ruck before their show started. At the time he was promoting Monkey Barz and I was promoting my first album International Hustler. I had been listening to the whole Boot Camp Clik (Black Moon, Smif-N-Wesson, Heltah Skeltah, and O.G.C.) since the 90's.

As a fan I wanted to know what they thought of my music. There was no CD player backstage to play the album, so I spit some of the songs acapella. They liked the tunes. Sean P. and I exchanged numbers and he said let's work together in the future. After that we stayed in contact. A few years later in 2009, I met up with him and Rock in Rotterdam for a quick interview. Heltah Skeltah were back together and the show was coconutz! Check out the video below.


By that time we had already did the "AhhYoo" remix "Who Dat Be" off the 2010 Grindin Muzik album.  The song was recorded in 2008 when I was going through personal problems and it was reflected in the music. After I sent him the song, before he recorded his verse he called me just to check in. We cracked jokes and talked about the differences between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. He seemed to genuinely care, even though we had only met a few times.


Every time we linked-up, Ruck was a cool cat who loved his family and loved spittin, heavy, barz. He was one of those rare talents who could spit a freestyle or written and you couldn't tell the difference. Below are a few of my favorite Sean P. and Heltah Skeltah videos. If you don't know Sean Price get to know him, cuz his music is what a lot of rappers wish they sounded like. Rest In Power!

Transforming Humans

Have you ever heard of a type of human that is born one sex then "transforms" at puberty to a different sex? That means you've never heard of "Guevedoces". Don't feel bad because until a few days ago... I hadn't either.

"Guevedoces" which literally translates to "penis at twelve" is a term given to little girls in the village of Las Salinas in the Dominican Republic who turn into boys at puberty. Do I know how crazy that last sentence sounds? YES! But it's true. The boys of Salinas have a rare genetic condition which blocks them from producing the hormone Dihydro-testosterone while their in the womb. Dihydro-testosterone, is the hormone which assigns male sex organs to a fetus.  Unfortunately for "Guevedoces" they don't get the required amount of Dihydro-testosterone until they hit puberty and get a second surge of growth hormones.

In my travels I've heard of the "Hijra" of south Asia, but this is different. Hijra is a term for transgender people also known as the third gender in southern Asia. Let's be clear..."Guevedoces" are not transsexual's. All transsexuals who transition from their assigned gender to the gender they identify with, need surgery to achieve their goal. Guevedoces, are real transforming humans whose transition occurs naturally (without surgery) due to their rare genetic disorder. When they're born Guevedoces appear to have a vagina and no testicles so most medical facilities classify the newborns as female. The exact cause of their appearance is a lack of 5-α-reductase enzyme which triggers the hormone surge that releases the Dihydro-testosterone.

All fetuses develop internal glands called "Gonads" and  a bulge between their legs called a "Tubercle". In normal child development the sex organs develop on a fetus around the eighth week. At that time male babies start producing Dihydro-testosterone in large amounts, which turns the tubercle into a penis. While female fetuses produce a different hormone which turns the tubercle into a clitoris. Unfortunately for Guevedoces this transformation occurs twelve years later. Usually after being forced to wear girls clothes and have a girls name for the majority of their youth.

For more information on "Guevedoces" and their unique genetic lineage watch the video below.

Love Hip-Hop Remix

The wait is over! A few posts back I mentioned working on a collaboration with east coast rhyme spitter Shabaam Sahdeeq and French cut master DJ Modesty. 

The project was a remix to "Love Hip-Hop" a song  off "Tha Audio Bully" album released back in February 2015. It was released as a single in July. The single made it on the Music Week, Urban Club Chart in September. In three weeks the track moved up the charts from position #23 to #15.

You can buy a copy of the Love Hip-Hop Remix by pressing the link. The remix is a whole different song. It features harder bars, more punch-lines and DJ Modesty scratches to tie it all together. This international collaboration brings together New York, France, and Amsterdam representing real boom bap Hip-Hop. Listen to the track below and if you love Hip-Hop music buy a copy.

Travels thru Turkey

My birthday was a few weeks ago (shout-out to all the Virgos). To celebrate, I flew with my girl to Turkey for a few days to catch the last rays of autumn sun. “Winter is coming” and in Holland that isn't a joke.

The city we stayed in was Alanya. It's a district of Antalya Province on the southern coast of Turkey,in the country's Mediterranean Region. The view was gorgeous. Palm trees, clear blue water and water parks all over the region. The airport security is tight when you fly in. There are signs posted in multiple languages saying, "Forbidden to take cultural artifacts out of the country." I have never seen signs like that in any of the places I've been to.

The reason Alanya has them is because the city is ancient. There have been archaeological discoveries found in the Karain Cave showing the place was occupied during the Paleolithic era 20,000 BC. Since then, there have been empires (Phoenician, Achaemenid Empire, Alexander the Great) built, rebuilt, conquered and destroyed throughout the ages. What remains are castles and monuments surrounded by busy streets, markets and crowds of tourists.

Alanya is a six hour ride from Antalya airport. We took a shuttle which is a van and driver that takes six to eight passengers from the airport to individual hotels. Luckily on this trip, my stop was the second stop. After being in a van for 6 hours with a crying baby...I was ready to jump out the van while it was still moving. Things got better at the hotel. The place was right on the coast, less than 100 meters from the beach.

Since the climate is so warm, there's fresh fruit and vegetables being sold from markets throughout the city. When I say fresh, I'm talking about picking fruit off the trees fresh. Everywhere in Alanya lime trees grow. The trees line the sides of lawns and sidewalks getting manicured like Japanese Bonsai trees. I would pick limes from the tree outside the hotel and squeeze the juice into my drinks. (Bangin!) I bet they never heard of the disease "Scurvy" in Turkey. Alanya is a coastal city, so most restaurants serve a diverse assortment of seafood. It's also a Muslim country, so don't expect to find many pork dishes. The dining was exceptional for me, because I only eat poultry and fish.

At most of the hotels they have open terraces and live bands. Just walking down the boardwalk, with the hotels to my left and the beach across the road to the right for a few blocks, I got to see a man doing Karaoke to Wayne Newton; another to Elvis Presley, with a bar offering two for one drinks, playing Lil Wayne’s "Lollipop" in between. Across the street, the scene was crowded with beautiful, bronze, beach, bodies, basking in the Mediterranean sun. A mix of young and old, families and students, the patrons were diverse and almost all of them had a tan.

The water was warm and surprisingly clear, blue. Even without goggles, I was able to see down several meters. Since my girlfriend had never snorkeled before, I took this opportunity to teach her. A good snorkel set with goggles and fins will cost around twenty euro from a street vendor. If you enjoy viewing sea-life without a computer monitor, I highly recommend it. The waters were full of diverse types of fish, dodging the swimmers and eating algae off the rocks below. The further away from the beach you swim, the bigger the fish become.

At the end of the beach is the wharf. The scene is like a postcard right out of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Long rows of actual pirate ships, adorned with a colorful spectrum of figureheads. All the ships offered different services, while the boat chauffeurs people around the bay. Some were party boats with disco balls and turntables. Some offered scuba diving lessons, others sight-seeing tours. I was surprised at how many of the guys who worked on these ships, dressed like actual pirates. They were literally dressed like pirates from the 1800's. I took a few pics of my favorite ships. (you can view them below)

 
If you're not a fan of the beach, there's an awesome alternative. In the center of Alanya, and all around the region are water parks. The one in the center of Alanya is f^%kin awesome! There are around twenty different slides for all ages. I spent an afternoon trying to ride everything in the park, but only succeeded in making it halfway. Some of the slides, like the half-pipe or canoeing around the park, are only open at certain times. The place is so big, they offer inflatable canoes you can rent for one euro to ride around the water park. This ride is only offered every few hours so you have to be there at the right time to partake.

They use the Turkish Lira as a form of currency. It's better to exchange money using a bank machine than going to a currency exchange. They will cheat you. Since the Euro is worth more than the Lira, food and shopping were quite affordable.

The main shopping district is a place called "Bar Street". It's an enormous area, encompassing the city main street to the docks. There you can find every type of shoe, clothing and electronic for discount prices. The only thing is...most of it is fake.

Merchants offer counterfeit items with the brand name sewed on the outside. Most carry the real item in stock, but if the buyer doesn't ask, then they get the bargain they're paying for. Aside from the fake goods, there were numerous places with handwoven leather boots, traditional Turkish shoes, bracelets, clothing, and jewelry. Bar Street is an eclectic area for shopping, dining and shows.

Most of the time during my travels thru Turkey was spent exploring the city and relaxing in between. I didn't take many pictures this trip...but I posted a few below.