Welcome to Tokyo

I just got back from spending two weeks in Tokyo, Japan. The trip was ultra-dope! Although I had two weeks vacation, I needed another two so I could explore some of the surrounding areas.

Tokyo is a big metropolis sized city! It's broken into smaller cities that offer different attractions for tourists and locals. During my visit I went to Shimokitazawa, Harajuku, Odaiba, Roppongi, Shibuya, Akihabara, Asakusa, Shinjuku, and a few places in between. I could write a whole post on Shimokitazawa itself. To give a more comprehensive view of Tokyo I'll briefly touch on some of the towns.

My journey began in the town of Shimokitazawa. This is a rock and roll, trendy town. Most of the residents had colored hair, colored contacts, make-up, dressed in boots, and love rock music. I bet you think I'm talking about women. No. I mean both men and women wore contacts and make-up. Half the bars had English menus and a lot had bartenders who spoke basic English. I say half because there were several places I visited that you needed to know basic Japanese. 

The big attraction in Shimokitazawa was clothes. There were dozens of vintage clothing stores that had good quality apparel for low prices. In Japan buying used clothes is as normal as ordering pizza. My Airbnb host Mai has a kimono shop there. Her shop Kien sells the best authentic traditional Japanese kimonos for women and men in Tokyo. Aside from her awesome kimonos Mai is a really sweet woman who looks way younger than her age. (It must be the food.)

Since my hair wasn't braided before I left, I had to find a place to get it done. That place was Roppongi. There's not much I can write about Rappongi that isn't available on any website about Tokyo. Roppongi is where the foreigners go to party. It's a place full of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and massage parlors where they do more than massage (or so I'm told). I didn't partake in any of the stress relief activities, but I did go club hopping. That was after I got my hair braided.

Inside a large building there is a small room called The Room 806. It's the first black owned hair salon in Tokyo. The owner is a brotha from Holland who liked Tokyo so much he opened a salon there. The Room 806 had skilled barbers and hairdressers who could braid, cut, add extensions, twist dreadlocks and anything else you would find in a black hair salon. My braids were so tight, it looked like my hair got cut down to a fade. That place was official like a referee with a whistle. If you're in Roppongi and need your hair done, I highly recommend making an appointment. All the information can be found on their website.

Later that night, I went out with the crew of the Tokyo Pub Crawl. A pub crawl (for those of you unfamiliar) is an event where you go to multiple bars in a few hours, getting drinks and meeting people. At each bar there was a complimentary drink. Bar games were played at each venue to keep the crowd interested.  The pub crawl staff was multi-lingual, friendly and kept us moving at a fast pace. One of the guys, David, spoke at least 10 languages.

The patrons of the Tokyo Pub Crawl were mostly foreigners, like myself, with a few exceptions. There were some women from other parts of Japan who came to meet new people and see nightlife in Roppongi. The pub crawl ended around 11:30 because public transportation in Japan stops at midnight.

For me, it was a choice whether to take a train home or stay out clubbing until public transportation started again at 5am. I chose the second option. Staying out all night afforded me the unique opportunity to explore the Tokyo club scene. After leaving the nightclub Ibex, I ate a chicken kebab from the snack shop next door then started club hopping. I went to The Pink Cow, Club Magnet, Jumanji 55, Bar Quest, and A-life. Out of all the clubs, A-life was really my style. It was a multi-floor establishment with a lounge that attracted trendy 20 somethings looking to have a good time. The music was a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, Top 40, and EDM (Electronic Dance Music). The drinks were a little on the expensive side, but the crowd was partying hard. I left at exactly 5am, covered in sweat, and feeling like I had twenty pound sandbags attached to my feet. It was a good night.

The next day I recovered with coffee and donuts from a place aptly named Mister Donut. It had delicious, large American style donuts and great coffee. I could've gone to Starbucks, which you will find all over Japan. I chose Mister Donut because I had never been there and I wanted to try something new. 

From there, it was off to the city of Akihabara. It's called Akiba for short. In Akiba there's a place called Electric Town where they sell every type of electronic known to man. Aside from the electronics, they have enormous collections of figurines, collectibles, CDs, DVDs, anime, manga, and your favorite games. All of it spread out over a twelve block radius.

Directly across from the metro station in Akiba, there's the Sega building. Sega has a five floor building with the most advanced games I've ever seen.  As you know I'm a bit of an otaku, so I geeked the f**k out in Akiba.  Aside from all the games, Akiba is where the maid and other cosplay cafes are located. I'm not into maid cafes, so I didn't go in any. If that's your thing...then Akiba is a place you must visit.

Odaiba was an interesting place. What made it different than the other cities is that it has a beach, a multi-floored mega-mall, and a miniature Statue of Liberty replica. While in Odaiba, I got to see two different festivals. One was a Mexican food festival which served Mexican style foods, drinks and entertainment. The food was tacos, burritos, nachos, and a variety of Mexican beer. The entertainment came in the form of Mexican Mariachi bands and wrestling. They had a wrestling ring set up outdoors beside the festival. Every half hour they would hold a wrestling match with guys dressed in tights and masks. They're called Luchadores, and people take them very seriously in Mexico. 

The other festival was the Ultra festival. It played EDM music and attracted a trendy crowd who wanted to dance. The biggest attraction for me, was the life-size Gundam Unicorn RX-0 in front of the mega-mall. I had never seen a robot that big so I had to take a photo with it. Fun fact about Odaiba ... it's an artificial island.

Asakusa is where you go to see ancient Japanese culture and history. The place is filled with temples and shrines going back hundreds of years. The metro stop to Asakusa is named Omote-Sando. The two hyphenated words Omote-Sando mean Omote = (Way to) Sando = (Shrine).  They literally translate into ... way to the shrine. That place was an architect's wet dream. Tall temples covered with ancient texts and lavish designs. Almost all shrines had some form of temple guardians, in the form of either dog or gods blocking the entrance. Some of the shrines forbade photos being taken. 

While tourists roamed around the enormous complex, monks performed rituals with incense. They did this behind gated areas, so they wouldn't be interrupted. I walked off the main path, to escape the endless stream of tourists that crammed the streets so tight, we were almost chest to back. Asakusa is a wonderful place to learn about ancient Japanese culture, but I would recommend not going in the middle of the day. That's unless you like feeling like a sardine packed in a tin can.

Harajuku is the home of all things small and cute. It's only natural that a place like this would appeal mostly to young people. The crowd was more teenager than adult. Almost every street sold sweets of some sort. The sweets ranged from crepes to candy, with a thousand variations in between. The Sanrio store (the maker of Hello Kitty), was a big attraction. There's also Snoopy Town, which had clothing, bags, and other apparel featuring Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown. Once I adjusted to the pocket-sized people dressed in pink, I noticed there were a few adult attractions. There were several tattoo parlors in Harajuku which feature English speaking staff. There are also a few bars and sex shops, like Condomania. 

Outside the shopping district of Harajuku, there are several shrines. Some so small, they only have an entrance gate and main temple. The biggest shrine is the Meiji Shrine. Similar to the shrines in Asakusa, the Meiji shrine is located on a road named Omote Sando. The Meiji shrine was a large complex of buildings. Half was under renovation, so I could only see certain sections. It was beautiful, but small in comparison to what I saw in Asakusa. Overall, Harajuku was a great place to shop.

Shibuya and Shinjuku are two completely different cities that gave me the same impression. They're both good for shopping, dining and adult entertainment. The best restaurants in Tokyo can be found in these two cities. For authentic Japanese style cuisine (Udon, Ramen, Sushi) at lower prices, I recommend Shibuya. If you're looking for American style dining, I recommend Shinjuku. In Shinjuku they have your Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Domino's Pizza, KFC, and Taco Bell. I ate at a Hooter's. 

The Hooter's in Shinjuku featured a wide array of dishes I had never seen before. There were also a few that I had no interest in trying ... like fried pickles. The girls were all petite, Japanese women with natural builds and friendly smiles. It was a completely different experience from the Hooter's I visited during my short stay in Huntsville, Alabama. That Hooter's was filled with bleach blond women with augmented lips, butts and breasts. 

Both Shibuya and Shinjuku feature nightclubs and places to go after the club. Shibuya has the famous Love Hotel Hill. If you can't tell by the name, a love hotel is where people go to have sex. Unlike normal hotels where you rent by the day, love hotels are rented by the hour. Shinjuku features Kabukicho; the largest redlight district in Tokyo. The area is filled with bars, clubs and venues for meeting people and sexual services. Take some simple words of advice. The Yakuza frequent this area, so don't go running around acting like an ignorant tourist because it won't end well. If the nightlife isn't your interest and you're looking for a little culture while in Shinjuku, I recommend visiting the Suga Shrine. 

I had a great time running around Tokyo. During my visit I got to see giant robots, replica landmarks, electronics that can't be found anywhere else and tried food I've never tasted. For example, I always knew sushi was popular but I didn't know roasted fish neck was also popular. The fish was a large tuna. The neck was roasted and still on the bone. It looked like a steak when it arrived at our table. Only when I took off a few pieces and tasted the meat, did I realize it really was fish. It may not sound appealing, but it really was delicious. I also tried raw clams dipped in a pickled radish sauce, which I couldn't imagine being yummy...but it was. 

I've loved Japan since my first visit back in 1993. Back then, I was a USMC stationed in Okinawa for over a year. I always wanted to visit Tokyo, so this trip was a dream actualized. In between all the sight seeing, partying, drinking, shopping, exploring and absorbing culture, I managed to collect a few pics of Tokyo street art. Below are some photo's from my visit. If you have the time and means of travel, I highly recommend visiting Japan. Just don't go in September, like I did. During my visit there was an earthquake, typhoon, and a missile shot over the country by North Korea. Even with all that happening ... it was an amazing adventure, and I wouldn't change a thing. 

 

New Video: Four Walls

Greetings, bloggers and readers...it's been awhile. 

During my absence I've completed several new songs, travelled to two new countries Portugal and Belgium, and finished one video. Since I'm short on time I'll stick to the topic at hand and talk about the video. In the next post I'll give a summary of my visit to Algarve, Portugal. Hands down one of the most beautiful places on earth. Check out a few of the pics from the trip below. 

Four Walls is the last single off Tha Audio Bully album. The song details my struggles dealing with success and failure. It's also about how it feels to be confined by peoples opinions of your creativity, and the state of Hip-Hop. When I started making music Hip-Hop was about beats, bars and passion. Now it's about which producers name is on the track, singing instead of rapping and how tight the singer/rapper's pants can be. I don't judge peoples fashion choices. I do critique an artists lyrical skill level. For me it's a privilege to make music and have people appreciate my unique sound. For that I say "Thank You!!!"

Below is the video for Four Walls. The clip was shot mostly in Amsterdam with a few pieces in Belgium. Check it out, drop a comment, and if you like it...tell a friend to tell a friend. Until next time. Peace

Music and Merchandise

It's been some time since I could sit down for awhile and blog. Over the last few months I've made new music while taking steps to expand the business. After all making music is a business, and I needed to get mine poppin.

As of April 2017, the Tyger Vinum clothing line and baseball caps became available on Amazon markets in North America. That is Canada and the United States, (Mexico is coming soon).

The clothing line is already available on all European (Germany, Spain, U.K., France, and Italy) Amazon markets. You can also find it on almost all Ebay markets. For local Dutch buyers the clothing line and music is also available on Marktplaats.nl. So to all my friends, family, fans, and fashionista's check out my products and if you like something buy something.

Now that the business is in motion, I managed to maneuver a little time to make some music. I've recorded three songs in two weeks, and two of them are posted below. First is G.U.N. Muzik. G.U.N.,which is an acronym for the words Grab Ur Nutz Muzik, is a head-nodding Hip-Hop anthem. 

The track is for all my hardcore Hip-Hop heads. It's a song with a message that some people can relate to; while being delivered using heavy lyrical bars and a banging instrumental. This song gets the head nodding and makes you want to grab ur nutz!

The second track is one I wrote a few years back, but never released. It's called "Tha A" and it's my ode to Amsterdam. The song describes a variety of different situations you can expect to experience if you go out in Amsterdam for a night. The chorus is old, but the lyrics and beat are new for 2017. 

Both songs are demos just so you can get an idea of what to expect on the new album. There's a lot more music coming soon.



Aside from the music and merchandise, I've been shooting scenes for the "Four Walls" video. Since all my attention has been focused on the other two endeavours, I haven't had time for video making. That's going to change over the next few months. Expect two new videos before the summer is over.  

Now, I have to go pack for my trip to the Canary Islands. I leave in eight hours and still haven't begun packing.

New Discoveries

Welcome to 2017! The fields of medicine and technology have expanded rapidly over the last year. Below are a few groundbreaking new discoveries that may have slipped under your radar.

First, is the discovery of a new human organ called the "Mesentery". The Mesentary is an organ located around the intestines that was once thought of as extra fatty tissue. Since its discovery earlier this month, scientists were able to identify its shape and structure. Right now scientists don't know what functions it performs in the human body. Just for the record...There are quite a few disbelievers who think that this is a hoax. They say with all the technology (x-ray, CAT-scan, etcetera) someone would've discovered this organ already. I find the discussion interesting. To learn more about the Mesentery and the doctor who discovered it, watch the video below.

Scientists in Australia have discovered a berry that can cure many types of cancer in just 48 hours. The berry comes from the Blushwood tree, which is only found in the jungles of Queensland, Australia. The seeds from the tree contain a molecule scientist have named EBC-46. Once injected this molecule triggers the immune system to become hyperactive and it attacks cancer cells. The drug has already passed animal trials and is now being tested on humans. Learn more about this amazing discovery by watching the video below.

This is actually an old discovery, but since I'm speaking about seeds that kill cancer, it deserves honorable mention. The apple seed is said to have similar properties to the Blushberry tree. The Apple seed is 10,000 more effective than Chemotherapy, has no harmful side effects, and is effective against any form of cancer. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Apple seeds are also used to remove parasites and worms from the body. If you want to know why they're not being harvested to fight cancer...watch the video below.




Last, is an invention that would benefit people in countries like Africa, Haiti, and the Middle East. The "WaterSeer," is a device that extracts moisture from the air to create water. This innovative device has no electrical parts or chemicals and produces 11 gallons of clean water a day. This is not a concept model; WaterSeer is a functioning and field tested device. To learn more about the WaterSeer check the video and their website www.waterseer.org for more information. The FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions are found at the bottom of the page.

Welcome to Thailand

Last month I was fortunate enough to visit the islands of Thailand. If you've never been there, add Thailand to your bucket list because the place is amazing.

The first stop on the trip was in Bangkok. I didn't get to explore Bangkok because I was only there for a few hours as a layover. Although I didn't get to leave the airport I did enjoy walking around the airport taking pictures of all the art. Bangkok International airport has diverse styles of art all over the place. In the three hours I was there I took almost a hundred photos. The art was a mix of oil, watercolor, and acrylic paintings, and bizarre sculptures. The main hall felt more like an art gallery than airport. 

From Bangkok I flew to the island of Koh Samui. This was a longer layover than Bangkok but not long enough to explore. Koh Samui is famous for over one million Coconut trees and a giant gold statue of the Buddha. My flight arrived in the evening so most of the markets were closed, but the bars were open. I explored the local night life by bar hopping from the pier to the beach. Most of the bars were filled with tourists binge drinking and behaving as if it was their first time leaving home. After leaving a trendy spot where a British tourist vomited on the pool table, I ended up at The Board Room. 

The Board Room was a small hole in the wall bar with only 80's style decor and only one other patron. It was named the board room because the place was originally for surfers and other board riders. The walls and bar were adorned with images of surfer Kelly Slater and snowboarder Shaun White among others. I liked the vintage feel of the place and the lack of drunken tourists. As I took deep swigs of my local Chang beer I noticed a very odd image on the wall. It was a picture of Erik Estrada dressed in his CHiPs uniform calling people a homo. If you're unfamiliar with CHIPs, its an old cop show from the 80's. I was never a fan. After finishing my beer and thanking the bar maid who stayed talking on the phone the entire time I departed. 

The next morning I caught the ferry from Koh Samui to the party island of Koh Phangan. When I say party island I mean an island that has a party for almost every type of mood or natural occurrence. For example while I was there they had a Half Moon party, Black Moon party, Full Moon party, and Jungle Experience party. The Full Moon party is the biggest party on the island. Some businesses close the night of the party, so their employees can attend the event. It was a massive party in the city of Haad Rin where the whole beach was covered with people dancing to a mix of Techno, House, Top 40 and a little Hip-Hop. There was an estimated 10,000 people on the beach that night. It was Bonkers!

Aside from the partying Koh Phangan was a beautiful island. Everywhere bamboo trees grow. Tall, thick, lush, forest green trees cover the majority of the island. Once I left the main area called Thong Sala and went up north into the jungle I got to see just how wild the island really was. In the Jungles of Koh Phangan there are spiders big enough to eat a cat. The spiders are literally the size of a dinner plate. I went into the jungle with a local guide. He told me the spiders are big, hairy, poisonous, and aggressive...but it was the snakes I needed to watch out for. I laughed and told him..."Now we're having fun."

Shopping and eating were easy since the currency is Bhat which is cheaper than the Euro. Most of the clothing was souvenir style apparel you can buy from a bizarre or from one of the many night markets. The food was amazing. Since Thailand is primarily a Buddhist country they have a great selection of vegetarian dishes. My favorite food to eat after exploring was Pad Thai. If you are unfamiliar with the dish. Pad Thai is a mix of bean sprouts, vegetables, noodles and sauces wrapped in a fried egg. Its the perfect food for a hangover or a late night snack. 

The Thai people were friendly, courteous, and some the most generous people I've ever met. My girlfriend left her tablet in the hotel she was staying at in Koh Samui. The hotel staff held on to the tablet and returned it to her a week later. I believe in any other country that device would've been long gone. Below I posted some pics of the local art, which was everywhere on the island. Thailand has some really talented artists. Take a look and if you get the chance, go to visit. 

  

Emerging Technology

Its been a busy few months since the video dropped. I've been keeping odd hours and the days are all starting to blend together like a badly mixed Margarita. I guess its the price for chasing success....work long hours and get little rest. To combat the rigors of daily life I took a few weeks off to celebrate my birthday in Thailand. I'll write about that experience next time. 

While most of us are trying to figure out ways to make our lives easier. There are a few ingenious men and women who have achieved that goal. A few individuals made life easier for themselves by developing technology that can help all of mankind. Below are some emerging technologies that will change peoples perception...on what can and cannot be done. There was a wise man who said the "impossible" doesn't exist. Impossible problems are only impossible until the right mind provides an acceptable solution. (I'm paraphrasing a quote from Nikolai Tesla.)

Concept Plastics take the old adage..."One mans trash is another mans treasure." to a whole new level. The Colombian based company builds new low cost homes from discarded plastic that isn't being recycled. The waste plastic is melted down then remolded into Lego style bricks. The bricks are cut into various sizes, which are then built into homes. Their goal is to make housing affordable for all families while helping the environment.



The media is always talking about how expensive raw materials and energy costs are to manufacture almost anything. The Solar Sinter Project, provides a solution by utilizing the most abundant energy source on Earth...sunlight. The engineers took a 3D printer and refurbished it with solar panels and glass molding machinery. Sunlight is used for raw energy and to power the device. Sand is used as the building material to produce glass objects created using 3D the printing process. 

This device is only a concept project meant to get a dialog started on how people think about energy and resources. All that aside...its a pretty cool toy. Who doesn't want an authentic crystal sand castle...or glass sword?

Last but by far the most interesting is the Bioo Lite. This amazing little gadget uses a houseplant to charge your phone. I know you're thinking..."This dude is crazy". You are correct....I am. BUT I'm also speaking the truth. Bioo Lite, uses the natural process of plant photosynthesis to provide electricity to your phone. What makes it so amazing is all you need is a phone, USB cable and a plant. 

The technical aspects and materials used in the Bioo Lite are explained in the video. So far the Bioo Lite is one of the most environmentally safe way to generate electricity. By the way, the plant is not damaged by charging the phone and no plants were harmed in the making of this video.   

New Video: Love Hip-Hop

Today the video for Love Hip-Hop was released! The video features footage from Amsterdam to Africa and displays all five elements of Hip-Hop culture. 

If you're new to the culture let me break down the elements. 1. Knowledge - As in Knowledge of self, the culture, and the world around you. 2. MCing - Master of Ceremonies, mean having the ability to rock  (entertain) a "LIVE" audience. 3. DJing - Spinning records that rock a crowd. 4. Bboying - Also known as Breakin or Breakdance. 5. Graffiti - Using Aerosol cans, to make murals, letters, and other imagery on public property.  

This project took awhile because shooting footage of all the elements while trying to meet a deadline was difficult. For indie video makers its important to utilize all the free resources available like Beachfront B-Roll, Vimeo and VideoBlocks for stock footage. I'm pleased with the end result ...and I hope u are too. Check out the video below. If u like what u see tell a friend to tell a friend.