Watch The Throne Mini Documentary

Kanye West & Jay-Z: Watch The Throne Documentary from introspective on Vimeo.

Swag.

Inspirational Quote of the Week

I don't know what it means to quite rap but it sounds exciting!!

But seriously though Waka, you promise?

Congratulations Class of 2011

This past weekend my brother graduated High School. As I was sitting in the audience mumbling little snide comments throughout the ceremony and receiving fairly unpleasant looks from surrounding parents (I hated High School), a sudden realization hit me with an overwhelming force: THANK GOD I'M OUT OF THERE. Sometimes I don't even know how I got through High School so successfully, despite the array of awfulness that constantly surrounded me. I became so giddy with my sudden revelation that I literally wanted to stand up and dance in the aisles of the second balcony (we had terrible seats). Of course, I did no such thing. It would have been rude to interrupt the fascinating half hour long speech that I wasn't listening to. So here's my message to the kids (although I'm pretty sure no children have ever read anything on here): Stay in school. It can be annoying at times, but it's worth it. Plus college is pretty dope. So with another school year done, I will end this by saying Congratulations to the Class of 2011!! Good luck to you all.

Photo of the day: June 28th

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A Final Word on Firenze

So I’ve been home for a little over 3 weeks now. I knew that I would need some time after I got home to be able to properly reflect on last semester. When I left to go to Florence in January I had no idea what to expect. I was nervous because not only did I not know the language, but I also had no real idea of how a new culture would affect me. Turns out I couldn’t have made a better decision. Since I’ve been home, I’ve discovered that it is incredibly difficult to explain what I experienced in Florence. I have no words that can truly describe what an incredible four months I had whilst abroad. The closest I’ve come to, is describing that time as the best experience of my life. To think that I was 20 years old and traveling around Europe is something that still blows my mind. I can’t express enough, how blessed I am to have been able to do that. I have the greatest parents in the world who would do, and have done everything to make sure that I can get the education that I want. I’m not saying that it was easy the whole time I was their, because I did have some struggles. There were times that I was incredibly homesick, times that I was uncomfortable or frustrated with some of the facets of Italian culture, and there were times when I struggled with learning things about myself that I hadn’t ever known. All of those moments and struggles were well worth it. I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person. My time in Italy will forever contain some of my favorite memories.

Having said all of that, the memories I have of Italy would not have been so incredible if it had not been for the people that I shared them with. Being able to share my time abroad with two of my best friends (Max and Sam duhh!) is something that I will forever be grateful for. Those boys were my backbone while I was abroad, and we all became so much closer through this experience. My time in Italy would’ve also not have been nearly as amazing without the help of my incredible roommates. I was blessed to have been put into the same apartment as some of the best people I have ever met. Whether it was me and Samantha commentating (harshly and hilariously) on everyone in the living room, everyone arguing about nicknames and Harry Potter, complaining about the treacherous stairs and the jungle woman next door, or walking home from class eating paprika pringles, some of my favorite memories in Florence happened right in Pellicceria with my amazing roommates who I hope to create more memories with.

OK OK enough sap I'm done now. Hit the jump to see some pictures of my time abroad. (BTW the pictures enlarge when clicked upon)

Semester Wrap-Up: Best of Jam of the Week

Our time left in Florence is quickly diminishing, and while Old School Movie will indeed continue stateside, we figured a moment should be taken to reflect on some of the songs that best defined this semester (seeing as music is pretty much all that we talk about on this blog). As it turns out, very few of these were actual Jams of the Week, but there should certainly be some familiar names among the bunch. We went ahead and compiled these into a .zip file for your listening pleasure, and for that same pleasure, they are arranged in chronological order according to our listening. This way, you can sit down, turn this playlist on, and imagine all of the various awesome adventures we've been on. Or, if you were so inclined, you could sit down, turn this playlist on, and simultaneously look at all of our Facebook pictures and it would almost be like you were there. There's a pretty good amount of pictures, and while you could probably blow through them relatively quickly, to really sit, observe, and comprehend them all would take, well, it would probably take just about the length of this playlist.

Anyway, enjoy.

Download all the tracks right here, or stream them individually below the jump.

New Music: King

I have to start off with a shout out to Patrick Sargent for reintroducing me to this amazing trio. The group is composed of Minneapolis born Paris and Amber Strother, and Los Angeles native Anita Bias. A little over a month ago they dropped their three song EP titled, The Story. Along with being their first EP, it is also absolutely INCREDIBLE. These ladies embody soul. And if for some reason you don't wanna take my word for it (although, I'm not sure why that would be), they have also been cosigned by major artists such as Erykah Badu, ?uestlove, and Phonte. What more reason do you need?!

Listen and fall in love with all three songs here.

Also peep the dope video for The Story below

To purchase their EP, or to find out more about them, you can check out their official site here.

Intermission

Well folks, it's time for intermission. The Old School Movie crew will be spending the next week traveling through Barcelona and Paris, and without daily access to computers, there will be no updates. But fret not, soon enough we'll be back with a whole new slew of topics to rant, rave, complain, and make lists about. What will you read while we're gone? Well, I'm sure you haven't read all of our posts yet. Why don't you go back through the archives and take a look around, maybe leave a comment or two. And I can tell by the expression on some of your faces that you think this intermission signifies that we're halfway through the film. Nonsense. In this instance, think of Old School Movie like a play. A really long play, in fact, that features multiple intermissions. Now go, get yourself a snack, use the restroom, return the phone call of whoever has been so persistently trying to contact you during the first part of our presentation, or just sit and wait for the show to start again. If you are going to get out of your seat, perhaps run across the street where the hot dogs are cheaper, just make sure you're back on March 21st, when posting will resume. Got that? March 21st. And make sure to keep your ticket stub with you (for the sake of this extended metaphor). Alright, well, see you then, faithful reader.

Celebrating 20 Years of Greatness: Fatima Kabia

Fatima is a great listener. In addition, she is great at talking you out of laying down in the street when you are upset. Fatima is one of the nicest people you will meet, and, coincidently, will likely say something hysterically funny about you behind your back. Yes, Fatima very well may be the funniest person alive. If not, then she is certainly one of them. Also, Fatima comes very close to crying whenever pigeons get too close to her, and rest assured, it is hilarious. If Fatima were a rapper, her name would be Dat Princess.

Today is Fatima's twentieth birthday. You can't believe it? Well it's true! "But I remember when she was just a baby! And when she was just learning to walk!" Well, reader, whoever you are who has known Fatima for that long of a time, it is true: today Fatima Kabia is twenty years old. In any event, to honor this momentous celebration, Sam and Max wanted to wish their best friend a happy birthday: "Happy Birthday, Fatima!!!"

Now, according to Fatima, "Happy Birthday," by Stevie Wonder is the greatest birthday song ever made. I guess that would make this one also the greatest. Enjoy, and Happy Birthday, Fatima!

Morning People

Have you ever woken up one morning, and you were just in an awesome mood? Yea, me neither. But then again I am not a morning person. In all honesty, I am almost tempted to not believe in these so called morning people. This is due to the fact, that all rational thought would lead me to believe that they do not exist. The problem with believing this though, is that it's just not true. Morning people have been attempting to ruin my life since as long as I can remember. From 7 am high school classes, to 5 am flights, morning people have found a way to inject their absurd practice into my everyday life. No matter what I do, I have not been able to stop them from controlling society. And with each failed attempt, I grow more and more frustrated with myself. I was just about to give up all hope until I saw this video....

Keep hope alive people.

By the way, the words at the end of the video mean Happy Easter......it just makes the video even better.

Happy Birthday to a very special guy

Today was Sam's 20th birthday. We spent the day shopping, eating paninis, cursing at/chasing pigeons(mostly max), being terrified of pigeons (mostly me), dancing and learning how to toot it and boot it (all Sam), and eating gelato. In all, it was a pretty great day. So in honor of one of the nicest people I have ever met, and one of my best friends, I present the greatest birthday song ever made. A birthday song written, produced, and performed by one of the greatest musicians of all time. Happy Birthday Sam. Enjoy.

***Black History Month Fact- I feel like there are a lot of people who have only heard the chorus to this song, and therefore don't realize that this song was written for Dr. King. Stevie Wonder wrote this song during the campaign to make Dr. King's birthday a holiday. He played a large role in the fight for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Due to his efforts, and the efforts of many others, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into existence on November 2nd, 1983. An interesting thing to note about this though, is that not all states observed the holiday even when it was signed into law. Incredibly, the year 2000 was the first time that all 50 states observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

This day in History

21 Years ago on this day, Nelson Mandela was finally released after 27 years of imprisonment.

Let's be thankful that people like this exist in the world.

What's Genocide

Carlos Andres Gomez is an INCREDIBLE spoken word artist whose work was only introduced to me a little over a year ago. Originally from New York, he is a two time National Poetry Slam finalist, the 2006 Toronto International Poetry Slam Champion , and the 2006 Slam King of New York award winner. Below is a piece that he performed titled What's Genocide and trust me it's amazing. The poem itself is incredibly powerful, but it is the performance that makes it all the more moving. Enjoy.

You can find the written poem here.

Birthday Tribute to James "J Dilla" Yancey

Today, February 7th, 2011, marks what would've been the thirty-seventh birthday of late hip hop producer James Yancey, better known by his stage name, J Dilla. Old School Movie is a blog centered around our collective and individual thoughts on culture, and being that hip hop is such a big part of all our lives, we thought it only fitting to honor one of the most influential artists in hip hop history.

Dilla was the man behind classic albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Common, The Pharcyde, and Erykah Badu, was a member of Slum Village and hip hop collective The Soulquarians, and also worked with such artists as De La Soul, Madlib, Bilal, and Robert Glasper. His classic, jazzy sound was centered around the sampling of old records, but even in the absence of a sample, his signature sound was recognizable through his strategic placement of melody lines and instrumentation. Chances are, if you don't think you've listened to Dilla, he's probably produced one of your favorite tracks.

Dilla died in 2006 of the blood disease TTP just as his career was beginning to take off. He then rose posthumously to superstar status through the support of the hip hop community and media exposure. Hit the jump for some classic J Dilla joints and join us in wishing him a happy birthday. R.I.P.

Campus Shots

For some reason I haven't been taking a lot of pictures since I got to Florence, which is strange because I've always been the person who takes a lot of pictures wherever I go. This week I decided to change that, so here are a few of the shots that I took of our gorgeous campus. Enjoy!

Hit the jump to check out the rest

Overheard

While on a bus:

Girl 1: You know what's really awesome?

Girl 2:What?!!

Girl 1: Sidekicks! Omg I want one so so bad.....like really bad!

Girl 2: Omg I know! They have, like, keyboards!

Girl 1: I know I want one sooooooo bad! Keyboards!!

Girl 2: Yea so good for texting......cause of the keyboards!

Girl 1: And the screen flips up!

Girl 2: Awww yea the flip screen!!

Wait. I'm sorry, did I accidentally step onto a bus from 2006? Because I'm pretty sure that was the last time it was acceptable to actually want a sidekick.

Black History Month

Yesterday was Groundhog Day. Did you remember? Probably not, because no one cares about Groundhog Day. It's one of those "holidays" ( I use this word loosely) that is completely useless. Don't you find it absolutely insane that their is an national day to watch a woodchuck go outside and observe whether or not it sees its shadow? I mean who needs weathermen when we have groundhogs? So in short, I really don't like Groundhog Day. But you know what I do like? Black History Month. And in honor of Black History Month this year, I'm going to do a few posts that include either people or pieces of work that have inspired me throughout my life. Today I'm including a piece by my favorite poet, Langston Hughes. It's one of his most famous (not to mention one of my favorite!) poems, titled I, Too Sing America. Enjoy.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

Here is a great place to go if you're interested in reading more of his poems.

LMGTFY

We've all dealt with it. That person in your life who seems to only exist so that they can ask you stupid questions. You could both be sitting at desks, on your computers, and no matter what you're doing, whether it be relaxing or writing a 20 page paper, this person never fails to turn around (away from their computer I might add) and ask you something like, "How old is Britney Spears"? (You'd be surprised at the amount of times I've been asked that question) And unfortunately for you, no matter how often you shoot them the Are you serious look they still don't get it.

My advice?

Hit em with this. It's sarcasm and ridicule wrapped up in one condescending package! (aka the best kind of package) Try it! Even if you don't plan on using it on someone, it's comforting to know it exists.

And if for some reason that doesn't get your point across, you could always try this.

Gucci

Today I went with Max and Sam on their search for some apparently dope sneaker store that they saw a couple of days ago. Did we find it? Of course not. No surprise there. I haven't been able to find anything that I've had any urge or need to find since I've gotten here (slight exaggeration). So anyway as I was walking home I happened to pass the Gucci store, and suddenly words from a wise man resounded in my head........

GUCCI!!!

Do you know he got an ice cream cone tattooed on his face two days after he got out of a mental asylum? If you don't think this is weird then you probably have the same tattoo.

But in all seriousness, I think Gucci Mane is misunderstood. In his song 'I'm Cool' he says,

I count a hundred Grand then I ate some Cereal

What more can we expect from a man with such a long morning routine?

Journey to Florence

One side of the NYU Florence Campus

So this is my first time being in Europe, and let me tell you, it wasn't easy getting here. To start off let me make it clear that I absolutely DESPISE flying. This probably has a little bit to do with the fact that I'm afraid of heights, but it probably also has to do with the fact that flying, in general, sucks. And trust me I've tried other methods of travel and they have all failed. The most recent failure being, Apparation . To make a long story short, I was once again forced to fly, and by the time we landed in the Florence airport, I had successfully not read any of the books I had planned to read, listened to hardly any music, spilled an entire box of tampons on Sam's head (this was a total accident.....and a long story), and been harassed by the security at the Rome airport (slight overstatement). About 30 hours later ( a good half of that time involved sleep) I was roaming through the beautiful city of florence trying to take it all in, which led me to be slammed in the face with Culture shock. The likes of which have not worn off one bit. But I must say, that our brilliant campus, with all its regal glory, is starting to help with that......at least a little bit.