Category: Uncategorised

Oh yea … well … this article has nothing to do with the music, nor does it fit into my usual philosophical posts. I promise you to go back to my musical articles and reviews straight away. However, there is something I’d like to share first with my female readers in particular.
I managed to solve a problem that kept bothering me since June 2005 and I will be more than happy if I can offer some help to my female readers who are going through the same bullshit than I did.
I do dye my hair very often. My hair is already fragile, since it is blonde bleached and I have to re-do my roots every 5 weeks.
I stopped going to a salon to get my hair done when I realized that my hairdresser damaged my hair as much as I did at home. After one year of regular contact with my hairdresser my hair looked dry and wasn’t manageable at all…
I was unable to comb my hair. The hairbrush didn’t help either. I have spent a lot of money on my hair buying masks, new shampoos, and all kind of products that promise you a smooth and shiny hair.
I didn’t buy them at the supermarket, I went to special hair care shops and bought expensive products like Schwarzkopf shampoos, creams and masks. The more I was using them, the drier my hair.
I was desperate. A few months ago, I went to an other hair salon- just for an advice, because my hair looked horrible.
She advised me to cover my hair with a warm and wet towel over my conditioner- which I did. This improved things a little bit. My hair became softer, but still wasn’t manageable.
I took vitamins in order to improve my hair’s health. I did anything possible and things didn’t really change!
What could I do? I didn’t really know.
Last time I went to my usual supermarket I found some Monoï oil.
I already use it for my body, but I decided to give it a try for my damaged hair.
Let me tell you what: Monoi oil is the solution to your damaged hair and the good news is that it costs less than all those chemical hair masks!
So please ladies, if you are suffering from extra dry and dry hair, follow my advices, because this will restore your hair to the fullest.
1) Use a shampoo with the right PH and that is adapted to your hair condition (avoid alcohol components in ANY case)
2) Put all of your chemical bullshit masks and creams that promise you wonders into the TRASH and don’t ever take them again!
3) now you are probably asking yourself about how to apply Monoi oil onto your hair.
It is very simple. Either you apply it on your dry hair before you make your shampoo (be careful, don’t apply it on your scalp, just on your hair). The gently massage your hair, put a wet and warm towel onto your head and let it pose for one hour.
Then rinse your hair carefully, apply your shampoo, rinse once again.
Don’t use any hair drier. Just let it dry naturally. It will be brilliant, softer than you ever had it before.
You can also apply your shampoo first, dry your hair with a wet towel and then apply Monoi oil on your wet hair. Cover your head with the hot and wet towel for one hour. Rinse carefully. Then let it dry naturally.
I have my hair back. It looks good and I am very happy with the results. You have nothing to lose, so try it out. It actually works!
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Too many people are keen on pointing their finger at the half empty glass instead of seeing the positive side of life.
Many people send their days complaining about things they don’t have instead of being satisfied with what they already have- and I am not talking about money or material possessions only. No, I am talking about your state of mind.
No matter if you’re rich or poor, the way you look at life influences your life to the fullest. So you’d better have a look at your inner thoughts.
Are those thoughts made of happiness, constructive thinking, progress etc or are they full of resentment towards other people, overwhelmed with anger and a dissatisfied mind?
We all experience ups and downs and I am not talking about temporary discouragement due to our every day life. I am talking about your state of mind and your vision of life.
If you’re not satisfied with little things while being poor, let me tell you that you won’t probably be happy when richer.
You gotta learn to be happy, being content with the little things life can offer, like even birds singing outside.
The beauty of life lies in little things and if you don’t take attention, you will reach the end- without having enjoyed it at all.
What pleases my mind most is to listen to the music, to describe it and having a readership. But I also value little things, like having a walk with my son, sitting near a lake with a friend, dancing to the music etc…
I have learnt through personal experiences, like the accident that happened to me last December and that left me with a broken bone in my back (I am recovering from it, don’t worry) that life can stop any time and at any age.
Do you really want to pass away and to have missed the most important?
My advice to all of you is to enjoy life to the fullest, to care less about your enemies and envious people. Cherish the moment, be content and each moment will be worth living.
Positive thoughts will make you progress, negative thoughts will bring your demise. It is always time to make the right choice.
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

“My music is from the heart, nothing is falsified. I’m all about making a change in people through my music.”
Deep, real, lyrical, Kool E introduces you into his world. His song Proof shows that reaching something can be a real clamber. Kool E reminds you that nothing comes easy, you gotta struggle to reach your goals.
Dark piano sound combined with drums introduce the song. Kool E’s good flow delivery is enhanced with his lyrical skills.
Kool E describes his world with an amazing sense of reality.
The G introduces you into a gangsta world made of drug sells. Keyboard sounds, drums and rhythmic beats introduce you into the streets of Detroit where survival is law.
Hate featuring Sweezee Don is a beautiful example of what Kool E can do. Xylophones, nice vocals, oriental sounds, scratches will make you fully enjoy the beautiful track Kool E aimed at his haters. « Hate me not, hate on my crown » is Kool E’s motto. The talented emcee attacks style biters and all kind of enemies in his well handled track.
Kool E is currently signed to the Got Beats Records label and has released a 5 tracks EP called Street Literature.
You are feeling this artist and are curious to find out more about him?
Check him out on different places:
Kool E’s my space account.
Find Cool E on the official Got Beats Records website.
Here is Kool E’s sound click page.
You will also be able to listen to his songs and to find some more info about Kool E on CD Baby.
Eugene Jordan aka Kool E is an original and interesting artist who shows some obvious skills. Have a look!

Eugene Jordan better known as Kool E…stay tuned:)

In promoting his new EP, set for an Aug. 22 debut, Papa Graz sat down with the smokers lounge to answer some questions.
SL: So how are things going?
PG: Everything is actually going really great. For the first time in a while, Im finally getting content.
SL: A lot of people probably dont know that you have battled a lot of obstacles in your life in the past year and a half or so. Can you give us any insight as to what happened and how youre doing now?
PG: Yeah. The past year and a half has been hell, but I dont hide anything. I just got over an addiction to xycontin and vicodin that really destroyed a lot of my life. That shit had me in hell for about 8 months or so.
SL: How is that going now?
PG: Ive been off of them for about 4 months now. I started detoxing in mid-January and it took until about the end of February for the withdrawal symptoms to completely be relieved. I started working out and lifting weights, so Im finally healthy again. Back to my old self.
SL: Didnt the addiction cause other problems, though?
PG: Oh yeah. I lost one of the best friends I ever had because she caught me red handed stealing some of her oxycontin. The bitch part about that though, is that she was the one that got me started on them. She was an addict at the time herself, so, when she decided to end our friendship because of that, with her being an addict herself, I found that very hypocritical. When Im myself, and not some guy strung out on oxycontin, I would never steal anything from a friend like that. She knew I wasnt myself, but she didnt care. But, you live and you learn.
SL: You also had another friend that you lost to some scandalous situation, didnt you?
PG: Yeah. This guy that I was best friends with for four years. I had been seeing this girl off and on for about 2 months or so, and I completely ended things when I caught her outright cheating on me. A couple months after that happened, I popped up at his house. His dad told me me was in his room and to just go upstairs. He didnt know I was coming though. I walked in the door and saw him sitting on his bed with her right next to him laying on his lap. I was pissed. I was so sick to my stomach in that very instant, that I just shut the door and walked out of the house without saying a word.
SL: Did the friendship end there?
PG: No, because I was stupid. He had been such a close friend of mine, that when he made up his bullshit excuse of how he and her had gotten to that point, I wanted to believe him, so I forced myself to. I knew in the back of my head what he was telling me was bullshit, but its one of those situations where what you see is so unreal, and something that was so far away from anything you thought youd ever see, that you want to find any reason to believe the persons explanation, so you force yourself to.
SL: How was the friendship after that?
PG: It slowly went downhill from that day forward. The more time went on, the more and more I thought about it, the more my rational side started refusing to accept the bullshit excuse he gave me, which caused me to trust him less and less. Eventually, it got to the point where we werent even really friends, rather just hanging out in groups because we had mutual friends but I never trusted him again. When he actually started dating the girl I was just speaking about with the oxycontins, that started killing my relationship with her, because they started dating before the oxycontin situation.
SL: I bet you were pissed.
PG: I was beyond pissed. I still am to an extent. Those were two times in my life where Ive never felt so betrayed. To be honest, after she started dating him, for reasons I cant get into, I felt she had betrayed me so much, that in all honesty, I didnt even feel guilty for secretly taking some of her pills here and there. In a way, felt after the way she tore me apart inside, she kinda owed it to me. Of course, she didnt see it that way, but
SL: Do you ever talk to her anymore?
PG: Just recently I spoke to her a few times on the phone. I called her about getting her permission to use her vocals on Emotionally Burned so I didnt have to get someone else to do it, and that resulted in a two hour conversation. I dont even know why I care about her sometimes. Part of me despises her, but another part of me still has a lot of love for her. One thing has been finalized in my mind though, and that is that due to both of their actions, I dont know if I will ever let any friends into my life or mind or heart to the extent I did with them. Im not saying that Im a perfect friend, but I would never do that shit to someone. I dont know why, but every friend Ive ever had has turned on me in some form or fashion, and its gotten to the point where I almost dont even believe in having friends anymore. Like, when 2pac once said I dont have any friends, I just have people I hang with thats how I kinda feel now.
SL: This stuff must be great ammo for your music, though?
PG: Oh, yeah. Its inspired me beyond belief. That stuff, combined with some family problems has been the catalyst for 90f my writing over the past year or so. Most of these stories will be told on my album.
SL: What other rappers do you listen to for inspiration.
PG: I listen to a shit load of 2pac and Eminem. From where I sit, 2pac is the greatest rapper in history, and Eminem is the greatest emcee that is currently living. I also listen to a lot of Obie Trice, Young Buck, Christina Aguilera and Ray Charles. I listen to all of them for different reasons. 2pac fills me with raw emotion and realness, Eminem I listen to for lyrical inspiration because I think hes probably the greatest lyricist in the history of the game, just phenomenal. Obie and Buck inspire me to harden my backbone and not take any shit. And Christina and Ray fill me with the need to reach a persons soul.
SL: A lot of people might be surprised that you put someone like Christina in a group with those other legendary artists. How do you respond to that?
PG: By saying I dont really give a shit. A lot of people might want to look down on her because she started out as a pop princess, but if you watch her career, not only has she said from day one that she never wanted to be labeled as that, but shes also done everything possible to distance herself from your typical Britney pop bullshit. I mean, I aint ever seen Britney go as far as getting down like Christina did in the Dirrty video and Britney or Jessica Simpson could never in their lives record a song like Beautiful or Walk Away. Christina, for my money, has the best female voice in the music industry, bar none.
SL: So, tell us about your new EP, when is it coming out?
PG: Well, I just started working on it really about two weeks ago. Its going to have about 7-10 songs on it and its going to cover a lot of what we just talked about, as well as some other shit. People who dig real lyrics that you can tell had heart and soul put into them and that tell a story, will dig my shit. The release date is Aug. 22.
SL: Can you give us any insight into the songs?
PG: Well, the only confirmed song is Emotionally Burned. But, songs that are likely to end up on there with it include Step With Respect, Forever Changed, Transformers and there will be a hidden track on the album called 52 Bars, a song I just recorded a couple days ago.
SL: How is it going to be different than the music youve posted on your website or myspace?
PG: Well, its going to sound a little more professional to start. The songs on the net that make the cut are being re-recorded to make it sound better which involves adding backing vocals and ad libs, and if financially acceptable, hopefully some sound effects too. But, basically its just going to sound more professional.
SL: Any guest appearances?
PG: Hopefully. Im in negotiations to get a rapper from Chicago named Zoser on it and a guy from Hartford named Terror.
Papa Graz
the smoker’s lounge
RIP PROOF

Some say that Eminem is back. After the news of his Re-Up mixtape in collaboration with DJ Woo Kid, many people rejoice after hearing the news of Eminem’s possible return into the world of acting.
I am afraid I might disappoint some of my readers, because I’m not the kind of fan who says « amen » to everything Eminem says or does.
Supportive? Yes, in any case. Blind? No. I refuse to be. I leave that part to the groupies.
MTV and other media spread the news a few days ago, informing people that Eminem was likely to play in a TV drama entitled « ‘Have Gun — Will Travel’ ».
First of all, let me tell you that I doubt the degree of relevancy of that news. Since he played in 8 Mile, magazines and tabloids haven’t stopped gossiping about Eminem’s different roles in various movies. I never found those news credible, since Eminem himself stated about how much the making of 8 Mile was living hell for him and that he wasn’t keen on making another movie.
Moreover, I could barely picture Marshall Mathers playing in a movie after all he went through recently.
Second, let me explain why I really lack enthusiasm about the remake of the TV drama mentioned on MTV news.
In 8 Mile, Marshall was convincing and touching. Even if the movie was semi biographical, the talented rapper managed to make neophytes enter into the world of rap music and hip hop culture. Eminem guided people through his struggle and described the many struggles that are so familiar to underground rappers. This was about Detroit, his story, his context, his dreams, his flame for the music.
8 Mile is one of my favorite movies, ever and it is mainly due to Eminem’s talent. However, people have to remember that Marshall Mathers was made for this Jimmy Smith Jr Role.
The idea of him playing in a cheap TV role like Ice T’s recent cop roles doesn’t really enchant me. Sounds to me like Eminem is about to turn Hollywood and, honestly, I don’t like it that much. Hopefully, it is one of the numerous untrue stories posted on the net.
What I really like about Marshall Mathers is his talent for rap music. Nothing would please me more than to see him ready to bless the mic once again.
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Who is Cultura Londres?
Cultura Londres is a Latino hip hop group based in the British Capital that collaborates with Latino hip hop artists worldwide.
The group is composed of Tiago , Rich Eric Bobo, Suzi, Juan and Tallman.
The interesting thing also is that Cypress Hill’s drummer, Eric Bobo, is getting involved in Cultura Londres. He has indeed become Cultura Londres’ official drummer and is featured on Cultura Londres Todo debut EP.
Unfortunately, I don’t understand Spanish, but what I know is that Cultura Londres brings a lot of sunshine into cloudy and rainy London through its Spanish vocals and the festive atmosphere that is typical to the Latino culture.
The Good Times video that is exposed on Cultura Londres’ my space account uses some Spanish vocals and introduces the listener into a soft but rhythmic atmosphere that is underlined by some spicy salsa accents.
Among the song exposed on their my space account, I already commented Fiesta on my latest Eric Bobo review.
The Chant EP song contrasts with the rhythmic and offensive La Piedra and Systema EP with its soft and deep vocals. It introduces you into a quite mystical atmosphere that is reinforced by the instrumentals.
More about Cultura Londres can be found on their official website.
Check them out!
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

The internet is the place where the whole world connects. It is actually a rich cobweb where you can meet the most interesting people. I myself have met people there I would maybe never have met in real life, mainly because of the distance, but also probably because we are from different social and cultural backgrounds.
However, sometimes we are confronted with people who become a nuisance in our lives -through the net.
Some of them can turn into stalkers, blackmailers etc. Some others dare to threaten us, acting like the wannabe thugs they actually are.
First rule: DO NOT BE SCARED.
This is only the internet. Such people have a little illusion of « power » when they make those kind of threats. Remember not to enter into their game. Tell them that you are not scared of them and then totally ignore them, as if they had never been part of your « cyber life ».
Second rule: IGNORE THEM
People who are keen on stalking or harassing other people only live by your fear. The more you fear them, the more they harass you.
Put an end to this whole bullshit by blocking your enemy’s email address in case he/ she is sending you loads of emails.
Remember that nobody is ever gonna stomp you nor gun you down via the net. Also remember to be cautious: don’t give out your personal info on the net.
No matter what kind of person is after you on the net, most of them internet cowards disappear from your life when you don’t pay them any kind of attention.
You have the power to stop the whole thing. Don’t allow anybody on the net to make your life a living hell and enjoy talking to people who are really worth it.

Latin Hip Hop from London…Cultura Londres…stay tuned folks:)

Andy aka Mc Bastard has a quite uncommon story to tell to the world.
Born in Osaka, Japan on October the 11th, 1990, the young man still lives in Japan and currently works there. At school kids used to make fun of him, calling him « bastard », not because he was a fatherless kid, but because his last name had similar sonorities than that word.
Those teasing remarks would have destroyed many kids. However, they made Andy stronger and increased his determination to make it in this world and to do something amazing of his life.
At the age of 9, Andy would be introduced into rap music, but he wouldn’t focus on it that much.
A few years later, at 15, Andy discovered a program that allows you to record and organize music one could also produce, which motivated him to explore rap music further.
Eminem is a artist who had a major influence on Andy and who inspired him to write his music. Andy now produces his own music, always in search for new beats to go with it.
Politically engaged against Bush’s hypocrisy, the atrocities of the Iraqui war are redundant themes in his songs.
Other dark sides of life are constant sources of inspiration to the young emcee.
Another real good thing about Mc Bastard? He doesn’t want to expose a fake gangsta image that doesn’t correspond to the person he actually is.
MC Bastard explores hidden and sometimes shocking themes that will open his listeners’ mind.
Mc Bastard is one of those new talents in the rap game that are definitely worth a look. Check him out here.
Copyright © 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved