Crandall21: Sampling

Hey ho!

What’s crackin everyone? Been a h0t minute since, but gonna crack on lil thoughts…

For those who don’t know, tha term “sampling” is when a music producer finds an already made music track and takes it, flips and cracks it into a new song – almost like a remix in some ways, but creating a completely unique and new song. A pretty tight example is Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper” (1986), which sampled them instrumentals from Bob James’ “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” (1975), who covered Paul Simon’s “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” (1973).

But when brothas and sistas find samples, there be the term “digging“. Now digging is when you be searchin for them music tracks to use for sampling. And when you discover yoself a real dope sample, then it almost feels like holding onto treasure (cuz you spent hours “digging” for it, get it?).

Howeva, in this day and age, people been sharing what samples have been used in them songs ~ almost like givin away the treasure them music producers dug up! But now we find ourselves sharing… and EDUCATING people on what samples have been used… almost like we paying our respects and giving props to the original sampled tracks – cuz witout them, many songs that sample older tracks would not have been created (a.k.a. many Hip-Hop tracks throughout them history and time).

I see them internet has made it all easy for ya’ll to crack on old school tracks to sample. BUT, not all them music tracks are online… some might have not been uploaded and sitting, undiscovered in tha back corner of a record/music shop, collectin dust… there may be some dope samples never touched before!

I’m not sayin everythang must be sampled, but that comment is directed more towards music producers who mainly use samplin to create their content. In this sense, while many producers be takin samples online, they have been many songs that use the same sample over and over and over and over again (not to say that this has not happened in the past, before the internet… one example is how joints from Bob James have been sampled over and over again).

I, Crandall, myself aint no music producer, but if I ever were, I would love to dive into the art of samplin! At the same time, I would keep my mouth shut on what I sampled until someone finds out what track I cracked on… I mean, aint that exciting, like the mystery and complexity of a sample. If I flipped a sample super well, to the point where I create a completely new and unique tune, and where them sample is no longer easily identifiable… then wouldn’t that give so much value to those who discovers what sample I used (instead of easily giving away and sharing them sample)?

Anywho, much respect to producers who sample an original sound and flips it so uniquely into a new track.

As tha sista, Zora Neale Hurston, once said about them definition of originality in her speech Characteristics of Negro Expression, 1934:

“What we really mean by originality is the modification of ideas.”

What do ya’ll think…?

-Crandall

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Crandall20: Clean up time ya’ll!

What’s wildin ya’ll?! Been a hot minute since we crack! Hey hey, hoho!!! Been crackin on them lil school work, but overall, got past ma senior comprehensives project! Thank you all fo them love and support — witout ya’ll, none of dis would be possible yo!

Also, I’ve found a real nice spot in da scanlation world – Friendship Scans picked me up since April 6th, givin me ma first project to clean! Huge shoutouts to da brothas and sistas at Friendship Scans: Tsukiko Tokoyami, Kouhai, ascii, M0zart, asphodels, and darkchild fo all yo guidance and support!

As fo life, life is doin well ya’ll! Just remember to neva let go of them wonderful times, but at the same time move on and change for the better as we all travel through da future… we can’t be stuck and stay wild on da past — we can rememba them, but we cannot copy them. Once da moment moves on, we gotta crack and make the most outta it ~~~ dat’s what makes it unique and a one-of-a-kind. So into da future, wherever ya’ll end up, we will go and make the most outta it!

Stay safe ya’ll!

PEACE!!

-Crandall

 

Crandall19: Haven’t wrote since last year!

Hey Hey!

What’s wildin everyone? Sorry I haven’t wrote in such a long time, been almost a year or so! Anywho, just wanted to crack and give an update on what’s wildin!

So first off, rest in peace da YikYak! It’s been an amazing journey and just want to give them shout-outs to all them wonderful people that I have met and discussed with! (reference Crandall10 post for them exact names) Always will be in my heart, it be da first online interaction I cracked with sometime back in 2016 or so.

Also, been crackin on lil short stories, ya digg!? I created a profile on them Archive of Our Own (or known as AO3), gonna post a share of ma stories I already cracked on them Wattpad and continue writing on AO3!

Anyway, always always always have a wonderful day and hollah if you wanna have a discussion or just wanna crack!

PEACE!

-Crandall

Crandall18: It’s been a long time…

Hey hey! What’s poppin everyone? Sorry it’s been a while since I last cracked with ya’ll! I know some of ya’ll think I be half-steppin, but in reality I be doin some crazy business lately!

Been into them clan wars in them Clash Royale, crazy times it be. Also been workin them 9 to 5 job on da downlow, good stuff caterin.

But enough about me, how ya’ll be doin? I haven’t been able to keep up with ya’ll’s success, I feel blessed to be yo friends, thank you a bunch! I appreciate all yo love and support, much respect!

Anyway, just wanted to give a quick update, have a good one!!

-Crandall

Crandall17: Up and Away

Long time no talk ma friends! Been crackin on a lot dis semesta, and tryin ma best! Lil story I had from last Friday I like to be sharin wit ya’ll!
So da homie Staples be tellin me about a hike up dis small path up on what’s called da Enchanted Forest!

Here’s ma experience of it:

We embark on dis journey to da top. Fueled by lil crackas, dried fruit candy, and wata, up we go. Around da large formation we go, followin a path dat seems neva-endin; twistin and turnin around da very edges – we become one wit da trek. We feel every lump and bump along da mountain’s edges, giving wonder as to how it was befo da path was formed. None-da-less, we keep steppin forward, higher and higher we go.

We eventually reach them steel antennae towers, a marker for bein a third up da path. Our goal was long to be achieved. Continuin up da path we see people wildin of all sorts – from lil Willie’s on all fours, to people holdin onto two sticks. Da higher we got, da more things disappeared down unda – no longer were da streets or even da path we walked were visible, only da top of green trees spanned across da depths of da mountain pass. We begin crackin as we see da first mile sign, then da two mile sign.

Once near da top, we be crackin on a lil fork. Turn right, we go see some gears and da old estate; turn left, we walk along da old railroad track dat leads to a cement road. We ventured both paths, leadin to dem good views and visions of wonder and curiosity. What was once there was soon forgotten and eventually wore down to crumblin pieces. 

Leavin a mark in history, dem lil remnants were sure signs of age. We also left our mark too – ringin dem bell at da old estate, da sounds of jingle filled da air. In it, we made a mark in our history, and will soon visit once more. Once done, we begin walkin back down – back to da confined views of tight knit streets, thugs, burglars, and traffic. A reminda fo us dat down here in da concrete, it be hard to breath, but up there in da mountains, it be free and wild.

 

Till next time,

-Crandall

Crandall16: Hoho New Years

What’s crackin everyone? Happy new years yo!! Lil 2017, a new year to try new thangs! Da doc I’ve been workin on has been real slow… but it be gettin there! 

Been out in a few sets, reppin them small but important jobs! It be wildin out here, people back on campus, makin a ruckus and all. But it all good, it be nice to hear da energy and excitement of all! 

Da Yak’s back and alive, shoutouts to yesihaveabeard! Otha than dat, gotta get back on them grind yo!

Peace!

-Crandall

Crandall15: Fasta than normal…!

What’s crackin yo! Long time no talk, as usual, ya feel!? Sorry I haven’t been on da grind in fo a while, got them new update on da Yak where we can be anonymous again… lil incognito!

Aside from dat, lil technology got me thinkin… I be chillin with da homie Staples and he tell me he got them new phone! I be like, oh lord, it fresh cuz his old phone was all slow and sometimes I think he half steppin by not replyin but it really be his lil phone not receivin messages quickly…

So with his new phone, he be replyin like da Flash, lookin like insta-messagin! Then dat got me to realize… we always movin fasta and fasta in this world… it all due to them technology yo! Back in da days, we send them messages by word of mouth, then came them lil delivery birds… then lil postal mail, then lil telegrams, then lil telephones, lil pagers, then them lil computa release them IM (lil insta messagin), finally goin on to them cellphones and video chat programs.

Through them evolution, things have gotten fasta and fasta, almost to da point where we try to be all fasta than things normally are… Fo instance, we wanna lose them weight, so we resort to them “quick methods” or “fad diets” fo them easier and quicka solution. Howeva, we don’t realize dat this is kinda like a cheat when you be compared to da normal way of doin it: consistent workouts and eatin healthy for a long period of time. This isn’t technology-related, but I wanted to give an example of how them daily life thangs are gettin quicka and quicka.

Back to technology, anotha example is when we used to play them online video games and had to wait a good minute for da otha person to connect to da lobby. Now, we got people be joinin da “lobby” all quick like them Speedy Gonzalez.

This made me think: Are we goin too fast fo ourselves? Sometimes it feel like a lil dream… them hours have became minutes, and now them minutes have become mere seconds… This speed we goin through shape everythang we see, like in them movies: now we got all them cuts, jumpin from scene to scene, no still-shots anymo. It be wildin, even commercials have become da same way, it be all shorter and shorter, more information jampack in 30 seconds or so.

Anyway, I speak a lot on examples and such, ya feel? But da fact dat I can see all them examples speaks to me dat it be wildin out there with speed, goin fasta and fasta as we speak. So what will happen once we reach them “top speed“?

Somethang to think about… will we then create a whole new world (shout-outs to them Alladin song)  where things are done much mo fasta than it is now done in “real life”? Time might even be rewritten in da new world where a year becomes a month, or a month becomes a day, or hours becomes minutes… minutes to seconds… and seconds become…….? It all a theory, but what if them human life comes to dat point…? We be wildin a lot on them speed and we only wanna go fasta. But sometimes, it be okay to take them steps back and realize da situation… must be conscious… and move with it along the right speed.

Let me know what ya’ll think, sorry dat it be difficult fo me to come to ma point! I be tryin to work on them vocab and word composition fo ya’ll to be quicka (there it is again, them ability to write a point out quickly).

If ya’ll made it this far, have a good lil Christmas and New Years, and also happy belated Thanksgivin ya’ll!

Peace,

-Crandall

 

Crandall14: Long time no talk – motivation!

Hoho! Been crackin busy this midterm week yo! Sorry fo not keepin up with ya’ll! Hope all be good and such!

So I be wonderin about them motivation… some brothas and sistas don’t be motivated – yet some are… what is yo motivation? Some people decide on their motivation based on a lil incentive, like a prize or somethang…

Some people use their passion and love as a motivation – somethang that’s super unique and hard to find. When people get to dat type of deep motivation, they can achieve amazin feats yo…

With dat said, be inspired, be motivated! It aint no wasy path to get to dat point – you will fail, struggle, might feel like givin up along da way… but always rememba, dat even though you are movin slowly, you are movin forward in da right direction!

Aight yo, till next time, peace!

-Crandall

Crandall13: Ballin and NUMBA 9?

YO! What’s crackin everyone?! Been crackin on them basketball with da homie Staples for da past week so far… oh ma lord! It’s a very good form of physical activity, and got ma legs and arms all sore. But dat only means I be improvin and as them sayin goes: no pain, no gain.

One time, when we just shootin hoops, a brotha was speakin all loud and crackin on da otha side of da court. With him bein loud, he attract attention to himself and people be lookin and wildin around. Almost got into a fight and all, people be all ready for some WorldstarHipHop but nothin went down. Good thing they don’t squash then, cuz it was over some petty business.

Anywho, days afta, we be eatin at them TC, and da sista be callin out orda numba 9. Fo da past 20 minutes, no one came to pick da meal up. Finally, they be wildin and pick up them order, but ma lord, lil order numba 9 be ringin in ma head. It be crackin.

All in all, so far, it be good, lil education be comin up and I haven’t been on da web or Yak too often. With dat said, best of luck everyone on work, school, life, etc… Work hard, be dedicated, and aim to achieve!

Peace yo!

 

-Crandall

Crandall12: Rememba Where You Came From

YO! Long time, no read ma brothas and sistas!

This is kinda a reiteration of what I always say, and I don’t mean to be a broken spinnin record, but always rememba where you came from. No matter good or bad, always remember yo history. Cuz in this world out here, them brothas and sistas are always tryin to strip you away from yo history in order for you to become a part of their history. They makin you forget fo their own needs.

For instance, some brothas and sistas be recruitin sayin that they are part of a group that promotes racisim. However, where you come from, you rememba that it aint right to be racist and you should treat everyone based on their characta. Howeva, those brothas and sistas be sayin: “Don’t worry, you were taught wrong, come join us.”

Like yo! That aint cool. Always rememba where you come from. However, if you were given an opportunity to escape some negative history, by all means, go ahead and take it yo!

Example, if you have a history where yo neighborhood is filled with drug addicts and someone approaches you and ask if you want to volunteer at a drug rehabilitation center, by all means, go ahead! If it’s something for the positive and where they don’t take you away from your history/where you came from, go ahead!

So with dat said, always respect yo history, rememba where you came from.

___

In otha words, nothin much has been poppin lately. Da Yaks been gettin lots of new users since them new update came out featurin them profiles. Otha than that, it be same o same o. Gettin ready fo them school year to pop up, so I’ll see ya’ll later yo!

Peace~

Crandall