8.25.2012

Semi-automatic dai-kaiju fanatic


In the miles-long litany of clever samples used by the RZA for various Wu-Tang songs, one of the least recognized could be the other-worldy whine looped under the chorus of "Semi-Automatic Full Rap Metal Jacket" (Wu-Chronicles, 1993). It's likely that even the most astute rap music nerds never linked the mewling sound effect to the voice of Japan's beloved dai-kaiju (giant monster) Gamera. But that is where this genius sample came from. Press-N-Play™ the link below to hear it for yourself.

Wu-Tang Clan – Semi-Automatic Full Rap Metal Jacket ft. U-God, Inspectah Deck & Street Thug

NOW SHOWING...



Your Kung Fu Sucks! Grindhouse Cinemas™ proudly presents its very first Monsta Mashin' Saturday Matinee™ featuring the classic War of the Monsters aka Gamera vs. Barugon (1966). As always, true believers, this Vintage Video™ is available as a free mp4 download courtesy of the fine folks over at Archive.org. But you're also more than welcome to watch it front-row-and-center at the YKFS blog. But bring your own popcorn, Sno-Caps and Jujubes, please.


8.24.2012

Kodak Moment (Take a picture, it'll last longer)




Dear diary blog,

It's 2AM and I'm perched at the keyboard finishing the most difficult essay that I have ever attempted to write.

This long-problematic piece was actually started nearly ten friggin' years ago. Because the subject matter was so close to heart, though, it was always difficult to retain objectivity about the proper direction and the quality of the actual work.

But tonight, after two days of just chipping away at it again (for the god-only-knows-how-many-eth time) I finally feel what I've always wanted to feel: that both the rhythm and wording are right, and that the whole is worth every bit of the seemingly endless effort.

Now, after nearly a decade of starts and stalls one would think that I'd managed to pen something equal in size to Plato's Apology. But it's only a 3,000-word essay–albeit one that shoehorns some 50,000 years of human history into a thoughtful and entertaining text. 

That is partly what made it so damned difficult to write. 

And it's also kinda personal too, but had to be made much less personal to make it work; letting go of the parts in which you have an emotional investment is probably the hardest part about writing. 

For me it is, anyway.

Two years ago, one of my previously failed attempts to rework the essay in question resulted in the "Black East" piece that was published in Giant Robot magazine. That was my first published piece and is in many ways a pre-quel to this one.

Coincidentally (but there are no coincidences, right?), Runoko Rashidi contacted me a couple of weeks ago. The somewhat well known historian and lecturer asked if he could include the previously metioned piece in his new travelogue called African Star Over Asia

When I finally find the words, I'll say something about just how...legitimizing the opportunity feels. Right now, though, all I can say is that it's an honor.

As to the title of my old-but-new essay – and it has had a number of 'em throughout its decade long gestation period – "Monster Islands" is the title that was settled upon in 2010 and it's still a perfect fit.

Oh, and diary blog, I just had a thought. 

If I could take a picture right now of what I'd like my life to look like it would be something like the screenshot that I just captured. See it?


Click to enlarge



Well, at the center of the image is the current work-in-progress, which is essentially complete except for a lil' fine-tuning. On the top left side of the screen, the movie Monster From a Prehistoric Planet (aka Giant Beast Gappa) is playing with the volume turned down. And underneath the minimized media player screen is a map of Papua New Guinea, which – like the movie itself – is referenced in the essay.

Over there on the right side of the screen is an antique photograph of a young maiden from Papua New Guinea––something discovered during one of the Raiders of the Lost Ark-style research runs. Beneath that stunning portrait is an iTunes window that displays the song "Genocide" by the Reavers (featuring rappers Spiega, Billy Woods and Kong) as it plays with the volume turned down low.

When I open my eyes to dream, that screenshot offers a perfect example how I'd like my life to look. But in the vision, I actually make a good living doing what I love as both a writer and artist. And if not every single day, most of my work/play days would look like that. 

Okay, the only deviation from what's captured in the image is that there would probably be two flat-screen monitors on my desktop––Oh, and the desk itself would be something new from Ikea.

As for tonight/today, though, I'm happy with what I've got, and happy with how my life looks.

One to grow on

Hey, kids! I would like to suggest that you not try the multiple applications thing without adult supervision. While it isn't exactly uncommon for yours truly to have multiple files open simultaneously, and iTunes also running in the background, it is not NOT common to also have a movie playing. But, due to the breakthrough that occurred with "Monster Islands," I rewarded myself with some extra (but still related) visual stimuli. Also, kids, if you do listen to music while reading, writing or doing math homework, it is always best to keep the volume turned down low, so as not to distract from the work.

And that's one to grow on!

–SP

8.22.2012

The T.R.O.Y. Blog Presents Monsta Island Czars - Return to Monsta Island, Vols. 1 & 2


At the start of the summer, Dirt Doggy Dog and the crew over @ the T.R.O.Y. Blog brought heat to the interwebs with two beastly compilation mixtapes featurin' your favorite dai-kaiju inspired hip-hop crew and mine, Monsta Island Czars! That's right, true believers, because those underground favorites never got around to releasing a sequel to 2003's Escape From Monsta Island!, the mad scientists at T.R.O.Y. Industries™ bumrushed the lab and went completely Doctor Frankenstein. The result is two mixtapes that give a welcome fix to anyone who's been jonesin' for more MIC brand dopeness. Both of 'em have been in repeat rotation since I got 'em, and it seemed like a really good idea to share 'em here at YKFS Central.

Enjoy!

T.R.O.Y. Presents Return To Monsta Island Vol. 1

01. X-Ray – A Monsta (Intro)
02. King Geedorah – Fazers
03. Rodan – Ability to Speak (One Week)
04. Jet Jaguar – All Y’all
05. Spiega – Now That’s Sweet
06. Megalon – Revelations
07. Gigan – Live Wirez Remix
08. Kong – Use Me
09. Kamackeris (as Kwite Def) – All is Fair
10. Megalon (as Tommy Gun) – I’m Counting on You
11. Gigan – In Search Of
12. Jet Jaguar – The Way
13. Spiega – I Seen It All
14. King Geedorah – The Fine Print
15. Jet Jaguar – Stable
16. Kamackeris (as Kwite Def) – Khadijah 2008
17. Rodan – No Degrees
18. Megalon – Rain Blood
19. Gigan – Gunshots
20. Kamackeris – Untouchable
21. Kong & Spiega – True Believers
22. Megalon – When I Go Out
23. Rodan – Human Inquisition
24. X-Ray – Monstaball (Outro)

:::Download::: 


T.R.O.Y. Presents Return To Monsta Island Vol. 2

1. Rodan- Century 21 ft. Megalon
2. Rodan- Roll Call ft. Kong, Kamackeris, & Gigan
3. Kong- Beast ft. Spiega
4. Kong- Die ft. Megalon, Egyptian Queen, King Ceasar, Loch Ness, & Spiega
5. Kong- War ft. 5th Element & Spiega
6. The Reavers- Genocide ft. Spiega, billy woods, & Kong
7. MF Grimm- Taken
8. Megalon- Yahkoo
9. Kamackeris- Kill Or Be Killed ft. Spiega, Rio, & Foul Language
10. Kong- Get Your Money Right
11. Kong- Lifted ft. Gabarah & Monsta X
12. Megalon- Keep It Street
13. Gigan- Outta Jail
14. MF Grimm- Dancin’
15. The Reavers- America ft. Spiega, Hasan Salaam, & Akir
16. Darc Mind- Spontaneous ft. Kamackeris
17. Rodan- Flight Lessons (Lyric Medley)
18. billy woods- Death From Above ft. Kong & Spiega
19. MF Grimm- The Original (DJ Fakts One Remix)
20. Kong- Red Tears ft. Spiega & Delilah
21. Rodan- Run The Sphere V. 2.3 ft. Kong, Loch Ness, Megalon, King Ceasar, Kamackeris, King Ghidra, & Jet Jaguar
22. MF Grimm- Voices (The Final Chapter)

:::Download::: 

8.10.2012

Please deposit 'fiddy' cents


"If I ruled the world..." by way of royal edict I would order Capcom to produce a special edition Street Fighter arcade version that pulls double duty as a jukebox. That way, whenever players clanked a couple o' quarters into the slots of the Capcom vs. Wurlitzer Classic™, they'd get more bang for their half-a-buck by getting to pick out a def jam as well. And on those nights that I had my incredibly fetching female chauffeur drive me to the 24-hour laundromat to throw down against some hapless mark, the song "Chun Li" by Ryu Black (aka Ravage the MeccaGodzilla) would be my #1 draft pick. This infectious lil' posse cut was the first single from Ryu's 2011 album, Perfect 天, and features some stellar assists by Random (aka Mega Ran), Masia One and DJ Sarasa. On the infrequent occasions when I get Street Fighter on the brain (see previous post), I've simply gots'ta to hear this song. And though it has already been blogged about here before, just like the classic game that inspired it, "Chun Li" is always worth a replay. – SP

Ryu Black – Chun Li ft. Random, Masia One & DJ Sarasa

8.09.2012

Five hundred + hit combo!


A puny 98-pound weakling could have knocked me over with a pink feather boa when I figured out that the "Shaolin Break Dancing" post from a few months back had generated over 500 page views. Some of these YKFS postings are lucky to even break fifty (not really), but that piece generated hits like a Street Fighter™ combo on crack.

Even more remarkably, though, a few other postings generated well over 700 and 800 hits. Sha-zam!

The reason that this merits mention is 'cuz I told a buddy some months back that it was cool (for me) just knowin' that there are a couple dozen YKFS readers. Now, though, havin' seen the actual number of page views that some of these pulse-pounding postings have generated, I'm getting inspired with the desire to touch even more eyeballs.

As beautiful fate would have it, it was just over a year ago that I blogged about how if it nailed down, I'd be bringin' it – whatever it might happen to be – to Your Kung Fu Sucks. Gauging by the page views earned by some of these posts since then, methinks this lil' ol' blog has managed to 'level up' a tad.

So, this quick missive has been written to show my appreciation to the subscribers (all six o' you), the lurkers and the information superhighway passers-by. You're the reason that bloggers put fingers to keys. In the immortal words of Bartles & James: "Thank you for your support."

– SP