This Is What 2 Chainz's Girl Looks Like

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If you're like me, then you've noticed the love that 2 Chainz has in describing his idea of the perfect woman in his lyrics. As colorful as some of his commentary has been, I found this to be pretty funny on the part of XXL and that's saying a lot considering they've lacked a lot of creativity ever since the departure of former editor-in-chief's, Elliott Wilson and Datwon Thomas.

A lot of urban magazines have to be quite honest and it's disappointing to see the climate of the magazine industry take such a drastic turn toward irrelevancy, due mostly in part to the internet steadily growing to be the means for a lot of people when it comes to accessing news/content.

It wasn't always that way, I remember, and the thing that's lost in all of this is how reduced a magazine rating has become. 5 Mics in The Source used to mean "classic" in lot of our eyes; but ever since Lil' Kim was given the iconic rating for her "Naked Truth" album, it's only been since given out twice and some would even argue that the value of the rating has been tainted.

Obviously, my position is that of the latter but I'll address my further reasoning behind that in a future post. As bonus, I've included a more "telling", NSFW video of what 2 Chainz's girl may REALLY look like. No need to thank me, either. You're welcome.

[Click HERE to view video]

Texas Chainsaw 3D [Trailer]

I remember Trey Songz announcing on 106 & Park a few weeks back that he would be involved in a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre project and as skeptical as I was about the premise of that, my opinion has changed only slightly after watching the trailer. You see, I'm not much of a fan of a franchise jumping all over the place and, certainly, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has had a very interesting run in theaters; but why a direct sequel to the 1974 original is just now being made is beyond me. If anything, this idea should've come a long time ago, but I'm not going to nitpick about the matter. Texas Chainsaw 3D arrives in theaters on January 4 and stars Alexandra Daddario, Tania Raymonds, Scott Eastwood, and Trey Songz.

The Man V. Food Chronicles: The New Chicken Parmesan Sandwich from Burger King

Although the "fast food wars" are a constant battle between the competing chains, it appears that Burger King has taken the upper hand as of late after making a few new additions to their menu. While I don't have the time to highlight them all, there was one in particular, however, that I found interesting and that was their new Chicken Parmesan sandwich. 

For one, just the thought of a burger joint specializing in the appeal of offering such a thing sounds crazy; but, then again, this is the same restaurant that had the bright idea of offering the BK Bacon Ice Cream Sundae. That being said, nothing really surprises me anymore when it comes to Burger King and it's clear that their whole intention is set themselves apart from the likes of their competitors (i.e., McDonald's, Wendy's, Hardees, etc.).

The new Chicken Parmesan sandwich from Burger King

Which they've managed to do quite well I might add; but I don't see how the artistry of adding a Chicken Parmesan sandwich will continue to push the momentum in their favor. It's not as if this is anything that's pushing the envelope as far as sandwiches are concerned as I found it to be relatively dry and lacking in the full-on flavor when it came to the marinara, but maybe it wasn't prepared correctly for all I know. The sandwich I had looked NOTHING like the glamour shot I saw on the menu (see pic above) and, therefore, was not indicative of the price I was paying.

But that, in and of itself, is a completely different issue. Burger King has done this more than once when it's come to rolling out new items on the menu and it has to be frustrating when the end result is met with mixed reviews. I'm still not a fan of their new fries and for heaven's sake, whose idea was it to upgrade the cinnamon rolls?

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is an old adage that has stood the test of time for a reason and if Burger King wants to continue to be relevant, they'll smarten up and realize that sometimes going with simple is better than anything they could ever offer for a "limited time".

Man V. Food Rating: 4 bites out of 10

iE Feat. Roland Reject & Highway Rob | Big Spender (Remix) [Video]

Other than the fact that he's Sooner Than Later affiliated, I don't know much about this Orlando rapper by the name of iE. All I know is that he and Roland Reject are a breath of fresh air to the world of underground Hip-Hop and both of their mixtapes are certifiably dope. I'll have a review/link to both as soon as I finish a more thorough listen of each but, in the meantime, peep the video above for iE's "Big Spender" remix featuring Roland Reject and Highway Rob. I thought it was pretty dope how this came out visually; but, then again, how appropriately fitting for an artist that named their mixtape "Too Good, Too Soon"?

TDE × BET Music Matters Tour: Kendrick Lamar Brings Out J. Cole in North Carolina

In my opinion, the whole J.Cole/Diggy Simmons beef was a little overblown; but I find it fascinating that an artist like J. Cole would even entertain an up-and-coming artist like Diggy Simmons in the first place. Diggy hasn't quite reached the level of acclaim of J. Cole and the more this continues, the more it could present J. Cole as weak. 

My biased opinion aside, however, I think it's worth mentioning that J. Cole absolutely killed Diggy Simmons in his freestyle at the 2:06 mark. How Diggy will respond remains to be seen, but I assure you that this is one rap beef that has been merely reduced to child's play at this point.

The Man V. Food Chronicles: What's A Whataburger?

My girlfriend and I took a trip out a town a few weeks back to Navarre, Florida and along the way I noticed a couple of restaurants that I had never seen before. Living in Alabama a majority of my life, I'm used to your average, run-of-the-mill burger joints; but there was a commercial that came on once we reached our destination that really caught my eye. It was for a placed called "Whataburger" and while the commercial did a very good job of appealing to my appetite, the only question I could fathom after it was over was, "what in the hell is a whataburger?"

Little did I know that a lot of these restaurants were prevalent in the Florida panhandle and the more we passed on our way back to Panama City later that night, the more I became curious to, at least, want to try one.

And what do you know? I, indeed, got that chance as we came together mutually to have Whataburger for dinner that night and it really hit the spot. My only complaint was that cheese isn't offered as a primary topping but that minute detail aside, I guess my overall experience of Whataburger can best be described as that one scene in Harold & Kumar when they finally sit down to enjoy their ever elusive meal at White Castle. The food was REALLY that good!

Now, is it on par as one of the best burgers I've ever eaten? No, I wouldn't go that far; but I think the timing of our visit didn't really allow me to get a thorough look at their menu either. The assorted variety of menu items appeared to be far ranging and a second visit will definitely help shape a more solid and/or credible opinion.

Man V. Food Rating: 6 bites out of 10

Who Knew There Were Other Things On TV Besides ESPN? (Part 1)

Ask any casual sports fan and they'll tell you that the sports calendar hits its peak sometime shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. That's when baseball has the stage all too itself and if you're not a fan of baseball like myself, it can be pretty depressing to suffer through an entire episode of SportsCenter and, even worse, to watch the repetitive nonsense of recycled topics weekly that they tend to muddle through when it comes to ESPN's First Take.

In this case, that's when the remote becomes a man's best friend. Who knew other channels existed outside of ESPN and unlike most summer's where I spend a lot of it consumed with the CBS reality show Big Brother, I was pleased to find a few other shows that peaked my interest until football season was back in the swing of things. One by one I'll delve into each but why not start with a guilty pleasure of mine, Big Brother 14.

Big Brother 14 

As I write this, the finale of Big Brother 14 is less than a week away and the anticipation is killing me as to whether or not Dan Gheesling will walk away as the only two-time winner of Big Brother. In order for that to happen, of course, he'll have to survive tonight's live eviction, but from what I'm hearing it appears that he will... 

Danielle Murphee & Shane Meaney of Big Brother 14

...but in this game one can never be too sure. Big Brother doesn't have the tagline of "expect the unexpected" for nothing and until I see the likes of Shane or Ian walking out of the door, I will continue to take the things I read on the internet with a grain of salt.

Overall, this season hasn't been as intriguing as others in the past and I've found myself at times to be disinterested. Other than a few unanswered questions here and there (i.e., whether or not Danielle's boobs are real, whether or not Shane is gay, and whether or not Danielle and Shane have a legit chance of being a couple outside of the house), this season has been more about the social game rather than the strenuous demands that the game can tend to put on the houseguests. For further proof of this, google the name Frank Eudy and you'll find that for a guy of such physical prowess; even he could not make it to the end of the game and, surely, a lot of that has to do with the "Quack Pack" alliance of this year's final four: Danielle, Shane, Dan, & Ian.

Either one of these people deserve to win the game after making it this far, but I have a hunch that Shane will be the first to go. His mental ability is weak compared to his physical strength and, quite frankly, I just don't think he's done enough to deserve the half million dollars. Especially when they're are other contestants such as Dan and Ian that have made valiant efforts in playing the Big Brother game the way it is designed to be played.

Whatever the case, the winner's fate ultimately rests in the hands of the jury of evicted houseguests and depending on who's final 2 deals were legit, I can easily see Dan winning this game again. At this point, he deserves it a notch above Ian and, if the jurors aren't biased in the matter, I would love nothing more than to see him walk away with the grand prize. 

Until then, trust me, I'll be tuned in.

End of Part 1

The Weeknd | The Knowing [Video]

For an artist that's already shrouded in mystery enough as it is, I came across this video for "The Knowing" and just had to share it with those that haven't had the distinct pleasure of seeing it. By far, "House of Balloons" remains to be one of my favorite pieces of work from The Weeknd and it'll be interesting to see whether or not his decision to sign with a major label will affect his output of quality. 

An artist of his caliber is hard to fit inside the "box", if you will, but I think the influence of Drake and the rest of his XO brethren will be just enough to help welcome The Weeknd to the masses. In the meantime, peep the trippy video The Weeknd put together for "The Knowing" and be on the lookout for "Trilogy", a mixed and mastered version of his previous three albums collectively, that will be available in both physical and digital form on November 13.

Diznee: The Girl With The Comic Book Body

[Click image to view more pics]

I remember posting a lot of pictures about Chelsea 'Diznee' Daniels on this blog as I came across them on various websites and the thing that really struck me about Diznee was her "girl next door" look. She didn't necessarily fit the mold of a model to me back then and from the time of her discovery to what I have to come to hear as her retirement, I think it's fair to say that Diznee has made quite the lasting impression on the modeling world from the many pages she has graced throughout the years.

A "Show" girl if ever there were one, Diznee appeared in five issues of the popular Men's magazine and had the pleasure to grace three. While not the most extensive portfolio, Diznee, instead, found a lot of notoriety in her less is more approach when it came to her work. For proof of this, a simply Google search will suffice and, surely, you'll find that while her magazine spreads are few and far between, the desire for more from the beautiful 23 year old just never seemed like it was enough.

Be that as it may, Diznee walks away a legend in her own right and leaves behind a legacy that will undoubtedly be hard pressed to match. Pictures alone simply do not do her justice (Click here to view video) and although it's disappointing that she's walking away to pursue other interests, fans can find solace in the fact that every now and then Disney has the propensity to release things from their vault. That being said, one could only hope that this Diznee follows suit.

Follow Diznee on Twitter: @Chelsea_PB

2 Chainz (Feat. Kanye West) | Birthday Song [Video]

If there was an award for the most creative video without a concept, it would have to go to 2 Chainz for the visual treatmant that he decided to present us with for his "Birthday Song" featuring Kanye West. Admittedly, I and a lot of other people probably had something else in mind for this considering the source material of the song; but the unexpectedness throughout the video is really what makes it all work. Either way, 2 Chainz delivers a very entertaining video to say the least and one that you just have to see in order to get the full scale of it.

From Redbox To A Vending Machine That Serves Pizza...

This past summer I had the pleasure to intern at the Johnson Center for the Arts in Troy and whenever I would have free time, I would spend a majority of it on the internet as I would complete work/assignments and I remember coming across a strange piece of news about a new kind of vending machine that would be rolling out into the U.S. that would serve pizza.

As unbelievable as that sounds, my curiosity could only be tempered by watching the video above and, even now, I'm still in disbelief as to how far technology has advanced to where we can seemingly get damn near anything out of a vending machine nowadays.Candy and sodas were one thing, but who would've ever imagined that video rentals, Proactiv, and pizza would eventually follow suit?

Lupe Fiasco | Bitch Bad [Video]

"Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1" is less than two weeks away and I'm really anxious to hear what Lupe Fiasco has to offer this time around. Commercially, his last album, "Lasers", was a success; but the problem that a lot of his fans had with it was that it came off as less than authentic than what we had all been accustomed to from Lupe.

Luckily, this doesn't appear to be the case with "FL2TGARA" as singles like "Freedom Ain't Free", "Lamborghini Angels", and "Bitch Bad", have been pure quality so here's to hoping the rest of the album lives up to par. For now, check out the visual treatment above for "Bitch Bad" and let me know what you think.   

¤ Florescent Ink ¤

"Life is like a pen, you can cross something out but you can never erase it"

I've never claimed to be a good writer. Far be it from myself to give credit where credit is due; but having recently attained a degree in Journalism, I would say that that's all the justification I'll ever need in life when it comes to the things I can do with a pen.

But that's neither here nor now...

Instead, a more pressing issue has been at the forefront of my psyche for the last couple of days and a lot of it has to do with that never-ending question of, "what's next?" I graduated from Troy University back in July and although I'm strongly considering going back to school for my Master's, a part of me is also wanting to finally piece together this puzzle of mine called life. Every single day I'm being pulled in different directions it feels like and while I'm content with simply living in the moment, I'm constantly reminded that time is ticking with each passing second of the clock.

As much as that scares me, I try to remain as grounded as I can and it helps that a lot of that self-inflicted pressure is reduced whenever I'm around the people I've built close relationships with. My girlfriend, as well as a very small, select group of friends, has helped to build a strong support system around my well being and that helps tremendously because I know that no matter what I decide that they'll support me 100%. That is, at least a few will anyway...

I don't want to delve too deep into that particular topic just yet, simply because that is a blog worthy of itself; but I think it's fair to admit that in the midst of my indecisiveness that I've also been finding myself to be more distant toward a lot of people. Not consciously of course, but more so in the manner of happenstance. 

Whether or not that's a product of me growing up remains to be seen, but I can't help but feel that in order for me to take the next step in the process that a few things are going to have to be addressed along the way. The first being what exactly I want out of life and, secondly, how I plan to go about bringing all of these things to fruition. All of these dreams and/or ideas are useless inside of my head if I never share them with the world, which brings me to the reason why I decided to return to The Faded Ink. 

I planted this seed five years ago and watched it become an outlet for the theater in my mind. As much as I bottle up my emotions, the feeling I get from putting my words down on paper has always been freeing to me and I never wanted to lose that. 

But I did. TWICE!

Be that as it may, I've never been more comfortable in my own skin and never has the ink been more alive in my pen. So here's to scribbling out the past. Not in the metaphorical sense of erasing, but in the re-writing of what was intended to be there all along.

-xO