This Is What 2 Chainz's Girl Looks Like

Click image for larger view

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

Natalie Nunn Covers Black Men Magazine

[Click HERE to view more pic of Natalie Nunn in Black Men Magazine]

I hardly ever watch anything on the Oxygen channel, but there's just something about The Bad Girls Club that's addicting. Part of it is all the constant fights and drama but, for me, it's the women. 

There have been quite a few that have caught my eye, but none more than Natalie Nunn. Sure, she may have this well-deserved reputation of being a "hoe"; but I assure you that my interest is nothing more than a pipe dream.

Be that as it may, Natalie Nunn is featured on this month's cover of Black Men Magazine's 40 on 40 Latina issue and I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia, almost, as it brings back memories of the days that I would anticipate magazines like these such as KING.

Not in perverted way either...I simply mean that KING magazine set a standard for featuring women of color and its impact was widely felt throughout the magazine community. So much so that it can clearly be seen in imitation by magazines such as this one.

No other magazine has come close to matching the gold standard of KING and, while I don't mean to go off into a random tangent, it's unfortunate that KING folded largely in part to a failing economy. Yes, I'm quite aware that KING is back on shelves now; but it's just not the same. As much as the magazine was pictures of beautiful women, the textual content tied everything together perfectly and you just don't get that with the new format that KING has evolved into.

But that's a different story for a different day. Natalie Nunn is one of the more infamous cast members of The Bad Girls Club and, with this spread in Black Men magazine, it's quite clear that she's looking to extend her 15 minutes of fame.

Yelawolf (Feat. Lil Jon) | Hard White (Up In The Club) [Video]

I was able to catch this courtesy of 106 & Park on Friday, but wasn't able to watch it until a few minutes ago thanks to Tivo. That being said, I have to say that, visually, this is an incredibly dope video and makes for a great introduction of Yelawolf to the masses.

Travis Porter Wasted A Perfect Opportunity To Drop An Album At The Height Of Their Popularity

[Click HERE to download Travis Porter's Differenter 3 Mixtape]

...and, instead, recently dropped a new mixtape the other day to hold over fans as they continue work on their long-awaited debut.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Travis Porter enthusiast and have supported these guys for their nonsensical brand of music; but I can't help but feel that they've missed out on the perfect opportunity to drop an album at the height of their popularity. 

For a minute there, "Bring It Back", "Make It Rain, "College Girl", and a few other joints of theirs were going heavy on the radio and in the clubs and the smart thing would've been to try to capitalize off of that. 

Now, I don't know what kind of label politics are going on over at Jive; but, from what I have read, Jive folded and has brought everything (artists included) under the RCA umbrella and maybe that had something to do with the Travis Porter album being put on hold. Unfortunately, that information has not been divulged; but here's to hoping that a full-length album will see the light of day here soon. 

Which brings me to my next point. This Differenter 3: Road Trips &Big Tits (that's the actual title) mixtape is not as good as any of their previous efforts and aside from the Wale assisted "My Team Winnin" and the Kelly Rowland laced "Slow Motion", Differenter 3 isn't all too different from much of anything we haven't already heard.The monotonous subject matter and mundane beat selection grows tired after three to four tracks in and It almost begs the question of whether the group is beginning to feel the pressure of living up to such high expectations. Hopefully, this is NOT the case; but who knows?

All I know is that opportunity knocks only ever so often and for a group that still has a ways to go before being "established", the questions surrounding the group vastly outweigh the ones that have been answered and a below-average mixtape is only going to magnify these uncertainties. 

I Just Remembered Why I Hate American Idol...

18-year-old Haeley Vaughn (pictured right) was a favorite of mine from the moment I first saw her at the Denver auditions and I guess it's because of her amazing story.

She was born two months premature and weighed only two pounds. Surely it's a miracle that she's even alive but, when it comes to the confidence she exudes on stage, you would never know any of this because of her bubbly personality. Something about her makes you want to root for her and it's really unfortunate that America never embraced her as their "idol".

That being said, I think the biggest problem I have with American Idol is with "America" itself. A few years ago, America voted off another personal favorite of mine in Syesha Mercado and I still haven't really gotten over that if I'm being honest. My thing is, how could "America" be so naive? For a country that loves stories of triumph, or an underdog if you will, how could you not want someone like Haeley to win?!

Not only has she surpassed the expectations that were labeled on her when she was born, but what she represents is individuality. She's a pop/country singer for heaven's sake?!?! How many black women do you know that are into that kind of music? Not many that I know of, that's for sure.

Be that as it may, I don't think we've seen the last of Haeley Vaughn. Her departure from American Idol was just the prelude of many more things to come and I'm really curious to see how she responds to the constructive criticism she received on the show. So what if she was a little pitchy? There have been worse singers on the show and how they managed to survive ahead of her is beyond me. All it does is make you wonder who's really pulling the strings? America or the American Idol producers? Just a little random food for thought...

SN: She was 16 years old at the time of her season

The Puss In Boots Old Spice Commercial Parody

The Shrek franchise had gotten a little "stale" if you ask me, so it's nice to see them go in a different direction with a Puss In Boots spin-off. Anyway, I came across this earlier today while watching the Patriots/Jets game and it really caught my eye because of how creative it was for Dreamworks to spoof those ever so popular Old Spice commercials. Admittedly, not much thought seems to go into movie trailers nowadays and it's ridiculous being that we are constantly bombarded with so many. I just hope that as different as this one is, that the movie itself is as good as advertised. That is, at least one could only hope.

¤ The Birds Pt. 1 ¤

"It's funny how someone can break your heart, but you still manage to love them with all the little pieces."

  
I'm not really sure why I'm choosing to write about this side of my growth, but it's been bothering the hell out of me the last couple of days so I guess it wouldn't hurt to let people in for a change in order to see a side of me that is rarely seen.

You see…I kind of have this problem with building up a "wall" of emotion if you could call it that. I'm not sure why, but I guess it's my way of preventing myself from getting hurt. So before I can even let things get that far, I use this proverbial wall as a defense mechanism.

To say that I've been hurt a lot in the past when it comes to friendships and/or relationships would be an understatement, but I'm starting to see that I bring a lot of it on myself and the hardest part is learning not to worry so much about things beyond your control. Rejection is an inevitable part of life and the sooner you realize the sad fact that trust is something that no longer holds value amongst a lot of the people in our society anymore, the sooner you'll be able to understand why it shouldn't be much of a surprise when people begin to turn their backs on you.

Point. Blank. Period. I don't trust anybody completely anymore, especially women. They too, like the seasons, tend to come and go and it's rare to find one who will value a friendship, relationship, or whatever. I feel like I'm more than good enough when it comes to being a potential friend and/or boyfriend and I try to be the best person that I can be but the moment you hurt me, it's like everything we built as a friendship and/or relationship was for nothing and I swear that I'm not the type that can just sit there and pretend that I'm cool with you and that I like you because I'm not.

...it's rare that I even give people a second chance either, but sometimes that's all some people really need. I've been in that boat a couple of times, as well, so I know what it feels like to burn bridges with someone you really care about and it seems like no matter what you do that you can never make up for the damage that's already been done. But, if you really are remorseful, then I've learned that the old adage of "actions speak louder than words" could not be any more true.

It takes a lot for someone to say sorry and mean it, but it takes even more for someone to forgive. I guess it all depends on the person though. I'm the type of person who takes everything to heart, yet will record a mental note of what people do to me so I don't make the same mistake twice in trusting someone who has already hurt me before. It's just  funny though because the one's close to you seem to be the ones to hurt you the most and I'm learning to keep myself at a distance and to not be so open.

I'm not talking about anybody in particular with all this either, by the way, but if anybody takes any of this personal then so be it. If you're cool with me, then you're cool with me; but if we don't even talk and we used to, then it's probably because I smartened up and realized that what "friendship" we had at one time was one-sided and it was just a waste of time in fucking with you in the first place. I have better shit to do and more important matters to take care of…everything else is for the birds.

-xO

La La Vasquez Stripped Down To Her Bra × Panties On ‘La La’s Full Court Life’

[Click HERE to watch the video of La La stripping down to her bra x panties]

I don't watch VH1 often but, when I do, it pays off when moments like the one that happened a week or so ago on "La La's Full Court Life" become viral. I wasn't able to catch the actual episode due to a heavy load of homework that night but, for those that missed it, La La and a few of her friends have come up with a plan to lose weight and, in order to set their starting points, decide to step on a scale to be able to better measure their progress. 

From there, La La strips down to her bra and panties, revealing quite a bit for a reality TV show, and, if I can just say so myself, she has one AMAZING body. She always has, in my opinion, and the thing that I don't get is how comfortable Carmelo Anthony could be with all this?! Lord knows that if I were married to this woman that I wouldn't want to share any of this with the world, but I think it says a lot about La La, in a sense, that she's comfortable enough with her body to be this open. I wish a lot more women were less self-conscience in this way about their body; but, then again, not many come close to La La and, Charlie Sheen aside, Carmelo Anthony is definitely winning.