This will be a brief post. I need to get some sleep. But I would not feel right if I broke my 101 Day promise. And I'm not sure I will have Internet access tomorrow and Saturday. But never fear. A promise is a promise...if I am unable to log on you will hear from me three times in rapid succession on Sunday night.
Today I spent (nearly) the entire day finishing my work for one of the worst classes I have ever taken. It is a word-finding class. Supposedly we learn how to work with children who struggle to find appropriate language in the midst of a conversation or when asked questions. I had high hopes for the class...but the professor didn't pan out so well. 100 percent of the material we learned in the class was nothing more than her personal methodology. She sold us both of her books, totaling well over one hundred dollars. She nit picked and cut points on everyone's assignments (including mine until I found the key...copy her book word-for-word.) And her web-based syllabus is one of the most disorganized jumbled-up messes I have ever seen. Every time I think I am done with everything I discover some other ridiculous detail that is hidden in some corner of the webpage instead of in the class assignments list. To overcompensate I wrote one of the most organized papers I have ever written, complete with a table of contents! And you know what else I did? By my table of contents I put next to each content, in parenthesis, how many points that section is worth on her grading rubric. If she is going to dock me points for something I did not do I am damn well going to have proof that she is docking me for something that is not on the rubric.
ANYWAY...she can do what she wants because I am done now and feeling good. And I don't want to hate on anyone too much on this blog. It is a happy blog. I just wish she would go do two hour seminars at schools or something because being a grad school professor is something she is not very good at. And tomorrow I will go to work for three hours, drop my final paper in the mail, and then leave for Paul's bachelor party in Green Bay. It should be a great day. And a great weekend.
But let's find some things that went well today...
I went back to my school in Downers Grove and handed out P.E. awards today. And they gave me free lunch. And then they suckered me into taking the kids to recess. But that was okay because I got to play basketball. I love playing basketball with middle school kids because it is maybe the only time in my life when I have been a good basketball player. I get all show-offy. You should see it.
Also they gave me a 20 dollar gift certificate to Chipotle for my birthday! Woot!
And I took a study break right before the Cubs game to go to Chipotle and use my gift card. And I bought a burrito bowl and some chips and guacamole. Then Krissy ate a bunch of my chips. But that was my fault for not eating them right away I guess.
And the Cubs won. Four in a row.
So looking back, even though I was busy, it wasn't the worst day in the world. I worked with the windows open and there was a nice breeze. I didn't have to work. I listened to music all day. And I half-heartedly watched the Cubs game.
And now my class is over....YAY!!!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Day 4
Field Day. It went okay I guess. The kids were APE SHIT crazy. Some of them cried. Most of them just kind of bounced off the walls. And threw water balloons at each other. And me. Even though it was cold out. But it was fun.
And we had a big kickball game. That was great. Kickball rules!
Today I went back to the school I used to work at in Naperville. I had to do a quick observation. And it was really nice to be back. I love going back but I get stressed out because of having so many people I need to talk to in such a short time. Especially today...I had to speed from the Field Day in Downers Grove and got to N'ville about 45 minutes before the end of the school day.
Now I will talk about Beth Langley, the support teacher I worked with at that school. She was out for the entire school year on medical leave. She has been very sick. The parents of the kids in the school are really coming through for her though. A collection is being taken up because apparently the family has some exorbitant medical bills. Giving money is something they are good at over there. Which is nice. Anyway, Mrs. Langley is a great teacher who has been very important to me, both professionally and as a friend. I remember last March when, on the first two days of the NCAA Tournament, she would peak into my classroom every 15-20 minutes to update me on all the scores. When another staff member teased her about the way she was spending her day she said, "My job is to keep Mike happy so he can do his job." She is one of the people I have to thank for my current career plans. So if you pray, please say on for Beth Langley. If you do not pray, keep her in your thoughts...it works the same way.
Well...that took it out of me much more than I had thought it would.
Also, the ninth inning of tonight's Cubs game took a year off my life. But they won.
Happy Summer Everyone!
And we had a big kickball game. That was great. Kickball rules!
Today I went back to the school I used to work at in Naperville. I had to do a quick observation. And it was really nice to be back. I love going back but I get stressed out because of having so many people I need to talk to in such a short time. Especially today...I had to speed from the Field Day in Downers Grove and got to N'ville about 45 minutes before the end of the school day.
Now I will talk about Beth Langley, the support teacher I worked with at that school. She was out for the entire school year on medical leave. She has been very sick. The parents of the kids in the school are really coming through for her though. A collection is being taken up because apparently the family has some exorbitant medical bills. Giving money is something they are good at over there. Which is nice. Anyway, Mrs. Langley is a great teacher who has been very important to me, both professionally and as a friend. I remember last March when, on the first two days of the NCAA Tournament, she would peak into my classroom every 15-20 minutes to update me on all the scores. When another staff member teased her about the way she was spending her day she said, "My job is to keep Mike happy so he can do his job." She is one of the people I have to thank for my current career plans. So if you pray, please say on for Beth Langley. If you do not pray, keep her in your thoughts...it works the same way.
Well...that took it out of me much more than I had thought it would.
Also, the ninth inning of tonight's Cubs game took a year off my life. But they won.
Happy Summer Everyone!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Day 3
I'm still not entirely sure what a Pneumonia Front is. But I never, ever want it to happen again.
That said, I was stuck inside most of the day anyway. What with class and all. That was a drag. And I can't remember the last time I had such a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. I have a very busy week. But when it is over, after the after-party, it's the motherfucking bachelor party!
OK...so...things to talk about. Man, I'm really tired...
I went to the teacher store today. I felt like a teacher. So that's good. I bought some stickers for the Field Day tomorrow. And a book on sign language.
The Field Day tomorrow. I'm putting on a Field Day. Many of you probably know that I picked up a gig teaching P.E. at a tiny Seventh-day Adventist school three hours a week. I don't know very much (read: anything) about teaching P.E. so I pretty much just did what all my P.E. teachers did...order the kids around, make them do a bunch of stuff that I sure as hell wouldn't want to do, then start up a football game or something in which I prominently flaunt my superior speed and size (well...size at least.) ANYWAY...school year is ending and I have to throw a Field Day together tomorrow. It's not going to be very good. But I will talk about that tomorrow since it is happening tomorrow.
But today I prepared for it. Not as much as I should have. One of the catches is that this school does not have very much equipment AT ALL. So I'm going to another school in the morning to borrow a bunch of equipment. And tonight I ran to the CVS to buy water balloons at 10:00. Can't imagine that many people wander in at 10 PM to buy water balloons.
Actually, going to the CVS was probably the highlight of my day. No, I don't plan on looking back on today as the highlight of my summer. But going to CVS gave me an opportunity to drive around on the empty streets listening to Bonnie Prince Billy. I think that the recipe for a completely happy life can be found in listening to the right music at the right time of day. This is not an exact science of course, but if you follow this formula you will probably be doing all right:
Upbeat, loud, trunk rattling music by day.
Giddy, full, sing along music at sunset.
Sad music late at night.
That's a start at least. And it especially holds true in a car. And it can be adjusted to fit the particular mood. But I have rarely found a time when sad music did not sound best late at night. This is just the BEST (and ONLY) time of day for sadness. But the beauty of it is that nighttime sadness does not even really feel like sadness. It is just the normal state of being for these hours. Every bit of happiness must have some melancholy attached to it to make it real, and this is when it comes out. And pretty soon the sun will come up and it will disappear. Then it's time to pop in 36 Chambers and throw yr "W" up!
That said, I was stuck inside most of the day anyway. What with class and all. That was a drag. And I can't remember the last time I had such a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning. I have a very busy week. But when it is over, after the after-party, it's the motherfucking bachelor party!
OK...so...things to talk about. Man, I'm really tired...
I went to the teacher store today. I felt like a teacher. So that's good. I bought some stickers for the Field Day tomorrow. And a book on sign language.
The Field Day tomorrow. I'm putting on a Field Day. Many of you probably know that I picked up a gig teaching P.E. at a tiny Seventh-day Adventist school three hours a week. I don't know very much (read: anything) about teaching P.E. so I pretty much just did what all my P.E. teachers did...order the kids around, make them do a bunch of stuff that I sure as hell wouldn't want to do, then start up a football game or something in which I prominently flaunt my superior speed and size (well...size at least.) ANYWAY...school year is ending and I have to throw a Field Day together tomorrow. It's not going to be very good. But I will talk about that tomorrow since it is happening tomorrow.
But today I prepared for it. Not as much as I should have. One of the catches is that this school does not have very much equipment AT ALL. So I'm going to another school in the morning to borrow a bunch of equipment. And tonight I ran to the CVS to buy water balloons at 10:00. Can't imagine that many people wander in at 10 PM to buy water balloons.
Actually, going to the CVS was probably the highlight of my day. No, I don't plan on looking back on today as the highlight of my summer. But going to CVS gave me an opportunity to drive around on the empty streets listening to Bonnie Prince Billy. I think that the recipe for a completely happy life can be found in listening to the right music at the right time of day. This is not an exact science of course, but if you follow this formula you will probably be doing all right:
Upbeat, loud, trunk rattling music by day.
Giddy, full, sing along music at sunset.
Sad music late at night.
That's a start at least. And it especially holds true in a car. And it can be adjusted to fit the particular mood. But I have rarely found a time when sad music did not sound best late at night. This is just the BEST (and ONLY) time of day for sadness. But the beauty of it is that nighttime sadness does not even really feel like sadness. It is just the normal state of being for these hours. Every bit of happiness must have some melancholy attached to it to make it real, and this is when it comes out. And pretty soon the sun will come up and it will disappear. Then it's time to pop in 36 Chambers and throw yr "W" up!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Day 2
I have decided to do my blogging outside whenever possible. That is what I am doing right now. It was 83 degrees out today and now it is approaching sunset and perfect.
I am home now. The worst part about house-sitting was that I did not sleep very well this weekend. I think that I feel asleep fairly easily...but I can't tell. Usually I have music on when I go to sleep, so I am able to gauge in the morning how long it took me to fall asleep, based on what the last song I remember was. While in Naperville I did not listen to music, so I just kind of slipped into an abyss at some unspecified time. But the real problem is that I would wake up at about 5:30 and not be able to get back to sleep. It was very bright in the bedroom when the sun came up. And also the birds were extremely loud. And one morning the smoke alarm went off for some reason.
Today I received word of two deaths. This is maybe not the positive vibe I am going for here but it is what happened. The first was Jeremi Gonzalez who used to pitch for the Cubs. I saw this on the news just moments before Susana left a comment on my "Day 1" entry. If you are looking for an interesting first hand account of his death, go read the comment. He was struck by lightning. So it goes. The last time I saw Gonzalez pitch in person was when he was on Tampa Bay and he broke Sammy Sosa's bat, revealing the cork. (Don't quote me on this...I could be mistaken.) Anyway...it was just kind of interesting.
About half an hour ago my family got a phone call from London with word that my 85ish-year-old cousin Eugene passed away this morning. Eugene grew up in Poland and moved to England after the war. A few years back he began tracking down his distant relatives across the globe, including his family in America. After a little correspondence via mail, Eugene came to visit for two weeks last summer. It was a whirlwind trip as he got whisked around to visit relatives in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Apparently he spoke very highly of his trip and his wife insisted that his son get in contact with Eugene's American relatives. So it goes.
There are two robins playing on my front lawn.
What else...today was Memorial Day. No big goings on. The weather was beautiful. I mowed the lawn. Got a little bit of work done...not much. And OH!
Today I discovered Flight of the Conchords. I know I am WAY out of the loop on this one, but those guys are hilarious. If you, like me, missed the boat on them, go look them up on YouTube IMMEDIATELY. It will bring joy to your Monday night. Particularly the gangsta rap track "Hiphopasaurus vs. Rhmenocerous."
And CUBS WIN! Another good day...
I am home now. The worst part about house-sitting was that I did not sleep very well this weekend. I think that I feel asleep fairly easily...but I can't tell. Usually I have music on when I go to sleep, so I am able to gauge in the morning how long it took me to fall asleep, based on what the last song I remember was. While in Naperville I did not listen to music, so I just kind of slipped into an abyss at some unspecified time. But the real problem is that I would wake up at about 5:30 and not be able to get back to sleep. It was very bright in the bedroom when the sun came up. And also the birds were extremely loud. And one morning the smoke alarm went off for some reason.
Today I received word of two deaths. This is maybe not the positive vibe I am going for here but it is what happened. The first was Jeremi Gonzalez who used to pitch for the Cubs. I saw this on the news just moments before Susana left a comment on my "Day 1" entry. If you are looking for an interesting first hand account of his death, go read the comment. He was struck by lightning. So it goes. The last time I saw Gonzalez pitch in person was when he was on Tampa Bay and he broke Sammy Sosa's bat, revealing the cork. (Don't quote me on this...I could be mistaken.) Anyway...it was just kind of interesting.
About half an hour ago my family got a phone call from London with word that my 85ish-year-old cousin Eugene passed away this morning. Eugene grew up in Poland and moved to England after the war. A few years back he began tracking down his distant relatives across the globe, including his family in America. After a little correspondence via mail, Eugene came to visit for two weeks last summer. It was a whirlwind trip as he got whisked around to visit relatives in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Apparently he spoke very highly of his trip and his wife insisted that his son get in contact with Eugene's American relatives. So it goes.
There are two robins playing on my front lawn.
What else...today was Memorial Day. No big goings on. The weather was beautiful. I mowed the lawn. Got a little bit of work done...not much. And OH!
Today I discovered Flight of the Conchords. I know I am WAY out of the loop on this one, but those guys are hilarious. If you, like me, missed the boat on them, go look them up on YouTube IMMEDIATELY. It will bring joy to your Monday night. Particularly the gangsta rap track "Hiphopasaurus vs. Rhmenocerous."
And CUBS WIN! Another good day...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Day 1
Once again, I apologize for my absence. I have no excuses.
Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you what I am doing here. Today is the first day of my 101 Days of Summer Fun. If you know me you probably know that I live for the summertime. And this summer is going to be the best one yet...Paul's bachelor party, a week long trip to NY and Boston, three classic ballparks in three days (Shea, Yankee, Fenway), Milwaukee for Summerfest, kid sister's wedding (the sister...not the rapper), Pitchfork/Rock the Bells weekend, Lollapalooza, and all the Cubs games, street festivals, and barbecues that make summer in Chicago such a wonderful time.
So what could make the best summer ever even better? That's right...telling everyone else about it! So there you go...it is my intention to blog every day for the next 101 days. Hey, it's a pain in the ass...but it is better than actually studying or something lame like that. So consider this my great web memoir. My "webmoir" if you will.
So...I realize that I should have been hyping this up all along. But I didn't. Because I was busy not doing other things. But that isn't important. What is important is that my fantastic summer began today. And it wasn't exactly the kind of day that I will look back on and say, "That was one of the best days of the summer." But it was also not the kind of day I will look back on and say, "What a shitty day that was!" I would say, when all is said and done, I will probably rate it around the 63rd best day of the summer.
Pros...I didn't have to do anything lame all day. It is always nice at the end of the day to be able to look back and realize nothing really crappy happened all day. The closest I can come is the fact that the Cubs lost because Alfonso Soriano dropped a routine fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. But they are still in first place and coming home tomorrow so everything is still okay in that department. And I was not watching the game at the moment so that helped.
We don't talk about cons here...usually.
Actually, the more I think about it, the better today was. I slept until ten (always good), took a long shower at the house I am house-sitting at (another positive...they gave me a hundred bucks just to stay at their house for the weekend, leading me to wonder if their house is haunted and this is actually a dare...oh well, I'm still alive!), and then went back to my real house. And Paul (my future brother-in-law to the uninitiated...you will get it all eventually) was there because today was Krissy's (sister) boring ass wedding shower, which apparently featured something called bridal bingo and a deep fryer. So we went to Rock Bottom, had a couple beers, ate macaroni, and watched baseball. Great, huh?
Then I went to Oak Park and met up with my old friend Rob, who shaved his beard. We hung out outside, which is always a good thing to do in the summertime (IT'S SUMMERTIME). And did I mention...it was 80 DEGREES TODAY! But the most interesting thing of the day was at Chipotle. While we were eating outside (WHERE IT WAS WARM!) we were approached by a middle-aged Hispanic man looking for two dollars so he could take the train home to Cermak and Damen. Not sure what he was doing in Oak Park, but I gave him the two bucks and we had a long conversation about all manner of things. Here's what we found out...
Julian grew up in Chicago. As a teenager he was a golden glove boxer and at sixteen he traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana to compete in nationals (where he won.) According to Julian, he was all set to go professional. The papers were signed and all the arrangements made...but the alcohol won that bout and it was never to be. Instead, Julian got a job as a machinist (or something) and started a family. Eventually he and his wife split up, and three months ago he lost his job. Julian acknowledges his alcoholism as a problem, but says he "may as well just keep drinking now." His one great pride in life is in his two children. Julian is a survivor and from the start he taught his children to be the same. When his daughter was a freshman in high school she was harassed by one male student for about a month before she knocked him the fuck out, sparking a meeting between Julian and the principal. Julian claims he taught her to fight like this. He also taught both his children to use firearms...a skill his son put to good use as a sniper with the marines. He has served two stays in Iraq but he is currently at home, a fact that thrills Julian who was able to see his son, daughter, and two grandchildren at the same time last weekend. On May 28, his son will go to North Carolina where he will serve another six months before being discharged. An unfortunate fight with a superior (Julian looked both ways before dropping the "N" word) kept him from becoming a sergeant, but Julian is just happy that it appears his son will escape the war unscathed.
And this is how I spent my day. After talking to Julian I decided that the summer should be about meeting interesting people and hearing their stories. Everyone has a story that is interesting and worth hearing. And everyone deserves to have their story heard by others. People may say that they do not want to talk about themselves, but their actions say otherwise. It only took about two loosely related questions for Julian to share his entire life story. The 101 Days of Summer Fun are an account of my personal stories...I would like to use it as a forum for other people's stories as well. I'm going to try to find one person a day...though I fully realize that many days I will not meet anyone.
Finally...if you look at Julian's story you will notice that I included no personal analysis on his life and choices. I simply related to my readers the things Julian told me on the Chipotle patio. For the most part, I would like to follow this format. I am not trying to solve anyone's problems here...simply listen and relate the fascinating stories they have to tell. Now, I can't promise I will never meet someone that calls for a more in depth discussion, due to certain aspects of their lives that are just too interesting. But for the most part...this is about telling stories, and that is what I did here.
And what am I doing now? I am sitting on the back patio at the house I am house-sitting at. The sun just went down and I am having a 312 and writing this. There is nowhere I'd rather be right now (except maybe Sasquatch.)
Just 100 more days to go...
Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you what I am doing here. Today is the first day of my 101 Days of Summer Fun. If you know me you probably know that I live for the summertime. And this summer is going to be the best one yet...Paul's bachelor party, a week long trip to NY and Boston, three classic ballparks in three days (Shea, Yankee, Fenway), Milwaukee for Summerfest, kid sister's wedding (the sister...not the rapper), Pitchfork/Rock the Bells weekend, Lollapalooza, and all the Cubs games, street festivals, and barbecues that make summer in Chicago such a wonderful time.
So what could make the best summer ever even better? That's right...telling everyone else about it! So there you go...it is my intention to blog every day for the next 101 days. Hey, it's a pain in the ass...but it is better than actually studying or something lame like that. So consider this my great web memoir. My "webmoir" if you will.
So...I realize that I should have been hyping this up all along. But I didn't. Because I was busy not doing other things. But that isn't important. What is important is that my fantastic summer began today. And it wasn't exactly the kind of day that I will look back on and say, "That was one of the best days of the summer." But it was also not the kind of day I will look back on and say, "What a shitty day that was!" I would say, when all is said and done, I will probably rate it around the 63rd best day of the summer.
Pros...I didn't have to do anything lame all day. It is always nice at the end of the day to be able to look back and realize nothing really crappy happened all day. The closest I can come is the fact that the Cubs lost because Alfonso Soriano dropped a routine fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. But they are still in first place and coming home tomorrow so everything is still okay in that department. And I was not watching the game at the moment so that helped.
We don't talk about cons here...usually.
Actually, the more I think about it, the better today was. I slept until ten (always good), took a long shower at the house I am house-sitting at (another positive...they gave me a hundred bucks just to stay at their house for the weekend, leading me to wonder if their house is haunted and this is actually a dare...oh well, I'm still alive!), and then went back to my real house. And Paul (my future brother-in-law to the uninitiated...you will get it all eventually) was there because today was Krissy's (sister) boring ass wedding shower, which apparently featured something called bridal bingo and a deep fryer. So we went to Rock Bottom, had a couple beers, ate macaroni, and watched baseball. Great, huh?
Then I went to Oak Park and met up with my old friend Rob, who shaved his beard. We hung out outside, which is always a good thing to do in the summertime (IT'S SUMMERTIME). And did I mention...it was 80 DEGREES TODAY! But the most interesting thing of the day was at Chipotle. While we were eating outside (WHERE IT WAS WARM!) we were approached by a middle-aged Hispanic man looking for two dollars so he could take the train home to Cermak and Damen. Not sure what he was doing in Oak Park, but I gave him the two bucks and we had a long conversation about all manner of things. Here's what we found out...
Julian grew up in Chicago. As a teenager he was a golden glove boxer and at sixteen he traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana to compete in nationals (where he won.) According to Julian, he was all set to go professional. The papers were signed and all the arrangements made...but the alcohol won that bout and it was never to be. Instead, Julian got a job as a machinist (or something) and started a family. Eventually he and his wife split up, and three months ago he lost his job. Julian acknowledges his alcoholism as a problem, but says he "may as well just keep drinking now." His one great pride in life is in his two children. Julian is a survivor and from the start he taught his children to be the same. When his daughter was a freshman in high school she was harassed by one male student for about a month before she knocked him the fuck out, sparking a meeting between Julian and the principal. Julian claims he taught her to fight like this. He also taught both his children to use firearms...a skill his son put to good use as a sniper with the marines. He has served two stays in Iraq but he is currently at home, a fact that thrills Julian who was able to see his son, daughter, and two grandchildren at the same time last weekend. On May 28, his son will go to North Carolina where he will serve another six months before being discharged. An unfortunate fight with a superior (Julian looked both ways before dropping the "N" word) kept him from becoming a sergeant, but Julian is just happy that it appears his son will escape the war unscathed.
And this is how I spent my day. After talking to Julian I decided that the summer should be about meeting interesting people and hearing their stories. Everyone has a story that is interesting and worth hearing. And everyone deserves to have their story heard by others. People may say that they do not want to talk about themselves, but their actions say otherwise. It only took about two loosely related questions for Julian to share his entire life story. The 101 Days of Summer Fun are an account of my personal stories...I would like to use it as a forum for other people's stories as well. I'm going to try to find one person a day...though I fully realize that many days I will not meet anyone.
Finally...if you look at Julian's story you will notice that I included no personal analysis on his life and choices. I simply related to my readers the things Julian told me on the Chipotle patio. For the most part, I would like to follow this format. I am not trying to solve anyone's problems here...simply listen and relate the fascinating stories they have to tell. Now, I can't promise I will never meet someone that calls for a more in depth discussion, due to certain aspects of their lives that are just too interesting. But for the most part...this is about telling stories, and that is what I did here.
And what am I doing now? I am sitting on the back patio at the house I am house-sitting at. The sun just went down and I am having a 312 and writing this. There is nowhere I'd rather be right now (except maybe Sasquatch.)
Just 100 more days to go...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Concert Review: Jay-Z (and Mary J)
Saturday night’s Jay-Z / Mary J. Blige co-headlining show at the United Center was a milestone concert for me. Not only was it my first live encounter with the greatest rapper of all time, it was also the first hip hop show I have attended in an arena. This only occurred to me as I was driving to the concert and I became aware that I was not entirely sure how I would adapt to watching a performance from roughly half a mile away.
The verdict? Within the confines of the arena hip hop felt a little less like hip hop. But this may have more to do with the artist than the venue. Jay-Z has become increasingly adamant that he does not in fact consider himself, first and foremost, a rapper. American Gangster is full of lines like, “Please don’t categorize this as music.” And I’m starting to think this is more than just irrelevant semantics. It is entirely possible that Jay’s phenomenal rap skill is the least important aspect of his public figure.
And herein lies the paradox: the greatest rapper of all time only raps as a hobby. Just last year he went to see American Gangster, got inspired, in three weeks churned out an album worthy of being mentioned with his best work, and then went back to selling clothing and having sex with Beyonce. Jay’s popularity, both critically and commercially, can be chalked up to the fact that people just flat out wish they were him. That’s why he can write a song like “U Don’t Know”, where he describes his wealth in perhaps the most literal terms in music history (“One million, two million, three million, four/In just 18 months, 80 million more/Now add that number up with the one I said before/You are now looking at one rich black boy”), and still have the crowd singing along word for word. Jay-Z embodies the best possible scenario for millions of Americans, and in turn this population imitates and respects him.
Take fashion for example. Jay-Z entered the rap game at a time when rappers had by and large ceased to care about style. All the flash of the ‘80s had given way to the jerseys and sagging jeans championed by N.W.A. and any number of West Coast artists. Hip hop style began to mirror the hopelessness that pervaded popular rap lyrics. Jay changed all that. His attire, like his whole demeanor, was an affront to those who would wallow in their hopelessness. And judging by his audience on Saturday night, his fans have bought into this. In sharp contrast to the typical hip hop show, much of the crowd was dressed to impress, many coming in full suits and formal dresses. (Note: The white people didn’t get the memo. Most of them (myself included) wore hoodies.)
It is in this way that Jay can spend so many lyrics rapping about his wealth and still be hailed as a socially conscious rapper. As he puts it, “I do this for my culture / to let’em know what a nigga look like when a nigga in a roaster.” Jay has given the downtrodden a voice. He has shown that it is okay to hold your head high and shout down adversity.
Perhaps this is why Jay-Z is so adamant about identifying himself as something other than a rapper. If he truly sees his life as a model for the inner-city success story, it would make sense that he would not want to play into the myth that the only way to make it out of the hood is through rap, basketball, or drug sales (never mind the fact that he has been involved in all three of these at one time or another…it is not relevant to the main point…I guess...at least not in this review…we’ll talk later.) Jay-Z portrays himself as a businessman, providing another, more realistic, career goal for inner-city youth to aim for.
What else. Oh yeah, the show. It was pretty much what I expected. Jay-Z performed with a several-piece band (who knows how many…kind of hard to tell from that distance) that sounded pretty tight. He was charismatic and possessed pretty good control over the crowd, despite the fact that it was far from the ideal setting for a rap show. New tracks were spliced in with the hits. Highlights of the set included Memphis Bleek’s appearance for a blistering one-two punch of “U Don’t Know” and “99 Problems”, sing-along versions of “Encore” and “Big Pimpin’”, and an endorsement of Barack Obama. And lots of other songs that I’m not going to mention now because, well, you get the idea. There are some set-lists floating around the Internet.
I do wish that Jay had completed more of the songs he started, even at the expense of a shorter set-list. I would have liked to hear more verses on “Say Hello”, “No Hook”, and “99 Problems.” Even “Izzo” was cut short after just one verse, though I found some humor when Jay skipped ahead to “POOF! Vamoose son of a bitch.” Just had to get the best part of the song in!
There was a unique feeling about this concert. It was closely related to the strange sensation of seeing a hip hop show in an arena, but not quite because this feeling would not have been present at a Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, or even Kanye West show. It was not until a few days after the concert that I was able to put my finger on exactly what this feeling was. This did not seem like a show by a popular, hyped artist. It felt like a U2 concert. Or a Paul McCartney concert. And all at once it occurred to me that, of all Jay’s achievements in the rap world, perhaps the greatest of all is that he is the first rapper to have aged gracefully and morphed into a mature, arena-packing, adult contemporary (ouch…I know) act. This may not sound flattering to Jay-Z (though I doubt he cares…remember the whole sex with Beyonce thing), or a whole lot of fun to you and me, but it speaks volumes for the genre and how far it has come.
As for Mary J. Blige, she sounded very good but I am not a huge fan and was good and ready for Jay-Z by the time she brought her set to a close. What struck me about her set was how much the womenfolk LOVE her. And all the duets she did with Jay were wonderful. Show opener “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and closer “Heart of the City” were definite highlights of the evening, but for my money they both paled in comparison to a moving “Song Cry.” The Blueprint hit is one of my favorites for Jay’s unabashed willingness to confront his sensitive side and on Saturday night two legends proved that no matter how big the United Center is they were big enough to make it feel small.
The verdict? Within the confines of the arena hip hop felt a little less like hip hop. But this may have more to do with the artist than the venue. Jay-Z has become increasingly adamant that he does not in fact consider himself, first and foremost, a rapper. American Gangster is full of lines like, “Please don’t categorize this as music.” And I’m starting to think this is more than just irrelevant semantics. It is entirely possible that Jay’s phenomenal rap skill is the least important aspect of his public figure.
And herein lies the paradox: the greatest rapper of all time only raps as a hobby. Just last year he went to see American Gangster, got inspired, in three weeks churned out an album worthy of being mentioned with his best work, and then went back to selling clothing and having sex with Beyonce. Jay’s popularity, both critically and commercially, can be chalked up to the fact that people just flat out wish they were him. That’s why he can write a song like “U Don’t Know”, where he describes his wealth in perhaps the most literal terms in music history (“One million, two million, three million, four/In just 18 months, 80 million more/Now add that number up with the one I said before/You are now looking at one rich black boy”), and still have the crowd singing along word for word. Jay-Z embodies the best possible scenario for millions of Americans, and in turn this population imitates and respects him.
Take fashion for example. Jay-Z entered the rap game at a time when rappers had by and large ceased to care about style. All the flash of the ‘80s had given way to the jerseys and sagging jeans championed by N.W.A. and any number of West Coast artists. Hip hop style began to mirror the hopelessness that pervaded popular rap lyrics. Jay changed all that. His attire, like his whole demeanor, was an affront to those who would wallow in their hopelessness. And judging by his audience on Saturday night, his fans have bought into this. In sharp contrast to the typical hip hop show, much of the crowd was dressed to impress, many coming in full suits and formal dresses. (Note: The white people didn’t get the memo. Most of them (myself included) wore hoodies.)
It is in this way that Jay can spend so many lyrics rapping about his wealth and still be hailed as a socially conscious rapper. As he puts it, “I do this for my culture / to let’em know what a nigga look like when a nigga in a roaster.” Jay has given the downtrodden a voice. He has shown that it is okay to hold your head high and shout down adversity.
Perhaps this is why Jay-Z is so adamant about identifying himself as something other than a rapper. If he truly sees his life as a model for the inner-city success story, it would make sense that he would not want to play into the myth that the only way to make it out of the hood is through rap, basketball, or drug sales (never mind the fact that he has been involved in all three of these at one time or another…it is not relevant to the main point…I guess...at least not in this review…we’ll talk later.) Jay-Z portrays himself as a businessman, providing another, more realistic, career goal for inner-city youth to aim for.
What else. Oh yeah, the show. It was pretty much what I expected. Jay-Z performed with a several-piece band (who knows how many…kind of hard to tell from that distance) that sounded pretty tight. He was charismatic and possessed pretty good control over the crowd, despite the fact that it was far from the ideal setting for a rap show. New tracks were spliced in with the hits. Highlights of the set included Memphis Bleek’s appearance for a blistering one-two punch of “U Don’t Know” and “99 Problems”, sing-along versions of “Encore” and “Big Pimpin’”, and an endorsement of Barack Obama. And lots of other songs that I’m not going to mention now because, well, you get the idea. There are some set-lists floating around the Internet.
I do wish that Jay had completed more of the songs he started, even at the expense of a shorter set-list. I would have liked to hear more verses on “Say Hello”, “No Hook”, and “99 Problems.” Even “Izzo” was cut short after just one verse, though I found some humor when Jay skipped ahead to “POOF! Vamoose son of a bitch.” Just had to get the best part of the song in!
There was a unique feeling about this concert. It was closely related to the strange sensation of seeing a hip hop show in an arena, but not quite because this feeling would not have been present at a Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, or even Kanye West show. It was not until a few days after the concert that I was able to put my finger on exactly what this feeling was. This did not seem like a show by a popular, hyped artist. It felt like a U2 concert. Or a Paul McCartney concert. And all at once it occurred to me that, of all Jay’s achievements in the rap world, perhaps the greatest of all is that he is the first rapper to have aged gracefully and morphed into a mature, arena-packing, adult contemporary (ouch…I know) act. This may not sound flattering to Jay-Z (though I doubt he cares…remember the whole sex with Beyonce thing), or a whole lot of fun to you and me, but it speaks volumes for the genre and how far it has come.
As for Mary J. Blige, she sounded very good but I am not a huge fan and was good and ready for Jay-Z by the time she brought her set to a close. What struck me about her set was how much the womenfolk LOVE her. And all the duets she did with Jay were wonderful. Show opener “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and closer “Heart of the City” were definite highlights of the evening, but for my money they both paled in comparison to a moving “Song Cry.” The Blueprint hit is one of my favorites for Jay’s unabashed willingness to confront his sensitive side and on Saturday night two legends proved that no matter how big the United Center is they were big enough to make it feel small.
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