Blind I | The Boutique Music Blog | Quality Over Quantity.

LITTLE BROTHER | END OF AN ERA

Good news:: Our beloved rap duo of Rapper Big Pooh & Phonte are dropping another LB album. Bad news:: It will be their last. I can’t say I am surprised. We’ve all noticed Pooh on his rap game like no other & Phonte on his everything else other than rap game like no other. Both have grown, both are on diff levels of their respective careers. I know it wont be the last time they work together m but as far as under the LB umbrella that looks to be a negative.

Peep the official announcement from LB themselves after the j…

› Read More…

DROPPED BY NO

BILAL CONCERT-WASHINGTON D.C.

By now, you all know I am an uber Bilal fan. He will be in D.C. this Friday at Black Cat–which is home to some consistently awesome shows. Plus it’s $20  and he will be performing material from his upcoming album, so you can’t beat that. If you go, hit us up and tell us how it was.

DROPPED BY Maiya

BILAL LIVE PERFORMANCE- “LEVELS”

I had the pleasure of catching this performance during CMJ week in NYC. Bilal was one of the most anticipated artists to hit the stage that night and as usual he tore it down. “Levels” is from his forthcoming album via Plug Research. I love the way it begins.

Shouts to VTech for the footage. If someone gives me this leak I’m not even going to cheat and download. Gotta support real artistry.

Enjoy!

DROPPED BY Maiya

JAY-Z – BLUEPRINT 3: THE SAMPLES

The homie and fellow blogger A.SAMP has compiled a dope compilation of the samples used from Jay-Z’s latest album. I know fellow crate diggers like myself always find joints like this fantabulous and splendiferous so by all means do like you do and do the damn thang.

…and by do the damn thang I mean click the download link below.

Tracklist after the hop.

Download The Blueprint 3 Samples Mixtape (Mediafire)

› Read More…

DROPPED BY *Pbbt!

CHICAGO | THE EVOLUTION OF THURSDAY!

Evolution Thursdays is the new name of our weekly Thursday we recently started back up, and tonight we’re going in heavy! Located in the trendy gallery row district of River North at the corner of Superior and Wells, AVILA & RELIGION boasts sprawling dance floors and multiple levels of VIP seating for bottle service. Located three stories above street level, exposed brick walls and 15 foot cathedral windows shower club goers with views of the Chicago Skyline. Adorned with stained glass windows, black crystal chandeliers, and candelabra wall sconces Religion offers a warm, sexy experience accented by deep purple and rich gold tones.

AVILA and RELIGION operate in union as multi dimensional music-driven venue with a state of the art sound system. Complimenting Religion’s lofty aesthetic is a 15 foot pulpit style DJ booth and transform the space with an energized glitz. Club goers can indulge in two full service bars including a private VIP bar on the mezzanine and bottle service nightly.

What, you need more reason to you need to Join us on Thursday as we transform your night from ordinary to Extraordinary? More info after the jump…

› Read More…

DROPPED BY $

OBAMAS BULLETPROOF FASHION

We all know that we all want the best in security and protection for our new Prez. So they are going all out to make sure he has the ultimate protection. Did you know that Obama was wearing a bulletproof suit at his inauguration? Rumor has it he might have been adorned in an outfit manufactured by Miguel Caballero, a Colombian company that specializes in bullet-resistant gear like leather jackets, windbreakers, etc. Click here for an interview with this bulletproof fashion-aire. Caballero is well known for his super tough but flexible and business appropriate clothing (see pic above), such as the $7,500 polo shirt that can stop a shot from a 9-mm revolver. According to Caballero, many of his garments offer more than three levels of ballistic protection and they are about seven times more flexible than the Kevlar vests that are usually worn.  So does this mean Sasha and Malia are getting bulletproof backpacks?  Let’s not forget to mention the new presidential limo.

DROPPED BY Merlin

HONDA + HYDROGEN POWER = CRACK

Introducing the all-new Honda FC Sport Hydrogen-Powered car. According to YankoDesign it was released yesterday and comes with some pretty dope specs….more pictures and information after the jump. › Read More…

DROPPED BY $

IMAGINE HAVING YOUR OWN PERSONAL MUSEUM…

I needed to post this up on Blind I because of the shear epicity of this collection. Please, read and enjoy. via Wired Magazine…

Browse the Artifacts of Geek History in Jay Walker’s Library

From King James to James Bond, Chaucer to Sputnik, a personal library like no other.
Photo: Andrew Moore

Nothing quite prepares you for the culture shock of Jay Walker’s library. You exit the austere parlor of his New England home and pass through a hallway into the bibliographic equivalent of a Disney ride. Stuffed with landmark tomes and eye-grabbing historical objects—on the walls, on tables, standing on the floor—the room occupies about 3,600 square feet on three mazelike levels. Is that a Sputnik? (Yes.) Hey, those books appear to be bound in rubies. (They are.) That edition of Chaucer … is it a Kelmscott? (Natch.) Gee, that chandelier looks like the one in the James Bond flick Die Another Day. (Because it is.) No matter where you turn in this ziggurat, another treasure beckons you—a 1665 Bills of Mortality chronicle of London (you can track plague fatalities by week), the instruction manual for the Saturn V rocket (which launched the Apollo 11 capsule to the moon), a framed napkin from 1943 on which Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his plan to win World War II. In no time, your mind is stretched like hot taffy.

More pictures and info after the jump.

› Read More…

DROPPED BY $

OOH THAT’S MY HOUSE!

First of all, if there’s a female Blind I reader who lives in a house like this, please feel free to give me a call at (773)……

› Read More…

DROPPED BY $

ACOTM: Final Thoughts

I’m not one to beat a dead horse, but I can’t help but to continue on with the same topic we’ve been travelling for the past week. You know, the relationship and respect thing between men and women. I promise this is the last I’ll say about the whole thing for a while, but catching up on the comments from Maiya’s dope-ass post put a few more things on my mind.

Here’s what I read from what everyone has said so far: the sisters who commented/wrote are frustrated, disappointed and a bit hurt, yet still maintain a good amount of reverence and admiration for men. On the other hand, the Black and Brown brothers have an admiration for women that is soured by a predilection towards objectifying them. Furthermore, tolerance for disenchanted and abused Black/Brown women is low-to-non existent and these fellas seem willing to take the path of least resistance and deal with women who pose less of a challenge.

Let me tell you something about that last thing, brothers: life is challenging. Being Black or Latino in AmeriKKKa is challenging. You do what you feel, but you can’t tell me nothing about racism, oppression, “the White Man” or anything else if you aren’t willing to give to your community on the most basic of levels: by showing loyalty, love and respect to the women who look like you. Blows my mind, the same dudes who would put they flyyest jacket over a puddle to let Jay-Z or Kanye walk over it can’t treat the women who look like they momma right!

No one wants to deal with an evil, man-hating woman; yet, a lot of brothers have no problem CREATING those women! While we ultimately have to assume personal responisblitly for ourselves, it’s without a doubt that women’s bitterness is tied to the experiences she’s had with men. From the fathers, to the boyfriends and the brothers on the block, y’all aren’t making it easy for us! I may come off as “Man Hater Number One”, but please believe me when I say this: when I’m dealing with a brother, he doesn’t see that side of me at ALL! I am the affectonate, supportive, nurturing chick! The one who’s cool enough to bring around your boys and who would be more than happy to bring you breakfast in bed. You can have anything in the world except C.R.E.A.M (and pork)! And I bet within most of these Black and Brown and scorned girls lies the same thing. Just something to think about.

DROPPED BY SISTER TOLDJA