End of an Era- The Rascal House

I can think of few things more identifiable with Jewish-American culture than the Jewish delicatessen. These public purveyors of gourmet Jewish (sometimes kosher, sometimes not so much) cuisine are a staple in the Jewish experience. Ever since I can remember, there were kosher dill pickles, corned-beef, rye bread, deli mustard, kosher salamis, bagels, white fish, lox, etc. around our house.
When the occasion called for a trip to the delicatessen for a family meal, there was always a very short list of favorites where I grew up in suburban Detroit. However, when our family made the annual trek from Detroit to Miami every year for our school's spring break vacation (usually by car- don't ask) there was only one answer- Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House.
In it's heyday, The Rascal House was THE place in Greater Miami for fine Jewish deli food. Their menu was super-extensive, everything from home-style brisket to the typical deli-combo sandwiches to soups to potato latkes to broiled fish. In the "snow bird" months (December through April) the place was so crowded that the lines literally wrapped around the block, hence the metal barricades and clear party-size organizational signs.
This was usually a full-blown family experience, often complete with impatient Jewish grandparents bossing around the uniformed wait-staff that had appeared to have worked there their whole lives. They were totally used to it, and part of the show.
I know that its just a restaurant, but this place is special to me (and many people like me that I have talked to about the House) for a few reasons besides just the food and character. First, to a Jewish person- or a person who grew up in or around a Jewish family- a Jewish deli, anywhere in the world, feels like home (whether its Katz's in NY, Canter's in LA or Steve's Deli in MI). I don't know exactly what it is, but something about being in a Jewish deli feels comfortable, instantly familiar, and safe. As soon as that pickle-and-mustard-and-corned beef smell hits your nostrils when you walk in, you feel like you are instantly at home (and if you don't know this unique smell by memory then you have never been to a real Jewish deli). I don't mean to make anyone feel excluded here who's not Jewish- on the contrary I have plenty of non-Jewish friends that enjoy pastrami and Jewish delis as much as or more than myself- but there is a certain intangible, almost spiritual connection for a Jewish person in a Jewish deli. Second, of course, this place held a lot of family memories for me in my childhood. Third, the Rascal House is an absolute time capsule in every way- it must have looked almost identical from the day it was opened in 1954 to the day it closed (today) 54 years later. It's a shame such a gem won't be preserved.
I was fortunate enough to be in Miami this weekend for some Winter Music Conference stuff, and this week I just happened to take a look on-line to see if there was any news about the Rascal House's rumored closing. Of course, as fate had it, I had a few days left to enjoy one last trip, take some photos, and say goodbye. (One trip with my partner LV turned into a second with our client DJ AM, because when he heard that LV and I went on Friday, AM demanded a chance to say goodbye on Saturday to the wonderful deli and relive some memories as well). I've always fantasized about owning one of the (pictured below, right) hand-crafted Rascal logo statues that once sat in the booth dividers between the counter area and the second dining room. So, I asked some folks that worked there whether they are selling some of the other random pieces of this sacred deli. It turns out that the Rascal statues were moved to Jerry's Famous Deli on Collins in South Beach a couple of years ago (Jerry's bought the Wolfie Cohen restaurants some time in the '90s), but for anyone that wants to buy one, they will gladly sell you one for $10,000. Also, tomorrow at 1 P.M. the doors of the restaurant will open to the public for a cash-only sale of various items therein, pre-priced at the owners' discretion of course. The glass wall panels with the Rascal logo on them (like the one above my head in the photo above) are going for $2,500. Fortunately, I had the foresight to lift a menu from there a few years back (with the aid of the ever-reliable Labelle). I'll scan it in and post it one day before it gets framed.
I'm super-glad that I got one last chance (well, two actually) to visit the House. But you could definitely feel a sense of sadness and despair in the establishment amongst the workers and patrons. The waitstaff wore forced smiles and the patrons were all snapping pictures like myself and walking around the room in a stunned disbelief remarking to each other "so sad" and "well, what are you gonna do?"

What, then, will become of this fantastic shell of a bygone era? They are going to build a 15-story mixed use office and retail center that will include an Epicure market, whatever that is. Whoop-dee-doo. So, if you ever happen to drive by on a balmy March day in Sunny Isles, Florida around Collins Blvd. and 172nd St., listen closely for the voice of the late, great Grandpa Marvin Rosenberg ordering the broiled white fish and french fries- and if they ain't hot, he's sendin' em back.

The Knux "Cappuccino" (Remix)

Check out a flick of The Knux at SXSW in Austin at the Beauty Bar showcase with huge music fan, TV chef and party host Rachel Ray.

Now check out The Knux self-produced remix of their buzzing single "Cappuccino". Doesn't it remind you of a '93 Diamond D. remix? I love it.

I Will Gladly Pay You Tuesday...

Below, I posted about the incredible burger at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. As long as I've been going there the only bad part has been that it's a cash only business. So I had to hit the ATM pretty hard in order to cover the cost of steak perfection... Until NOW! I don't know what took me so long, but I finally got a Peter Luger's credit card. Just what I needed, now I can go eat more whenever I want without regards to cash-on-hand! It's like a gold card for fat guys... Yes, this is real. The place really has it's own credit cards.

Mayor's Bad Day

I'm sure everyone is up-to-date on this now, but this isn't a very good day for The Hip-Hop Mayor nor the City of Detroit.

The Head Wrestler

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

I can't even write anything that really needs to be said. Just watch it.

iTunes Subscriptions?

I don't have any specific inside information on this unfortunately, but this story has some interesting information about the digital future of the music industry.
As I posted below, I am a firm believer in the subscription based model as the plausible solution for the music industry. While an iTunes based hard-drive iPod model, in my opinion, is not the final frontier, it's a big step in the right direction. Hopefully, Doug and Steve can see eye to eye on this one and make a deal.

Chocolate Surprise

I saw this disgusting idea of a candy bar at a CVS in Texas during SXSW. I'm sure you all know what Pop Rocks are... the fruity novelty candy launched in the 70's that pops in your mouth when the chemical composition of the crystals hits the H20 in your saliva. Zotz! Pops had a similar trick, but that inner substance fizzed, not popped. Anyway there was an urban myth about the kid Mikey from the Life cereal commercials ("Mikey likes it!) that says he died when he exploded from mixing Pop Rocks with Coke. It wasn't true, of course, as myself and every other silly kid actually tried the supposedly lethal combination and we all lived to grow out of our Members Only jackets. So, now its 2008, and Pop Rocks are still around. But they put them inside a chocolate bar. Fruity, popping candy mixed in with chocolate. Why? That sounds awful and gross and no I didn't buy one.

The Knux "Cappuccino" Video

I'm a little behind on posting this (50,000 views already) but we've been down at SXSW in Austin with The Knux killing the shows (all 4 of them). Check out the long awaited new video... Post on Austin trip coming soon with pics!

The Whooliganz "Put Your Handz Up"

Check out the Young Alchemist, formerly known as Mudd Foot, in his better years!

Stuck On Repeat

My new Air Max '95s from my latest NikeID binge started arriving today. Like you care... But I'm pretty excited. Opening up the design capabilities like they did on this shoe along with the new color options really changes the game. For me...

Holy Sh*t!

From the tales of the most bizarre, I found this story published in the Detroit Free Press... 2 years? Seriously? Aside from all the other obvious problems with that, how just plain boring would that be? I can't imagine she had a television on the throne or even good magazines. Like, what do you do for that long unless you are comatose or catatonic? So weird...

A Sign?

So, last night was Tracy McNew from Shady's birthday celebration (and you too Chris the Bull Operator). I may have had more adult beverages than necessary, and I walked outside my door with a hurt head to this...

Keep the Devil Down in the Hole

Season 5's finale of the best scripted drama to ever appear on television (yep, I said it) aired last night. This article from the Detroit Free Press is a pretty accurate description of the way that I feel about the show.
The only series that I've liked nearly as much on television (network and cable included) in the past 5 years (or more) was The Sopranos, of course. The finale of The Wire and the entire 5th season really proves what a difference it makes between having various writers work on a show over the course of several seasons versus the same writers on the show from day one through the end of the series. David Simon and crew (Simon wrote or co-wrote all 60 episodes, with partner Ed Burns co-writing 42 of those) deserve all the kudos imaginable for their portrayal of Baltimore's politics, media, dope dealers and police. What more satisfying an ending could one have hoped for in the last two episodes? I say the last 2 because that's how much it required to wrap everything up, and it was more like a two-part finale with a climax and following resolution. I've heard people complain about this or that regarding last nights finale, but face it: the only bad thing about the series is that it's over.

Rap Songs for White People

My good friend Mike Saputo sent me this link to a very funny analysis of white people's Top 10 favorite rap songs.
I can really relate to this... not because I'm white, but because as an avid hip-hop fan since I was 11 or 12 years old (I'll date myself- that's 1982 or 1983 if you are counting), I've seen and paid attention to the whole gamut of white folks' reaction to it. It had (note had, because this is hardly as relevant these days) always amused me which rap songs the general, non-fan-of-the-whole-genre, public picked as their favorites. Especially back in high school, when I bought or got a dub of every (literally- every) rap album that was released, and people would say "oh, yeah, that's Paul, he likes rap music (insert the sound of some dumb-ass making a awful beat-boxing sound". Yes, yes I do like RAP MUSIC.

The list seems pretty good to me. I would add (for the older folks) Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 "The Message" to the list of honorable mentions, as well as J.J. Fad's "Supersonic", Cypress Hill "Insane in the Brain", Luke "Doo-Doo Brown", and Hammer "Can't Touch This". I'll probably think of more later and update as well.
UPDATE: My additions for today are Run D.M.C. "It's Tricky"/"Walk This Way", Baha Men "Who Let the Dogs Out" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself".
DISCLAIMER: I don't support or subscribe to the stuff in the rest of the linked blog, I haven't even read the whole thing.

Bizzy Bone on Shade45

Last week, Bizzy Bone appeared on Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade45 on the All-Out Show. It's no secret thst Bizzy is a very eccentric man, and Rude Jude wanted to discuss specifics. Check out the entertaining clips below. (2 segments are in the same box).
"If you're sleepy, I give you my bed to sleep in."

Kosher Boy (Crank Dat)

The unemployment rate in this country is high. When people are unemployed, they have too much time on their hands. When people have too much time on their hands, sometimes they make things like this.

I'm not saying it doesn't have funny moments. But this is absolutely preposterous. In so many ways.

Peter Luger's Burger

Peter Luger's is the oldest steakhouse in New York City, first opening it's Brooklyn outpost in 1887. The steak at Luger's is simply unmatched at any place I've ever been in NYC. The place is an experience itself- old school waiters, no-nonsense appearance, simple menu ("we'll take the steak for 3, please!") and wooden tables and chairs. Not even table cloths. This spot is the goods.
I've been to Luger's for dinner many, many times. I'd always heard that their mythical burger is the best in the city as well, but I hadn't ever made the time to take the trip over the bridge during the week for lunch until a week ago last Friday. Let me tell you, it doesn't disappoint. Picture the best steak meat you've ever had ground into fine prime sirloin and cooked to perfection. I know I'm making you hungry... it's a must-do scenario. Don't bother with the ketchup- just a little spot of their incredible steak sauce is all you'll need.

KRS-One Over Violins

KRS is one of my favorite MC's of all-time. This bit from the Smirnoff show (see directly below) proves he still has what makes him one of the greatest ever. So clever and creative, fresh for '08! Thanks to Rob Stone and Cornerstone for this Rosenblog exclusive.

Smirnoff Signature Mix Series Show

Tuesday night in NY, the good peoples at Cornerstone put together the Smirnoff Signature Mix Series show at Element. The performers were Q-Tip, Common and KRS-One. The concept was that each artist would perform their "Signature Mix" of one of their classic songs. Q-Tip's was a remix of "Midnight" by Cool and Dre, Common's was a remix of "The Light" by Just Blaze, and KRS-One's is "Criminal Minded '08" by DJ Premier. I don't personally think any of those songs need remixing, but it was a fun party and the new collaborations are more like new songs anyway, because the beats and rhymes are totally different from the originals.
Check out the video of the performances below... the new songs can be downloaded here.

Equally as important, I got to meet and take some pictures with a couple of my old school heroes Positive K and Melle Mel.

AM's Sneaker Problem

Check out DJ AM with all of his sneakers trying to eat him alive. As you can see, AM is partial to Dunks. A lot of Dunks. Hey, AM, at least now that you have all of your music digitized you don't have to have a room full of vinyl records AND a separate room for your sneakers. Yay.

Jazzy Jeff & AM @ Prime

This should be a good one! A 4 turntable routine will be quite incredible.

Rude Jude in Las Vegas

For those that don't know, Rude Jude is the co-host of Sirius Satellite Radio's Shade45's afternoon drive-time "The All-Out Show" (M-F 4-8PM EST). Last week, Jude came out to the MAGIC Convention in Las Vegas to get some interviews for the show. Along the way, Jude met the above roller-skater-lady who apparently is a singer. Also while in Vegas, Jude and I took a trip to the Hooters Hotel & Casino, and went to... Hooters while we were there. Yes, there is a Hooters restaurant inside the Hooters Casino. Jude told everyone it was his birthday, and he danced.

We took Jude to go see George Carlin at the Orleans Casino, because, like Jude, Carlin is very angry and self-destructive. There was a man standing in line at the casino that kind-of looked like George, so I prompted Jude to ask for a picture. Jude did, and him and the older gentleman exchanged words. Because, as the man said, "who would want to take a f$%#&in' picture with YOU?"
Jude also decided that he was going to bring his backgammon board with him. Everywhere.

So he wound up at the Spearmint Rhino with his calf-skin covered portable travel backgammon case at 2 in the morning. I can't wait until our next trip to Vegas with Jude.

Shady Devil

Last summer, the design team at Shady Ltd. (whom I've dubbed The Dark Minds) came up with the idea for the Shady Devil character. We first used him on the back cover of the Re-Up because Em liked it so much.
So the illustrator, Kelvis, is so talented that he decided to make a 3-D scale vinyl model of the character, by hand. Kelvis went on to create 25 numbered, hand-painted figures of the critter. And I just got mine!
Look at the amazing, hand-painted detail. This thing is truly great. It stands about 10" tall. Good for Kelvis. Great for Shady Ltd.!

Shady Ltd. @ MAGIC Convention

For your viewing pleasure, below is the amateur home video (shot by me) of Shady Records' own Dro giving us a tour of the Shady Ltd. booth at the MAGIC Convention in Las Vegas last week. I tried to do something more interesting than just post a bunch of pictures. The show was really great for us, as we had the added attraction of Shade45's own Cipha Sounds, Angela Yee and Rude Jude doing interviews from the booth's upper deck. Thanks to Mistah F.A.B., Kidz in the Hall, Jay-Z, Bun-B, Paul Wall, Three 6 Mafia, Uncle Luke, and Young Buck for stopping by and supporting (among others... those are the guys that were there when I was).

Em & Proof Freestyles (#100)

For my 100th Rosenblog post, I present this video clip. It was shot during the MTV News Kurt Loder interview of Eminem in front of the house that he grew up in on Dresden in Detroit. This was probably shot in February or March of '99. I don't recall exactly but I think peices of this were used on-air in the news special, but not the whole thing uncut like this. Pretty fun stuff... Big Proof Forever.

Air Max 95 - NikeID

Nike has had their ID online custom store open for years now, and they have offered the ability to create custom AirMax 95's for like 2 years. To be clear, the 95 is my favorite sneaker ever, hands-down. But before, the actual "customization" was kind of limited. Specifically, you weren’t able to change the "panels" or color layers; they were locked into a pre-existing template that you could just mix and match with different soles, eyelets, tongue colors, laces, etc. But recently, this changed. Being an AirMax 95 fiend, I went a little crazy and ordered more (like I need them) with these new custom options. So fun. So little room left for sneakers.

Travis Barker & ?uestlove Jam Session

For the 5th year running, The Roots held their all-star jam session the night before the Grammy's at LA's Key Club on Sunset. I'm not going to tell you exactly what went on because I wasn't there, unfortunately. But I was fortunate enough to get this clip of Travis and ?uestlove having a sickening drum-exchange.

Metro Times/J. Dilla Article '96

I keep a lot of random artifacts, and recently I came across this article from Detroit's Metro Times weekly free newspaper from October of '96. I'm posting this now to recognize the birthday and memorial of James Yancey a/k/a Jaydee a/k/a J. Dilla, who most of you know passed away a couple of years ago (2/74-2/06). Interesting analyses of the Detroit hip-hop scene at the time... No mention of Eminem which is funny.
Historical trivia fact about J. is that he was originally known as John Doe, but abandoned the name when he realized it was taken- only to switch up to Jaydee (his middle name being Dewitt) and have that coincidentally adopted by Jermain Dupri. The game misses you, Jay.

The Patriot Bar

I'm sure I must have noticed this bar before which is located on Chambers Street near Church Street in Tribeca, it's just a block or so away from the heart of where the New York Giants' victory parade took place this past Tuesday. As I walked by on my way to vote in the primaries, I noticed the irony- on the day that this little bar was at it's most ironic it ever will be.
Sorry it's sideways, I'm not that nice at this html stuff.
Notice the "We Won" scribbled on the external blackboard and the Giants' fans standing out front like they just took over someone's castle. I guess they kind of did.

Bored With Being Rich?

These dudes have wayyy too much money. Check this article out on people in the United Arab Emirates spending ridiculous sums of money on lower numbered license plates.

Dog Day- 18 & NO!

I'm not going to spend this entire entry blasting the Patriots. Its unnecessary, the scoreboard said it all. At the end of the day, not perfect. Nope. Perfection is so rare that it eluded even the seemingly "best team ever".
Next season, the season after that, and the season following when people start talking about "they could go all the way undefeated" or "this could be a perfect season", just reach over and smack them. People are too quick to get excited about this possibility. Teams have bad games and get beat. Especially over a longer series of games. Who knows if the '72 Dolphins would have won 19 games straight? I'm not trying to take anything away from them, but come on. 17 is much different than 19. Just ask Bill. I'm just sayin'...
Now on to those Giants. What can you say? At the end of the day it boiled down to fundementals. Rush the passer, make sacks. Play physical and aggressive. Don't make stupid mistakes. And don't give up. EVER. That last Eli touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress (Go Green! Go White!) was so simple and basic. Quick slant to the corner of the end zone. Beat the coverage. Throw the football. BAM! Success. The Giants weren't flashy, weren't pulling trick plays, they were just performing.
And what more could we ask of Eli Manning? This Superbowl was his Bar Mitzvah. Eli became a man last night, and a true champion. Who would have ever thought? Don't give up. Ever. My wife even made Bridget Moynahan masks which we hung around the living room. They worked. Like magical football scarecrows or totem poles or something.
I remember back in week 8 of this past season when the Patriots played the Skins, and won 52-7. In the 4th quarter, with only like 7 or 8 minutes left, winning by like 40 points, on 4th down- New England went for a touchdown instead of taking the field goal. Against good old Joe Gibbs. Rubbing it in his face. This wasn't the first or last time during the regular season they poured it on like that. I didn't like it, I felt that it was nasty and disrespectful. Karma is a bitch. And sometimes, she's exactly what we need.

Travis Barker & DJ AM Superbowl Intro

In case you missed it, our clients Travis Barker and DJ AM did justice to the NFL theme on Fox. Check it out below.

Super Chicken Heat

ABC's Nightline had a peice about the hottest chicken wings on the planet tonight at a place in Chicago called Jack Melnick's Corner Tap. I am not the kind of person that likes their wings so hot that it becomes uncomfortable... I just don't see the point. I do like them very hot, but these just sound silly. They use a pepper called the Red Savina, which is supposedly 65 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper.
Big coincidence, because there was another article I saw today about Hooter's chain, which claims that they sell a million wings on Superbowl Sunday in the Chicago and Tampa areas alon, compared to the 650,000 these restaurants sell on a normal week.
It seems that even the real media gets excited about eating chicken wings and writes about it prior to Super Sunday. Just like Paul Rosenblog.

Recession Dog

The papaya/hot dog spot in Tribeca's City Hall district has this sign posted in the window. Didn't the media just admit that we are in a recession? If the government could only move as quick as the hot dog spot. Oscar Meyer in the (white)house.

Em on Funkmaster Flex '99- Part 2

Here is the audio for part 2 of the Flex interview. It starts with a freestyle you probably have heard before, and goes into a little bit about Em's battling history, The Outsidaz and Proof. My favorite part is Em getting away with the on-air curse in the freestyle.

Early Spring Break

Yes it's the dead of winter. So here, to warm you up, are 2 of my favorite hip-hop MTV Spring Break performances from the '90s...

3rd Bass- The Gas Face

Cypress Hill- How I Could Just Kill A Man

Collie Buddz- "Blind to You" NY Giants Dub

Check out the vocal remix/dub of dancehall/reggae artist Collie Buddz song "Blind to You". Even though this guy is born and raised in Bermuda, he's rooting for the G-Men in the big game a week from today... (Although I suspect this came with substantial prodding and urging from his NY manager Dino!).
If you haven't bought it yet, Collie Buddz' debut self-titled album is out now. It's very solid... I especially like "Come Around", "Sensimillia" & "Defend Your Own".

Em on Funkmaster Flex '99- Part 1

I've been digitizing old cassettes lately (with the help of Chris in my office of course!) and came across this interview from 2/11/99. If memory serves me correctly, The Slim Shady LP came out on 2/23/99, so this is right around when things started to get really nuts.
The interview is particularly funny to me because a) Em sounds like he's on helium, b) I answer questions from Flex about who passed on signing Eminem, c) we talk about getting a deal for our own record label (no Shady yet), and d) Flex was meeting Em for the first time so he had some really basic questions about his early career.
I'll post the second half next week, which includes a freestyle and referenced guest background appearance from Shecky Green.

The Rhythm Kitchen Flyer

This probably won't be very interesting unless your are familiar with or fascinated with the '90s Detroit hip-hop scene (isn't everyone?). The Rhythm Kitchen was the original epicenter of the rap music club scene in the early '90s in Detroit. Founded by clothing designer, clothing company owner, The original Hip-Hop Shop creator and Detroit music scene impresario Maurice Malone in (I'm guessing) 1991, The Rhythm Kitchen was Malone's Detroit version of New York's legendary Soul Kitchen. This weekly function was held at a Chinese restaurant called Stanley's Mania Cafe in the New Center Area. They cleared out all of the tables, brought in a heavy sound system and continued selling take-out Chinese food along with 40's of Colt45. The Rhythm Kitchen was the real inspiration for using The Chin Tiki as a hip-hop club in 8 Mile.
This Rhythm Kitchen scene (which came before The Hip-Hop Shop, but was open concurrently with St. Andrew's Hall "3 Floors of Fun"/The Shelter) spawned the modern Detroit rap movement (Phat Kat, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, etc.) as well as Eminem, Proof, D-12, Slum Village, etc. and earlier legends like Dope-A-Delic, 5th Chapter and my own Rhythm Cartel, of course (sorry to anyone I left out but this isn't meant to be exhaustive). More on the Detroit Hip-Hop scene to come here on Rosenblog...

Shady Nursery

New advertisement debuts in March books for Shady Ltd.
Maybe this was what Em was really doing in the hospital over the holidays? (Don't be stupid I'm joking).

Pop-Up Blocker

I know I'm not the first person to write about popped collars, but this one was a doozey. I spotted this guy at Newark airport sporting this arrogant neck flapper with pride, strutting like a peacock. Now, I'm no fashion plate whatsoever. But enough is enough. This thing must be a solid 8" of collar. It covers part of his ears for Christ's sake.

Karmic Cast?

Can it be that the Patriots' karma is catching up to them? Let's all stay tuned. And as posted below before the pre-season started (The End 12/11/07), I have adopted the Giants as my second team. Its totally valid, I've lived in NYC over 10 years... And give a guy a break. Remember, I'm a Lions fan.

Cuban Says: Season of Music

Check out this link to Mark Cuban's blog (I didn't know he had one either) posting about his take on the music industry. Cuban suggests that there is strong evidence that folks are willing to buy digital singles, but not albums (physical or otherwise), because it's easier to stomach spending $.99 a pop, and that if an artist released music over a "season", like a television series, people would get interested in stringing the purchases out over time. While I agree that it's certainly easier to get consumers to pay $.99 a song rather than shell out $13+ for a whole album, Cuban is missing a key fact. The songs that people are purchasing in high volume at $.99/song are hits. If it was so easy to record and produce and market and promote a string of bona-fide hits, his suggestion might make some sense. In fact, Cuban points to Flo Rida's "Low" as the illustrative example. Yeah, #1 record, tons of sales. But how much money does a label have to spend to make a hit? And, how many artists are signed that the same amount is spent on that don't have hits and thus can't sell- singles or otherwise. Unfortunately, that's why I think Cuban's argument fails. But I like the fact that someone is thinking differently, because the way we are thinking now obviously isn't working at all.

UPDATE: Here is a response to this article from Steve Guttenberg hoping that the creativity of the album as an artform is presrved.

L.V. Loses a Bet!

I have a friend and business partner named L.V. who lost a bet to me. See, around the 5th week of the NFL season (Oct. 12th to be exact) when I was foolishly boasting (see post below 2-0 Swag) about the potential of the Detroit Lions, L.V. started in about his Oakland Raiders. L.V. bet me that if the Lions ended up with a better season win/loss record than the Raiders he would deface his car with pro-Detroit slogans and drive around L.A. with it for a WEEK. Needless to say, I won... The other condition of the bet was that MarK Hoppus would get to blog about it mercilessly. This is all very satisfying. Oh... if I lost? I would have had to wear a Raiders t-shirt for the day and have myself photographed and for Mark to mercilessly blog about that too. But, I won and its very satisfying. He even added a "Kitna window" for extra measure.
Doesn't L.V. look so happy? He even decided to bring in a football as a prop. How cute.

New Year Wishes Deadline

I'm not like a particularly grumpy person, although I do have my moments (see before 10 a.m.). I do, however, have some very particular pet peeves... One of them is people wishing me "Happy New Year" more than a couple of weeks after the 1st of January on any given year. Now, I know that's kind of unfair because maybe I didn't see someone or talk to them for the first couple of weeks of the year. But, by this time, I'm over it. It's 2008, and we are living in it. The holiday festivities are over, man. Done. If you are going to wish me a Happy New Year after a couple of weeks in, why not call me in 2 more weeks and wish me a Happy February? Once, someone actually had the nerve to pull this stunt half-way through February. "Happy New Year, man!" No.
The official cut-off date was today, Jan. 15th. So cut it out.

Travis Barker- Flo Rida "Low" RMX

This is the drum recording session for Travis's rock remix of Flo Rida's hit with T. Pain "Low". Just focus on the drumsticks for a second... It's remarkable how quick they move. This guy deconstructs rap hits and turns them into high energy rock n' roll bangers. Enjoy.

Giants/Cowboys

This video is unreal. I don't know what better results Giants fans could hope for than a video of TO crying about their loss. It's like a late X-mas gift for Big Blue. Somebody needs to stop this guy from talking to the press after games. Ok, maybe before and during the games too.
The stage was set in Irving TX for the Cowboys' 21-17 upset loss to the New York Football Giants yesterday. From Romo's exploits with Daisy Duke to the Giants' excellent play in the last few games of the season and Wild Card, we all felt this was gonna go down. I am satisfied that one of the 2 teams I really hoped wouldn't make it to the Superbowl will not be there. The other team? Well, that's another story that seems written in scripture on tablets of destiny, unfortunately.

Pre-Gaming Video

Somehow, I feel partially responsible for stuff like this when it happens. I think they are in on the joke, anyway. The second guy rapping looks like Mike-D from the Beasties.

Death & Taxes

Check out this article from Tech Crunch writer Michael Arrington on the criticism of the idea of a "music tax".
While I don't agree with Arrington's belief that music should become entirely free and that artist's future income should depend on live performances (What if the artist doesn't want to tour? Who is going to pay to have these albums recorded and created?), I do agree that a ISP tax is not the answer.
Getting people to pay to have all of the music all of the time is the right philosophy. But their method of getting the music needs to be completely changed. If the music industry does this right, the concept of owning music will be dead. Forget a cd, no reason for a hard-drive full of music files, not even an mp3 player will be necessary. All of our industry's efforts should be placed on creating a service of convenience.
If everyone has the option to either spend their valuable time downloading, file sharing, organizing, burning, etc. to get music for free or to cut out all of that and hear whatever they want whenever they want on a new (read: not yet created) portable and multi-use device (goes in car, home, on-the-go) through a service, I believe that they will pay for that convenience. A global streaming jukebox, with an incredible interface, videos, suggestions, playlists, you name it.
Now, I understand that this isn't an easy overnight thing. The wireless networks (except actual Wi-Fi) are not advanced enough to carry this bandwidth yet. But the newer generations are faster and faster, and this capability will come. And I hope that this SERVICE (and whatever device that Apple or someone else creates to carry it) will come along with it, sooner than later.
Until then, this is certainly the winter of the music industry's discontent.

Rosenborg Olives

Paulrosenblog.com and Paul Rosenberg the person have joined forces to bring you the hottest in pickled garnishes. Rosenborg olives! Don't worry I didn't eat them they looked pretty suspect to me too...
P.S. A few people have asked if or why I haven't posted any information on Em's recent illness. I thought about it for a minute, and I decided that's not what this blog is for. It's not an official news source on serious matters effecting people's lives. It's for entertainment, and I've never been an official publicity source in the past, so I'm not going to start to be now just because I have a blog (that posts random stupididty like pickle brands that have a cyborg-jewish name that sounds like mine). I hope everyone understands and respects that.

Blestenation "Blackout" Video

Here is another great clip from Blestenation's stunning forthcoming Welcome to MmmBugout City album. The song was set to an original short animated film by Saiman Chow. If you are in a bad mood or just don't like violence in stuffed animal films in general, skip it. If you'd like to take a short trip to your animated dark side, check it out!

Behind the Boards- Part 1

Over the holidays Shade45 broadcast the debut of our new program, Behind the Boards. Its kind of a "Inside the Actors Studio" for rappers, producers and/or DJ's where our very own Cipha Sounds interviews subjects about the creation of some of their most important work. The first installment of the show featured (of course) Eminem. I was prepared to hear a lot of stuff that I have heard before, but I was in for a surprise. Listen to the below clip from the special and discover for the first time what Eminem's alternative moniker almost was instead of Slim Shady...
(I hope you are all getting the hint- if you don't have Shade45, you are missing some good radio people!)

Decorative Football Face Paint

I don't really like this. Grease paint on football players' cheekbones is supposed to prevent glare from the sun and the stadium lights from bouncing off of sweat and oil on players faces into their eyes... Ok, fair enough. But when you paint white letters and numbers over the black paint, it kind of defeats the purpose. Furthermore, why are supposed tough guys painting cute little letters and numbers on their faces? Its almost as bad as those stupid little elbow ties that players wear, a la The Ultimate Warrior. Do those serve a purpose? I don't see how. The NCAA should ban this silly area code and random message practice.

Fast Wendy

Is it just me, or is there something really perverted and wrong with this sign hanging at the Wendy's cashier?

Great in '08!

I know that right now, everyone is fed-up with "end of the year" recap lists, and so am I. So instead of spending the time to go back and cover what was great, I will focus on what's to come that will become great. Here, in no particular order, is the 1st Annual paulrosenblog.com 20-best-upcoming-great-things-about-next-year-list.

1. The 2008 Presidential Election: I'm not a huge political analyst or anything, but this race looks way too close to call on both sides of the block. I still feel like a darkhorse may be riding to the front. The dollar is so weak and the war is so wack, we damn sure need a change.
2. Superbowl XLII: I made it in person to the last two bowl games... Detroit for obvious reasons (Shady Bowl was the shit) and Miami because my wife's beloved Bears made an appearance. This year we aren't planning to be there in Arizona, but it should be a good one regardless. I predict (ok, hope) that it wont be the Paytriots and Cowgirls.
3. The Detroit Tigers: with Cabrera's bat added to the equation, the D looks to be the team to beat next year.
4. Eminem's Next Album: come on, you didn't think I was actually going to give anything away here, did you?
5. End of the Writer's Strike: hopefully the WGA and the studios/networks can figure this out sooner than later. I'm getting tired of the reruns on late night and no new programming.
6. Detroit Pistons in the Finals: the D has made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the last 4 seasons straight, and they will be there again this year. Call Vegas and bet on that. The difference from last year is that they will make it into the NBA Finals again. Stuckey is back, the starters are healthy and playing great, and with the new blood we are quite deep on the bench. Be afraid.
7. The Wire, Season 5: this show on HBO is hands-down the home of the best acting and writing on scripted television, period. If you haven't seen it, don't be retarded. Go rent or buy seasons 1-4 and then get into season 5. Word to Weebay.
8. NFL Network and Time-Warner Cable: get it together, boys. We don't want to have to go to the bar to see all of the Thursday and Saturday games. This season was bullshit because of it.
9. Whole Foods, Tribeca: the grocery stores in my neighborhood just plain suck. In March of next year, Whole Foods opens on Chambers Street. Thankfully.
10. Ernst Benz PVD Chronograph: this Detroit-based but Swiss-handmade watch company is throwing their hat in the ring to become a competitor with the best. The have a Mario Batali orange-accented piece dropping. But I'm about to cop the sick, black limited edition case with carbon fiber face chrono. Check the whole line out here.
11. 4th Year of Shade45 on Sirius: it's official, Shade45 will be back for another unique year. More of Cipha Sounds Effect in the morning, Rude Jude & Lord Sear's All-Out Show in the afternoons, and mixshows nightly from our very own DJ Muggs, Tony Touch, Clinton Sparks, Kay Slay and The Aphilliates are on the way. Also, every Saturday from 10 a.m.-8p.m. check out 50 Cent's very own G Unit Radio. You might even want to stick around to the end of next year for the 4th installment of Hanukkah Radio, hosted by yours truly (see post below). Go get a subscription to Sirius and check out the uncut, commercial-free hip-hop radio station you've always longed for.
12. Larger Memory Ipod Touch: I'll be frank, I never copped the iphone. I was turned off by the hype and the virtual keyboard, as well as the bullshit EDGE network from AT&T. But, I gotta admit, the wide-screen ipods with the Wi-Fi connectivity are sweet. When they get more memory (than the weak 8gigs they offer now) next year, I'm going to pick one up for sure. Fasho.
13. Albums Dropping By My Clients/Artists: of course, Shady Records and our clients at Goliath Artists have albums coming out next year. Be on the look out for awesome full-lengths (pause) from Cashis, Bobby Creekwater, The Alchemist, Mickey Avalon, B.o.B, The Knux, Blestenation, DJ AM and +44 (you may even see a solo effort from drummer/producer Travis Barker). Sorry, I can't reveal what 50's plans are yet- they are locked in a briefcase somewhere. No, I'm not telling you where.
14. The Dark Knight: I saw an on-line leak of the 6 minute clip featuring Heath Ledger as The Joker and his crew robbing a bank, and it was brilliant. Low-tech, edgy, raw and angry. I'm really looking forward to the second Batman installment from Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale as Batman. This new, modern movie series of my favorite superhero is the finest comic book film adaptation so far. Sorry, X-Men.
15. Palms Place Condos: the gleaming new condominium towers at Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas open in '08. Guess who plucked down duckets for a spot?
16. The Blackberry 9000 Series: as RIM stock continues to surge, there is a new Blackberry on the horizon. The 9000 is rumored to have a fully touch integrated screen a la the Iphone, a 3 megapixel camera, true 3G wi-fi internet connectability, and 8gigs of built-in memory. As a dedicated Blackberry loyalist, I will be copping one.
17. Porsche Panamera: in 2008 (maybe early '09), Porsche will release its first luxury sedan (4 door), the Panamera. Look for some images of it like this on-line, its amazing. Like a stretched out, bad-ass 911 for the seasoned taste.
18. Detroit Lions Firing Matt Millen: this has become some kind of joke. What kind of team keeps a General Manager on board for six straight losing seasons? The Lions showed promise this year starting off 6-2, then proceeded to turn into petrified garbage and lost 7 of the next 8 games to finish an awful 7-9. This is like punching yourself in the face, having it hurt, and then trying it again to see if it will hurt again. Yes, it will. Stop it. Seriously, get rid of this guy for the love of blog. Sign the petition, here. OR, read the article from the Detroit Free Press about this carbuncle.
19. thewingmen.net: as a fat guy, I had the idea of creating a blog or site dedicated to the review and praise of Buffalo-style chicken wings about a year ago. Next year, after collecting reviews and getting fatter, I plan to launch www.thewingmen.net- a site dedicated to the worship of the finest bar food ever created. Bars, pubs, restaurants, dives and diners around the world, its time to step your game up. You never know when The Wingmen will show up and eat your chicken, then write about it.
20. More Rosenblog!: don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll have more random blogging going on for the whole year of 2008, including better photos (courtesy of my new Panasonic Lumix with wide-angle capability), more music, polls, and exclusive information. Thanks for reading and supporting paulrosenblog.com for it's first 5 months!

So, there you have it... the 1st Annual paulrosenblog.com 20-best-upcoming-great-things-about-next-year-list. This was by far my longest post ever. I'm tired of typing. Discuss amongst yourselves, and Happy New Year from paulrosenblog.com!

Vote: Jude vs. RA

The post below Rude Jude & RA on Shade45 has received a lot of attention here on paulrosenblog.com. People all have different opinions on who was in-the-right here. Let yours be known! Here is the first paulrosenblog poll...

Who won the Shade 45 argument on the current state of hip-hop?
	Rude Jude
	R.A. the Ruggedman
pollcode.com free polls