Back on that REAL Hip-Hop 'ish...

As always, the guy holding the camera (me) never gets in the photos or videos... too bad, I had a 5 minute freestyle that I was rockin pretty hot...

Eagle Rock Underground's open mic tuesdays!  This was from this week (Feb 03, 2009), and it was DOPE!  Shoutouts to Paragon, Zero, Diss-Ent, L. Scatter Brains, Lyraflip, Project Blowed, and all of the ERU crew and fam!

Check this exclusive!  Caught this on camera while Lyraflip and Scatter Brains had just entered the room while I handed the mic to Diss-Ent... STRAIGHT SPITTAZ!

Pics:

It's for the kids

Masta Zero catching wreck!

Asethetics crew!

Packed house that night

Homie Diss-Ent!  F*ckin raw off the top

Project Blowed representin!  Lyraflip and L. Scatter Brains

Postin up

Like pausing time...

You don't gotta tell me... me and lyraflip do kinda look alike.  But he's like, 5'5", so just look up if you lookin for me.

~cyph WIC

Back on that REAL Hip-Hop 'ish...

Proper Afterthoughts

First and foremost, shoutout and thanks to SCPASA, UCR Katipunan, and everyone who came to the conference. Specifically, everyone who came to my workshop! I got a lot of good feedback, and overheard good things about what people thought about my workshop. I figured, if I treated the presentation half like a spoken word performance, and half like a professional presentation, I could captivate the young crowd. It was a pretty good formula.

Secondly, for those that attended my workshop, I understand that the character sheets that were handed out were improperly printed. So, here's a copy of the proper character sets:

Third, here are some useful and informative links regarding Baybayin:
Eagles Corner Online Baybayin Translator - Just type and translate! BE SURE to first translate into Tagalog syllables first!
A Philippine Leaf - Hector Santos, one of the first to ever post articles online about Baybayin. TONS of information and history on the script.
Pinoy Tattoos.com - I like looking at the photos of other people's Baybayin tatts. 
BAHALA Meditations - If you recall the entire bit about Bahala, and the characters take it to different meanings, this is the article that I was referring to. Very good read, it goes deeper into Bahala and the relation to spirituality.

Fourth and finally... pictures from the event. :-D

On my way to the conference, fixin my tie, tryna stay fresh and crispy:

My personal event Photographer and workshop slideshow-clicker, Ms. Liberty

Checkin the SCene

After my workshop, I headed back to my table to answer questions and take personal requests for writing personal Baybayin name cards. I was surprised how many people lined up at the table! It was great to see so many take interest in Baybayin, and to get so much positive feedback from the workshop attendees themselves.

Had the opportunity to do some interviews (Holla one time to the backroom podcast crew!), and met up with some cool peoples (Holla one time to the Shoulder-to-Shoulder crew, SCPASA coordinators and Doctor Rodriguez!)

And after a long day of some good workshops and networking, the Afterset. Bambu rockin the stage, DJs rockin away...

A great night, I had a blast... met up with some of the workshop attendees, and spit some game. And at the end of the night, when my cousin and I got back to my car, Karma decided to rear it's head and bring me back to Earth:

Really though, I was still on my feel-good high, so I could've cared less. And it's all thanks to the people that made it such a fun ride... though the ride home was rather cold!

Ah yes, and out of all the pictures I took (much more will be posted on my Facebook), only two came out that I found appealing for my Faux-Club-Photographer series. Enjoy:

Holla.

~cyph WIC

Proper Afterthoughts

Before I knock out...

SCPASA was a blast! Thanks to the coordinators and UCR's Katipunan for making it all possible. Major update and review soon to follow... But in essence, I had a great time. The workshop turned out to be quite a success, I got some major practice on my handstyle, met alot of cool peoples... A real rollercoaster of a day. Lots of pics, and some after-thought information to be posted for those that attended the workshop.

Be sure to check out the links on the right! Good info, good articles.

Stay tuned.


Bambu drop for The Bathala Project from cyphaflip on Vimeo.

Before I knock out...

Breakin you off…

Somebody put some bubblewrap on the floor, ‘cause I’m about to drop some knowledge!

To all my So-Cali Pinoys and Pinays! This Saturday, January 31, 2009, I’ll be speaking at the Southern California Pilipino American Student Association (SCPASA) summit at the University of California Riverside (UCR). I’ll be facilitating a workshop, The Baybayin Writer’s Workshop. Description is as follows:

The Baybayin Writer's Workshop: Art. History.
The Baybayin Writer's Workshop introduces the ancient Filipino form of writing, Baybayin (also known as Alibata), and sheds light on the history and cultural significance of the life, death, and resurrection of Baybayin writing. Workshop participants will also learn few of the fundamentals of how to translate and how to write Baybayin characters through an interactive writing session. Other topics covered are traditional and modern forms of Baybayin artwork, including examples of Baybayin being used in modern calligraphy, tattooing, and street art.

Be sure to register at 10 AM, check the flyer below. AFTER EVENT! I heard Bambu of the mighty mighty Native Guns is rockin the stage along side DJ Phatrick. Expect some of that dope Fil-Am goodness you know you love!



After Event:
The Vibe Bar and Grill
1805 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92507
10pm – 2am

Be sure to catch my Baybayin Writer’s workshop! 2nd session: 3:10pm-4pm at C. 302 North

Heads up, pens up!

Breakin you off…

What a novel idea!

Some of you may remember my Vandalizing Victoria series, and how DeviantArt decided to take my series off my DA account due to Copyright Violation. Today, I had an epiphany as to how I could continue doing similar work that not only would get me some hits, but would also be completely legal (I think).

Not too long ago, while my friends and I were at some club in Hollywood, I was in the middle of this packed cooridor, trying to take a picture of my friends. With my LX3 strapped to my hands, people around saw my proper-looking camera and assumed I was the club photographer. Suddenly, girls from left and right were pulling me towards their direction, asking me to take their picture for "the website". Thus, the "Fake Club Photographer" game was born. I would go around clubs, asking groups of people to take a picture of them, and if I came in with enough swag, they would ask me to join them, which would later lead me into introducing myself to the ladies of the group. Also, it's a great wing-man technique, as I could have a friend pose like he's a promoter or some rising-celebrity and tell people "I need pictures of him with the public..." The rest is up to him to make up his story....

One time playing this game, people started asking me for "my card", so they can "see their picture." Typically I just give people a bullshit website name and they're satisfied. But that got me thinking... what if I actually posted their picture on this blog? But then, why would I do that? The Bathala Project is my art site, focusing on Filipino-American life and the revival and proliferation of the Filipino writing system, Baybayin (aka Alibata). How could I justify taking pictures of drunk Hollywood girls and posting them on The Bathala Project?

Then I started thinking about my copyright violation notice for my Vandalizing Victoria series, and hit me: Because the people at the clubs are GIVING me consent to take their picture, therefore, the picture is MINE to use and manipulate. That's how paparazzi make their money. This is how I will get my UPS. Also, since the experienced club-goers know to ask for a photographer's business card, I could give them my own business card, leading them to The Bathala Project where they can find Baybayin-stylized pictures of themselves!

Sad part is, for fear of slander, liebel and defamation, I'd have to draw "nice and complementing" words on them, unlike the Vandalizing Victoria series where I would write shit like "I'm fucking ugly" or "I'm stupid and skinny" all over them. But whatever. With the increased traffic, I can quickly get Baybayin some major ups in the local Hollywood/club community. A little bit of Guerilla Marketing just might be what the Baybayin and Filipino Cultural community needed...

2009 is MINE.
Bitches.

What a novel idea!

And so the fun continues...

Free swag in the mail today:



Fuel for the fire.

And so the fun continues...

For the ladies...

Real talk.

Yet again she has a revelation today
With a bright new perspective on all that may//
Saying that her old self is dead and gone away
Yet it isn’t the first time I’ve heard her say//
Dead & gone away, cause it’s just for the day
till tomorrow the sorrows come back to stay//
So we stray into the night, under the glowing lights
She hope the liquor drown her quicker than the tears in her eyes//
She’s burned many bridges built by her guilt in disguise
Extinguished by the rivers that she cried into the skies//
But she’ll lie to herself, and take a look at her life
And she refuses to see, though it’s all in plain sight//
That her definition of happiness isn’t making her smile
But she tries to make it fit ‘cause it’s what’s currently in style//
She walk a mile in shoes that she know she don’t like
But it’s what her friends do to strut their stuff to guys//
Behind her eyes is a girl that’s screaming inside
But she’s supposed to be happy with her current way of life//
She’s expected to be perfected, or at least be fine with it
So every revelation she has is just a new lie she’ll try to give-//
To herself and to her loved ones to show that’s she’s fine
Cause after lying to herself for so long, she lives the lie//
And it would all work so well if only the girl inside
Wasn’t screaming for truth behind her silent eyes//

For the ladies...

Splatter

Bahala Na...

Negative space has always intrigued me. Like using white calligraphy against black paper, something about the inversion of the expected seems attractive and alluring... like unwrapping a present; each tear is a glimpse of the total package, while at the same time each tear is revealing less of the wrapping paper.

Bahala Na, written in my original hand style. The letters themselves is for a little English girl's tattoo that I'll soon prep the letters better for presentation. BaHaLa Na, which contains 4 Baybayin characters, were designed especially for her such that each character is designed with another character within for each syllable of her name... More on this later.

"Killin yall on this Baybayin shit, mayonaise colored benz, I push Mircale Whips..."

Splatter

My President is (half) Black

Jay killin the same damn verse and still rockin the crowd off the Richter:

Jay-Z My President is black Remix LIVE 1-18-09 from pleasedontstare on Vimeo.

Let's just hope he can do the country some good. Good luck Mr. Obama.

My President is (half) Black

Copyright Violation, eh?

"There's nothing new under the sun" ~Nas

Arite Deviant Art, I get that you're pissed that I used pictures from a Victoria Secret catalog to ruthlessly deface them for my fun and leisure, but really, if I'm not profiting off of it, where's the harm?

1. Victoria Secret gets some shine
2. So do I
3. If money changes hands, it's probably them that gets dough for prissy bitches coppin their bikinis. Shit, I even left the bikini descriptions on the scans!

But I understand the copyright law and all that bullshit. So it is what it is. I'll graciously take the loss, 'cause I know if Victoria Secret gets in that ass of yours, it won't be bikinis and bitches for ya... but I'll be laughing my ass off while it happens.

And Victoria Secret, get over yourselves. You put this bullshit in everybody's mailboxes this time of year, and you expect everybody and their grandmother to love your shiny new catalogs like it'll save their lives?

If anything, I'M doing the favor here; writing outlandish statements on airbrushed models that women around their world become imposed by with insecurities that are reinforced by a commercialized vision of "beauty". For me, by scrawling "I'm fucking ugly" on a bikini model is the biggest joke of all that anyone can enjoy. Chin check the punchline to ya dome!

Shieeet... yall make me wanna vandalize somethin.

Copyright Violation, eh?

Vandalizing Victoria

Without the luxury of having hundreds of young, beautiful, and willing models to strip their clothes off for me to paint Tagalog phrases in Baybayin on their bodies, I decided to do the next best thing: Draw on pictures of young, beautiful, and overly paid models in a Victoria's Secret swim suit catalog. Click on any picture for full view.


This actually turned out for the better, because I could write the most outlandish things on them, and they wouldn't flinch a bit.



The following sums up the experience of it all:


One person said, "That's mean."
In between my laughs and chuckles I replied, "I know, right?"

The "Vandalizing Victoria" series, part 1.
No copyright infringement was intended. No profit is being made; just a lot of laughs and entertainment.

Vandalizing Victoria

"Mahal"

In Tagalog (the main dialect of the Philippines), the word for "love" and "expensive" are the same word: "mahal"




Stock photos taken from Stock.xchng and some porno... I think it's called "Ass Love 3" or something...

"Mahal"

Bahala Na...

Be careful. Take caution. God be with you. Lord bless you. Though there still isn't a single definite translation for the Pilipino phrase, "Bahala na", the point makes its way.




Bahala na...

Bahala Na...

Two-Thousand-Mine

End of the year projects:





This year will be quite interesting. I'm on my way to make a name for myself in the world of Baybayin/Alibata writing and art. I'm coming in swinging HARD, and what I lack in fundamentals I'll make up for with ingenuity and balls. Fuck you kids doing your simple one-color canvas Baybayin canvases, 'cause my tags are iller than your pieces.

Two-Thousand-Mine