Video: Caine's Arcade

Check out this video of Caine Monroy, the 9 year old mini-Michel Gondry, hustling adults with imagination and creativity from his cardboard palace. You can donate to his college fund and read his story at cainesarcade.com.

While there is an element of what Teju Cole and many others refer to as the "White Savior Industrial Complex" to the back story of this video, the little kid at the heart of this story is admirable for literally making something out of nothing; a video game arcade from discarded cardboard boxes.

It can be inspiring to watch a little kid create his own environment from boxes and gadgets and the overwhelming response to his "college funds" is a testament to the power of the internet. However, it is always hard for me to digest a "feel good" story when it is treated as a spectacle. Watch for yourself and decide. Perhaps it will inspire you to give small kids garbage to play with instead of the latest Justin Bieber action figure....another more soul-damaging type of garbage.

"I deeply respect American sentimentality, the way one respects a wounded hippo. You must keep an eye on it, for you know it is deadly." ---Teju Cole


For more on Teju Cole, check out the NPR article on him here or his twitter @tejucole

Video: Large Professor - Key to The City

I am always glad to see some of the more talented OG's of the Golden Era still making music. Large Professor never tries to act like he is the most lyrical producer on the mic and he even lets instrumentals ride without him on his newest album Professor @ Large. 


The video above showcases one of the tracks off the new album. It may not be aimed at the current commercial radio, but for anybody who is into more mellow "grown man" content, you should check the album out. If he's good enough for ILLMATIC, he's good enough for you.

Video: House Shoes ft. Big Tone - "Time"

I'm glad to see House Shoes finally release some of his heat rocks on a CD and do it official with some videos. I remember checking for his little beat samples on Myspace years ago and wondering how I could get a copy without asking him directly. Now, all of those songs, plus instrumentals and other gems from the House Shoes collection are getting the exposure they deserve. If you liked any of the Beat Junkies releases by Babu and Vinroc, which is what this mostly reminds me of, you will like this. Hopefully, people will now know House Shoes for something other than shutting down Charles Hamilton's career and understand why he reps Dilla and the Detroit scene so hard. Good to see Big Tone getting some exposure as well.

Check out more at djhouseshoes.com

See if you recognize the same samples that Dilla flipped from Donuts "My people" and Fantastic Vol. 2 "Climax". Dopeness!