On December 31, 2013 I left
Lanquin to travel 8 hours to Antigua.
Santa Catalina Arch
On the way, the bus passed
through Guatemala City. With houses stacked on top of each other in the hills,
I felt as if I was driving through the favelas of Brazil.
With a population over 2
million, the area is stricken with crime as any major city center. The bridges
that connect the zones were massive and towering over the lower valleys.
Walking across would be scary but from the presence of graffiti it has been
done.
Palacio de los Capitanes, Plaza Central
Traffic started to backup on
the freeway, an accident left a dead body lying on the road for every one to
see. I think to myself is this the first dead body I have seen? I don't know
but I feel bad for this guy.
You know you have arrived in
Antigua when the smooth road becomes a bumpy excursion into the side streets.
Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserved all the cobblestone streets.
Casita en Antigua
Mostly single story
structures that have colorful but flush exteriors. The beauty of Antigua is
inside the structures where luscious gardens flourish in the courtyards.
The plaza of Antigua has is a
Central Park lined with lights in trees and waterfalls. Horse buggies take
patrons for rides. The Cathedral San Jose has a massive presence next to the
government hall holding the Guatemalan flag with a "2014" lit sign.
Horse buggy rides in Plaza Central
Kokos en el calle
The cafes are crowded
hangouts mixed with locals and internationals. A champagne bottle and fireworks
look like the standard necessities in these parts.
Comedor en el calle
Eager to be in tune with the chaos,
I drop everything of at Hostel Antigua and head out to the comedor- to see how
the locals eat on the special night. Tamales, mole, tacos, and sopas are
popular items. I spend less than $10 USD for my feast.
I meet up with the crew from New
York, Germany, and Greece. We head to a Cafe No Se, a mescal bar, and try our
wits with the forbidden liquor. Tequila with a smokier and smoother is how I
thought it taste. Not quite my thing but hey it sure gets you buzzed fast when
you have five minutes until 2014.
Vassileios from Greece - Christina from NYC - Werner from Germany
After grabbing the group and
running towards the square fireworks start going off in each corner of the
plaza. Larger than the buildings, the balls of color engulf the sky above.
Holding hands for safety we
stick close together as we celebrate a year of travel and friendship. Kisses
and hugs come next and then it is off to find a nightclub to dance.
La Merced Church
It is sunny the next morning
so I head out for some breakfast and then take a walking tour through San
Francisco Church and Santa Domingo Monastery.
Cerro de la Cruz is a popular
lookout that offers a great view of the city with the Volcan Agua in the
background. Peaceful since many are still sleeping from last night, the
fireworks are still continuous.
Cerro de la Cruz- Volcan Agua
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The walk down from the
lookout feels like a war zone, the street rumbles from more pyrotechnic blasts.
Finally making it to safety my group heads out to dinner for pizza and wine.
Pupusa
A great choice as the stars
from the sky shine bright and the fire pit warms us. The night here get chilly
as we still sit at an elevation of 5,000 feet.
Antigua is a more a town
rather than city, with around 40,000 residents. It boosts great architecture,
elegance, and history. The cobblestone streets cause time to pass by slowly
even though you are welcoming in the New Year.
As a 23 year old traveling in Central America, this felt like a mature
start.
His concert took place on New Years Eve at The Observatory in Santa Ana, Calif. Any seat in the venue was a great seat. I straddled the balcony on the right side of the stage.
After being pumped up by a rap duo, Kendrick comes out and graces us with old and new. The few I got on tape can show you the vibes he creates. The crowd went crazy for "F*ckin Problems". I loved hearing "Money Trees".
When the clock struck mid-night, which was five songs deep into the set, all of his friends rushed the stage with Champagne bottles. They sprayed it into the air and into the audience. You could have seen the image if you followed Rolling Stone magazine on Instagram. I wished inside my head for a great rest of the night.
Fifteen feet separated me from the stage and five feet from the backstage corridor. I found my way inside and next thing I knew I was hanging out backstage . Thank you for the confidence boost, Cazadores.
The farther we got backstage the more anxiety grew inside of me. When you are somewhere you know you are not suppose to be, the feeling of getting booted is always there. Any misstep can get you back to the other side or even worse, outside. As we wondered the various rooms, smokier as we went, we looked for a good place to post up.
A small corner on a balcony overlooking the stage was ideal. We stood and watch Kendrick please the crowd. At that moment I actually envied those in the squished pit. They were getting the full experience of Kendrick's wrath. Once the concert ended the homie and I stuck around to see what possibilities would come our way. From our position we could see the side stage corridor where Kendrick appeared. In the next moment he was coming up the stairs that ended ten feet from where we stood. As he walked towards us the rigor mortis increased in my veins and I was stuck. Star struck has only happened twice in my life, once for Benji Madden and now Kendrick Lamar.
He was followed by a posse of beautiful women and homies as they entered a room and closed the door behind. My friend and I roamed the venue further as a DJ spun into the remaining hours of the morning.
Within a matter of twenty minutes we ended up in the backstage parking lot where lines formed into the buses headed to who knows where. It was time for us to go home. A ticket to Kendrick Lamar to kick-off the beginning of a new year. It is a year about understanding what I am made of.
I say this following the release of his record Good Kid M.A.D.D City. Not only did this record become Spin Magazine's number one for Hip Hop record of 2012 but it was highly recognized throughout North America.
I haven't bought a legit hip-hop record since The Game's "The Documentary" in 2005.
Good Kid M.A.D.D City is the epitome of the life in Compton, Calif. It blends calm and booty shaking beats with inspirational and truthful lyrics. Iconic for its fresh perspective on the West Coast it reveals that little has changed. I simply have put together a few highlights for every track on the album.
1. "Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter" is a story about a girl and boy falling in love.
"Deep rooted in the music of being young and dumb" The honesty of the power of music allows you to lose control. Isn't that what you do to escape, turn on some tunes. Ever wanted to escape to a world like California? Kendrick serves it to you straight from the streets of Compton. He is more than a kid from the streets though, after listening to his entire record you can see that his soul is matured and his intellect is sharp.
2. "Bitch, Don't Kill my Vibe" His words seem to pass the phase of inward reflection and project an image of a made man. This record is Kendrick's record. Instead of painting the pictures of his neighborhood, he digs deeper.
3. "Backseat Freestyle" is not about changing who you are but embracing the change that is sent your way. It's not your nature to change but your willingness to try something new that makes you stand out.
4. "The Art of Peer Pressure" It is easy to stick "with the homies", until one of your homies gets killed. In that moment you can make a choice to stick to the life or try to fall in line.
5. "Money Trees" starts with a joyful beat with snaps at the bass beat as Kendrick breaks down his lyrics of survival. The soft echoes and bell taps give you a feeling of the gospel sound, Hallelujah. If you more attracted to the bumping bass while Kendrick raps about his dreams of success then Halle Berry might suit you a little better. The money feeds the hunger of a hustler, Halle Berry grinds all day while Hallelujah stands in front of the gun. (Featuring Jay Rock)
6. Right when it starts to get real good, "Poetic Justice" comes on and the panty's come off.
"You can get it". The collaboration with Drake sets the scene of a woman giving them run for their money. Somewhat like "4-page letter" by Aaliyah, the slow rhythm with honest love lyrics produces a raw sexuality. Sherane gave Kendrick a run for his money and he took his love story to the bank with this record.
7. "Good Kid" To understand the mind of an African American man you should understand where he lives. Forced to choice a side, good or bad, red or blue, black or white. Kendrick is sick of choosing and stays to one thing and that is anything green. Old school hits in his beats and it takes me back to Ice-T songs back in the day when "Colors" hit the airwaves. Bleeps and frantic tones keep you on your toes as he raps about guns, running and laying down bodies.
8. "m.A.A.d city" Stay on your toes and stay lifted because you never know when your vision will turn red. Psychedelic and choppy sounds inject simultaneously with sirens to show the pure chaotic life in the hood. "Deal with the outcome" Kendrick is playing the cards he was given in the City of Compton. (Featuring MC Eiht)
9. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" Drank pours down your throats to reconnect those who might lose interest in hearing about the streets. Swimming Pools is the most played track across radio, with Poetic Justice in second. The song has a clear potentiality to be easily chopped and turnt up for mixing purposes in the club.
Who does not want to get drunk up in the club? Kendrick is throwing the pool party and you are invited.
10. "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" In the next audio break, a shooting leaves his boy dead. The RIP anthem proceeds about leaving the madness and entering a recovery. If a scenario left you in this predicament, your spirit might break or be awaken.
11. "Real" is a track he raps about three souls, one is his own that needs to awaken to fulfill his realness. He preaches a path to follow that is free of materialistic constraints. (Featuring Anna Wise)
12. "Compton" With the first listen you might not be feeling it but then the old-school beat with the new school auto tune reminds me a little of Tupac. "We can all celebrate" (Featuring Dr. Dre)
I sit in a hotel room with my friend as we pre game for a
night of debauchery at a Kendrick Lamar concert. -As I listen to his CD while
writing this... Spin Music Magazine gave Good Kid, M.A.A.d City >>>Top Hip-Hop album of the year 2012.
I could upload the night
to my Facebook and show the 500 or so people I have "friended" on the
network. But I decided it was time to cut the cord.
The next morning, after I
signed an oath that pledged my commitment to my New Year resolution (more like a bet- makes it more interesting), I deleted
my Facebook.
This was a choice to represent a new way of gaining another slice of personal freedom, a way to
free myself of some self-created dependency.
Since then almost a month has past
since I have been "deactivated" and I love it. I feel so much more
focused on the tasks in front of me. It really feels like giving up an
addiction. I spend more time on homework, cleaning, working out and enjoying
the conversations with my family and friends. Of course in those conversations
the statement has come up, you deleted your Facebook?
Some say its cultural suicide to get rid of your online
social networks. A couple guys I served at work one night both shared that it
is a great way to keep in touch with friend and a great channel
when meeting new people. They say this as I interrupt them from their
relationship with their phones. I seen this multiple times as a server,
friends at a public place living in their private worlds as they constantly
check their Facebook and Instagram for updates. To be honest, I hate when people are on their phones when I am trying to hang out with them.
"BITCH DON'T KILL MY VIBE" - KENDRICK LAMAR
Videos and Pictures from K.L. concert 12.31.12...Coming Soon
