Nocando (Revisited) & Low End’s SF Debut

Guess who I interviewed as of late! Although this was an interview conducted through e-mail, it was fun coming up with the questions for my recent “interrogation” of Nocando. You guys remember who this man is, right? 2007′s Scribble Jam champion, Project Blowdian, super witty battle rapper and the resident host of The Airliner’s weekly Wednesday night event, Low End Theory. Due to conflicting schedules, I was unable to have a sit-down with him and had to choose my least favorite way of interviewing: e-mail (hence the generalized questions and brief answers). Nevertheless, I thank you very much, Nocando, for taking the time to answer these following questions!

on my way to heavenly couture.

Here’s a glimpse into the life of Hannah Song.
These are the things I see on my way to one of my jobs, Heavenly Couture (such a bullshit company, if you ask me).

Line 754, Vermont/Sunset Station.

Line 16/316 Century City via 3rd St bus stop.

Line 16 Century City via 3rd St.

Larchmont Village, Larchmont Bungalow.

Larchmont Boulevard.

Yes, I am a bus junkie.
I don’t drive, never really needed to.
& yes, my sense of direction is based on bus routes.

los angeles skies.

are almost always lined with palm trees.

taken from my walk from my apartment to the bus stop.

BANANaS!

Last night, I made an appearance at BANANaS! with my friend Yeselyn. For as long (well, it hasn’t been that long but it’s been around for a while now) as it’s been around, I’ve never went to see what was up until last Tuesday night. It was the 2011 You Guys Are Awesome Edition, and 4343 Leimert Park got pretty packed.

i found a girl who sounds like me.

I found a girl who sounds like me.

If we were to put both of our writing side-by-side and had someone read them aloud…well, it’s uncanny. Not only that, but we have the same interests, the same passions, the same outlets. Looking at her through the windows of the internet, she’s like my doppelganger in every aspect–minus the physical. To make it worse, she’s almost like the embodiment of everything I wanted to be. Successful in school, immersed in the arts, living in the city I love most…

It’s uncanny.

Then, here’s the interesting part: she loves the man that I love. And the man that I love, who tells me he loves me, loves her too.

Looking through her blog, which I now hate that I came across, the pictures she took made it clear that he obviously preferred her over me.

You can’t successfully play a girl if the other’s a blogger.

At this point, I don’t know what to feel. How to react. I mean, how do I react to this? To find that you’re second best. Number two. To a girl you don’t know but can draw so many similarities from. To a girl who’s living the dream you’ve once dreamt but gave up. What does this even mean?

And then, I start to question. Why was I still kept in the picture? What was this idiot of a man thinking? What exactly was the truth, and what exactly was a lie? Can I even consider his love as something valid?

Is she better than me?

The questions swirl in my head and I can’t fucking think.

I’m so mad I want to scream until my lungs collapse. Kick and yell at him, shaking him until my arms give out and cry until I’m tired. I’m heartbroken, I’m hurt, I’m in every kind of intangible pain you can ever think of.

To feel lied to. To feel betrayed.

If I’m second best, number two, why bother making me feel like I’m number one? Like I’m the only one? Like the problem was him and his inability to “open up” and all that other bullshit I fell for.

That’s exactly what this was. Fucking bullshit. Complete and utter fucking bullshit that he fed me and I took by the spoonful.

Now, it’s over and done with. She had him, he loved her, but she set him aside. He moved on, found love in me, and now I read that she cries herself to sleep.

I stayed. Throughout all that fucking bullshit, I stayed. Stepped on, repeatedly taken advantage of. My heart broken over and over again. But now, now it’s good. He loves me, I love him, he comes around and tells me I’m his strength. That he’s grateful for me and my understanding.

But something’s wrong. I’m damaged. Doubtful. I can’t tell if this is another form of bullshit or if this is real. I can’t tell if it’s safe to hope and move forward with him or if I’m just being a fool again. I can’t fucking tell. It’s the worst when you can’t ever fully trust the person you love.

I’m happy with him, but now she’s always in the back of my mind.

I found a girl who sounds like me. And I want to tell her a big fuck you. And although I love you, fuck you too.

covert skate shop.

Hey, West Covina heads!

Check out Covert Skate Shop for some hip hop.
My friend D.U.C.E.R and a few others are starting a biweekly hip hop night on Wednesdays.

& it starts TONIGHT!

So if you’re not doing anything,
& you’re looking for some local hip hop talent,
you should totally head here:

Covert Skate Shop
1915 W. Badillo St.
West Covina, 91790
626-960-4048

do it.

good microbrew and grill + intelligentsia.

So, on Sunday I went on a bike ride from my place to a place called good microbrew and grill in Silver Lake. The ride wasn’t that bad, and I think I did well for an asthmatic who smokes, is out of shape, and doesn’t ride as much as I used to. Honestly, the weather in Los Angeles felt pretty awesome–looked and felt like summer while the sun was out. I’m loving the weather lately (and I’m beginning to think that my moods are affected greatly by the way the world looks).

Anyway. Back to good microbrew and grill.

No, I didn’t get a beer, although from what I’ve glanced at through the menu, they had a pretty big selection. And they served it in pretty glasses also. But no, I (strangely) didn’t want to consume anything with an alcohol percentage. Yeah, the weather got me feeling that good.

ANYWAY.

I ordered the fresh mushroom and swiss cheeseburger, medium rare with sweet potato fries. He got the green chilies and monterrey jack cheeseburger, medium rare with onion rings. Split/shared our burgers to see what they each tasted like.

The burgers were really good, but parts of the meat were burnt and got me kind of distracted from the overall taste. However, their sweet potato fries were delicious and the onion rings were one of the best onion rings I’ve ever had (no exaggeration, I’m a BIG fan of onion rings).

The service was…pretty weird. It was really good, in fact I loved our server (lowkey crushed on his accent) but you can tell there was a definite lack of communication between everyone who worked there. Overall, I give this place a B+.

Afterwards we headed over to Intelligentsia, home of the best cappuccinos I’ve ever had so far.

This place is one of the best places to just sit and engage in my favorite activity: people-watching. Listening in on random coffeeshop conversations is really fun too, from time to time.

Oh, and I saw Joe Jonas here, also. Pretty good looking guy actually. Totally better looking in real life than through those weird Hollywood rose-colored point of views.

Okay, this is where I end.

Check out good microbrew and grill
3725 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026-1527
(323) 660-3645

&

Intelligentsia
3922 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90029-2242
(323) 663-6173

 

& hey, you. Thank you for another great (and kind of hazy) weekend.

a night out at the gold room.

Friday was an eventful night for sure.

A few of my co-workers and I had a little gathering at a place called The Gold Room, located in Echo Park.

$4 specials composed of a shot of tequila and beer?
Plus unlimited free tacos all night?
Psh, for sure count me in.

night rides & ramen.

Last night was definitely something I needed.

We went on a little night ride around DTLA and stopped by Little Tokyo for some Daikokuya Ramen (which I think is the best ramen spot in Los Angeles).

But yeah, he was right. It’s funny how I chose this spot to dine in when all I’ve been eating for the past few nights were top ramen and such. However, this ramen spot’s broth is so so so good! Plus the pork is so tender and the noodles are just right… Excuse me while I’m have a foodgasm over here.

After eating, we rode around a little more before heading back home. Found this random spot that turned out to be a luxury residential area that had a huge room full of easels and painting materials. Talk about a place where hipsters would live..

I haven’t been on my bike in a while–actually I haven’t really been out in a while. Been feeling a little blue and red and extremely bitter lately, so I’ve just locked myself in my home and coming out only for work and stuff…and then feeling restless due to the growing “cabin fever” I’m causing myself to have.

It just doesn’t end, does it?

But yes, I was reminded last night of how much I love being a nocturnal pedal-pusher.

Anyway, thank you thank you for fixing my tire. For feeding me. For keeping me sane (and for attempting to when my sanity even eludes me). For doing things that you don’t have to (and that I feel so undeserving of). For making me laugh when I’m down and even when I’m not. For being the voice of reason at times when I choose to ignore my own. For tolerating my fleeting moments of extreme and utterly annoying bitchy stupidity. I’ve been ugly these past few days and I apologize for that.

You’re right though. I need to get myself out of this shitty mentality. Most of all, I definitely need to move forward.

Move forward.

 

I hate this battle I have within myself. I’m a constant work in progress.

 

Which leads to this:

San Francisco this weekend? Maybe. Possibly. Still thinking about it.

But in any case, I need a getaway from this city. Solo. For at least a day or two.

on the high rise, oh darling….

Honestly, I wanted to separate posts that would go under this personal blog of mine and posts that would go under The Urban Decadence, but TUD’s currently undergoing maintenance…didn’t want to wait until it was over and done with to write about these two songs.

First off, Lucky Lefty! Released this song on his blog two nights ago called “High Rise”.

You guys already know how I feel about him if you’ve read the interview I conducted not too long ago.

And second! DJ Bianca G from Cherry Pop (who’s like an ateh of mine) recorded herself singing (live) and released the video via Facebook… If you guys haven’t heard, she’s releasing a solo album under the name Bo Johnson (very good production & songs) which I’ve been privileged to have made it on (just a little interlude) very soon.

A little live snippet of one of the songs on her soon-to-be-released album.

AND!

My  song of the moment:

Been super stuck on glitch lately.

That is all. Ta-ta!