New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (Album Review)

Posted by Jovon Torres on April 1, 2010
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New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh

By: Jovon Torres

When it comes to an Erykah Badu experience (Album), I am always up for the ride, especially after I was introduced to Badu’s, Mama’s Gun back in 2000 and instantly became an Erykah Badu fan.  Now with her new release since 2008’s, New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War, New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, is simply another piece of Badu’s art on display for all to indulge in musically. With finely tuned tracks blended with funk, jazz, neo-soul, R&B and hip hop, Badu continues to create vivid stories with her, “left side of the brain” lyrics that capture listeners imagination and ear, with songs like, Window Seat, Turn me Away and Fall in Love. I particularly enjoyed, Window Seat for its catchy piano chords, bass line and smooth chorus, “So, can I get a Window Seat? Don’t want nobody next to me. I just want a ticket outta town to look around and a safe touch down.”  

Although her music video for Window Seat has recently sparked some controversy, for stripping nude and mimicking JFK’s assignation, I think Erykah Badu has always been an artist who stands for what she believes in, especially when it comes to her music, which is why she has continued to remain respected and relevant throughout the years by her many fans.

If you are a fan of Erykah Badu’s music, regardless if Worldwide Underground was a flop (my opinion…it was), I would recommend this album for those who enjoy Badu’s abstract style; however, if you are looking for an album where you can put it in your stereo without skipping tracks, then this album might not be for you. If you have Zune Marketplace, like I do, then you have the luxury of listening to the album before purchasing. If you have iTunes and cannot listen to the entire album (preview) before you purchase, I would hop onto Youtube to preview the album first. No need to spend $12-$18 for a CD/download if you aren’t feeling it. I must admit that I only enjoyed about four songs on the entire album, which is relatively short (11 tracks), so I will most likely only purchase four tracks from the album. I also have one more thing to admit…I decided to get on the “Badu Train” nine years ago not knowning what to expect and well… I’ve enjoyed all of her abstract pieces of art (albums) so far, so open your ears and press play…you might get hooked on that Baduizm ride.

Final Album Score: 3.5 out of 5

Still Going Strong!

Posted by Jovon Torres on March 11, 2010
Posted in: My Journey Through Life. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 comment

What’s up World?

This is a picture that I took Sunday as I continue on the path to be a photographer. It was my second photo shoot and I was very impressed with the outcome. I have plenty of pictures on my Facebook profile (add me) for you to check. What have I been up too? Well I’ve been attending my math class three times a week, which starts at 7am on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. I get up on those days at 5:30am (too early) and drag my butt to class. On Saturdays, I have my Digital Photography class which is from 10:20am-3:20pm (LOOOONNNG DAY) and then I try to enjoy my Saturday. These last two weeks have been busy, especially on Sundays, which I usually book for photo shoots.

I recently filmed a short film after a photo shoot with a friend and then I posted it on Youtube. I received some positive comments on the short film, which has inspired me to look into creating MORE shorts films and eventually have a movie played at a film festival.

My Youtube channel has really suffered over the last few months because of school and my new career path of photography. I’m having fun and I actually feel like I am DOING SOMETHING WITH MY LIFE. Last year at this time, I was either home doing nothing or playing XBOX 360 for hours (I REALLY miss XBOX…no lie); however, now I try to focus on homework and photography. I still play XBOX but just not as much as before. I guess playing less XBOX is a good thing because it can really affect your relationship…and marriage. (lol). Actually that’s not funny (:-(

I’ve been a little stressed because I might be unemployed…wait…I WILL be unemployed in the summer, so I need to find a job just for the summer until the new school year starts because I am a 10 month employee. I guess it’s a good thing that I have my summers off…but I NEED money, so that’s NOT COOL. (lol)…wait…that’s not funny either. (:-(     NO JOB + NO MONEY= NOT COOL

So, if you want to see some of my pictures from my very small portfolio then checkout my Facebook page (search: Jovon Torres). It’s been fun tonight. I hope you all are doing well. Have a good one!

(I hope Slylink690 still reads my blogs!) post a comment if you do!

Peace, Love & Blogs

Jovon Torres a.k.a Beatfreak!

Sunday Photo Shoot and Short Film

Posted by Jovon Torres on February 21, 2010
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Hello World!

I really can’t complain…I had this past week off of work and pretty much stayed home and did…ummm…nothing. Now, I am not a bum, I went to school and then came home…then (cough) did nothing. I actually rested from the stresses of work and life in general. I enjoyed sleeping in and going to sleep whenever I pleased , but now it is Sunday before I return to work and I am WIRED! It’s getting late and I have to wake up at 5:30am on Monday, but this is one of the “cons” to being off of work for an extended period of time (holiday break) because your body has to get readjusted to your work schedule/routine again. Does that ever happen to any of you?

We”ll back to the topic of this post. I had my first photo shoot this afternoon with my friend Brandon. I took over 300 pictures (yeah that’s a lot) in several locations throughout Sacramento. I think the pictures turned out good. The best part was the short film that we filmed after the photo shoot. Brandon is an actor so I decided to film an “on the spot” short film since he was available for the day. It actually turned out really well. if you are interested in viewing the film, please check out my Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeatFRK

I am working on earning a ‘Certificate of Completion/Achievement” in Digital Photography at the college I currently attend with hopes of being a professional photographer. YEAH BABY! Look at for the website coming soon.

I wish I could stay and continue writing for you all but it is that time…no not late night snack time (although I am hungry) it is BED TIME!

Peace, Love & Blogs

Jovon Torres a.k.a Beatfreak!

Before Sunrise

Posted by Jovon Torres on February 17, 2010
Posted in: My Journey Through Life. Leave a Comment

Hello World!

Just another day here in Sacramento, California as I am just about to head out the door for my morning math class at Sacramento City College. I am generally not a huge fan of early morning classes, but I must say that waking up and getting your day started before the sun rises, is a very motivating feeling. I always use this line for encouragement if I don’t feel like getting up at 5:30am, “we’ll if all of those hundreds of students can get up for their morning classes, then so can I!” (Please excuse me now and for the future if my writing is not grammatically appropriate.) The math class is going well and I feel really good about this semester, but it is surely far from over and all I can do is maintain a positive attitude and continue to wake before sunrise, if I ever want to achieve my goal as a college graduate.

If you are reading this and you are a follower of mine on Twitter.com or Youtube.com, thanks for the support. If you are a family member or friend of mine, I love you and thank you as well.

(looking at the time) It’s time for me to get going. I’ll maintain this daily blog as well as jump into some other topics. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

Peace, Love & Blogs,

Jovon Torres

I’m Back!

Posted by Jovon Torres on January 23, 2010
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Hello World!

It’s been about a month since I last posted on my blog channel, so I want to apologize to my few readers who still visit my channel. Let me give you a quick update on my life and what has happened over these last 30 days. Where should I start?

So, my wife Terica and I closed on our new home on the 30th of December 2009…just a day before the New Year. It was crazy because we signed all the documents and did all the necessary things to close on a property, but we just needed the property to record by the 31st (5pm) or we would have to start the process all over again, which meant NO HOUSE! Terica and i just continued to pray and hope that everything would be okay. Finally the house records and we are NEW HOME OWNERS!

Our plan was to move in that weekend because our apartment lease was up and we didn’t want to pay anymore money, however, we ended up staying at our apartments for another entire week because the “seller” wanted that weekend to move. “OH HELL TO THE NAW! This dude is in OUR house now!”

Terica and I went over to the house that Sunday with our realtor to get the keys to the property and check on the house. The seller was STILL moving his crap out the house. He left SO MUCH junk that our lovely realtor had to come out-of-pocket to pay someone to haul ALL of his leftover crap from our new house. Did I mention the seller had a dog and the entire house smelled like…DOG! We had to buy new carpet for the house, clean the bathroom shower, and even paint (that’s a whole other story).

I’ll end the story here because there is so much to tell you and it really makes me upset. Everything is good now…and I am enjoying my new house. I’m actually in my “office” typing up this very blog. One of my friends from YouTube Steven (Slylink690), thought of a cool topic for my blogs (talking about my home experience) so I will do just that. I’ll have a separate blog for my home owner experiences.

Catch y’all later!

Peace, Love & Blogs

Jovon Torres

Posted by Jovon Torres on December 25, 2009
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Hello World!

Merry Christmas! I hope all of you are having a wonderful Christmas day with family, friends and loved ones. I’m in the Bay area with my wife and the In-Laws enjoying each others company. I had a wonderful dinner tonight and now I am watching the football game (Chargers vs. Titans) and Blogging. I have some great news…on Wednesday December 30th…my wife and I will be HOME OWNERS!! I can’t believe it!

I’ll post a picture of the home when we get in next week. I still plan on blogging at least 3-4 times a week for my readers. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON MY BLOGS…I need to know what other topics my readers would like to see. Right now, I am blogging on my everyday life and what takes place throughout the days. I want to start blogging about topics of marriage, growing up without a father, photography and even video games.

We’ll this blog is going to be very short because I want to enjoy this Christmas time with my family, so I’ll blog with you all later this year. Until next time…

Peace, Love & Blogs

Jovon Torres

4 Days Until Christmas Break

Posted by Jovon Torres on December 14, 2009
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Hello World!

I know…I haven’t been posting regularly as promised, but it’s really hard to do it on a consistent basis, especially when I have  SO MUCH going on in your life. I think if I get into a habit of doing it everyday, then it shouldn’t be as hard. I really enjoy blogging and I wish that I had more time to do it on different topics and even chime in on other debates and forums online, but then again…it takes TIME or you need to make TIME for those extra things.

I’ve been in a really funky mood lately and I just need to release some of my thoughts and feelings. For those who haven’t read my last few posts, my wife and I are in the process of buying our first home. We are getting down to the final stretch…and its a very tiring process, especially with ALL the inspections and paperwork that needs to be signed before the close of escrow.

I’m actually really excited about my 2-weeks off of work for Christmas and New Year’s break. YES!!! Two weeks off…and I can’t wait. This will give me an opportunity to…SLEEP IN! We’ll not just sleep in everyday but to also get some needed work done around the house, make tons of youtube videos for my channel and even workout and get back in shape.

Side note…

I think I turned my wife into a “gamer” because she LOVES Left 4 DEAD 2…actually the entire series. She’s actually playing L4D:2 as I type. She cracks me up…she’s so proud to have beaten one of the levels. “Fricken Amazing!” lol

Back to post…

So, I just want to thank you all for reading my blogs. I know they aren’t the best and I’m just blogging about my life but I WILL get to a point where I blog about different subjects. Just bare with me for now. 2010 is going to be a GREAT year for ME and my WIFE!

Peace, Love & Blogs!

Jovon Torres

Check me out on Youtube: www.youtube.com/beatfrk

Facebook: Jovon Torres

Twitter: BeatFREAK916

This Christmas

Posted by Jovon Torres on December 6, 2009
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Hello World!

Today is December 6, 2009 (Sunday) and it’s VERY cold here in Sacramento, California. I woke up with a sore throat this morning…ALL BAD! (I got that saying from my friend Chris J.) So I ate some left over “Chicken Soup” that I made…yes homemade. I actually have to give credit to Terica (wife) and the family recipe, but I still made it. Yummy!

UPDATES!

Ok, so for those who do not know…Terica and I are buying a HOUSE! And the best part, we are planning on closing Escrow by the 30th of December! NO WAY! This is so exciting. We should be moved into our NEW home by the first week in January 2010. This is a BLESSING from God. Thank you Jesus!!!!

For Thanksgiving, I was able to spend the day with both families (My Fam/In-Laws) and enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner. Oh and Mrs. Thomas’s DRESSING…to die for! You had to be there. I won’t be able to buy tons of gifts this Christmas because we are working on getting this new home, but I can and will spread “JOY” among my family and friends.

I’ve selected a few classes for next semester and I enrolled in a Beginning Digital Photography class. I’m excited to learn about photography and apply the techniques and skills to my portfolio.

I’ll remember to continue to maintain a consistent blog for my very few readers. If you would please leave a comment on my posts…I would appreciate it! I gotta enjoy the rest of my Sunday before work. God bless

Peace, Love & Blogs-

Jovon Torres

Happy Holidays

Posted by Jovon Torres on November 24, 2009
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Hello World!

Ok, so I said that I would post everyday, but it’s REALLY hard. I guess I allow myself to get distracted with other things that aren’t really worth my time. Ok…I apologize to all my faithful readers. lol. The few who actually read my boring blogs. J/P

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year because I get to eat ALL the food my belly can handle and then some. Well maybe there is a little truth to that statement (I love to eat) but I am talking about being thankful for what you have. I’m thankful for a lot of blessings. One is a JOB! Do you know how many people still do not have jobs? Although I might wake up not wanting to go to work, I’m SO glad that I have a job to wake up too. I am also thankful for my car. My job is thirty minutes from my home (do the math…that equals 1 HR on the road each day) and I can get into my car and start it without ever being worried if it will start. I am also SO thankful for my wife. She has a great job and a reliable car to get to and from work. Lastly, I am thankful that  in January 2010, my wife and I will be HOME OWNERS! Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!

Terica (Wife) and I took a little trip to pick up some non-perishable items last night for Thanksgiving donations and it felt GREAT! I feel blessed to be able to provide others with food for a family dinner this week. I can remember growing up and the worst Thanksgiving dinner my family ever had, no joke, was ”Peanut Butter and Toast”. I can remember my brothers and sister huddled next to the oven watching the peanut butter melt on wheat toast. We didn’t even have milk to wash the PB down. lol. I came through some hard times growing up, so when I look where I am as an adult and how I am able to give back…it just feels so good in my spirit.

What are you thankful for? Do you have any Thanksgiving stories that you would like to share? Post a comment!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends and BE SAFE!

Peace, Love & Blogs!

Jovon Torres

A Case of the MON-days.

Posted by Jovon Torres on November 16, 2009
Posted in: My Journey Through Life. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

Hello World. Welcome back!

So I’m sorry there isn’t a picture up today with this blog. I guess I could have posted an older picture to represent me and how my mood was today, but I’ll try to post pictures from here on out. Ok!

I’m drinking Arizona Iced Tea (Lemon) and it’s so cold and TASTY right now. I love this tea! I’m actually a big tea guy. Hot teas and cold teas…I love them all. I can’t stand hot coffee (terrible childhood story behind my hate for it) but I LOVE STARBUCKS cold coffee drinks. Is that even possible to dislike hot coffee and like cold? STARBUCKS! Yeah, I could so go for hot chocolate right now…maybe tomorrow morning (yes, that sounds like a plan).

So back to this blog…sorry I spaced out on tea and coffee. I played in my Men’s Monday night Basketball League tonight and let’s just say that…I SUCKED! I only had 7 points and like 2 rebounds. At the young age of 27, I definitely feel my body getting slightly slower and fatigued a lot easier. This is just my body telling me to ”HIT THE GYM LOSER!” I’ve focused on beefing up, but have limited the cardio…maybe I need to add that component to my routine then (Duh!) 

Well…thanks again for stopping by to read my blogs. Until next time…

Peace, Love & Blogs!

Jovon Torres