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My New Obsession

People who know me know that I am a huge rap/hip-hop fan and love artists that date all the way back from the 90s to today’s rap/hip-hop! I used to strictly listen to modern rap/hip-hop, but once I discovered more of the famous ’90s rapper Tupac Shakur’s music, I instantly fell in love with the old-school rap/hip-hop sound. It broke me out of the shell of just listening to today’s music and drove me to discover new genres within rap/hip-hop from all eras. This led me to uncover many other different types of sub-genres of rap/hip-hop such as G-Funk, Trap, Gangsta Rap, Mumble Rap, Underground, and most recently Alternative Hip-Hop and Jazz Rap (both pretty similar)!

I be hitting the gym almost every day of the week, which allows me to put on random playlists while working out. One day, a song came on that was like candy to my ears. I quickly finished my set so I could grab my phone and see who I was listening to. It was J Dilla! I was completely fascinated by the unique sounds of his productions (he mostly makes hip-hop instrumentals), but I also really loved a lot of the songs that he has produced for other rappers in the Alternative Hip-Hop and Jazz Rap genres! And oh my, do I love the choice of samples he chops in his productions—he knows how to blend them into a style that’s uniquely his own. A popular and very ear-catching song I would recommend listening to by J Dilla is ‘Don’t Cry’. It has a chopped-up sample of a song by The Escorts that comes together so well—probably one of my favorite songs by him. This led me to search for a lot of artists that J Dilla has produced for in my newly discovered genre of Alternative Hip-Hop and Jazz Rap, such as A Tribe Called Quest, Common, The Pharcyde, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, and Slum Village. His productions and the artists that rap/sing over his instrumentals are so good that I can’t name one song I don’t like. J Dilla’s music is great for any time of the day, whether it is working out, studying, doing chores, etc.

Unfortunately, J Dilla no longer exists on this Earth to make more music; however, his productions are timeless and worth a listen. If you’re looking for something new to listen to, PLEASE LISTEN TO J DILLA!! There might be some songs you might like or don’t like, but I can’t say which ones are good or bad for sure because I love them all. So, just bounce around from song to song and listen to some of the artists he has produced for.

Here are some of my personal favorites to help you get started with the hip-hop subgenres of Alternative Hip-Hop and Jazz Rap (in no particular order):

  • “Don’t Cry” by J Dilla
  • “The Light” by Common
  • “Drop” by The Pharcyde
  • “Climax” by Slum Village
  • “Spot N’ The Shade” by San Quinn
  • “Didn’t Cha Know?” by Erykah Badu
  • “That Shit” by A Tribe Called Quest
  • “Electric Relaxation” by A Tribe Called Quest

Enjoy listening!

Thank you for reading my blog and please stick around to read even more of my Zot Blogs!

All the best,

Lucas

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My Last Two Weeks in Pics!

I’ve been pretty much chilling for the past two weeks, preparing for and finishing up some of my first midterms of this quarter and getting lots of homework done. But I’ve also had lots of time to do some fun things. I’ll share some pictures of my past two weeks with you!

Caption for photo above: This was a photo I took at Hillcrest Park in Fullerton, California. It was taken during the evening, where we get a nice and late sunset view of the city. The main highlight of this park would be the few hundred stairsteps that lead up to this viewpoint. It is like a mini trail with LOTS of incline. I did about four sets going up and down those steps, and I was already sweating like crazy by the end of my second set. If you’re into all things active, definitely check this place out! Great for cardio!

Caption for the two photos above: This was a photo that I took at a Japanese marketplace called Mitsuwa Marketplace (this one was in Costa Mesa), which has a huge variety of different Japanese foods. I was treated by my Auntie and Grandpa to some very tasty ramen, and matcha puffed pastries! Mitsuwa Marketplace has several mini restaurants that range from Japanese curry to sushi, to ramen, and many other traditional dishes—perfect if you’re craving Japanese food. There are also many goodies and produce that come directly from Japan and are sold here!

Caption for the three photos above: These are a few photos that I took from my last weekend’s trip to Newport Beach. We got some nice views of the houses along Newport Beach and a cool shot of the basketball courts. I’m really proud of my basketball court photo because it looks like it’s floating in the sky! Unfortunately, I and my friends went on a bad day since it was raining most of the time (none of us bothered to check the pouring hours); however, I came prepared with an umbrella that could barely cover two people, so the rest of my friends got soaked. Next time we’ll know NOT to go to Newport Beach on a rainy day.

Thank you for reading my blog and please stick around to read even more of my Zot Blogs!

All the best,

Lucas

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Outlining My Winter Quarter Game Plan

My first Fall Quarter at UC Irvine was a rollercoaster of an experience. There was so much to take in, but everything went by quickly. It involved a lot of navigating, exploring, and time management that helped me get a feel of college life and how to live individually. Along the way, I have learned many new ways to get my daily tasks in order and how to navigate through UC Irvine resources so that I could finish my first quarter strong.

One of my biggest challenges last quarter was learning how to first manage my time from day to day. I found it difficult because I had quite a bit of lenient time to do the things I wanted, and I overindulged in that. When I first had the freedom to choose to do whatever I wanted, I idiotically used most of my time to do fun things, which pushed back study and homework time. A change that I will be making for this winter quarter to combat procrastination and poor time management is using a timer that I got from Amazon for around $17 (picture and link of Amazon product below). So far, this timer has been helping me get SO MUCH work done, allowing me to finish tasks in a timely manner, with lots of time to spare to do the things I want at the end of the day. My strategy for using this timer is to set about 3 hours each day on the clock, usually taking a break between each hour. I make sure that by the end of the day, I eat up all of the time that is left on my clock until it reaches zero. After finishing those 3 hours on my clock, I know I’ve done a plentiful amount of work for the day and reset the timer to 3 hours for the next day’s use. I believe this is one of the best ways to tackle laziness and procrastination—it helps you stay productive and on task throughout the day. It also feels GREAT once you hit 00:00 because, to me, it indicates that I managed my time effectively and got work done! Can’t wait to see how my Winter Quarter will progress with this new method at getting daily tasks done (loving it so far!).

Only 16 minutes left at the time of writing this! LET’S GOO!!!
Amazon link to product: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W2B267P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Small Winter Break Highlights

For winter break, I just traveled back up to NorCal where I spent some time at my grandparents’ house in the Bay Area for Christmas. Had fun spending time with the family eating and opening gifts! The rest of the break was spent back at my home in Patterson. I’d also like to take the opportunity to introduce my family’s new cat, Ichigo! My family got him back in October of 2024 and I’ve been enjoying his company for the last few times I visited home. I really enjoyed playing with him and helping take care of him during my last few winter break weeks in Patterson before coming back to UC Irvine. Ichigo was the perfect touch in making my winter break very restful and perfect.

Here are a few photos of Ichigo that I took over winter break.

Thank you for reading my blog and please stick around to read even more of my Zot Blogs!

Best of luck to everyone this Winter Quarter!

All the best,

Lucas

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Letter to Self

Dear Lucas, from the beginning of my first quarter at UC Irvine,

Congrats on starting your new academic journey at UCI! I know you might feel a little nervous and overwhelmed by the amount of things you can do as you partake in your first years as an independent person. But don’t you worry, take things one step at a time, and ease your way in. Start by meeting new people, which can include talking to people in your residence hall, going to random club meetings, or just attending UCI events!

You’ve made a few new friends?! Great! Your first midterm is already coming up! Make sure to plan out your days efficiently to ensure that you are on track to understanding all of the material you’re learning in class. The biggest mistake a college student can make is not creating a weekly schedule and following an organized calendar that plans what they will be doing each day. PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL: if you are not setting dedicated hours throughout the day to tasks like studying, trying new things, etc., then you’re not making great use of your time. So, don’t slack off, stay off of social media, and try as many new things as possible!

There are so many new things to do and try during your time at UC Irvine! I know that you’re going to get involved in active life clubs, play basketball, and hit the gym, but did you know there are night classes at the ARC? I know it might be a little far from where you are living, but try committing to at least one activity at the ARC for a quarter to see how you’ll like it. There are so many activities to choose from, ranging from martial arts classes, cooking classes, and the many sports to try out! This is also a great opportunity to meet new people with whom you will share a common interest in doing the same activities.

Although it is a great way to relax by doing fun activities here and there, it is also important to make time for studying and building relationships with your professors and TAs. Going back to planning your weekly/daily planners, I suggest trying to work your daily tasks around TA and professor office hours, so if you need to attend them for extra help, you’ll have the time to do so.

It will seem like a lot at first, but by following a strict schedule, you will meet all of your deadlines for your classes, make lots of time for outside activities, and have days for yourself where you can sit back and relax (just don’t do this too often).

Remember, it is ok if things don’t work out or if you make mistakes—those are all a part of your journey as a college student. Feel good about yourself and treat yourself when you succeed and learn from your mistakes. College will be a great opportunity for both your academic and personal growth, make the most of that while you continue your time at UC Irvine.

Sincerely,

Lucas
Posted on 1 Comment on Jazz Vibes at UCI

Jazz Vibes at UCI

This past week, I was able to attend and experience UCI’s Jazz Combos concert for the Fall 2024 quarter! The concert took place at Winifred Smith Hall, located at the School of Arts on the UC Irvine campus. It was a cold evening night, but the hall was so cozy and perfect for a lengthy jazz performance—a delightful atmosphere for the winter season!

Here was the program given to us before the concert started.

I’m sorry I did not get the names of the music that was played :(. Otherwise, I would’ve listed all of them on the blog.

Below are a few snippets of the first band under Prof. Darek Oles.

Here is the first band! They played up to 4 songs and the one that I’ve recorded above are my favorite ones played by them. I especially loved the piano solo by Nathan Fong in the second snippet!

Here is the second band under Prof. Jerry Pinter. Below are some photos and snippets of their performance!

Here is the second band under Prof. Jerry Pinter, where they also played up to 3-4 songs. This was by far my most favorite performance played by the second band, I really enjoyed all of the different instrument’s solos and the song overall (couldn’t get all of the instrument solos because the video file was too big)! I’m not a musician, and I don’t know how to describe it, but I really liked how the saxophones played in harmony and the notes that they played in the first snippet above. I thought the drums were also a nice touch to the saxophone’s spotlight in that part of the song.

Unfortunately, I could not stay any longer for the last jazz band since it was midterm week. I still had to get a lot of studying in that night, BUT I was glad I had the time to attend this event because jazz has always been such a relaxing music genre to me that it eased the midterm stress off my shoulders. Consider attending one of these concerts if you want a work-free night to enjoy yourself, the atmosphere, and the vibrant jazz music at Winifred Smith Hall. If you are interested in a future jazz performance, definitely look forward to the upcoming UCI Jazz Orchestra Fall Quarter performance on December 4, 2024. It will be at the same place, the Winifred Smith Hall, at 8:00pm.

Also, if you’re interested in attending any other UC Irvine events beside just music performances, please check out this website: Featured Events // Today // UC Irvine
This website lists all of UC Irvine’s campus events that can range from art shows/galleries, presentations, music concerts, and more!

Thank you for reading my blog and please stick around to read even more of my Zot Blogs!

All the best,

Lucas