Whatup my peoples? February 2012′s Honey of the Month brings us the sexy playmate Jessica Burciaga. Mixed with Mexican, French, and Irish, she’s definitely holdin’ it down for this month. More pics below…check ‘em out.

If you guys remember, I premiered the video for “Blow” there last year. Well this year, my newest song “Do it 2 Me” (featuring Jabi and produced by Digital Desi) will be featured in the film “Uncoupled“. Check out the trailer for the film festival alongside the trailer for the film itself below. Hope to see you guys there!

The India International Film Festival of Tampa Bay is dedicated to providing a platform for increased awareness of Indian Cinema and culture to the community by promoting films and industry professionals representing the diversity of India.

- Eminem on “Till I Collapse”

Sometimes, you gotta strong arm the game. I mean, you gotta REALLY muscle your way through every hurdle and every obstacle and everything going against you. There comes a point where you can’t sit back; instead, you have to step up, take charge, and fight your way through the BS. We all encounter it, and let’s face it…lots of people give in to the pressure. Well, I wanted to give in myself this past month; instead, I did the opposite. I got my ass back up and fought through it. This month wasn’t bad by any means, but it did require me to push harder. But yes, I’ll get to that in a minute.

What is the deals my peoples? I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve hit you with an Opinions Column. Perhaps it’s because the last edition was shortened…or maybeee it’s because there’s been so much that’s happened this past month that I’ve been aching for this day to come. Whatever it is, welcome to the February 2012 Opinions Column (almost typed 2011 there for a second, whoa). It feels good to be in the full swing of the new year. *Inhale!* For those that are new to the site, this is the place where I talk about anything and everything going on in my life. Consider it my personal journal, if you may. For those of you that’re regulars, welcome back (as always). And with that said, let’s talk about January!

So in December, I was featured on the Forces of Nature: World Tour mixtape. I originally planned to include a different song on there, but a last minute decision led me to use “Tell Me” instead. It’s all good because I really like that song too, but it wasn’t what I planned in my head. The song I DID wanna use was called “Do It 2 Me” (which was produced by Digital Desi and features my boy Jabi). Unfortunately it wasn’t completed in time so I wasn’t able to use it. So now, why wasn’t it completed on time you ask? I had to have the chorus re-recorded a few times and the vocals mixed down by three separate engineers. Not one, not two, but three. Coordinating all that was not easy, but I SOMEHOW managed to finish it. Most people would’ve been like whatever or just said screw it, but I pushed. Andddd, we eventually got it done. And even better? I submitted it for a film that’s now being premiered at Tampa’s third annual India International Film Festival.

So with my upcoming CD coming out later this year, I really need to follow up “Blow” with a strong second single. I still want to use this new song I recorded call “Free”, but that’s taking forever to get finalized too. So I’ve been throwing around the idea of using “One of a Kind” instead, which I’ve had recorded for awhile. It’s vintage Ajaxxx, it features an Indian beat, and I’m eager to drop it. However (and of course there’s a however LoL), getting this song finalized is also no joke. I’ve had three producers work on it so far, with a fourth one now doing his thing. I’m confident it’ll FINALLY get done, but damn. Songs shouldn’t drag on for this long. I should’ve given up by now…but again, ya’ gotta strong arm your way through the fog. When times get tough, get tougher!

With EACH song turning into its own adventure (and you can imagine how many songs I have recorded), it really takes its toll on you. But you know what? I go back to it, but I gotta persist. That means I have to stay mad focused and continue working towards the same goal. It SHOULD be easier, but hey…gotta play the cards you’re dealt.

So with all the drama of mixing, production, etc. going on, I’ve decided to learn. I’ve said this before, and I’ve even mixed down some of my own songs before so it’s not like I’m new to it. But, I wanna get better and start mixing on a regular basis. So between all 500 other things I have going on, I’ll add numero 501 to the list. This is really important in order for me to preserve my sanity.

Whenever I feel like I’m tired, I try to remind myself that I could do SO much more. Check what Jay-Z said about Kanye West: “He puts so much into everything, and he’s like, ‘You have to treat it like I treat it.’ It drives you crazy sometimes—like when you’ve put seventy-five versions of a snare on one song and he’s like, ‘No!’ and you’re like, ‘Come on, man,’” he says.

More? Okay…look what Royce da 5’9″ said about Diddy: “I went in there and wrote at least 40 verses. Diddy is really a huge perfectionist. He’s one of those guys that knows what he wants to hear, but he’s not the best at explaining what he wants. So he doesn’t really know it until he hears it. He had me write verse after verse and he picked different pieces. It was an interesting process and I’m thankful for that because it actually made me be a little more nit-picky and start rewriting my own stuff. I learned a lot from that process.”

And now check out this video by 50 Cent where he talks about the work ethic of Dre and Eminem:

Y’see what I mean? You can’t stop at the first draft or the second midown. You gotta keep workin! Strong arm your way through the game!

In terms of new music, I MUST talk about the Common Drake beef that’s been goin’ on (and I use the term beef loosely). Okay, before we start, I’m a huge Common fan. I’ve been listening to him for years, and I think he’s a dope emcee. He’s not my favorite rapper of all time or anything, but he’s got skills on the mic and he knows how to convey a message. Okay, so we got that, right? I’m a fan. Despite that, I think you’re crazy if you think Common came better than Drake on this battle. I’ve said this before, but Drake is ridiculously talented if you can get past all the singing. When he raps, he’s got krazy skills and lots of depth. Anyway, Comm’s verse was aight (Sweet was actually more entertaining to listen to) compared to Drake’s verse. I really feel that if you thought Comm came better than Drake on this, it’s because you were a fan from before. Again, so am I, but I’m able to separate the battle from that. Drake got busy and there’s no denying that.

And in case you need to catch up, here’s the back-and-forth in order of the diss tracks.

And moving onto something much lighter, I traveled to San Antonio this past month. It was a real refreshing feeling to get away from it all for a week and a half, especially when I’m surrounded by lots of drama. I had a chance to take in the sights, meet up with some old colleagues, and party it up too. Of course I worked lots, but you know I played lots too haha. I gotta admit it too, San Antonio’s a really culturally-rich city with a lot to admire. Between the Riverwalk, the pig racing we came across in a club, or the bull I saw in the street, it was an awesome place. I only wish I had some extra time to see the Alamo! Oh well, next time fa’ sho.

I can’t front…so far, 2012 has been good. Not great, but good. I didn’t get as much done as I would’ve liked, but again…I’m strong armin’ it. I’m fighting through the time constraints, the lazy collaborators, and the sleep that I so desperately need. I’m DETERMINED to get this new music heard. So guess what? This month, there’s gonna’ be more of that. No rest for me.

Anddddddd with that said, that’ll do it for me. Thank you as always for reading up on the site and hearing me out as I vent Lol. Til next time…stay up, stay safe, and hold ya’ head. Ajaxxx signin’ out…PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And oh yea, GO GIANTS!

With 2012 in full swing, I present to you the first Honey of the Month for the new year: Suleika. This sexy Dominican has some hot pics, so be sure to check ‘em out below.

Check out the newest mixtape cover I designed. This one is for Bravura Magazine’s newest release, “Forces of Nature: World Tour.” After several renditions, I went with the version you witness before you. I tried to incorporate the whole “world tour” theme, but also go in a completely different direction than the previous cover that I also designed. I really wanted it to stand out.

I’ve also got music on there with my song “Tell Me (Striptease Remix), rocking over a classic Timbaland beat. This 22-track mixtape also features artists such as DJ Shadow Dubai, RDB, Nindy Kaur, Shweta Subram, Jay Dabhi, G-Deep, and many others!

Here’s the download link: http://bit.ly/tdcoB8

Happy New Year my peoples!

It’s 2012! Holy crap, right? 2011 is a thing of the past and the new year is upon us. I LOVE New Years Day, but more than ever today. I feel like there’s much more to live for and much more to look forward to as well. I’ve got a lot of things going for me and great people surrounding me. I’m super intent on bettering myself this year, and there’s lots of exciting opportunities on the horizon. I’m in a good place and I’m grateful to be here.

Okay, so let’s rewind for a second! This is the Ajaxxx.com Opinions Column, the sole spot on the planet where you can dive into my brain and find out what’s going on. Welcome to the first edition of 2012. If you’re new to the site, glad to have you visit. There’s lots of other cool things on the site so please check ‘em out. If you’re a regular to the site, then you already know the drills. I don’t think I’ll get TOO lengthy in this entry simply because I bombarded the site with lots of posts the last few days (which makes up plenty of reading material). Instead, I’ll briefly talk about December and what to look forward to ahead as well.

If you haven’t already, check out the two posts I mentioned above. Very informative stuff!

• My 2011 Year-in-Review
• My Favorite Hip Hop Videos of 2011

December oh December. The final month of 2011 was really good for a number of reasons. I enjoyed the holidays, caught up on work, and perhaps most importantly…I became an uncle all over again. Honestly, it was good just to get away from the day-to-day usualness and spend time with friends and family. Although there were some bumps in the road last month, everything seems to be returning back to normal now. So, I’m very thankful.

This year will mark a new beginning for me – I’m re-energized. I’m gonna continue my language lessons, going hard in the gym, and traveling. Looking ahead, this month (and the months ahead) will see lots of Ajaxxx. The goal is to finalize even more songs this month and shoot a few new videos too. I don’t like to “hype stuff up” too much in advance, especially when there’s still lots of work to be done. I’m guilty of doing that and have been big on changing my ways. So, don’t wanna give away too much til we’re in go-mode. But yes, I’ll be a busy person this upcoming month and throughout the year. Can’t wait!

I’m gonna hit you with news as it happens. 2012 WILL be the busiest year ever for me, so hope you’re ready for it!

Anyway, that’ll do it for this month’s column (see, told you I wouldn’t make it that long). Take a minute and read those other posts and you’ll get your Ajaxxx dosage, trust me LoL. Until next month folks…stay up, stay safe, and hold ya’ head. Ajaxxx signin’ out…PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011 has been quite the year, hasn’t it? It was the year of the revolution and the year of the protestor. We saw deaths of Bin Laden and Gadhafi along with the Occupy Wall Street movement. In addition, we saw stories about the Royal Wedding, the Casey Anthony trial, Steve Jobs, the shaky economy, and the earthquakes of Japan. Between that and stories about Kim Kardashian, Rebecca Black, and Charlie Sheen, there was a lot that happened this year.

With 2011 winding down (which I still can’t believe), I wanted to take a look at where I’ve been. I wanted to take a look at the year that was 2011, but not so much the news; instead, I wanted to visit the stuff that I’ve been through both personally and professionally. It’s definitely been an “eventful” year to say the least, and I felt like capturing that. In addition, it was a pretty interesting year for music too. So anyway, in this hybrid edition of the Opinions Column, I’ll talk about everything 2011.

The Rap Life

Yes, 2011 was good to me in that there were lots of milestones in my rap career. What were they? Well…

My first single was finally released – Yup, my single for “Blow” was finally released. I finally dropped the first song from my upcoming CD “Something to Prove” which I’ve been talking about for years. Working with longtime collaborator June25th, I wrote, recorded, and released the song that is now available on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, and more. It was an amazing and exhilirating feeling, and there’s lots more where that came from.

My first music video was released – With the single for “Blow” releasing, it only made sense to shoot a music video. And so, that’s exactly what we did. I shot the video for “Blow” and had it premiere at the India International Film Festival (IIFF) in Tampa, FL, alongside other great videos by great artists. The reception for the video was great (I loved the way it turned out myself). Moving forward, there’ll be lots more of that too.

The Number 1 Spot on the Rapnetwork Record Breakers chart – In addition to releasing the song and video for “Blow”, it was important to get the word out that I had this new song. So, I reached out to a lot of different media outlets to feature the song. It was picked up by lots of different DJs and college radio stations and they really dug it. Anyway, the single for “Blow” steady rose over the course of two months and finally hit the number one spot on the Rapnetwork Record Breakers chart (which tracks college radio) for the entire U.S.! Trust me, I was amped Lol.

My new website was launched – Now I know I’ve talked about this plenty, but that’s because it was such a big deal when it happened. I spent about six to seven months working on relaunching this site, and even longer working on the design of it. I lost lots of sleep and pulled out lots of hair in the process, but it was all worth it. I think it was a special thing to me for two reasons: 1) I had been wanting to relaunch the site for YEARS and finally made it happen and 2) I put in so much hard work and it’s an incredible feeling to see all your hard work manifested. So yes, this was really a big deal.

Personal Life

As always, my personal life had its share of ups and downs. I won’t get into everything on here, but I will admit that it was more “peaceful” than 2010. I saw friendships strengthen while others weaken. I saw relationships come and go. And as always, I did a lot of soul-searching especially on the darker days. That sounds pretty consistent with my life, so no surprises there.

The India Trip that Never Happened - This was perhaps the most trying and consuming thing that happened to me this past year. Earlier in the year, I was offered an opportunity to work in India for a few months. I accepted and was SUPER excited. I mean, I downplayed it krazy, but I was really lookin’ forward to going. The process dragged on for months with several ups and downs and eventually ended up with me not going. I was really devastated (especially since I really hyped it up) but refused to let it bring me down. I told myself, “You know what ‘Jaxxx? So what if you’re not going…there’s something better in store for you here.” I tried to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing which is something I’ve gotten better at this year. And with 2012 around the corner, who knows? Maybe I’ll make that trip after all.

New York/New Jersey Trip – Although I didn’t do an extended trip, I went to NY and NJ this past year and it was awesome. I really needed a few days to just get away from everything. Whenever I go to NY, I feel exhilarated. Actually, refreshed would be the more appropriate word. I ended up going to the city and linked up with a lot of friends. It was GREAT. Can’t wait to go back!

I became an uncle again – I had a new nephew a few weeks ago. Family’s important to me, so whenever you have an addition to the fam it’s an amazing thing. And of course, the rest of the family is super excited too…especially since his birth comes right around the holidays. With the newest addition to our family, you can imagine how many more people are looking at me now like, “Hey, what’re you waiting for?” LoL and I guess that’s a great segue into the next topic…

When are you getting married? One of the prevalent questions I continued getting throughout the year was when I was gonna’ get married. Haha, no surprises there, right? I can’t even say this was JUST 2011, because it’s been going on for the last few years now. LoL I’m slackin’, right? If you’re Indian, that’s like the #1 question you receive as you get older. And with all my peers around me either getting married or having kids, all eyes were on me. After a few failed relationships, I don’t know what to say anymore. Hopefully 2012 can answer that question, because I definitely don’t know the answer.

Favorite Music

Honestly, 2011 didn’t have enough “FIRE” new music for me as years past. A lot of the newer artists that a lot of hip hop sites were featuring didn’t really do it for me. Does this mean I’m gettin’ old? I hope not! But there was still lots of dope music that came out this past year. These were my favorites of 2011. If I missed something, let me know.

Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel – Eminem and Royce da 5’9″ finally linked up after years of separation to drop a super dope EP. If you’re a fan of lyrics, you’ve probably already checked this CD. Em and Royce have a certain shared chemistry that makes their songs turn out even hotter, and their attention to detail is ridiculous (it makes you rewind a lot, let me tell you). And with some bangin’ production from Mr. Porter, Bangladesh, and Eminem himself, this is one of those CDs I’ve had on repeat.

Common – The Dreamer, The Believer – Common came back STRONG with his newest release, which is quite possibly my favorite album of the year. That’s a bold statement, isn’t it? It sure it, but let me explain. Comm’ has always been one of my fav MCs, but I feel like he doesn’t always pick the right beats or tackle the right moods. With his newest release, he joins forces again with No ID, who laces him with some amazing production. The result? Trademark Common. I feel like No ID provided the soundtrack where Comm’ could really tell his story.

J. Cole – Cole World: Sideline Story – As one of the most anticipated albums of 2011, Jay-Z‘s newest protege J. Cole did not disappoint. I’ve been checking for Cole for awhile since his Blueprint 3 debut, collecting mixtapes and listening to remixes along the way. His album had high expectations, and he really came through. If there was one thing I might’ve changed, it would be the production on some tracks. But outside of that, he dropped an awesome CD. Cole’s got a bright future ahead of him, and I’m looking forward to hearing more.

The Roots – Undun – The Roots have been one of the most consistent hip hop groups in the game, so I was expecting some fire from this album. Black Thought and the crew didn’t disappoint with the newest collection of songs, which played more like a story than just a bunch of random songs. One of the things I really enjoyed about this CD was the focus on the production more than the lyrics (at least that’s what I got from it). And with dope songs featuring Dice Raw and Big K.R.I.T, this album was super dope. Much props to the whole Roots crew for doing it again.

Game – The R.E.D. Album – What can I say about this one? As one of the most hyped up albums of the year, Game really came through after the “okay” last album. With features from a host of artists (I’m not even gonna list them all because there’s so many), the album had a lot of dope moments. The only thing I wasn’t thrilled about from this album is that because there were so many features, Game tried to switch up his style too many times which hurt the consistency. But if you can overlook that, it’s fire. And the Chris Brown and Primo tracks…mannnnnn!

Honorable Mentions: Joell Ortiz – Free Agent, , Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told, Jay-Z/Kanye West – Watch the Throne, Lupe Fiasco – Lasers

The Wrap-Up

In retrospect, 2011 has been a good year to me. Although I had some low points, I did my best to pick myself up. I go back to the Dada Vaswani event I attended last year in NJ where I was really enlightened in a lot of different ways (especially with changing my attitude). That helped me get through a lot, especially the challenges I encountered.

I feel like there could’ve been some things I did differently this past year, especially musically. Although “Blow” did well, I wish I dropped more videos, more singles, and more music in general. Yes I appeared on several new mixtapes, but in my opinion I could’ve done even MORE. So for 2012, that’s the goal. The goal is to be on more mixtapes, more stages, and on more websites. I wanna get more involved with mixing and production too. And yes, I WILL be dropping my new CD “Something to Prove” this year! I’ve been saying that for FOREVER, but I’m finally doin’ it. That’s my word.

In addition, I wish I traveled more this past year too. The India trip really screwed up a lot of those plans, so I can’t say much. Outside of the NJ/NY trip I took a few months ago (I also took a trip to NC), I didn’t go anywhere outside of Florida. Compared to 2010, that’s a big difference! So for the new year, there will be lots more traveling on the agenda and there will definitely be an international trip too. I’m only young once so I gotta live it up while I can. Yessir!

I plan on continuing with the gym but going even harder. I plan on continuing with the language lessons I’ve been doing. And yes, I plan to expose myself to lots more Hindi music and movies. I don’t know what else to expect for the coming year, but I know there are lots of wheels turning at the moment. If I continue to work towards my goals, I’m confident that everything will turn out the way it should.

And with that said, have a happy 2012 peoples!

There’s been a lot of great music that’s come out this past year (and lots more not-so-great stuff). Several of my favorite artists made comebacks this year, while others continued to do their thing. And of course, I debuted my first official video this year too. It’s been a good year for music videos, hasn’t it? It was hard for me to put together this list, especially when there were SO MANY videos released. I know I couldn’t include them all, but take a look at the list below and check out some of my favorites from 2011.

1) AJAXXX – BLOW

Yes, I gotta show love to myself. This is the official website for Ajaxxx, isn’t it? Haha. Below is the official video for my first single “Blow”, which was filmed here in Florida and premiered at the India International Film Festival (IIFF) in Tampa. Big ups to the director Omar for being able to translate my vision and execute it.

2) DR. DRE FEAT. EMINEM & SKYLAR GREY – I NEED A DOCTOR

It’s hard to believe that this song came out this year. As one of my favorite videos of 2011 (maybe THE favorite), Dre collaborates with Eminem as they tell the story of where Dre’s been all this time. I love the way they visit Dre’s past, along with how movie-esque the video looks.

3) SHADY 2.0 CYPHER

The Shady Cypher at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards definitely stood out amongst all the other cyphers at the awards show. With amazing verses from Eminem, Yelawolf, and Slaughterhouse, the Shady 2.0 camp definitely turned heads with this. One of my favs from the year.

4) COMMON – BLUE SKY

Common had perhaps the best album of the year and this song is indicative of that. “Blue Sky” is an amazing song/video that has Common doing what he does best. Gotta love this one.

5) GAME FEAT. CHRIS BROWN – POT OF GOLD

The Game teams up with Chris Brown to deliver a super dope song from The R.E.D. Album. The album was stellar, and this was one of my favorite songs from it. Definitely a slept on song in my opinion, but one of the dopest that came out from 2011.

6) BAD MEETS EVIL – FAST LANE

Eminem and Royce da 5’9″ team up to bring us “Fast Lane”, a vintage Em/Royce track where they go back and forth with lyrics. It’s a fire song with a catchy hook, and the video is mad fun too. I debated between posting this video versus “Lighters” with Bruno Mars, but I wasn’t really impressed with the video for it; plus this song is just too bananas. We need more of this.

7) COMMON FEAT. NAS – GHETTO DREAMS

I was reluctant to post two songs from Common (especially from the same album), but this song and video are just too hot to overlook. Comm’ teams up with Nas on this one, and the result is fizzire.

8) NAS – NASTY

Nasty Nas makes a triumphant return in 2011 with the single “Nasty”, which has Nas doing what he does best. Rapping over an ill beat and straight blackin’ out, the Street’s Disciple gets busy and reminds us why he made us look. And by the way, did I mention I love the video too? Vintage Nas for real.

9) J. COLE – LOST ONES

J. Cole tells a story of a young man who impregnates his girl and how things go after they find out. It’s a beautiful song about a situation that happens everyday but seldom gets recognized about in hip hop songs. Much props to Cole for such a positive song.

10) JAY-Z & KANYE WEST – OTIS

To be honest with you, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to post this because the video had nothing to do with the song (then again, what was the song about?). But I can’t front, the video is fresh and shows a “happier” side to Jay and Kanye. It’s creative, and I gotta recognize that.

Honorable mentions: Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On, Big Sean feat. Nicki Minaj – A$$, Kid Cudi – Mr. Rager, Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne – Look at Me Now, Kanye West feat. Rihanna, Kid Cudi – All of the Lights

With 2011 wrapping up, I thought it was only right to take a look at where we’ve been. I relaunched the new website this year (in July 2011 to be exact), and the site has seen its share of honeys. Let’s take a look at who has been featured this past year in one of the most popular sections of the site. Big ups to the homey aka “Chancellor” EZ for always comin’ through on this section.

Take a look at the pics below and let me know – who was your favorite honey of 2011?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Check out the latest mixtape project by Bravura Magazine titled Forces of Nature: World Tour. I’m on there with my song “Tell Me (Striptease Remix), rocking over a classic Timbaland beat. This 22-track mixtape also features artists such as DJ Shadow Dubai, RDB, Nindy Kaur, Shweta Subram, Jay Dabhi, G-Deep, and many others!

Download the mixtape below for FREE.

Here’s the download link: http://bit.ly/tdcoB8