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E-Sports September 12, 2017
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5 ways video games made everything way more lit and even created jobs

Ten years ago, the possibility of sitting on the couch and profiting was close to impossible. Little did we know that one day there would be stadiums full of people watching 3 random guys playing video games, and being one of the most profitable industries in the world!

As more and more people begin to casually enjoy the incredible variety of games out there, the industry continues to grow alongside it, creating job opportunities that might not have existed 10 years ago.

In honor of my favorite hobby, I’ve decided to put together a list of different job markets that exist purely on the strength of video game popularity.

Let’s Play personalities

For those unfamiliar, a Let’s Play is simply one or more people adding commentary over a video game. The commentary isn’t similar to sports, instead usually going for a comedic tone and it lets players focus on adding more entertainment than what the base game would offer the viewer.

Most Let’s Play videos are exclusive to YouTube and the medium has birthed huge stars most notably being the controversial “PewDiePie,” who is currently under fire for using the n-word during a recent broadcast.

Tying in sponsorships from companies, ad revenue, and partnerships, being a Let’s Play personality is a legitimate career path that many have chosen to pursue, just remember that having a camera and an Xbox doesn’t mean you’re interesting to watch.

Some of these breakout stars have even managed to get television deals where they translate their Let’s Play format for channels like Disney XD and Cartoon Network. Even if you don’t understand the appeal I’m sure you’ve seen an 8-year-old watching a Let’s Play.

E-sports

E-sports is exactly what the name presents, electronic sports. Selling out arenas and stadiums, the e-sports craze shows no signs of slowing down in popularity as more game developers are now designing their games to be E-Sport friendly.

Thousands of people go out to to watch two teams play each other in a specific game, the most popular being League of Legends. 

E-sports events have been broadcasted on ESPN many times and with teams being sponsored by companies like Pornhub there’s a huge cash cow for everyone involved.

More and more games developers are pushing for their product to be featured in an e-sports tournaments for the wide-reaching marketing. On the other hand, companies who have nothing to do with gaming are creating their own e-sports teams to cash in on the revenue.

After all this time it seems that playing games all day can actually land you a job (if you’re good enough).

Mobile gaming

Studying Tv Land GIF by #Impastor - Find & Share on GIPHY

Mobile gaming is the biggest, most profitable gaming market in the whole industry. With most mobile games taking a lot less effort to make than the development of a traditional AAA title, the turn around on mobile gaming is huge.

We all remember Flappy Bird, an incredibly simple game that didn’t really have anything going for it. The developer of the little mobile game was rumored to be making around $50,000 per day before he took the app off the market.

That number hasn’t been verified but keeping in mind that it went viral and showed ads after every death, it’s not outrageous to believe in that wild number.

If you know your way around game development, it’s probably in your best interest to make an addicting app that can go viral and make you some easy money.

Gaming journalism & media

Video Games On The Phone GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

This one is kind of a no-brainer, where there’s an interest, there will be a journalist right behind it feeding you all the information you’d ever need.

As gaming continues to grow so will gaming media. With the opportunities to review, preview, dissect, and break news on games it is the perfect career for a video game lover.

With multimillion dollar companies like IGN and Gamespot pioneering video game news they’ve successfully managed to create hundreds of jobs revolving around their passion for gaming.

Gaming news is always looking for competent gamers to talk about games all day, it’s a great industry to be in if you love gaming and flexing your words.

Twitch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xP9Lw4VXuA

Twitch.com, formerly known as Justin.TV, was recently bought by Amazon and is a gaming juggernaut.

The platform allows any user to to start a live broadcast of the game they’re currently playing with a chance to gather viewers who can directly donate or subscribe to the streamer.

Twitch gives the user a chance to immediately gain income from their service just by playing a game.

The most successful Twitch streamers can make over $100,000 a year, this is definitely the minority but impressive nonetheless.

Twitch streamer GubbaTV is estimated to make over $70,000 a year, sometimes getting $1,000 donations from her fans.

get out September 12, 2017
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Spike Lee, Jordan Peele working on film about black detective who infiltrated KKK

Jordan Peele impressed us all earlier this year with his satirical thriller Get Out, which centered around the possibility of a modern day slave trade.

His sleeper hit inspired conversation that had never been discussed so openly.

The movie managed to rake in a total of $250 million worldwide, essentially spreading a new wave of thought to those who might not have had these important conversations otherwise, and now he’s back alongside Spike Lee to bring us another one of his four promised “socially conscious” films.

Theres No Free Here Spike Lee GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

This film, set to be directed by Spike and produced by Peele, focuses on the story of Ron Stallworth, a black detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan and foiled the group’s hate crimes.

The movie will be an adaptation of Stallworth’s 2014 memoir Black Klansman in which he goes into detail about his 1978 infiltration of the KKK and the hate crimes he managed to prevent because of it.

Peele has already proved that he is incredibly talented and has an amazing eye for film.

Get Out Wtf GIF by Get Out Movie - Find & Share on GIPHY

With this announcement it seems that the need for what are essentially thought pieces adapted for screens is being fulfilled not only by Jordan Peele but many other directors who have decided to abandon the traditional slave movie for a more modern take on race in America.

Most notably HBO’s newly announced show Confederate,  which explores the possibility of a world where the South won the Civil War.

The show has been surrounded by nothing but controversy with critics calling it “white slavery fanfic” though it’s being produced by couple Malcolm and Nichelle Spellman.

Get Out No GIF by Get Out Movie - Find & Share on GIPHY

If nothing else this new film by Spike and Peele, as well as other takes on race in society, will spark a very necessary conversation in today’s political climate.

There’s still no information as to when filming will begin for Jordan Peele’s new film but until then I can be sure it will be just as impactful as his breakout hit Get Out. 

bills fans September 12, 2017
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What is really good in Buffalo? Bills fans are on another level of ratchet

You know the old saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Well Buffalo Bill fans have clearly taken that lesson and stretched it out as far as they can.

Bill fans appropriately named the “Bills Mafia” are some of the wildest fans in the NFL, known for wrestling in the parking lot and throwing an occasional dildo onto the field during a game.

When your team is pretty average you have to find other ways to entertain yourself, take these lovely ladies for example:

This is what the women of Buffalo are like

Then there was the not so polite butt chug at the tailgate

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/787709349498093568

Beautiful.

The Bills Mafia isn’t giving their antics any time to flatline though, instead they’re working on new methods of entertainment at the stadium to keep things as exciting as ever.

Remember when one Bills fan caught himself on fire?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyPStAI_prA

A few Twitter users have reported witnessing some of the Bills Mafia having sex in the stadium as well as getting blow jobs and all that other wild shit.

I’m assuming this was after she waited in line for the famous Buffalo Bills bathroom.

Another sighting:

If there’s one thing to take away from all this madness it’s that Bills games are lit as fuck. A quick browse through the Bills Mafia tag on Twitter will show you just how much the fans love their trash team and their community.

Who could forget when these two fans couldn’t even wait to get into the stadium to get it in!

https://twitter.com/tommytrillmusic/status/673651116085612544

From afar it’s really easy to judge these kind folk and there’s plenty reason for it but I’d prefer to see them as NFL’s most ratchet/passionate fanbase and they should be proud.

Look at how these Bill fans celebrate the first game of the season at their home. Dude is literally jumping off the roof onto a table after chugging a beer, THIS IS TRADITION!

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/904830880258064384

From breaking through tables as some sort of right of passage to getting (or giving) blowjobs in a women’s restroom, these fans know how to have a good time and luckily for the rest of us — we won’t have to see them at the Super Bowl any time soon.

9/11 September 11, 2017
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Generation 9/11: Life after September 11th as a post-millennial New Yorker

September 11, 2001 is a date that remains a significant part of every American’s life.

Whether it be a 15-year-old high school student or an 80-year-old retiree, 9/11 is an event that has and will continue to impact everyday life for an average citizen.

The tragedy in downtown Manhattan, New York remains a benchmark for our nation’s lowest most vulnerable point in time. All at once, our country froze to witness what’s said to be the ‘Capital of the World’ be left defenseless, never before did a tragedy manage to cripple us as much since the assassination of John F. Kennedy on live TV.

That being said, here I am, a 19-year-old with no memory whatsoever of 9/11 or what life was like before it. I was a 3-year-old living in Brooklyn when the towers were hit.

I’m not sure if 3-year-olds have the ability to form memories, or maybe my personal memory is just trash, but I couldn’t tell you the feeling in the air during or immediately after the attack.

Life before 9/11 is a mystery to me and life after is a normality, as post-millennials (those who weren’t directly affected by the attacks) we can understand the impact of the tragedy but I’m certain we’ll never be able to truly FEEL it as others felt it.

What I look at as a history lesson, is a real life event that many other Americans had to suffer through. There’s a clear detachment those my age have towards the fatal attack due to the large age gap and more importantly the extremity of the incident.

The story seems too unreal, planes crashing into the tallest buildings in my city on a calm morning sounds impossible today. As much surveillance as we have, as much military we have on the streets everyday, something like this should never happen.

That’s until I remember hindsight is 20/20 and these protective procedures I mentioned haven’t always been in place. Post 9/11 isn’t just a timestamp, it’s a lifestyle that many of us don’t recognize as being a huge factor in our quality of life.

My world has always been overprotective. Police in full riot gear holding automatic rifles patrolling the streets is regular, cameras on every street sign is policy and anything otherwise is crazy.

Privacy has always come second to safety because you just never know. Hearing that 4-inch knives and liquids were once allowed when boarding a plane, as well as not having to remove your shoes for scanning, sounds ridiculous to me.

The rules my generation continues to grow up with are vastly different than how anyone who experienced 9/11 grew up. Subway warnings of “suspicious packages” are the soundtrack to a morning train ride and we never think twice about it.

In elementary school, being taught about the event we all were too young to comprehend I remember the fear my teacher expressed over the situation.

Having a moment of silence over the tragedy was a yearly occurrence and we’d always light candles in memory of all the lives lost that fatal day. As a direct response to 9/11, terror drills were a weekly practice as we’d all gather in the hallways in the fetal position as the bell rung over and over.

My generation is often labeled the “who cares” generation based off our lack of reaction to most things and I directly attribute that to the 9/11 attacks.

We were given a world living in fear and precautionary measures, we’ve been raised prepared for disaster and thanks to the internet can experience a different tragedy everyday.

When hurricanes hit or we’re threatened by another terrorist organization we make memes and Twitter jokes.

The attacks of September 11th, 2001 will remain a turning point for our quality of life and will continue to be a stamp in American tragedy. A constant reference of something we hope to never experience again.

World Trade Center Wtc GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

50 cent September 11, 2017
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10 years later: The Kanye Vs. 50 Cent ‘beef’ over record sales is a hip-hop relic

On September 11th, 2007 history was made as Kanye West managed to best 50 Cent in a space that 50 was seemingly in control of.

On this day, Kanye released his third album Graduation alongside 50’s Curtis, both albums created an insane level of hype due to the most profitable feud in hip-hop history.

We all remember the constant radio showdowns between Kanye and 50 fueled by Kanye pushing for the same release date as him. The idea evolved into what seemed like a presidential running as the streets immediately became divided.

Every conversation about the two albums was heated even though the actual music on both projects couldn’t really be compared to each other in any sense. Everyone loves a great underdog story and that was the exact appeal which propelled the feud into a monumental moment in music history.

50 was a juggernaut from 2003 to 2005, a modern day Goliath who was responsible for ending multiple careers and had the presence of a hip-hop veteran even though he was only on his third official release.

Along with 50’s gigantic presence in hip-hop he was also killing shit with his $400 million Vitamin Water deal and his G-Unit brand clothing solidifying the fact that he could not be fucked with.

50 Cent Laughing GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

In hindsight, championing Kanye as the underdog who could take down 50 was a pretty clear choice. Debuting just a year after the Get Rich or Die Trying artist with College Dropout, Kanye was making a legitimate name for himself.

Kanye’s story was humble in the beginning, the producer who no one wanted to hear rap managed to gather two platinum albums while being the essential backpacker. His music was soulful and impactful all the while being accessible.

Kanye was still not regarded as a superstar until 2007 when his entire image began to evolve. The stunner shades, insane BAPE fits, and braggadocious demeanor made it clear to see Kanye was ready to take the next step into stardom.

https://giphy.com/gifs/hip-hop-rap-japan-h8tTtYSMvf4kw

50 Cent and Kanye challenging each other to outdo the other’s record sales became an actual conversation. The younger crowd was ready for their champion to dethrone the aggressive rap 50 was making, while the older crowd pushed back for 50 to shut Kanye and his nontraditional hip-hop the fuck up.

This feud was purely for hip-hop and the fans, it wasn’t going to escalate like some rap beefs in the past.

Granted, if the beef wasn’t actually “real,” the numbers certainly would be and both artists had a lot to lose. Kanye, who couldn’t be fazed by 50’s tough demeanor, was representing an entire generation’s voice.

Kanye West Smiling GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

These albums being musical opposites made the feud that much better as it directly showed what the world decided it wanted to sound like and 2007 proved to be ready to accept Kanye’s more experimental and musical approach.

Kanye ended up raking in 960K units his first week to Fif’s 690K—his then-worst showing to date immediately solidified Kanye as the new champion of hip-hop and the leader of pushing the sound forward.

I know both of those numbers are damn near impossible in today’s climate but back then 690K was low for 50, showing just how impactful Kanye’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Stronger” singles proved to be.

This is a type of monumental event that can’t be replicated today. With no younger acts really caring about the older generation or dethroning some of the established artists and the internet putting music choice into the user’s hands, the sale beef between 50 and Ye will remain hip-hop history.

The win for Kanye not only solidified him as a juggernaut in the game, it was also the start of the end to traditional gangsta rap, instead paving the way for experimental music that challenged hip-hop listeners’ expectations.

At the end of the day, both artists sold a shit ton of albums and made millions but only one came out on top.

Kanye West Shrug GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

That crown has to be given to Mr.West for being the David to 50 Cent’s Goliath.

fashion week September 11, 2017
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Rihanna is taking over the fashion world and we’re all here for it

Rihanna is perfect. I can go on for days and days about the logistics of what makes the Bajan princess so phenomenal but it’s easier to just say she’s perfect.

Rihanna has been killing 2017, set to cover Elle magazine this Fall, winning Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, all while providing better access to education for children in over 60 developing countries, the star isn’t taking a day off.

Sassy Swag GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Yesterday during New York Fashion Week Rihanna proved that she’s definitely not letting up on our necks, putting on a huge show for her Fenty x Puma fall collection.

The show’s stage was spectacular to say the least, surrounded by pastel pink sand piles and similarly colored mountains — the vibe was set.

In usual Rihanna fashion she set the bar high within two seconds but it wasn’t until the show started that cemented the entire event as iconic.

Staying true to her badass persona, Rihanna had BMX riders do incredible high-flying stunts over her mountains of pink glitter.

As the riders finished their high intensity stunts, the Fenty x Puma collar was unveiled as models shuffled behind one another around the mountains of sand.

The collection was very appropriate to the setting, showing BMX-inspired looks from the bright colorways and spandex to the bold sporty design choices.

The models were arranged with coordinating color palettes, showing off a beautiful aesthetic of reds with reds and blues with blues.

The show concluded with the models doing their final laps around the intricate stage while the BMX riders soared over their heads.

To close out the show Rihanna came out herself on the back of a BMX bike waving to the crowd and the likes of Cardi B, Offset, Joey Bada$$, Dave East, and more.

https://twitter.com/biselinakyle/status/907059021278011394

With the unveiling of her Fenty makeup a week before and now her Fenty x Puma collection, it’s clear Rihanna has some big plans to diversify and just body everything.

It won’t be hard seeing how she’s flawlessly bodied everything else in front of her so far. It might sound like I’m gushing over her and you’re probably right, Rihanna is amazing and no one can tell me otherwise.

Bruh September 9, 2017
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Dennis Rodman wants to squash the beef between Trump and Kim Jong-Un

Since Young Thug started wearing dresses and joked that he was smoking penises I’ve felt like my life has been one long Boondocks episode.

With our reality show star President going on Twitter rants against North Korea’s war threats (isn’t it sad that this is a factual statement) it feels like I’ve finally started season 2 of my Boondocks life.

Riley Freeman GIF by The Boondocks - Find & Share on GIPHY

What better to mark the second episode of this tragedy than Dennis Rodman offering mediation between Kim Jong-un and Trump? Nope, this isn’t a joke, this is legitimately something that’s happening right now.

The retired NBA star is actually really close friends with the dictator and… other dictator. Rodman has been to North Korea on many trips, which involved activities such as skiing, horse back riding, and karaoke with Kim Jong-un, all the while outwardly supporting Trump’s presidency.

Being friends with both guys, Rodman wants to take all the miscommunication into his own hands and “straighten things out” between the two countries.

Dennis Rodman GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Rodman firmly believes that if the two “leaders” just sat down and had a simple chat, they’d probably find a lot more common ground than they’d expect.

Rodman, wearing a beautiful sparkling dress spoke on Good Morning Britain saying “I gotta hope that we can find some happy medium around the world and especially in America.”

You can see Rodman firmly just wants everyone to just get along and be all peachy and that’s a great view to have but for some reason I think these issues go deeper than a conversation.

All of this is exhausting to hear and see, I try everyday to be positive but it’s weird as fuck living in what seems like a satirical version of America.

https://giphy.com/gifs/house-of-style-dennis-rodman-cindy-crawford-YMrJOdMxk4dq

Just look at this headline for a second, a troubled former NBA Champ is chilling with a North Korean dictator in hopes that our reality star President who used to wrestle in the WWE can find common grounds with him. If this isn’t a Boondocks episode can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!

Watch Rodman’s full interview below so I don’t sound like a crazy person mixing a bunch of lives together like we used to do with our Ninja Turtle and Pokemon toys.

a$ap ferg September 8, 2017
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Marty Baller assembles legendary cast for new ‘Like Mike’ visuals

A$AP Mob oozes NY swag everywhere they go and the visuals for Marty Baller’s track “Like Mike” off his Mixtape “Baller Nation” continue that trend.

The video, featuring the likes of A$AP Ferg, Smooky Margielaa, and Aexyz is an ode to old school Basketball tournaments in your neighborhood park that EVERYONE would pop out to.

You have your New York park essentials from beautiful women sitting on the sidelines to the trash dude that’s always talking shit (shout out to Fatboy SSE for playing that role).

The video gives off a classic NY feel with Marty rocking the Jordan jersey paired with the Dr. J afro and playing ball on rims with the busted ass nets.

This is the epitome of a New York summer and Marty Baller manages to capture that energy throughout the entire video. We asked Marty what his inspiration was behind the video Marty replied:

“My inspiration behind the video was just bringing together a bunch of legendary people. I miss seeing a lot of dope people in one video so that’s the vibe I wanted to bring and I love Jordans.”

His vision was definitely fulfilled as everyone involved, from Spooky Margeilaa’s spastic movements to neighborhood friends showing out to party, made the video into a huge event.

Being that the track is titled “Like Mike” and the hook bumps a catchy “BALLING LIKE I’M JORDAN” the young Baller made sure there were Jordans on everyone’s feet. Marty says the popular sneaker was a big inspiration for the video and appropriately so, who lives in NY and doesn’t fuck with Jays?

When asked if he’s got anymore dope visuals coming out from the “Baller Nation” project, Marty says he’s thinking about delivering more but is focused to “Let the ones I have out now continue to do numbers and inspire people.”

“Like Mike” makes you want to have a good time and until his next move we’ll continue turning up and Balling like Jordan!

Peep Marty Ballers Mixtape “Baller Nation” below on Soundcloud.

https://soundcloud.com/martyballer1/sets/baller-nation

beyonce September 8, 2017
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Drake has a giant portrait of Beyonce in his studio because he’s corny

Drake has always been a pretty weird guy. It’s no secret that he’s made some decisions that leave some of us with a twisted face like when he tattooed Lil Wayne’s face on his arm or when he macked Madonna on stage.

Well one of the biggest artists in the world is back with some questionable decisions. Last night Drake’s friend and Toronto artist Baka was seen in Drake’s home studio recording some new music.

So far, so good, nothing to see here until you look in the corner of the room and notice a giant ass portrait of Beyonce just sitting on the wall. Don’t Hov and Drake have a fake beef going on between them?

https://twitter.com/theyoncehub/status/905471089609977856

This might be a little awkward at first glance and rightfully so, I mean having one of your peers in portrait form isn’t the most normal thing in the world. That being said, Drake has always been pretty open with his influences and the artists who inspire him.

Along with his Lil Wayne tattoo, he’s got a portraits of Sade in honor of her beauty and what her music represents to him. He’s also put a neon sign in his studio that says “Less Drake More Tupac” because like everything else in his life, it inspires him.

Obviously Aubrey admires Beyonce in a major way and to be honest, why wouldn’t he? Beyonce is a pop culture icon and it’s only right that her art speaks to Drake.

For as big of an icon Drake is, he is never afraid to openly stan someone who he admires and that deserves some respect.

In a world where everyone is too cool to admit that they’re a big fan of something here we have Drake, tattooing his idols on his body and hanging life sized posters of them up in his studio.

Yeah, he’s corny, but he doesn’t pretend to be otherwise.

fashion week September 8, 2017
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Lil Yachty drops new Nautica collab at NY Fashion Week for the haters

The happiest rapper alive has been having an incredibly successful year.

From his huge endorsements with Target, Sprite, and Nautica to his chart-topping features with Kyle and Big Baby D.R.A.M., things don’t seem to be slowing down for Lil Yachty anytime soon.

The marketing genius Lil Boat was announced as Creative Director for Nautica earlier this year based off having a relevant connection with boats and water, I guess.

Since then he’s been exploding with his personality arguably becoming bigger than his actual music.

Winning Video Game GIF by Lil Yachty - Find & Share on GIPHY

Some see him as the poster child for the new age of “mumble rap” and others see him as the epitome of good business in hip-hop. Regardless, the 20-year-old rapper is always a topic of conversation — good or bad.

Earlier today Yachty unveiled his new collaboration with Nautica at New York Fashion Week. The collection features a couple jackets and sweaters that undoubtedly fit the popular aesthetic of Lil Boat and today’s popular trends.

Reports say that he has had a huge hand in the presentation and design of the collection, which if true is impressive as hell.

#LilYachtyxNautica ⛵️

A post shared by Nautica (@nautica) on

No matter how you feel about the Minnesota-born rapper you can’t argue the moves he’s making. It looks like Young Boat’s goal is to transcend music and dip his hand in every basket he’s able to.

His moniker has been ‘King of the Teens’ and with his straightedge image, he’s an extremely attractive candidate for every brand out there.

#LilYachtyxNautica ⛵️💯🔥🙌🏼

A post shared by Nautica (@nautica) on

I personally don’t bump his music because you know… it usually doesn’t sound good but I can’t hate on the young boy out here being happy and getting this money.

Check out his Fall Collection with Nautica below and let us know if you rocking with the fits or not.

#LilYachty reveals his new #Nautica collection at #NYFW… what do you think?

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