Westbank Arike'

Go Green

2008-07-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

So I know not many of us recycle and do things to save the earth but now is a time to GO GREEN. I have begun to 'go green' after seeing a few of my eco friendly friends going green on some things and I felt pretty left out, so after doing some meaningful research I saw that it was the right thing to do, so my lifestyle had changed a bit. I still shop @ Whole Foods because organic food as so delish (and they accept EBT) but outside of that, lol I have now begun to do MANY things to improve my "polished life". Join me and the word TODAY!

http://www.ewg.org/solutions?gclid=CN-Ms9_XypQCFQJtFQodfjARkw

http://ecologue.com/Default.aspx

Why I call myself An Icon

2008-07-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I really don’t be on this blog much because of work but mane….ICON…WOW! Imma have to really exegete this ‘Polished Icon’ thing.

An Icon (from the Greek word Image) symbolize modern culture, but in the general sense a symbol — i.e. a name, face, picture, edifice or even a person readily recognized as having some well-known significance or embodying certain qualities. Refined and Elegant defines ‘Polished’ which defines me, lol.

I don't and never will be in the street fighting or disrespecting myself in no way shape or form. I have grown alot with time so I think I can put these attachments to my former stage name. With saying less is possible.... I have been a positive influence in this lifestyle for a few years as far as music and community work, so I mean hey...why not!

Why I call myself a Polished Icon….well its Evident.
Thanks Google, lol

(TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE STOLE SONGS OUTA MY MOUTH AND MY HEAD FOR YEARS....WELL YOU SHOULD CALL ME IT TOO!

OLD TEA. NO TEA.)

Birmingham Cardiac Diet

2008-05-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

OK! There is BILLIONS of Diet schemes and tricks these days but this one I do believe might be the one that just may work.

Its called the Birmingham Cardiac Diet.
Its a 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet that doesn't cause too much stress on your body like most diets do. Now a cardiac diet is easy to follow but will require some pre-planning , and it is the diet cardiac patients follow in the Birmingham Alabama hospital cardiac diet unit....so its not just another "PLAN".

I know of a few of my friends that went on this diet plan and has seen fast results, so I deiced to share it with you! In a few weeks when I get a chance to slow down some I will train a few family members on this plan. Hey maybe I might do it for a week to loose the 10 lbs, lol, but i think this is a wonderful experience for some of the people that's struggling with weight issues. If that's the case and u just need someone to talk to or need any other options feel free to email me @ westbankarike07@yahoo.com.
Here is the link to read more about the Birmingham Cardiac Diet and the menu. If it isn't enough try just googling the "Birmingham Cardiac Diet".

http://www.cartercountymarket.com/html/cardiac.html

J-Boom Graduation Party

2008-05-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to J-Boom, on his Graduation. The party was cool, even though I really didn't want to be there because of Venue and Weather reasons. All mi kids did come that night so it was good to see them all @ one time. Here are some of the pics from that night............

K-Ready (Katey Redd) & WBArike'

China, Tio, Homie, Ronnie, & Dino

(Some of mi Kidds)

F33ling there RELU!

Tio, China, J-Boom, and Homie

Why Black?

2008-05-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

So tired of people asking me why I wear all black all the time. So I will just make the explanation here in plain english, lol.

So its like this...americans use the color black to convey elegance, sophistication, sexxxyness, or perhaps a touch of mystery. For the slow......It's mysterious by providing a sense of potential and possibility. Now in most Western countries, and in peoples mind, the color black is the color of mourning. Among some young people, black is often seen as a color of rebellion. Too bad I am not young or rebellious, lol. But, Black is both positive and negative which explains my personality to a tea!

After doing a little research, In early Westerns times the good guy wore white while the bad guy wore black. But later in the century's on........good guys wore black to lend an air of mystery to themselves. Considered the negation of color, black is conservative, goes well with almost any color except the very dark. So I wouldn't wear brown and black together. AT ALL! It also has conflicting connotations. It can be serious and conventional.

As I got more mature I realized that graphic tees and all that was a little last season for me so I had to take another route since black is the absence of color, and In clothing, black is visually slimming. As I read on I learned that black is the most misunderstood color, that symbolizes death in some cultures. Native Americans thought black was good because it was the color of soil, which gives life. Westbank Arike' thinks its a trend. Saturday's color is black........ but Websters Dictionary says that black is not a color, strictly speaking. It is the absence of all color. So this is a powerful debate.

People follow trends.......now watch how I become a tReNdSeTtEr!

Supa Sunday Downtown

2008-05-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Crowd Mova Crystal & Arike'

(Supa Sunday Downtown)

Darnell & His Sister

Hit me up on YAHOO MESSENGER

westbank_arike

Family Tides

2008-05-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

These are photos from my cousin JAY, who graduated from SUNO, graduation party.

May 10th 2008

Me, Alicia, and Darnell

Me & Sister Alicia F. Wiley, Model

Arike' & Sister Patrice

Darnell & Denise

Me & Cousin Jay

Enough is Enough

2008-05-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

OMG! BEEN SO LONG SINCE I BEEN ON HERE. I JUST BEEN REALLY BUSY, BUT I HAD TO TAKE TO TIME TO VENT AND THIS IS MY HAVEN FOR THAT.

I WON'T TELL MY REAL AGE BUT I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH". I MEAN BOUNCE IS COOL AND I AINT SAYIN THAT I AM QUITTIN 100% BUT I KNOW THAT IT COMES A TIME WHEN U GOTTA LET IT GO. I MEAN WHAT IMMA LOOK LIKE 30 YEARS OLD TALKIN BOUT "WHO RUN THIS BITCH"! NO DISRESPECT TO OTHERS BUT THATS NOT WASSUP TO ME. YES IT PAYS THE BILLS BUT MAN.....WHATS GONNA HAPPEN AFTER? WHEN THE CLUBS BURN, YOU LOOSE YOUR VOICE, NO MO GIGS, NO HIT SONG, AND WHEN BOUNCE FADE? WHATS GONNA HAPPEN AFTER? WHATS NEXT?

NOW DONT GET ME WRONG I GO OUT FROM TIME TO TIME AND WHEN I HAVE TOO BUT I PUT ALL THAT ON THE BACK BURNER AND STARTED TO FOCUS ON ME AND LIFE....WHICH THAT'S ALL THAT MATTER TO ME. I ALSO MADE TIME FOR MY FAMILY AND MY ELITE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS WHO I TALK TO DAILY AND OUR RELATIONSHIPS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER.

SOME JUST CANT UNDERSTAND WHY I MADE A CHANGE.....WELL ITS SIMPLE...I DEPEND ON ME. I CANT DEPEND ON A CLUB TO PAY ME. NEVER DID REALLY.

Westbank Arike' - Live @ Da' Vibe Video

2008-03-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

It is done! After months of drama / from running niggas down to get the final copy - all the way to the editing process its finally done! MY VIDEO “Westbank Arike’ - Live @ Da’ Vibe”. The purpose of me paying out of my pocket for this event is just to let people see what goes on in New Orleans "Bounce World", and at this club with no backdoor profits. I had few local producers who wanted to pay for the production cost and put it out, but I wasn’t trying to sell or package it. My overall thoughts of the video is dull. I felt like it could have been better but It served the purpose. Will I do it again….I strongly doubt it. It was simply something I craved and I tasted, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. MY microphone kept going out, lol, MINE…..and it just got out of order from the way I set it up, but I love the editing feature. I just cut it out, lol. As for the people who think I was “drowned out” in my own video…well I desired to take the back set. I was never one to crave the spotlight for anything, so again I desired to let it be hosted by someone else and I backseat. But at any rate if you want to obtain a free copy of this video, and you are out of state, just email me your FULL mailing address at westbankarike07@yahoo.com and I will send it out to you free of charge. NO TEA NO SHADE!

ENJOY LIFE!

Am I "TOO MUCH"?

2008-03-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Some would say I think I am “too much” or just plain ass “stuck-up”, which is clearly not the case! I am the most open minded person god could ever blow breath on. Anybody that’s know me personally could say that. For me not to like a person you MUST have did me something personally for me to feel like that which is a hard thing to do. Even people that scorn me in the past I still speak, and even converse with @ times. I cant seem for figure out why people think I am “too much”, lol. Arrogant is also something have been called. I can agree I am VERY arrogant and u should be too. The meaning of this 14th century word arrogant I means that you are proudly contemptuous. Just showing SELF-IMPORTANCE or disregard for others. Now I care about people so don't get it twisted, but I come 1st. So if putting me 1st is arrogant then by all means I am. It must be the fact that I am shy, don’t care what people think about me, a loner, and quite. Or maybe it’s the fact that I don’t speak to people I don’t know, I dress ok, I have changed from what I used to be, or the fact that I walk with my head high with reason to. But I think its just that I am different from the rest. When people see me I guess because I fucked with bounce I should jump to the mic or get mad when my name not on an event or when my name isn’t called. I am ME which is all that’s matters. I can't be what people want me to be, and if that makes me “too much”, or “stuck-up” well…lol then I am!

ENJOY LIFE!

Legendary?

2008-02-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

LEGEND......
I was at a concert in New Orleans 2 weeks ago that one of my good friends hosted and I was introduced as “ The legendary Westbank Arike”. I was upset at that moment but I really didn’t know how to take it. Good Wishes or Slang? I was like……. Legendary? What? I took it as me being old, washed up, and plain ol’ DEAD. As I sat down and thought about it legend is not a bad word. Webster’s defines Legend as somebody famous admired for a skill or talent. Now that I look at my immense track record I am going to embrace the words legend/legendary more than what I do and not get dismayed hearing it. True, I am pretty last season BY CHOICE, but I rather be up there with legends than new jacks any day. Legendary people make sense while new jacks make hits. That’s just my thoughts. For 2008 I am taking the reserved side of bounce, the side most don’t understand. The side I feel I deserve. I have had songs written about me, D.J.’s not playing my shit, no shows or producers because of my sexuality, slang’s about me in songs and mixxes, OMG the list go on. The funny part is I am nowhere near what I used to be, and not trying to be and STILL going through the same shit, lol. I only show up for certain events by certain people. Its not about the money at all anymore. That’s so 2002. Its all about respect. I respect those who respect me. Mc Shakie, D.J. Lil Man, Calliope Preist…is some of FEW who can call me and I am there at ZERO!

Enjoy Life

Mardi Gras 2008

2008-02-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras 2008 was like the LAMEST to me. I saw some people I haven’t seen in years, some of which I thought was dead. These was some of the people I grew up with and they still on the same ol’ shit stuck in the same ol’ town. Still talking about people and holding on to grudges. Me, I feel like life to short for all that shit. In the words for my father, “There comes a time when you gotta let it Go”. These people need to let some of this shit go.

As far as the clubs…a dump. Rockafella 2.5 was ok and a few other parties was cool, but Club Fusions…..a dump! $20 a night to sweat and to get your $200 plus shoes stepped on, lol. I was there a few nights only because friends was there from out of town. I mean this cub has no entertainment nor excitement. CL-10 a D.J. there is pretty good, but for the most part I stood in the back all night on my SideKick. Fashion wise…..everybody was cute. The Local New Orleans kids was on they game, but then u had your out of town fools with 40 colors, 9 materials, and tights on one outfit and SWEAR it was fashion! Its not! Now I am not Joan Rivers, but I can say “Fashion is Simple”, and some people (from the state capital) take it too far. FOOLS! On a scale from 1 to 10 this club gets a ZERO!

This weekend I also realized no matter how much you give your all for people it still is in vain. So now I have the disposition like fuck you!

Fraudulent Pages

2008-01-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Today , after being told several times that I have myspace personal and music pages, I went to see for myself and what I saw shocked me.

To think that people would really take the time to make fraudulent myspace pages and imitation blogs with all my information and photos is crazy and outlandish. After seeing these shrines I was LIVID.

Being that I cant control the fact that foes, fans, or FOOLS do things like this, I can only post this public statement saying that I do not and will not have a myspace page, for personal reasons, and this is the ONLY blog that I have. Anything else is not powered or controlled by me so don’t partake in it. Furthermore by me making this statement I hope people don’t get the impression that I am “stuck up” or I think I am more than what I am. I am merely protecting my likeness and freedom. For those who know me will understand.

ALSO, to respond to all the YIM’s and E-mails about my reasons to only cater to the gay community for 08’and not to do any teen or adult themed socials….…I have my reasons. The main reason is I stay away from drama and I give back and support who give back or support me. Point blank. I am not going to get gas from a station where everybody else is pumping. I will go the station across the street where nobody is and that way I will get out faster. Lol.

But feel free to email me at WestbankArike07@yahoo.com or

Yahoo Messenger: westbank_arike. HOLLA!

ENJOY LIFE!

Got A new polished look for 2008......

2008-01-04T19:53:00.001-08:00

WBArike' 1

WBArike' 2

WBArike' 3

WBArike' 4

2007-11-08T12:37:00.001-08:00

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: IT GOES ON!

It took me a long time to figure things, people and life out, but when I did i discovered ERIK. Westbank Arike' is a mere character and nothing more. I have many people that address me as WESTBANK ARIKE. I HATE that. I feel if a person address me as that then that's all they know and is not a valid friend of mine. My real friends, the few I have, call me ERIK. There is a difference. You know, I heard a person say one time, "Bounce Music don't have Rappers, they have Actors." After giving that some thought, I concluded that he was correct.

KNOW ME FOR ME!

Homie Party 10/27/2007

2007-10-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

WBArike & China Part 1

WBArike & Daughter Keedi "AKA" China

WBArike & "The 1st Lady" Brittney

( I gave her that name )

Johnny Bapo

2007-10-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

johnnybapo.blogspot.com

About a month ago on the lake I bumped into one of the most gifted people I have ever met. His name is Johnny Bapo. I was on the lake with my rapping son Jay Boom and we were just playing and battle rapping against each other and he came up and start talking. He has a blog on here ( johnnybapo.blogspot.com).
He lives in New Orleans, a long ways from his home town in Michigan. He has always been a fan of the N.O. rap scene so hopefully through his art and his blog he will be able to meet some of the New Orleans greats. I have plans within the next month to do a sit down interview with him and other Bounce/Music artist to give him a inside peek on what New Orleans Music is all about. I want you go to check it out and send him some love. Also he has a link on there to his myspace page so check out that too.

Enjoy Life!