As far as Michael Rapaport is concerned, Q-Tip can stick it in his ear. The actor and filmmaker tells us he's given up trying to get the cotton-swab cognomen-ed leader of A Tribe Called Quest on board for the hotly anticipated documentary he's made about the seminal hip-hop group.
Rapaport's film, "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," opens here and in Los Angeles on July 8, but you won't see Q-Tip promoting the picture.
The highly respected rapper, producer and NYC deejay (real name: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) is the only member of Tribe not to endorse the film. Though speculation persists that he'll eventually relent, Rapaport says he's "completely done" trying to reason with the rapper.
"I'm not reaching out to him anymore about this," Rapaport says.
The Grammy-nominated Q-Tip, who a spokesman described as "tense about the documentary," has snubbed the film because of creative differences that arose between him and Rapaport.
Things became so contentious during production that Rapaport says the group threatened him with legal action.
"The movie version Q-Tip thinks should be coming out would be going straight to DVD," Rapaport says.
"Spike Lee would have told A Tribe Called Quest to kiss his f-ing ass and take a f-ing walk," the filmmaker adds. "I appeased them, worked with them, tried to hear their point of view on things."
Not that it made a difference. Although the group's three other members – Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White – have gotten behind the film and appeared together at the L.A. Film Festival, where the picture won the Audience Award for Best Documentary, Q-Tip stayed home.
Rapaport also claims Q-Tip tried to defame him and his producers after the rapper insisted this past winter that certain scenes be removed from the film before it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
The director says he refused to capitulate. "You're not Jay-Z, you're not Kanye West," Rapaport says.
The filmmaker says he now has no relationship with Q-Tip and is bothered by the controversy, but refuses to apologize for anything.
"I intended to make an independently produced documentary about my favorite group, and that's what I did," Rapaport said. "The reason I made the movie was out of a good place. And I was fair."
Q-Tip declined repeated requests for comment.
STORY BY: NY DAILY NEWS / GATECEASHER
Frank DiGiacomo: fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
Carson Griffith: cgriffith@nydailynews.com
Adam Caparell: acaparell@nydailynews.com
New Article: Michael Rapaport Done "Completely Done Appeasing" Q-Tip After Rapper Disses Documentary
New Article: XXL‘s ’90s Slang-tionary
XXL Magazine reminisces on some of the 1990s’ most popular slang. Word up!
Believe it or not, there was a time when calling yourself “Big Willie” or “jiggy” was cool. That time was the 1990s. The ’90s are widely regarded as the golden age of hip-hop. But while reminiscing on the decade during ’90s week, it dawned on us that it may also be the golden age of language. Don’t front, you know you used to spell fat with the “ph.” But for those who forgot, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and collect our favorite sayings of the ’90s. Word up.—Calvin Stovall
B
bangin’ | ba ng-in |
noun [ trans. ]
1: of extraordinary quality
2: attractive or desirable
EXAMPLE
“God damn, backyard’s bangin’ like a Benzie/If I was jiggy, you’d be spotted like Spuds McKenzie”
– Ghostface Killah, “Ice Cream” (1995)
big willie | big ˈwilē |
noun
1: someone with a lot of money and luxury goods, usually acquired through hustling; one with extravagant taste and a penchant for flaunting their wealth.
EXAMPLE
“The crew is lampin’ Big Willie-style/Check the chip-toothed smile, plus I profile wild.”
– Nas, “The World is Yours”
bling | ˈbli NG |
noun
1: jewelry made primarily of platinum or diamonds; characterized by distinct gleam emitted when hit by light
EXAMPLE
“All day my phone ringin’ bling bling bling/Can see my earring from a mile bling bling.”
– B.G., “Bling, Bling”
‘bout it | bout IT |
adj
1: showing dedication; all about a particular topic or action
2: to be thorough in handling one’s business
3: down for any and everything
4: intrepidness; not showing fear
EXAMPLE
“Cause I’m bout it, I mean I’m rowdy/I hang with these killasthat everyone talk about.”
– Master P, “Bout it, Bout it”
C
cheddar | ˈ ch edər |
noun
1: currency; money, usually cash.
EXAMPLE
“See it’s all about the cheddar, nobody do it better/Going back to Cali, strictly for the weather.”
– The Notorious B.I.G., “Going Back to Cali”
chillaxin’ | chill axe N |
verb
1: to chill and relax at the same time.
EXAMPLE
I’m just chillaxin’
coolio | cool IE oh |
adjective
1: remarkably cool or fresh
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The name of 1990’s rapper Coolio of “Gangsta’s Paradise” fame.
cream | krēm |
noun
1: currency, usually signaling substantial, long-term wealth
EXAMPLE
“Cash rules everything around me/CREAM! Get the money, dolla dolla bill y’all.” – Method
– Method Man, “C.R.E.A.M.”
D
da bomb or bomb | da bäm |
noun
1: something of surprisingly exceptional quality
verb
1: to be explosively good; mind-blowing.
EXAMPLE
“The pussy was da bomb, had a nigga on sprung”
– Snoop Doggy Dogg, “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
doe or dough | dō |
noun
1: currency; quick means of exchange
EXAMPLE
“Bitches get fucked on the roof when i ain’t got no hotel dough”
– Big L, “7 Minute Freestyle”
drop it like it’s hot | dräp it līk its hät |
verb
1: to drop one’s backside quickly to the rhythm of a song, catching it just before it touches the floor.
EXAMPLE
“After you back it up, then stop/Then wha, wha, what, drop drop it like it’s hot”
– Lil Wayne, “Back that Azz Up”
E
everything is everything | ‘evrē th i NG iz ‘evrē th i NG |
phrase
1: it’s all good; used to affirm or confirm that a situation is chill; all is right in the world.
EXAMPLE
“Everything is everything, what is meant to be will be”
– Lauryn Hill, “Everything is Everything”
G
groovy | ˈgroōvē |
adjective
1: cool; used to confirm that everything is OK; often uttered during the use of hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs.
EXAMPLE
“Groovy dude, not to prove to be rude/But this stuff is like what you might put on movie food.”
– MF DOOM, “Great Day”
H
holla back | ˈhälər bak |
verb
1: to reply in order to continue a correspondence with a friend or new acquaintance.
EXAMPLE
“It’s alright, you heard? It’s alright, holla back”
– Jay-Z “It’s Alright”
ADDITIONAL NOTES
officially died in 2005 after the release of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollback Girl”
hooty hoo | ‘hoō tee hu |
noun
1: call used by hustlers to signal the presence of police.
2: tribal utterance acknowledging a friend.
EXAMPLE
“One for the playas at the crib, dank and dranks/And two is for the sound, Hootie Hoo that I make”
– Big Boi, “Hootie Hoo”
J
jiggy | ‘jig-ee |
adj.
1: fly; dapper; exceptionally well-dressed and put together
EXAMPLE
“Let’s get the dough and stay real jiggy, uh huh/And sip the Cris and And sip the Cris’ and get pissy-pissy/Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!”
– Jay-Z, “Hard Knock Life”
K
keepin’ it real | kēp in it ‘rē(ə)l |
verb
1: the act of staying true to one’s self or upbringing
EXAMPLE
“Keepin’ it real, packin’ steel, getting’ high/’Cause life’s a bitch and then ya die.”
– AZ, “Life’s a Bitch”
L
live | liv |
1: full of energy; exciting; lively
2: real, authentic
EXAMPLE
“From Bedford Stuyvesant, the livest one/Representin’ BK to the fullest”
– The Notrious B.I.G., “Unbelievable”
M
maxin’ | maks‐in |
verb
1: to do a whole lot of nothing; relaxing without a care in the world.
EXAMPLE
“Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool and uh shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school.”
– The Fresh Prince, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme Song”
mo’ money, mo’ problems | mo ‘mənē mo ‘präbləms |
1: the eternal conundrum of success; the more money you get, the more problems you have.
EXAMPLE
“I don’t know what they want from me/It’s like the more money we come about, the more problems we see.”
– The Notorious B.I.G., “Mo Money, Mo Problems”
N
no diggity | nō dig-i-tee |
adj.
1: without a doubt; definite; used to show supreme confidence in something
EXAMPLE
“I like the players/No diggity, no doubt”
– Blackstreet, “No Diggity”
S
slammin’ | slam-in |
adj.
1: aggressively good; of a definitely superior quality
EXAMPLE
“My rap’s steady slammin’, I keep a heavy cannon/It’s a new sherrif in town, and it ain’t Reggie Hammond.”
– Big L, “Put it On”
sneaks | ‘snəks |
noun
1: from the root word sneakers
2: tennis shoes; kicks; gym shoes
EXAMPLE
“Freaks be movin’ in fly sneaks/two finger rings and gold teeth, and ain’t afraid to hold heat”
– Raekwon “Ice Cream”
P
phat | fat |
adj.
1: used to describe something of considerable thickness or girth, usually a part of the female anatomy;
2: describing something particularly fulfilling; robust; can refer to one’s wealth.
3: acronym for pretty hot and tempting.
Note: Not to be confused with “fat.”
EXAMPLE
“Long as my motherfuckin’ pockets was phat/I didn’t give a fuck where the bitch was at.”
– Dr. Dre, “Bitches Ain’t Shit”
W
word up | wərd əp |
adj.
1: Interjectional statement of the affirmative; shows that the user enthusiastically agrees with what was just said.
EXAMPLE
“Thug changes, and love changes/and best friends become strangers, word up”
– Nas “The Message”
Y
ya played yaself | yə plā ed ya self |
verb
1: To overstep one’s bounds, unintentionally embarrassing one’s self; to misjudge or underestimate an opponent based on delusions of grandeur.
EXAMPLE
“So put a quarter in your ass, ’cause ya played yaself”
– yaself” – Big Daddy Kane, “The Symphony”
New Video: Be You Artist Series Video
BE YOU Artist Series from Aldo Chang on Vimeo.
New Kicks: Nike Air Jordan 2011 / Q Flight
Once known as the Air Jordan 2011 Quick Flight, now there's a new name, release date, and five colorways of the speedy hoops shoe. Pronounced Air Jordan 2011 Q Flight, this silo sports a Fuse upper, patent leather toe box, and big branding. Zoom Air and Phylon combine for light, responsive cushioning for the quick player. Look for these five makeups to drop July 7th for $120.00.
New Event: Blank Label x Rotting Television Present "Be You" Artist Series
MISSION:
The BE YOU Artist Series is a grassroots campaign to creatively market talented emerging artists in the fields of art, music, fashion, film, and technology. BE YOU wants to educate and inspire our youth to strive for their dreams, especially in this “Do it Yourself” Generation.
DETAILS:
8pm-2am I 8pm-10pm Open Bar I $10 Admission
A portion of our proceeds will be donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization
RSVP: RSVP@RottingTV.com by June 21st.
SPONSORS:
Big Vision Empty Wallet
Bulldog Bikes
Urban Ink Magazine
UStream
Polished Penny
Munitio Headphones
Big Brothers BIg Sisters
BLANK LABEL
Blank Label was created based on a philosophy that branding is everything. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or an aspiring musician, a strong identity will take your talent to the next level. Andrew de Leon, a former Wall Street analyst turned entrepreneur founded Blank Label after consulting many of his friends who were artists for fun. In the fall of 2009, Blank Label, a multi-disciplinary agency with a focus in branding and management was born. Blank Label specializes in Web, Identity, Print, and Illustration. In addition, it’s also a management house for emerging artists with a focus in artist development, marketing and booking.
The essence of Blank Label is to create an identity for emerging brands, one that reflects their singularity, not a data point on a demographic. Blank Label markets their clients strategically, without shame and with no fear of loss. Unlike typical agencies, Blank Label has no restrictions and judgments. There will be no taboo, no cliché genre, no distinct style, and no fabrication of writing.
Blank Label offers a challenge for its clients: DO YOU. Living is more than just survival. If you have a passion to create, Blank Label wants you. If you’re a dreamer with paint beneath your dirty fingernails, Blank Label wants you. Nobody can DO YOU as well as you can.
Ultimately it’s all about our clients.
As our saying goes: “Your vision. We fill in the Blanks.”
(BLANKLABELNYC)I follow @blanklabelny
ROTTING TELEVISION
With a name intended for a T-Shirt Line, Rotting Television was created to push the envelope and embrace what is usually not seen on television. Being a “Trend-Setter since a Bed-Wetter,” Manny Toro boasts this same mantra for Rotting Television. Upon moving to New York City with 40 bucks in his pocket he found he did not have the budget to do much to enjoy “New York City” as portrayed on TV. Over the next few months, he realized there was an underlying code and culture in New York City. He began to attend many “free” entertainment industry parties, network with artists, attend exhibits, concerts and places even some New Yorkers didn’t know about.
With this new adventure at hand, he began a blog and named it after his favorite non-existent T-Shirt line. Once the first draft was up and running, blogging came easy. Within a year of realizing that people actually read his blog, Manny decided to take the site seriously. Enlisting Jessica Voltaire and Aimi Latore as part of the team, they created Rotting Television (RTV); the lifestyle website.
With the official launch in August of 2009, the team finally created a voice of the independent artist, in all respects with a hint of guilty pleasures. Focusing on all forms of entertainment, style, girls, art, design, and technology, Rotting Television sets trends that penetrate the masses months later. Quality content delivered quickly and quirky is what RTV does.
We hope you enjoy our site and welcome any questions or concerns you may possess. And remember, “Don’t Watch TV… Watch RTV!!!”
(ROTTINGTELEVISION.COM) I follow @rottingtv
New Gear: Silverstone Tourbillograph Full Black
Inspired by the legendary English raceway, Graham’s blacked out Tourbillograph mixes dark, shadowy looks with the complexity of an automatic tourbillon movement. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
New Gear: Uboat - Classico Carbon Fibre Ceramic
Watchmaker U-BOAT brings this stunning watch to their limited edition collection. The watch comes in matte black and is made of carbon fiber, the bezel is in ceramic and the strap in rubber. It is resitente to water, up to 300 feet deep. Only 300 pieces will be made available. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
New Trailer: Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon
Check out the latest trailer release for the 3rd installment of the Transformers movie franchise, Enjoy!
New Video: Conan O'Brien's Beard Shaved By Will Ferrell
Conan O'Brien was warned.
Last month, Will Ferrell made a FunnyorDie.com video demanding the 'Conan' host shave off his ginger beard -- or Ferrell would do it for him when he appeared on his show May 2.
And the comedian made good on his threat Monday night.
As O'Brien sat in a barber's chair, Ferrell -- who admitted he'd only shaved dogs prior -- prepared to take a razor to his face.
But not before he took a sip of "the blue stuff" used to disinfect combs.
Ferrell then gave O'Brien a stack of 1970s-era "Playboy" magazines to read.
"Are you ready to feel the steel?" Ferrell asked the talk show host before he gave his electric razor -- dubbed Excalibeard -- a pep talk.
Starting with O'Brien's left side, Ferrell began to shave his beard and moustache -- but not very well.
"That's horrible!" O'Brien exclaimed after looking in a mirror at his patchy facial hair.
He then took a hit of "the blue stuff," after all.
STORY BY KATHLEEN PERRICONE / DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
New Video: President Barack Obama's Statement On The Death Of Bin Laden
Today is a good day. Job well done by President Obama, Mission Accomplished!!!! 
New Video: Lil Jon feat. Keenan Cahill - Surrender Las Vegas Megamix
Keenan is back this time with Lil Jon, Yeaaaaahahhhhh!!!!! Funny video, sure hope this kid is getting paid. LOL!
New Article: The Madden Curse Cover
Just came across this good article on Sports Illustrated for Madden Football gamers, Enjoy!
Peyton Hillis / Madden 12
It was announced in April 2011 that Peyton Hillis will adorn the cover of Madden NFL '12. If you're not familiar with it, the Madden Curse is the phenomenon where whomever is on the cover of the game suffers at least a season, if not a career, collapse. SI.com takes a look at the evolution of the Curse.
Barry Sanders / Madden 2000
If you look closely, you can see Sanders in the background. The electric Lions running back started the Madden jinx by announcing his retirement before the 1999 season and never returning to the NFL.
Eddie George / Madden 2001
George is an anomaly in this gallery, because he actually had a career-year following his cover appearance in 2000 (1,962 total yards and 16 TDs). In 2001, however, he rushed for less than 1000 yards for the first time in his career and scored just 5 TDs. He never averaged better than 3.4 yards per carry in any successive season.
Daunte Culpepper / Madden 2002
After a great 2000 season, Culpepper struggled in 2001. He threw 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions before hurting his knee in Week 13 and sitting out the rest of the season. Culpepper then threw a career-worst 23 INTs in the 2002 season and wound up having a mess of a career later in the decade, including multiple knee injuries.
Marshall Faulk / Madden 2003
Faulk and the Rams offense was dominant in 2001, but a nagging ankle injury slowed the All-Pro back and St. Louis' offense suddenly became less dangerous. Faulk ran for just 953 yards in 14 games and the Rams went from 14-2 in '01 to 7-9 in '02. Faulk played in a career-low 11 games in 2003 and began having knee issues that would end his career for good in 2005.
Michael Vick / Madden 2004
Right after Madden '04 became available, Vick broke his leg in a preseason game and didn't return until there were just five games left in the season. The injury spurred a serious debate about the necessity of the preseason, and the Madden jinx was suddenly being discussed everywhere.
Ray Lewis / Madden 2005
After a dominant campaign in 2003, Lewis had a so-so season in '04 and the Ravens failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. Lewis also missed the last game of the 2004 season with a wrist injury and played a career-low six games in 2005.
Donovan McNabb / Madden 06
McNabb led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004, but 2005 was a complete disaster. He had multiple injuries, including a sports hernia that finally ended his season after nine games. In 2006, McNabb tore his ACL and meniscus and played just 10 games.
Shaun Alexander / Madden 07
Alexander set the NFL record for touchdowns (28 -- since broken) and led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005. He fractured his foot in 2006 and ran for just 896 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games.
Vince Young / Madden 08
Young graced the cover following his rookie season in '06. Suffering a true sophomore slump, Young had nine TD passes and 17 interceptions in 2007. On the ground, Young rushed for 157 fewer yards, his Yards Per Carry dropped 1.5, and he scored just three rushing touchdowns after having seven his rookie year. In his first postseason game, Young threw for 138 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for just 12 yards, in a 17-6 loss to San Diego. In 2008, Young wound up playing just three games, starting one.
Brett Favre / Madden 09
In his final season with Green Bay in '07, Favre threw 28 TD passes and 15 interceptions. Acquired by the Jets in the summer of 2008, Favre started well; in Week 4 he threw a personal best six touchdowns against the Cardinals. By Week 12 the Jets had an 8-3 record, but missed the playoffs after losing four of their final five games, in which Favre threw nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes, bringing his season total to 22 of each. It was later revealed Favre had been playing with a torn biceps tendon late in the season.
Troy Polamalu & Larry Fitzgerald / Madden 10
Polamalu finished the 2008 season with a career-high seven interceptions and led the Steelers defense to its second Super Bowl victory in four years. Late in the first half of the Steelers-Titans 2009 season opener, Polamalu, who was having an All-Pro first half, suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee after 262-pound Titan Alge Crumpler fell on his leg. Polamalu played in just four more games for the season. Although Fitzgerald posted lower receiving yards (1,092) in 2009 after consecutive 1,400-yard seasons, he managed to score a career-high 13 TDs. However, much like with Eddie George, Fitzgerald's following season ended with a career-low in TDs (six).
Drew Brees / Madden 11
Coming off a season that brought the Saints their first Super Bowl victory, Brees managed to throw for the second-highest total yardage in his career (4,620) in 2010 and was one touchdown shy of tying his career high (33). He did, however, throw a career-worst 22 INTs, 18 being the previous high. Although Brees made it through the whole season, he did admit to having played through a troublesome tear in his knee. The Saints also suffered a stunning defeat to Seattle (7-9) in their Wild Card Playoff game, through no fault of Brees though, who completed 39-of-60 passes for 404 yards and two TDs. One could argue Brees broke the curse. Unless, of course, he follows the delayed-curse likes of Eddie George and Larry Fitzgerald.
New Video: Nike x Footlocker Commercial
Check out the new Nike x Footlocker commercial featuring Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, DeSean Jackson and Ken Griffey JR. The commercial gives us a preview of Nike's Summer 2011 collection with music from the Cool Kids.
New Kicks: Maharam x Nike Dunk High Premium & Zoom Tennis Classic
Check out these hot pair of kicks just in time for spring, shouts to Manny Toro (Rotting Television)
New Video: Claudio Salas
This is a cool new video reel from animator Claudio Salas.
Claudio Salas Reel from Claudio Salas on Vimeo.
New Video: Pusha T - My God
Had the opportunity to recently watch Pusha T perform this single, this kid is a PROBLEM!!!!
Pusha T - My God from thecensus.wordpress.com on Vimeo.
New Article: Heather Morris & 50 Songs Every Man Should Listen To
Ever watch Glee? Us neither. Anyway, she's definitely on it, and can definitely teach you a thing or ten — with help from a few of the tracks on our new list of 50 Songs Every Man Should Be Listening To.....
In 2009, when Glee producers called Heather Morris, it was for her dancing, not her acting. They wanted her to teach the cast the choreography to the song "Single Ladies," which she'd recently performed as a backup dancer to Beyoncé on Saturday Night Live and the American Music Awards. They liked her so much, they asked her to stay. Now she's Brittany, the cheerleader who delivers the best one-liners on the show.
Get really into it.
The simplest way to do something cool is the cross-turn. Like in the '80s — Michael Jackson did it. You jump and cross your legs together at the same time, and then spin out of it. That's it.
You don't want to be too cool. But you don't want to be too dorky.
Still, I find it so much better to see a guy at a club being a dork, and having fun, than trying to be sexy.
Looking down and shuffling is pretty great. But not the Running Man.
It's already embarrassing being in a club.
I can't stand it when someone comes up behind a girl and grabs her hips and tries to grind with her. It's offensive. Why would you do that to me?
You know what's really hot? Pop-and-locking, ticking. The moonwalk. Tricks like that.
The secret to moonwalking: You have to have slick shoes, or else your feet would get stuck. And you trick people. Your right foot pops, and you're pushing your left foot back, and once your left foot lands, you do the same thing. It just looks like you're gliding on air.
How do I do it? Twenty-three years of dancing.
STORY BY ANDY LANGER / ESQUIRE MAGAZINE
New Video: Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise
If there was an award for packing the most celebrities into a five-minute music video, the Beastie Boys would win it.
The Brooklyn hip-hop trio premiered their video for "Make Some Noise," the first single off their upcoming eighth album, "Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2." on Thursday -- and it has so many cameos, if you blink you may miss one.
The B-Boys aren't even in the video. Instead, they're played by Elijiah Wood (Ad-Rock), Danny McBride (MCA) and Seth Rogen (Mike D).
As the three terrorize NYC with their beer-swilling and hard-partying ways, they encounter a cast of strange characters including: Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunsts, Ted Danson -- and about 20 other famous faces.
The music video is part of a longer 22-minute short, "Fight For Your Right Revisited," which was directed by MCA and recently premiered at Sundance.
"Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2" will be released on May 3. It's the Beastie Boys' first album in four years.
STORY BY KATHLEEN PERRICONE / NY DAILY NEWS
Watch the video below!
New Gear: Vostok Europe Anchar Diving Watch
The K-222 Anchar is the fastest attack submarine ever built and was a major Soviet achievement based on its ability to dive deep and remain durable at great depths. With the same principles, Vostok Europe has created the solidly built Anchar Watch that is water resistant up to 300 meters and is ideal for divers. Though most dive watches lend themselves to casual wear, the Anchar rededicates itself to diving that can be worn casually. (CLICK HERE FOR LINK)
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