200 Posts and Running!!!

(ABOVE: I did a Google Images search of 200 and this was the only remotely cool thing I could find)

Well, 200 posts isn't a whole lot, when you consider that I've been writing this for more than two years and have taken not one, but two hiatus's during that stretch.

When my former (and all-time favorite) boss took myself and my features editor to some Japanese restaurant to discuss ideas for what would eventually become "The Beat," my initial reaction was "Wow, I get to go to concerts for free now!" I might have even said that out loud.

Now that I have some weight on me, I can reflect for a moment on some of the cool moments, like interviewing Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, El-P, Aesop Rock, Too $hort and Xzibit.

But some of the best stuff has come from interviews with lesser names. Black C of RBL Posse was one of my all-time favorites because he opened up a lot on losing both members of his crew, Hitman and Mr. Cee.

2Mex of Visionaries Crew shared the story of his father pointing a gun at him to prevent him from leaving the house during the L.A. Riots, and years later, he was grateful that his pops had his back like that.

I've also missed out on a few interviews, particularly with Rhymesayers MC's. Slug of Atmosphere has been pretty elusive. Brother Ali was out of reception range when I called him during our scheduled interview. He called back a few hours later after I had left the newsroom.

Of course, I still get to go to free shows, although my schedule has been pretty hectic, so I'm doing less and less of that these days.

All in all, the first 200 posts have been a good thing. And now we got "The Beat" in print, so I can add columnist to my resume.

While I've kept the primary focus on hip-hop, I'm proud of everything I've covered and written on here, with plans toward expanding the scope of the blog. In the near future, expect more pop culture treading.

Also, with the expansion of our production capabilities, you might see more high-end video work. Plans are underway. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I want to thank everyone who has supported, criticized, loved, hated, and just read this blog. The first 200 shouldn't have taken us this long, but I promise the next 200 will be even better. La Paz.