The G Manifesto

Villa Leopolda: The most expensive home ever sold

A mysterious Russian billionaire has trumped his big-spending rivals and broken a world record by splashing out €500 million (£392 million, or $750 Million) on one of the dopest villas on the French Riviera.

The price of the Villa Leopolda, a Belle Époque mansion on the heights of Villefrance, has amazed estate agents but fuelled local worries that the invasion of Russian money on the Côte d’Azur is getting out of hand.

Since the early 1990s, Russian oligarchs, drawn by memories of the Riviera-mad old Russian aristocracy, have been piling into seaside properties at Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Antibes, Saint-Tropez and the other great playgrounds.

The previous record for a house was said to be the £57 million that Lakshmi Mittal, the steel tycoon, paid for a property in Kensington Palace Gardens in 2004.

The price for the Leopolda, which once belonged to the late Gianni Agnelli, the Fiat tycoon, has dwarfed the €20 million paid six years ago by Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea Football Club owner, for the semi-derelict Château de la Croë.

Source: Russian oligarch ‘invader’ pays record £392m for Riviera villa

The house was owned previously by Lily Safra, the widow of Edmond Safra, a Lebanese banker who was killed by an arsonist’s fire in Switzerland in 2003. I remember this whole fire thing, it was mad fishy.

When the crib was Gianni Agnelli it was the setting of many a “Jet-Set” gig. Back in the days of the true International Playboys.

The true cost of this crib is going to keep it stocked with champagne.

Time for a trip to Côte d’Azur…

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA Your favorite International Playboy’s favorite International Playboy
AKA Michael Dynamite
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

YELLE “CE JEU”
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QOxKCKC09A&hl=en&fs=1]

YELLE "CE JEU"
Uploaded by YELLE-TV. – NASCAR, F1, tuning and drift videos.

Rest in Peace Isaac Hayes

The soul singer-songwriter (and G Manifesto Hall of Fame Member) Isaac Hayes, known for his gravelly voice, shaven head and copious jewelery (and dope music), died on Sunday at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 65.

Hayes was found by family members, who discovered him lying next to a treadmill in a basement room at his home. Sheriff’s deputies performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later.

Hayes, a distinctive and flamboyant figure among the black rhythm and blues stars of the early 1970s, found fame later in his career as the voice of Chef, the laid-back womaniser on the cartoon series South Park.

But it was his hit song for the soundtrack of the blaxploitation movie Shaft that made and cemented his reputation. An atmospheric blend of Hayes’s lover-man vocals, breathless backing singers and a funk-fuelled wah-wah guitar arrangement, Shaft – the song and the character – became synonymous with black urban cool. It also provided Hayes with an image that stayed with him for the rest of his career.

Source: Isaac Hayes, soul singer who defined black urban cool, dies at 65

Issac Hayes has been a huge influence on The G Manifesto. I can’t really say enough about his music.

Rest in Peace.

The Rest is Up To You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Game Doctor Spock
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Isaac Hayes – Shaft

Isaac Hayes – Walk On By Live

Isaac Hayes – The look of Love (live) 1973

Grad on Voicemail Gangsters

Grad is a contributer to the G Manifesto on Side Hustles: The Art of Enhancing BankRoll, Why we do what we do? and Why It Pays to Be A First Mover.

Here is his take on Death Threats and Voice Mail Gangsters:

Michael,

How are you? I hope the summer is producing many knock-outs…
Unfortunately, Ive been on the grind and haven’t much time to tour the scenes. I just read your recent post regarding Voice Mail Gangsters and Text Message Bullies.
I must say your break down is extremely on point so with that I say, Kudos to you.

However you left out some key points, one of which is my personal favorite…
The “I know where you live” line that some brokester raps to me…
I always chuckle when I hear that one since more often than not,
I don’t know where I’m going to be next week… So unless they have some sixth sense they purchased at Pacific Sunwear, it holds no weight.
Its also comical because by the time they take the greyhound or cash in their credit card miles to find me, I’m gone.

The other consideration is that these guys are chumps. Instead of getting angry at the real culprit (their girlfriend), they get mad at us and leave bottomless threats. If they actually sat down to think about it, they’d realize, it’s the girls fault, not ours. Perhaps they were doing something wrong and left the girl with no choice but to cheat. But then again, maybe its their fault too.

There is one recent story that comes to mind regarding these faux gangsters…

I was entertaining some guests in town at the Hudson Hotel. While sitting at our table, suited down in a Kiton, three button grey chalk stripe bespoke number with a lavender Brioni shirt blown open, I was approached by two spikey haired dudes with barb wire tattoos. I had noticed these guys online outside when I walked in but now they seemed obviously more drunk. I suppose to they needed to fill up on liquid courage to approach me.

But that’s neither Peter Lugar or Sturm, Ruger.

Anyway, the more brazen of the two, said, “yo bro, were you hitting on my girl last week?” Of course, I looked puzzled and embarrassed, One because I try to avoid Papa Roach and his compadres and Two because I sincerely didn’t know who he was talking about. Smoothly and politely, I replied “I don’t know, which one is she?” and that’s when he got a bit enraged. This was obviously more embarrassing for me because he’s just going to make a scene. If I was in real trouble, I probably would not have seen them coming.

As Brokester 1 was talking I could feel one of my guests stand and I quickly around turned to quell the situation. As I turned back around to see Brokester 2 chime in, I interrupted him with a simple question… “Why is it my fault if your girlfriend plays you? She played you, not me… I’ve never been played before but if so, I highly doubt I’d approach you to talk about it” The question clearly struck him off guard as I could see thoughts of mediocrity inundate and paralyzed him. Images of overdrafted bank statements, cute face but overweight girls, sale items at Hollister and trophy chests with only JV letters ricocheted off his mind’s eye and piled together in one big sub-par lump. At that point he had no choice but to walk away, ashamed. While walking away, his friend turned around to say “youre lucky” but I smirked, luck has nothing to do with this equation.

To Health & Wealth

~ Grad

Mobb Deep – Shook Ones Pt. II

Rakim – Guess Who’s Back

Sick Sample: Human Nature – It Ain’t Hard To Tell

Saw what you will about Michael Jackson, but the guy is dope. Plus, I asked Tom Mesereau about him and he said he was completely normal.

Human Nature by Michael Jackson

Sampled on one of the sickest tracks ever:

Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell

and Miles Davis dope version:

Miles Davis – Human Nature

“It ain’t hard to tell, I excel, then prevail
The mic is contacted, I attract clientele
My mic check is life or death, breathin a sniper’s breath
I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps
Deep like The Shinin’, sparkle like a diamond
Sneak a uzi on the island in my army jacket linin
Hit the Earth like a comet, invasion
Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazin
Cause in my physical, I can express through song
Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong
I drank Moet with Medusa, give her shotguns in hell
From the spliff that I lift and inhale, it ain’t hard to tell”

– Nas from Illmatic

The Rest is Up To You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Game Doctor Spock
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Sen. John Edwards Statement

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

Continue reading: Sen. John Edwards Statement

First Spitzer, now Edwards. These are guys I have both met, heard speak, donated money too and gotten pictures with. Hell, I even complimented Edwards on his custom shirts! (Although, my tailor is far superior to his.) Whats happening to our “Peoples Champs”?

We need to realize that the American family is screwed up and cheating is pretty normal.

By the way, can I get my donations back?

Just playing. You guys probably need it more than me.

The Rest is Up to You……..

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Playboy you Love to Hate
The Guide to Getting More Out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com

Duke Ellington – Satin Doll
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDDCzb3dv_Y&hl=en&fs=1]