Cory Jreamz: Alive

XXL's Playlist For The Government Shutdown, Sam Valenti's nostalgic #PrivateJam, Darkside's "Paper Trails" and more

Hailing from Houston, TX, unsigned artist Cory Jreamz dropped a haunting new track called “Alive” this week. The dark video—which Jreamz made himself—avoids big budget antics in favor of a staring contest-style rap along, while still managing to be theatrical enough to retain audience attention. With a James Brown sample in the intro of the Treyshawn-produced track, and nods to various chopped and screwed stylings …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Modular phones, petrified bird photography, the Empire State Building's green roof and more in our weekly look at the web

1. The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife Cumbersome? Yes. Ornate? Certainly. Over the top? Absolutely. The Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife from around 1880 has roughly 100 functions—some necessary and some superfluous. From a built-in saw to a piano tuner, this knife can help with just about any pre-digital task. It even has a fully functioning .22 caliber pinfire revolver for those impromptu duel challenges. Regardless …

The Ultimate Swiss Army Knife

Modular phones, petrified bird photography, the Empire State Building's green roof and more in our weekly look at the web

Cumbersome? Yes. Ornate? Certainly. Over the top? Absolutely. The Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife from around 1880 has roughly 100 functions—some necessary and some superfluous. From a built-in saw to a piano tuner, this knife can help with just about any pre-digital task. It even has a fully functioning .22 caliber pinfire revolver for those impromptu duel challenges. Regardless of its ridiculousness, the knife is …