Justin Cabrera

Writer and Radio Personality

My name is Justin Cabrera and I am a recent communications graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Over the past few years I have written dozens of articles for various publishers, in addition to hosting two radio shows. Communication is my passion and I love to both inform and entertain people through my work.

How an inclusive Silicon Valley helps everyone

If I asked you to close your eyes and picture a typical Silicon Valley employee, what would you see? You'd probably picture someone like this: Shown above is a tech bro: a white straight man in his 20s or 30s who dresses casually and works hard as a coder/engineer/entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

How the internet changed hip-hop forever

Last year, on July 17, Forbes reported that for the first time ever hip-hop overtook rock as the most listened-to genre of music in the U.S. These days the top of the Billboard Top 200 is filled with rappers, who often have origins far more humble than ultra-mainstream acts like Ariana Grande or Maroon 5.

How streaming services are becoming cable all over again

Remember how revolutionary Netflix and Hulu were when they came out a decade ago? Being able to watch any episode of dozens of shows anytime you want? For a sub -10 monthly price? It seemed so futuristic, and millions of people across the world cut their cable cords in favor of this new consumer-friendly technology.

AI battles chimp in bid for intellectual supremacy

If you think about it, AI's aren't much different than chimpanzees. They're both unpredictable, meltdown-prone creatures whose intelligence slowly and scarily approaches our own. Naturally, it's only right that we pit them against each other in a desperate attempt to save our species.

NAV Experiences Growth in Number of Cryptocurrency Clients

"NAV's dedicated staff and technical proficiency allow us to comfortably administer a variety of cryptocurrency solutions. Our resources, combined with the insight of our dedicated teams, award NAV an advantageous position at the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry." NAV Fund Administration Group (NAV) continues to see growth in its number of crypto clients.

The greatness and danger of WeChat: China's Super App

While China is famous for its Great Wall, they also have a metaphorical "Great Firewall." Platforms that Westerners find impossible to live without such as Google and Facebook are banned from China, rendering them inaccessible to Chinese people. Even though the Chinese government banned these platforms, the demand for Web 2.0 services from the Chinese populace became too great to ignore.

NAV Fund Administration Expands Services for Private REITs

"Our dedicated REIT team combines the expertise of our network of service providers with our specialized technology platform to meet the increased demand for private REIT services," said Nav Gupta, founder and CEO of NAV.

Why the Marvel Cinematic Universe works (and others don't)

The enormous success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be overstated. In just a few weeks, "Avengers: Endgame" has passed " Titanic" as the second highest grossing movie of all time, and is rapidly approaching " Avatar's" number 1 spot. In fact, MCU movies make up half the spots of the top 10 highest box office grosses ever.

How disabled gamers overcome the odds

If you watched the Super Bowl, then you probably saw Microsoft's "We All Win" commercial. The ad depicts a bunch of kids with various mobility limitations who all share a love for gaming. Many of them can't use both of their hands, which makes using traditional controllers difficult for them.

How games made the transition from 2D to 3D

By the mid-'90s, the 16-bit era was coming to an end. The advancement in technology brought us some incredible games that looked, sounded, and played better than their 8-bit counterparts. Games like Super Mario World, Super Castlevania IV, and Mega Man X showed that developers had perfected 2D gameplay and level design.

Why Earthbound is Nintendo's most personal game

Even if you've never played Earthbound, you've almost certainly heard about it. You may know its protagonist Ness as that annoying kid from Super Smash Bros. that screams and throws fire everywhere. It's also possible that you've heard rumblings from the Earthbound fanbase, a dedicated group of diehard fans that exists in spite of Nintendo's lack of acknowledgment.

How Stan Lee created Marvel's complex characters

"My name is Stan Lee. I've been writing stories for the young generation for the past 30 years. During this time, I think I've learned a lot about how young people think, and more importantly, what young people are. Today, we've come to a time in history when there definitely is a generation gap.

Take a look at Elon Musk's crazy new spaceship

No, seriously. This article is going to be a crazy one. Entrepreneur and object of Reddit worship Elon Musk has recently provided a few new details regarding his proposed lunar tourism mission. Last Thursday, he revealed the mystery tourist who was to take part in this historic vacation: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.

GTA V turns 5

By many measures, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V is a landmark game. Even though it was first released in 2013, the game has cracked the 10 best selling games of the month list for the past 5 years. In fact, it is currently the third best-selling game of all time with 95 million copies sold, topped only by Tetris and Minecraft.

3 billionaires racing to build the future of space travel

It's been a great year for space travel. Early this year, after President Trump signed the Omnibus Bill, NASA miraculously received $20.7 billion, the highest amount since the 2009 stimulus package. The Trump Administration's proposed 2018 budget was seen by many as a "War on Science," but when the bill was actually voted on most of NASA's budgets were increased or remained uncut, shocking the scientific community.

Beginner's Guide to Competitive Pokémon

So, you want to be the very best, like no one ever was? There's much more to being the world's best trainer than just beating the Elite Four. In order to really find out who the best is, Game Freak and the Pokémon Company frequently host competitive Pokémon tournaments called the Video Game Championships.

5 Reasons To Come Back to Pokémon Go

The summer Pokémon Go came out was the closest we've ever come to world peace. Thousands of players from across the world ventured outside to battle gyms, to catch wild Pokémon, and to talk smack about opposing teams. The game was downloaded over 800 million times, and the resulting Pokémania attracted everybody from senior citizens to toddlers to longtime Pokémon veterans.

The Odyssey Online
6 Rap Songs You Didn't Know Sampled Video Game Music

Despite all of their flashy clothes and braggadocios music, rappers are people too. And they like to play video games just like the rest of us. Both rap and video games rose to prominence in the 1970s, and neither show any sign of slowing down.

The Odyssey Online
Think You're Good At Smash Bros?

Yes, I said drag racing; no, I'm not talking about street racing. In today's world, drag racing is not only growing bigger and bigger but also attracting more and more kinds of people. When I first started drag racing back in 2003, it was basically an all male sport.

Underground Chicago Hip Hop Duo: Palmer Squares Interview

By Justin Cabrera The advent of the internet changed the hip hop scene forever. Back in what many call the "Golden Age" of hip hop, aspiring artists had to physically mail their mixtapes to record labels, and to even be considered they'd have to have multiple connections within the industry.

Incredible! Passion Pit at the Taste of Chicago (July 8, 2017)

Over the course of my life, I've been to Chicago dozens of times, but I've never been able to attend Taste of Chicago. I'd heard stories from my mom, a Chicago native, about how expansive the festival was decades ago, so naturally I became curious as to what the festival looked like today.

The Odyssey Online
A History and Ranking of Kanye's Discography

Kanye West will undoubtedly go down as one of rap's greatest artists. His blend of braggadocios lyrics, creative production, and fiery public persona will ensure that nobody will be forgetting him any time soon. To date, Kanye has won 21 Grammy Awards for his 7 fantastic solo albums. But which album will be remembered as his magnum opus?

The Odyssey Online
Bands You Should Check Out: Home Burial

When you hear the word emo, you probably picture something like this: Don't. The emo scene that I will be speaking about is completely different than the Myspace-era, whiny scene screamo bullshit that you are probably thinking of. The emo I speak of looks more like this: Pictured: American Football, one of my favorite bands.

Emo Legends! Cap'n Jazz at House of Vans

For many, the phrase "emo music" conjures thoughts of 2007 Myspace-core bands like Panic! At the Disco and My Chemical Romance being blasted through the speakers of their local Hot Topic. While there's nothing wrong with those bands, the Midwest has been harboring its own much smaller, more intimate emo scene for the past few...

The Odyssey Online
Top 5 Clickbait Signs You're From Illinois

The Orlando Fringe Festival is a two-week performing arts extravaganza featuring all kinds of acts from this city and others. It is also the longest-running theater festival in the United States, so it's had plenty of time to get great.

mxdwn Music
Blood Orange Announces New Album Freetown Sound For July 2016 Release -

Photo credit: Michael Lavine Dev Hynes is a musician known for keeping his fans on their toes. He has garnered critical acclaim through his experimental, and sometimes bizarre, projects involving nearly every major musical genre. After all, this is a man who wrote and recorded an entire EP in a single day.

The Odyssey Online
Why Kanye West Is Not The Devil

Kanye West is quite possibly the most polarizing musician in the world. Some people love him. Some people hate him. Others love to hate him. But nearly everybody has an opinion on him. Kanye gets dragged through the mud in headline after headline for his controversial opinions, flamboyant clothing, and membership in the Kardashian media empire.

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