Feel Good Music III

Great Song. The horns are what really make the song

Feel Good Music Part II

No need for a explanation for this one. Just let the music move you

Feel Good Music I

This song brings back memories... Even though this song is probably as old as I am I still see it as a classic. This is one of the many songs I grew up on

What is it going to take...

To move forward




Obama Faces Racism in West Virginia - video powered by Metacafe


The bad part about all this is that the people in West Virginia are blind to the much bigger picture. The politicians and political parties have people really thinking that they actually care for the people when in reality THEY DON'T!! They have us caught up so much on black and white that we don't realize that the only color that matters is green. The elite at the the top don't care about the people at the bottom no matter what color they are. It's just sad to see that they still have us fooled into thinking that we are against each other. This may not all be true but po ass black folk and po ass white folk have quite a bit in common. Not everything but a lot. We are stuck fighting for a McChicken with cheese while others eat gourmet. F**K THAT! When will the people realize that they are getting screwed for their money like prostitutes.

"The N word"

HISTORY should tell a people WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY CAME FROM and WHAT THEIR POTENTIAL IS AS A PEOPLE. The name that a people call themselves must provide them with an understanding of their history by connecting them to a land mass, a language, a culture, a religion, a philosophy and so on. There is no such place as NEGROLAND, COLOREDLAND, or BLACKLAND and there’s no ethnic group in Africa that calls itself Negro or its language negro. We are the descendants of our AFRICAN ancestors....PERIOD! Identification with one’s past HISTORY is an important step towards mental liberation.

The word Negro is Spanish for BLACK. The Spanish language comes from Latin, which has its origins in Classical Greek. The word Negro in Greek, is derived from the root word ’necro’, meaning dead. The act of Ancestral worship known as necromancy or communication with the dead, was the practice of the Egyptians in order of honoring the lives of ancestors WHO CAME BEFORE. They believed by doing so could offer guidance and direction to the living. Temples (monuments) were designed as places where the ancestors could be honored, and holidays (Holy Days) were the days designated for worshipping. The Greeks thought of these sun-burnt people (Egyptians) to have a preoccupation with Death and didn’t understand the worship of the dead (Necromancy), and took their distorted beliefs back to Europe and the word Negro evolved out of this misunderstanding. What used to be known as a physical condition has been applied to an entire race of people.

European (White) people manufactured the word "Negro" during the slave trade. In addition, the term ’Negro’ on the other hand is introduced to obscure the Africaness of the classical PHARAONIC CIVILIZATIONS. These Eurocentric determinations alienate and distort the historical achievements of African people. Numerous scholars have fallen into the intellectual trap when writing about African people by referring to them as Negroes or semi-negroes. This is a weak attempt at separating Africans of today (Africans worldwide), with AFRICANS of yesterday (Egyptian-Africans and other great African civilizations).

Historically, the Greeks came to Africa as students over 2,500 years ago to discover what Africans already knew. Writing, science, medicine, and religion were already a part of the Egyptian civilization. History had already been documented thousands of years before Herodotus (The so-called ’Father of History’) was even born. Herodotus, Plato, Phythagorus, Socrates, and other Greek Philosophers...were all students of African priests (SONS OF LIGHT). When the Greeks returned to Europe, they planned the destruction and pillage of the remaining AFRICAN empires. Less than 300 years after the first Greeks came to Egypt as students, their descendants returned as conquerors. They (Greeks/Europeans) destroyed the cities, temples and libraries of the Egyptians an d claimed African knowledge as their own.

To JUSTIFY the enslavement of Africans, in short, it was culturally necessary to believe, or be able to believe, that Africans were inherently and naturally less than human but were beings of a somehow sub-human, non-human, nature. This we see proven with the written words documented in the original text of the Constitution of the United States which originally stated that Africans were ’three-fifths’ a man (by law). It became necessary to DEHUMANIZE Africans and DEVALUE their historical worth as a people in order to ensure their value as slaves.

When the word "nigger" was devised, the meaning it implied was of a debased, ignorant, or very low person. Then, African-Americans dropped the ’ER’ and added an ’A’ thus forming a new word "NIGGA". This word has been accepted and approved because ’the word now has a new meaning, we mean it a different way’ is the obnoxious excuse. This is the same word that was used against our ancestors who shed blood for...now being accepted and used (daily) by the same people it was used AGAINST! The term is meaningless in reality but has become a useful word for those who help perpetuate the negative stereotypes of Africans worldwide. WHY would we choose to use a word that degrades Africans everywhere and turn around and call someone who looks just like you, a NIGGA! We can’t possibly believe that we have the power to change the meaning of a word and expect other people to follow along with this mentality, this isn’t progress folks.

The enslavement of the African mind was born out of the educational system and for good reasons. It was forbidden for the Africans to learn to read or write! The education of the Negro, then, becomes a perfect device for CONTROL FROM WITHOUT. The evolution of the Negro from Colored, to Black, to African-American represents a progression of self-consciousness. Referring to each other with respect and dignity by calling each other "brother/sister" instead of "nigga/bitch", you’re more likely to talk to your "brother/sister" in a dispute instead of killing a "nigga" in the same situation.

The Negro/Nigger/Nigga - a race of dead people with a dead history and no hope for resurrection as long as they remain ignorant of their past. This new breed of Black people, the "Nigga" has become the death of the mind, body, and spirit of AFRICAN PEOPLE.

I’ve read several conflicting stories regarding the origin of the word "Negro/Nigger". It matters that we educate ourselves and get pass this destructive ideology when we hear this word or its use against us. We need to identify its purpose and once realized, not allow ourselves to sink to the perpetrators level by allowing this word to control our thoughts of ourselves! Look at the source of where this word is coming from before sinking to their level of thinking. As mentioned previously, a Nigger is a debased, ignorant, and rather low person. DO YOU FIT THIS DESCRIPTION?

Follow in the footsteps of the ancestors, for the mind is trained through knowledge.

- Tanya Schneider

Inadequate

Inadequate

I would like to explain how we are all inadequate
Even during the times when life seems the most passionate

We are all very feeble contrary to our beliefs

Cause of our own dismay, suffering, and grief

When your stomach and wallet is empty and mind is full frustrations

You seem to be on edge facing weakness in contemplation

Being inadequate is trying lavish and not ravage things that should be ravished

Learn to begin to embrace your humanity as a savage

Glance tragically in your Tragedy, in your incompetency

I ask your feeble minds not try to not process this logically.

We die slow when we settle for less, but I would rather you kill me obviously

I come full circle frontally to my convictions

Face the frequency of forcing fallacies cause my friction

Read the words on our being and you will see the inscription

We are Inadequate so get ready for conscription

Further flipping the fleeting years and but only the pain the lingers

As it fluctuates I calculate my time left on my fingers

I’m searching for life’s clues and hints to possibly stay in touch

I realize I don’t have much time left and this human life isn’t much

Inadequate …

Look at your tombstone….

One day it will read starting year…

Small dash

And then another year

I hope that this vision within your mind is bright and clear…

A small dash, that’s what your life is

Some of us want ours to be more like a marathon

But we speed it up with all the objects we’re dependent on.

Trying to get a whiff of that vapor called life before it gone

We want to play when its time to work

And work when it time to play

Aimlessly walking down the road that destroys many along the way

But haven’t we yet realized that it’s not the destination…

But rather the reality that there doesn’t seem to be one

It’s writing until the ink is dry and until the pen is empty

Just to see your words mean nothing at all and fall to a form of simplicity

Inadequate

It’s speaking the most profound words your intellect can muster

And after your tongue is tired from speech your still find that your soul is flustered

Inadequate

It means crumbling under the weight of the world and screaming for mercy

It’s falling o your knees just to look up and see that you are inadequate

We can try to cover it Revlon and Mary Kay

But we realize we are bankrupt inside and we see it will not go away

Beauty is only skin deep. But ugly is to the marrow.

We wish to learn to be greater than ourselves and learn to fly away from toil like sparrows

Falling short every time you look for success

But disappointment is staring you in the face

Inadequate…

We take initiative first to realize that we are worthless

It’s not ourselves but rather God who has given us life and purpose

The purpose to be something more other than our nature

HE is the standard by which we live by and he defines our nomenclature.

He looks at everyone with a specific concern, love, and mercy…

Inadequate. Maybe

But in God’s eyes

We are far from it

Internships...

I have more interviews today for today. Strenuous stuff...
I need some rest.
Where is the weekend

Jordin Sparks

That woman is hot.
She is no Jill Scott
But she is hot
and I like her song "Tattoo"
Yea I said it
I am not ashamed to say that

Lightning Bugs

Where are lightning bugs at?

REally I want to know...

I used to see a lot of them when I was smaller and I used to catch them all the time in the summer. But you dont really see them anymore. Where are they at?

I know this is random... but i wanna know

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath

One of my favorite bands The Mars Volta has a album thats going to be dropping in a few days. I love them as musicians and as storytellers. The album The Bedlam in Goliath is going to be released on the 29th. Some people find their lead singer's voice as annoying but I feel as if its an acquired taste. If you think about it, his voice accents the bands style quite well... anyways. Ive heard the album and I must say that they have done it again. I'm no musician or anything but I know good music when I hear it. This album is a must buy if you're a fan of progressive rock you should check their stuff out, they have songs from the album on their myspace that you can listen to.

Today...

I want to thank Dr. King for his vision, sacrifice, and decision to lead. But most importantly WEB Du Bois,Carter G. Woodson and many other strong blacks and whites who paved the way for Dr.King. It is because of their selflessness I am here presently. Also for those who now are carrying the torch of past legacies. The same torch that is inseparable from my hand.

Thank You

5 Things That Killed Hip-Hop

5 Things That Killed Hip-Hop by rapper J-Zone

"3 Things You Can't Argue About: Religion, Politics & Hip-Hop" - J-Zone

I realize that arguing about music is pointless cause we all got different opinions. a few people wanted my opinion on the "is hip hop dead?" matter and I just put my opinion on my sites. For some reason, it's gotten a lot of unexpected feedback, but what I'm saying isn't really new, nor is there is there a right or wrong answer to that question. If u agree with me that's cool, if you disagree that's cool too. Its music, not life and death. At the least, to read it is a way to kill some time.

Everybody's saying it. Nas titled his album that. People are debating and a few brothers asked me for my humble opinion. So as I watch the Celtics lose their 17th straight on Sportscenter, I'll do a music related blog for once. After all, it effects me right? 5 things I feel are the biggest culprits of rap's downfall. Well actually before I exercise my freedom of speech and somebody gets upset for nothing, let me clarify.

a. I am NOT saying that there aren't a batch of stellar records released yearly, or a group of dope producers delivering fly shit or a handful of rappers that still make you wanna listen. I also know music is subjective and it's all opinion. The great music of today may be on par with the great of yesterday, but in the grand scheme of things, the negatives far outweigh the positives.

b. There's 3 things you can never argue about…Religion, Politics and Hip-Hop. Cause no matter your opinion, somebody will tyrannically oppose and get all fuckin emotional. It's just my humble opinion, relax. Who cares anyway?

c. For the record, the politics at major labels, press and radio are not listed here because they've been around since the beginning of time. And we have ourselves to blame for not manning up to take control of those.. Yo Flex, drop a bomb on that. OK, where was I?

5. CLANS, POSSES, CREWS & CLIQUES: WHO U WIT?

Safety in numbers. Movements, collaborations, big name guests, teams, crew beef, etc. The days of the solo roller are over. In the prime of rap, you were judged solely on your music. Rakim, Nas & Biggie (early on), LL, Kane…they all built their legend on music alone. Hell, Rakim had no guests on his first 4 albums. Sure there was Juice Crew, Native Tongues, Lench Mob crew, etc. But it wasn't mandatory. Then for some reason, in the mid-late 90's, it became totally necessary to have a movement. A crew with 1,000 different artists all on the same team. Touring together, crew t-shirts, beef with other crews, collaborations, etc. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's like people cannot identify with one artist, there has to be a movement or somebody else involved to validate them. Look at today's most successful artists. They all have a movement. Roc-A-Fella, Def Jux, Stonesthrow, Rhymesayers, G-Unit, Dipset, Wu-Tang, Hieroglyphics, Okayplayer, etc. Or if you're not part of a movement, you collaborate with other high profile artists. Doom, Danger Mouse, etc. It's all about cross-pollinating fan bases. You don't? You die. And for some reason, I see Da Youngstas album, Da Aftermath, as the beginning of this from a beat standpoint. That and Run DMC's Down With The King (both 1993) were the first albums I can remember to use a lot of different producers with totally different sounds. It worked back then, they were dope albums. But it wound up being a cancer.

Nowadays you need a Timbaland track, a Neptunes track, a Just Blaze track, a Dre track, a Kanye track for people to really care…and for the most part it sounds like a collection of songs, not an album. Why not let one of them just do the whole fuckin album? Can't please everybody, why make a futile attempt? Good albums are about a vibe. Wu-Tang was a movement, but it was cohesive and made sense because they all vibed together and RZA was the sonic glue. Sans Illmatic, Ready to Die and a few others, every single great rap album had a maximum of 3 producers and 3 guests. In this fascination with movements, name association and special guests, we've lost album cohesiveness and the focus on just music. It's no longer about how dope you are, it's who you rollin with and who's cosigning what you do. And usually 92% of the crew isn't up to par with the few star artists in the crew. Quantity rules, not quality. You can have a 5 mic album, but nobody cares unless there's a bunch of other people involved. 10 producers and 7 guests. And now so and so with a platinum album can put his wack ass brother or cousin on and cheapen the game, cause they're part of the movement and its about who you with. Back in 88, Milk D said he had "a great big bodyguard" on Top Billin. But that was it. In 2007, there would be a Great Big Bodyguard solo album.

4. TOO MUCH MUSIC

Like the crew theory, this is about quantity. People want more, even if it means a dip in quality. Some people can put out music quickly and do it well. Some people just want to bombard the market for the sake of doing it. Rakim did albums every 2 years. EPMD, Scarface and Ice Cube did it every year and that was considered fast. Nowadays, if you don't have 2 albums, 5 mix tapes and 10 guest appearances a year, you're slippin and people forget you. This attempt to keep up with the rush has cheapened the music. Now you have regular mixtapes marketed as albums, just a bunch of thrown together songs for the fuck of it. But to survive these days, you have to do that to stay in the public eye. There's far too many slim line case CD-R mix tapes out, and as important as mix tapes are to rap, the very vehicle that helped it grow is now playing a part in killing it.

Now everybody has forgotten how to make cohesive projects, so we cover it up by labeling it as a mix tape. The value and pride that full length albums used to symbolize are no more. Mixtapes now triple the number official albums in artist's catalog and never has music seemed so cheap and fast food. Not to mention, when the majors went completely awry in the late 90's, the indie rap scene went out of control with too much product. When I debuted in 1999, there were maybe 25-30 other indie vinyl releases out that mattered. And mine was one of the only full length albums. So it was only a matter of time before I got a listen, it didn't matter that I had no big names on my record and came outta nowhere. Try that now. To go to a store and see the foot high stack of one sheets for new records, mix CD's and DVD's dropping weekly makes you see you have a snowballs chance under a fat girls ass to survive in that world. Look at how many releases a week are on Hiphopsite, Sandbox, Fat Beats, UGHH, etc. The high profile artists get some attention, and everybody else gets ordered in ones and twos, if that. So today's new talent making his debut is in for an uphill battle. Great records go unnoticed. Rap is now a disposable art. Mr. Walt of Da Beatminerz once said "you work 16 months on an album and get a 2 week window of opportunity. After that your record is as good as dead for most people." That sums it up.

3. TOO COOL TO HAVE FUN/NO BALANCE IN RAP

When rap stopped being fun, I knew we were in big trouble. Not too many people are doin music for fun anymore. Ask yourself, "would I still mess with music as a hobby if there wasn't any money in it?" Too many people would say no. We all wanna get paid. Shit, I got bills too, I love money! But too many people just seem like they'd rather be doing other shit. You read in interviews, "I don't care about no rap, I'd rather be hustling. I just do this cause I can." Hey, whatever floats your boat, I can relate, there's been artists like that since the beginning of time, but they were never the majority until now. Having fun is nowhere near as important as your life before you got signed. And there's plenty of battle MC's, political MC's and killer thugs but it seems there's not many funny artists no more. Like on some Biz Mark, Humpty Hump, The Afros shit. Not afraid to go to the extreme and have fun. God forbid you use your imagination or rap about something not involving Hip Hop, the hood, you bein the shit, the end of the world or what color your car interior is.

I live in Queens, less than a mile from 50 Cent's old house. Nobody really knows I make music over here. Some kid from over here saw me in The Source a while back and said "Yo I ain't know you was in it like that, yo why you ain't tryin to pump your shit out here and let people know, you should rep the hood. 50 did it" Why should I? I'm not on the block tryin to push weight, I'm out there walking to Walgreens for my Grandmother, on my way to the park for a game of 21 or to watch a game at the local high school. I'm a grown ass man with a college degree and I like my neighborhood, but I choose to rap about my beat up car, not dancing in clubs, women with bad hygiene and too many kids or ball playin rappers with limited ball skills, cause I ain't a street cat and I'd rather show the lighter side of life. And that was never a problem back in the day.

Okay those ain't completely new topics, but it's like rappin about those things these days gets you marked as novelty rap. Biz rhymed about a lot of this same shit back in the day, but it was still accepted as legit Hip Hop. 2007? He could never do a song like The Dragon. Little Shawn & Father MC rapped about the ladies with some R&B beats. De La Soul were labeled as hippies. But all those dudes would beat yo fuckin ass if you got out of line! They were soft by no means, they just wanted to do the music they enjoyed, cause rap is supposed to be a way to have fun and get away from the everyday stress, while not limiting yourself. The thing that made rap so dope in the "golden era" was the balance of styles. You had clown princes like Biz, Humpty Hump, Kwame and ODB later on. You had political brothers like X-Clan, PE, Lakim Shabazz, Poor Righteous Teachers, Kam, etc. You had the explicit shit on Rap-A-Lot and the whole 2 Live movement in Miami. Hip-house like Twin Hype, new jack shit like Wrecks-N-Effect, the whole Native Tongues thing, the hard South Central LA shit, the Oakland funk…and they all co-existed, were all dope and they all had fun regardless of their style. King Sun made On The Club Tip and then did Universal Flag. Lakim Shabazz, Twin Hype and Wrecks-N-Effect had raw battle rap, Geto Boys and Ganksta Nip were hilarious, PE had the yin and yang of Chuck and Flav and ODB was a ferocious battle MC.

Even the more serious political rap…everybody seemed to be enjoying making music. Gangsta rappers had a fuckin sense of humor back then. Mob Style might have been the hardest group I've ever heard and they lived it. But them dudes also showed other sides and sounded like they enjoyed music, because it was an escape from everyday bullshit. Tim Dog, was hilarious and hard at the same time. Even if it was a joke to some, the shit was good listening. Suga Free is an ice cold pimp for real, but he has a sense of humor and approaches his music doin what he feels. Who says rappin about a girl with no teeth or going to the store with coupons ain't "real"? Everything is "real", people forget that. Everybody is so concerned with being feared and taken seriously, they can't come off those insecurities and do some guilty pleasure shit. Even the producers. If you can't show your other sides and bug out in your music, where can you do it? Stop being scared and break some fuckin rules. Put some 300 pound girls in your video for once! Laugh at yourself dog, you ain't no killer 24/7. You ain't battling MC's and being a lyrical lyricist mixtape murder 24/7. Havin fun is almost hip-hop faux pas these days. Rap is dead without balance...period.

2. LAW & ORDER: MPC

"Boop Boop, it's the sound of the police!" Yup, the legal police. Hip-hop is based in illegality, but not maliciously. Ironically, many people got into it to stay out of legal troubles (a life of crime), but technically this positive move is also seen as a life of crime by the powers that be. Mix tapes, remixes, sampling, parodies (somewhat)…the appeal of hip-hop was always rearranging the old to create the new. It's the lifeline of the music. One man's treasure is apparently another man's trash. In the wake of DJ Drama getting busted by the Feds for selling mix tapes that the labels and artists themselves approve and benefit from, it has never been more evident that the RIAA and their legal vendetta have just pulled the IV. We all knew that the late 80's way of taking 8 bar James Brown loops and not clearing was bound to catch up to us. I can live with that. You have a platinum album and loop somebody's whole shit, break'em off some money and publishing, its only right. But then the lawyers and courts got tyrannical. Now 1/8 of a second sample can run you the risk of legal action. Ouch. I remember having a beat placed on a TV show and the music supervisor panicked after the fact because he swore the snare I used sounded like it was sampled. Wow. I understand melodies, but somebody can own a snare sound now?

This is pretty lousy, but to this point it only affected some of the major label stuff and big corporate gigs. No more. Myspace is now shutting down pages that post remixes. WHAT!? I find that completely ass backwards. I know a few dudes that were warned, and others shut down without notice for posting remixes of major label songs with COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ACAPELLAS!. WELL WHAT THE FUCK IS AN ACAPELLA AVAILABLE ON A RECORD FOR?! TO BE REMIXED! DING DING…MESSAGE! Now to take that remix and release it on a major label and make 50 grand is one thing. But to have fun with remixes and post them on a myspace page, where ZERO DOLLARS can be made directly off of it, is completely harmless promotion for all parties involved. Not anymore.

Back in the day to be on a Kid Capri, Double R, S&S, Doo Wop, Silver Surfer, etc. mixtape was the best thing to happen to an artist and their label. An unknown producer leaking a dope remix to a popular artists record was a way to get buzz and a way for the industry to find new talent. Taking pieces of old music and creating something new (like the Bomb Squad) wasn't looked upon with the seriousness of a gunpoint mugging. But in a day where album sales are down, no artists or labels are seeing any money, CD's have foolishly been raised in price, interpolating one line of Jingle Bells in your song can get you sued and you can't post a remix for promotional and listening purposes only…you can see the music and legal industries have officially declared war on rap as a knee jerk reaction to their own failures. And as idiotic and unjust as things have become, they have the loopholes of law on their side.

1. THE INTERNET

Oh boy. Talk about a double edged sword. Never has it been so easy to get your music heard. If I make a dope beat, I can put it on my myspace page and it's up in an hour (depending on the servers, it may be "processing" for about 3 years). No more spending money and wasting time for records and test presses. Now people in Arkansas that only have MTV and the internet can hear my music. Limited distribution isn't as big a problem as before. Everybody is almost equal, shit we all have myspace pages. But look at the flipside. Everybody is almost equal, shit we all have myspace pages. There is so much shit out and the internet lurks with a million people doing the same thing, it's virtually impossible to stand out. Back in the day, you had to work your way up in the business. Havin a record was in most cases a privilege and a reward for your hard work. Catalog meant something. We're in an MP3 world now, and somebody in their bedroom is on an equal plane with somebody that's paid dues and worked hard. That's great for the kid with talent and no vehicle to get heard. That sucks for the no talent hacks on myspace that post advertisements for their wack music on your comments page.

The internet also killed rap's number one asset. Anticipation. How many can remember buying a mixtape and hearing 3 dope joints from an upcoming album on a mixtape? You couldn't wait to cop the album. And you didn't hear the album 3 months in advance cause there was no way to spread it that fast. And in rare cases where the album leaked, you had to get a tape dub and even when you did, you still bought it. I remember hearing Lots Of Lovin, Straighten It Out, TROY and Ghettos Of The Mind from Mecca & The Soul Brother 2 months before it came out. But I couldn't find any other songs. That drove the anticipation up and got everybody talking. We were all eager to support. In 2007, the album would leak months in advance, you burn it and that's it. I'm not complaining cause that won't change things, but that was a large part of what appealed to me and many others about music, especially rap. No more. No artwork & physical cd to read the credits and shoutouts (remember those!?), no anticipation, it's old news by street date, the shit don't sell and here we are. Tower's closing, the legendary Beat Street is closed, Music Factory is a wrap…people don't realize that rap as we know it is done. Labels are fuckin suing common civilians for file sharing! A physical copy no longer matters unless you're a collector.

Back in the day, you would never see internet beef. It's just stupid junior high shit. People leaving threats and talkin shit via myspace, people getting hurt over e-beef at shows, kids on message boards flexin muscle and actin hard. Great! Now that we have a bunch of killers on wax, we got a bunch of em posting in forums. Cute. You can sit in a bedroom in Mexico and talk about knockin out somebody in Finland and it will never come back to you. Hip hop bravado and the anonymity of the web…it don't get more junior high. The internet was the blessing and the curse of rap music. I may catch heat for this, but I think the best thing is to blow up the industry and start over. There is still great music and I will enjoy making this music til I pass on, even if only as a hobby. I will still be diggin for records, makin beats, playing instruments and watching old movies for inspiration. But sometimes things need to fall apart to give birth to greater things. The fall of rap in its current state may give birth to something bigger and better. It's what I'm banking on, cause realistically, how much longer can it go down this road? I'm not saying go back in time. Classic rap artists may have been influenced by Cold Crush and Melle Mel, but they took that influence and added something different on to it to create something new. "We need to bring it back to 88!". NO WE DON'T! Ultramagnetic didn't say 'we gonna bring it back to '74' They just did them, and until that principle can be followed again, I say fuck fixing an abandoned building. Hit it with a wrecking ball and rebuild!

Just plain ol' Beauty

Beauty is beautiful but it just is what it is....
Beautiful

I really want to ask God why he puts the most superficial, shallow, and dense minds in such beautiful frames.

I'm really curious, I see it to be a definite waste when I'm attracted to a woman that is physically amazing and appealing but lacks any level of substance.

UGH!!

WHAT A WASTE!!

God sure does know how to make em' huh?
Sometimes I feel as if he intentionally does it to me just so he can get a few laughs
(I've been told God has a impeccable sense of humor)

So what is a brother to do? Especially in a world that constantly tells you to settle for anything within the confines of mediocrity....

BUT I REFUSE TO NOT GET WHAT I WANT!!
I WILL NOT SETTLE!
But its just irritating when it seems as if what you're asking/ looking for is too much.

I MEAN COME ON!!

I'M NOT ASKING FOR MUCH AT ALL!!

COME ON GOD !

GIVE A BLACK MAN A CHANCE !
(c) Kanye West



that will be all for now (well at least until it pops back into my head).


= )





oh yea....

MUCH LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO YOU COY! (random but needs to be said)

08 is great

This past year brought so much that I would love to leave behind. Matter of fact these past few years have been that way. But I also need to look to all of the beautiful and positive things that have happened to me in these past few years...

i hope to find God
i hope to find myself
i hope to find her...
its much more to write
so much more to think and say
but words are never enough
words have never been enough

Words can do my thoughts no justice.
My thoughts are priceless and the beginnings of a conceived reality
Some of the script has already been chosen for me, that I cannot help.
In this movie I am a young black male seeking for something more in a world that expects much less of me.
I am the creator of the rest of the script, I am also the actor.

God is the director


i wonder who would want to watch or be involved in such a movie.

Men...

There was so much more I wanted to say, so many more people I wanted to tag in this note, but I reached my limit. I know I specified this poem by putting in the words "black men" here and there, but honestly this applies to all. However, the world need to see the apparent dysfunction and issues that black men struggle with daily. Its struggle within a struggle. In defining our "blackness" we are faced with defining our masculinity and also with what the world tells us about each. I'm not excluding in any way (all men experience this specifically) but I'm just trying to narrow the scope.




It takes so much to be a man but then again have we even begin to define what masculinity is?

the standards have been set by those who would much rather see us suffer than begin to come the conclusion of contentment

THEY SCREAM THAT WE MUST LEARN TO SURVIVE!!

but we never really learn of how we can abundantly THRIVE

Its disturbing how sexual conquests and the strength of our arms are the measure

Many of us can't begin to stretch our comprehensions of life farther than the size of our genitals, and for some thats not much...

So what is it that we are telling our brothers, sisters, future wives, and children?

So many of us know how to thoroughly manipulate a woman, but don't know the first thing to beginning to love them.

So many of us can speak clever words of spite, anger, and passion, but can't turn that passion into a entity that can fill the apparent void in our hearts.

We want to love in so many ways but dont know how to...

Who is to blame?

I'd like to reach inside the hearts of every black man and clean the condition that so eagerly enslaves us.

The sex, the lies, the false images of power.

EMBRACE THEM ALL!
these are things you live with everyday

We say we want so much better but our actions are contrary to our mindset

Its nothing but a mix of animal instincts, saliva, and other body fluids that create the catalyst for our downfall. The instinct for no purpose.

Just pure instinct

No ability to discern and decide if we want to do better.

Our brains and heart seen as merely extra that we burdened with carrying daily.

So we pretend that they are not a part of us or that we are not a part of them.

We become so disconnected from them


that when it counts

we lack the ability of utilizing either one...


Animals... no
But then again, even a dog can be trained to be obedient

My question is: What are you being obedient to?

The sad part is that some men enjoy live life scraping their butts across the carpet, eating grass, being fed the same meal, being told to sit, stay, and shake...

Not to mention crapping in other people's yards and trying to chase "cat" all day.

We need to get our heads out of our water dish or from sniffing a fellow dog's ass.

Animals... no
But then again, even a dog can be trained to be obedient

Damn... this is all to real. I can't even face the fact that I at times see my tail wagging when I look in mirror

So honestly where do I begin to heal my own personal wounds?

Where are we going?

As black men I know where we've been. But where are we going?

Masta Ace - "Nostalgia"

This sounds and feels like hip-hop everytime I hear it.

I need to write...

Being a college student sucks because I want to perfect my craft of writing poetry and expressing myself. However I keep running into not having the time that I want to have to fully dedicate to it. God help me.

Chris Short: Toddler Reporter

Saul Williams "Coded Languge"

Just listen to his words... They are pure pure poetry.

DRUGS ARE COOL!!!????

Drugs are in no way glorious or cool as people make them out to be.

I found out my uncle just died from a drug overdose, and honestly I don't see the glory, glitz, and glamour in all that.

He struggled with this demon his whole life

and it broke my heart to hear how it wrestled him to his grave.

"Every man dies, but not every man truly lives"

CARPE DIEM

CARPE NOCTEM

The Right Man...

I Know this is lengthy but its worth the read. A lot of the things that I read I already thought of, but it was good to see them tangibly down on paper.



Hey I want everyone to take a moment and print this out. This information is imperative for all women to know. It may just save your life.

The Right Man

First we must allow our Heavenly Father to do the picking. And second, the
decision for a mate must be made on a spiritual and intellectual basis before
it's made on an emotional one. "What about love? Shouldn't that be the third?",
you ask. No, and I'll tell you why. "The heart is deceitful above all things and
beyond pure. Who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). The heart is willful and is
driven by its own agenda. It does not consider things rationally and
intelligently--it just loves to love! Therefore, you have to point it in the
right directions: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of
life" (Prov. 4:23). Whenever you meet a man, you need to get clearance from God, check out his attributes, and then allow your heart to engage.

Dating exists not for mating; it exists for collecting data. I believe that the biblical design would be friendship, courtship, and then marriage. Friendship is two people walking together in agreement and accountability, learning and growing together. Courtship follows the mutual agreement to commit to one another exclusively--it is the decisive turning toward the agreed-upon goal of the marriage altar. It is a period of laying a foundation and preparing your life together after marriage. But dating? Well, if you do date, use the time wisely to gather facts:

1. Check out the fabric. Is the person mate material? Does this man have an
intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ? Does he care what
God thinks about his behavior? Is he accountable to God as well as another
co-laborer in the faith? Accountability is an important factor. It is imperative
to maintaining a committed relationship. Is your potential spouse a member of
the same family--the family of God? Scripture is clear on this: "Do not be yoked
together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14). You
need to have common interests and values and agree on the essentials of living
day to day. You have a similar spiritual walk. You eat the same spiritual diet.
You enjoy a lot of similar things. You have like interests, like goals in life,
like opinions on basic life issues. You have had like experiences in your
background. Though there is some truth to the idiom that opposites attract,
like-minded folks fare better together. Furthermore, does he want to get
married? If you want to be married and your dreamboat isn't interested, don't
waste your time. Remember, women fall in love and get married. Men decide to get married and then look for a wife. Note the difference in order. So if a guy says he's not looking for anything serious, take his words seriously. If he's not
going in your direction, get off the bus and wait for the right one.



2. Does this man want you? Is he pursuing you? The man who is right for you
will pursue you, and God's hand in the relationship will be clear. No guessing,
no fleeces, no dead ends. Scripture says: "He who finds a wife finds what is
good and receives favor from the Lord" (Prov. 18:22). Note--who finds whom? THE MAN FINDS THE WIFE. From the beginning of time, God has transported men and women across the world in order to put them together. At the RIGHT TIME, He will bring that man on the scene and he will find you. In God's perfect design, the man is the one who recognizes his mate. Adam had no problem recognizing that Eve was his missing rib. You do not need to strategically place yourself anywhere.
You don't have to help a guy out because he's shy! Men will do whatever they
have to do to get what they truly want. The man in your life should recognize
you as the pearl of great price in his life and be willing to do whatever he
must in order to gain your hand. If he is passive about gaining your affections,
take it as a sign that he is not interested. Many a woman's mother has suggested
that it is a good idea to marry a man who loves you more than you love him. As
cold as that sounds, it actually might be scriptural if you stop to think about
it: "We love him because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). Until then, take the
ultimate chill pill. You don't need a bunch of men in your life to make you feel
all right about yourself. You need only one man--your man, the one God has
selected to select you. And trust me, the right man at the wrong time can be
just as awful as the wrong man at any time. So trust God's timing in this. He is
the ultimate matchmaker. Relax, sit pretty and allow yourself to be found.
Again,--WAIT until the man voices his intentions. He should take the lead in
establishing the relationship. You may have an inkling that he is the one, but
God will use the man to set the tone of the relationship. Allow him the
opportunity to woo you--this is your first act of submission. Jesus set the
standard for all men to follow. They should love us first. And they should lead
the relationship.

3. The man in your life should not desire to move into your house, only into
your heart. A man who prepares for your future has made his intentions clear. A
man who is husband material has the means to take care of a wife. He is a
responsible human being who understands he needs to have something to offer. In short, a man should have the means to be a suitable lover for you.

4. Check out his buddies. Everyone knows birds of the same feather flock
together, yet most women fail to see the connection between a man and his
friends. A man's pals tell you a lot about the person that you haven't seen yet.
They reveal things about the guy's character that might be hidden when he is on
good behavior. Everyone knows how to put his best foot forward. Don't stay
focused on the foot, check out the rest of the body!

5. Check out his relationship with his mother. How does he treat her? This is
your preview of how he will treat you. There are lots of men who, because of a
negative relationship with their mothers, really don't like women, yet say they
do. Unresolved issues between mother and son continue between husband and wife.

6. Remember that a man's family reveals the cloth from which he's cut. Take note and decide whether you want your future with the man in your life to look like his present family situation.

7. Check out the patterns of his life. Do you see repeated cycles of drama in
his personal kingdom? broken relationships? problems in making commitments?
including the job market? mood swings? Is a problem always someone else's fault? Does he embrace responsibility or shirk it? Does he keep his promises? Is he a man of good reputation? Remember all garments look wonderful hanging in the store, but with wear, some begin to unravel. Give yourself time and space to
check out the man in your life. Time will always reveal whether or not he is
made of the right stuff.

8. Does this man have a vision for his life? Is he running with that vision?
Remember, God decided Adam needed help once Adam got busy doing his assignment.
As we saw Adam, a man doesn't need help until he is busy doing what he was
created and called to do. Is the man in your life guided by sense of destiny and
purpose, or does he just allow life to happen around him? A man who is not
certain of his mission can be a most miserable person--and you'll be miserable
too if you don't know where YOU want to go in life. A man who has vision is not
intimidated by a woman whose mission statement is clear. He will be your best
ally, cheerleader and assistant because he wants you both to make it! A man who cannot be supportive of your achievements because he is floundering in a sea of uncertainty over his own life is not a healthy partner to have and to hold
forever. Creating dependencies or feelings of obligation is not the way to get
the best out of your man. Somewhere along the way, he will resent you and flee
from the smothering burden of obligation he associates you with. You want a man who is firmly anchored in his identity in Christ. Remember, we are looking for a man who will be priest and leader in his home. His first instinct should be to
want to cover you, redeem you, and provide for you. Your job is to decide if
this is the man God has ordained for you to complement.

9. Complementary. Do your talents and gifts complement his? Do his gifts
complement yours? What about your temperaments? Do you see the two of you as an effective team capable of bringing blessing to the lives of those around you? Do your futures mesh? Can you coordinate your gifts in an attractive and effective way? This is why knowing your purpose is so important. Make sure your hearts beat for mutual causes. When I go shopping I always consider the fabric, the fit and what I already have in my closet. Will my next purchase be a complementary addition to what I already have? If I find that I am going to have to buy shoes and matching accessories to go with a new outfit, I leave it right on the rack. It is too expensive a proposition. If the man you meet makes you feel that you need to completely reinvent yourself, something is wrong. This is where I ask you to consider the relationship in terms of cost. Is this relationship
expensive spiritually, emotionally, or physically? Does your longing for a mate
make you willing to forfeit who you are in the process? Or does he see you as
the gift that you are? The man in your life should consider you as a rare find,
a priceless jewel--because of you he is getting ready to get blessed big-time!
Any relationship that causes you to feel unworthy, unlovely, unacceptable,
undesirable, or that you have to work for love, is too expensive! God has called
the man to cover, protect, and provide not only materially for a woman, but
emotionally and spiritually as well. You should be richer in mind, body and
spirit for your union with the man of your dreams. The man in your life should
make rich deposits into your heart and spirit, not withdrawals.

10. Does he have a healthy love & acceptance of himself? Make sure the man in
your life has taken time to heal from past relationships and has made peace with
himself. He cares for himself is how he will care for you. A man's
relationship with God is crucial here. His love for himself will only be as
strong as his love for God. This is not something that you can impart. You
cannot be his savior or teacher. That is out of spiritual order. In his rightful
place as your personal priest, he should be leading you to a richer relationship
with Christ. If he is causing you to compromise your faith and destabilize your
walk, if he is leading you into sexual sin or causing you to be distracted from
your commitment to Christ, the relationship is too expensive. Offending the
Lover of your soul, who promises you eternal love, is too high a fare to pay for
a ride that has a limited run. If you and your man can't soar in the Spirit,
when the force of your love for another is tested by the pull or gravity of the
world, your union will not be able to survive. So you decide. How much is your
life worth? How much is your love worth? You will be able to accept only what
you believe you deserve. God Himself calculated the worth of your love and
decided it was worth His life. He now pledges you His love for eternity. Yes,
Jesus sets the example for all others to follow when He paid a ransom for His
bride. Should you expect less from a mortal man? Throughout the Biblical age,
men were willing to pay the cost for the hand that they desired. The truth of
the matter is, everyone knows that anything worth having, costs. And no one gets a ride in this life for free.

What do you think? Don't you see the look of inquiry in face?
haha.

TheTransformationAndGrowthOfTheSoulAndMind

The minds expanses can be stretched beyond the feeble physical comprehension

Being able to stall all forms of ignorance and put self degradation in suspension

Revolution is what I scream as my heart and pen bleed

aqueously sinking into the paper so my soul may begin to feed

My only hopes for my people are menial in their vision

Insignificant profound nonsense the contradiction is never endin'

I will transform my soul through the truest religion and that is acknowledging the divine within and using the gifts I've been given.

The Idea of UNIVERSity

"Today I have confined myself to saying that training of the intellect, which is best for the individual himself, best enables him to dischrage his duties to society"

- John Henry Newman

Where have I (myself ) discharged my societal duties? Does my constant search for knowledge, love, and understanding hinder me and make me more sensitive to this world's fallacies and shortcomings. (Because of my bitterness) does it at the same time also make me numb and calloused to others suffering... I mean come on.... No one seems to care about anyone but themselves nowadays.But on the other end of the spectrum. My stomach twists into a knot that cannot be unloosed whenver I see injustice, primal hate, and ignorance. But the thing that makes me most sick is when people embrace false senses of reality...... but most of all a false sense of love.

So in essence I at times nauseate myself.

Where is this real love that society needs ?

My Fav. People (People U should get 2 Know) Part III

3. Mr. CSUSB's blog.

The next person that I'd like for you all to meet is one of my S.A.A.B. brothers Jeremy Vasquez. I first met Jeremy last year at San Diego State University at the S.A.A.B. Western Regional Conference. Jeremy is a third year Psychology major with minor in Communication at California State University-San Bernardino. He is a active member in S.A.A.B. but also a dedicated member to other organizations such as Associated Students Incorporated (A.S.I.), African-American Student Alliance (A.S.A.), as the self director for Define Magazine and as a tutor at the university's writing center. Mr. Vasquez is also a skilled poet/writer and has numerous works that are definitely worth looking into. He has a myspace blog that has many of his writings, thoughts, and poetry so if you have a myspace I definitely suggest you subscribe to his blog. HE IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH HIS BLOG UPDATES so you check can check every other day for new material. Jay is one of those guys that people gravitate towards because of his presence and personality. I am glad to be able to know this great young man and look forward to seeing all that God has planned for him in the future. He is my one of my many BROTHERS and I hope that you take the chance to meet one of my extended relatives.


The links to his myspace page and myspace blog are here and here.

"man of distinction and influence"