Monday, August 25, 2008

Pt. II

Now to continue the list:



21. Angry, bitter, hostile, combative, unforgiving single women, become: angry, bitter, hostile and combative, unforgiving wives.

-Wow, can't stress this enough. Please check your baggage at the door because we are not responsible for the stuff done to you in the past, so you got to come to grips with it and give it up.


22. A fundamental understanding and respect of the male ego is a must for all women who want a vibrant and healthy love; DO NOT obtain this crucial information from dishonorable males or from angry bitter women.

-Ladies, let a man be a man. If he's a good one, it won't threaten your femininity, it will justify it.

23. If you choose to be with dishonorable males, pimps, players, thugs, ballers and shot callers, you have absolutely no right to complain when they torch your emotions, abuse you, leave you pregnant and alone, jeopardize your safety and otherwise harm or hurt you. Remember, you have freedom of choice and you chose to be with them!

-You do have freedom of choice, don't make the bad ones like those who fall in love with convicted murderers on death row. This boys are just that, boys playing games, but there is so much more to life.


24. When a man is trying to find himself, kindly bid him adieu… PERMANENTLY! He can find you, but can’t find himself? He shouldn’t be looking for love… he should be searching for the map to Mastering Manhood!

-The only way we can find out who we are is to find ourselves in Him since He knows are hearts better than we know our own. If he or she is saying give me time to figure out me, keep it moving or you'll be waiting around to find that you don't fit in there world. The right person at the wrong time is the wrong person.....period.


25. OK; he wants or is demanding sex but you are not his wife. Write this down: There is no need to wonder, debate or contemplate: he DOES NOT honor or respect you!

-let him find from a hooker if he needs it so bad, NEXT! Seriously, you don't demand it if you're an honorable man.


26. Spoiled women are like spoiled milk, spoiled meat, spoiled fruit spoiled bread and spoiled brats. Get the picture? Don’t become a spoiled woman!

-Spoiled is a mentality, if you show that you don't appreciate what you get and don't give back, then you will get old quick.

27. Expecting a dishonorable male to do the honorable thing is like expecting piranhas not to devour you if you make the mistake of diving into their water.

-can't teach an old dog new tricks, quit saying, "He'll do the right thing this time, it's the 100th, 1000th, etc."

28. You’ve asked these questions, “Why doesn’t he call me more often? Why doesn’t he pursue me more diligently and why doesn’t he show me that he loves me?” Answer; he’s not into you! If you don’t let him go and move on with your life, you will allow him to hinder or block your true love from finding you!

-When we want something, we go after it gung ho and not just for six months or until we have them, the right one will pursue you for a lifetime.

29. All men ARE NOT dogs! Don’t believe, repeat or perpetuate that rampant lie! You will hamper your ability to see and discern the good men who cross your path!

-If you think this, you're just putting out kibble. Start putting out filet Mignon.



30. Some males like to hit women. It gives them a sense of power and control. If you give yourself to one of these abusive males, most assuredly you will become a punching bag and a floor mat. It is critical that you learn how to detect and avoid these cretins!

-If he raises his hand, turn the other cheek....your butt cheek and hit the door. If you can fit it in on the way out, give a swift kick to his jewels for punctuation on the end of the relationship.


31. Promiscuous immoral women are not worthy of an honorable man. They never have been and they never will be.

-Can't turn a ho into a housewife. Ho's atract pimps, housewives attract husbands with careers.

32. Never allow emotionally embittered women to influence you concerning the male gender. If you do, their hatred and unforgiveness will become yours. Soon you will find yourself suspicious, indignant and angry at all men.

-Common sense, if you're around negative people, you'll become negative. Murmuring and complaining never accomplishes anything except more to be negative about.

33. You were not designed, built or destined for abuse, whether: emotionally, physically or financially. If he is an abuser, there is no need to deliberate… he IS NOT the one; leave him now!

-Enough said.

34. Some women live their lives vicariously through the women on “Girlfriends, Sex In The City and Desperate Housewives.” Don’t become one of these women. If you do, you will make a literal mess of your life, emotions, physical body and well-being.

-The women on these shows are written to be shallow and dim witted and those who would fashion their entire lives around these characters do so because they don't have their own life. Good men avoid these types of women.

35. When a man truly loves you, he will honor and respect you. If he doesn't… don’t deceive yourself and don’t allow him to defraud you; he DOES NOT love OR care about you!

-Plain and simple.

36. Everyone has skeletons in their closet? Wrong! Not everyone has skeletons in their closet. Don’t start putting any in yours!

-Those who want to grow continuously clean out their closet to be able to live for today and not yesterday. Don't get in the trap of living in the past.

37. There is a vast difference between sex and love. Most men know the difference and you had better learn it fast! If you fail or refuse to do so, you are surely headed for relationship or marital crash and burn.

-Love does not equal sex, sex comes once true love is established and is declared openly. Save yourself the headache and keep it out of the equation for a while.

38. Don’t deceive yourself, once you have sex with a man who is not your husband… he may never admit it, but he has lost a degree of respect for you. Don’t believe it? Ask any honorable man or virtuous woman.

-This one is up to the person and the path God has for him/her. I do know that I personally made it up in my mind a long time ago that I would marry the woman that I would wait until marriage for so those I did sleep with, I subconsciously decided this will not be the one I end up with but that was my personal path.

39. The dismal cycle of breaking up and making up only works out in the romance novels, television shows and movies. If you are riding that emotional roller coaster get off right now! Your heart, mind and soul will forever thank you.

-Break up once. Once. Once. If it didn't work the first time, it won't again. It's not a marriage, you don't have to work on reconciliation.

40. Nothing is more beautiful, captivating, attractive and sensual than a woman with a gentle and peaceable spirit!

-
Amen to that, the sexiest thing about a woman is a beautiful spirit. It stuns a man daily.


...and so end's the 40. Take from it what you will. S.o.T.P.: True Love by JonB.

Peace.......

Friday, August 22, 2008

_0 things you need to know about_____(fill in the blank)

Salutations, folks, hope this finds you well. School has started back up again and I'm thinking my writing may fall off a little with the commencement of papers, books and teacher's dirty looks (ahh, elementary school), so I figure I'll get some things in while I can. This blog took several twists and turns before it was even written. The start of the journey came from one of the blogs to the right, Mr. Green's which had posted 30 things men should know about women. For this particular list, I wasn't too excited about since it had a tendency to make women sound shallow and 1 dimensional (which of my own experience is one thing I've not found women to be) so I set a quest to find a list I could get some juicy pearls of wisdom. I put in a Google search for "things men should know about women" and don't you know it, a ton of lists came up with all sorts of numbers: 5, 10, 20, 37, 100, 200, etc. Reading through the lists was no comfort and I came to an epiphany, any woman (or man for that matter) who can be conveniently wrapped up into a microwave list of do's and don'ts is not worth your time. People are capable of the most wondrous achievements and heinous crimes; we're insecure, kind, jealous, giving, stingy, rude, supporting, racist, loving, bitter, hateful, hopeful, faithful, nuturing, wondrous and complicated mergers of triumphs and disasters, all 4 billion of us. That's terrifying and exciting all at the same time.

Are we capable of good advice on recognizing certain situations? Of course and that's what I believe this lists should focus on, rather than the opposite gender and attempting to fix a label to them. We're all guilty of it, me included, because we tend to fear the uncertainty in people that we come across. This very reason is the source of stereotypes; we try to assign reason to an unreasonable world.

So to be fair, I decided to try the opposite: what women should know about men and see if they were close. I found a good one so I'll share it with this and the next blog and give some feedback.

1. There are two types of males: Dishonorable males and honorable men. Don’t date or marry until you know how to tell the difference between the two! The woman in the mirror will graciously thank you.


-Been saying this one since jump, what most of my blogs are on. Verdict: True


2. Honorable men are protectors. They will guard your heart, protect your emotions, defend your honor and stand as champions for your spiritual, mental and physical well-being; choose an honorable man and choose life!

-Amen to that.

3. You are not a car; if you meet a man who wants to test drive your physical body, emotions and feelings, point him to a car dealership, bid him adieu and don’t look back!


- So true....


4. This is a true saying: “The soul of a woman is fragile.” Please note: dishonorable males refuse to respect this crucial truth. They will toy with a woman’s emotions without any semblance of concern or compassion. Therefore YOU must guard your heart from these cold-hearted males with all diligence.

- This is true, but also know that we are all in different points in life. Avoid him, yes, but also know he may learn and mature if he dedicates his life to self-improvement, and yes, it does happen.

5. Good men need to be treated like good men, dishonorable males, need to be let go and left alone!

- To piggyback on Alicia, know a good man's worth as well....

6. OK ladies; you’ve met this great guy, but he’s got a child or children for which he does not take care of, provide for or see to. Follow these instructions to the letter: urgently send him back to the mother(s) of his child(ren) and don’t look back. Don’t make the same mistake the mother(s) of his child(ren) did!

- If he can't make his children a top priority, he won't with you either...

7. Dishonorable males treat sex as a sport, females as trophies and children they sire as wastepaper. Never allow yourself to become their next score, mantle piece or sperm repository.

- Like my man Comm said, "There's too many black women who can say that they mothers, but can't say that they wives..."

8. Women who hold grudges, seek vengeance, cling to bitterness and are unwilling to forgive, unwittingly break their own hearts!

- Bitterness kills, simple and plain truth. It consumes you until there is nothing left more than anything else...give it to God...

9. Choose the wrong mate and you might as well have laid next to a boa constrictor or grabbed the ears of a raging mad pit bull. A smart woman learns how to choose her mate wisely!

- Sounds almost Proverbs-like....I like this Solomon type knowledge...

10. Heed the sage advice of some caring brothers and honorable men. If he doesn’t fit - don’t force him, just relax and let him go. Destiny is on your side… TRUE LOVE will find you!

- I can't second this motion enough, true love will find you, faith is the seed, thankfulness waters it and true love is the vine that grows...

11. Momma’s boys belong with only one type of woman; their moms! Ladies, these mothers and their sons will never cut their grotesque umbilical cord. Therefore, for your sake, leave them alone and just let them trot home to their mommies.

- Look for those mothers who are willing to commit their sons to God and trust Him to guide them....

12. Self-love: if you don’t have it, pull yourself off the market. Make no mistake about it, if you don’t love yourself, NO MAN can ever love you… no matter how great a man he is.

- This is a caveat because this comes from knowing that He made you for a reason and that gives you worth. The focus must be on Him, not you, then you see yourself as He sees you...

13. Don’t judge ALL men by one man’s actions; unless you want ALL men to judge you based on the acts of amoral women.

- At the risk of sounding churchy, "Weeelllll...."

14. Most women learn how to choose a mate the hard way; they go through a gut wrenching string of emotionally detached males, jerks, pimps, thugs and players. Don’t become one of those heart broken and bitter women! Learn how to properly choose a mate before it’s too late! The woman in the mirror will graciously thank you.

- Better yet, let God bring him, works much better that way....

15. You wondering, “If I move in with him, is he going to marry me?” Answer: “Not likely!” Don’t believe it, take these two critical tests: (a). Ask any honorable man! And, (b). Examine the ever-growing list of disillusioned women who are begrudgingly waiting for their non-committal live-in lovers to pop the big question.

- Umm, let me answer this for you, not only no, but Heeelll no...hold out for those who want to do it the right way....

16. Do you keep attracting men who are dogs? Check the scent you’re putting out. Men who are dogs are attracted by scent!

- Stop hanging out in kennels as well.....

17. You are not a man! Therefore, you will never be: a role model for men, a father figure, a man’s mentor or a man’s coach. If a man has lacked proper male leadership in his life, kindly send him on his way. Know for a certainty; he is not prepared for the responsibilities that come with love, sex, relationship and marriage.

-Another reason I love my father....

18. If you don’t know what a misogynistic man is, take this time to check your dictionary. For your sake, sanity and safety, avoid these treacherous males at all costs.

- There is no reason to hate women, just like there shouldn't be to hate men, if he does, avoid at all costs for sake of your life before you're the victim in a murder trial on Dateline....

19. Don’t ever delude yourself! Your beauty, fine body, sexual prowess, cooking skills, femininity and vibrant personality will never be enough to change a man, NEVER!

- Nope, we can only look to the Father to let Him change us as we learn Him, you can't do it for us....

20. If your potential mate does such things as: promises to call you but doesn’t, makes dates and breaks them, shows up late or plays games with your emotions; take notes ladies... those are clear cut warning signs that he DOES NOT value you, he DOES NOT love you and he DOES NOT care about you!

- If a man has no integrity, how much of a man can he be?


This is the first half, there will be 20 more the next blog. S.o.T.P.: Complicated by Robin Thicke. I'm out, peace and hair grease......

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Soundtrack of Life Vol. 1

Wassup people? Hope you're wrapping up your summer well. I'm trying to enjoy my last few days of freedom before it's back to waking up to the alarm and commuting to campus. My time has not been all lounging and relaxing, however, since I felt the urge to finally complete my soundtrack of life (thanks to my sister for the wonderful idea).  The selection process was really the hinderance in this process because there were several rules that I mulled over in my mind as to what should be applied. Finally, I just decided one thing: what made you feel that warm tingly feeling in my core, what songs gave me a sick feeling every time I hear it stemming from some deep seeded melancholy related to the song; not necessarily related to someone but just from the feelings it made me experience just hearing such sorrow or joy rarely captured in music. The songs are autobiographical in nature, recalling to mind times in my life of contemplating the future or abstract concepts such as love, pain, meaning of life, God, etc. I chose the number from a standard album including a bonus track.  Now without further adieu, I give you my soundtrack...

1) "My cherie amour" (from the album "My Cherie Amour") by Stevie Wonder: 

What an amazing song and it brings to mind my early exposure to Stevie and how he helped me fall in love with music and with love. My parents would play his music every Saturday and on road trips for as long as I can remember. From those early moments listening to lyrics of wistful hope, passion, love, justice, new life and joy, I knew then that I wanted to write and I wanted to write like Stevie, one of the most influential artists in music history. This song in particular had me wondering what it would be like to be in love and as I got older, helped to embrace the strange satisfaction of unrequited love. I can say even now, knocking on 30, this song still reminds me of love's purity and the fulfillment of what you've desired for so long. They don't write 'em like this anymore.

2) Lady Blue (from Weekend in L.A.) by George Benson: 

George was played to me since I was in the womb and since then his music has always led me to thank God for music.  Lady Blue was always my favorite and it always gave me the sense of the blues that I relished. It's a wonderful rainy Saturday afternoon song that speaks to those who just love good live music and wonderful writing and makes one appreciate those by their side. 

3) Seems So Long (from Music of my mind) by Stevie: 

Since he's my favorite artist, he's the only one with a double appearance. An amazing song that makes me think not only of my childhood and listening to this song, but being grown and finally realizing what it meant. Those who know me know I went through some tough lessons in love and it really did seem like forever until my queen came. Now this song speaks so much more to me than during all that time waiting and wondering. A must listen.

4) NY State of Mind (from Turnstiles) by Billy Joel:

I know, most wouldn't expect this one, they probably think of the one by Nas (which I love too) but this song is special. Being my father's son, I grew up on C.C.R., the Doobie brothers, Paul Simon, Elton John, 3 dog night, Jim Croce and many others including Billy and it gave me such a wide appreciation for all forms of music, literally. In the 80's it seems all movies were set in NY (and that really hasn't changed) and it gave me a romantic vision of what NY must be like. Since I lived in CT for 3 years, I got several chances to go down to the city and I can still say, there are many things to love there. This song helps me recall all those wonderful memories of Greenwich village, Central Park, Brooklyn brownstones, Grand Central Terminal, Metro Museum of Art and all NYC's glory. Good times, great oldies....

5) A song for you by Donny Hathaway: 

This one has been sung by many, but none sang it like Donny. He sang it so well, many thought it was his own, but it was actually written and performed by Leon Russell. Not much to say to this, but it will give you a heavy heart just because it makes you realize that are so many songs that have been and will be written and very few will ever reach the emotion of this song. I can hear this a million times for the rest of my life and every time, I'll have to fight tears. It's simply beautiful and......it's just beautiful and even that word fails to capture it's character.

6) I'm on my way ( from So Much 2 Say) by Take 6: 

A little known song but one of my early favorite groups and favorite songs. This song wrapped up for me at an early age that my life was going to dedicated to finding and doing God's will for my life and representing His Son on earth as best I can and nothing and no one would keep me from that. I've fallen many times but have He's always picked me back up and put me back on solid ground and guided me with my hand in His. This song expresses that perfectly. 

7) One last cry (from self-titled album) by Brian Mcknight:

Wow, this song....this song... this one is what has me buy every album Brian drops on the day it comes out. It's a song that a close college friend used to eloquent say that it makes you "want to crap twice and die" and that's a good thing. It does give you just a deep pain in your gut because it truly is a beautiful expression of what it's like to lose someone you love. Funny thing is, I've never lost anyone that close in terms of family (praise be to God) and no one that isn't here now has meant this much to me in the romance department, but when I hear it, you just feel blessed that sorrow exists because it makes you appreciate joy that much more. A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful song.

8) Soon as I get home (from Faith) by Faith Evans: 

Mmm, mmm, mmm. This song I could play twenty times a day since the day I first heard it (back in high school) and it still feels like the first time. It's the song that captures romance and a deep seated love that needs to be expressed as soon as reunion happens. I always imagined my queen playing this for me after a fight and just knowing that whatever it was about, it's not as important as she is. And it works on so many levels; it's romantic, timeless, and you can still make babies to it. :o) It will be in regular rotation for the rest of my life.

9) They Reminisce over you (T.R.O.Y.) (from Mecca and the Soul Brother) by Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth:

A hip hop classic from one of the top five DJ's of all time. T.R.O.Y. was written by C.L. after the death of his boy T. Roy, one of Heavy D's boyz, and if you ever get a chance read what it says on Wiki about how he describes his inspiration for this song, it brings a tear to the eye. For me it reminds me of my early affair with hip hop and just good music and good times. It's a song that can be put on at any party and everybody will get up and start moving and think back on all the good times. The bass line, the sample, the lyrics; the recipe for hip hop that stands the test of time. 

10) Stop this Train (from Continuum) by John Mayer:

One of my top five favorite artists, John captures adept guitar skills with wonderful lyrics and has influenced a lot my own writing. This song in particular, the first time I heard it, I thought it was so depressing.... and I loved it. It conveys that fear of growing up and the doubt that sometimes comes with it, how we at times we can feel that everything is flying so fast and you just want to hold on to what you have before it goes. "So scared of getting older, I'm only good at being young". So many can relate, it's why we say 30's the new 20, but it's not really, it's still 30. John reminds us that you got to embrace it because it's inevitable and it ain't so bad, better yet, it's a blessing. 

11) I Used to Love H.E.R. (from Resurrection) by Common: 

What can I say? This song sums up perfectly my love affair with hip hop. It's my favorite hip hop song because it's a genius concept: anthropomorphism of hip hop. I've written several earlier posts on this subject so I won't go into it now. Just love H.E.R. and I always will.....

12) I Remember You by Nat King Cole: 

Simply breathtaking, a timeless song that captures eternal love that spans dimensions. This is recent listen since I only heard it early this year but at the moment I heard it, I knew it would be played at my wedding and anniversaries because it declares a passion that knows no time. For those who will be at my wedding, expect this one and bring a tissue, you'll need it. 


Bonus Track)  Bein' Green by Kermit the Frog: 

I'm going to catch flack from TQ and others for this one, but it brings to remembrance my childhood, but I'll tell you this, even if you're grown, it makes you appreciate exactly how God made you and it was for a purpose. No matter our age, we have to be reminded that we are special and mean something in this world. My sister told me that they played this at Jim Henson's funeral... I can't believe there was a dry eye in the house after that. 


I'm out...hope you enjoyed and make some memories this last bit of summer....PEACE!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

the dance that is politics

Hola, peoples! I'm hoping all of you are enjoying the last bit of summer that is left before it's back to the fall and the grind. One major event coming this fall is the presidential election and after reading and watching the news to watch the progress. A few points have become apparent:

1) It was no mistake that McCain and Obama were pitted against each other in this election. Both candidates have (supposedly) reached across the aisle to work with those on the other side. Little do most know, they were on those matters that are not really divisive issues.

2) Speaking of divisive issues, the only thing that both candidates seem firm on is their belief is how the war should progress.  Obama has refused to budge on his belief on setting a time table while McCain thinks this is bad. Just based on this alone, I would hope Obama wins it and stands by his word.

3) Despite what liberal media would have you think, this race has been neck and neck since they both were nominated for their parties. Many polls told us in the beginning that Obama had as much as a 15 point lead. Didn't they say the same about Kerry in '04 and weren't they sure he won based on exit polls?

4) People should not neglect the fact that some of Congress is up for re-election and their half-a** attempt to get legislation for energy costs cuts should not be quickly forgotten in November. 

5) On average about 1/3 of the country decides every two years the destination of this country for the other 2/3. Is that a good or bad thing?

6) The last two times we had a Republican president, we were in a recession. On top of that, they were father and son. Things that make you say hmm.....

7) Even with that fact, McCain could still win. Why? Because if he's smart, he'll point out Obama's voting record in Congress shows a WHOLE LOT of no votes and a few votes on non-divisive issues. The only one he did vote on and stand by: going to war.

8) Do celebrities walking around with Obama's shirts and endorsements even know anything about his views or as always, are they just following trends in order to stay up on TMZ and Inside Edition? 

9) The war has lost importance to the economy and energy policy. They both have an energy plan but can they give me a reason why we're paying for gasoline shipped from Japan and we have other countries drilling right of our shores for oil? It's like America is the kid in the back of the class with the headphones on while everyone else is getting out the class because they hear the fire alarm. 

10) Will the religious conservatives finally recognize that now that the nomination of McCain just goes to show that the party takes them for granted and have being paying them lip service since Reagan? Will that be enough to keep them home on election day?

This should be interesting come September when the heat will really start to pick up. The biggest question as always with either of them, will they keep their promises if elected? Time will tell. Viva la Ron Paul.....


S.o.T.P.: Bread and Butter by the Roots because we livin' in a serious situation in this country right now....


I'm out....peace....

Monday, August 04, 2008

9th Wonder: a new hero to add to the list

Wassup people? As always, I hope you're living the champagne wishes and caviar dreams. I know I'm supposed to be making this the post that listed my soundtrack of my life, but that project is ongoing (hey it's hard taking 4400 songs and whittling them down to 12) so know that the work is going into it, especially now that I know that I have exactly 16 days left to enjoy my summer before it's back to the pursuit of the great and powerful Oz aka the PhD. 

Anyway, you all know my love-hate relationship with hip hop; the constant fights and degradation on both our parts and then the inevitable makeup session when a pivotal album drops or I listen to a hidden gem that goes below the radar and I happen to find it surfing the net. Well, a few months ago, I had heard that 9th wonder was dropping an album with Buckshot and since he's probably my top 3 favorite DJ's, I knew I had to cop it. While waiting for the release date (with artists I like, I support, no bootlegging for those puttin' in the work) I looked up any buzz on the album. I came across this interview they both did:

http://ldntimes10.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/9th-wonder-buckshot-interview-formula-done/

Now the whole article was very good but some points stood out to me that showed why I have so much respect for 9th. First, it was the explanation of the term "adult contemporary hip-hop". So well put, I couldn't have put it better. To think that hip hop is now 35 years old and has been going on longer than I've been alive is both inspiring and humbling. To know that 35 years ago this summer, Cool Herc DJ'ed his first block party and invented the 2 turntable break beat almost brings a tear to the eye. Little did Clive Campbell know that from simply wanting to play the break beats longer, he would give birth to b-boying, DJ'ing, graffing, and Emcee'n. Now think of those people at that party, if they ranged in age from 15-25, they now range from range from from 50-65! That's right, those who experienced the birth of hip hop are grandparents and even great-grandparents. This implies that there is a generation of 30 and 40 somethings out there still making music after all these years. In this day and age of 106 and Park and Rap city, this generation is neglected, assumed to just give up on hip hop and settle down to contemporary R&B and oldies. How sad, because even as I write this, there are those who are writing up their mortgage checks and their kids' private school tuition checks to Grandmaster Flash, UTFO, Tribe, Nas, Dr. Dre, Blackstar and Common, hoping for artists who are still making music they can relate to, not throwing D's on it or bangin' in a white T. (I'm a grown a** man, what do I need to that that for?) Like 9th said, there is a market for it, it's growing and  it has more money than this new generation. If you listen to radio you have Oldies, Classical, 70's and 80's, contemporary pop and R&B, and "urban". But where is the adult contemporary hip hop?

Another good point that 9th made was about today's generation and lack of respect. Now, we've always known from the beginning of creation that the successive generations spend so much time defining and distinguishing themselves from the previous that they don't acknowledge all that their forefathers DID do for them. 9Th teaches a hip hop class at NC Central U. (go Eagles) He mentions Busta Rhymes and the kids respond "he's old". Sad, he's old and yet better than 95% of anybody who dropped anything in the last 5 years. 9th points out that this generation has a short attention span, more than 5 words in a lyric, they tune you out. They are not the generation that heard, "Slip the juice, I gotta enough to go around..." God, that gives me goosebumps just reading that lyric!!!

These are the kids who are hittin' up "this is why I'm hot", a nursery rhyme to old heads, I hear today's rhymes and I feel like I'm in kindergarten learning how to rhyme words. Our generation was the one that tried to determine how fast could you rhyme and still do it clearly, even when Jigga dropped that was his MO. Check his early stuff with Jazz-O. This generation can't name the 9 members of Wu-Tang and are dropping the class in the first few days because it's one that's been force fed everything through the internet. They don't have that joy of hitting up the record store on a release date or digging through crates to find gems. We didn't have internet in those days; we had our legs and word of mouth. Yo MTV raps came on once a week on Saturday for half an hour; during the greatest time of hip hop no less! 

I'm thankful for 9th and his efforts as well as my boy Ernest Minor (the Rev) and others who are making these classes a reality in institutes of higher learning across our country. They are my heroes. What can the rest of us do? Pay homage to the history and realize that it is a MAJOR aspect of black history and needs to be treated as such. It is the voice of at least three generations and hopefully more to come. I can't wait until the day my future offspring start digging through my crates....."Slip the juice, I gotta enough to go around.....I want a girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings at least two pair.....Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on..." This is our history, each one teach one.... I'm out.....


S.o.t. P. : "Juice (Know the Ledge)" Eric B. and Rakim