Si I Said It

Jasmine Mans Poet & Critic

2010-11-03T22:58:00.002-04:00

Hip hop wouldn't be hip hop if there weren't side bar "beefs" and critics gunning for whoever's hot at the time. So Jasmine Mans is no different, I just like her spoken word joint ("turned your g-spot into a landmine" yikes)

Is This The List We Live In??

2010-10-26T14:10:00.003-04:00

I swear there's a list for EVERYthing. There's a poll for sports most hated, there's a list for sexiest woman, there's tons of lists for the best rapper alive. Like where does this subjective ranking system end?

Apparently, AskMen.com did a list of the top 49 Most Influential Men of 2010...49 though?

My issue with this list is male readers/subscribers to the site VOTED. Which means the ranking system wasn't done in any type of empirical fashion. Just looking at the top 10, it was basically ran as a popularity contest. Who would you wanna hang out with? Who could you have deep conversations about nothing with? Who's the richest? But is this list a reflective of how men view other men, when it comes to power and respect?

Jose Murinho (#9) -- Portugal's "The Special One". No surprise there, soccer is the world's sport

James Franco (#7) -- *crickets*

Kanye (#5) -- Kanye Omari definitely deserves to be in the top 10 and I'm glad to see enough men respect Ye as an artist, trendsetter, and media personality enough to put in good company

Steve Jobs/Bill Gates -- (#4 and 2 respectively) -- Justifiable! I mean they're the leaders in the computer technology field. And the battle rolls on between Macs and PCs, thanks to Steve and Bill; 2 seemingly regular, generic geniuses

I'm really trying to figure out how/why Jon Stewart was ranked #1, yet POTUS didn't crack the top 10. Even Jay Z and Lebron rank higher than Barry! Barack is ranked at #21, among the company of Eminem, chic designer Tom Ford, and Ben Affleck. Ummmmm, yeahhhhh

Si I Shot It: Matthew Jordan Smith

2010-10-23T20:18:00.005-04:00

1 of the reasons why I watch America's Top Model is to check out the editorial ideas that the photographers bring to the shoot. As an evolving photographer, I always try to research the photographers that are on there, just to see if their style can help me go to the next level

I think 1 of the dopest concepts that they did was the celebrity couples shoot, which MJS shot.

Here's a couple of super dope shots from his website

This Is Why She Stalks You

2010-10-22T13:28:00.005-04:00

So yesterday, I was listening to Live From Plutopia over on BeehiveFM. 1 of the guest hosts was Isaac Hayes III, producer and son of the legendary I. Hayes. They were talking about how we put so much pressure and focus on sex, dudes using penis pumps and viagra, the show was just all over the place (fast forward to the 1 hr mark to check out this topic) But when he whipped out this diagram, I had to stop for a minute and think about it

The explanation he made actually makes sense! For some people, sex is a deal breaker. In the sense of if you don't know how to use your equipment or your head game is weak, your longevity in that relationship is questionable. On the flip, sex makes people do some crazy sh!t, especially women. We all have witnessed a homegirl who stays chasing after a dude and dealing with a dude that we KNOW is not a good look for her. But she stays because...evidently dude is taking multiple rides to P2.

So Isaac's premise was if you have no intention on really being with a chick, stay in the lobby or take sporadic visits to P1. STAY AWAY FROM P2!!! because you won't be able to get rid of shawty

Mic'd Up: Quincy Jones ft Luda + Joe Budden

2010-10-19T21:11:00.003-04:00

We always say honor our legends while they're still here. Respectful bow and toast to Quincy Jones! Not only did he produce "Thriller and "We Are The World" (RIP to the King), but he produced some fine ass offspring in Kidada and Rashida Jones. I digress though!

I came across this dope update called "Soul Bossa Nostra" which features Luda and his artist, Rudy Currence. In case you didn't know, Bossa Nostra is the official name of the Austin Powers theme, which Q produced. His new album entitled Q: Soul Bossa Nova is supposed to be released later this quarter (FYI: the album will also feature the remake to "Secret Garden", which was originally recorded by James Ingram, El Debarge, Al B. Sure and Barry White. The remake was rumored to include Robin Thicke, Trey Songz, Tyrese, Usher, and Tevin Campbell and is produced by Jermaine Dupri. I smell an epicfail coming)

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD "SOUL BOSSA NOSTRA"

I have a love/hate vibe with Joe Budden. A good majority of his stuff is ridiculously ill, but then he'll put out a few records that are just like "really Joey?" But this "Inception" record knocks. From the bunch of tracks that are being put out to lead up the release of Mood Muzik 4. If you saw the movie, then this track will make a bunch of sense to you. MM4 is hitting the innuhnets next Tuesday 10/26

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD "INCEPTION"

TI Saves The Day (Spoof)

2010-10-18T12:37:00.001-04:00

5 Reasons Why I Pick Eminem Over Wayne

2010-10-17T21:33:00.005-04:00

I personally didn't watch the BET Top 10 MC of the 21st century BS because I refuse to entertain anything Tigger hosts. So I took a Google and Twitter search to see that what the final list was and what people had to day. I was a little surprised at the order in which they ranked the said artists. From the list, it's clear that Def Jam has BET deeeeeeep in their pockets. Because out of the 10 spots, 5 were given to Def Jam artists (Ross, Jeezy, Luda, Kanye, and Jadakiss). I like all of the artists that are on the list, but from what commenters had to say, there was some passionate disagreements about who should have the #1 spot: Eminem or Lil Wayne

Now personally, I wouldn't put Wayne above Kanye (who they group voted to put at #3). I could see the battle between Em and 'Ye being very heated. But Em and Wayne, I was really confused as to how anyone could be torn. I have my own 5 reasons why Em is better than Wayne

5) Em brings an unorthodox, comical approach to hip hop: For the past 15 years, hip hop has been about clothes, jewelry (whatever happened to Jacob the Jeweler btw?), nice cars, and sex with groupies. With hip hop being the youngest genre in music, it's undergone several face lifts. When Em came on the scene, hip hop was still at war and seething over the deaths of our beloved Pac and Big. Jay Z had Dame Dash all up in his videos. And the South was really making moves on the chart a la Master P and UGK. Then out pops with this bleach-blonde white boy whose cleverly poking fun at the boy band groups, and co-signed by a hip hop legend (Dr. Dre). He got everybody's attention in a major way.

His wise-ass antics and parodied videos have continued with every release he's put out. While his videos for singles garner the most attention, they're funny and often poke fun at everybody, including himself. Whoever writes his treatments is a genius!

4) He's not racial/social/economically specific: Hip hop is all about struggle; going through it and coming out of it. Some artists glorify the struggle from where they came while pouring $1200 bottles of Ace on women. Either way you look at it, Em's audience is far-reaching. Whether you're black or white, American or Malaysian, rich or poor, something in Em's albums will resonate with you. In my opinion, he's never tried to hide where he's from or peddle you a rags-to-riches dream. He came from nothing and he's ok with that. Whereas some artists have this story of "this is where I came from, so please like me and accept me"

3) Countless awards: I don't care what any rapper says, you get into the music business for 2 things: money and awards! No rapper does this because they "love to rap". Em has won countless MTV Awards (both movie and video), many grammys, and even an Oscar! Jay Z hasn't done that. Despite the fact that Em has poked fun at the homosexual community, he bridged the gap by performing with music's favorite gay, Elton John. Em is the only rapper (aside from 2pac) who's put out a widely successful movie about himself. Can't argue with that

2) His lyricism: After watching him create a wordplay with orange on this past Sunday's 60 minutes, I have kinda newfound respect for Em's lyricism. People who say he's wack obviously have never really LISTENED to a full Eminem CD. Why else do you think no rapper has tried to come for Em's neck in terms of beef? Because Em will rap circle's around your fav rapper...even Lil Wayne! Matter fact, aside from the dope beat, Em made "Drop the World" a better song! And if you doubt or question Em's lyrical ability, just take a listen to the following songs (which were NOT US released singles)

* Rock Bottom

* No Apologies

* Cinderella Man

1) He doesn't give a F: Too many hip hop artists these days are switching it up once they get that label check. They talk about trappin and how they beat cases and move weight on their underground stuff, but then they sign on the dotted line and it's all about liquor, Maybachs, and chicks that look like a fake Gloria Velez. Em is the same Em that he was 10 years, only with brown hair and a little less crazy. On an Em album, I always know what to expect. Greatness mixed with comedy and anger. I respect him for never selling out

Some people don't like Em because he's the token white guy in hip hop. But I think Em has stuck around BECAUSE the token white guy in hip hop. He has to work just as hard and be just as competitive as the kats who are black and not even 25% as talented as he is. He doesn't beef to help him post high 1st week numbers. Anybody can relate to him. Not everybody can relate to Wayne. At the end of the day, I'd buy a Em CD before I buy a Wayne joint

Influences Doc Coming Soon

2010-10-14T14:31:00.002-04:00

I also take notice of the branding and how it works in terms of the brick and mortar steps. I'm looking forward to checking out this documentary coming out soon. Stay tuned for an actual release date

INFLUENCERS TRAILER from R+I creative on Vimeo.

O'Reilly Pisses Off The View Ladies

2010-10-14T13:51:00.002-04:00

Personally, I think it was in poor taste for Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar to walk off stage in the manner they did. Granted Bill O'Reilly pisses many people off, but that's his job. People watch him to get angry or "passionate" on certain topics. It creates awareness and attention on a socio-political agenda.

This subject about the mosque being near Ground Zero will consistently be a hot-button issue for a myriad of reasons. So the ladies all knew what they were going to hear upon O'Reilly's arrival.

Angelina Jolie + Johnny Depp "The Tourist"

2010-10-07T17:42:00.002-04:00

I'm a big Depp fan, Pirates of the Caribbean is my joint! But it's a timely break to see Johnny Depp looking normal for once. The dude wears so much makeup and costumes, I forgot what he looked like...and Angelina is perfecting the art of the espionage/female James Bond role

Mic'd Up: Johnta Austin + Jeezy

2010-10-01T02:40:00.002-04:00

Johnta Austin is too talented to be still just songwriting over at So So Def. Alot of his stuff gets leaked because they're intended for other major artists (like Usher, Trey Songz, Mary J. Blige to name a few). But on some of the stuff, he sounds better than the final record with the said artist...anyway he's dropping a mixtape soon according to JD' Global14.com...his rendition over the Power beat is fuego! 1 of the better joints I've heard (and w/ all the struggling rappers in the world, there's been many)

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD JOHNTA AUSTIN "POWER"

I can't front, I'm never been on the Jeezy team. But some of Last Laugh isn't too bad, yeahhhhhh. My favorite joint on there is Pressure's ON

5 Fall Dates FTL

2010-09-27T02:09:00.003-04:00

If you're single and trying to make it in this tough economic period, you can't afford to ball out of control at Prime 112 or Nobu...but that doesn't mean you can't still show the new joint a great time. In my opinion, as the man, you shouldn't let a woman's laziness or lack of assertiveness hang you out to dry. Lately, I've heard many female friends talk about how guys don't last long as prospects because they're boring. They bring nothing new or fresh to the table. I usually ask my friends “well why didn't you plan the date and show him what you wanted?” To that, the typical answer is “because he asked me out.” And you call yourself a fancy feminist huh? Riiiiight

Let's face it, dating can be expensive and tedious these days. It's a price WE incur majority of the time! I'm not a fan of showering a woman with fancy dates off the break because I know I won't be able to maintain it financially. And I'm not Big Meech with money to blow! So if you're gonna foot the bill, at least do it on YOUR terms and have some enjoyment out of it. As many of us start the prowl of finding a suitable ~~bed buddy~~ pseudo girlfriend from now til March, show your #1 pick some variety by trying these date ideas:

Sightsee:

If you live in (or driving distance) a major metropolitan city, you can hop on the subway for a few hours and see the gems. It's amazing at how you can live in a city for an extended length of time and never visit the monuments or world-renowned spots that tourists come to enjoy. While it may seem kinda cheesy on the surface, think of all the fresh spots you see in movies that are right in your area code yet you can't even pick it out on a map (if you're the type to want a concrete plan, cop a CityPass and get a full day worth of places to see for 1 price)

Check out the all-in-1 spot: Lucky Strike, D&B, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Hooters all have 2 things in common! Lots of HD TVs and food guys like! All-in sports bars are very dope in my mind, because you can keep up with all the scores yet still have fun with your date. If she's completely clueless, here's a prime opportunity to train her on the intricacies of the red zone and 3-4 coverage.

Brunch/Lunch Dates: If the woman you're dealing with is uninteresting, yet you're pursuing her because she's the trophy you want, a restaurant is the safe and expected date move. HOWEVER, restaurants are always filled with couples on dates come the weekend. Switch it up and invite her to lunch on a Tuesday afternoon. If your schedule allows it, take her to a classy brunch on a Sunday ~~after church~~ BEFORE you get up with the guys. It's a spin on something very basic and you may find yourself spending less $ during the brunch/lunch hours than you would for dinner.

Game Night: 1 of my friends just did this dope game night at his crib and I gotta say, it was ingenuous! Caught a few of the single people getting their cuff on real tough. Incorporate your Wii or PS3 system. Hit up Walmart and get your favorite childrens' games from back in the day: Trouble, Monopoly, Connect 4, Battleship, Operation, Perfection, Risk, Clue, Uno, and all of the good joints! Top it off with some bottles of Goose/Ciroc/Absolut and it's a fun, casual alternative to sitting awkwardly silent in a dark theater for 2 hrs

Chef It Up: Although I'm a fan of traditional gender roles, I also think your situation may call for its own adjustments. For example, if you're in grad school and the young lady you're spending time with works a full-time job, then you should make the effort to bring a new spin on the feminine cooking stigma. A woman's cooking skills is 1 of the essential things on the proverbial list that we need to have before we decide to be 100% all in. As many cooking shows as there are on TV, you really have no excuse

How you spend your time with a prospect is entirely subjective. Some guys feel like “I just wanna smash, so I'm not gonna go through the boyfriend BS”. Other guys go wayyyy over the top and simp so hard for so long that they don't recognize it's a 1-way cuff. I'm not saying don't put forth any effort. But if you're gonna actively chase and your goal is to catch something worth keeping, might I suggest to use better bait.

Si I Shot It - Seth Browarnik

2010-09-27T01:59:00.002-04:00

I met Seth back in 2005 when I noticed he was a staple photographer at many of South Beach's most exclusive spots. After observing him for a good 3 months, I respected how celebrities and Miami socialites responded to him. He's not the stereotypical photographer that shoves a giant camera in the celeb's face. On some occassions, I heard a celebrity actually speak to him as if they were friends. For me, I thought that was super dope! Usually when we see photographers' interactions with celebrities, it's almost always very aggressive and "let me get my shot so I can get it in a tearsheet or on a popular blog". But I noticed Seth took the less intimidating approach...and after following his new company World Red Eye, I noticed his style hasn't change

Hennessy Artistry in Miami [click to see more]

Jesus Wasn't a Rock Star

2010-09-26T09:06:00.007-04:00

Everybody's got something to say about the f@$kery going on at New Birth...it's looking like an attempt to assasinate a man's integrity and core values, while putting a spotlight on the smoldering, embattled sect of Christianity; the Southern Baptist church

I was "raised" Catholic and Methodist. Out of the 3 foster homes I spent my childhood in, only 1 of them were strictly religious and set on being in a pew every Sunday am. Once I was adopted, my parents were rigid Catholics. I've had formal religion forced on me since I was like 8. However as an adult, I've now taken the stance of as long I can explain my relationship with God, that's more than enough spirituality for me.

I think 1 of the major turn-offs about religion is these Earthly men who label themselves "prophets" have turn religion into a business. This whole concept of a megachurch was born out of the Deep South where people will abandon common sense for the words a man preaches to them as Gospel Truth. They turn over their pay checks, forgo paying their mortgage or car payments all in the name of "building God's house". Now I'm not a Bible historian, but Jesus didn't live in a 10 room mansion. Jesus didn't push a platinum dune buggy on 22s. Jesus didn't wear the finest of robes. Jesus was just another man who was doing His Father's will. And either people followed him and took to his teachings or they saw him as a threat and dealt with his influence accordingly. These pastors of these megachurches have taken the word of God and grossly manipulated it to fit THEIR secular agenda. The Bible has been used as a weapon to promote bias, bigotry, and personal opinions. There's nothing Godly about that.

I watched the clips of the pastor in question addressing his congregation Sunday am. What I can respect is the pastor did teach a piece of the Word before addressing the legal heat surrounding him. He pulled Psalms 34:19 as a biblical reference Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He likened the "attack" he's under to divorce or losing a loved one or sickness. But the 1 thing that stood out to me as sacrilegous...when dude took the stage, the crowd's applause was synonymous to that of Jay and Em at Yankee Stadium! People cheered, clapped, and praised him for a good 2 minutes before he even said a word. Are you serious? You're praising a man that takes iPhone photos of himself in the bathroom wearing Under Armor? It agitates me every time I hear something dude and they label him as "celebrity pastor E---". Celebrity Pastor? Last time I checked, Jesus wasn't a celebrity to be placed on a pedestal like your favorite rapper.

At any rate, I don't go to that church and I don't know anybody does. But for the sake of being saved, I seriously hope the members of that congregation can take their blinders off and see the forest for the trees. The messenger shouldn't be bigger than the message he's delivering to the mass. Religion is something that has been manufactured and sold to us as means to justify BS and accommodate the agenda of those in power. I choose to be a spiritual being; that is, I pray daily and try to apply the parables and lessons from the Bible to my everyday life. It's enough that we get manipulated as a socio-political society. Our relationship with God shouldn't be functioning in that same manner. Because in the end, it doesn't matter whether the pastor is guilty of what they're saying he is. The bottom line is when you meet St Peter at the gates, it'll be YOUR story up for review. Don't be so enamored with the idyllic leaders on this side, who are fallible flesh, that you never realize where you're being lead

Mic'd Up: Jason Caesar

2010-09-24T20:44:00.003-04:00

If heavy R&B is what you crave, then you'll warm up pretty quickly to new artist Jason Caesar...his new EP The Musical was released last week on DJBooth. It features great production from Fatboi, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League (the same dudes who did most of Teflon Don), Tha Bizness (they've done Lil Wayne, 50, and Drake records) and guest verses from Gucci Mane and Laws

This 16-track project is a familiar soundtrack to the young bachelor who's got plenty of sexual energy to burn, bottles to pop, and reflection over the opposite sex. "Musical" opens up the vibe with a smooth script of sexual 1-upmanship. Caesar does a dope justice to the old addage "Misery Loves Company". The dramatic orchestration by Fatboi gives a background to the tormented broken-hearted dude...Stanza hops on with the 2nd verse's opening line "I wear my heart on my sleeve so that makes defeat super hard to receive..." Many of us can relate to opening up to a shawty only to be dissed beyond immediate repair

Women are attracted to game...or the allusion of it, which Caesar addresses on "Taking You Home" which recruits old head M-A-Dolla Sign-E. Yeah pastor's still rappin! Smh. She likes the game, fame, shopping in Paris, and all that comes with the lifestyle of dealing with a baller. I can give Jason Caesar are huge round of applause for speaking truth to the ladies on the joint "Beyonce (Lucky)". Lately some women have their heads up in the clouds and letting Beyonce teach them on a school of thought that isn't realistic. This record basically sums up with many dudes are thinking...you're not Beyonce shawty, so fall back

I won't go on about the remaining 8 records because you can decide yourself. But as a picky R&B head, The Musical won me over in the 1st 8 records. Evidence of GREAT talent and a good A&R.

Mic'd Up: XV Vizzy Zone + Tank

2010-09-17T13:34:00.004-04:00

XV should def be a breakout hip hop star come 2011. He won me over with his joint last year Everybody's Nobody. He's on a 2peat with Vizzy Zone. Featuring production from his main guy Seven and Omen, as well as verses from Talib Kweli, Kid CuDi, and Mike Posner, Vizzy Zone is the next level up from this Kansas-born artist...he's currently on tour with Mike Posner, so check it out if it's in your hood

Best Tracks: Vizzy Zone, Reset Button, She Go I Go, Familiar, Talk My Shit

________________________________________________

I wrote about Tank last month over on FXP and considering he's dropping his new CD on his new label, I'm trying to have faith in him. I mean he's a solid R&B voice and writes pretty good songs. But his albums always seem to fly under the radar. "Sex Music" is getting some great spins and I'm really feelin "Keep It 100" though

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD "KEEP IT 100"

25 Yrs of Greatness

2010-09-13T21:25:00.004-04:00

Any fan of great music can agree that Tupac Shakur helped to shape the social construct of hip hop. His rebel with a cause, "rumble young man, rumble", and verbal eloquence fused entertainment with the reality of all that's wrong with society. Pac is still 1 of the most misunderstood minds of our time, yet his music is timeless. He sits in Heaven among the musical greats who sparked up controversy and left us in such a ideological disarray. Chaos is often found among the most tormented individuals, so Pac was no different. However, for me, I've seen as Pac as a philosopher and not so much a rapper or hip hop icon. I give you MY fav Pac verses/speeches with MY interpretations of them

1) "I don't see myself being special; I just see myself having more responsibilities than the next man. People look to me to do things for them, to have answers." [Society as a whole has become far too passive-aggressive when it comes to our positions and the roles we play. Every facet -- from politicals to a simple date -- people are uncomfortable with what's expected of them. You are responsible for the actions and choices that you make. If you can't handle the consequences of those actions or choices, then say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing in your life. 1 less person the population of impressionable minds has to listen to]

2) "I feel like role models today are not meant to be put on a pedestal. But more like angels with broken wings" [As a parent, I am my daughter's 1st role model. Even as a man, I set the tone to show her how a man should treat her, how to be kind to people, how to rationalize what's right over what's popular. People need to stop expecting entertainers to show THEIR kids what their worth is, what they can do in life, what's good and bad behavior. The people we see on TV and listen to on iTunes are sinners just like we are. The only difference is their slip-ups get magnified because of the life they chose. To me, an angel is the transformation of your spirit from evil to good. Angels are pure in spirit. But when their wings break or fracture, they have to go up on a shelf and temporarily rebuild that positivity spirit. They regenerate themselves. Role models have that same function on this side. Whenever the person you look up to makes a mistake, he/she is taking a moment to re-focus, re-prioritize, and re-generate.]

3) "And when he tells you you ain't nuttin don't believe him...and if he can't learn to love you you should leave him...cause sista you don't need him...and I ain't tryin to gas ya up, I just call em how I see em...you know it makes me unhappy (what's that)...when brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy...and since we all came from a woman...got our name from a woman and our game from a woman...I wonder why we take from our women...why we rape our women, do we hate our women?...I think it's time to kill for our women...time to heal our women, be real to our women" (Keep Ya Head Up) [1 of my favorite songs from Pac! Women endure all levels of hell at the hands of us men. Sometimes by their own choosing, sometimes because the nigga is just a lame. But the problem between us is our constant disconnect and competition with 1 another. Instead of being helpmates to our female counterparts, we seem to be in this power struggle. Man is accustomed to having power, woman wants to have the power shared. Depending on the school of thought you represent, you're either a "softy" or a "misogynist". So many times I've seen women lose sight of themselves to stay in the sight of a man. It's a sad cycle I don't see ending, but I do my part to change it. Do you?]

4) "We probably in Hell already, our dumb asses not knowin...everybody kissin ass to go to heaven ain't goin...put my soul on it, I'm fightin devil niggaz daily" Blasphemy [Man this speaks volumes to those who follow organized religion. I was having a convo with a friend of mine about how God reveals thing about man to us in His time in His way. Sometimes the people closest to us are the very people that are an infection to our mind. The people we love and hold as special are the people who can and often do, contribute to our downfalls. Religious people have gotten into the habit of picking and choosing what sins they're gonna judge. God doesn't keep score; no 1 sin is less or more damning than another. Sin is sin! Lying to God and keeping yourself as a pawn in the ignorance of oblivion is indeed blasphemy.

5) “I set goals, take control, drink out my own bottle...I make mistakes but learn from every one...and when it's said and done...I bet this brother be a better one...If I upset you dont stress...never forget, that God isn't finished with me yet” [The bottom line is when it comes to Judgement Day, you have to answer to YOUR story! Even as a father, uncle, son, boyfriend, friend, my life's story is prewritten with me as the main individual. Anything and any person that comes into your life is your catalyst to change]

Heroes Regenerate

2010-09-13T14:15:00.007-04:00

I had just dropped my younger brother off at his 1st day of school. I was on heading back to the U, when I got a text from my girlfriend at the time. It said "where are you? Turn on the news". I'm not a news watcher so I just ignored it. By the time I arrived on the yard, there were droves of students rushing to the Student Union, the Library, or back to their dorms. I was kinda confused as many people were. When I finally walked into my Psychology 201 class at 9:25, I swear you could've heard a fly fart. Never have I been in a room that was that deathly quiet. Walking down the lecture hall stairs, I saw people with their laptops on, using their cell phones, and some even had tears streaming down their face. The silence was very cerebral and I've never felt that way before...and probably won't again in this lifetime

Tuesday Sept 11th, 2001 started out the same way for many people. They were either sitting on the 95, the 405, the 101, the Turnpike, etc heading to work. Or they were standing in the perpetual long line at Starbucks. HS kids were sitting in their 1st period class contemplating on whether or not to skip last period. But the 40,000+ NYC cops and firefighters were about to embark on a day that literally changed their lives and the lives of their families, friends, and colleagues forever

I took my daughter and niece to see the 9/11 Ground Zero site. I had never seen it in person before and I've been trying my best to acclimate Tali to everything NYC. After walking around and taking some photos there, I noticed directly across the street stood a firehouse. Being that my homegirl is contemplating the life of a firefighter, I figured it'd be interesting to go and talk to someone who lives the life everyday. And I will say, I have never been so grateful and so humbled by a group of men in my life! Their stories about being firefighters, going through the Academy, working on 9/11 were full of pride and passion.

When asked about the level of difficulty, 1 firefighter, who was in his 5th yr at Ladder 10, said "It's the hardest thing you'll do...like I can't even think of a regular job to compare it to because it's no regular job...but it's the only job I can think of other than a cop that you develop a brotherhood even BEFORE you get a job at a house...after 13 wks with a group of guys who feel the same pain that you do, who feel the same pressure you do, you can't help but be any closer you know?"

When asked about why he chose to be a firefighter, another firefighter said: "I like helping people...it wasn't a choice, it was more like am i gonna be a cop or a firefighter? I don't think I look good in blue, so I went for the 60lbs of extra weight" (this guy had us dying haha)

When asked about the best advice he could give to someone who was interested in becoming a firefighter, 1 of the guys who had just retired from Ladder 10 explained: "It's a job that ain't for everybody. The hours can be long, you go home in pain sometimes, and for some guys, they don't go home at all you know? It ain't about you. We're a family, we go in together, we leave together. Nobody around this company is like....egotistical you know? 1 failure is everybody's failure. So you really have to understand that. You gotta be able to come in here everyday and see the guy next to you as your brother, your best friend. Because that guy will either save your life 1 day or he's gonna need you to save his. And you gotta do it. Not for no medals or a memorial, but because it's a promise you make to him, his family"

The family of law enforcement can be viewed as a fraternity. You might walk in the doors of firefighter academy as complete strangers with nothing in common. But come graduation, those guys are your brothers and nothing will change that bond. The men of Ladder 10 lost 5 members on that dreadful Tuesday. The firefighters' memorial lines the outside of their firehouse. The detail is so incredible that I can't put into words. Even photos don't do it full justice. It's something you just gotta see for yourself.

Nobody practices how to be a hero. Nobody is born with these extraordinary powers that sets them apart from the rest of us. You do what you have to do when the pressure is on. 1 of the guys said "being a firefighter or an EMT is no different than a mother giving birth. You don't think about it and you're not scared. You just get it done." I'd like to think of our firefighters as like starfish. No matter how many times you cut off 1 leg, it always grows back. Heroism doesn't need such a vast tragedy to show itself. Heroes are in our midst everyday. And like the appendages on a starfish, they regenerate. While we'll always remember and mourn the fallen firefighters, EMTs, cops, and soldiers that have given their lives to save ours, let's also remember that heroes are being made in our presence all the time.

F That "Ride or Die"

2010-09-09T15:05:00.004-04:00

I was watching this movie last night called "Nothing But The Truth" starring Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon...very solid story and it spawned a discussion between my homeboy and I this am about snitching and the "ride or die chick"

The basic premise of the movie is this reporter writes a story for her national newspaper, exposing a CIA operative in Venezuela. And ya'll know how the CIA is all G16 classified, "what CIA?". So everybody's demanding she give up the source who told her about CIA ops in Venezuela. Long story short, she refuses to give up the source, despite the fact that she's held in contempt and hauled off to jail for almost a year.

Now you may be thinking...ok jail time and time away from my family or being labeled a snitch and having my journalism career over? Hmmm that's a no-brainer right? You can always trade in your press pass for writing childrens' stories. WRONG

This movie kinda gave way to the point that being a snitch or the token "ride or die" chick isn't just a black thing or just a hood thing. It's a principle of loyalty. If you give your word that you won't disclose someone's personal activity (regardless of who else it may effect or endanger), then you keep your word at all costs. Like Tony Montana said in Scarface "All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break them for no one". But is there a line that you cross in not protecting your own ass? Is there a line between being the ride or die and just being downright dumb?

Applying this the TI/Tiny situation, Tiny is no doubt the definition of ride or die. She is a direct representative of all the women in this country whose men had to do a bid over some stupid BS. She makes no qualms about standing by her man and doing what she had to do to hold up his image. She's never said anything damaging in interviews and she took care of all them daggone kids. But from where I sit, she's being downright dumb. I understand that TI bought up the damn gun shop to protect himself and his family. I understand that he did his lil community service and stuck to all the terms of his incarceration. However, in a relationship (well now a marriage), it's your job to protect your mate. It's your job to be the level-headed 1 when your mate seems to not be thinking straight. Now here you have TI coming off the having the #1 movie in the country, his album is supposed to be dropping 4th quarter, and he's the official face of AXE. But you're driving around in a car with X and weed? A Maybach at that? Word to Ed Lover, CMON SON!

Supposedly the pills belong to Tiny. Which begs the question is she taking the rap for Clifford? I mean we all know being that the Feds were EXTREEEEEEEMELY lenient with him this last time. They're probably gonna be like rabid pitbulls on him now. So from a street principle, it would make sense for Tiny to take the charge and maybe walk away with a slap on the wrist. But if she does, I will NEVER buy another TI CD, go to a show, or work an event he's hosting. At 28 and being a father myself, I refuse to co-sign or defend the pure f@Kery that these grown men be on. And I also won't defend or "empathize" with the stupid women who love these highly-paid dope boys *** I guess TI should be a acronym for The Inmate (word to co-worker Kevin LOL)

Eminem/Rihanna Parody

2010-09-01T13:41:00.002-04:00

ROTFL "my heart was a kickball and you suddenly caught it" I Cannot!

Si I Shot It - Anthony Mandler

2010-09-01T12:44:00.003-04:00

* I'm gonna be starting a new category that's strictly art-based...as a photographer, I'm always looking for dope photos and photographers from around the world...if you have any dope photos, sketches, or original videos that you want me post, hit me on FB

Anthony Mandler -- if Jay and 'Ye are the Illuminati, then Anthony Mandler is the PR for the Illuminati

I 1st noticed Anthony's work when the "Death of Auto-tune" video came out. Mandler's style of shooting is that of hip hop's former reigning king of hip hop videos Hype Williams. It stands out and remains distinct from many other directors out right now. His videos have a clear treatment, a clear focal point, and it's story-telling at its finest

Some of his most notable videos are Drake's "Find Your Love" and "Over", Usher "There Goes My Baby", Jay/Ye/Rih "Run This Town", Melanie Fiona "Give It To Me Right", and TI/Rih "Live Your Life" (check out his full resume http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Mandler). My favorite of Mandler's though is Common's "Testify"...starring Taraji Henson, Kenny Burns, Steve Harris, and Wood Harris

As with most art types, Anthony Mandler started off as a renowned photographer...check out some of his dope shots (David Beckham, Mos Def, and Eminem)..he also shot all of Usher's Raymond vs Raymond CD photos

Jordan Rides The Bus

2010-08-30T21:09:00.003-04:00

ESPN 30 for 30 has been showing some great films this summer...things like the Allen Iverson bowling accident and Reggie Miller vs The Knicks have been highlighted. But the best film to come this summer is Jordan Rides The Bus. It chronicles His Airness' retirement from the NBA and his endeavors to playing baseball , the sport his father had dreamed he'd play. Very interesting retrospect on that short time period in sports history and re-visiting the gambling rumors that surrounded Jordan's father's death

Dope FIBA Commercial

2010-08-27T13:30:00.001-04:00

Even though Kobe and Tony Parker aren't playing, it's still a hot promo for the FIBA which starts tomorrow!

Damn I Miss Aaliyah

2010-08-25T13:23:00.004-04:00

What do Ciara, Keri Hilson, Rihanna, and even your Creole highness Beyonce have in common? They all have followed the blueprint of sensuality and style as the 1st true princess of R&B. Sadly, Aaliyah didn't stay with us long enough to accept her Queen title, which is well-deserved. Check out her last live appearance back in 2001 on 106&Park

5 Things Every Man Should Do Before Poppin The Question

2010-08-24T12:00:00.004-04:00

Wedding season is almost over and I'm glad. Aside from being a photographer, I just hate going to weddings. They're usually filled either jaded married relatives or idyllic single people who "hope to have what they have". Unlike some single people, I definitely do wanna get married in the near future. But from hearing so many "damn I wish I could do..." or "man when I was single, I did...", I realize that I need some ME before even considering asking a woman to marry me. Before a man take the jump off the springboard, here's a handful of things he should do:

1) Take a trip with your boys! And I don't mean 1 of those trips to like All-Star weekend or to Miami, I mean a REAL "I hope my boss don't find out about this" trip. Every man needs to maintain the friendship/brotherhood bond w/ his guys. I've seen it happen too many times where a guy gets engaged and all of a sudden, he has to ask permission to go out of the borough or across state lines.

2) Have a 3some! Maybe this isn't for everybody, but introducing a 3rd person into a relationship that's already headed for the altar is headed to failure quickly. Unless you're lucky and start dating a swinger. I personally think 3somes are overrated HOWEVER sexual excitement is good for the soul.

3) Know the type of marriage you want! Too many times, people get engaged and the entire family is engaged all of a sudden. Your relationship isn't your own anymore because her moms, grandma, and cousin who's been divorced 3 times wanna tell her what type of wife she should be. Or even worst, they try to plant seeds for her to dictate that type of man/husband you should become. F all that! Along the way of your relationship, you and your lady might wanna have a sit-down to know if ya'll are on the same page

4) Pay off some of YOUR debt! I was just watching an episode of MTV's Real Life and the newlyweds were discussing finances. Not only did the young lady move across the country to be with her husband, she also assumed his credit card debt. YES! Yours and mine becomes OURS very quickly. If you have bad spending habits and choose to let your balance stack, let that be YOUR problem! Start paying it off before you even shop for a ring, so that's 1 less thing you and your new fiancee have to worry about

5) Make sure your mom likes her! There's probably nothing more uncomfortable than taking a woman home to your moms and your lady gets the stank face. If you have a great relationship with your mom, 9 times out of 10, her opinion of your soon-to-be wife will matter to you. While it may not be enough to turn you off to marrying the woman, I'm willing to bet that many marriages have added and unnecessary stress because "my momma can't stand you".

Ring shopping is nerve-wrecking on its own. You have to be worried about if you can afford it, if she'll like it, how you're going to ask her, and even if she'll say yes. So before you through all of that for nothing, do some things FOR YOU 1st.

You Ever Call The #s in Bathroom Stalls?

2010-08-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

This might happen to you LOL

Kellz in Rare Form

2010-08-20T17:03:00.002-04:00

I respect the fact that R. Kelly isn't always up in the club, he's over so he needs to be the studio cooking up that fire for his next CD! He's also grooming Memphis-born K. Michelle as a new protege...but early this week, he was in rare form in his hometown of Chicago at a spot called The Shrine...good stuff!

Martians Wear Air Forces

2010-08-17T12:02:00.003-04:00

Whatever you wanna call em -- AF1s, uptowns, Air Forces -- no other shoe comes close to the classic nature this staple shoe. Born in 1982, the Nike AF1 has come in over 2000 different styles and colorways (yep that's way more than Jordan and Reebok), so check out this show promo about the iconic sneaker featuring TI, DJ Clark Kent, and the original designer of the shoe

FYI: If you're a true sneaker fiend ,unlike myself, Jay Z just came out with his own AF1 called the "all black everything" (why would you buy these when you can just order your own pair of all black AF1s? Ah well, I know it's some groupies out there that'll buy em anyway smh)

It Goes Down on the Diamond

2010-08-15T04:24:00.005-04:00

So the other day I caught this news clip about the St. Lou Cards and Cincinatti Reds goin at it as Brandon Phillips stepped up to the plate...check out the clip

The unnecessary roughness was instigated after Brandon Phillips had some sh!t-talking on the dome the night before.

Phillips said "All [the Cardinals] do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them. They're little bitches, all of 'em.''

Cardinals Molina responded by hitting a home run in the game, giving the Cards a 8-4 W

Here's the deal though, why is it acceptable for the MLB players to fight, talk sh!t, taunt, and otherwise aggressively annoy each other, the umpires, and sometimes fans? In no other mainstream team sport do we see fines and suspensions so laxed than baseball. So should MLB toughen up or should we let all athletes have 1 free pass to spaz the F out per season?

For your viewing pleasure, some of the best NBA fights (sorry the quality isn't better since the media thinks they're all just overpaid thugs anyway)...ya'll already know what fight is #1 Ha!

1) Shaq vs Brad Miller (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B10qzaH5eQk) he shoulda be goin at Oak though

2) Kobe vs Chris Childs (this will never get old LOL Kobe can't even throw a 'bow tough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnPNRC3md9Y&NR=1)

3) Kobe vs Reggie Miller (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfOOJM4CYig)

4) Rick Fox vs Doug Christie -- couldn't find good video on this 1 but ya'll remember the gif photo

5) All the Pacers vs Knicks brawls -- these 2 teams used to GO AT IT in the 90s

There She Goes...

2010-08-14T06:57:00.002-04:00

The Babyface/Pharrell joint came up in my iPod while I was editing some photos and it prompted me to blog real quick...here's the video if you don't remember it

It amazes at the things women do that are over the top just to get some attention. When i'm on the train or at the park with the kids, I observe random women in NYC. So here's a short list that WILL keep the fellas saying “damn!”...or even better, complete silence:

*** WORK ON YOUR LEGS! If you're gonna wear fake Louboutins or an all black pair of Michael Kors heels, your legs need to be sculpted as to accentuate the style of your shoes. Too many times, I see women with a mean shoe game but their legs look like string cheese. If you're gonna spend money to let Ming Lee rip the hair off your legs, spend 20 minutes a day doing leg lifts to get some HD in those calves

*** EASY ON THE MAKE-UP! Have you ever seen a woman out in the club and she's looking flawless? Smoky eyes, full lips, manicured cheek bones! But then you go on her Facebook page and look in her mobile uploads folder, thinking who the hell is that? I'm a guy so I can't give make-up tips obviously. But what I do know is make-up is supposed to be a subtle enhancement, not a full blown disguise. Fake your flaws, that's all and well good. But don't trick a dude into thinking you have a twin sister that's acne-free

*** SMELL LIKE A WOMAN! Can we all agree Bath and Body Works is NOT perfume! No woman over 21 should still be smelling like mangoes and apples. Aside from looks, 1 of the major things that will make any dude wanna follow you around is having a bold yet feminine smell. Some of my favorite perfumes for women are D&G Light Blue, Givenchy Very Irresistible (this is old so I'm not sure if they still sell it in stores), Burberry Summer, and YSL Opium As with any perfume, wear what's appropriate for the occasion.

*** MOUTH MAGIC! Celebrities have us spoiled with their airbrushed photos sporting veneered mouthpieces. If you can't have Lauren London's dimples, at least manage your pearly whites as if they were making you money. Nothing worst than a beautiful woman with Uncle Ruckus teeth. You should be in the dentist's chair every season for a good cleaning. If you have a Strahan gap, a set of top braces is only like $1500. That's a trip to S. Beach, so please get your priorities straight

*** READ SOMETHING OTHER THAN NECOLE BITCHIE! I don't knock Necole or any popular entertainment blog. I respect anybody's hustle. But as grown up, there's a world beyond celebrity gossip and what's on VH1. Being a know-it-all is obnoxious, but being a know-nothing is a waste of perfectly good skeleton. Your knowledge of the BP oil spill, Prop 8, or educational reform shouldn't be limited to RTs from Twitter. There is nothing more sexy than a woman who can quote a lesser-know Hov lyric and in the next breath, know who John Maxwell is

*** DON'T TALK TOO MUCH! And I don't mean talking as in verbally. I'm talking about tweeting, updating your FB status hourly, changing your BBM status everyday. I have a Twitter, but I'm not on it very much. My homegirl was on it and when I looked at her Twitter timeline, I was like “now I know why you never have anything to say”. To me Twitter is best used for promotion or marketing. I can't understand why regular people love Twitter so much. Nobody cares that you have a headache or your boss has wet flip flop breath or that you're headed to Miami for the 10^th time or...I can stop there right? And what about these subliminal groupies today, philosophers and motivational speakers tomorrow? Pick 1! The thing is I've met a couple women who have Twitter and FB apps on their phone. You like to social network, I feel you. But if I can literally get the synopsis of your entire day by following you on Twitter, why do I need to take you on a date?

The other, maybe less obvious aspect of social networking is it literally isolates you from the male population. No dude is gonna wanna approach if he's been looking at you for 10 minutes and the only thing he knows is your new growth is due for a relaxer.

I'm currently in a relationship right now, but getting there wasn't easy. I even had to date a little older because I was struggling a little bit with women in my age range. Maybe it's because I live in NYC and everybody in their 20s is in this personal bubble thinking that they're above self-improvement.

Mic'd Up: J. Cole + Cassidy

2010-08-13T04:58:00.002-04:00

Incredible bangers coming out the box, as fall quickly closes in on us. Hit up the last white party, yacht joint, or Greek BBQ and ask the DJ to throw these 2 on

Dope Fan Art courtesy of JColeMusic.com

DOWNLOAD J. COLE "BLOW UP"

It's been a minute since we've heard something drop from Barry Adrian Reese. But this joint K-N-O-C-K-S! Perfect beat to let your speakers talk on the Westside Highway...Bawse!

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD CASSIDY "DRUMMA BASS"

GWHH Talks to TI, Will Packer, and Jason Geter On "Takers"

2010-08-13T04:45:00.002-04:00

1 of my favorite ENTERTAINMENT blogs (I hate blogs that only post music and leaked stuff, no shots)

* Will Packer is phrat so I'll support off the strength, but something tells me this movie will be all star power kinda flat on everything else. Stay Tuned for my review when it drops

T.I. 'Takers' interview with Gowhere Hip Hop from gowherehiphop.com on Vimeo.

Maronzio Vance (from Last Comic Standing)

2010-08-12T03:32:00.002-04:00

I never heard of him til checking out the NBC Last Comic Standing...this dude is hilarious

Yeah it's more...but the 2nd part, dude goes IN

Teach Me How To Dougie Remix

2010-08-09T09:47:00.000-04:00

I can't do the dance, but this song is the 2010 version of Crank Dat. DJs throw this joint and people go APE in the spot! B.o.B sh!ts on this joint with his verse

DOWNLOAD

4 Words For Your Friends

2010-08-09T09:05:00.003-04:00

While reading the feature "The Great Guy and the Regular Chick" and maybe 30 of the comments (sorry I got a headache after just 30), I couldn't help but have a still face. I myself recently met a few of my lady's friends and her sister. I sat through the painful inquisition as they shot questions from my job choice to why I wasn't with my daughter's mom to what I think about Drake's Thank Me Later. I wasn't rude and I let them talk. I was cool until 1 of her friends started in on "well her last dude...."After about 15 minutes of her friends comparing me to her last dude, I pulled my lady to the side and asked her "can you please tell your friends to STFU?"

Our friends are sometimes our last dotted line of approval in whether the new guy or chick sticks around. I've always said if a woman can handle my friends and meeting my bruhs, then she's 99% a winner. We've all been on both sides of the "is she/he a good look for me?" conversation. I find it a relief when I can have my friends say "hey, you did well with this 1, congrats fam!" But for whatever reason, there's some people out here who let their committee of friends dictate longevity with romantic interests. They take it to heart when their friends say "yo that's not a good look for you" or "why are you with her/him? I've seen you do better." What type of friends will sit there and pick your new partner a part in a manner that makes you 2nd guess your own decision? SELFISH friends that's who!

For too long, people let movies and TV shows dictate what their mate is supposed to look like. Women salivate and lose their minds over dudes like Boris Kodjoe and Idris Elba. They get this image in their head that the right man for them has to be 6ft with perfect skin, 6 pack abs, and perfect white teeth (I hope ya'll know stars get partial or full veneers btw) Fellas buy KING magazine and struggle to find a woman who has a 27in waist with a 40in azz minus the cellulite. I'm sure in our late teens-early 20s, we focused strictly on looks and made sure that we established a rep on the yard as pulling "bad joints". But you grow up. Your idea of beauty changes, and you accept that simplicity in its near-perfect form is what makes a person a winner. The unfortunate thing is your past allows your friends to keep a score card of your conquests. And when you finally bring around someone who doesn't fit that mold, they call you slippin.

And what is "regular" anyway? Someone who doesn't stay up in the club Thurs-Sun, hugging the door to get in before 12? Someone who actually owns a bookshelf that holds the writings of Toni Morrison and Sun Tzu? Someone who doesn't rock $150 jeans while paying 19.5% interest on them via that Capital One plastic? Someone who isn't loud and obnoxious and OD extra? I mean, in what universe is "regular" a bad thing?

In her article, she says "that pretty girls have a bad rep for being too much work". Ummm ESTA MIERDA! (I know ya'll use Goog Translate). Pretty girls are insecure, over-indulgent, and self-centered. Attractive women have a quiet confidence about themselves. They're sexy in a $600 dress with $400 heels as well as a $22.50 pair of Old Navy sweats with $10.50 Target tank top. The operative theme throughout her article reeked of immaturity and obsessive over-analyzing. Initially, I think the average male reader gets the for-real vibe; she's salty because she can't bag a dude like her boy.

In the end, a man will wife up the women who gives him a challenge but won't hassle him. If your partner can't help you grow or step outside of your "box", why would you stay with them? Dating yourself is boring and a expedited way to cheat. There's only room for 2 people in a romantic relationship. The moment you start basing your opinions of your relationship on commentary from the "peanut gallery" is when you'll find yourself performing a soliloqui about why you can't find a date.

Good Perspective from vet Kevin Liles

2010-08-06T22:28:00.001-04:00

Anybody that has vision beyond just "gettin paid" earns my respect

What Exactly Is A "Ho"

2010-08-03T20:38:00.002-04:00

I think it's funny how urban vernacular is slowly finding itself among the mainstream. "Slut" is in the dictionary (I never knew that btw) and now so is "ho". I defined "ho" as a woman who partakes in sexual activity with no purpose and no reward. She's doing it just because dude is there and she's bored and she gets nothing out of it. Check out what Amanda Diva weighed in about the meaning of a "ho"

5 Mixtapes You Should Have By Now

2010-08-02T02:10:00.003-04:00

It's now leading into 4^th quarter and musically, there's been some great stuff released. Eminem has the best selling hip hop album of 2010 so far. Drake met the hype that surrounded his 1^st label release and on the R&B side, it seems like Trey Songz is the reigning king. But there's so much dopeness that you musical snobs have probably overlooked because your favorite artist isn't on it. I prefer to listen the new heads in music, simply because I can really appreciate their lyricism or way around harmonies. They may not be on the Billboard charts yet, but here are 5 artists' mixtapes that you should have in your iPod rotation (click the link and it'll take you to where you can listen/download each mixtape)

Brandon Hines “In Search Of”... everybody likes to claim that they're underrated or people sleeping on em. But thank God Brandon Hines is finally getting his major shine. Having just signed with So So Def, Hines put out the promotional EP in February. If you went to Howard or frequent R&B shows in the NYC area, then you already know the talent that is Brandon Hines. “In Search Of” has a little bit of everything; from catchy R&B hooks to turn-the-lights-and-your-phone-off joints. I'm predicting that Brandon Hines will make some new R&B classics in 2010. Surrounded by some of the best writers/producers in the game, B. Hines is onward and upward (much love to the Beta chapter, A-Phi-A)

Marsha Ambrosius “Yours Sincerely”... When Floetry parted, I wasn't sure where the 2 soulful ladies would go musically. Yet Marsha Ambrosius showed her astonishing, “feel it in your soul” style after penning “Butterflies” for the late, great Michael Jackson. “Yours Sincerely” is an eclectic fusion of pop, soul, and a little hip hop. This EP is a solid transitional project for Marsha, so look for her debut supposedly dropping later this year “Late Nights and Early Morning”

Laws 4:57/5:01 Overtime … Any time an artist comes out of 'Cane Country, I try to support them. Laws is wayyyy different than your stereotypical Florida hip hop artist. If you like cookie-cutter, spoon-feed you, template type of rappers, Laws will go over your head. With the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League covering production, “4:57” is your unconventionally common style of cocky new MCs. But instead of just “goin in” on his competition, he injects subtle jabs to let you know that he knows what's up. “5:01 Overtime” is the new joint he just dropped which is more of a continuation from 4:57 with some unreleased tracks and minus the DJ shouts

Lyriciss The Practice … DC is an area rich with hip hop talent, yet it gets overshadowed by its immediate northern neighbors. However Lyriciss is 1 of the unsigned great hopes out of the District. Although “The Practice” is filled with features (1 of my big pet peeves about mixtapes), Lyriciss' skills rises to the occasion. The joint “Microphone” goes harder than some of the mainstream songs you've heard this year.

Rock City Independence Day Pt. 2 … “Right About Now” is quickly becoming the most popular hip hop catch-phrase...these Virgin Islands brothers are doing it real heavy. The internets is littered with tracks they've recorded both for themselves and as references for your favorite artists. Their PTFAO movement has picked up rather quickly for them to not be working on a label release. If you're up on that hip hop/west indian cultural clash, this mixtape is something to throw on at the BBQ this summer and watch the shawties wind up it up (as a bonus, there's some feel-good, praise-beautiful-women on there as well)

Twitter Date Gone Wrong

2010-07-30T18:17:00.001-04:00

"I'mma look at dem sh!ts" lmao

Mic'd Up: Wale "Ambitious Girl" + Usher/Jay Collab

2010-07-29T20:57:00.004-04:00

I'll be the 1st to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Wale...at times, his style is a lil lazy for my bourgeoisie hip hop ears...but "Ambitious Girl" is a fresh peak among the normally stagnant and repetitive lyrics we here these days...look for his mixtape More About Nothing Aug 3rd

"Listen/Download "Ambitious Girl"

Also poppin right now is this Usher/Jay/Ester Dean record, "Hot Toddy", on the upcoming Versus...this isn't the 1st time these 2 heavy-weights have jumped on a record together, but I think this might be Usher's best collab since "Yeah" (Usher's other records with Hov is "Best Thing" off Here I Stand and "Anything" off Kingdom Come)

Listen/Download "Hot Toddy"

Change Your Mind

2010-07-28T15:04:00.002-04:00

I'm in Starbucks this am, just minding my own biz and this dude comes in there just yelling into his cell. I try to avoid convos that don't concern me, but he's literally screaming into his phone "you not gon come at me like that b!tch, I'm a grown ass man!" A grown ass man? Maybe I miss the memo...so grown ass men call women out of their govts these days? Grown ass men disrupt the public around them and throw phone tantrums? Grown ass men argue with women at 8am on a weekday...or any day for that matter? GTFOH Son

Let's get this clear once and for all...Grown and mature are NOT synonyms nor are they interchangeable! Grown is nothing more than a legal term, same as adult. It's a word that legally differentiates children from those over 18. Being "grown" is just a way for you to legally be cleared to do whatever you want. You don't have to go through anything to be grown. You don't have to change your attitude, opinion, or perspective in becoming grown. Hell, even drug dealers are grown ass men right?

Mature is a state of mind. Maturity is a process by which your life experiences enhance and improve your mindset and outlook about the world around you and the contribution you make to it. Not just anybody can be a mature individual. It requires having a certain elevation about the surface. Maturity is thinking critically, seeing what everybody else doesn't. There are mature 10 year olds in this world that are starting business and doing good work in their communities. They're just waiting to get grown so they really make a major difference.

Don't let age convince you of your intellectual gain. There's way too many dumb ass grown people polluting our society. Some of ya'll should start observing the kids around to figure out how you can mature and change your mindet

Mic'd Up: Tabi Bonney "A Place Called Stardom"

2010-07-25T18:04:00.003-04:00

Personally I like Tabi Bonney's style over Wale, but it's all Capitol District love...very hot video! but you shouldn't expect anything less from Bonney. Dude is in a lane of his own, much respected

Nuthin But A Hero - tabi Bonney from tabi Bonney on Vimeo.

Derrick Rose vs. Andre Miller, Barnes to LA

2010-07-22T23:10:00.002-04:00

"Is there a medic in the house"

Matt Barnes agrees to join Kobe and them in LA

I think Barnes will fit in great coming off the bench behind Artest. The Lakers have already added vet Theo Ratliff and got rid of lackluster Farmar to add Steve Blake. This, ladies and gents, is a dynasty! I don't know if my guys in Miami can stack up the depth that LA has. But I'm still getting my tix soon as they go on sale for the 1st home turf match-up between these 2 giants

Cry On Your Own Time

2010-07-21T15:20:00.005-04:00

If you're friends with me on FB, then you know I post statuses randomly about various relationship questions that I have. Most of the time they're situations that I've found myself in or someone close to me has gone through. Well recently after a convo with 1 of my closest female friends (we'll call her the Dali-Limmy), I had to throw up a quick blog about the convo. I think this a convo we've all found ourselves in, but it seems to happen more with dudes these days.

I'm not gonna be long-winded because I know people's attention spans suck! But basically Dali-Limmy went on an "outing" with this dude. They went to a football game as homeys. They didn't hold hands, no physical contact whatsoever. She was actually setting up her next "outing" with someone else while kickin it with dude. This was back in like December. Fast forward to yesterday, dude out of the blue calls her up to profess his undying love for her. Why you ask? Because apparently he's figured out that the Dali-Limmy is what she said she is; cut from a different cloth of female. The philosophy that she, and some of her female homegirls, lives by is who I tell you I am is who I claim to be. There's no need to waste time fakin it through or trying to make something out of nothing literally. However for whatever reason dudes don't seem to wanna listen.
Now my other homegirl (Skee-Phi!) posted another status: "Why do men take my niceness as "flirting" or as being "interested"?. and I had to actually agree with her. I think we as men have taken the whole "I'm gonna be a nice guy" wayyyyy out of context. From the stories I hear from females, it sounds like some of us are going into simp mode. That is, we're overly nice, overly aggressive, and just across the board doing wayyy too much. Quit writing these joints R&B songs while drinking a glass of Moscato!

Women want the nice guy, true enough. But they don't wanna some soft, crybaby, "why don't you like me back" type dude. I think for some dudes, we get so focused on 1 woman and feel like we have to convince her that she's missing out. I don't know about ya'll, but if I have to convince a woman that I'm a good dude, that's time out my life that I'm not gonna get back...EVER! Because here's the thing; if she doesn't see it on her own initially, you're gonna spend that entire relationship proving a point. No woman is worth that much effort! And when a woman is worth the effort, she'll readily acknowledge and reciprocate YOUR efforts.

A relationship is supposed to be give and take. So if you're the only that's giving with NO ROI, I suggest you take your nice guy persona where it'll be apppreciated

Affion Crockett as Trey

2010-07-20T16:34:00.004-04:00

It's kinda sad when anybody can imitate you LOL Chris Brown did Trey too

What Happened To The Party

2010-07-15T01:32:00.005-04:00

This past Tuesday I stopped in at this spot called Sutra. I'd never been and never even heard of it. But lemme tell you, if you're the type that likes to go somewhere and REALLY party, you must check out Sutra on Tuesdays. (legendary DJ, Tony Toca spins there and every week he has a guest DJ on the wheels!)

I haven't been pressed to hit the club scene in the last year or so because whenever I go out, it's always something. People get into fights, the doormen are assholes, the drinks taste like Dasani. I remember back in the day, I would hit the club about 12, 1230 and see wall-to-wall PYTs. The DJ would be gettin it crunk to the 12th degree, I didn't have to worry about light shows damn near about to give me a epileptic seizure. It was just a cool, chill, everybody's-having-fun type of nights. What happened to those?

Having lived in Miami, DC, and now NYC, I'm convinced that people don't go out to party anymore. They go out to be seen. They go out to brag about spending $ they don't have. They go out to see what designers are hot and who's wearing what. They go out because they're thirsty about getting in a picture with whatever celebrity. It's not about the party. It's not about having fun. It's like a bad reality show. And who's to blame for that?

To start off, for whatever reason, promoters and club owners think that you need to book a celebrity for a walk-thru in order to make a hot party. They invest $ and take sponsorship $ so they can wind up charging people $15+ for watered down drinks or selling off $1000+ tables. All of that just to be able to say "oh Drake and YM was up in VIP last nite" or "Kanye and Amber Rose were spotted arguing here last night". Back in the day, artists weren't really doing walk-thrus all like that. It was very rare to go to the regular spot and see LL Cool J or TLC or Wu Tang just poppin bottles.

The other thing is you can't have a slammin party without a slammin DJ. I understand the DJ game has changed from what it was back in the day. Now DJs are getting paid for spinning certain records. But many of these DJs that promoters are paying $3000+ are WACK! They're cool for mainstream radio and yelling over mixtapes. But in terms of actually working the 1s and 2s, they are MUY TERIBLE! I won't name names, but I've been to tons of parties at different venues around the city that use top-named DJs. And every time, I swear I'd walk in and out of the club hearing the same damn song on the radio. To me, that's not a DJ. He's just putting in overtime for the 2-6am airtime block.

My final beef is with promoters themselves. And i'm not talking about the promoters who do parties for a living. (People such as 400Life, Alex Gidewon, The Go Group, IMP Entertainment, Team BBC). I'm talking about these fly-by sub-promoters. These are the guys who are sharing a venue with like 10 other promoters. Now don't get me wrong, I used to sub-promote myself just to put some extra change in my pocket. But niggas today are getting out of hand! They'll hound your email inbox, your BBM, and your FB begging for you to come to their parties. Yet when you get there, they act real Hollyhood. I understand and respect that it's a numbers game. But when you sub-promote, realistically you're only making $300-$500/night and maaaybe a small % of tables you book. It's damn sure not enough for you to treat people shady and not cater to your patrons.

I feel like going to clubs now are a waste of time. You have to deal with promoters who think they're celebrities, doormen who are mad at the world because they didn't get drafted to NFL, and women who are thirsty for attention. I'd rather just throw on my ipod, get 2 packs of Dixie Red Cups, and host a Ciroc-pong tournament...who's in?

Dwele Shows How R&B Should Sound

2010-07-14T19:00:00.003-04:00

Remember back in the day where you could put on an R&B and it create a mood of sensuality and smooth? Similar to a glass of Henny Black, the effect would sneak up on you and before you know it, you're in simp mode with your girl. These days R&B music has turned into blatant, straight-to-the-point "take your clothes off and let's F@%k". I don't know about other people, but that doesn't set a mood for me. If anything it makes me wanna avoid even talking to a chick before or after the act itself...get it, get out, take your ass home. However Dwele's 4th CD World.Wants.Women put me in a different mental space

Even the album cover makes you stop and turn your head to the side like hmmm

Men have different personas for different situations and Dwele's new joint takes you on that journey of elemental change. Perhaps his lyrical content is too cerebral for the generation who thinks a dude that mimicks R. Kelly down to the very ad-libs is "real R&B". Upon the 1st listen of WWW, it reminds me of a mixture of 1990s sappy R&B with the social conciousness of underground rap. Dwele's vocals are classical in tone, yet contemporary enough to have you bobbin your head. There's no tons of autotune or heavy bass-driven records on here. It's more of an acoustic/neo soul type of vibe. Honestly, at times when I listened, I found myself wondering "when is he performing in NYC?" I feel like this cuts on WWW can be better appreciated and suited for a live set.

Admittedly, I'm not a hardcore fan of Dwele, so I can't compare it to his previous work. What I will say is if you're over 25 and can remember waiting up for a shawty to answer her phone ("Dodgin Your Phone" w/ David Banner) or you're frustrated by the goings-on of our country and need an outlet ("My People"), Dwele's WWW is breath of idyllic fresh air from what you hear on any radio station

Mic'd Up "Ballad of the Black Gold"

2010-07-13T14:53:00.002-04:00

Why can't more videos be artistic like this? [finger snaps for Sam Ellison]

Reflection Eternal "Ballad of the Black Gold" from Sam Ellison on Vimeo.

Annoying Parents

2010-07-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

5 Reasons Why Women in their 20s Suck

2010-07-12T15:26:00.004-04:00

Everybody's on this younger man-older woman craze, and now being a card-carrying member (shout out to my 32 year old g/f LOL), I totally get it. It's only when you experience something 1sthand that you can formulate an opinion on it. Being 28, I know that I'll never date a woman in her 20s again. It's not to say that they're all bad or they have can be lumped into 1 category. But personally, I think I needed to grow up in order to truly appreciate how much women differ in terms of lifestyle choices, attitudes, and personal responsibility. So with that said, I can't date a woman in her 20s for the following reasons:

1) They're too pressed for wrong type of commitment: It's been said in tons of articles that women are bred to wanna be mothers and wives. Biblically it's what they're supposed to do. But women in their 20s tend to have this naive way of how commitment works. They tend to want it without putting up anything to get it. That is, they wanna "break" a dude and mold him into their idea of what a husband is supposed to be. They have this image of what a successful black couple should be and swear up and down that they're Michelle Obama, who's deserving of a Barack. Commitment isn't about a ring or a piece of paper of a huge ceremony. Commitment is about knowing and accepting who your partner is and not forcing your ideals onto him. Commitment is having the same goal in mind in terms how to keep your relationship functional. And lastly commitment is about dedicating yourself to making sure the scale is always even. Don't make or demand that a dude gives so much of himself and all you do is take and/or criticize when it's not enough

2) They care what their SINGLE friends think: When women get to be the age of 26-27, and they're still single, they sometimes get on this "what's wrong with me" thing. Often times, women will vent to their friends who also can't keep a man for longer than 60 days. Perhaps maybe you should stop letting your friends dictate how you approach a relationship. I've heard so many females talk about how such and such got married or how such and such doesn't think a dude is right for them. Who cares what your friends think? Do they keep you warm at night? Can they take you on picnics in the park? Can they get down on 1 knee? Your friends are there to help you, no doubt. But don't let their opinions on a guy or a situation take the place of yours

3) They do too much social networking: Yeah, I know everybody is on Facebook and Twitter. I am too! But I've come to find that women, relationships, and social networking just don't mix. Women in their 20s kinda live their life via their Facebook/Twitter page. They change their status every few hours, they add photos from every single event they attend, they sometimes drunk text/post...and of course there's the dreaded tagged photos section LOL I'm sure many women have used social networking to do research on a dude or try to catch their dude in a lie...why is all that necessary? It most likely stems from a place of insecurity. But if you'd rather tweet or comment on a friend's status than pay attention on a date, that's a big problem. And even worst, no dude's gonna wanna approach you when you're staring at your phone with your head down

4) They try to be the man: So yeah Steve Harvey has his book out and black women allowed it to be a best-seller. But seriously, do you realize how many men you're driving away by applying that "knowledge"? By staying 1 step ahead of us or trying to always figure us out, you're taking away so much of the mystery that is the male gender? Every man is different and after skimming Steve Harvey's book, I really feel like what he wrote is NOT characteristic of black males. Some of it is true and can apply, but for the most part, yeahhhhh no. Personally I feel like Hill Harper's The Conversation is a better choice! Or even Paul Brunson's site is an realistic look into the male mind. Guy language seriously is not that hard to decipher. For the most part, when you're dealing with a REAL man, what he says is what he means. And his actions will reflect that. I think that's the crucial aspect women miss out on, ACTION is everything

5) They club too much: It's fun in your 20s to go to All-Star, South Beach Memorial Day Weekend, Summer Jam, your school's homecoming, and be in the club every Thurs-Sun. However that gets old very fast. Women who are in the club every week aren't appealing. Matter fact, that makes you kinda 1-dimensional. If the only time a man can see you having a good time is when you have a shot of Tequila in your hand, it's hard for him to take you seriously. My homegirl said it to me a few weeks back: being simple is so hard for people to do! There's nothing impressive or sexy about spending $200 on a dress, $400 on a pair of shoes, and $150 on a clutch purse all to be at the club before 12 so you can drink all night.

Now don't get me wrong. There are women in their 20s who don't fit in these categories. They have old souls and take pleasure in doing things that exercise their mind, body, and spirit. But for me, women in their 30s is where it's at! They understand the balance in a relationship, they have set expectations that don't change month to month, they're able to effectively communicate what they expect and don't tolerate. Most importantly, they're not out to fulfill a status quo. They don't care about doing what's "cool" or "popular". Women in their 30s tend to know what contributes to their happiness and they create that environment instead of trying to fit into a template.

Get Your Grandpa Por Favor!

2010-07-07T11:17:00.001-04:00

Famous Black Men DO Love Black Women

2010-07-07T11:00:00.001-04:00

For as much as black women complain about us dating white/spanish women, ya'll are real convenient to forget the black men who love, marry, and stay faithful to beautiful black women...I swear sometimes it seems like black women wake up to complain about any and everything they can smh...I don't think ya'll realize that just because you're a black woman doesn't equate to a black man wants to date you...it goes so much deeper than that! And when you find that out for yourself, maybe you can get yourself a good brotha

Doing a lil research, here is just a short list of famous black men who love AND are married to black women...there are quite a few others in both sports, music, and Hollywood

Now Ya'll Blaming the Pastors?

2010-07-02T15:51:00.002-04:00

Normally I don't comment too much on the state of black relationships and why people are single...I think the single life is a CHOICE, not for lack of options! If you're a black woman and truly in sync with your culture, you should know that there's a solid population of single black men. Hell, just look at the Greek population alone! Between my brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha and fellow Greeks from Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Iota Phi Theta, and Phi Beta Sigma, there are thousands of good brothers that have their head screwed on tight and would probably make a good partner. But in the last 4-5 years, it seems every type of media (from bloggers to collegiate/scholarly journals) are attacking the so-called "plight" of the single black woman. This week, I caught a posted link from 1 of my frats about how now church is to blame for the high percentage of single black women...really? Seriously?

In case you didn't see the article of any of the other blogs, check it out here "Black Churches Blamed..."

This is my personal stance...for any woman that is currently single it's for 1 of 3 reasons...a) she simply chooses to be, b) she's too picky, or c) she lives in an area where there's not a wide enough selection of black men. Some articles have suggested that women need to be more open-minded and date outside of their race. I personally think that's a possibly worth exploring, especially since this world isn't JUST black and white. But for those of who aren't interested in dating outside your race, then look at the male population around you. Do you surround yourself with positive, socially-upward, progressive, family-minded men?

The major flaw I see in these so-called studies that researchers put out is they examine very small pools of people. For example, Atlanta is NOT the end all-be all for the black community. Neither is Detroit, Charlotte, or Chicago. In those cities, yeah black is the leading majority minority. But common sense should tell you, if you examine a study where something is in high demand of course the supply is gonna be on the lower end. I'll stick to Atlanta since that seems to be the favorite city researchers and the media like to pick on...Atlanta has become a major entertainment hub. Which in a nutshell means EVERYBODY wants to be a star! Real talk, there's a shortage of regular 9-5 people in Atlanta. Yeah men might have a college degree, but they moonlight as an "aspiring" manager, rapper, singer, model, actor, producer, writer, or any other variation. So if you're a black woman who just wants a man that has a stable job and leads a normal, lowkey life, you're gonna be hard-pressed to find that in Atlanta

I'm not gonna ramble on about this topic. But I just thought it was disgraceful for a study to be put out kinda insinuating the black church in a negative portrayal. Yeah single, STRAIGHT black men may not go to church regularly like black women do. However that doesn't mean that a woman should fall back on her participation attendance in church. For me, being in a relationship is all about personal responsibility...If you want a good man, you'll make the time and put yourself in environments where you can find 1! And that time shouldn't take away from your spiritual dedication to God or your church

The-Dream Steps It Up

2010-07-02T15:36:00.004-04:00

Even though it's only July, I think LoveKing is the best R&B album to drop this year! If you're a Prince fan, this CD will resonate with you...Chris Breezy needs to give Terius some dance moves though

Mic'd Up: Range (Roc Nation)

2010-07-01T14:55:00.006-04:00

* I'm not a music "blogger", I'm just a normal dude who digs all types of music...so every week I'm gonna post up whatever music I had in rotation for the week

With that said, I got turned onto this new artist, Range, from a homey of mine. So I did a little research to see what else Range has done...and seems he's the 1st R&B artist signed to RocNation and also wrote Luda's "1 More Drink". Not bad for a guy most of us probably have never heard of

He has a new mixtape out this week and I'm kinda impressed. The male R&B genre has gotten so dry since about 2000/2001. Most dudes come out and their stuff is all about smashin' and poppin bottles. To me, that's NOT what R&B is about. It's supposed to be about love -- giving, receiving, losing, and finding. So I actually have been listening to this joint all week...click to download

Can I Make I Trade?

2010-06-29T11:12:00.001-04:00

Since Taco Bell had a "s" at the end? LOL

Residents of Cougar-Town

2010-06-29T10:24:00.003-04:00

I swear women over 35 are FUEGO! MUCHO FUEGO! And watching the BET Awards Sunday, I couldn't but realize how many women over 35 are mothers but still fine as hellll! So here's my list of Black Hollywood's sexiest moms OVER 35! (don't get mad because I didn't include the young joints, they don't count because their tails are still hot)

I Forgive You Chris

2010-06-28T03:05:00.002-04:00

I'll go on record and say that BET redeemed itself in my eyes by allowing Chris to pay proper homage to the legend, the icon, the musical genius, Michael Jackson. Many people are still anti-Chris and based on the other blog comments I've read, ya'll negros can't be satisfied with nothing! I swear, black people love to complain about complaining. It's a damn shame that we as a community have persecuted this young man, but we're quick to scream Free TI, Free Wayne, Free Boosie, Free Gucci. Niggas that have a long record of doing side sh-t. WTF kinda nignorance is that?

I'm not gonna make this post about Chris's mistake, but I'm gonna focus on the positivity he added to the stage at the 10th BET Awards.

When I was reminded of Chris's 2007 VMA tribute during an MJ tribute show Friday night, I had to recall that Chris is hands-down 1 of the best R&B performers out right now. *what's the title of my blog? hmm hmm ok then* Ever since his huge single "Run It", Chris has showed that he can sing his butt off, he can dance better than most choreographers, and he has the charisma to have lil girls (like my 6 yr old niece) and women as old as 40 lust after him. He has that likeability that makes male performers stick around. Kinda like ummmmm, oh yeah, MICHAEL JACKSON! Now don't get all hyped, I'm not putting Chris on MJ's level because nobody can reach that. But Chris has the closest potential out of all his competition.

I just posted a few days ago that "Man in the Mirror" is my favorite video of all time. It was imperative for that to be a part of Chris's tribute. The young man has faced alot of adversity, negativity, and probably insecurity since his mistake. He's been blackballed from awards shows, after-parties, and even banned in the UK. Reality is this was Chris's last shot to really take his redemption into his own hands. In my opinion, the tears he shed during that song were genuine and raw. You gotta think, dude was only 20 when the situation went down. He was in his prime as far as popularity goes and to see that taken away and people write you off like everyone did has to hurt. Yeah ok he brought on himself, yeah ok, no man should hit a woman. I get all of that and I agree. But we've forgiven less popular people for bigger mistakes. So why not Chris?

I hope this performance tonight is the start of us as a music lovers' community as well as the media open back up to Chris and his amazing talent. The real tragedy would be letting that fall by the wayside and let wackness like Mishon and Sammie attempt to take his place

Give Kim Her Credit

2010-06-25T14:00:00.002-04:00

You can love her, most women hate on her, but I 100% respect Kim Kardashian's hustle...and YES it is a hustle! Sure she talks about how she "loved' Ray J before she was famous and the whole Reggie Bush "we're together, we're not" thing is getting old. But in the bigger scheme of things, how can you not respect Kim's game play?

As a man I've noticed how she's quickly managed to rise to the top of many mens' list in terms of "I'd hit that"! But the funny thing is Kim is on her way to being 1 of the most recycled pieces of ass in the entertainment industry. Right alongside Pam Anderson, Drew Barrymore, and even Karrine Steffans, I wonder how many dudes will be able to say "me too" when it comes to the Kardashian cooter

The other great thing about Kim is she's serving as a great marketing and success barometer for some dudes we'd previously kinda written off. I mean yeah, Ray J had his own fame as a child actor and young performer. But before the sex tape release, nobody was really checking for him. Since then, he's reignited his singing career, he's gotten 3 successful shows out of VH-1, and just recently inked a major deal with Universal. Could he have done that without Kim? Heck NO! Ray J likes to brag about how he makes chicks famous like Cocktail and Mz Berry, but without Kim's appearance and BS court run-ins about the sextape, people would still be calling him "Brandy's lil brother" (matter fact, maybe Kim should hook up with Miles aka Marcus Paulk for a quicky...hmm)

And apparently Kim has been running game on industry dudes for a minute now. Her ex-husband, Damon Thomas, is a record producer with The Underdogs. If you're 1 of those who steals music and never know who wrote what, the Underdogs produced/wrote "No Air" (Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks), "Please Don't Go" (Tank) and the Dreamgirls soundtrack. So even though they had divorced prior to these hits, perhaps Kim was the Grammy-award winning songwriter/producer's muse

I won't even mention the whole Reggie Bush thing because to me that dude is a straight simp. The sad thing is I really believe he actually loved/loves Kim. He shoulda stayed clear of becoming a rebound smh. She says they broke up because she couldn't take Reggie flirting with other women and then there was that weird footage of the video chick being in Miami house.

So in short, when I think of Kim Kardashian, I think of the movie Good Luck Chuck with Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. Sure Kim is nice to look at and she's got all the connects in media to keep a dude relevant. But eventually they'll see the light of day and move on without her. I don't agree with playing with people's hearts, but Kim has dodged the shot to the heart so far. More power to her!

Best Video EVER! (RIP King)

2010-06-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 1 year anniversary in the untimely death of musical genius Michael Jackson. I think right alongside 9/11/2001 and the inauguration of Barack Obama, everybody in the world will always remember where they were when the news broke of MJ's death. As a parent, my heart broke for his kids, especially when his daughter Paris spoke at the televised memorial service. Even the toughest of thugs cried when that little girl talked about her dad. I think in the midst of being fans and supporters, we forget that when the spotlights dimmed and the costumes went back in their closets, Michael Jackson was just a dad like anyone else. Despite his death though, it's something about MJ that just always feels fresh and brand new.

MJ was ahead of his time in terms of great music videos. Aside from "Scream" being the most expensive video ever made, MJ was known to make statements and show culturally relevant topics in an artistic manner. Out of the thousands of videos that I've watched a kid, teenager, adult, "Man in the Mirror" is still and will always be the BEST VIDEOS EVER! The way this video was edited allows it to be 1 of those videos that stands the test of time