so I blog for a quick fix...

spend days wondering if my son really gets these lessons

all work and no sleep like graveyard shift
if I have to build it by hand I’ll do it brick by brick
I ain’t complaining don’t get me wrong
just wanna know that it will all pay off
and I’m not talking about gates of heaven opening
I want my thoughts sprayed on the soul of the boy who never thought he was worth it
the one that thought he needed a razor to shed tears
cause the only difference between me and him is that I replaced the razor with a bic pen

I spend days wondering if my son will really get these lessons

if the game was based on passion
I’d be the champion
never retire never sit bench
I’ll take my last breath with the fans in the stands cheering the next man with no plan but to win

Labels: poem

I heard about this a while ago and planned on copping it just to support Outkast (I know its just Dre's album, but still!).

I know it's a soundtrack for a cartoon, but it's Dre who's just as melodic as he is pimp. So at the least it'll be some good music I can play with Caleb.

Labels: music, outkast

This is a video of Lupe Fiasco's song 'He Say She Say.' I'm not sure if it's an official release but its aaaight. Stick it out through the end, I like the exchange between father and son... and the way the father's character develops throughout.

I played this song for Caleb a while ago and tried to break it down to him. I was telling him how some of my favorite songs tell a story 'like this one.' He actually took a liking to Lupe. There's a song where Lupe raps about a thug that comes back from the grave that he really likes- again a song with a story.

Much respect to Lupe for realeasing an album I can actually listen to with my son.

Labels: music

check it: www.tupacrevelation.com

"Tupac: Revelation lays out the entire 'plot' and shows how events actually happened versus how it was portrayed to the public. It points out failures of police officials to fully investigate and to follow up on leads and to even interview all the important parties involved. Everyone believes they know the reasons the murder of Tupac has remained unsolved; this DVD backs it up; it doesn't just assert police mismanagement- it proves it. Everyone believes there has been a level of deception by certain individuals; this DVD documents it. It shows the levels of success certain parties have had in planting rumors to make everyone look in the wrong direction. By the time this DVD ends, the "smoke" of hood rumors is dissipated and a clear picture appears. Alexander and Bond have done something that the hip hop community has been waiting over 10 years for; they are providing facts that could finally bring justice for Tupac (2Pac) , his mother Afeni Shakur, and for the family and all the 'extended family' of Tupac Shakur."

Labels: 9th wonder, music

Does anyone remember MCM sweat suits from back in the day? The ones with MCM all over. I seriously thought it stood for "Making Cash Money," but it's an acronym for "Mode Creation Munich."

To the point:

I was reminded of the acronym while I was in class this morning. In addition to Geography I'm taking Communications: Journalism, Race, and Gender (Dope class, 8 in the morning and I can't wait to get there). So far we've talked about how we get our values, beliefs, and worldview through communication. Today we get most of our communication through Mass Commercial Media, or what I call MCM. MCM's purpose is to maximize profits by supplying 'viewers' to advertisers. We get our culture from MCM, whose sole purpose is "Making Cash Money."

Another way to look at it is through the art of storytellin' (shout to outkast). Before there was media people got culture through stories. People picked up their values and beliefs within their villages. With 'Electronic Storytellin' advertisers are telling the stories, giving us our values and beliefs. And advertisers don't know or give a fuck about us. It's all about "Making Cash Money."

Closer to the point:

Back to today's class... we were talking about the way women are portrayed in media. Women have always been portrayed as either sexual objects or as mothers/caregivers in mass media. I immediately thought of how rappers are always criticized for objectifying women. In mainstream rap (that which is packaged and sold for mass consumption), when a woman is mentioned she's either a Bitch or a Mother. Today in class we talked about how that objectification of women is as American as apple pie. Matter fact we spent two hours talking about it, and hip-hop or rap music was never mentioned. It is my belief that rap music is a direct reflection of our society. Not so much the lyrics, but the misogyny and machismo, the violence, the gluttony, the obsession with money, and more and more and more of all of the above.

The Point:

When MCM got a hold of hip-hop it didn't take long for them to find its most commercially viable form. It was the same campaign that had worked for every other successful product. A campaign that appealed to values that were proven to 'Make Cash Money:' Sex, Drugs, and Violence. Cut, cooked, packaged, and sold to the masses.

(It looks like he found the force)

I'm really looking forward to this. 'Be' has one of my favorite intros:

"I want to be as free as the spirits of those who left
I'm talking Malcom, Coltrane, my man Yusef
Through death through conception
New breath and resurrection
For moms, new steps in her direction
In the right way
Told inside is where the fight lay
And everything a nigga do may not be what he might say
Chicago nights stay, stay on the mind
But I write many lives and lay on these lines
Wave the signs of the times
Many say the grind's on the mind
Shorties blunted-eyed and everyone wanna rhyme
Bush pushing lies, killers immortalized
We got arms but won't reach for the skies
Waiting for the Lord to rise
I look into my daughter's eyes
And realize that I'ma learn through her
The Messiah, might even return through her
If I'ma do it, I gotta change the world through her
Furs and a Benz, gramps wantin 'em
Demons and old friends, pops they hauntin' him
The chosen one from the land of the frozen sun
When drunk nights get remembered more than sober ones
Walk like warriors, we were never told to run
Explored the world to return to where my soul begun
Never looking back or too far in front of me
The present is a gift
and I just wanna BE"

July 31st!

Labels: movies

Yesterday was my son’s last ‘introduction to basketball’ practice. Usually the only men in the gym are the coach, an older Asian man who looks to be in his late fifties early sixties, and myself. Yesterday there was another Asian man, probably in his late thirties early forties. He was clean cut, wore a sharp blue suit with a politicians red tie, and he held a Palm Treo in his hand. At times during the practice he’d pace, and when he was seated he sat with his left palm on his knee with his elbow cocked in the air. In a different time and place I might have mistaken him for a coach.

The new guy in the suit was a reminder of what I never wanted to be. So pressed for time I’d only be able, or only see fit to make an appearance at my child’s last practice. Before my son was born I always said I’d never work a 9 to 5. Whatever job I had I wanted to be able to pick my children up from school and make all their practices. Although I work a 9 to 5 today, I have the freedom to leave early to pick my son up from school and make all those practices. Yet, the new guy still has something I want.

Because yesterday was the last practice, all of the kids received trophies. The new guy gets to take his son home and pick out the perfect place to put his son’s first basketball trophy. Me, I scrambled to take the perfect picture of my son with his new trophy with my cell phone, because I knew it would be the last time I’d see it in person.

It didn't take me long to realize I was one of only two fathers that attended the practices. And in just the same way, yesterday it didn't take me long to realize that if I hadn't attended that practice I might have never seen my son's first basketball trophy.

Yesterday, I also got an award from my son’s school. The morning before I attended a year-end awards ceremony where my son received ten awards, ranging from ‘Excellence in Science’ to the ‘Honor Roll.’ His mother also received a ‘Classroom Parent Volunteer Award.’ I don’t say it a lot, but she puts in a lot of work when it comes to my son’s education. He’s on the ‘Honor Roll’ and the ‘Principal’s Honor List.’ So I was happy she did receive some sort of recognition.

That night my son called me to tell me I’d received an award too. He was excited and I played excited but I knew it was most likely the result of his teacher and I exchanging glances that morning. Maybe at the moment we locked eyes, she had the idea of giving me an award too. Something tells me that if me and my son's mom had still been together, I wouldn't have gotten an award. It was a nice gesture, but I took it as more of a token. Although, I’ve gone to his class to read a book on National Book Day (I think that’s what it’s called) and I’ve pretty much made an appearance anytime my son tells me to, I still see it as more of a token.


But it's the thoughts that count right! It was a good week. My son got his first basketball trophy and I got a picture of it. I also got an award with my name spelled wrong.

This video is from a Brother Ali show I went to last month.

The first time I heard Ali, he was opening for Murs. The homie Matt put me up on Murs and we were going to the Key Club go check him out. When Ali first stepped on the stage, I thought to myself, 'Fuck him! Bring Murs out.' From the moment Ali opened his mouth I was a fan. I purchased his first Rhymesayers release 'Shadows on the Sun' the next day and thoroughly satisfied.

I haven't seen a show that has outshines Ali's. His voice commands the crowd... throughout his set you can feel the connection he has with his fans. At the show he performed 'Walking Away,' a song where he speaks to his ex-wife. When the beat dropped the dudes in the room kept nodding their heads while the girls let out screams. It was the first time the female energy in the room outshined the males. 'Walking Away' is on Ali's new album 'The Undisputed Truth.' "I got my mind made up/I'm walking away/ Sometimes we just outgrow the roll that we play..." I relate off the concept alone, but I must admit... it tripped me out to see (forgive me) a bunch of suburban, trendy ass white girls go wild when the song came on. How the fuck could they relate? I guess it speaks to the raw emotion that's in Ali's music. How the fuck could I relate to a 50 Cent record (not so much 'raw emotion, but you get it)?

So here's a video. It's sideways and the sound is wack... a combination of Ali's powerful voice, my wack ass cell phone, and me bouncing with the crowd. Hopefully you'll get a taste and want to go purchase the full meal.

Em called me one night and told me they were playing a song by UGK, featuring Outkast on radio. 'International Players Anthem-' I looked it up first thing in the morning.

I'd remembered another song with the two groups. 'Tough Guy,' Outkast featuring UGK. That track was in the same vein as Stankonia. It had a choppy fast beat. I didn't know what to expect with this one. Would it be the stank drums or the southernplayalistic Cadillac sound of 'Player's Ball?'
BOTH! And I just might be walking down the aisle to it: