It's Spring Again

spring: (verb), sprang or, often, sprung; sprung; spring⋅ing; noun, adjective
–verb (used without object)
1. to rise, leap, move, or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position: to spring into the air; a tiger (or MONK) about to spring.

2. the season between winter and summer: in the Northern Hemisphere from the vernal equinox to the summer solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice.

3. the first stage and freshest period: the spring of life.


Today is the twentieth day of the month of March in the year two-thousand and nine.

It is officially the first day of SPRING - my favorite season of the four. If I were a poet writing a poem about "spring", I'd start it off by saying:

*clears throat*

"Spring...*insert long ass pause*...is FRESH
Fresh...*insert another long ass pause*...is SPRING
I love the Freshness of Spring"

*the crowd erupts in a sea of finger snaps*

***SIDENOTE: I have that copywritten and if it's used without my written consent, I will sue. Thank you. END SIDENOTE***

On the real, Spring represents a time of the year where many things are given birth or rebirth to. Flowers bud. Trees spout leaves. Grass grows and turns greener. Mosquitos, flies, bees, ants, and other insects reemerge to feast on our bar-b-ques, pool parties, picnics and trash. Pollen coats our cars and our allergies fuck up our days due to constant nose-running, sneezing, coughing, itchy, red-eyes (the shyt tends to stick to my contacts), boy meets girl and they both possibly become...well, sprung. As Lisa Lisa would say, "Que sera que sera."

Gotta love the spring.

I'm taking this day to soak in the wonders of Spring. However, I also must focus on the rebirth that comes with it. By now, many of us have broken our New Year's resolutions and whatnot (if we had any...do people still make those??), but take Spring as a moment to get revitalized and rejuvenated. To be perfectly honest, my focus wavered throughout the first quarter of this year but I woke up this morning feeling different. A good different. With spring comes a time for self-evaluation. No beating yourself up over situations you may or may not have any control over. Just acknowledging things. And proceeding on.

I'm just talkin' shyt y'all. Take it for what it's worth. Just excuse me as I "rise, leap, move or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position."

Jeah!!

Here's a gem from the diabolical Biz Markie..."It's Spring Again"
Enjoy!!

Eff Tha Police!! part TWO!! - T.G.F.V.

Now C'mon...we've been seeing this for 1.5 decades on videotape. Someone getting brutalized by the police unjustly. It's a known fact that criminals hold court in the streets. But all too often the police who are here to protect and serve, ARE the criminals. Who polices the police?

It's still disheartening to me that police brutality runs rampant in many police departments throughout the country (or the world for that matter). What's even more disheartening is the fact that it happens (more than likely) on a DAILY BASIS, but receives very little recognition (if any) unless it's caught on video tape. Who would've thought that a $300 video camera owned by a stranger would save someone FIFTEEN YEARS of their LIFE for allgedly assaulting a police officer??

Let's ponder that for a moment...

FIFTEEN YEARS = 5475 days = 131,400 hours = 7,884,000 minutes. That's a LONG time to have your freedom and livelihood taken away for something you didn't even do. Hell, ONE minute is too long to be incarcerated unjustly. Any type of relationship you have with people on the 'outside' world will dramatically change resulting in lost connection, out of touch-ness (I don't care if that's not a word), and general strain on the relationship that causes an obvious distance. If dude has a young child, he essentially misses out on the most fundamental years of that's child's life. If he's married or have a significant other, the relationship is (9.9 times out of 10...maybe greater) dissolved. She moves on with her life with 15 years on the table. And not saying that this happens to all inmates, but the chances that he engages in homosexual sex is much greater given the years he's facing. His life is essentially ruined if/when he gets out. Felony on your record = hard to find a decent job (if any). No way of earning a fruitful living to support oneself and getting their life together easily leads to illegal activities. OR, If he finds a woman who looks out for him and cleans him up (proverbially speaking), more than likely, this will be the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that doesn't end well for either party. Not to mention, being somewhat out of the loop of what goes on in the "free world" for FIFTEEN YEARS will fuck with someone's mental quite a bit.

Given the situation at hand, dude in the above video could have easily been a victim to this type of circumstance. Luckily for him, someone caught the whole thing on tape which proved that he wasn't the aggressor.

I will say this...

This is by no means an isolated incident. It happens ALL the time, yet no one seems to give a fuck until they actually see it for themselves. Are we that blind? Are citizens SO afraid of exercising their right to police the police????

By the way, over the past day or so, the judge has handed down the sentencing to some former Atlanta Police Dept. officers who fatally shot 92-year-old Katherine Jonhston in a botched 2006 raid. The former officers did plead guilty for the tragedy after they had planted drugs in the home of Ms. Johnston in an attempt to cover up their fatal mistake.

When you think about the Sean Bell's, the Amaduo Diallo's, the Malice Green's and countless others, N.W.A's "Fuck The Police" proves to be a VERY relevant song even 20 years later.

Thank God For Video.

What's The Fuss About??

Just a day after President Barack Obama signed a stimulus bill that will hopefully jumpstart the US economy, the cartoon above appears in the New York Post. The cartoon can be looked at in a number of ways. Here's some excerpts from a story about it in the Huffington Post:

"A cartoon likening the author of the stimulus bill, perhaps President Barack Obama, with a rabid chimpanzee graced the pages of the New York Post on Wednesday. The drawing, from famed cartoonist Sean Delonas, is rife with violent imagery and racial undertones. In it, two befuddled-looking police officers holding guns look over the dead and bleeding chimpanzee that attacked a woman in Stamford, Connecticut."

"At its most benign, the cartoon suggests that the stimulus bill was so bad, monkeys may as well have written it. Others believe it compares the president to a rabid chimp. Either way, the incorporation of violence and (on a darker level) race into politics is bound to be controversial. Perhaps that's what Delonas wanted."

Of course it didn't take long at all for Rev. Al Sharpton to add his two pennies into the discussion:

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill."

"Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?"

I really paid no attention to the story or the cartoon and continued on with my Wednesday.

*rapping "La-Di-Da-Di" in my head to pass time*

Then, I stumbled across a couple of blogs that I frequent to find that people were up in arms about the cartoon. Commentors were demanding the head of the illustrator and his editor, expressing how it's a shame how people can STILL be so racist, and how they were totally SHOCKED about the cartoon. Well...well...well, needless to say, I was BEYOND SHOCKED my damn self. The cartoon and it being published in a mainstream newspaper didn't shock me AT ALL. I was SHOCKED at people still reacting this way when something like this comes out!!

Really??

First, if you're really offended by cops shooting a monkey (and you're not a member of PETA) and you think it's racist, well monkey, you might as well call yourself a monkey then. (Not to be confused with "Monk" cause I'm no monkey...hahaaa) if you're not a monkey and don't subscribe to the notion of calling Black people monkeys then that means the cops just shot a monkey...not a Black person. Simple. You may even argue that the artist (and he IS an artist with freedom to express himself as he feels) is using satire and drawing from "monkey" and its historical text to describe Black people. I may have to check, but I thought satire was supposed to be funny. And I KNOW funny. This cartoon is the anti-funny. It's obvious why he created such a work (but I'll get to that later).

Secondly, why are these grown ass muafuggas still so damn sensitive?? (I probably just offended some by calling them that...fuck 'em!) Imma need Black people in America to grow some fuggin' skin. Get...that...dirt (read: chip) off ya' shoulders please. What ever happened to "sticks and stones" and shyt? All y'all gonna do is get mad, fuss, yell, and shout...and not do a damn thing (action-wise) about it. That's all niggas do anyway is TALK. Even if you DO take action, what type of effect will it have. Someone will get fired or suspended, take a 3-6 month vacation, get another job paying MORE than the previous, and continue doing the same thing. They win. You lose. We should already know how that game goes. Imus anyone??

Thirdly, it's clear that this is all about creating the type of attention and controversy that you should come to expect with a new president. Especially with B.O. being a Black One. (Get it? B.O. = Barack Obama = "Black One"...I cracks myself up...lol!!) Perfect timing on their part. They knew how niggas would react and you fed right into it...just like some...well, niggas. Oh yeah, guess what. Newspaper sells are down, but guess who's 'bout to sell a whole bunch today?? You're right genius...the New York Post. Checkmate. Mission Accomplished.

I'm done. I'll let Chris take it from here...


Your thoughts?

I wonder how many children feel like this...

A Kid Whose Parents Just Got Divorced Writes A Book
Pretty Funny from a kid's perspective...LOL!!

Random Thoughts And Such...

What's Up My Good People!!

I haven't done a random thoughts posting in a looonnnng time and I feel it's quite overdue. It's something I used to do my myspace blog more often so I'll guess I'll just do it on this joint here. Also be sure to check out PresidentialTelevisionandFilm.ning.com for other blogs, videos, and info that's sure to keep you edutained.

Alright, let's get into it:

***THOUGHT NUMBER ONE:

FUCK THESE RUMORS!! Of course the past few days have been full of media attention, rumors, and blogs about Chris Brown and Rhianna. It's funny how everyone and there mama has something to say about this when No One besides them know the full story. I've read sites where these supposed omnipotent know-it-alls talking 'bout how CB needs his ass whooped and RiRi deserved it for giving him the herps. Media outlets have reported shyt, just to later retract their stories. Everyone's speculating and passing judgements when they don't know shyt. What part of the game is that? I guess people will be people.

Anyhow, what's kinda getting to me is people's reaction in general. I mean damn...the way some are talking about it you would think World War III had just started or the pope pimp slapped Mother Teresa or something. I'm by no means making light of what's a very serious situation (and issue that has haunted human relationships for eons), I'm just saying enough with the spreading of unvalidated information.

***THOUGHT NUMBER TWO:

I wonder do other species abuse their mates in such a way humans do. Anyone knows?

***THOUGHT NUMBER THREE:

For those who know me, you already know where you can find me every Thursday or Friday - the Barber Shop. That's right, it's a MUST that I get a funky fresh cut every week without fail. My lifespace just isn't right without it and that's just how I get down.

On the other hand, some people look like they've recently become allergic to barber clippers. I'm not one to knock the next for having their own style (regardless of how peculiar and fucked up it is), but DAMN. Do these cats have friends or just a bunch of 'yes' men? Friends don't let friends do THAT shyt.

On a sidenote, at what point in an artist's career do they just become so egotistical where they say "Fugg It...I don't need a stylist. I can do this shyt myself!!" They're absolutely right. They CAN do it themselves, but doing it RIGHT is a whole 'nother thing.

Which brings me to...

***THOUGHT NUMBER FOUR:

Why do so many artists feel like they can do EV-ER-Y-THING? I feel like there's definitely truth in the saying, "Jack of all trades, master of none." If you're hot or hot and people are going to naturally gravitate towards you, but there are some things that you KNOW that you shouldn't be doing.

At least respect folks that actually do the shyt and get pointers from them first or get a fuggin' mentor. Just because you rapdoesnt mean that you should direct your own video. Just because you sing and can perform onstage does not translate to you being a good thespian.

Some people are triple threats and whatnot, but most aren't...so cut that shyt out.

***THOUGHT NUMBER FIVE:

I read a story today talking about how KFC has gone through drastic measures to keep their "secret" recipe unknown to the public for several decades now. They just found a new home that will house I guess the original paper that the eleven herbs and spices were written on.

Have anyone had KFC lately?

I'm not Chef BoyArdee or anything but I can tell you what's in their chicken. Grease, Grease, and mo' Grease...that is all. It's not tasty. It's quite uninspiring. And I don't even fuck with their "sides"...lol!! Now Pop-eyes, that's my shyt!!

***THOUGHT NUMBER SIX:

I was on one of my favorite sites, VSB, earlier, and the Champ basically gave three good things that someone can do if they don't have no one to spend Valentine's Day with. Very Funny Shyt!! My suggestion was this:

"Monk { 02.11.09 at 9:31 am }
“I got an idea, that I wanna share / You don’t like it, so what, I don’t care”

*Cool points to whoever can guess what HipHop classic these lyrics came from*

Here’s my idea:

In the words of Junior Mafia, “F*ck bytchez, Get Money…F*ck n*ggaz, Get Money!!”

That’s right!! While everyone else is out spending money that they really don’t have, you can be making it. If you’re a poet, put your pen to the pad, and write some romantic lovey-dovey words and sell them shyts. Be as creative as you wanna be. Make floral arrangements and sell them shyts. Make your own goodie bag of treats with various chocolates and candies, tie it to a bottle of wine and sell them shyts. Everything’s over-priced any way, so create a price point that’ll help you beat out the competition but still make a good profit. If you’re not doing anything during the day on Friday, fill up the tank and be that “special delivery” guy/gal and charge people to deliver gifts to their loved ones while at work. Put an ad on craigslist if you want to advertise.

Whether you’re lonely or not at the end of the night, you’ll feel a lot better in the company of presidents."

I'm by no way suggesting that money is a replacement for love, but I am suggesting that large companies aren't the only ones who should cash in on this. Cease the moment and shyt.

***THOUGHT NUMBER SEVEN:

Damn. Barack been in office almost a month already and he haven't painted the White House BLACK yet?? What's he waitin' on for cryin' out loud?? I thought he was about "change"??????

That's all for now...catch you next episode.

Throwback Video: "You Must Learn" by BDP

In honor of Black History Month, I just wanted to post this video from one of the greatest emcees of all time, KRS-ONE and his BDP crew. It's hard to believe that this song came out TWENTY YEARS AGO. 1989...WOW!! Actually, after listening to Kris' verses in this song, it inspired me to look up some of the historical figures he mentioned and I learned a lot. I vividly remembering finding out that Madame C.J. Walker did not only just invent the straightening comb, but she was the first female (black or white) who became a millionaire through her own business. I thank KRS (and HipHop) for that.
Anyway, enjoy and spread the knowledge and shyt.

Oh yeah, I have a pleasantly delightful post that will provide a little more insight to the GREATNESS of Madame C.J.Walker later in the week. Stay Tuned.

Hi, Mr. O'Reilly!!

"Respected highly, hi Mr. O'Reilly / Hope all is well, kiss the plaintiff and the wifey"
- Ludacris "Number One Spot"

These sly lyrics were penned by Luda as somewhat of a backhanded shout out to the ultra conservative talk show host after he faced sexual harrassment charges from one of his show's producers. He settled out. For millions.

The top-rated cable news host has said he was humiliated by the suit, which charged that he spoke to Mackris about sexual fantasies, masturbation and vibrators while sometimes seeming to pleasure himself. But for O'Reilly to strike a settlement without an expression of regret, which is often demanded in litigation against high-profile figures, is a partial victory that spares him further embarrassment.

Morelli did not respond to requests for comment last night.

Describing himself as an "object of media scorn," O'Reilly told viewers: "On a personal note, this matter has caused enormous pain, but I had to protect my family and I did. Some of the media hammered me relentlessly because, as you know, I am a huge target, as is Fox News. . . .
Washington Post

Karma's a muthafugga, ain't it? As some of you know, O'Reilly spearheaded a slanderous campaign against Ludacris' lyrics resulting in him losing a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Pepsi Cola.

Well, ol' Bill is at it again.

After a celebratory performance in honor of Barack Obama, Bill has lashed out at Young Jeezy and Jay-Z.


Now really, just in that brief clip, O'Reilly and Miller goes on to talk about a slew of things that has NOTHING to do with anything and it causes me to question what's his REAL motive. Jeezy thanked the journalist who threw shoes at Bush and the movers that moved Bush's stuff out of the White House. Jay-Z basically said he's tired of "Bush". Dennis Miller goes on to talk about hoes (apparently he's talking about how the word is used in hip hop music), the single-parent rate in the Black community, and even stoops to name-calling. Keep in mind, Jeezy nor Jay said nothing about hoes or having sex. Maybe he misconstrued or didn't catch Jay's wordplay on the "I don't want no more Bush" line. It's obvious that the underlined theme is being overjoyed that George W. is no longer the President of the United States and Barack Obama is. Anyway...Right after this, O'Reilly agrees with Miller and talks about the civility level of the artists.

Are you serious? After all the immature name-calling that he does on his show (pin-head), is he really going there with it?? Both of these dudes' obnoxious, insidious, close-minded personalities are on public display everyday on his cable and radio show. Is that what makes for good role models?

I'm just asking...

Now don't get me wrong. Sometimes I watch The Factor and O'Reilly and Miller make some valid points. The thing is, you have to listen REAL hard and not get distracted with the playground bickering and hollering that these grown folks do...on television...in front of an audience of millions...on a nightly basis.

All I'm saying is, Bill, be careful of who you throw under the bus. Although Jay-Z and Young Jeezy might not pose any threat to you, there's a shift in power coming. Cease with the playground tactics and stop throwing stones buddy.

16 Randoms a.k.a. What You Know About That?!

The homie qb tagged me a while back and since I just posted this on another site, I decided to post it on here also.


Ok, so I was tagged to make a "Random Things You Don't Know About Me" List. You've seen these before - the rules are you make the list and tag your other friends and they make their lists and tag mo' people, mo' people make their lists and tag even mo' people, even mo' people make their lists...well, you get the point...lol. Well rules are made to be broken so I ain't taggin' no one. If you read this and decide you want to make a list feel free to let me know though...hahaaa...

Now that that's out the way, let's get to it.

Aight, these are about to be VERY random.


1. I was born in Henry Ford Hospital, took driver's training at Henry Ford High School, have owned cars from the Chrylser and GMC (and foreign) families, but have never owned a Ford.

2. My favorite rapper is white and my favorite author is Black.

3. Oh yeah, I'm my own favorite author.

***EDIT: I don't think I'm a better writer, per say, than others, I just enjoy writing and I love going back weeks, months, years later and reading what I wrote. Besides, how can I be a better writer when I'm clearly in my OWN category??Duh...***

4. I was born on November 16th and approximately nine months before that is February 14th so I have a suspicion that I was conceived on Valentines Day. When I asked my mother about the possibility, she said she couldn't say for sure, but said they used to have some GOOD times on Valentines day. Thanks mom for making me throw up a bit in my mouth.

***EDIT: Since we're on the topic of birthdays and Valentines Day, I thought I'll throw this out there. My sister's Born Day is February 14th also which is of course Valentines Day. AND, she's due to have her first child, my first nephew, on or around that day this year. Cool.***

5. I learned a whole lot from listening to Gangsta Rap when I was younger. It's really more conscious than people give it credit for...it's all about what you take from it. Also, it was more genuine and less politically-correct (read: real) back then and not watered down with artists who ONLY concern is to sell records (oops...I mean C.D.'s...or mp3 downloads) and ringtones by compromising their integrity.

6. A primary reason why I voted for Barack Obama WAS because he's Black. Yeah, I said it. Of course he's the BEST person for the job, but beyond the issues, I felt the larger impact it would have on a global scale for the U.S. to elect a Black dude was serving US and the world a greater purpose. I liked Hillary's healthcare plan better actually.

7. "Different World", "School Daze", and Freak-Nik '94 (I was a senior in high school) ALL played a part in my decision to attend Clark Atlanta University.

Oh yeah, the Communications Dept. too.

8. My moms and pops (I only have one of each but I tend to throw "s"'s on it) were both born on March 4th. Pops is exactly one year older than my moms.

***EDIT: There goes that birthday thing again...***

9. My pops recently told me that when moms was pregnant with me, he wanted to have me aborted. I think this would have bothered some people to know this information, but it didn't affect me none.

10. I love rollercoasters. There isn't a one that I wouldn't get on. I also get a kick out of teasing people who are scared before, during, and after the ride...lol!!

11. I've never owned a pair of Jordans and probably never will. I don't think they're all that fly and something that trendy is definitely not worth the money in my opinion.

12. I love spending time with me better than anyone else. Hangin' with friends, family, or a loved one is always cool, but I NEEDS my "me time". I've always said that if I decide to get married, I would have to have a room or area of the house just for myself. If my wife doesn't like it, she could leave. LOL!!

13. I want to go to Africa. I know that sounds a bit like Nas in "Belly", but I'd like to travel the continent. It has absolutely nothing to do with tracing my roots or going back to the Motherland or any other corny shyt you hear Black folks say...I just wanna go. Traveling Europe and Asia are also on the list, but not as high as Africa.

14. I love going on jet boats, jet skiing, parasailing, and getting in the pool, but I can't swim if my life depended on it.

15. My favorite type of food is seafood with pizza coming in a close second. I do think the idea of seafood on a pizza is the most disgusting thing ever though. **SIDENOTE: I think it's kinda funny that I love pizza sauce, marinara sauce or whatever you wanna call it...but I HATE tomatoes. And yes, I just checked dictionary.com to see if I spelled the plural version of tomato correctly. END SIDENOTE** lol!!

16. To piggy-back off my sidenote, I like looking up shyt and learning stuff I didn't know before. If someone uses a word in which I don't know the meaning of, I won't hesitate to ask them or go to dictionary.com and look it up myself. I also google shyt at least three times a day to find out more information. Knowledge Is Power people...lol.

***BONUS TIDBIT***

17. I don't think I like being tagged for shyt like this...lol. But I'll chalk it up anyway :-)

Black Woman STILL Walking

Don't forget to check me out at PresidentialTelevisionandFilm.ning.com


"What These Bitches Want From A Nigga??" - DMX

Sorry, just felt like saying that...

Ok. This is a short documentary that's been floating around the intranets for a minute now. It's a topic that many of my female counterparts have spoken with me in disgust about on many occasions. Here's the scenario:

Black Girl walks down a street minding her own business. She encounters a few Black Boys hanging out talking about shyt that Black Boys talk about - Girls, sports, Girls, politrix, Girls, music, Girls, cars, Girls, their busta ass homeboy, Girls, what I'mma do when I get my money right, Girls, etc....you know the typical shyt. Oh yeah, did I mention Girls? Anyway, Black Girl walks by Black Boys and a couple of them make comments about her body parts...all of them check out her ass as she passes by. Black Girl ignores their comments to the best of her ability. Black Boys talk amongst each other about the Black Girl focusing their conversation on physicalities. Black Girl feels disrespected. End Scenario.

This scenario plays itself out time and time again at the workplace, on the train, in the mall, in the club, on the beach, at the bar-b-que, in the classroom, at church, at the zoo, everywhere countless times a day.

I feel the women in the video make a valid point about being harrassed (if it gets to that point), but the question that lingers in my head is what about the alternative. What if guys didn't react that way and ignored the sistas as they walked by? Better yet, what if dudes paid the sistas no mind, but showed their interest (disrespectful or not) to white women or women of other ethnic backgrounds?

Speaking in general, women seem to go that extra route to make themselves more attractive on a daily basis with the goal of being appealing all the time. That leads me to believe that they wish for their effort to not go without being appreciated. Obviously some brothas who may be lacking in the manners department go about it the wrong way, but if they didn't at all, what effect would that have on the female psyche? Would they in turn feel undesireable?

***WARNING: HARSH REALITY CHECK COMING IN 5...4...3...2...1...***

NONE OF THE CHICKS IN THE DOCUMENTARY WERE EVEN DIMES!! Not that it matters (although it maybe does) but, it would've been nice if Tracey Ross would've had a couple of knockouts that she interviewed. Truth be told, dudes tend to switch up their approach (read: game) depending on what the woman looks like. I'm not saying that gorgeous women don't fall prey to the immaturity and lack of respect that some dudes have, but I think that there will be a difference in the dynamic.

My Good People, what do YOU think?

***SIDENOTE: "What These Bitches Want From A Nigga??" was actually the working title of this post...aren't you glad I changed it? LOL!! I'm silly like that. Sue me. END SIDENOTE***

A Heartbreak Fa' Real

I hope y'all join me over at PresidentialTelevisionAndFilm.ning.com.


Damn.

I guess all good things must come to an end.

"The Cosby Show" and "A Different World" back-to-back on Thursday nights...

The days when hardcore rappers didn't water their music down with R&B to sell records to the bytches...

Living carefree, wearing your play clothes all day, and not even having the mental capability to even fathom the thought of paying a damn bill.

Don't you miss those days? Yeah...*eyes watering up*...me too. But as I said, *sniffle*...all good things must come to an end and such is the case with Mr. Kanye West's stellar onslaught of bangin' ass albums.

Since 2004's "College Dropout", I was an instant fan of Kanye's. From the beats that transcended being mere "beats" and more like intricate masterpieces of composition, to his content and subject matter that spoke to my personal experience more than other shyt out there, to his lyrical passion. It was a far cry from him being a lyrical genius, but certain lines displayed a potential that could only grow. Not to mention the videos that accompanied the disc. "Through The Wire",
">"It All Falls Down" (with the lovely Stacey Dash), the three "Jesus Walks" joints, "Workout Plan", and the rare "Two Words" - all of which were dope in their own right.
***SideNote: Please click those links to re-experience the dopeness of those videos. EndSideNote***

"Late Registration" picked up right where "Dropout" left off at and "Graduation" completed the trilogy.

But now in the year of 0 to 8, Kanye releases "808 And Heartbreaks". This album has to be the most asstastic shyt I have heard since there was a white group calling themselves the Young Black Teenagers. Honestly, some of Kanye's songs of the past have been a bad song "for Kanye" being that his music is dope 93.5% of the time. But not this collection of uninspiring, lackluster, just plain BORING play of songs.

The voicecoder or autotune shyt needs to be laid to rest if your name isn't T-Pain. Not saying I condone his usage, but that's HIM. I accept that and he manages to make it work no matter how much we may front. Sure he stole it from the Teddy Riley's, Roger Troutman's, Cameo's, etc., but they stole it from Stevie Wonder (who is arguably the greatest artist of all-time). Being that Stevie KNOWS his voice isn't the GREATEST (c'mon now...he's a musical genius...he knows what his voice sounds like) he's opted to use that shyt too. Don't front.

But, what I'm asking is this. Did Kanye just decide to make an R&B/Alternative album and attempt to sing in the process? Like fa' real?? Is this the SAME dude that was LIVID a few years ago because folks didn't recognize him as an emcee/lyricist??

Maybe I'm wrong for being a Kanye fan and actually appreciating his flow. This singing shyt is WACK!!

Now...

I don't mean to get too personal, but being that music has been my mother, father, brother, sister, wife, girlfriend, booty call, bestfriend, associate, and even the nigga on the block I just see occassionally...I like to think that I know when it's being good or bad to me. I also know that history says that great artists make some of their greatest music when life's trials and tribulations are weighing heavy on their souls. We've seen it too many times for me to give examples.

In the past year, Mr. West has definitely gone through more than his fair share of life's unfortunate dealings. And although I hear the pain in his music, I'm sorry, it just doesn't make for great (or even good) songs for him.

Really, I think I saw all of this falling into play but purposely ignored it last year. When I first heard "Stronger", I immediately skipped past that joint within the first 20 seconds. And THEN, he released it as a single and it garnered rave reviews from his international audience. The video (although directed by Hype) was wack to me. *thinking to self, DAMN, I hope Common's not going down that same road after "BE"with his new joint*

Although I haven't heard for myself, the word is out that Common's new joint is pretty wacktacular itself. Again, I haven't heard so I can't speak for myself...but I'm just sayin'...

Maybe I'm just trippin' on my man Kanye.

But. What do y'all think????