To Success...With Love

I Wanna Sex You Up....At Twelve????!!!!

2009-12-07T14:20:00.003-05:00

According to studies reflected in this video from CNN.com, 2 out of 5 kids are engaging in sexual intercourse without "the talk" from their parents. This could display many different issues: parents are waiting too long to inform their children about sex, kids are getting it in too soon, or both. To interact with the opposite sex as a youth meant that you were at risk of getting the cooties, now all that has changed. As time evolves, we have to evolve as people. Bottom line, people are choosing to have sex sooner. The more sex is considered to be a taboo, the more it becomes commonplace in society. Yes, that statement may seem contradictory, but think about it: as these conservative groups rise in numbers and demand for television, music, and movies to tame themselves, the more publicists, CEOs, and promoters use sex as a main selling point. As parent groups urge the FCC to censor media, the children of those same parents are indeed, getting it in.

But I digress, sort of. My question is can children make sensible, responsible sexual decisions without their parents giving them the rundown about sex? With schools now providing sexual education, is parental input becoming obsolete? What role does peer pressure and influence has on people deciding to have sex at an earlier age? Instead of just viewing this issue as "Kids are having sex too soon, this NEEDS to stop," there needs to be a thorough analysis on this situation. If this situation is not looked upon substantively, then a disaster can and WILL occur.

Survey on Affirmative Action

2009-12-07T09:48:00.002-05:00

So I'm in this class called American Culture 311: Race and Mixed Race, and I do have to say, I learned ALOT. So much so that the enjoyment I got from this class made me want to major in American Culture. But enough about me, on to my point:

I am part of a group that is doing a project on Affirmative Action. It's going to be a video project (hopefully I can post it on the blog when we're finished), with some statistics on people's opinions on the issue. In order that this project be a success, we need people to participate in a SHORT, anonymous survey about their opinions on Affirmative Action.

YOU CAN TAKE THE SURVEY HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE!!!!

PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!

The Air Up There

2009-12-07T09:41:00.003-05:00

The dudes from Skigh High have put out another mixtape, but it's not your usual mixtape. It's what they call an "internet mixtape." All unmixed, straight from their computer to yours. They want to give the people full access, and this is a great way of showing off their music, which is dope. Here's a little of what they want the people to know:

Skigh High ENT presents the first installment of many RAW, UNMIXED, UNMASTERED, UNCENSORED, COMPUTER MIC RECORDED REMIXES AND FREESTYLES coming straight from their computers to yours. This is the November/December Edition and they will be released up until the "Skigh High Projekt: Bars In the Stars" is released in the upcoming year of 2010. This is straight unedited, uncensored pure raw remixes. No Original Beats, just something to show lyrics, wordplay, style, delivery, not quality. We save the quality for the real songs. So I hope you enjoy, download, and spread. Thank You for your continous support of Skigh High ENT

You can download "The Air Up There" HERE or HERE
Remember, hit up their official artist page HERE

Internet Killed the Radio Star?

2009-11-18T14:55:00.003-05:00

It's like a gift and a curse...the joy and pain that is the internet.

Internet gives us information at our disposal at anytime we choose to get it, BUT internet also gives us information at our disposal at anytime we choose to get it. So instead of buying a newspaper, we may log on to the newspaper's website and keep our $1.25 in our pocket. And instead of buying a CD, we go on Limewire or find a torrent and download the album from the internet, and keep our $9.99-$13.99 in our pocket.

On the heels of @Wale's album release, in which homie only sold 26,000 copies of his album Attention Deficit, (its a great album by the way), I wonder how can the business of music industry recover and evolve with the changing technology. Granted, his label only shipped 30,000 copies of his record, which basically doomed him for failure, but what is the reason behind them shipping that low amount of records? In an industry that just a couple of years ago saw Lil' Wayne flip a million records his first week with Tha Carter III, and Jay-Z selling almost a half a million albums with BP3, how are these debacles happening, particularly with music considered "urban"?

Actual music evolves; the superstars of twenty, ten, even five years ago are constantly changing like a revolving door. But why can't the way that these industry execs do business undergo a metamorphosis as well?

Not saying that execs haven't tried to change their marketing tactics. With the emergence of artists like Soulja Boy, Drake, and others using the internet to their advantage to build a fan base, many labels (since the music industry, as a whole is a followers market), have used the internet to market their artists. But you don't see Soulja Boy selling a mil in his first week...

The consumers have alot to do with the lack of album sales as well. A lot of buyers (I have even uttered this, not even going to front), feel that the music industry has enough money, so I don't care if I buy this album or not. Fact of the matter is, it's a recession. Buyers and sellers are hurting, and a lot of good artists are suffering because of their "lack of marketability", not because of a lack of talent, originality, or quality music.

And quite frankly, I feel and observe that alot of the music that is bootlegged is considered to fall under the "urban" music category. Miley Cyrus (whose music I do enjoy) sells records. The Jonas Brothers sell records. Wale, unfortunately, doesn't. The former two's music are marketable to suburban/"Levittown" demographic; a demographic that tends to buy records. The latter, Wale, does not have that crowd held down. And honestly, studies have shown the urban demographic does not buy records at a rate comparable to the Levittown demographic.

So what are the solutions: change the essence of your music to crossover and sell? Stay you but possibly, and damn near likely, be unmarketable and thus unsuccessful record sales wise?

What to do?.....

Robin Thicke: "Sex Therapy"

2009-11-18T07:21:00.003-05:00

I've been bumping this song for about a month now. It's a different sound for Robin Thicke to me, and I'm feeling it. I've been a fan of his music since The Evolution of Robin Thicke (heck I brought the actual CD, and that is saying ALOT), and he has always been creative to me (don't forget those days when he was all "long hair don't care" and went by Thicke instead of Robin Thicke, whatchallnoboutdat). But enough about me and my love for Mr. Thicke, no porno. Watch the dang video!

Please Don't Shoot Me Down...

2009-11-18T07:07:00.004-05:00

How do you feel about this? What if they have something equivalent to South Africa's "shoot those bastards" policy here in America? Are they justified?
Yes, South Africa is a newly established "free" nation for the simple fact that Apartheid just ended in the nineties. You see the continued issues the United States are enduring because of race, and Jim Crow laws have been "eliminated" (technically) for about forty years. It is hard to break down discriminating, hegemonic structures (American Culture 311 for that boo-tay).
But seriously, "shoot to kill"? Shoot.to.kill. There is no misunderstanding when you, as a leader of a transitioning nation, a nation bound for greatness, make an order to shoot.to.kill. To "use deadly force....."
In the video, the reporter mentions that the police force is already inadequately trained to handle orders of this magnitude. But the bigger issue to me is why aren't they trained to handle the little things, so this shoot to kill policy would not be needed? Why aren't they trained in handling disputes and hostile situations non-violently? Yes, a crisis may escalate, and the use of force may be needed; however, violence, let alone gunplay and deadly force should be the LAST RESORT.
Like I said, this policy is going to get out of hand. Institutionalized Genocide.

Why The Fight Never Ends....

2009-10-27T18:27:00.002-04:00

There are times where I say eff school, without the euphemism. I procrastinate, I dream about hitting the lottery for big money and leaving this thing behind. But then I remember why I pursued getting a college education so much: the fight.

I couldn't really live without challenging myself. Life would be so boring. To lay down and not carry out the will that God has place within my soul, through my heart, pumping through my veins, is a disrespect to his name. It is a disrespect to all those who died for our right to be called 5/5ths of a person. Who perished for the privilege to vote in elections that at times, don't even work for us. Who were murdered for the seemingly inalienable right to obtain an education that was brutally denied 40+ years ago, and brutally refused today...

Brutally refused to a bloody, abrupt end....

Violence, like that seen in the sickening (that's the only way I can describe it) death of Derrion Albert can be a symbol for this refusal of rights that plague my demographic. However, violence of this magnitude is seen in any color, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian....the reaper is the most unprejudiced individual one can think of. But in this post, I am specifically referring to the thing I see everyday when I look in the mirror, the experience I live when, God willing, I open my eyes and take the inaugural breath of life each day. And in this post, I am declaring, I am imploring, I am YELLING: THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS.

As long as a man gets denied the right of enjoyment because of the color of his skin and not by the content of his character, THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS.

One Third of African-Americans are categorized as being impoverished? THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS.

As long as a BOASTS about its EIGHT PERCENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION, and it actually being one of the most diversified Tier One universities in America: THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS.

Life is a struggle. But we have to fight to LIVE. And I plan on living a long time....

Fashionably Late...I Hope

2009-10-27T18:08:00.005-04:00

So as I have a slight chance to peek my head above the drowning waters (I had to call off work for this...BIG WOMP), I would like to update my loyal readers (you would have to be loyal as hell to deal with me) on somethings I been meaning to post ages ago.

FIRST OFF: My dudes from NGC (Slapz, Marcus, and Steve), posted their mixtape Skool Boi Chroniklez on DatPiff and it's been doing really well. To date, it has 222 downloads, 36 favorites, and 4 Star ratings. GET IT BOYS!

NEXT: My dude @YungGooD has his new single into overdrive called "The Anthem." Sounds familiar: you probably heard it right here with GooD's artist spotlight this past summer. But if you HAVEN'T heard it, check it out now:

www.myspace.com/YungGooDradio

www.facebook.com/YungGooD

www.twitter.com/YungGooD

LASTLY: I'm going to introduce you all to my cuz, Chef K'Dot. He's an budding producer who cooks it up in the kitchen....not that illegal stuff, but beats people. He has a couple of links he wants me to share with you all. Check it out: he has some great stuff, and support my fam!!!

http://www.soundclick.com/kitchnmuzik

http://www.beatrelease.com/K-Dot_Da_Phenaam

Please support!

I Will Not Lose...

2009-10-23T12:01:00.002-04:00

Morning everyone!!! I am NOT DEAD!

But anyway, sorry for the delayed posting. School+work has gotten nuts. I can handle it, but the casualty has been this blog, which has been a source of comfort from me in the past. I WILL get back to posting though, soon.....

One luv :-)

NGC MIXTAPE HERE!!! SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLEZ!

2009-09-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

If you read this blog, and don't at least know one song about NGC, you're highly misinformed. These are my dudes! M-Dizz, Slapz, and DJ Bonecrusher have finally come to you with their highly anticipated mixtape: SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLES VOL. 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION. I repeat: SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLES VOL. 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION!

The mixtape constantly comes with heat. To me, some mixtapes have dull moments where you can skip over the tracks, but SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLES VOL. 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION never will put you to sleep. Every beat pops on the mixtape, drawing your attention to the track at hand. DJ Bonecrusher, also known as @SteveHarvin, gets you hype for the track with his wrangling of the mixtape. Slapz and Dizz's flows and lyrics are both refreshing and smooth.

To produce a work on this caliber, actively be part of Michigan State University (even though I go to the University of Michigan, I got love for MSU, until game time rolls around, ha ha), among other extra-curricular activities, you HAVE to respect the Nitty Gritty Committee (And don't EVER forget they hail from the GREAT Cass Technical High School, YASSSS).

Recently, my boys had a mixtape release party at the Venue near Michigan State in East Lansing, and they tore it DOWN. Video is coming soon with that, as well as an INTERVIEW with the men of NGC themselves. So stay tuned people. But in the meantime, I NEED you all to check out my boys' mixtape, SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLES VOL. 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION!!! Here are the download links, and I also have them as my playlist at the bottom of the page, so check it out people: SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLES VOL. 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION

DOWNLOAD HERE (ZSHARE)

DOWNLOAD HERE (DIVSHARE)

(P.S. You all may hear a special shoutout from Dizz/Slapz partially dedicated to yours truly...THANKS YALL!!! Ya girl hit the big time!!!!!)

UPDATE: HERE IS THE VID FROM THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THE VENUE LAST NIGHT

NGC: Stoopid (Ride)

2009-09-12T13:12:00.002-04:00

Don't forget that the NGC mixtape is coming out on SEPTEMBER 18TH. My boys are trying to go for glory with this one. Here is their dance track "Ride" featuring D. Rice and C. Will. This is definitely a banger, and it's proclaiming that they "don't swag no more," which I can definitely appreciate. The members of NGC are not followers, they're leaders, now check out NGC'S "Stoopid (Ride)"

DOWNLOAD HERE

RIP DJ AM

2009-09-02T18:11:00.002-04:00

So when I anticipated my return to blogging after getting myself settled back on campus, I didn't anticipate having to do two RIP posts: one on Ted Kennedy (not saying his death was expected, but he had brain cancer, and he lived a full life), and one on world-renown DJ AM.

DJ AM's death was very sudden, especially seeing how he escaped death almost a year ago (with Travis Barker) by surviving a plane crash that killed four others. He had a hard upbringing, and was addicted to drugs early in his career, but was able to get his health together and kick his addiction. One can only think about how that traumatic plane crash (where it was described that both ran out on fire and AM suffered burns on his hands and head) affected his psyche.

RIP Ted Kennedy

2009-09-01T17:15:00.003-04:00

The end of an era: Ted Kennedy has lost his battle to Brain Cancer on August 25, 2009. A mainstay in the Senate for the Democratic, Kennedy's influence helped pass many bills championing civil rights for minorities and people with disabilities, among others. His influence is paramount. Say what you want about the Chappaquiddick incident, but without Ted Kennedy (as well as the efforts from his brothers), the fight for civil rights would have been much harder.

What I admire about Mr. Kennedy is his tenacity during trying times. Living through the murders of both of your older brothers, John and Robert Kennedy, and the tragic death of your Golden Boy nephew, JFK Jr., is more than enough for one human to bear. But to continue to have faith in a government, in an America that took away your siblings is one of the testaments that defines Ted Kennedy's life. If you didn't know his tenacity from the deaths going on around him, you would know it through the ordeal that ultimately claimed his life: Brain Cancer. Instead of resigning when he got news of his prognosis, he continued his senatorial duties. Even through a rough and cutthroat presidential nomination process in 2008, he stuck through with his endorsement of now President Barack Obama.

His title remained "Senator Edward Moore Kennedy" until death.

A Woman's Worth

2009-09-01T17:11:00.003-04:00

This was on my friend Daija's facebook page as a note, and this basically is how I feel about relationships in this point of my life. Check it out:

I enjoyed it thought you all would too....
This is a wonderful rendition of a women's self-worth

In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the question:

'What kind of man are you looking for?'

She sat quietly for a moment before looking at him in the eye & asking, 'Do you really want to know?'

Reluctantly, he said, 'Yes.

She began to expound, 'As a woman in this day & age, I am in a position to ask a man what can you do for me that I can't do for myself?

I pay my own bills. I take care of my household without the help of any man...
or woman for that matter..

I am in the position to ask, 'What can you bring to the table?'

The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money.

She quickly corrected his thought & stated, 'I am not referring to money. I need something more.

I need a man who is striving for excellence in every aspect of life.

He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, & asked her to explain.

She said, 'I need someone who is striving for excellence mentally because I need conversation & mental stimulation. I don't need a simple-minded man.

I need someone who is striving for excellence spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked...believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster.

I need a man who is striving for excellence financially because I don't need a financial burden.

I need someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded.

I need someone who has integrity in dealing with relationships. Lies and game-playing are not my idea of a strong man.

I need a man who is family-oriented. One who can be the leader, priest and provider to the lives entrusted to him by God.

I need someone whom I can respect.. In order to be submissive, I must respect him.

I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy.

And by the way, I am not looking for him...He will find me. He will recognize himself in me. He may not be able to explain the connection, but he will always be drawn to me. God made woman to be a help-mate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself.

When she finished her spill, she looked at him.

He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said, 'You are asking a lot.

She replied, "I'm worth a lot".

We as women need to evaluate our own self-worth and apply that to relationships. We have to find out who we are, what we want, and what we expect from ourselves, in order to find a worthy mate catered to our wants/needs. We have to do this in order to ensure a true 50/50 love. Well, that's my opinion.

Drake feat. Trey Songz (Where's Lil Wayne?): Successful

2009-09-01T09:25:00.002-04:00

Here is the video for "Successful" off of Drake's highly successful mixtape, So Far Gone, and Trey's new album, Ready. To me, it's a better video than "Best I Ever Had" (even though I think alot of people missed the concept of it). The dark theme of the video stuck with the heavy beat of the song. However, it wasn't too much for the audience to handle, which was the downfall of "Best I Ever Had." In reference to the song, they took off Wayne's verse (which wasn't that bad), and added an extra verse from Trey. I didn't mind that, because I feel that Wayne would have detracted from the video (I don't know why, but he leaves a bad taste in my mouth).

My only complaint (well, really request) is that radio/television doesn't play "Successful" out like they did "Best I Ever Had" to the point where I loathe the song. Unfortunately, I think radio is on that path. SMDH

Drake ft. Kanye, Lil Wayne and Eminem: Forever

2009-08-26T21:23:00.005-04:00

PIC via Necole Bitchie and 2 Dope Boyz MP3 from Xclusives Zone

You may have heard "Forever" with just Drake and Wayne before (I have it in my iTunes...lol), but this is the redone version with new verses from Drake and Wayne, and added verses from Yeezy and Eminem. When I first heard of the leak happening, I didn't believe it, but now it's here.

DOWNLOAD HERE

My verdict: it's a nice song. The best verse by FAR goes to Eminem. He's been going in lately, first on the Mariah diss (something I wish he hadn't done though, cause it proves Mariah's point that he's obsessed with her), and now this. It seems like he's gotten his old flow back as well (on Relapse he sounded, to me, like a damn Jamaican), which brings an elevation of quality to his raps. Drake's verse was good as well, along with the hook (which seemed to be redone as well). Kanye's verse wasn't bad either, but it seems like lately he's been rapping about the same ish in his songs. Wayne's verse was blah. That dude needs to get off that lean for real, and stay away from Drake's music, but I digress.

CORRECTION: I listened to Ye's verse for the third time...he went in too. But I still feel he's been rappin' about the same ish though lately.

The song is cool, however, Swagga Like Us>>>>>> Forever.

MDizz's Rendition of Say You Will

2009-08-25T20:57:00.003-04:00

Recently you may have seen my post on Slapz's freestyle to Kanye's "Say You Will" beat, now NGC is just putting an all out assault on the instrumental as fellow member MDizz releases his freestyle to the song. He goes in. Don't believe me, check it for yourself. It's four minutes of straight reality.

DOWNLOAD HERE

R.I.P. Aaliyah

2009-08-25T14:08:00.004-04:00

Eight years...it doesn't seem like eight years. I remembered when she died, like a lot of people, I thought it was a cruel rumor, but as I turned to CNN, the thought of it being a cruel rumor became tangible outcries of sadness and unparalleled confusion. Why take someone so young? And knowing all of the projects and music she had in front of her after August 25, 2001, it makes her death even harder to deal with, even after eight years have passed.

We as people, especially young adults, can get caught up in the idea of immortality. We think that because of our lack of years on this earth, we are entitled to live an extended and fruitful life as long as we make the right decisions. But certain situations come along, sudden life changing experiences like death, and remind us of the fleeting existence called life. Yes, those reminders are needed, but still, why death? Are we that foolish and stubborn and forgetful for God to take such extenuating circumstances like the abrupt ceasing of life to make us realize that life is a blessing we need to be grateful of everyday? Those questions run through my mind as I remember and contemplate her death...

The only I can affirm is that Aaliyah had more work to do in Heaven than here on Earth. God needed her. God called. And as that old saying goes, "When God calls, you answer." R.I.P. Aaliyah.

Day 26: So Good

2009-08-23T18:18:00.002-04:00

So the boys of Day 26 have come out with a new video. I saw it on MTV Jamz Saturday, and they are definitely trying to get their sexy on. It's obviously a video for the ladies, and with my boo Mike (I like the boys with meat on their bones), Willie looking right, and my established enjoyment of this song, I am happy to post this video. Here is Day 26's "So Good"

Via Necole Bitchie and You Heard that New

A Couple of NGC Exclusives From Slapz

2009-08-23T17:13:00.002-04:00

If you're not familiar with the NGC from reading my blog, you probably: a) Don't read my blog b)Need to go through an NGC orientation. Anyway, on @YoungSlapz twitter, he has given the listeners another taste of what you will hear from the NGC mixtape dropping September 18th (these tracks won't be on the mixtape, just something that'll hold yall over til the big one drops).

First off, here is Slapz remix of Hell Of A Night by JFin. Mind you, Hell Of A Night is one of my favorite tracks from Infinity and Beyond, and I like Slapz's rendition of the track as well. Check it out:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Up next, is his freestyle to "Say You Will" called "Slapz You Real." He's going in on this one, check it out:

DOWNLOAD HERE

"Trying to be a champion, like the middle of a bracket"

Remember, their mixtape drops September 18th.

Jay-Z ft. Drake: Off That (From the BP3)

2009-08-23T17:07:00.002-04:00

So here is one of the anticipated tracks from the Blueprint 3, "Off That" featuring Drake. My opinion, it's okay. Not up to the hype really. It's a Timberland beat, and he's usually good at making beats that you can listen to 10 years from now and still be with the times, but this beat is a bit off to me. The beat reminds me of "Can I Get A..." or "Jigga What," especially with how Drake does the hook. Personally, I wish they would have just did an all-out lyrical assassination on a record, but I guess this is not really an album cut as much as this is a single (which I would be really surprised if it's not one of the singles from BP3).

Burn Rubber's Back to School Sale

2009-08-21T10:41:00.002-04:00

I hope you remember that the Clipse are coming to BR in two days, but if you don't here's the post right HERE

And if you don't want to head down to Burn Rubber for that, you should head down there for the Back to School sale they're having this weekend. And as you can see from the flyer, it's gonna be huge. You definitely need to head down there.

*I hope BR has a refund check sale in time when college students get their refund check (like myself)*

Shoutout to BR representer Cliff Skighwalker, and check out his blog HERE

Jay-Z feat Kanye and Rihanna: Run This Town (Full)

2009-08-20T00:02:00.005-04:00

Had a feeling it was gonna have the Warriors, gang haven type of feel to it, probably will be taken down soon. And Rihanna is a bad bish. Not even gonna hate. Can pass on her music wise, but she can rock some ish.

Via Young Scolla and Ignite Mag

Fabolous Feat. Jay-Z: When The Money Goes

2009-08-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

Dope. Fab's been coming with some heat. One of the most underrated rappers out here.

Young Scolla ft. KBunz: Infatuation

2009-08-17T13:03:00.003-04:00

So, Sunday, @YoungScolla tweeted me this track with him and @KBunz called, "Infatuation." I don't know if you remember, but I featured another Young Scolla track, called "If I Was With You" a while back, so I'm familiar, and have been liking, his work.

"Infatuation" is a real sexy track. The beat contains a sample from Jodeci's "Freakin You", and it's so smooth with it. And Scolla and Kbunz's flows ride the track very nice. On slow songs, you may hear some rappers "overspit" (if that's a term) the track, meaning their flows don't complement the track, and visa versa. But on "Infatuation" both rappers fit the song oh so smooth. I rock with it, definitely going on the iPod Slow Grind playlist. I suggest you do the same. Here is INFATUATION by YOUNG SCOLLA AND KBUNZ.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Run This Town Preview

2009-08-14T15:44:00.001-04:00

Doomed with all that black sh*t on...

Rant of the Day: The REAL Reason Why Michigan Is Called the Murder Mitten

2009-08-13T16:56:00.004-04:00

I was born and raised in Detroit, MI. I will, as much as situations and people in my city/state disappoint me, ALWAYS have love for my hometown. But something has pushed me to the brink: The removal of the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

If you live in Michigan, I'm sure you've heard of the term "The Murder Mitten," specifically describing the roughness Detroit can contain. Yes, Detroit can get violent and hard, but to me, that's not my interpretation of the "Murder Mitten." The "Murder Mitten" for me means "Us (meaning the Michigan Government) finding any way to kill your aspirations."

I woke up today, feeling good, feeling great. Drinking a sweet tea, and planning out my blogging for today. I check my U of M email, seeing that some professors might have their materials posted (it's like a couple weeks til I move to Ann Arbor), and I see that they are taking away the Michigan Promise scholarship, talking about "limited funding." Limited funding my ass. You're telling me that you can't find (after talking about, earlier this year, increasing funding for the Promise scholarship) money for a scholarship that people need and work hard for. And you tell us this...IN AUGUST. RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. #FAILNUMBERONE

So I get on Twitter and spazz out. Yes, the Promise is only $1,000 dollars, but $1,000 goes a looonnnnngggg way in college. With books costing two fingers and a left ear nowadays, $1,000 dollars is needed. With tuition constantly increasing despite the economic woes, $1,000 is NEEDED. With a significant number of parents with more than undesirable credit, thus making it damn near impossible to obtain a reasonable loan (or a loan at all) in this short amount of time, $1,000 IS NEEDED. And if you're not convinced that $1,000 is needed right now, then think about the principle of the situation. High school students passed this test under the impression that they would receive $4,000 toward their schooling if they stayed in state for college. Do you know how many people passed up the chance to go to other schools outside of Michigan just cause they received more money with this scholarship by staying in state? Do you? #FAILNUMBERTWO

One of the people I follow @DilaraLaDiva posted the number to Granholm's office (517-373-3400), and I, along with many others, began to call and ask for answers to this. One of the questions I asked was: "Are there any programs in the state of Michigan that have funding but are not being utilized/effective that the Michigan government can cut to help fund this program that is working?" Of course, the representative replied "No," which was a blatant disrepancy to me. I can count way past my fingers and toes how many times I've seen construction on an area which didn't need construction, but a road that feels like WWII driving through it STILL remains the same. I know there is way more than enough money being wasted by the Michigan Government that can fund this scholarship. And education is a top priority in the state, huh? #FAILNUMBERTHREE

You want people to stay in the state, but how can you encourage them when you make moves like these? I have supported Granholm throughout her entire tenure as Governor of Michigan. I recognize and take into account the fact that Engler, when he was voted out, left this state an utter and complete mess. But you cannot bite the hand that will feed the state in the future. You boldly "promised" us this Michigan Promise Scholarship, exchanged our continued residency in this financially ravaged state for added help in our college endeavors. Now we fulfilled our end of the bargain, but you lied and left us out for the vulture that is college tuition.

Michigan has become the Murder Mitten indeed. It's killing any chance that I will remain here post-graduation.

IF YOU'RE AFFECTED/WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP CALL YOUR MICHIGAN HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE (ORG. BY DISTRICT)

FOR EXAMPLE: MY REP. IS COLEMAN YOUNG II: (5173731008)
OR YOU CAN FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE

OR CALL THE EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE: TWO NUMBERS: (5173357858) OR (517-373-3400)

Slum Village: Actin' Normal (Directed by Dwele)

2009-08-13T16:50:00.000-04:00

WWW.BARAKRECORDS.COM Exclusive SLUMVILLAGE VIDEO "Actin Normal" from SCRAPDIRTY on Vimeo.

My Take On Tameka Raymond's "She's Pretty For a Dark Skinned Girl"

2009-08-13T15:25:00.004-04:00

Via The Huffington Post

Here's a segment from the Tameka Raymond article:

There is an adage "hurt people, hurt people". If this is true then we must examine the root of negative words and judgments that are passed on people. Unfortunately, we have internal stereotypes based off of skin color and facial features that stem from years of programming, dating back to the "Willie Lynch" method for creating a slave. In this infamous formula, one of the main factors in separating and creating division was placing the lighter skinned blacks in a higher position in the house, while those with darker skin were made to stay in the fields and deemed "less desirable". Much like the Caste System in India. No matter what strides we make as a people, these issues continue to plague and rot our souls, causing significant decay to a portion of our population and truly hindering our progress. Perhaps we show progress in our wallets and lifestyles but not in our mind set.

Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things 'beauty". Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women. I Googled one of the more ethnic models, Alek Wek and I was saddened by the tone of what the bloggers wrote in reference to her complexion, features and hair texture. Ms. Wek's escape from Sudan, her journey, philanthropy, and groundbreaking success as a supermodel in America is not only beautiful, but it displays her tenacity and character. African-Americans seemed to have lost their eye for character. These comments are evidence of the confusion that lies within many black people. It's the cruelty and prejudice that has spilled into the fabric of our everyday lives. It makes me wonder what have we collectively lost as a people? Our Minds.

I too have fallen prey, while on vacation in Brazil I decided to undergo tummy lipo-surgery. After having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia, I went into cardiac arrest before the procedure ever began. I nearly lost my life over something as superficial as having a flatter mid-section and trying to adapt to society's traditional definition of beauty. As I nursed my psychological wounds, I began to realize that trying to live up to the prototypes of external beauty paled in comparison to the fact that I have undergone labor, subsequently being blessed to raise five handsome, smart, healthy, intuitive, and happy children. I emerged from my ordeal realizing that my body is an amazing vessel that has given birth to life and that being healthy is what's important and nothing more.

Say what you want about Tameka Raymond, but she hits the nail on the head. It's appears to be in society, through depictions in public media sources like television, music videos, movies, etc, dark-skinned women are looked upon as undesirable. I've been saying for a minute now that the mechanisms of "Willie Lynch" utilized 300+ years ago are coming to fruition now, this time amongst ourselves, and I'm glad others are realizing this as well. The fact that we say these things about one another is thoroughly disappointing and sickening. Instead of celebrating our different shades of beauty, embracing our diversity, we extol those who can pass the "pool test" and stigmatize and disparage our darker complexioned women.

And what saddens me even more is that people don't see body image as a budding issue in the African-American community. Personally, our resilience as African-Americans can backfire on us. We feel that we can just "suck it up" and keep on pushing. Yes, we are a strong people. But we are still a people. We are humans. Humans with emotions and feelings and personalities that can get permanently damaged with the right combination of mental blows. But with our principles of "sucking it up" and "dealing with it", we suck up the pain and feelings of isolation, especially for those who fall into the "dark butts" category, as Yung Berg would say. Instead of talking about and condemning a society that buries brown skinned women into the "dark" abyss of beauty's purgatory, we keep quiet, and are told not to "overreact" and to "keep it moving."

It's a mental slavery. A intellectual oppression of the mind and mouth.

Is the media supposed to raise your child? No. Is the media supposed to guide your life? Hell no. But are the media and other public outlets microcosms of societal views, both consciously and subconsciously influencing the way we live our lives and view ourselves? YES. When a girl watches, say BET, and in the music videos showing women in positive lights 9/10 times they witness a lighter skinned woman, don't you think that will have some sort of effect on them? Many rappers boast about specifically having "light skinned models all around them" or "dating the most "exotic" girls." In videos, you see the artist "chase" after the lighter skinned woman, but when it's just butt-naked "hoes" dancing with ass all in your television, most of those women are darker skinned.

We as African-Americans need to be aware of the actual problems facing our community. Instead of covering them up, we need to address them. If a grown woman like Tameka Raymond is affected by this issue to the point where she almost died trying to fit into a societal norm (her issue with weight, but still...), something is wrong. Yes, the connotation of "dark" in American society has been negatively skewed and and inbred for centuries. The power of words amazes me everyday. If you notice, many terms describing something with negative qualities have the word "dark" or "black" in them, i.e. "Black Sheep," "In the Dark," "In a dark place," "Black/dark cloud," "Evil, Black magic," etc. And this negative connotation for "dark" has indeed transferred to people within the racist institution of America by colonial Whites. But while African-Americans did not generate these disparaging views of dark skin, we as an entire demographic are a definite culprit in perpetuating this view in contemporary America.

Skin color, along with other qualities, is a force dividing our race today. In a world where diversity and globalization is "celebrated," it seems our diversity as African-Americans is backfiring on us. Yes it could be worse. In regions of Africa, genocide is occurring due to differences over things such as skin color and religion. But here in America, we are also killing one another, over clothes, money, drugs, even designer glasses (a young man whom I used to go to elementary school with was murdered over a pair of Cartier glasses). And here in America, we are also enduring a psychological murder of self-esteem and confidence, and the killer is society's views on beauty, desirability, and success.

The violence needs to end.

Wu Tang Clan: Hip Hop's Republican Party (I Kid I Kid)

2009-08-13T15:16:00.002-04:00

The homie @Skighwalker posted one of @jsmooth995 (Also known as the illdoc) videos on Cliff Notes about the death of Michael Jackson, and the vid was spot on! Ever since then, I've been looking at Illdoc's old vlogs on his website, and the dude is dope.

Yesterday, he posted a vlog about the recent conflict between Raekwon and Joe Budden (if you don't know the backstory, he explains it in the video), and he makes a brillant analogy of the Wu with the Republican party. I totally get it, do you? Check it out:

Bringing the Inside Out

2009-08-12T23:41:00.003-04:00

Oh yeah, I wanted to add to the IMU post about an event they are having Friday, September 4th, called Bringing the Inside Out. It's being held in Ann Arbor, at the Michigan League Ballroom, on 911 North University Avenue. Here's the flyer with more information:

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Poison: Beyonce

2009-08-12T23:13:00.003-04:00

Via The House of Fury, aka Kid Fury

Well, Beyonce has a new song out from DJ Haze's R&B Mixtape, Big R&B Ego. It's not bad at all actually, a decent mid-tempo joint. To me however, somehow I'm not getting a Beyonce feel to this song. I didn't think she would record a song like this, especially in the Sasha Fierce era (now, this seems to me like more of a Dangerously in Love song). The melodies and direction of this song just seem different to me. But, I like it. Anywho, here is Poison by Beyonce:

DOWNLOAD POISON HERE

IMU--The Inside Out

2009-08-12T21:41:00.002-04:00

You may have heard of David Merritt as one of the captains of the University of Michigan Basketball team this year, being an integral part in leading the Wolverines all the way to the Second Round of the NCAA Tourney. Now, he's a college grad, leading the cause in another way: fashion.

Merritt is the President/CEO of I Miss You, a clothing line that's not just a clothing line, but a movement. In the video that you see when you enter the brand's website, IMU--The Inside Out, he explains the concept of the brand's name.

Has someone ever told you "I miss you?" It makes you feel special. Makes you feel valuable. A sense of belonging somewhere.

His shirts are, as he says, external representations of the internal self: The Inside Out. Whatever feelings you may have, whatever inner thoughts, motivations, they can be manifested within the clothing. The term "fashion statement" is truly proven with his brand.

But his brand is so much more. His message behind the clothing is not the only contributing factor in making IMU a movement: Merritt's actions and aim for the brand allow IMU to transcend the jaded clothing lines that you may see in stores, jumping into a socially consensus, active communal force.

They want to engage their customers. IMU does this through community outreach activities like visiting schools, in which employees make their mark through education 8-10 hours per month. They also give incentives for customers to do community service, by giving them a discount per shirt for each hour of community service the customer performs.

And that is something I definitely love and respect. Recognizing the social responsibility you have as a person. IMU not only recognizes this, but actually acts on it. And on top of making unique, stylish clothes with a cool message behind it, IMU is a movement I will definitely support.

SUPPORT IMU BY:

FOLLOWING THEM ON TWITTER HERE

VISITING THE WEBSITE HERE

FOLLOWING DAVID MERRITT HERE

NGC: Ransom Freestyle

2009-08-12T20:32:00.005-04:00

@NGC has leaked this Ransom freestyle from their mixtape dropping in September. I posted this freestyle before with @YoungSlapz on it, but now he added @Mdizzle328 on the track, and both are going hard. Listen to NGC's Ransom freestyle:

DOWNLOAD "RANSOM FREESTYLE" HERE

"Lady Louchi Rockin Gucci So Her Shirt's Off"

2009-08-11T20:40:00.005-04:00

My dude @Louchiano launched his new layout of his blog and it's dope. He hails from the Chi (hopefully my future place of residence...2012), and dude has mad rhymes as well. He posted his rap called "Going In SuperMan High" and he goes hard from JUMP! The mixing on the track is A-1! His lyrics are dope too. Definitely Toccara approved. Check it out:

"Going In Superman High"

Check out his blog: LouchiBlog
Follow him on TWITTER: @Louchiano

Sotomayor Confirmed!

2009-08-11T20:17:00.001-04:00

Yes you should slap me for not posting this sooner.

via NY TIMES

WASHINGTON — Sonia Sotomayor took the judicial oath on Saturday, becoming the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

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Sonia Sotomayor, From the Bronx to the High Court

Sotomayor Fans Claim the Phrase ‘Wise Latina’ (August 9, 2009)

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The latest on President Obama, the new administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion.

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At just past 11 a.m., Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administered a pair of oaths to her in two private ceremonies at the Supreme Court building, completing her ascent to a life-tenured position as the nation’s 111th justice — the first to be nominated by a Democratic president since 1994.

In the first ceremony, she took the standard oath affirmed by all federal employees, swearing to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Only the chief justice, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Justice Sotomayor’s immediate family and a court photographer attended this ceremony. Her mother, Celina Sotomayor, held a Bible for the ritual.

They then walked to the court’s East Conference Room for the judicial oath, joined by several dozen friends and family members, where Justice Sotomayor swore to “administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me” under the Constitution and laws of the United States.

With that, Chief Justice Roberts — who smoothly recited the words of the oath, which he appeared to be reading from a paper as a precaution against the kind of stumble that prompted a do-over swearing-in after President Obama’s inauguration — shook her hand with a smile, congratulated her and welcomed her to the court, saying she could now “begin her work as an associate justice without delay.”

Justice Sotomayor hugged her mother and then shook the hands of several other people in the room. She made no statement.

Other witnesses included President Obama’s White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig; Cynthia Hogan, assistant White House counsel; Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and Representative Nydia M. Velázquez, Democrat of New York, who is the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and who, like Justice Sotomayor, is Puerto Rican.

The Supreme Court appointment of Justice Sotomayor, 55, capped a life story that began in a Bronx housing project, where she was raised by her widowed mother. She attended two Ivy League universities, worked as a prosecutor in the office of the Manhattan district attorney, and then left for a stint at a corporate law firm.

Throughout the 1980s, she became increasingly engaged in civic life, joining the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and winning appointments to the New York City Campaign Finance Board and the board of the State of New York Mortgage Agency.

Her rise brought her to the attention of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat of New York, who recommended that President George Bush appoint her to the federal bench, which she joined in 1992. President Bill Clinton later elevated her to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. President Obama nominated her in May to succeed Justice David H. Souter.

Saturday’s ceremonies ended a 10-week confirmation battle in which Republicans called her a “judicial activist,” citing her speeches on topics like foreign law and the role of diversity in the judiciary, including a now-famous comment about the superior judgment of a “wise Latina.”

They also criticized her votes in cases involving Second Amendment rights, property rights and a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by white firefighters in New Haven.

But Democrats insisted that she was a highly qualified, mainstream and moderate jurist. In the end, Democrats’ numerical advantage in the Senate virtually ensured her success. The Senate on Thursday voted 68 to 31 to confirm her. No Democrat voted against her, while all but 9 of the chamber’s 40 Republicans did so.

Justice Sotomayor can now prepare for her first case — a campaign-finance dispute left over from the last term — but she still has several rituals to attend.

President Obama, who did not attend Saturday’s events, will be at a White House reception on Wednesday in Justice Sotomayor’s honor.

And on Sept. 8, the Supreme Court will hold a special invitation-only investiture ceremony, a special sitting at which she will take her seat for the first time, probably followed by an appearance alongside Chief Justice Roberts for a traditional picture on the front steps of the court.

Vote for Big Sean on 106th and Park

2009-08-11T19:14:00.002-04:00

Vote for the "Getcha Some" Vid on 106th! It premiered on BET today, and the D needs him on the countdown. I don't even like BET, so you KNOW this is big. You can vote using the following ways:

GO ON THE WEBSITE HERE

ORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

TXT 'VOTE' TO 23888 FOR BIG SEAN VIDEO!!!

Yung GooD: Transformer, The Anthem, and Life of a Rap Star

2009-08-11T18:04:00.006-04:00

Yung GooD is an artist out of the D whose got some real talent. He constantly reps for his city (and is an Eastsider as well, like myself, represent!), and he definitely gets MAJOR respect from me. Right now he has a couple of songs out in the streets, and both are bangers: "Transformer" and "The Anthem". "Transformer" is one of my favs (My whip transfoooorrrrmm): the beat and his flow go hard ("Transformer, Decepticon doors make the hoes jock"). I love how he continues to maintain the Transformer theme throughout the entire song, cause a lot of rappers aren't good at that. Check out TRANSFORMER:

DOWNLOAD TRANSFORMER HERE

"The Anthem" is my anthem for my grind for this coming school year: Get Money! It's something about his flow that enhances the beat, and this song is a prime example of this. My fav line is: "I want the Lamborgini while you settle for the doors," cause I know a lot of niggas who think they stuntin with some Lambo doors on a busted ass car...but I digress. "The Anthem" is another song you can listen/ride to. Check it out:

DOWNLOAD THE ANTHEM HERE

FOLLOW @YUNGGOOD ON TWITTER

DOWNLOAD HIS MIXTAPE: EVERYTHING 2 PROVE

UPDATED: HERE'S HIS VIDEO FOR "LIFE OF A RAP STAR" CHECK IT OUT-

Funny Ish: Lady Attacks Mona Lisa

2009-08-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

Via CNN

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece the "Mona Lisa" was attacked with a mug earlier this month, but the world's most famous painting -- protected by thick glass -- emerged with its enigmatic smile undimmed.

The "Mona Lisa" sits behind bulletproof glass in the Louvre gallery.

French police say a woman "not in her senses" lobbed the mug at the 500-year-old painting, which hangs in the Louvre gallery in Paris.

The woman, a tourist, was later transferred from police custody to a psychiatric unit, a police spokesman told CNN. The spokesman declined to be identified, and did not say where the woman was from.

The "Mona Lisa," considered one of the world's most valuable paintings, sits behind bulletproof glass in a special wing of the Louvre, attracting visitors in their millions.

The Italian Renaissance masterpiece, which depicts a dark-haired young woman with an aloof facial expression, has been the target of attacks in the past.

In 1956 the artwork was damaged when acid was thrown at it. A rock was also thrown in a separate incident in the same year.

In 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre but was returned two years later.

ADubb: Stuntin and Get Up

2009-08-11T17:38:00.005-04:00

ADubb is another Finally Famous representer (he's the President of the Finally Famous street team), and recently he's been in the studio hooking up some tracks for the masses. Here are two of his songs, called "Stuntin" (The hook on Stuntin is my ish) and "Get Up". FOLLOW ADUBB ON TWITTER

STUNTIN

GET UP

Lil Duval Is Funniest Dude on Twitter

2009-08-11T17:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, if you remotely know me, you know my stomping grounds are Twitter. One of the people I follow is @lilduval, and he is by far one of the funniest people on twitter. He along with @cthagod coined one of my favorite terms, basic bitch. Here are some of his tweets:

im listening to maxwell song "pretty wings" he a real nigga. he dump his girl and was still able 2 make her special

(i put this up once a week) lil duval fact: model chicks get fucked...... regular women get married.......basic bitches get shot!

lil duval fact: just cuz a celeb respond to u on twitter dont make him a real nigga

a deaf person just hit me up and said my last tweet was fucked up. i acted like i aint hear him and kept saying "huh?"

I just talked to sheree from Basic housewives of Atlanta. I think she want a nigga

lil duval daily vitamin: love is all we need......til the 1st and u need help moving from getting evicted

Follow @lilduval on twitter

Inglorious Bastards

2009-08-11T17:07:00.002-04:00

This movie looks dope. In a disappointing summer where I didn't see Transformers 2, Star Trek, The Hangover, or GI Joe in the movies, I hope to check this movie out. Plus I like how Brad Pitt says "Nazis" for some reason.

Lebron Rapping to Some Big Sean

2009-08-11T16:59:00.004-04:00

Here is a video from the LIFE Files, where Lebron is chilling behind the scenes of his new Nike shoot. At around 1:45, he's spitting some lines from a Big Sean song, check it out:

More Behind The Scenes Footage From King James' Nike Photo Shoot! from the.LIFE Files on Vimeo.

The Clipse @ Burn Rubber Aug 23rd

2009-08-07T18:29:00.004-04:00

The Clipse are having a meet and greet at Burn Rubber August 23rd. They will also be holding an album preview for their new joint called Till the Casket Drops dropping soon. Also, there is a Big Sean+Clipse+Cool Kids+Ro Spit concert at St. Andrews that same day, and Burn Rubber/DSEatGrand got tickets for the show (they running out fast though). Come and support!!!!

The Princess and The Frog

2009-08-07T18:17:00.003-04:00

This trailer came out a while ago, but I am anticipating this movie. The animation reminds me of those 90s great Disney movies, like Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King, and this movie features Disney's first African-America princess (voiced by Dreamgirls actress/Tony Award winning Anika Noni Rose). I think this will be a great movie. However, some people are saying the plot/background of this movie is a bit racist, point out specifically the behavior of the mother. For that I say: calm the hell down. It's not that serious. BET shows coonery all day every day, but you complain about a Disney movie...FAIL.

Anyway, glad to see the old Disney is back. The Princess and The Frog comes out in 2010

Run This Town Video Pics:

2009-08-07T17:41:00.003-04:00

Dope

WOW. Epic. All I have to say. Epic. (Rihanna about to get jacked for them boots!!!)

I was just saying the other day that this video better be dope. The song gives me a feeling like when I watch The Warriors, and by the looks of these pics, the vid will NOT disappoint.

Via the Global Grind lifefiles and Necole Bitchie

Maxwell: Bad Habits

2009-08-07T17:14:00.000-04:00

Sexy.

BeBe/CeCe Winans: Addictive Love

2009-08-07T15:45:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite songs. Here's some Friday inspiration with Addictive Love by BeBe and CeCe Winans (Detroit represent!).. Enjoy!

Big Ben is Back

2009-08-07T15:38:00.002-04:00

So after a couple of years in purgatory with the Bulls and Cavs, Ben Wallace is back with the Detroit Pistons. This time, he's in a backup role behind Kwame Brown (I know right...WTF), and the team hopes to use his veteran leadership to instill the "Play the right way" mentality amongst the youth of this new Pistons team. I think it's a good move, they didn't spend too much for him, and he can still make an impact on this team. Brown/Wilcox/Wallace on the front line may be decent. However, I doubt the Pistons make a run at the Ship this year, now, with the addition of a steady big man next year (i.e. Chris Bosh) and the development of Daye (who I think has the potential to be a great player), we can have something to work with.

Forever I Love Atlanta

2009-08-07T15:16:00.002-04:00

The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Out of all Bravo's Housewives series, the Atlanta version is the only one I watch. The heavy African-American representation is a contributing factor in my viewership, but damnit, ATL may be the most entertaining one regardless. Fights, Fights, Ed's (Lisa's husband) presence, Fights, it will keep you on your toes. Hell, my Dad even watches it (don't insult my daddy's manhood).

My fav character has to be NeNe. She was in rare form in the first season, but this one she has calmed down, mostly due to her new husband, Greg. I also like Lisa. She appears to have the most stability out of the group, and her husband can get. it. Plus, she gets her own also. I didn't really like Sheree last season, but this season she's not that bad. Well, she has gotten into the most arguments this season already, but both were sort of justified.

The newest "housewife" (actually, she's the bread winner of her household) is Grammy winning songwriter and former member of Xscape Kandi. I want to like her, I really do, but some of her decisions are questionable, to say the least. Particularly, her choice to get married to AJ, a man with 6 children (by four different mothers), as well as a reportedly checkered past as a notorious ATL drug dealer (I wonder how he got that ring for Kandi...hmmm). Now, not knocking her "love" for him (I think they dated for some months before getting engaged), but if both your mother AND your daughter (someone whose needs should come before yours) disagree with the marriage, maybe you should re-evaluate your decision. Not even barring the fact that ol' boy is a reportedly deadbeat dad when it comes to some of his kids (I only seen like 2 of his kids on the show). Kandi seems like a decent chick, but something is a bit off...

And lastly, we have the ultimate basic bitch, Kim. Kim reminds me of Faith from Soul Food. She was messing with a married man in "Big Poppa" during season one, now she's the target of all the other housewives' disdain because of her reckless mouth. Long story short, she's a duplicitious, manipulating, lying ho, who still claims to be 29 (like Kandi claims to be 32...both take a big #fail). Her interactions with the other housewives are priceless, just as much as her attempts to "sing". Bitch you fail. End.

Yes the housewives have their coontastic moments, but that's why we watch. At least it's not the Maury show, or even BET. And there are some precious moments within the show (like Lisa's family, or NeNe's interactions with her new husband). This show is approved by me.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta comes on Bravo at 10pm.

Shaking. My. Damn. Head.

2009-08-05T17:13:00.002-04:00

SMH...I can't even go on a long rant about this. This is my fear. This is my motivation. We have to make our next generation better.

Wale Feat. Gucci: Pretty Girls

2009-08-05T16:20:00.002-04:00

Wale, to me, is better than Cudi. Cudi cool but Wale got BARS. And he got me to listen to Gucci. This song is Toccara tested, Toccara approved. Go-Go/DMV stand up!

Successful Remix: Wayne, Drizzy, Trey, and Soulja Boy

2009-08-05T15:56:00.002-04:00

Successful is a classic track in itself, and now Soulja Boy is on it. Actually, this remix is just mostly Soulja spitting on it. I have less respect for Soulja than I do for Gucci Mane, honestly, and that lack of respect came from following this junglebunny on twitter, but I can deal with his music at a party or pre-gaming. Anyway, Soulja has some quoteables on this ("Turn my swag on is my theme song, but 95% of yall had it as ya ringtone), but this version will definitely not be on my iPod at all. His flow is awkward on here to say the least, and lyrics are not wow-worthy. Definitely doesn't give the song justice at all, but to each their own.

Another Article From the Good Ol' CNN

2009-08-05T15:14:00.004-04:00

If you read my blog, you may notice that I may post articles from the likes of the NY Times or CNN. Yes, I have the dumb funny shit, music, fashion, and other stuff on here, but this blog is a reflection of me, and I feel like I am a multi-faceted individual. I'm starting to watch the likes of CNN, or read the Times, so I can be aware of current events, and as an aspiring lawyer, ingesting these kinds of news outlets will be invaluable in formulating viewpoints and keeping myself informed about prevailing attitudes in a society I hope to be practicing law in. But enough about that, here's another article via CNN:

POLL INDICATES GENERATIONAL SPLIT OVER HEALTH CARE

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Americans appear split over President Barack Obama's health care proposals, according to a new national poll.

Sen. Harry Reid, center, talks about health care flanked by Sens. Christopher Dodd, left, and Charles Schumer.

Fifty percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday morning say they support the president's plans, with 45 percent opposed.

The results indicate a generational divide.

"Obama's plan is most popular among younger Americans and least popular among senior citizens," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "A majority of Americans over the age of 50 oppose Obama's plan; a majority of those under 50 support it." Read full transcript of poll

The poll's release comes as lawmakers go back to their home districts and states for summer recess. The House of Representatives is already on break and the Senate heads home at the end of the week.

Some lawmakers are holding town hall meetings or other public forums on health care reform over the next few weeks, where voters will get a chance to speak out about the various proposals for change. The poll indicates that seven in 10 Americans say they're very or somewhat likely to attend such events.

"Nearly half of those who oppose the Obama plan say they are more likely to attend town hall meetings to express their views on health care; only 37 percent of those who support Obama's plan are very likely to attend a public forum on that issue," Holland said.

Don't Miss

The poll indicates that only three in 10 of all Americans think the president's health care proposals will help their families. Another 44 percent feel they won't benefit but that other families will be helped by the president's plans, and one in five say no one will be helped.

"Less than a quarter of Americans with private health insurance think that Obama's proposals would help them personally. Most people on Medicare and Medicaid also don't think that the Obama plan will help them," Holland said.

The survey suggests that around seven out of 10 Americans think that major structural changes are necessary to reduce health care costs or provide insurance coverage to all Americans. At the same time, more than eight out of 10 people are satisfied with their own health care and nearly three out of four are happy with their own insurance.

In any health care system, tough decisions that affect individual patients -- such as which people get certain treatments and which treatments are too expensive or ineffective -- must be made. The poll suggests that Americans are split on whom they prefer to make such choices, with 40 percent saying it should be the insurance companies and an equal amount believing that the government should make the call.

The battle over health care is registering with people across the country. According to the survey, more than half of all Americans have strong feelings regarding the health care debate, with about a third saying they strongly oppose Obama's plans and 23 percent strongly in favor.

"On issues like this, intensity of opinion matters as much as numbers. Opponents of the president's health care reform seem to feel more intensely about it than Obama's supporters," said CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted Friday through Monday, with 1,136 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Health care is a touchy subject. Many people in my specific demographic support it, but there are those, myself for instance, who have a shaky support of the plan. Yes, everyone should indeed have health care, but how do you protect against people who abuse it? Canada's implementation of government sponsored (not necessarily universal, everyone has health care in Canada, but the Gubment pays for it) health care is pretty efficent, and costs about the same as America's health care now, but then again, they are Canada, and we are the United States. And is this plan going to take away from programs that actually work, like the Cash for Clunkers, which is in a bad need of funding right now (my guess is no, but it still worries me). Government sponsored health care will alleviate costs to companies and employers who offer health care to employees, and allow people to be paid more, but who, in the end, will be taxed for this? Of course I believe people who make over 150, 000-200,000 in their household should, but the Republican constituent is an influential powerful one, and will try their damnedest to avoid taxation for this. But can you blame them? Why should they pay for an America that is overweight, unhealthy, and paying for their own health mistakes? There are many layers of this health care argument, what side are you on?

The Louboutin Don

2009-08-05T14:58:00.003-04:00

This is the man behind some of the hottest shoes women are wearing today: Christian Louboutin. You may have seen the likes of Beyonce wear his shoes, and the name drops from the likes of Kanye are definitely deserved. One of his signatures is, as Jay said in the "I Know" song, "Louboutins with the red bottoms", as many of his shoes have the bottoms painted red. As a woman who may be a shoe addict (as a youth I mostly brought sneakers, but as a maturing woman, I love flats and can appreciate a nice heel, and especially a wedge), Christian Louboutin shoes is my bourgeoisie pipe dream. Check some of his shoes out:

Dope

These right here might be my fav one:

A great designer is never afraid to take risks, Louboutin is no exception. Check these out:

All I Need In This Life of Sin...

2009-08-05T14:44:00.002-04:00

Pic Via NecoleBitchie

All I got to say is: If I ever get married, I hope my relationship dynamic is like theirs. Shutting. Shit. Down.

Slaughterhouse!!! Oh lawd!!!

2009-08-05T14:30:00.002-04:00

August 11th...This might be one of the best albums to come out this year. Shouts out to the hometown boy Royce, and Joe for wearing the Red Wings fit..

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: Reminisce Over You

2009-08-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

This beat/song puts me in a mood, enjoy

Mike Posner, It Was Just A Matter Of Time

2009-08-05T14:18:00.003-04:00

If you don't know who Mike Posner is, you really should. He's signed to J Records/Sony (off just one mixtape), performed at SOB's in New York, reps Michigan, goes to an Ivy League caliber school in Duke, and is a uniquely good artist. His production skills are dope, and songs are catchy and will have you singing his shit within a day of listening to it. I don't want to bore you all typing a long ass list of why you should listen to Mike P, just watch these vids:

(P.S. He's a cutie!!)

(Losing My Mind may be my fav track off his mixtape, A Matter of Time, just for the info, the mixtape is available for free downloads at iTunes under the Duke network)

New Strain of HIV? Gorillas to Humans? WTF

2009-08-03T14:45:00.002-04:00

Via CNN

PARIS, France (CNN) -- French researchers have identified a new human immunodeficiency virus, the first derived from gorillas, a report said Monday.

A new virus is difficult to detect by tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants.

The three previous HIV variants came from chimpanzees. The new findings indicate that gorillas, in addition to chimpanzees, are likely sources of HIV, the researchers concluded in a report published in the weekly Nature Medicine journal.

The new virus, called RBF 168, was detected in a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris, France, from the western Africa nation of Cameroon, the report says. She tested positive for HIV in 2004, and researchers led by Jean-Christophe Plantier identified the virus as being closely related to a recently discovered simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV).

The new gorilla virus "has many of the biological properties necessary for human infection," the report says.

"The human case described here does not seem to be an isolated incident, as before coming to Paris the subject had lived in the semiurban area of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, and reported no contact with apes or bush meat," the researchers said.

Don't Miss

Atlas highlights HIV/AIDS burden in Southeast

That would indicate that the woman contracted the virus from another human.

The significance of the latest findings is difficult to determine without more information, said Robert C. Gallo, who co-discovered HIV in 1984.

"It's yet to be known," Gallo said. "It could be zero. ... Let's see a more full report on this individual and let's see wider testing."

Even if the new variant proves lethal, it's not likely to increase AIDS infections, said Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. There are so many HIV variations, he said, that one more is not likely to make a difference.

The new virus is difficult to detect by conventional tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants.

"This demonstrates that HIV evolution is an ongoing process," co-researcher David Robertson of the University of Manchester said in a release. "The virus can jump from species to species, from primate to primate, and that includes us; pathogens have been with us for millions of years and routinely switch host species."

HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which attacks the body's immune system, giving rise to lethal infections. Patients diagnosed with HIV can take medications to delay or stop HIV from developing into AIDS. There are 33 million confirmed cases of AIDS worldwide.

The unnamed woman has no signs of AIDS and remains untreated, Nature Medicine said.

The most likely explanation for the emergence of the new virus is gorilla-to-human transmission, though researchers say they cannot rule out the possibility that the chimpanzee SIV gave rise to the new strain "either indirectly by transmission to gorillas and then to humans or directly by transmission to humans and also to gorillas."

Researchers said they don't know how widespread the virus is among humans.

Health Library

"The human prevalence of this new lineage remains to be determined," the report says, adding that "it could be circulating unnoticed in Cameroon or elsewhere."

Western Central Africa bears close watching, the researchers suggest.

"In conclusion, our findings indicate that gorillas, in addition to chimpanzees, are likely sources of HIV-1," the report states. "The discovery of this novel HIV-1 lineage highlights the continuing need to watch closely for the emergence of new HIV variants, particularly in western central Africa, the origin of all existing HIV-1 groups."

Co-researcher Robertson noted that the new virus may not be restricted to Africa.

"It also highlights how human mobility can rapidly transfer a virus from one geographical location to another as has been dramatically evident with the recent emergence of swine flu," he said.

My question is: how the hell did it get from the gorilla to the human? And sadly, this information will not make people act more cautious in their activities, I believe.

Chris Rock: Good Hair

2009-08-03T14:39:00.001-04:00

This, on the outside, may seem like coonery, but I actually think it's a satire giving our people a look on our obsession with having "good hair." If done right, it has the potential to be a great movie.

And Boom Goes the Dynamite

2009-08-03T14:36:00.001-04:00

Random: Madonna versus Janet

2009-08-03T13:25:00.005-04:00

I saw this pic and I had to post this on the blog. Idk why but it's so dope to me. It gives me the Batman, Gotham City look with the shade of this pic. Lately, I have discovered the dopeness that is Janet's music, so bear with me, hahaha. When Michael's death finally hit, the first person (besides his children) who I IMMEDIATELY felt horrible for was Janet. That's was her big bro. She was the main one defending him thoughout everything. Then I thought, behind that soft, gentle voice of Janet, she may be the strongest, most put together member of the Jackson family. You hardly ever see her in major controversy (sans the Super Bowl thing, which was some racist bullshit), she is very outspoken (people ask her anything, she'll either answer it, or won't answer it), and she seems like a genuinely nice person. Hell, she's a Taurus, which explains alot. During his death, she probably hasn't cried in front of her family, seeing that she probably has to be strong for all of them. During the memorial, her strength emitted from her through the televison it seems like.

Hell, I already did a Janet post earlier in my blog life but after listening to her music more and thinking, to me, Janet may be one of the most underrated artists we've had. (Note how a post initially about a dopeMJ/JJ pic has turned into a Janet post). People consider Madonna to be a contemporary "Queen of Pop". I don't dislike Madonna, not at all. But why isn't Janet even mentioned? For example, Rolling Stone made a list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time back in 2004, and they listed Madonna as 36 (one under MJ which was 35...WTF?), and Janet was not on the list at all (granted, this was the time of the Super Bowl scandal, but half those artists had drug problems and otherwise, so I know they're not going to trip over a titty). Not saying Janet should've have been on the list, but I feel if Madonna is on it, Janet has to be. Both Janet and Madonna can exist without the other (my point being is, for example, a Britney Spears or Beyonce will not exist to the extent they are in now without either Madonna or Janet, but if Madonna hadn't appeared, Janet would still be out, and visa versa). Both have influenced music tremendously. Without Madonna, a woman wouldn't be able to use her sexuality as a asset in music. Without Janet, emphasis on the dance/giving an entire show would not exist. People would still be Mariah Carey-ing it out. But Janet gets no love? WTF?

Madonna is better than Janet, but both have at least two mainstay albums that are considered to be of marketability and substance (Madonna's Like a Prayer/Ray of Light to Janet's Rhythm Nation and Velvet Rope). Yes Madonna has sold more than Janet, but Madonna has put out more Greatest Hits combilations than Janet, not to mention Madonna is older than Janet, so she has had more time to put out more albums that reflect her maturity than Janet (Janet's Control was when she was eighteen, Like a Virgin came out when Madonna was 26).

Madonna is better than Janet? But both of their influences are felt a generation after their prime, and probably will be felt generations after that. Both get my respect, if anything, both should share the contemporary title of "Queen of Pop" (not barring Tina Turner), but personally, Janet is better. Why? Here is my reasoning:

For a person to have a family name THAT famous as the last name Jackson, for a person to have a brother who is argueably the Greatest Artist of All Time in Michael Jackson, for a person to have all those things working for them as a small gift and against them an extreme curse, for a person to have THAT, and still make a name for themselves, so much so to still have a viable career after 20 years, Janet Jackson is amazing. For that simple fact ALONE. If she wasn't talented, if she wasn't the real deal, if she was piggybacking off her last name, she would have faded into the background like her other family members. Janet was able to be considered in her own lane.

And if you want to break it down further: Janet's choreography is amazing. Honestly, her dance moves are unparalleled. She was able to fit complexities into her dance moves while maintaining her womanly features (something the likes of Beyonce-with complexities and Ciara- with the womanly attributes are not able to balance). Madonna can't dance like Janet. Janet, in her prime, went the hardest. She went harder than Michael. Yes, she danced harder than Michael (not better, harder. Check the Scream vid for example. Mike's moves were fluid, he made shit look effortless. Janet was in your face, I'm going hard shit, partly b/c Janet is only like 5'4"). And not trying to marginalize Madonna's talent, but if it wasn't for Madonna rolling on the floor in a wedding dress singing "Like a Virgin" at the VMAs, or the other controversies, would Madonna be as big, or would she be a mediocre artist? (Her ability to use controversy, though, was brilliant). Janet didn't need that shit to show her talent. Her voice, while light, complemented her style. She couldn't "SANG" but she sung well. She declared her autonomy in Control. She spoke about injustice ala Rhythm Nation. She evolved into a sexual womanly being in Janet. She dealt with her issues and rose above them in Velvet Rope. SHE ALLOWED HER TALENT TO DO THE TALKING. Yes, one could say that w/o Michael, Janet would never have gotten on, but how do explain her lasting? How do you explain her escaping the constant comparison to her brother, while launching every female artist after her to be compared to her?

Enough of my rant. Bottom line: Janet is underrated. And while Michael will definitely be missed, and will always be the GOAT in my book, Janet might be my favorite Jackson.

Tum Tum: Caprice Musik (Throwback)

2009-08-03T13:23:00.002-04:00

*Note: Is it me, or does Tum Tum have a mull-ye (also known as the Kanye Mulllet) in this video? Like near the middle to the end of the video? Idk..

Hopefully Tum Tum's musical fate will not be shared by Dorrough. Enjoy.

One Blood!

2009-08-03T13:07:00.003-04:00

I thought the premise of this show was stupid. Vampires? Drinking synthetic blood? WTF? Then I watched it. Then, I got hooked. True Blood is a show that will have you on the edge of your seat. It has many subplots and there is never a dull moment, however, it's not like Heroes where you will lose count of how many characters are actually in the show. I won't say you can jump into it at any time, but after watching a few episodes from season one, and watching most from season two, I feel entranced into the show like I've been watching it from day one, every single episode (of course, the episode summaries from wikipedia has helped on those I have missed, tehehe).

True Blood is a show based on the novels from Charlaine Harris called the The Southern Vampire Mysteries. And now it's on HBO, directed by those who helmed the award winning Six Feet Under. The network execs took a huge chance on this show, and it has payed off in so many ways. Enlisting Oscar award winner Anna Paquin (great actress) as the telepathic Sookie was genius, so much so that her acting won her a Golden Globe recently. Not only has the series received critical acclaim, True Blood has been reportedly HBO's highest rated show since the Sopranos and Sex in the City.

True Blood has a alot of hype. But it backs it up with its fun and substance. This show is Toccara tested, mother approved.

Darling (Beyonce)

2009-08-03T12:49:00.002-04:00

Lawd knows I love Beyonce. She makes good music, even though some of her songs I can do without, but she is an even BETTER performer. Her influence on music and performing in the contemporary music industry may be unparalleled (key word on contemporary. Meaning CURRENTLY).

Now remember the 2004 Grammy Awards? Yes, the one where she won five little golden record horn thingies (tied with the most grammy awards by a female with Lauryn Hill, A.Keys, and Norah Jones), stole the show with her rousing performance of Dangerously in Love, and started the show off with a BOOM with her performance with the Purple one known as Prince. Ahhhh Prince. Which leads to my reason for this post: without that performance with Prince, I doubt that Bey would be the performer she is today.

Don't kill me people don't kill me. But listen to my reasoning. I was looking at some of Bey's past performances on youtube, pre-Prince, and while they were good, they were not the Sasha Fierce level we are used to seeing from her. And I remember during an interview about the Grammy performance with Prince, Bey said that he pushed her like she's never been pushed before in a performance, because Prince is the type that demands near perfection.

I assume he probably taught her ALOT of things during their rehearsals for that huge performance, and those things Bey has taken with her ever since. And if you notice, her performances have indeed stepped up since that fateful February night in 2004.

Not saying Bey was chopped liver before that performance with Prince. Hell, she had to be the shit in order for Prince to even consider her to be on stage with him. She had to be great to win those five grammies. That whole night made the world realize that Beyonce is an A-list force to be reckoned with for years to come. In an industry of uncertanities (hell, Mariah has to put ads in her album, something that is scaring the hell out of me right now), Beyonce has been a constant. She maybe becoming the industry. Few artists have consistantly sold albums (especially since Dangerously in Love was the first but best out of the three), sold out concerts, even starred in number one movies (as an artist, even though she is far from a formidable actress, she is getting better), like Bey has this millenium. There will always be something to take her spot, for music is an ever evolving entity in the world, but right now, especially with all our legends dying or not making music, we should appreciate someone like Beyonce.

And Beyonce definitely should appreciate Prince Nelson.

Lafayette, Get Your Hoes

2009-08-02T22:15:00.003-04:00

For those who watch True Blood, you know what I'm talking about in the title. But anyway, I watched Making the Band, 86 with Manity Kane (known to the masses as Day 26), and I actually enjoyed the entertainment. Before last season, I liked the youngest one in the group, Que. He seemed sweet, actually there for the group, and even though he looked like a weasel, his relationship with Dawn was adorable to me. However, this last season, Que went nuts. You probably know, the fights with the group, whatnot. Now, I don't want to do this, but Que is a bit tangy to me. First off, recently dude pulled a Sisqo and cut a fade into his hair, in which the sides of his head were blonde. BLONDE. WTF? Good to say, he's back to an all black cut now, but who ever thought it was cute needs to check themselves. Now, last night on twitter, he posted a sneak preview of a picture from a recent photoshoot he had, and this how it looks

Now, this pic is kinda fierce to me (I don't like the white shoes), but idk. Something about Que still screams bitchassness to me. Hopefully, he will get his shit together. Until then, Lafayette, get your hoes.

R.I.P. Titus "Baatin" Glover

2009-08-01T23:43:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, Titus Glover, known to us as Baatin, died. No one knows from what, but no matter how he died, Detroit is reeling right now. This has been a summer of death in the entertainment/music industry, and this is just adding to the summer of pain and grief all of us are feeling right now. My dude James from @DSEatGrand helped organized a benefit for Baatin and his family tomorrow at 8pm. This is a shock for Detroit Hip Hop, a shock for Hip Hop period. In between J Dilla's passing, and now Baatin's, I don't know how much more we as a city can take.

This is a clip from when T3 and Baatin performed at my college just a couple of months ago.

Here is the flyer for the benefit tomorrow

R.I.P. Baatin

Something New

2009-07-30T22:19:00.004-04:00

Hey all!! I've been wanting to do this since I started the blog, but now it may be coming to fruition. I may have some guest posters coming through!! I really want the input of other people besides myself on this here website, and now my loyal readers (I hope I have some readers) you all are going to get it.

My tweep @Jesscia305 is going to guest post soon about the culture of weight/eating in minority communities. That subject is something I've been wanting to post about, but didn't know where to begin to tackle this issue that resides in both the Black and Hispanic communities. However, my girl Jesscia will dig deep into the complexities that is body image/health in our communities. I don't want to give too much away, but I know it's going to be hot. Hopefully, I can get other people to visit and bless the blog with their views and dope writings.

With Love

Toccara
(p.s. Thanks to everyone that stop by the blog. It means alot and I hope to continue this blog of a good amount of time. Mucho Love! MUAH!)

"I Want a Big Mawk"

2009-07-30T22:05:00.002-04:00

These are some funny videos from the BYOB (BeYoOwnBoss) crew on Youtube. They've been making funny ass videos for a minute, and my dude @SteveHarvin put me up on them. Check out the vids.

Low key, that verse for Wayne in this vid was kinda cold, hahaha

*DEAD*

Check out more vids from the BYOB crew on their page HERE

Jeremih: Imma Star

2009-07-30T22:02:00.003-04:00

This vid is different, Quite funny. Even though Birthday Sex was not my favorite song, the vid for that was tasteful and cool. And "Imma Star" is different as well. Enjoy

Eminem Just Went In!!!

2009-07-30T21:55:00.002-04:00

I'm glad he lost the Jamaican accent. Eminem keeps the beef going IMO, but damnit, he went IN. This is the Eminem I've been missing.

Geraldo is Such an Effin Gangsta

2009-07-30T15:56:00.002-04:00

Geraldo gets buck in his interviews maaannnn. This is so funny to me. Here is a couple of vids showing Geraldo's gangsta:

He CLOCKED this dude in the video below...respect his G

NGC: Cash Out and Gettin Down (Hoodrats)

2009-07-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

I mentioned that NGC was putting out a mixtape soon right? Well, the date of the release of their mixtape, called Skool Boi Chroniklez: Vol. 1, has now been confirmed: September 18th! SEPTEMBER 18TH! Plus, the boys of NGC (repping that Skigh High Entertainment) will be having mixtape release parties both in Detroit AND in Lansing, so be prepared to get your tickets/passes to go. In the meantime, here is another track of their upcoming mixtape called "Cash Out". I may have posted the Garage Band version of the track, but here is the final studio product. There are some changes to the track (the girl on the hook is removed), but the metaphors and beat are on point. Check it out for yourselves:

And even though I already posted it, here is, again, club banger called "Gettin' Down (Hoodrats)". It is definitely a catchy song, NGC goes in on the track again:

These two tracks will be on the top of the page for a few days. PLEASE GIVE COMMENTS ON BOTH OF THE TRACKS.
FOLLOW NGC on Twitter AND Read their blog

DOWNLOAD TRACKS HERE (CASH OUT)

DOWNLOAD TRACKS HERE (GETTIN DOWN/HOODRATS)

Detroit area jobless rate tops 17%

2009-07-29T12:59:00.000-04:00

Via CNN

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Detroit metropolitan area held its position of having the highest unemployment rate among major U.S. cities, with the rate surging more than 2 percentage points to above 17%, the government reported Wednesday.

The jobless rate in the Detroit-Warren-Livonia metropolitan area rose to 17.1% last month from 14.9% in May. It was the highest of 49 urban centers with more than 1 million inhabitants in the Labor Department report.

The Detroit area also suffered the largest year-over-year increase in unemployment of any major urban center. The rate is up 8.1 percentage points from 9% in June 2008.

"We've seen continued deterioration in the entire state of Michigan," said Ken LeVasseur, a senior economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "The entire state did not come out of the 2001 recession."

Michigan has been battered by the collapse of the auto industry. General Motors, a major employer in the state, declared bankruptcy at the start of June.

Motor City is the largest metro area to suffer the auto industry's woes, but it is not the only one.

Kokomo, Ind., posted a 11.8-percentage-point jump over last June. The unemployment rate stands at 19.2% in Kokomo, where one-fifth of the workforce is employed in the auto sector.

Also in Indiana, the Elkhart-Goshen metro area saw its unemployment rate increase by double digits.

Such large annual increases are "pretty much unheard of," LeVasseur said.

In California, the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area had the second highest unemployment rate among the major metro areas, at 13.1%. The Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord metro area in North Carolina, where unemployment rose to 12.4% last month, had the third highest rate.

The government said jobless rates rose in all 372 of the nation's metropolitan areas last month. The highest rate among all metro areas was the 27.5% in El Centro, Calif., followed by the 23.1% in Yuma, Ariz. Of the 18 areas with a jobless rate of 15% or more, 8 are in California and 5 are in Michigan.

Bismarck, N.D., had the lowest jobless rate among metropolitan areas at 3.8%.

The national unemployment rate rose to 9.5% in June and many economists expect it to top 10% later this year.

Dick in a Box

2009-07-28T13:23:00.000-04:00

Know the greatness that is: Dick, in a Box

Trey Songz and Drake: Invented Sex

2009-07-28T11:21:00.002-04:00

Idk if this is on Heartbreak Drake Vol. 2 or not, but here is the Invented Sex song (some) people were talking about. For Note: I REFUSE to post that piece of crap song called "LOL smiley face" or whatever it's called. Not because it has Gucci Mane or Soulja Boy on it, but because it's crap! Now what I've heard of the "Beat It Up", it's worthy of posting. But anyway....here is "Invented Sex"

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD HERE

AND...I found the link to the Gucci/Trey Songz joint called "Beat It Up," it's not a download link though, but it is on the Gucci/Drama mixtape called The Movie Pt. 2

LISTEN HERE

Jay John Henry: Oh Space (Freestyle)

2009-07-28T11:10:00.003-04:00

So reading Cliff's blog, and I see this post about Finally Famous representer Jay John's freestyle track he emailed to Cliff this morning. And low and behold, the track is maddddd dope. From the beat to the bars, dude is cold. Dude is funny too, he called during one of Cliff's live streams and had the viewers laughing. It just seems like Finally Famous continues to put out hot shit. So here it is: Jay John's Freestyle called "Oh Space."

Robin Thicke: Dirty It Up

2009-07-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

Here is new music from Robin Thicke, called "Dirty it Up. It has a nice funk/soul with a dash of sex vibe to it. Check it out:

Download HERE: LINK

Courtesy of Concrete Loop

Wishin' On a Star...Or Not

2009-07-27T12:42:00.002-04:00

So Stefon Marbury from the Celtics (or whatever team he's on now) hosted a ustream last night, and boy did the fuckery ensue. I shouldn't say fuckery, cause lowkey, he looks as if he really needs some help. Really, check it for yourself and judge:

BIG SEAN: GETCHA SOME

2009-07-27T08:52:00.000-04:00

It's Here. And It's dope. Watch for yourself. (Check the Burn Rubber Chef Varsity Jacket in the vid) Though I will have other posts under here this will be the first post you see for a few days so you all can check the vid out (SUPPORT BIG SEAN!)

Jays On My Feet

2009-07-25T21:33:00.002-04:00

I am a girl who appreciates a nice pair of sneakers. I used to hate wearing non-sneakers back in the day, but now that I have matured, I don't mind wearing dresses, and being such a effin lady. But I do feel I can be sexy wearing sneakers as well, so my appreciation for them hasn't waned at all.

Jordan has been a pinnacle in the shoe game for over 20 years. And 2009, Jordan is going hard in the shoe game with their releases. Here's a couple of shoes slated for release soon (courtesy of Nice Kicks)

60+ DMF Pack: 8/22 (I want the Black ones so tough)

Hall of Fame Six Rings: 9/5

Last but certainly not least, the Jordan 11 Space Jam. If I don't get but one pair of sneakers, these HAVE to be the ones. And it's comes out Black Friday (busiest shopping day of the year, thanks Jordan Brand...=[ ). Would be a great Christmas gift for ya girl....

Available at Burn Rubber: I Want These

2009-07-25T21:23:00.003-04:00

Air Jordan 12 Retro (GS) - Black/White-University Blue

I want these. Immediately. Definitely will be one of the items brought when that refund check comes. Check the Burn Rubber site (a good one) for these

Buzz Glenwood Freestyle

2009-07-25T21:00:00.001-04:00

"Just cause It's zzz in my name don't you sleep on me" DAMN the homie Buzz got lyrics. Follow him on twitter @ImJustBuzz

The Angel Rock Project

2009-07-24T18:00:00.003-04:00

Malaak Compton Rock, as I stated before, was part of the first segment of Black in America. She posted a blog on her program's website (the program is called the AngelRock Project), which caught my eye. Her words and her points speak for themselves.

RAISE A RUCKUS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

In the words of my mentor and America's foremost child advocate Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of The Children's Defense Fund, it's time to "raise a ruckus people, it is time to raise a ruckus!"

CNN's "Black in America" raised many critical issues facing African-American people in this great country of ours. It was not pretty, it was not flattering, but it was very, very frank. The show delved into the negative issues that have plagued the African-American community for generations, i.e., crime, education, single parent families, drug abuse and the like.

People got mad. People sent many e-mails and letters to Soledad O'Brien and CNN and cried foul. People said "Black in America" was not consistent with the lives of many African-American people and was one-sided. Blogs and Web sites popped up all over the place where people "raised a ruckus" about the content of the show.

I read a lot of these comments. As a matter of fact, I was obsessed with people's views for many weeks after the documentary aired. And the more I read, the more I got angry. The more I read, the more I wanted to "raise my own ruckus." But I was frustrated and upset for a very different reason than most.

I was almost apoplectic with the amount of criticism for "Black in America" without critical, thought provoking commentary about how each person can do their part to make a difference to change the very startling and distressing issues facing most African-American children and adults in America.

On a typical day in the lives of black American children:

Three children or teens are killed by firearms
24 babies die before their first birthday
102 children are arrested for violent crimes
119 children are arrested for drug crimes
292 babies are born to teen mothers
348 babies are born without health insurance
497 children are confirmed abused or neglected
794 babies are born into poverty
1,202 babies are born to unmarried mothers
1,385 children are arrested

And on a typical school day for black children in America:

417 high school students drop out
442 public school students are corporally punished
6,916 public school children are suspended

And consider that in America,

One in three black children live in poverty
More than eight of every 10 black fourth graders in our public schools cannot read at grade level
A black boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime

[Statistics are from the Children's Defense Fund's Child Research Data.]

This is serious stuff people. And it is the cold-hearted truth. So, it is okay to comment that the documentary did not represent your life. It is okay to comment that it was upsetting to see images of black men in jail, children dropping out of school, and unwed mothers.

It is okay because the truth hurts, especially when it is seen by 16 million people. In fact, most of the images shown in "Black in America" do not represent my personal life or the lives of my children. But because these issues face my brothers and sisters in my collective African-American family, they concern me, they hurt me, they belong to me, and I will own them.

We know that as African-Americans we have come a long way. We know that we are doctors, lawyers, CEOs, philanthropists, politicians, and even the president of the United States of America. And yes, it would do our children a lot of good if these images were portrayed more frequently in the media. But this does not change the very real issues facing African-American people portrayed in "Black in America."

And frankly, with so many of our people struggling, we can't just celebrate our achievements -- we must make it a priority to work on the most critical and urgent matters in our community. As I always say, "The blessed and the best of us, must take care of the rest of us."

So why did the criticism make me so mad? Because so much of it was unaccompanied by real ideas, thought-provoking suggestions, plans of action, or inspiring initiatives or solutions. How can you complain if you are unwilling to join the fight?

How can you get mad, if you are disinclined to make a difference in someone else's life? And why would you take the time to write an accusatory e-mail to Soledad O'Brien instead of writing a letter to your representative in Congress demanding health care for all children and pregnant women, increased funding for schools, or new initiatives to increase black-owned businesses in black neighborhoods?

"Black in America 2" will offer many solutions to the ills facing African-American people. I think it will make the naysayers happy. But it will only make me happy if the naysayers "raise a ruckus" by joining the fight to better the lives of all black folks.

You're Gonna Love My Nuts

2009-07-24T13:40:00.003-04:00

I saw this on MTV Jamz. Enough said. Best Part is at 1:00...Oh yea, this guy and a hooker got into a fight a while back. You can't make this ish up.

Dirty Money

2009-07-24T13:30:00.002-04:00

I think Diddy is a shrewd, but Dirty businessman. So it's fitting that his new group (featuring former Danity Kane member Dawn) is called Dirty Money. I didn't want to post this initially, cause artists sans Diddy have a lifespan of 4 months-one year on Bad Boy, but since Diddy is actually in this group, they may last 1.5 years. Who knows?

More Stand Ups: Mike Epps

2009-07-24T12:10:00.002-04:00

Some people may say that Mike Epps does not have funny stand up shows. Overall, he's not timeless, I want to watch his stand ups again two years from now and laugh til I cry, but he has his moments. Check out some of the funny parts from Mike Epps "Inappropriate Behavior"

Fav Clip (watch around 1:20 for my fav part)

"I Got the white boy sitting round the corner"

He Got the Joe Brown impression on point

RAW...There's Nothing Left to Say

2009-07-24T11:49:00.002-04:00

Twitter makes you reminisce on things. @Need4LSpeed on twitter posted a clip from Eddie Murphy's RAW stand up, and I just had to post it on the blog because it was so hilarious.

The first vid might be my fav

The Henry Louis Gates Arrest Saga

2009-07-24T11:19:00.003-04:00

VIA CNN

CNN) -- The commissioner of the Cambridge, Massachusetts, police department said Thursday he "deeply regrets" the arrest of prominent black Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., but stands by the procedures followed by his department.

"I believe that Sgt. [James] Crowley acted in a way that is consistent with his training at the department, and consistent with national standards of law enforcement protocol," Commissioner Robert Haas said, referring to the officer who made the July 16 arrest at the professor's home.

"I do not believe his actions in any way were racially motivated," Haas said at a news conference.

Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct after an exchange with the officer, who was investigating a report of a possible break-in at the house.

The police department will create a panel of "independent, notable professionals" to provide an analysis of the incident, he said.

The controversial arrest of Gates was criticized Wednesday by President Obama, who said the Cambridge police department "acted stupidly."

"My response is that this department is deeply pained and takes its professional pride very seriously," Haas said.

Cambridge authorities dropped the charges against Gates on Tuesday.

In a statement, the International Association of Chiefs of Police expressed disappointment in Obama's remarks.

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"Police chiefs understand that it is critically important to have all the facts on any police matter before drawing conclusions or making any public statement," said Russell B. Laine, association president and chief of the Algonquin, Illinois, police department, in the statement. "For these reasons, the IACP was disappointed in the president's characterization of the Cambridge Police Department."

Haas' comments followed a statement earlier Thursday from Crowley, who said he would not apologize for his actions.

"That apology will never come from me as Jim Crowley. It won't come from me as sergeant in the Cambridge Police Department," Crowley told Boston radio station WEEI. "Whatever anybody else chooses to do in the name of the city of Cambridge or the Cambridge Police Department, which are beyond my control, I don't worry about that. I know what I did was right. I have nothing to apologize for."

The mayor of Cambridge said she will meet with the city's police chief to make sure the scenario that led to Gates' arrest does not happen again.

"This suggests that something happened that should not have happened," E. Denise Simmons, Cambridge's mayor said on CNN's "American Morning." "The situation is certainly unfortunate. This can't happen again in Cambridge."

Obama defended Gates Wednesday night, while acknowledging that he may be "a little biased," because Gates is a friend.

"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 ... that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."

The incident, Obama said, shows "how race remains a factor in this society."

Crowley also said he is exercising caution and his previous actions clearly show he is not a racist.

In fact, Crowley taught a racial profiling course at the Lowell Police Academy, said Deborah Friedl, deputy superintendent of the police department.

Last year was his fifth year as a co-instructor of the course, Friedl said.

"He seems to be a highly regarded instructor at the academy. He consistently received high praise from students," she said.

Gates told CNN Wednesday that although charges had been dropped, he will keep the issue alive.

"This is not about me; this is about the vulnerability of black men in America," Gates told CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

Gates said the Cambridge mayor had called him to apologize about the incident. Simmons, Cambridge's first black female mayor, confirmed to CNN that she apologized to Gates.

Gates said he'd be prepared to forgive the arresting officer "if he told the truth" about what the director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research said were "fabrications" in the police report. iReport.com: Share your views on Gates arrest

Crowley wrote in the Cambridge police report that Gates refused to step outside to speak with him, and when Crowley told Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in, Gates opened the front door and exclaimed, "Why, because I'm a black man in America?"

The report said Gates initially refused to show the officer identification, but eventually produced a Harvard identification card, prompting Crowley to radio for Harvard University Police.

"While I was led to believe that Gates was lawfully in the residence, I was quite surprised and confused with the behavior he exhibited toward me," Crowley said, according to the report.

Gates was arrested for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space" and was released from police custody after spending four hours at the police station.

He said Wednesday that he and his lawyers were considering further actions, not excluding a lawsuit.

Gates said that although the ordeal had upset him, "I would do the same thing exactly again."

I feel that even though if Mr. Gates was a white man, he wouldn't have been hassled like he was, this was more of an ego issue than a race issue. And if the audio comes out on the video and proves Professor Gates's version of the story to be true, the cop should in fact be reprimanded (not fired, but sternly reprimanded). And about Obama's comments: The question of Gates's arrest should not have been asked in that forum (which was about health care) in the first place. When issues of racial proportions were happpening during the tenures of Clinton and Bush, did the media expect for them to give insight into them like Obama did? Just cause he is Black, he shouldn't have to answer for all racial matters. But I do understand why they ask him the questions, and since they did, he gave an honest, correct answer. He didn't say the cops were racist, or even acted racist, or even called them stupid. But the cops ACTED stupidly indeed. And to criticize what he said is, IMO, incorrect. You can criticize him speaking on something in which he didn't have full knowledge about, yes, but he stated that himself. And despite whatever happened, fact of the matter is: when Professor Gates proved his residence, the cop should have left. End of Story.

Jay-Z ft. RIhanna and Kanye: Run This Town

2009-07-24T10:33:00.003-04:00

Not saying this is the greatest song ever, or even one of Jay's best songs/singles, but if you say this is not going to be a hit, you are sadly mistaken.

Mariah Carey Ft. Gucci Mane: Obsessed Remix

2009-07-24T10:22:00.001-04:00

It's not a vid that has good audio quality on it. Gucci actually looks presentable in this vid, and him on a Mariah Carey track is a good look for him. As much as I don't like his music, I'm not hating. But the question begs: is Gucci dissing Em in his verse or going along with the "theme" of the song? Hmm?

Faded Up

2009-07-23T13:25:00.005-04:00

Everyone's shaving half or all of their hair off nowadays. Ever since Ms. Amber Rose came on the scene, people have vendettas against their hair all of a sudden. Talk of the day today is Solange shaving off the bits:

Massive FAIL.
Next up we have Mel B. (from the Spice Girls) and her daughter. No, not Mel B, but the child, the toddler child, with a mohawk.

FAIL FAIL FAIL.
Last, but not least, on the male side we have Slim Thug, who finally cut the braids off (I personally think 99% of men need to cut the braids off, especially since AI did it)

Not a bad look at all. Bout time Mr. Thug.

Analysis: Black In America Deux (Segment One)

2009-07-23T12:41:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm not going into a deep analysis about Black In America 2, the first segment but I won't leave you all hanging. I personally enjoyed the first part of Black in America. It showed up and coming positive role models in the Black Community, and what they have been doing to combat the negativity that has been occuring within the African-American race. One story that particularly enjoyed and grabbed most people was the Steve Perry segment. Coming from a lower-middle class background, was in trouble as a child, but got his life together and became a principal of a high school in urban CT, where the gap between the upper and lower class is immensely huge. Despite this gap, his graduation rate is 100 PERCENT, and 100 PERCENT of the children there go to four year college. His efforts and involvement include leaving at 4:30 in the morning to pick up children to go to school, one on one time with each child, making sure dress code is strictly enforced (I see the point of dress code now, especially after watching that segment), and walking the halls to make sure the children get to class on time. He is an example and inspiration to many.

With saying that, as many people who enjoyed the first part of Black in America 2, there were its detractors. And the program was not perfect at all. A lot of people's biggest peeves, as well as one of mine, is that they didn't show enough middle class people making a difference, particularly in the segment about the student going to an majority white college, trying to organize discussions about racism at the school. I initially thought he was middle class, but dude was very affluent and part of the Jack and Jill demographic, if you will. Though I see his problems and struggle, I see others dismay and dislike over the segment. I feel they could have easily done this about middle class students going to an all White university, and have a more compelling story (the issues I face at the University of Michigan from both Whites and Blacks are, while not overwhelmingly horrible, still noteworthy nonetheless). One person who has documented this is Danielle Wright, a correspondent for CNN who interviewed many students of color at the University of Michigan campus. Shoutout to @1987productions (part of IgniteMag and fellow University of Michigan student) for the heads up and the great discussion about this program with me on twitter.

Also, some people felt it was a "brown paper bag test" on the people documented on Black in America 2. There were really no dark skinned Blacks on the segment, and I really do not know why that was done intentionally? Is there a shade marker on success?

Also, the Maalak Compton-Rock opening story caused some dissatification as well. "If this is Black in America, why is the focus on Black people in Africa?" (Mrs. Rock took 30 kids from Brooklyn and took them to volunteer in South Africa as part of a program she ran to encourage more Black success academically and otherwise). In addition to that, there were a significant amount of kids who didn't produce academically after the trip/program, holding questions about the effectiveness of her idea. However, personally, I feel she has good ideas and intentions, with alterations of the program it could be more effective, but the parents have to also put more pressure on their children to succeed (one child's parents didn't even take him to a follow-up meeting).

Another point for detractors was that the program didn't show any widespread solutions to implement programs like Steve Perry's in more urban communities. Yes, it didn't serve ways to how most Black communities can implement these things, but for one, it's only the first segment. And two, I think the point of this show was to showcase the Blacks making a difference, and we have the dialogue about what we can do in our community to achieve the same success and involvement as those featured in the program.

Overall, the program needed some work, but still NEEDED to be watched. I got very frustrated, for example, about how Black in America wasn't a trending topic on twitter, but "Soulja Boy Made" was. WTF? And I also found how celebrities can tweet about dumb, irrelevant ish, but something important as the Obama's NAACP speech, his presidental news conference about health care, or this Black in America program, gets silence. Or how people can watch dumb irrelevant ish on television, listen to dumb, irrelevant ish on the radio all day, but won't take two hours of their lives to watch something that can actually be useful and productive?

WE need work. WE need examples of success. Black in America 2, despite its shortcomings, gave us examples of success. Now WE need to do better.

Black In America...Part 2

2009-07-21T17:46:00.003-04:00

I'm interested to see the second installment of the Black in America saga on CNN. Though while I think Soledad O'Brien, an amazing journalist in her own right, did a wonderful job painting the issues, self-inflected and socially strained, of the Black collective in the first installment of "Black in America", there are others who feel the program focused only on the problems of the Black community, instead of solutions or positive examples. Well, according to the description of Black in America 2, they are looking at positive groundbreakers in the African-American demographic. What ever the case may be, tomorrow I am definitely tuning in. Starts a 9pm Wednesday, and 8pm on Thursday.

Click LINK HERE

QUICK POSTS

2009-07-21T17:30:00.002-04:00

50 Cent is releasing his new album called "Who Gives a Eff" the same day as Jay-Z LINK

Funny ass Drake Spoof with Affion Crockett (dude from Wildin Out that did funny Jay-Z impressions) LINK

DSEatGrand gets a spotlight on Juan's Blog. The owner, James, is a cool dude trying to do positive things for the city of Detroit. And he's only 25. We as residents of Detroit, who complain about the state of the city, need to be more active in support people and businesses that focus on bettering the city. James' store is one of them. LINK

Big Ben Roethlisberger is accused of sexually assulting a lady in Lake Tahoe LINK

It's Janet, Ms. Jackson If You Nasty

2009-07-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

A couple of days ago I was having a Janet Jackson Music session. Girl had some hits, as well as some dope videos. Not to mention Poetic Justice is one of my fav movies to watch (yes Joe Torry was in it, but who cares?) Here's some quality music to listen to for the day:

*I Get So Lonely might be my fav Janet Jackson song*

Last Vid...It's so many more vids I could put up here though

Ni**as Ain't Sh*t But Hoes and Tricks

2009-07-20T21:25:00.004-04:00

I was sitting and thinking about the state of Black relationships (like I don't do that everyday), and I thought of the term "niggas ain't shit". As a Black female in contemporary society, I can say that I have uttered the phrase a couple of times out of frustration over the quality of Black men I've dealt with or liked over my short time of trying to find relationships (I find that I say alot of things in frustration). Shoot, I believe that 90% of Black females have uttered the phrase "niggas ain't shit" in frustration at any point in their life. Lately, I've been trying to refrain from using the phrase "niggas aint shit" cause I thought it was making generalizations about all Black men unfairly. There are some Black men who are "shit", who do what they are supposed to do: professionally, socially, and in the relationship. I thought "niggas ain't shit" was the cry of the BBW: Bitter Black Woman. I took the sentiment of one Katt Williams: "Maybe it's you. You are attracting the niggas that ain't shit. How can you complain when all you do is attract the same people?"

And that's true. If you go for the same dude, why do expect different results? He's a d-boy who claims that he got "all the hoes". But he's going to be faithful to you? Bitch please. That's like a crackhead who's been off the pipe for a week moving to Cass Corridor and hoping they won't smoke crack again. But then again, there are many other societal factors that go into the thought processes of Black women and choosing relationships. Black people as a collective race are insecure and lost. We play on material, superficial things to determine our success: money (not necessarily a hard earned, honest dollar through work or school, but by "any means necessary" get rich quick), cars, clothes, hoes (not necessarily real women) or niggas (not men, niggas, the I'll show you attention but not affection dudes). Not saying that any other race is perfect, but we as African-Americans are indeed the most divided race in this nation, based on our values and how we go about achieving them. People from our own "motherland" despise us for our wasteful, apathetic attitudes toward success and advancement. These values, these actions our race covets are because we are scared to do better. We are afraid of the steps it take to be better than our forefathers, afraid we might risk it all and fail, so we take the easy way out. Afraid we can't do "better" because "better" does not want us. We "take what we can get" if you will. And for women, we would take the same guy, because that is easily accessible.

Some women may be afraid to take the risk and seek better guys because of the fear that there just aren't better guys out there. That those guys they may think of as better are nothing more than a disappointment waiting to happen (that may hurt more than someone letting you down that you know will let you down). We as women exchange affection for attention: we take the attention of a male as love enough. Collectively, we will choose quantity over quality in most of our affairs, because after years of being held out and raped of any and all things, we gorge ourselves: gorge ourselves in money, gorge ourselves in men, gorge ourselves in superficial things. So instead of waiting for that quality man, we go for the crapshoot: date as many dudes as we can and hope to find the one. Being single is death for the Black woman, especially the young black woman. Instead of meditating and bettering ourselves, we rush to try to find our next boo, ignoring ourselves in the process. "If you spend your life chasing a man, you'll never learn how to be a woman..."

So maybe that's why women settle. Out of fear. Of hopelessness. We see dudes like ass and sex, so we give that to them. We may see that a dude likes his girls to be dumbed down, for example, so we as women, in search of men, do that. What we have to realize is those type of things never ensure relationships. Just cause a dude calls you cute, has a coke and a smile, and shows you some attention, doesn't mean they are relationship material. We can do better. How do we go about this? Who knows. Do we condemn and criticize our Black men (and women) to do better without helping or taking into account their plight and embedded mindset? No, I myself had to realize that fact. Criticism without some type of construction can actually come across as hatred. Support and unity is more helpful than tearing your own people down. Not to mention the best and most accurate commentaries on our race are those being empathetic to the societal effects that work on our people. And those effects are indeed strong.

However, do we deal with it by delving into relationships with people who definitely need work in the hope that we can change them? No. Yes, people can change, but only by their motivation. You can only show them the way, by sticking with them while they do the same, maladaptive actions while you undergo stress is enabling them to do the same, maladaptive actions. It makes them think that what they are doing is okay, when in fact it is not. Yes, the social system of being Black in America works strongly on our people and relationships, but there is still some autonomy in our beings that allow us to control and choose our actions wisely. And alot of times, a person may put on their best to hook you in, but once he has you, he does the same ish, and wants you to "take him/her as he/she is." They may be content with the life they live. Bottom Line: A person can only change because they want to change.

But what choices do we have left? What do we do? What can we do?

Straight from the blog: http://tosuccesswithlove.blogspot.com/

Rules Rules Rules

2009-07-20T19:23:00.002-04:00

My girl Alex from tha-a-side had a situation with a wack a** dude who wanted to get on the music scene. Long story short, Alex was willing to help the man, but ol' dude (who shall remain nameless) was impatient and mad disrespectful about it, and now he oned his chances on being successful in the music industry. Don't bite the hand that feeds kind sir. But anyway, Alex posted a vlog today about the situation, and some kind rules about contacting bloggers/others about receiving some shine time on the blog. Please watch and enjoy

Soul For Real: Candy Rain

2009-07-20T18:28:00.000-04:00

This was my ish...check it out

To Success...With Love

I Wanna Sex You Up....At Twelve????!!!!

Survey on Affirmative Action

The Air Up There

Internet Killed the Radio Star?

Robin Thicke: "Sex Therapy"

Please Don't Shoot Me Down...

Why The Fight Never Ends....

Fashionably Late...I Hope

I Will Not Lose...

NGC MIXTAPE HERE!!! SKOOL BOI CHRONIKLEZ!

NGC: Stoopid (Ride)

RIP DJ AM

RIP Ted Kennedy

A Woman's Worth

Drake feat. Trey Songz (Where's Lil Wayne?): Successful

Drake ft. Kanye, Lil Wayne and Eminem: Forever

MDizz's Rendition of Say You Will

R.I.P. Aaliyah

Day 26: So Good

A Couple of NGC Exclusives From Slapz

Jay-Z ft. Drake: Off That (From the BP3)

Burn Rubber's Back to School Sale

Jay-Z feat Kanye and Rihanna: Run This Town (Full)

Fabolous Feat. Jay-Z: When The Money Goes

Young Scolla ft. KBunz: Infatuation

Run This Town Preview

Rant of the Day: The REAL Reason Why Michigan Is Called the Murder Mitten

Slum Village: Actin' Normal (Directed by Dwele)

My Take On Tameka Raymond's "She's Pretty For a Dark Skinned Girl"

Wu Tang Clan: Hip Hop's Republican Party (I Kid I Kid)

Bringing the Inside Out

Poison: Beyonce

IMU--The Inside Out

NGC: Ransom Freestyle

"Lady Louchi Rockin Gucci So Her Shirt's Off"

Sotomayor Confirmed!

Multimedia

Sonia Sotomayor, From the Bronx to the High Court

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Vote for Big Sean on 106th and Park

Yung GooD: Transformer, The Anthem, and Life of a Rap Star

Funny Ish: Lady Attacks Mona Lisa

ADubb: Stuntin and Get Up

Lil Duval Is Funniest Dude on Twitter

Inglorious Bastards

Lebron Rapping to Some Big Sean

The Clipse @ Burn Rubber Aug 23rd

The Princess and The Frog

Run This Town Video Pics:

Maxwell: Bad Habits

BeBe/CeCe Winans: Addictive Love

Big Ben is Back

Forever I Love Atlanta

Shaking. My. Damn. Head.

Wale Feat. Gucci: Pretty Girls

Successful Remix: Wayne, Drizzy, Trey, and Soulja Boy

Another Article From the Good Ol' CNN

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The Louboutin Don

All I Need In This Life of Sin...

Slaughterhouse!!! Oh lawd!!!

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: Reminisce Over You

Mike Posner, It Was Just A Matter Of Time

New Strain of HIV? Gorillas to Humans? WTF

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Health Library

Chris Rock: Good Hair

And Boom Goes the Dynamite

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One Blood!

Darling (Beyonce)

Lafayette, Get Your Hoes

R.I.P. Titus "Baatin" Glover

Something New

"I Want a Big Mawk"