Version 2.0

Culture, healing, politics and bullshit - Not necessarily in that order

The general, socio-political and very personal rantings and ravings of a hip hop head from the hood hustling for change... Of himself.

You all know me and are aware that I am unable to remain silent. At times to be silent is to lie. For silence can be interpreted as acquiescence.
—Miguel de Unamuno



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Friday, July 22, 2005

I'm alive... Damn, I been waiting to holla at Tupac

I'm still here y'all...

Thanks for email and voicemail... and stop using all those damn cusswords!

You should be hollering at Tamenika and Nate for procrastinating on doing the podcast show...



They should have never gave you niggas' money!!!



Until next time,

it's pronounced Hassan, bitches.

Friday, July 15, 2005

The Love I Lost...

I love Hip Hop.
We shared a lot.
We grew together.

I knew when I was a kid that I'd never outgrow Hip Hop. There were so many subcultures that either I could not or wasn't ready to get at, so I was patient. I hung with my older brother when Hip Hop made it's impact and we were determined (along with some other kids from my block) that we would be a part of that impact. We were so raw and unrefined, the same way Hip Hop was in the early eighties. As my childhood best friend Elton would say, it was love.

I joined the Army under the delayed entry program in 1988. I was still a kid and Hip Hop had grown into this awkward kid that was fresh to def. Everybody loved the vibe given off, there were vulgarities, but at that time there was balance. Everything in Hip Hop had its place. We were happy to see the sub cultures that made up Hip Hop all get their due. Then something happened.

Nah, not the raping of our culture by corporate America. Not that. It was the way we just gave up on taking something we created to the next level. We let Hip Hop leave and we never really got it back, but we waited. While we waited, all of that hope created by Ministers Malcolm and Martin got lost. Marcus' idea to go back to Africa with the Black Star Line faded in history. When I graduated high school and entered the Army, Nelson Mandela was not yet free. A lot of energy was put into getting him released and eliminating Aparthied from control of South Africa. Boy, that Black Star Line would have done wonders if it would have gotten revamped and used for purposes of helping our distant cousins. But our focus was not there. Hip Hop had us, and over the years we became desensitized by the bullshit that was funded by big music. We lost ourselves trying to keep up when we should have taken Hip Hop back and kept it real. The day Hip Hop and its byproducts started making billions for those that had no clue what is was before their investment was the day it lost most of its realness. Now of course there is an underground...

Which leads me to today. Fake ass rappers. Fake ass role models (not for the kids either). Impossible situations placed in the laps of the impressionable. Now control has been conveyed to those that do not have our best interests in mind. I can no longer listen to the music. I do not see the graffiti. The DJs are wack. Breaking is an exhibition that travels with the UniverSoul Circus. Nothing about Hip Hop is real anymore, and I have been made sick of it. Just as refine sugars, high fructose corn syrup and dairy have destroyed the African man and woman's internal systems making obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancers commonplace in our community due to overconsumption of it, Hip Hop in its mainstream state has caused a mutation of sorts, turning out an evil hybrid of B-Boy, unaware of his history and unashamed of his actions against those that embrace him. He is vulgar and disrespectful, greedy and hoarding all that he should share. He has not given back. Has not shared and will not anytime soon. He has no good news, always depressed and spreading death and disease to those that consume him, and he must be destroyed. Even the machines that created the Matrix destroyed it 6 times before getting it right.


I need Hip Hop back. In its original glory. The current incarnation is killing us.
I cannot support mainstream Hip Hop anymore.
I need to grow with the real again.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Get Free

Everything inside of you should want to get free.
Even the oxygen you inhale has the inclination to get out.
You release it. It regenerates and provides for someone else.
That person is also free. And everything inside of them wants to get free as well.

This is how God works.

You are given the ability to be free.
It is your choice to either take it or be confined to whatever vices hold you.

What holds you?
Have you tried to let it go?

I had a long look at the things that held me. They were simple things, man-made things, addictive things. People, places and things that have no rhyme or reason to hold onto you... Wait, that's it!!!
I let these things, objects and people that do not matter to me hold onto me.

But everything inside of me wants to be free.
All I have to do is let go. Okay, no more high carb, time wasting, damn near heart stopping, money guzzling, can't wait til I can get outta' thier presence, boring ass, mentally draining, non fuel efficient, why did I come here, writer's block giving, no spirit having ass people, places and things.

Damn, no more cigar collecting.
Or soul food restaurant binges.
Or wishy washy ass family members.
Boring ass TV too.
Or carbonated beverages.
Furl injected cars from the 80's.
Or folks who haven't mentioned "Jesus, Mohammed or even L. Ron Hubbard" for that matter.
The bank (sorry, the credit union actually helped me).
Corporate America (you know why).
Radio (fuck you and your wack ass playlist... and your commercials).
Both the Democrat and Republican Party (Barak and Jesse Jr are cool, but c'mon...).
Chemically manufactured haircare products.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
And the rest of y'all...

You are free to overwhelm someone else.


That means that God is working.

Monday, July 11, 2005

Freedom Is A Road Seldom Travelled By The Multitude

Y'all knew by hook or crook I was going to, right?

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Wow, That Was Fast...







this is an audio post - click to play







Dammit, I gotta' find a 2X...
I don't think I can fit this one anymore.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Whatever...

blah, blah, blah...


this is an audio post - click to play

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Whatever...

In the past couple of weeks, I've attempted to deprive myself from all of the things that are "regular" to me to see if I really need them. I've done a good job. What I found out about myself is pretty startling to me, seeing as I didn't know certain things about myself because I wasn't on the outside looking in.

I don't need:

TV - Television for the kid is a waste of time. Sure, I am a sports nut, but I found that if I get to the gym to get an elliptical machine in front of the TV's blasting Sportscenter, I can get up to the minute scores and goings on in Testosterone Nation... All the TV I need.

Alcohol - I used to put the shit on like cologne backnthaday. I was stationed in various military spots in Asia from 1991 to 1993. I took that time to drink my ass off. I found that as I get older, my tolerance has weakened tremendously. I can't hang, and plus I get asshole-itis messing with that ish. You don't want to know me when I drink, so I don't. Anymore.

Haters - Especially folk you done grown close to that always hate on the shit you do because they can't or don't wanna try. I HAD a lot of those around me, most of them blood related. Leads to writer's block.

My Job - I quit (okay, I called in sick for a week and am thinking about quitting). I need to immerse myself in what feeds me spiritually and creatively.

The suburbs - I moved to the burbs to get away from the city. And to get amnesty for all of my parking violations, but fuggit... I miss the hustle and bustle. And there are certain folks that I cannot get to because there is a highway full of young gunners with badges that stop a certain dread ON THE REGULAR to meet citation quotas. Okay, there's a whole band of em'. Know me on a first name basis. So far I've spit up over $1000 in bullshit fines by the suburban courts with $556.60 to go on July 11th. I got current tags, a license and 2 insurance policies... Whatever.

A PC - I'm going Mac Mini. Soon. And I 'm an MCSE.

Radio - I know, I'll just make my own show and put that shit on my website. Playlist my ass. I hate commercial radio!!! And those punk ass "personalities".

A Personal Trainer - Fuggit... I'm getting a Yogi.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Fight. Keep fighting. Keep fighting back.















Don't let them punk you.

You know who you are.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

So I go to this festival and guess who I run into

My family! I didn't expect to run into the fam at Chicago's International Festival of Life, but it was good knowing that they have the same vibe as I.

Have a safe and happy hell-a-day weekend.

With your family.