Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee

I normally don’t get involved with entertainment debates because it’s just not worth it but here’s my two cents.

If I wanted to debate in favor of Spike Lee’s statement, certain people make it very hard for me to want to align myself with them. The fact that we’re divided on a issue of the way a man chooses to express himself creatively is a shame within itself.
But I find it hard to agree with anything coming out of the mouth of Spike Lee supporters because of the tone and disdain that is attached to their words. A common theme that I’ve seen among those “standing up” for Spike Lee’s statement is them putting down the mindsets of those who happen to enjoy watching Tyler Perry’s movies. Enjoying Tyler Perry does not make me less “Black” than the next person. Hell, I have a natural. Does that make me more black than someone sporting a weave? No, So get over yourselves!
Agreeing with Spike Lee does not make you more educated, more conscious or more intelligent than the person who could care less about what either man is doing and/or saying. I do think it’s interesting that I have yet to hear a person in support of Tyler Perry put down one person who is in support of Spike Lee because unlike Spike they refuse to resort to name calling.
I compare this whole debate to the way people feel about the music of the next generation. Have you ever noticed that people who love old school hip hop fail to see the value of the music of today. I’m guilty of this but so I completely understand that. Each generation thinks their generation is better than the next. It never fails. My dad thought his generation was better than mine and I will probably feel the same way about my son’s generation. A little generational superiority never hurt anybody.
However, when you start talking about the people who support or are entertained by things you don’t care for, that’s when we have a problem. You are entitled to your opinion but questioning one’s mental capacity because they like a movie that none of us are making a dime on is taking it too far.

This post is not intended to choose sides just to merely make it known that putting people down who don’t agree with you is not cool. Please feel free to comment.

I Never Stopped Believing In MJ

After Michael Jackson passed everyone claimed that we (his fans and peers) let him down by not being there for him or not believing in him.  I can’t say that I identifiy with claims that I was not there for Michael Jackson because I don’t recall poking fun of him or any of his allegations.  I have always embraced him and his talent so I refuse to group myself with the people who claim that MJ was abandoned by so many people.
After watching this video which came out in April of 2008, it’sclear that I’m not the only one who didn’t abandon him.  Michael Jackson…the talent, the visionary, the megastar was idolized before his death.  If us celebrating his life translates to us making up for loss time, then our love for him is obviously overshadowed by one’s own guilt.

Don’t Blame Kanye, Blame Jay-Z

It happens all the time. The new kid in school gets picked on and bullied and then that kid becomes an upperclassman.  Since he or she spent so many years getting tripped while walking down halls, getting their books knocked out of their hands or having their lunches taken, they feel the need to return the favor to some unsuspecting underclassman who is not going to stand up for themselves.  This doesn’t just happen involuntarily but voluntarily as well.  Look at fraternities and sororities.  When people pledge, go on line or whatever it’s called, they do so knowing the person responsible for making the decision whether they do or don’t join this elite group has it out for them.  Why not, they got hazed so why shouldn’t you or in the bullies case, they were bullied so what makes you special.

*Note* Greeks stop tripping, all of you don’t haze but I’m not stupid either.

Kanye West robbing Taylor Swift of her moment on the VMA’s  is nothing more than the bullied returning the favor and bullying someone else.  If people remember correctly, Kanye had to prove himself to Jay-Z and the crew before getting his Roc-a-fella chain.  Unlike some other artists who probably grew up in Jay-Z’s hood, Kanye probably gave out free beats and spent long hours in studios only to receive a pat on the back.  All he ever wanted was to be popular…..one of the “cool kids” .  His day eventually came but I’m sure it was filled with a lot of ass kissing and anything else negative that’s associated  with being bullied.  When he first started there was not only Jay-Z but Damon Dash too so I can only imagine what type of BS they put him through.  Now add his early experiences with the “cool kids“, the fact that his mom is no longer living and him being romantically involved with (the Black Bridgette Neilson), Amber Rose and you would probably do some things that many may consider out of order too.  Fast forward a couple of years and Kanye has finally arrived (at least in his eyes) and the only way he feels that he can assert his power is by completely disrespecting a young country singer.  This is the only way he feels he can make up for the way the “cool kids” a.k.a. his friends treated him when he was an underclassman.  In his eyes he did nothing wrong because what goes around comes around. Don’t blame Kanye for repeating the way he was treated, blame Jay-Z and Damon Dash because they started this mess.

It happens all the time. The new kid in school gets picked on and bullied and then that kid becomes an upperclassman.  Since he or she spent so many years getting tripped while walking down halls, getting their books knocked out of their hands or having their lunches taken, they feel the need to return the favor to some unsuspecting underclassman who is not going to stand up for themselves.  This doesn’t just happen involuntarily but voluntarily as well.  Look at fraternities and sororities.  When people pledge, go on line or whatever it’s called, they do so knowing the person responsible for making the decision whether they do or don’t join this elite group has it out for them.  Why not, they got hazed so why shouldn’t you or in the bullies case, they were bullied so what makes you special.

*Note* Greeks stop tripping, all of you don’t haze but I’m not stupid either.

Kanye West robbing Taylor Swift of her moment on the VMA’s  is nothing more than the bullied returning the favor and bullying someone else.  If people remember correctly, Kanye had to prove himself to Jay-Z and the crew before getting his Roc-a-fella chain.  Unlike some other artists who probably grew up in Jay-Z’s hood, Kanye probably gave out free beats and spent long hours in studios only to receive a pat on the back.  All he ever wanted was to be popular…..one of the “cool kids” .  His day eventually came but I’m sure it was filled with a lot of ass kissing and anything else negative that’s associated  with being bullied.  When he first started there was not only Jay-Z but Damon Dash too so I can only imagine what type of BS they put him through.  Now add his early experiences with the “cool kids“, the fact that his mom is no longer living and him being romantically involved with (the Black Bridgette Neilson), Amber Rose and you would probably do some things that many may consider out of order too.  Fast forward a couple of years and Kanye has finally arrived (at least in his eyes) and the only way he feels that he can assert his power is by completely disrespecting a young country singer.  This is the only way he feels he can make up for the way the “cool kids” a.k.a. his friends treated him when he was an underclassman.  In his eyes he did nothing wrong because what goes around comes around. Don’t blame Kanye for repeating the way he was treated, blame Jay-Z and Damon Dash because they started this mess.

‘College Dropout’ was my College Experience

 

Rhythmic Props

 

Some people think Kanye West is a bit self absorbed, kind of cocky and a tad annoying, but I wonder how many of these people actually know him on a personal level. I’ve never met him, conversed with him or been in the same room with him but for some reason I know him or at least I know of the experiences that he speaks of.

In 2004, he released what I consider one of the greatest hip hop albums of the last 5 years. You can argue me on this, but I’m positive we’d have a very good conversation and by the end, I’ll be the winner of our debate. College Dropout spoke to me and so many others. Until then, the experiences of kids who society considered “middle class” or “upper lower class” had not been addressed. There’s a large group kids who grew up in the hood and instead of succumbing to the negative images around them they got good grades, went to college and due to a number of reasons didn’t graduate. I too am one of those kids that followed this path. We can’t identify with dope boy anthems nor can we get down with the tales of ghetto princesses because that’s not our life. What we can relate to is attending our very first step show, getting a low paying campus job and house parties. Kanye explored a lifestyle that so many of us could identify with. Listening to his masterpiece triggered good memories from a time in my life that I don’t visit very often. Not only did he address the experiences that I enjoyed but he also discussed topics that my peers and I talked about often. From not having enough financial aid, to the materialistic mindset of so many students living credit card to credit card, ‘College Dropout’ should’ve been named ‘College Experience’ because he captured my experience in every rhyme.

Inspired By Reality: Do Men Appreciate An Independent Woman

I often watch the T.O. Show on VH1. If you’re not familiar, VH1 follows Terrell Owens as he gets his life on track after being let go by the Dallas Cowboys and heading to the Buffalo Bills. I really didn’t know if I would like the show when it originally aired but I must say that it manages to keep me entertained. Add his friends and Publicists Kita & Mo to the mix and you get that motherly and much needed female vibe.

On a recent episode of the show Terrell goes on a date with Jessica White, a Victoria’s Secret model and she is very adamant on paying for their bill. I don’t know why she insists but a number of reasons enter my head. She’s either a control freak who likes to take charge of the situations that she’s in or she wants it to be known that she is not after his money and can stand on her own two feet. My guess is option #2.

It was rather obvious that Terrell wasn’t completely cool with Jessica paying for the date and it got me thinking. Men say they want a woman that’s not a gold digger but when a woman tries to take care of him by paying for both of them, he can’t handle it. What exactly do you think a man responds to? The woman who needs the man for everything? The woman who can handle everything herself? Or, a combination of the two?

Back & Forth with Maestro, Producer of Lil’ Wayne’s “Whip It Like A Slave”

If you’re not hip to twitter, I advise that you jump on the bandwagon.   What many view as boring can be pretty exciting at times and today was no different.  After reading a very enlightening article of the bafoonery displayed in Hip Hop culture today, I checked out a link in the article that directed me to youtube where I was greeted by Lil’ Wayne and his song, “Whip it Like A Slave”.  Since I share everything with my twitter friends, I posted my thoughts on the song.  Next thing I know, I receive a message from this dude named Maestro.  Apparently, he produced the song that uses the word slave as a metaphor for how Lil’ Wayne whips up his drugs.  In his attempt to shed an alternative P.O.V. on the subject he sent me and two others a lengthy response.  Being the person that I am, I had no choice but to respond.  In this post, I’ve decided to share snippets of our back & forth dialogue.  Before reading what we sent each other, listen for yourself and form your own opinion.

Maestro wrote:

Although integration has seemingly been the goal of the Black community since the civil rights movement, would we rather dismiss the reality of slavery and act like it never happened? As the producer of the song I take full responsibility for the seemingly ignorant content, but the drug reference is far more offensive in my opinion.”

I wrote:

I completely agree that there are so many things in lyrics that are equally if not more offensive.  Was the tweet that you sent us on your mind when the song was being produced or is it just a response to what some may be view as negative feedback?

Maestro wrote:

When i sampled the whip it line it was in reference to the wrist movement when whipping something in a pot, nothing sexual. So i was expecting more backlash towards the drug reference than the racial/slavery connotation.

Maestro wrote:

Wayne’s “rodney king baby/beat it like a cop” WAS indeed sexual double entendre, and incidentally, didn’t receive any negative reaction from blacks (once enraged by the civil rights implications of the beating) or from law enforcement (who would naturally be angered by a reference to police brutality in such a public forum)

I wrote:

Not receiving backlash on a National level doesn’t mean people didn’t take offense to it, that just means enough people either haven’t heard it to make noise or the people who have heard it don’t have voices that are powerful enough to make change.

Maestro wrote:

The song was written as a dope boy’s anthem. “Whipping” paired with any metaphor is absurd to a person who doesn’t understand the drug culture; just as “401k” is absurd to a person who hustles in the streets. We are all entitled to our opinions, but I feel we should be careful when we formulate opinions on things that we don’t understand or can’t relate to.

I wrote:

Just because the song was written as a dope boys anthem and I or others may not know that lifestyle doesn’t mean that there aren’t other elements to the song that can be taken offensive.  While I am aware that artists, producers, etc. are not responsible for what the youth listens to or parents not being more involved by forbidding them from listening to it, I do think that artists should show a sense of responsibility when making songs especially when they are well aware of their core audience.  My lack of understanding of the ‘drug world’ has nothing to do with my dislike for the way the word was used in the song. In my opinion it was done in poor taste.

As you can see, everyone is entitled to their opinions but I can’t help but to feel like Maestro’s opinion is rather biased considering he produced the song.  However, I do respect him for speaking up in the manner that he did. As for who I hold responsible;  everyone.  I hold Lil’ Wayne, Maestro, Dem Franchize Boyz and the fans responsible  for this very irresponsible song.  And if this song is released on an album, I will hold the record lable responsible as well.  The reason I blame the fans is because if we sit back and do nothing each time an artist releases something offensive, the music that they release is only going to get worse.  By saying nothing, we’re sending mixed messages and making them think that this is okay, when it’s not.  

I would love to know what your thoughts are regarding this?

If you would like to read my or the producers posts in its entirety, send me an email and I’ll be more than happy to forward you the links.

 

Meet Hal Linton, A True ‘Rising Icon’

When I first heard that BET was honoring artists in their ‘Rising Icons’ Special, I was excited for the network and saw this as an opportunity to redeem themselves following the BET awards. And then I saw the list of honorees.  Nothing against Chrisette Michele, Keri Hilson, Ryan Leslie or the Dream but I don’t really consider everyone on this elite list a ‘Rising Icon’.  The four names that I mentioned previously may not be “Superstars” but they are definitely not rising.  They have been at it for a minute and I believe someone who has yet to release an album should be considered a ‘Rising Icon’.  That’s just my opinion.

As probably the only artist on BET’s series ‘Rising Icons’ that I’m not familiar with, I can honestly say that I am very impressed so far with Hal Linton.  This Barbados native was honored on the BET special that takes a look at life of a rising artist on the road and at home, giving the viewers a glimpse into each artist’s journey to stardom.  Although Hal Linton’s episode aired on August 3rd, I’m pretty sure BET will air it again.  You know I’m right.  In the meantime take a look at this clip of him performing at VIBE VSessions.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: An iTunes Gift Card

Yesterday I went to Target with high hopes.  Hopes of getting about 4 maybe 5 new albums.  Then I looked at the prices of these albums and thought, “This is adding up too fast”.  Every album I had in my hand was either $11.99 or $13.99 and I realized the $50.00 budget I had put myself on, was not going to be attainable if I wanted to buy 4 or 5 new albums.  As I drifted down each aisle trying to figure out what I should do, I came across an iTunes gift card. “What do people do with these” I thought.  Oh yeah, they give them as gifts.  The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  Why couldn’t I give myself a gift……a gift of an iTunes gift card.  You see, if memory serves me correctly, every album I’ve ever seen on iTunes was either $7.99 or $9.99 so in a perfect world (and I do try to live in a perfect one) a person could possibly buy 4 to 5 albums for $50.00 or less.  Since I had not researched the albums I was interested in, I had no way of knowing if they were $9.99 or less but I was willing to find out.  So I purchased my gift to myself, an iTunes gift card. 

When I got home, I already knew which albums I wanted to buy so I got started. The first album was Chico Debarge’s new CD, Addiction…..$9.99.  Then there was Mary Mary’s newest release, The Sound……$9.99.  Now onto that new Foreign Exchange album…..$7.99 (Whoo Hoo).  Next was Raphael Saadiq’s newest album……$7.99.  Last was Maxwell’s new album…….$9.99.  So far I had purchased 5 complete albums, some bonus songs and still had about $4.00 left, so I began buying singles….3 singles to be exact. 

Recap…..For $50.00 using an iTunes gift card that I gifted to myself, I purchased 5 complete albums, 3 singles and I still have some change left on my gift card.  I will never ever in a billion years buy another album from anywhere else other than iTunes and neither should you.

Friday Inspiration: You’re My Girl & I Love You

 

You know what to do. You know how to do it. You even give people unwanted advice, but for some reason you have yet to recycle your words of wisdom and use them for yourself. There is nothing wrong with taking your own advice from time to time and I’m sure people would understand your need to be a bit selfish. It is okay if you to reserve that logical feedback that you give so many people and use those words to solve your problems, but obviously you’re in a giving mood. I get it, really I do but what I don’t get is the constant excuses you give explaining why you don’t use your own words to assist you in life’s daily struggles. I know it’s easier said than done, this being the reason that you can so effortlessly dish it out. You must know that after a while, those who come to you for those words of wisdom will realize your secret…..that you’re a fraud. While you’re trying to save everyone else from making a dreadful mistake they will later regret, whose saving you. If you’re not taking your own advice, then who is there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to talk to? In no way am I saying abandon the good Samaritan in you but take time out for yourself, because if you can’t help yourself, how can you be there for others.

 

Maxwell, Joe & Chico brings July heat

The year was 1998, three men were on heavy rotation in my tapedeck. I had it so bad for Maxwell, Joe and Chico Debarge that you would think that they were the only artists I listened to.  Maxwell was my neo-soul afro wearing free spirit, Joe was my chocolate drop and Chico was the one whose videos I stayed up at night to watch before going to sleep.  Fast forward 11 years and as a grown woman all three of  these guys do something for me. While Maxwell no longer has the fro, I’m still looking forward to BLACKsummer’s Night, his first release in years.  Joe & Chico’s newest releases are anticipated by me as well.  With these guys bringing great music to  our ears as well as other artists such as Kristina Debarge releasing her debut album, this will definitely be a hot and steamy July with alot of cool moments.