Sunday, February 26, 2006

OH HELL NO!!!!

Dear Metro Riders,

I just wanted to take a moment to make you aware of a gross injustice that has been done to some of your precious Metro stations. BET has invaded!!!! AHHHHHHH!! And what's worse, its just ignant!!!

I'm on my way to dinner with a friend last night and as I am walking towards the escalator I see a large billboard with Lil Kim's picture on it. the next thing I notice is that infamous BET logo. I bent down to tie my shoe and as I looked up I happened to read the caption next to Lil Kim's picture. "Countdown to Lockdown: a 14-Day trip from Hard Rhymes to Hard Times." What the #$%k?!! the chick is dumb enough to try to lie to the police when they have videotape evidence and tehy are doing a documentary on her getting ready to go to prison. People will attempt to make money off of anything these days.

Of course it's on BET!! What other cable channel would it be on? That cable network has become such a joke (in my opinion). I remember when I used to stay up Rap City, Video Soul, Video LP and Midnight Love were the only video shows on BET. Everything else was regular programming. They had Tavis, Teen Summit, the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (of which I was a three year participant and captain of Hampton University's team), Black College Sports, the list goes on....

Now EVERYTHING is videos!!!! But I'm off on a tangent. That ad was just indicative of what a once respected cable network has become. They need to the network that carries "THE SAUCE" Awards. That's not respected either.

But, I look above Lil Kim and there is an ad for College Hill, another BET programming mistake. The tag line reads "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste", and there is a photo of the cast. The first thing you see is one of the male cast members standing in the front with no shirt on. They look like a bunch of ghetto children. Why do I have a funny feeling that the show has nothing to do with "brains". Actually, it probably has a lot to do with brains.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

when rappers dont trust the police (how can you blame them?)


if dreds equals strength, busta is seriously lacking now

To Whom It May Concern,

I recently read an article that appeared in the New York Times entitled “When Rappers Keep Their Mouths Shut Tight”. It is unfortunate when people who do not understand Hip-Hop culture, write about incidents that really have nothing to do with the music, and then attempt to connect dots that have no business being connected.

For those of you who do not know, Israel Ramirez, a bodyguard for Busta Rhymes, was gunned down outside a video shoot approximately two weeks ago after a dispute supposedly involving an associate of rapper Tony Yayo and music producer Swizz Beatz. Apparently, the acquaintance traded shots with someone outside of the video shoot and Mr. Ramirez was killed. The hoopla over the past two weeks has all centered around Busta Rhymes’ refusal to talk to the police.

First of all, there were 30 to 50 bystanders outside during the shooting. How Busta Rhymes became the ONLY or most important witness confuses me. Every time I read about this in the news it is about the silence of Busta Rhymes. There are church reverends and organizations calling for the boycott of Busta Rhymes music as if HE shot someone. Busta just happened to be there too.

What about the silence of everyone else?!


“A lot of this stonewalling is posturing they do to sell records” – NYPD Commisioner Raymond Kelly


How many times does the Police Commissioner have a press conference about an unsolved murder? Q-Tip said “there’s 8 million stories in this city”, what makes this one more important than the other unsolved murders in New York City? What about all the others who have refused to talk to the police? Why not call them out?

And Busta Rhymes is not a hardcore rapper. Busta is not posturing to sell any records. This is is not an attack on civic responsibility. It’s an attack on Hip-Hop by the Police Commissioner and the rest of the media. This is clearly the case because non-cooperation with the police is nothing new in the Black community.

It is unbelievable that in this day and age someone would think that Hip-Hop is the reason youth are not cooperating with the police. This phenomenon is not something that is isolated to Hip-Hop. It is something that is widespread in the Black community. I grew up in the Bronx and talking to the police was always a no-no. It wasn’t because the rappers said the police were not to be trusted, it was because history said the police are not to be trusted.

“It’s the code of the streets: You just don’t talk to the cops. That mistrust has a long history among people of color, but its really taken on a life of it’s own.” –Bakari Kitwana

The relationship that the police have developed with members of the Black community is clearly influenced by Machiavelli’s, “The Prince”. They have cultivated a relationship in the Black community based on fear – the fear that if you DON’T cooperate, whether you are guilty of anything or not, we will lock you up too. Or worse….

In the history of the United States, when have the police ever been of any REAL help to Blacks? I remember seeing dogs sicked on innocent marchers, I have seen pictures of lynchings, I have read about the overseer and slave patrols. (patrols being originated during slavery to make sure property did not escape off the plantation) Then there was COINTELPRO and now there is Homeland Security. Why would I trust the police?

It is even more unreal to think that non-cooperation with the police is the reason that Biggie and Tupac’s murders have not been solved. Let me give you a heads up. The people involved in the Biggie and Tupac murders WERE THE POLICE!! They may not have represented all police officers, but they were. The Wallace family just settled a million dollar lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for withholding evidence. Trust the police?

Not to mention the fact that the police (starting with the NYPD) set up a special police unit that dealt specifically with rappers and other Hip-Hop artists. All they do is surveillance and wait for rappers to do the slightest thing, (i.e. double-parking on broadway, driving with tinted windows, or just being young, rich and black)

We have all seen the “Stop Snitching” video and the t-shirts that are being peddled in inner-city neighborhoods. The article claims that the T-shirt has made “snitching” not popular. “Snitching” has always been looked down upon in the Black community. Especially when doing it to a group that is not trusted in the first place. Its just that there happened to be a few enterprising negroes who decided to make money off of it.

As a black man in America I am always suspicious, I can name more times that the police have harassed me than helped me. We fit the description, are randomly searched and pulled over. I grew up blocks from where Amadou Diallo was shot by police for holding a wallet. My life experience tells me, the police are not here to prevent crime, they are just here to protect property and lock up the people who are or aren’t criminals. Why would I trust the police?

Like 50 said, “Police response never fast enough for shots fired”. And that’s the bottom line.

Sincerely,
Akil

Sunday, February 19, 2006

to my party-goers

Dear party-goers,

This is the period of time in my life when I should be out living it up right? At least according to what everyone says. THE CLUB seems to be the place where all of these people my age go to have fun and be social. Problem is, every time I go to THE CLUB I eitehr feel too old or ... too respectable. When I was younger I couldn't wait to hit the club, but times have changed. Three reasons why I can't do THE CLUB thing anymore...

1. Admission - Since I've gotten older I've grown tired of the $20 at the door admission fee. You can call me cheap, but I don't like spending money. Especially if a glass of Hennessey is $10, a shot of Petrone is at least $8 and a beer is $6. How many drinks do you think I'm going to buy after I've paid $20? That's why I like lounges. They are usually free.

2. Dress Code - I like being able to dress the way I feel. I'm a sweatpants and sneakers type of guy. Maybe even jeans, but the dress shoes and shirts are just not me. I have to wear that to work and I don't like to chill in my work clothes. Then again, do people really go to the club to chill anyway?? And some of the outfits that my sistas wear .... furs, thongs. low-rise jeans, fish nets, tank tops (its like 20 degrees outside). Its funny watching y'all stand outside the club in that stuff because i know you're cold. I guess that's the price you pay for being cute, or not.

3. Atmosphere/Attitude - Negroes (not me) go to the club to pick up women. It's that simple. As a man at the club, you gotta be a "go-getter". You gots to pimp!! There are no passive or non-aggressive men in the club. And because I'm not the type to grab someone as they walk by, or just roll up behind some random chick and start grinding on her or start whispering randomly in some girls ear I don't do well in the club environment. I don't go to the club to pick up women. Someplace that is loud, hot, dark and funky does not seem like the ideal place to meet someone. How are you supposed to talk over all that music? You're not. How are you really supposed to see the girl? You remember that song by Black Sheep, "Strobe light Honey"? I'm not trying to get caught up like that.

Anyway, I'd like to say/ I'm Dres from the Black Sheep givin you play/ step out of the light come show off yourself/ oh no I'm sorry I thought you were someone else!


Personally, I like to see what people look like before they talk to me. I like to see the look in their eyes to make sure that they are not crazy. Especially if we are in the dark. And I'm not your "typical" man so ..

IF I can see your butt-crack, not cool.
IF you are WASTED, not good for you.
IF you have on fur, it's a wrap. (that includes furry boots)
IF you have on enough make-up for the circus .. no play.
IF I can smell your funky weave... I won't even go there.
IF I have to buy you a drink before talking ... you'll just be thirsty. (My mom points to this as the reason I don't have a girlfriend. I told her it says BEFORE talking to you.)
IF you have NO college degree ... just walk away. ( although it is more likely to be the other way around these days. especially pertaining to black men and women)
If you stand there and dance with your homegirls ... that's just stupid. AND it's this phenomenon that confuses me the most. Are there that many lesbians in the world or are there too many trifling negroes? And I know that there are many trifling negroes.

Sometimes I wonder why some women even go to the club. Niggas (and I use this word sparingly so you know exactly who I'm talking about) are like vultures. I saw at least six guys attempt to dance with this girl because she was drunk off her ass. Not to mention the fact that she couldn't keep her pants up. And her homegirl was with her!!! Men putting their hands all over her and she was just so unaware... if y'all wanted to do that you should have gone to a strip club. No wonder women seem to always have attitudes at the club.

These are some of the reasons that I do not go to the club on a regular basis. It's just too superficial, too fake and a lot of UN-respect going on. Give me a lounge where I can actually see, sit, talk, drink and maybe even dance. A place where I can relax. Where I don't have to attempt to floss so someone will talk to me. Somewhere I can be REAL. Because the club is just too much stress.

Monday, January 30, 2006

an open letter

The following is a response to a letter that was written by a concerned sister on allhiphop.com regarding hip-hop "beef" and the state of the Black male.

My Sister,

I read the letter that you wrote to my brothers and I regarding “rap beefs” and the lack of respect that black men have for each other. I agree with you, brothers do need to have peace and respect for themselves and others. Brothers need to work it out. There has always been and will continue to be issues such as high crime rates, unemployment, gentrification, police brutality, etc. if we as black men do not learn how to deal with our problems effectively. It seems that as black men we believe that we are less masculine if we attempt to talk about our feelings instead of acting them out physically. This problem needs to be addressed because if we continue to put up this façade of false ego, we are leading ourselves, as black men, further down the path of self-destruction

Moreover, we have allowed the “gangsta” mentality to permeate the business side hip-hop. This is what happened to B.I.G. and Tupac. Not only have we let the music industry pimp us, but we continue to promote the stereotypes that have been created for us. This has caused us to let our “crews and cliques with guns”, who don’t know how to do much else, attempt to solve our problems for us.

However, I have to disagree with you on the issue of “rap beefs”. “Beef” or competition is not the problem with hip-hop. Rap music has always been about competition. Black culture has always featured “lyrical contests” involving rhymes. The Dozens, testifying, signifying and schoolyard rhymes. The object of a lot of these games was to see who could come up with the best rhyme.

Every person who has the nerve to record believes that he/she is the best at their craft and there comes a time when they have to prove that. It is the same as playing a sport or even being a student. There will always come a time when you must exercise your skills against another emcee. When someone challenges you lyrically, you have to ‘show and prove’, or you will be just another wannabe, no-name emcee.

Competition weeds out all of the wack MCs. If there were more battling, there might be fewer rappers, and t he quality and content might be a lot better instead of the watered down Hip-Hop that we hear on the radio and see on BET and EmpTV. Competition makes cats STEP THEIR RAP GAME UP! Maybe then we can be rid of these non-lyrical emcees that claim to bless the mic, but instead do more damage.

If emcees were challenged more, maybe their lyrical skills and their content would expand. Maybe we would be left with rappers who could rap about more than guns, drugs, sex, violence, and money. Maybe they would spit about who was actually the best lyricist as opposed to who has the most guns, girls, and grillz. If emcees were forced to showcase their lyrical skill, instead of their persona (real, imagined or otherwise) they couldn’t rap about nonsense.

Lyrical competition in rap encourages new and innovative ways to practice the art. The competition and conflict encourages change and innovation lyrically and musically. Without “beef”, Hip-Hop would not be what it is or where it is today. What would Hip-Hop be without Kool Moe Dee v. Busy Bee, BDP v. The Juice Crew, or L.L. v. Canibus? Do we consider these battles forms of Black on Black violence? Additionally, until brothers learn to cope effectively with our problems or “beef” (whether they are real or manufactured), I would much rather see brothers expressing their anger through rap songs than through gun shots or fisticuffs. I’d much rather have “Takeover” and “Ether”, “South Bronx” and “Kill That Noise” or “Wanksta” and “Clap Back” than read about another dead brother in the street.

Whether or not Jay responds is of no consequence. If this were conflict-resolution, it would be appropriate for Jay not to respond. This is not conflict-resolution. This is Hip-Hop. It’s not Hip-Hop to ignore a challenge. You said it yourself, Hip-Hop is just music. “Dis” records are just music. And this issue, it’s bigger than hip-hop.

Sincerely,
Akil E. Kennedy

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

81 points ain't no fluke!!!

I’m not afraid to say that I’ve never liked Kobe Bryant. I don’t know what it was, but ever since he entered the NBA, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. A renaissance man compared to the average high school to NBA story. Living in Europe and the U.S., son of a former NBA star. Kobe would have led a charmed existence had he not been a basketball player. But Kobe was good. Better than good. Maybe it was that cocky smirk that only a child of privilege could have or the constant chucking of bad shots during his first couple of seasons. Whatever it was, I had serious anti-Kobe issues.



So of course, my jaw dropped when I saw the headline on ESPN.com. 81 points? Eighty-One points!!?? Kobe went the hell off! That man is ballin’ outta control!!

He scored every way imaginable. Mid-range jump shots, driving lay ups to the basket, dunks, 3-pointers, free throws. Any way the Raptors wanted it Kobe gave it to em’. He shot 60% (28/46) from the floor, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. Kobe also added 18 of 20 free throws. Kobe had 55 points in the second half! That’s14 more points than the entire Toronto team, who clearly began watching Kobe instead of defending him. He brought the Lakers back from a 71-53 deficit in the 3rd quarter!!

This entire season has been a coming out party for Bryant. Bryant leads the NBA in scoring at 35.9 points per game. He has scored over 40 points 13 times this season and is averaging 45.5 points for the month of January. He scored 62 points against the Mavericks on Dec 20th and sat out the entire fourth quarter!!

To put Kobe’s performance in perspective here are a few facts:
• NBA teams have been held below 81 points 99 times this season
• Spurs have been held below 81 points both times they have played the Pistons
• Michael Jordan’s highest scoring game was 69 points (in OT)
• Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s (NBA’s all time leading scorer) highest scoring game was 55 points

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points on March 2, 1962. Wilt took 63 shots and scored 59% of his team’s points (100 of 169) that night. Kobe took 48 shots and scored 66% of his team’s points (81 of 122). If Kobe had taken the same amount of shots as Wilt, he would have scored over one hundred. Some make the argument that Kobe has the benefit of the three-point shot. I would argue that Wilt had the advantage of being 7’0 and the biggest person on the court. Kobe is a 6’7 small forward. Those hardly come a dime a dozen in the NBA. One can’t imagine how difficult it is for a wing player to score 81 points in a game considering he also has the responsibility of handling the ball and chasing his man on defense.

Maybe I’ve been too hard on Kobe. He came into the league when he was 17-years old and has been in the spotlight for most of his adult life. It’s not his fault that he’s supremely gifted.He's excelled at everything on the basketball court. Except for his few personal missteps (feud w/ Shaq, cheating on his wife, recording a rap album) Kobe has handled the glamour and glitz relatively well.



Some people would argue that Tracy McGrady and LeBron James are just as good as Kobe Bryant. Close, but I don't think so. McGrady is a scoring machine, but his defense is in need of serious improvement. LeBron has the potential to be even better, but he's not there yet. Kobe was the youngest player to reach 5,000 points (before LeBron broke the record last week). Kobe has three championship rings. Kobe has shown that he can impose his will on a game (regardless the level of competition). Was this the greatest performance I’ve ever seen? I didn’t see it. Was it the greatest performance I’ve been alive for? It most certainly was.

Shaq is still the most dominant NBA player, but last night Kobe Bryant showed us all who’s the best. It’s time for me and all of the "Kobe-haters" to stop hatin' the playa, because we love this game.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

another Vick transgression...

Dear Marcus,
Just when we thought all the madness was over with the Gator Bowl. You'd applied for the NFL Draft and everything was put behind, but you decide to pull a gun on some stupid 17-year old. And why? Because he was taunting you? I hope he called you a ni$%er or something, because if you plan to survive in the NFL you are going to need thicker skin and more self-control than that. Brandishing firearms can only make a bad situation worse. Where I'm from, you don't pull a gun on someone unless you plan on using it. That type of thing can lead to the type of trouble that you don't want. It could mean your LIFE.



And you've surely got trouble that you don't want now. They are talking three years for that nonsense. And the bad thing is, this is not the first time. Sex with a minor, underage drinking, reckless driving, marijuana possession, a speeding ticket, driving with a suspended license. Most of those things would have landed me, the average black man, in jail. And I ain't talking a small overnight stay. Because you have a god-given talent that people can profit off of you've been let off the hook numerous times. Not this time though.

I should have known better. You should have known better. Declaring for the draft does not cure the ills of a troubled past. It does not guarantee selection. Trouble with the law can only negatively affect your draft status. Ask Randy Moss. Ask one of your peers, Maurice Clarett. And we both know the type of trouble that he's in...
But you have more important things to think about right now. YOUR LIFE. As a black man in America you should know that it does not matter how fast you can run, how far you can throw a football, or who your family is. You are always being watched. Especially if you have a name.

Nothing can replace an education and common sense. No one is responsible for this situation but you. If you thought you were under pressure before....

I hope and pray that you work this out and that you can learn from this. Because IF you don't go to jail and IF you do get drafted ....

what do you think the "fans" will call you then?