My Two Cents Are Priceless

We're a month into 2016, but Happy New Year to all of youse anyway! May this year bring you much success, triumph, peace of mind and unforgettable moments. Shoutout to the people using the start of the new year as a reset to prioritize their lives, and put things into motion while thinking/talking it into existence. Keep your eyes ahead and focus on the big picture. A little hard work & faith can go a long way. Never mind those who carry the seeds of doubt with them wherever they go. Their truth isn't your reality. I got some words for the people who feel it's their duty to make comments on others who make commitments around this time to better themselves. So what you don't need the New Year to push the reset button. Everybody ain't you & trust me, NOBODY WANTS TO BE YOU! Why would I want to be a negative, vibe killing, energy leeching asshole who thinks people don't like them because they're "blunt & honest". No, that's...

I wrote "Play Your Position" a few years ago, while I was in the midst of an annual purge, where I server ties with those who aren't bringing positive energy to my cipher. Looking back, I realized I came a long way from where I was as an adolescent. At the same time, I know I still have a ways to go, and that I'll forever be on the path to becoming better than I was yesterday. It's a journey that doesn't end until our bodies go beneath the earth. From time to time, we have to reflect on the steps we took to get to where we are now, no matter how excruciating the process might be. We won't be proud of some of our past actions, but we gotta own up to them. It's from those transgressions, we're able to grow as humans and become who we are today. I can honestly say that I'm not the same person I was when I first wrote this. However, I can say that my belief in being an asset that can help others as well as help myself has never wavered. If you kno...

There are times where we question ourselves as human beings. We question our abilities, our futures, our beliefs, our morals & sometimes, our faith. Circumstances and situations bring these questions to the forefront. And if we're lucky, some of us have people in our lives who make us analyze ourselves constructively. Let's face it, all of us have our own insecurities to deal with and demons to conquer. It's in these battles, we find out who we really are, what we're really made of & our purpose in life. One thing I've learned during these last few years of constant transformation is that it starts and ends with self. For the sake of growth and development, it is imperative for us to spend quality time with ourselves. Let us use these moments as an opportunity to get to know who we are, with all the things we love about ourselves sharing space with our flaws and insecurities. Acknowledge and address it with the mindset of becoming a better overall p...

You know, it's easy to be a part of a mob throwing stones at an individual who's behavior/actions/opinions you don't agree with. It really doesn't take much to pick up a rock & throw it. Only thing you really gotta put effort & concentration into is hitting your target. Now, when it comes to thinking about   WHY   you're so opposed to what's being said before picking up the rock, that's a different story. Especially when the target has had more than their fair share of critics before ( this writer included ). Mob mentality comes into the picture & takes over without a second thought. Nicki Minaj. My only problem with her song "Lookin' Ass Nigga" is the historical appropriation of one of Black Culture's most revered figures. I really have a problem with any rapper who name-drop people from history without knowing who they are & what they contributed. Where's the context? Don't use it for entertainment ...

Let me start off this post by biggin’ up the OG Shea Butter Jones, along with the whole THC family! I expressed in Culture Wars the need for us to create, develop, build & sustain our own vehicles in which to distribute our cultural contributions & The Hood Collective is doing just that. It is an honor to be building with like minds who share the same vision. It's even better to be doing this for the streets, reppin' the urban proletariat, bringing to the forefront a perspective which will no longer allow itself to be silenced! I made it clear in The Rebirth that this blog will be a safe space for those who express progressive ideals. I'ma make it plain in this one that this is a product of THE HOOD! My worldview is from the lens of the ghetto. Though this environment was created with a pre-determined destiny, who says we can't change that destiny into something that will benefit the occupants of the inner city? Whether you know it or not, we are all bo...

The most valuable resource on the planet is human labor. It is also the resource which is most in demand. Only right that those with the labor get properly compensated for their work. Simple, right? Not quite. You know how capitalism is. If not, let me just tell you one thing you might not know: It lies all the time & overcomplicates economic principles in order to bamboozle everybody but the small group of individuals who came up off the hard work of a majority ( Can anyone define what a derivative is or how it works? ). Meanwhile, the marginalized are fighting for the remaining scraps which trickle down from the table. Whatever we end up with after the scrum ain't enough to feed ourselves or our families! The lack of proper funds can turn law-abiding, non-violent, easy-going people into cutthroat individualists, willing to take food out of someone else's mouth in order to survive. Depending on the level of desperation, some will turn to violent means in order to supp...

There's a war going on outside nobody's safe from. The war we are fighting is mental, psychological, spiritual, economical & cultural. These fronts are more discreet and covert. In destabilized countries around the world, these fronts take a backseat to coups, bloody struggles, drones, and military intervention. Yet, they still work in conjunction with each other to achieve the specific needs of the objective. For the proletariat, if not engaged in guerrilla warfare, they must still face the threats that seek to create inner turmoil for the individual & divide communities. Their existence/survival is based on the level of resistance they show on the psychosocial front. In this age of social media, the access to information grants everyday people the power to consume information at a much more quicker pace than previous generations. With this comes much responsibility, especially in regards to culture. The images projected are created for various reasons, but they...

Let's start with facts. Jay Z is a hypercapitalist. The foundation of his economic principles were built & solidified in the vicious drug game of the 80s. All he did was take that same model into the rap game at a time when the industry was being co-opted by institutions who had the resources to take advantage & exploit hip hop culture's limitless earning potential. He's the product of a Post-Civil Rights marketing of individualism, Reaganomics being the standard. Woven into his lyrics are vivid elaborations of obtaining & maintaining wealth for himself & his small circle of trusted associates. Now, I'm not against the accumulation of capital to better the life of self & loved ones. At the same time, in the cultural tradition of Blackness, social responsibility comes with that territory. A certain degree of integrity must be shown. Especially if you made your fortune off the strength & support of those same Black people. He can't blame us f...

There comes a time in life when we must step outside of ourselves & ask an honest question: What is our purpose? Why are we doing what we do? For the love? For the money? For the fame? I had to ask myself these questions when it came to this blog. This is why I haven’t posted a new piece in almost two years. I've done plenty of writing in this duration of time, but posting it felt forced.  I caught myself worrying too much about the opinion of others. It impeded & stifled my creativity. I questioned everything I wrote & it's validity in the space I created for myself.  Along with that, my personal growth in this same span of time radically changed my train of thought. I questioned everything around me, and the contradictions showed in my work. At first, I thought it was a bad thing. In hindsight, I realized that it's all a part of progression. If growth isn't seen in your craft, than what's the use of perfecting it?  Also, why should you suppress y...