Straight Outta Compton: The Evolution of Street Knowledge

What's going on people!  Been a while since I've dropped my own two cents about the world around me.  Quite frankly, the views that I've had have been so controversial and explosive, there's a chance they would've done more harm than good.

Before I get into my first social commentary entry in the past few months, excuse me while I get on a brief soapbox because I have a lot to get off my chest. It seems people like to dissect everything that I say and I get labeled as "hypocritical", "biased", etc.  The truth is folks, you don't like what I say, this applies to friend or foe, you don't to follow me.  hell, you can "unfriend" me if you want to.  I don't really care.  This is MY platform, and it will be used however I see fit, on MY platform.  Name one person that doesn't have some sort of biased or ounces of hypocritical natures about them?  If you think you're not one of them, guess what, you may be the biggest hypocritical biased person of all.  We are all complex human beings so let's get that out the way.  Some things may be unconscious in terms of how we act, talk, feel, and the like.  We strive for fairness and to look at both sides of the coin, or at least we should, but if we don't sometimes, what can you really do about it? We will call each other out for being biased and hypocritical and everything else, except preachers, teachers, and "important" cultural figures.  Now THAT'S hypocrisy. However, it's not my place to judge because I have my own views that some can view as biased as well.  I don't intentionally try to be that person, as I'm sure none of us do, but again what can you do?  I tend to forget that I can't please everybody, nor should I try.  I don't mind differing opinions, as long as they're healthy conversations that stay just that, healthy.  If I step on toes unintentionally, it's just that, unintentional. However, if I state things that piss you off simply because deep down they apply to you, that's who's problem?  Definitely not mine, nor will it ever me.  I will continue to say what I want, when I want to, regardless of who you are because for the third time, I can do that, on MY platform.  If there's something I disagree with or don't like, I can either unfollow or unfriend, just like you can.  I don't mind opinions that differ from me, but those that really know me know I don't intentionally hurt feelings, but I can be opinionated and nowadays one can't do that without pressing the "insensitive" button.  I'll close this longer-than-expected rant with this, to those that ride with me, regardless of differences of opinion, I salute you and thank you.  However, to those who are so into their feelings and want to dissect every nook and cranny for flaws of my opinions and/or character, I wipe my ass with what you think of me or how I should be seen in YOUR eyes.  I will not dumb myself down for you or anyone else.  You don't like what I say or wanna be anal about how I come off, please believe me when I tell you I'll rest rather well knowing I don't give a fuck about you or your meaningless living existence.  With that close out, let's get started (whew!)

We are all abuzz about the success of the long-awaited N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton.  Grossing nearly sixty million in its first weekend, it shattered the expectations of most critics financially but quadrupling originally predicted numbers.  In fact, it became the highest grossing r-rated movie for the month of August ever.  Just think, this movie explored the rise to super-stardom of whom the media referred to as "The world's most dangerous group".  Growing up, I was big on N.W.A. in the late eighties, and they were very much right on time in the racially tense, police brutalizing nation that we were living in then, and living in right now.  While the majority of the movie centered around the highs and lows of Dre, Cube and Eazy, I wish we would've seen more of the back story on Ren and Yella, as well as the original version of N.W.A. which was N.W.A. & The Posse with original members Arabian Knight and Krazy Dee.  However, there was a lot more controversy than this.  There have been backlashes about omitted scenes of Dre's violence towards on-air personality Dee Barnes and former girlfriend/baby mama, star of R&B Divas Michel'le.  While his history of female violence is documented, many speculate as to why this didn't make the final cut.  I'll get into this area later.  Overall, this movie captured the intensity of one of the single most impactful and influential groups not just in hip-hop but in music altogether.  They are an institution that captured and fascinated the nation at a time where it was inflammatory to put a middle finger up to authority and it was taboo to be anti-establishment, at least if you were Black.  Who can ever forget when the F.B.I. sent N.W.A. and then manager Jerry Heller the letter telling them to never perform their landmark hit "Fuck The Police" again?  This was a movie showing how a group of young and struggling, yet ambitious, kids emerged as an American institution, in spite of threats of censorship and constant harassment from the LAPD.  It's debated, ultimately, as to what or who caused the dissipation of N.W.A., but we can never deny their all-important legacy and how much it has meant to to hip-hop and to Black culture at large.

The topic has been brought up: who had a bigger impact, Public Enemy or N.W.A.?  Public Enemy was/is a group that was anti-establishment for Black culture as a whole due to injustice, police brutality, racism, and other subjects that heavily affected the Black community at large, not just for the streets.  N.W.A. was primarily for the streets and the kids in the ghettos that wanted a voice about how living in the ghettos was like, which involved parties, violence and daily police harassment and beatings.  While very similar, also slightly different.  In terms of bodies of work, many argue that there wasn't a bigger, more impactful social awareness album then PE's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, but N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton makes a very strong push for that spot that lies just underneath ITANOMTHUB and of course the greatest ever Illmatic. 

Obviously we've seen how the strength of street knowledge has mutated into two immortalized careers in Dre and Cube, with Eazy not surviving long enough to really enjoy his influence on the game at large.  With Ren, he became a very modest success but nowhere in the same stratosphere as his N.W.A. brothers.  His albums of Kizz My Black Azz, Shock Of The Hour, The Villain In Black, and Ruthless For Life were decent at best but not enough to make waves.  Meanwhile Yella suffered the same fate and really only dropped one album, an album dedicated to Eazy called One Mo Nigga Ta Go, which contained the touching cut "4 Tha E", which featured west coast vet Kokane.  Brief talks of a reunion album (post Eazy) were mentioned with Snoop filling in for Eazy called Not These Niggas Again, but those flames quickly extinguished.  One could only imagine if there was to be a real N.W.A. reunion album with today's Dre-production to capture magic. 

On a bigger scale, let's look at the media coverage of this epic movie.  In Los Angeles, security was increased outside a movie theater due to fears of violence after or during the showing of the movie.  There were even some officers that complained that this came out at a bad time with police brutality and killings being at such high levels right now and that it would create even more hostility in an already powder-keg climate.  In what was very absurd news, CNN stated that they were "surprised" that there were no acts of violence this weekend for the release of the movie.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the media is really putting gasoline on top of an already raging inferno with inflammatory statements such as these.  It's funny how White people can shoot up movie theaters, with little to no extra security added nationwide, but extra security gets added to the release of a movie that shows, in large parts, police mishandling and harassing and unjustly arresting young Black men.  With the senseless murders, yes murders, of the likes of Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and many other unarmed Black citizens, this movie came out at exactly the right time, unless you're a racist bigot that still feels that #BlackLivesMatter is just a useless example of Blacks letting blind AmeriKKKa know we are sick of injustice and getting treated like animals.  Much like Straight Outta Compton, the album, put exclusive audio footage to the suburbs to examine some of the harsh realities of this "great" country of ours, Straight Outta Compton, the movie, put a hardcore mirror up to the consciousness of the country and the results were highly praised by critics, but panned by conservatives, law enforcement, feminists and in some cases even fellow Black people, claiming N.W.A. doesn't represent all of Black culture.  Guess what morons, they weren't supposed to.  If you lived in middle to upper class and never knew about the pains of the ghetto, they weren't for you.  Strange thing is, have you ever been unjustly pulled over?  Asked to get out of your vehicle for something as simple as a broken tail light?  Then maybe you do resemble them in slight form more than you care to admit.  Yes, they had misogynistic views and yes they did promote violence and drugs.  That was their environment and their world.  We already know how I feel about domestic violence so we won't touch that one, but as time progressed so did these men.  Dre became viewed as the Quincy Jones of hip-hop, as even more evidenced by his latest near gold release Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre and the fact that he's worth nearly a billion (billion with a 'B') dollars.  Cube became an icon himself and has inced been involved in excellent movies such as the breakthrough Boyz N The Hood, Trespass, all the Fridays, both Barbershops, and others, while still releasing music such as recent albums like Laugh Now, Cry Later, Raw Footage, and I Am The West, as well as his incredible collaboration with Mack 10 and WC as Westside Connection. 

In regards to Dre's past history with Dee Barnes and Michel'le, I mentioned being hypocritical earlier in my previous rant.  I wonder if these same people, who scream about mysogany and how Dre's abuse to these two women got conveniently left off the movie went to go see the movie Ray, in which the iconic Ray Charles was a drug user, had multiple marriages and was also abusive to women.  What about the James Brown biopic Get On Up, which had him doing the same stuff?  How many people listen to artists such as Chris Brown, R. Kelly, and many others who have done questionable acts yet stuill get revered and have albums downloaded, bought or streamed?  Yeah, if I'm talking to you, miss me with the bullshit.  If you're getting down to Lil' Wayne, who has done drugs, called women bitches, and reportedly struck a female or two, please shut up because you're no different.  No one is calling these acts heroes, just guys out entertaining people and you are getting what? Entertained.  Most of you still listen to preachers like Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long after their front page issues, but throwing stones at those who support Straight outta Compton?  Again miss me with the bullshit.  If you choose not to support the movie or N.W.A., let it be your personal choice not to and leave it at that.  Once you start opening your mouth, you become part of the problem.  I've had to check myself recently doing the same thing so if I can do it, you need to do it too.  Stop excuse making. 

That's it for now kiddies, but thanks again for riding with me, those that still are.  I'll try not to take as long with my gaps in between social commentary posts like that again but as we know life happens.  Until next time, peace and love.

Justice For Baltimore???

What's going on everybody!  It's been a minute since I've updated this particular blog, but with everything that's been going on in the news concerning Baltimore, this was too much of a lightning rod to not speak my mind on this.  As with most of my posts, this will be controversial, and many may not agree with what I have to say but that's clearly your problem not mine and never will be my problem.  With that disclaimer, let's begin the piece.

This past week has been a very hate-filled week within the city of Baltimore, MD.  All concerning the death of Freddie Gray, who died from reported neck trauma while in police custody.  Gray was apprehended after simply supposedly making eye contact with the police, then running away.  From there, he was shackled and cuffed and was thrown in the police wagon where the impact was so severe getting thrown inside, he was in severe medical distress. Also keep in mind he was not seat-belted, which he was in a coma for weeks before he died. The funeral of Gray was marred and overcome with protests and riots from most of the Black community in Baltimore.

For days there was civil unrest, whether peacefully or with rage, within Baltimore.  Over a hundred plus arrests, officers hurt, and property getting burned, looted, and destroyed.  It was eerily resembling the L.A. riots of 1992, and even briefly Ferguson earlier this year.  There was a clear example of Black rage that hasn't been this exhibited in many many years.  Finally, a couple days later the State Prosecutor formally filed criminal charges on six officers, with charges that could have them facing decades in prison if convicted.

Now for my take.  Much like I how I felt during the whole scene with Ferguson, it goes back to what Martin Luther King Jr. said after Selma, "Riots are the language of the unheard".  Baltimore has been a powder keg, much like lots of other predominantly Black cities where police run with iron fists, for something like this to develop.  I'll spare you all the super long diatribe of how I feel about stuff like this, just revisit my thoughts on Ferguson to get a clue.  Although I do feel bad for those hurt and who's property got unfortunately targeted for destruction and looting, blame this on the corrupt police system, which this society is starting to turn into a police state.  Understand this, there will be more of an uprising across the country with bullshit like what Ferguson, NYPD, and Baltimore PD has shown.    We also had the #BlackLivesMatter movement back in full force and was met with the usual opposition from non-Blacks.  The best quote/Tweet that I saw was that "When there's a Breast Cancer walk or drive, you don't see anyone opposing the walk/drive when the slogan is ##DestroyBreastCancer by saying #DestroyAllCancer".  That about sums up those opposing the #BlackLivesMatter movement.  We all know that all lives should matter, and they do, but last I checked, I didn't see many Whites, Asians, nor Hispanics getting hunted and gunned down like animals.  That's not to say they don't happen from time to time, but it's clear to see that there's a open season on young Blacks, both men and women alike.  Not to mention if there are in fact indictments, they get found not guilty by a "jury of their peers".  Which means, it just fine and acceptable to annihilate Blacks and then go about your business.  To all those who serve their jobs of protecting and serving with dignity and honor, this should be a shame and a disgrace, as they sons and daughters of bitches represent you as well.  We know there's the code to protect your own so trust me we're not stupid nor blind.  Just once, however, we wish someone with some damn balls would blow the lid on corrupt departments or certain people within these departments.

Listen to me carefully, you assholes keep playing around, and watch this younger, more defiant, generation cause nationwide uprisings and even possible anarchy.  It's just fine for young rowdy Whites to cause damage and destroy property when their favorite sporting team loses a big game, referring to them as troubled youth and hooligans that need to be disciplined, but the moment we do that, we're labeled animals.  This is nothing new whatsoever.  We've been aware of the societal double standard towards us for hundreds of years.  Do believe, however, that based on what we've been seeing rom Ferguson and Baltimore, these "animals" are tired and pissed.  When you keep teasing a caged animal, when he finally gets out of his cage, he attacks.  So if wanna call us "animals", use it in proper context.  Furthermore, to the media with your labels and depicting all the negativity and none of the peaceful protests, fuck you too.  I've been within the media for over a decade, and this is some the most biased reporting I've ever seen.  This, again, is nothing new.

Please folks, don't jump up and cartwheel yet.  These officers have to court to answer these charges.  Here's to the best and hoping those assholes (yes Blacks were a part of this craziness as well) will never see the light of day again if convicted.  However, if the worse occurs, my prayers for the city of Baltimore.  They haven't seen anything yet.  Furthermore, there will be likely copycat riots nationwide in outright and defiance to their local police departments.  This could very well be the big one but I'm praying that this does not occur.  Is it right?  Not at all.  Is it understandable?  Hell yeah!  We've done peace, where has it gotten us?

No matter the outcome, I'm praying for Baltimore and every city that gets subjected to pieces of shit that wear badges and find it within their power to fuck with Blacks or anyone else just to get their rocks off on doing it.  To the family of Mr. Gray, my heartfelt prayers are with you as this is becoming to much of a common scene of grieving families from the hands of the cops.  One more of us is now buried thanks to those who serve in the biggest gang there is, the cops.  Remember this as well, cops also crucified Jesus.  So if they did it to Him, you think we're immune??  Forget the Crips, the only real gang that wears Blue are the cops.  Watch yourselves Black people.  You're the prey, and they're the predators.  Until next time, take it easy, be safe and let's remember Baltimore as we go about our daily lives and Mr. Gray's family and friends.  Before I go, I'm gonna leave some music that just hit me in my gut.  All this rage, hate, and contempt has the people in B-More feeling "wicked".  Here's Ice Cube's boisterous cut from his platinum-selling album, The Predator, "Wicked"  

Marijuana: The Seceret Weapon Of Health & Happiness?

What's happening folks!  Been a couple weeks since you've last seen me but I'm back.  I tell you this flu thing is real so by all means people take care of yourselves and stay healthy.  This week my focus will be on a subject that has been touchy for many years but lately it's been a hot bed of debate especially within several states.

The issue at hand is legalizing marijuana.  Many countries including British Columbia, Switzerland, and Amsterdam have made marijuana a way of life to where there are marijuana cafes, menus and parties.  Two years ago, Colorado was the first state in the lower 48 to legalize marijuana.  From there other states such as Oregon, Washington, and Alaska have legalized weed for recreational usage, while other states like California, Nevada, Maine, and Washington D.C. have legalized it for medicinal purposes only.  The question is: what's all the hubbub abut anyways when it comes to legalizing it?  Well it depends upon who you're asking. You notice most western states are all on board with the legalization of marijuana in some sort of form.  Wyoming, Idaho, and Texas will hopefully jump on the bandwagon.  However, there are NO southern states that are board, and because of the placement of the "Bible Belt", the likelihood of legalizing marijuana isn't high (I promise that wasn't a pun). The uppity lawmakers and state governments have their heads too far up their asses to care about how much this could actually benefit their states financially.

If you can't tell, I'm a marijuana legalization supporter.  I support marijuana a lot more than alcohol, and I'm a drinker.  Let's look at marijuana for a couple different aspects.  First, medical.  The benefits and advantages of marijuana have far exceeded any disadvantages of using it for medicinal purposes. Research has shown that it has been very helpful and, in some cases, vital for auto immune diseases such as arthritis, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and quite a few others.  In fact, it was also shown to treat depression as well as anxiety.  For those with migraines, studies have shown to reduce pain or at least act as over the counter medications that would normally treat it such as Aleve, Tylenol, or the like.  Now, I don't one hundred percent know this for a fact, but I've been told this can even treat chronic respiratory ailments such as asthma, which I have.  It has been said that THC, the chief component within marijuana also acts as a bronchodilater, which means that it opens up the lungs as good or better than most inhalers.  Glaucoma patients also have great benefits in the sense that marijuana can slow down the process of possible blindness.  Also, according to businessinsider.com, patients that suffer from gastrointestinal diseases in inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and the very crippling disease of Chrohn's Disease have been shown to have benefited from marijuana usage.  Likewise, people who suffer from Parkinson's Disease can benefit from good ol' Mary.  Tremors and shakes associated with the disease get decreased greatly by the calming effects of marijuana and the THC component.

If you think about it, those who drink excessively or who have severe drinking problems can greatly cut back on drinking by taking marijuana.  We've all seen just how alcohol can harm more so than help (although I'm down with the whole wine a day thing).  With marijuana, it actually helps more than hurts.  With that being said, let me go into the recreational benefits of using Mary.  We've often heard musicians state that marijuana helps creatively.  When it comes to writing songs, many look to marijuana to help get creative juices flowing, and helps them writer's block.  Although short term memory can get affected, it also releases inhibitors, thus allowing the brain to be more relaxed and open to more things.  Also, statistically, crime gets reduced.  Marijuana's effects of relaxations prevents anger and thus violent tendencies get greatly reduced.  In terms of addiction, one can obtain substance abuse if too much is used, but that's any drug.  Research has shown, however, that addictive personalities aren't as highly drawn to marijuana as with alcohol.  Long term effects are real when done in excess, however once again, that's the same with any drug.  In fact, there's a far greater likelihood of long term effects from excessive alcohol and prescription drug usage than with marijuana.  In stuck up society, the prototypical stoner is lazy, can't get or keep a job, and does nothing with their lives.  The fact is that there are people that are in prominent roles and careers such as judges, lawyers, doctors, and even presidents, as Presidents Obama and Clinton have admitted to weed usage in their pasts.

I'm begging for politicians and government officials to make marijuana (medical and otherwise0 legal, for from a financial aspect, the payoff would be amazing.  The taxes would benefit schools much like state lotteries and there would be many more upsides.  The funny thing is that many of the people who look down on marijuana users are the same ones that drink and they find nothing wrong with putting alcohol in their bodies when they're actually doing more harm to themselves than if they were to light a joint or two.  It's mostly church people or the overly religious.  Do your history.  Marijuana was actually used in Biblical days as cannibus was used during certain practices and rituals.  Let's not get hypocritical.  For all these reasons and more, I'm becoming a strong advocate for my stoners and my medical marijuana users.  Hopefully come April 20 (that's 4-20, the national stoners day), more states will adapt this practice and see the bnenefits.  Funny nothing is being said about excessive alcohol use though right?

That's all for now cats and kittens.  Thanks fro riding along and will see you next time.  Until then, light one up for me too!  I'll leave with you a true stoner classic.  Afroman's platinum single "Because I Got High", just a little something to get you laughing today, as it did me in 2001.

Sorority Sisters Cancellation: Solidarity or Hypocriscy??

What's up people!  Welcome, once again, to my social commentary posts.  You already know, if it's not controversial, it's just boring.  Hope everyone's having a splendid 2015 thus far, and hopefully you're sticking to that resolution you made.  Boy do I have a good one up for discussion, and as usual it may ruffle some feathers.  With that said, let's go!!

One of my first posts was about the controversy over Adult Swim's show Black Jesus, in which people wanted to protest over the show's content, which depicted a Black man who stated he was the Son of God and was going through Compton streets doing miracles and bringing people together, albeit complete with weed usage and explicit language.  The Christian community was in outrage over a show that, to them, was blasphemous and mocking their faith.  I had stated then that it was stupid and hypocritical considering there were plenty of other shows that were worse that pretty much these same people were co-signing.  The show wasn't meant to be taken seriously.  It was a satire, but in spite of this fact, there were also deeper meanings within each episode.  Aaron McGruder, former genius behind The Boondocks (an almost equally controversial show) knew what he was doing when he made Black Jesus.  Thankfully, the show made it through the rest of the season without a hitch.  Right now, one show isn't as lucky.

VH1's Sorority Sisters, another brilliant (sarcasm) show created by Mona Scott, has met its demise due to protests and sponsorships being terminated.  The show was about a few young Black women who were all a part of Black sororities such as Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, and Delta Sigma Theta.  The show portrayed these ladies in typical ratchet elegance as the rest of Mona's shows, only this time these women represented prestigious organizations within the Black community.  To much dismay, the channel decided to cancel the show and let it finish up the last three episodes on Friday the sixteenth of January.  Clearly the outcry, negative press, protests, and petitions to get the show removed worked and VH1 had to do what they had to do.  Which now brings a couple of interesting points.

Let's start this off by saying I'm not Greek-affiliated, nor do I have anything against Greek organizations so this is NOT a bashing to any Greek organization, fraternity or sorority but this is my two or three cents anyway.  With all the clear misrepresentation of us as Blacks on television, people feel the need to throw all this ill will towards a show like Sorority Sisters?  Listen, I get it.  I get that these women were part of highly respected and distinguished Greek organizations, therefore representing these sororities nationwide.  However, as one person eloquently put it, "Once we start putting Greek letters over our culture as a whole, we're in more trouble than we thought".  We've clearly shown that with enough voices and outcries, we can strike blows to these stations about what we will and won't tolerate in terms of representation.  So, why not the rest of these shows that present us as drama-filled, fight-starting, foul-mouthed people?  Keep in mind, that's just Black women.  These same ignorant and ratchet people that we see on television week in and week out are seemingly put on pedestals from IG, Facebook and Twitter.  Also keep in mind, two of the leading shows on network and cable television involve Black women positions of power, but being clear home wreckers and side chicks, three if you include Gabrielle Union's show on BET, Being Mary Jane.  We celebrate these women, in spite of the characters they portray.  Granted, I know these are fictional shows that if for nothing else, are excellently acted by some outstanding actresses so in many aspects they should be taken as grains of salt. However, we don't see any more positive women or women characters being presented.  Gone are the Claire Huxtable-types and Elanor Emerson-types and even Gina Waters-types.  Now we celebrate side chicks who just so happen to be powerful and chicks like Erica Mena and all these other so-called powerful women who are supposed to be representing Black women, or women, as a whole.  With these reality shows, these are real people that are seen or at least portrayed by producers as certain ways.  I think it's sad that the negative  depiction of Black women on these shows as a culture take  a back seat to those who are represented in Greek organizations.  This is truly a problem.  This is as bad or worse than the whole Black Jesus situation among Christians.

Let's do remember, this is still America.  One can say, do, and present what they want because it's our freedom to do so.  What in the hell is so hard about picking up the damn remote and changing the channel on your personal television?  I understand that there's stuff that's offensive to you (and I'm talking to those that always feel the need to protest and raise hell about stuff they personally don't like and they feel it should be that way across the board for everyone else).  You do NOT own these airwaves.  Be fair.  Greek or not.  Yeah these women were acting as stereotypical as one would imagine on television nowadays, but this is one argument I got recently.  One person stated that as soon as those letters were put on their jackets, they represented the organization as a whole.  Here's the thing: when one works for an employer, no matter where they go, how they act in or out of that building is representing that company, especially professions within the educational, medical, and media fields.  Also, as soon as you're born and become an adult, you're responsible for your culture and community as a whole.  What's the difference?  Has Greek life really taken the place of these truths?  Let's see how many people protest upcoming shows like the show about the preacher who's on a dating show similar to the Bachelor or Flavor Of Love, but who's foul-mouthed mother will be partly responsible for picking out his "winner"?  Let's see the Christian or church community come out to play for that one.  When the subject of protesting this and other shows comes about...crickets.  I do remember MTV did a show called Sorority Life, only dealing with White sororities.  While there were similar outcries for that show, along with the show's spinoff Fraternity Life, they remained on for four seasons.  People just stopped tuning in.

Keep this is mind as well.  Mona, a Delta herself, won't stop her hustle of depicting us as imbeciles and idiots for the world to see simply because you protested her show and ultimately got her show cancelled.  I bet the next show will be embraced with open arms that makes us look bad, as long as it's not Greek.  PLEASE!!!!  Priorities folks! Hopefully these same people who are doing the protesting and petitioning will start doing so with other Mona Scott shows in the future.  Also, and this bears repeating over and over, you don't like what's being shown, turn to another channel people!  Out of all these hundreds of channels and shows/movies to watch and you're blowing ass about one useless show???  Come on y'all.  Should Mona be ashamed of herself, completely, but she she should also be ashamed of herself for how much buffoonery she's contributing to television.

 That's all for now cats.  I'm sure I'll get plenty of upset people either unfriend me or tell me off, but if that's the  reaction this whole post has given you, then you're clearly part of the problem, not me.  Check YOURSELF.  If you're going to protest anything or anyone, it's Mona, period.  ALL her shows are insulting to us, but you're playing into her hands and she's cashing in due to high ratings.  Who are the real fools?  That's it for now peeps.  For those who are still hanging with me, check me out next time.  Have a great Blessed week!

The 'Done' Generation: Is The Church Losing Its Followers??

What's up people!  Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope everyone had a great 2014, and I pray that you all will have an even better 2015.  I'm intrigued about my first post of the new year, and this is a good and controversial one.  With the very touchy subject matter, this again could potentially throw people off and maybe even get me some dislikes because this touches on the one subject most people, especially Christians, don't like to discuss: the apparent downward spiral of the church.  Let me begin.

I recently ran across an article that was entitled "The Rise Of The 'Done With Church' Generation." After reading the article, it had dawned on me about how much church has changed.  Times have changed to where those that are tired and have grown dismayed over church have decided to leave church altogether, or become what's called a "Doner".  As in done with church, though not done with God.  One man that was interviewed stated that the reason he was "done" was because he was "tired of being lectured to and being told what to do".  While there could be any number of reasons why there are becoming more and more people leaving the church, I'll give my own two cents as to why I think this "Done" generation is increasing its numbers.

Clearly, the church is the backbone of any community, doesn't matter your race, color, or even denomination.  The church is traditionally the place to go to get uplifted, inspired, and get fed some good spiritual food to help you along the way.  However, as we Earthly, vain people like to do, we like to always put twists and spins on stuff.  Let's examine what church really means.  The word really means "community", which in turn means that a church is a community of people all brought together for the sake of praise and worship of a higher power.  In the Bible, it states that "where two or more are gathered in my name, there shall I also be" (in reference to Jesus).  Therefore, based on that scripture, two people could be considered a "church", at least in terms of the original definition.  Somewhere along life's existence, man saw fit to divide into sections, thus called denominations.  We have quite a few different types of denominations, whether they're Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, Moravian, or many others, all proclaim to be the correct denomination in terms of how to serve God.  Already, that in itself is a problem.  Even Non-Denomination is pretty much considered a denomination of sorts.  This is where I'm confused.  The Bible didn't state that Jesus was coming back for a specific type of church, He stated that He was coming back for "His church", which meant everyone that believed in Him as a community. 

The church is supposed to be inclusive, not turn anyone away as long as their intentions were good and towards the furthering of their relationship with God, or if they need to experience who God is.  The problem, one of many, is that WE as man has put statutes on what should and shouldn't be within our churches.  I've become so very jaded about church for a little while now because I feel everyone is missing the point.  There was a story that shocked a lot of people and provided some validity about why church is becoming so scrutinized.  There was a man who had died that belonged to a church, but the church would not bury the man because he never paid his tithes in church.  How incredibly insensitive and stupid can you be?  There have many other ugly stories within church about greed, affairs, politics, and preachers giving members of the congregation HIV and still continuing to preach.  What is sincerely going on?  The Catholic church has been under heavy investigation for years concerning molestation claims with young boys but to also have all types of other idiotic and certainly unholy, mess is outrageous so I can see why so many people, especially young adults, have had it.  Even those close to me have encountered unfair treatment by their own church for outside ventures that were paying good money to perform.  Keep in mind, this man was/is a preacher and a musician, but because he performed jazz music in a restaurant, he was reprimanded by his own church and was suspended from preaching AT HIS OWN CHURCH for a couple of months.  Dumbest thing ever right?  Church people can REALLY get on my nerves because it becomes less about God and more about self-serving and self-interpreting necessities. 

People get tired of also going to church to see a show.  What do I mean?  In the Black church, especially from what I've seen and encountered, shouting, or dancing under the power of the Holy Spirit, has become so common place and expected that it makes one wonder if people are doing it for a show.  Why is there always that part of service, and it tends to happen always at the exact same time, when the shouting occurs?  Traditionally, it was reserved mostly within the Pentecostal, Apostolic, and Holiness faith, but now everyone and everyone's church does it.  This is no shade to anyone, this is just curiosity.  I've done it myself and can tell you that it was from an experience and not an encounter I have every single day.  Now in the church, it's become customary to the point of it becoming cliche, like you're expected to do it.  Truthfully if I wanted a show, I'd watch Bobby Jones Gospel or Sunday Best (don't get me started about that show either).

Most 'Doners" are fed up with cliches, lectures about what will send them to hell that's never even mentioned in the Bible, and preachers living double lives.  I could really piss people off about what the Bible tells us and how we twist them around for our own self-righteousness, but these "Doners" have every right to feel the way they feel about church nowadays.  The church has become full of gossip stories instead of encouragement, and has become so full of cliches that it looks like a reality show in person.  Let's not mention how certain churches treat people that don't have the required ten percent from earned income every Sunday (or Saturday if you're a Seventh-Day Adventist) and how they scorn you and ridicule you.  For a long time the homosexual community was isolated and singled out because of their lifestyle, regardless of the fact that they served God and they knew God was still with them. 

The question is, what's the answer to these people leaving the pews?  Simple.  Start treating them as flawed human beings.  No better or worse than you.  Ask them how church could help them.  Stop being religious and start getting real.  Bring back the community aspect and the down to earth nature of church.  Church should be a community that's less about politics, who's the best dressed, who's sleeping with who, and all this stuff that is nowhere near Biblical, and more about the family, the marriage, and the sense of knowing that one is loved unconditionally.  Churches, you're losing more than you're gaining.  Embrace the principles of love and fellowship.  Half of you preachers don't deserve to be preachers to begin with, but then again it's also starting to become big business plus it's a tax write-off.  However to those that believe in what true church is, keep up the great work. 

I know there will be some people that will continue to excuse and take up for the church and all they do because of their bias, and that's fine.  They're within their right to do so.  Just now, for you not speaking up about these things that are affecting the community as a whole, blood is on your hands too.  I'm not anti-God, not in the least bit, I'm not even totally anti-church, but I'm anti-churches that play into cliches, falsehoods, political agendas WITHIN CHURCH ITSELF, and exclusion.  Keep in mind, this is all my opinion so I'm more than entitled to it but please understand, the problem, churches, may not be these people being "heathens" or just being defiant of the church, the problem may just be YOU.

That's all for now folks.  Until next time, keep celebrating the new year, and strive to be better than 2014. 

Survival Of The Fittest: There's A War Going On Outside

What's happening folks, it's been a good while since I've updated my social commentary blog.  Boy there's been a TON to cover since the last time I've posted anything, but guess what cats and dogs?  I'm BAAAACCCKKK!!!  We'll get right to it.  Warning: if you get offended by anything I'm about to say, I'm not going to apologize so just kindly remove yourself from my life.

One of my favorite anthems of all-time is Mobb Deep's "Survival Of The Fittest", hence the title of the piece.  Prodigy starts off the cut by stating "There's a war going on outside no man is safe from/you can run but you can't hide forever" That especially rings true today.  Over the weekend, two NYPD officers got gunned down in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn, NY in a violent ambush.  Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were both shot in the head from a vengeful Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who later turned the gun on himself.  Leading up to the bloody attack, Brinsley reportedly shot his ex-girlfriend in the stomach not long before he went to social media and bragged that he was "about to put wings on some pigs", supposedly out of response to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and the non-indictments of the officers involved.

After the subsequential epidemic of cops killing ordinary unarmed citizens over the past few years, especially within this year, the story of someone going vigilante (at least in his mind) doesn't surprise me.  Although there have been peaceful protests and marches stating 'Black Lives Matter", "All Lives Matter", or "Hands Up, Don't Shoot", there have also been counters to these protests and marches with people wearing shirts saying "#icanbreathe", which is obviously a slap in the face to the shirts that express anger towards the NYPD and their handling of Eric Garner that states "icantbreathe", as well as slogans that supporters of the NYPD came up with that stated "Breathe Easy...Don't Break the Law!"  From coast to coast, people virtually of all races have expressed outrage, frustration and anger to what appeared to be deaf ears about the injustices that various families have been experiencing.  We all knew that once the Ferguson fiasco happened, things would never be the same and would in fact get worse.  This is one case I wish I was wrong.

This is the part where I start ranting, so beware.  First off, anyone that condones what Brinsley did should should be wholeheartedly ashamed of themselves.  What purpose does offing two cops for nothing serve?  This cat didn't do it for the Brown family, Garner family or no other family for that matter.  First of all this cat had somewhat of a tracklist of crimes such as robbery in a couple of states.  Furthermore, how the hell did he do it for anybody else besides himself when he nearly killed his ex-girlfriend, who by the way is still in critical condition?  Plus he wanted to make himself an instant celeb by tweeting that he was going to commit the act (oh yeah, and he got reportedly over three hundred likes via Instagram by the way, like there are some real pieces of shit out here).  With all this being said, I feel sorry for these officers personal families and the friends that they left behind.  However, let's do a little history lesson.  Remember Amadu Dialo?  What about Sean Bell?  These are just a couple, a mere couple, of guys that had been gunned down like animals.  Did the NYPD give a damn about their families?  They clearly don't give two damns about Garner's.  There have been a terrible amount of families who have been unfortunately deeply affected from loss at the hands of the people that are supposed to protect and serve us.  There's also a video of a young twelve-year-old boy cuffed and detained, then a cop comes from behind and starts swinging away at this kid, who as I just said had been cuffed and detained.  Multiple other vids have popped up of cops brutalizing and/or harassing citizens, whom presented themselves as no physical harm or danger.  Here's the real:  there are SOME good cops out there that are doing their jobs, and I'm not going to say some of us don't put ourselves in very stupid situations so not all the blame can be put on cops, but what can be placed on them is the shooting of unarmed citizens, and then there's no accountability.  These sons of bitches are not being held accountable  thanks to these grand juries.  I'm not sure what's on these jurors minds that would make these assholes walk freely but now the blood is on these jurors hands.  These jurors have to walk around knowing they let killers walk and go free and live their lives smiling and happy go lucky, while these family don't have an ounce of justice to stand on, fucking cowards.  I don't feel sorry for the NYPD as a whole.  Nope.  Sorry.  I feel sorry for the individuals and their families.  Not the NYPD.  Fuck them as an organization because they protect and serve themselves.  Sure we call on them when there's an emergency situation we may need taken care of, but now we have to be under the assumption that somehow there will be some bullshit attached to us even calling.  Remember Marissa Alexander, the woman who fired warning shots at her abusive ex husband who had broke into her house?  Yeah let's not forget the fact that she was originally sentenced to thirty-three years in prison.  For self-defense????  Evidently, the "Stand Your Ground" law that states that you can fire upon someone if you fear severe bodily harm on your premises only goes for certain people.  Fortunately it got overturned, but stuff like this shows that even extreme distress, there's a chance we can't even depend on the people we're calling on to help us, and we may even mess around and get prosecuted somehow.  We'll get prosecuted and jailed if we take the law into our own hands, but we have to trust these cats to help us out of situations that require help or there may be impending death?

These are the issues we face, and I won't limit it to just Blacks, but Blacks are the ones the media show the most getting disrespected, abused, arrested, jailed, and murdered by the system that our tax dollars are paying to stay employed.  Rapper The Game caught some heat for a caption he posted a day after the murders of the Brooklyn officers occurred saying "Guess y'all can't breathe now either huh?" on IG and Twitter.  When asked to clarify his post, he stated that it was in response to those clown ass guys that was wearing the "#icanbreathe" t-shirts and smiling.  Now there's a hint of possible war against protestors and anti-police groups in New York.  Let's get this straight: it didn't become a "war" until two innocent cops got outted in broad daylight, but cases like Brown, Garner, Martin, Bell, Dialo, and the many others that have occurred.  I do have a bit of vengeance in my heart for those parasite assholes that made the lives of families living hells for them, but the cops that were gunned down in Brooklyn had nothing to do specifically with any of the situations.  When it comes down to it, all lives DO matter, even cops.  To the ones that are out here, just doing their job and have no ill will agendas or profiling issues, keep doing your thing, and we need more like you.  However, to those that aren't anything but crooked asses, who use the badge and gun to cover the fact that they're really KKK sons of bitches, you keep on doing what you're doing too, only problem is there will be more Issmaaiyl Brinsleys out there, and there are more of them than you think.  There truly is a war developing, right here in our own country.  The war isn't as much about racism, as it is about injustice.  This WON'T continue to be peaceful.

Until next time kiddies, stay safe this holiday season, and remember, keep your hands up, and pray they don't shoot!  However, to play devil's advocate, don't put yourselves in positions either to where incidences may occur.  Use your heads and celebrate life.  Before I go, I'm going to leave a certified hip-hop classic, one that's timeless, and in these times, still hold true, in fact now more than ever since the release of the song in '93, KRS-One's "Sound Of The Police", from his AMAZING masterpiece Return Of The Boom Bap album.  R.I.P. Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and all other innocent victims of the pigs, but also R.I.P. officers Liu and Ramos.  Prayers go out to their families during this time.

Injustice In Ferguson: America In Black & White

What's going on folks.  Hope everyone is having a safe and Blessed holiday.  Regardless of my personal feelings about the origin and beginning of Thanksgiving the holiday, it still seems to bring families together to reflect upon things they're thankful for and I hope everyone has lots to feel thankful and grateful for.  Unfortunately, this week saw the worse example of injustice this nation has seen in many years, dare I say since the 60s and 70s.  Unless you've been under a rock or you isolated yourself from anything that had to do with media, you're aware of the sickening display of blatant injustice exhibited in Ferguson, Missouri.  Over the summer, this once unknown city became a lightning rod for controversy over the slaying of eighteen-year-old Michael Brown from Officer Darren Wilson.  What had the nation in an uproar was the fact that the kid was unarmed at the time of the shooting.  After over three months of hearing from witnesses and from Wilson himself before a grand jury, they finally deliberated, only to have the chief prosecutor state at 9:15 EST that Wilson wasn't going to be indicted for his role in the death of the young Brown.  Tensions were already at a searing point with the citizens of the town.  Throughout that day, people started to merge outside the Hall Of Justice as they were expecting Wilson to, at the very least, face indictment.  Once the decision was made known, all hell broke loose, and that's putting it mildly.

Within minutes, fires were started, looting started to commence, and people were getting hurt and/or killed, as well as arrested.  While people such as Michael Brown Sr. and others were begging the citizens that, no matter what, rioting wasn't the answer, the citizens weren't hearing any of it.  The scene resembled that of the infamous riots of Birmingham, Watts, and of course the most recent notable riot, the L.A. riots of 1992 following the acquittal of the officers involved in Rodney King's brutal beatdown.  Many would say that the city was ready for armageddon no matter if there was an indictment or not.  If there wasn't, there would've been a monstrous block party that likely would've been almost as wild.  Reporters doing standups and providing live coverage of the rioting were very much put in harm's way although none were seriously injured.  It was a chilling and surreal scene as the citizens, made up of mostly Black citizens, expressed their rage and frustrations over the decision by the grand jury.

Now for the rant, so be forewarned in case anyone gets pissed off here.  This was one hundred percent certified example of the fact that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  At first when I saw the prosecutor and he said that Wilson was cleared of all charges, I said that a war was about to develop, and it did.  The funny thing is, as much as I didn't condone the actions that were about to take place, I'm not going to lie and say that a part of me didn't understand their rage and their frustrations.  I felt the anger and resentment as a young Black man.  If we think about the slayings and murders of the likes of Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, Amadu Dialo, and many, many others, this situation with Michael Brown was the cherry on top of the sundae if you will.  The gripping videos of R&B singer August Alsina crying on stage following the verdict as well as southern emcee Killer Mike breaking down on stage in St. Louis stating that he's scared for his twenty-year-old son and his eight-year-old son in this society were hard enough to view.  Then we see the video of a heartbroken and irate Leslie McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, weepingly almost uncontrollably over the decision and the outcry of Brown's stepfather to "Burn this bitch down", and you suddenly become one with the citizens of Ferguson.  To witness a mother's heartbreak, in the midst of what she, Brown's stepfather, and Brown father have had to endure, was nothing short of tear-jerking.

Simply put ladies and gentlemen: this country is full of shit.  The laws and rules of this nation weren't meant to protect a large portion of us.  At first, this was a racial issue to me, but then through time I realized this was even a little bigger than race and gender.  There have many non Blacks that have had their asses handed to them with injustice.  Although we're the most target and hunted, we're also not the only ones.  Before any self righteous asshole comes at me with the whole "Well Brown shouldn't have been acting how he was acting leading up to him getting killed", slap your fucking selves!  SO what he may or may not have been acting dumb, the bottom line is that he was unarmed.  Let me repeat that UNARMED.  End of the fucking argument.  Was there cause for rioting and looting?  No it wasn't.  However let me say this.  The people tried the peaceful protests and peaceful marches, and still there was no justice.  Nobody cared or even gave a damn about their concerns about this matter.  They felt their voices weren't being heard so they had to yell a little louder to get their attention, they likely felt.  The question is, what do you do when even peace doesn't work?  How do you explain peace and civility to a family who's college bound son was gunned down and the killer with a badge walked free without even facing so much as an involuntary manslaughter charge?

No disrespect or sought to my non-Black friends, but I've never or hardly seen any of you all get your asses kicked and/or murdered by the cops, much less have them beat you down, kill you, and then they walk.  The media doesn't show this.  This also leads me to another point if I may.  The media is full of shit too.  I've stated this quite often but it really does sadden me that we're always depicted as animals, thugs, robbers, crooks, rapists, beaters, and every other negative depiction you can think of.  The media is quick to believe this kid acting with ferocity against an officer, but not so quick to depict him as a family loving young man on his way to college.Likewise, they didn't show a ton of coverage of the peaceful demonstrations that were being held in Ferguson, but all over the riots.

I won't sit here and say that we don't have a ton of work to do in our own community.  In order for us to get taken seriously by the powers that be (if we ever will), we have to conduct ourselves like we have some sense and stop feeding into these things that America expects you to become.  We have no self worth, thus leading to self destruction.  I've often called out those that are quick to picket and protest when Whites and other non-Blacks commit crimes and injustices against us, but we do little to nothing when it comes to Pookie killing or raping Shaniqua.  We don't have marches and demonstrations about those things.  We may have occasional domestic violence demonstrations and child abuse demonstrations, but what about other crimes in our community?  Also, do you see anymore demonstrations about Trayvon?  Didn't think so.  Meanwhile that SOB Zimmerman is in custody, but not related to anything having to do with his cowardly actions towards that young man.  If we want the respect that we demand, it must start in the home, as in our own community.  Uplift and embrace each other, stop being the jokes that the media presents to the masses and start being the kings and queens that we descended from.  Remember, people are destroyed from the lack of knowledge.

Let's look at a couple other situations that have been in the news. Tamir Rice, who was tragically gunned down when he showed police a BB gun, and they had it "mistaken" for a real gun.  This sounds eerily similar to back in August, when John Crawford III was gunned down in Wal-Mart when he was playing with an unloaded air rifle, even when he was heard telling police "It's not real".  There's also Andy Lopez, the thirteen-year-old child that was killed by also having a fake gun.  These and other stomach-turning tragedies are reflections of how Police have been trained to now shoot first, ask later, even involving children.  They're the biggest cowards in the world, well depending upon whom you ask of course.  Back in '89, N.W.A. released "Fuck The Police" to much heat, but they were accurately depicting the abusive power of police.  Years later, criminally under appreciated duo dead prez dropped their AMAZING and powerful classic debut, let's get free, and one of the boldest cuts was "Police State", a dark, brooding cut citing the cowardly and unjust treatment of regular citizens.

I could go on and on about this topic, but I'll end with saying that the last shall be first.  We won't go out quietly.  To the people of Ferguson, do NOT give up.  To the family of Mike Brown, do NOT give up.  To Wilson and the police department of Ferguson, you must live with blood on your hands, and will not go unpunished.  Rioting may not be the answer, and I'm not going to condone those actions, but best believe Wilson woke up those that may have been sleeping.  To my Black community, stop being your own worst enemy.  There's strength in numbers, but we must stop being ignorant to the tricks of the establishment.  Once we chill out on the self-hate, imagine the power we'll have over the system?  Until next time, folks, have a wonderful holiday weekend!  Rest In Power Mike Brown.