Dear Mama

This video surfaced a few years ago but I find myself falling in love with his message all over again. For those who are single mothers the message that is in the song is beautiful, reassuring even for a second of better days to come.


Check Bently out on Ellen

Something Is Missing

Always have been a fan of Brandy so when I heard this on her Human album there was an instant obsession with the track. How many times have we felt like something was missing? Know where you are supposed to be but having trouble getting there? Brandy vocals are insane on this record!!! Listen to the lyrics carefully...feels like I'm on a long journey going in circles..

Female MC's: What happened to them

Everyone give a round of applause to BET for finally showing something worth watching!!! My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip Hop is BET's first original documentary and takes a lot at the origin of female rappers and the progress they have made. Rather than focus on the negative aspect that the ladies have taken on, the documentary looked at each individual artist and focused on the future of hip hop.

Artists like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Yo Yo and Roxanne Shante have paved the way for Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot, Lil Kim and even Lauryn Hill.  But what have these new artists learned? The documentary even looks at the sexualization of female MC's and what it takes to succeed in the rap game. However, I would have preferred to see the transition that has taken place between then and now. Meaning female MCs in the 90's were not using sex to sell their records nor were their songs filled with sexually explicit lyrics. Take a look at Queen Latifah for example. One of her #1 records is U-N-I-T-Y, the verse alone talks about women being disrespected and called a "bitch". The second verse goes into domestic abuse and learning to walk away from that relationship. That song had such a powerful message and solidified Latifah's position in the game.

Ice Cube was interviewed for the documentary and he said "Females need to focus more on rapping. When they start focus too much on their image, they fall off". Couldn't have said it better. Females constantly complain about the way men treat them or how they are viewed, but what type of image are they portraying? How do we go from MC Lyte to Lil Kim...where did we lose focus in the music and started worrying sex? Take a really close look at the way in which female artists dress now. Lady Gaga goes out the house half naked each time and people love it. Do you even care what she is talking about or are we too caught up in her outfit?

To me being an MC goes beyond rapping and selling albums. You want to paint a story, become an artist and deliver words of knowledge to the masses. Now I may be wrong but music USED to do that and more. Now all they wanna do is kill, sell drugs and rap about how big their chests are (females). One female artist that tried to bring the true essence of being an artist is Lauryn Hill. Lauryn Hill infused rapping, singing and beauty into music. She wasn't talking about walking around naked or how she can make a sprite can disappear in her mouth (Lil Kim). Her lyrics were more like:

Now, now how come your talk turn cold
Gained the whole world for the price of your soul
Tryin' to grab hold of what you can't control
Now you're all floss, what a sight to behold
Wisdom is better than silver and gold
I was hopeless now I'm on Hope road
Every man want to act like he's exempt
When him need to get down on his knees and repent
Can't slick talk on the day of judgment
Your movement's similar to a serpent
Tried to play straight, how your whole style bent?
Consequence is no coincidence
Hypocrites always want to play innocent
Always want to take it to the full out extent
Always want to make it seem like good intent
Never want to face it when it's time for punishment
I know that you don't wanna hear my opinion
But there come many paths and you must choose one
And if you don't change then the rain soon come
See you might win some but you just lost one


Now look at Lil Kim lyrics...tell me we aren't lost:
The moral of the story is this
You aint lickin' this, you aint stickin' this
And I got witnesses, ask any nigga I been with
They aint hit shit till they stuck they tongue in this
I aint with that frontin' shit
I got my own Benz, I got my own ends, immediate friends
Me and my girls rock worlds, some big niggas
Fuck for car keys, and double digit figures
Good dick I cherish, I could be blunt
I treat it like it's precious, I aint gonna front
For limp dick niggas, that's frontin' like they willy
Suck my pussy till they kill me, you feel me?


Where is this generation of future female MC's headed and can we recover from the explicit lyrics to move back into that period of consciousness and upliftment. Besides isn't that what music is for? If I wanted to be hear about your bedroom skills I would watch a porno. And if I cared about you being the baddest bitch (Trina) I would watch Cat Woman. Thanks but no thanks. Get back to the true nature, the origin then talk to me about what you have accomplished. Until then UPS IS HIRING!

T.I. vs. Paris Hilton

T.I. and Tiny were arrested in L.A. last night for possession (of what). Paris Hilton was arrested for possesion of cocaine. T.I. was recently released from prison serving time for being a convicted felon and was arrested on Federal weapon charges. Despite the fact that he vowed to be a changed person and determined to do something positive with the second chance that God gave him, he apparently had a change of heart.

Several news stories are adding details as the hours go by but no one knows the specific details about why he and Tiny were arrested. But then again, should anyway care? Once you change your lifestyle and elevate out of your current negative condition your frame of mind has to also change. You can no longer engage in those same "hood/ghetto" activities and expected to be looked at as a role model. It is similar to the OJ Simpson case. OJ was acquitted of all charges in two murder cases and ends up finally going to jail for being a thief. How stupid must one be? T.I. did a little less than a year for a Federal offense but may end up doing more time for pills that resembled ecstasy.

Back to the issue at hand. Why is that when a person of color commits a crime the sentence they receive is much harsher than their peach counterparts. Isn't cocaine a much harder drug than ecstasy? Something isn't right about this judicial system. Since when do we give a pass for cocaine? How much POWER does one need to have to get away with certain crimes? Not to mention once the news gets involved it will turn into an even bigger fiasco taking away from more important issues like what's going on in Pakistan. Sometimes you have to be smart enough to know that once you've "made a mistake" people will look for you to slip up again. Especially being a rapper with a troubled past.

Stop giving the masses a reason to doubt your full and honest potential. Be better than you once were and really learn from your mistakes. Now Paris Hilton on the other hand, smh but it seems as if she will get away with whatever. Look at Lindsay Lohan. But if you choose to be a robot and follow the crowd then you would only be concerned with him having the drug instead of the turnout.

New Music Tuesday!!

Monster!!!!!!! I love when my inbox is filled with great music, it's a sign for a good week ahead! As he promised Kanye West has dropped another new single, and it features Jay-Z and that girl Nicki Minaj. I am not a Minaj fan but her delivery on this track is ridiculous. It seems like all three artists are taking shots at those who have declared beef with them and I LOVE IT! Lol, great beat + 2 1/2 decent artists = good music.

Kanye West f. Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj - Monster

Jazmine Sullivan teamed up with Mary J. Blige and Swizz to deliver the Holding You Down remix. The original was already crazy and now that Mary is on it, it makes it bananas!

Jazmine Sullivan f. Mary J. & Swizz - Holding You Down (remix)

What Your Music Says About You

What music best describes me?

I start my morning off with this...

I'm a Leo so of course I believe...

To know me...

Wake up Mr. West!

It's been a couple of months since the release of Kanye West new single Power and he seems to be keeping the momentum surrounding his return to the mic. Kanye has now jumped on the Twitter bandwagon (@KanyeWest) and also stopped by the Facebook headquarters to drop some new rhymes. People can say what they want about Kanye but he delivers his rhymes with a level of consciousness that's reminiscent of a laid back Panther member in the 60's/70's...Americas nightmare

Positive Music = Change...2010 Let's Grow!

It seems like 2010 will be a semi-great year for the hip hop culture. With the releases of several mixtapes (T.I., Rick Ross & Jeezy) to name a few, and Kanye West dropping a brand new single entitled "Power" hip-hop heads all over are patiently waiting and overly excited to hear what else is in store. Drakes highly anticipated album Thank Me Later leaked a couple weeks early of it's due date, nevertheless the talented ex-Degrassi star seems to keep fans yearning for more.

However there are still artists such as Nas/Damian Marley and B.O.B who try to keep the state of hip-hop with a conscious mind and continue to spark change among others. The Damian Marley & Nas album Distant Relatives has one very powerful record Africa Must Wake Up. The song itself speaks to all nations and every generation and leaves one to think "what are we doing here?"

Then there's B.O.B with The Kids a collaboration with Janelle Monae that questions the state of future generations...have a listen

Africa Must Wake Up

The Kids