Building Something Exotic

First take a look at these pictures they are from Argentina, Holland, Austria, Singapore and one more place. These are beautiful, we'll talk in a minute.








Why do other countries have such extravagant architecture and we have boring block buildings every where? Buckle your seatbelts, because im going to give you the plush red sofa perspective on this one.

This is a collaboration blog with Bejhun. This is what came from the dialogue: Americans are taught to go to school, get good grades so you can get out of school and get a good job. The arts industry is frowned upon, a lot of people don't feel like it is a real career. When people are into vocal arts it is more acceptable because people see the outcome of large amounts of money and people have a hope for the next sensation. From generation to generation values have been passed down generally encouraging people to be a businessmen, doctors, or a scientists. These are all supposed to be sure fire and secure positions in America. People in other countries are encouraged to be more expressive (Shout out to Julie who was hanging in Japan). In America it boils down to money. Money is good but it seems that's where all the emphasis is. If you notice everbody wants to be rich (that's why Creflo Dollar is so popular, but that's a can we cannot open up right now).

A lot of the exotic buildings in America were created by foreign architecture. Heck, even the statue of Liberty was a gift (go to history class on that one). America does have talent but everyone is so forced into following the norm. Companies are obsessed over marketing formulas and strategies. A lot of times people want you to think outside the box but you better not lose the packaging. Matter of fact i believe just recently they were cutting a lot of art programs in the public school system, which i think is very unfortunate. This even trickles down to fashion, look at all the major designers and where they are located, all the major fashion shows are overseas. Even when people don't wear what everyone else generally wears then they dress funny or they are weird. Take my main man Andre Benjamin or Andre 3000, I have had to stick up for that man for many years due to his wardrobe selections. Some things i wouldn't wear but if thats what he feels like putting on who cares and really some of it is kinda cool i think.

This is something that i thought i would share with the constituents of the Plush Red Sofa. A beautiful mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Pony Up

A conversation was had not to long ago with Winthrop and Record. And we talked about getting your polo game up. This is a trunk that can store about 40 shirts. I think this would be cool to have and it would be even cooler if you could fill it up. But just "for the record" this was released for the 40th anniversary of Ralph Lauren Polo ( I thought Polo was around longer too...).

A Worker's Plight: Ventilation

If you have ever worked for somebody then you know that most corporations have rules and guidelines to govern the company. Things are not always so black and white though. And then of course you have inconsistent actions, the company says one thing in the written rules and does another.

Companies should now put the words "give or take" in their policy manuals. For instance, you come to work from 9-5, give or take ten minutes. Here is where i get cynical, how you gon get mad at employee L if they are two minutes late, but then you expect them to stay a few minutes over to complete task B. And if they leave right at five regardless of what they are doing then they are wrong. Not so black and white is it? Because if we going exactly by the rules then employee L should not be staying a minute past five o'clock. Companies use everything to benefit themselves (even though i guess it is human nature for most individuals as well).

And what does a job title mean. Have you read your job title lately? Even if the task is not on there its your job if they ask you to do it. So they should put employee L is to do B,S, and W "give or take" a few task. For that matter they should just say your job is to do whatever we ask of you. 9 times out of 10 you better not say thats not my job, because you may not have a job after that.

This is just something to ponder. But don't tell me "that's just the way it is" either because i thought we already had that discussion. Status Quo-denied!

A Raisin in the Sun

So we all checked out Raisin in the Sun right?

We are going to take a journey right now, first we will get a little serious and then i will get into my sarcasm later since that is what i do best.

Let me preface this by saying that i read the book when i was in the ninth grade but until now had never seen it acted out. The play/movie was cool i enjoyed it. But the one thing that stuck out to me was when they moved into their new home and chilly reception they recieved from their neighbors. I know our elders say this all the time but we really need to appreciate the freedoms and opportunities that we now have. I can imagine, however I cannot fathom what it felt like to go through some of the treatment that some of the blacks before me were challenged with. Why can't we all just get along? Some of the people close to me have heard me talk about how I wish the world was a better place and seeing things like that just bother me. With all the love that i have in my heart for everybody, i just struggle with the idea of hate or hating someone.

On to the next platform, think about all of the dreams that we have and wish we could achieve. I know Walter was duped but the fact that he went out and tried to make something happen was laudable. I agree it wasn't the smartest investment but nonetheless he put the plan in motion. I hear a lot of people express what they wish they could be or what they wish they could do, seeing something like that should make you want to take some steps and get out your own dreams. We live in America, anything is possible. We have to own our situation and realize that we are entitled to a slice of the pie just like everybody else in this country. I heard a saying once that said, "one man dreamt of becoming something while the other man stayed awake and became". Dreaming is phenomenal but at some point the rubber has to meet the road. Of course sacrifices must be made but if you want it bad enough you gotta do whatcha gotta do. In my short life I've realized that what is near and dear to you may not be near and dear to those around you even loved ones, so you have to have the fortitude to go after that vision in YOUR head for YOUR life.

-Breathe-

Now the lighter side, it was weird trying to picture Diddy as an actor. He still had that same Diddy arrogance, I was expecting him to say "take that, take that" at any moment. Why did i literally turn from Raisin in the Sun to MTV and Diddy was sitting there with his shades on and a toothpick in his mouth. I said "oh well that just ruined it for me". Hopefully you left your remote alone, i guess that's what i get huh? Side note: Looks like they gave Diddy a nice wardrobe especially that brown jacket with the two textures on the front, was Walter that crispy, oh yeah this is TV.

However, like i said i thought the play/movie (i don't know what to call it as you can see) was good and it just proves some stories are timeless and they are good for anybody and any generation.

BANANAS!

Kanye showed me these photos and this is CRAZY! I haven't seen these screens in action but look at where we are going people. It looks like you can get information in real-time from whatever you see. So since i got this information hot off the press I felt like it was my civil duty to share it with my readership. You're welcome folks, you're welcome.

Oscars 2008!

Okay this post is for my movie heads. I don't get a whole lot of movie viewing in, however i usually at least know the names of the movies. I heard a whole lot of buzz about Juno. And what is There will be blood? Why are there such dynamic performances in these movies i.e. best original screenplay and best lead actor but i never even heard of these movies.

Where are my personal movie critics "The Records" aka Netflix Royalty, because i need some answers. The eminent question however is, who got robbed? It happens at every award show. So i want to know who was the snub this time, and give it to me straight don't hold back.

Also what is the time frame in order for the movie to be considered, because my favorite movie of all time 300 wasn't even mentioned in the mistakes column. Is it just not our time yet (notice i said our like i was in the movie, I WAS), do we have to wait till next year to shine or what. And don't say we missed our boat, cause i don't want to hear that!

Oops, this is real one:

I need answers people, let me know something. I need reactions to the Oscars. If i could only see one of the movies that won some sort of an award, which one would it be?

And who is Oscar anyway?

Oh yeah shout out to Jeff, Myron, and UG.

Eyes, Teeth, and Sole (Sneaker Intermission)

Check this out. These have been out for a second now. However i like it when companies collaborate and create nifty concotions. These are from the Alife and Asics joint venture. I present to you the Green Monster (no relation to Fenway Park) and the Black monster. The eyes are actually detachable. They have a nice cracked leather on them as well, overall i think this is very creative. I can feel like Godzilla with these on!

Feel free to place these at my doorstep. Im taking it to a whole new level trust me.

Call me whenever, Literally...

Can you hear me now?

Did you know that Verizon just unveiled their unlimited minutes plans? Now you can talk as much as you want and to whomever you want for the flat rate of $99.99 ( I hope you don't need unlimited texting to).

Cell phones are officially taking over the world. Im just waiting on Comcast to jump into the wireless market so they can offer you internet, cable, and cell phone service. Is there a such thing as communicating too much? Unless you are a business, I really can't see someone needing unlimited minutes. Help me do the math folks, you already had free nights and weekends right? I mean... don't people have things to do during the day. This is a plan for people that have nothing to do. And if you have nothing to do then you need a job. And if you need a job then you probably don't have a spare Benjamin to kick out every month. So those that can use this plan can't afford it, in my eyes. Remeber the days of $40 and $50 dollar phone plans, boy have those days passed us by.

However i am sure that many people will purchase the plan because they will say they need it. While its on my brain, don't you know somebody that goes over their minutes every single month, you just want to say "dude, can you just up your plan! Even if not for yourself do it for me". I bet there are going to be some people that go over by about 30 minutes and they're going to say "see man i need the unlimited plan", and its like "negro please, you just need an ounce of discipline".Sometimes companies do a superb marketing job and convince that we need something that we actually do not.

I don't have unlimited minutes, so if YOU do, don't call me. Plus im busy.

Role Model

Recently a discussion was had about role models (courtesy of the family all-star weekend crew) and whether or not celebrities such as athletes or musicians are or should be role models. The common viewpoint on this is that they are whether they like it or not. We also had some dissent among the group and others suggested that they should not be and are not role models.

In most circumstances people never know the celebrity personally. Everyone agreed that people, especially adolescents are very impressionable. However, how can someone that you have never met have more influence on you than someone that you see everyday and know. People agreed that it is not the most sensible perspective, but that's the way it is. Why do people concede and say that's just the way it is. It doesn't have to be that way. We all agreed that it was relatively backwards, so why do people just accept the status quo. It seems like using other people is a way out. Accountability is the word of the day. This is something that is really aimed at parents and families. It does not seem logical for a parent to let someone that their child has never met have more influence on the child than the parent.

I came up just like the rest of my peers and was exposed to a lot of the same things. I was able to admire my favorite basketball players on the court and my favorite musicians on stage, but i could care less what they did off of their professional stage. I wouldn't care if Allen Iverson was the worst person in the world in 1996 (as you can imagine i was younger then), i liked what he did on the court and knew that there was a difference between admiring someones ability and admiring them as a person.

My family took accountability for me and made sure that i understood right and wrong, therefore i had not intentions of looking to celebs for life values or example figures.

One of the best points of the night was a that since "blank" has the power to influence lives why not use it for good. I agree with that wholeheartedly. However if that person isn't using their power for good then we should not be mad at them they just aren't worthy of being a role model ( it sounds like we are talking about super heroes). We are all human, and just like we say they should be doing a,b, and c, so should we, it just so happens that we are not on tv. We have to learn how to treat the situation and not allow people to put others on a pedestal for the wrong reasons. If we instill in people the proper values concerning what is right and what is wrong then they will be better equipped to make positive decisions. Everyone has to live with the decisions they make and the outcomes that occur, making a bad decision contingent upon someone else's bad decision is hogwash, especially if you do not know that person.

See, conversations like these take place when you are sitting on a Plush Red Sofa. Later folks!

Valentines Day Massacre pt.2

On Thursday February 14 at around 4:00 p.m. there was another campus shooting, this time at Northern Illinois University. This is becoming way to familiar in our society. The shooter was a former grad student. 5 killed and 16 wonded, so far.

I am assuming the shooter had this planned out to mock the history of the valentines day massacre that took place in 1929 in Chicago. Northern Illinois Univ. is not in Chicago nonetheless it is in Illinois.

First i will start by saying, I have been beating this drum for a long time. Guns are extremely easy to obtain in America. There are so many sketchy dealers that give guns to unfit individuals. I don't know where he obtained his gun from but, the report says he had TWO HANDGUNS and a SHOTGUN! Good grief. I know you can legally own guns but at some point it becomes excessive. Who really needs three guns for a good purpose, especially the type of guns he had. I don't hunt but i can't imagine that people would hunt with handguns. I am also familiar that people have them for protection. One day people will learn that violence begets violence.

The scary part about this saga is that these type of occurences are a clone of terrorism. America is an extremely free society. Lately the targets have been universities but what is to stop someone from walking into a mall or a theme park. People are rendered helpless in situations like this, especially when the person is willing to take their own life. I am not trying to scare anyone but i don't know exactly how to thwart efforts like this. I also ask, is it now ok to stereotype people in your head, although stereotyping is commonly shunned? What do you do here? The government is looking to curb terrorism from fanatic religious groups but i think situations like these merit intense consideration before they get even more out of hand. The best and often easiest way to prevent something is to stop it before it happens.

One of the proposed solutions that stemmed from the Virginia Tech massacre was the idea of teachers being able to carry guns. That argument seems to hold weight initially but i don't know if that would work either. If we were to enact that strategy it would put all of the students in a vulnerable position and what if that teacher loses his mind then everybody is surely going to die because now we have created a hostage situation. Therefore this thing needs some serious consideration.

-Pause-

Now here is where my problem lies. Whenever there is a younger black individual that has a violent streak then they are labeled as a menace to society or a thug. However it seems when white america has these violent issues then they need counseling.The picture is painted very differently, even in death. The undertone of the black story is that these things are part of the culture (whatever that means because it is part of america), but the white story is painted differently and it is a rogue individual. True, blacks are more likely to die from homicide than whites, but they need to acknowledge that they have a problem too. They just do their dirt differently, however people die and that is the bottom line.

I cannot recall of a school shooting that was done by a black person (if you can think of one let me know), from Columbine to Northern Illinois. When does this become part of their culture? Well the good thing about this is they can't blame it on 50 cent or hip hop. But perhaps they could blame it on L.A. Confidential, Training Day, SWAT, Bad Boys, Clear and Present Danger, or whatever other shoot 'em up movie you can think of. I am not trying to get rid of these type of movies at all but they would be quick to blame violence in hip hop for something a black guy did, therefore i think this should be a two way street.

Certainly I feel bad for those involved and i wish the best for everyone that has had to suffer, but America needs to admit they have a problem on there hands. As my man Nas said on Stillmatic, "never to worry, all the wrong doers got it coming back to em a thousand times over, every dog has his and everything flips around, even the most greatest nation in the world has it coming back to em, everyone reaps what they sew and thats how it goes, innocent lives will be taken, it may get worse but we'll get through it ya'll, BE STRONG".

Everybody be safe, be smart, and be alert!

My Top Albums of 2007

I have thought this one over and I think its time for a list. So these are my top 5 hip-hop albums of 07. Plus i give good reviews, take my word for it if you havent heard these then its time you check them out.



5. Common- Finding Forever This album is very solid. The production is there and of course Common is legendary on the mic. He puts down some nice messages on the album most of which are social. This album is almost a continuation of his previous album BE. The production is an offering from his soulful friends such as Kanye West and the late J.Dilla, no complaints there. The album gives off subtle energy, bass and beats never too overbearing. The only gripe i have is that Common does not do any of the choruses ( a lot of features). He doubles back and forth with Kanye on "Southside" but that is really it. So i had to knock him down for that, however i still think this album gets a nod for a job well done. You can even play this album for your parents.



4. T.I.- T.I. vs T.I.P. TI did a very good job finding production that worked well with his style. This album is versatile enough to expand pass his core southern audience. The concept of him fighting with himself went over well since he had been building it for years through his other albums. Good surface music (music that you don't have to pay attention to) and he had something to say on the majority of the tracks. Job well done TIP!



3. Lupe Fiasco- The Cool This album is so full of content its ridiculous! Of course his flow and delivery are as detailed as they come. Once again there was a concept involved and that helps you follow the album. He didn't try to sneak this album past radio too much either, he used production and nuances that were tailored to who he is as an artist and the message he was trying to ge across. You can't lose with "the cool"



2. Jay-z- American Gangster Jay stepped in with a huge offering. One of the things that got his album to my number two spot was his VH1 special that he had where he did some explaining. The way the album is sequenced is crazy, each track is part of a story and it goes in order. Have to get points for that. Jay was also giving you some story telling on here which is something he doesn't always do and he did it well. So the flow is immaculate, the concept is bananas, and he managed to keep every track relevant without boring us with the same story.



1. Kanye West- Graduation The reason he gets my endorsement for my favorite hip hop album of 07 is because of his individuality and distinctiveness. The way some of his songs are put together is out of the box and revitalizing. He gives you a different sound than most hip hop albums. He softens the bars sometimes and lets you focus on the production. He spits it simple at times but punctuates it with nice sarcasm. Now he has an edge because he is a producer as well, because some of his beats like "stronger" have different stages that make it like another beat within the song. Musically the album is way more diverse than the others. Kanye wins. Plus i didn't want him beating down my door if he didn't win.

What you got?

Today is List day

In honor of my friend Hump, im doing a hate list. He is the originator of them so im keeping the tradition going since he doesn't have a blog. And for the record (that's my favorite saying now, Jay and Drea) i don't literally hate.

Top ten things i hate:

10. T-Pain's voice synthesizer- Its a performance enhancer, hes cheating
9. Al Wissam coats- they used to be cool but EVERYONE in Detroit has one, people are sheep so now they're wack

8. "Club songs"- why does everyone think that is the way to get in the music game

7. Federal government- they have other things to do besides investigate professional sports, does economy jog anyone's memory

6. Kwame Kilpatrick- why is he still in office?

5. Zoot suits- this was inspired by kwame

4. American Idol- is it really that exciting anymore? Who even remembers the winners anymore

3. MTV- why are they a music television network if they never play music

2. The term "Grown & Sexy"- its so over used

1. Hgh- Why not, its all over the place now

BOB KNIGHT!

This is one crazy guy. This is the reason why i didn't play college ball (thats my story). Great coach, but look at what he's given us over the years. Maybe they'll miss you Bob or maybe not.

NBA All-Star weekend is virtually upon us and this year the festivities are going to be held in New Orleans. A little over two years ago we had the monolithic tradgedy in the form of hurricane Katrina.

Everyone is excited about possibilities for growth in New Orleans. This All-Star weekend is supposed to galvanize the city by pumping tons of tourist dollars and help jumpstart the economy in New Orleans. From a lot of aspects this is a great occurence. However i feel bad for the people that are gone from that reigon never to return. I am pretty certain that the NEW money is going to go to NEW residents. Perhaps there are a few businesses that have remained but im sure the majority of the former establishments have been washed away. I wish there was some sort of program to help restore old establishments and help the previous business owners.

I have not been down there since the hurricane but i am willing to guess that a lot of the rebuilding has been done by people who initially did not even live down there, they just happen to come and take on some of this unoccupied land. There should be a rule if you didn't live here in 2005 then you should have to take a number and be last to recieve anything down there. I know that's crazy but they should give all those relocated folks opportunities first.

As you can see I just feel bad for those people. Im out, im going to get some beads.

The Juiced, the Juicy, and the Juicier

Is everyone familiar with the Roger Clemens saga? Somebody grab the mop because this is a mess! Roger needs a new captain to take over the ship because he is going down.

The latest development has Andy Pettitte backing their former trainer Brian McNamee and the story that he enhanced Roger's performance with the HGH variety. Andy was Clemens' teammate for years and is also reported to be one of his closest teammates because they frequently worked out together. Well Andy was excused from having to give a deposition on Tuesday because it appears as though they have everything out of him that they need. Roger's attorney is ubiquitous, since when did attorney's get regular slots on television. He is telling everyone how they are going to be sorry for accusing his client and he even used the Duke lacrosse players case to compare this mess to. I don't think thats accurate unless the former trainer moonlights as a drunk stripper. He is out of control. I love putting icing on the cake, get this, he told media that if Jeff Novitzky, the lead investigator in the 5 1/2-year-old federal probe of steroid use among professional athletes, that if he got involved "Roger would eat his lunch". He is telling this guy don't even look this way unless you want trouble. What is he doing? Why is he poking at people?

Either this attorney has a heck of confidence in Roger Clemens or has some secret evidence locked in a safe. The question is why would everyone lie except Roger. Why would McNamee tell the truth about dozens of other MLB players and lie about Clemens. It just doesn't make sense. Even Clemens training buddy (Pettitte) has said yes, I did it and has backed up McNamee's story on Clemens.

There is always the side story and here it goes. The former trainer McNamee also said that he gave Roger Clemens' wife HGH too! He claims to have shot his wife up with performance enhancers in 2002 in their master bedroom. This guy has dates, times, and samples of his work. This is juicy stuff.

Clemens' doesn't seem to have much but his word, which usually isn't a bad thing. However the other guy has hard core evidence. Roger isn't completely without ammunition, he did play the taped phone conversation between he and the trainer but all that did was prove that McNamee has a sick child. McNamee is hitting homeruns and Clemens is getting singles and trying to steal second base. By the way how did he tape the phone conversation?

I can't leave this out because this part is funny. Clemens said in an interview that if he had taken the things that people are accusing him of taking then he would be pulling tractors with his teeth and growing an ear on his forehead. Roger, i wish it was that easy to identify. For that matter why haven't all the guys who admitted to using HGH and 'roids grown ears on their foreheads. Clemens is emphatic in his denial, and i appreciate that. Go hard or go home. However, i hope he's not lying because he will end up at the podium like Kwame Kilpatrick looking for forgivenss (sorry Detroit).

The best thing about all this is that i haven't had to hear about Barry Bonds being chased to the courthouse. But the difference between Bonds and Clemens is that Barry doesn't care what you think, he said "i didn't do it and i don't have anything else to say". I think the problem is that Roger Clemens cares too much. If I was telling the truth i wouldn't care what McNamee said, the burden of proof is on the other guy (he does seem to have a heap of proof though). Clemens needs to take the approach of "you charged me with this now prove it". Nobody wants to be blamed for things that they didn't do, but if i know he can't prove it i don't care. Clemens could be sweating because McNamee might be able to prove it. OR maybe McNamee set him up! What if McNamee injected him with HGH and Roger thought he was getting some sort of...... I don't know, scratch that maybe that's too far fetched, Roger i tried to lighten the load for you.

On the other end we need to be weary of McNamee's evidence. How and why did he manage to save all of the needles and swabs from Roger Clemens treatments. The only way this isn't creepy is if he has stuff from everyone he has trained. And then if it is proven to be Clemens DNA how do we know what was in those needles or that it hasn't been tampered with. Like i said in the first paragraph, somebody get a mop. McNamee said in the Mitchell Report that Roger was at a party hosted by Jose Canseco. However Canseco says McNamee is a dirty liar. Canseco and Clemens have teamed up and refuted McNamee claims. That's great but how would you feel if you and Jose Canseco saw eye to eye these days. We dont' even know if Jose has told the truth in his book ousting everyone that he allegedly knew took steroids, what are his motives? Who know what to believe anymore, but there is one guy that has evidence in the bank. We will just have to see how this thing plays out, but watch out for syringes in the mean time.

Clemens just needs a glimmer of hope here because i don't see it. I don't know if his fastball is going to get him out of this jam.

P.S. did you hear Mary J. Blige, 50 cent, and other musicians also took steroids or HGH. I don't care though, unless it helps them write those songs, because if it does im PISSED!

Its a family affair!

(I've decided to give everybody a sneak peek of the venue, so enjoy it. Usually i don't do this but..... KEEP THE PARTY GOING!)

Family is a beautiful thing. Recently i was able to have the experience of watching someone that i have been very close to all my life take the next step and get married. This is the first person that I have been able to witness all the way from the beginning. My twin and I are the same age and its pretty cool to have witnessed virtually their whole life. I know how parents must feel when they see their children get older (wow, that's scary).

However, my family did such a great job of working together. Although it was mostly the women (but not all) that did all the work, but nonetheless a great job was done. The bride's brother did an exceptional job with the videography, but i didn't expect anything less because he's great that's what he does for a living. He put together reality TV people, we might even get this thing played on Oxygen or somebody's network. My mom and auntie planned from what i hear on all accounts a phenomenal bridal shower, one of a kind to my understanding. And they planned it from another state! My other auntie did some pretty remarkable things putting the reception together along with her company. Shout out to Etcetera Etcetera, the website is http://www.etc-etc.biz/. They do all kinds of event planning with different nuances, they are phenomenal. Im not telling you anymore you have to go check out the website. Oh, and i can't forget my cousin who makes the best desserts on this side of the solar system. She whipped up some nice things for the bridal shower too. I can get you her contact as well. Ask and ye shall receive. I knew you would ask, it is http://www.myspace.com/harvestmoondesserts.

My family is about to take over the world! The pot is brewin' and i won't let you miss a beat cause im going to write about it (wink). You get it, "beat" like a beat writer. Somebody hit the drums and symbols for effect.

The point is all the family was there, save one cousin. Shout out to Brittany! I know how grateful my twin was for everybody, but that's how it should be. When everyone works together magical things happen. My family is truly a team and that's what it is all about.

I did my part too, cause i carried all the heavy stuff to the car.

Money in the bank?

Clearly ungrateful. Mess like this gets me steamin. Well his grand kids won't be left with any money because any money that he gets he is going to find a way to blow it. This is not an illusion, yes the man has a chain simulating the kellog cereal box. Im all for creativity (as was stated in the previous blog entry)but at some point it becomes absurd, excessive, and wasteful.

The gentlemen pictured is believed to be rapper "gucci mane" (at least thats who Kanye said it was), some of you, however not all, are probably thinking, "I've never heard of him", point well taken. Now i am not one to speak on someone else's pocket especially if i don't know them, however I have not been able to locate him on the Forbes 100 list, or any list for that matter. He claims to be from the hood as most rappers do, therefore im sure the conditions weren't the best, his family had to use the oven to heat the house up, they didn't know where the next meal was coming from or something along these lines. So why the heck wouldn't he use some of that money that he has to help the hood that he came from. Im sure everyone in his old stomping grounds is still struggling, the kids need rec centers or the community needs business', im not a psychic but im getting that feeling. Black folks always talk about the white man this and the white man that, but when you are selfish like this you will never get ahead. There is power in numbers, other nationalities get ahead because they help each other and everybody is willing to contribute. Im not talking about making your boy the head of jewelry security either. Im talking about a real job. Everybody always has something to say about the Arabs running the gas station or the corner store but they look out for each other and they are shutting the market DOWN! They dang near have a monopoly. The people that own the corner stores and such don't even stay in that neighborhood nine times out of ten, it is like going far away from your home, selling crack to the slums and returning back to your safe and quiet abode.

This has turned into a bigger discussion (I know sometimes it happens that way). White people run their business' and look out for their buddy and help them get their foot in the door. Then you have a branching out effect that leads to a bunch of white people running the show because usually that is who they are friends with. Black folks don't do that, we get some money, start a car wash and blow it. Then we go back to being just like everybody else with the same ole plans and same ole grams. If we got some things going and put our friends on like everybody else then maybe we could get some representation out here in the money market of America. However, we would rather make frosted flakes chains. Are you serious! This is really the best idea he had to spend his money on. We need a whole new mindset. We need the those MIB guys to come to the hood and zap everybody so we won't even remember what mess we used to think about.

I am about to go in reverse here put on your seatbelt, this guy isn't even your premiere rapper. He's known in a couple of hoods across the United States but that's it! He is no LL Cool J, or Jay-z, or you know....SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS. His momma should have come on stage and grabbed him by the ear and drug him off stage. The worst part about all this, im sure the people in the crowd were thoroughly excited and impressed when they saw his chain.

Im done with this matter, Kellog should sue this guy for blasphemy!