As Election Day quickly approaches, we are bombarded with speeches, news reports, and propaganda that is supposed to help us make a choice when we go to vote. For months, we've listened to policies that probably won't be put in place, promises that will be broken, and propaganda that's like music to the ears. We've heard about topics that include abortion, healthcare, education, taxes, and that very important "middle-class". Both candidates have made statements and retracted statements, that cause some to question their own views. Some even changed them...
One thing that is making me uneasy this election is the mindset of people. The issues SEEM to be focused on, but there is an underlying elephant in the room. In 2008, when Barack Obama initially took office, African Americans saw a day that would change the history of this country forever. The first "Black" or "African American" president had been elected into office. There was a glimmer of hope because a relatable face was in the White House. That year, songs like "My President is Black" or slogans like, " You can't tell me anything, my President is black" were top of mind to all.
I must admit, President Obama is one of the most suave, down-to-earth presidents that I can remember. I must also admit as I got older, I started to understand exactly how he got to where he is. Do not misinterpret what I'm about to say, because my words can be easily misconstrued. It is very difficult for me to believe that many people, African American people, did not vote for him solely because of his skin color. Listening to conversations and comments proved to me that this is one of the major reasons he was so favorable. But, why must it be that way?!
I may shatter some dreams, but Barack Obama is not a BLACK man. He's a man... to be more technical, a multiracial man. Because his skin color is brown, he is then coined as the "black president" and expected to look out for the "black man"..NNNOOO! THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS! He is a president of the people, not just black or minority people. This form of thinking brought us to the following headline: STACEY DASH SUFFERS TWITTER BACKLASH FOR SUPPORTING MITT ROMNEY!
Actress Stacey Dash took to the media outlet, Twitter, and tweeted her support for Governor Mitt Romney, who is running against President Obama in this year's election. Seconds after sending that tweet, she was bombarded with response tweets stating "Stacey Dash, black actress backing Gov. Romney. Needs some help"; another stated "You're an unemployed black woman endorsing @MittRomney. You're voting against yourself thrice. You poor beautiful idiot." She replied to the backlashers with a simple "My humble opinion...EVERYONE is entitled to one." That was the best thing for her to do.
Why is it so wrong for this "black" woman to express that she doesn't agree with President Obama's views?? Why was the "black woman" card thrown period?? Okay, she's considered black, are all "black people" supposed to think the same way and agree with the same things? Our predecessors fought for us to have the right to freedom of speech just as "the oppressor" had... now when one exercises that right, her own people become her oppressor and bully her into suppressing her opinions. As a people, what are we doing?? Stacey Dash knows what she agrees with and what she doesn't... Do you know anything outside of skin color? It seems as though there is this unspoken pact that all people of color should vote for the man of color; if you don't know what he stands for, that vote can do us more harm than good.
Let me make this clear, I'm not endorsing Mitt Romney, nor President Obama. I'm endorsing the right to free speech and awareness. Just because some one looks like you doesn't always mean they're the perfect fit. Whether you vote Romney or Obama, make sure you're aware of WHAT it is you're electing into that office for the next 4 years. Educate yourselves.
Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. - Confucius
Kimye are on the scene causing an even bigger scene! House hunting in Miami to be exact! The lovely couple was spotted strolling through various parts of the city, checking out very promising real estate.
Kimye has been under the microscope since they went public with their relationship. Media and public opinion has not stopped them, and it appears they have no intentions of slowing down! Them house hunting is pretty much a stamp that seals the deal on their relationship. I can ask what will it take for them to be accepted as a couple, but it's clear they don't care about opinions.
It appears that Kimye found refuge and love in each other and that's all that matters/ (Plus, their fashion sense as a couple is impeccable...Yezzy taught me!) Congrats are due to Kimye!
Stop the track! Let me state facts! I told you give me a minute and I'll be right back!
The Carters really know how to make time stop in its tracks! This year definitely belongs to Queen Bey and HOV. With the arrival of the lovely Miss Blue Ivy Carter, they seem to be unstoppable and
untouchable.
This summer, Bey laid out the blueprint on balancing a career and motherhood. Not only was she in the studio working on her fifth album, but prepared and served her fans with an ultimate dosage of Beyonce', or shall we say, "SASHA FIERCE". Four nights of sold out performances at the multi-billion dollar casino, Revel, in Atlantic City, New Jersey proved that Bey had not lost her touch with the public and the stage. (By the way, Peep the ring! )
This was also a major summer for her husband, Jay-Z. Being a father did not slow him down from being a mega-mogul and phenomenal entertainer. He, alongside well-known rapper, Kanye West released a genius studio project: Watch the Throne. Not only did they release a platinum selling album, they also embarked on a tour that banked more than $48 million, ranking it the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of all time.
You'd think that was enough for the year right?! WRONG!
On October 5th, Jay-Z concluded his concert at the sold out Brooklyn Barclays Center with a beautiful surprise. His lovely wife, Queen Bey, stunned fans by performing favorites like the ladies' anthem "Diva" and the sexy "Crazy In Love". After receiving a nice tap on her derriere from her honey, Bey left the stage, and Jay finished the concert strong. Before departing from their fans, the couple took to the stage for the final song "Young Forever" where Bey sang the background vocals.
Not only are the Carters dedicated to their careers, but their support for one another proves they're dedicated to their relationship.
The phrase "Hoes are Winning" has taken society by storm, especially urban culture! The term "Hoe" has been used to describe almost every type of woman, from the "Stripper Hoe" to the "Classy, Sassy, & slightly Smart-Assy Hoe"...Every woman has done something that falls into SOMEONE'S definition of a "Hoe".
However, there are women who have acquired the title "Hoe" by the way they entered into the entertainment industry or acquired FAME, whether it's through their affiliations or their past professions. Former stripper, Amber Rose is synonymous with the word, hoe; reality TV personality Kim Kardashian is also heavily affiliated with the word hoe... but why? Do we know enough about those women to give them the "Hoe Crown"? We as a society, we have this thing we do... We pass judgement on surface situations. People see strippers, label them as hoes because they get naked for money, THEN get salty when someone in the entertainment industry decides to date them... Why are YOU mad?!
I'll probably get slaughtered for this but what makes them different from someone that went to college? Networking has no designated area. Let's take Amber Rose for example, she grew up in South Philly and was raised by a single mother who worked as a waitress to support her family. After falling into financial hardships, Amber and her mother became homeless. At the tender age of 15, she began stripping at the very prominent Sue's Rendezvous in New York under the alias "Paris. Not PROSTITUTING, but STRIPPING. Amber Rose has stated "I would dance; I would make my money, and then go home and pay bills." She then met Kanye West (who pursued her) and is now engaged to and [possibly] pregnant for rapper Wiz Khalifa. In the few short years it took Amber to acquire fame, she has appeared in numerous videos as the leading lady, been the spokesperson for Smirnoff Vodka, walked the runways of London, Paris, and New York, began a music career, launched an eyewear line, and so much more!
We all start from different beginnings, and its the people we encounter, places we go, etc. that help determine our success. How can you blame a person for networking opportunities that were presented to them? How can you judge a person's beginnings and sling mud over their triumphs? In all of this, she has been tied to a strip club, two rappers, and an insane hustle. Whether she had to make ends meet as a stripper or not should not define her as a person. She has maintained her status as a celebrity on her own! She has her own deals, endorsements, and endeavors.
Kim Kardashian is another one that definitely gets crucified for her choices. Although Kimmy is connected to multiple people in the entertainment industry, her accomplishments are rarely a table talk topic. We are more concerned about who has been with her, physically and sexually, yet it's very rare that Kim receives praise on her business savvy. The public tends to think the people are talentless because they can't sing, act, or play a sport. No, those are not any of her strong points, BUT no one can take credit away from her as a business woman. Kim Kardashian's net worth is $38 million, and that's money she made of of her own projects (reality television, perfumes, clothing lines, endorsements, etc). Although she was born to high profile attorney (Robert Kardashian), Kim has created opportunities for herself to maintain her lifestyle and her status. Kim Kardashian is now connected to rapper Kanye West (what a coincidence!) and it appears as though they both found happiness.
But why is that not enough for us? Why must we, as a society, pick apart those who've taken different avenues to reach success? The media digs into people's pasts to give us something to talk about and we just run with it. Strippers are hoes, Socialites are hoes, yet you slept with someone last and now you have rent money... but you're not in that category, right?? Women can't scream "Hoes Are Winning" when their behavior mirrors that of the women on Sunset Boulevard... I'm not here to judge though...
No one can blame either of these women for who they were able to meet through their affiliations; as a woman, I commend them on their ambition and determination to succeed and open doors for themselves. If people stayed from between Amber and Kim's legs and got inside their heads, then MAYBE success will come knocking at their door too!
Take a look below!!
Kim opens up to Oprah about her and Ray-J's sextape and it's effect on her life, past and present
Amber dishes to Wendy Williams about the truth behind her and Kanye's relationship
"Keep your life in a positive perspective. We are not defined by our pasts" -Kim Kardashian
This post will take the phrase "The Truth Shall Set You Free" to an entirely new level!
Last night, I was introduced to a documentary about the introduction of "crack" (rock cocaine), its effects on an entire generation and how it changed America, forever. While watching this documentary, I was introduced to a few familiar names and had a chance to learn about who they were and their influence on American culture and society. I will delve deeper into those people later.
This documentary caused me to do further investigation on the "Crack Era", to gain a better understanding of the power of the drug over both users and dealers. I learned about more "prominent" figures that had a large influence on culture back then, and have a very big influence in the hip hop culture right now!
Let's take a minute to get acquainted with William Leonard Roberts II a.k.a. "Rick Ross". Haitian rapper "Rick Ross" has a current net worth of $25 million (as of July 2012). Four of his five albums have hit number one on the billboard charts (Port of Miami, Trilla, Deeper Than Rap, God Forgives, I Don't). His current album, "God Forgives, I Don't" is number one in the United States, Canada, and number eight in The United Kingdom. As the CEO for Maybach Music Group (MMG), Rick Ross has built a brand and an empire that models the empires of those you would see in movies. It appears that he has the ultimate "rags to riches" story that everyone who's faced hardship dreams about...emphasis on the word APPEARS.
It is reported that "Ross" was born in Coahama County, Mississippi and relocated to Carol City, Florida when he was four years old. In all of the sources I viewed, his bio skips all the way to him graduating from Carol City Senior High School and attending Albany State University in Albany, Georgia. From there, it jumps to him eventually signing to a small label, then a bigger one, to eventually starting his own: MMG. I found this to be rather odd, because all my sources and all the interviews I watched left me with a very vague impression of his beginning/ rise to fame.
In 2008, a photo was leaked to the public that appeared to be "Ross" or should I say "Officer Roberts". You may be slightly confused, let me clarify. In the summer of 2008, a photo of an unidentified Correction Officer was leaked to the public. The man in the photo was identified as "Rick Ross". After vehemently denying the allegation, Ross went on to state that the phony story was being circulated by detractors upset by his success in the rap world because he came out of nowhere and just took over the streets. Although he denied all claims and accusations, a copy of his personnel record surfaced and announced that his annual salary would be $22,913.54 , further proving that "Rick Ross" was once Officer Roberts (18 months to be exact). Ross later states on "Big Boy's Morning Show"that the man in the photo is actually him. In that interview, Ross goes on to make innuendos about being involved in "the underground" and all that glamourous stuff that will get addressed.
In order to work for law inforcement, the government, etc. one can not have any type of criminal activity in their background. Knowing that, I started to wonder what was this 'persona' that he was portraying to the public? You can't be a former correction officer AND be a cocaine, slingin' kingpin that escaped the law through music.. It just does not match! So, I was forced to do further investigating... Rick Ross, who is Rick Ross? Oh, you think I'm talking about the rapper "Rick Ross"?? No, I'm talking about the persona the rapper is portraying...
Freeway "Rick Ross", born Ricky Donnell Ross, is a former drug trafficker who is best known for the 'drug empire' that he presided over in Los Angeles, California in the early 1980's. In Ricky's early days, he had a promising career as a tennis player, but lost all opportunities when it was discovered that he was illiterate and barely attended school. It was at this time where he was initially introduced to cocaine, then known as "the rich people's drug". After hooking up with suppliers in Nicaragua, Ricky and a partner started to supply cocaine to gang members for distribution. As their success grew, the two decided to go into business for themselves, this helped them to generate more profits. 6 months into dealing independently, Ricky had developed a way for addicts to smoke ready-to-go freebase cocaine, known as "Ready Rock" or "Crack". It is recorded that at the height of his success, Ricky was selling $2 million to $3 million worth of crack DAILY! In a matter of years, Ricky was the leader of Los Angeles' first cocaine ring. Through his connections in Nicaruagua, he purchased guns and surveillance equipment and supplied funding for the fight against tyrant rulers in Nicargua.
Now that Ricky is dominating Los Angeles, he took his efforts to Kansas City, New Orleans, Oklahoma, St. Louis, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, New York, and Detroit. To hide the abundance of money coming in, Ricky invested in lavish things as well as an auto parts store and the Freeway Motor Inn, which doubled as a meeting location for drug dealers. This tactic worked for some time, but with the flashy lifestyle Ricky and his counterparts were living it was inevitable to dodge law enforcement forever. As we all know, all good things must come to an end... As Ricky felt the heat from the law, he slowly scaled back his lifestyle and started to prepare for early retirement. Law enforcement officials created the Ricky Ross Taskforce which intercepted a call he made to a connect in Texas, that was later apprehended by police and revealed the secrets to Ricky's Empire. This revelation combined with years of investigation was enough for Ricky to be arrested and incarcerated for 10 years (plea deal). After serving 4 years, Ricky was released for testifying in a federal case and to $2 million in money and property. Ricky woould find himself back in prison facing a life sentence after being setup by the Feds and his connect in Nicaragua. He only served 20 years, and is now working on projects such as a film, modeling agency, and a reality television show.... Now that's the REAL RICK ROSS!
In the song, Blowin' Money Fast (BMF), rapper "Rick Ross" recites lyrics like:
I think I'm Big Meech, Larry Hoover, whippin' work, hallelujah One nation, under God, Real niggas gettin money from the fuckin start...
Balling in the club, bottles like I'm Meech hoe...
I think I'm Big Meech, look at my timepiece It's Audemars, hundred racks at least Look at yourself, now look at me You can't see nigga, I'm what you used to be..
Rick Ross clearly has identity issues...So now you're Rick Ross, thinking you're Big Meech AND Larry Hoover?! Well, let's find out who exactly "Big Meech" and "Larry Hoover" are...
Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory and his younger brother Terry "Southwest T" Flenory begain their drug trade in high school, selling "eight balls" (one-eighth ounces) of crack cocaine for $50 on the streets of Southwest Detroit, Ecorse, and River Rouge, Michigan. By 2000, they established a multi-kilogram cocaine distribution ring that served Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennesse, and Texas. With so much ground to cover, Big Meech had enlisted over 500 memebers into "BMF" or "Black Mafia Family". The organization tried to legitimize itself by entering the hip hop music business, starting a company called BMF Entertainment. Through BMF Entertainment, it helped promote a number of artists, including Young Jeezy, as well as BMF Entertainment's sole artist, Bleu DaVinci. Before their entrance into the music business, the Flenory Brothers were known to associate with a number of high-profile hip-hop artists, including Jay-Z, Fabolous, and Bun B.
In 2003, Meech and Terry had a falling out and went their seperate ways, Meech in Atlanta and Terry in Los Angeles. Meech remained in control of the drug trade and BMF. In a wire tapped phone conversation, the DEA over heard Terry telling their sister that Meech's lavish lifestyle may bring too much attention to their "business". By the time charges were filed, the government had over 900 pages of typed transcripts of wiretapped conversations from Terry's phone alone. In 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indicted members of the Black Mafia Family, ultimately securing convictions by targeting the Flenory brothers under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statue. Both were sentenced 30 years to life (Terry will be released in 2031, Meech in 2032). Over 150 members of BMF were arrested and indicted on drug charges. Prosecutors alleged BMF made over $270 million over the course of the conspiracy.
Larry Hoover, founder and leader of the Gangster Disciples. When I read about Larry, I was blown away. Freeway Ricky Ross and Big Meech were intense but Larry Hoover had me intrigued, especially since he's serving a 200 year life sentence. The other two have a chance to enter the free world again, Larry does not.
Larry was born in Jackson, Mississippi but moved with his family to Chicago, Illinois when he was 4. As a preteen, Larry would cut school and run the streets with his friends, naming themselves "Supreme Gangsters". They involved themselves in petty crimes such as muggings and thefts; these petty crimes were the start to a vicious cycle. At the age of 19, "King Larry" and a rival gang member joinded their members together and created "Gangster Disciple Nation". Under King Larry's rule, gangster Disciples took over the south side drug trade, making over $1,000 daily.
By the age of 24, Hoover had been in and out of prison several times, and had endured six separate shooting attempts on his life. Each time, he survived, and doubled his retaliation efforts. But on February 26, 1973, Hoover went too far. He and another Gangster Disciple, Andrew Howard, shot and killed dealer William Young after a heated argument over money. Both Hoover and Howard were arrested, and sentenced to 150 to 200 years in prison.
But Larry's power seemed only to grow inside the prison walls. He began protecting other inmates, who then became devotees and new recruits for the Gangster Disciple Nation. His control over the other prisoners was recognized by the warden's office, which began looking to Hoover as a positive influence to quiet riots and uprisings within the prison system. Changing the GD of "Gangster Disciple" to "Growth and Development," Hoover's move to reform began gaining positive attention from the outside.
Prison officials, however, saw Larry's good intentions as a ploy to get out of prison and resume his illegal activities. While friends and allies on the outside lobbied to get Hoover paroled for his contributions to society, law enforcement agents say Larry was finding new ways to expand his criminal ventures. The Gangster Disciples had grown to more than 15,000 members in at least five states. Their drug profits had also risen well into the millions of dollars all of which gang members attributed to the leadership of Larry Hoover.
Transferred to a minimum security prison in Vienna, Illinois, Larry was living a luxurious lifestyle that involved new clothes, expensive jewelry, specially prepared meals, and private visitations from friends and loved ones. Suspicious authorities began wire-tapping his private meetings, and discovered that he was running the Gangster Disciple group from within the prison system. Informants revealed that all of Larry's nonprofit organizations were actually fronts for laundering drug money. On August 31, 1995, after a 5-year undercover investigation by the federal government, Hoover was indicted for drug conspiracy, extortion, and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise. In 1997, Hoover was found guilty on all charges, and sentenced to six life sentences. Larry is currently serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado.
Rapper Rick Ross has modeled his life and shaped his music around the lives of those who actually lived it. Although I look at this as a genius business move, its very unfortunate for fans and disrespectful to those that lived through this. Here you have men that lead lives of crime, built empires and watched them crumble, and now you have this person who knows nothing about this lifestyle capitalizing off of another man's story. Ross has done an impeccable job at painting himself as a cocaine tootin' drug lord that outsmarted the law. However, we all know that's not how the "fairytale" ends, just look at the current situations of those that have actually lived it.
We have young men looking up to Rick Ross as the poster child for "success". They are intrigued with his lifestyle and the picture he paints with his lyrics about his "struggles" or "rise to fortune" and sadly it's all an illusion. With Ross using a business technique, such as this one, he is capitalizing off of the trials and tribulations of others while presenting false hopes to impressionable minds. Below are a few of Rapper Rick Ross' music videos:
No, I don't have any personal issues with rapper Rick Ross. This information was intriguing to me and felt I should share my thoughts with you.
Nicki Minaj is not missing a beat! Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released April 2, 2012 and Nicki is already on her sixth music video... I AM YOUR LEADER!
Kudos to Nicki for another street smash; we all were worried for a minute. Clearly, Nicki knows what she's doing...
"I Am Your Leader" puts a quirky, colorful spin on the genre of hip hop. Nicki's raunchy lyrics, paired with the likings of Rick Ross and Cam'ron almost presents this as a song of empowerment. The visual of a female rapper standing with two heavyweight rappers chanting "I AM YOUR LEADER" exudes the feeling of power.
Nicki opens the video in a hot pink room with lime green accents and a zebra print rug. There are oddly shaped windows and at some point we find her seated in a Barney inspired hand! Nicki is wearing a sweetheart cut latex corset, fishnet tights, stiletto boots and her crown is adorned with long, big, yet tight waves.
She then does a wardrobe change (of course!) into high-waisted black late poom-poom shorts, thigh-high studded boots, a jeweled bra top...Oh! We can't forget about her I Am Your Leader captain hat! Nicki really turned up the sex appeal with her styling in this video... It is also here where we are introduced to the self-proclaimed boss, Rick Ross aka "Rozay" and Cam'ron aka "Killa Cam".
Nicki then immerses us in a purple bathtub wearing a green Marilyn Monroe inspired wig with aqua and yellow highlights... She is covered in bubbles and rocking rhinestone platform glitter boots. They appear to be connected all the way up to her waist, almost giving the visual of an "Alexander McQueen inspired mermaid". Nicki's pink lip and purple glitter lids complete the entire look, as she spews lyrics like "I'm a Brand, b**** I'm a Brand!!"
When Rick Ross goes to spit his verse, he is stationed in a gold dining room covered in gold jewelry with women (including Nicki) covered in gold behind him as mannequins. Ross had to add his stamp on it, by performing his verse shirtless... Did we expect anything different?
Killa Cam takes us back to his roots with his smooth rap style and rhyming technique. He is stationed at the bottom of a green staricase wearing a purple shirt (which changes colors throughout his performance) and blue jeans. It was nice seeing you Cam!
When "I Am Your Leader" was first introduced, I wasn't quite a fan. However, visuals know how to bring out the best in a song! The colors, effects, staging, etc. caught my attention and I want to send a big kudos to Director Colin Tilley on a job well done!
Lupe has left his mark with his new controversial single and music video "Bitch Bad"...
Wasalu Muhammed Jaco aka "Lupe Fiasco" is a Chicago born rapper, who initially despised rap music for it's vulgarity. It was only after he found his own style and a little assistance from prominent rapper, Jay-Z, that Lupe embraced the culture and signed a record deal. Since 2006, Lupe's lyrics have become conversational pieces and topics of controversy (mainly, his song "Words I Never Said").
Lupe Fiasco- Words I Never Said
Lupe is one that is committed to staying true to his beliefs and ideals on culture, politics, religion, etc. With that being said, it should come as no surprise that Lupe's latest video "Bitch Bad" has the entertainment industry buzzing and the streets talking! Before we delve into the lyrics of this song, lets discuss the concept and content of this video. The visual of this song is portrayed in a way to explain the long-term psychological effects of the connotations and use of the word "Bitch".
We, the audience watch how the word is introduced to a little boy by his mother and it is introduced to a little girl by a rapper; these introductions cause both to have skewed views of the phrase "Bad Bitch". We are taken on a journey through time, which displays the growth process between the little boy and little girl, now a young man and young woman. These skewed ideals are displayed once they try to interact with each other on a romantic level. He connotes "Bad Bitch" with a woman that looks like his mother and she associates "Bad Bitch" with the oversexed woman in the music video, causing a psychological disconnect between the two. Lupe interviewed for RapFix on MTV and stated "I think it's something [the word bitch] --the idea of it, the 'bad bitch' -- it's very subtle but it definitely has some destructive elements to it." "It has some troubling elements to in. Especially when you look at who it's being marketed towards. That's why we put the children in the video."
Lets get into the lyrics a bit, Lupe divided the video into three acts. In Act I, he introduces us to the little boy and his mother:
Now imagine there's a shorty, maybe five maybe four
Ridin' 'round with his mama listening to the radio...
His mama sings along and this is what she says
"Niggas I'm a bad bitch, and I'm bad bitch
far above average"...
First he's relatin' the word "bitch" with his mama, comma
And because she's relatin' to herself, his most important source of help,
And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor
In Act II, we are introduced to a group of little girls that are being raised by the internet and what it has to offer:
Yeah, now imagine a group of little girls nine through twelve
On the internet watchin' videos, listenin' to songs by themselves
It doesn't really matter if they have parental clearance
They understand the internet better than their parents...
... their favorite singer's preference
"Bad bitches, bad bitches, bad bitches
That's all I want and all I like in life is bad bitched, bad bitches"...
...ideal girl acquiescent to his whims
... High heels, long hair, fat booty, slim
Reality check, I'm not trippin'
They don't see a paid actress, just what make a bad bitch
Finally, in Act III Lupe bridges the boy's understanding of what a "Bad Bitch" is and the girls interpretation of what a "Bad Bitch" is:
The little boy meets one of those little girls
and he thinks she's a bad bitch and she thinks she's a bad bitch
He thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexually
She got the wrong idea, he don't wanna fuck her
He thinks she's bad at being a bitch like his mother
Momma never dress like that, come out the house, hot mess like that
Ass, titties, dress like that...
Just like that, you see the fruit of confusion
He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion
Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But bad mean bad to him, bitch don't play your part
But bitch still bad to her, if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre...
Lupe Fiasco-Bitch Bad
Lupe vividly paints a Picasso piece of artwork for the audience. It's almost impossible not to give the phrase "Bad Bitch" a second thought. Although some may not agree with Lupe's ideas of it's effect on children and society, he did succeed with presenting a piece of work that is guaranteed to evoke strong opinions and open a platform for conversation... Your thoughts? Your opinions?
As Election Day quickly approaches, we are bombarded with speeches, news reports, and propaganda that is supposed to help us make a choice when we go to vote. For months, we've listened to policies that probably won't be put in place, promises that will be broken, and propaganda that's like music to the ears. We've heard about topics that include abortion, healthcare, education, taxes, and that very important "middle-class". Both candidates have made statements and retracted statements, that cause some to question their own views. Some even changed them...
One thing that is making me uneasy this election is the mindset of people. The issues SEEM to be focused on, but there is an underlying elephant in the room. In 2008, when Barack Obama initially took office, African Americans saw a day that would change the history of this country forever. The first "Black" or "African American" president had been elected into office. There was a glimmer of hope because a relatable face was in the White House. That year, songs like "My President is Black" or slogans like, " You can't tell me anything, my President is black" were top of mind to all.
