Respect Is "Ba"Due

It is time to take some recognition for the one and the only: Erykah Badu. Here we go. Hailing from Dallas, Texas with enough soul to fulfill the vast space of that entire state (and trust me there’s a LOT of space), Badu has undoubtedly brought Neo-soul to its name. There are great artists who’s own success and inspiration arise from her inner light alone (take a look at both Andre “3 stacks” and Common- hell, both are happy with just having been privileged with the opportunity of being in love with her). In the late 90s, when she debuted, I was only about 10 or 11 years old—I knew then she was force to be reckoned with then. Played throughout my household, especially on a Sunday; there was no better way to wind down from a rough week on the playground. To this day, I thank my parents for having such great taste in music and sharing it with me. Her style is a recipe of ol’ school classic R&B, jazz, soultry melodies, and of course hip hop; which ultimately makes for a happy listener. Her voice is incomparable, so it’s missed when not heard often. That is why I must say respect is due now that she’s back for her 6th album New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh.

First and foremost let us rewind and pay attention to the New Amerykah Part I! How—I say HOW could nobody understand the musical intelligence that sneakily lies within each and every track on that damn LP?? It didn’t get the recognition it deserved, and I’m talking about the consumer—not the industry. Sure “Honey” got some airtime, but that’s not even the deepest song that reflects the entire album. Take a listen to “Soldier” (the detailed story of the typical black youth fighting the war of social inequity) or “The Healer” (the search and retrieval of a higher level in anything/everything around us) or “Me” (Erykah herself, inspiring the ‘me’ in you). There should have been some push for her to emancipate those tracks further than the limited number of iPod headphones or car system speakers, I wanna see some true fandom here. Raise up! So when this next album drops within the next couple of weeks, I wanna hear singles on the radio and videos on the screen. Let’s acknowledge greatness, not the everyday bullshit that’s plaguing the youth right now. I’m sayin…I was 10 for goodness sakes, I saw greatness.

I was blessed with having seen in her live performance some months back and I was proud of knowing every word she sang and to be cheerfully surprised by how humble she is. Personally cannot wait for this new album, her talent goes “On & On”.

YouTube her new singles: Window Seat and Turn Me Away (Get MuNNy) and enjoy this:

The Show

How much time do I have left?
Because all I feel are deadlines
No matter where it went
I consider it theft
And I bet
The time wasn’t even really mine
But none the less
It’s gone, forced on
Leaving those who remain
In all just the same
To play the sad songs
I just want to re count, re live, remember
Though it’s so hard to see just last week
And all the months have disappeared in the –embers
Like the fire that burns them out in sweeps
And like the fire that fuels the drive
It does two jobs: push me forward; vanish the past behind to hide
You know
With all my capabilities
I yearn for just a little dependency
Too bad I’m on the wrong side
Stretch me this way, pull a little too far
Something will snap back
With guarantee, there might be scars
They said this is the easy part
And when you’re little, they would never lie
Now I’m too big, seen some hard stuff
So here is where I would like to reside
So how do you make yourself strong enough?
How do you check your time?
Who can I consult with- cuz the waiting area’s got this long line…
I’m not trying to vacate the rough stuff
Just wanna better prepare my shield
Oh- ‘nobody’s got the answer’
‘Gotta wait and see how it feels’?
Well, can’t say I didn’t try
Here’s what I came up with in despite:
Everybody will play their roles through
And some will smile and cry
The understudy won’t be needed
And sometimes you’ll miss your cue
Make sure you never cease the act
Because the show has got to go on too
No one wants a half-way production
(Trust me, I wouldn’t pay)
Carry it through the very end
Pause and recite, ‘member all your lines
Don’t worry about anybody else
Cuz The Director’s got your time

~ R.I.P. Momo (dedicated to you)

(copyrighted by n*cole)

"how can you stand next to the truth and not see it"

Read

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight Lyrics

here.

some viewing pleasure. i'm getting better acquainted with my posting skills, and this video struck a cord. not usually fond of U2, but when they hit-- they hit.

Here’s: What I Think (WIT)

• Somewhere in Mississippi (the south) a county school district cancelled an entire prom because a teenage lesbian’s same-sex date wanted to come in a tuxedo! WIT: It’s like what do you want, school district? Either you allow the girl to take who she wants, OR you allow the girl’s date to wear what they probably deem P.C. for most dates to wear anyway. Basically single-mindedness is still running rampid down there. And in short, the most loved spokesperson for the Gay community, Ellen DeGeneres, gave the girl a $30K scholarship. Wow. Handin’ out money just because somebody else wronged you for being who you are, isn’t that like a reparation??
• The ass- Rush Limbaugh and other un-poised people of the right wing are telling an 11 yr old Obama supporter that his sick mom woulda died anyway, despite the new healthcare reform bill. WIT: Great. Jusssst great, I hope that got on FoxNews.
• Gorillaz have a new video. WIT: Please check it out. Animated rock-n-roll monkies. Thelma & Louise set up. Mos Def and Bobby Womac vocals…and Bruce Willis. Can’t go wrong. “Stylo”.
• I love Robin Thicke as much as the next person, if not more sometimes. BUT what are you doooin right now, Rob? WIT: I get that music is ever changing and everything, although whatever happened to stickin to a good thing? This recent album wasn’t very therapeutic—and now this vid with Estelle (Rollacoasta). This is not you, homie. I like both you and Estelle, so get it together…for the sake of Paula and your new bundle of joy, please.
• IDK what Romeo majored in at USC, but those Econ classes are payin off. WIT: He’s turning into the new young mogul right before our eyes with animated movies and video games in the works. I hereby give my props to the P.Miller clan.
• Lady GaGa’s ex is suing her for millions, WIT: maybe now we’ll see what bones fall out from under all the wigs and gi-normous head gear. And as far as the vid with Beyonce goes…cool colors, nice outfits/ make-up/cinematography. That is all.
• T.I.’s got a mixtape—it’s official he’s baaaaaack. “Back For The First Time”. Also, he and Tiny are finally setting a date. WIT: Good things come to those who wait…for years. One more thing, he’s being hit with another lawsuit, this one for title infringement. Won’t they leave that man alone?!
• Ever wonder what would happen to the guy responsible for Malcolm X’s murder if he were to be released from prison? WIT: Well we’re gonna find out, cuz he’s headed home soon. Parole is soon, release is soon, his protection —can’t bank on anything.
• Take a listen to C. Breezy’s “Famous Girl”. I personally enjoyed the song when I first heard it. But now there’s this talk about how true the references are in the lyrics…supposedly RihRih slept with not 1 or 2, but FOUR top rap names: Kanye, Drake, T.I. and KiD CuDi. WIT: If that’s true, I don’t wanna know. That’s beyond a SMH, that’s a damn WTF! I’m already upset just considering the truth. And he was begging with his fans to resuscitate his career, dude that's not how you go about it. What did I just say about those who wait?
• WIT: Day of sadness if another major Black magazine has to have the fat lady sing something. Apparently Essence is facing the end, but if Vibe Magazine can see the white light and still make a comeback, so can the people of Essence.

The Homie: Louis Vutton Don to Broken Heart

Everything I say is interpretive according to my own personal outlooks and beliefs. But…
Ever notice how great Kanye’s College Dropout is? Well I feel it’s even greater now being able to listen to it as a college senior. Once again, my eyes have been opened anew due to the life experiences and personal growth. Of course his album was great and groundbreaking in 2003-2004, but now in 2010—I’m different, Kanye’s different, and the industry is as always…different.
College Dropout simultaneously seriously and jokingly criticizes how the system manufactures people. It’s like an assembly line that Kanye was just too big to fit on. That’s what I figured out in 2003. Now I understand that I’ve been participating in exactly what he told us, as if he foreshadowed what my collegiate life would resemble.
Kanye had a theme in the beginning. He started with this uppercut jab to the jaw of the structure of education. Every LP title from his debut to his third was a reference to the school system, until his 4th album (the turn of his life that altered everything).
{1. College Dropout 2. Late Registration 3. Graduation 4. 808’s & Heartbreaks}

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

And one could tell that he was no longer about educating his fan base, but rather that he was declaring a set of emotions that people don’t usually wish to expose; he was depressed. Surely anybody could argue with me about the prior statement. [For instance: most artists use their respective mediums to express feelings that people don’t usually expose openly. Like Eminem, KiD CuDi, and/or Corinne Bailey Rae]. So here’s my counterargument Eminem was/is angry—that’s how he funnels his depression, KiD CuDi felt neglected in the early years of his life—“so be it” is his attitude, and CBR was suddenly widowed—that’s a relative shock. Kanye was simply heartbroken, two separate loves of his life left him alone inexplicably. All in all there’s nothing wrong with this emo look he’s trying on, I mean he is one for the dramatic flare, though that doesn’t discredit his saddened emotions. He is truly amazing in his work—and all those new blogs that he’s posting about the meaning of life in his own definitions, and so on, are GREAT! Just the right words to put it, if that’s your state of mind. He’s not crazy…he’s creative. That’s it.

......And I learned recently that he will be returning to us (his faithful fanbase) with a 5th LP that realigns with his original hip-hop themes. It's called "Good Ass Job", which is the perfect conclusive title to his message. It would have been album #4 had he not experienced life and stuff. But all in all, I can't wait for his return!

a longer list

As mentioned before, I had a small list of songs to refer to for some musical enjoyment. Well here is an extension of some more of my personal favorites. Once again, I have to remind that these are simply suggestions, things to consider. My mission is to open other minds to the seemingly unnoticed music of the vast genres out there. I like to imagine that my music taste is pretty eclectic, so therefore my song choices are varied. Anyway that's enough for a preamble to the list, lemme just give it already.

Who's Gonna Save My Soul- Gnarls Barkley

(song & video)

All I Could Do Was Cry- Etta James

Soldier- Erykah Badu

Come Close- Common ft. Mary J. Blige

(song & vid)

Sunrise- Norah Jones

You Make Me Smile Again- D'Angelo

The Seed 2.0- The Roots ft. Cody Chesnut

(song & vid)

The Love Below- André 3000

(album)

I'm Yours- Jason Mraz

It Ain't Over Til It's Over & I'll Be Waiting- Lenny Kravitz

Made Up My Mind- Lyfe Jennings

So Far Gone- Drake

(mixtape)

Trouble Man- Marvin Gaye

Killing Me Softly- The Fugees

(song & vid)

The Penthouse Elevator- Charles Hamilton

Dirt Off Your Shoulder- DJ Dangermouse

Floetic- Floetry

(song & vid)

Sober- Pink

A Good Man- India. Arie

Help- The Beatles

If I Ruled The World- Nas ft. Lauryn Hill

Good Love- Lucy Pearl

You & Me- Dave Matthews Band

The Sea- Corinne Bailey Rae

(album)

The Sweetest Taboo- Sadé

Knocks Me Off My Feet- Stevie Wonder

Try A Little Tenderness- Otis Redding

I'm Beaming- Lupe Fiasco

Beauty In The Dark- Mos Def

The Wiz- People Under The Stairs

(song & vid)

People Make The World Go Round- The Stylistics

Tie My Hands- Lil Wayne & Robin Thicke

Turn And Turn Again- All Thieves

The Chain- Ingrid Michaelson

Sincerely, Jane- Janelle Monáe

Take Me- Teedra Moses ft. Raphael Saddiq

Dani California- Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear

In The End- Linkin Park

See You In My Nightmare- Kanye West ft. Lil Wayne

Sleepyhead- Passion Pit

(song & vid)

Electric Feel- MGMT

My Girls- Animal Collective

This Way- Dilated Peoples ft. Kanye West

(song & vid)

Turn The Lights Down Low- Lauryn Hill & Bob Marley

Tha Carter III- Lil' Wayne

(album)

In Love With You- Erykah Badu ft. Stephen Marley

Spoiled- Joss Stone

(song & vid)

ENJOY!!!!!! love music and prosper

And the Award Goes To...

Saw Alice in Wonderland. Good movie…for the cinematography. Though I want to address that that story was never originally a children’s tale. Yea Disney owns the rights, but that plot has elicit drug use all up in there. Kudos to the cast though, they did pretty well. Johnny Depp fails to disappoint because he doesn’t stray from his talented abilities, and the same goes for the Helena Bowman Carter (Harry Potter movies and Fight Club) and the newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Oscars are tonight. And for this year’s “phenomenal surprise” we the public have been graced with the pleasure of having both Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique up for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. First and foremost that really is phenomenal that a first time black actress is already up for the highest accolade in the film industry and the same goes for Mo’Nique (who went from the stage of stand-up comedy to displaying bafoonery on urban sitcoms to finally blessing us with outstanding dramatic performances). BUT I have a pressing question…

Whyyyy is it that when African Americans are finally acknowledged enough for the awarding of an Oscar it has to be when they are portraying the lowest of the low in society: pure monsters in human transformation. Examples are Denzel Washington for Alonzo in Training Day, a rogue cop that takes it just a little too far when it comes to the bad guy. He double-crosses everybody. Then there’s Halle Berry for Leticia in Monster’s Ball who in the light of depression and grief turns to an equally despaired Billy Bob Thornton for a graphically animalistic sex scene/ relationship. Nothing loving about that. And to throw a some history in the mix, Hattie McDaniel won for Best Supporting in 1939 (she played a House slave), and originally didn’t even technically win the Oscar and called it an honorary award…the rewards of institutionalized racial incongruity at work. The only exception would be Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Ray Charles, but let’s not overlook it wasn’t always about the glamour of the old crooner’s life- there were some large skeletons that came out in that film too.
Denzel played Malcom X- why not award him for that? Halle played Dorothy Dandridge- they only made it a TV movie! Will Smith was great as Muhammad Ali, but had to contend with and lost to Denzel that same year. There are plenty more unacknowledged black stars that had unforgettable roles, but with the industry doing what it does best, it’s hard for those to be truly acclaimed worthy. I don’t know, it just seems like there isn’t much I would want to thank the Academy for.

Take A Bow, Ms. Hill

Hi again, I have another proposition…something else that’s been floating in my head- ultimately probably not a good place to just sit…any whooo: Lauryn Hill, people. Another great example of how celebrity sometimes just doesn’t work out. Here we have an utter musical genius, a true one of a kind in a dozen of sorts—and the act of celebrity tampered with her ‘sanity’ (I use the term fluidly here). You see, the industry is full of misconceptions, plenty of trap doors and interpretive influences that may not always be so positive. And we all know that, look at some of those who have tried to cast out against it and instead where shunned, reprimanded, or deemed uncontrolled—by the media (Kanye…Britney...numerous ex-child stars, etc.). And who controls the media? Surely not us, it’s all apart of the big wheel of the industry and—
Ok wait, I’m starting to sound like one of those crazed extremists that just sit around conceptualizing ways that “The Man” is trying to rid us of sociality. I promise you, I’m not that radical. It’s just sometimes when I look at the big picture when it comes to music, and film, and television- I get so disturbed. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the media and the idea of entertainment, that’s why I write; it’s just I’m tired of watching true originality and creativity getting eroded by this mass of ridiculous fluff that’s designed to just occupy our time and distract us from what’s really going on in the world. So let me get back to what I intended to say about Ms. Hill (who let me state right now, is honestly missed by yours truly).
SO. Before we all believed to have seen Lauryn just disappear, due to her "incapability of dealing with celebrity life". But she basically told us that she was ready to leave in Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. Of course on the surface the album speaks volumes about love-lost relationships, life, and social politics. But in every album, one has to consider that it’s a work of art and frankly a reflection of self. That album is a big ol’ mirror with Lauryn’s face starin at us…well and so is the album cover, lol. Each track is a reason for why her hiatus was set to begin:
1. *Lost Ones- “My emancipation don't fit your equation”.
2. Ex-Factor- “Give to me/Give to me/Why won’t you live for me”.
3. *Zion- the birth of her son, an unwarranted event, though encouraged her even more.
4. Doo Wop (That Thing)- people are tricky, it’s hard to trust.
5. *Superstar- the repetition of “c’mon baby light my fire…music is supposed to inspire”.
6. Final Hour- "you can get the money, you can get the power, but keep your eyes on the final hour"

7. When It Hurts So Bad- broken-heart kind-of-pain will make you wanna take a hiatus too sometimes.
8. I Used To Love Him- self explanatory.

9. Forgive Them Father- apparently she's in favor of believing that those must be forgiven for when they don't know they are committing pain against others. the industry has intentions that are supposed to support all, but unfortunately only so many walk away satisfied.

10.*Every Ghetto, Every City- homage to where she hailed from; mentally, emotionally and physically.
11. *Nothing Even Matters- when you do find it, love, everything else seems trivial. (I’ve been told).
12. Everything Is Everything- the classic: it is what it is.
13. *The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill- society has failed us in a way, there’s a responsibility to clean it up, who’s gonna start?
14. Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You- a remake of Sinatra’s classic, kinda random, yet great.
15. *Tell Him- the most religious track on the whole record, simply a prayer. A good way to close.
*my favorites
And there you have it. A list of explanations that I found to be a slight warning. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something to justify her actions a little more. I don’t think she’s crazy, like the media made her seem. She just got choosy, and she chose life.

Voice of Reason

LUPE (the prophet) took the words right out of my mouth! I told you that celebrity was all an act. Again I have proof, I wouldn’t attempt to make these kinds of statements without the proper back up of course. So like I mentioned before the true form of stardom worth fighting for, in my opinion is fame…that celebrity part is the manufactured component. Anyway, one of the “greats” that’s not only climbing the ranks but world-renowned mountains too, Mr. Fiasco himself commented on his career and the effects he hopes to leave behind.

“I don’t have necessarily the celebrity success they [Record Execs] want me to have but it’s more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That’s a success, to me.”

C’monnnn!
So my little blurb is gonna be short and sweet. I basically wanted to show a reason of why I love him, and so many others like him. There's nothing besides his true inner being that makes him more exceptional than what he is as an artist, and that's what I appreciate greatly. Similar artists that dare to stand out: Common (the smooth operator), Kanye (the smart-ass, literally), André 3000 (the extrovert) and KiD CuDi (the new kid). I’ve been inspired by all of their works in some way or form over time.
Now I’m in the mood to share, so in addition for your listening pleasure, I have some songs that have been ransacking this crazy mind of mine lately. Just a very short list of songs/albums I will love til the end of time. Strictly an opinion, as usual, but I suggest you check these out. And trust me this is a short list for me…I could go on forever. Don’t wanna overstay my welcome though. ☺

bold=albums

John Mayer- Continnum
Aloe Blacc- I Need A Dollar
Melanie Fiona- It Kills Me
Mayer Hawthorne- Your Lovin’ Ain’t Nothin’ Pleasin’
Corinne Bailey Rae- Til It Happens To You
Adele- Homecoming
Kings of Leon- Only By The Night
Kindred Family Soul- Contentment
The Roots- Baby
Wale- Beautiful Bliss ft. J. Cole & Melanie Fiona
B.oB.- I’ll Be In The Sky
Amy Winehouse- Valerie
Dionne Farris- Hopeless
Miike Snow- Animal (Mark Ronson remix)
The XX- Islands
Maroon 5- Songs About Jane
Maxwell- Pretty Wings
Alicia Keys- Unthinkable
Michael Jackson- Whatever Happens
Aretha Franklin- Call Me

ANNNNDD...to top it off- my best friend allll the way in TX just had a BABY GIRL! I'm a brand new auntie to lil Abreyon! Life seems good.