Bun B & Lupe Fiasco debate a high school teacher about hip-hop, its message, the responsibility for raising our children and the stakes of ignoring our progeny. Check it out. 

The Weeknd “High For This”

This video features a 16-year old British rapper called “OG Niki” rapping about her sexual exploits. Do me a favor, watch this entire video and form your own opinion. Now do me a second favor and answer the following questions in your head:

Is this video getting buzz because of its content or because of the gender of the rapper?

If she was a boy would we consider this explicit or standard hip-hop?

She states that her mother knows about her exploits, is this a sign of the times or parental neglect?

Is this what hip-hop has done to our young women or is she an anomaly?

Should anything be done about this?

St. Louis Beyond the Beat

St. Louis  is known for its Gateway arch, cultural heritage and Nelly with his St.Lunatics. The city tends to have a high crime rates and remains underrated for its talent. Tables are beginning to turn for St. Louis natives and lyricist. Through underground battles and cyphers, Yung Ill is beginning to show lyrical talent, creativity, and originality to the rap game and market the city for raw artist. His signature, “who is this N****,” phrase has audiences on the edge of their seats anticipating what could possibly come next. Known for his word play, comical edge, and energetic freestyles, he’s determined to show the significance of St.Louis and change the rap game while doing so. Check out one of St. Louis’s finest. 

-Charity

I never thought that President Bush was the most intelligent man on Earth but I always admired his backbone…so much so that for the latter half of my high school career I was one of 4 Republicans at Julia R Masterman High School. I returned to the Democratic party because I believed that Barack Obama was going to stand by his word and usher in a new day of progression, growth and increased sustenance.  When November ‘08 rolled around, I waited in line for hours to ensure that I could vote for change. Now that two and half years have gone by, I find myself disappointed in Barack’s first term thus far. I believe that he has good intentions but a lack of backbone is a detrimental quality in both a politician and a man. 

In this video, MSNBC anchor, Ed Schultz sat down with Dr. Cornel West, Rev Al Sharpton, Velma Hart and Robert Traynham to discuss Obama’s practices, policies, achievements and shortcomings during Sunday morning’s special on the Black Agenda. I enjoyed all of the comments, but I hold a special place in my heart for Dr. West’s portrayal of Barack as the Black mascot of the Wall Street oligarchs and political plutocrats. 

What do you think about today’s comments and President Obama’s presidency thus far?

Bloomberg Game Changers: Anna Wintour

STS “The People”

If you have listened to The Roots’ “How I Got Over” album, you definitely heard STS euthanize a few verses and leave a small imprint in your mind. If not, here is your first dose of compound S. The fact that he’s a tall/skinny kid from the south who made enough waves on the Philly hip-hop/poetry scene to land himself not one but two features on their last album should clue you into his skills. Be on the lookout for him in the future. 

Three Kings Tattoo Spot

I don’t have any tattoos but I’m in no way immune to their appeal. When you combine all the BA points you get for a tattoo with skillful artwork, HD video and the most perfect out of place baroque classical music I’ve heard in the last week or so, you get the latest Ryan Scafuro video. If you’re ever in Brooklyn and need a tattoo be sure to check out the Three Kings Tattoo Spot. In the mean time, check out their site here. 

I’ve been a fan of the movement over at Street Etiquette for a while now, so when they took a sidestep from their normal tunnel-vision of fashion progression based on historical cool & teamed up with some friends to create a synergistic musical euphony…I had no choice but to check it out and share it. This video features small interviews and musical showcases from:

I encourage all of you to support the project and the musicans therein. I didn’t realize how many of these artists I was already Facebook friends with, but that’s neither here nor there. 

Remaining stagnant is a death wish and the good people over at Street Etiquette are doing their best to live forever. 

Click here to download to the finished product.

Young Janelle Monae


Janelle Monáe - Tightrope [feat. Big Boi] by AtlanticRecords

I stumbled on this clip as well. If you are a fan of Janelle Monae, you will find this video utterly hilarious. If you are not, you will still find this video utterly hilarious. Take some time out from your day and enjoy a laugh. 

This may be one of the funniest videos I’ve ever seen. While the Rebecca Black video is utterly hilarious, it’s that way because of horrible thinking on the part of the director. This video doesn’t need a bad director…it has horrible talent. I don’t know who these kids are but they showed up at a school, gave some type of pep talk about heavy metal, had their friends perform some weird High School Musical-inspired dance and then proceeded to perform the worst musical set I’ve ever seen. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, the camera man shows the faces of the children in the audience….CLASSIC. 

A Cleveland, Ohio pastor has caused internet viewers and audiences to engage in constant discussion regarding his recent choice of words during a sermon given at his church. Pastor RA Vernon is being criticized for a concept he chose to use in efforts to simplify a command given to Christians. 
According to RA Vernon, “F U” is the new “Forgive You.” Many deem the issue to be,” A pastor is somewhat cussing in church and making it okay for Christians to cuss,” or they are saying, “the devil is using him to cause Christians to revert to former lifestyle associated with “FU” and God is not associated with this sermon.”  Needless to say, others feel his concept of, “F U  is a failed attempt to be relevant, trendy, or cutting edge; He is simply becoming too “worldly” and this sermon was a prime example of how far he is straying away from what preaching should be. “
While the concerns, and “issues” with the concept in his sermon are completely understood; could it be that many critics and Christians alike are missing the big picture, or the real issue with Pastor RA Vernon using,”F U.” The phrase, “forgive you” has value you, power, significance, and is necessary for building up relationships. “F U” has no value you, is degrading, insignificant, and often tears down relationships. To substitute, “forgive you,” with the letters “F U,” is to minimize, degrade, devalue you, and distract people from speaking a phrase and living a phrase that is necessary for the restoration of humanity. 
The big deal isn’t necessarily, ” this pastor cussed and said F U in church.” Honestly, he could have used other letters or others words and the problem would have been the same. “Forgive you” does not need substitute phrases that rid its power and cause people to dismiss its significance. May preachers be more careful with their choice of words and concepts spoken into the lives of people they influence on a consistent basis. In attempts to be relevant once cannot be ignorant to word association and its power.
 Pastor RA Vernon was not the first to use this concept of, “F U” in the pulpit, but hopefully he is the last. 

-Charity

In honor of Women’s History Month, I took the liberty of finding and posting a great clip of Gloria Steinem, the foremother of the women’s liberation movement in the U.S. during the 1960s and 1970s on Real Time with Bill Maher. In this clip Steinem discusses the GOP’s latest attack on Planned Parenthood. 

“They want to control production and reproduction.” Brilliant!

-Kristina W

The NYPD is looking to bring Chris Brown in for questioning after he erupted on the set of Good Morning America. He took his shirt off, broke glass and threatened producers. I was just about to write him off as a total psycho until I saw the interview that he had to endure. 

If you have watched ABC for the last few years then you know that after the incident with Rihanna, Robin Roberts went to Chris Brown’s home and talked with him about the incident. She drilled him and wouldn’t let up back then and that was fine. He was a megastar who had just beat his megastar girlfriend. Although we still do not know all of the details of the confrontation, the aftermath was nothing short of shocking.

I agree with Robin for being hard on Chris two years ago, but what she did to him today was simply uncalled for. We all know that he plead guilty to felony assault. We knew about the restraining order being lifted. Today, he came to Good Morning America to promote his album and perform like any other artist. When he tried to brush the question off, Roberts continued to verbally beat him into the ground and bring up the sins of his past. I’m not saying that what he did is not serious, but I think we’ve all heard enough of it.

I personally have the F.A.M.E album and would have loved to hear what Chris had to say about his thought process while creating the album or any of the normal questions that he was brought there to answer. Every sinner has a future and every Saint has a past. Robin…let it go.  

Videos like this make me love America. Yes I hate our foreign policy, how we treat our underprivileged, our lackluster education system and myriad other things, but when you see people say things as ballsy as what Mr Trump just said…you can’t help but sit back and smile. 

Mr. Trump is a registered Republican which means that we could see a Trump v. Obama battle for the White House in 2012. :-) Although I highly doubt that it will boil down to that, I would love to see how this plays out (especially because I’d probably vote for Trump). The beauty of this whole thing is that he has already estimated the cost of the campaign and is ready to put out all of the money himself is nobody else wants to assist. You can’t help but applaud those types of statements. There’s something innately manly about being willing to accept outside help but knowing that you can do it on your own.

I have long said that politicians should be good at something other than gathering votes, sleeping with interns, cheating on their wives and bowing to mentally superior lobbyists.  In Donald Trump we get an extremely well educated, wealthy, well connected and at times opulent/ gilded…yes I said gilded Presidential possibility. I know that Mr. Trump had a head start in life but he has had more than fair share of up and downs yet turned out on top. I would love to hear what he has to say about educational reform, the dependence on foreign oil, rebuilding the American infrastructure and the gentrification of the urban ghetto amongst other things. Let’s see how this goes. In the meantime…to you Mr Trump, I tip my hat.