moment of silence

1927-2006



"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated." - coretta scott king

the articulate hip hop male

dear hip hop, stop!
this shit is going too far, stop!
please see that mixers and turntables are returned to kool herc, stop!
the ghettos are dancing off beat, stop!
the masters of ceremonies have forgotten they were once slaves
and have neglected the occasion of this ceremony, stop!
perhaps we shouldn't have encouraged them to use cordless microphones
they have walked too far from the source and are emitting a lesser frequency, stop! - saul williams (from "telegram")

Think of the most threatening black man you know. The darkest one. The grimiest one. The one with scars, tattoos, guns. We all know what he looks like. Every night at ten o'clock the media tells us he's on the run...or he's been captured. We've been fed this image for years. People of all colors, yes, even black people, fear ME, and guys who look like me. And those who don't fear us, discredit us. Timbs and tee-shirts cause people to assume guys like me are uneducated, ignorant, and uninterested in anything worldly. So imagine how those people feel, when a black man, with nothing to signify his level of knowledge, walks out on stage and articulates himself and his struggle cleverly, clearly, and passionately. After picking their jaws up off the ground, those people walk away as if they've just been rocked by that first hit of crack. Mind blown, fien'n for another hit.

For all the criticism hip hop takes, people overlook the fact that hip hop has given birth to more young writers than any known program in our educational system. It's not a public school curriculum that has young kids all over the world thinking hard in their spare time, trying to express themselves creatively with words. It's hip hop! Walk into any 3rd grade classroom in the inner city, and chances are, at least half the class has some kind of self written rhyme in their notebook. Walk into any 9th grade class in the same area and chances are half the class has a self written rhyme that's memorized and ready to be performed at the drop of a hat. That's what people overlook. Poor, black, male and uneducated, does not equate to inarticulate the way most think it would. Hip hop as an art form stresses the importance of lyricism (unfortunately, it doesn't stress enough the importance of content, but that's another subject altogether). The best emcees are the ones who sound, get this, educated. They are the guys with the most expansive vernacular, who are knowledgeable about an array of topics. From the streets, to religion, to politics, to global issues. Hip hop has given young black men an opportunity to embrace intelligence, to spend all of their free time writing and thinking, receiving praise rather than ridicule. It's a weird paradigm actually. The same black males who sit at the back of the class, trying to fit in, pretending to "not know" in a school setting, are the same guys who suddenly want to display how much they "know" in an effort to stand out, in a non-school setting. Right or wrong, something is happening. The black male voice is evolving, despite the black male's reluctance to embrace academia.



"Scientists still say AIDS started cause somebody had sex with a monkey. Word? After all this research this is the best explanation you came up with? Nobody f*cks monkeys and people you idiot! You either f*ck monkeys....or people, that's it, there's no in between. You not gonna get some monkey p*ssy on Tuesday, then be like, I'm gonna call Charlene on Thursday. Once you f*ck a monkey that's a firm decision, you are out of the human pussy game" - dave chapelle

My performances with my 3rd Eye Open family takes me to a lot of college campuses. Each and every time, I see the same startling thing--the staggering level at which minority women outnumber minority men. Not seeing black males on college campuses only feeds into the "black men aren't articulate" notion people have. No one assumes black women aren't smart and articulate. Why? Black female educators outnumber black male educators on an astronomical level. Black women write books. Black women read books. And black women are all over university campuses. You take all this into account and your overall image of a black female is not inarticulate. Now look at black males. You see them on game day at universities, but outside of those who play sports, you don't see many on campus. You also see them on the nightly news, getting locked up. The images in the movies are rarely about articulate black men. And the hip hop stuff MTV and BET shows us, are negative images of the most dumbed-down stuff that's out there. Take all this into account and, it's easy to assume black males are dumb.

The saving grace for black males outside of academia is hip hop. Not rap, hip hop. And no, I'm not saying hip hop is perfect. For every Nas and Lauryn HIll, there's some gun busting emcee trying to do nothing more than live up to and perpetuate all the stereotypes thrown on young black males. With that said, you still can't deny that hip hop has given black men a reason to step their education game up, even if it's just independent study. Even if it's just analyzing the world and writing poetry. Even if it's just taking those same jokes you tell to make your friends laugh, to a higher level. Something is definitely happening. Many of our best and brightest are coming from a place other than academia. Why? How? When will it end? I don't know. I do know this. I was an English major in college, and I studied all the old European greats. But that is not why I write. I write because, nothing in life has been more inspiring, than seeing men my age, who look just like me, open their mouths and articulate themselves with words. That's why I write. That's why tons of little boys in the hood write. And that's why people the whole world over, are fascinated, when the articulate hip hop male opens his mouth.

the greatest biter of all time?

"i got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one" - ice t. (one of many lines bitten by jay-z)

Remember back in the day. You'd be chillin at some neighborhood spot. Dancing and listening to music. Then a bunch of pissed off brothas would enter the party looking for someone. When they found him, fists flew, girls screamed, and people bounced. And the next day, after word had gotten back about what really happened, you come to find out the dudes who entered the party were rappers. And the dude they beat down? Some kid who had been biting their shit! How times have changed.

Fast forward to '06. The new phenomenon in hip hop is biting. Biting, as in blantantly passing off as your own, a line or song, written and created by someone else. For years it's been cool in hip hop to say, "like rakim says..", then quote him. Snoop Dogg even re-made an entire Slick Rick song, while giving Rick props on the track, in his attempt to pay tribute. But now cats are just plain wildin'. Anything that sounds good to them, they are taking, sometimes switching it slightly, sometimes, not at all. Everybody is doing it, from underground heads, to the most established and known heads in the game. (It's so bad that XXL has a Loaner/Donor section which highlights emcees who loaned the line out, and the donors who borrowed it.) Keep in mind, hip hop is in the mixtape era where, it's considered cool to jack someone's beat, and often times, their hook. But when a guy at the top of the game bites lyrics, while creating songs people are heralding as classics; a guy who millions of lesser known rappers emulate and aspire to be - a huge amount of the blame for this current biting epidemic that's killing hip hop has to be placed on his shoulders. Especially when he seems to borrow MORE THAN ANYBODY IN THE GAME.

Early last year, a little dj mix hit the airwaves that illustrated the proficiency with which Jay has been biting. The dj would play a Jay line, then play the rapper's verse whose line it came from. People, there were over 20 or so examples. This week, Camron of Dipset fame, revisited this notion, with his own spin on the "i'm a biter not a writer" themed track, renamed "Swagger Jacker". Cam's version is very similar, but uses a few lines that weren't in the original. Cam compared Jay-Z's constant biting, to finding out the former home run king, Mark McGuire, was on steroids. Interesting comparison if I say so myself. Unfortunately, Cam is widely viewed as a knuckle head without widely respected hip hop credibility. So his message is gonna slide right off the backs and ears of most. However, it makes you wonder, how would hip hop respond if it was KRS-One who was calling out Jay-Z for biting?

I know, I know. All you Jay-Z fans are out there spewing, "Jay is nice with his, he don't have to bite". And to all of you I will say, my point exactly. Jay is probably one of the nicest dudes to ever do it. But, if you look at his excessive list of people he's bitten, you quickly begin to understand, he is also one of the laziest to ever do it. Let's say we give Jay the benefit of the doubt. Let's say he has no idea he's biting. Let's say Mr. I Don't Have To Write My Lyrics Down is accidentally stealing while writing in his head. So all those lines he borrowed from Big, Nas, Snoop, Rakim, Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, let's say they were accidents. (Jay dissed Nas on the Blueprint album, and turned around and bit a Nas line on the same album) Even if this were the case, his coat tail has been pulled enough that you'd think he'd be like, "okay, that sounds familiar, let me check to make sure I wrote it". But dude ain't doing that. He's walking around with that swagger like "I'm the man", "I'm the best". And so are all those little rappers who look up to him, as they continue to bite their favorite artists. At some point, hip hop is gonna have to set some standards, some rules. It's probably gonna take a Premo, a KRS-One, a Bambata, a Chuck D to come out and just really denounce biting in a major way. And if they do, they can't just aim their criticism at the smallest guys in the game. Eventually, someone is going to have to aim towards the top. Until the message actually reaches the biggest biter in the land, Jay-Z.

listen to "Swagger Jackin" here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bED9wMqQ1i8

a quick 20

Nothing ages a person quicker than bad teeth, and an extra twenty pounds. I'm no dentist so I can't help you with your grill. But if you want to shed a quick 20, here's how:



Water - Drink water and only water. Not juice. Not kool-aid. Not tea, coffee, beer or wine. You can cut out a whole lot of calories just by downing a little H2o.

No food after 7 p.m. - This one can be hard at first. But it speeds that metabolism up, and allows the body proper time to digest food and wind down. I guarantee you, you'll be hungry as hell come morning.

Eat breakfast - This is essential. Your metabolism is a like a fire. Hunger gets that bad boy revved up. When the flame is high and you throw logs on it, the logs burn off quick. Same with food. By not eating after seven, you'll be plenty hungry come breakfast. So don't starve yourself. Eat in the morning to start your day. Just don't stuff yourself. You'll burn it right off.

Small portions - Most of us were taught by big momma'nem to eat everything on your plate. Mind you, most plates are the size of a twenty inch rim. So, start eating on saucers to help you with portion control. Consider that your plate. Clean the plate, and keep it moving.

No alchol - Remember, we're trying to drop a quick 20, so stay out the liquor store. And I know, the club does not feel like the spot to be when everyone has a drink but you. But, water in a clear glass with a lime and a straw looks as sexy as anything they're pouring behind the bar. Sip slow and be cool.

No fried foods - No fried chicken, I said it. Click that oven to 450 and get your bake-on.

Work out while resting - Most people don't work out. Not because they don't like working out. But because they don't like having to go somewhere to work out. The best time to work out is while lounging. I mean, if you're sitting around the house chilling, watching the tube, why not do some exercises during commercials. You'll be surprised how effective it can be. You can't beat sit ups during a commercial. I personally, during a tv show, will knock out 100 hundred sit ups during each commercial. At the end of an hour show, I've done like 500, and I'm done for the day. Push ups, dips, and curls, are also low maintenance exercises you can do right in front of the tv. Throw in a half an hour walk or job three times during the week, and you'll be on point.



Surprisingly, if you really pay attention to your intake, it's not that hard to drop a quick 20. Write down what you're eating, and pay attention to your patterns. I'm not going to get into the whole carb thing. Cutting out carbs will help you lose weight, but it'll also make you more likely to gain it back. Create a system based on moderation, and you'll reach your goals, with a big ass smile on your face, instead of an ugly frown. Superbowl in two weeks, so drop that 20 quick! One luv.

be king

Be Dr. King for a moment.

You are not a dreamer. But you do have a vision. Your opposition? On one side, a racist society. Racist politicians. Racists police. Racist people. On the other side, hopelessness. Poverty. Fear. Ignorance. Your mission seems impossible. To fight racism, and unite your own people, with one tactic. Peace. Anger is constantly aimed at you. So are barking dogs. Water hoses. And guns. Your weapon. Peace. Rational men can't understand your logic. Defending oneself is a birth right. Isn't it? But that's not your vision. By the way, you are not a single man with nothing to lose. You have a wife. And kids. Your death will have ramifications on their lives. You accept this. You push on. You know freedom is a process. So you march. You protest. You have sit-ins. You go to jail. All while saying, peace is the key. Not only here, in America. But even over there, in Vietnam. At one period in your life, you are a civil rights leader. But you are more than that. You become a human rights leader. You've taken the struggle, from the South, to the North, and abroad. You begin to criticize foreign policy. Compared to more outspoken militant minds, you seem to be the lesser of two evils. However, you are very much viewed as a threat. You are attending African Day Celebrations. You don't believe in black power the slogan. You do believe in black power the notion. You say Italians don't scream Italian power. You say Jews don't scream Jewish power. You believe black power is in the organization of communities and businesses. The government knows this, "most dangerous and effective negro leader in the country". So they see you as the enemy. Your dreams, are nightmares. Always ending the same way. A gun shot. You on the pavement. With only your words, to live for you, through eternity. You are tired. Misunderstood. Praised and criticized in the same breath. Your own people question you. Your own people hate you. The government is always watching you. So why are you doing this? You have a vision. You think America can and should live up to its own promise. Freedom, liberty, and justice. FOR ALL. One day, the dream, or should I say, the nightmare comes true. You hear a gun shot. You drop. You hit the pavement. Blackness. Silence. You're gone.

The rioters riot. The looters loot. The mourners mourn. You live on. But people forget who you were. Instead of relying on their memories, instead of relying on the very words you left us, they let text books and media outlets redefine you. They offer up only a few of your writings. The new definition? The dreamer. You become synonymous with the American dream. They forget to remind people you never saw equality in your lifetime. Or that they may never see it in their's. Neither do they mention your political criticism of the government. They also forget about you speaking out against Vietnam. They even forget to mention you were one of the most hated black men of your time. They simply say, you had a dream.

Dr. King you live on, even now. Last night you were on the Boondocks. In their scenario, you were never killed. You just got shot, and laid in a coma for years. Then you woke up to see this. A society equally as dysfunctional as yours. A society where black people make up less than 2% of corporate America. A society where over 90% of the people will die in the same economic group they were born into. A society where black people still have the same percentage of the wealth, that we did post slavery. The Oprahs, Jordan, Bob Johnsons, and every black executive and ball player in professional sports. Those are the lotto ticket holders. There's an entire nation of struggling people forgotten about. And to pacify us, on your birthday, they call you, the dreamer.

You are Dr. King. Redefined and watered down. Your words, essays, speeches, and every aspect of your life is still out there waiting to be discovered. The question is, how many people, will be willing, to discover, who you really were?

the press conference

one-two, one-two. is this thing on?

peace fam. first of all, thank you all for coming out on this festive occassion. i see a lot of familiar faces in here, and a few new ones. it's been what, ten months or so since i last posted here. well, that same dude who held it down for like four years straight, is back. bookmark the page immediately, it's 'bout to definitely be on. in my absence i've still been quietly visiting my homies in the blog world, you know who you are. let me give mad props to my right hand man Jason for his design work and making 3rdeyeopen.org such a success. i hope all of you will visit the rest of the site and get to know my 3rd Eye Open poetry family. they are truly some of the most talented people i've ever met. also shout out to my biggest supporters on the net, lynne, trent, mak, and anitra. thank you all. to all those former T4TD readers who wanted to fight me when i took the site down, forgive me. i had to clear my head, but i'm back and can't wait to hear your comments. bare with me as i update my links. i visit a ton of sites and i'll slowly get around to linking them all. i started with a handful that i check out with some regularity. i'll ad more this weekend. well, i guess that's it on my end. just wanted to let you all know i'm back in the mix. umm, i guess now's the time for me to open it up for questions. ughhhh....*scanning the crowd* let's start with you!