Hopeless HipHop: What ever happened to The Message in HipHop
February 6, 2010
I’ve been gone for a minute, TCJ hasn’t been updated in a while, and as much as i wanted to jump back in, i just couldn’t, i had lost my focus, my inspiration. When you run an urban blog, a large portion of your post are going to be related to the music. As of late, music has been of little to no importance to me. Am i getting old? lol Maybe so, as i just turned 27, but i don’t think that’s the issue. I believe the music i feel in love with as a child has become stagnant in its growth, so while i have grown and mature, it hasnt. It has seemingly regressed to some form of Mr Bo Jangles menstrual show leaving those of us who loved the art to go back and purchase all of our favorites from yesterday and slowly alienate ourselves from today’s Hiphop.
Do you see the message? Can you see the message? Where has the message gone? Is it even alive anymore? Can it be revived or are we lost in the materialistic and superficial world of Hiphop? Those of you 25 and older should understand at very least, even if you dont feel the same, you should be able to at least note the decline in songs with positive messages. While Hiphop has grown, and its artists more financially stable, why does the art form now sound more hopeless than ever? When we didnt have nothin’ we had a message, and now that we got somethin’ we have nothing good to say. Well my momma always told me, if you aint got nothin’ good to say, dont say nothin’ at all… Ima leave it at that!
Remember When [HipHop Had a message]:
Self Destruction:
Rappin’ 4-Tay – I’ll Be Around
West Coast All Stars – We’re All In The Same Gang
Grandmaster Flash The Message
Little Foxes of Faith Series Part 2
August 7, 2009
Little Foxes of Faith pt. 2
The next issue that many Christians face is WORRY. People believe that when you worry about something it shows that you care or that is of importance to you, but that is the exact opposite. The word of God teaches us that we’re not supposed to worry about anything.
WORRY- concerned, anxious, troubled easy.
Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus speaks to his people telling us that he cares for us
I Peter 5:7 Tells us to cast our cares on him.
Worrying never changes circumstances and it is the opposite of Faith, where worry abides Faith cannot live.
Quite similar to worry FEAR is a gripping emotion that renders Christians powerless when you should be fighting. A good illustration on fear operating against faith is the story when Jesus commanded Peter to walk on water with him. Jesus said “Be of good cheer! It is I: do not be afraid.
FEAR- be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or outcome of events.
When you find yourself in a difficult situation and you feel the spirit of fear coming on you bind it and command it to flee because fear is not of God and therefore has no legal right to dwell in you.
Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus gave Peter the authority and power to walk on water, once Peter let his emotions grab hold of him he began to sink. The same is true in our lives today, God has given us power to move mountains but many of us are just so afraid to step out on Faith we spend our whole lives wondering what could’ve been instead of trusting God and living life to our maximum potential. Jesus goes on to say “O you of little faith why did you doubt?” Fear has become one of the greatest down falls of many people fear of succeeding of failing; I don’t know what it is. Whenever you find yourself wanting to give up think about the words Jesus asked Peter WHY DOUBT? Do you not trust your heavenly father enough to know that if you trust him completely and obey his word he will never let you fail? There is no failing when you live in Christ.
Philippians 4:13 Says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” we see it throughout the scripture God telling us his children to have faith and trust in him.
The difference between people who succeed tremendously in life and those that don’t is simply those who operate in Fear and those who go for the gusto. As a Child of God you must understand you already have the upper hand in any situation and in any battle, once you understand that and operate in it you will be able to conquer and overcome any obstacle.
Ask yourself what’s the difference between FEAR & RESPECT.
The Little Foxes of Faith
August 3, 2009
Disclaimer: If you’re not a Christian this piece won’t make much sense to you, so don’t waste my time or yours by posting meaningless comments.
If you are a Christian and you’re confused, or need clarification please comment and I will respond as soon as I can.
It is safe to say that many Christians are not living the abundant and victorious life that God promised us and Jesus died for us to have. When we find ourselves lacking in any area most people say well that’s the way it is, there’s nothing I can do about it and variety of other ridiculous things. I am here to inform you that your life is completely and entirely in your hands. YES God knows everything that has happened and will happen in your life, but he has given you free will to make your own choices. Your faith is what determines your life.
This is a series that requires you to be completely honest with yourself and where you are in life the intention is to locate yourself so that you can change your lifestyle and transform your life so you must STUDY!!
So here they are “The little foxes of Faith” please read the scriptures provided and study them. If you find yourself holding on to any of these foxes, they may very well be the reason your being held back and your life is not as rich as it should be LET THEM GO!!
Song of Solomon 2:15 tell us to Catch the little foxes that spoil the vines….
Spoil -Destroy and corrupt
Un- forgivenessnever carry un-forgivenessUnforgiveness is a poison the enemy uses against us and it will consume you if you don’t rid yourself of it
Matthew 18:23-35is a parable that illustrates 3 pts. Ephesians 4:32God forgives us time and time again so we must also forgive one another.
The mercy of God b) The liability of un-forgiveness c) how far we must go to get our acts together
I John 1:9Another matter that has to be dealt with is self loathing and not being able to forgive yourself, Jesus said he will forgive all your sins once you confess them. The problem most Christians have is that they don’t forgive themselves and you allow the guilt of your past to keep you in bondage. When you confess your sins God cleanses you. By faith you have to see yourself as cleansed no matter how you feel on the inside. DON’T FEEL GULITY ABOUT NOT FEELING GUILTY. You must also remember that it is Satan’s duty to bring up your past to plant thoughts in your head to make you feel like you’re not forgiven but, know this God sees you as the blessed and righteous therefore you must also see yourself in that manner.
*Remember always that forgiving is an act of will. WHAT WILL YOU DO?*
D.O.E.(Death of Excess)(Read if you make, like, or want money)
July 29, 2009
“D.O.E. (Death of Excess)”- (Read if you make, like, or want money)
It’s 2009, and the summer of the “stay-cation” is very much in effect.
If you’re not staying home to conserve your dwindling funds, you might be venturing
within a few hours from your city to experience the fun of a economically friendly
day or road trip. Personally, I had dreams of of going back east to visit family
(I’m in Cali), but instead the responsible side of me has reoriented myself to the
fact that I have priorities that need to be handled first and before any vacationing
can commence. *sigh*
So I go to work, have a little fun around town, go home and prepare to repeat the
routine the next day. I lay out my clothes, get introspective in the shower, and tie
up my hair in my favorite place- my bathroom. And just when I’m getting comfortable
enough with accepting the fact that spending wisely is a sign that I’m maturing, and
begin to take solace in the fact that I can keep my phone and car another month, I
turn on the radio and hear things like,
“It ain’t tricking if you got it..”
“Just throw it in the bag..”
“You’re a mom-and-pop, I’m a corporation”
“I got the hottest cars, I rock the flyest clothes”
“Tell them other broke jokers be quiet..”
After I stopped dancing (hey, I’m a sucker for a good beat), it dawned on me that I
was shaking my booty to songs that celebrated trivializing and downing people with
less financial security than what they- obviously overpaid entertainers- have.
Within their lyrics lies a message that the everyday man/woman isn’t anything in
comparison to them because they have it to spend at will, and we don’t. Wait,
wouldn’t that include me, too? Or am I excluded because I’m a woman and they claim
to want to spend this money on me, often in exchange for a modern day concubinage
where I’m expected to call my provider “daddy” (thanks, Twista)? What about my dad,
my homeboy or my co-worker who are all working tirelessly to provide for themselves
and/or their families? Are they the proverbial crap on the bottom of these
entertainers’ shoes just because they can’t ‘make it rain’ without caring or buy
their loved ones “whatever they liiiiike”?
*scratches head*
I can barely pay my bills without cringing, yet you’re telling me- no, you’re
bragging to me- about how insignificant money is.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s no one’s fault but mine that I’m in a position where
I’m struggling. I love my job, it just doesn’t pay as well as I’d like. I join
millions of people across our country and still many, many more around the world,
who are having financial difficulties because of choices they made or things that
they couldn’t prevent.
But what I don’t need and can prevent is willingly listening to some
rapper/singer/self-perceived “artist” cramming their lack of money troubles down my
throat paired with a hot track, and allowing their distorted mindsets to infiltrate
and influence my own. Nor do I need to hear kids in the school I work at repeating
the hooks to these songs that glorify narcissism and frivolity.
Do we enjoy these songs because they’re an escape from our frustrating realities? Do
we women (and some men, don’t front) secretly long to be lavished upon? I believe
that, sadly, many of those people who allow themselves to be bought greatly
compromise their integrity for money, and once your integrity has been compromised,
it can’t be bought back.
As well, those entertainers who popularize what it means to be shallow and
irresponsible, compromise their integrity by spreading this ignorance to the
masses, camouflaging their foolishness with a thin veil in the way of a nice vocal
arrangement or a catchy chorus.
It pisses me off.
Open your ears, people. And help shield the ears of those who have trouble
distinguishing between reality and grossly misplaced fantasy.
Those with the power to influence through music have been given a blessing by a
higher power which allows them to do what they love, publicly, and for lots of
money. With that comes a responsibility to not purposely infect the people with the
avoidable auditorally and visually transmitted disease of materialism. Our
contraceptive comes in the form of our free will. We don’t have to be accepting of
things that lessen our life’s quality, even if we don’t immediately acknowledge the
damage being done. We have the choice to recognize if only we’d get comfortable with
opening ourselves up to what’s truly significant and important in this life, and
understanding that it may just be trickin’ IF you got it.
Don’t forget reality! And don’t feel bad just because you can’t do with your money
what an overpaid entertainer can do with his/hers.
“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a
green leaf.”
– Proverbs 11:28
Dear Letter Series: Richard Jefferson
July 16, 2009
Dear Richard Jefferson,
RJ! Whats good my dude? Had to write you a letter my NBA Star pal, I just read the funniest/saddest news I have heard in a while. First of all congratulations on being traded to the San Antonio Spurs. I think this is a perfect system for you to flourish in. But anyway back to your recent pop up in the celebrity news. I just got the word you called off the wedding with New Jersey Net dancer Kesha Ni’Chole Nichols. Rich thats cool in all bro but the part that really opened my eyes was the fact that you broke off the wedding via email. Lol. Your a cold cat brutha! My dude! All I want to know is how did you go about doing this? Did you just wake up and say hey this is not going to work and reach over on your nightstand and grabbed your Blackberry and poured out your feelings in a email to your fiancée on why you cannot marry her? If you did, thats gotta be the most crushing email a woman has ever read in the history of humanity. My heart actually goes out to the poor girl. There she is enjoying life all happy and excited because she is going to be getting married and start a family, ect. She probably was really happy and her family and friends were excited as well, im sure! And then she received the email from hell. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when she read this email you sent. How does a woman recover from that? Eww I know! She doesn’t. I feel sorry for the dude who has to follow up behind you with her. I mean he might have to sign a contract prior to the wedding. lol. Richard I gotta ask bruh. What made you call it off? Did you have lunch with your financial adviser prior to the wedding day? Did he pull out diagrams on how much money and assets you would lose if the marriage didn’t work? Were you guys getting a prenuptial? Whats the deal! I think it may be all of the above. You probably figured hey whats six figures as a buyout now versus millions in a divorce later (I think you have a future as NBA General Manager). I guess its a good complimentary prize. When I think about it, its like you teased her. She was thinking she was 24 hours away from winning the lotto and with a press of a button on your Blackberry her whole world came crashing down. No million dollar NBA star sweepstakes for her. Well I hope she knows how to invest money because she is going to have to stretch out those six figures you gave her over a lifetime. I know the New Jersey Net dancers salaries are not the best. Speaking of the Nets when do the Spurs play them in New Jersey next season? You think I can get a ticket? The fans are going to love you! Well I gotta run RJ. Get back at me when ever you read this on your Blackberry. hahahahahahahaha.
Ya Boy,
CB aka Lou Alcindor
Recent Comments