Lyric's Lounge

The Future Pulse of Rap, Carlos St. John By: Lyric Dysin

2010-03-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

The first word that came to mind after hearing Carlos St. John rip a verse from his highly anticipated debut album, “The St. John Project,” was…FINALLY. Oddly there were no words of description that immediately filled my head. No eloquent metaphors to describe the way his deep routed lyrics moved my spirit as if they were alive; stretching and tangling around my mind like veins meant to pull me into the complex world of this gifted, creative, and ever so ambitious, Brooklyn native. There were no words of dislike or disbelief, no comparisons made between him and rappers that came before him. No flaws tacked themselves to the back of my mind. No thoughts of “decline,” “wanna-be,” “can’t,” or “will never be,” echoed after he rhymed. In the end, there was just…FINALLY.

It was a replica of an exhale. In fact, the moment that I said it, “Finally”, my entire body and mind felt at ease. After listening to St. John’s ill-gotten lyrics, I felt no more on edge from the theory that authentic rap would die on the shoulders of its all-star vets, but that it might live, and even thrive, with new blood grabbing hold of the mic. After the first time hearing this future icon, I began to foresee how rap may have a legitimate chance of surviving this futile stage that it has settled in. When most rap artists now perceive it as more of a hustle than an art-form, as their commitment to shine gleams more from their teeth and wrist than the polishing of their lyrical skills, Carlos St. John proves to be the exception.

Pseudonym
CSJ: I’m Brooklyn’s James Bond.

He says it with a certain confidence in his voice. Immediately, I can see how the pseudonym fits. The Brotha is that smooth, as are his lyrics and sense of style. With the looks of a ladies’ man and the hunger of a hustler, this quick slick rapper is no vanishing act. In fact, his skills proclaim that he’s eternal, classic, since the day he first put a pen to the pad. Whether draped in jeans, a hoody, and fresh kicks or decked out in designer linen, on the stage, Carlos St. John is Mr. oo7. I tell you, he’s that smooth.

Universe
CSJ: It spins on ambition, the good people in my life, and the music.

When Carlos was barely a teenager, expressing himself through rhyme, without a thought of ever making a living out of it, his universe went from living in a group home on the rough streets of BK to being ushered to Manhattan to stand in front of an executive model scout. From there, he was booked---not that this natural born lyricist could be satisfied on stage without a mic in his hand. Consequently, he returned to the humble life; surviving practically on the dreams in his head. Living in a quaint space, tucked away in a poet’s corner, writing rhymes while working to defy the odds of becoming a statistic. For most anyone else, the backpedal would be considered a setback. But for Carlos, the sacrifice only pumped a desperation into his veins that set him up to be that much better and that much more determined to be the prominent emcee he was born to be.

Leader
CSJ: Never been a follower, and don’t intend to start now.

There is no doubt that Carlos takes his own route in life, moving forward and upward. His growing number of fans follow him for one simple reason: they sense that he won’t steer them wrong.

Stepping Stone
CSJ: Each day I spend grinding out the business to get to the top. I’m nowhere near where I want to me.

He makes it very clear that every day of his life is served as a stepping stone for the next. Just by listening to him speak, I can hear his drive. An unstoppable force, Mr. St. John appears to be, as he relentlessly works to perfect his talents. Nevertheless, if the truth be told, it may very well be Carlos’ business mindset that will guarantee his incline.

Entourage
CSJ: No need [for an entourage]. True skills can stand alone.

You’ve never seen it, and I doubt that you will ever hear of Carlos St. John being represented by an entourage. When it has become a fad for today’s musical artist to define themselves by their crew, flashing them in videos as if the audience will buy their music based on association than individual appeal, Carlos has chosen to allow his lyrics to represent him.

Just listen to the St. John Project and soon you’ll realize, as I did, the possibility of there being a worthy alternative to Jay-z----one who personifies more than a gutter man’s hustle and flow, but a unique entanglement of talent, vision, and hypnotic swagger. Inevitably, you will come to grips with the reality that rap has finally birthed a descendent of the Greats------a lyricist, who, unlike most of his new age competitors, had not wildly crafted his lyrics to conveniently hold space between a seller hook (which would have made it best served as an instrumental). Instead, Carlos’ album drops hard, delivering healing and hope to the ears of rap lovers that yearn for deliverance.

The Purpose Driven Life of Jody Banks / by: Lyric Dysin

2010-03-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds you down or polishes you up, depends upon what you’re made of.” -Jody Banks

She’s talented, sexy, and edgy. Her sophistication can be better glimpsed in the way she handles business than the way she walks out onto a stage. Yet, when she grabs the mic, restless crowds immediately erupt with cheer. She is no other than Inrage’s latest sensation, Jody Banks---a rap superstar in the making.

"Whoever says it never rains or snows in California had never come near the places where I grew up,” hinted Banks, who admits that her life has been no crystal stair. Nevertheless, this Oakland born emcee is finding her way to the top. Driven by purpose, and riding on melodic beats and dope lyrics, this West Coast Bombshell is making a living out of defying the odds.

“I don’t do what I do to satisfy others expectations,” Jody explains, in the calmest of tones. “I am devoted to the music because I find purpose in it."

After spending some time conversing with the rap industry’s newest highlife entertainer, I sense that her elevation into the limelight can’t be tagged solely to ‘talent meets opportunity.’ Instead, I get the oddest feeling that it is her courage and her keen ability- to keep the intangible things of life in prospective- that is guiding her towards success.

"I rap about my life, which is about more than money, clothes, and hoods,” says Banks, who works to unwind in her LA home, after a long day of promoting her debut album, “Private Dancer.” With her young son not but ten feet away and an album release date seemingly closer, I immediately began to thank the heavens that my interview had no chance of being predictable, since Jody isn’t the typical rap star.

The Difference Maker

Unlike most of today’s emcees, at least the ones that have grab hold of the national spotlight, Ms.Banks hasn’t shown the desire to make the glamorizing of money, expensive clothes, and sex, her signature mark. Neither has she decided to run head first in the opposite direction in order to pound conspiracy theories into the heads of her listeners. Instead, Jody has seemingly made a conscious effort not to limit her audience to asymmetrical view point, but rather give them a balanced and broader perspective of who she is, day in and day out.

The Emcee (MC)

Whether thugged out or reflecting her more feminine side, Jody's lyrics are born certified. As like many rappers that flash in front of our TV screens, she, too, was raised on one of crime’s most vicious corners. However, unlike those entertainers, who share a similar background story, has chosen not to boast her hood for street credibility. She has rather disallowed any one part of her life to become her only lyric.

“No one wants to be depressed,” Jody laughs, as she describes how rap has always been her emotional outlet. Giving the people just one side of me is robbing them, and I’m no thief, she indicates, as a reasonable explanation for why several of her album’s tracks elude the street hustler’s theme and mirror a tender and sexier side of herself. “I want everything I write and perform to be emotional because my life is emotional,” she explains. “Where I am has come from blood, sweat, and tears. Where I’m going, I suspect will demand even more. If that’s not some emotional shit, I don’t know what is."

Raised with Hard Knocks

Jody was born to a partially deaf mother and domineering father that, with each drink, further pushed her mother out their apartment and into a destitute community. On and off throughout the years, her mother came and went, nurturing her the best way she knew how. They often hit the neighborhood streets to panhandle for spare change to purchase the basic necessities that they were lacking; whether it be food or clothes.

“We first lived in East Oakland’s Valencia Gardens,” Jody explained. “Then we moved to a project complex in LA,” both neighborhoods being notorious for their drugs and a high crime rate. “We didn’t have many material things, but me and my mom had each other.” Jody paused before saying another word, as if to dismiss any sentimental images that came to her mind. It was then that I realized that her current perspective of life isn’t based primarily on her current experiences. Instead, I suspect that they are founded mostly on the tragedies in her past that she had witnessed and survived.

JB: I had cousins that gangbanged. So growing up, I wasn’t unfamiliar to death. But when the streets took my mom, there was a moment, when I thought I would never recover.

The LOOK OUT

Living in a dungeon of danger, being forced to see those you love dying around you, would have been enough reason for many to settle in on the bottom and make a bed out of excuses. However, Jody rather searched for a way up.

"Finding out that my mother had been brutally beaten to death was the bottom for me,” she expressed, before painting a vivid picture of the Italian beauty that gave her life. She was a good mother that was scared of living for way too long, Jody insinuated, as the sound of her voice began to rattle with emotions.

My mom lived on the street of LA for ten years; homeless,” says Banks. “She was deaf, but somehow forced to hear the madness of the world. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. No one deserves that.”

"When I got into in the music, my sole purpose was to use it to finance a safety net to rescue my mom. In my early in my teens, I wrote rhymes in hopes to earn enough money to find her.

Banks who, at 18 years young signed a lucrative publishing deal alongside her brother with Sony Records, had figured that rap would save the day. “After signing the contract, I had all this money and the plan was to go with my brother and search Downtown LA until we found our mom," Jody explained.

LD: And did you two find her

JB: What we found is that our mother had died three years earlier, at the hands of some murderer who had no appreciation for her life.

LD: Was the murderer ever brought to justice?

JB: No one was ever booked for the crime

LD: And how does that make you feel?

JB: I try to focus more on overcoming the tragedy, instead of living in it.

Reincarnation

“Music gave me my life back,” says Banks, who considered her new record label, Inrage Entertainment, steer-headed by producer, Bruce “Automatic” Vandeerveer, her extended family. “They really helped me get back to me,” she says. Jody then took a moment to elaborate---describing how Automatic had granted her the freedom to heal herself, by not governing her tracks. Seems he allowed Jody to release her every emotion through her lyrics, until her pain had lost its weight.

JB: At first, all I wrote was painful music. Everything was about the anguish and struggle. But now, I think I’m at a point in my life where I can infuse some of that pain that I overcame into my songs, along with tracks that makes me feel good. Cause, again, no one wants to be depressed.

LD: With the rap game being practically dominated by males, do you feel as if the rap world is fully accepting of women in the rap game right now?

JB: I think right now, everyone is at a point where they just want good music, regardless of who’s putting it out. Being that the rap game isn’t fully set on conscious or gangsta rap right now, I think people are just into what makes them feel good. I doubt if they care if it’s a male or female that bringing them the feeling.

LD: And what rappers do you put high on your list?

JB: Tupac and Nas. For me, some of Nas’ earlier work, lyrically, is just amazing. And as for Tupac, I don’t care if he’s talking about His Momma or whatever, the man was just emotional. And I like that."

Jody goes on to talk more about rappers of the past and present, but not excluding herself, of course. “Music has assisted me to this place in life, where I can once again concentrate on the things that matter.” She smiles, glancing at her child. I sense she has found her peace there--- in between motherhood and lyrical artistry. Everything happens for a reason,” she proclaims. "I’m better now lyrically and as a person, because of all I’ve been through.”

The Future

LD: So what's next for Jody Banks?

JB: Well, there is the push for the Jody Etzler foundation, which is my foundation. It’s organized to assist the homeless, as well as battered women and children, to find a safe haven.

JB: Yes! One is an independent movie called, “The Third Generation Gangsta,” which is real hot. The other is actually a Western called, “Jessie’s Girl,” where I star alongside Jon Voight.

LD: Wow! Jon Voight, the academy nominated actor. Are you the slightest bit nervous about sharing the big screen with Angelina Jolie’s father; a veteran actor with more than fifty films under his belt?

JB: I’m more nervous about this LA city girl learning how to ride a horse.

LD: Well, like most everything in your life, I doubt you will let this fear stop you.

JB: How right you are.

The Star Amongst US! Introducing Melvin Jackson Jr./ Written By: Lyric Dysin

2010-03-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

Melvin Jackson Jr. just may be the biggest name set to hit Hollywood that you haven’t heard of…yet. Once weekly spotted on the popular television series, “The Wire,” where he played the role of Bernard, a naïve street soldier, and then again as the intimidating Bully on Chris Rock’s television production, “Everybody Hates Chris,” Melvin, the actor, is by no means a two hit sensation. In fact, his career is on the rise. Recently stretching his talent from TV to the Big Screen, this D.C. native has revealed to critics and fans alike that his name is the name to remember. Starring in such films as The Vanishing Black Male, The Mannsfield 12, and Five. K. One—Melvin’s versatility in the acting realm is no longer questioned. Now he’s been tagged as “The Star Amongst Us.” It’s a label that Melvin isn’t too comfortable wearing. Although, if you’d let him tell it, he’d go on about how much he appreciates the limelight that it brings---and not for vanity’s use. Instead, Melvin Jr. has made it a custom to not only share the limelight but, if possible, redirect it completely until it shines onto the pathways of those who need a little help seeing their way. Despite his acting ability, which seems to have destined Melvin to one day have a formal meeting with Oscar, I have discovered that it’s his real character that makes him shine.

The CREATION:

Destined, may just be the perfect word to describe Melvin’s admission into the career of acting. For as a child, born a scenic route away from the ever popular White House, undoubtedly this country’s signature for politics, Hollywood seemed an unlikely avenue that he would take. One would think that, if he were lucky, his future would consist of town hall rallies, motivational speeches, and political campaigns. Or if following in his mother’s footsteps had been his way, he would have most certainly landed a lucrative career within our government, in an effort to protect our country from war. However, if it’s one thing that Melvin Jr. has taught us in the past six years, is that he’s his own man, created to go his own way, which just happens to be straight to the top.

Q. You are being referred to as the “The Star amongst Us,” as many of your fans predict that you are well on your way to humble Hollywood, the minute the golden script falls into your hands. Does knowing that your impressive body of work could send this life changing script your way, the main reason why you remain so devoted to acting?

A. No. Good scripts, or golden scripts as you call it, are very important to the expansion of an actor's career. Yet, I am very passionate about acting because I believe that it is an art that is bigger than just something I do.

Q. Bigger?

A. More important. For instance, acting can build bridges to better places; not just for the actor, but for those that he or she can help across.

On the Right PATH:

“I haven’t arrived, but I’m on my way.”

The word circulating around Hollywood is that Melvin Jackson Jr. was born to be the actor that other actors admire. It’s that same quote that flashes in front of every camera the precise moment that he slides in front of its lens. “I work to consume whatever character that I play,” says Melvin, who prides himself on being the constant professional. However, it’s not his professionalism that has created the industry buzz. To put it plainly, it’s his talent and fearlessness that is drawing the eyes of Hollywood. Some of his co-stars have even tagged his success to a subtle confidence that they call his swagger, claiming it settles in his shoulders and resonates through every line he delivers.

Q. In a business that is known for transforming great talent into stars that often drift away from normal society, how is that you are able to stay grounded?

A. I hear the talk about where I could go in this business. But talk without work is chatter. It’s this reality that keeps me grounded, and working so incredibly hard to stay working.

The Shufffling of HATS

Melvin isn’t just an actor. He is also CEO of Urban Vision Entertainment, a company he started during his freshman year at Bowie State University. When most students his age where just figuring out who they were outside of their parent’s residence, Melvin was head strong on finding musical talent, and pushing them into the mainstream.

Q. What made you feel that, at that age, you were capable of creating an entertainment company and managing musical artists who were many times much older than you?

A. Diddy.

Q. Sean Diddy Combs?

A. Yes. Growing up, I looked up to him.

Q. What was it about Diddy that grabbed hold your attention and respect? Please, tell me it wasn’t his dancing. (laughs)

A. (Laughs) No. I saw Diddy as the business man who showed me that its never too young to start a business, and that you’re never too young to be an entrepreneur.

Q. Do you still manage any of your artists now or any musical acts?

A. No. When my acting career began to launch, it just became too difficult to give my artists the 100% representation they needed. Regardless, I was committed to trying to make it work. It took the artists to tell me to go ahead and focus on the acting, and that they supported my dive into that art, for me to walk away from what I considered my responsibility. I tell you, that was a hard move.

Q. Now your entertainment company is more geared towards writing and producing films, correct?

A. Yes. The company allows me to pull others in front of the camera, so that their talents can be noticed and appreciated.

The ROAD to get there.

Moving up is everyone’s dream. But what happens when the upward move requires relocation to another country?

At age of eight, Melvin’s eyes had never lost sight of the stars, but his footprints had lost touch with this country’s busy streets. The rumbling of sounds, and mixer of races and cultures gathering in the city’s square at noon, marketing their own art and/or commercial products, sparked by their individuality, intelligence, and freedom, was long gone. Suddenly, he found desert all around him. Vast areas of hot sand stuck to Melvin’s feet, and stretched as far as his eyes could see.

Q. What effects, if any, has living out your childhood in Pakistan and Turkey had on your life?

A. Well, for one, it has made it difficult for me to take the normal things that I have here in America for granted.

Q. And by normal things, you mean--?

A. The daily requirements of a normal American; like having my own space, fresh water to drink, and the right to date and marry the lady that I chose. Growing up, it was normal for me to see five or six in a small hut trying to survive. I’d see people washing their bodies and clothes in water they drink from, and young men and women being forced to marry a complete stranger due to their cultural traditions.

Q. Did seeing people have no control over their lifestyles set you in gear to control your own?

A. Absolutely!

Melvin’s desert days vanished when he and his family moved back to the States and settled on the East Coast in Capital Heights, Maryland. There, he attended Fairmont high school-- a place that he found much different than the schools he had attended across seas.

Q. After returning to the States, you mentioned that there was a time that you felt like a foreigner in your own country. Why is that?

A. I may have looked the same as most of my peers, but I talked differently.

Q. You didn’t speak English?

A. My English lacked the slang of city neighborhoods.

Q. I see. With High School being classified as the place where teenagers are known for spotting differences and either mocking them or admiring them, and peer pressure to be accepted drives most young individuals to conform his or her thoughts to blend in with the norm, I wonder how is that you were able to remain “You?”

A. Actually, I wasn’t the “You” that people see today.

Q. Really?

A. No. I got into a little trouble trying to seek attention my way.

Q. So what made you turn your trouble seeking days around?

A. Me! I just woke up one morning and decided I didn’t want to travel down a negative path. And with the power of God, I was able to change things.

Q. That’s great!

A. It’s real. I just made up my mind one day that I was going to be better, and become someone that I can respect. I wanted to be that someone that people, who also want to be better than they are, can look up to.

THE INSPIRATION

Q. Your work in comedic scenes and dramatic roles come across so naturally, which makes you remind me of an early Don Cheadle---being not afraid of taking risks. Is there a particular actor that you model yourself after?

A. Will Smith. I look up to him, and not necessarily for the time and talent he puts on the screen.

Q. Then what for?

A. More so for the Man he is within the acting circuit.

Q. You’ve met him?

A. And shared a few conversations with him, and I must say that it’s really rare for a mega star, a 2-time academy nominated actor, like Will is to be so down to earth in this business.

Q. So Will’s persona isn’t far removed from what viewers glimpse during his daytime interviews and late night appearances on TV?

A. I had no clue until I met him. I mean, I watch TV like everyone else. And from the television, Will gives off this magnetic personality that seemingly makes him approachable to anyone. But by being an actor, I know that what is seen on the screen is usually far from the truth.

Q. And in Will’s case?

A. The brotha is as advertised. Somehow he hasn’t let all the success and fame get to his head. He actually cares what those who are speaking to him are talking about. Each time that I talked to him, it was apparent to me that he was listening. That told me a lot.

Q. About Will Smith?

A. And about the type of actor I strive to be.

THE MISSION

Q. Every path has a desired end steered by someone with purpose. What purpose is driving you towards success, and what defines success to you?

A. Being able to continue to do what I love to do (acting, producing, managing), till I gain a certain status that will allow me to help others do what they love to do is success to me. This is why I don’t plan on ever spending all my time just in front of the cameras. I desire to also be behind the cameras to be in a position that could help other inspiring actors, producers, or screen writers jumpstart their careers.

Q. You definitely come off as a man that makes his own steps; not waiting on anyone to lay them out for you. Is this true?

A. Absolutely.

Q. Do you figure that your footprints will make it easier for others to find their way to success?

A. That, Ms. Lyric, is my ultimate mission.

Lyric Dysin's Intimate Interview with Rap Star "Trina."

2010-02-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Trina uncovered…Simply AMAZIN’

Written By: Lyric Dysin

How do you define the rap career of an artist who has soared beyond social and industry standards, grinding sexiness into hardcore lyrics that has stretched, what many critics once wrote off to be a quick hit career, into a decade long success story? If by chance you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard of the rap superstar Trina, you may call it fiction.

So what is the truth? Rather who is the bit size power punch of authenticity that, since 2000 when she first released her debut smash, “The Baddest Bitch” off the Slip-N-Slide Record label, continues to grace the stage with passion of craft, heart pounding intensity, and contentious lyrics? Those who have known her since childhood may refer to the artist by her birth name, Katrina L. Taylor. A massive amount of music lovers may call her Diamond Princess, after the title of her second album. But after speaking with Miami’s own Queen of Rap, I now simply call her, AMAZIN’.

Before our Feb 1, 2010 interview, having known much of nothing about Trina besides the skewed facts and fabrication of stories that have been previously printed in Hip-hop magazines and/or flashed over the music channels--- boldly painting Trina as this feisty and furious entity, known to fight with other woman rappers at the drop of a mic for lyrical respect, and notorious for dating sometimes unavailable men that most girls only dream about---the words that I would have used to describe the Luke Sky Walker’s protégée would have been less than flattering. Words like edgy, controversial, overly sexy, and just don’t give a flying f--k lyrical boss, would have been spat out of my mouth as soon as her name was mentioned. Yet, no more. No, now after spending a little time sharing thoughts, spreading ideas, and bonding theories with what most conceive as the Baddest Southern Rapper in the business, I have conjured up new words to describe her. Suddenly words like: intelligent soul sister, spiritual being, the business woman, the one to be respected on and off stage, comes to mind when I think of her.

I would suspect that my transfer of opinion of the rapper, started at hello. Perhaps, I expected that the woman’s voice that rang in my ear during our intimate interview would have abruptly shouted an obscene word or two, like “Hey Bitch,” to oddly be considered an appropriate greeting. How pleased am I to say that my expectation was blown to pieces, the moment I heard Trina’s voice resonate a certain peaceful tone. She spoke with such graciousness and kindness, as I heard a sweet surrender in her voice that encouraged my every question. During our moment, I received an open honesty from Trina that would never allow me to look at her the same way again.

So now my eyes are open, or rather Trina, for at least an hour and a half (the length of our interview), lifted the blinds that shielded her true life to the public, and revealed what most, myself included, had unknowingly overlook----the woman behind the artist. That woman, not seen flashed in the magazine’s pages or posing in the most unorthodox positions in a music video, but the very one that has got her thus far despite the odds.

Quite frankly, in our time together, Trina became an open book. And to my surprise, she painted no fairytale, rags to riches scenes between the covers. This was no book of mystery or suspense, but rather one of redemption. Like a page in a bestselling novel filled with a character’s up and down’s, I felt connected to her. Chapter by chapter, Trina let go and loosed her emotions that surrounded her music, the Industry, and her perspective on where her music career had been, where it is today, and where she sees it in the years beyond.

The following interview is this book that drew me in to such a character that I sense has been more than misunderstood, but misrepresented. The Baddest Bitch, Trina may have been in 2000. But as of the moment in time, she is simply, Amazin.

The Music

Chapter 1: Lasting Power

L. Dysin: You’ve been in the business doing your thing since 2000. During that time, we’ve seen so many rappers come and go, for one reason or another. How do you explain being able to sustain such popularity in the music business that is predominately dominated by male artists, producers, and CEOs?

Trina: You know what, I just stay focused. It’s really hard because it is a male dominated industry, and women in the business don’t get the same advantages as the guys. So, definitely, I have to keep one foot forward and stay grounded with my team, and with the label. I work really hard, believe it or not; constantly performing. Year round I’m doing shows, all over the world; doing performances on tour, in and out of the states.

L. Dysin: And that hard work has no doubt paid off.

Trina: It’s a constant grind to continue to put out the next album and to please the fans, and to hope that I’ve grown and everyone’s growing with me, and to hope that everyone loves the record and is on the same page. Because it’s such a gap in music now with the whole bootlegging thing, it’s really, really, hard. And I’m just strong and focused. I don’t let anything come in between that focus factor. It’s like a line. I don’t let anything come across that line, when it comes to me working on that next album or just working period. I’m just trying to stay on top of things, being with so many guys.

L. Dysin: You mentioned not receiving some of the same advantages as some of the guys. I’m not even in the business and I know that to be true.

Trina: lol

L. Dysin: What are some of the advantages that you feel you missed out on being a female artist?

Trina: It’s a lot when it comes to basically touring and collaborating, and doing a bunch of different things. With females, it’s a lot different. It’s scarce, it’s random, and everyone doesn’t work together. Also people aren’t so quick to put up money for an all girl tour as opposed to an all guy tour, so a female artist, like myself, often fall short in that area. Plus, female tours are stereotyped. But it is a male dominated industry. Therefore, you have to continue to see what works for you to be able to stay afloat.

Chapter 2: Liberated

L. Dysin: You mentioned your team—being grounded in your team. Well I’m fully aware that you write your lyrics. Yet, besides that, how involved are you in the making of each album, or how involved is the team?

Trina: Actually, Labels, in general, have always had plenty of control over their artist. The great thing about my latest album is that I was granted more opportunity to have more control of this project. This means a lot to me, because with the four previous albums there were a lot of things that I wanted to do, and lot of ways I wanted things to go, but it didn’t happen because of the Label. But this time, you know, I’m able to be in control and I get to choose who I want to direct my video, what I want to look like in the photo shoot, what I want the video to look like, what songs I want to go onto the album, and who I choose to work with. It’s really a blessing. It’s really a great feeling.

L. Dysin: A touch of liberation as an artist in the music business, how rare is that?

Trina: I’m blessed. So many times, on previous albums, I wanted to do a record with various people, but it didn’t get done due to Label decisions. Just to now be able to have the control with this fifth album mean so much to me.

L. Dysin: You spoke of control being transferred your way. What do you think has allowed you to get that freedom?

Trina: Uummmm. I would say it was the CEO, Ted Lucas. He actually believed in me. I mean, this is my fifth album, and what other female rappers have put out five albums? Lol

L. Dysin: lol. [ I sincerely laugh along with Trina, thinking of her, and possibly only MC. Lyte, accomplishing such a feat. Wow! I say to myself, still hanging on her every word].

Trina: Just for him (still speaking of Lucas) to believe in me, and feel strong enough to think that I do stand in a class by myself, and for him to acknowledge my hard work and growth; realizing that I’m not the same person that I was when he signed me years ago, I think helped give my freedom in the business. With the freedom, I was able to show my growth on this album. I was able to become a woman and be in control of the things that I wanted to say. I was then able to have control over how I wanted things to look. It’s just a lot of things. Being able to have more control of this album means more to me because---(she drifts off as if in deep thought or as if she just grabbed hold of some strong emotion) many times the fans, and just people in general, don’t understand that the photo shoots or magazine covers are sometimes out of the artist’s control.

L. Dysin: Really?

Trina: Many times photos are chosen, and you (referring to artists) don’t really get to see it forehand. Therefore, some people see it and may be thinking, ‘Wow! That’s not cute.’ Meanwhile you (still referring to artists) may be thinking the same thing. So it’s just a good feeling to actually be able to say, “No, I don’t want to do that, or I don’t feel comfortable doing this. I want to do this now.” That is a lot of power. It’s a lot of control, and I think it took a long time for me to get to this point. So, I’m taking advantage of it. lol.

L. Dysin: Advantage?

Trina: Because I have this freedom, I’m able to be truly involved. On this fifth album, while I was recording, I was in the mixing room. I was into everything that was going on with the album. If there is something I didn’t like, I knew I had the freedom to turn it down. I was able to say to prominent producers that came to me with material that they thought was right for me, “Maybe that track can be put out for the streets in a mix tape, but it’s not the direction I want to go with this album.” I was able to tell those producers, who had a certain view of me, and therefore was convinced that the new best what would make a good Trina album, “No. thanks. I really don’t want to do this. I want to do something different. I’ve kind of grown out of that. I rather challenge myself.” With this album, I possess the ability to say these things, and I’m so happy to be in this position.

L. Dysin: There is nothing like Freedom.

Trina: Nothing at all.

I take a moment and listen to the excitement pouring out of Trina’s mouth. She sounds like a teenager who just got the keys to her first car; ready to ride uphill. She’s an artist on the brink, bursting with passion for what does, excited to be given the opportunity to do it her way.

Chapter 3: The Deal

L. Dysin: So many times women get taken advantage of. I don’t care if a woman is making a hit for a music company, or if just taking her car down to the local dealership to get it serviced. If she pulls up to a male generated business, and there’s a guy in charge, who feels that he knows more about that business than she does, more times than none he takes advantage of the situation. He most often works to pull the wool over eyes, and then usually attacks her where it hurts the most. Quite often, it’s her money that takes the hit. How are you on that? Do you feel as if you have been treated unfairly in the business?

Trina: Well, no. I can’t ever count to ever dollar. But I can’t assure you that there have been times that the situation didn’t work out in my favor. I can definitely say that. There are situations, where records have been done, and women artist have gotten paid for the beginning and not on the backend. Being a woman, I have been in that situation. But, speaking for myself, I now own 100% of my publishing. I make sure now when I do a record, everything is taking care of for me. Things have to work out in my benefit.

L. Dysin: 100% of your publishing. WOW! You are really handling your business.

Trina: I think it’s just growing over the years and being able to dig into the business. Being able to go over the paper work, redo my contract, and a bunch of other stuff. The deals I make now are definitely different than before. I am in a different situation than when I first signed with the label years ago. It’s more in my favor.

L. Dysin: That’s awesome!

Trina: Thanks. But I just think that any woman that comes into the business, whatever business it is, should know that the main important thing is making sure her paperwork is taken care of. And that woman needs to make sure that she is keeping up with that paperwork. Because so many times, you can’t rely on management, accountants, and/or financial advisors.

L.Dysin: I hear that.

Trina: I feel that having all of them (money managers) is great. But for a woman’s own safety, she has to be in control. She has to know what’s going on. Woman can easily be persuaded or manipulated to do a lot of different things, and consequently lose out on a lot of stuff; whether it be money or anything she considers valuable. Unfortunately, I have been in that situation before.

L. Dysin: But not now. Now, you seem in control of your own destiny. I think I admire you most for that. Trina, the business woman.

Trina: Definitely.

Chapter 4: The Past, Present, and Beyond

L. Dysin: It has been well documented that Trick Daddy has played a vital role in the start of your career. How involved is he with your career today? Is he part of your team?

Trina: Uummmm, actually no. I haven’t worked with Trick in awhile on my projects. I have worked on his last two albums. When I worked on my last album, he and I were off schedule a lot. But we are still cool. I enjoyed working on his albums. But with this album, I was just thinking that this time it is really all about me---my growth. I went into the studio and I just turned into this person that I didn’t know existed.

L. Dysin: You evolved.

Trina: Exactly. I was able to just do things that I thought was just so out of my range, which could be a little scary. But I figured, I’m going to do it anyway because who knows? I may love it!

L. Dysin: Is that how your new single, Million Dollar Girl came about? This song featuring Keri Hilson and P. Diddy seems like representation of your growth.

Trina: yes. (sounding overjoyed) The single just brings on that great feeling of being able to challenge myself, and see that I can do something that I probably never thought about put forth the effort to explore the possibility in previous years.

L. Dysin. How great is that?

Trina: It’s a great thing, as coming out as an artist alongside Trick was a great thing. Trick’s really great in the studio. He’s fun, energetic, and he’s a real creator. I mean, it’s amazing the way he comes up with different concepts. And just the chemistry between us---- a guy and a girl-- -on a record was great. But with me growing, as I look back, I’m just like, “Wow! Me and Trick was really crazy!”

L. Dysin: lol

Trina: And I go into the studio now, and I’m settled. I’m romantic. I’m sexy. It’s just all of these things now come out. It’s a great thing to know that I can stand on my own two feet. And the record label is like, ‘Who is this person?”

L. Dysin: But I bet your management is loving every bit of the fresh new you.

Trina: lol. Oh, yeah.

L.Dysin: Now that you have this freedom to seek out who you desire to collaborate with, and make it happen, in the days beyond the release of your new album, is there any one that you would like to work with?

Trina: Beyonce!!!

L.Dysin: Why her?

Trina: Because I just think she’s amazing. I just see her as, perhaps, the hardest worker in the business. And I just love her.

L. Dysin: Well, your fans love you.

Trina: And I love them.

Chapter 5: The Wrap up

L.Dysin: Honestly, Trina, speaking with you has made me a fan. Now, I can’t wait for the rest of your fans to be introduced to this “You.” Thank goodness, they don’t have to wait long since the date is set.

Trina: Yes, 3/30/2010.

L.Dysin: Sounds, Amazin’

The First Reading of my First Novel! Live Version.

2010-01-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

lyricdysin.tumblr.com

Check out a reading of my upcoming novel, "And All God's Children say, AMEN!"

Just click on the above link: lyricdysin.tumblr.com and tell me what you think.

First Novel Reading/ Lyric Dysin

2010-01-26T17:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.lyricdysin.tumblr.com/

A New Voice to be heard on the day we nationally celebrate MLK Jr.

2010-01-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

On the day that Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is nationally celebrated, I find it only fitting to support a black brother that works to uplift the nation. I came in contact with this young man, Hakeem Wali, after he asked me to review his new video entitled, "Sticking Together." If you haven't had the pleasure to get a glimpse of Hakeem's purpose, check out his video: http://youtu.be/IxGMYK5hwb0

THE NEED TO KNOW!

2009-12-06T06:18:00.000-08:00

I tend to hear it, whenever friends of mine snatch up a children's book off of the best-seller rack and scroll through the pages, only to find a catchy play on words that they feel they could have easily written themselves. So what then? What comes next? One would think that these friends would have then considered their discovery a beckon of light, or some mighty breeze of inspiration that was pushing them towards a new career, or, at least, that they would have consequently felt the urge to pull out their laptops and run into the creative corners of their mind. As for as the percentage goes, the vast majority of my friends, I'd say maybe 99.9%, ignores the light, tends to fight against that breeze, tucks their laptops underneath their daily duties, and proudly dismisses their call to write under the very positive and entertaining excuse, "I just don't have the time," or rather the ever popular," I have no clue where to start or where to go for advice, so why waste the precious minutes." Well though I consider excuses to be easy way outs for quitters, and haven't much of a reply to, "I just don't have the time," or the desire to find one, within the terms of publishing, I have a very simple answer to the question, "Where do I start?"

For a connection to the answer click on the link below.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-find-a-publisher-for-your-childrens-book

What to send to a publisher?
http://www.videojug.com/film/what-to-send-to-publishers-and-agents

Finding the right literary agent...
http://www.videojug.com/interview/finding-the-right-agent-2

How to approach an agent?
http://www.videojug.com/interview/approaching-an-agent-2

Publishing your own book...
http://www.videojug.com/interview/publishing-your-own-book-2

2009-12-06T05:34:00.001-08:00

Out with the new ...in with the old, PLEASE!

2009-11-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, everyone knows that Janet is an incredible woman. For years, she has graced her fans with her beauty, enticed us with her fly style, amazed us with her dance moves, and held us close with her magnetic personality. However, what has undoubtedly made Janet a musical icon, and set her name apart from the rest of the musical artists over the great span of her career, has always been her lyrics. Those words embedded in songs like “Rhythm Nation,” “Love will Never Do,” “Together Again,” “Again,” “I get so Lonely,” “What About,” and “IF,” just to name of few, were songs that told a human story. They were sometimes rough, sometimes tender, but always real. They felt sincere and heartfelt because they were compiled with lyrics that mirrored many of our lives. Note after note, we’d find Janet singing our stories, encouraging us to get stronger, wiser, as we learn to love harder, sweeter, or simply learn to let go. Through her music, we were allowed to burn our diaries. But sadly no more.

After catching a preview of Janet’s latest single, "Make Me," I can’t help but wonder why in the world do some people seek to change what works. Lord knows, seeing Janet grace the small screen always excites me. However, no matter how many times I hear her sing her new tunes, it's never Janet I witness. I guess I'm still stuck on the hitmaker whose lyrics were once powerful doses of good sense and reason. Perhaps, I'm still searching for the woman who, before retiring Velvet Rope, reminded me that I ought to desire to be a better person, better lover, better friend, and all out better human being. But now I don't hear this from Janet. Whenever she graces a mic, all I hear now is static; muddy water drowning the airwaves. All I hear is that awful trendy music that lacks originality and sadly blends the essential Janet into the fest pool of mediocre artists, whose talent is far beneath hers. How did this happen? Why does someone that is so perfectly original work so hard to be common? Regardless if she springs back into her old self or fades into the new, I will continue to support Janet until the end. Why? Simply because she is who she is: Janet, or Ms. Jackson if your nasty.

Click on this link below to watch the video of "Make Me"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnSB5rp9DWA

Detroit-area Father ‘Executes’ Son By: Lyric Dysin

2009-11-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

Picture this: It’s 2.pm on a sunny afternoon. You are sitting comfortably in a lounge chair on your porch, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment, as you watch the neighboring kids play in the streets. Everything appears perfect until, out of the corner of an eye, you see a neighbor pull his 15-year old son out onto his lawn and order him to strip naked, with a gun to the back of his head. The boy is screaming for help and begging for his life, and you are paralyzed with fear. Your head moves but an inch and catches a view of the little children who are also at a loss of words, as they stare at the father and son. You hear the naked child begging for his life, before the gun goes off. What do you do? What do you feel, as the little children scream and cry from the madness they just witnessed. You see the father leave his son on the ground bleeding to death, as he casually walks to his car that was parked nearby. The father drives away, as you and the little children watch the boy dying. Who do you do? How do you feel?

This terrifying image happens to be a reality to several people who witnessed a Detroit-area father, Jamar Pickney, execute his son in broad daylight in Highland Park Michigan, a small community that is adjacent to Detroit. The disturbing incident occurred early this week, shortly before Jamar was arrested. After gathering statements from neighboring witnesses, cops released their suspicions that targeted Mr. Pickney as the accused, who had allegedly drove to the home of Jamar Pickney Jr’s aunt and pulled Jamar Jr. out of the house, while ordering him to strip nude. According to a few witnesses’ statements, Jamar, 37, then took his son, Jamar Jr., to a nearby vacant lot and began yelling, “Lie down! Lie the f--- down!” The boy was said to have been begging for his life during the entire ordeal. But when he refused to lie down, his words were quickly silenced by a gunshot to the head. According to witness statements, the father then casually drove away from the scene.

Jamar Jr. later died at the hospital. Since then his father was taken into custody and talk has begun to fly around the Michigan area. It is so rumored that Jamar Jr.’s father reacted so irrationally because he had just been made aware that his son, 15 year-old Jamar Jr, had sexually assaulted his 4 year old sister. Now that statement has yet to be confirmed or acknowledge by the Pickney family, who is indeed suffering from their shocking loss. Whether it is simply talk or a bone-chilling truth, I pray that God be with that family.

Rihanna Takes A Step Forward while Chris Brown CRAWLs

2009-11-07T04:41:00.000-08:00

After watching Diane Sawyer’s 20/2o interview with Rihanna this past Friday, and then reading an irate citizen’s response to the pop singer's answers, I feel the need to offer some clarity in hopes to, if feasible, enlighten the bull that unleashed his horns to pierce the character of the Roc Nation Princess. First and foremost, in response to him implying, as many have within their private groups (and you know who you are) that Rihanna is by no means innocent in the violent experience, and that she must have played a significant role that could excuse the mind-boggling violence that happened to her on that infamous Grammy Award Night by her convicted assailant, Chris Brown, I found myself holding my breath and waiting for some sense between the lines to rescue me. As the blogger went on by accusing Rihanna of somehow being "wrong" for claiming that she felt ashamed for loving Chris, and is now less of a woman for she, like every human, is a reflection of one’s love interest, the initial thing that came to my mind is… "uhmmmm. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

I wonder what significant role could an unarmed lady, barely weighing over a hundred pounds and confined to a passenger seat, play to excuse the madness that was plastered all over her face. Even if it was something she said, (something beyond the confession she gave Sawyer, which described her finding another woman’s message left in Chris' cell phone and then nagging him about it with every intention to confirm her suspicions of him being involved in an affair) could it have been worth this?
For those who may have missed the 20/20 interview, and only caught the recap of Rihanna’s emotional side of the tragic incident on the audio on this website, you may recall that Rihanna made a reference to feeling ashamed of whom she fell in love with. The irate blogger, to whom provoked this letter, obviously took that statement and ran a marathon with it. Later calling her “Wrong” for the way she felt.

Clarity: Dear Blogger,
I doubt it seriously that when Rihanna made that comment she was stating that she felt ashamed of loving Chris, the full individual. It is my belief that she was simply labeling her shame on the "Domestic Abuser," or rather that part of the man that had hurt her so severely. In addition, when you stated, "Who you chose is a reflection of yourself," I got this eerie feeling that you are unaware that most individuals, like onions, have many layers. In a relationship, one initially sees the surface, which may pull them in. As one becomes infatuated with the other, more layers peel, which may make them attached. Finally, when you get to love, perhaps that last layer, a person may see something that burns their eyes. What are they to do then but cry? If love is present, real love, it isn't that easy to walk away from. So when you wrote that who a person chooses is a reflection of him/her, I immediately began wondering if you sincerely believe that all of a person is constantly revealed for one to see, let alone reflect. In addition, I'm curious to know if you are concrete in the notion that a domestic abuser, when he/she’s in perfect control of his/her emotions, cannot be the most loving or charming person? Are you convinced that an attacker, when he/she isn't at a boiling point, can’t be considerate and treat a love interest like an angel? If some part of you can recognize the frailty in your statements, maybe now you can invision how Rihanna fell in love Chris, and not the monster within him.

Music's "Fragile" Star Should Shine Forever!

2009-11-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

“Fragile” is my undoubtedly my favorite song on Chrisette Michele’s latest album, “Epiphany.” Although this remix with Wale doesn’t excite me, the simple fact that a talent like Chrisette has arrived in the musical spotlight on her own terms, makes me eager to celebrate. And why shouldn’t I jump for joy for this singer, when so many nowadays disappoint me?

How often do musical artists rush out of their sound booths, anxious to flash their new songs on the small screen and radio stations, primarily in search of the glitz and glamour? And more often than not, their music is just that; nothing more than a temporary shine. Their luster usually comes in the form of a hot beat and a less than desirable lyric, or the other way around. Rarely is it anything original or of lasting value, but merely a musical arrangement designed to grasp our attention and may even blind us for a moment, until our good senses forces us to turn away. So you see, when a break from the norm appears, I must pay attention and give applause where it is due.

My hands incessantly clap for Chrisette Michele for she’s anything but the trend, which I would say is a very good thing. Her voice doesn’t blend in with others that grace our radio stations and her lyrics, which she writes, aren’t compiled with shallow stories and empty emotions. Instead, Chrisette belts out her heart. She allows her mind to get tangled in her words. Her lyrics are her thoughts. Her style is her own. Her gift is from God, which is why this star, fragile or not, has been blessed with an everlasting shine.
left

MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com

An Off-Night Reality-by Lyric Dysin

2009-11-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

They heard my inside was good so the vultures came.

I sought shelter, but in came the rain.

As smiles train a thousand miles to hollow,
I've got betrayl on the brain.

Swallowing tears that maggots follow
(like gold-diggers to a mine).
Being held high for the vultures to take aim
Riding the shoulders of a crowd that I think I've made proud,
So I wonder who's the blame?

The shooter or the bullseye,
reality don't lie.
as the breath of vultures speak,
"I'm the next to die."

One sniff and I hear the dead poets speak aloud

Saying the vulture's prey
until nothing's left behind

if ONE allows

So they instruct me to hide my good
and drape myself in rotten ways
Blend in with the world
and I'd live a gazillion days.

But dare to be above the craze
and the vultures will pick at my bones
until they brittle and break
before being buried beneath the tombstone

Mind blown, I fight to fly

as they tie my wings to their silly things

to scold me.

Emotions running high
as they grin, anxious to remind me
that I'm a woman in a world

that man has built to fold me

...in hopes to straighten me out!

I shout: "No resistence will hold me...
not even DOUBT!

Work then to drain my eyes and climb to soar

so sure that the sky is my final resting place,
for why else would God have left it for?

Beyond the rugged sea; that precious shore;
that place where sunrays forever dance on my face.

Somewhere I can relax on a cluster of stars

that will not harm me, but comfort me,

as they call me the precious Daughter of Mars

Someplace so far that the Vultures can't aim

and the crowd no longer tucks their deceptions

in my brain

And my shame of being a bullseye

will die with the pain...

of being all alone.

Written By: Lyric Dysin/Dee Watts

Timberland, Keri Hilson, and Jay-z brings RUMORS

2009-10-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

The dynamic duo of Timberland and Keri Hilson, who’s flaunted several billboard hits on and off her platinum selling debut album,” In a perfect world,” has now invited the Jigga Man into their creative space. And what would come of this talented trio? I’ll tell you, “nothing but magic.” Creating the sensational single, “Rumors,” which is destined to be a club banger and national anthem for those who’ve had their full of gossip, Timberland and his talented team of headliners has given gossip’s targeted a national anthem. For all others, “Rumors” gives reason to let go of worries; the paranoia of who’s watching and judging, while allowing one to just relax, drift off into the rhythm, and dance.

Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" reminds audiences that she's one shot from tragedy.

2009-10-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Rihanna, one of the country’s most popular singers who is currently battling to escape from under the umbrella of personal scrutiny, it could have easily been predicted that her new single, on the upcoming album “Rated-R,” would have taken a more pleasant and uncontroversial route. Oddly enough, the Barbados beauty has revealed to fans and critics alike that she is nothing close to predictable. With the single “Russian Roulette,” a ballad of smooth notes that bleed tragic suspense, Rihanna throws herself and now her career into the red light. Her voice, as lovely as it is, finds itself strung to misery, which once again forces her audience to see her as the loyal victim. With lines like, “I’m terrified but I’m not leaving. I know that I must pass this test. So just pull the trigger,” Rihanna may have nearly shot her image into the mud. Instead of singing herself the survivor, Rihanna has rather reminded us that she’s just one shot from tragedy. Nevertheless, with loyal fans, who may seek to support Rihanna more for the cause,”surviving domestic abuse,” that she may unknowingly represent, more than her musical talent, the Roc-Nation princess may certainly rise again.

Publicity Plot to rob Taylor of the number # 1 spot.

2009-09-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Could we all stop chatting about Kanye West? After commenting on this topic, with the hope of getting others on my bandwagon to band Kanye from our mouths and social network write-ups, which deal with the Taylor Swift madness, I have planned to never again write a single word about him. You see, I am certain that this constant chatter, this consistent whirlwind, that circulates his name is pleasing him. Whether the feelings of the people towards him are negative, I think matters not to Kanye. What matters most to him, I am convinced, is that everyone knows his name.

And what has his last outburst done? As the world focuses on the shame he brought to Taylor Swift, it amazes me that the people aren't showering her with the attention that he stole from her. Instead, what has happened is exactly what Kanye wanted to happen. The people have poured their attention on him.

What people refuse to see in all of this madness is that Kanye is a marketing mastermind, who had learned early in his career that crashing can bring him amazing success. He understands that making an unsettling outburst on national TV will give him free press that is grander than any cover of any magazine or any primetime interview. And so, the man takes the shine from a talented young girl on stage, as if he was redirecting the limelight on Beyonce'. When all the time, he knew he was actually putting the spotlight on himself. He's not stupid! Kanye knew that night that he wasn't going to win an award, and that he wouldn't hit the stage unless he made such a disturbance. He understood that that night wasn't about him, but about Lady Gaga, Beyonce, M. Jackson, and a young country artist winning a VMA award; leaving him outstaged off stage. No way, he could handle that. His ego disallowed it, and the foundation of his career demanded his crack in sanity, in order to keep him among the biggest names in music.

So you see, continuing to write about him, leaves us (myself included as of now) playing in his hands. All Kanye pulled at the VMAs was a publicity stunt. At the end of the event, Kanye needed to hear his name lingering in the air, whether it came attached to applause or curse words. For of course, in show biz any publicity is good publicity.

Take this: I am convinced that K. West's comment about Bush hating Black people during the Katrina benefit was also a publicity stunt. It just so happen, that his words were what many people were thinking at the time. Therefore, his rudeness was considered a bold relief. But catch this, what if Kanye is really not a rude person at all? What if he's just playing this role of an out-of-control artist, in hopes that this music monster that he has created will transform him into the biggest superstar on earth? Maybe he's playing the role so well now that he's losing control of his own character. This is definitely, what I believe. Yet in the end, I think Kanye could care less if he loses himself, as long as he maintains "The Good Life," as he so eloquently put it in one of his rap songs.

So what if his outburst upsets people enough to match his rudeness and write and/say the most unflattering things about him. The man has proven that he cares less if people think he's rude. He only cares if people know his name, and if people buy his music. And the fact that he has now ever country music-lover, and pop follower, knowing who he is and, as the ultimate credit, has the President of the United States speaking his name, I'm certain that Kanye feels on a natural high. Therefore, we must stop it! We must smother the talk. We must kill all the chatter. This is the only thing that will upset Kanye, besides not buying his music.

But of course, people will. When his next record drops, I can envision millions of people packing the music stores; pushing and shoving in long lines, anxious to scan his new work across the register. And why? Because now that he has put himself on the biggest stage, and opened himself to the ears of every genre of music, I'm confident that Kanye is working beyond himself to produce chart topping hits that will force his haters to vote him on the stage. If not, we can all expect him to slide in someone else limelight and throw out another inappropriate and unsettling outburst into air that will once again have the people screaming his name.

Finding Unsinkable Love May Save Your Life

2009-08-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

After taking three plus hours of my day to travel back in time and revisit "The Titanic" along its infamous journey on the cold Atlantic in 1912, and having the pleasure of gazing into the lives of two unlikely lovers, who found a passionate peace in the mist unforeseen madness, I began to wonder if the strongest love between two people is bounded by the things they hate, or is the best love welded together by the rescue?

On the Titanic the hatred that surrounded the lovers was easy to spot. For her, Rose DeWitt Bukater, the thing she despised the most was the lack of autonomy in her life. She was agitated by the push she felt from family that pressured her to hide their financial burdens under a cloak of deception, which she was told had to be strapped on tightly and worn from sunup to sunset. Its design was cut out for her to live a fictitious life that was completely planned out for her; a life that boldly chose her husband, her meals, and decided who she could and couldn't be friends with. Her lack of decision making in her own life put a bitter taste in her mouth, and as I watched her swallow this bitterness, I could sense that its taste was poisoning her ever so slowly. Soon, it was apparent that Rose would either die or looked to be saved.

Then she met Jack, the penniless orphan who hadn't felt any constraints in life, and she was instantly drawn to him. She was attracted to the freedom that he wore like a badge of honor on his chest, despite the fact that his freedom was carved out of a positive outlook of poverty. Rose never breathed a word of this to me, but I feel certain that she had made up in her mind that she was going to embrace poor Jack the moment she met him. Why? I'm certain that it's because Rose had a longing to embrace and love what was lost in herself, and she was aware that true survival could only come if a person feels complete.

I wonder how many lovers hook up for the same reasons. I don't think I've ever looked at man and said, "Wow! This guy possesses the internal qualities that I'm missing in my life. If I hold on to him, he can save me from disaster. If I love him, I will become a more complete being. His sexy way of reflecting the things I lack is really a turn on!" No, not ever have I said this. Instead, I usually find myself first attracted to the height, the smile, and the eyes of man. Afterwards, I'm interested in how well he can carry on a conversation about whatever. Next, I almost always search him over for the things most like myself. And what I've found, after talking to many friends and associates about the matter, is that I am not alone.

How insane is this? Should singles not search so hard for common traits in a mate, and more so look for the things that they aren't comfortable with inside of themselves in another? Would this make them happier beings and therefore more apt to have that unbreakable, undeniable, and everlasting love that not even a Titanic could sink?

When did the lives of dogs outweigh the lives of human beings?

2009-07-30T11:00:00.001-07:00

Many times I've read messages posted online and in newspapers about Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and what the public deems and appropriate punishment. But only one message forced me to comment. It wasn't actually the writer's ridiculous indirect but apparent comparison of Michael Vick to serial killers that moved me to this action, but rather the fact that there hasn't been a million people before to me to comment on Vick's behalf. I mean really, let's be serious here, Michael Vick is by no means Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, Jeffrey Dahmer, or any other serial killer known for torturing animals. Never for a moment was it evident or even perceived that Vick did what he did because he had pleasure in watching animals hurt, but rather that it was more so the competitiveness in it; the rush of the fight and the uncertainty of the outcome, that caused his undoing. And it should be done. Over. Finished. Two years is more than enough time to serve for torturing dogs when people are known for serving less time for murdering their neighbor, friend, or lover. When did the lives of dogs mean more than the lives of humans? People get hurt every day by other people. They get raped, beaten, burned, and never do I see crowds of people lining the streets outside the buildings that hold their court cases. Never do I see the picket signs outside their offenders jobs, attempting to force their bosses to hand out pink slips. No, as humans we allow these people to move on and build new lives, whether they have done time behind bars or not. And if we were actually brave enough to do the research we would realize that these people, who have done terrible things to other people, are our mothers, brothers, sisters, children, and may have even been or will one day be ourselves. Nevertheless, they are the people we have chosen to love and respect. Perhaps, we don't love and respect them for the horrible thing that we know they have done. But rather we love them for who they are as a whole body. People who interact daily with other people, and have healthy social relationships with beings that don't bark or meow can understand this. Sad things is, people who have devoted their lives to dogs and other animals, have lost sight of the value of human life. Consequently, they believe that is justified for Vick to do two years in prison and be shut out from savaging what was left of his life. All the while, physical abusers of men, women, and children, as well as murders of innocent individuals get off, in many cases, without a blemish to their name. It's just ridiculous to me. Vick has done more than enough time to silence the dog lovers of America. His case just proves to me how turned upside down this world is. No wonder so many are disoriented.

THE plain TRUTH!

2009-07-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

After commenting on a message left on Gayle King's board, which reflected on whether or not Blacks' shout of racism is truly valid, my mind began to wonder. It began to sink into the possibilities of why racism is still a breathing word in this country, and why it continues to hold so much weight in our minds and on our tongues, as it springs into any and every conversation.

True the bulk of the weight stems from yesteryear, when Black Americans were entirely innocent to the hardships pressed upon them by white men. And certainly, chains on the mind are much stronger than chains on any wrist or ankle. Yet and it still, in this day and time, the reason that most racism falls on the laps of the black race, is because of Black people.

I hate to admit it, but I don't see how anyone can deny it; with a black man in the White House. Despite the major advances that individual Black Americans have made in fields of education, entertainment, politics, and corporate trust, the black race, as a entity, is becoming a racist's dream.

You see, unlike yesteryear, there is one color that blinds mankind. It isn't black or white, but green. It's sad to say but if have green overflowing out of your wallet, it will make the most racist of beings embrace you. Of course, they will call you an exception to their friends. Nevertheless, they will tame their tongues and maybe even bow their heads when you come around.

But without the green, which usually marks a level of education or talent, the color of skin shines through before the scent of one's character. My problem is that, once upon a time, the color black actually defined character, which of course wasn't outlined in the earliest print of Webster. What the nation chose to read back then was the falsehood that stated: Blacks are lazy lower class, in capable of using their minds to achieve; forced to rather settle on their hands and the hard soles of their feet to make a living and their place in the world.

What I loved about yesteryear is that Blacks either couldn't or wouldn't read that crap. Instead, they believed in what was told to them by their ancestors and what they saw produced every day. They saw intelligent blacks teach themselves how to read on and between the lines. They saw amazing Blacks use their minds to make inventions that made the world better. Because of this, Blacks of yesteryear knew they were better and so they worked to be better, and demanded as much from their kids.

As of late, however, many within the Black race don't work to be better, nor do they demand it of their children. I blame this on the disconnection between the generation of old and that of the new, within the black community. The fact that Black America, as a whole, has appeared to have lost the understanding of what it means to be black in America, I sense has made them less proud of who they are, and more likely to become what their enemies desire them to be.

So what should it mean to be Black? What did it once mean to be Black?

1) Being Black in America meant trusting that God will make a way, while seeking the path.
2) It meant being strong in self and determined to make tomorrow better than yesterday.
3) It stood for an understanding that education, one of the major treasures that Blacks fought to have access to obtaining, is the key to freedom on this earth. Therefore, it was forbidden to just be valued and casually pursued, but rather need to be hunted down and treasured.
4)Being Black in America meant respecting the footprints behind you; those imprints left behind by Blacks whose lives were lived to push Black forward.
5) Pride of how strong, smart, and favored we must be to climb out of a graveyard and build houses on a plantation created to kill us, without a dime of reparation.
6) It meant strength. It revealed that in the darkest night, one doesn't settle in the trenches but fights or looks for the North Star in search for better. For Being Black in America meant...
7...Being better (just to be considered equal). It meant when Black is refused a stage, one is built by black fans. When Black is refused a bridge, one is made by black hands. This is because being black in America defined no restrictions, no chains on legs, or wrists, or mind. It meant Fredrick Douglass, Marion Anderson, Benjamin Banneker, George Washington Carver, Archibald Alexander, Percy L. Julian, Dr. Charles Richard Drew, Elijah McCoy, Emmett W. Chappelle, Dr. Mae. Jemison, D. Martin Luther King, and thousands more Blacks who worked to redefine America instead of allowing America to define them.

Yet, somewhere along the years, Black Americans (as a whole) have forgotten what it means to be who they are, and so they (myself included) have become something else. Parents have dropped the responsibility of telling their black kids that they were born to be miracles in the making, as their forefathers were. And why? Because that's who they are. Thus, this lack of knowledge has left newer generations of Black without a true sense of self. It has left them branding themselves with gang signs and designer labels, trying to find the pride in something. It's left them thinking excuses actually excuse failures. It's left them looking into the darkness for light, standing on the edge of nothing-afraid to build a bridge. Because, somewhere along way, a lack of knowledge has taught Blacks in America that success is no longer defined by progress, but by dollar signs and pedestals.

It's sadly tragic how true the old saying is: "You don't know where you can go, until you know where you've been." Because Blacks in America have forgotten where they've been, they have no clue that they are going back in time. They are going so far back, in fact, that they are erasing the memories of Marion Anderson, Percy Julian, as they seek to stand on these pedestals that slaves were once forced to dance upon to gather bids for profit.

So here we are. No knowledge. No progress. Here we are in a place where Blacks in America now run to dance on these pedestals. Now they don't fight to read, but dance. Now they don't fight to pray to their God, for they think they are God. Now they don't look to create what they are missing, instead they just complain about it. Growing less of the inventor, less the educator, less God filled, and more the dancer, Black America appears doomed; existing with the mission to entertain rather than thrive. But then again, being Black in America also means being President. I think that along can change things for the better. Yes, it can!

Ghost.

2009-07-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

This blog post is dedicated to Dorothy Stratten, Rihanna, and all the women who face physical and emotional abuse. Original Lyric written By Lyric Dysin/DShawn Watts Not sure how it happened, really I knew your love would lift me to fly But the prison you built around us, is killing me And I don’t want die. See my life flashing before my eyes, You promise paradise but I see hell. You smile, flaunting me in a crowd Privately drowning me in my wishing well A penny for these thoughts: You tell me I'm worth all of your time and I should be grateful for this prison because it keeps me in line... and keeps three meals on my plate, and drapes cotton across my skin, and keeps my head dry from the rain, blocking the vultures that bend the wind. Regardless of your mistakes, you say I'm better because you're within, So I should bandage the pain with a smile for pleasure comes with your sin. And I should appreciate your spying For your watch keeps me safe And out of reach of freaks and Madmen who often drift out of place. But I say…No More! I must Go! And then your grip tightens under my chin Until the blood in my veins ceases to flow and a Ghost peels from beneath my skin Not sure how it happened, really Always knew your love would lift me to fly But the prison you built around us, is killing me And I don’t want die. These lyrics were inspired by the pain many suffer in the mist of controlling relationships. Have you also felt the pain, or after sensing it coming, got out of the relationship just in time? Do you know someone who wasn't so lucky? Are certain people just doomed to physical abuse? Do you feel that abusers look for lovers they can dominate? Have you ever been the abuser? When you hear of people being physically beaten or emotionally abused by their mate, do you have any pity? When they choose to stay with their abusers, do you call them foolish or stupid? What's your take on Rihanna's situation (from what we know of it)? Let's chat. Let's share. Perhaps, your views can alter someone else perspective?

Him and Her, and the reason they aren't an US

2009-07-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

When it comes to relationships, if you ask any woman if she knows what she wants, as in the type of man that could turn the sexually frustrated tiger within in her into a well tamed and purring kitten, nine times out of ten, her answer will be an infinite YES! Ask that same woman if she knows how to get that man she wants, or how to keep the possibility of such a man interested in her long enough to feel confident that he’s just what she’s been looking for, and her answer will more than likely be, “Of course, I have my ways.” But the truth is, as a woman, I have learned that a woman’s ways have long let us down.

According to John Gray, critically acclaimed author of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," improving relationships between a male and a female takes understanding the communication style and emotional needs of the opposite gender. Now I figure this to be a manageable task if one is married and has dedicated his/her life to finding the switches to make the relationship work. But for singles, who often feel they have the goods to quickly attract another and not the time to waste, a misunderstanding in communication styles and the idea that the man/or woman you’re with doesn’t understand or can't satisfy your emotional need, will often sever the relationship before it can get off its feet.

I never figured this more true than last night, after asking an old friend to join me and a few guys to have a good time watching a premiere event. In actuality, asking her to join us was only partly my idea, since one of the guys in the car, to whom I’m going to name Evan (false), requested that I ask one of my friends to be his companion on this eventful journey, given the fact that he figured that I and the driver, to whom I'm going to call Richard (also false), would find some time to hook up. What Evan didn’t know is that Richard and I hadn’t a chance of hooking up, since our differences in communication styles made it impossible for us to understand the other's emotions. For when he pursued me back when, he couldn’t read that I was as equally interested, since I didn't behave like many women he had been involved with before. Then after choosing to move on, my feelings of being rejected closed off my heart to him, leaving only a flirtatious friendship possibility to brew between us. But this Evan wasn't aware of, as I accepted his request to ask a friend of mine to join us.

Evan didn't say it, but I figured that I knew exactly what he was asking. I was convinced that he just didn't want me to ask any friend but one that would be compatible with him. And so, I analyzed him silently for a moment and then dialed up and old friend that I sensed would fit.

I tell yall, I nearly spent two hours regretting the decision, as the two (my old friend and Evan) began to bicker and butt heads during our journey. I couldn’t understand it. I figured that they would hit off, knowing what I knew of them both; analyzing their personalities. It seems that when he said left, she went right. When she looked at him, instead of him noting that he had grabbed her attention, he sensed that she was giving him the evil eye, and maybe she was. But why?

Each time, I tried to explain her defensive moves, she’d laugh and say that I was putting her on the couch, as if I was trying to be her shrink. And maybe I was. I was trying to decipher, what was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way? There was a good man right in her face and she was pushing him away. Why?

Later on, I began to make excuses for her. With her being much like myself, I began to reflect on bad moves I had made in previous relationships that promised to doom me to the single life, if I didn’t correct them. Moves like: building my wall of defenses extra high and challenging the man to find his way pass the bricks and the shooting cannons, as if his persistence proved how much he wanted me, and as if only such proof would grant him a step closer to proving he was worthy of my good love. Not wanting to make a mistake in finding the wrong companion, I figured this process was good measure, and would naturally weed out the punks, ducks, dogs, and scum-bags, so that I can easily spot the one that I could live happily ever after with.

Many men climbed. For a few weeks, they tried. And as time progressed or after they found the wall too intimidation, they disappeared. The more the men gave up, the less I blamed the wall. “The men weren’t ready for a woman like me,” I'd say. “Not one of them was man enough, which is why each of them soon sought out easy pickings in women who didn’t make their love a challenge.” I even thought less of these women who held up no defenses, and labeled their men foolish for standing beside them.

But really I was the foolish one; not so much for making my love a challenge, but rather for making it, in many cases, an impossible feat for any man, who really doesn’t know me well enough to know if I’m worthy of his efforts, to climb. It was only when I saw my old friend mimicking my steps that I became aware of my actions, and resentful of each and every one.

So here we were: two men and two women. Good people. Loving, caring, ambitious, head on straight, attractive when we act right, type people. And yet, we were single even within this group. As our journey ended, I wondered why? The answer I later determined was due the misunderstanding in communication styles and the cluelessness to the emotional needs of the other.

Perhaps, this too may change. Who knows, the walls may be falling as I type.

Pretty Wings/Ugly Truth

2009-07-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

Pretty Wings lyrics
Songwriters: David, H; Menard, Maxwell Gerald

Time will bring the real end of our trial
One day they'll be no remnants
No trace, no residual feelings within ya
One day you won't remember me

Your face will be the reason I smile
But I will not see what I cannot have forever
I'll always love ya, I hope you feel the same

Oh you played me dirty, your game was so bad
You toyed with my affliction
Had to fill out my prescription
Found the remedy, I had to set you free

Away from me
To see clearly the way that love can be
When you are not with me
I had to leave, I have to live
I had to lead, I had to live

If I can't have you, let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around
Pretty wings, your pretty wings
Your pretty wings around

Do you feel the lyrics? Can you picture the words of this Maxwell hit breathing life into your present or past? The music that sings possibilities, the reflections, of a love so dangerously strong that you wish for it die, all the while knowing that maybe the best part of you will die with it.

[Time will bring its end. It will cut loose ends, until there will be no trace of it left on the one you love, nor any remaining feelings? And though simply the thought of that saddens you, envisioning your lover’s face makes you smile. But it’s a face you refuse to see, no matter how much your flesh craves or how fast you feel the walls caving in. You feel your lover’s love is too dangerous to hold in your heart.

Still there will always be love, despite your lover’s dirty games that played with your suffering. In a desperate attempt to keep him/her by your side, you tried alternative ways to cease your pain. Yet, eventually you could no longer deny that your lover was the disease, and only separation could cure you. So you set your love free, so you could see clearly what a love should be (sensing that love shouldn’t cause you pain). You felt forced to leave, so you can truly live (happily)].

Do you feel the lyrics? Have you been there? Are you there now?

Testify:

How well do you identify with Pretty Wings? Have your heart ever set a beat to the lyrics? Have you been sickened by a love that you felt forced to let it fly, in order to save what was left of yourself?

Independent Women: A Man's Dream?

2009-07-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

It didn't take Ne-Yo's hit, "Miss Independent," to make us all aware of the fact that in this time of American Recession the idea of a woman who primarily depends on her man to provide for her basic needs is no longer flattering in the eyes of most men, and thereby the appeal of the yesterday's woman (the full-time housewife) is nearly non-existent. Nowadays, women who are able to handle their own finances are looked upon as desirable rare jewels, sought out by the best and worst of men, when it was once the woman who reflected sound inner values and moral character that was heavily smiled upon. So where has the shift of perception left us? Does a woman's paycheck now determine her worth in the world, and if so is this primarily the reason why our natural child barriers have produced, within the last few generations, such wild and unruly seeds? Of course, women around this country will testify that it's not solely a woman's job to raise the next generation. However, after centuries of earlier generations of women taking on the job, and doing it well, it only brings me to wonder: Has this same job resulted in such devastating effects because of today's woman's preoccupation with work that pays in dollars rather than good sense? And have women turned down the duty of being attentive and dedicated mothers, to earn a profession that may attract, who they figure to be, a good man or any man. I wonder.

Years back, when I first would hear men shout out that they wanted an independent woman, I would cringe. I'd tighten my jaws and fist and look at this men as scum-slackers, who only looked for working women so that they would have someone to split the tab with for dinner, tackle on mortgage payments, and/or other oncoming bills that, on their own, would technically bury their manhood. I would grow angry at these men, and even more angry at the women who would willingly support them, for at least a season.

Now, despite the fact that I have become an independent woman, the thought of any man being attracted to me for this very reason is a turn off. I'm rather attracted to the man who considers my income irrelevant, and thinks of loving me with idea of totally supporting who I am, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially. But this is a yesterday's woman talking.

Regardless of the fact that I'm considered a today's woman by age, I was raised to value moral soundness over income, and to believe that a woman's most important job is to properly raise the children; not to up her stock in the workplace to get that fancy car, that two car garage, and designer fit, in order to inevitably attract a man. But then again, perhaps the fact that I'm turned off by the mere thought, and simply disgusted by the men that perpetuate the idea, defines why I'm single. And being one of the 55% of single American women, who isn't gay, gives me the impression that I'm not alone.

So who are you?

Brothas, do you find yourself passing on a woman with good strong values and morals to pursue the sista that you'd consider less of a finacial burden? Do you find yourself seeking out the woman that doesn't need nor expect you to pay for her movie ticket or dinner? Does the mere idea of being looked at to buy a woman an outfit, or pay for her to get her hair done, turn you off enough to look elsewhere?

Sistas, do you find yourself investing less in your child and your inner spirit, in order to devote more time, attention, and care into your image? If so, why do you do this? Is it to attract a special someone? Have you given it much thought? Are you sold by the cliche', "Birds of a feather flock together," that you have chosen to devote your life to the business world, and thereby feel the need to work so that you can afford to look similar to that you wish to attract?

I'm curious. So tell me who are you?

Human Nature

2009-07-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

They say he’s gone…but I can still hear his voice in the air
His message of freedom, hope, and love riding the wind
that blows gently through my hair.
Springing melodies without compare,
over decades and shades of brilliance
His mere existence breathing love and healing
for the world to share.

More than a trendsetter…
More than amazing voice…
More than the lyrics he spun
to remind us that the way we live was our choice.
More than his groundbreaking hits
that I must admit, would suddenly cause my body to throw fits,
dropping to half splits, spinning twisters
while thrusting hips and standing on toes,
screaming, “who’s bad?”
like everyone should know….

That he and I are connected…

Though I had never touched his face
Or shook his hand,
Or shared a dance in the same space,
Or had really gotten to know the man….

…who taught me that in the mirror is where healing begins…
...who used his talent to make me feel more than a fan…
...And more than Black…
...And more than able to achieve greatness
...despite the world’s attacks…

So rest on, Dear Michael, for you deserve the peace
Rest on, for I know you’re not gone…
I can hear your voice in the wind pushing me to ascend,
encouraging me to be strong.

So Rest on,
Rest…
My dear Michael…
Finally, you can rest.

Written By: Lyric Dysin/D'Shawn Watts 7/8/09

A Great Tragedy: Generations clash in classrooms

2009-07-08T04:27:00.000-07:00

Painter is above; the man on the left (Sidney Carter)

"...if we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow." ~John Dewey

Statistically speaking, it has become a well known fact that classrooms don't run themselves. Students can fill every seat in a classroom and learn absolutely nothing. So what can press these students to move forward? What can put their minds in gear to get serious about their futures? What can encourage them to dedicate themselves to learning new objectives that have proven necessary for their survival? Former president of William Penn College, Gus Tuberville, states, “For learning to take place with any kind of efficiency students must be motivated. To be motivated, they must become interested. And they become interested when they are actively working on projects which they can relate to their values and goals in life.”

This theory of Mr. Tuberville further reinforces the notion that technology, which is what today’s students actively work with and value, must be incorporated in current classrooms in order to motive students to learn. When this process takes place in every classroom across America, and every teacher creatively and willingly mixes the objectives of the past with the techno tools of the future, classrooms will successfully become learning engines.

Teaching the Net Generation: THE RESPONSE

2009-07-06T12:12:00.001-07:00

Teaching the Net Generation has proven arduous for most teachers. Being that the internet doesn’t provide a criteria based rubric to inform teachers of what the student has and hasn’t learned from the net, makes it very difficult for a teacher to grasp where the student’s knowledge rest and easy for the student to disguise his/her deficiencies. For instance, a quick reference to a particular historical website that the student may visit frequently, due to his/her own special interest, may give the teacher the impression that the student is knowledgeable of all historical facts, when in actually it may only be a section of history that the student actually knows. In addition, after factoring in the possibility that the section of history that the student has mastered may have derived from the writings of only one author, who may or may not be an expert in that historical field, an even greater challenge for teachers may arise. For now, the teacher has to spend quality class time to convince the student that the information he/she has digested as truth is truly false. This can prove to be a nearly impossible task, since despite the fact that the internet allows any and everyone the opportunity to write on any given topic, many students of the NET Generation believe, as they do about all broadcasted media, that everything that is published publically is as fact. Therefore, anyone who challenges what he/she has learned through publication is hereby wrong in the student’s mind, teacher or not.

Another problem that teachers often face when teaching those of the Net Generation is proving the importance of sentence structure, proper grammar, and the need for subject –verb agreement within each sentence. Due to the fact that the internet not only condones the misspelling of words and the improper abbreviation of phrase, English skills aren’t only ignored but lost. This reality has stripped students of the necessary written communication skills needed to perform career task. Many students have even told teachers, much like myself, to ignore the sentence structure mistakes and word misspellings in their writings and concentrate more on the content; a technique that is often practice on the NET.

So where has the NET left the NET Generation? Has it left them better off or destined to be left behind? Has gaining knowledge on the internet been more of a help or hinder to students? How has it affected the classrooms, and the student’s honest career opportunities? The honest truth, I doubt will be published over the internet. Therefore, I fear, the Net Generation may never know it.

Farewell to the King of Pop: Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T17:28:00.001-07:00

It's not funny how easily people turn the table and talk well of a dead man, after haunting his life. So first off, let me confess that I'm not one of those people. Michael's shining star never extinguished in my eyes. He was a genius. He was an American icon, who sadly no longer felt welcomed in his own country. He changed the way people accepted music. He made music come alive. Videos were only still images before Michael came along. Choreography was just a simple one-two step. Michael was the music's version of Martin Luther King. He blended races with his talents, pressing crowds of white and black people together, who were so overwhelmed by his greatness that they felt compelled to cheer instead of scream. Yes, Michael did that! He made peace and love with heart piercing lyrics that made every person, at one time or another, look his or herself in the mirror to seek self correction. Yes, Michael did that, and that is what I chose to remember. Not the scandal. Not the physical transformations. Not the accusations or the lies. Not even the way he spun around the stage wearing that shiny glove. I've rather decided to remember that Michael was a man who worked to use his talent to heal the world, to bring people together, and to bring a smile to the sick. My only wish is that now that he's gone those who believe in his mission would do the same.

2009-06-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

Lyric Lounge” Today’s Song Choice: JESSIE POWELL’s “It it Over?”

Lyrics:

Your love is as strong,
As the widest river is long
And here stands the man the man too afraid
To jump in so you thought it should end.

Those pretty eyes, never lie
You say it's over, but your eyes deny
You so in control, that's what you think
Why are you fooling yourself, baby
Your not fooling me

chorus:

Is it over
you and I
are you truly better off without me there by you side
is it over
you and I (something in your eyes)
something in your eyes is telling me not to say goodbye
-------------------

Now Friends, just between you and me, tell me that you’ve been there. Women? Men? All of you with a beating heart, at some point in your lives have been intertwined in this song, I know it. Some of you may have already quoted portions of the lyrics to your love interest, or are thinking about doing so in a moment’s time. If you are seriously considering ending your relationship because of "commitment issues", I beg you to STOP, read on, and then make your decision.

Women: I’m certain that many of you have told a man that you love that the relationship between you is over, or maybe you are thinking about telling this man. I don't perceive to know your reasons. Although if, by chance, your reasons resemble those in the song, and thereby you are willing to denounce the relationship because you sense that your man isn't as fully commited to your "us" as you are, I must ask, "How do you know? When you feel his lack of commitment to your relationship has forced you to use every bit of your energy to walk away from him, all the while knowing that just a magnetic look from him would real you back, tell me "what are you really expecting?"

Men: I have no doubt that you’ve heard some sista say that your relationship was over, but that look in her eye told you that she was waiting for you to change her mind, or better yet pleading for you to change her course.

We’ll friends, I’ve been there once or twice, and oddly on both sides. There was once a time, very long ago, when I was so deep into a brotha’s existence that even the stank of his gym shoes excited my senses. Back then, I had vowed to wrap myself around his ugliest as tightly as I did his goodness because that’s the way I measured love. When he didn’t match my ways, I figured that he didn’t match my love. So, of course, I said, “It’s over.”

I can’t help but recall how fast I said it, “it’s over,” and how quickly I regretted it. Although, I can’t help but remember how determined I was to keep a stone cold face, as if it legitimized my words, while I turned away from him ever so slowly, anxiously waiting for him to change my mind (by vowing to match my ways). At the same time, the man I once loved hard enough to cook him a full meal off the pennies in my purse, later told me that he felt that I considered his love not good enough, and that he gave me his magnetic look knowing the bond between us could not last.

And he was right? One look was all it took, and we were together again. As time passed, I once again felt he didn’t measure my level of commitment and so again I screamed, “It’s over!” He gave me the look again and I ran back to him on an empty promise. Then we did this dance for years, back and forth, until neither of us could stand the music.

No more words. There was no need. It was over and not because we didn’t love each other, but rather because we couldn’t understand how the other loved. He couldn’t see that my love had chosen to reveal itself in the things I accepted (the smelly socks, the video game obsession, the dirty plates that he threw into the sink without hesitation, as if by gender cleaning up his mess was my duty). On the other hand, as he later revealed to me, I couldn’t see that he didn’t measure his love by the things he accepted, but rather by those things he willingly sacrificed without regret (nights out with the boys, the numerous amounts of women that, in casual conversation, would reveal to him how single they are and how lonely they get on rainy nights). His confession led me to the realization that ‘all the time that I wanted him to wrap himself around my ugliness as tightly as he embarrassed my goodness, he was doing just that, but in his own way. He had fully committed to all of me in a way that I couldn’t understand. In a way, most women can’t perceive, which often leads them to say those three fatal words, “It’s over,” which would usually be followed by, “cause you don’t love me the way I deserve to be loved,” or some other nonsense.

I know now that, for the most part, women and men have different views on how to love. Therefore, there is no sensible way to truly measure how much another person loves us. Not when we are using our own measuring tool, one that may be vastly different than the one our luv is holding. It’s like yardstick to liter, how can one measure the same object or emotion in their respective ways and expect the result to be justly calculated an proven equal. NO, instead the reading will reflect and “error,” and sadly many men and women, who were or are deep in love , will take that reading and run away with it.

Home

2009-05-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Some time after the snake slithered through the trees
And the greens shriveled in frost under the Golden sun
And the virgins became one to birth nations of hate...

The fateful wait:

With eyes stretched, peering out at the darkest clouds
As the earthquakes crumbles, and thunder strikes aloud
As the Tsunamis humbles, towering over the proud...

The fateful wait:

With growing wings fanning disease in the breeze
As vengence glows on allies and foes, attempting to force them to their knees
As land drowns flesh just as fast as the seas...

The fateful wait:

Until the day the trumpet sounds and flesh falls from bone,
and wings spread to catch the blessed wind
It is then that the fateful wait no more to ascend...

HOME.

Copyright @ 2009 Written By: Lyric Dysin/DShawn Watts

B.E.T. [Time to Demand BETTER]

2009-05-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, it's Sunday evening and I get the impulse to turn to my B.E.T. channel, thinking I can catch a bit of inspirational entertainment, while the NBA playoffs are put on pause for a commercial time-out, and what do I see....

Honestly, for about a full minute, I wasn't sure of what I saw. It was a blurry blend of brown and white. But the way the camera moved, I got the eerie sense that the blur was intentional. I kept watching, trying to figure this picture out. And as the camera moved, images became clearer. I figured out that the brown was a person. With a little more clarity, I realized that the brown was actually two people, who were naked and moving on top of one another. Meanwhile, the white color that I saw turned out to be bubbles that were foaming in a tub. Immediately, I grabbed my remote and pushed the channel up button, thinking that I had mistakenly pressed HBO or Cinemax rather than BET. When I realized that it was actually BET that showcased the porno-like feature, I then checked my clock to review the time. It wasn't even 9:00 pm yet. How many kids are up before nine and watching BET?

I'm became irate, instantly. In fact, I'm still irate! After, trying to grab a hold of my emotions, I checked my TV guide channel to get the name of the indecent film that BET deemed acceptable to view at a family hour. "Superfly," is the name of the film.

I understand that "Superfly" maybe a classic film in the black community, and B.E.T. is a popular programming channel for African-Americans, but still I figure the Network would make better choices on their film selections. I am so disappointed in them, wondering if B.E.T. is simply airing films to attract a crowd, without giving a thought or care to the people who actually make up the crowd? KIDS! KIDS! There may be adults that swarm around the TV sets, but before 9 p.m. I assure you that there are also kids that are up watching these characters having their sex in the tub. If the network felt that "Superfly" had to be shown on a Sunday evening, why didn't they edit it? TBS edits their films, as well as the other networks that actually give a D#MN about its young viewers.

B.E.T., your title alone, "BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION," gives off the impression that you actually care about the black community. If so, be more of the solution and less of the problem. Don't glorify sex to black kids, or any kids for that matter. There is already too much premarital sex, too many babies having babies and abortions. There is already too much AIDS in the black community, and too much focus on the temporary pleasure of sex and not enough on love. I'm talking about the love of self; the love of God, the love of education, the love of morals and values, the love of a joyous career, the love of family. B.E.T. let's showcase films with these topics in the future. The viewers will be better off!

GOLDEN GIRL [Tribute to Bea Author]

2009-05-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

At the moment, I'm watching reruns of "Golden Girls" and a rush of emotion has come over me. It appears that time is standing still, and Bea Authur is still with us. I wonder, when she was alive, if she was aware of how important her existence was to the world;to all cultures and ages. In all honestly, I wasn't aware of her importance until now. Simply recalling how I would flock to the family TV set as a young African-American girl, living in a black community that was boiling with racial prejudice, and age and gender discrimination, I'm certain that it was images of Bea Athur and the girls living out what I thought were their lives, that convinced me that the difference in my color of skin didn't make me any different than the next person, that my gender didn't make me weak, and that growing older didn't have to bring sadness. Through Bea Author's humor, strength, and the revealing personality of her character, a young Black Girl rushed to TV set to see that a golden life can also be her own.

The National List of Beautiful Black Women welcomes: Jill Scott...

2009-03-29T23:31:00.001-07:00

This morning I heard there is a new show hitting the air waves, and that it's starring Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose (two of my favorite performers). I then hear that the show, being viewed on HBO Sunday nights at 8p.m., is centered on a woman's detective agency that is placed in the heart of Africa. Now, my first instinct was to worry for the careers of my two favorite performers. Lawd knows that many times over, I've seen the careers of great artist brutally bashed and buried by the media for stepping out on a ledge; far out of their comfort zones, to supposedly do what they deemed important to their lives or, less honorably, break out of the cocoon that the media had carved for them to live and die in. So naturally, I worried for the two budding stars, while praying that this venture on the small screen would not confirm the end of their careers.

After watching the HBO premiere of “The No. Ladies Detective Agency,” I must say I couldn't have been more pleased. Not only did Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose give outstanding and award-winning performances in their respective roles, but the show itself was a surprising delight. Shockingly, I was fed a different view of the Homeland, Africa. Unlike the perspective of this pride country that I'm fed in movies, telethons, and charity commercials, this show revealed something new and fresh. I saw the people of Africa; not diseased, bloody and war-torn, but much like me (with the addition of their cultural traditions and customs of dance, which I found even more delightful).

This show revealed that not all of Africa is dried up and rotten, as most of the media would project. This show, in my eyes, brought back a pride in that land, while redefining black beauty.

Test: I looked up a survey online that calculated the opinions of many white Americans on who they view as beautiful black women. Surprisingly, another survey I collected, which conveyed the popular views of black women on the same subject, wasn't must different. In both cases, Halle Berry topped the list. Slightly behind her was Beyonce', Tyra Banks, Marey Carey (that for years no one knew was black), Thandie Newton, Vanessa Williams, Iman, Alicia Keys, and the newcomer Lauren London. Now, I couldn't help but find humor in the survey. Acknowledging that a few of the women on the beautiful black list were malotto and nearly all were fair skinned or petitely fitted into a European frame, nearly made me bust a lung. Being unable to deny that all of these women, though some may be of great aid to the African-American community, do not necessarily carry features commonly linked to those of African-decent or barely even sport a tan, yet they are the ones considered to be among America's most beautiful black women, made me realize that black beauty in America may have indeed severed its Africa roots.

So what now? I began to wonder. Had the image that America worked for years to publicize as the "true definition of black beauty" truly become the only definition. Certainly, black women in America see Michelle Obama and Gabrielle Union as beautiful black women, but does their dark skin or full frame then place their names lower on the list, or worse, has unconsciously Michelle and Gabrielle placed themselves beneath Americans' surveyed beauties, because by being Americans they too think like Americans.

Just when I began to give up hope on the American perspective, which at times has become my own, proudly locking in Halle, Thandie Newton and the girls, as black beauty's female representatives, along comes a show to contradict it all. While watching the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, I saw black Americans playing the roles of Africans, whose beauty sprung out of their skin, and works, and good deeds. It was then that I began to think that this new image of black women publicized in America, could reattach the African-rooted idea of beauty to this country's dangling ideas. In fact, I'm certain that the operation process has started on this night, after the shows premiere. Therefore, let me be the first to welcome Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose to the list of beautiful black women in America. After their performances on their show, I sense there will be no need for a survey. By taking on the roles of these African women, showcasing how black skin in either a small petite package or a full-figured shapely frame is no less beautiful to the eye, and can be further magnified by smile and spirit, makes them not only number one detectives but number one on my list.

The IDEAL Black Man or Black Woman...part 1.

2009-03-14T08:53:00.001-07:00

The swag, the intelligence, the acceptance of God, the strength of body and mind, the knowledge and appreciation of one's history and family, the good weight of character, the will to overcome all adversity, and the desire to not only climb for self, but to elevate in pursuit of a position that could carry a multitude is what makes up my I.B.M. (Ideal Black Man).
Of course, nowadays, before the emergence of Barack Obama into the National spotlight, the ideal of such a man existing in this day and time seemed utterly ridiculous. In fact, even now, when I sit in the mist of conversations pertaining to this very subject, which are normally sustained by women from different cultures and from a wide range of social-economic backgrounds, the very idea of such a man, besides President Obama, walking the earth has often summoned a hint of laughter. Why is this, I wonder, when there are so many of these men around.
Off the top of my head I can name ten, at least. Oddly, these are the men who, after revealing to me that my definition of my I.B.M. perfectly matches their qualifications to mark their Ideal Black Woman, also leaks laughter at the thought of actually linking up to their Ideal. In their confessions, they often tell me that only a hand full of women that they know, including me, fits their I.B.W. And out of those women, they complain, none are available to them; whether they are married, gay, or so blinded by ambition or "the flesh" that they don't notice that their psychological match is actually standing in front of them.
I sense this is why so many relationships aren't satisfying; why some people, who haven't the realistic expectations of ever finding their I.B. M. or I.B.W., and have thereby settled for what they figured was the next best thing or the best right now, aren't truly committed to the one they vowed to love. I'm convinced this is why those who've worked or are naturally born to be somebody's I.B. M. or I.B. W. are single, viewed as unattainable, or simply a fantasy.

"The Notebook" A Bittersweet Tale

2008-11-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

Friends,

Have you ever watched a movie and saw pieces of your life flash before your eyes? I'm not talking about one scene in a movie that mirrors a moment in time, but nearly an entire film (from the character's lines to their subtle actions and reactions). I thought for sure that when I watched "Love and basketball," that there would be no other movie that would come closer to running parallel to my life, but then came the "The Notebook." If you have never seen this movie, it is the tale of a rocky romance between two love struck youngsters whose opposite backgrounds attempts to foretell their futures. As for financial stability, she has it and he does not. As for heart, he has more than enough to give. Together, they feel invisible to everyone but each other.Unfortunately, the world's eyes bare down on them to the point that they adhere to other's perceptions. Consequently, cracks form in their relationship and begin to widen. Eventually, they are pulled apart and go their separate ways. Yet, neither person ever loses hope in their love, regardless of the relationships they hold after. Sure, when the two were together, they fought verbally quite often, but respectfully, with the reason that they weren't afraid to offend each other. They were convinced that their love could handle the honesty, the push to be better, and closer. They loved hard, since they didn't believe in holding a thing back. Their passion was undeniable and amazing.

So friends, can you believe I just watched this movie for the second time, and for the first time the tears began to roll? As for the first time, an Ex-boyfriend had actually called me up and suggested that I watch the film. He swore that the main characters were "He and I," and just the fact that he was calling me after all those years to talk about some movie that flashed "us" in good light enraged me. Of course, I pretended over the phone to be cool. I agreed to watch the movie. But with anger in my eyes, I couldn't see a thing. I missed "he and I" on that screen the first time around. I laugh now at the humor in it all. Like the movie, the lovers reach out for one another. They longed for the other's touch, embrace, and kiss. "It's not over," they breathed into the other's life. As for my reality, when my ex called me on the phone, I yearned to breathe the same words into his life. "It's not over," I wanted to say again and again. Instead, I focused on the fact that he was my ex for a reason. I then allowed my pride and stubbornness to swallow those three little words. Frankly, I must say, it was the most bitter-sweet meal that I've ever tasted.

Settling for Anything or Anyone is Suicide

2008-11-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I recently logged into a blogging station and read a message that discussed a woman's fight not to be mediocre and settle for the easy things in life. The message went on to flash a light on "settling" in general, and how disgusting it can make a person later feel. It was then that I thought about the many ways people settle, whether it is settling in their job, in their relationships, or with their weight. I contemplated on how unhappy even the so-called happiest person who has settled appears as time go on.

Do you ever wonder why this is? Let's first examine the word, "settle." I won't go as far as to tell you Webster's definition (because we all know it). However, I've come to the realization that "to settle," means a few different things to different people.

As for the present tense of the word, I consider it poison. No surprise that I've heard others compare it to heavenly bliss. For instance, I often hear women- who manage to keep perfect time of their maternal alarm clocks- whisper, "I can't wait to settle." They often tell me this with a big grin on their faces. It is then that I picture their lack of movement, their lack of progress, and their stillness in a world that is steady moving on without them.

This picture of mine transcends across the board: women, men, children, middle age, teenager or infants. The gender, race and age, makes no difference to me. To settle voluntarily, I consider to simply be a stupid notion that is virtually impossible. For even if a person stands in one spot and refuses to move forward, he/she will find his/herself drifting backwards, for the world continues moving on. Other folk are steady climbing, sliding and progressing, which definitely affects the person's position in life. Therefore, settling is not really settling, is it?

I can take into consideration that by settling a person means, kicking off the wheels and getting so comfortable with his/her surroundings that he/she no longer feels the need to look over the shoulders or press forward. Still I think, "Boy, that is truly stupid." You see, even if a person decides to settle into a situation, perhaps a job or relationship, progress is still demanded. Not one still thing thrives. Life is designed to grow, to expand, or even shrivel up into the palm of your hands. However, settle, life cannot do.

Just look at nature, even the earth doesn't settle. It cracks, rumbles, and shakes with force. The sky doesn't settle and, in reality, neither does the volcanoes, mountains, and oceans. Trees stretch to the heavens, with branches that sway in the wind. Then there are human beings who are molded by the Potter to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually, in order to survive. It is true. Just picture those people (one of which maybe you) who have completely settled in their relationships. They feel so secure in their place and so comfortable with where they stand, that they do not feel the urge to surge to new heights. Instead, they feel certain that their mate is completely satisfied being with them, and so self-improvement isn't needed. "I'm going to settle right here, in this place, in this job with this wage, with my good and bad habits," they say. "Look for me in 10 years, I'll be right here because this is the place to be."

Five years later, their mate has filed for divorce since they have outlawed the possibility of upward mobility with their settlement. Meanwhile, the price of living and financial stress has increased and that comfortable job, that they had vowed to settle in forever, has been handed over to someone younger with a little more education.

Now, do you catch my drift? Can you comprehend, now, why the mere talk of settlement irritates my ears? Even the echoes of such talk rings bells in my head. Frankly, I try to laugh it off. I try to pretend, when I look at those who claim they have happily settled that I don't consider them the dumbest people on earth. I try to hide the fact that, in my mind, settling is a choice of the weak or that it represents the lazy; those who are afraid to compete, or simply souls that will soon be filled with regret.

Be content, I say, but never settle. In the workplace, with your lover, with your friends; never settle. When it comes to your mind, body and soul, push to be better. Love where you are, according to its place in time. However, tomorrow you must move closer and stretch higher. Again, I say, don't settle... but rather thrive to be more.