0 Bad Rap Posted by I B Writing | at 4/11/2013 09:57:00 PM

In 2006 Nas dropped the album Hip Hop is Dead and oh my damn Hip Hop went crazy. In 2013 I'm startin to ponder how true those words could be? Especially considering what the first few months of rap music has seemed to be in comparison to its supposed more sensitive and softer spoken sibling, r&b.

Gone are the days where the r&b singer is suppose to be masters of love: singing about significant others, heartache, and random love making (not sex, but makin love). No more playing in the background of a rapper's platinum pop hit or even playing background when a rapper features on their song. The current crop of R&B stars are stepping out with just as much swag as their hip hop counterparts.

So far some of the biggest songs that have dropped this year and got the hip hop sites buzzin have involved R&B artists. Everybody went crazy when Beyonce  dropped "I Been On". Yeh ppl have hated on it but in an artistic value. And yes there has been buzz about which rappers is and will be on the remix and future remixes but have to point out the fact that an R&B singer started this whole thing with a song. Beyonce's joint is just an indication of the aggression you can feel from these singers nowadays. Take Ray J for example. Drops a diss song "I Hit it First" against Kim Kardashian out of nowhere. Ray J!! Aint that Brandy's brother? But the one to really take the spotlight right now is Chris Brown. Last week a video was released where just tears through a freestyle on Hot97. Not to mention his much talked about verse (partially because of the Drake diss) on Young Jeezy's R.I.P. remix.
 

So all this talk about R&B but what noise have the rappers made lately? Oh I dont know maybe about nothing related to art too much. You want notoriety, how about Lil Wayne offending a civil rights activist during Black History Month? Or what about Rick Ross' rape line. It wasnt even his song!! That will get you noticed but that's not what hip hop is about. Yes rap music is controversial at times raping women comparing civil rights workers' faces to vaginas really aint helping the cause. Neither is the fact that the one anticipated song this year (Drake's Started from the Bottom) has lead to criticism that he really didnt start from the bottom.

So is hip hop dying right now? Hard to argue considering the things going on right now and hard to believe after the year of albums which has happened and those projected to happen. But how long is it going to last for R&B right now. Big Krit has just dropped a mixtape already crowned a classic and J. Cole is well on his way to drop this year. Cause while these singers may be trying out different styles, their taking away from the romantic aura of R&B which is gonna eventually that genre. and it wont be long before we're giving them a "Bad Rap".

0 Accident Needing to Happen? Posted by I B Writing | at 4/09/2013 09:59:00 AM

 

 

Smmfh. Of all things to be done this year, a white has sparked a real conversation about racism. Brad Paisley dropped a new joint with LL Cool J titled "Accidental Racist" a song about a white man dealing with racial differences which in my opinion is like Kobe Bryant dealing with playing off the bench. But... I kid you not. I read the Entertainment Weekly online article and have heard the song and I'm completely sold on it.

 

 

“I just think art has a responsibility to lead the way, and I don’t know the answers, but I feel like asking the question is the first step, and we’re asking the question in a big way. How do I show my Southern pride? What is offensive to you? And he kind of replies, and his summation is really that whole let’s bygones be bygones and ‘If you don’t judge my do rag, I won’t judge your red flag.’ We don’t solve anything, but it’s two guys that believe in who they are and where they’re from very honestly having a conversation and trying to reconcile."

 

 

The song is an open look at racism frm a white man who starts out explaining to a Starbucks waiter why he was wearing his confederate flag shirt. Pretty nonsense oriented but pretty damn accurate in complaints made about the confederate flag. Like I implied earlier, I never saw white ppl as the ones who faced racial discrimination because they are the assumed majority (even though hispanics are projected to become the majority very soon.). Majority doesn't have to worry about racial profiling or bein called slurs because the majority for years has threw those at the minority. Times have changed and the minority isn't as meek as they once were. Now equality is not just in holding hands but trading jabs. The harsh reality to the oppressed is that they may be equal in oppression to even those that are the color of the majority.

 

Of course LL Cool J is in this blog as well. His verse is ok but rapping over this beat is kinda tricky and you can tell with his cadence. But dont let that take away from the message he is giving. He raps about how having saggy pants or dressed up in other certain ways shouldn't call for judgment. And what caught my attention was him talking about overlooking his gold chains and maybe he could overlook the iron chains. That was prob the most uncomfortable part of the song for me. Black people may never lean toward forgiving or forgetting the horrors of slavery once they learn about them. Jus the other day I heard white people used to use slave babies as alligator bait. Thas something that can never be forgotten especially in exchange for ignoring the fact I'm wearing some expensive jewelry.

 

To me, this song is more powerful than entertaining. A lot of ppl will tell you this song is wrong and what does a white man know about racism but exactly the reason why its needed. This conversation needs to happen. Every race is discriminatory to another in some form of fashion it doesnt matter what color you are.Why? Because as this country gets bigger and things become more televised and broadcasted globally, such as stereotypes,  ppl all over the world are looking at how different races are being treated by the majority and other minorities and will follow suit. Theres racism against asians, hispanics, middle easterners and many more. Perhaps that should be the remix. But when it comes to racism we need to remix our thoughts of prejudice, stereotypes and hatred we have toward certain groups. Thas the message Paisley prolly wants to give thru this song hopefully racists will get the message thru to them  and not jus by accident.

0 Gay Marriage and Gun Control Posted by I B Writing | at 4/02/2013 11:29:00 PM

Whats the difference between gay marriage and gun control? Surely Im not mistaking you right now. Honestly when making a somewhat decent attempt to watch the news I see either one or the other. A month or so ago it was all about guns. Now lately it's been all about gays getting married. Quite frankly neither one is a step closer to having any decent resolve.

Unfortunately, guns have never really become a hot-button issue until last year when mass shooting after mass shooting seemed to be happening. Soon people I thought were liberal were taking conservative stances on keeping guns and vice versa. Everybody felt their right to bear arms was being taken away. Obama was talking about banning assault rifles but NRA was like fuck all that!! And that turned into everyone arguing back and forth (and when i say 'arguing' I mean with Tweets and memes on Facebook). This situation with the gays seem to be getting that same irelleveant feeling but it has always been a huge issue.Now since the Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week to make it legal, the usual 'arguing' is back. This time they have a picture of an equal sign in pink on a red back drop.

People just need to face facts: This shit is not going away regardless of any bill that is passed or ruling that is handed down. Let's take the gay marriage issue for example. I have Facebook friends who are Christians, serious Christians as well, and dont really see eye to eye with what conservatives do all the time but this gay marriage debate has brought out the Bible.  One status is about how marriage is defined for man and woman and all the other stuff. Then my other Facebook friends who are kinda teetering on the atheist side post about the Bible is interpreted one way and marriage is destroyed by celebrity infidelity and other crap. Guns argument as well although it may seem like its one sided to get rid of guns, I always hear a split argument of how they are needed to protect the family or go hunting.

So whats my viewpoint on gay marriage and guns: If they dont pass that marriage equality law, they better not give guns to the gays. But seriously does your opinion even matter? Yeh we will all vote it in or out either of these issues but I do not feel their hot topic life will ever die down. Why? Well youre talking about gun control and gay marriage youre talking about a person's personal protection and sex life respectivley. It's not like the economy issue where youre fussing at people to stop using a fucking credit card. No way. Youre intruding on how people survive and yes in both instances.

0 Psst It's not a Secret: My Experiences and Thoughts with the Illuminati Posted by I B Writing | at 3/20/2013 10:55:00 PM

 

Honestly, a lot of shit doesnt even bother me that much. Most of the time I say it does so I can get riled up for fun and blog it. But this shit right here my nigga, oh my damn!! Apparently an unsigned rapper tried to sacrifice his friend to join the illuminati and uspstart his career. Hit em with the cosby face one time!!

 

 

Niggas when are you gon learn to stop this bullshit. Really? Dude smoked a pound of marijuana and allegedly had a book which connected the music industry and the Illuminati together. Seriously this shit has got to stop and Ive always thought it was out of control since it first started.

 

First time I ever heard about Illuminati, was from 2pac around the time he was about to die. If anybody can remember that time frame, a lot of his songs themed around someone coming to kill him or him dying at an early age.  Then right after he died they release  Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The only thing that came out of that was everybody was saying 2pac was still alive. Then in 2009 Michael Jackson died and people theorized somebody killed him which turned out to be a half truth but nothing more that a trial could cipher out. But later down the line people theorized it was actually the Illuminati. In early 2010 Jay-Z drops the video for "On to the Next One" and all hell breaks loose (no pun intended). Soon after it was Lady Gaga, Jay, Kanye, Beyonce and others dropping these cryptic messages claiming thy are apart of a "secret" society.I cant tell you how many times Ive heard about Obama being in the Illuminati, New World Order, or even Satan. Hell they even said Earth, Wind, and Fire were apart of the Illuminati.

 

 

My friends jumped on this bandwagon and I was shocked. They all came to my apt telling me about the symbols and actions they researched. I couldnt believe that shit at all. It's not that I didnt want to because obviously there had to be something out there to make connection (and there were quite a few) but something just never resonated right with me on this. What kind of secret society are letting their members give off the fact they are in a secret society? It must be a shitty society. And some of the examples were just fucking outrageous. For example, Jay-Z has been Roc a Fella records since forver and a day. Their "trademark" sign is throwing up 2 hands to form a triangle. They claimed that it represents the pyramid symbol on the dollar bill. Well tell that to the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Diamond Dallas Page. (Also the same claim was made when Beyonce threw up the sign during her Super Bowl performance.)

 

 

The original Illuminati opposed superstition, prejudice, and supported women's rights. How did it get to become the greedy, new world order, devil worshipping group of musicians everybody suspects it to be is beyond my knowledge. Not every entertainer is in the Illuminati. Sorry to burst your bubble but maybe there are actually people out there who worked hard to get where they got and didnt have to sacrifice a life to achieve their dreams. But hey it's no secret this world is quicker to believe in a secret society getting you your dreams than believing in themselves.

 

 

0 Life is But a Beyonce Song Posted by I B Writing | at 3/19/2013 11:12:00 AM

Has Beyonce not shut down the game this year? I mean seriously come on now. Super Bowl she shut off tha lights with her halftime performance. HBO aired her documentary Life is but A Dream which answered the rumors of her having a surrogate to protect her FIIINE ASS BODDY. Ive heard more about Beyonce in the last couple of months than I prolly have ever. Now she drops this damn song:




I mean MY DAMN BEYONCE!! YOU GON GET EM LIKE THAT!! This whole joint is crazy. She takes it to tha whole Htown swag which I personally like because there are not a lot of Houston artists of any genre on a worldwide scale like she is. We put Lil Flip on and they wont let us come back. She got a R&B/Rap thing goin on here and it paid off for her. Everybody is talking about the song. One of my facbeook friends was hoping this would be on her upcoming album. The crazy thing is that it might not be on the album and its still causing hysteria. But alas, just as Beyonce has her fans she has her haters (damn right I said it)

 

 

Or what about this guy:

Blah blah blah and yaaawwwwwnnnnnn. Throughout her career Beyonce has dropped songs that has empowered women.So what she drops one little gem "talking down" on the competition. I quoted the phrase becuase any given rap song rappers are using general aggressive statements but nothing aimed at anybody.This song is borderline on being a rap song  Boo fuckin hoo Beyonce used the B-Word, oh my goodness how human of her. What does the inauguration have to do with this? Yeah she sang at the inauguaration and you didnt. She's an artist and sometimes artists breaking away from their norm pays off.

 

Beyonce is becoming to r&b/pop music what Lebron is becoming to basketball. A couple of years ago XXL did a tribute issue to 2pac and one of the people they interviewed described him as a "game-changer". Beyonce is NO 2PAC, but like it or not she is a GAME CHANGER. To be that you have to take risks musically and she took a huge risk defying conventional logic of her genre, fan base, and everyone else. Kudos to the Queen lol jk. NOW BOW DOWN BICHES!!

 

 





0 Roger That Posted by I B Writing | at 2/02/2013 10:02:00 AM

This past week USA Today had an article about NFL players disapproving the way Roger Goodell has done things as commissioner. For what tho? Why are people hating on this man? What the hell has he done wrong in a business sense. NFL ratings are booming. Popularity is prolly at an all-time high. NFL concussions are being... ohhhhhh. Thas where the beef is for this burger. All these gotdamn safety rules being applied. All these fines bein put on players for jus "playing the game like it should be played". I'm not casting stones on anybody because I have seen some ridiculous calls but Goodell has been unfairly overtly criticized.NFL is going through and has went through multiple shitfests: lockouts, player safety, and concussions. 

It's not his fault the league is facing a lawsuit from 4000 NFL players regarding the mistreatment of concussions. Maybe thats why there have been new poilicies to examine concussions in-game and out-game; rules that are just as intense as the hits which cause them. You cant blame him for placing rules outlawing hits to the head on Quarterbacks and eventually  defenseless receivers in an attempt to prevent concussions and other subsequent head injuries. What about defenders? Well obviously you put fines on those that make the hit will have them think a little more fiscally and not make the hits.

Concussions and player safety may have had Goodell's most famous moment become his most indicting moment. When the Saints were discovered to have had a bounty system in place to take out certain players during the playoffs, Goodell suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the season and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely (assistant coaches and the GM was suspended only for a handful of games). Not to mention evidence came down indicating players such as Johnathan Vilma - who was initially suspended then had it vacated - were knowingly apart of it.

Many say Goodell fucked it up and got it wrong but what would you do? Sit there let all parties go undisciplined risking what could be another lawsuit from those targeted players (Vikings QB Brett Favre and 49ers WR Kyle Williams). Nobody can say because nobody knows. What if Johnathan Vilma wouldve not been suspended for the season at all and a player got hurt from one of his tackles. We wouldve DESTROYED Goodell for not disciplining him. Just like those former NFL players are destroying the league for not disciplining themselves from staying out of games when some may have knew they were hurt.

But what can we say about this group? What can be said about the 61% who cant stand Goodell's ass? They talk down about how the game is "flag football", "it wont exist in 30 years", and all this other crap. But what's gonna happen when in 10-15 years when they are laid up or sitting around the house with seizures everyday, constant depression, outrageous behavioral episodes and other things associated with head trauma. Trust me, the headache they think are these new NFL safety rules will not compare the headache they will face from a brain injury.

0 Ruled Out Posted by I B Writing | at 1/20/2013 07:46:00 PM

Ironically, on MLK weekend would I be posting about this particular issue but quite frankly I have to come out and say it. The Rooney Rule in the NFL has to go. In case you don't know what that is (or if a racist) the Rooney Rule is a rule where NFL teams that have coaching/GM vacancies must interview one minority (usually African American). Im black. I shouldnt have a problem with something like that right? Well let me get my confession on.

This past offseason, there were 15 coaching/GM candidates open. All 15 were filled up without a single minority hire. The most important position here is the head coach spot since GM is more behind the scenes but still you could not manage to put Lovie Smith in either of the 8 open head coaching spots? You serious? He took the Bears to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman as his QB, so you know his DEFENSE WAS ON POINT!! He is one of the great defensive minded coaches in the past decade and Lawd knows San Diego needs some defense a little bit more than they need some offense. Philadelphia for sure. So why the hell would the Eagles bring in a college coach, Chip Kelly, with no real head coaching experience, to a team that is a clusterfuck of no defense, mediocre offense, and uncertain leadership. Thas not just one area for a coordinator but basically 3 that must be dealt with at once. its Ridiculous.

This is my beef with this Rooney rule, using minorities like some gotdamn requirement and not as a serious candidate. I'm glad they all interviewed minorities and keeping them in the loop (whoop de fucking whoop). But I rather not have the rule at all if it means some black coach is just gonna be looked at as some item on a checklist. It should come down to either youre gonna hire them or not. These execs know who they want coaching their team prolly while their current coach is still there. So why even waste time interviewing somebody you know for sure youre not gonna hire. Of course they do it with white candidates to see if there is something out there but they do that by choice and not by regulation. I would want to be treated like a human being and not a fucking rule posted on the wall.

I'm pretty sure the NFL feel they are doing a huge service for minorities but last week showed that this can be a great disservice. It exposed that no matter how much things change a lot kinda remains the same. To be less vague it means that you can't force somebody to change their mindset. All the analysts appeared outrage no minority coaches were hired but the key word is "appeared". But really is anybody surprised? Many of these franchises were created during times when African Americans were seen and treated as second class citizens; not CEO's, doctors, presidents, or head coaches. The best thing black coaches/GM's can do for themselves is go out and do their job at the highest level. Make these owners eat their decisions. Do what you do best and keep calling plays because this Rooney Rule is something the NFL needs to audible.

0 Fame is a Funny Thing Posted by I B Writing | at 8/10/2012 11:08:00 PM

So like everybody else over the past few weeks, I have been sticking my nose in the Olympics and pretending I care about the sports shown on broadcast tv cuz i wasnt fortunate enough to watch the real sports (i.e. basketball hahahaha). But of course the all-black everything persona I have taken notice to this Gabby Douglas Phenomenon and I mean damn ppl!! What the hell wrong with yall and yall comments? But then again, this is fame so what could you expect.

Fame is fucked up because there is good and bad to it. It's attention for anything you do.It was Chris Rock who said you don't wanna be the first black to do anything. When she won the gold medal, she became the first African-American All around Olympic champ and she got the good and the bad. Cuz you know when black people do something they single us out like we're some fucking aliens (or the love calling us animals; flying squirrel my ass). Yeah she may have inspired African-American girls to attempt the impossible, but the "critics" decided to come out and talk about how bad her hair was. Bich!! it's an athletic event!! If youre worried more about your hair more than how youre competing youre obviously getting your ass kicked (except for Troy Polamalu). And here comes the real kicker, when they were delving into her whole thing with her father. Applause is given to Gabby's mother for raising her on her own with little child support assistance. Yet when she threw him under the bus for leaving them, and she did a little bit considering the circumstances, that bus was a big ass bus driven by the media.

It's just a crazy look at how things can be ordinary for you one day, then upside down the next day. If she wasnt even competing in the games nobody would even care for her hair, or her father "stepping out" on her and her mother. But she did compete in the biggest sporting event in the world and will have to endure the spotlight some more considering the endorsements that will come her way. She has the ability to lay low, prob graduate high school and start college possibly or rake in all the money from reality tv. But it's unlikely Gabby feeds the VH1 and goes the route of reality tv, but then again fame is a funny thing.

0 NBA Playoffs Dunks Over Others Posted by I B Writing | at 5/09/2012 12:44:00 AM

Theres no pretty introduction but just to say it...NBA playoffs are the best playoffs of all the sports. There. Ive finally admitted it and you should too. As the first round of the NBA playoffs are winding down down I am realizing this epiphany more than ever.

Basketball is an exciting sport. You put five players on a court against five other players and they play offense and defense. No disrespect to the other major sports but when it comes to the playoffs NBA got this. NHL. Who watches it? Baseball. Dont have the time. NFL. You work one weekend and you can miss basically the whole show. But not the NBA. The first round has at least 2 games every night. And ever since they moved to the best of 7 format, it's gotten even better because the matchups play out more. Another thing about NBA playoffs is EVERYONE is playing. In the NFL the top 2 teams from each conference take that first weekend off while the bottom playoff teams duke it out. Now for injury reasons NFL won't do 7 game series but at least make the top seeds play that first weekend that well. Recent years have shown them get beat in their first game anyway. The NBA has shown no real favoritism to its top seeds either. Last year the Spurs were the 1 seed in the West but got beat by the 8 seed Grizzlies. Even as I speak, the Bulls are on the verge of elimination (granted Derrick Rose is injured) after being the 1 seed in the East. Speaking of Rose, it brings up my last point. NBA superstars bring a different excitement to fans than other sport superstars. Im watching this Lakers game right now as Kobe is hitting all these 3's back to back; Sunday Carmelo Anthony had the whole Madison Square Garden electrified when Knicks fans thought the season was over. Maybe the latter had something to do with him taking on NBA's consensus poster child Lebron James head on. Imagine if Eli Manning could ever get in the face of Tom Brady or if Josh Hamilton could go actual head to head with Derek Jeter on every play.

So first round of the playoffs are just about over and there is still more to come. Unfortunately for the NBA, Derrick Rose is out and the Eastern Conf playoffs may be a bore this year since no team can challenge the Heat too much. But then again it is the NBA and it is playoffs time and EVERYONE is PLAYING.

0 Role-Out Posted by I B Writing | at 4/09/2012 10:47:00 AM

Oh Tim Tebow, you will be a republican in no time. Recently the newly traded Jets QB came to Georgetown, Texas to speak at a church service and dropped a little easter egg for pro athletes being role models:

"Yes you are. You're just not a good one"

WOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!! REALLLY!!!!????? Tebow Tebow Tebow. I mean he really smacked pro athletes hard on this one. And to be honest his statement is accurate and annoying. Now generally role model is associated (not defined) with doing something positive, wholesome and fulfilling in their lives. Im not gonna put my money on a superstar of any kind to do that. Over the course of the years I have found pro athletes and celebrities to be the worst role models that there could ever be, especially the big names. Im sure we all remember Michael Jackson (child moleststation; family issues), Tiger Woods (sex addict), Michael Irvin (drugs and arrests), Kobe Bryant (sexual assault; infidelity), Mark McGwire (lying to congress) and many more!!! Nobody can ever forget the biggest fumble of them all: O.J. Simpson (robbing and accused of murder). O.J. changed the game of celebrity crime. But, with the exception of McGwire, these stars' problems arised from their personal dealings. Dealings that average sloppy joes like you and me actually go through. Think about it. Just think about your whole week last week. You can not sit there (and tweet on the side) and tell me you did not have a thought about either doing some drug (alchohol included) or wanting to fuck somebody that you wasn't suppose to. And most of you did either one or the other.

The point I'm making from this is regular people go through shit like celebs but celebs prob deal with it a larger amount considering the magnitude of their fame. You cheat on your wife and fuck a waitress from Hooters, it was prob an upgrade. Tiger Woods does it, he's the worst man in America. But on the opposite side people forgive celebs more. You go to rehab, you're a weirdo; Tiger goes to rehab, he's on the road to recovery. Now superstars are not all bad all the time. Usually when they retire they dive head first into their charities or do some philanthropy work long after their time of glory has passed. So they do become somewhat of a role model but only in their "regular people years".

So I finish with this to say. A lot of people today look at Tim Tebow as the ultimate role model mainly because of his faith and the minimal success he has had on the field. The way he carries himself in the public eye a lot of times one can even call him a role model for his peers but i rather not. Cause as glorified as his career has been the past yr and a half, he's still a human being. So that statement was bold but it raised the stakes in keeping his own image clean. He's poster child for everything wholesome now but only time will tell. And just like his opponents on the field this season every pro athlete who has heard his comment is no doubt waiting on the day that he will fuck up and they can put some dirt in the face of that image.