Monday, January 17, 2011

It Doesn't Have To Stay A Dream.


Today we celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. Of course we all know the great impact this man had on the world. It would be a disservice to the man to say he only changed the way African-Americans thought and acted. The way he lived and lead changed everyone and continues to do so. I can see some of his peace and fervor for justice and equality in our President. It saddens me to think that Dr.King would be disappointed in the way that society has regressed. There are too many people who are trying to reinforce that we are not all equal and that we all don't deserve the same HUMAN rights and freedom to live. The tragedy in Tuscon, Arizona is an example of this. That young man was influenced by people who are preaching that their way of thinking is the only way and if someone doesn't think or feel the same they must be silenced. That is not what America is. He took the lives of people who just wanted to take part in the democratic process. The youngest being a 9 year old girl who had just begun to live. As a congresswoman fights for her life, I can't help but think of Dr.King and all of those people like who fought,bled and died for us to have better lives would be filled sadness and confusion. America is a place where we should be comfortable to be who we are and not live in fear of losing our lives for having a difference in opinion. We are on the cusp of greatness as a nation, if only we can get those who blinded by their own agendas out of the way. If one has a weak mind it doesn't take much to sway their thinking and that is exactly what happened. The shooter in Tuscon is a highly intelligent person who was looking for guidance and he found it in the wrong place. Dr.King said "Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true." What is happening in our society is nothing but the product of a hateful society. If we can slow down and actually LISTEN to each other long enough to see the validity and falseness in each others' statements we be well on the way to being a loving, united and understanding society and world. We will be able to recognize the beauty in the world. King proclaimed that he had a dream that all of us no matter our color,beliefs, or other differences would be able to live in harmony and peace. If we take action now to stop tragedies like Tuscon from happening in other places, his dream can and will become a reality.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Introducing ...Theophilus London

If you're like me than you appreciate good music. My latest find is Theophilus London (that's his real name too, folks) . He's a Brooklyn born and raised rapper that makes "forward thinking, innovative pop music, when you listen to my music you feel loved." Theophilus is definitely not your average NY MC. He has been described He doesn't follow trends he sets them. Don't believe me, check out his spread in December's GQ. http://isneach.com/blog/?p=20088(Yes, I read GQ. I actually learn a lot from it, and it's entertaining.) His music is unlike anything that's probably playing on your ipod, or radio. He combines hip hop, pop, afro-pop, techno, and punk to produce his own sound.He has a familiar sound but yet different, fresh even. His style and his videos aren't your run of the mill, pour champagne on a pretty girl while I ride around in this Benz. I'm not dissing that type of music but his music and that music are different yet similar. I won't analyze them here just know that this artist isn't doing the stanky leg but he is doing his "Theo shuffle" but it won't be the basis of a dance craze, lol. Don't let the experimental sound of his music deter you from checking him out. Theophilus is a lyricist, without a doubt. He has yet to drop a major label debut but his mixtapes (JAM!,I Want You, and This Charming Mixtape) have generated enough buzz for this Brooklyn boy to travel overseas on tour with 8track (one of Kanye's preferred producers/collaborators for the past 5 years). This music is good different, he has thought and stepped out of the proverbial box that a lot of rappers are in. If you give him a chance you won't be sorry. Remember who put you on first. ENJOY!!

New Year, Another Chance

Happy New Year!! It's the end of the end of the holiday season and what better way to culminate it than with celebrating the beginning of a new year, better yet a new decade? The end of 2010 ended the the first decade of the 21st century for everyone. If you believe the Mayans, then you've only got one year to get yourself together. I on the other hand, do not. The end of a year is always like a sigh of relief for me. I don't lead a hard life, but as you get older you get thrown more curves in your path to success and happiness. 2010 was full of twists and turns for me. I had not one but TWO car accidents, one still unresolved. The blessing in that is that not one involved was hurt and that with each one a different lesson was learned. The beginning of 2010 brought changes. My mother had fallen drastically ill in the end of 2009 and with the onset of 2010 we saw her heal and recover and begin to do things that the doctors said she wouldn't be able to do again. Each day she has gotten better. I think it would be safe to say that 2010 was a year of learning for me. I look forward to 2011 to being a maturation of my life. I plan on changing the way that I live. A new year is another chance to correct your mistakes and become the person you are destined to be. Make 2011 a year that you remember as one of your best. Make this one for the record books, take chances that you wouldn't have previously, go places you've never been, speak to people that you wouldn't have dared to before. 2011 is yours for the taking, reach out and grab it. Manifest your destiny. Be free to be you and I promise that I'll do the same.