Saturday, August 2, 2008
Has the Black Voter Become Ignorant?
First this is not a racist or redneck posting this blog, I am Black myself, but I have to pose this question due to the recent news. The question is "Has the Black Voter Become Ignorant?" I do not want to succumb to generalization, however, one has to wonder why is that many of the Black voters in Urban America still gauging their information based on propaganda rather than facts and research.Currently we have one of the most qualified Black Politicians running for President with a strong chance to win the sit. Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has the backing of the global community, a vast majority of White democrats, crossover Republicans, growing in the winning numbers of swing voters, but then there is the Black vote. One would believe that the Black vote would be overwhelmingly strong, but its not, its actually probably waning among lower to middle class Black voters (opinion). Why you ask? because we have subjected ourselves to the ignorant b.s. spewed by not only White media but our own "Black Representatives". First you have the self-appointed charlatan Jesse Jackson (i refuse to call him a minister of the church). As we all know, several weeks ago he degraded the Presidential Candidate Barak Obama with derogatory comments twice; then you have Blacks protesting and challenge Obama on basically blackness. Remember when President George Bush won his second term, he received a significant increase in the Black vote primarily the crossover Democratic vote due to the fact that individuals did not agree with gay marriage and abortion; two things that are subjective topics. Here we are again 4 years later and the better of the candidates (Obama) is silipping in the polls (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_obama_poll;_ylt=AoLFTTHh4Esc3R.gktgDHuCyFz4D). McCain is not discussing anything of substance, but is gaining in the polls.Do I believe that Blacks should vote for Obama because he is Black? The answer is no, however, I believe that Blacks should begin to focus on facts and the overall picture instead of ignorance. Ludacris dropped a song a week or so ago talking about Clinton, McCain and others (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_el_pr/obama_hip_hop_3), but what is so crazy is that people are actually standing up against for distancing himself from Luda at this time. I respect Luda, but why is it that we have to resort to propaganda to spread a positive message. We all are not going to like everything about everyone, share it in the proper context and forum, but why is it that for our community we have to gauge another black person's acceptability on their revolutionary or defiance factors? Here we are 3 months from the election and one community that is comprised of a significant amount of Democratic voters and they are protesting their own qualified candidate.So what is it going to take? Is it going to take Obama to support the ignorance for him to win the black vote? When are we going to ask for true political leaders to represent the Black community rather than swindles like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Cynthia Mckinney, etc. Black folks let's wake up and let's take action. Base your opinions on fact not fiction.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Review: Talib and Nas Atlanta Show - 7/31
Choosing the right words to summarize the first show (we will get into the second show in a moment) of Talib and Nas concert are hard to conjure up and not sound like a groupie, so we will just say it in the only way to pay the show homage... the show was "FRESH". Imagine a venue 
with stadium style seating a open floor, but only holds about 1500 people and not one person sitting still, every single head on extra hard nod with more than 90% of the venue singing every single word, flow, verse verbatim and that still does not describe the first show in detail.
Kweli hit the stage and blessed the audience with selections from Ear Drum to vintage tracks from the Black Star days. The crowd quickly warmed up to him and showed the appreciation spitting back at him the lyrical fire that was being sprayed. The unusual suspects were delivered but surprise bangers like 'The Perfect Beat" mixed into the original "Sound of the Police" - KRS One that just made the crowd go bananas, Move Somethin and Definition (yah yall not ready) . The homage tributes continued the set DJ (forgive me forgot the name) slid in some Mr. Robert Nesta Marley that just added full completion to the intro. No one was prepared for the finishing act "Get By" nuff said - Nas was given the rightful set up with a introduction that only another headliner could provide. *Off topic* Yo definitely appreciate the chance to watch the second set from backstage...far from the superstar ego that has plauged many in this industry...My peoples and I appreciate it again *Back On Topic*....
* Side Bar - Second show yall missed out -- why did Rival even add a second show - The venue sold out but the crowd was dead as hell - I digress *
Back to the first show...fast forward to Green Lantern...he didn't have to do much to ignite the already gasoline doused crowd that blew the hell up when God Son hit the stage taking a bat to the dome with the first song being Nig*er. Album dropped two weeks ago, but you would of never known because we still spit every line. In the words of Nas from last night "...We have History together..." and God Son took us on a walk from the young, hungry illmatic and It W
as Written days, club bangers from Nastradomus, Street Disciples, God Son, and more. Selections like "If I Ruled the World", "N.Y. State of Mind", "Street Dreams", "Hip Hop is Dead", "Shoot Em Up", "Hate Me Now"...songs for the ladies like "Oochie Wally", and audience driven tracks like "Bravehearts" and "One Mic" (meaning we spit more than Nas). Much like Talib's set, the only thing expected was the unexpected and Nas definitely delivered "...For the People". The audience chanted songs we wanted to hear that were off the set list more than likely and Nas never disappointed. Energy? There was enough electricity that the venue could of been powered just by pure excitement. I mean there was even a track that he refused to do but as Nas said "I am here for the people...let's do this" ended the set with a big ass laugh a 2 line spit and exit stage left... No need to know what it was should of been at the show. The mere fact we heard the beat was satisfying enough for the crowd.
Hip Hop is dead and Urban Radio/Backdoor Payola killed it but as long as we have Nas and Kweli doing what they do and not giving a f*ck about the media and hatrics I mean critics, yo there could be some sort of resuscitate to the genre. There is no need to say this is "Real Hip Hop" because they other stuff is just rap (I listen to the rap out there at times you gotta hit Mickey D's every now and again to get a dose of grease...lol)
*Back to the second show* Yo they were dead in my opinion they should of just did one show and let the artist run their allotted limits because it was not worth it ... Again my opinion. Talib and Nas both did their thing yet again but it was like performing infront of the Idol judges no energy, no excitement, simple reactions of "I am just here cuz my homeboy said they were good". I commend those dudes for still delivering after seeing the first set's audience blow the damn roof off the house I am sure it was all worth it for them.
(photos: Talib Kweli - taken from Slynation.com; Nas - Ajc.com)
with stadium style seating a open floor, but only holds about 1500 people and not one person sitting still, every single head on extra hard nod with more than 90% of the venue singing every single word, flow, verse verbatim and that still does not describe the first show in detail.Kweli hit the stage and blessed the audience with selections from Ear Drum to vintage tracks from the Black Star days. The crowd quickly warmed up to him and showed the appreciation spitting back at him the lyrical fire that was being sprayed. The unusual suspects were delivered but surprise bangers like 'The Perfect Beat" mixed into the original "Sound of the Police" - KRS One that just made the crowd go bananas, Move Somethin and Definition (yah yall not ready) . The homage tributes continued the set DJ (forgive me forgot the name) slid in some Mr. Robert Nesta Marley that just added full completion to the intro. No one was prepared for the finishing act "Get By" nuff said - Nas was given the rightful set up with a introduction that only another headliner could provide. *Off topic* Yo definitely appreciate the chance to watch the second set from backstage...far from the superstar ego that has plauged many in this industry...My peoples and I appreciate it again *Back On Topic*....
* Side Bar - Second show yall missed out -- why did Rival even add a second show - The venue sold out but the crowd was dead as hell - I digress *
Back to the first show...fast forward to Green Lantern...he didn't have to do much to ignite the already gasoline doused crowd that blew the hell up when God Son hit the stage taking a bat to the dome with the first song being Nig*er. Album dropped two weeks ago, but you would of never known because we still spit every line. In the words of Nas from last night "...We have History together..." and God Son took us on a walk from the young, hungry illmatic and It W
as Written days, club bangers from Nastradomus, Street Disciples, God Son, and more. Selections like "If I Ruled the World", "N.Y. State of Mind", "Street Dreams", "Hip Hop is Dead", "Shoot Em Up", "Hate Me Now"...songs for the ladies like "Oochie Wally", and audience driven tracks like "Bravehearts" and "One Mic" (meaning we spit more than Nas). Much like Talib's set, the only thing expected was the unexpected and Nas definitely delivered "...For the People". The audience chanted songs we wanted to hear that were off the set list more than likely and Nas never disappointed. Energy? There was enough electricity that the venue could of been powered just by pure excitement. I mean there was even a track that he refused to do but as Nas said "I am here for the people...let's do this" ended the set with a big ass laugh a 2 line spit and exit stage left... No need to know what it was should of been at the show. The mere fact we heard the beat was satisfying enough for the crowd.Hip Hop is dead and Urban Radio/Backdoor Payola killed it but as long as we have Nas and Kweli doing what they do and not giving a f*ck about the media and hatrics I mean critics, yo there could be some sort of resuscitate to the genre. There is no need to say this is "Real Hip Hop" because they other stuff is just rap (I listen to the rap out there at times you gotta hit Mickey D's every now and again to get a dose of grease...lol)
*Back to the second show* Yo they were dead in my opinion they should of just did one show and let the artist run their allotted limits because it was not worth it ... Again my opinion. Talib and Nas both did their thing yet again but it was like performing infront of the Idol judges no energy, no excitement, simple reactions of "I am just here cuz my homeboy said they were good". I commend those dudes for still delivering after seeing the first set's audience blow the damn roof off the house I am sure it was all worth it for them.
(photos: Talib Kweli - taken from Slynation.com; Nas - Ajc.com)
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