Tuesday, September 30, 2008

God shed your grace on thee



Politics is something that I have been into in varying degrees for the past couple years. I liken it to a spectator sport. CNN and ESPN aren't altogether that different. It's show after show about alleged authorities on the subject, as well as talking heads, spewing opinion after opinion and attempting to speculate the shit out of whats going to happen in the next event based on the statistics and data they have available, when they totally don't really know. Also, the actual events for that matter only make up 10% of the programming so what you get is masturbatory droning interspersed with episodes of absolute live and realtime excitement and/or horror. So, you pick a team and you root for it. Brag about their accomplishments and blame the ref or the coach/advisor when they don't perform well, depending whether your fandom is obsessive or pragmatic. I know it's stupid, and in some ways pointless, but I am a fan, especially now that I have an MVP I can really get behind.

I just returned from a third world country. It gave me a nice tall glass of perspective and made me really realize what a wealthy country we live in and how much other nations, that we don't even think about, depend on us. I felt an enormous amount of pride in my country, at our ability to get things done and have a system and philosophy in place that facilitates the growth of our nation as well as the distribution of wealth to as many people as it manages. I wondered what set us apart. Was it the original settlers? The architects of the Declaration of Independence, or the minds that set the current legislative and governing systems in place?
But every time I watch the news I see more and more dumb shit. It's usually hilarious, and then sad because you realize your laughing at the state of the country, and that means you're fucked.
Then yesterday, I had the day off. So, since I had the house to myself, I picked up some lunch and sat down on the couch and clicked on one of the news channels. I am not ashamed to admit my naivety, and what I saw damn near broke my heart. I saw some grown ass men, in suits and ties no less, come on television and say that they were planning on reluctantly voting for the 700 billion dollar bailout package, but that they changed their minds because they felt some type of way about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's gutter ass speech. That bailout package was questionable in it's own right. I have no idea what it really means for America but I was assuming that the people voting on that shit did, and at the very least, if they didn't agree with it it would be for a more mature reason than that they had their feelings hurt.

Then I remembered, the United States doesn't owe it's greatness the systems in place and possibly not even because of our cultural and structural philosophies. The excesses, the celebrities, the skyscrapers, the technology: WE OWE ALL THAT SHIT TO THE SLAVES. We should have a slave appreciation month. Because, quite frankly if it wasn't for those hundreds of years of free labor, we would've been fucked, wrestling with some Native Americans over some dusty ass ears of corn to this fucking day.
So, next time your sipping a hot latte in an air conditioned venue filled with computers, ya know, just in case you feel like using one, thank your lucky stars for the slaves.

Thank you, Slaves
Love,
Ms. Shai

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I'm not here right now, Leave a message...


There has been no shortage of dumb shit going on not only in my personal life but in life in general. I been out of the country also so now that i'm back I'll attempt to get back in the swing of things. In the meantime, y'all can watch this Josh Groban guy make an ass of himself at the Emmy's. It's both music and fuckery related, which is becoming a prerequisite. Plus, he does South Park, Baywatch, and The Jefferson's.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Damn, these niggas got me...



...I hate these niggas more than the Nazi's.

Story: Kanye West attacks the paparazzi, arrested

I'm not a news source but I thought a post on this was fitting given the nature of the last one.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Lost my momma, lost my mind...


The news that I am actually excited about comes from Kanye. There will be a new Kanye West album this year with the release date set at 12/9. The title: 808's and Heartbreak.
Here' why I'm excited...
Some people have been chattering and bitching about the title. Apparently, it was supposed to be 'Good Ass Job'. But, I think there's something superficial about following his initial trajectory of College Dropout >Freshman Adjustment?>Late Registration> Career Services? >Graduation>>>Good Ass Job, in spite of the life changing events that have happened to him over the past year. I think it's pretty evident that as bombastic as Ye' is he is a lot more sincere and personal than a lot of other rappers because he basically is his persona, flaws and all. He got engaged, his mother passed away, and then he called off the engagement to his fiance all in the same chaotic year. For an artist as intimate as Ye, the title really shouldn't be a surprise. There's also the threat of a 90's new jack era sound to the album (I'm basing this off of the tone of Love Lockdown) and I don't think I could be more enthused about it. Obviously, I'm over here speculating my ass off but I think that the combination 808 and heartbreak is something that's so far up my alley i'm pregnant already.

Dyson...


Dyson goes to a Nas Concert

You ever see Michael Eric Dyson bust some phat rhymes? Well, here's your opportunity.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Love Lockdown

I can't do a full recap of the VMA's because as much of a fuckery enthusiast as I am I ...I just ..I can't. All I'll say is that Wayne's enthusiasm for music is infectious and him kissing the older white lady before going on stage to accept his award was a wtf highlight for me (it warmed my heart, and made me forgive that he was rockin a plaid vest I almost picked up at Forever 21). I also think I liked this 'Love Locked Down' song that Ye' debuted at the close of the show but it's one of those things that will sound better recorded than live. So I can't call whether it's simplicity is endearing or pretentious. The simple suit and pulsing glow heart was a cute touch though. But, his shaky vocoder work is distracting, even more so than this odd brittish cat hosting the show and his Amy Winehouse do. So i'm awaiting more. Also, I am actually more excited about this French Revolution inspired rap battle Tag commercial than I am about the VMA's as a whole so..theres that.

Update: Ok so obviously this whole show was some kind of Britney Spears marketing vehicle but can you get over Sway talking to Cee-Lo backstage and spending the entire interview asking him what he thinks of Ms. Spears recovering from adversity and K. Fed and then when they finally get to some interesting shit like what he thought of Ye's new music they cut him off. smh

So, lemme find out I got you Amy Win'd out...


Ryan Leslie - Addiction

The video for 'Addiction' has dropped and i'm posting this because I love the song and I am intrigued by Ryan Leslie. He's undoubtedly extremely talented. But, he suffers from this genius complex. Meaning he's someone who is so far advanced past his peers his whole life that he can't really relate to them...so he doesn't really learn social norms and comes off like a repulsive asshole from time to time. However, I think in spite of that its flat out egregious how much this guy has been getting ignored by the mainstream. Fabolous too for that matter, he's definitely the main one making up for Leslie's curious lack of charm in this video. In R.Les' video for 'Diamond Girl' he was definitely weird. He's not a great looking guy and even his crooning has a nasal, textbook nerd, tonality attached to it but his old school tight suited exhuberance made it an interesting video. This video on the other hand is more typical as far as rap videos go. I noted the use of darker skinned models and I thought that was a cool and interestingly/sadly a good way to make your video stand out (but wheres Cassie?...being Ma$e hehehe). Leslie is stiff and almost nervous and uncomfortable looking. Maybe i'm reading too much into his posture but he's posing like someone whose trying to look cool and the obviousness of that endears me to him even further. However, Loso brings out the groupie in me in a way Les can only dream about. Yow!

Also, if you want to read something better than this and a writeup about the song check out this post at No Trivia.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

There is fiction in the space between...



...the lines on the page, and your memories. Write it down but it doesn't mean, that you're not just tellin' stories." -T.C.


I just heard some of the greatest news today. Tracy Chapman is coming out with an album this November. I absolutely love her. And 'Fast Car' is one of the first songs that made me feel something, and think about how evocative and pretty and complex music and poetry is... even though my mom had to sit me down and explain that it wasn't Gary Coleman singing in the video (I thought little Arnold was too deep).

Look up Marlon. Say Cheese!

Matter of fact, the first time I fell in love was in a fast car scenario and if I hadn't been lucky enough to get dropped off a couple blocks from my house my storyline might have panned out alot like the one in the song. Here's to you Ms. Chapman, I can see why Alice Walker was so sweet on ya. Beautiful soul and songstress. I wanted to close the post with video of the "Making of a Tracy Chapman Song" sketch that aired on In Living Color, however hours of searching have told me the internets are rather unyielding tonight. But, regardless I have to post the classic.



Tracy Chapman- Fast Car

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

My President is Black?



I don't mean to make this a political blog. But frankly if i'm going to be talking about what I like I might as well toss this in the blender. An article discussing what everyone wants to know: What if **** were black?


What If Bristol Palin Were Black? by Cenk Uygur
Christian-right leaders and conservative stalwarts have praised the decision of Bristol Palin, the daughter of Governor Sarah Palin, to carry her child to term. She is 17 and conceived this child out of wedlock. Now imagine she wasn't the daughter of a prominent Republican politician but an average person. Now imagine she was black.

What do you think conservatives would have to say about her? "Typical, urban youth with no sense of responsibility raised with loose morals who plans to depend on the state to take care of her child." You know it. It's not within dispute. That's exactly what they would say.

Barack Obama has told everyone to lay off this because it is a personal, family matter. Yes, but it also has public policy ramifications. Governor Palin is for abstinence only education. Well, that obviously didn't work.
(continue reading)

And in conclusion an excerpt from the all too short lived Chappelle's Show: Black President Bush. This episode was genius in its simplicity. Our president becomes explicitly indefensible when portrayed as a black man. Even though this black man does and says the exact same things as our president. What if? indeed.