Young, gifted and black

This young man wants to destroy the word Ni**er from language. Here are this thoughts...no matter your position about the word, this young man is doing his thing for what he believes in and that's dope. Peace+Love

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Maxwell x Bilal

...Maxwell live from MSG. Peace+Love

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I might have to cop these...

I've never posted any sneakers on this blog...but I think you guys understand why I had to post these....DOPE!

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Gallery 5113

Does your place reflect who you are? If you are an accountant, is your spot very calculated? A chef: is the whole crib based around your kitchen? Well when I moved into the spot I am in now, I wanted it to really reflect who I was as an artist. I'm still working on her but I'm getting there. And when I write or people are over to listen to music, talk, etc., I usually tweet that Gallery 5113 is open' (that's what I call it). CHECK THE PHOTOS HERE. Peace+Love Read more!

The Book of Eli

I love Denzel's action movies. Plus I want to work with The Hughs Brothers one day.

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Melanie Fiona

Talented and sexy. Peace+Love


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A reading from the past...

Time Magainze profile of author James Baldwin, 1963 - The Root of the Negro Problem
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Forever

Love this joint.


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What I'm reading...

Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago

Description: On the first day of the new year, no one dies. This of course causes consternation among politicians, religious leaders, morticians, and doctors. Among the general public, on the other hand, there is initially celebration—flags are hung out on balconies, people dance in the streets. They have achieved the great goal of humanity: eternal life. Then reality hits home—families are left to care for the permanently dying, life-insurance policies become meaningless, and funeral parlors are reduced to arranging burials for pet dogs, cats, hamsters, and parrots.

Death sits in her chilly apartment, where she lives alone with scythe and filing cabinets, and contemplates her experiment: What if no one ever died again?

What and Why: I don't have a favorite author, but if I had to choose one it would be Jose Saramago. This dude is amazing. First off he writes without punctuation, meaning dialogue is nessled in-between description and action. You have to literally train your eye to follow along with such a style. But it works all too well. Plus, all his books are challenging, political and happen in a unknown country which could very well be where the reader dwells. Happy reading folks and if you need a book...check out "Death with Interruptions.'

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Obama x Letterman

This will be a classic TV moment for years and years to come. Here is the full clip and peep the White House Blog, which is the most transparent the White House has been in my lifetime. Peace+Love

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Beautiful Skin...

Goodie Mob had their reunion last weekend in the A and I've heard from several people that it was off the chain, despite the rain. Here is the Mob performing 'Beautiful Skin,' at the concert off of the Still Standing album. One of my favorite Goodie joints (and Luva's). Goodie Mob forever! Check a lot more of the concert video and pictures over at Marice Garland.

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Rad filming

I barely listened to the song because the visuals were so dope. Enjoy.

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Blakroc

A collaboration between The Black Keys, Dame Dash and some of the dopest and talented people in Hip-Hop. I will be copping this on Black Friday. November 27. Peace+Love

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Oprah's pick

Oprah has chosen Owen Akpan's "Say You're One of Them," as her newest book club pick. The book is a collection of five short stories set in modern Africa and told from the perspective of children living amid war and famine. Check out full story here. Peace+Love

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Lebron x Hip-Hop x Paris

A dope expression of sports and culture. Bron is the man.

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The essence of cool

I aspire to be half as cool as Miles. Peace+Love


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A 'Good' story

The Goodie Mob reunion happens this weekend and southern boy and journalist Maurice Garland hooked up with the Mob and talked life. Check the full story here.

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New Photography

Check my new set "Out and About," here.
(These are left overs from around towns)
Note: Photo called 'Amongst Art'

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The 'novel' complete track listing

Before I Am No Longer Young, Gifted and Black (tentative title)


Part I

Buses & Trumpets
The Old Odyssey
White Boy Literature
Daydreams of Emmett
The Renaissance of Payton
The Subconscious Contradictions
God Lives in a Museum
7 Steps to Heaven

Part II

E.S.P
Nigger
The Autobiography of Patricia Payton
MMM
The Marvel
From Africa to Auburn Ave.

Part III

Bitches Brew
Politics & Prose
Decatur Psalm
The New Odyssey

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Part III

This past Friday, I finished the first draft of my novel. The title is still a work in progress. I'll share later the personal battles of writing this novel...meaning the two years it took and why it took so long to write. But today I'll just share the Part III 'track listing' like I did for parts one and two. Again, the method to the madness. Part I has 8 chapters, Part II has 6 chapters and Part III has 4 chapters. Why the descend? Cause, to me, it seems when you get older and wiser, time slows. I mean, time always passes fast, but it seems one's childhood always zooms by too fast. And so..the number of chapters in each part is a symbol of that. Trust me, there are hundreds of little things like that in the titles and novel as a whole.

Part III

Bitches Brew
Politics & Prose
Decatur Psalm
The New Odyssey

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Goodie Reunion x CeeLo

I won't be able to make this but my soul will be there. Right on to the real.

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Pursuit of Happiness

Love the lyrics on this song. My new anthem. Peace+Love

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What I'm reading...

What am I reading?

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

The New Yorker's description: Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees. After the levees break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality.

What and Why: Eggers likes to interview and write the stories of people and their lives at its breaking point. This story of Hurricane Katrina is also research for my novel in the aspect of reading about the accounts of a person that stayed over during the storm. Eggers uses his language to describe historical and factual events on the brink of humanity. Half way in, it's a good read and tells an inside story of what really went down during those days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina.

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Look Book

These are dope. I've always thought everyday people have way more style than most celebrities. Check this little feature called Look Book from NYMag. Think you have style and could be featured? Submit your style and look here and give it a shot. Peace+Love/Style

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Racism against Obama?

In these last few weeks, are we seeing racism against President Obama?
A more important question is: Are people scared to say the 'R' word because our president is Black.
There are some people out there I'm sure would love for a group of Black people to call certain things racist so they could down play any racial problems we have in this country. As in saying, "You're playing the race card!" Or "He's the president, all presidents have been criticized."

You know, I've always wanted to be an author because I felt writers should be at the forefront of social and cultural issues. And I've said before that this has been lacking in my generation. No Baldwins, Angelous, etc. in my generation.

However, when Rep. Joe Wilson yelled 'You lie!' at President Obama during an address to Congress...I mean.
Has this every happened in American politics? The answer is no...and to call the president of the United States a liar in front of the world! Disturbing. And read that sentence again...not in front of Congress or America, but the world!
Would anyone have yelled something at a white president?
No one ever disrespected Bush in such a manner and I know they disagreed with him on many issues.
But is saying this was a racist act too harsh?
Personally, I believe this would not have happened to a white president. I think subconsciously it made it easy for Mr. Wilson to disrespect a person he feels he can not empathize with...a black man...that just so happens to be his president. And so..his emotions got the best of him out of a lack of a respect.

Now if that was the only incident it would be different. In these last few weeks, are we seeing racism against President Obama?
A more important question is: Are people scared to say the 'R' word because our president is Black.
There are some people out there I'm sure would love for a group of Black people to call certain things racist so they could down play any racial problems we have in this country. As in saying, "You're playing the race card!" Or "He's the president, all presidents have been criticized."

You know, I've always wanted to be an author because I felt writers should be at the forefront of social and cultural issues. And I've said before that this has been lacking in my generation. No Baldwins, Angelous, etc. in my generation.

However, when Rep. Joe Wilson yelled 'You lie!' at President Obama during an address to Congress...I mean.
Has this every happened in American politics? The answer is no...and to call the president of the United States a liar in front of the world! Disturbing. And read that sentence again...not in front of Congress or America, but the world!
>Would anyone have yelled something at a white president?
No one ever disrespected Bush in such a manner and I know they disagreed with him on many issues.
But is saying this was a racist act too harsh?
Personally, I believe this would not have happened to a white president. I think subconsciously it made it easy for Mr. Wilson to disrespect a person he feels he can not empathize with...a black man...that just so happens to be his president. And so..his emotions got the best of him out of a lack of a respect.Now if that was the only incident it would be different.
But the other big issue was the speech to kids the president gave earlier in the week. It was given as an option in some school districts and some people took their kids out of school because they didn't want their kids to watch.
Watch...the president of the United States give a pep talk to stay in school.
If Brittany Spears wanted to give a speech about the same issue, I doubt one kid would have been taken out of school by their parents.
And today, a Texas school district that banned President Obama's speech are busing 500 kids to see former President Bush give a speech.
You tell me the issue?
Is it racism?
Or ugly politics?
We may have to watch, wait and see. Read more!

3000 speaks

...you know when 3000 talks (or raps) it's rare. So enjoy. Peace+Love

MTV Shows

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Your Not My Girl by Ryan Leslie

This dude is a hard worker. The visuals are dope in this one. Peace+Love

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Chester French x Shakira x Tour Bus

Raddest white boys out!

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Part II

So I'm here at the flat writing on the last chapter of the book and wanted to share something. Earlier this week I released the 'tracklist,' for Part I one of the novel. So here is part II of the novel. I feel I should give a brief description of the book because with part II, I want to tell you why I named it what I did.

Synopsis: A teenager from New Orleans with aspirations of becoming a poet gets a scholarship to a boarding school in Tennessee his junior year of high school. He takes the scholarship but soon after he arrives Katrina hits the N.O. and his entire immediate family is lost. This throws him into a world wind of emotion and loss and he must reclaim his role in a new society and find the evolution of his poetic voice in the face of pain, tragedy and life.

So back to the Part II 'track list' and very brief descriptions of why I titled them so in parenthesis:

Part II

E.S.P
Nigger
The Autobiography of Patricia Payton
MMM
The Marvel
From Africa to Auburn Ave.

So I'm here at the flat writing on the last chapter of the book and wanted to share something. Earlier this week I released the 'tracklist,' for Part I one of the novel. So here is part II of the novel. I feel I should give a brief description of the book because with part II, I want to tell you why I named it what I did.

Synopsis: A teenager from New Orleans with aspirations of becoming a poet gets a scholarship to a boarding school in Tennessee his junior year of high school. He takes the scholarship but soon after he arrives Katrina hits the N.O. and his entire immediate family is lost. This throws him into a world wind of emotion and loss and he must reclaim his role in a new society and find the evolution of his poetic voice in the face of pain, tragedy and life.

So back to the Part II 'track list' and very brief descriptions of why I titled them so in parenthesis:

Part II

E.S.P
Nigger
The Autobiography of Patricia Payton
MMM
The Marvel
From Africa to Auburn Ave.

So I'm here at the flat writing on the last chapter of the book and wanted to share something. Earlier this week I released the 'tracklist,' for Part I one of the novel. So here is part II of the novel. I feel I should give a brief description of the book because with part II, I want to tell you why I named it what I did.

Synopsis: A teenager from New Orleans with aspirations of becoming a poet gets a scholarship to a boarding school in Tennessee his junior year of high school. He takes the scholarship but soon after he arrives Katrina hits the N.O. and his entire immediate family is lost. This throws him into a world wind of emotion and loss and he must reclaim his role in a new society and find the evolution of his poetic voice in the face of pain, tragedy and life.

So back to the Part II 'track list' and very brief descriptions of why I titled them so in parenthesis:

Part II

E.S.P
Nigger
The Autobiography of Patricia Payton
MMM
The Marvel
From Africa to Auburn Ave.


E.S.P - (to me pain sounds like Miles Davis' E.S.P. off Kind of Blue)
Nigger - (is a poem written by another character at the end of this chapter)
The Autobiography of Patricia Payton - (the story of the protagonist's mother; you are explained by who your mother is)
MMM - (stands for My Maya Moment, as in Angelou's tough time in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)
The Marvel - (the characters in the this chapter have things in common with the comic books)
From Africa to Auburn Ave. - (the protagonist moves from the coastline of N.O. to Atlanta, Ga.) Read more!

Fat Joe

I'm not even a big Fat Joe fan but I like this song and video for distinct reasons. What to look for?
1. The cinematography
2. The beautiful mural of Big Pun (with wings)
3. The Jimi Hendrix sample in the song.
...dope.


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Mos x Katrina x New Orleans

Saw this over at Okayplayer. Needed to see this to get me in that mode for a big writing weekend. Peace+Love


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mirage

mirage
by david stuckey

i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.
looking at something that I think is there.
but isnt.
i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.

tired of my brothers frontin.
talking their egos up.
putting down anyone in their path in the process.
tired of the frontin.
stuntin.

tired of seeing a mirage.mirage
by david stuckey

i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.
looking at something that I think is there.
but isnt.
i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.

tired of my brothers frontin.
talking their egos up.
putting down anyone in their path in the process.
tired of the frontin.
stuntin.

tired of seeing a mirage.

tired of christians getting defensive.
not wanting to discuss our community's religion's origin.
slavery.
tired of muslims talking about their forward religion.
because their word was the last sent by god.
the progression of god.
while you still have women, the mother of life, sitting in the back of the mosque.

tired of seeing a mirage.

tired of hearing i love you.
and then getting the reciprocal.
thought that was a heartbeat.
it was an 808.

tired of seeing a mirage.

tired of looking in the mirror and seeing half of what i claim to be.
1/4 of my potential.
75% of the qualities i profess to have.
Half the man.
tired of yelling great.
and looking at my reflection and seeing 'pretty good.'

i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.
looking at something that I think is there.
but isn't.
i'm tired.
tired of seeing a mirage.

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Just because...

...every once and a while you have to remember and marvel at Ms. Hill. Peace+Love

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Hip-Hop = Brilliance

wow...and this why I say Hip-Hop is brilliant and God given. Dude going off with two colored pencils and his foot! Before class! Come on now...Peace+Love

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Dope Girl...

Cassie.

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