One Word. One Beat.

Growing Our Scene - The Future of KC Hip-Hop

2009-03-12T14:45:00.001-07:00

***PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a criticism geared towards anyone. If you interpret it to be such a thing, you either have not read the entirety of this post or you have been misled. If this were a criticism, I would be doing it to myself as well. In no way am I omniscient. I know there are numerous ideas. The purpose of this post is to express those ideas and find ways to bank on them in the spirit of community. If you disagree or agree please post***

You all know best, Kansas City Hip-Hop has come a long way. One can randomly cop an album whether that be on Dela, Atmosphere, Twista, Large Pro etc and can find a KC artist on it. That's remarkable. And to no extent are those KC artists being included the stretch of our success.
In the sense that we are expanding musically and are collaborating is certainly key - and we have that DOWN - in growing our scene but it is only half of the battle.

What we must continue to do, however, and with more force, is to involve more people into our art. I commend those who are doing just that but much more is needed. We cannot grow formidable in comparison to other cities if we continue the cycle of catering to an arbitrary group of a few hundred heads (who are mostly artists). Kansas City's metro has over 2,000,000 people. Why do KC Hip-Hop show's barely bring in single and double digits in terms of attendees? This must be addressed and acted upon.

I've created a survey written specifically towards getting insight on how to fill this missing link. Although there are thousands in the city limits of Kansas City who are unaware of our local scene, this survey is geared more toward suburban dwellers of the metro who are in the age range of 15-35. If you have access to communicating with people in this demographic please have them take this quick 10-question survey: http://bit.ly/KChip-hop

Three things that we MUST push for:

1. Either 18+ or All ages shows: Although some may have an aversion to the "kiddies" attending Hip-Hop shows, be it there apparent obliviousness, inability to buy alcohol, or giddiness, they ARE ABSOLUTELY VITAL in creating a scene/community. That same giddiness translates into other friends who hear about the scene and so on and so forth. We need that. The city of Kansas City does not appeal to the needs of families and the youth (sub-par school system mostly). Those kids are being averted to the outer-limits. THIS involvement can be an attraction to bring them back.

I know that clubs/bars don't like the "kiddies" either because they can't make much money off of them because they can't buy alcohol. It is imperative that we meet them half way by providing wrist bands, stamps etc to prevent minors from attempting to buy alcohol while at the same time making sure that those who can buy alcohol are in the house with as much or more a vengeance of minors. It's not the minor's fault that the venue wasn't packed.

2. More aggressive marketing: We need more street teams, more time and more dedication. The loyal few, bless their righteous heart, can't do it all - especially with limited funding. Perhaps with the help of those minors and/or dedicated people with turf knowledge can remedy this void.

We need to market OUTSIDE of the arbitrary bubbles of Westport and the HHKC community as well as continuing to do so in those bubbles also.. We need to hit the begrudged Power & Light District (I do see that progress has been made on this front recently) and put our attitudes aside. One of the best urban planners in America, Andres Duany, can attest to this. The draws of P&L, urbanity and walkability - the sense of community and human interaction - are what urban areas can provide best. Those folks are SEEKING culture. We need to capitalize and cater to them.

It shouldn't stop there. We need to market to the suburbs. Those residents claim to live in Kansas City for a reason. They want to be a part of the urban environment.

3. Retention:

An integral part of growing our scene is retaining those people. We can't just let them drift back to their previous life. Our art is life-CHANGING. We have to create an insatiable need. To do this we need to keep people looped. A lot of us actually do a terrific job of this by having ubiquitous presences on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and at social events around the city. What must happen, however, is much more interaction between "fans" and "artists", more effective integration of HHKC.com and other KC culture sites with tangible things: T-Shirts, Fliers, Banners, Tattoo (ha!), you name it. This can be gradual. But it must be apparent. This will add to the loop factor that is much needed.

Now this may make some upset but it needs to be addressed. HiphopKC.com NEEDS to step into this millinium. If we are to attract new fresh blood and KEEP them we must maximize this resource and transform it into a web 2.0 site. As of now it looks like it's fresh out of Windows 95.

These issues can be greatly expounded upon. That's what's needed. We need a coalition to meet the demands of a growing scene. The plaza has a team that determines every slight move of it's growth and transformation from store front facades to retail mixture - all in the name of growth and preservation of it's uniqueness. We need a diverse team of Hip-Hop figures to do so as well. Please PLEASE PLEASE feel free to ping pong about this subject. Time is a wasting and the train is moving.

*** I'll post the results of the survey as they accumulate on here as well. Again, the link is: http://bit.ly/KChip-hop ****

I'm on a BOAT!

2009-03-04T00:12:00.001-08:00

I can't even lie, this song is slightly fire.

Hip Hop Doctor Battles Heart Disease With Music

2009-02-22T11:38:00.001-08:00

Via: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.8612/title.hip-hop-doctor-battles-heart-disease-with-music

Physician Rani Whitfield has found a unique way of merging Hip Hop and medicine to bring about heart disease and obesity awareness to the African American community.

"I started to notice there was an affinity towards Hip Hop music," Whitfield, who splits his time between seeing patients and producing rap songs in the studio, said to CNN. "I was hoping maybe I could get involved in the culture and have some positive influence on it."

Positive influence is definitely needed in an era when heart disease is the number one killer of African Americans. According to the U.S. Department of Health, African American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure than the average American. This puts them at higher risk for stroke, heart failure, and heart disease.

Although many of the reasons for these disparities involve factors such as genetics, socioeconomic standing, and access to affordable health care, environment actually plays a huge role in one's ability to avoid heart disease. In low-income neighborhoods, access to healthy food, quality health care, simple walking routes, or the gym tends to be limited.

This is why Dr. Whitfield, who is nowadays referred to as the "Hip Hop Doc," believes that traditional messages of heart disease prevention aren't working. In his most popular song, Walk the Walk, which is aimed at younger generation minorities, the doc teams up with New Orleans rapper Dee-1, rhyming:

"A stroke's no joke and heart disease comes with ease/ Hypertension smokin’ and diabetes/ So watch your cholesterol like you watchin' 106/ If you eat healthy there will be less for me to fix."

"It's not just African Americans I'm speaking to," he explained. "It's white, black, Hispanic, Asian; I'm speaking to many groups with the urban concept, the urban message." Whitfield hopes that in uniting Hip Hop and health education, he will be able to get across an important message, using language that minority youth will be willing to listen to.

"It's going to take young African American, Hispanic and Asian doctors to go out to talk to their communities to convince them," Whitfield ended.

What I'm listenin' to

2009-02-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

This dude isn't too shabby. Peep this song with Yung Buck, who kills it as usual.

Punk of the Day: Alan Keyes

2009-02-21T14:53:00.001-08:00

This idiotic distraught and downright unfortunate result of a sperm and egg pairing is the reason why the right is suffering. These absolutely radical views on Obama have yet to prove themselves effective for the case of their creators. It does seem effective in giving Obama momentum. So congrats Alan Keyes, you've lost in every race you've attempted to run in. Likewise you have lost your mind - if one ever existed, punk!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What Song Made You Fall in Love with Hip-Hop?

2009-02-13T23:31:00.001-08:00

A lot of people succumb to, when describing rap, saying the almost cliche "Hip-Hop is Dead." Although Nas' controversial album titled this commercialized and standardized this term there is no doubt that it existed before. Now a days, people are quick to chuck the term out there to oversimplify the state of Hip-Hop culture.

People don't realize however, that when they say, Hip-Hop is dead, they kill themselves. Especially so called rappers that further taint Hip-Hops dying perception. One thing they don't realize is that when you say that you're dying, you feel like you're doing. Ask those who deal with ageism. Sociologist call it the labeling theory but when you look in a certain direction when you're driving, it's hard to keep going straight.

This is where YOU come in. Hip-Hop lives in us. And we are VERY VERY alive. Welcome to the "Vital Signs" campaign - a campaign driven by those who live, breathe and eat Hip-Hop as a culture.

Do you want to prove that Hip-Hop is alive and kicking. Upload the song that made you fall in love with Hip-Hop using the widget below or by visiting drop.io/vitalsigns:

drop.io: simple private sharing

You're songs will be compiled and released on the "Vital Signs" album releasing in April. Hurry this historic opportunity ends soon.

thePhantom*-
http://ping.fm/1D5gt/vitalsigns

Thank you LAWD JESUS!

2009-02-11T14:30:00.001-08:00

This dude is my new hero:

http://ping.fm/yQxq7?se=yahoorefer&feature=player_embedded

Barack Obama Elementary School

2009-02-04T14:35:00.001-08:00

I thought this was very nice:

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Students got their wish Wednesday as their school was officially renamed Barack Obama Elementary School.

School officials believe it's the first in the nation to be renamed for the 44th president, and they said the idea to change the name of Ludlum Elementary School came from the children themselves.

The students wrote essays and held mock debates during the campaign, and paid close attention when Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain met in their final presidential debate at Hofstra University, about a mile from their school on Long Island.

"It really sends a message to children that when they get involved they can make a difference," said acting school Superintendent Joseph Laria.

Just weeks after the election, the school board unanimously passed a resolution making the change, and when the president was inaugurated last month all 460 students were given navy blue sweatshirts emblazoned with "Barack Obama Elementary School _ Yes We Can."

The school's enrollment is 62 percent Hispanic and 36 percent black.

Nine-year-old Emily Philbert, who dreams of becoming a doctor, says her classmates felt it was important to honor Obama "because now we finally have our first African-American president. Since I'm an African-American girl myself, that's a huge honor."

From:http://ping.fm/JjUK6

If I see another "Love" show on VH1...

2009-02-02T20:37:00.001-08:00

I'm really going to kill myself. Sitting here on the computer, Katie tells me, "hey baby you're going to love this show!" She knows my aversion for these fake reality shows. But THIS time, a line has been crossed. I see that RAY J - yes the sub-famed, sub-par singer (Brandy's brother) - has a show called "For the Love of Ray J". Shoot me now. View if you must: http://ping.fm/C1OHY

Rhymefest Disses Charles Hamilton

2009-01-31T02:36:00.001-08:00

Okay, apparently this dropped a few days ago but I just got around to hearing it. It's safe to say that Rhymefest KILLS it. Let's see what Charlie boy has up his sleeve. Peep:

Rhymefest - Supersoninc (Charles Hamilton Diss) | Hip Hop Songs > HipHopDX.com

A Good Flick

2009-01-31T00:28:00.001-08:00

This looks pretty good actually:
NEXT DAY AIR trailer

Claire McCaskill Disses Wall St. Idiots

2009-01-30T15:55:00.001-08:00

I'm proud to say that I, like McCaskill, am from the Show-Me State (Missouri.) Like my man Cuba Gooding Jr. once said, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" It turns out that these same big wig victims - which almost seems paradoxical - who WE the taxpayer bailed out have spent at least $18,000,000,000 (numerical to show profoundness [$18b]) on BONUSES!!! BONUSES!!! How rude, I might add. This is totally ridiculous.

What's funny is that there was a reporter on CNBC - a supposed authentic report of economic matters - who had the audacity to kindly note that people don't realize that "most of these bonuses are the bulk of what they are paid." Lets run with this: if there were 100,000 recipients of this $18 Billion, they would each be paid $180,000. 100,000 is the size of a moderately sized CITY and I highly doubt that there are that many of them - let's try a couple hundred. If we averaged this number out, each of these CEO's would be making $9,000,000 A PIECE. The fact that these idiots would cry wolf then scheme the system is just as genius as it is stupid, which is the unfortunate part.

Claire McCaskill was being generous in my opinion $400K is a LOT. It's what our President will make per year. These men should be tried in court. Punk bastards.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sarah Palin to Hobnob the Good Ol' Boys

2009-01-30T12:55:00.001-08:00

Word is Sarah Palin is going to attend the Alfalfa Dinner amongst the likes of President Obama and your typical Washington good ol' boy. For a person who has been excessively prejudice towards Washington and made it a campaign asset that she was an "outsider", I find this quite ironic.

One reporter on MSNBC added that she's merely trying to familiarize herself to the American people. But what's interesting about that assertion is that the event is extremely private; So private that about 150 people will be in attendance.

My take is that she's trying to network. Statistics show that 80% of careers are landed via networking in some way. So we will see a Palin ticket in 2012*.

*God help us all.

STUDY: Masterbation Causes Cancer

2009-01-30T09:53:00.001-08:00

(Illseed News) A recent study will have men shaking in their boxers if they choked the chicken a bit too much in their younger years.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have determined that men who masturbate often in their 20s and 30s are far more prone to developing prostate cancer.
The scientists surveyed 800 men and about half of them had suffered from prostate cancer.
The same data could be attributed to gentlemen that got their mack on frequently with the ladies, but the higher sexual activity was generally credited the act of self-love.
Ironically, men over 40 that jerk-off or shag a lot of babes can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Masturbation clearly needs a great publicist to stop this bad press.

2009-01-30T09:31:00.001-08:00

Why does my dog constantly insist on driving me crazy?

2009-01-30T08:47:00.001-08:00

"Re-distribution" of wealth? That term cracks me up when in reference to Obama. What the hell do you call TAXES?

Word Cloud for my Hummingbird

2009-01-29T12:36:00.001-08:00

title="Wordle: A song to my Hummingbird"> src="http://ping.fm/kj5Xv"
alt="Wordle: A song to my Hummingbird"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">

2009-01-29T11:57:00.001-08:00

Man I can't expect to function off of three hours of sleep. If I'm silent for a few hours you know what I'm doing - prolly passed out.

2009-01-29T03:20:00.001-08:00

Finally got this dang Myspace background how I want it. Good LORD.

2009-01-29T01:47:00.001-08:00

Finally finished with the dang laundry.

2009-01-28T22:53:00.001-08:00

Man I've been doin' laundry all day.

2009-01-28T17:56:00.001-08:00

I shall return with good news

2009-01-28T17:05:00.003-08:00

Kemet said: Click on the banner and cop the album FREE://www.myspace.com/thephantom816.

Propz RAI!

2009-01-28T17:05:00.001-08:00

Man I can't get this status right for sh*t!

2009-01-28T16:59:00.001-08:00

Click on the banner and cop the album FREE: www.myspace.com/thephatom816

2009-01-27T20:55:00.001-08:00

The end is nearer than you think, my friend.

2009-01-27T15:31:00.001-08:00

Why is it that there are so many choices in terms of fast food but none of them EVER sound appealing?

2009-01-26T23:36:00.001-08:00

Reading up on KC artists. Stay abreast!

2009-01-26T22:02:00.001-08:00

Is change a journey or a destination?: http://ping.fm/mevru

2009-01-26T09:27:00.001-08:00

If the place where you work (in KC) is hiring holla at me!

2009-01-26T00:12:00.001-08:00

...or maybe I just sleep at the wrong times?

2009-01-25T18:42:00.001-08:00

I've been sleepin' way too much lately!

2009-01-25T10:05:00.001-08:00

Man when Martin accidently took them pills in Bad Boys 2 I was DYINNNNG.

2009-01-25T01:20:00.001-08:00

Somebody's incredibly drunk (and it's not me)

2009-01-24T21:17:00.001-08:00

Critically acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix's dreams of becoming a genuine "Hip-Hop artist" came to a notable end just as soon as it began. Peep this disaster:

Then this one:

2009-01-24T21:16:00.001-08:00

Actor Joaquin Phoenix's falls off stage after debut as a "hip-hop artist": http://ping.fm/hVijd

2009-01-24T13:56:00.001-08:00

Watchin' my baby girl dressin' up is like eating vanilla ice cream.

2009-01-23T01:58:00.001-08:00

Man I just got back from the dopest show at the News Room on Broadway. For those who missed it. I'm SOOO Sorry for you. No worries though, next Thursday!

2009-01-22T12:09:00.001-08:00

I just woke up and missed two classes. I can't live my life like this! That's what I get for making music though, my downfall.

2009-01-21T22:32:00.001-08:00

That Selektah "What Would you Do!?" wit' Free and Cass is hard as HELL!

2009-01-21T19:40:00.001-08:00

Souja Boy tries to rap fast! (hilarious) http://ping.fm/Eq3IJ

Nice Try Souja Boy

2009-01-21T19:38:00.001-08:00

Video Provided by DatPiff.com

After a career long disaster of chillingly horrific lyrics, Soulja Boy makes his apparent debut as a real emcee. This time instead of the undecipherable jabberwocky usually proceeding a "YEEOOUUUUUUU", he decides to - as demonstrated in a faux studio session - "double time it" with a rapid delivery, rapping in thirds - a trademark of Bone Thugs and Harmony, for instance.

But despite this cute and honest attempt to clean up his image and perhaps save his career, the listener will automatically say two words after listening: "Nice Try."

Not only are his words extremely jumbled and undecipherable, the studio session he showcases his "flow" in is obviously not real. As he doesn't even move his lips three-fourths of the song which he's supposed to be "re-enacting", the camera man shooting the event deems it necessary to shake the camera omni-directionally to decieve the viewer into thinking Soulja Boy is actually rapping! How cheap.

Needless to say, I'm encouraged that he's trying to switch it up - I was surprised - but at best this is "fun" and "cute" and not "dope" and "skillful".

Perhaps this cats career is over. Perhaps it isn't but these recent sporadic attempts to un-taint his already doomed legacy is only tarnishing his currently obsidian luster even more. Should we feel sorry for him? HELL NAH!

2009-01-21T13:06:00.001-08:00

I found my girlfriend! Lost my mind though...you seen THAT?

Relax...Sit back

2009-01-21T11:16:00.001-08:00

As I was walking in to the Union here at school, I just so happened to be in the vicinity of the "MindBody Connection" - this relaxation and wellbeing center. They've had this service available to students for quite some time but I had never been, although I'd always wanted to.

What I found, soon after entering the room, was that this place was heaven on earth. A true diamond in the rough.

There are a few stations in which you can utilize to reduce stress:

1. Massage Chair: In my opinion, one of Gods great gifts to earth. And this wasn't one of those cheap ones you find at CVS. This one was incredibly state of the art. I found extreme solace when experiencing the leg and calf massager. Needless to say, I stayed in the chair for about an half an hour

2. Wii: Apparently, students can play Wii on the huge screen from 3-5PM. I was too early to experience this, but I'll definitely be back when the clock hits three (one of these days [if not today])

3. Heart Monitor: According to the guy who was moderating this center, this Heart Monitor specializes in optimizing neurological performance by mapping out patterns in ones heart rate. There's a clip that you put on your ear lobe that connects to the computer via USB and it records the heart rate of the user.

Once the user is plug'd in, so to speak, he is then givin a challenge. There are three categories in which the program places your heart rate: Low, Medium (I think) and High (note: there is a different nomanclature for "High" but I forgot it).

In essence, when the program detects that you are nervous or anxious, you're heart rate pattern is placed in the low. The more relaxed you are (obviously translating in your pulse) the higher your score becomes.

There are a few techniques that I was told to do to reach the "High" level:

A. Focus on your heartbeat
B. Focus on your breathing and try different ways of doing so
C. Think of something or someone you especially appreciate.

My verdict? I think I'll be back to this place. From the chair to the heart monitor, I feel as though, it's extremely effective in disabling the trite, trivial and unresolvable aspects of the day that truly trigger and maintain anxiety and stress. Even now while typing this, I am truly relaxed (although my surrounds are ever so active.

As for my results of the heart monitor? I "passed with flying" colors as the moderator said. He definitely saw that in the very beginning my heart rate suggested that I was nervous (which was very true, for it seemed like a test) but eventually I relaxed, gained and maintained maximum mental efficiency.

So as the terminator would say: "I'll be back."

2009-01-20T15:51:00.001-08:00

Proud of you America!

2009-01-20T01:25:00.001-08:00

Good night to all - officially - and to all? Good night.

2009-01-19T23:37:00.001-08:00

Josephine Collective is dope. Propz Dutch.

Stop The Reign

2009-01-19T22:55:00.001-08:00

In this notable season in which the legacy of Biggy is being celebrated, It'd only be responsible to highlight and share a gem that he so happened to grace...with Shaq. Yes, Shaq.

2009-01-19T20:44:00.001-08:00

My dog just pee'd in the bed. I'm very angry.

2009-01-19T17:09:00.001-08:00

BTW - before I go - new FAST joint with Stik and Craig S. Stay posted B!

2009-01-19T17:07:00.001-08:00

Okay, I'm done with the net for the rest of the night. See ya'll tomorrow.

2009-01-19T11:12:00.001-08:00

Does anybody know of any good MLK events goin' on today?

2009-01-19T03:44:00.001-08:00

Okay, I seriously need to go to sleep. Good night. Happy birthday Martin.

2009-01-19T00:06:00.001-08:00

Boy this new joint with Craig Smith is about to be BONKERS. Good lord. I didn't know I had this IN ME.

2009-01-18T23:01:00.001-08:00

Peep my dude Craig Smiths new Album !!!"1988"http://ping.fm/QVOwg

2009-01-18T22:30:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine and fellow poet, Billy Brame, sent me this article from the Time Magazine. Props B:

In the 1950s and '60s, god was a man named Alexander Scourby. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., of Greek immigrant parents and attended college in West Virginia, but he spoke in a "deep and resonant voice" (as Wikipedia puts it) and--here is the key point--with more than a touch of a British accent. Long after Britain had exhausted its resources in World War II and lost its empire, a British accent conveyed authority, dignity, power.

In Hollywood, they sometimes refer to an omniscient but unseen narrator as a VOG, short for voice of God. Scourby was the leading VOG of his day, in documentaries like Victory at Sea and numerous commercials. His was the voice in the first ever recording of the entire Bible, made in the 1940s. At that time, it was as natural to assume that God spoke with a British accent as it was to assume that he had a beard--or, for that matter, that he was a he.

Scourby died in 1985, after at least two complete recordings of the Bible and one of the Koran. Yes, in those days, even the Prophet Muhammad had a British accent. So who is God today? The answer is clear: he is James Earl Jones. Jones' voice is best known for five immortal syllables: "THIS [pause] is CNN." Jones is also the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. And his recording of the King James Version of the Bible has sold more than 400,000 copies. Jones' voice is even deeper and more resonant than Scourby's, but there is only a trace of a British accent. Jones is African American and sounds it. (See pictures of Barack Obama's nation of hope.)

The currently best-selling audio Bible, Inspired by ... the Bible Experience, has an all-star cast including Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson and Forest Whitaker--all African American. Meanwhile, Jones' only real competition for the role of God--at least until Denzel Washington gets a bit older--is Morgan Freeman. Jones is the Old Testament God, fierce and forbidding. Freeman is the New Testament version, all wise and all knowing, to be sure, but more approachable. He has done it twice in movies, has been the VOG in commercials for Listerine and Visa cards, among other products, and was the inevitable choice as narrator for that excruciatingly adorable movie about penguins. Freeman told an Associated Press reporter a few months ago that he is "tired of playing God." Who can blame him? At least as Freeman plays him, God is a bit hard to take: so full of tough love and wry wisdom that you long to wear a wire and catch him soliciting $8 million bribes to admit you into heaven.

Brits and pseudo-Brits, in sum, have lost this franchise. If you're a casting director looking for a voice whose very timbre communicates authority, dignity, power, you might even go to Queen Latifah before you resort to Jeremy Irons. The reasons aren't hard to speculate about. The roots of this development go back at least to the 1930s and Paul Robeson's singing "Ol' Man River" in Showboat. The therapeutic notion that suffering confers dignity and authority has spread just as the suffering of African Americans over generations has become universally acknowledged. Above all, black American ministers have replaced British politicians, at least in perception, as the world's most eloquent public users of the English language. Our homegrown Martin Luther King Jr. has knocked Winston Churchill off his perch as the ideal.

What's most inspiring about this development is that it can't be faked. There is no element of affirmative action here. Sidney Poitier won't do. The point is not to be black but to sound black. And unlike the integration and near domination of African Americans in professional sports, this is not even a matter of genuine talent breaking down the floodgates. Plenty of white or white-sounding actors could say "THIS [pause] is CNN" as well as Jones. Most people who have heard that phrase a hundred times don't know whose voice it is and--unless the question is raised specifically--they aren't even consciously aware that the person is black. They relate to the voice on a subconscious level, and they associate it with power and authority.

Starting Jan. 20, the most powerful person in the world actually will be a black man. Although President Barack Obama is one of the greatest public speakers now practicing that art, he probably couldn't get hired as the anonymous voice-over spokesman for a brand of cereal because he doesn't sound black enough. Nevertheless, he is a beneficiary of this development. When God turned into an African American, it became less unthinkable that the President might be African American as well.

2009-01-18T21:17:00.001-08:00

What I'm listening to:

2009-01-18T20:20:00.001-08:00

Peep the new Miles Bonny show featuring Joc Max: milesbonny.com

2009-01-18T15:25:00.001-08:00

Are black leaders REALLY ready for what they're so articulate about? http://ping.fm/Oulz1

Brother To Brother Hatred

2009-01-18T15:24:00.001-08:00

Why is it that some black leaders tighten their lips at the thought of Barack Obama?

I find it quite disappointing in a sense. Here you have these notable leader who are advocating equality and champion the notion of freedom but at the same time - perhaps the product of a double standard - they don't fully support their dream when it's in the flesh. It's as though they want to keep this nebulous ideology as an idea rather than a reality. Here's my prognosis.

Obama, agree with me or not, is cutting into their relevance. With leaders like Cornell West, Tavis Smiley and Jesse Jackson chucking these threatening remarks.

Cornell West in fact is coming to UMKC this week. I'm going to propose a question that has pinged around my mind for the past few months: are black leaders ready for this metaphoric mountaintop, this promised land that they're corralled crowds over for the past 300 years? Are they really ready to out of a job?

There is no doubt, and please don't get me wrong - in fact Tavis Smiley said it best on Meet the Press today - "Obama's presidency is a down payment on equality. That said, we are in absolutely no position in America right now to say that racial tensions are a thing of the past - that would be incredibly naive and just stupid to presume.

We have however, entered into new territory. No longer is there an invisible limit on what a person of color can do, for one is about to be the President of the United States of America. This is a beautiful thing. But with this monumental occurrence, we should embrace the ubiquitous momentum of change.

Tavis Smiley, to again refer to him, made an interesting comment today. He essentially said politically his generic approach to race was brilliant but will not be effective in governing. He further noted that Obama can no longer dodge critical issues.

But is he really dodging them? Or is taking a different approach. It is no secret that Obama wants, as a politician, general consensus and peace. With our history, in America, of racial tension some of the language we engage in to articulate our status and what needs to be done can be seen as effective - especially for those who are not used to these discussions. Obviously, when someone feels they are being attacked a division occurs between the two or more people engaged in the conversation. The end result, although beneficial in creating awareness, strengthens current ideals because of the humans nature to defend itself.

I believe Obama's approach is a pretty effective one actually. People trust him and know that although he is a black man he is not going to attack them with the baggage of the past. When he has this trust, he can guide his agenda in such a direction to make the changes - the thing we REALLY want - and avoid the downfalls of ineffective communication. It's genius. This approach creates community.

It is not my goal to downplay the approaches of our black leaders in America. But I DO think that dismissing Obama's ability to bring racial change should be retreated and abolished.

At what point is the ideological going to become the three-dimensional? I believe we are taking a closer step towards justice and to ignore this is to take one step back.

Bring it Cornell.

2009-01-18T10:53:00.001-08:00

Did you just wake up like I did? http://ping.fm/Oulz1

Waking Up At Noon

2009-01-18T10:51:00.001-08:00

I really have a problem with staying up too late (mostly on Tumblr) and promoting my music. This new year I made a resolution to focus more on school during the week and do music on the weekends. Although I've been doing music during the weekends, I really haven't been focusing on school during the week like I should. I've been playing Gears of War 2 til' six in the morning and listening to music - well, and reading too!

With you as my witness, this marks the day where I say NO to staying up til' the excess of six in the morning during the week when school is not involved.

2009-01-18T10:45:00.001-08:00

Is kinda sad that I couldn't go to the inauguration anymore : (. My parents are though!

2009-01-18T02:58:00.001-08:00

"I'm only number two to one cat - that's me. So that means I'm number one, two AND three!"

2009-01-18T02:22:00.001-08:00

I just figured out how to take over the world from one website! YES!!!

Hip-Hop Bull

2008-06-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Man, rappers are so untrustworthy. I was (grudgingly) watching MTV a couple days ago and The Game was on there (looking uncomfortable as hell I might add) and the host asked him something to the extent of: "I heard [LAX] is going to be your last album. Or rumors..." Game immediately quipped, "It IS going to be my last album." But then, I go thru my Yahoo email account and THIS pops up: "Game Says "L.A.X." Won't Be Last Album"

This would, ya know, in turn suggest that he would be "retiring." Seems his cover is now blown. These emcee's, and those who claim to be, crack me up with these gimmicks to amplify the urgency of their releases. Of course, you almost have to in this day in age when record sales, in terms of CD's, are down - way down. But I also read that Vinyl sales are up!

But as for the game, that what his loud ass GETS! This fool game INTO the game, thinkin' he's RUNNIN' the game. This rookie stepped on one too many toes and now he's an orphan. The root of his cockiness, the connection with him and Dr. Dre, is the result of his over-zealous claims. He TALKS too much. But, I must admit, his first album was in HEAVY rotation. He sounds good with Dr. Dre's beats. In fact, he kinda sounds like DR. DRE. haha Dre's one of my favorite producers so it could have been fart noises the whole time. As long as those beats are banging, I'm GOOD.

There is much to be said...

2008-02-18T01:36:00.000-08:00

Wow,

So last time I posted, I was in the midst of some childish bull that I honestly have almost forgotten about. HA Like that situation is like...something you would read in a book for me. Like it's completely distant. That's not on some, ya know, "I'm hiding my pain so I'm gunna act tough" typa ish neither. It's on some "damn I can't believe this is actually me - wait when did this happen?" - typa ish. HA.
Anna - wow - long gone. Katie - WOW - what a perfect match. I know I know. You're probably like, man wait a minute. On the last post you said that Anna loved you. Well, whatever. Who cares. I love Katie. Yep, I said it. And yeah we've been going out for about four months. Loving every bit of it. She has elevated my expectations of what I thought love SHOULD be. I don't even think that I have tapped into a footnote of what we will be. Good lord, it gets me excited. I just can't believe that out of that childish situation she just stepped right in and has blown me away.
To make a long story short about the Anna situation though. Her friend called me and told me that Anna had been cheating on me with her [friends] brother. Don't really...yeah I do. His name is Daryl. Sorry if I'm putting cat's on blast. Whatever I don't care. Anyways, so Katie just so happened to be there. At the time, Anna and I had been split for like, I dunno 3 weeks? So Katie Brandon and I were just chillin'. Blah blah blah...Anna, as usual sent me some crazy ass pictures..telling me she's gunna kill herself and all this shit. She sent me pictures of her slitting her wrists. I said F it - I sent it to her sis. Who in tern sent it to her mom. That was the end of that bull.
So all this screwing around is going on (oh, Daryl hit that s*** raw) so I decide everybody needs to get checked out. This fool Daryl tries to say that I HAVE AN STD and I'm trying cover it up by using this as a convenient excuse. I guess my apathy in the situation translated that I was relieved to hear this news or something. Anyways, we all get tested. Daryl has Ghonnorea (sp). Aint that some shit. Glad me and Anna didn't mess around for a month prior. So after that it gets blurry. I don't really remember what happened between me and Anna. I think I just stopped responding. She still hasn't gotten the picture. I still get random Myspace messages saying her and her "boyfriend" likes my music lol. Like come on now. Who cares - about you and your boy. It's funny because when people ask me about her and even me writing this, I sometimes forget her name.
But after all this STD stuff fall break comes around. I spontaneously decided to drive to Norman Oklahoma to visit Katie - my new prospect. :-D. Man I had the time of my life. She treated me so good. I had a blast just sitting there watching movies and talking. We went to the OU / MU game. Good game. It was amazing seeing that SEA of red. Crazy how crowds work. But I digress. We continue to talk and I mean she's so perfect for.
She has a certain glow, a warm smile, and eagerness to learn and a keen sense of touch - not to mention a perfect kiss. Literally, she blow everything I thought was good and thought was POSSIBLE out of the water. She makes IMPOSSIBILITY a possibility. It's amazing. She supports my music. I support her endeavors to reform education. I don't care what any of you are thinking. Katie and I will get married. There's been millions of times when I was with Anna and I'm like good GOD I wish I was single. I have never thought that in my mind. I even thought that with the once beloved Melissa, who was cherished as my first love.

***

Man did I hear some shit about MELISSA tonight though. I won't spread this shit. It's too much. I just can't do it. I have somewhat of a respect for Mel.

***

Anyway, Katie is so magnificent. I don't want to describe her on here. Man it's such an injustice but just know that we'll always be together.

Until next time. Peace.

PUKE!

2007-10-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, so last night definitely was bananas. Oh for the record, I don't drink. But man I got so messed up last night! My friend Michalene challenged me. Words of advise: If someone challenges you in drinking...LET THEM WIN. All I know is I was just downing vodka like it was nothing. I got back to my dorm somehow and passed out. Woke up getting ready for class and walked out...saw where I throwup ALL on the floor. Someone semi-cleaned it up. I was still drunk. It was just bad. Talking to teachers drunk and stuff. Def. not doing that shit again. I gotta get my life together! Can't be living like this all the time.
Anyways, I decided not to elaborate on my relationship thing. Anna and I are cool. We're not together but we're doing well.
Otherwise, I've just been in school trying to improve my grades a bit. Been slipping sort of. I'm sure I'll be okay. Oh and my advisor is a complete BITCH. Aint no censoring that. It's the truth. I can't believe her. But yeah, that's it for this post. Don't feeling like typing anymore lol. EZ!

I don't know if she FAN or HOE...

2007-09-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you've read any previous posts prepare to be F***** up.

***

SIGH....My god, where to start. Okay so you know how I was moping over me being mean to Anna and all. Get this scenario:

Last night: Earlier in the week I asked Anna to go to the movies. She accepted. I pick her up. She was hungry and asked for some McDonalds. I bought her some. We drove to Town Center and saw "Superbad" (ironically - Cody). She basically cried through the whole movie. I'm sitting here thinking it was because we weren't together and it brought back memories of us in the past, I suppose when we were together and happy. I don't think that was the case. I kept getting text messages and for some reason she kept trying to see who it was that was texting me. I moved my phone out of the way and she balled up and sat in another seat pouting! haha So, bare with me.
The movie ended. Pretty decent movie. We walk back to the car she has on the jacket I bought for her. There's not much dialogue here. We drive home in almost complete silence for some reason. I was silent because I trying to listen to my engine which making the most peculiar noise. lol She was quiet - I'm not sure why.
But when I dropped her off I got a call from one of her friends. Ironically one of the ones that she'd been partying with for the past two weeks and a few days.

***

I've had a few conversations since after I began writing this post. Let me re-think this and I'll return with the finale.

Gorilla Zoe - Welcome to the Zoo // My BUUHH!

2007-09-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

http://rapidshare.com/files/57216960/Gorilla_Zoe_
-_Welcome_To_The_Zoo.zip

Todays, been pretty good so far. I just heard about a weekly Halo tournament that's goin down every Thursday. And yes, that is today my friend. As for Anna and I, we talked a few times. We're going out Saturday night but we'll see what comes of that, if anything.
If I may digress, Anna went to Jordan for a month to visit her family. While she was there we were talking and such on the phone. Well to make a long story short, her bill came up to around 800+ Bucks! She managed to pay about 200+- of it leaving her with a balance of about 800. Well, she's been hanging out with some cool people apparently. When she left their place last night and went home, they all pitched in and came up with 500 dollars. I mean, damn, thats cool as SHIT! But, it kind of lowers MY value ya know lol. As you may tell, I still like Anna (duh) but I dunno. Seems like she hit the jackpot with this pack of friends and I'm just little old me. I hope her love for me wasn't monatary, but I DO know that Anna is weak when it comes to money. She has told me countless times that money leads to happiness. SO I dunno. I'll wait this one out. What do you think?

My God...

2007-09-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yep, you guessed it. More BULL. So apparently Anna and I were trying to talk as "friends" but about 2 mins ago proved that we're still bitter. The conversation started off with us laughing and jokin' stuff like that. But that facade can only hold it's weight for so long. So she starts goin' off bringin' back old laundry saying all this stuff that I did wrong to her. I'm just sitting on the phone defending myself but then after a while she gets so passionate and emotional about those feelings that I just listen as she cried and screamed at me. And I'll admit, I'll always kept this ego but this time it really hit close to home. In fact, it did so in a way like never before.
She exasperated how messed up I did her when we were broken up previously and how she was at her darkest moment but I ignored her. How she texted me saying she had a black eye but I erased those messages without reading. She called me atleast once every ten minutes and I kept ignoring the calls. I never listened to the voice-mails to about a month later. I listened to one. It was just absolute franticness . Balling would be an understatement. Saying how much she needed me. I almost cried then but didn't.
Back to today tho, she kept on balling, telling me how something always comes up where I'm late or cancel at the last minute. I'll interject here that 99% of the time it is absolutely NOT my fault. Nonetheless, someone must be blamed. I'll take that, I suppose. But I dunno, today just hit me like no other.
There's always something in life that makes you realize how you affect someone else. Maybe I'm over milking this situation because of guilt. Maybe I'm even under-considering the situation because of pride -- I dunno. But I see more than ever now that this girl LOVES me. I'm not sure if I was ready for that type of attraction. I won't go into specifics for her sake but something needs to change within' me. Something needs to change within' us all.

***

I just called her to apologize. Told her that my apology can't even begin to correct the emotional trauma I've caused but, its the most I can say. As far as actions are concerned, if there's ever a future for us, I'll have to stand outside of my ego, let go of all negativity and bitterness known as my ego, and just appreciate Anna. She's under-appreciated. Yeah, she can do some outrageous things, not have it all there sometimes and just be plain out goofy, but that girl loves me like no one else does. I call myself seeking that same love elsewhere. Neh eh. Not working.

I'm glad God slapped me in the face. Peace.

The Inevitable: Vol. 1 // Talib Kweli - Ear Drum

2007-09-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YLBSI3OF
Password: www.rapgodfathers.com

Yep,

So the inevitable happened. Anna and I broke up. I would usually explain it all but I don't even feel like talkin' about it. Atypical to my usual break ups, I'm more apathetic and tired from this than saddened and sleepless. I love her but things change. We broke up yesterday afternoon. She just called me about ten minutes ago on some BULL. So, I dunno, it could go a few ways: either I suddenly wake up and realize that I made a mistake, Move on, or she'll be okay for a week (so she seems) and then RUN frantically back. That's just past experience. So, I dunno.
Relationships are interesting to me. I found myself striking a nerve when I told my sister that her and her prospective guy's situation is funny. Well shit, it was. I dunno just something about it give's me a sense of life. One of my favorite movies is Hitch. Ironically it was the first date of my first REAL relationship. One thing I have learned from relationships is never to regret anything. Things happen, it's a roller-coaster ride through the abyss' and apexes of hell but in the end, and in the beginning and middle you learn things that you would not be able to fathom from a third person perspective. That's the good side of any and every relationship, in my opinion.
From this relationship, I've learned a few things about myself. Mainly I've learned what I want. I want a lady that is pro-active, conscious, humorous, into music and is smarter than I. Now I know you're probably saying, "what the hell is wrong with this dude - self centered bastard." But, it's not like that at all. Anna made me see the faults within' my decision making. God that sounds horrible but it's the truth. It really isn't the way it sounds I assure you. I love Anna. I love her TILL DEATH, but I just couldn't take it.
You might question, what is love then? If you can't handle any situation, was it really love? I dunno. The problem is that one definition of love is NOT correct. Even God left the definition of this mysterious a bit ambiguous. I think Love is what we define it to be whether verbally or non-verbally. Love is more a force. Inescapable apparently. Kinda like how Anna used to say to me: "Once you F*** with me you're STUCK with ME!" One can deduce her personality through that statement. She is Love. I am love. Love is dependent on Hate - Love's opposite. Without hate would love be such a left feeling? Or would Love be like breathing? Effortless? Would you even want a world like that? Of course the questions of life cannot be answered merely by rhettorical questions, but it's something to think about.

***

When I was in the middle of the "You might question, what is love then?" paragraph, guess who called? Yep, Anna. I swear life is crazy. You can be so confident in one belief but love can snap that ego like it wasn't even there. In fact that ego is loves momentum. She says to me " I just wanted to tell you that it'll be okay. Whatever happens I know we'll always love eachother" See, that's the type of shit that would have prevented us from breaking up! Like that love right there was non-existent. But I guess it's a good sign. And I know I want to get back with her but I just can't get past my ego and the fact that we're not the same.
Change is good tho. Demolition is the first step to Construction. It goes to my theory (hmm..might be somebody else's initially tho lol). Destroy & Rebuild. An example: my Grandmother in New Orleans was affected by the wrath of hurricane Katrina. Her house was demolished by the city after it was destroyed by 40 ft waves. She's almost poor, not quite tho. I love her to death but it's safe to say that she could not sustain herself financially. Shes 71 and is very very active and mentally sharp as a tack. She can lift huge jugs of water, two at a time, but she's just not well off. Because of the destroy part of my theory she is now getting a BRAND NEW house (Rebuild.) She showed me the blue-prints. That's the beauty of life. The fact that the bad is good.
The beneficial equilibrium of the Destroy and Rebuild theory can be applied to my situation. Anna and I are not together and had a falling out (destroy) now perhaps since we know about our issues and reasons of displeasure we can rebuild into something better 100 fold.
And you thought this blog would be negative lol See that's why you just have to love life and have patience -- It is key. In the words of my favorite quote: "If you're going through hell, keep GOING."

Shout out to Cody.

Don't worry about what this is...

2007-09-22T04:16:00.001-07:00

Just click it...apparently I'll get some money if you do lol ;-)

will.i.am - Song's About Girls (As Promised)

2007-09-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

http://rapidshare.com/files/57321719/WIASAG.rar

Not really my style, but I've been learning to respect the man I hate to love, will.i.am. IE the work he did on Common and Talib's albums respectively. SO, I took a few listen's to a few of the tracks. So far it sounds pretty good. I was in Club Blue last night and heard what I think is his new single with Fergie. Think it's called "From My Momma" or something like that. HA A play (intentional or not) of an old Nawlin's anthem, "From her momma" LOL Can't remember if it was Cash Money or No Limit. I think it was Cash Money. haha Dunno. Anyways, Peep it. It doesn't come out for a while, so you can be cool and bump it around your friends and be the only one. I dunno. Aight Peace!

Thursdays are...

2007-09-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

The SHIT in Warrensburg for a UCM college student. You know why? Cuz it's the day when people (mostly) go out and do what college students do best. Party!!! So yeah, I'm sittin' here doin' some last minute marketing ish. My daily obligatories -- ya know, for the starving/aspiring artist.

Oh shoot! Yo, last night I recorded this song called "Old Man." That song is hands down my favorite I've recorded in the LONGEST. It felt so good. I'll have to put it up on my *NEW* - dun duh duh DUN! - Phantom* Widget that's in the top center of this blog. ;-) Anyways, That's it for now. I think I'm gunna put Will.i.am's new CD up tomorrow. Sound Dope?

Aight, well I'm about to go to the front desk to see of my Barack Obama Student Package is here. I'll holla! Peace.

thePhantom* - Release

2007-09-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7B7Y68SR
Password: www.myspace.com/thephantom816

This is MY album. If you haven't read by now, I rap. So, usually I'll give a little background info/review of an album that I post but I don't want to lol So, I'm gunna put a quick review of my album. I will say that this is my forth album and is my best yet. I worked on it for two years so it was very much so a journey. It's very abstract and futuristic yet realistic and soulful. Oh, shout out to Abeo Rzo for the unmatched artwork and assistance creatively and beat wise.

NOW: To compare The Phantom* to a Lupe, Kanye, or even KRS would be a complement in short, but the bases of the comparison would have to be thoroughly justified. Yes, all of the artists collectively have contributed to the transformation of hip-hop into a new era, but what sets The Phantom* apart is his understanding and appreciation of music and spoken word as true art forms. In his inaugural LP ‘Release’, The Phantom* marries both aesthetics and creates a fresh innovative sound that shines the potential of the progressive wave of hip-hop. The versatility in his artistry is shown through tracks like ‘Destroy and Rebuild’ and ‘Couchasaflava’. To categorize The Phantom* and his work would be a task secondary to truth because his work can stand on its own merit.

Ashley Cleveland-
Atlanta, GA
(Founder of Tafari Jirani Theatre)

Once again if you missed it:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7B7Y68SR

CunninLynguists - Dirty Acres

2007-09-19T00:47:00.001-07:00

http://rapidshare.com/files/56693599/CunninLynguists-Dirty_
Acres__Advance_-2007.rar

So yeah, I told you we sharin'! Anyways CunninLyguists are one of my favorite groups. Decon (the rapper) is from KY and has the best of both worlds. Has that southern twang with incredible lyrics. Kno (the producer) is one of the most underrated producers in the game right now. You'll see dude is a monster! I highly recommend their previous album "A Piece of Strange." One of my favorite albums of all time. It's so smooth. But yeah, peep that! I have yet to listen to it but it should be dope lol.

Aint this a...

2007-09-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Bitch! Aight so me and Anna just got into a pretty big fight. Here's how it went. Okay so if you know me you should know that I'm really close to my girlfriend. I mean we usually talk like 6 hours a day. She's my sunshine! But recently I went back to school to UCM, a college about 35 mins from home, and things been changin. I mean we used to see eachother, what, every other day? So yeah I know, that's pretty typical but it's not like that. I've only been doing work and music and haven't even thought about messin' with other girls blah blah blah. So it's not what you think. It's just I think I've became dependent of Anna and very comfortable with our relationship. Almost to the point where I get jealous when she hangs out with her friends!
Okay, so basically Anna's been hanging out with her friend *no name* and *no name2* ALOT more recently. And trust me, both of the no names are very cool people and I have a lot of fun when I'm around them etc. BUT, they USUALLY get F***** up...well...everynight! And so, I've just been wondering if this 45 min distance and not seeing eachother as much is a sign that..hmm..maybe this isn't working for her. That this...new "hobby?" is some sort of rectification. I dunno.
I'm slightly deviating tho. Basically I semi-blew up. Okay here was my thing, and you can call me overprotective, anal or whatever, but all I asked is that she in any fashion let me know that she was okay - periodically. I mean that could be twice a night. That's all I asked. Sound hard? Well apparently so.
So here's how it went: Before she went out she told she was going out. Okay I was really happy she did that! So, a few hours roll around and I don't here from her. My girlfriend has a little tendency of going out of control with some things. I love her to death and I really don't want to imagine myself without her so I have an insatiable and downright innocent need to know that she's okay. Also, she has this convenient ability to forget her phone. So I'm sitting there calling and texting and there's no reply. I'm like hmm. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence, right? I mean am I justified here?
I mean add this up. Anna + Alcohol + Silence + Late night + Not answering the phone + Not texting back = me worrying. Make since? I mean, am I a bad boy friend because of that? I dunno. I actually just got this voice in my head that told me not to worry so much. Here's what I did tho.
So I text her friend no name and ask if she was okay. And she said yeah. THATS ALL I NEEDED FROM ANNA! haha So I tell her, "tell anna I she doesn't have to call me back" Guess what? NOW she calls and is all like I was busy and my phone was in the other room (convieniently.) So I'm like, all I needed was five seconds to say "I'm okay baby" BAM! Woulda had a good night. But no we end up crashing and burning on this independent shit.
She's like "I don't have to do this." Wait. What don't you have to do? Explain "this." I mean shit we LOVE eachother. We are interlocked. "This" is what I have to do and that should be mutual with you, right?
So I'm thinking she's on this independent trip now where's she's unknowingly distanced herself from me. I think it's because I'm in school and see her less. We used to talk every morning. I would call her after every class. She'd answer. We used to watch a movie on the phone on TV lol I mean little stuff like that is just gone. And I miss that. :-(. All because I just want to know if she's okay -- Miscommunication. So the moral of this story is Communication is VITAL for a healthy relationship. If not, you have MIS-Communication.
So, enough of the boring stuff. I had to get this off of my chest. Thanks for reading this (if anyone did lol)

So...I've always pirated from Blogger..

2007-09-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

...but I've never really thought about starting my own. I suppose I should explain a little about me. My govt. name is Kemet Coleman but I will from hereon out go by thePhantom* -- my vicious alias. lol Yeah right. But anyways, I suppose my main motivation for my blogger is to share! I think that we all needa do it more. Now, depending on your perception, you either call sharing organized theivery or..um..cool lol so, if you wanna take and don't wanna do a lot of giving you're actually in the right place.

So yeah, I'll be talkin' a buncha shit on here. I feel like this is one avenue where I can do so freely. I usually don't like to curse or say anything demeaning but I won't have to much discretion on this thing. Don't be offended.

Okay, I am what some call a renaissance man. I am all of the following: Rapper, Singer, Poet, Producer, Orator, Painter, Graphic Artists, Designer, Writer, Actor (this should have been earlier in the list lol) Dry Comedian lol. There you have it. I mostly do music. That is my first passion and the one with the most promenence in my life right now. Secondly would have to be acting. I do it...fairly well (or some say.) So, me being a starving artist I want people to hear my SHIT! So, since I am pro-stealing (lmao) I want you to steal my album:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7B7Y68SR

Password: www.myspace.com/thephantom816

So, if you haven't seen it yet, my myspace page is 816...wow almost gave my phone number. It's www.myspace.com/thephantom816 - it's actually the best way to get ahold of me.

Well, I believe that shall be it as for this first post. Just kinda testin' the waters and stuff. So yeah, if you're reading this...you're cool? haha Whatever. Aight. Peace!