Dear Hip Hop,

Dear Hip Hop,

I miss you.

As I sit here listening to Drake's connected ass talk about how he started from the bottom, I realize how much I miss your old ways.  I miss the days of rappers kickin' what they knew.  I miss the days of you being "the black man's CNN". I miss your storytelling, so evident in "Gorgy Porgy" or "The Message".  I miss your well placed raunch and your style; how you talked about sex without making it so...horrible. 

Damn, Hip Hop. What happened?

Was it money? Was there was more money in calling black women bitches and hoes than promoting pop lockin' and having fun? Was there more money in telling black men to shoot 'em up rather than telling them to fight the power? Was there more money in letting the Jimmy Iovine's and the Clive Davis' of the world run the music that was created on the streets of Brooklyn? Was there more money in spitting lines about date rape? Or in telling our sons how to "treat a girl"? Maybe there was more money in shitting on the memory of our youth?

Was it love? Did the black community not buy enough units? Did the bootlegging started by those trying to hustle make you leave?  Did the promises of white Pre-tween money make you change your mind about the road Hip Hop was traveling on? I just....Hip Hop, I don't understand. You've always been a voice. Such an inspiration.  From the moment I was allowed to listen to you, you permeated my soul and wrapped yourself around my heart.  Hip Hop, I was in love with you.

This ain't about a few rappers in the past few years.  This is about the past two decades, Hip Hop.  Two. Decades.

Something has got to give, my love.  Something has got to give......

Back Like I Never Left

I haven't posted since December. So not cool.

It hasn't been for lack of time, mind you. I think it's more....personal space from my thoughts. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so it's hard for me to write and not just....put people out there, ya know? As open as I am about my views on various subjects, I'm actually pretty quiet about my personal affairs and the issues I go though.  True, I'll say I'm stressed, but I never really say why, and I like it that way. It keeps *certain* people from knowing your weaknesses.

Besides, things like Twitter give me the instant satisfaction of almost yelling out a thought, whereas the blog I have to actually sit and formulate something.  This has always been my downfall. I have the attention span of a 8 year old boy unless it's something I'm REALLY into. But I digress.

But look here. I have been working on a few things. I've narrowed down the storyline and characters behind the book "Confessions of a Bi-Sexual Christian", and I've changed one of my novel ideas in a series of three short stories. The poetry book "See, I've Been Thinking" has been taken back to the drawing board, but I PROMISE YOU, once these things come out, ya'll will see why I've sat on them for so long. I want to put out good work. I want to be proud. I want you to be proud.

(Just a reminder of what the cover of See I've Been Thinking will look like. Poem titles have changed. LOL)

OH! And I want to do a coffee table book. I'm thinking of calling it #Love (yes, with the hashtag and all) and I want to take intimate pictures of various couples. Black, white, gay, straight. I want it to be a reminder of the one vibration that we all share; the one that makes us soar, cry, yell and chill all at the same time.

But I digress. I just wanted to shoot ya'll an update. I'm thinking of posting a few poems and some logos that I"m currently working on. Yes, the girl is growing into her own. *presses hands together and bows* Namaste :)