Just My Thoughts

I never thought I would say this but I'm back at the Mecca. I'm back at Howard University. I'm back at the place where Diddy first uttered the cogent phase "Take That" in front of his peers . I'm back at the place where naif freshmen lack the intellectual fortitude, and abide to everything the upperclassmen say. I'm back at the place females are swarming every perimeter as if they were reenacting the aftermath of 9/11. I'm back at the place where people compiled their dreams, and watched it either shatter, or blossom fruitfully. I'm back at the place where I thought I would never step foot at once again. Now I'm not trying to drown you all with my real world type confessional, but I decided to go a little bit different with this one. In a world where dreams deflate, and come a dime a dozen, I was wondering to myself, "If an opportunity seized you, and was vital to your dreams, would you consider jumping towards it and sacrifice the essentials, or wait until things work out conveniently?" I had the opportunity of interning at Vibe Magazine this past summer, with six music savvy intellects. The experience was more than beneficial. The atmosphere, the aura--literally the vibe of the place, had my blood boiling. My dream of interning at a huge magazine at the tender age of 18, had come to light.

While working at Vibe, I tried to assimilate myself with all the writers by engaging in music or even sports related conversations. Whether we were talking about Kanye's Graduation, or the demoralization of the Knicks, I made sure to keep myself active in these convos. One person who I shared conversations with was Todd Thomas. Todd worked in the marketing department at Vibe, and was a real down to earth dude. One day, I told Todd about my dreams of being a writer for a huge magazine, and how i already started a blog in hopes of circulating my material. Todd seem interested in my work, and asked to see some of my material. With no hesitation, i quickly gathered my work, and showed him in hopes of drawing some interest. Let's just say with god's help, I drew some serious interest. Todd was able to hit up Jay Casteel, founder of Ballerstatus, and Athena of Morehiphop.com to promote my work. With that said, I'm here representing Ballerstatus, like Kanye repping the Roc. Same time though, I'll be honest. Interning at Vibe, and writing for Ballerstatus, had me thinking--"I can do this. I can do this right now. I should be doing what these writers are doing." My boy and I are both aspiring journalists, and we had a conversation. He was offered a spot at XXL, before his 20th birthday, while I was trying to complete my internship at Vibe. We both sat there puzzled as to why we were letting people with Kwame Brown like abilities get paid for things we could do better. After that phone conversation with my boy, that spilt second, I actually considered dropping out of Howard to pursue my career as a Journalist.

I remember walking into Danyel Smith's Office, editor and chief of Vibe Magazine, and telling her my about my life changing decision. I walked in, took my fitted off, and sat down ready to reveal my decision. My palms were actually sweaty, and my heart was beating at a cheetah's pace. I told her I felt my time was now, and that I just wanted some insight as to I was making the right choice or not. In utter dismay, she pleaded with me to reconsider my options, and look into finishing school, and pursuing an education. She even brought in two fellow writers, one Howard graduate, in hopes altering my mind. Honestly, I still was fixed on pursuing my dreams.

I spent the next two weeks of August asking everyone at Vibe as to what would be the best move for me. Surprisingly, I got some mixed responses. I had people encourage me to do what my heart said, and follow it. Others were adamant about me finishing out, because having an education is vital, especially during this day in age. With print journalists falling out of sync, and the Internet dominating all facets of the game, I was left to ponder what to do...To be continued...

Donnie Klang's Just A Rolling Stone Album Review(Ballerstatus.com)

Diddy has had his shares of hits and misses. He struck gold by discovering the late Christopher Wallace, Mase, and 112 back when hip-hop's heartbeat was still pulsating in the 90's. Then, Diddy drew some eyebrow raising moves with the signing of the all-girl band Dream, and the memorable debacle of Da Band. It's hard to dubb Puff as either the Danny Ainge of the Music Biz, or the Isiah Thomas of the game. Either way, Puff is back to showcase his latest commodity in the form of Donnie Klang.

Mr. White Boy with no rhythm, was the winner of Diddy's Making The Band, and earned himself a solo deal back in 2007. After watching his fellow comrades Day 26 catch a brick, and his homegirls Danity Kane barely teetering to Gold, Klang is now riding shotgun as Diddy tries to wheel him to success with his debut album, Just A Rolling Stone.

Klang's first single "Take You There" shows a relatively young Abercrombie and Fitch model trying to rock to the infectious beat of Soul Diggaz. Sadly the mundane lyrics leaves the audience to ponder "WTF are you doing". Even Puff's cogent "Take That" phase, and exuberant verse isn't enough to CPR the track back to life.

Even Puff's dream team isn't enough to revitalize this car crash. "Dr Love" proved to be a dangerous head on collision with stupidity, and drops of why? As Diddy tries to be the Timbo to Donnie's Justin, it's clear to see and acknowledge that there's only one JT in the game. Tracks Like "Love in Stereo", and "Which One" should be tagged with a "Listen With Caution" label simply because of the lack of fluidity, and insipidness within these tracks. Still, there's some hope as Donnie shines on tracks like "Hollywood Girls", and "Hurt That Body".

Some people lost faith in Puff after he began cosigning on acts like B-5, Dream, and Boys In The Hood. I mean Puff, I understand Cassie has your head sprung, but come on man, bringing her to 106 & Park to just get ridiculed on Youtube the next day is no bueno bro. All in All, Donnie Klang isn't a horrible singer. With some self-searching, and Lauren Ann dance classes, we could see a refined Donnie in 2009.

Ballerstatus.com

2.o out of 5.0

My President Is Black...and What Else?(Howard Hilltop)/(Ballerstatus.com)

9/25/08

Perspectives

Let's be honest for a second. I understand we're at an HBCU, and our veins are pumping black pride as our blood is raging through our coveted caramel-coated skins. I understand we've been crucified in the quote un-quote "land of the free and home of the brave" for hundreds of years.

I understand we, as a race, have had tears trickle down our faces and have endured countless "you can'ts" spewed at us. I know. Before I continue, let me just say, I'm not here to badger you with the monotonous "Obama for President." I'll save that for your professors. I'm a realist.

And, I'm a journalist. With those two intertwined, that means I'm a real journalist - or a journalist that keeps it real. What I'm saying is, how could people chant 'Obama for President' when they have no idea what he's about?

The issue I'm having is that people are oblivious to what Barack is about, but yet are praising his name simply because he's black. I appreciate the love, but let's be serious. Don't vote for Obama simply because Jeezy said "My President is Black" or because Nas said we should put Barack's face on a $5,000 bill.

People have been drowning in a pool of ignorance and think just because Jay-Z mentioned Barack on the "A Milli" freestyle, they'll be able to reach the surface.

What many people fail to fathom is that voting for a president isn't as easy as reciting your favorite song. The decision you make could ultimately determine your way of living for the next four years. I bet half of the people who read this won't be able to even utter what Obama's plans consist of if elected president. Any takers?

A lot of people are disillusioned by the fact that because Barack's black and is an avid listener of today's music, he will provide us with answers. If that's the case, could someone please provide me with an in-depth method as to how will he remove Bush's piercing policies that have scarred this nation?

Even better, can you do me the utmost favor and explain to me how my aunt will pay her hospital bill, since she just had heart surgery a week ago? It's easy to cajole a person into believing what's right and what's wrong, but it's another thing to prove why it is what it is in the first place.

It's sad when I try to converse with a 22-year-old about things we can do to help the recession, and he tells me, "Oh, buy Young Jeezy's album." You wonder why people are living in the plushest neighborhoods and are drinking the finest wines. Read a book. Better yet, since everyone is mesmerized by the beauty of the Internet, surf the Web.

Understand why we're making a huge spectacle of Obama. When I see Obama, I don't simply see a black man - I see a man of change. I see a man who will provide everyone with health care rather than succumb to the ills of society. I see a man who will cut taxes and enable people to spend their money on whatever they deem necessary. I see a man who will free the soldiers who have been subject to rampant killings and relieve them from this ongoing agony.

I did my research. I know why I'm voting Nov. 4th - it's because my president is black, and our time is due.

50 Cent's Down, But Not Out (Ballerstatus.com) September 23 2008

Published: Tuesday - September 23, 2008

Words by Carl Lamarre

September 11th. The date itself speaks volumes. The date echoes through deaf eyes simply because of the story behind it. I already embarked on the traumatic effects of 9/11 in a recent editorial, but I only revealed half the story. You see on September 11th, 2007, the man -- notorious for sporting his Teflon and proving to be immortal -- encountered a dose of death. The vile taste of losing, and inferiority has seeped through the cracks and into the skin of Curtis "Interscope" Jackson. For once, everybody deemed 50 as a loser. A dude whose mascot looks like an animal graham cracker, duct taped the pompous bully's mouth into submission. The Score: Kanye 957,000 records sold, and 50 Cent 691,000 records sold. Kanye's Graduation had on an oblivious 50 Cent mumbling to Interscope.

Now here we are again. New Year, New Day. We find ourselves in familiar territory. Only this time, the stakes are even higher. On December 9th, 50 Cent will release his fourth and rumored final album on Interscope, Before I Self-Destruct, while on December 16th, Kanye West will be dropping 808s And Heartbreak. We've seen these two spar, and Kanye's material proved to be the deciding blow. As these two prep for round 2, something is telling me 5-0 will be walking away victorious.

Let's be objective. Let's please take a second to remove all the hatred we have against 50. Forget about the singing, and him gyrating on "Candy Shop." Forget about him bantering his opponents with childish taunts. Let's remember who provided us with that undeniable bop that had us leaning when we were ready to parallel park. Let's remember who provided us with "What Up Gangsta," and the thugs ode "Many Men." Let's also remember the man who had the Tri-State area on smash with "I Get Money." I love how people are quick to throw salt, when their playlists is dedicated to the man who yells "G-Unit" in their headphones. What I'm saying is 50 has, is, and will always provide you with the constant hits. Amid all the controversy surrounding the Unit, 50 is the crew's well-rounded leader. For my people who are literate, do me a favor, and read back the title to yourselves; Before I Self-Destruct. Damn, even the title is giving me with goosebumps. What I'm saying is, 50 is going to come harder than Ray J did on Kim.

I love Kanye. I love all of his albums with a passion. As much as I'm repping 50 in this piece, I'll still stand up and rep 'Ye when my boys badger me about "The Massacre being a better album than College Dropout." Truth of the matter is, Kanye has been bullsh**ting. Let's cut off all the BS, and get into the meat and potatoes. Kanye's verse on "Swagger Like Us" was horrendous. You'd think 'Ye would come harder, especially with who was being featured on the record. I'll admit, Kanye's best verse came from "Put On." I personally think his sixteen deserves an honorable mention for best verse in '08. Otherwise, 'Ye has been abusing the voice vocoder to the ninth power. Tracks like "Go Hard," "Swagger Like Us," and "Lollipop (Remix)" finds Kanye crooning to the T-Pain like device horribly. Now, I will not completely get at Kanye for the voice vocoder because even 50 dabbled with it a couple times. The main difference was 50 merked those records he actually used the device on. "Rider Pt 2" was the anthem for crews of all creeds, and race. Even his T-Pain rendition on "Can't Believe It" showcased his witty, and playful side.

What I'm saying is, I find it hard to believe that 50 will falter on his album. Rumors have swirled up about a possible collab with Jadakiss, and this could only up the ante for the battle. After a devastating turnout for his crew's album Terminate On Sight, Fif has said it's about time to "reinvent the wheel" as he suggests that his time to shine is now. The flow that f***ed up Jeffery's career, will be back and in rare form. Kanye, with all due respect kid, eat your heart out, because Curtis will be bringing heat this Christmas.

This editorial is not necessarily the views of BallerStatus.com or staff. It's an opinion piece by one of our staff.

Seven Years Later: 9/11 Equals Regrets Editorial (Ballerstatus.com) September 11th 2008

Seven years ago, I was a feeble minded individual who lacked a firm understanding of reality. My ineptness for life hindered my vision, and resulted in me being in a world destitute of answers. You see at 12 years old, I never grasped the severity and magnitude of 9/11. Back then, I was more interested in how the character from "Hey Arnold" was able to fit his football shaped head through those tight contraptions. The day 9/11 occurred, instead of worrying, and kneeling on my knees for my mother's safety, I was wondering why every channel was broadcasting clips of the planes crashing. Instead of dissecting Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, and growing weary of the Bush Administration, I was cursing out Charlie Ward for making boneheaded mistakes on the court. What I'm saying is, I regret being so ignorant, and finding it ok to simply ignore the obvious. If Christina's "Genie In a Bottle" wasn't indeed fiction, God knows I would have relied on her to reverse the hands of time. There's a lot of things I wish I could have done differently, but instead me of going into my R. Kelly rendition, and blurt out countless wishes, I rather just be real and tell it like it is.

I regret my parents falling into the hype of believing George Bush would be our savior, and provide the country with a chance of redemption. With Bush embedding contemptuous views in their minds, they were eager to grab Osama, and barbeque his ass. My family, who I thought only had pure democratic blood flowing through their veins, were guilty of applauding this republican. I didn't know if my family was brainwashed like the other 75% of America, or if they were so disillusioned into believing maybe Bush would revive our country from this downward spiral.

I also dread the fact that I fed off the hands of the media. It sounds ironic considering I'm an aspiring journalist. Like everyone else, I found myself duped by the media and began believing in those facetious terror alerts. Every 15 minutes, the alerts were changing colors, more than Kanye's wardrobe. In high school, my social studies teachers used to pry us into believing the evils of yellow journalism, and simply disregard the news as mistrustful. As I look at the media now, all I could say is "Damn, I was a foolish kid." I learned the government, and the media have field days in instilling fear in the public. They just relish off the fact that they can force us to believe anything they paint. I'm sorry if I offend you Larry King, but really tell me why shouldn't I take E! Entertainment as serious as CNN?

I also regret being 12 years old at the time. When 9/11 occurred everyone was caught up with the Nas and Jay-Z beef. I recall running home from school to go listen to Angie Martinez to hear the latest comeback from Nas. With me getting so riled up about this beef, and hearing these two revolutionary albums, I, unfortunately, had my mind on other things. It's sad too, because it's only now I appreciate the content of Nas' "Rule" off his critically acclaimed Stillmatic. The crazy thing about the whole beef and everything was Jay-Z dropping Blueprint the day of 9/11. It's still hard to fathom how I had the audacity to listen to the album during those times of tragedy.

It's weird. When all these artists began referring to 9/11 on their tracks, I was clueless as to why. I didn't understand why Juelz dubbed New York as "The home of 9/11," and why Biggie's verse on "Juicy" ("bout to get paid / blow up like the world trade) seemed like a premonition to the actual event (FYI, there was a bombing in 1993 regarding the World Trade). Seven years later, I've come to realize there's nothing I can do but move on, and learn not to live in regrets. In the words of Hov, "Time waits for no man / can't turn back the hands / once it's too late, gotta learn to live with regrets."

Dear Santa: Please Hold Me Down This Christmas (Ballerstatus.com) September 2 2008

I was sitting down cleaning my basement, you know, just organizing the set-up and everything. As I was wiping down my table, I found an old notebook. Normally, when I find things of that nature, I would just keep it moving, and throw it to the side. This time, I decided to browse through the pages, and see what this worn out notebook consisted of. To my surprise, inside this notebook was old letters I wrote to Santa. Funny thing was, these were letters I normally wrote three to four months in advance each year, because I felt if Santa got a hold of my letters first, then my Christmas would be off the chain.

I'm 19 now, and I've grown a lot. All of the Transformers, and video games I asked for when I was younger don't really apply to me anymore. As of now, music is the center of my universe. I'm on my Mims swag, because music is my savior. These letters inspired me to design a wish list in a sense, because Santa delivered when I needed it most. Santa you held me down, but I need you this time, especially around the fourth quarter.

Dear Santa,

You know I never was really good with letters, and I know it's been a minute since we last spoke, but I need a favor this time. I have a couple things I need, and I would really appreciate if you hear me out on this. I know I'm asking for a lot, but just hear me out.

1. Please let Blueprint 3 be a classic.I know Jay is capable of delivering, because he's Jay-Z. I love "Jockin' Jay-Z," and so far in 2008, Jay's been killing the features a la Andre 3000. From "Mr. Carter," to Jeezy's "Put On," to Mariah's "Bye Bye (Remix)," Jay is still showing his lyrical tenacity with blistering punchlines, and cold hearted facts. The Blueprint is a classic hands down. From Kanye's soulful production to Jay's empowering lyrics, the combination was a match made in heaven. After receiving criticism on Kingdom Come, Jay came back harder with American Gangster. With the indomitable "Roc Boys" becoming the new anthem for money makers, Jay showed even after 12 years deep, the jumpshot is still cash.

2. Please let 50 be in rare form for Before I Self-Destruct.Things haven't been looking good for the G-Unit general lately. After catching a brick on G-Unit's Terminate On Site and losing the battle with Kanye, 50 has been spiraling downhill. Santa I'm confused. I mean I feel 50 has the ability to shut the game down again. I mean last summer, he had "I Get Money" thumping hard in everyone's car. This year, 50 had the mixtape game on smash. The Return of the Body Snatchers, Elephant In The Sand and Sincerely Yours showcased a vivacious 50 spitting like he was back in 03. If an ardent 50 Cent exudes the fiery bars he displayed on those mixtapes, he will have people salivating for this album.

3. Please let Eminem drop King Mathers this year.It's been four years since Eminem released an album. Known for his scintillating lyrics, and squalid references regarding his family, Em has been missed dearly. Those snide lyrics may have created tension among many people, but the living legend controlled the reigns of the game from the late '90s into the early 2000s. After Em disappointed many on Encore, Slim Shady was perceived to have faded to black. From the tragic loss of his friend Proof, to his weight problem, Em has had his share of problems. While many assumed he had retired, it was said that Em is in fact back in the studios, and is working on King Mathers. To excite fans even more, legendary producer DJ Premier confirmed the project was in the works, as he produced "Keys To The City," which is said to be on the album. "Man, Eminem is back," the producer said recently to HipHopDX. "He attacked the track with a new style, just f***ing ridiculous, kind of like how he came with 'The Way I Am' but even more lyrical like the old Eminem."

4. Please let rappers like Joe Budden, and Saigon finally drop an album.Honestly Joe Budden is my dude. Lyrically he's one of the best hands down. If you don't believe me check out the Mood Muzik mixtape series. Santa, I digress. It's been 5 years since Jumpoff released an album. After divorcing Def Jam, Joey finds himself on the independent route, and is said to be releasing his second album, Padded Rooms, this fall. Saigon has been out for years now, and due to label issues, he was has been pushed back more times then Clyde Drexler's hairline. Even after he started bubbling last year with "Come On Baby," featuring Swizz Beatz, we're yet to see an album.

5. Please don't let a T-Wayne album come out ... at least not this year.I love these two artists. I think Lil Wayne and T-Pain are extraordinary. I'm just tired of the synthesized singing. That's it. "Can't Believe It" is a hell of a record, but I'm just saying take it easy guys. Just for three months.

6. Please do not let Lupe, and Game retire after this year.These two have consistently shouldered the burden, and have provided quality music to the public in the past few years. I don't know if it's a new trend for rappers to just call it quits after three albums. I understand these guys wanna get their Quincy on, and put on their respective protégés, but come on, we need you guys.

7. Please let me have an Andre 3000 album.I think the album has long been overdue. 3000 reemerged on the scene by hopping on tracks like the "You (Remix)," "Walk It Out (Remix)," just to name a few. 3K spewed venom this year by going 32 bars deep on "Royal Flush." We've seen what Andre is capable of doing when rhyming alongside Big Boi, but by himself, oh man, Christmas would be special.

8. Please let Fab wake up and just take New York over.Fab is nasty. He's nasty to a point like every time he spits a verse, I just run to the bathroom, and conjure up what he said in his last bar because his punchlines have been ridiculous. I always thought he had the potential to be the heir to Jay-Z, and hold the East Coast down. I guess Fab is cool just being Fab and chilling. Just like Jay, Fab's been spitting like he's missing a tooth. From the "Hi Hater (Remix)," to the "Addiction (Remix)," to Weezy's "You Ain't Got Nuthin' On Me," Fab has conveyed that he's on a whole different planet. Let me not even mention his DJ Drama mixtape There's No Competition. Damn Fab!

Right now, that's all I ask for Santa. Christmas would great if all of these wishes came true. I mean even 4 out of 8 I could live with. Just hold me down this last time. Holla at me if you can because I'll be Gone Till November.

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For the link to my article http://www.ballerstatus.com/article/editorialscolumns/2008/09/5379/

Imaginary Gangster: Why Can't Hip-Hop Just Be Honest? Ballerstatus.com Aug 25 2008

"The game is not to give 'em nuttin REAL ... real, real, real, real / Nothing they could use, nothing that they could FEEL ... feel, feel, feel, feel / Give 'em a bunch of lies and teach 'em that it's REAL ... real, real, real, real / So that's all that they a-know / That's all that they a-feel ... feel, feel, feel." -- Lupe Fiasco on "Real"

Real has always been associated with hip-hop. The word never had a negative connotation when being used to identify artists. Apparently emcees are suffering from identity crisis and forgot the magnitude of the four letter word. Walk with me as I explore the harsh realities of lies, and deceit among our fellow rappers.

"And why do n****s lie in 85% of they rhymes?" -- Jadakiss on "Why?"Why lie? Like seriously, why con people into believing you're moving keys like you're money-making Mitch from "Paid In Full?" What many rappers fail to realize is that people do actually pay attention to the lyrics, and take into account everything you say. For some reason, rappers have a tendency of embellishing their pasts in hopes of garnering the audience's respect. For example, you have Rick Ross, who is notorious for his hustling prowess and immaculate street cred. The man, who epitomized the soul of a hustler, was seen sporting police uniform dating back to his college years. This obscene photo has fans and rappers questioning the boss' legitimacy and credibility. What bemuses me, and everyone else, is that rappers think it's a crime to be honest. Rappers think they'll get a 3-5 for displaying some candidness in their lyrics. It's ok to be honest. Whatever happened in your past, stays in your past. If you were a correctional officer, man up, and let the people know, rather than have your fans second guess picking up your next album.

"So, don't believe everything your earlobe captures / It's mostly backwards, unless it happens to be as accurate as me." -- Jay-Z on "Ignorant Sh**"I understand everyone wants to personify the glorious gangster image, and emulate Pac, but come on. Be original with your lyrics. With a bevy of rappers trying to exude this image, creativity has been minute. You have people boosting about how many people they killed, and how much their chains costs, when in reality these are the same people taking the bus to their own video shoots. The people advocating violence are the same people playing on Facebook. Piles, known for exemplifying the definition of real, was exposed by HHDX about his past. The life that Piles has claimed to be living (you know, the life of a goon?) has been a hyperbole of the truth, according to HHDX. Instead of delving into the land of honesty, and be "real" with his lyrics, Piles has been doing the complete opposite.

"I hear 'em gearin' up / people talk so much sh** about me at barbershops / they forget to get their haircut / OK fair enough, the streets is flarin' up / 'cause they want gun-talk, or I don't wear enough / baggy clothes, Reeboks, or Adidas." -- Kanye West on "Everything I Am"

Why do you think Kanye West is quickly being considered as among one of the best performers in the game? The man is real, and original. Only Kanye had the audacity to wear pink polos, with some skin tight jeans, and still drop a venomous verse. Before, Kanye was ridiculed for his vile taste in fashion. Now, the same people who displayed their exasperation for his swag, are the ones wearing jeans from the Gap. Coincidence? I think not. The reason Kanye is thriving is because he's been real throughout his career. He made you feel his realness. On stage, when he performed "Dear Mama" days after the death of his mother, you felt his heart drop after he recited each bar. You felt the tears come down from these eyes, as he was gasping every line out in pain. Originality can't be faked.

You have to wonder when rappers stare and point at their reflections, are they satisfied with placing a front in hopes seeing dollars? The game was molded by artists being honest, and depicting the truth. Are we at a point where we have to lie to gain respect? With that said, I won't say hip-hop is dead, but damn hip-hop is sure is lost.

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my link for this article http://www.ballerstatus.com/article/editorialscolumns/2008/08/5335/