Drake..Has he set the bar to high?

Saturday, February 28, 2009 by J.D. , under


With his highly anticipated mixtape So Far Gone, Drake has definately lived up to the expectations of his fans. But has he set the bar so high that he might not be able to out do himself on his debut album anticipated to release this summer? Drake displayed an array of talent giving us heavy hitting punch lines on tracks like Ignant Shit, then turning around and singing on a slow ballad like A Night Off featuring LLoyd. While you think about this, check out the chopped and screwed version of So Far Gone.


You thought it was a joke didn't you?

by J.D. , under




Yet and still.....Barack is still the only dude cool enough to pull this pose off.

Whats Hot or What's Now?

Thursday, February 26, 2009 by J.D. , under














We often find ourselves trying to be involved with whats current and not with whats relevant. Dressing in the latest fashion, downloading the latest song, being consumed with whats right now, and not whats right is an American staple. For some reason if you haven't heard the new 50 track that dropped 30 seconds ago, your not cool. We follow Hollywood trends of fashion and style like it's gospel. Evaluate things on your own and don't be a follower because your favorite rapper co signed something. Everyone should do their own thing. Dress in what YOU think is fly, not what Kanye said is fly. I'm sure Kanye isn't looking to us for fashion or music advice. He does his own thing. And that's why he has been able to be so successful, by being bold, different, and more importantly himself. Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was partially based on a comment by Dr. Cornel West saying, "The things that we think are cool now in the future will be uncool." Don't get caught up in the hype. Be yourself.

The Cool Pose

by J.D. , under


This is absolutely random, but why do the coolest brothas on earth all sit cross legged? I'm sitting here watching a video of Denzel Washington, and he's sitting on Tavis Smiliey's couch for 45 minutes in a cross legged position. Then it dawns on me that Barack was on the same couch on Tavis' show, sitting in the same OG position. And I'm not talking about the one where the ankle rests on the top of knee. I'm talking about the joint where the thigh is on top of the knee. Only a true G can sit in that awkward ass position for that long and walk away cooler than when he sat down. Big up to the 40 plus BBoy stance.

Click here to see Denzel
Click here to see Barack

Blu Signs to Warner Brothers

Wednesday, February 25, 2009 by J.D. , under


L.A. based emcee Blu, signs with Sire/Warner Brother. See article.

Click here for more

Can We Really?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 by J.D. , under


The American people saw history unfold in front of their eyes, with the election of the nations' alleged first black President Barack Obama (I say alleged because research shows that there were four presidents before Obama that were of mixed decent as well, but that also is alleged) , the crumbling of Wall Street, and brutal warfare abroad. But it is the belief of many that being Black, was the least of President Obama's concern. The corruption in America social and economic structures began to expose itself in rare form as of late. Illicit activity has gone on for years and years to enslave many and empower few. i.e. Prohibition. But these things went unusually unnoticed by the majority. People knew, but nothing was done. After listening to Obama's speech tonight, it seems like he is acknowledging these evils and actually addressing them. Maybe a change has come, because the tone of his rhetoric is almost anti-Washington. Only time will tell. As Americans we need to hold him accountable.

Breaking Down Racial Walls...

by J.D. , under










Michael Eric Dyson comments on Attorney General Eric Holders speech on race..."Despite all the bravado that hinges on talk about taking responsibility for our actions, a point that is usually hammered home when speaking about black folk taking responsibility for their problems, it seems that most Americans feel disinclined to assume responsibility for the poor state of American racial affairs."


Click here for more

SO TRUE!

Monday, February 23, 2009 by J.D. , under ,


Saw the shirt, and laughed..applicable to all walks of life.

Lupe Fiasco -Return of the JEdi

by J.D. , under





Some new tracks, some old, from a Headless Giant favorite Lupe Fiasco.


Download

Blu-Her favorite colo(u)r

by J.D. , under


Time for a little music. Here's Blu's latest mixtape. With Below the Heavens , (a collabo album with producer and Exile), and Johnson & Jonson (another collab album with producer Mainframe) under the belt, Blu hits us with urgent lyrics rapped in jazz samples giving us a progressively retro feel.

Download

"The Supreme Being" ...a contradictory polemic

by J.D. , under ,


My personal belief is that, graduating high school, going to college, getting a degree in something you did out of convenience , to only get a job clocking fifty hours a week, waiting for that pay check every other month is not the formula to success. This is not conducive to being a "supreme being". When I say "supreme being", I mean finding out who we really are and why we are here. Traditionally people spend the first third of their life climbing the ladder of institutional education working hard to go to the best schools and get the best jobs. Then they wake up at 22 yrs old, drive to their entry level jr. analyst position at a high profile investment bank and realize, they hate their life. They spend 12 hour days making millions of dollars for someone else. That is not bringing them closer to the nucleus of their supreme ability.

Tapping into your own personal energy and exploring your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes is what helps you to find out who your really are. Your brain is a powerful thing and I feel like it is highly under used. We live in a society where we are taught to be followers not leaders. Taught to believe what we are told and not question law. Questioning is imperative for learning. Question your professors, question you, pastor, question your parents. It is through this unyielding questioning where true knowledge is attained and secured. Those who buy into this iconoclastic philosophy are usually labeled as rebellious radical but it is this ability that keeps you rooted in being true to your self. As important as it is to "think" it is just as important to "live". Sitting in a room reading about the lives of others does stimulate the mind but leaving that room and writing your own life story is what builds character. Taking risks and failing, falling in love, helping others is what helps us etch our name in the stone of life.

Now, is it possible to be successful without going to college and getting a job to support yourself financially in this country? It's not impossible, but it's definitely not easy. The US is designed for people to incur debt and get jobs to pay it off. You leave college, a place of learning and growth, 80,000 dollars in debt. I fundamentally have an issue with that. So does the average college student have time to read for leisure and take trips across seas, while working two jobs making pennies, and taking 19 credits to graduate on time. Again, not impossible, but tough. I'm a firm believer in "understanding the machine". Everyone's "risk tolerance" is different given their social and/or economic status. We all can't do the things we want to do. Sometimes keeping your head above water is the only thing that matters and what you really want to do becomes irrelevant.

So in reality, the cycle will continue. We will continue to pay 20k a year for college, get an internship and springboard in to corporate America. When that cycle is broken, that will be a sign of the true maturation of humanity. The focus on making you and everyone around you reach their personal zenith for the benefit of all.

Why the Headless Giant?

by J.D. , under ,

Why the Headless Giant? Media...we consume ourselves with the flamboyantly irreverent radio personalities who have made a career out of being a critic, the misogynistic, hyper sexual, violence ridden reality T.V shows(which have replaced that barrier braking uplifting sitcom, that people from the same gender, race, religious background can enjoy), the love scandals of Hollywood, rap beef and other things that can do absolutely nothing for you.

The media in the 21st century has no intention of making you any smarter. At all! Watching women compete in physical activity to see who is going to marry some bachelor, or a lesbian living in a house full of men and women who compete for her love, is not conducive to intellectually stimulating your mind. The bad part is, the television is literally raising our youth and this is what they see and emulate. So when the intelligence level of generation Y is lower than those generations preceding them, we can't exactly act surprised if we are subjecting them to such nonsense. Now don't get me wrong, it is the ENTERTAINMENT industry right? And at some point we watch these shows, and listen to the "crack" rap for mere entertainment. But there has to be balance.

Even as young adults we can't buy in to the glory and glamor of black cards, maybachs, diamonds, and girls, confuse it with the norm, and stray away from our own personal paths to righteousness. Even though its not readily available, we need to look beyond the smoke in mirrors to attain that balance to keep ourselves rooted in reality.

"A youthful, empirically intelligent assessment of culture, religion, and politics in the 21st Century"