Featured above is the image of a star -- a dying one! Sparing you guys the harangue, just look at it...Look! It looks like a hand reaching out for something; the red cloud above, to me, symbolizes past passions, old dreams, lost sparks, just something that was once an influence (a good one) and drove that "hand." Too many times, we lose our "mojo", we lose vision of the vision that we may have had for our individual lives -- we allow our happenings and circumstances to destroy the life path that may or may not have been determined for us (whether it be through our own decision-making, or some divine, predestinated plan -- whatever you believe.) Just like that hand, when we've finally realized how far astray we've gone, and how deep we've gotten ourselves in the muck of life, we're left gasping, reaching...reaching...REACHING....but it's too late. Another 'star' is lost.

We're all stars, powerful "pulsars" spinning wildly, lighting up our surroundings. With all our power, we have the potential to do some much; we burn so brightly that even amongst the crowd and cacophony of society, there will always be someone, at some point, watching us, individually -- like how we stare at stars in the sky, there's no way we can focus on them all at the same time, but amid the scatter, we find one that just stands out to us. That's how we are: we're "stars." We all have a purpose and a place in life. We all have a calling and an answering to perform. We musn't fall short of our dreams and goals, we cannot allow ourselves to die! As scientifically-intriguing and oriented as this picture may be, I believe there's a greater message to be taken away from this spectacle: Keep burning! Stay strong! Don't die, Star!

Cornell West and Lupe Fiasco give lecture at Calvin College


Grammy nominated Lupe Fiasco and laureate extraordinaire Dr. Cornell West displayed regal caliber enlightenment and intellectual prowess on stage at Calvin College a college in Grand Rapids Michigan. The irony is that they had never met before this encounter but in my following them over the years they have both cited and expressed inspiration from each others work. Dr. West acts almost as if to be a humbled reporter interviewing the world renowned musician. They go into deep reflection about the idea of "self" and both of their "legacies". I found this lecture to be extremely progressive, and a great way to show the depth to those involved in Hip Hop Music.

Courtesy of Nahright.com

you can stream it or download it here

"some n****s wanna sit down and complain about, I wanna sit down analyze see how it came about"

To a lot of you this video may be old, but this may be one of the most revolutionary assessments of hip hop culture that I've heard and I felt I needed to bring it to light again. This 15 minute cultural autopsy looks deep nucleus of hip hop music, challenging the very fabric that we use to sow our consciousness. As of late, Joey has had much digital success taking over the internet with endless music and giving the public a direct look into his life with Joe Budden TV. Joe Budden is giving fans a REALISTIC view of the life of a rapper. He uploads footage of him and his close group of friends having realistic conversations about real life. He's constantly filming: in the studio, on the street, and in his house (not the house he rented for the MTV cribs half hour special that was financed by his label) Surprisingly he has many uploads with his girlfriend Tihiri, and talks about proposing and getting married constantly. I find this amazing because this is not the stereotypical action of a rapper. To have "one" woman and profess your love for her publicly is the exact opposite of what a lot of rappers portray, not because that’s who they really are, but because they have to fit into an image molded by the public. I commend Joey for not being plagued by social cowardice and giving fans an organic blueprint of him. Shout out to Jump off Joey. Enjoy!

A walk in the park, a seemingly never-ending talk over the phone with an old friend, a "departure kiss": all poetic scenarios that we only seem to read about in books or see on TV or even movies. But these same meaningful instances are the makings of a beautiful, poetic life. Hollywood depicts them so eloquently and almost in a step-by-step fashion, as if we're supposed to emulate and apply them to our lives...and now that I'm thinking about it -- and writing about it -- I think that we should. These are the moments that most touched us when we watched movies like Casablanca, or even during the series finale of our favorite sitcom; no matter how action-packed, dry, dull, exciting, or even just plain sucky a feature was, the "poetic moments" that kind of just brought the tension down -- probably made some men feel uneasy and just made women melt -- were the most seismic and emotionally-affecting scenes of the entire feature.

I want to challenge the readers of this article to be more poetic, more meaningful in certain areas of their life -- engage the "simple gifts" that life has to offer such as friendships and intimate relationships; maybe for some, being a parent, or even a teacher. Take these opportunities and apply a "poetic twist" to them; multiply your time and energy, and your "heart" by 100 and take them to new heights, unbound by the limitations of normalcy and complacency! Don't miss the opportunity to rekindle a relationship, or reopen the communication lines; potentially brighten someone's day or possibly turns someone's life around. Live poetically.