Stupid Dope Fresh Lyrics

I think I have a pretty good ear for music. I love listening to hip hop songs that have tight lyrics. Lyrics that actually make you think. I think as far as the rap game is concerned so many people get caught up in the beat of a song and hook that they believe this makes a quality record. The craftsmanship of actually writing a verse that makes the listener think was starting to become a thing of the past.

With the freshman class (Wale, Drake, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, etc) the art of writing dope lyrics is making a comeback. One of my favorite up and coming rappers is J. Cole out of Fayetteville, N.C. At first I slept on son but then I took a hard listen to his latest mixtape, The Warm-Up. Two verses stuck out to me on that mixtape. The first is his verse off of The Badness ft Omen:

Believe in God like the sun up in the sky

Science can tell us how but can't tell us why

I seen a baby cry and seconds later she laughs

The beauty of life, the pain never lasts

The rain always pass, the sun don't always shine

When its gone I'm lonely but when its there I'm fine

I hate the winter time because the nights come quicker

The light make the whites think I'm a nice young n***er

But at night they think twice and walk a little faster

Funny 100 years ago I woulda called this n***er master

How the tables turned but still the fire's burning

I feel the heat, the world is a dryer turning (turning)

I'm looking for some higher learning (learning)

Girl you what I desire, yearning (yearning)

You say I'm easily distracted

I think the problem is that I'm easily attracted

by the dark side,

the temptation got me questioning where my heart lies

I'm trying to separate myself like apartheid

But hey the liquor keep swallowing

I swear I walk with God but the devil keep following

The second verse is off another track that i am really feeling. Its called Losing Your Balance. I love guitar in the background and the song is a song meant to uplift. The entire song is dope but I really feel the first verse:

Ms. High Profile, caught you shopping on Canal

I guess it make sense, it seem as phony as your style

Your hair and your nails just as phony as your smile

Fake eyelashes you drew your eyebrows

Make a brother ask do you pride yourself

Your makeup like a mask trying to hide yourself

It seem on the outside you thinking you the sh*t

But its a soulless inside that you ain't even knew exist

So you so out of touch that the world mistreat you

Rich n***as f*ck you and broke n***as beat you

Hope that this will reach you and you understand

That your value ain't determined by another man

Cuz right you let them brothers get the upper hand

And you just tell 'em go deep like Cunningham

And just let em OD like Len Bias

And that pussy so good he let his friends try it

If you want to download The Warm Up mixtape click here.

Video Chicks

I was checking my google reader and I came across this Necole Bitchie blog post. The singer Jeremih premiered his video for 'Birthday Sex' on 106th and Park yesterday (video at the bottom of the post). The leading lady in the video is Brazilian. A lot of people have a problem with him (and other entertainers) using non-Black women in their videos.

Honestly, when I first watched the video I really didn’t think about the race/color of the girl. I just saw another pretty woman. I probably wouldn't have noticed if she were Black, White, Latino or Aborigine well I would have noticed that one.

I actually did a blog post about black complexions and stigmas a while back. You can re-read it here. For the record I feel like you should be with who you makes you happy and f**k everyone else who doesn't like it (just so happens that I like black women). But my opinion on this issue is somewhat two-faced. One on side I feel like what if that’s what he’s attracted to in real life? Why should he have to change what he likes to appease an entire race? I think that black people (women more often) look to the wrong places to try and fight this color/race issue.

Some people don't like the fact that plenty of rappers/singers put non-Black women in their videos. They feel its not so much that this issue effects them personally but how these videos are perceived by a young generation of black girls (the age range in which these videos are actually targeting. Watch the audience's age bracket during 106 & Park).

I actually agree with these sentiments and train of thought. But I feel what the bigger problem is that our youth is actually looking up to rappers and singers for examples of how to treat the opposite sex and how the opposite sex views them. For example, I would hope that a young girl is not taking that 'Birthday Sex' video seriously and thinking that no man can actually want her because she's not Brazilian or something exotic (i hate that conception as well. like black woman aren't exotic but that's another blog post. Coming soon. lol). But for real its a video talking about birthday sex. C’mon. Do you really expect it to solve this current issue?

Tai Slumz

If you are a fan of rap/hip-hop, you need to check out the next best rapper out of the District. Tabi Bonney and Wale laid the groundwork for rappers in D.C., but Tai Slumz is definetly going to put the DMV on the map. Oh did I mentoin that he's my brother. LOL. Shout out to Slizzy Slumz and Career Crookz Entertainment. Check out his work >here<.