REPOST: #BITCHBAD

ORIGINAL POST:AUG 29, 2012

#bitchbad

Lupe Fiasco never seems to let me down with the conscious messages he sends in his songs. I will listen to his song 20 times to completely understand the message, and break it down for me. I can always relate to his words, sometimes directly other times on a larger scale. Recently Chicago Born rapper Lupe Fiasco put out a song entitled Bitch Bad. I seen the tweets about the song but did not run to listen. To be honest I shook my head and continued to scroll down my timeline automatically making assumptions it was another degrading radio hit. I even said to myself "not you too Lupe"! When I finally listened to the song I was completely wrong! It was the same conscious Lupe and the message was stronger then ever. These words caught my attention.

"The little boy meets one of those little girlsAnd he thinks she a bad bitch and she thinks she a bad bitchHe thinks disrespectfully, she thinks of that sexuallyShe got the wrong idea, he don’t wanna fuck herHe thinks she’s bad at being a bitch like his motherMomma never dress like that, come out the house, hot mess like thatAss, titties, dress like thatAll out to impress like thatJust like that, you see the fruit of the confusionHe caught in a reality, she caught in an illusionBad mean good to her, she really nice and smartBut bad mean bad to him, bitch don’t play your partBut bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong wayBut she think she a bitch, what a double entendre"

Read more: http://www.killerhiphop.com/lupe-fiasco-bitch-bad-lyrics/#ixzz24uLwSbrK

When I listen and watched the video a light bulb went off in my head. In my journey of finding myself I went though something slightly similar. I was always told by my family I was beautiful but I wanted what the media said was beautiful and I became that.  I dived into beauty and fashion magazines being bombarded with the wrong advice. I matured but it still defined me. I was pretty natural but I was sexy (bad bitch) with a straight or wavy weave. Oh and when it was blonde it did nothing but turn heads. For a short period I felt I looked my best this way. Again always felt cute but sexy and desired with my long blonde locks.Then I met someone who didn't like it but rather me without it and stripped down to my natural kinks. Arguments arose and in the mist of all this angry conversation I didn't understand his argument. I was not seen beautiful in his eyes with a hairstyle the media and other men and women complimented  me on. "Now just like that, you see the fruit of the confusion." Now don't get me wrong  I am not against a nice weave. I will wear one to change up my look but I realized for myself a weave does not define me. As a black woman I want young girls and women to know a weave is not our blueprint to beauty but our intelligence and personality is. In my opinion, referring to yourself as BAD in a playful manner is ok but understand you are beautiful.  And never refer to yourself as a bitch, you are better then that. Our ancestors were Queens and Kings and we should carry ourselves likewise. It's ok to let loose sometimes but know there is a time and place for everything and someone is always watching.

LUPE FIASCO- BITCH BAD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3m3t_PxiUI

REPOST: The Revenue vs the issue: Love and Hip Hop Atlanta

ORGINAL POST: AUG 30, 2012

#LoveandHipHopAtlanta

                    

     So lets talk about Love and Hip Hop Atlanta...Everybody say in our Stevie J voice... HHMMMMM.
That's how I feel  when I think about this show. There has been so much entertainment news buzzing on the Internet lately relating to this show. I went from simply watching a bonus clip on vh1.com to being stuck to my computer for 2 hours going from link to link discovering more. Lets break down what I discovered.

1st order of business- The revenue!

Reported on scabee.com VH1's "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" along with the help of "Single Ladies" made the network the #1 cable network for women 18-49 on Monday night for 13 weeks straight! Cynopsis, a entertainment based newsletter, reported "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" comfortably floated in the top 10 cable programs each week and ended the traditional season as cables top reality series of the summer for adults 18-49 and women 18-49! This show brought in millions of viewers each week for the Monday night premiere. ON A POSITIVE NOTE RAISE YOUR GLASSES TO A BLACK FEMALE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BE PART OF SUCH STRONG VIEWER RATINGS! But then again the controversial discussion is the material of the show.
     As a Television Production Major this brings great interest to me and I am torn. Should we as a black community celebrate such impressive ratings with a all black cast and a black female in the executive producer camp? Or should we look at the success as a set back for African Americans in the entertainment industry? This is the way I look at. Solely as a production professional I applaud them. The team of "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" fused the right characters and told the right stories to make the season a brand of its own.  The drama stayed turned all the way up for the most part which brought more and more viewers in each week. Also understand this is reality TV, there is a huge difference in investing in a reality TV show verses a scripted program. First, there is no traditional scriptwriters that's  about ten if not more eliminated expenses, no costuming, no renting studio space and I can go on but you get the idea. With the right chemistry a network can double what it cost to produce the show.
    Now as a African American viewer the show did not show strong black relationships excluding Rasheeda and husband Kirk Frost. But then again they had their moments as well. Each episode included some form of cheating, back-stabbing and non trustworthy behavior. For a person who does not interact with African Americans this can stand as a poor portrayal of our reality.  In turn, those same people will place judgment on the race along with the other portrayals on cable television. But with all that being said an intelligent individual will understand that the reality being portrayed is not that of all African Americans, but is the reality of those characters on the program.
As a aspiring Television Production Professional I support the delivery of positive African American images in the media but I feel the art of entertainment can get lost when trying to be to careful. Yes the drama of reality TV is entertaining and yes I feel without it TV would be boring. We have to remember African Americans are not the only one's on reality TV acting up. A good example is the crazy girls on Bad Girls Club which shows all races acting crazy!  I believe the issue is in the balance. Non- minorities have a balance of suggestive material being produced. I can not say the same for full minority casted shows. I believe if we produced a good balance of this entertainment based high drama shows similar to "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" along with shows similar to "The Cosby Show" and "A Different World", this controversial issue can be solved.
I take back my last statement... the issue will not be solved but can progress.

REPOST: THE MOUNTAIN AND THE PUZZLE

ORIGINAL POST: JUNE 5, 2013

Life is such a interesting thing, and I can not stress it enough. More so the life of a college bound student. You do well in high school, your teachers praise you because having good grades will bring you success.  You go off to school and pay thousands of dollars for a piece of paper that validates your skill level. You are constantly bombarded with the value of going to college.
Ok so you make it you are proud! Hell you might have made it to the best schools and then BAM! You are then again bombarded with promise of success after 4 more years. Intern, networking, and hard work are the keys to success after college. You graduate, apply for jobs, somebody will pick you up and then you start from the bottom and make your way up! Easy as Pie and straight like that.
Only problem with this story is that does not happen for everybody. You will drop the ball, and you will fall short. It can be as simple as falling in love with the wrong person that can throw you off your game. The value is in picking yourself up and moving forward. I'm sure you have heard this all before and what I am saying is nothing new but this blog is for those ppl who know they were born to be successful but somewhere along the line leading up to success something happens. There was some mountain that they have never had to cross before, and a puzzle that has left them perplexed. This mountain and this puzzle has had this person stuck to the point where they don't know how the hell to get on the other side and put the correct pieces together. Now Time has become an enemy but they know in there heart if they could figure out how to pull themselves together success is waiting for them.   Understand If you continue to reflect, continue to look for the path across the mountain, and continue to piece together the puzzle everything will come together.
I know it can be hard to remain optimistic because you will always have someone who tells says "you are not working hard enough" " you are focusing on the wrong things" "you need to find a better job" You might even tell yourself these things. But remember in your heart your goal when you told yourself you wanted to have a career. It is in you, but it might have got shaken up. 

REPOST: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS

ORIGNIAL POST: JUNE 5,2013

Every little girls dream is marriage and when we were in middle school talking to our girl friends about it by 25 we had it all. We were married, great job, and kids. In 2013 oh how that has changed.  Now don't get me wrong it is possible and some have achieved this little girls dream but the closest to me. NOPE.
Anyway I always like to look back on things I write years ago. It helps me understand me better. A constant theme in my writing is LOVE...well more so HEART BREAK. I'm telling you like back to the first grade I'm thinking about LOVE. I'm writing poems in the 3rd grade comparing the Titanic ship sinking to how my heart felt when the boy I liked got a new GF. Now although I wrote about the "HEART BRAKE" there was always a piece about putting it behind me, learning from it and moving on. It's almost like at least in that area of my life that was my story. Dust yourself off and try again. This happens to most ppl. I don't know many who get it right the first time or even the tenth!  For the most part through out the years thats what I did. It was easy until my last battle with the idea of LOVE. I will call it idea because real LOVE is happiness. I wrecked my brain trying to figure out what was so great about this person because when you looked at the facts I was only completely happy for a short period of time. I believed in the person, I believed in us but whole time He believed in himself.
I wrecked my brain trying to figure out why this person would play. Say things that they don't mean, argue with me if they didn't care. That was enough for me to believe there is something still there. My soul was continually challenged because actions or should i say lack of actions were not enough for me . In my eyes this person is my friend at the end of the day you don't just do your friends any kind of way. You don't do the ppl that show you they would stand by you in the hardest situations any type of way. A friend does not take advantage of your weaknesses. In Reality this person did not care about me being a real friend to them because in this world They feel they only need themselves. They might have appreciated the help when you gave it to them but now it holds no value because they feel at the end of the day they don't need you or anybody else.  People are not going to consider others feelings and people will make decisions based off their benefit. Always take control of your emotions, once you allow some else to control your emotions that is when you spiral down. Whole time I was wrecking my brain I had the answer. These are the conclusions I had to make. If you are still uncomfortable with the conclusion you have to draw you can not worry about the what if. If the conclusion is wrong and that person cares to correct you they will. Not when you want them to but in their own time. And Trust me by that time you will not be effected.
 -My passion is often mistaken for dramatics.

REPOST: THE POWER OF PRAYER

This was my first post ever! Originally posted July 1,2013:


The power of PRAYER is real and I am growing everyday. By being put in different situations I am learning how to overcome them on my own. Growing up and recently I always second guessed the choices I made and always looked to someone else for advice. Although this in not a completely bad habit, it can stunt your growth as an adult and as a person. Becoming more secure in the decisions that I make speaks to me.

I remember where I was at this point in my life. Such a dark time for me but just like I spoke about in the post the power of Pray will change your situation. Now I am not the most religious person nor do I go to church every Sunday but I know my faith and I know what I believe. I remember feeling at that point the only way to feel better was prayer. You should talk to God or whoever you believe is the higher being) all the time but he forces you to turn to him when you feel like you have nothing else because he loves all those he created, even those who sin. The power of God will make you drop to you knees. For he will not let you drown, if it is not your time to go. 

The case of the missing blog

Hello followers!!!!
So it has been some time since I have been blogging but I ready to jump back in head first. So first off yes this is new blog because for some odd reason I can not get singed back into my old blog. It's actually annoying because I had some good post, a catchy name, catchy URL and all! What I will be doing is reposting my old post to get this blog started off. New thoughts coming soon. Thanks to all who checked me out in the past and who will continue to check me out in the future.