Jazmine Sullivan: Fearless

A review of the debut album from Jazmine Sullivan…

I know you be asking yourself who Jazmine Sullivan is right now, but let’s just say you should get familiar with her. Finally releasing her debut album Fearless on J Records, Jazmine stands up and reminds us what mainstream R&B could be right now.

I first noticed Jazmine online a while back singing jazz standards like “‘Round Midnight”. Her gritty alto is easily among the cream of the crop among the artists currently out in the spotlight. One wouldn’t expect any less from a former child prodigy on the gospel scene. What one would find surprising is Jazmine’s writing ability, penning tales with fresh introspection and observation. However, most referenced work is the hit “Say I” which went public under Christina Milian. Regardless, Sullivan’s debut album has been long awaited. Not since Teedra Moses have I been this hopeful about an artist changing the R&B game.

From the very first orchestral flutter in “Bust Your Windows” you notice her music is familiar but harboring a delectable twist. Whether it be replacing the usual synthesized rhythm section with a string section worthy of the Rhode Island Philharmonic or actually acknowledging the childishness of the otherwise cliché broken-hearted vandalism, Jazmine holds it all together with skillful melody. The beauty of the minimalism behind her is that it allows you to acquaint yourself with the subtleties of her delivery for which you are richly rewarded if listening.

Radio hit “Need U Bad” twists the norm with a smooth reggae groove under Jazmine’s soulful ballad. Missy Elliot appears sporadically throughout the track, understandable since she co-produced the album, but mostly leaves room for Jazmine to shine. And shine Miss Sullivan does. The following track “My Foolish Heart” throws a retro soul turnaround on a bass line fitting the mighty Mos Def. But, comes together less obtrusively than the nouveau British invasion. Other tunes explore the retro sound more specifically but again play out into a fun romp (”One Night Stand” and “Switch!”) or funky realization (”Live A Lie”) rather than a heavy-handed effort at a trend.

Standout tracks like “Lions, Tigers & Bears” and “In Love With Another Man” showcase Jazmine’s ability to entertain with her vocals alone, also known as talent. Though I doubt either will be released as a single, the last time I liked a song with no drums (on a mainstream album), everyone was left singing “ordinary people”. With either a few pizzicato plucks from the string section or Donny Hathaway worthy piano accompaniment, Jazmine evokes emotion and the kinds of honest queries with which we seldom confront ourselves.

Overall, Jazmine Sullivan’s debut exceeds all the expectations you didn’t even know you had of someone whom you hadn’t heard. In a time when most of us are scared of drop bills on another album of three mediocre singles and a plethora filler, Jazmine raises the bar for the mainstream artists with exposing lyrics and masterful vocal control that one would expect more from an academy award winning Dreamgirl. I mean, this young lioness has garnered comparisons to Mary J. Blige and others but if she remains so fearless in her singing/songwriting, we may be dropping more legendary names alongside Jazmine Sullivan.

Courtesy of Afrothought.com - The Right Side of the Truth

Colin Powell endorses Obama | BBC News (fix)

Four more years?! Ha ha... Powell don't play that!!

Synopsis: (BBC News) - US President George W Bush's first Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has endorsed Democratic election candidate Barack Obama for the White House.

Backing Mr Obama over John McCain, the Republican Party's choice to succeed Mr Bush in November, he said the Democrat had the "ability to inspire".

"All Americans... not just African-Americans" would be proud of an Obama win, he argued.

US Presidential Debate #3 | CNN.com




Synopsis: HEMPSTEAD, New York (CNN) -- A majority of debate watchers think Sen. Barack Obama won the third and final presidential debate, according to a national poll conducted right afterward.

Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said Democratic candidate Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best.

The poll also suggests that debate watchers' favorable opinion of Obama rose slightly during the debate, from 63 percent at the start to 66 percent at the end. The poll indicates that McCain's favorables dropped slightly, from 51 percent to 49 percent.

The economy was the dominant issue of the debate, and 59 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job handling the economy, 24 points ahead of McCain.

During the debate, McCain attacked Obama's stance on taxes, accusing Obama of seeking tax increases that would "spread the wealth around." But by 15 points, 56 percent to 41 percent, debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job on taxes. By a 2-1 margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, debate watchers said Obama would do a better job on health care.

Sixty-six percent of debate watchers said Obama more clearly expressed his views, with 25 percent saying McCain was more clear about his views.

By 23 points, those polled said Obama was the stronger leader during the debate. By 48 points, they said Obama was more likeable.

McCain won in two categories. Eighty percent of debate watchers polled said McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, with seven percent saying Obama was more on the attack. Fifty-four percent said McCain seemed more like a typical politician during the debate, with 35 percent saying Obama acted more like a typical politician.

"Independents tend to prefer debates that are dominated by substance and light on discussion of personal characteristics," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "The perception that McCain attacked Obama gave red meat to GOP partisans, but it probably didn't help McCain with independents."

"There was a notable gender gap as well," Holland said. "Women thought Obama won the debate by a 62 percent to 28 percent margin. Among men, Obama's lead was narrower, 54 percent to 35 percent in Obama's favor."

During the debate, McCain demanded to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with William Ayers, a 1960s radical. But the poll suggests that line of attack may not resonate with Americans. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers said Obama's connection to Ayers didn't matter at all to them, with 23 percent saying it mattered a great deal.

The audience for the debate poll appeared to be a bit more Democratic -- and a bit more Republican -- than the U.S. population as a whole. Forty percent of debate watchers in the survey were Democrats and 30 percent Republicans.

CNN's estimate of the number of Democrats in the voting age population as a whole indicates the sample is about 3 to 4 points more Democratic than the population as a whole, but also about 2 to 3 points more Republican than the population as a whole.

Eighty-eight percent of Democrats questioned in the poll said Obama did the best job, with 68 percent of Republicans saying McCain performed best. Among independents, 57 percent said Obama did the best job, with 31 percent backing McCain as the winner of the debate.

The candidates first debated in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 26. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled by CNN and the Opinion Research Corp. said Obama won that debate, with 38 percent saying McCain performed best. The second presidential debate was held in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 7 and 54 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama won, compared with 30 percent who said McCain did the best job.

(Source: Poll: Debate watchers say Obama wins - CNN.com.)

Editorial: Loved this debate. As I have said, it was the one stacked most against McCain and the one he needed most to dazzle independent and "soft" (aka undecided) voters; especially since he essentially lost the first two debates. If those last two were swings and misses then mighty McCain hath struck out.

Favorite moment: Obama summing up that McCain's campaign focusing on distorting facts about the democrat rather than expressing McCain's policies, says more about his failing campaign than it does about the Illinois senator.

Most important, however, is that Obama supporters not get cocky. I'm sure there are many suspect things waiting to happen between now and November 4th. So make sure you can at least say you cast a ballot, regardless of whom for which you are voting.

US Presidential Debate #2 | BBC News



Swing and a miss.

Synopsis: (BBC News) - On paper, the format should have favoured John McCain, who conducts lots of campaign events as town hall meetings, in which he prowls the stage taking questions from anyone who wants to ask one.

In fact, I thought Barack Obama did rather better, measured in manner and clear-minded in content where Mr McCain seemed to spend too much time attempting to score points directly off his rival, with what felt like carefully-rehearsed digs that didn't seem quite to find the mark.

OJail Simpson convicted | BBC NEWS



Strangely, I was shocked. Inexplicably so.

Synopsis: (BBC News) - OJ Simpson has been found guilty of 12 charges of armed robbery, conspiracy to kidnap and assault with a deadly weapon by a court in the US city of Las Vegas.

The former US football star and actor was accused of robbing two dealers of sports memorabilia in 2007.

The armed robbery charges carry a mandatory jail sentence, and kidnapping carries a possible life term.

Simpson, 61, who denied the charges, was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his former wife and her friend.

That was dubbed "the trial of the century".

CHARGES AGAINST OJ SIMPSON

Conspiracy to commit a crime: guilty

Conspiracy to kidnap: guilty

Two counts of first degree kidnapping: guilty

Burglary in possession of a deadly weapon: guilty

Two counts of armed robbery: guilty

Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon: guilty

Two counts of coercion with use of a deadly weapon: guilty

The charges in the latest trial centred on an incident in the Palace Station hotel in Las Vegas in September 2007.

Simpson was accused - and convicted - of kidnapping two sports memorabilia dealers and holding them in the hotel.

The former National Football League running back seized the pair in an attempt to reclaim items in their possession related to his sporting career, which Simpson claimed still belonged to him.

(Source: BBC NEWS | Americas | OJ Simpson convicted of robbery.)

Editorial:

Let this be a lesson. You really only get one "Get Out Of Jail Free" card with stardom for your felonies.

McCain complains over Ifill | Yahoo News



C'mon Johnny. You have it pretty nice outside of politics right now.

[via: Yahoo News]

Synopsis: Hours ahead of the vice presidential debate, Sen John McCain (R-Ariz.) criticized the selection of PBS's Gwen Ifill as moderator because she is writing a book called "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama."

Poll: Biden wins debate, Palin exceeds expectations | CNN.com



Hey, I told you so...

(CNN) - A national poll of people who watched the vice presidential debate suggests that Democratic Sen. Joe Biden won but also hints that Republican Gov. Sarah Palin exceeded expectations.

US Presidential Debate #1 | BBC NEWS




"All things considered, it's about a draw"
~ Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress

Synopsis: US presidential rivals Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama have attacked each other over foreign policy and the economy, in their first debate.

Mr Obama said a $700bn (£380bn) plan to rescue the US economy was the "final verdict" on years of Republican rule.

He said Mr McCain had been "wrong" on Iraq and tried to link him to President Bush. The Republican senator described his rival as too inexperienced to lead.

Neither landed a knockout blow but polls suggested Mr Obama did better.

An immediate telephone poll by CNN and Opinion Research Corp found 51% said Mr Obama had won, to 38% for Mr McCain.

A poll of uncommitted voters by CBS News found that 39% gave Mr Obama victory, 25% thought John McCain had won, and 36% thought it was a draw.

Both campaigns claimed victory, with Mr McCain's team saying their candidate had shown a "mastery on national security issues" while Mr Obama's aides said he had passed the commander-in-chief test "with flying colours".

Tens of millions of Americans were expected to watch the debate on TV, with only about five weeks to go before the 4 November elections. (Source: BBC NEWS | Americas | US rivals spar in first TV debate)

Editorial:

Yes, the debate was a technical draw. The thing about that, however, is subjectively the debate will thus be a win for the Obama camp. Why? Because this was supposed to be the debate that John McCain won. It's his strength. And there is no doubt he has experience in issues of foreign policy. The loss is given that Obama held is own and, overall, appeared more Presidential than McCain.

McCain was wise to try and hammer the "naive" point, however he did it to an almost patronizing degree, which came off as him losing his composure. However, any time he attacked Obama, the Illinois senator corrected him making McCain seem divisive and out to spin the facts. Unfortunately for McCain, he did not notably correct Obama on any attack against the Arizona senator thus legitimizing the Democrat's authority on the facts.

McCain was right to focus on "the surge", but that's about all he could say in terms of the "War in Iraq". As well, Obama was able to one-up McCain pointing out that the decision-makers on the strategy there essentially agree with his plans for future military action in the region (basically that Afghanistan is the real battleground). McCain was at his best when explaining the fragility of the situation there, but did not follow that by appearing the most prepared to handle the matter. In fact, Obama nailed him on handling delicate matters citing McCain's "Bomb Iran" song. However the junior Senator then gave away that advantage overemphasizing how wrong McCain was in his decision to go to Iraq rather than solidifying points that not only his past but his future judgment regarding the "War on Terror" have been most wise.

In terms of foreign policy overall, McCain was able to parade his experience but Obama matched that with foresight, unveiling that even the Bush administration is starting to enact policies that the Democratic Presidential nominee championed throughout his campaign while McCain leans toward the failed ways of the past. They also argued different points of the fact that Kissinger did promote talks with Iran without preconditions (Kissinger later said "non-presidential" talks - something the Bush administration is currently pursuing).

In terms of economic policy, the debate kicked off with that, which is inevitable given the situation. Neither candidate could comment on whether they were going to vote for the bill that was out at that time, however Obama laid out four core principles he thought should be in the bill. The third debate between them will address the economy more. Obama will be going into that debate as the stronger candidate given that McCain has previously acknowledged his weakness on economic issues. And given the fact that the new economic bailout bill is (according to Sen. John Kerry) founded around the principles Obama laid out in the debate and supposedly better for the American taxpayer.

I've been reading a lot about people being disappointed with the first debate, but this is how debates always are. As well, they are MUCH more subtle than people seem to remember every four years. As they should be, both candidates know better than to shoot off at the mouth and sink their campaign. In fact, a portion of this election will come down to who can keep the most level head and restore America's relationships across the world. Surely we've seen what a faux maverick can do in the White House.

"Here he comes. Here comes OJ..."



OJ Simpson robbery trial begins...

Defense lawyer Gabriel Grasso and OJ Simpson in court (15 September 2008). OJ Simpson's trial is expected to last around five weeks.

Giving up on Musiq... | AfroThought.com

“Don’t front. You know you loooove it.” Not quite, homie.

As if soul wasn’t already an underground genre, now Musiq is trying “Radio”. I expected this one day, but thought there would be a few more singles signaling the inevitable end between then and now. Nope, Musiq dove head first into the mainstream. Can he swim though?

Now, I’d like to excuse this faux pas as a one off error but “Radio” is like strike three for this cat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put his sound in a box. Quite the contrary, I’m all for artistic freedom. Besides no one wants to hear reworkings of the same song for three albums (unless it’s a really smooth song, e.g., Kem). On the other hand, people will accept multiple artists doing the same song repeatedly and even accept listening to hours of these Goldberg variations on the radio. As long as it’s meant to be a “new joint” then folks don’t care. I could rework a Rick Ross or Usher tune tomorrow and no one would really mind. All I have to do is stay inside the “formula” and I’m set. [I'm not going to define the "formula" here. Eventually I will. You've heard it, though. You may even love it. Why should I ruin that for you?] Unfortunately for those artists compromising their substance to pursue said formula, the range of things acceptable in the formula is becoming more and more narrow. Even the time limit has dropped from 4mins to 3mins-and-change (go ahead, time your latest radio hits).

But I digress, if a Jill Scott or Erykah Badu wants to switch it up to keep themselves (and maybe their fans) entertained then do ya thang, booboo. But, you have to stay authentic to yourself. If you don’t do that then that track better be the jam, because everyone will know your faking it and it’ll be a while before they forget/forgive. Happens all the time in pop music because they are already at the mercy of the public. It’s a scenario similar to a jester that has to guess what best entertains the king/queen or lose his spot in their castle or worse, face execution. Not like he could get up there and speak his mind, no matter how funny. That acquiesce to chase the mold (rather than sculpt it) is what makes you mainstream, ironically for Musiq the mainstream is the most defined/confining box. You hopped in the stream, now you have to follow the bends/trends or be washed out.

Tell ‘em why you mad…

The atmosphere has almost reached the point that trying to make actual music is officially like putting a contract out on yourself. Not the literal definition of music which is the purposeful organization of sound, but rather the artistic definition including a theorized form with A,B,C even D sections, an inspired melody, and meaningful lyrics hopefully expressing some observation - easier than it sounds. Sure, that uncompromising artist may get a Grammy nod, and if the people who blindly buy whatever the Grammy’s nominate notice them then he/she might survive long enough to build a lasting legacy, but more-likely-than-not they either fade away or bend over for that rape-over.

Now it’s not like we didn’t see this coming. Musiq Soulchild has been walking that thin line for a while now. Remember when he dropped the “Soulchild”. Remember “Buddy”. But it’s been a while since a video made me shake my head as much as MC Hammer’s “Pumps and a Bump”. First thought, was “haha, that’s hilarious… right?” As I realized Musiq wasn’t joking, I started to hope no one else saw/heard “Radio” but then I simply began to mourn the loss. Musiq defected. I mean he’s had all this time that Maxwell and D’Angelo were MIA to helm the movement and really cement his standing, but he left that to Dwele and Raheem DeVaughn (both of whom followed his line more than D’s or Maxwell’s - hence why folks know them… as opposed to Bilal, Van Hunt or Esperanza).

If you are puzzled then you might not have realized there is somewhat of a war going on between the mainstream and the underground (more so those who use the formula and those gifted souls rebelling against it). Clearly the mainstream is winning but that’s because the industry is the foremost sponsor of the formula (and soon the 80s baby anti-formula). Sporadically, the Rebel Alliance has a star rise up and steal some spotlight, but then the minions of the Empire clamor to work with that artists until a string of underwhelming collaborations mar the respect we had for them. Understandably though, mainstream acts crave that “new & creative” credibility and the result is best described using terms like vampires and new blood. Maybe that’s why we hear so much about cats biting. Following the seduction to the dark side, that “best new artist” is merely forgotten collateral damage of the stream, most likely to be immortalized on a late night infomercial compilation.

Soulution…

For my fellow musicians out there struggling between the fame/fortune and creativity/integrity, realize that they aren’t mutually exclusive. I mean it’s perfectly possible to be a respected mainstream artist. About a good third of folks will assume you are overrated but you can live with that. I mean, you wanted some attention, right? Best case scenario, you capture that Norah Jones audience (essentially the Grammy audience) who are great because they really don’t care what you do so long as they can wrap their head around it. Also, you don’t have to do half the work a Chris Brown does to keep your audience entertained. Look at John Legend. He was quick to don that Black Tony Bennett vibe on his second album and capture a whole new crop of jitterbuggers. We’ll call them the “mutually-funded”. And they buy albums (not too keen on computers/downloading yet). So why not have ‘the man’ patron your Black-owned business with all that disposable income? Sounds smart to me. Makes almost too much sense, maybe that’s why folks don’t do it. Of course, this is in the case that you don’t need to stay true to some self-defined idea of yourself and your art. Point is… J Am Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae, hell even Queen Latifah are banking right now while the rest of the field is wondering how they can best emulate T-Wayne.

Now, provided you don’t want to show up to the VMAs on an elephant wearing a chain with your moniker on it, nor want to stare into a sea of faces that don’t really understand your message whilst crooning on The Today Show, then you could pull a Batman. Meaning, up front be the artist you want to be but on the side cop a pseudonym and crank out all the “heaters/fire/hotness/blazing tracks” with which you never wanted to be associated. For instance, Musiq easily could have passed “Radio” on to someone who needs it’s small bump (e.g. Trey Songz) and sat back and let them do all the work for the attention/money then bring him his cut. “Ho’ hard and bring it home to us, f#cka!” Maybe he’s pulling a Tweet and has this one mainstream joint on an otherwise very soulful album. We’ll see. Granted, for that trick, you would have to put out a home-run to bait the typical listeners into your album. Alas, the Soulchild didn’t do that. Instead, Musiq stepped up to the plate and tried with all his might for a smash hit.

Swing and a miss.

~ Courtesy of AfroThought.com | Giving Up on Musiq

Is that yo' chick?!


Reaction(s) to McCain's VP selection.


So I just finished The Paragon's post [link] and spent about an hour skimming through the world's reaction to McCain's VP nomination on BBC News [link]. Thankfully most of the world sees the choice for what it is, a desperate move to try and draw Hillary zealots and traditional conservatives. Which I assume McCain didn't expect anyone to pick up on, so now the world is insulted - especially the women.

Goodbye Olympics...


I made time for you. Far too much time. I put my life on hold, almost eagerly, staying tuned in. I somehow incorporated you into my conversation and other gatherings. I narrated and recounted your stories to those still detached from your clutches. Not me, I was devoted. But now I know way more than I ever wanted and far more than I will ever need to know about Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, and Usain Bolt. Yet, somehow I feel lost without you. I guess I have a month to try to kick the habit, through the cold shakes and shudders of the remainder of summer reruns, but you and I both know that the new fall season will pull me right back in this tubed addiction. You could say I live 22minutes at a time, if you call it living at all. I don't. No, every time I sit/lay down to get my fix, I tell myself I could be doing something more productive. Sure a list of things springs to mind, but the weight of them compiles until I feel I need get away. Only a brief get away, maybe to a place of levity, where I don't have to worry about what's going on because it really doesn't affect me. Even thinking about trying to get away is becoming a bit burdensome. I wonder what's on TV now that the Olympics are over?

Obama Names Biden as Running Mate

Obama + Foreign Policy clout!


Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama selected Senator Joseph (Joe) Biden of Delaware as his Vice Presidential candidate around 12:04 PM EST. Speculation has been mounting for some time about the Illinois senator's choice and the announcement was delayed from the expected Friday disclosure.

Badass of the Moment: Usain Bolt


That's right, I said it!

Having set the World Record in both the 100 meter and 200 meter races, Usain "Lightening" Bolt would already be a contender for Badass of the Week. However it was the manner in which he won his Gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that is most badass. And even more so considering the brief backlash he faced.

Isaac Hayes found dead at age 65

Never can say goodbye...

Musician and actor Isaac Hayes' wife called police to their Memphis home after discovering him unconscious. Taken to a hospital, he was pronounced dead at 2:08 PM (EST). The cause of death is not immediately known, but family members believe it was a medical condition. Hayes was hospitalized for exhaustion in January 2006 and reportedly suffered a stroke that year.

Bernie Mac passes away at age 50




He left them wanting more.

U.S. comedian, film and television star Bernie Mac died Saturday morning at Chicago "from complications due to pneumonia" according to his publicist, Danica Smith. Mac had long suffered from the ailment, sarcoidosis, and was admitted to the hospital days prior for pneumonia.

Are you ready for the new D'Angelo?


"This is my MTV diary. You think you know..."

So my boy texted me the other day asking if I read the Spin Magazine article on D'Angelo. "Of course (I haven't)" I replied. Thus, priority one was finding this article. Supposedly folks were scouring the internet for this article but to no avail, complaining that it was nowhere to be found and being pulled down from sites. Meanwhile, the Gent found Spin Magazine's free digital version and read the article at his leisure.

RAPPER or REPUBLICAN?

"It ain't hard to tell... " or is it?




My best friend was perusing a gaming magazine recently and noticed a short blurb on a new video game coming out… you ready?…wait for it…wait for it… 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Oh! I kid you not. Essentially 50 Cent murdering mofos in the Middle East. Now I will give Vivendi the benefit of the doubt that the premise (and it’s proclivity to alliteration) is pure happenstance but one can’t help but wonder… who would ‘Fiddy’ have beef with in the Middle East? Oh wait, given the current bogeyman status of terrorism in the U.S., why not allow youths to “spread democracy” as their favorite chunky rapper against… I dunno… probably Al-Qaeda. No, that would be just too blatant. One could already make a small leap and view the game as an accidental allegory for the belief that the government is sending young Black males focused on improving their economic status to handle its political stumbles as one would send a janitor for a mess. I’m not making that leap, I’m just saying someone could see it that way. However, it turns out the game is a sequel to 50 Cent: Bloodmoney and IGN reports the game is described as a mix between Three Kings and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. (Seriously, IGN?)


Anyway, the game sparked a new theory for me though. We'll say conspiracy theory to make it easily laughable and dismissible. So... ::exhale:: what if the mainstream was trying to make black folks republicans? Give it a second. And I guess I should say "republicans again". Now throw on your best Oswald Bates impression and 'propose the question again!' Using rappers to represent mainstream thugs and politicians/lobbyists to represent mainstream republicans, let's just look at three signatures of each...

No Homo: Rampant throughout the hood, homophobia has swelled to the point that you can't even talk about your male friend (pause? ... no, exactly) because now you need some sort of qualifier disavowing any conceivable erotic/romantic connection. For the grand old party (GOP), it goes without saying the lack of tolerance for such a stereotypically liberal orientation. Most hypocritically evident in how disconcerted Vice President Cheney gets whenever his lesbian daughter, Mary Cheney is mentioned. The usual justification/excuse being "it's in the Bible". Which brings us to our next signature...

The Original G: Even the most hardcore, weight-moving, whore-mongering, cold-blooded street disciple has a desperate need to cling to his faith. On wax, you hear the "thug" rapper with that one religious track talking about a higher power's omnipotence/omniscience or thanking Him for allowing said rapper to be where he is now (and thus do what he does - which makes you wonder if they think God condones the hustle). Either way, they love Him. And though they may not be in the pews on Sunday, they make no hesitation in expressing their faith. Most stereotypically through a tattoo or jewelry, such as the ever-popular 'Jesus-piece'. Again, I doubt we even need to note the political alignment of the bible belt and beyond. Shoot, nowadays if you're not touching a Great Lake, the Pacific Ocean, or New England your probably in a red state. I whole-heartedly expect to see Gov. Schwarzenegger with a Jesus-piece one day. Give him time, he was the Terminator. And that shoot-first-ask-later persona brings us to the last signature...

Pistol Grip Pump: "From my cold, dead hands" exclaimed past NRA president Charlton Heston. The right-wing's embrace of the second amendment has grown perversely near to a religion as well. Who goes hunting? Who joins the military for sh*ts and giggles? Not thugs, but they still tote them burners. Can we count the number of arrests including firearms? Hell, even D'Angelo was charged with carrying a concealed weapon in January 2005. Wasn't T.I. recently jailed for attempting to purchase three machine guns not to mention his man-size safe of assault rifles? Imagine John C. Sigler (NRA) showing up in his defense to protest his conviction.

Bonus signature: MONEY! They 'bout they paper. And neither is afraid to do crime to get it. "Do thangs, do thangs, do thangs, bad things with it... "

Now that I think about it, The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac recently did a segment called "Rapper or Republican" where he described an individual while host, Jon Stewart, was supposed to "guess" whether it was one or the other. As a viewer I assumed it would be clear, but in actuality it was amusing how similar certain aspects of the two groups are on paper. Apparently I'm not the only one picking up on this congruence. Anyway, I'm not saying beware I'm just throwing it out there lest it transgress 'excuse me, I mean transvestite our colonic threshold.'

Obama opposes "reparations"...

Instead advocates... reparations.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama reiterated his stance of opposition to offering reparations to the descendants of slaves arguing that the government should 'combat the legacy of slavery by improving schools, health care and the economy for all.' Meanwhile, two dozen members of Congress recently co-sponsored legislation to form a committee to study reparations (meaning 'payments and programs to make up for the damage done by slavery'.)

Slapping Miss Daisy

Gee whiz, Beave. How can I best backslap the rest of your people and slightly exclude you?! Maybe if I say "no offense".


Growing up I remember using the huge box of crayons with the names you knew someone was overpaid to create (we're looking at you "orange-yellow"). In that box, the one that always pissed me off was "Flesh". Especially since my flesh wasn't "flesh" colored. What were they trying to say? How self-centered do you have to be not to realize the ramifications of labeling one hue "flesh"; dangerous not to just yourself, but your company? Do you not consider how you may be inadvertently offending... oh... say... everyone else? Go find this crayon... if you are around that color, this sermon is for you. Why the "flesh" colored people? Because they are the main perpetrators of the non-compliment. I'm going to use the most recent example in my life but please recognize that "...this type of sh*t happens ev-ery-day!"