When the good die young mean the young die hood.

Ran across this article on a message board that expressed some sentiments similar to what I've been thinking lately. When the crew was down in DC last weekend, I was...ahem...forced...to finally listen to Kanye West's Late Registration in its entirety. Of course, it was a great album; yadda yadda yadda. But I did raise my eyebrow a few times when I heard Crack Music. yeah I know, who am i to be complaining when he's seemingly striving for a higher purpose, but I just feel as though he dumbs the music down too much for me to accept it at face value. It's kinda like how I fell about Jay-Z. He' s a gifted lyricist and great entertainer, but is essentially the Michael Jordan of hip-hop. There ain't no one better, but I'll be damned if he couldn't be wielding that power and influence in some more productive manners. Beyonce is a lovely woman, but really though...I don't give a fuq if the two of them are together or not. You feel me, B?

A thin line between the haters and the ones who love us
A thinner line from the freedom and the foul judges
In the streets where the snake n!ggas hold grudges
- Tragedy Khadafi, "Calm Down"

Being at the Retracing the Struggle march this past weekend brought a lot of things to the surface. You could hear the urgency in the baselines of the old-school cats (virgil woods, john lewis) who took the stage. You could almost see the aura beaming off of the heads of those new-schoolers in the middle of the struggle on the daily striving to do their part (ron bell, mariama white-hammond). You can feel the desperation in the pleas of the new-schoolers who will help lead the way tomorrow (the foundation, reflect & strengthen). Stop supporting that bullshT, son! Like they said in Sunset Park, "It's Time To Get Live. It's Time To Represent." Do your part and we'll work it out. Word.

My reputation alone should speak for itself
-Styles P, "We Gonna Make It"