It must be real hard for ya'll to listen
And it's sad, [when they're] too broke to pay attention
-The LOX, "All For The Love"
I love music. I have been going to concerts for a long time. I remember seeing Troop at the old Loco Records on River Avenue in North Charleston. I remember seeing Hammer at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. I remember seeing Naughty and Chubb Rock rock the King Street Palace in Charleston. I remember seeing De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest in 1993. So anyways, suffice it to say that I have a soft spot for big speakers and sweat. Here's a special shout-out to my fellow concert lovers. And preliminary headnod [word] for the shows that I'd love to check out if financially feasible. Holla.
Tue, 2/25 - George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ House of Blues (Fenway), $25
Fri, 2/27 - Slick Rick @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $20 [damn i can't go]
Sun, 3/1 - K'Naan @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $10 [shout out to all my Kenyan peeps]
Thu 3/5 - Joe Budden @ Middle Eat (Cambridge), $20 [word]
Sun, 3/8 - J*Davey @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $10 [word]
Fri, 3/6 & Sat, 3/7 - Rachelle Ferrell @ Scullers (Allston), $42
Mon, 3/9 - Common & Kid Cudi @ House of Blues (Fenway), $30 [word]
Fri, 3/13 - Black Moon & Smif N Wessun @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $20 [word]
Mon, 3/16 - Busta Rhymes & Red Cafe @ Showcase Live (Foxboro), $19
Thu, 3/19 - Raphael Saadiq @ Paradise, $27 [word]
Fri, 3/20 - Maceo Parker @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $35
Sat, 3/21 - Canibus @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $15
Wed, 3/25 - Digable Planets @ Paradise, $20
Thu, 3/26 - Christian Scott @ Scullers (Allston) [word]
Fri, 3/27 - Lupe Fiasco @ Boston College [word]
Sat, 3/28 - Daddy Yankee @ Orpheum Theater (Downtown)
Sat, 3/28 - Dead Prez @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $20 [word]
Wed, 4/1 - Bone Thugs N Harmony @ Showcase Live (Foxboro), $30
Fri, 4/3 & Sat, 4/4 - Ashford & Simpson @ Scullers (Allston)
Mon, 4/6 - Fred Wesley and the New JBs @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $12
Mon, 4/6 - Seal @ Orpheum Theater (Downtown)
Thu, 4/9 - GZA/Genius @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $25 [word]
Sat 4/11 - Termanology @ Middle East (Cambridge), $10
Wed, 4/15 - Bilal @ Scullers (Allston), $25 [word]
Fri, 4/17 - Dr. Lonnie Smith @ Scullers (Allston), $25 [word]
Tue, 4/28 - KRS One @ Harpers Ferry (Allston), $25 [word]
Fri, 5/8 - Etta James @ House of Blues (Fenway), $38
Fri, 5/8 - EnVogue @ Showcase Live (Foxboro), $27
Fri, 5/8 & Sat, 5/9 - Oletta Adams @ Scullers (Allston)
Sat, 5/9 - Boyz II Men @ Showcase Live (Foxboro), $35
Fri, 6/19 - Andre Ward @ Scullers (Allston), $25 [word]
Wed, 6/24 - Femi Kuti @ Paradise (BU West), $25
Fri, 6/26 - Terence Blanchard @ Scullers (Allston) [word]
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
begin with please
On the sixth day of my demise...
please...
do not mourn me
Please do not adorn my casket
with baskets of fruit brone from the
bowels of our past relations
Please do not offer warm, damp towels
to soothe the physical realities of bereavement
readily apparent in the emotional responses
of the ones I loved
Please do not toast my life as anything other than
what it is
what it was meant to be
what it was
please do not cry or shed a tear because i am not here
have faith in your fear and trust the wisdom of your ears
when you hear of a sparrow that sang its song until
it could chirp no more
until it could fly freely no more
until its wing were sore and the jetlag it bore
became to much of a burden for your visual girth
give peace to the meek who inherited their net worth
from the debt of your gratitude
bestowed in
small denominations
in rigidly defined pews
filled with wine bottles in the side pockets of mulattos
who came in several hues
yet still paid their dues
so please do not tell my son that i passed away
but instead reassure him i am still beside him
let him know that my joy is simply a reflection of his smile
let him know that my weariness pales in comparison
to the excitement of seeing a new sparkle in his eye
a new confidence in his gait
it is he who holds the real weight
no corner boy lookout role though
for he is blessed with favor incomparable
to those with no fear but man themselves
no man will indeed fear a fool
we drop jewels only to chain them back to our necks
and expect stimulus checks to fund our extravagance
please do not prejudge, i beg of you
guide this treacherous journey of self-discovery
lend a calming presence to the emotional overtones
that color our hindsight
spiritual discipline to the conflicted realities
that blur our vulnerabilities
the error of our ways written in blue ink
when no pencils were in sight
reversing wrongs won't necessarily make it all right
yet one day it'll all make sense
so until that time comes
continue to keep a steady pace
so as not to lose your breath prematurely
because when those last seconds do arrive
you surely will want to mind your manners
close your eyes
and look beyond your reflection of self
please...
do not mourn me
Please do not adorn my casket
with baskets of fruit brone from the
bowels of our past relations
Please do not offer warm, damp towels
to soothe the physical realities of bereavement
readily apparent in the emotional responses
of the ones I loved
Please do not toast my life as anything other than
what it is
what it was meant to be
what it was
please do not cry or shed a tear because i am not here
have faith in your fear and trust the wisdom of your ears
when you hear of a sparrow that sang its song until
it could chirp no more
until it could fly freely no more
until its wing were sore and the jetlag it bore
became to much of a burden for your visual girth
give peace to the meek who inherited their net worth
from the debt of your gratitude
bestowed in
small denominations
in rigidly defined pews
filled with wine bottles in the side pockets of mulattos
who came in several hues
yet still paid their dues
so please do not tell my son that i passed away
but instead reassure him i am still beside him
let him know that my joy is simply a reflection of his smile
let him know that my weariness pales in comparison
to the excitement of seeing a new sparkle in his eye
a new confidence in his gait
it is he who holds the real weight
no corner boy lookout role though
for he is blessed with favor incomparable
to those with no fear but man themselves
no man will indeed fear a fool
we drop jewels only to chain them back to our necks
and expect stimulus checks to fund our extravagance
please do not prejudge, i beg of you
guide this treacherous journey of self-discovery
lend a calming presence to the emotional overtones
that color our hindsight
spiritual discipline to the conflicted realities
that blur our vulnerabilities
the error of our ways written in blue ink
when no pencils were in sight
reversing wrongs won't necessarily make it all right
yet one day it'll all make sense
so until that time comes
continue to keep a steady pace
so as not to lose your breath prematurely
because when those last seconds do arrive
you surely will want to mind your manners
close your eyes
and look beyond your reflection of self
Sunday, February 15, 2009
do away with black history month?
Both the Boston Globe and Bay State Banner have posed the question (although it was the same damn article - but the Banner has the extended version); as have many other publications in the last few weeks. Your president is black, so February no longer needs to be too.
It's an interesting poll. I've always been aware of black history and historical figures since an early child. But I cannot count how many times I hear folks relay how they didn't hear about some stuff until they were in middle school or later. It always baffled me actually. Hell, I just stumbled across an old 5th grade portrait of me in a flattop and an african medallion hanging from my neck. word.
But to simply do away with black history month? i don't think we're quite ready for that yet. Honestly, I don't think America is as evolved enough to truly handle it; the common history theme. It is too compartamentalized. There are whole sections of the world that get merely skimmed over in favor of the "classics." Classics according to who? How about AP Asian History and AP African History? Because right now all you got is US and European History. They say if you don't know your history, you are doomed to repeat it. Well, at least it won't be boring because we've got a lot to learn.
It's an interesting poll. I've always been aware of black history and historical figures since an early child. But I cannot count how many times I hear folks relay how they didn't hear about some stuff until they were in middle school or later. It always baffled me actually. Hell, I just stumbled across an old 5th grade portrait of me in a flattop and an african medallion hanging from my neck. word.
But to simply do away with black history month? i don't think we're quite ready for that yet. Honestly, I don't think America is as evolved enough to truly handle it; the common history theme. It is too compartamentalized. There are whole sections of the world that get merely skimmed over in favor of the "classics." Classics according to who? How about AP Asian History and AP African History? Because right now all you got is US and European History. They say if you don't know your history, you are doomed to repeat it. Well, at least it won't be boring because we've got a lot to learn.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
[don't] shoot the messenger
peace, god. so went the salutation from one five percenter to another. or 1 out of every 4 hip-hop album in '94. conversely, it's the first phrase that came to mind when i stumbled upon an article about the local black clergy finally unifying for reconciliation.
About a week ago, I hit up the MFA's African Film Festival to check out the movie, Shoot the Messenger, by Ngozi Onwurah. It was a interesting tale that dissected a variety of topics; black self-image, identity, and mental health. To be honest, I wasn't even feeling the movie in the beginning, but by the end of it, I was fully enthralled and enjoying its meandering plot. Although it has no direct or immediate relation to the clergy article or youth violence, it still raises plenty of questions that are definitely connected; about paranoia, contempt, and forgiveness. peace, god.
Truce and reconciliation: Setting example, black ministers seek to end 'clergy wars'I have often puzzled the peculiar way in which the clergy has been seemingly recognized de facto as the leaders of the black community. Nevertheless, this comes at an opportune time. Far too often, we strive for excellence in others and neglect to push ourselves towards the same goal. Styles P had this one joint at the end of his Time Is Money album called, Leave a Message. In it, he starts off relaying how was trying "to tell these shorties something," but they rebutted that he was just as bad as them. It's a simple point. A lot of cats are smart on the low. Whether they are not man enough yet to be proud to embrace their intelligence or simply want to go down a certain path, street sense does take a bit of common sense. Could these urban youth been tuning out the calls to put their guns down because they saw in plain sight that the old heads were beefing in the same vein? Maybe. That'd be too much of a media-centric perspective. Too simplistic. But it does compel one to ask more questions. Because when you start to ask questions, you go beyond the surface.
By Maria Cramer
It is time, they say, to practice what they preach....After years of disputes and infighting, black clergy from across Boston gathered late Thursday night in Codman Square to start what one minister called their own "cease-fire."
About a week ago, I hit up the MFA's African Film Festival to check out the movie, Shoot the Messenger, by Ngozi Onwurah. It was a interesting tale that dissected a variety of topics; black self-image, identity, and mental health. To be honest, I wasn't even feeling the movie in the beginning, but by the end of it, I was fully enthralled and enjoying its meandering plot. Although it has no direct or immediate relation to the clergy article or youth violence, it still raises plenty of questions that are definitely connected; about paranoia, contempt, and forgiveness. peace, god.
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