Saturday, January 8, 2011

My Dilemna With Music

So...I have been feeling this way for quite some time about music now and this is the first time I put my thoughts out in the atmosphere. First and foremost let me say that I love me some music! Anybody that knows me knows that I love my ipod with a passion and I never leave home without it. Even as I'm blogging I'm listening to music (playing R. Kelly's album Untitled...ppl sleepin on it lol Pregnant is my ish!!!!). Now my thoughts about music are only geared towards the genres of music that I listen to (hip hop, R&B, rap, and gospel) so bare that in mind as you read this entry.

For a while now, I can honestly say that I have progressively become bored with music. Yes...bored. By bored I mean that I haven't heard any new music. Granted we have new up and coming artists like Nicki Minaj and Drake just to name a few, but they don't even do much for me. For example, in the rap game, the topics that are mostly rapped about are guns, sex, violence, and rappers being egotistical about how they're the greatest. Some rappers (emphasis on some) even have a creative lyrical flow about how they deliver their message that captivates their audience. But frankly I'm tired of hearing the same stuff essentially over and over again after a while. Even with gospel music, I feel like at times it's just watered down religion. It doesn't captivate me anymore. I'm better off just reading deep theological mind stimulating books and calling it a day.

I never told anyone this, but I had a very vivid dream about this issue. Now, I joke around with my friends saying that I'm going to be a rapper, but I had a dream where I released my first mixtape entitled What You Want vs What You Need. The "What You Want" part of the mixtape is the stereotypical mainstream hip hop music you hear all the time: catchy beat, catchy hook, same lyrical content. The What You Need part of the mixtape has real substance in terms of its message (can't tell you what the lyrical content is at this point...it was just a dream lol). What makes this whole thing kinda strange is I actually wrote a rap song and performed it before (it was for my church's youth revival). Many people were actually shocked that I was able to do it and several people even said I should seriously consider rapping. I just shrugged it off, but now this makes me wonder. I mean honestly not everybody can relate to killing someone and being behind bars. I know I can't. But the dream made me think should I create the music that I want to listen to? And since I'll have a message to pass it on to others? Makes me go hmm...

OR could this just mean that I haven't found an artist to listen to that will give me what I want. I'm tired of mainstream music...it honestly bores me. To my followers, do you have artists to suggest to me within the genres that I listed that aren't doing the same ole same ole and have music with real substance? Shoot...I honestly might start making my own music one day...remember this post if I really do it...it all started with a dream lol. Anywho leave your comments. Help me out on some new artists to listen to or just let me know how you feel about music today. Ta Ta for now...toodles!!! XOXO

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Whip My Hair - Why Must It Define Me

"I Whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth (whip it real good)!!! That is my jam!!! Usually at the end of the song, I need a neck massage. That song goes hard...literally...I don' damn near broke my neck, but I digress. Anywho, as many know, one of the biggest businesses in this country is the hair industry. (Pause: Ignition just came on Pandora...gotta go in for a few seconds...this is STILL my jam!!Too bad R Kelly ain't interested in me...I'm 22 and too old for him smh). My bad...newayz black women sure know that our hair is our crown. From the bogus lace fronts (where we can see the stupid lacefront) to the couple thousand sew-ins, black women make th industry boom. Now, as many of you all know, I go to Howard University. Several people that I know have asked me how come I haven't gone natural. I enjoy my creamy crack and apparently to a lot of people I have some washed up mentality since I love how my roots get straightened.

Not many people know this, but I was natural more than half of my life. I do not miss when my mama used to wash my hair and then she would have to comb my nappy hair and I felt like I was really goin thru. I do not miss when my mother would blow dry my hair and I felt like I was experiencing death because I would have a headache out of this world. I do not miss my mama using that good ole stove, put that hot comb on it, and come back and burn the back of my head while I'm sittin there screamin and my mama pop me in the back of the head to tell me to shut up (sing Stevie!!!! Ribbon in the sky just came on!!!!).

I have my hair cut and relaxed hair is good for me. Apparently I'm not black enough since I haven't returned back to my nappy roots. Why? Because I don't have locks or my hair standing up in a fro, I'm subjected to the white man right? Please, I'm darker than most...I couldn't lie about being black if I wanted to! Why must my hair define me? When I originaly cut my hair, people were shocked because it was a little past my back. When I started (Sexual Healing needs not to play right now..."Baby I'm hot just like an oven I need some lovin'!!" Man I want some sexual healing...maybe after this blog post...) to slowly cut my hair, people were really upset with me. I just don't understand why my hair is such a big deal. For the most part, people that transition back to being natural experience some amazing mind freeing transformation. Well I like to argue that with my permed hair, when I get different haircuts, I experience transformations as well. When my hair is getting cut, in my mind, I cut off things that restrict me. I become more free and more bold. Life has new doors for me to go through. I do what I want and am carefree about what others think. (Freak'n Me just came on...I simply cannot deal with Ms. Pandora right now...). I just get tired of people telling me I need to let the chemicals go...NO!!! It has helped me deal with the tangles of my hair and made my life a little easier...although I do one day want to lock up, but of course that idea gets pushed back when that part is made in my scalp and my roots feel that creamy substance. Anyway, I'm just tired of people trying to define me by the texture and length of my hair. I do not need my hair to be kinky to define me being black and hair isn't just beautiful when it's long and flowy (whether it's through genes or the length was bought). Hair is beautiful period because it is yours. Long hair, short hair, kinky hair, relaxed hair...it's all good in the hood with me!! Why must so much emphasis be put on a black woman's head to define her? Do black men experience the same pressures in terms of how they where their hair? I don't know. Leave your comments and let me know. I say however you wear your hair, wear it proudly and WHIP IT HONEY!!!! Xoxo...until next time...ta ta for now...TOODLES!!