Just Think Vol.43
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Just Think Vol 43: Ballin or Buffoonery?
by A.EVANS
twitter.com/AdotEVANS
Disclaimer: As always, I write these articles to stimulate minds and to get the thought process in motion.... Vol 43: Ballin or Buffoonery?
The title says it all, our people spend entirely too much money on things we don't need. Our people have been targeted as the number one consumers in the world, imagine if we started our own movements with the money we spend, and I don't mean your bum ass record label either...
Today I was on Media Takeout eating my breakfast and I saw something that isn't a gigantic deal but non the least I feel it was pretty silly. NBA player Marquis Daniels has a chain or piece that is a replica of his head, and it is estimated at 500K. Listen, I'm far from a hater but 500K on a chain must be nice, umm there are a million other things Marquis could've done with that, but since it isn't my money and the brother does earn his pay I won't target him directly, however I do want to speak on the concept of ballin vs. buffoonery, when is too much just too much and why are we being soo damn foolish?
Quit Posing First of all let me start by saying I have done some really silly things when I was younger so I never act holier than thou, we've all popped bottles, wore outfits once and left them in the hotel and overall just blown money excessively on dumb things, but when do we learn from it? When do we say “Let me save this money instead of posing in the club tonight?” When do we take the stacks we wanna blow on a chain and start a business and hire our boys so we all can make money? There is nothing wrong with celebrating and buying nice things for yourself if you work hard, but people please don't try to make it rain with your rent money, and secondly stop trying to copy rappers who don't really have it the way the videos may lead you to believe, because chances are if his percentage of royalties isn't on point, and he don't have any control over his masters...he's broke so not only are you imitating something you saw on TV, you;re imitating a broke ass poser. At 23 I thought it was cool to pop bottles, at 28 I think its the dumbest (sh*t) I've ever heard of, “Look at me I got a $400 bottle that's gonna only last 45mins.” What else could you have done with that $400 people?
You ever ask yourself why would a bottle that's $50 in the store be $200 - $500 in a club? Here's a lil piece advice from a childhood friend of mine who owns a club in NYC and it's dope one... “We overcharge for bottles in clubs because we know there are people out there who wanna be seen, they wanna feel like a celebrity even when they're not, we make back the cost of the bottle on two shots” - Ballin or Buffoonery you tell me? So while your stunting with you bottle and making rain like you're pimp, you're really just a flashy hoe cuz you went and got all that money and brought it to the club owner who in return buys a house that you could've bought !!! survey says...(buffoonery)
Final Thoughts
Like I always say I just speak food for thought, live your life do what you want, but if you're wasting money foolishly in 2010 I hope you know what you're doing? I hope you have a game plan and a great strategy. As usual for the sake of remaining “P.C” I won't go too deep unless requested, however I will say this; Kings and Queens deserve nothing but the best, but if we need to have the best to feel good about ourselves or to attract attention, then we're nothing more than peasants, just my humble opinion. Get fly feel great but don't over do it for the wrong reasons, if you don't need it don't do it, because at the end of the day you're making someone else rich and that isn't ballin that's being a slave. Yeah Melo is the MVP but the dude who cuts his check is the real baller. I think we have all truly been brainwashed and poisoned into thinking we gotta be flashy(guilty), or we gotta be the flyest, we're competing with each other over things that really hold no weight. You ever seen what a real billionaire wears? He wears new balance sneakers with holes in them, Levi jeans and a flannel shirt and the only time he makes it rain is when he presses the HARP button, get your mind right people....As Always Peace & Love
What Do You Think?
Marketing Buzz: Nevr2Late (N2L)
By Steve Canal
Twitter.com/SteveCanal
Twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia
Christian Apparel Store
Owners: Virgil and Dawnne Amey
Hours of Operations: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm
Address: 1065 Olde Town Morrow Rd.
Suite 400
Located in New Olde Town Morrow Development behind Southlake Mall (On Macy's JCPenny side).
Phone 678.422.1020
We are a boutique shop specializing in fashionable nontraditional Christian Apparel and Accessories. We believe you can represent your faith without compromising your style. We also believe your outward appearance should reflect your inward values.
Real Talk: A Friendly Game Called Russian Roulette
By C.Shine
Twitter.com/NativeNotes
Have you ever played Russian Roulette? If you're not familiar with the game; one places a single bullet in the barrel of a handgun and then twirls the chamber. You then raise the gun to your temple and pull the trigger. If you're lucky, the gun just clicks and your anxiety reaches a peak you never knew existed before. If you're unlucky, well sucks for you, you just committed suicide and you're dead, laying Kennedy style with your memory out to quote a notable rapper.
So have you ever played Russian roulette, are you interested in playing this weekend? Probably not, but you might be more familiar with a different version of the same game. It goes a little like this ---- "ooohh you feel so good, I just need to be inside you" sans condom. We play Russian Roulette every time we have unprotected sex with our partner(s).
We're taking a chance with our lives. I've done it and God has spared me. I've even promised never to do it again because I was fortunate to hear the gun click and I'm still here. But others have not been so "lucky".
Nearly 40% of new HIV infections are among African Americans ages 13-29. I'm in that age group, I'm African American, I have sex; so it's reasonable to assume that I am at risk every time I sleep with a new partner. When I read this statistic it frightened me, confusion consumed me. Deep down I ask myself "how do we combat HIV."
Prevention. We can teach abstinence, the benefits of safe sex and the dangers of unprotected sex, i.e. STI's. We can work with groups who help get folks tested so that they know their status because most who spread std's don't know they have an std. But really all of this has been done, is continuing to be executed and still we have these breathtaking numbers. Some of us are missing the message.
Then I thought about it. How do we teach someone to fight his or her lustful desires? I've heard stories of men going to Brasil looking for hot sex with beautiful women. An area that we all know is being ravaged by the HIV pandemic. Yet brothers still come back with the virus. Why? They knew the risks down there, why didn't they take the proper precautions to safeguard their lives?
Son she looked so good, her ass was so fattt. It clouded my vision. I've never been with someone so beautiful, I just wanted to feel her. These are the responses but like Snoop said "ain't no p**** good enough to get burnt while I'm up in it". How do we teach men and women that they're not invincible, that they are playing with their lives every time they engage in unprotected sexual activity? How do we tell them that an act of lust can have life long repercussions? I don't know the answer, I'm wondering how to tell myself this because as I have already stated I have made the mistake myself. Please feel free to respond and maybe we can brainstorm effective ways to reshape our community's outlook on sex and the reality of contracting STD's. If we don't we're risking not only the health of our neighbors but ourselves. Let's Make it Happen.
Sol Fusion iRock Recap
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans
Just when I thought I couldn't have any more fun after a vacation in the Dominican Republic, J. Carter indirectly told me to "think again". March 5th 2010 kicked off the first Sol Fusion of the New Year at Aja and definitely lived up to its expectation. For those of you who aren't familiar with Sol Fusion, it is one of the biggest parties that takes place in Atlanta, whenever you hear the words "Sol Fusion" you better make sure you are in attendance. In the past the theme of this event has been "I heart NY, Miami vs Atlanta, and Milk & Honey", but this one was different, this one was special. The theme of this soiree was titled "iRock" and that's exactly what everyone did. At the stroke of midnight free tequila shots started flowing and folks begin to cut loose.
DJ WrekinEyez set the tone for the entire night with just one set, as soon as he threw on a throwback track by Jay Z titled "Rhyme No More" the energy grew and the madness began. Wall to wall dancing and beautiful people, What else could you ask for? Big Pooh of Little Brother was in attendance doing his 1.2 thing, but the night belonged to two guys who really need no introduction. If you have ever been to an underground spot in Atlanta called MJQ's then you are familiar with the insanity that is Alien and D.R.E.S Tha BEATnik, these geniuses took over the party and the rest was history. Not only did they get the crowd hype as usual, they played live instruments; in essence iRock wasn't just a party, it was a concert, it was a movement, it was an experience that will be spoke of for the rest of the year. If you didn't attend the legendary Sol Fusion iRock Celebration you definitely getting the screwface.
An Exclusive Interview with Consequence and StephLova of Power 105.1
By Stephanie Gergeres
juicyhighlights@gmail.com
Last night, DigiWaxx Hosted Consequence's Music Meeting and in that Exclusive interview Consequence made it clear that he isn't going anywhere, but to the top. During this private listening session, Steph Lova of Power 105.1 interviewed Consequence to fill us in on his latest projects. During their chit chat, Consequence introduced a few songs from his new mix tape called " Movies On Demand" which is set to be released on March 15th, while his album " Cons TV" is set to drop between May Or June.
At the session, Consequence showed a lot of passion and excitement about his mix tape and album . I mean on the real, Consequence was so hyped about his project, he literally jumped up performing and spitting each rhyme as the songs were being played. Steph Lova was so thrilled to see his love for his music seeping through, that she interrupted his mini performance, and comically stated " Wow, I know you love your own shit and that's wassup". Now in my opinion, that was hot to see, because today many artist don't even show their excitement about what they are working on, let alone vibe and spit with their own music, so that example right there, should tell you all about what true passion for your music is.
As Steph Lova continued the interview, Consequence dropped the bomb by letting us all know that two of Hip Hop's biggest hitters Kanye West and Q-tip, which have never worked together decided to team up and produce his whole album " Cons TV". Now, when I heard that, all I could think about in my head was , wow this man is definitely coming out with some man power behind him and I know you guys are thinking that too!
Not only did Consequence fill us in about his background work with other artist such as, producing on Kanye's College Drop Out album, but he also spoke about all the influences that he had for each track on " Movies on Demand" and "Cons TV". As we all sat in the intimate session and listened to each track, everyone definitely had their head bopping, including myself. Now here is the kicker about this hot new album, Consequence is really collaborating with some heavy hitters: John Legend, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Music Soul child, Asher Roth, Maino and Diddy. So in the words of Consequence, " I am working with best of both worlds and ain't no MC better than me."
La Familia: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
By Shelli Tinae Price
La Familia Blogspot
If you want your relationship to be everlasting, then you need to recognize that love and respect go hand-n-hand. We can easily be in love with someone and have an affair at the same time but what stops us from making that pesky move? RESPECT. Respect for ourselves and hopefully we realize that we don't want to disrespect our mate at any cost. I feel if you can't control the urge to cheat - then just break up with your mate. Temptation is in all of us but humans have the ability to make choices. Now I'm not saying breaking up with someone you love is easy because there is no way to avoid the hurt and pain - but you could at least say that you were mature enough to recognize that the change taking place inside of you required a change in the current status of your relationship.
If we cheat on mates then we are disrespecting them for the sake of our own self indulges. When you love someone beyond your own selfish pleasures, then you can truly say you love them. When you keep it one hundred first and foremost and you don't lie to them - then you can say LOVE respectfully...and not egocentrically. The ego can keep us seeking self gratification and over look the need to be with one with all there is.
Love me respectfully, not egocentrically.
Tribute to Christopher "Notorious Big" Wallace
by The Fabian
twitter.com/thefabe
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Christopher "Notorious Big" Wallace,artist, father and inspiration to many. I remember like it was yesterday walking home from school with headphones, downtown brooklyn listening to his first album "Ready to Die". A favorite of mine was "Gimme the Loot" , a graphic depiction of two stick up kids catching unsuspecting victims or vics. Big ushered in his own style of rap, describing himself as black and ugly as ever, he embraced his size and blackness but still had a player's smooth demeanor with his mastery of words, painting pictures every time he touched a track. Prior to Big's arrival on the scene, i will have to say that west coast rap dominated for the most part but after him the focus shifted back to the east. Big was one of the few rappers who could give you a grimy tale,make you laugh and impress the ladies all on one album. His greatest strength was storytelling which literally could put you right there in the as clearly shown on tracks like Juicy,I got a story to tell and Somebody's got to die. Big only was able to release Ready to Die before his death but all his music has still been able to touch fans as if he were still here today.
Rip Christopher Wallace aka Notorious Big aka Frank White the Rap Phenomenon
Download Rap Phenomenon, a mixtape with Big's classic verses,freestyles and interviews
Click Here
View the full post at www.TheFabian.com
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