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No disrespect, but this topic reeks of absurdity to one who actually knows and appreciates the dynamics and richness of one's history. I wonder if Xeon is actually a European in Blackface. For the general community I recommend the book Africanisms in American Culture by Joseph Holloway. There are many essays which address the African-American naming convention and linguists assert it is a carry over of Niger-Congo (a language family) linguistic traits into American version of English. This isn't "weird" or "unintelligent" speech; but in fact the retaining of old African naming conventions and styles that have survived and even mutated in English via the Indo-European language family. Most people forget that cities are named after PEOPLE. So to name someone after a city is no different than naming your child after your grandmother: it's still the name of a person. A lot of times people think AA's are mispronouncing English words when in fact they are African. For instance, MASSA is not a mispronunciation of MASTER. It is a Mande (Mandingo) word MASA which means CHIEF (or anyone in authority under the chief). The so-called made up names adhere to a convention that purposely distinguishes it from Anglo saxon names. This isn't a "travesty" but a clear and conscious effort for identification after one's identity has been stripped due to enslavement. Not all Black people are of the ignorant notion that European names are better "sounding" than "Black" names. A matter of fact, when one does a comparative analysis of African and Indo-European languages, one will come to find out that a large number of English, Latin and Greek terms are in fact African (see writings from Catherine Acholonu, Chiekh Anta Diop, Mubinge Bilolo, GJK Campbell-Dunn, Theophile Obenga, etc.). So if these terms originate from Black people and they transposed it under European tongues, which one "sounds" more absurd? The imitator or the originator? The majority of European names are "made-up" and have lost or have no meaning. A lot of them are the result of folk etymology. At some point in history all names are "made-up." I can guarantee that you don't know what the name America means but you will still call yourself an American! America comes from Ameriggo and has no meaning which Mr. Vespucci made-up. But Europeans somehow get a pass for their "travesties" but among the Bakala (African-Americans) this is somehow a sin. Only Black people hate their culture....I wonder why?

THIS is Kola Boof. My video "Kola Boof Singing Performance" was finally posted last night, my 41st birthday. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!videos=rnOh2uI9UI4&v=Cf2-IbuyYzQ There are still some glitches they need to fix (like the huge lettering over the photos at the end), but this is overall the video. Again, I am NOT going to be a singer. But I will be incorporating singing into my BOOK TOUR this year in support of "Virgins In the Beehive." Thanks to everyone at AALBC.COM for your emails regarding the song itself. Your kindness and good wishes mean so much to me. Kola

Hi, it's Kola Boof. What a wonderful new set up you all have here. In the next few days, I intend to post my new videos at least. TONIGHT, I'm just posting a link to the "audio" of me singing the song "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born." **AUDIO/LISTEN: http://bit.ly/bmnVad **The VIDEOS are coming in a few days. By this Wednesday, March 3rd (my birthday)...the editor has promised to have them up. "KOLA BOOF SINGING PERFORMANCE" is a video showing quite a lot of footage of me preparing for my "comeback." "NAKED AT THE FEAST" is a "tit" spectacular for the men...but deeper than that, it's my attempt to chronicle the history of Nilotic women going topless (why this is SO culturally important for African women and what it represents in its cultural context)...and why I decided to make my upcoming Poetry Collection ("I Am the Future--Africa Girl Poems") my FINAL topless book cover. When I go on tour this summer--I will be singing "TWO" Theme songs. "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born" (posted) and the song I sang a few years ago at the Schomburg Center..."My Breasts Are Filled With Milk and Honey." I feel it's important to bring these ancient "Black Women" songs to America and begin to imbed the 'sustenance' of their meaning into THIS culture. I will post the VIDEOS on this same Thread as soon as they're ready. So many people from AALBC.COM continue to email me and have befriended me on TWITTER. I thank you for your kindness and belief in me. I am more grateful than you could ever know. Kola Boof