Troy

I did not think you were recommending these shows Cynique. I was just commenting on the shows myself. The other cases of cojoined twins were basically people with two bodies that were joined somehow -- but the two head thing is a first for me. In fact they should just say "two headed human" co-joined is misleading. If someone wanted to pay me to follow me with a camera I would strongly consider it. And if I had to behave even moronic than I normally do for ratings and the promise of a easy pay check -- no problem.

Yes it is clear at this point the age thing irks you. You'll be more sensitive when you are older and realize youngins have increasingly little respect for the experience and knowledge age brings. Nah'Sun you may know more about some aspects of the book world than I do. It depends on a combination of your experiences, study and interests. No one knows everything about anything. We are all continuously learning. The fact that you view Hip-hop as a culture really explains the rest. I fully appreciate there are Brothers out there who have are attempting to elevate Hip-hop into a culture, a way of living, giving it religious significance --- and that is cool. I just don't buy into it at that level. The folks you mentioned Kevin Powell (who has posted here in the past), KRS-1 and the others make their living talking to the youth. The average working stiff really does not care that much. Michael Dyson and Cornell, speak the language of those they talk to and are quite skilled at it. So when a Michael Dyson spits some lyric he has committed to memory it is a gimmick used to show he is "down with the masses". The audience is generally entertained and young folks find it endearing, "Look ma, the old ivy league professor knows a Nas rap!" It is the same reason Barack sang Al Green, and had a "beer summit" with the Boston red neck. I'm intrigued by hip-hop culture though. I'll start another conversation and see if I can recruit some hip-hip heads to participate. But don't get me wrong I'm not enemy of hip-hop:

Vintage Cynique You know what? I hate the very idea of "reality" TV. But the conjoined twins show sounds not only interesting but down right intriguing. I'll check it out. I've heard so much about honey-boo-boo I'll cast all caution to the wind and record that two. Barack was in NY City this week, tying up traffic. The problem I have with this election is that the candidates are projected to spend up to 3 Billion dollars. -- THREE BILLION!? This is crazy. Our votes don't mean shit! You vote with money and nobody reading this has enough money to cast a vote that means anything. Ahmadinejad was giving the Jews hell in New York City. Obama has his hands full. The last fundraiser he held here was $40k a plate. Bill Clinton emails me asking for $5 most days and Obama (that is what the caller id says) calls twice a day. I'm about to contribute something just to get them to leave me alone -- though I don't think that will work. I glad Rahm got waxed. The NAACP is suing our board of education. Say the specialized schools here are not letting enough Black kids in. They aren't. Prince rarely disappoints as a performer. The surprise guests are always a treat. Ticket prices are outrageous, but you can easily spend more on a sporting event... Besides I hear it is really difficult for musicians to make money selling music anymore. I have to clean up my office. Good evening Cynique and anyone else out there

OK. Now I understand how you draw false conclusions based upon what I wrote. There is a language challenge; interesting and intriguing are not synonymous -- in anyone's dictionary. Emotional, as in angry, or something like that -- nah. I've been online debating and arguing with people for the better part of 20 years, Nah'SonSun Did you know "Son" was a term of endearment used between peers, sort of like Nigga or in other quarters "ace" as in ace boon coon. At this point, I can see where you might say I'm arguing to be arguing, considering this conversation originally started on a "documentary on black authors and the publishing business", but it takes two to tangle, so we are both guilty. I think this is our fundamental disagreement: Rap music is part of my very upbringing and because of that reason I have a nostalgic affinity for it. There was a time I thought it was the best thing out there. At the time, I thought I would always feel that way. But I changed, took on adult responsibilities, raised a couple of kids, traveled, moved out of the ghetto -- my struggle changed. The music no longer speaks to me. I aged grew out of the genre. On top of that commercial Rap (what most of world is exposed to) degraded -- even by your standards, Nah'Sun. Again, I believe one eventually outgrows Rap music which is designed to appeal to teenagers or those whose maturity is stunted.

I saw this one some social media website. Unfortunately I can not attribute it to it's source the text is simply too small. This made me laugh out loud when I saw it.

Nah'Sun who have, what is becoming an annoying habit, of drawing unrelated and false conclusions from simple statements I made. I wrote, "...last new rapper I found interesting was EMINEM." I did not write or even imply that "most intriguing artist in the last 15 years" nor was I, "...giving Eminem a pass" relative to NWA. You are manufacturing things then basing your argument with me on them and it is exasperating. As far as knowledge about hip-hop to say I have, "..limited knowledge about Hip-Hop" is simply ignorant. Son, I witnessed the birth of what you now call "hip-hop". All the stuff you read and heard about it -- probably from someone else who was not there either -- can not replace experience. Now I'm sure you know more about the current music than I, but so does my 19 year child. Being there, at the beginning, as a first hand witness, here in Harlem, I'm sure I have a far greater understanding of the history of the genre than you can fathom. The music came out of us, we gave birth to it. While you listen to Flash's song The Message as a study in rap history, I actually lived the experience. The Furious Five was telling our story... In fact this is why I fight for Urban Fiction to be heard, because I also remember a world when there were no more than a handful of Black writers being published. Instead of spending time telling others how much you think you know, and dismissing what everyone else is telling you. You really should be listen more, ask questions, assume you know less than you do, as that will always be true -- even for me. Kayne West, Lupe Fiasco, and perhaps even you Nah'Sun, never knew a world without Rap music, as such your world view will be completely different than mine. Nah'Sun, your statement that, "Cab Calloway was probably the ORIGINAL RAPPER with his call and response technique that MCs used in the 80s" signifies some knowledge albeit incomplete. Call and response was used in the Black church before Cab. Cab did not invent it, nor did the Black church. This oral tradition originated in Africa. There is nothing "new" under the sun, son. "It’s the last American art form" - This statement is beyond arrogant. The rapid decline of our culture is the only thing that makes the statement even plausible. "I’ll ALWAYS call myself a Hip-Hopper til the day I return to the ancestors" - I would love to read what you believe 25 years from now. "Hip-Hop as a whole is just getting to be 40 years old" - Still, a relative flash in the pan -- despite the overwhelming commercial success. Cynqiue - I'm glad you finally weighed in. "In the folly of your youth, you really think the Rap genre is a matrix of black music, your criteria being that anything that meets with your approval is more profound than the rest. And to compound your misguided claims, you resort to discrediting others because they don't regard your opinions with awe. Nobody but a young self-absorbed played-out hip-hopper would espouse the idea that outgrowing Rap is anything other than mellowing with age." You have a way with words.

I was fortunate to be honored along with Marva Allen and Marie Brown, last night, during The African American Literary Awards Show - 2012

Sisters from the Harlem Writers' Guild Click for more photos From the Brooklyn Book Festival's Website: The Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary event in New York City, presenting an array of national and international literary stars and emerging authors. One of America’s premier book festivals, this hip, smart diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages to enjoy authors and the festival’s lively literary marketplace. A record 280+ authors participated in over 150 panels and readings, which began on September 17 [2012].

Shaking Nah'Sun by the shouldersw vigorously, I say, "Nah'Sun, I did not say 'Age gives one a heighten sense of perspective', or that old people could not be fools" All I'm saying is that age cohorts have similarities, based upon shared experiences. I'm not making a value judgement, or saying one is better than the other. People of the same age group have similarities to each other and differences to those of different age groups. Seen? Of course I'm judging rap as a whole. You can find brilliance anywhere, if you look hard enough. I just don't have inclination to dig deep for rap music any more (for the reasons I've previously described). If I spent an hour scouring the net and came up with Mr. Lux I would be disappointed. A single query turned up so many artistes who've sampled James brown in the last 5 years it is ridiculous. As far as people born in the 90's who appreciate music from the past -- I know that is right, 'cause I raised two of them myself. They don't like it all --- yet. Neither did I at their age. I do not recall hearing a contemporary rap song that sampled a beat I was unfamiliar with. While I don't exactly have my ear on the pulse of Rap music I don't live in a vacuum either, and am probably more versed in contemporary rap than most my age. I also have two daughters 19 and 20 who have exposed me to contemporary rap as well as some stuff not commonly played on the radio. I don't care very much of any of it outside of rocking a party. The Roots humm. I take Ursula Rucker and you can keep the rest of them. Does ?uest Love drumming skills account for his popularity? I've seen him play a number of times and he while he exudes cool he does not strike me as unusually skilled.

"Spirit" as in haint or duppy?

I do judge people (individuals) by their actions. But that is different that what I'm doing in this conversation. It is certainly valid to make generalizations about a group of people based upon different shared characteristics, including age. Nah'Sun you may be different that the typical person your age -- any age for that matter. You are more contemplative and articulate than most. However you just have not demonstrated to me, based upon our conversation about Rap music, that age is not a factor in our differences in opinion. The fact that you even know who Loaded Lux is makes my point. I can guarantee you if I asked my peers who Loaded Lux is I would get blank stares. Again, that does not mean Loaded Lux is not the shit. It just means after a certain point things like who the hottest rap artists are fails to matter very much. Now 50+ year olds like a Chuck D, or KRS 1 might know who Loaded Lux is, but your garden variety 50 year old will not. Part of the reason for this is that we've heard it all before, many, many times -- including the beats the youngsters are not using. How many times can I listen to a James Brown or Funkadelic sample? No, a gangster rapper can be no more socially conscious than the aforementioned drug dealer who hands out turkeys at Thanksgiving. Trying to construe Easy-E and NWA as socially conscious is the epitome of double speak. Sure NWA reflected the harsh reality of a segment of a community, but socially "conscious" -- Please! I would put Superfly right behind the Issac Hayes' Theme from Shaft as my favorite movie soundtrack. I agree with your statement, "What’s sad is that listeners and readers can’t see how the arts and crafts nowadays are severely dumbed down" What I am learning from you is that there is, what you perceive, as social conscious and relevant rap music being produced today. What you are failing to learn from me as that as one gets older the appeal of Rap music wanes, in much the same way, the appeal of nursery rhymes do. You may argue that the reason for this is that the "quality" of the popular rap music has declined. I argue that the very nature of rap music is the reason: repetitive beats we've heard before, rap lyrics spewing the same braggadocio and misogyny. Again I've heard spoken word artists rap better over a Conga beat than anything a Jay Z has ever done -- think The Last Poets. Or better yet check a snippet of some brothers I recorded in Newark earlier in the year. The cat, Kasim Allah, at the 0:45 second mark was tight. I did not capture his best stuff -- but they were all good. The live musicians make added to the whole experience.

Cynique, that is it in a nut shell. Social media platforms allow you to exert complete control; someone says something you don't like -- block 'em. Even the information is filtered. You only see the stuff which is not likely to go counter to your world view. Even your own persona is carefully scripted and crafted -- to either evoke the most envy or sympathy. I can't tell you how many times I've sat at a "table of 10", at some function, and half the people were engrossed in the smart phones. 25 years!? Look at the world now.

Nah'Sun, if you think I'm "...making seem as if NWA were responsible for the demise of rap music." you are attributing an idea to me that I do not hold. A couple of times already you have drawn a conclusion that could not have possibility been drawn from what I wrote. I believe Rap music was destroyed by those attempting to make more and more and more money from it while contributing less and less to art. When money became more important than the art, the art was destroyed. I liked NWA, a great deal, they were one of my favorite rap groups but I was in my early 20's when they hit. If NWA came out today, in my 50's I seriously doubt -- no I know -- the appeal would not be the same. In fact, the last new rapper I found interesting was EMINEM. I have not heard anything a rapper was done in the last 15 years that has interested me at all. Occasionally some rapper will pull a beat from back in the day that I like, but all that does is draw me to the original song. Check out the joint Nobody's Perfect by J.Cole a very popular beat. Now check the original Think by Curtis Mayfield; Now Nah'Sun, here is when age comes in. I don't have data to support this but I can virtually guarantee you the preference of one over the other will be skewed by age. With older folks preferring Curtis. But I'll take in farther. There is NOTHING that the best rap artists has done EVER that surpasses the best musicians like a Curtis Mayfield. Now I would not have said this 25 years ago, but I've matured some since then. BTW, Loaded Lux did not interest me very much. I'm sure he is talented, in the way it is measured today, and would have a broad appeal to other kids his age.

Hickson, the advice is about that caps that I and others have provided was only intended to help. I won't mention it again. What do you mean by "MY AVI IS STILL NOT WORKING"?

Writegirl, twitter is for children (younger people). I can't think of a single reason, other than self promotion, why an adult would be on it. But that is my opinion. Many people use twitter like a sophisticated text messaging system and communicate with each other using tweets. For some Twitter is a more effective means of communication than email. Again this is benefit to youngsters. Of course in our celebrity driven culture many people are starstruck and follow celebrities. They derive a great deal of pleasure reading something a celebrity has written. To a lessor extent businesses can engage with customers, deal with complaints, promote specials, etc. Of course Twitter is not the most efficient way of doing this but it is used for this purpose, because so many people are on twitter. If it were not for AALBC.com I would not be on Twitter Twitter will need to figure out a way to make money are they will go away. I can't think of a revenue model that will work for them over the long term. People making the most money off Twitter are the consultants who tell people how to use it I agree tweeting can be a big waste of time -- unless you are a celebrity, self promoting The following graph is indicative of the relative impact I've realized using various method of reaching people for AALBC.com. Twitter is typically the least effective in terms of actions (in this case taking a survey). Twitter is fleeting -- you need to tweet the same message often to get the same impact as facebook. Many automate the generation of repetitive tweets. The vast majority who read your tweet are not going to follow a link. I just emailed my enewsletter so the full impact will not be realized for days the emails have a long self life,

Stop-n-frisk is a real problem -- probably worse that even the media makes it seem. Of course Stop-n-frisk is usually in reaction to high crime rates. The tactics used by the police under these circumstances always inconvenience law abiding citizens. Obviously the people in the most crime ridden communities can not control the criminals in their communities so they want and need the police to do something. They also want to tell the police how to allocate resources, how to deal with suspects and perpetrators, and which laws to enforce and how to enforce them. You can't have it both ways. I don't have an answer. It is like fixing the country's education system, or eliminating corporate ownership of politicians. The problems are so profound they can't be fixed with the current personnel involved because they are a fundamental part of the problem. Crime will increase in cities like NY City where stop-n-frisk is a problem.

AALBC.com's September eNewsletter is out! My latest eNewsletter http://bit.ly/books0912 is full of book and film reviews, profiles of writers, literary events, videos and articles created for anyone who reads literature written by, or about, people of African Descent (but you already know that). Help keep the conversation about books alive in the real world and online -- Please share the eNewsletter with a friend! I'm open to suggestions too -- any ideas to make the eNewsletter better post them here or on my Blog -- I appreciate it!

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"Rap music isn’t responsible for damn near single handedly destroy a generation" Well Nah'Sun I did not mean to imply all that. My analogy was an attempt to explain why doing a few good things can not eradicate the impact of so much harm. Like the emptiness of the act of an abusive husband who gives his battered wife a bouquet of flowers after a one of many beat downs. Perhaps it is one of the reasons you revere them today. But I'm not blaming the actual rappers, they were just easily obtained tools used to make money for record execs who could care less how the money was made, how we were portrayed and how we assumed the roles glorified in the lyrics. And while you wax poetic about the social consciousness of NWA Fuck da' Police. Lets not forget the types of lyrics that actually put them on the map. But I understand I got caught up in the shit too... Shoot a motherfucker in a minute I find a good piece o' pussy, I go up in it So if you're at a show in the front row I'm a call you a bitch or dirty-ass ho You'll probably get mad like a bitch is supposed to But that shows me, slut, you're composed to A crazy muthafucker from tha street Attitude legit 'cause I'm tearin' up shit -MC Ren Lookin' for the one they call Eazy But here's a flash, they never seize me Ruthless! Never seen like a shadow in the dark Except when I unload, see I'll get over the hesitation And hear the scream of the one who got the last penetration Give a little gust of wind and I'm jettin' But leave a memory no one'll be forgettin' So what about the bitch who got shot? Fuck her! You think I give a damn about a bitch? I ain't a sucker! -Eazy-E

Nah'Sun, I think Cynique likes you Yep, we will disagree on the age thing. The West Coast Allstars?! Easy E, Ice T, Dre, the most egregious gangster rappers of their day -- that is a terrible example of socially conscious music. That is like saying how benevolent a drug lord is who dispenses turkeys at Christmas in the neighborhood he has helped destroyed. I'm sure you are right about talented MC's being around. I just don't hear them and I definitely don't have time to wade through all the garbage to find them. They are apparently not being played on the radio -- but for the most part I've stepped listening to the Kisses and Power 99's fronting as urban radio.

Writegirl, you saw this on Twitter -- I told you Hickson is working it. Good luck with the film Hickson. I thought it would have been obvious Cynqiue was being her iconoclast self. Her comments reminded me of something Christopher Hitchens would say. Cynique, now you know you can't "joke" with people about their God. Writegirl maybe Nah'Sun was joking too? I hope Hickson takes your advise. Personally if the message is more than a paragraph in all caps I find my self skimming the rest. I still believe Hickson would be better served if he typed conventionally. Hickson here is something else to consider: I sometimes share information authors post here, I might copy and paste it in a eNewsletter for example. If the message is all CAPs I can't use it because I would then have to retype it.

The Longest Fight: In the Ring with Joe Gans, Boxing's First African American Champion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbxmjmfzJoI Joe Gans (November 25, 1874 - August 10, 1910) was born Joseph Gant in Baltimore, Maryland. Gans was rated as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder, Nat Fleischer and was known as the "Old Master." He fought from 1891 to 1909. He was the first African-American World Boxing Champion, reigning continuously as World Lightweight Champion from 1902 to 1908.

The Hidden Colors: The Untold History of Aboriginal, Moor & African Descent Hidden Colors is a documentary about the real and untold history of people of color around the globe. This film discusses some of the reasons the contributions of African and aboriginal people have been left out of the pages of history. Traveling around the country, the film features scholars, historians, and social commentators who uncovered such amazing facts about things such as: *The original image of Christ *The true story about the Moors *The original people of Asia *The great west African empires *The presence of Africans in America before Columbus *The real reason slavery was ended And much more. Hidden Colors 2: The Triumph Of Melanin

Nah'Sun I always used the word "different" when talking about perceptions relative to age. I never made a value judgement or said one was wiser, or better than the other -- just different. But the difference in perceptions I speak of is just a fact of life. There are perceptions that are common to those of the same generation based upon changed experiences -- especially when it comes to recent history when one lived it and the other did not.. Judging by your comments I'm assuming I'm older than you which I think explains some of our differences. You sound like me 20 years ago. See now, if it turns you are my age, or older, I'll really look like I don't know what the heck I'm talking about. :-) Back to the DJ's. Who is Jay Z's DJ, or Kanye's, Biggies or Tupac's? Why use a DJ when you can just play a recording and never have to worry about anyone messing up. In a minute, we are gonna ditch the MC too. I did not realize was we were all being gypped when the DJ replaced the musician. Now the DJ is gone. Today virtually ALL the music begin rapped to today was sampled from actual music recorded in the past. Virtually always, the entire original song that has been sampled is FAR better the digitized, repeatedly looped, smidgeon that is rapped over with wack lyrics. I have not purchased a rap album since the "golden years". No, Gansta Rap had not taken the country by storm in the late '80's but it had the same impact on me, when I heard it, as when I first heard a DJ mix Lets Dance, or Apache for the first time. "but him was real bop on the cover of the rap weekly baldheaded with a snarl of spit hanging from his lower lip financial secure synthetically angry his job was to keep blk boys pointed toward prison" --wadud This was written at least 15 years ago. Why do rap lyrics have to be so bad, when I can point to 20 relatively unknown spoken words artists who could slap something together in 5 minutes that is better than the popular rap lyrics now? That is one thing I will never understand. You are right Nah'Sun the Golden Age of hip-hop has past...

Age does matter when it comes to one's perception. Actually living an event or period also makes a difference in ones perception compared to someone who just read or heard about it from others. Of course you are right; Just 'cause one lived in an era does not mean they have a clue about what was going on -- and that could apply to me too. You probably have more factual knowledge than I about my own era when it comes to rap (I'm still assuming I have at least a decade on you ). But I think I have enough experience and knowledge of Rap and Urban lit to draw some meaningful parallels. I appreciate your thoughts though as you've given me a different way to see things and have filled in some gaps. That said... Straight Outta Compton by NWA is firmly in the genre of Gansta Rap. They were not playing this type of music on the east coast -- and Definitely not New York City. I also discovered Too $hort the same year. That may be why you don't feel it was strong until the 90's but it was strong in the late 80's -- certainly out west. Money has everything to do with the quality of the album -- it determines which albums get made and promoted. If you can get some teenager to rhyme over a synthetically generated beat. Why pay for trained musicians to write original melodies, song writers to craft lyrics and signers to sing? It is cheaper to make, faster to create and Black people cant buy it fast enough. Money drives everything. Now I know you were talking about the "quality of the music" has nothing to do with the money generated of course look at jazz, classical, opera, blues... Now PE was my group. Their shows were relatively weak, you could not really dance to their music, but they are one of my favorite rap groups of all time. Can they get an album made today? It Takes a Nation of Millions came out in 1988, Paid in Full came out in 1987, Straight Outta Compton in 1988 so I may be with you on the Golden age in terms of Albums releases. When I think of golden age I think of a time when the lyricist was secondary to the DJ. The DJ would discover beats, mixing them together and get the crowd motivated and dancing -- if he was sufficiently skilled. B-boy music was not on he radio, you could not buy it in stores. Mix tapes were passed around and you were lucky to get one to duplicate. I still have a tapes with Flash, Starski and others. I know this is more nostalgia than anything else. Speaking of Ole school I was at a party a few weeks back and Grandmaster Kas walked in rocking a thick rope chain and kagol brim. My boy used to spin for him back in the day.