A new Tribe?

[JohnWaynesTeeth]

I thought I would branch out a little and "hang" in the hip hop forum.

When I was in high school I was, shall I say, surrounded by people of color. Since then though, most places I have worked, lived, gone to school have been, well, pale. Frankly I miss a little bit of that urban culture. My pants have slowy gotten less baggy, and I am saying "dude" a lot more. Now, I know who I am, and I have never tried to think that I am "down" and everythings cool, but still that background is a little part of who I am.

So help me out a little, I love Tribe Called Quest, I love Nice and Smooth, I love Leaders of the New School, I want to buy some new hip hop CD's. Who should I check out that are influenced by that genre, that intelligent hip hop with the smooth groove?

[Flo' Dolo]

Originally posted by JohnWaynesTeeth
I thought I would branch out a little and "hang" in the hip hop forum.

When I was in high school I was, shall I say, surrounded by people of color. Since then though, most places I have worked, lived, gone to school have been, well, pale. Frankly I miss a little bit of that urban culture. My pants have slowy gotten less baggy, and I am saying "dude" a lot more. Now, I know who I am, and I have never tried to think that I am "down" and everythings cool, but still that background is a little part of who I am.

So help me out a little, I love Tribe Called Quest, I love Nice and Smooth, I love Leaders of the New School, I want to buy some new hip hop CD's. Who should I check out that are influenced by that genre, that intelligent hip hop with the smooth groove?

Let's hope then that you ain't a racist motherfucker like John Wayne.
The 3 groups you mentioned aren't exactly kissing cousins, but I think I get your drift.

Check for cats like:

Mos Def

Talib Kweli

Blackstar (mos def & talib kweli together) - the 1rst LP (don't remember if they've got 2 or if i'm thinking of Kweli & Hi-Tec's joint.

Pharohe Monch (the LP w/ "Simon Says" on it)

Soundbombing III (Rawkus Records Compilation)

The Coup

You might even wanna peep Slum Village (both LPs)

I guess I could go on, but I won't (unless you want a really comprehensive - read: subjectively comprehensive - list). If so, PM me.

I probably don't need to write this, but I am: don't taint yourself by saying " Now, I know who I am, and I have never tried to think that I am "down" and everythings cool, but still that background is a little part of who I am."

If you know who you are like you stated, can respect who I am, and see how similar we *really* are, then you are "down," dude or no dude. But I guess you knew that shit already. And I promise I won't say shit about your pants, they're your nuts, not mine.


Flo' Dolo

BTW - Q-tip has a solo joint out ( a few months old), all I'ma say is it AIN"T tribe (and q-tip says that, too, so I've read).

[JohnWaynesTeeth]

Blackstar - cool. You nailed it, that was exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to check out their solo stuff and the other artists too.

Originally posted by Flo' Dolo


I probably don't need to write this, but I am: don't taint yourself ...

If you know who you are like you stated, can respect who I am, and see how similar we *really* are, then you are "down," dude or no dude. But I guess you knew that shit already. And I promise I won't say shit about your pants, they're your nuts, not mine.

You're right, that's not what I was trying to say. I respect you, you respect me, we're down. I understand that and appreciate those relationships.

I was just trying to say that I'm not in here trying to front. I'm not trying to act "down" by mimicing the culture because I think it's cool. I appreciate art, and I appreciate black artists who have something maningful to say. That's all.

And I didn't say I wear tight pants now. They just aren't falling around my knees.

Thanks again, that was a good recomendation.

[Flo' Dolo]

No prob...



Flo' Dolo

[crosstudio]

JWT,

What you need to do is either get on I-95 South or the Balto/Wash Parkway for about 40 minutes because blacks and whites in B'more do not spend time together. That is the most racially backward city on the east coast.

Then, you'll be in DC and you can get all the culture you can stand.

take a look at

washingtoncitypaper.com (mixed race)

and

papalace.com (black as midnight)

to see who is playing where. and if no one is playing that you like, then come on down to on of the clubs in the Adams Morgan section and you'll get all the international flair that you need. blacks, latinos, arabics, and europeans all party together. Then, if you are really ready to get your hip-hop swerve on, come on down to one of the clubs on U street, NW.

blacks in DC make so much money, we don't have time to worry about whether john wayne was a rascist. we only hate cops... and only when they are in uniform... and only when they are not patrolling the grounds of our well to do communities.

[Flo' Dolo]

Originally posted by crosstudio
JWT,
...blacks in DC make so much money, we don't have time to worry about whether john wayne was a rascist.

Yo dog,

If I've misinterpreted you, well, you should think before you speak (type)...

As I was saying...

Yo dog,

you can eat a dick. You "money making" DC cats need to be even MORE concerned about WHO is WHAT in this country, ESPECIALLY if you're black. But I guess you've been blinded since you can keep up with the Joneses and shit. I won't get into the bank account game with you, I don't even know your ass, but I know that if you really think that fat pockets mean you don't need to worry, then you're as big a part of the problem as the perpetrators, and worse for me, you're one of the so-called "examples" of progress in this country that doesn't equate to shit and detracts from my arguments. You were hopefully too young to vote when Mayor Barry was re-elected. Funny thing is, I'm arguing on your behalf, too!!! But I guess you don't need that since you're so well-versed and skilled in oration that you can speak for not only yourself, but everybody in DC in and above a certain tax bracket. I tell you what, money, the more paper I stack, the more I gotta ACT because my new economic peers are too busy flossing to realize that money's got you sedated and placated. In case you're too wealthy to know or care, socialist and communist climes espouse your flock-of-sheep mentality - give em all something, and they won't worry about ANYTHING (and I'm a firm believer in a REFORMED socialist party, which doesn't exist in this world today). Lemme guess, if you heard RUMORS that a chick's box is poison, but she's now offering you the p*ssy, you'd hit it anyway, right? Too much fine ass in your face to be worried about whether or not it's REALLY on fire, right?

I don't "worry" about that shit, like you said, I simply am aware & concerned. And, as an "aware" person, it's encumbent upon me to do something with that knowledge. IT FUCKING MATTERS. Cats like you end up teaching little black (and white, and yellow, and red, and green, and fuschia) children all the wrong shit without even realizing it, due to your own, self-imposed, egotistical, self-aggrandizing ignorance. Not only that, but you give up your voice by talking loud and saying nothing like you just did in that one single statement.

we only hate cops... and only when they are in uniform... and only when they are not patrolling the grounds of our well to do communities.

After reading your post again, I realize this must be a poor attempt at humor. Or, you're just a joke.

I'd love to speak to you in my "native tongue" about what you wrote & why it's so careless, fucked up, and sad, but I'm "aware" (though not "worried") of how whoever else reads this post may interpret it, especially if "The King's English" is their "native tongue."

I'm glad you ain't in the hood (though I feel sorry for anybody in your A.O.)...
sucka fool sucka...


Flo' Dolo

[Flo' Dolo]

BTW Crosstudio, I'd love to get at you about this next time i'm in the D.C. area. We can discuss it over a double latte or chicken and waffles, or rib-tips and white bread, or macrobiotic vegan fare or whatever you well-to-do negro folk eat and drink in your A.O.

yeah, right.


Flo' Dolo

[crosstudio]

Flo' Dolo,

i'm not going to act like i have a problem with you because i don't. we are all allowed our interpretations of real life. socialism does not work because lazy people and greedy people won't let it work. if the man next to you is not working as hard as you, yet enjoys the same lifestyle you are not going to be happy. if the man next to you doesn't work as hard as you, yet has more than you (see the former Soviet Union) you are going to revolt.

socialism/communism only work when each person pulls his own weight. in believe that a capitalistic society wherein each person is given a fair chance to succeed is the best. we have not and will not reach that level for some time, but we are slowly, pain-stakingly taking strides.

my issue was your concern over JWT's handle. john marion wayne was no more rascist than any other caucasian celebrity of his time so there was no reason to single out JohnWaynesTeeth when all he was doing was asking for an inroad to a consumer purchase.

the fact is, I grew up on welfare in southeast, DC. it was the college scholarship programs of Marion Barry (during the 70's) administration that allowed my parents to get college degrees. that in turn allowed my family to get off welfare and move out of the ghetto. now, i have a master's degree from a historically black university, and money in my pocket. in addition to being a software architect, and an adjunct professor at an HBCU, I also volunteer at a DC charter school where I teach computer technology to students who have not done well in a traditional public school environment.

i prefer to paint DC as a utopian society where caucasians can come and spend their money in black owned establishments where young black cashiers serve their clientele with sunny dispositions.

it's called marketing my man!!!

70% of this countries population is caucasian. if all we as african american merchants do is sell goods and services to each other, no new money comes in to the community.

now, do you get it? a european-american asks you a question about what hip-hop to purchase, and instead of pointing him to a place where he can buy the CD of an african-american artist who is signed to an african-american label, who sell their CD's in african-american owned stores you are worried about his online-handle.

you almost lost the sale!

[Flo' Dolo]

I'm not buying it.

C'mon dog, I can run all the academic and economic rah-rah just like you, but so what. When we get together for a games of spades (or better yet, tunk), then we can trade cards. Still "it" matters. The diff. between John Wayne & john q. public is that John Wayne has POWER due to his fame. Sure, we've all got power, but fame and wealth definately do increase one's reach.

Originally posted by crosstudio
Flo' Dolo,

i'm not going to act like i have a problem with you because i don't. we are all allowed our interpretations of real life. socialism does not work because lazy people and greedy people won't let it work. if the man next to you is not working as hard as you, yet enjoys the same lifestyle you are not going to be happy. if the man next to you doesn't work as hard as you, yet has more than you (see the former Soviet Union) you are going to revolt.

Like I said, "and I'm a firm believer in a REFORMED socialist party, which doesn't exist in this world today"

my issue was your concern over JWT's handle. john marion wayne was no more rascist than any other caucasian celebrity of his time so there was no reason to single out JohnWaynesTeeth when all he was doing was asking for an inroad to a consumer purchase.

Still, millions look up to him, and he felt very strongly (in a negative way) about blacks, he even called us the n word. Fine, argue that the only power the word has what one gives it, but I'm sure we can both agree that racism is learned. Therefore (in most cases), idolizing a racist can only groom you into becoming one, be it overtly, or covertly. How many young minority children do you have to speak with about innapropriate statements/ideas the espouse based on some sorry racist shit learned from aunts, uncles, moms, dads, the media, etc? I know I have to do it far too often for my liking.

the fact is, I grew up on welfare in southeast, DC. it was the college scholarship programs of Marion Barry (during the 70's) administration that allowed my parents to get college degrees. that in turn allowed my family to get off welfare and move out of the ghetto. now, i have a master's degree from a historically black university, and money in my pocket. in addition to being a software architect, and an adjunct professor at an HBCU, I also volunteer at a DC charter school where I teach computer technology to students who have not done well in a traditional public school environment.

Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you. Since we're trading business cards...

"I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice.
I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making
them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot
bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-
Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran
in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly
defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious
army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the
subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large
suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On
Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie.
Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear.
I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I
have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last
summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy.
I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick and David Copperfield in one day
and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening.

I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket.
I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep
once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation
in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who
had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me.

I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid.
On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami.
Years ago I discovered the meaning of life, but forgot to write it down.
I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a
toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis and Johnny Guitar Watson, recently.

But I have not yet gone to college..."

i prefer to paint DC as a utopian society where caucasians can come and spend their money in black owned establishments where young black cashiers serve their clientele with sunny dispositions.

That's cool. I got no problems with you inviting Mr. Teeth to DC or wherever, but don't minimize my comment about his handle, especially by demeaning me. Don't follow me? Peep this " ...blacks in DC make so much money, we don't have time to worry about whether john wayne was a rascist..."

So am I to understand that I don't make enough money to keep myself from worrying about anyone who "...was no more rascist than any other caucasian celebrity of his time..."? Or is it that you're afforded that luxury because you're a black person in DC whose new (enough) socio-economic status has allowed you to transcend the shit that has plagued this country since its' inception? On the real, I'm not all that offended, but I wanna make my point, nonetheless. And that goes double since you're an educator. Your statement didn't make you sound cosmopolitan, money. It really didn't. Maybe more like a politician, but that's not a good thing. At what point am I gonna be rich enough or black enough or educated enough to not care? Maybe I'm stretching this to the limit, but you spit it out, and in the interest of those who aren't as advanced as you're intimating you are, what's a brother to do?

it's called marketing my man!!!

Um, yeah, marketing, that's it. Fine and dandy. But when you tacked on that one SIN-tence, what exactly were you "marketing," then?

70% of this countries population is caucasian.

Is it? Are you sure? I'm not, but I'd still beg to differ.

if all we as african american merchants do is sell goods and services to each other, no new money comes in to the community.

No doubt.

now, do you get it?

All that, and you're patronizing, too. And to think, I didn't even have to sign up for your class... Damn... :-(

a european-american asks you a question about what hip-hop to purchase, and instead of pointing him to a place where he can buy the CD of an african-american artist who is signed to an african-american label, who sell their CD's in african-american owned stores you are worried about his online-handle.

This is where, again, I feel compelled to tell you, as lovingly and respectfully as I can, to eat a dick. I answered his question sufficiently, as evidenced by his response, and commented on whatever else I CHOSE to comment on. He even commented about my comments, just to keep the air clear. It was all love. Nobody I mentioned is on a black-owned label, and I can't point him to any black-owned shops in his area, but if he wants to support ANY independent store, more power to him. Since you guys are geographically close, perhaps you should've just as lovingly pointed him to some shops that fit the description of what you hold important to you. Hell, you could've met him for coffee and taken him there. Make a new friend. I felt it more important to speak about his handle, since most people don't always realize the power and/or portent of insidious racial shit, or their heroes who embody it (be they white, red, yellow, or black as tar like my great uncle Charles), and I thank you for illustrating how people like yourself are equally as dangerous as those "heroes" with your sanctimonious, pontificating bullshit. I'm sure you have done a lot of good in this world, and will continue to do so, but your comments about what I wrote didn't make that list. To quote the highly educated and well-respected Crosstudio "You almost lost the sale!" Be careful, your attitude (subjectively perceived by me) could tip you across the line from new-era salesman, to new era sell-out.


One,

Flo' Dolo

Oh, I forgot to tell you... I taught at a university, too only I wasn't teaching in U.S., I was in Ludwigsburg (Germany).

<Veilleicht wir koennen ueber unsere Lehrmethoden manchmal reden>

Thanks for the sparring match.

[Flo' Dolo]

J.W. Teeth, If you wanna hear some more goodies, just lemme know.

One love,

Flo' Dolo

[JohnWaynesTeeth]

Just thought I would add the story of JohnWayne'sTeeth. It comes from a song from the soundtrack to a movie called "Smoke Signals." It's an artsy-fartsy movie about some native american teens who go off to find themselves, bla, bla bla.

Anyways, the song is basically a Native American chant that goes:

John Wayne's Teeth, John Wayne's Teeth, are they plastic are they steel.

So, as you can see, the handle comes from a song where Native Americans are poking fun at the Duke and his tough image, and they are calling him out. John Wayne is no hero of mine, but I think his teeth are funny.

Crossstudio - a good friend of mine who was an engineer with me up here went to Howard. I do think DC is a better "cultural" city. I live up north of Baltimore though and rarely ever get down there, it takes me 45 minutes just to get to 95.

If either of you were up in Baltimore I would be happy to treat you to a beverage enjoyed by proletariat and bourgeoisie alike, a nice cold beer. And a game of tunk, man I haven't played that since high school. Do you play with Big joker, little joker .... etc?

Again, I am liking Mos Def and Blackstar, if you have any more let it flow.

Pete

[laj35]

Allright, so I just spent a damn hour writing out a well thought out, organized post that not only recommended some good sounds, but also portrayed my feelings on the other issue(s) at hand. But....the server farted or some shit and I lost the whole freakin thing, I'm pissed soo....

Suffice to say that I think this has been a great thread, regardless of all the heartless dick eating . I will most definitely be comin with my own piece a bit later once I regather my composure/thoughts. Anyways, Flo Do, PERFECT recommendations, all cutting edge, all raw, all REAL HIP-HOP. I'll add some of my favs, Massive Attack is a bit more Acid Jazz, alot less American, but SMOOTH as a motha and deep, and never dated (got a new LP comin soon, Mos Def guest appearanc, yeeeeah!!!), they are bout my second all time act ever. IMO Outkast represents what little that is good with mainstream hip-hop in America, and hence demands attention, 'sides they just make damn funky schtuff. That's all the change I got so....


Laj

[Flo' Dolo]

Hey Teeth (I mean Pete:-))...

Firstly, I'll gladly take you up on that offer and hope to meet your old crony Cross too, I need an excuse to get up to the DC area for a few days, haven't been that way in too many years.

Secondly, I know this flick all too well, it plays in my house whenever the satellite goes down or there's nothing on the 200 something channels we pay for. I thought about that joint right away, but, well I dismissed it. Funny, you should hear what so many Native Americans think about John Wayne (at least the ones 2 generations removed from the old boarding schools many Indians were forced to go to).

Thirdly, just so I don't get jumped on, the reason I feel quasi-comfortable referring to "so many Native Americans" is because I live on the rez in Cherokee, N.C. My fiancee is Cherokee & Lakota Sioux and 98% of the people I'm around on a day-to-day are Indians. I've been here 2 years, and got all kinds of soon-to-be-in-laws not only Eastern & Western Band Cherokee but also Navajo, Seminole, not to mention all the acquaintances and friends I've met/made at various functions like NAYO touneys, pow-wows, etc. etc...

Man, the LAST thing I thought was something negative about you, I'm just super-sensitive about stuff like that because I'm (as it seems we all are) well aware of the shit we as a people perpetuate, often times without knowing or caring. Too many whites hate on blacks, mexicans, and so on, blacks hate on whites and whomever else, too many Indians (in my area) hate on mexicans & blacks & whites, and so on. I talk til i'm blue in the face someties with people here aged 13-333 about shit like that all the time. And most of the time, they don't realize what it means when they say the shit they do, or why, or where they learned it from (rarely based on their own experiences), or that it's, more often than not, misplaced anger/frustration about something other than the race of people being degraded, disrespected, and so on. I just feel super responsible for what I post because I don't know who'll be reading these posts, and for me, the smarter you are (and that's not too say I know jackshit, I'm only smart enough to know that I know nada), be it courtesy of the halls of academia, or intrinsic knowledge, the more responsibility you have to not only yourself but also to everybody else who has walked, is walking, and will walk on this planet. That's probably why my posts like this are always so damn wordy.

I'll look through my CDs & Wax and shoot you another list of joints as the crow flies. And, I'm a cheap date, I'll take a 40 ounce of Colt 45 over most beers I can get in this country, though I did get spoiled while living in Germany.

laj35,
the text wrap, etc. always seems to give me fits when I post to this board so it seems I always write my posts w/some other software and just copy em into here... Massive Attack is mos def on some il shit, but the lyrical content wasn't exactly what I understood JWT to be looking for - dope as hell nonetheless. Outkast works too, but even moreso on the lyric tip (if moving away from the style of stuff JWT asked about) you could mention Ceelo's new joint (well some of the tracks), and about 50 billion other artists.

looking forward to peeping your recommendations,

Flo real, flo raw, flo smart, flo fo sho, and in a room of many,

Flo' Dolo

[JohnWaynesTeeth]

Flo' - don't worry, I didn't take any disrespect, I took it as a joke. If you wanted to disrespect me you wouldn't have given me any help.

I just wanted to point out the irony of the fact that the ensuing discussion came out of John Wayne being racist, yet my handle was not an homage but rather a joke at his expense, so it's not actually directly relevant.

It is a relevant discussion, however, and it has been an interesting thread. I look forward to reading what Laj has to say as well.

Pete

P.S. I never thought in a million years anybody would have seen that movie. My wife and I rented it when we were first dating and loved it. Congratulations on your engagement.

[Flo' Dolo]

Yeah, I think the irony is funny, too. My point was simply that we all have to be aware of all the little things, and I was really directing THAT at Crosstudio, not you, because of HIS comment regarding what I said about The Duke.

Yeah, "Smoke Signals" was (is) a phat-ass flick, no doubt. Thanks on the congrats. "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it..."
<damn, now i'm blushing>

Keep a cold one for me, and please, PLEASE don't throw away the brown paper bag.

Flo' Dolo

[crosstudio]

the idea of my being an uncle tom is rediculous.

all i'm saying is don't be Don Quixote fighting racial windmills that don't exist.

save your fervor for a true battle.

i do believe that ni**er is only as powerful as we allow it to be. i still will not allow the use of the word by non-blacks in my presence because i have not yet been able to keep it from having power over me.

and, yes i was correct about the population percentages.

white are 75%; however, since 5% of hispanics consider themselves to be white, the white population is 70%. the black population is 12%, and the hispanic population is 12%.

did i mention that i wrote the software system for the census and deployed the software to phoenix (AZ), louisville (KY), essex (MD), and pomona (CA)?

http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/dp1/2kh00.pdf

i realize that i am still more likely to be pulled over in speed traps. i realize that this country has racial issues, but i choose not to dwell on it unduly. i thought your comment questioning JohnWaynesTeeth was unnecessary. having said that, the dialogue has helped the two of you to discover some common ground.

[Flo' Dolo]

JohnWaynesTeeth wrote:

"...Crosstudio - a good friend of mine..."

OK, he didn't say ya'll kicked it on the daily or whatever, but damn, dog...
YOU didn't write anything to imply that, but I see you're too self-absorbed to even really R-E-A-D what others write. Even on your behalf. I'll bet you think your shit smells like expensive, french cologne, don't you?

ANYWAY...

Firstly, Pete, I'd go for the NS10s. $200.00, and you know for sure how they're gonna act (don't you?). Like an old glove, methinks...

CROSSTUDIO - I never called you an "uncle tom," nor did I imply it. What I wrote was:

"Be careful, your attitude (subjectively perceived by me) could tip you over the line from new-era salesman, to new-era sellout."

I won't even touch the psychology behind your interpretation of what I wrote. I'm too tired. I'm starting to believe that old saying about words being the devil's greatest tool...

Thanks for the census info, I guess. Like I said, I wasn't sure. I now stand well-informed. And thanks for teaching me that phoenix is in (AZ), louisville is in (KY), essex is in (MD), and pomona is in (CA). Is your picture on the cover of the PDF link you provided for me? I'll bet you're a "star-ah" uptop, ain't you? And, the women just LOVE your clothes.

"...did i mention that i wrote the software system for the census and deployed the software..."

Why do you feel the need to bump your gums about who you are and what you do? It doesn't qualify your arguments, money, it DETRACTS from them. What's next on the menu? Who you know?
<yawn>

...i realize that i am still more likely to be pulled over in speed traps. i realize that this country has racial issues, but i choose not to dwell on it unduly. i thought your comment questioning JohnWaynesTeeth was unnecessary...

Yo, grip, the only things I dwell on unduly are $3000.00 mic pres I can't afford, and whether or not I should shell out large beans on a bull mastiff puppy. Cool that you thought, though I believe you didn't think, just reacted. Not cool that you spewed your pre junior college entry essay rhetoric on me and anyone else in the way of the ricochets and aftersprays.

"...all i'm saying is don't be...fighting racial windmills that don't exist..."

Yeah, and what do you think John Wayne's kids and grandkids think about people of color? What do you think THEY think regarding who to hire and who to fire? Who to let their kids play with? Who can be invited to John III's birthday party? And, heaven forbid, who to date? The nasty smell of LEGACY is a reality, not a figment of my 40 ounce imagination.

AND...you compare me in a negative light to my man, Don Q.? The only muthafucka around here on a high horse is YOU.

"...having said that, the dialogue has helped the two of you to discover some common ground."

Once again, your haughty, insolent attitude has reared its' nappy head. Seems to me that ol' Teeth and I "discovered" some common ground before you stuck your shiny silver dollar in the machine (too rich to flip pennies, I know, you well-to-do, money-in-your-pocket, upscale, forward-thinking, D.C.-ite), as evidenced by his reply. And I quote:

cool. You nailed it, that was exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to check out their solo stuff and the other artists too...
Thanks again, that was a good recomendation.

We even managed to have a laugh...

And I didn't say I wear tight pants now. They just aren't falling around my knees...Flo' - don't worry, I didn't take any disrespect, I took it as a joke..."

If you're teaching this class, I'm getting out before add/drop ends.
Critical thinking must not be one of your strong points, remind me not to hire you to debug any software in development...

Face it, duke, you bit off more than you could chew. Your eyes were bigger than your belly. Didn't I post something before about saying much and signifying nothing? If not, I should have. Now I know why God created static.

And dude, you don't even know the half about "fervor" when it comes to me, so quit acting like you know me. Familiarity breeds contempt. Even online.

Now, do YOU get it? Prolly not...

Flo' mit Sahne, Flo' mit Zucker, Flo' mit Hoenig, and when you finish gettin' all that brain...

Flo' Dolo

[Flo' Dolo]

You may wanna check out shit by these cats, too:

Mr. Lif
(newest joint is a "live" CD, he's got a new joint coming out in a few months, I believe)

Asheru & Blue Black
(LP is called "Soon Come" - maybe it'll fit the bill, too)

If you're really still searching, I could fly you a CD or two to turn you on to some other shit, try before you buy type shit. And if you're feelin' some artist or group or just want "sampler" CDs, we can keep Crosstudio happy; you can buy CDs from me since I'm an African-American who is the proprietor of a pretty ill clothing and music shop. I'll gladly ship C.O.D. to you at my cost (all that and I'm a nice guy, too!!!!). PM me with your postal if you're interested.

Keep bangin'

Flo' Dolo

[crosstudio]

Flo' Dolo,

we can agree to disagree.

you are an amazing writer. is your lyrical content as strong over a beat as it is online?

[Flo' Dolo]

Originally posted by crosstudio
Flo' Dolo,

we can agree to disagree.

Damn, Renaldo... I was hoping to EARN my berth into the semi-finals. But I guess this'll have to do...

you are an amazing writer.

I try... Thank you for the compliment. For real.

I believe that words are precious. Not necessarily necessary, but still... I think we shouldn't waste them. Too powerful. To me, words are like Thor's hammer, you know, mitochondria for the mind (amongst other things, but that'd belong in a literary thread, which I stay away from, at all costs).
<funny coming from a ramble-bot like me, eh?>

is your lyrical content as strong over a beat as it is online?

Well, lemme see...

If you're asking... can/do I write lyrics - yes.

If you're asking...do I and others like them - more often than not.

If you're asking... do I toil over every damn word like an old woman boiling and scrubbing whites to get their whitest - yes.

If you're asking...am I an MC - nope.
(but I LOVE to melt cats down in the cypher, strictly freestyle, nothing prepared or rehearsed, just nerves and spontaneity, feels to me something like, what was that movie? Oh yeah, the fast and the furious)

My flow I can live with, my voice on the mic - can't see it. I really don't know how others feel about it, I always decline their offers to spit. Maybe if I produced a film short first, then put some lyrics to it (about what, I dunno), like a cross between the tasty, almost hedonistic cinematic breadth of "The Sheltering Sky," and the aural regalness and cohesive-ness of "Ghost Dog" (not the CD soundtrack, but the "score" for the film). I'd write the music AFTER the film/lyrical theme was done, of course. Oh, and don't get me wrong, I really feel the score of the theme from the Sheltering Sky flick, too. Guess you didn't really ask all that, but there you have it.

Next time I give myself a few weeks off, maybe I'll dust off the DV cam...

Thanks again, that was nice of you. On my momma, no doubt.

Flo' uphill, climb down...


Flo' Dolo

[laj35]

Too bad to see that I've arrived with campfires slightly doused, I was excited to join the party.....

I'm apprehensive about writing much stooooopid shit, cause that damn last post that the server farged was so tight, and this one will prolly fall short....fuggggit...

So y'all don't need to know my life-story but you gotta know some. I'm just turned 21 born and raised in small town NH, went to HS in ME. We're talkin a HS with ONE African-American, ONE Asian-American, and that's it for "cultural diversity". That said, my older sister (by ten years) is finishing up her doctorate in Political Science, worked as an assistant to the ambassador of Kenya in Nairobi, is soon to be the wife of a wonderful Ethiopian man, and will prolly BE an ambassador some day. I don't wanna babble my shit, but my point is I come from a place where I've been bombarded with blatant racism, not *only the shit that the media comes with, the smoggy outer rims of the intricate web of bullshit that was weaved and concieved long before we were; yet I was in a family (eight kids, one damn proper mumma) that were free thinkers, had an inate awareness and did not for a second perpetuate anything but love and respect, and that's speakin to a whole lot more than the race issue(s). BUT, no matter how I was able to logisticize to myself the brethren that exists in breathing the same air as everyone else, I wasn't able to have friends that were black, or even be hanging around enough to just talk about the Celtics, or music or whatever the shit, just no one, literally.

My thought process throughout is, yeah just gotta graduate and get to a city, diversify, again much broader scope than just wanting a burgeouse buddy. Go to school in Boston, live there for a year, move here to Seattle, live as close to downtown as possible, hit the courts three times a week, and man I feel more frustrated about MY alienation from human-kind than I ever imagined when I was in a state with a 2% black population, again this isn't just a black-white thing. It seems that it's understood that I can't just say hey to someone of another race, best not look anybody straight in the eye, best keep our conversation to ourselves. Invite a black dude over to my house for a blunt and some Madden, uh-uh. In an elevator with a "repectable" "well-off" 45 yo black buisnessman, is it just me that's concerned about the tightness in my chest cause he might be thinkin, I'm thinkin that or he's thinkin this????

Now my question here is not WHO's to blame, or WHY this has happened, or any of that shit, that's the winners writting the history books, that's not NOW anyways sos that's not for me. My question is WHAT the fuck can a short, goofy, white-boy do to help this situation? I'm asking that from a place that, again relates very little to the grand socio-sucko dilemna(s), racism being one very basic and heavy such dilemna, but moreover from a me-first perspective. I don't mean, me GET mine first, I mean me FIX mine first. I can't take the energy that smacks me like the bitch I am when confronted with this shit, it KILLS me, I struggle with this walkin down the street, I struggle with this in my sleep, I struggle with this right the fuck now.

Originally posted by Flo' Dolo


I don't "worry" about that shit, like you said, I simply am aware & concerned. And, as an "aware" person, it's encumbent upon me to do something with that knowledge. IT FUCKING MATTERS. Cats like you end up teaching little black (and white, and yellow, and red, and green, and fuschia) children all the wrong shit without even realizing it, due to your own, self-imposed, egotistical, self-aggrandizing ignorance.
Flo' Dolo

MY ignorance is not self-imposed, egotistical, and (I don't think/hope not anyways ) self-aggrandizing. I curse my ignorance every second, I search for my dahrma (props-->Jack). I'm well aware of the inaccuracies, flaws and blatant ignorance that will be evident in this one post alone, and I loathe that, and I apologize as much as could matter, "they know not what they do." Despite this ignorance, inexperience and plain old stumption (?!?) that fucks me, I NEED to know what I can do about this for me, and most importantly for my kids, the kids they hang with, the kids I see at the playground when I play ball, the kids who wander into homerec.com, the kids who danced in the streets of Kabul as the Towers collapsed on 9/11. I will not die a happy man unless I figure that out, for ATLEAST ME.

I feel I am "aware," I feel I am "concerned," naw scratch that, I'm fuckin pissed the hell off. It matters, no doubt, and I'm never giving up on all this shit. I unequivocally respect the stance you have taken/come with here Flo' Do, and I mean that as no disrespect to Crosstudio. Your words scream revolution, and I'd die for it if I thought I wouldn't die alone and be buried in an all white grave or some shit. My revolution is being fought within my soul and my world every second of every day, I won't lose. I fancy we are fightin for the same squad, but I again resign myself to my own ignorance. I really want this thread to keep progressing, I really want whatever racism I might come with in my every day lingo to be pointed to, I really want some feedback from y'all on your thoughts about solutions, I really want a cigarette....



.............the beat goes on................................



Laj

[Flo' Dolo]

The fire is OUT, unfortunately, duke. Consider what you've just seen a prime example of what we at Chocolate Philly Studios refer to as "the academic punk out..."

CROSSTUDIO - that comment wasn't intended to spur you on to reply or anything, but it's what I believe, so I said it. Needless to say, I WELCOME the opportunity to continue this discussion with you, if you care to. If not, that's more than cool, too...

Laj... You learned all that in lily-white New Hampshire? Makes that whole "upscale D.C." thing C-studio was spittin' so much more vividly laughable. I think what ol? boy didn't realize and you do is that it ain't where your ass is, it's where your HEAD is.

Your words scream revolution, and I'd die for it if I thought I wouldn't die alone and be buried in an all white grave or some shit. My revolution is being fought within my soul and my world every second of every day...

Don't let fear paralyze you. Do what you feel compelled to do or die unfulfilled. Many people die many deaths everyday. Some of those are exquisite, thick, sweat-filled minutae, such as "Le petit Mord," and some of those are far worse than the tangible act of one's respiratory system ceasing to function and being covered with dirt, or cremated, or jammed in an oil drum to be buried under your favorite ballpark or sports arena. All white or all black, especially in the grave, doesn't matter, provided the muthafuckas around you in life ain't all ignorant... The country you live in isn't a far cry from what you say you're afraid of in death, so why sweat it? Color is one of those things that shouldn't define who we are or what we can become, but instead be a reminder of where/what we come from individually and collectively as a race. The HUMAN race, that is...

I won't go on about this anymore in this thread, 'less late one night the smoke trails from my black & mild inspires me, but if you want dialogue from me, check your PM on the 28th in the AM (i've already written a lil sumpin' sumpin', but opted not to post it publicly. I'm shedding the responsibility of having to continue this particular part of the thread.


"Like Don Quixote bangin' gats at the bats crashin' and cats laughin'
near the windmill... human spirit spills I sherm up chill pill - chunks
in the gutter... Where ya' mind is at, though ya bank is stack, educated cat
still you stutter... 'fected with the germ, when you gonna learn
butter it do burn Tiger's putter... ain't his golf club, but his thought plug -
suck the nappy dug til she flutter... little things in ya golf swing
and ya bling-bling makes me wanna box cutter cut ya... shutter - click - I see you...
naps and all that, dick and balls yella-to-black, still you frontin' like that little yard monkey statue... on plantations, perception mutations..."

<next comes something about house negroes vs. field negroes - blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...>

Flo' swift in still waters, Flo' with stealth in raging floods, why do I Flo' like I do? Just because, just because, just because...

Flo' Dolo

[crosstudio]

Flo Dolo:

you and i are thinking along the same lines lyrically. i proposed a song to the rapper i've been collaborating with called...

sold rebel

which of course is a play on bob marley's soul rebel. wherein the song is a verbal battle between a rapper from the black middle class and a rapper making strides to get out of an economically deprived neighborhood. it's a call and response type of feel.

the intermediate bridge between the verse and chorus chants the following:

the revolution will not be televised, the revolution will not be trivialized.

Laj35:

in the past week i've seen two things occur that i am concerned about:

1) the college board is changing the SAT to put more emphasis on Verbal essays. the verbal section of the SATs are subjective and thereby more culturally based and biased. it seems as though the rules are being changed now that african-american students have shown a marked improvement in math skills.

2) the supreme court will allow non-random drug testing of any student involved in an extra curricular activity. if you are amongst a handful of african-american students in a predominantly european-american school, you can expect to be unduly tested. if you live attend a predominantly african-american school, the european-american students will most likely go untested.

i have a slightly different outlook because i live in a county that is predominantly african-american (65%), and is the richest majority african-american county in the united states. yet i don't feel like our politicians are any more prudent or upstanding because they are black. i've seen children go without textbooks because of in-fighting on the board of education. i watched as our politicians overlooked the crack wars of the 80's while my friends died in the street. i do however prefer to live in a county where i'm not the only black person on the job who isn't pushing a broom, and i do prefer living in a county where a black man driving a BMW isn't probable cause... of course i won't be driving anything resembling a BMW until i get my house paid off. true wealth is measured in land acquisition and savings, not flash.

i love my city and its subhurbs. you should come for a visit... you'll probably stay. most of the african-american students who attend HBCU's (Howard, Bowie, Morgan, Coppin) in the area stay in the area after graduation instead of going back where they came from.

[Flo' Dolo]

Originally posted by crosstudio
Flo Dolo:

you and i are thinking along the same lines lyrically. i proposed a song to the rapper i've been collaborating with called...

sold rebel

which of course is a play on bob marley's soul rebel. wherein the song is a verbal battle between a rapper from the black middle class and a rapper making strides to get out of an economically deprived neighborhood. it's a call and response type of feel.

the intermediate bridge between the verse and chorus chants the following:

the revolution will not be televised, the revolution will not be trivialized.

Cool enough idea if you got the MCs in your troupe to pull it off - are you rhyming, too?

I dunno if that little thing I posted qualifies as lyrics, I just wrote it and posted. After I posted it, I read it and just deleted the rest. That pretty much means that if I wanted to "finish" it, I"d have to just pick up where I left off and see what comes. "A fool and his money," right? Most of the most interesting stuff (to me) that I write is kind of a one pass thing. If anything gets to the stage that someone wants to spit it or blow one of my joints, THEN I sitdown and try to make sense of whatever it is I've written. It's hell on notebooks, but that's just how it is for me.

Laj35:

in the past week i've seen two things occur that i am concerned about:

1) the college board is changing the SAT to put more emphasis on Verbal essays. the verbal section of the SATs are subjective and thereby more culturally based and biased. it seems as though the rules are being changed now that african-american students have shown a marked improvement in math skills.

2) the supreme court will allow non-random drug testing of any student involved in an extra curricular activity. if you are amongst a handful of african-american students in a predominantly european-american school, you can expect to be unduly tested. if you live attend a predominantly african-american school, the european-american students will most likely go untested.

i have a slightly different outlook because i live in a county that is predominantly african-american (65%), and is the richest majority african-american county in the united states. yet i don't feel like our politicians are any more prudent or upstanding because they are black. i've seen children go without textbooks because of in-fighting on the board of education. i watched as our politicians overlooked the crack wars of the 80's while my friends died in the street.

On the contrary, your outlook is really no different at all, just your immediate surroundings, I think. Watch out you don't fool yourself. What you said about your local politicians illustrates just that. And when those cats hit the clock at the end of the day, they're just another bunch of people driving down the street, eating shit at MickeyD's when they're in a hurry, and so on. Most of the people who hold positions like that appear to be just as theiving, lying, self-serving, and, way too often, biased as the next simple-minded asshole when it comes to moneyhoescarsclothes and the shit ideal they carry with them (and surely espouse to their kids and circle of peeps) about the next man. Only diff. between them and "the others" is their job title & tax bracket, not whether or not they're racist, compassionate, embracing, or even accomodating.

i do however prefer to live in a county where i'm not the only black person on the job who isn't pushing a broom, and i do prefer living in a county where a black man driving a BMW isn't probable cause... of course i won't be driving anything resembling a BMW until i get my house paid off. true wealth is measured in land acquisition and savings, not flash.

True wealth is intrinsic knowledge, true material wealth is in land & savings.

i love my city and its subhurbs. you should come for a visit... you'll probably stay. most of the african-american students who attend HBCU's (Howard, Bowie, Morgan, Coppin) in the area stay in the area after graduation instead of going back where they came from.

Should I feel slighted since you didn't invite me?
;-)

Seriously, I dunno if moving to your A.O. will do anything for Laj35. Despite its' pockets of tolerant or even encouraged diversity, the immediate problems with others he mentioned will probably be the same as where he's living. Think about it, all those college kids and tranplants come from "somewhere," and it's probably not the most tolerant of environs (as evidenced by the border-to-border lack of true, unconditional acceptance, and more importantly, understanding of those somehow "different" than you <as a globally identifying pronoun, not you, 'Studio) in this country.

BTW - Laj, i'm always up for hoops (it's stupid, but I realy dig the sound of chain nets), PS2, and "most things" my host has to offer (or guest wants to indulge in). I can't fuck with you on Madden, but if you break out NBA2k2, "Streets," or NBA Live, then it's on!!

[laj35]

My Celtics would wooooooop your ass on Live, which is prolly my ultimate favorite, PC version of course. I refuse to pollute myself with cable TV, or any TV for that matter, but I have yet to shake the video-game attraction, pretty cool way to chill with some cronies though. Flo Do I really look forward to reading that PM, I agree with Cross in that you are an amazing writer, it's inspiring to read your words, and I'm a fiend for inspiration.


I really have neglected to even say that I'm by no means a Hip-hop expert, it's really not my style, but I think that's only cause I haven't been able to have anybody kinda push some shizzy that would hit me. Again, acts like Blackstar, Massive Attack, Biz Markie, KRS, Tribe, etc. all are pretty much right on for me, but outside of that the only hip-hop I listen to is by turntabilist/live types, dudes like DJ Shadow, Spooky, Anti-Pop Consortium, less flow based but holding true to the efforts, and VERY musical IMO. Check out DJ Shadow's "Entrouducing" if you want a Hip-Hop concept album that highlights the beats.



Laj