The Genius of John Lennon

Simply because no matter what I do, music is my first love, I got into a debate about it today at work (I know. This new job has nothing to do with it.). One of my colleagues and I were talking about The Beatles. This brought up a conversation about John Lennon's solo career. He stated that he thought John Lennon was a problem for the group from the very start. To this I said, "No. John was a genius. He was pretty much the brain. Paul might have been the heart but John was the soul." He proceeded to tell me I was being irrational and that Paul had been the meat and potatoes all along. He goes on to call John "an insensitive idiot" for writing and recording "Woman Is the Nigger Of The World" and said that he wouldn't even listen to it because there was "nigger" in the title. Now this made me smile. First I questioned how he could comment on a song he had never even heard or read all the lyrics to. I told him I was disappointed in him for being a so-called brain and not understanding what the song was about just from hearing the title. Before I even heard or saw the lyrics, I knew what Lennon meant. All I could do was agree. Instantly, anyone who hears the title should know that at the time he wrote it, "nigger" was one of the worst things (and to some degree, still is) that a Black person could be called. John, in every other commentary he had given, let it be known that he was a man of the people and that there wasn't a racist bone in his body. Since he had already established that, I suppose he figured there was no need to do so again. Instead he made a new statement. He said with this song that while it was bad for the Black race to be oppressed in certain places, at least they could travel outside of that area to a place where so much oppression might not exist. But if you think about it, there are very few cultures that treat women as equals, let alone respect them as superiors. So while a Black person is a nigger in their current location, a woman is a sub par entity no matter where she goes. The man was attempting to make the world realize something. Whether or not you agree with or respect his feminism is another story. You have to admit that this was a clever way to express that fact. After the conversation with my colleague, I said, "Now who better to comment on that that a BLACK WOMAN?" All he could do was shake my hand and agree.

John did a few more cool things too. In "God", he addressed the different facades and notion of simply looking for something or anything to believe in. In "How Can You Sleep?" he addressed his issues with Paul McCartney. In "Working Class Hero", he again became the voice of a people. In several recordings, he expressed his love for Yoko Ono. If you have never realized the magic of Lennon, please check the man out. He is not to be slept on.

~JUSTICE

Friends

Here is where my blog gets sappy. I miss my best friends. Sometimes I feel like that ugly kid in school that everyone is pelting with dodgeballs while pointing and laughing. That is, when I see other best friends hanging out. I have gone through the stage of being sad. I have gone through the stage of being pissed off with all of them for not doing their parts to keep in touch. I have gone through the "The Must Be Something Wrong With Me" stage. Now I believe I am going through all of them at the same time.

Sam and I have been best friends since the fifth grade. There were sleepovers at her place, parties, and of course the age-old hobby of skipping class together (We were EVERY teacher's pet and we had some of the highest grades in our class so we were pretty much allowed.) On our graduation night, she and I even decided not to party but to spend time reflecting and planning ahead under the stars at the Riverwalk. We have seen boyfriends come and go. We have laughed together. We have cried together and experienced some of life's most bittersweet moments side by side. Then I came to college. Sam got married. And things have never been the same.

Aurora and I have been best friends since the seventh grade. She and I had Halloween themed birthday parties, went on late night joyrides, and treated life as our own personal playground. We both understood the pressure of people thinking our exterior was so nice and shiny but knowing all along what wrecks we were inside. We talked about running away from the monotony that was home and doing much bigger and better things with our lives. Her family is my family. My family is her family. She is the mother of my beautiful goddaughter and one missing piece of my life's puzzle.

I speak to Byron almost every day but it seems like with the exception of less than an hour on the weekend of Honda Battle of the Bands, it has been forever since he and I hung out. I had a plan to visit him in July. But due to the fact that I have a new job that I will be in extensive training for, that is a no go. And he will be starting graduate school at SIU Carbondale on August 18.

Bryan is the one I can't bring back. I learned of his death on my birthday and it is a moment that is seared into my memory forever. There were always whispers of there being something more between us. Even our mothers thought so. But the truth is, we were pretty much twin spirits who found each other in the hallways of a junior high school. I miss him. I probably always will.

I have to go now. Gym class is back in session and the dodgeball court awaits.


JUSTICE

Questions?

Got To Hell
Is basically all I have to say to you.
But since you wanna make this a conversation
Allow me to paint you a few pictures.
That stern look in my eyes
Is "Kiss My Ass" personified
As the words you speak
Instantly become hot ash
As they leave your lips.
I don't even hear you right now.
That middle finger you see
Is exactly how I feel about you
As I kick your soapbox from under you
And hope you break both legs on
The way down.
When I roll my eyes
It is my mental steamroller
Crushing everything about you.
When I say "fuck you"
I really mean it.
Moving right along.
When I walk away,
That is the story of your life.
Rejection. Pure and utter rejection.
Go.....To......Hell.
Any questions?

Ad Astray Per Aspera

It's true, I suppose. "Rough Roads Lead To Stars". As many of you who are close to me may know, I FINALLY became a member of ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, aka "THE GREATEST SORORITY IN THE WORLD". It has been a long time coming and I have been through way more than any woman ever should to gain the right to be called what she has been since birth. The fact that my journey in Zeta has finally begun put a few more things into perspective for me. The first was how much recognition I should show to those who truly care about me. So allow me to give thanks to The Epsilon Beta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (ESPECIALLY, SOROR L. SHERRON LEE. You made and kept your promise. I don't know what I would do without you. You're the best.), the Eta Epsilon chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated (Mike and Nino, there are no words), The Gamma Theta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (You are reading this correctly. Yes. I thank you. Thank you for showing me how strong I can be. That is a lesson I will NEVER forget.), Tanaya, J. Kelz, Deidra, J. Reed, Byron, Henry, Br!an, KD, That Gangsta Gamma Beta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, my family, Phamily, friends and anyone else who matters (fight amongst yourselves about that one).

I know that I can't let my happenings hinder my happiness. Zeta amongst everything else has shown me that. The light shines before me. And it is the brightest I have ever seen.

Things That Pissed Me Off Today

Okay, why the hell do they keep talking about what the pastors of Barack Obama's church preach about? This should have nothing to do with his campaign. It is true that a sheep is as good as his shepherd. But we all know how it is when you have gone to a church for years and you disagree with a couple of sermons here and there. You don't immediately leave that church. You stick it out and hope things get better. But simply because Obama's pastors preach a few eyebrow-raisers, the world is going to end? I have every belief that they only film the things that are controversial and leave alone the pew-fillers. It's funny how they never say "Obama's face was filled with concern and disbelief during the sermon and he eventually stood up and left the service". They talk about what these pastors say but they aren't telling what B-Rock's responses to these sermons are. What if he doesn't agree? What if he hasn't attended church in two months? What if he has completely removed himself from the church in question? They don't care about all of this. All they care about is the fact that he has at some point passed through the church doors. I have yet to see anyone bring up what is being taught at Hillary Clinton's church. I'm sure that in order to keep her as petty and evil as she is, they have to have special weekly guests coming in showing them how to mix the "special Kool-Aid" and measure exactly where the mothership will be landing next. Either talk about that or shut the hell up.

Then they talk about how grim Michelle Obama has been. Well, first of all let me say that Michelle Obama is my girl. Then allow me to say that no one is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows all the time. So she gets pissed off every now and then? So what if she tells a sad story on ocassion? It's real. It's right outside your front door. Stop expecting "The Enforcer" to create this fantasy world and make everybody happy. Let her tell the truth. I would think her authenticity would draw people to her. But I guess that is only in a world that makes sense.

Assholes.

~Justice

FLDS

I don't know if you guys have heard about this and I have actually been trying to get around to blogging about it for a couple of days. Over 400 children have been seized from a compound housing FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints) members. This happened after a call from a young woman identifying herself as "Sara" alerted authorities that there was child abuse and other illegal activities taking place on the premises. After the seizure and intense questioning, it was found that several of the men at the compound were guilty of polygamy and that many of their wives were as young as 13 years of age. These very young wives have bore children for these men often well beyond a score their senior.

In interviews shown on CNN and Nancy Grace, it is apparent that the women are brainwashed and have done the same to the children. They all wear their hair the same way and are not permitted to wear makeup or wear dresses above the calf. They speak in low undecorated voices and all have the same broken, submissive and frightened looks in their eyes. They will not reveal their last names (no doubt for fear of way too many of them being the same) and instead of talking about the real issues, they remain insistent that they have been lied to by Child Protective Services. They fear the men they share amongst them and it is very plain to see. Even though "Sara" was never found, it is a known fact that polygamy and other illegal activities occur in FLDS housing. There are millions of dollars hoarded in this place and it should be surrounded by helicopters.

What I can't understand is if a group like the KKK or the Black Panthers meet trouble with the law and dissolve, why this one can't meet an equally tragic end. Not only are these men impregnating children and abusing babies (one way being a form of water torture called "breaking" performed during infancy in order to instill fear for the father), but the FLDS is also a hate group. Warren Jeffs, one of their so-called "prophets", has said that "the black race is the people through which the devil has always been able to bring evil unto the earth". There can be statements made like this to the public and there isn't enough force to do away with this sect?! The LDS already has completely disassociated themselves from them due to the fact that they outlawed plural marriage and these people insisted that they had received personal messages from God telling them which WOMEN they were supposed to marry. If they are cast out by their own, why is it that the rest of the world seems so tolerant?

But riddle me this, Mr. Jeffs: Have you heard of a sect where Black men are taking several wives who are barely old enough to be considered women and forcing them into motherhood? Are we the creators of the fumarase deficiency that runs rapid on your compounds? Are we playing God by employing blood atonements for sins we ourselves have no doubt topped? Are we damn near drowning our babies at birth just so they will respect us? Are we the ones not letting our women be as beautiful as they can be and take their rightful places in the world? Are they casting out their own sons because of things as simple as listening to music and associating with girls (because they prove to be competition for wives)? Are we the ones not issuing birth certificates for fear of the authorities finding out just how many children we have fathered? And what kinda shit is it where if a man dies, his wives and children are simply assigned to someone else? And isn't the compound a prime example of one of the Houses of the Whores of Babylon that I am pretty SURE God frowned upon? If the leaders of the FLDS weren't so pigheaded and self-righteous, they would see how much God IS NOT in the things they do. And they would be kissing the next ebony ass they see in the streets. Down with them all and the charade that is their righteousness. Save those children and get those women some help.

So, Warren Jeffs, John Y. Barlow, John White Musser, Rulon Allred, Rulon Jeffs, Charles Zitting, Leroy S. Johnson, and William E. Jessop, I hope you are all resting comfortably in the spots you have prepared for yourselves in that special little corner of hell. Move over though. You'll have a lot of company soon.

~JUSTICE!!!!!

Check out the video:

Philosophical Idiots

Have you ever met someone who uses all sorts of big words when discussing things they know absolutely nothing about in order to make themselves seem knowledgeable? I ran into what I would like to deem "a philosophical idiot" today. He was attempting to talk to me about poetry. And simply because he had learned a few poetic terms in seventh grade and he was a couple years older than I, he decided to try and impress me. When he got to the term onomatopoeia, which just so happens to be one of my absolute favorite words, I simply said, "Spell it". He looked really stupid, of course. Then I proceeded to spit a freestyle all about how stupid he was and how he was going about his poetry all wrong. Then I said, "Now you see what I did there? I wasn't thinking alliteration or onomatopoeia. I was feeling it. And when you do that, those technical things don't matter. You're just automatically poetic".

I hate when people automatically assume what you do or don't know based on your age, sex, race, or even your choice to remain silent. To me, that is ignorance at its best. So the next time someone comes up to you trying to tell you about what it is that you do and you know you know, break them down and make them look like the fuckin' douchebags they are.

~Justice

Sad Face

I'm in Montgomery on business (sounds strange, I know) and I miss my dog and my someone special soooooooo sooooooo much. I would write more, but that's all I have been able to think of. I promise better blogs in the future.


~Justice :-(

April 17, 2008

Nothing much happened today. But I do want to say that Blender Magazine is the hottest one out there. Big ups, Andy!


~Justice

The Next C. Delores Tucker?

"Gangsta rap was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. [The feud between Tupac and Biggie] was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."
-Alicia Keys (Blender Magazine, May 2008)

Riddle me this: What if gangsta rappers said that R&B music was just a ploy to get Americans to overpopulate the country, therefore causing a shortage of oxygen and an American genocide so that all other countries can use America as a giant parking lot?" That one is a little out there, but so was Alicia Keys. You can't attack someone else's craft like that. She basically took an entire genre and attempted to define it. Music doesn't work that way. In fact, it is one of the things on earth that defies explanation and boundaries. It can't be boxed. PERIOD.

I'm not really sure where Ms. Keys got her soapbox, but the bitch is busted. She also said "Gangster rap didn't exist". That's kinda like saying slavery didn't exist. Where was she when Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg stepped on the scene? I guess she missed out on all the great Eazy E bars (I'm kinda wishing Eazy was here now so that he could kick a few about this). Rap music's offspring and their classic lyrics have never been fictional.

She claimed that her comments were in no way intended to imply that the government created gangster rap. At this moment, I'm screaming "ENLIGHTEN YOURSELF!" If she had ever truly LISTENED to gangsta rap, she would know that injustice by the government has been the main source of fuel for the fires in the lyrics of gangsta rap. I understand that Keys has taken to the role of the humanitarian, has been reading her Black Panther material, wears her AK-47 charm and is somewhat of an ambassador. But she needs to understand that she isn't Angela Davis and she doesn't have the immunity that is gained by possessing unbridled intellect. She hasn't built up the reputation that keeps her off the front line. People like her music, but she doesn't know if she has any soldiers when it comes to the social war. They don't expect her to say anything intelligent. They just expect her to sing well and look pretty. It's okay, Alicia. No one expects you to be intelligent. But if you decide to later, you have to ease into it, Babe. It's not a cakewalk (apparently).

Everyone knows that I am a future music media guru and that I must be fair. Though I love it dearly, I will agree that the media fueled the Tupac and Biggie war. Many of the attacks between these two gentlemen were indeed fueled by my beloved media. So it turns out that in the midst of all of the hot air she blew, Alicia Keys did add a sprig of truth.

But enough of that from me.

What do y'all think?

Keep it Real.

What's up World?

Alright, people. You asked for it. Now you've got it. For all of my friends (as well as those who think they are my friends) who have asked why I never blogged about the things we discussed, you are my inspiration. That means any crazy, screwed up comments I make on here, I will take no responsibility for. I will, in turn, blame you. LOL. No, but you seriously are my inspiration.

I love you all.

Let's get real.