Truwordz

What have we learned?

2009-09-12T07:38:00.001-07:00

Its been eight years since the 9/11 attacks happened. Seems like so much has happened since then but then again it seems like it was just yesterday. That day will live on forever in the minds and hearts of many Americans. I will never forget where I was when I found out about the attacks. I was a senior in high school and I had just come back from a senior counseling trip. I couldn't believe what I was hearing not to mention the person who told me was not a credible source. It wasn't until i heard it on the radio that I realized the magnitude of what happened. Our country was sent into a frenzy in a matter of minutes. Never in a million years did anybody imagine that anything like that could have happened.
So you have to ask yourself what has changed in eight years? What did we learn from 9/11? One thing is for sure airline security is tighter than it ever was. But what else has changed? for the first six months after 9/11 everybody was singing kum-ba-yah and floating on cloud 9. Then reality set back in and we all went back to being our prejudiced, selfish, judgmental selves. We continue to place labels on ourselves and others that divides more and more everyday. if you dont know what labels im talking about then I will give you a few examples: republican, democrat, black, white, christian, muslim, straight, gay, etc. We spend more time fighting about the things we disagree on instead of trying to build on the things that we agree about. We never take the time to actually sit down and talk with someone instead we just judge them from afar. The world would be much better if we would try to understand each other. most importantly as a whole people do not respect each other. When you respect someone you are more likely to listen to them with a open mind and heart. It is my belief that we were all put on this earth to serve a greater purpose. I mean why else would we all be so different? There would be no point of us living if we were all carbon copies of each other. Thomas Paine said it best "I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to to the death your right to say it". So the next time you decide to label someone before you get to know them. Just don't....

Family First

2009-07-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I truly learned a life lesson. Thank goodness I was able to be off work on Saturday so I could spend time with my family. On Saturday my parents had a get together at their house for my uncle (that I see maybe once a year) who was in town for the weekend. Its funny how times change because I used to dread those cookouts and family outings. In the past few years I have a greater appreciation for spending time with my extended family. I actually look forward to those times now. Although I look forward to the times that I spend with my family I still feel like I could do more to keep in contact with them. They all stay in the metro Atlanta area so I really have no excuses. As we were outside shooting the basketball around. I decided that we should get a game going the older cousins vs the younger cousins. When the game the first started I was taking it easy because I was trying to keep my clothes clean and not get sweaty, but as the game went on I really started having fun and I didn't get care anymore about my shoes getting dirty or my clothes getting sweaty. I was enjoying the time with my cousins, something that doesn't happen to often. After the game it made me realize that I need to spend more time with my cousins because I know they look up to me and I want to be a positive influence in their lives. not to mention I can relate to them in ways that their parents can't. I say all this to say if you have people in your life that you care about show them that you care because tomorrow is not promised. It doesn't necessarily have to be your blood relatives. We all have many families, whether its your work family, school family, or friends. I just want to say thank you to all my families (Jackson family, Hayes family, my work family, my Marquee family). The truth is your family will always be there no matter whether you succeed or fail. Your family "keeps it real" with you even when you don't want to hear it. Family is ALWAYS there. You can't run TRUE family away. Your family is your foundation and without a foundation your house (life) will crumble everytime.

Reparations? Really?

2009-07-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Lately there has been a lot of talk within the black community about reparations. For those of you who are unfamiliar with reparations it is a proposal by some in the United States that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people. Of course an argument can be made that the plight of black people was significantly affected by the institution of slavery but that is not what this is all about. The truth is that there are other ethnic groups of people that have been persecuted in the past and there were no reparations for them. So what makes black people so special? You can certainly argue that the treatment of Native Americans was just as bad as African-Americans. Do you really think Native Americans would rather have casinos and a few plots of land? or their pride and families alive? If you take too long to answer this then you probably need to re-evaluate your life. The fact that people are actually discussing this is laughable to me. The people who really needed reparations are dead and gone. What have we done to deserve anything? Now let's really be honest. What would most of us do with the money if we got it? Most of us would blow it on material things like cars, clothes, jewelry, etc. Dave Chapelle probably wasn't too far off with his skit. lol. Money doesn't change the kind of person you are it only reflects who you already are. All this talk about reparations only devalues the struggle that our ancestors went through. To think that you can ease the pain of hundreds of years of suffering with money and land is ridiculous. Slavery WAS a tragic part of our history but it WAS a tragic part of our PAST. There is no way that we can move forward as a people, country, and world if we do not let go of the past. Reparations is just another excuse for black people to use why they are downtrodden and blah blah blah. We all know even if we had reparations there would be another excuse. Let's be accountable for own actions and stop looking for handouts.

This messgae was inspired by the ignorant comments of a Mr. Warren Ballentine

A.T.L (A town like none other)

2009-04-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

As far as I can remember Atlanta has always been the city that has reinvented itself time and time again. The city of Atlanta has been many things and home to many people but the fact remains that this is still "Atlanta". You see although Atlanta has become a melting pot for much of America especially for African-Americans it still remains a "southern" city first. Atlanta is a city deep rooted in southern history and southern values. So to truly understand "our" culture you have to be "A native", an "A" native to be exact. Atlanta has become known as a "transplant city". It seems as if there are more "transplants" living in Atlanta than actual natives. I have nothing against the transplants because I can only assume that they came here for a better life. At times it does feel like the people from out of town don't show enough respect or maybe us natives don't show enough pride. Either way when I'm at certain events or places I feel like a foreigner in my own city. You have to ask yourself: Are the "transplants" harder workers, have a greater sense of urgency or is it just that us, ATLiens have taken our city for granted and expect everything to be served to us on a silver platter. I must say that I think it is a combination of both. So the next time you think about complaining about the "transplants" taking over, I suggest you take time to make sure you are doing what you can to represent your city. Remember you can't complain about the system unless you are taking action. This article was inspired by Stanza's song A.T.L (A-Town Luv), a true commentary on our great city, Atlanta.

A.T.L.- Stanza
http://www.djteknology.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/stanza-atl-dirty.mp3

-Truwordz

P.S.

Wearing an "A" hat is not going to cut it!!! lol!!

Self-Conscious: The first to admit it (after Kanye West)

2009-03-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

No matter what anyone says people value the opinions of others. Its human nature to want the approval of your peers. Self-consciousness is just a natural part of human behavior. Although we are all self-conscious to a certain extent there are times when we take it too far. Our society has always placed a high value on outer appearance. Because of this there is always pressure to look a "certain" way. Our minds have been trained to judge people based on their outer appearance. For some reason people attach "good looks" with "good personality, attitude". A guy is more likely to give the girl who is a "video vixen" the benefit of a doubt before the "average" girl. Women are more likely to give the guy with the "chiseled frame" a chance over the guy who is a little "chubby". The truth is some of the most "beautiful" people on the outside are some of the "ugliest" on the inside. There are a lot of women that will not go outside of their house without their "face" on for fear of being judged or ridiculed. Where does all this come from? If a girl is only recognized for her "looks" her entire life then she is going to feel like less of a person if her "look" is not "together". There are a lot of women and men too that feel the only they have to offer is their "looks". Why would anyone want to be with someone who is not even comfortable in their own skin? If you feel like all you have to offer is your looks then I suggest you get to know yourself better. (no pun intended. lol.) Guys can be just as self conscience as girls, I mean what do you think all of the luxury cars, diamond chains, designer suits, $300+ shoes are for? You think its all for us? Most of it is to attract women of course. The truth is fresh cuts, beauty salons, hair weaves, make-up, designer jeans, expensive jewelry do not define who we are they are only temporary distractions that hide our soul where the "true beauty" lies.

Schools Out??

2009-01-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

If someone told you the first school in Georgia that was completely run by African-Americans is on the verge of no longer existing would you believe it? Well this might become reality sooner than later. The school that I speak of is Morris Brown. At one time Morris Brown was a big part of the AUC. Just recently the city of Atlanta cut off the water at the school because of delinquent water bills in the amount of $380,000. The story hits home for me because so many people in my family received their education from Morris Brown. Morris Brown has always been the school that gave students a chance to receive a college education that normally wouldn't. Why haven't any notable figures in the African-American stepped up to help? Where is the bailout for this prized historical institution?

To Protect and Serve?

2009-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

I work in the Camp creek marketplace which is located in East Point, GA. One morning I was headed to BJ's to put gas in my car. As I'm making the turn to BJ's my car stops, I tried to crank it, but it was obvious that my car was out of gas. If you are familiar with the Camp Creek marketplace you know that BJ's is directly across from the East Point police precinct. So my car is directly across from the police precinct. It's probably about 9:30 in the morning so the shopping center isn't busy at all. A police officer pulls up and asks "what's going on?". I tell him about my situation and he tells me that he will talk to the other officers about helping to push my car. As I'm waiting I hear the other officers outside talking about my situation. Basically they were saying they weren't going to help me. The first officer finally comes back and he proceeds to tell me "that pushing the car wasn't going to work and that if I didn't move my car it would be towed. So I guess five police officers can't push a car 50 feet? After walking to the gas station, I finally get back to my job about 30 min later. As I'm walking back into my job I see the police officers behind my store playing around on one of those "segways" (waste of time and money). I guess thats why they couldn't help me. They were too "busy" making my community "safe". Is there where my tax dollars go? Now I do take full responsibility for not having enough gas in my car. But I thought it was their job to "serve" and "protect" especially when they have nothing else to do. Maybe my expectations are too high or maybe theirs are just that low. You be the judge.

Clubbin for Christ?

2008-12-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

In todays society the "megachurch" has become a common sight in the religious community. These churches (corporations lol.) now make up a significant percentage of the Christian religion. according to recent data there are over 50 churches that have a regular attendance of at least 10,000 people. The pastors of these churches, T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Joel Osteen, Paula White, are now household names. I'm not going to get into whether their philosophies about religion are right or wrong because its not my place to do that (at least not today lol.). I do however feel like that somethings should be questioned. After a friend of mine, Stanza, mentioned to me that he heard Bishop Eddie Long on the radio say that "On Friday night he was going to have two djs spinning all night long at the church and they would be charging at the door" I was intrigued to find out more about the situation. At first like anyone else I thought that he was joking and or my friend heard it wrong. After looking at New Birth's website I found out that they really are having an after-party at the church. Now don't get me wrong I'm all for giving young kids a place to have fun in a "safe", "positive" environment but charging kids 13-18 for an event at a church is a little extreme and greedy if you ask me. Here's the flyer:

Is this a case of the church going to far to cater to the youth?
What is the "truth" about all this?

If you don't believe me here's the proof
http://www.newbirth.org/event.asp?id=23947
http://www.newbirth.org/download/HypeNightFlyer.jpg

A New Frontier

2008-11-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Now that we know Barack Obama will be this country's next president we can breathe a little easier or can we? With all the promise and hope that Barack Obama and his political team can offer there is still uneasiness amongst the American people. On November 4th I did cast my vote for the Obama-Biden ticket, but I still wonder how much will they be able to accomplish. Our great country faces many challenges in the upcoming months and years. People must understand that there is no quick fix to problems that we face. Our country is fundamentally flawed. I say this because the economic, social, and environmental issues that we face are as a result of poor decisions made over the last 30 years not just the last eight. Don't get me wrong, I will be in the line to help George W. Bush move out of the White House, but our problems did not start in the last eight years. President Bush only accelerated our downfall.
The economic problems stem from shipping too many jobs out of the country, the failing auto industry, and mismanaged funds in the private sector. Our dependency on foreign oil has also contributed to our energy crisis. You have to ask yourself: Why do we depend on foreign oil? Why do we still use oil period? The technology has existed for years for automakers to build affordable alternative energy vehicles but it would destroy the big oil industry and thats why in 2008 we can have cell phones that can do everything under the sun but we still use GASOLINE in our cars. What sense does that make? Exactly it doesn't. Everything that has been done to weaken our nation was done to strengthen those in power.
I will say that significant progress has been made in our country when it comes to race relations, gender issues, and other social issues. Technology also remains one of our country's biggest assets. I feel that my generation can lead this country into "the new frontier" but there must be a "change" in the way we think. Now is the time that we look toward the future but be aware of the past. It is time to put aside the petty differences in order to move forward. The question is are we willing to do what it takes?

If you are interested in moving this country in the right direction contact me at truwordz@att.blackberry.net

Welcome to the Party Life

2008-09-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was privileged enough to attend T.I.'s private party at the Biltmore Hotel saturday night. For somebody that is not impressed by celebrity appearances and "industry" events I was thoroughly pleased with this one. The first thing that stuck out to me was the dress code which did not allow guys to wear jeans. When I heard that I knew what kind of night it would be. The entire bottom floor of the Biltmore was rented out for the party. That space included the Georgian Ballroom, the Imperial Ballroom, the lobby, and two bar areas. By the way I did my research and it cost about $20,000 just to rent the spot out. Now what would a celebrity party be without free drinks? Of course it was a Patron Tequila open bar (my favorite part). The scenery of the Biltmore is already very impressive to add to that there were about 20 girls with colonial-style whigs and outfits (of course the dresses were short). There were also topless painted models that walked through the crowd. As the night went on I was able to briefly speak to many of the people in attendance. Most people agreed that they were enjoying themselves (some a little too much than others) hint hint the bar. lol. I did have the opportunity to run into a friend of mine David Ratchford, fashion designer for Navier clothing line. He did mention that he has a shoe coming out soon so be on the lookout for that. I also spoke with the owner of DBS sounds, D. Tobago Benito. He said that he was really enjoying himself and that the night was about people gathering, having a good time, and celebrating success". The most interesting conversation I had Saturday night was with three young ladies, Porsha, Aladora, and Alyssa from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. They won a contest at their local radio station, 96.5. The told that they flew in on Friday and were leaving Sunday morning. They seemed to not like the idea that the radio station sent them to Six Flags like they were kids or something. lol. All in all they told me they really liked Atlanta and were really enjoying the party. Often times at events like these you don't really get to know people. The conversation normally goes like this "I'm such and such and do blah blah blah for who know you". A lot of "industry talk" and people hyping themselves up. The three young ladies from Arkansas were genuine and sincere in the 5 or 10 min that I did speak with them. So I would like to thank Porsha, Alyssa, and Aladora for being the "realest people in the room".

-Truwordz

Responsiblity

2008-09-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

As we head into the home stretch for this historic election each day becomes more and more important. I first want to urge you to register to vote if you haven't already done so. Voting rights are a privilege in this world we live in. You must understand that there are those who fought and died for this democratic process that we have. We all have a responsibility on November 4th to exercise our right to vote.
I also encourage you to vote for the person who you feel is best qualified for the job not because of gender, race, party affiliation, popularity, or any other irrelevant factors. However, I will be casting my vote for Barack Obama. I believe that he will be a great leader for our nation and I feel that he is best candidate for the job. As an African-American I am proud that we share the same ethnic background. I know that there will be a significant amount of people that will vote for Barack Obama because he is an African-American. I do not support doing such a thing but I do understand it. I believe that behavior like this can lead to bigger problems if he becomes elected President of the United States Of America. The keyword is United States of America, not the United States of Black America. It is very important that people understand this, blacks especially. Barack Obama is a presidential candidate that happens to be black. If elected he must lead and represent people of all races, genders, political parties, and ethnicities. However, I do feel that he should be sensitive to the needs of the black community, but he is not our saviour. The purpose of Barack Obama's movement is to initiate change. He can not change things by himself. The real change comes me and you. We have the ability to put pressure on local legislators, local school boards, and the so-called leaders of our communities. Black or white if you believe that Barack Obama will solve all of your problems you are sadly mistaken. He is only a small piece of the puzzle.
NEWS FLASH!!!, Barack Obama cannot bounce bullets off his chest, doesn't have superhuman strength, and he definitely doesn't have any super cool high tech gadgets. I say all this to say don't expect any miracles after November 4th. Don't wait for President Obama to create opportunities, create them for yourself. If we don't take action for ourselves then his entire campaign would have been in vain. Remember CHANGE comes from within.

THE FUTURE

2008-09-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days of silence and inactivity. The status quo is no longer a viable option. You have two choices: you can ALLOW things to happen or you choose to CHANGE. UNDERSTAND that this is OUR world. WE are the protectors of this great society. WE have the ability to make things different. Remember the future is history's unborn child. Will you give it the care that it needs to survive?

The Clean-Up Woman

2008-07-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

In my short time on this earth I have learned a lot about the opposite sex. Of course I don't know everything and there is always more to learn. Women can be very hard to understand and other times they can be read like a book. In a world where the divorce rate gets higher and higher everyday and where monogamy is far-fetched. The dating scene in today's society resembles something that you might see on your television screen. I'm not talking about your typical love story, I'm talking about your favorite soap opera or an episode of WWE "Smackdown". That's right it has become that crazy and is always full of drama. Now maybe you are in that one percent of people that actually have the right person and have decided to stick together no matter what.
Now that I have gotten all the formal introductions out the way, its time to get to matter at hand. We live in a world where almost always females outnumber males in most situations. This is even more evident in the African-American community where black females outnumber black males from age 25 to their death. Studies show that females of other races do not outnumber males until about age 45. This can be contributed to a number of factors, black males being incarcerated, black males being victims of homicide, and also poor health habits of black males. Now you have to ask yourself how many black males are actually alive, well, and have their freedom. The first thing you have to do is consider is how many of these black males are homosexuals. How many have a college education? How many don't have any children? How many are infected with a STD? How many have a job? I hope haven't discouraged anyone yet. lol. Then after you left with that pool then and only then do you begin to look at normal things like how many are attractive? Have a good personality? Good morals? Responsible? Honest? and whatever else you consider when looking for a potential mate. i say all this to say I empathize with African-American females. The pool you have to choose from is not that big.
Now I can empathize with you but I have to say that there are a lot of "good" single black men out there. I know a times it might seem hard but they do exist. When you do get the opportunity to meet one these men I encourage you to take FULL ADVANTAGE. So black women I ask you to let go of the EGO and your superficial standards and appreciate what you have. I'm not asking you to tolerate the foolishness because you deserve better. I'm just asking you to recognize a "king" because he treats you like a "queen". Just know that if you don't appreciate it their is somebody out there who will. Who is it? The Clean-Up Woman. The Clean-Up Woman can be any race and any age. The Clean-Up Woman is the woman who comes along after YOU gave up or didn't have time for that "good" black man. Unfortunately I can't take credit for the phrase "Clean-Up Woman" you can thank R&B singer Betty Wright for that. For those that don't know (youngsters get up on your old school) Betty Wright had a song called "Clean-Up Woman".

This is how the song goes:
A Clean up woman is a woman who
gets all the love we girls leave behind.

The reason I know so much about her
is because she picked up a man of mine.

Tough and slick was my ruin cause,
I found out all I was doing was making it easy,
for the Clean up woman to get my man's love ah yeah

Just making it easy for the clean up woman
to get my baby's love ah hum, um hum.
I took this man's love and put it a shelf
and like a fool I thought I had him all to myself.

When ya needed love I was out having fun,
but I found out that all I had done
was made it easy for the clean woman

to get my man's love un huh,
yes that what I did I made it easy for the
Clean up woman to steal my baby's love oh yeah.

The Clean Up woman will wipe his blues away.
She'll give him plenty of lovin 24 hours a day.

The Clean up woman she'll sweep him off his feet.
She's the one who'll take him in when you dump him in the street.

So take a tip you better get hip.
To the clean up woman cause she's tough
I mean she really cleans up

If you want to hear the song here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S34K4e4FZI

True Happiness

2008-07-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of true happiness? Is it million dollar houses, exotic women, designer clothes and cars. What good is it to have all those things if you cant enjoy it with the people you care about? Sounds like an empty life if you ask me. True happiness is what I seek and it is what I will find.

What are you waiting for?

2008-07-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Often times we as people look for somebody or some outside source to solve our problems. By doing this we underestimate ourselves and become dependent on others. In the process we handicap ourselves. You will be amazed at the things that YOU can accomplish without anyones help. Stop waiting for things to happen. YOU have to make things happen. Shock the world before it shocks you.

My "favorite" uncle needs help

2008-06-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

As long as I can remember I have been a fan of hip-hop music. I grew up with it and will probably die with it. I have seen it grow and change into many different things. I can remember having a "Go to work" single tape by Kool Moe Dee and playing it in my fisher price tape player. lol. In some ways hip-hop feels like a member of my family. Hip-hop is that cousin or that uncle that you always looked up to that could never do any wrong in your eyes. Well at least you thought they could never do any wrong until you saw them lose all respect for themselves. That "favorite" uncle or cousin is not the same when they can't put that bottle down, when they can't leave that pipe along, or when they turn their back on you. Hip-hop has become that way today. Hip-hop has been sipping its own Kool-Aid. The problem is that people don't realize what is going on or they don't want to say anything about it because it might upset somebody. Its just like that "favorite" uncle or cousin, if you really care about that person then you won't just sit by and watch them suffer you will do what you have to do to help them out.
My problem lies with the BIG name rappers who claim to be this and that. They no longer treat it as a art form. In doing this they are disrespecting those who paved the way for them. Everybody is tip-toeing around these guys. People are scared to call them out and say what they know is true. These guys are feeding us bull! By know I'm pretty sure you are wondering who in particular I am talking about. The first two that come to my mind are LIL WAYNE and YOUNG JEEZY. I can't knock their talent because they are both very good at what they do. The next time you listen to the radio just listen to the verse and try to take something from what they are saying. I have news for you, YOU CAN'T! because there is nothing to take except for words that have nothing to do with nothing. Lil Wayne's words and lyrics are very clever and creative but they have no meaning no purpose, no substance. So Lil Wayne I want to congratulate you for being a word wizard! Whoopty motherfreaking do! This does not make you the BEST! The only reason people consider Lil Wayne to be the best is because no one has challenged him. No one thinks for themselves anymore they just accept the publics opinion as their own. After you read this I really want you to listen to music with an objective ear. 90% of the time rappers on the radio do not stick to subject of the song. I love "Put On" as a song. I really do like the song, but what is Young Jeezy talking about? How can you have a song called "Put on for my city" but you never mention ATLANTA not one single time in two verses!!! So basically what he his telling us is I can say whatever I want to as long as the beat is on point and the hook is catchy because it really doesn't matter people are going to like me regardless of what I do because they don't think for themselves. T.I. said it best "They get high and say whatever the f*ck they feel like". I feel that the so called "big dogs" in the game have a responsibility to put forth their best effort every time they touch the mic and not just when they get ready to. They owe it to hip-hop and themselves!! Where is the creativity? Originality? Motivation? Purpose? Pride? Hip-hop has gone away from the art keeps it fresh but it is more about the BIG BUSINESS. Can we please stop with all the POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, its just code for I don't have the balls to say what I want to say!
I was motivated to write this after listening to The Carter III. I was thoroughly disappointed in the album. If the so called "Best Rapper Alive" can't even put together a solid album then what do we have to look forward to. I hate to say this but Lil Wayne is hurting the game more than he helps it. For him to be the supposed BEST his album has too many misses. 6 out of 17 songs is NOT GOOD. Slowly but surely hip-hop is being killed. You can thank your favorite rappers for that. Don't get me wrong their are a lot of rappers that are doing their best to save it but the reality is that they are outnumbered and mostly unheard by the general public. I hope that some of you have your own mind and still think for yourself.
So like I said if you really care about your "uncle" help him out. The doctor said he doesn't have much time.

-The Koolest

please respond I want to know what you "honestly" think. You don't have to agree with me just be honest.