Editorial Discretion (Adventures of a Dream Come True)

Editor's note: I am weeks behind on the blog; no excuses because I'm unemployed! But I do have my reasons: 1) I'm working on a piece titled Visualization/Imagery for the next entry; however, it's not finished because I wasn't feeling it...serious writer's block. I was taking way too long to get inspired. 2) I think I was uninspired because of a recent discussion/debate with my nephew. He tries but he isn't there; case in point, I had a real problem with him changing his Facebook profile name to the "Black Frank White" I have a problem because he has an uncle (Me!) who would more than love to school him in Hip-Hop,  all day, everyday, and twice on Sundays! It may not seem like a big deal to most but to me this is a problem with the young cats nowadays: They Don't Listen! And We Don't Teach! Back to the name discrepancy: the problem I had was he didn't really understand who the The Real Black Frank White was. He knew who it was but there was no over-standing on who he was! But what was fucked up was that he had no idea who Frank White was!!!! Though a fictional character, this name is relevant in this Hip-Hop culture. But what really ‘cooked my grits’ (LOL) was that he would quote Drake and Big Sean lyrics and talk about Lil Wayne as the best with the Facebook moniker “Black Frank White!” This was wrong on so many levels all levels...So I tried to start the education but this cat was not receptive at all. Like my 18yr old and the majority of young know it all, of course, he knew everything! Can't tell him nothing?????? Which leads me to 3) where I gave up for a hot second! Not really gave up, but I needed to find myself because I was crazy frustrated! If I couldn't converse with my nephew/family then what chance was I giving myself to strangers? So I took a hiatus to regroup. This is where my military training comes in; I'm going into this as, not a war or battle, but a conflict! There is a conflict and disconnect between what we think Hip-Hop is, what we know what Hip-Hop is, and what "they" tell us what Hip-Hop is....so I'm going in, "cover me!" And we don't leave our men/women behind in battle! EVERY ONE COMES HOME! SO THE VISION IS THIS: TO EVENTUALLY BRING WHAT WE INDISPUTABLY KNOW WHAT HIP-HOP IS TO THE OVERGROUND SO THE UNDERGROUND WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS THE GREATNESS IT IS! THE MISSION STATEMENT IS: RAP IS SOMETHING YOU DO, HIP-HOP IS SOMETHING YOU LIVE! WE ARE GOING TO BRING BACK THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ELEMENTS OF HIP-HOP! So I retooled my mental with a much needed event which was Amazing and refreshing for this old Hip-Hop Head! I recently attended the Jean Grae Show on Friday, August 26, 2011! I was in a different space and on a different plane than most so I felt things that others definitely wasn't feeling! I felt immortal again; I got my X-Men mutant powers back, I got my mind right, money ain't right but I'm definitely ready for W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)! So sit back and enjoy my Adventures of a Dream Come True...

*THIS IS FOR JEAN GRAE; I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT HAVING THE "JEANIUS" ALBUM PRIOR TO AUGUST 26, 2011. I WAS STUCK ON THE ALBUM "THIS WEEK," AND I WAS ALREADY SOLD AND A BELIEVER SO I LUNCHED. WELL A DEFINITE MISTAKE BECAUSE THIS "JEANIUS" ALBUM IS THAT SHIT! THIS ALBUM HAS SINGLE-HANDEDLY CATAPULTED YOU FROM THE TOP 10 TO THE TOP 5 EASILY! THIS ALBUM IS THE ONE THAT I WILL USE TO DESTROY NAYSAYERS AND WHEN I PUT MONEY DOWN (and win) I'LL MAKE SURE TO USE MY WINNINGS IN A WAY TO PAY YOU BACK FOR BLESSING ME WITH BRILLIANCE...SALUTE Oh! Thank you a million times over for the autographed copy of “Jeanius”*
 
Stardate: 2455800, Captain's log: We avoided sure destruction! The wormhole would have definitely destroyed our transportation vehicle if not for the quick, methodical actions of our chief engineer! (NOTE TO SELF: Make sure I put this guy in for recognition; a commendation medal may be in order) We are en route to a destination uninhabited with our kind. Hip-Hop has not been seen on this planet called Tempe, AZ so the Hip-Hop immortals manifested the means and a date to send in one of the most ferocious generals of our culture; the mutant Jedi: JEAN GRAE! Her being a mutant Jedi, she could have easily handled this mission DOLO; however, education and understanding is the aim and not total destruction and annihilation. So young padiwans were sent in to assist the Jedi in her mission. My team/crew is what you call special operations and were dispatched only for the sole purpose of backup and support. This wasn't a mission for us to go at the necks and chest of those too ignorant to understand but to embrace and lift those to a level of over-standing.  

The crew hasn't had a break in a year's time so I used my discretion to give the guys & gals a break from this mission and decided to go in alone.

Night of the event, feeling nice off of wine and vegetation, I entered the facility with my mind on my mission. Then it happened, I was greeted by the universal language of the B*Boy; scratching and juggling from the DJ. I was greeted with peace in mind and this is when the adventure ended and the Dream began.

To get the event jumping was the DJ; and this was DJ Les735 and he was versed in the arts. I immediately began rocking out to the DJ. I rocked, rocked, and rocked all the way out! I then noticed I was the only one on the floor. No breakers, dancing, nothing...so I stepped it up and then came to the conclusion: FUCK IT! They get it but they're not feeling it. See it comes down to the space and place you are in. When they heard the DJ get busy, they were there in Tempe, AZ listening to their local cat get busy on the wheels. ME! I was 17yrs old at a block party in North Philly! I was in the zone! The DJ did his thing all the way up to the first act blessed the stage. This was a local cat (not necessarily Tempe but local from AZ) named Lakai. This cat got on stage and I have to admit that he wasn't bad at all. I thought I would be transported back to the present but Lakai kept the crowd moving (really just me but there wasn't one stationary neck in the place). I still was in North Philly and the sun is going down just a little bit and here is the first MC to get the party started. The buol did his thing...#Salute to Lakai. Here I needed a pause for the cause; I was on the patio getting my tree blowing on to remain in this spiritual mental mind state. While I was on break the next MC was a shortie, also local, named Rae Rae who had a different rhyming style but was nice none-the-less. I missed her performance visually but I heard her from the speakers outside on the patio.

Ok, recharged and ready for more the stage was empty. Then this cat just appeared (maybe he was there the whole time, I was altered LOL). He goes by the name Roq'y (pronounced Rocky) Tyraid. And I'm here to tell you that we are in a middle of a cultural revolution and as he consistently yelled "The Culture Is Back!" Roq'y is with a crew I fucks with since relocating to Arizona. I started fucking with this crew solely on the muscle of one of its members (MegaRan) because he's from Philly (sometimes a common bond is all you need to bring people together). Well as my man Ran said, "Roq'y is a problem!" Well Roq'y totally destroyed his set! The energy he gave off was infectious and now the block party was over. I was now at the after party in somebody's basement. I paid a dollar at the back door to get in and posted up along side the water heater while I listened to Roq'y rain down total destruction. *I spot a shortie posting up on the dryer*

After Roq'y obliterated any doubts that the culture is back, I received a message that the General Jean Grae is in the building! (These next few sentences will be in all caps. Not because I'm yelling but rather emphasizing and I want to be 100% honest & real with y'all)

SO I WAS SUMMONED TO THE BACK OF THE VENUE BY MY MENTOR AND HERO, SO I PROCEEDED. I SAW HER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE PHYSICAL AND I WAS IN AWE!!!!! FELLAS, BE HONEST, REMEMBER THE TIME YOU HAD A CRUSH ON YOUR TEACHER AND YOUR FRIENDS DARED YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE GET CLOSE TO HER AND RUB UP ON HER OR SOMETHING...THEN WHEN THE CHANCE CAME YOU NUTTED UP; WELL THAT WAS ME! I NUTTED UP! I FELT LIKE SCREAMING BUT I WAS SPEECHLESS. NOW I KNOW WHAT THEM LITTLE GIRLS FEEL LIKE WHEN JUSTIN BIEBER IS IN THE HOUSE. REALLY AWE WAS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD FOR THE STATE I WAS IN (JEAN FUCKED UP MY WHOLE HIGH...THANKS JEAN LOL). I AM SO GLAD THAT JEAN DID NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME IN MY STATE BECAUSE I WAS HER'S FOR THE TAKING! IF SHE WOULD HAVE SAID GO ROB A BANK, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY "SET IT OFF or HEAT" SHIT. ONLY THING SHE ASKED OF ME WAS TO TAKE CARE OF HER DJ. THIS IS WHEN I MET THE INFAMOUS MR. LEN. ALL HE NEEDED FROM ME WAS TO MAKE A DRINK FOR HIM AND ROCK THE FUCK OUT! WHAT? THAT'S IT! TOO EASY...I'M ON THE VERY STAGE THAT ROQ'Y TYRAID JUST DESTROYED AND WAS ABOUT TO WITNESS THE TOTAL ANNIHILATION BY JEAN HERSELF. SO I MADE A STIFF DRINK FOR MR. LEN AND HE STARTED TO SHOW HIS SKILLS ON THE 1's & 2's BEFORE JEAN GRAE PERFORMED.

I was back at the basement party as Mr. Len did his thing. When Jean came out, I was really somewhere else. The only thing that I know is that I had the TIME of my LIFE!!!!!! I haven't felt that AWESOME in many, many years! Definitely A DREAM COME TRUE!

(The following is an open letter to ALL CONCERNED)

So my question is: why does this have to end? Why can't others feel what I felt on that Friday? Or don't they...I notice that Hip-Hop is viral but we aren't connected. In 2011 and with technology, there is no reason why we as Hip-Hop heads can't connect on some facet. So this is the day I start it off. If you are a real Hip-Hop head and you can understand what I wrote in today's entry then let's make it HAPPEN! I got this blog, my motherfuckin man PhenomBlak (@PhenomBlak via Twitter) with the "Where's My 40 Acres" blog/podcast team got his jawn up and running, and there are other sources that I don't know about but they are out there! So let's connect and build! There is entirely no fuckin good reason why we are still underground to the point where we don't know the Hip-Hop scene all over the world! This is what a grassroots movement is! Let's get real DJs & MCs, B*Boy & B*Girls, and Graf artist out in the open. I got 2 CDs that I purchased from the event: This kid, Lakai and my motherfuckin man Roq'y Tyraid. These cats need to have an honest listen to what they have to offer in the culture. I'll get it started with these two but I know others are out there! So what are we waiting for???? We don't have to hate on lame Hip-Hop artist and DJs; the culture and skill will speak for itself. We just need an avenue and me and others like me is that vehicle. It was the crowd that determined who the best is, not self-proclamations! If you have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about, then ask an old head that knows or watch "8 Mile." We can weed out the garbage by attrition and the process of elimination! I'm sick of cats with a DJ in their name but don't DJ! I'm tired of rappers claiming to be #1 when they aren't even lyrical! FUCK THAT! It's ours so let's take it back!

We have a bona fide, recognized culture that is traceable in our lifetime. The roots of our culture can not only be traced back to the beginning but we have people in the now living and breathing who can actually talk about Hip-Hop from the beginning! Our culture is less than 40yrs old so what's the excuse? WE CAN DO THIS! HIP-HOP NEVER STOPS! RAP IS SOMETHING YOU DO; HIP-HOP IS SOMETHING YOU LIVE!!!!

...from the immortal words of Jean Grae, “SCRABBLEBEOTCH”

Salute

Philly aka Philly2AZ aka Mr. Who is That aka Mr. I don’t stalk Jean Grae, I just follow her (behind the tree, in the dark, with binoculars)

UNO