Top Five, Bruce Wayne, and Moses

Well I'll just make this quick.  When first hearing news of the new Chris Rock movie, Top Five, I knew I would go see it as soon as I got the chance.  I've always liked Chris Rock and the movie features a star studded cast of comedic geniuses.  The various interviews that he's participated in leading up to the film's release increased my anticipation to get a big bag of twizzlers, sit on my butt for a few hours, and get some hearty laughs.

I went to the nearest movie theater the week before Top Five came out to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (I read all the books and couldn't resist, it was okay).  However, this forced me to start planning my next trip to the movie theater and I realized there are no theaters near my home showing this film.  I live at the intersection of Pomona, La Verne, and Claremont, California.  Upon further research, I see that black people make up 7.5%, 3.4%, and 4.7% respectively in these cities.  I'm not really surprised by the figures but it helps understand why I won't be able to go see Chris Rock's new movie.


I'm just appalled that a movie that has garnered so much attention, wouldn't even make it to my local theater.  But it makes sense, during my daily adventures I rarely see black people unless it's on public transportation.  However, I wouldn't be telling the whole story without mentioning that all the nearby theaters are showing this Exodus bullshit with numerous time slots.  And that is America for you.  A place where a black man can't go see Chris Rock's new film at his local movie theater, but I have many opportunities watch some white people pretend that their Africans.  Never thought I'd see the day when Bruce Wayne and Moses were the same person.

If you don't understand white supremacy . . . Everything else will confuse you

A Day in the Life

Intro
Amidst the Eric Garners, Trayvon Martins, Mike Browns, and countless others, America still has no idea what the life of a black male consists of.  White supremacy has pervaded every level of society all over the world and it has systematically made us enemies in the subconscious of everyone, including our own people.  That being said, black males must learn and understand how the world views them in each and every possible situation that can occur in a given day.  Read on and I will detail the daily interactions I experience as a young, educated black male living in America.

Growing up with four older brothers, I have been conscious of how society views me for as long as I can remember.  I credit my parents, home life, personal experiences, and propensity for reading black literature, for helping me to see the world the way it is. Unfortunately, the bulk of young black men don't have a strong support system of brothers AND/OR a father figure to teach them how to navigate the proverbial cloud of white supremacy.  This causes a lack of knowledge that is essential to the SURVIVAL of black males in this country.

The Package
These days, I wear whatever clothes I want because I enjoy comfort while out running errands and whatnot.  Whether it's a tee shirt, polo shirt, jeans, khakis, or shorts, I make sure that my clothes fit properly and my pants aren't sagging. Why? Because if you look unkempt as a black male, people think you're a criminal.  Each day I have to be careful about the package that I present in public because otherwise, people will assume I'm just another "robbing, stealing, killing nigger."

I walk with a purpose, keep my head held high and I speak to all people using proper english because that's how I was raised.  I walk with my head up because I enjoy seeing the reactions of white folks and others when this skinny black guy is walking down the street.  Rarely do I see another black man during my ventures and if I do, they always get a hello or nod of recognition.  Others however, stare at the ground, clutch their purses tighter, walk faster, and my personal favorite, refuse to acknowledge your presence.  I see the looks and I know what they're thinking based on their facial and physical demeanor.  And these are just the cases of strangers whom I don't know and will never get to know.

These are just the little things that happen everyday that I notice.  There are always the store associates that follow me around the store, policeman shining their flashlights in my face whilst riding my bike home at night, the elementary school teacher that told me I'd never amount to anything, getting arrested and the cops letting my white friend go home free while me and two black dudes are sent off to jail, and the list goes on. . .

This is America
I don't let these things affect me anymore, because I expect it to happen.  This is America, a country founded on the backs of free labor and white supremacy.  They brought our ancestors here against their will, and now they don't want us here and will continue to kill and imprison us at every chance they get.  So black men, know that white supremacy exists and we are at the bottom of their hierarchy.

It's our job to survive and support our families, so don't even give them the opportunity to say they were "defending themselves" because as we know, it always ends with an acquittal or lack of indictment, and a dead black man.

Brothers
In order to get a better understanding of self, I urge my brothers to read the books of the past by black male authors.  Their stories are just as relevant today, if not more so.  We have to get an appreciation for what they went through in order to find your path and figure out how you can make a positive impact.  Some must reads include: Native Son by Richard Wright, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Alex Haley just to name a few.

It's not about hating white people, it's about loving yourself and your people.  We define the culture.  Know that you have worth!!  Black is Beautiful!!

"The price of hating other human beings is loving oneself less." - Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice

Peace
K. Plattinum

Summer Reading List: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Welcome back, scholars!

"You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love..."

Equipped with a mug of my favorite green tea, I stretched out on my sofa and lost myself in the journey that is 'The Alchemist'. I finished this adventure in less than 24 hours...I promise you, it was that good! 

The main character, whose name we never learn, is a young shepherd from Spain who possesses a burning desire to see and do things no other shepherd had ever done.  Simply by having the faith and courage to travel to foreign lands the young shepherd is able to learn invaluable lessons about sacrifice and the freedom that accompanies true love. 

The author, Paulo Coelho, knows all about sacrifice. The son of an engineer, Coelho constantly battled the expectation that he would be a straight-laced carbon copy of his father in the professional world. While his parents expected him to be a doctor or a lawyer, Coelho knew his destiny was to become a writer. Coelho holds no ill-will towards his parents despite their having him committed to a mental home because of his rebellious ways. In 'The Alchemist' Coelho imparts wisdom about true love, fear, and the urgency of following one's dreams.  Below are a couple takeaways from 'The Alchemist' I plan to use in my personal adventure.

1) Love Without  Ownership

"He tried to deal with the concept of love as distinct from possession, and couldn't separate them"

One of the dopest parts of this book was the love displayed for the main character by his love interest, the beautiful Fatima. In layman's terms, Fatima is "Ride or Die" personified! In spite of her desire to be married to the main character Fatima explains to him that marriage cannot precede him following his dream.  This quote from Fatima sums it all up: "If I am really apart of your dream, you'll come back one day....I want my husband to wander as as the wind...". Fatima's selflessness is amazing to me. She wanted to be with the main character and knew that all she had to do was tell him to stay and he would have with no questions asked! However, she knew the importance of fulfilling a dream. She displayed a truly unselfish love.

2) Fear

My takeaway? Fear has no place in the hearts of those who truly wish to fulfill their dreams. The fear of losing Fatima would have caused the main character to stay in her city completely putting off his desire to see the pyramids..content upon being her husband. However, as the alchemist later points out, this could drive a wedge in their relationship, with an unfulfilled husband on one hand and Fatima secretly blaming herself for her husband deciding not to pursue his dreams on the other. Always follow your heart! Only a self-serving love would require you put your dream on hold for them.

Coelho believes our dreams die young because we realize them at an early age, life gets in the way, and the next thing you know you're settled and nowhere near where you wished to be. The lesson here is to start pursuing your dream today! It's never too late to begin. The Alchemist is the perfect book for the transition into the Fall and I HIGHLY recommend it! Happy reading...

Photo Credit: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/mar/17/paulo-coelho-manuscript-found-in-accra

You can follow myself and Paulo Coelho on Twitter at @Chief_Platt and @paulocoelho respectively

Yours Truly,

The Lonely Blogger 

Peace

New King Chip!! #LazyAndLucrative Summer Rap Tunes

You know how we feel about King Chip over here at brotherspl (Peep our 44108 Mixtape review). Today on twitter Chip blessed us with a new summer jam produced by Blended Babies...perfect tune for rolling up and vibing with the homies or your lady if you're lucky enough to have one. Follow the link, CLICK PLAY AND ENJOY!

King Chip - Lazy And Lucrative (Prod. By Blended Babies)

Summer Reading List: Song of Solomon

After Fall, Summer is my favorite season for a variety of reasons. The beer tastes fresher, the days are longer..and of course, beautiful brown bodies are decorated in sundresses.  The long days are great for kicking back with a book and a young woman recently recommended I dive into Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison.

The book mostly follows Macon Dead, known in his neighborhood as Milkman, for reasons that make me uncomfortable to think about. Milkman's pops is a well to-do negro who sees money and ownership of property as the great equalizer. Throughout the book Milkman struggles with this concept, even though he perpetuates his father's behavior which ultimately alienates him from his community and even his own sisters at one point.

The general insanity and jaw dropping scenarios (necrophiliac incest, hidden bodies..) make this a pretty fun book to read however, there were also some pretty interesting themes that can definitely be relevant to a lot of black lives out there...Below I touch on what I gained most from this book, which was the importance of oral tradition.

Regardless of what mainstream white america will have you believe the effects of The Trans-Atlantic slave trade still, yes in 2014, have blasted jarring holes in our culture, in our history. This book really highlights the importance of oral tradition.  Because the history books are always written from the perspective of the conquerors, conversation with our elders is the only way we can know where we truly come from. Just like Milkman, a conversation with my mom, dad or granddad really gives me a sense of pride. My history begins, as told by my mother in Georgia and South Carolina with slave great-grandparents and sharecropper grandparents. These are people who had no rights and ultimately chose to flee the hold of the south for a better chance at life in Philadelphia and New Jersey. It's up to me to give these stories to my future seeds. Milkman only got to hear mythical stories about his great grandfather who may have been a runaway slave, but the little he heard definitely inspired him. It made me wonder about what my sense of self would be had my great grandparents been able to pass stories down to my grandparents...which could have ultimately trickled down to me. The moral of the story...get those oral histories while you still can! And hold on to them like gold!

Deuces...

RetroHash Album Review

Early Beginnings

Asher Roth's sophomore LP came out in late April, so I've had about a month to listen to it thoroughly. This much anticipated release shows lots of growth from Roth since his 2008 party anthem I Love College and Asleep in the Bread Aisle, his debut album.  Since then, Asher has released a bevy of mixtapes and an EP with Virginia rapper/producer Nottz, which has only boosted his lyrical and song making abilities.  This earlier Asher Roth and Kid Cudi freestyle shows both artists exceptional skills when it comes to controlling the mic.

Mixtapes

Seared Foie Gras with Quince & Cranberry shows Roth freestyling over a number of classic productions including The Diplomats' I'm Ready and Cam'Ron's Down.  Pabst & Jazz has Asher taking a unique approach by flowing over heavily jazz inspired production via Chuck Inglish, Blended Babies, and others.  These two tapes are my personal favorites and RetroHash contains the best elements from both works.

RetroHash Favorites

Parties at the Disco starts this album with a smooth sound and Ash singing about feeling wishful and partying at the disco.  Dude brings the Blended Babies (they produced the majority of the album) back for another sick track with flawless worldplay also featuring Curren$y.  Spitta and Roth talk about being that dude in an industry where most people compromise themselves.  The album continues with hippy-like dance tracks Tangerine Girl and Pull It until my favorite song, Fast Life featuring Vic Mensa.  On this song, we hear Asher talk about getting caught up in the fast life and the troubles of trying to grow up too quickly.  Last of the Flohicans has Asher putting his lyricism on display with three great verses (just listen to them).  Be Right has Major Myjah on the hook where Asher spits about keys to finding happiness in life.  

Summary

RetroHash finishes up as quickly as it starts - it's only 10 songs and 41 minutes long. I may not have done the album justice with my analysis.  However, each song contains musical elements and lyrics that show Roth's growth as an artist.  Get your copy asap!

Why I Hate Kerry Washington and Scandal

Now before you jump to any outlandish conclusions, I was once a huge fan of Kerry Washington.  However, her antics as of late have really just pushed a nerve with me.  I was first introduced to her when I watched the Spike Lee film, She Hate Me, in which she plays a lesbian and love interest to Anthony Mackie.  No problems with me here, mostly because of the great romance scenes she has with Anthony Mackie and Dania Ramirez (MY GOD!!).

Rise to Stardom

Since 2004, Washington has had unparalleled success by starring in numerous blockbuster films (including Ray, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Fantastic Four, The Last King of Scotland, I Think I Love My Wife, and several others).  I had to do some research and looked back at her older movies.  The Details (with Tobey Maguire), Lakeview Terrace (with Patrick Wilson), Fantastic Four (with whoever played The Thing), and The Last King of Scotland (with James McAvoy) were movies that contributed greatly to her success, where she just happens to be the love interest to some random white guy.

                                                      

Scandal

By 2012, Scandal comes out and she's the envy of women everywhere.  Starring in this television show, she's a "political fixer" who just happens to be having an affair with the President.  I watched the first season and enjoyed it . . . But the way she is portrayed in the show wouldn't allow me to continue watching the second season.  (I tried to watch the first episode and had to turn it off)  The show builds her up as this amazing, independent, smart black woman but for some reason she can't escape the grasp of the President. (Oh yeah, he's a white guy)

Recap
In conclusion, Washington is a huge star today, with young black women emulating her at every chance.  But as a black male, I just can't endorse the subliminal messages the show sends.  We criticize celebrities like Taye Diggs, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Kobe Bryant for their on and off camera interactions with white women, so how is it different for her?  . . . . 

P.S. I don't hate black women, I promise lol