TELL 'EM WHY YOU MAD: Rewind ... Stop the Pause!

Ok, so this has been on my rant list for some time now. Q knows. He's heard it from me time and time again. Can't hold it anymore. I'm pretty much done with this PAUSE phrase. I've never used it. Never will. Don't see why I would have the need. I'm assuming it derived from the "No Homo" fad that Cam'Ron of the Dipset crew started a while back when he was semi-relevant. That phrase, No Homo, I've also never used. Again, never will. Never have to.

I've heard of folks using the phrase "No Homo" and couldn't understand why. At first, I didn't know what it meant and even got confused when they nonchalantly threw it into conversations. And then I found out. So ... those that used it or still continue to use it do so when they just finished saying something sort of homosexual. Example, you can be talking about an artist, "I like Maxwell, no homo. His cd is hot." Ummm, yeah, no. It got so popular for good and bad reasons that I was even sent a youtube video of a guy explaining the evoultion of No Homo. Dude's name is Will Hatcher. And if you haven't seen it, take a look cause in my opinion, he clowns the hell out of it. Hope it makes more people quit using it.




So nowadays, and for a reason I'm oblivious to but happy about, No Homo is dying out, if not dead and buried. Now, people are saying PAUSE in place of it. I don't know where and when it was originated but it's still offensive and semi homophobic as much as No Homo. Is it a remix? Or the original sample? A reincarnated version that's come back to life to piss me off yet again? Or an unwanted ghost from the past? Same meaning, same usage. I, again clueless, don't know who created PAUSE, why they created it, or when. Maybe someone wanted some shine in this age of the internet. Make up a word, spread it fast and hope to become recognized. Who gives a damn?!

Seriously, people. Why? I can't seem to wrap my brain around this nonsense. It's so damn counterproductive. If I know you or who you are, for the most part, I'm sure I'd know if you're gay or not. And to be clear, that fact of whether you are or aren't gay is irrelevant. I don't care. It's pretty much useless information. I'm unquestionably not homophobic. I've worked with gay people, have gay relatives, associates, etc. I could care less. If it doesn't affect my life, money and bills, then do you. Live your life. So, this PAUSE ... let's examine it just a little bit more. Same as No Homo, people use PAUSE when saying something that sounds homosexual but is not to be taken as such. Even saw a clip of a sports reporter interviewing Spike Lee and inserting the word into their Q&A. Here's the clip ...



So moronic nevermind being so unprofessional. Do you really need to say it all the time you say something that sounds semi-gay? Are you afraid that someone might take it in a homosexual way? That someone might assume you're hiding in the closet dropping clues so that someone can help bring you out? If you're not gay, relax! People who know me would scratch their head in utter confusion if I ever used that. They know I'm not gay so why keep throwing in a disclaimer. "Hey, I just said something kinda gay, but, I'm not gay so what I said is not meant to be taken gay, so ummm, ok?!" Idiotic mess. It's like throwing a freaking flare up that actually brings attention to what was said which in turn forces the listener to stop listening, rewind what you said, scrutinize it, and then play it in there head to see if they can find the homosexuality in your words. YOU ARE BRINGING UNNEEDED ATTENTION TO YOURSELF FOR NO REASON. Stop it!!!! Still not convinced? Here's an example. What would you think if someone was telling you a story about a house that got robbed and they told the story like this...

"Yo, you heard what happened? My neighbors just got robbed last night. It wasn't me. They took everything, man. It's crazy. I had nothing to do with it. The flat screen tv, computers, yo, they even took the ride they had in the garage. Again, I didn't do it."

Tell me you wouldn't look at that person with a dumbfounded look like "Yo, why do you keep saying that? I don't think you'd do something like that. So chill. But the fact that you said it three times got me thinking. Why do you sound so guilty?"

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. Stupid. Nonsense. I'm a grown ass man. There is no way I'll be saying that dumb sh*t. I don't think the things I say are gay or should be taken that way. And if you are taking it that way, then maybe there's some evaluating you need to do within yourself. Maybe there's a doorknob you're searching for. If you're gay, be gay. If you're not, then you're not. Relax. No need to be scared about some unimportant mess. You don't hear gay men talking about "Her hair is very gorgeous, No Hetero". Although that would be hilarious. Hahaha. They don't sweat the B.S. Dudes grow up caring that their sexuality isn't a confusing issue to their so called peers. Your peoples are supposed to be the ones that know you the most. Dummies either way.

It's sad when you worry about what's thought by the people you don't care about and what it does to you. That's what you should PAUSE ... forever.

What are your thoughts?

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Check it ... Jessie J

A friend of mine put me on to Jessie J, a singer out of the UK. When I clicked the video link and she started singing, my jaw dropped. I was blown away by her voice.

But with musical inspirations like Prince, The Gap Band, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone, Tracey Chapman, Ray Charles, Madonna, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, James Brown and Mary J to name a few, you can’t be surprised by her remarkable voice. She has great taste in musicians, as she carves out her own musical sound.

She’s real soulful. She’s really talented and her music is dope.

According to her MySpace page, she inked a deal with Universal Republic Records earlier this year. This came after making some changes to her team and starting the year off fresh.

“It wasn’t about me going to America and running away from the UK or going to get a huge deal,” she wrote on her MySpace blog. “It was about finding the right home and I believe I had.”

Not only is she talented. She comes across as really humble too.

“You make me what I am and without you all I am nothing,” she wrote to her supporters on MySpace. “As I said, I could sing my heart out to an empty room but I would not be where I am if I did that. Jessi J would not be Jessie J without you.”

Check her music out. And crank up those speakers when you do.

www.myspace.com/musicjessiej



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Leroy Smith: Motivize! Pulverize! Realize!

"In tenth grade, I beat out MJ for the last spot on our varsity basketball team, igniting a fire that inspired him to greatness. Since then I have motivized countless people with my inspirational DVD series and workshops. Now, with the launch of my revolutionary website, I’m finally able to motivate the world, including Canada." - Leroy Smith

Behind every great athlete, is a great motivator. Rocky had Mickey. Tyson had Gus. Michael Vick had a pitbull. Dwight Howard has Patrick Ewing. Who is the motivator behind the greatness of Michael Jordan? It's Leroy Smith. Join Leroy in his quest to the basketball hall of fame.

"It takes a toll motivating the world and motivating yourself to motivate the world. However, for me I don't pay tolls. I use a speed pass," Leroy Smith.

Intro


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Part 4

www.getyourbasketballon.com

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Check It... FlashG

Check out a few tracks from FlashG. Came across dude via twitter and definitely digging his style. The Ohio native has a mixtape in the works, expected to drop June 30th. Check him out.

"You"


"Transformer"


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Check It ... OnCue "Other Side"

The homie OnCue has been working on this Cueyfornication project presented with IllRoots, Mick Boogie, Terry Urban and others for a minute. Basically it’s OnCue flowing over Red Hot Chili Pepper tracks. Pretty dope project! Other Side is his first leak from the project.

For more info: www.myspace.com/oncue

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Q&A With Stream of Consciousness

It was Stream Of Consciousness “It Will” track that initially caught my attention. He creates some real and thoughtful tracks and kind of has that political Dead Prez vibe to his music. And the dude is eclectic in his style.

The 26-year-old emcee out of Appleton (about an hour and a half North of Milwaukee) Wisconsin, grew up in a military family (which is part of the influence in his political messages in his music) so obviously he did a lot of moving and has called a lot of places home. He’s been to South Carolina to Hawaii to North Carolina, and then finally landed in Wisconsin in 2003.

“I really just needed a change of scenery,” he said.

Stream has been a long life music lover and started writing rhymes in high school.

“I was probably about 15,” Stream said. “However, I didn't record a track or perform anywhere until 2007. I'd like to think I've come a long way in that short time.”

What does he sound like? Well, just peep his MySpace description, "The Truth. Freedom. Revolution. Enlightenment. Knowledge. Power. Respect. Love. Unity. Reality. Progress. Hip-hop"

The dude is dope.

We reached out to Stream for this Q&A. Check it out.

Where did the name Stream of Consciousness come from?

Well, I think that an emcee's name should have a real meaning behind it. So I never really put any thought into a name, although at that point I was just writing rhymes. I hadn't done an open mic or recorded a track yet. But the name Stream Of Consciousness just kind of came to me one day while I was writing a rhyme. In fact I believe I used it in a verse and had a sort of eureka moment.

How would you describe your style?

Eclectic… That's kind of a tough question. I'd like to say that I don't think I necessarily fit into one specific style of rhyming. I am always trying to experiment and it is only in the last year or so that I have started to really find myself and become more comfortable experimenting.

Who do you work with on your music?

I hate to admit it but MySpace has been a blessing as far as connecting with like-minded musicians. I'm lucky to work with people whom I have the utmost respect for and vice versa. And I have no doubt we will continue to make music for years to come. You can pretty much peruse my top friends on MySpace to find the people I work with the most. In fact, I recommend you guys do that. Show some love!! LOL.




Your rhymes have a lot of political themes? How did that start?

Guess I'm just a product of my environment. As I said in an earlier question, I grew up in a military family. My father retired as CWO3 after nearly 22 years of service in the Marine Corps. So politics and the military have been a constant force in my life … for better or for worse. I have been in tune to world events since I was a child. And not to sound like a one man missionary, but I can't watch people suffer without at the very least speaking out about it.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I did not mention my musical influences. I always gravitated towards conscious/political music. My absolute favorite band is Rage Against The Machine. They have without a doubt had the biggest influence on me as far as music goes. Bob Marley also comes to mind. Public Enemy is pretty high up on my list as well. My favorite emcee though would have to be Talib Kweli. I'm dying for that new Reflection Eternal album!! I'm a fan of pretty much the whole Rawkus family from back in the day. Shout out to Mos, Pharoahe, Com and Black Thought as well!! Funny enough, a lot of people assume Immortal Technique would be at the top of my influences ... but I never actually heard a Tech track until about 2004. However, I do consider myself very much a fan of his work now.

You can obviously rhyme, but why not just take those dope beats and that skill and make some radio friendly joints?

LOL...I wouldn't know where to start.

In your opinion, what's the state of music?

I think music as a whole is doing pretty well ... although I am not finding too many new acts that really pique my interest these days. Most of these so-called rock bands just don't cut it in my opinion. Of course, I'm getting older now so a lot of the artists I grew up on are no longer making music. While the new artists just don't really appeal to me. I do think the market is oversaturated, especially hip-hop.

If you could change something about the industry, what would it be?

I'm sick of hearing the same recycled crap over and over. In fact, that is one of the reasons I avoid the radio if possible and can't recall the last time I turned on MTV or BET. I know the industry is designed for the fake shit, and it's profitable for these labels to push the trash but it's still a bit depressing. Who can you blame though? It's easy to point the finger at record companies and A&Rs but I think some of the blame lies with us artists and even the consumer as well for purchasing some of the crap these so called artists are churning out.

What projects are you currently working on?

Well, I am finishing up the writing for my debut album "The Pentagon Papers" which I hope to have ready by this summer. I've been slacking a bit lately though. I have a ton of collaborations in the works with various artists I've met online and even a few locals as well. Most notably my dude Verse The Villain. We are planning on doing an entire album together later this year. I want to finish my album up first though and hopefully it will do well enough to allow me to do a bit of touring either this year or in early 2010. Guess I'll just have to see where it takes me!!

www.myspace.com/uninterruptedstreamofconsciousness

www.reverbnation.com/StreamOfConsciousness

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Slow Jam The News: California Economy

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TELL 'EM WHY YOU MAD: The De-evolution of Customer Service

A good friend of The Mad Bloggers posted this comment on one of our earlier posts about horrible customer service. We felt that this was too good to be buried a few pages back in a comment. Check it.

I recently went to a mini-mart to purchase one of my favorite drinks, a Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino. After grabbing my drink I made my way to the checkout counter, contemplating the cold creamy delight that was destined to hit my pallet very soon, this is where I had a revelation. The “Lead Sales person”, (I call her this because it said so on her badge), grunts for my attention, not greeted, I guess this meant she was ready to ring me out. I gave her my credit card to purchase my drink and after it was all said in done I said, “Thank you” in which I received another grunt, which meant the transaction was over. The question I asked myself as I was walking out the door of the mini-mart was, when did we revert back to the Neanderthal-like style of customer service? And where is this coming from? This isn’t the first time I received this type of service (Dell), it’s just the first time I actually sat back and thought about it.

Before joining the military I worked seven years in the retail business, from crappy beginnings at CVS to not as crappy endings as a manager at the Electronics Boutique (now Gamestop a.k.a. EB). Through all of these very hard and frustrating times I’ve always maintained my quality of service from greeting to farewell, from old promotions to new promotions. I hated my jobs. I had nothing but clear and outright disdain for the task of pandering to the sometimes undeserving customer, but I knew if I did anything less than pander my job would be in jeopardy. The quality of service that I provided was a direct reflection of who I was and how I was brought up and I couldn’t see myself breaking those vows that I made intravenously. To explain a little further of how much I hated my job here is a direct quote that I said at the closing of one of my holiday shifts at the EB, “I hate my F#$king job, G@#da#$it...” But with that I still provided that best service that I could muster at that time for my customers.

The thing that bewilders me the most is the state that our country is now, financially. There are people that can’t even find a job at McDonald’s and here we have “customer service reps” taking a large ill spirited dump on the retail industry. Where is the accountability? These jerks need to know that their job is at risk for anything less than favorable customer service and every minute of every day that this is not happening is a push out the door of employment to the unemployment line. If you don’t like to smile or greet people go work in a factory or something or maybe in a morgue, I promise you won’t get any complaints there. Oh yeah to you companies that want to save from your bottom line by outsourcing quit it. If I have to call Dehli to speak to 15 idiots that I can’t understand and they can’t understand me, I’m going to flip. Also, I know your game your name is not really “Greg”, so stop it.

Sorry about that I had to vent a little.

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Tha Lady Blogga Update: And baby makes ...

So it was true… Kimora Lee Simmons had baby-in-tow and used good ole Twitter to confim that she gave birth to a baby boy with actor Djimon Hounsou.  From the look of the hospital pic, she looked FABULOUS, even while in labor. 

She posted this announcement on Twitter  on @BabyPhat “It’s a boy! Thanks to everyone out there for all your well wishes! More to come. Thank God. And God Bless! Kimora + Djimon Love & Light, KLS”.  

Hounsou and Simmons “dating” rumors started flying shortly after she and icon Russell Simmons divorced in 2008.  Lee Simmons has 2 daughters from that 10 year reunion, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons.  Baby and mother are doing well and she assures us in her Twitter message that there will be “More to come”… Does she mean news or babies??  

Star & Buc Wild on Kimora & Djimon relationship

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Music Monday: Dwele - "Vain"

Figured I put some input on Music Monday as well. Been zonin' out to this track over the weekend and once more today. Love the lyrics on here because whether about music or whatever it is that you love to do, it rings true. Dope song all around. CHeck it out.....



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Music Monday: Convinced - "Miss Memory"

Continuing with our Music Monday, I threw the iPod on shuffle and came across this week's track. This is Miss Memory off the Refreshing mixtape from Convinced, released a few months back. Pretty dope song and thought I would throw it out there! Happy Monday!

www.myspace.com/convincedmusic

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Check It ... K'naan "Dayless Nite"

Never heard of dude? Well, you should. He's amazing. We've featured him a few times on the blog. He also keeps it political and have discussed the Somali pirate situation several times too. The dude is dope! Check out this remix of Cudi's Day 'N Nite ... Dayless Nite (click to download)

K'naan response to South Park episode on Somali Pirates

K'naan talks about Somali Pirates

[Leak via @iamknaan and @wale via twitter]

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