Childhood Memories.

Classic song. Reminds of when I was little and my uncles would be playing this shit from their cars loud as hell.

The Pain.

Well, I finally got my nose pierced. I've been wanting this since like, oh I don't know...forever. It wasn't really planned, though. I went with my boyfriend, because he was already planning on getting half a sleeve, and I was there, so I decided to just go for it. It was done pretty quickly, but it did hurt like a bitch. Fun times.

On another note, whatever happened to Res? The only thing I've heard her on as of late was a song she did with Evidence on his album. Anyway, I can't stop listening to this:

The Dirty South.

Candy paint. Purple Stuff. Slabs. Many people ask, "Does the south stand for anything with substance?" And many people reply, "No!" Well, I think that's absolutely false. As person who was born and raised in the city of Houston, Texas, my opinion may be biased, but no more biased than those who hail from New York or Chicago or L.A. and swear that these places are where hip-hop's greatest talents originate from. First of all, let's get something straight, I do not advocate "Bust it Babies" nor do I "Superman dat ho" or "Get silly", these are only a small portion of what represents southern hip-hop, just like people were "Chicken Noddle Soupin" it or doing the "Aunt Jackie", those do not represent the vast amount of talent that can be found in the Big Apple.

It never fails that people will bash something, especially a culture, that they have absolutely no understanding of. They look at people from the south and all they see are backwards ass bamas, ignorant motherfuckers, who drive '96 Oldsmobiles and have a mouth full of golds. Well, the golds and preference for 90s cars may be accurate, but people can't seem to look past this. These people, are extremely strong and intelligent, whether they realize it or not is something else. These are the same people who stuck it out through slavery, the reconstruction era, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, and the racism that they still experience in the post-Civil Rights era.

Most of these people use music as means of expression, just like any person who is passionate about music, regardless of the genre. We all feel pain, joy, love, pride; there is no feeling that is exclusive to any human being. So when I listen to different artists, this is what I look for. When I listen to a person like Devin the Dude, I feel like he's just a regular dude. Should his lyrics be offensive to me as a female? Sure, but this is not the point I'm trying to make. You listen to his music and you can tell instantly that what you're getting is real, there are no false images to portray, no need to impress you with his superstar girlfriend or his brand new Maybach (and you know you that shit is completely unrelatable anyway). Or when I listen to say, Z-Ro. Does he depress me most of the time? Yes. But there is a sense of vulnerability and expressiveness (no trying to sound girly) that most artists leave out these days. Every song has a story to tell and no, it's the happiest of stories, but it is real and it is honest; something a lot of music lacks. And what about Scarface? This dude is your like your favorite rapper's rapper. No, seriously those artists that you call the "Greatest Rapper Alive" or whatever moniker you'd like to give them, look up to this man and what's crazy is people who call themselves fans of hip-hop have never given this man a listen. He, along with Willie D, and Bushwick Bill brought southern hip-hop to the forefront and introduced to the world the hidden talent of the south.

And what about: UGK, Outkast, Goodie Mob, T.I., Chamillionaire, Trae, H.A.W.K., Fat Pat, Lil Keke, 8ball & MJG, Cunninlynguists, David Banner, Juvenile, Slim Thug, 3 6 Mafia, K-Rino, Little Brother, E.S.G., Dead Prez, Killer Mike, Trick Daddy, Lil Wayne (c'mon you know he has potential ala Carter, Carter II, Dedication, and Dedication 2). Ok, I'm not trying to push these artist as the greatest lyrical talents, but the point is that there is talent buried underneath all these dance crazes that seem to be cropping up from the south. We're not all on the dance floor acting a damn fool, although there is nothing wrong with that from time to time.

Point is this: people who completely bash the south for having no soul, no talent, no depth, only look for what they want and no further than that. And probably take themselves way too damn seriously anyway.

LOL.

N.3.R.D. or Seeing Sounds?! Who Cares, Just Give Me a New N.E.R.D. Album.

Apparently, their cd, which was supposed to drop this spring, has been pushed back to a June release and it has also been renamed to Seeing Sound. Oh, silly boys. Whatever, just give me something new to jam to, because as much as I love Pharrell, he as solo artist just isn't cutting it. I still love In My Mind though! I kind of wish he would go back to how he was circa 2002-2004. Y'know, with the trucker hats and scruffy face? Like this:

Current Obsessions

So, everyone has those moments where they just cannot get enough of certain things (or people). I think every week or so (depending on how much I'm obsessing), I will make a top five list what I am currently interested in. Here it goes:

1. Zoe Kravitz is on top of my list. Seriously, this girl is incredibly beautiful; definitely a perfect combination of Lenny and Lisa. She also has an awesome sense of style and not to mention she gets to call Ben Foster her man! Lucky chica. I'll add some Ben in this post too.

2. The Art of Storytelling Pt.4- Outkast feat. Marsha Ambrosius. I know this song has been out for a while, but I cannot get enough of this song! It just rides on through and makes me want more from the 'Kast. The horns...man, I love horns in hip-hop songs (refer to Dey Know and Spottieottiedopalicious). Both Big Boi and and Mr. 3000 came correct and Marsha, well I've always liked her since Floetry, she's a very talented woman. I need a new Outkast album.

3. Iron Man is my third obsession of the moment! Um, first of all I have soft spot for Mr. Robert Downey Jr. and from what I've seen he is going to kick ass in this movie. So, yay! This needs to come out ASAP.

4. Next is Jamie Bell. Ok, I've never seen that movie where he did ballet (I can't think of the name of the movie right now), but I did see the shitfest that is Jumper and he is the only thing that made me even somewhat enjoy the movie, mostly cause he's nice to look at and he has a really lovely accent. Ever since, I just want more of him.

5. Last, but of course not least, is my main squeeze, the ever so fly, Ms. Erykah Badu. I haven't checked out her latest cd yet, but I will be getting on it. What I have been doing is listening to a lot of her older stuff and seriously this gal always speaks the truth (to me). I cannot ever tire of her, she's just so fierce (for lack of better word) it's sometimes too much for me to comprehend. "Cause Ms. Badu's always coming for real and you know the deal...nigga."

Alright, I'm done for now.

Did You Realize That You Were a Champion (In Their Eyes)

I definitely cannot wait for this concert. May 2nd needs to hurry up and get here as quickly as possible. The best tickets that I could get were uncovered reserved on the right hand side, which isn't the greatest, but it's a lot better than being on the lawn. I'm also super stoked (Yes, stoked!) to see N.E.R.D. and Lupe, especially Lupe (I heard he puts on a pretty good show). The one person I could care less about seeing though is Rihanna. I mean seriously, did they just decide that any female artist would do? Rihanna?!? Ugh. I guess I can stomach it for a little bit, but there is only so much of that nasally voice I can take. They should've gotten Ms. Badu to tour with them; now that would be HOT. Yessir.