Why "The College Dropout" Was Genius

Kanye West has probably lost his mind. 

He recently began selling white tees for $120, he just released an album with God as the only featured artist, and - perhaps craziest of all - he got Kim Kardashian pregnant. Musically, Kanye has always pushed the envelope, but his latest album (which he sacrilegiously titled "Yeezus") went over most of our heads because he seemed to push the envelope a bit too far. 

It's easy to look at these current events and categorize Kanye as just another egocentric, maniacal celebrity. But it would be a true shame if new Kanye made us all forget the genius of old Kanye. I'm not going to rehash his entire musical catalog, as there would be way too much material to cover. However, I will spend the rest of this post explaining why his debut album, "The College Dropout," was genius.

Problems in Black America: Who's To Blame?

I know I haven't been maintaining this blog on a very consistent basis, which I'm sure you're also aware of. Between work and other hobbies, I have let this site diminish to nothing more than an avenue through which I rant about random topics that come to mind and require more writing than Facebook or Twitter will allow. I'm fine with that, because the other day I had another conversation that inspired me to revisit this website. 

Black people in America are generally undereducated, underprivileged, and underpaid when compared to the majority (read: white) race in this country. This isn't news, so I'll spare the statistics. However, there are various differences of opinion when we think about why things are this way. 

Some black people feel that White America actively tries to keep us down in every possible aspect because they all secretly wish we were still slaves. Other black folks feel that black people's position in this country is due to their own failure to better themselves. These are usually blacks who are either upper- or middle-class and feel that no other black person should be given an excuse because, after all, if they made something of themselves, then why can't we all?

I look at both of these viewpoints as skewed and ignorant.

The Curve: A Cautionary Tale

As a single 20-something living in a major city, I'm well aware of the many facets and intricacies of The Curve. I've received it. I've administered it. It is a powerful tool that is being used daily by the millions of young Americans that find ourselves engulfed in this dating world so affectionately known as "the game."

So, many of you might wonder, what is The Curve?

I could be lazy and just give you the definition as it appears in a slang dictionary or redirect you to how it is used on twitter. But, I'm hard-working. So if I were to define it myself, I would say The Curve is any unwanted or unexpected redirection given towards a person who is romantically interested in you. I like to think of any consensual relationship between two people that are mutually interested in each other kind of like parallel lines. I give you what you give me, and everyone's happy. The Curve comes into play when someone decides to divert from that give-and-take exchange and throw the other person off track. Essentially, to Curve is to say, "I see what you're trying to do, but I'm not feeling you THAT heavy, so I'm gonna play you just enough to push you to the side without rejecting you completely, just in case I change my mind later." However, The Curve comes in many ways, shapes and forms. This post was created to define some common Curves so that you can recognize when The Curve is happening to you.

The Benefits of Insecurity

Sunday night, a friend of mine presented me with an interesting question. She asked, "Do males worry about their appearance as much as females do?" My answer, of course, was no. She then wondered why, and I told her that men aren't subjected to the same physical standards and expectations that women are. Whether fair or unfair, women are often judged by their looks. While a favorable appearance surely benefits a man, I feel that males are judged more by their wit & personality than simply by how attractive they are. (My views on these judgment differences apply not only to judgment in romantic situations, but also to the ways we are judged in the work force. Men are rarely hired for their good looks, and women often complain about their struggles to be taken seriously as intellectuals.)

Our back and forth eventually led to the topic of insecurity; specifically, are men as insecure as women? And is media to blame for all of our insecurities??

Watching, Hoping & The Unknown

Considering my hatred for LeBron & his manufactured band of brothers that has been ongoing since the start of the NBA season, you would think it would be relatively easy for me to put my thoughts into words the day after the Miami Heat lost in the NBA Finals. After all, this is what I wanted. But honestly, I had some trouble deciding where to start.

Throughout the regular season and into the playoffs, I watched and hoped. I watched "The Decision" and hoped the rumors of him choosing Miami were incorrect. I watched the Heat's premature celebration last July and hoped that they'd regret it by never winning a championship. I watched their 5-game losing streak in March and hoped it was a sign that indicated some internal flaw in the makeup of a roster that most thought was inherently unfair. I watched their "fan base" suddenly grow and hoped that those same fair-weather fans would somehow get hit by a truck as big as the bandwagon that they jumped onto. But most importantly, I watched all of their games. And I hoped to see them lose.

Why Kool Herc is a Big Deal

I recently found out via the internets that DJ Kool Herc was suffering from a major illness and was just released from the hospital due to what some people are saying was kidney problems. Currently, he's home, but he's in need of further surgery and still has outstanding hospital bills. The problem is that he doesn't have the money to pay them.

For those that don't know, DJ Kool Herc (born Clive Campbell) is the man widely credited for originating the sound that we now know as hip-hop. At 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx, NY, Herc looped beat breaks in old records to create the first semblance of the boom-bap sound that has come to define hip-hop music. Basically, he's the James Naismith of this hip-hop sh*t.

As someone who is passionate about hip-hop music, it obviously bothers me that Herc is in this position. However, I understand that hip-hop in the late 1970s was not as lucrative as it is today, especially not for DJs who weren't even vocal artists. In fact, I don't even think this is the first instance we've seen of a rap pioneer being financially strapped. But my issue isn't so much with the fact that he needs the money. My real problem is that we even know about it.

My Favorite YouTube Clips

YouTube. The greatest way to waste time since 2005. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to YouTube to watch a video and found myself repeatedly clicking on those related videos on the right toolbar. Next thing I know, I've been watching videos for the past hour, and I can't even remember what brought me to YouTube in the first place. I remember during my sophomore year of college when YouTube had just begun to get popular, my college roommate and I would spend countless hours on YouTube just wasting time. Before I knew it, it would be 2:43 in the morning and I'd realize that I still wasn't done with that essay that was due in 6 hours. However, I wouldn't want you to suffer from the same procrastination penalties that haunted me. So, listed below are my favorite YouTube videos, the ones that I've enjoyed sharing with my friends time and time again. I'm sure there are some that I've forgotten, but such is life. Without further ado...

It's All Greek to Me

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I did some volunteer work. For the holiday season, one of the local churches I attend conducted an outreach service through which they delivered Thanksgiving meals to at-need families around the DC metro area. I was part of the loading & unloading team, which took 250 meal boxes off the delivery truck and then loaded them into the cars of the volunteers who were to present the meals to the families. After all of the volunteers had left, there were still about 50 boxes left unaccounted for. (Translation: multiple volunteers who had signed up to help deliver boxes didn't show up. Sigh.) So, the rest of us volunteers who were still there took what was left and helped to deliver the meals to the families that were expecting the boxes.

Why am I mentioning any of this? As I was heading home after volunteering, for some reason, Black fraternities and sororities came to mind. When I was in college, I remember the Greeks always mentioning volunteering as their main contribution to society as an organization. I always found it to be somewhat ironic whenever their community service was brought up, because for the most part, very little of it was ever made public. As a college student who never pledged, the things I most associated with Greeks were step shows, hearing them brag about their pledging process, and their strolling getting in my way when I was trying to dance up on a chick at a party. For this reason, I always wondered why these seemed to be the prevalent things that separated them from the rest of us instead of the alleged community service that was supposed to be the foundation for their organizations in the first place.

Furthermore, when you look at the mission statements for the NPHC fraternities, every one of them has a focus on providing service to the community (with the exception of Kappa Alpha Psi, whose only concern seems to be "being really good at everything"). I find it strange that service is such a common theme, yet most of the volunteer service being provided is done in private, unbeknownst to the rest of the college community. How can you attract like-minded individuals with your good deeds if they don't even know that it's being done?

Chivalry Is Sooo 20th Century...

We all know the facts. We've all heard the statistics, read the books, and watched the specials. Most educated black women are single. Sure, 50% of marriages in America end in divorce, but these chicks can't even get married to know what divorce feels like. There have been too many reports, too many books from comedians, and too many blog posts addressing the issue. Hell, I even talked about it on this blog a while ago. So I won't even bother to belabor the point any further. It is what it is.

Anyway, I found myself on this blog the other day, and I was really enjoying the posts and the blogger's point of view. After some perusal, I stumbled upon this post. The video in particular got me thinking, specifically the part when they pointed out that 42% of black women have never been married. They went on to say that because black women outnumber black men by so much, even if every black man in the country married a black woman, 1 out of every 12 black woman would still wind up single. Wow. Then when you eliminate the ones without an education and the ones in jail, the pickings for black women becomes quite slim.

Why Advice is Stupid

"I always call n*ggas fools for wanting to learn the hard way/ When I'm really the fool for tryna teach 'em" - Joe Budden

Very often, I find myself in situations where I see someone I know about to make a bad decision. Very often, of course, because people are idiots. Now, when faced with these situations, I have one of two options. I can either a.) try to intercede and stop them from making an ill-advised move, or b.) sit back and watch them fail miserably. Choice b is obviously more enjoyable, since other people's failures make me feel better about my own life. Unfortunately, there are a few people in this miserable world that I actually care about (who knew?), in which case I feel compelled/obligated to offer some advice.

To be completely transparent, I must admit that most of my advice comes from a very selfish place. As a man that thinks he always knows best, I enjoy being able to tell people why I'm right and they're wrong. I take pleasure in proving to other people that I'm smarter than them. And in several occasions, they will even admit to such by letting me know just how wise and superior I am. Responses such as, "That's a great point!" or "I never looked at it that way!" or "You are an amazing genius! I'm lucky to know you!" typically let me know that my job is complete. I have imparted my knowledge on your wretched soul, and now you are forever indebted to my beautiful mind.

BUT...

There is an inherent problem in all of this.

The Twitter Rules

Last time I discussed Twitter on this site, I was making fun of it. I said that I didn't see the point of it, and I said that I would never start an account.

I lied.

I got an Twitter account sometime last fall, and I've noticed a number of benefits that weren't evident before I joined the site. For one, I like that I can follow publications and celebrities to get up-to-the-minute information on new stories, or new material from my favorite artists. I also like being able to share links instantly with friends without having to wait for them to check their Facebook profile. So yeah, it's not all bad.

Having said that, though, I must admit that I can only check up on Twitter periodically. If I go on too often, I usually just get frustrated. Why, you ask? Well, because most of the tweets I see on my timeline are bullsh*t. Now, this isn't a knock at any specific people that I follow (OK, maybe it is), but I just feel like a lot of people put inconsequential stuff on Twitter without realizing that no one cares at all. Twitter is supposed to be used as a social networking tool, but I find that far too many people use it just to write down all of their thoughts, as if Twitter were some sort of a public journal. Or the Internet's equivalent of talking to yourself out loud. I don't mean to be rude, but trust that neither I nor any of your other followers care that you're craving IHOP or that you lost your favorite pair of socks. That's not interesting. So, to help some of your hapless saps who tweet without any discretion, I have come up with three very simple rules to make your tweets more follow-friendly. I find that if your tweets fall outside of these three basic tenets, you're probably just typing nonsense. I call them "The Twitter Rules."

Why LeBron James Is A Bitch

Yesterday, I was online checking out new music and I saw something that caught my attention. Gucci Mane had a new song featuring Talib Kweli. If you know anything about hip-hop, you understand why this is a big deal. Kweli has made a career for himself by being a top-notch lyricist with socially conscious rhymes, while Gucci's rhymes are mostly about jewelry and not much else. As someone who's been following Kweli's career closely, I was truly disappointed. And I wasn't the only one; when he mentioned on Twitter last month that he might do a song with Gucci, a number of his fans got so upset that they unfollowed him. He might think that his fans are being close-minded, but I understand why they were bothered. For someone with Kweli's talent and skill, doing songs with a hack of an artist for the sake of some publicity and a nice paycheck is a slap in the face to the people who have been riding with him since day one. It's a middle finger to the people who know he's better than Gucci, and it almost tells them that he would rather dumb it down with rappers worse than him than display his skills on his own.

I'll give one more (weaker but still slightly appropriate) parallel. In the movie "The Godfather Part II", Mafia leader Michael Corleone is almost killed in an assassination attempt at his home. Although the attempt is unsuccessful, Michael draws the conclusion that the attempt had to have been carried out with the help of someone within his inner circle. Come to find out, the betrayer was his brother Fredo, who accidentally let some secret information slip to some people who wanted Michael dead. When Michael approaches Fredo, he grabs his face, kisses him, and tells him, "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart." After that, Fredo is as good as dead to Michael, who acts as if Fredo never existed. Towards the end of the movie, Michael eventually welcomes Fredo back into his life. But then in the end, he has him killed.

What LeBron James did last night reminded me a little of both Talib Kweli and Fredo Corleone. Choosing Miami was like doing a song with Gucci Mane. It was a complete disregard for his skill, and he deferred to a lesser talent instead of creating a better product on his own. Leaving Cleveland was like Fredo betraying Michael. Although the intent may not have been malicious, he could have single-handedly destroyed an entire organization.

Which brings me to the title of this post: Why I think LeBron James is a bitch.

NBA 2010 Wrap-Up

Well, the season is over. Good playoffs, great final game, congrats to the Lakers. Now that that's out the way, I'd like to make a few notes on some observations I made throughout the playoffs that leave some questions for next season (considering there isn't a lockout).

• LeBron James - I've already talked about his free agency, but I think his losing in the second round raises a different question: is he really the key to a title? Has LeBron proven that he will be able to lead a team to a championship? He's super talented, there's no denying that. But I'm not yet convinced that he's going to guarantee his next team a trip to the Finals. People always compare him to Magic Johnson, but as of right now, he's a lot more like Dominique Wilkins.

• Boston Celtics - What happens now? Kevin Garnett isn't great anymore, Ray Allen is a free agent, Sheed might retire, and Doc Rivers might not come back as coach. On top of all that, Tom Thibodeau, the assistant coach that runs their daunted defense, is leaving to be the Bulls' head coach. This whole team could potentially blow up and be a bottom-feeder. What a shame. (Who am I kidding? That would be great. I hate this team.)

• Dirk Nowitzki - He has a player option on next season and has stated that he'll be testing free agency. There have even been rumors of him maybe signing with the Suns to reunite with his BFF Steve Nash... I do think he should leave Dallas (they're not getting any closer than 2006* again, let's face it), but I don't think Phoenix is the best option. An all-offense player on an all-offense team? And how can he and Frye coexist? I think he fits in better with Chicago, but I guess we'll see if he even leaves at all.

The Summer of LeBron

You see that picture? Pretty good, right? He looks nice in that orange and blue, don't you agree?

I think so. Of course, that clearly has everything to do with my being a Knicks fan, and us not having a star in God knows how long (although David Lee made the All-Star Game this year, shout-out to him). Considering his free agent status is t-minus 42 days, nothing would be better for us than seeing LBJ play in MSG.

Of course, we all knew this was coming. LeBron's impending free agency has been anticipated for the past 2 or 3 seasons, and the Knicks (along with a few other teams) have been preparing for it. Hiring Donnie Walsh as our General Manager was a great first step, as he's been able to give us the salary cap space that the last two losers spent so much time trying to throw away. But even after we had the money, I still had one concern: the Cleveland Cavaliers. I knew that if LeBron won a championship with the Cavs, the likelihood of him leaving would probably diminish. After all, what superstar leaves a team after they win a title?

As we all know now, that didn't happen. Despite winning 61 games this season, the Cavs blew it in the second round, losing to the Celtics in a Game 6 in which they didn't even seem to be trying at times. Personally, I was ecstatic. I was rooting for them to lose for my own selfish reasons, and it was probably the first time I rooted for Boston since 2002. When it was all over, Knicks fans everywhere rejoiced. Our chance had come! For a team that hasn't been to the Finals in 11 years, the Cavs' loss was our biggest win in years.

But what now? Free agency doesn't start until July 1, yet it still hasn't stopped everyone from speculating where LeBron might go and what his reason for going will be. I've heard he was staying in Cleveland because he's a loyal native of Ohio. I've heard he was leaving the Cavaliers because Delonte West slept with his mother. I've heard he would only sign with a team if they hired John Calipari as a coach. I've heard he was going to Chicago to play with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. I've heard it all. And then, of course, there's Worldwide Wes.

Truth is, none of us really know where LeBron will end up. He's getting the max contract either way, so you know there are only a number of teams that are capable of getting him (including the Cavs, who can actually offer him the most money due to the Larry Bird Exception). Do I hope he goes to New York? Of course. Will I cry if he doesn't? Of course. But I won't pretend that I know he'll definitely be a Knick, because I don't. Realistically? I think it's between us, the Cavs, and the Bulls. Because Miami is Wade's town, and who really wants to play for the Clippers, Nets, Wizards or Kings?

In the end, though, all I can do is hope. Because no one really knows. So if you hear any more news about where LeBron will go this summer, just ignore it. Chances are, they're just making up some news to keep themselves entertained since this year's playoffs have been so boring. Oh well.

Successful Black Women... You Mad??

Last night, I was lurking around on Twitter when I started to notice a few people commenting on ABC Nightline's latest special entitled, "Why Can't a Successful Black Woman Find a Man?" Provocative title, but it's nothing we as black people haven't already discussed ad nauseum. I was watching the NBA Playoffs, so I didn't bother to switch channels, but after I saw some outstanding responses from a number of people on twitter, I decided to see what all the fuss was about. So I logged onto Nightline's website to check the special out for myself.

Personally, I found the special to be well done, and felt that there were a lot of things discussed that weren't a part of the usual discussion on this topic. For one, I especially liked the point Hill Harper made about black men and women failing to be each other's friends. He argued that much of the disconnect between genders come from a lack of communication. When women get man advice from other women and men get woman advice from other men, everybody ends up being misinformed.

I also enjoyed Steve Harvey's point that many successful black women refuse to date men that aren't on the same social level that they're on, but they fail to realize that they are often the key piece that a man needs to get to that level. Harper repeatedly talked about dating a man for his potential as opposed to dating a man for what he currently has, and I'm not sure if the women on the panel ever really grasped what he meant at the end of the night.

Above all, I believe that the best point raised came at the end of the night from a woman in the audience.

Playboy, Passes, & A Racist Penis

I'm sure this topic has been beaten to death in the blogosphere over the past week, and I may be late in discussing it (especially in this instant message-twitter-google buzz world we live in), but eff it. I feel like talking about it anyway, not only because I like to look at my own words (which I do), but also because I don't think it's been discussed from my particular point-of-view.

After John Mayer's Playboy interview leaked (click here to read it), there were two things that I saw everyone up in arms about: his racist penis and his ownership of a "nigger pass." Now, as a black man who's not only super-proud of his heritage but also someone who has made a number of public statements about my love for black women, I guess I was supposed to be annoyed and bothered by Mayer's statements. I should call him a racist, ban his alleged "hood pass" and tell everyone to boycott his music. But guess what? I'm not doing any of that stuff. And to be honest, I wasn't even offended by what he said.

If you're surprised/shocked/appalled by my lack of concern, I would implore you to go and read the interview for yourself. I say that, of course, because I'm willing to bet that most of the people who were upset by Mayer's statements didn't even read the context from which the statements came. As a product of a journalism education, I'm well aware that a quote without the proper context can sound completely different than how it was meant to sound. But when you read the article, you'll see that neither of his "offensive" quotes were actually meant in a racist way. I'm convinced that the same people who were quick to get offended either didn't read the article or misunderstood the context from which the quotes came. Let's explore...

What Women Want

"Girrrrrl, lemme tell you... It's like everything was going so well, you know? But then, it seems like the more I get to know him, he just... ugh, I don't know. It's like he just doesn't get it! Why doesn't he get it?? Why doesn't he UNDERSTAND me??"

Famous conversation piece amongst women, no? In fact, how many women reading this haven't been in this very discussion? It seems that girls often talk about how little we men know about their desires and needs in the context of a relationship. And quite frankly, that's because we don't. But although I will be the first to admit that women are damn near impossible to figure out (much less to please), I do think there are a number of very basic needs that every woman looks for in men that they are attracted to. Simple desires that even we should be able to figure out. So, for the benefit of any man who may read this blog, I have listed what I believe to be the five most basic things that the average woman will require from a significant other...

1. Good conversation
Let's be honest here: Women love to talk. This is no surprise. And depending on the individual, she may want nothing more than for your ass to just listen to her and pretend to be interested. But of course, if the woman is any more than an incessant chatterbox, she's gonna want you to do some talking as well. Anyone can text, but can you put in work on the phone? Too many of us guys just don't know how to keep good, intriguing conversation, and I'm willing to bet that that's a major turn-off for a lot of women. Try to show her that you have some sort of intellect, because keeping a woman intrigued is way more important than getting her to think you're cute.

2. Keep her smiling/laughing
Although I've never heard a man say this, women almost ALWAYS say they want a man that can make them laugh. This actually plays into the first point; if you can't keep good conversation and you're boring, why would any woman want to talk to you? Ever?? I think the underlying issue, more than a woman wanting a funnyman, is that girls want to see that you have some sort of a personality. Often times, one's personality can be determined by their sense of humor. Now, don't get it twisted... this doesn't mean you should actively be making a litany of jokes in an attempt to cajole a chuckle out of her. Don't try too hard. Just be yourself, and more times than not, she'll end up smiling.

3. Good sex
Does it sound shallow? Absolutely. But is it true? Most definitely. And if you don't think a girl will stop talking to a guy because the sex sucks, I would suggest that you ask some of your female friends. I've heard some stories; you'd be surprised. Now, I'm a firm believer that no one can be inherently bad in bed. But I do understand that different people want and expect different things sexually, and it's our job as men to adjust to what our partner wants. However, ladies, a large bit of the responsibility falls on your shoulders, as well. If you don't tell us the sex is bad or suggest ways to improve, we'll be none the wiser, and the sex will continue to suck. So don't talk behind his back about him being lame. If you like him enough and you want things to get better, do like Drake and say something.

4. Ambition
Now, I'm only 23, and most of the people I know that read this blog are also under 30. At our age (and especially in this economy), no woman is really expecting you to be paying your own mortgage with a Mercedes Benz and a 4-car garage. Hell, a full-time job isn't even a guarantee nowadays. But one thing that the recession has not changed is women's desire to find a man with some sort of ambition and drive. Regardless of where you are in life, women want to know that you have issues that you're passionate about and that you are making progressive strides to better yourself. If you are going nowhere in life and seem content remaining blase, that most certainly will not help your cause.

5. Make her feel special
I saved this one for last because it's really the most important one. Above all else, all a woman really wants is for a man to make her feel special. That's it. Everything else on this list comes secondary. So put her on a pedestal. Treat her like a queen. Do a bunch of mushy sh*t. Making a woman feel special will give you so many brownie points that you can afford to mess up on a few thing here and there and still keep her, because she knows how good you make her feel (no Monster's Ball). Keep this in mind, and you really can't lose.

Of course, in order to insure the accuracy of this list, I had to think on the other side of things. If these are the things girls want, what are the main things women complain about? In my opinion, I would say women most complain that men: a) aren't faithful, b) are too boring, or c) are too selfish/self-centered. If this is true, I think my list stands up pretty well. Being unfaithful goes against #5, because cheating is the biggest way NOT to show a woman she's special to you, since you're basically telling her you need something better. Being too boring goes against #1 and #2, and she'll quickly become disinterested in you. (Being too boring might even go against #3 too, but that's a whole 'nother blog post.) And being self-centered goes against #1 and #5, because as much as women like to talk, no girl likes to hear a guy talk incessantly about himself. And of course, a selfish man won't make a girl feel special.

In short, just follow these rules, and you can't go wrong. Have I ever steered you wrong before?

Biggest Songs of 2009

Ok, so since the year is coming to a close, this is usually the time of year when radio stations, websites and music television stations countdown the biggest songs and moments of the year... wait, scratch that... there aren't any more music TV stations. But you get the point. The one wrinkle this year is that since it's the last year of the decade, people have even begun to have countdowns for the past 10 years. The most impressive I've seen thus far is this litany of lists that Complex.com has posted of their best "everything" of the 2000s.

However, I'm not going to do that here. Not because I'm better than that, but simply because there's no way I could even attempt to remember all of the best songs for the past 10 years. I can't even remember what I ate two days ago. But what I will do is try to name what I think were the biggest songs of this year.

Now let me first preface this by saying I'm sticking to hip-hop and R&B. The only real reason for this is because I don't listen to pop, and other than this song, I have no idea what was popular. Sorry Taylor Swift, you won't be featured here. Also, I'm basing what was a "big" song on some pretty basic criteria. What were the songs that were ALWAYS on every time I turned on my car radio? What were the songs that the DJ had to play at the club? What were the songs everyone was downloading?? And lastly, keep in mind that this list is being compiled strictly off the top of my head, so no actual research was done on my part to include songs I may have forgotten. Now, given the rules, here's my list, starting with number 5...

5. Keri Hilson feat. Lil' Wayne - Turnin' Me On
I've since gotten over her, but I remember that when I first saw Keri Hilson, I thought she was so fine. But you know when you see a girl enough times, and she's just not as hot as you thought she was the first time you saw her? That's kind of what happened here. Plus, I realized she can't sing, so I was really over it after that. Nonetheless, I remember this song being on the radio constantly. I couldn't escape it. The thing that stood out most to me was how she took Wayne's "Young Moolah Baby" and flipped it to "Miss Keri Baby", which was kinda cute until she started saying it on songs that Wayne wasn't even on. Dub tee eff? Who does that? Regardless, this was a huge record.

4. GS Boyz - Stanky Legg
OK, I lied. I actually did have to do some research for this one, because I had no idea what the name of this group was. If everyone knows your song but no one knows you, I'm sorry, but you're probably a one-hit wonder. They shoulda took the Soulja Boy approach and just put their name in the song and dance title. This was a very big club record, and it reminds me of when I went to Miami for Spring Break '09 and everybody was doing this dance on South Beach. Good times...

3. Gucci Mane feat. Plies - Wasted
As a recovering alcoholic (AKA recent college graduate), I was all for the irresponsible drunkenness that this song promoted. This really is a great drinking/partying song, regardless of the fact that it comes from Gucci Mane, who may be the worst rapper of the past decade. I didn't even realize this until I read the lyrics, but in the third verse, he ends 6 of his 12 bars with the word "wasted". Now that's lyricism. But alas, I guess you don't have to be that lyrical when all your diamonds are "Carcasian"...

2. Drake - Best I Ever Had
We all know the story: Former child actor from Canada puts out critically-acclaimed mixtape, gains radio play without an official album release, signs with Lil' Wayne's Young Money label, gets Grammy nomination. Really an amazing story. Truth be told, I wasn't crazy about So Far Gone, but this was one of my favorite songs on the mixtape. Of course, that was until it became too popular for its own good, and all songs start to suck when you hear them too much. This would have been my pick for biggest song this year, but it wasn't bigger than...

1. F.L.Y. - Swag Surfin'
Another one-hit wonder group whose name I had to look up... but isn't that half of what music is nowadays? I first heard "Swag Surfin'" in Atlanta in like early January. At this point, it was still just a local hit, but everybody in the clubs was going crazy when it played. I thought it was an extra catchy tune, and I'll admit that I even downloaded it. I didn't think much of it, but then I started hearing it on the radio. In about two or three months, it was a nationwide hit, and the song even had a music video. And you knew the song really got big when other rappers started recording freestyles over the beat. Unequivocally, I don't think anyone would argue that this was the biggest song of 2009.


Honorable Mention:
Jeremih - Birthday Sex
Drake feat. Trey Songz - Successful
Fabolous feat. The-Dream - Throw It In The Bag
Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Drake, Kanye West, Lil' Wayne & Eminem - Forever
Maxwell - Pretty Wings
Beyonce feat. Kanye West - Ego (Remix)

So, what do you think?? Disagree with the order? Did I leave anything out that should have been mentioned? Leave a comment...

What's New York's Hip-Hop Theme Song?

(Again, all words that appear in red are links. It's amazing after a year of reading this blog how many people still haven't figured that out.)

So, I read this ridiculous piece of news the other day that said there was an ongoing discussion going on in my home state in regards to what the unofficial theme song for New York should be. As everyone knows, Frank Sinatra's ode to New York is not only a beautiful, classic song, but they even play it at Yankee Stadium after every home win. What could be better than that?

However, some people feel that the new Jay-Z/Alicia Keys tune should usurp Sinatra's as the new theme for the Empire State (you damn right I looked up "usurp" to make sure I was using it correctly). Not only that, but MSG's website is holding a poll to see which song people think should be the unofficial theme. Granted, I understand that Hov wears Yankee caps and sits at Knicks games and performed at the World Series and even at the Yankee Parade, yada yada yada. I get it. But, really? Jay-Z over Frank Sinatra?? Come on, people. This shouldn't even be a serious debate.

In my opinion (and hopefully yours), "New York, New York" is and always will be the main theme song for New York. I don't see how anyone over the age of 18 could think otherwise. But this post isn't really about that. Sinatra's song is a different genre and should be kept in a class of it's own... but is the Jay song even the best hip-hop record about New York?? In a backhanded celebration for Jay-Z's 40th birthday today, I'm going to list a number of hip-hop songs that I feel represent New York better than "Empire State of Mind."

There are A LOT of songs from New York rappers about New York. But as a self-proclaimed Nas stan, obviously the first song that comes to mind is "New York State of Mind". Nas uses this song to kick off his classic Illmatic LP, and it's one of those songs that just feels like New York. And really, that's one of my major qualms about Jay's song. It doesn't really make you feel like you're there. The exact same song could be about any other city in the country, and you wouldn't think twice about it. Not to mention the fact that Jay-Z has three forgettable verses and A. Keys pretty much carries the entire song with the way she belts out that chorus. And I know I wasn't the only one that felt some sort of way about Jay-Z all but stealing Nas' song title and not even putting him on the record. Ugh, let's just move on...

Of course, another New York dedication that most other people think of is the song titled, simply, "New York". This song, by Ja Rule featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe, was an amazing record that made New Yorkers such as myself act obnoxious at parties. Once you heard those synth notes at the beginning of the song, it just made you wanna pull your hat down real low and mean mug. Also, weren't those three verses all amazing? The biggest surprise of all had to be Fat Joe, who arguably had the best verse of all ("Now we killin' em hard, niggas sayin' I musta found Pun's rhyme book"). This song is also better than "Empire State of Mind".

Next, we have a classic from Mobb Deep entitled "Shook Ones". Now, this song isn't actually about New York, but you couldn't name me another song that has the gutter, subway riding, slapboxing, c-lo playing, bodega shopping feeling that so perfectly defines the nature of New York. I know I mentioned this before, but when I heard this beat come on during "8 Mile", I damn near lost my mind. There's something about this beat that brings you back to Gotham City. Again, better than "Empire".

This next song is one that I'm sure many of you haven't heard, but if you haven't, you should. It's called "Where It Started At (NY)", and it's on Hi-Tek second album. What makes this selection particularly embarrassing is the fact that Hi-Tek isn't even from New York; he's from Cincinnati, Ohio. Of course, when you make a song featuring Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Papoose and Raekwon, you really can't lose. This is another song that feels like New York.

Oh, I almost forgot... "New York Sh*t" from Busta Rhymes featuring Swizz Beatz! Man oh man... this song is a monster. Busta and Swizz actually take the time to explain to you various ways through which they are on their New York ish. This may be one of the strongest New York songs ever, considering the lyrics ("Tims with the shorts on my New York sh*t... Razor in my mouth on my New York sh*t"). If you don't know why this song is better than "Empire", I really don't know what to tell you.

Obviously, my sentiment here is very clear: the song has to feel like New York in order to represent New York. I actually like Jay's song; I just don't think it's a "New York song". As a New York transplant who's no longer living there, I think the biggest indicator that this song doesn't do the state justice is that whenever I hear it, I don't particularly miss New York, or even think about it. New York songs are supposed to make New Yorkers proud, and make everyone else jealous. I don't know how envious out-of-towners feel when they hear this record, but if I were them, I wouldn't be.

Honorable Mention:
Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz - Uptown (Deja Vu)
Cam'ron ft. Jay-Z - Welcome to New York City
Jay-Z ft. Notorious B.I.G. - Brooklyn's Finest

"She's Not a Ho... Anymore"

Hoes. What an interesting topic of discussion. They're everywhere, and everyone knows that they're hoes except for them, right? Well, not necessarily...

I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine who brought up the importance of someone's sexual past. His overall question was, basically, how important is it if a girl slept with a lot of guys in her past? And is it worth wifing up a chick that was a ho at some point in her life? I thought those were both valid questions, and we shared our views back and forth. But, since none of you were able to eavesdrop on our conversation (unless you stole my IP address), I will share our conclusions here.

The topic of hoes is nothing new to Red Light, Green Light; about a year ago, I dedicated a blogcast to discussing hoes (click here). Then, about four months back, I shared a blogcast with some friends in which the topic of hoes was raised once more (click here). But I think what sets this post apart is the notion of actually taking a ho seriously.

First off, how do we even know that a girl is a ho? Most of what we hear are rumors, anyway. Some are true, but most are exaggerated. For instance, if a girl sleeps with three different football players, the story usually somehow becomes that the girl let the entire offensive line run a train on her. You see what I mean? Little of what you hear should ever be taken for face value.

On the flip side, what if that stuff actually is true? Do you wanna be the guy who makes the train conductor your wifey? Probably not.

I think it's safe to assume that no one wants to date a ho or a former ho. But now, that raises two subsequent questions. First off, are there such things are former hoes? Is it possible for a girl who was once a ho to change her ways? Personally, I would argue yes. Everyone makes mistakes, whether they be sexual or otherwise. Some learn from those mistakes, others do not. But to judge someone for the rest of their lives based on a phase they went through is somewhat unfair. So yes, I do believe in ho reform.

The second question - and, really, the most important one - is, why are we so scared to get into a relationship and find out that our girlfriend used to be a ho? Are we really that judgmental? To this second question, I would also argue yes. And no. See, it's complicated. I think that, yes, there are certain men who want every girl they date to be as clean as a whistle with no dirty laundry to be found (even if the man himself was a ho for half his life, but I'll save the Double Standard Discussion for another day). But I think that the large majority of men who worry about a girl's sexual past don't really care themselves, but instead are worried about what other people will think.

Let's be honest here: As men, we like to showcase our women. We like to introduce a lady friend to our homeboys so that they can tell us, "Wow! She's great! I really like her, and she's gorgeous! I can't believe you pulled that off! You're the man now, dog!" But what if our friends know she used to be a ho? How proud are we then? Even worse, what if one of our friends slept with her??

Personally, I would never enter a relationship with a girl my friend banged. I might hook up with her, whatever whatever, but I'm never going to be able to take her seriously. If she wants me to wife her, she better keep that a secret and pray to the almighty heavens that I never find out.

Above all, I think one of the main factors that men consider when we enter relationships with a woman is homeboy approval. Yes, it's right up there with actual compatibility. If we fear that our friends will never accept you as a quality girlfriend, there are very slim chances that you'll ever become one. And we know it works the same with women. That's why a smart man always makes sure he's on his girl's friends' good side. Because if the homegirls don't like you, they'll talk about you. And we already know how that winds up...

So, in conclusion, I think what my friend and I ultimately decided was that a girl's sexual past really doesn't matter that much. it's all in what you know. A girl could have been a major ho in high school, but if you met her in college after she suddenly transformed into a good girl, you'd be none the wiser. And really, would you want to know she used to be a ho? I doubt it. It's a reputation thing above all else. We don't want to know the dirty little secrets, because they would taint the image we've built. And trust, EVERYONE has skeletons in their closet. But we don't want to know about them, and we want to make sure our friends don't know about them, either.

In the end, it's just like they say in that old cliche: Ignorance is bliss.