Should I, Do I...

Ever met someone who was so self-absorbed that whatever you wanted to do or say, though he may listen, never really mattered?

Egocentricity, when one's only concern is one's own self, can definitely be a frustration and a social hurdle for many friendships and relationships to conquer. That's not to say, if you're in a time of need and call on your egocentric pal, that he won't be available or willing to help. He will, but only if he wants to. They don't ask "What should I do?"; they ask "Do I want to?". What is socially or morally right doesn't matter, never even comes into play. This type of person can come across as selfish, spoiled and abrasive, but they aren't even thinking that deep. It is common for egocentric people to have few close friends. To be a close friend to them, you have to share many of the same interest and think in a similar way, for that ensures that both are consistently on the same page. To be in a relationship with one is even more difficult. If ever they feel that they don't want to commit anymore, it is very easy for them to abruptly end it. Thus, catching the other party off-guard and leaving them feeling rejected, especially if things were going well in their eyes. Mr./Mrs. Egocentric didn't even think twice about the other's feelings. Some call it mean; others say "keeping it real."

Personally, I feel nothing is wrong with a person doing only what he/she wants to do. Why not? It's your life. It is the only thing you have complete control over, and it is understood that you live with the consequences, be them positive or negative, of everyone of your actions. Feeling obligated to do something is not necessary, the beneficiary loves it, but what feelings does that leave you with? Don't get me wrong, some egocentric people can be some of the nicest people you'll ever encounter, but don't ever think they are doing something because of you or the situation. They are nice because they want to be nice.

-TheMadMusician

The State of Rap in NYC

This entry stems from the previous one and is posing the question: Where has New York Hip-Hop gone?

New York City is the birthplace of hip-hop and throughout it's history has produced great talents. But in recent years, hardly any NYC new-comer has made a significant splash. In the past, the heavy-weights were on there grind. Jay-Z, Nas and Biggie were consistent Hit-makers and kept NYC's creditability up there. Even the not so heavy but time-tested rappers such as Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Dipset and 50 cent, enabled New Yorkers to have since of pride in hip-hop. In recent years, however, hip-hop seems to be on the rise everywhere but New York. The last home-grown talent to make some sort of major impact was Juelz Santana and I'm probably giving him to much credit on that. I'm not looking for the next Jay-Z, just some one fresh that gives NYC something to look forward to.

We've all sat back and witnessed the rise of the South, from Lil' Wayne to Young Jeezy to T.I. The south is producing rappers at a quicker pace the any other region. Once again not all are elite status, but at least they are selling records along with getting nationwide recognition. If you wanted to feature a rapper on a song, there is a slew of able new southern rappers to chose from. But if you wanted a New York rapper, your only choice is one of the proven veterans. NYC's hip-hop playfield is starting to mimic the West Coast's, where they have their big names, like Snoop Dogg and the Game, but has hardly any promising new talents. How do we fix this? Well, I feel it is on the veterans to seek and train new artists. The talent is out there, it just didn't vanish. It seems as if the old school has the mentality were "as long as they are hot, who cares". To me, that is selfish because they know first hand what it takes and should be able to spot it, but only if they took the time. Does New York have to wait until Jay-Z fully retires to seek out it's new aire? How long will the vets be able to keep it up? Damn, Where Brooklyn At?

-TheMadMusician

Hip-Hop: In my Opinion

Some say hip-hop is dead, I say it's specializing. Like any form of music, it starts out from one type then slowly branches of into different variations and styles. Rock and Roll started out as a rhythm and blues style with emphasis on electric guitar and heavy drumming, but now it's broken down it multiple genres (Alternative, Punk, Heavymetal, Grunge...) Hip-hop is no different-- You have your Club Hip-hop (Lollipop- Lil Wayne, Stronger- Kanye West), your Dance Hip-Hop (Chicken Noodle Soup- DJ Webstar, Crank that- Soulja Boy), your Conscious Hip-Hop (Common, Talib Kweli), your Regional Hip-hop (Westcoast, Dirty South, Midwest) and so on. To say it's dead or dying is wrong because hip-hop is making more strides in sales and endorsements that it ever has, but that can be why people would say it's dead. It grew from this underground, inner-city music to a commercial, worldwide business. As for those who say it's today's rappers who are killing hip-hop, there too I see flaws because back when MC Hammer was out no said he was killing it. His songs were as meaningless as the next, but we didn't complain. We in fact credited him with taking hip-hop acts to a whole new level. He was one of the first to making millions off of rap, he sold out stadiums and arenas worldwide and as a performer you "couldn't touch" him (I had to say it, lol). So hip-hop isn't dead, it's in fact chugging away at quicker pass then ever before, there is just different trains to jump on now.

Now here is where it may get a lil sticky. In my opinion, Jay-Z is the best rapper ever. His combination of lyrics, sound, flow and longevity are second to none. As far as whose next in line, I'll have to say Lil' Wayne but Kanye West is a close (very close) second. Lil' Wayne is the most witty rapper out there. His metaphors, tone, choice of words are unique, but I feel like he is lacking is a meaning behind some of his tracks. His topics become redundant, though they are catchy as all hell and many of us can recite them word for word. Even his songs that are meant to have meaning don't seem to have the same impact as say a "Diamonds are Forever" by Kanye West. West brings a whole new freshness to rap. He is a slick and savy lyricist, and has the ability to express meaningful subject matter in a tricky way that many are fooled into listening to. Songs like "Jesus Walks", "Through the Wire" and "Roses" are an example of that. Also and maybe most astounding is the fact that he has only put out 3 albums compared to Wayne's hundreds and hundreds of tracks. For him to be even in the argument at this point is a great accomplishment already. I like to use a sports analogy to help explain my opinion, take the NBA for example.

Jay-Z - Michael Jordan (Greatest of All-Time- Retired and came back, you kno)
Lil' Wayne - Kobe Bryant (Most Valuable Player now)
Kanye West - Steve Nash (Good as all hell, but just a different type of player then the rest)
Everyone Else- The League (They all just fall in line)

As far as BIG and Tupac, they were good but they died. No need to even talk bout them, but yes, I still think Jay is better than both (Though, he probably wouldn't be the same Jay without them)

So folks, this is my opinion. If you disagree, so be it. Neither you or I are wrong.

- The MadMusician

Not Rich, my Friend, WEALTHY – MY PIMP CHRONICLES

Throughout my life, I’ve tried to associate myself with prosperous people and gather as much useful information and knowledge as possible. Being rich is one thing, but building an estate were your children’s children’s children can benefit from, is territory people (especially minorities) have difficulty envisioning, let alone reaching. Am I thinking too big? Hell no! We’re talking about money, it’s never too big. The days of working a 9-5, gathering your money and shoveling it into the bank are long gone. You may live comfortably (for some that’s all they want), but being able to live on your terms and retire at an age where you can enjoy some of what you built will be extremely difficult. If you’re lucky, when you pass you may leave behind a house, a car, maybe a couple hundred thousand in life insurance. That’s nice, but that’s if you’re lucky. If you’re smart, savvy and a bit daring, you can not only help pay your great grandchildren’s college tuition but you may even spill a little love in your community. You, the humanitarian, who would of thought?

I observed an “everyday millionaire”, and his main focus wasn’t how many hours he was working or what his weekly paycheck was. His focus was on his portfolio, its diversity and maturation. The common psyche is that it takes money to make money, which is true but not to the extent you may believe. The reality of the matter is that $25,000 with the right moves and investments can have you well on your way towards lying on that beach chair sipping a daiquiri with a little umbrella guarding the ice from the sun. By investments, I’m not talking flipping homes in which you need a good amount of cold hard cash to get started on (but once you have it, it can be lucrative and fun). I’m talking about the countless other investment opportunities out there. The principle idea many wealthy people share is “Make Your Money Work for you”. Work for your money then pimp it. Simple enough to grasp but difficult to employ without the knowhow, and I feel it is blatantly obvious that many minorities are ignorant to this knowledge. Many have no clue what a portfolio is, it’s not that they are careless or irresponsible (all races have careless and irresponsible people) but just simply unaware. All of us are “guilty” of unnecessary spending but whose to tell you what is necessary and not. One man’s rims are another man’s golf clubs. If you want something, get it, no matter how tacky, tasteless or insignificant it seems to me or anybody else. I’m not here trying to tell you what you can and can’t buy; all I’m saying is have a plan. Do your research, have goals and make them happen, so that when it comes time to get those rims, golf clubs, start a family or, in my case, buy that penthouse condo overlooking the city that never sleeps equipped with a bar stocked with Hennessy, stripper pole, king size bed with 3000 thread count sheets, the most extensive and thorough music collection ever compiled and a 5-star Chef that can make a mean oxtail, the money is there and you can spend without worry.

So plant your investment seeds and watch them grow. Put that money under the mattress, in the old shoe box or in the bank on the streets and Pimp the Shit out of it!

Thanks for Reading.

-The MadMusician

Song for post: I Get Money- 50 Cent
P.S.- In 5 years, 50 cent has amassed more money than Jay-Z, Diddy & Russell Simons and It ain't from rapping. lol

The Burning Bush?

Okay, I'm not a fan of controversy nor do I try to push people's buttons but, I've come to certain conclusions about a few ideas that can be viewed as well "wrong" or insensitive. One of those ideas is about our staff-wielding homie, Moses. So as the story goes (I say story because that is what it is), Moses was out with the flock and came upon Mount Horeb. As he looked up he saw a strange sight. In the distance a bush seemed to be on fire. Yet the bush didn't burn up, nor did the fire die down any. Curiosity drew him in closer, and God called out to him from this bush. They had their little conversation where stuff like the ten commandments came about. OK, fine. It's a great tale but it just doesn't seem right. I mean I would be crazy to not question this just like how I question many other theories not having anything to do with religion.

On one of those rare nice spring days in Buffalo, NY, a friend and I sat on the porch and did our usual sophomore in college routine. We lit the all natural. Rambling random thoughts, jumping from topic to topic, we stumbled upon religion (not the first time, this has happened). We probed and prodded our minds till Mr. Moses and his burning bush story came up. Juggling that issue in our minds for a minute, we seemingly have this "Eureka Moment" simultaneously. "Moses smoked weed"... OK, pause...Crazy? Oh yeah, but It just seemed to make a lot of sense. Substituting our "Burning Bush" for his "Burning Bush" the story took on a whole new and realistic light. Moses talked to God while smoking weed; a valid argument to me. I'm not saying he went up on the mountain and rolled a spliff (though, who knows), but maybe a field with marijuana was burning and he happened to inhale some. I'm not saying Moses was a stoner, it could've been as innocent as breathing but it makes way more sense (to me). Drugs were used in many religious rituals worldwide. They calmed or excited their users into a state were they felt closer to their god(s). Why not Moses? I mean read the ten commandments, they sound like some peace loving , hippie shit. "Thou shall not kill" "Thou shall not covet thy neighbor" Hippie shit 100%.

I honestly doubt we're the first people to put two and two together about this story, it seems too obvious now. But I haven't heard it before. This is not a pro-marijuana entry or anything of the sort. Though it is an example of free thinking and hypothesizing. Questions with seemingly obvious answers should still be asked and religion should be at the forefront of this questioning. “There's a gullible side to the American people. They can be easily misled. Religion is the best device used to mislead them.” - Michael Moore

- The Mad Musician

Song for Post: "Get up, Stand up"- Bob Marley

POTent

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/06/12/pot.potency.ap/index.html

We TRIPPED into it all...

Chaos gives new life, and little more than a half century ago, things were about as chaotic as ever. Politics were deeply enthralled in foreign matters such as war. The Vietnam War was in full effect and taking a toll on US Soldiers, not because they were poorly trained, had insufficient resources or inferior weapons, but because many of our soldiers were stoned. Opium, heroine, LSD and marijuana really got their starts during this time and drug use/abuse by soldiers has been well documented. After the war was over and we gave "Peace a Chance", our soldiers came back : some as junkies, others needing it to cope with the insane amounts of death and carnage they bared witness to. Drug use quickly spread from just our troops to the general population. Here marks the rise of Frank Lucas (American Gangster), the Italian Mafia (Goodfellas) and the Cuban/Miami Connect (Scarface). Drugs were growing ever-popular by the day, and those who had the balls and resources to import these products were becoming unimaginably wealthy in a short period of time.

It didn't take long before this widespread drug use took it's effect on society, for good and for bad. Everyone knows the bad-- Crime, corruption, disease, addiction, but the good is what some may overlook or refuse to even acknowledge. Individual expression took a shot in the arm, so to speak, and the arts were directly affected by it. Music evolved into a whole new sound and with the steady advancements in technology, new genres were born and they older ones were given a much needed breathe of fresh air. Drugs aided musicians to focus acutely and express exactly what they felt. From the Beatles to Pink Floyd, from the Rolling stones to Jimi Hendrix, musicians were at the forefront of the new era. An era were politics were secondary and the people (the individual) came first.

We fast forward thru the experimental hardtimes of the 60's to the LSD plagued- groovy years of the 70's to the cocaine-driven party times of the 80's, we stagger into my generation-- a potent cocktail of pills and thrills. My generation listened to music, watched cartoons/TV shows, wore fashion and used technology created by the minds from the tripped out past generations. Hell, many of those same hippies and party-people are our parents! We have it good, the best of the best weed is available, the purest coke is only a call away, for like any business, people began to specialize and technology is improving exponentially. But we also have it tough, for drug laws created by the government makes the consequences of drug use extremely difficult to overcome, some drugs are becoming "too good", too potent, and we maybe should ask ourselves "how high do we really need to get?" When did weed become not enough? Should it be an everyday thing? Or just every now and then to take the edge off (or put the edge on, lol)? Should marijuana really be legalized? I know how I feel, but how do you?

-The Mad Musician

The World's Envy

MUSIC- [myoo-zik] –noun

1.

an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color. Heard by countless. Listened to by many. Appreciated by few. Understood by little. LIFE for who it chooses. Many claim to have a love for music, and they damn sure probably do, but for those who have no purpose (absolutely, no purpose) on this earth but to exude, enlighten, and embody it for all its worth, should be interminably humbled and ever-satisfied. To have an understanding of music, be it as a musician or an instinctual listener, is to intuitively realize the purpose and reason for the placement of each note. For the musician's mind is a funny thing. A funny thing that is envied but also revered. Talent is embedded, predetermined, already encoded; itching for the right sequence of events and experiences to reveal itself. Once the host discovers their raw talent, it is up to them to be disciplined enough to nurture and develop it, in order to reap the rewards. Some do and some don't, it's contingent on the individual. Then there is the extremely rare 0.0001% of us that I like to call savants, you may know them as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Armstrong, Parker, Davis, Hendrix, Santana, and of course, Marley. They are all without a doubt legends and things seemed to come so easy to them, it wasn't like second nature-- it was nature. This blog is an oozing orifice into my mind, discharging mostly my thoughts on music and perhaps some other random views. Hope you enjoy and return for more. Bookmark it. -The Mad Musician