After reading through my notes, I came across a subject that I really wanted to touch on again. And since most of us just celebrated Valentine’s Day, I figured this was the best time to do so.

One year removed from discussing this very same topic, I’ve noticed that my views haven’t changed much. I still feel like love is the most enigmatic force on Earth. I still feel that love gets a bad rap in certain situations, but the major difference between my thinking now and then might be that I find myself craving that type of connection more now than ever before. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m developing feelings for a certain individual or if its something else. Some might think that its just my biological clock ticking (yes! Men have a biological clock, too) but I’m more than sure its not. I’m just reaching the age when I think that people should be settling down and starting a family. And if it was just a chemical reaction to parameters that have been “established” by society, I would’ve been married with kids by now and those that know my history know what kind of disaster that would be! I really believe that its a combination of the two. I’m at an age that beginning a family is the next great adventure in life and I think I might have found somebody that I would love to that with. But, what do I know, right?

Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger. Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know, she’s got the car, the house, the clothes, but she might be lonely.
The word says, “If I have not Love, I am nothing.”
So, again, love you. Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say, “I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!”
“Winners make things happen, losers let things happen.”

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your inner self is always happy. So, be happy on the outside too.

Last time, I posed the question “Who’s the best rapper to ever bless a mic?” I didn’t really get a whole lot of answers, but I feel like I sparked some interesting conversations. But now, I want to know who’s in your top ten when it comes to rap/hip-hop groups. Once again, MTV gave me a base to jump off. And it goes a little something like this:

10. UGK

9. The Fugees

8. Salt ‘N Pepa

7. EPMD

6. A Tribe Called Quest

5. Wu-Tang Clan

4. OutKast

3. Public Enemy

2. N.W.A.

1. Run-DMC

http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2007/groups/

Just like MTV’s list of Greatest Rappers of All Time, I was feeling this one a bunch! And once again, I feel like they fucked up when it came to the Top 5. But, for the most part, they got the list right this time! I still got some honorable mentions, but not as many this time. So here we go:

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Dead Prez, UGK, EPMD, St. Lunatics, Goodie Mob, De La Soul, Three 6 Mafia, The Roots, The Sugarhill Gang, The Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew

I told you my list of honorable mentions was shorter this time! These groups get an honorable mention for pretty much the same reasons as on my list of greatest rappers. So let’s get to my top ten:

10. The Beastie Boys – These cats was wild as hell! They made great party music. But they kinda lost that fun spirit as they got older.

9. The Fugees – It was kinda hard for me to see this group near the bottom of MTV’s list and it was even harder for to place them this low on my own. But I have a reason. They broke extremely too fast! They dropped one mainstream album (there is another Fugees album that predates The Score, just don’t ask what the name of it is). But I’m a huge fan of their music and I love the way they blended different styles to make their own music. And this group also produced 2 huge stars in the music industry: Lauryn Hill (who also flamed out after one amazing album) and Wyclef Jean.

8. A Tribe Called Quest – Not too big of a fan of this group, but I respect the fact that definitely made good music. They also helped introduce the world to one of my favorite rappers, Busta Rhymes.

7. The Roots – The Roots make my list for the same reasons as The Fugees.

6. Salt ‘N Pepa – These ladies held it down! They were sexy as hell and knew how to handle themselves on the mic as well.

5. Wu Tang-Clan – How in the hell can 9 people be in one group, make sure everybody is featured and still make hot music? Ask the boys from Shaolin how they pulled it off. And just like The Fugees and The Roots, they introduced us to some major stars. (R.I.P. Ol’ Dirty Bastard)

4. Public Enemy – I’m not a really into political music, but Chuck D and the crew really held it down. They brought pressing issues to light in a way that was entertaining as well as informative. They would’ve been higher, but I had to punish them for unleashing Flavor Flav on the world.

3. N.W.A. – There are no words that can really describe the impact N.W.A. had on music. They came out at a time when the world needed to hear what they had to say. (R.I.P. Eazy E)

2. OutKast – I removed UGK & EPMD from my list for not being actual groups, just duos. That’s also the reason why another one of my favorites, 8Ball & MJG, didn’t make the cut. And the same fate almost befell Big Boi & Andre 3000. But I thought about the fact that they came out and really helped put not only Atlanta, but Southern rap music on the map. Big ups to them boys. I hope they drop another album soon.

1. Run-DMC – “I’m the King of Rock, there is none higher. Sucker MC’s should call me sire!” That line pretty much says it all. I own a leather blazer still because of them. You can even catch me rockin’ my Adidas with no shoe strings.

Hopefully, while you been reading this, you came up with your own list. Share it! I’d loved to know what you think. Tell me where you disagree with me and why. Peace and love.

A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”

God led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”

They went to the next room and opened the door. “This is Heaven,” God proclaimed. It was exactly the same as the first one! There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.”

“It is simple,” said the Lord. “It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”

It’s funny how often we speak of unity and helping the next man, then quickly turn around and continue to practice the same divisiveness that got us where we are. The only way we can ALL prosper is if we take the time to assist our neighbor in ascending.

With that being said, I pledge to be there for you. If you ever find yourself in need, call on me. If I can help, I will. Will you make the same pledge?

In the wake of “Notorious” finally coming out (and if you haven’t seen it, please go check it out. It’s worth the money), I decided to rekindle one of the biggest Hip-Hop related arguments. Let’s see what happens. So…

Who’s the best rapper to ever bless a mic? This is one of those topics that seems to never be fully resolved. It always ends with everybody in the discussion agreeing to disagree. I have this argument with my friends all the time, like most hip-hop fans probably do. But MTV took this undying debate to a new level by compiling a list of the top ten rappers of all time. And it goes a little something like this:

10. LL Cool J

9. Eminem

8. Ice Cube

7. Big Daddy Kane

6. KRS-One

5. Nas

4. Rakim

3. The Notorious B.I.G.

2. 2Pac

1. Jay-Z

If you want to read the entire MTV article, you can find it at http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/

Now when I saw this, I was feeling their list for the most part, I personally feel like they fucked up the order in the Top 5 and a few of these guys don’t belong in the top 10 at all. So, I took some time and came up with my own list. But it’s kinda hard to narrow down all the talent in the industry to a mere 10 names. So, I decided to start with my honorable mentions, which include:

Ice Cube, Eric Sermon, KRS-One, Nelly, T.I., Ludacris, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Li’l Kim, Scarface, Method Man, MC Lyte, E-40 and Ghostface

Now, I know a lot of you are looking at some of those names and wondering what have I been smoking. But, in my eyes, each of these artists either helped to put their perspective hometowns on the map, showed that lyrical skills weren’t limited to a certain group of people or lasted through the “Golden Age” of Hip-Hop. That’s really saying something! But now it’s time to reveal my Top 10.

10. Queen Latifah – Everybody has to admit that she was holding it down for the ladies. The only reason she’s this low on my list is because I feel like she left the game while there was still plenty of work for her to do.

9. Big Daddy Kane – He’s a living legend. He showed us that it was cool to look good and know you look good. He also proved that’s it’s possible to have fun no matter what. If you ever got to see him perform, you know what I mean.

8. Common – Common is one of those “rewind that!” or “what did he say?” rappers. You really have to LISTEN to his music to catch what he’s saying. Common’s flow is so serious that he could make an entire album of acapella songs, and it would probaly be one of the hottest albums to come out. He also showed everybody that you don’t have to be from one of the coasts to make it the game. And he showed us that it’s okay to have your style, that people are all uniquely different and that we should embrace that.

7. LL Cool J – Uncle L is another one of those living legends. He’s just as hot today as when he burst on the scene in 1985. 1985! That’s 20+ years in the music business! This man has fans that weren’t even alive when he dropped his first album. That’s completely unheard of when it comes to today’s artists, but he has withstood the test of time and survived through the different trends and fads that came along.

6. Eminem – When he first came out, I swore that affirmative action had hit the music industry. But over time, he won me as a fan and made most people see beyond the white skin and blond hair. He’s lyrically gifted and he doesn’t have a problem saying whatever is on his mind. You gotta love that. Plus, I think he opened the door for a lot of young white kids who are fans of the music and dream of making music. Which is something that didn’t exist previously. We all remember the white rapper that came before him, right?

5. Nas – One of the great ones. Nas is one of those artists that you’ll be telling your kids and grandkids about. I think he makes that much of an impact. Who else could set the world on fire by threatening to make an album named “Nigga”? What other artist could pull it off without effectively ending their career? Nobdy but Mr. Jones, that’s why he is who he is. And he also helped the next man keep the game going after we lost 2 of the greatest that we’ll ever see.

4. Jay-Z – Numbers don’t lie. Almost every year since 1996, this dude dropped an album that you would swear were audio crack. Once people got a taste, they had to run out and get it. He’s more than just a great artist. He’s a shrewd businessman and a style icon. Hov wrote the book on getting your grown man swag on. “I don’t wear jerseys, I’m 30-plus. Give me a crisp pair of jeans and a button up.”

3. Rakim – How many rappers can you think of that could insult you without ever saying a curse word? There’s only one. He’s another one of those living legends. And he’s probably your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.

2. The Notorious B.I.G. – Biggie accomplished in 2 albums what most artists can’t do over a lifetime. He made himself a legend by making sure that his music always related to the person listening. There isn’t a hip-hop fan alive who can’t recite at least one verse by Big. He was just that dynamic. This was kind of a hard one for me. I’m a big fan of this man’s and it was kind of diffucult to not just give him the #1 spot simply for that reason. He and the guy in the #1 spot share some of the same skills on the mic, but his body of work isn’t big enough to place him above…

1. 2Pac Shakur – Anybody who started life like Pac did must’ve been destined for greatness! Born in prison and the son of at least one Black Panther. He was the ultimate versatile MC, he could battle rap with anybody or hit the studio and drop a classic. He could rock the party with one song and the very next one could hush everybody and make them think. He’s another one who just about everybody is a fan of in some small way, and we all indentified with him on some level. This man’s talent was evident from the start, just read his book of poetry. Here we are, 10+ years after his untimely death, and he’s still dropping records!

Hopefully, while you’ve been reading this, you came up with your own list. Share it! I’d loved to know what you think. Tell me where you disagree with me and why. Peace and love.

I was inspired to write this by my friend Chandra, who shared some very private things about herself. So in the spirit of a New Year, here’s goes my turn at full disclosure…

1. I’m an only child and am JEALOUS of people who have siblings.

2. I’m probably the shyest person you know. I’ve been like that for years, but I’m trying to work on it.

3. I’m originally from Kansas City, MO but consider Atlanta, GA my hometown. It’s a long story as to why…I might tell it one day.

4. I’m secretly insecure about my looks, which is why I love to go shopping. I always figured I could make up for not being the most attractive man if I was the best dressed.

5. I’m smarter than most people think I am. I have an IQ of 163 but got bad grades in high school because I was bored to death. I even taught one of my classes for a month. And since that day, I always wanted to be a teacher…I just don’t wanna go back to school.

6. I’ve been in love only twice, and have only had 4 serious romantic relationships in 28 years of living.

7. I believe nothing is more important than family, but I avoid the vast majority of the members of my family like they have the plague. That’s another one of those long stories that I’ll save for another day.

8. I don’t have a lot of friends. And the friends I do have, I consider to be family. In all honesty, I might love them more than I love my real family.

9. Speaking of friends, most of my firends are female. I’m not too sure why, though. But it has led to my sexuality being questioned on numerous occasions.

10. I lost my best friend in this world on September 7, 2007. Since that day, life ain’t been the same.

11. I love to write and have been writing since 1995! I actually have cried because I had writer’s block. I can honestly count on my hand the number of people that knew that!

12. I was originally left-handed, but my mother made me learn how to write with my right hand. I never asked why, but I think that is by far the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. But because of that, I’m partially ambidextrous. It’s wierd.

13. I’m an alcoholic. I’m not a full-out, fall down drunk or anything like that, but I’ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 13. That’s why you’ll never see me have more than 3 drinks if I’m out somewhere, unless something is seriously bothering me. In that case, you might wanna drag me away from the bar.

14. I was diagnosed with depression a few years ago. I don’t have to take medication for it, thank God, but I have to watch my moods. I can’t get too high or let myself get too low.

15. I’m afraid of growing up, which keeps me from being able to commit to anything serious. But at the same time, I’m afraid of not progressing in my life.

16. I love hard and fast. I can tell within 3 dates what kind of feelings I’ll have for a person. And once I fall for a person, my feelings don’t go away easily. I still have a crush on somebody that I had a crush on in high school.

17. My nickname is Moses, but you would be surprised by who started calling me that. It came from the pastor of a church that I attended when I lived in Denver, CO. He said he could sense that I had the spirit of a great leader. I guess. I’m still waiting to see it.

18. I’m seriously claustrophobic! I can’t even ride in small cars without flipping out!

19. I really want kids and have felt that way for about 6 or 7 years, but I’m scared to death at the same time that I won’t be a good father. That fear has kept me from fully committing myself to a relationship so far.

20. I’m really lazy, unless I’m working towards something that directly benefits me. That’s the main reason why I want to open my own business. I don’t want to work for anybody else, I’d rather be my own asshole of a boss. There are other reasons, too. Ask and I might tell.

That’s all I want to share now. Maybe, just maybe I’ll do this again. But in the meantime, if you have any questions, just ask. I don’t bite. Assalamu Alaikam

Another year older and what did I get? Not much of anything, except a bunch of regrets.

Every year, I seem to learn something new. But for some reason, this year was a little different. This year, I didn’t wake up and instantly feel like a life lesson had been learned or some great mystery in my life had finally been solved. I woke up this year and reflected on some of the shit, for lack of a better word, that has been going on in my life recently. And, despite my usually upbeat and cheery disposition towards life, I felt really bad. I wonder why that is…

I’ve seen a lot of people come and go in my life over the past 2 1/2 years. Most of them, were meaningless. Well, not meaningless, everybody has a purpose and a meaning in your life. Maybe what I’m trying to say is that most of them didn’t come across as individuals with a great deal of staying power. But there are a few, a precious few, who came along and had a profound effect on my little corner of the world in some very unique ways. And I thought, hoped and prayed that they would be around forever because I had really found myself depending on them for different things. But now, they’re gone and it feels a little lonely. And that loneliness is magnified by the fact that my world feels like a bit of a fish bowl nowadays.

But, I gotta move on. Hopefully, some of the people that have departed my world will find their way back in it. Not because I want them back, well partially because I want them back. But, there are a couple that I really need. I’m not too sure how I’ll carry on without them. Hell, I’m not too sure how I’ve managed to keep my %#&@$! together this long without them. It’s hard to lose your source of happiness and then try to be happy. Nothing seems right right now. Even the sunniest day feels cloudy. But, I guess that’s just life though.