You know what’s wrong with the world? Too many people spending time worrying about how other people should do some shit or how they could do it better instead of working on themselves. If folks spent more time contributing something to the world, they wouldn’t have much time to judge others who do. ‘Tis far easier to be a critic than it is to actually accomplish something in your life aside from criticism. People who sit on the sidelines and talk about how it should be done as opposed to getting out there and doing it are #comn (chillin’ on my nutz).
Everybody’s a star, everyone tweets, everybody knows what’s best, and most mothafuckas don’t know a got damn thing. They’re having trouble figuring out their own life situations but wanna tell you how to run yours. Fuck outta here. Figure out your own shit, and when you do, you’ll have more meaningful shit to say on your own. If all you have to say is how other people should do things, then what does that say about you?
You Ain’t Nothin’!
What are you learning about life if you spend a great deal of time critiquing how others go about theirs? They love you. They hate you. They can’t make decisions on their own because they’re too obsessed with what decisions you make. Do you want to know why you’re enamored with talking about certain people? They’re living and you’re not, that’s why. By participating in social media, we are all subject to criticism, that’s understood, but some of y’all only have criticism to add to the conversation. If your biggest accomplishment in life is getting a reaction from people, that’s sad. If you only praise people because they praise you, that’s pathetic. If you feel threatened by folks who are brave enough to stand alone for something they believe in, that’s cowardice. And if all you have to add to a conversation is a smart-ass quip, that’s childish.
What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?
It’s real simple: Focus on you. That’s it. The world would be instantly healed if everyone just enlightened themselves. No one can bless you. We must bless ourselves. Each one would no longer have to teach one. No one would have to be their brother’s or sister’s keeper. The burdens and troubles of the world would vanish. If only more fought the internal war, there would be far less external wars. Stop picking apart every little fucking thing someone else does. None of us are perfect; just own your shit. That’s enough.
The Scales of Just This
Just diss, that’s all some of you do. Just diss. There’s no justice, just this. This is all we need; nothing more, nothing less. Thisness: a trueness of being. Absolute sincerity. Every Is is plagued with an Ism. The Id is haunted by “Well, I’d do it this way.” Your way works for you and my way works for me.
There are enough ways in the world for everyone.
Mothafuck The Wagon; Don’t Join The Band
The Emperor ain’t naked; he got on dirty draws. You mothafuckas don’t care because y’all draws dirty too. It’s a damn shame. Everybody giving High 5s and the world is in flames. Get your shit together people. The slackers and the crackers are making it hard for those who actually do the work. Nigga, stop looking for a handout; nobody owes you shit because you had a tough life. Pull it together and git ‘er done.
You Gotta Wash Your Ass
There are a bunch of semicolons out there today. You know, half-asses…. Just enough is good enough. No one wants to disturb the bunch. A bunch of yes men and posers all waiting to get their piece of the pie. Mothafuck a pie. Mothafuck a piece. Peace, that’s what we all need. The peace in knowing that if you can just have the leisure time to worry about your circle, you wouldn’t have to worry about so much else. You can’t focus on just cleaning your own asshole because there are too many other assholes out there that need service. That’s right!
I Stay Woke
They say you get more bees with honey. Who the fuck wants a bunch of bees? Bees sting, especially Wanna Bees. Wanna be this and they wanna be that, but really ain’t shit. Bees buzz. Create your own buzz. Be a light. In a world full of darkness, you’d think light would be appreciated, but to some, light is the sun peeping through the shades disturbing their slumber. They don’t wanna be awakened. Thing is, we all have a choice. There is enough room in the world for everyone to be who they are and not infringe upon others.
Spare Change
You gave and you give and yet you are unappreciated. Why bother? Why contribute to the world only to be ousted, in the end? Why? You love you. Your conscience won’t let you idly sit by and let the world implode. You care enough and don’t give a fuck at the same time. Sucks, but all sucking ain’t bad. There’s some good shit out there. Matter of fact, there’s a surplus; an overabundance. Wanna know why? Because people don’t want high-level shit, they just want spare change. They are satisfied with someone else’s leftovers. New ground isn’t paved. It requires too much work to think for yourself, so, fuck it. Status-quo is the new counterculture and counterculture is now a fad. It’s almost predictable what mothafuckas’ next move will be. That’s what people want. No one wants to guess anymore. We’re too impatient to deal with anything that doesn’t reveal all its levels at once. No one wants to dig but everybody wants to be hip.
Knee Deep
Real mothafuckas are hard to come by these days. Everybody is a genius. Snowflakes are #comn, literally. If you spent time cultivating your own nutz, you wouldn’t have so much time to spend chillin’ on everyone else’s. Be a man, be a woman, a boi, ladyboy, whatever you like. Whatever it is, be you, and stop worrying about what people think and do. That’s valuable time you could be putting into your own shit.
I love MJ, but I believe Louis Armstrong should be given as much praise, if not more than MJ. Pops was the Original King of Pop. And for clarification, I didn’t flat-out say Pops deserved more praise than MJ, but he is definitely deserving of as much if not more. I’m not discrediting Michael’s accomplishments, I’m just saying Armstrong is the progenitor of the Black, Pop aesthetic. The Black, Pop aesthetic is the American Pop aesthetic.
So-called “JAZZ” was the world’s first popular music. That’s why the ’20s was dubbed “The Jazz Age.” There were others before him, but Pops was its 1st star.
Of course, Paul WhiteMan was dubbed “The King of Jazz,” but that was a farce. He, like the Original Dixieland Jass Band, are pretty much insignificant in the true scope of American Popular music.
A Matter Of Black and White
Satchmo’s white handkerchief came decades before MJ’s white glove. #DontGetItTwisted #mfcomn
And you think MJ invented the high-water pant with white socks?
Pops did that first too!
No insult to Michael, but the Black, Pop icon didn’t really exist before Armstrong. To all those people who love to pretend like Michael just sprang-up out of nowhere, he is not the Immaculate Conception of Pop Music. And there is absolutely nothing reductive about saying that Michael Jackson is a part of the continuum that Armstrong started.
Face The Music
Louis Armstrong was the 1st face of popular Black music, i.e., Pop music, almost 40 years before Michael Jackson was born. I’m not saying Pops was more impactful because he was born before Michael, but because of his specific contributions to the interpretation of the American Popular song.
Michael was indeed a genius, but I’ll have to admit, his job was much easier because the road had already been paved by the likes of Pops, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson and James Brown.
I’m not one for superlatives, but Armstrong’s Hot Five recordings are the most influential records in Pop music. More influential than the Beatles or Michael Jackson put together. On those sides, he developed the whole idea of the virtuoso vocal and instrumental soloist in the Pop idiom. It was his voice that shaped what would become the Popular song.
The Hipness of The Heebies
One of the keys to Michael’s greatness was his skill of interpreting the Pop song. He made this clear very on with his first solo Pop hit Ben. His scatting and ad-libs were also a part of his genius. When people ask me why is Michael a genius, I tell them to check out his outro to The Lady In My Life. That is a page right out of Satchmo’s book. From 2:40 on is pure magic! #BAM
Pops was the first to scat on record. The last couple of seconds even has a Hiphop moment at 2:40.
Baby Dodds : The World’s 1st Funk Drummer
Most people don’t know this but Armstrong’s drummer, Warren “Baby” Dodds was instrumental in developing what would become the drum set. Before him, people played a selection of “traps” or individual components like cymbals, bells, woodblocks and the like. He formulated those “traps” into an actual kit which is the drum set you often see today. He was also a pioneer in changing the military conception of drum playing to the more triplet-infused, 3 over 4, swing/funk style with the emphasis on the backbeat as opposed to the One.
Baby was also partially responsible for inventing the hi-hat cymbal. William F. Ludwig caught a gig of Baby’s on a cruise ship and saw him patting his foot on the floor. This inspired Ludwig to create a foot operated cymbal for Baby. Irony is, Baby hated it!
It was in Armstrong’s band that he also developed the drum’s first conception of timbral accompaniment behind different soloists. He developed a style of playing that was tailored to each individual soloist as opposed to just “keeping time” behind everyone. He also developed the rimshot (playing the rim of the drums) which he might employ behind Pops’ vocals, then switch to a cymbal under his brother, Johnny Dodds’ clarinet solos and so forth.
Timbral listening is part of what shaped what would become “The Rhythm Section” (chordal instrument, bass and drums). The rhythm section is New Orleans’ gift to the world. It didn’t exist before these cats. The rhythm section is the backbone of Popular music. Without Baby Dodds and them, there would be no “Funk Brothers.”
The New Standard
Armstrong is not as popular, but he is just as accomplished, if not more than MJ. There was no standard before Pops. Reach and historical significance are not the same. I’m not questioning MJ’s popularity. No one’s more famous than Michael.
The Moonwalk
Michael did not invent the moonwalk, he popularized it. It was originally called “the backslide.” The moonwalk is an entirely different dance. Mike did the hell out of it though. Check out Jeffery Daniels (Soul Train, Shalamar). There’s that white glove again! This performance predates Michael’s classic Motown 25 performance by about a year.
Michael was a King, indeed, but King Oliver was a King long before and King Oliver begat Louis, the Original King of Pop. Just because MJ’s the most popular artist doesn’t mean he’s more historically significant than everyone.
Historical significance is not contingent on praise.
Video Killed The Radio Star
MJ broke the color barrier on MTV, but Pops broke the color barrier, period.
The phonograph was to Louis Armstrong as the music video was to Michael Jackson. Prime time. The new medium allowed them both unprecedented levels of popularity. They also had a new sound that matched the new medium. Divine timing had it so that they gave merit to the medium and the medium gave their voices a worldwide platform. The last new dominant medium was the Internet. The thing with the Internet is no one can dominate it because anyone can be a star.
Will there be another big star like Pops or MJ? As always, it’s part chance, part skills. The bigger issue is: Do people care anymore? Mothafuckas are emotionally numb.
There have only been 4 or 5 generations of people impacted by MJ as opposed to the dozen or so impacted by Satchmo. MJ was great, but people seem to be sleeping on the fact that James Brown was his archetype.
Most people don’t even know the many ways Louis Armstrong has influenced their lives. That said, many don’t know Thomas Edison invented the motion picture, but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying the movies.
Impact is not contingent upon recognition. Most of these people who only go back as far as MJ suck. They have no roots. Don’t think it ain’t possible for people to forget MJ just like they have Satchmo. As Buddy Rich said, “It’s very fucking possible!”
MJ Redefined Pop Culture, Pops Started It
Never said MJ didn’t break new ground, but Armstrong had just as much impact, if not more. ”Pop” music began in America. There was no world Pop music before it. There were only indigenous forms. It is the advent of the phonograph that allowed there to be a world Pop music. It brought the world together. There was also this “wild,” new, Black music from New Orleans that coincided with the new technology.
Louis Armstrong was the authentic face of the world’s first Pop aesthetic. He is the architect of the Pop song. Satchmo was the one to galvanize all of these seemingly disparate elements into a singular force of Pop art. Pops singlehandedly refined the art of the improvised solo and created the idea of a “Soul” singer. Pops also redefined the idea of where to place the “beat” in this music. That “feel” didn’t exist before him.
As a result, he influenced every musician in the Popular music idiom either directly or indirectly. Michael influenced more people, but Louis was more influential. There was less “new” territory to discover musically by the time MJ came along.
A True American Idol
Bing Crosby said of Armstrong – “He is the beginning and the end of music in America.” I agree. Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician of the 20th century. The Original King of Pop. Popularity and musical influence are two different things. The most influential people are not necessarily the most popular.
Anybody can win a popularity contest, but to influence music requires specific contributions to the advancement of an artform. No person has ever been as popular as MJ, in that sense he is the indisputable “King of Pop,”
It’s doesn’t matter if it’s David Duke, Donald Trump or the Sanford, Florida police department, White supremacy is all the same. White supremacy doesn’t only come dressed in white sheets and hoods. It’s part of the fabric of our everyday lives. And to be clear, I am not an advocate for Black supremacy, I am an advocate for equality. White supremacy is as much of a burden to the White person as it is to the person of color. No one can be free until we are all free.
Florida is the new Alabama.
Though similar, racism and prejudice are not the same. Prejudice is what got Trayvon killed; racism is why Zimmerman is still free. Lincoln freed the slaves, but he forgot to free the White people. The biggest hurdle in overcoming White supremacy, is that non-racists deny its existence.
White people: if you want to help absolve racism in America, a) stop pretending it doesn’t exist & b) talk to your racist, White friends.
Racism and violence are embedded in our history as Americans. There can be no healing until we address these issues openly and honestly. Ignorance is not being dumb, it is ignoring what is around you, not listening to your inner voice, being asleep, being too fearful of standing alone.
We are all sentient beings, the problem is, most people are just full of shit.
If everyone fought to be their best selves daily, no one else would have to be foolish enough to fight for their freedom. Free yourself, you’re the only one who can ultimately do it anyway.
We don’t need role models, we need model citizens.
Civil Disobedience vs. Willful Ignorance
Willful ignorance is also seen in great ones. Malcolm, Martin and Medgar had to willfully be ignorant to their instinct to protect themselves and their families over others. The only thing that will change this world is everyone enlightening themselves.
No model can save you, you must choose to save yourself. Jesus came, Buddha, Gandhi, etc…. and Niggas is still in the dark.
Free Willy!
Everyone is fulfilling a predetermined destiny, to an extent, but we also have the latitude to change. Some people call it free will. It’s the “that could’ve been me” mentality that’s poisoning our society. Let the resting rest and let us learn. We’ve mastered memorializing. Memorials give rise to memorials. We did it for 9/11, Katrina, Haiti, Whitney, and now Trayvon. The pattern is a couple of weeks of faux-grief and we go right back into our bubble. It’s bullshit, let’s break the pattern.
We don’t need role models, we need to be models.
Justice For Trayvon!
We all need justice, not just the kids. The ironic part is, the most just people receive the least amount of justice. We can address more than we think. Most of us are just too afraid to keep pushing ahead.
Niggas, Nagas, Negus….
Racism will not end until White people collectively humble themselves enough to accept their African ancestry. George Zimmerman killed Trayvon not because of what he hated in Trayvon, but because of what he hated in himself.
We’re ALL Niggas!
The race construct has created a false divide where we see self and other. That said, “Don’t call me Nigga, Whitey.”
And to be absolutely clear, I didn’t say one should feel humbled by their African ancestry, I said people should humble themselves to acknowledge their African ancestry. We all come from the same source, Africa. Racism will end when we all see other in self. This requires humility.
We are all the same and not the same, which is a problem because most people have a hard time respecting differences. Every human is of African descent. It’s not called “The Motherland” for nothing. It will require humility for some folks to see that we are all equal citizens in this world. How many tragedies do we need before people wake up?
Self/Other
Being proud of individual heritage is not the problem. We have that covered. The chasm the creates racism is the inability to humble oneself to the recognize likeness in everyone. This is the basis of White supremacy and the chief factor in the creation of the racial construct.
Though illusory, I don’t even think there’s anything wrong with celebrating racial/cultural differences as long as there’s a mutual respect involved. The idea of a racially homogenous society seems boring.
Recognize “This” member! *grabs Johnson*
Humble: not proud or arrogant; modest; courteously respectful.
Humility is what going to be required if White supremacy will ever be overcome. Some White people get it, but clearly not enough.
How can you say it’s not a race thing? Did you hear the 9-1-1 call? What do you think Zimmerman meant by “fucking coons”?
Bobby Rush, Bobby Rush, Bobby Rush….
Foghorn Longhorn
The cartoon below was published in the UT’s Daily Texan. I’m willing to bet Stephanie Eisner, the sketch artist (I’m being generous) who did this piece, feels she did nothing wrong. White people are the new Negroes in post-racial America. They are now the victim.
Racism doesn’t exist anymore in post-racial America. The only racists are those who identify an act as being racist. Denial is a mothafucka.
Even if Trayvon attacked after Zimmerman pursued him, why does the ‘Stand Your Ground’ clause work in defense of Zimmerman but not Trayvon? Zimmerman had no business following Trayvon around the neighborhood anyway, especially after he was instructed not to do so.
This piece goes way beyond the realm of satire. Not only is it racist, but illustrates an utter disregard and complete lack of compassion for the loss of a young man’s life.
No Mud, No Lotus
I could be wrong, but I am hopeful Trayvon’s murder will make some folks see the racial dynamic as it truly is in this country. I’m sad that it had to come to this for some people to awaken to the fact that racism is real.
I’m not saying racism as a whole will end from this, but I believe like the televising of Negroes being blatantly brutalized by White folks on TV during the Civil RIghts era did for racial awareness, this too will open some eyes. The thing is, most White folks don’t recognize or acknowledge that racism still exists.
The crux of the matter is, the only people with the power to end racism are White people. There is nothing we as Blacks can do that hasn’t been done.
Is It A Crime?
It isn’t a crime. Persecution of Black folks is written in the Constitution. This country was founded on the blood of people of color. Slavery is needed to sustain the capitalist edict. It’s the American way.
Sunroof Top
Racism is a “from the top down” phenomenon and White supremacy is what fuels it. People of color can only be prejudiced, not racist. All racism is prejudice, but not all prejudice is racism.
For example: Blacks who hold down other Blacks are self-loathing Blacks. Black people as a collective don’t have any socioeconomic power in this world and therefore cannot be racists, and whatever socioeconomic power we may have had in America, integration all but obliterated it.
The Oprahs and Obamas
All the Obamas and Oprahs in the world do not make people of color have equality in this society. Oprah and Obama are two of the most powerful Blacks in this country and yet they are still victims of racism.
The have status in terms of class, but they are not a part of the White Boy’s Club that controls this country. Know that.
The Semantics of Racism
I challenge the definition of racism that says it has to do with the belief in one’s racial superiority above others. Belief does not make one superior to another,
having power over them does. That is racism.
And for those who say who am I to champion for a change in the definition of the word racism? People change and redefine definitions all the time. English itself is an abstraction from primal linguistic thought.
Racism is not a linguistic issue. Anyone who says differently is simply bringing a red herring to the fish fry. Racism is a socioeconomic construct, not a linguistic one. Etymology is an ad hominem argument, as well.
Without racism there could be no White supremacy. The only way White people keep control is by the false existence of a racial construct. The creation of the White racial construct and institutional racism are synonymous with one another.
Prejudice may be painful, but racism is oppressive.
The Is of Isms
You can believe what you want, but every corner of this world is dominated by White people. White supremacy and racism are mutually interchangeable. Were it not for racism, humankind would most likely suffer from some other type of “ism,” but as it stands now, racism (sexism following closely behind) is the most crippling of them all.
Racism ranks above classism in that all racism is classism, but not all classism is racism. All isms aren’t equally yoked. Homophobia is sexism. But what is the basis of racism? Of course, fear, but more specifically? Who has the power and why?
Racism is the core issue. As it stands now, classism is first defined by race. For instance, even though the working-class person stands at a similar disadvantage regardless of race, White privilege exists for all White people. A person of color can never be the beneficiary of White privilege, regardless of monetary status.
As long as human life IS, we will suffer some type of ISM
White Is A Choice, Not A Birthright
video courtesy of Will Valenti
People of color can only be bigoted towards others. Racism is not an act on an individual level, it is a construct that exists on a global level. An individual cannot incite racism on anyone, it is a communal vibration that affects the whole of society.
Yes, classism existed first, but racism has long surpassed that. Classism exists in all cultures, but in order for racism to exist, one race has to be exalted above all others. At this time, it is the White race.
In theory, any race is capable of racism but only when that race has dominion over all others. The thing is, racism is dependent on the White race to exist, as everyone else on earth is classified as people of color. The end of racism is contingent on the dismantling of the White race, which really doesn’t exist anyway. And no I’m not speaking of “racial cleansing,” I speak of the end of an idea.
The idea of racism itself is oppressive. There are no intrinsically oppressed people.
That’s the beauty of racism.
#BAM
- Nicholas Payton aka The Creator of #BAM aka The Savior of Archaic Pop
Is George Zimmerman a racist? It is my understanding that he’s Latino, meaning, he’s Brown; and is ultimately subject to discrimination like Blacks in this country. He’s a Brown man who perhaps identifies as a White man. A Black man could also be guilty of the same thing.
This is clearly a racially motivated crime, but is it a racist one?
Black And Brown Get Down
As I’ve said before, racism is an institutional epidemic. The basis of racism is having the racial superiority over another to control the outcome of their lives. At this time, White people are the dominant culture. It is Whites who have the most pull politically and economically. No Black or Brown person can inject their race into a situation to ultimately influence the course of a non-Black or Brown person’s life.
So people are screaming racism all over the place, but was the killing itself racist? I say no. The response to the killing and the legislation that allows Zimmerman to still roam free is the racist part. The way Black on Black crime is treated is just as racist. It is clear by Zimmerman stalking and profiling Trayvon while mumbling shit like “fucking coon” has racial overtones, but I don’t believe a Brown man can commit a racist act against a Black man. Racially motivated? Yes. Racist? No.
Black, Brown and White
Black and Brown people both suffer racial persecution in this country. The irony of this is, what happened to Trayvon could of easily happened to someone of Zimmerman’s looks. In fact, Brown people have perhaps been under more heat than Blacks when we look at all the anti-immigration in stuff that’s been going on in Arizona and Alabama, for example.
Where’s Your Green Card?
Just look at the racist chants that were directed to Angel Rodriguez at the NCAA men’s tournament as a current gage for the racial hostility against the Latino community.
What Kind of Man Is A Zimmer Man?
I think the majority of Blacks assumed when they heard what happened to Trayvon in Florida by a cat named Zimmerman, that the killer was a White man. I bet many Blacks felt “some kinda way” when they saw what this Zimmerman looked like. Yeah, he ain’t Black, but he clearly ain’t White. How do we really know what he is and does it matter?
If this was a Black on Black crime with the same 911 phone call and the epithets, would this be that big of a deal? There have been plenty cases of Blacks shooting Blacks that have not garnered this amount of outrage. I’m pretty sure if the killer’s name was George Lopez, well not The George Lopez, the response amongst folks would have been tepid at best.
So what are folks really upset about here? An unjust murder, the murder of a Black kid by a cat named Zimmerman, or the legislation that allows this type of vicious killing of people of color to go unchecked?
Jibaro, My Pretty Nigger
So, the fact that Trayvon Martin was slain on the basis of his race and appearance is yet another glaring example of the unresolved issues with race we still have in America, but I contend his murder is not a racist act. The racist act is the bill in place that allows this Zimmer Man to roam free, regardless of his color.
Racism isn’t a sentiment, it’s a construct. Trayvon, like The Zimmer Man, is just a checker in the game.
“Zimmer” means “room” in German. How apropos! I hope Zimmer Man stays locked up in a “room” for a very long time.
