09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:17 pm
No one can say with authority who was the first person to express ideas synonymous with pan-Africanism, but resistance to foreign domination has been a constant element of African history on and off the continent. It is generally accepted, however, that true pan-African thinking first appeared among Black people in the Diaspora. Africans who were outside of Africa and stripped of their tribal affiliation were quick to recognize that their subjugation was based on their race; hence the call for racial unity in the face of a shared oppressive experience was originally given voice among them.
Early pan-African sentiments were clearly expressed by the 1700s. In America in 1787, for example, the famed Freemason Prince Hall sent a formal request to the Massachusetts Legislative Assembly for help with immigrating back to Africa. Likewise in the first two decades of the 1800s, the successful Boston merchant Paul Cuffee supported the repatriation of a least two groups of emigrants at his own expense. Prominent African Nationalists of that time include Henry Sylvester Williams, Edward W. Bylden, Benito Sylvain, Orishatukeh Faduma, and Mojola Agbebi. A good article to read about this subject is “Pan-Negro Nationalism in the New World Before 1862” by Hollis R. Lynch.
But aside from those luminaries, many scholars point to two particular meetings in order to date the beginning of the pan-African movement. The Chicago Congress on Africa in 1893 and the London meeting of the African Association in 1900 which introduced the use of the term “pan-African”. Nevertheless, while both of those meetings were historic in their originality, participation and outlook, it was the later Pan-African Congresses sponsored by W.E.B. Dubois and the U.N.I.A. conventions of Marcus Garvey that traditionally have been credited with having the most influence on pan-African thinking.
Over a 45 year period, DuBois would champion or be involved with six Congresses which would inspire such African leaders as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Wallace Johnson of Sierra Leone, and Ralph Armattoe of Togo among others. Marcus Garvey, on the other hand, spread his fiery message of African unity through the largest movement of Black people the world has ever known. The work of those two leaders inspired a wave of pride, resistance, and self-reliance which swept the globe and produced independence and human rights movements which left no African people moved. Moreover, new leaders and organizations emerged in the wake of DuBois and Garvey that have had riveting effects on African history including Malcolm X, the Black Panthers, the African National Congress, and the Pan-African Congress of Azania.
Pan-Africanism would, subsequently, reach a new level of institutionalization with the launch of the 1958 First Conference of Independent African States in Ghana. That would be followed by several other expressions of African unity including “the Union of African States (1960), the African States of the Casablanca Charter (1961), the African and Malagasy Union (1961), the Organization of Inter-African and Malagasy States (1962), the African-Malagasy-Mauritius Common Organization (1964)” and the Organization of African Unity (1963). (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press.)
In 2002, the Organization of African Unity transformed itself into the African Union with the stated objectives “to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa” and “to accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent.” (www.african-union.org)
Yet in spite of this long, rich and progressive history, pan-Africanism and African Nationalism are much misunderstood and maligned. The pan-African movement is not racist, sexist, homophobic, communist, or based on religious bigotry. As a matter of fact, the modern pan-African movement is open to every person willing to participate in the struggle to produce a world from racism, sexism or discrimination. Additionally, the modern African Nationalist community is strong and vibrant. Despite the best efforts of the FBI and CIA to dispose and discredit African leaders, the masses of African people have never lost focus of their dream for a world based on freedom, justice, and equality. Indeed the people who created civilization are now ready to give birth to a new world and a new type of human society.
African Nationalists believe that the best way to free the earth from the hatred and prejudice of Western white supremacy is to form a great African nation based on the timeless but revolutionary principle of the equality of humankind birthed from a movement that models that principle in theory and in practice.
If you are interested and would like to get involved in the pan-African struggle, then the simplest thing to do is to email me, Maurice X, President of the United Pan-African Student Movement at horizonis@hotmail.com. We will be restarting our meetings in Durham after the summer break and you can get involved with any of our programs from the African History class to the AIDS/HIV education and social services project. In addition you can look for and read future articles from a pan-African perspective by me here in The Nubian Message.
Maurice X is the President of the United Pan-African Student Movement. He is a community activist, writer, and former teacher of Adult Education at Durham Technical Community College. Maurice resides in Durham and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Central University. In his spare time he enjoys reading and exercising.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Marcus Garvey was a political activist who promoted nationalism. Nationalism can be defined as a grand movement involving African Americans and on a wider spectrum, blacks around the world. This movement encompassed elements of self- determination and self-preservation. The purveyors of this seemingly radical concept thought that certain actions needed to be taken to re-allocate power and funds from the skewed power structure. Systemic racism exists in systems where institutional racism hinders the ability of the lower classes to gain upward social mobility. In order for a class to advance it must have the proper tolls provided for in the economic and political system of the ruling class. They said that the United States used black people in America to build up its economy, while persecuting them in their own communities. Marcus Garvey was one of the first activists to actually move upon these ideals by creating an organization called the United Negro Improvement Organization.
Garvey said that the government should reflect the will of the people. Garvey said that black people suffered from propaganda to destroy our confidence in ourselves.
In 1914, Garvey organized the Universal Negro Improvement Association. Soon after he began to travel around the United States preaching Black Nationalism. The association grew to encompass over 1,100 branches in more than forty countries. Garvey felt that if black people established some leadership, through solidarity, they could gain some form of human liberty and appreciation. He called for a mass movement to move black people back to Africa. He said that it was the educated western black man’s responsibility to take care of African resources. Mr. Garvey believed that the black leaders of the time headed mock organizations, not completely dedicated to empowering the entire black race. He saw the color tone stratification in these organizations, whereby the light skinned people seemed to want to form another color caste. Garvey saw the need for black people to appreciate each other and to not worship the white race. He saw how some of the integrationists wanted entrance into the white society. He was trying to get black people to create their own society where they could seek prosperity through entrepreneurial endeavors. There was also a need to promote self-reliance and black love. In world politics, Garvey promoted his views to black people in colonized regions.
Some countries would not grant him a visa when he applied. The British Government stopped him from coming to its colonies. He and his wife were denied entry into the British Guiana or any of the British West Indian islands.
Liberia was a venture into the ideals of Garvyism (black nationalism). The American government delegated this portion of land, already inhabited, for black relocation. This effort failed after a number of years. The American government lost interest in the project and stopped funding it. Some of the initiatives Garvey was involved in are believed to be radical according to history. He dedicated his life to the cause of black liberation for people trying to defeat oppression around the world, without biting his tongue.
-Davin Van Eyken
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Have you ever had one of those moments where you say something and you realized that maybe you went a bit too far? How about one of those moments where you go beyond sticking that proverbial “foot in mouth”? Ever said something that made one of the nicest people you know and who would never say something against someone say something against you? Well, if you’re Kayne West then you are used to doing all of this on quite a regular basis. Unfortunately, for him recently he went beyond the regular level of being unacceptable.
At 32 years old, West took on a nineteen-year-old Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Awards. Her shining moment of winning her first MTV Award and the historical first MTV Award won by any country artist was utterly destroyed. More disgraceful than the missed face-mask penalty in USC-NCSU, West took away the microphone from her and talked about how she didn’t deserve to win. He went on to say how Beyonce and her video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” was “one of the best videos of all time”. It was hard to watch, to see a grown man to put down a young girl like he did on national television. With her speech ruined, she smiled and went on to act with grace well after West was removed. Beyonce, who later on won Best Video of the Year, brought Swift on stage with her to give her speech to make up for West’s despicable act.
The eye of the storm from his tirade has far from ended. He was removed from New York’s Radio City Music Hall after being booed from the large crowd. Fellow artist and nominee, Pink, saw him and was too shamed to look at him. The list went extensively on to Blogger Perez Hilton, rapper/rival 50 Cent, Emil Wilbekin (Essence.com), Ann Powers (Los Angeles Times), Former President Jimmy Carter, and current President Barack Obama amongst others called for West’s head on a stick. Obama even went as far as calling West a “jackass” in an offline interview. Even Donald Trump is calling for West’s removal from the MTV Awards.
Swift and Beyonce were admirable in how they acted. Although the looks on their faces were priceless, they were priceless for the wrong reasons. West took prime opportunity of using live television and ruined a quality moment. The message that he wanted to get across wasn’t so bad but the way he went about it was truly out of line. Yes, Beyonce’s video was very good and could have been one of the best ever, but the timing of what he wanted to say was wrong. With the millions of viewers that were watching, many of whom, were probably seeing her for the first time will now associate her with Kayne West telling her on stage that she didn’t deserve to win an award.
In the end, Swift may have gotten more notoriety from this but West’s reputation is forever damaged. His apologies still don’t seem to be genuine or fulfilling but I can only hope that he learns way more than what he showed. He’ll learn his lesson one day, but he is incredibly lucky that it wasn’t someone else who wasn’t a nineteen year old country singer that he went up against.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:15 pm
To market, to market
To buy a Black Man
Step right up and pick one out if you can
First up
Is a young black male
About 5’11” fully equipped with the du-rag and waves
Timbs are extra
Special offer going only once
This Negro comes with his own custom made grill,
With cubic zirconium diamond earrings and a Rolex
That doesn’t work
So he’ll have an excuse to be “fashionably late”
This Negro comes with the latest slangs that have downloadable updates
So he’ll always be in style
Buy now
And I’ll throw in two baby mommas, two kids, with street drama
So you know how “real” he is
This Negro will have VIP access to all the club spots and poetry jams
So he can be perceived as having some ——–
He also comes with his own personal poem to spit to the “breezies”:
Black man, Black man
What’s the message Black man
I love my beautiful, black, Nubian Queen
Because black is beautiful
And beautiful is black
And I loved-ed her
And she loved-ed me
And everyone should applaud because no one wants to see an angry black man
And this in one of those pretty Negroes with the “good” hair
That wears a diamond-encrusted crucifix
This Negro also comes with his own car
With rims that spin counterclockwise
So Come one, Come all
Everyone can place a bid on the amazing Negro
It’s all for sale!
…Is this what the Black Man has come to?
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Aubrey Graham or Drake, as he is more commonly known, is no newcomer to the entertainment business, but based on his history, it is a surprise that he has come this far and has the buzz surrounding him that he does. He was born in Toronto, Canada and began acting on Degrassi: The Next Generation, a “teen drama television series,” as Wikipedia so eloquently labeled it. He played Jimmy, a basketball player who was shot by a classmate.
To sum it up, he is a Canadian who played a disabled basketball player on a teen soap opera, not exactly the typical history of a rising hip-hop star. His topics are not consistent with the wave of “d-boys” that hit the market in the last 3 or 4 years, so what is it? Could it be that hip-hop is finally returning to the lyrics, to the realness that I believe should be the root of every true artist’s arsenal? I hope so.
In my opinion, what separates Drake from the rest is his style and his ability to connect with the track. He does not simply go for punch line after punch line which is stereotypical of so many mixtape rappers. He reads the beats and in contrast to free styling, which often lacks the story telling, he picks a general theme and tells his story. If this is a sign that hip-hop consumer’s tastes are changing once again… I hope it lasts. The next stage in the evolution of Drake is his range as an artist. You have the rapper famous for his slick lyrics and the spirit of his beats that make your head rock, and on the other side you have the singer.
I was surprised when I first heard songs such as “A Night Off” and “Something”; I was in awe as I listened to this rapper whose voice competes with many full-bred R&B artists. Granted moguls like Jay-Z say that rappers are singing too much, but with a voice like Drake’s, I don’t think he [Jay-Z] can even say too much against him. Drake is definitely leading the next wave of artist’s whose lyrics define their success. The dance songs are moving aside for the J. Cole’s and the Drake’s. As HOV [Jay-Z] said in a song on his newest album, The Blueprint 3, “Drakes up next, [lets] see what he do with it.”
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:11 pm
A few weeks ago, a story surfaced in the media about Pastor Steve Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona. In a sermon entitled, “Why I Hate Barack Obama”, Pastor Steve Anderson of Arizona, stated, “… you’re going to tell me that I’m supposed to pray for the socialist devil, murderer, infanticide, who wants to see young children and he wants to see babies killed through abortion and partial-birth abortion and all these different things—you’re gonna tell me I’m supposed to pray for God to give him a good lunch tomorrow while he’s in Phoenix, Arizona? “Nope. I’m not gonna pray for his good. I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to hell.”
Clips and excerpts from this sermon can be found here and there online, but this story was for the most part short-lived in the media. The pastor went on for over an hour, ranting anti-gay themes and proclaiming justified hatred of “faggots”. Two major issues have been raised in response to this sermon, the freedom of speech and whether or not Pastor Steve Anderson can be reasonably viewed as inciting violence. Supporters of his views are using religion to soften the blow, but the same was not done for Reverand Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of President Barack Obama. Clips of a sermon by Reverend Wright, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, caused great controversy during President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, when Reverend Wright reportedly said, “God damn America.”
In no way am I saying one preacher is right and the other is wrong. I am simply questioning the motives of the media in unequal coverage of the two stories. There is still news coverage of last year’s incident with Reverend Wright, but when searching for information about Pastor Anderson the leads are fewer and more far between.
This is not an issue of race or religion, but a matter of what is considered newsworthy. Reverend Wright was speaking against the country, while Pastor Anderson spoke against not only the views of a person and a party, but against the President of the United States of America. He blatantly stated, “He should die and go to hell.” Both scripturally and politically one could make arguments favoring or opposing either of the statements from these preachers’ sermons, but it is difficult to form an opinion about something you haven’t been informed of.
With declining approval ratings due to the health care debate among other issues, this could potentially be a popular opinion, but when does one go too far in expressing their opinion? A man of the cloth should be praying for the leader of the free world, not praying for his death and condemning him to hell. This not only made question the role of religion in politics, but also the role media plays in politics. The secrecy and broadcast of some issues over others is unfair and damaging to the political climate of our society. We can not always be certain that the media is giving us all of the information, but we can do our own research and create our own opinions more responsibly and effectively.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:11 pm
It is not a myth that a large amount of the world’s population is racially mixed. It may not show, but it is still there. Just because a person may appear to be one race does not mean that they are just that. On some occasions you cannot physically tell if someone is mixed. Other times an individual’s mixed heritage can be easily picked up on. Does this mean that they are different or confused?
Decades ago being a “mulatto” (an individual who is equally African America and Causcasion) was seen as a ticket out. If you could pass for a white person you could live the life people could only dream of. Since the years have passed it seems as if we all want to be included and excluded. We want to be included as strong and, upstanding members of society, but then we want to say who’s in and who’s out of our group. This is wrong and can leave devastating scars on someone’s life.
I have had a handful of bi-racial/multicultural friends in my lifetime. I can honestly say that they are some of the most beautiful people, inside and out. The sad thing is that every one of them had identity issues. They were never completely accepted by one group or the other. One friend in particular happened to be African American and Japanese. She was taunted by the black community because she had long hair and they accused her of thinking that she was better than them. On the other hand, she was never accepted into the Japanese side of her family. They did not consider her one of them because she was mixed. I am not trying to step on the toes of African Americans or the Japanese. I am simply making a point that a person is a person no matter what they look like.
The only reason some biracial/multicultural people may be confused about who they are is because we as a society are making it that way. It would not be a problem if we didn’t make it a problem. You shouldn’t have to choose one side or the other. Failing to embrace all parts of yourself could have lead to low self-image and self-worth.
My sixteen year old brother is African- American ,as well as Caucasian. The town he lives in is quite traditional in the way it views race relations. On one side there is a black community and on the other side there is the white community and off to the side is a small population of people of Spanish descent. The only places people mix and mingle are the baseball park and the Piggly Wiggly. My brother has recently been interested in dating , but the girl he is interested in cannot date him because he is half African- American. Her parents do not approve of it and he was ordered not to call the their house anymore. These people fail to realize that my brother is a person, first and foremost, and that he is half Caucasian. It should not matter if he is blue, he is still a human being just like everyone else. He sometimes gets heat from both sides because of being biracial and it negatively affects his development. His teenage years should be fun, not filled with race anxiety.
Biracial people have taken Hollywood by storm. Celebrities such as Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Derek Jeter, and our own President of the United States Barack Obama are all biracial. They have all embraced their mixed heritage and set a good example for those who will follow them.
There is no reason for this disconnect between races. Biracial/multicultural shouldn’t have to play “Monkey in the Middle” to be accepted. A prime example of this is Halle Berry and her current relationship with the German model Gabriel Aubry. I have been reading many blogs by black people that have a problem with her dating a white man. The truth is that she is half white and everyone should get over themselves and let her be. She has done a great job of representing biracial people and is well respected for overcoming the barriers of race. She has a beautiful biracial daughter and she will not grow up confused.
Overall, I would like to see people of mixed heritage not struggling over which group they need to belong too. There is no need for this ridiculous separation and it is only making things worse. Embrace your heritage, hold your head high, and show the world just how beautiful you are.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Hispanic Heritage Month, started in 1968, runs from September 15th to October 15th and celebrates the achievements and showcases the plight of Hispanic/Latinos in America. Although the “month” is really half of two different months, there is a reason. September 15th is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on September 16th, while Chile celebrates Independence Day on September 18th and Belize on September 21st. Many students have misconceptions about the Hispanic/Latino culture and have limited it to farm workers, reggaeton, and Salsa dancing. There are more than 20 Spanish speaking countries with even more local dialects and native languages. The food varies from border to border, as well as the music, dancing, and traditional dress. There’s so much to learn, even for Hispanic/Latino students!
The Hispanic population in the U.S. has grown tremendously. Hispanics are now the largest minority ethnic group within the U.S. and North Carolina has had a helping hand in that growing number. North Carolina is a state whose Hispanic population has quadrupled since the 1990’s and NC State University’s Hispanic population has also steadily increased through the years. There are more than 700 Hispanic students at NC State, student organizations have become more abundant and campus offices have begun to focus more on the Hispanic population on campus. The six Hispanic/Latino student organizations on campus are: Mi Familia, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Destino (Bible study organization under Campus Ministries), Sube Ritmo (Dance team), Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. and LASA (Latin American Student Association). All of these organizations have worked diligently to bring Hispanic/Latino students together at NC State in an effort to provide a forum for all students to learn more about the richness of the culture and to provide a welcoming and comfortable learning environment.
Many students have heard of or attended programs hosted by these organizations such as: Salsabor, Somos, and Pi Chi Week. Salsabor is an annual fall cultural show to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month hosted by Mi Familia and SHPE. There are music and dance performances, traditional Hispanic cuisine and dance lessons from Sube Ritmo! Salsabor is going to be held this year on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Talley Ballroom. The organizations on campus like to work together to show a broad spectrum of perspectives and ideas concerning the Hispanic/Latino community. There are many more events going on during Hispanic Heritage Month that showcase the beauty of the culture and you can get a complete listing of the calendar at http://www.ncsu.edu/msa/downloads/hlhm2009.pdf.
One campus office that has been instrumental in the success of Hispanic/Latino students on campus is the Department of Multicultural Student Affairs located in Pullen Hall. The staff members are very supportive of the Hispanic/Latino student population on campus and are always willing to assist in whatever way possible. The Assistant Director for Hispanic Student Affairs, Mr. Abraham Dones, came to campus in the summer of 2008 from Philadelphia, PA by way of proactive students, like Jezzette Rivera, who diligently pushed for a Hispanic/Latino student advisor. The addition has been a great success to the office and the NC State community and many students have been able to build a relationship with Mr. Dones. He has truly been vital in the success of students, programs, and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time when ALL students can learn about the rich culture and history of our ancestors and embrace the diversity on our campus. We hope to see everyone at our future events to support and to meet members of the Hispanic/Latino community. NC State is a diverse group of educated students that will hopefully take advantage of all the opportunities to learn outside of the classroom.
By: Nicole Machado
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Three years ago, Michael Vick was one of the most dangerous and elusive players that the National Football League (NFL) had ever seen. However, that all changed in the summer of 2007 when three other men and Vick were indicted with felony charges for dog fighting. He eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to approximately 23 months in a federal prison.
This past April, Vick was released from prison and finished the rest of his sentence under house arrest on July 20, 2009. Once he completed his time, the talk of his possible return to the NFL reached an all-time fervor. From ESPN to CNN, many speculated on whether or not the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, would reinstate Vick back into the league and if so, when. Within a week, Goodell reinstated Vick but only on a conditional basis, a concept that stated that he had up until week six of the season to fully reinstate Vick.; However, Goodell later ruled that Vick could play by week three of the season. On August 13, 2009, in a move that surprised football fans and analysts alike, he was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles on a two-year contract.
Now that Vick has done his time and is back in the NFL to attempt to make a living for himself and his family (and to get himself out of debt), there are still voices out there who feel that he does not deserve a second chance. Out of the most outspoken groups that are against Vick, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), have made it clear that they believe that he should not receive a second chance, let alone be able to prove himself. Right after Vick was done speaking at his first conference after being released from federal custody, PETA felt that he was not compassionate enough and should take further steps to prove to them that he is truly sorry for what he did, like taking a psychological test. They have even said that they will be present at the Eagles’ games this season to protest the organization to express their discontent. But what is even more mind boggling is that an animal rights group in Washington D.C. vowed to donate a bag of dog food to a random animal shelter in Washington DC every time Vick gets sacked during the October 26, 2009 Eagles vs. Redskins game. The animal rights group also said that it is all fun and games being for a good cause. People seem to understand that the group might be trying to get publicity out of this whole situation, but when it comes to putting another human being’s health and livelihood on the line, it stops being funny.
We will never know if Vick is truly sorry for what he did, but there is one thing that we do know and can do: let the man prove himself first. Before we, as a society, cast the first stone, let Mr. Vick have his shot at redemption so that he can have a chance to turn himself around and to show himself, and ultimately society itself, that people can change when given a second chance.
09 Oct
Posted October 9, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Diamonds in the air for yet another classic CD from the semi-retired Jay-Z that was released on Friday, September 11, 2009. A legend such as this man can not seem to deliver anything less than perfection. A highlight of the Blueprint 3 is that it features many popular artists. This is a commendable act for Jay-Z to share his flavor with his fellow icons.
A major highlight track is “Empire State of Mind” featuring. Alicia Keys. A dynamic duo to say the least, they give us an ode to New York,; the place where dreams are made through streets that make you feel brand new, and where the lights inspire you. Keys belts out, “Let’s here it for New York” and—I say, “Let’s here it for these two artists.” With lyrics from websites like “killerhiphop.com”, this track will make you breathe deep for the big city.
Take a moment of silence for the death of T-pain—I mean Auto-tune. Unfortunately, the next highlight D.O.A (Death of AutoTune) (in which Jay-Z specifically calls out rapper T-Pain), is a source that has supposedly upset T-Pain. T-Pain has responded back by saying, “Jay-Z is 59 years old, what does he know about what’s hot?” at one of his concerts. The clip can be found on YouTube. This track does not pose a question as to rather it is a hit or not, but the real conflict begins with the reoccurring sense that “real music” or raw talent is dead. Everybody loves T-pain, but are rappers singing too much? More importantly, would people still buy the albums if artists did not conform to “what’s new/hot?” D.O.A will make you think about the current state of hip-hop which is already up for debate, but every once in a while a track like this one will come along and remind us that true hip-hop is still very much alive.
Next, “Run this town” featuring singer Rihanna & rapper Kanye West is without a doubt, the new club anthem. When this song comes on, hands go up, voices get louder, and people sing-along passionately with Rihanna. If you have a nightlife, you know what I am talking about. “Real as it Gets” featuring Young Jeezy is one of those “real recognizes real” cuts. It gets some airtime in the club and it is one of those songs that everybody loves because it is a “represent where your from” song.
“On to the next one” ft. Swizz Beatz has an awkward beat that ironically makes the song what it is. It just makes you want to move, and that is the very core of what makes a song a hit. “Off that” featuring Drake is upbeat and futuristic. It can’t really be described any other way. This track is a standout because it talks about how they are “off” all the minuscule things in life that do not contribute to having a successful future. Drake says, “You can’t bring the future back”. In other words, what you do or have done in the past/present determines your where you get in the future,. If you miss the boat, too bad because it is already gone, and it is not coming back. “A star is born” featuring new and upcoming artist, J.Cole, who will be performing at the “Koncert Talley Party” on September 25th, 2009, is another masterpiece. The lyrics include shout outs to rising icons and successful artists. It notes that “everyday a star is born”, which does not need to be said to be seen.
Other tracks are “Venus vs. Mars,”, “Already Home,”, “Hate,”, “Reminder,”, “What we talkin’ about,”, “Thank you,”, and “Young Forever” featuring Mr. Hudson. Blueprint 3 ends with the customary “So Ambitious” featuring rapper and singer Pharrell Williams, that inspires people to thrive on the negativity of people trying to bring you down. Pharrell sings, “The motivation for me was them telling me what I could not be.” It reminds you to continue to be ambitious no matter what hardships you endure. Know that “If you believe it, then you can conceive it.” The whole album should be highlighted truth be told. It is one of those albums you can enjoy the whole way through…No skips. You have to love the undeniable style of the great HOV(Jay-Z). The delivery of his cunning lyrics, and his determination to never actually retire. It is true, the rap game does need him.
