It was never his intention to be anywhere near me
I thought different
My loyalty and pride coincide so much that they’ll soon kill each other
or me
He knew…
Now everything I hoped for
Everyone else receives
Anger, resentment, intolerance manifest
A mental blockage turned dark hole
COLD
A New York winter
The first
Sanity’s worst
Yet loves biggest triumph
Something that resides everywhere and in everyone cannot be hindered by one
Irony cannot be faced with piety
But karma can be outwitted by cultivation
For her seeds only rot when they have no soil to fertilize
His power procreated immensely
The “coulda beens”
Are specs in the wind
No friendship
No relationship
still no End
Looking into my own eyes
She has come alive
Now we realize
The “It” was all a disguise
It was fall when the first little was born
May favorite
The one with fur of coil
Passed away
There are only about two left
I can smell the remains of some of the others
It’s Spring
A new bunch is born
The grey kitten sits by my window
some more pics from the iblackhair photo shoot
By Shaqunna M Bolden
With recent talk of the music genre hip hop being on the decline, a few new artists have emerged to dispel the myth. Amongst those artist J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Big K.R.I.T. aim to shift the opinions of nay sayers nation wide. Jermaine Lamar Cole hailing from Fayetteville, North Carolina has made his way onto the mainstream as a producer as well as a rapper. With his recent album Cole World: The Sideline Story reaching US Billboards Top 200 charts at the number one spot, Cole uses his urban slang combined with schoolboy wisdom to discuss controversial issues in songs such as ‘The Breakdown’ and ‘Lost Ones’. As the first artist signed to Jay Z’s label Roc Nation, J.Cole embodies the long term grace and endurance that has shown to make classic hits similar to that of his predecessor.
Flying in from the west coast, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth formally known as K. Dot is a breath of fresh air to most. With his laid back demeanor and thought evoking lyrics, the Compton, California native has managed to posses the essence of Tupac Shakur garnished with the rhyme scheme similar to that of Bone Thugs-N- Harmony. Under the influence of Dr. Dre and the Aftermath crew Lamar has made plans to expand on the hype of his previous mix tapes Overly Dedicated and Section.80 with an upcoming album Good Kid in a Mad City. The album is expected to feature more appearances from Kendrick’s team Top Dawg Entertainment whose members also include the talented Ab-Soul.
Taking a stroll down south, Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered In Time) is a Mississippi inhabitant with a smooth flow. Highlighting issues of the day, Big K.R.I.T.’s rap style and emotive lyrical content grasps the thoughts of listeners. In songs such as ‘Vent’ where he says “I’m so close to Heaven, Hell I just need some time/ Who cares about life, and the highs and lows/ Maybe I should write another song about pimps and hoes/ Cars and clothes, Idol Gods, Golden Cabs, Louie Scarf’s” his conventional wisdom bursts thru every bar while his production skills have critics such as Tom Breihan (Pitchfork) giving his mix tape Return of 4Eva (released in 2011) 8.5 out of 10 stars. K.R.I.T. is set to release his studio album Live From the Underground June 5th, 2012.
With the talent of these three young men on the rise, the decline of a genre that expresses black love, struggle, and endurance may be an old tall tale. In the next year hip hop heads world wide will get a chance to resurface to give these young men their support. For we are hip hop and the culture must live on.
