off tha dome

it's been a minute...i know

random thoughts...

i'm not going to see transformers. i didn't see the first movie. wasn't a fan of the cartoon. yeah...i said it

ok...will people stop asking me about governor sanford from south carolina. i'm FROM south carolina but i don't vote there. i haven't lived there in years.

since you asked...here's my .02. if you're willing to risk it all for a brawd in anutha country...she betta be fine! i mean finer than frog hair (shout out to rawdawgbuffalo...lol)

i don't pass judgement but i could understand if it was his secretary. no, this fool falls for the out of town chick. he gets the award

gonna be on the grill this weekend. come to the crib. bring a bottle with you.

congrats to kobe and the lakers. you won. *yawn*...is it football season yet?

why are we hearing from dick cheyney all of a sudden? i've heard more in the last month from him than i did the 8 years that he was the vice president.

death of autotune!!! <-------thank you Jay Z. You da bess...youda, youda,youda bess.

word on the street is that janet jackson has dumped jermaine dupri just weeks after this fool had her face tattoo'd on his ribcage. if sanford didn't get the dummy award...dupri would get it.

maybe it's just me...but if you're 7 mos pregnant, you prolly shouldn't be wearing a shirt with your belly exposed.

speaking of fashion, memo to the ladies...sundresses can't be worn by every woman.

chris brown beats up rhihanna and gets no time in jail? umm...they betta be glad she ain't my daughter.

funny how r kelly had sex (then pissed) on a minor but y'all still listen to his music? wow

speaking of music, i'm gonna pass on the eminem cd. i ain't feelin it.

i didn't have the heart to tell dude that he should throw these things away



i finally went to sleep on a plane last week. aren't you proud of me?

don't you hate it when people say..."guess who did _____?" why do you want me to guess? i don't want to guess. just tell me!

sometimes you gotta just go through your phone and delete people. especially if you haven't talked to them in over a year and the number has only been dialed when you saved it in your phone.

fellaz- if you spend half the night telling a chick about how much money you have, you can't be mad and call her a gold digger later.

prez O might be cooler than me. maybe...

ladiez- "you'll never find a man, until you find yourself." - Common. <------so true

i've been watching a lot of the history channel lately. very impressive

twitter...You da bess...youda, youda,youda bess.

almost everbody is on twitter.

what if Jesus was on twitter? that would be cool to get a tweet from Jesus (@12kyle you betta be in church on this sunday...or else)

ok...that last thought was wrong...but funny.

regina king...regina king...regina king

goodnturrible

As we celebrate Black Music Month, we can be reminded of some of the great music that has been made for generations.

But we can also be reminded of some BAD music that was made. I'm reminded of some bad purchases that I made everytime I walk past my cd rack...

Da Brat (the last cd that she released)

Ill Al Scratch (don't ask)

just to name a few...

What about you? What was the worst cd, cassette tape, or 8 track that you've ever purchased?

Hollatchaboi

mood muzik

Music brings out different types of emotions. I don' think there is any debating that.

Music can inspire your creativity.

Music can get you pumped up.

Music can stimulate you...in more ways than one.

Music can enhance intimacy...as you know.

I remember back in the day when almost every dude had a cassette tape. On that tape, he had recorded a compilation of songs that he could play when it was time to get busy with his girl. All of the songs were slow jams. Songs that were made for love making.

If you were making a "mood muzik" tape for you and your man/woman, gimme a song(s) that you'd put on the tape.

I'd have to say Moments in Love by the Art of Noise. That joint was like 7 or 8 mins long. No words. If you neva heard it...youtube it.

Whut you got?

whoyoutakin???

The month of June is the month that we celebrate Black music. Unlike the executive sukkaz at BET, we're gonna celebrate the month this week at the 12th Planet.

Let's get it started...

If you had to pick one of the two artists in each category during their PRIME...whoyoutakin?



Prince or Michael Jackson

Luther Vandross or Babyface

Biggie or Tupac

Beyonce or Janet Jackson

Rakim or Jay Z

Natalie Cole or Aretha Franklin

Whitney Houston or Mary J Blige

Aaliyah or Toni Braxton

Ne-Yo or Usher

NWA or Public Enemy

Boys II Men or New Edition

Jodeci or Dru Hill

Keisha Cole or Jill Scott

James Brown or Mc Hammer

Lil Wayne or TI

Common or Scarface

En Vogue or SWV

KRS One or Big Daddy Kane

Musiq Soulchild or Joe

Snoop Dogg or Nas

Maxwell or D'Angelo

Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles

Ludacris or Jadakiss

Jennifer Hudson or Jazmine Sullivan

Stetsasonic or The Roots

Foxxy Brown or Lil Kim


remember that you can pick as many as you want...or you can pick em all.

so...whoyoutakin???

t-w-i...

"Just sat down on the plane next to a fat dude who's sweaty and leaning on me. This is gonna be a looooong flight."


That was the text msg that I sent. I sat in between the fat man and my friend/co-worker Sherry. She saw the text msg just before I sent it. She started laughing.

"Who did you send that to?"

"It's a tweet. I'm on twitter."

"What's twitter?"


I've been asked this question several times. What is twitter? Well, here's the definition...

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read each others' updates, known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters, displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to other users - known as followers - who have subscribed to them. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. The service is free over the Internet, but using SMS may incur phone service provider fees.

However, when people ask me...I can't define it so I usually tell them to join and they'll figure it out. LOL. Twitter has become my latest addiction. It's sharing my thoughts, actions, and whereabouts with a network of friends (called followers). It has become something that I've gravitated towards. For example, the tweet above could generate a conversation between me and 4 other people at once. That's the best way that I can describe it. I'm addicted and damn proud of it! LOL

I'm interested in my followers and vice versa. My twitter name is @12kyle. Some of my followers are some of my peeps who blog on a daily basis. For a blogger, twitter is a natural fit. It's a condensed version of blogging. I don't think it'll ever replace blogging for me because 140 characters ain't enough for me to convey my points. However, it is more than a fad. Twitter is a way of life. Some people enjoy the fact that they can follow celebs and atheletes. Some will actually send tweets back to you...so there's a connection. I'm not big on celebs and athletes b/c I would much rather interact with my peeps. Unlike Facebook, Twitter helps me process my train of thought.

I could go on and on about Twitter but I won't. The influence of twitter made the cover of Time mag this week. You don't need me to pitch it ot you. I'm hooked. And if you try it...you will be too. Beware!

time2mend

I remember getting a phone call from my Dad a few years ago.

It went something like this...

Dad: "Hey...I've got some sad news...your grandfather passed away."

Me: "Really. Wow. Sorry to hear that."

And that was about it. If it sounds strange to you, that's because it was strange. It was strange to me because I didn't know him. I had only spoken with him over the phone once. I knew that he lived in Los Angeles for almost 20 yrs after leaving New Jersey. I didn't have a relationship with him because he didn't have one with my father. When my Dad gave me the news, it was almost like hearing that the old guy who lived down the street from you had passed away. I felt nothing. The fact that my grandfather's death didn't move me...bothered me. I mean, I was nearly in tears when Biggie died and I only knew him through his music. But I wasn't emotional upon learning about the death of the man who created the man who created me. Very strange...

Dad and granddad's relationship went sour when he and my grandmother split when my dad was a teenager. Granddad drank a lot and he wasn't "nice to be around" once he had that "oil" in his body. They had a bad relationship. When he died, dad wasn't mad at him. He seemed to be content with knowing that he loved his father and his father loved him. But I missed out on having a grandfather. Missed out on his wisdom. The fence was never mended. He and dad never connected again like a father/son should be. The one positive thing about their relationship is that dad vowed that if he ever had a son...he'd make sure that he'd be close to his son and be a better father than he had. And he did that for me and my brother.

Life is long...but it's also short. Tommorrow is not promised to any of us. Almost all of us have someone...parent, spouse, sibling, friend...that we should mend our fences with. We all assume that we'll be here forever but we know better. Sometimes people get relationships/friendships go awry and we don't even remember what happened. Life is too short to go around being mad at someone.

Maybe this post will move you to mend a fence with someone in your life.

Maybe...

friendly skies

"I don't like the way this sounds."


These were the words coming from one of the flight attendents on the airplane that I was on the other day.

The flight attendents were passing out peanuts when the pilot ordered them back to their seats. Apparently, we were headed for some turbulence. I've never been on a flight when they had to tell the flight attendents to sit down. My mind began to race. Heart started pumpin a lil faster. You see...ole 12kyle hates turbulence. I want my flight to be smoooooth. None of that bumpy stuff. Unfortunately, I have no control over it.


I remember flying back from my honeymoon in Jamaica. We hit some bad weather. I mean, thunderstorms and everything. I can't lie...I was shook. Mrs12 found my "fear" to be soooooo amusing. So, as I was having a fit...she was laughing. She told me it was ok. As the plane rattled and dipped, she held my hand (I see y'all laughin' but this shit aint funny...lol).


Back to my flight, I remain calm as the flight gets rocky. I remind myself that I'm safer in the air than I am behind the wheel of a car. I also remind myself of the dream that I had 7 yrs ago. In the dream, I'm on a plane and it crashes. There is only 1 survior in the wreckage. And guess who it was...ME!!!!


Don't get it twisted...I don't ever think about dying. I plan to be around as long as Moses was. LoL. I'll prolly go out in my sleep real mellow like at the age of 135. So please understand...if y'all hear about a plane going down and I'm on it...dammit y'all betta come and find me. Because I'ma make it!

K.O.S

Sometimes you can amaze yourself by what you've learned...

More importantly, you can amaze yourself even more by what you've learned about yourself.



For me, I'm not sure the exact moment when it happened. I was in high school. I think I was in the 11th grade. It was that moment when I gained the knowledge of self (K.O.S). It was the time when I REALLY learned who I was. I knew where I had come from. And I knew where I was going. So many people go for many years without knowing who they are. They spend so much time "trying to find themselves." I guess you can never be too late in finding who you are but you don't want to be 40 yrs old and realize that you spent your 20s and 30s "looking for yourself." By then, you've let some great years pass you by.

From the time when I discovered who I was when I looked in the mirror, the way that I viewed life was much different than before. Confidence and self esteem begins to grow. I think once you know who you are...you capitalize on your strengths but not bound by your weaknesses.

What about you? At what point in your life did you find yourself? Are you still looking?

Hollatchaboi

12 on 7

As many of you heard, Michael Vick is back on the street. He spent nearly 2 yrs in jail and is now on house arrest following his felony conviction for bank rolling an illegal dogfighting ring. Vick, the former #1 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons, is currently serving a suspension that was handed down by the NFL's commissioner Roger Goddell. Vick will be on house arrest for 2 months. After he completes that, he will apply to be re-instated back into the NFL. Vick's release from prison and the possibility of a return has sparked a huge debate. Some believe that Vick should NEVER be let back in the NFL. Others believe that he's paid his debt to society and he should have the opportunity to play again if a team wants him. Everybody has an opinion on it. Here's my take...

I think I've been able to view Vick's situation from a different perspective. I'm a fan. Not only am a fan of the Falcons but I watched every game that Mike Vick ever played for my team. Unlike these smucks who've watched Vick on SportsCenter highlights for years. They don't have a clue. I have also owned a dog or 2 for most of my life. I love dogs. I'd own a dog right now if I could. My first memories on this earth involve me and my dog.

Let me preface my statements by saying that what Vick did was horrible and cruel. NO ANIMAL DESERVES THAT! Vick was dead wrong. He can't blame it on ignorance. He knew what he was doing was wrong. To be honest, if he had never gotten into trouble...he'd probably STILL be fighting dogs. Not only what he did was horrible, it was downright stupid. Vick's contract was worth 130 million. There's no way that you should risk 130 million for a few thousand dollar bets. That's what he did. I'll never understand that. You squander millions for thousands??? Now...I wasn't the best student in math...but I know that's backwards. Nevertheless, Vick did time for the crime that he committed. Personally, I don't think he should've served time. But he broke the law and that's it. I don't think you should go to jail for driving 75mph in a 35mph speed zone but if that's what the law is...then you have to obey the law. Vick has paid his debt to society. He doesn't owe me an apology. He doesn't owe me any money. He has kids that he has to take care of. He has a family to provide for. He has a life to live. I can't tell him how he should do it.

The big debate is "should Vick be allowed to play in the NFL again." Some say that he should be allowed to come back. However, there is a huge segment of the sports community that thinks that he should be suspended and not be allowed to play again. Huh? Are you kidding me? It's funny to me how people find "certain things" to stand on their morals. Don't get me wrong...dogfighting is a cruel. But would you want a dude on your team who is a convicted felon for dogfighting (Vick) or a dude who has been convicted of another crime? The NFL is full of dudes who have been in trouble with the law. Wanna dude who killed another human while he was drunk behind the wheel...go pick Leonard Little. Wanna dude who has been brought up on domestic charges for smacking women and even spitting on women...go pick Larry Johnson . Wanna dude who was "involved" but charged with obstructing justice in murder investigation...go pick Ray Lewis. Wanna dude who started a fight in a strip club and a hail of bullets that left a man paralyzed for life...go pick Adam "Pacman" Jones. I could go on and on. The bottom line is that there is crime in society so you;re gonna have crime in professional sports. I'm not absolving Vick for his horrendous act but I don't think killing another human is the same. These dudes are STILL in the NFL but people are saying that Vick shouldn't be allowed back in? Get off your high horse.

Most of Vick's downfall is his own fault. However, some of the blame falls at the feet of his former employer, the Atlanta Falcons. No...the Falcons didn't put 4 grand on lil Sparky. The Falcons made far too many concessions for Vick. The Falcons were too busy trying to cash in on the "Mike Vick Experience". They were too busy trying to make him the face of the franchise and he had no interest in that. Vick is a quiet dude. He was the star who didn't want to be the star. There were far too many times when Vick was the last one on the practice field and the 1st one to leave. You can't be the franchise QB and do that. I have friends in the Falcons front office and they all say that there was too much "coddling the superstar QB." No one will openly say that the Falcons knew that Vick was fighting dogs but they all say that the "Falcons knew SOMETHING was going with him." I can't put alotta blame on the Falcons. Vick was getting paid as much as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Too bad he didn't dedicate himself to the game like they do.

For those who say Vick should "come back and play another position"...save your breath. The dude made the Pro Bowl 3 out of 5 yrs as a starter. You don't get to be an All-Star just b/c you're mediocre. If Vick came back tomorrow, he's better than half the QB's in the NFL right now. Vick is a tremendous athlete and a decent QB. He needs a lotta work on his game. I remember when people would be critical of him for running too much but if you watched any Falcons games...you'd know why he was running. The Falcons had a horrible offensive line. And we had the worst wide receivers in the NFL...hands down. For as much as the Falcons profited from Vick, they never surrounded him with a decent offensive line nor a great wide receiver. However, things have changed for the Falcons. They made the playoffs last year and have a very good QB in Matt Ryan. Some will say that the whole Vick saga has to do with race. I don't think it does. I know white people who loved Vick and rooted harder for him than anybody else. I know black people who don't like Vick.

In the end, everybody deserves a second chance.

"The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands."- Arthur H. Stainback

watchwhutusay2me

If you've ever read this blog, you'll learn one thing about me...I'm very careful with words. I always have been. It's a trait that I learned from my Dad. You have to be careful about what you say, how you say it, and more importantly...how it can be interpereted.

Case in point. The NBA Playoffs are in full swing right now. Teams are doing whatever they can to win and move toward winning the championship. Sometimes peoples emotions can get the best of them. And sometimes feelings...and words can change things. In the series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, the competitive forces spilled off the courts and things got crazy off the court. After getting beat by Denver on a last second shot, the Mavs were distraught. They complained to the refs about the Denver's "rough play" and their tactics. After the game, the Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, was furious. If you know anything about Cuban, you'll know that he's a man who doesn't hold his tongue. Cuban, a self made billionare, is very competitve. Feeling the frustrations of a tough playoff loss, Cuban said something that he would later regret saying.

As Cuban was walking toward the Mavericks locker room where he was headed to see his players, he came upon some fans. Some of the fans were Maverick fans...and some were Denver Nuggets fans. One of the Nuggets fans that he walked past was the mother of the Nuggets starting power forward Kenyon Martin. Cuban should have just walked past the lady because she didn't say anything to him. But he opened his mouth. According to reports, he said to her..."Your son is a punk! That team is a bunch of thugs!!!"

Then he stormed off.

Hold up!!! Did you just tell that woman that her son is a punk and a thug? Are you kidding me????

I can understand being frustrated but that was out of line. That was ignorant. I have a problem with the whole situation. Here's my take...

In my humble opinion, the word "thug" gives off an extreme negative image. Growing up, a thug was somebody who'd beat you up and take your money...or somebody who'd hide in an alley and steal an old lady's purse. Nowadays, the term "thug" means something totally different. I think "thug" is the new way of saying the N word. Before you start thinking that the last statement was racist, I've heard white, black, and hispanic people use that term in that way. And that is my perception of the word. It's a "cleaner" way of saying the N word (and I'm not gonna talk about the use of the N word b/c that's another subject for another day). Do I think Cuban is racist? I dunno. I doubt it. But I don't know the man.

Secondly, Kenyon's mom had nothing to do with what happened on the court. Why even bring her into it?

Thirdly, that was very cowardly. As a man, you say what you have to say about another man...to his face. Mark Cuban is about 5-9. Kenyon Martin is 6-10. He could probably break that dude in half if he wanted to. He would have never called Keyon Martin a thug or a punk in his face.

Lastly, he crossed the lines. He later apologized and offered to take Martin and his family out to dinner. He even offered his family a suite at the Mavericks Arena. Too little...to late. Let's take it away from the NBA and put it in perspective. What if you were leaving work and your supervisor walked up to your mom, who came to your job to see you, and called you a punk or a thug...or worse? Let's just say that he had better be glad that he didn't say it in front of MY mom. He would have got his ass kicked!

sometimesiwunder

sometimesiwunder...

when did it become cool to make a fool of yourself on national tv...

when did it become cool to lack respect and self discipline...

when did it become cool to allow young kids to cuss at grown people...

when did it become cool to expect maximum results despite giving lackluster efforts...

when did it become cool to be dumb...

when did it become cool to disrespect women...

when did it become cool to be a hoe...and be proud of it...

when did it become cool to have kids and not be in their lives to watch them grow...

when did it become cool to spend money foolishly...

when did it become cool to tell every detail about your business...

when did it become cool to be proud to lose control...

when did it become cool to love him/her...more than you love yourself...

when did it become cool to have your pants fallin off your azz...

when did it become cool to worry about color...

when did it become cool not to care...

if this defines cool...well...





i guess i'm lame.

off tha dome

random thoughts...

who knew that swine would cause so much of a fuss???

this swine flu will NOT stop me from eating bacon. i mean...breakfast ain't breakfast without bacon

chicago bulls vs boston celtics was one of the best nba series that i've ever seen. why can't every game be like those games?

prez obama still has some openings in his administration. maybe i should email him my resume

ladies...what is a bigger turn off...a 30 yr old man who plays video games for more than 5 hrs a day or a 30 yr old man who lives at home with his parents who have money?

fellas...what is a bigger turn off...a woman with no kids and no job or a woman with 2 jobs and 2 kids?

i guess you can say that you don't wanna be around me when i have my phone in my hand...nobody is safe. dude was snoring.

i could've sworn that i saw sarah palin alongside the highway the other day...picking up trash.

i really don't understand the whole "first 100 days thing" for prez o. i'm willin to bet that bush spent 70 of his first 100 days on vacation.

don't you hate to see kids on their way to school with NO books in their hands?

ok...ok...enough of the ray j show talk. i don't know who danger is and i don't wanna know.

did i hear correctly??? rick ross said he wants to battle eminem??? puleeez! rick ross don't wanna battle me! and i can't rap!

i turned the radio on today and i could only take it for 10 mins. radio sucks

my boy mr.socialite had a great line the other day. he said "he paid $299 for a piece of crack." i did too. lol. i hardly ever put the crackberry down.

something about spring puts a smile on your face

if i see one more dude saggin with his pants fallin off his ass, i'ma sceam!!!

gonna invest heavily into hand sanitizer

shout out to my boy e aka eclectic relaxation aka the king of randomness. he's shuttin down his blog. gonna miss u fam. come thru and holla at me.

i'm growin' a lil tired of the overusage of the word "swagger" or "swag". you shouldn't have to turn your swag on. it should always stay on

words to live by..."if you stay ready...you don't ever have go get ready."

Nia Long...Nia Long...Nia Long

rEbOuNd

reb.

rebound...every basketball fan is familiar with the term.

But I aint talkin hoops today.

I used to say..."If you date somebody for a year and then you break up, you should be single for a year." Now that theory can't be applied if you've been with somebody for 6 yrs...but you get my point. The thing that you're avoiding is jumping into another relationship too soon.

For example, if you date somebody for a year (seriously) but you break up...then you're in another relationship in 3 months...THAT'S a rebound relationship.

I'll be the first to admit that I did this...ONCE. I didn't get into another relationship b/c I wanted to have a girlfriend. I did it to get OVER a girlfriend. I wasn't a dog or anything. Just did it for the wrong reasons. She stepped to me and the rest was history.

Is it so there something in us that wants to be in relationships when we KNOW that we aint ready?

Have you ever been in a rebound relationship?

Hollatchaboi!

throwback thursday

Picture this...

the time was 1993...

the scene was on the campus of my alma mater, South Carolina State University.


As many of you know, I met my wife when I was in college. Prior to meeting her, I was the typical guy who loved women. I had seen alotta things in my time at SC State when it came to sistas. However, I had one encounter that I'll never forget...


One day after practice, me and my boys, Moe and Russell stopped by the cafe to grab something to eat. As we were eating, I noticed a female who was staring at me from across the room. Our eyes connected. She smiled and looked away. A few minutes passed and I noticed that she was staring at me again. She smiled at me. So, I smiled at her. I didn't know who she was. In fact, prior to that day I had never seen her before. I told Moe and Russ that she was checkin' me out. She was very cute. I mean, she was an eye catcher (looked like Megan Goode). I waited for her to leave so I could see what her body looked like. As she walked past our table, I noticed that she had a nice body AND she was bowlegged. OMG! A young 12kyle was a sucka for women with pretty eyes and bowlegs. Anyway, I wanted to run up on her and talk to her but I played it cool. I knew I'd see her again...

I saw the Mystery Girl for the next few days at the same cafe...at the same time. She continued to stare and smile. Well, I had made up my mind that it was time for me to stop being cool and holla at her. Just as I was about to stroll over to her table I ran into an old female friend from freshman year. She proceeded to talk (without interruption) for the next 10 mins. By the time she finished, the Mystery Girl was gone. I was pissed. She had slipped through my fingers again. Or did she? Well, later that night, I received a phone call from my homegirl, Stacy. She called and said that her friend Kandi wants to meet me. She also said that "Kandi has been watching you in the cafe and she thinks that you're cute." TOUCHDOWN! Could it be that Stacy is friends with the Mystery Girl???? Before I got my hopes up I had to confirm it. I asked Stacy what was Kandi wearing that day. She replied..."a yellow shirt and jeans." I thought to myself..."YESSSSS! That's her. That's what she was wearing." I told Stacy to give Kandi my number and we'd talk. She did.

Kandi called me the next day. I was surprised at how cool she was. Within a few mins into the conversation, I realized that not only was she fine but she was smart (can't talk to dumb chicks). I was liking her even more now. We talked for 2 hrs that night. We complimented each other on our looks. She said that she didnt know if I had paid her any attention. I told her that I had never seen her around until recently. I was truly impressed. I learned that she was a big football fan, pre-med major, and a hip hop fan. That was right up my alley!!!

For the next week, Kandi and I would talk on the phone for at least an hour each night. I was really feeling her. Not only was she fine but she had a good head on her shoulders. One night while we were on the phone, I heard her humming a tune. I asked her if she could sing. She said "yes." So, I asked her to sing something for me. She sang the first verse of Anita Baker's "You Bring Me Joy." OMG!!! She sounded JUST like Anita Baker!!!! I'm thinkin' to myself..."she went from being a Mystery Girl to a fine, smart chick who can sing her face off." Young 12kyle was enjoying himself.

From the time that we exchanged numbers, we had not seen each other in the cafe anymore. The phone calls were great but she felt like we should sit down face-to-face. That was cool for me b/c I wanted to stare into thos pretty brown eyes any way. We agreed to meet for brunch on a Sunday morning. I was pumped up. Got dressed and threw on some Cool Water cologne (don't laugh...lol). I made it to the cafe before she did so I sat down and waited for her arrival.

I waited. And waited. And waited. I'm like..."where is this chick?" Finally, a chick sits directly in front of me. I looked at her and smiled...but it wasn't Kandi. I wanted to tell the chick that the seat was taken. But before I could open my mouth she said..."Hi Kyle. I'm Kandi. Nice to FINALLY talk to you in person and not over the phone." This chick wasn't Kandi. Well, she WAS but she wasn't. I mean, she was Kandi but she wasn't the same chick who I was droolin' over. It wasn't her. She didn't look good either...I mean...she was aiiight. But she didn't look like the Mystery Girl. Was this a case of mistaken identity? How the hell did this happen? This chick had on halter top that exposed her breasts. And she had hair on her chest!!!!! Ewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

I was sooo disgusted. But I had to play it cool and act like I was still interested in talking. I played it off but that might have been the longest 45 mins of my life. I was shook. I don't know how this happened! Where was the chick who looked liked Megan with the big pretty eyes and the bow legs? We had a decent convo despite the fact that I was an emotional wreck inside. As I left the cafe, I told her that I'd call her later (I didnt but I did call her again) I was in a state of shock.

I was looking for the dime and somebody gave me a hairy nickel.

SHIT!

izbrooklynindahouze?

izbrooklynindahouze?

No.

Neither is Queens, Bronx, Mahattan, or Staten Island.

New York is gone...gone from the landscape of hip hop.

When I say that New York is gone, I don't mean it literally. There are still some great MCs that rep the Big Apple. However, the landscape of rap in New York has changed. Can it make a comeback? I dunno.

If you're like me and grew up in the 80s/90s, then you saw some of the best MCs come from NYC. Quite frankly, back then most of the dudes from the South couldn't rap. Back in '88, you had MCs like Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Kool G Rap, LL Cool J, etc. The South could only offer regional acts like 2 Live Crew. That's not a diss to Uncle Luke (love that dude) but the South had no voice. I grew up in South Carolina and New York MCs was where it was at.

As we moved into the early 90s, the balance of power shifted to the West. The Death Row era was in full swing with Dr. Dre, Snoop, Dogg Pound, Tupac, etc. There was also a movement brewing in the South with Master P (No Limit), Outkast, Goodie MoB, Geto Boys, UGK, etc. When it looked like New York would be lost in the shift, hip hop was gonna flow back through New York. The next wave brought the likes of NaS, Jay Z, Biggie, Wu-Tang, DMX (and the whole Ruff Ryder crew).

Some said New York MCs were back. Some said that they had never left. As we moved in to the early '00s, New York MCs have sorta drifted away. Or did they? If you look at hip hop right now, who's the lyrical MC that will carry the torch? Dudes like NaS, Jay Z, LL are all on the downsides of their careers. 50 Cent? I dunno how "lyrical" he is b/c he spends so much time starting childish beefs. A few years ago, magazines had pegged MCs like Jadakiss,Papoose, Joel Ortiz, Joe Budden (NJ), Saigon, etc to lead the movement of bringing back "the lyrical New York MC." But a combination of slow sales, bad record deals, and the influence of "bubble gum/microwave rap" has pushed NYC out of the limelight.

I don't think NYC is gone from hip hop. But NYC MCs used to run the playground. Nowadays, they hope to get a chance to get in the park.

Hollatchaboi!

ugottafreakinluvit

There are certain rules that all men must live by...

1. Don't mess with another man's money...

2. Don't mess with another man's family...

3. Don't mess with another man's woman...


These are all unwritten man laws that we live by. Breaking one of these rules...in most cases...can get you cussed out, beat up, stabbed, shot at (or shot), and or killed.

There's another unwritten rule that we live by but it's unlike the others...

You can't make a ho your housewife.

It's subtle but to the point. We have always been taught to neva eva eva eva eva eva to fall in love with a freak. Now...I know what you're thinking...if a woman sleeps around a lot then she's considered a ho or a freak but if a man does the same thing...he's considered to be a stud. Is it a double standard???? Yes! Don't be mad at me, I didn't make the rules...I just follow em.

I arrived at these thoughts yesterday when I heard that Darius McCrary had secretly married Karrine Steffans over the weekend. Many of you remember Darius as Eddie Winslow on the hit tv series Family Matters. And you don't need me to tell you who Steffans is. Most men that I know...are familiar with her by her nickname..."Superhead". If you don't know who she is, look her up and you'll see that she has a reputation that preceeds her.

After hearing the news, my first thought was..."what a dummy!" I mean, not only did she have sex with hundreds of celebrites and wrote books about her exploits and how she made money off them...but there is a video of her "puttin in work." LOL. You just don't do that in my opinion. She's just downright nasty. Rick James said it best when he said you can't have a superfreak "because you can't take her home to your momma." That is soooo true. Picture McCrary introducing her to his momz. "Hey mom...I'd like you to meet my woman, Superhead."

Anyway, it got me thinking...how much is too much. I mean, I don't think any of us married folk were virgins before we got married. And I KNOW the single people who read this blog all the time are not virgins. LMAO!!! As men, it's an issue that we think about when we're trying to get close to you. We want you to be wild and do all the stuff that we like...buuuuuuuuuuuut...we don't want no freaks! Well, we want you to be a freak but you gotta be our personal freak! You can't give it up to everybody. When the questions arise about previous sex partners, we never get the real answer...male or female. We all lie. I know you've lied about it because you're probably laughing as you read this. haaaaa. In the day of AIDS and HIV, we should be asking these questions but I know what time it is.

"If you ask a woman how many sexual partners she's had, she'll tell you how many boyfriends she's had. She's aint gonna count the random dudes that she gave it up too!"- Chris Rock

For the record...most men know how many men their woman has slept with despite what they say. We have a way of knowing. I would tell you how but I'd be breaking a man law.

Since we're all freaks to some degree...we want somebody just as freaky as us...but we don't want a stone cold freak! I mean, nobody wants to have a man/woman that the world thinks is a ho or a slut (male or female). So here's the questions...

Ladiez...

Would you be honest with your man if you had a track record like Superhead or if you had more sexual partners than you think you should have had in your life time?

Fellaz...

Could you be with a chick who the world thought was the biggest ho in town? Could you marry a chick like Superhead? If so, why?

Hollatachaboi!!!

men vs women...

Sometimes...

I think there are some distinct differences between men and women.

There are some similarities, too.

All women talk...

All men talk...

Most women talk too much...

Some men talk too much...

Most women will kiss (sex) and tell...

All men will kiss (sex) and tell...

Most men are clever...

All women are clever...

All women have a sense of sophistication...

Some men are corny...

All women are emotional...

Most men aren't emotional enough. Others are too emotional about the wrong things!

Most women want to be mentally stimulated by her man...

Few men want to be mentally stimulated by their woman...

All men want to be loved...

All women want to be loved...

Most women know that they have the power...

Most men think they have the power when they really have none...

Some women are slick...

Most men are slick...

Some men are faithful...

Most women are faithful...

All women love hard...

Most men love hard...

All men are too smart for their own good...

Some women aren't smart enough...

Some women start trouble...

Some men look for trouble...





Some women might be pissed off while reading this...

A few men might be pissed off while reading this...but they know I don't care. haaaaa


Hollatchaboi!

off tha dome

Random thoughts...

Hmmm...where do I start???

Let's start with my favorite wish upon a star baby momma...

Sanaa Lathan...Sanaa Lathan...Sanaa Lathan

Why do people get quiet when you get on an elevator?

Ever smell someone who smells like they FELL in the bottle of cologne/perfume?

President Obama picked the North Carolina Tar Heels to win the NCAA Tournament. Maybe he knows what he's talkin bout? Lol

Water should NOT smell

Ever noticed people who would rather squint their eyes than to go get their classes?

The Masters start this week. They may need to start calling it the Tiger Invitational

They say that you learn more in the first 6 yrs of your life than you learn for the rest of your life

Does that mean that my son Kameron (age 6) is smarter than me right now?

Who was the "genius" who decided to cast a movie with Beyonce Carter and Idris Alba? Not only do they star in the movie but their marriage is challenged by a stalker/fatal attraction white lady. Blah. I'll pass on this one...

Do people really spend $200 for some Air Jordans?

Maybe I have a sick sense of humor but I find some things very funny.

Peep this dude. Snapped him on the train. Peep the baby aspirin orange suit and the shoes. I had to hold my laughter in while I snapped this clown.

Do you like to be tickled?

If you have "bad sex" with a man/woman the first time that you get with em...do they get a 2nd chance to redeem themselves?

Baked fish or baked chicken?

Family Guy or Simpsons?

I know that Spring is around the corner and you wanna get your workout on but don't hog the treadmill at the gym. Do your 30 mins and then kick rocks.

Now...y'all know how I feel about being ashy in public! I snapped these dogs when I was in Minneapolis last week. Who wears flops on 40 degree day. Please pass the lotion, grease, or WD-40

Hollatchaboi!!!

mixtape monday

Enjoy the mixtape!

Three Times Dope
Funky Dividends



Souls of Mischief
From 93 Til Infinity



Biz Markie
Just a Friend




EPMD
Head Banger



A Tribe Called Quest
We've Got the Jazz/Buggin Out




Bonus Party Track...

Fat Man Scoop
Put Ya Hands Up

off tha dome

random thoughts...

If you do lunch or dinner with co-workers...the objective is NOT to talk about work! Let's leave work...at work!

The G20 is going on right now and they didn't invite me.

NBA playoffs are right 'round da corner!

I wonder if President Obama is gonna bring the light skinned bruthas back?

*looking in the mirror at this handsome chocolate face...realizing that it's gonna take more than Obama to bring y'all back* LMAO

Speaking of President Obama, I've noticed that even in these tough times...when he's faced with some tough questions...he'll crack a smile! That shows me that he's confident about what he's doing. That is very comforting to people.

I have YET to hear a woman say anything negative about Michelle Obama. She is a phenomenal woman

Trick Daddy announced to the world that he has the life-threatening disease, lupus. Good luck, Trick. We know that you love the kids.

Wonder what happened to the other dudes in Leaders of the New School? After Busta Rhymes' verse on Scenario...you knew he'd leave the group

Looks like we've all been bloggin' very sporadically. It's ok. Don't worry. Blog when you get the urge to say something.

Remember Chic-O-Sticks? I want one

For those of you read this blog but don't comment...make sure that you check out some of these other bloggers in my blog crew. They are all some dope writers.

Everbody keeps asking me so I'll answer it for the 30th time...yes...there ARE black people in Minnesota. LoL

Ladies...if a man is coming to pick you up, BE READY to leave when he gets there!

Men...don't be afraid to tell a woman how you feel. You never know love until you allow yourself to know love

I'm always amazed at how college coaches can jump from school to school and nobody says anything but the athletes can't do that!

Speaking of college sports, be leery when you hear folks use the term "student-athlete"...there's no such thing

Colored eye contacts...is not a good look

Do you go to sleep on a flight? I don't

Tamala Jones...Tamala Jones...Tamala Jones...