back to the trap

yeah thats about it. i'm home, not as exciting as i thought it would be to be honest with you.

finals were a bitch thats all there is too it but freshman year is done and at about 9:30 am on friday the 19th i was extremely happy.

i left madison on a big note though i have to say. i went to the final poetry slam of the year and well it was dope. best one i have been to...and shouldn't it be its the finals. all the people preforming came with it and came with it hard. it was cool to be in the room with all that imagination floating around. all you need to say was it was crazy and our team going to austin is going to be dope.

anyways i was ready to leave madison. the dorm was empty...11 people total and it was depressing. terrace was busy but not the same and it seemed like madison was ready for a break from all the students. with and outward sigh i was sent back to minnepolis, not before a stop up in minocqua. it was tough being there for you that know you know so thats that...

then home. not the same shit as before. not the same as i left it a year ago. same people and its summer so i guess summer messes everything up cause people aren't concerned with the same shit they usually are. no one wants to work, in the words of wellstone we don't lead our lives by the words we say. its like all the sudden all i want to do is sit outside, play volleyball, and do nothing instead of all the reading, running, writing, tagging that i want (and am) doing this summer. is it me or my environment.

its worse cause all of a sudden there is like nothing to do. its like i forgot all the tight shit we used to do in minneapolis for some reason. i'm sure it will reconcile itself soon.

anyways all i have been doing is work and that shit listed above. that is a chill summer and i ahve been getting to sleep earlier than i have all year. thats good. pav is back and that is always good stories.

all in all i am semi-happy right now. people are back, i got some shit i want to read, my writing is finally back on pace, collin hasn't been robbed in a few days, and its warm. but i have been driving too much, feeling like i am busy, and refer back to that wellstone quote that is kinda how it all is. but i can vent about it. watch the next piece, southwest kids that over rep 612.

i'm out.

Chill

So apparently this blog gets published in the "Isthmus" online. Didn't even know that. It's cool though. You might just see this in there later today?

http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/searchMiscellany.php?tag=live&category=miscellany

Back on point now, I guess after being here, of all the dope shit that has happened in my life this year, there is one thing that still bugs me all the time, among other things, but this one is just...I don't know.

I guess that when everyone first comes to college they have their ideas about exactly what they are going to do every day, to on the point, on the hour. Wake up now, eat this exact breakfast and if they don't have my cereal make someone go get it, workout here, go to class here but get there like 45 minutes early so I can sit aimlessly outside the door doing nothing, and if someone gets in the way of it: shitstorm.

I think that eventually most people figured out that trying to keep that same routine, well it just doesn't work, at all. And the thing is that if you just focus enough, your gonna get all your shit done anyways. You can still work out, still get your work done, still do shit on the weekends, all that.

But at this point in the year what really ends up bugging me out are those who are still so stuck in their routines. Its just like relax a little and try something different. I don't really care if your gonna follow that routine, but just don't put it on me telling me how you are in that routine, and then inadvertantly forcing me into it somehow. I don't know it is just annoying somehow to see people always pissed off cause someone fucked with their routine. Its like dorm shit. I can't do it anymore like dorm activities, eating in the cafeteria I hate the damn cafeteria, dorm shit just bugs me, a little unrelated but thats that. Worst is it seems so depressing. Like example, if someone is in line for a sandwich and they don't have the right cheese and they make someone go and get it for them they seem all pissed off, and then the sandwich is just as good as all the other ones. I don't really care if I get all the right pieces of my sandwich together, or if I even get a sandwich that day. It might not be as good as the other ones, but when it all comes together, its great. Not the best example, but look at it another way. If all your days are just the same, Tuesday will be the same as next Tuesday, whats there to look too. But if some are shitty, busy, sleepy, long, coffee filled, etc. those days are probably going to be shitty as hell. But for all the work that comes together, there are those days that are great, and to see all that come together is the shit.

Just had to flush that out so I can raise my spirits a bit.

A Hip-Hop Week: Chapter 6: Slam

The last one of the series.

It was fitting to have it end on this night. Despite the low turnout, it was amazing. Poets, just people, doing there thing on stage. Raw real talent and you can't make it any better than that. I don't really have much from this night except the memories and inspiration for me to keep working on my stuff and keep moving on with that. Its strange how much these people can give you.

I had to say it brought the entire week together for me. The crowd was eclectic, the emcees were too, people were there to do there thing, say what they wanted to say, judges or no judges. Thats what it is all about. This is hip-hop right here. In the random places, in the state historical society in madison, in the middle of nowhere. People doing what they do, saying what they are going to say, and speaking their hearts.

This is what it is.

This is hip-hop and it is a movement.

Peace

A Hip-Hop Week: Chapter 5: The Redemption of Brother Ali

I have to credit this man for bringing me to the other side of hip-hop. Shadows on the Sun and Black on Both Sides (Mos Def) have been the two most influential albums for getting me into the things I am today. Now that I said that.

BROTHER ALI at the High Noon Saloon



Basically the show itself was...the shit. I always love this mans concerts. I mean they are plain amazing and thats all that needs to be said. I love the now album, but he did us a favor and mixed in the old classics too. Forest Whittaker, Room With A View (Top 10 of mine), more...and the new stuff was perfect. Great crowd. Not to mention he went on at midnight and didn't finish until about 1:30. Long set and loved it all. BK-One killed it. Toki Wright killed it. Psalm One killed it. Amazing

Now you may be wondering why this is the redemption of Ali. Maybe it came from how personal the album was for him. Maybe because times are different. Either way there has always been one thing, one setback, one little issue that always pops into my head when I talk about Ali and forces me to say somewhere, "yeah...but..." I'll let you take a look at it. One of my favorite songs too.

DORIAN

Here we are in the apartment corridor,
"Dorian, right? yeah I been meaning to speak to you.
I don't get up in my neighbours business normally right,
But yo these thin ass walls got everything leakin' through
Now first thing's first, I don't judge you for the weed smoke
But I can hear your daughter yellin' "daddy, please dont"
And it's not once or twice, but every damn night
Man there's somethin' goin' on up in here that ain't right
Now man to man, I can understand
They like to stress a brotha out, man we cuss each other out
But you crossin the line by puttin your hands on 'em
And nobody ever told you not to hit a damn woman?
Boy, I can tell that my presence was painfull
Breathin' truth down his neck it must have felt like a strangle
His eyes flashed confusion, wavin' his hands around
He's used to raisin' his voice on people to back 'em down..."

"....See this is specifically why I left the pistol in the linen closet
Pullin' this shit, if he was taller I woulda went and got it
Damnit man, I'm in the right and I'm civilized
But little boys really ain't used to bein' criticized
First off scooter, take the bass out your voice
I'm respectfull with mine and yo you makin' a choice
Here and, understand it's only once that I warn you
Man make a move, make a threat, I'll make it reign knuckles on you
I ain't a woman or a baby dawg, I'm out of your league
My wife heard us gettin' loud so she's prayin' for peace
She's stuck her head down on some keep your temper shit
Little man gon' say "Over there's your door, mind your business bitch"
Ha, now that's sweet, just what I needed it, it seemed that
He invited my right fist for a party on his left cheek
I didn't mean to seem rude so I accepted,
But arrived a half a second early, right cross connected -
Oh, staggered him, just by taggin' him,
Mr. tough guy, one punch bring out the fag in him
Little man could make moves that I couldn't,
He cut and tried to foot it, now how should I put it
I stood at full posture and swatted him down the staircase
Bare knuckles to bare face, all punches knew their place
Air point style, the second one take off, the next one land
Learn some respect young man
He glanced down for the brick on the ground,
Fist still clenched up I'm still stickin' his crown
He's in the jaws of the most turbulant blitz in the world
So fuck hittin' ya' girl tonight you're hittin' the ground
I said somebody need to beat your ass,
And then teach your ass, and I'm sorry I can only do half
And while his mellon swell up, a police cruiser pull up
He hopped out all puffed up with the holster of his gun up
Ready to protect and serve,
And it's in his nature to .38 ya' if you're testin' his nerves
He helped the wife-beater stand up,
But not before he helped brother ali into some handcuffs
And you can imagine my surprise,
When his girl came down the stairs with tears in her eyes
And a phone in her hand, holdin' her man
Damn that was not the plan...

So after you got through that, I think you can figure that one little thing out that makes me just a little disappointed when i listen. I mean this is one of the most concious rappers I know, in one of his most concious, revealing, and deep songs...and then that.

But.

Ali started to play Dorian at the show, and I knew it was coming. I love the song and I had my hands up, I was singing along, and then I was just waiting, listening, watching the crowd.

He got to that one line, and I figured that unfortunately the crowd was going to speak it with him. Ali just pulled the mic away, put the other hand over his mouth, and shook his head and waved his finger at the crowd. It was like a sigh of relief for me. After all these years, that one line is now, somehow erased for me. He knows it, and he made sure that people know that you just can't say that shit.

It was for me, a real redemption. Brother Ali, embeded in the top of the lists without the astrix next to his name forever.

A Hip-Hop Week: Chapter 4: Bambaataa and Walk It Out

Yes I get it.

Afrika Bambaataa and "Walk It Out" don't go hand in hand but its okay. This was a good event. Not the highlight of the week for me by any means but it was still good. For me personally it was jus witnessing the old schoolness on stage that was straight out of the South Bronx from the 1970s be put on stage right here in Madison.

But beyond that we had some issues. The Youth Showcase that went on before hand was...decent. I think it was just that it didn't end up being well organized in the end. People that were supposed to know what was going on really didn't and there was a major breakdown in communication between those who did. I'm all for having these events to get kids onto a college campus and make them feel like they have a home here. Thats what were trying to do aren't we? Or are we just saying that? More later. Anyways my biggest issue of the night was when some group from Chicago was on stage and no one really knew who booked them. First off I thought this was a local showcase, but the epitemy of it came when I heard the chorus of a song: "Get High, Get High, Get High, Get High". I mean it was just a little annoying to have that happen during hip-hop as a MOVEMENT week. But I do get down to some crunk rap once and a while, just to chill to, but really, it didn't seem in place.

More importantly I think I just saw some of the issues that I had been hearing about for so long. We had to have special security there from the UWPD and some other people, which is not good in the first place. I thought that the OMAI had the whole thing under control with letting people in that were under 18 because they sponsered the event and they are a program that is a pipeline for youth of color to come to UW. Makes perfect sense to me.

Fact is that someone thought that all the underage kids should have had wristbands on so they would leave after the Youth Showcase, which was for them and the whole night was in fact. And then it just ended up where the building managers stopped letting people in, more cops came, and it was just a mess. I saw young black males getting searched by security when others were not, and the fact was that because this was a Hip-Hop event, the cops saw red flags. We are doing positive things, and even with other multicultural events that OMAI did they have never had any form of security. Its a big discussion, but fact is we have a plan that wants to make this campus more diverse, but at the most simple level, it isn't being followed. We have to get it down to that level to make it really work. It can be done, and I want to make it happen.

But i took a break in the middle of the show to bounce to another one...

A Hip-Hop Week: Chapter 3 - Alive and Well

So this event was important for me cause, even though I got a late start in helping out and I wasn't able to do that much, and a big shout out has to go out to all the people who put the major hours in on this one, I felt like I had a piece in this.

This was a concert with the COUP (Bay), Anomolies (all over), Bug Quarters (612), Culture Shock Camp (OK) and locals DJ Vilas Park Sniper, ANT, Sleepy, and Young Lavish (these cats are in high school and lets be honest they really did kill it.)

THE COUP



BIG QUARTERS



Anyways I was at this one setting up for a while but it got started early at like 7:30. It was cloudy earlier in the day but it cleared up at noon and stayed perfect all day so the terrace was basically the shit. The show was great, all the openers were dope. Like I said the local people killed it, and the three emcees were in high school. Damn. Anyways apparently Culture Shock Camp broke up the week before the show or something like that so their set was a little broken up but it was still dope. Big Quarters were dope for sure. I got a chance to talk to them a little before hand and they were cool as hell, plus they gave us all their CD, so got to respect that. Anomolies started out slow, cause there was only one emcee on stage and their DJ, who was dope as hell. But the more and more of them got up there. Consequently their set just got more and more better.

Then the COUP went on. There was some issue with their payment so that was a little messed up but they did the show so it was fine. What was dope about this was that by the time they went on, people were still showing up so we ended up with about 1500 people there: good way for the first terrace show to go. Not to mention that the music itself was dope as well. Even though I don't listen to a whole lot of their stuff, just the funk beats, and the stage presence that they had was amazing. At least I knew "My Favorite Mutiny" which was good.

As always, the Union Building managers tried to shut us down, because they said we are supposed to be done at 11:30 which is bullshit on all counts. The cops could have though cause apparently we had like 3 noise complaints from across the lake. Probably from Maple Bluff, but if that call was from Langdon, that is the weakest shit ever. Its college, your parties are just as loud. I don't think it was them though, but either was that was tight shit.