Darkie vs. Light Bright

Posted: May 31, 2012 in Consciousness, Kharma's Prospective
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It was when I hit High school that my conscious awakening slowly began. I began to look at both sides of every spectrum. I questioned everything. I wanted answers. Not everyone in my circle was experiencing the beginnings of this awakening that I was going through. So, a lot of people around me couldn’t help me. A lot of people never even heard of the subject matter that my inquiring mind wanted to know about. One particular question I wanted to know the answer to was why is there a silent dark skin/ light skin war?

Behind the jazzy talk and rage, there is pain. Who is better, dark skinned or light skinned people? Why is this an issue? I remember growing up wishing my skin was darker. I was tired of being called names like, “light bright” and “low white”. I was tired of being asked if I was something other than a black girl. I got tired of feeling like I had to prove my blackness to everyone else. Thank God I grew out of that mind-state. I’ve truly grown to not give A FUKK about what anyone else judgment.

It wasn’t until I got into high school that I learned of the name “Willie Lynch” and his successful plan that further shaped the division within my own community. The setting took place in 1712 at he banks of the James River in Virginia. Numerous slave owners in America were having problems with keeping their slaves in order. They reached out for help. They reached out to Willie Lynch. Willie Lynch was a successful slave owner from the West Indies. He somehow created and devised a plan that would not only control his slaves but further break them down and keep them divided for at least 300 years. All the slave owners had to do was follow this plan for one year fully. The slaves would keep the plan working and further disconnect future generations of black America. Read the Willie Lynch Plan here: http://thetalkingdrum.com/wil.html

It was there at the bank of the James River in Virginia that Willie lynch plan was taught to these hopeful slave owners. Plantation riots and rebellions were costing them a fortune. The plan starts out basically from A to Z. The goal was to pin the slaves against each other. The Letter “A” was age. You pin the younger slaves against the older slaves. When it came down to “C” it was color. You pin the light skin slaves against the dark skin slaves and so on. This plan outlined ever different characteristics amongst the slaves. Even hair texture and plantation status.

Now I gave you a little history, here’s some food for thought:

In 2012 why do we give an issue like this power? Why do we allow something a simple as skin color to divide? Why do we need to further categorize ourselves. Isn’t being a “black man” or “black woman” good enough. Why do we have to break down our blackness further with shades? I see so many people and even more celebrities bleaching their skin and getting chemical peels. For what? People are willing to put an unknown chemical on their skin in hopes of becoming lighter. How does light skin make you better? What’s up with the stereotypes: Light is right and dark is wrong? There is an unseen but well known hierarchy that is there. Why do we feed into it. I was bold enough to entitle this post two of the largest racial slurs used within the Black Community. Both of these names hurt.

Plight of a Starving Artist at the Workplace

Posted: May 30, 2012 in Da Bullshit, Kharma's Prospective
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After having a very abasing experience today at work, I know I need to SOUNDOFF about this issue in an affirmative way. I can easily do what I know and TAKE IT TO THE STREETS, but why? I’ve grown too old for that. I’m old enough and smart enough to know that fuming or physically violating about it isn’t going to change the issue at hand. I decided to do what I do best and write it out. Hopefully someone out there will feel my words.

I entitled this post, “Plight of a Starving Artist at the Workplace”   My job is not glamorous even though aesthetically, it appears to be. I work at a very well established fine dining  restaurant In Atlanta’s Hartsfield- Jackson Airport. We have the best food in the airport, period, and our desserts are a HOTT Commodity. A lot of travelers are attracted to the restaurant’s European flare. The atmosphere is very soothing. The dimly lit crystal chandelier’s always makes the restaurant’s patrons say “woooooooooooow”. This restaurant is actually part of a small but popular chain started in Atlanta in 1979.  A lot of Atlantan’s frequent the 31 year old chain often amazed that there is one in Atlanta’s airport.

One thing I love about this franchise is, it’s literally the setting of a love story for so many people.  So many people have met their spouses and gotten engaged here. Whenever I think about my job, I think love an New beginnings. Even though working at this place has nothing to do with my future aspirations, I am happy to attach my name to such a romantic place.

I work in the kitchen.  Everything about my workplace is top notch. Our salads aren’t like the “thrown together” fast food salads. They are a work of edible art. In fine dining presentation is everything. I know that and I make sure that I present all of my work neatly and creatively.Today, one of the owner’s came to the restaurant. They drop in every now and then unannounced. I mean, why would they tell us they’re coming, it’s their establishment? Anywho, I am never nervous or on pens and needles whenever they drop by, even if the rest of the restaurant is. I simply keep my head down and keep working. Today, this owner, came into the kitchen and screamed, “Who working on salads?” The whole kitchen stopped and looked in her direction. I replied that I was. She immediately screamed that they looked horrible.  Whenever the salads look “horrible” that simply means that they need to be replenished. It’s very rare that they even look horrible on my shift. It was 12:30. In my normal routine, I replenish the salads around 1:30 or 2:00 every day. If the restaurant is busy and salads are in demand, I will check them earlier and replenish them as needed. On this particular day, business was slow.  Whenever business is as slow as it was on this day, the salads are normally good and in tact. If the day is busier and the salad move faster, someone from the front of the house will notify me that more salad is needed.

She further went on to have me follow her to the front (as if I needed to) to look at the salads. Mind you, she  just said if the salads look “horrible”. They needed to be replenished. I obliged and followed to see the salads. When I went to grab one of the trays, I apologized and proceed to tell her that I was not aware of the state of the salads and that I normally replace them around 2:00. Her response was something like, “yea,  uh- huh, okay”. SHE SHUSHED THE HELL OUT OF ME.

I understand being an owner of an establishment and walking in and seeing an unappealing sight and not being happy about it. My problem isn’t with that nor, do I have an issue doing my job. I’VE BEEN DOING IT WITH NO PROBLEM. My issue is with the level in which the situation was handled. The fact that the owner came in yelling and in front of everyone was NOT COOL. I would have appreciated her coming to me and saying that instead of yelling at me like I’m 2 years old. I have one mother and she lives in Texas… I was further humiliated when she basically shushed me in the front of the house in front of a customer. I did not deserve that…

In this day in age jobs flip flop. You aren’t guaranteed a job, let alone one with benefits.  But what’s the price, being subjected to being humiliated by a woman who doesn’t even know your name? this whole situation makes me reevaluate so much. I have never been in a work situation where a higher up screams at me and handles a situation so tacky. I know my worth. I deserve better….

–Starving Artist

Picture Source

http://chicagoist.com/2009/01/05/recession_biting_artists_in_the_can.php

Kinfolk: Shrimp n Roaches

Posted: May 29, 2012 in Consciousness, Health Awareness, Kharma's Prospective
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Is it too far fetched to say that shrimp and roaches are related? Hell, look at them….

It is plain to see that: THAT THERE SHRIMP IS THAT ROACH’S FATHER!!!!
I grew up in the small town on Whiteville, North Carolina. It’s located right off the waters in between Cape Cod and the Atlantic Ocean. Myrtle Beach is literally 40 miles away. I spent a lot of my childhood on that beach. Seafood was big, especially during the summertime. My grandmother would  throw these huge “Crab boil” parties. We would throw shrimp, crab legs, boiled eggs, clams, sausage, and corn into a pot and season it down with Old Bay  and a Natural light. You could smell the aroma up the whole block.

BOY, WE THOUGHT WE WERE EATING GOOD…..

What a beautiful lie. Shellfish has absolutely NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE to the human body whatsoever. In fact,  they are designed to feed. The sole purpose of roaches and shell fish is to clean up the nasty leftovers that no other creature wants. That’s quite disgusting when you think about it. Why would we want to consume a living garbage disposal. We’ll go crazy as soon as Kroger has a blowout sale on  shrimp or crab, but we’ll quickly buy a bottle of raid the first time we see a roach casually stroll across the kitchen counter.

I got the idea for this post after seeing this picture on my Facebook timeline. In my adult life, I stopped eating shellfish years ago. Just like watermelon, I’ve had way too much in my childhood, and I really began to develop  a strong dislike towards it. After seeing this picture I dug deeper to see what science has to say. Both roaches and shellfish are a part of the same Phylum, Arthropoda. That the same group as both flies and ants (you know both flies and ants feed off of nastiness too). The common physical characteristics in this phylum is their exoskeleton and segmented bodies. Evolution had a great part in things being the way that they are now. So next time you think about that Jumbo Shrimp with the garlic but sauce, think RRRRAAAAAAIIIIIDDDDDD!!!!!

Sources:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2005-01/1105649211.Zo.r.html

NO SAG POLICY

Posted: May 25, 2012 in Consciousness, Da Bullshit, Kharma's Prospective
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I remember growing up in North Carolina and first seeing it there. It was the early 90′s. One of the teenagers in the hood, that I looked up to, walked out of the house one day wearing extremely baggy jeans drooping off of his behind. I was only 5 or 6 years old at the time. Pinewood was the first place I seen the early states of this Anti-pants/Ass-out Revolution.  I thought that this would only be a fad that would eventually die out. BOY…. I WAS JUST AS WRONG AS THE DAY IS LONG…

I’ve  watched “Sag Culture” grow and grow over the past couple of decades. It has gotten worse. Now, the current trend is wearing “Nutthugger” pants that are extremely too tight for any man to walk or sit comfortably. They also flood your ankles and suffocates your thighs at the same time, You have to sag them in order to breathe. It looks horrible. I see more and more young men that look like COMPLETE JERKS!!!  Whether your pants are too baggy or deathly tight, sagging them off of your ass simply isn’t a good look.? Why has this evolved so much?

It has become so much of an issue today that more states are adopting “anti-sag” laws and violators are getting fined. Some people have even served jail time.  come on now, people are so fixated with wearing their pants off their behinds that the law had to step in and basically say, “Come on now.” But are these laws out of bound or does the US Constitution mean NOTHING anymore?

Since the first day i’ve seen this back home, I still genuinely DON’T GET IT. I remember asking a couple of teenage boys in my neighborhood  why they chose to sag. One of the boys had on pants that was sagging so low, you saw all of his basketball shorts and the back on his kneecaps. NO BULLSHIT. I had to ask him, “Why…. What the hell are you doing?” He simply said that he was “expressing” himself. What could you possibly have to express by expossing your rear end? If that’s how you need to express yourself on a regular, you need to be evaluated. What’s really going on? That same kid then asked me, “You musta grew up in the 90′s, huh?”

WHAT?!?!?!?

In conclusion, I will say this: Fellas, there is a happy medium in between too tight and too loose. PLEASE FIND IT. No respectable woman with a right mind wants a dude that doesn’t even think enough of himself to pull up his pants. You can’t run, fight, or make any sudden movements if you have too. Not without adjusting your pants. In my opinion, wearing your jeans sagging takes too much work plus, these “Anti Sag” policies can easily become a reason for the police to fukk with you, JUST BECAUSE.  I see more police brutality and racial issues surfacing in the future because of this. Furthermore, these “No Say Policies” are unconstitutional. Since this is now starting to seriously be enforced, I propose that all smokers be allowed to smoke  anywhere outisde. No place should be off limits, not even the Emergency room parking lot. It’s only fair. I don’t agree with Sag Culture, but as much as I hate it, I just can’t  agree with these policies that the states are adopting. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. Just pull up ya’ damn pants.

Photo Credits:

http://elitedaily.com/elite/2012/judge-sentence-sagging-pants/

Killer Mike: Bigger than R.A.P Music

Posted: May 25, 2012 in atlanta, Consciousness, Education, hip hop, Indie Art, southern hip hop
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Go CHAKA!!!!

Posted: May 24, 2012 in Health Awareness, legend
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This picture of the legendary Chaka Khan surfaced online on May 21, 2012. The 59 year old Queen of Funk was photographed at the  40th Annual Fifi Awards (New York)  looking a whole lot leaner and healthier. More and more people are beginning to conquer this battle (for some of us) of the bulge. I am glad to see more and more people make the necessary lifestyle changes needed for better wellness and living.  YOU BETTA WERK CHAKA, YOU LOOK GREAT!!!!

*SNAP SNAP*

 

Picture Credit:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2147934/Nicole-Richie-goes-Sixties-beehive-wows-black-minidress-sweeping-train-FiFi-Awards.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Death of The Game

Posted: May 24, 2012 in bet, Consciousness, Da Bullshit, Kharma's Prospective
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“The Game”, a spin off of “Girlfriends,” had unexpectedly grown to become one of my favorite shows at one point in time. This edgy sitcom originally started out on UPN network. It even survived the huge WB/UPN merger and seemed  to still be successful on it’s new “CW” Network home. When the network change happened, the show changed a little bit, but not to much, it was still entertaining. The character development and story lines only grew stronger.

To no one’s surprise the CW Network went off the air a few years after its launching. Some sitcoms were picked up by other networks but not all.  Both “The Game” and it’s sister show, “Girlfriends”  did not get picked up. Black sitcoms were slowly being phased out and this was another direct blow.  Show patrons were outraged. Girlfriends had been on the air for 8 seasons, and while everyone was upset about how it ended without a proper wrap up, people were more heated that they only got 3 seasons out of The Game. The show was getting extra good. The plug was pulled way too soon and people were pissed.

After petitioning to get the show back on television, the people proved to be victorious in getting their demands. The Game was coming back with all of the original cast members. This was the first show in history to ever be brought back with all of it’s original people due to the outcry of wanting more. The Game’s new network home was BET. When I first heard this news I remember thinking, “Yaaaaay” then almost immediately “How is this going to go?”

The Game has done 2 seasons on BET in which, I have watched most of the episodes. I can honestly and openly say that I absolutely hate the show now.  After I publish this post, I’ll probably never watch another episode of it again. Sorry BET, I try to support but I cannot support the downfall of this show with my viewership any longer. If the quality of the show was going to nose dive like this , I would have rather been mad along with the rest of America instead or disappointed on this level.

the storyline has completely declined and now some of my favorite characters are now annoying. Jason Pits was a character that I grew to love. He’s the “matured football athlete that loves white women and football. He’s also ridiculously CHEAP. His  dry sense of humor and sarcasm definitely molded parts of the show in the past. However, there was one episode that he did on season 5 that I found airhead and offensive. I believe it was titled, “I didn’t know I was black” or something corny like that. THAT SHIT WAS HELLA WACK! I honestly hate what they are doing with Malik. It was Season 3 of The Game that inspired me to write a treatment in hopes of another spin off from this spin off.  So much for that now… Seeing the dimming light on this show makes me just want to say FUKK IT. The Game was good before BET got it. I hate to say that but that’s real. One of my favorite black sitcoms is DEAD.  It’s just a matter of time before they finally take The Game off of the respirator COMPLETELY.

Tasha mac is still one of my favorite characters. Even with the ship going down, Wendy Rachel Robinson still makes us laugh and wows us with Tasha Mac’s Cut- throat realism.  Even though I love her, watching just her alone isn’t enough to keep me as a viewer. The writing has completely went LEFT after taking a RIGHT at the corner store… Just a few days ago, the media is reporting that BET let go of Pooch Hall and Tia Mowry. Those are the two main character, THE REASON WHY THE GAME IS EVEN A SPIN OFF!!!

UH, HELLO?!?!? WTF ARE YOU REALLY THINKING BET???

Kids dragging fences down the street –Atlanta ZONE3

Posted: May 23, 2012 in atlanta, The ratchett report
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This is some footage that I got walking home one sunny afternoon. 3 kids are walking down the street dragging parts of a fence. The third kid (the smallest one ) is the most hilarious in the footage. It screams “Atlanta Shit” all over it #ZONE3 OAKLAND CITY

Spen Effect Revisited 2.0 — A year later

Posted: May 22, 2012 in atlanta, Exclusive, Spen Effect
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I normally begin my Exclusives off with a crazy or “off” type of question. I do this to slightly throw my interviewee off. Not in a bad way, I just want a real answer…  I sat down for my second Exclusive with Spenecia Fleming: The master mind behind Spen Effect Photography. It’s a year later, where is she  now? I simply asked her what advice she would offer to anyone with just a camera and a dream.

“Keep shooting. Great shots don’t come from just one moment. You have to have multiple moments. Wherever I go, my camera goes, I am ALWAYS shooting.  You never know what your eye can potentially catch.”

Just a year ago, Spen Effect was just a developing concept in the mind of one of Atlanta’s hottest poets. I have watched her grow from snapping pictures as a hobby to making it an amazing career. Spen Effect is growing fast and its taking beautiful form. I’ve watched spen hustle and make her way to the top. She continues to climb….

BK: How did you take “Spen Effect the thought into Spen Effect”, The Reality? What was the process like for you branding “Spen Effect”?

Spen:  It was just all about me going out and hitting shows. I was doing Spoken Word heavily, so naturally, I began taking pictures of a lot of the artists on stage doing their thing. I also have friends that rap, do poetry, promote, and own venues. I began networking with new people. It just grew. Of course: my grind and my hustle. This is something that I believe in.  It’s Art, and I’m an artsy type of person. As long as I can be me and artistic, I’ll put my all into whatever it is that i’m doing.  It’s just like when I was doing Spoken Word constantly, I put my everything into that. It is a craft that I love, Regardless of anything, I’m clean and don’t believe in sloppy work.  Bottom Line.

BK:  Spen Effect is a budding business.  With that being said, you have invested so much time and energy into developing and making sure it grows, where are you with Spoken Word? Do you still perform?

Spen: I’m keeping it GP. Guilty Penmanship, we’re still doing shows. We actually just did a show On April 5th in Columbus, Georgia (Shoutout to JustUS Poets). We’re still getting shows but now we’re just more selective where we perform. We don’t do a bunch of open mics and stuff but we’re still out. My partner Mondu Starr also has other projects that he’s working on as well but we’re still working. We’re going to stay GP forever, even though  we’re just a duo now. With all of our personalities, we still consider ourselves a collective.

BK: What is the likelihood of Guilty Penmanship coming out with another project?

Spen: Most likely, we’re planning work, now. I actually just called Mondu and was like “ Yo, when are we going to start linking back up? I’m always writing and ready to create.

BK: What is next for Spen Effect? I see you’ve really taken off in like 12 months. I see “Spen Effect” more and more, everywhere.

Spen: the next move for Spen Effect is continuing to expand and honestly, just taking great photos. It’s another art form, like spoken word except its frozen.  I want to work with other people who aren’t too afraid to be open and comfortable. I like to take pictures off guard. Sometimes those are best shots. I just want to work with people who want to work with me. I want my pictures to be everywhere; billboards on 85 downtown, promo pictures for movies…. I’m just taking it one step at a time. I know that won’t happen over night. You gotta put in work, and that’s exactly what I’m doing; Putting in Work…  I’m not afraid to believe in me all the way.

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BK: Why should people fukk with Spen Effect Photography vs. Joe Blow Photography down the street?

Spen:  I deliver high-end quality for a great price. My prices aren’t insulting, they’re economically friendly.  I’m very in-tune with my clients. I’m not just going to snap some pictures and send you on your way. I’m going to connect with you probably more than any other photographer will. In order to be comfortable, you have to be able to connect with who is shooting you. I’m more personable than most of these photographers out here because they don’t want to do all that. Within a five minute conversation, we can established a connection enough to where i’m bringing it out on film.

BK: In a city like Atlanta where the media and  photography market is over-saturated with photographers, how do u compete?

Spen: I don’t compete because the minute that you start looking at this as a competition, you lose you and you start to add extra, unnecessary pressure because there is so much talent here. Everyone stays in their own lane and has their own styles of photography and I just stick to MY style of photography.

To get directly @ Spen, Check her out @: www.speneffect.wordpress.com

Twitter @ speneffectatl

Special thanx to Joka Films (top photo)

KL Presents: #TeamMemphis Got Lyrics Cypher Round 1

Posted: May 17, 2012 in CyphaLive series, hip hop, Indie Art, rising, southern hip hop
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That RAW comin’ straight out da’ TENN…

TWITTER

CO:  @COizUndenYable

LADY STAX: @Ladystax901

BC: thecrownholdaz

DUTCHESS: Dutchess901

KL: KLizUndenYable

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