Big Things Poppin’
RSS 2.0 A Million Dollar Convo With Dr. Bill Cosby
Since graduating from The Taft School in 2000, I have desired to see countless other inner city youth benefit from the lifesaving experience of boarding school. A recent study concludes that “currently, the rate at which Black males are being pushed out of school and into the pipeline for prison far exceeds the rate at which they are graduating and reaching high levels of academic achievement. A deliberate, intense focus is needed to disrupt and redirect the current educational trajectory for Black males” (Schott Foundation for Public Education 2010). What better way to alter the trajectory of our talented at-risk youth than to place them in academic incubators, displaced from pitfalls of their environments?
It’s become increasingly clear that the revolution must not be waged through civilian uprising in the street, but in the classroom first. Like Brother Malcolm said “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” Therefore, with the collaboration of my high school roommate Mshangwe Crawford, I have begun taking the steps necessary to open The Walker Crawford Leadership Academy. While the fulfillment of this vision is still a few years off, every aspect of the future institution has consumed my thoughts. The following is a daydreamed conversation with the one and only Dr. William H. Cosby:
Demetrius Walker (Walker): Bill, thanks for joining me here for lunch today. I know you’re extremely busy with your public speaking and book tour.
Dr. Bill Cosby (Cosby): Don’t forget my stand up tour. I still do that, you know?
Walker: Of course. Well let’s get down to business so that I don’t take up too much of your time. Let me first thank you for agreeing to be on the board for The Walker Crawford Leadership Academy. Your passion for education and your high profile in society will be huge assets for the school.
Cosby: Ha! You must be about to ask me for money!
Walker: You’ve got me figured out Bill. What can I say? The mission of the school is to give gifted, underprivileged, inner-city youth the opportunity to grow into pivotal, transformational leaders in society. In order to do that we need our board members to go above and beyond in helping us raise the necessary funds.
Cosby: You sound like a textbook. So are you saying my passion for education and my high profile aren’t enough to be a part of this board?
Walker: Well, “the manner in which we use our money expresses something about who we are and what we value” (Rosso 2003). The donations of board members set the precedent for all other potential donors to give.
Cosby: OK, so what’s the minimum you’re asking from board members?
Walker: We’re asking for a minimum of $10,000 from board members. But we have an operating budget of 3 million dollars so we’re looking for a few major gifts to get us moving in the right direction.
Cosby: Have you lost your marbles son? You must not have heard about my convo with Russell when I told him to get the f— out of my face? Do you know how many Jello Pudding Pops I’d have to sell just to make 3 million dollars?
Walker: I’d imagine a lot Bill. We’re not asking you to give the whole 3 million dollars though. We’re only asking for 1 million from you (smiles). We know how much you “believe in helping the needy, giving back to the community, organizational accountability, and the chance to make a difference” (Rosso 2003). If we’re lucky, your million dollar gift will go towards making the next Heathcliff Huxtable.
Cosby: That’s impossible. They don’t make those ugly sweaters anymore…. So how much have you given already?
Walker: My whole life savings Bill… $25,000. We need your million dollar donation for teacher and staff salaries though.
Cosby: Well son, I’m not sure you want me to donate that sum of money because I consider myself a venture philanthropist. I’m not a comedian with my money. I’m going to be a stickler for accountability and I may even decide to take over as Headmaster of the school seeing as how my money will be primarily funding it.
Walker: But then how would you continue your public speaking tour, your book tour, and your stand up comedy tour?
Cosby: Ha! You make an excellent point. You’re a slick puppy D. I’ll make the donation but you better believe I’ll have my eyes on you… even the lazy one that wonders.
Walker: Wonderful. So we’ll need that million dollar check in the next 90 days.
Cosby: I’ll have my accountant wire it to the school’s account tomorrow.
Walker: You’re the best Bill!
References:
Rosso, H. A. (2003). Hank Rosso’s Achieving Excellence in Fund Raising (2nd ed.).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schott Foundation for Public Education, (2010) .Yes we can: The Schott 50 state report
on public education and black males 2010.
Free Yourself From the Corporate Plantation by Starting a Business
Speaking at Santa Cruz Workforce Commission in Watsonville, CA
For the past 4 years I have traveled around the country encouraging youth to become self reliant by starting businesses. Not only is this is the way to create new jobs in our downtrodden economy, it is also the path to mental, physical, and emotional freedom. Echo Boomers like myself do not buy slaving 50 years for Corporate America while our true desires and goals remain caged, dormant ambitions.
Despite this train of thought, many of us find the task of starting our own business daunting. I meet people with incredible talent and ideas who don’t have the faintest idea of how to get started on their own path to success. Like me (at one point in my life), they feel trapped in the confines of Corporate America. Bound by the shackles of a consistent paycheck, they begrudgingly stumble into offices and waste away brain cells while secretly wishing to be their own boss.
Should they rebel, tell their manager where he or she can go shove it, and triumphantly run from their plantation? Not exactly. Before quitting your day job you must have a solid exit strategy. With a good plan, you may even master collecting a consistent paycheck while secretly building an enterprise, right under Massa’s nose. In fact, this is the approach I advocate for most budding entrepreneurs. Truth be told, it is the only plan I can reliably endorse from personal experience. Therefore, if you would like to sit in your cubicle knowing that your intelligence and ambition have an outlet beyond the mind numbing and degrading tasks you succumb to at your 9-5, I advise taking a few simple steps. The first is to purchase The 4 Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss…. RIGHT NOW. The second is to read the subsequent paragraphs of this blog entry.
Required Steps to Forming a Small Business
Starting a business requires a series of formal and informal actions. The first, and most critical step, is identifying a problem or a need in society that can be addressed for a profit. Basically ask yourself “what would people pay me to slang [legally].” For example, residents of a particular neighborhood may complain that there is no convenient place to get a morning cup of coffee before they embark on their commute to work. Seeing an opportunity to eliminate this issue, an entrepreneur may decide conditions are ideal to open a coffee shop to serve residents who desperately desire their java. With both a problem and a solution identified, you’re in business.
Writing a solid business plan ensures that a small business owner has a solid grasp of market conditions, competition, necessary resources, financial capacity, and marketing needs. The U.S. Small Business Administration reveals that at the very least a “plan should include an executive summary, a description of the business, a plan for how you will market and manage your business, financial projections and the appropriate supporting documents” (US Small Business Administration 2011). There are countless templates available online as well as packaged solutions like Palo Alto Sofware’s Business Plan Pro. Get to writing my friend…
Once a business plan has been written and refined with the help of mentors, an entrepreneur should legally establish a business identity. An appropriate attorney can typically provide solid advice on whether a business should be established as a sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corporation, Corporation, Partnership, or the newly crafted L3C. But if you’re playing Frugal McDougal like me, you may opt not to use an attorney for this step. Businesses can be legally established by either going to a state’s government site and downloading the proper forms, or using services like LegalZoom.com or SmallBiz.com. Depending on the type of business, an entrepreneur should also look into required state licenses and certificates to ensure compliance with the law (so you don’t show up on the intro of COPS while we sing “Bad Boys, Bad Boys…” to you hopping over dumpsters in an alley).
And now for the meat and potatoes… EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE TODAY. I cannot stress this enough. Even if you operate a local barber shop and you think neighborhood advertising is sufficient, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Without a website your company is virtually invisible to the billions of inhabitants of the world wide web. Do you know how many fades and faux hawks you’re not cutting because dudes in your area googled ‘dope barbershop’ and Kenny’s Kut Hut showed up? Please go to GoDaddy or Google and purchase your domain name…. this is the best $5-$10 you could ever spend as an entrepreneur.
Raising Funds
These days, many businesses can be started for relatively low out of pocket expenses. The internet allows entrepreneurs to setup virtual operations through the simple costs of a web domain and site hosting. Despite these facts, it’s sometimes necessary to seek outside financial assistance from angel investors, venture capitalists, banks, or the federal government. When considering which avenue to navigate in raising funds, the Small Business Administration advises “if your firm has a high ratio of equity to debt, you should probably seek debt financing. However, if your company has a high proportion of debt to equity, experts advise that you should increase your ownership capital (equity investment) for additional funds” (US Small Business Administration 2011). An entrepreneur can obtain equity financing from personal sources like family, friends, mentors, and associates (aka your homies). When these informal resources cannot provide the necessary financial assistance, a business may look to eager opportunists like angel investors or venture capitalists. In this instance, a small business should be well prepared to make a solid pitch for funding by kicking Game (with a capital G). According to Mike Levinson, co-founder of DreamIt Ventures, “an angel investor or early stage venture capitalist will look at 1) is the business idea simple enough for me to understand and buy into, 2) does it solve a problem or meet a need, 3) is it a big enough market and customer base for the idea, and 4) does the entrepreneur have the right people on the team to pull it off” (Brown 2010).
If a business decides to opt for debt financing, there are also several sources to tap. Once again, friends, family, and other associates may be willing to provide funds to entrepreneurs via loans. But you know as well as I do, how it feels to lend or borrow money from your homies. It can be a headache. Luckily, banks offer credit lines in addition to loans, which may be beneficial to small business owners. Though it is usually difficult for small businesses to receive long term loans from banks and other sources, “the SBA’s guaranteed lending programs encourage banks and non-bank lenders to make long-term loans to small firms by reducing their risk and leveraging the funds they have available” (US Small Business Administration 2011). Entrepreneurs should be aware that they must have excellent credit and a demonstrated ability to pay back any loan offered in order to qualify for debt financing in most instances. So if your credit is to’ up from the flo’ up you’ll have to seek alternative means.
If costs associated with debt financing seem too high, small businesses may attempt to qualify for government grants (depending on the scope of the organization). Companies involved in science, research and development, or tourism typically qualify for grants. For most other businesses, it’s rare to qualify for grants but it doesn’t hurt to check Grants.gov to see if your organization is eligible.
The final sources a small business may look to for much needed funds are business plan competitions. Several universities and corporations host annual business plan competitions where entrepreneurs are evaluated on the strength of their organization’s vision. For example, the Miller-Coors Brewing Company hosts an urban entrepreneur competition every spring in Chicago, with a top prize of $100,000. These unrestricted funds are desirable because they are not required to be repaid through debt or equity by a small business. Whether soliciting equity financing, debt financing, grants, or business plan funds, small businesses must surely demonstrate mastery of business objectives, as well as sound financial statements that indicate where the organization is headed. For the former, it’s advised that a business engage a CPA to eliminate any concerns an investor, bank, or sponsor may have in funding the operation. People want to make sure you won’t go MC Hammer with their cash.
Conclusion
Overall, there are a myriad of resources available to small business owners from a financial and a consulting standpoint. The Small Business Administration provides an excellent framework for starting or enhancing an organization. Other websites, books, and software are also available to assist entrepreneurs in writing effective business plans, securing funds, and growing their businesses. Use Google to your advantage in finding them. In the 21st Century, small businesses must leverage each of these tools to make effective decisions that will determine the paths of their companies. Don’t say I never put you up on Game…. Peace!
References
Brown, C. M. (2010, October 4). How to pitch to angel investors. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/10/how-to-pitch-to-angel-investors.html
U.S. Small Business Administration . (2011). Starting & managing a business. Retrieved from
http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business
Where Art Thou Hip Hop?
In the religious folklore that is Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc is the Father, the author of Genesis. Every time you nod your head, admire the rhythmic marriage of two disparate beats, kick a drunken freestyle, or watch your favorite athlete hit The Dougie after scoring, you have Clive Campbell to thank. If Hip Hop made any sense, every culture junkie would adorn their home with a shiny, brass relief of the revolutionary DJ. Yet, despite Herc’s legacy, Hip Hop has tragically failed its founding father.
This week news spread of Kool Herc’s unfortunate health condition. As he painfully battles kidney stones without the financial resources to pay for proper treatment, P. DitchMe and Ricky Rogaine are bragging across the internets about dropping a milli on well deserving skripper booties. Every other wealthy beneficiary of Hip Hop is gearing up to host parties and pay 400% club inflation for overpriced bottles of bubbly during Super Bowl weekend. Yes, the man who made it possible for Negroes to get rich while spreading the Gospel of Hip Hop writhes in pain, while his ungrateful grandchildren gallivant and wipe their asses with the 10K he needs to pay for his surgery.
WTF is wrong with Hip Hop culture? This is not how you honor a founding father of the movement that defines your life. Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grand Wizzard Theodore should live in palaces with 200 foot monuments erected to honor their noble contributions to society. The blatant disregard Hip Hop has for its heroes reveals why it has devolved into nothing more than irrelevant conjecture and highfalutin niggadry.
Until Hip Hop gets its head out of its ass, YOU can perform your civic duty to ensure that Kool Herc receives his just due reward. After all, he only developed the best thing that’s happened to YOU since… since… since LIFE! Before you turn on your iPod or roll your next paper plane to Wiz Khalifa, make sure to donate to the man who made it all possible - DJ Kool Herc HERE. If you don’t donate go ahead and smack your own kufi off, you filthy heathen.
Can’t Work The Middle: Moderates Fall Short
While the Tea Party rallies conservatives to take back their country, and formerly enthused Obama supporters search for the progress they were promised in 2008, there seems to be a recent surge in the amount of people who would like to find common ground between two polarizing factions. As a result, a growing number of the once progressive intelligentsia have now begun to fashion themselves as “level-headed” moderates, who want the country managed from the center. Looking back at American history, nothing is more dangerous than the instances where progressives devalue morality and freedom, for the purposes of seeming rational. Nonetheless, when observing the “Political View” field of many of your Facebook friends you’re likely to find newfound converts to the “Moderate” label. Unfortunately, those who subscribe to moderate ideology fail to realize that straddling the fence creates the most dangerous political climate possible…
CONTINUE READING HERE AT THEWELLVERSED.COM
Why Progressives Should Donate to Sarah Palin… TODAY!
Yes you read that correctly. Let me explain. Barack Obama runs the risk of not being reelected in 2012. Progressives, frustrated by the lack of social advancement our 44th president has managed to deliver, have grown weary. Blacks, Obama’s staunchest supporters, have also become apathetic to the political process. The miracle Negro we sported on our t-shirts, sneakers, watches, etc. has not devised a strategy to deliver the Reparations we knew had to come along with a Brother residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In fact, it’s been 2 years and Obama still hasn’t painted the White House black. Even still, it’s no secret that we’d rather see Barack as Commander-in-Chief versus another trigger happy, cowboy politician who could care less about the plight of the poor. So how can we bring back the magic of ’08 that brought about the most unexpected turn of events in American history, a Black President? Three words: Support Sarah Palin…
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE
Time To Fall Back
Reluctantly, I took Summertime out my iPod rotation. In brilliant irony, I was reminded to do so by none other than DJ Jazzy Jeff in Vegas last week. Bikini clad women smiled and waved as my boy Gary and I chatted with the Fresh Prince’s legendary sidekick at The Palms’ pool party. Suddenly it dawned on me that the autumnal equinox was upon us, and though I had hit the gym all year to make sure I had some self confidence when walking shirtless on my visit to Sin City, it was indeed time to kiss my favorite season goodbye.
This was an eventful summer to say the least. I spent a combined 47 hours in the clouds flying across the country. For 
the third year in a row, I participated in the African Caribbean Heritage Camp in Denver, Colorado. At this point, attending the camp feels more like flying in for my family reunion. I love catching up with my vastly extended African-Caribbean-Caucasian-Asian-American family. Seeing everyone grow and mature is a delight.
Serving as a high school camp counselor this year, I had the opportunity to discuss transracial adoption issues with brilliant Black, White, and Biracial teens. We bonded around elliptical conference room tables then hurtled down the white water rapids of Clear Creek. The intense adrenaline rush I experienced as our raft slammed into a huge boulder and launched me 20 feet airborne into crisp, mountain water will never be forgotten!
Amazingly, this was not the climax of the weekend, as I connected with one of my heroes, Dr. Giday WoldeGabriel, who was the guest speaker at the camp this year. Dr. WoldeGabriel was a part of the team responsible for discovering “Ardi,” the oldest known hominid fossil to date. We politicked for a couple hours over microbrew about Ethiopia and kimberlites. I hope to join Dr. WoldeGabriel on his next expedition to the continent.
Following my trip to Denver, I was fortunately asked to join the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour by Michael Simmons. Through the tour, I’ve been able to encourage young adults to consider starting businesses as a means of economic and social empowerment. So far I’ve keynoted in Pasadena, CA, Melborne, FL, Charlotte, NC, and Lubbock, TX alongside the awesome talent of Rodney Walker and Gabriel Anderson. Touring with the nation’s brightest entrepreneurs under the age of 30 has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve been able to learn some great tactics to improve myself and my business. Most of all, I’ve been given great advice by best selling authors ‘Arel Moodie and Bert Gervais on how to finally get my book, CEOtivated, published by year’s end!
So many other interesting events occurred this summer that listing them all would disqualify this as a blog post. I won’t go into detail about having my car totaled by a drunk driver and consequently purchasing my first manual transmission vehicle. I also won’t get into the thrills of house hunting. For now, I’ll simply embrace the twilight reflected by the Harvest Moon and use the Autumn as a time to cool down, Fall back, and focus on accomplishing the remainder of my 2010 goals.
America, Where Is The Love?
Back in April I treated myself to custom Lasik surgery (props to Dr. Bruce January, a Brother on the cutting edge of corrective eye procedures). I now have 20/10 vision, which means I can spot a lace-front wig from 800 feet away unassisted… Ladies beware :-p
Anyway, a few weeks ago, as I was heading out for some lunch time Chinese, I noticed something obstructing the middle lane of Houston’s well trafficked Westheimer Road. With the 98 degree heat causing distant objects to ripple in sheer waves, I spotted what seemed to be roadkill a block away from my vehicle. As the stoplight turned green and I proceeded to move closer to the mass of flesh, cars ahead of me drove over the animal making modest attempts to avoid it with their tires. Once I got within 20 yards, I realized the downed victim was actually a 10 pound black bichon mix.
If you know anything about me, you know I have a soft spot in my heart for man’s best friend. So my heart sank as I thought to myself, “poor pup.” I switched lanes to avoid decimating the body of what I presumed to be another Houston speed driving casualty. In my despair that the poor pooch was murdered by the typical maniac motorist native to this city, I glanced back at my rear view mirror and was shocked to see the little guy extend his paw vertically in a desperate plea for help. What are the odds that I would happen to look back at just the right moment to see the critter’s appeal to live?
Immediately I pulled into the parking lot of a storage facility on the right hand side of the road. I raced into the middle of Westheimer going against oncoming traffic, trying to avoid the same fate the mutt faced. Drivers blew their horns and I stared off a disgruntled 18 wheeler as I scooped the tiny dog from the sizzling pavement. The Texas sun was scorching hot and the street’s black tar had absorbed more heat than fathomable. There was no telling how long the little runt had suffered on the road while being cooked alive. I carefully scooped him out of the street and ran into the adjacent leasing office of a small apartment complex. While he constantly gasped for air, I held him upright, pleading for assistance from the leasing agents. The two young Hispanic women and I frantically made a bed out of an empty box and some bubble wrap for the injured canine. All three of us began calling vets to see if we could get the little guy some urgent attention. One of the young ladies recognized the elderly dog and called his owner, a tenant at the apartment complex, to no avail. As we dialed vet after vet, we were greeted with the same ice cold response: “unless you’re going to claim financial responsibility we can’t help you,” click. Finally, the dog’s presumed owner called back to report that he was on his way to pick up his wounded buddy. Thank God.
I said my good-byes to the frail pooch, who looked to be in bad shape, and headed to a business appointment on an empty stomach (didn’t have time for lunch due to the dog incident). I really wished I could have just dropped him at the local animal hospital, but the emergency vet bill would have hurt my pockets. Besides, his owner was on the way to his rescue. So, frazzled, I drove to my meeting. Not more than 10 minutes later, one of the young leasing agents called to inform me that the little mutt passed away. I was devastated. I couldn’t function for the rest of the day without feeling guilty about the innocent woofer losing his life.
I get angry when I think about the reckless driver that hit the little guy; the jerk didn’t even stop to see if he/she killed another being. It also angers me to think of all the other drivers that would have just as readily run the runt over again, assuming he was already dead. Then I get angry at all of the snappy veterinary receptionists that dismissed my urgent pleas for assistance because the bichon mix had no financial backer. This last gripe made the case for universal health care all the more relevant in my mind. There are people in America that feel innocent human beings deserve the same treatment the mutt received in his most urgent time of need. Frightening indeed.
Even more disturbing are the Big Oil politicians, anti-environmentalists, and capitalist cowards that see no need for a moratorium on offshore drilling. After all, there’s only a few hundred million gallons of dirty crude filling up the gulf… and that stuff is only killing every living thing in which it comes into contact… and the gulf seafood industry is completely devastated… but who cares? They’ll keep drilling until the entire gulf is as black as the tar on Westheimer Road.
Compassion is seen as a weakness in the United States. In fact, if you watch Fox News long enough you’ll be brainwashed into believing compassion is “un-American.” You care about the welfare of beings other than yourself? What the heck are you – a socialist? You care about the civil rights of Hispanics? You must be an illegal immigrant or some kind of a kumbaya hippie. You don’t see the purpose of the war in Afghanistan? There’s a trillion dollars of gold and lithium deposits over there for us to take you dummy!
In a culture completely desensitized to violence and morally devoid of basic human values, this is the conscience America breeds. Nauseating to say the least. All I can do is SMH and sing to Hov’s Blueprint masterpiece – Where is the Love?
Top 5 Dead or Alive
Ever since Pac and Big died, we’ve heard emcees constantly attempt to include themselves on the “Top 5 Dead or Alive” rapper list. Hip Hop fans have compared their personal Top 5 lists with those of their peers, debating about the merits and flaws on each others’ bill. While it’s definitely been fun to participate in the Great Hip Hop debate, I’ve found it more exciting to broaden the “Top 5 Dead or Alive” discussion to encompass history’s most revolutionary figures.
Before I go any further let me define what I mean by “revolutionary.” To me, a revolutionary is someone who has effectively changed the course of human existence. With that said, I’ve compiled a list of 5 people who have permanently altered the direction of civilization; these are the 5 people I most wish I could sit down with to have an engaged conversation. So without further ado I present to you…. [drum roll please]…. my Top 5 Dead or Alive revolutionaries – Mitochondrial Eve, Imhotep, Jesus, Einstein, and Malcolm X.
Imagine for a second that you could ask each of these figures any burning question that comes to mind. What would you ask? Given the opportunity to discard your What Would Jesus Do bracelet, (in exchange for talking to the man in the flesh), would you keep it real? Would you ask Him if partaking in His Father’s “herbal” relaxation remedies are really more morally corrupt than drinking the fermented grapes that were the preference of His homies? Would you ask Malcolm if he still has beef with the Nation of Islam and the modern day Louis Farrakhan? Would you ask Einstein what he imagined was on the other side of a worm hole or question Imhotep on what motivated him to build the first pyramid? Was there anything that stressed Mitochondrial Eve out? So many questions could be asked…
Interviewing these folks would be so exciting because each of one them permanently changed the course of history as we know it. For example, you, and every person you know, is a descendant of Mitochondrial Eve. Holding the crown as everyone’s ancient African grandmother, we can all find traces of her mitochondrial DNA in our cells. If I could travel back 170,000 years to meet this fine Ethiopian sister, I would be curious to know what she did to have such a strong influence on how we define human existence today. Undoubtedly she was a head-turner, but there must have been something even more special about Eve that allowed her genetic stamp to be found in all present day people. I have a hunch that she was more Michelle Obama than Nicki Minaj.
When it comes to Imhotep, the real question is what didn’t this brother revolutionize? He was the world’s first noted architect, doctor, and astrologer. I’m inclined to believe he was also the world’s first West Indian because [In Living Color "Hey Mon" voice] him had like 10 job: “chancellor of the king of lower Egypt”, the “first one under the king”, the “administrator of the great mansion”, the “hereditary Noble”, the “high priest of Heliopolis“, the “chief sculptor”, and finally the “chief carpenter”. Imhotep is the definition of human ambition.
No need for me to go into detail about Jesus, He’s only the foundation for Christianity as we know it. I would venture to say that Christianity has had ummm…. quite a significant impact on World events for the past 2010 years. To say major disagreements between billions of people have occurred through the interpretations (and misinterpretations) of this man’s teachings would be a gross understatement.
As for Albert Einstein, how could he not be your hero? This dude died 55 years ago and most of his theories still form the basis for significant scientific discoveries. As a matter of fact, Einstein was so ahead of his time that physics is still trying to catch up to the things he postulated almost 100 years ago. I don’t know about you, but quantum teleportation, shifting space time, and black holes are some ill concepts! 
This dude left us clues about how to get off this tiny rock called Earth so we can visit the great wonders of the universe one day. Even more, when considering the non-scientific books he wrote about the irrationality of war and the detriments of capitalism, I could go on for days about the dopeness of Einstein.
While he was no scientist in the vein of Albert Einstein, Malcolm X found the formula for Black self confidence. His eloquence, intelligence, and charisma elevated him to the platform of true dangerousNEGRO status. This self educated brother scared the ish 
out of America’s white patriarchal society. No one could defeat Malcolm X in a debate except Malcolm X; truly unprecedented. Malcolm gave the Black community pride on a level that has yet to be duplicated. He empowered us to fight the power, start our own businesses, and improve the moral fabric of our community. I wonder how Malcolm would grade Barack’s presidency thus far…
So there you have my Top 5 Dead or Alive revolutionaries and my reasons for picking them. Who do you have in your Top 5?
Why The N-Word, Saggy Pants, and Ignorant Rappers Won’t Die
If you’re a member of the Hip Hop Generation, three relentless fires have burned in your debate circle for the past two decades: the n-word, saggy pants, and ignorant ass rappers. For sure, you’ve been unable to escape the controversies surrounding these topics. Hours have been spent in heated arguments defending or deriding the virtues of each; verbal fisticuffs have led to intellectual brawls and oral shellackings. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog you’re sick and tired of having these discussions. Despite your mental exhaustion over these matters, they seem to make for persistent conversation with no end game in sight. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that these fires are only increasing in size, as the wrong tools to extinguish them are being employed.
Old heads and elitists have gone to great lengths to stifle the burn they feel when nigga(er) is verbalized. Recently I got into a social networking spat with CNN’s Roland Martin about the issue on Twitter. Check the exchange (read from bottom to top):
Clearly Mr. Martin does not see the damage he’s causing by attacking the issue in this fashion. Remember when the NAACP made a futile attempt to kill Massa’s favorite noun with their N-word funeral in 2007? Their attempt to crucify the term and render it lifeless backfired, as it arose more powerful than ever with Hip Hop’s abhorrence of this stunt. Indeed, Hip Hop culture read the headlines and scoffed “Nigga Please!” Thus, the Baby Boomers’ public disdain for the word has only reinforced its significance in America’s most fundamentally rebellious culture. Even more dangerous is the fact that making such a spectacle over how much pain remains at the root of the term empowers it in the eyes of true racists. Anybody that wants to push a Black person’s crazy button is merely reminded that “nigger” remains the champion of getting under a Negro’s skin.
Sadly, frustrated zealots approach the pants sagging “issue” in the same exacerbating fashion as the n-word. Let them see a Negroe’s underwear exposed and oh boy… watch out… some preaching is finna go down! While I agree that showing your funky ass draws is not what’s up, I know that seniors condescendingly ordering the Hip Hop community to cease and desist only add gasoline to the blaze.
Yet folks just don’t get it. While browsing the NY Times the other day I came across an article titled “NY Politician Takes Up Cause – Sagging Pants.” New York State Senator Eric Adams has decided to waste his time (and his constituents’ tax dollars) by creating anti-sag billboards. [Ed Lover voice] Senator Adams, c’mon son… do you really think your efforts will do anything to combat the Hip Hop generation’s right to freedom of expression? Do you think they’ll find your crafty billboards cool and refreshing? Senator Adams… Senator Adams… GTFOH with that BS son! Everyone thank Senator Adams for another 4 years of stankin ass boxer observance.
On to the auto-coons. You wanna know why hot ignorance is seething through your airwaves? Remember when Hip Hop was in its Golden Age during the 90s? Well at the peak of the genre’s most creative period, C. Delores Tucker, a band of Black preachers, and a host of politicians decided to pick a fight with the lyrics. They staged large scale CD demolitions and other outrageous stunts. The result: even more violent, misogynistic, and inflammatory rhymes were born to counteract the assault launched by the disillusioned elders. Now, the snowball is so large that ignorance has trumped intelligence and activism in rap music sales.
Older generations HAVE to stop waging war with Hip Hop culture. Like the crusade against terrorism, this is a fight that cannot be won by continuing to insult the Hip Hop resistance. Every publicity stunt and disapproving lecture will only be countered by a more extreme offensive. Instead of trying to battle youth in the trenches, preceding generations should use their wisdom to outsmart energetic, unruly insurgents in the Black community. Rather than heaping hot coals on the heads of heretics, they should pour support into the peers of the offenders who have the power to infiltrate the culture from within. dangerousNEGRO is one of many companies that come to mind in that regard… (and we’re taking on investors folks)… 
So think before you join your next n-word eradication committee, anti-sag coalition, or rap boycott. Don’t provoke the behavior, promote the savior.
