A friend of mine has been begging me to give him some good books to read this summer. So, here is a list of my top 10 summer reading books, not really in any particular order.
1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
2. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
3. Life With Mother Superior by Jane Trahey
4. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
6. Lil Mama's Rules by Sheneska Jackson
7. Song of Solomon By Toni Morrison
8. A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan
9. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
10. Krik! Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
Happy Reading!
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Tupac Shakur: The Rapper, The Poet, The Actor, The Rebel
June 16, 1971. . .I wasn't even born, wasn't even thought of. But Tupac (Lesane Parish Crooks) was born. He's my favorite rapper of all time (My gosh Pookie, how could he not be in your Top 5? Is he in the Top 10 at least? Top 7?). When I think of his work, on wax, paper, or screen, words like passionate, appealing, genuine, and honest come to mind. Aside from the fact the he was beautiful to look at, he was such a talented person with more promise and potential than we'll ever know he possessed. His life and death are like a tragic Greek play; he lived a valiant life with many ups and downs, had a warrior woman for a mother, became wildly successful, and died like so many expected he would. His legend lives on and his music still touches the world. Fuck Killuminati or 7 day theories, I'm the biggest fan out there, and if I say he's dead. . .he's dead. He ain't in Cuba. Sorry folks, but he is not the black people's Elvis. Today, he would have turned 34. I had to honor him with a post.
The Rapper
I remember hearing Pac with Digital Underground. He stood out even then. He wasn't one of those rappers who was all about weed, sex, and killing. His rhymes had substance, and he talked about a wide range of topics, teen pregnancy, overcoming adversity, loving your mother, sex, mourning loss, etc. He's one of the few rappers that could get away with crazy contradictions. He could be raw, and then sensitive. A thug one minute, and loving son the next. He was just a deep person. My favorite Tupac songs display this range:
Brenda's Got a Baby
Dear Mama
Life Goes On
Keep Ya Head Up
Temptations
Me Against the World
Fuck the World
So Many Tears
St8 Ballin'
The Actor
Above the Rim, Juice, Poetic Justice, Grid'lockd, and the list goes on. There was so much emotional appeal in his performance it was almost surreal. He was a rare find, a rapper who could act almost as good as he could rap. Remember when he was Piccolo on Different World?
The Rebel
"I woke up screaming fuck the world"
Damn, girls love bad boys. Through his court trials, and all other indiscretions, I still seen this strong, proud man who struggled to be himself. He was one of a kind, which is why there are so many, bandanna 'round the head, bald-headed, gravelly voiced wannabes out there still tryna copy his image after all these years.
The Poet
His poetry is intense. In my opinion, it's more personal than his raps. He comes across as vulnerable and serious. When reading The Rose That Grew From Concrete, you get a sense of a man who's more than a rebel, a rapper, and a thinker; you see the true reveal of an artist, a lover and a thinker. If you haven't read this collection, it's a must.
A loyal son, and a devoted artists. Multi-faceted and complex at best. There will never be another with his depth. Rest in peace. . .
The Rapper
I remember hearing Pac with Digital Underground. He stood out even then. He wasn't one of those rappers who was all about weed, sex, and killing. His rhymes had substance, and he talked about a wide range of topics, teen pregnancy, overcoming adversity, loving your mother, sex, mourning loss, etc. He's one of the few rappers that could get away with crazy contradictions. He could be raw, and then sensitive. A thug one minute, and loving son the next. He was just a deep person. My favorite Tupac songs display this range:
Brenda's Got a Baby
Dear Mama
Life Goes On
Keep Ya Head Up
Temptations
Me Against the World
Fuck the World
So Many Tears
St8 Ballin'
The Actor
Above the Rim, Juice, Poetic Justice, Grid'lockd, and the list goes on. There was so much emotional appeal in his performance it was almost surreal. He was a rare find, a rapper who could act almost as good as he could rap. Remember when he was Piccolo on Different World?
The Rebel
"I woke up screaming fuck the world"
Damn, girls love bad boys. Through his court trials, and all other indiscretions, I still seen this strong, proud man who struggled to be himself. He was one of a kind, which is why there are so many, bandanna 'round the head, bald-headed, gravelly voiced wannabes out there still tryna copy his image after all these years.
The Poet
His poetry is intense. In my opinion, it's more personal than his raps. He comes across as vulnerable and serious. When reading The Rose That Grew From Concrete, you get a sense of a man who's more than a rebel, a rapper, and a thinker; you see the true reveal of an artist, a lover and a thinker. If you haven't read this collection, it's a must.
A loyal son, and a devoted artists. Multi-faceted and complex at best. There will never be another with his depth. Rest in peace. . .
Haiku for 2Pac
Image on t-shirts
Afeni and his words live
So his star still shines
Friday, June 03, 2005
THROWBACK ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Favorite Cuts:
Mr. Wendal
People Everyday
Raining Revolution
Natural
I bought this back when buying a CD or a tape was actually worth the money. There were 16 tracks, not the bullshit 9 or 11 you get these days for damn near 20 bucks. The group as a whole is soulful and makes beautiful music together. I saw Arrested Development on this new show called Hit Me Baby 1 More Time. They looked great, and they did an awesome cover of the Los Lonely Boys song Hollywood. It reminded me of some acoustic, Floetry type stuff.
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