I keep on fallin..

Ready......set......GO!!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -- Mark Twain

RIP Guru

Guru has passed away yesterday morning after a long battle with cancer.  We are slowly losing all the greats, meanwhile mind-dumbing crap is in full produciton these days.  Hip hop aint dead, its just becoming history...never let go of that history, hold on tight and breathe. RIP Gangstarr and thank you for your faithful service to the greater good of hip hop music. Onelove and blessings.

Follow at your own risk..

So I do have to admit, I am addicted to Twitter.  Not in the same way I am hooked on facebook though, we have very different relationships....

Facebook is a social networking sight that allows you to post your entire life if you wish too. Everything from photos to age, from notes and videos to every single flavor of icecream you like if you wantes.  That little line that says "whats on your mind" was an oh so powerful and influential piece to facebook....and that is where Twitter takes over.  Facebook is great for blasting your life to other people who may or may not wanna know (just becuase someone is on your list dont mean you got swap stories) but Twitter is optional.... kind of like this blog.  If you are sittin here reading this (thank you!!!) that means you are CHOOSING to read my words, similar to Twitter where someone chooses to follow you and hear what you have to say. 

Facebook is a headache that is so damn addictive, I have to close my account sometimes cuz I get too wrapped up in the excitement of everyone elses life.  BACK AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER lol... Its sucking the life out of us, while we bask in the "enjoyment" we think we are getting from it.  Not to say Twitter isnt, but I much prefer Twitter because of that optional element. (To be honest there are certain people on my fb I couldnt care less about, but given who they are it would be rude to not accept them.... uughh shitfacebook.). I choose to follow people on Twitter becuase I wanna stay on top of whats goin on within Toronto and/or I feel enriched on a daily basis by what they have to say. Please beleive if something big has happened in this city, ill find out hella fast through someones postings if not a mass of everyone posting the same thing lol.  I do not follow celebs unless they are speaking words of wisdom, but I do follow everyone from Toronto (Much, Flow, David Miller, etc...rappers/songstresses/artists of all types, and ofcourse all my homies).

Twitter is an awesome way to express those random thoughts that hit you during different hours of the day or night, that you feel the need to get off your chest (however, it is NOT THERAPY, so keep your bipolar rollercoasters of emotions to yourself, its not a good look). It is also great for networking and promoting.....and basically keepin people updated of what youre doin (which is relativly pointless if youre jsut a normal person, but for an artist tryna build a buzz and a following its great).  For the sake of your sanity though, you do not need to have constant notifications on your phone everytime someone tweets, that would drive anyone mad.  Rather, I check Twitter on MY terms, when I want to..on the subway perhaps, waiting in line somewhere or just bored anywhere. 

So for those of you who post a hundred statuses a day on facebook, GET TWITTER and stop annoying everyone with your babbling lol.... this way if I wanna hear it, ill follow! Oh btw, speakin of babbling FOLLOW ME @KARMACOUNTS !!

Too blessed to be stressed..

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." - Mother Theresa

MIC'D UP VOL.2 !!!

B.E.L.I ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESENTS:


MIC'D UP VOL.2 !!! Our commitment to bringin' tha fire when it comes to our homegrown star power continues with the 2nd installment of MIC'D UP. It goes down April 16th @ THE POOR ALEX, 772A Dundas W. Live Performances by TOOL SHED, HIP HOP CANADA RECORDING ARTIST GANGIS KHAN A.K.A CAMOFLAUGE, ARIA MUZIK, FRESH KILS & DJ iRATE,TERRY B, MURDA GRAMS, NYCE TOUCH, WHITE-T,SUPERMODEL MAMI, Spoken Word Specialist DAVID DELISCA, and More...Hosted by GILSON LUBIN.Music by the infamous Dj Waynie 1 and The Legendary D.T.S !!! That's right y'all, Sponsored by hip hop promo giant JUST ENTERTAINMENT CORP. & SKUNK MAGAZINE. $5 @ The Door. This is a 19+ Event.

Peep our myspace page as well if you wanna peep some samples of who's on April 16th @ http://www.myspace.com/getmicdup

Interested in performing @ a future Mic'd Up showcase ?? Send an mp3 to getmicdup@gmail.com
Peace......B.E.L.I ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Jeremy Dean’s Horse Drawn Hummer Carriage!

Dats whats up!!

This is absolutely brilliant. I can already hear people babbling bout how were goin backwards with this but take a look at the state of the world. We are killin it and this is a good way to create change. Better horse poop than exhaust.  Not to mention the pure brilliance of the idea... like really.

When a man loves a woman..

Here is an essay written by Jill Scott that kinda breaks my heart.

"My new friend is handsome, African-American, intelligent and seemingly wealthy. He is an athlete, loves his momma, and is happily married to a White woman. I admit when I saw his wedding ring, I privately hoped. But something in me just knew he didn't marry a sister. Although my guess hit the mark, when my friend told me his wife was indeed Caucasian, I felt my spirit...wince. I didn't immediately understand it. My face read happy for you. My body showed no reaction to my inner pinch, but the sting was there, quiet like a mosquito under a summer dress.

Was I jealous? Did the reality of his relationship somehow diminish his soul's credibility? The answer is not simple. One could easily dispel the wince as racist or separatist, but that's not how I was brought up. I was reared in a Jehovah's Witness household. I was taught that every man should be judged by his deeds and not his color, and I firmly stand where my grandmother left me. African people worldwide are known to be welcoming and open-minded. We share our culture sometimes to our own peril and most of us love the very notion of love. My position is that for women of color, this very common "wince" has solely to do with the African story in America.

When our people were enslaved, "Massa" placed his Caucasian woman on a pedestal. She was spoiled, revered and angelic, while the Black slave woman was overworked, beaten, raped and farmed out like cattle to be mated. She was nothing and neither was our Black man. As slavery died for the greater good of America, and the movement for equality sputtered to life, the White woman was on the cover of every American magazine. She was the dazzling jewel on every movie screen, the glory of every commercial and television show. She was unequivocally the standard of beauty for this country, firmly unattainable to anyone not of her race. We daughters of the dust were seen as ugly, nappy mammies, good for day work and unwanted children, while our men were thought to be thieving, sex-hungry animals with limited brain capacity.

We reflect on this awful past and recall that if a Black man even looked at a White woman, he would have been lynched, beaten, jailed or shot to death. In the midst of this, Black women and Black men struggled together, mourned together, starved together, braved the hoses and vicious police dogs and died untimely on southern back roads together. These harsh truths lead to what we really feel when we see a seemingly together brother with a Caucasian woman and their children. That feeling is betrayed. While we exert efforts to raise our sons and daughters to appreciate themselves and respect others, most of us end up doing this important work alone, with no fathers or like representatives, limited financial support (often court-enforced) and, on top of everything else, an empty bed. It's frustrating and it hurts!

Our minds do understand that people of all races find genuine love in many places. We dig that the world is full of amazing options. But underneath, there is a bite, no matter the ointment, that has yet to stop burning. Some may find these thoughts to be hurtful. That is not my intent. I'm just sayin'."
(Courtesy of MediaTakeOut.com)
 

I happen to like dark skin men, its just like some people like tall man or skinny men. I never really had to put much thought into it, its just like that. I also happen to think interracial relationships are beautiful, to see a white man with a black women is so beautiful and vice versa. So when I hear someone speak of white women being with black men as something less than beautiful it makes me "wince", it hurts. We have finally gotten to a point in this world where races are able to mingle and love freely, free of judgement or goverment imposed restrictions (there are still some religous and mindset barriers however but the choice is still there). And thats just it, we are all human. We are not black or white or asian or african or caucasian, we are one people who live on the same earth, under the same sun with the same colour blood runnin through our veins. It is also incredibly beautiful to see a beautiful strong black man with a a beautiful strong black woman and their children, but to imply its the only kind of beauty would be deeply dismaying.  Also, I think mixed children, mixed with any races are so incredibly beautiful; each with a unique background and look, unique to each family. 

Its like prejudice in any situation, why are we in this day being punished for the actions of those in the past. I dont blame every black man for the pain and disgrace my sons father brought, marrying my ex-best friend and not takin care of his own. No, because I overstand that any person of any race or gender is capable of both good and bad. I realize that slavery was very real and I appreciate her whole perspective on the situation, but why am I as a white women getting looks, that I know stem from the same pool of feelings within black women. As if, I must be doin something sneaky and wrong to be gettin the attention of a handsome, beautiful, intelligent black man; when infact its black men who prey on white women (in some cases) for our innocence (or lack there of) and naivity.

If this had been written by anyone else, it wouldnt hurt as much but this is beautiful, strong, well-educated, amazingly talented women whom I have much resepct and admiration for.  I'm not tryin to sit here and disect her words or judge her, I simply wanted to share my thoughts on the subject as well. Onelove.

The Awakening..

By Sonny Carroll

There comes a time in your life when you finally get it ... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out "ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on." And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective.

..........This is your awakening.

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something or someone to change, or for happiness safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren't always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
So you begin making your way through the "reality of today" rather than holding out for the "promise of tomorrow." You realize that much of who you are and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you've received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about :
- how you should look and how much you should weigh,
- what you should wear and where you should shop,
- where you should live or what type of car you should drive,
- who you should sleep with and how you should behave,
- who you should marry and why you should stay,
- the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family,

Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and re-defining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.

You accept the fact that you are not perfect ,and that not everyone will love appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a "perfect 10".... Or a perfect human being for that matter... and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And, you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.

And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that it is truly in "giving" that we receive, and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of "creating" and "contributing" rather than "obtaining" and "accumulating."

And you give thanks for the simple things you've been blessed with, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about - a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, the freedom of choice and the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.

And you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors, including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you've learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.

Then you learn about love and relationships - how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally, and that not everyone will always come through... and interestingly enough, it's not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren't done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns - anger, jealousy and resentment.

You learn how to say "I was wrong" and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things.

And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to Say NO. You learn that you don't know all the answers, it's not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.

Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships, and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it's wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet "your" standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that "alone" does not mean "lonely" and you begin to discover the joy of spending time "with yourself" and "on yourself." Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know - Self Love. And so it comes to pass that, through understanding, your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.

Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn't change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead, you set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.

You learn that life isn't always fair and you don't always get what you think you deserve, and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.

And you stop looking for guarantees, because you've learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you'll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time - FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears, because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.

Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you FAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed, not for the answers to my prayers or for material things, but for my "God" to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.

Remember this:- You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.

My "God" has never failed me.