News Media

LET me say this before I even get started... BOOO TO THE NEWS MEDIA!!! To be honest with you I hate the news. I like knowing what's going on in the world, but I hate how the news makes my people, black people, look like crap. I used to always think it was hype when I'd hear black people talking about how the news media portrayed us. Eventually, I started to observe for myself and it's so true. As far as crime goes, the news media loves to show all the crimes committed by black people and in the black community, but black people aren't the only people committing crimes. Nearly, every news anchor is white and the black ones are all light skinned... I won't get into this, but there are certainly implications. I'm not going to rant any longer, but I will say this. The news is supposed to chronicle the good, the bad, and the ugly of all four corners of our world; North East West South. So, until the news starts airing the successes of every community I'm not watching. Until the news starts addressing the needs of every community I'm not watching. Cover it all or don't cover anything at all. Furthermore, this infatuation with the struggles and bubbles of celebrities is ridiculous. Katie Holmes' new haircut is not nearly as important as the need for loving families to adopt children. The breakdown of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and others is nothing to smile, laugh, and joke about. Whether you like the chicks or not, they are still human and we should wish them the best and pray that they can find some type of healing. Okay... I'm done.

"Journalism is popular, but it is popular mainly as fiction. Life is one world, and life seen in the newspapers is another."
-G.K. Chesterton

Spending Habits

SPENDING habits in the United States today are outrageous. Americans, myself included, spend money on some of the most outrageous things. I, however am not as guilty as most people, but this is simply because I don't really have any money to spend. It is amazing to see the things that people spend money on; hundreds and thousands of dollars on shoes, clothes, purses, and the like. I am like that little kid who's money burns a hole in his pocket. As soon as I come across some cash I'm ready to spend it. The majority of the money I spend though, I consider an investment. A majority of my money goes into my music for studio sessions, promotion, etc. I do this because I believe that my investment will pay off. I do get sick of being broke though... so I'm looking forward to my money-filled future. As far as the national spending habits are concerned, I believe that if you want it you should get it, but you should also get it responsibly. Don't buy something knowing that getting it will prevent you from paying your rent.

"Money talks...but all mine ever says is good-bye."
-Anonymous

Video Games

VIDEO games are becoming more and more real everyday. They are also becoming more and more violent. With the push of a few buttons and the maneuvering of a couple joysticks anyone can become a hit man and slit the throat of a government official. Children are joyfully taking the controls as car thieves joyriding through cities and brutally murdering anyone who gets in their ways, but it's all just for fun! Different organizations, many of them parental groups, are started to fight video game makers citing the argument that their games are too violent and dangerous to the healthy development of children across the globe. Scientific studies have even gathered data linking video violence to "angry activity" in children and grown folks alike. As far as the grown folks are concerned, just control your anger people. YOU ARE GROWN! If you see that your actions are becoming for volatile and you're a chronic gamer... put the sticks down homie, and that's all I've got to say about that. Now, as it pertains to children, we all know that children will try to imitate what they see. Parents need to take responsibility and monitor what games the children are playing. Of course a child can always go to a friend's house and play a game that perhaps isn't allowed in his/her own home, but that's not really an excuse. Parents need to instill a firm understanding of what is wrong in what is right. If your child doesn't know through your teachings that stealing a car and shooting someone in the head for 1,000 points is wrong, then you need to reconsider before giving birth again.

"If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."
-Chinese Proverb

American Language

WHAT would you think if you asked someone what language they spoke and "American" was their response? Shockingly, (at least to me) there are people who think that "I speak American" is synonymous with "I speak English." But, let me just get to it. "American" is not a language. Now, let's talk about the English language. Because of the diversity of the United States today and historically there is an equally diverse make-up of the language. All across the country people speak English and all across the country people speak English differently. The English language is one that is full of colloquialisms that have their regional homes. English has so many variations that it would be hard to keep up: there is British English, Canadian English, Australian English, and God knows how many other variations abroad and in the U.S.A. The important thing is that we are all able to communicate. I don't get the big fuss about language. If we can communicate with each other, then why are so many people trippin? The answer is that there is an ego in a lot of people that tells them everyone should speak the way they do, especially when it comes to "Black English" and Ebonics. Everyone assumes that because you speak like Flavor Flav instead of Professor White at Harvard University's English Department that you are ignorant! Well, I'm not even going to touch on that because I can easily nullify that point. Honestly though, has anyone ever considered what it would be like if the powers that be were flip-flopped. What if somehow through history it worked out that the people who speak Black English were the people running the country for the past 500 years? The answer is Black English would be the "standard" today. This goes to show that the selection of what is considered correct and incorrect English is totally political. You can tell me that I'm wrong, but I won't believe you.

"It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water."
- Franklin P. Jones

Do Words Matter?

STICKS and stones may break the bones, but words can break the heart. We live in a world that has a lot of hatred in it and somewhere along the lines people have gotten the idea that the hatred that they dish out doesn't really have an effect on people. The opposite is true. In many cases verbal abuse does as much damage as physical abuse and sometimes even more. Today there is a lot of controversy about the word "nigger" and all of it's variants (nigga, nigguh, etc). Many black people hold fast to the belief that it is okay for black people to use the word and sometimes even Spanish people, but it is not okay for anyone else to use the word. Many black people have adopted the word as a term of endearment, but to some people, myself included there is NOTHING endearing about it. Now, I realize the chances of the word become archaic are improbable, especially during my lifetime, but when it comes up in discussion or elsewhere I still feel the need to speak my mind on it. I associate with many people who use the n-word and being in the music industry I often find myself making with music who incorporate the word into their lyrics. Sometimes, the word is even used in songs that I perform on. Now, it is not my job to chance anybody and the way that they create their art, so if they choose to use the word then so be it. However, there have been times when people shout me out and say things like, "that's my nigga SeAzOn ALL." Those things don't get released and I make the person aware of my conflict. One day I was actually compelled to write a song discussing my take on the word. It was well-received, so much so that I moved forward in creating a shirt that was also well-received. Basically, I am discouraged and a bit annoyed whenever I hear the word, but that's life. All I can do is me and spread my message to as many people as I can... stand up for what I believe.

BLACK MAN (mp3)

"We've bound ourselves in chains man and nigga's just one of the links/I can't break it on my own. I'm strong but need power of we/But too many of we have decided that nigga should be/Every black man's name. The black man's I.D./So I write this rhyme in red ink, dip my pen in the Dead Sea/Spill blood on my pad to kill the nigga that's been killing me/"

-SeAzOn ALL