Hip-Hop reminds me of....

I just finished watching the Decline of Western Civilization: The Heavy Metal years. And in a odd way it reminded me of the state of hip-hop today.

I know it may be painful for some of you but let's go back, way back into time to the days of bands with names like Faster Pussycat, Trixter, Firehouse, Cinderella, Whitesnake, White Lion, Warrant, W.A.S.P., L.A. Guns, Skid Row, Extreme, Poison, Motley Crue, and of course the grand daddy of them all Guns and Roses.

What did all of these bands have in common? (Besides having big freaking hair.) They basically talked about the same damn things; sex, women, and partying. Do you see where I'm going with this? Basically (mainstream) hip-hop is doing the same damn thing. All they're talking about is sex, women, and partying. Compare the way women are portrayed in videos today to how they were portrayed in the mid to late 80's. It's the same damn thing.

So here's my theory, once things become so bloated and blinged out people will eventually start listening to bands that matter. For example when people got tired of Warrent they started listening to Soundgarden and Nirvana. Eventually the mainstream catches up, this usually takes some time but it does happen.

It's already changing when you consider the current landscape of artists out there. Kayne West has, and hopefully will continue to make an impact. Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and the Roots have broken out of the underground (to a certain extent). I'm sure in the coming years artists like Planet Asia, Rhymefest, and Jedi Mind Tricks will rise from the underground.

One can only hope.

All apologies...To the brothers who couldn't make it.

I am so sorry for not updating. I've been really busy with work and I've really had nothing to say. But I have been commenting, mostly at the After Party.

Where do I begin? Last week I went to the Alpha Phi Alpha centennial convention, Alpha Phi Alpha is the oldest college fraternities in the country, founded in 1906 at Cornell University by seven brave men.

It's hard to put into words the feelings I had entering the lobby of the hotel that was hosting the convention. The best way I can put it is I had a overwhelming feeling of brotherhood. I met brothers from all over the country but I have to say that being with my brothers from my chapter (Omicron Zeta) and my other New Jersey brothers was the highlight of the convention. I got to meet brothers I had only heard stories about and others that I hadn't seen in years. It's a shame that more brothers couldn't come through. This was a once in life time celebration and I don't think we will live another hundreds years to see it again.

Becoming an Alpha was a defining moment for me in college. First off I'm not really a joiner or a follower. I'm an only child and I like being an individual. So how do I explain joining a fraternity? Easy, I pledged by myself. If you are reading this and you're confused I'll repeat myself. I pledged by myself. Yeah I know I always have to do things the hard way. It changed the way I looked at myself and the way others looked at me. The process alone made me a stronger man and helped me to understand that no matter how hard things are in college the real world is much more harder and challenging. I want to take this moment to thank the brothers that came before me and the ones that followed me. Hold the light high.