“Lord why is it that, I go through so much pain
All I saw was Black, and all I felt was pain
I come to you because it’s, you who knows
You showed me that everything is Black, because my eyes were closed.”
-DMX 

On today, we mourn the loss of Earl “DMX” Simmons. Dark Man X or “X” left this earth today to return home. Many will try to reduce him either intentionally or unintentionally into an addict, broken or rapper with a violent past. What I see is a man who taught me that it is okay to be flawed. Growing up I found myself battling depression and street trouble that mainly stemmed from my internal struggle with Christianity. I grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama-deep in the Bible South where being Baptist was as much birthright as being Black. I watched Christians backbite, destroy, belittle, be homophobic, be cheaters, destroy homes, and grow up poor. Christianity and God was praised for all the good. I often questioned why the bad wasn’t attributed to. When I spoke back that I wanted to study other religions, my parents spoke firmly against it, which only sparked my fascination with religious studies. The conflict to conform to what just is irritated me. Why should I follow a religion that causes so much grief just because my grandparents and parents say, “Go, do.”?

As a college student that had to hustle and get it out the mud to sustain money to eat let alone graduate, I found the complex duality of wanting to do the right thing but being forced with circumstances that gripped you to make difficult decisions and calculated risks. Later after an accident where a drunk driver hit my car in a hit-and-run, I found myself addicted to pain killers. The doctors at that time were over prescribing powerful narcotics without the information that we have now. Depression linked to the suicide of my best friend (almost a brother) William Brown, Jr., drive by killing of my good friend Cali and death from cancer of my Aunt Rose left me shattered as a man. But for family and God, it could have easily been me with a news article attached that focused on my losses or failures.

The truth is news tags should read: X loved ya’ll. X loved people and that love betrayed him. People betrayed X and sacrificed him. Even through it all, DMX continuously inspired generations of people to believe that no matter your circumstances, if you just had a little faith- that things would be okay. I guess that is why when they said you were dying X, we all played your prayers. We were hoping that a little faith would bring you back to us to finish the great works that you had started.

For many Black men, X was a role model of the moral conflictions and the crossroads that many of us face due to lack of opportunity and environment. It was the grit and realism in his voice that made beauty of the ugly. It was the sincere prayers that lingered long after the song’s final beat had dropped. That duality of roughness and softness was a transparency in hip-hop that we had not witnessed in a Black male rap artist which connected us to his artistry. Some called it rap. I like to think of DMX as a complex poet telling the stories of the time. Isn’t that what poets do? According to James Baldwin, “Poets have a responsibility to bare witness.” X bore witness for us and gave us a voice in the darkness. Who are the voices? Those disenfranchised with religion found God in rap songs. Those that were angry found calm in the beat. Those that are Black found justifiable rage at the injustices pointed out in rhyme. For me, I found the balance between my African spirituality, Japanese Zen principles and Christian roots. I found that a man can be flawed, complex and still be of God’s work.

I owe X with creating an avenue for “Not being okay’ to be “OK.” X made transparency in a male voice alright. For that I will be forever grateful. X asked, “What they really want from a nigga?” The answer X, “Nothing good sir. You did your job.” Rest well DMX.

Rest well.

-Urban Thoughts

​

“We’re all living contradictions, trying to survive in a world filled with hypocrites.” – Eric Jerome Dickey

When I was trying to find my place in this cruel world as a poor black boy on a white college campus, Eric Jerome Dickey offered me $20 dollars and a seat at his table. He saw me scrapping up my coins to get a sandwich. At the time, I thought he was just some rich man trying to hurry up through line when he said, “That's all you want kid? Put it on my card.” I had zero idea who he was. He sat. We talked about dreams and making do as black men, as writers and life. Then, he left. He gave me a business card and told me, “Anytime, that I needed him to call.”
 
A young fine Delta walked up and was excited saying, “You know Eric Jerome Dickey freshman?” I was like, “Who?” She was like stop playing, “Eric, You was just sitting with him.” Bro had told me his name was Thomas. Lol. I guess he realized that I had zero idea who I was talking to. I check the card it was Eric or as I liked to call him my mentor aka YODA. Why? Simple. He had all the answers.
 
For 18 years, he always answered my call. The last five, I think were the mentor years where he ripped and clawed what I thought writing was. The previous 13- pretty sure he was waiting on me to be serious. I called today. Today, he didn't answer. I'm not sure what to write about that. I'm not sure what poems are meant to come from this. I have lost so many words over time. It hurts. I guess God needed another griot. Maybe King David is tired of writing Psalms and needs a new perspective. Guess, I'll have to imagine the stars as the untold books. Mr. Dickey said once, “Aye, kid you gotta write like somebody is reading it.” He was a believer in revision and trial by fire. Quick, witty and a true Alpha Man. I asked him one time was he just taking pity because I was his chapter brother from The University of Memphis- Kappa Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., or did he just take exception to me being a black writer. He promptly and with a fiery anger said, “No, but those two things helped.” I am not sure to this day why he answered so many of my questions.

Yet, I still know very little. His time was precious and the quarterly or so quick phone calls or messages were always geared to what content and message are you wanting to leave. When I saw him back on campus, I yelled out “Thomas, let me get you a sandwich.” He came for a lecture our chapter had brought him to speak. He was brilliant and one of the most gifted thinkers. Over the years, it became less about trying to be the next great writer and more about witnessing one of the best writers of our time. The way he moved words was magic; however, the way he inspired us to see “us” in those pages was the true fantasy. Creating and bolstering a movement to Black writers who focused on Contemporary and complex rich characters is what brought so much hope to boys like me. Boy who never saw themselves in the pages but could always see themselves behind bars. He freed us to imagine so many possibilities of moving words in lieu of dope.
 
Mr. Dickey said once, “Every day a million miracles begin at sunrise.” I have long took that quote for granted but as I age, I realize how poignant it actually is. Every day we wake a million miracles will be birthed and one day the miracle that we represent to this world will be gone. Each blink and breath bring us closer to our final pen stroke and chapter. Yet, we write blindly and feverishly in search of the perfect book between the covers. Even now- I know I probably should revise this but I won’t. I want it raw and unfiltered. Eric wrote on a chalkboards years back in a lecture- somethings have to be this way. I realize now what he was trying to tell me all these years. It doesn’t matter how the book turns out if you aren’t concerned with how the audience will see it when you leave the room.

It is not about the quality of the story but the effort in which it was written. The quality will come through the effort and diligence to your craft. So....Did you give everything you had? Did you revise and correct the mistakes? Did you show the characters love and care? Did you love? Eric did. I am proud to call him mentor. I know he mentored so many. Maybe I am just possessive of his teachings. I am sure I am because everyone that ever read, studied, or came in contact will swear that they are the closest. I know I am not. I like to pretend to be. Truthfully, I was just grateful of all the conversations and help. I became a better poet, writer and man. In many ways, we are all right because that is how Mr. Dickey wrote the book. He made all of us central characters with a singular theme of living your best life. Ain’t that just like him to leave us always wanting another chapter of another book of another story? Ain’t that how it ought to be with the best of the writers? Rest Well Good Brother. Your job was done so well.
 
With Love,
Timothy “Urban Thoughts” Moore
 
 

​2020 has reminded us that black folks aren’t safe. Trump has pushed a rhetoric that has risen an army of racists and destructive forces that find pleasure in trying to control anything that does not serve their purpose. A pandemic in Covid-19 has threatened to kill the world one person at a time. Murder Hornets, locust swarms, sandstorms crossing oceans, modified genetic food, molecularly altered mosquitoes, and rare fire tornadoes have ravaged the land. Racist killer cops have embraced targeting black bodies as if we are the villains. Yet, we stood. We did as a black community facing it all normally does. We leaned on each other, pressed forward and found a way to survive.
 
When everything went crazy, us Black folks, ran into Wakanda. We found joy there in giving each other cross armed X salutes and yelling across parking lots “Wakanda Forever.” For once we saw each other as we should: Royalty within a complex intelligent, sophisticated and technologically advanced independent society. We saw what we know that black folks are. On the big screen, we saw us as a society and safe. No slave intro beginnings and no oppression from other people that we claimed to be gods or that tried to become our gods. We were FREE and HAPPY. We were so proud and then we got to know our Black Panther. We got to know that he was more than just a comic hero. Then 2020…
 
… 2020 you took our hero. What kind of jacked up movie are you, “2020”? This is not how it is supposed to end. In the movies, the superhero eventually wins. They battle all of the obstacles and the super villains that we couldn’t defeat. The hero stands in the gap for us. You are the Black Panther get up one more time. We saw it in the movie with the purple and the tree and our ancestors.
 
 
Chadwick Boseman was a real-life superhero. How else can you describe working for the last 4 years with stage 3 cancer that progressed to stage 4? How else can you imagine clocking in and out through excruciating pain to deliver intelligent black stories on the biggest platforms. I have seen and felt chemo. I have felt the days where you can’t get up from the bed. I have felt the sting of vomit coursing through your body while you lay on the floor hugging a toilet that becomes your savior. I have heard the voices of doubt that remind you that you are dying but you kept on though.  You never complained publicly. Most of us didn’t even realize that you were literally dying right in front of us. I wonder if you just knew deep down that it was black boys all across America that needed to see how you fight a monster called Cancer.
 
Mr. Boseman took Cancer with you and battled back to give us the strength of Jackie Robinson in (2013), the talented brilliance of James Brown in (2014), the courage of Thurgood Marshall in (2017) and the leadership of Stormin’ Norman in Da 5 Bloods. Each role he gathered superpowers to illustrate characters from our storyline that we had forgotten. Then finally we saw him- on the screen- The Black Panther.
 
You reminded us of the Black Panthers in California that started the breakfast program and defended our streets. He stood so tall as the Black Panther. We finally had our hero. We rejoiced and now 2020 you took him. In the middle of battling for the killers of Breonna Taylor to be arrested, police to be convicted for killing innocent black people, education reform to bring equity, social justice to bring safety and a time where being a Black American is close to becoming a walking death sentence: we mourn. You have taken our hero. How is that fair? Is there another scene after the end credits roll? We will sit together.
 
There are no more scenes. I have learned about the silence that lingers in the blackness. In the night of a Friday, we will bury you along so many other fallen heroes: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Garvey. They say that fathers should not have to bury their sons. I can only imagine what Denzel Washington will say when he buries his Actor Guild son. You were the next in the lineage from Sidney Poitier to Denzel Washington and to you: Mr. Chadwick Boseman. You gave us #BlackBoyJoy and #BlackManMagnificence. You gave us a hero to be proud of. You gave us a moment for our community to forget about the harshness of America and were transported to a world that could be Great For Once. You have served well, Panther. Now rest, after all, it is and forever will be “Wakanda Forever.”

"I'm not saying I agreed with what they did. Just saying I've learned not to judge a people for how they grieve." 
-Steven Willis 

National Poet Steven Willis stated it best in one of his poems, "I'm not saying I agreed with what they did. Just saying I've learned not to judge a people for how they grieve." When I see the outburst of anger and rage in Minnesota streets becoming  the volcano ash of a people. I understand. We are tired of marching. We are tired of hashtags. We are tired of police that kill black folks. We are tired of not being able to come home safe. We are tired of not being able to trust a police system and nation that shows a complete and utter disrespect for black life and what a black body is worth. 

The truth is that The United States of America’s police system is broken and it is time that we address it. Laws must be changed so that police officers that kill black folks and police officers that watch other officers kill black folks are charged and convicted of murder. The data clearly shows that black folks are at a much larger danger of deadly force when stopped than their counterparts. There is a legit fear that creeps into every black person when stopped. It is a source of anxiety that should be classified as a Public Health issue. Time after time again the issue persists because America is not facing the truest issue. 


Three main issues create this public health crisis:

1. Our police system’s training of new cadets is flawed. 
   
2.  Our police system’s implementation of deadly force is not working. 
3. Our justice system is not holding the failure of cops to serve, protect, and not murder citizens to accountability standards.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin

We have to face and correct the main issues to create a new norm for how police engage black folks. How do we correct this? 

I propose that:

1. We change laws, the procedures and training of officers, in regards to, the use of force. We have to emphasize deescalation, conflict resolution, bias and prejudice training with a support system for mental health observations of all officers on a regular basis. This is possible through census, voting, and holding our people that represent us to standards for pushing agendas that we need to keep our community and each other safe.
2. We create a third party system for reporting and investigating police incidents that are both internal sanctions and external situations with a public recorded file. I am tired of police policing police. The connections are too close and it is clear that internal affairs and other current methods are not enough.
3. We make police officer’s personal insurance policies, severance, and pensions held liable in lieu of city funding as a first option of liability payments to the victim’s families. If their is a bond of misbehavior to their crooked pockets then hopefully that will deter some. 

In focusing on the three ideas above, the police will have a better regard to the humanity that they serve. We want arrested, charged, and convicted officers of those individuals that use the badge as protection to murder. Enough is enough. How many more black bodies must fall before we realize that the system is broken? It has to be. How else can you keep justifying how month after month we find our selves adding to a growing list of black bodies killed by the people who are sworn to protect us? How much longer when you keep closing your eyes and ignoring the injustice before you? What will it take- are the riots not enough? One day a response strong enough will come and everyone will find out that you can only push a people so long before their own sense of survival becomes a process of preservation. I pray then that you have the peace that you keep wanting us to keep and the prayers to a God that will forgive the rage.


May Justice be fought for and sought for all those named and unnamed:
  
George Floyd
Breonna Taylor 
Amaud Arbery *police coverup
Bothem Sean
Atatiana Jefferson
Jonathan Ferrell
Renisha McBride
Stephon Clark
Jordan Edwards
Jordan Davis
Alton Sterling
Aiyana Jones
Mike Brown
Tamir Rice
Charleston 9
Trayvon Martin
Sean Bell
Oscar Grant
Sandra Bland
Philando Castile
Corey Jones
John Crawford
Terrence Crutcher
Keith Scott
Clifford Glover
Claude Reese
Randy Evans
Yvonne Smallwood
Amadou Diallo
Walter Scott
Eric Garner
Freddie Gray

​

For  Black Youth Who Considered Depression/ When GRADUATION Is Enough

“one thing I don’t need
is any more apologies
i got sorry greetin me at my front door
you can keep yrs
i don’t know what to do wit em
they don’t open doors
or bring the sun back
they don’t make me happy
or get a mornin paper
didn’t nobody stop usin my tears to wash cars
cuz a sorry.” 
― Ntozake Shange, For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf


Dear 2020 Black Graduates,

I wanted to write you all a love letter. I wanted to write something to help ease the pain, especially for my mentee Anteresa Dickson, but I honestly struggle to find anything to say that can. I did find these remarks to bare witness to your struggles. This letter was inspired by a moment with Anteresa who sent me a Facebook message that simply read, “I was supposed to graduate today. Today, is my graduation coach.” I could feel her heart breaking. For four years, I kept refocusing her and pushing her for this moment. It was a tangible goal to keep her focus. A heavy weight is given in the black community to prom and graduation because we are often the carriers of hope for so many that came before us. I wish that it wasn’t there are so many more life goals to achieve but for a lot of us, graduation may be the highest achievement and their last chance to be glorified. 

I sat at my computer desk for some time just staring at the screen. I didn’t have any words of comfort. The ironic thing about “sorry” or an apology is that they both really aren’t useful when action can’t be placed behind them. Covid-19 has robbed moments senior cut day, Senior Prom, and Graduation. The latter being the one that will linger for the longest. In the Black community, Graduation is a moment of pure unbridled joy. It is a stamp of approval that you have made it. You endured the doubts, the work, and personal quest to achieve. For many it is the culmination of a lifetime of work that started before they were even born. Unbelievably many of us are still becoming the first to graduate high school. 

Some have had friends gunned down and killed before they could walk across stages. Bullets have become diplomas. Grief has been exchanged for standing ovations. Anteresa endured all of those things. She sacrificed while losing friends year after year too early to the streets around her. She overcame poverty, schools closing, tough breaks, crime, all the doubts and naysayers. She rose to the rank of #3 in her class. A girl that I literally had to run, fuss, and chase figured out that for as sweet of a jump shot that her brain as a young woman was equally as outstanding and worthy. 

This day was supposed to be her “Last Dance”. This was her Jordan moment to hold the trophy of a diploma high up in the air and scream to the top of her lungs. This was her moment to be recognized in front of thousands as a champion. It is here in the disconnect that many don’t understand the full sorrow of a black community that due to Covid-19 (Corona virus) that we are withheld from being able to bare witness as a collective body of blackness at the rise of the next generation. 

It is an incredible moment where the village gathers and sees them. No, truly, we gather to see them! Graduation for many may be the first and some maybe the last time that they are truly seen as nothing but positive energy. That unimaginable depression is the cloud of loss that is presented to the Class of 2020’s black youth. Keep in mind that this is the generation that lost Trayvon Martin and was forced to become aware too early of the inequalities of race relations in the United States of America because of the direct correlation to their own youthful images of headphones, hoodies, tea, and skittles.This 2020 class grew up viewing bodies outlined in chalk while being told over and over again that they would not make it. Yet, they did! They made it and they did it gloriously may I add. Anteresa Dickson will continue her education at The Mississippi Delta Community College, where she plans to major in Special Education.

The words finally came, Anteresa (T.T. as I call her or Slim), “I know. I was looking forward to it too- then I thought wait T.T.! Today is still a blessing. You did something no one can take away from you. You got your head on straight and did the work. There are so many people that did not graduate. They died before their senior year. They flunked out or gave up. You beat the odds. Now you get to go to college, you get to dream even more. You get to grow even more and play ball. Nobody nor Covid-19 can take that away. I am hella proud of you. Get your head up. Post some pics and brag a little. You did it! I am proud of you and I love you kid.”

There was no apology. There is no apology that is worth a mama’s tears, papa’s pride, teacher’s handshake or village’s embrace to tell them: we see you. We see you class of 2020 and you are beautiful. Within this moment you have the ability to realize that life is incredibly fragile and not fair; however, you continue to be courageous and tell your narrative of triumph. You did not allow the work to go unseen and we thank-you. You made it and nothing can ever take that away from you. You are powerful beyond measure. Class of 2020 we love you and we see you. Now go be great in whatever challenge you will conquer next. We, the village, are watching. 

Love always,

Timothy Moore
Educational Consultant
Creative Writing Teacher
Restorative Justice Coordinator
& Poet: Urban Thoughts

TEN THINGS TYLER PERRY TAUGHT ME

1. If you build it, they will come. Simple Tyler Perry built a product that a large number of people across the globe enjoy; therefore, creating a brand and genre of play/movie/religious drama that is his alone.

2. Regardless of what you do or how big you win-People will hate. Accept that. Move on with a smile.

3. I am admittedly not a fan of his work. I find it limited and easy to predict; however, who cares? It ain't for me. That is the biggest thing people debating Tyler Perry refuse to understand. Every black based film, television show or commercial doesn't have to be for all of  "us" or even you. It is for them. Those who care and love his product.

4. Love the people who love and support you. He literally always thanks the fans and it is apparent that he cares about their opinions. That is how he keeps his value.

5. You don't have to be the best writer, genius, or once in a lifetime talent. You literally just have to have a little talent but a WHOLE LOTTA GRIND. Most writers do not want the late nights, editing, revising, marketing, pushing, acting in, interviewing, payroll, and creation that they claim to want? Why? No work ethic or average work ethic.

6. Believe in yourself unconditionally. There is nothing in Tyler Perry's system that says, "I need multiple writers. I need multiple months filming. I need years of prep." His model is factory line, quick concepts, quick calculated releases in multi forms and platforms to create buzz amongst his target audience. To "artist" some will balk that his is doing his art an inservice. Well, boo boo kitty this is his art and he is happy with it because of the formula.

7. Don't argue with a Cloud about lightning. Translation: They have a much closer and clearer view of what a successful lightning bolt looks like. Most writers and members of the ewww committee including myself have never seen tens of millions of dollars for a project. Most if not all of us never will. So how are we going to argue with someone who does almost every single time he releases anything?

8. Be loyal to those loyal to you. Cicely Tyson is still in his films. He finds roles for people that are loyal to him and his brand without fail. Each movie you see someone that Black America forgot about that Tyler Perry didn't. 

9. Don't allow public group think of how you should do a thing interfere with your process or success.

10. Keep on with the end goal in sight. Tyler has a studio compound that is the size of some small cities that employs a ton of black folks, people of color and women. He consistently gives back, inspires, and creates lanes for writers to follow through his influence on the entertainment market.

Moral: Stop counting Tyler pockets. You don't have to like it but you have to respect his grind. 

Best Regards,
Urban

P.S. Tyler if this comes on your desk. I definitely have learned a lot from you. I respect you. I thank-you. I get it and look forward to the next phase of your projects. 

​


​
NEXT TOP BULL TOURNAMENT by Urban Thoughts as (submitted to various National Magazines)

I journeyed back home to ALABAMA which was dope. I grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama so I knew the bars in Montgomery would be outstanding. Literally, Alabama is one of the toughest states on crime which means, if a black man isn’t ready in Alabama, he will spend plenty of time uncomfortable behind bars and that’s two different things. Yikes!


I pull up to the event center and wham! I immediately knew there was a God for what I saw- cause when I say the women in Alabama are heaven sent and perfectly crafted thick creations of the best NY thick cheesecake with all the strawberry filling-I’m just saying. Now let’s get to these bars…


The Bullpen environment is fantastic. I rock with it. The battlers literally enter a square pit with the crowd standing above the trench. Two warriors enter. One warrior survives. The pressure to impress one of Battle Raps Greats: John John Da Don with a prize of $1,000.00 dollars was on the line. If you as a battler can’t get up for that then I have ZERO to tell you. Nah I do have something to tell you: Go quit and go write nursery rhymes to read to the kids, yo. Dead serious. 


So we here, the crowd is electric…Beautiful women, safe environment, smoke free, great bar, and it’s on. The Next Top Bull Tournament: All One Rounders: 3 mins and 30 secs of hot fire. Names are drawn out of a hat to mark the battles and who is battling. Tournament favors writers, punchers, and freestylers because you have ZERO idea which battle you are going to face.


First Battle of the Night is:


REL (ALABAMA) VS KING BEANZ (LOUISVILLE, KY)


My first impression was this was going to be tough for REL laid back style. I saw King Beanz in Memphis vs a dope battler 5’9 and it was a war. Dude can go. King Beanz opens, “Underdog and unimportant.” Out the gate he is pummeling Rel like Rocky after the first whooping and he went back to training and now we fighting. It’s ugly, yo, ugly. Beanz is a schemer with nice energy and the crowd is rocking with him. He yells, “Straight to the guns…” and the crowd erupts straight to the gunz. Yo, those are the small moments in battle rap that turn battles. He flips a Chrome a zone bar that was nice. He finishes… “I bring FIRE Everytime I get a match.” Yeah, that way. Zip ‘em up. Yeah you know the rest of how that go. Dude gone be a problem.


REL 


Comes out the bottom of the 1st, he stumbles early and pauses. He recovers but it’s ugly like a drunk that catches the side of a door then falls in ugly. Comes out with a smooth bar tho and wordplay flipping Artichoke- Ought to choke ‘em. He has a direct style that is laid back. His set ups are connecting but the pauses in between the lines are showing signs or maybe I’m just overly observant. Naw, I’m Urban Yo and these my Thoughts. Dude choking and yep-maybe the Art a Choke is his surname. He flames out and self times out the match early after maybe a minute and 20 seconds. Wish the kid could have gotten his round off with more confidence, he def was dope for what he had.


BEANZ ADVANCES EASY


Second Battle of the night is:


NAYCHA THE GRATE (Montgomery, Alabama)  vs BO THE GREAT (West Memphis) 
Rematch of sorts….These two have squared off before.


Bo the Great (West Memphis- LCK/IMBL) opens with his slogan and the crowd catches it, “Hope you Brought another pair of shoes wit cha, Cause I’m bout to smoke ya mf boots N-word.” “(Ya’ll know I don’t rock with that word but FIRE FIRE FIRE.”


But…


Fire the Camera Guy. Naw, he dope dude shoots great footage but maybe give that guy some Ritalin so he can pay attention.


He wasn’t ready and stops the battle. Tells them to restart the battle.


Bo the Great opens with more energy with his slogan and Bo is feeding. Lays a haymaker out the gate with a real life bar and the crowd reacts hard. The reaction may have caught him off guard. I saw a flicker of doubt. Dang, I hate when I’m right. Bo is choking early. He tries to catch it and freestyle but stumbles again. He came back after losing family members and tragedy in real life, a battle with Dallas Cash in LCK league and it may all have been too early to commit to this tourney. His heart was there and it’s sad to see because I think he has a skillset of being a rapid puncher that favors him in tourneys like this. Seeing him choke this early in a round was like seeing Bambi momma get shot, Mufasa fall off the cliff, Ricky get shot in the back…everybody in the room is shocked and honestly the temp is, sad. 


Naycha the Grate is the hometown favorite. Bro is smooth. His energy and charisma is dope. Crazy he has an accent and cadence that carries as if he is a New Orleans emcee. His punches are slick and he cruises through a flawless round. Not much to say- he literally could have spit a full minute and won the battle. Props to finishing a round with a dead opponent in front of him. Kick the carcass and let the buzzards eat. This one is done.


Naycha Advances Easy.


Third Battle of the night is:


Classik opens with crazy energy while wearing a Cobra Kai bandana and t-shirt. Bro is cooking and opens with a ton of haymakers early. This is my first time seeing him live. I’ve watched a few of his battles and his punches and schemes. He addresses the failure of his last few battles where his rounds fell dry. He is hella engaging. Mid-way he picks up and throws his water bottle.- I don’t know hell you don’t know either. Just weird. For me the antics are over the top- I can’t really get into his bars. He def had a ton of material but I think of the overall process of what’s happening. We are here to find the next top bull that can catapult there career, push bullpen’s name/prominence and battle at the next level URL/KOTD main stages. At the next level, a battler is judged by his bars. Yeah, you have the occasional slam dunk assist, antics, but the level of antsy spastic performance normally doesn’t hit as well as it does in small rooms or smaller leagues. He finishes amping the crowd and ranting about people not playing with him. Dope round for what it was.


Knight the Poet (Memphis, TN)  freestyle rebuttals and comments on Classik Ninja headband. The crowd laughs and he rapid fires a haymaker right behind. The crowd is rocking loud and Y.P. is in the crowd catching a lot of the bars. Barheads are seeing the conflict. Knight is bar heavy. I personally wanted to see him cut the ring off and crowd Classik just a bit more to impose his size. Right in the middle of the crowd responding a phone goes off on stage. To Bullpen credit, they did give several announcements about the audience having phones off. Knight moves through it and into another bar Loud music goes off. The venue has multiple adjoining rooms where other events are booked. The music is overpoweringly loud. Someone jets off stage to get the other side of the venue to cut the music down and it is cut down bout 45 seconds while the round is going on. The phone and the music takes the steam off of the crowd’s reaction because of the distractions. To Knight’s credit, he works through it flawlessly with no mistakes and finishes the round strong. Dude is professional.


I gave it to Knight The Poet but I peeped a few things….wait on it. Btw Young Herb Lucks out and draws the bye of the first Round. Young Herb Advances

1. I try to mill around the room after the battles to catch the responses of the crowd. I find the conversations dope to ease drop on. 
2. The judges are like for real deal debating about the only real battle of the first round.
3. Judges are stating cases like a huddle between officials during a call at the Super Bowl. It’s intense stuff. Lot of arms waving, pointing, and talking. The consensus that I heard was it was a dope battle where both battlers cooked. Seems to be a split decision based on preference and idea of “Energy”

Meanwhile, Knight the Poet and Classik are both outside with their wives/girlfriends and Classik is stating that he knows he lost and that when the footage comes out it will be clear. Interesting….Oh if the judges knew these things. 


Bam- DECISION IN! 


Classik Advances.  The judges favored the high energy of Classik which is fair if you were in the room. He definitely wanted it bad and gave everything he had. I def respect that. 




During the Intermission: Young Herb is barking bad at Naycha The Grate saying he’d smoke Naycha. Naycha lays down and pretends to fall asleep while Herb talks. It’s High comedy to me yo. Meanwhile, where did the cute bartender go…


Second Round starts: 
1st BATTLE OF SEMI FINALS


Classik vs Beanz


Classik opens up with the same energy. I bet bro drank 9 red bulls on the way down here. Dude is amped yo. He opens with a dope Lion King scheme, “Scar to kill a king, then meet Simba” continues to a “that won’t last long: Penny Hardaway knees.” Dude is a writer. I dig the wordplay of his “Close your eyes, bow ya head-now we gone pray/Naw bow ya heads, now we Got PREY!” That was fire. He keeps his energy up the whole round and finishes strong. That was dope. 


Beanz in the bottom of one.


Beanz is controlled, “A lot of battlers like you…all energy/no substance reference” Yo, Beanz talking and cuts the ring off. Beanz is strategic. “Stage the crowd/ Give a fake a round” Beanz is cooking. Turns up and matches Classik energy the raspy pitch of Beanz inflection on his punches is setting up the hit. 4 sing like I’m a natural prophet, came to try to replace a bull to find out you replaceble. Dude just rapid fired 6 bull name flips. That was sick. 


He is focusing the crowd to focus on the bars and not the antics. I really would have liked to see Beanz vs Knight. I think that would have been crazy bar fest. Somebody set that up…


I edged Beanz. 


Beanz advances to the Championship.


2nd BATTLE of SEMI FINALS


Young Herb (West Memphis- LCK) vs Naycha


Young Herb opens with you beat my guy Bo and it’s second round so…you know what I still think you suck and that’s the tone. Young Herb is hella disrespectful. I mean just throw the boy mama and the kitchen sink at him. Yikes. Herb is cooking-Like cooking cooking Emerill Bam cooking-getting crazy reactions. “He going down easy: Baby food.” Herb dropped a 2k bar with the Harden two step hesy hop. “I’m like Black. I’m smacking him and he won’t make the Newz.” Dope freestyle. Shout out to Bad Newz. I was looking forward to that SuperBlack Bad Newz match but transportation fell through. Not on Newz - Not on Bull Pen. Just an unfortunate situation where transportation was delayed. Herb is showing all the evidence of growth: Stage presence, Energy, Crowd Control, and his usual cocky arrogance. It’s working tonight. Herb finishes and was talking wreckless to Naycha.


Naycha fights back. Opens with a room rocker that rocks the room in the first bar with a Smith and Wesson bar that was fire. After that it was pretty much a wash. Naycha had dope material but it all fell pretty flat after Young Herb lit the crowd. 


Young Herb advances to the Championship.




FINALS.  Last Battle. Boss fight.


Young Herb has been in big fights. PG’s. DNA. Had massive opportunities but never cashed in.


King Beanz has been in big fights and huge moments. 


The opportunity for one of these battlers to take a much needed next step and class up in competition is dramatic. Honestly, after a very public divorce from IMBL with Young Herb and someone he looked at as a mentor in AC Dutch it may be now or never to reinvigorate his career to shake the label of…he almost.


This fight was everything. Both were clean and heavily prepared. Props to King Beanz. He had to fight three very different opponents who all brought material that he had to counter and showcased three solid rounds and performances; however, tonight was about Young Herb. In the big moment, Young Herb delivered two absolute stunners of performances. 


The Judges unanimously picked Young Herb stating that the way he absolutely controlled the battle, his confidence/ borderline arrogance, him receiving the biggest responses, and how he played on the crowd with a call and response was dope. He showcased a growth and understanding of how to play to the crowd which was well played. Tonight Young Herb grew up. The crowd knew. The battlers knew. He knew that tonight he was the Undisputed Champion and Next Top Bull. He reps Zucru and LCK and it’s his time. At this event, Young Herb shook the ghosts and buried a few opponents. 


YOUNG HERB: NEXT TOP BULL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

Shout-Out to SUPERBLACK for the hospitality and John John Da Don. John John is so humble and cool. It is dope to meet people you respect their craft to see that they are good people. 


​

I went to Nasa and Big Pep’s inaugural event and was impressed. The professionalism, starting promptly, running a tight show that ended in a good time, professional security, and great drinks made me excited for what was to come. My hope was that the second event would be equal. What I did not know was that it would be one of my favorite battle events in the past 8 years of blogging. I am glad that two major mags reached out and paid my cost to travel down to West Memphis, Arkansas. This was by far the most electric atmosphere I can remember around the Mid-South area in some time. 


LCK is an upstart league in a very small town of West Memphis, Arkansas who on their premiere event had URL Stars: Geechi Gotti, Danny Meyers, and up comers Don Marino and Chip Gambino. Also, KOTD West up and comer Knight The Poet battled on the first card. The story went viral in blogging communities for a short narrative about the heart of local battle rappers holding their own in compelling matches vs. national stars -battling in a small town and giving great performances and how this writer was affected by seeing the raw beauty of what hip hop used to be: showcasing skill, heart, grit, and the love of the words. 


The beauty is in the owners Pep and Nasa. They could have took it to venues in Memphis which is 7 minutes away but they chose to build a quality product that could bring much needed revenue to their town that has struggled with crime, poverty and a lack of events due to bad media reviews. The first thing I want to talk about is SAFETY. I felt at home. The security was present, polite and well trained. They engaged when needed but never threatened or did “too much”. They walked ladies to cars and made sure everyone was screened. Ironic, there was no need. The night was a night of friends partying and combatting verbally. There were no incidents or even threats. K-Wine is so professional hosting and Bankroll was in the building hype as ever. 


Why did I even speak on it? Because too often we do not just take notice of what makes a dope event dope! …and yes, the ladies that were in the building were lovely. Now let’s get to these bars! YIKES! Bar heavy. Bar heavy. Bar heavy fun event. It was bananas. Now let’s get to this recap:


Battle 1: 


Key Da General vs Kirk James


Key Da General won the coin toss. Bro came out with a history lesson of sorts. He had a couple of bars but nothing really lands. His voice projection was off and I could clearly hear the crowd asking “What did he say?” 


Kirk James…Kirk James is a wild boy. So off the rip, he is a white battle rapper which is becoming more common but in this world and South Battle Rappers of non-color have to be special to make a name. Honestly- he pulled a few stunts pulling undergarments out but he flipped a race bar: “Haven’t seen a white boy run like this since Forrest Gump.” Bro had comedy angles, worked the stage and ended on a haymaker of a “turn into a skeleton key” name flip. Kirk up 1-0 off stage presence alone


Key setups up a string of multis- jabs a Luca Brasi bar that hits cuts 2nd round. Both 1st and 2nd round felt short. Running like 45 secs of the 60. And sounds more like mix tape bars with an alternating attempt at a heavy punch at the end. 


Kirk- Setups up a You can borrow my phone to call her scheme…says Key’s girl is under Thunder thighs. Crowd goes nuts. Kirk is cooking but gets time called. Makes you think he had one more haymaker. He wasn’t happy at the time call but I dig it. Keeping material and content fair. Hate seeing dudes get 2 minute rounds if it’s a pure 60.  Naw, cat- I wanna see you work the 60. Use the bullets to knock off what’s needed in 60.


Kirk edges the 2nd.


It’s looking bad for Key. 


Top of 3- 

Key takes off yo. Just spazzes. Hits with a star trek cast Kirk name flip connected to a jab. Boy is cooking like 4 star restaurant take the main chick cooking. Now I am mad, where was this Key the first two rounds? 


Kirk hits with a white boy back just a little more seasoning bar that flips the crowd but fades. Ends 3rd round early… 
Key takes the 3rd easy. But it is too late. 


Honestly, this battle won’t have much replay value. 


Kirk edges 2-1 off of charisma or default how ever you want to look at it. 




Battle 2: Superstar Moe vs Baby James
Yo- The hosts announce that the Winner gets KOTD GZ battle- Pressure


Round 1


Moe comes out blazing. First impression of Moe is….drumroll Moe is dope. Voice control. Presence. In Ba by James grill. Moe is not playing. He has this raspy gangster-don’t talk to me- bad things happen-daily struggle voice with a dope projection. He definitely shows the difference of levels from the first battle.


Moe drops a “BEAT YOU till everything broke up like pringles.” He built an interesting set-up but the payoff bars aren’t holding up for the 4 bar setups. 


Crowd is dead. Did the out of towners not get the memo? You have to impress and bar dudes life away in this region. Nothing is given. Everything is earned around Memphis and West Memphis is no difference. 


Ok…Yikes. I guess Moe did get the memo he flipped a KD incident reference into a DV charge to get a good crowd reaction. Bro starting to warm up. Punches coming quicker. I dig his style. Moe can flat out rap, yo. He mixes his style up with shorter punches and started connecting. Ended on a haymaker… “Baby…Hold whatever the semi lack (similac).” Yoooooooo that was fire my guy. Fire.


Baby James bottom of 1. 


Crowd catches his slogan out the gate.
Uh-oh. 


People, I just want to say that it was at this moment-when Moe must have known that it was going to be a looooooooooooong night. Baby James comes out the gate with a haymaker that connects. Crazy crowd reaction. Multis snapping. Another reaction off a Barry Gordy bar-Wigging in the league…yikes…Back to back bars into a combo of  “Bird box from the looks of it- it’s suicide.” I counted 10 reactions in 25 lines. That’s crazy. 


I gotta see the footage to catch the rest it’s too many reactions. BJ left Earth. Even Moe side is nodding and reacting. Moe is nodding and knows. BJ hits with an massive uppercut “Last time we seen Moe with a bar was the Simpson”


YIKES!!! Baby James in over kill.
Crowd asks him to run it back. It’s overkill… “when the drama comes crazy-atheist be the prayingest.” Fire. Fire. Fire bar.


Baby James may have won it off the first. The first was bananas. Truly may be the best baby we’ve seen. This may be a long night for MOE.  


2nd round 


Moe- has an urgency in his eye. He spit a crazy “fire that I’m dragon round for you. bar” Bro is dope. Heavy metaphor and scheme work. Nice connections but crowd is sleeping. I’m catching alot of content bro is dope set up a rapper battle/ tension scheme “How many rounds go in a 44…push t and drake connect-tech 9 for baby.” The crowd caught it finally with a hella late reaction. It was such an intricate scheme that went clean over people heads. That was nice. Moe can rap rap. Like flat out rap rap. 
MOE pushing back-fighting lack of crowd reaction. “After you gone all we gone do is think of the Holes in ya house: Hugh Hefner.” He popping jab after heavy jab. Moe suffered from Bj first round set the tone. Moe rapped dope bars but couldn’t move the crowd. I wonder what would have happened if Moe could have went first. But thinking of BJ first round it wouldn’t have mattered.


BJ snaps right into the 2nd like a perfect fitted cap. “Seen people sleeping on me- I been a bed bug.” Just witty stuff man. Witty well written different angles with Every two rhymes connecting- Jab Hay maker jab jab haymaker- It’s like watching a young Ali the way he moving. “Baby in ya face like you aint hit puberty yet.” Jeesh, I think we are literally watching him evolve before our eyes. 


2-0 Baby James EASY. Running through a tough opponent. It is rather impressive.


3rd round


Moe- Had a 52 scheme but didn’t connect 30 seconds no reaction….Mo faded to me. He had great material but James rocking crowd so bad- I think bothered Moe and to me Moe is visibly shook. Moe’s style is like Bernard Hopkins. Great offense and defense but tonight he is in his shell taken damage. 


His energy is off. He is not as convincing as the 1st two rounds. Moe does end with a nasty pen game… “If I aerosol from an air a sol it’ll be from a chopper that’s an air assault.” Complexity. Moe’s pen game is nice yo. Moe pushed back in the 3rd round dope lines…


James came out in the bottom of the 3rd like a shark. “Fake Mankind getting a sock in the mouth.” James is Barking. “cheap shots like its happy hour…” Winner get a battle in Canada so I’m bout to be Jeffrey Dahmer so I’mma 
Bout to be eating off this body.” He ends with a “Periodt and I’m good with the punctuation.” No gas.  James just was different tonight. I see a star. He def had performance of the night. Moe was a dope battler and Baby James walked through him. 


James 3-0 -Body of a dynamic battler and was crazy. MOE is dope-Just ran into a buzz saw tonight and got smoked. 


Replay value is gone be high! Dope battle.




KD vs Switch


KD and Switch ended a long troll filled online battle with an exchange in the ring…finally. This battle was a long time coming. One round battle… unlimited. 


Switch starts round one with a recap of KD’s controversial battle where he gets jumped after talking about KD’s ex-girl.
Switch is def prepared and throwing a lot of material. I am normally a fan of Switch but tonight something is missing. He is pushing a lot of Multis that are not connecting-no major haymakers…rapping. He finally hits with one haymaker. Light crowd reaction. Switch rapping but just a few giggles with comedy angles. Finally talks about hitman setup… "Mixtape 16 sent you to afterlife. He calls out superblack says cut lights off all well see is teeth and gets his first real crowd reaction. He is having a lot of dry spots. He rapping but…the setups just aren’t paying off. 


Menu flip was nice… “he been at one two many menus…but fake personals not what men use.”


A lot of fat jokes and fat angles…


Finishes strong with a few punchlines that catch the crowd with a hook - “I got plenty of bars”


Really wish took some more creative angles and maybe flipped the round and started with the I got plenty of bars hook. 


KD comes out and 


Starts the crowd to catch his slogan…mimics switch last hook. 
KD breaks down why switch isn’t in his class then throws a hook. “Switch known to branch out for an ass whooping.” Two reactions in first 20 secs and it is clear that there are levels. Just different levels. KD cuts with a “your Girlfriend 3d and you one dimensional.” KD catching reactions early, “Bought 16 to court ended up on island/ Nothing but dope in my dirty laundry/Body switch like freaky Friday/Price you pay when you going dutch/
For being loyal to iron mouth and career didn’t go anywhere-anyway.”


KD is just linking bars, set ups and schemes. Drops a “Whole new meaning for putting pep in ya step.”


Breaking switch down bad…
“Brought 3-d to the ring but she the one putting bodies on the table” 3D didn’t like that. She approaches the stage mean mugging but stays professional. For a moment, thought KD was about to have to showcase his Jackie Chan blocking skills again. "Cherry doing all the work and ya’ll cant get the fruits of ya labor. Ya’ll walking with a switch.”


KD 1-0 EASY…It’s just different levels. 






Dallas Cash vs Bo the Great: 1 rd Unlimited 


Bo loses the coin flip and comes out first. Bo is dope. Lot of reactions early. “Taco Tuesday- people be screaming over those shells” Dope bar. Bo punching: 


“James Harden came back pointing with a different rocket-


With URL I be smacking n*ggas


Be missing before he leaving the venue


Find a line around the building for that chicken


Need a brain surgeon for barber”


It is literally punch after punch after punch. Dallas is nodding. Thinks he knows that he is in for a battle. 


Bo drops a line about “Dallas not being down this bad since Quincy Carter"
“Udonis Haslem that’s that the old heat/
Pow gives that cold heat/Find his body on a cold street”


Weird dude wanna be an Outkast. To me that bar is a classic. Just solid pen game and poise from Bo. Bo was dope tonight. No stumbles. Just a great performance.


Dallas Cash comes out the gate. I thought this was cash but he came out like Chef with three of them thangs. Cash went after Bo’s whole roudnd. Rebuttal- freestyle game is top notch- hits with a Hindu bar…Nice to connect with red dot -


Freestyled a bar off of Bo’s arizona diamond hat. Closed casket but an open case.


Bo names flips.


He is rhyming and snapping. Cash is working through a hostile crowd and getting respect. 


All of a sudden he barks and freestyles at Leo Bronze says he smashed his chick he the real bronze bomber. Dallas got zucru riled up and works through them trying to talk through his rounds. He controls crowd and claims that it’s his city. 


It’s one thing clear Dallas is a vet of stages. Nothing phased or threw him off his square. Dude is solid.


Cash ends on a freestyle all it takes is a baby to take out a superstar referencing Zucru member Baby James dismantling Moe earlier in the night. 


This is truly a preference battle. You could make an argument for either one winning 1-0 and I wouldn’t be mad at you. For me, I got Dallas Cash by a razor of a hair. 


After the battle Sidenote: Young Herb who stands bout 5’4 barking at Dallas Cash who stands bout 6’4 was visually hilarious. Herb claimed he’d smoke Cash. Cash retorted, “Who are you, again?” One of those LCK moments you legit just needed to see.




MAIN EVENT: So Severe vs Leo Bronze


So severe starts “Little dude kicking you in the leg think herb did it” Nice voice projection. So severe is nice nice. Like all white casket sharp nice. 


Dope bars…crowd slept on a lot of his early material but he got a huge reaction for “a lot of bars on Beale bar.”


I hate the crowd slept on his round. I really think footage will make this closer but for now if Leo shows up. This may get ugly. 


Leo


Leo-Leo- Leo.

Leo trying to prove he may be king of the block around these parts. Came out classic Leo. Punching like Mike Tyson punch out. Just right left right left. Leo charisma is on 12. “How much you get paid for this event? Nvm thats yo business but after the event I’mma put my nose in it.” Leo has a style where he phrases simple bars and words to emphasize and hit. I think that is the mark of a dope writer cause the crowd is catching alot.
Leo is steady but his voice is fading and he is sipping water. I hope he gets that aspect under control and learns how to breathe better when he raps. I’d hate to see him become another Chess and get to the big stage and start throwing up cause he is choking from air loss. Leo took a sip and what was in the water. Dude came out swinging. Even Dallas Cash reacts to his “Beam on top/be looking like a light house”
Leo cooked yo. After the battle, it was clear and even So Severe knew it. He tells Leo on stage- right after the battle that he is “ready ready.”


Leo punches and wins. Takes the win. Reactions every bar. Clear win over a tough and seasoned battler So Severe. 


Leo 1-0 in a fight.




MAIN EVENT:


SUPERBLACK VS. YELLA MANE


This battle was long awaited for various reasons. Superblack vs. Yella Mane. Yella Mane went viral over literally one of the dopest gun bars ever. People still reference it and hype it. He went to NY and got a PG did well but faded from the main stream eye. He became a father. His crew got into a public battle with the old Memphis league IMBL over footage, payment, worth, and lack of push. SoFi had a different vision and people started to question whether Yella even wanted to battle anymore.


Superblack has been on a meteoric rise. Battling out of Alabama while pushing through smaller leagues throughout the nation. He is now active in Bullpen and starting to become a national name. 


Both use heavy metaphors, scheme, and setups. 


…and here it is. Superblack vs Yella Mane




Yella came out the gate scheming….and flipping yikes
Breaking down black…"coinstar bar” hits. Nice reactions out the gate. Yella is deep in the bag. Yella is looking hella comfortable. Flips a complex set of: “Metamorphic-Metal morph a ssist…
Asset, Nasty flips…. Of metamorphosis”. He concludes with a dope scheme: 
“Letter change then she walk back…that’s wheel of fortune”


Yella is slick with a Black people meet bar connected to a Black ops 2. This is dope to see Yella Mane Yella Mane from NORRRRRRFFFF Memphis. This is that old Yella. 


Yella with a solid round….schemes and punches. Classic Yella displaying a dope pen and imagination. 


Superblack comes back with a cash money scheme that was nasty catches the reaction early. “End before it starts (starz). Netflix. And cable connect bars…” dope. Black is comfortable matching schemes with Yella. 
“Special k for the sides….it’ll be a Memphis massacre…” yikes. Black has done his homework. He definitely did not come to play.


Calls out Yella for who he put on after he reached his dream/Had to hold up his hardest scheme for the gun so big/
Circulating a lot of hot air from AC units/ AC IMBL flip/SOFI flips was sick. 
Black takes it. Control and energy. 


Complete mirror match but you could see the difference of someone battling at a high level consistently and someone taking time off and coming back. This was a great battle. The footage for both will hold up and so much lost in the room will connect. To me this is the best battle of the night because both battlers went absolutely nuts. 
I definitely want to see more of Yella Mane. 


As far as Super Black, It is time for another upgrade to bigger opponents and stages. I look forward to seeing if he can keep this momentum. He may be next. 


Tonight- Baby James had the best performance but SuperBlack showed that he was the best battler in the room tonight.


Black with the win in a one rounder. 1-0 Black. 




YP vs J. R. Jus Real


YP is in the building. J.R. No shows. Word is circulating through the building that J.R. wasn’t ready and knew he’d take the loss. Various sources confirm that as of two days ago no one had even heard a round. A lot of his crew BB are in the building: 5’9. OG Byg Gutta. Villain. And Steve in the building-With no JR. Very suspect…especially seeing that JR asked for the battle from Nasa. YP was paid and is in the building. YP is disappointed, pissed that he can’t get his bars off, and throwing his bars out in the parking lot. 


UPDATE: J.R. goes live literally as I am typing this blog. He owns that he wasn’t ready and admits that his pride kept him from calling Nasa or Pep that night. I respect that but hate when battlers duck. Just take the loss. People taking time out they life to memorize and come down just a bad look. J.R. ends his live with saying he’d battle YP on his turf in his home league. I’m interested to see if JR really want that smoke. Bullpen has a card where Knight the Poet, Young Herb, Bo the Great will be headed down with other Memphis rappers as support to battle in a Bullpen tournament. If he really want YP that would be a great space to really take that battle.




Last Thoughts:


LCK is definitely the hottest battle rap league in this region right now. They are bringing top notch talent and the word on the street is 2020 is Locked and Loaded to be even bigger names. Stay Tuned. Overall, LCK is URBAN APPROVED. Get Familiar or Get Forgot.


-Urban

​

Last night gas lit words were being used by local media to talk about a part of our city that has been neglected and intentionally forgotten. Frayser is less than 15 minutes away from downtown were economic growth is booming and shiny parks are being built on every corner. Meanwhile, Frayser is over policed, under funded, under resourced and has a significant lack of quality schools and community centers. Fresh produce is scarce. Poverty and blight are noticeable. Yet, the community has bonded to create some growth and family. Yesterday, a family of people bonded over the fatigue of trauma despite the current administration not hearing concerns for that community; instead, when Mayor Strickland was asked about the most important healing step, he replied, “the 35 officers in the hospital.” Meanwhile, we had Commissioner Tami Sawyer on the ground getting people tear gassed medical assistance. This is about that difference of the value of compassion, service, and love.
 
Yesterday, a young man, Brandon Webber was gunned down by US MARSHALLS. Facebook erupted in arguments over his innocence, lack of, gang themed videos, graduation photos and whether or not his life honestly- mattered. The lack of compassion that we can publicly stoop to just throw a human away so casually is sickening. At the end of the day a family is mourning, this if that, but that, should not culture does not take away that a young man was shot more than 16 times in his community. His community witnessed this and we have no right to tell them how to be appropriate in their sorrow.  I wonder how are we missing the deeper issues here? As much as this is about Brandon and a community, it is about the urban parts of Memphis being underserved. This is even more about communities being underserved and the distrust of a judicial system in Memphis, TN that has proven over the last few years that black bodies can be buried without consequence. 
 
 
The disproportionate rate that blacks are being killed in engagements with the police or government lead agencies is statistically been proven by various studies. There are a lot of resources to look at the numbers but it is clear that a heavy bias is towards blacks being arrested and in custody. This is about a pattern of police presence and standards to make sure that everyone has the same chance to be arrested to go to trial for their alleged offenses. This is about a lack of quality jobs in that area of Memphis that offer livable wages and an even less ability for transportation out of that area to go to jobs. This is about a community that has to fend off a landfill every 6 months because it has space and not enough advocates for quality of life. Frayser community had to fight just to have a new library built. The people of that area did that. Despite being neglected, they push forward and do the best they can but how fair is that? How fair is it to continue to ask a group of people to forgive, to pray, and to wish it better?
 
This is about justice. Justice that was not given to:

Darius Stewart who was driven behind a church in handcuffs and killed by police.
Davonte Weatherford who was shot in his back.
Abdoulaye Thiam who was a mentally ill 19 year old killed by police for supposedly rushing with a knife.
Martavious Banks who was shot multiple times in his back after police cut body cameras, car cameras, used unauthorized frequencies, followed, fired into an occupied space, and then refused to provide the community with an answer.
Terrance Carlton who was murdered by police while laying in a fetal position on the ground.

All of those cases resulted in the D.A., Memphis, and the broken system not pressing any charges against the officers. No jail time for the officers and now we have Brandon Webber. It is easy to play Facebook God and associate a value for a life but I question you this. What is the value for yours? What is the value of your children?
 
This is about racial, social, environmental, and economic justice that all combine to form a clear disparity in how blacks are treated when such situations arise. This is the sad truth. The sadder truth is that we may never know what truly happened to Brandon Webber because it is in the best interest of those that do know-to never truly say. The voice of the community and people that were on-site have already been silenced and pushed away deep into the shadows of Frayser and that is wrong. This is wrong and any that say otherwise- I question because Memphis: We Are Tired, Mane.

 “... in practice the standard for what constitutes rape is set not at the level of women's experience of violation but just above the level of coercion acceptable to men.” 
― Judith Lewis Herman
​
The Lifetime Channel exploits, again. Lifetime intentionally markets sensationalized storylines that feature the hurting, raped, destruction, and violence towards our black women and men for a dollar.  And what did we do?
We tuned in. 

I question you Lifetime. Is there a victim's fund? Are the young girls- now women receiving psychological help or counseling? After revealing significant trauma and the show ends, are there any after care plans in place for the victims?
 
I mean Lifetime, we are talking about young girls who have internalized degradation, humiliation, sexualized images of self worth, and trauma. We are talking about a black woman baring burdens of ridicule, jokes and memes with #SheTooUglyToBeRaped, #VhingRhamesSister. #MeToo has become joke fodder for people to poke at. Nothing about this is funny.

Rape is ugly. People are beautiful. There is nothing funny about degrading a women looks as justification for why she could not be raped. That is disgusting and I urge every man and woman to have just common decency and love. Honestly, everyone is beautiful in some way. 

People, we are talking about societal corrections of black men not being able to stand and say no brother you are wrong without being typecast: sellout.  We are talking about years of fathers not telling sons not to cross respected lines-that women are not possessions to be controlled. We are talking about a lifetime of girls being taught how not to be raped; instead of, telling our boys how not to rape.

...And we are frustrated, at the justice system that allows people of non-color: Charlie Sheen, Paul Walker and others to never feel the same wrath. We are frustrated that our heroes fall when it takes so much for us to rise. Yet, we should not be shocked. Karma and universal law states what is done in dark must be lit. Kelly had to fall. He was dark. We saw it. We knew it. We just stayed quiet-ashamed to admit that we had seen it occurring.

We stayed intentionally ignorant while uncles take daughters and cousins in back rooms. Underage girls brag about 7-15 year age gapped boyfriends. We listen to the stories of what was bought and encourage them to get more. We allow them to go on dates, to be picked up from school, driven home, and in our homes predators sit. Communities talking about-he is so respectful- as if a rapist are supposed to show their violence or their fangs.

We are defensive at being attacked for opinions. Rather wrong or disgusting...it is America and we can't pick and choose when we allow people to speak. 

Which brings me to my biggest point and maybe my only point after this sprawling essay of a lot and a little. We can't wait as Black folks to be JUST when it becomes popular opinion: to resist.
 
This behavior of R. Kelly and other stars was provided, helped, and nurtured by parents, fans, greed, people serving their own self-interests, and some of the young ladies who were trained to get more.
 
Beyond all there is one absolute. R.Kelly is a troubled, dangerous, predator who symbolized the classic abused becoming abuser tale. It is sad. It is vile. R. Kelly is wrong. The victims are hurt.
 
 It is not the victim's fault. Stop victim shaming. 
 
It is R. KELLY'S  fault and the worse part is: We knew. We ignored his demons to buy concert tickets, music, and sell-out parties. We ignored the uncle in the next room sliding hands and sitting girls on laps. We ignored what was ugly while trying to say that it was genius, beautiful, and not repulsively disgusting behavior. 

It is time we stop letting Lifetime choose who we will love and hate. It is time for us Black folks to decide that we will do more than just become the Amen corner while the show is on. It is time to resist the darkness of this world all the time. We can't just be just and righteous when it's popular to do so.

As always: Live, Learn and Love. I love ya'll.
- Urban Thoughts