ThinkSoul25
lil’ wayne
I Wanna Go Back #7 | Seamus Haji Reminds Us Why We ♥ The Golden Era of Hip-Hop
You’d think that most DJs and producers who are world-renown for their works in a specific genre, such as Seamus Haji, would only listen to electronic music or house, but that isn’t always the case.
Most DJs and producers often have quite the eclectic taste in music, which is often the driving force of ultimate inspiration for their productions and mixes. So I wasn’t surprised when Seamus Haji released a nice mix called “I Wanna Go Back #7″ which takes us back to the days of hip-hop’s golden era.
You can exclusively hear the mix on mixcloud.com.
Click here to sit back and reminisce while listening to some of Seamus’ favorite oldschool hip-hop tracks. He’s got good taste. 
The mix is pretty good, and he starts off with one of my favorite tracks, “They Reminisce Over You.” Such a timeless track, and it makes me look at the hip-hop I hear on the radio and just shake my head. What the hell happened? How did we go from such methodical lyricism to songs that are made up of first-grader sentences. SMH.
P.S. This isn’t my first time expressing why I love oldschool hip-hop vs. this new radio shit music. Read my thoughts on a post I wrote called “Vintage Rhymes.”
The Black Dating “Crisis”
My, my, my…yet again the state of Black dating has hit the media circuits. Usually I prefer to avoid commenting on the media frenzy surrounding Black women and the epidemic facing them in finding potential mates, but I figure I’d speak my opinion. For those of you who may not read a lot of blogs written by Black women, then perhaps you are unaware of the controversial new book by Ralph Richard Banks called Is Marriage for White People?: How the African-American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone.
First off, that title is way too long. I’m sure he could have easily shortened it to “Ebony Needs Ivory,” since his book is blaming the state of singleness on Black women and their lack of desire to date outside of their race. Now I must confess and say I haven’t read the book at all, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading the heated arguments made by Black women on other sites and blogs. It also doesn’t mean that I don’t have an opinion on this situation that goes beyond his book. This issue has been around for quite some time, so it’s worth discussing. But I do intend on reading his book, it sounds interesting. A lot of women are upset that he would write a book and seemingly place blame on Black women for being single. He believes that many Black women are close-minded in their dating choices and need to date outside their race in order to find men that are of the same socioeconomic status.
I can understand why a lot of Black women are upset, but I also understand somewhat what this Dr. Bank’s guy is trying to say. Let’s just get one thing straight, I’m Black, but I’m not the “stereotypical” Black woman that is usually depicted. I’ve written blog posts in the past how many people within the Black community I have met have classified me as “uppity,” “acting white,” or simply “weird.” Some, but not all, of the Black men I have encountered usually end up being 
intimidated by my success and my level of education. Let’s pause there and discuss that briefly. I haven’t even graduated college yet, but to be 20 yrs old and a senior in college seems to scare off a lot of Black men I’ve met that may not be on the same socioeconomic level as me. You’d think it wouldn’t be a big deal, but a lot them are just shocked I’m doing so much with my life at a young age. What do they expect me to do? Be a stereotypical ghetto Black girl with baby daddy drama and no education? Nah, I think I’ll pass on that.
I’m not knocking anyone who does come from that lifestyle track, but that isn’t who I am. I’m extremely well educated, always have been and always will be. I don’t have kids, I haven’t seen all the “Black films” I’m apparently supposed to watch, and I’d rather listen to soulful house music instead of hip-hop. My past experiences in life have deemed me not a “catch” by a good amount of non-college educated Black men I meet, which is why I’ve never limited myself to just Black men. I actually can see where this Dr. Banks guy is coming from, but it doesn’t mean the way he phrased everything is right. Whenever anybody discusses they Black dating “crisis,” they must truly take into account the reality within the Black community.
A lot of Black men end up in prison, dead, or having a criminal past and not being able to be equally competitive in certain career tracks. It’s true we live in a society that is still subject to racial disparity, but some Black men really just need to stop playing the blame game and get it together. I know it’s difficult and Black men have always been a threat to White men in the workforce, but there are a lot of Black men that do have their stuff together and are legit. They hold distinguished degrees and are in positions of power in their respective fields. But usually the guys that are doing so well don’t have time for the negative attitude that some Black women portray, and these men tend not to be the most swag literate.
I personally prefer the intellectual, often geeky guy, over the swag literate guy who most likely can’t captivate my attention. One thing I detest the most is a high level of ignorance in a man. I absolutely am turned off by the guys that may be extremely attractive, but their conversation is ignorant. That goes beyond color for me. Any man of any race can be ignorant, so I’m not one to sit here and say all Black men are ignorant. But the major “crisis” in the Black dating pool comes when we start playing a major blame game and forget to take into account that some people or on different socioeconomic levels than others. Instead of bashing a man because he may not be able to hold an intellectual conversation or not well-educated, simply just shut-up and go mingle with men that are on your level.
I used to be one to complain about all the ignorant guys who would find me sexy and have this desire to know me, but the moment I actually began speaking about more than comedy and looks, they would lose interest and never call me again. It doesn’t too much bother me, because I also cut off men that are ignorant and just not worth my time. There is nothing wrong with realizing someone just isn’t on the same mental level as you and you guys don’t click. But so many Black men and women began bashing each other and playing the blame game, when in reality they need to just not trip over it and take people as they come if they want to. It’s ignorant to just limit yourself to one type of person based upon race, when in actuality it should be based upon personality and even ambition. When it comes to dating and the type of man I like, I don’t base it upon their skin color. I love all types of men as long as they are well-educated, culturally diverse, and fun to be around.
Anytime I’ve ever tried to get with someone from a different lifestyle experience, it never works out. I’ve had plenty of men tell me that the fact I’m well-educated and so successful at a young age is intimidating; they just can’t handle me and everything I’m doing. But that’s quite alright. I know that even in the midst of this Black dating “crisis,” they are still Black men and men of other races out there that are on the same intellectual and socioeconomic level as me. So instead of playing the blame game and complaining about the problem, I’d rather just enjoy being single and keep hope alive that things will change once I graduate and have a whole new network of interactions working in D.C. around working professionals. If you throw yourself in an environment immersed with a diverse amount of people that are on the same intellectual and socioeconomic level then you, then the dating “crisis” wouldn’t be an issue.
In the right environment and the right mindset, a lot of Black women would just be another beautiful Black woman with a Masters degree, not a threat to just “Black men.” Don’t limit yourself to one type of man, but don’t discount Black men either. There are a lot of “good” Black men out there that are well-educated, they just probably aren’t in the club jamming to Lil Wayne and Gucci. Black people are still getting married, they just aren’t in the mainstream stereotypical depictions of Blacks in the media. You will probably find the well-educated Black men in the engineering department or at a bar with their White friends being the token. Instead of chasing after the “thuggish” Black guy who you obviously know isn’t on your level, for that geeky token Black guy. Those guys are some of the coolest Black men out there, trust me, they are pretty awesome. Be calm and love a “geek” that is on your level, instead of going for a guy that you realistically have nothing in common with.
-ThinkSoul25
©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com
Deep Sugar: The Residents Keepin’ it Deep
Tall, short, skinny, big, black, brown, white, gay, straight, transgender, old, and young is what house is about. In a follow up to my introductory article, Deep Sugar: A Main Ingredient, I had the pleasure last night of attending the Paradox in Baltimore for the first time. I grew up in Baltimore County, Owings Mills/Pikesville to be exact, but I never really spent much time going out to clubs and I wasn’t old enough to get in the Dox. My brother on the other hand, had been going out to the Dox since he was 16 and brought forth such energy.
Watching him dance is an amazing experience. When he hears a house song that touches his spirit, he goes into his own zone and people form a circle around him. I love it! He grew up dancing in the clubs and took everything he learned and applied it to his professional career as a choreographer. When he goes dancing, he isn’t trying to battle people and people aren’t battling him. It’s all about the music and last night was all about the House that built jack. For those of you not accustomed to the “Dictionary of House”, jack is that feeling you get when the music is good and it moves your body. So you “jack your body”. It’s this uncontrollable and undeniable feeling that overwhelms your body and sends you into ecstasy.
Last night was an amazing night filled with non stop “jack your body”. It took us an hour drive to get to Baltimore, but we left around 10:30pm and got there about 11:50pm. Normally we don’t go out dancing so early, but we needed to get that $10 deal before midnight instead of paying $15 after midnight. Money is tight nowadays, but the house makes you forget all the bills. It wasn’t crowded at all when we walked in the Dox, yet we didn’t care. Jamile,Angie,Sam( my white brother), and I immediately took our spot in front of the dj booth and started dancing. It was impossible to ignore the deep sugar sounds of the pure house vibrating throughout the room. As it got a little more crowded (maybe ten people or so) Lisa Moody and Ultra Nate gave me a shout out. “Jasmine McGee is in the House!” It felt so cool, even though it wasn’t crowded, but to hear my name shouted out, I felt so special!
So of course we walked up to the deejay booth and met Ultra Nate and Lisa Moody. It was such an amazing experience. While most people want to meet Halle Berry, Tyra, Oprah, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Kanye, etc, I’ve always wanted to meet an influential person in the house scene. So meeting the legendary international dance sensation Ultra Nate and dj extraordinaire Lisa Moody was an experience of a lifetime to me. I have a lot of people on my house list to meet, including Crystal Waters, Dennis Ferrer, Osunlade, Kerri Chandler, Frankie Knuckles, and Barbara Tucker, but last night was definitely one of the best nights I’ve had dancing so far.
I honestly can’t tell you much about everything that happened last night, because I was so lost in the music and dancing all night. I remember this gay guy grabbed a trash can and was humping the life out of it, but it was okay because sometimes house makes you do off the wall things. It’s all about the music, it didn’t matter. I remember seeing some awesome vogueing and dancing from a cool guy named Jonathan B Knox. I’m not sure exactly what he does, maybe he’s a promoter of DeepSugar or something of that sort, but I do know he is friends with Ultra Nate and Lisa Moody, and he has such a vibrant spirit about him. House music is a music of love. I felt so much love last night dancing with my friends and family and hearing Lisa and Ultra Nate tell me how beautiful it was that someone as young as myself loves house and knows the history…man that touched my heart.
While everyone in middle school, hs, and college were busy knowing all the latest hip-hop and r&b songs, I was busy becoming a house dictionary. I would find songs, write them down, memorize the artists, and store them away in my brain. But there is so much house out there I don’t know about yet I’m progressively learning every day. I owe a lot of my passion for house to my brother Jamile. If it wasn’t for him giving this green Cd he burned with tracks from Cajmere on it, a cd which I still own and its about 6 years old, then I would have never been exposed to the classics of house.
The reason I love house so much is because it was always my own world I could escape into. One guys treat me like crap, when school stresses me out, when females end our friendships over petty drama, and when I’m left standing alone… I know that I’ve got the Lord by my side and house. In the words of house legend Carl Cox, “House is a Feeling. If you feel nothing, it isn’t house.” Deep Sugar and the resident djs Ultra Nate, Jerome Hicks, Lisa Moody, Thommy Davis, and Dj Soulgiver bring that statement to life. The residents at Deep Sugar know how to play a track and mix it into another track that moves parts of your body you never thought of moving. House will have you wailing your hands in the air and screaming a deep “yes”. What can I say? That is what house music is all about! So don’t be afraid to let the music entice you and make you “jack your body”.
Deep Sugar is becoming one of my favorite events in the Baltimore Night Club scene. It’s my monthly dose of house. If they had Deep Sugar more than once a month, I’d probably die from all the dancing. Deep Sugar…it’s that serious!
Shout out to Lisa Moody, Ultra Nate, Thommy Davis, Jerome Hicks, and Jonathan B Knox. You guys are truly what Deep Sugar is about and I hope to continue being that young house junkie that passes this knowledge and love onto those within my generation one by one.
Have a great week ahead everyone and remember “house is a feeling. if you feel nothing, it isn’t house.”
Peace
©Jasmine McGee
ThinkSoul25
Jack Your Body by Steve “Silk” Hurley
Related Articles
- Deep Sugar: A Main Ingredient for House (thinksoul25.com)
Hip-Hop with a Punk Rock Swagg
I was cleaning my room earlier today and happened to turn to MTV Jams. They were playing Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz “6’7”. Not going to lie, the beat on that song is kind of ill and I was definitely shaking my groove thang! I guess the video came out a few days ago and it was interesting how it started off like the scene in Inception in which Leonardo get’s dropped into the bathtub. Would have been better if the video actually explored the concept and not just have random images, yet of course the video wouldn’t be complete without the video vixens…smh. I may not listen to Lil Wayne on the regular and it comes to no surprise I’m not a huge fan of mainstream, but I will listen to it once in awhile if I feel like getting hyped.
Before the song went off I ran downstairs to get something to drink and when I came back up stairs this video was playing.I didn’t know the name of the artist but I loved his rock edge and his hip-hop flow. They made for a unique combination.So I couldn’t help but fall in love with P.O.S. This former punk rock musician has a nice flow! It’s such a shame that I haven’t heard of his music till earlier today, but thanks to MTV jams having an indie artist showcase 
I was able to see what P.O.S. is all about.
His punk rock past creates an impressive collection of hip-hop songs filled with honest material. His named apparently has different meanings, but while he was playing punk rock he became known as “Pissed Off Stef”, because his real name is Stefon Alexander. Like most acronyms, it holds various meanings and according to Stef it depends on the musical moment.
I’ve had the chance to check out a few of his songs and I’m loving what I’m hearing! Still mad at myself for discovering him so late in the game, but eh that’s how indie hip-hop is. Our society can become so mainstream that we miss out on the true gems and don’t get to fully experience them until later down the road.
P.O.S. is signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment, which is an independent record label from Minnesota, which is Stefon’s hometown. The artists signed to their label are legit! I thought I just found one amazing rapper today, but in the end ran across a collection of musical superiority.
Check out their website and some of their other artist. If your looking for that underground hip-hop sound infused with soul and a little punk rock edge….then P.O.S. and the other artist on Rhymesayers label are what you’ve been looking for.
©Jasmine McGee
ThinkSoul25
