LUPE FIASCO - FOOD & LIQUOR II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1

After clashes with his record label, Atlantic Records, claims of retirement from the music industry, and release of the mediocre pop-like 2011 'Lasers' album, 'Food & Liquor II' marks Lupe's dramatic comeback.

Ayesha, Lupe's sister, opens the album with a hectic juxtaposition of imagery through the poem ' Ayesha says'. The poem practically serves as the summary of the whole album. It sets a serious and gloomy atmosphere and presents the subject matters that the Chicago native touches on in his verses.

"I know you're saying, 'Lupe rappin' 'bout the same shit', well, that's 'cause aint shit changed, bitch...", raps Lupe at the beginning of the second verse of the third track, 'ITAL (Roses)'. Yes, he does rap about politics, and he still expresses denunciation of the American political system, and that he will not vote. Whether you agree with him or not, he has always had strong opinions on societal issues. He has always been a controversial figure, be it in his lyrics, interviews, him calling Obama a terrorist, boycotting media etc.

If you are conservative and naive, you won't like this album. But, if you are open to new thinking, conscious about your surroundings, and ready to accept the flaws of our society, you will certainly appreciate the work that Lupe Fiasco put in, and you will get his point of view.

Through this album, one could easily tell that the 30 year old rapper is a voice of rebellion. He touches on deep topics such as slavery. "...there was nothing equal for my people in your math, you forced us in the ghetto and then took our dads", he expresses his anger on the Soundtrakk produced song 'Strange Fruition'. I think it is an unnecessary track, though,  because slavery is a subject as old as time - people must be able to forget, reconcile and move on. There is no need for opening old wounds.

The 30 year old rapper shows displeasure of the hip hop culture through profound condemnation of the use the word 'bitch' in most of the hip hop songs. While his peers endorse the lavish lifestyle, Lupe attacks materialism and all these images portrayed by the hip hop industry. Ironic, isn't it? Racial prejudice, religion and sexism are some of the subjects touched on in this 17 track album. Tracks to look out for are 'Bitch Bad', 'ITAL, (Roses)', 'Lamborghini Angels' , 'Put Em Up', 'Brave Heart' and 'Cold War'

In a nutshell, Lupe gives us a provocative and insightful album through his clever lyrics.

Side Chicks

To abuse a cliche: Sharing is caring. This has given rise to side chicks. I'm not saying the side chick trend is a new thing; it has long been there. The only new thing is the coining of the name "side chick". Side chicks also have other names like the mistress, side bitch etc.

A side chick is the chick or woman a man has on the side, and she comes second to the main chick or the wife.

Some women settle for being side chicks because they want to drive away the main chick, and therefore mar a beautiful relationship, and some are simply attracted to the guy, despite the fact that he has another woman in his life. These two reasons are very much similar, with the former building up on the latter.  What it means is that chicks that are in it for the second reason, are the ones that are willing to to go an extra mile in terms of  doing all the nasty and dirty stuff that the main chick or wife does not or cannot do. They would desperately campaign to the guy with the intention of impelling the main chick off the throne. Another reason why women settle for the side chick level is because they simply want to have fun and pleasure.

Having a side chick can be either a good or terribly bad thing, depending on whose pair of glasses you view it from. To a guy who has a side chick, it obviously is a good thing, or at least a bad thing that feels good and right to do. Now, if you look at it from a one-woman-man or an outsider's point of view, it is nothing but a blatant and outright fancy trend of "cheating". From this standpoint, one may employ the moral values to the argument.

There are different categories and types of side chicks. For classification's sake, let us call them "coherent" and "incoherent". A coherent side chick is pretty much on par with the main chick. What makes these two similar is that they are both being lied to by the guy, and neither of them knows of the other. They are both 404. The side chick thinks she is the main chick, and the main chick does not know that to some extent she is a side chick. I really feel pity for females in such a position. In simple terms, the "main chick" may be so called merely because she was the first to date the guy, but to the guy's heart she is nothing but a side chick. When a coherent side chick and the main chick finally find out about each other, they both would cry foul because they feel cheated on. Dumb and inane women in such a situation would fight and accuse each other of stealing one's man. They are too blinded, and perhaps also obsessed with the guy to see that they have both been played like fools.

On the other hand, wiser women would handle the situation differently. They would acknowledge the fact that neither of them is better than the other and they have been both on the same boat that is being captained by an unfaithful man. They would therefore cooperate and sort the guy out.

Looking on the other type of side chicks, an incoherent side chick knows damn well that she is a side chick, and she unashamedly wears the title. She is well aware of the main chick or wife. An incoherent side chick is like home away from home. This is the type of side chick that jumps whenever the guy snaps his fingers (remember she either wants to impress the guy or outshine the main chick). She would even put up with all the crap from the guy, and she is usually there to emotionally and sexually support the guy - duh - that is practically the job description of the side chick post.

Having a side chick may all be fun, games and pleasure - but wait until she catches feelings. A side chick that develops deeper feelings is every guy's nightmare. The number one side chick rule is DO NOT CATCH FEELINGS. Shit hits the fan once she catches feelings. I mean, you can catch anything else but feelings - rather catch flue because it will disappear in one or two weeks. But, feelings gradually build up and they don't just varnish overnight. They just can't! Catching feelings is like breaching the contract. The contract being that when you sign up for being a side chick, it's like clicking on the "I Accept" box of the terms and conditions. To some extent, though, a guy may be responsible for the chick's catching of feelings. I mean, don't you dare say "I love you" to a side chick. Gee! You might as well wife her and dump your main chick.

That leads us to the following side chick rules.

1. No feelings shall be caught.
2. Why sleep with her without protection? Are you mad? Oh, you wanna impregnate a side chick now? Don't you also forget that HIV/AIDS and STD's are real. This shouldn't be even a rule at all. I put it on the list because there are careless and irresponsible palookas out there who take condoms for granted. 
3. Don't flirt with her openly on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. There are inboxes and DM's, use them!
4. Don't spend extravagantly on her. It's acceptable to buy her things, but if you start to spoil her like your main chick, you might as well make it official.
5. Dear side chick, February 14 is not meant for you. The day is meant for lovers not time-pushers. Don't expect to receive anything, and don't buy her anything.

Reasons why men have side chicks

1. The side chick may be simply more attractive than the main chick.
2. Lack of sex in the main relationship. Nobody can deny the fact that sex keeps the relationship alive, and it also resembles affection in the relationship. So, if there is bad or insufficient sex in the relationship, the guy may resort to the side chick.
3. Some guys are habitual and serial cheaters. It's in their genes to cheat. He may have the prettiest and most loving woman, but that won't stop him from getting a side chick (a side chick that is plain ugly, and nowhere close to the main chick in terms of beauty)
4. Trust issues. Trust is the glue that holds relationships together. If there is no trust, the guy is likely to find a side chick.
5. Lack of love. If he does't love you, the probability of him finding a side chick is 9/10.

Hello, Spring!

Let the new plants spring forth, blooming flowers' scent fill the air, the sun shine and beam unto our faces as we beam back, the rainbow decorate the blue skies. For crying out loud, how can you be blue? Even the birds of the air know it's Spring time, for I can hear them sing a happy song. Hello, Spring!

What needs to be reinforced is the idea of happiness, for Winter has gradually sauntered out and made way for the delightful Spring. Spring is the personification of 'bliss'.

Yes, there is nothing new about Spring, we have seen it before, and it only comes to pass. But, when was the last time you experienced a day when all the beautiful ladies show skin and assets, as if it were an ass and thigh parade? That is one of the reasons why I love this season. Yes, nature and atmosphere are beautiful, but our ladies tend to be even more beautiful and adorable.

It is time for the yellow bones to show off - let them show off their mellow and appealing skin. How attractive and picturesque they are! Go ahead, find yourself one that is gifted back and front, and you will have one pleasant Spring. I've been going on about yellow bones, but what's Spring without a variety? What's Spring without a mixture of colours? Now I'm talking about brownies. I mean there has to be diversity; it cannot be all yellow. They(brownies), too, are pleasing to the senses, and  appealing to the eye.
Most of the ladies are flocking up gyms because they need to get rid of that extra fat they gained during Winter. They need to look good and be easy on the eye, especially in those bikinis, miniskirts and shorts - way to go, ladies!, but by and large, it's all in the name of taking care of themselves. I mean, if you are gonna reveal and expose your body to the world, you have no choice but make it worth looking at and admirable. I don't know if I'm being too mean, but nobody wants to waste his/her time looking at something that isn't inviting and appealing.

To add on the beauty and essence of this wonderful season - it comes with it a lot of partying, people go out more often, some meet new people and make new friends, and also new couples 'spring' forth. Clubs and bars are always chock-a-flock full, beaches get saturated, and leisure parks see more and more people fill up. As Robin Williams famously remarked that Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!" I couldn't agree with him more.
 It is a bright and colourful season, I guess that is why people tend to wear so much garish colours. They take it as a way of complementing the season, but some overdo it, and it ends up looking as if they are competing with it instead. I'm not condemning being colourful , but if you will do it, you just have to be careful not to overdo it.

I can feel the euphoria already! If only everyday of the year was like this. Let's just wait and see what this Spring has in store for us. There cannot be any gainsaying that everybody, gay, straight, black or white, appreciates the brilliance of Spring. Hello, and welcome, Spring!

WHAT DOES DJ KHALED REALLY DO?

KISS THE RING

After seeing the title of of this article, it is probable that your subsequent words to yourself were,"of course he's a DJ, moron!". Yes, we might know that already because he has the 'DJ' title attached to his name. But that still does not answer the question, "what does DJ Khaled really do?"

All right, let's put a couple of things into perspective. The man is on his 6th album right now, six successful albums! The strange part of it all is that he does not rap, although in his latest album he has one or two bars to shine on, but that does not classify him as a rapper. So what does he really do?

After listening to his latest offering, 'Kiss The Ring', I exclaimed to myself, "wow! DJ Khaled has outdone himself yet again!", but I quickly asked myself, "what did he really do in this album? besides, of course, shouting 'deeeeeejay Khaled!'. He only 'co-produced' a mere 3 tracks. That means he did not produce them all by himself, he had other producers helping him out. So what does he really do?

Do not, even at once, get me wrong. I'm a big fan of his, ever since his first album, but I won't let my sentiments about him come in the way of this article. I just felt like I have to touch on this man's super strange career. I'm, however, compelled to give him props on this new 'Kiss The Ring' album. It's an excellent piece of work, I think every track is blazing. The album features everyone. By 'everyone', I mean every hottest artist at the moment...and it can also mean 'other', like the annoyingly animated 'Starships' singer - perhaps a wanna be singer.The album is raw and rough as if to immunize the listener with some antidote to some grimmer situations. Despite all that, the question still remains, what does DJ Khaled really do?

This is an apt question for a man who manages to get some of the best rappers the world has ever seen to work on his albums, yet it is unclear what he himself does. Kanye West, Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, T.I, to name but a few, are some of the featured artists that will make 'Kiss The Ring' a success. Khaled sure has the best of both worlds. But what does he really do?

Well, whatever it is that you do, Khaled, sure works for you. You must be clinking glass, celebrating.

FRIEND ZONE

For a guy, being friend-zoned is the worst thing that could ever happen to your sex game, pride and ego. it simply turns you into a girl's doormat and a mere douchbag. One good thing about this whole friend zone thing is that guys can friend zone chicks too, especially unattractive thirsty chicks. However, it is rare for a guy to friend zone a chick.

We just have to accept the fact that we men are weak and loose. We just cannot fight that natural sexual desire. That is why a man has two heads...when the lower head thinks, the upper head simply becomes useless. It just cannot function/think. It is hard to resist.

I won't dwell much on the definition of 'friend zone'. But in a nutshell and simple terms, it is when you want a sexual or romantic relationship with the other person, but unfortunately they see you as a friend, nothing beyond that. So you are everything but screwed !

Being friend-zoned is like torture. Once you are cast into the friend zone pit, I'm sorry but it's over for you!It means you will never hit the sheets with that lady, well, you may if you are lucky, but it will be one helluva mission. Once you are friend-zoned, there are two things you can subsequently do: Either move on or settle for being a friend. Yes, it's simple like that! Moving on may feel like a cowardice move and some form of giving up, and on the other hand, if you settle for friendship then you have to be prepared to see some smart ass guy that will come and sweep her off her feet and tap her!...and guess what...she will tell you about it, after all friendship is about opening up to each other, right?

My policy of avoiding being friend-zoned is: Show your intentions from the word 'go'. If you beat around the bushes you will become that nice guy, that overly nice, sweet and moist guy. That alone is enough to get you relegated to the friend zone league.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE FRIEND-ZONED IF:

• She tells you about other guys
• She tells you she's gonna hook you up with some girl
• She tells you she can talk to you about anything
• She says you are now like a brother to her...(that's more like family zone to me)