#MNR: 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW
 
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MAMA DOT
 
“When I cry, you cry. We cry – together.”
Lil Mo (Ja Rule)
 
“For some strange reason I foresee my outcome. Sort of like fate was foreseen by Malcolm.”
O.C.
 
365 days. 52 weeks. 12 months. And just like that, 2022 is nevermore.
 
DEARLY DEPARTED
 
BILL RUSSELL Reverend Doctor Calvin Butts SIDNEY POITIER Franco Harris DJ KAY SLAY (eastside) James Mtume MAX JULIEN (The Mack) Ramsey Lewis BERNARD WRIGHT (“Who Do You Love”) Queen Elizabeth II MIKHAIL GORBACHEV Jerry Lee Lewis TAKEOFF Kirstie Alley COOLIO Anne Heche GILBERT GOTTFRIED Olivia Newton-John 
JAMES CAAN Bob McGrath RAY LIOTTA Naomi Judd JESSE POWELL Earnie Shavers KEVIN SAMUELS Mary Alice DWAYNE HASKINS 
Michael Henderson LOUIE ANDERSON Meat Loaf ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY 
Taylor Hawkins CHARLES MCGEE (Tuskegee Airman, Red Tail) Betty Davis BOB SAGET Chelsie Kryst (Miss USA) NICHELLE NICHOLS (Star Trek) 
Roderick “Pooh” Clark (Hi-5) MADELEINE ALBRIGHT Shinzo Abe
JOHNNY BROWN (Bookman on Good Times) Irene Cara 
TONY DOW (Wally Cleaver) Issey Miyake PAUL SORVINO Kenneth Starr 
SCOTT RAZOR RAMON HALL Estelle Harris (Estelle Costanza)
VIN SKULLY Emilio Delgado (Sesame Street) CHARLEY TAYLOR 
Andrew Woolfolk (EW&F) CLARENCE GILYARD Tony Sirico JOYCE SIMS 
Michael Henderson PHARAOH SANDERS Ivana Trump LORETTA LYNN Leslie Jordan CEDRIC MCMILLAN Dr. Ronel Cook (EPSD)
BARBARA WALTERS PnB Rock TROUBLE
 
If you notice a name is missing from the list, ask yourself one simple question. Did you actually think I was going to list every MF who died in 2022? FOH.
 
The year 2022 was full of memories, with perhaps its most enduring memory/bookmark being the end of COVID restrictions in the United States. On 6.12, Sleepy Joe lifted the federal requirement that all travelers test negative for coronavirus before flying to the U.S. The mandate for masking on airplanes and public transit was struck down on 4.18. Most local jurisdictions and places of business ended their mandates a couple months prior. AMERICA WAS OFFICIALLY BACK OUTSIDE, RIP COVID. Not so fast...
 
As of 12.14, the United States saw its 1,000,000th COVID-related fatality since the beginning of the pandemic. Almost 6.8 million have perished worldwide.
 
TOP HEADLINES OF 2022 (not ranked or in chronological order)
 
WHITE MEN STIFLE WOMEN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE
CRYPTOCURRENCY HITS CRYPTIC ROCK BOTTOM
INFLATION SUCKS ASS – I don’t need to give numbers; your pockets know better than I do.
BRITTNEY GRINER RETURNS HOME
THE MYTH OF THE REPUBLICAN RED WAVE – the wave amounted to a slim majority in the House and a net loss of one Senate seat. Their math wasn’t mathing.
MUSK PURCHASES TWITTER, ACTIVELY DESTROYING TWITTER
MESSI & ARGENTINA WIN WORLD CUP (GOAT shit)
RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE
8 BILLIONTH PERSON BORN
RECESSION? – Is it already here or is it on the way?
45 PILFERS & REPEATEDLY LIES ABOUT CLASSIFIED DOCS; CASUALLY STORES THEM AT MAR A LAGO – a bit wordy for an actual headline but dead-on accurate
600+ MASS SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA IN 2022
THE QUEEN HAS PERISHED (not my queen)
YE MAY BE SNIFFING YAY (wake up Mr. West!)
 
TOP OF THE TOP
 
Top Gun: Maverick was the top grossing movie (IMDb)
Bad Bunny Un Verano Sin Ti was the world’s top selling album (Soundscan)
Drake Certified Lover Boy was the top selling rap album (Soundscan)
“Better Call Saul” was the top ranked TV show (IMDb)
“Stranger Things” was the top ranked streaming series (IMDb)
“House of the Dragon” was the top ranked cable series (IMDb)
Wordle was the top Google Search (trends.google.com)
TikTok Mashup was the top US YouTube Search; Ukraine was the world’s top YouTube Search (semrush.com)
 
CHAMPIONS (college & pro)
 
GEORGIA & LA RAMS (football)
KANSAS & SOUTH CAROLINA (ladies); GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS & LAS VEGAS ACES (basketball)
OLE MISS & HOUSTON ASTROS; OKLAHOMA (baseball, softball)
DENVER & OHIO STATE (ladies); COLORADO AVALANCHE (hockey)
JOEY LOGANO (NASCAR)
SYRACUSE & UCLA (ladies); MANCHESTER CITY - Premier League; 
REAL MADRID Champions League (soccer)
 
TOP 5 BATTLE RAPPERS OF 2022 (personal ranking, in order)
 
SWAMP (Champion of the Year)
SHOTGUN SUGE
BILL COLLECTOR
JAZ THE RAPPER
DANNY MYERS
 
LONG LIVE PAT STAY
 
REFLECTIONS
 
2022 wasn’t anything special to me, candidly speaking. It was type regular; truth be told. And by regular, I mean we didn’t see anything new under the sun. We’re now approaching two years in the shadow of COVID-19. Mask wearers (me) are in the extreme minority; you see that in almost every facet of life outside of healthcare. I have no problem with it. It’s a personal choice. Vaccines continue to be superfluous. Dems were forced to eat crow because the efficacy of vaccines against newer strands and the uncertainty of long-term effects have been prone to debate, while many have chosen to [pretty much] ignore the pandemic. R’s continue to be largely ignorant in their COVID messaging, but they’ve managed to parlay civilian COVID frustration into a certain level of skepticism which they’ve used to build dissent. Numbers will continue to surge at certain points in the calendar, but for the most part, COVID is DEAD. [Let them tell it.]
 
Inflation continued to surge throughout 2022, with its effects being felt in grocery carts, at the pump and in the real estate market, to name a few areas. On a lighter side note, supply chains have improved, enough that I was able to cop a PS5 for retail (yee). We are now far removed from limited capacities in public venues (from grocery stores to the NBA Bubble), social distancing and there hasn’t been a shortage of Lysol wipes in two summers. For the uncouth, please understand that inflation is a global issue, and America isn’t even in the Top 15 on the list. So don’t blame inflation on Sleepy Joe this time.
 
Speaking of inflation...Russia’s war with Ukraine has had a significant impact on the global economy. Its impact on the global oil market and affiliations with the Saudis and China continue to make Russia a stone in America’s Birkenstocks. But back to the war...yeah, they’re off into it. America continues to send money and arms to Zelensky in the name of freedom. Russia is ruthless and Ukraine is relentless. We’ll see what happens in 2023.
 
MAGAt (the movement itself and its influence) continues to pollute the Republican party and American politics. Their master has more cases than Big Noyd in 1995 (IYKYK). The failures of most of his idiotic candidates (anyone seen Hershey Walker?) led to a historically underwhelming midterm election. And to top it all off...THOSE MFs overturned Roe v. Wade. One [in America] shouldn’t dwell in personal sentiment versus national consensus because that’s not how a democracy works. A woman’s choice is her choice; this was the precedent for half a century. But it is what it is.
 
tRump will certainly kill the Republican party in a slow burn that will culminate in Dems keeping the White House and reclaiming both halves of Congress. I don’t think Sleepy Joe will run again, even if he says he will. But back to Cheesy. He still has a spell over enough voters to kill Ron D. at the ballot. The debacle of ’24 will for the most part be the death of the Grand Old Party as we know it.
 
Back to Sleepy Joe...thanks for the service but bow out gracefully. But if he does decide to run for reelection, the Dems should primary him. Gavin Newsome (governor of California) fits the bill, but in a fair world, Pete Buttigieg should be the next president. If the Justice Department deals with Cheesy in quick fashion there’s a fair chance Sleepy Joe could lose to DeSantis, and that’s even if 45 sabotages the Republican ticket. It’s unlikely because tRump still maintains a considerable faithful voting bloc, enough to doom DeSantis if Cheesy runs on a third-party ticket. But Sleepy’s popularity AMONGST HIS OWN could doom him in a showdown against the Swamp Thing from Florida. Y’all may want to seriously consider taking Biden to primary. We shall see.
 
Kevin McCarthy...you’re a true lightweight. You’re heartless and lack integrity. I haven’t a shred of respect for you. Neither do your colleagues. Good luck on winning that Speaker’s gavel.
 
Wokeism. Black Lives Matter. Critical Race Theory. I despise all three terms. Woke, by new school definition, is necessary in any society. Black lives ABSOLUTELY DO MATTER. BLM was never a foundation to most of us; it was a movement. I hate the fact that misappropriated funds overshadow a righteous cause. Fuck that felonious bitch and her excuses. That’s not what we’re about. And as far as CRT...for the last time, it isn’t taught IN ANY K-12 SCHOOL IN AMERICA. IT IS A COLLEGIATE COURSE. A VALID COURSE. That’s that.
 
It's as simple and plain as this, so radical left please listen up. A person is free to say whatever the fuck they feel, as long as it doesn’t infringe upon the rights of another individual. You can’t cry because their rhetoric doesn’t fit your narrative. Fuck Cancel Culture. Ignore. Return fire (verbal and/or otherwise if need be). Knuckle up. Sue, if necessary (civilians only). But stop being so fucking sensitive. A MF can’t even enjoy a comedy special without the next MF catching feelings.
 
I am still pro 2A. I’m still open carry. I believe that there should be certain measures of gun control.  End of story.
 
STOP SNITCHING. FREE THE REAL.
 
In addition to Takeoff, several rappers were slain in 2022. I’m done keeping tabs. RIP to the fallen.
 
Social media insanity and clout chasing continue to stifle Black culture. Our kids (juvenile AND adult) are addicted to TikTok. “Doing it for the Gram” continues to lead to self-degradation, self-hatred, self-snitching and unnecessary envy. Twitter has devolved into a market for racism, xenophobia, ignorance and division. Social media has become an alternate reality for many; it is their needed form of escapism. To quote the GOAT, “It’s ugly outside.”
 
FUCK A METAVERSE. THE BASE OF THE WORD IS META. I DON’T DO META. FUCK YOU, MARK.
 
Speaking of GOATs...Nas and Hitboy struck oil for a fourth time with Kings Disease III. Beyonce released Renaissance, her first studio album in over six years. I’m pleased to report that Queen Bey’s soul is still intact. It’s a beautiful thing to have seen the king and queen reclaim their thrones in 2022.
 
I pray for a healthy and lucrative 2023 for all readers. Thank you for your support. We’re not going anywhere. UnB will continue to be your go-to for weekly insight and amazing apparel. Cheers.
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG

#MNR: (YULETIDE) WHITE LINES



“On December 25th I knew I wasn’t getting jack.”

Keith Murray



Alas, it is Christmas time again in the city. Ho, ho, ho to all. I hope you busters were nice this year. After all, Black Santa only brings gifts to those who were nice. And if you were naughty, fuck it. You prolly knew since the ages of 6-8 that the idea of a fat ass white man sliding down a narrow ass chimney in a project or tenement apartment building wasn’t possible (or safe). All jokes aside, this is a time to be with family and loved ones. To all the lovers out there...hold your significant others close and cherish them. Appreciate what they mean to you and your happiness, and make sure they don’t go cheap on the Christmas gift(s). We don’t play that shit.



This is where I’d normally issue an apology for there being no blog the previous week, but there shall be none issued. There is a blog for last week, but I decided to shelf it. CEO and I pledge to refrain from putting a blog full of “mid” into the atmosphere. We don’t smoke regular weed and we don’t release regular blogs. Last week was a bit slow in the news cycle, aside from a couple of acts of snitching in the battle rap and rap worlds. We’re not going to give free promo to snitches. Having said that, FREE THE SLIME. I’m a say it again later, so don’t act like I'm being redundant.



JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON



Thank you, Lord, for the blessings of another holiday season and loved ones to enjoy the season with. I miss you, Shareon. This was your favorite time of the year, from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes on the stove on New Year’s Day. Having your pumpkin home for Christmas was always your favorite present, especially after I was a grown ass man navigating through young adulthood. Your absence is the only sad part of the season, but you’re firmly entrenched in my heart. You’re always with me. Merry Christmas in heaven, mom. Merry Christmas to the memories of all the loved ones no longer with us. They live on in spirit.



The rumor is that we may have a white Christmas in NY metro. I can remember like two or three in my lifetime (which includes living in VA), but don’t trust my drug-infested memory. I’ve been getting high since the first Clinton administration, so my memory may not always be the most accurate. I’m just kidding. I have an elephant-like memory. White Christmases are rare. In my opinion, they’re only significant because of the song. It makes me no never mind what the conditions are on 12.25, as long as we’re all healthy and together.



One love to all the fathers behind penitentiary walls this holiday season. I know y’all wish you were home to enjoy the season with your families and children. I pray that you make the best of your circumstances and that you make it home to your families in short time. Stay solid.



FREE THE WAVE (BOTH MAX BIGAVEL AND TSUNAMI). FREE THE SLIME. FREE MY COUSIN ALBERT PEANUT BRADLEY. FREE MY NIGGA KEVIN NEWMAN. FREE MY SUN LOTTO. FREE MY PNC FRANKIE 5 ANGELS. FREE ALL MY FOLK BEHIND THOSE WALLS.



One love to all the orphans in orphanages and group homes around the world. This has to be the toughest time of the year. God loves you, and so do I. I pray that somehow you can find something to smile about this holiday season. I pray that you all make it through and out of the system and start your own families in time. I pray that you can break the vicious cycles that have adversely affected your young lives. Merry Christmas to you.



As General Hood Inspector, it’s my job to call out the most flagrant of folk this holiday season. My callouts have no prejudice; IDGAF who may be offended. If you made this list, you deserve to be on it, and I have a lump of coal for you. Let’s get it craccin’...



My first lumps of coal go to Shaq and Chuck Wagon Barkley. I still love and appreciate both of you brothers, but please do me one favor. Stop violating your fellow Black athletes with your TNT diatribes. We’ve had more than enough vitriol spewed at us the past 400 years or so. Please stop buck dancing, smiling and doing Satan’s work. Thank you.



Kanye, Yeezy, Ye... yeah. All three of youse step up and receive your shiny lump of holiday coal. It’s become apparent that you’ve lost your ever-loving mind. I wasn’t with the bigotry – at all. But honestly, I’ve been done since you put the red hat of fuckery on. But damn it, the absolute final straw was coming for Sister Rosa Parks, Dr. King and Brother Malcolm. I’m not going to waste time explaining how dumb you sound. Go get some help – or step in front of a moving city bus. There are too many young and impressionable minds who believe that you’re a valid and viable voice. You are not. I still love you as my brother in Blackness. Nevertheless, fuck off.



PS: We’ll always have “Flashing Lights.” Big ups to Dwele.



Lumps of coal to all the gaslighting, piece of shit pilgrims who use “wokeness” and Critical Race Theory to spread hatred toward Black folk, fear amongst uneducated white folk and stoke division amongst all races. Suck my dick. I have equal and opposite ferocity for that energy you impose on popular culture. Sadly, your true crime is indoctrinating innocent children with bigotry and xenophobia. There’s a special wing in West Hell waiting for you all. Ain’t no love for youse nightmare holders.



A big lump of Natalie Coal goes to Fox News and all the misinformation spreaders throughout the news media. I’m not campaigning for MSNBC (they are indeed my go-to outlet). I’m certainly not campaigning for CNN. Both are traditionally heavy left-leaning, although CNN has of late noticeably moved toward the middle and even crossed into the right at times. If it isn’t the 5 Ws and H, it isn’t news. Political commentary is something different. But there should never be any type of slant/editorializing of hard news. It’s scary when I think about the amount of influence these outlets have on the minds of Americans. It seems that few have the sagacity to discern what is and what isn’t. I do, and I’m going to call all youse out whenever I feel the need, MSNBC included (love you, Rachel).



Big ups and respect to Mariah Carey and her timeless rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” She has found a cheat code to go multiplatinum every year, and even parlayed her winnings into a televised Christmas special. You go, girl. I love you and salute all that you’ve ever done. You will always be my baby (IYKYK). You are the queen, but even you know that you have no wins when it comes to the GOAT Black Christmas song. For the 50th consecutive year, the reigning champion of Christmas tunes is The Temptations’ “Silent Night.” They are the forever champions. TO ALL MY READERS: play it all. It’s that time of year. CEO, the Unbearables Crew and I wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus... all that.



PS: If you are a Christmas caroller and you pull up, you better be singing at least three Black Christmas songs or I’m throwing snowballs at y’all. If it isn’t snowing, we’ve got some old pots and pans that need to go to slaughter. Upside your head seems to be a great resting place.



PS2: BE SURE TO TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR MY 2022 YEAR IN REVIEW.



tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG

crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG

#MNR: MINOLTA
 
“I pop a bottle. We’re not promised tomorrow. Showing love is the motto. Flicks in cowboy hats, strapped like desperados. (Gun fires) They [done] lit one out the chamber, no iron fired. In a vegetative state when that man China died.”
Nas
 
This week’s #MNR rap bars are courtesy of Nas’ first verse on “Thun” from the album King’s Disease III. The song is amazing. So is the album. My other favorite track is “Reminisce.” Hitboy (Nas’ exclusive producer for the last four projects) slowed down a portion of Mary J.’s “You Remind Me” for background vocals to accentuate a nostalgic, laid-back track. It just hits different. Other standout tracks include “Michael & Quincy,” “Recession Proof,” “Serious Interlude” and “WTF SMH.” The fourth time's a charm for Nas and Hitboy.
OFFICIAL TY MONDAY #MNR REVIEW (*INITIAL): 8.3/10.
 
*INITIAL – I reassess music in time, long after the initial hype and excitement have subsided. Being that Nas is my favorite, it’s the only way I can objectively assess his work.
 
Please forgive my tardiness. Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, BUT... I just copped Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS5, and I can’t stop playing in my precious bits of free time. Just so you know, I’m cheap when it comes to purchasing non-sports games, so I waited for the PlayStation Black Friday Sale to cop the game for $24.99. Yeah, I’m that type of Negro. Anyway, the game is fire AF. I harbored interest when the game first dropped a year or so ago, but there were too many stories about bugs and how they made fluid gameplay a shitshow. The news I received must’ve been accurate because the game makers did a pause and relaunch. It was apparently successful because I’m a quarter of the way through and haven’t run into any snags thus far. So... what’s CP2077 like? Imagine an open world with a map like a GTA5, but the city gives futuristic Tokyo/Times Square vibes. It’s in first-person, so your eyes are the entire screen, like COD. The shooting also resembles COD, with futuristic weapons like Perfect Dark. I don’t really play RPGs (role-playing games), so I don’t have a recent example of one, but I think the Legend of Zelda franchise suffices. The choices you make have immediate effects and potential consequences. The game is also like a GTA or Saints Row in its ability to offer side jobs for additional income. Fuck what you [might have] heard, CP2077 is fireworks.
OFFICIAL TY MONDAY #MNR REVIEW: 3/4 STARS.
           
I pray everyone had a blessed Turkey Day. Brandi cut a fool in the kitchen. Errything was hittin’ too. Won’t even any raggedy ass peas to talk crazy about (IYKYK). Ever since Shareon transcended, family affairs have been few and far between. I’m blessed to say that I have Brandi in my life. I love you, lady. Thank you for being my rock. Bigs up to Rhino, Riyel, Mama Tonya, B and LJ.
 
 
I KNOW I’M LATE ON THIS ONE (AND EVERYTHING ELSE) BUT IT DIDN’T FIT WITH THE LAST BLOG. I’M PLAYING CATCH UP. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
 
Hey 21 Savage...I respect your abilities. You can [in part] thank Jermaine Cole for the respect I have for your ability to hold a microphone down. Or maybe it was the sample on the track. “I love you...for so many reasons.” Whatever. Look, I respect the fact that you gave Nas his flowers for being an elite MC. That’s cool. But it does not negate the disrespect you spewed by calling him irrelevant. He may not be relevant to you, but I’m certain he would sellout a big venue faster than you. And by big venue I mean O2 or MSG. I ponder whether you’d be able to do the same without Drizzy on the bill. Nas has been successful for damn near 30 consecutive summers. You better hope your run is half as long. It’s cool though. I’m guessing your proclamation was inherently linked to Jay saving your blue blood ass from being deported back across the Atlantic. You’d probably be down on the scorecards in a pub fight somewhere in Brixton at this very moment if it weren’t for Sean Carter. Leave the god alone.
 
INSTANT UPDATE: “One Mic, One Gun” by Nas featuring 21 Savage is crazy!!! Boffum killed it. My prior vitriol toward 21 was mostly reaction based. I have a great deal of respect for him for putting the issue to rest by jumping on a Hitboy track with the god. No funny, he really did his numbers.
 
“I ain’t going against no legend, nigga, I’m trying to be next in line.”
21 Savage
 
SALUTE TO YOU. I FUX WITCHA.
 
Yeah, I know. And yeah, you’re right. I’m petty AF. Richard. Tom. Betty (shouts out to Tim’s mama). I’m gon always be petty when it comes to Nas/Jay. I’m loyal. Having said that, if you’re willing to overlook more than a decade of disparaging tweets and semi-hatred, so am I. I’m certain you would benefit from the services of 2NN, Mr. Carter. Holla at your folk. Business is never personal.
 
Big ups to JP, my barber of 24 years, for returning home earlier than anticipated from seeing Bri, Mack and the family down VA for Turkey Day. I was looking semi-homeless in the hairline. You are appreciated.
 
LIFE IS GOOD, EVEN WHEN IT AIN’T.
 
(Midnight Marauders Tour Guide voice): The NFL Crew, aka Niggas for Life, consists of six members: Nick, Erik, Donnell, Vinny (Roger), Brian and Ty.
 
If you’re familiar with Midnight Marauders, imagining the Tour Guide reading that should bring a smile to your face. LONG LIVE PHIFE DAWG.
 
Big ups and love infinite to my HCHS squad, the NFL clique. Nick, Eric, Vinny and Brian came up together in Cody area. Donnell and I lived in SoBo; we were NYC transplants. We all cliqued up around ’94 and we’ve been family ever since. We’re spread out, so there hasn’t been a reunion in forever; hopefully that will change shortly. We do have a group chat that we use semi-regular, which is a beautiful thing when you make it to our age. I got the opportunity to chop it up with my brother Nick this past week. We spoke for a couple of hours about all types of everything: love, family, mistakes, redemption, life. Nick is a blessed man with a lot of wisdom for the youth. He lived a life that a lot of y’all fantasize about, and he made it through. And damn it, he’s got one heaven of a testimony for all street niggas. The fellowship was blessed. I love the fact that we [at our age] are both able to enjoy and appreciate how precious life is. We’ve lost quite a few homies along the way, enough to make one ponder. But we’re still here, and we’re still thriving. I thank God for true friends like Nick. We are family. Here’s to family, blood and otherwise. Big ups to Halifax County, VA. #NFL.  
 
That’s all I have for this week. I’ll try to stick to the schedule (British pronunciation) and handle my handle in a timely manner next week. If I don’t – don’t worry about it; I’m not paid for my time (yet). Happy trails to you... until we meet again.
 
Ms. Julia Koch: if [somehow] you come across this blog, @ a brother on the blogs.
 
tymonday.com: @tymonday on Twitter & IG
crewunb.com: @crewunB on Twitter & @theunbearablescrew on IG