#MNR: The Stoned Immaculate

#MNR: The Stoned Immaculate

“I wish it was a government plot. And not a nigga from the same block that walked down on my homie and gave him them shots.”

“Lying to them other guys but keeping it sincere with me. At least that’s what she wished that I believed.”

“Obstacles are optical illusions; we don’t really see ‘em. I done moved mountains through this music. I done bought houses and new coupes with it.”

“Can’t blame me, bro it’s all in the game. 24 hours in a day, we all have the same. You chose to sit on your ass, I chose to do my thing.”

“Straight chillin’ like how 8Ball and MJG would be in they pictures.”

Curren$y Spitta

If you haven’t figured it out from the quotes, this blog shall begin with Curren$y appreciation. The New Orleans rap savant is one of my favorite artists of all time, although he is relatively unknown to many alleged hip hop heads. The man has released 26 studio albums and scores of mixtapes. To my knowledge, he is the only artist to have been signed to both No Limit and Cash Money Records. He owns his own imprint, Jet Life Records. He has been the standard for feel- good music in a time where violence on wax remains supreme, which is exactly what I needed when I found my way to his catalog a decade ago. What began with downloading a single track (“Skyborne” off the first Pilot Talk) has led to a decade of fulfillment as a listener. He continues to release material at an accelerated rate, having just dropped the highly anticipated Pilot Talk IV on Christmas Eve. June 5 will mark the ten-year anniversary of his epic album The Stoned Immaculate, which contains my favorite Spitta song, the classic “Chandelier.” Fat J’s, fly cars, and good living. Thanks for all the great material, Spitta. I’m a fan for life.

We apologize for the absence of last week’s blog, but I tend to take it easy on MLK Day. We don’t need my words on his day. Reflection and appreciation are paramount on that day. I’m thankful for Dr. King and all he did for mankind. What has always captivated my imagination is the fact that he could have just played it cool, waited for his dad to retire, and enjoyed a quiet and comfortable life as pastor of a successful Baptist church. He didn’t need all the stress, jailing, threats, and eventual assassination. But he sacrificed. He sacrificed for us. He sacrificed his life for us. I’m eternally thankful.

Today is the first day my school district has been in-person in 2.5 weeks. That is all (emoji with the blank facial expression).

Donald tRump’s legal woes intensified 300% last week, as the walls appear to [finally] be closing in. The Supreme Court voted overwhelmingly to release 700+ documents from the National Archives into the waiting hands of the 1.6 committee. These documents are likely to create a clearer vision of Cheesy’s involvement with the plot to overthrow the United States government on that infamous day. I remain fairly incredulous that they won’t be able to paint him into a corner for that day, as I don’t believe there is a “smoking gun” that will prove that the insurrection was given implicit orders from his lips to be set in motion. I could be wrong. There’s also the fake elector(s) drama, but we’re still waiting for formal action to be taken. The other two legal matters he’s facing could very well be his downfall, in my estimation. The Fulton County DA office has sought a special grand jury for the investigation and potential trial for his infamous call (in addition to the one by Lady G) to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger which aimed to pressure election officials over 2020 election results. I heard the call. Unless I’m missing something, it seems open-and-shut to me. 45 leaned on Raffensperger to flip over 11K votes in Fulton County from Sleepy Joe to Cheesy, allowing him to win the state and electoral votes. Finally, there’s Tish James, NY Attorney General, and her 115-page report concerning massive fraud with the Trump Organization. The report doesn’t make allegations; it presents findings, which seem to prove hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of fraud relating to the values of diverse tRump owned properties. James’ case is civil, but it is common knowledge that she is working in tandem with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, which is conducting a criminal investigation along similar lines. That case may fall under the RICO statute for criminal racketeering when all is said and done. As I stated, James’ findings reflect fact, not assumption. We’ve seen fat boy wiggle out of EVERY problem before, but this may be the banana peel that he slips and breaks his neck on. I’m not holding my breath, but discernment leads me to believe that he and his chirren are going to take it on the chin with this one. We shall see.

Last weekend may have been the best weekend in the history of the NFL. All four divisional playoff games were Game of the Year candidates. All four came down to the wire; three ended on kicks and the fourth (in natural order) ended with a touchdown in overtime. The Bengals kicked the festivities off Saturday evening with a last second victory over the Titans, number one seed in the AFC. The Niners followed with a shocking last second upset victory over likely league MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Green Bay, the top-seeded team in the NFC, as special teams dominated and won the game for the decided underdog. Sunday afternoon saw the defending champs lose at home, as the Rams defeated Tom Brady’s Bucs, but only after the Rams squandered a 24-point lead. Tom’s magic wasn’t enough, as Matt Stafford ultimately outdueled him in a game for the ages, that, like the two divisional playoff games before it, ended with a last second field goal. Just when I figured that the weekend couldn’t get any better, I was proven wrong by the primetime finale. The Chiefs saved home field with an epic overtime win over the underdog Bills in a game that saw 25 points scored in the last two minutes of regulation. I have never seen a weekend of sports action so entertaining and amazing in my 43 years of life. I was blessed to watch all four games from front to back, except for the Rams/Bucs, having missed some of the second quarter, all of the third, and half of the fourth quarter to shop for groceries. I don’t see next weekend’s conference championship games one upping this past weekend, but I’ll damn sure be watching attentively. Long live sport.

Check in on your folk from time to time. This applies to everyone, but especially to men. Many of us are raised to believe that expressing our feelings is a sign of vulnerability and at times effeminate. It is not. That’s what friends are for. Sometimes you need to be the friend that not only checks in, but who also probes friends to make sure they’re doing ok. We are programmed to keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves, but no man is an island. I thank my CEO for checking in on me at the most vulnerable time in my life about a decade ago. I probably wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t. In turn, I try my best to make sure I’m there for him, regardless of the bullshit I’m going through in my own personal life. That’s how brothers stay strong. Hov said it best – you know – the crutches bar. Make sure you hold your brother down. It’s the essence of brotherhood.

Make sure you keep it 100 in all that you endeavor upon. 99.5 won’t do. Black man, you built the pyramids. Baby girl, you are the queen mother earth. You are royalty. Infinite love to all. That’s my time. Until next time…

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