That experiment didn’t end well; in fact, it was aborted prematurely. Peterman ended off the night going for 6 for 14 for 66 yards, no touchdowns, 5 INTs, and a lowly 17.9 QB rating. He was quickly taken out of the game in the second quarter. That means ALL of those interceptions came in the first half. While I try to figure out if that is a record (he is second in INTs for NFL debut starts), it has to be said that putting Tyrod Taylor in the game was a no brainer.

And that is the particular struggle of being a black quarterback. To be a black QB means a shorter leash and a career that may seem to be on borrowed time.

Tyrod Taylor Was The Victim of Quarterbacking While Black

To see where the problem is with the benching of Tyrod Taylor, one would have to look at his numbers for the season. Before the New Orleans game, Taylor never had a game where his QB rating was below 80 (average of 91 for the year thus far). Actually, many of his games were above 90. He has only thrown for 3 interceptions and his throwing percentage has an average of 64%. He has thrown for 11 and ran for 3 touchdowns. He is great? No. Is he suitable? Absolutely.

And yet, McDermott found it in his best power to bench a man that was actually being halfway productive in the middle of a playoff hunt? Senseless.

McDermott broke two rules of coaching in the NFL with this silly move. The first rule is that a coach should never go against their quarterback with such a move. It was hasty at best. Also, Taylor had been performing much better than previously. And then there is the other reason: no coach should give up on their QB in the middle of a playoff race. Who would take time to break up any momentum that could have been established? Sean McDermott would.

Think about this for a second: would this had happened with a white QB in Taylor’s position? In most cases, I would say no. The only time I recall anything like this was Alex Smith for Colin Kaepernick. And look at where Colin Kaepernick is now: black balled for reasons besides football. And this is the issue with black quarterbacks: there are so few of us that our performance has to be, at the very least, pretty damn productive. Otherwise, we will get pulled for any reason.

If anyone needs any further explanation on what I am speaking of, then think about what Nick Wright has to say about it all:

Tyrod Taylor, this year, is one of four different quarterbacks with 10+ touchdowns and 3 or fewer picks. The other guys are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Alex Smith. Tyrod Taylor, for his career, has the lowest interception rate in NFL history…I’m gonna say what I thought right when this happened and it is gonna make people uncomfortable but I ask for you to listen with an open mind. This flatly does not happen to a white quarterback. The margin of error and “prove it” level for black QBs coming out of college and once they get to the pros is so drastically different than their white counterparts. That is why Russell Wilson falls to the third round behind a guy like Brandon Weeden. That is why Dak Prescott falls to the fourth round behind a guy like Christian Hackenberg. That is why Deshaun Watson is not even considered for the number one overall pick despite dominating in college year after year. That is why Tyrod Taylor falls to the sixth round and gets replaced by Nathan Peterman. In order for a black quarterback, even til this day, to be considered a blue chipper out of college, you know what you gotta do? Go win the Heisman trophy and maybe the national championship. Cam Newton did that. And then there was still debate whether or not Blaine Gabbert should have been picked ahead of him.

After all that Nick said, what is there really left to say? This isn’t guesstimation. This is historical context, facts, statistics, and real issues.

The Tyrod Taylor Saga Continues

At the end of the day, Tyrod Taylor did not get a fair shake. Sean McDermott made an obvious mistake and paid for it by losing a game that could have been won from the beginning. Then again, much of the mistake was corrected once they put Taylor back in. And this is the cycle of life for the black quarterback in the NFL: to be considered, we have to be extremely great and the shelf life is limited to being damn near mistake free. Then again, doesn’t this reflect how many black people are treated in real life?

‘Nuff Said and ‘Nuff Respect!!!

The post Tyrod Taylor and the Struggle of the Black Quarterback  appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Shannon Sharpe and the Good Smoke

Shannon Sharpe has officially made himself into a national treasure by gesturing his true blackness through his love for good smoke and drank. Yes, my beautiful ebony citizens: Shannon is a fan of Black & Milds and Hennessy. We all know that Blacks are the smoke of college campuses and strip clubs. Plus, many don’t know how to act on that ‘yak. If anyone think that Shannon Sharpe was going to deny his blackness, then they are surely mistaken.

And there was no moment that made this situation more complete than the white confusion around him. Joy Taylor thought the cigar was “off brand”. Skip Bayless thought that he got it from Rite Aid. But we all know that Black & Milds are bought in the hood for the sake of freshness. Also, Black & Milds are hood royalty. With his street value cemented, Shannon Sharpe can probably go to anybody’s block and kick it.

Blackish Went Full Black with Slavery History Lesson

So, Blackish brought its season premiere on a Tuesday night. Instead of hitting on a gentle note, the show came hard. And when I say “hard”, I mean “demonstrate my blackness to the point of loss of comfort” hard. The show was all about celebrating Juneteenth. What I expected was hilarity (which occurred). What I didn’t expect was the amount of truth put into less than 30 minutes.

You see, this show’s demonstration of blackness was so entrenched that most of it stopped being funny. The School-House Rock redux for “I’m A Slave” done by The Roots was both informative and haunting. The entire cast being in a play about slavery was both a mixture of modern understanding and historical burden. All the dance routines and singing could not take away the seriousness of the subject. After a while, it stopped being polite and started getting too real.

Needless to say, I will be showing this episode in February.

Cam Newton and Sports Sexism

So, Cam Newton made a sexist statement the other day. The most hilarious part is that the statement was made to a racist sports reporter.

Oh, the irony is thicker than country corn bread.

Let me get this out of the way: Cam Newton was wrong. He shouldn’t have made reference to her gender. He should have just answered the damn question. Her being a woman is irrelevant to her job. She is just as qualified as any man to ask those type of questions. So, being surprised that a writer employed to cover your team (in particular) asked a certain question is silly as hell. Sarcasm or not.

The post The Week in Blackness: Smoke, Slavery, and Sexism appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Jemele Hill Does It for the Culture

Enters Jemele Hill to call out the president for all of his contribution to the chaos. Not one to cower to white tears and mayo-splaining, Hill kept things quite honest. She noted the singular issue that most people have with Donald Trump: he is a white supremacist president. She made it known that Trump was the most “ignorant, offensive president” of her lifetime and that his rise was a direct result of white supremacy. In all, Jemele Hill reflected on the thoughts of millions of other U.S. citizens.

However, ESPN wasn’t having it. So, she apologized. ESPN accepted the apology. And life is moving on.

The malarkey doesn’t stop there. Beyond the fact that Hill had to apologize for giving accurate information, the president’s press secretary called for Hill’s dismissal. You read it right: Sarah Huckabee Sanders called for Jemele Hill to be fired for her commentary. After she wasn’t fired, Trump still feels he is owed an apology. It is 2017: anyone that questions and criticizes Trump should face the consequences. I mean, let us be real here: how more unpatriotic can one be?

The answer: as unpatriotic as being punished for giving a realistic, and critical, assessment of a president that has shifted an entire nation towards the negative.

Jemele Hill Indirectly Pulled Trump’s Skirt

I’m not about to reference ESPN in this situation. ESPN took on the role of the big wig company. They have the issue of worrying about their brand. So, that is that.

What I am going to do is point out the fact that the actions of the president and his constituents lead me to believe that they don’t believe in democracy. Sure, they should not agree with Jemele Hill’s sentiments. And that is understandable. However, to say that she should be fired for being critical of the president in a way that is blatantly true? That doesn’t give an air of democracy: that smells like a shitty form of tyrannical dictatorship.

One would have to be wholly ignorant to see that these actions by them fall short of any democratic sustenance. Democracy, in a nutshell,  is founded on the idea that the people are critical of their leaders. The PEOPLE pick the leaders. The LEADER works for the people. The people are NOT here to play lemmings and follow behind their president and walk quietly while they fall off a cliff. In a democracy, the people are critical of leadership because the leadership (supposedly) works for the people.

Plus, this type of act by Trump and Crew is tiptoeing around a 1^st Amendment violation. Just keep that in mind.

Jemele Hill Gets My Support

With all that is given, my support for Jemele Hill is expected. Thus, I will give my full backing by signing the petition by ColorofChange.org and spreading the word. I signed it already. Will you?

Sign right here!!!

The post Jemele Hill Once Again Proved Trump Aint Shit appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Lonzo Ball had some interesting commentary on what was, and wasn’t hip hop. In his world, Nas is “outdated” and “nobody listens to” him anymore. In Lonzo’s world, Migos and Future reign supreme. The easily-judged-and-typically-successful music that Lonzo listens to isn’t Nas for sure. However, it has had its form of success. So, Lonzo Ball gave the opinion that was realistic as anyone his age would.

To be fair, the cameramen and directors referred to Nas as “real hip hop” that they wanted Lonzo to listen to.

As predicted through a magic 8-Ball of distinct circumstance, there has been a whirlwind of response. T.I. wasn’t thrilled by Lonzo Ball’s commentary and suggested he needed a “piss test”. Meanwhile, Nas’s manager noted that Nas doesn’t know who the “oatmeal faced” kid is. And how can we forget the roasting that Michael Rapaport gave him? All of this over some sideways commentary that should have been expected.

Then again, this brings up two issues I have: old people caring about youthful ignorance and that “real hip hop” purity crap.

Lonzo Ball is Young and Dumb

Lonzo Ball is a nineteen-year-old kid from Chino Hills, California. His ideas on hip hop are going to be lacking at best and incredibly goofy at worst. And you heard him express the worst: making it seem like Nas lost relevance. At this point, Nas is an elder statesman that has released more classic albums/tracks than Lonzo Ball has won games for the Lakers. His preferences in music are null and void unless you are in his age bracket of understanding. Therefore, what is the purpose of giving credit to those that don’t have a Mastercard of understanding?

Lonzo Ball and Hip Hop Purity

But that isn’t the biggest of the issues for me. Forget about Lonzo Ball’s commentary. Let us remember how it was all framed: the guys behind the camera wanted him to listen to some real hip hop.

And that right there begs the question: what the fuck is real hip hop?

Is Migos not real hip hop because they use rapid fire flows and flexes over autotune? Is Future not real hip hop because he has a chorus about Percocet and Molly? Is Lonzo Ball supposed to care about music that he has no connection to? Is he expected to listen to boom-bap and like it/love it? Is he lost because he enjoys 2Pac over The Notorious B.I.G.?

I’m asking all of this to help gain a bigger understanding. And the understanding is this: the only thing that matters is if the music is “good” or “bad”. All of that “real hip hop” and “fake hip hop” is for the birds. Rapping about topics that hold humanitarian values or no value at all is null and void to liking the music. And loving the music, whether the beats and lyrics are amazing or extremely necessary, is all that matters.

Lonzo Ball Is Not A Hip Hop Shot Caller

At the end of the day, Lonzo Ball doesn’t call any hip hop shots. So, let that man do and think whatever he wants. And no, I’m not telling anyone not to roast him. But, please be aware of the context of how things were presented AND who he is. Lonzo Ball likes what he likes and listens to what he listens to. His playlist isn’t going to matter if he can’t put up assists and points in the stats columns every night. Let Lonzo Ball do just that: ball.

Hopefully, he will gain more reverence for artists of the past. We still shouldn’t give a damn either way.

The post Lonzo Ball and Trash Ass Hip Hop Purity appeared first on Madness & Reality.

However, all good things must come to an end. Moving forward, I cannot see myself giving anymore of my time and earspace to The Breakfast Club.

The reason for my decision is simple: The Breakfast Club has become a radio show that promotes fuck shit. Either that or they have always promoted fuck shit. Whichever one comes first.

The Breakfast Club Being On Some Bullshit

In recent weeks, The Breakfast Club has had some of the most colorful interviews with questionable characters that said profoundly shaky things or did even worse.

Let me run down the line so it all makes sense:

• Umar Johnson has been on there a couple of times in recent history. The last time, he made some off-putting remarks about interracial marriage. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, his ideals on interracial marriage aren’t supported by any worthwhile evidence. And all that conjecture lead to him being on Roland Martin’s show to defend his “honor” and his “credentials”. An infinite waste of time over someone that exudes arrogance and allocated Gofundme funds.
• Wesley Muhammad was on the show trying to educate the masses on the weaponization of marijuana. You know: because marijuana is put out there to make sure that black men become feminized and black women become manly. Mind you, he didn’t bring up any relevant evidence. Also, Muhammad did very little to explain how any of this will affect white people and other races that smoke as much marijuana as black people do. Still, we all should trust Muhammad because he sounds good. I get it now.
• Rick Ross was on the show mentioning how he could never sign a female artist. His reasoning: because he would try and fuck her. You guessed it: all that money being spent would have him feeling like that pussy is his to have. Plus, the picture he took with Angela Yee was extremely creepy and mad suspect.
• The final straw: Lil Duval’s transphobic commentary. A day after having Janet Mock on the show, they bring in Lil Duval. And Lil Duval unleashes under the guise of not “being politically correct”. He stated these exact words: “This might sound messed up and I don’t care — but she’s dying. I don’t care. If one did that to me and didn’t tell me, I’d probably be so mad I’d kill them.” Meanwhile, DJ Envy, Charlemagne The God, and Yee entertained themselves with his nonsense.

Yeah, I’m done with that show.

The Breakfast Club Are Trash Peddlers

The Breakfast Club has a sanitation problem when it comes to what they put out on the airwaves. It didn’t cross anyone’s mind that certain things do not need to be said? In less than a week, there has been nothing but ideas of misogyny, transphobia, misogynoir, murder, and mayhem being promoted on the show. The hosts did very little; half the time, they entertained the trashiness. I thought this was a radio show and not waste pick up. But, I digress.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I can leave them alone. I am not going to support a show that doesn’t have the simple respect for the lives of women or people within the LBGTQ community. And I am damn sure not going to give time to people that allow the promotion of murderous ideas within realistic situations. Maybe they are trying to keep up with ratings. Or maybe they are just proficient at promoting rubbish.

I don’t listen to trash; I put it in the garbage where it belongs.

The post The Breakfast Club Is The Radio Show For Fuck Shit appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Hell, I said this was going to happen as soon as I saw it.

And this isn’t a bragging session. I have friends that can attest to me seeing the writing on the wall before the proverbial spray cans were bought. I was awaiting the fallout once people voiced their displeasure. I was waiting on the reactions from the Mike Vicks, Ray Lewises, and the Kordell Stewarts. Deep in the depths of my soul, I KNEW (not suspected) that Colin Kaepernick was going to be blackballed.

Why? Because William C. Rhoden taught me.

Want proof? Cool.

Colin Kaepernick and What William C. Rhoden Taught Me

Let us get into the meat of this discussion.

From my standpoint, 40 Million Dollar Slaves is a practical Bible on these type of sports entertainment issues. We all know about the problems that occurred with Tommy Smith and John Carlos after the 1968 Black Power salute. Remember Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf? The fallout of Craig Hodges’ career after his letter to the president? How Ali was practically shunned just to be seen as a hero through revisionist history? 40 Million Dollar Slaves gets into all of that.

Why so many athletes may stay quiet: page 244 notes that “When you’re making $200,000 every two weeks, it’s hard to get angry about much of anything.”

Why are there black athletes telling Kaep not to “be so loud”: page 194 states that “The ultimate effect of the Conveyor Belt is not so much to deliver young black athletes to the pros, but to deliver them with the correct mentality. They learn not to rock the boat, to get along, they learn by inference about the benevolent superiority of the white man and enter into tacit agreement to let the system operate without comment. By the time they reach the NBA, the NFL, or Major League Baseball, black athletes have put themselves on intellectual self check: You don’t even have to guard them, they’ll miss the shot.”

The problem with many African American athletes that permeates once things go wrong: page 83 has us understand that “…the Achilles heel of African American athletes to this day: the failure to anticipate, plan, and organize; the wholesale dependence on a racist white power structure for sustenance; and surprise and consternation when the money and support is withdrawn.”

The integration of college sports without the inclusion within the power structure: page 135 explains that “Integration into sports — as opposed to integration at the ballot box or public conveyances — was a winning proposition for the whites who controlled the sports-industrial complex. They could move to exploit black muscle and talent, thus sucking the life out of black institutions, while at the same time giving themselves credit for being humanitarians. Integration also exposed white fans to a manner of athleticism and style of play that many had not previously seen. It also introduced a type of showmanship that made the college game appealing to audiences for television’s expanding sports programming.”

I could go on and on.

Colin Kaepernick and Repeating History of Athletes That Revolt

At the end of the day, history repeats like the water cycle. And the best way to prepare is to have an umbrella or stay in. We knew this was coming. If we didn’t, we didn’t read enough about it. At least most of us kept a pancho.

Meanwhile, keep that umbrella over Kaep as his days of revolt evolve. Oh, and keep reading.

Buy the book here:

40 Million Dollar Slaves

The post Colin Kaepernick is a 40 Million Dollar Slave appeared first on Madness & Reality.

But now, it seems that he is losing some of his common sense. Either that or he lost it on his climb back into society’s good graces.

The sad part is that the interviews were, minus the malarkey, pretty good. He spoke on Ezekiel Elliot and making sure that athletes focus on the game. He was dropping some gems about representation and being a team player. Hell, the conversation delved into the issues of excess. With that said, Mike Vick spread a lot of his wisdom through his words.

And as quick as Vick sparked that comeback against the Giants on Week 15 back in 2010, he found a way to throw all that excellent commentary out of the window.

When the topic was brought up about Colin Kaepernick, Mike Vick did the worst thing he could do: he caped for the NFL ownership. He suggested that “it has nothing to do with being blackballed” and “Colin didn’t have the best two years the last two seasons”. In a separate interview on “Speak For Yourself”, Vick noted that Colin Kaepernick needs to cut his hair:

First thing we’ve got to get Colin to do is cut his hair. Listen, I’m not up here to try to be politically correct. Even if he puts cornrows in there. I don’t think he should represent himself in that way in terms of just the hairstyle. Just go clean-cut. You know, why not? You’re already dealing with a lot of controversy surrounding this issue. The most important thing that he needs to do is just try to be presentable. [1]

I don’t know about anyone else, but Mike Vick gave some unsurprisingly bad advice.

Mike Vick Cook Out Invite Rescinded

None of this can surprise me because Mike Vick is an ex-con that is basically redeemed within the conscious of the NFL. When a person is coming from imprisonment and wants to get back into society, he/she will “clean up their image”. He/She will go for an easily manageable, unnoticeable hairstyle. He/She will talk in a way that shows remorse and humility. That person will, without a shadow of a doubt, do whatever it takes to look “safe” to others.

The problem with the “safe” approach is that Colin Kaepernick isn’t a former ex-con; he is a man that took a stance that people didn’t like. His image isn’t based on any illegal action he had taken. Kaepernick, by far and wide, has been a model citizen. In fact, his efforts towards social activism should be modeled and applauded. It is sad that a man that is doing everything for the people is being viewed as a felon.

Also, the idea that Kaepernick had some off years in his last two seasons is off. His completion percentage stayed at 59%, while his best year was 62%. He had a rating of 90.7 in 2016 but is highest year was at 98.3 and his second-best year at 91.6. He passed for 16 touchdowns and ran for 4 in 2016 while his highest (21 pass, 4 run) was in 2013. In short, Kapernick’s production wasn’t off; the 49ers sucked.

Mike Vick Can Eat at Golden Corral

It is sad when you see on of Black America’s favorite athlete cape for NFL owners. Then again, this is what you do when you are an ex-con trying to be on the good side of ownership. Mike Vick has every right to his opinion. However, just because it is an opinion doesn’t mean that Vick’s sentiments aren’t dead wrong. To be frank, none of what he said made any realistic sense. Just goes to show how the mind works when you want to be redeemed by the powers that be.

I have his gift card to Golden Corral ready for him. He can eat at the buffet.

The post Mike Vick Loses His Invite to the BBQ Over Kaepernick’s Afro appeared first on Madness & Reality.

The problem within hip hop is that much of the political artform isn’t celebrated as it used to be. Long gone are the days of collab tracks like “Self Destruction” and “We All In The Same Gang”. Groups like Public Enemy are more viable toward historical revisits on Unsung. And when was the last time a politically charged hip hop album went platinum? Most mainstream rappers shy away from these types of topics nowadays out of fear, loathing, and misunderstanding.

Enter Jay-Z’s album 4:44.

When 4:44 dropped, the world was ablaze about the music and the message. After a few weeks, a simple realization set in: people were shocked to see a grown up Jay-Z. Instead of talking about reckless riches, he was trying to educate the masses on how to spend their money. Instead of talking up his masculinity, he reflected on his mother’s lesbianism. Instead of shirking his husbandly duties, he admitted to his marital follies. In the end, Sean Carter decided to be a man’s man instead of a boy’s man.

Just because Jay-Z decided to grow up doesn’t mean that he put out a political album. And that is where Greg Tate got it wrong in his article The Politicization of Jay-Z in Village Voice.

To be fair, Greg Tate wrote a wonderful piece. He did well to mention Harold Cruse’s ideas about a dynamic synthesis of politics, culture, and economics being necessary for Black America. Also, he drew parallels between Jay-Z’s idea of cooperative economics and the principle of Ujamaa. He was even right to coin the album’s overall theme: Afro-hustle-ism. More than anything, his think piece was thoroughly thought out and researched.

However, to say “4:44 is the most provocatively pro–Black Nationalist rap album since Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet,” is as intellectual as it is ill-informed. What it is ill-informed about is the music that has been created since Public Enemy’s third album.

What must be understood is that there has been plenty of provocatively pro-black albums since 1990. How can 4:44 be the most provocatively pro-Black Nationalist rap album since “Fear of a Black Planet” when Public Enemy has put out 12 albums since then? Are we going to ignore the existence of “Death Certificate” by Ice Cube, “Black on Both Sides” by Mos Def, or anything Arrested Development ever made? So, Dead Prez never comes up into this conversation? Hell, even Kendrick Lamar’s seminal “To Pimp a Butterfly” reeks with pro-Black Nationalism. To mention 4:44 in this regard should be grounds for insubordination. Especially so since it wasn’t that long ago when the streets were saying that Jay-Z had sold his soul to the devil and that he was a member of the Illuminati.

I get it: Jay-Z made an incredible turn with 4:44. However, there is no way to say that it is what it isn’t. I would be remiss to ignore the impact that this album has made on the psyche of present day hip hop listeners. What I will not do is act like hip hop hasn’t had a strong pro-Black album since 1990. With all respect to Jigga, 4:44 is impressive on economics but it is not the pro-Black album that we have been missing for the past couple of decades.

The post Jay-Z’s Pro-Blackness is Hugely Overrated appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Within all the media circus and social media grandstanding about his album lied two issues that have seemed to plague hip hop for eons:

• Ahistorical accounts of the genre.
• Ageism

And both of these situations need to be taken to task for what they are: unnecessary issues that deserve to be aired out and hung to dry.

Jay-Z and Ahistorical Hip Hop Revisionism

First, there is the article by Michael Harriot. He claimed that Jay-Z’s album is the “first grown ass hip-hop album”. And his reasoning deals with the fact that this “grown ass album” proves that “hip-hop didn’t have a legend who was still making great, relevant art” until 4:44. And this is an understandable assessment to make. If you are on the outside looking in with such music, Michael Harriot’s writing would make sense.

The problem with his premise is that it just may not be based on a purely factual foundation. Harriot reserves Jay-Z’s status as the signifier for the entitlement of “1^st grown ass album”. And that is shoddy within itself because “grown ass albums” have been made throughout the span of hip hop. Also, this isn’t even Jay-Z’s first grown ass album: that was done on Kingdom Come. Now, whether anyone feels that Kingdom Come was worth the listen is up to them. However, 4:44 is not the first grown ass hip hop album; it is the first grown ass hip hop album that many of the sleepers have awoken to.

Jay-Z and Ageism

Trying to review Jay-Z’s album, 50 Cent made some remarks that came off confusing in their honesty. From his perspective, 50 thought that the album was “aight” but “too smart”. He also made reference to it being “golf club music” and “you can’t be the best rapper at 47 because the new niggas are here” and “they coming with new shit going on”. With all honesty, 50 was probably being honest. He just feels Jay may need to let the new rappers do their thing while he gracefully bows out.

One of the bigger issues within hip hop has been ageism. Many people want old rappers to die off and let new rappers “take over”. Once a rapper reaches the age of 40, many fans feel that those “over the hill emcees” should just let it go and move on with their lives. Maybe these older rappers should either become executives, relish in their old lives on tours, or go be a mainstay at Vegas. Whatever the case may be, people feel that hip hop is no country for old men.

The only problem with that perspective is, at its core, it does not fly.

There are plenty of examples of old rappers that still make relevant, noteworthy music. Golf club music or not, Jay-Z is still a powerful musical force that moves units. 2-Chainz is not a young rapper. Nor is Kanye West, Eminem, or even David Banner. Killer Mike and El-P are having a career rebirth as Run The Jewels and none of them are under 40. So, ageism in hip-hop seems to be as functional as the bogeyman is to scaring children: it sounds good until one realizes it is all bullshit.

Jay-Z Made Us Have a Conversation

At the end of the day, Jay-Z wins. He made people talk about him and that can turn into something respectable. He made a grown ass hip hop album, but it is not the first one in popular hip hop. He has also defied the idea of ageism (as many others have). At the end of the day, Jay-Z has successfully navigated the tumultuous terrain that is the hip-hop career. It may be time for many of us to take note and learn a thing or two.

The post Jay-Z and Ahistorical Ageism in Hip Hop appeared first on Madness & Reality.

This is the recent story of a black woman that “accidentally” drowned at a pool party in Memphis, Tennessee. She was recently engaged and getting herself ready for her impending marriage. She went to party on the Fourth of July with some friends. Suddenly, she drowned and eventually died. This seems like a story of bad things happening to good people, right?

So, what really happened to Darian Towns?

But that is where things become murky. For one, someone stole her car and it was found all the way in Mississippi. Southaven, Mississippi to be exact. Also, there is the issue of her being an avid athlete. Darian Towns was a great track and field athlete in high school that swam every day. She was working hard to make sure she fit into her wedding dress. Thus, there are factors that aren’t adding up.

So, did Darian Town suffer from foul play?

I am beginning to wonder what contributed to all of this. How deep was this pool? Was she that intoxicated where she drowned? Why did it take so long for someone to notice that she was at the bottom of the pool? And why would someone try to steal her car from a neighborhood that seemed to actually be upper class? Be reminded: Barlett has a median household income of close to $67,000. And it is also mostly white.

Will there ever be answers about Darian Towns?

Is there ever going to be a necessary explanation? I am hoping that the toxology reports and forensics turn up something that makes sense. After that, I still wonder why someone would steal her car? Too much of this case is extremely confusing and contradictory. There are no conclusions to jump to; this case seems way too off putting with very little making sense.

Until then, keep asking about Darian Towns. Something must add up in this situation of confusing arithmetic.

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