SoulFood Sunday.

Signed, Sealed, & Delivered
I'm a product of my environment but trust I am not for sale
I refuse to be another causality of the drug game locked in a cell
It's a war and every day we got soldiers dying
Besides the ice cream truck all you can hear is police sirens
It's been decades of struggle from welfare to medicaid
Living in run down homes spraying roaches with raid
Our lights cut off, water leaking from the ceiling
On my knees in the dark praying to God for some healing
Tried to talk to the youth understand how they was feeling
Young girl 16 years old pregnant with three children
No money for abortion mama can't pay
Pops gone in the wind been missing since that day
They laid, paid the cost to be the boss but the price was too high
It's amazing what people will do just to survive
Stomach growling shorty looking for his next meal
It's beef in these streets these dudes got foreman grills
And they got time to kill, got rocks to sell
Trying to reach heaven but they still standing on hell
Fiends blow away dreams like bad mufflers
Thugs with iced out crosses, anointed hustlers
Pimps and Prostitutes yeah you know what's for sale
And everybody in the hood know somebody in jail
It's like an epidemic, modern day small pox
Don't even own our own home yet we dying for blocks
H.I.V. and K.I.D.S. not wanted
Never had much so everything we get we flaunt it
The slogan on your shirt says STOP SNITCHING
But we telling on ourselves we just too dumb to listen


-----------------------------

New blogs & poetry coming soon. But now? Back to this Religion paper. "Procrastination is like Masturbation; In the end you're just screwing yourself." ^scholarFOCUS.

peace, -ace

I Wanna

"I Wanna" by ACE:
I wanna fall in love with someone. I wanna juss see her walking down the street, the same time everyday, always do a double-take to see if she's looking back at me and gather her scent up into my lungs. I wanna meet her in the coffee shop, find out that she doesn't like her drink & make her smile by buying her a new one & then make that coffee shop ''our'' spot. I wanna send her a single rose at work, and even though it's only one, it makes her day like the dozens. I wanna lay in the grass and not wonder why we're gazing a at the stars, because our light outshines their glaze anyday. I wanna kiss her tears away, when I've made her laugh so much that her stomach hurts. I wanna cuddle on a Friday night, fuck the club, she's my party girl. I wanna know her favorite soda, and if she doesn't drink soda; I wanna know her favorite flavor of vitamin water. I wanna be able to walk hand in hand down the city streets, get a kick outta the glances from the ones who's opinions disagree. I wanna have fun in the kitchen, making a meal that turns out to be a catastrophe, so we order in for chinese. I wanna have her front row, front & center at my shows because my lyrics resurrect she-inspired poetry. I wanna come in the door and see her stuffing her face with ice cream, looking beautiful in one of my white t-shirts. I wanna lay down w| you between the sheets, and smell the sweet scent of your body calling me. I wanna watch you bite your bottom lip as you're thoughts flow away so pensive. I wanna read your poetry and add my own lines to vibe w| your rhymes. I wanna bring you cheddar fries when your sick, even though you don't need 'em. I wanna get caught off guard everytime you walk in the room, because your beauty makes my chest tight. I wanna know that when Im having a bad day, you'll end it w| a good night. I wanna make noise as you scratch your nails against my skin as if it was a chalk board. I wanna share hoodies w| you. I wanna hold the door open everytime you walk through. I wanna get caught left speechless mid-sentence by a kiss. I wanna be the one you hate to miss. I wanna...

(to be continued]

Mainstreamed.

Today, and on several occasions, I was discussing music with my brother, Vic, and others. Most of it did constantly refer back to Michael Jackson, respect - he not only defies gravity but he beats the UNbeatable - t.i.m.e. Anyhow, the topic switched quickly to the topic of mainstream not even nearly measuring up to the music produced by the likes of the King of Pop. But this is a topic I struggle with and basically, I'm going try to explain why I have conflicting opinions on this broad topic.

A new friend of mines, who's deeply involved in music, got into the conversation with me today, similar to Vic's and I. I was trying to explain to her, my feelings on mainstream music. Where I struggle is that there is so MUCH to mainstream right now, there's so much that comes across the streams + underground, so many mixtapes + iTune exclusives, so many artists that are good utilizing myspace + then we have the crap that has to have a bumass dance that's jacked off a very basic & wack artists. (I will NOT name names, but I'm sure we all have some artist that's got fame from Youtube dances overNIGHT.] At the same time, music is an art-form. A way of expression and if someone is talented enough, and on the same stream line a hustler to get thousands of people to download a track which I, and a lot of others not juss in my bias group of friends, but those in the business & alums alike find to be killing music, if that person can get the thousands to buy his "crap" and feed it to the public who will eat it up, get that money? Who am I to hate on that? That's one area where I struggle with. Music has become, and always will be a business.

Also as I was saying, there is so much that crossed the airwaves. And there's so many different ways to get music now. There's so much going on, you get so much on the radio, even though it's typically the same rotation of songs, you get different genre's. It's been going on, since the respect of Black's in the music business crossed over to the Pop charts, there's been barriers that's been broke. I know you feel me, on more than juss that example. Basically this cross-genre's that occurring that honestly you can't knock "mainstream." My new friend, I gotta quote her because she summed it up nicely. "The diversity in mainstream has progressed tremendously but the quality has taken a horrific nose dive."

Kanye West proclaimed sometime last year that he was the "Michael Jackson of this generation." There is NO way. One, my generation remember Michael Jackson, we grew up with Michael as well, because our parents rocked to him, and our grandparents rocked to him. And now with his passing, this generation is being introduced to him. My 3yr old brother can identify his music by juss hearing it played throughout our house all the time now.

So no, Excuse me Mista Westtt, you are NOT the Michael Jackson of our time. You did not CHANGE the face of music, or change the way music is viewed. Nice video's though. Mainstream gives us one thing - a taste. I think there are artists out there, who are mixing the two : old + new sound. But one always think and keep in their minds, there's always something going in someone's mind, in someone's basement, so we never know when that ONE is gonna come out to change it all.

There's many that's popping up all the time. Not "So Far Gone" (I liked Drake before he was mainFUCKED] Down Beat Keys. QuEst. B.O.B. E-Dot Dizzy. -- Someone who's more... "known"? Janelle Monae. I remember when I found out she was with Diddy? I was like Damnnnn, please don't let this man fcuk up her talent.*sigh* Hell, I promote for Emerald Morrell (PROMO TIME !!! - She worked with Dilla (the GREAT, RIP!], her style is to take the old skool hip-hop flow & mix it to a different beat. It doesn't match, but it WORKS. Trust me, you know I wouldn't steer you wrong.
(Otherwise, click that X *top right corner ; HA!]

There's a difference in these new genres. Even the crossing of the genre's are occurring. Funkiness spring a new sound. Always always occurring. So one day, we'll get that GREAT person. I don't believe it'll happen in my time. There's Elvis, then came Michael, next will be...



Till then, we'll keep being mainstreamed.


peace, -ace.

$$$ List.

This list has been building for like (7]months now. I am a very particular person, but peculiar at the same time. My interests range from history & politics to music & producing to art & design to theology to working in hair salons. So I have this list in my phone of possible professions for me. *I have a thing for lists - I have a whole notebook dedicated to Lists. So yeah... I'm "one of those" people.

Anyhow - my mind is going on a constant flow of thinking where I want to end up. I mean I'm 20. In one year I'll be completely and totally legal. Out of that gray area I've been thrust into by society & going into my senior year of college. I still do not have a definite major. I have a minor in Political Science and this fall I will continue to do my Graphic Design. Actually taking courses, because I entered the Art department where I could only take BS classes (Art History] - all the g.o.o.d. classes are given in the fall.

As of right now here are the possibilities:

-Professor
-Freelance Designer
-Journalist
-Interior Designer
-Chef
-Artist
-Museum Owner
-Clothing Line // Fashion
-Poet // Entertainer
-Photographer
-Architecture
-DJ

If you know me, you know that all I watch on television is HGVT, History Channel, BRAVO, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, TLC, & CNN. Occasionally I flip to FOX News to get a laugh... But that's it for me. I don't know what direction I'm heading in. But I know that I have to make it a monkey-maker. My grandmother needs me to do well, my Papi told me that I would defy the religious significance of my (given "the perfect wife" & at the same I would enhance it to the traditional meaning: to be alive.

I am alive. I will produce something great, that will speak for me, even when my ashes are setting on someone's mantel.

peace, -ace

New, New Shhhh.

So a lot of people remember when I had my laptop I had ALOT of music, and I shared them all the time. The reason why I recommend this site is because they have a lot of songs before they're released. And they post them on imeem.com so that you listen or at least get a snippet before they hit the air waves. I also got a lot of stuff from Get Right Music . They have a lot of mixed tapes, a lot of rap & hip-hop. They also genre split things by coast which is unique. I know that I like my East Coast stuff, I really don't mess with too much other stuff. But it's always nice to dip & listen.

So that's me sharing. Yayyyy! :| E N J O Y

peace, -ace

Taking Action.

"You never know what you got till it's gone." - If that aint the truth. Now, I'm not a person that's game for committment. I am the ultimate masochist, I will make pain outta nothing, push someone away, and make them put all the balls in my court - No rebounds. And when they leave? I'll break down, I'll cry, I'll get colder, build another wall, I'll "be alright."

Truth is this time? I aint alright. This time I fucked up to the point where I know she'll return, but I have to be on my p's + q's. Cause not having her hurts. Not having my someone, hurts. I do so much bullshit, I do it over and over. For 3yrs I've done the same thing, in a different manner - made my person go. But this person is irreplaceable. Sorry, and thank you. You know who you are. I love you, and I'm ready. I gotta show, and I will. Cause now? I'm falling apart - like sand on a tin roof.

I do my shit. I do alottttta shit. Cause my head got big, my pride boomed during this recession, my pockets stayed plentiful - I was/am the shit. But she's that thread that holds me together. Crazy thing I will say though, I do not lie. I don't lie, do I play games? Wordplay_cause words DO hurt me. Now actions must speak.

VERBSZ;_Cause words are put on mute.


peace, -ace.

Snip, Snip, Snip.

Jimmy Jackson's Product ^ "Come here short & nappy; leave long & happy." _Lmfao. My Uncle Jim cut my hair on Friday. He asked me "You want me to cut your hair? Are you sure?" I looked at him, big eyes & said yeah_3*snips -- it's gone.

So there's mixed opinions. My hair as a child came down to mid-back (not exaggerating]. When I was 12 I broke it off by keeping it in a ponytail that was stuck at the very back of my neck. And then it grew back in high school, to shoulder length. And in college over the last 2yrs I have had it flat ironed, in a wild`fro last summer, and then grew back to about 4,5inches below my shoulder. -- it's gone.

Some people like it. Some people don't My grandmother's mad at me (Dad's Mum], everyone else is juss S.H.O.C.K.E.D. when they see it. So it's... good. It makes me feel good. I feel more... ace? .Shrugs- Love it or hate it. Don't matter, cause I'm still the s.h.i.t.
[plays Ego remix]

peace, -ace.