EVERYTHING Wrong with "Burning Sands" (From My Point of View)

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That looks like a decent enough disclaimer.

So (hopefully) by now you've seen the Netflix movie "Burning Sands" that has definitely caused a stir among a variety of people, whether members of fraternities/sororities or curious onlookers. There is a lot that can be said about the film, probably too much to fit into one simple post.

For the sake of simplicity, here's a list of everything I found wrong with the movie/storyline based on what I observed and experienced during my "School Daze".

I know what you're thinking, and the answer is yes.

OPENING SET SCENE
-The pledges didn't have their shirts tucked in when they showed up for set. That's sloppy.
-They showed up to set with only one of the big brothers (Turrell) and he wasn't their dean.
-When Turrell told Zurich to get on his face, he got in the "up" position instead of "down". (It bothered me. Sue me.)
-Turrell threw the football into the water, ordered Zurich to get it, tripped him, and then had him do pushups instead. That made absolutely no sense.

-WHAT ON EARTH MADE TURRELL KICK ZURICH IN HIS RIBS?! I'm not going to make a case for or against hazing because that's a touchy subject for a lot of people, but I think most reasonable people can agree that full David Beckham soccer kicks to a man's rib cage while he's doing pushups are beyond excessive. It takes pure malice to do that to someone.

-The unnamed line brother with the locs bumped for Zurich (jumping in between Zurich and Turrell to block the kicks), which is something you would EXPECT a line brother to do ... so why did Turrell boot him off their line?
-The fact that the LB with the locs allowed Turrell to dismiss him is sad. How can someone besides the dean dismiss you?
-Turrell hit AND kicked the (ex) LB after he told him to go and he didn't do anything. Assuming for the sake of argument that it's acceptable to submit to physical attack for the sake of joining an organization, why would you NOT defend yourself or retaliate against someone once you've lost the opportunity to join?
-These pledges were beginning Hell Week and they had only been on line for 3 weeks up to that point. I can't speak for anyone's "process", but ... nah. Nevermind.
-The pledges had to drive 5 miles back to campus and they really let their ex-LB walk.
-Frank clearly had the wrong attitude. He not only demanded that they let the guy walk, he insisted that he'd snitch on his own LBs if they picked him up. How someone that selfish made it on line is questionable, and how he made it to that point of the process without having his attitude adjusted shows a failure on the part of their teachers.

"WHAT-A-BURGER" SCENE
-As a native Texan I have to express disgust that they chose a restaurant named "What-A-Burger" that was a slap in the face to the original.

FOOD DELIVERY
(Written with the assumption that these events occurred in a dorm. If, however, the delivery was at the frat house, most of this section is null.)
-There is nothing discreet about five young men dressed in matching hoodies, jeans, and boots running through a dorm early in the morning to drop off food.
-There is nothing discreet about having the pledges line up and greet a big brother in his dorm room.

-Square looked at the woman who was asleep in Big Cee's bed, which he arguably shouldn't have, but
1. If that was just any old chick he was messing with, why did he have them exposed to her? You shouldn't trust just anybody with sensitive info like that.
2. If that was his actual girlfriend, why did he have them in the room with her while she was naked? Did he not respect her enough?
-Big Cee was a consistently problematic character throughout the movie ... and in real life there's one in every chapter.

ZURICH AND SQUARE
-Square made it obvious early on that he was interested in the shallow aspects of "Greek" life - he wanted to get girls. Too bad that got past the big brothers.
-Z and Square were on the yard in broad daylight wearing vibrant colors. You'd think they'd at least attempt to keep a low profile.
-The "Eta" probate was hot garbage in a Texas landfill in mid-August.
-"Look at them crossing the burning sands." One would have to assume that this statement was included solely for the sake of exegesis, enlightening anyone who may not be familiar with the expression. Unfortunately, performing in a new member presentation is NOT "crossing the burning sands".
-As someone who was in school when Crime Mob's "Knuck if you Buck" debuted, I wholeheartedly ABHOR "JuJu on that Beat".
-Edwin (the chapter president) shouldn't have confronted the pledges on the yard ... because it isn't discreet.
-I personally despise the term "GDI".
-I can't speak for every organization and every region, but in my experience "GDI" is ONLY used to refer to people with no affiliation to fraternities/sororities at all. It isn't used for pledges (again, in MY experience).
-I can't speak for every organization and every region, but in my experience "GDI" is always spelled out, never pronounced "Jiddy". That was awkward.

CLASSROOM SCENE
-This isn't related to pledging, but it's odd that they seemingly set up an attraction between Z and the sorority girl that didn't go anywhere at all.

AFTER CLASS
-So ... Z's been on line for 3 whole weeks and his girlfriend still thought it was cool to interact with him out in the open? Did she not get the memo?
-Considering how hazing is viewed today (it IS illegal you know), it wouldn't be in the best interests of a school Dean to have any knowledge of their pledge process.
-Punching and kicking shouldn't be acceptable ... but hey, everybody's different.
-I honestly thought something super gay was about to happen in the bathroom, especially when Fernander took off his towel.

CAR WASH
-The brothers asked Z why he was submitting to the abuse and he replied "for brotherhood". Is the entire process as simple as getting beaten senseless for the sake of gaining brothers? (That's rhetorical.)
-The chant the Lambdas did during the car wash was just awkward.

ZURICH WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND
-Did she really say the "Loo-VER" (Louvre)?
-Why oh why oh why oh why was ANYONE saved in Z's phone as "Lambda Lambda Phi"? Clearly discretion was not a lesson any of them learned, likely because their big brothers didn't know it to begin with.
-Again, Z's girlfriend should've known the situation by that point. Why did she expect anything different?

BEFORE THE PARTY
-Unless your dean says otherwise, you ALWAYS wait for your LB. You're better off being late as a unit than showing up on time incomplete.
-The acting is unbelievable and the scene is awkward where Edwin is dismissing Toya.
-Discretion ... why did the pledges show up to the FRONT of the frat house with the beer? Couldn't they have come to the back?

DURING THE PARTY
-Branding ... um ... yeah ... if that's your cup of tea, drink up.

-It seems like the entire line pledged to go to parties and soak up the attention.
-The sorority chick had nobody's rhythm.
-The sorority chick was a true airhead stereotype. How can you be a student at a university and claim you wouldn't know anyone else that isn't in a sorority?
-Was this the first Lambda party Frank had been to? How did he not know what Lambda juice was?
-I'm aware that I'm abusing the term "awkward", but guess what? The summons for all the Lambdas to come front and center to hop was cringeworthy.
-The GDI exegesis, like the "burning sands" exegesis, was just weird.
-Big Cee should've been wearing a bra.
-There was not an OUNCE of rhythm in that entire scene.
-Did they REALLY just decide to stop the hop session to go to the basement for set?
-I (think I) get the idea of having set in the basement of the frat house, but they could've at least waited until the party was over.
-Z was accused of having "no sense of discretion". The irony.

-Z was asked to recite "the packet" and he stumbled several times. How it is that none of his LBs jumped up to help him is beyond me. Also, considering how trigger-happy all of the big brothers were throughout the movie, I don't get how we was allowed so many chances to mess up.
-It is ridiculous that Z was punished for speaking to the same Dean who recommended him for membership, but not farfetched at all unfortunately.
-A GROWN MAN ACTUALLY SPIT IN ANOTHER GROWN MAN'S FACE AND NOBODY GOT KILLED. There wasn't even a fist fight. Frank didn't do anything about it, neither did his LBs. Fernander, the dean, didn't seem to care, and none of the other big brothers flinched. That's asinine.

-Big Cee was a rabid dog off his leash. He was allowed too much control. What's the purpose of having a dean of pledges if someone like Big Cee is present and disrespecting his authority?

AFTER SET
-Everybody on line took several strokes. How was anyone able to sit down easily afterwards?

-They were only days away from crossing and still not on the same page. Blame the big brothers.
-"I wouldn't be with none of y'all if I didn't have to." Frank really had no interest in anything besides getting to the other side on his own.
-These guys were on their fourth week and just starting to call their big brothers. Nah.
-Frank, the selfish one, definitely lied about everyone having each other's backs, but that's not surprising. He'd do whatever it took to finish.
-"Anybody been to the hospital yet?" What a shame that such a thing is a serious question. Is it not possible to have a process that doesn't send someone to the hospital?
-"You boys keeping things discreet?" The correct answer was no, because they definitely weren't.

ON THE YARD
-So the professor knew he was pledging and knew he was injured and was pretty calm about it. That's hard to believe in 2017.

-Spare the inspirational speech about changing the frat.

IN THE WOODS
-Carrying on any illegal activity outdoors is a gamble.
-It didn't take much pressure for someone to crack and and admit they were frat boys

IN THE FRAT HOUSE
-What's the point of drinking all that water?
-Hazing is already illegal, but the chapter president is the last person that should be present if anything like that is going on.
-You would think Big Cee got sexual gratification from hitting the pledges by how frustrated he was when he got interrupted.

TOYA
-Everyone has to make their own decisions as adults, but running a train on a groupie is definitely something that could backfire. It's not something pledges should be TOLD (or even encouraged) to do.

KITCHEN
-The entire movie has ONE (brief) community service related scene. I guess service isn't of much importance to Lambdas.
-Dean Richardson had no business being present.

GOSSIP
-This isn't Greek related, but it was dumb for Toya and her friend to openly discuss sexploits only to tell Zurich's girlfriend it was none of her business when she asked.

POOL
-Having blindfolded men walk into a pool is a drowning hazard and it serves no purpose.
-Bombarding blindfolded men with tennis balls while they are submerged to their chests in water is foolish.

MALCOLM
-Malcolm said he'd talk to Fernander about leaving Zurich's ribs alone, but he also seemed to think Zurich would hold up just fine during Hell Night.

SQUARE'S PLACE
-If you've been on line for close to 4 weeks and are about to cross, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW YOUR ACE'S GOVERNMENT NAME?!

-Square was only interested in the popularity and respect that he would've gotten from pledging.
-Everyone was still on different wavelengths.
-They should have discussed going to Dean Richardson as a line.

DEAN'S OFFICE
-It's funny that Z expressed valid concerns about the process and Dean Richardson assumed he just wanted to skate. That's what happens when you put too much emphasis on measuring up to a standard of physical durability in order to qualify for membership.

PARKING LOT SPEECH
-I get what he was getting at, but Z's "Come to Jesus" speech was ... meh.

-Can we be honest and admit/accept that not literally everyone is a descendant of a king/queen? There had to be some peasants, right?
-When you're dealing with any kind of groupthink mob mentality, it is often a waste of energy for one man to attempt to convince the majority to try to change directions.
-They left the parking lot after that speech and nobody (including Z) objected to still getting beaten, so what was the purpose?

GAS STATION
-It may have been late at night, but it was still pretty conspicuous that 5 black men in matching hoodies, jeans, and boots (with freshly shaven heads) were at a gas station at an odd hour of the night ... but by this point we've given up on expecting any semblance of discretion on the part of the pledges or the big brothers.

HELL NIGHT (FINAL SPOILER ALERT)
-Can the boys finish their greeting before the wolves attempt to devour them?
-Somebody grabbed Zurich by the throat and threw him to the ground. What's with the malice?
-So we're just gonna slap and hit guys directly in the face, huh? Oh well, by now it's clear that this particular chapter is cool with that.
-Didn't anyone get the memo about Z's ribs? Malcolm was there. Couldn't he have said something?
-Um ... yeah ... so they just paused the beating to eat dog food?
-Z bumped for Frank by eating some of his dog food. That's a display of self-sacrifice for his brother. Why was he punished for that?
-Frank, the most selfish person on the line, bumped for Z right away. He finally got something right. Why was he punished for that?
-Why did Z get hit in the head? If your ears are bleeding it's safe to say you might need to be on the lookout for damage later.
-Edwin and Big Cee proved themselves to be the biggest cowards when Frank collapsed and started foaming at the mouth. Big Cee, who was the most violent and pushy person up to that point, looked like he saw a ghost. Edwin panicked and basically told the other 4 guys to dump Frank at the emergency room. He was more worried about the consequences that would've accompanied being tied to the tragedy than he was about Frank's well being.
-ALL of the big brothers were cowards. All of them were eager and willing to beat the pledges to a pulp, but as soon as one was in grave danger they fled with no regard for the outcome.

-I can't believe they were really gonna take off and leave Frank there on the concrete.
-The ending was underwhelming ... Z finally decided to call his dad? Why?

So yeah. That's what I picked out of it. It was a very interesting movie, but viewed through my specific lenses those were the errors.

Agree? Disagree? Tear off a piece.

#BreakBreadBro

(We're on Facebook and Twitter with fresh bread.)

OBAMA FOOLED EVERYONE!!!

I'm going to be 100% real with you ... you've been duped.

It's unfortunate, but it's true. A lot of what you believe to be true simply is not.

First of all, the title is definitely clickbait.

This isn't political propaganda. The point of this post is NOT to disparage Obama or glorify Trump.

This isn't a conspiracy theory either.

It isn't even about anything Barack Obama did maliciously (or even knowingly).

This is about perception.

When Barack Obama entered the presidential race what seems like so many years ago, many people felt optimistic about the possibilities. Words like "hope" and "change" were thrown around frequently, showing that a sizeable portion of the voting population believed in what he stood for (or what they assumed he stood for).

Perhaps the most optimistic demographic of all was the African American population - up to that point, no Black candidate had run for president that people honestly thought had a fighting chance. By securing his party's nomination and successfully completing two terms in office, Barack Obama effectively (albeit unwittingly) deceived millions of people.

How so?

He gave many people a false sense of hope. With a man of African descent sitting in the Oval Office, plenty of people felt that the country had progressed to a point where many of its less favorable attributes (racism, bigotry, classism, etc) were relics of the distant past. How many times have you heard that racism can't possibly exist anymore since "a Black man got elected president"?

This also gave a lot of people the impression that African Americans were somehow making progress as a whole, an idea that comedian Chris Rock rejects. To say that Black people have made progress insinuates that they have deserved the mistreatment they've experienced over the last few centuries. Similarly, the election of the first African American president doesn't mean he was the first qualified African American candidate since the nation's inception; it just means enough of the public was willing to accept him. Frederick Douglass was nominated in 1888, but do you think his merits would've made his path any smoother if he had actually run?

"My President is Black,
Kentucky grass is blue
I wouldn't be a bigot if I didn't hate you"

Having a Commander in Chief who was a likeable family man, who represented a poor urban area, who articulated well, and who was very relatable made a lot of people feel like the future of the United States (and the Black population within it) would be bright. That's why his departure elicited emotional responses from so many people.

What they may have forgotten (or perhaps ignored) is that the root causes of our problems have never been adequately addressed. Rich people will still be rich, poor people will still be poor, and the rich will continue to despise the poor. People will still lust for power and wealth, doing atrocious things to acquire them. Common people will dislike other common people for things as trivial as skin color and cultural background.

The last 8 years have, in a sense, lulled many into a slumber. Aside from the fact that the textbooks in many schools desperately need to be rewritten, the history of the United States is no secret. There are those who feel that conditions will decline because of the new president. While it is very true that certain individuals and groups of people may feel empowered to act out because they identify with Trump's outspoken nature, the fact remains that the people and the attitudes were already there. Now reality is kicking back in and it is difficult for some to handle.

Just like Obama found an audience receptive to the idea of hoping in progressive change, Trump found one that was pleased by the idea of returning to a (supposedly lost) state of greatness. That's how politicians get people to vote for them. The sad truth is that neither scenario will find true fulfillment by human means. Human rulership in general is defective by default and will only last for a limited amount of time. A brief study of world history will confirm that.

I said all of that to say Obama's departure will not, in itself, be the end of the world, and neither will Trump's presidency. Life will go on. The government will continue to be run by people who are primarily concerned with advancing their own interests. Injustice will remain a staple of American life.

You could compare the political climate of the United States to a raging cyclone. To some people, the Obama administration was the eye of the storm. Now that it has passed, everyone must brace himself.

It's okay if you bought into the hype. Now it's somebody else's turn to dream. When they wake up, they'll be just as disappointed, if not more.

Whay say you?

#BreakBreadBro

(You can break bread on Facebook and Twitter.)

Whipped By Slave Depictions?

Following the recent trend of remakes and reboots, Alex Haley's genealogical tale "Roots" is the latest film to be rejuvenated after nearly 40 years. This decision has evoked a range of reactions. While some praise the willingness to tell a story that time and society threaten to obscure, there are others who have had more than their fill of slave narratives. Snoop Dogg identified with the latter, expressing his disapproval in an NSFW video rant. He said he'd prefer to see more positive depictions of Africans and their descendants. This, in turn, elicited a passionate rebuttal from Roland Martin, who chastised Snoop for his use of the "n-word" and his lack of involvement in uplifting black movies.

Just like any polarizing topic, it's important to focus on what's actually being said (as opposed to trying to argue against what isn't). When you make false comparisons or attribute statements and sentiments to people who never uttered them, you make the conversation more complex than necessary.

Can we stay on topic please?!

What did Snoop actually say? In a nutshell, he complained that movies about the Black American experience seem to only involve slavery, and that few movies highlight successes since then or attempt to explore the African origins of the people who eventually became slaves. Considering the ongoing struggle for equality today, he doesn't feel that slave movies contribute to morale. Is this true, or are there an abundance of movies about African kingdoms and successful Black Americans that people are conveniently ignoring?

On the other hand, it is also important to remember that history is not taught the same across the board. History books are constantly being revised (for better and worse) and there are MANY people who are clueless about what has actually happened in the past. Some of these people are responsible for educating the next generation.

Are there too many movies about slaves? Is Black America tired of having the same (partial) narrative shoved in their faces?

What if it's an exaggeration and there really aren't THAT many movies? Isn't it necessary to keep that facet of history in current conversation so that it isn't forgotten? 

Also, is it necessary to have a long list of positive contributions under your belt in order to express your disapproval?

Think before you answer.

So many questions ... and you have the answers.

#BreakBreadBro

(Get a slice from Facebook or Twitter.)

For the Tub of Money

By now you've probably heard the news about Harriet Tubman's image gracing the $20 bill.

If you haven't, you must have been living under a rock ... deep in a cave ... at the bottom of the ocean ... blindfolded ... with your fingers jammed in your ears.

Purely from a historical perspective, this is a pretty big deal. The United States has had the likeness of women on its currency in the past (Sacagawea and Susuan B. Anthony for example), but Ms. Tubman could quite possibly enjoy the widest distribution of them all. Think of just how commonly a $20 bill is used on a daily basis.

Plenty of people are thrilled by the idea. There are African Americans who rejoiced because a major contributor to the Underground Railroad, who aided countless slaves to freedom, is getting recognition. There are women who delight in knowing that a woman will be on the face of a popular denomination.

There are others, though, who aren't as excited by this decision.

Guess who falls into that category.
(I know you can't see me but I'm raising my hand with a blank look on my face.)

Let's see if I can attempt to briefly explain why putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill doesn't really mean anything to me:

1. Remember how excited people were when Obama was running for office and when he first got elected? Remember how a lot of people thought somehow he was going to solve everyone's problems? (This includes the people who thought he was going to singlehandedly obliterate racism.) Yeah? Have you noticed that a lot of the problems faced by African Americans haven't really gone anywhere in the last eight years? Why is that? Hmm ... maybe because Obama was never going to be capable of fixing all of that by himself (and to be fair, he never claimed he was).

This is sorta like that. Switching Jackson out for Tubman isn't going to magically reverse systemic racism and free wrongly convicted prisoners. It's not going to right any serious wrongs.

2.  If you've noticed, there have been several changes to our currency over the last 15 years or so - some were more subtle and some were more obvious. Those cosmetic changes didn't actually do anything to or for anyone. I don't think any Texans have benefited in any significant way since the image of the State of Texas replaced the bald eagle on the back of the quarter. Harriet Tubman's face is no different.

3. Her face isn't going to bridge the wage gap between minorities and the majority.

4. Her face isn't going to bridge the wage gap between women and men.

5. If replacing the likeness of a slaveowner (Andrew Jackson) with that of a freedom fighter (Harriet Tubman) is somehow a just action, what is to be said about the fact that Jackson's face will still be on the back of the bill?

6. I don't personally carry a lot of cash these days. When I worked as a server in various restaurants I had cash all the time. Now I swipe almost everything. That being the case, even if I were to be somehow encouraged by Tubman's face it would still be a rare occurrence.

7. Read the comments section. Pick a social media site and read the comments. Not just about this, but about anything that could have any kind of racial tie. This is just going to remind us all how some people REALLY feel.

I'm actually going to cut it short simply because I could go on for a long time ...

Changing directions, ask yourself what actually was accomplished.
Some people have said that it's a step in the right direction, while admittedly small. They assert that, like Obama's election, it shows how far Black people in America have "progressed". So ... going from slavery to freedom (with Jim Crow, lynching, segregation, etc. in between) to having an African American POTUS and the face of a rebel slave on a denomination of currency is progress on the part of Black people?

Chris Rock made an interesting point once. To paraphrase, he explained that the changes in circumstances don't attest to improvement on the part of Black people in America. Instead, it shows the (very gradual) decline of the oppressive system that kept them in those conditions. I believe his exact words were "White people used to be crazy, now they're not as crazy anymore". I'm not going to blame White people (because this isn't the place for finger pointing) but I will agree that he has a point.

The new face of the $20 bill isn't an advancement. It's an allowance. What adult wants an allowance? More importantly, what adult wants to be in a position where he/she has to request an allowance and then rejoices after receiving it? To borrow an expression, what's chewing gum to a starving child?

On a positive note, I will say this: 

I'm still all for the jokes, whether good, bad, or ugly. I just don't wanna hear the racist ones.

If "they" really want to make a difference, they'd use this image of Harriet Tubman.

Chime in while you dine in.

#BreakBreadBro

(Break Bread With us on Facebook and Twitter.)

15 (More) Things That Hip Hop Needs

You probably read the original post "30 Things That Hip Hop Needs".

If you haven't, stop here.

Check that out first, then come back.

Done? Great. So ... we posted a list of things we thought would be great for hip hop in general. Obviously the list should have more than 30 items, especially depending on how specific each item is. We took some of your feedback and decided to compile another list.

So moving along, in no particular order ...

1. A real Hip Hop Hall of Fame, complete with an induction ceremony and all the necessary pomp and circumstance (but done "our" way).

2. More dancing - at some point in the past everyone became gangstas and it suddenly became uncool for rappers to dance. Have we completely abandoned our rhythmic roots?

Maybe the average rapper these days doesn't have the lungs to dance and spit at the same time.

3. More Performance - in theory anyone can rhyme, especially if someone comes up with the lyrics for them. Is it wrong to expect performance artists to get on stage and deliver performances for their audiences? It isn't that much fun to go to a show and watch one guy mumble into a microphone while seven other guys yell over him every few bars.

4. More music about artists' children - Royce da 5'9" and The Game both did great songs dedicated to their sons early in their careers. Every song doesn't have to be about the lives you (fictitiously) ended. Make a few about the lives you actually helped create.

5. More DJ/MC crews.

"He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper" - Remember that sorta thing?
Modern version

6.  A divorce (or at least trial separation) from the music industry - hip hop started as a movement from the streets. It definitely benefited from the exposure that only the music industry could have provided at the time, but over time that relationship yielded more bad results than good ones. The entire music industry and its familiar elements (record labels, physical records/tapes/CDs, contracts) are antiquated and unlikely to last much longer. The internet changed the game; now it's possible for anyone with access to share material with a vast audience. Why chase after a record deal if you can release your music directly to the public and just get paid for shows and merchandise?

7. More support from educators - imagine how different things would be if all of your high school English teachers had you dissect lyrics for meaning and literary devices. They did it for poetry, right? Isn't rap a form of poetry?

8. An honest approach to physical health - too many artists have died young, and it is an accurate reflection of the condition of Black men and women in America. Drug and alcohol abuse, excessive consumption of junk food, and a lack of exercise are sending many to early graves. Somebody needs to start talking.

9. An honest approach to mental health - this also is a reflection of the general state of Black men and women in America. Somebody needs to start talking.

10. A change in attitude toward machismo - the idea that a man has to be extremely strong and aggressive didn't start with hip hop, so it's not up to hip hop to change it. Still, the shift has to begin somewhere. These dated concepts influence the aforementioned issues related to physical and mental health.

11. More collaborations (period) - it's always refreshing to see artists with different styles (or from different genres) come together and create something new. We're all used to seeing associated acts work together on a regular basis, but we need more people to step outside of their comfort zones. That should take us (the audience) outside of our collective sonic comfort zones, and everyone benefits from expanded horizons.

12. A spotlight on those less popular regions -  right now there's (probably) an 18 year old kid in Topeka, Kansas with BARS you can't even imagine ... but nobody expects lyricists to come from anywhere but New York, New Jersey, Philly, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, and L.A.

13. More support for lesser known brands - Polo is a staple in the black community largely because of hip-hop. "TV Johnny" Dang became a nationally recognized name thanks to getting shouted out by several Houston rappers. Drake has made celebrities out of strippers and waitresses. Think about the boost your small business would get if a hot rapper cosigned it.

14. Appreciation for the past and predecessors - it seems that any material over five years old is immediately classified as "old school" (check any old school hip hop station for its most recent songs). A lot of artists are so worried about being relevant and not being considered old or dated that they compromise their art. Unfortunately, after 40+ years of existence, hip hop is still seen solely as a young man's venture by the majority. Forty seems to be the unofficial retirement age, and anyone who's still active after that point is taking a major risk. Nobody wants to be the old guy. Either you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain, right? Surely if artists from other genres can maintain their careers well into their 60s and beyond, we can figure something out for hip hop.

15. Less critics and more contributors - everybody wants to talk about what's wrong or what needs to be fixed, but not as many people want to add to the culture. Sidenote: There's nothing hypocritical about this statement being made in a blog post about what hip hop needs. No hypocrisy at all.

Share the post and share your opinion.

#BreakBreadBro

(We're on Facebook and Twitter, check us out.)

30 Things That Hip Hop Needs

30 things hip hop could definitely benefit from, in no particular order:

1. A collaboration between Kendrick, Cole, and K.R.I.T.

2. A Clipse album (or at least song) with a Saint vs. Sinner theme.

3. Another Outkast album

The specifics don't matter as long as it happens

4. A solo André 3000 album (doesn't matter if he raps, sings, or plays guitar and saxophone while musing about life) ... and although it has been a pipe dream for years, it seems as though it may soon become a reality ... MAYBE

5. An Outkast/Nas collaboration (why hasn't this happened in the last 20+ years?)

6. An Outkast/K.R.I.T. collaboration

7. An Outkast/Cole collaboration

While we're at it, 3000 recently said that A Tribe Called Quest and OutKast intended to collaborate on an album ... but for unspecified reasons, it never materialized. Now that Phife is gone, it's just a wish. *sighs*

8. Another Dungeon Family album (that includes newer members like Future)

9. An official Nas/Cole collaboration

10. Legitimate, competitive, nonviolent beef ... artists need to challenge each other and drive each other to produce their best without getting to the point of wanting to cause physical harm to each other.

11. More independent radio stations that don't have playlists dictated by big businesses

12. More artists whose desire to make great art is stronger than their desire to be famous and rich

13. More experimental production, especially with live instruments

14. An actual Awreeoh/Pharrell album (who must we petition to make that happen?)

15. Acceptance of "different" sounds

16. Less misogyny (wishful thinking?)

17. More women (with bars) in the mainstream who aren't thriving primarily off sexuality as a gimmick

They aren't the only ones, but you get the point

18. Substance ... bars that are actually about something would be really nice, ya know ...

19. Authenticity - surely by now it's okay to NOT be a dope dealer/killer, right?

20. Originality and creativity (or do you REALLY wanna see and hear the same thing duplicated constantly?)

21. Balance - some people wanna hear DMX growling and barking, some people wanna hear Drake whining and singing. Sometimes those are the same people. Why do we act like there isn't enough room for both (and everything in between)?

22. Less emphasis on negativity - art imitates life, true enough, but all rappers haven't sold drugs, killed people, and abused women. That being the case, more (honest) music about your actual lives just might be interesting and entertaining.

23. More sampling from unexpected sources (imagine how DJ Premiere could spin a blend of "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Bach and "Back Seat" by Atlas Genius)

24. A little less reliance on sampling (which goes along with the experimenting with live instruments)

25. More emphasis on positivity - is there any chance that someone could make an enjoyable song/album about his strong black family?

26. A return to its roots with regard to speaking out against social injustices

27. A Rakim/Big Daddy Kane collaboration

28. A less divisive attitude - old vs. young, old vs. new, us vs. them, etc. prevents people from working together to create and reach wider audiences.

29. MORE CYPHERS

They don't even have to be televised. Just start rhyming!

30. Diversity - hip hop is originally a Black American thing (and ultimately it will always be that), but it won't hurt to accept the contributions of artists from other demographics. Art tends to unify people that way.

There's a lot more we could say, but then where would your input go? The list will never be complete. Tell us what you think.

#BreakBreadBro

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Let's Eat

Everybody's talking, but not a lot of people are making sense.

Can anyone cut through the noise and say something meaningful?

We can. We're willing to bet you can too. That's why we're here.  In the house that is Tea Time 24/7, this room was built for people to share their thoughts about music, current events, politics (maybe/maybe not), religion (maybe/maybe not), and anything else that you feel is relevant.

But enough of the formalities - the conversation has already started.

#BreakBreadBro

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