Come Into Jamaica : Serving Up Authenticity

Come Into Jamaica Serves Up Authenticity

Some things in life seem meant to be. Like a beautiful sunrise/sunset, the laughter of children on a summer day. Reverend Skates admonishing excellence for anyone within five square blocks of Johnson Park. And, of course, Jamaican Cousine in Utica New York. Lip smacking, plate licking Jamaican Food. The type of place you tell (brag, since found it first) your friends about. A place, if allowed to feed the world, would put a smile on every man woman and child's face.

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating the importance of really good and covenient food but no one in the immediate neighborhood or anywhere else will complain about life after walking down the street and trying a out a few of the mouth watering dishes they have to offer. The humble Uticans on that block are Lucky People.

Come into Jamaica, aptly named, is centrally located at 1224 Stueben St. , one block south of Eagle in Utica has been open nearly a month. The Ambassadors of Jamaican Soul Food have already caught the attention of hungry, well informed Uticans and a few suburbanites as well. They serve a variety of dishes starting with Breakfast at 9a.m. monday thru Saturday till closing at 11p.m.

The Head Chef, known only as Courtney and his partner Fernel , have already been involved in two popular eateries (Island Breeze I & II) but unfortunately they didnt last. The fact they built a following was not lost on them. It was a matter of timing and opportunity, a perfect unity of those two elements for this current venture to materialize.

"We had to branch out" explained Fernel "We wanted to do things our way" Doing it 'our way' included gutting the old space and completely remodelling it.

People in the neighborhood, including myself (used to live in the vicinity) were curious what was going on. Dudes working non-stop. Not the encroaching mobs of suburbanites that build houses in our neighborhoods but don't employ anyone, no, these were young Black men with tape measures, tool belts and ladders. I saw Courtney covered in paint and drywall. Lets just say; word got around it was 'the cook from Island breeze' and a 'Buzz" was officially created.

A week before they opened I stopped in and chatted. "I can't wait" exclaimed Courtney "My own Kitchen, my own spot". "Ya'll gonna have Brown Stew"? I asked, rhetorically "Just The Way Barry Max Likes it" he said referring to my son's Love for all things Brown Stew. At both of the Island Breeze spots Barry Max liked them so much he had the nickname Brown Stew for a while. I must admit the excitement is contagious Courtney had me running home to my wifey to tell her.

Hard Work Pays Off

The amount of work put into the once grey, weathered space is impressive. The Facade is now Green with Yellow trim and the large front window has a bright Come Into Jamaica Logo so you can't miss it.

The space at 1224 had been home to several businesses before sitting empty for a few years. Directly across the street are fairly new single family homes, in fact, the neighborhood at Stueben and James has turned the corner against the type of urban blight that has crept into other parts of Utica.

The new business seems perfectly suited for the location and definitely adds color, life, and vibrancy to a once dead corner; the rythm of reggae music, the delicious smells of curry, jerk chicken and other mouth watering dishes provide much needed culture. The new owners had been trying to find a perfect location for roughly two years; and the building perfectly located on the corner, just needed a little fixing up(total understatement). It seems meant to be.

Unique Dishes

Here are a few unique offerings worth listing.

Callaloo- Also known as Jamaican Greens it is a mixture of Collared Greens and Cod. It has a unique texture and any fan of Greens will enjoy. Courtney and Fernel made it clear there are various other ingredients they say must be identified by the discerning palate.

Cornmeal Porridge- A breakfast dish very similiar to Cream of Wheat. "We add cinnamon brown sugar...you know" Fernel explained.

They were kind enough to offer me a sample platter to re-familiarize myself when I came to interview them. I felt compelled to list these dishes.

My Favorites

They all come with choice of white rice, rice and beans and stir fry cabbage

Brown Stew Chicken/Beef

Pepper Steak

Oxtail

Curry Goat/Chicken

I ran out of room...so I came back the next day.

When you come.

Tell Em' Dave The Meatman Sent you.

Rolling With The Citizens Express

It is very rare for the average citizen to get a chance to see their elected officials at work. On television we watch them pontificate on stage, wag their fingers and make huge promises to the people for their vote. That doesn't translate much; we rarely take them seriously and what they actually do is a mystery to most of us.
The few of us that get access or come close to an understanding of politics are usually involved in extracurricular cause that they feel passionately about. Sometimes getting a close-up just a circumstantial result of said officials job, reaching out to 'the people'. Whatever the case, the closer our elected officials are to constituents the more beholden they are to the constituency's wishes. Or, at the very least, aware.
Awareness was at the heart of the third annual Citizens Express Bus Trip to Albany sponsored by Birnie Bus Co. and Little Fall's David and Chris Van Meter.
The all day event included a tour of The Capitol, lunch with politicians and a live simulcast of the popular local morning show, The Talk of The Town featuring Mark Piersma and Frank Elias.
When I was offered the assignment to tag along and document some of the highlights of the trip, I'll admit, I didn't know what to expect. I knew very little about the popular radio show on 100.7 F.M.. My understanding was limited to a couple of interviews. One featured Editor in Chief of The Utica Phoenix, Cassandra Harris Lockwood, defending herself against allegations of slander and libel brought by The City of Utica Police Department. It was good radio but I felt they were taking a side, so naturally when this trip came up I assumed I would be on the bus with 'The Tea Party'.
Boy, was I wrong.






The Ride




Our scheduled departure was 7:45 from The North Utica Wal-Mart. Birnie Bus provided one of their best coaches for the trip. A wi-fi paradise abuzz with young professionals from Leadership Mohawk Valley. This sharp, young group, all familiar with each other quickly settled into their seats. I couldn't help but notice almost all of them were smiling.
Mark immediately set the pace to mellow making me regret running red lights and risking speeding tickets to get there on time. "Lets leave about eight" he says. "Some people might be a little late". And so we did.
Roughly twenty minutes, good conversation and thirty jokes later we arrived in Herkimer to pick up the second load for Leadership Mohawk Valley's Government Program.
Our third stop was in Amsterdam where we picked up the last group that included retired Executive Assistant, Barbara Tomasik a 45 year veteran of G.E. in Schenectady New York where she has experienced and witnessed a wave of progress/change since she embarked on her long career. She ended up sitting next to me so we chatted about technical and social advances that have altered our world, high security clearance and, of course, what was for lunch
With the bus en route for the final leg of the journey Mark and Frank went about their daily business of talk radio. Jason Aiello, the hands -on producer, checked levels and made sure they had a signal. I barely noticed there was a radio show going on. One of my tactics as a journalist is to appear uninterested and engaged in my latest app so know one knows I am actually paying attention. It didn't work because Birnie Bus wi-fi works great and I 'REALLY' was engaged when I looked up they had conducted two, three, maybe five interviews and according to Frank "Dave we are going to interview you next".
"Uhhhhh....ok" I replied.
I'm not sure exactly what I said but it had a lot to do with potential, growth, green things and overall progress...In Utica. All wrapped up in a liberal progressive package. The main theme of my message was "Grow Green Things....Grow lots of Green Herbs".




The Capitol








We arrived around ten thirty at the main Entrance to the underground concourse that runs the length of the four, symbolic towers that DEFINE our State Government and Albany's skyline. The Four Towers Stand out and upon approach one can glean what the most important business in Albany is, but what that business does, is a mystery.


Frank and Mark corralled all 43 of us to explain the itinerary for the next three plus hours. It was a busy day at the capitol. The Mixed Martial Arts Lobby was there; the Minimum Wage Lobby and The Marines all petitioning our state Government for their particular causes.
If we were lucky we could get a view inside the chamber and possibly a Glimpse of The Governor himself.


We made our way to the agreed upon space where we would be eating lunch. It was a long walk, made interesting by the occasional sighting of a familiar elected official. We spotted a few Assemblymen and Legislators on the way, among them, Claudia Tenney, the 115th District Assembly-Woman and challenger to 22nd District Congressman Richard Hanna. Upon sighting Mark and Frank she greeted us enthusiastically. Gazing from afar I appraised her riding boots and purse, I can't help it, the lady has style.
We continued on our endless journey through the underground concourse, which is a marvel of engineering in itself. One could think of the four towers as a huge skyscraper with its base buried in the ground with only the four towers showing up top, indestructible they will endure ,like our Government, long after we are gone. Four Strong Pillars. One Foundation.


The thought of lunch was on everyone's mind but before we ate we were led to 'The Million Dollar Staircase' for an up close and personal look at Dean Skelos, The Senate Majority leader responsible for slowing up The Medical Marijuana Bill.


After a twenty minute wait, Skelos accompanied by Joseph Griffo (47th District Senator), offered a few obligatory remarks about participation in local government. It is an art to speak important words that lead nowhere, the verbal ambiguity was forgiven, they had our hunger on their side. We did a group Photo and made our way to lunch.






Lunch








There, waiting for us in The Lunch area, was Rayan Aguam The Director of Communications for Joseph Griffo. He actually provided more detail and insight to what happens in State Government than anyone. While we ate he provided details for what is referred to as The Legislative Season which runs roughly from January to June. The remaining months of the year are spent with constituents or campaigning. He also introduced some of the speakers scheduled to talk to us. Dan Levy a pollster from Sienna College's Research Institute, Marc Butler 118th District Assemblyman, Brian Sampson from Unshackle Upstate (unshackle?) and Anthony Brindisi.




There were a few eyebrow raisers during the speeches, some teaching points that resonate to this day. Dan Levy pointed out the perceived irony in Hydro-Fracking poll results which see a statistical advantage Upstate for Pro-Frackers and a statistical disadvantage the further south you go. There was also the anti-progressive stance of Marc Butler an elected official who shared his thoughts on the SAFE act and the potential for Horizontal Fracking in NYS. "It'll be like raining jobs in a desert" he promised..."at least for the first few months" he amended.




There was a particularly interesting exchange between one of the guests and Brian Sampson who erroneously stated that hydro-fracking has been done safely for the last sixty years in New York State. Wrong, if that was the case we wouldn't be spending millions for all these independent studies and Governor Cuomo would already be Golfing with natural gas big wigs. No, the horizontal fracking, which uses chemicals and water to extract the natural gas is not proven safe in all conditions and has been scrutinized even where its allowed. Sampson, looking like a guy who can take a punch, backed out of an exchange with the guest and sheepishly left the podium. That was definitely a highlight; how dare you try to mislead us, glad we had an expert because it would have worked.
That was what I took away from this trip. To be diligent about my own personal relationship to an issue and let my elected official , regardless of their party affiliation know how I feel.

We Already Know so Talk Amongst Yourselves

  

   Recently my Significant Other's Mother shared an interesting conversation she had. You see, she had this contractor working in her house upgrading the electrical system. At first he seemed to be a cool guy , capable, knowledgeable but ....a bit temperamental.  At first, their conversations were simple, they exchanged all the regular observations we all share about the weather and the price of gas but they quickly evolved into something strange, yet familiar.



 It took on a bigoted tone.




My SO's Mother is European, she still has a distinct accent. Her opinions on race and class are rooted in the 'fair' but 'unreal' meritocratic ideal. She feels the vitriolic racism that shows itself in our policies and history is an abomination. She embraces other cultures with curiosity and has always been shocked by the honest and open dislike for other cultures that her fellow white peers often share with her here in America and, closer to home, in New York.


Even more peculiar is the source of hatred...the television.

The thing is, he didn't know she has a bi-racial grandson. He didn't know she loves Morgan Freeman. He didn't know she is a World Class Track Athlete. He did , however, know she is white.

 The level of comfort and almost mutual assumption that- 'niggers are this' or 'niggers are that' - or that it is acceptable/appropriate to wax poetic about the alleged stupidity of Black People gives me chills. Its what makes me uncomfortable when I walk into FastTrac or Nice N' Easy out in the sticks. Its what makes me uptight when I'm the only Black guy around and things don't go my way. Its what makes me look stone-faced and clench my lips tight when I make eye contact with white dudes sporting crew cuts.

This is just one awkward conversation. One of many. The awkwardness hit closer to home when the contractor met me. He knows what he said and how vitriolic, insulting and hateful it was. She felt no need to tell him her personal beliefs, why stop him, according to her, he was on a roll.
An equal dose of hatred for gays, blacks and anything else that wasn't white and Christian.
How many times has that same conversation been met with total agreement, ironclad affirmation for what is Good and Proper...American...White.
How many people have been turned away from or not even considered for employment, housing, good service at the restaurant based on choices that these type of people make.
How many of you are okay with it? Say nothing when they yell nigger at the screen when their favorite team loses. Or Bullies a stranger in public.
When I look at whose in jail and for what. The overwhelming numbers of disenfranchised all in the same demographic, society starts to look sinister.
Against me or anyone who can't blend in.
Then cases like Donald Sterling (Clippers Owner) or Cliven Bundy captures the whole Nation's attention. Systemic hostility like the backwards atmosphere at the Nursing Home in Rome with the racist staff and client. The Client who flipped if a Black nurse came near him/her.
The Solution?

Wait For It

                                             'NO COLOREDS'!?!?!?!??!

A sign placed at the main  nursing station to let all the Black American's to stay in their place.

How could a climate of racism exists here in The Mohawk Valley that sees nothing wrong with posting a 'NO COLORED' sign at work? How can any management get that comfortable to think its okay.


I know how this happened. It is a multi-pronged disregard for Black People , our opinions are insignificant and don't matter. If they do, you can't tell.


At least in most instances. A  close friend went through the same thing in a professional environment. Everyone was white and one guy always dropped the n-bomb, making his extracurricular hatred plain to all. She reported him to human resources; he was written up and even better had no idea who did it.
Everyone employed there was white (see the irony?).


 Remember a couple of years ago the  Rome Capitol Theater played a (Super racist film) Birth Of  A Nation against the protests of the NAACP and every other African American in The Mohawk Valley. It was played because of the sheer number of requests to see it. A replaying of The Good Ol' Days for The Good folks of Rome who want 'Their America' back.

Its our America too lets quit making these types of mistakes. Have a little regard for your fellow citizens even though we play a small role around here.

 

We also need to remember how far we have come and how much closer as a people we REALLY are. There are a lot of Black families with white people in them and many white families with Black people as well.

 In the meantime I refuse to allow myself to dwell on things like this to much. Eye contact with the contractor's shaky psyche was enough. You can glean a lot from smiling while looking in another man's eyes.
Then I said "So, what kind of man are you"?

Tired Iron: Forged to Win

 All over America, at least once a year in elementary school the teacher will ask the children in class what they want to be when they grow up. Millions of kids raise their hands and yell out :  "race car driver" or "astronaut","fireman" and even president.
A few of them might already race. They may do mini-bikes or bicycle motor cross. Others, who want to be President of The United States may be running for class president or in the debate club. Same with sports, little league Pop Warner, AYSO. We know everybody "aint gonna make it to the big leagues"
As life goes, we rarely hit the bullseye when it comes to 'childhood dream job'.
Most of us, due to circumstance take advantage of some immediate opportunity that pays the bills; change our minds and ultimately don't come within striking distance of NASA or even class president. But for a few, the childhood dream is an adult reality and they began living it the moment they raised their young hand.
We all have something we do well and under the right circumstances we can hone our talent to a level of perfection that will awe any that behold it. Not all of us never get the discover or take advantage of our god given gifts but sometimes we do and the results can be incredible.
Auto Racing is a competitive sport, it requires discipline, patience, good reflexes and the ability to balance all those attributes with sheer recklessness. An instinctive endeavor with consistent winners and losers.
Pretend you've been at it (racing) twelve years . You are on your fourth season, double mortgage, wife wants you to quit this expensive hobby. What if you looked over in the other lane and saw an eight yr old pass you by?
That's exactly what happened when Claude Hutchings Jr. first got hold of the racing bug.
He was The eight yr old.
In his words "Well my dad had this Slingshot Go-Cart with about sixty horsepower and he just entered me into the race" According to Claude Sr. it wasn't that simple. "I entered The Slingshot and he drove it, we didn't ask, Junior had been driving on our property for four years by then" shrugging his shoulders "he knew how to drive".
Indeed he did, the competition was either to embarrassed or didn't notice The Tired Iron Repair Driver's age, just his consistency.
Junior made history at eight years old, as the youngest driver to get behind the wheel.
He quickly was entered into Junior II Pro Series. He was a younger driver but was not outclassed he placed third in points his first season behind the wheel.
He stayed in The Junior Pro series but still couldn't get enough so Claude Sr. entered him into he 4cyl Super Stock where the little boy became a Man behind the wheel.
Between 2007-2009 Tired Iron Repair driver Claude Hutchings Jr. has wracked up 42 first place wins and three Championships at tracks all over the Northeast.
"Its a Team, our crew Chief Mark Hale, Chief Mechanic Al Laraby and Of course my wife, Carol, we all make it work, those guys have been with us since 2008" revealed  Hutchings Sr.
Last season he entered the team into a regional  multi-race multi-state competition with a very savvy draw. The ROC Race of Champions .. Despite the higher level of competition Claude Jr was the youngest ever to win The First Place Trophy.
A Highlight of his career
"Its getting to the point where people see Junior on the board and its like, 'oh no' I guess where racing for second" Hutchings Sr bragged.
He has a reason to be proud his young son is a Junior at Clark University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and he's entering his 13th yr as a successful Race car Driver.
Tired Iron Repair Saqiout, where they make race car driver's.



   

Medical Marijuana where do we Stand?

Medical Marijuana is on fire. Literally and figuratively, the controversial (dated) topic of legalization has finally made its way into the forefront of The New York State Legislature. Right now, as I write this article, there are twenty States (including The District of Columbia) that have allowed the legal possession of Marijuana.

 Progressive, practical, cutting edge, States and municipalities that have agreed to unburden themselves of a legal responsibility that sometimes overwhelmed limited resources.

 I'm not writing this to champion the success of repealing marijuana law. The point of this article is Utica. I'm not concerned with the rest of the country. I'm wondering what role, if any, we stubborn Utican's play in the inevitable change in laws.

When pot is legalized, will Utica accept this with open arms; poised to take advantage?  Or will she resist due to moral or personal conflicts of interest? Like the some States did with Affordable Care Act.

Just like the local Democrats initially rejected the possibility of an Obama nomination (over Hillary), many people around here don't think its possible Marijuana will ever be available legally. How backwards can you get?  All the evidence points toward a legal Medical Marijuana law and better yet, an economic boom from it.

There are two Senate Bills -SB1682 & SB4406- submitted by Sen. Velmanette Montgomery and Sen. Diane Savino and one Assembly Bill -AB6357- submitted by Richard Gottfried.

All three bills will allow the distribution acquisition and production of Marijuana for medicinal uses.
The fact is, people are already acquiring it for recreational and medicinal uses. These laws will relax the burden of shame from those terminally ill people that really need the relief that potent strains of marijuana have been proven to provide. Currently the only way they can get relief is by breaking the law.

Many people ask; Why is this important? For one, marijuana is proven to be less harmful than alcohol and just like prohibition from alcohol the societal effects of the marijuana prohibition seem to be worse than the substance itself. College Educations derailed, families broken up and young peoples lives altered beyond repair from being caught in possession of a small amount of a pretty harmless drug. Even more sinister are the stop and frisk laws in New York City that primarily targeted young black men in a disproportionate manner resulting in thousands of arrests for marijuana possession.

Upstate New York has enjoyed an unholy alliance with downstate for decades. They help keep The Prisons full and we vote for the ridiculous "Rockefeller Type" legislation that insures it.  This law will relax the flow, making room for the type of people that should be behind bars instead of creating them behind bars.

I envision a ripe future with multiple dispensaries employing a few hundred jobs per city.
We are perfectly located in the center of the State and with the high quality offerings from The Adirondacks I'm sure we would quickly earn a reputation among Gourmet Cannabis circles.

Can you see it?  Just close your eyes. Full Coffee shops in downtown Utica? Wholesalers along Broad St? The Mayor cutting two ribbons a week.
I can.
I am allowed to dream.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Comes Down To Earth

 On Wednesday November 20, 2013 world famous Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson came to Mohawk Valley Community College to give his latest lecture aptly entitled: "Latest Discoveries in The Universe".

If you don't know who Neil DeGrasse Tyson is you either have no interest in science and no television or you never read the names of the special correspondent on the news during International celestial events. He is the contemporary 'Carl Sagan', original host of the popular television series The Cosmos and author of many books on Space. In fact. Tyson does not have a problem admitting his fondness for Sagan and he even credits him for his success. But there is no doubt Tyson is carving his own terrestrial path in the world of astrophysics.

 Neil DeGrasse Tyson is the 'go-to-guy' when it comes to simple, digestible explanations for complicated phenomena in Space. When the Chelyabinsk Meteor exploded over Russia last year, The Today show called Tyson. If there was a sci-fi laureate for The United States he would be It. Taking the grand dimensions of that explosion into a package fitting 30 Hiroshima's...whoa.

       Degrasse's relative popularity can also be measured by the many media projects he is involved with. He is currently the host of NOVA on PBS and is scheduled to appear in a re-make of Carl Sagan's popular science series The Cosmos (14 episodes). In addition he is The Director of The Hayden Planetarium.

What more can he do? Perhaps write a few books. Which he has managed to do as well. All this, while keeping a tight lecture schedule. The event at MVCC treated at least 1,500 people to a wide ranging powerpoint lecture that focused on Discovery. New Discoveries, knowledge and the 'state of the art'.

On stage, swishing in comfortable loafers, dressed in Blue jeans and a blazer, the charismatic 'uber nerd' chomped/smacked on, local product, Mercers Ice Cream, shattering the uptight image of proper, quiet preparation. The mostly twenty something crowd chuckled at his numerous, witty asides throughout the lecture and paid attention for the entire two hours without interruption.

Sitting still wasn't easy for everyone. MVCC President R VANWAG donated 25 seats to local non-profit For The Good Inc for the struggling Study Buddy Program. As a result, twenty three kids got to see Neil DeGrasse Tyson break down black holes and magnetic pole shifts. His broad appeal was obvious from the ripples of laughter pulled out of the younger kids.
The Black screen with nothing on it....Black Hole..."A perfect picture".

That joke really cracked up the seven and eight year olds, they had to be quieted down. It was refreshing to see some kids challenged and others intrigued. At the end of the day, science was 'cool'. The dire predictions about our future promoted by some climatologists and politicians were skillfully avoided. the overall tone of his lecture focused on discovery, curiosity (Mars Rovers, pun intended) and possibility.

As an adult I was excited to go but it was equally exciting to see this experience through a child's eyes. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is important for multiple reasons. His knowledge has propelled him to the front of the class and the camera. He didn't catch a ball, he can't rap, none of that. He is good at math. You can see the rest.
   

Black Men of Substance(what are we full of)

 

What if you could be on the cover of a magazine? A well respected publication read by millions? Flipped through by bespectacled professionals in Dr. offices all over the country. Read cover to cover by people who have college degrees, houses, businesses, children in College.

People that hire, fire, vote and educate could read about you; able to get a peek inside your easy or difficult life. They could fill in mental gaps of curiosity about people they think are similar to you.

You could explain , in detail how you make it day to day, how you got to where you are. Why you do what it is you do. Obviously you would probably take great care to leave out any unsavory or illegal activity. Why would you or the very mainstream publication that chose you for the cover want to celebrate that?

Enter Jay-Z , in Vanity Fair, explaining why he will be a good sports agent for the November 2013 Issue :

Jay’s checkered past taught him a few things that he says will come in handy in his new role as a sports agent: “I know about budgets. I was a drug dealer,” he tells Robinson. “To be in a drug deal, you need to know what you can spend, what you need to re-up. Or if you want to start some sort of barbershop or car wash—those were the businesses back then. Things you can get in easily to get out of [that] life. At some point, you have to have an exit strategy, because your window is very small; you’re going to get locked up or you’re going to die.”

Lets dissect this. Look at this closely. He is on the cover as a successful businessman. Chosen for that cover by other successful businessmen. The same type of men that chose Kendrick Lamar as a coverboy for The GQ Man of The Year issue( ironic choice considering the unflattering 'new minstrel' article they wrote).

The difference is Lamar, an emerging voice in contemporary hip-hop, shunned the short shrift he was given in the article which depicted him and his crew as a malt liquor drinking, ho pimpin' mob without knowing them. He was so angry he refused to enter the annual, star studded bash in Los Angeles a week ago. The writer of that article tried to portray the same low brow path to riches that all black boys gone good achieve after they master the game of crack dealing and hustling. A path too many are ready to sign on the dotted line to pave. A path that is also avoided by thousands of hard working kids today.

So Jay-Z A man who has built an empire based on wise, well timed decisions. About whether to kill someone or not? No, he runs a  label and has clothing deals. He owns publishing rights and is involved in multiple business ventures. I'm sure he is done with decisions relating to transport and safe houses. I'm inclined to think he never really sold drugs for a living, he would literally be jeopardizing all his childhood friends by even admitting it, which they would probably resent. The fact is, real hustlers don't go on magazine covers and talk about it. But it sounds good in an interview and on a make-believe album bio doesn't it? Even Vanilla Ice lied to get 'street cred' (who made that up?)

Equally shocking is Jay's quote relating to a re-up. Backing up the subtly, sinister notion that every car wash and barber shop in a Black Neighborhood is involved in drugs. With that quote, he is even validating , in a way, profiling by law enforcement. Thanks Jay.

The dude can buy city blocks and he is using 'couch 'mack' terminology. Belittling the powerful platform that he barged onto.It would be different if he was a white dude talking about a moonshine empire, but he's not. He is a black man. Much maligned and rarely trusted. He is part of a group of men that go to jail at an exponentially higher rate than anyone else. Often for doing the same thing as everyone else, drugs.

Because of shit like this we are getting close to minstrel status and no one wants to say a word. I'm sure his knowledge of the pros and cons of buying a car wash or barber shop with kilo profits will help a lot with all the clauses that can be in a multi million dollar sport contract.

It is time rid ourselves of The old 'crack dealer gone good' narrative, it is not doing us Black Folks any good. Like dealing somehow 'prepares' you. His success, and the celebration of it, in this context, is an insult to all the Black MBA's that still sell crack (see where I'm going here?) and aspire to Rap.

We also have to consider the readers of the publication. Crack dealers are exciting to them. They don't know any better, Jay-Z does know better and more importantly, Jay-Z needs to remember what he knows, bstarting with who we really are, who he 'really' is. Inventors, builders, survivors, Warriors and Leaders.

The Question lingers: Why do they, GQ, Vanity Fair, choose Jay-Z, Kendrick and write what they write?

Each and every African American that has people around them that 'really' achieve need to ask that question as well.

Ok enough of that, we will revisit Jay-Z later. Harvard is up next. Did anyone know there is a fellowship of of Nas at Harvard University? Its rhetorical, I'm here to tell you there is. They are attempting to canonize, what I consider to be the most desperate form of art in existence.

Unlike singing and dancing which makes the person doing it feel good. Hip-Hop often describes (it didn't at first) and even glorifies the struggles in life. The tight fitting, suffocating existence in poverty that stifles dreams and can offer escape through clever use of words. The goal? To be rich. Pretty simple right?

I consider myself a hip-hop historian. A product of Generation X that helped cement the artform into popular culture. But I don't need to defend it or attack it, I'm just wondering why Harvard wants to discuss Nas and ignore the phenomenon of Mass Incarceration.

Apparently an anonymous donor put up the money. A quote from Nas in The Guardian about The Nasir Jones Hip-Hop fellowship at The WEB Dubois center for multicultural studies alleviated some of my apprehensions :  

"Hip-hop is important like computer science," he said. "The world is changing. If you want to understand the youth, listen to the music. This is what's happening right underneath your nose."
The fellowship was first announced in July, when Nas declared himself "over-the-top excited" about the scheme. "My hopes are that greed for knowledge, art, self-determination and expression go a long way. It is a true honour to have my name attached to so much hard work, alongside great names like Henry Louis Gates, Jr and WEB Du Bois and to such a prestigious and historical institution, and all in the name of the music I grew to be a part of."

Lets Dissect this. Look at this closely. Nasir was approached by Professor Henry Luis Gates (A Black Man). He mentions computer science, a greed for knowledge, art, self-determination. What is more important is what he left out. The obvious asides about 'the hood' and dead homies. That narrative is tired, out of style like The Doo rag. One that we all, including Nas, know has not served us well.
Here Here for Hawvud!!!!!