Same Moon

It is with GREAT pleasure that I bring you all my first professional single, "Same Moon."  A lot has gone into getting this track done so I ask that you all listen and share it with everyone you know. Trust there will be more to come.

It's crazy, ya know? Sometimes I just sit here and reminisce..wondering where the years have gone. Just looking back on my life and lessons learned. Sometimes it feels like I'm not even supposed to be here right now. Like I should be dead or in jail. But I'm still here. And I'm thankful...for everything this Carolina life has shown me. I aint done yet though..let's go!

(Chorus)
Lookin back on how these years made me
Coming up in Carolina. She's forever my lady
I tell my people now that we on. In this industry
It's '91 to infinity and beyond
From the Queen City to the 9 Dime
Home of the best, I'm guessin next that the world is mine
I really hope that I aint leavin too soon.
Every night of my life, I've been admiring the same moon

(Verse 1)
See it was back in '96
Had my first kiss in kindergarten
and I've been chasing waterfalls ever since
Wrote a poem for my teacher on some "roses are red"
She called me mannish. That went over my head
I wasn't trippin. I was livin every day like the first of summer
Outside in any weather. I thought it'd last forever
Playin with my cousins and them. My mama watched us race bikes
She was hustlin then, them late nights
I never realized we were up in the hood cuz I was five.
Mama watched me like a hawk in the sky
I gotta give it up cuz I know for a woman it aint EASY tryna raise a man
I understand. I got a plan, mama. On how to make a couple grand, mama
Couple pages per day. I'm nice with the wordplay
Gotta match you in the work put in. In terms of mothers, you a perfect 10
I'll hustle til you never have to work again

(Chorus)

(Verse 2)
See it was back in '02
Middle school I was dressin old school. Little dude tryna pose cool
Those were funny days. I was goin through my chubby phase
Had my pants saggin with the struggle braids
But effervescent adolescent I was,
Though it was tough tryna impress girls around the thugs
Tryna get attention, that's when I rebelled
Skippin class to get detention, like goin to jail cell
I remember all my boys playin basketball and
I was sittin writin raps and drawin
Hated the monotony. People shoot hoops every day.
I was droppin new jewels every page.
And they used to tease him.
Every day he would say that he'd make it but they didn't believe him
I aint mad though, cuz I don't know if I believed myself
I prayed to God cuz I needed help
now

(Chorus)

(Verse 3)
See it was back in '09
I was just a college boy
The freedom sweeter than an Almond Joy
That's when I met my boy Steve
And we both figured
We had to come together in the name of something bigger
We dropped the Validation. It was the foundation.
Tru Muzzik is the movement. This is OUR nation
Realist Undergrads....now we payin rent...
Staring at the same moon...as I plan my ascent...
Realist Undergrads...now we payin rent....
Rest in Peace, Deena....

Mike Brown vs. Robin Williams

Good day, everyone. As I sat here on my bed, listening to the new Ab-Soul album, scrolling through my IG timeline, I knew I'd have to hop on here and give my two cents on this whole Mike Brown/Robin Williams death situation.

What I see on my timeline today are a lot of posts criticizing

people for mourning Williams "more" than Brown, President Obama for acknowledging Williams' death and not Brown's, Williams for "choosing" to die, etc, etc, etc. 

I promise social media gives me a headache sometimes lawd.. 

Firstly, I'd like to go on record by saying that Mike Brown's death is a tragedy. From what I've read in the news, I imagine he was a fine young man who didn't cause trouble and dreamed of making something of himself. I can only imagine the pain his family is going through right now and I hope the police officer responsible is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In many ways, this is the Trayvon Martin situation all over again, only this time there's an actual police department being held accountable. While Brown's friends claim the policeman instigated the altercation by telling them to "get the f*ck onto the sidewalk," the police department claims that Brown initiated the struggle by trying to reach for the officer's gun (read about it here). Sound familiar? 

History has a funny way of repeating itself, so they say.... 

That being said, I hope that my black brothers and sisters really aren't sitting around waiting for Obama to say something about Mike Brown. Ok. Let's say today he finally acknowledges the situation, then what? Let's say he gets behind his presidential podium today and delivers some prepared remarks about how his thoughts and prayers are with Brown's family and the Ferguson community and how we have to work to prevent these sort of occurrences in the future. Then. What? I can see why some people are disheartened about Obama's silence on the issue, but I personally couldn't care less if he says something about it or not. I'm sorry, but Obama is not a sorcerer; his acknowledging Mike Brown's death will not bring him back, nor will it stop policemen from abusing their authority and shooting more black people in the future. The sad truth is, we're pretty much the only generation in America with the power to stop this sort of atrocity, but we've been pacified into believing that we're doing our part by prefacing our tweets with #RIPMikeBrown. Slacktivism runs rampant and it's a problem. 

Have yall ever heard of Leroy Powell? Probably not. He was 15 years old and gunned down in an alleyway last week after giving an eyewitness statement of a murder his friend committed. What about Jakari Pearson? He was an 8-year-old who was killed in his sleep last month by a stray bullet through his wall. Where's Powell's Twitter campaign? Where's Pearson's? Where's the demand for better witness protection and stricter gun regulations? Don't their deaths deserve just as much attention and mourning as Brown's? Don't they deserve acknowledgement from President Obama as well? Apparently not..

Cuz that's just boring, right? 

Nope, we didn't hear about their deaths because black-on-black crime doesn't benefit the media. I said long ago in a previous post that I believe the media purposely focuses on stories like Brown's because they'd love nothing more than for a riot to break out; that way they can send some bemused-looking reporter out to cover it acting as if they have no idea what sparked it in the first place.

Moving on to Robin Williams, Uncle Rob was an American treasure; his body of work spanned generations and he brought countless people joy. This is not to say that his life was "more important" than Brown's by any means...but one must understand his magnitude. I didn't cry when I heard he passed, but dammit if I didn't come close; Mrs. Doubtfire and Aladdin were both staples of my childhood. The fact that Williams apparently struggled with depression and committed suicide makes his situation that much sadder. Of course people are going to grieve extra hard knowing that the man that brought them so much joy was so sad and experienced so much angst. 

Tony Soprano sums it up best, I think. 

And SHAME on anyone who feels he shouldn't be mourned because he "chose" to die. Depression is real and if you don't understand it, you shouldn't speak. 

In closing, instead of griping over which individual is receiving more attention, let's take this time to honor BOTH their lives. They were both men fighting the brave battle of existence; it's up to us as a nation to learn from their deaths and become better. That's how we pay our respect.

-Nick G. 

Jada

Good evening, everyone. As I'm sure many of you are aware, a disturbing meme has recently surfaced relating to a photograph of a 16-year-old girl known only as "Jada" passed out on a floor. In the photo, Jada is naked from the waist down with one leg bent up behind her. It wasn't long before the picture went viral and people the world over were making fun of this nameless naked girl.

Now I will admit, when I first saw the picture, I didn't pay much attention to it. Social media has desensitized me to the point that the most profane images can pop up on my timeline and I won't bat an eye; I simply shook my head at this girl and kept scrolling. Yesterday however, I learned the full story. Jada was invited to a party by some of her high-school friends; once there, she was given a beverage, after which she passed out. The picture of her on the floor is allegedly what occurred afterwards; she was stripped of her clothing and raped, then photographed and placed on the internet for the whole world to see and ridicule. Here's a video of her giving her account of the story.

Besides Jada being violated and thrown to the internet wolves, what really angers me is the fact that someone, somewhere thought it'd be a good idea to capitalize on the photo's popularity and take pictures mimicking her pose. Of course, the idea quickly caught on and spread like wildfire throughout social media.

I was speaking with a friend about the rationale behind this trend; how could people mock someone who had been subject to such treatment? After pondering on the situation, I reached a sobering conclusion; the internet removes personal attachment from everything. Think about it, if you saw an elderly woman on fire running down your street, you'd probably try to help her or at least call someone, right? But if you saw a video of that same lady on fire, it'd probably have hundreds of retweets and comments ranging from "Lmao!!" to "Damn! Hahaa" Either way, the lady would have suffered the same burns and would probably need surgery afterwards; after you scrolled past the video, her personal situation would remain the same. The same goes for Jada. After everyone has had their laughs at her expense and moved on, SHE will still have to live with what's happened to her. Years after we've all forgotten about this, she'll still be saddled with the stigma of being the girl in THAT picture back in 2014. I think one of the graver effects of social media is that it makes us forget that the people in these videos and pictures aren't actors. They aren't television characters. They are human beings like you and I. Jada is a MINOR who is being subjected to some of the most despicable treatment mankind has to offer; and I for one, am sad. 

Fortunately, after searching the #JadaPose hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, I found that 99% of people had used it in protest of people making light of her situation. Thus, the little faith I have in my generation remains intact for now. Let us all keep Jada in our prayers. You think we all would have learned from the Steubenville incident a few years back, but apparently we haven't. I'm not naive enough to think that rape will ever completely go away, but surely we can each do our part to lessen how often it occurs in this country. It seems a shame to say that boys need to be TAUGHT to not rape; but men, it is our responsibility to make sure that this upcoming generation of males knows the importance of respecting and honoring women. Likewise ladies, it is up to you all to educate the upcoming generation of girls. Mentor them, teach them that a real man would never force himself on them, and PLEASE stress to them that they should never get into cars with strangers or take unidentified drinks. The future is in our hands, everyone. Yall be blessed.

-Nick G.

P.S. Peep this too. Let's pray for our young men also...for many of them are lost. 

Blink (Freestyle)

Well everyone, this is probably the last freestyle I'll put on here for a while (Check out the first two here and here). Anything after this, I'll be fighting to get on the radio. Just had to come on here one more good time and show you all that we're still workin out here! Enjoy. Carolina, let's go!!!




(Yeah!)
Ok I'm back, relax. I never left
I was chillin on the porch eatin Apple Jacks. I'm def.
And if the sample's wack,
I still give ya dope lines with the punch like Snapple Facts
Cuz I'ma dope militant under no ceiling
And my stuff is so pure, it's like I'm dope dealin
No feelin like cruising screamin "Ooh kill em!"
In my car bumpin Babyface like I was born in '88
But I'm a 90's kid. I got 90's swag.
Phat Farm with a Tommy Hat.
I got bars like Atari had
And yo I'm hardly mad like baby mamas on "Maury." I'm sorry
I'm out'chea.
Made it to the top of the mountain, now I'm thinkin that I'll build me a house here
Or better yet, a hotel. Charge 4 mil a night.
Unless you nice, then yo bill is hype.
Who's badder in the new game? That's what I ask you lames
Because I kick it like a black Liu Kang
I'm underground where they got Hussein.
Lookin back on days when I was crushing on this tattooed dame
With cherries on her rib cage. In 6th grade.
Walked with her nose high cuz she KNOW she a dime
Trophy or not, I was tryna be her Kofi Annan
If she was tryna be Nane. Boy was she fine
But back to the matter at hand. I'm daydreamin
Damn, it's like a law in this land to stay scheming
Funny how we run for the top. We race, even
But I'ma win it long as I remain breathin.
As I remain writin. They'll remember my name even
When I aint droppin the same type of
lyrical gems that make em think til the weak are extinct
But you might miss it if you blink.

Nardwuar Vs. Chief Keef interview (Parody)

Hello, everyone. I'm back with yet another one of my bored projects (or borejects for short). This time, I decided to have a little fun and give you all my impression of how a Nardwuar interview with Chief Keef would sound. If you don't know who Nardwuar is, click HERE and look at some of the interviews he's done. You'll thank me later. Those who are already familiar, enjoy...

The Sad Story of Elliot Rodger

Good afternoon, everyone. It's been a while since I've written a post on here; the reason for that is I usually only take time to write on things that are particularly interesting to me and that compel me to conduct research. Thus, today I'd like to talk to you all about the perpetrator of the recent Isla Vista murders, Elliot Rodger.

This guy. 

Now before I even start, I want to make it clear that I in no way condone killing innocent people. At all. Point blank period. The murders of those six people was a tragedy and my heart goes out to their families. However, reading Elliot Rodger's 140-page manifesto (available here if you haven't yet checked it out yourself), I found myself both fascinated and dismayed; fascinated at the gradual decline in Rodger's mental stability, and dismayed at how much of my own experiences I saw mirrored in the pages. 

 For those who have not read his manifesto, it's pretty much an autobiography detailing his life from childhood to days before he began his killing spree (on what he called "The Day of Retribution"). Rodger was born to an upper-class family and traveled to various countries throughout his childhood before settling in California once his parents decided to move to the United States. Even with the comfortable lifestyle he enjoyed, he reflects angrily in his manifesto on the one thing he desired above all others but never got, attention from beautiful girls. Rodger's anger and frustration is a recurring theme throughout the work, his inner hostility the result of what he feels is rejection at the hands of the women he desperately longed for. He writes about things that many males go through in life; trying to fit in with the "cool" kids, buying nice clothes in order to stand out, feeling jealous and inferior when girls overlooked him and gave their attention to other guys who were more athletic or better-looking. As I said, while reading I found myself thinking more than once, "wow, I've been there." 

Let me take this opportunity to say that while some of what Elliot Rodger writes about rings true for several men, it is also clear from reading his manifesto that he was a narcissist with a huge entitlement complex. He viewed himself as someone more deserving of girls than the "brutes" he often saw them with. This angered him to the point that he would spend a lot of time alone musing on the problem, eventually concluding that women are flawed, mentally ill, and need to be controlled. In his manifesto, he details this twisted philosophy, writing that women should not be allowed to choose who they mate with as they will always pick the "brutes" over the "supreme gentlemen" (such as himself). He even goes so far as to declare that sex itself should be outlawed, writing that it gives "too much pleasure to those who don't deserve it" and that if he can't have it, no one else should. We all know how the story ends (like this), so I won't spend much more time talking about it; just know the main reason Rodger carried out those attacks on May 24th was because he felt humanity had snubbed him and that the entire female gender had deemed him unworthy of sex and love. 

Now, I pray to God that the case of Elliot Rodger remains an isolated incident; it's horrifying to imagine that every sex-starved man in America would think it reasonable to wage a bloody war on women and the men who receive their affection. The guy was certainly mentally unstable.......but.....it's not like the time we live in helped curb the anguish he felt...at all. 

We, at this very moment in history, live in a country where we are exposed to sex Ad Nauseam. It saturates our culture. It's literally everywhere, on T.V., in the music we listen to, in school, at home, everywhere. And it doesn't help that sex sells. 

This'll probably be the premier ad for limes in 2020. Not limeade or anything. Just limes

Lately I've found myself thinking about that old Wu-Tang song C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me); I figure for the time we live in, S.C.R.E.A.M. (Sex Certainly Rules Everything Around Me) would be more appropriate (or S.T.R.E.A.M. for "totally rules," but people would be childish). It's a powerful thing and I've seen it both build and destroy. I recall an incident a few years ago where the pastor of my church was arrested for having sex with an underage girl. Now THAT will make you question some things; at that moment I truly realized how sexual desire can cause one to act irrationally. 

I've noticed that over the years, the archetype of the triumphant man has endured; he is tall, strong, and good looking. He's always wearing the latest clothes and driving the coolest car. He's cool and collected, sauntering through life with no worries about anything. And most importantly, he is flanked by beautiful women at all times. If you are a man...and you're not him...you're a LOSER. Most normal men accept their strengths and weaknesses early in life and live accordingly, but I can understand why Rodger, in his desperate attempts to garner female attention, stopped at nothing to be THAT guy. He tried numerous times to adjust himself to what society stipulated he should be and he failed each time, which eventually resulted in the deaths of innocent people. Again, while my heart goes out to the families of the victims, a small part of me can't help feeling bad for Rodger. If I could, I'd go back in time to meet him before he carried any of this out, take him to have a beer and explain to him that there's a better way. Sadly, that day will never come; I just hope no more people will have to be buried before America begins taking mental illness a lot more seriously. 

-Nick G.

Stand Up Freestyle

Feels like I've been posting nothing but my musical endeavors lately, but I promise to have another post up here soon. In the meantime, here's yet another freestyle I wrote lol. Yall enjoy.

Uh...yeah...TRU Muzzik
On sight, the ruler is back
Slick Rick with his pupil intact, we all night
And-a you can bet your medulla on that
I'm magic. I'm Siegfried on a 6-speed
Cuz I'm a rider. Tamed the white Tiger
Aimin my knife for lames in my cypher
Screamin "I was the prettiest dame in my prime"
Like aging white wives who bathe in White Diamonds
But I'm feeling more Hugo Boss. Or Cool Water
The haters, they pushed. I pulled harder, oh
Headline of the article, "Nicky ain't cool, he arctic-cold"
Are yall sold?
Future's lookin bright, so I'm feelin dandy
Sittin on my couch watchin Bill and Mandy
Plottin my revenge. Baby stealin candy
From a grown man. Still I remain my own man
I've been known to flip words like gymnastics
I've been known to melt a couple dudes like plastic
Still, people wanna claim he don't spit acid
They questioning the pH balance with no talent
Realest in the game, Carolina's my field
How many girls fit inside a de Ville? 
Six in the seats, two beside the wheel
And as long as the Goose don't splatter, it don't matter
(ha) Nah, I'm messin. My impression of yall fools
That flow's gettin old so I'll move along
Ya wrong if you don't think I'm feelin Erykah Badu
I swear I'm goin On & On.....