WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Moments In Black History (via Spoken Words & Thoughts - @spknwrdthts)

So What Does Stylez Think?

 

After reading this, it still surprises me and I realize sometimes, you forget how manipulative the customs and then laws were, in order to "keep us under control"! And how far we've come to fight and change those laws! But how far we still need to go to get people to turn from these attitudes!

MOMENTS IN BLACK HISTORY

1857
Richmond, Virginia, passes a comprehensive slave code that, among other stipulations, prohibits self-hiring by slaves, restricts blacks from entering certain parts of the city, specifies street etiquette, and forbids slaves from smoking, carrying canes, standing on the sidewalk, and using provocative language.

via Moments In Black History | Spoken Words & Thoughts

Powerful reminder, huh!?



That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think? Leave it in the comments!

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => #TodayInBlackHistory #Feb1 A SuperFreak is born & a Dinner Pail patent

So What Does Stylez Think?

As you may well know, February 1st marks the start of a celebration and memorial of Black accomplishment throughout history. It was originally called "Negro History Week", when started in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. Then in 1976, it was extended to a full month and renamed Black History Month, and is now recognized throughout the country as a time to remember and reflect. For 2014, I have decided not to focus only on well known civil rights leaders and groups. I have, instead, decided to dedicate my blog, to other Black people and newsmakers in history, lesser known events, little known facts and causes that have made an impact on the world, society and pop culture. I want to remember not only the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. but also the impact of those like Ida Wells. Welcome to #TodayInBlackHistory on blog.AskWillieStylez.com! Today, Willie Stylez Remembers... Rick James and John Robinson!

Rick James – Singer
http://www.rickjames.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_James

On February 1st in 1948, a Super Freak was born! James Ambrose Johnson Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York, with music, and R&B royalty, already coursing through his vein, courtesy of his uncle Melvin Franklin of The Temptations. After forming several Rock, Soul and R&B bands, and serving as a staff songwriter for Motown Records, Rick James became a solo artist, in 1977. His 1978 debut, "Come Get It! (w/ the Stone city Band), released on the Motown imprint Gordy, included such classic hits as "You and I" and "Mary Jane". In 1981, Rick saw even greater success with his fifth studio album, "Street Songs", which turned out hits such as "Give It to Me, Baby" and "Super Freak"! It also featued a much loved duet with Teena Marie, "Fire and Desire".

After years of writing, touring and releasing music that was a "fusion of funk groove and rock attitude" Rick James succumbed to the perils of endless days, drugs, partying and even jail time. In 1997, while on a comeback tour, Rick suffered a stroke that kept him out of music, pretty much for good. However, he continued to see his music impact and form the foundation for many artists and millions of fans! Unfortunately, and much to soon, this "Whale" of a star, was found dead on August 6th in 2004, of an enlarged heart.

John Robinson - Inventor
http://www.google.com/patents/US356852

On February 1st in 1887, after waiting 7 years since filing, John Robinson of Coal Valley in West Virginia, was granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for the invention of an improvement to the Dinner Pail! Mr. Robinson described this invention, as a "an improvement in dinnerpails for workmen; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices" to allow food and drink to be stored, kept warm and dispensed. Mr. Robinson is another in a long line of great Black inventors, who improved life and made things better for others around them.

Other important events of February 1st:

1997 - BET Movie/Starz launches, becoming the first 24-hour Black movie channel

1990 - Ida Wells, a Black reformer who compiled records on lynching, is immortalized on a United States Postal Service stamp

1974 - "Good Times", a situation comedy starring an all-Black cast, premieres on CBS

1967 - Langston Hughes, poet, dies

1937 - Garrett Morris, actor and comedian, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana

1834 - Henry McNeal Turner, reverend and elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, Morris Brown College's First President and commissioned by President Abraham Lincoln as the first Negro Chaplain in the United States Army, was born. Read his amazing story of defiance and determination here, here and here.

WHAT WILLIE STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => The Hardest Verse in Rap History … Was it the infamous #KendrickVerse?

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

Well, first off, I love Kendrick Lamar and that Control verse was HOT, impactful and as hard as they come these days! BUT, please don’t get it twisted! Still, after all these years, the HARDEST, emotionally charged, head-cracking-ness verse ever to be broadcasted by a top rapper in the game, simply started with these words:

"FIRST OFF! F**k Yo B**ch and the clique you claim…"
Hit ‘Em Up by 2Pac

You might say, “but that 2Pac verse was just pure violence!” Well, yes, yes it is! But actually it was (well, at least a little bit) more! The anger, emotion (and violence) that you hear in “Hit’em Up” is WHY it is the “Hardest Verse” (and song) ever written! That verse (and song) was so well written and callous about the lives and safety of the rappers that 2Pac called out, that it made you want to hate those rappers too! The song went on, for 3 or 4 more, hate filled verses, which included the rape and pillage of an entire staff, record label, crew and a bunch of other rappers and groups that 2Pac decisively and lyrically murdered! His disdain was so evident and poetically conveyed; it was indeed a turning point in rap music that we have never recovered from! No one, that I know of, with 2Pac’s status as a rap star, has ever had the audacity and tenacity to call out that many individuals, risking safety of his self and others!

In contrast, what Kendrick Lamar did was claim to be more important and controversial than some really important/controversial things (like the Pope and Muslims eating pork). He then claimed to (ironically) be the son of 2Pac’s alter-ego, Makaveli, AND the (rap) King of New York (incidentally, Kendrick is from Compton, California)! He then called out a bunch of rappers by name, and advised them that though they are all cool with him, he would proceed to (lyrically) murder each and every one of them. He would also proceed to erase their presence from the minds and hearts of each and every one of their core fans, as well as inducing the general public into never wanting to hear them speak another noun OR verb! (In good humor, one of the rappers called out, Mac Miller, advised he would resort to spittin’ the wildest adjective verses ever) He then advised that he would even forget what competition was, because he’s just that good! Then he challenged all rappers to be better rappers, raising the bar so high, that it would be easier to skydive from 5 planes, flown by a drunken grandfather, trying to land (which means the plane wouldn’t be high enough to safely skydive from), all while bumping 2Pac in the cockpit so loud that all he thinks of is violence (oh, the irony)! The verse was hard, and impactful, but not as controversial and emotional as the 2Pac verse!

If you’re not a Hip-Hop head, or avid rap fan, then you may have missed both songs (Control by Big Sean/Kendrick Lamar/Jay Electronica; and Hit ‘Em Up by 2Pac and The Outlawz). And you may ask, “what is so special about these verses!?” Well, what you have to do is listen to the songs. Listen to the poetry, lyricism, and delivery. I gave you the “translated”, plain English, explanation of what they were saying, but when you hear the words as they convey them, you will understand (hopefully, if you appreciate the “art” of rap) why these two verses are so “out cold”, impactful to the game of rap, and exciting to rap listeners everywhere!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => "Bad" Kids and their education! Is it time for a change?

A Facebook (and real life) friend posted a topic recently about types of suspensions given out to kids when they are "being bad" or violating rules, etc. She jokingly related:

If I were in school, I would be elated to be suspended! Don't have to get up early or do in class assignments! Heck! Why not try to get suspended to have a legimate reason not to go to school???!!! LOL

But she has a point here, what is going through the mind of a kid when they're suspended!? What can schools do to curb or deter that WANT to be suspended attitude? Is there time for a change? This Is What STYLEZ Thinks!

My kids' school does both "no school" and "in shool"... they call it In-House strangely enough... style suspensions. It depends on the offense and number times the kid has violated certain offenses. But I do think the In-School suspension probably discourages the kids from thinking they are going to get away with chillin at the crib! But it still sucks because they don't do any work and they continue to fail their classes, so I don't think it's as effective as the teachers think. I think they should make it like a learning bootcamp. You go to In-School Suspension, you're away from your friends (or most of them, since I'm sure "that" crowd probably runs together) and then force them to do EXTRA work, projects, homework, etc! Now THAT would teach them!

I have a few kids at home that love school and In-School and Out-of-School suspensions would hurt them to their hearts. But I know, a couple of my kids and SO MANY kids at their school seemed to live for those "free days"! SMDH! I hated it and complained but it fell on deaf ears. So many administrators are still under that archaic notion that you need to remove the "bad element" to save the good. But they don't realize if you keep tellin a kid they're bad... then what do you think they're going to be!?

Not to say I don't agree in some instances... because I know I don't want drug dealers and gang members around my kids when they're supposed to be learning. But dang, you can't deny and deprive these kids of education, then they will just reville in their own stupdiity and continue down the same dead-end path they're own with no repurcussions in sight, until it's too late! I have tried to talk to my couple of wayward kids, and provide a good example of hard work! But hey, I'm just the parent, who they think "isn't cool like the entertainers/their friends/etc"! So it was a battle to keep them on the straight and narrow! But I feel so strongly about education that I don't any kid needs to be completely devoided of that chance to learn! That's Bad!

So, that is what Stylez thinks! What do you think!?

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WILLIE STYLEZ LIKES => THE HAIRCUT by @SpokenReasons @KevinEdwardsJr

OMG this video, by Spoken Reasons and Kevin Edwards Jr, was HILARIOUS!!

 

See, that's why you only VISIT the barber the first time. Watch who everyone go to and see how their cuts come out! SMH! LOL!

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => “DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK!" #StylezIsBack #ItsaCelebration

Well, actually, I guess you could call it a comeback!! That’s right, I’m back and I’m hoping to be more consistent with my Blog and Tumblr postings! Let’s start from the beginning…

2011 saw the death of my father-in-law, an AMAZING, GENEROUS, KIND, PATIENT, WISE, WONDERFUL man who helped… take that back… he DID raise my children, especially the older 4 from birth!!! He was instrumental in the success, progress and stability of my family long before I even became involved with my wife in 2001! Well, all that came to an end on November 16, 2011 when Iran Milo Wasson; Grandfather, Father, Mentor, Teacher, Brother, Uncle, Friend, Confidante, Traveler, Thinker, Music Lover, Historian, etc, etc, etc; passed away from complications with colon cancer.

This began the transition, which actually began long before that, but was at that time, smack right in my face! It was the moment, my father-in-law and my own father, Alexander Williams Jr., another AMAZING, KIND, HARD-WORKING, PASSIONATE, STUBBORN yet ULTRA SMART man had been preparing me for! They were my blueprints to success as a father and leader of my family! I had to step up and do whatever it took, make sacrifices, make the right moves, etc… to raise and take care of my children the best way I could!

I asked myself for weeks… was I ready, how was I going to make this work, I had a new job, a lot of financial pressures, a business I needed to figure out what to do with… but then it happened! Jehovah stepped in! Between November 2011 and May 2012, life seemed to be on fast forward and slow motion at the same time… but things just came together! My job worked with me to make sure I could be there for my family and especially my children! My finances miraculously came together as I took on the right jobs and assignments to get what I needed, of course not all I wanted, but definitely just what I needed to get financially stable again even with substantial losses I took in 2010 and 2011! It all came together! All I could do was thank Jehovah, through his son Jesus Christ, for all the blessings I was receiving!

The rest of 2012 went quite well for my family, and even through a few struggles here and there, we came out of it renewed and strong! So with that, I felt the time was now to start reanalyzing what I was doing with my time, my goals, and my world! So what I came up with… I won’t really reveal now… but what I will say, is I’ve made some decisions (NOT resolutions), to reshape and refocus some goals and tasks that I may have neglected in 2012.

One of which is my blogging. I haven’t written a good posting since June 2012, and even before that, it was sporadic at best! So here’s my refocused goal…

-          Blog, write, surmise, meditate on some THING, TOPIC, PERSON, ACTIVITY… SOMETHING! And WRITE!!!

-          It may not be daily, maybe not even weekly, but try to have something out there on a semi-regular basis… just to let you all know… I’m STILL Willie Stylez… I’m STILL here… I’m STILL relevant!

And with that being said... LET’S GO!!!

And That Is What STYLEZ Thinks! What do you think? Please comment, make suggestions, or just say WELCOME BACK STYLEZ!  

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts