STARS BEHIND BARS: A VICIOUS CYCLE

Let's start this post off with some numbers...statistics if you will.

The number of individuals currently incarcerated is roughly 2.3 million. A little over 90% of these individuals are male, and of that percentage, 43% of those males are black (despite making up 12% percent of the total U.S population!). This means HALF the men in jail are black, the other half are other...Hispanic, white, etc.

Despite their claims of innocence, its a given that people in prison are there due to a crime committed (whether they are guilty or not). Crime statistics seem to be higher in areas of high poverty. Blacks and Hispanics are the dominant races in low income, high poverty areas. The relationship between high poverty areas and the population in prison is established by the propensity for minorities to commit crime. So basically, poor people are more likely to commit crime, thus, these individuals are the bulk of the prison population.

Its safe to say, If one were to strive to achieve a more substantial life by leaving the hood, they are less likely fall victim to the aforementioned statistics. To quote the late Notorious B.I.G...

"Either you're slingin' crack-rock, or you've got a wicked jump-shot"

This quote specifically explains that the outlets to achieve greatness are minimal.  In contrast to Biggie's so eloquently vocalized lyrics, there are indeed many other options available to young men to achieve greatness. For example; higher education, overwhelming determination, and the wonderful world of entertainment. Assuming the athletic skill, or even musical talent-is present, the pursuit of a career in entertainment should be the obvious choice over illegal sales of "pharmaceuticals". This is why everybody wants to be an emcee or play sports.

Quite a few young minority men are blessed with the musical or athletic talent to excel. Once on a higher plateau, these young men are free from the hardships of the hood (so we thought). As famous rappers and athletes, there is no longer a reason for these beacons of hope to perpetuate the unsavory statistic of going to jail right? 

WRONG!!!

Rappers and Athletes ( Rappers especially) can't seem to break free from being a statistic!

I don't even get surprised by a headline stating yet another rapper is behind bars. From Tupac to Wacka Flocka ( I hate to say their names in the same breath ) rappers seem to have a hard time staying out of prison. To understand why rappers are constantly getting arrested, we must examine the factors of their predicaments. The steadily contributing factors in each case against these rappers are drug possession and weapons charges, and the lesser frequent charges such as; parole violation, assault and for rappers like mystikal, sexual battery.

Mystikal served a six-year prison term for sexual battery and extortion.

                                                        

"Once a criminal Always a Criminal"

This is not a direct quote, but a constant variable when explaining why rappers are always in the clink. Some of the most prominent rappers of our time have told vivid tales of drug slinging and violence in their rhymes. A majority of these are indeed tales,tall ones. For some of these men, the stories of a criminal upbringing are all too real.When you're used to living your entire life dealing with excessive hardships, it takes an extreme amount of will to drastically change your characteristics. Even with the introduction of fame and fortune, rappers still have the very same mentality they had when they were struggling to survive in the harsh atmosphere of the inner city streets.

"Rubber Band Man"

Rapper T.I  was a repeat offender throughout his teenage years. The "Rubber Band Man" as he was called in the street, improved his situation and made his way to the upper echelon of hip-hop. Due to a parole violation, he was again arrested just as his career began to gain momentum. Despite this minor setback, he continued to soar to the top until he was once again arrested for weapons charges. Released early last year after seeking redemption, he was arrested yet again for possession of illegal substances, wow. It's almost as if most rappers are uncomfortable with spotlight they so avidly gloat about in their music. Does that jail cell feel like home?

I totally understand that in the world of hip-hop, street credibility is a very important attribute of a successful rapper. But is going prison worth risking everything they've worked hard to achieve?

I've heard someone use stress as an excuse to explain the love affair between prison and rappers. I'm not going to deny that the life of a celebrity isn't stressful, but I'm stressed 24/7 and I've never been arrested. Maybe my stress levels haven't quite peaked yet, I am only in my mid twenties. Although I do believe stress won't directly buy a round trip ticket to prison, I am aware of the elevated levels of drug and alcohol abuse due to the stresses of fame and fortune. "Mo money, mo problems" - yet another Biggie quote. Drugs are an issue for someone with no money, imagine someone who's wealthy having an insatiable appetite for drugs. The examples are endless.

Case and point.

Before I fully commit to making this issue just a another black issue, or a rap music issue, I want to acknowledge that rappers aren't the only wealthy people who go to prison. From rock music superstars to the "dignified" stock brokers on wall street-who are beside themselves with greed, many well off people find themselves in hot water. Greed, crimes of passion, mistakes made under the influence are all terrific reasons to do hard time.

The major point I'm trying to make is, when you're life is so diminishing all you have is goals for a more sought after life. Not to say that all rappers come from meager backgrounds, but since the birth of hip-hop, songs of poverty have saturated our consciousness. From Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" to 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Trying", the ghetto has worn its heart on its sleeve in efforts to give the rest of America a glimpse of a hard knock life. As Hip-Hop progresses, music is more triumphant, riddled with evidence of a better life, for the lack of better phrase...many more people are eating. Rappers work so hard for a life of fame...free of mediocrity...

Why do they work just as hard to throw it a way, with a life behind bars?

PEACE!!!

FOXY'S GOING AFTER LIL' KIM!!!

No more love? lol

FOXY BROWN IS NOW GOING AT LIL' KIM IN THE NEW TRACK ENTITLED "MASSACRE"

“First a bitch wanna hate on Foxy/ Ten years later now she hating Minajie,”- Foxy on Massacre

It seems as if Nicki Minaj's glorified rise to the to top of has awoken two of Hip-Hop's most popular female emcee's.
First Lil' Kim goes after Minaj with "Black Friday". Now Foxy is going for Lil' Kim's throat with this new "Massacre" track!






Who next to jump in? Remi Ma?...(live from behind bars) or maybe even E-V-E?

I've always believed rivalry in the form of diss tracks were great for the wonderful world of Hip-Hop. There is nothing wrong with some healthy competition, a long as it stays "healthy".

What do you all think of this battle that's beginning to brew, once again??

Take a listen to "MASSACRE" http://db.tt/L7KrRdL 
And If you haven't heard "Black Friday" >>>>  http://db.tt/LmMNLi0

THE BATTLE OF THE FEMALE EMCEES CONTINUES!!!



NO....NOT THE CRICKETS!!!!!

SO... Apparently millions of crickets have died. *pours out liquor*.

First the Birds, then the Fish, now the crickets. There has been quite a few bizarre occurrences where sections of the  wildlife population are strangely dying, and in somewhat catastrophically large numbers. DAMN 2012!! ( i'm not ready )

If this strange phenomenon continues to spread, I hope it doesn't reach the chickens!

You know who loves chicken right????.....EVERYONE!

I tell you which group of wildlife I do hope is next to kick the bucket....

HIPSTERS!!!

(joking...or am I)

PEACE!!

GUCCI MANE.....WTF????

An ice cream cone is NOT a great tattoo for a repeat offender too have on HIS FACE! You don't need to give your fellow inmates ANOTHER reason to lick your face!.....wow!

That "Mentally Incompetent" plea he entered obviously wasn't from far from the truth.

Getting crazy face tats is in the "Falling Off" Handbook...Just ask Mike Tyson...

BRRRR...

WRITING FOR MY LIFE...

I hear you man!

"THEY SAY 'LIFE'S A GAME' SO I PLAY HARD...                                                                              WRITIN' FOR MY LIFE 'CAUSE I'M SCARED OF DAY JOB" - Common


This is a quote from Common's song "They Say"...Not only is this an ill lyric from my favorite MC, Common, its a personal realization drawn from my feelings about being an member of the labor force. I realize I as well as countless others, hate to consistently go into a job in which we have no passion for. Its not about being lazy, its about exerting large amounts of energy doing something you don't enjoy, for meager amounts of compensation.

If you hate your job and you're currently working a full time schedule, your job tends to become your life. If you hate your job, and this job is a major part of your life, by association...you HATE a major part of your life, which is "wack". I hold pure contempt for many of my previous jobs, now that I'm unemployed that hatred has been subsided. In order to retain this high level of freedom and accompanying happiness, I try to make sure I never have to partake in these dead end jobs ever again.

My particular method of avoiding the harsh reality of life-that is a dead end job? WRITING!
In a sense I'm writing for my life, because I'm scared of a day job...

"They Say": Common

QUESTION?


How many people are currently receiving unemployment compensation as of right now?

An even better question would be...

How many people are currently unemployed and doing something useful with their somewhat "paid" hiatus?


I've been unemployed for sometime now, like many others during periods of economic recession. One day I walked into work and noticed many grim looks of disappointment on my co-worker's faces, I knew what was about to go down. On this remarkable day in question, my manager which I will simply refer to as "management", brought me in to this quiet conference room to give me the bad news. The atmosphere of this room was so pensive you could cut the tension with a knife. As management informed me of my termination due to employee downsizing, it took every fiber of my being, not too crack a smile. In contrast to the look of what seemed to be sincere disdain on management's face, inside I felt like giving this guy a hug! I was oddly excited to be unemployed!

I have been a highly active participant of the work force for about five years at that time, even sometimes having two to three jobs at once! The longest I've been out of work was about two weeks. Due to the fact that I was at this particular job for over 18 months, I was eligible to receive unemployment compensation (assuming my my employment was terminated by management and not by me). So as I sat there and received this "horrid" news, all I could think about was how I would finally be able to pursue the things that were most important to ME, all the while getting a weekly paycheck. I shook management's hand, listened to his apologies, and said " Its no problem, I fully understand" My nonchalant nature must've threw him for a loop, he was probably expecting the stereotypical angry black man. I had no major responsibilities at the time, so I wasn't angry or sad in the least.

After being let go, I was finally able to re-assign my focus to the things I really wanted to do. The mentally exhausting eight hours of tedious work was now subject to my own personal preference. While working a dead end job, we constantly seem to fantasize of doing something better with our time. For me a world of music and writing was my way to break free from the mundane nature of the daily grind. For others it could be acting, modeling or various other instances. I had a plan, but as we all know, things don't always go according to plan.

Once unemployed, It seemed as if all of my ambition had vanished. My writing, my extensive reading and several of my business endeavors were put on the back burner. The absence of employment, increased my freedom, thus increasing my amount of leisure activities. I noticed when you're employed to a unsatisfactory job, the sense of urgency to either find another job or to focus on your calling, is at its peak. Think about how many people search for jobs while on the clock at the current job that they hate.

As I approach the end of my unemployment benefits, I feel as if I'm in race against time toward a goal of financial freedom and the clock is ticking. Relating back to Common's quote, I'm with out a doubt writing for my life. Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to convey. I'm not writing merely to achieve a higher financial standing, I'm striving for a higher sense of self worth at the same time freeing myself from the constraints of a boring 9 to 5.

I know most people are currently working a job they despise, and for various reasons. Some people have highly important bills, or have many other financial obligations they need to take care of. Because of these of these obligations, people have to curb their appetite for more. Due to the constant need for money, and the stability that comes with it,  many quests for greatness are often stifled. I on the other hand, was given the opportunity to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and still get paid. Despite my previous quest for greatness, during this extended time off from working, I feel as if I have squandered away all my plans of action.

So in these last few months of unemployment, my focus has been renewed. I'm writing to ensure I never have to wake up early to go to a job I don't like. I'm writing to enhance my chances at making a more substantial amount of money. I'm writing to increase my input in society and I'm writing to maintain my sanity and my happiness. Most of all, I'm writing for my life, because I'm scared of a day job.

Peace!

No more!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK'" TUESDAY!!!

"TAKE A LOOK BACK" TUESDAY IS A NEW WEEKLY FEATURE FROM THE KASUAL WORLD.

In the music industry, Tuesday is commonly known as the day that new music, more specifically new albums are released. Instead of taking a look at NEW albums, we will be taking a look back, at previously released albums, classic albums that we would run and buy (before digital downloads) and play until the CD (compact disc) skipped! These are the albums of yesterday, that are the topic of discussion, today...

Today's Album:  "ITS DARK AND HELL IS HOT" BY DMX written by King Riv (contributor)

Dark Man X commonly know as DMX debuted with arguably one of the best Rap albums ever...

"IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT".

I remember it all so clearly. It was 1998, and school was close to being let out for summer vacation. DMX's debut album was about to drop. I had been saving all of my allowance, and when the album was here, I headed straight to The WIZ (the former go-to outlet for new music) to get my hands on this album in which I so eagerly waited for.


From the first listen, this album did not disappoint. Man, oh man!..I was hooked. Playing this album was so refreshing for my ears. At this point we were all stuck on the Puff Daddy movement, the "shiny suit era". The shiny suit era was great, but I needed something more aggressive. DMX delivered just that, and in a major way. Tracks like "Ruff Ryder’s Anthem" which you could be heard blasting out of every car and window in my home town of Brooklyn at the time, was the hardest thing out in a long while.

"Ruff Ryder's Anthem": It's Dark and Hell is Hot

At the time of this album's release I was 13, and hearing a rapper create a song like "Damien" had me so impressed. This cat actually had a song on the album, where he thinks a particular person is his friend, but really is a devil in disguise. FUCKING GENIUS!!
 
 

"Damien": It's Dark and Hell is Hot

I thought to myself, "No one had a prayer skit on an album (to my knowledge) at this point" This album was hitting on so many different levels, so Hip-hop gravitated toward DMX's music like bees to honey. People couldn’t get enough of this album and neither could I.

 

To this day, I can still play this whole album and vibe to it, like it came out yesterday. You can’t find too many hardcore hip-hop heads who didn’t buy this album, and still own it. I will forever remember this album as one of the few albums that made me really understand rap music for the lyricism, creativity, and the ingenuity in which it contains.

 

Bottom line IT'S DARK AND HELL IS HOT is , and will always be a great album.

 

POW!!!

-King Riv

King Riv

Kasual Contributor

http://twitter.com/kingriv

kASUAL MUSIC!!! NEW MUSIC FROM JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST!

NEW MUSIC FROM THE UP-COMING COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FROM TWO HIP-HOP GREATS! JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST!!!

THE TWO EMCEES HAVE COME TOGETHER TO THE CREATE ALBUM...

"WATCH THE THRONE"

THIS IS THE FIRST SINGLE OFF THE ALBUM, ENTITLED

"H.A.M"

ENJOY!!!

Hey, what do you all think about arguably, the top two hip-hop artist in the game right now  coming together to make and album? 

Do you think its going to do well? 

 All comments appreciated!

DOWNLOAD http://www.mediafire.com/?y27cqejllvqzwwj

STREAMING http://db.tt/43buUq4