New (Old) Music Monday: Kim Burrell x Walter Hawkins

Solomon, the man listed in the Bible as the world's wisest man, wrote in Lamentations that "time and chance happen to all" of us on this beautiful planet Earth--and my life has shown it. Name a catastrophe, tragedy, conflict, problem, attack, threat, or fear at random, and I will easily raise my hand like a schoolchild roughly 95 percent of the time to announce, as Dr. Dre would say, "Been there, done that."

Am I alone? Hardly. Each of us has a list tucked away in mind, a list that carries memories of near misses and impossible escapes, of crippling sickness and miraculous recovery, of troubling hurts and remarkable forgiveness. Life AIN'T always easy (Mom, don't beat me), but doesn't if feel great to live it? Monday is the day when I feel ready to skip sunrise, sleep late (if I can sleep at all) and pretend that the world will stop for my laziness, but my thoughts have no effect on nature and how God makes it work.

The weekend had some scary moments, but my family survived and are alive and whole. My mother's mother is still here despite her memory's fight to leave her. My brother and his family are in one of the hottest places on this side of the globe and managing to keep cool, safe, and fit like personal trainers. My wife still loves even the ugliest parts of me, and I still love the way her everything sounds, feels, looks, and smells. Life is full of the unexpected, but none of life's woes can top the good things in my life.

Be grateful for your good things. Why don't you take a moment to share a few right here? I would love to hear them.

New Music! God, I Love Mondays!

Welcome to NEW MUSIC MONDAYS, a chance to start the day with a smile and a new song to hum as you ignore the "Monday mornin' blues" that made you hit the snooze button about 15 times before you got your blessed booty outta bed!



Now, Mondays ARE NOT my favorite, but I am digging this brother's work! Sho Baraka is better than I expected. Much love to Rapzilla for blessing my ears with this track. Hip hop as it should be--holy--is what I found there. Enjoy, and reach for a higher love...

And Now...For Your Immediate Entertainment

Nuff respect to the Arkitect, The Master Blaster Grandmaster Afrika Bambataa, universal leader of the Zulu Nation. Hip hop is a culture of thinking heads, potent lyrics, groundbreaking artwork, and body-moving music. Bam is among the legends of the culture who started a phenomenon from the heart of one of the roughest, most crime-ridden areas on this hemisphere. Shouts to the San Diego chapter of Zulu Nation, my man 40-grand DJ Norm Rockwell, and Access Music.

Music:The Newest Fix

Nuff respect to Kanye West and Okayplayer for providing a visual for one of my favorite mixtape cuts of the year! Bentley Farnsworth's upcoming CD (whenEVER it drops) is at the bottom of my list of "must-haves," but this single--"EVERYBODY"--is a pretty strong contender for "knock-worthy beat #1" on my next cd burn. Enjoy, and let me know if it moves your BACK-ground.

Art Form, Culture: Graffiti x Hip Hop

I enjoyed this mini-documentary on Martha Cooper, photographer and hip hop lover, from Current, a cable network/Internet television station that is comprised largely of viewer-created video--great work comprised of much better quality than most Youtube segments. Enjoy.