Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is the American hip-hop artist that is currently sweeping the internet. His latest mixtape Overly Dedicated has been getting worldwide attention. Not to mention the huge buzz off his new album Good Kid, Mad City to be released October 22, 2012.

Overly Dedicated features a mix of various underground and conscious rappers. The mixtape also includes many “indie” (Independent) artists like Jhene Aiko and Ab-Soul. Popular tracks off the mixtape “Opposites Attract”, “Ignorance Is Bliss” and “Average Joe” appear to be his testament to life, love and the hood. The Compton California rapper describes his music as not catering to Blacks or Whites but simply everyday life music. “Opposites Attract” is Lamar’s testament to love where he exposes the one fact that “We hate people that love us, love people that hate us”. “Ignorance is Bliss on the other hand appears to “glorify gangster rap and street crime but keeps repeating the line that “Ignorance is Bliss” hinting to the fact that we know not what we do”. “Average Joe” describes his position in relation to his experiences in his hometown. While there is violence and crime all around him he is just another man, affected by life. Kendrick Lamar’s music is very well- rounded and has something for every open-minded listener.

 Good Kid, Mad City is already getting nationwide airplay with the single “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. Kendrick Lamar has a somewhat unorthodox sound with a new and interesting feature in each song and video. He is an artist in the highest sense of the word, detailing both the good and bad of his world. His west-coast sound is filled with beats and lyrics that make you bob your head and think at the very same time. Check out all his music and news at kendricklamar.org.  

On This Day of June 19th 1865 ALL of the slaves were finally Freed. While the emancipation proclamation was a piece of paper that legally said all slaves were to be freed in January 1st 1863 it wasn't until Juneteenth (June 19th 1865)  that the last slaves living in Texas were freed. So If the Independence Declaration was signed July 4th 1777, no blacks living in America were free, therefore blacks have nothing to celebrate on July 4th because our people were not free. Rather we should celebrate if anything Juneteenth. While many of us are still mentally enslaved we should take this time to analyze what other things don't we know about America's History and its continued oppression against all its people. 
That is all. 

How does an entire race recover from something as terrible as slavery. An institution that was built to dehumanize an individual. Or rather can an entire race recover from such? Not in a world where no one lets you ever forget that your people were at one time slaves, then treated as less than. One huge way blacks can try to even the playing field is by obtaining an education. While millions of African Americans enroll in colleges and universities all over the world others still fail to see its usefulness. Some of them that do enter colleges, treat the school as if it owes something to them. While the public schools have failed on countless occasions to reveal the "whole truth and nothing but" in the history books, its whole purpose to educate the youth in reading writing and arithmetic seems to go unnoticed by students and parents alike. Somewhere along the line parents found school as an unnecessary commodity and students began to pick up on this habit. The result is students who continually act out and disrupt class with no regard to consequences because they know their parents either do not care are not around. " Black people, in general, seem to have their priorities ALL messed up. We are also a fearful and prideful people. When it comes to education, Blacks, again IN GENERAL, don't seem to value it. It's not a priority for them. In other cases, Blacks see the importance of education but are too lazy to pursue it or keep at it. They want instant results Finally, due to the other two examples, many Blacks don't have positive role models and/or mentors to help and inspire them." -Kara Lee.  When black children in general do not have good role models they end up like their parents in most cases, and thus continue the cycle. It is then up to us that notice this problem to do something about it. To find a way to teach our youth to prize education. Education is a gift that our people once fought for, now that it is given freely we should appreciate it and take advantage of this gift to make a better world for ourselves, our people and mankind as a whole. 

That Crap they play on the radio is not real music. The radio is slowly killing quality music. While I agree that the 90s had some of the best music of our time, there is also quality music out right now. To find it is the difficult part. One has to scour the internet and be open to different sounds and different looks. Underground artists like Dee-1, Elle Varner, K'La, K. Michele, Ashley Dubose, Jade Novah, Jermaine Riley, Jhene Aiko, Kendrick Lamar, Lauriana Mae, The Weeknd, Selah Sue, Daley and Tori Kelly have a hard time making it to the big music scene because foolish people keep voting, requesting and buying tracks that represent everyting that is wrong with the music scene. Well known conscious rap artists like Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, ?uestlove, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco cant get their music played because they speak the truth. Some good artists however do slip through the cracks like B.o.B, Drake, Wale, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Jay Z, Nas, but at what costs to their music. Yea they make good music and they make it to the big leagues but do their orginal sound and music begin to change?? I'll let you be the judge. But I do encourage readers not to settle for what the radio sells and i do mean sells. Those fools make money of your easy fandom so do yourselves a favor and look deeper for music that has more meaning and more base besides a good dance beat. Also Check out the artists I mentioned above and help them make it to the big leagues for having real talent. 

Remember shows like:"The Jefferson’s" - 1975-1985 - 11 Seasons
"The Cosby Show" - 1984-1992 8 Seasons
"227" - 1985-1990 - 5 Seasons
"A Different World"-1987-1993- 6 Seasons
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-air" - 1990-96 - 6 episodes
 "Martin" - 1992-1997 - 5 Seasons
"Hanging With Mr. Cooper" - 1992-97-5 Seasons
"Living Single" - 1993-98 - 5 Seasons
"Sister Sister" - 1994-99- 6 seasons
"Moesha" -1996-2001 -  6 Seasons
 "Kenan & Kel" - 1996-2000 - 4 seasons
 "Smart Guy" - 1997-99 - 3 seasons

What has happened to our quality entertainment? Where are the black people on tv? Now the only blacks kids or even adutls see on T.V. are the token black bestfriend. That one black guy or one black chic thats essential to prove the show's producers are not racist. The only other shows that star an all black cast are reality shows that feature black women mostly "actin a fool" on t.v., by cursing, swearing fighting, sleeping with multiple married men and doing mostly nothing of importance. What makes theses shows stay in popularity are the millions of black folk that tune in each night to watch other blacks fight on national t.v. No wonder why adults wonder why children are growing up so fast and with out morals or any sense of direction. Children imitate what they see and with no positive images to mirror. We end up with shows like "16 and Pregnant". So here we are with children growing up worse than ever with no one to blame but the adults in charge, where ever they are....