faith

faith
Whats good fam im just jumpin back in the blogesphere to shoot my 2 cents about something ive been meditating on lately. While cutting the grass the other day i felt like i got a word from the Lord concerning "faith". Alot of times he speaks to me when im zoned out so it was no great suprise as i was in robot mode that he decided this would be a good time to download some needed info to me. The convorsation , albeit one sided started with the Lord pointin out to me that i needed to "exercise" my faith , to which i replied "yes lord i get it, i do need to exercise my faith, i get it". Well ..his response really got my attention when i heard him say , no you really dont! .."get it" which lead me to ask , as he knew i would, "well then what do u mean". The Lord preceded to advice me that my faith is just like the strength that lays dormant in my muscles. Just as at birth we all have a measure of strength no matter how small , even an infant has a "measure" of strength he has also given us a "measure" of faith. The problem is we'll work out our physical bodies to become stronger or in better condition while our,shall we say "faith" muscles lay dormant, and in a time of need we look to summon them at will and wonder why we fall short at times of that ability to move mountains in the time of need or maintane under the pressures aka weight of life. Ever waitin for that quick adrenaline shot(aka the HolySpirit) to assist us in having that wonder working power that will inable us to overcome whatever obstacles or thing we are believing for. Its been often said that in a time of chrysis a sudden rush of Adrenalin can infuse the physical bodywith enough power to do the extraordinary, the Lord pointed out to me that wheather we realize it or not thats how we approach our faith life. Never realizing that, thats a hit or miss method. The Lord advised me that we should be looking for opportunities to put our faith to the proverbial "test" in this way we are stretching and strengthening it. Got a headache ???stretch your faith..speak to it and command it to leave...need a better job...go put in applications at places u would like to work and "beleive that u can have that job".....footnote faith without works is dead just like sayin your on a diet but never actually changing your eating habits is futile, find scriptures that support your faith(these are like your multivitamins)... true "faith" is something u go forward and act upon ...The Lord expressed to me that we should constantly be seeking things to apply our faith to no matter how small or trivial like cross training to hit different muscles groups and force them to grow because by doin so , the activation of our faith will become "second nature" and when needed, because we have built up our faith muscles we can say to whatever mountain we face "BE THOU REMOVED AND CAST INTO THE SEA" and it will be done! Jesus is a excellent example of a "faith -work- out -junkie", he even stunted and withered a fig tree on the drop of a dime cause he was hungry and the tree hadn't produced fruit...now if that aint goin hard i dont know what is LOL...so lets hit the gym and get built up "in our most holy faith" -Holla!

faith

Whats good fam im just jumpin back in the blogesphere to shoot my 2 cents about something ive been meditating on lately. While cutting the grass the other day i felt like i got a word from the Lord concerning "faith". Alot of times he speaks to me when im zoned out so it was no great suprise as i was in robot mode that he decided this would be a good time to download some needed info to me. The convorsation , albeit one sided started with the Lord pointin out to me that i needed to "exercise" my faith , to which i replied "yes lord i get it, i do need to exercise my faith, i get it". Well ..his response really got my attention when i heard him say , no you really dont! .."get it" which lead me to ask , as he knew i would, "well then what do u mean". The Lord preceded to advice me that my faith is just like the strength that lays dormant in my muscles. Just as at birth we all have a measure of strength no matter how small , even an infant has a "measure" of strength he has also given us a "measure" of faith. The problem is we'll work out our physical bodies to become stronger or in better condition while our,shall we say "faith" muscles lay dormant, and in a time of need we look to summon them at will and wonder why we fall short at times of that ability to move mountains in the time of need or maintane under the pressures aka weight of life. Ever waitin for that quick adrenaline shot(aka the HolySpirit) to assist us in having that wonder working power that will inable us to overcome whatever obstacles or thing we are believing for. Its been often said that in a time of chrysis a sudden rush of Adrenalin can infuse the physical bodywith enough power to do the extraordinary, the Lord pointed out to me that wheather we realize it or not thats how we approach our faith life. Never realizing that, thats a hit or miss method. The Lord advised me that we should be looking for opportunities to put our faith to the proverbial "test" in this way we are stretching and strengthening it. Got a headache ???stretch your faith..speak to it and command it to leave...need a better job...go put in applications at places u would like to work and "beleive that u can have that job".....footnote faith without works is dead just like sayin your on a diet but never actually changing your eating habits is futile, find scriptures that support your faith(these are like your multivitamins)... true "faith" is something u go forward and act upon ...The Lord expressed to me that we should constantly be seeking things to apply our faith to no matter how small or trivial like cross training to hit different muscles groups and force them to grow because by doin so , the activation of our faith will become "second nature" and when needed, because we have built up our faith muscles we can say to whatever mountain we face "BE THOU REMOVED AND CAST INTO THE SEA" and it will be done! Jesus is a excellent example of a "faith -work- out -junkie", he even stunted and withered a fig tree on the drop of a dime cause he was hungry and the tree hadn't produced fruit...now if that aint goin hard i dont know what is LOL...so lets hit the gym and get built up "in our most holy faith" -Holla!

Hip Hop - Where it is and Where it was

Yo whats good fam just droppin my first line here on live journal. Right now I'm sittin at the day job killing time so i figured why not drop in a line or two just to get my feet wet. Anyway i was just thinkin bout how the music mainly the hip hop and r&b side of the industry and the fans have changed.

Back in the days when hip hop was just on the come up the music had so many deviations and so many options it seemed like you could find a new favorite artist every other week, which made the game seem so fresh and new with every new listen. I remember the first time i heard the Roots illadelph half life boy was my mind blown! from the sound scape to the rhyme schemes i was just in awe of what i was hearing not to mention the creativity involved in a project like that. See back in the days being a hot commodity in hip hop was not based on record sales it was based on the actual music that was being made, that's what drove us to the stores, drove us to read all the liner notes and 'want" to be the first one to let your friends know about the latest ill spitter that wasn't on their radar yet.

I was in a studio session last night with my fam and we got on this topic of how things are sooo based on album sales as opposed to real skills. The moment Jay-Z uttered the words "whose the best emcee Biggie , Jay-Z or Nas" the culture went into a frenzy - not over who had the most money or the biggest house, but over the lyrics. We immediately began to defend our favorite by quoting actual lines from our favorite emcee, to prove to whomever would listen why this or that person should be deemed the best! Which only pushed you to devour and seek out the most potent verses and lyricist around to uphold or add to your argument.

It's not that I'm not still in love with hip hop, but to a degree, I get why and how Nas could come up with a concept like Hip Hop is dead. Your status was never measured by your record sales then, critical acclaim meant as much as a plaque on your wall and artists with little to no radio spins got as much love as artists that were in heavy rotation on the daily. It was more about the vibe, the art and the feel.

I found it interesting when 50 cent stated that he was a better artist than some of his adversaries such as Jadakiss, and Fat Joe, based solely on their soundscan numbers, but then years later, after losing a "sales" battle to Kanye West and having two disappointing albums himself, states that the culture was now "too" driven by record sales when this is the very monster he seemed to cater to when things were on the upswing for him. I bring this up only to say that at some point, this industry and the fans have to start investing back into the "art" of hip hop, as opposed to the fly-by-night catchy hooks and blahzay blah verses that are here today and gone tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong - who doesn't enjoy a good party. But honestly, it seems most artists are too afraid or dare I say lazy to push themselves to make timeless records instead of goin for the flavor of the month. I'm not saying this to hate on the current crop of artists, cause Hip Hop is big enough for us all, but there does need to be a balance and right now there is none. I love this culture and I think it has a lot to offer, but I think it starts with the fans. If we accept anything - that's just what we'll get.

Have a good one! JonBlaQ OnOurGame.com

Jeru The Damaja - W.A.R.s Thoughts

Today I popped in Jeru The Damaja’s first joint “The Sun Rises in the East” and an epiphany came. It’s funny how you don’t realize how dope something is until you listen to it with more mature ears. It was that classic vibe of one producer and one MC…the perfect vibe.

I guess way back in 1994, being a senior in high school, I didn’t realize the shear nuggets Jeru was spitting. Back then I was still soaking in the mere dopeness of Primo’s boombap and never paid that much attention to what this man was saying. Now, almost 20 years later, I realized that this man was a thinker in every sense of the word.

The album was a complete album. Witty wordplay, skits interweaved into rhymes, history lessons, philosophy, and a somewhat eerie prophecy of
what we are glorifying in hip-hop today.

Every single song had a purpose, a lesson if you will. Either Jeru was
teaching the solution to our grim reality or preaching his dopeness as
an MC, and even that was minimal. Simply put, Jeru summarized the
plight of black men, societal woes, heritage, and hood commentary in a
mere 13 tracks.

Songs like: Can’t Stop The Prophet was a vivid account of Jeru playing
the role of a superhero committed to saving the black man from traps
set by government and even the community. Ain't The Devil Happy was a
masterfully executed lyrical thesis on how we have become our own
worst enemy, done in a reverse psychological fashion that makes anyone
listening take an introspective look at themselves and society.

I could go on and on. However, I began to ponder another element. We
had Jeru, Rakim, KRS, and Public Enemy to teach us. Who do the youth
have today?  Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, OJ Da Juiceman, and a host of
other rappers/druglords who cannot decide which profession they want
to stick with.

Jeru spoke of ridding the community of crack. Gucci speaks of flooding
the said community with crack. It’s a dynamic that is sad yet widely
accepted in hip-hop.  I could go on and on but I think the viewing of
these 2 videos will explain it perfectly. Evaluate the difference.
Till next time…Think about it.

Take a look for yourself.

Jeru- Cant Stop The Prophet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBQDWsBewSs
Gucci Mane- Street Niggas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNsCxa4BZB8&feature=channel



Contributor:

W.A.R.

Joyce Meyer - The Battlefield of the Mind

Having been published in October of 2002, my only regret about reading Battlefield of the Mind – is to have not read it sooner.  Joyce Meyer has done a splendid job in writing this book, and I sincerely feel that it is a God inspired work.

Joyce is a well-known Biblical teacher and multi-million selling author of more than 70 books.  As a child, she was sexually abused, and was also a victim of an emotionally abusive first marriage.  She is no stranger to negative thinking and strongholds of the mind, and has personally experienced the worst of it – but more importantly, she has lived to conquer these strongholds and turn her life around.

For anyone struggling to gain control of their mind and their emotions – and that would be most of us – this is a must read!  The entire book is scripturally based, to the point, and filled with a wealth of knowledge.

As a Believer in Christ Jesus, I found it to be encouraging, inspiring, and right on the money. However, I would also recommend this book to anyone – regardless of his or her belief system, as the challenges faced on the “battlefield” of the mind is something everyone faces on a daily basis.  As long as you can keep an open mind, the core principles and ideals of this book, however “religious” they may be, can still be applied to your benefit. 

Meyer’s writing style is easy to read and understand, but this is not a novel.  It is packed full of information and insights that can help you arm yourself against the attacks of the devil and negative thinking, and reads as such.  It’s not something you speed through or read for pure enjoyment, but something you should really take your time with, and allow the information to fully sink in. 

Battlefield of the Mind really does shed light on the ways of the devil, and even our own ways, that can have serious negative impacts on our lives and of those around us.  I encourage everyone to read this book – and then to read it again!  You won’t regret it.  And, if put into practice – along with the Word – it can really change your life.


Battlefield of the Mind
By Joyce Meyer
Publisher: FaithWords
ISBN: 978-0446691093
List Price: $14.99




Contributor:
Mz Nokz

The Roots - how i got over

Do you remember when you were between the ages of 5 and 10 and your parents used to groove to music from the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Earth Wind and Fire, Gil Scott-Haron or Frankie Beverly and Maze?And as you got older you remember these bands but more importantly you remember the way they made your parents feel as you begin to develop the same feelings for music the way they did?

In my opinion this can be said about the Roots Group for our generation. More specifically about their latest Album “How I Got Over”, which will be their ninth studio album.

In these days where the lines have been skewed between what is considered real Hip Hop or just stuff to make a buck. The Roots continue to remain tangent to these arguments by consistently giving us a broader spectrum with a firm foundation rooted in the Hip Hop Culture. Introducing new and innovative ways of building this culture up, to me, has been The Roots greatest accomplishment.

There is hardly a question when it comes to Quest Love and his masterful skills on the drums, which provide that authentic boom bap that is sometimes missed in today’s Hip Hop. Just listen to tracks such as “Doin’ it Again”, “Web 20/20” and “Radio Daze.”

Verbally, Black Thought put it best when he said “The unsung, underrated, under-appreciated / The one the underachievers had underestimated Finally graduated,” though it is the sad truth about this fire spitting MC from Illadelph. Let me be the first to tell you that he has not lost a step in his skills and I feel safe to say he is at the top of his game. Consider this – you have featured artists on the album sound as if they’ve stepped their game up just to hang with Thought – now that’s really saying something. “To me” Phonte sounds like he walked away from this project with a whole new prospective of what it means to be an MC.

Tariq Trotter’s raspy vocal gives us no reason to count him out as one of the most prolific MC’s of our times, with lines such as “Straining to carry the weight of my brain like a genius/ Knowing I’m sowing seeds, let’s see whose thumb is the greenest/ If I said it I mean it, I did it because I need it”. Don’t think just because this is rumored to be their last Album that Black Thought can’t still eat MC’s like a carnivore, proving that cats can’t walk while chewing their gum and all. With “Web 20/20,” featuring Peedi Peedi and Truck North, he lets would be competition know “Sucker like you just has to get blasted/ Ashes to ashes, Frasier to Cassius/ No homo, y’all some pains in the asses”. So please don’t take Riq Geez as a lightweight MC. PLEASE

The most standoutish artist featured on this album is Blu. I say that in the respect of when I first heard Mos Def introduced on De La Soul’s “Big Brotha Beats” – expect more from Blu in the near future. His poetic cadence and fluid flow on “Radio Daze” and my personal favorite, “The Day,” provides a breath of fresh air for the new generation of Hip Hop artists to inhale. With lines like “…lost in a mass mess task-less dilemma to match somebody’s status” from “Radio Daze” or “Handpicked to live this life we take for granted like a child with and upright bass, we can’t stand it” from “The Day.”

Other artists that appear on the album are Dice Raw, Phonte from little Brother Foreign Exchange fame, Patty Crash, John Legend provided his melodic vocals on “Doin’ it Again”, Peedi Peedi, STS, Truck North, and Monsters of Folks, who accompanied The Roots on a remake of their song “Dear God.”

From start to finish this album has everything a Hip Hop fan needs – consider this a classic and place it in heavy rotation in your car, your PC or even your iPod while your walk around the house doing lil’ odd jobs. I can’t wait until the same feeling I have for The Roots overcomes my 6-year-old son the same way it did for me when my Father used to play Cutis Mayfield.

Contributor:
The 5th illa (etc.)

Studio Session With Flight

So what’s good world?!?!? Its ya man JonBlaQ back on my blog thing once again haha. Anyway my new update is on a recording session I had over the weekend (Aug 21st) with some young cats from Raleigh named “Flight”.

Now honestly I’m not much for the younger generation’s version of Hip-Hop, no disrespect, but Soldier Boy and Waka Flaka (Gosh I just feel dumber saying his name) just don’t do it for me, but I can understand the appeal that some of the newer artists of today have so it’s all good. I got a phone call from one of my team stating that he had a friend who was looking to get some studio time for his kids and some of their friends, and of course I was like cool but honestly in the back of my mind I was preparing myself to sit through a few hours of a lot of chanting, little to no flow and in general, no subject matter to think of.

Saturday morning arrived and like clockwork, the first thing I noticed was that they were right on time, which was out of the norm for any rapper, present company included, but then they began to file into the house one after the other and I started to think, “dang I aint know I was gonna be recording the Wu- Tang” – there were so many of them lol. As we got in the lab and all the introductions went down we decided to get right to business. I popped in the first track and thought ok here we go… and then it happened, these cats (six of them to be exact) proceeded to run through rhymes like they had practiced these joints in their sleep, one after the other each individual stepped up to the mic like they had been doin’ this all there life, and mind you this was their first official studio session.

Needless to say, I was impressed. Now the first track, “Take over” is just one of those joints that grabs u from the giddy up!! No denying it, if it hits the radio the “Take Over” will officially begin for “Flight”..but then they went on to do something I didn’t expect – a song called “My Cinderella,” which caught me out there with the word play, flows and the whole subject matter of 3 individuals from  a group of 14 yr olds. This song, like Take Over, was lyrically on point, from the way they bounced on the beat, to the cleverness and thought put into the rhymes, again I was a lil beside myself.

As we moved on to the third and final song, that also has a feature from OnOurGame artist Rashad Yarnell and consists of all 6 emcees was  such a banger!!! The engineer in me was literally itching to mix all there joints down right then and there LOL. At this point, myself, my home boy Remington and two of the kids father, Darnell Ellis( who by the way is an Emcee himself) got into a conversation about how dedicated they had been on working on their rhymes, and basically preparing these songs …..

Then it dawned on me, for all of my complaining about what Hip-Hop was and how its changed, over all it really hasn’t... see – after watching these young cats at work and seeing how hungry they were, I realized that Hip- Hop is not dead in the younger generation, and although it may change in ways some of us older cats don’t understand, there are still young people coming up who do care about lyrics and still get super excited to spit a hot 16 over a beat, just like we did when we first got started, and as long as that’s the case, Hip Hop could never truly die, not to say that most of what the industry is pumpin out nowadays is hot or even luke warm, but I gotta say if “Flight”  is the future, I think the game is in good hands!

Till next time holla at cha boy –JonBlaQ
Peep more pics in the gallery section of the website from the session and be on the lookout for Flight!

Contributor:
JonBlaQ