it's the middle of the spring, I got a hoodie on
volume 7
What’s up ya’ll..my fault this is a little “late,” consider it a rain delay. How you doing?
As for me, I’m feeling better than I have in past weeks. I know this because I’ve finally mustered up the energy to give myself a mani/pedi. It’s remarkable how my bad bitch powers just increase with some krazy glued fake nails! I feel ready to take over the world…or at the very least finish typing this email.
Because I love myself/torture, I’m attempting to quit cigarettes today (but not puff bars) and I’ve been on a liquid-only cleanse for 36 hours. What should my first solid meal be? Sound off below…
LATE
10) Steak 48 Dress Code & $100 minimum
I write a lot about Philadelphia because I lived there for many years and developed a soul tie to the place. I give credit to the town for developing my character as a hustler, soldier and a boss.
Anyway, this week some steakhouse I’ve never been to, went viral with their very long and specific list of a dress code and $100 per person mandate. This shit was longer than my block list, which happens to be very lengthy.
Based on the verbiage in the above dress code, it led many to point out that it felt racist. Some came out with examples of profiling/non-entry/bad vibes they experienced while dining there, vowing to never return.
I also saw a similar thing happen to a black person at Le Bibloquet in Atlanta, the restaurant had to apologize.
We need a black owned everything…yesterday, so we won’t have these problems.
9) Fenty in the Blow
Unfortunately there have been reports of overdose deaths in NYC caused by cocaine laced with fentanyl. Various warnings went around giving folks the heads up to be careful, which I also shared as a few people close to me have overdosed.
If you are using, please be careful. You can purchase fentanyl test strips for $1 here, might be worth it. If you feel like you’re struggling with drugs or your mental health, SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
8) Black Wall Street Massacre 100
Today marks the 100th Anniversary of an event that led to one of the most covered up atrocities in America’s history: The Tulsa Race Riots
In 1921 Oklahoma, Black Wall Street in the Greenwood District of Tulsa was a thriving black metropolis. Before destruction, the town was doing their damn thing with a copious amount of black owned businesses: lawyers, doctors, hospitals, newspapers, theaters, schools…literally everything.
After a misunderstanding involving a black man and a white woman (that’s how it usually goes), white residents of the town stormed Black Wall Street to burn, bomb and thus totally destroy the neighborhood.
To make matters worse, no one ever really talked about it in detail for decades. The current Tulsa mayor said he didn’t even know it happened until 2001. They are still trying to figure out how/if they should teach it in Oklahoma Public Schools.
Late last year, they discovered a mass grave of the victims and they are still currently digging. Talks of reparations are upsetting the white descendants who don’t feel they should have to pay for the sins of their ancestors. Should black people have to pay for the sins of theirs?
Check out NYTimes' virtual piece that I really enjoyed. They attempt to recreate and better illustrate the forgotten Black Wall Street by identifying and highlighting the specific businesses and people who owned them.
I also enjoyed this interview with some of the descendants:
Also, love and respect to Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band who hail from Tulsa. The letters in “GAP” each stand for a street name that led into the long gone black town. You can watch Charlie speak about how an elder survivor of the event begged him not to speak up about it until she died, here.
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
7) Vaccine Rewards…Where’s Mines?
Am I the only one who is kind of jealous of all these people getting free shit to take the vaccine?
Should I have held out a little longer? I could’ve gotten a scholarship or at least a cheeseburger. All I got was chills and fatigue for a week, and lusty eyes from the marines at Medgar Evers! They’ve even mandated paid time off in New York for vaccine side effects…I need to reclaim my time.
6) Lil Baby Visits The White House
Lil Baby took us all for surprise when he showed up at The White House in support of George Floyd’s family on the death anniversary. That was a pretty noble move, I guess. I wasn’t feeling this photo of him and Nancy Pelosi.
You’ll remember that Nutty Nancy THANKED George Floyd for sacrificing his life for justice. I just don’t understand how she or her speech writer thought that was the correct syntax.
On the contrary, I’m into this elevated Baby. He’s making gospel songs, he’s sitting down with politicians…what’s next for the guy?
Also, him and Lil Durk have one of the best songs of the year “EVERY CHANCE I GET” Baby’s verse is fye and inspired the title of today’s email. It’s chilly AF in Brooklyn (I’m secretly into it though).
5) I-AM-A-TOY.COM/SNITCH
Rest in Eternal Peace always to J. Scott, one of the purest, coziest, most ahead-of-his-time souls I’ve encountered. To those who don’t know (get your life together) he ran an incredible digital portal called “IM NOT A TOY” which I’m flipping & borrowing here. “Toy” is a terminology in graffiti culture denoting an unskilled writer who’s not really about that life.
This week Some Gen Z “toy” bro appropriately self-named @BOZO_207, allegedly got beat up after tagging some ugly shit over someone else’s piece…a deadly sin in graffiti. I heard one of the people he tagged over passed away, making it even more foul.
He apparently got caught in the act and got dealt with, allegedly. Or maybe he fell. After getting his shit rocked, he took to Instagram story to report about his karma with a bloody face and lots of sensitivity.
He also vowed to stop tagging for awhile (great!), calling the NYC graff scene the most toxic. Then, he took things to the next level of outrageous by filming himself riding around in the back of a cop car looking for the dudes who left him leaking. Snitch ass, bitch ass behavior.
If only everyone else who takes up unwanted space in communities (that they never took the care to truly learn about/provide to in meaningful ways)…would have such a sudden realization: I should leave, maybe it’s not for me. We can’t give him too much credit, because he’s actually just like every other gentrifier in calling the police. What a mess.
4) Rory & Mal Return
Weeks after getting publicly fired, Joe Budden’s former cohosts Rory and Mal have returned to the internet with a preview of what’s next for them:
Going along with the real life thematic of getting let go/looking for a job, the boys put together the above skit which I found to be cute. I didn’t really laugh, but I admired the skillful way they were able to lean into the sheer ridiculousness of the matter by making fun of themselves.
They actually may have a chance at being successful on their own, especially since Joe’s podcast sucks now without them. I’ll be keeping my eye out for the next move. The guy interviewing them in the video above is Rich Kleiman who appears to be a big stepper. Budden might want to pump things up on his end…soon.
GREAT
3) RIP Eric Carle
It’s not great that he died but great that he lived. The illustrator Eric Carle passed away this week.
His illustrations are itched in millions of minds who grew up reading his books. I appreciate what he has done for my visual history and I wish him a peaceful journey.
Sharing the animated version of his epic book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
2) The Shop Season Premiere
As I mentioned last week, sports don’t do much for me…but the stories behind the athleticism peaks my interest. I’ve enjoyed Lebron’s HBO show The Shop prior and this season opener featured Jay-Z, so I of course had to watch. Brooklyn bias.
In the interview which also features Bad Bunny’s sexy ass, two other dudes and a WNBA star…Jay-Z is the main focus. He shared this beautiful story about how he only learned how to swim when Blue was born so he could be able to save her, if he ever needed to.
Grace, growth mindset, healing, individuality, confidence, music, gender equality…are some of the topics discussed. Definitely check it out.
1) Vanessa Carlton is not a Karen
Now this is how you show allyship. I am overjoyed to announce that although she could be, Vanessa Carlton is not a Karen!! She came out this week in full support of the rappers who sampled her song A Thousand Miles, to make another song about killing people:
Vanessa called out the inherit bias in those who have a problem with her clearing the sample and she provided literature and receipts. The attached article in her tweet:
Go ahead Vanessa! Of course, I do not condone murder and I do kinda wish that people could find other things to rap about but after all.. art imitates life.
Until next time…
that dress made me feel some type of way, cause the girls stay out of og GP! and i need a lotto ticket or 2 for getting the vaccy!!!🙃😒