#the way I hate suge knight

[babythegod]

[boricuacherry-blog]

Months before, Tupac had filmed his own death in a video. "It's just a fun little game...the game of life," Tupac said while working on the piece which showed him expiring, bullet-riddled, in an ambulance. "I know one day they're gonna shut the game down, but I gotta go around the board as many times as I can before it's my turn to leave."

Money B came to town to audition for the lead in a movie called Juice. Tupac tagged along.

They shot in Harlem with Spike Lee's cinematographer Ernest Dickerson directing. On wrap day Moritz took Tupac aside to congratulate him for his performance, and tease him about spending so much of his scale wages on gold jewelry.

Suge, who ran into Tupac at a recording studio, tried money first, offering $200,000 for a single song. Pac took the cash, but declined the Death Row invite. A seed, however, was planted. Earlier in life, Tupac had sold crack and his mother Afeni, a Black Panther, had dealt with a drug addiction, but he was on his way to fame.

The money, in any case, soon vanished. Some went for a Mercedes 300 - Tupac's dream car - which lasted less than 24 hours before he totaled it. The next day he bought another, and, when a friend admired it, Tupac gave it to him. He did hold on to an Oakland apartment, only Tupac kept forgetting his keys. He handled that by punching in windows, so many that after a couple of weeks his pad had the tightness of a colander. "Aren't you worried about security?" Shock G asked during a visit, gazing at the gold jewelry lying around. "Nah," said Pac, hefting an automatic weapon, "I got this."

Tupac appeared too busy to notice. Besides laying plans for a second album and another movie (John Singleton's Poetic Justice, co-starring Janet Jackson), he was preparing a benefit concert for Marin City's 50th-anniversary festival.

His tattoos seemed to incite violence. One showed a panther about to strike; another, an AK-47. But it was the three-inch letters he had cut across his stomach that said it all. THUG LIFE, they spelled - the i formed by a bullet. He'd explain that "thug" meant those who didn't have anything, and that the letters were an acronym for "The Hate U Gave Lil Infants Fuck Everybody."

The Atlanta charges would be dismissed, but there was one case Tupac wouldn't beat.

There were two versions of what happened. According to Tupac, he knew where things were going, but, uninterested in participating, got up and went into another suite to talk to his publicist. According to the young woman, she was raped and sodomized by Tupac and members of his crew.

"I'm going to show people...my true heart," Tupac Shakur said, pleading with the judge before being sentenced. "I'm going to show them the man that my mother raised."

The judge had other ideas. Condemning Tupac's "arrogance," he sentenced him to a term of up to four and a half years in the maximum-security facility at Dannemora, New York.

The approach to Tupac was smooth, too. Death Row, Suge said on a jail visit, was "family," and as "Daddy," he looked after all its members. He would put up Pac's bail. All Tupac had to do was join them. "I want a house for my moms," the rapper replied. Done, said Suge. Knight's lawyer, a white criminal attorney named David Kenner, scrawled out a three-page contract, naming himself Tupac's legal representative and Suge the controller of his business affairs. Pac gave it a glance and signed.

In 1996 singer Faith Evans - married to the rapper Biggie - found it hard to turn down an offer to record a song with Tupac Shakur for a self-negotiated $25,000. Now she knows this was not the best move. "I had no idea that Tupac had been signed to Death Row Records," she wrote. "I hadn't yet heard that Suge Knight had bailed him out." Her decision led to a decade-long rumor that she slept with Pac, which she denies. Even today she becomes unsettled by the topic of Tupac, and when pushed to talk about him, a clearly rattled Faith parses her words carefully. "I didn't know him. I don't know what motivated him. I'm glad I got through it the best I could." Unfortunately, she would not see a dime of the money from the recording. She says he told her if she wanted the money, she would have to "suck his d--k,' and feeling humiliated, she left.

He acted with Jim Belushi in Gang Related. So many scripts were coming in - so many that Tupac set up a company, Euphanasia, and hired his old friend Molly Monjauze to run it.

Their house - a Death Row-leased estate in suburban Calabasas - was always crowded. Pac's mother Afeni and sister Sekyiwa visited for long stretches, bringing Sekyiwa's two little girls with them. The Outlawz - Tupac's teenage cousins - were also in residence, along with any friend who needed a bed. Tupac completed the dorm atmosphere by installing banks of video games and slot machines.

The rest is well-known and told often. Tupac was shot. There are still some people though who believe Tupac is alive and well, on an island somewhere. Who killed him remains a mystery. Suge swore he wouldn't help,even if he knew. "I don't get paid to solve homicides," he said.

[notstilinski]

Desperados Starters !

Taken from the 2020 Netflix movie, Desperados! Some of these have already been edited. You can change them however you see fit!

“My first boyfriend was a teddy bear.”

“I’m not even going on Instagram anymore because I cannot see another pregnant belly with the words ‘nine months’ written on it.”

"I got a lot of guys in the mix right now. Some of them are ghosting me, which means they have my undivided attention."

“I’m sorry I called you a bitch when you told me you were pregnant.”

“I always feel like, on a blind date, you should have an automatic out. You show up, say hi, no chemistry? Just say no. Over.”

“Usually when girls get married, they try to yard sale their reject pile.”

“I saw your purse go flying into oncoming traffic and thought you might need some help.”

“I didn’t mean to look at your organs when I said that. It was just natural.”

“Look. I’m just facing facts, my personality is an acquired taste.”

“He likes kids, he owns a duvet cover, he liked me with a slight concussion. What more do I want?”

“I don’t have a problem with online gambling anymore. I already told you that.”

"Please stop hashtagging all of your Instagrams #photography. Everything on Instagram's a photograph."

“If I got an email saying, “Don’t read the last email,” that is the first thing I would do.”

“No, no, no. Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes, I hate it when you do that.”

“Come on, guys. It’s one hour of burglary and two days by the pool.”

“I hope this minibar is a megabar.”

“What do we do? Google ‘breaking and entering, I don’t know.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how desperate are you to break into this room?”

“I Googled you pink penis toy, and it’s called a vibrator, and it’s for girls who are lonely.”

"I'm bringing your body this way, and you're gonna have some sex."

“I completely respect you, and, look, my eyes are completely closed, I’m just gonna give this to you without any lawsuit.”

“That sounds like a human rights crime.”

“Sweetie, you’re not very good at revenge affairs, but that guy was a fucking asshole.”

“Stay away, whorebag, or I will pop you like a balloon.”

“What are you here for? What do you want? How can I get rid of you quicker?”

“You are way above using emotional blackmail.”

“I will remember this betrayal when I pick your bridesmaid's dress. They will be hideous and very expensive.”

“Was that the sound of a chainsaw cutting through bone?”

“What’s up, Suge Knight? Wow. I love what you’ve done with the place.”

“I’m not making this about me. I just don’t want to be here anymore, and I want the bus to pull over right now so we can get off.”

“Candles and flowers. Wow. Sounds like a Bachelorette episode.”

“Uh, take it from me. It’s always later in the story than you think.”

“Now you can tell the kids how Mommy stalked Daddy all the way to Mexico like a bounty hunter.”

“Well forgive me for assuming that a scam artist, hippie, sociopath wouldn’t be a woman.”

“I know you’re wondering if this is a good idea and the answer is: "please shut up."”

“Unbroken eye contact is a particular kind of torture.”

“I don’t know, he’s hopping out of the cake. I do not know this man.”

“You don’t wanna pop up with a little bit of crazy one day, and then surprise, he’s out!”

“Look, you are a lot of things, but normal is definitely not one of them.”

“You should know that, if I don’t take care of it, I, too, can grow a mustache.”

“When you say things like that, it sounds like you don’t take our problems seriously.”

“You know, I probably shouldn’t admit that, but I’m trying to own up to my eccentricities.”

“The blind date is not going good. He’s kissing another girl on the street!”

[iwbfinterviews]

Jake Brown Interview

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Is there a particular reason you chose to write about music, singers, etc?

I didn’t actually, lol.  I’m a songwriter/producer first, I grew up playing and writing music but always wrote as a way to kind of get through school because I was terrible at math, sciences, tests, etc.  I think there’s alot of people in the music business who started out like that.  It kind of happened accidentally, I was working for a record label right out of college and started writing copy for their catalog titles, press releases, etc and it just expanded from there.   I met a literary agent through that who suggested I try to write a book, and we sold the Suge Knight memoir to Amber Books, who gave me my start.  Another big early foot in the door moment was when I had the opportunity to write books with Ann and Nancy Wilson & Heart in 2007 and in 2009 with Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead.  Then the book nearly 10 years into my career that really kind of made me appreciate this career was the opportunity to work with legendary guitar player Joe Satriani on Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir.  I’d also started specializing in anthology-style books that feature LOTS of exclusive interviews in one book in chapter profiles so you could tell a bunch of people’s live stories at once, including the BEHIND THE BOARDS series, which began 10 years ago as a Rock & Roll producers’ series, the aforementioned In the Studio series with Heart, Motorhead, and others, and then finally about 10 years into living in Nashville I began working on the NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series and most recently the BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE book.  SO: the long answer to that question is, because I love telling the behind-the-scenes stories of both the hits and those who make them, be it songwriters or producers or drummers in the case of the BEYOND THE BEATS rock drummers series, or Hip Hop producers with the DOCTORS OF RHYTHM audiobook and upcoming physical version in 2021.  I’ve also been fortunate to write memoirs with some interesting characters like Kenny Aronoff, country rapper Big Smo and upcoming Freddy Powers The Spree of ’83 book which features Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.  So it's been an interesting run.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I work on several at once usually, that’s kind of my process, half day on one, a day on another, but for BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, I spent 4 straight months day in and out writing this book exclusively as it was over 600 pages.  I was reading the audiobook for Blackstone as I was writing it too, which was the first time I’ve ever done that.  Usually the audiobook is read after the book is completed.  Then it’s about a month of editing before its handed into the publisher.  So this was a real push, but it was worth it because of the feedback I’m getting first from the producers I worked quite extensively in many cases with on their individual chapters, and collectively in the book being a first of its kind for country music fans where they can read about how their favorite hits by country’s biggest stars were made while listening along on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, etc.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, I don’t know... I write every book thinking from the outset before I’ve even started putting words down to paper thinking about how that book will be marketed and promoted upon release.  There’s no point in writing something no one is going to read because when you get to the finish line you don’t have a gameplan on how to make readers aware of it.  Publishers, to be honest, can only do so much in that arena, every publisher’s publicist is usually like a social worker with 30 cases on their desk, so yours can only get so much attention.  So for instance, I always recommend to a writer to hire a great publicist and know that while that’s a considerable expense, it may be the best money you spend in getting the word out about your book because that publicist is working for YOU, not for 30 authors at once.  It's just a fact of the business that I think should get more light shed on it because you’re competing with that number I  mentioned above of 60,000+ books a YEAR coming out.  I also negotiate the right to press my own promo runs of 100 if needed because if not, you’ll wind up with a paltry 10 copies from the publisher, who for their own budgetary reasons, might not for instance be able to service all the physical review copies you’ll have to give away during the book’s promotion, whether to a disc jockey interviewing you on the air or the listener he or she is giving away a free copy to during that broadcast, as just one example.  If you don’t plan ahead for that, you’ll wind up paying that publisher $6 or $7 per promotional copy, which is something I’m SURE some of my own publishers would hate for me to pull the curtain back on, but its true.  Writers are paid LAST usually in the royalty chain, especially early on, but you move up in that order as you build a value into your name as a writer, which only comes with people hearing about you and your book.  So again, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST!  Your agent can be helpful too, but its typically up to you as an author to maintain your own social media presence and look for every available avenue to spread the word about your book so it has a chance to be read.  This is equally important for newer or more established writers, because there’s always a new generation of equally-as-talented new wordsmiths knocking on those publishers’ same doors... 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

In a studio making music or writing books for the various publishers I work for, or recording audiobooks for Blackstone Audio, so it’s pretty time-consuming.  I did just sign a worldwide music publishing deal for my songwriting catalog with Streets Music and David Gresham Company.  So I’m lucky to stay busy, to be honest, you have to too make a living in the entertainment business.  I have a wife and a dog too, so I spend what time I have left with them. ☺ 

Your 50th book is coming out June 23rd, “Behind The Boards: Nashville”. Can you give us insight on what it will be about? 

First, I exhale deeply every time I get asked that because it's finally DONE!  I spent 2 years collecting extensive, first-hand – many for the first time in a book – interviews with 30 of country music’s biggest producers, and in some cases, that meant waiting for a break in their busy studio schedules to talk, in others it meant multiple conversations over a couple years as we wanted to make sure we had all their current hits as they kept banging them out, and in other cases, because of the sheer volume of their catalog – some of these guys have been in the business since the early 70s – it took that long to chronicle it all.  That’s just the interview process too, then I had to write it and I write everything in one shot vs. a chapter here and there.  Its to me like staying in character as an actor throughout an entire performance, and when you’re writing a book like this, you’re in a headspace that never lets you sleep because creative narrative is CONSTANTLY hitting you about specific hits, and there’s over 300 # 1s in this book.  Additionally, there’s an EXHAUSTIVE amount of research I do to source out certain critical quotes of praise, for instance, from way back in the 80s, 90s, early 00s, etc from magazines that aren’t even in print anymore, as well as supporting quotes from the actual superstars these producers work with in the studio, which also takes a great deal of time.  So after all of that prep, once you begin writing, there’s another 3-4 months before the manuscript comes to life as a finished product.

As a result of that, country music fans here are given arguably the MOST definitive to date book chronicling the stories behind the making of their favorite hits in the studio, again how those artists specifically and uniquely work at their craft – i.e. does George Strait sing each hit over 3 or 4 vocals or 25 or 30 takes, etc – as well as how specific # 1s within those individual catalogs of Greatest Hits were created in the studio.  Then from the other side of the boards, so to speak, you get the producer’s first-hand recollections of their own personal journeys from the time they could first crawl and walk and started discovering music to their teenage bands and first tape-recorder or 2-inch reel to reel or 4-track or laptop home recording sessions all the way up through their rise to become the biggest names in the business working in country music today.  

Collectively, BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE features Dann Huff, James Stroud, Jim Ed Norman, Dave Cobb, Justin Neibank, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Chris Destefano, Jesse Frasure, Norbert Putnam, Josh Osborne, Luke Laird, Clint Black, Frank Liddell, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, Josh Leo, Nathan Chapman, Paul Worley, Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens, Bobby Braddock, Michael Knox, Don Cook, Frank Rogers, Joey Moi, Ray Baker, and Buddy Cannon, who did the Foreword, which was a TRUE honor.  Frankly, it was an honor to have every one of these legends speak to fans so candidly and openly about both their personal and professional lives in the music business.  Their stories are inspiring, ear-and-eye-opening, exciting, insightful, and hopefully educational for those kids growing up on their records now hoping to break into the same business.  So hopefully, there’s something for everyone who opens the book.

What were the methods you used to get ‘the’ interview with all the big names you’ve written about?

When you’ve been around this long, fortunately you can get in touch with just about anybody, whether they say yes or not to the interview is another story! (laughs)  But I’ve been pretty lucky, especially for instance with my NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series, which has TWO volumes and 50 of the biggest songwriters in country music in the first two volumes, and a THIRD volume with another 30 legendary songwriters coming out at the end of 2021, and especially with BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, which has 30 of the most legendary record producers in country over the past 50 years, guys like Norbert Putnam, who ran Quad and produced Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” Jim Ed Norman, who produced Hank Williams Jr’s Born to Boogie album, Ray Baker, who produced that whole 70s Honkytonk soundtrack including Moe Bandy, Whitey Shafer, and Merle Haggard and Freddy Powers among others.  Then you have the Millennial generation’s biggest names like Joey Moi, Dave Cobb, Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, Ray Riddle, and on and on.  

What do you think makes a good story?

Well, for this book, the most common thread woven throughout many of the chapters/live stories of these producers were the long-term working relationships they’ve  maintained with many of country music’s biggest stars throughout their entire careers or the majority, for instance, Jeff Stevens and Luke Bryan, Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw, Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney, Michael Knox and Tony Brown, Frank Rogers and Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Frank Liddell, the list goes on and on as long as the Greatest Hits track listings do.  Equally as importantly for a book like this, is the fact it takes the reader quite literally inside the studio and pulls back the curtain on how their favorite country music stars record their biggest hits, and almost literally re-creates their recording from behind the boards by the producers interviewed.  Then on a totally separate front, from the academic side, its a 600-page book full of tips about how the recording process works from all sides, points of views, approaches, ages, and technologies, old and new, from analog to digital and the hybrid of both in the “in the box” generation of record making.  Hopefully, we’ve covered all sides of the process, that was the aim anyway so readers get a 3-D look, so to speak, at how the recording business really works.  

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I sold my first book to my first publisher, Amber Books, in 2001 and Tony Rose gave me my start in the business and I wrote for them almost exclusively for the first 5 years and 10 books of my career from 2002 to 2007.  So having a stable and still exciting publisher willing to take chances on you and equally-as-importantly, the kinds of books you might approach them with, is KEY for any new writer because writers must remember EVERY time a publisher takes a chance on their book, they’re putting real money behind it before they ever see a dime back.  It's a big leap of faith, and carries with it alot of obligations for the author, where it doesn’t just end with handing the book in, but also helping promote it and building a brand for your name so it can become more and more reliable for both readers and new publishers, as any writer’s goal should be to eventually build a catalog where they write for as many publishers as possible throughout their career.  But be prepared to start out writing for one, or anyone for that matter, who you can verify has a good track record as a publisher, or if they’re new to the game, doesn’t just want to put out an e-book, which anyone can do without a publisher, and is willing to commit to a physical pressing, and promotion of that pressing.  I wouldn’t go looking for advances on your first or even necessarily second book out, but start asking for them as soon as possible as its an important piece of the income stream for any working author, as much as royalties are later on down the road.  An advance lets an author know a publisher first can afford to put money into their book, and values them, vs. Alot of these starter deals that promise big back-end but nothing up front.  You have to be able to afford to take that hit once or twice out of the gate, but its not a career model any writer should plan on if they want to make a living as a working author.  The other reason I mention all this is because being a working writer is not just about the creative side of the process, but the entrepreneurial one too, because you have to be a self-promoter, and not be shy to doing interviews or promotion on social media, etc, as you’re competing with a THOUSAND new titles a week minimum these days between all the digital e-books and print books out there. I think the statistic was to be something like 60,000 books published in 2018 alone, so that tells you the competition you’re up against to even get a book sold to a publisher, let alone compete on bookstore shelves for the reader dollar.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Of my own books, I wouldn’t say any are underappreciated, I’m grateful for the fact that people still read my books after 20 years and 2 or 3 generations of teenagers (which are a primary part of my reading audience) still buy my stuff.  I try to give them consistently interesting reading subjects, either in the personalities I co-write with – like country rapper SMO, whose memoir My Life in a Jar: The Book of Smo, was released in 2019, or the Freddy Powers Spree of ’83 memoir, which is presently in film development and that I co-wrote a screenplay for with Catherine Powers last year, that was also something different, and say something like legendary R&B producer/artist Teddy Riley’s forthcoming memoir Remember the Times, which we’ve been working on for the past 6 years off and on and is looking like it might be heading to Teddy’s fans’ hands in the next year.  One key thing I tell new writers when asked for input into starting a career in the current climate for our business is be prepared to commit as much time to a book as the artist needs, its similar to an album – if the publisher wants it on a deadline, be prepare to deliver, but getting an artist to open up in depth about their life takes time, both to build trust and to physically take the time to do the interviews not only with them in principle but also with the huge list of supporting cast members between peers in the band and business and family members and friends, record executives, peers, etc that usually wind up on those lists.  It's a process you should NEVER RUSH yourself, only move at the rhythm of the people you work with and for, and you’ll wind up working alot longer in the business than those who are in a hurry.  

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Haha, I actually have a folder called “Projects That Probably Won’t Happen” and its filled with all kinds of “famous” bands/musicians books that just never got off the ground for one reason or another, but they’re all under contractual deals where I can’t talk about them in case they want to put a book out in the future, and I hope they all do.  Sometimes you encounter someone who is thinking about writing a book but is really 10 years before they’re ready to, or they aren’t really committed yet past the concept, so you do some sample chapter interviews but it never gets past that starting line.  I’ve thankfully left on good terms with the majority of those names, but with 50 published books in my catalog, most of what I have committed my time to has thankfully made it to store shelves.  That’s important for any new writer to remember, because with every new book project you take on, you’re committing a year to two years of their life to that process from the start of interviews through the completion, handing it into the publisher, editing, etc.  Anyone in a rush usually isn’t going to get anywhere is what I’ve found, it takes time, even if your mind is moving a million miles a minute, and your ambition even faster, pace yourself and you’ll last a lot longer in the race I’ve found anyway (cheesy sports metaphor aside ☺).  

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Haha, I’ve had some good and bad experiences there over the years.  I have NO problem with a consumer buying my book and then reviewing it one way or the other on say Amazon or Audible, etc, because that’s part of the business, but as far as book reviews from other writers, I just have to hope they like it and write fairly about it as it does matter impressionistically what readers then think of it as a potential product to buy and read themselves.  Sometimes, in walking the fine line I have to be between the technical and the creative in a series like this or Nashville Songwriter or say my In the Studio series, which has over 10 books in it alone, so you never know.  Its something I don’t pay alot of attention to as well because by the time a review comes out, the book has been out a couple months usually and we’re on the back-end of a promotional push, so if its a good review, it's a nice 4th quarter boost of coverage, and if it's not, then it's pretty buried vs. hurting the book’s launch on the front end.  I’m just being honest, sorry, but book reviews play a very MINIMAL role in most books’ launches if they’re properly promoted via author interviews, premier placements as we’ve done with American Songwriter, CMT, SoundsLikeNashville.com and others coming up, and for any newer writer, accept ahead of time that you’re GOING to get a bad review here or there, it's just part of the subjective review process, and doesn’t speak for your larger reading audience.  

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not when you write for a living.  It's not a luxury I think any of the writers I know who work professionally writing books can afford, that’s why you have to follow the simple rule of A.B.W. (Always Be Writing) ☺.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Probably doing the same thing, writing is how I make a living, so it's will be with me until arthiritis set’s in, but I’ve got 2 screenplays in development and hope to have at had at least one of them produced into a film.  I’m not unrealistic to think that it will go to theatres, but I’d be happy to see a streaming service selection with my name on it as a screenwriter, there’s 3 or 4 of my books fortunately in that cycle right now so we’ll hope one or two of them make it that far.  Beyond that, I’m in the studio every week as I have been the past 20 years making music and will continue doing that, hopefully to a greater degree with these new publishing deals I’ve signed as I have over 200 released songs in my own catalog, none in Country lol, but I just try to keep putting out new creative product across multiple mediums at as prolific a pace as the muse allows without the quality of the end-product being compromised.  That’s the point at which I’d stop I guess, if the quality of the writing lessens to where people don’t want to read my stuff anymore.  Thankfully, I have built up a pretty loyal reading and retail-buying audience over the past 2 decades, and hope to keep putting out books that help music listeners understand how hard and still rewarding a business the record business is.  It's an amazing world to wake up working in every day, and I love helping musicians tell their stories on paper, so we’ll just have to see.  I hope to have hit 60 books by then, although my ultimate goal is another 50 over the next 10 years! (laughs)  Thanks again for your time and support of this latest project!    

[reverseracism]

Hey, bruh, do you have a minute?

Of course, I do. You look concerned. Is something wrong?

I was just about to ask you the same question, bruh. Are you OK? I just saw a bunch of tweets that didn’t make sense. They were calling you racist, and they mentioned Toyotas, and something about The Tonight Show band and the place where you work. It really didn’t make sense, so I thought I’d come directly to you.

Oh, that? Yeah, Tucker Carlson is beefing with The Root as being racist against white people.

Wait, who is Tucker Carlson?

Tucker Carlson is a white man.

That’s all you got; he’s a white man?

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to minimize Tucker Carlson. Tucker Carlson is not just a white man, he’s the white man.  

When you hear black people say, “the white man is a motherfucker,” they’re probably talking about Tucker Carlson. If you looked up “white man” in some dictionaries, there’s just a picture of Tucker. He’s such an unremarkable white man, the universe named him after a penis-hiding process. Tucker!

Everything about him screams white. He thinks he’s smarter than he really is. He pretends he’s not racist, but everyone knows he is. His face is always adorned with a Lord Petyr Baelish-like smirk that is a mixture of evil, arrogance, and bitch-ass-ness. He has a show on Fox News even though he’s not especially interesting, good-looking or talented. He’s perfectly mediocre. There’s only one way to describe him:

Tucker Carlson is a white man.

But what does that have to do with you? Or The Root? Or racism. Or Corollas? I’m still confused.

That’s what I’m here for.

On Wednesday at 11:09 a.m., I received a perfectly mediocre email from the head booker at Tucker Carlson Tonight (notice the perfectly mediocre name of the show). They requested an interview, saying: “We often see your pieces in The Root, and we’d be interested in discussing many of the themes relating to race in our country that you often analyze.”

That seems perfectly mediocre. So you told them “yes”?

Well, as soon as I read the email, my “nigga senses” started tingling.

Your what?

My nigga senses. You see, there are many black people who possess a superherolike sense of detecting white fuckery from afar. Whenever I smell Caucasian shenanigans, I feel a tingling at the tips of my fingers and toes. Some people, including my doctor, think I should be tested for the gout, but trust me, it’s a superpower. It’s like Spider-Man’s spidey senses. When I first discovered them, I put in an application with the X-Men, but they haven’t called back. I know it’s because Wolverine be hating on me.

So what did you do when you felt the tingling?

I did what any smart black man should do: I asked a black woman—specifically my editor in chief Danielle Belton. I knew she would give me a thoughtful, well-reasoned, educated response.

And what did she say?

“Don’t do it. Issa trap.”

Those were her exact words. So I emailed the Tucker Carlson show with a keenly worded email detailing my hesitation to appear on the show. I think my response illustrated my feelings that I don’t think productive conversations about race can be had in 4-minute segments. Furthermore, I know Fox News tries to include black people so it can make it seem like it’s not racist to its racist audience. I’m not saying that everyone who watches Fox News is a racist. I’m just saying that all racists watch Fox News.

I also think I perfectly outlined my recollection that the last time I was asked to appear on Fox News on Laura Ingram’s show, I was replaced by Tariq Nasheed after I declined. I believe my email succinctly summed up my apprehensions.

That’s dope. It must have been a long email. Can you read it to me?

No problem, I know it by heart. My email to Tucker Carlson Tonight read:

“Nah, Fam. I’m good.”

Wow. So that’s why they’re mad? Because you didn’t come on the show?

No, it gets better. It turns out, my nigga senses were right. It was a trap. They wanted to lure me on the show to talk about why The Root hates white people so much.

Basically, they wanted me to explain why it’s OK to be white.

Damn, that’s cold. But I still don’t understand what this has to do with Questlove, Black Thought or Priuses.

Well, Tucker Carlson decided that his viewers should boycott The Root and our sponsors. One of our sponsors is Toyota. So Tucker decided to do what Sean Hannity did when he convinced the dumb whites (my least-favorite flavor of vanilla) to smash their Keurig coffee machines. But Fox News viewers are the people who voted for an alleged pedophile who rode a horse to the polls, so they aren’t as internet savvy as you would think.

Somewhere I imagine Black Thought is checking his Twitter feed and wondering what the hell is going on.

So are you upset that you are being painted as a racist?

Here’s the thing: Some people will say I am a coward for not going on Tucker’s show to face him and defend myself. I have no need to explain me, my writings, or anything on The Root to a bunch of people whose minds won’t be changed in 40-second sound bites by a black guy they invited on so the host could paint him as anti-white anyway.

And why would I smear Tucker Carlson’s mediocre whiteness as racist?

I have written a lot of incendiary things about white people. I won’t shy away from that. I have called white people racist and made fun of their dancing skills, their potato salad and how often they shoot up schools. I created the Wypipo Awards and held an entire Wypipo Tournament to find the worst of the worst. But none of the articles Tucker Carlson listed were written by me!

He literally called a random black guy to explain why the works of another black guy were racist. Which. Is. Racist. But you know ... I guess we all write alike.

But is The Root racist against white people?

Dammit, man! You’re going to make me reveal the secret to our sauce. OK, I’ll reveal it, but make sure you don’t tell anyone. Here it is: No one at The Root hates white people. We hate racism. The reason we are often called racists is because of an old Southern saying: “A hit dog will holler.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

It means if you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, only the one who is hit will let out a yelp. The rest just go on about their business.

A woman once took umbrage with my portrayal of white people, called me a “black gangbanger” and asked me how that made me feel. I told her it did not bother me because I am not a gangbanger. I went about my business. Yet, some white people are so racist, that when we throw rocks at racism, they think we are targeting white people. They are hit dogs. That’s why they holler.

The white people hollering at Questlove and driving their Rav4s back to the Toyota dealership will never be killed because The Root racially profiled them. The Root has never sent Fox News viewers’ children to underfunded white schools. The Root doesn’t subject Tucker Carlson’s fans to longer prison sentences because they are white. The Root has never issued a travel ban against mediocre white boys or tried to deport the Caucasians who come to our country and take our jobs. But, to be fair, the entire staff at The Root wouldn’t mind if someone built a wall around Fox News, but we don’t have the funding.

And some of them, we suppose, are good people.

So how will you settle this?

We probably won’t. Historically, white people don’t have a long record of taking shit back. Plus, the idea of a hip-hop beef between Fox News andThe Root seems like fun. I don’t know if Tucker is P. Diddy or Suge Knight in this scenario, but I bet Tucker won’t be talking that shit when I roll up with The Root staff and the X-Men in my used 4Runner.

So you don’t feel bad at all?

I’ll be honest. There was one small part of the clip that made me feel a little bad about this entire Caucasian kerfuffle: when Tucker Carson, looked into a camera and said:

“Attacking people on the basis of their race is wrong. That was the standard, and for a long time almost everybody in America believed it.”

I won’t lie. My stomach is still sore from laughing so hard.

[naijastudio]

Lil Baby ft. 42 Dugg & Veeze - U-Digg

Lil Baby has returned with a new tune alongside 42 Dugg and Veeze following the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his Untrapped documentary. Before joining forces with the Detroit rappers on "U-Digg," Baby was happy that the world would be able to learn more about the events leading up to his childhood and rise to popularity thanks to his new documentary having a home on Prime Video. The hilarious song "U-Digg" by Lil Baby, featuring 42 Dugg & Veeze, is available for your listening enjoyment. Lil Baby ft. 42 Dugg & Veeze - U-Digg is now available for download on naijagenre.com, and don’t forget to share this website with your friends for the most up-to-date information. Lil Baby ft. 42 Dugg & Veeze (U-Digg) Lyrics Intro (Antt did the track) Verse 1: Lil Baby 'Rari sittin' on twenty-fours, ya dig? I cut the bitch, she couldn't play her role, ya dig? A couple million plus I spent on clothes, ya dig? Bitch actin' like she scared, I bought her a Ghost, ya dig? These lame-ass rappers tryna see if I fucked they bitch, you know I did Got three hundred pounds at the spot and it all disappeared, you know where they went (What?) Ain't worried about a ho tellin' her best friend I'm cheap, she know I'm rich Got four-five hoes on a jet and it's only me, you know I'm lit (Yeah) I'm a hot head but my heart cold, that bitch just won't unthaw I done ran it up, I ain't goin' broke, that shit ain't in my thoughts I'm a real player, if you play it wrong, you can't keep the shit that I bought Got white girl like Mary Jane, trap swingin' like Pete Parker Can't blame him, that's my son, he just doin' the shit I taught him On rodeo in a Maybach, they think that that's Rick Ross Wanna fuck me, she a broke bitch, sorry boo, that's a big, "Hell nah" Wanna sneak diss, it's cool though, but your ass better not get caught (Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa) Chorus: Lil Baby & Veeze Got fifties, thirties, switches, every pole, ya dig? Brand new money, blue notes fallin' out my clothes, ya dig? This my business, can't nobody know, ya dig? (Nah) Nigga shake my hand but he really wanna cut my throat, ya dig? (Shh) These lame-ass niggas get dropped from left and right, you know I did it (Alright) When she put her hair in a bun and grab my belt, I'ma know it's real (Ooh) I'm heavy handed pourin' and all my cups be over spilled I done popped me a Act', a pint, this shit so red like roadkill Verse 2: Veeze That lil' hunnid thou', I made that shit five times, no deally (Fuck) He rap about opps but ain't put them hoes down, he silly (Haha) I'ma shop when I land, I ain't gotta take no bags, each city (Yeah) I'm fuckin' his bitch and talkin' about it in my raps, he gon' kill me I'm walkin' a check, got six-fifty on each leg, ya dig? (Yeah) Dollar Faygo, now it's worth a band, ya dig? (Ooh) Amiri flannel blue, I'm dressed like Craig, ya dig? (Ooh) Just like Simon, bitch, better do what I say, ya dig? I go to the club with it on me, I seen niggas die tryna run to the whip, yeah My life is a movie like Paid in Full, my uncles, they hate that I'm rich, yeah I might go to hell, I'll ice skate with the devil before I put faith in a bitch I fucked her so good, she ain't ask for the money, I was 'posed to be payin' her rent I'm givin' the blicks to the shorties for free, but they only get paid for a hit I'm capital P, how I'm peelin' these pints and paintin' these pops like Prince, yeah It come out the wrapper, it shine and glisten, it look like the flake of a fish The way I was kickin' my pimpin', a regular nigga, he can't even dig (Damn) I done dressed up, all my cups look like Suge Knight, you know they red My Glock so switched, it went from Kris to Caitlyn, you know it's trans Who that flew by in the 'Rari, same color Trae Young? You know that's twin I done fucked this ho for a year, I ain't go on no date, she know we friends (Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa) Chorus: Lil Baby & Veeze Got fifties, thirties, switches, every pole, ya dig? Brand new money, blue notes fallin' out my clothes, ya dig? This my business, can't nobody know, ya dig? Nigga shake my hand but he really wanna cut my throat, ya dig? These lame-ass niggas get dropped from left and right, you know I did it (Nah) When she put her hair in a bun and grab my belt, I'ma know it's real I'm heavy handed pourin' and all my cups be over spilled I done popped me a Act', a pint, this shit so red like roadkill Verse 3: 42 Dugg I'd rather chase that check, that bag, stash nine Ms over 1.5 Damn right, I got a dime, they don't see me I was probably wearin' Tru's before Chief Keef Drop a five in the Sprite, bitch, pink, pink (Yeah) If I knock a bitch down, hear, "Ding, ding" Time to go, Chrome Hearts vest four thousand (Yeah) What about the coat? Turnt young nigga, I know Never surrender, niggas askin' why I tote, bet if I up, I blow Fucked they bitch, I know, hundred Gs, five for a show, nigga I got the 'Cat, the Track', the Urus, the 'Bach, I bet if I call she fuck (Hello?) I got T-Rex the bike, TRX the truck, that shit like two hundred somethin' plus I'm the turntest nigga you know from the city, you dig? Bitch, if we catch him, you know we gon' kill him, on my kids This Big 4 shit so for real, I still spin just for the thrill But where you at? I'm on his heels, pull up on me, I'm at LIV (Miami) Listen Below & Download Mp3 Read the full article

[cobyblue]

1, 2, 49, 50

I know this might seem kind of narrow or self-centered, but I would travel back to the day in eighth grade on which [name redacted for privacy] came up behind me in her boyfriend’s oversized, super puffy First Down jacket and hugged me. It was arguably the most seminal moment in the development of my style as a girl and my affection for softness and–at the risk of redundancy–affection. If I could relive it (even as a mere observer) and put an image to the sense memory, I think it would provide a lot of insight into how I got here.***One of the key aspects of my transition has always been picturing myself as the women who inspire me; and while it’s quite clear that Ariana has my heart in a big way right now, if I could be anyone’s doppelganger today it would be Bebe Rexha.***Honestly, the only unsolved crime that has ever really kept my interest is the murders of Biggie and Tupac (and yes, I’ve been watching “Unsolved”; but I’m, like, six episodes behind). Hip-hop and rap were a big part of my life as a youth and I came up right around the time of their deaths. Was it Suge Knight? Was it an LAPD conspiracy? Or did they really hate each other that much?–I could honestly believe any of these scenarios. I just think the truth would be fascinating.***I learned long ago that imagining traveling back in time to change things is not only futile (because, you know, that’s not a thing that can happen) but emotionally damaging.I may have a cavalcade of issues in my life, but I wouldn’t change the journey even if I could.

[anythingstephenking]

The next stop is the east sideeeee motel

Coming of age in the 90s means that I couldn’t once look at my copy of The Regulators without humming a bit of 1994’s Regulate from Warren G. I was still a tween and definitely did not understand the East Coast/West Coast feud, anything about Death Row Records or Suge Knight, but 25 years later I still remember the lyrics to way too many rap tunes. Goodness gracious.

90s rap beefs aside, I was not super stoked to pick up The Regulators, after finishing Desperation. My thoughts on Desperation were scattered at best, so I’ll try to focus a bit more as I work through it’s brother, The Regulators, by Richard Bachman.

King published Desperation and the Regulators on the same day in 1996, as parallel universe tales of the same entity (named “Tak”) infecting evil and generally wrecking havoc on anyone that is unlucky enough to be in it’s proximity. They both sat at the top of the NYT Best Seller list for weeks, at #1 and #2, respectively.

King telling stories of parallel universes and intersecting characters is really nothing new; Hulu made an entire TV series on this premise. We’ve seen people, places, locations and evils pop up again and again. The only reason to really call these “sister-novels” was how they were published; which, whatever, is fine, but nothing new in the life of a King Constant Reader.

Desperation, published under King’s own name, following a more King-esque narrative structure. Although I did not enjoy this book, there was comfort in the storytelling. Desperation awarded us that build up; 200-300 pages where we’re just hanging around observing, getting to know the characters and developing a camaraderie with them.

The Regulators, published under King’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman, gives us none of the small narrative comforts that King grants us. The destruction starts no less that 10 pages in, and doesn’t give up until the epilogue. It’s an exhausting experience.

For Bachman’s version, we find ourselves in small town Ohio rather than small town Nevada. Many of the characters are the same or some version of their mirror selves in Desperation. Some folks are a little flippy-floppy; as an example, Desperation’s core family unit are Ralph and Ellen Carver, with their kids Kristen and David. David is the novel’s central Christ-character, the one producing an endless supply of sardines and crackers. In The Regulators, we find Kristen and David as the parents to Ralph and Ellen. Meanwhile, other members of the Desperation crew are basically their same selves, in Ohio rather than Nevada. Some folks are totally new to the story. Why? Who knows, don’t care.

For all the cross-over characters, I had a hard time following along with the whos-who in this book. The first page shows a map drawing of Poplar Street, where we’ll spend the 500 or so pages together, highlighting the location of the 12 houses where all the action is set to take place. I referenced back to this map often, because we kick into high gear so quickly - the first body drops on page 23 - all our character development happens through crisis. I can’t remember who is who; and the haphazard crossovers from Desperation don’t help unmuddy my mind.

Like many King (ne; Bachman) novels, The Regulators is about 200 pages too long. Without any real character development, 500 pages of plot is, as I said, exhausting. I was mostly annoyed with the exposition tactics used throughout - when you have such a long text, why is exposition needed? We’re subjected to 35 pages of a journal entry from one of the characters, explaining what Tak is and how it has taken over her home and invaded the mind of her nephew. We then get another 40 pages of letter from a mining operator in Nevada, explaining how said nephew was exposed to Tak. Ok, we get it, but not super necessary to understand what’s going down.

At the end of the day, the specifics don’t really matter - the terror is based around Ohio transforming into a child’s view of 50s westerns and a Saturday morning cartoon based in the 23rd century - what matters is the evil entity (Tak) that is the root cause of all this commotion. Like in Desperation, Tak is unearthed and inhabits others, feeding off their fear and pain, not all that different from our favorite dancing clown. Tak is ultimately defeated, but not before most everyone is dead by it’s hand. It’s a real bummer.

One shining piece of The Regulators is the inclusion of a black couple that does not exist to be ridiculed (I only counted a singular n-word at their expense, which for King is saying something) but exist to be part of the evil fighting crew. There is little to note on their race throughout the novel, and it was refreshing to read (King writing about race is solidly my #1 least favorite thing about his novels). Let’s hope this is the turn of the page I’ve been waiting for.

The Regulators was no more difficult to get through than Desperation. Since Bachman is typically the worst of the worst Debbie Downer, I was expecting to prefer Desperation. Both had their own merits in storytelling and character development, but at least The Regulators did not have all that heavy handed Christian symbolism that I hated so much.

4/10

First Line: Summer’s here.

Last Line: And in a sense, almost coming home.

Adaptations:

None, thank goodness. Like Insomnia, I can not imagine this strange cartoon western world with floating red dots of evil being would ever possibly translate to the screen in an interesting way.

[manhattanmomma]

The Painful Truth.

I am normally inspired to write about politics, motherhood or some deep observation but today is not that day.  Today is a day for self-pity.  I am going to speak my truth and I truly believe the truth shall set me free. Game of Thrones is one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life.  Pretty up there with, graduations, wedding day, birth of three children and Paleo diets.  I cannot contain the love I feel in my heart when I hear that Game of Thrones Theme Music.

Counter these sentiments with, being born a Gemini is one of the worst things that has ever happened in my life.  Although I have spent the majority of my life thoroughly enjoying the useless humor of my sun sign, I am now ruined by the fact that being a Gemini negatively affects my GOT viewing.  I simply cannot decide who should sit on the Iron Throne.  I see all sides and I can’t decide.  I am literally sick with indecisiveness.  

Team Daenyres

This should be a simple and straightforward choice .  She has dragons.  She started from the bottom, now she here.  She stepped into her power and sexual prowess both of which have aided her viable campaign to take over the Seven Kingdoms.  However, as a deep proponent of Black Liberation Theology, she is still a Becky with all of the privilege that entails.  So maybe the “Motha” in me wants to see her fail like the witch who played her out in the beginning.  Besides her arrogant, privileged existence got one of my baby dragons snatched up by the Night King.

Team Night King

He is really evil.  He is really scary. But every time he steps on the scene I am riveted.  My attraction to him is much like my attraction to Suge knight.  He is so ignorant, so wrong, so ancient and yet so powerful, quiet and intense.  He sees everything.  He stays in his lane and did you see the way he lovingly touched the dragon’s head. So what if he was turning it into a zombie.  Who doesn’t want to be touched like that?  My type of man.  I want to hate him.  I don’t want him to kill the world.  I don’t want to love him but  . .  .

Team Cersei

Cersei is pretty bad but she is my type of woman.  Complex, has her own set of principals, family above all else, and even when flogged and walking through the city butt naked, covered in shit and tormented, she remained regal and above all others.  She is always cold, cool, patient and calculating but when cornered she goes post-apocalyptic on her enemies.  I have been told I do the same.  If she wins, it is going to suck for the commoners but no one holds court like a Lanister and besides her DTI was out of control but she always pays her debts so she has good credit.  King’s Landing under Cersei will throw some epic parties.  I should hate her but she feels so familiar. 

Team John Snow

He reminds me of an ex. Principled, loyal, a safe choice, a rising star in his field but I just could not get into him.  I had to give him the talk.  “I am probably underestimating you, you probably have every right to the Iron Throne (in his case, my love and devotion) but you are just not my cup of tea, I need edges.”  Besides, he was soft and I didn’t like his family and friends(the Hound and Gendry) and he got my dragon killed.  We would have never lasted for the long haul.  Like Su Tzu said, “Know Thyself.”

So much to my chagrin, I truly can’t make up my mind.  A quintessential Gemini problem.  I am going to ride this out, see how it all plays out, make everyone feel adored and pretend like I was down from the start.  I guess that is why I stay winning.  I don’t think Capricorns have these issues.

[club2000]

When Dreaming Ends

Her eyes are closed. And once she feels it is quiet again outwards trying to claw her way out the back of her own mind. When she opens them again, Kuya can recognize the conture of black crystal over her face.

"I must have had a bad dream..." Kuya says. She speaks in a way similar and yet not to the most cherished experience of her many lives, via the mind so there can be no lies or interlopers, just the one she is reaching out for.

"What was it, my dearest?" Tomas asks. He was showering and felt her waking up again. Now he walks from one end of the Yume house tucked away in New England to the other to get into the stairwell that leads further down, into the crypt like structure of the house. He goes to the door and pushing aside a secret panel takes the large heavy moonstone and waits as Kuya manipulates the door with enthrallment mastery sliding the too heavy for a human to open door out of his path to her.

"I dreamed I was..." She pauses to find the words. "An empty thing. And people kept pouring things into me, time, faith, hope...but nothing stayed inside..." She sobs and covers her eyes. "It was terrible."

"Ah, my Sunrise, please hold on. I'm here." He says in his mildly Slavic accent. "You don't need to hurt this way..."

He makes his way to her crystal tomb and inserts the stone which winds its way down to the bottom of the domed egg shape lid, visible in the black transparent stone till it locks into place and the lid opens, slowly illuminating the cold dark chamber, the stone growing bright once it is raised near the ceiling and aligned with other gems of its kind inlaid at the tops of all the walls. It refracts energy and builds it up so soon the air glimmers with an eerie green glow, the heart moonstone like a spotlight above Kuya.

She doesn't rot anymore, once a god loved her and it gave her the ability to be fucked dead or alive. Either way her supernatural beauty remains, from nearly ankle length raven black tresses beneath her as if she reclined upon black silk, to the full curves and plump lips of all kind on her body, she remained her father's most coveted treasure.

She puts her hands down and opens her frost grey eyes and turns slowly to Tom. Those eyes are the worst part of her beauty, they tell tales even the dead would not share among themselves, seeming to scream in anguish even with her face blank and still.

Tom looks down and sits on the edge of the great black coffin and leans down to hug and pull her up into his arms. "Oh, sweet one... you are so weak. Can you move to bite?"

Tom had never met a person who had lived even slightly through as much pain as he had. He thought himself no longer human for all the times his heart kept on beating through the blood shed and wars. When fully controlled by his former masters he could have his cock flayed and not bat a lash. But then he found Kuya and saw how very human she still was and knew he could be a man again, not a dog or toy or machine.

And so when his eligibility as a thrall came to hand he jumped at the chance to be her her thrall, lover and sole confidant. After the pact she found something inside him that allowed their minds to join at a mutual seam and became able to speak directly to her rather than using sign language.

"Here take from my tongue, I didn't bring any knives down with me." He slipped his tongue into her cold dry mouth, the sensation initially making his skin crawl but now only rousing pity for a creature too uninterested in continuing to live to fucking drink a glass of water.

Her fangs pressed down weakly from her jaw remaining unmoved for months and their scalpel sharp tip did the rest. His blood flowed into her mouth into her absorbent tongue and straight into her veins. The pair shuddered and writhed in each other's embrace her cursed sexual nature forcing her body to flood with endorphins from his blood as he was forced to cum as well. The pair moaned and cried out the sound echoing in the large stone chamber.

When she could use her own mouth to speak her quavering voice wailed "I hate this!!"

Tom whined in his usual canine fashion as his mind spoke. "I know, dear. I know. But I'm here to do anything I can..."

"But you can't! No one can! It will just go on and on and on..!"

"So then fucking make me!! Goddamn it, woman! I'll not let you go a moment further if you don't wish to do it alone, make me your son by the fang, and I shall stay forever!"

"It can't...you will never be the same again... and some people...the turning breaks them... Silk wasn't always mad... Ugh uhn..." Kuya tips her head back tears squeezing out from under her eyes kids as the fresh blood hits like a coke overdose.

Her entire body is at its maximum sensitivity for a few moments, overstimulated in a way that is the most pleasure and pain she has ever felt. It obliterates her mind higher function, incapacitates her completely rending her body useless.

The entire time the sensation is chased with nightmare images seen whilst riding a carousel, a dizzying hellscape of thrusting silver and blood by the gallons staining her entire life, like the vestments of her station within the Northern Wolf clan. She still considers it her wedding dress and lies in her tomb in it sometimes feeling the energy still in the fabric.

"Darling, no!!" In his mind he envisions himself reaching out and snagging her hand before the madness of it all could take her down in to the frozen lake of memories, which is the only thing he ever fears now. "You have to stop and you have to come with me, I don't care about any gods or fathers, I care about you and I need you, please! Don't go again..! Y-you just woke up, let me feed and love and have and need you..."

Her mind echoes the words in a melody he has only heard in her head as the song doesn't exist in this realm. "Love me love me..." It stretches far and deep so all of her troubled heart hears it. There is a pause an beat of silence then "Need me, need me, say that you need me~" and again that stillness like the nothing between heart beats. He doesn't realize he is squeezing her tight in his arms till her voice angelic and full of hunger sings out. "Preteeend that you love me, go on and fool me..."

"Have you been a pop star in any realm? Because I swear you'd knock em dead, Sunrise. That voice always give me chills. Will you sing more?" Tom says quite conversationally knowing that demanding she be present with him is the best way to stop her slipping away.

Her body goes limp as the sensation fully ends and Kuya pants in his arms. "Are you nuts? I have such a shady past no matter what dimension I go to, I can't be Taylor Swift."

He chuckled and pulls her legs around to carry her to the nearby bedroom. "Ah, I could erase some stuff for you, baby. If you want to go on world tour making millions of die hard fans, I'd make that dream come true for you."

"Yeah, after Suge Knighting the shit out of some poor folks! Lemme just sing in the shower...when I can stand up. Ugh..."

"Hmm? Something?"

"Still feeling like I want you fuck me like you hate me..."

"Which I could never, so pop star it is."

[photosofusly]

Eyez Wide Open: Exclaim!'s Eight Favourite 2Pac Songs

As originally seen on Exclaim.ca.Promotional consideration provided by VVS Films   Over the course of a career that lasted just under a decade, Tupac Shakur (best known as 2Pac) firmly established himself as a hip-hop titan on the West Coast of the United States. While his murder in 1996 shocked the music world, his words and sounds have since influenced and inspired MCs not just in California, but across the globe.   The life of 2Pac as both man and musician is set to be explored on the silver screen this month with Benny Boom’s All Eyez on Me. Starring Demetrius Shipp Jr., the Pac biopic is set to chronicle the rapper’s rise to fame, his incarceration and his time at Death Row Records.   Before All Eyez on Me hits theatres on June 16, which would have been 2Pac’s 46th birthday, refresh your knowledge of one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures with eight of his greatest works in our playlist below.     “Brenda’s Got a Baby"   An oft-heralded aspect of 2Pac’s lyricism is his vivid storytelling when it came to penning rhymes about social issues. His debut single, "Brenda’s Got a Baby," which followed a 12 year-old girl who lives in the ghetto and gives birth to a child she can’t support, was no exception.   Reportedly inspired by a New York Times article about a similar situation in New York, the single found 2Pac not only spilling ink about the plight of young mothers but also the troubling view that the government, family and society at large viewed his Brenda character with upon its release in 1991.     "Holler If Ya Hear Me"   While songs further down this list paint 2Pac as a lover, "Holler If Ya Hear Me" finds him as a fighter "bringing truth to the youth" as he rails against poverty, politics and police injustice against the black community.   Over urgent production reminiscent of the Bomb Squad’s work with Public Enemy, Pac rallies his boys from the block to fight for, "Whatever it takes to live and stand / ‘Cause nobody else’ll give a damn." He even name-checks former United States vice president Dan Quayle, who called for Pac’s debut LP, 2pacalypse Now, to be pulled from shelves in 1992 for inciting violence.     "Keep Ya Head Up"   2Pac’s "Keep Ya Head Up" is one of his best-known pro-feminist critiques of misogyny, absentee fathers and a woman’s right to choose. Eschewing the hyper-masculine side of his work and the genre at large, Pac urges women to stay strong in hopes of a brighter tomorrow.   "Since we all came from a woman / Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman / I wonder why we take from our women / Why we rape our women / Do we hate our women?," he rhymes.     "Dear Mama"   As one can glean from its title, "Dear Mama" was written by 2Pac in tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. The song finds the rapper reflecting on how he took her for granted in his youth before appreciating and understanding what she’d been through in raising him.   "And even as a crack fiend, Mama / You always was a black queen, Mama," he raps, while bringing her struggles to light. "I finally understand / For a woman it ain’t easy tryin’ to raise a man."   Upon the song’s inclusion in the United States’ Library of Congress in 2010, Afeni Shakur remarked, "it is a song that spoke not just to me, but every mother that has been in that situation, and there have been millions of us. Tupac recognized our struggle, and he is still our hero."     "California Love"   His best-known single and first work for Death Row Records, "California Love" was released after 2Pac found himself "fresh out of jail, California dreaming" in 1996. Pac’s West Coast compatriot Dr. Dre, who had initially sought to release the track under his name, produced the song’s sunny, G-Funk instrumental.   Led by the robotic talkbox hook sung by Roger Troutman, the Cali love-in shouts out Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area, Compton, Watts and more in showing that "California knows how to party." Former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight pushed for the single to be released as a 2Pac track, foreshadowing the politics that would eventually consume Death Row.     "I Ain’t Mad Atcha"   Taken from Tupac’s 1996 full-length All Eyez On Me, "I Ain’t Mad Atcha" finds the rapper reflecting on changes in his own life and those of friends. Despite these changes, good or bad, Pac reiterates in the song’s hook that he isn’t angered or upset at how things have unfolded.   The first verse finds Pac referencing a friend he grew up in the streets with who converted to Islam and left his old lifestyle behind, rapping, "It seems I lost my little homie, he’s a changed man / Hit the pen and now no sinnin’ is the game plan." The second verse finds him pressing pause on a budding relationship upon doing jail time, while the third finds him hitting out at those that question his street status after the wealth and success rap brought him.     "Hit ‘Em Up"   Even over 20 years removed from its 1996 release, "Hit ‘Em Up" stands as one of the most vitriolic diss tracks hip-hop has ever seen, fuelling the fire of the regional beef between East and West coast rappers.   Shakur pulled no punches in taking lyrical aim at the likes of Mobb Deep and Bad Boy Records head Sean "Puffy" Combs, but put friend-turned-rival Notorious B.I.G. squarely in the crosshairs, too. Pac alleged that Biggie had not only mimicked his lifestyle, but his style of rapping. He also alleges that he had an affair with the New York hip-hop legend’s estranged wife Faith Evans three separate times on the track.     "Changes"   Though it was released posthumously on a 1998 hits compilation, "Changes" has become another of 2Pac’s standout singles, even earning him a posthumous Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2000.   Over a sample of Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s "The Way It Is," Pac expresses frustration with racism, police brutality and the social and economical struggles of his community. With hope for the future, he addresses the listener in a spoken word bridge, saying, "It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes. Let’s change the way we eat. Let’s change the way we live. And let’s change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn’t working. So it’s on us to do what we gotta do to survive."  

  Catch VVS Films’ All Eyez on Me in theatres June 16.  

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Eyez Wide Open: Exclaim!’s Eight Favourite 2Pac Songs was originally published on CALM | We Drive The Calmest, Strive Regardless