Beautiful Young Talent

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith certainty have a power family, to say the least. Each member is doing big things, from acting to music...you name it. They are not only doing it because of the weight of their names, but for the fact that they actually have talent. It runs in the family. The latest addition comes from nine year old, Willow Smith, who recently released the single, "Whip My Hair." The be truthful, it sounds pretty dope from the start. This little girl goes hard, with more enthusiasm that some of these grown folks doing it. Not to mention, she has a pretty pleasant singing voice, which will only keep refining itself if she stays on this path. Check out the video, which can also be viewed on clemagazine.com. It is always a pleasure to see beautiful young talent in the making. Later, for now. I'm off to the gym.

The Post That Goes In No Particular Direction

The Summer is just about over. Kids are going back to school. People who have been working are still on the grind or perhaps coming back from vacation. A year ago, I would have been going back to college. Now, that degree is within grasps. It is a milestone to say the least, but there's so much farther to go. Which brings the question to fruition: what's the next move?

They say you if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. There's no doubt that I have plan, but when you go from being productively engaged around the clock to sudden lag, the mind starts to wander. It may even start to play tricks. Of course, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing, while writing for a couple online magazines, hunting for jobs, and staying in shape among other things. However, it is not the same, especially with the future looking so unclear. With such hunger comes the questions of faith, purpose, and the ability to make sound decisions. There are the should have, could have, would have moments. Am I doing enough, or maybe I should do something different, or maybe I should have done this thing here different. Sometimes, too much time to think can rather unpleasant; this coming from a mind that’s overactive as it is.

You start to think about some of your good friends who are returning for their last tour at school, those who have started working and pursing their dreams; all doing big things. Nostalgia and impatience sets in and I ask myself, where do I even begin to fit in between all of that...contemplation? These thoughts are consuming and the present fades into the background, while this post continues on as choppy as my mind.

Not too long ago, I had an experience that put things into perspective. I haven't told many people about it, except now, for anyone who reads this. I often ask God for guidance, so as to put me where I need to be; to use me to do some good on this Earth. On this particular day, after going to the gym and trying to do some reading, I am just about to go mad from being in the house. To escape the madness, I head out to meet one of my good friends in the city. Ironically, I take my sweet time leaving the house.

When I get to the train station, which is above ground, I encounter this elderly lady as I'm going up the escalator. So far, nothing out of the ordinary, yet. As I move past her and continue on my way, it is not very long before she lets out tiny squeal followed by a crash. In that instant I turn around on the up escalator and walk down to where she lays. Holding her hands, I ask if she is okay and if she can stand. Barely audible, she replies no.

Once we reach the top, I pull her off the moving escalator and leave her where she lay, careful not to move her too much. She's worried about her stuff, so I make sure she has them near, while no one troubles them. At the same time another guy comes over to comfort her and a lady with her kids calls 911, while sending her daughter down to get the attendant.

After a little while, she wants to get up, so me and this other guy help her to balance and guide her to a nearby bench. Now, she has become much more lucid. We find out she is in her mid seventies and that she was on her way out to Long Island. Unfortunately, grandma has this huge knot on skull to go with her fall.

Otherwise she seemed okay, only shaken with a bit of a headache, no less. The guy and the woman with her children go on their ways and I make it a point to stay with this lady until the ambulance arrives. In what seemed like long enough, the EMT along with the subway attendant and the police show up to address the situation. I then explain what happened, as they check her out and gently place her on a rescue stretcher. With the assistance of the elevator technicians and officers they took her back down to ground level.

The way she left, it appeared that she would be okay; dubiously I cannot say what the outcome of her condition is. I pray that she is strong and well.

In hindsight, at that moment, I believe that I was exactly where I needed to be. I mean, I could of been at the station later or earlier, missing the whole thing and maybe someone else would have been there for her. Maybe the whole thing wouldn't have happened at all. Either way, I was where I was at that time for a reason. A surreal situation such as that one snaps you out of your own world into reality, into the present. That, in the least, shows me that if I keep doing what I am doing; doing right, pushing, believing, and enduring then I might just always be right where I need to be. Thus, there is no need for me to heavily concern myself with what was or what could be. After all, life, right now, is as precious as it gets.


On a side note: If you read into all that, you should read the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, if you haven't already. #Justsaying...oh and follow me on twitter @thisjentleman, if you haven't already. haha

As always, God Bless!

Black Thought

I haven't been around here in a while, but it sure feels good to be back doing what I do best. I just want to keep bringing you the best of my creative moments and inner thoughts. Now that I have finished school I am able to devote much more presence to this blog, as I delve deeper into those creative juices. I thank anyone who has followed me and supported me in this journey. That love is what it's all about. This piece, in particular, is something I have been playing with for a while. It's inspired by the things I've seen and, past and present, as well as some interesting conversations I've been able to share with some amazing people. The purpose was to inspire something positive. With that being said, I hope you enjoy it, and as always don't be too shy to leave you thoughts.





They make it hard for man to stay humble
Living in the jungle
This world you call struggle
Waiting for you to slip up
And tie you with a mussel
To be successful
You got to prove yourself to someone
else's Someone
Before you can please yourself
Some , they call it Hell
While, others call it Wealth
In case you lost yourself,
Trying to find out where you're living
En-caged in bio-cells
Enslaved in mental prison
They got us locked up
Don't even have to see a jail
Demoralized on front lines
Acclimated, first to Fail
So in order for us to get by, you know we bound to sell
Be it your Soul
Be your body
Or your mind
You addiction got you dreaming
Anything to reach your goal
Anything for that piece they behold
Your lusting keeps you cold
Until you're chiseled out and hollowed
Then got nothing left to show
As you realize you're broke
They sell you nothing they don't Own
So you can break your back
And sell it back to them for scraps
Now, who's to blame for that?
Misguided by Allure
Distracted from the Earth
Can't you read between the Lines
Invest inside your worth
Capitalize over capitalistic Bribes
Industrialize yourself a Brand Name
Imperialize, you are Kings and Queens from whence you came
Look into your own eyes
See that Love's not blind,
But you choose to turn a blind eye
Witness your stream
The breaking of real...

Talent Runs in the Family

Diggy - Made you look Freestyle (Flow Stoopid) from Diggy Simmons on Vimeo.

The Simmons are a truly talented and successful family (Russel Simmons, Rev Run etc.) and it looks like "Diggy" Simmons is taking up after the Rev. I just had to repost this. so check it out and leave your thoughts.

Checking In

Once again, It's been a while since I last posted something on here, but have left in the least. With all that I have going on it's hard to even find the time or even find a good thought to write down. I'd much rather leave you with quality than empty words. As you can see I've gradually changed things around on the page and added some new art work along with some music. Also, I'm going to do a bit of promoting and ask you to check out CLEMagazine (collegeloveent.com/clemagazine). There's also a link further down the page. It's a college influenced online magazine catered towards the needs and interests of our young adults, largely representing our college students. Even if your out of school, you should check it out. Its all about uplifting and supporting our young people, plus there's a lot of fun and interesting content for everyone. We cover Jobs/Internships, Advice, Sports, Music, Fashion, and Current Events just to name a few. So if you would check it out I would appreciate that. I am one of the writers and we all work hard, taking time out of our busy schedules, to bring you the best content. If you like what you see, don't forget to spread the word. Thanks!
Now I will get on to my point or rather the randomness on my mind at the moment. "Big Ups!" to the New Orleans Saints on their Superbowl 44 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, even though it's been a week already, but still congrats must be given where they are due. I'm truly happy for them and I believe without a doubt that they deserved it, especially since the Saints have never ever gone that far in franchise history; it couldn't of come at a better time. What remains more crazy is the fact that it comes just a weak before New Orleans' biggest celebration, Mardi Gras. The Saints win symbolizes a great deal of things, not just for the Saints, but the city of New Orleans itself. We all know what happened back in 05'. Even know the city is nowhere near where it should be. No, the Saints win does not fix everything, nor anything for that matter, but it gives the city and it's people a surge of pride, a surge of hope, and and a surge of strength. The Saints fought so hard in that game not only because they wanted to win, but because they were carrying their entire city on their backs. Yes, there is plenty of work to be done, but this victory represents a small victory in the hearts of many people affected by a treacherous disaster; this victory gives the people of New Orleans another reason to hold their heads high. God knows we all need reason to hold our heads up at times. If you want a little more on that story check out this link: (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/us_sport/article7019086.ece). On that note keep New Orleans in your hearts. Furthermore, don't forget about Haiti. If you can't make a donation, (Times are hard all around) at least keep them in your hearts and prayers. We all can use a little support in our times of hardship. Just to add another highlight, I'll give another Big Ups! to the Eastern Conference for winning the NBA Allstar game. On that note, I will keep the post coming (poems, thoughts, etc.), so stay tuned.
God Bless!

Reflections and Resolutions: Happy Holidays, Ever Forwards

It been a while since my last post, and what a year it has been. Right now it remains a blur, so there is nothing to do but keep moving forward. I'm trying to enjoy the night, so I'll keep this short. If 08' was a bad year, 09' takes the cake. New Years Eve started off nice only to have New Years end in drama, marking the beginning of the end of a long friendship. Then, apprehensive and scared out my mind I got under the knife to repair a torn up knee from a simple pick up game; something I still haven't fully recovered from. School and work, well I'll just leave it at that. I'm not trying complain or say, "woe is me." but that's how the year went. Like my knee, I see it as a year or rebuilding and switching around the foundations I stand on. Having heard other people's 2009 woes, along with the current events of the world, I'd say it's a rebuilding year in general. Through all the loses, the ups and downs, I've learned a great deal: Your first love teaches you how to love, how to be loved, how to be a better you, and what not to tolerate; blood doesn't necessarily equal family, your true friends and family make it all worth while, It's not who you've know the longest, but who's never left your side, do what you love and never work another day in your life, most importantly find something to laugh about everyday, which is my resolution, along with being a more content individual. Much more than that, there's not a whole lot more I can say, but Happy New Year! There's much more to come! God Bless!

We Were Once A Fairytale

I came across this video a couple days ago and I thought that I would share it with you, that is if you are not familiar with it already. This is Kanye West's short film adaptation of "See You in My Nightmares," featuring Lil Wayne off of his 808's and Heartbreaks album. It is directed by Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) and it shows a rather dark and ominous side of the artist. It is a bit freaky, but also pretty cool. Take a look and leave your thoughts and comments. If it does not make sense the first time do not worry about it. It might take a couple views to understand the message behind this, and there are a few theories floating around. Anyway, Kanye is known for coming out with his share of interesting and odd videos. You got to love it because it takes viewers away from that generic form of media, which perhaps inspires you to think a little. Whether you love or hate Kanye, I think you should see this one. Supposedly, this video is not the complete finished product. If that is true, it would be interesting to see how the rest of this mini movie plays out.