CEDTalks

Have you ever noticed how often cliches conflict? For example, many people believe in the theory "Que Sera Sera" (Whatever happens, happens), while others such as myself follow the saying "Carpe Diem" (Seize the day). Whatever quote you use is up to you; the purpose is to foster knowledge and improvement. One of my new favorite sayings is "When the rubber meets the road..."; It refers to racing, and is analogous to a moment of truth or important opportunity. The quote is used to define levels of performance or being "clutch" in pressure situations. What I've learned over the past few weeks is that those who are unique, talented, and dedicated separate themselves when the rubber meets the road. The lesson became all too real this past week, as I experienced both grave disappointment and incredulous exhilaration in one day. That day I stood before my hero, filmmaker Spike Lee, and pitched my show with pride and zeal. It was a total shock t...

Hey check out my words, titled Essence of Storytelling: I’ll say it once again I’m the solid form of ether/ So clutch around the “Mike” I started calling myself Steve Kerr/ Black Dustin Beiber/Excuse me, Justin Beiber/ Either way they download me, like Adobe Reader/ This is what the young kids like to call “Swag Rapping”/ I can do it all baby this is just multitasking/ If the beat so far gone , you get the Best I Ever Had / Or if it’s slow, I pick and roll , like you decided to play the Jazz / You get the analogy? I really hope you got it/ I pay attention to detail: t’s crossed, I dotted/ Swag rapping is cool, but not always compelling/ Which is why this Slick Rick learned the Art of Storytelling / Every once in a while, it can come in handy/ Like you see a pretty lady, and you want to talk fancy/ For instance, I met a Jersey girl who had an R&B preference/ So when I was spitting “G”, I would make a song reference/ She really really liked Chris Brown/ To that I said, “ Excuse M...

Yesterday was truly a bittersweet day, as my family celebrated the homegoing of a very great man, my great-uncle Marvin Hawkins. It's really hard to condense the accomplishments of "Uncle Marvin" over 65 years into a few sentences; in short, there will never be another like him. Uncle Marvin possessed three things that truly established him as one of a kind: A joyous demeanor which could not be fazed, a love of the Lord matched by few, and a true understanding of his calling. I told my grandmother (Marvin's older sister) I had never seen him upset. She laughed and said he never was. While I'm sure he experienced pain, his smile always remained unscathed. Nothing took him out the zone; he was Tom Brady on soul food. Throughout his life, my uncle was an astute believer in God. Everyone knew he loved the Lord and it was reflected in his life. You can't front on Jesus, like he's one of your hoochies. Uncle Marvin loved him so much he joined a doo-wop GOSPE...

Take a look at my little bro Malcolm as he speak words of truth in his video blog series, "Questin'". Malcolm Perry-"Questin" The "little" brother

Shoutout to my alma mater Cheyney University, who posted a piece on Pick 6 on their website. (Note my rugged good looks in the pic!) The link is below. Cheyney University Article on Pick 6

Before I begin, I want to say Rest in Peace to my Great Uncle Marvin Hawkins. You were the nicest person I have ever met. You were a man of God, took care of your family, and I've NEVER seen you upset. EVER. You focused on the good in life, and you were an inspiration. One of the greatest love stories of all time is the romance between man(woman) and success. Our relationship is rocky and at times mirrors the journey of a sports team en route to a championship.  Endurance becomes a factor as we encounter so many obstacles on the path to greatness. That's just how the chase is. It's comparable to that dream girl you meet and fall in love with. You'll do anything to end up with "her". When you find that career of choice, all you desire is to be successful in that. Any other occupation is the equivalent of a jump-off, and if you "marry" that jump-off, you have to live with the fact you settled. Chasing that dream job is not peachy keen, however; it i...