CEDTalks

"We don't love them hoes..." Snoop Dogg, "Gin and Juice" The Doggfather's iconic line could easily double as the thought process of many prominent companies towards minority consumers. The past six weeks has served as a backdrop, or better yet a microcosm, for the intolerable behavior of mainstream companies towards people of color. The NFL has dominated recent headlines with their reactions to players kneeling in protest of police brutality and treatment of people of color in the US. The league, its teams, and owners forged to take a stance of sorts in response to recent criticism from President of the United States Donald Trump. Players and owners locked arms or knelt together to show a form of unity, despite the showing creating a clear detour from the original purpose of the protest started by former San Francisco 49ers quarteback Colin Kaepernick. Also this week, ESPN suspended anchor and co-host of "SC6" Jemele Hill for her personal Tw...

Hov for President...too soon? Earlier this morning, the world and Black Twitter stood on end as we received  4:44 , the 13th studio album release from hip-hop legend and business...man Jay Z. As done with his last release, "Hova" caused a stir with initial stipulations to obtain his album, requiring a subscription to Tidal and/or phone subscription to Sprint to stream immediately. This was of little concern, however, as fans turned into military strategists working to gain access to the album. As evidenced by the initial coverage by both social media and traditional media, 4:44 is a nother example of a conscious, thought-provoking album setting the music world ablaze. Following the recent leads of Kendrick Lamar's DAMN (and To Pimp a Butterfly ) and A Seat at the Table from sister in law Solange Knowles, Jay tackles socioeconomic, cultural, and even personal battles and creates what all initial signs show as a commercial and intellectual success. Whichever nick...

To stay in shape during my days off from the firehouse, I've decided to work my way back onto the basketball court. While my jumper needs work, I still have my handles, my Tim Duncan fundamentals, and actually, have learned a few new tricks. I felt like vintage D. Rose. Unfortunately, so did my knees the next morning. Asking my fiance for the Icy Hot was just another sign of my graduation to...lord..."Old Head" status. The true O.G. Upon the age of 26, we reach a qualifying age for the 4 tier chart of old head status, also known "O.G.". Ironically, the lower tiers appear to be young bucks to the higher members, but they are considered...more "mature" in the grand scheme of life. Like sports, age is a taboo point of discussion; experience is required to achieve the ultimate success, but we often attempt to cast away our elders at the first sign of Father Time. Despite this, growing old is a wonderful thing. If done strategically, we all ...

Sometimes it's the little things. When I was 11 or 12 years old, I played Little League baseball. Basketball and Football were my sports of choice, but Ken Griffey, Jr. truly had me believing I could earn this major league money. A few days before the start of our season, the coaching staff ended an afternoon practice by handing out our brand new uniforms. No problems , I thought, about to get this #24 jersey; this "finna be a BREEZE"! Unfortunately, another teammate overheard my excitement and sneakily claimed the jersey before me.   I broke down and cried. Cried like a little kid...a biatch, by any other standards. When that so-called teammate grabbed that jersey and no one stood up for me, the only defense available was shedding tears. My teammates and coaches stood there. No one consoled me; nobody prayed for me either, Kendrick . All of a sudden, my dad appeared. Just when I expected him to reign down with tough love and tell me to stop crying, he led...

"Now she want a photo/ You already know though/ You only live once: that’s the motto n*gga YOLO/ We bout it every day, every day, every day/ Like we sittin’ on the bench, n*gga we don’t really play/ Every day, every day, f$%k what anybody say/ Can’t see 'em 'cause the money in the way/ Real n*gga what's up?" -Drake,  "The Motto" The acronym YOLO (you only live once) spread like wildfire and is arguably the most commonly used phrase now amongst the 18-25 demographic. Drake's four letter mantra on life symbolizes the rebellious spirit of our culture, placing sole emphasis on what satisfaction can be gained from the current moment. Those who follow the creed live by simply throwing caution to the wind, ignoring the risk of future consequences for what is available, as Luther Vandross called it, "Here and Now" . If Drake was saying "YOLO" to his accountants, He wouldn't be smiling like this. When this theory is...