CEDTalks

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...

"Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics." -Alex Haley "It's hard out here for a pimp." Stories like Fruitvale Station (starring Michael B. Jordan, above) offer chilling descriptions of some of the elements Black still face today. While there are more sophisticated ways to describe the daily challenges of life in America as an African-American in 2013, the phrase synonymous with the critically acclaimed film   Hustle & Flow   sums up Black life in a honest and relatable manner. In fairness to our predecessors, society has made great strides in civil rights and the financial and career ceilings for Blacks are considerably higher than in previous eras. Despite this, the quandary of creating and maintaining a high quality of living looms large for Blacks individually and collectively. Social issues wage war on the African American family; the  Black u...

We really should study Man Laws in school. In addition to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the principles which hold up the bond between boys should be covered after U.S. History. Man Laws, also know as Guy Code, are the unwritten rules that the male species use as guidelines for successful living. They cover many elements, including money an relationships, and keep "bros" in line. Unfortunately, since these laws are unwritten, they are often left up to (mis)interpretation. With all the confusion, it's time to do some manscaping (ilk, not like that.) Let's clear up a few of the more important man laws. Pay Me Back One of the quickest ways to dissolve a friendship amongst the fellas is an unpaid loan. People work hard out here! Girls may do it for "the love of Ray J", but many men (many, many, many, many men ) do it for the love of money. Anyway, we work hard, and our paycheck is our biggest source of reward. This means those who we loan ...

President Obama, I understand your stance. No, not your B-Boy stance that cemented you as the coolest president in U.S. History, but your eye-opening, head-turning, twitter-trending stance on same-sex marriages. It allowed many to reflect on their perspective on this topic and homosexuality overall, stopping to do some soul-searching. As a young Black heterosexual male, I grew up in a culture that (to this day) is fearful, judgemental, and demeaning towards gays and lesbians. In this culture, conversations with friends and associates result in the use of phrases such as "No Homo" and "Pause", a charge to excuse the previous statement because of its homosexual connotation. This excludes the "gay " metaphor, comparing something or someone bad to being gay (e.g. "You didn't get the job? That's so GAY.") While NBA players Grant Hill and Jared Dudley do their part to curb this behavior, it is still an ongoing issue. In my opinion Gay Ri...

"Nice guys finish last." What a hogwash statement. Seriously; it's baloney, maybe even pastrami. Through entertainment, business, and romance, the belief is that a man with etiquette and morals is one with diseases, like the measles or swine flu. When you turn on your television or read your news...kindle, you witness arrogant, womanizing egomaniacs praised as charismatic men with undeniable "swagger". Men who are interested in helping others and making people enjoy themselves are undervalued. The result is young men trying too hard. These men, known as "Nice Guys", are seen as sweet people who are great to know and make you laugh, but are OFTEN over looked for men who...use less effort to receive approval. As a teen and in my early college years, I played into this. It's such a weird feeling; you become enamored with doing right by people, as if it determines whether people will like you. Half the time, if you are "too" nice, peo...