CEDTalks

Renaissance Music artist Ruff Trenton-born rapper Ruff provides listeners a relaxed, easy going affair with his debut EP titled "Smoove Sail". The EP offers a unique perspective as the project discusses relatable subjects such as economic struggle and relationships through a calm and unwavering approach. During "Smoove Sail", Ruff combats the rough waters of our existence with a poker face, inspiring its listeners to address their respective with the same unconquerable attitude.  On "Smoove Sail" Ruff, the Wesley College senior and Kappa Alpha Psi member, couples captivating lyrics with a smooth delivery and a voice synonymous with his name and the result is a relaxed voyage through life’s various circumstances. In the lead single “Bottle Wraps” featuring label mate Johnny Quest, he emphasizes the importance of celebrating life, while on the captivating track “Reminisce”, Ruff channels classic hip hop tales of the 90s and embraces his upbringing...

I've found myself visiting and sharing several posts from social news and entertainment site Buzzfeed; many of the posts not only amused me, but created moments of reflection. From 30 Signs You Went To A HBCU  to " 40 Things That Will Make You Feel Old ", I've considered how certain aspects of my upbringing and education shaped me. That said I bring to you my own list, eleven essential life lessons learned in my journey to manhood. While some of these are specific to my role as Black man in America, most are still applicable to grown men of all ages. 1. Reality shows are the modern day crack rock. What is something people fiend for, sets black people back, and is monitored by the government (in this case, the FCC)? While my father and those around for Reaganomics would probably answer "base", there is a new drug decimating the black perception and it's found on VH1 and Bravo. Many look at the shows as pure entertainment, but so were sitcom...

Take a listen to "Swappin Spit", the new single from new artist NerdBoy. Swappin Spit is off the debut EP "Reservoir Bars", premiering Monday January 27th!

Twerking .  With its recent explosion to mainstream media, just the mere mention of the word causes a multitude of opinions and emotions. It has become a pastime of sorts; women can now do the dance for leisure, recognition, or even income. Their public displays are an enigma; they can simultaneously  be enthralling yet demeaning and embarrassing; though the dance can be considered in many ways classless, it is also incredibly erotic and very hard to ignore.  This sight causes more hypocrisy in men the political office. I commonly find myself torn on how I feel about twerking.  From an early age, my elders taught me not only to treat a lady with respect and act chivalrous, but seek women who acted with class themselves. Despite this, it would be deceitful to state that watching a woman (especially a nice-bodied woman) gyrate is not arousing. Men love this ability for a woman to express her sexuality to almost degrading levels; we just desire that in re...

"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...

"Back to the future, gotta slow up for the present I'm fast, n*ggas can't get past my past How they propose to deal with my perfect present" Jay-Z, "Hovi Baby" As millions of rap enthusiasts salivate over Shawn Carter's new album Magna Carta Holy Grail  (or indulge in it, if you already downloaded it), one can't help but reminisce over some of his previous classics. I still play the aforementioned song and album in my car, the 2002 LP  The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse  remaining one of my favorite pieces of work from Jay. In the song, "Hova" elaborates on fans and critics alike being so enamored with his contributions (as an artist and person), they miss his modern day creativity and genius. While this is a theme that Jay revisits later in his career , this line always struck a chord with me and does now more than ever. It tells a story of a person's attempts to prosper being squelched by nostalgia, and the challenge of ...

"I Ain't No Joke" is a song by rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, released as the second single from their debut studio album Paid in Full. It peaked at number thirty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

Talib Kweli decodes the classic anthem "Get By" from his 2002 album, Quality, explaining the influence of JAY Z's "I Just Wanna Love You" and The Beatles in the writing of the record.

"Déjà Vu" is a song by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles, featuring vocals by rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Knowles for her second solo album "B'Day" (2006). "Déjà Vu" is an R&B song, which incorporates elements of the 1970s funk and soul music. Its music is largely based on live instrumentation, including bass guitar, hi-hat, horns, except Roland TR-808 drum machine, which is a non-live instrument. The song's title and lyrics refer to a woman being constantly reminded of a past lover. Watch "Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z - Deja Vu ft. Jay-Z" on YouTube

"Hov on that new sh*t n*ggas like how come N*ggas want my old sh*t, buy my old album N*ggas stuck on stupid, I gotta keep it moving N*ggas make the same sh*t, me I make the blueprint" Jay-Z, "On to the Next One" This past Saturday, comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live  featured a guest appearance from Kanye West, who debuted two songs from his upcoming album, Yeezus . West perfomed "Black Skinhead"  and "New Slaves" (posted below), two songs that drive us through the introspective, darker mind of  Kanye. The star rapper and producer continues to travel to different worlds with his music; while his production remains stellar, his sound is a far cry from his 2004 release of  The College Dropout. With Dropout,  Kanye West established himself as one of the premier artists and producers of the industry. His sound was an incredible fusion of joy, family values, rebellion, spirit, and drive; West's lyrics and beats were a stylish struggle sp...

Read this recent article from Income Diary on how "Hov" catapulted from the Marcy Projects to multi-millionaire.  http://www.incomediary.com/decoded-17-secrets-to-jay-zs-entrepreneurial-success

Facebook, you slay me. While I'm sure I should be doing some work or budgeting, it's always cool to check out what the happenings are on my News Feed. "The Book" is slightly more family-friendly than Twitter, and you get to see the videos and pics a bit easier. The site, however, has its cons. Spam photos, over-dramatic statuses, over-dramatic people, and young people cursing like they have NO...HOME...TRAINING greatly damper the website.  Despite these hurdles, there are ways to maximize your experience on Facebook. In an effort to assist in this process, we asked our Facebook AND Twitter friends to give us guidelines they follow on the social network. Below is a list of behaviors that people (maybe you) indulge in too commonly and potential solutions (we're solution-oriented here at "Confessions".)  So grab a notebook, and like good House music, follow me . Special thanks to my homie Chris da Drumma, Sam (Blegh! Lol), Aunt Wanda, Latoya, and...

I'm beaming with pride this week as my brother Malcolm releases his first mixtape "The Rat Packt Adventure" with his group The Rat Packt . It's quite the accomplishment, and as a man familiar with the triumphs and tribulations of chasing your dreams, it makes me happy to see him dive right in. There are many lessons we'll discuss, a number of them being shared already. Our paths are slightly different, however, and there are some situations about the music game I do not understand.  When Malcolm and I (or like the classic Nickelodeon show, "My Brother and Me") discuss various elements of modern music, there are commonly clashes between regarding the quality and depth of the current songs out. It's bound to happen; we're six years apart. While "Johnny Quest" possesses a great knowledge of music genre and history, he is of a younger generation, the "SnapBack and Tattoos" generation. In this era, the s ong writing is no longer ...