CEDTalks

"Why you bother me when you know you don't want me? Why you bother me when you know you got a woman? Why you hit me when you know you know better? Know you know better" SZA, "Love Galore" Wish I could tell you, SZA. We don't know what we're doing. Relationships. It's the hardest and most rewarding job a man can ever have. King Kong...ain't got sh*t...on relationships. Last week, I finally got around to watching the recent Denzel Washington film Fences with my family. It was signature Denzel; with the help of fellow stars Viola Davis and Mykelti Williamson, the movie delivered a strong depiction of the challenges and sacrifices of family life. The crazy thing was, it simultaneously reinforced yet redeveloped my perspective on family and committed relationships. Davis and Washington's relationship identified the unique layers of love. It spoke to the beauty in fantasizing of days past and enjoying each other's company; conversely, i...

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...

Before turning eh...25 and becoming old IMMEDIATELY, there were a lot of bad habits my body could tolerate and still operate at a high level. Sleep was an afterthought, exercising was unnecessary, and eating healthy was uncalled for. Why did I need to eat healthy? Didn't you see my album cover ? Well now, a year and a half later, my bad habits caught up with me like FedEx (Overnight). Staying up late leaves me damaged like Danity Kane (remember them?). I'm no longer at my "fight" weight, and even getting feedback at the doctors. That's when you know you're getting old; the doctors actually says something after the check up. My doc started mentioning words like, "cholesterol" and "blood pressure", and suggested substituting burgers and shakes for carrots and grapes. The verbiage seems more appropriate for a man 46 instead of 26, but in an effort to be the black Channing Tatum, I'm cleaning out my fridge. Acknowledge your past re...