CEDTalks

"Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." Psalms 37:1-2           When I was younger, my mom used to read me Psalm 37. It was the passage that calmed her, but she used it to teach me a life lesson. She always stressed the first 2 verses, which talked about avoiding envy and jealousy (of evildoers). The verse explained that it was pointless to worry of those who succeed through doing wrong, for they would "wither away like the grass". Looking back, I've now realized that those verses left me feeling incomplete; another man's outcome provided no detail to how I would turn out.  In life, we commonly compare ourselves to how others are doing. Whether it be materialistic (house, cars, money) or sexual (who gets the girls, or just the buns), we validate our existence by being better than someone else. As a proclaimed "nice ...

Hey good people...Just in the writing mood, so check out my rhyme: Here I am seeking out respect, appreciation, fame/ Trying to be trending topics on Tuesdays like  The Game / Gonna stay  sour  until I  whip  the  cream / Still defending "The Dream" like I’m Patrick Ewing/ But handle the rock like Doc...Rivers, John Starks/ Dunking on the best, because I have no regards/ No remorse, no feelings, pure apathy/ I do it because you’re a laughingstock, you’re a parody/ Uhh, I take that back; you’re a spoof/ You weren’t funny until I appeared first like Poof/ I am a Wizard with the Magic: Gilbert Arenas/ And I hand out stories to the people like subpoenas/ That’s just my demeanor/ Solid form of Ether/ You whine if you don’t get your way, like a spoiled diva/ Somebody get this guy a Snickers, he’s Aretha/ Anyway/ Some say I’m bipolar, because I aim to please/ But if you don’t feel me, well then you can feel deez/ Ced being graphic? That’s really OD/ Well that’s...

Hey Young World…I hope all is well. The year is young and I hope people are still doing big things.   I want to take the time to say Happy Belated Birthday to my good friend Michelle and Happy Birthday to Steff, aka Big Shimmy. As a single Black male, you run into a variety of challenges when looking for female companionship. Many times, it is lack of chemistry; others it is bad timing, as a female has just finished a bad relationship. One barrier is becoming painfully common, and its existence in the Black community leads to the disjointing between Black males and females, specifically our young adults. This barrier is the presumption . I like to call this the T.I. Effect : You might see me in the streets, but homie, you don’t know me. When meeting a person of the opposite sex, it’s safe to say both parties make immediate analysis of their counterpart. Their appearance, demeanor, and speech are determining factors for how we will interact with them. Many men categorize females, ...

Hey Team Boogie! I hope all is well, and that you're doing big things. January is FLYING by, so please take advantage of every waking moment. We must enjoy the time God allows us to be here. Today I wanted to speak on a word that I've become quite familiar with the past few years. The word is "discretion". Depending on who you ask, discretion can take on a number of meanings. Merriam-Webster described it as:   "the  quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment; ability to make responsible decisions; a individual choice; or the result of separating or distinguishing."  At times though, it appears that we create and follow our own definition of discretion, classifying it as simply being quiet or not speaking out. This definition has become the standard of living for our generation, more specifically our people. As a youth, you are taught such lessons as, "Boys don't cry", "Don't be a tattle-tale", and "Mind ...

What's up everybody? Happy Friday, and much love. I won't waste your time; I promised you a preview of "Late for Work" almost 3 days ago, so here you go. Leave comments and let me know what you think! Late for Work “…Gotta leave that nine to five up on the shelf!” Malcolm boogies to the serenades of Michael while he awaits movement in the long line of traffic. It’s something about the Off the Wall album he relates to; each song tells a story so similar to his trials and tribulations that it seems Malcolm wrote the lyrics himself. He looks at his graduation tassels which hang from his rear view mirror. It seems like yesterday that he was frolicking with the crew, ruling the college empire as President of his own company, and strutting his stuff at all the parties with his “bruhs”. It’s been one long year since that oh so important graduation day has come and gone, and Malcolm transitioned from not stopping “‘Til You Get Enough” to “Working Day and Night”. “God, I’m...

What's up y'all? Keeping my skills sharp by writing some rhymes. I promised y'all a snippet, so I'll drop it tonight. For the moment, enjoy my piece, "Recognition". Competition’s running out the clock, I guess they too shook to win/ Standing next to Q “Dawgs”; Taking hooks to the chin/ But I’m an ape, man/ Ain’t no debatin/ Giant even when I’m not playin’, Michael Strahan/ I seem to have them on the run, like they Michael Vick/ Rocking clothes that still have the tag, you not it/ Skinny Jeans, I can do without ‘em/ And I leave the Snapbacks to Dev and Malcolm/ Lil Bro eatin Turkey Bacon, so I handle beef/ Let them know why my name stands for English Chief/ Can’t wait to be king, I get Simba with mines/ Every day I make HIStory; Remember the Time ? Check it out, I go to work before I punch the clock/ Diversified my portfolio before I worked with stocks/ Back me in a cage, and I will go Brock/ Don’t know Keri, but I make Pretty Girls Rock/ Need a leader, baby...

Hey everybody! Folks I can't front; I'm dumb tired. Thinking back. can't say there have been many times that I've been so drained. But press through this wall with me, Team Boogie, and let's be productive. Today I want to speak to you about balance, walking the Tightrope like Janelle Monae. There's a young lady on Facebook who uses her statuses to post the varying qualities of each horoscope sign. She describes the strengths and weaknesses of each sign's personality, and what they value in a mate. Of the many she discussed, one stood out for their desires. The woman stated that females of this particular sign appreciate men who cater to their needs but who are not pushovers. Reading that statement made me ponder: Isn't that the ultimate balance that most of us look for? There are exceptions; men who prefer a submissive female or a woman who loves a doormat. A large number of us however, desire an "Even Stevens". An "Even Stevens" ...