Corrine Bailey Rae

Music really sucks right now. I usually rant about the decline of Hip-Hop, but across the board there is really nothing that gets me excited right now except for Corrine Bailey Rae. She is a breath of fresh musical air from the U.K. that popped up on VH-1 Soul a couple of months ago. I thought she might be another act that the headwrap and backpack crowd might be overhyped about because she is already big overseas, but I got an advance of several tracks from her Capitol records debut and she is the real deal. She is like a more soulful Norah Jones who plays acoustic guitar instead of the piano, and honestly she is probably less likely to put you to sleep. She is big overseas, but considering in America female artists are defined by either Mary J. Blige or Mariah Carey it will be interesting to see how she is recieved. Her album will be in stores June 20th. If she winds becoming the next big thing, remember who told you about her first.

My Anti Crash Moment

In the summer of 1992, my family was blessed with the opportunity to go to Spain for our summer vacation. My father had won some kind of corporate contest, and he and my mother got to go to Barcelona for the Olympics. Luckily they weren't like those negletful parents in 80's teen movies, so after they had kicked it over there for a week my sister and I flew and met them in Madrid. Since my dad had been building frequent flyer points for the better part of the 80's we flew over there first class for free.

As I'm settling into my first class seat and soaking in the almost suffocating hospitality, the white passenger in front of me turns around says "still in first huh?" What?, oh I get it Mr. White Man, you see a brother chilling in first class and he had to be bumbed up. I guess I can't pay for an internationl ticket(which I did not) like you, since you can't pay for plane tickets with food stamps. Luckily I said all of these things in my head before I reacted to the situation, because I had forgotten that I had on my Atlanta Braves hat. The guy was not a racsist, he was a baseball fan and yes the Braves were in first place. So I replied "yep still in first", he gave the thumbs up and did not bother me the rest of the flight. Relieved that I was not going to have to put up with his foolishness I ordered the chicken cor don bleu with lime sorbet for desert put on my Public Enemy tape and enjoyed the rest of my flight.

I Love The Dixie Chicks

I don't like Country music, but I have mad love for the Dixie Chicks. A couple of years ago a member of the group said during a U.K. concert that she was ashamed to be from the same state as our current president. Since this statement was made the group has endured everything from being blacklisted on Country radio stations to death threats. Despite all of this, Natalie the member of the group that made the statement has not backed off of the statement, and her group members/friends have stood by her side.

I know Kanye West got on T.V. and said that "George Bush does not care about black people", but lets be real if you are a rapper you are not supposed like the president no matter who he is. If anything talking greasy about the president is what you supposed to do. 50 Cent rubbed a lot of people in the culture wrong when he said he respected the President's gangsta (style of doing business) the late Eazy-E caught a lot of heat for going to one of the President Bush 41's fundraisers, and my stomach turned when I saw LL Cool J asking President Clinton to throw his hands in the air during his second inauguration.

Country music on the other hand is supported by the Red State/Fox News crowd that thinks anyone who does not dismiss dinosaur fossils as leftist propaganda is siding with Al Queda. I know that, that is an unfair and sort of mean characterization of Country music fans, but you deserve it. The Dixie Chicks have the number one album in the nation by a mile, will have it again next week, and can't get thier songs played on the radio or on country music television. Thier current single has less than 4000 spins total, by comparison "Diamonds" the weakest performing song of off Kanye West's last album recieved 28,000. The same loud minority that has no problem paying 3 dollars for a gallon of gas as long as boys are not allowed to kiss is spending it's time calling program directors to keep the biggest selling music act this year from being on television or the radio. The country music fans that play the Dixie Chicks in thier cars with the windows rolled up are representative of this country's scared apathy when it comes to issues the loud minority considers treasonous.

I doubt many country fans will ever read this, but Dixie Chick fans STAND UP! Enjoying this group's music does not make you a bad American, it does not even mean you are co-signing any of thier opinions. Stop letting the people who listen to conservative talk radio all day determine what you get to listen to on your favorite music station.

Things Every Man Needs

There are several things a grown man needs to successfully navigate the modern world such as a nice watch, a bank account and a decent pair of shoes. I feel that there are some less obvious and less tangible things that the modern man needs.

A Favorite Team
Nothing is more suspect than a man that never has a rooting interest when the post season rolls around. It is OK to not have one in every sport, because every sport does not appeal to every man. Sometimes you have to use the hometown default rule. I give less than a damn about the NHL, but I'm from St. Louis hence my favorite team is the St. Louis Blues. This does not apply to Soccer. Look we live in America, having a favorite soccer team is almost more suspect than having no favorite team at all.

A Female Friend
I'm talking about a real friend not just a girl that you have not had sex with. Sometimes you really need a woman's unbiased opinion on your life and relationships. I've always been critical of women who consult other women about men which is why when I'm having a real problem in my relationship I consult my sister circle. Not that your homies can’t dole out good counsel, but sometimes you need to hear something more constructive than "fu%k that b!tch lets go to the club".

A Video Game System
Video games are a waste of time and most wives and girlfriends hate them but who cares. Video games are the building block of male bonding for the N.E.S. generation, and if you don't know what N.E.S. stands you are already steps behind. Every man reading this under the age of say, 33 should know what u,u,d,d,l,r,l,r,b,a,start will do. Video games also cut down on the amount of dumb s#it we as men do. Wasting time playing Halo 2 & Madden Football takes away from the time that would other wise be wasted at strip clubs and at your wife's friend with DD’s house.

A Church Home
I don't mean to get all T.D. Jakes on everybody here, but this is really important even if you don't show up there except for Christmas, Easter, and every other Mother's Day. Sometimes after a night of heavy drinking and/or being in the company of loose women you tend to reflect on your life and your place in the universe. During this time you could be susceptible to anything that seems like an enlightened word. Sometimes this can turn out well, and you find your self with a new inner peace and direction. Unfortunately in the worst case scenario you may end up in the spiritual and financial care of a so-called man of faith who has no church and sells pre-paid legal on the side. Soon you find have not talked to any of your friends or family in months, you are handling snakes, and you are preparing kool aid for a special religious ceremony in a west African village. I'm not suggesting a specific church home, just that you have one.

A Good Relationship With Your Friend’s Wife
This is very important because wives can do something arguments over money, beer and politics cannot and that is end a friendship. Almost all of my close friends are married and once I knew they were getting married, I made an effort to be friends with their future wives if I wasn’t already. Once your buddy says, "I do" he and his wife become a package deal. If the only time you get to hang out with one of your good friends is when his wife goes out of town, she HATES you and you are not on the approved friends list.

A Friend To Bail You Out
Look, sometimes things happen and you find yourself in police custody. It happens to the best of us at least once, and in my case several times. If this happens you need someone who can hustle up between one hundred and five hundred dollars, and will come to get you out of jail no questions asked. There is a cap on this because if you really do something bad, only family should be asked to put up property.