CBL1978's Blog

Plan A…

cbl1978 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:58:27 +0000

Has got to be yourself. The majority of success stories revolve around someones unwavering belief in themselves. Too many people sit waiting on something to drop in their lap. That is not a belief in self that’s placing your life and your future in the hands of some specter. Find a path and walk it. If something gets in the way go around it or go through it. It sounds difficult but it isn’t. Believe in self.

I’m Already Home-

cbl1978 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:06:41 +0000

A lot can happen in four days.

At 11:55PM on November 28th… four days since I returned to my blog my son Connor Benjamin came into this world.

First with a little cough then with a yell that I’d imagine rang from one end of the hospital to the next… then with a tranquil quietness as he took stock of his new surroundings.

I didn’t cry. As usual I did my calm in the midst of the storm routine. I’m really starting to wonder if I even still have the ability to panic. I’ve come really accustomed to playing the general. I did, though, grin a grin so wide as I looked down at him arms flailing and legs kicking expressing on the outside the storm of emotions his father was feeling on the inside.

I can’t even fathom the job ahead. The joy that’s to be held and the trials that will surely come. What I have now is a chest puffed out and a smile a football field long.

Right now he’s a little over a day old. I’ve changed my first diaper and rocked my son to sleep. I’m exhausted and in awe of his mother cause if I feel this way I can’t comprehend how the person who did all the real work feels.

I’ve wanted nothing but to live a purposeful life. I poured everything I had into my professional life in an effort to achieve that. It’s time to redirect a good bit of that energy my burgeoning family’s way.

It’s late and there is a life time ahead of me. I’m drowsy as all hell and nurses keep coming out of the wood work. I was standing at the elevator waiting to hit the lobby and grab some snack and a your Latino gentleman who also had his first child was with me. He turned to me and asked how I’d approach being a father and dealing with the rat race of parenting. I gave him some understated BS reply. Inside to myself I know I’ll approach this the same way I do everything. Head on. And if being a great father really is some kind of race? I’m already at the finish line with the flag waving.

Stay tuned.

31 and counting…

cbl1978 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:46:07 +0000

I turned 31 yesterday.

Lots to be thankful for.

I have a strong sense of balance now. I know who I am and accept me for who I am and don’t struggle so much with my place in the world as I did in the past. Connor’s pending arrival has given me a stunning level of clarity.

I still make mistakes. I just don’t run off the cliff like I used to.

I realized I don’t have to see my friend everyday to legitimize them. I realized that my best friend is my brother and if he’s 10 miles away or 2,000 won’t a damn thing change that.

I’m thankful that my parents weren’t perfect. They were extremely normal and struggled with the same drama every couple does. They raised two damn fine children who grew up to be fine people. I applaud them.

I realize now, more so than anytime in my life, that work comes second to family. I never really got that. I never really understood how you could put anything before the rush excitement when you’re at the top of your game and the center of something big.

Then came something bigger.

Connor Benjamin will roll around sometime in the next two weeks and with him comes the rest of my life. I’ve been told that I have an overactive sense of responsibility. Its about to be put to the test.

I forsee myself blogging way more then.

CBL1

Beanie Sigel- Average Cat (Jay-Z Diss)

cbl1978 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:59:33 +0000

http://limelinx.com/files/b1ba0f2bf3346cdeb3001f7e51e40ab7

Music Drop

cbl1978 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:53:47 +0000

Get while you can!

Lil Wayne- No Ceiling Mixtape

http://www.limelinx.com/files/f1d3480b1e6acf92eeffef3c06a263bb

Chris Brown- Crawl (Single)

http://www.limelinx.com/files/d75d355afaa8e67345625edc6f2da40a

Mary Mary feat Ne-Yo Godawful… I mean God In Me Remix

http://www.limelinx.com/files/1ea45b785fe9422d8be6885e9e5599b2

Rihanna…

cbl1978 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:11:20 +0000

Russian Roulette. Official first single.

http://www.limelinx.com/files/67d302489037213d3e03fe91f0615c5d

She really can do no wrong in my eyes. I’ve felt that way for a long time. She sings because she enjoys it. She chooses material that is exciting. Its hard to craft a pop record with any kind of real showmanship. She’s able to do that time and time again.

Alicia Keys- Doesn’t Mean Anything vid

cbl1978 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:50:53 +0000



Okay… explain Gucci Mane to me? Seriously(Linkage)?
cbl1978 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:47:34 +0000
I get that in hip hop years my 31 years of age is old and i’m just not going to get what’s “hot” anymore.
I find in my inbox this:
http://www.limelinx.com/files/c3d1d8afe7f93dd27605eb4c8fe122cc
Which would be Gucci Mane’s first single Spotlight featuring Usher Raymond.
I’ve grown tired of the assertions that Drake, who can actually sing, act, and rhyme words, is called an “industry” creation while Gucci Mane who has ZERO discernable talent is ignored.  If anyone is a creation of an industry in desperate need of anti-hero wouldn’t it be the no rhyming wonder?
Can we seriously say anything this man has spit is > gibberish.
He’s managed to be successful at the untangible (getting his “peers” to accept him and gaining exposure.  The next step is to see if he can be successful at the tangible(getting people to actually spend money on his product..  The base of his fans are people who are not accustomed to actually spending money on compact discs.  He’s a mixtape/mp3 phenom without a clear record of moving… well… records.
Time will tell.
CBL1

         


Questions about Drake’s ability to spit?
cbl1978 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:44:21 +0000
Down below is Birdman feat Drake- More Milli
http://www.limelinx.com/files/ebe7ccac49caf6f80e62f16cc204e2b1
The second verse by Drake is all technique, style, and wordplay. I think the problem with Drake that a lot of people are having is that his style is heavy on wordplay and breath control and actual words that rhyme and less on SWAG.
He doesn’t rely on the way he says things.  He leans heavily on what it is he’s saying and how it’s put together.  That’s called being an emcee.  Lost areform.

         


MTV’s top ten hottest emcess in the game…
cbl1978 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:28:32 +0000
I’ll begin by admitting the hilarity in actually arguing the merits of any list MTV would compile. While Sway has my eternal respect for the things he’s done for hip hop (his interview with Tupac is legendary, his hand in giving Eminem a platform before he exploded is as well) he’s still now a part of that huge Viacom machine and you have to look at anything dubbed “official” with scepticism.
The list went like this:
10. Raekwon

9. 50

8. Fabolous

7. Jeezy

6. Gucci Mane

5. Rick Ross

4. Kanye West

3. Drake

2. Lil Wayne

1. Jay-Z
Now I would be happier than a pig in slop to go on and on about the dagger through the heart it must be for those still dead set on shovelling dirt on the old man that Jay-Z by sheer force of will proved himself to still be the man this year. On second thought… I will. A controversial shot across the bow in DOA, two top ten pop singles in Run This Town and that monster called Empire State of New York. A 476,000 first week followed by the 305,000 second week. The man Hov at 39 is still leading the league in statistical categories. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. Creativity is subjective but an objective mind can see him for who he is. The rest of MTV’s list is kind of a head scratcher. Eminem is left out even though he had one of the best selling cds of this year and he managed to personally rip the spin out of three members of MTV’s top five on Drake’s Forever single. Lil Wayne has done nothing of substance this year besides talk about an faux alternative cd that he’s either A)never going to drop or B) will drop and it’ll sound more like Carter 3.1 than anything else. You can’t call him a super mogul as all he’s done is sign a bunch of nobodies. The Drake signing can’t be put on him. There was a bidding war and writing the biggest check for someone everyone else wants does not mean you have an eye for talent… it means you have an eye for commodities.
Drake? He deserves his spot. Love him or hate him So Far Gone is still one of if not the best hip hop effort to drop this year. It’s already in the history books as the most successful mixtape ever. The objective case here is that before mid year unless you were an internet head no one knew who Drake was in the mainstream. He wasn’t on ANYONE’s(mainstream press wise) next to blow. He did this himself with grind and proper management. The biggest knock i’ve heard on him so far is that he’s soft and too much of a nice guy. Good. Hip Hop could use a little more chivalry and honesty and a little less trapping.  Masculinity is cool but it becomes extremely self indulgent by those who over indulge in it (i.e. Gucci Mane).  As an emcee Drake still has some growth to go.  The thing is we are judging the heat of emcess not their level of talent.   
Kanye has actually murdered everything put in front of him lyrically this year and maintained a certain level of notoriety.  He had his Terrell Owens moment at the VMA’s and it’ll be interesting to see if he bounces back (I actually think we’ll get a damn good LP out of him.  Emotional turmoil seems to drive him).  I’m not surprised MTV ranked him so high.  Rick Ross remains an underated emcee and deserving of his place.

Gucci Mane.  The thing here is to be objective.  If you look at it from the stand point of record sales Gucci doesn’t belong.  The objective thinker though realizes that selling records in 2008 and beyond is an extremely hard even if you are famous(see Mariah Carey and the brick she dropped last week).  Gucci Mane makes up for what he lacks in overall talent with this effervescent swagger.  I personally hate swagger as a deciding factor in emcees having skill but it is a factor in someones popularity.  MTV’s list is about popularity.  Gucci Mane has it.  If he ever figures out how to actually match words that really rhyme he might have something on his hands.
Young Jeezy not making the top five is a travesty.  Even though his cd dropped last year the singles carried over into the first quarter of this year and his last mix tape was dope.  MTV’s ranking is probably based around him not having anything really going right now.  Young Jeezy is a top five emcee.  Fabolous is a favorite of mine.  I’ve always felt he had top ten talent just not top ten execution.  I’m surprised to see him on this list.  His LP was not that great and he’s had umpteen singles drop that just did not gain traction.  I can’t put together a reasonable argument for him to be here.
50 Cent.  Fiftey doesn’t belong on any list unless it’s in regard to money.  He’s not written a song of substance in three years and has not gained any traction whatsoever in that time.  I’m a fan.  A big fan who thinks the man has song writing skill that is top notch.  His work ethic once he hit his pennacle of fame dropped dramatically.  I can’t argue for him at all.  This was a mercy including if i’ve ever seen one.  Then again I have seen mercy including…
Raekwon.  Only Built For Cuban Linx 2 is one of if not the best LPs across any genre to drop this year.  It does not mean Raekwon is hot.  I appreciate MTV trying to throw the heads a bone but who they are trying to reach with including Rae aren’t interested in anything MTV has to say. 
MTV, as they do year after year, mixes some factual analysis into artists ability and looks are it through the prism of popularity.  It’s always going to come up short.  They did their best and this list is actually better than the sheer putrid lists they’ve had in the past.  Excluding Eminem and Kid Cudi are big time headscratchers as well as including 50 Cent.
For those interested in my top ten of current COMMERICAL emcees: 1. Jay-Z, 2. Kanye West, 3. Eminem, 4. Drake, 5. Young Jeezy, 6. Rick Ross, 7. Lil Wayne, 8. Kid Cudi, 9. Jadakiss, 10. Gucci Mane