Author: Tami Temple

I don’t say anything anymore. I’m expected to be so strong, everyone brushes off when I’m low. I lost my dad in 2017. My dad. My protector. Cried on my best friend’s shoulder and watched her, her mother, and great-grandmother disappear during the pandemic and was still expected to be strong. Covid kept a distance between us that I wasn’t prepared for and just like that. No more. It more than kind of messed me up. Still, I’m expected to be strong. Operating on fumes I’m expected to keep going. And I do. Caring for my mother. Holding on to her so close afraid to lose her, again I’m expected to be strong. Exhausting all funds and resources no one understands. I’ve been told it makes no sense to put money towards caring for her and I should put her in a home and live. They don’t understand still I’m expected to be strong. 

Last week I spent 6 days in the hospital and the day after discharge I was once again told I needed to be s_____. 

Cried to my sister-in-law who in recent years lost two sisters and her mother, thinking she would understand I was told I can’t reveal my vulnerabilities to my daughter or anyone. She said, “I cry in the shower every day and step out like I never did because no one cares or will make a difference.”

I know I’m strong. Strong as an ox, resilient I’ve been told. Still, I want to be told it’s alright and I’m allowed to feel and not just be hard all the time. Carrying on as biz as usual. Like I got this, even if I have this I want to feel I can cry on a shoulder and not absorb more but release, exhale, and snot it out if I have to. 

Reflecting on my life gives me new meaning to, “check on your strongest friend.” It’s not the duration of but it’s in those moments when it’s needed to feel vulnerable and not tough. 

I can’t be fake but I can be silent which is why I tucked this here.

Love your strongest friend, not just dump on or expect them to always be on, and offer breaks not wait for them to ask you when they don’t know your off days or schedule. 

The 9th Wonder-produced track appears on Rapsody’s album Eve.

The fourth single from Rapsody‘s latest is finally here. On Friday afternoon, she released the video for “Afeni,” featuring PJ Morton. The album is a tribute to both Tupac Shakur and his mother.

“Afeni” follows the theme of the Eve album. In 2018, an interviewer asked if she was a successor to Nina Simone and Roberta Flack. Subsequently, Rapsody decided to pay tribute to her Black female heroes. Previously, she released videos for “Nina,” “Oprah,” and “Ibtihaj.” The latter features GZA and D’Angelo. The tracks pay homage to their namesake.

READ: The Curious Case of Rapsody’s ‘Eve’ & Hip-Hop’s Contradictory Pedestal for Women

Continue reading “Check Out the Video for “Afeni,” Rapsody and PJ Morton’s Tribute to Black Love” →

The video features a cameo from Slick Rick.

Nas has released the standalone music video for his song “Cops Shot the Kid” from last year’s Nasir. The almost three-minute long video is centered around a young black man running from the cops along with scenes of Nas rapping verses from the song. The video also includes a cameo from Slick Rick, whose “Children’s Story” is sampled on the track.

Last year, Nas released a short film named after his 11th album. The 16-minute video is soundtracked by different tracks from the album, with the film tackling everything from Nas’ legacy and upbringing in Queensbridge to racism and police brutality.

The film was written and directed by Rohan Blair-Mangat. Blair-Mangat also worked on JAY-Z‘s video for the 4:44 track  “Bam.”

Shortly after the release of Nasir, Nas announced that he was working on another album.

“It’s another album that I already had been working on before [NASIR]…Since I did this, I gotta do something that, you know, goes in another direction a little bit. So I’m finishing up the next one,” he said previously.

He also said that the wait for the album wouldn’t be long, adding: “No, it’s not gonna be that long because half of it was already there, yeah. I did do something with Swizz, I did stuff with RZA. I’m a big Wu-Tang fan. RZA’s real.”

Nas was also in headlines last year after ex-wife Kelis revealed that he allegedly abused her mentally and physically.

“It got to the point where if I wasn’t pregnant, I might have stayed with him,” she said previously. “I was pregnant and it was a mess and I felt like I wasn’t going to bring a child into this.”

He responded to Kelis’ allegations on Instagram, calling her claims a “sad fictitious story.”

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Last night, Anderson .Paak was the musical guest on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by actress Claire Foy, who stars in the 2018 film, The Girl in The Spider’s Web.

For his first outing of the evening, .Paak performed “Tints,” the lead single off his recently released album, Oxnard, welcoming collaborator and labelmate, Kendrick Lamar, to the stage to light up his part of the track from in front of the centerpiece drum kit. .Paak does the dynamo thing, rapping and singing while simultaneously holding down the whole band’s pacing behind the kit. His second performance featured the song “Who R U?,” flexing tight choreography in front of a glowing red backdrop. You can watch both below.

https://youtu.be/bzj92mbo8T0

Oxnard invades Studio 8H 

LISTEN: Anderson .Paak Pays Homage to His Friend Mac Miller on the Celebratory Track “Cheers”

https://youtu.be/4Mrr-Ak_M_c

LISTEN: Anderson .Paak Prank Call Dave Chappelle on New Episode of .Paak’s House Radio Show

Oxnard released on November 16th as his Aftermath debut, featuring production from 9th Wonder, Dr. Dre, Chris Dave, and Q-Tip, along with guest appearances from J. Cole, Kadjha Bonet, The Last Artful, Dodgr, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more. Hit the link to pick up your copy via iTunes today.