For Haiti

You Have No Idea…

Have you ever been hungry?
And no, I’m not talking about “Upper UC, Lower UC, and Rathbone never has anything I want to eat!” type of hungry.
No.
I’m talking about real starvation,
the kind of hunger that leads to emaciation
like the situation of Venecia Louis,
a young Haitian who little body weighs less than half of what it should be
the images of her living skeleton were so nauseating that I couldn’t eat my dinner…and neither could she, even if she tried
she’s so skinny that she looks like she’s about to die
but this little girl isn’t suffering from an incurable disease or an eating disorder
No. This is girl is dying because her world has no order,
Do you know what its like to suffer from severe malnutrition?
And no I’m not talking an increase in college tuition so that you can no longer afford the Carte Blanche meal plan
I’m talking about the kind of malnutrition you get when your mother is forced to give away most of your food to starving neighbors so that they don’t murder you and your entire family out of jealousy that you get to eat.
Yes, it really is that deep.
You might think you know, but you have no idea…
What it feels like to be a child in Haiti living every second in fear
To cry out, but to be too dehydrated to shed tears
To eat mudpies, yes mudpies, to calm your craving stomach’s cries.
You have no idea…
What its like to live in one of the poorest nations in the world
How it feels to be tortured, raped, and brutalized
To feel the wounds from being politically, economically, and socially crucified
To see your world full apart all around you and all you can do scream is WHY? WHY? WHY?
Even I thought I knew about the deprivation in Haiti…but I had no idea.
EDUCATE YOURSELVES

Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

*I should give a disclaimer to this, but I'm not. If you're dumb enough to think that this has anything to do with any type of adoration for Hitler, you're an idiot.

No.
This is not a reverse Hitler-esque poem that cries about how blacks need a home.
No.
This is not about the African-American struggle of racism, discrimination, self-hatin', and harangues about how we will nevermake it.
No.
This is about my own individual struggle
like Hitler
but minus the bigoted gibberish about exterminating the blacks and the Jews and the gays
No,
this is about my reality, my struggle,my ways
My struggle is unique to myself but can apply to anyone else
My struggle is about me
and how I became too blind to see who I was, or am-
Because it's like damn
I lost myself like a swimmer would lose his life when the dams break
or when an entire population and culture dissipates when the levees break
and in the process of death I lost me,
my beliefs,
what I stand for,
my identity.
And no matter how hard I try and where I search,
I can't seem to find me
M.E.
What do these two letters even mean?
I must eliminate my emptiness
and most definitely eliminate my eternal misconceptions in an attempt to erase misery and emerge back into..
M.E.
Dreaming of when I was an infant and I was free
when I could just lay in bed and have everything handed to me
When I could just smile, eat, shit, and sleep all day
Now I sleep because I can't bear to face another day
because then I will wake and realize that I'm only a shell of my former, fresh out of the womb naked self
Sometimes, almost always, I feel like somebody else
Tara who?
To tell the truth
sometimes I forget my own name,
cuz ever since that day nothing has ever been the same
and it's true, things change
but what do you do when nothing that keeps you sane remains?
Guess that's why I'm going insane
It's a tug-o-war and I'm losing the game
So what's my name?
Tell me is life just a game?
before you answer that please direct me to the lost and found
even though not too deep down I know that I am lost and will never be found
I was once lost and am still lost
my vision was blurry and now I can't see
So, where the hell is my Amazing Grace?
Will I always be trapped in my struggle?
Mein Kampf
Like Hitler,
but minus the bigoted gibberish about exterminating the blacks and the Jews and the gays
No,
this is about my reality, my struggle,my ways

Wiki-Hip Hop

This is what comes up when you search "Hip Hop" in Wikipedia.

"Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans.[1][2] The term rap music is often used synonymously with hip hop music.

Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat, recently, however, a difference has developed between "rapping" and "MCing". "MCing" has been used to describe those artists who possess and exercise superior lyrical ability and prowess. Beats are traditionally generated from portions of other songs by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer, though synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands are also used, especially in newer music. Rappers may perform poetry which they have written ahead of time, or improvise rhymes on the spot with or without a beat. Though rap is usually an integral component of hip hop music, DJs sometimes perform and record alone, and many instrumental acts are also defined as hip hop."

Although they tried, it seems a little weird when people narrowly define Hip Hop or when they even attempt to define it at all. I believe that Hip Hop is like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. Way back in the beginning of the semester when the class had to free write about "Hip Hop Is," I'm pretty sure that no two people had the same description of Hip Hop. Personally, I think its a way of life. It's more than a music form and even a culture. HIP HOP IS LIFE FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE IT.

Stanky Leg

My friend from the South told me that this is the new Soulja Boy down there. It plays in all the clubs and is the hottest thing right now. I never even heard of it until I youtubed it.

Is this Hip Hop AND is it authentic? Hmm..

No Time For Fake Niggas

No Time for Fake Niggas:Hip-Hop Culture and the Authenticity Debates

The presentation that I gave in class the other day really had me thinking. You know...what makes a rapper authentic? What determines if they are Hip Hop or not? Is it their lyrical content? Their swagger? Is it how much money and hoes they have? What truly makes an authentic rapper? Does authenticity lie in the eyes of the beholder (the listeners/fans like you and me)? Or is authenticity something internal, that is to say that if a rapper thinks they are legit then they are legit..too legit too legit to quit (haha MC Hammer- is that man authentic?). But really though- what makes a rapper authentic and who is anyone to judge what authenticity is? I really have to think about that one. Damn, this is getting philosophical.

Hip Hop is International.

I absolutely love Drunken Tiger(thanks Chris!)

Drunken Tiger & Jaurim - Loving Memory

It's about time that I update ya!

Hey Theatre 196 and my other homies : )

It's about that TIME. Time for what, you may ask? Or WTF is Tara talking about?!
haha
But seriously, it's about time that you all start looking for some Hip Hop Theatre shows to see. It's better not to wait until the last minute or else you might miss out. Not to mention that it's a requirement and a sizable portion of your grades mannn. Check the syllabus!

Kashi sent this to me in an e-mail:

Lehigh's Theater Dept. Presents Hip Hop Musical during Black History Month...more information to come about this soon. I don't have the details yet, but they'll come soon (remind me if I forget please? Thank you).

But check out this link for Lehigh's events during Black History Month (I hope you all know that that's in February lol).
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inking/documents/BHM2009Calendar.pdf

Also, here's the link for the Hip Hop Theatre Festival that your beloved professor mentioned in class.

http://www.hhtf.org/

I'm not too sure if they are having any upcoming shows. I'm pretty sure the festival for this year was last fall. I will try to help you all out with opportunites for shows when I find/hear about them, but it's also your responsibility to look it up too (especially now that everyone knows what type of shows qualify as Hip Hop Theatre after last Thursday's lecture).
If you forgot, check wikipedia. Yes, wikipedia knows everything haha.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_theatre


Anyway, I was researching Hip Hop Theatre and found that we are not ALONE! There are other Hip Hop Theatre classes at UNCC and some other institutions that have Hip Hop Theatre courses. I think that's an amazing thing though, because that art of Hip Hop Theatre is so beautiful!

Okay, I'm done for now. It's Friday night and I'm sooo not having fun. I'm bored so I'm about to rant lol. So if you want you can stop reading now. All official class business was handled haha.

Ahhhh.... I'm slightly homesick and missing NYC. I'm hungry and sick of damn Upper and Lower UC. Too lazy to go to Rathbone and I don't even want the food there. Wendy's? Nah, I need to start eating a little bit healthier. McDonalds? Even worst than Wendys. Chinese food? Not feelin' it. My throat is starting to hurt so I probably won't even enjoy the food anyway. I have so much to do for law school apps. So many things to do for my extracurrilars too. Sooo much schoolwork to do. Probably have a test next week. Not to mention drama drama drama in my personal life. No Friday night plans. Damn Lehigh??? When do I get a break?

Wow. I feel better now. hahaha
I hope yall didn't read that.

Despite all the b.s., I'm just gonna smile. Life is too short to stress.


Peace. Enjoy your weekend!