Jarrett-Carter.com

Here’s a lesson to all of the children out there. Just because rappers say that it’s cool to hit someone with a liquor bottle, and some rappers actually do it in real life, doesn’t mean that it works out in the end for everyone.

Da Brat, real name Shawntae Harris, got three years for going upside the head of a waitress at an Atlanta nightclub last Halloween. Upon release, she’ll have 200 community service hours, seven years probation, and likely, a record deal and reality show.

I used to be so in love with Da Brat in high school, despite the fact that rumors have always pegged her as a lover of the ladies. I always thought she was a good rapper, and as we got older, I figured she would transition into some acting or entrepreneurial pursuits.

Instead, a talent is wasted, like so much liquor on the floor of a Buckhead nightclub.

The deaths of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes last weekend kind of shook me on two fronts. The constant reminder that life is indeed fleeting and fragile made me consider how lucky I am just to have made it this far.

Then, I reflected on the careers of Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes, and thought about what their careers meant to black culture. Bernie Mac was an icon in black comedy; a careful and thoughtful blending of rage, irony, and thankfulness. He was negotiated everyday, ordinary pains and made them tangible to any audience, anywhere. He was not a political mouthpiece, nor a lightening rod for controversy. He was just a funny guy saying the things you always thought about, in a way you never thought about them.

Isaac Hayes was a musical extraordinaire, who was able to check the pulse of the culture and prescribe for it an elixir of soul and mellow funk. His songs are a veritable soundtrack to the happy feelings of the 70’s, with a hint of the blues that spawned the excitement behind being able to actually be happy. Hayes transcended generation gaps with a genuine sound, and a humorous and appealing nature that anyone at any age could appreciate.

Fortunately, we live in an age of information where they will never truly be forgotten. The copies of their movies and concerts will sell like wild-fire in the next few days, and children of today will be formally introduced to their talent and charisma.

They get to live forever, almost like they never had to leave.

I mean, I’ve tried to give this brother a number of chances, but he just continues to blow it at every turn. You could say that “Sexy Can I,” like a number of his songs, are catchy, but his persona and demeanor just screams “Somebody, slap the ridiculous out of me. I’ve been trying for years, and I just can’t shake it.”

His time on “Moesha” and “One on One” was the first strike, then his presence on “106 and Park” was strike two. The Kardashian era got him up outta there, but then you have all these other foul balls known as his music.

Dude just can’t win for losing.

I’m not a hood dude by any means these days, but I grew up in one. And in the few chances that I have to return to my roots, Ray-J’s name is usually synonymous with the following terms: silly, clown, buffoon, jackass, fronter, poser, loser, and corny.

Of course, I might be hating. I’ll probably never have the money, fame, or lifestyle that he enjoys. But I enjoy not being snickered at on television sets around the country at any given moment, either. Seems like an ample trade to be poor and anonymous than to be synonymous with cultural foolishness.

Is he a sex symbol? Is he representative of what young people are into these days? Am I that old that everything he stands for is a joke to me?

Nah. Ray-J’s just that wack.

In 2008, you have to have a new perspective on gaining attention and respect for our people. It’s no longer about common liberties such as riding a bus, enrolling in college, or choosing a profession.

It’s about equal opportunities in entrepreneurship, access to information, and the freedom from stereotypes in media and entertainment.

To that end, you have to be engaging. And not just in a way where people don’t mind talking to you. You have to draw people to you like a magnet, and get them to see that there’s a better way even in our perceived successes.

And if you want to do that, you want to pattern yourself after a timeless figure.

Al B. Sure.

Oh, there’s no reason to laugh, because the life and times of Al B. Sure can teach you more about how our people can progress in this country than a whole dance floor full of preachers, scholars and bloggers combined. I wouldn’t dream of containing Al B. Sure’s magnificence in words alone, but its just my offering to the world of how his example can bring about true change right away.

Think Outside of Your Success - It’s well known that Al B. Sure eschewed a chance at college football stardom and a career in the NFL for music. You have to follow this line of perspective and think outside of your success. Your talent may be in one area, be it professional or social, but your calling may be in something you might view as a hobby.

And that calling maybe the very thing our people will answer to.

Bring Someone With You - Al B. Sure could’ve rested on the strength of “Nite and Day,” but did he do that? No. He spawned the careers of bands like Jodeci, Tevin Campbell Faith Evans, and Usher. He didn’t generate success for himself and keep a forward view. He brought successors along for the ride with him.

Be willing to mentor and educate younger minds in the ways of our history. Encourage them that being black and advocating for our cause is not something left in generations past.

Diversify Your Brand - Al B. Sure has his hands in music, television, philanthropy, and community outreach. Don’t sell yourself to one avenue of commitment, but incorporate your talents into other forms of communication and exposure.

What may influence one person may not appeal to another, but you still have a message that is worth hearing.

The Setbacks Are Set-Ups for Success - P. Diddy stole Al B’s girl back in the day. Did that stop him from having two more kids? Absolutely not. Al B. moved on with his family commitments and his life after Diddy, and his doing his thing.

Bad things are going to happen. Trust that its God’s way of shaping character and keep on rolling.

If you follow these things, the impact you will have on your community and its growth will be like night and day.

And if you thought you’d get away without the video, sorry to disappoint you.

Shout out to CultureKitchen.com for the scoop on this song. From the sounds of the embed, Nas’ "Black President" is sure to be one of those songs Obama will likely denounce, but is sure to point to as an illustration of America’s generational frustration.

It wasn’t that long ago that Nas was cautious of the political process. Good to see that he still has the pulse of hip-hop generation, for better or for worse.

YouTube taking too long to bring you fame and fortune? Keep getting clowned by local DJs? Here’s an eBook that will get you to the top of the rap heap quicker.

Also known as the worst $18.99 ever spent.

Add ten dollars to that, and you could get Nas’ Illmatic and UGK’s Ridin’ Dirty and be in just as good a position.

Well, dude said he wasn’t guilty, and a jury agreed with him.

Now, let’s see how that "whisper rapping" suit turns out.

If you haven’t done so in a while, pull a Michael Jackson CD out of your collection. Doesn’t matter which one, Thriller, Dangerous, Off the Wall, any one of them. It’s a sure bet that on any one of those CDs, there’s at least four songs that you would rock to today. But if somebody were to ask you what makes Michael Jackson so hot, your answer would probably be a blank stare and the high pitched lyric, "People always told me, be careful what you do…"

It’s not his singing voice, there are kids on ‘American Idol’ that sound a lot better than Mike. Maybe it’s the dancing moves, but that doesn’t translate to why you like the music. It’s certainly not because he’s cute, so maybe it’s the music. Quincy Jones is bad mutha.

But is that really the stuff icons are made of? Is that really what makes Michael Jackson one of the most irresistible musical forces the world has ever known? Or was MJ’s career a once in a lifetime moment in music that changed everything? Could it be that the man who defined swagger for the better part of the 80’s is the product of impeccable timing and an overwhelming need for drastic musical innovation?

Yes.

Which brings us to Mr. Kanye West.

Kanye-to-the is on a path we’ve seen before. Three albums deep, and he’s redefined hip-hop production and appealing content within the genre. Just as Michael Jackson made baby mama drama, running from zombies and fear of monogamy all sound cool to do over pop beats, West is rapidly approaching the plateau of cross over appeal and topical diversity. While the Internets won’t let him or anyone else hit 100 million records sold, he is the download and youtube king, and it’s not because of his lyrical prowess, or because he’s the Captain Jack Sparrow of awards shows.

West has caught the rare wave of maximizing instrumental innovation and a new brand of charisma. They’ve both had their public moments that set their careers in motion. Mike had Motown 25, Kanye had his first Grammy win. They’ve had their down moments. Mike’s hair caught on fire, and Kanye’s mother recently passed away.

They’ve had their share of controversy, from Mike’s color changing, his marriages, and inappropriate relationships with children, to Kanye’s infamous temper tantrums, convoluted political stances, and controversial takes on his own talent.

Michael Jackson is the quintessential pop star. His musical legend is one that will never be duplicated. But Kanye West is a different kind of pop culture creature, with the benefits of 24/7 coverage, and the knowledge of how to manipulate this coverage to best expose his extraordinary talent.

And love them or hate, you aren’t going to stop rocking to either of them any time soon.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Marvin Gaye lately. Since Christmas when I treated myself to “What’s Going On” while shopping for Christmas presents for my wife. When I think about what exactly was going on in 1971 and how there’s no big difference from what’s going on today, it’s sad that greatest album of all time could stand to be blasted on street corners around the world.

And it’s not just with Marvin. Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, many artists who were singing songs and producing music that matched the feelings of the time have their art regarded as classics today, but the ideals that birthed them are foreign to us. People are still returning home from wars without hope for a job, people are still Flying High in the Friendly Sky, and let’s not get started on the Ecology.

We often talk about what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would think if he were alive today, and rightfully so. But we usually don’t regard the soundtrack to the struggle as an important part of our culture. Stevie released an album a couple of years ago, and he still wants everyone to love each other as much as he did in the 70’s. But would Marvin be proud of us today? Despite the fact that his music is timeless, would he be sad that no one truly heard him?

So now Amy’s been caught smoking a crack pipe. I just don’t get it. If the chick made a song telling everybody she wasn’t going to rehab, we make it a hit and try to give her awards for it, then we get mad because she won’t go to rehab.

Anyway, 2008 has been the year of crazy starlets so far, with Britney Spears picking up in 08′ right where she left off in 07′, and now Winehouse trying to work her way into a Chris Rock monologue. At this point, the best we can do as fans, critics and haters is to compare Amy Winehouse with another famous alleged crackhead, Whitney Houston.

Now, we haven’t heard from Whitney in a while, and I’m not downing any attempts she has made and is making to get her life and career back on track. But let’s be serious. Whitney once said on national television that crack is wack. She could’ve said there’s no hope in dope, no go on the blow, or any other slick statement on the issue. But a real crack head will refer to crack as wack in a heartbeat; you and I both know it.

Winehouse is allegedly on tape smoking the stuff. Far more serious than just wild behavior caught on TMZ. She doesn’t have the longevity and following the Whit had to be wilding on crack just yet. Weed, maybe. But not blow.

I feel for Amy Winehouse like I felt for Whitney, that help is the best thing for her. But we’ve seen that airing their coke-sprinkled laundry in the media does nothing but exacerbate the problem. In fact, it might help you get a reality show income as it did for Whitney. So let’s leave her and her family alone to manage this crisis. Amy Winehouse would have nothing to run from if we stopped following her and her problems around.