Now, I know some of you reading this has done and will do this and I might be talking about you specifically, so take note to what I am writing! First off, I don’t know YOU or your music, so why should I take precious seconds out of my already busy and hectic life, just to adhere to your demands because you found my name on Twitter? Also keep in mind that you are definitely not the only one bombarding me with such an inane request. You’ve never ‘talked’ to me on Twitter, let alone, read what I write and yet, because you need votes for a contest that will do nothing to advance your career, you hit me up with a link to vote for you? Does that even make any sense? My advice? ASK me to check out your profile/song/page first to see if I would even listen to it and THEN, ask me if I like it, to vote for the song so that way it can stroke your fragile ego to win a contest that A & Rs don’t even know or care about! THAT would go a long way to maybe gaining my attention and maybe, just maybe, if I do, first, actually go to the page and then actually listen to it and then, I may even like it enough to give you that vote you seek. Now wasn’t that better than just sending the SAME damn link to everyone while having an online passive-aggressive attitude?

Oh, and for the idiot (yes, I wrote idiot!) Who called me a hater because I politely CED no when such a request was spammed to me, do some research before spewing dumb words because you never know who can help you get to the next level and not only that, other people read other people’s Tweets that are sent to people and you may have alienated someone who may have even liked your stuff, but because you showed online ignorance, you blew a realistic chance at actually having a career outside the Twitter walls. I’m just sayin…’

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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And it is in part racial, because minority cops have no problem shooting other minorities! Is it acceptance by their white peers that makes them feel like they can or is it the Police Department’s way of training and teaching how to handle minorities? I can’t ever recall hearing a black officer shooting a white ’suspect’ without probable cause. Shit, EVEN WITH probable cause! That’s probably cause the punishment will be harsh for shooting a white person than it is for killing a black one! Wait! There is usually no punishment for a cop killing a black man. Maybe this is why there is no restraint when a police officer pulls a weapon on a black man.

What scares me most is that it can realistically happen to me! I’ve had cops draw guns on me before and for no legitimate reason other than me being a dark skinned black man. And please don’t question a police officer! This is justification for them to ‘use force’. I have seen white people get pulled over, yelling at cops for stopping them and then be allowed to leave without even a warning! I’ve NEVER been arrested but you would think I was a known criminal whenever a cop stops me. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying I hate cops, I can and will say that I don’t trust ANY police officer because there are many people in jail railroaded by the system in the name of racial injustice!

Cops should be placed on a higher standard because they are ‘trained’ to uphold the law yet they are also breaking the law because they feel they are ABOVE the law! Why are cops given 48 hours to come up with a perfect story to tell based on the crime they’ve committed? When a suspect is arrested, they aren’t given ANY time before they are questioned! Police officers who commit blatant acts of lawlessness should NOT be given ANY privileges!

The Police Department should be run by an independent and neutral entity to ensure that when a police officer shoots a black man or is involved in any questionable activity, we will be ensured of a thorough investigation, as opposed to the police clearing their own officers.

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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Since I live in the New York City area, I am being told, indirectly, that I HAVE to vote for Comptroller William Thompson for mayor because, as a Black man, I have to support him. And although Governor Patterson is not doing such a great job, I MUST vote for him for re-election because, hey, he’s Black! And you do know that Barack Obama is a Black man, so we MUST continue the trend of electing Blacks to office!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a GREAT supporter of Black people, but, I am a BETTER supporter of people who will do a great job for me when they get in office. If I had a choice to vote based on race versus based on getting the job done, I am voting based on the latter, but hopefully, the candidate would be both.

So, all I am saying is, we, as Black people, are being viewed as not being smart enough to make the right choice for ourselves. It seems that even Black politicians want us to vote simply based on the pigment of the skin or the cultural aspects of the candidate. I say, as I do, base any vote on who you feel would do the best job out of the candidates and with all things being equal, then racial pride would win, otherwise, we can’t let people do our thinking for us! We need to research and listen and read up on ALL candidates for any office that is being pursued as all decisions based on the winning candidates WILL affect our lives, which makes it that much more important to be educated, not forced to pick our own candidate.

So, all I am asking is for Black candidates to not anticipate just getting our votes based on the fact that you are Black as well and put forth the effort to prove to us that you are qualified for the job. And Black people, stop going with the theory of voting based on skin color because, believe it or not, there ARE stupid black politicians out there….

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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I know people are fearful in starting their own company or doing something outside of their position. Yet, it is very empowering knowing you can and will make things happen because you want to and not have to rely on someone, people or a company to make it happen! At the same time, it’s not for everyone. I know people who are great at what they do when they have direction and a stated goal, but put them in a situation where they have to fend for themselves and they get lost immediately. I never understood it before, but I have a better understanding now! If you are not that confident that you can do it without direction, then stay in your position and make yourself even more valuable because it is rough out here!

I feel I am in a very great position having navigated myself through tough times before and anticipating it happening again. Before, nerves almost got the best of me, but now, I welcome the challenge as I set my sights higher for bigger goals. To do so when the rest of the country is nervous and struggling will make it sweeter for me when I do accomplish what I am setting out to do!

Sometimes you have to follow your passion to find satisfaction in your life and since there are too many disgruntled people working and even some making great money. I choose to enjoy my life and what I do so that way I feel great waking up and setting myself up to work and do the things I want to and can do! I am not and have never been money driven; which may be the reason I am not rich or even content YET, but I DO know that being this way WILL benefit me in the long run as I plan on staying relevant until I don’t want to do it anymore (Whatever that may be!) or until The Lord calls me to join him.

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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Let’s think about it. Not taking anything away from Britney Spears, but when was the last time a rapper was allowed to get away with a third of the *&%! Britney has gotten away with and then get accepted back like she was always sane? She has been through 2 marriages, 2 divorces, 2 pregnancies, and that alone would eliminate any and all rappers from getting the chance to get back in the spotlight. Unless, of course, it was an arrest or drug-related incident. Can you really imagine Mainstream America allowing a Foxy Brown or a Lil’ Kim to get away with that?

Ole girl has shown pure craziness with the going completely bald, smashing cars with umbrellas and hitting paparazzi with vehicles, yet, she has never spent a day in jail. She was sent to the loony bin, have had control of her finances taken from her, kids taken away and yet, she will no doubt have a number one album again! She is allowed to get away with all this mess, yet we vilify DMX when he goes on one of his many rants and speed chases. Why can’t the Hip-Hop community welcome a DMX with open arms the way Mainstream America is willing to accept crazy ass Britney back?

What do ya’ll think??

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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I’m aware that The Hip Hop Summit Action Network has recently released a Public Service Announcement to get people to not only just register, but actually get out there and cast their vote.

But, you have Snoop Dogg, T.I. and Jim Jones (honestly, I’m not sure if Jim Jones has a criminal record, but I can’t see him even going to the polls at all) in the video encouraging people to be involved in the voting process. Yet, can you see any of them actually doing the research to actually go out and vote themselves?

I am all about getting more blacks involved in who is in office because, despite what most think, under the current system we are partly responsible for who makes the laws and decides things for us. If we are not involved in the political process, then we can’t complain when we are not spoken for. Yet, how can we expect the younger generation to follow through and register and then vote when they know that the artists that they follow and respect aren’t doing the same? Or better yet, are not being allowed to.

You know what I’d rather see? I’d rather see some of the politicians fight to get convicted felons to be able to vote again. THAT would impress me, knowing that a reformed convict has the right to be a part of this decision making process called politics. I’d like to see Russell Simmons, Puff, Quincy Jones and any ‘powerful’ black man fight to get some of the artists they work with to be able to be a part of the voting process again.

If these people get their rights back, this will potentially sway votes in other directions. The prison system ‘allows’ them to come back into society after time served, why can’t they get their right to vote back?

What do you think?

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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I, like fellow older hip-hop/music heads, feel the quality of music has sunk so low that anything with a passable beat will get radio play nowadays. But, that’s for another time (you notice I like throwing hints on future topics at you?). I am actually kinda happy but sad at the same time. Why? There is a trend of hip hop artists, excuse me, performers, recording dance songs (no, not like Donna Summer/Madonna dance songs), that describe a particular dance they are doing. You know, like “The Electric Slide,” “The Hustle” (for you younger heads, these were disco songs from the 80s, when you were guaranteed to hear good music on the radio and in the clubs), etc. Now, I am not knocking the trend at all (well, maybe a little) but there is a reason I am saddened as well.

I am with any and every thing that will show people a good time and how to have fun through music, specifically hip hop. This is why I am happy with the trend of the younger artists, um, performers, making these type of records for the masses. One small problem is the buffoonery that is sometimes involved in such dances. But you know what? That’s a small price to pay to get people off the gangsta, ignorant messages sent daily via hip hop songs, radio stations and video programming. It seems as though every song has to have a reference of selling drugs, hustling, killing, robbing, bitches, hos and everything that comes along in the ‘How To Make a Successful Hip-Hop Record’ instruction manual. So anything not used from the manual is a welcomed relief.

Now, I am saddened because it seems as if lyricism is no longer needed in hip hop unless it’s written by Nas, Jay-Z or any other head who had to actually think to formulate a verse or two to put in a song.

I purposely used the term performer instead of artist or rapper. We are in the YouTube video days where the song is not based on what can be learned (unless it’s a how-to dance song), but what visuals can be displayed for the viewing audience.

Why are we accepting this? And don’t give me that bull about this being a different generation. Why can’t intelligence or uplifting thoughts be visible in hip hop? I do know there are artists out there that fit the description, but we are not being allowed to see them and they are not being given the same chances as the gun-toting, stupid, stop snitchin’ fools that are ruling the hip hop frequency (at least to the mainstream audience).

Speaking of dancing, my second topic is our favorite hypocrite, Jesse Jackson. I’ve said it for years that this man is two-faced, conniving and couldn’t be trusted. For this man to use the very same word that he is trying to eradicate from hip hop records is simply amazing! I agree that we need to curb our enthusiasm for using the word because I am indeed guilty (except I never use that word amongst non-blacks, as opposed to rappers writing hit songs based on the word. Jigga My Nigga, anyone?) Jesse just proved that he is part of the problem. Don’t tell me to stop drinking alcohol while we are getting drunk at the bar. Does that make sense?

What do you think?

BIG CED is the founder/owner and visionary for The Industry Cosign and has been involved in the entertainment field for over two decades. His rants on music and the industry-at-large are exclusive to Urban Thought Collective.

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