The Poetry of Psalm 23 - David got bars!

Often times I tell people that I believe the 23rd Psalm were some of the illest verses ever written.  The pictures painted within the poetry are so vivid... David had bars son!! lol  Anyway, I once read a blog Toure did where he broke down a Jay-Z verse that he appreciated line by line and explained his interpretation.  I decided to try something similar with the 23rd Psalm .... so here goes:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

- The Psalm starts off crazy! Usually when we think of God, we think of him supplying all our needs.. David takes it a step further still and says that even beyond his needs, God has supplied all his wants!  Clearly either David had a much closer connection to the Big Homie than I, or he didn't 'want' as much as I do.. Lol

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: 

- The picture painted here is so serene.  When I read this passage, I picture blue skies, the best manicured lawn, a refreshing still stream of water that it is easy to drink from without having to fight against rushing waves crashing into your face. David takes this picture to the next level by indicating that resting peacefully in the green pastures and drinking from the quiet stream, don't only satisfy his physical refreshment needs;  He lets us know the peaceful refreshment reaches into the deep recesses of his soul.  This leads me to believe the green pastures and quiet streams he speaks of are also metaphors for giving us a snapshot or foretaste of the scene in Heaven.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

-Here David reminds us that if you follow the Shepherd closely, he will keep you on the right path because you represent him... Cool line but blah in comparison to the rest of the psalm.. But no less important

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

- At this point, David's swag is on 100 thousand trillion as he diddy bops through difficult times knowing that he is protected by The Big Homie, who is bigger and greater than any trial and tribulation he may endure

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: 

- This is easily my favorite line of the entire psalm ... A continuation of David's swag (he might be at 400 thousand trillion here) .. Here he in essence says 'you dont want it with the Lord's anointed ...  We will feast on you chumps' .. Dinner is served!

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

- David finishes up strong by writing words that reminds us 'who Jah bless no man curse'.  David has been ghostwriting for centuries!  A reminder that once you have been anointed and blessed by God, those blessings will follow you for life and those blessings continue even after when u are dwelling with Him in Heaven.. 

Amen - The End

DJ Mr Cee .. Still One of The Greatest!

Over the last 5 or 6 years, if you asked me who my favorite Hip-Hop DJ was, without hesitation I would answer DJ Mr Cee.  If you asked why, I would tell you because he DJ'd for one of my favorite rappers of all time (Big Daddy Kane), he was responsible for bringing Biggie to Puff's office, he is also the only DJ who can kill it when he plays any genre: hip-hop, r&b, reggae, konpa, etc. and not just play the surface or commercial tracks either.  He's not afraid to do parties in the most hood spots.  He also isn't afraid to put his reputation on the line when trying to break new records, expose new artists, and work with people who are not necessarily reputable enough to work with a DJ of his caliber.  He is simply one of the best at it.

However, if you asked me what his real name was, I had no clue..  Is he married?, Does he have any children?, What are his hobbies?, What's his favorite type of music?  I don't know the answer to any of those questions...

Then today when I saw the news and details of his arrest, the Jamaican homophobic side of me was instantly shocked and appalled!!!  "What?!, Mr Cee is a Batty Man?!! .. Say it ain't so!!!"  I was so disappointed to read the news...

Then I thought for a second...  ok, ok it took more than a second but after I gave it more thought I wondered 'Why am I disappointed?' ..  'What has changed?' .. 'Why am I even surprised?' .. Haven't we heard repeatedly over the last 15 years at minimum that a huge percentage of the Hip-hop industry is gay or 'goes both ways'.. Why are we surprised when it is revealed that someone actually is....  Is he no longer one of the best dj's to ever do it?  Did he still not give us Biggie, has he not been an integral part of the Hip-Hop culture for the last 25 years?!  Did he not pay his dues and earn his respect in the game?

I argue that absolutely nothing has changed!!  I mean sure he used poor judgement by his act of 'public lewdness', but c'mon who hasnt had some form of 'inappropriate conduct' in the whip before.. Lmao!! He is a DJ for goodness sake!!  I don't even think that Bishop Eddie Long received the type of ridicule that Mr Cee is getting, and he was a minister .. someone that is expected to uphold moral values. Ultimately, I never knew anything about his personal life before I declared him one of the best at it, and now even though some of his 'dirty laundry' has been exposed, I say "Who Cares?!!"

In fact, when this is all said and done and if this does in fact turn out to be true, while we're all busy ridiculing him, he may be feeling the most relieved he has ever felt in his entire life because he is no longer mentally imprisoned by a dirty laundry cell / glass house that still holds most of us captive.  I mean ours may not be homosexuality,  but what if your husband/boyfriend ever found out the real reason you were voted 'most popular' in school .. or your job finds out about that arrest record that you had sealed, or the church that you love to act Holier than Thou in,  finds out what you're busy doing the other six days of the week .. All I'm saying is, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone... " - Jesus 

    DJ Mr Cee, keep doing your thing!!!!  Musically that is, I don't care to know anything else .. lol

My New Terrible Diagnosis

Dear family and friends,

Because I love you all, and because of the love you all have shown me, you have helped me build the courage to share with you.  I have received a terrible diagnosis... an incurable disease known as ILikeNiceThings has consumed me and there is no turning back.  This disease tends to flare up all the time, whether its a sick suit, a sick tie, a sick car, and for the most part I have been able to control it ... However, lately it has been plaguing me and rearing its ugly head when I pass the Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores at the Westchester Mall.  Every time I pass the Louis Store,  these shoes keep making me sick!!  I stare at them for minutes at a time, then finally when I muster up the strength to move, and start feeling a little better, I end up by the Gucci store and these damn shoes make me sicker!!  Ladies and gentlemen, you must help me in this cause ... here's how you can help... I have decided that on Sunday March 27th, I am doing a 5k walkathon (or 5 mile whichever is shorter .. I was never good with the metric system).  I am looking for sponsors for my walk to help my cause towards acquiring these shoes.  Please join me in my walk and gather sponsors. too  This is for a good cause... my health depends on it!!  To donate, you can donate via paypal (golewin@gmail.com) or on www.getgregshoes.com (no that website doesnt really exist, but the paypal account does :-) ).  Thanks in advance.



Sickly

A Toast To Love

Just figured I would share my toast with those of you who couldn't make it.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is indeed my honor and privilege to propose a toast to the bride and groom

For the benefit of those who don’t know me, my name is Greg Lewin.  and I have been a friend of Christopher’s for over 15 years and indeed it has been an extreme pleasure ….  Well, for him!

Over the many years I have known Chris, he has always been someone who has motivated and inspired me.  If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be the word success because anyone who knows Chris knows that anything Chris sets out to do, gets done… and not only does it get done, but in most instances it gets done better than its ever been done before.

Case and point, Chris went away for 3 consecutive summers and came back with a Master’s degree from RPI, a highly reputable school.  He disappeared for what felt like a few months and next thing I know, he had a PhD, which I believe was the fastest period of time anybody has ever completed that program.  And those are just a few examples .. the list goes on and on

So when I hear Chris say that next on his agenda is to be a husband, I have no doubts that not only will he be successful in that role, but he very well may be one of the best we’ll ever witness in it!

They say beside every good man is a great woman, and for many of Chris’ successes, there was someone who was by his side for a good portion of the journey.   Someone who would lend an encouraging and comforting word during the difficult or discouraging times, someone who would remind him of his schedule and important meetings, someone who would run errands to the ends of the earth for him so he could focus on writing and completing projects.  Someone who has played an integral role in his success.. and it comes as no surprise that Chris would want that person by his side for the rest of their lives.... That person is none other than the beautiful bride Ebone’.

I’ve heard people say that you have to be careful when naming your children because they very well may live up to the name you give them and when I think of the word Ebony .. I think strong, beautiful, black .. and when I think of the person Ebone’, I think beautiful, strong, black woman, who is also intelligent, sweet, kind, successful, patient, and someone who is perfect for Chris in every way!

Usually when people are looking for their soul mate they look for someone who complements them….  Someone who could be the Yang to their Ying…. And when I see Chris and Ebone’ interact you can feel the love spewing out of them, and I realize that Ebone’ doesn’t just complement Chris …. She completes him!!

And so without any further ado,  please raise your glasses as I propose a toast two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one ...  To Health, To Happiness, To Prosperity, To Posterity, To Joy, To Love, To Forever!!  Cheers!

Trey Songz ... Bringin' Morals Back??

This morning while driving, I heard the new Trey Songz single on the radio 'I'm Already Taken', and I instantly put on my hater hat.  I thought 'Damn homey, save some of the ladies for the rest of us!! .. this dude is constantly finding new ways every day to get all the women!!'.  Over the last few years, we have witnessed Trey Songz quietly rise from being the average R&B singer to the biggest R&B sensation on the planet.  From young girls to old hags alike, you'd be hard pressed to find a single one that is not crazy about this guy and I knew that this song would only enhance and bolster his position.  Everyone knows that if you ask any woman what they want in a relationship,  they will always say honesty and faithfulness (no, they aren't necessarily the same, but that's another blog), and here goes Mr Songz hitting them in their soft spot with 'I'm Already Taken'.

However, after the effects of my haterade wore off, I thought of a different perspective.  I thought instead that perhaps Trey Songz should be commended for this bold step that he has taken.  In a world where every entertainer and 'role model' (rapper, r&b singer, rock star, athlete, politician, spiritual leaders, etc) show us by both their words and actions that debauchery and polygamy are what define men (and many of us buy into it), Trey Songz has taken a different approach: Trey Songz has publicly declared that monogamy is cool.  He can go to the clubs and women can throw themselves at him and he has no problems  announcing 'I'm Already Taken'.   This isn't the first time he's done it either.. In his video for the song 'Your Side of the Bed', he played the role of a husband whose wife was deployed to war and he was anxiously awaiting her return, which she never did (She died at war and he broke down crying at the door further tugging on these women's heart strings .. Monogamy and a man not afraid to cry?!! .. That bastard!!! ... Hey, how did this hater hat come back on?!.. Lol). Anyway, I've digressed :-) ... How cool is it that the person who has the attention of all the ladies (and all the men that are trying to find out the secret to his super powers), is suggesting that its cool to be a one lady man?  Could Trey Songz (consciously or not) be taking the first step towards bringing morality back into our society?


Undoubtedly, pop culture plays a huge role in influencing all of us (not just our children).  While I do agree that parents ultimately have the responsibility of teaching children right from wrong, it is definitely pop culture that enforces or dissuades those teachings.  Pop culture is the reason our kids want these ridiculous looking clothes, why our grown folk want jewelry, why we bought the 4.6 instead of the 4.0 Range Rover, and why we want those expensive sneakers.. Because whether we admit it or not, somewhere in the back of our minds we believe that if we mimic them even if its ever so slightly we might somehow yield the same results.  So imagine when all our heroes from Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, Shaquille O'neal, and music stars in their songs and videos reinforce that every man cheats.  It almost suggests that it's a prerequisite for greatness and a way of proving your manhood.  It is constantly being imprinted on the minds of our impressionable society (not just men either .. I've even heard women accept less than they deserve by saying things like 'every man cheats, but I'm who he comes home to at night' which then further gives us a license to continue that behavior .. thats yet another blog .. maybe I'll call it 'It's Your Fault').

One thing I have also noticed about recent pop culture, however, is that it lacks originality, so whenever somebody is 'hot', for the next year and a half every other artist is copying the one that is successful, and with Trey Songz being on top imagine if one by one artists continue in this vein and write songs that encourage our young men that it's ok to be faithful and respect our women... What a great thing that would be.  Trey Songz, I commend you for taking the first step towards getting society back on the right track publicly (even if u probably hitting off mad groupies backstage after your shows... There's that damn hater hat again.. Lol).  Good Job.

But then again, what do I know ... That I know nothing.

Message to Lebron...

DON'T PLAY YOURSELF!!!!!


Listen here Mr James!!  As I sit here in anticipation for your hour long special to announce where you're going (which in itself is ridiculous), I just thought I should let you know my stance (since I know you're an avid reader of my blog .. lol).  If you come to NY I will still think you are the best player in the league (ignore by Kobe blog, I was just saying that to get you mad .. lol)... If you stay in Cleveland, that would be very honorable and noble of you, especially after your mom smashed the homey!!  If you go to Chicago, I can respect that decision.  They have some good people at a lot of the positions that could make you a contender and they are still young. .. But, Mr James ... IF YOU DARE GO TO THE MIAMI HEAT .. I will have lost all respect for you.  Congratulations Kobe Bryant, you will no longer be my least favorite player in the league.  How can you go from being the best player in the league (arguably) to attempting to ride another player's coat tails to the championship.  That would essentially be you going from being Jordan to being Tony Kukoc!   Yes it is riding coat tails, because Wade already has a ring.  The announcement is about to start, so I wont continue because I know you need some time to read this before you announce.... but homey, dont embarrass us all .. Make ur momma proud ... oh, oops!  Ha


But then again, what do I know .. that I know nothing!!

Pray It Forward

Hey guys, today while rummaging through my desk looking for some specs so I could run a quarterly report, I stumbled upon a prayer that someone must have forwarded me and I printed it out. Every time I read it, it offers some calmness/soothing of mind and spirit for me. I know a couple of my friends are going through some tough times right now, so I figured I would share it with you guys hoping that someone else may be blessed by it .. Consider it me 'praying it forward'* ..

My prayer for you all:


May today be all you need it to be.

May the peace of God and the freshness of the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.

May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced.

May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.

I pray that faith enters a new height for you;

I pray that your territory is enlarged.

I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, properity, joy, true and undying love for God.

Amen

God promises a safe landing .. not a calm passage.

But then again, what do I know? ... that I know nothing.


*Note: 'Pray it forward' is simply a twist on the expression 'pay it forward'. For those not familiar with the expression:

The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead (gotta love wikipedia)