Bobbi Kristina: A Tragic Reminder of the Real Victims of Domestic Abuse

“Sometimes, I swear to you, it feels like nothing is going my way. Then I look at my little girl and know that she needs me for me and not anything else. That makes me wanna live on so much harder, 'cause I can’t stand to think the world would teach her something I wouldn’t teach her. That makes me live, baby.” — Out, May 2000 ~Whitney Houston

What leads us to choose the people who surrounds us? Is it an endless aching need for connection

Violence is learned.

that drives us to make a foolish choice at any cost to our physical or emotional well-being once we have tasted the way even the most toxic of people fill that void for us? Is it learned from our families of origin?. Our children lean what they live. It's a fact proven time and time again in countless studies, children who grow up in homes with domestic violence will most likely go on to be victims or perpetrators of domestic violence as teenagers and adults. We convince ourselves that as long as we are fighting back, it isn't abuse, as long as we are fighting back it is somehow not the same thing, that we are not victims, but we are. In our rationalizations and attempts at holding it together which we somehow convince ourselves is better for the children, we lose sight of the legacy that we are leaving for them.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, died Sunday, July 26, 2015 at the age of 22 after battling for her life in what may very well be a result of that legacy that her parents unwittingly created. The marriage of her parents, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was epic. We were enthralled by the depth of their love and the tales of their excesses. We were appalled by the episodes of  domestic violence and drug abuse but what could we do about it, watching from the side lines as we were? We were fans not family. Even if we were family, you can't run an intervention on someone who doesn't want to be intervened with. Under the glitz and the glamour and the woe, who was the most tragic victim of their tumultuous love story? Bobbi Kristina.

There is speculation that her death was of a suspicious nature. The fingers are pointing to her live-in boyfriend, Nick Gordon.  In a recent article released by eonline.com, Bobbi's close friend, Alex Reid discloses details of the ordeal that Bobbi Kristina endured with Nick and his behavior since her hospitalization hasn't exactly portrayed that of a mourning boyfriend. How did a beautiful, vivacious young woman from a celebrity family end up under the control of someone who is beginning to sound like a monster? It's a pretty simple answer if you ask me.

Mom and Dad were often battling, estranged, wrapped up in battling drug addiction. I'm sure the worst of their domestic violence issues were kept from the headlines. It's always our children who pay for our vices and poor choices in the end. None of us is perfect, but we should always be mindful of the environment we create for our children. One day they just might grow up to live it. Whitney Houston was America's sweetheart and Bobby Brown the bad boy we all loved to hate, the tendency is to feel badly for them, and I do. The point in my writing is not to vilify Bobby Brown in any way, because perhaps he was at some point in his life a victim to living under the same circumstances. However I hope that in our sympathy and our empathy we don't lose sight of how this tragedy could have been averted at some point in the past by either of her parents choosing something healthy for their relationship or for themselves as individuals so that we have the opportunity to apply it's un-exercised solutions in our own lives. My thoughts and condolences go out to the family of Bobbi Kristina. Stay strong, this tragedy hasn't ended just yet, not by a long shot.

321 Hip Hop 7/24/2015 Rump$tep Interview

Hey hey... missing my co-anchor Dave Majesty on this one due to some miscommunication but here's my first solo news flow on 321... I have to admit working with Mike Childs and Sal I was not as relaxed during my bit as I was on my own show cause I wanted it to be tight but hey... you can only go up from where you are!!! And Rump$tep... that boy is one dope producer!!!

321 hiphop radio July 24th 2015 -DjTes1 & Our Reality-Rump$tep Album Interview by 321hiphop on Mixcloud

How Do You Rap Your Beef? VMA Whiners er I Mean Contenders

Nothing gets a good Twitter beef going like annual award ceremonies and this year is no exception. The announcement of the nominees for the VMA music awards started a twitter shitstorm with Nicki Minaj's tweet: 

   NICKI MINAJ 

✔   @NICKIMINAJ

If I was a different "kind" of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well.

3:14 PM - 21 Jul 2015

Exactly "what" kind of artist was she implying? Apparently a thin one. The line that calls out Taylor:

      NICKI MINAJ 

✔      @NICKIMINAJ

If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year

Nicki claims that she wasn't targeting Taylor but I think it's pretty clear as Taylor is a. slim and b. a Video of the Year Nominee. Unless of course she was including Ed Sheeran's bride in Thinking Out Loud or Beyonce in 7/11. We all know that Beyonce has a curvy womanly body so I think she's out of that debate though the women in her video are not necessarily curvy but well, physically fit and amazing.

The merits of the Anaconda video that Nicki's placing her belief that she should be getting the nomi for best choreo and Video of the Year on:

     NICKI MINAJ 

✔     @NICKIMINAJ

Ellen did her own anaconda video and did the #choreo lol. Remember her doing that kick . Even mtv did a post on the choreo @MTV remember?

3:16 PM - 21 Jul 2015

Does anyone even watch Ellen anymore? (JK! Sorry Ellen! Many people watch and love you. I am just not a big daytime television viewer.) And yes the choreo was bangin but maybe some of the other videos just topped it. No that couldn't be.

      NICKI MINAJ 

✔      @NICKIMINAJ

U couldn't go on social media w/o seeing ppl doing the cover art, choreo, outfits for Halloween...an impact like that & no VOTY nomination?

5:39 PM - 21 Jul 2015

Yes Nicki's video did have quite an impact on social media and Halloween but... 

Technically, artistically, conceptually, Anaconda does not belong in the category of Video of the Year  and 7/11 by Beyonce is a no for me too along with Uptown Funk, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran... snore. For me the top contenders are Kendrick Lamar's Alright, a stark, poignant portrayal of the social inequalities faced by black Americans, in particular with law enforcement and Taylor Swift's Bad Blood which happens to feature Kendrick Lamar.  Kendrick's Alright is an epic video and there is just so much more substance to Taylor's Bad Blood video than the hott twerking bodies of Anaconda. Of course the VMAs Video of the Year is based upon fan participation and some would say a mysterious internal body of voters yet to materialize so at the end of the day what does my opinion matter anyway? And who is Nicki arguing with - the fans - because again these nominations are primarily fan based? What the fans want, the fans get.

Suddenly Nicki's rant has brought out arguments of social inequality. Nickie fans raced to her defense, claiming that she is being shunned as she is trying to celebrate fuller-figured woman of color's bodies.  Let's face it there have been many times in history when an awards organization has taken the politically safe way out and overlooked deserving black artists in key award categories or for consideration at all, and that is an argument worthy of diversion, but um, meow, Nicki, I hate to be the one to say it, because I'm sure I'll hear some backlash, but this isn't one an example of social inequality.  I see nothing but love in my Facebook and Twitter feed for those body types but could it be, as far as Video of the Year awards go that Anaconda was simply just a flash in the pan? I love a lot of Nicki's material but Anaconda was not her best in my opinion. Am I jealous of Nicki's beauty and sexual prowess as I'm sure I'd stand accused if she were to even know who I am? No. I am a twerking beast on the dance floor. Just give me some room.

This Twitter beef being turned into a social commentary draws our attention away from the real social issues at hand. People's time would be better spent taking part in a peace rally, organizing a special interest lobby, or running for a spot on the town council if they want to throw in an argument for social inequality and hope for some real impact. For me Kendrick's Alright is the only video that warrants a social debate and Taylor and Kendrick coming together on Bad Blood could have done so much more to close the widening divide between whites and blacks in our current social environment than it did, but that's just me wishing to see some social responsibility from performing artists, something that Kendrick has clearly not shrunken away from at any point in his career.

Peace. 

~Chill Ms. Jackson

RED ALERT: Irealz Heats Up July for Upstate New York

RED ALERT... Somebody's career is on fiyaaaahhhh!!! At least one thing is hot this July in upstate New York! Syracuse-based emcee Irealz received a shout out in this month's issue of XXL as well as having a feature on Cannibal Ox's Blade of the Ronin which made XXL's list of Top 30 Hip Hop Albums of 2015 {So Far). Haven't had a taste of Irealz yet? You're in luck. He just dropped a dope coompilation on bandcamp this month. Irealz delivers a digital anthology of his collabs to fans with Killerr Killabos.  if you really want to get the dealio on Realio check out his interview with The Hip Hop Foundation.


Discography

kILLER kILLABOS     July 2015

Everybody Hates Realz     February 2014

SOLAR FLAREZ     November 2012

Code of Omerta     November 2011

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Code of Omerta Prelude Mixtape  October 2011