Black America....

How's everybody doing? I've been hearing a lot about the CNN special "Black In America..." and no I haven't had an opportunity to watch it yet because of prior engagements so this post won't comment on what's been said on there intentionally and simply is a reflection of my recent and perhaps not so recent interactions as a young black man in America.

Society is rather quick to judge and not as quick to lend the helping hand I mentioned in my previous entry. The stereotypes are long and winded when it comes to the African-American male (lazy, ignorant, ignit, ghetto, loud, dependent, tired, troublesome, quarrelsome, untrustworthy, undependable, trifling, overzealous and just plain useless).

They get quite tiring and became even more of a burden when even simple tasks are praised when completed by us. "Oh, he can read?? That is just amazing!" or "He doesn't have twelve kids at age 21" or "He isn't locked up by age 18!" or "He graduated from high school?!? Just wonderful!" Just as the stereotypes go on and on, these demoralizing comments can continue on and on as well. Now coming from a family member o a person that has experienced the same trials and tribulations, these comments can be uplifting but from an outside source (and by source I don't mean race) these comments make us feel as if we are less then men and it is amazing we can achieve goals that are simply expected from other races. Those stereotypes and living with them can stack the deck quite heavily against us, I cannot deny that fact due to my own experience, but I feel it should be expected that we can push through these situations just like anyone else because these comments can't kill us but simply make us stronger. But for those individuals who look past the success of some and only at the failures, those failures can be attributed to you just as much as they can be to the individual that failed.

The saying goes that those that fail to plan are planning to fail and in the same light those that fail to believe can only believe in failure. African-American males can be viewed as a newborn baby. (Go with me here I know I'm stretching it a tad bit far). I mean it in a sense that the baby doesn't come with a name and simply goes with the name that s/he is called the most by their parent(s). (You get it already don't you?) In comparison to the African-American male, it is quite possible that if they only hear that they are this negative trait or that negative trait, or can't do this or can't do that, or are bound to fail...what should be expected?! If failure is all that a person knows, then success is made even that much more difficult to achieve.

The stereotypes extend towards the clothing and the music and education success rates of the African American males. (Sarcasm alert!) It appears that they are the only ones that wear baggy clothes, listen to music that drains their minds and drop out of school. If all that is placed in the black community is hip-hop/urban clothing shops...the only music that attempts to relate to the African-American community is rap...and the schools with heavy African-American youth enrollment rates continue to lack in funding and books, then the stereotypes and demoralizing comments will remain prevalent. The young brothers that don't wear white teeshirts will remain unnoticed...the brothers attempting to rap about the plight of the African-American community and/or the improvement of the community will remain unnoticed...the brothers that make it out the hood from the neighborhood school with 4.0 G.P.A.'s will remain unnoticed...basically the African-American male will remain unnoticed...
God Bless...PromoDave signing out...

The Helping Hand Called Love...

What's going on everybody? I really couldn't come up with a title for this entry but I just felt like allowing some ideas to flow. I been thinking about Love a lot lately because of unfortunate circumstances and joyous occasions that have been going on in my life lately. I'll guess I'll explain what my definition of love is prior for going into all of that because Love has truly been misconstrued, misused, mistreated, misjudged, mishandled, and just plain missing in my eyes lately. Now this doesn't mean I've been hurting or lonely because I'm not speaking on ongoings directly in my life when I speak of this mistreatment but just discussing stuff I've seen or been around.

The world we're currently living in has placed too many expectations, restrictions, and restraints on love. While I do believe love can be powerful, the type of love that is being exalted now has tainted the entire image of pure love that can truly build up a person. It is indeed possible that sexuality can be included in love and is often used in connection with the term but Love is much more than sex. Love is friendly, caring, helpful, kind, genuine, true, everlasting, unbreakable, powerful, and uplifting. Everyone seeks out what they love but if any of those elements are lacking in the search or in the actual process of love then it truly isn't love. Just as I've outline what love is, at least to me, the harmful aspects of love need to be outlined as well.

Love isn't secretive, disheartening, false, temporary, passing, breakable, restricting, decapitating, minimizing, selfish, nor is it overbearing. These elements can destroy any love whether it is with a spouse, family member, friend, or a love of a particular passion such as a career, sport, art form or anything of that nature.

I say all this to say, Love isn't to be held in light regard because just as you can be hurt in an instant through any small slight, those around you can be just as hurt. Though people express their emotions in different manners, the effect of heartbreak or simply the lack of Love can spread as quickly as a medical outbreak. Now I'm not saying hug everyone you see on the street and simply change your character to make everyone around you happy but just take a moment to consider it's possible that you aren't the only person on this Earth that eats, sleeps, and maneuvers through this difficult world. How does this all return back around to your man, Promo?...

That's just the basic ideal I try to live by...I'm told by plenty that I'm the nicest person they've ever met but the things I do are nothing to me. I just think that I have no idea what a person is going through when they aren't around me so I'll make the time they spend around me as positive as possible. You can think of it as sappy, soft, or whatever but that's how I live and have no intentions for changing at all. While you're thinking about it, simply do me a favor and sit back and think...how much easier could life be if I attempted at least one time a day to make the people around me enjoy life just a little bit more. The people in our lives would benefit the most and subsequently we would benefit as well because there is nothing better then being in a group of people that are at peace with life.

We all can use a helping hand sometime....how would the world be if we all kept not only our hands but minds open?...
-PromoDave

...But maybe it's just not meant to work like that. Maybe everyone is meant to bring down everyone around them until we are all worth nothing. Maybe peace is an illusion...maybe love is just an illusion...or maybe...just maybe the world can make a change...only time will tell...My dream is just that this random post and my other posts can help in that change...
God Bless...PromoDave signing out...

F.O.C.

Two posts in one day?? Don't expect this that often but I just felt the need to dedicate one to the group I'm glad to be promoting or at least attempting to because it makes me proud to see some young African American males on their business. It's even better and more fulfilling because I've grown up with most of these guys and they're growing up in their music right before me.
Last summer, the first F.O.C. mixtape was released under the title "Welcome To The Hundreds: Vol. 1" and was held in high terms by all of those that got the opportunity to it because of the fresh sound it presented and the lyrical flow that was beyond the years of the artists featured on the mixtape. The mixtape predominantly featured tracks from Kontraversy, Freaky Moe, and Buttah B and while the cd didn't reach the mass audience it was intended to, it lead to the creation of many more opportunities for the group.
This summer, Chicago will be overtaken by the newest production from F.O.C., "F.O.C. Presents: It's A Done Deal: Vol. 1" featuring Freaky Moe, Lil D, *the C.E.O.'s* Kontraversy, ACE Boogie, Young Giftz, Ariez, T-Top and Stash P. From the 6 minute-plus intro track through every track on the mixtape, these artists have stepped their lyrical game up and destroyed any beat tossed in front of them. Not only will they put their destruction on their own mixtape but they are being featured on several other DJ's mixtapes.

The first mixtape F.O.C. will be featured on is "DJ Fade Presents Try & Keep Up Volume 2".
The mixtape can be downloaded at this site. http://hear-it-first.net/?p=993#respond

The group's song "Dope Boy Fresh" featuring Young Giftz, Kontraversy, and Freaky Moe is track 6.

The group is in the process of contacting several other DJ's about opportunities to be featured on more mixtapes and as the news becomes official, it will be reported first on this blog. When "F.O.C. Presents: It's A Done Deal: Vol. 1" is completed, it will also be reported on this blog.

Stay Tuned!

God Bless....PromoDave signing out...

I Love Sports Too

What's going on everybody? Hope everything is going well. I sat and watched the ESPY's last night and was really pleased with how the entire show was put together. After watching several other awards shows lately that shall go unnamed (cough cough BET), I was beginning to think the entire art of a quality awards show had been lost but the ESPY's restored my faith if even for that one night.
Justin Timberlake outdid himself as his jokes were current, relevant, sports related and most importantly, FUNNY! He didn't overdo jokes and once he saw the audience had accurately responded, he kept the show moving and flowing smoothly. Even his music routine was on point which normally spells a downfall for an awards show host.

I say all of this to return to my topic for this blog, I LOVE SPORTS!.

Sports helped form perhaps the best awards show of the year because of the childlike love that sports can bring out in all of us. From our youngest days, we are tossing baseballs, shooting basketballs, throwing footballs, kicking soccer balls, chasing hockey pucks, swinging at golf balls, swinging away at tennis balls or whatever our parents thinks we are destined to be the next Ruth, Jordan, Elway, Woods, Beckham, Gretzky or Williams Sister in. It is this faith from our parents that helps us not only love sports from a young age but create a bond with our parents that can only be broken by the parent that overdoes it and tries to live out their own broken dreams.
For those that don't get in sports, there are other options for gaining this connection with our parents or such a lifelong desire such as painting, writing, singing, or dancing (which many consider to be a sport within its own right). I take nothing away from those other professions but I just chose to speak on what I know and love with me being such an avid sports lover in my own right.
Lately the professional sports have been tarnished due to their own respective scandals such as steroids, gambling, marijuana, or the most hurtful element; the selfish athlete. But just as I address those topics and the bad apples that are souring the sports, Sports always seems to regain me as a fan due to the large base of athletes that still treat sports as just being a game and know that it is a blessing from God that they are in the positions they are currently in.
The heartwarming stories featured on SportsCenter about athletes surrendering their time for those that truly deserve it through the "Make A Wish Foundation" make me overlook the pending drug charges for another athlete. Kevin Garnett's extreme gratitude and emotion overflowing when he finally won a championship makes me forget about another athlete being pulled over for speeding on the expressway and being charged with a DUI. John Lester throwing a no hitter nearly a year after being diagnosed with cancer makes me forget about the numerous athletes mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Brett Favre's stellar performance against the Oakland Raiders following his father's death is illuminated due to the surrounding circumstances.

What I want to never forget is that at the end of the day is that the same athletes that we are quick to elevate as heroes and then devour as soon as they no longer fit the "image" we established for them are HUMAN BEINGS at the end of the day just like us and should be congratulated for their actions on the field and held in the exact same light as the rest of us want to be. If they are held to different standards simply because they are athletes, then do we truly love sports? Because that's not love to me.
God Bless...PromoDave signing Off For Now...

The Birth Of The Blog....

How's everybody doing? I've been talking about getting into this blog game for a while now and have finally decided to sit down and put some actual thought and effort towards this.

The FOCus of this blog centers around my main interests;

• Chicago and the ongoings in the community

• The Chicago sports scene

• Also the current state of the different games, the rightful and wrongful persecution of today's athletes

• The music business, of course centering around the state of the "new" hip-hop versus "old" hip-hop

• The #1 up and coming rap group coming out of Chicago, F.O.C. *Focused On Cash*

Any current news stories that capture my attention and I feel are worth addressing for the improvement of my community will be addressed so that I keep all around me updated with today's ever changing society.I'm going to attempt to keep this blog as up to date as possible as I'm preparing to move on to college (Shout-outs to the University of Illinois At Chicago and my now alma mater, the greatest high school in Chicago, Morgan Park High School). I'm open to all sorts of ideas and debates about those ideas as long as we keep it professional. Hopefully this blog takes off at the pace I'm hoping for but it's all based on the efforts of you, the readers. Thanks for reading or even skimming through this and I'm hoping that you receive the information that you are seeking when you visit this blog.
Keep GOD First and this is PromoDave signing out for the first blog.