Why I Dropped Everything And Started Teaching Kendrick Lamar’s New Album

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Brian Mooney's avatarBrian Mooney, Ph.D.

When Kendrick Lamar released his sophomore album, To Pimp A Butterfly (2015), I was in the middle of teaching a unit on Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye (1970). My freshmen students were grappling with some big ideas and some really complex language. Framing the unit as an “Anti-Oppression” study, we took special efforts to define and explore the kinds of institutional and internalized racism that manifest in the lives of Morrison’s African-American characters, particularly the 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove and her mother, Pauline. We posed questions about oppression and the media – and after looking at the Dick & Jane primers that serve as precursors to each chapter, considered the influence of a “master narrative” that always privileges whiteness.

Set in the 1940s, the Breedlove family lives in poverty. Their only escape is the silver screen, a place where they idolize the glamorous stars of the film industry. Given the historical context…

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Akon Lights up Africa

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You may not have heard yet, you know; because of all the Caitlyn Jenner media circus, that Senegalese artist Akon has embarked on a ground breaking project to provide electricity to 600 million Africans [Yes its not a mistake 600 million].

Now this story actually broke on friday 5 june 2015 but it was overshadowed by the Jenner business. I began trending today (9 June) and it raised some really valid questions from the community, particularly from concerned Africans.

One of two questions that arose were

1) What have all the NGO’s and charities that have been in operation been doing for so many years?

2)Millions of billionaires like Bill Gates and many others have been seen actively trying to “help” solve the million and one epidemics in Africa but never achieved much. So did Akon with his $80 million newt worth pull off this feat?

Nevertheless, not to dwell on the negatives of life it is important to give applause to an individual who has taken it upon himself to look back into the background in which his was moulded and selflessly given back to his community.

In the below video, Akon spoke with CNN and said something so profound about Africans taking the task upon themselves to change their own futures and take back the wealth that this rich continent possesses.

The New Age Cool Kids of South African Music

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If ever you wanted to get a glimpse into the youth culture bursting all over the precincts of Jozi Maboneng;  this video perfectly encapsulates the melting pot of urban South Africa.

These urban legends rep the BoyzNBucks group of young musicians challenging perceptions and raising the bar of personal branding, quality music content and excellent visual storytelling.

UmSwenko– loosely explained is pretty much flossing, bragging or showing off.

You can follow these musicians on twitter here:
Stilo Magolide
Ricky Rick
OkMalumKoolKat
uSanele

What is the average American’s IQ?

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The USA is the self-proclaimed “most powerful country on the planet”. This is not false. America  has a lot going for it with selling the rest of the world the America dream and all.

The world basically resembles a typical high school classroom with the athletes, nerds, geeks and whatever other categorization of humans there is. In all this America is the very popular, flawless (or so it seems) bimbo with huge tits and little much else and even less of a brain.

Don’t get me wrong even I have dreams of  someday visiting the great Americas but seeing this video kind of makes me feel better about my “third world” existence.

For your viewing pleasure

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this will have you weak

Posted by Black Prez on Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Tidal, Kendrick Lamar and Maggz: Easter music special

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The world of music has been very eventful this past week. And all things are new and exciting. Kendrick Lamar released his Ghetto-Luxe video for King Kunta, RocNation and others Launched Tidal and Cash Time Fam’s Maggz gave fans a free download of his new joint #ChoDlozi.

#TidalForAll

The Godly JayZ and other superstars like Rihanna and Daft Punk launched TIDAL. I’m already obsessed with it and I have no doubt you will too. The streaming service is set to rival both Youtube and iTunes and it’s refreshing game changing move to see musicians really fully take control of how audiences consume the art.

King Kunta: Ghetto-Luxe

Kendrick Lamar released the video for King Kunta off of his latest album To Pimp A Butterfly. My first impression was “I wish this was my life”. Kendrick’s home town of Compton makes a heavy presence and I love it. This video is very Gangster chic, if you will. And the other reason I’m in love with it is because my fave girl Briana Bette makes an appearance in the video

Another Cash Time Hit [Thanks Maggz]

CashTimeFam is killing the local music scene. If it’s not NoMoozlie and Kid X with Se7en its Maggz with ChoDlozi. I woke up the day after April fool’s Day and the twittersphere was abuzz with #ChoDlozi after Maggz released the song with a free download. The song is a turn up banger that promises do make anyone one drop it like its ’99.

 

Download the song here

Music Mondays

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Cassper Nyovest’s new video- Ghetto

Tune into any radio station, TV music show, teenagers smart phone and they all have one thing in common… they all have a Cassper Nyovest jam somewhere in their playlist.

Cassper needs no introduction; his unorthodox Chinese ponytail braid and swag dance moves set him apart from his peers in the South African rap game.

photo credit: Bona magazine
photo credit: Bona magazine

Cassper recently scooped up five awards at the Metro Fm annual music awards and according to the experts and his twitter fam he will most likely cause a similar upset at the annual South African Music awards as he leads the race with the most nominations.

Besides being the big bright star that he is Cassper is quite humble and honest – which is a rare find in the music industry. Many celebrities take their self- importance way too seriously and tend to treat their fans more like groupies than supporters. This is not the case with Cassper and I’m not just saying this because It’s the cliché thing to say but from the impressions I got from a tipsy conversation I shared with him on his career and success.

This man has been raining down on the music scene with his gold selling record Tsholofelo and hit singles like Doc Shebeleza, Phumakim and Gusheshe.

photo credit: Youtube screen grab
photo credit: Youtube screen grab

The video features his allegedly now ex-girlfriend Amanda du-Pont

timeslive
timeslive

I was supposed to break this video last week but I was lazy and I’m sorry. So today on this music Monday I’m introducing his latest music video featuring American producer DJ Drama and new-kid-on-the-scene Anatii.

Kids Who Are winning At Life!

~ thisloudshygirl ~ Leave a comment

The biggest stars on YouTube are most definitely kids and cats. So today i’ve decided to appreciate the former; who have helped to lift my spirits on the day after Monday but not before Friday.  WARNING!! SASS OVERLOAD

I’m not here to make a fashion statement

This adorable little girl is evidence that focus and confidence is all you need to silence your haters. She is only 4 years old but the sass in her tiny body reduced a little boy and an even smaller mouse. God bless her parents for instilling such a high self-esteem in her.

Watch her reaction when a boy at her school called her ugly.

Apparently, I’ve never been on live TV before

John Ritter is already an internet sensation. He has been featured on the Ellen De Generes show and a commercial. John is just one more example of kids who are winning at life by being confident and expressing themselves.

He is usually referred to as the “Apparently” kid because of his affinity for the word. WATCH the video that started it all.

 Worry about yourself!

Sass does come in small packages. Not even out of her car seat and this lady makes sure her daddy knows that she is not to be messed with. A clear self-starter, who needs no help from any man-not even her dad.

Check out August put her dad in check!

A Shitty Week for Cape Town!

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A Real WildFire

A little over a week ago a fire broke out in the affluent neighbourhood of Muizenberg and spread literally like wild-fire. Although it’s not yet known what caused the blaze–I don’t think anybody cares yet. In just three days the fire had scorched 3000ha of scenic mountainside. The blaze burned down numerous properties with one particular elderly couple being force to flee their home at 2am to save them from the fire that ravaged their house and cars.

Communities rallied together to help those displaced and potentially in harm’s way.

On Friday a helicopter pilot who was helping in the fight to stop the blaze died when his plane crashed in the line of duty–the fire’s first claimed victim. The pilot, Hendrick Marais has been hailed as a hero.

photo credit: ewn

As if that wasn’t enough, a building burned down–in an unrelated fire in Newlands. It was reportedly the result of an electrical fault.

Cops and Robbers students?

What was a seemingly peaceful protest by students from a local high school, quickly escalated into an eerie resemblance of the 16 June 1976 protest in apartheid South Africa. According to local media the learners of Philippi high school came to the Western Cape Education department to speak to someone of authority regarding the appalling conditions they were forced to learn in. The learners alleged that their classrooms were shipping containers and they were often overcrowded in classrooms. The learners were not allowed into the department building and were instead attacked by police when they staged a sit down in front of the department. Police fired stun grenades at the crowd of learners in order to disperse them.

It’s not known why the people meant to uphold justice and peace would react so violently towards unarmed kids. Needless to say the police services did not even bother to comment on the actions to be taken against the officers who perpetrated this injustice.

A learner who was injured by the stun grenade

photo credit: enca

The education departments statement

Ride to the Death

A bus driver was forced to swerve off the road to avoid two cyclists, in the Cape Cycle Tour, who apparently cut a corner along the race path. This resulted in the bus to roll and land on its roof and three people’s deaths.

The bus was carrying a group of U-20 rugby players who were making their way to a match.

The Cape Cycle Tour which is an epic and gruelling 109km was cut down to 47km because the race path ran past areas that were high risk and affected by the Cape Fire.

photo credit: Timeslive