Just listened to Kanye and Jay-Z’s new “supergroup” album, “Watch The Throne.”

Meh.

I appreciate some of the complimentary points made by film maker Ava DuVernay while appreciating Chuck D’s points that gross consumerism and flashiness in times of great economic hardship may be a wee bit insensitive.

All that’s true. However, my take on the album (which I posted on my own website and not on the Black geek website I run or anywhere else, is closer to the perspective of my good friend Jason Thompson.

Meh.

The lyrics do, in fact, show a kind of resurgent politicism (which fans of early music by both artists would remember, but it’d seem new to people who only knew The Louis Vuitton Don and Hova) as they name check Fred Hampton and discuss Black power, fatherhood and Black on Black crime. However, they sprinkle these tidbits inbetween black Maybachs and the glitterati lifestyle that they’ve both come to know as an everyday existence. If you’ve come for politics, you’d be better served with Malcolm & Martin or dead prez. Nothing wrong there, and some lyrical moments of actual dexterity, but a far cry from the finest showings for either man. I remember even saying that the lead song “Otis” would have been better if it was just Kanye, as Jay-Znot make the impact that his reputation demands, getting outshone by his “little brother.”

What’s weird is the music. It’s sparse and uninspired, tepid where it should be amazing. Even with Pete Rock and the RZA, most of the album (“Otis” is an exception, as is “Murder to Excellence”) have beats that just kind of show up for work but don’t do anything exceptional. Given the profile of this project, that’s a shock. Kanye’s beats alone — “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” “Stronger,” “Run This Town,” “”I Changed My Mind,” “I Wonder,” “School Spirit,” “Slow Jams” and so many others — can freaking levitate. Even on his own recent album there were tracks like “Runaway” or the anthemic “All Of The Lights.” Here? Even the hottest tracks wouldn’t crack the top 25 instrumentals for either artist.

What happened? Did ‘Ye exhaust himself on his Dark Twisted Fantasy? Was Jay-Z more focused on business than delivering shock and awe as the so-called “best in the game” (which I’d definitely question). No idea.

This isn’t a bad album at all … but it’s also not a great album at all. It happened. It’s fine. A good DJ could make several songs work in the mix. But as a work on its own merits? It’s not a G.O.O.D. ass job …

Playing (Music): “Otis” by Kanye West and Jay-Z

NOTE: Why have I not been blogging? I’ve done hundreds of posts at Komplicated, writing for other things and staying busy. #musicmonday and the Commentary Track moved there. Sorry. I failed at National Poetry Writing Month (#napowrimo) by … four or so poems. If I can figure a way to regularly work this back into rotation, I will.

Argh. I will do 30 poems, so help me Lando!

The house feeds the kids
Leftover philosophy
Grown ups go get lunch

“The Last Corner of Tuna Casserole”
By Hannibal Tabu

More to come …

Playing (Music): “Streetlights” by Kanye West

Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I’ve done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to my blog and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Sometimes it’s profound, sometimes it’s gibberish, but it’s always about comics … let’s see what we get this week!

What? This week’s reviews …

SERIOUSLY? GONE FOR TWO WEEKS? First of all, shut up.

I overestimated my resources, trying to keep up with blogs, National Poetry Writing Month, the family man thing, the day gig thing and, oh yeah, launching a pop culture phenomenon called Komplicated all in one month. Something had to give. Family’s fine. Komplicated is fine. The rest … we do what we can. That’s no excuse, that’s just how it is.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU … OR NOT: Comics came out on May 4th, recognized as “Star Wars Day” by those in the know due to being able to sound like Lucas memorable phrase, “may the Force be with you.” There’s May 25th (the day the first movie hit) for purists, but this one is no secret. Were there any Star Wars comics for sale from the license holders, Dark Horse? No. There was, admittedly, one for Free Comic Book Day three days later, but that’s not the same, is it?

I love Star Wars with a passion that borders on being scary. I’ve spent literally thousands of dollars through out my life to help Jett Lucas and hs descendants have college tuition. I get that. The idea that Dark Horse can’t consistently publish a Star Wars comic that I would pay for is inconceivable.

I know what’s wrong, of course. By and large, the artwork has been posterish and lacked dynamism. The stories have been byzantine and lacked quotability, memorable action (aside from Yoda’s Death Star ploy in Infinities, which just lacked visual grandeur) or gripping characterization. Some of that has to do with Lucasfilm’s twitchiness, probably, but still.

Would I ever pitch stories set in the Tatooine sandbox? Dark Horse doesn’t take cold pitches and failing to break into comics the last ten or so years has proven to me that such an approach is like lottery winners getting hit by lightning. Possible, but unlikely. So I pine for saber swinging, star destroying high adventure and move on, keeping my dollars in my pocket.

JUST SAYING: I’m gonna need Steve Rogers to know who S.W.O.R.D. Is. Seriously.

I also need Lex Luthor to be, I dunno, smart. Sometimes, not just off panel.

Yeah, I saw the typo in the Deadpool review that spell check let slide. You have to roll with it sometimes, and I type weird.

I miss Dwayne McDuffie.

THAT’S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: That’ll do. Be back next week.

Probably.

Playing (Music): “Disappointment” by the Cranberries

Mmm. Yeah. 30 poems in 30 days … maybe not when launching a new niche pop culture phenomenon like Komplicated. Whee. What’s worse is that I stumbled just four poems from being done. Argh. Anyway …

Extra trips are never a concern for the determined.
Collected grocery bags
piled on floor or seats
never an impediment.

Like crimson ants
following chemical breadcrumb
laid down by identical trailblazers
Thought of “how much work”
forbidden distraction.
One foot follows one before,
another step right behind
religion of momentum
shark science
leaving complaints and cessation
for grasshoppers and others
not so driven to build.

“Inexorable”
By Hannibal Tabu

Oy. Just a pit stop between doing big things like booking Tracie Thoms for an interview on May 29th. You know, like you read about.

Playing (Music): “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5

Some time ago (no idea when, too busy to look at file creation dates) I wrote a bit of flash fiction called “Paperwork” (also on Fictionaut) and this is a kind of prequel to that … more after the actual story …

Rayvon “Lil’ Ray” Carver woke up reluctantly, grumbling at the thin sliver of sunlight penetrating the slit between his dust-covered venetian blinds. He sat up slowly, scratching his shoulder and edging down one strap of his black wifebeater while stretching the other arm and yawning. His face was screwed up in a frustrated expression, still angry at the dream that left him now clenching his fists and glaring at them. He heard a distant sound, like a muffled bass kick from a speaker, but didn’t pay any attention to it.

Standing up, he pulled on a pair of jeans that lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, adjusting the belt so they hung low off his backside. He glanced around, taking note of the sticky-sweet smell in the air that was kind of like bacon, but not quite. He stepped over the sawed off shotgun laying on the threadbare tan carpet and walked out of his cluttered bedroom.

A gust of wind blew past him as he was about to pass the bathroom door, and he glanced in to see, with some surprise, that the window had been shattered. He looked down to see the crow, still twitching and bloody, that had flown through the glass at a speed that must have been impressive.

“… the f***?” Rayvon muttered. Then he heard the first scream — a high, gurgling sound that was equal parts pain and surprise — that he couldn’t have known would be one of a long series he’d hear that day.

Stepping over his nephew’s knock off Hot Wheels cars, he walked out into the living room to see that there was smoke blowing outside the plate glass living room window. His sister and her cornrowed husband were nowhere to be seen, and neither were the kids. The dining room chairs — a sad attempt at modernism with a gold-sheened metal curving around some dark brown cushioning — were all knocked down, as was the table, with a bowl of cereal on its face, milk and Cheerios scattered from the front door to the pale linoleum of the kitchen. The wooden front door hung just slightly ajar, and through the crack Rayvon could see the screen door (which, oddly, opened the opposite way of the door behind it) was hanging off one hinge.

Rayvon walked out into the courtyard of the building — a three floor complex in residential Hawthorne, complete with a security door that looked like it had fended off its share of desperate would-be intruders and a non-functional fountain with more dirt than water in it — and gasped when he saw her. Hovering several feet off the ground, closer to the railing for the second floor where the concrete stairs joined it, looking as beautiful as the day they’d put her coffin in the ground.

“Denisha …” Rayvon whispered. White billowy cloth, as translucent as the faux-Kente patterned rayon dress his mother had worn to Denisha’s funeral, fluttered around her as she seemed illuminated from some source that could not be determined.

Flanking her on either side were two indistinct figures, their heads covered in the same flowing white cloth, hands outstretched as they took note of him. One pointed as the other gestured, pleadingly and wordlessly, at Denisha. She turned to look down at him, her smile slow and warm like the childhood summer days he’d spent in South Haven, Mississippi.

“Lil’ Ray,” she said, her voice framed with the tinkling of crystals. “Where you been darlin?” Spreading her hands wide at the chaos, she continued, “We’ve been holding this moment for you.”

She gestured towards the street, and he looked through the thick glass to see SUVs and hatchback tossed aside like toys, fire and blood everywhere as bodies lay scattered amongst the chaos like forgotten toys.

Rayvon looked back up at Denisha, his mouth hanging open, uncomprehending.

Her smile widened as she said, “I told you your dreams would come true. I told you, your dreams would come true …”

With that, the muffled bass kicks started happening again, but they weren’t the rhythmic pounding of a sub-woofer, but the expression of explosions, coming ever closer …

The penultimate paragraph really makes me personally happy, and the dialogue of Denisha, of course, is taken from the Classixx remix of “Psychic City” by Yacht. Oh, here comes work, gotta run …

Playing (Music): “I Just Died In Your Arms” by Cutting Crew

Looking for your MP3 downloads?

They’re over at Komplicated … remember? That website I wrote a poem about? Yeah, it’s up and running.

I plan to finish my commitment to National Poetry Writing Month and do the last, very late poems. I also plan to drop the also very late commentary track for last week’s reviews. I hope that stuff hits by Wednesday.

Before I forget, on Sunday at noon you can catch me, my brilliant wife and Jabir Faqir discussing the Top Ten Greatest Songs in Hip Hop History LIVE at Geekweek on their broadcast platform. Hoo hah!

I’m tired. Bed now.

Playing (Music): “Words I Never Said” by Lupe Fiasco

Grrr. My wife is super sick and I’m stretched crazy thin, trying to work 8-hour day, nursemaid and babysit, plus getting up at 4AM to keep the baby from going nuts. Dude. I’m sleepy.

Poem anyway.

The Manthroom is a myth.

Matthew Perry idea of exclusive domain,
Testosterone Land in estrogen ocean.
Wife moved out to enjoy a whole bath tub,
tired of oppressive autumnal color scheme.
Left me envisioning
comic book art,
succinct but solid stereo,
maybe even mini fridge.

Vision falls flat
As infant hand pound door
during morning tooth brushing,
disintegrate as door flies open,
Finding feminine products
still secreted under sink.

Every second NASCARs against time,
Waiting to see who or what needs where now?
Let shower water Swedish massage shoulders
Enjoying the silence.

“Gentleman’s Time”
By Hannibal Tabu

Written at 11:38PM on Monday from the Manthroom.

Playing (Music): “Doompasage” by Sha-key

Right. So, I’m now two days behind. I hate being behind on National Poetry Writing Month. I checked to count how many I’d done on Friday, and that clearly jinxed me. Argh.

Some would say my wife becoming infirm, which required me to step up and be both parents, played a role. I don’t like to use excuses.

Lessee what we have here.

She swears that zebras are dogs.

Correct her
Parenting is repetition, but
logic runs flawlessly
through fifteen-month old mind.
Four legs.
Tail.
Snout thing.
Dog.
Sure, seems legit.
Black and white pattern on cows
Close enough to call the same,
Story time becomes debate society.

Parenting is repetition,
so every morning she sees stuffed animal,
calls it canine,
smirks at tired attempt at fix.

Messing with me, it seems,
works for all household’s women
regardless of age.

“Parenting is repetition”
By Hannibal Tabu

Written at 11:31PM on Monday from the Manthroom.

Playing (Music): “Who’s Your Daddy?” by Mook ‘n Fair feat. DJ Webstar

WHAT IS #MUSICMONDAY?

Every week, I post a lot of links to free music you can download. Why? Why the hell not? I’m not hosting the links, I didn’t upload ‘em, I have no legal liability and I’m helping promote the artists. Essentially, I’m a g******ed hero! Enjoy!

Sometimes I rant about musical stuff — that goes at the end. The music is divided into three categories …

I’VE HEARD IT AND IT’S WORTH A LISTEN

• Super R&B Hits Vol. 2 [LINK]
• Glee Cast, “I Fell Pretty/UnPretty” (Rachel/Quinn Duet) [LINK]
• Glee “A Night Of Neglect” I-Tunes Rip Songs [LINK]
• Only since this writer got to see it live: VIDEO (no download, but you can always audio capture) of Prince and Alicia Keys performing “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” at the Forum in Inglewood, CA. It’s okay to be jealous. It’s natural.

I SUSPECT THIS IS WORTH HEARING, BUT I’M TOO BUSY TO HAVE LISTENED TO IT

• Direct MP3 download, courtesy of Walasia Noor El Shabazz and Clear Label Records: “Soul of The City” by Esinchill feat. Dave Hollister
• Also from Clear Label Records, here’s the instrumental for “Heart & Soul” by Baby Jaymes. First hit’s free, the rest …
• Von Pea (of Tanya Morgan), Grand(er) Vonye (Mixtape) [LINK]
• “This Is Dedicated To You” (a Nate Dogg tribute) by Warren G [LINK]
• Statik Selektah & Lord Sear, Open Bar Classics Vol. 1: The 80’s (Mixtape)[LINK]
• StartYourOwnRebellion, “Let It Go” feat. J. Cole[LINK]
• “Closer” by Joe [LINK]
• Consequence, “Last Supper” (prod. Lee Bannon) [LINK]
• The Beastie Boys, “Say It” [LINK]
• Kevin McCall, “Touch Yourself” [LINK]
• Mixtape: Fabolous, The Soul Tape [LINK]
• Glee Cast, “As If We Never Said Goodbye” [LINK]
• Glee Cast, “I’ve Gotta Be Me” [LINK]
• Glee Cast, “Born This Way” [LINK]
• STS ft. Joell Ortiz, “The People” (Remix) [LINK]
• Pitch Slapped, EP (a capella) [LINK]
• Atmosphere, “Which Way Is Up” feat. Aesop Rock [LINK]
• “Like My Bass” by Tha Outfit, [LINK]
• “Motherlover” by The Lonely Island feat. Justin Timberlake [LINK]
• Craig G ft. Guru, “Coming To Get You” (Unreleased) + Mr. Cee’s Guru Tribute Mix [LINK]
• Kardinal Offishall, “Smash the Club” feat. Pitbull, Lil Jon & Clinton Sparks [LINK]

I PROBABLY WOULDN’T LIKE IT, BUT MANY PEOPLE WOULD

• N.O.R.E. N.O.R.E.aster FreEP [LINK]
• Britney Spears feat. Nicki Minaj & Ke$ha, “Till The World Ends” (Remix) [LINK]
• Don Omar, “How We Roll” (remix f. Busta Rhymes & Reek Da Villain) [LINK]
• Big Hud feat. CyHi Da Prynce & Curren$y, “Summertime Ish” (Remix) [LINK]
• DMX Ft Jan, “Didn’t Go Nowhere” [LINK]
• American Idol Top 7, Studio Recordings [LINK]
• Timbaland, “Slow Down” feat. Blind Fury [LINK]
• Jagged Edge, Love Potion (Chambord Edition) [LINK]
• Trick Daddy, Greatest Hits [LINK]
• Akon, “Take It Down Low” (Feat. Chris Brown) [LINK]
• American Idol Season 10 Top 7 I-Tunes Rip [LINK]
• One Dae, “Play By Play” feat. Evidence, [LINK]
• Sheek Louch, “Star Wars” feat. Styles P [LINK]
• Beyonce, “Girls (Who Run The World)” [LINK]
• Self Scientific, “War Stories” feat. Big K.R.I.T. [LINK]
• The Steve Miller Band, Let Your Hair Down [LINK]
• Complex Presents Prodigy, The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP [LINK]
• Truck North, “Latest Greatest” [LINK]
• R3L, El Elegido [LINK]
• Scoob Lo feat. Spice 1, Daz Dillinger & Knoc-turn’al, “Rap Stars” [LINK]
• Incubus, “Adolescents” [LINK]
• Parachute, “Kiss Me Slowly” [LINK]
• Plain White T’s, “Boomerang” [LINK]
• “Boyfriend” by Big Time Rush feat. New Boyz [LINK]
• “Mr. Baton Rouge” by Lil Boosie [LINK]
• Waka Flocka Flame, Benjamin Flocka [LINK]

This is the last week you’ll see this at the Operative Network. Next week — spirit willing and the creeks don’t rise — this will be located at Komplicated (stay in touch via the Facebook page (click “like”) or the Twitter page (follow). Question: it’s currently a weekly summary of music downloads … how would you feel if it were daily? Please leave your thoughts on that in the comments, and thanks in advance.

Don’t forget that late additions and exclusive extras end up on the mobile version of this blog.

Playing (Music): “G.R.I.N.D.” by Asher Roth

Every Friday — even when it’s not National Poetry Writing Month — I drop a haiku for my wife. This week is no different.

you still made dinner
back strain after baby heft
appreciated.

“Coming Home”
By Hannibal Tabu

Hasta!

Playing (Music): “Never Knew Love Like This” by Alexander O’Neal, feat. Cherelle

Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I’ve done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to my blog and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Sometimes it’s profound, sometimes it’s gibberish, but it’s always about comics … let’s see what we get this week!

What? This week’s reviews …

THAT’S WEIRD: Looked at the column … and had nothing to add. I really have nothing. Maybe I’ve said so much prepping for Komplicated that I’m speechless. Even the store chatter — what’s up with Skynet day, or how @halfwayclassy as Dr. Roost will lead the Chunderbolts — is just kind of de rigueur these days. Odd.

THAT’S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: I’ll probably have something to say next week.

Playing (Music): “My Last” by Big Sean feat. Chris Brown

I think Thursday poems might suck a little. They have to happen after or during my weekly comic book reviews for CBR, which is a beezy in terms of sucking down my mental energies and what not. Still, you know, poems gotta get done. So here we go …

Batman is my dad.
Did you get that? I’ll repeat.
Batman. Is. My. Dad.
Imagine what I can do.
Think of how much you’ll suffer …

“Tanka: Damian Wayne Doesn’t Freaking Negotiate”
By Hannibal Tabu

I love the new Robin (here’s some of why), a self-confident jerk with the skills of a CIA assassin and the interpersonal skills of a chainsaw. I should spend more time with him, but I didn’t have time, of course. Maybe I’ll return to him.

Anyhoo, I have comics reviews to write.

Playing (Music): “Poor You” by Aviatic

Sorry this is a lot later than anticipated. Best laid plans and all that. Right. This one was very hard to get done, and I’m less than happy with the quality, but it can always be workshopped and improved. Here goes …

All day I dream about sequencers.

Common knowledge is
that your boy’s got too much ego.
Windy City wild man,
showin’ his ass on tv, momma.
I’ma put isht down, though
because every second I didn’t
was like a death sentence.

Locked myself in a room
making one beat a day
every day
every summer for three months
three years in a row
teaches a lot about dedication.
Built myself out of
pawn shop sound gear
hand me down soul songs
hare-brained daddy example

A day job was never an option.

Unheard of to unprecedented,
garbage tracks for Grav
stone stepped me to the Roc.
Long road from intro for JD
Foxy tracks in Queens
But I stayed on grind
like Peet’s with these beats
until big brother took a chance.

Now?
I’m headline punchline
car crash catapult to
catwalks and cassettes.
Tasteless tantrums and award show bans.
Non-stop porn on screen
while hosting rap camp
for Pusha T and Elton John.
Keep Legends in common,
open up doors like doors opened for me
every second of sleep
got me wanting to file police reports.

Got too close to dying
to miss living it up.

Models lay down like tracks
from lyrical subpoenas.
Give ‘em all up to hear mama’s voice
one more time, for real.
Did my fast life kill her?
Did Italian imports
repossess Alexis?
Takin’ Rosewood turns
to stay chosen in white man’ world,
My creativity isn’t a dream,
It’s desperation.

Did I make it out of the car?
Is this weed or brimstone?

Shades shield vexed vision
tinted tough.
Clicking through folders,
think I cleared out dreams for Shawn,
keep sounds set for Ne-Yo soul …
try not to linger over folder marked “MJ.”
Now I never open it.

One more epic show,
another ground breaking video,
keep steppin’ up the game.
Presidential put down to
Internet memes can’t stop me.

Even this hell
beats sleepwalking to Cicero walk up
no callers and no phone
dead every minute wasn’t living this life.

“Kanye”
By Hannibal Tabu

I came up with some of it in the shower, and I think I remembered the big key elements — being haunted by ambition, the unresolved dreams, the loneliness and kind of tragedy. We’ll see how it holds up.

Playing (Music): “Street Lights” by Kanye West

Three guesses what this is about …

Today I killed a little girl from Libya.

A Tomahawk missile,
engineered by Raytheon and hatred
soared a little astray
Samia became a pink mist
drifting down to sand and blacktop.

Today I got a baby from Pakistan
addicted to heroin.
Born underweight and ill equipped,
poppy dust his mother’s been breathing
since I don’t know when
gave him a high as pure as anything Bird ever scored,
twitching his way into his first
maybe his last
day of life.

This is the day I sent a
teenaged Chinese blogger
to a forced labor camp in the Hubei province
because he liked Photoshop
and Angelina Jolie
and songs by Taylor Swift.

I also paid soldiers
who strangled, tortured and beheaded
three siblings
a 14-year old girl and two boys, 9 and 6
before leaving them in a ditch
near Arauca in Colombia.
The girl was raped.
They made the boys watch.

Those soldiers are counting my money right now.

It was easy.
Money orders didn’t even need a signature.
Right into envelopes
marked ready for franchise tax board,
internal revenue service.

Pay up

I’m thirty eight years old
and before today
I have never intentionally paid taxes
in my life.
Sure, they were taken from paychecks,
I suffered under extortion when I bought
orange juice or smartphones.
That wasn’t my fault.
I didn’t want any of that,
would have refused had it been an option,
never saw nor accepted any benefit
as “liberated” prisoner of war,
adhering to rules for all five-fifths of “real” citizens.

This was different.
Today I took my own money,
intentionally sealed it in an envelope,
sent it off to buy bullets
bombs
tools of oppression
domestically and abroad,
cover expenses
for people I wouldn’t spit on
to save their lives.

Might have paid for gas
in police cruiser behind me on morning commute.
Maybe covered a baton
for next Donovan Jackson,
or helped pay deputy directors of homeland security
working on falsified credentials.

Today I’m a “real” grown up.

Blood on my hands
won’t ever wash off again.

“1040 EZ”
By Hannibal Tabu

Looking into forming some kind of corporate shield for myself.

Playing (Music): “Agitation” by Blk Sonshine

WHAT IS #MUSICMONDAY?

Every week, I post a lot of links to free music you can download. Why? Why the hell not? I’m not hosting the links, I didn’t upload ‘em, I have no legal liability and I’m helping promote the artists. Essentially, I’m a g******ed hero! Enjoy!

Sometimes I rant about musical stuff — that goes at the end. The music is divided into three categories …

HOLD UP: Four quick notes before we start …

On May 2nd, 2011, this column (which is what we’ll be calling it from now on) will be moving to Komplicated.com. That’s what this was always intended for, and now that the feline has escaped the luggage, there’s no need to keep goofing around. That means if you’ve been doing this on Facebook, please click “like” on the Facebook page and you’ll be tagged. Somehow. Oh, I just realized how, never mind.

Second, the format of this column is changing. This was considered but is moving up in the queue because Sunday night had a hugely important consideration — a candle lit dinner conversation over salmon with my wife. Everything else had to fall by the wayside when she broke out her romantic steez. Sorry.

Third, we normally focus on downloads here, but Prince is playing 21 nights in Los Angeles (this columnist will be there April 22nd) and he’s doing some crazy stuff. How crazy? How about covering “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson, while Eva Longoria dances on stage? Hell yeah!

Finally, look for a #musicmonday extra late tonight with videos from Coachella. Just gotta sort through ‘em a bit, and didn’t wanna stand in the way of the downloads.

Column starts … now!

I’VE HEARD IT AND IT’S WORTH A LISTEN

• The Warblers Soundtrack from Glee [LINK]
• The Tens: 10 Non Hip-Hop Acts To Watch in 2011 [LINK]

I SUSPECT THIS IS WORTH HEARING, BUT I’M TOO BUSY TO HAVE LISTENED TO IT

Jill Scott & Anthony Hamilton, 'So In Love'

• Jill Scott Feat. Anthony Hamilton, “So In Love” [LINK]
• “F*** The Radio” by The Starting Five [LINK]
• Sir Michael Rocks (of The Cool Kids), “Phone Numbers” [LINK]
• The Book of David, DJ Quik [LINK]
• Don’t Look Down mixtape, Green Street [LINK]
• Brainstorm, The Celestine Prophecy [LINK]
• Bootsy Collins, “Hip-Hop @ Funk U” f. Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg & Chuck D [LINK]
• “Papi” by Jennifer Lopez [LINK]
• Jennifer Lopez, “One Step At A Time” [LINK]
• Mya, K.I.S.S. [LINK]
• Zero Heroes mixtape from XV [LINK]
• DJ House Shoes presents Malkovich as Ayatollah Presley [LINK]
• Coachella 2011 mixtape from The Kickdrums [LINK]
• Pac Div Ft. Maino & Lloyd Banks, “Anti-Freeze” (Remix) [LINK]
• Curren$y ft. Freddie Gibbs, “Scottie Pippen” (Prod. by Alchemist) [LINK]
• Rihanna feat. Britney Spears, “S&M” (Remix) [LINK]
• Glee “A Night of Neglect” webrip songs [LINK]
• DJ Whiteowl Whiteowl Drop That R&B 75 [LINK]
• “Life 3x” mash up by Chambaland (Billy Joel vs. Chris Brown) [LINK]
• Far East Movement ft Bruno Mars, “Rocketeer” [LINK]
• Shabazz Palaces Black Up [LINK]
• Santigold “Go” f. Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) (prod. Q-Tip, Switch & Santigold) [LINK]
• Tyler Ward, “The Rescue” [LINK]
• Raven Sorvino (of Language Artz), “Are You That?” [LINK]
• Two Old Skool Queen Tracks [LINK]
• The Lonely Island, “We’re Back” [LINK]
• Taio Cruz, “Believe In Me Now” [LINK]
• Rock City, “Freak Her To Keep Her” [LINK]
• DJ Schmolli, “In The Mood For Some Killing” (mash up of Glenn Miller & His Orchestra vs. Rage Against The Machine) [LINK]
• “All About Me” by K. Michelle [LINK]
• Raheem DeVaughn, Heemy Taught Me [LINK]
• Kool Keith, “Betrayal” [LINK]
• [LINK]
• 80 Blocks from Tiffany’s ft. Planet Asia, “On Ice” (Remix) [LINK]
• Donnis, Southern Lights (Mixtape) [LINK]
• Aleon Craft, Mothership Decatur (Mixtape) [LINK]
• Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Golden Era [LINK]

I PROBABLY WOULDN’T LIKE IT, BUT MANY PEOPLE WOULD

Aubrey O'Day, 'Automatic'

• Aubrey O’Day, “Automatic” [LINK]
• Quick & Lil Boosie, Hit After Hit Vol. 3 [LINK]
• “She Can Get It” by Chris Brown [LINK]
• “Turned Up” by Da Brat [LINK]
• Serius Jones ft. Daria Jones, “Stairway to Heaven” [LINK]
• Spider Loc & SKG, Filthy Clean (Hosted By DJ Lazy K) [LINK]
• DJ Kayslay ft. Fred The Godson, Mysonne & Hell Rell, “Light Em Up” [LINK]
• Mobb Deep, The Most Infamous Part 2 [LINK]
• American Idol Top 8 studio recordings [LINK]
• Mr. Undisputed mixtape from Don Cannon [LINK]
• Shyne “Trunk Full” feat. Gucci Mane [LINK]
• Greyson Chance, “Light Up the Dark” [LINK]
• Scream 4 Official Movie Soundtrack [LINK]
• Jon McLaughlin, “What I Want” [LINK]
• Boss Bitch Music by Rasheeda [LINK]
• Mp3-pack: Maserati, AgesandAges, the Lonely Forest [LINK]
• Asher Roth, “Gazpacho” [LINK]
• JoJo Pellegrino, “Make It Fast” [LINK]
• Daz Dillinger, D.A.Z.[LINK]
• Timbaland, Timbaland Thursdays [LINK]
• T-TiMe – Heute ist morgen schon gestern (German rap mixtape) [LINK]
• Snoop Dogg, “Your Sexy Sex” (Feat. will.i.am) [LINK]
• Pitbull, “Shake Señorita” (Feat. T-Pain) [LINK]
• Jim Jones ft. Waka Flocka, Lloyd & Chink Santan, “The Paper” (Remix) [LINK]
• Camron And Vado, Gunz N Butta [LINK]
• Brad Paisley ft Alabama, “Old Alabama” (country) [LINK]
• Young Jeezy ft. Lil Wayne, “Ballin’” [LINK]
• D12, “Fame” feat. Eminem [LINK]
• Jessie J, “Fastlane” [LINK]
• Tyga, Black Thoughts Vol. 2 [LINK]
• Beastie Boys, “Tadlock’s Glasses” [LINK]
• 8ball & MJG, We Are The South [LINK]

This is getting too big for a weekly column. Maybe I’ll reformat as daily drops on Komplicated. Thoughts?

Don’t forget that late additions and exclusive extras end up on the mobile version of this blog.

Playing (Music): “Walk In My Shoes” by Emily King feat. Lupe Fiasco

I am a man of rituals. Both absent minded and heavily scheduled, rituals and habits keep the trains running. This morning, between Flipboard and making a bottle full of almond milk, this came to me.

Almost faultless alarm clock,
You greet sunrise with cry to pierce slumber.
I stagger to comfort,
iPad and pajama pants in hand,
to begin our ritual.

Books can be read seven times in a row
or flipped through by tiny hands.
Growing vocabulary handles “book” and “more”
as same set of toys and pages
Deliver new delights daily.

Play no music,
Hoping wife can sleep through chatter and clatter,
Woodblock elements from Melissa and Doug
Against brushed metal bookcase.

Mornings are for baby,
Both shielding family from her AM enthusiasm
While giving her concentrated Baba for her day.
Evenings are for eldest daughter,
Wife gets the night,
It’s mathematics of fatherhood,
Square rooted with devotion
Like an Android tablet.

Might be animated Latinas one day,
She’ll be rushing to other ideas
Farther down the road.
But Sunday morning’s,
Just baby and baba,
Room strewn with books and toys
And hugs until breakfast
Even if she still insists
a zebra is a “doggie.”

“Early Mornings With Fuss”
By Hannibal Tabu

Much to do …

Playing (Music): “Come Sunday” by Les Nubians

Crap, it’s almost midnight. I got a gang of stuff done on Komplicated at least (we’ve signed some serious people here) and — honestly — I think my seven year old helped me compose the webcast’s theme song. Anyhoo, back to business …

Open up the door
Discovery like new moon
This is happening

What exactly can this do?
Test drive a poem.

Is that too meta for you?
Look at form, function.

Not so sure I like it yet
Structure does … what now?

Maybe, like sonnets, some theme?
Ah crap, already done now …

“Choka: I’m Still Mad I Forgot To Put A Title On Friday’s Freaking Haiku”
By Hannibal Tabu

I read that there was a form of poetry called a “choka” which goes like this …

5-7-5
7-5, 7-5, 7-5
7-7

… with the numbers, of course, being the number of syllables for each line.

Like I said, I don’t know if I like it, but I always like to try a new form of poetry when I see it. Maybe I just need to see one I like. Who knows.

Off we go, gotta do tomorrow’s piece …

Playing (Music): “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Street Corner Symphony

Okay, had a pretty productive night on Thursday, despite not being able to spend much time with my brilliant, gorgeous wife.

Ambiton drives me
Just to be worthy of you
Balance hugs, hustle

“Title”
By Hannibal Tabu

I hate that I’ve used “hustle” twice this week in poems, but I’ve surely had to use “that” or “the” or something else a lot. “Hustle” just sticks out in my mind, since E. Amato so enjoyed it in “Universal Soldier” from Tuesday.

Anyhoo, moving on … this time next week, I’ll be warming up to see Prince at the Forum! Woo hoo!

Playing (Music): “Girls & Boys” by Prince

Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I’ve done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to my blog and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Sometimes it’s profound, sometimes it’s gibberish, but it’s always about comics … let’s see what we get this week!

What? This week’s reviews …

WHAT COMICS? Honestly, after doing the reviews, I was kind of baked. I’ve been focused so heavily on something else …

... truth of the matter is, I'm komplicated ...

… that it’s pretty much eaten up my brain this week.

I’ve been sitting on this information for maybe six months. That’s when Geekweek head honcho Jeff Katz and I first started about working together. Then there were the lawyers. Then there was the cage match. Then there was the staring contest. Then there was the crying. Finally, two signatures on one piece of paper and I’m the proud co-owner of a website you can’t see yet.

Why do this now? Well, first of all, please don’t believe there’s anything I have against Comic Book Resources, my home for many years and a collection of some damned fine people. Jonah Weiland has gone to the mat for me more than once, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him and the amazing body of work he’s created.

However, it’s not mine. If the site does well or the site does badly, I make the same amount of money. Since I stopped noting the column on Usenet (and yes, I miss that environment some times — when somebody hated my stuff, it always led to such interesting discussions) I’ve never done a single thing to promote the work. I’m too busy. To actually say I own part of a site gives me a great deal more flexibility. If I wanna celebrate Dwayne McDuffie’s birthday every year with an entire day of McDuffie-related programming, I can. “There’ll be no one to stop us this time.” That kind of freedom is intoxicating, especially when I don’t have to stop doing the things I love with CBR. Now I can just do more.

Likewise, the other major reason is that Black people in general have to kind of accept crumbs from everybody else’s tables. Sure, CBR has employed more Black people in comics than, say, most comic book companies and he’s gone out of his way to create a staff and a site that covers a diverse spectrum of entertainment options. But even if I learn to swim, I can never be Aquaman. Even if I flap as hard as I can, I can never be Hawkman. Even with all I say about this being “mine,” it’s already a collaborative effort. I’ll have … woops, almost let the cat out of the bag. Sorry, the exact stats on the team comes out next week. Suffice it to say you’ll hear my voice, but I don’t stand alone, and I will have the doors open to all kinds of African descended voices.

“No fair, what about …” Blah blah blah. A lot of the tech news will be inspired by my Hawaiian best friend and my Jewish best friend, both of whom are massively talented in technical arenas. I sing Coldplay and Owl City almost as much as I sing Stevie Wonder and X-Clan, so it’s not like there’ll be a monotone in the music coverage, even. Just like Public Enemy played to audiences around the world, just because there’s a slant to the coverage doesn’t mean it’s exclusionary. Heck, I’ve even had a good laugh at some O’Reilly Factor stuff. Can’t explain that.

I hope you’ll keep enjoying my work at CBR (I one day hope to be celebrating my 20th anniversary there) as well as checking out Komplicated.com when it launches (for now you can stay hip with the Twitter and Facebook pages). If not, hey, no worries, right?

THAT’S THE NEWS, AND I AM OUTTA HERE: Tabu out.

Playing (Music): “Alligator Sky” by Owl City feat. Shawn Chrystopher

This should have been up at midnight, but I was hip deep in comic book reviews and couldn’t mess with you. Sorry.

Comic related piece? All right. I think my man Dreamkiller Jenkins/Eyeslam gave me the idea for this one, but it’s hard to remember, as I drink a lot. Here we go …

It’s all very simple.

Cylindrical metal perforates flesh
sometimes ricocheting off surprisingly fragile bone
sometimes washing right through meat on other side.

Behind bullet, smoking corridor of steel
phallic presentation of death, mocking life
still hot to touch
as meat gives way to gravity.

Thoughtless iron pipe
commanded by almost forgettable twist of metal
innocuous on its own
made menace by its name: “trigger.”

Curve of consequence, of course
leads to me.
Samurai serenity,
I guarantee slow song singing and flower bringing
as long as the check clears.
No target I can’t hit
except the one on my own chest,
I’m a bad person
spending time with bad people
doing bad things
for money
because I can’t imagine a better way
to get what I truly, honestly deserve.

Edward Lawton,
rest in piece …
I’m sorry.
Never meant to kill you.

Light up every time I head lotsa sirens sound
relax and take a drag
imagining avalanche of ammunition
finally coming home to roost.
Every time shrill silence overtakes them,
I’m forced back to life.

Anyway,
what’s the job this time?
Who’s gonna die tonight?

“Deadshot”
By Hannibal Tabu

Haiku for my wife tomorrow!

Playing (Music): “Survivor Anthem” by Rock City

On May 1st, with the GeekWeek network, I’m going to help launch a new niche website called Komplicated. Advertised as being for “geeks of color,” in reality it’ll be as much a Black geek site as Power 106 is a Latino hip hop radio station. “Latin at the roots,” I used to say, and to borrow a phrase from Medusa of Feline Science, this site is “nappy at the roots.”

Which isn’t to say that there won’t be stuff to interest Latinos, Asians, white people, or even Martians (as many consider J’onn J’onzz a “brother”) in the same way Public Enemy is popular with audiences around the globe. Like Fox News, Komplicated has a slant to its reporting. Unlike Fox News, we’ll admit it.

So, alongside text and visual pieces to describe Komplicated, I hope to include this once it’s polished and workshopped …

Why are we doing this?

Third in line under pouring rain for latest iDevice.
Cosplaying meticulously crafted Chun Li costume,
but in red velvet instead of blue
because color works better.
Patiently giving directions to technophobic mother
who doesn’t know what street she’s on.

Glancing around for best spots to hide cables,
listening to Michael Davis panels in San Diego
embarrassed
again.
Cursing at clock
determined to keep moving towards “late for work”
while one last mission keeps Playstation humming.

Why are we doing this?

Meticulously organized collections
of Babylon 5 folder icons
or Vertigo trade paperbacks,
we’re Bigger Thomas invisible
in convention photo galleries,
Friends and Seinfeld populations
drifting by background scenes
so rarely we’re easy to miss.

We’re still at blockbuster opening nights,
still making sure we have just the right snarky t-shirt
still secret fuel for Matrices and Mace
because possibility is often better than reality.
@tombrevoort says market isn’t interested,
Nielsen pretends we don’t exist,
beyond modern chitlin circuit cinema.
Jetsons and Flintstones say
we have no future nor any past
but we receive Nichelle Nichols hailing signals
And Lando lines from clouds
like phaser beams and @lupefiasco lasers
dancing in darkness.
Mocking laughter needs a higher THAC0
to put dirt on true Wakandan shoulders.

We are, in a word, komplicated.
Dubois dreams in @donaldglover reality,
incapable of being wedged into stereotypes,
our shape defies Euclidian geometry
because we know its Imhotep root.
Outcasts amongst outcasts
listening to Outkast
hyper-text hip hop rocking like Vernon Reid.
We have to do this,
creating ourselves
in worlds that deny our existence.

“Komplicated”
By Hannibal Tabu

... truth of the matter is, I'm komplicated ...

Myshell wanted to hold this back, to film me reading it splicing in all the attendant images and what not, which can still happen … but a brother needed a poem for tomorrow and he who hesitates is lost, I’ve seen.

Anyhoo, by next week, Komplicated.com should be up and running, so either watch this space or keep an eye on the Komplicated fan page.

As always, thank you for your time and indulgence.

Playing (Music): “Fighters” by @lupefiasco featuring Matthew Santos

Is this late? Am I behind? I can’t tell.

I really look forward to workshopping this one of these days, as some of the lines really hooked me.

Art is most sacred battleground in data war.

Equations to inflation,
dinosaurs to Dyno-Mutt,
Ineffable iotas of information
comprise every monolith and monologue,
Schroedinger to Eisenberg,
Dwayne McDuffie to William Shakespeare,
there are no differences
there is only one thing.

Yet ministers of defense deliver shrapnel sermons
preaching salvo salvation,
re-education through superior firepower
spreading our way of life,
sponsored by British Petroleum.

I hold hand me down hustle as my weapon,
Inherited insurgency,
sworn to hold that line
hold that note
holding back the tears
to load them like bullets
into recoilless vignettes.
Friends, Romans, crusaders,
peacekeepers, contractors, special forces,
There are no differences.
There is only one thing.

Battle lines drawn
Impermanent ink
Real work’s done in editing.
We can fix it in post.
We’re at war with Eastasia.
We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.

I am a universal soldier.

Thirty eighth tour of duty,
I proudly serve
legacy of literature
from pimp pick up lines
to published poetry,
face first in the trenches,
take next hill so neither daughter will.
Let them fight from higher ground.

Maybe they’ll find out who’s winning.

“Universal Soldier”
By Hannibal Tabu

My brain wants to make the art piece more prevalent near the end to balance the first line, but I don’t know if it’s right. Like I said, workshop. First drafts are just that.

See you tomorrow.

Playing (Music): “Respect Yourself” by Bruce Willis

WHAT IS #MUSICMONDAY?

Every week, I post a lot of links to free music you can download. Why? Why the hell not? I’m not hosting the links, I didn’t upload ‘em, I have no legal liability and I’m helping promote the artists. Essentially, I’m a g******ed hero! Enjoy!

Sometimes I rant about musical stuff (stay tuned at the end of this blog for a note about that) — that goes at the end. The music is divided into three categories …

I’VE HEARD IT AND IT’S WORTH A LISTEN

"... we're kind of like rock stars ..."

• I love the show Glee — that’s not a surprise. I also love the show The Sing-Off despite being forced to watch Ryan Secrest’s less impressive cousin Nick somebody. So when those two things come together? Yay. The real Dalton Academy Warblers are the Beelzebubs from season one of The Sing-Off. Here’s a taste of what they sound like. Yay! Oh, here’s two more songs while we’re here.
• If you have Pink Friday you’ve likely already heard “Girls Fall Like Dominoes” but it’s pretty catchy.
• There are 153 songs o Hot R&N March 2011 … if you can’t find something to like in there, you’re not trying very hard.
• Holy crap this is a bungload of great classic hip hop … The Coup, Hieroglyphics, Ultramagnetic, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Lord Finesse, even Talib Kweli’s last one … wow.

I SUSPECT THIS IS WORTH HEARING, BUT I’M TOO BUSY TO HAVE LISTENED TO IT

'... I blame society!'

• I’m loving Owl City’s “Alligator Sky” with Shawn Chrystopher, so when I saw that they had a new song called “Galaxies” I rushed to download it. Yay!
• Keeping it alt-rock for a minute, OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder has a new song called “The World I Knew”
• Underground hip hop from AG (from Digging In The Crates, but also from Showbiz and AG), “Marvin Berri” produced by Mike the Martyr.
• The artwork on “Moodswings” by Thr33zy McFly (produced by Tha Adjiktivz) is why I’m posting it. I liked it. Only one piece of art could have beaten it to get showcased here.
• “The Story” by King is described as “Super throwback sound. Like Parliament Funk when the smoke clears and they’re hit with some sunlight.” Sold.
• “End To The Lies” by Jane’s Addiction is free … if you’ll sign up for their newsletter. Seems legit …
• The new album from The Foo Fighters is called Wasting Light (Proper) and the buzz is already pretty good.
• French hip hop? Why not? We Luv New-York is from Faf Larage and Akhenaton.
• The James Pants remix of “Seven” by Tyler the Creator has horns that are allegedly “porn.” Sold.
• Who is Zeroh G7 and what’s Elliot Blaqbird you ask? “Abstract hip hop” apparently. Get it.
• Oh no they didn’t! Grand Theft Music is the new albu, by Tain. For fans of Tommy Vercetti, Vic Vance and Carl Johnson, apparently.
• Def Squad! Here’s El Nino from the supergroup.
• Dev has joined Donnis on the track “Ring My Bell” produced by Syience.
• What the what? “The Moon & The Sky” from Sade featuring Jay-Z? Done.
• MArsha Ambrosius? Busta Rhymes? “Far Away” — done.
• “Santiago” is the new single from UK indie pop band The Kabeedies.
• “Think About It”
• Pete Rock and Camp Lo have come together to create 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s
• People are really talking about this Jacob Lusk kid, so maybe the top 9 iTunes live performances from this season of American Idol might be okay. Maybe.
• Mo-Mentous is a new dose of “jazzy Hip-Hop/Instrumental Hip-Hop/Electronica” from Mono X Monkey.
• Heemy Taught Me is the new mixtape from Raheem DeVaughn to keep people ready for his new upcoming fourth studio album, A Place Called Loveland.
• “Righteous Way” is the new song from Boston’s own EdO.G.
• “Make Some Noise” from the Beastie Boys … wait, what? New Beasties? Check that out!

I PROBABLY WOULDN’T LIKE IT, BUT MANY PEOPLE WOULD

Ginuwine is alive?

• The discography of 50 Cent (1998-2009).
• Despite the fact that the Lloyd-flavored “Feelin’ Myself” is amazing, Nipsey Hu$$le isn’t really my kind of sound. In any case, he dropped “Tha Mansion” after hitting 109,000 Twitter followers.
• “C.O.P.S. (Criping On Public Streets)” by 40 Glocc. Sure.
• The Target exclusive of Jim Jones new album Capo has a lot of extra tracks.
• Mack 10 and G. Malone, Money Music for the west coast gangsta rap afficiondos.
• I can’t type nor pronounce the names of this Russian hip hop but … well, here it is.
• “Only One” is a new song from Game featuring Chris Brown.
• “Girls Cry” is a new single from Cam’ron and Vado.
• Ginuwine is still alive? Here’s an unreleased Timbaland production called “Love To Hate from 2009.
• Three alt-rock bands called Middle Brother, Papercuts and The Naked and Fanous have new MP3s to download.

Will that hold you? Cool, see you next week.

Oh. Almost forgot. With the launch of Komplicated.com, this column full of music downloads will be moving over there. Maybe getting parsed out over the week. Brace yourselves. Lots of cool stuff going on over there, more news before the May 1st launch.

Don’t forget that late additions and exclusive extras end up on the mobile version of this blog.

Playing (Music): “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men At Work

If you see a haiku or a tanka, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m phoning it in, but I do believe that I hear a dial tone today …

Three false starts frustrate.
Just can’t remember the myths.
Maps show where to go
Blind wandering finds no rest
Keep going anyway, I guess.

“Tanka: It’s Hard To Stay Current On Your Poems When Your Toddler Won’t Let You Sleep At All”
By Hannibal Tabu

Bah. I’ll try to do better tomorrow. Found a poetic form called a “choka” I wanna try.

Playing (Music): “Smile Like You Mean It” by The Killers

I’ve had some interesting chances to consider appreciating people. The legendary Dwayne McDuffie, best known for his work on animated shows like Ben 10 or Justice League passed away, and I realized I never let him know how much I appreciated him while he was here. A young woman I know, someone I worked with and who dated an associate of mine, a bubbly and indefatigable spirit, took her life at age 25, shocking literally everyone who knew her.

Marvel editor Tom Brevoort has been spearheading a hashtag called #whiletheylive on his Twitter feed, to not wait so long and let people know how much they matter pre-humously. It all reminded me how I started writing pieces to honor poets around me who really mattered, who really deserved to be celebrated and never forgotten. I’ve had this first line for maybe nine years, but now I finally have made it into a tribute that I hope is worthy of her (before, of course, I get a chance to workshop it, as we believe in the importance of qualified peer review).

Without further ado …

She is leading edge to thunder.

Blunt impact of sky rolling across foundations,
her voice heralding revelations.

Headwrapped or fresh shaven,
decked in fatigues or immaculate in white,
she’s elected representative
of hoodrats who know they can do better,
brush stroking kaleidoscopic intimacy on to canvas,
capturing vibrancy on SD cards
writing her way into forever.
Gestures fill sky with rumbling as she goes.

One sleepy-eyed neck roll
turns down home grandmomma sayings into sanctity.
Can’t call her that
high school yearbook name,
woman she is don’t fit into
that child’s painted on, switchin’ ass jeans.
She heralds Wiz musical brand new day,
Choreography
and everything.

When clouds roll and thunder approaches,
I ain’t scared.
Storms signal tomorrow,
getting ready to grow,
Jaha is their poster girl.
Sure as throwin’ chicken bones on a hundred bucks,
Sistergirl struts ahead of cumulonimbus
in all of the goodness of being all good.

“While They Live: Jaha Zainabu”
By Hannibal Tabu

Jaha Zainabu, self portrait, from jahazainabu.com

Whew! Okay, what’s next?

Playing (Music): “Ishmael” by Dwight Trible