A Brief Philsophy: The Good of Rejection - 1/18/11

"A person that cannot appreciate being turned down is an individual that cannot appreciate the Universe helping them avoid a poor situation. In most cases, we tend to figure out later that the person that turned us down wasn't right for us, or that it just wouldn't have worked for very long. We take those experiences and grow, learning new things every time."

-A. Lewis

A Freestyle Piece: That Conscious Rap - 1/18/11

"Your brothers are going to jail, bullets are raining like hail, and cops provide no avail as you fail to articulate...but the goodness of the world prevails as you sale and inhale a ganja particulate...survey the land and you'll see the desolation...purvey to the man and enable his desecration...celebration of your environment is ironic...the 'hood' is your world though it shields your eyes from it..."

-A. Lewis

A Brief Philosophy: Perception, the Tightrope - 1/18/11

"Perception is a thin line that demarcates reality; it is bordered on both sides by the perverting trait of assumption by the human mind, where one side takes offense and the other is belligerent. Peace and calm are found when walking the line, while absurdity and inanity increase with deviation from the line. Balance of mind, body, and soul with a positive center of gravity is the only way to walk such a tightrope."

-A. Lewis

A Freestyle Piece: Truth Be Told - 1/18/11

"Truth be told, I'll always represent the ATL...staying based is crucial to movement like an ACL...fame tears at you and causes strains...but being true to self keeps away the pain...there will always be those that try to hit below the belt...vicious animals with no heart below the pelt...they commit time to contrive ways to injure me...but my success ravishes their malice like a debilitating injury..."

-A. Lewis

A Few Thoughts on My People - 1/18/11

Our lack of cohesion stems from an innate stratification of our race along more lines and boundaries than is possible. Socioeconomic status, color, attire, intellect...we take differences and especially idiosyncrasies as... points of division. Deep-rooted inferiority is educed when we perceive someone to be 'better' than us...and that is when we feel the need to belong, when we find others that feel the same way and engage in groupthink (i.e. when SOME rather bitter Black women band together and sing the "Black men ain't sh*t chorus instead of maintaining hope for a good one AND taking a long look in the mirror), join gangs, and attempt to sequester ourselves by either trying to be as "Black" as possible or following the culturally inhibiting guidelines that "the White man" has set for us. The worst part is that these divisions are so widespread...that the only Black people relate to each other are through similarities, be them positive or negative. There is no transcendence. We don't see the millionaires reaching out to the impoverished youth in large numbers...we don't see the glorification of positive role models...every division burns a bridge between two sets of the same people that are merely citizens of different mindsets. It seems that we forget that we are still all ONE PEOPLE. That no matter one's mix, status, or whatever, that we are all still Black, African-american, whatever name we use. Without any camaraderie, there can never be any collective rise. Assent/ascension takes one step at a time; dissent/descent is a slippery slope that starts with one snowball and ends with an avalanche. For every step we take, more snowballs are rolled down the slope; one can only hope this theological war of attrition can be won before the avalanche reaches those willing to climb.

-A. Lewis

A Brief Philosophy: Brothers, Up That Vocabulary - 1/18/11

"Women are constantly told how beautiful they are...yet they are seldom told anything specific. Whether it be her captivating eyes, her alluring hips, or even a pristine smile, it's imperative to let the young lady know what sequesters her from the rest. Beautiful, gorgeous, and especially sexy are all banal. Up that vocabulary and be distinct; young ladies don't get 'dolled up' to hear the same things repeatedly."

-A. Lewis

A Freestyle Piece: Love Me, Arsonist - 1/18/11

"Every time our eyes meet, you sear my inhibitions away...wrap your arms around me...engulf me in the flames of your love so that I may feel the warmth of the embers of your passion when we are apart...scald me with kisses hotter than the sun, and incinerate my soul in intercourse than invigorates every vessel of my being with the incalescent desire for more intellectual wildfires. Love me, arsonist..."

-A. Lewis