Clearing the Air

What's up everybody I'm back after a few days of taking care of other things. When I started this blog I didn't want to just stay on one subject because my mind jumps around too much and I would get bored so I chose to keep it just what it is Real Talk. So recently life has had its ups and downs as it does but one thing was different. I came to a realization about myself, not that Im even more handsome than I thought, I always knew that, but seriously I realized that Im not truly at peace with myself. I feel like if you cant help yourself what can you do for others? In order to truly help yourself it's not about capturing a goal or a possession or a person, it's about being at peace with yourself. We all do things that we're not happy with ourselves about and too many times we ignore them or push them aside as to not deal with them in an effort to heal for the moment, but in all actuality the more we brush in the corner the bigger that corner becomes and then one day we look up and see we've cornered ourselves with this issue(s). Im not getting all religious here either while I do believe in God I think the last time I went to church was when my son was christened, 3 years ago, definitely nothing to be proud of but thats the truth. Being a parent I realize it's not about me more than it is about my child that was never an issue but at the same time I have to be at peace with myself so I can pass that on to him. I want to accept the things I cant change and begin to change the things I can. Sounds like some 12 step program but maybe it is a 12 step program to peace with myself I can deal with that. This is something that I wish for everyone no matter what the issue is even if your the only one who knows don't be afraid to take that step in the right direction the good feeling you get starts after you do. Well I just wanted to share that with you all and as my chunky face little boy walks in from his nap with a smile I've gotta go. This your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" Matthews signing off for today reminding ya'll to Keep It Real, especially with yourself, later ya'll.

Be Cautious Of The "Hood", Not Scared Of It

So today's topic is Be Cautious Of The "Hood", Not Scared Of It. I came upon today's topic while trying to figure out how I received a "sorry we missed you" note from FedEx when I was definitely home. So I thought about and came to two conclusions, either 1 the driver knows it's faster to leave a note than to wait for a person to give them their package or 2, they scared to ring the bell in the hood because of who might answer the door. Whichever one it is, I'm still upset, but that's not the issue. The issue is that we are people who live in a country where we still feel uncomfortable in certain areas and no I dont just mean the hood as in the ghetto. I'm a black man and have at times felt uncomfortable in predominately white neighborhoods where supposedly (clear my throat) crime doesn't exist. This feeling never felt so more true than when I had to deal with an incident in North Andover, Massachusetts where for the first time I actually understood the feeling of hatred due to race in my life. I have friends and even relatives of all different backgrounds and treat them the same way I would anyone however not everyone in the world shares my respect for people and their backgrounds. When do we realize it's 2011, racism only exists because we allow it to. I refuse to agree with anyone who doesn't recognize that it is still alive and kicking, but at the same time why is that. I saw a documentary yesterday about the integration of public schools in Virginia back in the fifties and sixties and one of the people they interviewed said something to point of " we did not fear white people because we understood them. We worked in their homes and on their land, we saw and were apart of their life for so many years, yet they did not do the same with us so to them we were unknown and people fear the unknown". That struck me as being so true. We as a people fear what we don't know and understand. Sadly the ghetto gets portrayed in a negative light in the papers and television so what do you expect from people who only know about the ghetto in that light, they fear it and anyone who comes from it. I can only play my part in correcting the image that gets put out there by being an example and thru my writing, I urge others to do the same in whatever it is they do. The solution of the problem is within us, but it's gonna take a group effort. It won't be easy and it won't be overnite, but small steps lead up to huge achievements. So in closing only a fool would walk anywhere with his eyes shut, fear is that which exist of the unknown but if we educate ourselves and others on the unknown what do we fear. This your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" Matthews signing off for today reminding ya'll to Keep It Real, Later.

Real Men Don't Wear Skinny Jeans!

Hello people happy Thursday or should I say Thirsty Thursday. Today's topic is Real Men Don't Wear Skinny Jeans. This fad is horrible people. Thats not fashion thats a joke. No I'm not being a hater I'm being real. I'm just about sick and tired of seeing these young dudes out here with skinny jeans that hang off their ass. What is this? Since when did it become cool for men/young men to shop in the petite section? Let's be real it looks like you wearing your little sisters jeans. At no time should you and your girls jeans be laying somewhere and you don't know who's is who's. As a man I require some type of nut space in my jeans. How is that even comfortable, and please don't tell me you do it because the girls like it. If the girls liked dudes that wore weave would that be the new thing? This is just damn ridiculous running round lookin like little cross dressers in training. Another thing Uggs are NOT I repeat NOT for men either. I don't care what the label says thats borderline if you know what I mean. I know as parent's you want your kid's to express themselves but their has to be a limit. It's time to put your foot down stop having these little boys running around like little girls. As for the so called men you oughta be ashamed of yourself, that's not cool, that's not real. Today's blog was short and to the point sometime's you gotta do that. Well, this your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" Matthews signing off for today reminding ya'll to Keep It Real. Holla

Whats Goin' On???

Whats up people I had to post early today because I read some disturbing news this morning. I know this is RealTalk617 but its bigger than that we're all part of a community that spreads beyond our neighborhoods and across the globe. So I get email updates daily from NewsOne as I was scrolling down it was the usual gossip until I come across a story out of Detroit. So in Detroit the State Officials ordered the city of Detroit to close half of it's schools in order to balance the districts books which is going to increase the high school class sizes to 60 students. This is just ridiculous. With all the problems that exist in Detroit already financially, crime wise, job wise, when does it become okay to close schools as a solution to any problem. Maybe their right and this move will correct the books but then where do they go from there? What happens to the students? I thought education was key thats all we heard and hear is stay in school how is that possible when school is closed? Look at whos affected in this move the students, the teachers, the parents, the community I'm pretty sure they're not looking at this as a good thing. What about the teachers can 1 teacher handle up to or more than 60 students per class and actually put in the time and effort to make sure that each student is grasping the lesson, I dont think so not in high school anyway for that matter not in college sometimes. What about the teachers that are gonna be laid off due to the closing, doesnt this just increase the unemployment rate? Not to mention the possibility of the drop out rate to increase. Basically we have a serious problem here our family in Detroit is getting a raw deal I feel this needs to be addressed. While I'm heartfelt for those in the Middle East we gotta take care of home first and this is definitely something that needs to be taken care of. This your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" Matthews signing off for now from RealTalk617 reminding ya'll to Keep It Real.

Boston Radio

Whats up people! Today Im taking a break from my Keep It Real session to talk about 2 things I love Boston, and Hip Hop. If you dont know by now I love my hometown Im originally from Jersey City, New Jersey but was raised in Mattapan, MA for as long as I can remember and thru my life I have listened to, am a fan of, participated in, and follow hip hop music. One thing I've noticed about Boston, having lived in Atlanta, GA and numerous trips to NJ and NY, is that we lack a true hip hop radio station in Boston. With much love going to 88.9, 87.7, 101.3, and even 94.5 we dont have a truely dedicated hip hop radio station. What I mean by that is that when I turn on the radio to whatever station I dont know what I'm gonna get. I listen to other types of music example reggae and r n b, but I'm a true hip hop fan to the death. What I find with Boston radio is that instead of having a truely dedicated to hip hop station we have a time slot which usually falls between talk radio and reggae not in that order. At times during the day when I switch between stations I feel like I live in the Caribbean. While I enjoy it I have to stress the fact that I'm a Hip Hop fan so I'd like to hear that. I know I'm not alone on this quest and while I can turn to satelite radio, a cd, or my ipod to get my fix I wonder what's really good? When I lived in Atlanta or visited NJ or NY I dont recall playing too many cd's or using the ipod unless I wanted something specific because they catered to the wants of the people on the radio at basically all times of the day. When one of hip hops favorite artists dropped a new song whether album or mixtape it got love on the radio. In Boston it seems like you either download or buy a cd to stay up on the latest in hip hop unless you talking about the same 12 songs that get over played on Boston's radio. Who do blame you ask, well I cant say the DJ's because they have a limited amount of control over what they play with the exception of 1 who I wont name to avoid causing any hate campaigns that take us off subject. I could say the Program Director since they have the responsibility of choosing which songs get played, or I can make it a joint venture between the Program Director and Radio Promoters hired by labels and given big budgets to ensure their artists are sucking up radio time. When I listen to a certain Boston radio station I'm under the assumption that their are only about 5 or 6 hip hop artists in the game. Luckily I'm smarter than that and know this to be untrue. However to the unknown fan this will become a reality. Am I asking for too much? A station that is dedicated to hip hops known and unknown artists, I mean truly dedicated to hip hop. How many Reggae stations do we need? How many Latino stations do we need? Mainly how many damn Rock and Roll stations do we really need? I could name a plethora of local artists that we have right here in Massachusetts that could flood the airwaves day in and day out with music. Wouldn't it be great to even have an all old school hip hop radio station, (pause for a hip hop moment) okay back to what I'm saying. Boston I love you, but we slacking and lacking a true hip hop station. While fans of other music can hear their desired genre of music we're kinda stuck with a time limit to hear what we desire, what we crave, what we love. I'm gonna start a poll to see how many people would support a hip hop radio station in Boston I'm pretty confident that I'm right but I too can be wrong. Maybe its all a dream but I'm willing to find out. Maybe I can spark that dream to come true, maybe I can make that dream come true. Endless possibilities exist is this one of them? To Be Continued for now. This your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" signing off of another session of REALTALK617 reminding ya'll to Keep It Real.

Real Talk Pt 2: Keep It Real Rappers

Whats good people! Todays topic is about rap artists and how they keep it real and how they dont and the effects it has. Me being an avid hip hop fan and music fan overall this is a subject I've been looking forward to touching on. With the current state of hip hop being so polluted with overnight rap stars its fairly easy to point out so many examples of artists Not keeping it real. I remember a time when hip hop was about lyrical content. Nowadays it seems that if you have the right beat, a catchy hook, and some style you too can be a rap star. The days of actually having any verbal skills is fading fast. Honestly if you were to take the music away from the majority of these artists you'd be left with the dumbest shit you ever heard. Music is another way of expressing art, its poetry with a beat, it holds substance and meaning. at least it used to. Being an 80's baby I've been privy to hear some of hip hops greatest from the beginning. Verbal beast who had to earn the respect of the people in order to even be heard or recognized. A time when there was no internet, no youtube, when you actually had to work for it. A time when artists put their soul into what they wrote and created classics that stand strong today, touching on subjects that actually mean something to people. Unfortunately those days are fast fading. Now dont get me wrong there were some frontin ass rappers back then too but nowhere close to now. For example is it me or is every rapper in the game now a drug dealer, gangster, and kingpin? I mean its as if every song is the same. What happened to real life topics besides dope dealing, and gang banging? I dont claim to be no expert or anything but I thought Real gangsters and drug dealers dont like to broadcast and advertise their business. Even when the known hustlers are out in the flyest rides, freshest clothes, flashiest jewels, and baddest women, they dont go around and say "I just moved 100 keys this week". So why do we believe or even accept these rap artists when they make songs and anthems about it? Come on people wake up especially the youth, they aint doing all that. To be honest 85% of these cats is bigger customers than they are dealers. The real drug dealers is ducking the feds, not on the radio broadcasting they business. Having a personal connection to the music industry I know that its very time consuming and basically impossible for someone who claim to be in the streets to be on tour at the same time. I have to use my boy term to describe these cats "fugazzi" basically meaning fraudulent. The sad part is the people are actually supporting it. Real talk if they was doing all they claim to be doing they'd be locked. They get caught with guns, weed, so why not moving 100 keys? Get serious, half these cats might of used to do they thing, maybe made a little money, but definitely not on the scale of what they talking about. Now dont be mistaken their were some Real G's in the industry, unfortunately they got bagged. I wonder if rappers just ran out of topics. Personally I get tired of hearing the same subject to a different beat. Now Im not saying that there are no Real artists in the game thats far from the truth, what Im saying is that there are too many Fake artists getting too much recognition which is shutting out the Real artists. I'd like to see rap rewind and go back to it being more about the lyrical than the beat, but I might be asking for too much. Ya'll remember when you could dance to a rap song? Play it around your moms without cutting it short. The good ol' days. Would I be far from the truth by saying there's a conspiracy theory of why rap has taken the turn it has? Let me explain. In the beginning rap wasnt considered a threat until it started to reach so many people of so many different backgrounds. Reaching them in a positive and negative way. Once that happened it started to gain attention from "the powers that be" but still not enough to be considered a threat. As time goes on rap became a billion dollar industry, an industry where a young man or woman can start in the projects and end up in an estate. Artists became influential and powerful enough to swing the vote. Now according to the "powers that be" this is a problem. In comes the change of the game. The artists who are actually trying to do something positive have to be taken out so that the cats who dont care about nothing but that paper can come in which in turn kills the influence of positivity. Thus creating a stronger negative influence than positive. Thats just my opinion though, I could be wrong, maybe Im thinking too deep, maybe. Long story short artists have more power than they realize, they can move a nation. If your an artist dont forget where and what you came from. If you feed your community with negativity thats what you'll produce. Even if you did come from a rough background the point is to do your part to make it better for the next generation as was done for us. It may have been rough but Im pretty sure slavery and segregation was alot harder. Please dont let a donation be your way of "giving back" its way deeper than that artists from the past made songs that reached so many more i.e. Marvin Gaye "Whats Goin On". This is our time its up to us to determine which way things will sway for our children. If all they here is how fun it is to sell drugs I dont care how good the parent is thats just another battle of influence that has to be fought for the parents and with it being displayed and promoted in every way it can thats a rough battle to fight. The future is ours, our creativity is ours and shouldnt be sold out for no amount. Creativity is very open and Im not saying that theres no room for negativity but when is enough enough. Expand your creativity, elevate your game. Its in our hands now, what are we gonna do? Keep It Real Rappers. This your boy Eddie "E_SLIM" signing off for today telling ya'll to Keep It Real. Real Talk.

Real Talk Pt. 1

So this morning I thought of what my very first blog will be about or should I say I know what it will be about. Since this is the beginning of my blogging I said to myself "self where do you want to go with this"? I decided to do what I always do and Keep It Real. So the topic of my first blog is just that Keeping It Real. This is a subject that can go on and on so my first blog is going to be a series about Keeping It Real. I posted on FaceBook today that I realized that many people use the site to create a false image of themselves in an attempt to gain respect or admiration from the people who are on their page. My question is why? Is it some sort of fake it til you make it attempt? Or is it because their so unhappy and/or ashamed of their Real life that they've created this life that they wish they had and by fronting like its real it becomes real to them and those that they portray it to? Wouldn't that make them crazy? Lets examine. Option 1: Fake it til you make it. This can be a successful tool if they are looking to do something in the public image and the life style they're portraying is a part of that. To be honest music artists do it all the time. We acccept it for the most part. Is it the same for regular folks though? I guess you can fake it til you make it on your job or hit the lotto but Real Talk, if you like 30 and you been faking it til you make it since you was 18 went to school and created a whole new life I have a news flash I hate to be a dream shatterer but you can stop faking it your never gonna make it. Truthfully you can front to everybody except that person in the mirror (and the people who know you well enough to know your a fraud). Once you start believing your own lie its time to seek help. Option 2: Unhappy with real life. Im not gonna sugar coat this, this isnt a therapy session im not a therapist and quite frankly I've got my own problems. Cut to the chase if your unhappy with your life, creating a false one wont make it any better, maybe in your head but it will probably make it worse than better. Plus the people who know you fronting are laughing at you. To close Part 1 of this series I'd like to say first and foremost Keep It Real with yourself. Second, people are supposed to accept you for who you are no matter the circumstance if they dont then you dont need those type of people in your life so stop trying to impress them. Third and last "you aint got to lie to kick it".  This your boy Eddie "E_Slim" Matthews signing off til next time reminding ya'll to KEEP IT REAL.