CONSCIOUS OR UNDERGROUND

Anybody that loves hip-hop will attest to the fact that most "underground" rappers are better than mainstream rappers. And I do not mean better in terms of wealth and exposure but in terms of their lyrical content.

I've always been attracted to artists that tell a story or deliver a message in each song they drop. And according to my observation,"underground" artists are in cohesion when it comes to bringing issues that are of great significance to our attention. Notice that I enclosed the underground in quotes in the lines above.

I did this because I believe it's time we stop referring to these artist as "underground" but as "CONSCIOUS".  

Conscious in the sense that they know we crave for genuine music. They know and go through the same struggles we do. They know what it is like to be down and out,to be unappreciated and unrecognized. They know what it feels like to be relevant and yet overlooked. They do not fabricate stories about their lives but tell us the truth. You can even hear the pain in some of the songs if you listen closely. This is what hip-hop should be about. Not about fancy cars,women and jewelry. 

Bear in mind that there are a lot of conscious mainstream rappers as well. But even they don't get as much recognition and praise as the "gooey" ones. A perfect example is my ninja Lupe Fiasco. 

Lupe is undoubtedly a lyrical genius and every song he drops is not only soothing to the ear but also always carries a relevant message. Given all this, Lupe is still perceived as a young gun simply because he stays true in his music.   

I currently spend most of my time on soundcloud.com listening to conscious ninjas. Most of the artists I listen to are Namibian because I can easily relate to their struggles and to the issues they bring up.I also listen to  other artists as I find their music fresh and informative.

Some of the artists I'm currently listening to include :

Black Vulcanite. This is a Namibian clique that has just recently blown up,but I first got to know them before they sort of went mainstream. Their lyrics are poetic and informative at the same time. Check out their E.P. Remember the Future below. And yes I already said this but,they are Namibians :-).

KwamieKaZe. My boy Kwamie is currently in the States and I was grasped by his flow and outlook on life after listening to one of his tracks entitled Slowly Drifting.
This track is epic. Check it out below. Also check out the rest of his tracks which are just as enlightening. I spend about an hour every week listening to this guy's words. He is truly a breath of fresh air. And oh,Kwamie is also helping me revive my lyrical prowess.





Magnitude High. Believe or not Magnitude is Kwamie's bro and he is just as consciously venomous. Check out his track entitled Dome of Slaves (D.O.S.) below. This track is soothing and thought provoking at the same time. Magnitude truly spits nothing but the truth on this track and that is exactly what we as listeners want to hear. The painful truth.

I would hereby like to request that we please stop referring to conscious rappers as underground rappers. If I could I would give all conscious rappers the exposure they deserve.I'm tired of listening to bubble gum music that does not move,engulf or elevate me to a whole new plain. I long for genuine music,music that is offered by a genuine and conscious artist.

I would like to sign out to Kwamie's latest offering, Saturday Runs. Check it out below. And please do feel free to email,tweet or facebook any comments that you may have.

SETTING GOALS LIKE A NINJA:101

This post is intended to enable one to achieve their short term goals in a ninjarific way.

I will keep it short and simple like all the other posts because we ninjas don't have time to waste.

I have personally found that the easiest way to achieve any short term goal is to link that goal to your body. By this I mean,you should set a goal in relation to something that you would like to change on your body. It's kind of like Samson strength being linked to his hair thing. Yes!! I was that kind of kid. 

For instance in high school I never combed my hair when the exams started. This was not due to the fact that I lacked a comb or time,but rather a strategy. I would only comb my hair or get a haircut once I had passed all my modules.

The fact that my hair was uncombed made me very uncomfortable,but I promised myself that I would only use a comb if I passed well. And believe me,it worked. The teachers would always be like" Why don't you comb your hair?" And my reply would be: "Because I want to pass." 

They would laugh but I would laugh the loudest in the end,with my straight As and combed hair. haaahaaahaaahaaa. 

Slick trick ey? Wait till  you read my varsity trick.

When I hit varsity,my beard had started to grow. I then promised myself that I would not cut it (the beard) until I graduated. And that is exactly what happened. I shaved the beard of like 3 days before graduation. I kept the beard for 5 years (that's how long my course was). And yes,it had grown quite a bit long and bushy. I got dissed a lot by my brothers and aunts cause of that beard,but I couldn't lose it cause it was linked to my graduation. 

All I'm really saying is that one should link their goals to something physical or something that you can attach meaning to. That physical connection will forever remind you of what your goals and keep you on track.

I signed in and and am signing out to Kwamie's Amen. Hope it tickles your fancy.