Only God Can Judge Me… Truth or Fiction?

 

In My Opinion, Grossly Fiction according to Biblical Text. This phrase is one of the most overused phrases I’ve seen/heard each and every time someone is painted in a corner in which they have no intelligent comeback for their action. The most hypocritical part of this statement is that people use to as they are judging the people who are questioning their actions/motives, how does that make sense?

 

Now I have not read ALL of the bible, but through my readings, research and Religious Leaders that I have gotten info about this, the closet this appears in religious terms is from Tupac Shakur… heard the name before?

 

Now there are multiple parts of the Bible that this can be correlated to, but when you read the ENTIRE passage as opposed to the one part that you feel helps you out of your situation the picture changes and makes a lot more sense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 7: 1 - 5

¹ “Judge not, that you be not judged.

² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Now reading the first line, the “Only God Can Judge Me” cliché phrase makes plenty of sense. God is the only Perfect being in religion/spirituality, I am not debating this topic. But when you continue you will see the second line says that When you judge, you will be held to that same standard. This seems to address the existence of Double Standards more than anything. The next 3 lines are what seal the deal for me, the analogy states that if you have an imperfection in your eye (sight/outlook/perception), that you cannot possibly tell someone else how to accurately fix their same issue... even with the best of intentions. But the last line gives the advice to Remove that “imperfection” from your eye so that you can help your fellow brother remove his. This passage doesn’t tell you not to judge, it tells you to first get clarity before trying to help others in your same predicament.

Moral of the Story: Judgment of a persons actions is not against the Bible, it’s actually encouraged in the passage above. We were given the ability to discern by our creator and should use it as often as possible to help decipher Real from the Fake because the actions of both are similar. The intention of a person may be to help, but they can easily end up blinding you. Please Apply to ALL ASPECTS of what may appear to be religious guidance. 

P.S. A Religious Quote out of context can give you the completely wrong idea so unless you are going to read the surrounding paragraph at least (if not the entire book it was written in), don’t live your life by it or use it to justify your actions. Quotes are POINTLESS without the intent behind them being investigated and clear to the reader themselves.

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F.O.E. to Success: Fame or Education?

     

 

This question disturbs me on so many levels, Especially since I am included in the generation where it seems to have started. On a regular basis I've noticed people wanting the "American Dream" of fame and fortune yet have NO desire to educate themselves.

 

How did the idea that you can get what you want the "easy" way get embedded into our culture? This mindset would be laughable if it weren't so depressing that it was true. I mean seriously, what type of epic parenting and societal failures have we endured that you must choose between the two? There is NO EASY WAY to success. It takes perseverance and knowledge to be productive. Even if you aren’t technically "smart" by school standards, you still must have a comprehension of what is and has always been, to ensure you do not make the same pitfalls as those before you.

The top 5% of Richest People in the US that run this country have NEVER chosen between these two aforementioned. They had enough self awareness and/or guidance to know they are NOT mutually exclusive by any means. Whether it be higher learning, home schooling, or real world experience... Learn Something and Be Successful. If by now you haven't gotten the full meaning behind the Tortoise and the Hare it's: Stop trying to take the fast lane, you're going burn yourself out sprinting while the marathon runners pass you by. Take your time. Build a strong foundation based on education and layer your fame upon it, so that it lasts. In the words of T.I. “life is about who makes it, not who makes it the fastest, Drive Slow Homie”… Actually in light of his newest “Situation” scratch that, Let me make my own....

 

Racing to the Top is an Admirable feat to Accomplish, but do you have enough Knowledge to STAY there?

~Johnny Magnum ©2010

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Martin Luther King Jrs Dream: Blacks Are Killing It!

by @butterfliesblue

There is nothing wrong with celebrating one's ethnicity, but it comes a problem when you let it define you as a person. I weep for generations ahead because like Alice Walker wrote in The Color Purple, "The more things change the more they stay the same". Part of Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech says, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character". This sounds good and all, but I feel like blacks are killing the dream. One good example of how this dream is being killed is BET which is supposed to represent "blackness".

BET which stands for Black Entertainment Television was started in 1980 as a network for blacks. It started out as a network that was dignified as well as addressed issues in the black community. Now that BET has been taken over by someone other than the founders, it has gone under much criticism because of the quality that has been lost over the years. Co-founder Sheila Jackson has even said, "I don't watch it. I suggest to my kids that they don't watch it". Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder has had an episode about BET which can be seen on Youtube. Even the few times that I watch BET, I've watched it go from Cita's World to Uncut to these circus of award shows.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Civil Rights advocate of equality. We have a holiday dedicated to him where blacks brag about not having to go to work, and yet there was a time when blacks couldn't even work for pay. If we as people not only promote but also believe what he was for, the why are we separating ourselves? You can't have your cake and eat it too. This is one of the reasons that I can't support things such as HBCU's, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the NAACP. Also with immigration reform being the way it is, I'm tired of blacks making comments about other ethnicities as if they were never mistreated. Also how can we as people continue to support things such as BET without at least trying to voice our opinion to make it a positive image? Trust me if there is a lack of support then the execs will listen. Judge not lest ye be judged. Have we forgotten what our ancestors have fought for? At what point will we stop being referred as the "black community" and just be Americans? We can't want to be treated as equals as long as we continue to separate ourselves based on race.

 

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@MyNameIsBizzle -Truth Music (JayZ & RickRoss)

Contact Info:

Twitter: @MyNameIsBizzle 

Website: http://www.iambizzle.com 

YouTube: Youtube.com/playbizzle21 

Myspace: Myspace.com/playbizzle 

 

Mobile Phone Link

 

 

Bizzle, a Hip Hopper from Southern Cal now residing in Houston, is using music to spread the word to the masses. Gaining under ground popularity opened his eyes to the widely influential nature of Rap his goal is to make a change in the demeaning nature it is associated with. He is no typical "Christian Rapper" and only goes by that genre because of what others call him, but he simply speaks his mind to show that you can be successful without inspiring society in a negative manner.

 

So far he has worked with and opened for some major names in the biz such as Hip Hops notables including Nelly, David Banner, Game, Chino XL, NeYo and T.I to name a few. His lyrical delivery and content is very interesting and the most important part ACCURATE. Bizzle feels Hip Hop nowadays lacks accuracy and I agree, too many artist are trying to do what's popular instead of being themselves. This dude has turned down multiple deals so far but that hasn't stopped his access to the Hip-hop scene on MediaTakeOut, WorldstarHipHop and many syndicated Radio station websites totaling over 1Million views so far and over 50,000 downloads on his mixtape, "The Messenger" released in march of this Year. I am definitely going to look out for more tracks from him because his wordplay is on point and he speaks truth. Let me know what you think...

 

 

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Karma: Do you Believe?

 

Trick Question, it doesn't matter because it effects you whether you believe in it or not. If you are not a Spiritual or Religious Person, even though this is a Buddhist Practice, Karma is still a very simple guideline for most to understand. What Goes Around… Comes Around. In this day in age when focusing on what we want or things we THINK we need, People often wonder why they are not in better positions and the answer is typically always the same, whether we delude ourselves otherwise or not… KARMA.

People that do bad things have bad things happen to them, You may not see it but it does. Think about all the Celebs who seemingly have everything they could ever want that step over friends, family & fans to get famous and then end up being haunted by Drug, Financial & Stress related issues up to and including Premature Painful Violent Deaths of themselves and/or people they care for. Why do you think these things happen?

When some event alters your Life, Good or Bad, think about something you have done/are doing Right/Wrong. Those things that pop into your head are most likely your Gut/Conscious/God/Intuition or whatever you use to guide your actions telling you that you Karma is back give you the Fruits of your Labors or the Plight from your Lack of Seed Planting. Help Yourself by doing better, by being better, and helping your fellow Societal members to do the same. Their downfalls may be tied to your setbacks, We are all connected in some way shape or form.

PS: When you are tempted to not take advice from someone who isn’t in a similar situation as you, just remember someone further removed may be able to see the bigger Picture.

     

What You See

What We See

What Society Is

What you Do Affects You and Those Around You… It’s Just a Matter of Time

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So You Wanna Be A Rap Star?

 

So I checked out the Forbes/Billboard Top 20 Artists Article and dang, Hip-hop Greats in 2009 grossed over $300mil! I see why so many people want to hop into the rap game. But of course my over analytical self wanted to dive deeper and see how Hip-hop ranks as an overall business and was quite surprised. The Top 20 Hip-hop greats barely ranked in the Top 250 of American CEOs (Forbes Magazine) when compared side by side. Hell, Jay-Z, who topped the list at $63mil, didn't even make Top 20 of overall Celebs. Pretty shocking

 

Other Interesting Forbes Facts:

1) Oprah Winfrey Grossed $315million BY HER SELF!!! That woman is an absolute monster. I mean, I always knew she had money but when you put it in the perspective of: If Oprah wanted to, she could literally BUY Hip-hop... it's just makes an unfathomable amount of money very real. She's got enough money to buy every US Citizen a McDouble... and still get a Foot long from Subway. (Pay your own Sales Tax though, you know how Oprah do)

2) Rich vs. Wealthy. Confused? Let me explain... How I see it, Rich is very attainable for the average Joe by simple luck. But, if you aspire to only be rich; plan on being broke shortly thereafter! MC Hammer WAS rich, as was Vanilla Ice and even MIMS (for that good 6months). Unfortunately, the uneducated tend to acquire mass amounts of Liquid Assets (Cash, Diamonds, Chains etc.) instead of Long Term Equities. (These are basic business terms, if you don't know them then you WILL NOT make it in "the Biz").

To put it in monetary terms what the difference is... the top 6 Hip-hop earners of 2009 grossed $167million while: Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, John Lennon & Jimi Hendrix totaled $168million last year... No, that's not a misprint, LAST YEAR!!! That's the difference between being rich & being wealthy. Own property, own a business, own YOURSELF. If you are sending out your creative works which aren't Copyrighted, registered with ASCAP, Trademarked, etc. then expect to get G'd, it'll soften the blow once it happens. Being rich only lasts a lifetime, while wealth will stretch through generations.

3) The Top 20 Hip-hop greats have averaged $15mil each ($75mil total) over the last 5 years; while William C Weldon, CEO of Johnson & Johnson who started as a Sales Rep with a Biology Degree, has made more at $78mil (NOT including the $26mil in stocks he also owns in the company).

Ivan G. Seidenberg, Verizon CEO, started his climb up the "Corporate Ladder" being a Cable Splicer's Assistant and now makes as much as Diddy without having to dance in every Verizon commercial or flee clubs after his coworkers have shot someone in the face (not to mention he also owns $57mil more in stocks).

 

The common thread? Education, Hard Work & Determination. For some odd reason people who have lyrical skills (or THINK they have them) think rap and education are mutually exclusive. Where this came from, I do not know, but reverse your logic. How can learning about worldly issues, expanding your vocabulary, working closely with your demographic, understanding how to write/negotiate contracts and gaining real life experience hurt your career? Build a strong foundation from the ground up or at least have a backup plan because you WILL crumble.

 

I guess the bottom line is... GET TO WORK!!! Being a celeb is a job, just like everything else. There is no easy way to get the elusive "American Dream". So before encouraging a friend or your children to skip school for a celebrity career of fame and fortune, please, do some research. Realize that they are non-recognizable people worth BILLIONS more than your favorite celeb to dance to in the club.

 

Educate Yourself before you Dedicate Yourself. Can You Hear me now? GOOD

 

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