theory & essay
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Happy Birthday, Damon!
Every year around this time, I do a search for Lebron James or Tiger Woods? And why do I do a search for either of these two folks? Well its because they share a birthday. And do you know who else they share a birthday with? Our very own Damon “The Champ” Young. I only know…
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Logic, Kendrick Lamar, and the Frustration of Derivative Artistry
At first listen, Logic’s major label debut album Under Pressure is brilliant. It’s listenable. It’s well-produced. He’s a very, very gifted lyricist. He even managed to weave his album together with a voice over reminiscent of one of my favorite albums of all time, A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders. But while I listened to…
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"Anti-Police Brutality" Does Not Mean "Anti-Police"
According to published news reports, hours before Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot and killed two NYPD officers, he shot his ex-girlfriend, Shaneka Thompson, in Baltimore. He also stole her iPhone. After shooting her, he boarded a Bolt Bus to New York City, and updated his Instagram account from her phone, vowing to kill cops. Minutes after following…
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Actually, Some Men Do Trust Women
Because I’m the type of guy who is prone to document a personal ah-ha moment in a blog post, I appreciated what Damon wrote here the other day on inherently not trusting women; specifically, with their feelings. He wrote: But you know what I don’t really trust? What I’ve never actually trusted with any women…
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Black Twitter Flooded By Thirsty Women Springing Leaks For Black Plumbers (See What I Did There?)
Look. If you’re a man who gets upset by women paying attention to physically attractive men, or a woman who gets upset when men make jokes about your attraction to physically attractive men, leave VSB, go to your home or office supply room, find some Drano, and drink it. If you’re not upset by any…
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Men Just Don't Trust Women. And This Is A Problem
It took five months of marriage, eight months of being engaged, and another year of whatever the hell we were doing before we got engaged for me to learn something about my wife. Actually, that’s misleading. I’ve learned many things about my wife in that time period. I learned that she owns both a snuggie and…
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On Really Wanting To Like J. Cole More Than I Actually Do
I’ve never had more people ask me how I feel about an artist than I have about J. Cole. It’s interesting, really. Somehow, J. Cole is like a hip-hop Hatfields vs McCoy standoff. People either love or give no fucks about J. Cole. And the folks who love him stan so hard for him it…
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Beverly Johnson Just Killed Any Bullshit Defense You Have Of Bill Cosby
After reading Beverly Johnson’s first-hand account of how Bill Cosby drugged and attempted to assault her —- and please, if you haven’t read it yet, stop reading this and go read it — it’s almost as if Johnson heard every bullshit-ass defense people have argued for Bill Cosby, and said “Fuck this. I’m refuting all…