Reaching out, no matter how hard it seems

It should be no secret to anyone that I use mass transit to get to work everyday. Normally riding the bus home is a peaceful endeavor. For about 20 minutes or so, it gives me the chance to unwind and focus on other matters.

But such was not the case a few days ago. As I ran to make my connection and head back into Cobb County, I sauntered on to the bus with hopes of having a peaceful trip home. But instead that was intereputed by a young man who claimed I looked at him funny.

"When you came on to the bus and nodded your head were you looking at me," he asked.

Dumbfounded I thought he was talking to someone else. Until he yelled out.
"No you, I 'm talking to you," he said.

My reply was swift and quick - sir I don't know who you are, nor did I say anything to anyone.

It was one of those moments that was extremely tense and others took note of it.

A nearby passenger told the young man - "You sound like one of my high school students - You looked at me wrong and I'm mad at you."

He quickly told her that he wasn't a highschool student and said something about how he didn't like people looking at him funny.

It's a sad day in society when someone can get bent out of shape because they are under the misconception that someone looked at them funny. But what's also very telling is this, it's pretty sad when we don't reach back and talk to those individuals about what's going on with them and why they're so upset.

Let's face it, a lot of people are going through tremendous pain right now. Whether its because of the economy, loss of a loved one, or just the pressures of daily life. The difficult part is knowing how to reach out to those people who're in pain and trying to soothe them. Isn't that wohat Jesus would do?

I'll be honest, thinking about Christ wasn't on my mind when this was occurring. I honestly thought that I was going to have to get into a senseless fight or argument. But what if I had asked the young man what was going on in his life, what if I had reached out to him and started a conversation or a dialogue.

I think all too often we as Christians are afraid to take this leap of faith. Some of us are afraid and honestly and truly are afraid for our personal safety when it comes to speaking out like this. But I think these are the exact times that we should reach out and offer a helping hand, because these are the times when our brothers and sisters are crying out for help the most.

If I could do this all over again, I would have approached him and apologized and asked if everything was ok with him. I would have talked to him about his life and what his dreams and aspirations are. I would try and reach out to him. At the very least, I can still pray for him.

Talking with Spectac

Every now and then you'll run across someone who changes the way you think about a topic. Nearly 15 years ago, I ran across a guy by the name of Mervin Jenkins - better known as Spectac - or Spec for short. With long dreads, a beard and a mellow voice, Spec changed my perceptions of rappers and the music I listened to. In a small record store in Columbia S.C. Spec, showed me what Hip Hop was all about  through one amazing freestyle session. Now years later Spectac is back, and he's a bit older, a bit wiser, and proving why he is someone I call the heart and soul of Hip Hop.

JAMAL: "You’ve been an artist for quite some time. How did you get started on this particular journey."

SPECTAC: "I was listening to the radio in my dad's garage around 1983 and I heard Run DMC's 'Sucker MC-- I fell in love with the movement at that moment. I also had a cousin who moved to my hometown in SC and introduced me to [Hip Hop] around that time."


JAMAL:  "You have an extensive track record when it comes to working with established artists. Who have you collaborated with in the past?"

SPECTAC: "Big Daddy Kane, Little Brother, Large Professor, Phife Dawg (of a Tribe Called Quest) and a few other notables."

JAMAL: "Now I've known you for a minute, but there might be some people on this blog who aren't familiar with your story. Can you fill them in and tell them about your extraordinary background."

SPECTAC: "I graduated from Benedict College in Columbia, SC and worked at Sounds Familiar record store for a couple of years after finishing school. Afterwards I became a teacher in Charleston, SC and worked on my masters in school administration while teaching full-time. Once I graduated with my masters, I started a job as a high school assistant principal in Chapel Hill, NC. All the while I steadily pursued a career in hip hop. Around 2001, I charted Billboard's top 100 R&B chart with a single called 'Lessons from the Ghetto'. Soon after I began to work with the likes of 9th Wonder, Little Brother, Median, and a host of other North Carolina based hip hop artists. Later I became a school principal and currently I'm working as the assistant director for the eastern division of a national education training company called AVID."

JAMAL: "And I think that distinguishes you from a lot of other artists out there. You already have a successful career as an educator - what brings you back to the mic."


SPECTAC: "I realized I had a passion for the movement that will never die. Even though I make my living as an educator I also know that Hip Hop is my first love. I find time to combine the two when I do public speaking for educators and students around the country."


JAMAL: "To me Hip Hop has a totally different sound now and a lot of people sound a like. I have to admit that I don't listen to it as much as I use to. But tell me,  how do you maintain your own sound and still manage to keep it fresh and stand out as an individual"


SPECTAC: "I just try to avoid the hype. I make the music that I love and if someone likes it-- cool. I just refrain from letting the mass dictate what I want to produce."


JAMAL: "It's a known fact that you’re really good at freestyling. For those on the blog who don’t know, what is freestyling and how do you do it? What is the key to freestyling?"

SPECTAC: "The art of freestyling is rhyming in 'real time'-- improv of sorts. It's truly a natural ability that I've managed to improve through practice. For me the key is hearing a track that moves me and then just getting into character. If the track moves me that's half the battle. Of course you have to think quick on your feet."


JAMAL: "What’s in the future for Spec. Can we expect to see a future album?"

SPECTAC: "This past April I released 'Almost Famous' with my partner Amiri on HipNott Records. In August I dropped 'Spectac Returns' (a solo project) on Domination Recordings. Hopefully Amiri and I will release another project early 2011... tentatively titled 'Our Time'.

Alright 'J' it's been good bro! Stay up... 100!"

To hear a clean version of Spectac's song Superman from his album Spectac Returns click here

To purchase or to check out more of Spectac's work and the Spectac Returns album on Amazon click here.

Spec breaks down the art of freestyling:

Being bullied is no laughing matter

Not many of my friends know about my childhood and my experiences with being bullied.

I was in the sixth grade when I first recall it happening. My mother was tutoring a young woman and I was in the room alone with her highschool age daughter.

I can still remember the heaviness of the girl’s voice – “Give me a kiss.”

When I refused - (because back then I thought girls were yucky) she latched on to me and forced a kiss on my lips anyway. She then pushed me back and called me a name. She then called me weak – and with a dejected look she walked away. I was stunned and hurt. It was my first kiss and I was pushed to the side like I was flotsam. What should have been a special time in my life for me to savor, instead was perverted and made me feel inadequate.

It was one of the first instances of my life when I remember being bullied and made to feel weak. I would find that throughout my years in highschool, I would be on the receiving end of taunts and bad jokes. Kids picked on me because I was skinny.

They would often wrap their hands around my wrists and my ankles to see how small they were. I was called every name that a skinny person could be called – from stick-stickly to an AIDS patient.

I was called Steve Urkel on a regular basis.

If a day went by that I wasn’t called Urkel at least five times it was a blessing.

My stomach was in knots nearly everyday of highschool, my stomach would stay upset the whole day, for fear of the teasing and the attacks.

At night I would come home and just get in the bed and dream for a better day. I often thought of suicide – and would often make plans to run away.

My parents, God bless them, did their best for me. But what I needed at the time was not someone to make the bullying stop, but to encourage me and tell me that I wasn’t those awful things that my peers said.

Years after I was bullied I still had problems socially. I was dejected. I hated being touched, and I had an intense anger toward – well toward nearly everyone. It has taken me years and the love of the Lord to move past the anger and rejection I felt growing up.

I’m still a work in progress.

Every time I read about a young man or young woman who has taken their life because they have been bullied, I think there but the grace of God go I.

If you know anyone who is getting bullied, if it's your own child, or perhaps a neighbor's child then I implore you sit down with them. Tell them to stand up for themselves, but at the same time tell them why they are so great, and why they aren't those things their peers are saying.

Parents, don't take it personal that your child is being bullied. Just be there and love them. Let them hear positive words, because once their self esteem is high, nothing can hurt them or touch them.

Bullying is serious and its no laughing matter.

Rant of the Week

Apparently there was a rally this past weekend calling for Bishop Eddie Long – who is facing civil lawsuits from four young men – to step down as pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

I found it odd that people travelled all across the country to ask a man who’s church they’ve never attended to step down. Hmmm makes you think.

It seems as if everyone has an opinion on Bishop. We either staunchly support him, or we have already made it up in our minds that he’s guilty.

Now I don’t know the man, nor have I ever physically attended one of his ministries. I have watched him on television and for about two years I attended one of his satellite churches in Clayton County. So I really don’t know if the man is guilty or innocent. Only God knows that.

What I do know, is that ministers are often held to a higher standard by their parishoners and by society as a whole - and when they fall short, or are perceived to fall short the turmoil it often creates sends ripples across the Christian community.

I think we’ve put our ministers into a role of being the uber consummate Christian- devoid of any flaw, and incapable of making any mistake. When they do make a mistake, one that we often would – we’re ready to stone them –and sadly some of us are ready to denounce Christianity as well.

There’s something in us – in society that thinks that Pastors should be perfect, and when they’re not, we’re done with them. I think we forget that pastors are human. I think we have to remember that there was only one person who came into this world as a perfect being – Jesus Christ . We follow God and not the pastor – he just interprets the word he gets from God… he’s not the Word!!!!


Now I’m not defending Bishop Long by any means, nor am I condemning him. I’m rather using him as an example of how we tend to forget that pastors aren’t perfect. They have flaws as well.

So is Bishop Long guilty? I don’t know. All I can do is pray for him, his family, his congregation and the four young men that have filed suit against him. There is a lot of pain involved in this, and no matter how it turns out, I fear that people will be hurt.

Just my thoughts …

Tea Party any one?

Is it a shock to anyone that Tea Party members managed to snag seats this election cycle? For me I pretty much expected the Tea Party to gain a foothold.

Let's face it, people are tired of what's going on in this country, or what they perceive to be going on in this country and they want change. They're tired of falling into the Republican or Democrat sifting jars - and want a third viable option. For too long both parties have delivered a lot of talk, but no real solution to definite problems that Americans are facing.

The problem with the Tea Party is this, they're too raw and undefined. They're frustrated conservatives that really aren't politicians or in my opinion, are qualified to operate in the political realm.

Look at Christine O'Donnell, a candidate for Delaware's Senate race, who spent a great deal of time fighting to let people know that she wasn't a .... witch? She also discussed her previous masturbation issues ... Excuse me, but aren't there more significant issues to talk about?

To me, the Tea Party comes off like a person acting as their own attorney in a court case. It's just not a good idea.

But despite my ramblings and my rants, what's it going to mean that the Tea Party has gained somewhat of a foothold.

Nothing for this election I predict. But I think the group is going to be problematic not necessarily for Democrats, but Republicans. I think we'll see the Republican Party at war with itself and implode over the coming years. I see some definite conflicts between the two factions - your traditional Republicans and the Tea Party Faction.

What can be done? For now Democrats have to sit back and watch. They've fumbled the ball in this country, over the economy, healthcare, and making genuine change in the country.

Republicans have to take control of their party and have a clear message. With this upheaval - with the introduction of these Tea Party seats, I really don't see it happening.

Just what is a real man?

On the way to work one morning on the train, I saw a young woman who could not get her baby to stop crying. She must have been in her late teens or early '20s. This young woman became so frustrated with her child that she kicked over its stroller. People were outraged and the authorities were called immediately. People called that young woman everything except a child of God.

And while it was her fault that she kicked the baby stroller over, I could not help but think, where was the child's father? Would this have happened if he were around?

I think all too often men don't understand their roles in society or the affect that they can have on a situation. By that same token I also think that men are some of the most misunderstood creatures on this planet.
Sometimes I think that women view men using a phrase I have coined "Tyler Perry Logic." 

Let me explain. In most of Perry's movies men are portrayed one of two ways (note I said most, not all). They're either antagonists that drag a woman down for no other reason than the fact that they can. Or, these men are portayed as someone who comes in and solves every single problem, knows just the right words to say, and has the patience and understanding of 10 Jobs.

Both portayals are wrong. As a man I can tell you that real men are people who make mistakes. We struggle with insecurities and we strive to improve the lives of our families. We can be selfish, pig headed and a bit boastful - true - but we can also be the type of people that will hold a family together and uplift them. We don't often get it right on the first time - or the second or third (for me it's like the 10th time). But what makes us real men, is the fact that we get in there and we try each and everyday. No matter what we go through, we continue to move on and push forward for our family. That's what a real man does.

I wonder what would have happened if a man was with that young woman on the train. I wonder if he would have been able to pick up the baby when she was tired, to give her a break, would she have reacted so harshly and so quickly. Just something to ponder.