2 weeks ago, I helped shoot this PSA for MTV Networks, to remind people not to open their hearts and minds to those of us who are different.

Shout Outs to Alicia Prince for holding me down when things weren’t going so smoothly. This shoot would have been a disaster without a good friend on the 47th floor!

RIP Lawrence

Lawd knows I love Tanisha from Bad Girl’s Club. I’ve never seen a better reality tv character. She embodies BK to the fullest (and she gotta whole lot of body). This is great TV!

If you missed her last bit of BK rowdy antics, here it is again!

There goes the neighborhood!

A few days ago I had a very weird thought to myself while I was listening to my 12 year old brother practice his burgeoning DJ skills. I wondered where I was when the only people allowed to break out on the music scene were those who didn’t even have high school diplomas. 20 minutes after that thought, I got some new music emailed me to me that rested my fears of getting old and not have anything to two step to at the club (I’m too damn grown to be bouncing all over the place cranking shit). The convenient arrival of Mista Raja’s single Yo Luv put a lil pep in my step and sparked a “whose music is better than whose” conversation between me and my lil bro.

You may think Mista Raja’s music is new to your ears, but au contraire. This Bronx native, veteran to the game has worked with for the likes of Diddy (Satisfy You and Come To Me), Lil Kim, Maino, Jazzy Pha, Barry White (damn this list is all over the place). His solo project Ghost In A Machine is set for release this year. Click on the songs below and chill in Mista Raja’s neighborhood!

Hating On Me featuring T.I.

Yo Luvin

I just saw her like last week and this is NOT WHAT HER BODY LOOKS LIKE. Please stop the onslaught of airbrushing. It’s actually real annoying now.

(and trust me when I say I love Ms. Tocarra, but the airbrushing on this is just too damn much)

Last week was definitely a super Tuesday for albums dropping. While everyone was watching Ms. Janet shake a tail feather on their television sets, dedicated fans were downloading, waiting in lines and doing whatever else they could do to get their hands on the latest/greatest LP from the one and only, Erykah Badu. I got my copy, tore the plastic off and uploaded it into my ipod and rode from Shephard Avenue to 50th Street on the C train nodding my head the whole way. I quickly realized that this album wasn’t a good accompaniment for NYC rush hour (I need something in my ear that’ll motivate me to roll my eyes at people who’re all in my personal space). But Friday night I found myself with a bottle of Cliquot, herbal remedies and good company and Ms. Erykah performed her ass off for us.

My ipod shuffled the 10 tracks and kept us in a constant head nod. Her voice gave me goosebumps; her message left me in awe; New Amerykah became my official sit back, relax and unwind album.

I don’t know what else to tell ya’ll…get the damn album!  Click on the links below to hear 2 of my favorite songs!

Soldier

That Hump

Gone are the days when people picked up the phone at work and had conversations about the things that needed to get done. On average, I receive about 80 emails daily from coworkers requesting the most simple tasks to be completed. Sometimes, I get emails directly to me from my supervisor who sits 5 feet behind me in the same office. I’ve come to love her emails because she takes the time to make sure every word is spelled correctly and that the grammar is up to par with the latest MLA style guide…other folks just don’t give a flying f!ck how their emails sound. This leads me to a new confession: I judge you when you use poor grammar and/or don’t exercise good email etiquette when sending professional emails.

I sent the following email to a coworker who seems to be the main point person for the whole entire MTV Networks post production scheduling department (in layman’s terms, you gotta go through this MF to get some shit done):

Hey,

We touched base before Christmas about directing the audio mix invoices to me, but I think they’re still going directly to Matt Stahl. Is it possible to get them sent directly to me? Also, there’s a huge Broadway Sound invoice for LOGO that I’m trying to track down because we need to get additional signatures on that invoice. What info would you need from me to find that invoice?

Artesia Balthrop

He responded:

Are all the LOGO invoices going to you instead of Matt Stahl because what will be <helpfulis if you change the production accountants name from Matt Shahl to yours depending on the BU number, also a PO number will be a huge help so I can see if we filed the Broadway Sound invoice away, but a BU, Producer name & session date will be helpful.

Go back and reread that and tell me where the punctuation is (well the proper punctuation)? Please tell me how I’m supposed to think of you as an intelligent individual when you would choose to send me an incomprehensible email that also lacks attention to grammar?

On Friday I received this email that was addressed to the whole entire department:

Some of you may know already but the LOGO_SERVER is having a connection issue for those who were working on the server earlier, making your station frozen. I just hung up with Prod-Tech and they are on it. I will let everyone know when its been fixed, so in the meantime, please do not connect.

Also, we are getting VERY LOW on the XSAN, can those who access/use XSAN please clean up your DROPBOXES & anything else you may not need before we have an issue with this server.

Riddle me this, WHEN DID COMMAS TAKE THE PLACE OF PERIODS?!?!!? I know I haven’t consulted a grammar guide in a long damn time, but there could not have been a rule change on punctuation.

After reading both emails, the elitist in me kicked in and I decided that both people were stupid. I then made an email category in Outlook called “G/EE Offenders” (grammar /email etiquette offenders). Whenever I receive emails from people who should be shot for calling themselves educated, I’m going to move them right into this folder. I’ll then reference it for amusement when I have a slow day.

I know it’s probably too late to teach grammar lessons, but here’s a reference if you want to make sure you’re not a repeat offender.

Stay tuned for my next post to help some of you with your email etiquette (I couldn’t address all the issues in one post)

I spent yesterday with Andre 3000, Ashanti, Kid Sister, Estelle, Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift.  To some people that would have been the most fun and exciting day ever considering I got to hang out with celebrities.  But actually, it was ridiculously sad.  MTV gathered celebrity talent to shoot a PSA to speak out on the issue of hate, tolerance and non violence.  What brought on this initiative you ask?

Well, 15 year old Lawrence King was shot in the head in his California HS on February 12th.  He was declared brain dead soon after the shooting and was taken off life support on Friday February 15th.  His 14 year old shooter will be tried as an adult on first-degree murder (click here for full story).  The cause of the shooting- Lawrence King was openly gay.

While I was admiring Ashanti’s lacefront wig, telling Kid Sister about stalking her on myspace, and helping to hide Taylor Swift’s bra straps, I couldn’t help but think “damn, two lives will forever be destroyed because one of the kids was gay?!”  Now whatever you believe about homosexuality is for you to believe and not for me to judge, but goddam, when did your beliefs give you the right to end someone’s life?  What ever happened to someone’s unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?!  What happened to the do “you and I’ll do me” policy?!? If he wanted to wear make up, shit let him (as long as he didn’t steal it from Duane Reade like I sometimes used to do).

This just broke my heart and made my time hanging out with Kid Sister so uneventful.

Current status: sad

The Brooklyn in me wouldn’t let today go by without posting this video!

(Thanks Gooch)