I could not agree more with this posting. Amen!

I just love reading your blog. I happened upon it while just browsing and have been a faithful reader ever since.

You know, Life would be so much better for a lot of people out there if only they were able to get a more positive influence form the media.

Unfortunately, a lot of rappers/artists out there do not (or will not) realise how much influence over society they actually have and even if they do, they probably couldn't care less.

To them, it's all about the money, the hos, and the bling. That's what they were looking to get when they got into the game in the first place, so to ask them to be more socially responsible is literally like flogging a dead horse with a stick......pointless.

There are very few altruistic people out there. Most of them just care about themselves and what they can get. It's very sad, but also the reality about the world we live in.

amen sister. couldn't have said it better myself. i can't afford that ish nor do i want it.

its bugged ain't it?


dem white folks don't love us, why do we continue to act like they do...

It just reminds me of my drunken stripper friend telling me about her drunken escapades the night before, when she went out and bought a bottle of some expensive ass champagne and then drank it FROM THE BOTTLE, "Bitches!"
She woke up the next day wondering why she was a couple hundred dollars short until one of her friends reminded her. She said she smacked her upside the head and said, "Why'd you let me do that, bitch?"

Yah, I don't know. The story just amuses me.

I've had Cristal and it just ain't that good. In fact, a $20 bottle of "sparkling wine" from Columbia Valley in Washington State tasted a hell of a lot better!!!

Anyway, beautifully written, Coffey.

- Cyet

i am SO with you and i am damn white and have nothing to really complain about except for the hardships of found/unfound love and missing money in my own pocket etc.
the problem with history and racism is, that it is almost too seductive and easy to fall back on to that instead of facing the status quo and seeing what really is up.
when you wound up snooping racism everywhere and in everything you are just not thinking enough, if you ask me....
there is such a thing as racism and then sth like 'humanism-idiocy' or so.
people are whack

but oh do i love thme

I doubt that Jay was thinking of the black community when he decided to boycott Louis Roederer's Cristal. This man offended Jay and his lifestyle, so he took the stand he felt was best for HIM. Note him saying in “MY various brands […] MY personal life”. What is wrong with that? He did not call for a boycott; all he said was that he will no longer support the brand. Concerning ‘Can’t Knock the Hussle’, it was written in 1996, 10 years ago, and may have been a reflection of the person he was at the time, but people change. I am in no way saying that he no longer lives that life, but he also used to be a drug dealer; let us all point fingers at that…

Excuse me for asking, but why is it that the minute a black person becomes famous they HAVE to give back to the community, or people start whining? What obligations does Jay have to it? Really, now!? You say the things that really matter – to YOU, that is. This, obviously, matters to Jay, hence named course of action…

I apologise if I come off as inconsiderate, but your post puzzled me. The most beautiful thing for me would be a world in which we can all just live and let live; let people do what they feel is best for them, as long as they’re not hurting anybody else. I am not affected by Jay’s boycott, if he wants to do that, go for it. I don’t like Cristal anyways (Veuve Clicquot is my jay), so it’s all whatever. I am glad that he takes a stand for what he believes in, no matter how inane or superficial it may appear in the eyes of others…

Be Good.

@ Anonymous...
I appreciate your input, and I see where you're coming from, but you misunderstand what my PRIMARY problem w/ Jay-Z's stance is...
I don't think I said that Jay-Z or any OTHER Black person in the entertainment industry is obligated to give back to the Black community. My problem with Jay-Z's gripe is his claim of Racism. I think this hardly constitutes Racism, when people have been and ARE truly oppressed over bigger issues.
I don't think it's racist for the Louis Roederer's company to shun hip hop's free promos and placement ads for Cristal at all. We're talking about a champagne house that thrived, because they catered AND CATER to a certain clientele... and it DOES NOT mirror Jay-Z's or P Diddy's visions or delusions of grandeur.
Why should the Louis Roederer Company compromise who THEY are as a business, just to please the hip hop community? They shouldn't. Jay should move the hell on... he needn't make this a political issue, because it's NOT. There are far more pressing issues for other people to concern themselves with.
Why fight w/ someone who obviously DOESN'T want your business?
It's a lost cause. Don't scream racism over something this frivolous.
That's MY gripe.
Now let me throw this question back at you... Why should Oprah Winfrey overstep who SHE is to placate the hip hop community? They piss and moan about her not supporting them and launch this smear campaign against her. The same way Jay or any other rapper don't have to answer to anybody else... OPRAH doesn't have to answer to THEM. They need to let HER be.
I honestly wish rappers and most other entertainers would stop whining about the minutiae and using bigger issues to justify their superficial claims. If they don't have anything better to do w/ their time, I merely suggest they help out in their communties and do something constructive.
If they're gonna be, then BE and stop wasting people's time and the airspace to spew their petty beefs and lost political causes.

I'm all for living and letting live. I'm not perfect, nor am I moral. I quite immoral, actually.
But please, I wish Jay Z would shut-up about this. I don't relish having to hear another rapper whine about Oprah or the Louis Roederer company beyond what Jay-Z has already said. Essentially, this and these are MY gripes. I could care less what these people do w/ their money. I do care, however, about them using serious issues to peddle their propoganda and nonsense.

You be good too and seriously, thanks for offering your perspective. ;o)

Ok, we’re on the same page now – glad you cleared that out. I do not think that Louis Roederer Company should compromise who they are; it’s a free world, they can (and do) say whatever they like – and people shall respond accordingly. As I stated, I don’t really care about Cristal, I am just with Jay on his boycott – I would do the same thing. Sure, there will always be bigger fish to fry, but that doesn’t mean the small ones should be set free…

I am not sure about Jay crying racism. On one level, he is right about that – if we look at the micro level. But then again, nobody ever does, esp. not Louis Roederer, so his cry will go above most people’s heads. In my (not so) humble opinion, I just think Roederer is an elitist snob that wants to keep his little brand to his own, and the hip hop community demotes that. I think Jay should just pop up a stand on the street corner and hand out all those excess bottles of Cristal for free in plastic cups – sure Roederer would love to see that…

Concerning the whole Oprah drama *yawn* It’s so last year’s news, I think the rappers that are still moaning over that should just get their own show and then dictate who/what gets on and off. Oprah doesn’t like hip hop/rap, we all know this, and they should just get over it already. Or just get over themselves!

I’ve been looking back on some of your recent posts, I do like your writing…

Be Good.

If Jay-Z ever decides to stand on some random corner handing out plastic cups full of Cristal, rest assured I'll be in line, w/ a container of strawberries.
Also, why not do the Louis Roederer company and it's snobby director one better, and come out with his OWN line of champagne. He did it before, with the vodka.
We need to stop being angry at what "THEY" aren't doing for us as consumers and start creating our own businesses and catering to OURSELVES. It was done before during the civil rights era and even before that, it can be done again.
Some of the French are elitist (and in some cases, bigoted) snobs. Let them wallow in it. Don't give them or any other bigot the satisfaction by giving them your hard earned money.
And thanks for the compliment on the writing!

It's funny(not) how opulence is the new fashion. "I'm a success, watch me waste what you can't afford!" then when folks actually try to use their fame to educate people we look at them funny. And Champane does kind taste like crap if I want bubbles there's always Guiness!

jeez coffee. we are thinking along the same lines only your thoughts are more eloquent.

when this blew all i could think of was Dame Dash pouring cristal on those poor video h**s. funny life we live.

poor out a little liquor