Tynee Talks: Aging in Rap with Memphis Rapper PPaul DStar

Tynee Talks Aging in Rap: When is it time to Rap it up?

Memphis Rapper: PPaulDStar

I'm a huge fan of Hip Hop and Rap. My favorite rap song is "JUICY" by the Notorious B.I.G. I will be rapping that song verbatim until I'm 102 years old! Needless to say, the song is timeless and classic.

Photo Credit: https://www.amazon.com/Notorious-B-I-G-Juicy-Colored-Record/dp/B07CH17F6W

However, oftentimes in Rap, the rapper himself, isn't as accepted as time moves on. Some people believe that there is an age cap in rap. Although they say rock stars never die, in the rap community, they can be killed off after one album, and sometimes after one song. Memphis Rapper, PPaulDStar, is a rapper that many consider "of age" 

Click on the link below and check out his perspective on what it means to age in the rap game.

Continue the conversation on the Tynee Talks Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/user-308464222/ttalk

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1kIpdLgoJx7y8spjNKzI6m

Tynee Talks: 5 Things You Need to Know About Spectacular Spudz!

Tynee Talks: 5 Things You Need to Know About Spectacular Spudz!

If you are reading this, then chances are, you are a human, and if you are a human, you probably eat food. I am sure that if you eat food, then you like to eat good food. And if you like good food, you must really enjoy spectacular food. If you’re in the business of eating spectacular food, then I suggest you indulge in a spectacular spud at the one and only Spectacular Spudz. Spectacular Spudz is a restaurant and local treasure in the heart of Downtown Flint, Michigan.  Whenever I am in Flint Town, I make my way to Spectacular Spudz and every time, my taste buds are pleased with my decision.

Here are 5 things you need to know about Spectacular Spudz:

1. Keysa Smith is a phenomenal woman, and is the Owner, operator, and master chef of Spectacular Spudz.
   
2. Everything is made from scratch!!!!
3. Spectacular Spudz has the best premium loaded baked potatoes in the country!
   
4. Spectacular Spudz is located in the Flint Farmer’s Market
   
5. Spectacular Spudz thrives on great customer service.

Don’t just take my word for it, go visit Spectacular Spudz on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays from 8am-6pm and make your taste buds feel spectacular!!!

Tynee Talks to Actor JJ Green from OWN’s newest show Greenleaf

Tynee Talks to Actor JJ Green from OWN’s newest show Greenleaf

Photo Courtesy of: JJ Green

I had a really fun and candid conversation with hardworking actor and Flint, MI native, JJ Green. Green has a supporting role on Greenleaf, which comes on every Wednesday on the OWN channel at 10pm EST. 

Tynee Talks: What’s the number one impact you want to portray with your acting?

JJ Green: I want to Glorify God through my acting.

TT: Why does television need a show like Greenleaf?

JJ Green: A show like Greenleaf is so important to television because people are so easily disappointed when the people they place on pedestals actually show their humanity. Greenleaf shows humanity in a place like church where people are generally depicted in an ideal sense. Greenleaf shows you that no matter your position in life, you’re still human and being human isn’t always perfect.

TT: Tell me about your character on Greenleaf.

JJ Green as "Marlon Collins" on Greenleaf

JJ Green: I play “Marlon Collins”, whose younger brother was murdered by a police officer. Marlon leaves college to seek justice for his little brother.

TT: How were you able to identify with your character?

JJ Green: I only have one brother (Aaron) and if it were to happen in real life I would do everything in my power to seek justice.

TT: How does being from Flint, MI give you an advantage in the industry?

JJ Green: Being from Flint gives me an advantage PERIOD! When you’re in this industry you have to have thick skin and when you’re born and raised in Flint, you automatically have thick skin. Flint makes you tougher than the rest of the world. I mean the whole city can’t drink water, yet they are still pushing forward daily.

TT: We’re very resilient folk.

JJ Green: Exactly. We’re so strong, obstacles set before us don’t really seem like obstacles, but rather a way of life.

TT: Any last words?

JJ Green: I’m Single! And, I’m putting on for all the chubby dudes! 

Photo Courtesy of: JJ Green

THE FLINT I KNOW

With tear filled eyes I write this blog, in hopes that it will penetrate someone’s soul with love. I am writing from a place of love and passion, so I entitle this: THE FLINT I KNOW.

Before the #FlintWaterCrisis, Flint was just a town full of hardworking, resilient and proud folk. And guess what? When the #FlintWaterCrisis hashtag is no longer a trending topic and the Kardashians do something like save a bumble bee, Flint will still be a town full of hardworking, resilient and proud folk.

The Flint I know is more than a statistic stating how General Motors screwed us. The Flint I know is filled with my friends and their parents who were “shop” workers or retired “shop” workers and proud of it. The Flint I know is more than a violent city. The Flint I know is filled with extremely, talented folks trying to make a difference in their community and the world-at-large. The Flint I know is not full of despair. The Flint I know is full of hope. The Flint I know is not all about slow singing and flower bringing. The Flint I know is full of energy from that party DJ’d by Hype. 

Photo Courtesy of Anthony "Hype" Carter via Facebook 

The Flint I know is not unhealthy and lazy. The Flint I know is full of CRIM trainers and CRIM runners.

Photo Credit: Flint Crim Foundation 

The Flint I know is not tacky. The Flint I know is styled by Fannie Lucille and Tiffany Cole, and is as fashionable as a New York runway. 

The Flint I know is not starved by the lack of adequate grocery stores. The Flint I know is fed by Woods, the Flint Farmer’s Market, Big Al, Beverly, The Red Wagon and Vehicle City Tacos.

The Flint I know is not filled with losers. The Flint I know breeds Champions like Mateen, Charlie and Mo, Claressa Shields, The Dirrell brothers, Mark Ingram and so many more. 

The Flint I know isn’t going to back down like some punk. The Flint I know changed history with sit-down strikes and birthed unions! 

Photo Credit: www.workers.org 

The Flint I know is not filled with teen pregnancies. The Flint I know was filled with teen parties hosted by Foxy productions, DonQuay, Stacey Williams, DJ Scribble, and the General; at venues like the Genesee Towers, Northwest Bowling Alley, The Genesis, Haskell, and Berston. 

The Flint I know was better than the NBA playoffs. The Flint I know had double headers at the I.M.A. that would put the NBA All-Star weekend to shame. 

I.M.A. Sports Arena 

The Flint I know was better than the Oscars Red Carpet Pre-Show. The Flint I know hosted proms at the University Center and that walk around the circle had you feeling like you were about to accept an award. 

Photo Credit: Bill Bamberger

The Flint I know doesn’t lack faith, churches, or church leaders. The Flint I know has some of the best preachers and community leaders this side of heaven including: The late Bishop Floyd, Pastor Kenneth Stewart, Urundi Knox, Rev. Alfred Harris, Rev. Kim D. Yarber, Rev. Lewis Randolph, Rev. Flowers and the list goes on...

Photo Credit: mlive.com 

The Flint I know will not accept your arsenic. The Flint I know will not go down without an all-out fight. The Flint I know is the toughest town around since 1855!

The Flint I know is “The Valley”

The Flint I know is The Courtland

The Flint I know is Atwood

The Flint I know is Angelos

The Flint I know is Beans & Leaves

The Flint I know is Meijer on Pierson Road

The Flint I know is Kessel’s on Pierson Road

The Flint I know is CLC

The Flint I know is the Beavers, JB’s and the Palm Tree

The Flint I know is Autoworld

The Flint I know is family

What's the Flint that you know? 

Drip Drop... Flint Water Crisis

"Drip drop, drip drippity drop..."

Note: Just know that as I write this, I'm not angry: I'm mad as hell and I'll ride for my city til the day that I die!!!

When you hear the catchy tune, and lyrics of the song "Drip Drop", made popular by Jamal Lyon's fictional character on Fox's hit series "Empire", one of two things come to mind, either dancing or water. In this post, we're going to discuss the latter. When you hear the words drip drop, immediately water comes to mind. Water is known by it's molecular makeup of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen (H2O). Water is a fluid essential for maintaining human life and the basis of all living things, so when you think of water, you think of purity, clarity and cleanliness. 

However, when the residents of Flint, Michigan, aka Flintstones, think of water, thoughts of anxiety, fear and anger comes to mind. Residents are anxious because they are not sure when this water issue will be resolved. Governor Rick Snyder drug his feet before he decided to declare a state of emergency. Ironically, He had a much quicker response when he decided to continue to allow the residents of Flint to drink and bathe in lead infested water. 

Anxious-They are anxious because month after month they are sent a high ass water bill for unclean and unsafe water and faced with a dilemma to pay it or not pay it. If they choose not to pay it, they risk being penalized with late fees and re-connection of service fees. Simple tasks like turning on a faucet to pour a drink, or splashing your face when you awake in the morning, is quite a daunting one if you live in the city of Flint. Something as simple as bathing, cooking or hydrating is like a life altering risk.

Fearful- Flintstones are fearful of the possibility of being poisoned from the high levels of lead in the water, due to old pipes and an outdated infrastructure. An infrastructure that should have been replaced years ago. But instead of replacing the system, the powers that be just thought they'd push it to the side, in hopes that it would somehow just go away. But the fear continues to grow when medical doctors are reporting that your child could suffer from brain issues due to the high concentration of lead. As if going to the doctor wasn't a fearful event already, but then you add this to this water debacle into the equation.

Angry- The people of Flint are angry because, when the shit hit the fan, the, message was loud and clear, that their lives were not valuable. As long as the government could save some money, then so be it. They were like screw your health! Angered because their skin is breaking out and they are getting sick. Angry because their water is looking like 3rd world country water, in a very developed 1st world United States.

Actual Water of Flint Resident, R. Ferguson. Photo credit: Facebook photo of R. Ferguson

 Flintstones are angry because someone's children and helpless grandparents were and are being poisoned, while the powers that be turned a blind eye. Angry because at the onset of all of this, so many people were aware, people who had the power to change it and didn't. 

This isn't Flint's first battle and it certainly will not be her last. Flint is a tough girl and will get through this hydrated, refreshed and reigning supreme. Flint is going to fight for her basic right of having clean water. Justice will be served on Flint's behalf. It is my sincere hope that Governor Rick Snyder is found guilty of knowingly poisoning men, women, children and elderly. I hope the next drip, drop he hears comes from a raggedy infrastructure, in a filthy sink, in a  nasty cell.