Ben Baller hustles everyday. Sometimes that means reconnecting with old friends like Andy Milonakis, keeping up relations on set of Goodie Mob’s music video, and remembering where he came from by giving back to those coming up from the streets at Homeboy Industries. It’s not just fun everyday for Ben Baller. He strives to be a role model for others as well.
Rapper Rey Resurreccion dropped the music video for CREAM. Hungry in streets. For him, cash rules everything around him. Dead presidents representing him on his paper chase. He’s surviving on the hustle. You can download the track FREE here.
Spoken Word artist/rapper Ruby Ibarra released her latest piece about about the four letter word HATE. She offers an insightful point of view on how hate affects us and others around. Her piece forces you to reexamine you thoughts about society and how hate has been woven in. What is hate? How early in childhood do kids begin to understand it?
There is a word that my 5 year old niece doesn’t know exists
It’s something she doesn’t battle with and it’s never escaped her lips
It’s a four letter, one syllable, simple word: HATE
Yet it carries so much historical, political, emotional weight
That ‘s shaped our beliefs, changed what we see, and made us envy
It’s made us blind to truths, to find excuse, caused lies and abuse
So our minds can’t choose, designed so we lose
Lose control of reality, lose trust, and lose ourselves
Like poisonous gas, it wraps around our lungs so we can’t breathe or yell for help
So she asks me, what is hate?
It’s made men turn on each other, cock the gun, and hold at gun point
It’s made scapegoats so we blame folks for our faults while our fingers point
It’s made innocent lives grow closed eyes while enclosed in a mask of lies
By making teenage girls cry because their body size will never suit your eyes
It’s made us wish we were someone else
Forced us into plastic surgeries, erasing cultural history
An urge of ideal imagery, a burglary of our own identity
It’s tricked us into believing that we’re too fat, too ugly, and not white enough
It racially profiles and forced people to sit in the back of the bus
It’s made men call women b*tches who in turn call other women b*tches
It’s burned bridges to the point where we don’t know which is wrong or right
It’s made us colorblind, only seeing black and white
Planting racism and bigotry, promoting racial tensions and fights
Again, she asks me, what is hate?
Its taught 18 year old boys how to use a gun
While on the same fields stands 5 year old children who are taught to shoot someone
It’s made victims of abusive fathers do the same to their own daughters
It’s made men boost their masculinity by exploiting another’s femininity
It’s built glass ceilings, internment camps, nooses, and “not allowed” signs
It’s raised narrow minded babies so maybe they’ll never see past their own kind
It controls the media and schools through propaganda
Teaching us the enemy while we don’t question or raise our hand up
Still, she asks me, what is hate?
It’s caused school shootings, injustice, rape, and genocide
It’s made innocent lives die and innocent mothers and wives cry
It screams of words: “F*CK YOU,” “B*TCH,” “STUPID,” and “HOMO”
It’s what makes us laugh when we say “that’s gay” when we know its wrong though
Its written Jim Crow Laws, Indian Removal, and Asian Exclusion Acts
It’s enslaved our past while it engraves a cage in our path
It’s made categories of inferior and superior
Making us wish for another exterior
Making us unable to look into the mirror
It’s planted anger, depression, and fear
It’s 500 years of slavery and oppression
Parents failing to give their children direction
It’s confessions behind closed doors of elections, that politicians never mention
It’s literacy prevention, no Filipino Veterano pension
It’s stereotypes and 1-dimension, character inventions
All being f*cked by White Supremacy’s erection
So what is HATE?
It’s something my 5 year old niece can’t feel
For her it’s a man-made social construct, so it isn’t real
It’s an empty word, insignificant, powerless, and nameless
Now I’m just waiting for the rest of the world to follow so we don’t know what hate is
Let’s no longer know what hate is!
FlowEthics dropped their track “Dear Love” off their upcoming album “Heroes En De Skies”. The song is a love letter to the one who means the world to you. Each day you’re together is a brighter day. A simple smile just makes everything better. You can listen to and download the track below:
Singer Paul Kim dropped the music video for his single “Today”. The track is dedicated to anyone who’s ever loved and lost. In the video, Paul reflects about the good times in a past relationship juxtaposed a lonely present day situation. Memories of someone you love is hard to forget, even after a breakup. A regretful Paul Kim wishes he could have her back again today. You can get the song on .
Take a look at me
Tell me what you see
There’s a broken heart
There’s a shattered dream
And it’s all over my face
Cuz I’m all alone
On this empty road
I’ve been abandoned by the only love I’ve known
We were more than golden
More than perfect
Now the price went down
We’re worthless
I know you’re never coming back
Never coming back…To me…
Where did you go?
Life just ain’t the same without you
I’m still reaching for your love
Cuz I just can’t go on without it
I wanna breathe you
Wanna feel you
Tomorrow’s just too long for me to wait
I need you back today
Haunted by the memories
Your voice echoes in my sleep
I’m just falling down
Yeah I’m drowning now
Cuz you just walked away
Somewhere in the atmosphere
Forever’s disappeared
And there’s no way that we’re gonna get it back
We were more than golden
More than perfect
Now the price went down
We’re worthless
I know you’re never coming back
Never coming back…To me…
Where did you go?
Life just ain’t the same without you
I’m still reaching for your love
Cuz I just can’t go on without it
I wanna breathe you
Wanna feel you
Tomorrow’s just too long for me to wait
I need you back today
Singer Jian Choo released the music video for his heart-breaking single “Never Meant to Be”. This is for all of you that have ever given someone everything, only to be hurt in return. From spending time together at the library to playing video games to learning to play the piano, these activities build up your friendship, which might lead to something more. However, when that someone doesn’t feel the same, you might not feel the same. This is for all of you that have ever had to lie and tell yourself that you were okay, because it was the only thing you could do.
Do you know what it’s doing to me
To know how wrong I was about you
Hurts to know how easy
You let it all go
(But it feels like) Yesterday
That I was everything to you
(So now I’ll tell myself that) I’m okay
Cause isn’t that how you’re feeling too?
[Chorus]
But I can’t forget
All the love we shared
Cause the things you do
Tell me you don’t care
So is this the way
That our story ends
Girl, I don’t know what to do
This song was never meant to be about you.
[Verse 2]
Flipping through all the photos that we took together
And it kills me everytime I make myself remember
But don’t worry
I’m so used to it now
When everything I do
Reminds me of you
(I can’t breathe) When I see how happy we were
Don’t you miss how that feels?
(I can’t believe) I wasted so much love on you
[Chorus 2]
So let me please forget
All the love we shared
Cause the the things you do
Tell me you don’t care
So is this the way
That our story ends
Girl, I don’t know what to do
This song was never meant to be about you.
[Bridge]
And every night I’d wait
For you to come around
(Every single moment)
But I guess it wasn’t worth your time
To hold on to a love like what we had, was it baby?
And now that you’re with someone else
Just know that I wish you luck
(Girl, I wish it true)
For all the nights you’ll spend just thinking of me
Wishing I was still thinking of you
[Chorus 3]
So why can’t I forget
All the love we shared?
When it’s clear to me
Baby, you don’t care
So is this the way
That our story ends
Girl, I don’t know what to do
This song was never meant to be about you
[Final Chorus]
So take back everything
That you promised me
I’ll be better off
As a memory
I’d do anything
To find out that this all wasn’t true
But I know
I never meant a thing to you.
(All the starry nights)
(All the water fights)
(All the smiles we had)
(All the songs we’ve sang)
(Every word we’ve said)
(All the tears we’ve shed)
(But I just can’t forget all the love the we had)
