Time passes. People pass. But memories don’t. Like November 22 in politics or April 4 in civil rights, March 9 and September 13 are two dates which will forever live in infamy. It never fails to cause that same sense of pride and sadness each year. If you’re still living under a rock, March 9, 2010, marks the 13th anniversary since the murder of Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. Depending who you ask, the name Biggie Smalls evokes acronyms of “G.O.A.T.” or “K.O.N.Y.” Regardless, “icon” is pretty much the settled upon title.

But with the pride and joy that comes with listening to his music, comes the depression of still unanswered questions. I was 10 when ‘Pac died and 11 with Biggie. I still remember hiding my cassette tapes of Ready To Die and Me Against The World under my bed from my mother. I knew the music was great, but it was only over time I’d understand the significance of their murders. I’ve got books on the subject, as well as DVD’s. In a sense, both Pac and Biggie’s death were horrible realizations of some of their lyrics. Like my big homie Gotty said, Pac seemed to embrace death while B.I.G. seemed to enjoy the finer things in life (even though he knew an early death was a very possible reality). (Keep reading…)

By now, it’s already been let out the bag T.I. has been in the studio recording new music since his release to a halfway house in Atlanta. With the that in mind, the anticipation to hear that music is often comes in the form of one question? What will he talk about now that he’s out? The question is only going to increase in frequency as Tip nears a full release date. The official LP will more than likely surface during the latter part of this year. However, since the public’s hunger for music is where it’s at, an official mixtape wouldn’t be a bad idea. A Gangsta Grillz sounds even better.

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“Everything is worth it. The hard work, the times when you’re tired, the times where you`re a bit sad…in the end, it`s all worth it because it really makes me happy. There’s nothing better than loving what you do.”

The combination of death and time is difficult to understand and even more difficult to place in context. Death, being the hardest part of life for those who loved the deceased, is only healed by time. Yet and still, whenever an anniversary approaches each year, it is always met with astonishment that so much time has elapsed since that person passed away. This is one of those times.

Today is Aaliyah’s birthday (Sade’s as well). Had the legendary, insanely beautiful songstress survived her August 2001 plane crash, she would have been 31 years old. It’s difficult to imagine how much more she could have accomplished, but the thoughts are nothing short of breathtaking. She accomplished so much at such an early age. In a lot of cases, a burnout is imminent, but her music barely an eerily resemblance to wine. It grew better with age. (Keep reading…)

As a rapper, one’s goal is to reach the proverbial mountaintop of their profession. Well, Lupe Fiasco did. Literally. Along with Kenna, Santigold, Jessica Biel and several others, the group braved the trip and found themselves at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest point and one of the largest mountains in the world.  The expedition was known as “Summit On The Summit.”

Obviously the group wasn’t climbing strictly just to say they climbed a mountain. The mission was to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis. Through no fault of our own, it is often easy to take clean water for granted. This isn’t true for many parts of the world, especially in many nations in Africa. We’ve all seen the commercials with young kids forced to live in the worst type of poverty imaginable. In many cases, even clean water is considered a luxury which is beyond difficult to comprehend. Read rest of story…

As an African American business woman it is often difficult to juggle my career as well as my love life. Whether some women’s standards are considered too high or not enough for others, it takes tremendous effort to find the right match.

In a recent ABC News Special the private of successful black women are addressed and has produced some shocking numbers.

According to ABC 42% of black women have never been married doubling that of white women. Furthermore there are 1.8million more black women than there are black men. However even if one man did marry one black woman it would leave 1 out of 12 women who are never going to wed.

Guest speaker comedian and actor Steve Harvey believes that while there are slim pickings of successful black men in society, there are still some good ones out there. He argues while it is always good to have standards, sometimes the best thing to do is compromise.

“You’re a corporate exec; does he have to be a corporate exec?”

To hear more on the black woman’s plight check out the video

Living life is so much easier than reflecting on it.

Losing someone close, whether it be a family member or friend, is something one can never truly prepare for, let alone expect. Losing them during the Christmas season only adds to the burden. Unfortunately, the family of Chris Henry will forever associate this time of the year with death. It seems so cliche’ to say “prayers go out to his family”, but it’s true, they do. Nothing you say or do can replace that person being here in the physical form. While pictures and old videos may speak a thousand words, “the present” is just that, a present. It’s indescribable.

As a diehard sports fan, it’s always painful to hear news like this, especially considering the fact the untimely passing of Sean Taylor is still relatively fresh. Sure, Henry had his mistakes off the field and at times could have even been seen as ignorant, but like death always manages to do, it’s trivial in the grand scheme that is life. Fans lost a player. Players lost a teammate (brother). Parents lost a son. And a young woman lost her groom-to-be. Whatever the “domestic situation” was that led to this, it’s none of my (or your) business. Fact of the matter is, he was only 26 and was in Charlotte planning his wedding which was to be in March. Yeah, 26. Around the same age as a lot of people who frequent this site (including myself). It serves as a lesson we’re reminded of each time a person passes. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t die and just because you’re old doesn’t mean life is over. We’re all living on borrowed time.

But, of course, we all know that. It’s nothing like a reality check to perform a self evaluation. In closing, however, I’d only like to say we here at KarenCivil.com extend our prayers to everyone who had the chance to truly know Chris Henry. Rest in peace.

During the 1970’s, Title IX helped change the landscape of America culture for women in sports and education. For better or worse, the the law has done more good than bad. However, one aspect of society where its impact hasn’t been felt (and it wasn’t supposed to) is Hip-Hop. Clearly a male-dominated industry, there have been exceptions to the rule such as Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Remy Ma and Trina. With the decade nearing a close, the face of female rap at the moment happens to be Young Money’s, Nicki Minaj. Her lyrics have garnered her respect, most notably from Lil’ Wayne, in the form of several mixtapes and a group album due out this month, but the argument against her is her look and persona. Ironically, it is female MC’s who have a problem with the way she is portraying herself.

“I don’t do the Barbie thing — that’s her thing,” LoLa Monroe said in an intervew. “I really don’t agree with it, that’s basic. It doesn’t make sense to me because first off, you’re basically saying I’m jacking somebody who has never been known to have their style all throughout their career. She’s never been set to have her own style. It’s always been set to say she’s jacking Lil’ Kim to Foxy [Brown] and now Lil Wayne. So how can I be jacking somebody or using somebody’s style if they never been known to have their own style. That part never made sense.”

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Emilio Rojas chats with KarmaloopTV about how he makes music that is relate-able, working with Green Lantern, and fashion.

WAKE UP: Emilio Rojas – The Natural (Presented by DJ Green Lantern)

Yeah, the list has been out for a few days now, but it’s no time like the present to address this. For those not in the know, KarenCivil.com was recently named as one of the 100 best hip-hop sites, according to XXL. Truthfully, I didn’t know there were 100 different sites, but hey, this is good press however you decide to look at it. That means someone out there in the hip-hop journalism world has seen the potential and the past results of this site and deemed it worthy of covering this genre we’ve all come to know and love.

Sure, were some people left off the list that should have been on there? Of course, but I didn’t make the list and I’m not one to question it. Like polls in college football, there is always going to be something wrong when rankings are in place. It’s just the nature of the beast. Someone is bound to get offended. Keeping it strictly KC.com though, I commend Karen for what she’s done with this site and where it will eventually go in the future. Her connections are insane and the crazy part is, she’s only getting started. I’m just riding shotgun.

Hit the jump for the full list.

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From Tupac to Shyne, prison and Hip-Hop have always, unfortunately, been synonymous with one another. Arguably more so than any other year, 2009 has some of its more renowned names find themselves subjected to federally mandated vacations. T.I. has been locked down for several months now, but New Orleans rappers have been taking the brunt of the legal mishaps. Turk is still fighting for his freedom, as well as Mac. B.G. recently found himself in legal trouble over gun possession. Lil’ Wayne is awaiting sentencing on gun possession charges as well, and now Lil’ Boosie has had his two year sentence doubled to four for probation violation.

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