Filed under: General | Tags: Blogging, books, reading, Writer's Block, Writing
Sometimes it’s easy to write with flow, style, and substance. Other times it’s as hard as taking a trip to the bathroom and completing ‘number one’ and ‘number two’ at the same time. That’s why the question in the title of this blog persists on so many web pages on the internet that serve as tips to help writers overcome this stymieng cerebral weapon.
So how do you properly defeat writer’s block? Well, I say this is what you do: You get a pair of brass knucks while the referee is scratching his ass, nail Writer’s Block right in the jaw, roll out of the ring (by rolling under the ropes), grab a steel chair (trip the ref. on the process), and bash Writer’s Block with the said chair. There’s only one way up, and it’s to the top. If you aren’t familiar with those terms, well, think of it this way: beat the hell out of writer’s block with every weapon you have, whether it be by reading a book, walking around, eating, talking to your family and/or friends, or by simply sleeping. They’re all weapons to use against Writer’s Block — you just have to figure out which one is suitable for you to fight it.
Defeating writer’s block can be a challenge. There’s no simple solution (stand on one foot, recite the alphabet backwards, etc.), but there is plenty of sage advice on how to get back on track.
Why not try this?
1.) “Trust your hands.” In other words, shut off your brain, and just let your hands write. Don’t over think it.
2.) Establish a routine where you write in the morning. If you plan to write in the afternoon or evening, you delay it. Not to mention, in the morning your mind is usually fresh.
3.) Read. That’s right. Just read. When I’m completely upended by my mind, I read. Everybody learns how to be a quality writer by reading, so I read to get back into the groove of words. By the time I’m done reading something thats lengthy with quality, I’m usually able to write with panache.
4. Watch your language. Get rid of defeatist words like “writer’s block” and “procrastination.” “Turn your little quirks into something productive.” Call them “rehearsal” or “preparation” instead.
To sum it up, write early, write often, believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to allow your hands to do the thinking instead of your mind, because hey, maybe that will kick up and start the damn thing so you can get the thinking process you intended for working.
Filed under: General | Tags: Blogging, Hip Hop, Lil Wayne, Mainstream, Mainstream Music, Mainstream Rap, Music, Rap
Y’know, bashing Lil Wayne via words is one of the funnest things to do. One day I’m going to be paid full time to trash talk and write shit about athletes and coaches, when I become a full time/full paid sports writer. But that’s until then. Right now, it’s time to step on Lil Wayne a little more and question how people can possibly listen to his mush mouth, inarticulate piece of junk that’s in the mainstream music.
He doesn’t rap. What he [supposedly] ‘raps’ isn’t rap. Like I said a long time ago, it’s Pop music. Hip Pop. Club Rap. How do I perceive that? Well, it’s popular, isn’t it? But, “It’s labeled as hip hop,” you ask. And, so what? Tim Duncan is labeled as a center but he’s a power forward, isn’t he? I rest my case. Lil Wayne doesn’t stick to the root of true rap/hip hop music. It’s all become a huge facade. A mecca to rap about bitches, guns and money. But don’t worry: there are rappers out there, underground rappers, who can outrap these no-talent hasbeens like Lil Wayne any day of the week.
“But Lil Wayne is more known, so he must be better.” Well, to the average basketball fan, they’ve probably heard of Kevin Garnett more than they’ve heard of Tim Duncan (trust me, I know plenty), when Duncan is clouds above Garnett. It’s all about popularity in the rap business; and with dumbasses, who don’t know what music is if they were trapped in a sound room and slapped in the face with headphones, buying music off of these mainstream hip hop artists who stick to the same bullshit theme, they’ll keep getting their money to add to their wealth. My theory is that, because he’s from the south, guys like Trick Daddy and Rick Ross — who are also terrible mainstream ‘rappers’ — ride his nuts like no other.
Is Lil Wayne the best rapper right now?
Firstly, to even discuss this question, you need to take your mindframe out of the last three to five years as well as learn something about hip hop music. Wayne isn’t a good lyricist period. He can’t rip freestyle and his flow is just bitten from volume one of Jay-Z. Like I said: he’s mush mouthed, inarticulate, and absorbed in narcissism, which some of you Young Buck fans may like, but does not signal a quality mic. You can only compare him to Ludacris, Young Jeezy, T.I., and Juelz Santana, because, save Luda, those three are NOT memorable rappers. Period. They don’t suck super hard, but they aren’t going in the history books as the best of the game. They aren’t even the best in the south. Killer Mike, Outkast, UGK, Scarface, Project Pat, Geto Boys, Devin the Dude, Pastor Troy, Little Brothers: Better rappers than the aforementioned four. Hell, David Banner smokes these cats on record. These dudes drop rhymes multisyllabic with sophistication and have versatility on the mic, unlike all the rappers mentioned in this question.
Canibus, The Roots, KRS-One, MF Doom, Nas, Papoose, Planet Asia, Rakim, RJD2, Talib Kweli, Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique all blow him out of the fucking water.
Once you learn something, find me here again and read this blog, and then you will understand why haters, like myself, hate on Wayne. You will understand why he sucks.
