4:44

There is a beautiful yet undeniable intersection between age, wisdom and culture.  That point in your life where you become consciously conscious about your actions and their implications and the inevitability of growth trumps (did I just use that) whatever momentary satisfaction you may incur.  That point where no becomes yes and yes becomes no for no other reason than it’s the right thing do. 

That being said over the weekend I had the opportunity to listen to Jay Z’s new CD.   What I came away with was an artist whose artistic contribution has evolved through thought, deeds and arguably through his experiences.  What this album did for me and many of you is put being grown in the context of having been born and raised with hip-hop as your soundtrack.  

Life

Death

Credit

Gender

Sexuality

Infidelity

Investments 

Parenting are all issues that we as part of the hip-hop generation grapple with NOW and somehow when you juxtapose your reality against all of the aforementioned rolling to a tune that celebrates bitches and hoes, death and destruction and all day drug usage just don’t fit.  See QUALITY OF LIFE at this stage of the game really does matter and the inability to pass on a little something to ensure a bit of a jump off for your children can have consequences that perpetuate generational poverty. The beauty about wisdom and time at this intersection is you can’t un-know what you know. 

What this CD further did for me is gave me another tool in my generational tool kit, much like What’s Going on did for my mother and father. For me and for many of my peers who grew up in hip-hop we never saw this point coming because for many of us big swabs of our peers just vanished through the hell hole of the criminal justice system or died tragically to the grips of the streets.  We never saw ourselves as the OG’s or old school or the keepers of the sage wisdom because there was never a true transfer of power or information for that matter that said at this point you do this. Our parents and their parents are still trying to make sense of America and discern was their cause all worth it.  Thus we sort of learned on the fly and now we are here in a place and space where real things matter and being an adult is not an option.   

I as well as many of you understand the unique power someone of Jay Z’s magnitude has.  Hell look at how many people now have contracts with Sprint and TidaI because of him.  Lord knows Tom Ford has found its way in my collection of things because of his influence.  However, I am not looking for Jay Z, OJ, Lil Wayne, Colin Kaepernick or Lil Baby Jesus (I mean Barack Obama) or any other icon to come and do the grimy work of cultural and community change for me.  I understand that falls on me.    I am simply looking for them to help when and where they can and not make the road any more laborious than it already is.

Therefore, thank you Jay for giving a grown man a grown man hip-hop album that not only he can listen to but, most of all teach these young cats out here in the streets too.

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen

Hip Hop Listener since 1979

And this is my truth and I AM sticking to it…

5 Good Things

Giving honor to God.  Somewhere, some place a 47-year-old male just took his last breath and therefore, being here with you in this moment is something that I do not take lightly.  Also, I want to thank the Paxon staff for inviting me to be a part of your event.  Although, I am just a fill in I won’t hold that against anyone. 

That being said I was asked to provide a few perils of wisdom to you all and I don’t know about you but anytime anyone ask me to do that I always feel a little old.  I mean I am not much of a Nana’er or Dabber but I got a mean two-step and I do Tweet from time to time.  However, given the request I will do my best and not take too much of your time because I do know you all have things to do. 

So here we go there are about 5 things that I think are relevant for you to know, particularly as young people as you move forward to your next whatever your next may be.  Now I feel it is personally important for you to know that your next is not going to look like anyone in this room.  One of the things that I find particularly fascinating about you all as a generation is your ability to not only do your own thing, but how you all as a generation can make people and in some instances contort society to fit your own model of how things should be.  But know matter if you are doing you or you are doing the masses I feel like these things will work for you.

Therefore, I present to you my 5 things…

1.     True knowledge comes through experience and everything else represents information.  What I mean by that is you have to go through some things in or to have experiences.  This is particularly important as many of you are navigating your late teens and some of you are about to enter college you have this feel that you know everything and your parents and or care givers ain’t up on what are experiencing, but I am here to tell you that ain’t nothing new under the sun.  It’s just repackaged.  Therefore, take advantage of some of the sage wisdom in your life.  It can save you from having to go through so much drama in the long run.  You don’t have to get burned by a fire in order to prove it’s hot when 10 people in your space have already had the experience and can tell you that’s a fire and it will burn you. 

2.     Catastrophe and celebration are like joy and pain they are simultaneous journeys and you cannot have one without the other.  What I mean by this is so many of us get lost in the celebration of success and often times for the toll it took to get there.  Therefore, what I would like to do for you today is encourage each of you to not get to high when things are great and not get to low when things are bad.  Savor the journey through each and appreciate the lessons on each.  I say this knowing it is hard when you are experiencing on of life moments, but I give you this analogy.  No one like to take Pepto Bismol or any other medicine, but man what a relief we feel when it starts its healing action.

3.     Do everything with F.I.R.E

Focus

Intention

Reverence

Energy

Success no matter how you define it cannot happen without it. 

4.     The 4^th point I particularly leave with you all as young people because you all have grown up in an era where service to others is more like an obligation rather than just what you do as a member of the human race.  But, the great Shirley Chilsom said, “Service to others is the rent we pay for living on earth.”  No one should have to prod you or offer you bonus points to serve your neighbor.  It should be just something you do.  Therefore, I challenge you to just commit a random act of kindness and watch the liberation you get when you allow yourself to be a manifestation of a POWER that’s greater than you.

5.      The 5^th and final point I would like to make is that if you are really going to soar you not only have to know your craft, but know yourself.  Ain’t nothing more disturbing to me than a delusional rapper or ballplayer.  But in all seriousness we have to be honest with ourselves more than anyone because I assure you today is already passed and tomorrow is not promised and the graveyard is fill with people who were either not honest with themselves or full of potential.

As I prepare to sit I leave you with a saying my Granddaddy Rob use to say

Walk Slow – What he meant by that was no Holy person whether it was Jesus, Mohammad or Buddha ever was in a hurry to do anything.  Therefore, take your time and enjoy the ride.  I assure you it whatever it is will be there. 

Drink Plenty of Water – The journey of life is long.  Therefore, if you are going to go you must stay hydrated.  There is something to this water thing. 

And keep your nose in front of you – What he meant was mind your own business. 

With that said

I bid you love

I bid you peace 

And most of I bid you understand  

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen

In Light Of

I have often suggested that African American men are by far the best actors on the plant.  Not particularly because of any cinematic skills we posses, but because of the real time, real life character dexterity we must show at all times. I guess one could call it an inherent bi-polarness or innate code switching ability you are born with that lies dormant until the appropriate time and then BAM it appears. However, with the latest round of public executions of African-American men it is making me question if somehow my inherent navigational tool is miscalibrated or have we sped back into a time when the perception of what made America great constituted Strange Fruit (Google Billie Holliday). 

As both a front line solider and a public intellectual even I am at a loss for what is appropriate actions when you see the lives of so many being taken by those who masquerade as public servants under the guise of protecting and serving.  The rules that were passed down to allow me to navigate the inherent system of injustices seem to be out of date without a corresponding upgrade. 

Don’t do crime and you will be ok seems to be the prevailing wisdom from those least impacted, but what is seemingly victimless incidents both legal and questionable are leaving countless African-American men DEAD.  I offer the following for proof:

Alton Sterling selling CD’s

Philando Castile sitting in his car reaching for his registration

Eric Gardner selling lose cigarettes

Samuel Dubois missing a front license plate

Oscar Grant riding a commuter train

These are just a few of the instances that ended in a loss of life not just for them, but for those of us share their ethnicity and gender.  I attest to both my own reality and my even larger humanity that a part of me dies every time I hear about an African-American dying at the hands of the police. 

I immediately find myself asking was not the corresponding code switching apparatus not working for these men?  Did they forget the scene and stayed in a previous character to long, therefore forgetting the consequences were going to be death.  I am not sure and the pain of having to wait for a system of injustice that has proven way more favorable to the other side seems unbearable. 

One of my favorite poets/musician/thinkers of all time Gil Scott Heron said the Revolution Will Not Be Televised, but I beg to differ the revolution is being televised courtesy of Apple and Android and is being beamed into our sub-consciousness via Facebook.  Yet a significant reaction that will equally disrupt the moral consciousness of the masses has yet to be birthed so for now I give what I have to the cause and that’s the breath I breathe into these thoughts, the work of illuminating my larger humanity and the part of my spirit that dies tragically every time an African-American is killed by law enforcement.

This is my truth and it is real heavy right now.

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen

#RIPAltonSterling

#RIPPhilandoCastile

No Hash Tag

The rash of violence that has seemed to engulf my beloved city has taken me like many other people throughout my city aback.  However, the recent death of young Aiden McClendon struck a particular cord with me.  Not only because of his youth (22 months old), but the seemly randomness by which his young life was taken. At 22 months he had yet to discover any of the gifts or let alone curses life would even offer him and now we collectively mourn his tragic death.

Over the last 24hrs as I have trolled my social media timeline I have seen the ubiquitous call for prayers and the political response by both the Mayor and the Sheriff.  Personally, I have found little solace in either as none of the aforementioned has brought about a true reconciliation with what I see and hear.  Mentally and spiritually I am conflicted as I try and reject the idea that the very communities that raised me and so many of my peers have evolved into violent hinterlands where not even the youngest of lives is spared. Joy and pain are celebrated equally at the same story line depending on the neighborhood you from.

As I gather my thoughts I find myself asking what is the tipping point for our community? What is the line that everyone understands we cannot cross despite any larger beefs?  Under what circumstances do we say jail is the consequence for this particular action?  Or have we just evolved to a space and place where no one or any place is safe?  Even on the Wire and the Godfather they had rules.  

I also find myself asking what is the solution to such rampant and senseless violence that has seemingly become commonplace for not only my community, but also many others like it across the country.  I have evolved from a place where I simply believe that economic piety is the cure all for what ails many within these troubled neighborhoods and simply blaming the structural racism that exist is far to easy.  Fact of the matter is none of the referenced is valid reasons as to why young Aiden is dead.  He was too young to understand the value of a dollar and far to innocent to be sucked into the vortex of racism. 

Yet as the days go by and the Internet trolls on there will be no shutting down of roads, or calls for justice about his death.  There will be no tears shed beyond his families or any marches with participants shouting “No Justice, No Peace.”  His death won’t represent a watershed moment worthy of a hash tag. It will be just another day, with just another name that died on the mean city streets of our beloved city.   

And for that I am truly ashamed.

This is my truth and I AM sticking to it.

I AM

Dr. Irvin PeDro Cohen