Far from it. It seems rather useless right now in this market.
It seems weird that after a year out of school, I can still call myself a recent college graduate because, honestly, what have I done to give away that title for a different one? Well, unemployed comes to mind but that's definitely not as attractive. However, I'm starting to feel like those old...er ladies that wear clothes much too young for them. Like seriously, retire that wardrobe before you actually retire.
So there's a certified teacher working here at the tutoring center I work at. Now that school has let out, he's looking for a little extra income (instructors working for the the Board of Ed. get paid over the summer). He worked here last summer as an instructor. This year, he's a TA...under college students that have taken over his position as instructor. OUCH! He says he didn't want to teach this summer so that's why he's a TA. That MIGHT be true. Just might not be the whole face-losing truth.
The market is tough out there. Every market. Housing. Job. Stock. (Although, it's probably a good time to buy shares in order to reap the benefits of a post-recession upswing. This only works if you have the money to spare right away.) Meat. (Yes, I'm still on that tip.) Well, at least I have part-time employment. On top of that, I have good rapport with my check-signer. I didn't get a raise but I got more hours. I'll take what I can get.
Do I wish I was somewhere else? Of course! I wish I was lounging in the lap of luxury. But unfortunately, I haven't earned that yet nor is dumb luck on my side. How do I work for such a coveted position with just a B.A. and no training or experience in anything other than tutoring and selling insurance? These are side jobs. They shouldn't be my day job.
It is what it is. But how do I better myself and my wallet? A lot of my friends are going back to school. Expensive investment with no guaranteed immediate returns. The hope is that in the long run, it'll pay out better than just the initial college investment. However, it IS an expensive investment. Loans are great if you're approved for them. Loans are not so great if you're out of school and can't defer them. On top of that, you have no job that allows you to pay them off AND provide yourself with the basic survival necessities. So what's the solution? Work now to horde money for school! Wamp flaming wamp. How long would it take to horde enough money from the entry level job you might not even have now? I chose to work first. I needed a break from school. Dartmouth was definitely a morale drain. Most things were super hard for me there. This is not to say that the material wasn't interesting. I just couldn't bring myself to practice good studying habits. I do want to go back thought. Soonish before I get too old to learn. I really need to find out what I have to do to get there.
I'm not very motivated to do much more than what I'm doing right now. That's an issue. I'm comfortable. I pay my bills. I can buy things. Loans are paid off (yay for being poor and yay for great financial aid!). I'm not at a high anxiety job. Maybe I'm not challenged enough. The kids stress me out from time to time but I can, for the most part, leave work at work. I think that's the best part of being out of school. No homework.
I'm not ready to go back to school yet. But,I want a different, better-paying job so I can have a little more buffer time before pursuing a doctorate and actually have the money for that degree. But what can I apply for? Those job search sites see, to only have openings for the positions I'm not qualified for. Do I waste their time sending in my lacking C.V. for a chance in hell? Do I look on craigslist for jobs that I'm overqualified for only to be turned away because my B.A. puts me over their payroll comfort limit? I'm just looking for a paycheck. Being a recent college graduate sucks. I don't want to be pushed into being a drone and work for The Man. While lots of more experienced people are looking for anything that will provide them with great non-monetary benefits because they have families to take care of, I'm young, unattached, semi-independent, and need money. I'm about to make a sign on a piece of cardboard and see who will hire me. It definitely feels like I'm just bumming around life right now. Woe is me, the educated undefined blob.
Now...I've said it before- I am glad to currently be employed. Who knows where my family and I would be if I had not received this job. As my one year mark (July 15th) quickly approaches however, visions of the free life (sleeping in, etc) are creeping in and I am steadily preparing my resume for a different job- maybe something with different hours and a totally different set-up... who knows....
Pursuing dreams…that’s what I thought I was doing. Getting my foot in the legal door and getting my name out there so that when I applied to law school I’d be set- an easy “accepted”. It IS what I’m doing but I’m slowly starting to rethink and wonder to myself- is this what I want? 80 -90 hour work weeks. No time for family and friends. Is this my dream? Sure- the money is nice but what do I really want to do? What would make me wake up glad that I’m on my way to work rather than spending my weekend dreading Monday? I don’t know yet…
One good thing about employment at our age is that it never has to be permanent. A year here…a year there…no one’s going to judge your resume. The problem is…we just don’t have the time to dabble. You’re expected to know what you want to do essentially by 18 and at the latest 21 in order to be timely and efficient. After your college graduation…you either head to your career choice or continue schooling for that path. For the dabblers like myself…well…what can one say? I’m 24 and I have no idea what I want to do- no clear path. If I magically find something that I love…then…yay! My problem lies in working. Again…I appreciate the job. The problem is…I don’t have time to go out and discover what things I could love because of my current job! Who has time to take a class here or there or visit companies when you spend your days sleeping and/or working.
While writing this, an articlecame to my attention about people who tweet/blog/facebook about their jobs and get fired (oh God I hope no one from my job reads this blog!). Nothing is sacred anymore!
I don't really have a "day job," just a trilogy. I am at once a lyricist, an attorney, and a professor. My career is not triforcated like this out of financial necessity, but out of desire. I love making music, I love practicing law, and I love teaching university students.
Self-proclaimed as "the voice of the Black Collegian," the rapper "G." is truly a unique artist with a one-of-a-kind blend of intellect, lyrical mastery, social awareness, and business acumen. Rap moguls like P. Diddy, Jay-Z, and 50 cent all achieved their international renown with similar mixes of these talents. Depending on how he plays his cards, G. could also rise and become a dominant force in the game, whether behind the pen, in front of the mic, or both.
We at the RGC had the pleasure of learning a great deal about this complicated and dynamic lyricist. We asked the questions and here's your chance to learn everything you want to know about the Ivy League educated, JD and Masters degree holding, university professor, and beyond ambitious rapper. I hope you ate your breakfast because school is about to begin!
The RGC: So who is "G?"
G.: First of all, it's "G." always with the period, never without. The name is a shortened version of my first name, "Giovanni." It's just something I've always been called as a child to avoid the interesting ways people chose to pronounce "Giovanni." As I grew older, the letter "G" took on a place of prominence in hip-hop. Originally meaning "gangster," but now to be a "G" simply means to be at the top of your game. I've been pleasantly surprised to find no other hip-hop artist has chosen the single letter to represent them. One problem I didn't anticipate, however, it's darn hard to Google me!
The RGC: When did you start rapping? And when did you decide that this was something you wanted to pursue?
G.: I wrote my first rap song in 8th grade. I think it was called "Yes, I'm Fresh," to the best of my memory :-). My first on stage appearance was my Junior year on the campus at Arizona State, where I had recently transferred from FAMU (long story). That was also the first year I was on the radio; I didn't have any recorded material, I just went down the the station and spit a freestyle. Perhaps this was around the time I decided to make a career out of writing and performing music, but I also knew it would not be my only career.
The RGC: Where do you get your material from? What inspires you to write?
G.: When I sit down to write a song, it's usually because I have something I want to say. Art is more than just what's on the surface. So I have to start with the reason, the purpose, the soul. I then put on a production track, count the beats per measure (you often hear rappers referring to "trying to catch the beat,"; if you were to count the beats per measure ahead of time, the beat would have never gotten away from you in the first place). Finally, I pace the studio until the lyrics begin to come to me. This part I have difficulty explaining. I'm not quite sure from where the lyrics come. Often I listen back to a completed work - sometimes years later - and am surprised myself by a double entendre or an obscure reference that brings the song new meaning. I am forced to conclude that my artistic brain and my academic brain are wholly separate, and the two rarely communicate. When giving a lecture about my own music, I must sit down and analyze my music not as the author but as a scholar, like any other.
The RGC: Okay, well who are some of your biggest hip-hop/music inspirations?
G.: Of course I have to start with the classics: Bob Marley, 2Pac, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, KRS-One, John Coltrane & perhaps most important my parents, Dr. & Mrs. James Turner. SouljaSlim's life and death also had a huge impact on my music; I'm sure that's true with all New Orleans emcees. And I'd be remissed if I didn't give props to Ohene for polishing the raw diamond he found back in 2003. Some names from which you might be surprised to hear a rapper drawing inspiration: Sarah McLachlan, Sarah Vaughn, Nella Larsen, Jacques Derrida, Emily Dickinson, & Dr. Bill Cosby.
The RGC: Talk about eclectic! It's great though that you don't limit the sources from which you pull energy and study. What our blog appreciates most about you, G., is your scholarly yet aggressive approach to your music. Also, you really aren't taking any prisoners with your lyrics. Case and point - your song, "Penicide." You expressed a lot of frustration with the present state of rap. What do you see as the biggest problem with the rap game nowadays?
G.: If I had to choose one that gives me the greatest pause, it is settling for mediocrity, not striving to reach your full potential. It seems to me that far too many people are so afraid of failure, they reach only for a lesser, much more achievable version of their dreams. We have far too many MBAs staying in management, never to start their own company; too many English and Literature MAs/PhDs toiling away at correcting the writing of their students instead of writing books of their own; and yes, too many hip-hop artists just following what their A&R deemed to be the current trend, in a desperate attempt to avoid being dropped from the label - few dare to set trends of their own (what's really sad is some indie artists are their own A&R, and they still do this).
The RGC: Well let's turn the lens inwards. We all acknowledge your remarkable talent but what do you see as your greatest strengths and weaknesses as a rapper?
G.: My greatest strengths would have to include songwriting, depth, and creativity. I take great pride in meticulously scripting each word... I also cover a broad range of topics. As I discussed earlier, I want to invite many more people to the hip-hop table than had been previously. A hip-hop song can be about something more than wealth, poverty, crime, sex, governmental injustice, and the art of emceeing itself. Not that these topics aren't important, but they are not the only important topics.
If I had to admit to a weakness, it would probably be that I have a difficult time relating to my fans. It is rare that I receive the feedback that a fan saw themselves in a song I wrote. There are exceptions. A lot people were drawn to "Fallen" from Legend of the Chancellor because they too felt so beaten down by life's pressures, they questioned whether to even go on. And others count "Superstar's Voicemail" as their favorite song from American Scholar because I have articulated what they wished to say to the love interest in their lives. However, [my fans find themselves appreciating many of my songs without seeing themselves in [them]. I think this relationship works. Some of my favorite songs are about the struggles of a child of a single parent - Diana Ross' "Love Child" or Goapele's "Childhood Drama" - even though I grew up with both my parents.
The RGC: What do you bring to rap that is uniquely different?
G.: To avoid giving a cliched answer to this question, indulge me while I give specific examples of what I have added to the hip-hop history books. On my first album The Chancellor (later rereleased under the title Legend of the Chancellor, if you stumble upon both, get the rerelease, the mastering was redone with updated technology), I wrote a song entitled "String Theory." That song blends hip-hop, science fact, and science fiction. I wrote this song to break way outside the mold of what is considered fair game in hip-hop. When picturing a typical hip-hop fan, few envision mathematics doctoral students. My father is a mathematician; many of his students listen to hip-hop, but they never thought they could blend the two together. This was my invitation to them to have a seat at the hip-hop table - next to the poet, to the left of the injustice protester, and directly across from the ex-felon looking to change his/her life around... On my current album, American Scholar, the song "Hunger" is another example... of how I venture out into uncharted waters. I find many socially unconscious hip-hop songs attempt to wrestle topics so big, they cannot possibly cover the breath of the issue. "Hunger," on the other hand, is specifically about teenagers - 16, 17 years old - who are living in poverty and cannot get enough to eat. They are now faced with the prospect of soon being a woman or a man and having to take care of themselves. Now this issue seems much smaller than World hunger in general. It is easier to say, "Ahhh, I understand. And there is something we can do. We need to insure these students find their way into college. We need to get them scholarships that cover all expenses and include the summers. They can then matriculate into a fruitful career, and - unsaddled with student loan debt - reach back and care for the family members back home." It was difficult to stay so narrowly focused, but I have yet to hear any fan or critic say the art suffered because of it.
The RGC: What is your chief goal regarding your rap career?
G.:My chief goal is getting people to break free of definitions and stereotypes. We are quick to say "that's not hip-hop" or "quit acting white." But the truly great people in history never let others put them in a clearly labeled box. Dr. King didn't let others tell him what "Christian" means, Obama doesn't let others tell him what "Progressive Politics" is, and I definitely do not let others tell me what hip-hop is. Shout out RAHM Nation: Ohene, Random, Greg Soundz, DN3. Make sure you pick up both of those albums: American Scholar and Legend of the Chancellor. And keep reading The RGC, I love this blog! (please leave a comment, let us know you're out there)
The RGC: Thanks for the shout out, haha, and for answering all of these questions! On a final note, are you working on any new projects?
G.: I'm currently touring the Southeast promoting the current project, American Scholar. The new single, "Things to Remember" (my attempt to explain to women why men don't always show their emotions) is getting some good feedback. You can download it from iTunes or Amazon.com. And if you follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/G504) and catch me in a good mood, I just might post a free download link to it. The next album is called Metalanguage. I can't even begin to explain what this album is about. If you are a student of Nietzsche or Barthes, you probably already know a little bit about Metalanguage, and this will be a bold undertaking. This album is very important to me, so it'll take a while. I started it last year, perhaps it will be ready next summer. There is also a certain someone I really, really, really want to be a part of this album. Contracts haven't been signed yet, so I can't say who, but she knows who she is ;-). In the meantime, enjoy American Scholar and Legend of The Chancellor.
The RGC: Again, thanks so much, G., for doing this interview with us. Keep "doing you" - educating us, haha - and good things will happen. Much respect.
For you readers, here are some links to G.'s different Internet pages. Check him out!
So it should come as no surprise to you that I am often disappointed with the coverage (and sympathy) given to athletes and celebrities. No one has the balls to ask the real questions? Come on....! Yesterday I was reading different articles...trying to get an idea of what actually happened...before I made my judgment. I came across an article: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9777174/Don't-be-so-quick-to-make-McNair-a-hero which just made so much sense and came from the same viewpoint I was coming from. What's this?! A journalist with balls that gets to the root? Wow! Journalists often leave the big boys (athletes and handsome actors) alone, standing by the "they're men...its what they do" view. This guy...none of that.
------ The article linked above is written by Jason Whitlock, a FOXSports.com Columnist and details his views on the McNair situation- the possible murder-suicide. Below is my reaction. --------
When I heard the news of McNair's death...my initial reaction was (as you can probably guess) unsympathetic to say the least. I started with the usual "Oh no...how did it happen?" but mine was more like "Oh no......how did it....who or what was he doing?". I have no pity for these rich athletes (ask me about Michael Vick sometime...) who "make mistakes". Athletes get the world handed to them (and oh do they take...and take) and get away with...well...murder. I was not surprised to find out that he was killed doing something he should NOT have been doing. It IS a loss...I'm not a total heartless bitch...but I feel more for his family and friends...and fans. You should have kept it in your pants and at home with your wife McNair...(no matter what possible agreement you and your wife may or may not have had).
As for the girl...she disgusts me as well...though I can’t say that if the opportunity presented itself (that of a rich NFL'er) that I wouldn’t do the same. I do have morals...I do not date or talk to married men or even men with girlfriends (though when I was 16 I did engage in a relationship with a guy who had a girlfriend...it still haunts me). I do not sleep with men simply because of their status or money...or the gifts that they are able to lavish upon me. But I cannot sit here and say that I would turn down a millionaire...the opportunity has never presented itself...so I cant be 100% sure. My anger and annoyance is not just directed towards McNair...but an opportunist is an opportunist is an opportunist. I sit and look at my bills and sometimes think that some NFL person could write one check and my problems would be solved and it would be no skin off of their back. Eh...bastards.
As for the kids, as the author of the article mentions, they are really the ones who are losing and I have to agree. I hope that they had no idea that their father was sleazy...and yet...I hope that they did so that the shock and scandal surrounding this will hurt them less. He is being championed as this wonderful and amazing guy (and maybe he was...) but all I can see is a man who was killed in his veritable "love shack" possibly by his "jump-off" as she is so affectionately termed in the article. I, like Mr. Whitlock, just want the cloudiness surrounding his legacy and his untimely end to be cleared. Yes...he was an amazing footballer, and yes, he did a lot for his community but, much like Whitlock, I am more interested in the family legacy he left behind; the roots of our society start in our families. Was he a good father? Possibly, though, he obviously had begun to slack on his time at home (not the love den…HOME!). Was he a good husband (and, therefore, role model)? Eh...no... Even if there is some sort of a marital agreement (how could his wife not QUESTION the many absences…the bills for another car and apartment…) of infidelity...I personally would not act on it. You have dedicated yourself 100% to your significant other and your children and family. If you cannot do that...you deserve to be alone, not sneaking off with some young girl...
When will guys learn to keep it in their pants??? I'm going to be vulgar...a hole is a hole...it may be tighter for a few years but eventually it will get just as used and then you will have nothing but some girl there for your money. Stick with what you got...
When you see a beggar on the street, what do you typically do? Better yet, what do you usually think?
This past weekend, I was hanging out with a friend in Union Square (New York). The sun was still shining and we were looking for a place to eat. As we were walking around a corner on our way to Pizza Hut, a pleasant voice grabbed our attention... "Excuse Me," says a woman.
My friend and I turn around to see a taller white woman, probably 5'8" and 29 years old, had politely stopped us. She fit the description of the talented NY artist perfectly - retro yet trendy glasses, comfortable and loose earth-toned linen clothes, a bohemian-style shoulder bag strung across her body, curly dirty blond hair in a ponytail. There was a creative, generous, and thoughtful look to her.
"I'm sorry," she says, "but do you happen to have any change you could spare me?"
After a very slight pause, my friend replies "I'm sorry, I don't have any change." I nod my head in agreement and tell her "sorry."
The woman gives us a very slight, embarrassed smile and turns to cross the street, quickly blending back into the young crowd that frequents the Union Square area.
What made this encounter so profound was that my friend and I proceeded to talk about this woman, our perception of her, and our reaction for the next 40 minutes. Right after leaving the woman, both of us expressed how we had only expected her to ask for directions. After all, the woman had been alone and was looking somewhat lost, so when she stopped us we were ready to give her any directional help she needed. When instead, she asked for money, we were for lack of a better word, shocked.
To be blunt, the woman did not look like a beggar; she just looked like an alternative white woman. Neither of us had ever been solicited for money by anyone that looked like her. Additionally, you could hear the awkward discomfort and shame in her voice as she asked for our help. Walking away after having denied such a "nice" person, we couldn't help but feel bad and wonder why we were experiencing these emotions on such a degree, when countless beggars before and after her have/will not inspire the same emotions. And the discussion began...
Did the beggar's "whiteness" cause us to feel such sympathy? Or perhaps it was purely because she was a woman, a kind woman? No no.
Having had some time to consider the event, I think there were two factors at play that each sparked different reactions.
1. Race combined with status - The "beggar" being white and seemingly kempt caused us to expect an innocent, impersonal, basic question. The request for money was simply surprising and unexpected because it went against any norms we'd been subliminally taught to accept by society.
2. Her sincerity and emotion - Unlike many "beggars" who after months of asking for money, grow indifferent to soliciting the help of strangers. This woman was clearly new to her financial situation and emotionally weathered by having to set aside her pride on so many levels. The emotional/personal element of her request is what resonated the most and made us ultimately analyze our thoughts about her for so long.
As justified as we may be in experiencing the feelings we did, post-incident, we couldn't deny the tinge of disappointment we felt in ourselves for giving that particular beggar so much more thought and attention than...say...a black, disheveled one. We know it's not SIMPLY a race issue FOR US. But for others, who knows. Maybe it would have been.
No matter, that experience just hammered home the reality of our social and economic times. Everyone is feeling the burden and no person - rich or poor, artist or businessman, man or woman, yellow or red - is exempt from possible struggles. Lastly, we all need to check our personal biases and completely revamp our ideas of what's expected of certain groups in our society.
OK so there's this meet up event towards the end of this week. It's a good way to meet the people you only know and/or speak to via youtube, twitter, blogtv, etc.
I get a headache reading all the details (kind of a jumble) but basically it's this week starting Wednesday, July 8th and ends Saturday, July 11th. All this takes place in NYC. I hear people are coming from all over the place.
So come and meet in a non-creepy way some of the people that you watch/follow online.
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