'From Fatherless to Fatherhood'

From Fatherless to Fatherhood is a documentary by Kobie Brown which explores the impact and necessity of having a positive male role model present throughout a child's life, especially within the black community. The film takes a look into the lives of several men and reveals their experiences as fathers and youth.

For more info check out www.fromfatherlesstofatherhood.com

Music Monday

Drake's Marvin's Room track has been getting a lot of buzz. The song is about a drunken phone call from Drake to his ex, and several female songstresses have stepped up to the plate to give their take on the situation from the other end of the phone line or in TT's case from Her Room.

So, here is Drake's version along with JoJo, Rochelle Jordan, and Teyana Taylor's.




I personally like Jordan's best, but that Ex-Factor line at the end of Taylor's kinda hooked me.

In all of this I just have one question: Who the heck is Marvin?
I'll just assume he's that nigga that she loves so bad.

Strength, Courage, & Wisdom

Inside my head there lives a dream that I want to see in the sun
Behind my eyes there lives a me that I've been hiding for much too long
'Cause I've been, too afraid to let it show
'Cause I'm scared of the judgment that may follow
Always putting off my living for tomorrow
It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my face
It's been elusive for so long, but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith, It's time to show my face
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found

Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

Behind my pride there lives a me, that knows humility
Inside my voice there is a soul, and in my soul there is a voice
But I've been, too afraid to make a choice
'Cause I'm scared of the things that I might be missing
Running too fast to stop and listen

It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my face
It's been elusive for so long but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith it's time to show my face
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found

Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

I close my eyes and I think of all the things that I want to see
'Cause I know, now that I've opened up my heart I know that
Anything I want can be, so let it be, so let it be:.

Strength, courage, and wisdom
It's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, wisdom
It's been inside of me all along, everyday I'm praying for:

Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

I found it in me, I found it finally
I'm sure to keep it' cause I like it, I say thank you

- INDIA.ARIE

Until the End of Time

Couldn't help myself! Had to post another one from the late-great 2pac.
R.I.P.


"Heroes get remembered, but legends never die."

Keep Ya Head Up

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest lyricists/poets/visionaries of our time, Tupac Shakur!
I dedicate this post to the memory of Pac and here's one of my all time faves.



Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care
And uh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block brothas clown a lot
But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain't nothin don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
Cause sista you don't need him
And I ain't tryin to gas ya up, I just call em how I see em
You know it makes me unhappy (what's that)
When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up
I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up

Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
ooooo child things are gonna get brighter
Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
ooooo child things are gonna get brighter

Ayo, I remember Marvin Gaye, used to sing ta me
He had me feelin like black was the thing to be
And suddenly ghetto didn't seem so tough
And though we had it rough, we always had enough
I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules
Ran with the local crew, and had a smoke or two
And I realize momma really paid the price
She nearly gave her life, to raise me right
And all I had ta give her was my pipe dream
Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to the bright screen
I'm tryin to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
It's hard to be legit and still pay ya rent
And in the end it seems I'm last headin for the pen
I try and find my friends, but they're blowin in the wind
Last night my buddy lost his whole family
It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity
It seems the rain'll never let up
I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin wet up
You know it's funny when it rains it pours
They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
it ain't no hope for the future
And then they wonder why we crazy
I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby
We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup
And even though you're fed up
Huh, ya got to keep your head up

Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
ooooo child things are gonna get brighter
Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
ooooo child things are gonna get brighter

And uh
To all the ladies havin babies on they own
I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin all alone
Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more
Cause ain't nothin worse than when your son
wants to kno why his daddy don't love him no mo'
You can't complain you was dealt this
hell of a hand without a man, feelin helpless
Because there's too many things for you to deal with
Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless
While tears, is rollin down your cheeks
Ya steady hopin things don't all down this week
Cause if it did, you couldn't take it, and don't blame me
I was given this world I didn't make it
And now my son's gettin older and older and cold
From havin the world on his shoulders
While the rich kids is drivin Benz
I'm still tryin to hold on to my survivin friends
And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but
please... you got to keep your head up!

Save Me From Myself

It's not so easy loving me
It gets so complicated
All the things you've gotta be
Everything's changin'
But you're the truth
I'm amazed by all your patience
Everything I put you through

When I'm about to fall
Somehow you're always waitin'
with your open arms to catch me
You're gonna save me from myself
from myself, yes
You're gonna save me from myself

My love is tainted by your touch
'Cause some guys have shown me aces
But you've got that royal flush
I know it's crazy everyday
Well tomorrow may be shaky
But you never turn away

Don't ask me why I'm cryin'
'Cause when I start to crumble
You know how to keep me smilin'
You always save me from myself
from myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

I know it's hard, it's hard
But you've broken all my walls
You've been my strength, so strong

And don't ask me why I love you
It's obvious your tenderness
Is what I need to make me
a better woman to myself
to myself, myself
You're gonna save me from myself

- Christina Aguilera

Music Monday

As much as I hate can't stand Lil Wayne and will not endorse anything he represents. He advocates the absolute wrong messages in his music and his image, regardless of what he really feels/believes, his lifestyle is misleading.
All that said (lol), I heard this song in the car on the way home one night and it really hit me. At first, I felt compelled to change the station at the sound of his voice, but then as I was listening to the lyrics, it really resonated with me. Its so honest and alerted me to some unspoken self feelings/reservations/understandings. So, I had to give in to this one song (after that I'm ignoring him again lol). Anyways, this song speaks to the insecurities/self-esteem (self-worth) issues so many young women suffer. Guess he finally found a way to get through to us self-acclaimed good girls. But this'll be the one song I'll acknowledge him for.

Music Monday

Olivia - December

Love this song, really showcases Olivia's vocal abilities (as opposed to that G-Unit ish, that never worked for me). Glad to see she's back to her old self.

"It ain't what I heard. You said you looovved meeee in Decemberrrr..."