What You Reveal You Heal
I watched an insightful interview with Jay-Z, and during his chat with New York Times editor Dean Baquet, he dropped this stellar quote – “you can’t heal what you never reveal.”
We all have old wounds from the past that continue to fester, and nothing – no passage of time, no book we’ve read, no ritual we’ve performed – has been successful in healing them alone. Whether the cause of these emotional injuries was of no fault of our own or was the result of the choices we made, each of us bears the hurt, a secret, or even some measure of shame from some past situation.
What’s ironic is that one of the major obstacles to healing from hurt and shame, is shame itself. Not wanting to look bad in the eyes of others may keep us from sharing what’s on our minds. Sure, it’s true that the thought of sharing certain emotional issues may feel embarrassing or uncomfortable.
If there is anything going on in our lives that we no longer wish to carry around, get it out into the light, talk about it, acknowledge it. That is the only way you can begin allowing it to evaporate – this is the way to start the healing process.
Our wounds need to be treated, and the way to do it is to uncover them, acknowledge them, and then hold them out to someone who can help.
MB
Nipsey Hussle – Hustle On!
For many hip-hop fans, where they were when they heard about the shooting death of Nipsey Hussle will forever be etched into their minds.
For me, the terrible news came from a text from my brother Khalid while Rachael, the girls, and I were in a Overland Park, Ks. restaurant having a lovely dinner with family friends over the spring break respite.
Interestingly, it was also Khalid who hipped me to Nipsey Hussle in the first place.
Nipsey Hussle was a rapper, entrepreneur, and community activist. Me, being a classic hip-hop head, a product of hip-hop’s “golden era,” I’m usually a bit slower to catch on to the latest up-and-coming artist. That’s what my brother is for. He often keeps me abreast of the new rapper’s worth listening to – and Nipsey was certainly one of them.
It may have taken Nipsey longer to establish his name in the game. It took him nearly a decade to get some shine after releasing his first mix-tape project way back in 2005. Like many of us fellow independents, he soldiered on and carved out his niche, infamously selling copies of his Crenshaw album for $100 a pop. He received a big endorsement from Jay-Z when he purchased 100 of them from the young artist.
He flipped his new-found music successes into local business ventures which propelled him to hometown hero status. And after becoming active in the community, he gained a folk following.
Unfortunately, this Los Angeles born and bred musical artist/entrepreneur/activist was also a gang member. His music is full of references to how he went from a Crip on the streets of South Central, to an indie-rapper, and finally an entrepreneur – tragically, Nipsey is now a martyr. Living that lifestyle often has its consequences as he was gunned down by an acquaintance on March 31stover a personal dispute.
Many folks may never understand why someone would choose the gang lifestyle. However the environments that spawn gang culture often lead, young males in particular, to seek safety and brotherhood within these potentially hazardous associations. It’s easy for those who weren’t raised in these environments to judge and dismiss these youths as valueless members of our society. Nipsey explains his decision to join a gang in the video below.
It’s no doubt that Nipsey Hussle left an impression on many including Barack Obama who said, “While most folks look at the Crenshaw neighborhood where he grew up and see only gangs, bullets, and despair, Nipsey saw potential.”
Nipsey was on the brink of becoming a major force in the industry as well as the community. Unfortunately, we’ve been robbed of seeing him reach HIS full potential.
MB
This Week’s Pics – Kemper Contemporary Art Museum, Kansas City, MO.