20 Perfect Twitter Names

Black Twitter is perfect. Between the memes, one-off jokes, and hilarious commentary, Black Twitter single-handedly made Netflix’s original film, Bird Box, a cultural phenomenon in less than 48 hours. This free viral marketing is the reason companies spend thousands of dollars “borrowing” content from Black Twitter.

The laughs have extended beyond the tweets themselves. What’s now a subtle art of Black Twitter is users taking key moments to create clever names. While some are references to mainstream culture at large, most are specific references to Black culture past and present. Everyday while aimlessly scrolling through my timeline, I’ll notice a name that actually makes me laugh out loud. Here are twenty of my favorite Twitter names, enjoy:

1) Avengers’ Funeral Coordinator

With the average funeral in America costing a little over $7,000, the death industry is quite lucrative. And considering Marvel “killed off ” 12 characters in Infinity Wars, it makes perfect sense for someone to want to be the Avengers' exclusive funeral coordinator. Yes, this is a spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the movie. Yes, I know this isn’t how a spoiler alert works.

2) Resha (no, I’m not riding)

If you’ve been on the internet at any point since July 2018 then you’ve probably heard “In My Feelings” by Drake. The song exploded to the top of the charts after comedian and internet personality The Shiggy Show released an Instagram clip of him dancing to the track. According to Drake, “In My Feelings” wasn’t even going to be the album’s next single, but when he saw that anyone with phone access was doing “The Shiggy Challenge”, Drake and his team decided they had to shoot a music video for the song and include Shiggy himself.

The chorus is lover-boy Aubrey seeking affirmation by asking a different girl each time if she loves him, if she's riding, if she’ll never leave his side because he wants and needs her; all while claiming to be down for her always.

Via Rap Genius

The term “riding” comes from the phrase “Ride or Die". It’s every urban Bonnie and Clyde’s love creed. In it’s most flattering definition, a Ride or Die Chick is a woman who offers unwavering support to her man no matter the circumstance and will journey wherever their love takes them. It’s them against the world, and if she is forced to choose between dying on behalf of their love or turning against her man, she will choose death. What men have used the concept of a Ride or Die Chick to actually mean is for a woman to support them no matter how terrible their decisions are or how much pain a man has put her through so that he will always have a safety net to fall back on. So no, Resha is not riding; know better, do better.

3) That one light-skinned member of the Dora Milajae

The release of Marvel’s Black Panther was a generation defining event. Grossing over $1.347 billion dollars worldwide, it became the highest grossing solo superhero film of all-time, the third-highest grossing film of the MCU, the 9th highest-grossing film of all-time, and the highest-grossing film by a black director. Black Panther is the first mega-budget movie to have an all Black cast and director; and although Wakanda is a fictional country, Black Panther is one of the few films that highlights Africa positively and not through the usual despondent poverty stricken western gaze.

Among Black people, Black Panther broke boundaries. Dating back to slavery, skin color has been a tool used to divide Black people, placing those of a lighter tone, which is considered closer to whiteness, on a pedestal. Light-skinned slaves were able to work in the owners’ house rather than the plantation where the work was violent and arduous. Fair-skinned runaway slaves were able to “pass” in society and better avoid being captured and taken back to their owners. Post-slavery, light-skinned Blacks had better employment and housing opportunities as well as other privileges darker-skinned Blacks weren’t afforded.

Hollywood has had its own biases. Historically, Black female entertainers have overwhelmingly been lighter-skinned with more euro-centric features; longer hair, lighter skin and eyes, thinner lips, a narrower nose. Viola Davis is a great example of an actress who has had to work extremely hard not because of her talent, but because she simply has not fit the mold for what America deems as beautiful. 20 and 22 year-old actresses Amandla Stenberg and Zendaya, both who are biracial, have truthfully acknowledged the fact that their skin tone has made them more desirable in Hollywood. The young stars have courageously spoken out against Hollywood’s colorism problem and the lack of representation for darker-skinned women.

The minute Marvel teased us with images from Black Panther, dark-skinned Black women such as myself collectively gasped when we saw the special force team that is the Dora Milajae. Here we have King T’Challa/Black Panther and Wakanda, the strongest most advance nation in the universe, being guarded by an all-woman militia. Second, these beautifully strong melanated warrior women were free from what society has deemed the ultimate measure of a woman’s femininity, their hair. Incredible.

4) Shuri’s Lab Partner

While T’Challa and Killmonger were the stars of Black Panther, Shuri, T’challa’s baby sister played by Letitia Wright, stole the film. The literal definition of Black Girl Magic, Shuri is a sharp and witty STEM genius who is exponentially smarter than inventor Tony Stark. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics has been a male dominated field with little representation or investment in Black communities. The presence of Shuri and the prominent role science and technology serve in Black Panther extends beyond the MCU. After the success of Black Panther and the excitement around Shuri, Disney donated $1 million dollars to 12 different Boys and Girls Clubs of America. One of those cities being Oakland, California, the hometown of director Ryan Coogler.

If science is as foreign of a language to you as it is for me, Shuri is the first person you run to when your chemistry teacher says to pair up with a partner.

5) Deadasspool

Deadass, another one of New York City’s gift to the English lexicon. It means “I’m serious”, “No joke”, or “For real”. And Deadpool, the film about an unconventional self-loathing mercenary who fell into the occupation after a science experiment on his disfigured body went awry. The combination of the words is just funny.

6) Tekashi 69 years in prison

I don’t want to give Tekashi 69 more attention, but this Twitter name is appropriate. Tekashi 69 is a rowdy face-tattoo Soundcloud rapper from Brooklyn. He says the N-word way too much, is constantly screaming about his gun, and has a gross criminal record. Part of the 69’s attention garnering and ascent to fame was him going on Instagram professing his gang affiliation and bragging about his illegal exploits. Well as sure as the motto goes, “the feds were listening”. Tekashi was arrested in November of 2018 and is facing federal racketeering as well as firearm charges with with the possibility of serving a minimum of 32 years in prison. The prosecution team is using his Instagram as evidence. Prison is terrible and I am not celebrating his incarceration, but the irony is hard to miss.

7) Gordan Gartrell Lead Designer

Bill Cosby is rightfully in prison and my heart goes out to the brave survivors. The Cosby Show is also a landmark sitcom that launched the careers of countless actors and became the blueprint for many programs after it. These two facts are hard to reconcile and I’m not going to attempt to do such in this particular post.

One of my favorite episodes of The Cosby Show is “A Shirt Story”. In this episode, Theo Huxtable, the family of seven’s only son, purchases a very expensive “Gordan Gartrell” designer shirt for his date. And like any sensible Black parent, his well-off physician father Dr. Heithcliff Huxtable and attorney mother Claire Huxtable make Theo return the shirt because he is a teenager who doesn’t make Gordan Gartrell money. Disappointed he can’t wear his planned outfit, Theo’s fashionable sister Denise, played by the forever cool Lisa Bonet (Zoe Kravitz’ momma), offers to make him a shirt she insists will look just like the Gordan Gartrell.

Denise’s creation did not at all look like the original and 30 years later references to the famed shirt are still popular.

8) Sean John Velour Sweatsuit

Early 2000s fashion: chains, du-rags, fitted caps, throwback jerseys, and matching sweatsuits. There aren’t many things that symbolize the early 2000s more than Diddy’s line of Sean Jean velour tracksuits. I never understood how people wore them outside of the fall and winter seasons because each suit weighs about 20 pounds and is insulated with the thickest velour on earth. But fashion knows no temperature.

9) Ray J’s moving hat

Ray J, entertainer, Kim Kardahsian’s ex-boyfriend, Brandy’s little brother, singer of my favorite Pharrell track, “Wait a Minute”; a true American icon. The entrepreneur and businessman is also on the reality TV show Love & Hip Hop. And in August 2018, an episode premiered that threw Black twitter into a complete frenzy. Thanks to an amazingly poor editing job during a 30 second segment featuring Ray J and Nicki Minaj’s ex, Safaree, we see Ray J’s beanie move around his head 6 different times. It’s truly magic

This happened all within a 30 second clip.

10) Angela Basset’s Missing Oscar

Angela Basset is one of the greatest actors of our lifetime. She played the legendary Tina Turner better than Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It and committed to the role so hard that she still has the biceps to show for it 25 years later. Nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award, Black America will not ever get over the fact that she didn’t win the Oscar. As a consolation prize, the universe made sure Angela never ages and just gets more beautiful with time.

11) Don’t be mad, UPS is hiring

Bad Boy Records recording artist Craig Mack, may he rest in peace, made one of the most important hip-hop songs of all-time with 1994’s “Flava In Ya Ear”. He then followed it up with the remix of all remixes in which Biggie, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and prime Puff Daddy ad-libing and dancing away, each give Michael Jordan game 6 performances.

The line, “Don’t be mad UPS is hiring” is a word of advice The Notorious B.I.G. offers to a rapper whose skills are so bad, Biggie thinks they should quit and apply to UPS instead.

Classic Diddy Bop.

12) I know i want my key back

If you don’t watch Issa Rae’s HBO show Insecure, you’re not going to understand this reference. To quickly give context, Issa’s best friend in the show, Molly, is a high-strung, tight-wound successful lawyer who can’t get out of her own way when it comes to dating. Molly doesn’t trust any man’s intentions as she refuses to let a man “distract” her from her career goals.

In season 2, Molly reconnects with her childhood friend, Dro. Dro and Molly start hanging out and soon start a romantic fling. The only problem is Dro’s married, but in an open relationship. Season 3 begins with Molly struggling with her and Dro’s situationship as they are getting emotionally involved which is not a part of the rules and is only complicating things. It’s TV’s version of SZA’s “The Weekend”. Molly begins to distance herself from Dro to avoid getting hurt. But one day in particular, frustrated by Dro’s lack of respect for the boundaries she sets, he demeaningly says to her that she doesn’t know what she wants. Taken aback by the remark, Molly quickly replies with, “I know I want my key back” in reference to the spare key to her place she gave him, effectively ending their fling.

13) Nice Gowns, Beautiful Gowns

Most people know Aretha Franklin, may rest in peace, as the Queen of Soul. But what’s just as important as her musical legacy was her propensity to throw the best shade. If you aren’t familiar with the word “shade”, it means to subtly “diss” someone. Using seemingly kind words and euphemisms, Arthea mastered the art of disrespecting someone without the person even knowing it. She was also quite proficient at giving underhanded comments

In this clip from a few years ago, Aretha is asked about the current wave of female vocalists, which in my opinion was a set up. That’s like asking Michael Jordan about middle school basketball players, he doesn’t care. With each name the interviewer lists, Aretha tries her absolute best to come up with something constructive. By the time she is asked about Taylor Swift, she had run out of words. This is verbatim what Aretha says about Ms. Swift’s singing career: “Okay, well, nice gowns, beautiful gowns”. Nothing at all to do with her artistry or singing abilities. Aretha was applying the rule, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”.

14) SMITHSONIAN FUBU MUSEUM

Another early 2000s fashion staple, FUBU, which radically means “For Us By Us” was ahead of its time. FUBU created the blueprint for not only young Black designers but Black business owners in general. FUBU helped instill the idea that young Black artists should take full control of their ingenuity and center their vision around Black people.

27 years after FUBU’s creation, its impact is as strong as ever. Solange uses the idiom as a rallying cry on her album A Seat at the Table. And in Season 3 of Atlanta, there is a gut-wrenching episode that shows just how valuable FUBU and fashion is for Black kids who feel the only way America sees their value is if they look a certain way. FUBU’s legacy justifies its placement in the Smithsonian museum.

15) IF YOU’RE NOT BLACK DON’T SAY IT

I’m not going to spend time offering an academic, socio-political linguistic analysis of the N-word. I’m not breaking down the word’s roots, educating those on its current reclamation by the people previously oppressed by it, nor am I going dissect power and race dynamics in America. The fact is it’s not about if you think anyone should be saying the N-word or not. If you are not Black, you should not say the word nor should you want to, period.

16) 99% of Americans have immigrant ancestors

And this land was stolen from the Native Americans.

17) bird box really didn’t have any black women in it?!

It’s 2019. So yes we are still collectively shocked when a major film does not have a black woman in it.

18) The Black Maroon 5 Member

If you grew up in a predominately white neighborhood and attended predominately white schools, then your childhood photos probably look like these. When you listen to Maroon 5’s music, you wouldn’t think that anyone in that group is a person of color. But there you have it, PJ Morton himself. I hope he accompanies Adam Levine in the Super Bowl halftime show because Atlanta is very black and that stage is going to need as much color as possible.

19) Knuck If You Brunch

Negro spirituals, songs African Americans made that were all about escaping the racist horrors of this world like slavery, lynching, poverty and oppression. “Wade in the Water, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”, are all about God’s children believing they will reap the good they sewed here on when they finally get to heaven. A grim look at faith, but it got my ancestors through nonetheless.

Times are still tough for Black people; disproportionate rates of incarceration, murders at the hand of the police, disinvestment in our communities, negligible access to credit or capital, which are financial tools needed to shrink the 400-year wealth gap between White and Black Americans.

Millineal Black adults feel the pressures of this in additon to crippling student loan debt, stagnant wages, and increasing costs of living. So we too have had to compose our own Negro Spirituals. A bit different sonically, with 808 drums, heavy samples and hand claps. But the desire for freedom, expression of frustration, joy and excitement are still there in the music. Atlanta rap group Crime Mob blessed us with 2004’s Negro Spiritual, “Knuck If You Buck”. If you’ve never heard the song before and you find yourself at a party, club, or large social gathering with Black people when it comes on, please find the nearest exit and run to it immediatly, because the best kind of riot is about to breakout.

Similarly like our ancestors who took the scraps they were given to make what we now know today as soul food, us Black millenials have learned to take our low balance checking accounts and make the funds stretch enough to include luxurious feasts; weekend brunches. Bottomless mimosas and shrimp and grits will get our money sooner than Sallie Mae will.

20) The Pistons Took Darko in the 03draft

You know what they say? Can’t trust anyone with frosted tips. The 2003 NBA draft is widely considered one of the best drafts of all time. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and a high school kid by the name of LeBron James were the drafts first round picks. The Detroit Pistons had the number two pick after Cleveland selected the King himself. And out of all the elite names to choose from, guess who Detroit chose? Yup, Darko Miličić. The 7-foot Serbian standout spent 11 years in the NBA amassing a little under 3,000 career points, only playing more than 60 out of a possible 82 regular season games 4 times in his career. Successful in his own right, Darko went further as a professional athlete than 99% of us ever will by reaching the NBA. But as a Pistons fan, it’s hard not ask the question, “what if?”. Especially when lower picks in that draft included Kyle Korver, David West, and Kendeick Perkns; the last two being eventual NBA champions.

Best Bio: I know I look like the blue Avatar people. I KNOW.

“I know I look like the blue Avatar people. I KNOW”. I aspire to reach this level of self-awareness.

Most Important: Flint, MI hasn’t had clean water since 4-24-2014

Flint hasn’t had clean water since April of 2014. Seeing that no one in our government seems to care, citizens like Little Miss Flint have taken it upon themselves to hold bottled-water drives where hundred of people line for hours to simply get free clean water. Please click the link below to donate.

Why Von Wafer's 2011 Missed Dunk Is My All-Time Favorite Missed Dunk

This is Von Wafer. An off the bench rotational player who averaged 12 minutes per-game in his 6 year NBA career and only completed at least half of a season twice. He also played for 7 different teams during this time. Luckily for Von, the first trade took him from the Lakers to the Clippers so he didn’t have to move far.

A top high-school recruit, he finished second to LeBron James in the 2003 McDonalds All-American dunk contest. Without doubt this is an accomplishment he casually brings up in the barbershop and will remind his children and future grandchildren for years to come. Von may even be walking around with that trophy right now.

Von’s government name is Vakeaton Quamar Wafer. I don’t know what it means or how to pronounce it but I’m sure the person who gave it to him meant well. However, to grow up with a name like that you’re forced to develop an unshakable confidence during your adolescent years. Unfortunately for Vakeaton, that unshakable confidence came back to haunt him during an April 11th, 2011 game against the Washington Wizards. Here is the play:

Commentator 1: “A missed slam! And O’Neil called for double dribble.” Commentator 2: “Well he ran into his own teammate, or actually I should say Von Wafer ran into him. So back to back mistakes, mental errors for Wafer. Missing the dunk then coming in and distracting his teammate.”

The Von Wafer missed dunk is the, “Nick Young shoot a 3, turn around and prematurely celebrate” before it even existed. Fun fact, Nick Young was playing for the Washington Wizards in this very game. Coincidence? I think not. The universe was forewarning us.

Watching this play in my college dorm room was the first time I truly experienced secondhand embarrassment. 7 long years have passed and I think about the miss everyday. Let’s breakdown the debacle of a dunk into 5 separate acts.

Act 1: “The Takeoff”

Von is full steam ahead, setting us up for what looks like a SportsCenter Top Ten Shawn Kemp-esque slam. Cocking your arm all the way back is a risky move because if you don’t control the ball tightly then you may, well you saw what happened…

Act 2: “The Emphatic Jam”

Von’s thoughts as he lays the hammer down: “LeBron, you’re not the only one who can destroy a rim. I should’ve won that high-school dunk contest. Watch this.” The best part is the landing. Von believes he nailed the dunk as evidenced by his swaggerfied body language; shoulders and arms swinging back and forth.

Act 3: “Fan stare down and bumping into your teammate”

Glaring at the fans, mean-mugging the crowd, Von is basking in all the glory while his teammates are trying to salvage the possession. Basically playing 4 on 5 without Wafer, the situation can’t get any worse for Boston, right? Yes, yes it can. As Von returns to his job, he’s clueless to the live action that’s happening and slams right into his teammate Jermaine O’Neil causing a turnover. It would be a great defensive play if only Von played for the opposing team.

Act 4: “Pretend to be disappointed with exaggerated facial expressions”

This is my favorite part of the whole fiasco. You know when you’ve messed up so bad, and it’s completely your fault that in order to ease the deserved tongue-lashing you’re prepared to receive you make yourself look overtly disappointed and upset by contorting your face and taking deep exasperated breaths? That’s exactly what Von is doing here. He hadn't yet seen the replay and doesn’t actually know what went wrong. But he sees his coach’s face which is a combination of bewilderment and pure frustration and hears his teammates asking variations of “what the [expletive] are you doing?”. All he knows is the best thing to do is to look remorseful.

Act 5: “The Awkward Run-off”

My second favorite thing to happen in this missed dunk tragedy. There was a dead ball before this and every other other player is sauntering to their position. Meanwhile, Von begins to do the basketball equivalent of office busy work running to a random part of the court to mask the confusion he’s experiencing. In another video, the Southwest Airlines “Wanna get away?” voice starts to play because that’s exactly what he’s trying to do by running off like that.

Vakeaton, you accomplished what 99.99% of the world will never do, which is get drafted and play in the NBA. There is absolutely no shame in your light-hearted flub. Thank you for the unintentional comedy and relatable moment. I commit unforced errors at such an astronomic rate that I’ve become a professional apologizer.

Next time you have an opportunity to either play it safe or go up with the same confidence as the person who named Von “Vakeaton Quamer”, you do the latter every single time.

12 Hip-Hop Quotes as Motivational Posters

Hip-hop is a poetic art form. The stories hip-hop artists’ paint are uniquely creative, rugged and often times autobiographical. What has propelled hip-hop to its current all time high level of popularity over a short 30 years is the genre’s ability to directly and intimately relate to people. The best rappers are vulnerable, soul bearing and stylish in the way they express their feelings. My favorite rap songs have gotten me through some trying days subtly offering me wisdom. So instead of cloying Hallmark cards (The Mahogany Collection is wild), generic canvas art courtesy of Target’s dorm collection, or posters made for Christian book stores, I made a dozen inspirational rap posters for you to enjoy. Many of these lyrics I quote on a daily basis driving my friends mad. Life throws challenges our way and sometimes we need fun little pick me ups reminding us that we are still in fact the dopest person ever and that losses don’t last forever. Much love, keep your head up.

1) “Fo’ fo’s I'm tippin'/ wood grain I'm gripping
catch me lane switching with the paint dripping/ turn your neck and your dame missing” -Mike Jones, “Still Tippin’”

Translation: I’m cruising in my 1984 Cadillac equipped with the most luxurious amenities; 30 spoke wire rims and the finest wood grain steering wheel. If you are lucky, you will see me and my car parlaying in and out of lanes with a paint job so fresh that it’s still wet and may even drip a bit. Oh, and I’m so charming that if you turn your head for the slightest second, fixing your gaze elsewhere, your partner will be gone in an instant as they have decided to come with me instead.

Even if you don’t have a car this line give you the confidence to attack your day with vigor and a bit of Houston cool. It’s not what you do, but how you do it. So go out there and stunt in whatever capacity available to you and let people know you are that person.

2) “Flaws ain’t flaws when it’s you that makes the call” -Pusha T, “So Appalled”

Translation: When you are in charge, performing the hard labor and making the tough decisions, your shortcomings aren’t weaknesses.

Be the Beyoncé of your life. When Beyoncé had a slip at the Super Bowl, she recovered so nimbly that it actually made you admire her even more.

You are the boss of your life, micromanaging your daily duties and taking full responsibility of what you do. Flaws aren’t deficiencies but rather small obstacles you simply maneuver through.

3) “I trip to make the fall shorter” -Chance The Rapper, “Acid Rain”

Translation: I give myself permission to make mistakes that will ground and prepare me for life’s inevitable lows and valleys.

As Yeats says in his poem “The Second Coming”, “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold”. It’s not a matter of if you fall, but when you fall. In fact, the longer you delay the inevitable forces of gravity, the harder the fall will be. Strive to do your best, let go, and know that it’s okay to stumble along the way. This is where you experience the most growth and learn prime lessons.

4) “Neva let me slip, ‘cause if I slip then I’m slippin” - Dr. Dre, “Nuthing But a “G” Thang”

Translation: Please don’t let me slip, because if I slip in this one particular area of my life, then I’m slipping in all other areas.

Accountability to oneself and others is a key to success. Dr. Dre is asking his comrade, probably Snoop Dog, to not let him slip up because logical fallacy states that if we allow error A to happen then error Z will eventually happen, so avoid error A. It’s a good daily reminder to put quality into everything we do in order to avoid continuous carelessness.

5) “Girl recognize game, before game recognize you - Chingy, “One Call Away”

Translation: Girl, don’t get played. People with ill intentions looking to scheme and plot will have their sights set on you from a mile away, so spot them first; head on a swivel at all times.

Art of War by Sun Tzu says, “If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”. I’m certain this is what Chingy was talking about.

6) “I’ll be there in 5 minutes/5 hours later, ‘I’ll be there in 5 minutes’” - Kanye West, “Late”

Translation: I said what I said. I will be there once I get there.

We are constantly acquiescing to the needs of everyone besides ourselves. It is not possible or healthy to try and fulfill everybody’s desires at their demanding pace. There is nothing wrong with slowing down, taking our time, and arriving when we feel good and ready. Ownership of our time, body and energy is imperative to our total well-being.

7) “So, now, I’m back spittin’ that heat, could pass a polygraph” - Jay Electronica, “Exhibit C”

Translation: The words coming from my mouth are such truth that I would pass any lie detector test.

In hip-hop, it’s all about credibility and keeping it real. If Twitter finds out you’ve been lying about where you come from or what you’ve done, your career could be ruined. Jay Electronica, being the wordsmith that he is (we’re still waiting on that album), found one of the most creative ways to tell us how honest he keeps it. What’s even savvier is when you play the song the line works as a double entendre as it sounds like he is also saying “so now I’m back spittin’ that ‘he could pass a polygraph’”.

Like Jay Electronica, your word should be bond. Whether people like what you have to say or not, always tell the truth.

8) “I never let a statue tell me how nice I am” - Phife Dawg, “Award Tour”

Translation: Never will I allow an engineered award voted by people I do not know nor who know me define who I am, assign my worth, or label my talent or work ethnic. I will not give subjective benchmarks of public opinion the authority to declare if me or my art matters.

First and foremost, Rest in Peace Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, part of the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. We miss you.

Too many times we place our value in external affirmations. We lose sight of refining and enjoying our craft for the craft’s sake and forget that we are important no matter what other people say or do not say about us. If you know you are great, that’s all that matters. No dollar amount, sheet of paper, or award will ever encompass our fullness.

9) “My future so bright I’d probably go blind before I blink twice, I ain’t lying” - Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Pt. 2”

Translation: My future is so incredibly bright that if you look at it, it can blind you.

Sometimes your own future will inspire you.

10) “Spaceships/don’t come equipped/with rear view mirrors/ they dip/as quick as they can” - Andre 3000, “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)”

Translation: Entities with the potential to travel so far that they break atmospheres don’t come with rear view mirrors. With that type of trajectory, you’ll be moving so quickly that you won’t have the time to look back.

In the poem, “Our Deepest Fear”, Marianne Williamson writes that, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” We often hinder our own progress; lamenting our past, intimated by our future. We spend too much time looking back, rather than letting our journey take us to heights we didn’t imagine for ourselves. Williamson continues on saying “your playing small does not serve the world.” We are supposed to squeeze every ounce of purpose embedded in each of us. And Andre 3000’s spaceship analogy says it best. Nothing with such great power has time to look back when what is ahead is so vital.

11) “I’m not sayin’ I’m number one/Uhh I’m sorry I lied, I’m number one, two, three, four, and five!” - KRS-One, “Step Into a World”

Translation: I apologize if you thought I was being humble when I said I’m not number one. What I meant was that I am not exclusively number one, but that I am in fact number one, two, three, four, and five.

Instead of choice a, it was choice e, all of the above. Self promotion is good. You have to believe you are the best option in order for other people to believe it as well. Next time you ask for a raise, which should be every year, just quote this line when explaining to your boss why you deserve a salary increase.

12) “Stay far from timid/only make moves when your heart’s in it/and live the phrase ‘Sky’s The Limit’” - The Notorious B.I.G., “Sky’s The Limit”

Translation: Keep nervous, fearful, wavering energy far away from you. Instead, passionately pursue that which burns inside you. There is no ceiling on what you can accomplish.

People will tell you what you can and can’t do, that your dreams are crazy. You will face rejection, doubt will creep in, but if you stay focused and work in a way that blocks out the noise and distraction, your path is boundless.