pardon the hiatus - i’m quickly realizing the level of time and effort that a blog demands. i’ve also been trying to work out some kinks with the vision that I have for these entries and the audio has given me quite some trouble. unfortunately, due to legal restrictions, I can’t quite link all of the audio I would like to via SoundCloud. in order for me to share the experience I want to in totality, i’ve added audio above. therefore, if you’re aiming to read and listen while on an iOS device - my iPhone readers - it will open a new browser to play - at which point, you can come back to this page and read with the audio in the background. again, I apologize for the hassle. first world problems. I know, I know.

although I have had the time to dedicate to the content, I haven’t had the creative spark or the creative energy to sit here and let my thoughts flow. but today I do. and although I have a list of running topics to discuss for a number of weeks moving forward, this entry is going to centered more on “current events.”

this past week, Kanye West released his highly anticipated studio album — Jesus Is King. and although I do have my dissections of the album itself, this isn’t an album review. instead, this is a reaction to the feedback I’ve seen on the media regarding the album and regarding Kanye West himself. I understand Mr. West has his die-hard, loyal-til-the-soil fans. I am not one of these. to Kanye I am impartial. in fact, of all the albums in his highly decorated discography, I’ve heard one album in it’s entirety — Ye. a 7-song album that totals twenty-three minutes and forty one seconds from top to bottom.

needless to say, I am not the most well-versed on all things Kanye.

but I do know this: if you take a look at the man, he’s got two arms, two legs, a face. I would imagine that if Kanye were to fall and scrape his knee, Kanye would bleed. I can also imagine that if Kanye were to stub his toe on the dining room table, Kanye would shout through his pain. because Kanye is human.

in the aftermath of the release of Jesus Is King, the media has had a field day with criticism of Kanye. I’ve seen content attacking his character, shedding light on his past, questioning his intent, and even doubting his faith. and I have to be honest, I’m pretty disgusted. regardless of religious belief, how badly do you think we would be perceived if our past mistakes were all quantified and collated? if everything stuck to us and was on display while we lived our lives in front of others? let me admit, Kanye has made a number of questionable mistakes during his tenure as a hip hop superstar, but none too big to evade forgiveness or to warrant a total lack of compassion.

from accusing Kanye West of “clout chasing” by using his testimony with God, to assuming he’s stopped using his medication due to his public praise of his savior - it really is shameful to watch what’s transpiring before my eyes. i’m blessed to live in a country where we have the right to religious self-expression, and yet, a number of Kanye's biggest opposers are those who are from the same faith. to watch them turn their backs on this man and deny his efforts to seemingly accept his past, but rearrange the trajectory of his future - this is something that hurts my heart for Kanye himself.

we look at the famous and we envy them for their fortune, for their status, & for their lifestyle - but know this, the famous look at us and often envy us for the level of privacy we can be blanketed by. every mistake that the famous make is brought to light and magnified. that’s what fame is. it’s a magnifying glass hovering over one’s life. and just as the mistakes are magnified, so is the feedback. Kanye can’t help but notice your feedback. he reads your comments. he sees your memes. he hears the chatter. and boy would I hate to deal with such negative feedback at a time when I feel like I’m making my biggest breakthroughs as an individual, as I find my sense of purpose. I think most of us would have a difficult time dealing with that dynamic.

so, as a human, not so much as a listener - please remember: our words serve one of two purposes. they either build or they destroy. there are no neutral words. I believe we’re watching a man transcend his livelihood and try to showcase it to us while struggling with an ego from his past in the process. why slander his attempts when we can acknowledge his effort? why tear that man down when we, collectively, can uplift? I assure you, the same way that there’s a magnifying glass on the negative feedback, there will also be a magnifying glass on the helping hands. and no matter how big Kanye is, help is help. and it’s welcome.

now as far as the album: Every Hour, Follow God, Closed on Sunday, On God, Hands On, & Use This Gospel all got a download from me. subjectively, I don’t believe the album was terrible. I certainly don’t feel the man is either.

just some things I felt I needed to express.

if you want to be notified the next time we gather here for another (b)lesson, don’t forget to subscribe. i’ll always be looking forward to having you back. I can’t tell you what we’ll be talking about next time you’re here, but I can assure you it’ll be a good, quick read.

all love - love always, E.