It's Hip-Hop Monday!

So I was actually excited to get to work this morning. I know - bizarro. But my main grant program has a deadline of the end of this month so, in the next two weeks, I will be receiving around 30 grants to read, evaluate, and process. It's gonna get busy and I LOVE being busy!

Since I first woke up, I have totally been craving Hip-Hop. For those who haven't known me long, Hip-Hop used to be a central part of my life and career. No, I'm not the female, Appalachian Eminem. I used to do Hip-Hop based youth development work. But, while that time has passed, every now and then the music pulls me back.

And I do love the music. It's like meeting up with old friends. Oh, Jay-Z... I remember the time you almost got me in a fight at South Park. And Kanye... I remember the conversations with Cyn about how you might just save Hip-Hop (of course that was before you went schizo on me). Pac... my dear, dear Pac... I remember the conversations with almost every local rapper about how you'd still be alive if you followed your own advice. There's my Fugees theory, which is that Wyclef and Lauryn are too serious on their own and could only make fun music because of the influence of the much lesser known and respected Pras. Then DMX... who I can't hear without seeing images of one of our kids doing dead-on DMX impression. And there's always Biggie. How many 33 yr old white, female state employees know every word of Juicy by heart? If there's another one, I'd love to set up a lunch!

I could go on for days. But I won't. I'll just sit in my office bouncing my head for a while with a smile on my face.