“You’re a strong (black) woman.” Historically, many black men have used this statement as a method to express support, even reverence for black women. Generally, the context is a sympathetic response to a black woman who has endured tumultuous circumstance and still manages to smile in the face of the adversity du jour. So why would I dare surrender the phrasing? Keep reading.

Many of us have been guilty of placating black women by avoiding some very real issues. Not all but many, and in most cases it materializes as an innocent oversight—an otherwise harmless ignorance. A perpetuation of what we, ourselves, have been conditioned to think. When our colleague is passed over for a promotion, for the third time, we’ve offered, “but you’re strong” as a form of support.  When a friend on Facebook complains about constant street harassment, we’ve offered, “but you’re strong” to show empathy.

But what if calling women “strong” is our way of throwing a thin blanket over hyperthermia or a Band-Aid to cover lacerations caused by male privilege? As much as we try, we don’t always understand the plight of black women—their struggles, their unique experiences battling unfathomable circumstances. But it seems offering a hollow, “but you’re strong” whenever they’re in the midst of struggle, can muffle our ability to lend support in a more meaningful way.

Labeling black women as strong is a one size fits all jacket we keep in the closet. The one that doesn’t really go with anything but we always find ourselves wearing it because it’s comfortable. It’s not only unfair, the argument can be made that it’s borderline dismissive. There’s more to women than strength.

What else do we see when we look at a single mother of three who works full time and still finds time to go back to school? A cancer survivor? A wife to an enlisted soldier? Strength is easy. What about resourcefulness? Courage? Vulnerability? Calling women “strong” as a default response is an admonishment to their humanity. It’s the easy way out and no further work is necessary. We don’t have to take the time to probe, to assess, to help.

Have you ever said to yourself, “She’s strong—I know she can take care of it?” Doesn’t matter who “she” is, what matters is, you left her no choice. You may not have offered aid.

Are black women, strong? Absolutely, but the next time we think about calling any black woman “strong,” let’s consider the implications and challenge ourselves to find alternative methods of showing support. Let’s listen more and make more of an effort to understand that while we may not have a “fix” for every situation or problem, actions do speak much louder than words.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

André George is a Lifestyle Writer and Brand Strategist with offices in Atlanta. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr @TheAndreGeorge

Courtesy Automotive Rhythms

With its new luxurious diesel vehicle, BMW hopes to change the way green energy vehicles are viewed. To see if clean, fuel-efficient riding rose to classic Bimmer standards, actor Lamman Rucker took to the streets of L.A.

See what he found out.

Since MTV launched the now popular reality television show “Catfish,” offenders who perpetrate an alternate identity have become more mainstream than ever before.

The latest fraud in the catfish craze is Chris Fields — if that’s his real name.

Here’s how Fields’ catfishing scheme was discovered: A woman contacted Robert Littal, publisher of Blacks Sports Online, about a Chris Fields who secured an NBA contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Not to be confused with real NBA point guard Chris Paul, Littal conducted a search on Fields, whose social media networks are loaded with expensive cars, candid photos with NBA players, and club photos. Fields would post pictures of extra tickets he’d provide to women, only to back out at the last minute. He’d delete the posts after being called out about his fraudulent activities. Fields even went as far as to post an email confirmation from a club about a New Year’s Eve table reservation, with a hefty $10,000 price tag. The email was covered with typos, including a misspelling of the club’s name.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the man known as “Chris Fields” is a Nigerian credit card scam artist. His social network accounts have all been changed to private. And no photos of him playing for the NBA were never found.

The NFL’s commissioner Roger Goodell is considering eliminating the extra point after a touchdown. The play is arguably the most boring, where nearly every kick scores, and blocks hardly happen. Many argue the extra point is too easy and a waste of valuable play time. “The extra point is almost automatic,” Goodell said, via NFL.com. ”I believe we had five missed extra points this year out of 1,200 some odd. So it’s a very small fraction of the play, and you want to add excitement with every play.” But if the extra point is banished, what could replace it?

Goodell explained the alternate, ”It’s automatic that you get seven points when you score a touchdown, but you could potentially go for an eighth point, either by running or passing the ball, so if you fail, you go back to six.”

The new proposal received mixed reviews, some asking what’s the difference between that and the extra point/two point conversion. New England Patriots coach, Bill Bellichick would be a supporter of the new proposal, as he stated in an interview earlier this month that the extra point has become too easy. ”I would be in favor of not seeing it be an over 99 percent conversion rate,” Belichick said. “It’s virtually automatic. That’s just not the way the extra point was put into the game. It was an extra point that you actually had to execute and it was executed by players who were not specialists, they were position players. It was a lot harder for them to do … I don’t think that’s really a very exciting play because it’s so automatic.”

Although the extra point can be boring, sometimes it could be the most exciting part when the game is on the line. In 2003′s New Orleans versus Jacksonsville game, the Saints trailed 20-13 with seven seconds remaining. After the Saints scored a huge touchdown, kicker John Carney missed the extra point, resulting in Jacksonville robbing the victory with a 20-19 final score.

Ocoee Police Officer Shaun Whiting employed a creative way to conduct an extramarital affair with a woman he met on a 911 call.

According to documents, the two met while Whiting responded to a call at a grocery store, and began exchanging emails. Whiting and his mistress would meet up for sexcapades at nearby hotels and police substations, while he was on duty. But since he had to be accounted for, the woman claimed he told her to call 911 and hang up. The report shows the officer was then dispatched to the hotel, so he could carry out the affair. Basically, the mistress would make a quick distress call to 9-1-1, and then Whiting would answer the call — alone.

Whiting, a decorated, four-year veteran of the Ocoee, FL police force, was forced to resign after an Internal Affairs investigation was launched. The husband of the mistress caught wind of the affair, calling detectives with the information.

Whiting quit last summer to avoid the affair becoming public, but Florida’s top police investigated anyway, causing attention from the media. The state investigators could revoke his law enforcement certification, ending any hopes of him ever working as a cop again.

Before Jennifer Hudson earned her golden ticket to Hollywood on “American Idol,” she sang on a Disney cruise ship. Now Hudson plans to revisit her roots as a headliner for Carnival Cruise Lines in a new concert series called Carnival LIVE.

Things couldn’t look better for Hudson, who on the same day released the scorching new video for her single “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel),” featuring T.I. and produced by Pharrell Williams. But she described the feeling of returning to a cruise ship aptly as being a “full circle moment.”

“I used to work on a cruise ship, a long time ago,” said Hudson at the launch event for Carnival LIVE on January 22. “That’s what I did before I did ’American Idol.’”

The stint aboard the cruise liner was “my test,” Hudson added. “Two days later, I went in and auditioned for “American Idol.’” The rest is Hollywood history.

Hudson performed the Dreamgirls tune “One Night Only” and several other songs for about 200 people during the launch event, before Carnival’s senior vice president of guest operations Mark Tamis announced the program.

“I’m excited to be part of this unique concert series that will allow me to interact with my fans in such an intimate and memorable setting,” Hudson said.

Hudson will headline the two-day stint June 18 on Carnival Ecstasy and June 19 on Carnival Breeze, both in Cozumel, Mexico. Tickets will only be sold to individuals taking the cruise.

The Carnival LIVE series, is being touted as an exclusive opportunity to experience an on-board performance from popular musical artists. Carnival hopes to revive its image after a string of bad publicity, including three ships breaking down last year, that depressed ticket prices and revenue.

Other confirmed guests for Carnival LIVE include “American Idol” alumni Chris Daughtry’s band, Daughtry, Gavin DeGraw, Jewel, Kansas, Lady Antebellum, LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, Olivia Newton-John, REO Speedwagon, STYX, and Trace Adkins.

Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon plan to release a holiday children’s picture book featuring their twins.

The “Queen of Christmas,” known for her best-selling holiday digital single “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” makes it no secret that she loves the holidays, and is preparing to release the couple’s first book in fall 2014 — just in time for the holiday season.

The celebrity couple have paired up with children’s book heavyweight Scholastic Press to publish the festive picture book, Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas. The book, which is a spin on the classic Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” will feature the couple’s twins Moroccan “Roc” Cannon and Monroe “Roe” Cannon. The illustrations will be handled by New York Times best-selling artist AG Ford.

The Carey-Cannon Clan say they are “excited to work with the Scholastic team on our Roc and Roe picture book and we can’t wait until this holiday season. ”

“It’s been such a fun and collaborative process and we are thrilled to be working with Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey on this exciting project. Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas is the perfect book to read with your little ones—an adorable spin on a classic tale, sprinkled with humor and heart,” said Ken Geist, VP and editorial director for Scholastic Press Picture Books.

This will be the first book for both Carey and Cannon, but knowing her love for Christmas this may not be her last festive collaboration. In the meantime, Carey is preparing her new album The Art of Letting Go to be released this spring. Cannon serves as the host of “America’s Got Talent.”

Actress Zoe Saldana has signed on for three Avatar sequels, with co-star Sam Worthington.

James Cameron‘s Avatar was as instant blockbuster in 2009, as viewers journeyed to the mystical, fantasy land of Pandora, where humans and avatars collided. Avatar 2 has been in pre-production for the last few months, despite a uncompleted script. Production is slated to begin later this year with a December 2016 release. According to insiders, each sequel will be released back-to-back-to-back, with Avatar 3 being released December 2017, and the fourth installment being released December 2018.

Saldana discussed her thoughts on the blockbuster’s franchise sequels with MTV: ”I went down to the studio that they’ve been setting up for the past three years. It was wonderful.”

“Jim took us and gave us a tour of all the reference pictures, telling us the stories. I haven’t been able to read the scripts. They’re still working on them.”

“We kind of get choked up. [Jim] gets emotional telling us about the story. I get emotional hearing about it, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Although details of the plots for the sequels are unknown, Saldana’s and Worthington’s characters, Sully and Neytiri respectively, are rumored to have kids. Stephen Lang, the actor who played the angry Marine Colonel Quaritch, will also return, despite his character dying in the 2009 film.

Cosmetic pioneer Mary Kay unveiled the sleek, black BMW 320i last week at the annual leadership conference in New Orleans. The BMW is part of the career car options for top-selling sales associates, who are all independent consultants. The luxury car will join the infamous, powder pink Cadillac, a special shade ordered from the factory itself, and will replace the Ford Mustang. The pink Cadillac was quickly deemed a status symbol of achievement when it was released in 1969.

“When you think of BMW you think of sophistication, luxury, safety and class but overall, you think of performance,” said Sara Friedman, Vice President of U.S. Marketing for Mary Kay, in a statement released to the media. “These traits align beautifully with Mary Kay. By adding the BMW 320i to the Mary Kay Career Car program, we are providing a new kind of elegance and style to the top-performing Independent Beauty Consultants, while inspiring them to achieve new goals in their Mary Kay businesses.”

The partnership with BMW is one of the biggest announcements in the 50-year history of the beauty giant.

A school janitor has confessed to being paid to steal dozens of laptops from former NFL Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders‘ Prime Prep Academy charter school in Dallas. The former contractor, Solomon Warner, has come forward with details on how he stole the laptops that were purchased with tax dollars.

“We sold the laptops to three or four different people that I know,” Warner told News 8. “They were sold about two weeks after school opened up. I sold between 200 and 250 for about $220 apiece.” One of the laptops was recovered from a liquor store in Dallas. In order to prove the computer was actually stolen from Prime, News 8 turned it on and the welcome page opened to the words: “Prime” and “Student.” Another clue was revealed on the password page, which read “PRIME.”

The school has suffered a significant loss with the theft. A criminal complaint has been filed and the investigation is on-going, but former CEO and co-founder of the school D.L. Wallace is a key suspect. He resigned last November. Upon request, Wallace and his wife refused to release their access to Prime’s bank account as of Tuesday and had no comment when contacted by News 8.

The Texas Board Of Education is now involved in the case.

By Teri Johnson

The Indonesian island of Bali is home to an extraordinary culture, luxurious resorts and locals who have mastered the art of living well. Bali is physically breathtaking with its artfully constructed, emerald green rice fields and stunning temples. Equally beautiful are the vibrant religious expressions in ethnological ceremony, dance and other art forms. The richness is inescapable and worth the 24-hour journey from the US. Whether traveling for a honeymoon, vacation or spontaneous adventure, Bali is a destination for exceptional and unforgettable experiences.

SEMINYAK Begin the Balinese escapade by checking into a one-room villa complete with private pool at the W Retreat & Spa Bali in Seminyak. This beautifully styled beachfront playground is a twenty-five minute drive from the international airport. Tip: Take advantage of the hotel’s Whatever/ Whenever® philosophy, with a private, romantic dinner for two on the beach.

Each morning, indulge in the Pan Asian breakfast feasts offered at either of the two restaurants located on the property. After relaxing in your pool, or in one of the three overlooking the Indian Ocean, visit the ancient ocean temple of Tanah Lot, which is a short twenty minutes away. For a captivating day’s end, consider taking a sunset stroll along the beach or enjoy a cocktail at the W Hotel’s ultra cool WooBar lounge.

For a little culture, enjoy a casual dinner at Made Warung, as traditional Balinese performers artistically express religion through a dance-drama. Pay special attention to the rhythmicity of their fingers, hands and eyes. A stint in Seminyak would be incomplete without going to KU DE TA, a beachfront restaurant and lounge. The jet set clientele resemble a trendy South Beach crowd, but the accents floating about will pleasantly remind you that you are halfway around the world.

UBUD After enjoying la dolce vita in Seminyak, reinvigorate your life, love, or both in Ubud, Bali’s cultural and artistic capital. Vastly different than Seminyak, Ubud is surrounded by scenic rice fields, quaint villages, artesian communities and rivers.

Upon arrival into Ubud, check into a villa at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, which is nestled in a tropical paradise along the Ayung River. The serenity of your rice terrace view will take your breath away.Ubud has boundless activities and experiences to embrace. Arrange a guided tour of the vividly green, coconut tree covered Tegalalang rice fields north of Ubud. If you have more time to explore, trek to the grandiose Jatiluwih rice fields that unfold down the mountainside, covering a vast 1500 acres. You may also arrange a visit to a holy temple, for a firsthand experience of Balinese Hinduism.

Treat yourself to a ‘must-have’ spa experience at Fivelements, a healing and wellness retreat. Book the Balinese Boreh and be pampered by a deep tissue massage, an ancient Balinese herbal scrub and an outdoor flower and ginger bath while serenaded by the peaceful sounds of the river.

There are plenty of shopping opportunities throughout the city, but the Ubud Market is the best place to find authentic Balinese crafts, cloths and keepsakes. For woodcarvings, go to Mas Village for high quality, one-of-akind works of art.

Dining options are abundant. Try a traditional Indonesian meal at Warung Pulau Kelapa, which is situated in an old Javanese teak house. For amazing views of the green valley, go to Indus for lunch or a romantic dinner and order anything wrapped in a banana leaf. For a gastronomic experience, eat the six-course tasting menu at Mozaic with dishes including foie gras and baby lamb.

It is impossible to experience everything in Bali during one trip. Fortunately, the beauty and energy of this island will likely evoke plans for a quick return.

Photo credits: The W Retreat & Spa Bali in Seminyak; Royal Palace: Teri Johnson; Ginger bath: Courtesy of Fivelements; All other photos: Courtesy of Four Seasons Bali at Sayan

Courtesy of Sister2Sister

Marlo Hampton revealed that she and NeNe Leakes may not be getting together for a girls’ night anytime soon, because their friendship is on the rocks.

They might have been BFFs before “I Dream of NeNe The Wedding,” but Marlo confirmed that they’re just not as close as they once were. Still, Marlo didn’t have anything bad to say about her estranged friend.

“I look up to NeNe like a big sis. NeNe would be the one I would listen to,” Marlo told “The DeShai Cole Show” earlier this week. “She has that motherly feel without being my mom.”

Keep reading …

Courtesy of Elev8

Shapewear couldn’t do its job if it wasn’t tight.

Unfortunately, this leaves your stomach, intestine and colon compressed, which Dr. Kuemmerle says can worsen acid reflux and heartburn. Restrictive clothing can also provoke erosive esophagitis.

Your digestive tract is also affected, explains Dr. Erickson. The intestines are supposed to contract and move food along, but when they’re compressed over a long period of time, the flow of digestion is stifled. “It’s like when people eat a huge meal and then unbuckle their jeans,” Dr. Kuemmerle says. This damage, though not permanent, can lead to unpleasant symptoms like abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas.

Another hallmark of shapewear? Shallow breath. When you inhale, your diaphragm expands and your abdomen flares out, Dr. Erickson says, but shapewear restricts this movement and decreases the excursion in respiration.

Keep reading …

[Image: Shuttershock]

Courtesy of Cocoa Fab

Hip-hop It Girl Nicki Minaj isn’t too happy with ESPN the magazine.

She took to Instagram to post a few snaps, saying that the mag retouched her images (a typical industry practice) and she didn’t care for it, thinking that her forehead looked way too big. The 31-year-old posted her cover and captioned it: “When retouching goes wrong.”

Keep reading …

Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

Prince has remained an advocate for many things throughout his career, including all legal and privacy rights to his music. Despite having a Twitter account and somewhat embracing social media, the “Artist Formerly Known As…” is still strict about his copyrights, making it impossible to watch a live performance online, including YouTube and Facebook.

Unfortunately, a few online bloggers are now on the wrong side of the law for bootlegging Prince performances for online streaming. This week, the singer filed a 21-page complaint/lawsuit in San Francisco in an effort to collect $22 million in damages from a total of 22 Facebook and Blogger users.

Continue at Vibe Vixen…

Courtesy of EBONY.com

Following the NFC Championship game last weekend, Richard Sherman gave an interview to Erin Andrews. He yelled to millions watching in their living rooms about being the best and shutting down opposing receiver Michael Crabtree. However, following his interview, he somehow morphed from a football player who had just reached the pinnacle of sports achievement into a racial stereotype.

Suddenly he was “classless,” a “thug” from Compton, and any manner of other negative terms that one can substitute for the n-word. Sherman was no longer human, but a racist caricature.

Black people exist in a “damned if we do, damned if we don’t” space within American conversation. If a black person does something that’s seen as negative, that negative behavior is used as yet another example of how “we” are. Negative behavior, so it goes, is just inherent in “us.” On the flip side, if a Black person achieves something positive, the positive achievement is often dismissed either undeserved or the result of an innate gift the achiever can’t take credit for.

Continue here…

Apollo Nida, Real Housewives of Atlanta star and husband of Phaedra Parks, is feeling the heat after being questioned by the US Marshals in Atlanta, Georgia on suspicion of bank fraud and identity theft.

On Thursday, the reality star appeared in front of US District Court before being granted pretrial bail for $25,000. Media reports say Nida was being investigated by Secret Service’s Counterfeit and U.S. Treasury Check Squad for creating “fake companies, enabling him to access databases to find individuals to rip off.”

The complaint also alleges he opened fake bank accounts under those real names and funneled stolen U.S. Treasury checks and auto loan funds into those accounts.

Atlanta Access continues:

“[U.S. Secret Service Agent Alexandre Herrera] n February 2012 began investigating alleged criminal activities of Gayla St. Julien, who he said was opening bank accounts under stolen identities to commit bank and check fraud. The investigation ran until September, 2013. At that point, they found 40 bank accounts tied to her. The complaint provided a sampling of bank accounts totaling about $3 million tied to  alleged fraudulent activities.

The office also identified two fake debt-collection businesses used to ‘illicitly obtain personal identifying information of individuals.’ The companies used LexisNexis and Equifax database inquiries to steal identities. St. Julien was arrested on Sept. 11, 2013 by the Secret Service. She implicated Nida as the man who orchestrated many of the alleged fraudulent schemes. She had worked with Nida since 2009.

St. Julien ‘described herself as NIDA’s ‘right hand b****’ in executing the legwork of his fraud schemes,’ Herrera wrote. She told him she received “scraps” compared to how much he pocketed.”

A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 12. Nida will reportedly be represented by Parks.

Courtesy of The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Md. (AP) — A man carrying a shotgun opened fire at a busy shopping mall in suburban Baltimore on Saturday, sending store employees and customers scrambling for cover. Police said three people died, including the person believed to be the shooter. Five people were injured.

Police were still trying to determine the identity and motive of the gunman who killed a man and a woman, both in their 20s, at a skate shop called Zumiez on the upper level of the Mall in Columbia, a suburb of both Baltimore and Washington. Their identities were not released.

Howard County Police Chief William J. McMahon said at a news conference that authorities ran into difficulty in identifying the gunman because of concerns that he might be carrying explosives and were proceeding with an “abundance of caution.”

McMahon also called reports that the killings were “domestic” in origin “pure speculation.”

“We do not know yet what caused the shooting incident,” he said. “We do not have a motive.”

Someone called 911 at around 11:15 a.m. to report a shooting at the mall. Police responded to the scene within 2 minutes and found three people dead – including one person who was found near a gun and ammunition – either inside or outside the shop, which sells skateboards and clothing and accessories.

Howard County General Hospital said it was treating five patients. One patient was reported to be a shooting victim while at least three other patients sustained other injuries.

Continue here…

A South Carolina student has been charged with murder following a campus shooting that left another student dead, according to The Associated Press.

Justin Bernard Singleton, 19, was arrested early Saturday morning in connection with the fatal shooing of 20-year-old Brandon Robinson at South Carolina State University. Police say the incident happened Friday (Jan. 24) after the pair was spotted arguing outside the Hugine Suites dormitory.

An arrest warrant filed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division states that Singleton “pulled out a gun and fired at Robinson, hitting him in the neck area.” The full-time, sophomore student was arrested at an Orangeburg apartment complex after the campus was on lockdown for much of the previous day.

Authorities were initially looking for four men who left campus, but are now certain that Singleton pulled the trigger.

“Our hearts are heavy with grief and sorrow by the senseless act of violence,” said university president Thomas Elzey. Approximately 3,200 students are enrolled at the HBCU that is just 40 miles south of Columbia.

Robinson majored in engineering technology and was a member of the school’s football team as a outside linebacker and defensive end.

SC State football coach Buddy Pough said, “Brandon was a fine young man who was paying his way through college. All he wanted to do was play football for the university. We are at [a] loss for words right now.”

It’s 10:30 p.m.

Your stoic chauffeur lets you out of your sparkling Continental GT that smells of fresh leather and wood grain.

You’re accompanied by an entourage of glittering, beautiful, picture-perfect men in skinny jeans and model-esque women to a swanky strip club in Houston, Atlanta, or Las Vegas — because, you know, you frequent these cities like rooms your mansion.

You enter through the front of the building and bypass the seemingly endless line of people who call to you like they know you – even though everyone knows they don’t. Your bodyguard is more hefty than the bouncer and clears the way for you and your crew to walk into the facility.

[Image: Shuttershock]

You pass the semi-crowded main club area and see one of your many gorgeous ex-girlfriends on stage surrounded by piles of $20 dollar bills. You watch her voluptuous frame swirl sinuously through the smoky haze of weed and cigars that wafts lazily in the air — highlighting her angelic qualities that transcend the stage on which she dances. Viewing her through your Tom Ford shades you flashback to sequences similar to a music video resembling memories of endless private dances on early mornings in random cities that you don’t remember. Your only interruption being a text from a 713-number — just another ex that you told was the love of your life. You’ll be drunk-dialing her later.

You are led to the VIP section that was prepared in advance for you and your crew. It is already overflowing with strippers of the highest caliber, ready to contribute to the drunken state you find yourself.

[Image: Hot937]

You ask a beautiful Ethiopian woman with glasses, long curly hair, and a large a** to come with you and your entourage. You all go to one of your favorite local restaurants, where the wait staff automatically knows what you want to eat and has an exclusive section just for you!

You don’t forget to wear your napkin in your shirt, you know, because you’re mobbin’ like that. You and the beauty of the night talk about everything because you’re interested in intelligent girls. You find out she went to Howard because you just happen to be attracted to high-caliber women.

Plates of food and empty bottles of Ciroq, but later you find out about her man, even though she’s already fallen in love with you. Y’all make plans to travel to some exotic place that you’re visiting next week knowing that you’ll only be with her for a few months because, you know, you’re waiting for the day when Nicki Minaj accepts your proposal of marriage.

Your life revolves around beautiful women, constant travel, and surpassing the expectations of everyone around. All in auto-tune.

There will be times when you will be successfully completing million-dollar projects, only to find out that you and your squad will have to combine your forces to save your current squeeze. her life is in danger just because she is your girlfriend — because, you know, you’re just that important.

And every girl you get involved with seems to come with some kind of life or death situation that you always survive unscathed — resulting in a happily ending lyrical narrative to enthrall the world with at the end of the night.

[Image: ZHipHopCleveland]

When you drop down in your hometown of Toronto, the love never stops coming from all of your friends, exes, and the rest of the city, but especially from your exes, who are all mad that you keep drunk-dialing them.

You always find yourself spending time catching up with people you miss and attending late night volleyball matches, played by teams of beautiful models in bikinis and booty shorts. You are known to have a diverse group of friends, always making sure to show love to your Jewish fam since, you know, Judaism is a part of your heritage that you openly embrace.

[Image: MissBernieJ]

Between cities and hanging out with the members of YMCMB, Rihanna, and other celebrities, you always find the time to play a friendly game of online poker with internationally renown basketball players like Lebron James — because, you know, the both of you are friendly like that.

[Image: NecoleBitchie]

When you stroll down the street in flurries of snow you will be unaffected by the cold, your outfits never get dirty, and a Bentley will slowly follow you as you exude unmistakable swagger and unparalleled style.

[Image: Kissfmuk]

With all your coming and goings, touring and recording, you always find time to inspire the kids in the hood and show your love to the elders who taught you what you know, as they continue to be your inspiration even today. You show love to your city, support those who came before you, and don’t hesitate to keep it real with the world — because, you know, you’re humble like that.

[Image: WeGotThisCovered]