Working Too Hard To Be Poor..

i'm sitting in Baton Rouge, La. on business at 6 something in the morning, focused on ways to generate more income for me and my family (and employees), i turn on the tv.. hoping that it would put me back to sleep, i turn on Good Morning America.. Oprah was on speaking about her role in Barack's campaign.. then she says something that hits me.. something that i flip immediately.. something that is now the title of this blog..

Working Too Hard To Be Poor..

that's deep to me.. shoot, that's why i wrote it (who am i fooling?).. i find myself in that position.. i find a lot of us in that position.. and this isn't a race thing.. this might be more of a class this.. maybe more of an American thing.. i don't know, but it hit me and compelled me to write.. something i haven't done in weeks..

i've been down.. i won't front.. as a Black man, that's hard to say.. i've been depressed.. others around me have been depressed.. the news is depressing.. I’m seeing my brothers being killed.. I’m seeing my people being locked up.. I’m seeing my people battle injuries that can affect their livelihood.. business has been rough.. man business has been rough..

i've worked so hard to get to where i am, and now i'm faced with a big part of my business being affected by things out of my control.. i'm a marketer.. i run what many believe and feel is an up-and-coming force in this industry.. i'm not saying that to toot my own horn, because the work is out there.. but i'm a small guy amongst billion dollar giants.. i try to conduct business as ethically as possible, but in doing so i feel that i have lost so much..

so much money.. so much time.. so much energy.. we always try to find ways to rationalize things, and tell ourselves it will be better.. being raised in the church, that's our mentality.. "everything is going to be alright".. "it's all in God's hands".. but reality is a bitch, booooooy!! shoot, my ability to use a cuss word right after saying God is a testament to that.. sometimes we start to wonder if it's going to be alright.. shoot, i've had a client go back on about $300,000 worth of business.. that hurts.. especially when we hire people specifically for the account.. that shit hurts.. i've had a client try to tarnish my name and reputation in this athlete business that i also have.. and i'm doing things the right way (at least that's what some agents and league officials have told me to my face).. million dollar athlete.. owes me $15,000 for work we've done on his behalf.. an easy check for him to write.. and because i had my employees (and myself) work so hard at the beginning of our contract relationship, we made the Red Sea part.. gave him everything that would normally take a year.. but we made it happen.. and i feel that because he has it all now, he doesn't want to pay anymore.. it's sad.. i'm not even trying to hold him to the contract at this point.. i learned a lot about dude, and i don't want to be associated with him AT ALL.. but i do want my money..

i'm not a rich dude.. i'm from the South Side of Chicago.. born and raised.. dirt poor.. nothing.. nadda.. zip.. zero.. i feel like i lived the American dream.. i overcame those obstacles to be here.. i'm not alone.. a lot of us have worked too hard to continue to be poor.. and that hurts.. what do we say to our children when we do things right and just, only to be in the same position?? what do we say to our loved ones when we come home with an empty bank account, but have a lot of work to show for? that work doesn't pay a bill.. creditors don't care about that work.. they care about that cash..

i sit here, fresh off of signing 2 more athletes.. another NFL player and our first WNBA player.. but i'm sad because i'm faced with the reality that we all work so hard, but could be right back to where we started in a heartbeat.. yes, we adapt.. shoot, i'm adapting from my hardship with my other company to transition most of my efforts to this athlete business.. i've worked too hard.. we've worked too hard.. you've worked too hard..

but what's the remedy? what's the solution? it's definitely not the new Beanie Sigel album! so what do we do? who do we turn to? will the next election help those that work so hard finally find a way to get up and out? will our voice get bigger? will our voice make a change? because talking doesn't pay a bill, unless you're a minister!! so many unanswered questions.. i sit here in my hotel room, lost.. i know exactly where i am, but i have no clue as to when things will change..

holiday season is not too cheery for me.. i won't see my family, because i can't commit funds to it knowing that i might REALLY need those funds next week, tomorrow or today.. don't cry for me, though.. cry for all of us.. all of us being faced with the reality that we can work so hard to make a change for ourselves.. that we can work so hard to make a living for ourselves and our families.. we can work so hard and have nothing to show for it.. we can work too hard and still be poor.. that's a tough reality pill to swallow.. shoot, my niece just sent me her report card through email last night and i see that she has a 3.3.. i'm so proud of her.. it hasn't been easy for her on the South Side of Chicago, especially in school.. shoot, she's a bully as well with a mouth to match.. she got that from me and my sister.. but all of my family follow in my footsteps and i'm worried about them seeing me falter..

"Unlce Q went to Northwestern, had his own companies, has a sphere of influence that includes some big time influential 'friends', and he struggles everyday.."

i'm working hard for that line not to be a true story.. i really don't know how that story will end.. i'm working hard.. but again.. i find myself in the same line as most of America.. looking for that welfare check.. not literally, but i'm just saying..

Q.

AOG Series: Gangster Starter Kit Part 1

Come one, come all!! You’ve seen the Hip-Hop Starter Kits sold on MTV, BET and VH1, and in the back pages of XXL, Vibe and your favorite hip-hop magazines.. You know, the ones that teach you how to be a Wanksta, Backpacker or Video *cough* Vixen.. You’ve seen the Presidential Starter Kits as well.. Barack didn’t intend for his “Hope” to be jacked by other Presidential Wanna-Be’s, but that’s what he gets for having big rappers back him, and videos created for him.. I mean, when Tyra can book Obama, Clinton and Edwards and pretty much talk about nothing? Yea, that’s leading the pack..

Don’t sleep, though, because we have the TV Producer Starter Kits too!! Call it TRL, 106th & Park, Real World or College Hill, but Starter Kits seem to be all that you need to get by.. I think Bill Gates might have created one, too! I’m still waiting for my Oprah Kit (OK playa) to arrive in the mail.. My own Dr. Phil is going to be sick!!

So in that spirit, we announce The Anatomy of a Gangster Starter Kit!! After careful consideration, insight and due diligence, we present steps at becoming the next AG..

• Your own nickname or “just a name”
Mike, MJ, Oprah, Barack, Hov, Gates, The Answer, Tiger, Tyra, Denzel, Alicia.. You have to get to that point to be an AG.. One name, one letter, one symbol (I see you, Prince!).. You gotta get there.. If someone is saying your whole government in order for the general public to notice you? Yea, in the words of the Boondocks’ Riley, “that is very not gangsta..”..

•Nice wardrobe
You have to have your clothing game right in order to be an AG.. And let’s not get that confused in having your own line.. Cuz, some people have garbage lines that also are very not gangsta.. So, listen up, Generation Me.. Those long t-shirts are truly gowns.. Baggy jeans should mean that you have some breathing room.. Not room to fit another person or two.. A blazer should fit you perfectly.. If you have shoulder pads that don’t sit on your shoulders? Yea, that is very not gangsta.. Ladies, if your business suit shows all ass and cleavage, that is very not gangsta.. I mean, we men appreciate it, but I’m not able to think about respecting you when you have the twins staring at me.. Y’all know our focus is already questionable.. The tight jeans? Yea, we love them too, but at some point even we (men) start to wonder if you’re cutting off your blood circulation.. So, just get your clothing game right.. Clothes that fit.. A nice sense of style..

•Common Sense
You cannot be a gangster if you believe everything you see and hear.. You have to have a very strong sense of what is logical and what smells funny.. A rapper/politician/actor/man/girl can’t define what you do or say.. At least not as your Bible, Qur’an, Mathematics or anything else.. Common sense also tells you that you have to take time to learn.. You have to study.. Whether it’s a textbook, a playbook, history, script or blog, you have to study your craft and hone it.. Then you have to Oprah it (peep the past AOG: OWN).. Sometimes it’s just stopping to think for a second.. WWAGD (What Would an American Gangster Do – for the slow ones out there).. Spend money on rims or a house? Go to school or the block? (Frank wasn’t on the block!) If you want to be on the path of an AG, then just stop and think.. WWAGD??

•Your own theme song
If you’re really big, you can have your own soundtrack.. We knew about the importance of your own song way back when Keenan provided that tidbit of information in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”.. We just didn’t listen.. Think about it.. All AG’s have their own theme music.. Remember when the Bulls started their reign as the best since those old time Celtics?? What do you remember?? Mike? Yea, kinda.. Pip? I guess so.. Big Chief Triangle? Not Really.. Rodman? Of course.. But don’t front.. Y’all know who created the player announcements (or at least took it to the next level).. That’s right “Your, Chicago Bulls!!”.. Lights went out, music started blaring and you knew what was coming next.. Be honest, if you’re a sports fan and you know what I’m talking about, you’re getting hype right now just thinking about that theme music.. For the non-sports fans out there, think about what’s going on with Barack or even the jingles that you remember and associate to people and products.. That Apple jingle? Law & Order sound? Martin’s show theme? The music speaks volumes for it.. “Sometimes I feel, that he is me…” Ahh, let me stop..

So there you have it.. Part 1 to your The Anatomy of a Gangster Starter Kit.. For consultation on the Gangster Starter Kit, please feel free to contact me for more information.. Otherwise, stay tuned..

AOG Series: United

This weekend, something happened that even I couldn’t believe.. Something that I might’ve joked about, prayed about, begged about, but it really happening?? Shoot, that was a pipe dream.. But then it happened.. Barack won South Carolina..

Now, I’m not all that concerned about him winning or losing.. Well, at least not that much.. What I was concerned about was whether people would join together to vote, or if they would split the vote.. But, when the polls came back, they had percentages of 80 and 82 for Black women and men that voted for Barack.. That was the amazing part to me.. That Black people actually joined together and instead of bringing one another down, they brought someone up (someone not named Oprah cuz we love and are afraid of crossing Ms. OWN).. That might not mean much for y’all but it definitely does for me.. I probably would go another 20-30 years believing that we are some of the most non-brand loyal people on the planet.. I mean, y’all know we’re brand loyal.. We’ll stick with Nike, even if Phil came out saying that he just likes us cuz we jump higher and run faster.. We’ll rock Tommy no matter what.. We’ll listen to Dr. Phil without questioning his resume.. But let there be a Dr. Leroy.. Not happening.. Just that name alone will make us skeptical..

So yea, this was big for me.. In the ways of an AG, I have to give props to all of the people down in South Carolina.. They proved me wrong.. Made me eat my thoughts and dreams, cuz y’all know I really didn’t voice it.. In a time where candidates were stealing lines from Barack like he was Biggie, I wasn’t sure if we would listen.. Cuz, I’ll listen to an old Biggie song on some “Yo, what song did he snatch that line from”, then realizing I’m dead wrong for even forgetting that Biggie said it first.. It’s like Barack has his stuff being leaked ahead of time nowadays.. I’m just sayin’..

I’m just proud right now.. I was out in Cali doing cartwheels with my boy when we received the news that Barack pulled it off.. And it wasn’t for Barack.. This election is bringing us together.. Uniting us to an extent.. Making us read more about these elections and figure things out week by week.. I know I’ve learned about caucuses, Super Tuesday, platforms, etc, way more than I cared to learn at any other point in my life.. I KNOW that if Barack wasn’t in the race, I’d be just as ignorant as I was before.. I would care less.. But, dude has us learning.. Barack needs a holiday after this, no matter if he wins or loses.. Cuz he is making more people read than any NBA Read to Achieve program combined with those old Book It joints that we used to be a part of so we could get a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.. Don’t front, you know you were doing that!! Made your mom all happy, cuz she didn’t have to cook.. Then you would fight with your sibling over one corner of that personal pan pizza.. Ahh, those were the days..

So, I wonder.. Or I’m led to wonder.. Will this last? Will we stay united?? Does seeing South Carolina do it, motivate more people around the country to do it? And since when did a NY Times backing mean anything? Who was backed in 2004? 2000? People be making stuff more than it is.. Really? They back Hillary and I’m supposed to go with her? I mean, maybe if TROUBL backed her I’d think a bit harder, but the Times? People were acting like she won the Presidency.. I find it funny how people try to steal thunder from others.. Nothing new, huh?

AOG Series: Our Own

In a true gangsta move, Ms. Oprah Winfrey “don’ done it again!”.. Announced this past week, Oprah went out and grabbed her own tv network.. Her OWN tv network.. Get it? The Oprah Winfrey Network? O.W.N.? The woman is sick.. I don’t know what I really think about cloning, but she needs to be one of the first in line.. Can I get me an Oprah clone? Please?! I’m just sayin’..

She linked up with Discovery and pretty soon it’ll be what Oprah wants, on tv 24 hours a day.. You can believe that when her deal is up with ABC in 2011, the world better end.. Cuz if it doesn’t, they might need to rename that after her.. And I’m not sure you want her to start naming stuff, cuz Oprah will let you know that it’s about her, and her people.. Talk about her if you want.. But her name is Oprah, and she ain’t trying to change it for no one.. She has Harpo which has an image of a young Black girl sitting in a rocking chair.. If that ain’t our people, I don’t know what is.. And now, with this, she’s basically sticking her tongue out and letting people know she’s here to stay.. Forget CBS, NBC or FOX.. It’s all about OWN..

Moving forward, I’m going to stop using the term minority for us.. I mean, when we break down the math (I haven’t done it yet, cuz I’m lazy, and I’m sure one of y’all know the answer) we aren’t the minority.. Maybe in the US as a whole, but in the world? Shoot, let’s look at some of our largest cities.. NYC? Chicago? ATL? There are sections that are predominantly Black or Hispanic throughout this country that they call minority populations.. Really? Last I checked, Harlem is as Black as can be.. How is that a minority population? Yea, one can break it down to fit what one wants it to be, but really, is it a minority spot? In the spirit of Oprah, Harlem is our OWN.. The South and West Side of Chicago is ours, too.. Dang near most of Cali might not be Black, but the Latinos might be able to stake their OWN in there.. So, with that said, I’m not using that term to refer to us.. I’m Black.. I’m this, I’m that.. I’m me.. I’m Q.. I’m not a minority..

Even if I’m up against some “300” type ish, I’m still not a minority.. I’m a Black man that’s going to run if I see a dude that’s 80 feet tall.. He just got me on that height/weight/mutant thing.. But, I’m not a minority.. In that instance I’m outnumbered for a sec or it’s just not a good look.. As long as I have the spirits of those before me with me, I’m not going to be outnumbered.. I have to remember that.. It’s not like we haven’t been outnumbered before.. Every situation most of us go into, we’re outnumbered by physical bodies around us.. We step into boardroom meetings, they have more than us.. When we represent ourselves, we can only bring a few, or otherwise we’ll be labeled a posse..

I’m not going to make this a white/Black thing either.. I’m just stating the facts.. I’m stating these facts, because I don’t want us to psych ourselves out.. I don’t want us to give ourselves an excuse.. We’ve been doing it.. Label or no label.. I’m saying ditch the label, because I feel that I go into those meetings with y’all.. I go in there, knowing I’m coming out with something positive to report back to all of you.. So I carry your voices and faces in there with me.. I’m never outnumbered.. Shoot, until this year I thought I was, but now I’m good..
I just need to OWN some more stuff.. Y’all already know I’m trying to own this marketing thing, and I tell y’all what.. 2008 has been a great year.. We have already come out w/ some great things that are being well-received (get at me if you want to know more).. Each new account, or new initiative and we’re growing.. Our talent is growing.. I really believe that when you start to dream realities, then the tide starts to turn.. That can be so many things..

Lately most of my marketing ideas have come from sleep.. Whether it was a dream or me laying in bed and I have to jump out just to get it out.. For me, that’s me making my mark.. I know athletes do things like that as well.. Same with entertainers.. I think artists, writers and creatives do the same thing.. When they are on it, they are on it.. Then they own it..

Are there things that each of you own, that you need to let out so that it becomes true to everyone around you? We all have something.. I truly believe that.. Shoot crackheads own the Harlem Shake (before Zab Judah and Smokey).. I’m watching that Celebrity Rehab now (would the writer’s strike hurry up?!), and that one actor going through withdrawal? That’s a crackhead.. You can say he didn’t do crack, but that white boy has some crackhead tendencies.. Most prominent Black media owns bad taste, articles and programming.. Hey, I didn’t say it was all good, did I? We have our own OWN issues.. I’m just sayin’..

I’m trying to figure out what “OUR” will stand for in the future.. What will we own together?

AOG Series: Take '08

Past year’s resolutions have always focused on the same things.. Making more money, launching a business, being more positive, finding a mate, blowin’ up, and anything else you can think of.. But as I entered into 2008, I felt completely different.. I thought about the “gangsta” mentality.. I listened to the entertainers and athletes and people on TV talking about getting it and taking it to another level this year.. I heard it all.. It was cute.. But it was the same..

The time for change is here.. Dang I sound like a Barack campaign speech.. Everybody is struggling.. Rich, poor, young, old, Black, white, educated, straight stupid, greedy, ugly.. It really don’t matter.. One week you can be killin’ it, and the next you’re getting killed.. This year we have to keep that gangsta mentality.. when we get that off week, we change our focus.. We don’t have to dwell on it, we just need a few “woo-sahs”, a pack of nowalatas (y’all know that’s how we say it!), and a red pop.. get that in your system and blow that ish oooouuuuuuttttt.. after that moment, then focus on taking your moment back..

Bring in the new year like Hov did opening up his new spot in Vegas.. Create ways to enjoy what’s rightfully yours.. Do stuff you want to do.. Don’t worry about having to get up early on Tuesday morning to go to work.. Stay up late and watch Huey and Riley take over that 11:30PM slot on Monday.. It’s worth it.. When you get to work the next day and people ask you why you have bags under your eyes, speak to them in the voice of Riley.. “Do you know me? I’m carrying money in these bags!!” (on another note, if you get the chance, watch episodes of The Boondocks back to back and see if you don’t start talking and thinking like Huey and Riley!!)

Let’s keep our eyes out for some potential gangstas.. the ones I see are:

Hov:

The Vegas 40/40 was just the start.. 40/40 in Tokyo is coming, and many more as this brand continues to be viewed as the hip-hop spot.. Although he’s still President of Roc-a-fella Records, there is talk of him joining up with Apple.. I’m not sure what the Roc would be w/out him, but I’d be willing to watch how it would crumble..

Barack:

Dude just won the Iowa Caucus.. What more do I have to say? Just the thought of my grandparent being able to witness a Black President gives me a bit of a chill..

Oprah:

The real O(prah).G… I’ll stay watching her moves..

Will Smith:

As my man C3 said, he’s positioned as the next Denzel.. but bigger.. he’s started to put more money into businesses such as Carol’s Daughter and even his own production company.. Watching his family take over movies, dude has a lot of power in Hollywood..

Alicia Keys:

Last year she took over.. forget her music.. her philanthropic stuff was something we haven’t seen.. she stole the spotlight from Angelina Jolie and the work she has been doing.. but, now that you throw in a hit album with a #1 song, we could be seeing a lot of Ms. Keys this year..

LeBron James:

The most marketable player in the NBA, is also doing a lot in the business world.. from chillin’ with Warren Buffett, to building a village in China, dude is doing some things.. While we know he won’t be getting back to the NBA Championship any time soon (that was a fluke last year), he’s still killing the league.. I tip my hat to him.. on Fortune covers and SI.. I’m just sayin’..

Who else should we be targeting as potential gangstas in 2008?