From the Mind of Morgan

"The Daily Currant" ran a fake interview with Kanye West saying he thinks he is 'the next Nelson Mandela'. In response to his pseudo remarks, some people took to Twitter saying: [Kanye West thinks he's the next Nelson Mandela. Let's lock him up for 27 years as a test.] This headline begs me to ask the question: did people get offended because Nelson Mandela was mentioned or because Kanye West supposedly said it? Let's say Kanye West didn't make this statement(which he didn't). A 7 year old kid did after learning of Nelson Mandela's accomplishments, or hell, George Clooney. Would you then respond, "Alright, put your hands behind your back..." and rush him off so he can begin his 27 year prison term? He didn't say it, but it can be debated that Kanye does have a greater immediate influence over this generation, especially in America. This is not to lessen Nelson Mandela's accolades. Admittedly, like many people, I hadn...

Score 8/10 Chris Grindz exhibits a confidence throughout S.Y.A.D you don’t often hear in first releases. Sit Yo Ass Down, the paternally titled mixtape from the hip hop St. Louis native is a declaration of independence from the system that held Grindz down for 3 years. Out on a lifetime mission for his voice to be heard, Chris Grindz is quickly making his name known. Selected by Hot 104.1’s STL Home Jams DJ’s Finster and Rob Boo, Grindz was chosen to be a member of Freshman Class IX , a collection of the aspiring hip hop artists in the area. . Grindz is an exceptionally gifted lyricist and exhibits it while paying homage to great predecessors like Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem and Junior Mafia on the mixtape, making listeners wonder if the original artist did it right the first time around. Compositions from local producer TriPpyDude, better known as Strongboy can be heard on tracks Panic Meter and Twerk n’ Ride. Murch Beats also makes a cameo with Money Calling. Grindz doesn’t talk ...

When the planes hit the twin towers, I was sitting in my seventh grade Civics class. An assistant principal peeked his head in our door, whispered something to my teacher and she immediately grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Smoke plumed from the side of a tall building I'd never seen before, and another standing next to it. I stood there mystified, not knowing what to feel or say. After moments of silence, my teacher spoke the exact sentiment of every ignorant mind in that room: "I don't think you guys know how serious this really is". I can say the same for most of the people who saw the Kanye West Interview. To answer the question 'Are you a fan of Kanye West?' is like asking 'Do you believe in God?' I recall asking others had they witnessed one of the greatest dialogues in our generation, the answer was either yes or no but was preceded with rather or not they were a fan of the artist himself; if they weren't, they had no d...

Recently I heard the word used in an interview between Kanye West and Zane Lowe via BBC-Radio 1. The renowned artist dropped knowledge and used very colorful language to get his message across. Mr. West wasn’t all sailors tongue, as he was sure to enunciate even the swear words despite a layer of diamonds and gold on his bottom row of teeth. In this interview, Kanye used a lot of words and among them was patina. According to the 1996 Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary, patina is “a film or incrustation, usually green, produced by oxidation on the surface of old bronze and esteemed as being of ornamental value”. This is the way in which Mr. West used it: So it becomes all of this thing where all of the musicians- the musicians try to get more money by promoting other products, right? So you'll say 'Hey, you know what? I've got this water and we've got, you know, we've got this red version. We got a red bottle, and we've got a David Beckham ve...

It is the middle of summer and I'm sitting on my couch watching Natalie Portman orgasm via Ashton Kutcher on my television; and somewhere, because school is out almost everywhere in the United States, I know that someone younger than me is watching the same thing.

As one present Disney Star rises, a former Nickelodeon star falls. In light of the Miley Cyrus fiasco, do you believe celebrities have a social responsibility to behave in a particular manner? I have a niece who is now 10, however she was 3 years old watching Hannah Montana when she first appeared on television in 2006. She now sees Miley as a young woman(no longer a child kiddie pop star) completely naked swinging on a wrecking ball. I'm all for women's liberation, but wow. Can this even be considered ART? I don't think my niece will travel downtown in her birthday suit anytime soon looking for a suitable piece of construction equipment to climb up on; but, will this drastic change in behavior and image affect how my niece, or any little girl for that matter, handles herself as she grows?

Jurassic Park is a timeless film. It transcends all movie genres by seamlessly placing dinosaur and man in the same time era, "two species separated by 65 million years of evolution...how could we possibly know what to expect". I'm not sure when I saw this movie for the first time but I've probably watched it over 300 times or more since then. Jurassic Park intertwines a variety of intellectual and controversial subjects such as gene splicing, theory of evolution and unpredictability. If "smart movies" was a genre, this film holds a spot, alongside The Social Network and Cloud Atlas. Many of the people who worked on this film admitted they didn't expect the phenomenal success of the movie. Spielberg's dedication to the realness of the film spilled onto the screen. I used to try and look for the smallest thing that made these creatures look like they were digitally placed or auto-erotica; the vision is clear, the design is inexplicably flawless and ...

If you didn't dream of being in Beyonce's world when you were little, you may want to take a peek now. Bey is establishing herself as Queen in her video for "Bow Down/I Been On". Mesmerizing. The transition of the video is something I've never seen before. It starts, reverses and begins again. Beyonce steps out of her lavish quarters in a stunning Elizabethan-age inspired ensemble that can be described as nothing short of superfluously crafted and designed specially for the Queen. She struts forward with her head held high and clasped in her right hand is a diamond and ruby studded scepter past royals would envy. Her highness is a walking piece of art, occasionally stopping to lean this way or that. At one point, when everything seems chaotic around her, she remains poise with a gaze that would shut Tyra Banks down. The video symbolizes power, no doubt. Her husband Jay-Z, never far, hangs as the charm on her neck lacing, also encapsulated by rubies. Hats of...

When I was preparing to go to college, I applied for a scholarship that required you to come out and participate in a series of activities with other perspective scholars.During these activities, you were grouped and assessed on your communication skills, strategy development and how well you worked with the others. The school I was applying to was predominately white I was one of three black students there on this day. One portion of the day required a one-on-one interview with one of the staff of the university. In an office that wasn't hers, used for the purposes of conducting the interview, sat a petite silvery haired white woman with a fanny pack on her hip. This was the school nurse and she was very pleased to meet me. She asked about my family, what I did in high school and other etcetara things. But the moment I lost myself came when she asked, "Do you have any talents?" I replied, "Yes." Interested, she inquired as to what my talent was and without ...

Django Unchained is a slave tale told like no other. In a story of love and revenge, Jamie Foxx ( Horrible Bosses, Collateral ) holds the reigns as lead actor in an exceptionally well done and award-worthy Quentin Tarantino flick. Set in the South, two years before the Civil War in 1858, Django’s chain gang, whilst traveling to a new plantation, is halted by a bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz, played by Christoph Waltz ( Inglorius Bastards, Water for Elephants ) Dr. Schultz wishes to purchase Django for some vital information he withholds on a bounty. An instant bond is formed between the two and they gallop through this movie effortlessly, much like the olympian style stallions used for their main mode of transportation. Kerry Washington ( Scandal, Fantastic Four ) dazzles opposite of Foxx. During a time when slaves weren’t allowed to marry, Django’s driving force is the long awaited reunion of his frau, Broomhilda Von Shaft, played by Washington. No amount of desensitizi...