Chile, chile, chile!

My chil-ren took me to see Beyonce and Jay Z last night.  Now I know my old-self prolly din’t have no business going to that concert, but my family wanted me to go. And you know what?  I am right pleased that I did.  Last couple I saw in concert was Ike and Tina at the Roxy in Detroit, but we all know that love match didn’t turn out so good (I tole people den that Ike looked meaner than a stepped-on rattlesnake, but chu know folks don’t like when you speak about dey idols – as if they know em or something.  But I’m gettin’ off topic).

I must say, I like Beyonce and that Jay boy.  I think they may make it as a couple.  That Bey got fire inside o’ her chest.  She sho is makin that husband of hers pay dearly for cheating.  Yes maam, he wasn’t getting-away with just sending some flowers or buyin’ her a piece of jewelry. Naw, she got him on stage night-after-night apologizing, listenin to her cry about the pain he inflicted on her, and letting him know exactly “who the F she is” in front of the entire world.  I likes it.  I don’t know who dat girl was he cheated wit but she most definitely must regret it. Lawd knows, she been out-matched.

I think it’s good too for you chil-ren to see what a real long-term relationship looks like.  Now I ain’t sayin all men cheat (only half of ‘em) but I am sayin that some of ya’ll got fantasies about relationships based on TV, movies, and lies folks be tellin’ you.  You want a forever relationship, understand that you and your partner are going to have to go through some hard times (might be money issues, work issues, parenting conflicts, jealousy, whatever – it sho nuff is gonna be somethin).  Who was that group, New Edition, sangin “Can you stand the Rain?”  Shoot some of deez fools are gonna bring you a whole damn hurricane, and some just a few sprinkles.  Either way, yo hair gonna get wet.  Put you on a shower cap and keep on working on yo relationship like Beyonce and that Jay boy did.  I bets they stronger for it – and hell dey done took that rain and built themselves an ark.

Now as much as I enjoyed the show, I gots to say that watchin the audience proved what I always say to da young folks:  We Black folks is magnificent.  I ain’t sayin nothin bad about other folks; I’m just sayin God showed out when he created us and eeerbody else knows it, some of them even recognize it mo than some of us do.  Now, this concert wasn’t Aunt Randi’s first concert.  No maam.  My kids always carryin’ me wit them.  I’m country, but I’s hip too!  And let me tell you what I seen at eeer show:  a stadium filled with White, Latino, Asian, Gay, Straight, and so on emulating (yes, I knows big words) us, Black folks— they be embracing our whole culture, not just our music.

I ain’t lyin, besides Bey and Jay, my family, and maybe 10 mo, there were no Black folks at the concert.  But, I watched folks of all races meeting up with dey friends, dappin and callin each other “Brotha.”  Ladies, screaming, “what’s up Girl?  B, you crazy!”  The saggin pants, basketball jerseys, cornrows, rainbow colored hair.  Chile, I saw gold and silver chains, Jordans and Air Force Ones, and hip hop style eerwhere.  It was all us- our flava, our attitude and vibe.  Well, we know where dat comes from.  Ooooo chile, and ya’ll gots all manner of deez po’ girls folks tryin to twerk when they ain’t got nuthin to shake.  I could barely pay attention to Bey watchin’ these girls hop, and jump and contort tryin to make it bounce.  I aint mad at them for trying –but it just didn’t come natural for em (and they sho wasn’t successful!).

And dats what I want the youngins to understand.  So much of what you see and hear dats good in dis world was created by us, but then claimed by others.  We are the most creative, incredible beings to ever walk this planet.  There shouldn’t be so much low self-esteem in our kids. Dey needs to know how awesome we are—how awesome dey are.  Like Bey says:

You wake up, flawless. Post up, flawless.