Haywood Stokes

By Roland KhounlivongPosted 09 July 2015 The Greek/Euro union may have been teetering on the brink this week, but the precious metals markets remained somewhat ambivalent to the situation – until Asia’s woes hit the headlines. Head of Dealing and Settlements at GoldMoney, the online precious metals dealer, Roland Khounlivong, said gold has been surprising analysts, ‘The tensions in Europe have…

Death of a Salesman: Birdman and the Willy Loman Complex of HipHop – #RamblingsOfAFrustratedHipHopHead

   Not to single out Birdman (because there are many Willy Lomans in Hip Hop) but this has been something that amused me these last 10 years. As technology changes and social media took over the way music is received and marketed, it’s amazing what rappers do to stay relevant. The same guys who “ran the game” when I was 5 still run the game now with no sort of retirement program. The…

“2Chainz”: HipHop and the Gold Standard #RamblingsOfAFrustratedHipHopHead Part 1

little over a year ago I was in bondage, and now I’m back out here reaping the blessings and getting the benefits that go along with it, everything that’s out here for kings like us. The reason why we like this, this jewelry and this diamonds and stuff, they don’t understand is, because we really from Africa, and that’s where all this stuff come from. And we originated from kings, you know what…

The Ghost of Andre Noel, The Bishop Brothers, and Chinx Drugs – #RamblingsOfAFrustratedHipHopHeas

First off, I offer my sincere condolences to the families of Andre Noel, Kendrick and Kendred Bishop, and Chinx. Gone too soon is an understatement. The amount of potential; it’s truly a devastating loss. I imagine what the game would look like 5-15 years from now if any of these dudes (Stack Bundles RIP too) got a chance to finish the race. All had hit music. All had content beyond the glitz and…

   Tidal. In theory should be dope!!! The artist ran streaming company is Michael Jackson’s dream personified and it’s not about what’s going on now but how this can effect things in the industry 5-10 years from now. I do believe that the “machine” (the record labels, the media, ect) was the problem and anything artist driven by that artist will at least give us an honest interpretation of the…

I found out I’m gonna be a father!!! What’s even cooler? It’s a GIRL!!! I am charged with raising a strong black woman, and I couldn’t be more excited! Here’s a quick list to any other expecting father of the 5 things I hope I can get through to my daughter.     1) Putting out someone else’s light won’t make yours brighter. There’s enough room for us all to shine, babygirl. Don’t hate on the next…

Just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen. Right or wrong just how I was feeling at the time.  Hip Hop. smh. It’s amazing. It’s like the Wizard of Oz. Like so many, I had high hopes to one day meet the wizard, the life force of the culture that I loved so much. It wasn’t a hobby. Somewhere between “Enter The 36 Chambers” and “Blueprint 2″ I truly believed. I believed that it was an energy that could…